Chapter 21

When Dipper came out of the store with his bag of picture frames, he noticed Manly Dan was of course in the driver seat, but Wendy and her brothers were all in the truck bed in the back. He started to climb in the back but Wendy nodded no and pointed to the cab, smiling. Then he saw her dad looking back through the rear window, not smiling, and pointing to the seat in front next to him.

Oh oh.

Dipper smiled and nodded and then opened the passenger door. Dan then looked ahead and started the truck as Dipper got in and buckled up, and closed the door.

Dan backed up the truck and then pulled out of the parking lot driveway onto the road back home.

Dipper nervously smiled and tried his best to sound calm.

"Thanks Mr. Corduroy, for uh, saving me back there. Thanks a lot."

Dan slowly turned to look at Dipper, still not smiling, but not frowning either, and then looked ahead.

"What would you have done if I hadn't been there?"

"Uh…probably run. Run fast."

Dan turned to look at Dipper briefly and then looked ahead again.

"Uh-huh. And what would you have done if Wendy had been with you?"

Dipper swallowed and furiously tried to think of a safe answer.

"Uh…well…first I would have made sure she was safe. And then we would…both run?"

He knew it was a bad answer as soon as he said it.

Again, Dan looked back at Dipper, but this time he frowned, then looked ahead again.

"Wendy wouldn't run."

Dipper knew that this was a conversation in an entirely different context from what he was used to, and it was no use faking it. "I…I know sir. She…would…probably save me."

Now Dan smiled but kept looking ahead.

"You're plum right she would."

Dipper allowed himself a smile since her dad was smiling. But then Dan turned back to Dipper and the smile was gone.

"You're smart. So I expect you to think ahead, and NOT put her into situations where she has to save you."

"Yes sir! I don't want to put her in harm's way either! Honest! Nate was just crazy and…"

"You don't have the problem Nate has, which is why I put up with your shenanigans with my daughter."

Dipper turned bright red. "Uh no sir, I promise there are no shenanigans…"

"Shutup, I'm trying to tell you something."

"Yes sir!"

Dan turned to Dipper and then turned his attention back to the road.

"Nate thinks being a man means being tough and dangerous."

"Well yeah it looked that way today…"

"Shutup!"

"Yes sir!"

Dan clenched his right hand and slightly pounded the steering wheel. Dipper was getting very nervous now.

"You need to use what nature gives you in life to survive. In your case…" and Dan turned to look at Dipper, sizing him up and looking him up and down, then back to looking ahead. "…in your case, don't ever try tough your way out. I could teach Wendy to tough her way out 'cause she's got a lot of me in her. But you…you would be better at preventing situations that call for being tough. You got the brains and the gift of gab. I'll bet you were never in a fist fight once."

Dipper's face grew stern. "Actually…I was in a fight, twice. Once with Robbie, a guy three years older than me. And once with a robot the size of a five story building!"

Dan smiled and looked at Dipper again. "I never did like that boy." Then he stopped smiling.

"You got lucky. Don't count on getting lucky the next time. Use your brains. GOT IT?"

"Yes sir!"

Dan smiled as his gaze alternated between the road and looking at Dipper and then reached over and playfully socked Dipper in the shoulder.

"OW!" That's gonna leave a mark!

Dan's smile grew wider then he laughed. "A fight with Robbie! A fight with Robbie! Ha!" Then he tossed his head back and laughed even louder, turning to look out the back window at Wendy. Wendy turned around to see her dad laughing and then turning to Dipper gave him the thumbs up and a wink.

Dipper smiled back at her then smiled at Dan, as he rubbed his shoulder.

…

At the shack Manly Dan was busy talking to Grunkle Stan, who kept looking back at Dipper as Wendy put her arm around Dipper's. "C'mon, let's go show Mabel your hand. I want to make sure you get the best nursing care when I'm not here."

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Oh my gaw Wendy no, she'll make a big scene over it…"

"DIPPER! DIPPER! Are you OK? Tambry told everybody what Lee said!" Mabel ran out the front door carrying a first aid kit.

"It's OK Mabel, don't freak out! He just needs a little ice on his hand, kay?"

"Oh my gaw Dipper, I'm gonna kill that idiot Nate!"

"Wow! Pretty intense there buddy! Chill out! He won't hurt Dipper again."

"Ice! Ice!" Mabel twirled about twice. "Why didn't I think of that!" And Mabel handed the first aid kit to Wendy and ran back to the shack.

Wendy laughed, which made Dipper smile and then laugh. Then smiling he looked at her with lowered eyes.

"You know, that first aid you gave me back at the parking lot…worked pretty good."

Wendy smiled too. She turned around to look at her dad, who was still talking to Stan, and then turned back to Dipper, and lifting his hand to her lips, gave it a lingering kiss. "Mmmmuwah!"

Dipper looked around Wendy to check her dad and then faced her and leaned in close, kissing her on the lips. "Mmmmmmmmm. First aid!"

"Maybe we can continue the treatment inside?"

"Well…there is the matter of the nursing staff…"

"Haha! Well uh, I'll have a talk with the staff." She turned around and shouted to her dad.

"DAD! Dipper will walk me home later! Bye!"

Dan looked at the two of them and nodded, then shook hands with Stan and got back in the truck and left.

In the shack Dipper sat at the table with his hand in a bowl of ice water.

"Don't leave it in there too long or you can get freezer burn."

"OK Mabel, alright already. Seriously, I'm OK."

Wendy nudged Mabel with her elbow and winked. Mabel smiled and winked back.

"OK well, I guess I'll go check on Waddles." Then in a sing song voice: "Talk to you laaaaater…"

Wendy watched Mabel walk outside and then pulled Dipper's chair out a few more inches, and proceeded to sit down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. He looked up at her.

"Ah, I like this treatment, I feel better already."

Her face seriously seductive, and licking her lips she replied with half lowered eyelashes in a whisper.

"You ain't seen nuthin' yet."

Wendy tilted her head and rubbed her nose around his, her lips touching but slipping past his in a circular tease. Then she nuzzled his ear, working her way to his neck and then came back to his lips, and this time made moist contact, nibbling as she tilted her face gently and slowly up and down, working her mouth over his as she began to softly lick him. He licked back, his head slowly following her motion to keep their lips together. With his uninjured left hand he wrapped around her waist and slid his hand up and down her side, and then began a circular rubbing motion between her shoulders, slowly sliding down to rub the small of her back. He then gripped her hip and squeezed as he pulled her closer to him.

"mmmmmm Dipper…" it was almost baby talk, a whimper, tough Wendy was gone. Wendy the woman was sitting on his lap, her hands holding his head in place as she gave him the best affection she could with a kiss. They broke apart and he began kissing the small space of freckled skin he could find below her neck, exposed and uncovered by her shirt, where he found just the beginning of the top of her cleavage.

"Ohhhhh Dipppppppperrrrrrr." She held his head to her bosom looking up at the ceiling as pleasure electrified her body. He nuzzled around and then looked back up asking for a kiss without words. She looked back down from her ecstasy and kissed him, her tongue exploring further than ever before, with his trying to follow her lead.

"EEEP!" She jumped up a few inches and then sat back down on his lap. He had pulled his other hand out of the ice water and grabbed the other side of her waist, his ice cold hand.

She looked down at him to see him smiling ear to ear, and she smacked the top of his head.

"You!"

"Sorry! I forgot." But he was still smiling.