I've been wanting to write something for Dipcifica for a long time since they're one of my favorite cartoon ships ever.

This oneshot is based on my version of the future set after the events of the show. I first commissioned a friend of mine who goes by Zexoguy on Deviantart to write a short Dipcifica story titled "Patience is Rewarding". You can find it in his gallery if you wish to read it. I recommend you do because it's a basic setup of my headcanons while this fanfic further expands on it. He also shared some ideas with me that I put into this story. This'll also mention my new Gravity Falls OCs that you can read about on my Deviantart page.

So this was a very ambitious project for me. A lot of it will be a big backstory for Dipper and Pacifica's relationship as well as a new life for Pacifica.


It was in the evening on a cold but sunny winter day in Gravity Falls and the sun was going down. A lone car drove away from the town and into the neighboring mountains. The only two occupants were none other than Dipper Pines and the love of his life, Pacifica.

They were currently on a camping trip to spend some quality time with each other. Dipper was taking them to a place he had been to once before. It was an isolated location hidden in the mountains that he had recently discovered thanks to all the research he and his Great Uncle Ford had done about Gravity Falls and the area surrounding it. Once he found this secret place, he knew it was ideal to take his girlfriend there for the proper occasion. And they decided that it was now the right time.

But it wasn't just because they wanted to, it was also because Pacifica really needed it. She had been recently reminded of a past trauma and it had shaken her to the core. It was something that hadn't plagued her for years but now it happened to have reared its ugly head again.

Dipper had been quick to plan their trip that he hoped would help take her mind off of the ghosts of her past. He truly believed this place could provide the comfort that Pacifica badly needed. As he drove, he glanced over to her and noticed she was staring out the window still looking depressed. The more he saw her like that, the more determined he was to raise her spirits.

"We're getting closer. I just know you're gonna love it," he said assumingly.

Pacifica turned to him and gave a small smile. "If it's something you planned, I have no reason to doubt you, sweetie," she replied softly.

Dipper smiled back before focusing on the road ahead. Pacifica continued to gaze out the window at the beautiful snow covered landscape. She had been more than willing to accept her boyfriend's offer to take her to this private place. He said he'd been waiting until Valentine's Day to bring her there after he found it, but now was as good a time as any. She didn't even know where the place was or what was even there, but she trusted Dipper with her life. She knew he would do whatever it took to make her happy. For the rest of the drive, she tried to take her mind off of what was troubling her by reminiscing on her history with Dipper and how he made her life infinitely better.


The history between the happy couple had been quite a story to tell. No one could have predicted that they would eventually fall in love and want to be together forever based on the first few times they met during Dipper and his twin sister Mabel's first summer in Gravity Falls.

Pacifica had been introduced to them as the stuck up heiress to the wealthy Northwest family who treated them like dirt. However, it didn't take them very long to see that she actually had a kind heart that was hidden behind her snobbish exterior due to her parents' influence on her.

Preston and Priscilla Northwest had been the root of Pacifica's evil. They raised her to be as arrogant and ruthless as them and act like they were always superior in society as the Northwests had done for over a century. But the more Pacifica interacted with the twins, she began to realize that she didn't want the life her parents had given her. She wanted to be different and be better. But she just didn't know how to make a change.

While Mabel considered the possibility that Pacifica had redeemable qualities, Dipper took a little longer to be convinced. He finally saw her true colors during their unforgettable ghost hunt at Northwest Manor where he witnessed firsthand her parents' treatment of her. The way they pressured her to maintain their status by condescending the common folk was practically borderline abusive and indicated that they saw her as more of a pawn than an actual daughter.

However, when Pacifica uncovered the Northwest family's history of corruption and deception while Dipper learned that she was torn between her fear of standing up to her parents and her guilt of obeying them, he chose to approach her as a friend and encourage her to do the right thing. And so Pacifica gained enough confidence to put her foot down for once and, against Preston's wishes, allowed the lower class people of Gravity Falls to party on Northwest property which allowed the ghost that haunted them to lift the curse and find peace.

After the party, her parents were ready to severely punish her for disobeying them and letting the common folk in, but the wealthy guests that they invited pressured them into letting her off the hook since she saved them all while they left them to suffer the ghost's wrath. They lost a lot of respect for the Northwests because of that, but Preston and Priscilla seemed to swallow their pride for once and did what they said. Pacifica then understood what it was like to be respected by respecting those in return.

