#NEED TO TO A LOT OF THINGS IN THE FUTURE WITH BOTH; DIPPER AND ESPECIALLY FORD

[cup-o-stars]

Relativity Falls Lore Concept- The Oracle and Bill

The Oracle:

I was initially inspired by the Twitter user @SUwu159's depiction of the Oracle in their take on Relativity Falls, and made my own adaptation as I learned about her in canon.

(Assume she can change colors because I couldn't pick what I liked most)

This version of The Oracle isn't malicious per se, and does not desire the same conquest or chaos sought out by Bill. But she likes universes to be organized and quaint (or answers to another high power that demands it), and finds fulfillment in achieving these goals through any means necessary.

The Oracle and Dipper:

(Sorry if this dialogue tastes like a corndog in your mouth. I just needed to write a semi-resolution to Dipper's side of the relationship, ha.)

Getting into the real struggle with the Pines family. Dipper and Mabel don't fight and hold grudges like the Stans (that we've seen of), so my opinion is that they drifted apart in their late teens and twenties, both feeling pressured to be less attached at the hip. My current belief (though I'm very willing to rewrite this section) is that Mabel and Dipper both poured a lot of energy into pretty niche fields, and being very busy meant very short and rare windows to reach out. Both assumed the other was doing bigger and better things and felt self conscious / childish for wanting eachother's company.

I'm still considering Mabel's backstory, since I think she probably hit lower points than Dipper. You know. Starving artist, lol. But Dipper entered into paranormal investigation, pest control, etc. before his ghost + monster catching went far enough for his name to gain some notoriety. Hell, maybe Pacifica's family reached out to him to take care of "rats" that were actually ghosts, cementing his interest in Gravity Falls and giving him a window inter supernatural work.

Dipper was taken on as something of an apprentice to the Oracle 30ish years before canon as word of his good and dangerous deeds spread. However, what was at first a personal dream come true (saving lives with nerd magic) soon became a personal hell as the Oracle began to overwhelm Dipper with knowledge of various futures and universes where everything he cared about could be destroyed. He's always been over prepared and incredibly paranoid, and became obsessed with protecting the world by acting as a partner to the Oracle.

He ends up doing- or not doing- a lot of morally ambiguous things and gaining a lot of enemies. He is too ashamed to face his family- especially Mabel- with what he's done and burden them, giving the Oracle more to use against him to keep him working for her. Basically "you've already done all this and risked it all, there's nowhere to go if you stop now." Eventually this ends in her seeing him fit for her work and convincing him to hide out in and save other universes, which he gets trapped doing for the next three decades.

Little throw away idea: Pacifica could have been an investor or partner, but left as they uncovered secrets about the Northwest family. Maybe she wanted to undo something (debating making any of the Oracle's powers time related just because I hate time travel) or stop a current show of corruption, but Dipper had to stop her for the "greater good."

In the main universe, Mabel goes to Gravity Falls upon news of her brother's disappearance, searching for any loose end to trace back to him.

I love that in canon, Dipper is willing to do anything for Mabel, and Mabel gives it back. Dipper here spends all of his life keeping as many versions of her as safe as he can, and she spends all her life trying go seek him out- maybe even dropping a larger opportunity outside of Gravity Falls for her art and settling on business at the shack. Dipper wants Mabel alive, Mabel wants them both happy. I like the idea that it's Dipper and Mable vs. The Future but the future is a demon, alien thing.

Which leads me to...

Bill Cipher:

I'm actually gonna cover a couple versions of Bill I think are fitting for this AU, because I initially wasn't sure if I wanted him here at all.

Child Bill:

Pretty straight forward. Bill as a baby, child thing is tempting and this is the au where he'd exist. Personally though, I think Ford's friendship with Fidds would be more enriching to his growth, and Bill's personality is so close to Stan's they would likely be competing to fill very similiar roles. (If Bill behaves differenty as kid, I don't know about it.) Honestly, Bill is super similiar to Ford and Stan, and works better as a kind of foil or antagonist because of that (imo). I do find the mental image of Ford carrying Bill around funny. I do not enjoy human bill like, conceptually, so I'm probably never gonna design one as an adult or child, lol.

It would be cool to see a world where Bill didn't accidentally kill his parents though.

Bill - Reincarnated Original

Technically I guess they could all be reincarneted (especially baby Bill), but this version of Bill experienced and holds memories of the original canon events in GF. Beings like Bill and the Oracle can remember recent/soon approaching lives, and catch glimpses of more distant cycles as well.

What I like about Bill's recent role as an antagonist to Ford and Stan is that he constantly describes them in the terms of their worst traits, and sees them through the lens of the roles the world placed on them. In this AU, Bill is the epitome of the past (in this case a past life) coming back to bite the twins. He rattles their progress in communication as well as their sense of inner peace by bringing old Glass Shard Beach issues into Gravity Falls.

(Depicted here-> moments after Ford summons Bill using the same ritual as Gideon.)

The drawback to this is that it feels a lot like covering old ground.

Simply Bill:

This is pretty much just regular old Bill with the same fresh perspective as everyone else, and also the one I'm going with. He tried and failed to get Dipper's trust in the past and had to lay low at the arrival of the Oracle. Once they left, Bill targeted Mabel. I think it could be very interesting for Mabel and Bill to either have a fresh relationship wherein Bill is actively taking advantage of her desperation to find Dipper, or for Bill to be an old betrayal (not romantic, but not dissimilar to the opportunistic exes Stan and Ford have to be wary of and beat back under the rug regardless).

Either he shows himself to Mable early on, or decides that Gravity Falls is both Oracle-free and worth the time after either Ford or Mable summon him. Afterall, 30 years isn't much to him.

Maybe he exists in the background like he's always done, or the kids (being snoopy and disrespectful of Mabel's secrets) discover what Mabel's doing and run into him on their own.

Whether Bill is aware of the original series or not, I think he could be neat to stick in between Stan and Ford again for conflict. My favorite aspect about Relativity Falls is the prospects of the Stans having a larger support system and better tools to help themselves with. Beating Bill faster and better would be the ultimate testament to Mabel and Dipper's skills as functioning role models, even if Mabel is currently blinded by her focus on Dipper.

Stan and Ford will fight and they will make up, but this time maybe they can overcome it on their own.

I also think a good idea is having Ford and Stan's issues be completely Bill free (outside of like an episode or two's worth of relevance, unless he put them into a particularly stinging situation). It would feel fresher and also streamline the plot, lol.

Overview:

- Dipper is stuck travelling the multiverse with the Oracle and keeps himself sane by thinking of Mabel and protecting various versions of her.

- Mabel is investigating his disappearance in Gravity Falls and is working on a portal/portal equivalent with Bill to bring him back.

- The kids may or may not be aware of this.

Looking at the main series of events, I think it'd be neat go back to the apprenticeship conflict, where Ford could be approached by the Oracle (or something else that makes sense) with the promise of being a "hero," but knows better now because of Dipper and his experiences with Bill. It's kind of a more convoluted version of Ford's proposal to Dipper in canon, and they basically learn the same thing, lol. You can hang out with ghosts if you want, but demons are gonna get you. Maybe being a child with siblings is all you need.

