Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Part Eight: Get Through This
"Yeah… About that…" Wendy nervously said as she shifted in her seat; apprehensive of how the young starlet seated across from her in a dingy bar would take the news. She hoped that Jamie LeCroix would simply laugh it off, but she also knew that her actions were illegal and could land her in a whole lot of trouble. "What of it?" the scarlet haired actress inquired. "Well… I-I kinda was the one who did that" the ginger woman admitted as a feeling of immense shame came over her; the usually confident woman now awash in a sea of uneasyness. An audible gasp came from Jamie as she tried to process what she had just been told. Having studied the life of her character for the better part of a few months, she was aware of the rebellious past Wendy had lived. Still, she was a bit shocked to see that a former officer of the law would commit fraud. She wanted to know why Wendy would do such a thing. "Why?" was all the blue eyed woman could respond with; a look of betrayal adorning her face. "Look… I was, like, angry. Angry that you were trying to be me I guess. Angry that people were trying to make money off the deaths of Mabel and Pacifica. Angry that someone was trying to tell a story that I only truly know. I-I don't know what I was thinking…" Wendy answered as she held her head in her hands and began to weep. "A-And she'd had a few drinks…" Dipper quickly added; hoping to aid the case of his wife. "T-Then I end up talking to you and you're, like, this amazing person who understands where I'm coming from… I-I'm so, so, sorry…" the freckled woman continued as tears ran down her cheeks and began to pool on the linoleum tabletop below. Dipper placed a caring hand on the upper back of his upset wife and began to soothe her by rubbing it.
Jamie once again took a moment to process what the slightly older woman had divulged to her. Her anger, while misplaced, was understandable. She could only imagine if someone had tried to tell the story of her life without consulting her. She couldn't even fathom losing people so close to her in such a tragic way. She wouldn't know how to respond to being shot several times by someone she once held feelings for or deal with the feelings that Wendy had to in the aftermath of it all. "Wendy, honey… It's alright" Jamie said as she tried to console the emotional woman. "I get that you were angry. We all do foolish things because of anger every once in a while. I understand" the actress continued as Wendy lifted her head out of her hands; her mascara running down her freckled cheeks. "Th-Thank you Jamie… Thank you" Wendy replied as she looked her straight in the eyes. "C'mon, let's go freshen up… Dipper, if you'll excuse us for a few moments…" Jamie said as she stood up and walked over to Wendy. "Of course" the chestnut haired man replied as the duo walked away. "Damn… She was pretty cool about that…" the thirtysomething man thought to himself as he continued to sit at the table. Wendy and Jamie made their way to the restroom, where the upset woman quickly doused her face with the tepid water that fell from the faucet. "Once again… I-I'd just like to tell you how sorry I am… I-I can repay you if you want… I-I don't make much, so it might take a little while, but I can make it right" Wendy offered as she dried her face with a rough paper towel. "Don't worry about it… I honestly spend more than that on makeup every month… It's fine" Jamie reassured her. Wendy was both relieved that she wouldn't have to pay back the debt and a bit off put by how little the money meant to her.
After a few minutes, the women returned to the table Dipper sat at, Wendy now seeming to be in much better spirits. "Everything alright?" the concerned man inquired to the pair. "Yup… Everything's cool" Wendy proclaimed as a soft smile formed on her face. A look of relief came over Dipper as he was glad that his wife had calmed down. While it had been years since the ginger woman had even entertained the thought of self-harm, the chestnut haired man knew that they could return at any time; especially if she were to become deeply upset. "Yeah… Wendy even gave me some pointers on how to get my makeup more like hers" Jamie chimed in. "So… Got any plans for the rest of the night?" Wendy asked the actress; hoping to hang out more with her. "I was going to turn in early. We're filming the scene at the bank tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I was well rested for it" the blue eyed performer replied. "Well… At least one of us will have gotten sleep before that…" the ginger woman commented in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "What do you mean by that?" asked a befuddled Jamie. "Dude, I was the only cop in town… I was pulling twelve hour shifts. If it weren't for energy drinks and coffee, I'm pretty sure that I'd never have lasted as long as I did doing that. In fact… I was taking a nap when Mabel first contacted me about the robbery" the redhead said. "See! This is why we need you on set! This is why they should have had you as a consultant from day one! They never even mentioned that in the script!" Jamie exclaimed. "That's it! I'm going down there tomorrow and I'm going to give them all a piece of my mind!" Wendy shouted. The trio left the dive bar and continued their night out in Vancouver.
