Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Admittedly, it was a mistake. A mistake made at a "welcome back!" bash, fueled by the spiking of punch.

But also, Pacifica would be lying if she said she wasn't aware of what she was doing. I mean, god, he was hot. His soft, wavy hair, his thin, muscular body, the way he looked at her through thick lashes and brown eyes. He was smart, he was caring, he was irresistible.

She couldn't tell you how it happened, all she knew was they were dancing together, and the next moment they were suddenly alone in the attic of the Mystery Shack. They were tipsy, the lights were dim, the raunchy club music was floating up from downstairs, and hands were busy.

And another thing, it was great. I mean, as good as it can be for two virgins hastily ripping off each others clothes, sucking face like no tomorrow. It hurt, sure, but looking at his face as...

Yeah, Pacifica didn't regret a thing. 

But as she sat hunkered over the toilet, gripping the seat as she spilled her guts, she started rethinking that.

It was late June. The weather was just now getting warm, although the breeze still carried an uncertain chill to it as Pacifica drove North, up and away from Gravity Falls. She needed to buy something, something she could never risk being seen grabbing, not in her town. 

It felt... out of character. She paid Mr. Gleeful to let her borrow a car from the auto center for the day, she carried only cash and her license, she wore a grubby black hoodie and a pair of her moms old vintage jeans. This wasn't her, but that was okay. This was a purchase she didn't want to associate her real self with. 

Pacifica pulled into a run-down Chevron two towns over, making a beeline for the feminine hygiene products lining the right-most wall. She didn't take more than a second to find the most expensive, most quality looking, pregnancy test. 

And then on a second thought? She grabbed two more.

She pushed the three small boxes and a twenty dollar bill toward the cashier- a small, mean looking old woman- keeping her head down low. She was not about to get chewed out. Unexpectedly, the woman offered a sympathetic smile as she held out the receipt.

"I've been there too, honey. In fact, my oldest is only 14 years younger than me." She croaked out, with the sad rumble of a woman who's chain-smoked at the till of a highway gas station for her entire life. 

Pacifica shivered, mumbling just a thank you with a kind, shaky smile as she grabbed the receipt.

And she hit the road again. She could feel the tests staring at her from the passenger seat, burning a hole into her heart. She was freaking the fuck out here, trying to keep calm as she pulled into the parking lot of a (thankfully empty) rest area.

With shaky hands and a cautious eye, she quickly scurried from the car to the women's restroom, scrunching her nose as she entered the handicap stall and wiped down the seat.

And with the efficiency only a anxiety-ridden teenage girl possesses, she whipped out all three tests, peed on them, and set them down on top of the toilet paper holder. And waited.

For three minutes, she stood as far away from the tests as she could, facing the wall with as much confidence as she could muster, repeating to herself that 'it will all be okay'.

And for thirty more minutes, she cried in that stall, pressed up against the cold tile. She didn't even care about the germs.

Chapter Text

Apparently friends are the type of thing you don't realize you miss until you need someone to talk to. Pacifica learned this as she eyed her cell phone, hoping (if not praying) that maybe someone would text her. No one ever does.

It's not like she was some weird, friendless loser, she had plenty of friends! Or... acquaintances, at the very least. It was just all very... conditional. But, what more do you expect from boarding school girls? Daddy's money only pays you enough to pretend to like a few girls for a few months- summers cost extra.

So Pacifica found herself staring in the mirror of her en-suite bathroom with her shirt pulled up, trying to imagine herself with a baby bump. Or massive tits. Or a swollen nose. Swollen feet. Fat arms. Intense acne. Losing hair. Stretch marked. Ugly. What would people say? She was the great-great-granddaughter of the towns founder, she was the daughter of a millionaire, she knew royalty! Her only goddamn purpose in life was to be a little bit of arm candy holding on to a man much greater than her.

