A Nice Ring to It

Wendy Corduroy didn't mind a good shopping trip. Shopping just wasn't a way of life for her like with a lot of women, as Wendy had spent most of her life trying to subvert standard female stereotypes. She preferred to get in, get what she needed, and get out. With only one stop to make, she assumed this would be a quick easy trip until she made the mistake of letting Mabel in on her plans… Who ended up inviting herself along, and what Wendy hoped would be a quick trip turned into an entire ordeal that took up most of the afternoon. Almost from the day she graduated from college, Mabel had gotten to work bringing the Mystery Shack back to life. One of the pluses, as far as Mabel was concerned, was that she could unleash her creative side when coming up with new authentic fake exhibits to fill the Shack's gallery. Most of her purchases focused on arts and crafts, and other items that would be a means to these ends.

"How can you afford all of this junk again?" Wendy asked, as Mabel closed the trunk of her car.

"Pacifica's given me as big of a budget as I need to get the Shack up and running again! Of course, I have to pay back the loan, so I can't go too crazy."

"I see you're goin' the fake route just like Stan."

"Well, the 'so fake' it's obvious exhibits were part of the original Shacks charm, so I can't imagine changing that… Besides, we're friends or at least acquaintances with most of the creatures in the Valley, and I wouldn't want to sell them out by putting their likenesses on display."

"Hey, it's your call Mrs. Mystery!... Now, if you don't mind, I've got one last shop I need to run in… Why don't you hang out at the car? I should only be a few minutes."

"Nuts to that, I'll just join you!"

"That's not necessary Mabes," Wendy insisted warily. "This is something I'd prefer to do by myself."

"Why?" Mabel started to pout, before her grin quickly turned mischievous. "Is it something naughty you're embarrassed for me to see you buy? In the market for new panties? Ewe, have you and Dipper burned through all your 'protection'?"

"Nothing embarrassin' like that," she responded coolly, uninterested in playing Mabel's game. "It is private though… Could you please just respect that?"

Mabel stared the taller girl down for a moment. "You realize the more you fight me on this, the more likely you are to be walking into that store with me attached to your leg?"

Wendy grumbled in irritation. This is what she was afraid of form the very moment Mabel first insisted on tagging along with her. "Fine, you can go with me, but I swear to God Mabel, if you value our friendship at all you won't breathe a word about what your about to see to Dipper!"

Mabel recoiled a little but nodded her head in acceptance. Whatever Wendy had up her sleeve she was clearly serious about it. "My lips are sealed… What's so important though that you had to threaten me into silence?"

"You'll see," Wendy teased. She was kind of glad now that she had someone to let in on her plan… If Mabel wasn't such an uncontrollable blabbermouth, she'd probably know already.

"A jewelry store?" Mabel asked, absolutely dumbfounded. "Are you window shopping or?..."

"Nope. Pickin' up somethin' for your brother," Wendy replied cryptically before entering the shop. She wasn't lying about getting in and out quickly either. She was out the door in ten minutes, a small box in one hand, and in between the fingers of her other hand, she was examining an object that look mysteriously like a…

"Is that a ring?!"

"Technically you should probably call it a band, but yeah basically." She allowed Mabel a closer look. It was a band of pure silver, and in the center were two symbols. "Is that a pine tree and an axe?"

"Yup. They're kind of our unofficial crests after all, so it made sense… This is going to be my anniversary gift to Dip."

"Oh right! You guys have been a thing for almost three years now… Why a silver band though? I mean it's beautiful, but I don't know many guys who are into jewelry."

"Well…" Wendy was hesitant at first but decided to hell with it and smiled coyly. "A silver band seems a bit more masculine than a full-blown engagement ring would, now doesn't it?"

"Engagement…" Mabel's mouth opened wide as her eyes. "Holy crap you mean you're going too… Hmmph!" Wendy silenced Mabel by quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

"Not so loud Mabel! This is top secret, and not just to Dipper, but to everyone! This is my news to share when I see fit alright? This is the main reason I didn't want to tell you, since you're liable to have an aneurysm tryin' to keep it secret!"

"I can, I can, I promise!" Mabel squeed, almost dancing with excitement, before lassoing her arms around the redhead's waist. "This is awesome! We're going to be sisters!"

"It might be nice to have one of those for a change," Wendy snickered, as she pried her boyfriend's sister off of her. "Assumin' Dip says yes that is."

"I literally cannot see one possible scenario where that happens… So when are you going to ask him?!"

"This weekend during our anniversary date at the Chateau Brissac."

"Ewe, sounds romantic… What is that? Some kind of fancy vacation home or beach resort?"

Without missing a beat, Wendy responded, "An abandoned house in Sacramento that's supposed to be crazy haunted."

