Chapter Text
A lot had happened over the last summer. Mabel in many ways felt torn between two worlds. On one hand, she loved everything about Gravity Falls and never wanted to leave it. On the other hand, she also wanted to do her part to provide for herself. Dipper had a strong and financially secure future with Grunkle Ford. She had lived with the Stan's the whole last year while she worked at Greasy's dinner. While she loved the job and even more so the people she would miss she knew that job could not support her forever. Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford were not getting any younger and someday she needed to be able to not only take care of herself but her Grunkles in their retiring years. She was not going to abandon them or hope someone else would take care of them. Her convictions were deeper than that. She loved her Grunkles and wanted to be part of their life. And part of that meant bearing up the responsibility of a career so that they could relax and retire like the old fogies deserved she thought with a smile.
As it was Mabel had been looking into a career in high school, but could not bear to be parted from Dipper and then Pacifica who was now like a sister. At the time their relationship needed nurturing and she did not want to miss that chapter of her family's life. Now that everyone had settled down she felt free to pursue her career. Ironically enough she had decided to attend Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland. It had the classes she wanted to take and was about a three-and-a-half-hour drive up from gravity falls taking one of two routes. US Highway 20 & Oregon 22 to the East and then I-5 North onto Portland. Personally, she preferred the scenic route. That route went straight North on US Route 97 to US Route 26. That pretty much led her all the way to Portland and then Pacific Northwest College of Arts.
Mabel was mortified when she learned she could not find a place to have waddles taken care of nearby. Grunkle Stan had promised to look after him for her when she had cried about it. He told her he'd take better care of him than last time he babysat the pig. He got her to smirk at that. She was going to miss Grunkle Stan. Already feeling emotional she burst down crying thinking about how much she would miss Grunkle Stan. He patted her back affectionately. "There-there kiddo. It's not like we're going anywhere. We'll be right here when you visit on breaks and Holidays." He smirked. "In fact, it'd be a rare sight to see old Bunsen and young Beaker outside of the old lab seeing as the two are so fascinated with this new Native American artifact."
Ford's ears perked up from the other room at being slighted. "I said I 'thought' it was Mesoamerican Stanley," he said with huffy indignation. Turning back to Dipper who was beside him at the table that was burdened to the point of making the legs of the old wooden table creak in protest at the encumberment of books and almanacs along with a projector that was showing an image on the wall. Ford pointed to the projected image showing a map and timeline. "I assumed it was somewhere between the early and late pre-classic period of Mesoamerican culture such as Teotihuacán, or possibly Zapotec, but now looking at the engraved symbols above the cartouche I'm not so certain anymore.
Mabel and Grunkle Stan were now snickering derisively in candid amusement. Dipper hunched his pine tree hat down by the brim in an effort to ignore them as his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Mabel turned back to Stan and then looked back at Dipper and Ford as she drew her arms around her as if she were cold while watching them. She now said more softly, "You will watch after the two of them won't you Grunkle Stan?" Grunkle Stan smiled. "I'm always watching out for those two. Especially the Dipstick. Without you around I'll have to make sure he remembers to pay attention to Pacifica. She's a smart girl and he's so young sometimes I think he forgets just how good she is for him. I'll make sure to remind him every so often," he said with a smile. Mabel grinned. "Pacifica is learning quite fast too. She knows how long to leave him buried down in the lab before pulling him back up for air and cultural reintegration. Trust me, she's more than capable. She's formidable." Stanley laughed at that. "She's just what the doctor ordered."
"What time is orientation on Friday?" asked Grunkle Stan noting that it was Monday and even though the orientation was four days away those four days would go by swiftly. "It's at 3 pm, so there is plenty of time for you guys to see my dorm and meet my future best friend for life!!!" she said ecstatically. "I think they have a local place that roasts coffee fresh once a week, so I'll have that to look forward to! Also, thanks to Dipper's going away present I now have a sound machine that creates background noise to block out all the other noises from neighboring dorms that would wake me up otherwise. Also, My dorm has an open-faced closet. I told Dipper that it would make the room look cluttered just seeing all my clothes all the time. Dipper said he would be mortified if a complete stranger had to look at his clothes every day. He promised to install a curtain rod to give me a semblance of privacy. Wendy bought me a stack of heavy plastic storage bins. She's a lifesaver! I bought myself an over-the-door full-length mirror."
Mabel now smiled at grunkle Ford. "Thank you for the Mini K-cup coffee brewer and the minifridge you and Grunkle Ford bought me." Grunkle Stan grinned. "I'm just sorry it didn't come with a lock adapter. Personally, I wouldn't trust a complete stranger around my stuff while I was gone. You remembered that pepper spray I gave you last year for Christmas right?" Mabel grinned. "I did, but I won't have to worry about them because we're going to be BFFs for Life!"
Dipper had now sidled over to Mabel and put a supportive hand on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and kept it together for about three seconds before the waterworks started. She shook as she cried softly. Dipper brushed her wavy brown hair softly with his fingers. "I'm always a phone call away and if anything happens you give me a call right away. If you are in trouble or someone tries to hurt you I want to know about it the moment it happens all right?" She nodded into his chest with a sniff. He wrapped his arms around her drawing her in. "It won't be forever Mabes, I'm always here for you." Pacifica who had just entered the house now peaked around the corner as a smile broke across her face seeing the family bonding. Stan grinned at her and Ford nodded politely. Dipper and Mabel had not seen or heard her yet.
