Drawing Closer, Part Two

The mansion was empty. No matter where she went, no matter where she looked- she couldn't find a single soul. All that was there were the paintings. The priceless antiques. The expensive rugs. The enormous chandeliers. The fancy imported furniture. All of the things that were meant to remind anybody who saw them exactly what kind of family the Northwests were.

Rich.

Powerful.

Perfect.

Pacifica ran down the halls. Up the stairwell. Down the stairwell. She went through every door. Looked into every secret room. Behind every painting.

She was searching for something. Frantically. Her whole body engulfed in desperation. And fear.

Suddenly, she stopped. Frozen.

Her parents were standing just a few feet away from her. Their backs turned. She wanted to run. But she couldn't. Her legs were stuck firmly in place.

"We are very disappointed... Pacifica."

"So very... very... disappointed."

They began to turn around, very slowly.

"Yes..."

Their eyes were black. Their skin paper white. As streams of black goo dripped down from their eyes, they bore their fangs.

"We'll simply have to find a new daughter..."

"Indeed... This one... Is broken..."

They lunged at her. Giving Pacifica just enough time to scream before-

Pacifica's eyes shot open. She gasped for air as everything around her seemed to blur. It took a while for her to realize where she was, and a bit longer to realize that what she had just seen was just a nightmare. She wrapped her arms around her chest, and tried to calm herself. She was still trembling. And she had drenched the sheets with sweat.

She took another deep breath.

She had spent the night at the Mystery Shack. Up in the attic, sleeping in what appeared to be Dippers old bed. Dipper had opted to sleep downstairs on the couch, despite a few fairly out of character invitations from Pacifica to... stay. Pacifica blushed, as all of the memories from the night before suddenly came rushing back.

The pancakes.

Dipper.

And the kiss. A flood of warmth washed over her. That had happened. It really happened.

Pacifica sat up, and ran her fingers through her hair. 'I probably seem like such a mess...' she thought. 'If anyone else saw me right now...' she shuddered at the thought. If any of the events from last night went public it would cause a firestorm of incredible proportions. Not just from her parents, either. There was also the matter of her ex-fiance.

She bit her lip. The people of Gravity Falls had been tricked into thinking that he was the nicest, most noble person in the world. Just like she had. And she knew that he would waste no time painting her as the bad guy. She would probably find herself being run out of town.

Her hands balled into fists. A part of her wished that she had never found out the truth. So that she could wallow in blissful ignorance for the rest of her life. But then, if she hadn't found out when she did... She might never have run into Dipper again.

She smiled, as she got up out of bed.

'And now... I get to see him again.' she thought. She blushed as she reached for her purse.

It had been a long time since she had seen either one of the Pines twins. In fact, it had been a long time since she had last dared to venture beyond the little social circle she had constructed for herself after college. At the moment, her social circle consisted of Hershey Befufftlefumpter, Carrie Westernsmithenshire and Trixie Valledievanbosch. They were all rich girls like herself, although a bit further up on the snobby scale.

Hershey was the adventurous one. Always on the look out for a new club or fancy restaurant to go to.

Carrie was the funny one. Although all of her material tended to be based on making fun of everything and everyone around her, she usually managed to walk the line between funny and just plain mean. Usually.

Trixie was the quiet one. Pacifica didn't know all that much about Trixie, except that she had overbearing parents and an even more overbearing husband. And it was always fun to see her come out of her shell- even if it was just a little.

They went everywhere together. The nail salon, the hairdressers, wine tasting ceremony's, and every kind of frilly fancy-pants party you could imagine. But even though they had known each other since since college, it was still hard for her to figure out if they were all really friends. They were regularly snippy with each other. And sometimes, all of the gossip could get overwhelming. But every now and again, all of the pretenses and the fakeness would fall away. And they would share a vulnerability with each other that would stay secret to the outside world.

But even after something like that, Pacifica couldn't help but hold them at arms length. The last time she had friends like that, they had betrayed her. They always did.

She bit her lip. Her friends had really liked her ex-fiance. Would they take his side? Would they buy whatever lies he told them to make her out to be the bad guy?

She picked up her purse, and took a deep breath. She was going to check her phone, but now... It didn't seem like a good idea anymore. She didn't want to see the long list of missed calls from her parents... or the text messages she no doubt received from him. But most of all, she didn't want to face her friends. Not yet, at least.

So she left her purse on the bed, and left the room. She didn't have time for distractions anyway. Because she had a new goal in mind. A new challenge. It would probably be the hardest thing she had ever had to do, but she was going to do it.

She was going to go talk to Dipper Pines. And maybe, just maybe... make him love her.

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

Dipper cracked a few eggs, and scrambled them in the pan. As they cooked, he walked across the room and pulled some bacon out of the fridge. Bacon and eggs probably weren't the most original breakfast in the world, but they were definitely one of the easiest. Even for someone with less than amazing cooking skills.

He pulled out three plates, and placed them on the table. As he served the eggs and put the bacon on the pan, he could hear movement from outside the kitchen. He went back to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of prune juice.

"Breakfast is almost ready!" he announced.

