#pinescifica

The young man glanced up at her laugh and gave a sheepish look. He quickly gathered up the materials; pages and tomes shuffled together and stuffed in a shoulder bag. After placing the bag carefully in the back seat, he exited the vehicle (an older model VW Beetle) and walked around it to Pacifica. They shared a hug of greeting before stepping back.

“Sorry about that!” She said, though she couldn’t keep the touch of humor from being audible. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I guess I didn’t realize you were concentrating that hard.”

“No, no. No need to apologize.” Dipper responded. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I tend to get pretty distracted sometimes. Bad habit, you know?” He flashed her an embarrassed smile. It made him look young and she found it to be charming.

“I think it’s cute.” She informed him. And she meant it. In many ways, Dipper was an adorable dork. Rather, he was still an adorable dork. She could remember him from their rare and varied encounters in their youth. He had always been excited over a new mystery or puzzle, and would become completely absorbed, eager to get to the bottom of it. She could tell that his youthful exuberance had become a deep intelligence and demanding curiosity. The male Pines twin liked to understand how things worked. As someone who employed similar desires in work and in life, Pacifica respected that.

His smile, if anything, became more embarrassed, and he turned to the passenger side car door.  It took a couple of tries for him to realize it was still locked. He shot a look over his shoulder to see if she had noticed. She kept a cheerfully blank look on her face, pretending that she hadn’t. After using the key, he finally got the door open. He took a step back, and held it open, indicating that she was free to take a seat.

“Such a gentleman,” she teased. “You must do this for all the ladies.”

“Just Mabel.” He replied. “And now you.” Pacifica didn’t have a response for that, and when she met his gaze, his eyes were a touch serious. Fortunately, she was spared by the closing of the car door. As Dipper walked around to the driver’s side, she worried she had already set a bad tone for their date, and she felt guilty.

However, when the young man sat down behind the wheel, he was smiling and had a genial air about him. He started the car, immediately turning off the radio before any music could play. With a slight suspicion of exactly which artist he had been previously listening to, Pacifica took the opportunity to glance around the interior. It certainly showed its age in terms of equipment and style, but it was clean and comfortable.

Dipper must have noticed her inspection, because he shrugged. “Mabel wanted cute and cozy. I wanted good gas mileage and no car payment. This checked all the boxes.”

“Smart,” she replied. “I like it.”

“Thanks.” The male Pines then pitched his voice to convey irony. “Now, are you ready for an evening of whimsy and enchantment?”

She chuckled at his terminology and at the slight self-deprecation. “I most certainly am. What exactly do you have planned for us?”

“Oh, I pulled out all the stops. Just you wait!” He pulled away from the curb. “So, how was work?”

They discussed work during the drive. Pacifica talked about her day, trying to gloss over the boring details like meetings or some new ordinances passed by the Gravity Falls mayor. But every time she attempted to spare Dipper from something he would find to be dull, he would ask questions and prompt her to keep taking. Before she knew it, she was ranting about the ridiculous legislative decision making of Mayor Cutebiker and the inane restructuring she would now need to do for several of her businesses. Dipper nodded through all of it, adding a relevant comment here and there. As her rant came to an end, she stared at him questioningly.

“You can’t actually be interested in this stuff.” She stated. “It’s seriously just silly things I have to deal with. You shouldn’t have to listen to it.”

The male Pines kept his eyes on the road, though the corner of his mouth turned up. “I wouldn’t say non-interested. I just don’t know much about it.” He said. “But it’s clearly important to you, and so I like listening.” His tone was very matter-of-fact.

“Oh,” was all she could think to say in response to that.

Something must have been present in her voice, because he spared a glance at her. She waved him away, attempting to dismiss any concerns. She didn’t want to reveal the response his statement had touched off in her.

“Tell me about your day. What’s it like working in the library?” She asked, both wanting to change the subject and keep the conversation going.

“Impossibly banal.” Dipper answered sardonically. “Now, I’m not saying I got into library sciences for the sex appeal… but I thought surely there would be a little more to the day-to-day at least.”

“Pretty routine then?”

“Yeah, and the routine is also pretty simple.” He explained. “It seems like a lot of people take after a certain deputy-sheriff and don’t do much reading. Which, in what is certainly an ironic statement coming from a librarian, may actually be a good thing.”

His sheepish look returned, and he pulled a little at his collar. “It’s just that, uh, I’ve started writing a book. Hopefully a book series, really. And slow days at the library give me more time to work on it.” He jerked his thumb at the back seat. “I was doing a little work before…”

“Before I scared the heck out of you?” Pacifica offered.

“… before our date started.” He finished sternly. Though the twinkle in his eye removed any potential for venom from the words.

“Well, that sounds really neat.” She said. “What are they going to be about?”

“It’s mystery slash adventure.” Dipper answered, becoming animated. “The two kids are in the woods one day when they discover…”

His synopsis continued. Pacifica listened fondly, recalling her earlier thoughts about a certain dorky quality of her date. Eventually, they pulled into a parking lot. The car came to a stop and she took stock of the scene as Dipper got out. They were in a strip mall in a part of town she didn’t think she’d been to before. A hardware store and a vape shop occupied the spaces on either side of the restaurant they had parked in front of, a place bearing the name ‘Hellas Good Food’. She reached for the door latch, to find the door already open and Dipper holding a hand out. She took it and allowed him to help her exit the Bug.

“Greek?” She asked.

“You mentioned you liked it,” was his answer. “I did some investigating, and this spot, for all that it’s a hole-in-the-wall, is supposed to be the best. Apparently precisely because it is a hole-in-the-wall.”

Pacifica blinked. She had mentioned she liked Greek food. She had mentioned it several weeks ago. Had he really remembered?

Dipper gestured to the restaurant. “Shall we?”

Pacifica beamed. “We shall.”

Dinner was, in a word, excellent. The friendly owner of the place, a boisterous man named Zorba, attended to them personally. He told them the story of his emigration from Greece and regaled them with all he had seen. Dishes were recommended and subsequently consumed. And even if it wasn’t the best Greek food she had ever had (largely due to her vacation to the country a few years back), it was a close second. Mostly, she was impressed and appreciative of the effort Dipper had made. It was touching.

After he picked up the tab, they returned to the car, with Dipper once again exhibiting chivalry. He maneuvered out of the lot and drove in the direction of downtown.

“So, where are we off to next?” She asked. “I mean, assuming there is a next, of course.”

He chuckled. “That was stop one of three, actually. Now, I’m not going to claim that stop two will blow you away, but I do believe it will leave quite the impression.”

She attempted to pry more information from him throughout the drive, but he remained tightlipped. The trip was light-hearted and full of banter, and she was almost sorry as they parked once again.

