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summerofpinecestcontest · 3 years ago

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My Pinecest

by angelilith

The right words," was the last thing he had said to her.

"You don't measure your words, you don't use the right words and even less to express what you feel."

But what precisely was it that he felt? If he dug deep inside his mind he felt the sweat on his hands the moment he opened the locker, his heart racing and in the end he just dropped his head inside it to lose himself in his garbage.

The days had been long, especially amidst the questions of all the curious as to why the surprise breakup with her boyfriend Demian had not been so formal but after a couple of months things were shaky between them. Or according to him, between herself.

Mabel was drowning between the corridors thinking if someone perhaps, could also think the same as he did. Although they had made an agreement that they would say it was a mutual decision, she knew it wasn't, that Demian had his reasons, his good reasons for ending it all, as much as he loved her, and that she claimed to feel the same way. To him, it was a lie.

She never measured her words, much less her feelings.

Worst of all is when that anguish could not even appear at home, from being seen between curious eyes, to that of his parents or his brother who also wondered the same thing. She could go through stray bullets of uninteresting questions and issues, in teenage matters as her mom excused, but with Dipper things were different.

Where were her feelings? She wondered over and over again in the wee hours of the morning, tossing and turning in her bed, seeing if it was right to send a message to Demian, if talking to him again would help. Who else but she could help her in those wee hours of the morning? Where it seems like everyone is asleep, and she is the only stranger who is invaded by so many crazy ideas, and none of them seem to be right.

At that moment a soft knock on her door brought her out of it all, setting her phone aside, she shuffled her feet, finding her twin on the other side, full of worry.

- Are you all right? - He asked the moment he saw her

- Y- Yes... Why do you ask? I thought you were sleeping, by the time it's .....

- I can hear between the walls the noise that you make....

She lowered her head apologetically and wished him good night, trying to close the door, wanting to end that conversation quickly.

- Wait! - Quickly Dipper stopped the door - I couldn't sleep either, what happened at school?

- What do you mean? It's all good...

- I mean with Demian....

That question she had dodged it many times, more coming from her brother, where no matter what she would say, he would quickly realize that she would lie, and the truth at that moment even she didn't have it, because her now ex-boyfriend had only left her more doubts than something for granted, she didn't hate him or anything. But it wasn't right either.

- Only term...

- Just a term? That's all?

- Dip... I'm really tired, I really want to sleep...

- It didn't seem like a few minutes ago...! - His brother's voice grew louder with every word he uttered.

Dipper hated it when Mabel avoided him like that, when she wasn't honest with him, and even more so when something affected him and he couldn't help her, and this was one of those situations.

- Just go to sleep

- Answer me! Why don't you want to be honest with me?

- What do you care about this?

- You are not well, I have been feeling it for days and I want to help you!

- You help me by leaving me alone!

It was the last thing he said before Dipper gave up his arm and the door slammed shut.

Silence took over everything after that. Between Mabel's insomnia, and until the next day, during breakfast, class hours, lunch alone and now, just missing one more class before leaving.

She really wanted to just lie there in her locker without caring about the stares of others or the murmurs she could hear. She just wanted to survive a few more minutes and then get out of there.

She raised her head again, fixed her hair and looked for some books waiting to hear the bell.

No sooner had she closed her locker to stride forward to her classroom than footsteps stopped behind her.

- Mabel...

- Yes?

He turned to see his brother, it seemed that the last time he had seen him was last night in the midst of those screams, for he barely noticed his presence at breakfast.

- Sorry about yesterday...

- I should be the one to apologize, I didn't have to yell at you like that.

- No, I was meddling in your business....

Dipper's gaze was glued to the floor, he scratched his head nervously.

- Calm down silly, it's all right - I said while tapping him on his shoulder

- I know, I just think we need some time away from all this.

- Time out?

- Well, movie night, remember? We used to do it all the time. And I thought in a "peace accord" and before exams, some quiet would be great....

He slurred every word, sounded somewhat tense and avoided looking at her.

- Great, count me in

- Well... Well...

- I'll see you on the way out bro, we'll look for tons of junk food.

Mabel was whispering in his ear as the bell rang and they both headed to class.

On the way out, Mabel was looking for her things and leaving when she received a message from her brother, he would be a little late, he needed a book from the library for the weekend.

She went out to the parking lot looking for that gray car, a gift from her last birthday, but that lately Dipper ended up driving alone because she was going with Demian or taking the bus, like the last few days.

I needed to be alone at that moment.

I looked everywhere, seeing those who arrived and left quickly, or those who organized parties surrounded by several groups.

She didn't expect to see her ex before her brother, who approached her sweetly helping her, as her vehicle alarm went off.

Before he could hear her voice, a hail of gunshots rang out in the air, followed by screams, causing many to run everywhere, others to jump into their cars and speed off.

Mabel began to search through the crowd for her brother, calling out to him, but there was no answer. Demian grabbed Mabel pulling her away, but she insisted on staying.

The gunfire grew louder, and whoever was the perpetrator seemed to be approaching where they were.

- Let's go..! - Demian insisted

- No, I can't, Dipper was on his way, he might cross paths with him to look for me....

Demian was heard to grumble grumbling, it was nothing new to her.

Mabel struggled with the boy trying to get him to let her go in his "foolish" attempt to save her, but without any success, she had to give in.

Then we have to hide...

They both stood under the car, where they could only make out the feet of people coming and going.

Quickly the running came again, followed by more screams, and more gunshots. The shooter was right above them standing in front of the car. The tip of the rifle could be seen at his feet.

All Mabel could think about was where her brother was, Demian had pulled her so quickly that her backpack had been left on the hood of the car.

That person seemed to have chosen his point guard, he turned on himself over and over again while raising his weapon. The minutes just below their feet became eternal for both of them, Mabel's breath hitched not knowing what to expect and she could only console herself by holding the hand of the man who had been her boyfriend.

At that moment the sirens were heard, there were several patrol cars approaching, that guy looked nervous, but he raised his rifle again and charged it.

Letting hear a dry gunshot plummeting in front of both young men.

She let out a scream and Demian pressed her against him, waiting for someone to get them out of there.

Dipper took longer than he thought to get a damn book out for his report, no matter how advanced the internet was, many professors still liked to screw around with mandatory library bibliography for their papers.

He looked at his phone in search of a response from Mabel, but there was none, she was probably upset, leaning on the edge of the car with her arms crossed and a somewhat mocking look on her face.

As soon as he got it sealed so he could take it with him, he hurried his pace, but before he reached the door he saw many people running in shouting to close the doors.

"They're shooting outside!"

He was in disbelief when he tried to run out to look for his sister, but they stopped him by slamming the door in his face.

- The police are on their way, we must keep the students safe.

- Many were left out! - shouted Dipper

- If the armed subject enters here it could be much worse.

Some teachers separated the kids and led them in groups to the gymnasium, some nervously crying as they flagged down their parents to pick them up. Others were checking social media to see if there were any intrepid kids recording them live outside. Dipper, on the other hand, looked again and again at the exit door.

Although at first he had been positive to find his sister in the incoming crowd, he was discouraged at first, then dialed her several times in a ringing tone that exasperated him even more.

He didn't want to jump to conclusions, he was afraid to jump to conclusions that his worst fears would become real. He dialed again and again hoping to hear her voice, until the sirens stopped to the relief of many who were there.

Most parents and relatives had approached the school seeking the safety of the teenagers, or perhaps to make sure that their children were not among the number of children with serious injuries or deaths.

Dipper could hear as they said "there are five teenagers dead and over eight injured" those words had caused his whole body to shake and the insistence on the phone to return.

But only for a few minutes, when his mother's voice brought him out of his trance.

He stood up and hugged her tightly, for the look on her face reflected how frightened and worried she was. She would get him out of there, she would take him to Mabel.

At the front door, again, everything was surrounded by police, ambulances and yellow ribbons lining the street. Dipper ignored his mother, detouring his way to the parking lot. It wasn't too hard to miss Mabel's backpack on top of his gray car, as well as the fresh bloodstain on the ground right next to him.

He turned his eyes to his mother, waiting for answers, he knew she knew where his sister was.

- Come on Dipper - She repeated, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him towards her car.

He simply grabbed his backpack until he climbed into the vehicle, pulling his phone from inside with the thousands of calls on it.

- Where is Mabel?

- At home, she is fine

- Wounded? This wound?

- No

- Are you lying to me?

- Calm down, it's okay. Your father looked for her at the hospital...

- Hospital...

Something wasn't focusing on her mother's words, nothing gave her the security she felt, let alone peace of mind.

It took forever to get home, after passing a long line of cars on the way to school, cameras and other people who were just trespassing.

As soon as the woman parked, Dipper bolted out of the vehicle and ran to her house, turning the door handle down again and again, realizing it was locked. With the lights on inside.

