HAT: It's so friggin' hard to write through writer's block. That and not having internet for almost a week as well as just life in general doesn't give opportune time for writing. It was a struggle from the beginning of this chapter to the end, but hopefully now I can get whacked with some inspiration and it will stay with me until the end of this story. Anyway, that's enough about me and my writer's block struggle, now is the time for you to sit back (or sit up if you're laying on your stomach), relax (or tense up), and enjoy (or don't, I can't control you... or can I?!- no, I can't).
Disclaimer: Let's just say, if I owned Gravity Falls, it would probably be much more emotionally damaging to viewers than it already is... you should be thankful that I don't own it. However! I do own this plot and the OCs within this story... so there's that.
It's been a week since that day and Travis has only just gotten back into a routine. Pacifica went a little out of her way to make sure that he was alright- after all, he went through a loss and she understood what that was like. She didn't smother him, but she checked on him often enough for her cousins to take notice.
Right now it's the weekend and she's just got done with boxing with Travis and- after asking Stanley- got permission to walk around town with him for a little while and just hang out. He's not exactly eager to get home and- though she has a fantastic family back home- she's not exactly that eager either at the moment.
She brushes her long bangs out of her face and pats the top of her head self consciously- she's letting her hair go back to it's natural color and she thinks it looks weird that with the brunette and then the blond showing on top. She hasn't cut her hair- only trimmed it- and her hair's gotten ridiculously long- to the point that the bangs on the right side can almost be tucked behind her left side and that she nearly constantly sits on her hair- and her hair was already long in the first place. She needs a haircut soon because it's become a task to wash her hair and brush it.
Travis notices and rolls his eyes. "Stop that- it doesn't look bad."
"But it still looks... weird. I've only had a few centimeters of hair grow and it's so... obvious already," she complains.
"Well, this is the awkward phase, when it gets longer, it'll look really cool," Travis assures.
She shrugs and says, "I think my uncle or McGucket could probably make something to get my hair past the awkward phase- but I wanna get it cut before then." The wind picks up and- being at the perfect angle near a building- her hair whips around and hits her in the face. Travis laughs at her as she tries to get all the hair out of her face and she half-heartedly glares at him as she puss the hair back behind her back. "Shut up."
"Not my fault it's funny," he retorts with a smile.
It was nice to see him smile after seeing him so down in the dumps so- even if it was at her expense- she's a little happy.
Travis freezes and looks at something across the street and Pacifica looks across the street to see what he could have seen. "What?"
"I thought he was in jail... you see that white hair over there?" Travis says, pointing lower to the ground than she expected.
"Since when is Gideon out of jail?" Pacifica questions.
"I dunno- I didn't see any news about it," Travis replies. "Did he escape?"
The two of them look for anyone else that notices the white haired boy walking a on the sidewalk across the street. He's in a pair of white slacks with a short sleeved black button up shirt with his hair in the usual fashion. Pacifica hasn't seen him since around town since summer vacation before he went to jail. No one around him seems to be reacting except herself and Travis. It's... strange, to say the least. Even police seem to be alright with him walking around town.
The two of them run to the closest newspaper stand and look for anything talking about Gideon's release and find that his sentence was only a few months and that he got off early on good behavior. Pacifica- having seen how much of a brat this child is- highly doubts that there wasn't manipulation involved.
"My, my, P'cifica Northwest, what a pleasure to see you," said child's voice says behind her and she jumps and whirls around to look down at the ten- or possibly eleven- year old.
"I'm not a Northwest anymore," Pacifica says- it's been a long time since she's had to say that out loud.
"Oh? Well, then who are you?" Gideon asks, a genuine expression of surprise and curiosity in his eyes.
"Just Pacifica," she replies, getting the feeling that she shouldn't come right out and say it- that wouldn't be a good idea considering his want for revenge on the Pines family (she's not wanting to get kidnapped again anytime soon- the gnomes were enough, thank you). "Aaand now I'm gonna leave you to do whatever it is you do while I hang out with my friend. Bye."
Pacifica grabs Travis' arm and drags him past the younger boy. She never quite liked the kid anyway- he reminded her too much of the Northwests she ran away from- manipulative and backstabbing and uncaring of anyone but himself. He might as well have been their kid instead of her- they'd have been happy with a child that's just like them. He even cares about his looks more than she does- or even tried to when she lived with them.
The guy's such a creep, she reminds herself, thinking about how he was with Mabel- or at least how she heard he was with Mabel.
They didn't get very far before she hears Gideon call after her, "I like you- you got spunk... remind me a lil' of me."
