Chapter Text
Pacifica caught up to Lianne at the entrance of the cave, Lianne turned as she heard Pacifica’s footsteps. She raised the gun to fire another dart and Pacifica skidded to a halt.
“Let’s not do this, ok? You’re too pretty to kill.”
Pacifica felt anger beating through her veins. “And Dipper wasn’t?”
“Ugh, please don’t tell me you like him or something? That mess?”
Pacifica closed her hand in a fist. “I’m the mess, not him, don’t you dare talk about him like that.” She hissed.
Lianne rolled her eyes. “Whatever floats your boat, just don’t try to stop me.”
Pacifica closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then sang. She had practiced some nights by herself in the woods, listening and mimicking the song she had recorded, and now, she sang.
Lianne’s face went from confused to slack and happy in the space of three seconds. Her gun dropped to her side and her head tilted slightly.
Pacifica took a shallow breath and continued to sing, slowly raising one arm, concentrating on pushing her will out towards the girl.
Lianne slowly dropped the gun, it landed softly on the forest floor. Then she took two halting steps towards Pacifica, holding out the water bottle.
Pacifica’s heart was in her throat, she felt like she was going to choke on it, this was working. Lianne walked closer and closer, Pacifica stretched out her hand and took the water bottle breathlessly from her. It worked!
Then a loud bang sounded from her left. Pacifica ducked instinctively, her song cut short.
Lianne stopped and blinked. “Wha- what’s happening?”
Pacifica turned and saw two men, one was unfamiliar and holding a gun, a real, metal, bullets and gunpowder gun, at her; the other was her father.
“Dad?” She gasped. Her legs collapsed under her and she fell to her knees. “What are you doing here?” She hadn’t seen him in two years.
Preston Northwest flicked some dirt off his pant leg. “Protecting my investment, I thought one girl wasn’t enough, looks like I was right.”
Lianne, still waking up from her stupor, frowned. “You followed me?”
“Tracked.”
“You put a tracker on me?!”
“And a good thing too, or else you would have handed that water right back to them it seems.” Preston said, unbothered. “Now, Pacifica, kindly hand that bottle back. I want to be out of this nature and back in the helicopter as soon as possible.”
Pacifica clutched the bottle to her chest. “No! Are you crazy?!”
He chuckled coldly. “No, but I am rich, which is pretty close. Let me make myself more clear.” He gestured to the man who pointed the gun at Pacifica’s head. “Hand over the bottle or he shoots.”
Pacifica’s mouth fell open, she couldn’t remember how muscles worked. “You...You would shoot your own daughter?!”
“No, but I would tell him to shoot my own daughter. It’s the fountain of youth, dear, I would shoot your mother if she tried to keep me from it, and I care about her far more than you and a little less than my favorite butler.”
Pacifica couldn’t think, she couldn’t even think, she knew her parents were the worst, but this bad? This selfish?
“Of course, if you hand it over willingly, we might consider letting you back into the house, possibly as a backup daughter in case the whole adoption thing falls through.” Preston side-stepped away from a plant, eyeing it nervously.
Pacifica slowly stood up, her nerves slowly wrapping themselves in the steel. That’s right, her parents had always been assholes, they had never cared about anyone besides themselves, why would that ever change? The people back in the cave where the ones that loved her, cared about her, sacrificed for her, and now she had to do it for them. Dipper needed her more than she needed that water.
“Dad.” Pacifica said, taking a deep breath. “You’re the worst.” She handed the bottle back to Lianne, who was still looking lost. “Fuck you.”
“Language!” Preston said with a gasp. “These ruffians are rubbing off on you.”
Pacifica turned and walked back to the cave without another look. “Yes, they are.”
As soon as she was out of sight, she ran. She rounded the corner into the cave and skidded on her knees next to Dipper and Mabel. “How is he?” She asked breathlessly.
“He’s fine.” Dipper groaned. “I thought Grunkle Ford was crazy for suggesting I reinforce my vest with leather, I owe that man my life. Mabel, please stop strangling me.”
Mabel had her arms around Dipper’s neck and was sobbing uncontrollably “I thought I lost you, again!”
Dipper grunted with effort as he wrapped his twin in an arm. “Can’t get rid of the Alpha twin that easily.” He said softly and kissed the top of her head. “I’m ok, Mabel, just a little numb.”
Dipper looked up at Pacifica. “You aren’t crying too, are you?”
Pacifica wipes a hand across her face. “Just because I was thinking that I was going to have to carry your backpack home.”
Dipper smiled crookedly at her. “It is pretty heavy for your weak legs.”