She scrunched up her nose and let her shirt fall back down. She couldn't do this. She wouldn't. It was wrong, sure. Any other girl would call a friend, tell her mother, consult with the father of the baby. But each of those suggestions made Pacifica nauseous. It was a thought she couldn't even bear to think, the words "I'm pregnant" seemed foreign on her tongue, like she was never supposed to say them. She knew people would be disappointed, panicked even. 

What they don't know can't hurt them, right?

How many times can you pay off the local auto dealership to borrow a car before it become suspicious? She thought she might as well buy the damn car at this point- with how much she borrowed it.

The Pacifica she choose to dissociate herself with- the one who sneaks away in dingy outfits- was quickly becoming a recurring character. She couldn't stand the idea, she thought she was better than that. But then again, she thought she was better than the girls who go and get knocked up. And look at her now.

The drive to the Planned Parenthood was long, which was entirely Pacifica's fault for choosing one a state away, but that gave her time to think. And cry. She felt horrible for doing what she was. For going to get an abortion without telling a single soul. It was just her and this thing inside of her, one she felt nothing but embarrassment about. Even going to the Planned Parenthood at all was seeming unbearable, and their whole thing is to get her out of this situation.

It was a rotting feeling, almost. She could feel guilt coursing through her veins in small bursts moving with each beat of her heart. She felt bad for never telling Dipper. She did love him- at this point she thought she knew. Can you like a guy for almost four years and not be in love? But she never expected for them to be in this situation. Maybe it would be different- maybe she would have told him- if he every acknowledged the night they shared farther than an unbearably awkward 3 days following, maybe if he had told her he loved her, or that he even gave her a hug, or did... anything. He wasn't exactly the most adept when it came to love. 

But after two, long days, she was convinced. Nobody had to know. Not him. Not her parents. Not anyone. Just her and the Planned Parenthood workers.

Parking at the building was terrible. The front was littered in pro-life protesters and every other spot was full. She physically had to wait for a car to leave to even get anywhere. In theory, part of it made her feel better. There had to be at least one other girl here making a horribly difficult decision right now. In practice, however, it made her cry. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, but she was just so damn fed up, it tipped her over the edge.

Wading through a sea of pissed off pro-lifers is not something to do while sobbing. Each sentence sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Pacifica, each complaint feeling like a knife to the stomach. Words like "Your baby doesn't want to die!" "Mom, don't do this to me." "I have fingernails!" and "Should've kept your legs closed." echoed around her as they waved signs and scoffed at her passing by.

Pacifica checked in and, after waiting, was ushered into a consultation room, where she met with a nurse and presented different options to Pacifica. The woman's voice was droning and soft, it could lull Pacifica to sleep under different circumstances, but here in this room it was making it hard to focus. The lights were too bright. The AC was way too strong. It smelled of disinfectant. She hated it here.

As the woman's voice droned on, describing a long list of steps to receive an abortion and steps to take care of herself after, Pacifica realized she couldn't do this. She was going to vomit. There was no way she could pull this off without suspicion. Doctors checkups? Heavier bleeding? Medications and pharmacy trips? She would have to tell her mom at the very least, and her and her dad genuinely might be more disappointed if she aborted the baby than if she didn't.

As soon as it came to the paperwork, Pacifica pushed the clipboard right back toward the woman and offered a small smile. "I- I'm going to keep it." She mumbled, standing up and excusing herself. Neither the nurse nor the receptionist batted an eye as Pacifica returned paperwork blank, she figured cold feet were normal. Maybe she could just come back and try again, it certainly wasn't too late yet.

But as she got in the car, preparing for the two hour drive back home, she realized one thing was for certain. She needed to see Dipper.

Chapter Text

The air was still and hot as Pacifica pulled into the parking lot of the Mystery Shack, causing her to break a sweat. It mixed with her tears, an overwhelmingly salty taste on her lips as she grimaced and searched for an adequate pinecone.

She sent a text and threw the pinecone at the same time, hoping and praying that at this time of night it would only be Dipper hunkered away in his bedroom. Hopefully Mabel was off doing Mabel things. She only missed a few times before a resounding thud led to the opening of the stained glass window.

