04
Pacifica

Getting into Reverse Falls was the easy part. Pacifica just hated being there with the knowledge that Dipper wouldn't be. Not to be dramatic, or anything, but somehow Dipper's absence made Reverse Falls a whole lot duller.

The skies were grey and lifeless, clouds hung heavy across the stratosphere, threatening a snowfall. She'd always wanted to see Reverse Falls in the winter, and she'd always wanted to watch the snowfall in Reverse Falls. It just didn't have the same appeal anymore.

They arrived around ten in the morning, with Scarlett suggesting that we get take-out and then check the Mystery Shack.

"No use wastin' energy we don't have." She'd said when Pacifica scoffed.

But now, standing in front of the Mystery Shack, ankle-deep in snow, Pacifica silently prayed that Dipper truly was just hiding in there. Was it a logical thought? Of course not. Because Scarlett was right; Gideon was a terrible secret-keeper.

However, Gideon had helped her solve plenty of mysteries throughout the years, so getting him in on this would probably help the situation a bit more.

"GIDEON OPEN THE DOOR!" Mabel pounded furiously against the ageing wood with such force that Pacifica truly thought it would crack down the center.

Pacifica winced and covered her ears with frozen fingers. She truly hoped that Gideon would open the door soon, because it was getting colder by the minute. She should've anticipated the slightly colder weather, considering Reverse Falls is more up North than Piedmont is, but because of the severity of the situation, she forgot.

Glancing at the door, Pacifica watched silently as Mabel continued to pound her fist against the door, no one coming to it.

"Not tryin' to get anyone's hopes up," Scarlett stood a safe distance away as she exhaled a plume of smoke, "but this is exactly what it looks like when someone is trying to hide something. Or someone."

Pacifica frowned in her direction, and looked to Mabel to see her reaction. "I doubt it. Gideon's always been a heavy sleeper. You won't believe how many times I was able to sneak out of this place the first time I was here."

Scarlett cocked a brow, and honestly, Pacifica assumed she was impressed. "Really? Fourteen-year-old, Pacifica snuck out of the house late at night? I wouldn't have guessed."

She couldn't tell if that was just the way Scarlett's personality was, or if she genuinely still didn't like her. Pacifica thought they had made good progress in August, but maybe she was just seeing a front.

Mabel hesitated, removing her fist from the door, and her eyes lit up. "Someone's coming!"

The three of them waited in anticipation for the door to open. It took a little longer than Pacifica expected, but then again, it was the day after Christmas, and who knew what time Gideon got up in the morning. If he was anything like her, nine or ten was the best bet.

The door slowly opened a crack, revealing an exhausted Gideon. His hair was sticking up in a few places, and he was mid-yawn. Apparently, he was too tired to notice exactly who was standing on his doorstep.

"Mabel?" He asked after he finished yawning. "It's barely nine in the morning. Sorry, did we have plans?"

Mabel narrowed her eyes at Gideon, pushing past the barely opened door and strode into the Mystery Shack. "Good morning, Gideon, I just have a quick question for you."

Gideon blinked as she walked in, finally seeming to notice that Pacifica and Scarlett were still standing outside. He waved once and then looked back at Mabel (which Pacifica understood, because she may have been his cousin but when Mabel Gleeful asked you a question, she had your full attention).

"Um, shoot. What's up?" He stepped off to the side, allowing Pacifica and Scarlett entry to the Mystery Shack.

Mabel whirled on him in an instant. "Have you been hiding Dipper at the Mystery Shack for the last month?"

That seemed to wake Gideon up right away. "Um, no. That's a strange question, and I'm used to strange." He looked in Pacifica's direction as if asking for help from escaping Mabel's burning gaze. "Wait, what's going on?"

"Well, long story short," Scarlett leaned against the door, checking her nails. "Dipper has been M.I.A . for the last month or so. Hasn't been answering anyone's texts, calls; nothing."

Gideon cocked his head to the side, and rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. "Wait, seriously?"

"To make matters worse, he was supposed to return to Reverse Falls the day before Christmas." Mabel sighed and glanced in the direction of the kitchen. "Do you still have that tea we bought together? I think I'll need some."

Gideon nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's go in the kitchen and talk about this."

Mabel led the way to the kitchen, the lot of them hot on her heels. She immediately set to work brewing a pot of tea. Now, Pacifica was never a tea person, but being around Dipper the past summer had her at least drinking a cup every now and then.

