Day 63:

"Hey! Keep it down I'm trying to sleep!" Pacific yelled from upstairs. Stan murmured and turned the volume on his wrestling game down.

"This woman is getting on my nerves," he grumbled.

"She's pregnant," Dipper snapped from where he was seated at the table. "She's tired, and having horrible morning sickness. Give her a break."

"But can't a man watch his sports in peace?"

"Sure, just not on full volume," Dipper grumbled as he looked back at his books. His finals were coming up next week, so he was trying to study up, but his mind really wasn't on his textbooks.

They were on his future.

If Pacifica couldn't sleep with Stan's games playing, how were they going to put a baby down to sleep? He glared back up at his Great Uncle and noticed the beer bottle in his hand. That wasn't something you wanted around a baby! Come to think of it…

Dipper looked about the house. Ford's inventions and weapons were lying about. So were Stan's "tools." All kinds of creepy stuff was tossed here and there. He did not think much of it before, but now...none of this was stuff you wanted around a baby. He rubbed the back of his neck. It's not that he wanted to live with his Grunkles for the rest of his life. He and Pacifica had always talked about moving out and getting their own place, but they'd always talked about it in the future after he was graduated and the program in Gracity Falls had been set up.

That was years away, though, and there was nothing he could do.

No.

No, that wasn't good enough. This was his baby he was thinking about. He, or she, deserved to have the best start of life,a nd it certainly wasn't here. Not that he hadn't enjoyed his time in this house or on the Stan-o-War. He had, greatly. But that's when he was a single guy just getting started in life. Now he was a husband and father-to-be. It was time to get going onto something else. Something better.

But how?

Dipper pulled out his phone and began googling…

Pacifica's eyes flutter open. She was still a little queasy, but better than she was before. She sat up and began to stretch, one hand brushing over her stomach. This gesture has now become a habit. She was looking forward to the day when she'd feel a small baby bump, which was odd seeing as she'd use to shudder at the thought of gaining any sort of weight up until this point. She smiled at where her baby was hidden, and began to look about the room. She noticed Dipper sketching in his notebook while seated in a chair propped up against the wall.

"Hey, babe," she called sweetly.

"Hey," Dipper stood up to walk to sit next to his wife on the bed. He had a serious look on his face. "We need to talk."

"About what?" Pacifica grew concerned.

Dipper took her hands in his. "While I am not at all upset by this pregnancy, it has kind of thrown a wrench in our plans…"

"You just figured that out?" Pacifica arched an eyebrow.

"Well, no, I guess it's just now starting to hit me."

Pacifica chuckled softly as Dipper traced circles onto the back of her hands with his thumbs.

"I don't want to bring our baby home to a University owned that is surrounded by franternity and sorority parties, and filled with whatever crazy stuff the Grunkles decide to drag in. Or a houseboat where it could fall overboard, get tossed around in a storm, get some weird international disease, and, again, is filled with whatever weird stuff the grunkles decide to drag in."

"Dipper-" Pacifica began to tell him how sweet he was, but he continued.

"I want to bring our baby home to a home. Our home. But there is no way we can afford to buy a home until I'm graduated an on salary for the program at Gravity Falls."

"Babe, you'll get there soon-"

"But not soon enough," Dipper sighed. "Unless I can speed it up."

"Can you do that?" Pacifica asked.

"Yes, actually, but…"

"But what?"

Dipper sighed. "There's a study away program, where you can basically finish a class or two every two weeks."

"That sounds great!"

"Sure, except that it last 2 ½ - 3 months. Which means I'd be gone for nearly 3 months without being able to come home."

Pacifica blinked. 3 months with no Dipper? Dipper wouldn't be there for when she first started showing? He may not be there when the baby started moving. He wouldn't be there for any appoinments during that time. He wouldn't be there if she got scared or needed a shoulder to cry on...

"...so...are you going?"

"I don't know yet," Dipper said. "I mean, it would get us into a better situation in time for the baby to come, but I don't want to leave you for that long. I want to be here for everything."

"I want you here too!"

Dipper squeezed her hands and then cupped her face in one of his hands. "I know you do. But I don't feel comfrotable bringing a baby into this world when we aren't even on our own yet."

Pacifica hung her head. She understood where Dipper was coming from. Heck, she had thought similar things the past 7 weeks. Still, to have Dipper be gone for 2 ½ months?

"I know it's going to be hard, but which would be worse? Me having to go away for two and a half months, or trying to raise a baby while moving to place to place and occassionally going to dangerous areas."

Pacifica sighed. "Well, when you put it like that…"

Dipper pulled her into a hug and began rubbing her back as he rocked her back and forth.

"When would you leave?"

"Two weeks from now."

Pacifica shuddered. "Okay."

Dipper held her closer. "Thank you for being supportive, love. I know this is hard for you. I talked to Mabel. She said you can go stay with her and Wendy while I'm gone so you aren't stuck here. If the University ends up giving Stan and Ford an assignment I don't want you here by yourself."

Pacifica nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak. She knew deep down this was a good thing. This is what they would need in order to give their baby the best chance possible. Still, she was getting weepy. Stupid hormones!

"I'll facetime you every night."

"You better!"

"And I'll be on the look out for gifts to bring back for you and the baby."

"Again, you better!"

"I love you my Beautiful Princess." Dipper kissed her lips, then leaned down and kissed her belly. "And I love you, my little Peanut."