Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Part Fifty-One: About Last Night

Wendy rolled over in the bed and opened her eyes to see that the room was bathed in bright sunlight. "OH SHIT!" she exclaimed while shooting up from the mattress and throwing the comforter off of herself. Glancing over at the alarm clock, she saw that it was almost noon. "Damn! Damn! Damn! I can't believe I didn't set an alarm!" she grumbled to herself while getting out of the bed and walking over to her closet door where her purse hung haphazardly from the knob. Removing her phone, she saw that it had several missed calls, texts and voicemails. "Lets go out and get shit-faced on a weeknight! That'll turn out great! I'm a fuckin' genius sometimes... I can't believe Dipper didn't put his foot down on this one. He knew it was a bad idea too... But it was my idea. I kinda pushed him into it... I think. I can't really remember a whole lot of last night..." the thirty-six-year-old thought to herself as she sat down at the desk in the bedroom and opened up her voicemail; her head pounding from the massive hangover that was hitting her like a ton of bricks. She was certain that one of them was from her district supervisor and that it would tell her she was being relieved of her duty. Instead, what she heard and read was the complete opposite. It was an outpouring of love and support for her, which greatly perplexed Wendy. "What the fuck did I send last night?!" she asked herself while continuing to scroll through the texts. Finally, she had found it.

"Hey! I'm not gonna be at work in... in the morning 'cause I'm too busy enjoying my wonderful life! Like actually enjoying it! I'm drunk an' I'm with the person I love most in the world an' I just feel amazing in this moment! Nothing else matters! I've... I've been through a lotta shit. Like... A lotta it, an' I just need time to do somethin' for me for a change. You know? Yeah, you know... You guys be goin' through shit too. Ugh, what was I going on about? Oh yeah! I'm not gonna be at work but it'll be okay! It's all gonna be okay you guys! Live life while ya still got it! I love y'all and I'll see ya when I see ya! God, this is gonna suck in the morning, but I don't care! Wooo! End message! En-End Message! Diiiip! Why won't this stupid thing... This stupid thing stop? I love you! I love you so fuckin' much! So, uh... So, uh... Yeah! Just so you know, this is Wendy, by the way! Not working... uhh... You know what I'm sayin'. You're all so smart an' beautiful... And... Oh! That's right! I hit the button! Bye! Okay! Bye!" the rambling and at times barely coherent voicemail dictated to her. "Jesus Christ on a bike... I... I really sent that to every contact on my list? Well, I'm never living this shit down..." she said to herself before burying her head in her hands.

Dipper rolled to his side and opened his eyes to see his wife seated at her desk. "What time is it?" he asked while rubbing the side of his face. "Almost noon..." she groaned back at him. "Did you call out of work?" he inquired. "I think I called out of life, dude..." she answered before beginning to laugh. Her husband was confused by what she had just said and Wendy knew she had to clarify what she meant. "Instead of just leaving a voicemail for work, I somehow sent it to everyone on my contacts list. I'm so fucked..." she added before once again letting out a small laugh and playing the message for him. "Wow... That sure was something" her husband commented. "I guess it hit home for everyone because I got a ton of messages back telling me that it was great that I was having a good time and that it was no big deal..." she said as a smile formed on her face. "See? It all worked itself out. You were right. We needed a night like that... I think. I don't remember much past the second drink I had" the brown-haired man reassured her. "I lost count at five for me..." his lover replied. "All I know is that my head feels like somebody used it for batting practice" Dipper said. "Yeah. I think we need to get something to eat. Greasy's?" she suggested. "Sure. Just gotta get myself ready..." he said before heading off to the bathroom for a much-needed warm shower. Just as she got up from the desk, she heard a scream come from the other side of the door. "You okay in there Mason?!" Wendy shouted, which she instantly regretted as her head once again pounded. Not hearing a response, she walked over to the restroom. "Dip?" she asked in a softer tone before turning the knob and entering. Dipper stood in front of the mirror with a shocked look on his face. "So... This is new..." he remarked while pointing to the left part of his chest. "You did it! Oh, my fucking God! You actually went through with it!" Wendy said with elation before explaining how to shower with fresh ink.

