Chapter Text
Wendy awoke to the sound of her alarm. The little girl hopped up and down on her bed to the pop song that was blaring over the plastic speaker. She fell off the bed with an oof. Her red maine was in pigtails. And even though she was only ten she could pass for a six grader.
Wendy ran out of her room and into her parents. Both Mom and Dad were asleep, that was until Wendy jumped onto the bed waking them with a start.
Mom spoke first. Laughing, she said, “Alright, alright, my little bunny. I’m up. I’m up.” She spoke with a rather strong Irish accent, as she was not born and raised in the US. True to her word, she got up and mother and daughter went to the kitchen to make breakfast. The kitchen was next to the living room, separated by a countertop, leaving it visible. Baby Gus sat at his mother’s feet. Wendy looked up at wonder as her mother dipped the thick slices of bread into vanilla and cinnamon.
“Okay now Wendy love, now we put it on the stove…”
BANG! A tree fell through the living room. Marcus and Kevin came rolling in wrestling. Gus started screaming. Mom picked him up in a panic. A variety of knick knacks fell off of selves. Including a large silver bracelet adorned with a large purple jewel. It rolled to Wendy’s feet. As she reached down to pick it up.
“Don’t touch that!” Her mother’s voice shot through her like a bullet. Holding the baby with one arm, she used her free arm to grab the bracelet with some newspaper. “This is… this is very sharp. We don’t want you to cut yourself do we?” She explained, wrapping the trinket in the paper.
Dan walked in through the hole in the wall. “Um, timber?”
Mrs. Corduroy’s face twist with fury. Handing the baby to Wendy. “Put your brother in his crib. Boys, go to your rooms.”
“Aine…” Dan began, but his wife cut him off.
“Oh don’t you Aine me! What the hell Dan? What the actual hell? What are we going to do about hole in the damn wall? Do you know how much this will cost to fix?”
“I can fix it!”
“Oh, you can fix it!”
Even with the door closed and Gus brawling, Wendy could hear her parents screaming at each other. A few hours later, Aine took her children out with her to buy supplies while Dan started rebuilding the living room wall. Walking down the street, Wendy noticed a flyer for The Mystery Shack. A museum of the weird on the outskirts of town.
“Mom, can we go here please?”
“No, that place is a scam honey. When your father was young, he built the place. He did it cheep because the owner, Mr. Pines, was poor and told your father that he was a researcher. Seven years later, he converts the damn thing into a tacky tourist trap. Conned your poor father out of a lot of money.”
They came to the bank. She was fiddling around with the ATM, when she felt a tug on her skirt. “Mommy, look a horsie!” Aine looked back and gasped. A large black horse road in the street. The rider wore a helmet that covered their face with a black viser. Neck, also covered by a scarf, bobbled strangely. They held a strange lantern in their hand and what appeared to be a wrapped up scythe was on their back.
“Mommy?” Wendy had never seen her mother this shaken.
“I...It’s nothing sweet heart. Let’s go home.”
It was cold that night. Rain and biting wind blew through the hole in the wall. Dan snored on the couch. Marcus and Keven were still wrestling and Gus screaming. Wendy stepped out into the hall. The rain had made the carpet soaking wet. She went over to her mother’s room. She knocked on the door. Aine was looking out the window when the knock snapped her back to reality. Opening the door, she looked down at her daughter. Wendy was rubbing her arms, trying to warm herself up. Aine looked down at her daughter, than up at the rest of her family before looking back at Wendy. Her face unreadable.
“Mommy, I’m cold.”
Without saying a word, Aine closed the door. Dejected, Wendy returned to her room. She would never see her mother again.
The Corduroy family awoke to find Aine gone. Looking in their closet, Dan found a number of her clothes, along with her suitcase, were gone. Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland were about as helpful as you would expect.
“Oh yeah, she’s gone. Happens all the time.” Blubs spoke first.
“Could be anywhere.”
“Vegas. Could be a gambling addict.”
“Heck, it might even be a second family.”
The Sheriff nodded. “Probably loves them more.”
A look came over Durland’s face. “You-you don’t have a second deputy do you?”
Blubs comforted his boyfriend. “You know I would never leave you.”
The two walked away. Dan sat on his couch. Staring off, not looking at anything. Wendy turned from the police to her father. “Daddy?” Her voice sounded so lost.
The Lumberjack grunted. He lumpered to the fridge, grabbed two six packs, and went to bed. Lost, Wendy returned to her room. Sitting on her bed, she wrapped her arms around her legs. Her cheeks resting on her knees. Gus’ wails came through the walls. “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”
“Mommy?”
Wendy was snapped back into the present. Now twenty-four, the redhead stood in the apartment she lived with her boyfriend and their two twin children. It being winter in New York City, she wore a jacket along with her jeans. The jacket hid a series of tattoos from her right shoulder to her elbow. Her red mane was shaved with a pixie cut. Several piercings adorn her right ear. She still wore the blue-white cap that she traded Dipper all those years ago. Rose was tugging at her pants leg. Scooping up her daughter, Wendy looked for her boyfriend.
Mason Pines, still called Dipper by his friends and family, was talking to his twin. Mabel, and her wife Paficia, had flown in for the youngest twins birthday.
“Jeez, Mabel. You guys didn’t need fly up to New York in the middle of January.”
“Nonsense Dipper. I wouldn’t miss my favorite niece and nephew’s birthday.”
Pacifia shot her wife a look. “Mabel, they’re your only niece and nephew.”
Stan and Ford were also there. They have been a huge help in helping her and Dipper raise their kids. Tyrone was showing them is favorite toy.
“Glad to see my favorite bastards having such a good time.''
Wendy sighed. “Please don’t call my children bastards, Stan.” She turned to the rest of her guests. “Okay, time for presents.” Dipper stood next to his girlfriend. The redhead removed the trademark hat and got on her daughter’s eye level. “At the end of the first summer your father and I knew each other, he gave me this hat.” She placed the hat on top of Rose’s head. “And now, I’m giving it to you.” The little girl’s eyes lit up. She gingerly touched the hat on her head like it was a newly discovered lost treasure.
Dipper spoke to Tyrone. “And Ty you can have the old trapper hat your mother gave me.” He held it in his hands, Dipper hadn’t washed the momento since he got it, and it showed. Sweat stains and bit of hair, from both Dipper and Wendy, cover the hat. And it smelled.
“That’s not touching my head. Could I get an action figure instead?”
This got a chuckle from the adults in the room. Rose was far more appreciative of her gift. “Thank you mommy.” She wrapped her arms around Wendy. Wendy did the same.
“I’ll always be there for you Rosie.”