Suddenly, someone popped into the kitchen. But it wasn't who he was expecting.

"Good morning... Dipper." said Pacifica, as she slinked through the room. She was still wearing the same fancy dress she had been wearing last night. Although it was considerably wrinkled by now. And her hair was uncharacteristically messy. But something about that made her look ever more alluring.

Dipper almost let out a noise usually reserved for a scared mouse. But instead he cleared his throat. "Uh... Good morning, Pacifica. L-like I said... Breakfast is almost ready." he said.

Pacifica glanced at it, and then back to Dipper. "Oh... Thanks..." she muttered.

Dipper frowned. "What, are you on one of those fad diets or something?" he asked.

"Well... Not since last night."

"You don't even need to worry about that stuff, Pacifica. You look perfect enough as it-" he cut himself off, realizing his mistake. Unfortunately for him, it was all too late.

Pacifica grinned. "Oh? What was that, Dipper? Did you just say something... nice?" she asked.

Dipper scoffed. "Who? Me? Nice? Say? Did? No!" he sputtered.

Pacifica giggled, as she reached her hand up to his cheek. "You really are adorable..." she muttered. Dipper felt his face begin to flush. 'Oh, come on! I'm too old to be acting like some awkward teenager.' he thought. Still, that didn't stop his from flinching when her fingers traced the scar on his eyebrow, and blushing even more.

"So... how did this happen?" she asked.

"I... don't remember. I've got a lot of scars. I-... I can't always keep track of them..." he muttered.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It is."

"Maybe you should take better care of myself."

"... I get that all the time."

"Oh, you do? Then why haven't you started doing it yet?"

Dipper frowned. "In my line of work... playing it too safe can be just hazardous as being reckless. You've gotta find a middle-ground for any given situation. And... Well, I don't always find it." he muttered. Pacifica was drawing closer, and as she did, his thoughts seemed to get more and more erratic. He gulped, as she slowly parted her lips.

"I've... I've heard some of the stories. You're pretty popular among some of the conspiracy sites... Did you really fight aliens on the Titanic Mark 3?" she asked. Dipper was getting far too aware of her presence than he was comfortable with. Still, he wasn't going to let her see that.

"They... They were more like mutants, actually..." he muttered. "Not... uh... It wasn't a big deal."

"Oh? And what about the giant ants in the New York subway? or the giant aunt in the Netherlands?" she asked.

"That last one was a fake. Just a giant balloon with a smiley face on it- Wait, have you been... Keeping track of me?" asked Dipper. Suddenly, Pacifica drew back. She looked nervous, as she pretended to clear her throat.

"Uh... N-not... Not really. I just... Found articles every now and again... You know... Online... A-and... And in the Gravity Falls Observer... You know that paper still has a section dedicated just to you." muttered Pacifica, as she did her best to hide the embarrassment on her face.

But Dipper wouldn't let her retreat. Not yet. He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were such a fan, Pacifica." he said, enjoying the red glow that had suddenly appeared on her face. The weird game they were playing had suddenly got a lot more fun now that he was winning.

Unfortunately, Pacifica was quick to recover and launch her counter-attack. She crept up to him, closer than ever. Their bodies very nearly touching, as she drew her lips to his ear. "I'm not just a fan, Dipper..." she whispered.

All of a sudden, his ability to think seemed to disappear. Their faces were so close. And he currently being overwhelmed with a sudden need to close that distance. His heart was pounding against his chest, as he stared into her eyes.

"Uh... Am I interrupting something?"

Dipper and Pacifica spun around, to find Grunkle Stan at the kitchens entrance, looking both embarrassed and mildly amused. He was sitting in a wheelchair, with a blanket draped over his legs. His hair was white and thin, but it was still there. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his teeth. But- that was what dentures were for.

Grunkle Stan was in his nineties was something of a miracle in and of itself, considering the kind of life he had lead. He had an oxygen tank hanging on the back of the wheel chair, and the mask hanging around the chest. It was a useful thing to have. And not just because it made the visitors at the Mystery Shack feel like they had to spend more money. Although that was definitely a perk.

Dipper coughed, as he quickly back away from Pacifica. 'Th-that was close. Geez, she's making me act like some hormone-struck teenager!' he thought, as he did his best to collect himself. "Uh... Uh- Good morning Grunkle Stan! I uh- Breakfast is almost ready... And your prune juice is on the table." he said.

Grunkle Stan raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and from what I'm smelling- I'd say your doin' a good job burning the bacon, too." he said.

"Ah! Oh, no!" Dipper squealed, as he rushed to flip the bacon strips on the pan. Grunkle Stan chuckled to himself as he watched his great nephew fumble with the pan, and slowly wheeled himself to the kitchen table. Pacifica took a deep breath, and tried her best to hide her embarrassment- not to mention the slight bit of disappointment.

"Uh- H-hello, sir... My name is-" she began, only to be interrupted.

"Pacifica Northwest. Yeah, I know you. I've lived here for over sixty years now, you know." said Grunkle Stan, as he poured himself a glass of prune juice. "Yeah, you're one of those rich girl types, right? Probably play a bunch've tennis in your spare time." he continued.

