AN: Hey guys I'm back an alive on a Saturday evening!
Thanks for all the kind words and support, XOXOX!
That Baby Shower draws near ladies and gents! And I got an announcement, the baby's gender, which has been determined by requests and my own opinions, will be revealed this chapter! GET YOUR NAMES READY YOURS MIGHT GET PICKED!
Now thank you, SilverHunt3r for your rather interesting request. I had to do some research to see if teens could marry, AND THEY CAN get married younger than sixteen if the female is with child or gave birth to the groom's kid.
Did NOT know that.
Thank you rcppcsPOTTER for pointing out your concerns of humanizing Bill too much last chapter. In case you all felt the same way, let me give you my reasoning.
I'm sure most of you know this poem,
Sixty degrees that come in threes
Watches from within birch trees
Saw his own dimension burn
Misses home and can't return
Says he's happy; he's a liar
Blame the arson for the fire
If he wants to shrink the blame,
He'll have to invoke my name
One way to absolve his crime.
A different form. A different time
From what I could gather, Bill burned his dimension and feels guilty, he acts like he doesn't care, but he does.
This poem made Bill seem more human in my eyes; I realized there was more to Bill then just a sadistic monster, this is partially why I made this fanfiction.
And even if that poem didn't exist, I would've probably made him more human anyway. I'm a firm believer that anyone can be redeemed no matter how despicable. And I always preferred the bad guys that had a backstory that caused them to go dark rather than, "Hey guys! This is my bad guy, because, blah, bad guy! DEAL WITH IT!"
None of us are born evil, circumstances shape who we are, and so, I figured that too counted for Bill. I'd like to imagine that he became crazy because of his guilt and his want to forget about what he did, Clara helped him…until she fell for someone else, and that sunk him more into madness, adding fuel to the fire…
But, if you don't agree, that's cool, that's just my opinion! :3
So, AT LAST, the chapter!
Chapter Forty-One: Tension and Mansions
"You're all probably wondering why you all are here," Matthew announced to his family and Wendy's who were sitting in the living room.
"Yeah! Is it a surprise?" Mabel asked excitedly.
"Kind of..." Wendy said slowly, exchanging a nervous glance with Matthew.
"Well, spill it!" Stan said. "I've got to get back to work!"
"Uh, well..." Wendy took a deep breath and Matthew gave her shoulder a squeeze for reassurance.
Wendy spluttered her reveal so quickly nobody could hear her.
"Uh...you need to slow down, girlie," Manly Dan said.
Wendy inhaled once more before blurting out, "I'm pregnant with Matthew's child!"
Silence.
Matthew could've sworn the temperature dropped a couple hundred degrees.
"A-and we're expecting it...in less than three months," Wendy continued, wringing her hands.
More silence.
"Hello?" Matthew said. Everyone just stared until Manly Dan cleared his throat loudly.
"I'm gonna talk to this young man privately," he said getting up from his cross-legged position.
Stan's eye was twitching as he walked out of the room with a gaping Mabel and a traumatized Dipper. Wendy and her brothers quickly followed, Matthew flinching when they all gave him sympathetic looks. He got even more nervous when Will mouthed "good luck".
Although Matthew was confident he could fight if the need came, he really didn't want to.
Manly Dan walked in front of Matthew, towering him as he looked down.
"Let me get this straight," Manly Dan said in an eerily calm voice. "You banged up my daughter."
"Um, yes," Matthew said.
"And now she's with child."
"Yes..."
There was a pause before Manly Dan's calm mask was replaced with pure fury. He grabbed Matthew by the shirt collar and slammed him against the wall.
"GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON I SHOULDN'T KILL YOU!" He boomed, shaking the house.
"Because it's frowned upon in all fifty states?" Matthew tried and earned restriction of air from the angry father.
"Look, sir, I'm sorry," Matthew wheezed.
"You're sorry? YOU'RE SORRY?! 'Sorry' doesn't change anything boy! My girl still has your spawn!" Manly Dan said throwing Matthew at Stan's brand new flat screen TV.
Matthew groaned in pain only to be picked roughly up again and shook.
"I promised her I'd help take care of it!" Matthew tried again as he felt himself get nauseous.
Manly Dan finally threw the shaken-up teen to the floor.
"You put yourself in a tight spot, Matthew Pines," The lumberjack growled. "I'll spare you this time if you promise to take care of your child, but if you even think about going back in your word..."
Manly Dan mimed slitting a throat and Matthew I instinctively clutched his neck protectively.
"I'm watchin' you, boy," Manly Dan said backing out of the living room with narrowed eyes. "I'm watchin' you..."