Hearing the turn of the key, she saw her father on the other side, his eyes looked tired, he was still wearing the shirt he had put on in the morning, although she knew that he usually came home later, it was more than clear that he had gone out for "an emergency".

- You can calm down and be quiet," his father chirped.

Dipper took a big breath of air before stepping over the threshold of his home, seeing the living room surrounded by several pillows and blankets leaving him to notice his sister asleep on the edge of one of the couches.

Before he could run over her, he felt a gentle tug, from his father stopping his stride.

- Let her rest. She had a nervous breakdown, they took her to the hospital because they couldn't calm her down. And from there the school called me... She's still sedated...

- It's my fault," said Dipper, gritting his teeth. - If I had come out earlier...

- Don't say that son - She interrupted him - They are both fine and we are grateful for that...

- Well? - His eyes were beginning to water, for a few minutes before he had only tragedy in his head.

When the guy collapsed on the floor Mabel was sure she could see his eyes wide open along with the shot mark on a fully opened head.

Demian pressed her against his chest trying to avert his gaze as he crawled backwards trying to get out from under that vehicle.

- Don't worry, it's all over - I kept telling her over and over again.

She returned his embrace, wiping away her tears for the moment with the cuff of her sweater.

Police were approaching where the shooter's body was already lying, and others were approaching them.

- Are you all right? Ambulances are on the way

- We are both fine," said Demian, raising his hands in peace.

Mabel turned away from him looking around again and again.

- Dipper... Demian, I need to know where my brother is.

A policeman stopped her

- It is better that they stay where they are until some authority comes, there are several boys injured, and others dead. The best way to facilitate this is to stay out of our work.

- My brother was coming here before this started, he could be hurt...he could be....

- Mabel, they shot your brother! - shouted one of her companions who was being carried by a paramedic.

- No- no-no-no

She let go again trying to run, this time it was Demian who was pulling her to the ground to keep her still.

- You heard the officers, you may hinder their work if you interfere.

- What if he is injured?

- Look around Mabel, there are ambulances and others that will be arriving to help.

- And if this -

Demian just looked away, not knowing what to say...

- I have to see it for myself

- And what will that accomplish? You were going to risk your life just to look for Dipper, he can take care of himself too. He can take care of himself too. Can you?

She looked up at him, her lips trembling along with her whole body.

- I need to know where it is

Demian refused to let go of her no matter how hard she struggled, kicking or screaming. Even he couldn't recognize her under those situations.

She managed to attract the attention of the medical staff by forcibly assisting her.

After a few hours her father appeared at the hospital, taking her home, assuring her that everything was fine, that her brother would be home any minute. And although he repeated the same thing a thousand times, Mabel burst into tears, not believing anything as she hesitated, words without understanding, her face covered in tears.

For eternal minutes we both lay on the couch looking for something other than the news replaying the tragedy.

And before he could notice she was falling asleep surrounded by pillows and blankets.

Perhaps, when he wakes up he would be better off.

- It was just a scare - repeated the man, his son, giving a little peace of mind.

- Go take a shower, Dipper, and come on down. We'll wait for you here

Dipper looked at his parents and then at his sister who was sound asleep.

- She may not wake up until tomorrow, she'll be fine.

He climbed up at a slow pace while he thought about every action before that "accident" and reviewed everything in reverse, until he reached the moment of the fight.

He watched the half-open door to her room, before entering the bathroom and losing himself in the shower for a few minutes.

If I had done something different... Maybe things would be different. But in a good way?

Once downstairs, everything seemed to have calmed down.

Still, no amount of talk, no amount of questions could undo the knot she felt in her chest. Both parents' attempts were in vain.

After a few hours her father tried to carry Mabel upstairs, and she began to whimper, moving around and getting rid of him no matter what he said. Falling back onto the couch. covering herself under the blankets.

- And so it has been since he arrived," sighed the man.

- Can I - Can we stay here?

Asked Dipper stumbling over the words.

- Are you sure?

- You said it, we're fine...

Soon the lights went out and he lay on the sofa bed next to his sister.

He wasn't tired, but he wanted to give his parents some peace of mind, until they went to their room.

He waited a few minutes before crawling right to where Mabel stood whispering her name over and over again.

Suddenly hands came out from under the blanket colliding with her face, giving her small, slow caresses that made her heart race.

All a breath of air before discovering her removing the blanket and seeing a face drenched in tears, as she whimpered almost silently so no one would hear

- Hey, what's going on?

He moved closer to her who jumped up grabbing him by the collar, pulling him onto the couch beside her.

Dipper returned the embrace listening as she continued to cry.

- All is well. You are fine.

- You're here - She stammered

- I don't want to be anywhere else

- But someone said you were hurt...

- No- No, I'm fine look at me

Mabel forced a smile, unable to hold in all the pain, as she pressed herself closer to her brother's chest. Listening to his racing heart and how his arms pressed her tighter against him.

They were silent for a long time, no one dared to say anything. Their planned night was left in absolute darkness.

- Are you asleep?

- Demian told me the same thing again, the same words of the breakup....

- Were you with him?

- It was just a coincidence, the shooting started the second he crossed my path.

Mabel slurred every word. She was lying on top of her brother watching a muted television while he slowly played with her hair.

- He wanted to get away from it all, he dragged me along trying to get us to escape... but I couldn't abandon you.

- I was inside the school... it took longer than I thought in the library, I'm sorry...

- I wasn't going to abandon you, Dipper...And that bothers him.

- Wait... They broke up because of me? What?

- No, no... that's not it....

- What did Demian tell you?

- Your safety and your well being really matter a lot to me Dipper, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you.

- What did Demian tell you, Mabel?

- If only you could feel half the love you have for your brother with me... No matter what you tell me, no matter what you deny me, you don't measure your words Mabel and much less your feelings... And we ended up with

Dipper felt some of the air escaping from his lungs, his hands trembling.

- What are you talking about?

- In the hallways some spit a "weird" Demian is not bad, but....

- Are you wrong?

- I don't know, what do you think?

- That I didn't deserve you

He let out a slight chuckle causing his sister to stand up to face him a little surprised.

- What do you feel, Mabel?

- I don't know...

- Well, do you want to know how I feel? A few hours before I was so afraid that something was going to happen to you, I yelled to my mom hoping they would tell me about you. I had seen blood near the car and just thought the worst. You are my best friend in the whole world. And when I saw you okay, it was like being able to breathe calm again, I don't care what anyone else says, what Demian says. Wrong or not I care about you too much too, I would die if anything happens to you. I love you too much that many times I just hope to come home and see you. I just want to see you well, and I want you to be happy with someone, anyone, who can understand you with all you are....

Before he could speak any further he felt Mabel's lips on his, and before she could pull away he moved in closer deepening the kiss, letting his tongue enter his sister's mouth, feeling her breathing begin to quicken.

As soon as they parted they looked at each other somewhat surprised, but he was holding her hand and she was holding his face.

- Today you are all I need. You're all I want

The pieces fit together of how Mabel avoided him at times, how he really felt weird in the face of indifference, but they couldn't, no matter how much they wanted to, be apart for long.

And that early morning, both of them piled up on the couch proved it.

How their hands searched for each other at the same time as those longed-for embraces, and little kisses between dreams.

In the morning everything was totally silent. Her parents had gone out earlier.

Dipper was slowly opening his eyes, his whole body ached from how uncomfortable the two-person couch was, but Mabel didn't even seem to notice.

As soon as he tried to free himself, she woke up.

Her half-open eyes and a somewhat blank stare resembled his.

As good as everything had turned out, the last few hours left him with a raw hangover of honesty and reality.

Although at times they preferred to ignore it all by tidying up the mess in the living room. Facing each other at the breakfast table, it was hard to pretend there was nothing there.

He was the first to react by taking her hand to get her attention.

- Last night...

- It's okay... I think it was an impulse, we were nervous about what happened.

- What did you tell me about Demian?

- Just forget it Dipper

What else could be done? They couldn't just stop being siblings overnight, or start a relationship easily.

They tied a noose around their hands struggling with their feelings and doing the right thing. Fears arose at the mere thought that if they assumed their impulses the rest was uncertain and unsafe.

Would they take the risk and could their parents tolerate it?

They both looked on, their tired eyes forming. Maybe this way, without words, without actions they could understand that they should finish something that had never started.

For the best towards each other.

Mabel picked up his plate and went up to his room, and he only listened to the footsteps until his door closed, before holding his head in both hands, resigned, tormented with so many feelings that he couldn't even digest one.

He loved her so much, so much not to drag her down with him.

The whole scare to death just made everything I was feeling worse.

He understands that he was not losing her, they would simply take the distance that needed to be taken, she would never leave his side, would she?