Pacifica looked down at the floor, and bit her lip. "Um... Mini-golf." she muttered.

Grunkle Stan snapped his fingers. "Right. You're the mini-golf girl." he said, before taking a gulp of prune juice. He winced. "I really hate this stuff... But, it's what we old guys're supposed to drink, apparently." he said.

Pacifica didn't know how to respond, so she just nodded. As Dipper began to set the table, he offered her a chair. And she happily took it.

As they ate their breakfast, Pacifica did her best to be as careful as possible with her fork. She didn't have a napkin, so she held her hand under the fork as she drew her food to her mouth. The boys were almost the complete opposite. Dipper had already finished his scrambled eggs, and was busily eating the bacon with his hands. Stan did the same, only with the addition of a few 'old man' noises.

Dipper finished first, and quickly put the dish in the sink before turning to leave. "Uh- I've gotta go, uh, do stuff. Bye!" he said. And before anyone could so much as open their mouths, he ran.

Pacifica pouted as she watched him make his escape. Next time it wasn't going to be so easy...

"So..." muttered Grunkle Stan, putting a sudden stop to the many plans she had running through her mind.

"What's up with that fancy fiance o' yours? He a total fraud or what?" he asked.

Pacifica bit her lip, as she felt a lump form in her throat. She didn't want to think about him ever again. She was done with him. In fact, she was about ready to be done with all men. Dipper of course, being an exception. She looked down at the table, and slowly nodded.

Grunkle Stan let out a snort. "Figures. You know I always say you can't trust a guy with a ponytail. Especially if they use hair-gel along with it. I mean, come on! You can't mix those things together! Why would you even want too? What, you think it makes it look better? No, it makes you look like a slick piece of-" Grunkle Stan cut himself off to swallow another gulp of prune juice.

"Junk." he finished. "I bet the guy spends a few hours lookin' at the mirror every day. At least."

Pacifica felt the corners of her mouth tug upwards. Something about that rant reminded her of Dipper. It did sound awfully similar to something he would say.

"Speakin' of which..." he said, as he carefully lowered his voice. "That boy took a shower this morning, and he shaved... So I'm guessing you must be something special. Because Dipper doesn't clean himself up for anyone."

Pacifica blushed. "R-... Really?" she muttered.

"Yeah, really. So once you finish up here, I'll show you the place he likes to go to scribble in that journal of his." said Grunkle Stan.

Pacifica grinned. "Thanks!" she said.

"Yeah, yeah. Just try not to drag too much of that lovey-dovey stuff back into the shack. It's called the 'Mystery Shack', not the 'Lovey-Dovey... Smooshy... Whatever, Shack. Although... I could probably make a decent amount on Valentines Day..." he muttered, as he rubbed his chin in thought.

Pacifica continued to smile, as the two of them finished their breakfast together.

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

"Shmebulock... Hungry."

"Sorry... I kinda forgot to bring you something... Uh... How about this Terracus Fungoid? It's non-poisonous!" said Dipper, as he offered the old gnome a mushroom. Shmebulock sniffed at it, shrugged, and shoved it in his mouth. Dipper glanced at the happy little gnome, and then went back to work.

"Let's see... I've already made an entry about the glowing trees... And the grass that yells at people who step on it... And I've written about that portal to 'Heck'- boy that was a weird one. Just a bunch of overly-polite demons in red pajamas... Although, they did make pretty good tea and crumpets..." he muttered, as he chewed on his pen.

Dipper sat down of the grass, and leaned against a tree. Despite having gone around the world as a paranormal investigator, the forest of Gravity Falls still had some of the weirdest phenomenon he had ever come across. And it seemed like there was always something new to discover.

So, he sat there. Chewing his pen, and waiting for something interesting to happen. It would be a welcome change from the subject his mind kept wandering off to.

'I hope Pacifica's okay... No- she'll be fine. She's strong. Besides, she doesn't need me hanging around- I mean... She's just a little confused. No problem. I'm sure she'll come back to her senses sooner or later.' he thought. He frowned as he bit down on the pen- too hard this time.

Dipper coughed and sputtered as the taste of ink invaded his mouth.

"Shmebulock wonders... Is something... wrong?" asked Shmebulock, as he watched Dipper do his very best to eject every last bit of ink from his mouth.

"What? Wrong? No- I mean... I just bit my pen a little too hard... For, uh... For no reason!" Dipper exclaimed.

Shmebulock blinked. "Oh... Okay. As long you are okay..." he muttered.

Dipper twitched. "Okay? Why wouldn't I be okay!? I mean- I'm sure she'll be super happy when she realizes her mistake. Super very happy. And she's out of my league anyway. I mean, you know, I- ... I shouldn't even be thinking about it! I've got very serious Pacifica to do! I MEAN WORK! SERIOUS WORK!"

Shmebulock scratched his head. "Is... Is Dipper 'freaking out'?" he asked.

"No! No- look at me! I'm working on my journal! Same as always! Everything is the same!"

Shmebulock rubbed his chin. "Is Dipper... scared?"