"So, Dipper's missing." Gideon sat next to Pacifica at the table, sighing as he sat down. "Why am I just hearing about this now? I figured if someone like him went missing the news would be on it in a second."

"If it makes you feel any better, Mabel just told me today that he was missing." Pacifica muttered. "Granted I had my suspicions when he never texted me back since the end of November."

"And no one told me?" Gideon groaned and dropped his head onto the table as to show his frustration.

"You didn't realise this when he stopped texting everyone?" Pacifica demanded.

"I mean, Dipper and I were never that close. We're better friends now than ever before, but it's not like the two of us texted everyday. Heh, I'm pretty sure he still calls me 'Pines'."

"When was the last time he texted you?" Pacifica asked, trying to gain as many clues as possible. It was a long shot, seeing as he and Dipper weren't the closest of people, but her other options had shown that he stopped communicating with them around the same time he stopped with her.

Gideon groaned. "I dunno the exact date, I'm pretty sure he was drunk and meant to text someone else, but lemme grab my phone quickly." He rose from the table slowly, and moved up the stairs in an equally slow pace.

Scarlett took this opportunity to take a smoke break, claiming that the only reason she was going outside was because she was considerate. The door slammed with a loud resonating thud, adding to the headache Pacifica was certain she was going to have later on.

"Give her some room." Mabel murmured as she poured tea into a few mugs that Gideon had in the cupboard.

"What do you mean? I wasn't gonna follow her." Pacifica shook her head.

"No, about how she's acting." Mabel set the cup in front of Pacifica, taking her place across from her. It was an almost perfect representation of how they sat almost five or so months ago when they were having nearly the same conversation about Dipper. It was eerie how similar Scarlett and Dipper truly were.

"What do you mean?" Pacifica took a slow sip from her mug, relishing the warmth it brought to her body.

"She's handling this in a very different way." Mabel started off. "We haven't known each other as long as she and Dipper knew each other, but I'm pretty damn intuitive. Don't go giving Dipper all the credit, because I can pick things up that most people don't want put down in the first place."

"Okay?" Pacifica shot her a confused look, hoping that she would get her going back to her point.

"My point being, Scarlett is not a very emotional person. I'm not sure what her past entails, but she deals with issues in a different way. She keeps putting up barriers to hide away how she's really feeling. So, don't take it personally."

"How can I not when she keeps throwing in my face that she knows Dipper better than I do?" Pacifica exclaimed, hoping that no one else heard that confession of hers.

"I'm not saying what she's doing is right, however, just give her some space. Don't jump into every battle she might toss at you." Mabel took a sip of her tea. "It'll be better for the both of you. I'll try to talk to her, okay?"

Pacifica chanced a glance to Mabel's eyes and saw the brutal honesty that laid in them. She truly believed she was speaking from the heart, it was endearing in a friendly way. Never did she ever think this was where her relationship with Mabel would go.

The sound of heavy footfalls sounded on the old, creaky, wooden stairs alerted the two of them that we were no longer alone, as well as the slam of the front door. How had they both timed that so spectacularly? She'd question and ponder that later.

"Got your phone?" Pacifica asked as Gideon nearly ran into the room.

"Y-yeah." Gideon stammered as he caught his breath.

"Gids, what's wrong?" Pacifica sensed instantly that he had seen something that he was now realising wasn't adding up. Oh no.

"Spill it, half-pint." Scarlett nearly snarled and both Pacifica and Mabel shot her a warning glare which she was taken aback by.

"Well, as I said to Paz earlier, that the last time Dipper texted me, I thought he was drunk or something and meant to send the text to someone else." Gideon was staring, wide-eyed at his phone screen.

"Go on." Mabel urged in her most gentle tone, but Pacifica could see the desperation that took place of the concern in her eyes only mere moments ago.

"Well, you should probably just read it yourself." Gideon placed his phone onto the table angling it so they all could read what was sent.

December 2
Dipper: snafu. ram'v rrmlvg qzgdwna domicgz gba yzf iy oiajee. qvvpvdjr byyv. glzuc. iivcsmrgiywr kiodgq.

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Heya all! How is everyone doing? Gonna be honest, the entire time I was writing and editing this chapter, all I could think about that if this book was a tv show, this song would play for the credits for, at least, this particular chapter. Just solely for the music alone :)

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Anyways, I'm hoping to get the next update out within the following week. Stay safe out there, and keep smiling, my lovelies!

-Kaori Miyazono <3