(Stan could also be offered this, given the Oracle already knew he- or at least someone with his face- would beat Bill, but I think it's well established he isn't very interested in doing anything without family.)

All in all, things might be a bit crowded with two antagonists. But I do like the concept of Bill's arrival and subsequent chaos triggering Dipper and the Oracle's return to Mabel's dimension. I also love the idea of Bill, the Oracle, and some secret third thing all trying to pull the Pines family apart, and it's like a Man vs. God turned into a Family vs. Destiny thing, idk. Just trying to make it feel bigger.

Thank you for reading all this. It was a lot to draw. Next time I do anything for Relativity Falls, I'm gonna go back to the smaller things like Mabel bonding with the kids and stuff like that.

[void-hoodie]

(A timestuck au)

Maybe he shouldn't have left the kid with his brother who lives in a hunted cabin

Some of the story

I read a few timestuck AUs, and what caught my attention the most was when ever the twins separated and Dipper ends up with Ford, he's subjected to a lot of stress and emotional distress due Ford's unstable behavior and constant distrust, especially when it's specifically the time where he calls Stan to hid the journal. along with physical harm when Bill possess Ford's body, even attempt to kill him.

so in this one it was inspired by this fic (not fanart but got the idea from it) i decided to take it up a notch!

the twins who was about go spend their summer with their grunkle ends up both with young Stan instead. Stan after they showed him the proof of them being from the future after showing him a picture of his big brother shermie in his senior years, decids to take them to his estranged twin brother to try and figure out how to help them. (it was a bit before the portal was activated for the first time, but still had a fight with Fiddleford)

the next day,Stan, after realizing Ford had no actual food in his home other than coffee, decides to go shop for a few thing.

it was also 5am in the morning everyone was awake except Dipper who was too mentally and physically exhausted to wake up to anything.

Mabel decided to go with Stan to make sure he buys what they need, but she was hesitant about leaving Dipper, but she knows that this is gonna be the only time he sleeps deeply until their situation is solved, and with some reassurance from grunkle Ford about telling him when he wakes up, she goes.

Ford deciding to figure out what to do to send the twins back to their time, goes to the basement to do some research, accidentally falls asleep.

BILL who was watching the whole time immediately took control of the sleeping man's body, excited about someone new to play with he looks around , graps a scalpel puts it in the possessed man's pocket and leaves the basement straight to the attic where the boy is sleeping.

seeing the sleeping form of the kid, starfished, using Stan's dirty jacket as a blanket snoring softly.

BILL chose to mess a bit with the kid before trying anything else, he got closer and held the tween's nose cutting his breathing, gradually Dipper started to squrim from not breathing right, trying to breath from his mouth, BILL used his other hand and cut that too.

eventually, Dipper jolted from his sleep trying to breathe the missing air before he noticed his other great uncle looking down on him, smiling amusingly, like he was enjoying the fact Dipper almost choked, his smile also held sadistic enjoyment.

Alarms blaring in his head, he moved away,from the man, and he heard him say in a disoriented voice "why the rush to leave? We're having fun!" He said joyfully.

Fight or flight kicking in, Dipper picked the nearest box and threw it at his great uncle(?) And immediately jumped to his feet and ran out the attic, thinking of rushing outside the cabine the man is instantly chased after him, like he wasn't fazed by the attack, so Dipper hid instead.

Waiting for the man to go somewhere else, his heart beating like a rabbit's, he strains his ears to hear if he's still around.

Believing the coast to be clear, he leaves his hiding spot and books it for the door.

Only to feel a hand on his arm tighted and harshly pulling him backward in a painful tug, immediately following a sharp burning pain in his right shoulder, tearing out an ear splitting scream from him.

Trying to focus his eyes, he saw a scalpel imbued in his shoulder. He couldn't even register his blood before it was ribbed out and pierced into his left thigh, making his vision momentarily disappear from the pain.

He heard a maden laughter from above where he was laying on his back in pain and his right arm still held in a bruising grip.

The last thing he his mind made out before shutting down was the blooded surgery knife coming down on him again.

The first thing Ford mind caught on was all the fresh blood around him, that's the only thing his mind locked on the moment the his eyes caught sight if the blood staind hat with the little star on it.......

He knew who's the owner of the hat, even if he only met him yesterday, but where is he?

That is the only thing that circled his mind. Not the growing pain in his head, not the blood-soaked scalpel, not even moving a muscle from where he's kneeling.

He only moved his head when the door opened and two different gasps, followed by a shriek and sound of some things dropping . Meeting the horrified faces of his twin brother and the sister of the gone boy.

(Might make a comic for the rest of this idk)

[rynnthefangirl]

I loved the list you made about the things that Stan and Ford can and should or can't and should not be accountable but like there are somethings I don't get and I hope you could help me see things from your perspective. Like, the majority of people agrees that Ford has the right to hold a grudge at Stan for him breaking his machine since he did not apologize to Ford and time is not an apology. Ford also thought that Stan would be fine on his own and that was the reason he never checked on him. Also, Bill is a master manipulator, so Ford believing in him is more about Bill being good at manipulating people than Ford's ego.

I also think you forget to add some things, like, Ford didn't explained to Stan the situation that he was in, he just shoved the Journal 1 on him and ordered him to hide it without even saying if he would contact him to come back or not. He also brought up their childhood dream while doing that and later said to Stan that did nothing worthwhile with his life until that moment. And he also burned and branded Stan. While Stan called Ford selfish for not using his grant money to help their family and later tried to burn Journal 1 out of spite. He also messed up with Ford's infinity sided dice, which put him and Dipper in danger.

Thanks for the ask!

Regarding Ford not checking on Stan, I think you are correct that he figured Stan would be fine… but I also think that Ford believed this at least in part because he doesn’t want contend with his mixed feelings about his brother. He just wants to feel justifiably angry, so that he can forget about Stan and focus on himself and his future. Knowing that Stan was suffering would force him to confront how he does still love and miss his brother (but his aim is getting better), which would burden him and put him in a position of having to choose whether to make a sacrifice (whether it be time, money, emotional effort, part of his career goals) for Stan’s sake. Which he doesn’t want to do. Ford isn’t a bad guy, and he does love his brother… but he is really good at believing things just because he wants to believe them. I don’t think this is a reasonable view of reality though. Stan was kicked out at 18, with no money to his name, no friends, no family, no home. Ford should have considered the possibility that Stan may be suffering and need him. I certainly don’t blame him for being upset with Stan about the project or even necessarily for holding a grudge about it (especially given how terribly Stan handled that confrontation), but we know Ford cares for his brother despite that, and he doesn’t really show it when he chooses to never check on him for 10 years.

