Dipper POV

It was 1925, it was a nice Tuesday evening. A quiet one I do say so myself. There were no fights and no pretty dolls to my site. It was just another boring day. Of course I did have to play the piano for my sister. She was wearing her nice and pink evening dress with the peacock head piece and with her beautiful voice. It warms my heart to hear her sing. With our parents kicking the bucket we had to live with our great uncles Stanley and Stanford up in Gravity Falls, Oregon, when we were only twelve years old. They own a joint... that is what they say. The truth is that they are huge mobsters, at least Stan is. A big time gambler he is. Bumping off people who gets in his way and the dames come crawling to him. Ford in the other hands owns the joint and doesn't bump off people, that I know off. Ford is the one that keep the secrets and not just from the coppers. I don't even know what he did in his past. He doesn't say much.

Well now since I've worker at this joint for 8 years, I picked up a few things but nobody seems to notice. Everyone just thinks that I'm just the piano player at the Mystery Shack Bar or that dame's music box. For 8 years this has been going on and I'm getting pretty sick of it. I'm tired of being the Big Cheese's great nephew or the dame's music box. I'm 20 now and I think I can join in the mob. What can they do...bump me off? Ha!

"Dipper." Mabel said as she raps her arms around me, "What are you writing?" I close my journal, "Nothing sis, don't worry about it. Now are you ready to shine?" I ask. Mabel sigh, "I don't know, Dipper". Then she sat on my lap, "Dipper, I'm a young 20 year old Doll and I've been performing for about 8 years. But I still get the heebie-jeebies when I go out there." "Oh Mabel, don't need to get the heebie-jeebies. You have a perfect voice and you are a doll. Don't worry about a thing." Then I kissed her on the cheek. "Now let's shine."

We went out there and Mabel sings her favorite song, Shine like the Moon. It was a nice song and it really brings out her voice and it was quite eachy. Out there I'm guessing that there was about I'll guess 100 people. Most of them are men and their molls or dames. It was a quiet night like I said before. Usually there would be more people than this but it's a Tuesday night.

Before I knew it the beautiful song was over. They apload and whistle, of course to my sister. I'm a nobody that is a dame's piano player.

We played and singed many songs over the night, and then Mabel was ready to take a break and rest her voice and dogs. I needed the break to rest my fingers. I went out and was looking at myself in the mirror. I don't understand why dolls don't crawl to me. I'm a very talented and swell man. I wore the nice dress pants, tie, and suspenders, and the fedora. What isn't swelling about me?

Then I heard a crash. "Mabel?" I called out. That came from her dressing room. I then quickly went to the door and it was lock. "Mabel?" I called out. "Stay away from me!" I heard her cried out. "Mabel!" I called out. Then there was more shuffling and glass breaking. "Mabel!" I called out then I went over and kicked the door open. Mabel gasps a bit and I saw a man there. "Hey!" I snap. I saw Mabel so happy to see me and she came right behind me, "Dipper! He tried to hurt me." "Oh come on doll, don't be a snitch." The man sneer. "You know what fella, if the lady said scram then you scram. You hear me!" I hiss. The man laugh. I could tell that he was swell man, by how his suit was nicely laid on his body. "Why do I listen to that in a dame? She has good grams and the looks and the voice of an angel. I like what I see and I get what I like."

"Well too bad for you because she is off limits. Scram or I'll bop you!" I hiss. The man laugh, "Oh yeah?" then he swing a fist and I dough it then I try to hit him but he grab my arm and flip me over and I landed on the ground. Then he kicks me in the rips hard. "Don't hurt him!" Mabel cried out then tried to hit him but she was a doll and he is a big six bimbo. That doesn't mix. "This isn't your fight dame." Then he just shoves her off and Mabel ran into a chair and fell to the floor. "Don't hurt her!" I snap as I got to my feet. Then I tackle him. We both fell to the ground but he just tossed me off of him as I was a sack of potatoes. Then he came on top of my and throwing hits at me. Then Mabel came back and got on top of the man. "Get off of him!" Mabel started to throw hits down at the man but they won't do any good. The man just shook her off again. But it gave me a chance to get back to my feet and tackle the man again.

I manage to throw one hit to his face but he just grabs my shirt and slams me to Mabel's mirror and it broke as I made contact with it. Then he threw me to the floor. Then he started to kick at me, in the ribs, stomach and face. "Stop it! Stop it! You'll kill him! Stop it!" Mabel screamed as she tried to pull him away. That was the last thing I remember.

The next thing I saw was Mabel looking down at me, "Mabel?" I mumble and she smiled, "Oh I'm glad that you are alright." I got up, "Where is that Nitwit? I'm going to bop him!" "Oh don't worry, Wendy got rid of him. He's gone." Mabel said as she helps me to my feet. Everything hurt. Then Wendy came in. She was a doll but not a type of doll that me or any fella would like. She was a tom boy basically and she works at the bar as a bar tender...not a performer like my sister. She was nothing like me but she got the scary look and the ability to kick butt. I'm just a nobody that just plays the piano.

"Yep I got rid of that cake-eater. Don't worry once I told him that he just knocked out the Big Cheese's great nephew he ran for the hills." Wendy boasts. I groan, "Well I don't want to be remembered as Stan's great nephew. I want to be remembered as the hard boiled big shot that works at this bar and is part of the mob." Wendy places her arm on me, "Dream on." I shook her arm off.

