~Page One~

It had been a while since we'd been to Gravity Falls, and the excitement was palpable. We were finally 18—adults, technically—and Mabel and I had saved up a good chunk of our hard-earned money to spend a couple of weeks here before diving into college life. It was meant to be a nostalgic trip, a way to reconnect with the place that had shaped so much of our childhood.

The drive up was a mixed bag of frustration and camaraderie. Sharing an SUV with Mabel meant taking turns behind the wheel and dealing with her endless need for pit stops—whether it was to pee, fix her hair, or check her makeup in case we stumbled upon a hot hitchhiker. I'd never understood her obsession with perfecting her look for potential strangers, but it was just another one of Mabel's quirks. It was annoying at times, but I couldn't help but appreciate the little quirks that made Mabel who she was. Despite the occasional exasperation, I kept reminding myself that this trip was supposed to be enjoyable, a chance for us to relive our adventures and create new memories.

When we finally arrived back in Gravity Falls, the sight was a stark contrast to the world we had left behind. Since that summer, Mabel and I had returned home to find that Mom and Dad had split up. Navigating life on our own since we were just 13 hadn't always been easy, but we'd managed to make it work, growing up faster than we'd ever expected. This return to Gravity Falls felt like stepping back into a different reality, one where everything was simpler, yet still filled with its own set of mysteries.

As we rolled into town, I gave Mabel a gentle shake to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open, and she immediately looked around with that familiar spark of excitement. The sight of the Mystery Shack ahead was a comforting beacon, even though it had changed since we last saw it. The old, worn roof had been replaced with a sleek new one, and fresh siding gave the building a polished, almost modern look. I noticed that an additional room had been added to the back, hinting at further renovations.

Walking up to the Shack, we were greeted by a sight that brought a grin to my face—a hastily stitched-together sign reading "Happy Gratulations." The sign was a quirky blend of "Happy Birthday" and "Congratulations," a perfect example of the charming chaos that Gravity Falls was known for. It was a warm, chaotic welcome that felt both familiar and surreal, making me feel like we had come back to where we truly belonged.

After unloading our bags and settling in, Soos led us on a tour of the renovated living room, which had been updated with a new sectional couch. It was huge, stretching across the room and promising plenty of space for everyone. Mabel and I decided to take advantage of the couch's ample size, each claiming one end for ourselves. The sectional was cozy and surprisingly comfortable, a perfect place to crash after a long day of travel.

As the evening wore on, Grunkle Stan and Ford joined us in the living room, catching up on old times and sharing stories of what had happened at the Shack while we were gone. Wendy stopped by briefly, giving us a warm hug and a friendly pat on the back, and I couldn't help but notice a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

Eventually, the conversations tapered off, and the group began to drift toward their rooms. Mabel and I snuggled into our respective corners of the sectional, and as we settled in, I felt a sense of contentment wash over me. The familiar sounds of the Shack—the creak of the floorboards, the distant hum of the heater—made it feel like we had never left.

~Page Two~

As we stepped further into the Mystery Shack, the familiar faces of Soos and Wendy came into view, both grinning from ear to ear. Soos, now the proud owner of the Shack, pulled us into a big, bear-like hug, nearly lifting us off the ground.

"Welcome back, dudes! Or should I say, young adults?" Soos joked, his voice as booming and cheerful as ever. "The Shack's been a little quieter without you two around causing mayhem."

Wendy, standing beside him, gave us her signature laid-back smile, looking just as cool and confident as ever, but with a small, subtle sparkle on her left hand. "Glad you guys could make it," she said, ruffling Mabel's hair like old times. "Feels like things are finally back to normal around here."

Noticing the ring on her finger, Mabel spoke up. "Wendy! You got engaged?" Wendy nodded with a casual shrug.

"Yeah, Tad Strange, if you can believe it. He's perfectly normal, and I kinda like that," she said with a grin. I felt a sinking feeling in my chest, but it was different from when she and Robbie dated. It was as if the crush I'd held onto for so long was slowly solidifying into something else, something more like a sibling bond. It wasn't instantaneous, but I knew the next few days wouldn't be spent fawning over her like I thought they might be.

We all stood together, talking and catching up on the years we had been apart. The conversation flowed easily, and for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. But just as I was starting to settle into that comfortable nostalgia, a familiar yet unexpected voice caught my attention.