"Scared!? Scared- Scared? Sc- ... I'm not scared!" Dipper sputtered. "I've been through all of this before! Y-you know! I can't let this get to me! She'll realise how dumb it is to like me, and then she'll leave! It's-... It's that simple..."

"So... Dipper's not scared?"

"No... No I'm not." he muttered.

Suddenly, a voice broke out from behind the tree. "He'll be sitting over there. Behind that tree. Probably staring off into space or something." said Grunkle Stan.

"Thanks, Stan." said Pacifica. Dipper let out a high pitched squeal, before jumping to his feet and looking around desperately for a place to cower and hide.

"No sweat, kid." said Grunkle Stan.

He could hear her approaching. So, he did the only thing any intelligent, mature adult could do. He picked up Shmebulock, and held him over his face.

"Dipper?"

Dipper coughed. "Uh- nope. No Dipper's round here. Names Shmebulock. Nice to meet you..." he muttered, doing his best to make his voice sound as gruff as possible. There was a long silence, as Pacifica stared at the man hiding behind a gnome that was just a bit smaller than his head.

Shmebulock cleared his throat. "Shmebulock thinks Dipper's... Nervous." he said.

Dipper scowled from behind him. "Thanks for nothing, Shmebulock." he growled. Shmebulock shrugged, as Dipper slowly put him back down on the ground.

Pacifica smiled at him. "Nervous, are we? Now why ever would you be nervous?" she asked.

Dipper frowned. He looked up at her to say something- only to find himself slack-jawed. Pacifica was decked out in Mystery Shack gear. Long jeans, a loose fitting shirt with a picture of a pine tree on it, and a pair of open-toed sandals. He had never seen Pacifica dressed like that before. In fact, the mere thought of it seemed impossible. And what's more, she still looked... Incredible.

He was quick to shake the goofy look off of his face, and replace it with one of simple curiosity. "Th-... Those are some, uh, interesting clothes you've got on... Pacifica." he muttered. Pacifica looked down at what she was wearing, and blushed.

"Oh... Uh... Yeah. Stan was nice enough to give me a change of clothes... Can you believe these only cost a hundred dollars?" she asked.

Dipper frowned, as he wondered whether or not he should have a private conversation with his Grunkle.

"D-... Do they... I mean... How do I... Look? I-... I kinda haven't gone casual in a long time..." muttered Pacifica. Dipper opened his mouth faster than he could think. "You look amazing." he said.

Pacifica looked at the ground and blushed, while Dipper inwardly kicked himself for his stupid mouth.

The two of them reveled in embarrassment for a few quiet seconds, before Pacifica finally found her voice again. "Thank you... Dipper." she said.

Dipper gulped. "Uh-... Yeah. S-so... Are you going home soon?" he asked.

Pacifica frowned, and put her hands on her hips. "No. No, I'm not 'going home soon'. Why would you even ask me that?" she demanded.

"Well... You probably want to go make up with your fiance o-or... whatever..." muttered Dipper.

In the background, Shmebulock gulped and covered his ears.

"No, I do not want to go make up with him! Do you think I'm so desperate and shallow that I'd try and get back together with someone who doesn't even care about me!?" yelled Pacifica.

Dipper didn't say anything.

"Besides..." muttered Pacifica. "Maybe I've already found someone I like a whole lot more..."

"... Come on, Pacifica... You... You don't mean that. I mean- think about it. I'm... I mean... You're just on the rebound. You feel vulnerable, so you're just convincing yourself that you like me..." said Dipper. "I've seen it all before... Before too long, you'll realise your mistake, and..." he trailed off, as Pacifica grit her teeth.

"I am not just using you to make myself feel better!" she yelled.

"Yes you are! A-and, it's not like there's anything wrong with that... You're in a vulnerable place right now, and I just happened to be there at the right place and at the right time, so... You know... I-... I get it." said Dipper.

Pacifica could feel her entire body begin to tremble. She looked at Dipper with more pure rage than she knew what to do with. She raised her hand. And Dipper flinched, expecting a slap. Or another punch.

It never came. Instead, she let out a sob. Dippers eyes shot open again, as he looked up at her face.

Tears were falling down her bright red cheeks, as her body began to tremble.

"Is it..." she muttered, her voice beginning to crack as she spoke, "Is it really that hard to think that... That I might really love you?"

There was another beat of silence, as they stared into each others faces. Then, Pacifica ran away. Her face stained with tears.

Dipper felt a cold lump begin to form in his throat, as he listened to her footsteps get farther and farther away. He took a deep breath, and moved his attention back to his journal. 'Good... That's good. It's over now... Quicker than if I had just let it... If I'd just let it turn into something else.' he thought.

He nodded to himself, ignoring the way his eyes had started to water.

This was all for the best. And now he could get back to work.

Unfortunately, at the moment- he didn't feel like working on his journal anymore. In fact, he didn't feel like doing much of anything.

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

Pacifica crashed onto the bed, and buried her face in a pillow. She had neglected to say anything to Grunkle Stan when she burst back into the Mystery Shack. She simply walked up the stairs, and went back to Dipper's old bed.

She bit her lip, as she felt fresh tears slide down her face. She wanted to slap him. To shake him. Anything to get the feelings of rage and anguish out of her chest. But she couldn't.