As the nausea began to ware off, everyone came back into the room.
"Hey, are you okay?" Wendy asked, helping her boyfriend up.
"Define, 'okay,'" Matthew muttered.
"Wow, Dad didn't kill you," Wyatt said, sounding genuinely surprised.
"You owe me five bucks," Walter said. Wyatt groaned and did as was requested.
"I think...I'll see you later, Matt," Wendy said, kissing Matthew on the cheek before walking after her still angry father, followed by her three brothers.
That left him in awkward silence with his family.
"Surprise?" Matthew said with a false grin.
Dipper and Mabel had the exact same expressions from two minutes ago. Stan was what bothered Matthew though; he wasn't glaring or shocked, or angry or even shouting about his broken TV, he looked...sad, as if Matthew had seriously disappointed him.
For some reason, Matthew hated Stan looking at him like that, he much preferred his proud grins, in fact, he would've preferred for the old man to pummel him with his bronze knuckles then for him to look at him like...that.
"It was a mistake," Matthew muttered as his grin dropped. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"I don't believe it…you, Wendy…" Dipper said, regaining his voice.
"Me neither," Mabel whispered. "Guys, do you know what this means?"
Everyone looked at her.
"BABY SHOWER!" Mabel exclaimed. "And I'm going to be and auntie and... ah! I gotta discuss names with the girls!" Mabel took her phone out and yelled, "Candy, Grenda, Pacifica! Clear your afternoon!"
The brunette ran upstairs, Dipper, sighing at Mabel's strange reaction, followed.
That left Matthew with Stan.
"Grunkle Stan—."
"Look, what's done is done, kid," Stan said. "We all make mistakes, and I can't say I made none myself, so I'm not gonna say anything."
Matthew nodded silently as Stan left.
Leaving Matthew in the living room with a broken TV.
...C-I-P-H-E-R...
The next day was torturously hot. Wendy woke up covered in beads of sweat, her hand resting on her stomach, feeling a tiny mound forming.
As she walked downstairs after changing, everyone turned to look at her stomach. Her brothers were busy making bets on the gender while Manly Dan used some colorful language to describe "that no good Pines boy".
"It's so hot!" Walter screamed finally.
"Saying that isn't going to make it cooler," Wendy stated.
There was a pause before Walter groaned louder. "So, HOT!"
"Really kid, say whatever's on your mind!" Manly Dan said, clearly annoyed.
"Okay, can we please go to the pool?" He said.
"If Wendy takes you," Manly Dan said.
"I can't, I have an appointment," Wendy said. "Maybe after."
"NOOOO!"
"Drama queen," Wyatt said, causing Will to giggle.
"Shut up, punk," Walter said punching Wyatt.
"Make me!" Wyatt said punching Walter back. It soon became an all-out brawl as Will and Manly Dan cheered. Wendy laughed and put her plate in the sink.
"Anyway, I'm out, Matthew's expecting me," Wendy announced.
"Make sure he takes care of you," Manly Dan grunted, momentarily turning from the battle.
"He will, he's a good person, Dad," Wendy said with a smile.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Wendy's father replied gruffly.
Wendy shook her head and walked down the steps, grabbing her bike and riding off.
...C-I-P-H-E-R...
"Good news, everyone!" Ford said happily as he walked out of the vending machine. "Since this day is so hot, I decided to upgrade the AC and now...!"
"It's cool, Sixer," Stan said as he leaned back in his chair. "Matthew got it covered."
Ford's attention went to the blonde who had his shirt off and was smiling in content as a large fan blew air on everyone.
"Who's a hero? You're a hero!" Mabel told her brother. "I'm a hero too, 'cause I made an invitation list and invited everyone in Gravity Falls to your Baby Shower!"
"You invited a bunch of strangers to Matthew's baby shower?" Dipper asked Mabel.
"They're his fans! They aren't strangers!" Mabel objected.
"Baby Shower?" Ford repeated with a frown as he sat on the sofa.
"Wendy's pregnant," Mabel stated, eating a Chipacker and feeding one to Waddles.
"You got a girl pregnant?" Ford said turning to Matthew with a scowl.
"It was an accident! Yeesh, what is wrong with you people?!" Matthew demanded, stealing a Chipacker from Mabel.
At that moment, the sound of the front door opening was heard.
Wendy knocked on the desk. "Hello?" She called.
"Wendy!" Matthew said entering the gift shop where is girlfriend was.
Wendy couldn't help but notice how strangely hot Matthew looked now with his shirt off, beads of sweat sliding down his bare lightly toned chest.
"See something you like?" Matthew asked slyly.