"Welcome back, Pines twins," Pacifica said, stepping out from behind the counter where she was organizing some new merchandise. But this wasn't the Pacifica I remembered. Gone was the haughty, spoiled attitude; in its place was someone who looked... comfortable, confident, and dare I say, kind of happy?

She wore a simple purple flannel shirt and light blue skinny jeans, her blonde hair pulled back into a practical ponytail. The air of entitlement that used to follow her was replaced by an easygoing smile. As she worked, she moved with purpose, like she belonged here—like she was part of the Shack's quirky, dysfunctional family.

"Pacifica? You work here now?" I asked, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.

"Yeah, someone's gotta keep these guys in line," she replied with a grin, her tone teasing but with a warmth that caught me off guard. "Plus, it's a lot more fun than hanging around that greasy old diner all day. The place closed right after you left, so this was the next best option."

I couldn't help but feel a little stunned, but something in me wasn't convinced. The Pacifica I knew wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this, much less actually working in one. But here she was, fitting in effortlessly, like she'd been a part of the crew for years.

As I watched her banter with Soos and Wendy, a strange glow seemed to surround her. Every time our eyes met, a tingly sensation ran through me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she was still looking down on us, maybe working at the Shack just to rub it in our faces. All these confusing feelings swirled around in my head, making it hard to think straight. I tried to shake it off, pushing everything to the back of my mind, telling myself it was nothing—just the same old Pacifica.

~Page Three~

The next few days passed in a blur as Mabel dove back into her old routine, catching up with friends and exploring town. Meanwhile, I found myself spending a lot of time around the Shack, helping out with the renovations and upkeep. With Wendy no longer working here regularly, my usual go-to for hanging out was gone, and I had more free time than I knew what to do with. Somehow, that free time meant I ended up working alongside Pacifica more often than not.

One afternoon, Pacifica approached me with a request. She needed help moving a particularly heavy box of new merchandise into storage. She stood by the door of the storage room, leaning slightly against the frame with one hand on her hip. Her gaze was fixed on me, her eyes brimming with a subtle, almost playful expectation. "Hey, Dipper," she called out, her voice light and almost teasing, "Think you could give me a hand with this? I mean, these boxes aren't going to move themselves, right?"

I shrugged and walked over, completely oblivious to the way she batted her eyelashes or the little pout that formed on her lips. "Sure thing, no problem," I said, grabbing the box without a second thought. As I carried it inside, I thought I heard her let out a quiet sigh of frustration, but when I glanced back, she was already walking away, her shoulders slightly hunched.

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. It seemed like every time we were alone, Pacifica would find some reason to ask for my help. Whether it was moving boxes, fixing something that didn't really seem broken, or reaching something just out of her grasp. One day, as I was adjusting a shelf that seemed perfectly fine to me, Pacifica looked at me with a small frown and said, "You know, this space is a bit tight for me. I might not fit."

I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't worry about it. I'm like a straight noodle; I can get into tight spaces with no problem." I continued focusing on adjusting the shelf, completely absorbed in the task. Pacifica let out a quiet sigh of frustration, her expression shifting to a mix of annoyance and disappointment. She walked away with a hint of exasperation in her step, leaving me puzzled as to why she seemed so irritated despite my efforts to help.

~Page Four~

The next day at the Shack, everything felt off. The crowds were bigger, accidents seemed to be happening everywhere, and the usual weirdness of Gravity Falls was in full swing. But the strangest part was Pacifica. Normally full of energy and confidence, she seemed quiet, almost distant, her usual spark noticeably dimmed. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, especially since I'd been noticing her behavior more and more lately.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, I couldn't just stand by anymore. I found her in the storage room, methodically organizing a shelf that didn't even need it. "Pacifica, what's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my tone gentle, but firm enough to show I was serious. She didn't meet my eyes, her hands still busy. "Nothing, Dipper. Just a busy day," she replied, but there was no conviction in her voice.

"Come on, I know something's bothering you. Talk to me," I urged, stepping closer. But before I could get any closer, she snapped. With a burst of frustration, she shoved me back—not hard, but enough to make her point clear. I stumbled a step, caught off guard by the suddenness of it, my jaw almost on the floor, but the real shock came when I saw the mix of frustration and hurt in her eyes.

"You really don't get it, do you?" she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I've been trying so hard to get your attention, to show you that I'm not who I used to be, but you don't see me. All you see is the spoiled rich girl I was."