That was until she noticed where they were: The Gravity Falls Theatre Time Theater. She had only to catch a glimpse of the name “BABBA” displayed on the marquee for her to understand exactly what was going on. As she accepted Dipper’s assistance out of the car, she raised an incredulous eyebrow at him. His grinned in response.

“I never said what kind of impression…”

Afterwards, they were in agreement in only one aspect: Gravity Falls’ adaption of the musical had been terrible.

“Unforgivable, really.” Dipper said. “It’s simply beyond the pale to take what is already awful source material and somehow make it worse.”

“Utterly abominable.” Pacifica said. “I cannot believe they could have what was already basically a modern masterpiece and completely fail to land any jokes or emotion with it.”

They debated on what had ultimately been the dooming feature and when they had known of the impending failure. She claimed it was right at the beginning, when the emcee had announced that the part of the lead would be played that evening by Toby Determined. He claimed it was when the audience had collectively realized the script had been altered to cause the story to take place in lumber country Oregon. Both admitted that the fact that the very first note of the evening had been off-pitch had also been a bad sign.

The playful back and forth continued along their next car ride, though this one was shorter, and up until they were seated in what Pacifica discovered was the town’s newest whiskey bar.

“Let me guess,” she said knowingly, looking at Dipper over the top of the drink menu. “You remembered that I said I was more of a whiskey girl.”

Her date said nothing, studying his own menu pointedly. But she could almost feel the pleased grin on his face. She dropped her gaze back down to the selection, trying to decide what appealed most. She also wondered what the extent of Dipper’s whiskey knowledge was, and what he would order. When the waiter appeared and asked what they would like, Dipper gave the ‘ladies first’ gesture.

“It’s an Irish whiskey kind of night, I think. I’ll take two fingers of the Jameson 12. Neat, of course.” She stated, folding her menu and fixing a look on Dipper, curious.

The young man took a couple more glances around the page, then spoke in a firm voice. “Your selection of the smoky blends is a little lacking, but I do agree with the lady that it is an Irish kind of night. I’ll have two fingers of the Connemara, the single malt. And go ahead and dash some water in. I’d like that peat to open up.” He calmly handed the menu over and met Pacifica’s gaze as the waiter retreated. They looked at each other across the table.

She had only to hold the eye contact for a couple of seconds more before Dipper flushed and glanced to the side. “I, um, may have been doing some research.” He admitted, his voice uncertain. “You know, to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself.”

As cute as it was to see him flustered, Pacifica felt bad for making him uncomfortable. She reached out and placed her hand on his, both now resting on the table top. She gave his a squeeze.

“It was very sweet of you. And rather impressive as well. You looked good, ordering like that. Thank you.” She smiled in gratitude, and she returned it. They stayed like that for a bit, waiting for their orders. When the drinks arrived and the waiter had left again, they each raised their glass, clinked them together, and took a sip. She hummed her approval and he nodded in agreement.

“So,” Pacifica said casually as they each lowered their glass. “Just how hard would you say you’ve been trying tonight?”

To his credit, Dipper didn’t flinch or ask her what she meant. He did give a small grimace before taking another drink. This one was a little bigger than the first. After setting it back down, he met her eyes.

“Honestly? Decently hard, I would say.” His answer was careful, but had the ring of candor to it. He looked contemplative, though his eye contact was steady. “I felt really bad about that other night. We both did, Mabel and me. We were both pretty worried after you ran out like that. It was… sudden.”

He absentmindedly rotated the napkin under his glass so that it was perpendicular to the table edge, doing so without looking away from her. “And then Mabel told me about your conversation. About how you felt with the whole ‘us’ thing. About the vibe we gave off. And…” He sighed. “And I’m sorry about that. So, yes, I guess I tried pretty hard on this date, to try and help move you away from some of those bad feelings.”

Pacifica smiled at this, hopeful that he couldn’t read the touch of pretense in it. Dipper was impossibly caring, and she could feel her reaction to that in her gut. However, he was also somewhat naïve and seemed to have more than a touch of self-doubt. She imagined that the combination must sometimes prevent him from taking proper credit when it was due.

“I really appreciate that.” She told him. “But I am afraid I don’t believe you. I don’t believe you when you say you are trying pretty hard on this date.” She rushed the last sentence to prevent his obviously forthcoming objection, and he settled back down.

She gestured around her. “We’re at a whiskey bar right now. Because I said I enjoyed whiskey. Before that, we went to a musical. A bad musical. And one that you don’t even like in the first place. But one that I like. And for dinner, you tracked down a Greek restaurant, due to a single line from me ages ago. Honestly, I forgot I even said that.” She shook her head, still somewhat unbelieving that all of this could have occurred. Let alone occurred to her. “I’m going to go out on a limb, and guess that you also do this for Mabel. I’m going to guess that you do this for her all the time.”

Dipper frowned, seemingly caught off-guard by the sudden twist in the conversation. “I mean, I guess so?” He didn’t sound certain.

Pacifica rolled her eyes affectionately. “Ok, how about this. Tell me what the two of you did on your first official date as a couple. Did you take her out?”

“Um, yeah, actually. I took her to a county fair.” The male twin scratched his head, and she could see the remembrance in his eyes. “She had seen something about it in the school paper, and mentioned having a craving for corn dogs. So when the weekend came, I took her there as a surprise. She was so excited!” He chuckled fondly.

“We must have crisscrossed those fair grounds half-a-dozen times. And we definitely went on every ride in the place. But only after we ate far too many corn dogs. She kept insisting on putting powdered sugar from the funnel cake stand on them.” He groaned suddenly. “That’s right! She made me go on the tilt-a-whirl. God I hate that ride. I, uh, I threw up most of those corn dogs afterwards.” He shot her a bashful smile before taking gulp of his whiskey. “It was not dignified. At all.”

She covered her mouth with a hand, attempting to hide just how amusing she found that. As well as just how incredibly sweet. When she had it back under control, she fixed him with a piercing look. “Exactly my point. You went out of your way to show Mabel a great time, precisely because you knew it was something she wanted to do. You even sacrificed dignity for it.” She raised her glass in a gesture of acknowledgment, and then polished off the remaining whiskey. “Don’t sell yourself short, Dipper. You aren’t trying very hard. You’re just being yourself.”

Dipper attempted to grab the attention of the waiter, looking past Pacifica and holding up a single finger to indicate the need for a second round. “Well, maybe. But it isn’t anything special, right? It’s just the normal way to treat someone you love.”

Pacifica quickly looked down at the table, schooling her face into a blank and neutral slate. She did not want to reveal the emotional flat line his words had caused within her. In her experience, Dipper’s attitude was indeed something special. She couldn’t recall that last time someone had done as much for her as he did for Mabel. Or as much as he had done for her today. And for him to just casually comment on it like that? She wasn’t angry. Just astonished. And maybe a little sad.