Pacifica now next to Dipper spoke up directing her voice at Mabel. "So I was just going to get a box of baby kittens for your dorm. That's cool with dorm policy right?" Dipper smirked at the joke while Mabels eyes glazed over. "Awe now I'm gonna cry again just thinking about their tiny little paws reaching out for cuddles. She buried her face in Pacifica's fashionable autumn argyle sweater. It was blue and white checkered and looked comfy while showing off the shape of her toned body. Pacifica smirked while shaking her head at Mabel's antics. Waddles was now prancing around everyone's feet glad to be near the family and sensing Mable was somewhat distraught kept close proximity to the weeping girl.
"So," said Pacifica garnering Mabel's attention and everyone else's. "If orientation is on Friday what are the plans till then?" Dipper and Mabel now smiled at each other knowingly. Mabel spoke up first poking Dipper in the stomach before he could say anything. Pacifica watched in amusement. Mabel excitedly announced, "Wendy has found a secret hidden cave behind the waterfall! She has invited us to go cave diving with her." Dipper cleared his throat, "Spelunking," he said unable to help himself from correcting his sister's terminology. She stuck her tongue out at him. He retaliated by pinching her soft skin just beneath her ribs through her thick woven teal and magenta sweater she had made that Christmas. She shrieked with a high-pitched laugh and screech combined. Mabel dove at Dipper as he turned to run. She latched her arms around his neck. He dragged her as she hung on before she pulled herself up and latched her skinny legs around his waist.
He stopped and turned to half face her as best he could with her on his back taking a hold of her legs to hold her up. "If you lick me in the ear this time I promise I'll drop you." He said sternly. Mabel smirked thinking to herself she had just been about to do that. Pacifica laughed heartily while Mabel fake-pouted half-heartedly before a grin spread on her face.
Wendy walked in and stuck both hands out like pistols and made sound effects like her hands were shooting, "Skadoosh-Sucka's!" Mabel and Dipper feigned being hit while laughing. "Wendy," Pacifica said kindly greeting the girl with a conciliatory hug. Mabel watched Pacifica observing the change in her reaction to the redhead compared to a year and a half ago. Pacifica had grown out of her insecurities of Dipper's childhood attractions for the lovely redheaded girl who had grown into an even more beautiful woman over the years. Dipper only had eyes for Pacifica and she had finally come to terms with that. Since then Pacifica and Wendy had started bonding. Mabel smiled as the warmth of family filled her heart. She knew Pacifica needed more friends besides just her and it was nice to see her have another girl to talk to. Especially now that she was moving away to college for the next four years Pacifica would no doubt be spending far more time in the redhead's company.
Pacifica had confided in Mabel this spring when she had slept over at the Shack taking Dipper's bed forcing him to sleep on the couch downstairs. She had said she actually found Wendy's strength of will and laid-back attitude refreshing. They had talked for hours about a great many things in the light of the sparse moonlight that made it through the clouds on that cold damp spring night. She had told Mabel she never had to worry about offending the redhead. In many ways, she had started to think of her like an older sister. Mabel's heart could have burst just seeing how far Pacifica had come. The once angry teen that was strong on the outside who had eyes that could fix you in on the spot like glass, and a nasal-sounding jersey girl accent that could shatter it. For all her bravado back then she had been the one living in a house of glass. Her walls came tumbling down around her as her family fell from good grace with the community. Dipper had carried her through the pain lifting her eyes above the ashes of her past. His love was an inspiration to Mabel. She hoped one day she would find a soulmate on equal footing. One that would bear her up in every season and spur her on to be greater than the sum of her past mistakes.
She loved Dipper for his ability to see the best in others. Especially in herself. She knew one day when she found someone that cared like that Dipper would sleep better at night not having to worry about whether or not she was taken care of. Besides Mabel mused. He had always been there to protect her when others had moved in to hurt her and take advantage of her. He would always be there to help her navigate the choppy waters of a relationship with a prospective guy she was interested in.
Wendy cleared her throat and the air dismissing Mabel's satisfactorily concluded train of thought. "So I need a headcount for the spelunking adventure. Who all is going?" Mabel answered. "Dip-Dop, the Princess, and myself. That should be everyone."
Dipper spoke up now. "Great uncle Ford will be Go-Pro streaming from my headset. He will be our linguist and archeologist by proxy." Ford nodded holding his tablet up showing he was ready too. Ford pointed to the Go-Pro helmet. "It's a modified xciever headset with a modified broadcaster. This puppy can broadcast from an infinite range even through solid stone, stars, or galaxies for that matter. It's not a normal broadcaster. I modified it with tech from crash site omega." The others looked amazed while Dipper just smirked having already been privy to the information seeing as he had been working so closely with Grunkle Ford.
Ford continued, "That being said just remember, we know very little about this unknown culture. Treat everything like a trap or something hostile. Who knows what dangers could be lurking unseen even in a small room or corridor." He turned and unplugged a battery pack from the counter and plugged it into a heavily modified drone that he then gave to Dipper. "This is designed to scan via infrared scanners. It will geo-map the room or cave. I programmed it to detect hidden anomalies and aberrations such as traps or other hidden dangers."
Dipper nodded solemnly. "I'll take responsibility for the group." Ford smiled with pride at his protege. Even Grunkle Stan had a twinkle of pride in his eyes. They headed out the doors as they piled out into the parking lot before getting into Wendy's jeep she now owned. It was perfect for off-roading and in Wendy-like fashion, it was always up for an adventure.