June 10th, 2013

It had been a little over a week since the Gobblewonker incident at the lake and Nicola hadn't had much of a chance to hang out with his cousins since. But that was going to change today!

At least it was supposed to before his phone rang.

Nicola answered with a sigh. "Hello you've reached Nicola Pines, performance cancellations must be reported a week in advance for refunds. How can I make your world more musical today?"

"Why good mornin' Nicole," an all too familiar drawl responded from down the line. "Don't suppose yah can do a favor fir an ol' schoolmate?"

Nicola scowled. "Hello Buddy. I see you're still getting a kick out of the whole 'girl's name' thing."

"Terribly sorry, ah didn't mean ta offend, old habits die hard n' all."

The pianist dragged a hand down his face. "What do you want?"

"As you're well aware, mah boy Gideon has a little show down at the Tent of Telepathy."

"The tourist trap centered around your son that can't go five minutes without mocking my dad? Yeah, I know."

"Aw, that's just a friendly rivalry, nuthin' serious. Anyway, I took a bit of a tumble last night, landed on mah hand, and can't play his lil' ditty, I was hopin' you'd fill-in? I'll pay you handsomely."

"Not on your life."

Bud's casual tone took on a pleading edge. "Ah know ah I don't have the best history with yer family, but can't we let bygones be bygones? For the next generation. You could crush Gideon's love of music!"

Nicola fiddled with the end of his sleeve. "Fine, but I have two conditions."

"Name 'em."

"One, you pay me my usual fee plus extra for the last-minute notice. And two, you lay off the Mystery Shack for a bit."

"Consider it done."

The Tent of Telepathy was actually a rather nice space if you disregarded the people inside. The whole thing was composed of pale blue fabric that cast a soothing glow when the sun shone through it, with poles made of warm-hued wood. Altogether, it felt very peaceful and welcoming, completely unlike the enigmatic presence of the Shack.

And then Bud's tacky Hawaiian shirt and smarmy smile had to ruin it all.

"Nicole! Evah so glad you made it!" He exclaimed, throwing his rather uninjured-looking hands in the air as a semblance of greeting.

Nicola glanced pointedly at the offending appendages. "You just hired me to annoy my dad, didn't you?"

Bud tucked his hands behind his back. "Whatevah do you mean?"

Nicola shrugged. "Eh, money is money. Where's the star of the show?"

"In his dressin' room."

"You got sheet music for this song of yours?"

"On the piano."

Nicola sat on the piano bench, squinting at the handwritten music. "Seems easy enough. Summon your hellspawn."

"Ah thought we agreed to be civil."

"Fine. Summon your precious baby boy."

Bud huffed, but otherwise ignored the heaping helping of sarcasm in Nicola's tone. "Sunshine! The pianist is here."

"Comin' Daddy!" A higher-pitched version of Bud's twang replied from the other side of the tent fabric.

A few minutes later a bright-eyed little boy pushed through the curtains, dressed in an uncomfortable-looking powder blue suit. But all that was about what Nicola expected based on his Dad's account of the Gleeful boy. What caught him off guard was how pale the boy was.

"I didn't know albinism ran in your family Bud."

His words prompted Gideon to shuffle his feet awkwardly. "It's a recessive genetic mutation."

Great. After getting bullied about your hands for years you just made another kid feel bad for something he was born with.

Nicola smiled at the boy. "Nothing wrong with that. Fully functional digits as a result of polydactyly are also pretty rare." He held up his hand, fingers spread so they were easily countable.

The boy smiled shyly. "It's nice tah meet someone else different."

"Likewise."

The moment was broken by Bud clearing his throat. "Can we get on with thi' rehearsal?"

Gideon nodded. "Sure thing Daddy!" He turned to Nicola expectantly and the pianist started up the music.

As Nicola played for Gideon's performance over and over again, he quickly grasped the routine. Bud hyped up the crowd as they came in, Gideon entered and played up the adorable kid angle, and then the song started. The boy's improvisation skills were really quite impressive, always managing to fit his cold reads of the crowd into the song flawlessly. Altogether, the whole thing was shaping up to be an easy gig.

He took a moment to stretch his fingers as a new crowd came in when he was greeted by a pair of familiar voices.

"Nicola?!"

He turned, coming face to face with his cousins. "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

Dipper crossed his arms. "I think we can ask you the same question."

Nicola gestured to the piano. "I'm working. Bud may be a jerk, but he pays well." He glanced around the tent. "You guys do have adult supervision right?"

"Soos," the twins said in unison.