Mabel's expression fell. "Of course… Leave it to my Romeo brother to plan a romantic weekend of ghost hunting…"

"It was my idea Mabes," Wendy grumbled, sounding slightly offended. "Half the point is so he has his guard completely down… Plus I kind of enjoy it too."

By now they had reached Mabel's car, continuing the conversation as they climbed inside. "You two are such weirdos…" Mabel sighed. "Not that I think it matters, but it's pretty untraditional for the girl to ask the guy."

"We're not a traditional couple Mabes, and I really like the idea of bein' the one to pop the question. Besides, if I waited for Dip to ask me, we'd probably be common lawed by then and none of this will even mater."

"Even Bro would work up the nerve before that," Mabel snorted. "Still, aren't you the least bit disappointed? Most girls fantasize about the day their Prince Charming asks for their hand in marriage."

"Nope. I want to spend the rest of my life with your brother Mabel… That's all that matters to me. Not which direction the flippin' ring is comin' from."

"Yeah, I guess as long as you two are happy that's all that matters in the end… I am going to get to be a bridesmaid right?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Mabel," Wendy laughed. "It's hard to tell what a wedding between us would even look like… Like I said, there's nothing traditional about us."

"You're telling me… Knowing you guys, you'll have some kind of Zombie Apocalypse ceremony or something weird like that…"

Wendy went quiet as her eyes got big. "Dude…"

"Oh my god, I'm putting ideas in your head aren't I?!"

Mabel completed the short drive to Wendy's apartment and dropped her off. She made one left turn before pulling over to the side of the road and immediately called her brother. "Hey Bro-Bro, what's up?!"

"You know what's up already Mabel," Dipper sighed with some exasperation. "I'm trying to finish editing our latest video so I can upload it to SpookTube before Wendy and I leave for our Sacramento trip."

"Ah, that's right! My little brother, the big internet star!"

Dipper had a good-natured laugh at this. "Hardly… The channel's growing at a pretty decent pace. If it keeps up, Wendy and I just might actually be able to do this for a living… And we do it legit too! None of this over-the-top fake crap some of those other paranormal SpookTubers put out there…"

"Well, I'm proud of you Broseph!… Hey, speaking of your big anniversary event with your lady… Do you remember that thing you bought for her a few months ago?…"

Mabel couldn't see it, but Dipper twitched nervously. "Of course… I have it well hidden in my closet in case the right moment ever arises…"

"Well Bro, don't you think the third anniversary of your first date is a good sign that time has arisen? Think about it, it would make the perfect anniversary gift!"

"I don't know about that Mabel… I mean, I did consider it for a minute, but things are going so well between us… I don't want to rush things or push too hard and ruin what I have with Wendy."

"Excuses, excuses, Dip… For the first two years you blamed college, and for the last twelve months you blamed getting your internet show off the ground. You're running out of reasons to run. It's about time you commit to the girl!"

"I'm very committed to Wendy Mabel… I don't think a premature proposal is necessary to show it."

"I dunno, you might be surprised! I may have heard through the grapevine that Wendy might be very likely to definitely say yes… I think she might be expecting something to happen."

There was a brief pause before Dipper responded. "Are you sure about that?"

"Only one way to find out Broseph! Look, just take the ring with you, and if you chicken out, you chicken out! If the timing feels right though, at least you'll be prepared."

"I guess… Bringing the ring along just in case couldn't hurt…"

"Listen to your sagely sister and obey Dipper! I'll let you get back to you editing duties. Later Bro-Bro!" Mabel tossed her phone onto the passenger's seat, feeling quite proud of herself. "Mabel, you're a genius! Maw, ha, ha, maw, ha, ha, ha!"

Mabel then realized she could still hear the faint voice of her brother from the passenger seat. "Mabel, you forgot to disconnect the call again… What's with the ominous laughter?"

An undeterred Mabel said nothing, as she successfully disconnected the call this time. "Okay maybe not a genius, but a devious mastermind for sure!"

"Whoa man, it's beautiful!" Wendy marveled, as she and Dipper stood outside of the Chateau Brissac. Of course the house was a rundown mess that had been long abandoned. Well except for the ghost tours that happened to go through the old building. Wendy and Dipper might've had differing opinions on attractive architecture from the public at large.

"I know right… It had to cost a fortune to rent this place out for the weekend… I still could've helped fit some of the bill you know."

"It didn't cost as much as you might think… No more than your typical bed and breakfast… Plus a nifty little discount they threw in when they found out about the free advertisin' they were gona get from the house being featured on an episode of your show. And I told you already dude, I was taking care of the arrangements this time. Remember, this relationship is 50/50, so you can't be takin' the reigns all the time. Besides, I had to get you back for that awesome San Diego trip last year."

"You definitely picked an amazing destination Wendy… We might not be alone though. This house is supposed to have more ghosts than Gravity Falls has people!"

