Chapter 8: To Thank A Dream Entity

My first day of work was actually going quite more smoothly than I thought it would. Especially since I was kind of expecting Ford's brother to get on me a bit. Fortunately for me he was too busy giving tours and doing a couple of illegal things like exporting pugs across the Mexican border. Pretty much all I had to do was sweep the shop floor, unpack a stock new merch on the shelves, hooks, or clothes racks that need restocking, and run the cash register when Soos had to do something important like answer the phone. Of course there was one point that he was tending to some customers and he told me to answer it instead. Good thing I'd did too because the call actually turned out to be for me.

"Hello, you've reached Gravity Fall's Mystery Shack. How can we be of service to you today?"

"..."

"Dad? Hey Dad, I see ya got the phone number I texted Aunt Mary. how are ya doing?"

"..."

"Yes, I did make it to Gravity Falls with no problems. I'm sorry if I didn't call you right away like I promised. I sort of, uh, had some things to take care first. ("Like that incident with the grappling hook that shall not be mentioned")But hey, guess what? I got a job here. I'm working and staying at this place called The Mystery Shack. It's really great and I've already made friends with some of the locals."

"..."

"Yes Dad, it's just temporary. I plan to save up a bit so I can get an apartment in town. And don't worry about me too much ok? I'm in good hands here. And the people seem really nice so far ("Unless ya count that old crabapple Stanley Pines.")."

"..."

"DAD! Seriously?! Ew! Can ya not say shit like that?! Of course I'm not gonna let some guy take advantage of me. You know I'm better than that."

"..."

"Yeah, I know ya worry about me a lot. But please try not to worry too much ok? I'm perfectly fine here with my new friends and co workers so you shouldn't have to worry about my safety."

"..."

"Alright, I promise I'll try to call ya more often."

"..."

"Yeah, I love ya too Dad. I gotta go now ok? I'm still working here. Bye."

And with that I hung up the phone and walked back to the shelves to finish restocking them. Soos then came in after dealing with the customers from before.

"Hey Kate, who was that on the phone?"

"Hmm? Oh, no one important really. It was just my dad checking up on me is all."

"Your dad? How does he know the Shack's phone number?"

"Well, I texted my Aunt Mary after dinner the other night and told her to make sure my dad got the number I sent her since he doesn't have a cell phone. So I guess that message finally got though."

"Awesome! What did he say?"

"He asked if I got here ok and wanted to know if everything was ok. Also he said something gross about how I should be careful around guys like he always does. Of course he just says that to me cause he cares and he worries. But sometimes I wish he wouldn't worry so much about me."

Soos just put a supportive hand on my shoulder and gave me a kind smile at my response.

"Aw, don't get so moody about it Kate. It's actually kind of sweet that he thinks about ya that much. Plus you're lucky to have him around in your life really. Why would ya want something like gone out of your life?"

I smiled at him and placed my hand on his. He was right. Why would I wish for something like that to disappear?

"Thanks Soos. I guess you're right about that. Maybe my dad being a worry wort isn't such a bad thing after all."

The sweet moment between me and my boss/friend was interrupted by Stanely's voice from outside.

"Kate! Get out here! I need you to help me move theses tin barrels full of pugs onto this truck for me asap!"

"Ugh, ok Stan I'm coming! Just hold your damn horses will ya?! Well Soos, I guess it's back to work for me."

"Heh, yeah I guess. Good luck!"

And with that I ran out the door while Soos resumed his post at the register.

Several hours later...

Well, it wasn't extremely easy but I made it through my first day of work. Sure old Stan was a pain in the ass, but at least I did a great job with helping out around the Mystery Shack. Also thinking about what I was gonna do for Bill really helped too whenever I needed to think of a happy thought or two. And now I was once again in my pajamas and laying on my inflatable bed waiting for sleep to take me. Soon sleep did consume me and when I opened my eyes again I found that I was standing in the middle of a beautiful looking Victorian park with a swan filled pond next to it.

"Huh, pretty. But if I'm gonna impress Bill with my idea, I'm gonna have to make this scene a bit more...wild."

I closed my eyes and concentrated hard on my thoughts. I tried to think of the world around me like a piece of molding clay I can bend and change into anything I pleased. I reached down deep inside and unleashed my inner strength to help better make it clear who called the shots here as I let my idea begin to change the park around me. It soon became to my joy the one thing I was hoping it to be as I opened my eyes to look around. And just in time too cause no sooner had I finished did my friend pop up out of nowhere in a flash of bright light.

"Hey Road Runner! Sorry I'm late, I was busy with-what the?!"

Bill Cipher's one eye was filled amazed at what he was looking at. We were in the middle of a plaza with tall trees and plants that I was all too very familiar with. The plaza had a giftshop and a few concession stands as well. I of course just stood there with a proud smile on my face as Bill continued to look around.

"Well, I gotta say toots, this looks pretty great. I didn't think you were gonna master the whole "mind over matter" trick so soon but I guess I was wrong. Color me impressed! But uh, just exactly where are we though doll?"

"I'm glad you asked Bill. Welcome to The Phoenix Zoo. Located in the Papago Park area and is home to over 1,400 animals of Earth on display and is a sanctuary for all of God's beautiful creatures. Do ya like like it? I thought bringing you to one of my favorite places back home was a great way to thank you and stuff sin-"

"Whoa whoa whoa there sweetheart! Time out. You did all of this just to thank me?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, you have been a great friend to me so far and ya did make that last dream for me really great. So I thought since you went through all the trouble to make me happy that I should return the favor. And what better way to do that than to show one of the places back home that I love to visit often."