Her silence must have tipped him off though, because she could feel his eyes return to her. She glanced up briefly to see him staring at her, his features concerned and sincere. She swiftly returned to studying the table, uncertain beneath the intensity of such a gaze.

He seemed to understand, however. “Shit,” he breathed. “Mabel mentioned something about this. I’m so sorry Pacifica, I should have remembered.” She was vaguely aware of him adding a second finger in his signal to the waitress.

“Maximillian.” She stated flatly. Feeling his impending question, she continued. “I’ve really only had one serious relationship. Some flings here and there, that awkward whatever that is in high school. But in terms of mature, adult relationships? There’s only been one. Maximillian Hensley Schmidt.”

“Heck of name,” came a cautious comment from across the table.

She smirked wryly. “It gets worse. Technically I should be adding ‘the fourth’ to it.” She glanced up in time to see Dipper pull a face, and she chuckled. The laugh felt good. She barely acknowledged the placement of two new drinks in front of her, instead just picking one up and holding it against her forehead. The chill from the glass spread across her skin, and she figured she must be more flushed than she had realized. Dipper remained silent, for which she was grateful. It gave her a chance to collect her thoughts.

“We met at a fancy fundraiser downtown. He was a young lawyer, I was a young businesswoman. I didn’t think much of that first meeting, besides the fact that he was handsome and probably pretty well-off.” She sneered, displeased with her past self. “But apparently he thought something of me. He began courting me. And I mean the traditional courting, like from the movies and whatnot. He sent flowers, made formal visits, arranged for us to appear at events together. It was all pretty flattering. Especially when there was the sense of expectation, a sense that this was what you’ve been waiting for. A sense that this was what it was supposed to look like.”

Pacifica gave a bitter chuckle and tossed back the whiskey, downing the entire glass in one go. “It seemed like a pretty solid match. One of those power couples you are always hearing about, you know? Lawyer and businesswoman, two young professionals. It’s the dream, what more could you want? The town certainly seemed to agree, what with the attention we attracted. My parents definitely were on board, which maybe should have been a clue.” The second drink disappeared in another gulp and she returned the glass to her forehead.

“It took me awhile, but I finally realized that there wasn’t any emotion behind his gestures or his words or behind his anything, really. Everything looked good from the outside, and in hindsight, that was probably the point. But from within the relationship? The ‘tokens of affection’ were basically bribes, the ‘sweet nothings’ were empty of any heart, and the ‘sex’ was passable at best.” She caught Dipper’s little fidget at the mention of sex, and she gave a half-hearted grin at how adorable he was. The grin twisted into a frown at the irony of her next thought, which she articulated. “He was essentially completing a series of tasks that he was required to input in order to create a result. They were steps in a mating dance, and he was performing them like we were on some nature documentary.”

It took a moment to work up the courage, but she finally put the glass back down, placing both of her hands flat on the table, and looking Dipper in the eye. “Despite all of that, we still ‘courted’ for a long time before I ended it. Another year, at least. A year! Even after I realized what a mockery the whole thing was and what a fake he was. What a sham I was. It’s pretty disappointing, really.”

She rolled her neck, attempting to steady herself for her next words. “That ended about half a year ago? I’ve been pretty freaking single since, and had planned on staying that way for a while. At least, right up until you two came along.” She tried to give him as meaningful a smile as she could, hoping to convey some sense of what she felt. “It was difficult, to see the two of you in comparison to all of that stuff with him. But it’s better now. Time spent with Mabel the other day and time spent with you tonight has shown me how different it can be. How different it should be.”

Her voice became soft, and she blinked rapidly to ensure she wouldn’t embarrass herself with any watery eyes. “Regardless of what happens here or where this goes, I’ll forever be grateful for that. So thank you.” The next words came out a whisper and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Thank you.”

The sudden warmth on her hands as Dipper clasped them in his own startled her, and her eyes shot back open. His face was tender and he spoke softly but empathetically. “Hey. That guy was a total jerk. Fuck him.” She gave a surprised snort and he grinned somberly. “Seriously. You don’t need people like that in your life, and you should never have to question yourself or your own worth. And not because I say so or because Mabel says so, but because you do. Because it’s the truth. You’re something else, Pacifica. I see it, Mabel sees it, and I know so many other people do as well. One guy didn’t and that’s his loss. He chose to be an ass about it, and that eliminates him from any further consideration from you. Forget him. You don’t have to deal with him ever again. You understand?”

The emotion choked her, and she could only offer a nod in response, not trusting herself to speak.

“Good,” he said, giving her hands a squeeze. “Now what do you say I drive you home? That Jameson is pretty strong stuff. At least, that’s what I understand from my reading…”

Pacifica laughed. She couldn’t help it. Even at his most serious, he was still such a dork. He helped her down from the chair and put an arm around her to help escort her. She leaned over and kissed his cheek and as she did so, the savory sounds of Mr. Attenborough once again danced through her head.

Immediately apparent was the soft gold of the early morning sun, just beginning to peek through the half-closed blinds in the room. ‘Just-after-dawn’ was a time she had come to know well. Her former habit of sleeping late had become broken more and more of late, as new obligations arose both with her burgeoning career and within the home. She enjoyed looking upon the oranges and yellows cast by the emerging sun. It was easy to imagine the promise of the new day; fresh starts and boundless possibilities. Pacifica liked that thought. It was comfort that she had come to rely on.

Stretching slightly and attempting to work the drowsiness from her limbs, she followed the aureolin beam as it flowed into the room. The beam fell across the bed and upon the other comfort she had come to rely on; the dual shocks of brown hair peeking out from under the covers. The Pines twins slept on, unaware of her sudden exit from slumber. The two were curled up next to each other, the blanket around their chins and their shallow breathing synchronized. Pacifica smiled fondly at their peaceful features, identical in so many ways.

She eased herself from the bed, careful not to wake the other occupants, and quickly wrapped herself in the dressing gown she always kept close by. Some habits broke harder than others. For Pacifica, the desire for some measure of modesty in the home was one of them. Even if one person she now shared it with often did not feel the same way. It was the kind of character quirk that she had come to think of fondly, shaking her head in amusement at the idea of defiant nudism. As she tied off the belt and slipped out of the bedroom, she was somewhat surprised to find herself in a mood for rumination. Perhaps her dream had more effect than usual.

She trailed her hand along the light teal walls of the hallway, casting her mind backwards. It had been several years now since the night she had lain under the stars and made love to a set of twin siblings. It had been a magical night. Pacifica blanched mentally. She was not the kind of woman to use the word ‘magical’. But even she couldn’t deny it was the correct word in this instance. The evening had truly been something else; an evening of immense passion and intense pleasure. Both were natural results of giving yourself completely to another. And of taking another as well. Two others, in this case.