As for Bill and Ford, well I think it’s both Bill’s manipulation AND Ford’s ego. Like yes Bill was a good manipulator, but it worked because there was something for him to target. Ford was so desperate to believe he was special and important, which goes back to Ford being really good at believing things that aren’t actually reasonable just because he wants them to be true. I’ll link a more in depth post that I made that is kinda on this same topic, if you are interested :)

Then for the other points you bring up, you are right that both of them did a lot to escalate that situation into a fight. I will admit I am extremely lenient towards Ford in this situation because he was in the middle of a mental breakdown. I mean he’s been essentially tortured for days on end, I don’t blame him for being a bit thoughtless. I think the onus was on Stan to see that and realize he needs to be the bigger person in that moment. As for the infinity sided dice though, gotta disagree about that being on Stan… who puts an incredibly dangerous object like that in a cheap plastic case in a little sack? 😂 but to be fair, that dumb choice was more just for plot purposes so the episode can happen.

Here’s a link to the post I mentioned:

And thanks again for the ask, I love the Stan twins and talking about their relationship!

[callipraxia]

What do you think of Dipper and Ford’s relationship? I definitely see it as a positive thing, and it benefits them both in many ways. They find kindred spirits after years of feeling like loners, they enjoy their time together, and Dipper helps humanise Ford and helps brings him into the family, while Ford boosts Dipper’s confidence and treats him with respect.

But there are some possible issues there. That Dipper’s hero worship might blind him to Ford’s flaws, and that Ford might be so focused on seeing Dipper’s potential that he forgets he’s still a child and might be unintentionally pushing him before he’s ready.

That could cause problems in the future, especially for Dipper. He’s got enough stressors without struggling to live up to his hero’s expectations.

I’m never one to shy away from arguing with Mr. Hirsch’s interpretations of his own characters, but I do sort of agree with one thing he said about Dipper and Ford: that if Dipper had stayed behind as Ford’s apprentice, it would have been McGucket all over again, sooner or later, or at least something similar. An interesting thing about Ford is how he’s perhaps not traditionally charismatic, but once the occasional person is drawn in, their lives can very quickly start to revolve around him, and how things are going in his world becomes how things are going in their world. If things had played out as originally planned, in a circumstance where the Rift was contained but not permanently sealed and where Bill was still alive, this could not have ended well, no matter how well-intentioned anyone was in the beginning. Killing Bill was not, in and of itself, enough to resolve his many, many psychological problems, but it was probably the clearest route he had to an opportunity to do so. While Bill lived – that was some ‘neither can live while the other survives’ kind of stuff, to steal a line from elsewhere. There wasn’t really a lot of room in his life for other relationships until that one was resolved. It would have been worse with Dipper than other people, though, because Dipper also had a history with Bill. Add in the hero-worship from Dipper, and, well, to borrow from Bill himself on the TBOB website:

“The truth was, [Ford] was half a genius. The other half seemed to be frozen at the age of 18, still a child, totally dependent on outside praise”

One of the reasons Stan and Ford can both get on so well with children is due to the ways in which their emotional and psychological developments seem to have arrested at some point in adolescence. And Dipper would, for at least a good while, have been a pretty constant source of that praise, and…well, we saw what happened the last time Ford had someone who fulfilled his need for outside praise. In a case where I did argue with Mr. Hirsch:

“He’s aloof, and distant, and he’s too perfect. And it’s like, ‘oh! I think he’s also aloof and distant from himself.’ I think he is, uh, deeply, deeply hiding from his real feelings about things, because at some point early on, he decided that he could run from hurt by achievement and by creation, and has dug that hole so deep that he has no relationships” (Hirsch, “Alex Hirsch Interview Transcript”).

One thing that almost immediately becomes apparent upon even a casual examination of the texts, though, is that Ford does at least very much want to have relationships...Whenever he has the chance, this supposedly aloof, relationship-less character can’t seem to stop himself from trying to form relationships…[redacted is a massive list of examples]. We are told by the writers that Ford is a loner, but throughout his life, the parts of his actual behavior that we are shown seem to betray a fairly consistent desire for collaboration, and one which is strong enough to override his belief in the solitude of great men (Hirsch and Renzetti) far more often than not.

Someone who understands at least a glimmer of what he’s been through, who reminds him of everything he likes about himself and not that much of the things he doesn’t like about himself, who wants to impress him more than anything in the world, and who, in that circumstance, would be basically the only person who he interacted with for long stretches of time? Recipe for disaster, one way or another. Eventually ceasing to see Dipper as a child would only be one of the issues.

Not, of course, that I disagree with your statement about the relationship ultimately being good for both of them. Dipper needed the ego reinforcement of being treated with more respect, which both Ford and the town itself give him, which has increased his confidence immensely by the end of the summer; Ford needed a sort of ‘starter relationship’ to ease him back into the world of, well, relating to anyone after thirty years as an outlaw and fugitive. I even think they could work well together at some point in the future, once they’ve both sorted themselves out a little, and when Dipper has the perspective and maturity to deal with Ford as a fellow human being instead of as this Ideal that Dipper can never really live up to or stop trying to live up to. Otherwise…well, Dipper understood about getting tricked by Bill, but eventually, Ford would disappoint Dipper in some way, and even at the very end of the show, I don’t think Dipper’s quite mentally ready to deal with that. We see a lot of growth in Dipper in season two – he takes to the role of town hero very well, and by the end of the summer is even becoming something of an orator/natural leader-figure; I’ve never seen anyone discuss it, but if Weird Science doesn’t work out, I could see Dipper having a future in politics or activism of some kind – but he is, after all, still a young kid, and one who is still to an extent growing into a better version of himself. At the very least, I think he needs to confront Piedmont, where it's implied he's been pretty unhappy his whole life, as the new, more assertive Dipper and prove to himself that he can still be that person without the outside reinforcement of being surrounded by a public that by that point pretty much universally thinks well of him.

[jacky-rubou]

Planning to write an essay on the limited Ford and Mabel bonding in the show and well, I thought of approaching you if you have any pointers. Especially dispelling any misconceptions by the fandom whether Ford overlooked Mabel or the bond she shared with her brother.

I think the main misconception I see is that Ford didn't care about Mabel at all in comparison to Dipper. Or, in some ridiculously extreme cases, that he hates her.

People forget that Mabel was the first twin he interacted with, and it was largely positive. Ford laughed and said he liked her when she stated that his six fingered handshake was one finger friendlier than normal.

The Last Mabelcorn being the episode where Ford interacted with Mabel the most gives a big insight into how he feels about her. First, he agreed with Mabel when she stated she was probably the most pure of heart in the room (i forget the exact phrasing but same difference). He trusted her with the unicorn mission, even knowing that the unicorns were difficult. And last of all, he directly tells her that she is a good person without even knowing the struggle she went through with her morality moments prior.

Dipper and Mabel vs The Future is contentious in this regard, fans often using it as proof that Ford doesn't care about Mabel just because he asked Dipper to stay in Gravity Falls. But honestly, Ford cared enough to observe Mabel's social skills with the pizza delivery guy, plus probably witnessing plenty of instances of Mabel handling herself without Dipper's help. He genuinely believed that Mabel could handle being without her brother outside of the summers.

Plus, it isn't like Mabel was forthright about her feelings about leaving Gravity Falls and growing up until she blew up at the end of the episode. Obviously there are things to be said about Ford taking Dipper on as an apprenticeship being a good or a bad idea depending on who you ask, but Ford didn't know how badly Mabel would take it. He thought he was doing Dipper a favor by giving him a head start on his studies and, as I previously mentioned, that Mabel would be fine at home. That the two could reach a compromise if needed.

