HAT: Wow... 54 reviews, 47 favorites, and 70 followers? I never thought it'd get this big this fast- it's only been about a month! You people can actually deal with me? Or is it my story that keeps you here? Most likely the story. Anyway, I hope that all of you enjoy!
(Edited)
Disclaimer: Despite the odd one or two wishes, I don't own Gravity Falls- however! I do own the OCs and the plot.
The ground rumbles underneath them and Pacifica stops her digging and then grabs the gnome and pushes Mabel to standing position. "Climb!"
Mabel's face contorts into one of confusion. "What?"
"If there's a landslide, we're at the bottom- climb!" Pacifica quickly says, shoving the girl towards the nearest tree while tying the gnome to the girl's back.
Mabel climbs up the tree and Pacifica starts to follow when it all stops and everything goes quiet. After a few moments the regular sounds of the forest come back and this causes her to relax only minutely.
"What're you two doing?"
"Dipper!" Mabel cries, jumping down from her place on the tree- Pacifica barely got out of the way- and nearly tackles her brother.
Pacifica notes the secret passage as it lowers back to the ground- right where they were starting to dig. And then the same anger that she felt towards her uncle was immediately turned to the idiot standing in front of her, being squeezed by her sister- who still had Shmebulock on her back. He was perfectly fine and caused so much worry because he wanted to fine some secret passage he probably read about in Stanley's journals.
"What... the hell is wrong with you?!" Pacifica demands.
The twins frown in confusion. "What?"
Pacifica stomps forward while pointing at the source of her anger. "You're so fucking selfish!"
Dipper makes a face of disbelief. "I'm selfish?! How could you say that after all the crap that you've done?!"
"Yes, I've done a lot of horrible things in the past- no one lets me forget that- but this has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do!" Pacifica shouts while still walking forward and none too gently pokes him in the chest with nearly every word of the last part of the sentence. "Who goes around the forest looking for something without telling anyone?! Mabel was going insane by the time she got me to help her find you and I was actually starting to worry that you had died and that we'd have to bring your body back home!"
"Why do you care what happens to me anyway? You don't even like me!"
"Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I want to see you dead. How would we explain what happened to you?"
"Oh, sure, you just want to make sure that you don't wan to get in trouble," Dipper snaps. "All you care about is yourself. You just want to do anything to make yourself seem perfect and try and ignore all the things that make it seem like you aren't- just like when you found out your family hadn't founded Gravity Falls."
"You know what... forget it. I'm done."
"Good to hear."
Before she could even make the move to leave the twins and go back home the earth crumbles underneath Dipper's feet and Pacifica glances at where they're at and internally curses that they're at the edge of a cliff while she quickly grabs the boy's hand just as the last bit of earth gives from under his feet and she ends up- unwillingly- on her stomach holding Dipper's sweaty hand with her own moist hand- not good when trying to keep him form falling since that lessens the friction.
"I-I'm slipping!"
The blond scoots closer to the edge and grabs the sleeve of his jacket. "Use your other hand and grab onto mine." Dipper grabs her sleeve and Pacifica lets go of his sleeve and holds her hand back. "Mabel, put my glove on his hand!"
Mabel digs into Pacifica's pockets and grabs the gloves and then puts one on. "There."
Pacifica quickly holds out her left hand- not her dominant hand. "Alright, not grab this hand."
"What?"
"Do it! I can get a better hold on you this way."
Dipper groans. "Alright."
Once his left hand is locked with her left she slips her right hand from his and holds her hand back. "Put the other glove on."
"O-okay," Mabel stutters and does as told. When Pacifica grabs Dipper's other hand with her own the inevitably question comes up. "Now what?"
"I'm thinking," Pacifica hisses, trying to think of any solution that wouldn't involve one or both or all three falling to their deaths.
"Mabel! Your scarf!" Dipper says excitedly. "You can tie it around Pacifica and pull her up while she pulls me up."
"Shmeb! Untie yourself!" Mabel orders.
"Shmebulock!"
After a few more seconds than anyone wanted Pacifica feels Mabel's hand pushing the scarf under her armpits. Her arms are beginning to get tired her her fingers are growing a bit numb, but she refuses to let go despite this.
"You're gonna be okay, we're gonna get you outta here," Pacifica assures, cerulean eyes full of fear that this might be a lie.
Dipper seems to sense this because his chocolate eyes soften to an almost amber color. "We're all gonna be okay. We've gotten out of tougher stuff than this."