"As long as they don't spoil our fun, they can hang out as much as they like… Keep in mind what I told ya since I planned this trip. The first day is for us to spend together, nothin' work related. Day two, we can do all the investigatin' you want."

"That's perfectly fair… Oddly specific though… Have I been working too much for your liking Wendy?"

"Well…You do tend to be a bit of a workaholic… But I get it, you're trying to make the channel a viable source of income, and not havin' to deal with gettin' real jobs sounds fine by me! But yeah, sometimes I do feel like I'm competing with Casper and Bigfoot to get your attention."

"I'm sorry! Hopefully when the channel gets a little bigger, I can afford to hire an editor to help us out. In all honestly, that's what's taking up the most time right now..."

"That'll be great, but keep in mind I said *sometimes*. You're not that bad Dip," Wendy said, as she wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close to her. "I usually don't mind sharin' you with whatever mystery your chasin', but for this weekend I just wanted to make sure you understood that I wanted most of your attention focused on me."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Dipper smiled brightly as their eyes met. "Since when have you had to try all that hard to get my attention?"

The couple spent the better part of the next hour exploring the old mansion, in part for general curiosity, and in part to locate the optimal location to experience their entertainment for the evening. They decided on one of the upstairs bedrooms with just one lone window, a rather small octagon style window that was providing just enough light for the room not to be pitch black, which was exactly what they were looking for.

"Did you remember to bring your projector dude?"

"Of course! Along with a pair of brand-new films I pulled straight from the dumpster fire in Hollywood's backlot. Well technically, one of them is from Japan and I'm not sure this reel is subtitled."

"So, not only will the movie be cheesy and lame, but we won't be able to understand what anybody's saying either? Sweet!"

"It'll be an interesting experience to say the least… Ah, what was the name of the film again? I can't remember…"

"Doesn't matter dude," Wendy told him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "If I'm doin' my job correctly, you'll have no idea what these movies were even about by the time we're through."

The impish look in his girlfriend's eyes wasn't helping stave off Dipper's blush. "Umm… Right…" Three years together and she could still reduce him to a stuttering mess. God, did she love it. "So umm… We're waiting 'til after dark before we fire up the projector, so did you have anything in mind until then?"

"Well, I've never been to Sacramento before. I figured we could head into town and see what the city has to offer?"

It turned out, not much. At least not that interested the adventurous couple. For them though, just walking through the city hand-in-hand and taking in the sights was enough. The highlights were a quaint antique shop that specialized in the weird and bizarre… In other words, right up Dipper's alley, and if Wendy was being completely honest… Hers too, in recent months. What could she say? Three years of dating Dipper had rubbed off on her, and she was starting to get enjoyment out of the same weird and spooky stuff Dipper got a kick out of… She wasn't the only one melding with her significant other… Dipper had recently traded in what used to be his trademark vests for red flannel more reminiscent of a Corduroy. She'd even gotten him into hockey, and for most of his life, sports had definitely been something Dipper Pines had next to zero interest in. They also shared a very nice dinner at a little Italian place they found on the walk back.

The sun was beginning to set by the time they arrived back at the Chateau. Not much had been said between them since they left the restaurant, both preoccupied by their plans for that night, neither having any clue just how similar their thought processes were. Wendy was cool as a cucumber as always, having no reason to be concerned she wasn't going to get what she wanted, but she still hadn't planned it out all the way through just how she was going to pop the question. So locked in her thoughts was she, she failed to register her much less confident companions pale bordering on terrified expression. Unlike Wendy, he hadn't a hundred percent committed to proposing that night, but he was still strongly considering it. He was glad he didn't sweat through his hands, otherwise Wendy would know something was up based on the sudden sliminess of her hand.

Once in the house, Dipper immediately got to work setting up the projector, while Wendy appeared to be…

"Is that an air mattress?" Dipper asked in surprise to which Wendy just nodded her head.

"Figured it would be more comfortable than foldin' chairs or blankets."

"Yeah, good idea… Sleeping on these rickety old floorboards tonight wasn't exactly appealing."

"Awe Dipper, that's just adorable…" Wendy cooed, her eyes narrowing impishly. "You think we're goin' to be using it for sleeping."

Dipper nearly knocked over the projector. Wendy smirked in satisfaction watching affectionately as he struggled to adjust and save face.

"Help me…"

Dipper's head snapped to attention at the sound of the strange, muffled voice. "Did you say something Wendy?"

"No, I didn't hear anything…" Then Wendy heard it for herself.

"Please… Help me…"

"Okay, I definitely heard it that time… Somebody sayin' help me?"

"Yeah, but where's it coming from?"