Ford isn't perfect though, he does tend to project himself onto Dipper after finding out how similar he thinks he is to him. That might've affected how often he spends with either twin or how he saw their bond, but to say that he doesn't care about Mabel at all is simply misguided. He cares about them both so much. His traumatic experience with his own twin just tainted how he saw the twins' bond being something that could be potentially suffocating. He does sorta have a point though, Dipper and Mabel can't force each other to stay glued at the hip forever or it could potentially stifle their individual dreams if handled badly. But that's just my 'controversial' opinion right there i guess, so take it with a grain of salt if you wish.

And besides, if we were gonna get upset at Ford for favoring Dipper over Mabel, you might as well also get upset at Stan for favoring Mabel over Dipper in some honestly worse ways than Ford ever did to Mabel. Stan literally projected his father's abusive ways onto Dipper and justified being hard on him with 'toughening him up'. Not to mention how he made Dipper the butt of his jokes so often it drove Dipper to seek out time with Ford over him because Ford never made fun of him like that. Obviously Stan does care about Dipper too, but the double standards in this fandom when it comes to how the grunkles treat the twins is honestly flabbergasting. Neither grunkle is perfect in how they handle the twins, neither are 'better' in their methods, and I think that's the point.

it doesn't help that Ford doesn't get a lot of screentime compared to Stan, as i'm sure you're already aware.

anyway, if you have any more questions, feel free to let me know. hope this was a good insight into all this Ford and Mabel business.

[breadmate500]

The letter (part 7- LAST PART)

October 1st

Hi diary! It’s been about a month since we left gravity falls. UGH. I MISS IT SO MUCH. Pacifica was just starting to become our friend and then we had to leave! Hopefully grunkle Stan and ford have fun on their over sea adventures! I know Soos is excited to run the shop and maybe Melody will come to visit him! I Can’t wait to see everyone next summer.

Okay wait- I am totally getting side tracked. I need to come up with a plan to initiate operation dipcifica. (That’s their ship name- clever right? Well not really it’s just a combination of their names, WHATEVER!) I called Pacifica after I read the letter that she sent Dipper. She was stubborn…as usual. So I didn’t get anything out of her. Luckily though I have spies on the inside AKA- the girls: Candy, Grenda, and Wendy.

They all agree that Pacifica has a crush on Dipper. And Dipper probably does too- honestly it’s hard to tell with him. Either he makes it super obvious or he’s absolutely oblivious. Pacifica did mention they hugged… it’s just a hug tho… HAHA JUST KIDDING! I’m delusional! A hug is like basically a kiss for Dipper! (They grow up so fast)

Anyway Diary, here is my master plan called Operation Dipcifica.

1. Give Pacifica Dipper’s number

- already done! (Look how far we’ve come!) they haven’t really texted a lot at least from what Pacifica says. She told me he’s a really dry texter but she is too. Maybe they both need texting lessons…

2. Communication

- I will give Dipper texting lessons! There is no one better to do it than me! I mean, I can fit ten emojis into a very well structured text… impressive I know! Wendy will help Pacifica learn how to text with boys. Wendy’s basically an expert. Also- an extra bonus to this step is me teaching Dipper how to talk to girls in general. Grunkle Stan tried to but it didn’t really go that well. Don’t worry! I got you bro bro!

3. Vacay!!

- mom and dad have talked about visiting Gravity Falls sooner than next summer. Maybe it’s because of their fighting or because they know how much we miss it. We might even spend Christmas down there! I think grunkle Stan and ford are stopping home for the holidays. If they do, mom and dad will let us go to celebrate. Dipper and Pacifica will talk and get closer and it won’t be so awkward! Maybe…

4.talking time!

- I like to rush things… relationships mostly. I found out that doesn’t really work out well for me. I think Dipper needs to take his time warming up to Pacifica and getting to know her as a person! SOOOO ‘talking time’ will be from after Christmas break until next summer…

And finally the last step of operation Dipcifica…

5. Next summer!

- I have a feeling these two are gonna need A LOT of talking time. Especially with this whole enemies to friends to possible lovers trope going on. But next summer they’ll finally be able to see each other in person! They can hug and go on adventures and dates… OOO I GOTTA START PLANNING OUT FUTURE DATES NOW!!! Who knows maybe they’ll even have their first kiss! That’s wishful thinking though. Next summer is the last step of operation Dipcifica when they finally realize their feelings for each other. Then, after that… whelp I guess it’s up to them. Maybe with some help from me. I guess we’ll just have to wait until next summer.

[mdizzle999872]

Bicycle Training For Two

Pacifica hummed to herself as she wiped the counter to the Greasy Diner. Having lost her family fortune, she was getting by doing some honest work.

She was a waitress now, which actually suited her just fine. Becoming a different person from her parents had become Pacifica's new goal in life, and the path she was on certainly felt like the right way to do it. Lazy Susan offered her a alternative female role model to her mother. She was kind, strong, and at least TRIED to put on makeup.

The people, who she used to look down upon just like her parents, weren't half as bad as she used to think. Learning to embrace her fellow townspeople was a surefire way to prevent any future Northwest Ghost incidents. And being a waitress meant that she could still be as snappy and judgemental as she wanted to be when taking their orders.

She used to flinch at the sound of a bell because of her father's methods of controlling her... but now that was quickly becoming a thing of the past. Thanks to the bell on the door for customers, Pacifica was becoming numb to the sound.

Yes. Things were looking up for Pacifica. She was earning her own money, embracing her true people, and bringing honor to the Northwest family name.

There was one little oddity though. Please keep in mind that an oddity is not the same as a complaint but still.... That one little oddity was something that Pacifica wasn't sure how to deal with.

This oddity had a name.

Dipper Pines.

Since spring break began, him and his sister were back in town. Again, not really a complaint but Dipper had been by the diner everyday so far.

He would come in, chat with her for a little bit, try his luck at the manliness tester, and then leave.

One day Pacifica finally asked Mabel what was going on and the answer she got was not one she had been expecting.

Friends.

Dipper Pines needed more friends. Well specifically he needed more friends his own age. And even Pacifica had to admit, around Gravity Falls? Pickings were pretty slim.

Not a lot of thirteen year olds had an interest in mysteries and weirdness. Pacifica didn't blame him for trying to stick to someone he knew.

But...

At the same time she didn't really think that they had that much in common. She wasn't really that interested in mysteries and weirdness herself, especially after that little adventure where she accidentally got Mabel's face stolen.

And exactly what interest of her's would HE find intriguing? Probably not much.

So she didn't really try to fight what he was trying to do but she wasn't going to encourage it either. A simple, low key, friendship was most likely the best shot for both of them.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen the nerd swing by once today. Yes, Lazy Susan had only a half day of service today since she had some appointments for her cats.... but Dipper should have shown up long before the noon closing.

Not that Pacifica was worried about him or anything! Her? Concerned for the nerd?! Mr. Always Has His Nose In A Book?! HA!! It was to laugh!

Still...

If he wasn't here, then where WAS he?

