Chapter 17: Extended Measures
Dipper's POV
"What do you mean it's not safe here anymore?!" All three girls yelled in unison as they shook me and tried to find out what happened.
"C-Calm down! L-Let me explain!" I said trying to get away from their grips.
I got up but the girls stayed on the floor trying to calm don and listen to what I had to say.
"The Northwest's are getting curious about Elicia… They want to ask her some questions but I think it's just an excuse to see if she's Pacifica." I said calmly
"But what made them so suspicious?" asked Mabel
"Well somehow they put together that Elicia showed up when Pacifica went missing. They probably think it's just a coincidence, but the way they sounded they wanted to make sure." I said answering Mabel's question.
"Then we need to just hide her somewhere else. Maybe she can stay at my place!" Wendy urged
"You already have it hard enough with your family as it is! Besides I don't think it would be a good idea to get them mixed up in this." I said
Wendy look disappointed but agreed. But this is just an excuse. Pacifica was mine and I didn't feel comfortable putting a beautiful girl like Pacifica with Wendy's teenage brothers. It would be like throwing a steak in a lion's den.
"Maybe we can leave town?" Mabel said
"No because it would risk somebody seeing us leave. I'm sure Pacifica's parents are watching all the entrances out of town. It would only show we're hiding something." I said still desperately thinking of some kind of hiding place.
I looked to Pacifica who seemed worried. Worried about us and what would happen if her parents found her with them at the shack.
Pacifica was about to speak but I interrupted her before she could get a single word in.
"You going back is not an option, we won't allow it… I won't allow it" I said in a serious tone.
Pacifica immediately closed her mouth. "He knows me too well..." Pacifica thought. But then she smiled and blushed because that just showed how much he loved her.
"Well if what you say is true, it's too risky to do nothing. We need to get her away from here before the Northwest's influence falls right on top of us!" Stan said in a stern tone.
"falls… falls?... Falls! Stan you're a genius" I shouted as I ran to get a map and the journal.
"I am? I-I mean of course I am!" Stan said confused
I ran upstairs to grab the journal and then hurried down to Stan's office where I dug through the drawers. I now had everyone's attention.
I finally found the map that showed all of gravity falls and I threw it on the desk with the journal.
"Kid, what are you doing?" Stan asked
"Ya, what's up Dipper?" Pacifica asked
I then paused to Pacifica's voice.
"W-Well… I-In the journal it spoke of an oasis in the middle of the forest. A beautiful, isolated, untouched area that the author found. During my free time I was searching for it and all the clues lead to these falls. I ended up climbing to the top but never found anything that could be called an oasis." I explained
"Wait, why did you spend your free time looking for an oasis in the forest?" Wendy asked
"And what does this have to do with Pacifica?" Mabel shouted
"And I already know, but you could explain to them why I'm such a generous kid." Stan said
I pointed to a certain page in the book describing the oasis.
"Well… to answer the first question… I wanted a backup plan in case Pacifica was on the run again…B-But... it was mostly…I-I was looking for it because it's almost… P-Pacifica's birthday." I said nervously blushing trying to not make eye contact.
"What?" Pacifica said in surprise
"If the oasis was as beautiful as the author said, I wanted to take her there… You know… just the two of us… I wanted it to be our secret oasis. A-A place only the two of us and the author knew about."
"OH MY GOD! That's so sweet!" Wendy screamed
"What were you planning on doing once you got here their all to yourself, huh? Planning on making some passionate memories?" Mabel teased
Pacifica was now as red as a cherry. She didn't know what to say. It was the most romantic thing she ever heard. And the idea of spending time with Dipper isolated from the world only gave her dirty thoughts of what the two would do together which made her squeal and even more embarrassed.
"Wow you really go all out don't you kid! But back to business…" Stan said
"The author said that it's isolated and untouched which means that it's well hidden or hard to get to. Certainly a place that Pacifica's parents would never be able to find. Unfortunately, until now I thought it was out of my reach too and gave up." I said
Everyone looked depressed…
"Wait then why am I a genius?" Stan asked
"Because what you said changed everything Grunkle Stan!" I happily shouted
Everyone's faces then lit up.
"What do you mean Dipper?" Pacifica asked excited
"The clues lead me to the area with the waterfall. I searched low and high all around it but couldn't find it." I said as I pointed to the map.
"But when Stan said, Falls on top of us, it gave me an idea! It's so obvious I looked everywhere but there!" I said not able to contain my excitement.