"Help me…"

Dipper finally traced the source of the pleas. To one of his equipment bags. He unzipped it and pulled out a box shaped object. It was a version of the classic 'Ghost Box' but not one of the typical fakes you'd see on every generic ghost show, where the investigators would pretend to hear words through white noise and static. This was an improved model designed by his Grunkle Ford from which spirits could actually communicate with the living if any were actually present. Dipper had only seen it work once if that tells you how often that happens.

"Hold up dude!" Wendy frowned. "We agreed no ivestigatin' today!"

"I know, it's just…" Dipper shut up and let the box do the talking for him.

"Help me… He's after me…"

Dipper and Wendy stared at each other wide-eyed. There was no further discussion. The voice was faint, so the duo traveled deeper into the house in the hopes they could hear the voice more clearly. Wendy grabbed an EMF detector to hopefully help point them in the right direction. Dipper, like this Grunkle, was skeptical of the theory that high magnetic fields and ghosts had any correlation but until they prove its reliability one way or another, it was still a tool to be utilized.

"5.8 dude… Nothing spectacular, but the numbers have been pretty flat except for right here…"

"Well, this is as good a place as any to try and talk to it…" Dipper cleared his voice and tried to speak to any potential spirits that might be present. As luck would have it, the suspected ghost beat him to it.

"Help me…" The voice sounded much louder this time. Almost on top of them.

"Spirit… Can you hear me? Are you in danger? If you could appear to us or lead us to where you are, we might be able to help."

Dipper waited and the ghost responded. "Down the hall… To the left…"

Wendy and Dipper complied walking down to the end of the hall and taking a left.

"No… Your other left…" Both Dipper and Wendy stopped and stared at the box in confusion. If they didn't know any better they could almost swear they heard the ghost… Snickering?

"Excuse me spirit… You said before that someone was after you? Can you tell me who you believe is threatening you?"

"It's two people… I think they're stalking me… There's this cute ginger girl and a dorky looking doofus who thinks he can talk to ghosts! I'm terrified!" More snickering followed, immediately proceeded by heavy laughter from multiple voices.

"Uh Dipper… Is this a joke, or did we just get pranked called by a ghost?"

Annoyed, Dipper began asking the generic questions he'd usually start with during any standard EVP session. "How many ghosts are in the area with us right now?"

"Hey that's rude! The proper term is Spirit! Ghost is a harmful term to the living impaired…"

"Oh seriously? I'm sorry I…"

"No I'm not serious! Ghosts and spirits are the same thing dumbass! We're still dead!" More boisterous laughter from at least two male sounding voices. Dipper looked almost offended, while Wendy already looked tired and annoyed.

"Great… The Chateau is haunted by Beavis and Butt-head…"

"Did you die in this house?" Dipper asked stubbornly, still trying to appear professional.

"Um no! We were just floating around in the eternal void of non-existence when we happened to come across this dingy old house and decided, hey! This looks like a nice place to haunt for the rest of eternity!"

"Awe, give the kid a break boys…" A new voice had joined the other worldly conversation. This time a sultry female sounding one. "I think he's cute…"

"You think anyone with a pulse is cute… Literally!" The two male ghosts continued to laugh hysterically at their own quips.

"I call it like I see it… Hey Red, you don't mind if I borrow your little boytoy for the night do you? I promise I won't break him… Much…"

"Like hell!" Wendy spat. She didn't really care if this was a ghost, or if what she was suggesting was likely physically impossible. Just no… "I don't care if you're already dead! You lay a finger on him, and I'll find a way to kill you all over again!"

"Ooh, she's spicy… I like it! Okay, you can join us Red. I've got to warn you though, when you go dead, it completely messes with your head…"

More laughter from the male ghosts followed. Frustrated and now embarrassed after getting propositioned by a ghost, Dipper challenged. "You guys sure talk a big game… How about one of you show some guts and show yourself to us!"

"You can see me right now kid! Just turn around, I'm right behind you!" Perhaps not thinking clearly due to being overexcited, Dipper did exactly as instructed, and wound-up crashing face-first into a wall. Yet more laughter from the obnoxious ghosts.

"There's a wall there dumbass! But I guess you noticed that now!"

"Hey kid, I think you dropped something!"

Confused, Dipper took a look around, but didn't notice anything of importance… That was until he saw a velvet box sitting upside down at the top of a nearby staircase. With Wendy only a foot or two behind him, Dipper panicked and lunged for the box, managing to grab it before Wendy noticed… Too bad, that in his haste, he failed to notice the box was open… Until he heard the distinctive pinging sounds trail all the way down the stairs to the next floor, Dipper looking on in horror.

"Dipper? What's wrong?" Wendy asked after seeing the horrified look on her boyfriend's face. Dipper tucked the box in his pocket before Wendy could notice, or so he hoped. "Is you nose okay? You slammed into the wall pretty hard."