He walked to his room, he would just let the hours pass, let time settle everything. For all he had in his head were bad choices.

But before she buried herself in her only shelter the door next door slowly opened revealing her sister.

- Aren't you going to tell me anything anymore?

Her words were full of fear, her crystalline eyes stared at him without wanting to turn a millimeter away.

- What do you want me to say?

- The first thing on your mind

- I love you

#Pinecest #summer of pinecest contest #Gravity falls #gravity falls fanficfion #gravity falls fanfic

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legendary-defender-of-fandoms · 5 years ago

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The Hitachiin Twins vs The Pines Family (aka Why I’m Anti-Pinecest)

For the record, I’m against incest in every way, shape, and form - cousins, step-siblings, twincest, etc. - whether it’s real, fictional, or mythological. But my reasons for being anti-Pinecest go a little further beyond *shudders*, *gags*, and just plain Nope. And to better demonstrate my point, I thought I would compare & contrast the Pines Family with the Hitachiin Twins from the Ouran High School Host Club anime. Because, while I don’t ship the Hitachiin Twins with each other At All, I will acknowledge their bond lends itself towards twincest more than either set of Pines Twins.

See, everyone at the start of Ouran High School Host Club treats the Hitachiin Twins like one entity. Their servants, their classmates, the other members of the Host Club. Even the animators are guilty of this - in the intro, the Hitachiin Twins never get solo shots despite all the other members of the Host Club getting at least one solo scene each. And in the show proper, the Hitachiin Twins are always seen on-screen together, either reciting a script to impress their clients or speaking, moving, even thinking as one. It’s not until Haruhi joins the Host Club and treats the Hitachiin Twins as two people rather than one entity that Hikaru & Kaoru start to explore their individuality - wearing different outfits that become more distinct as the two become more confident in their separate identities, having different opinions of people or activities, even getting a few scenes apart here & there.

It’s hard to say why this is - did outsiders failing to acknowledge the Hitachiin Twins as individuals cause them to reflexively shut out everyone but each other, or did Hikaru & Kaoru’s reluctance to separate or bond with others lead to outsiders reflexively seeing them as two indistinguishable halves of one being?

Whatever the reason, the Hitachiin Twins by the time the anime begins are so perfectly in sync they might as well be one character. With these two, twincest isn’t about two people being in romantic love no matter what society says - it’s more like one consciousness split between two bodies. Like the Topaz Fusion in Steven Universe, or the Heretic & the Wanderer in the new Dark Crystal series.

This is NOT the case with either set of Pines Twins.

The writers of Gravity Falls did a great job establishing all the members of the Pines family as individuals first, someone’s twin second. Dipper and Mabel spend a lot of on-screen time together, but they also get plenty of opportunities to demonstrate their individuality. There are plenty of cutting remarks that either Hikaru or Kaoru could say without sounding out of character, but Dipper getting excited about an 80s themed dance party would be about as weird as Mabel staying up all night reading books about code cracking. Stan was intitally introduced as his own person, not one half of a set of twins. The reveal of Ford recontextualized a lot of idiosyncrocies about Stan’s backstory, but it didn’t change his personality. Ford was a latecomer to the show, but he set himself apart from his brother right at the start.

Both sets of Pines Twins can be unstoppable forces when they work together, but they can also stand on their own two feet. Dipper and Ford aren’t as social as their counterparts, but that doesn’t mean they’ve completely shut themselves off from others like the Hitachiin Twins.

So if Mystery Twincest & Stancest aren’t based on two people acting like one, like the Hitachiin Twins, then where did they come from? Are they based on the simple fact that both sets of Pines Twins love each other? You guys know it IS possible to love someone without feeling any romantic or sexual attraction, right?

I’m not sure what the situation is like in other countries, but here in America there’s this weird, pervasive idea of putting romantic/sexual affection above all other forms of love. Oh, these two people shared a hug? Must be True Love! Wait, they’re related? Ooh, gotta be incest! The Ancient Greeks believed there were at least four different kinds of love, with romantic/passionate love (Eros) being far from the most important.

So, while there is no doubt in my mind both sets of Pines Twins love each other, I would categorize their love as either Philia (virtuous, dispassionate love for friends & family) or Storge (love of family, usually between parent & child but could also qualify for siblings). Sweet, unrelenting, and 1,000,000,000% NOT SEXUAL OR ROMANTIC!!!

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formal-fauxpines · 6 years ago

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Unofficial Say It Sequel- Chapter 1: Say It Gently

This is one of my first fic ideas when I decided to start wrtiting Pinecest fan fics. Inspired by the fic Say It by @pinewreaths, I wanted to explore the idea of what happens to Mabel and Dipper after she becomes a semen eating vampire and how that affects their relationship after first feeding on him.

Big shout out to @pinecesttrain for helping with editing and helping with further inspiration. And of course big thanks to @pinewreaths for giving me their blessing on using their work that helped set me on the path to write.

Meal time for the Pines Twins came around as it usually did: Door locked and blinds drawn, Dipper lying on the bed, his pants drawn down with his throbbing member exposed for his sister to extract the vital fluids she needed to sustain herself. Her head bobbed up and down on his shaft with long, languid licks and sucks to ensure the utmost pleasure, usually providing the largest payoff of the sweet ambrosia that was her brothers seed.

Since Mabel’s transformation into a vampire a few months ago, meal times had become a bit more unusual to the outside world. Luckily for them, they already were used to the unusual, especially since the twins being unusually close was such a norm.

In becoming a vampire, no thanks to her lying, asshole, vampire ex-boyfriend, Mabel was granted most of the usual afflictions that come with the condition. However the one that took her, and subsequently her brother, by surprise was the method of feeding that she needed. Not the usual blood that is so emphasized in media, stories, and mythology, but weirdly enough, semen.

In a moment of emergency, her brother had been willing to oblige her need to feed and provided the necessary fluids for her. However, with her hunger too great to control, his plans for a more modest feeding method quickly degenerated into a rockus night of fellatio that he had never thought he would be engaged in. Not that he minded,after all, Dipper was always willing to help his sister when she needed it,no matter what the task.

A few days after the first feeding, the twins were able to contact their great uncle Ford, via a special video phone he made for them, getting fed up with Skype, and ask about any conditions of Vampirism that he may have discovered. !

“Ah yes! Vampirism! In fact, I’ve thought about it a few times when I needed the physical capabilities to conduct my research, but the associated issues would hinder me in the long run so I would always need to change back. Good thing too. Some dimensions I found where blood didn’t exist. In all my research I did find a cure for it, however the time limit on reversing the condition is 24 hours.” The twins sighed in exasperation, feeling defeated in the news their great uncle revealed.

“However the condition is manageable,” Ford started up again with a little more enthusiasm. “I was able to find some artifacts, spells, and other techniques that can offset some of the less, desirable traits of the condition. Aside from the usual annoyances, all you have to do is make sure you have a viable food source.” The twins sighed in relief this time. There was a way to have Mabel live with it. “By the way, what is your prefered food source, Mabel?”

The twins froze, caught off guard by Ford’s nonchalant way of asking. What was he getting at? What other feeding did he mean? Did he know about theirs? “C-come again?” Dipper broke through the tense silence.

“Yes, yes, the substance you need to draw your energy from. My research has found that vampires actually have many different types of feeding styles. The most common, of course, is blood. Which can usually be human or animal. Also sweat, saliva, and even a few more unusual fluids like urine, or semen. I have found these particular vampires to be more under the classification of a crossbreed between vampires and succubi. Really fascinating to find out how many different ones there are in the world. So which is it?”

“Blood!” both the twins shot out with urgency, hoping it wasn’t too obvious they were hiding something.

“Alright, a common type then. have you found a viable source yet, children?” Ford asked, not giving any inclination of suspicion to the twins’ quick reaction.

“Candy was able to swipe a bag for me from a recent blood drive, and Sir Dipping-sauce here was nice enough to let me have some of his blood in a few emergency cases,” Mabel said, trying to keep calm with the half-truth she had to tell her Grunkle.

“Very good, just be careful though. If you don’t get a source of food regularly the hunger builds up and things can get a little… crazy.”

CRASH!!!

“STANLEY!” Ford yelled, turning his head to look off screen with a tinge of irritation in his eyes, “I told you to stop messing with my experiments! Sorry kids, I have to go. Let me know if things change.”

The line disconnected and the screen turning back to the devices menu settings. The twins were grateful that the chat was cut short as neither of them were sure they could hide the reddening of their faces. They knew exactly how wild things could get if her hunger was left unchecked.

“Welp”, Mabel said, slapping her hands to her knees after a moment of awkward silence . “Looks like we got to find me a new food source then.”

“Hehe, y-yeah. I guess we do.” Dipper joined, in scratching at the stubble on his chin.