Wendy grinned and wrapped her arm around Matthew, sliding her opposite palm up and down his chest.
"Maybe," she said, leaning close and kissing him on the lips.
"Yeesh, get a room!" Stan said walking in with Mabel who instantly snapped a picture. "This'll get so much hits!"
"Hey! Mabel!" Matthew said indignantly.
"Aw, c'mon! You have tons of pictures online!" Mabel said as Matthew began chasing her around the house.
"Hey, Wendy!" Dipper said walking in with a large grin. "How are things?"
"Oh, they're nice, how about with you?" Wendy asked.
"Okay, I guess," Dipper rubbed the back of his head just as Matthew walked in with a huff.
"C'mon, Wen, let's go, hey, Grunkle Stan! I need your car!" Matthew called.
"Yup, sure!" Stan called back.
"Stanley, does he even have drivers' license?" Ford asked from the living room.
"Who cares? Let him learn!" Stan replied as he and Wendy walked out with Stan's keys.
"Do I wanna know who that is?" Wendy asked with raised eyebrow.
"Stan's long lost twin brother," Matthew said. "I think they're in the process of switching names legally again."
"I always figured your uncle looked more like a Stanley," Wendy chuckled as she sat in the passenger seat. "You drive?"
"Totally," Matthew said starting the car and driving out of the parking lot.
As they drove, they passed Harrison Manor. Matthew tensed slightly, remembering his dream, the revelation to Damion's poem.
But if Damion wanted Matthew to have the book then should he really go get it? Wouldn't it be bad news?
"Matthew?"
The teen was snapped out of his musings by Wendy.
"I'm fine," Matthew said as they drove past Harrison Manor and towards the hospital.
Wendy frowned, knowing that her boyfriend was anything but "fine".
...C-I-P-H-E-R...
"Everything seems to be okay," the female doctor said. "Though the fact that it's grown so much in so little time is...confusing, perhaps a little worrisome."
"It's my child," Matthew stated, standing next to the hospital bed. "Of course, it's going to be different."
"Yes, yes," the doctor giggled. "You're a special case, Mr. Pines."
Wendy smiled at her unborn baby and rubbed it, Matthew placing a hand on top of hers.
"I'm glad you convinced me," Wendy said quietly.
"So am I, it's going to be special...I know it is," Matthew replied with a smile.
"Would you like to see it?" The doctor asked with a smile.
"We'd love to," Matthew said and Wendy nodded.
"I'll give you an ultrasound," the doctor announced, pulling up the machine and placing gel on the camera.
"Okay...here we are...oh, it's a lot bigger than I imagined," Matthew felt his lips twitch at the sight of the little being in the screen, barely humanoid looking but he couldn't help but feel attached to it all the same.
"Do you want the baby's gender?" The doctor said.
"Yeah," Matthew said. "It'll make name picking much easier."
The doctor nodded and moved the camera around a bit.
"Ha, kinda tickles," Wendy said.
"You're so childish," Matthew snorted.
"Am not!" Wendy playfully slapped Matthew. The doctor smiled at the playful banter before squinting at the screen and grinning.
"Congratulations!" The woman smiled warmly. "You're getting a girl!"
"A daughter," Matthew breathed. His smile broadening as he watched his little girl, their little girl on the screen.
"Wait 'till we tell your sister," Wendy chuckled. "She'll want her to be named Mabel Junior.
"Or even worse, Glitter," Matthew said and the couple shared a laugh.
...C-I-P-H-E-R...
"Okay, so, I have some names narrowed down," Wendy announced as they drove back.
"Well, shoot," Matthew said.
"Let's see, Daria?"
"Nope."
"Lily."
"Better."
"Annabelle?"
Matthew thought for a moment. "I like that name."
"A bit fancy," Wendy said.
"We're going to have a gorgeous daughter, she needs a gorgeous mane," Matthew said.
"What makes you say that?" Wendy asked.
"Well, I'm hot, you're beautiful, yup, we're having a good-looking kid and drugs and poison won't change that," Matthew grinned.
Wendy smiled and leaned back in her seat.
"Got any other names?" Matthew asked.
Wendy hummed in thought as Matthew's phone buzzed. He reached into his pocket to get it just as Wendy said, "Girl!"
Matthew chuckled at both the name Wendy gave and the text of Mabel apparently falling into a bottomless pit with the others. "We aren't naming our daughter..."
"Matthew, no, GIRL!" Wendy exclaimed. Matthew looked up and screamed when he saw a girl standing in front of the road.
Paige Pennrowlington.
Matthew slammed on the brakes, the car skidding and crashing against an iron fence, groaning at the pain in his side.