"Yeah I'm fine! Look, I gotta go downstairs and check on something really quick! You stay and investigate up here okay?"

"Huh? Why?!"

"Just… Trust me okay! I'll be right back! Don't come downstairs for any reason! There's… Really no need!"

Wendy was annoyed, but she complied with her partners wishes… For now, as she watched him bolt down the stairs like he was running from the ghosts that were heckling him. She briefly considered chasing after him anyway, when she felt a sudden chill run up her back. She turned to see if she could pinpoint the source… Only to see the silver band she'd bought Dipper seemingly floating in midair. "What the hell?"

"Well isn't this a little beauty…" said the voice of the female ghost.

"How did you get that?!" Wendy yelp, both panicked and angry. She wasn't sure how she was able to hear the ghost without the aid of the ghost box.

"Simple Red. You weren't paying attention, and it isn't hard to have deft hands when they're not exactly corporal in nature to begin with."

"Just give it back! Whoever or whatever you are! That band is important to me…"

"Is it now? Well, you better come and get it then!" Now it was the female ghosts turn to cackle as Wendy watched the engagement band speed off down the hall. Wendy immediately pursued, chasing down the ring into one of the mansions larger bedrooms. The highlight of the room was a pair of double glass doors that led out to a third story balcony. That wasn't what caught Wendy's attention, however. It was the fact that her ring no longer appeared to be moving on its own accord, now instead held in the ghostly hand of a pale transparent looking woman, a dour smile on her face as she admired the ring.

"It really is a beauty… Your one lucky girl."

"It's not for me… It's supposed to be an anniversary gift for my boyfriend… Well, until he says yes at least…

"Really?" The ghost's non-existent eyelids may have widened if they'd been there. "A woman proposing to a man? That never would've flown in my day…"

"Times change… How come I can see you now?"

"Because I chose to let you see me… I'm a lot stronger than the two clowns messing with your man. They can't manifest or interact with solid objects like I can… Which I guess is why they got so loud and obnoxious through your friend's little toy. It's the only fun the poor boys get to have."

"Can I please have the ring back?"

The ghost lady ignored the request and continued with her story. "You know I was engaged once… To a handsome young thing named Beau. He was such a gorgeous gentleman. I spent months plannin' the wedding. Picked out the perfect dress, I was going to be so beautiful… Then one day, I found my loving husband-to-be was romancing another woman on the side… I was devastated. I gave him an ultimatum, that he had to pick between her or me! You can probably see where this story is headed… Without my Beau, life just didn't seem worth livin' anymore… So I stood up on the railing of this very balcony you see out there and let myself fall… My neck snapped as soon as I hit the ground. I thought my misery would be over, only to discover I couldn't escape it even in death. So tell me Red, is this man of yours worth dying for?"

"No man's worth killing yourself over… But I would walk to hell and back for Dipper, and he would for me too!"

"I can see the fire and passion in your eyes… It's a lovely sight indeed, but I used to see that same look every time I looked in the mirror. Are you sure this boy of yours feels as strongly as you do for him?"

"As much as I hate to admit it… Maybe even more so… He's been in love with me since he was a kid. I'd trust Dip with my life and my heart. What business is that of yours anyway?"

"I guess I'd just hate to see another young flower wilt because she foolishly believes love can conquer all… But what do I know? Maybe his love for you is stronger than Beau's was for me… If he ever had any to begin with. Some advice though from one lovestruck woman to another… You might want to make sure you lover's heart burns as hotly for you as you seem to think it does. I kind of hope it's true."

With that, the ghost finally returned the ring to a grateful Wendy… Who seemed to be pondering what the ghostly being had just said to her. "Don't worry about the boys… I'll make sure they behave themselves while you and your friend enjoy your time together. Maybe you'll get that happily ever after I never got."

"Thank you…" That was all Wendy managed to say before her image disappeared.

"Where did it go, where did it go, where did it go?!" Dipper stressed as he looked high and low for the engagement ring. The ghostly pests were of no help.

"I think I saw it roll in the corner over there… Or maybe it was over there!"

"I'm pretty sure I saw a giant rat disappear into the wall with it!"

"Nah, it definitely fell through the cracks and into the skeptic line… It's probably floating down that muddy river right now if you get what I'm saying!"

"Would you two shut up?!" Dipper forgot all about the obnoxious troublemakers when he located what he was desperately searching for. Behind the sofa, in the living room he found the ring. He looked it over to make sure there was no damage, and thankfully there appeared to be none.

"Whoa! That's one fancy rock kid! Think you can get back retail for it after she shoots you down?"

"Shove it will you! That wasn't a funny joke by the way! If I'd stumbled a little too much in the wrong direction after I hit my face, I could've fallen down the stairs and broken my neck!"