The following weekend, Mabel and Dipper worked hard on finding a new food source. Mabel knew the easiest method for finding one, but she didn’t much like the prospect. She always considered herself a love expert, and felt her skills improved as she grew older and learned more about relationships and dating. However using her skills to just land a guy to suck off she felt would besmirch her talents. BESMIRCH! Plus, she was not the kind of girl to mess with someone’s emotions, she learned that lesson years ago.

The Pines twins’ plan of attack was to find any guy looking for a good time as much as she was looking for an easy meal. The two would peruse areas for guys who may be looking for an easy hook up, and being college that seemed easy enough. On weekends they would go to the bars, frat houses, and any type of party that looked wild enough. The point was to find drunk bros, which much to Mabel’s chagrin, was not her type.

Mabel busted out her best to attract and draw in the easier prey: Tops that showed off more cleavage, skirts that rode a little high, heels that accentuated her booty. She knew she would hit the mark when, on more than a few occasions, she got Dipper red in the face or had him stare a little too long when asking him what he thought. If it was good enough for him, it was good for some fast food. With Candy and Grenda by her side as her wing women, she felt like it would be easy pickins.

Dipper also took up a role in her hunts as more of the scout. He would look in areas Mabel couldn’t normally go, like the men’s restroom. Even though she was a sperm-sucking vampire, Mabel still had standards. He would also offer to go to other bars nearby, increasing their range, and allowing Mabel a second set of eyes if she couldn’t find anything for herself.

Dipper was a little against this method, and memories would surface of how protective he could be from similar guys trying to hit on her in the past. How he would intervene if the guy wouldn’t take the hint. She always felt a comfort in how he would watch out for her, making her heart give a little flutter at the thought. The thoughts were pretty nice, in a weird way. It made her kind of glad their options were a little limited, since it meant he agreed to help despite his misgivings.

Despite all their efforts, however, Mabel kept running into the same problem every time. She would land a guy, and get back to his place or hers. They would start by making out, Mabel thinking sexy thoughts to get her through the start if she wasn’t into the guy, which was most of the time. Admittedly, Mabel would occasionally have a flash of Dipper and his manhood run through her mind. The taste of his seed, the smell of his musk, the warmth and texture of his shaft on her tongue would all do the trick to push her past her current prize with the more delectable memories of her exquisite first meal, driving her hunger enough not to care. Still, most of the time once they got past the make out phase, she would start to wane in her appetite for the guy in hand. The saliva would at least be a slight appetizer which gave her some energy, and a slight taste of what was to come. Or in many cases, didn’t come.

Her vampire senses presented both a blessing and a curse, allowing her to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell exceptionally better than before. However, the smell and taste became an issue to her. When she tried to select her prey for the night usually she could only catch a faint hint of their smell among the myriad of scents in the usual pick up spots. But once she got some one-on-one time the smell became more noticable and harder to ignore. If the taste of the make-out session didn’t send her packing, then the whiff of what lay to the south surely did.

The first few attempts to eat were more forced, Mabel going about a more ‘giving it the old college try’ mentality, as she was not used to such a casual take on such an intimate action. She tried to dive right in, in some cases holding her breath to avoid the scent. The taste of pre-cum that exuded from their member gave a stronger taste than the make-out sampler. It was too strong in some cases, ending the session earlier than expected. If she was able to get past the drops that were a precursor of what came next, she regretted it afterwards.

The surge of life-sustaining fluids tasted nothing like what she received from Dipper. It drove her sense of taste over the edge to the point of being physically ill in some cases. She wrote it off as being from having too much to drink that night, not that she had a drop to begin with, and excused herself to purge the contents of her belly.

After a few times to try and get a new food source from weekend to weekend, Mabel learned to check waste baskets and bedding to get a better look at the menu rather than lead a guy on with the make-out session. Picking up on trace amounts of fluids was easy enough, but led to the same disappointing conclusion that she was not hungry enough to drink what she thought tasted like a milkshake made with carrot juice and squid.

A few times the guys would get belligerent, which Mabel could understand, but did not take kindly to. In those moments she was always happy knowing that her new condition provided her the means to defend herself just fine. Dipper was always sweet telling her he would stay close in case she needed help, but was always proven unnecessary after she showed she could take care of herself now. He still made it a point to ask her to contact him in case things got out of hand. They never did, but she still felt a warmth knowing her brother always wanted to be her hero in her time of need.

At the end of the night though, he really was her hero. Perhaps not in the normal sense, but he had saved her from a few nights of going hungry. After the first few failed feedings, Mabel had turned to her brother, asking for something to hold her over in case she didn’t get enough energy from her supposed dinner. He had been a little taken aback, surprised that Mabel had struck out with the guys she tried to get with. After hearing her situation though, he was willing to oblige.

Since they had already went all the way with the first meal he provided her (or second, technically) it wasn’t the most awkward thing to ask him. They decided to arrange that if she needed a quick pick me up shot Dipper would provide it. He would rub one out in a condom like the first time when she asked, agreeing to this method since she didn’t really want to press the issue of getting it straight from the source. Partially embarrassed from how she lost control last time and partly because she didn’t want to admit how good it made her feel to feed off of him.

But since she did lose control, she settled for a sack lunch. Despite the fact that it wasn’t fresh, the ambrosia she remembered still tasted as sweet and savory as ever, filling her with a warm sensation through her whole being as she imbibed it. Yet as she enjoyed what she could get from him, more and more she would ask for a late night snack as she kept failing to feed. Even if she was successful, she would often ask for a chaser to get the terrible taste out of her mouth and wash away the dissatisfaction.

“Another dud, huh?” Dipper asked as Mabel begged him for another semeny snack. He rubbed the back of this neck nervously as he sat on the edge of his bed. “I’m sorry this keeps happening, but… you sure about this, Mabes?” “I mean, I know I was your first source, but I can’t be that much better than the guys you were going after. I’ve seen the kind of guys you go boy crazy for. Some of them seemed your type from what I guessed.”

“You don’t understand, Dipper. I thought they were going to be okay, but when we stepped away from the crowds and got some one-on-one fun time, their B.O. would make my stomach go ‘OH NO!’” she said in a silly voice reminiscent of the Kool-aid man, punctuating her last statement with a playful poke to the stomach.

Dipper sighed out in willing defeat. “Well, I don’t want my sister to starve. And Ford did say it would be bad to let you go too long without feeding. I mean, we have first hand experience with that.” He blushed at the thought of it.

“Hehe, yeah. I guess I got a little too cray-cray on my bro-bro then. I promise I’ll be better and keep it under control. You did give me a lot that time though and I’m not as hungry as then, but I am getting a little bit now,” she said shyly, biting her fingers, her fangs showing slightly.

“I guess we could give it another go. If it could help us avoid another frenzy. Just give me a minute and…” He reached for his sock drawer and pulled out another set of condoms and tore off a square.

Mabel reached out and grabbed his wrist firmly with a restrained urgency.

“Actually, I was thinking we could maybe try sooooomething else?” she said, biting her lower lip.

“Um-uh, o-o-okay? Uh, w-what did yooooouuuu haveinmindexactly?” Dipper asked with a nervousness in his voice. His eyes showed a glint of fearful curiosity. “I mean d-did you want to just, um…” He coughed in his fist, unable to finish the thought, instead looking down to his crotch.

“N-no, I mean kinda, I mean not yet, I mean…,” Mabel took a deep breath to calm her flustered self from saying what she wanted. “Grunkle Ford did say that vampires could use other food sources too, right? When I was trying to do some ‘meal prep’, so to say, I got a slight taste from the make-out sesh. I mean it wasn’t like a full first course, but it gave me just enough to make it through the night, or at least to you.” She stared down to the floor as she said it, grabbing at a lock of hair, twisting it in her fingers nervously. “Kind of like having cold fries before having a four star meal. So maybe we can give that a try? I mean if you don’t mind your sis macckin’ all over you?” Mabel explained spitting the hair out and adding a slight giggle.

Dipper thought about it, contemplating the scientific ramifications of it all. “True, I mean, I don’t mind giving you what you need in the end. You know, since we already did, well… you know.” He blushed and coughed into his hand again. “But if this is what you want to do then I’ll do it...” His lips turned upwards into a warm, comforting smile and he placed a hand on her knee, “...for you.”

“You really are the best, broseph.” She clasped his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “So how do you want to ya know… do this. I don’t want to break you as bad as last time”

“How about you start and take it how you feel. After all, it is your ‘snack time’.”

“Okay then, I mean, no biggie. We did this before, kissing and all ya know. Just one twin helping the other this time.” Her face flushed a slight pink as she leaned into him. The closer she got, the more warmth she could feel from his breath. He met her half-way, connecting with her lips, softly and gently as to test the waters of this new/revisited experiment.

