Mabel pulled the cart around to the front of the Gravity Falls Orphanage. Dipper looked up at the front of the building, Christmas decorations adorning the inside. He turned to Mabel and asked "Mabel, please tell me you aren't here to adopt."
"Nooo," Mabel stretched out the word as if it was obvious why they were there. "Mabel," Dipper sounded worried, "Please tell me you don't have a kid in there!"
Mabel slugged him in the arm. "Don't be a big dummy! Look in the window."
Dipper obliged, looking through the window, past the frost and window paint in the shape of ornaments and snowmen. Inside, decorating a Christmas tree, adorning a bedazzled Santa hat, was Pacifica Northwest. Dipper's face flushed, and he ducked down in the seat.
"No, no, no no no no no! Mabel! Why would you bring me here?" Dipper whined. "You, my good sir," Mabel told him, "are here to ask her to the party tonight. And when she says yes, we're breaking out the Smile Dip." Dipper stuck his head between his legs and groaned. Mabel patted him reassuringly on the back. "Listen bro-bro, it's clear you like her. And I haven't seen you like anyone besides Wendy." Dipper nodded and began to speak but Mabel cut him off.
"But you went all Koo-Koo Bananas around her! Now, look at Pacifica. I didn't like her at first. But now we are great friends. You have inside connection to the mind of the girl you like. I have lived with her for over a year, and I can tell you exactly how to act so that I can help you, okay? But you have to listen to every word I say.
"Do you understand, Dipper?" He sat there quietly for a moment and nodded. "Listen closely then, Dip."
Mabel leaned in close. "Just. Be. Yourself."
Dipper sat up straight and thought hard on the matter, since being himself around girls was a foreign concept to him, and had been since he was 12. Mabel shook her head in disbelief. "Dipper, come on, Pacifica appreciates honesty almost as much as she does looking good. You are cute…in an awkward sort of way. Just be yourself, and she will fall head over heels for you. Promise." To seal this promise, she drew a cross over her chest.
Dipper knew that Mabel took crossing your heart like a religious belief. He sat up straight and took a deep breath. He began shifting out of the seat to walk inside, but Mabel grabbed his shoulder. "Wait. Take this." She handed him a smashed paper, tied with a glittery ribbon.
He opened the bag to find a folded ball cap, white and teal, with a picture of a pine tree proudly gracing the front. Dipper smiled, slipping off his beanie and unfolding the ball cap, running his hand along the rim of the cap. With a shaky breath, he began to walk inside, to the scariest adventure he had ever faced in Gravity Falls.
Pacifica hummed happily to herself the tune of her favorite Christmas carols. She was in the process of stringing tinsel around the tree when the familiar tune of a bell rang out. Someone had just walked through the door. She turned around to see who had come in. Dipper Pines. Of all the people, why did it have to be Dipper?
"H-hey," she called out to him. "What are you d-doing here?" Dipper was wearing the old hat that he had worn during the first summer he had spent in Gravity Falls. He looked much younger in that hat, she thought to herself. Much more awkward. It was…endearing.
"Just came to hang out, you know?" Dipper said, an attempt at sounding cool. "Hanging out…in an orphanage…" Pacifica questioned him. Dipper's face reddened and he began to scratch his arm. Another awkward but cute quality.
"I'm just kidding, Dipper," she said to him jokingly. "You want to help me finish the tree?" Dipper nodded and knelt down beside the box of ornaments.
"You know, when Mabel and I were little, we called these 'Friddy Hangeedilees'". Dipper told her as he held up a red glass orb. Pacifica covered her mouth and laughed. Dipper smiled. He made her laugh. That was a good sign. "Really it was Mabel's idea, but it just sort of stuck in the house. I don't know what you rich people call them in your house."
Pacifica stopped laughing and looked down. "Dad was never home for Christmas, and mom never wanted to do it with me. 'The tree is too big to be climbing on and hanging up glass.' 'Let the help do it instead.' They never really wanted to spend family time together."
Dipper felt ashamed for mentioning her family now. He wanted to turn and bolt, but Mabel gave him the death stare from the cart. He took a deep breath and asked her, "Pacifica…I, I mean, um, Mabel and I….um, we wanted to, uh, ask you to this party, later…you, uh….you wanna go?"
Pacifica's eyes widened, shining with excitement and anxiety. Dipper looked away nervous, shy. Pacifica looked him over and smiled, a sweet innocent smile. "Sure," she said. "Of course I will go with you guys."
Dipper's face brightened up, and he beamed a big, cheesy grin. "Great! That, oh, that's fantastic! Be back at the shack at 7. I will take you. Okay. Okay."
Dipper backed out, giving her a thumbs up sign, and tripped on a box of Friddy Hangeedilees. Pacifica laughed, and Dipper laughed too. He ran out and jumped around with Mabel, oblivious to the fact that Pacifica was still watching. She smiled to herself, resuming her humming, a little more cheerful, getting up to hang a piece of mistletoe over the door.
The sun was setting over Gravity Falls Forest. Two creatures sat in the gloom, brooding over the past, looking towards the future. Havoc, chaos, discord, all were part of their nature. They were about to share that nature with the rest of the world. The smaller of the two creatures opened its eyes, flashing a deep red. His companion glanced his way, noticing his eyes had opened. With an excited tone, he asked "Now?"
The smaller flashed a set of gleaming fangs in a menacing smile. "Now."