But more importantly, it had been the night she had officially stopped running and allowed herself to try. Try and take a chance on something that was different. Something that was unconventional. Something that was unpredictable. Something that was not perfect, would not be perfect, could never be perfect. And despite that, or perhaps more accurately because of that, it was one of the most wonderful things ever.

Pacifica turned into the kitchen. The routine was easy and familiar to her by this point. She had made a promise, years ago, after all. And she was happy to fulfil her end of the bargain. First was setting the vermillion kettle on the stove and turning the dial so that the blue flame came to life beneath it. Second was the flicking of the switch on the coffee maker, its maroon buttons faded from use. Next came the rummaging in the cupboard and finding of the appropriate mugs. A simple mug of onyx for Dipper, a small mug with a scarlet rose on the side for Pacifica, and a mug with a handle made to look like a banana and bright neon green and electric blue stripes for Mabel were all set on the counter. Creamer and sugar were put out, ready for when they would be needed. The kettle was whistling soon enough, and Pacifica poured the boiling water into her own mug, dropping a tea bag of English Breakfast in after it. As the coffee percolated, she leaned back against the counter, breathing in the faint steam from her mug and looking wistfully at the periwinkle walls.

It had been quite the event, picking colors for the rooms that had required repainting. It had come as a surprise to none of them that she and Mabel had conflicting opinions on what constituted a proper color scheme for an apartment. Just as it hadn’t been a surprise that, when they had asked for Dipper’s opinion on the matter, he had been unable to hear them over the sound of his summer reading. Ultimately, he had to get involved, of course. Partly because it was his home as well, but also because she and Mabel had made no headway with their own efforts to resolve the issue. Pacifica didn’t think she had ever actually settled something through rock-paper-scissors before. But she had to admit that the technique had worked; she had her periwinkle kitchen and Mabel had her fuchsia and mint bedroom. She also had to admit that the technique had been fun as well.

She took a sip of her tea, enjoying the taste and the way the hot drink invigorated her. Black tea had always been her favorite. After some more musing, she decided that “quite the event” was probably the best way to describe most things that happened with the Pines siblings. Off the top of her head, she could recall several incidents. That one time at the amusement park or their road trip to the Rockies, for example. The infamous pottery class disaster. And, of course, Pacifica was certain she would never forget her last birthday. Or the manner in which her two lovers had decided to celebrate it.

Moving in together was just another instance on the list. She could remember the day the issue had been formally addressed. The twins had made such a production of it, with a special dinner and candles and flowers and what looked to be quite the prepared speech. Pacifica had been terrified that they had been about to propose or something! She had been so relieved to find out that the entire evening was merely to ask if she wanted to move in that she had laughed for a solid ten minutes. She was still chuckling and wiping tears from her eyes as she slid both of them a set of keys. She’d had a new place picked out for some time at that point, and had been waiting for the right moment to ask them. Shock on the part of the Pines had given way to hilarity, and the whole spectacle had resolved nicely, allowing them to enjoy the rest of the evening in an appropriate fashion.

The blush resulting from that particular memory faded as Pacifica grimaced slightly to herself. It had been oddly easy for the Pines to make the transition. They had packed up their little two-bedroom apartment, stuffed it all in a rent-a-van, and were moved in within the weekend. A phone call to their parents, explaining that they were moving and that they had a new roommate and that yes, she was wonderful and no, there was nothing wrong their lease was just up is all and this was closer to work, and whatever else functioning families talked about over the phone had quickly cleared up any other potential issues. Pacifica still hadn’t addressed the subject with her parents. Or really anyone else, for that matter. It wasn’t so much that the subject was a touchy one (although it was), but rather that there wasn’t anyone to talk to about it. And if the realization that her parents didn’t even call enough to prompt the discussion sometimes stung, then at least it was soothed somewhat by the resulting ability to avoid an extremely awkward conversation.

Pacifica sighed a little to herself. She glanced at the cat clock on the wall, its tabby-orange striped tail swishing as it counted out the seconds, and saw that it was just about time. Bustling about the kitchen once more, she assembled the things she needed. A trip to the small pantry produced a box of cereal that was more marshmallows then grains. Reaching into a cabinet resulted in a bowl and a rummaging in a drawer allowed for the grabbing of a spoon. The carton of milk was taken from the fridge. Cereal in the bowl, followed by milk, the spoon, and just a touch of extra sugar from the jar. The coffee machine clicked off, and she poured a small amount into the banana-handled mug, adding a small amount of creamer and a large amount of sugar. She carefully set everything at the corner of the small kitchen island, and took a step back, counting down with the help of the clock.

3…2…1… wham!

Pacifica couldn’t prevent a giggle from escaping her as a blur of pink and magenta slammed into the wall, unable to properly make the turn in its haste. Mabel Pines shook her head slightly, as if to dismiss any consequence of her race car-esque collision and, seeing the coffee and cereal laid out for her, she fell upon it with a will. As her female lover scarfed down the meal, Pacifica watched, her eyebrow raised slightly in delight. Mabel was, and likely always would be, ridiculous. And exuberant. And affectionate and dedicated and a million other things. Pacifica had come to rely on the brunette’s thirst for life and the fierce way she clung to it and those she loved. Pacifica felt profoundly fortunate to be included in that second category.

Mabel had been taking on more responsibility at the school, moving from substitute teacher to full teacher. She had her own classroom now, and if the image of Mabel instructing a gaggle of first-grade brats wasn’t the most natural thing in the world, then Pacifica didn’t know what was. She enjoyed watching Mabel take her first sip of the coffee. It was made just the way she liked it, the knowledge of which had taken a fair amount of effort to gain. But seeing way the female twin closed her eyes in pleasure made it all worth it.

Opening her eyes, Mabel finally acknowledged Pacifica’s presence with a sheepish grin. “P.T.A. meeting before class.”

“I know.” The blonde replied.

“I forget all about it, and didn’t set my alarm to an earlier time.” The brunette explained.

“I know,” was once again the response.

Mabel narrowed her eyes in accusation. “And you didn’t wake me up?”

“And risk your wrath?” Pacifica asked. “Perish the thought!” She gave a knowing smile. “Besides, I know you, Miss Mabel. You wouldn’t have actually gotten out of bed any earlier anyway. You would have just stayed there until the last minute.”

Mabel opened her mouth, her face one of innocent protestation. But when she caught the smile and the cocked eyebrow, she paused and then ducked her head bashfully in defeat.  It had taken some time for Pacifica to learn how to best Mabel at these little exchanges. And she still rarely won. But it was always entertaining.  She looked at the clock pointedly.