Meanwhile, Tambry and her pack of teens sat around a now roaring campfire; the light from the flames flickering off the tall timbers that surrounded them. The violet haired woman's phone buzzed and she quickly removed it from the pocket of her black skinny jeans. It was a text message from Wendy. "Please don't be bad…" she thought to herself as she unlocked the phone and opened the message. 'Look who we found in Vancouver! That's right! Jamie F'n LeCroix! Be jealous!' it read; accompanied by a photo of the trio in a bar. 'Damn… Jealous girl! Here's my current situation…' Tambry replied, along with a photo of Lucas trying to see how many marshmallows he could stack on Mateo's head while the girls looked on with excitement. 'Lol, nice! Jamie says 'sup btw… So much to tell ya… Call tomorrow?' Wendy messaged back. 'Sure! Got a few things to tell you too… Nothing bad… But, gnomes… ugh…' Tambry said. Her best friend replied with a thumbs up and sighing emoticon. "Aunt Tambry! You're missing history here!" Mabel called out. "Sorry sweetheart!" the olive skinned woman apologized as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. They had managed to stack twelve of them on the somewhat portly teen's head before the toppled to the ground below. Tambry was reminded of the antics that her crew would get into when she was about their age; Mateo appearing to be their version of Thompson.
"So… Have you told him yet?" asked an eager Courtney to Grendy over the crackle of the campfire. "Nah… Gotta just get some time alone with him…" the slender fifteen year old replied in a somewhat frustrated tone as she observed Mateo and Alessandra playing patty cake. "That can be arranged…" Courtney said as a devious smirk came across her face. "No! Courtney! Y-You don't have to…" the mahogany haired girl pleaded in vain. Standing up from the log that she and her crush shared, the determined girl made her way over to where Mateo was seated. "Hey Mateo" the ginger girl said as she tugged on the drawstrings of her pink hoodie while rocking back and forth on her heels. "Hey Courtney, what's up?" he asked. "Nothin' much…" she answered in a playful tone of voice. "Something is… What's your angle, Corduroy?" the usually laid back teen replied in more skeptical tone. "Okay… So… Like… She'd kill me if she found out I told you this… But Grendy kinda needed that massage after all. Her ankle has been bugging her all night long, but she's too shy to ask herself…" Courtney replied; hoping to make her intentions more clear. "Oh… Okay… Well, I can do that…" he answered as his usual demeanor returned. The teen boy got up from his seat and walked over to the slender girl. "Dance my puppets, dance…" the redhead quietly chuckled to herself as she watched the scene playout from across the campfire. "Hey…" he awkwardly started the conversation as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey…" the equally shy Grendy replied. "So… I-Is your ankle, like, still bugging you and junk?" he stammered as the almond colored eyes of the young woman met his; the flicker of the campfire illuminating them. "Uh… Yeah! I-If that offer for the massage is still valid, I'd like one…" she eagerly responded. "Well… Y-You should probably lie down so it's easier for me to give it to you. The massage! So I can give you the massage!" Mateo quickly corrected himself; the unintentional innuendo causing his cheeks to blush. "Let's head to the tent…" Grendy said as she stood up from the log she sat on. "Let me help you!" Mateo quickly offered as the young woman arose. For a moment, Grendy had forgotten about the ruse and began to walk as if nothing were wrong. "At least you can put weight on it now… It seemed like before that Courtney almost had to carry you to camp…" the t-shirt clad teen boy commented. Realizing that she had made a mistake, she knew she had to act fast if she were to have a moment alone with the teen boy. "OW! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" Grendy groaned as she hopped a bit on her 'good' ankle. "OHMYGOSH! Here! Let me help!" the portly teenager replied as he lowered his shoulders so that the 'injured' girl could keep the weight off of her ankle.