The previous afternoon, Mabel and Pacifica had been introduced to various driving techniques back at the speedway, including how to handle a car when they start to lose traction. Pacifica seemed to pick up things a bit easier than her sister, who at times was on the verge of tears from her frustration at the situation. Logan and Lyle pulled the upset teenager aside and tried to reassure her that nobody is a great driver right out of the gate. Lyle brought up the point that as they spent more time together, he'd be able to see how best she learns, which made sense to Mabel. After calling it a day, the girls retired to their guest house and had tried to call their parents, but neither one of them were picking up their phones. "Huh... That's weird..." Pacifica commented. "I hope they're not in trouble or anything... you know?" Mabel added in a worried tone. "Relax... They probably fell asleep on the couch watching some old movie. Or they could be spending time together, if you know what I mean..." her sister tried to reassure her. "Okay... First of all, eww... Second of all, yeah, you're probably right. I... I'm just overreacting is all" the ginger teen said in a sullen tone. "C'mon! Cheer up, Mabes! We're in a foreign country and we've got an entire freakin' house to ourselves! Let's crank up the music, eat some junk food and party!" Pacifica said in a cheery tone, which was a year ago would have been almost unimaginable. "You're right. Let's have a little bit of fun!" Mabel agreed as the pair headed downstairs to begin their two-person house party.

After showering and getting dressed, Dipper and Wendy set off for the diner. "This is gonna hit so damn good..." Wendy commented to her lover, who was behind the wheel of his classic Fjord Stallion. "Yeah, nothing like some greasy food to help mop up a hangover..." he said before laughing. "Never again... Not like that..." Wendy said as she continued to clutch her head; a pair of large, dark sunglasses shielding her eyes from the bright midday light. "Yeah, I think that might have been our last hurrah as far as that goes..." Dipper agreed as they arrived at their destination. A panicked look came over Wendy's face and she pawed at the door handle. "You alright, Wen?" Dipper asked with great concern as he watched the passenger door of his car fly open and his wife expel the contents of her stomach onto the gravel parking lot beside it. She paused for a moment and tried to catch her breath before a second wave of vomit spewed from her. Dipper reached into the glovebox and removed some fast-food napkins while Wendy continued to dry heave. After a few more minutes, the ginger woman finally felt as though she was done and sat back in her seat. Dipper took a napkin and wiped the lips and chin of Wendy. "Must have been the motion of the car or something..." Wendy said in a sheepish manner. She was embarrassed at what she had just done. "Feeling any better now?" the brown-haired man seated beside her asked. "Much. Thanks for helping me..." she replied in a grateful tone. "You'd do the same for me..." he simply remarked as the couple exited the car and made their way into the diner.

Once inside, Dipper decided to grab a booth for them while Wendy headed to the bathroom to swish her mouth out and make sure she was cleaned up. Splashing her face with some cool water, she looked up into the hazy mirror that hung above the sink. "Jesus, I look like death..." she mumbled to herself. A few minutes later, she joined Dipper at the booth. "I ordered you some plain coffee..." he informed her. "Thanks..." she replied while pecking him on the lips. "Looks like you two had a hell of a night..." Alexa remarked as she dropped off their drinks. "Sister, you don't even know the half of it..." Wendy said with a groan. "Actually, I kinda do..." the peppy blonde diner owner said. "What do you mean by that?" Dipper inquired. "Well, earlier this morning, Tambry played your voicemail for me... Let's just say that it hit me deep in the feels" Alexa explained before leaning down to hug her friend. "I'm gonna wreck that bitch the next time I see her..." Wendy growled. "It is kinda messed up that she's just putting your business out there..." Dipper agreed, which kind of took his wife by surprise. "I... I didn't mean to start anything..." Alexa said in an anxious tone. "You didn't. Tambry, on the other hand..." Wendy said with anger dripping from her voice. "I'll... I'll just go see if your food is ready..." Alexa replied before leaving the table. The blonde woman hated confrontation and didn't want to cause problems between the best friends. Walking back into the kitchen, she found a quiet corner and took a seat on the tiled floor. Her eyes soon filled with tears and she began to break down. "There you go again, Lexi... Causing yet another goddamn problem..." she whispered to herself. She took a moment to collect herself before continuing on with her day.

After their meal, Dipper and Wendy set off towards home. Along the way, Wendy thought of what her supposed best friend had done and the anger in her continued to bubble up to the surface. "Hey Dip, can we make a quick stop?" she asked her husband. "Sure. Where do you wanna go?" he inquired even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. "Tambry's place... I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind..." Wendy explained. "Yeah. I think I can do that..." Dipper responded as he changed course for the purple haired reporter's house. A few minutes later, the two-story home on a quiet side street came into view and sure enough her car was in the driveway. Dipper pulled up to the curb and put his car in park. "Keep it running. What I have to say won't take too long..." the fiery redhead remarked as she exited the classic muscle car. Walking up her driveway, Wendy felt the white-hot rage building in her with each step closer she took. While not exactly sure what she'd say to Tambry, she knew that it would have to make an impact on her. It wasn't the first time that her best friend had stepped over the line, but if it was up to Wendy, it just might be the last. She paced back and forth on the front porch before knocking on the white wooden door of the modest house.