She doesn't know if that's exactly reassuring since there have been people that have jumped out of planes and turned out just fine, but rolled out bed and broke their neck. People have died of simpler things and this more often than they've died of more complicated things.
Calm down, focus on your hands. Don't let go, Pacifica thinks.
"Got it!" Mabel cries after finishing her knot. "I'll pull on three. Ready?"
"Ready," Pacifica replies as she braces her elbows on the earth beneath her.
"One... two... Three!"
Pacifica takes a breath in through her mouth and holds her breath so that her core will tighten and she can bring her knees forward to get into a better position to pull Dipper upward while Mabel pulls her upper body up- and Pacifica was trying to lighten the load for Mabel by forcing her back to straighten while bringing Dipper up from midair. The weight lessens on Pacifica's arms and she knows that Dipper's managed to get a foothold, but what she doesn't expect is for him to push himself up and use all the forces being used to bring him up to propel himself toward the girls and have them tumble into a haphazard pile of people- and somehow Shmebulock ended up on Dipper's back.
They separate from each other and sit in front of each other, staring at one another. They all could have died and no one would've found their bodies for days- unless Shmebulock showed them. Dipper is the first to let out a hysterical giggle and then Mabel and then Pacifica before they all burst in to hysterical laughter.
"Th-thank God we're not dead!" Dipper manages between breathless laughter.
"I thought we were totally gonna die," Pacifica adds.
After taking what must've been at least ten minutes to collect themselves they grow silent and look at each other in a new light. There's something about life-death situations that leave hearts open and show something about each person that the others never knew about. It brings everything into perspective and it is also a great way to see who is truly on your side or not. Pacifica realizes that these two mud coated individuals are on her side just like- and she hadn't known this in Dipper's case until Mabel told her that he was missing- she's on theirs.
"Thanks for saving my life, guys," Dipper says humbly.
"Just don't do that again, bro-bro," Mabel says, punching her brother's arm. "You really scared me."
Pacifica gets up and doesn't bother trying to brush off the mud off of herself or out of her hair. "Let's go home. It's been a long day."
They let Shmebulock lead the way back to the Shack since they are hopelessly lost. The sun was low on the horizon which as more than enough incentive to hurry before the temperature drops anymore. It was just their luck that it began to snow.
"Is it snowing?" Mabel asks, being the first to notice.
Pacifica looks around and sees the beginnings of what could be a snow storm. "Great," she huffs with heavy sarcasm. "We need to hurry up. Shmeb, could you go faster?"
Shebulock nods and starts running on all fours and the three start to jog after the gnome. By the time they get to familiar woods the sun has gone down and there is a thin layer of snow covering the ground. Dipper slows to a stop and breathes heavily which was a good indication for a break. Pacifica finds a fallen log and brushes the snow off and sits down.
I didn't realize we went that far out into the woods, Pacifica thinks as they take a breather and Shmebulock clambers up to her lap to get some warmth.
"I say we're about fifteen minutes from the Shack," Dipper pants as he looks around at their surroundings.
"Then we can get some hot cocoa and cuddle in blankets," Mabel says enthusiastically as she shivers next to Pacifica.
"And have a nice hot shower," Pacifica adds, finding nothing more appealing than that thought.
The three of them are covered in dried mud, sweat, and grime and their clothes hadn't completely dried off, but they were could move all their limbs and fingers and toes, which was a good thing. And what Pacifica wouldn't give for a nice, clean glass of water.
Mabel scoops up some snow and starts to bring it to her lips, but Pacifica catches her wrist. "What? I'm just gonna eat some snow- I'm thirsty."
"It hasn't snowed in a while so this has all the toxins and stuff and it'll make you cold. It'd be better to wait until we get back to the Shack."
Dipper nods his agreement. "Let's hurry up. If we run I think we can get there in less than fifteen minutes."
Pacifica ties Shmebulock to her back and then they all start the jog/run back to the Shack. It takes ten minutes- lucky for them- and Pacifica can honestly say she's never been so happy to see that building in her life. Pacifica's the first to enter the Shack- being the fastest- and she takes Shmebulock off of her back and gently puts him on the floor and she goes to the first person she sees for warmth- Wendy. Dipper and Mabel jump Soos for warmth and try their best to steal all of it.
"Whoa, Pep, what happened to you guys? Mr. Pines 1 and 2've been looking for you three for an hour," the redhead says (A/N: Mr. Pines 1= Stanley, Mr. Pines 2= Stanford).