"Where Dipper?" asked Wendy
"Where didn't you look?" Asked Mabel
"If my assumption is correct, the waterfall is the key! You guys, I think the waterfall is hiding the entrance to the oasis! I think it's behind it!" I shouted
"You really think it's there?" Pacifica asked
"There's only one way to find out!" I said
A couple of hours later Stan at the front of the Mystery Shack and the girls were waiting for me outside. When I came out, I had a giant hiking bag on my back that was about twice my size, with the journal in one hand and the map in the other.
"Ok Dipper, I'll stay here and keep an eye out. You and the girls go see if you were right about that oasis." Stan said
I nodded and walked towards the girls. Mabel was showing off her grappling hook she planned to bring on the journey. But Wendy was unimpressed and showed off her axe. Pacifica stood there listening to their fight until she saw me.
"What's all that for?" Pacifica asked
"Just in case…" I said
Pacifica looked at me with a confused look that asked, "In case of what?" but I just smiled and started to leave everyone into the forest.
We walked what seemed like forever, following the journal and retracing my steps, we worked our way through the forest until we finally reached the waterfall. It sounded like thunder as it hit the rocks on the bank next to us.
"Stay here!" I tried to shout over the thundering sounds.
I started to work my way closer to the falls looking for any sign or clue of an opening. After a few minutes I found it.
As I moved to the back of the falls I found a smile cave like tunnel leading somewhere. I motioned for everyone to follow. I grabbed a flashlight out of my bag and lead the way through the tunnel. It was dark, cold, and slippery. I caught Pacifica before she slipped and fell, which followed by applause by the girls that were teasing behind us. We walked through it for a good fifteen minutes until we finally reach an opening.
It was just as beautiful as the author had said.
Through giant cracks in the ceiling of the giant cave letting in natural light, you could see the small hidden forest. It had Pine trees, berry bushes, and streams leading to a pond. Birds, deer, and rabbits scurried and hid away from the new visitors. You could hear the fis flopping in the water. It was a forest cut off from the forest. Cut off from the rest of the world. A safe haven for whoever could find it. It truly was an oasis.
"Oh my god… it's beautiful" Said Mabel
The girls stood there in awe. Taking in the beautiful scenery.
"Happy early birthday Pacifica…" I said under my breath.
I didn't expect the girls to hear me say that, but it was so quiet that you could probably hear a butterfly flap its wings.
So it shocked me to find Pacifica tackling me to the ground and giving me a sudden kiss on the lips.
As soon as she gave me a chance to breathe, I said, "Sorry it couldn't be just our secret oasis…" as I looked towards Wendy and Mabel who were watching the romance and giggling to each other.
"It's ok… I've never seen a place so beautiful before in my life!" Pacifica said.
"Well you better get used to it because you and I are going to be living here for a while." I stated
"What?" All three girls said.
"This is one of the reasons we needed to find this place. Your parents will never find you here and of course, I'm not going to leave you behind." I said
I started unpacking what was in my hiking backpack. It had everything for a camping trip.
"Wow you did come prepared" said Pacifica.
"What a second? What about us? Mabel yelled next to Wendy.
"You can go home! You girls can come visit but there's no reason for you to stay." I teased
"It's not fair you guys get to camp without us!" Wendy said
Wow these girls could not take a hint that I wanted to be alone with Pacifica.
In the end, I smiled and tossed a bag there way.
"I thought you two would have a fit, and luckily for you I prepared for it." I said proudly
As Wendy looked inside se saw it contained the parts to make a second tent. She and Mabel then met a face full of two sleeping bags.
"Fifty Points!" I shouted as Pacifica laughed at their expense.
Mabel and Wendy then got up and started chasing me around screaming while Mabel pointed her grappling hook at me. Pacifica giggled at the sight of my circumstances. She then started looking through the rest of the bag to see what else I brought.
Inside she found matches, blankets, tools, maps, junk food, water… But as she dug deeper she blushed at the sight of one of her sets of lingerie.
"What is that idiot doing with this?" She thought turning red in embarrassment.
She looked back towards the mayhem of Wendy and Mabel chasing me up a tree. But they were close behind, Wendy being an outdoor girl who climbs trees on a daily basis, and Mabel who used her grappling hook. They were both gaining on me.
Pacifica then looked back to move the lingerie to the side and found that all of her clothes were in there. "Just in case, he says. I guess he was really serious about me living out here." She thought
Not that there was anything wrong with this place, it's just sad to think that she couldn't go back to the shack that felt like a home. Her first home… One that didn't feel like a cage.
"COME ON GUYS, JUST STOP"
Pacifica looked back to see me at the end of a branch close to the top of the tree being cornered by the other two.
"Is it really necessary to chase me up here just for throwing a couple of sleeping bags at you?!" I shouted
"IT WAS A DECLARATION OF WAR" Mabel screamed
Wendy and Mabel giggled, but everything stopped when we heard a CRACK!