The fifteen year old gladly accepted his offer and draped her long and slender arm around the back of his neck. This moment was not lost on Courtney, who continued to look on with great interest while everyone else continued to converse about the existence of ghosts. "Go get 'em girl!" the redhead silently cheered as she watched the slightly older teen disappear into the tent with her crush. "Okay… J-Just lay down a-and I'll get started…" Mateo instructed as he helped the young woman. "O-Okay… Be gentle… I-It's my first time… GETTING A MASSAGE! My first time that I'm getting a massage!" the frazzled fifteen year old stammered as she tried to cover up her Freudian slip. "Of course…" Mateo replied. The somewhat portly teen kneeled down and untied her pink sneaker; removing both it and a white cotton ankle sock from her foot. "I-I don't see any bruising or swelling, so that's a good sign" Mateo commented as he placed the slender ankle in his grasp. "HaHa… Lucky me!" Grendy chuckled as she felt the light rubs of his fingers upon her sun-kissed skin. The massage session went on for a few minutes before the teen boy stopped and gently rested her leg back onto the soft material of the sleeping bag. Grendy's mind had gone to mush as she relished the intimate contact with the boy she had feelings for. "G-Grendy?" the usually laid back voice of the sandy haired teen hesitantly asked. "Yeah?" the lanky teenage girl replied as she continued to stare up at the light blue ceiling of the tent; her mind still swimming in ecstasy. "I-I, like, have to tell ya something…" Mateo revealed as he continued to trip over his words. "Okay?" Grendy answered as she wondered what the teen could have to say. "I-I like you. I really like you…" he revealed to the fifteen year old girl as he lay down beside her.
The teen girl was thrilled that her feelings were being reciprocated by her crush, but she didn't quite know how to respond. She debated whether to reveal to him that she had kissed Courtney earlier in the day and had definitely felt something. That he was not alone in his lust for her. "C-Can I date two people at the same time? W-Wouldn't that be, like, cheating? Even if they both know?" Grendy questioned herself. At long last, she was ready for a reply. "I-I like you too Mateo… A-As more than just a friend… " Grendy said as she rolled over and once again her eyes met those of her crush. As if an invisible force were pushing both of them, they moved closer and closer together. Finally, both of their lips met and the duo began making out. Like a summer storm, the encounter was brief, but intense. Breaking the kiss, Grendy knew she had to reveal the truth to Mateo. "B-But there's something you should know…" she began as a look of confusion formed on the boy's face. "Oh great! She probably already is seeing someone or something like that…" Mateo thought to himself as he awaited her impending words of rejection. "You're not the only one with a crush on me…" she revealed as a crestfallen look fell upon the larger teenage boy's face. "W-Well… I can see why… Y-You're an amazing girl…" Mateo tried to mask his disappointment. "I really wanna date you. I have for a while… I have an idea… W-What if you met the other person who has a crush on me? What if all three of us just sat down and figured out what's going on?" Grendy proposed. Mateo mulled the offer over for a moment as the two looked each other in the eyes. "O-Okay…" he replied in a hesitant tone. "Great! Well, the good news is that the other person is here! W-We can go get them and work all this out right now!" Grendy said in a cheery tone as she practically leaped onto the larger teen boy.