"Yeah, and what's so bad about that? Being dead ain't half bad kid! And you'd get to hang out with us all the time!"

"Oh great! So in other words, I'd be stuck in hell…"

There was a moment of silence… Before the ghostly doofuses burst out into laughter. "Hey, you're not half bad kid! Maybe hot-stuff will take pity on ya!"

"I dunno… This one doesn't exactly seem all that bright to me…"

"That's rich coming from you! This guy's last words were 'Hey, Watch This'!"

Before more ghostly banter could rattle off, a more authoritative voice came through on the ghost box. "Alright boys, you've had your fun… These two are off limits for the rest of the evening."

"Ah, we were done anyway! Good luck kid! Try to hold on to that ring this time!"

"Ring?" the female voice murmured inquisitively. "Well, you and Red have fun tonight lover boy… And don't forget, if you get bored with her, I'm not that far away…"

Dipper's cheeks flushed, as the ghost box finally went silent. Dipper Pines might be the only person in the world who could speak this sentence and it actually be true but… This wasn't the first time he'd been hit on by a ghost.

After their brief encounter with a trio of quirky ghosts that somehow felt like it lasted an eternity, the couple returned to their room for the night, and Dipper finished setting up the projector. In doing so, he found a loose sheet of notebook paper that appeared to fall out of one of Wendy's bags. Perhaps a bit too nosey for his own good, Dipper couldn't help but take a look.

"The beach, the cemetery, haunted house, camping, haunted asylum, Woodstick, Mystery Shack roof, hotel hot tub, on a boat… Wendy what is this?"

"That?" Wendy almost blushed but decided she didn't really care if Dipper knew about it. "That's my list."

"List of what?"

"Think about it Dip… Look at all of the places I have checked off!"

"Okay… Well, the beach and camping are both checked off twice for some reason… The only other two I see checked are the cemetery, and Mystery Shack roof… I still don't see the connection."

"Think a little harder Dip." Wendy struggled not to laugh. "What have we done in all those places?"

"Oh…" Dipper's face went atomic, practically glowing red. "OH!"

"Smart boy, I'd knew you'd catch on eventually!"

"I still can't believe you talked me into doing that at the cemetery… And why the hell is Mabel's bed on the list?!"

"Think about it dude! She'd absolutely lose it if she found out her bed had been defiled! We kind of owe her some payback for some of the crap she's put us through…"

"Hey, that's a really good point… Still weird, but we'll see on that one."

"And you were really into it at the Cemetery…"

"When have I ever 'not' been into it?"

Wendy shrugged. "Sometimes it takes a minute or two to loosen you up a bit… Good thing I know exactly which buttons to push to get ya worked up."

"You certainly do…" Dipper stammered, blushing again.

The list conversation died right there, but before Dipper could finish setting up the projector, Wendy blindsided him with another unexpected question. "Dipper… When exactly did you fall in love with me?"

Wendy had no idea why she was suddenly feeling so unsure of herself, and after what she deemed rather useless advice from a ghost no less, but… No, that was another lie she was telling herself. It was pretty well buried, but that insecurity was still there hidden behind that mask of a cool-headed unflappable woman, the same mask she'd worn since she was a teen living in a house dripping with testosterone. Dipper was not the problem… It was near impossible to imagine anyone more loyal and devoted than Dipper was to her. A rare combination that sometimes felt too good to be true, and maybe that was the problem… What had she done to deserve it? Nothing as far as she knew, yet Dipper still offered that insane level of devotion for, as far as Wendy could tell, just for being her. It bothered her that she knew she'd never be able to return that same level of affection. It wasn't for a lack of trying or that she didn't love him back, oh God she did. It was just a trait unique to Dipper and seemingly only to Dipper, so all she could do was try to match it the best she could. She wasn't about to let another girl have it, but that didn't stop her from wondering why once-in-a-while.

"The exact moment?" Dipper asked, somewhat sheepish due to the unexpected timing of the question. "That's going to be a bit hard to pinpoint…"

"It can't be that hard!" Wendy reverted to a more teasing tone. "It wasn't the moment you watched me jump off the roof of the Mystery Shack for the first time? That's what Mabel claims anyway."

"Nope," Dipper answered without hesitating, surprising Wendy a bit. Not so much the answer as to how direct it was. "It wasn't love at first sight or anything like that… Or even that first summer really."

"You really expect me to believe that? As hard as you were crushin' on me that summer?" Wendy tried to sound playful, but she had to admit his answer bothered her just a bit. She'd always just assumed… Oh well, nothing worth getting upset over, especially at a time when she didn't return the attraction.

"That was the thing Wendy, it was just a crush… Come on, I was only twelve at the time! Way too young to understand what love actually was. I was enamored with you yes. I definitely thought you were awesome, and I crushed on you as hard as a kid that age could crush, but love no… I matured enough to eventually realize what the difference was and trust me… What I feel for you now compared to back then is like comparing a flashlight to the sun."

