HAT: I decided to add this chapter anyway, it's not like you go back and read it before reading the new chapter. And yes, this will be going off the correct names and I'm having the twins call 'Ford their grunkle like they should... Or I will since they don't talk to him in this chapter. If you guys see any mistakes after everything's edited in past chapters like I didn't switch a Stanley/ford or the twins call 'Ford their grandpa, let me know. It's still gonna be a pain to edit, but I'm not gonna make you wait over something I failed to do earlier.
Disclaimer: I own nothing aside from the plot and OCs.
It was a rough week.
Pacifica- though not really having any attachment to Travis at all- finds herself hoping and prayed that his brother makes it. It reminds her of when she lost her grandfather- the only man in her family when she was a Northwest that genuinely cared about her at all. She tried to be there with him for every moment, but her cold-blooded parents ripped her away and she never to the chance to say goodbye. She had to hear his last words through James.
Despite that, she couldn't dwell on Travis and his problems with his brother, she has to focus on dealing with this Dan business. She has to do whatever she can to protect, not just herself, but her entire family. She saw him ear the Shack once and refused to let anyone go anywhere for two days. This makes her more even determined to finish things with Dan and get him out of her life for the rest of her life.
At the moment the Stans are busy with tours and the younger set of twins are busy watching Duck-tective so she's free to snoop through her uncle's stuff to find out what he's learned about expers bestia so far. She set a timer on her phone and placed it in her back pocket before she started looking through the papers scattered on the desk.
The notes are scattered and not written in any way that would be decoded by anyone other than it's writer. He seems to be just as confused as she is when Pacifica truly sits down and looks at these notes. It has a bunch of question marks and theories like using holy water and such, but none of them are able to be tested. She doesn't get anything out of his notes other than pure confusion and just as many questions as she has.
He's never seen one before and he can't exactly stalk someone as easily as before, she thinks as she looks at a piece of paper that looks like it was scribbled on to get frustrations out instead of be used for notes like it started out to be when he wrote "targets one person?" and then the ink was everywhere and there were even a few holes. and tears. She doesn't blame him, she finds herself doing the same thing when she starts thinking about something that's stumped her.
The phone vibrates in her back pocket and she slips out of her uncle's room while glancing both directions. She makes it a few feet before she hears a door open and she turns to find Stanford standing there with his usual indifferent look on his face. She freezes and stares up at him, unable to say anything.
"Come here," he orders while becoming her with one six-fingered hand. Once she's standing in front of him he grabs her jaw with one hand and holds up a flashlight to shine in both of her eyes in the other. She blinks rapidly once she's released to try to get her eyes readjusted to the light. "What were you doing in my room?"
Immediately her mind starts looking for lies. "I was looking-"
"Tell me the truth, Pacifica."
She looks up at him with warily and slowly says, "I was looking at your research. I wanted to review a few things."
Not a complete lie. She did want to review what he knew about the expers beastia.
"Like what?"
"Like how to take care of Shmeb. I've been feeding him a lot of things and I've been worried that half of what I feed him are bad for him."
That doesn't seem to detour him from prying for more information and so he asks, "So what's healthy for a gnome?"
"Red meat and vegetables. They shouldn't have chocolate too much and they're allergic to cherries."
His chocolate eyes scrutinize her for several seconds before he makes a noise between a grunt and a "tsk" and waves her off. "Go on, get outta here... and stay outta my shit."
"Yes, Uncle Stan," she replies and walks away, feeling his eyes on her back until she rounds the next corner.
It was worth a shot, but it was all in vain.
She walks away with her mind filled with worry. What will she do when Dan comes back? Who knows what he'll do to her or her new cousins- or technically step-siblings when she thinks about it- Stop, Pacifica. Focus. You've gotta come up with a plan to keep your family safe.
"Shmebulock," said gnome whines and tugs on her sweat pants.
She absentmindedly picks him up a d egis to pet his beard, but he struggles a little and ends up standing on her arm and looking at her. "What?"
"Shmebulock," he says quietly.
He probably knows that I'm not feeling okay, she thinks. "Let's go for a walk."
She grabs her switchblades and puts one in each pocked and her phone in a her bra- no need for Dan to know that she has one- and then gets ready to go outside. After getting Shmebulock ready she leads him outside. She doesn't keep him on a leash- she learned fast that he stays close- so she just walks with him tromping through the snow around her.
She keeps her right hand curled around the switch blade- her old one- and walks with mild interest in the world around her. It's only when she hears an extra set of footsteps other than her own does she slow down and clicks her tongue twice, a quiet signal that the Pines developed to have Shmebulock hide just in case some strangers come by. Once he's done that she has a little more ease in her mind and can focus on the other set of footsteps.
Pacifica's heartbeat begins to pick up as the footsteps pick up and get closer. When they're right behind her she pulls out her switchblade and twirls around with it pointed toward whoever followed her and she was right to do so because unnaturally bright blue eyes meet hers, but unfortunately he catches her wrist.
"Nice try, but not gonna happen," he murmurs and twists her wrist so that the weapon falls into the snow below.
"What do you want?"
Dan runs his three hand through his dirty blond hair and smirks. "Suffering... it gets me off, y'know? Something about seeing others in pain is really... satisfying. I'm sure you remember. Back when you were making people miserable for fun."
She grits her teeth and glares at him with a hatred that she didn't know she could possess. She doesn't want to remember who she used to be, but- like always- no one wants to let her forget it.
"What do you want?"
He chuckles. "I want to see you suffer... you know... I wasn't always what I am... that developed over time... but now I want to make you like me. I'm going to take away everything you hold dear... starting with that raccoon-fucker." She tries to get out of his grip and tries to kick him in between his legs, but he blocks it with his other and trips her with one leg and slams her onto her back on the snow. "It's nothing personal... I just wanna have some fun... see you at the funereal."
He lets her go and walks away once that's said.
Pacifica scrambles up and garbs her knife. She's prepared to chase him, but he's already gone.
HAT: Ooooooh, it's gonna get interesting... crap I gotta rewrite the plot... again!
Pacifica: *rolls eyes* If you'd stop messing up my life, you wouldn't have to.
HAT: *opens mouth then closes it an thinks before shrugging shoulders* Valid point.
Pacifica: I know.
HAT: Would you please say it?
Pacifica: Whatever. Review or something.