Mabel felt a slight jolt of energy right when their lips made contact. She was reminded of drinking hot cocoa, the warmth of the sweet liquid making contact with her lips before letting it in. This was a thousand times better in her opinion. Sweeter than any cocoa she could buy, with a perfect heat that warmed her to the core without burning her, and a scent that she learned from experience was about to come.

Remembering her first feeding and how that tasted, this one seemed more like a light snack. Lighter, like a small drop, but still giving nourishment. She found it peculiar thinking about all those other guys, that they couldn’t give her this amount of energy from even the full salty shebang. Just this kiss might have been enough for her. She wanted more. She needed more!

Mabel pressed more into her brother’s lips. He seemed just as eager to receive her. Their mouths opened slightly, allowing their tongues to pass though and connect. Soon the drop on her lips turned into a drizzle on her tongue as they embraced one another. Their hands began grabbing frantically at each others clothes and hair. Mabel was desperate to get a grip, as though doing so would make him give her more of what she was tasting.

The full flavor of his saliva was just what she expected from the initial kiss. It was as if she were drinking up the most delectable beverage in the world.The closest thing she could compare would be the sweetest honey, mixed into the smoothest of creams, with a slight hint of a fruit that is so amazing it may have not been discovered yet. She knew well enough that Dipper didn’t partake much in these foods, so she accounted this blending of flavors as his own personal essence. She couldn’t get enough.

Every bit of pressure, every smack of the lips, every grab at her tresses of hair and clothing was like she was being treated to the best dining service she’d ever had. She was disappointed when she had to stop for a breath, much like in the past drinking too heavily to quench her thirst. She panted heavily after her intense snack session, looking down at her brother.

Lips pink and slightly swollen, eyes half-lidded with a sense of shock and euphoria, a small trail of saliva that lay at the corner of his mouth from when she pulled away. He was breathing just as hard, if not harder from the intensity of what they shared. But, His body didn’t have the stamina of a vampire to keep up, and he looked exhausted.

“Oh my gosh Dip! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to lose control like that again. Are you alright?” Mabel laid her hand on his face, cupping his cheek. He nuzzled into it and grabbed it with his, squeezing her hand lovingly. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him being so warm and affectionate to her touch. A small flutter began to rise in her stomach.

“Yeah Mabes,” he said between breaths. “I’m fine. Just never had a make out session that intense before.”

Mabel cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Really?” The gears started turning in her head at all what he just said could mean. She decided to take a chance on it. She turned her head back upright with a devious smile spreading across her face and eyelids half-lidded. She asked again with a sultry tone, “Really?”

“I mean, I’ve had some pretty good ones in the past, but I think you just set the bar.” After uttering those words Dipper’s eyes shot wide open realizing the confession he just made. “I-I-I mean, um, ah...”

She pressed a finger to his lips as if to push the pause button on his mind. It seemed to work, as he halted his hectic explanation. “Relax broseph, after all we’ve done since I transformed, it’s not the weirdest thing to admit. Plus, if I were to be really honest, you make a great kisser too. And not just because you taste so amazing.” She bent down to him lapping up the small bit of spittle at the corner of his mouth left behind from her earlier departure, and followed with a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Thanks, Dipper, for being so understanding.”

He reached up to stroke her hair and wrapped his arms around her to cuddle on the bed. “Of course Mabel. I’d do anything to take care of you,” he said gently as she wrapped her arms around him too, and slipped into a warm embrace.

After about 20 minutes of blissfully cuddling with each other, Dipper broke the silence. “Hey Mabel? Not to ruin the mood, but I got a question for you.”

“What’s up Dip-dop?”

“So did that give you the energy you needed then? I mean. I know you need um, you know, the other stuff, to be fully nourished, but how did that work for you?” he said in his usual sense of curiosity he had for the supernatural but underlined with and awkwardness for talking about this particular subject with his sister. .

“Dang Dip,” Mabel said with a bit of disbelief at what he just asked. She sat up out of the cuddle session, feeling its warmth and enjoyment snuffed out by awkward sciency questions. “Can’t just let that curious mind take a break for once, can you?” She tapped her index finger to his forehead as she asked him.

Placing her hands on her hips she began to give him the answer he was looking for with a hint of annoyance for being such a wet blanket to the warm and silent affection they were sharing. “If you must know, it actually filled me up better than any other guy I tried with. Like, even when I got a full load out of them,” she said matter of factly and ended with her arms crossing across her chest.

Dipper shifted a bit at the last statement showing discomfort at the premise. Mabel picked up on it, all her senses making it hard to ignore. “Um, sorry, Dipper. Just wanted to be honest with ya. Must be getting too used to these feeding arrangements that it seems normal now,” she said, patting his thigh, hoping to ease his distress.

“No no. It’s fine. I mean, I asked after all,” he replied, trying to shake off his embarrassment at the mental image of Mabel with those other guys. “But, like, ya know... I just can’t help but wonder. What makes this so different,’’ he gestured between the two of them. “Why are you getting more out of me? Like, what makes me so special?”

“I dunno. Maybe those guys were just not that tasty to begin with? Like even regular Mabel would have passed them up if given the option. Or maybe you just happen to be so sweet helping a girl out like this,” Mabel added, poking Dipper in the cheek, drawing circles into his stubble with her finger.

“Hehe, thanks for the compliment Mabel,” he said, grabbing her hand gently to cease the playful pokes, “but seriously, if we don’t get this feeding thing figured out soon, I may just be your soul source of food.”

“Well,” she said with a little hesitation in her voice, “it’s not like it would be the worst thing ever.”

Dipper was a little caught off guard by the comment. “Wait, what?” he asked in disbelief.

“I mean, sure it may be a little awkward to find a new food source. But as long as I have you to keep me fed when that falls through I should be alright,” she said with a chipper attitude. Then she turned serious and sour. “Unless, of course, this arrangement bothers you.”

“What!? No, Mabes, of course not!” He raised his hands between them as if to deflect her accusation, shaking his head to assure her it wasn’t true. “I was just thinking about your, uh, situation. You know, I don’t want you missing out on anything because of this is all. I can handle anything to make sure you are fed. Just that...” he sat and stared at the floor silently, hesitation and concern about what he was going to say plastered on his face.

“Spit it out Dipper,” she said, slightly annoyed at his hesitation.

“You really don’t mind me being your source of sustenance? I mean,” he looked away scratching his neck, a few drops of sweat forming on his brow, “don’t you find it a little... weird?”

“Sir Dippingsauce I am surprised at you. We’re the MYSTERY TWINS, weird is in our genes. And we already passed the bounds of weird with me being a sperm-sucking vamp. If that happens to come from my twin bro-bro so be it,” she said defiantly. Mabel settled herself down and placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder, speaking calmly. “But if it bothers you, we can always find another way.”

“No!” He jerked his body to face her straight-on making her release his shoulder. His eyes appreaed filled with worry at the suggestion . “I-I mean... like I said. I just want to make sure you are okay with this,” he added before turning his head to stare at the floor.

Mabel leaned in to deliver a kiss on his cheek, her lips parting just enough for her tongue to graze along his skin and leave a wet spot. She pulled back and proceeded to lick her lips, humming in pleasure. Dipper felt a shiver run down his spine, causing Mabel to giggle. “Yep, just as sweet since I last checked.”

She gently grabbed him by the back of the neck and placed her forehead to his. His face emitted a greater heat and his pulse quicked. “Don’t worry Dipper,” she said in a soft, gentle tone. “We’ll check with Grunkle Ford about this whole thing. Come what may we’ll get this figured out. Now come back here and cuddle me dag-nabbit.”

Dipper looked up into her eyes. She could tell just in this short talk that it was what he needed. Concern still flitted in his gaze, but also comfort and love. Her senses picked up on his vitals, telling her that he was calming down.“Okay, okay. ‘Come what may’ it is,” he said embracing his sister once again.

The sound of his heartbeat, his personal scent, and warmth he emitted comforted her in ways she hadn’t thought possible. For her, next to him now, everything was perfect.

Then again, she thought, maybe it always was.

#faux-fics #pinecest #unofficial say it sequel #vampire mabel #fauxpines #inspired by pinewreaths #edited by pinecesttrain

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edward-or-ford · 6 years ago

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We’re a Family

So here I go again with a new story. Been awhile, I know!

This one is once again set in my “Unexpected” AU. It’s a pretty direct sequel to the original story, taking place a little over two years after the end of the final chapter, and includes some flashbacks to events I had only alluded to previously. As such, it may be beneficial for you to have already read the previous story, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. I think there should be enough detail in the narrative to let you know what’s going on, if you’re new to my writing.

(This story also takes place at Christmas, and I was hoping to have it finished a couple of weeks ago so it would have been topical. No such luck, but oh well!)