"Who's out there?" A voice called just before Dipper stuck his head out the window, clearly disgruntled.

"Check your phone." Pacifica shouted back, just loud enough for him to hear.

The window drifted shut, and eventually she heard it lock. She waited outside for about five minutes before she saw Dipper come out through the gift shop door. It wasn't like he was trying to sneak out, his Grunkles did not give a shit where he went, he just didn't want to explain to Mabel where he was going. He climbed into the passenger seat of Pacifica's (rental) car, and she started driving. She was taking them to the lake, she decided. It was quiet and secluded there. A good place to hold a serious conversation.

"New car?" Dipper asked after a minute or so of silence, running his finger along the dash. "Would've thought your dad would have bought you something... nicer." He said with a scrunched up nose.

Pacifica refrained from turning to him to flash him a look of distaste. She didn't want him to see her running mascara just yet. "I'm borrowing it, actually."

"Ah. Makes sense." He nodded before looking her direction. He paused for a moment, she could feel his eyes on her, before asking, "Why?"

She could tell him a lie, say her car was broken down, say she just wanted to, say her parents took her car away. But, this was a better opener to the conversation than anything else she could come up with. "I had to go somewhere people couldn't see me. They might recognize my car, my parents have people everywhere."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

Pacifica grimaced as she parked by the lake, staring at the water painted in the colors of the sunset over the hills. Reds, oranges, and yellows reflected off the water onto the black exterior of the car's hood, casting light onto Dipper's face. He looked beautiful, as always, she thought.

"So, why did you bring me here?" Dipper asked suddenly, looking down at his hands and picking at the skin on his fingers.

A heavy silence fell upon the two. She half considered leading them somewhere else, just to refrain from talking for a moment. But it was now or never, yea? 

"I'm pregnant." She said, nervously glancing up at him.

Pacifica had never seen anyone snap their neck up so quickly. He stared at her, eyes wide as his mouth fell slightly agape. She couldn't tell if it was shock, panic, or he just thought she was lying.

"Pregnant?" He clarified incredulously. "And it... it's mine?"

"Yeah. It's yours. And I took three tests, it's like, for sure."

"Ah." 

The two maintained eye contact, Pacifica's face written in regret and Dipper's in shock. She supposed she'd already had time to come to terms with the news.

"So, uh, what... what should we do about... it." He asked, saying the word 'it' with distaste, his eyebrows furrowed.

She bit her lip. "I tried to get an abortion earlier today. Went to Washington and everything. I just... I couldn't." Pacifica stated, blinking back tears. "I wasn't planning to tell you."

"Why? I'm... I'm not mad. I mean, sex causes pregnancy pretty often, yea? It was... It was a risk, for sure." He said, his voice even. He tried to reach for Pacifica's hand but she pulled it further into her own lap. "Does this mean... you're keeping it? I mean, you can do whatever, but, I want... I want to know what."

"I don't know yet. I considered putting it up for adoption." Pacifica admitted. "But I guess either way, I'm gonna have to birth it."

"Mhm." Dipper nodded, opting to place his hand on Pacifica's shoulder for support instead of reaching again for her hand. "Uh, who knows? Who have you told?"

"You." 

"Who will you tell?"

Pacifica laughed a little bit. "No one who doesn't have to know. I don't have many friends, Dipper. I mean, you can tell Mabel, I guess she's the closest to a friend I've got." She scoffed, pulling her lips into a frown. "I really don't wanna tell my parents. They're going to kill me."

"Oh, fuck your parents, they're going to kill me." Dipper laughed tentatively. "But on a serious note, Paz, you probably need to tell them."

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"You only said I couldn't because we weren't close. I figured you carrying my baby is as close as it gets."

Pacifica shivered. She was pregnant with his child, she supposed. "Fine."