Some paranormal freak show couldn't have just made off with him could it? With his luck, it was a strong possibility! Did his family know? Did ANYONE know?!

*CRASH!*

A loud crash from outside snapped Pacifica out of her Definitely Not Concerned For Dipper thoughts.

She wiped her hands on the dishtowel and ventured out of the restaurant. She made sure to lock up before heading off to investigate.

She didn't need to look far. Just at the opposite end across the street was Dipper. Pacifica mentally kicked herself for ever thinking something bad might have happened to the dork.

He had something with him though. Not a book. This was large and red and.... made of metal? Was that a bike?

"Stupid breaks!" Dipper grumbled. "I thought pedaling backwards was supposed to stop the thing!"

"Dipper?"

"ACK!!!"

Dipper jumped in surprise and practically turned around in midair.

He spotted Pacifica and immediately stood up straight. He positioned himself in front of the bike in a desperate yet futile effort to hide it. With a nervous grin on his face, it didn't take him long to start sweating.

"Pacifica!! Uh... Hiiiii! Nice to uh... Nice to see you! Wha-What's up? How are you doing today? What..."

"Dipper, I can see the bike." Pacifica cut in.

"WHAT BIKE?!"

Dipper's nervous shout just made him sweat even harder. Instead of any of the reactions Dipper expected Pacifica to give him, she instead just raised an eyebrow at him.

"... Just as awkward and sweaty as ever I see." Pacifica jabbed.

Dipper just silently stood there, accumulating even more nervous sweat.

"It doesn't matter how straight you stand, you won't be able to hide it. I can see it as plain as day. The real question is... Why would you care if I saw it or not?"

'Calm down, Dipper.'

he thought. 'Just because she can see it doesn't mean that she'll figure out your secret.'

"Seriously, why would I care if you're riding a bike?" Some of the gears started to turn in Pacifica's head. "Unless.... You didn't want anyone to know that you were riding the bike."

'Oh no!'

"But why would you want that unless you were feeling embarrassed about it. There's nothing embarrassing about riding a bike though. Well nothing except for if you...."

Pacifica trailed off as her eyes opened wide in realization.

"Oh my God..."

"Now Pacifica..."

"OH MY GOD!!!"

Dipper held up his hands in a desperate attempt to keep her quiet.

"Pacifica please..."

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO RIDE A BIKE!!! THAT IS HILARIOUSLY PATHETIC!!!"

Dipper lowered his hands in shameful surrender as Pacifica curled over, pointing and laughing at him.

Okay. So Pacifica had made a big deal about being on a path to be different from here parents and here she was standing and laughing at somebody else's short comings. She knew she wasn't actually perfect and not all changes happen overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day, ya know?

Dipper's face grew red in angered embarrassment.

She had him pegged. She was laughing loud enough for everyone to hear but thankfully at the moment 'everyone' was just the two of them. So he let her laugh in the hopes it would get it out of her system faster.

Eventually, she did stop. She was haunched over and breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Oh it's good to laugh."

Dipper just silently stood there glaring at her and soon the awkwardness was on the other foot.

Pacifica cleared her throat.

"So..." Pacifica started but kept her eyes glued on Dipper. When he didn't say anything she decided to continue. "How come you don't know how to ride a bike?"

"I... Never had the time! Okay?! I'm a busy guy!"

"Too busy to ride a bike?" scoffed Pacifica. "Of course a nerd like you would use that excuse." She suddenly found her nails very interesting. "Probably too busy with your nose in another lame book."

Dipper remained silent once again but suddenly he was starting to regret all the time he had spent at the Greasy Diner.

"Not a bad looking bike though..." Pacifica's compliment snapped Dipper out of his anger. "Where'd you get it?"

It was a pretty good twenty-one speed bicycle. Red painted with gold painted pegs on the back wheel.

"It was actually a gift from Soos. It was sort of a present so I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't know how to ride it."

Pacifica eyed him for a moment. "Well if you keep crashing like that, he's bound to figure it out eventually."

Dipper had just about enough. "Oh yeah?! Well if you're so high and mighty, then how about you show me how it's done?!"

His challenge had hit Pacifica off guard. Now it was her turn to be embarrassed.

"Forget it, Loser!"

"Oh?! Why not?!"

"I, like, got better things to do!"

"Like what?! You're closed!"

"I don't have to prove anything to you!"

"You do if you want to keep talking down to me!"

"Well.... That's a boy's bike! I'm a girl! It'd be, like, gross!"

"I don't care! It's just the two of us right now! Nobody else around to judge except for me!"

He stood there impatiently waiting for her to just give in but she just silently stood there instead, avoiding eye contact. It was then Dipper started to notice other signs about her. She bitting her bottom lip, her arms were crossed as she tapped her finger impatiently, and Dipper knew nervous sweating when he saw it.

Then it all clicked into place for him.

"Oh my God..." Dipper gasped in realization.

Her sudden flinching at his reaction just confirmed his theory.

"You don't know how to either, do you?!"

"I..." Pacifica struggled to find the right words that would get her out of this. "I mean.... It's not like it's a big deal or anything!"

Now Dipper was the one to point at her. "You self righteous hypocrite! You literally aren't in any position to judge!! So what's YOUR excuse? You just paid someone to learn FOR you?!"

Pacifica threw the idea of avoiding eye contact with him right out the window! Now she was glaring at him right in the face.

"I. Was. RICH! I never had to bicycle anywhere because I was always DRIVEN everywhere! In a limo!! I didn't BOTHER to learn because there was no POINT!!"

"GREAT!!" Dipper glared back. "Then I guess we both had our reasons!!!"

"OF COURSE!!!"

Dipper and Pacifica panted heavily. That was a lot of unnecessary emotions they just got out and needed a moment to calm down.

Slowly but surely, their breathing returned to normal, their faces returned to their normal hues, and clearer heads prevailed.

Looking back on how they were acting, it was almost more embarrassing than not knowing how to ride a bike.

"So..." Dipper awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"So..." Pacifica wasn't entirely sure where they should go from here. She turned her back to him but just leaving felt like the wrong thing to do.

"Want to try and learn.... together?"

Pacifica all but spun back around and gave him a condescending look.

"And WHY would I want to do something like that?!"

Dipper folded his arms and actually returned her look in full force.

"Oh, like you have something better to do?!"

Pacifica's eyes darted around as she tried to think of a good excuse. SOME kind of retort that she throw back in his face... There had to be SOMETHING!

"I... Well... You see.... I...am... wearing a dress."

Pacifica couldn't stop mentally kicking herself for spewing out such an answer. Dipper obviously thought it was as pathetic as Pacifica did; that smug grin said everything.

"Yes. You are. And people who are wearing dresses can ride bikes without any worries."

He was on the verge of laughing. She could tell!

"Alright, fine! You caught me. I'll do this but only so long as nobody else finds out about this!"

"Somebody else shows up then we'll just go somewhere else. Sound fair? Good. Now help me with the bike, I'd hate to tell Soos that I accidentally broke it my first day out with it."

Pacifica helped him prop up the bike. It did seem a smidge big for him but to be fair, she was in the same boat.

