Chapter 29

Wendy looked at Dipper with lowered eyes as they walked away from the police station to the car holding hands.

"I think we can all fit in the Stanley mobile…if you sit on my lap."

Dipper turned to her and smiled. "Or you sit on mine. I now know your end is softer than mine." And he gave her a quick kiss as she giggled. Then as they watched Soos load Wendy's bike into the trunk, Dipper noticed Tambry down the block walking across the street towards home.

Wendy noticed him watching her, and then he turned to Wendy.

"Wendy, we should give her a ride home. She's a friend. "

Wendy smiled without hesitation. "And she got you out of jail." She rubbed noses with him, and then whispered.

"I trust you." She gave him a quick kiss and let go of his hand, and watched him run down the block after Tambry.

"Tambry!"

She turned around and it was obvious she was still crying. Dipper slowed to a walk as he approached her and then putting a hand in his pocket, looked down and to the side as his other hand rubbed the back of his neck.

"Tambry, why don't you ride with us? You don't have to walk all the way home by yourself." And he looked back up at her and smiled.

Tambry sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve, and then looked down the block at Wendy. The redhead waved her over, nodding.

Tambry looked back at Dipper.

"You…you sure it's OK? snif"

"Yeah, that is, if it's OK with you."

Tambry looked once more at Wendy. The redhead shouted down the block.

"Come on already Tambry! We don't have all day." And finally she smiled.

Tambry smiled back and then looked at Dipper.

"Thanks Dipper." And they turned back together walking to the car. This is the kind of thing that made me fall in love with him, that he actually cares about me. Wendy is so lucky.

Dipper glanced at her but quickly, sensitive to Wendy watching them both.

I hate to see Tambry crying, especially after she confessed that she loves me. I hope she finds a new guy that will make her happy.

"Tambry, uh…" he swallowed. She looked back at him.

"Yeah?"

"Uh…you know you're pretty enough that some guy is gonna, you know, ask you out. Probably a bunch of guys. "

He even cares about my feelings! I can't help loving him.

"Thanks Dipper. You are so sweet." I want to at least hug him, like at the cemetery, or even just touch his arm…but he would probably get mad. And Wendy will kill me.

She looked forward as they approached the car. "Thanks. Snif"

Stan was already behind the wheel, with Soos riding shotgun and Mabel in between, the Stanley mobile was a 1960's car built wide and large enough for six. That left room for three in the back.

I know Wendy doesn't like Tambry so…maybe I should sit in the middle? But then Tambry will be next to me and she'll get mad at that…His conundrum became evident on his face as he puzzled the best seating arrangement.

"Just get in Dipper." And smiling Wendy pushed him in the back seat. Getting in after him she closed the door. Tambry got in on the other side, and so it was that Dipper found himself in between the two girls.

Getting seat belts on raised Dipper's blood pressure to almost dangerous levels. He was already bumping hips with the dark haired girl as they sat in the back seat, hips that her sweat pants could not hide.

"Uh…excuse me…" he said to Tambry without looking up, as he reached in between her hips and his for the seat belt buckle.

He tried to be delicate as he reached in between them but the back of his hand could not avoid sliding past her hip.

She was also searching for her buckle, and their hands slid past each other. They might as well have plugged their fingers into a light socket as the touch was electric. He heard her inhale, and he did the same but kept his head down, avoiding her eyes. As soon as he grabbed the buckle he quickly pulled his hand out and then turned towards Wendy's side to connect the buckle, looking up at Wendy and smiling.

Fortunately she had been busy buckling up too and just now looked at him, and smiled back. He exhaled in relief and sat back, his left hand holding Wendy's hand, and his right simply laid in his lap.

As the car drove over the poorly maintained, weather beaten roads, bumps were inevitable, and with each bump and vibration Dipper was very much aware of Wendy's …and Tambry's…thighs bumping against his. He tried to look straight ahead or at Wendy, but occasionally he would glance down and see Tambry's lap, her delicate feminine hands clasped together, shiny well cared nails and a tiny silver ring with a tiny mounted amethyst crystal glinting on her pinkie, and reminding him of when those same hands held his face as she kissed his forehead that day.

Then he glanced over at Wendy's lap, where she was holding Dipper's hand: strong hands, with strong broad fingers, nails trimmed short and unpolished, almost her father's fingers. Then he looked up to find Wendy watching him. She smiled and he smiled back and then kissed her.

Tambry noticed their kiss and turned away to look out the window, but the glass reflected the same scene: the back of dipper's head and just the forehead and eyes of Wendy as she tilted her head to kiss him, her eyes closed in contentment.

Tambry could only look down and close her eyes, another tear escaping to fall on her sweatpants. She stayed that way until they dropped her off at her house. Getting out she could only look down at the street and whisper so no one could hear her voice crack from emotion.

"Thanks for the ride."

Then she quickly looked up at Dipper's concerned brown eyes one last time, and before she could glimpse Wendy behind him she turned around and ran to her house. Dipper watched her run to the front door and go inside.

That is the same face I saw in Wendy that day of the picnic. So much pain.

…

As the car pulled away, Wendy exhaled and then looked back at Dipper, but he didn't look back at her, it was obvious he was lost in thought.

"What's on your mind baby?"

Dipper looked up at her with sudden determination.

"Wendy, can you set Tambry up with one of your exes?"

"What?"

Dipper cringed a little at her outburst.

"Well you know, uh, you already know who is a jerk and who might be a nice guy and well, if we set Tambry up with somebody, some nice guy then…well…" and he started rubbing his neck again.

"Dipper, that is all sweet and everything, but Tambry's not our problem."

He looked up, serious determination still in his face.

"No, she is not our problem, she is our friend."

Wendy knew her honest hero, who always fought for right would not give up. She lay back in the car seat in contemplation, looking up at the roof of the car.

"Hmmmm…let me think about it OK?"

Dipper smiled. "Thanks Wendy." And he kissed her cheek. She couldn't help smiling.

"Oh boy!"

And Wendy and Dipper looked back towards the front of the car at Mabel. She had turned around with her head on her arms, arms on the top of the front seat smiling, she had been listening to the whole conversation.

"MATCH MAKING!"

Stan looked in the rear view mirror at Wendy and Dipper.

"Oh boy, here we go again…"

Dipper looked at Wendy and they both started laughing.

…

Closing the front door behind her, Tambry ran upstairs and into her bedroom, throwing down her bag of sale clothes, slamming the door shut, and then fell on her bed in tears.

Oh Dipper…I can't get you out of my head…or heart…

Sniffling and wiping her eyes she looked up at a photo on her wall that she had blown up and printed out, the same convenience store break in crew picture hanging on Dipper's bedroom wall, where she had her arm around the younger, shorter Dipper. She smiled briefly.

He was so cute back then. A little insane. Well…daring actually…snif…

She got up and swiveled around on top of her bed to then walk up to the picture, and took it off the wall and then turned around to walk back to the bed. Now you have grown and become even cuter, a heart breaker in the true sense of the word! My gaw what a heartbreaker (snif). She hunched over the picture, touching and feeling the frame again and again as she gently sobbed.

All the other guys are selfish jerks, or worse. Nobody loves me, nobody cares about me but Dipper, and he is taken. There is no one for me.

She held the picture gingerly and slid a well-manicured finger along the edge of the frame, just as another tear drop fell on the picture glass. It was then she noticed her own reflection in the glass, and how sad she looked.

Time for another run Tambry. Another run to the cemetery.

For the last time…