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I was too stunned to respond as she continued. "I've been doing everything I can to make you notice me, but you never do. It's like I'm invisible to you, like nothing I do matters. Do you know how frustrating that is?" Her voice cracked, and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

In that moment, everything clicked. I'd been so focused on pushing my own feelings down that I hadn't realized how much I was hurting her. The realization hit me with a jolt, a mix of guilt and frustration. "Pacifica, I..." I started, but she cut me off, her voice trembling.

"No, let me finish. I've been beating myself up every day, wondering what I'm doing wrong. But maybe it's not me. Maybe it's you," she said, her voice breaking as she tried to walk out of the room.

Desperation surged through me. I couldn't let her walk away like this, not with everything I'd started feeling suddenly. I reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could leave, my heart racing as everything began to fall into place. I'd been so blind, so wrapped up in my own confusion that I hadn't seen the signs right in front of me. "Pacifica, wait," I said, trying to steady my voice. "Please, just let me explain."

She tried to pull away, but I held on, the grip of my fingers tight yet gentle. Her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, and I could see the hurt in them, reflecting back at me with a painful clarity. My heart pounded in my chest as I felt the warmth of her skin beneath my fingers, and I knew I couldn't let her go—not now.

Without really thinking, I pulled her closer, my other hand finding its way to her waist, drawing her into the space between us. The air was charged with an intensity I hadn't felt before, and then, without a second thought, I leaned in and kissed her. It was a kiss that spoke of every unspoken word, every moment of confusion and longing we had both kept hidden. It wasn't soft or gentle; it was urgent, raw with the need to bridge the gap that had grown between us.

Her lips were warm and tentative at first, then increasingly responsive as she kissed me back with a fervor that matched my own. For a moment, the world seemed to dissolve around us. The weight of our fears and doubts evaporated as we lost ourselves in the closeness, the intimacy of the moment.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathless, our faces flushed and our hearts racing. I searched her eyes, seeing the same dawning realization reflected in them—this wasn't something either of us could ignore anymore. The silence that followed was filled with the weight of everything we had felt but hadn't been able to express.

"So... what now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, tinged with vulnerability.

I looked at her, my expression softening. "I think we need to talk about it," I said with a small, apologetic smile. I knew it wasn't what either of us wanted to do right then, but it was necessary. I gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, my touch lingering for a moment. We both sank to the floor of the storage room, our legs crossing in a close, intimate space. As we sat down, the tension between us began to ease just a bit. In that quiet moment, with her eyes meeting mine and the weight of our unspoken emotions hanging in the air, I could feel a new understanding forming between us.

~Page Five~

Pacifica and I sat in the storage room for what felt like hours, just talking about everything that had been building up between us. She opened up about how she'd always had a bit of a crush on me, even back when we were kids. But because of her status and the expectations that came with it, she thought that making me hate her would somehow make those feelings go away. It didn't work, though. Throughout that summer we spent in Gravity Falls, she was too stuck up and caught in her own world to see that she could've been our friend instead of our enemy.

As she grew older, though, things changed. After losing her job at the greasy diner, she found her way to the Shack, where every day she'd see pictures and hear stories about the adventures we had together. Those memories kept reminding her of all the times she treated us badly, and she vowed that if she ever got the chance, she'd do whatever it took to show me she wasn't stuck up anymore—even if it meant dropping hints that I was too clueless to pick up on. Hearing all this, I felt a wave of guilt and anger at myself, but she insisted it wasn't my fault. She said she would've felt the same way even if I had shown some kind of reaction.

I confessed that during that crazy summer in Gravity Falls, I never really thought about her like that. My crush on Wendy was all-consuming back then, which Pacifica said was obvious to everyone—including her. It was another reason she treated me the way she did back then. I admitted that I'd always thought she was beautiful, but it wasn't the same kind of beautiful I saw in Wendy.

When we returned to Gravity Falls, seeing Wendy's engagement ring was like a punch in the face, but I realized it was probably for the best. Slowly, I started to get over it. Then, when I saw Pacifica working at the Shack, I was surprised by how much she'd changed and how well she fit in. But I didn't realize that I was admiring her more and more each day or that I was actually looking for ways to spend more time with her. I admitted that I was completely clueless about all the signs she was dropping and apologized profusely. She just laughed it off, saying she only wanted to know how I felt, and hearing me out had already made her feel better.

For a moment, we just sat there in silence, until I suddenly spoke up, surprising even myself. "Pacifica, will you go out with me?" I asked, feeling my face heat up. She blushed, but then she smiled and agreed.

