Day 115:
Dipper laid on his bed, chewing through the fourth pencil that night as he tried to study for his final. It wasn't going well. He had so much on his mind. Was Pacifica okay? Was the baby okay? Was the third stalker still out there? Had they caught him? Was he going to strike soon? What was going to happen? Oh, how he wanted to go back!
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Stan yawned as he sprawled out of the couch. Everyone else was asleep, but not him. He had made apoint since they found out Preston was involved to stay up at night and sleep druing the day so no one could get to Pacifica, or Mabel, or Wendy, or Logan.
He flipped through the channels, looking for something that would keep him awake. He stopped on an episode of "Baby Fights."
"Heh, T.V., it knows what I want!" He chuckled as he took a sip of his Pit Soda, and nearly choked. "Ack! The pits, I always forget about the pits!"
He leaned back in his chair, and absent-mindedly twirled the bat in his hand. He every now and then glanced own the hall to see if anyone was sneaking down there. He didn't see any intruder, but rather Pacifica.
"Hey, doll. You okay?"
"Yeah, just getting a drink of water," Pacifica answered.
"'Kay," Stan nodded as he turned back to his television.
Pacifica ran a hand over her belly. It wasn't huge. She wasn't waddling yet, but it was obvious that she was pregnant.
Stan frowned at her. She was worried. Scared. It was all over her face. That kind of stress wasn't good for the baby. To say he was worried would be an understatement. Dipper just needed to get done and get home. He didn't understand why the investigators insist he stay away. Something about not giving a reaction to the stalkers? He got why Dipper listened, though. The boy was scared and was willing to do whatever the experts said would keep his family safe. Still, Stan believed once Dipper got home it would help take stress off Pacifica. He just hoped nothing bad happened to Pacifica until then. As Stan watched Pacifica fill up a glass of water, he noticed something moving in the window. He didn't move yet, though, he waited until Pacifica was back in her room.
"Have a good night rest, kiddo."
"I'll try my best."
The minute she closed the door bheind her Stan picked up his bat and went outside. He tip-toed around the the back of the house. There he was was. Stalker number three, peaking in through the kitchen window, and camera in hand. He was now trying to find away to climb over the roof to Pacifica's window. Stan pulled out the grappling hook Mabel and lended him from his back pocket and took aim. He shot at the stalker, hitting him in the back of the head and hooking his hood. He hit the button to retract the hook and pulled the guy off the roof.
"Ben Shirrar I presume?" Stan asked. "I think it's about time you stop stalking my kids, bub!"
"Okay! Okay! Okay! You got me! I'm sorry!" Said a pudgy little man with a bald spot in his mustard color hair and scraggly beard. "I was just doing a job! I never meant any harm! Just don't call he cops! Please!"
"Eh, too late to be asking for any kind of mercy," Stan said as he twirled his bat.
"Wait, what are you going to do?" Ben asked as he tried to back up. "You're not going to kill me are you?"
"No! Why would I do that?" Stan answered. "You can't get locked upin jail if I kill you. I know from experience that a lot of the guys in there don't like folks who prey on women. Especially pregnant women."
Ben gulped and shuddered. "But...you're not going to hurt me are youu?"
"Oh, I never said that," Stan loomed over Ben. "I just said I would kill you."
"Stan?"
Stan turned to see Wendy peaking out of her bedroom window. "What's going on?"
"Hey, Wendy, is Logan asleep?"
"Yeah…"
"Good."
"Who is that?"
"Oh, this? This is the punk who's been taking all those pictures. Now go back inside and close the curtains because this isn't going to be pretty!"
And with that he hit Ben in the arm with the bat.
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"And you just found him like this?" Sheriff blubs askes as he and Durland picked up and cuffed the bloodied and sobbing Ben.
"Yup. He must have take a hard tumble off the roof."
"Sounds legit," the sheriff nodded as he shoved Ben into the care and drove off.
Stan watched them drive off with a satisfied gleam in his eye. That ought to teach him and send a message to the other two of what happened when you messed with the Pines family.
"Is he gone?" Pacifica asked meekly from the deck doorway.
"Yup, he's gone. And he won't be taking any pictures anytime soon. I made sure of that," Stan answered.
Pacifica nodded slowly.
"Hey, its okay," Stan assured her. "They're all locked up now and we can start prosecuting and charging. Hard scary part is over."
Pacifica nodded again. Stan pulled her into a hug.
"You'll be okay."
"Thank you."
"Anytime, kiddo."
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"...and a break through in the case of a man already convited of child abuse stalking his daughter from behind bars."
Dipper perked up at what the news reporter said and turned the volume up.
"Preston Northwest was sentenced to twenty years in jail fro abusing his daughter Pacifica throughout his childhood. But that didn't stop him from hiring two men to stalk and torment his daughter and son-in-law. Tonight the last of the trio was arrested after trying to break into the house Northwest's daughter was staying at and the family, who has asked we maintain their privacy, will be pressing charges…"
Dipper collapsed against the bed. He felt as if the whole world had been taken off his shoulders. They were all behind bars. Pacifica was safe. The baby was safe. They were going to be okay. He felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he picked up the phone and clicked on the "Princess 33" icon.
"Dipper?" Pacifica voice called.
"Is it true? They got him?"
"They got him."
Dipper collapsed against the bed again. "So, you're okay?"
"I'm okay."
A silence followed.
"Dipper?"
Pacifica heard a small sniffled.
"Babe, are you-"
"I'm just glad you're okay."
"Me too." Pacifica smiled. "Now come home soon, please?"
"I will as soon as I can, I swear."