"Looks like it's in one piece." observed Pacifica.

"That's good..... I don't understand though, I thought pedaling backwards was supposed to make a bike stop. That's what Mabel's friends told me."

"Maybe for a younger kid's bike. Breaks for bigger bikes are supposed to be up here by the handlebars."

Pacifica pointed to a couple of switches up by the handlebars.

"Alright, but what's this gadget with the numbers?"

"... I don't know."

Dipper hopped onto the seat. "Well only one way to find out I guess!"

The bicycle almost toppled over but Pacifica caught him.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Dipper pedaled out a little bit and squeezed the gadget with the longer handle. The bike stopped and Dipper fell to the ground.

"Guess we found the break. You okay, Dumb Dumb?"

"I'm fine." He grunted. He got up and stood up the bike. "Your turn."

"Right. Help me up."

Dipper lead her by the hand, nothing too unreasonable there, but when he helped her up they were practically cheek to cheek. A very small blush happened there but Dipper didn't notice it.

"From the sounds of it, you've had even less experience than I have. Want me to walk you through the beginning? I've at least gotten that far."

"Ha! I would never need instruction like that..."

"Because you're a Northwest?"

"No! Because, I am Pacifica! The girl who dares to go to places no Northwest has ever gone before!"

Feet on the pedals, Pacifica got about as far as a couple of steps before losing her footing and toppling over.

Dipper ran to her, she was flat on the ground with the bicycle on top of her but otherwise unhurt.

He stared down at her. "Places like the public sidewalk?"

"... Shut up."

Dipper helped her up. "In all seriousness though, I saw what you were trying to do. Gotta use your whole foot on the pedals, though."

"So I didn't put my heels into them! I'd like to see you do better, Mr. Expert!"

"Well it IS my turn now..."

Dipper got on the bicycle and pedaled out a bit farther than Pacifica had made it. It was starting to look like he was getting the hang of it but then the bicycle started to shift to the right and he crashed.

Pacifica gave a condescending slow clap. "Terrific crash, Mr. Expert. I believe... Hey, are you okay?"

It looked like his pants were leaking red paint. He stood up, wincing in pain.

Pacifica ran over to him and saw his knee had a pretty large scrape on it.

"That looks pretty bad."

"Nah." Dipper waved it off. "It's just a scrape. I've had worse."

"It could get infected if you just leave it alone, Dummy! Come on, I know where Lazy Susan keeps the Bandaids in the Greasy Diner."

"But..."

Pacifica put a finger to his lips. "No buts! The quicker you're in, the quicker you're out!"

______________________________________________________________

Kitchen of the Greasy Diner....

Dipper sat on a stool patiently as Pacifica searched through the pantry for the box of Bandaids. She knew the right pantry but Lazy Susan was notoriously unorganized. Things were never in the same place twice.

"You really don't have to do this." offered Dipper.

"Oh and what? Spend the rest of the day looking at your nasty wound? Like, in your dreams!"

Dipper wore an impressed smile. "The more things change...."

Pacifica found the box of Bandaids and hopped off of her little step stool.

"And, like, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Just... You're trying to be different from your parents, just like you said, but you're also still... You!"

Pacifica found one of the big gauze Bandaids and opened it up, her eyes didn't leave Dipper though.

"You know, when people ask for an explanation you aren't supposed to be more confusing!"

"I mean.... You're still snippy with kind of an ego..." Pacifica slapped the Bandaid on the wound making Dipper yelp in pain for a moment. "But... Oh give me a minute here..." Dipper gave a few calming breaths to calm down from the knee slap. "But you've also opened up a lot and have moments of kindness..." Dipper pointed to his knee. "Like this.... Save for the knee slap."

"Maybe that was a little extreme of me. I'm sorry."

"AND you're apologizing! The Pacifica that I met in the beginning of summer last year never would've done that! I really think that you're becoming a better person."

A light blush arose in Pacifica's face.

"Well I don't know if I can ever be a 'good' person like you and Mabel, but so long as I can be a better person than my parents, I can sleep a little easier."

"You seem plenty good from where I'm sitting. The fact that you're talking to me puts you above some of the locals our age."

Pacifica's blush got a little heavier but she ignored it. "That reminds me, I've seen you trying to make friends with some of the other kids in town but nobody has really been sticking..."

"Yeah..." Dipper admitted, leaning back his head in nostalgic disappointment. "They appreciate what me and my family did last year but they aren't really interested in UFO sightings and haunted gas stations."

Pacifica crossed her arms. She didn't like that the kids weren't willing to try but at the same time she understood where they were coming from.

"I wish I could say that I blame them but..."

"That's why I think Soos got me the bike. So I could meet them halfway on something. But..."

"You don't know how to ride." Pacifica finished.

"Exactly! And I can't let them know that!"

"That part I get but..."

"And I can't let Soos know because it might hurt his feelings.... Getting me a present I can't use."

'Awww! That's actually kinda sweet!' thought Pacifica.

When Pacifica found herself lingering on such thoughts she quickly shook her head to lose them.

"And what about the rest of your nerd friends?"

"Well there's no way Mabel could keep it a secret, I already told you the situation with Soos, Grunkle Stan would just make fun of me, and he and Ford are always a package deal so even if Ford helped Grunkle Stan would still make fun of me."

"And the brick house red head that you used to crush on?"

"You kne-"

"The whole town knew, Dipper." Pacifica flatly cut him off. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. Your 'whispering' is actually kinda loud."

Dipper winced. "Ouch! Well Wendy is off with her new boyfriend. Some new guy none of us had heard of. I met him, he seems on the level. Just eats up a lot of her time now..."

Pacifica frowned. The bittersweet emotion Dipper felt was written all over his face. It looked like he was finally getting over her but that didn't mean moving on wasn't painful.

"Like, I can't say that isn't rough but I know some other girl at some point will see you for what you have to offer."

"Pacifica.... I'm having trouble just making friends. How can I expect to find a girlfriend if I can't even make new friends?"

She hated to admit it but he had a point.

"By.... Uh.... By learning to ride a bike!"

"What?"

"By which I mean... Soos is right! If they won't come to you then you'll just have to go to them!"

'Phew!' thought Pacifica. 'Good recovery, girl!'

"Better than nothing, I guess!" Dipper hopped to his feet.

"Before we head out, I think we need to go some place else to practice."

"Why? We're doing in this in the streets where everyone can see us. We're lucky nobody has spotted us! You don't want to get made fun of and I," she took a moment to flip her hair. "Like, have a reputation to think of."

"Still?! How could you still have a reputation after losing your fortune?!"

Pacifica politely used her index finger to close Dipper's hanging jaw. Then she turned her back to him, crossed her arms, and held her chin up high with a dignified pout on her face.

"I'm talking about the reputation I built for myself, Loser!"

"Oh.... I guess that makes more sense...."

Dipper cleared his throat in a desperate attempt to remove the awkwardness in the air.

"So... What are you suggesting? Taking this someplace private?"

And just like that, the awkward embarrassment had been increased one hundred gold. Intentional or not, he had just asked a girl if they could somewhere 'private'. Even Dipper knew what the double meaning could imply.