'Because... What if he's right? What if... What if I'm just using him again... It's not like it'd be the first time...' she rubbed her eyes, and turned to face the ceiling.

"I'm... I'm such a mess..." she muttered. "What if... What if it's already too late? Maybe... I'm not supposed to be with anyone. Maybe the legacy of the Northwest family... Is supposed to end with me..." She wrapped her arms around herself, and took a deep breath.

"Maybe I am just supposed to go back... And just be a miserable jerk for the rest of my life... Maybe it's my destiny."

The sound of her cellphone ringing suddenly cut through the air, sending a massive shock through her system. Without thinking, she quickly dug through her purse to find it, and flipped it to her ear.

"H-... Hello?" she croaked. She frowned at the sound of her voice. All her life she had learned to mask her emotions. Why did it have to fail her now?

"Northwest? That you?"

Pacifica bit her lip. It was Carrie. Carrie Westernsmithenshire. Pacifica took a deep breath before she spoke. 'At least it's not him.' she thought.

"Yeah... Yeah, it's me..." muttered Pacifica.

"Oh, thank the big G. You know I've been tryin' to get through to you all night, now. We all have. What's going on?" asked Carrie. "By the way, your on speakerphone. Trixie and Hershy are here too. Hey, girls! I got through! Say hi!" she yelled. Pacifica could hear a few muffled hello's from the other end of the line.

"So, listen- That fiance of your's has been spreading rumors since last night. You know, ever since you took out his front teeth. Nice job by the way- I didn't know you had it in you." said Carrie. Pacifica managed to mutter a 'thanks' in response.

"Anyway- there's some buzz online that you actually hooked up with that Dipper guy your always talking about. Is that true?" Carrie asked. Pacifica sighed. Just as she feared, the gossip train was already at full steam.

"I..." she began, only to find her voice suddenly go quiet. "I don't know..."

"What's wrong, Pacifica?"

Pacifica blinked. Carrie had just used her first name. She never did that.

"I... I just... I'm... I'm so confused... He thinks... He thinks that I might just be on the rebound... And I mean... Maybe he's right. I only just finished having my heart broken by some jerk, and now... And now all of a sudden I'm all over someone else... It's so crazy." she said, as she felt more tears begin to form. "Maybe I really am just using him... To make myself feel better. A-and, if that's true... Then I really am the worst."

Pacifica could hear the sound of the phone being jostled about on the other end. Finally Hershy Befufftlefumpter's voice came on the line.

"Pacifica? It's me, Hersh. Listen to me. I've known you for over ten years now, right? We all have. Well during that time, not one day went by without you mentioning that boy's name. Not one. It was always- 'Dippers fighting giant spiders in the Mojave Desert' or 'Dipper rescued the Chupacabra from a group of crazed government agents'. Dipper this, Dipper that. Dipper, Dipper, Dipper. Sometimes it was all you'd ever talk to us about." said Hershey, before she passed the phone to Trixie Valledievanbosch.

"I concur. Pacifica, rebound or not- we can all tell you with great confidence... You are in love with Dipper Pines. You always have been." said Trixie.

Pacifica felt a smile curl up on her lips. "Thanks girls..." she muttered.

On the other side, Carrie had snatched her phone back. "And listen- I know we're not always on the best of terms, but I know a lie when I hear it. And that fiance of yours? He's full of it." she said.

Pacifica wiped away her tears, and took a deep breath. "Ex-fiance." she corrected.

The girls shared a real laugh together. For the first time in a while.

"Yeah..." laughed Carrie. "Ex-fiance."

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

Dipper slid into his favorite trench coat, and adjusted his glasses. He wasn't 'running away' he told himself. He was just going to go out and make sure that the Manataurs weren't up to any trouble. That was all. And if he happened to not wind up not having to face Pacifica again- well, that would be just fine.

Dipper was about to leave through the main entrance of the Mystery Shack, when he felt someone's hand on his back. It didn't take long for him to figure out who it belonged to.

"Dipper..." muttered Grunkle Stan. "What're you doing?"

Dipper turned to face him. "Oh... Just... Uh... Just doin' the usual rounds. You know. Check up on the forest dwellers, make sure none of the townsfolk have been attacked recently... Just that sort of thing." he said.

Grunkle Stan sighed. "You know kid, you're getting to be more and more like your Grunkle Ford every day." he said.

Dipper stiffened.

"I mean, look at you. You've got the trench coat. The glasses. The trust issues... And you're more afraid of relationships than giant murderous monsters." said Grunkle Stan. Dipper frowned, and opened his mouth to say something- but Grunkle Stan raised his hand to stop him.

"Look- I ain't trying to be a jerk here. I love my brother. And I-... Well, I love you too kid. But listen... You can't just... Run away." said Grunkle Stan. "I mean, didn't you see yourself when you came home last night? Or this morning for that matter? That big dumb smile you had on whenever you thought she wasn't looking? Come on, Dipper. You wouldn't be this scared if you didn't feel something for her." Stan grimaced at the words coming out of his mouth. Maybe Mabel had rubbed off on him a little too much.