Pacifica freezes. She reminds him of the selfish, manipulative, backstabbing mirror image of himself that was just like her parents. Just like the girl that she used to try to be. She doesn't know why it makes her feel so angry and guilty to hear that, but all she knows is that she never wants to be like her old self again- not the one that the Northwests wanted out of her.
Her grip on Travis' arm tightens and he grimaces. "Ouch, that hurt," he whispers.
"I'm nothing like you," she hisses and then storms away with Travis in tow.
When they're a good distance away, Travis pulls her to a stop and observes her face for several seconds. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she half-lies easily.
"Are you sure? You seemed pretty... angry back there."
That's because I was angry, she thinks, but pushes that thought aside and tries to focus on something else- something that won't irritate her and make her wish that she hadn't come to town today. Anything else- just so long as it takes away the negative emotions.
When nothing comes to mind, she forces a smile and says, "I'm fine."
Travis nods slowly and then says, "Okay... wanna grab some hotdogs?"
She's glad that he can't really read her- being a new friend and all- so he can't tell when she's lying. It's one of the few perks of having someone new- not having them know when you feel like crap. It's just a huge relief not to have on a good mask all the time because Stanley, Stanford, McGucket, and even Dipper and Mabel would've seen past her faux grin the instant she tried to make it and might have even tried to pry out of her what was the matter.
"Sure," she replies and walks to the nearest hotdog cart.
A few hours of hanging out in general and Travis nudges her and gestures with his eyes behind her. "Gideon's following us."
She groans. Great, just what I need. Someone else popping up out of nowhere.
The image of Dan comes to mind and she quickly shoves that away- she'll deal with him when she learns his weakness (she hopes she learns it soon because she's tired of seeing him everywhere she looks, threatening her family).
"What is it with him and stalking girls?" Pacifica mutters.
"Oh, yeah, he did have an obsession with Mabel, didn't he?" Travis says, thinking back to the twins' first summer in Gravity Falls.
"Yep," Pacifica nods. "I really hope that he doesn't have an obsession with me..."
"Want me to beat him up for you?" Travis offers.
Pacifica rolls her eyes and punches her friend's arm. "If he needs to get beat up, I'll do it."
Travis rubs his arm and laughs. "Okay, okay- it's not like you can't handle yourself anyway."
"That's right," Pacifica replies smugly.
Gideon ended up following them all day until they finally lost him in the mall and Pacifica was glad. She walked out of a store called Lids just to make sure she avoids him (who would expect her at a place like that?) and she ended up buying a snapback to tuck her noticeable hair into and uses the bill to hide her face and bought a jersey- Steelers was the team and it had the number 43 (it matched the hat)- to put over her clothes just so that he won't know it's her.
"What's with the get up, kid? I didn't think you were that into the Pittsburg Steelers... I didn't know you were into football at all- actually," Stanley says in the front seat as she gets in the back seat.
"I'm not," she replies as she ducks down. "I was wearing this so Gideon wouldn't recognize me and follow me around anymore."
"Ugh, Gideon," Stanley groans as he drives away. "You got the right idea t' avoid him."
"I thought that he had an obsession for Mabel," Pacifica mutters as she takes off her hat.
"I thought he did, too," Stanley replies. "Maybe he's only interested because of stuff he's heard around town?"
The girl makes a face. "And what would he have heard?"
A shrug. "I dunno. Could'ah been anything."
Anything, Pacifica thinks with a small frown.
"Hey, no pouting," Stanley says when he catches it in the rear view mirror.
"I'm not pouting," Pacifica insists, the pout becoming more prominent.
"Oh, yeah? Then what's that thing that you're doing with your mouth?" Stanley challenges.
Pacifica turns her face and says, "You're not doing that again!"
"Doing what?" he asks "innocently."
"That thing that you do to trick me into smiling."
"But my natural charisma and humor make you smile," he defends.
I'm not gonna smile, Pacifica thinks stubbornly and crosses her arms over her chest. "No."
"Won't you smile a while for me, Sara?" Stanley sings, purposefully making his voice sound terrible. She bites her lip to try and not smile, but as he keeps singing she can't help, but grin and laugh. "Ha! I knew I could make you laugh! It was only a matter of time."
"Yeah, yeah," Pacifica mutters while still trying to fight her smile.
Not long after, they pull up to the Mystery Shack and she gets out with her new purchases at hand and walks with her guardian into the house. Dipper and Mabel are currently playing a video game against Soos and Stanford is reading his book on the couch.
"Hey, guys," Pacfica calls.
"Hey, Pacifica," the twins and Soos say, not pausing in their attempt to beat each other.
Stanford gives a wave, but doesn't look up..