"Wendy? Are you alright?" Matthew asked worriedly.
"Other than scared out of my skin? Yes," Wendy said breathing heavily and putting a hand on her stomach.
"And the baby...?" Matthew asked.
"Is fine, I think, I didn't hit my stomach," Wendy said pushing the passenger door open. Matthew followed, the car dented in the front.
"Where'd the girl go?" Wendy demanded.
"I don't..." Matthew's voice trailed off as he saw where they had crashed, the front gates of Harrison Manor.
"You can fix the car with magic, right?" Wendy said.
"I can," Matthew said dismissively, walking towards the Manor doors.
"Why are we going in there? Didn't we almost get killed last time?" Wendy asked.
"Just a feeling," Matthew said pushing the doors open, revealing the even more destroyed Harrison Manor.
They walked to where they had fallen through last time, the hole looking more eerie and dark than before.
"Stay here," Matthew said.
"What? Why?" Wendy said, hands on her hips.
"We have our baby to worry about," Matthew explained.
"I'm pregnant not useless," Wendy scowled.
"I know, Wendy, but I don't know what's down there, stay here, please."
Wendy crossed her hands and huffed as Matthew made a slide appear.
"Woot!" Matthew said as he slid down the slide at top speed, landing on the dusty basement.
He stretched, lit a flame, and walked around. He had no idea where he was going, just knew that wat he wanted was close.
He stopped at the painting of Clara and her parents, his heart clenching painfully, her betrayal fresh in his mind...and the event that happened after.
Matthew closed his eye, feeling the light warmth of his soul.
He chuckled. He hadn't known how much he missed it.
"Clara Harrison," came a voice.
Matthew spun around and found Wendy with her arms crossed.
"Didn't I tell you to stay?" Matthew said.
Wendy ignored him. "Came to mourn your ex-girlfriend?"
Matthew rolled his eye. "No... how'd you know she was...?"
"The way you're looking at her," Wendy supplied. "What's the deal with her, anyway?"
"Well, she wanted what I did," Matthew swallowed. "She wanted to help me, I-I didn't care at first, but I grew to love her and..." Matthew clenched his fists.
"And...?" Wendy asked.
"She fell for a Corduroy."
"Wait..." Wendy narrowed her eyes and looked at the picture, before gasping. "Is she...like my ancestor?"
Matthew nodded. "Your great-great-great-great grandmother."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Wendy asked. She wasn't mad, just curious and that relieved Matthew.
"I wanted to forget," Matthew whispered.
"Why did she want what you did...what did you want?" Wendy said walking to stand by Matthew.
"To rule this dimension make it an anarchy, let demons run lose," Matthew chuckled.
"My grandma wanted that?" Wendy asked.
"She believed in equality so...yeah. Clara thought that demons deserved a chance too," Matthew said. "She changed me, Clara, but once she left, she changed me for worse, worse than I had ever been before."
Wendy looked at the painting then back at Matthew.
"Why'd you fall in love with her?"
"Hey even, demons love...sometimes, very rare, but they do. My henchmaniacs laughed at how weird our relationship was, a priestess and a demon."
"Priestess?" Wendy turned to Matthew.
"They're like, the light half of demons. Our magic stems mostly from negative emotions, a priest or priestess uses positive emotions. But with practice, you can use any emotions you'd like."
Wendy was about to ask another question when Matthew moved the painting. Behind it, was a green bound book.
"What is that?" Wendy muttered.
"The Emerald Chronicle," Matthew breathed in awe.
Behind them, Paige grinned.
Things were going according to plan.
…C-I-P-H-E-R…
I SWEAR the next chapter will be LONG I swear!
I just realized how weird Matthew dating his ex-girlfriend's great-great-great-great-granddaughter was XD.
So, some more mystery, a daughter on the way, a baby shower with you guys in it, AND of course, there's the ending I thought about.
I have two endings to this story in mind; one sad, one happy, both would be good, a sad ending would be emotional powerful and a nice break from formula of normal GF fanfics. The happy ending would be, well, happy, and would give way for possible sequels but…yeah, I'm torn. I'm still thinking about the ending, and I WILL take what you guys think into account, though that doesn't mean I'll go with an option because of the majority. I didn't make that clear enough in Scary Questions, Horrible Answers and the people/person, lost their shit when I did something else. (I say people/person because the only people who wanted something else were multiple guests asking the same thing with different names on a chapter that didn't introduce said option, and the possibility that all the guests are one person is kind of high, I'm not dumb people).
Speaking of which, I need to update that…
Fantasy Fan OUT!