"Alright then. Enjoy the show!"

The routine went just as before, Mabel even got included in the improv section. Then the crowd dispersed and Nicola waved goodbye to his cousins. Once everyone left, Gideon came up to him.

"Ah take it yer acquainted with that lovely Mabel gal?" The boy asked, leaning against the piano.

"Yeah, she's my cousin."

Gideon idly traced circles on the wood grain. "Do yah know what kinda guys she likes?"

Nicola frowned. "I think I see where this is going."

"Ah just want tah know if ah've got a chance!"

Nicola pinched the bridge of his nose. "I hate to break it to you, but she's four years older than you are. That is not an appropriate age gap!"

Gideon waved a hand dismissively. "It won't make a difference when we're in our twenties."

"Maybe so. But right now you're nine and she's thirteen. Even if you both somehow fell in love, five years from now she could get in serious trouble for being in a relationship with you. Plus, you're nine, you shouldn't be worrying about relationships for a long while yet."

"But she seems so sweet, an' pretty, an' perfect, an'-"

"And too old for you," Nicola sighed, placing a hand on Gideon's shoulder. "If you want to spend time with her that's fine, I'm sure you two could be good friends, but now's not the time to jump into romance."

"Be her friend.." Gideon muttered to himself before beaming at Nicola. "Thank you so much fer the advice Mr. Pines!"

"Anytime kid," Nicola said as he left the tent.

June 11th, 2013

Nicola didn't think of the conversation again until working his shift at the Lieu de Fruits de Mer Cher the following evening. He was just minding his own business, absorbed in the tumbling melody of Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite when he felt heavy breathing down his neck. Turning around, he found himself face to face with a full-blown horse hungrily eyeing his sheet music.

"Where'd you come from?" Nicola mused as he gently nudged the horse away from the piano.

One of the waiters ran over to guide the horse to the decorative fountain.

"Je suis vraiment désolé Nicola, Monsieur Gideon refused to be parted from his steed!"

Nicola's eyebrows lept up his forehead. "Gideon's here? By himself?"

The waiter shook his head. "Non, he is en train de dîner with his jeune amour."

Nicola rubbed his forehead. "Come on man, you know I don't speak French and I know you're not actually French."

"He is on a date."

Nicola's eyes narrowed. "With whom?"

The waiter shrugged, "Don't know her, must be new in town." He pointed to a little alcove towards the back of the restaurant. Just as the pianist feared, Gideon Gleeful was seated across from an uncomfortable-looking Mabel.

"I'll take care of this Travis."

The waiter straightened, "Within these walls I am Jean-Luc!"

Nicola ignored him, marching over to where the kids were seated. Before he could get there a brightly colored bird swooped over his head and landed on Gideon's arm, croaking out an invitation to something or other before hacking up a spit-soaked envelope. Seemingly the entire occupancy of the restaurant crowded around the table, blocking both the pianist's path and view.

Huffing in frustration, Nicola started to shove his way through the throng, but they dispersed as quickly as they'd come. Now with clear access to the table, Nicola strode over to Gideon.

"Did you just completely disregard what we talked about yesterday?"

The albino boy beamed up at him. "No siree! We've been friendly all day, this date just naturally bloomed!"

Nicola turned to his cousin, who was clutching her lobster like a lifeline. "You want me to take you home Mabel?"

Her eyes darted to the piano by the fountain. "Won't you get in trouble?"

He extended a hand to her. "I'm sure they'll make an exception for a family emergency."

Smiling in a far more muted fashion than her usual mile-wide grin, she took his hand and allowed him to lead her to his van.

Once they were both buckled up, he spoke. "So what was going on in there?"

Mabel curled up as much as the passenger seat would allow. "I like Gideon, I really do, but more as friend slash little sister than anything romantic. I just didn't want to hurt his feelings so I agreed to one date-"

"But now he wants more," Nicola finished. "I hate to tell you this Mabel, but I don't think he became your friend for honest reasons, I think he just sees friendship as step one to romance. I tried talking to him about it yesterday, but I think I only made things worse." He cast an apologetic glance at Mabel. "But as for feeling like you can't tell him no, you're still young. If
you need to hide behind me and your Grunkle Stan, we're perfectly happy being the bad guys."

Her knees dropped from her chest. "You mean it?"

"Course I do, and I'm sure my dad'll say the same thing."

They pulled up to the shack, walking through the house door only to be greeted by Stan in a poorly fitting shirt with the words Team Gideon across it.

"Great news Mabel! You have to marry Gideon!"