Since then, she continued to grow as a person and as a friend and ally to the Pines. She aided them in taking down Bill Cipher and ending Weirdmageddon at summer's end. Her family had lost their wealth and home in the aftermath and had to resort to working at Greasy's Diner and living like the very people that they looked down on. But she had accepted it as she was just satisfied to finally be doing what was right and she also hoped that her parents would see it as an opportunity to turn their lives around like she had. And so she was on good terms with Dipper and Mabel when they departed Gravity Falls for the time being.

Having grown a strong connection to the mysterious town and its residents, the twins made it a tradition to spend every summer in Gravity Falls, as well as any winter and spring breaks whenever they could, until they could officially move and live there for good. Even though Weirdmageddon had been stopped, there was still no shortage of weirdness and mystery to be found. There just wasn't any weirdness that could easily threaten the world anymore. Even without anything supernatural, there were still plenty of opportunities for adventure.

When they returned the next summer, they found that Pacifica had been doing pretty good the past year. She adapted to the life of the common folk quite well. Her parents didn't have as much control over her as they used to, which allowed her to have more freedom. Because of this, she had found the time to get to know Dipper and Mabel's friends and family more and get closer to them, especially Wendy. The two girls had formed a very close sisterly bond that started when Wendy learned that the ghost Pacifica helped was her ancestor, Archibald Corduroy. Wendy had recognized the changed person Pacifica was becoming that the twins had seen and was there for her while they were away. Dipper and Mabel had grown to care for her by the end of their first summer and were more than relieved to know she had been in good hands.

They also learned that Pacifica had gotten involved in some charity business to aid the town. The Northwests had taken a lot from the people for generations and she now decided to start giving something back. She took it upon herself to break the cycle and atone for her family's misdeeds ever since she ended Archibald's curse and helped him find peace. She told the twins that they had inspired her to be a better person and they were grateful for what she was doing along with everyone else.

But then they soon discovered that she had been using some of the charity's proceeds for her own benefit. It wasn't enough to cause a problem for the town, but it was enough for Dipper to have a problem with it. Feeling betrayed and lied to, he lashed out at her without giving her a chance to explain, going as far to say that she hadn't changed enough and that maybe he was wrong to believe in her. Pacifica was hurt by his words and even thought that he might be right.

However, Mabel and Wendy were willing to hear her out and she explained that her parents made her take some of the proceeds for themselves. They had her put some of the charity's money into their savings as they were trying very hard to stay on their feet and raise as much as they could. She had to convince them to not have their share be too big and she only agreed to it because it wasn't a lot she was taking and she wanted to believe her parents would finally do good things with their money like she did. Because the Pines and their friends saw the good in her, she wanted to try to see possible good in people herself, starting with her parents.

When Dipper heard of this, he felt bad for poorly judging her and apologized for it. He told her he never really had a reason to doubt her since the ghost incident and that she helped him realize that even people who seem like the worst can still be redeemable. He also complimented that she had come a long way since they first met.

Pacifica apologized for being a little selfish and decided to stop using some of the charity's money for her family's savings and to her surprise, they were okay with it and said they were already making money through better ways anyway. Because Fiddleford McGucket regained his memories, grew rich and bought Northwest Manor from them, they approached him and offered to work for him. He agreed and had them perform various common jobs around town. It wasn't easy for them, but they were seemingly willing to work alongside those they once thought weren't good enough for them. Pacifica and the others were impressed with this and thought that maybe she was right about her parents starting to live honest lives and becoming better people like she had.

Unfortunately, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. Not long after the twins arrived in town for their second summer, Mayor Tyler Cutebiker was arrested for running an illegal money embezzlement business and Preston had reportedly been the one who exposed him. A lot of the money was from McGucket's fortune and he hailed Preston as a hero for saving the town from a corrupted mayor and even allowed him to keep all the money that Tyler supposedly stole from him which was a lot.

With Tyler removed from office, there was to be another mayoral election and Preston was running in it now that he was rich again and respected by the townsfolk for exposing Tyler. The Mystery Shack gang was very suspicious about this situation and so was Pacifica. She had to know what her parents were doing if she could trust them to be better people. So she went to the gang for help and they started an investigation, led by Dipper, on the Northwests' business without them knowing. They found out where their places of business were and snuck in to collect evidence. They found out where and when the Northwests and their business associates would be so they could spy on them and figure out what they were up to. And what they discovered was very unsettling.