Dipper frowned. "I am not... I'm perfectly calm, Grunkle Stan. I know what this is. It's happened before. I'm just... I'm just making sure she doesn't make a huge mistake." he muttered.

"Oh, come on, Dipper. She's not a kid. And neither are you, for that matter. If it's a mistake, then she'll deal with it. But you know what? She doesn't seem to think it is. And I don't think that the idea of it being a mistake is what's gotten you all flustered. It's the idea that maybe it's right." said Grunkle Stan. "I mean, when's the last time you even tried to be in a stable relationship with a girl?"

Dipper scowled.

"Look- I'm sorry. I'm not sayin' I'm any better, and I'm not sayin' I have all the answers. What I am saying is... Just... Give it a shot, Dipper. And maybe... You'll make each other happy." said Grunkle Stan.

Dippers expression softened. "... I-"

Suddenly, the bell at the entrance rang out- as someone burst through the door. Dipper and Stan turned their attention to the doorway, as a tall bronzed man straightened his fancy looking jacket. Behind him were two much bigger and bulkier men in black suits and black sunglasses.

The bronzed man looked like someone who had been a little too eager with a spray-tan, making him look like a cross between a giant oompa-loompa and a bronze statue. His blonde hair was slicked back with hair-gel, and tied up into a ponytail at the back. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of fancy looking yellow sunglasses, and his nose seemed to be turned up into a permanent sneer.

The bronze man huffed, as he straightened the rose he had in his coat pocket. "Can you believe I had to enter this dreary hovel?" he muttered. The two giant men behind him shook their heads. "No sir." they said.

The bronze man huffed again, and turned his attention to Stan and Dipper. The man smiled. It was the kind of smile that could only be worn by someone who was about to try and sell you something. His two front teeth appeared to be made of gold, which only seemed to add a sparkle to his salesman's smile. As he carefully removed his sunglasses, revealing a set of big blue eyes, he gave his audience a polite bow.

"Good morning! I, am Prince Jackson Uppercrustman. It is an honor to make your acquaintance." he said.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Hey look- he's wearing hair gel and he tied it into a ponytail. Who does that?" he asked.

Stan nodded. "Yeah- don't get me started." he muttered.

"And did you know that his first name is actually Prince? I mean, his parents literally named him 'Prince'. I'm surprised that he hasn't been sued yet." said Dipper.

"Yeah. And did you get a load of that last name? Uppercrust-man? That can't be a real last name. I mean- what're we living in some kind of lame sketch show?" asked Grunkle Stan.

Prince kept his smile plastered perfectly onto his face. "Ah- I see my reputation proceeds me." he said.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll say. What do you want?" he asked.

Prince's smile seemed to grow. "Ah. I have come to seek out my beloved fiance. Is she here?" he asked.

Dipper didn't so much as bat an eye. "Nope." he said.

Prince frowned. "Oh... Really? Well, I happen to have it on good authority that she is here. Unless she managed to sneak in here without you knowing?" he asked. His smile was starting to appear menacing. At least- it would have appeared menacing to somebody who wasn't Dipper or Stan Pines.

"Nope. Not possible. We've got a super expensive security system around here, right Stan?" asked Dipper.

Stan nodded. "Yeah, the stupid government won't let me go anywhere unless there's at least a dozen camera's on me at all times. Apparently I'm 'dangerous'." he said, using air quotes on the word 'dangerous'. "I mean come on- how many crimes can a guy in a wheel chair even commit? Of course, the internet's really made the whole thing a lot easier- I mean, *ahem* No further questions!"

Dipper gave Stan a look, and then quickly turned his attention back to Prince.

"So, as you can see- no rich blonde heiress' around here. Now, if you'll just show yourself to the door, I need to go get some air-freshener. Some jerk just tracked in a horrible smell." said Dipper.

Stan sniffed the air, and gagged. "Aw, man! What is that cologne!? Eau de escargot?" he asked.

Prince blinked at them. "Uh... It is actually..." he muttered.

Stan scoffed. "Are you kidding me? What is wrong with rich people?" he asked.

Prince loudly cleared his throat, and sent them both a withering glare. Once more, it had no affect on either of them- which only served to make him even angrier. "Listen you peasents." he spat. "My people traced her straight to this disgusting little tourist trap. I know she's here. And unless you want things to get rough-" he clicked his fingers, and the two large men behind them pulled hand-held tasers out of their pockets. They held them out in the air, and pressed the trigger. Filling the air with the sound of electricity crackling.

"You will tell me where she is." he finished.

Naturally, Stan and Dipper burst into laughter. "Oh, man! You see that? Now he's crossed over into cartoonish thug! How much you wanna bet he takes the next step to cartoonish supervillain and starts telling us about his plans to take over Gravity Falls?" asked Stan between bursts of laughter.

"Oh, man- you'd win that bet. Look at him! If he were just a few feet shorter, he'd probably pass for Lil' Gideon!" chuckled Dipper.

"Yeah! But at least Gideon knew when to cool it with the spray tan salon." said Grunkle Stan.