Completely SFW story here, but with the obvious Pinecest implications.

December 25, 2017 Westfield, New Jersey

Mabel Pines is roused from her sound sleep by music blaring out of the tinny speaker of her phone, a 90’s-pop rendition of “Jingle Bells” from the Sev’ral Timez Christmas album. She throws back her covers and bounds to her feet in the small bedroom, happy for once to be awakened. After a fast glance out the window to take in the cold but beautifully sunny morning, she does a quick stretch and she’s ready to go. Man, has she ever been looking forward to today! Adult responsibilities be darned! Today’s a day when she should be allowed to be carefree, like every other “officially-an-adult-but-still-wants-to-be-a-kid” eighteen-year-old!

With no consideration to taking the time to change out of her mismatched sleeping attire of holiday pyjama bottoms and an oversized t-shirt, she quickly tip-toes her way across the hallway to the closed door of another bedroom and cracks it open. A thick mop of brown hair and an adorable little face sticks out from beneath the covers at the head of the toddler-sized bed. Oh good, Cassie’s still asleep! Mabel would hate to have missed any of Cassie’s experiences this morning. Getting to watch her two-year-old little Mini-me on Christmas morning is the best thing Mabel can think of!

But as excited as she is, Mabel knows someone else will be just as happy as she is to share in the moment. She has to drag dear “uncle” Dipper’s sorry old bum out of bed before she can wake up Cassie!

Grinning happily, Mabel carefully closes the door and then scurries towards the stairs down to the basement of the modest bungalow. She picks up speed as she rounds the corner at the front end of the hallway.

She bumps right into an attractive woman in her early forties, who is coming from the kitchen. “Oof!” Mabel grunts in surprise, perfectly in sync with a similar noise of impact from her mother. Then they both make a short laugh and apologize at the same time.

“Well, now that we’ve run into each other, good morning! And Merry Christmas, Pumpkin!” Mom says brightly.

“Aw! Merry Christmas, Mom!” Mabel cries back quietly, giving her mother a firm and fast hug. “But shush! I don’t want Cassie to wake up just yet, not until I go get Dipper up.”

Mom shrugs. “I was just on my way downstairs to get the turkey from the refrigerator down there. I’ll wake him up.” She waves Mabel to the kitchen. “Could you go ahead and break up some more bread crumbs for stuffing while I head down there? Thank you,” she says, already on the second step down the narrow staircase.

Mabel pauses a split second, very much wanting to go down and wake her twin brother herself. Then she dismisses it easily. “Gotcha, Momster!” she replies with a genuine smile, heading for the sink to wash her hands before attacking the dried bread.

Cassie finishes ripping colorful wrapping paper from a box that comes up past her waist, then pulls the box over, screeching with delight as she peers inside.

“Unca DIP-pah! Unca DIP-pah! AAAAAAAAA!!!!!” Cassie cries excitedly as she reaches in and pulls out a large pig-shaped neon-pink fuzzy toy.

Dipper laughs from his spot seated on the floor, at the feet of Mabel who is sitting on the couch recording the scene with her phone. He glances back quickly at Mabel, then returns his attention to the toddler. “That’s great, Cass! What’re you going to call him?”

“WAH-dle! WAH-dle!” shouts Cassie, squeezing the stuffed animal securely and spinning around in a circle with her arms full of porcine plush.

“Atta-girl!” Mabel calls out. She playfully kicks her brother. “Like mother, like daughter!” Dipper snorts back with amusement.

The twins’ father smiles and rolls his bespeckled eyes. “Oh great! We just finished finding a proper home for the last pig, now we’ve got another one?” he moans sarcastically.

“Pay no attention to grumpy Grampy!” Mabel fires back, beckoning the girl to come over for a quick hug. “You’re gonna show your new pig to the real Waddles next time we go out to visit him at the petting zoo, aren’t you?”

“YAH!” Cassie jumps up and down across the living room. “Wah-dle Wah-dle WAH-dlllllllle!” In her careless excitement, the oversized toy causes her to lose her balance. With a high-pitched cry of alarm, she starts to fall backwards.

The twins’ mother, with her usual parental instincts, has anticipated this and neatly catches Cassie before she hits the floor. “Whoops-a-daisy! Grandma’s got you!” Mom says cheerfully, sweeping the tot back to her feet and giving her a pat on the bottom as she sets off to continue running around. Then the woman casts a smirk at Mabel. “Like mother like daughter, indeed! You were always way too excited on Christmas morning, too!”

“It is not possible to be too excited on Christmas morning!” Mabel replies haughtily.

“Definitely not possible!” pipes in a grinning Dipper, raising an open hand above his head with his palm facing behind him, which Mabel immediately slaps in a blind high-five. “Excitement today is required behavior, Mom,” Dipper proclaims.

“Oh, of course,” Mom acknowledges. “I suppose it wasn’t that long ago the two of you were tearing around like whirling dervishes when all of Santa’s presents showed up under the tree.” She turns to her husband with a smug look. “Surely it wasn’t my fault they were always allowed to be so crazy on Christmas morning?”

“Are you kidding?” he retorts, his “dad bod” midsection shaking as he laughs. “You loved letting them be off the leash for one day a year.” He glances over to his children. “I guess you guys are passing that little tradition on to the next generation.”

Dipper scratches his scalp as he smiles self-consciously. Mabel just wiggles in delight. “Yay to family traditions!” she cries with a quick pump of her fist.

The morning continues this way. Cassie has several gifts to open under the tree, mostly clothes and small toys. The twins’ parents open their inexpensive (but lavishly hand-decorated by Mabel) gifts from their children. They in turn give each of their children gift cards, which Mabel thanks them for but good-naturedly scolds them for their lack of imagination. Dad raises his hands and accepts this, while Mom says they don’t want to give either of their kids a bunch of stuff they don’t need. Ever the pragmatist, Dipper congratulates his “wise” parents while Mabel pouts comically. But then Mom excuses herself and emerges from the basement with a wrapped present for each of the twins. Everyone, including Cassie, laughs at Mabel’s delighted antics as she enthusiastically rips the paper from her unexpected gift.

As Cassie starts playing with some of the decorations on the tree, her grandmother pulls them out of the tot’s hands and places them back onto the branches, humming “Oh Christmas Tree”. Mabel picks up the tune and starts singing with her mother. Soon everyone is singing, including the men who are mumbling along, faking the lyrics they don’t know. More singing follows, a mix of hymns and modern holiday tunes.

Mabel’s smile is enormous as she picks up Cassie and bounces around while singing “Holly Jolly Christmas” along with her family. Cassie is hugging her back and squealing right along with the melody. Dipper jumps up and joins them, and together they joyfully belt out the last lines of the song. Their Mom and Dad applaud while Cassie reaches out for Dipper. Mabel hands Cassie over, and as he squeezes the girl tightly Mabel hugs them both and makes a “Cassie sandwich”.

Then Mabel waves vigorously at her parents to get up and come join them. They chuckle and indulge her, embracing their children and their delighted granddaughter in a big group hug.

Relishing the moment, Mabel closes her eyes in satisfaction. Happy family times are perfect! It’s been way too long since they’ve all been together like this. All of them have been so busy! For now, she’s determined to hang on to this moment for as long as she can.

Times like this are so much better than they were, almost three years ago …

March 13, 2015 Piedmont, California

“So what is this all about?” Mom asked briskly.

Mabel swallowed nervously as her mother sat down beside her husband on the sofa in the spacious living room. Mom was a bit stressed. So was Dad. Since they were all scheduled to be on a plane to the Caribbean early the next morning for their all-inclusive March break vacation, there was a lot to be done.

But now there was something else that was about to be dropped on their plate. A pretty BIG something!

Mabel sat down in the love seat that faced the large sofa. Dipper sat beside her. Mabel glanced at her brother. He was putting on a brave face, but she could tell her fifteen-year-old twin was afraid. She obliquely wondered if she looked the same way.

“Dad? Mom?” Dipper began. “You’ve always said we should just get to the point, right? That we’re just wasting time otherwise?”

Their father looked back at Dipper. “Yes?” he replied warily.

“What’s going on?” Mom prompted, also looking concerned.

Dipper turned his head to Mabel. His face was now struggling to mask his fear. He nodded curtly at his sister.

Mabel nodded back and took a deep breath. Then she turned towards her parents, but was unable to look them in the eye.

“I’m pregnant,” she squeaked.

There were two loud intakes of breath from their parents. Mabel finally glanced at their faces, and she could tell they were shocked and upset. Of course they were! And there was more! Now she was truly terrified, and instinctively she reached out and sought out Dipper’s hand.

Dipper grasped her palm immediately and squeezed. He also drew a deep breath.