We talked it over and decided to keep it to ourselves for now, at least until we'd gone on a couple of dates. Neither of us wanted to deal with Mabel's enthusiastic shipping problem just yet, especially since I didn't want our relationship to end before it even had a chance to start. We agreed it was better to take things slow and figure out what we had before involving anyone else.

After three almost-perfect dates, Pacifica came to me one day while we were working in the shop. I was busy organizing some merchandise when she walked over, looking a bit nervous but also determined. One day, while we were working in the shop, Pacifica walked over to me, her expression serious. 

"Dipper, can we talk about us?" she asked, her voice a bit quieter than usual.

My heart started racing, and I immediately felt a knot of worry forming in my stomach. This was my first relationship, and I had no idea what I was doing. Was I already messing this up? Had I done something wrong without even realizing it?

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I've been thinking... I really like you, Dipper. This isn't just some fling for me. I want to be with you, for real. And I'm ready to tell everyone, even if it means dealing with Mabel's antics. I'm tired of hiding how I feel."

For a second, I was too stunned to speak. Relief washed over me, mixed with a warmth I wasn't entirely used to yet. She wanted to be with me, not just in secret but out in the open, the fact that she didn't care what people thought about her or us—she just wanted to be with me—really touched me in a way I hadn't expected.

"Are you sure you're ready?" I asked, still a little unsure but wanting to support her.

Pacifica gave me a smile, one that reached her eyes. "Yeah, I'm ready."

~Part Six~

"Dipper!" Mabel yelled from the living room as Pacifica and I stood in the kitchen. Pacifica was starting to get nervous, worried that Mabel might not be as supportive as I kept insisting she would be. Her fear was that Mabel might become protective and upset instead. I was trying to reassure her, but I could see the doubt in her eyes.

"It's going to be perfectly fine," I said, placing my hands on her arms, trying to calm her down.

"I want to go to Candy's! You need to hurry!" Mabel shouted again, sounding more impatient by the second.

I rolled my eyes and gave Pacifica's arms a reassuring squeeze. "Listen, it doesn't matter. We talked about this. We're doing it," I said, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her toward the living room. Our fingers interlocked as we stepped into the room, making our relationship clear.

As soon as we walked in, I saw Mabel's expression change from one of irritation to pure surprise, her eyes widening with excitement as her jaw dropped. Soos, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed at all, his expression remaining the same as if nothing had changed. Grunkle Stan and Ford, who I had specifically asked to be here for this moment, exchanged huge grins before fist-bumping each other. Stan even threw a wink in my direction, which I quickly brushed off. Wendy, who was sitting with Tad Strange (a pairing I still found a bit odd, to be honest), looked almost as excited as Mabel, though she managed to keep her jaw in place.

"So, this is the reason I wanted you all here today," I said, leading Pacifica into the center of the room. I glanced at her, noticing how nervous she looked, her eyes fixed on the ground. Stepping behind her, I placed my hands on her arms again, rubbing them gently to help calm her nerves.

"Over the last two weeks, Pacifica and I have obviously been hanging out more since I started working at the Shack..." I began, my voice steady but my heart racing. "Well, we've gone on a couple of dates, and I just can't help it. I love her." As I said the words, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head, which made Mabel squeal like a little girl, bouncing up and down with excitement. Wendy gave me a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear.

"Aw, man, I knew something was up!" Soos finally chimed in, nodding sagely as if he had been onto us the whole time. "You guys are gonna be like the ultimate power couple of the Mystery Shack. Congrats, dude."

Pacifica blushed, her nerves slowly fading away with all the positive reactions. I squeezed her hand, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. Everyone was on board, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Then, as the room began to settle, I cleared my throat, catching everyone's attention again. "Oh, and one more thing," I said, trying to keep my voice casual. "I'm moving to Gravity Falls."

The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to me in shock. Mabel's squeal turned into a gasp, her eyes widening even further as she stared at me, speechless for once in her life.

And just like that, the moment hung in the air, leaving everyone stunned as I dropped the bombshell that would change everything.

~~This story is something I wrote as a kid, and while it was a little less detailed and not as polished, it's still one of my favorites from back then. With my recent Gravity Falls stories and this contest, I thought it'd be a great time to rewrite this piece as a short story. The story is formatted in "pages" because they align with a chapter from the other story, blending together like one cohesive chapter. If you enjoy it and think it could use a full rewrite, I'd be excited to give it a fresh look. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!~~