Pacifica’s breath shuddered as she let it out in a long sigh. “I’m glad you’re ok.”
Dipper looked around. “What happened to the water?”
Pacifica looked down at the ground. “I didn’t get it back, I’m sorry. I almost had it, but then my dad showed up with some mercenary.”
“Your dad?!” The twins asked in unison.
“Yeah, can we talk about something else, like Dipper’s brush with death or something?” She shifted uncomfortably.
“I think we should talk about it and set up camp, it’s almost dark and I think my adrenaline is crashing.” Mabel said. “I knew I should have brought more Mabel juice.”
Dipper sat up. “What about the fountain?”
Pacifica looked back at the crack in the wall and she put the wooden bowl back under the very slow drip. “If we come back in five years there might be enough to drink again. For now, I think all I want is my sleeping bag.”
The other two didn’t argue and within the hour they had a campsite set up a few minutes away from the cave. Pacifica told them what had transpired outside of the cave. They seemed more upset that her father would threaten his own daughter than that Pacifica lost the bottle. Mabel wanted Pacifica to show off her siren song but Dipper vehemently put that to a stop. It wasn’t long after that the twins passed out, one on either side of her. Mabel fell asleep with her arms wrapped around Pafica’s right arm and her head snuggled next to Pacifica’s. Dipper was curled into her other side, his forehead against her shoulder and his hand resting gently against hers. Pacifica had just been threatened with death by her father a few hours ago, and now, she had never felt so safe or loved in all her life. She let her head fall to the side and rest against Dipper’s hair, one of her fingers curled around his. She breathed deeply. Pine, lead, and deodorant, that was Dipper alright.
Dipper shifted slightly and then one of his eyes opened lazily. “You ok?” He whispered.
“Mmm.” Pacifica hummed. “I’m really sorry that we lost the water, after everything you did to find it.”
Dipper shifted so he could look at her more comfortably. “Don’t be. We had an awesome time researching and discovering and-”
“Only you could describe researching time as ‘awesome’.”
He smiled. “And we discovered the Fountain of Youth, even if we didn’t get any water, that’s still pretty amazing.” Red creeped across his nose and cheeks. “And I finally told this girl how I feel about her, and turns out she kinda likes me too.”
Pacifica slowly extracted her arm from Mabel’s hug so she should turn towards Dipper. “Yeah? She must be super desperate or ugly or something.”
“Shut up.” Dipper said fondly, leaning forward so his forehead touched hers. “I wouldn’t trade this month for anything.”
Pacifica intertwined her fingers around Dipper’s.
He squeezed her hand gently. “I’m just glad you’re ok.” His other hand came up and gently brushed the healing cut on her jaw. “I’m kinda tired of you almost dying.”
“That makes two of us.” Pacifica said with a yawn.
Dipper lifted his head slightly and kissed her forehead. “Get some sleep. We’re here for you.”
Pacifica shifted until her back was to Dipper and she pulled his arm until it was wrapped around her waist. “Night.” She said as she snuggled back into his body.
“Night.” His voice was a little strangled and high when he answered. Pacifica smiled to herself as she drifted off to sleep.
The walk back to the Shack took most of the next day and by the time they were stomping across the wooden porch, Pacifica was ready to never walk again.
Stan and Ford were at the door as soon as it opened.
“Did you find it?” Ford asked excitedly.
“Did you kick them in the balls?” Stan asked confusingly.
The trio slumped in the couches and chairs of the living room tiredly as they removed their hiking boots and told them the tale.
Both men were excited, then confused, and then outraged, and then relieved.
“That guy doesn’t deserve to raise a leg to piss, let alone a daughter.” Stan growled.
“I can think of several experimental items in my shop that he would be a great test candidate for.” Ford agreed.
Pacifica smiled tiredly “Thanks, I appreciate it, but let’s not continue the summer fun with an arrest.”
She leaned against Dipper and nudged him in the ribs. “Again.”
“Hey! I was acquitted of that, doppelgangers are not evidence of… Pacifica what are you doing?”
Pacifica ignored Dipper as she yanked his vest off, digging through one of the side pockets.
“Hey! I specifically said to keep the teenage hormones to yourselves!” Stan groused. “No ripping off clothing!”
Pacifica grinned triumphantly and pulled a small vial out of Dipper’s pocket and held it up.
Dipper’s mouth fell open. “The vial from the microscope!” He gasped. “We have some of the water!” He kissed Pacifica quickly as he jumped up. “Grunkle Ford, Grunkle Stan. We wanted you to have it.” He held it out to the twin brothers.