Prince began to tremble. "You... You trash..." he sputtered. "You... You think you can make fun of me!?" he growled.

"What? Us? Make fun of a posturing moron who thinks he's better than everyone else just because he got lucky and landed a date with Pacifica Northwest?" asked Dipper, his laughter slowly disappearing. "Us, make fun of someone who tried to take advantage of her wealth to make a lame power grab for mayor? Us, make fun of someone so insanely stupid that they managed to forget how lucky they were?" By now, Dipper was speaking through clenched teeth. "No... we wouldn't dream of it." he growled.

Prince put his hand into his coat, and pulled out a handgun. "You shut up, you sack of human garbage." he hissed.

Dipper stepped in front of Stan and while Stan let out a weary sigh. "Are you kidding me? You know this isn't even the first time I've had a gun shoved in my face this week?" grumbled Stan.

Dipper glanced at him. "Hey... I said I was sorry about that. How was I supposed to know that Twitchy McSpasm was unstable?" he asked.

Prince grit his teeth. His grip around the handle of the gun began to tighten. "I SAID SHUT UP!" he bellowed.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Give me a break. You're going straight for a gun? Talk about uninspired. The least you could do is at least try to throw a few taunts my way. Or what? Aren't you creative enough?" he asked.

Prince could feel his entire body start to shake, as a few of the veins in his forehead began to pop out. "You..." he hissed. "Her parents told me about you. You're the reason she started questioning them. You're the reason she doesn't follow instructions. And you're the reason she insists on dragging me to all of those charities. I've thrown away perfectly good money- and why? To keep her happy. And what does she do? She freaks out on me. Punches me in the face. And why? Because I'm not the man she likes to pretend I am. I'm not you."

One of the bodyguards standing behind him cleared his throat. "Uh- I thinking cheating on her all those times probably had something to do with it too, sir." he said.

The other one nodded. "Uh-huh. And lying about that time you killed her puppy..."

"All those times you stole from her..."

"Plus, you were working with her parents behind her back- and she's got kind of a thing about that."

"Oh, and you also called her a bunch of naughty words behind her back. And then to her face... Which is kinda why she punched you in yours."

Prince sent them an angry glare, and the two large men went quiet.

"Well, maybe if I end you- she'll be the perfect little toy she was supposed to be." he said, as his big smile slowly returned to his face.

"I'm not the reason she's no puppet. Nothing I could do would ever force someone to start thinking for themselves. She was already like that. She already had doubts about her family. And she was already starting to feel bad about the way she treated others. Sure, I might've helped push her along, but... Even if I wasn't around... I know she would've still become the same smart, strong, capable woman she is now. Because that's who she really is." said Dipper.

Prince pressed the barrel of the gun against Dippers forehead, and gently placed his finger on the trigger.

Dipper didn't flinch.

"Look at you... All you do is talk. You must be so scared." said Prince, as his smile continued to grow.

Dipper looked at him, and slowly shook his head. "I'm not scared of you, or anything else." he said.

As if on cue, Pacifica walked into the store through the back. "Dipper?" she asked. "Are you-" she trailed off when she noticed everyone at the entrance.

Dipper immediately broke out in a cold sweat. "U-uh... H-hey there, P-pacifica..." he muttered. "Wha- I mean... H-how are... How are you?" he squeaked.

Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes.

Dipper shuffled around nervously in his spot- because Pacifica was there and not because of the gun pressed against his forehead- which was admittedly, a little crazy. Even for him.

Pacifica frowned. "What're you doing here-" she growled as she moved towards Prince, before suddenly stopping in her tracks. Prince flashed the gun at her, and rested it back on Dippers forehead.

"Why, I just thought I'd get rid of some of this trash sweetheart." he growled.

Pacifica felt all of the color leave her face. Her eyes went wide, as she felt an overwhelming sense of fear wrap itself around her chest. "No..." she whispered. "Please... Please no..."

Prince chuckled to himself. "Well, well... I never thought I'd see the day. Pacifica Northwest, begging?"

"Don't do this..." she muttered.

Prince sneered. "Oh? And what'll you do for me?" he hissed. "Oh, I have an idea! Why don't you break off this disgusting little romance of yours right now? Go on." he gestured to her with the gun. "Hop to it."

Pacifica bit her lip. "Dipper..." she muttered. "I... I think I've realized something..."

Dipper took a deep breath. "Oh? What's that?" he asked.

"That... I hate you. I hate you so... so much. Your blunt... Your completely self-absorbed... And your a total dork. And... And you don't trust anyone... Not even yourself. A-and... Your so filled with self-hatred... That you can't even believe that someone might really love you. But your wrong, Dipper. Y-... Your seriously wrong."

Dipper looked down at the floor, as the room went silent.

Finally Grunkle Stan cleared his throat. "Uh... Are you two kidding me right now? You couldn't maybe try and kiss and make up after the idiot with a gun has been taken care of?" he asked.

Dipper coughed. "Oh. Uh- Sorry, Grunkle Stan. Hey, Prince?" he asked.

Prince sneered. "What?" he growled.