"Where's McGucket?" Pacifica asks.
"Tinkering in the kitchen," Stanford answers with a grunt. "I think he's building a small suit of armor for Shmebulock or some sh-thing like that."
Stanford had quickly changed his language with a glare from his brother- he didn't look up and see it, but he must have felt it from how hard his twin was glaring. At least Stanley- despite his sailor mouth- attempted to curb his swearing around the kids, Stanford doesn't care (which might be why Pacifica's starting to swear more often now that she thinks about it). When Stanley and McGucket aren't around, Stanford curses without care and often times only gets ridiculed by Mabel, but she's so used to it that she doesn't do it unless he says a particularly bad word.
"Alright," she says and goes into the kitchen and sees McGucket tinkering with a suit that he's built on Shmebulock. "Hi, McGucket."
"Howdy, P'cifica," McGucket says, not looking up from his work.
His accent's been getting lighter lately, Pacifica notices as she grabs a glass. "What're you working on?"
"Bio-mechanical suit for yer gnome," McGucket replies. "Just in case."
"Just in case of what?" Pacifica questions.
He shrugs. "Dunno, just in case."
She's skeptical, but she doesn't question anymore and simply pours herself a glass of water. "Sounds pretty neat. You should show me how to tinker with stuff."
"Ah just might," he replies. "If y'keep yer grades up."
There it is. The fatherly monitoring of grades that he pulls sometimes. "I will, don't worry."
"How was yer day?"
"I got to hang out with Travis today, but Lil' Gideon's outta jail and now I think he's obsessed with me," Pacifica groans.
"Well, looks like I'm makin' this bio-mechanical suit just in time," he mutters.
Pacifica raises an eyebrow. "Are you pulling that "overprotective male figure" thing?"
"Nooooo," he replies innocently.
"Liar," she grumbles while playfully hitting his shoulder. "He's only eleven."
He opens his mouth to say something, but quickly shuts his mouth and goes back to working on his little project.
The gnome makes a face when his stomach growls and groans, "Shmebulock..."
"How long have you been working on this?"
"'Bout... eight hours."
"Eight hours? Okay, take a break and eat, both of you," she says. He opens his mouth to speak, but she quickly says, "So that I don't worry about both of you."
"Oh, alright," McGucket sighs and puts down his tools.
Pacifica smiles at her success and takes her water back towards her room so that she can finish up on the last bit of homework she's been procrastinating on for the past two days- you'd think she wouldn't procrastinate anymore after all the stress doing so has caused in the past. When she walks in her cousin is playing with Waddles and humming an unknown tune under her breath.
"Hey, did you finish Mr. Ross' assignment?" Pacifica asks.
"Yeah, wanna take a look?" Mabel asks.
"Yes, please," Pacifica says.
Mr. Ross hates her and even if she gets every single question right, he takes five points off (or twenty, depending on his mood). It's also another reason that she's started using pen since he's erased answers here and there to justify the grade (though he'll still cross out answers and change them on multiple choice, but at least with this, he does it less often and can't change her essays and short answers). She'd report him if the other teachers and students wouldn't vouch for his innocence so she just let it go.
Mabel takes the homework out of her backpack and shifts through it before she finds the right assignment and holds it out to the other female. "Here."
"Thanks, Mabel," Pacifica replies and sets it to the side and only referencing it whenever she gets stumped- Mabel's much better in this subject than her.
"No problem." After a while, Pacifica finally gets done and she hands the homework back to Mabel and puts hers away as well. "How was your date with Travis?"
Pacifica makes a face. "Ew, it wasn't a date. We were just hanging out."
"Keep telling yourself that, I smell a match," Mabel says with a smile.
"Whatever... it was a pretty good day until Gideon showed up," Pacifica replies.
Mabel straightens up with her light brown eyes wide. "He's out of jail?!"
"Yeah, apparently just got out," Pacifica answers while taking a long sip to finish off her water. "Followed us around for a while until we lost him in the mall. I had to wear a disguise to get out without him noticing that it was me."
"So we're gonna have to deal with Lil' Gideon again?"
"Looks like it."
"Great," Mabel groans sarcastically.
HAT: Okay, okay, I know. Technically this is set after the Oddpocolypse, but I started writing this even before A Tale of Two Stans and we all know how that changed this entire story completely. So... yeah, Gideon's still a psycho in this one.
Bud: Now, listen here-
HAT: I don't want to hear it from you, Buddy. You're the reason he became a power-hungry psycho in the first place.
Bud: ... Touché.
HAT: Now, would you please say it?
Bud: Would y'all kindly leave a review?