Dipper didn't score many victories in this department, but he chalked up two during this exchange when Wendy both blushed and temporally appeared lost for words. She tried to save face by forcing a smug smile and nudging him with her elbow. "Gimme a break, and cut it out with the cheese will ya?"

"I think you like it more than you want to admit."

She did, but she sure as hell wasn't telling him that. "Okay then… If it wasn't that first summer, when was it then?"

Dipper took a moment to think it over. It didn't take long. "Well, it's impossible to say for sure when exactly… It built up over time, but I can tell you when I finally realized I was in love with you… Believe it or not, it was the night you accompanied me to my prom."

Wendy didn't believe it. The timing didn't really make sense. He had just gotten out of a bad relationship with that Terra girl, and they had more-or-less been out of contact with each other for months due to Wendy's attempt to respect said relationship… Needlessly as it turned out. If anything, Wendy would've guessed he might've resented her at the time. "That… Would not have been my guess… What happened that night? Was I just that striking?"

"You were, but that had nothing to do with it." Dipper deflected Wendy's jest. "It was everything else going on around it… You were there for me at a time when I was feeling as low as I ever had, and you didn't have to be… You've never been under any obligation to be my friend or do anything else you've done for me. You could've looked at Mabel and I like your bosses two annoying relatives, but you never did. You didn't even treat us like kids. You accepted us as friends. You didn't have to stay in contact with us after we left that first summer, and you definitely didn't have to reconnect with us after you enrolled in college, even if we were close by. You were there for me when I needed a friend for emotional support, even when my own girlfriend at the time wasn't… You definitely didn't need to attend my Prom with me, and you didn't do it out of pure pity or guilt or anything like that… You were just being a good friend and… That's what I fell in love with Wendy. The person you are… Everything else about you that I've been enamored with since I was a kid was just a bonus."

Dipper watched in surprise as a single tear rolled down Wendy's cheek. This time she made no attempt to deflect what she was feeling, wrapping Dipper up in a breath stealing hug. A surprised Dipper chose to just go with it and returned the embrace.

"You have no idea how much I needed to hear that right now," She whispered into his neck, her breath sending an involuntary shiver down his body.

"Glad I could be of help… What got you thinking about that though?"

"Don't worry about it," Wendy sniffed as she loosened her grip but kept one arm behind his back. "You remember what we were talkin' about when we got here? About you workin' too much?"

"Yes…" There was a hitch of concern in Dipper's voice.

"Well, I meant what I said about you not bein' all that bad but… I do look at Ford sometimes and I see how he basically locks himself away in his lab all hours of the day… His work has basically been his entire life. You look up to him so much that sometimes I worry you might end up the same way someday…"

"There's too many other things in my life that are important to me to ever let myself get that far gone…" Dipper assured her, cupping her chin. "You know I'd give up the show… Or this lifestyle in general if that's what you wanted Wendy."

"I'd never ask you to give up something you love just to make me happy Dipper… Just to make sure I'm always the priority when it matters the most."

"We shouldn't have any problems then." Dipper offered her a broad smile. Wendy responded in kind.

"Dipper… Don't be mad but… I did get you a little somethin' for the occasion."

Dipper's smile melted away. "Awe, Wendy! I thought we agreed no gifts?"

"I know, but I couldn't help myself! And if it makes you feel any better, don't consider it an anniversary gift… Technically, it didn't even have to be today. I could've given you this ole thing any time…"

Wendy was rambling, clearly nervous but Dipper didn't pick up on it. His mind was elsewhere at the moment. "But I don't have anything for…" Reflexively, Dipper found his hand reaching into his pocket and clutching the velvet box hidden inside. Maybe he could… He was already twirling the ring between his fingers before he technically even worked up the nerve.

Now unlike Dipper, Wendy did sweat through her hands when nervous, so when she decided to slip her hand into Dipper's he was immediately struck by how moist it felt. It was enough to shift his focus from potentially unveiling the ring to her, though he couldn't quite bring himself to look her in the face. "Wendy…"

"Dipper… I…"

The young couple turned their heads to face one another… And unceremoniously bonked their foreheads together.

"Awe crap! Wendy I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Wendy frantically waved his concerned hand away. She could care less about the dull headache that had just formed. The combination of sweaty palms and cracking skulls caused something important to fly straight out of her hand. "I dropped something important! Just don't move for a minute okay!"

It was about that same moment Dipper realized he had misplaced something of his own… Again. "Seriously Dipper! How hard is it to hold on to a stupid…"

Dipper was wise enough not to finish that sentence, not that Wendy was even listening. Both were now on their hands and knees, desperately searching for what they'd lost. They could both worry about saving face later. Wendy would be the first to find her prize, catching a glint of silver near the equipment bags. She crawled towards it with haste, sighing with relief as she picked up the ring.