“And I’m the father,” she heard him utter, his voice shaking.

She braced herself for the onslaught.

Mabel pushes the memory away. Now is not the time for stuff like that! Now’s the time for Christmas cheer!

Mom extricates herself from the big family hugfest to put the turkey into the oven. Then she announces to her husband that because she and Mabel have been preparing their big dinner since before either of the men got up, she feels that it’s only fair if he and their son prepare brunch for the family. Mabel wholeheartedly agrees. Following a brief faux objection, Dipper laughs and heads for the kitchen, his father following with a resigned sigh and a lopsided smile. The “girls” of the house start to clean up the carnage left over from gift opening, Mabel coaching Cassie on how everything needs to be tidied up. Soon the living room is clean and the table is filled with pancakes, sausage, and french toast. Everyone gets a kick out of watching Cassie play with her food as the whole family enjoys their meal.

The Pines family may have roots in New Jersey on Dad’s side, but there are no remaining relatives on the East coast to share the holidays with. And of course it’s impossible to open their home up to anyone else, given the very awkward “family secret” of Cassie’s paternity that might be exposed. As a result, they have no one to invite over to share their time with. In their busy everyday lives, the family’s isolation is easy to overlook, but on a day like Christmas it becomes more obvious. After finishing eating and tidying up, things noticeably quiet down.

As Mom finishes putting dishes away, brunch is settling in everyone’s stomachs, and it’s time to relax. Cassie is playing on her own, her attention alternating between a wooden animal puzzle and the big box that squishy Waddles came in. The twins share the couch, Mabel picking up her yarn and knitting needles to make another sweater for her little girl, while Dipper pulls out his phone.

Dad has plans to watch basketball all afternoon and switches on the television to the pregame show for the Sixers and Knicks. Mom asks if he really needs to have that on now? Dad suggests that maybe he can do without it for now, on the proviso he not get any complaints when he watches his beloved Warriors play the Cavs later that afternoon. Mom shakes her head and agrees.

After the television winks off, Dad looks at Dipper, who is engrossed with his phone. “What’re you reading there?” he asks his son.

Dipper glances up briefly. “Nothing important, I guess. Just a blog I follow, by this paranormal investigator who lives out west.”

“That BS again?” says Dad with an amused snort. “I thought you’d moved past that nonsense.”

“Oh yeah,” retorts Dipper, staring down his father with a grin. “I guess I should be concentrating on important stuff, right? Like basketball, I suppose?”

Dad chuckles at that. “Yeah well at least my interests are about something real!”

“Leave him alone, Dad,” chimes in Mabel with a giggle. “He’s got his weird conspiracies, you’ve got your dumb sports. As far as I can tell, you’re both pretty much even in this ‘waste of time’ competition!”

“Fine, fine!” says Dad to Mabel, smiling and waving dismissively.

Mom walks in from the kitchen. “Mabel, when’s your next shift at the hobby store? Were you able to get tomorrow off?”

Mabel grimaces. “No, I wish!” she says with disappointment. “I have to be there when they open up. They say the morning after Christmas is usually a really busy shift.” She’s determined to not be a sourpuss about her job, so she forces an upbeat attitude. “But hopefully I’ll get to see all the cool things the customers are starting to work on. That’s the best part of my job, helping people do their bestest and craftiest!”

“Yes, I know,” her mother replies. “I’ll watch Cassie tomorrow, so it’s no problem. I’m happy you get to work in a place where there’s things that are kind of up your alley.”

“Yeah, I wish I could just keep all the stuff that are on the shelves for myself!” Mabel sighs dreamily. “You know me, the master of arts and crafts! If only I’d-”

Mabel cuts herself off, not wanting to verbalize the end of that thought. She had just about said she wished she’d gone to art college. She knows that it should have been a perfectly feasible goal for her. If not for … Mabel glances at Cassie on the other side of the room, playing quietly. She loves Cassie so much, she’d never go back and change her mind. But still, she’d be lying if there weren’t a few regrets, as well. She tries to get back to positive thoughts as she looks fondly at her daughter.

Mom doesn’t press Mabel to continue, having sensed what caused Mabel’s sudden surge of melancholy. Dad, on the other hand, is oblivious. He turns back to Dipper. “I forgot to ask if you got your final grades for first semester.”

“You didn’t tell him, Dipper?” Mom says excitedly. “Go ahead!”

“Yeah, they were posted on Friday” Dipper replies, shrugging modestly. “I did pretty well, I guess.”

Mabel nudges her brother with her elbow, happy for the change of subject. “Pretty well? Dip, you said you received an email from NJIT that you got the highest average in your entire program this term!”

Dipper nods bashfully. “Really?” says Dad, raising an eyebrow. “Well, then! Congratulations, that’s an excellent accomplishment!” He leans forward in his recliner to reach over and grip his son’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, son. Good work!”

“Thanks, Dad!” replies Dipper, a grateful expression spreading on his face. “I worked pretty hard this semester.”

Dad nods. “I know you did. You’ve developed a really good work ethic these past few years.” He leans back into his chair again. “You would have done so well at MIT.”

Dipper’s smile doesn’t waver, but his eyes fall to the floor. “Yeah, probably.” he says.

Mabel instantly feels for her twin. Darn it, why does Dad always have to make those little digs? The New Jersey Institute of Technology might not have the same level of prestige as that uppity place in Massachusetts, but she knows his college isn’t exactly chopped liver. She’s seen the projects Dipper has been working on, and although she doesn’t understand engineering, she knows he’s doing amazing stuff!

But before Mabel can say anything to that effect, her mother has chimed in. “So what about next semester, Dipper? What do your classes look like for January?”

“Okay, I think,” Dipper says. “There’s an introduction to biotech course that sounds really interesting, and everything I’ve learned up until now has been good. There’s just …” He makes a frustrated noise. “The only thing is the schedule! They’ve got me down for three evening classes. That means three days a week, it’ll be really late before I can get home.”

Mom sighs. “Oh, Dipper, I’m sorry. That sounds awful, you’re going to be on the train at all hours of the night.” She shakes her head. “You really should have taken one of the rooms in residence on campus. You would have been walking distance to all your classes.”

“Mom, we already talked about this,” Dipper moans. “It’s too expensive! My scholarship doesn’t pay for room and board. I can’t afford it, and you can’t afford to pay it for me.”

“We’d have found the money somehow, we tried to tell you that,” Mom scolds gently.

“Even so, it’s not that bad. If I catch the trains right, it’s only a little over an hour.” Dipper shakes his head. “I’ll be fine, even if it sucks next term.”

Dad looks intently at Dipper. “Of course, you had the opportunity to accept a full scholarship to MIT, including residence. Living on campus would have been no problem there.”

This time Dipper doesn’t look away, and he stares back at his father. He says nothing, but the temperature in the room seems to drop several degrees. No ones says anything for several seconds.

Mabel is about to try breaking up the tension with a funny comment. But Cassie stands up and looks around, distracting Mabel. Cassie looks tired, and she’s late to go down for her nap. She also seems to sense the unease in the room. Looking for someplace safe, she makes a tiny whining noise and toddles over to the nearest comforting set of arms, which happen to belong to her uncle. Dipper picks her up and holds her, giving pats on the back and letting her relax against his chest with her head resting on his shoulder. Everyone watches in silence as Dipper whispers soothing noises to the girl, lulling her quickly into sleep.

“She’s had a really big morning,” Mabel says to no one in particular, forcing a smile on her face as she watches her daughter snooze peacefully in Dipper’s arms. “All those new toys and stuff to play with, it was bound to tucker her out. I’ll bet-”

“Pumpkin … that’s enough,” Dad says with quiet authority. “I’m sorry, but please don’t change the subject. I don’t think it’s healthy to avoid what’s on everyone’s mind here. I didn’t want this to come up today, but …” he crosses his arms with deliberation,“ ...here we are! We need to address this whole issue of Dipper’s education.”

Dipper stiffens. “What’s the problem, Dad? You just finished telling me you were proud of me. I’m at the top of my class, but now that’s not good enough?”

“I am proud of you, Dipper!” responds Dad. “Clearly, you’ve done extremely well this term. And NJIT is a fine school, no doubt.” He straightens up and gestures emphatically. “But I think it’s time for you to admit that you are holding yourself back! You were granted a full scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology! You always dreamed of going there! It’s the best technical school in the country! And clearly you would have been brilliant there! You must realize how many more doors would be open to you if you’re an MIT alumnus, how many more lucrative and exciting opportunities might present themselves!”

“I get that,” Dipper replies, his voice measured. With Cassie’s ear right beside his mouth, he can’t get too loud. “But it doesn’t matter, Dad. Boston is just too far away! I thought you understood that when I turned down their offer.” He embraces the girl a bit tighter. “I don’t want to be so far away from Cassie. Going back and forth to school in Newark allows me to see her every day. She’s really important to me, you know that!” He gives the side of her head a gentle kiss. “NJIT is a good school. And I’m fine with going there.”