Whatever tension had left the girl's posture returned with a vengeance. "What?!"

"Dad…" Nicola said in a warning tone.

Stan ignored him. "It's all part of my long-term deal with Buddy Gleeful. There's a lot of cash tied up in this thing. Plus I got this shirt." He waved down at the ugly T-shirt, his face collapsing into a look of vague disgust. "Ugh, I am fat."

Mabel shrieked, tossing her lobster into the fish tank as she sprinted up the stairs.

Stan yelled after her, seemingly oblivious to her distress. "Bodies change honey!"

Across the room, Dipper looked up from his book. "I'll talk with her."

Once both of the twins were gone, Nicola turned to glare at the older man. "Are you kidding me, Dad? I just spent the whole drive here telling her you'd have her back and you do this?!" He jabbed a hand at the shirt. "And what? Cause Buddy promised there'd be big money in an arranged marriage? I know you're not exactly the model for moral righteousness, but this is ridiculous!"

Stan reached out to him. "Nicky I-"

Nicola shoved his hand away, striding across the room with his back to Stan. "I don't want to hear it. Did you even stop to think about how this stupid scheme would affect Mabel? You know, your niece whom you supposedly love very much? If a similar offer came along for me when I was her age would I have been sold off?"

Silence was his only response.

The pianist whirled around, his tone bleeding with frustration. "Are you even listening?!"

One look at his dad cut his tirade off. Stan was backed against the opposite wall, leaning on the doorframe like it was the only thing keeping him upright. His skin was pale and clammy and his eyes wide like he'd seen a ghost.

Hesitantly, Nicola stepped forward. "Dad? You okay?"

Stan shut his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Yeah, yeah just… bad memories. You're right, I was bein' stupid. Last thing I want to do is sabotage someone's future for real." He pushed himself off the doorframe and started down the hall. "I'm gonna take off this eyesore, think you can handle the kids for a bit?"

"Yeah," Nicola answered automatically. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. The Gleefuls are the jerks here."

"No, I messed up. Acted without thinkin' again. You're better at handlin' this stuff than I am Nick-Knack. I'll let you take it from here."

"Okay… I love you Dad."

"No need to get sappy kiddo."

Stan turned the corner to his room, leaving Nicola standing alone by the TV.

The pianist stared at the space where his father had been. "We definitely need to talk about whatever that was later, but for now…"

He walked to the stairs.

Dipper passed him on the way down. "Don't worry, I've got it all figured out."

Nicola nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm still gonna check on her."

He knocked on the attic door. "Mabel? I know Dipper said you'd worked something out, but I just want to make extra sure you're okay."

Mabel opened the door, allowing him a proper view of how lively the attic now looked with actual occupants in it. "Yep, all good here! Dipper's breaking up with him for me!"

Nicola winced. "That's not how it works Mabel."

She cocked her head like a dog. "Why not?"

"Can I come in and sit down? I've got a personal story about this." After a moment's consideration, he corrected. "Okay, not exactly like this, but similar idea."

Mabel sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her.

"Thanks," Nicola said as he sat next to her. "So, you know I went to college, right?"

Mabel nodded.

"Anyway, my freshman year I was roommates with a guy named Terrance. He was nice and we got along, but he kept trying to do more weirdly personal stuff with me outside of normal roommate activities. I didn't say anything for a while because I didn't want to be mean, but that just meant it only got worse."

Mabel leaned in. "Then what?"

"I finally asked him what he was up to, turns out he thought we were dating. Still don't know exactly how that happened, but we were both equally embarrassed by the end of that conversation."

Mabel's nose crinkled. "What does this have to do with Gideon?"

"Because before I actually talked to him, I took my friend Cilla's advice to pretend she was my long-distance girlfriend who didn't like how touchy my roommate was. All it did was make him angry. As far as he saw it, I had a controlling girlfriend who was completely oblivious to the fact I wasn't into her and was trying to dictate my life."

"You think Gideon's gonna see Dipper like that?"

Nicola sighed. "Based on his behavior thus far, I think he's far more likely to see Dipper as an enemy than realize you're just speaking through him. It's tough, but sometimes you just gotta have the tough talks."

Mabel waved him off. "It'll be fine, you and Terrance are cool now, right?"

"I haven't spoken to him in years."

"Perfect!"

To be continued!

(AKA: I couldn't think of a good reason for Nicola to be around for this episode's conclusion, so he's just gonna find out what happened next time he sees his cousins.)

Next chapter, the twins meet Emma-May!