HAT: I know there's a bit of confusion so to clarify since this was written before A Tale of Two Stans, Stanford= Grunkle Stan, and Stanley= Author of the Journals. Will not be changed because going back to edit this will be the biggest pain I will ever have faced.
(Edited)
Disclaimer: Gravity Falls isn't mine, just the plot and OCs like Travis and Dan and... that one guy.
It was easy enough to get the presents, wrap them, and stash them throughout the next week. The first things she got were the necklaces and the next was the coffee mug. Now she knows that she excluded McGucket when it comes to getting presents from André and Crystal, but that's only because she couldn't think of anything that he'd want. He constantly says, "I got er'thang ah need right here" while patting his chest and that means with himself. Last time she tried to give him her food he rejected it- and he loves food- so she's at a dead end with coming up with a present for him (A/N: Aaaand so am I).
"P'cifica."
"Yes," she says distractedly, having been lost in thought for a little while.
"Ah'm gettin' married and movin' ta G'ōga (A/N: Georgia) t'mahrrah."
"That's ni- wait what?!" She demands while turning and looking at him.
His cerulean eyes roll in amusement. "Ya weren't payin' me any mind- figured ya'd respond ta that. What's on yer mind, sweetheart?"
She can't let him know about his present- whether she has one in mind or not- so she settles for one of the other things that have been bothering her. "I was... I was thinking about my old friends... I ran into them at the mall and they threatened to ruin Dipper and Mabel's lives..."
"Well, that is a predicament," he mutters before shrugging. "But you know what ya gotta do."
The blond's eyebrows lower in confusion. "What?"
His sapphire eyes look directly into her own. "Ya gotta protect 'em. They're family. If someun's gonna hurt ya family and ya know 'bout it, ya gotta know if they should know 'bout it and ya gotta step up ta protect 'em... I know ya cayrah 'bout those two- or ya would've let 'em die on tha cliff. An' I know yer not 'fraid of those two- yer too feisty fer that-" he half jokes and earns himself a playful shove. "But in s'rusness, ah know you ken handle yerself an' that yer tha twoah them."
She smiles. "Thanks, McGucket."
He reaches over and ruffles her hair. "No problem, sweetheart... naow, if i 'member correctly, yer supposed ta be goin' shoppin' 'round' town?"
"Ugh..."
He cackles. "C'mon, P'cifica."
She stands up and walks beside him while he chatters. Most stores won't let him in so he waits outside for her. She and the twins aren't allowed to be out and about without at least one other person with them- safety in numbers- so if she goes into town McGucket is often with her.
Pacifica walks into the hardware store since Soosneeded a new hammer since he broke the last one- long story, don't ask- and immediately gets lost and she hasn't even taken a good two steps into the store yet. Everything here is over her head.
"Excuse me, sir, where are the hammers?" Pacifica asks an employee.
He glares at her. "Find it yourself."
She scowls and walks away from the rude man and roams down the isles in search of hammers. This store is so run down that it doesn't even have anything over each isle to let customers know where anything would be- in her opinion the hardware store needed to get some work done.
"Pacifica?"
Why is everyone shocked to see me everywhere? She wonders and turns around to see someone she never thought she'd see again. "James?!"
The butler nods. "Yes, ma'am."
She grimaces. "Please don't call me that."
"Yes m-" He pauses to clear his throat before speaking again without the Brittish accent- this time it sounds... country. "Alright."
"I thought you were Brittish!"
He sighs. "Your p- the Northwests wanted someone that sounded professional so I use the accent at the mansion. Sometimes I forget to drop it and scare my wife."
That explains so much. "What're you doing here?"
"Buying tools because the incompetent handyman doesn't have the right tools," James explains with an eye roll before observing her. "I'm glad that you're safe... are you happy living wit the Pines?"
She nods. "Yeah. They're the best... how're things back at the mansion?"
He sighs. "Difficult, but I can bear it. They've been taking a lot of anger out on the servants for little things- especially Margaret, but I intercede and take most of the punishment."
Pacifica lowers her head in shame. By her leaving she made the servants have to go through her parent's abuse since they had nothing to take their anger out on anymore. She can never do anything right, it seems.
"I'm sorry..."
"What for? We're all happy that you're not being hurt anymore. So long as we know you're away from those two sorry excuses for parents, we're perfectly happy and able to live with their unfortunate antics."
Pacifica smiles just a little. "How's Margaret?"
"Fine. I'm sure she'll be glad to know you're happy living with a nice family... now M- Pacifica, what are you doing here?"
She gestures to the tools. "Trying to find the hammers, but the guy in front wouldn't help me."
He frowns. "That won't do. I'll show you where they are."
She follows him a few isles over and he grabs a hammer and hands it to her. "How much is this?"
"Twenty bucks," he answers (A/N: Trying to picture the butler with a country/southern (any kind you want to imagine) accent saying this... it's not working). "It's a good model, lasts a long time. It'll be worth it."
"Thanks, James. Will you tell everyone at the mansion that I'm... I'm sorry about how I treated all of you-"
"You weren't taught any better," he reassures. "Is that all you need from here?"