"You know Dipper; you are 20 so maybe Stan will let you be part of the gang." Mabel said, "I think Stan could use you in a way instead of my piano player." I gave a small smile, "Thanks." "I'll get you some ice. You are cover with bruises" Wendy said then she left. Mabel reaches down and grabs my hat and handed it to me. "Did he hurt you?" I ask. Mabel shook her head, "No. he came down here and tried to get near me. Then you came and then Wendy came and he ran. I'm fine."

"Well he could have done more harm to you." I grumble, "And I was useless. Mabel I don't have nothing. I want to be known form what I am...not what Stan is. I want to be part of his gang and be his right hand man. I want people to fear me because I'm the hard boiled that everyone fears and honors. I'm done with being a piece of paper." Then I face Mabel and grab her shoulders, "Mabel the world is fill with nitwits and I know you are that doll that wants to find true love and to only stick to one man for the rest of your life and I completely resect you for that and I'll will make sure that will happen and I'll protect you and your standards. But I can't. I'm a weakling and I don't want that. I just want to protect you Mabel."

"Dipper, you don't need to eat yourself up. Look, having you care is good enough. I know that you are trying and I'm glad that you are. That is all that matters." Mabel grabs my hands. I sigh. Then Mabel came and gave me a hug, "Don't worry. Everything will work out Dipper. I'll find my man and we will have a true love connection and a doll will love you and you can be the biggest and badest mobster. Just wait and it will come. Just ask Stan and see if he will let you in. I think he should." Then Wendy came in and I and Mabel ended our hug. Wendy handed me the bag of ice. "Here you are champ. This should help with your pains." I gave a small smile and apply it to the back of my head, where my head hit the glass. Mabel then gave me a small shove to the chair. "Just stay here and I'll just continue the show, you just rest. Promise me that you will just lay back and rest." "Fine." I grumble. Then she kisses me on the forehead. Then she left.

I look in the cracked mirror. What kind of person am I? All I can do is play the piano and be a brother to Mabel. There isn't a doll for me. I'm a nothing. There is no doll for me and I'm not a mobster, nobody is afraid of me and nobody knows me of who I am. I'm just a nobody. I'm sick of tired of being in my great uncle's shadow. All I want is to be a someone. A someone who will protect my sister for those cake-eaters and those drugstore cowboys. She dissever much better than those men.

I won't let the happen.

I then got out of Mabel's dressing room and I headed to the back, where Stan plays with the big boys. I set the bag of ice by the door.

I made sure I was dress nicely. With my shirt tuck in, suspenders tighten, tie tightens and straight and my fedora were on nice and my hair was to the side. So it was in my face to hit my birthmark, which was the Big Dipper. Who knew that could lead me to my name. Eye contact is the most important thing. I then enter the back.

They here smoking their hearts out and having a few giggle water left and right. I went up to the table. "Ah it's youngster." Big Max sneer. Then Stan turns around, "What do you want kid? We are in the middle of a game...so make it fast." I took a small deep breath; I don't want to show fear. I have to have some class. "Nothing much big shot, I just was wondering if I could be part of the game." Everyone at the table laugh. Then Stan spoke out, "Oh Dipper you slay me!"

"But it's not a joke, Stan. I want to play." I reply, still trying to keep my cool. Stan places his hand on my shoulder, "Listen Dipper, this is the big boys' game and you...you are a little boy. This game isn't for you." then he looks at me a bit closer, "What happen to you? Your face looks beaten up." I clear my throat, "Nothing." "Bushwa" Little Allen snickered. Stan looks coldly into my eyes. When he does this it gives me the heebie-jeebies. "Kid what really happen to you? I know that piano didn't do this to you."

"Ha! Piano boy!" Tom snicker, "Piano boy wants to play the big game. What is he going to do? Is he going to make sure we are in tone...I think I'm flat boy...tune me boy!" everyone laugh, "No Tom I think you are more sharp but you do need seriously need some tuning." Sam snickered.

"Dry up Sam." Stan snaps. Then Stan looks at me, "Look you are family, and I respect you but I really don't think playing this game isn't for you. You don't even know how to play." "I could learn. I'm a fast learner." I reply. "Alright if you could tell me what poker we are playing then you can play."

I looked down at the table. There were so many types of games, there is even some that doesn't excise, and who says that they are playing poker.

I sigh, "No I can't tell what game you are playing."

"Then sorry kid you can't play."

"Then what about being part of the mob." I just shout out. Great, I just went over the bridge too fast. Everyone at the table laugh, Stan chuckle, "You want to be part of the mob?" "Well yeah."

"Look how beat up you look like. I highly doubt that a doll did that to you." Little Allen snickered. "What did happen to you?" Stan asks. Great now we have to bring this up, "Fine. A man was trying to hurt Mabel and I fought him." "Well if you look like this...what does he look like?" Hank asks. "Nothing." I grumble. The other boys laugh. "Look kid, if you can't fight then you can't join the gang. You can't gamble, fight, or get the dolls. You just need to stick to what you know piano boy." Tom snickered. The boys laugh and Stan grab my shoulder, "Look kid. I know being a big time mobster is like your dream but it is a lot of hard work. Just stick with the piano."

"But he was trying to hurt Mabel." I protested. Stan places a hand on my shoulder. "Well then I'll get a body guard for Mabel. You just stick with playing the piano. Now we are in the middle of the game...so scram kid."