Tambry had been working on a story when she heard the knock. "Wonder who that could be. I hope it's the Campfire Lasses selling cookies. I sure could go for some right about now. Maybe I'll buy Wendy a box since she's probably tossed all her cookies..." she said to herself before letting out a chuckle. Opening the door, she saw the woman she was just thinking about with an enraged look on her face. "Wen-" was all she was able to get out before the balled-up fist of her best friend connected with her face. The purple haired reporter staggered back a few steps before catching her footing on the hardwood floor of her living room. "OWWW! WHAT THE FUCK?!" she exclaimed in response to the strike. "You talk too much..." Wendy growled at her through clenched teeth. The look on her face sent a cold chill down Tambry's spine that made her forget about her throbbing face for a brief moment. "YOU FUCKIN' HIT ME!" she shouted back while feeling her now broken nose and wiping the blood that began to stream from it. "You were asking for it. Careful what you say and who you say it to. Especially when it comes to me or my family... Understand?" she said to the injured woman. "OH! It's broken... It's definitely broken. FUCK! I'm supposed to be on air in less than an hour!" Tambry said as she leaned up against a wall and slowly slid down it. Her eyes watered up and the pain almost made her pass out. "Quit being such a drama queen. I barely hit you tha-" she began to say before looking at the damage she had inflicted on her friend's face.

"FUCK! I'm so sorry Tambry! Stay put and I'll go get something for it!" she shouted to her best friend while sprinting into the kitchen. She spied a hand towel hanging from the cabinet door under the sink and grabbed it before returning to the injured woman, who now had a pool of blood underneath her on the floor. "Here! Put pressure on it! Tilit your head up!" Wendy frantically instructed Tambry. She had meant simply to pop her in the face, not explode her nose. "It hurts!" Tambry wailed as she did what Wendy said. Dipper was wondering what was taking so long and decided to go investigate. Knowing those two, they were probably in a back and forth shouting match that brought up things from their childhood. The front door was ajar and the thirty-three-year-old could sense that something wasn't right. Looking through the doorway, he saw Tambry sitting against the wall and Wendy leaning over her on one knee. "What happened?" Dipper asked in a concerned tone as he approached. "Your dumbass wife broke my goddamn nose..." Tambry shot back. "Wendy?! Why did you hit her?" he asked. "Look, it's like I told her. She was asking for it..." Wendy tried to explain as she pulled the dishcloth away from the mocha skinned woman's face to see the damage she had inflicted. "We need to get her to the emergency room..." Dipper said in a worried voice. Wendy relented and the pair were soon on their way to the hospital.

Author's Note: So, first of all, Happy New Year! I kinda took a break during the holidays, as it was a very chaotic time for me. Add in that there's been catastrophic flooding in my area you have all the ingredients for me not really being in the mood to write. So, onto our story. This chapter was originally going to be a lot more about the girls, but I just wanted to explore the ramifications of Wendy deciding to make a dumb choice and running with it. Especially since Dipper wasn't the voice of reason for once in his life. I was also going to have Wendy just get into an argument with Tambry, but Shinedown's "Asking For It" came on just as I was about to start writing it and I began to think of how Wendy is a shoot first and ask questions later kinda person, so that's how you eneded up with the whole last part of this chapter. I promise to focus more on the girls in the next few chapters. I have some really fun stuff I've been cooking up for them and I can't wait for you to read it. Thanks again for reading, reviewing and following!

-iKLOT

My Playlist:

Coin - "Talk Too Much" (Made me think of Wendy's voicemail)

Gorillaz / Tame Impala / Bootie Brown - "New Gold"

Barns Courtney - "Supernatural"

Arcade Fire - "Keep The Car Running"

Avatar - "The Dirt I'm Buried In"

Jack's Mannequin - "The Resolution"

Mumford & Sons - "Beloved"

Shinedown - "Asking For It" (Reminded me of Wendy dealing with Tambry. The lyrics perfectly describe her feelings towards her.)