The car fell silent once more. Pacifica's eyes stung, she couldn't even see straight as tears threatened to spill down. She was too scared to look up at Dipper, it seemed each time she did he had more to say, and even though she took him out here to talk, she suddenly wasn't in the mood for it.

"Can you feel it?" Dipper asked suddenly. "Like, the baby?

"Not really. All I feel is nauseous and sad."

Dipper chuckled softly, but it sounded sad. "My bad."

Pacifica looked up, hearing the small amount of his emotion in his voice waking her up. "Yeah. Who knew unprotected sex could do this? We should tell a scientist." She giggled softly.

While she had been hoping for some playful banter, something to cheer her up, he didn't respond. When she looked over, his eyes were closed and his head was tipped back against the car seat headrest.

"Pacifica, can we talk about this at my house? Maybe with Mabel. As silly as she is, I think she'll know how to help. How to handle all of this." Dipper said, his eyes still closed. "I wasn't expecting this to happen, actually."

"I wasn't either." Pacifica whispered as she turned the ignition. "But yeah, I think we should talk to Mabel."

"Say what?" Mabel gasped, damn near falling off the bed as she leaned forward in disbelief. "Didn't know you had it in ya, Dipstick!" She smiled at her brother.

Dipper rubbed his thumb back and forth on Pacifica's knee, glancing around warily. "Keep it down, Mabel." He seethed. "Nobody but us knows, and we want to keep it like that until we figure out what to do."

"Oh, yeah. What are you gonna do? Nip it in the bud? Give it to a sweet gay couple? You should check the newspaper. Or maybe there's a Facebook page for this sort of thing. Think you can sell babies on Marketplace?" Mabel asked, reaching for a pack of twizzlers and shoving her mouth full with a few of them. "Or you could keep it. I'm ready to be an auntie." She grinned, red gunk stuck to her braces. 

Dipper grimaced. "I dunno. Pacifica said she already tried to abort it. She couldn't. I guess all the other options we would have time to figure out." He said, looking off at the wall instead of at Pacifica or Mabel. "I'm more concerned about the pregnancy, right now, rather than the baby. If you don't get rid of it, then you'll have to do 9 months. It would be born in February at this rate, and I think I want to be there for that." He said, squeezing her knee.

Then it clicked. "But you'll be in Piedmont. And you will be for 6 months of my pregnancy." Pacifica frowned. "So you wouldn't be able to see the ultrasounds or feel it move, ever."

"There's the kicker." Mabel said, attempting to lighten the mood, but frowned when nobody responded. "'Kay. So like, what's the sitch' here. Are you two like, in loooveeee?" She asked, stretching out the word with bright eyes. "Or is it an accident."

Pacifica glanced at dipper in response. In a perfect world, she would be able to say the two were in love, but she wasn't sure if she was like, allowed to. Surely it wasn't like that, surely it just meant noth-

"Both. I'd say both." Dipper said confidently, squeezing Pacifica's knee again, offering her a hopeful smile.

"Both." Pacifica nodded, somewhat surprised by his words. At least he didn't mind her, right? An ounce of feelings could definitely make it easier.

"She should tell her parents first. They're wackos-" Mabel paused to interrupt herself with a 'no offense' before she continued. "- and try to make a decision based on how they react." She shrugged, shoving another handful of twizzlers in her mouth. How that girl didn't have diabetes yet was astounding.

Both Dipper and Pacifica nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I suppose that makes the most sense." He agreed, turning to Pacifica. "And I can go with you, you know. I know they don't particularly like me, but it's better than being alone."

Pacifica sighed. They really didn't like him, her father had called him 'simple' and 'a freak' more than once, although they did find his dedication to his craft admirable. It was the behavior of a future businessman, her father would say. Maybe that would get them brownie points.

"Yeah, yeah I would like that. Thanks, guys." Pacifica nodded solemnly. 

She'd just have to wait for it to all unfold. Maybe this wasn't the kind of thing you could make a thorough plan for; it was the kind of things you had to be willing to go with the flow for.