"L-l-loooong story," Pacifca stutters.
"You need to get outta those wet clothes," Wendy says, grabbing Pacifica's hand and Mabel's and dragging them up to the attic while Soos takes Dipper to his room.
Wendy helps Mabel out of her clothes because Pacifica stubbornly insists that she can do it on her own. Once she's free from the wet winter wear she pulls out her pink sweat pants and dark gray long sleeved shirt and then her fuzziest socks and then trudges downstairs with her hands stuffed into her pocket and her mind set on hot chocolate and a nice, crackling fire. Dipper was already sitting in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands and a blanket thrown over his shoulders and Pacifica was determined to follow his lead.
"Pacifica Elise Pines!" Two voices shout in anger.
Oh, crap. She slowly turns and finds two fuming Stans standing there with similar frowns on their faces.
"What do you think you three were doing?" Stanley demands. "We looked everywhere for you for an hour!"
She was the oldest- by about five months at least- so she had to be the one to take responsibility. "I'm sorry, Papa Stan. Mabel and Dipper went monster hunting- Mabel asked if I wanted to go earlier, but I didn't and went back to sleep. I guess half an hour later I got into it with Dipper and went on a run- I guess he was angry, which was why he wandered off- and then Mabel came and got me and we took Shmeb out to track him," she explains, knowing that the way that she's telling the story puts all the blame on herself. "We found him and we argued and I accidentally pushed him to the edge of a cliff and then the ground fell and we had to bring him back up. I'm sorry that I let all of this happen and that I didn't tell you or anyone what was happening or that we were leaving."
She stands there with her hands behind her back and head lowered in shame while her body trembles from the cold. She's still not as warm as she'd like be and she just wants to warm up a little and then go take a nice, long, hot shower, but that doesn't mean that she won't get punished first. It could be anything from disciplinary spanking- that happened once (with a belt)- to being grounded for who knows how long.
What happens next surprises her: Stanley hugs her.
"So long as you guys are safe," he says and then touches her cheeks with the tips of his fingers while brushing some hair out of her face- it feels like bliss to her because they're warm against her cold cheeks. "You're freezing! C'mere, we're gonna get you warmed up."
He takes off his jacket and throws it over the girl's shoulders- another thing that feels like pure bliss to her cold skin- and guides her into the kitchen. Mabel and Wendy soon come back down and the shivering girl settles next to her brother and cuddles with him under his blanket. Pacifica is a stubborn girl and doesn't want to show weakness in any aspect- even if she's feeling cold. Sadly her guardians have learned this about her and they can see through her a good portion of the time.
"H-hey! Keep her fingers off of me!" Stanford stutters form having his cold niece and nephew cuddled up on either side of him.
Stanley places a cup of hot chocolate in front of her and then gives Mabel her own and takes Dipper's empty cup and makes another glass.
"Dude, you're awesome," Wendy compliments as she sits next to Pacifica.
"Waddoyamean?"
The redhead punches the girl's arm. "Saving Dipper, taking the blame- you're really growing into a cool teen."
Pacifica can't help the pride that builds in her chest. "Well, of course I'm a cool teenager- who would expect any less of me?"
Wendy laughs and punches her shoulder. "Shuddup!"
The blond takes another sip of her hot chocolate and she's disappointed to find that it's the last one. She goes to the sink and puts water in the cup and sets it in the sink. With her insides thoroughly warmed all she wants to do is curl up in something warm and go to sleep.
"C'mere, Pep," Stanley grunts from his recliner.
"What?" She asks as she walks forward and shouts in surprise when he picks her up from under her armpits. "Hey! What're you doing?"
He sets her in his lap and puts his inside of his wrist on her forehead. "Checking your temperature... still too cold to tell." With a yawn Pacifica follows her cousins' example and curls up into her guardian and rests her head on his chest. To her surprise he doesn't complain about her muddy hair getting his nice, white shirt dirty and instead leans back in the recliner and adjusts her so that her foot elbow isn't digging into his ribs. "G'night, kids."
"G'night, Papa/Grunkle Stan," Pacifica, Dipper, and Mabel reply as they drift off.
HAT: I'm so grateful that- at least- 70 of you can put up with my crap! I mean- really- how? Also- question- how many of you actually read the thing before and after the story? How many of you are actually reading this? How many of you enjoyed? How many disliked? How many wants me to stop asking question? Anyway I brought- Testosteraur? Where'd... I guess I don't have anyone today... um... review, please!