Stan and Ford look at each other.
“We want you to have those years back that you were apart.” Mabel said.
“Yeah, we still have our youth and good looks, you guys on the other hand…” Pacifica said with a grin. “Well, at least Ford kept his good looks.”
Stan glared at her. “Stocking duty for the next month for you.”
Ford looked at the vial that Dipper handed him. “Well, I would like to examine this-”
Stan snatched it from his brother. “Ugh, for once in your life, just leap without looking, would you?” He grabbed two shot glasses off a counter and opened the vial. “Kids almost died to bring this back to us. Live a little, or a lot.” He poured the water into the two glasses equally and handed one to Ford.
Ford looked from the teens to his brother and sighed. “Alright, I suppose this once I can let the mystery be a mystery.”
Stan grinned and clinked their glasses together. “Cheers, Pointdexter.”
The two men nodded and then tossed back the water in one gulp.
They all waited, holding their breath.
“Feel any different?” Dipper asked.
“Nope.” Stan said, looking over his hand. “Still wrinkly.”
They waited a few minutes more before Dipper groaned. “It didn’t even work.”
Ford looked at the small drip of water in the bottom of his glass. “Did you find anything else at the spring?”
Dipper pulled the torn page from his pocket. “Just this, a note that said ‘We are All Fools’.”
Ford took the paper and examined it. “Dipper, what is the one thing I always tell you to check for?”
Dipper smacked his head. “Hidden writing.”
Ford held the paper up to the heat of the lightbulb. “I am disappointed in you, but it sounds like you didn’t have much time to examine it thoroughly, so not very disappointed. Ah, here we go.”
They watched as writing started to appear across the page.
Ford adjusted his glasses. “Do you mind if I translate the page this time?”
“You know Spanish?” Pacifica asked.
Ford coughed. “I know fifteen languages, Spanish is one of them, now…” He buried his head in the paper flicking his eyes around the page and mouthing the words to himself. Then he looked up, a wry grin on his face. “We are all fools indeed.” He cleared his throat. “It would appear this water is not the fountain of youth, in those terms exactly. The water is meant to change you to your peak self.”
“Huh?” Mabel said.
“It changes you to when you were your best self, when you had gained the most knowledge, when you had grown wisest. Which for most people, is the person you are currently.”
Ford smiled at Stan who half-smiled back. “While our years alone were hard and painful, they also helped shape who we are today.” Ford looked at Pacifica. “Scars show we have survived and learned.”
Pacifica smiled back.
Ford looked down at the paper. “Only fools want to return to days when they were young and stupid.”
Pacifica’s cell phone rang. She picked it up. “Hello?”
“So let me get this straight.” Dipper said the next day as they sat on the roof soaking in the sun. “Your parents are now teenagers.”
“Yep.”
“And so they are too young to access the family accounts.”
“Yep.”
“And the adoption didn’t go through because teenagers can’t adopt other teenagers.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And the fortune goes to the next eldest Northwest…. Which is now you.”
“You know it.”
“So when you turn eighteen in two months…”
“I’m the sole heir and owner of the Northwest fortune.” Pacifica grinned.
Dipper shook his head. “I can’t believe it, it’s too crazy.”
Pacifica nudged him with her shoulder. “Not for Gravity Falls, it isn’t.”
Dipper pulled Pacifica in between his knees and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Yeah, I guess so. Any idea what you’re going to do with your ridiculous fortune?”
Pacifica leaned against Dipper’s chest. “You know, I heard there was this new children’s show idea that someone in town came up with, I might invest in that. I hear he had the best set and costume designer in the area working on the project with him. There’s also this one guy that wants to start up his own paranormal business, I thought I might become his patron or something.”
Dipper froze. “You want to fund my research?”
“Of course, dork, This summer has been the best ones since you came here five years ago. I want to see what else we can find!”
Dipper leaned over and grabbed Pacifia’s face, kissing her deeply and fiercely “You have never been so hot as you are right now.”
Pacifica chuckled and rubbed her nose against his. “I can tell you some more Greek myths if you want.”
“I might actually faint and fall off this roof or never stop kissing you.” Dipper warned. “Best not to overdo it.”
Pacifica leaned up and kissed him gently. “I suppose I can let you off easy this time.”
Dipper hugged her closer till she could feel his heartbeat through her back. “I think we’ll have plenty of not-easy times ahead.”
Pacifica looked at the dilapidated shack that was now her home and up at her boyfriend who was looking around the trees with adventure in his eyes, and then out across the wilds of Gravity Falls. “I can’t wait.”