HAT: Alright, speeding this up a tiny bit more, probably, but there's plenty of story left and don't sorry, Dipper and Mabel will come in soon... ish... haven't even written that far yet, but I will. For now, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls and it's characters because if I did the heads would be slightly more proportioned (on the children since the adults are pretty much proportioned right).
Two days was all it took to become Pacifica Elise Pines (Pep, both Stans had insisted on calling her despite her protests)- an impressive amount of time since she's heard from one of the maids a few years ago that it could take months or years to get permission to adopt someone. She had asked Stanley why it was so fast and he had answered that he had been getting ready to take the twins since they were about ten, but he wouldn't go into why. She was moved into the attic and they bought her some more clothes and other necessities as well as school supplies that will- as always- disappear in the middle of the (A/N:) first semester. She found herself visiting McGucket 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 a junk pile.
"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 ta get an ed'jacation. How do ya expect ta get a good job without at least a high school d'ploma?... Sweetheart, I know yer scared ta 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 you more valu'ble then yers. And if yer still still feelin' doubtful on yerself then know my opinion of ya is good. Yer a sweet young lady- ya got an attitude sometimes- but yer heart's good. That's all that counts an' don't let nobody tell ya diff'rent."
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 ya back home fer somethin' ta eat. You've got a big day t'marrah an' ya gotta be well-rested an' such."
Wordlessly the two make the trek back to 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 Stanford'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?" Stanley asks as he walks into the kitchen to crap 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. "Um... no..."
"Are you being psychologically damaged?"
"I... guess not..."
"Does it only get on your nerves?"
"Yes! I mean- no- I- grrr!"
Stanford smirks. "Then you're stuck with Pep. That makes it 12-3."
He makes making her frustrated a game. He keeps asking her how something effects something else or how someone did something- even when watching TV. It frustrates her, but she's sure that she'll learn to live with it... eventually.
"Alright, answer me this," she says as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Why do you always ask me questions?"
He smirks. "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 com from?" Stanford asks warily.
She rolls her eyes. "Who doesn't?"
Instead of answering that question he 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.
"Fiddle!" 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 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 jumps into his chair. "Ah've bin lookin' forw'rd to this for a while."
"Told you my gumbo was the best," Stanley says as he starts serving the food.
She- as usual- says her quick prayer and is 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 anymore 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...
"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 scream. "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 she feels a wave of encouragement. "Yeah... it will..."
HAT: The (A/N:) int he beginning was gone be me boasting about how I found out my niece was born, but then I decided to set it aside. I was literally in the middle of writing the story when my dad burst in and showed a picture of my niece and I stopped for something like an hour so that's there pretty much as a reminder of when my niece interrupted me- er- I mean... was shown to me for the first time...
Jeff: A niece you say? We could raise her-
HAT: *glares fiercely* If you put a finger on my niece I promise gnomes will be extinct.
Jeff: You know what... I'm just gonna say my line and- uh- go look for a gnome queen in- uh- in town.
HAT: That'd be advisable.
Jeff: Review, eh?... also, anyone that wants to be a gnome queen can just come on over and marry all one thousand of us!
HAT: *rolls eyes* Desperate.
Jeff: Leave us alone! You hurt... what's your name again?
Schmebulock: Schmebulock.
Jeff: Schmebulock's feelings!
HAT: *pats Schmebulock's head* I'm sorry... you know, you're the only gnome I actually like.
Schmebulock: *flips birdie to Jeff* Schmebulock!
Jeff: *gapes* What?!
HAT: *laughs and pats his head again* Oh, you're definitely my favorite gnome now.