"Wait a minute…" This wasn't her band… Dipper's engagement band. It was a ring with a vibrant green emerald as the setting. Emerald was her favorite gemstone mainly because, when she was little, someone told her that her eyes sparkled like emeralds. Silly she knew, but she also didn't care. "Dipper… What is this?"

When her eyes located her boyfriend, she found hm in a similar position to her. Staring at the very band Wendy had just been searching for. He looked over at Wendy with a wry smile. "I could ask you the same thing…"

Blushing, Wendy slowly crawled her way over to Dipper and knelt across from him. Both stared at their respective rings for a moment, before raising their heads to meet each other's gaze, everything they both needed to know conveyed by one simple look into the other's eyes. Matching grins formed on their faces as they answered the other's unasked question in perfect unison.

"Yes."

Wendy giggled before launching herself at Dipper, her lips on his before his back even hit the ground. Dipper cradled her protectively as he returned the act of affection with equal vigor, and yes, they both managed to keep ahold of the rings they were holding this time. After they parted, Wendy stared down at him longingly, primed to continue and would've if Dipper hadn't spoiled the moment with logic.

"Umm… Seeing as I've already dropped your ring twice while we've been here, maybe we should put these things on before anything else weird happens."

"Oh! Good idea!" Wendy teased him a bit before actually getting off of him so he could sit up to next to her. Dipper looked at his hands in mild confusion.

"Umm… I know it's the ring finger, but which hand does it go on again?"

"Uh, uh, uh! Not so fast dude!" Wendy, very carefully, snatched the silver band out of Dipper's hand. "I was the one who was going to propose to you with this band, so technically, I'm the one that gets to put it on your finger. It's tradition."

"Seriously?" Dipper honestly didn't mind the thought of Wendy proposing to him, but this seemed a tad bit beyond necessary.

"Yup! Gimme that hand dude!" Dipper reluctantly complied, Wendy struggling to hold in her laughter at the completely flustered look on his face as she slid the band on his finger. To his credit, Dipper did fight through the embarrassment to gift her a loving smile after the deed was done. "Now it's your turn."

Wendy was fighting back the giggles again as Dipper hammed it up a bit as he slid the ring on Wendy's finger. "I know you're not crazy about diamonds, so I thought you might prefer an emerald setting…"

"It's perfect Dip… I just can't believe we came on this trip with the same idea in mind!"

"Oh, I don't think that was an accident," Dipper mused suspiciously. "Tell me… Did Mabel have any idea you were planning to propose to me?"

"Not until a few days ago, and not really on purpose. She insisted on taggin' along the day I had to pick up the band, and well… I kind of had to spill the beans at that point."

"That's about what I thought… I happened to get a call from Mabel a few days ago myself, trying to convince me to pop the question during this trip. She seemed awfully confident you were going to say yes… Guess I know why now."

"That little minx… I want to be mad at her, but setting this up was kinda sweet…"

"Don't let her off the hook yet. I have no doubt she had some side bets going, based on which one of us would propose first."

"I wonder who had, simultaneously after nearly giving each other a concussion? Seriously though, she better not have told anyone! I told her to keep her mouth shut, this was our news to give, not hers."

"I have a feeling she'll be good. I tease her a lot, but she wouldn't risk ruining this for us… We've still totally gotta mess with her when we get home though."

"Agreed… Now, you come with me… We've got business to attend too!"

Dipper allowed himself to be helped to his feet and dragged towards the projector. "Oh, you want me to start the movie n… Whoa!" Dipper yelped as he found himself flung onto the air mattress.

"Later…" Wendy growled huskily as she straddled him. "I've got other plans for you Mr. Pines."

"Well, somebody's in a good mood."

"Why shouldn't I be? I've got a ring on my finger…" Wendy's grin was damn near predatory. "And I'm about to get to cross 'haunted house' off of my list…"

Dipper's eyes widened in realization… Yeah like he didn't already know, but he wasn't going to argue with his girlfriend either way…

No his fiancée… Yeah, that had a nice ring to it.

End Chapter 6

-Hey ed, you were actually pretty close!

-The Chateau de Brissac is actually a real place… Only it's located in France and not Sacramento. I wanted a fancy sounding location that's actually supposed to haunted so… There you go. This as another old story idea I pulled from my backlog. I knew I wanted to include this concept in a story eventually, and this felt like the perfect spot for it. For some reason, Wendy's character just strikes me as the type of girl who'd not only be willing to propose herself, but would get a kick out of being the one to do it. The idea of them both trying to propose at the same time was just too cute to pass up.

Big time skip in the next one. Only three chapters left, so it's time to speed things up.