Chapter 21: Family Reunion
Pacific's POV
As we left our hiding paradise, I could feel a chill in the air. One that asked me if I was making the right decision. As we headed for town, the conversation I had with myself argued what if Dipper was right? What if this was some dumb trap that I'm falling for?
"Then let them capture you! You're not as weak as you were before Dipper came to your rescue. Your opportunity to be with everyone at the shack has only made you stronger as a person. I can't hide behind them forever. If this is a trap, I'm ready to face my parents." I thought to myself.
But as I reached the hospital, I couldn't help but let my guard down to worry about my parents. What if they were in the hospital, clinging for life. If they were to die, I'd feel unaccomplished for never being able to tell them how they made me feel. The new and wonderful experiences I've had. That I was in love. Despite how they might react, I wanted them to know because they were my parents!
I told Dipper this as we reached the hospital. But he still wanted to take precautions. Going to my parents was one thing, but having me forcibly taken from him is what he was worried about. He knew I still had faith in my parents. Hope that they could change, but Dipper expected the worse from them. I mean they hired somebody to take his life! Somebody who does that and treats their daughter so poorly over the years, couldn't change, couldn't love, and couldn't feel. That's how Dipper saw it. And even in the slightest chance they did change, he still wouldn't forgive them.
Dipper then told me to wait outside until he gave the all clear. He would check to see if my parents were in the hospital or not. But as I watched him walk inside, I was surprised to have a handkerchief of chloroform covering my face. As my body went limp, all I could think was, "I'm going ahead Dipper… Come to my side in a bit."
And as Dipper came sprinting back out of the hospital, realizing the truth, anger and frustration filled him as he couldn't find his Pacifica. He felt stupid for leaving Pacifica all alone, even when he expected the worse from her parents. And he immediately began planning the rescue of his soul mate.
….
I had woken up, tied to a chair in a familiar setting. I was home in the main office of where my father usually worked.
"Hello Pacifica darling. It's good to finally see you awake. We could hardly recognizer you with the way you look. But maybe you forgot, after the little adventure you had…" *SMACK*
"But we hate being kept waiting." Said Mr. Northwest
"It's good to see you in good health father, I was worried that I would never get another chance to speak with you."
*SMACK*
"Is that supposed to be sarcasm, how dare you smile at me after everything that you've done. Leaving me and your mother was the worst thing that you could have done, but being able to hide from us for this long! It had already used up our patience." Said Mrs. Northwest
"Now… You are going to tell us, how you managed to hide away from us all this time. Though we already have a pretty good idea of where you've been." Said Mr. Northwest
"I was planning on telling you everything anyways! So why are you hurting me!"
"If you raise your tone one more time, I'll do more than just hurt you!" said Mr. Northwest
My legs began to shiver with fear. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I pictured this whole conversation going differently.
My father then grabbed me by the neck and chocked me, lifting me and then chair I was tied to off the ground. I began to feel light headed as I was gasping for air. And just as I thought I was about to pass out, he dropped me back to the ground. I coughed at the sweet sensation of my lungs being filled with the much desired air.
Had going to the shack made me soft? Had it made me want to hope when there was none? That I could have with my parents what I experienced at the shack? Tears began to fill my eyes at the sad truth. My parents and I will never see eye to eye. We will never have a loving relationship. We will never be a family…except in name.
"Now, have we awakened you from dreamland? Are you ready to face reality and tell us?" said Mrs. Northwest.
I stayed quiet. Dipper was right to expect the worse from them. All I did was put myself in danger.
Next, I felt not the slap of a hand, but a closed fist as it punched my cheek leaving severe pain which came from my own father.
The rush of my past trauma and torture began to fill my mind.
"No, I don't want to go through that! Not again!" I thought as salty tears fell down my pained cheeks.
"You know we've been taking it easy on you! Now tell us everything!"
From fear of being hit again, I then started from the beginning with how after that last night I saw them, Dipper had come to check up on me only to find me in such a worrying state. How he then took me home and comforted me when I was at my worst. How I took a false name and disguised myself with my natural looks. How well his family and friends treated me even before they knew my situation. Revealing and looking back at these memories began to calm me down. And soon enough, I wasn't crying anymore do to the wonderful memories and feelings from those experiences.
This displeased the two large figures looking down on me.
But then I told them something I shouldn't have. I told them, how I was in love with Dipper.
"That boy! Its one thing to fall in love with a commoner, but that boy is the main reason for this mess. To think he actually had the courage to talk down to us, even threaten us. We've never been so disgraced in our lives! … Which is why we tried to have him… taken care of. If those low-lives did their job correctly, then this problem would have been sorted much sooner than expected." Mr. Northwest said darkly.
The realization that Dipper was attacked had totally slipped my mind. I was so worried about such stupid things for wanting to come here, that I even forgot what they tried to do to him. What did Dipper think? What kind of monster am I to forget about the death attempt on the one I love?
"As soon as dipper was attacked I knew it was you! Don't ever touch him again!"
"Do you really think you're in the position to make demands? All I've heard from you is how much of a nuisance that boy and the Pines family really is." Said Mr. Northwest
Butterflies filled my stomach at his dark gaze. Why did I have to speak up? Why was I so weak? All I've done is give them a reason to hurt everyone that I had grown attached to and feelings for.
"You've changed Pacifica and not in a good way. Maybe if we destroy their lives using our wealth, they will hate you for it and leave you nothing to go back to." Said Mr. Northwest
"Dipper will always be there for me." I mumbled
"Your right. But that's easy to fix, we just have to erase him and make sure there's never a chance or reason for you to leave again." Said Mrs. Northwest
As the tears started to fill my eyes again, I realized that there was no helping my parents. Though I may have still loved them even after everything they have done, all they cared about was there image and the northwest name. They didn't care for me as a daughter, they didn't think of me as a human being. Just a tool to be used. I was so naive to think anything would change.
"I don't want to be here. I want to go back to the shack. I want to be with Dipper!" I thought
And almost like an angel that heard my prayer, a butler came and said, "Sir, a Dipper Pines has arrived and is requesting your presence."
"Perfect. That saves us the trouble of looking for him. Bring him in." said Mr. Northwest