When Dipper walked her to her car later that night, after they laughed and joked like nothing big had ever happened, he lingered in their hug for a lot longer than ever before. He held her, wrapping his arms around her with a tenderness she had never, ever felt before.

"Look, Pacifica, I'm sorry this happened. But I want you to know I'm not just going to make you do this alone. I'm here for you, it's partly my fault, it's the least I can do." He whispered softly, running his hand through her tangled blonde hair. "Call me when you're ready to tell your parents, I will go with you." 

Pacifica sighed. "Thanks." She said, exhaustion and sadness coming through her voice. 

"And call when you need to decide what to do. And you have your first ultrasound. And when anything happens." He said, his voice quickening. "Just call me, Paz."

Suddenly, the nickname didn't sound too bad coming from his mouth. Suddenly it was hers. "I will. I'll call."

"You know, I'm glad out of anyone I could accidentally knock up, it was you. You're... you're the sweetest, Pacifica. You're nice and sweet and not to mention beautiful." He said, his voice still fast, and maybe even a little nervous. "We'll be okay, yea?"

If it wasn't so dark she knew he would be able to see her blushing once he pulled away. It was nice to hear those words come from him, you know, they almost felt like they meant something.

"We'll be okay."

Chapter Text

Pacifica hated talking to her parents.

If the conversation was with her mother- anything more intelligent than what manicure Pacifica would get next was pure torture. If the conversation was with her father... it was just torture in general.

For a week straight, Pacifica chickened out. It felt so easy in theory. Just say "mom, I need to talk to you." Just text "Dipper, I'm ready." But the words never came. They couldn't leave her mouth. Her thumbs wouldn't type it. 

But god, maybe she was fucking insane, but she could feel it. Like the baby was burning a hole in her. Or maybe it was the mere knowledge of it that was. 

And knowing it was there, and not telling anyone, was beginning to make her restless. 

Because she didn't know what she was doing. Was she keeping it? Was she not? What if she was? Was she behind on vitamins now or something? What if she was ruining her baby's life before it even began? She didn't want to do that... as much as she wished it never existed in he first place.

But the only thing worse than the burning pit of worry and disgust in her stomach was the fear of facing her father. Of feeling the way he burned holes into her skin with his eyes. It only seemed like she was disappointing him more and more the older she got, and she feared this would be his final straw.

But she had to do it eventually, didn't she? It wasn't like the issue would just go away. It would only get bigger, and uglier, and heavier, and it would hang over her family like an illustration of sin. 

She was everything her parents ever hated.

It was the first week of July when she gave in. She couldn't do it anymore, the words "I'm pregnant" bouncing around her head like it was more toxic words than brain matter in there at this point. 

She called up Dipper, and as promised, he showed up. 

And so there they stood. Right outside her front door. Inches away from imminent disaster.

Dipper wore his classic outfit. Cargo shorts, t-shirt, vest, shitty sneakers. She couldn't help but grimace. Her parents already didn't like him. And now she was about to tell them he knocked her up while he stood there, dressed like a bum. 

She loved that bum, though. And if honesty was the goal, that was as honest as it got. He was being his true self. Pacifica always wished she could be as carefree as he was. 

Pacifica swallowed hard and averted her gaze back up to his eyes. He stood before her, eyes wide and lips drawn tight. He was trying to be brave for her, but she'd always been able to see right through him. He was horrified.

Few things horrified Dipper as much as Preston Northwest did. And he had faced literal monsters more times than he could count. He always tried to act like he didn't care- but he liked Pacifica. He was supposed to make a good impression on her father. It may have been a bit too late for that, though.

"So." Pacifica started, smoothing out the sleeves of his t-shirt like it would do anything for his appearance. Maybe it was more just a nervous urge. "You ready?"

Dipper stared back with an awkward gaze, coughing gently to clear his throat before nodding. "Are you?"

The answer came to her before she even really considered the question. "Not at all."