The other woman glanced at it as well, and her eye grew wide. She quickly gulped the rest of her coffee, rising from her seat and rushing over to the sink. Dropping both dishes off, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Thanks for breakfast Paz!” The brunette exclaimed, planting a smooch on Pacifica’s cheek. “Are we still on for after work?”

Pacifica nodded, though it likely went unnoticed as other woman was already out the door and down the hallway. So she called out to her. “Definitely! And I’ll remind the man of the house as well.”

“Better do it quickly, or he’ll remind you first!” Mabel’s voice came drifting back. There was another sound of a body impacting with a wall, followed by the jingle of keys as they were taken off the hook. “Okay, bye! Love ya!”

“Love ya too!” Pacifica shouted, hearing the front door open and close.

The words felt good to say. They always did. It hadn’t taken her very long to use the ‘L’-word with the twins, as far as conventional timelines go. There were probably rules about saying those three little words too soon, or making sure it was said in the proper manner, place, or time. But the truth was she had felt deeply about both of the Pines pretty much from the beginning. So one night, while all three were at an ice cream stand, she had just blurted it out, right there while sitting on the dinky plastic picnic table, the entire scene lit by a crappy neon ice cream cone. The two had immediately returned the sentiment, a fact she was quite grateful for. Saying “I love you” had been treated like just a formality. But it had felt significant to her. Especially considering the fact that she had never said the words to a romantic partner before.

The dishes were deposited into the dishwasher, and Pacifica put away the other elements of Mabel’s breakfast. She refilled her mug with fresh hot water, allowing the tea bag to seep for a second time. Spotting the time on the clock, she poured a second cup of coffee, this time into the remaining plain mug. Nothing was added this time, the beverage staying black. She held the mug out and waited a moment.

The sounds of yawning and the shuffling of feet became audible as Dipper Pines turned into the kitchen. He was wearing his awful tartan pajama pants, the stripes of cardinal red and hunter green faded and ratty from age. She rolled her eyes affectionately, remembering the last time she had tried to persuade the young man to finally throw out the offensive article of clothing. The way he had stubbornly set his jaw had been as much of a turn on as it had been a source of frustration.

After rubbing his eyes, Dipper blinked as he looked about the room, clearly still groggy. He had recently become a published author, as the first book of his mystery-adventure series had been picked up for publishing last year. They had all been so excited, with Dipper being especially adorable in his geeking out over the announcement. As such, he had been scaling back his time at the library, using the hours instead to work on both the edits to book one and to get a head start on the next novel. Today was one of his off days and he would be spending it at home, hard at work writing.

His gaze settled on the cup of coffee, and he smiled softly as he took it from her hands. Shooting Pacifica a grateful glance, he stepped closer and kissed her gently on the forehead. She happily leaned into the kiss, humming a little.

“Thanks.” Dipper said. “You’re a life saver.”

She blushed a little at the hyperbole. “I know.”

He blew across the rim of the mug before taking a sip. “Did Mabel get out alright? She was running a little late. I take it she forget her meeting?”

“Yeah, she left just a bit ago.” Pacifica turned to her own mug, removing the tea bag before taking a sip of her own. “She managed to eat a bowl of cereal and had a cup of coffee before she had to go.”

“Both of which you had ready for her?” Dipper inquired, though his voice indicated that he already knew the answer. When she said nothing, he chuckled. “You truly are a life saver.”

She tried to brush away his compliment. The gentle affection and tender caring of the male Pines was something she had come to know better. But it would potentially never be something she would grow used to. He always treated it like such a natural course of fare. She adored being a recipient, and had promised herself a thousand times that she would never take it for granted.

“Well, it’s all part of the deal, right?” Catching the time on the clock, she put her half-full cup on the counter and began moving out of the room in a leisurely fashion. “I’ve got to catch a shower before work … Do you want to join me?”

The click of a second mug hitting the counter was all the answer she needed.

It was still an interesting phenomenon to her; intimacy with the one of the Pines twins alone. She pondered on the subject as she stepped under the scalding water of her shower. It wasn’t as if it was unexpected, of course. She had experienced her fair share of kissing and heavy petting with each when they had been doing their ‘individual dating period’. And she had hardly expected every experience afterwards to involve all three of them. Still, it was one thing to be aware of that concept, and quite another to be brought to a shuddering orgasm by one sibling while the other was in the next room, reading a book or watching television.

That didn’t mean it was a bad thing, of course, she thought as she squeezed some of her lavender body wash onto her purple loofah. If anything, it hinted at the idea that the twins were just as involved with her as she was with them. She groaned softly at the feeling of Dipper stepping into the shower behind her, his body hard against her as he hugged her from behind. He gently tugged the loofah out of her hands and began to spread the suds across her skin in lazy but effective circles. She shivered at the feeling and leaned back against him, allowing herself to relax. She closed her eyes to the eggshell white tiles and aqua shower curtain surrounding them, and didn’t think of anything more for a while.

After toweling herself dry and applying the appropriate level of makeup for a young professional, Pacifica stared at her closet. The trio had set up their apartment in a similar fashion as the Pines had with their old place. The three all slept in the master bedroom, sharing the giant fluffy bed they had purchased together. The other two bedrooms were ‘Mabel’s’ and ‘Dipper’s’, adequately furnished so that each could be shown to guests without raising suspicion. They had reused the Murphy bed trick, allowing once more for Mabel to have her own craft room, as well as this time around giving Dipper his own home office. In return, Pacifica had demanded full control of the walk-in closet, and had been pleased at the lack of resistance to that particular notion. It may have helped that Dipper only owned about one suit, and Mabel’s fancier ware, while numerous, paled in comparison to the sheer amount of clothing Pacifica possessed.

Ultimately, she selected her favorite navy-blue business suit, the skirt and jacket properly fashionable for the current business trends. She added a cream shirt, practical black heels, and a set of silver earrings. The day was nothing special, but the events of the morning had made her feel significant and important, and she wanted to keep that feeling going throughout her entire day. After looking in the mirror, she turned and saw Dipper, leaning against the doorframe and gazing at her.  He had donned once more his terrible pajama bottoms, adding a mustard yellow ‘mathletes’ shirt that he had owned since high school. If the glance in the mirror had confirmed to her that she looked presentable, then the appreciative look on the male Pines’ face insured there was no doubt.

“You look amazing.” He said. “I’ve got your attaché here. Mabel already packed your lunch and it’s inside.”

He handed the deep brown leather bag over to her, and she accepted it, shooting him a questioning look.

“No, I don’t know what she packed for lunch.” He said, his voice rueful. “You know the rules as well as I do; we aren’t allowed to check until lunchtime.”

She sighed, though there was a wry humor to it. It was pretty difficult to feel anything other than slight irritation at any of the female twin’s antics. She looked at her watch, and then back to Dipper, opening her mouth to say something.