A couple of minutes later, Grendy emerged from the tent and walked over to the log that Courtney was seated on. "So… I see that ankle is all better…" the ginger girl said with a chuckle. "Y-Yeah! Mateo made it all better!" she swooned to her one time enemy. "T-that's awesome!" Courtney said with feigned excitement. She had a feeling that her crush had made up her mind as to who she liked more and braced herself for the ensuing let down. "I know, right?!" the slender teen agreed before noticing a frown that was encroaching on the auburn haired teen's face. "C-Can you come to the tent with me for a second? I-I wanted to have a talk with both you and Mateo…" Grendy asked. "Alright?" Courtney replied; unsure of what was going on. Grendy extended her somewhat sweaty hand to the freckled young lady and led her towards the blue structure. "What do you think is going on?" Mabel asked Pacifica before chomping down on a sticky s'more. "I'm not quite sure, but color me intrigued…" the brunette answered her twin sister. The pair watched as the girls disappeared into the tent; curious as to what was transpiring just out of view. Mateo sat in the tent as beads of nervous sweat began to cover his body. He was certain that his crush had feelings for Lucas and braced himself to see his best friend enter the enclosure. Much to his surprise, Grendy came back hand-in-hand with Courtney Corduroy. He had seen girls holding hands all the time, so at first he thought nothing of it. "Mateo… Courtney… I-I wanna just say that I have feelings for both of you. I-I don't know if I feel more strongly for one of you over the other… I-I'm just hella confused right now…" Grendy said as she held her head and tears began to fill her eyes. Courtney clutched the hand of her crush tighter and rested her head on her shoulder. Mateo scooted over and placed a caring hand on her upper back; rubbing it as she began to hyperventilate.
"It's totally okay to feel that way…" Mateo told her as he continued to rub her back. "Grendy, you take as much time as you need… I'll be here no matter what…" Courtney reassured the somewhat upset teen as she stroked the dark brown hair of her crush. "I-I wish that I could just date you both… Like, at the same time!" Grendy stated as the tears now began to stream down her red-hot cheeks. "W-What if you did?" Courtney cautiously asked. "Y-Yeah… I'd be willing to try it…" Mateo agreed. "C-Can you even do that though?! Wouldn't that be, like, cheating or something?" a very confused and unconfident Grendy replied. "I'm cool with it… He's cool with it… If you are, then let's try it…" Courtney said as she pecked the cheek of her crush. "Y-Yeah! Let's do it! D-Date I mean!" Grendy happily agreed as she felt Mateo wipe away a tear from her face. "So… A-Are Courtney and I dating too?" the somewhat portly teenager asked. "No offense Mateo, but I'm not into guys… I-I mean, if I were, I'd think about it… You're a sweet guy… But I just don't feel anything for you…" the ginger girl quickly clarified. "None taken… I just don't like you like that either… Grendy has been my best friend for, like, ever and I only have room in my heart for her…" Mateo replied. All three looked at each other as a sense of joy filled the tent. "So… What do we tell everyone?" Grendy asked. "Just tell them that you're dating both of us…" Mateo answered. "That should be easy…" the ginger girl sarcastically said. "Don't worry… We'll be right there with ya" Courtney reassured her new girlfriend as both she and Mateo held the slender girl's hands.