Yet she still opened the door, letting them into the main hall. She could hear Dippers tentative footsteps pattering behind her as she led him up a flight of stairs, but she didn't dare look back at him.

She thought one more look at his pitiful face might make her cry. 

She knocked on her parents bedroom door. She knew they were resting in there like they always did after dinner. Her mom was probably reading some tasteless romance novel. Her dad was probably pretending to reread his portfolio for the one millionth time. They'd do anything but watch television. In their words, it was 'plebian pastime.'

There was no response on the other side save for a loud grunt from her father. 

She swallowed down her nerves and spoke through the large wooden panels, running her fingers over the grains in the wood, desperate for anything she could ground herself with.

"Mom, Dad, meet me in the sitting room as soon as possible, please. It's serious." She spoke, her voice firm and confident despite her raging emotions. It was an act she'd carefully practiced over the years, and she was pleased to find out it held up even now.

That was one thing for her father to be proud of.

Distaste was all that filtered over her father's face. From the simple sight of her and Dipper sat on the couch together, he had contorted his expressions into some useless attempt at pretending he didn't wish he had a trapdoor set up beneath the poor boy. Beside him sat her mother, Priscilla, who was perfect to a tee despite the late hour. Her hair still fell in bouncy curls, a small smile on her face. Pacifica was sure that smile was stuck on her mother's face, what with the amount of plastic injected into the woman's skin. She was essentially a real life Barbie doll at this point. 

Pacifica sat opposite her parents, staring them down as she willed her throat to open wide enough to let a few words slip by. She tried not to fidget, even though every molecule in her body seemed to be chafing against each other, creating an unbearable amount of heat that raised from her skin like she was born from hell.

She could feel Dipper on the couch beside her. He wasn't close enough to touch, but close enough to feel, like there was a magnetic pull reminding her that there was at least one sane person in this room. 

"I don't really know how I'm supposed to say this." Pacifica started, her voice still surprisingly strong, like it wasn't really her controlling her mouth.

"Do you need money, Pacifica? You always make such a big deal over it." Her father said, his voice gruff in a way it only ever was in front of outsiders. And especially Dipper. It was almost like he saw the kid as a threat. 

Maybe he was right to think that way. Because look where they ended up.

"No, not money." Pacifica said, shaking her head. She looked up from her hands, where she studied her carefully painted purple manicure, and for a second wondered if it would be the last manicure she'd ever have. What if her parents kicked her out? 

She shook the idea out of her head. They wouldn't. She was their only heir. "Just... asking for mercy."

Preston straightened at her words, still attempting to shoot bullets with his eyes at Dipper. And he didn't even have a reason to yet. 

"What's wrong, baby?" Priscilla asked, leaning forward as if she really cared. But it was always hard to tell when it came to her mom. Any concern she might have in her voice was often offset by the constant wide and overjoyed expression she wore every minute of her life.

Pacifica stared back, paralyzed. This had the potential to be the last moment of her life as she knew it. But she couldn't even savor it. Because her life as she knew it was trading on eggshells on the regular, waiting to do something wrong and be a disgrace to the family name once more. She could just never be happy, could she?

"Pacifica... it might be easier to just spit it out." 

Dipper's voice broke her out of her trance, and she turned to him with her icy blue eyes, studying his unexpectedly calm face. He stared at her with the courage of a soldier come back from war, determined to sit by her side as she spit it out. He would never abandon post. Not when it was her he stood to protect.

She averted her eyes from him, meeting her parents gazes for a final time. 

"I'm pregnant." She choked out, her calm facade finally falling, hitting rock bottom with a violent shatter.

"You're pregnant?" Her father repeated, as if he wasn't sure if he heard her right. 

"Yes." She nodded, sucking in a breath as she confirmed what she could only assume was his worst nightmare.

"Ah."

For a beat, nobody said anything. There was almost too much to say. There was no ideal angle to approach this from. 

Her father cleared his throat. "You're sure about that?"

"Yes." She nodded again.

"Ah."