“I know, you need to go.” He said, moving out of the door so she could exit. As she walked by, he gave her a kiss.

She smiled into his lips, before breaking away and attempting to speak again. Another kiss stopped her.

“I know,” he said as the kiss ended. “We have the drinks after work. I will be there.”

Grumbling to herself about the accuracy of Mabel’s prediction, she stalked off, grabbing her keys and reaching the door before looking back. Dipper had resumed leaning against the doorframe, his face one of amused patience.

“Love you.” He said.

“Love you too.” She replied. And then she was out the door.

The drive to the office was often a pleasant one. Part of that was due to the way the mahogany leather seats felt beneath her and the way her crimson sports car hugged the road. Admittedly, the car had been something of an impulse splurge. But she had had a pretty good past year businesswise, adding several prominent companies to her collection and making a breakthrough into half a dozen new markets. She had felt that she had earned a treat.

Zipping into the garage, she parked the car between the yellow lines, stopping before the sign designating the spot as reserved for her. She stepped through the front doors, enjoying the general hustle and bustle of busy employees as she made her way through the building. The mauve walls and the white florescent lights were comfortably familiar. Various plants showed off their green leaves. She was still unsure about whether she believed the studies that claimed plants increased productivity.

Her secretary caught up to her, handing over a stack of notes as they began listing off the various things Pacifica had to do today. Pacifica paused to look through the pile, handing the different pages back to the secretary as she responded to them.

“Tell him no, I won’t settle for less than a quarter million. Yes, arrange for a lunch meeting, I really need to get that squared away. This check goes in general, this check goes in trust, and put this one in to the Long-term Lending and Acquisition Management Account. And for the last time, no, I have no interest in local politics.”

Her secretary collected all the pages, nodding their understanding as Pacifica resumed her walk.

“Your first appointment is already here and waiting in the office.” The secretary stated hurriedly before turning around and returning to their desk.

Pacifica paused. She didn’t recall having a meeting this morning. She must have forgotten. She shrugged and finished her walk, pushing through her doors and entering her office …

… and stepped right into the pair of arms of a broad shouldered man, clad in a grey suit, his charcoal tie sharp and prominent against the slate shirt, opening for an embrace, all synthetic warmth and deliberate intimacy as they folded around her.

“Hey there honey cakes.” The words were spoken by a warm voice, one of confidence, authority, and affection.

The sound made her blood run cold, and she felt a shadow fall on her, as if a small cloud had suddenly appeared above her. Stepping back, she braced herself and met the man’s eyes.

Pacifica ducked a little and pretended to look into her half-empty gin and tonic. Keeping her head lowered, she glanced up carefully at the twins. Mabel and Dipper had been holding hands as they entered the restaurant, with the natural look of a couple that had done so a thousand times before. However, upon entering, Mabel had quickly dropped it and pranced over to the bar. Dipper, after looking around the room, had clearly spotted Pacifica and was walking towards her table. He was staring at her, a serious look on his face.

As the male Pines got closer, Pacifica wondered why she was trying to avoid looking up. What she truly so scared, or was she just embarrassed?

It had been two days since the ‘guest room incident’. Much of the contentment she had previously felt as she had drifted off to sleep that night had largely disappeared upon her waking up. The late morning sunlight had revealed the scene quite succinctly: two naked twins in bed with the heir of the Northwest family. As the trio found their clothes and dressed, the panicked timidity from Dipper, undirected bubbliness from Mabel, and reserved silence from Pacifica had resulted in very little conversation. Pacifica had been trying so hard to figure out, well, anything, that she hadn’t been able to attempt conversation. When any of the group had spoken, it had been light, inane, or offhand comments which carefully avoided the topic of the night’s events. Thankfully, the twins had soon been out the door, the final interaction an ‘until next time’ shouted by Mabel.

The radio silence between the two parties had finally been ended by a phone call from Mabel, inviting Pacifica to meet the twins at the nearby family-themed Craisinbee’s. Pacifica had resisted making the obvious ‘two for the price of one’ crack.

It was still surprising to the blonde how big Gravity Falls had become in the past several years. While it would never be a true city, the recent expansion of the Oregon state highways had sent Oregon Route 27 straight through the heart of Gravity Falls. With the increase in traffic, tourists had followed, then actual new residents, and various businesses soon after. A miniature mall-zone had sprung up, and with it Craisinbee’s. Much to Pacifica’s chagrin.

She had been instructed to meet the Pines at the restaurant on Tuesday at 3:39 p.m. Pacifica suspected that Dipper was behind the day and the general time. The place was empty, and there would be no one to see the trio there or to overhear their conversation. That feature had the thoughtful and careful male twin’s mark all over it. She also strongly believed that Mabel was behind the location of the meeting and the suspiciously precise time. It seemed like exactly the kind of thing the female twin would find both amusing and of dire importance.

Pacifica decided that she wouldn’t be intimidated, and that the only way to get to the bottom of this … whatever … was to confront it. She placed her drink down and looked up, meeting Dipper’s eyes.

The young man blushed. Perhaps at the sudden eye contact or perhaps because he had been caught staring. Finishing the walk over, he sat down across from her. She took the opportunity to observe him.

Dipper Pines had grown up. His awkward features had disappeared with age and he carried himself well. He was mostly arms and legs, which were well shaped. His ears were still pretty big, but anyone would call them cute. He kept his hair shaggy and curly, with his bangs still covering his forehead. Even while he stared at her in concentration, his eyes were kind and Pacifica could see the intelligence behind them. His flannel shirt was unbuttoned to reveal the plain tee beneath it, the look casual but not sloppy. He was, Pacifica decided, quite handsome.

Pacifica’s scrutiny was ended by Mabel’s drink order, carried across the room by the female Pines’ boisterous nature. “He will have the light beer on tap, and I will have a Sex in the Puget Sound!”

That was not a drink Pacifica had ever heard of before. She shot Dipper a questioning look. Dipper chuckled affectionately in response.

“It’s a drink of her own creation. Combination of Sex on the Beach and a White Sangria. She invented it while we were…” A light reddish hue began to creep up the man’s neck and cheeks. Pacifica found it adorable. “… visiting Puget Sound.”

Mabel liked to invent her own drinks. Pacifica remembered something about that from way back. Plus, it certainly fit what she knew of female twin’s personality. The blonde nodded and flashed a smile. “Well, she isn’t going to be able to get that at Craisinbee’s.” There was no way the budget-conscious restaurant would carry materials such as peach schnapps or fresh fruit. “I seriously doubt that they have any of the right ingredients.”

The man across from her let out a full laugh. “Yeah, I doubt it too. But Mabel always seems to find a way.” Pacifica could hear the adoration in his voice, the underlying care he felt for his twin. The way his voice sounded caused something within her to flip.