It was revealed that Preston and Priscilla were the true masterminds of the money embezzlement scheme. They were only pretending to be friendly with the lower class people and keep living among them to avoid suspicion. They didn't care if Pacifica wasn't making money for them because they didn't need any from her. They also didn't trust her with their secret business because of how she had softened up and made friends with those they looked down on. They had gotten close to McGucket as business associates so they could take his money from right under his nose. It was all part of a diabolical scheme Preston had come up with to take over the whole town. They even found a document literally titled "My Diabolical Plan by Preston Northwest" that explained everything. And they were very disturbed by what it was.

His plan was to frame Tyler for the money embezzlement scheme and pretend to have discovered and exposed him for the crime so he could regain his wealth and reputation. Then when the election to determine the new mayor would happen, not only would Preston run in it, he would have it rigged to guarantee his victory.

Once he was in office with Priscilla by his side, they would rule Gravity Falls with an iron fist. And they wouldn't stop there. They somehow planned to have the town and the land surrounding it secede from the United States and become its own independent nation. With them in power over their own country, they would turn it into a dictatorship and ensure no common folk or other wealthy people would ever challenge them again.

The gang at first thought the Northwests' plan was a result of desperation to regain their wealth and make sure they don't lose it again, but apparently, Preston had been planning this for a long time even during last summer. He knew that the late former mayor, Eustace Befufftlefumpter's days were numbered (especially considering how he mistook Archibald for the Grim Reaper and said he'd been waiting for him) and that there'd be a mayoral election after he died. Preston's initial plan was simply to run in the election and rig it so he'd win and take control of the town. But the outcome of the party at Northwest Manor had set his plan back. He and Priscilla were still recovering from their disgrace of the party's aftermath when the election happened and he wasn't able to be a candidate. So after Tyler was elected, Preston's new plan was to start the embezzlement scheme to remove him from office and win the election after that.

Before he could put his plan into action, however, Weirdmageddon happened. Very briefly, he saw Bill Cipher as an opportunity to easily take over the town without the use of his plan which was the real reason he offered him to make a deal. Of course, it only resulted in Bill deforming his face and petrifying him and Priscilla as well as costing them their wealth and manor once he was defeated. But the Northwests were relentless. It was then that they started the current plan to both get rich again and frame Tyler by having the embezzlement business go on longer than originally intended.

They also learned that not only did the Northwests take advantage of McGucket's generosity so they could steal money from him, they turned him into their pawn for the whole scheme. Because McGucket got his memory back and his mind became stable again, Ford had given his old partner his advanced devices he still had for safekeeping. He thought they'd be safe with McGucket and the others agreed. Unfortunately, they underestimated the Northwests.

As Preston started working closely with McGucket so he could put his plan into action, he stumbled upon the secret stash of devices that the old man was holding onto for Ford and realized he could use them to make his plan a lot easier. He considered selling the inventions to the highest bidder on the black market to make even more cash, but there were some he knew would be useful for his agenda. Preston used the mind control ties in particular to force McGucket against his will to help him run his illegal embezzlement business and make sure no one knew about it. It was also why McGucket allowed Preston to keep all of the stolen money and praised him for bringing Tyler to justice. Preston made him do it so he could gain his wealth and reputation again and be allowed to run for mayor and enact his evil plan.

But there was one more disturbing revelation that Dipper discovered himself when he eavesdropped and recorded Preston blatantly admitting it. He was going to make McGucket construct another memory gun. It was initially to be used as a failsafe. In case anyone who wasn't involved with Preston's business happened to find out what it was, he would simply have their memory wiped of it.

But that wasn't his only purpose for the gun. There was one last thing to Preston's evil plot that absolutely shocked and horrified them…

…Preston intended to use the memory gun on the gang and Pacifica herself.

Once he had achieved his goal of conquering all of Gravity Falls, he would use it to satisfy a personal vendetta against the Mystery Shack gang by erasing all of their memories of their experiences in the town like the Blind Eye Society had attempted to do to them. He and Priscilla blamed them for influencing their daughter to defy them. Once they made them forget everything, they would have them permanently exiled from Gravity Falls, ensuring that they never stood in their way ever again. And he also intended to use it to make Pacifica forget Dipper, Mabel and the others.