There was no fighting THIS level of blush for Pacifica. She turned to him with eyebrows raised as high as they could go and an expression that was DEMANDING a better explanation.

"I MEAN... The bicycle training!" Dipper held up his hands defensively. "You said that you don't want to practice in a place people can see us so that means you want someplace private.... Right?"

He didn't move, he dared not to, but he did cautiously open one of his eyes. It looked like the rushed explanation did the trick. Pacifica had calmed down considerably.

"Sigh. Of course that's what you meant.... but yeah. We need someplace out of the way."

"Like the forest?" suggested Dipper.

"Nuh uh! These wheels were made for concrete and asphalt, not uneven ground and tree roots."

"How about the junkyard? Since McGucket moved into your mansion it's been all but deserted."

"The dump?! Like, ew! I'd rather be seen in your hotel of a shack!"

"Well I don't have a better idea, do you?!"

"........................... Crap. Fine! I'm suing you if anybody finds out I willingly went with you to a landfill though!"

______________________________________________________________

Junkyard...

The junkyard was as deserted as they had hoped. And despite Pacifica's claim of the bike being made for sidewalks and the like, the dirt ground was perfectly flat for them to use.

A giant mound of trash rested in the center and it was their goal to bicycle around it. Problem was that the place still smelled exactly as it was supposed to.

"Oh come on. Stop complaining. At least you don't have to cover yourself with the trash like at the Crawlspace Market."

She punched him in the arm for that remark.

"I only did that because you TRICKED me!"

"Heh. Heh. Ow."

Pacifica pointed her head at the bicycle. "Your turn."

"... No it isn't."

"So I'll just go twice next! If you're going to boast then you should back it up!"

"Fine." Dipper puffed out his chest and used his thumbs to stretch his vest out forward. He confidently made his way to his bicycle. "Watch and learn, Miss Diva!"

'Pft! Stupid Dipper.' thought Pacifica. 'Who does he think he's fooling with a strut like that? Gotta say though, it's not a bad look for him.... Where'd THAT thought come from?! Ugh! Forget it! Never thinking it again!!'

"Alright, now watch me very carefully. I put both of my feet flat on the pedals and push."

Pacifica rolled her eyes at Dipper. "Acting like he isn't in the same boat as me..." she muttered under her breath.

Dipper Rose out twice the length of before and then ended up toppling to the right.

*CRASH!*

Pacifica got the bike off of him and smiled at him. It was the same type of smile she used to wear anytime she was victorious with something during their first summer together.

"Way to go, Mr. Hot Shot. I've never done it but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to turn the opposite way when you start leaning towards one direction."

She was expecting him to get mad at her but instead he smiled back.

"You're right. Maybe this is simpler than we're making it? Your turn."

"... Of course. Get ready to see how a winner does it! And then.... See it again since I'll be going twice!"

Pacifica got on the bike and pushed off. Feet flatly on the pedals actually did help but when she got farther than Dipper did something unexpected happened.

"Alright, way to go Pacifica!"

Dipper cheered for her!

This went against the atmosphere she thought they were creating! She thought they had some kind of competition going on but this didn't align with that at all.

Unfortunately, this was just enough to distract her into crashing.

*CRASH!*

She wasn't down for long though. She walked off any soreness she felt and hopped right back on the bicycle.

"Okay! Second turn begins now!"

Pacifica started her turn around the mound of garbage and her thoughts drifted to Dipper. She hadn't noticed it at first but now that she was thinking about him, Dipper had changed a little.

Physically that is.

He was a little taller, maybe not as much as Mabel, but possibly a couple of inches higher than herself. His arms weren't what she would call 'muscular' but they weren't quite the noodle arms from their first meet either.

'I never noticed it before but he actually doesn't look........ that bad.'

She quickly shook her head to shake the thoughts away.

'Whoa! Watch that train of thought, girl. He's still just Dipper. The same nerd you've always known.'

Except he wasn't just a nerd.

Last year proved that.

Sure it was the elderly Pines that did in Bill but but it was Mabel AND Dipper that had rallied them together to free the brainiac scientist in the first place.

'Besides...' thought Pacifica. 'I can't be with him because....'

For once Pacifica didn't have a good answer for her rationalization. The default answer was because she was a Northwest but that didn't hold water since she was trying to be better than her parents. The argument of 'Because she was better than him' didn't really hold up because she was earning her money now. Just like anyone of Dipper's class of living would do.

Sure she could mini golf him into the ground but here she was learning to ride a bike. She was in the same exact boat as him.

These thoughts distracted her to the point where she accidentally turned just a bit too hard and crashed.

*CRASH!*

Dipper raced over to her and helped her up.

"You were doing so well there! What happened?"

"Well I just started to think about....... Nevermind! Not important. Your turn."

They were just able to get the bicycle up when a rustling caught their attention.

Digging out from the mound of garbage was a raccoon. Pacifica immediately hid behind Dipper.

"Gross! What is that thing?!"

"It must be Old Man McGucket's raccoon wife! Soos said she got the junkyard in the divorce!"

"The wha- Forget it!"

"No. Look! It isn't hissing or growling at us. Maybe it's a nice raccoon?"

It was at this moment that the raccoon spotted them and let out a his which showed all of her fangs.

In a panic, Pacifica threw a bucket at it and Dipper hopped back on the bike.

Pacifica had better aim than she had expected, the bucket covered the raccoon to the point where only the tail was sticking out. This bought her just enough time to hop on the back of Dipper's bike.

"FLOOR IT!!!"

Dipper didn't need to be told twice as he started to pedal towards the entrance.

They were just through the gate when the raccoon threw off the bucket and started to chase after them.

"AAAAAGH!!! DIPPER, IT'S RIGHT ON OUR TAIL!!!"

"WELL WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT?! I'M PEDALING AS FAST AS I CAN!!!"

"... The speeds! Dipper!! The gizmos with numbers near the breaks! They handle the gears, bicyclists use them to make pedaling easier! Maybe they can help you go faster!!"

*CLICK!* *CLICK!*

Dipper started to slow down and the raccoon started to gain on them.

"AAAAAGH!!!"

"THAT DIDN'T HELP AT ALL!!!"

Panic and desperation took control of Pacifica. There was no thought, there was no strategy, just the fear of danger and the drive to survive.

She plucked Dipper's hat (the same one Wendy gave him) off of his head and threw it at the raccoon.

A last ditch effort to be sure but it worked. The hat hit the raccoon and it wrestled with it in retaliation, clawing it to pieces.

"Hey!! Wendy gave me that hat!!"

"Sorry, but it bought us some time!! It is TOO warm for a trapper hat anyways!"

"I.... Fine! I'm sure she'll understand anyways!"

"Good! Now whatever you did to slow us down, do the opposite!! Because that flea market bargain sale is just about done with your hat and it doesn't look happy about it!!"

*CLICK!* *CLICK!*

Dipper's speed started to go back to what it was when it started but the raccoon was now chasing after them faster than ever.

A quick turn around the corner was quite possibly the most dangerous part of the chase. They didn't crash but Pacifica got a REAL good look at the asphalt street.