I quickly found myself falling after the branch snapped. All I could think was, "Thank God Wendy and Mabel weren't far enough to be carried with the branch like me"
"DIPPER!" all three girls shouted.
I guessed I wouldn't survive a forty foot fall from a tree…thankfully the tree was over a pond which swallowed me leaving a safe cold feeling of relief for me. Really cold…TOO COLD!
I quickly swam up to take a breath and scream, "HOLY FUCKING ICE CUBES!"
I quickly worked my way to the bank and as I reached it, Pacifica, Wendy, and Mabel hurried to my side to see if I was ok.
"Oh my god Dipper are you ok?" Pacifica asked concerned
"Dipper, we are so sorry!" Mabel yelled
"Ya dude, thank god that pond was there!" Wendy said
"… … Dipper? … Dipper!" Pacifica yelled
I wasn't paying attention to them as I fell to my knees. I was so cold that my shivering almost kept me from breathing. And no matter how hard I tried, for some reason I wasn't warming up.
I then noticed how dark it was getting in the cave. The suns bright warming light that shone through the giant cracks in the ceiling was now almost gone. This probably meant that the sun was going down for nightfall. We needed to make a fire and fast. It's already usually cold at night, but being in a moist cave would surely make the temperature drop even further. I tried to get up to move towards my bag but fell back on the ground. All I could do was lay there cold shivering.
"Dipper!" Pacifica screamed
Mabel put her hand to my face. "He's as cold as ice!"
"This isn't good… I think he's starting to get hypothermia!" said Wendy
"Wendy you genius" I thought
Thank god Wendy goes camping with her family so often. She the best expert on camping I know. In fact I learned everything from her that I couldn't learn from books.
"We need to warm him up as quickly as we can or something bad could happen. Mabel you set up one of the tents. Pacifica stay here and make sure he stays awake. Things will only get worse if he falls asleep. I'll make a fire as quick as I can." Wendy said
I could hear the footsteps of Wendy and Mabel running off.
"Hey Dipper! You heard her, you need to stay awake. Open your eyes!" Pacifica yelled
"I-I-I-I…C-C-C-C-Can't" I said shivering.
I laid there with Pacifica next to me. She kept talking to me but I started to fade in and out. I knew it was bad because I couldn't focus on Pacifica. The one I loved so much.
"Come on Dipper…Stay Up!" Pacifica screamed
"Wendy!"
"I got the fire started. How's he doing?" Wendy asked
"He's not responding to me anymore!" Pacifica yelled more worried.
"Quickly, help me get him to the fire." Wendy said
I felt two pairs of hands lift me from the ground and carry me off. I could see the brightness of the fire next to me through my closed eyes. It was so close but for some reason, I still couldn't feel its warmth.
I heard Mabel come over and shout, "The tent's done! He must be doing better with the fire because he isn't shivering anymore!"
"What!" Wendy yelled.
"That can't be right though… If anything, I feel colder…" I thought
I then felt a hand touch my cheek. I knew it was Wendy because she then told the other two what I was thinking.
"He's still cold and he's no longer shivering. That means the fire still isn't helping and he's getting worse." Wendy said
"Well what do we do? Make the fire bigger? Why isn't he warming up?" Mabel asked
"It's his clothes! They're still soaked!" I heard Pacifica say.
"Mabel, quickly look in his bag for extra clothes!" Wendy shouted
"You won't find anything…the one thing I forgot to pack were extra clothes for me…" I thought
"There's only clothes for Pacifica! There's nothing in here that will fit him!" I heard Mabel shout
I started to fade in and out again. I could hear fighting. I think it was between Wendy and Pacifica.
After a few moments I felt my clothes coming off me. The cold breeze made my wet skin feel frozen.
"What are you doing?" I heard Pacifica yell.
I started to fade again so I couldn't quite make out what Wendy was saying.
As I came back, I heard Pacifica frantically say, "There has to be another way! Why can't we just wrap him in blankets?"
But I started to fade yet again which kept me from knowing what the conversation was about.
"We have no choice but to take these extended measures Pacifica! It's for Dipper!" Mabel argued.
Dammit I feel so weak. We were having so much fun and now I'm just a burden that's worrying them.
I suddenly felt myself be lifted and put down. I heard the sound of a zipper from the tent Mabel put up. There was silence except for the movement and shuffling around from the girls.
"Are they in the tent with me?" I thought to myself.
My question was answered by a whisper in my ear.
"Don't worry Dipper… We'll be doing everything we can to take care of you…"
That's when I passed out. But just before, I felt a sudden loving warmth that I had never felt before.