He would make her forget everything she learned from the Pines and their friends so she could go back to being who she was before she met them. She would be the same spoiled, stuck up brat that she tried so hard not to be anymore. Her parents wanted to undo her entire journey of self-discovery so she could inherit the fortune and corrupted legacy of the Northwests. And it was all about to come to fruition, but the gang had uncovered Preston's sinister plot just in time.

Needless to say, Pacifica was devastated to learn the truth. She was certain that her parents had finally opened their eyes and were willing to do the right thing after Weirdmageddon. Preston had encouraged her to hold Old Man McGucket's hand so they could stop Bill. He told her to do what no other Northwest had done by "touching the hillbilly" and she took it as a sign that he had started to become more humble and treat the common folk as equals. But no, he was only hiding the fact that he just wanted Bill out of the picture so he could rule Gravity Falls instead.

She was especially shaken by his intentions with the memory gun. It drove her to tears of rage, agony, and fear. All hope she had of Preston and Priscilla changing for the better like she did had vanquished. She was now fully convinced that she had been nothing but a pawn to them her whole life and that they always thought they could force her to be who they wanted her to be. She was also terrified at the thought of completely forgetting the people she grew close to after they helped make her life the way it was supposed to be.

Dipper and the others were enraged by the Northwests' true intentions too. It was bad enough that they were already rich snobs that looked down on everyone else, but now it turned out they were secretly power-crazed lunatics that believed they had the right to control not just their daughter's life, but the lives of everyone else. They were also bewildered by how they thought their plan would actually work and that they'd get away with it. Especially the part about forming their own country. But they were also scared for Pacifica as well and were there to comfort her. Dipper, Mabel and Wendy in particular. They had all grown so fond of her and couldn't bear to let her continue to live the life she never deserved. So they devoted themselves to protecting her and taking down her sorry-excuses-for-parents. Preston and Priscilla had a smart evil plan, but it wasn't smart enough to stop the Mystery Shack gang from thwarting it.

Their dedication to Pacifica's cause had inspired her to overcome her fear of her life being permanently ruined by her parents' plan. She knew they had to be brought to justice. Her life was about to have another big change and it was going to be difficult for her, but she knew it was for the best. The Mystery Shack gang was proud of her for what she believed in, especially Dipper.

So they took down the Northwests' entire operation. They reported their crimes to the authorities and showed them the evidence. Preston, Priscilla, and anyone involved in their illegal business were arrested, Tyler's name was cleared and he was reinstated as mayor, Ford destroyed any of his inventions he considered too dangerous, and McGucket was freed from Preston's control and decided to reward everyone who took part in the investigation with the cash that was stolen from him as he still had a lot of his fortune left. Stan was especially ecstatic about it. He may not have been above conning people for their money, but he still drew a line at embezzlement. But he was fair enough to split it with the others. Each of them used a good cut of their share for good use and Pacifica again gave hers to charity.

During the Northwests' trial, everyone including Pacifica testified against them. She showed that she wasn't afraid to be seen as disgrace to them anymore because they had been exposed as the real disgraces. Preston angrily condemned her and told her she was going to regret turning against him, but Pacifica confidently replied that she never will regret it. She still stood by what she said about how they didn't deserve to be petrified by Bill, but now she stated that they deserved to be put away for a long time. She declared that they were officially dead to her and that the Mystery Shack gang was her family now.

The Northwests were to be sent to the Gravity Falls Maximum Security Prison, but Pacifica wasn't comfortable with them still being in close proximity. So through Stan and Ford's influence, Preston and Priscilla were sent to different prisons across the country instead, which made Pacifica feel better.

With her parents incarcerated, Pacifica had to be put into foster care. She was willing to accept it since she knew it couldn't be any worse than the life Preston and Priscilla gave her. And thanks to Wendy, she got a new home and family many times better than her previous one a lot sooner than she thought.

Wendy had started a job as a babysitter shortly after the twins' first summer. She would often look after a little boy named Caleb Dunbar when his parents were away. He looked up to Wendy as a big sister but also wished he had an actual sibling of his own. His parents, Michael "Mike" and Samantha "Sam" Dunbar, also loved the thought of having another kid. Wendy had gotten to know the Dunbars very well and saw them as an ideal family for Pacifica. So she recommended them to her and helped her get to know them. Wendy and the others helped Pacifica get used to her new family and she eventually grew to love them as the normal loving family she never had and accepted their offer to adopt her.

