I'm sorry this took so long; I had to take some serious time to think about where this story was headed. Thanks "Guest" for your advice, however difficult it is for me to take criticism. I look forward to sharing the rest of my story with you and I hope you enjoy!

It wasn't easy being Pacifica's friend, she would say something hurtful or rude or lie about something without even meaning to do it, it took a lot of patience. She was trying to be better and I noticed a lot of progress in the few weeks that she had worked at the Mystery Shack. I enjoyed being her friend, she could be funny and sweet a lot of the time, but it wasn't easy.

Dipper sat on the floor arranging little wild animal bobble heads on a lower shelf of the gift shop while Pacifica sat at the counter as they played 20 questions.

"Does it have horns?" Dipper inquired.

"Sometimes." Pacifica answered.

"Okay," Dipper thought, "Does it have partial wings?"

"Um, I guess sometimes."

"You need to stop saying sometimes."

"Well, it's true."

"But it's confusing. What question are we on?"

"Well, now we're on question seventeen."

"Wait, you didn't count the one when I asked what question we're on, did you?"

"Yes, you have two left." She smiled at him as he directed a mock annoyed face at her.

"Okay, I have to be careful," He mumbled to himself as he put another bobble head on the shelf, "Is it frightening?"

"Yes."

"Is it a carnivore?"

"Sometimes."

He gave her another annoyed face and sighed thoughtfully. "I got it, It's a gremloblin."

"You have to at least try." Pacifica said, annoyed.

"I did!" Dipper said defensively.

"That -whatever you said- isn't even real."

"It is real!"

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Fine then," Dipper resigned, "what animal was it?"

"A dinosaur." Pacifica smiled.

"But, dinosaurs don't have horns even some of the time."

"Yeah, they do, have you ever heard of a dragon?"

"Dragons are not dinosaurs, and dragons don't exist."

"Those -whatever you said- things don't exist."

"They do exist and they're called gremloblins." Dipper corrected.

"Prove it." She challenged.

"Umm…" Was the only response Dipper gave.

"That's what I thought." She said victoriously, "Your turn."

"I think I'm done playing this game, let's play something else." Dipper said putting the last bobble head on the shelf. He stood up with the empty box. as Pacifica jeered, "Aww, is wittle Dipper tired of losing all the time?"

"No, I'm just kinda tired of your snarky attitude every time you win." He said not withholding all the bitterness from his voice.

"I'm going to throw away this box." Dipper sighed, stepping toward the door. Pacifica simply nodded her acknowledgment and looked away.

Dipper sighed again when he was out of the Mystery Shack.

I can't let her know about the journal, she's too unpredictable. She could steal it, or tell people about it, or do something my male mind can't conceive.

As he walked back to the shack from the dumpster a limo pulled in, driven by Morton.

Dipper took notice and got the attention of the driver when the vehicle stopped at the front of the building, "Pacifica's shift doesn't end for another hour." He informed through the car window.

Before Morton could answer, a figure spoke, stepping out from the back door, "I'm afraid she won't be finishing her 'shift', boy."

"Um, hello Mister Northwest?" Dipper stared.

Preston Northwest walked angrily up the porch steps, "I have come to retrieve my unruly daughter, it seems she been sneaking to this hovel for quite some time and it is time to end it."

All Dipper could do was follow.

"Pacifica Elise Northwest!" He bellowed, bursting through the door.

Pacifica swung her legs from the counter top which slammed on the gift shop floor. The shocked girl jumped to her feet, staring.

"This is the end of your hijinks, young lady! I should have known you would be here with the likes of him." He dismissively gestured to the twelve year old in the doorway behind him, "You are an utter embarrassment to the Northwest family! Now come immediately, you are going home to receive severe punishment."

Pacifica's head hung to the ground as she began to, regretfully, walk to the door.

Dipper, still staring, stepped onto the porch to allow her passage through, "You lied about needing to come here?"

Pacifica raised her head as she passed him to give him a sad look.

When she was out of earshot Preston Northwest stood beside Dipper and glowered down menacingly at the boy.

"I order you to cut all ties from my daughter. She was a good and obedient girl before she became affiliated with you and your kind." Preston walked down the steps to his limousine.

Finally Dipper, unknowingly, found his voice, "You can't dictate what your daughter does." The northwest head stopped in his tracks and looked at the boy who met his eyes in defiance as he spoke, "She wants to make her own choices, she wants a job, isn't that something that should be nurtured and grown instead of-of crushed and abused and-and used as just another thing to control her with?" Dipper took a deep, riled breath, "Have you ever had a conversation with Pacifica for the mere purpose of understanding and getting to know your own daughter? She wants to learn, she wants to make things, she wants to grow! Not put in a little box that you created for her!"

Dipper stood, panting from excursion and frustration, boring into Preston with his daring eyes.

"You watch yourself, boy. Don't forget who you're talking to, I own this town, I own your uncle and I own everyone you know." Preston's face came mere inches from Dipper's face, "Pull a lecture on Preston Northwest like that again and I will destroy you and everything you love."

Preston turned away and got in the limo not before sending another death glare at Dipper.

Dipper watched as the vehicle drove up the path into the forest towards Northwest mansion.

Dipper took a large breath and trudged back into the gift shop.

"Where's Pacifica going an hour before her shift ends?" Stan demanded from the door of the office.

Dipper sighed again, "She quit." Dipper sat on the stool behind the counter.

Stan sensing that something wrong asked, "Something wrong there, uh, sport?"

Dipper laid his head on the counter, facing away from Stan he said. "Pacifica lied about needing a job, her parents didn't even know about it." Dipper sighed," I thought she was getting better, I thought she was going to stop lying and being mean and stuff."

Stan stood beside his nephew and spoke, "I, uh, I understand what that's like, it's hard to work on a relationship like that with no recognition of your efforts from the other person."

Dipper turned his head and looked at Stan, resting the other side of his face on the counter, "How do you understand how I feel?"

"Well," he began slowly, "I had this friend once who loved to steal candy, nothing major, just a chocolate bar here or there. I told him again and again to stop, that he would get in trouble, but he just kept doing it. It's not like he was poor or anything either… He just he did it for the thrill…" Stan looked at the ground.

Moments passed as Stan considered his memories of this old friend. Just when it seemed that he was done imparting his story he spoke again, "He did get in trouble," The old man chuckled to himself, "he was an idiot. He was in the county jail for two days... He was only ten. Eventually the couple who he robbed from forgave him and let him go free. They were a nice couple." Stan paused again thoughtfully, "He did some time… later in life. It tore apart his family."

Dipper studied his grunkles face, this friend meant a lot to him.

"I still don't know if he's learned his lesson." Stan looked sadly at his shop, he studied all the cheap novelty toys and clothes and decorative figurines. He sighed, much like his grand nephew did.

"I'll let Mabel know her shift starts early today." Stan added as he walked towards the stairs.