Bill just looked down with a look of deep thought and slight concern after I finished telling him my reason. Of course the silence made me worried a bit so I decided to speak up.

"Bill, are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh, of course I'm fine Double R! No need to get all worried about me toots. I'm just, ya know, real touched is all. No other bein has really ever went as far as making a dream just for me in my whole existence. So the idea of you being the first is really kind of..."

"Sweet?"

"Yeah, that's the word! So thanks toots. It was real great of ya to go so far as to make an old entity like me happy. Anywho, so what's this "Phoenix Zoo" thing got huh? I can't help but be a bit curious after hearing it has over how many Earth organisms again?"

"Over 1,400. And I can still give ya the grand tour of the place if ya really are interested in seeing it."

"You bet I am dollface. Shall we then Road Runner?"

"Yes Bill, let's shall."

Pretty soon me and Bill were walking hand in hand (as friends and not lovers so don't get the wrong idea) along the plaza towards the Giraffe exhibit that was next to one of the zoo's many trails. As we walked along said trail away from the giraffes, I began telling Bill everything I knew about the place while Bill listen carefully with quiet amusement.

"I've been coming here with friends and family since I was real little. It was started back in 1962 by a Mr. Robert Maytag, a memeber of the Maytag family, and is the largest privately owned, nonprofit zoo in the US. It operates on 125 acres of land and contains 2.5 miles of walking trails as well. And those trails are divided into four different trails called the Arizona, African, Tropic, and Children's trail that also has a petting zoo. My favorite happens to be the African trail which were on now because it has a very special site I wanna show you."

We stopped short near the mountain where they keep their goats and pointed directly at what I wanted Bill to see.

"Ya see that white colored pyramid on top of that large sandy hill there? Well as strange as it sounds, that happens to be the resting place of George W.P. Hunt. He was Arizona's first governor and had served seven terms between February 1912 and January 1933. I guess he kind of had a thing for Egypt since he liked to travel abroad so when his wife died in 1931 he had this "pyramid mausoleum" originally built for her to rest in and wanted it to over look what he called "the splendid valley". He of course joined her in 1934 do to heart failure. And since then the tomb has been a landmark people have been coming to see for decades since."

"Heh, well I gotta say, he sounds like he was a human that really liked to think outside the box. I mean any other average human now a days would probably be fine with just a normal and boring coffin in the ground. But this guy really went out with a bang here."

"Haha, yeah, I guess he did. So, do ya wanna keep going down this trail or should we check out something else?"

"Hmm. Well that depends on what this place has. Ya got a guidebook or something for this place toots?"

"Oh right! Of course! I totally fortunate this place gives out maps. Let me just spoof one up for ya here."

I then suddenly pulled a makeshift map of the place from my pajamas pocket and gave it to Bill to look over. He began looking it over while I of course looked at it over his shoulder and once he saw something he liked he placed a finger on it.

"How about this place R and R? It seems rather fun to visit."

"The Tiger Habitat huh? Wise choice. Come on, it's back this way."

A short handheld walk later...

Pretty soon me and Bill were sitting quietly on one of the wooden window seats of the tiger habitat watching one of the big cats go about their business like they owned the fricking world. Bill of course soon broke the silence after about 15 minutes went by to bring up a topic from earlier that day.

"Hey Road Runner! Guess what I heard today. Go on guess!"

"If it was about that elusive dream argument I had once with Roger Rabbit I can assure you that we cleared up that little misunderstanding about 6 years ago. He also still owes me a coffee now that I think about."

"Actually this is something that happened this morning if I remember correctly. Somethings about boys getting into your pa-"

"OK, ok! Ya can stop there Cipher. I get the concept. So, you were ease dropping on me and my old man huh?"

"Well, more like I accidentally walked in on it really. Boy, talk about overprotective am I right?"

"Yeah I guess so. But at least it shows he cares about me. Although sometimes I wish he'd understand that I'm old enough to make my own choices and that I'm not really the same little wild child with short puffy hair and brown sandals that I used to be."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that through dollface. I'm sure he'll eventually come to terms with it. Besides, after a thousand years of observing your race, I've learned that it's hard for certain humans to let go of different things. And perhaps your dad is having that same issue with letting you spread those inner wings of yours and leaving the nest."

"Yeah well I hope he starts to understand soon cause as much as I love him I need to find my own way in this world without him being so scared for me all the time. Also I don't even know why he's so worried for me when his own problems are the very reason I ended up in a foster home."

Suddenly the entire scene around us began to melt away meaning it was that time of the mind again. Wake Up Time. But before it ended Bill said had something to say.

"Just relax and trust me with this one kid. Your dad will come to expect it in his own time. For now enjoy it. Cause once ya truely grow up, ya can never go back. And we both know he won't be around forever. Like they say "Ya never know what ya have until it's gone". See ya in your dreams kiddo."

And with that the rest was history. But from those last words Bill told me when I began to wake up and I realized he was right. As much as I've grown I'm still just some little kid with no idea where I'm really going here. If I push my dad away too soon I might end up getting myself hurt or in trouble and he won't be there to help me when I need him most. And it's true that he's gonna pass on sooner or later and I gotta love and cherish what time I got with him while I can.

"Cause ya never know what ya have until it's gone."