Mike and Sam had always detested people like Preston and Priscilla and admired Pacifica's decision to not become like them. They saw her as a good influence and were all too happy to take her in. They grew to love her as their daughter as she did for them. Pacifica also formed a close bond with Caleb as she learned how to be a good sibling from Dipper and Mabel. With this new family, she was ready to finally leave her old life behind and abandon the disgraced Northwest name for good. She now went by Pacifica Dunbar, which she liked the sound of, and started living a happy, normal life. Dipper, Mabel and everyone else were happy for her and became friends with her new family. Sometimes the Dunbars even joined them on their adventures.

Soon, things got even better for her. She had gotten even closer to the gang after they took down the Northwests. Since it happened early in the summer, she had plenty of time to spend with them. She hung out with Dipper and Mabel a lot while they were in town and the more time she spent with them, the closer to them she grew, especially with Dipper. Their friendship had gotten so strong and they came to understand one another more than almost everyone else. It wasn't long before Dipper realized that he had romantic feelings for Pacifica.

He was initially skeptical about it. He was afraid she didn't feel the same way and that it'd be his one-sided crush on Wendy all over again. Not to mention the fact that he and Mabel had to leave town at the end of every summer for the next school year which meant there'd be long time gaps where he and Pacifica wouldn't see each other. He was completely stumped on what to do with his newfound crush.

But one fateful day, his fears were put to rest when Pacifica confessed to him that she had been thinking about him since last summer and how he helped her change for the better which led to her finding a better life. It caused her to fall in love with him and she couldn't hide it anymore. She had to tell him before he left town again. At first, she seemed worried that he wouldn't like her back and it would ruin her friendship, but she confided in Wendy about her feelings for Dipper and she encouraged her to tell him as it wouldn't make him think any less of her no matter what.

Dipper was overjoyed by this and happily confessed his feelings for her in return. Pacifica was then as overjoyed as him. The two became a happy couple and were able to make their long distance relationship work during the rest of their school years with the support of their families and friends. They were committed to each other and were determined to wait until Dipper and Mabel graduated high school and officially moved to Gravity Falls. Then they'd be together for good.

When that finally happened, Pacifica had a house built for the two of them to live in together with help from Wendy and her family and Dipper gladly moved in with her. They still spent time with Mabel, Wendy and everyone else, but the two of them were ready to start a happy life together as they were certain they were meant for each other.


It was now over six months since Dipper and Mabel moved to Gravity Falls and Dipper and Pacifica started living together as they drove towards their mysterious destination.

Pacifica was brought out of her thoughts when Dipper slowed down and drove the car off the road. They went down a wide path between some trees and drove along the side of a cliff wall. The road disappeared from sight behind them. Pacifica was even more intrigued about where they were going. After a short while, they reached a part of the mountainside where there was an opening big enough for a car to get through. Dipper drove in a little before stopping the car.

"We're here," he said. They got out of their car and took out a cooler bag, a duffel bag, a mattress pad and a double sleeping bag from the back.

"What's in this place that's supposed to be so relaxing?" Pacifica asked with slight confusion. "It's cold and dark here."

"Remember, in this town, not all is what it seems," he responded as he swung the rolled-up mattress pad and cooler around his shoulders. He turned on the flashlight on his phone and started walking deeper into the cave. Pacifica followed close behind carrying the sleeping bag and duffel bag. She didn't even know what was in the bag she was carrying since Dipper had packed it. It was part of his surprise for her. She did know they had the other stuff because this was where they would spend the night, but there was still nothing else she knew about where they were going.

Dipper led her down the cave for a short distance and stopped at a point when the entrance was just a small light in the distance. They had reached a large set of stalagmites along the cave wall.

"It's right through here," he said as he moved through a small space between some of the stalagmites. Pacifica did the same and saw an opening in the wall big enough for a person to get through that was hidden behind the stalagmites.

"A cave within a cave?" she wondered aloud. "I sure hope it's not filthy down there."

"You won't be disappointed," Dipper assured her with a smirk.