It was long past midnight when Wendy and Dipper finally decided to return to their hotel room. After visiting a few more bars, Jamie had given the couple her number and vowed to meet up with them the following morning to continue their investigation. "D-Do ya th-think that we're gonna find out w-who's this scumbag is that's tryin' ta make money off of Mabel and Pacifica?" the clearly drunk woman stammered as they rode the elevator to their room. Unlike their trip to Portland many years ago, the duo shared a much more modest accommodation this time. "Y-Yeah… Jamie is gonna help us out… Gonna get to the bottom of this…" Dipper replied as he grasped onto the stainless steel wall of the elevator car. "HaHaHa! Y-You're sooo wasted!" Wendy chuckled as they reached their floor. "S-Says the woman who… Who knocked back shot after shot of vodka…" Dipper retorted as he regained his footing and exited the car with his wife. "Whatever dude… You wish you c-could drink likes me…" the redhead shot back in a boisterous tone. "Shh… Y-You're gonna get us in trouble…" Dipper replied as he held his index finger up to his lips. The hallway seemed endless as they wandered the sixth floor of the ten story building in search of their room. "617… 619… Where the fuck is 618!?" the chestnut haired man asked aloud as he was becoming increasingly frustrated with his inability to locate it. "D-Dude… You're on the wrong side of t-the hall… W-We're right here…" the freckled mother of two said as she held her smart watch up to the scanner on the door; a click soon heard as the door slid back into the wall. "M-Member when we went to Portland a-and we couldn't get that stupid little p-plastic card into the slot…" Wendy chuckled as she threw her clutch onto the dresser beside their bed. "Y-Yeah… Y-You got so angry you cried…" Dipper recalled as he took a seat on the end of the bed and kicked off his well-worn skate shoes. "Hey! I-In my defense… I was really trashed… A-And I only cried because I was frustrated… I-I just wanted to get into the room" she defended herself as she stumbled over to the closet and hung up her leather jacket. "Oh, I know why y-you wanted to get in that room so bad…" Dipper teased as he pulled his shirt over his head. "OMG! Mason! Y-you're such a perv sometimes… B-But yeah… I totally wanted to hit that…" she admitted as she too began to shed her clothes. "Just like you wanna right now?" the hazel eyed man said in a hopeful tone of voice. "Yeah…" the redhead sheepishly admitted to her husband as she bit down on her lower lip. She quickly joined him in the queen sized bed as the two began to make love on an early morning in Vancouver.
Grendy, Courtney and Mateo exited the tent and approached the campfire as beads of nervous sweat formed on all three of them. They had agreed to an unconventional relationship and were unsure of how their friends would react to it. "There you guys are!" Tambry said as she tried to cover up for the fact that she had failed to notice their absence. "Yeah, I was wondering where you wondered off to…" Lucas chimed in. They both took note of the fact that both Mateo and Courtney held a hand of Grendy; a nervous smile adorning each of their faces. "Look… We've got something to tell you guys…" Grendy said a she took another step forward. "What is it?" Mabel asked as she practically bounced up and down on the log she sat upon. "Courtney and I are going out…" she answered in a nervous tone as she grasped the hands of her partners tighter. "Didn't see that one coming…" Pacifica deadpanned as she continued to whittle a piece of wood into the shape of a bear. "Paz! W-What she meant to say is that she's happy for you… Isn't that right?" the redhead said as she elbowed her twin in the ribs. "Yeah! That's awesome…" the brunette replied. "And Mateo…" the mahogany haired fifteen year old added as a hush came over the group. "Like, at the same time?" a confused Alessandra asked. "Yeah… I'm dating both Courtney and Mateo… At the same time…" Grendy replied as she stared at the unsure looks of her friends on a cool night in Gravity Falls.
Author's Note: This was one of those chapters that I wrote a few times before I was happy with it. I wanted a proper balance between my main story and the secondary story and found one dominating the narrative more than the other more often than not. This last rewrite was where I was able to strike a balance between the two and I feel that they both carry the story along. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Each one means a lot to me! Also, I saw my first piece of fan art for the Shooting Star Falls AU and I absolutely loved it! I hope to see lots more in the future! How will the Pines twins and their friends react to the unconventional relationship between their friends? Will Grendy be able to handle the stress of dating two people at once? Will Mateo and Courtney be as willing to share the person of their desires as they let on? Will Dipper and Wendy find out who is behind the movie? Answers to all these questions and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Ax & The Flame. -iKLOT
My Playlist For This Chapter:
The Decemberists – "Severed"
Jonathan Davis – "What It Is"
Starset – "Halo"
Chevelle – "Joyride (Omen)"
Theory Of A Deadman – "Straight Jacket"
Sick Puppies – "Rip Tide"
Nothing But Thieves – "Sorry"
CHVRCHES – "Get Out"
St. Vincent – "Los Ageless"
Rise Against – "House On Fire"
Art Of Dying – "Get Thru This"
Jukebox The Ghost – "Everybody's Lonely"
Rob Zombie – "Foxy Foxy"
The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:
Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel
A Shooting Star Falls
Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story
The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story
The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story