Any attempt to figure out what exactly that feeling had been was interrupted by the appearance of Mabel. She had indeed managed to procure a ridiculously over-the-top fruity drink, the colors of the liquor even brighter than the silly umbrella placed on top. She handed her brother a beer, and sat down, placing her drink in front of her and maneuvering the straw to her mouth.

Now that both of the Pines twins were present, Pacifica could finally bring the pressing subject up. She would demand to know exactly what they had been thinking and what exactly it had meant. Knowing their motivations would allow her to devise the proper steps going forward to ensure everything ended up in the most productive and useful way possible. And maybe she could find out a little more about the duo’s ‘illicit’ relationship. She wasn’t immune to the allure of gossip, after all.

Mabel took a long, drawn out, slurp through her straw. When the slurp ended, Pacifica opened her mouth to say something. Mabel slurped again, interrupting her. When the sound ceased, the blonde again tried to speak. And the other woman’s noisy slurping again completely prevented it. At the ending of this sip, Pacifica furrowed her eyebrows, shooting Mabel a glare. When it looked like Mabel wasn’t going to take another sip, the young Northwest began to speak.

And was this time interrupted by Mabel sliding the drink across the table.

“Here, Paz!” The female twin exclaimed, her voice infuriatingly cheerful. “You have to try this!”

Pacifica did not want to try the drink. For one, there were important matters to discuss. For two, she was quite irked with Mabel’s loud drinking habits. And for three, a business woman such as herself would never drink such a ridiculous concoction! Never mind how sweet and tasty it looked, or how cute it was, or how Mabel was clearly enjoying it…

Pacifica reached for the glass, drew it to herself, and took a sip. And found she very much enjoyed it. It was amazing! She quickly took several more sips before pushing it back.

“This is good!” She said excitedly. “I wouldn’t have expected that!”

Mabel smirked. “Now you know how we felt two nights ago…”

Dipper choked on his drink. Mabel kept her usual grin on her face, her eyes looking pleased. And Pacifica? Pacifica immediately burst out in giggles. She couldn’t help herself. Dipper’s spluttering attempts to say something only caused her to giggle even harder.

It was just so ridiculous. The young Northwest had tried so hard all her life to live exactly correctly, to ensure that any outside observer would approve of her actions. It wasn’t so much a personal philosophy. Rather, it was just good business. Things were easier when they were simple and proper.

And then, a random encounter, a scandalous discovery, and a shockingly-pronounced hickey had seemingly undone all of that work in one fell swoop.

It was too bizarre not to laugh at.

“Yeah, that was pretty crazy. I’ve never done anything like that before!”

“Right?!” Mabel’s voice was excited. “Neither had we!”

Pacifica raised an eyebrow at her. Now that wasn’t exactly true, was it, Ms. Pines? Especially considering the familiarity with each other’s bodies the twins had displayed, something that Pacifica had observed first hand.

It could even been seen now, if to a lesser degree. At the moment, Dipper sat at an angle, his body turned towards Mabel. He rested one arm across the back of his sister’s chair, and when it wasn’t holding his beer, his other hand never strayed far from the table surface in front of her. Mabel sat close to her brother, her closer shoulder resting against his chest. While one hand was busy moving her drink from the table to her mouth, the other rested on Dipper’s forearm. When it wasn’t gesturing, of course.

The brunette blushed. “Well, not like that. Not with anybody else, I mean.” She admitted.

This was the perfect segue way for Pacifica’s questions. “Yeah, I’ve been wantng to ask about that. How long exactly has that been going on? If you don’t mind me asking, that is…” She added the last statement so as not to be rude.

Dipper cut in, his voice brusque. “Well, actually we do mind…” But he stopped when Mabel grabbed his hand.

“Here Dip,” Mabel said, pushing her empty drink at him. “Why don’t you get me a refill?”

Dipper looked at his sister, seemingly to protest. But Mabel batted her eyes at him, and he promptly stood up, took the glass, and stalked off to the bar. Mabel watched her twin go, a caring smile on her face. She then turned and looked Pacifica in the eye, giving Pacifica a chance to take a good look at her.

Mabel had grown up. Youthful cuteness had turned into a more mature set of features. She was several inches shorter than her twin, and her hourglass figure was evident in her full bust and her rounded hips.  Her brown hair fell in easy curls around her shoulders. Framed by hoop earrings, Mabel’s face was soft but sweet, with a button nose and generous lips. Everything was lit up by the mischievous glint in her eyes. Mabel wore one of her outlandish sweaters (this particular one featuring a walrus wearing shutter sunglasses) and the trendy look would clearly make her stand out. She was, Pacifica decided, quite gorgeous.

Mabel leaned forward and motioned Pacifica closer conspiratorially. The blonde leaned in, curious to what the female twin had to say.

“Don’t mind old Dippingsauce there.” She said with a knowing tone. “He just gets worked up about things like this. They make him pretty uncomfortable.”

Pacifica looked quizzically at the brunette. “What, and you’re totally comfortable right now?” She asked slightly sarcastically.

“Well, maybe not totally.” Mabel allowed. “This is pretty bonkers crazy, there is no denying that. What I mean is Dipper just never quite knows what to do in situations like this. Ones where he can’t just create a plan and solve the issue like an equation. I, on the other hand, just don’t let it worry me quite a much.”

The female Pines began to look thoughtful. “It’s not that I don’t want things to go well or to avoid problems. But you can only plan or control so much, you know? Sometimes, things just come out of nowhere and you’ve got to roll with it.”

“That’s how we started out.” Mabel’s voice grew quiet. “Dipper forgets that sometimes. He’s so smart, what would he need to wing things for? He’ll never truly admit to himself that one time, he took a huge leap without any type of plan, and everything worked out. And worked out for the better.” The young woman shook her head slightly. “The silly goof. Little does he realize he’s being doing it time and time again since.”

There was so much adoration in Mabel’s tone. It was impossible to miss how much she loved her twin. The tone caused that something inside of Pacifica to flip again, a little stronger this time.

A sly grin appeared on Mabel’s face and she gave Pacifica a smug look. “And that’s where you come in Paz. You came out of nowhere, and we just rolled with it! Emphasis on the rolling!” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before continuing.

“I know I don’t regret it. I’m pretty sure Dipper is the same way. I’m really just hoping that you don’t regret it either.”

Oddly enough, Pacifica found herself nodding in agreement. Not that she thought she could really consider anything further from this situation. She was just here for answers. After all, the aftermath was tricky, and there were a lot of considerations that she now had to take into account.

But, there was no denying that she had enjoyed the night. Letting go of all her concerns and just, as Mabel put it, rolling with it, had felt wonderful. Different, but wonderful. And there was something more here as well, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what. She dismissed this distracting thought for now.