They went through the opening and down a dark path with Dipper's phone lighting the way. After a moment, they came out into a wide area that was pitch black and Dipper turned his phone's light off.

"This is it," Dipper said proudly.

"Now it feels warm in here," Pacifica stated, even more curious. "Where are we?" She tried to turn on the light on her own phone but Dipper stopped her.

"We won't need that. Just be ready," he said confidently. "By my calculations, it should happen right... about... now!"

Outside the cave, the sun had gone down completely and night had fallen over Gravity Falls. The interior of the cave was suddenly lit up by hundreds of crystals emitting dim lights of various colors. There was light blue, cyan, turquoise, light yellow, golden yellow, mint green, lilac and periwinkle. They were all over the ceiling, the walls, and large clusters on the ground along the sides of the cavern. At the center of the wide area was a large pool of water that all the crystals surrounded and was connected to a stream that appeared to go out of the cavern and into another part of the mountain's interior.

Pacifica was completely awestruck by the sight and dropped the bags she was carrying. "Dipper..." she gasped. "Wha-What is the place...?"

"This is a hot spring somehow formed inside this mountain," he explained with a smile. "And these crystals light up when it's dark out. The sunlight shines in here during the day while these provide a light source at night."

"How did you find this?" she asked, still stunned.

"Oh, you know, the usual research and journal writing," he explained. "It wasn't that hard. I was intrigued to find something unordinary in this land that I guess can be described more as "magical" rather than "weird". Those are rare to come by."

"I'll say. This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Pacifica said softly but passionately as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Which is why it's the right place for a beautiful woman like you," Dipper remarked as he hugged her back.

Pacifica blushed and giggled. "Oh, you..."

"We won't be needing these anymore," he said as he took off his winter jacket. Pacifica removed her own coat and they set them down with their other stuff. Dipper then rolled out the mattress and the sleeping bag on top of it.

"As soon as I saw this place, I knew it was an ideal spot for some romantic relaxation," he explained with confidence again as he sat down on the sleeping bag. Pacifica sat next to him and leaned against him. He put his arm around her.

"This might be a dumb question, but do you like it?" he asked.

Pacifica chuckled. "Of course it's a dumb question. How can I just 'like' it when I really 'love' it?"

Dipper smirked. "I'll remember to use the word 'love' next time I try to please you." He kissed her head and the two just sat there enjoying the sight of the crystals and their lights reflecting on the water while having the dinner they packed in the cooler. When they were finished, Dipper thought about why they were there in the first place and wanted to know when Pacifica was comfortable to speak about it.

"So... just let me know when you're ready to talk about the... you know," he said with a comforting tone.

Pacifica sighed. "Soon... I'm just not fully relaxed yet," she answered with a bit of a gloomy tone.

Dipper smiled and spoke with a hint of excitement. "Well Paz, that's where the next part of this adventure comes in." He opened the duffel bag and took out a portable speaker that he connected to his phone. Then he pulled out some swimwear and towels. It was a pair of red swim trunks that were his and a purple bikini that was hers.

Pacifica's eyes lighted up and she gasped. "Dipper!? Did you really take me here to bathe in a hot spring!? For real!?"

"Surprise, babe!" Dipper smirked. "Told you I knew to take you here as soon as I found it. I was saving it for Valentine's Day, but you really need this right now."

Pacifica squealed with joy and hugged him tightly again. The thing that was troubling her had left her mind for the time being. For the first time that day, she was genuinely happy.

She looked into her boyfriend's eyes lovingly. "Sometimes I underestimate how much you love me," she said sweetly.

"I always try my best to show it," Dipper replied softly.

"I know. And that's why I'll never forget how much I love you, Dipper."

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips before getting up and excitingly walking over behind a cluster of crystals to change into her swimsuit. Dipper turned on the speaker and it started playing soft romantic music that echoed around the cave. He went behind another cluster to do the same. After a minute, they both stepped out and got a good look at each other. They always found one another so alluring in their swimwear and this time was no different.

They both grinned sensually as they stepped towards each other. Dipper held out his hand. "Shall we begin, m'lady?" he spoke with a fancy gentlemanly tone.

Pacifica took his hand. "Yes, we may. But you really need to stop being so corny with me, Dippingsauce. You're already at the maximum level of dorkiness," said with a bit of attitude in her voice. Dipper chuckled at her comment. She may have become a lot nicer since he met her, but she still had the sassy part of her personality she always had. Not that he was complaining. The more he got to know her, the more he found her sass to be oddly charming.