And then he continued staring. Pacifica realized then that this probably wasn't his worst nightmare. He didn't seem to have ever really considered it, in all honesty. His perfect little girl, the Pacifica Northwest, who had never dated a boy and kept herself as poised as the Queen of England on nearly all occasion... pregnant?

"Who's the father, sweetie?" Her mom asked. She seemed more visibly upset by the news. Probably because she immediately saw it as her little girl, pregnant. Having Pacifica had been hard on her mother, and she didn't seem pleased with the idea of Pacifica going through that at such a young age.

Her concern didn't change the fact that she had just asked the question that Pacifica wanted to answer the least.

"Dipper." She answered, glancing at the boy beside her, who suddenly looked a little caught off guard now that he had been brought directly into the conversation. Her father just groaned in response to her answer, putting his head in his hands, like she had confirmed one of his actual worst nightmares.

Preston sat there for a moment, head in hands, conflicted. Pacifica hadn't seen him this torn on an issue since the mudflap factory burned down a few years back.

And she knew what he was thinking. She couldn't get rid of it. He was staunchly pro-life, often lobbying local politicians to vote against it. There was no way in hell he'd let his daughter get one.

It's true that they don't see how it affects their own lives until it actually does. 

And now, he didn't seem to know how to approach this issue. Preston Northwest was a better businessman than he was a father. 

"How far along are you, honey?" Her mother asked, glancing at Preston. Her face had fallen as much as it really could at this point, the corners pulled down into a grimace.

"I think... about six weeks?" Pacifica said, counting back in her head. It would have been six weeks since the sex, but she didn't really know how pregnancy weeks were counted.

Priscilla nodded, pulling back into herself as she considered the fact.

Preston finally spoke up after a heavy moment of silence, lifting his head from his hands. "Pacifica, I am incredibly disappointed in you." He started, his voice firm. "Don't you know how this looks for our family?"

There is was. The family card. She was sure it wouldn't take long for him to bring up their reputation. Did he even care about her?

"Dad..." She started, her voice hesitant.

"I mean, I really thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when."

Pacifica paused, biting her lip. She always thought she was that kind of girl too. Strong, independent, confident in herself and her ability to do everything perfectly. But it had always been an act. 

"...I don't really know what kind of girl I am."

The room fell silent again. She felt a warm hand creep into hers, squeezing it gently. She glanced up at Dipper, blinking back a tear.

The couch her parents sat on creaked loudly as her father brought himself to his feet, pacing the room. He put his chin on his hand like he always did when he was deep in thought. 

"Out of any boy, you chose a Pines." He mumbled, glancing at the kid, then to his daughter. "Pacifica, you are aware I expect you to keep this child, right? You know where I stand on that." He said, standing before the two kids.

Pacifica nodded.

"I suggest you find someone to adopt the child. You can do school online until it is born. I figure that's the more linear course of action, yes?" He said, glancing back at Priscilla. His voice was cold, clinical, even. He spoke as if this was a business deal. After all, that was what he knew best.

Pacifica nodded again, hesitantly. She figured this wasn't the end of discussion.

He narrowed his eyes at her and Dipper. "This isn't the end of discussion. Let me think on this. I'm very disappointed."

"And you, I don't know who you think you are, getting a Northwest pregnant." He said, gesturing toward Dipper with distaste. 

He then took a step forward and pressed a chaste, awkward kiss to his daughters forehead. It felt like a very foreign offering. Maybe now wasn't the time or place to try something new. 

Preston retreated from the room. Priscilla stood and pulled Pacifica into a real hug and mumbled soft assurances. She had a feeling her mom would be back to have a real conversation with her later. Then she, too, retreated back to their bedroom.

Pacifica turned to Dipper, and immediately sniffled back a tear, pulling him into a tight embrace. He accepted it, pulling her in close. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck, smelling her sweet perfume. 

"It'll be okay, Paz. It will be okay." He mumbled.

But she didn't believe him.

Not one bit.