"So... did you know that some gnomes really like snails? In fact, I've got one in one of my pockets right now. I'm sure he'd be a huge fan of your cologne." said Dipper, as he opened his trench coat. "Oh, Shmebulock? It's lunch time."

Suddenly, a scruffy old gnome launched himself out of Dippers pocket, straight into Princes face.

"KYAAAA! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" he bellowed. Dipper pulled his hand back- but he was beaten to the punch.

Literally.

Pacifica ran across the room like a blur, pulled her fist back- and threw everything she had straight into his face. There was an enormous 'crack!', as a good number of teeth were sent flying all over the place.

Prince collapsed in a heap, while Shmebulock hungrily chewed at his scalp. Pacifica grit her teeth, as her hand roared with pain. "Ow... I hope I didn't chip another nail..." she muttered.

"Good one, Pacifica. Excellent form. You're a natural." said Grunkle Stan. Pacifica smiled proudly, and then winced again. "... I'm going to need some ice for this..." she muttered.

The two bodyguards standing behind Prince's collapsed form cleared their throats. "Uh... Would you mind if we just left? We were supposed to be on break like ten minutes ago." said one of them.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow, and gestured towards Prince. "What about him?" she asked.

The other bodyguard scratched his head. "Well... I dunno. Maybe send him to jail? He has done a bunch of crimes. Right, number two?" he asked.

The first bodyguard frowned. "Wait a minute- I thought I was number one." he grumbled. The second bodyguard shook his head. "Nu-uh. I get to be number one on every day that ends with a 'Y', and you get to be number one every other day. 'Member?" he asked.

"Oh yeah..."

Dipper, Pacifica and Grunkle Stan watched the bodyguards walk away in silence. When they finally got into their car and drove off, Dipper was the first one to say something.

"Well... I guess money doesn't buy loyalty..." he muttered.

Grunkle Stan sighed. "So, seriously. What'll we do with this guy?" he asked.

Dipper stroked his chin for a moment, and then clicked his fingers. "Oh- I know. I'll just sprinkle some confession dust on him and send him to Sheriff Blubs Junior. Problem solved." he said.

Grunkle Stan nodded. "Good thinking, kid. Now come follow me, Pacifica. Let's see about some ice for that hand of yours." he said, as he wheeled his way across the room. Pacifica nodded.

"Okay... I'm... I'm not going to get an infection or something am I?"

"Well... I'll put some disinfectant on it too, huh?"

"Sounds good."

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

It didn't take long for the police arrive to take Prince Jackson Uppercrustman away to 'the big house' as Grunkle Stan liked to call it. Which meant that everything had been wrapped up in a nice tidy little bow.

Almost.

When Stan entered the kitchen only to find Dipper and Pacifica sitting there in silence, he made a quick retreat and wished them both luck.

"So..." muttered Dipper. "We just sent your fiance to jail."

"Ex-fiance."

"Right."

"You know... He was so sweet when we first met... And shy... Kinda like you. But after while... He started to change. I just... I wish I could've seen how bad it had gotten... before it was too late."

"It's not your fault, Pacifica."

"But it is- If he hadn't of met me... Maybe he would've stayed that same sweet man..."

"Or maybe he'd be pretty much the same- except without the spray tan."

Pacifica smiled. "Yeah... He did have a habit of going a little overboard with that..."

"A little? He looked like a carrot. A big jerky carrot."

"Yeah..." Pacifica trailed off.

More silence.

"So... Pacifica?"

"Yes?"

"Well... Tonight... I was going to go look at the stars again. There's this little spot I like to go to- The constellations actually change into different shapes in the sky. But only from that one spot. It's... It's pretty cool."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh... So... So, anyway... Um, would you... Would you like to go with me? It... It'll be fun. I-I promise."

"I'd... Love to. But- on one tiny condition."

"And what's that?"

Pacifica reached over the table, and grabbed Dipper by the collar. Ignoring the pain in her hand, she pulled him towards her and pushed her lips onto his. Pacifica slowly closed her eyes, and Dipper did the same. A feeling of incredible warmth rushed through their bodies, as they felt the world around them seem to melt away.

After a few minutes, Pacifica broke away, and gasped for air as the two of the blushed redder than either of them had ever before.

"You have to promise me... That we can do plenty of that." she finished.

Dipper smiled. "Well... You drive a hard bargain... But... sure. It's a date."

As the kissed again, Grunkle Stan smiled from the entrance to the kitchen.

"Aw... I've never been so happy and grossed out at the same time..." he muttered. He checked the time on his watch, and smiled. It was time to call Mabel. And boy oh boy, did he have a story for her.

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

A few hours later, Dipper and Pacifica stared up at the night sky. And watched hand in hand, as the stars made the form of a family portrait. Dipper and Pacifica, each with a baby in their arms. Smiling.

It was a future just around the corner...

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

(AN: So, a few unfortunate souls asked for more. And so... Well, I did it. I hope I did a better job delving into Pacifica and Dipper here... Although they're both still pretty out of character. But hey- they are a lot older here, so... you know... That's an excuse, right?)

*PS: I'd like to extend a big thank you to the people who were nice enough to review the first part of this story. Thanks. I hope you guys are at least *partial* to this longer second part.