"You know you love it," he said slyly. "Now let's do this."

The couple stepped into the hot spring holding hands until the water reached their waists. Dipper wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's torso and she wrapped hers around his neck. They started swaying to the music in a slow dancing sort of way. The warmth and calmness of the hot spring, the beautiful lights around them and the soothing music provided a strong sense of peace and tenderness for the duo as they stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

"This is definitely among the most romantic things you've ever done for me," Pacifica complimented. "More romantic than anything I've done for you."

"C'mon, Paz, you're not so bad yourself," Dipper assured her. "Need I remind you that you had a house built for the two of us? I'd say that's enough to rival my romantic gestures."

Pacifica chuckled. "Okay, good point."

Dipper pulled her closer to him and they shared a long passionate kiss. After they separated, they leaned their heads against each other and smiled.

"I love you, sweetie," Pacifica said quietly but passionately.

"Love you too, babe," Dipper responded in the same manner.

The two lovers continued to sway to the music, holding and nuzzling each other affectionately. After a while, they went a little deeper in the water up to their chests. Their arms were still secured tightly around their bodies allowing them to be pressed against one another. The warmth of the water around them kept them in a state of total bliss.

"We have to come back here again," Pacifica whispered with her face right up against Dipper's.

"We will," Dipper promised. "As far as I know, no one else knows about this place. For the time being, it can be our secret romantic getaway."

"I'd like that, my love…" Pacifica sighed dreamily as she caressed his face and closed the gap between them once more. Dipper kissed her back and stroked her wet hair. The couple just stayed there in the hot spring kissing and embracing and just relishing in the tranquility of the atmosphere of the cave. After a good long while, they went out of the water and dried off.

"Thanks again for taking me here," Pacifica said, feeling refreshed. "I really needed this."

"Anything for you," Dipper said with a smile.

Pacifica sat down on the sleeping bag. "I think I'm ready to talk about it now."

Dipper sat down next to her and put his arm around her as he'd been doing all evening. "I'm here for you. Just say whatever's on your mind."

Pacifica took a deep breath. " I've been living the life I wanted. The life I've always needed. I've become the person I was meant to be. I'm with the people I'm meant to be with. And all because I broke all connections with… them!" She spoke that last word with a hint of hatred. "I had hoped I would never have to see or hear from them ever again… But now, they could be coming back… and I don't know what to do about it…"

She looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she maintained a strong attitude. Her romantic swimming session with her loving boyfriend had helped her build enough confidence to speak about what was troubling her. Dipper was right there ready to listen to his beloved girlfriend and comfort her as he always was. He knew she was talking about the Northwests, even though she wouldn't dare speak their names, and he knew exactly why she felt threatened by them.

Earlier that day, they received a letter in the mail addressed to her. When she read it, the same fear she had all those years ago reemerged. It was from Preston and he wrote that he managed to get the letter to her by joining a secret network of people in the criminal underworld that could communicate with the outside world from within prison. They got the letter out for him and found out where Pacifica lived so it could be delivered to her.

He also said that because of his new connections with this network, he will see her again sooner or later. He said he will make her regret turning against him, just like he said when he and his wife were prosecuted years ago, and that he'll harm anyone in his way. It sounded a lot like he was threatening her loved ones. This was the first time Pacifica had heard from either one of them since they were put away. She hoped that she would never hear from them ever again, but now it seemed like they were coming back into her life and she feared that they would do anything to hurt her and those she cared about.

At first, Dipper wanted to burn the letter. But he decided to give it to Ford so he could analyze it and figure out how it made its way to Pacifica. That way, they could figure out how Preston's network operated so they could be ready if he posed a threat to them.

Then Dipper immediately planned their camping trip to help his girlfriend feel better and they left not long after. Now as she expressed her worries, he was ready to help her overcome them once again.

"Pacifica…" he began as she turned to face him. "You have every right to be upset. Those monsters need to leave you alone for good. And it's okay to be afraid of what they might do now. This could mean they might try to break out of prison and seek vengeance on us. But if so, we'll face them together. All of us. Just like we did before."

