(EDITED: 10/11/21)

Impossibly, it only took two days for her to become Pacifica Elise Pines (Pep, both Stans had insisted on calling her despite her numerous protests). With her limited knowledge she had no idea how it could have happened at all, let alone so quickly. Not only was she technically still under the jurisdiction of her parents even if her father had kicked her out but the adoption process was supposed to take far longer than two days. She knows her new guardian is a shady conman, but even she knows a lot of hoops have to be jumped through in order to adopt a child of any age.

She had asked Stanley why there was such a quick turnaround as she stared at the official documents claiming her to be a Pines. He answered that her parents had emancipated her and made her a ward of the state under the table. She'd wonder how it were possible, if she weren't intimately aware of just how much money could do. It didn't cover why Stanley's portion of the process was so quick. When pushed, he admitted that he had been getting ready to take the twins since they were about ten. When asked for further details on that he gave her a look that said he was done with the conversation and returned to reading his newspaper.

Beyond that, she was moved into the attic where she got to pick which bed she wanted since the twins weren't coming back for a while. She chose the one farthest from the door. She was genuinely surprised to see Stanley spend so much money on her being the biggest penny-pincher she's ever known. They purchased her more clothes and other necessities as well as school supplies that will—as always—disappear in the middle of the first semester. She found McGucket visiting her the last weekend before she had to go to school- her last days of pure freedom.

"I don't wanna go to school," Pacifica voices on Sunday evening, her blue eyes on the horizon as she sits beside McGucket on top of the Shack.

"Pacifica." She looks up at him and his blue eyes are on her and she's surprised at their clarity while he has a deep set scowl of determination. "You've got to get an education. How do ya expect to get a good job without at least a high school diploma?... Sweetheart, I know you're scared to see the people ya hurt an' made fun of cause you don't wanna deal with their ridicule, but ain't nobody's opinion of ya's more valuable than yours. And if you're still feelin' doubtful on yourself then know my opinion of you is good. You're a sweet young lady—ya got an attitude that'll get you into trouble sometimes—but your heart's good. That's all that counts an' don't let nobody tell ya different."

She can't look at him because her eyes are on the junk below that seems to be swimming. "Thanks, McGucket."

"No problem, sweetie... now let's get inside. You've got a big day tomorrow and ya gotta be well-rested 'n such."

Wordlessly the two go back inside the Mystery Shack where her new "dad" and "uncle" are no doubt waiting for her. McGucket enters the house and settles himself on the couch while she continues into the kitchen area to see what Stanley's cooking for dinner.

"Whaddoya want, squirt?"

"What're you making?" She asks, trying to look into the pot.

"Food," he replies.

She frowns and sticks out her tongue. "Smart Aleck."

He frowns at her. "Watch who you're sticking that out at. I'm the one makin' your food."

"Pep causing you trouble?" Stanford asks as he walks into the kitchen to grab himself some soda.

"Stop calling me 'Pep' already," she snaps at her "uncle."

"Is it causing you bodily harm?"

Dang it! You and your stupid questions, she thinks, taken aback once again. "No..."

"Are you being psychologically or emotionally harmed?"

"I... guess not?"

"Does it only get on your nerves?"

"Yes! I mean—no—I—gah!"

Stanford smirks. "Then you're stuck with Pep. That makes it 12-3."

He makes making her frustrated a game. He keeps asking her why something is the way it is or how it effects something else or how someone did something—even when watching TV. It frustrates her beyond compare. She agreed to be adopted, but quizzed at every turn.

"Alright, answer me this," she says as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Why do you always ask me questions?"

He smirks at her over the rum of his soda can. "Why do you feel the need to ask me why I ask you questions?"

"You're not supposed to answer a question with a question!"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out later," he replies as he pauses to look in the pot. "Mmm, gumbo. Haven't seen you make that in a while."

"What's gumbo?" Pacifica asks only to gain weird looks from the two men.

"I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong," Stanley grumbles, turning up his hearing aid. "What'd you say?"

"What's gumbo? I mean, it's not like I'm asking where babies come from."

"Do you know where babies come from?" Stanford asks warily, the first bout of real emotion she's seen aside from smug satisfaction or amusement she's seen yet.

She rolls her eyes. "Who doesn't?"

Instead of answering that question Stanley asks, "How have you never even heard of gumbo?"

She shrugs. "It never came up before."

Stanley clears his throat. "Well... gumbo is a stew consists of meat or shellfish, bell peppers, onions, celery, and multiple spices and such."

And suddenly a lightbulb goes off over her head. "Oh, you mean that stuff McGucket makes!"

Two brown gazes meet briefly before looking back at her, wondering exactly what McGucket had been making.

"Fidds!" Stanley calls. "You ever make gumbo for the girl?"

"Sure did!" calls the man from his comfy seat in the living room.

"Well, you've never had my gumbo," Stanley says, a grin on his face. "Better than anything you've ever tasted."

Pacifica glances at Stanford for confirmation and he holds up his hand and tilts it back and forth a few times. "It's pretty good."

"You liar," Stanley grunts as he elbows his twin playfully. He looks back at the gumbo and grins. "It's finished. Fiddlesticks! Get in here, we're gonna eat!"

The bearded man enters and plops into his chair. "I've bin lookin' forward to this for a while."

"Told you my gumbo was the best," Stanley says as he starts serving the food.

She's about to dig in when she notices something shining in her bowl. She picks it up between her index finger and thumb and lifts it up to see it is a silver hair. She blinks at it and then looks up at Stanford as he picks the hair out of his food then her gaze goes to Stanley, who's putting the pot back on the stove.

"You shed?!"

"Yeah, a little. Like, a couple of hairs in the food usually. Haven't you noticed it in your food before?" Stanley asks.

"No!"

"If he didn't shed hair into the food I'd say it were the best gumbo I'd ever tasted, but since he does it's average," Stanford states as he moves his bowl this way and that to see if there are any more hairs in it. "But it's still really good... Pacifica?"

I have his hair in my stomach, Pacifica can't help but think. Even McGucket didn't have hair in the food he gave me and he lives in a junkyard...

"Pacifi—" Stanford starts as he reaches forward to shake her shoulder because she has been silent for too long, but immediately retracts his hand to his internal bubble when she lets out a cry of despair. "Stop screaming, it's not gonna do you any good."

"What do you mean? I have his hair in my stomach!" She snaps to the dark gray haired man with a fierce glare.

He sighs. "It's out of your system by now—most likely. It's not gonna kill you." Stanford picks up her bowl and gives her his own. "I got all the hair out of that one, now you can eat in peace."

After a minutes—more or less—she calms down enough to take her first bite of gumbo. Her eyes widen in surprise at how good this tastes. Her stomach immediately grumbles and demands more so she complies with a small grumble of distaste at finding her new guardian's hair in her food, but otherwise without complaint.

"Ready for school tomorrow?" Stanley asks.

She pauses her eating and sighs. "Not really, but I guess I have to be, don't I?"

"Yep," Stanley grunts.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Stanford replies.

Pacifica casts a glance toward McGucket as he continues to eat and his eyes meet her for a brief moment and winks.

She feels a wave of encouragement. "Yeah... it will..."