“There are no regrets here.” The blonde grinned lewdly, suggestion heavy in her tone. “Though a big part of that might just be those delightful little hands of yours, Mabel. Or maybe the way Dipper looks if you touch him just right!”

“Yes!” Mabel agreed, flapping her hand and clearly getting excited. “I love that look! And that thing, you know, that he does with his tongue…”

Pacifica couldn’t help it. She once more burst into a fit of giggles, immediately joined by Mabel. A pointedly cleared throat caused both ladies to look up and see Dipper standing there, his face red. The girls looked at him, looked back at each other, and promptly fell into another round of giggling.

Dipper sat down, clearly attempting to convey that the current discussion was beneath his dignity. As he did so, Mabel stood up.

“Do excuse me,” She said in an odd, over-the-top accent. “I am afraid I must attend the lav-or-atory!” She made the ‘y’ sound stretch out as she moved her hand in a dramatic fashion, resting it against her twin’s cheek. Pacifica did not fail to notice that the male twin leaned into the touch slightly. Mabel held the pose for a second, then gave an unladylike snort and flounced off.

Dipper watched his twin, and Pacifica watched him. When he turned to look at her, she paused for a moment, and then decided to be blunt.

“You don’t trust me.” Pacifica wasn’t trying to accuse him of anything. She just wanted to understand.

Dipper blinked, and then waited for a moment before spreading his hands out.

“Pacifica, the truth is, I don’t know you.” His voice was gentle. “The only times we ever really saw you were during those summers we visited here. And that was, what, a total of four or five times, tops? Even if there were a few instances where it felt like we got close, nothing really ever came of it, you know? There wasn’t exactly any follow up. From either of us.”

The blonde continued to listen thoughtfully. He was correct about that. She hadn’t ever really reached out to either twin, nor had they done so to her.

“Hell, we were just kids. What did we know?” The male twin’s voice began to grow wistful. “It’s crazy to think how much has changed. And in such a short amount of time. It feels like just the blink of an eye, right? Here in Gravity Falls. And within my own life, for sure.”

“God, my own life.” He shook his head ruefully. “It’s been pretty crazy, and it doesn’t look like that is going away anytime soon. And I don’t want it to. That’s why I try to plan as much as I do. I understand that I can’t solve everything, but having a plan ensures some order in the chaos.”

The young man smiled to himself. “Mabel forgets that sometimes. She’s so amazing, what does she need to prepare for? But the plans we laid have ensured time and time again that things go smoothly as often as they do, and she helps make them just as much as I do. It’s still hectic and weird at times, of course. And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Pacifica found herself nodding. She could understand some of what Dipper was trying to say. She certainly wasn’t the same little girl she had been over a decade ago. Her life had changed a lot, and there was still a good amount of unknown in it. But she wasn’t sure she would have done much differently.

“The point being, Pacifica,” Dipper said, meeting her eyes. “Things are different. I have changed. Mabel has changed. It would be completely churlish of me to deny that you probably have changed as well.” His voice was soft for his final statement. “I don’t know you. But I would like to get the chance to.”

Pacifica smiled widely in response. Dipper’s statement had made her cheerful. “I would like that too.” She whispered.

Mabel came back just then, sitting back down beside her brother and taking his hand. Pacifica didn’t miss the squeeze Dipper gave, nor the one Mabel gave in return, the motion practiced.

“Dip and I have got a super crazy, major, nutso secret going here, Paz.” Mabel stated.

Dipper nodded. “And we’ve been dealing with it for a while. We’ll have to keep dealing with it. All of our lives.” He said.

“And now,” Mabel continued, “you’re kind of part of it. And we don’t know what that means!” Pacifica watched her poke her brother, teasing him. “I know that makes old worry-wort here get pretty worked up. And to be fair, it makes me pretty curious as well.”

The table was quiet as each party appeared to be in thought.

“So, what do you think?” Mabel finally asked, her tone serious.

Pacifica fiddled with her glass for a moment. What did she think?

She was pretty sure this wasn’t strictly proper. She was pretty sure this would be something that would be impossible to control. Or something that would be impossible to plan for. Or even something that would be impossible to just roll with. And yet, despite her previous stance, she was pretty sure she didn’t care about any of that. Simple was easier in business, but this wasn’t exactly business, was it?

Pacifica put her drink down on the edge of table, allowing the motion to produce a definitive clunk of glass on wood. She looked at the two twins with equal parts determination and nervousness.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, actually.” She hoped they couldn’t hear the shake in her voice. “I even had a whole little speech I wanted to give you. But now, it doesn’t seem to matter.”

Listening to the two Pines had made her prepared remarks superfluous. The words they had spoken, and the sentiment they had conveyed had touched something off in Pacifica.

She still didn’t know all the details. She didn’t have the ‘when’ or the ‘what’ of the twins. But she was beginning to see the ‘how’. The twins worked because of Mabel’s charisma and ability to be extemporaneous and because of Dipper’s intelligence and ability to steer a course whenever possible.

And she could see the ‘why’. It had been evident from the moment they walked into the place. It had been present two nights ago. And it was present now in the way Mabel slowly traced her thumb along the back of Dipper’s hand. The Pines twins loved each other.

Pacifica made her decision.

She spoke, trying to keep her voice careful.

“I would like to become part of the secret. And maybe, we can find out just how I fit into it?”

Pacifica held her head up, hoping that she didn’t reveal just how terrified she was.

Mabel immediately smiled. “Paz, I am one million percent on board with this!”

Pacifica felt herself flush in gratitude. She nodded at Mabel and both turned to look at Dipper. Dipper cleared his throat, seeming to take careful stock of his words.

“I agree,” He said. “I would like that too.” His voice took on a more assured vibe. “Let’s do that.”

Pacifica felt pleased at the accord of both twins. Mabel continued to grin, and Dipper looked a little caught off guard, but glad. Pacifica ducked her head, suddenly shy, but unable to hide her pleasure. The feeling washed over her in a decidedly nice way.

It was time to go for the kill.

“And I think I’d like one of those drinks of yours, Mabel.” she said.

Mabel threw back her head and laughed. Pacifica found herself quickly joining in. Even Dipper chuckled. Any doubts Pacifica had completely vanished all at once, and the tension at the table disappeared instantly. She felt at ease for the first time since her arrival.

“What a wonderful idea, Paz, darling!” Mabel spoke once again in what Pacifica was beginning to suspect was an impersonation of a certain someone’s social class. The female twin turned towards the bar. “Oh barkeep!”

Dipper met Pacifica’s eyes. She smiled a small half smile at him, and he returned it in kind. He gestured at Mabel with his head, and rolled his eyes. His affection was evident, and it was clear he was extending the chance to join in to Pacifica. Pacifica gave a throaty laugh in response.