He gave her a comforting smile. She started to smile back a little. He continued with his comforting words. "They can try to hurt us, but we've faced far worse threats than them and came out on top. Whatever happens, you'll never be alone. I'll be right there with you. And so will Mabel, Wendy, Caleb, Sam, Mike and everyone else who loves you."

He pulled her in for a loving hug and finished his speech. "You're a good person as you've always meant to be. You've earned the respect and trust of so many people and they will stand by you for it. Isn't that what Archibald told you?"

Pacifica realized he was right. She remembered that shortly after they busted Preston's business, she stayed over at the Mystery Shack so they could comfort her and one night, she was visited by Archibald Corduroy's ghost in a dream. He was a lot different than when she last saw him. Because he had peacefully ascended to the afterlife thanks to her, he now had a more normal appearance. He had both eyes, the ax embedded in his head was gone, and his hair was no longer made of fire.

He had greeted Pacifica as an old friend and offered her wisdom. He again told her that she wasn't like the other Northwests and that by making her parents face justice, she had ended the cycle like she wanted to. The disgraced Northwest fortune, legacy and name were no more because of her. And she was able to do it because she grew to love and trust the right people who could help her.

He told her she didn't have to be afraid to face people like Preston and Priscilla as long as she had good people like the Pines and their friends by her side. When he left, she felt the courage and confidence to stand up against the injustice of the Northwests during their trial just like she did after Dipper talked to her that night in the manor. In fact, it was then that she realized her true feelings for Dipper. The Mystery Shack gang, especially him, were the kind of people she wanted to be and live amongst. And now she felt it again as Dipper talked to her in the hot spring cave.

"Yes, he did," she answered proudly. "If the Northwests ever get out of prison and try to threaten us, we'll be ready for them! I drove them out of my life before and I'll do it again if I have to!"

Dipper felt relieved that her fears had gone away yet again. He also appreciated that she referred to her biological family by their name as if they were different people than her. She had been doing it since they were put away because she was no longer one of them.

"That's my girl!" he exclaimed happily. "If they mess with you, they mess with us all. We're all in this together!"

She hugged him again. "You're the best boyfriend ever! You know that?"

Dipper blushed. "I do what I can," he said as he kissed her forehead and stroked her beautiful long blonde hair. "I knew this was the perfect place where you can wash away your troubles."

"Yeah, it definitely helped," Pacifica agreed. "You think the others should know about it?"

"In time, we'll show them," he said. "For now, it'll be just the two of us enjoying it."

"Good thing we came here tonight," she stated. "Wendy and Sadie are coming over tomorrow with some new awful movies they found."

"That'll be nice," Dipper responded. Wendy met a girl named Sadie Morgan who Mike and Sam sometimes hired to look after Caleb when Wendy wasn't available. The two hit it off and eventually became a couple around the same time Dipper and Pacifica got together and were still going strong like them. Everyone was happy for them and grew to like Sadie a lot. The couple started a thing with the girls where they'd occasionally have a double date to watch and make fun of poorly made movies like Dipper and Wendy had done years ago.

"For the time being," Pacifica said with a sly smirk. "What do you say we get cozy one more time while we're in this sanctuary?"

Dipper caught on fast to what she was getting at and returned the smirk. "You don't have to ask me twice, honey."

The lovers crawled into the sleeping bag and proceeded to kiss and snuggle.

"I love you, Dipper."

"I love you too, Pacifica."

The crystals shone all around them as their passion grew. It was a perfect way to end their special night. They soon fell asleep in each other's arms knowing fully well that they won't let anyone or anything change who they are or take them away from their happy life.


Hope you enjoyed this and found my headcanons interesting. This ended up being longer than I originally planned as I had a lot of ideas for a story about how Pacifica's life changed and a big conspiracy with the Northwests. Since they're already justifiably hated characters, I figured I had nothing to lose by making them even bigger scumbags.

And I know the part with the gang uncovering the mystery of their crimes would've made a good story on its own, but I'm not sure if I could've written something like that so I just had it be part of the backstory for Pacifica's new life. There wasn't really any typical Gravity Falls supernatural weirdness involved with it anyway so I don't think it had to be its own story.

Again, the bios of my OCs that were mentioned, Mike, Sam, Caleb and Sadie, can be found on my Deviantart page.

Well, I enjoyed writing this and I'll be sure to do more for this beautiful couple again.