Faster and faster Dipper pedaled but when Pacifica looked back at their pursuer she saw the raccoon had slowed herself to a stop.

"AHA! Dipper, it gave up!"

Pacifica quickly found that her victory was short lived as not only did Dipper not reply but they were actually picking up speed instead of slowing down.

"Uh Dipper? Didn't you hear me? We won! You can slow down now."

".... I can't!"

"What?! Why not?!"

"Pacifica, look around you! Why do you think?!"

It was then that Pacifica noticed that the scenery speeding past them was all at an angle. Which could only mean one thing.

"WE'RE ON A HILL?!"

"I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET US AWAY FROM THE RACCOON!!! I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT WHERE WE WERE GOING!!!"

"THE BREAKS, DIPPER!!! USE THE BREAKS!!!"

"AND SEND US FLYING TO OUR DEATHS?! WE'D HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF USING IT AT THE BOTTOM!!!"

Pacifica didn't say anything else, there was no point in arguing. Instead she did the only thing she could and hugged Dipper tightly out of fear.

She closed her eyes tightly as the terrain leveled out and Dipper hit the breaks.

The bicycle hit a bush and sent the both of them flying over it. Flying through the air, Pacifica never let go of Dipper... and to her surprise Dipper held on to her just as tightly.

Gravity eventually got the better of them but to their surprise they both landed relatively safely in another bush.

Opening her eyes, Pacifica saw that she and Dipper were holding each other quite dearly side by side.

They stared at each other, a massive blush forming on both of their faces.

Then Pacifica pushed him off and jumped out of the bush. She brushed herself down and took a look of the land.

"Nobody saw that."

Dipper sat on the ground silently for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Where are we?"

"Well Dummy, it looks like you crash landed us right into the Gravity Falls park. Good news for you, the fellow kids are probably here and I think I can safely say that we both learned how to ride a bike so there's nothing stopping you now."

"And I can't wait to meet them..."

Dipper ran to the bush and pulled out the bike. It looked like it was still alright.

"Do you want me to wait a few minutes for you to leave or do you have an excuse you want me to use?"

Pacifica gave him a look of utmost confusion.

"What? Why would I want you to do either of those things?"

"You know.... So you can save 'the reputation you built for yourself' or whatever."

"I don't mind if people see us together. You're one of the town heroes, it's everyone else that needs to get their loser act together!"

"But... If they see us together... They might think we're friends."

"Well...." Pacifica suddenly found herself getting awfully nervous for some reason. "What if we are?"

"Wait! Really?! I thought you were just helping me out! We're really friends?!"

"Yes! Okay?! We're friends!"

"Not that I'm complaining but.... Why?"

"Maybe because some of your nerd sob stories got to me! Maybe because I related to you more than I thought I would! Maybe because I actually had a good time before the hairball with fangs came after us! I don't know!! I do know is that I gave more of a care about you than I thought I did so.... I guess that makes us friends."

Dipper smiled. And it made Pacifica feel happier than she cared to understand for.

"That's great! Does this mean you'd be willing to go mystery hunting with me?"

Pacifica flinched uneasily. "I... Don't know about that. The Lumberjack Ghost was a lot, Crawlspace Market was more magic than I cared for, and we barely escaped a raccoon together."

"Well it doesn't always have to be a mystery hunt, I suppose... I am going to need an explanation to Wendy about her hat..."

"Okay, that one I'm willing to go with you on. It was my fault. Searching for aliens though...."

"I could find mysteries to explore that are dialed down a notch. Less supernatural but more conspiracy like."

"I... still don't know..."

"I could talk to Old Man McGucket, ya know? I'm pretty sure I could convince him to let us explore your old mansion. Maybe we could find some other secret rooms you didn't know about?"

Pacifica had to admit, that was one activity for them that hadn't occurred to her.

"Alright, fine! I'll mystery hunt with you. Just don't go thinking that this is going to lead to anything more than friendship!"

"Of course. Of course!"

Dipper got back on his bike and to his surprise Pacifica ended sitting on his handles.

"Now then..." She pointed forward. "Take me home!"

Dipper tried to look around her but she was completely blocking his line of sight.

"I.... How do people DO this?! I can't see anything!"

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Fine. Don't worry about it. I'll guide you, just turn when I say so."

Dipper started to pedal forward but found that somehow she was even heavier riding in the front than she was in the back.

"Go as slow as you need to, just don't crash."

"And what happens to your precious 'reputation' if somebody sees you riding my bike with me like this? Friendship might be the least of your worries then. What'll happen to the reputation you've built then?"

Pacifica bounced the back of hair for a moment.

"Well it can only boost your rep but mine? Well..... Maybe I won't mind if they talk about me in such a way."

"What? But...."

"Don't make a thing about it! My reputation can take a hit like that, anything is better than having the world know that I have ditch digging in my blood. Might help yours though.... but DON'T go thinking it means anything!"

"... Naturally."

"I'm just helping a friend out by letting the townsfolk talk a little. Absolutely NOTHING is going to blossom from us spending more time together! Understand?!"

"Of course. Whatever you say...."

Ten years later...

Pacifica had Dipper cornered in the garage. Any time he tried to circle around away from her she would just follow making sure she stayed in front of him and blocked his exit.

"So Dipper, I heard you got yourself a motorcycle!"

Dipper saw the gleam in her eye and blushed. The motorcycle was literally right next to him but her eyes were glued on him. He wasn't even sure she SAW the bike because he KNEW her real focus was on him and her getting what she wanted.

"Well... Yes but..."

"But what? As your long distance girlfriend, I feel like I need to be in the loop about things like this. Don't you think?"

Pacifica wasn't even mad. If anything she sounded excited. And Dipper knew exactly why too.

"Pacifica, I just got my license for that but I'm not sure I want to teach you how to ride..."

"Why not?" she cut him off wearing a playful smile.

"Because it's dangerous. And I'm not really insured for you so...."

"That's nothing a few calls and a couple of signatures can't fix! Is there a side car? Or are we going to have to get 'cozy'?"

Her question made a blush race across Dipper's face.

"Pacifica!"

"What? You know you like it!"

"Pacifica I just traveled across several states to get here! Do I really to go through why I can't teach you how to ride a motorcycle?"

"Let's answer that question with another question..." She shimmied her shoulders. "Are you ready for me to be your biker babe?"

Dipper's blush increased ten folds.

"Alright! I'll teach you but not today, okay? I came a long way to get here and I'm tired."

"Tired huh?" Pacifica dropped her stance and sashayed her way over to him. She laced her arms around the back of his neck and looked him directly in the eyes. A promise of love came crashing in with her look. "I know how I can fix that."

Dipper swallowed a lump in his throat but smiled. "Don't you have a reputation to think of?"

"The only reputation I care about these days is the one of me as your girlfriend."

A light kiss was what met them in the middle.

They shared a flirtatious smile and then broke apart. Pacifica grabbed him by the hand and lead him to the door to the house.

"Now come on! Everyone's been missing you since you went away for college! Soos even got you a gift!"

"Another one? That guy always seems to give me life altering gifts! That being said, I have to admit... They always seem to work out for the best!"

The End