"Yes, sir."
He seems to be startled at the respect in her voice, but he covers it up and leads her to the cash register and has her pay for her items first, giving the cashier a stern glare when he started to input something- probably make the price higher- but he stops and then hands her the bag with a "have a nice day" in the most sarcastic way possible. She ignores him and walks a few paces away and turns to James as he starts to check out.
"Thank you," she says. "I've gotta go. Tell everyone I say hi."
"I will, Pacifica. Have a nice day," he replies as he holds the door open for her.
She walks over to McGucket. "I got the hammer for Soos."
He adjusts his hat and picks up the bags that she left him with. "Alright, sweetheart, time ta go home."
She grabs a few of the bags from him and they walk together away from the town to start the long walk back to the Shack.
Neither of them mind and- at first- Pacifica had a conniption when she saw him in his usual summer attire so gave him one of her oversized long-sleeved shirts that she bought at a store before she ran away and wouldn't take "no" for an answer. She even talked Stanford into giving him a spare pair of winter boots and asked Mabel if she could make him mittens and now he wears all of this every time he comes over or goes out- even inside the shelter, she found out one time.
They finally get to the Shack and go immediately to the kitchen to drop off the bags and then go into the living room to warm up under thick blankets.
"How was shopping?" Stanford asks as he reads the newspaper- though she doesn't know why since it's filled with cheesy gossip and made up stories.
"Good," Pacifica answers the six-fingered man as she leans back in the couch.
"Pacifica!" Mabel calls and jumps onto her with a grin. "Guess what?"
Pacifica blinks in surprise. "Uhhh..."
"I was in Grunkle Stan's room and I found a-"
"Alright, kid, none of that," Stanley grunts as he uses one arm to pick Mabel up and cover her mouth on his way to the kitchen. "Just because you saw one person's present doesn't mean you have to blurt it to everyone."
Mabel mumbles something into his hand, but it's muffled to the point that it's not discernible.
"Ooookay..."
Three days until Christmas and there is still one person that she hasn't gotten a present for and that's McGucket. She can't think of anything that he'd want. He's happy with just having a lazy day and stealing hot dogs- and she was happy with that, too, but now she has more people in her life than just McGucket- her family grew and so did her attachment to them. Any mechanical wonder, he can make for himself and any tools he can just get from the junkyard. She can't think of anything to get him.
I'm getting desperate, she thinks as she glances towards Stanford in the kitchen and then back at McGucket who is tinkering with a new invention. She gets up from the couch and starts toward the kitchen, but is stopped by her father figure's voice.
"Where ya goin' P'cifica?" He asks without looking up from his tinkering- she figures that because he had raised a child before that he had a natural gift for being able to sense when a child is up to something.
That doesn't mean that she's gonna admit to anything. "I'm gonna go take Shmebulock for a walk. C'mon, Shmeb!"
"Shmebulock!" The gnome shouts and follows Pacifica.
"Alright, don't take too long," he grumbles.
She walks into the kitchen and grabs her guardian and pulls him outside.
"Whoa, it's too cold outside for that," Stanley grunts.
"It'll be real quick, I promise. I just wanted to ask what I should get McGucket for Christmas."
Stanley shrugs. "I dunno, money?"
She frowns. "Papa Stan, you know he doesn't care for money."
"I dunno how to help you, kid, McGucket's a mystery to me... are you done?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna walk Shmeb for a little while."
"Okay."
She walks around with the gnome who romps in the snow for about twenty minutes before they head back. It's interesting to have a gnome around. He often likes sitting in her lap and taking a nap and she found out that gnomes purr when you pet their beard. Who knew?
"You hungry?" She asks.
"Shmebulock!" He nods.
"I think there's some hot dots in the fridge," she says as she opens the door for him. She kicks the snow off her boots and then sets them to the side before checking the fridge. She makes a couple of hot dogs and gives them to gnome before she peeks into the living room and sees Stanley laughing with McGucket. That's who she has to ask next and if he doesn't work then she'll have to resort to the Soos, Wendy, Mabel, and Dipper. After that she's out of options.
I'l do that after McGucket goes to bed.
Turns out she can't outlast McGucket in staying up late because when she opens her eyes next she finds that she's in the attic and the door is barely a crack and being closed.
HAT: This was kind of a filler chapter- admittedly- so it kinda completely fell apart somewhere.
Dan: *walks in* Wassup.
HAT: *glares*
Dan: *pouts* C'mon, HAT, you made me the bad guy on here.
HAT: I know, but that still doesn't mean I like it.
Dan: *face palms* I'm sorry for "beating up" Pacifica.
Pacifica: *pops head in* You can-
HAT: Get outta here, Pacifica, he's too old for you to even think about flirting with... and that would've been inappropriate.
Pacifica: *scoffs* Whatever. *smiles and waves flirtatiously at Dan* See ya, Dan.
HAT: *rolls eyes*
Dan: Uh... bye.
HAT: Say it so I can get you to a safe place before Mabel comes here and locks you away like she did with her favorite boy band- don't ask.
Dan: Please review! *dragged away by HAT*