Dad exhales heavily. “It’s just a waste of your full potential!” he mutters with exasperation.

“Now, Honey!” Mom says, lightly admonishing her husband. “Think about how Dipper must feel. There’s nothing wrong with his university. And he can’t be expected to just up and leave his … niece …” she clears her throat quickly, “all at once and not be upset by it.” She gives Dipper and the sleeping child a fond look. “Going to a school near home and commuting to the city every day this year is a good first step for you. Maybe next year, you’ll be more comfortable and you’ll live on campus. Or at least in the city where you’re closer to your classes. You’d be able to come home on the weekends!”

Dipper refrains from saying anything, he just continues to slowly rub Cassie’s back as she sleeps.

“I think that’s a good idea!” proclaims Mabel suddenly.

Dipper casts a strange look her way as she puts down her knitting. Seeing that Dipper is under a lot of pressure from their parents, Mabel has decided to do something about it. She needs to get everyone off of this subject, and she has experience with the fact that sometimes she just has to agree with some of what her parents are saying to make them happy. Or just tell them what they want to hear so they at least leave her alone for awhile. No, it’s not the healthiest way to deal with conflict, but … this is Christmas, man! All this talk about Dipper leaving home can wait for a different day!

“Maybe Mom and Dad have a point, and you should start thinking about when it’s time to bein’ all foot loose and fancy free!” As she says this she turns to face her brother, away from her parents. She tries desperately to communicate to Dipper with her face that she’s not serious about the subject. Dipper nods subtly, telling her he understands. “It’s not like anyone’s moving out tomorrow, or anything. I know it’s weird for me, of all people, but we could stand to talk about it sometime!”

To Mabel’s silent dismay, the attempt to diffuse the conversation fails. “You know, it isn’t just Dipper, Pumpkin,” says Mom. “A day will come that you won’t be living here, either.”

A deer in the headlights has nothing on how Mabel feels now. She’s just put herself in the high beams. “Oh wow. Yeah!” she mumbles.

“It’s not that we don’t adore Cassie, or love having both of you here,” Mom reassures her. “You’ll be here as long as necessary. But someday you won’t be needing us anymore.”

“I haven’t, you know … really thought that far ahead.” She nonchalantly reaches over to Dipper and motions for the sleeping tot with her hands out. Dipper carefully passes her over to Mabel. “I mean … there’s been Cassie, and high school … and now work … it’s just been so busy …” she laments, shifting Cassie into a comfortable position on her shoulder.

“Well,” says Dad, “it seems to me that you won’t be moving out anytime soon.” There’s a long pause, then he continues. “Certainly not until you’ve found yourself some support. You know …” he raises his eyebrows, “support of a … significant other kind!”

Mabel flushes in embarrassment. “Daa-ad!” she groans.

“Oh goodness, Honey, stop being awful!” scolds Mom with a grin as she swats her husband lightly.

“Hey, this is a real issue!” Dad says. “She has a small child. She’s going to have a tough time finding the right fellow. Sure, there’s no hurry, but … why not start looking now? What’s the harm?” He looks at Mabel directly. “Aren’t there any nice young men around your workplace? You ever talk to any of them?”

Oh god, Mabel doesn’t think she’s had a more awkward conversation with her father in a long time. Aren’t Dads supposed to, you know, discourage their daughters from seeking out men? Then again, most fathers don’t have daughters who have been … biblical … with their sibling, either. Her gaze shifts involuntarily to her brother.

Dipper is already defending Mabel. “C’mon, Dad!” he says with a forced chuckle. “Isn’t it kind of old-fashioned to be pushing Mabel into finding herself a …” he pantomimes air quotes with his fingers, “... good man in her life?”

Dad appraises Mabel and her daughter on the sofa. “I’ve never been ashamed of being the old-fashioned type,” Dad responds. “I’m not telling her to go out and marry the first guy who looks at her, for pete’s sake! She should know she’s found the right man, and being a single mother that could take a lot of time. But I see nothing wrong with wanting to see that my little girl is going to be well taken care of. She just has to be open to the possibility.”

Then the man’s gaze shifts back to Dipper. “And that goes for you, as well, son. Sure, you’re in an engineering program, which is still dominated by men. But there must be some young ladies that you’ve met in school? You’ve mentioned several new friends. Why have I never heard about any girls?”

Dipper is stone faced, but Mabel swears she can see a thin film of sweat about to burst onto his forehead. “There are only a few women in my classes, Dad,” he manages to reply. “I haven’t really talked to any of them.”

“Well, don’t wait forever! Any girl would be lucky to grab you!” says Dad with a small laugh. “I’m sorry for being on you about MIT. You’re still going to earn a fine degree, and have a very good career. You’ve got a great future ahead of you! Don’t you think you should be looking for someone to share that future with?” He waves back and forth at the twins. “Both of you should be thinking about this!”

There are many things that Mabel would say to that, if she could. But it’s impossible. And nothing that she can say is coming to mind, with the way her heart is pounding from stress. The room is unbearably silent. Mabel can’t stop herself from looking to Dipper for support, and finds he is staring right back at her, looking as uncomfortable as she probably does.

“I see.” Their mother’s voice is cold.

Mabel’s heart leaps into her throat. Mom hasn’t said anything for some time. She’s just been watching and listening!

Dad looks at his wife, confused. “What?”

“Look at them!” she says curtly. “They have no intention of looking for relationships, and they never have.” She takes a deep breath. “They said that everything that happened in California was over. That they weren’t interested in being … together … anymore.” She fixes the twins with a withering stare, her voice sharp. “But that’s not true at all, is it?” she demands, daring her children to deny the accusation.

Dipper struggles to recover. “Mom, we … we haven’t … it’s not-”

“No, Dip,” interrupts Mabel softly. He looks wide-eyed at her, but with a glance she lets him know that the jig is up.

After a fearful nod of understanding from Dipper, Mabel turns to their stern-faced parents. Cassie now feels ten times heavier on her shoulder. She swallows down the huge lump in her throat, and confesses the obvious truth.

“Dip & I … we’re still in love.”

“What … WHAT did you say?” stammered the twins’ stunned mother.

“You’re PREGNANT?” demanded their father to Mabel, then he wheeled on Dipper. “You … YOU got her PREGNANT?”

Mabel offered the only defense she could. “We love each other,” she whimpered.

Mom looked to be in deep shock, making noises of incomprehensible hysterics. Dad was on his feet, his face wild. “You’re NOT serious! You CAN’T be god damned serious! PLEASE tell me this is a joke!!”

Dipper was just as scared as Mabel by the furious response. Speechless, the twins were rooted in place, unable to respond in any way.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god,” chanted Mom, her voice squeaky and her face buried in her hands.

Dad was apoplectic, completely losing his composure as he stormed around the room. “What the HELL were you … how did … JESUS you two! WHY???”

Getting no response from two terrified young teens, he stalked over and loomed menacingly over them. “I asked you a question, and so help me god, you will answer me! WHY? How did this happen?” He focused on Dipper, an ugly snarl forming. “If you did ANYTHING to force this on Mabel, I’ll-”

“No, Dad!” Mabel cried as Dipper shrank back in fear. “It was BOTH of us! We …” Mabel had no other explanation, only the one she’d already offered. “We LOVE each other!”

“LOVE?” yelled Dad in astonishment. “You CAN’T god damned LOVE each other! You’re brother and sister!” He cut off Dipper with a vicious glare before the boy could respond. “And you’re only FIFTEEN! You don’t know what love even IS! Guess what, love isn’t FUC-” He stopped himself short, flinching violently. “Love isn’t having SEX with your sister!”

Mom began to cry loudly, distracting her husband from his verbal attack on their children. He sat and held her, both of them unprepared and angry, and trying to gather themselves. The twins cowered on the love seat in silence while they waited.

After the shock began to fade, Mom was beginning to get her sobbing under control. “Are you … are you absolutely sure … you’re pregnant?” she asked Mabel shakily. “How do … you know?”

“I … bought a test. It’s upstairs,” Mabel responded meekly. “And I … I kinda feel all the ways you’re supposed to feel when you’re pregnant.”

Her mother inhaled a stuttering breath. “And you’re SURE that … that Dipper is … he’s the …”

“Yes!” Mabel’s reply was almost indignant, as she was a bit insulted that her mother would think she had more than one sexual partner. It took her a second to realize that her mother might actually have preferred to think that she had slept around with other boys, at least in this case. She withdrew beside Dipper even further, watching her mother’s disappointed face.

Dad made like he was going to begin berating the twins again. “No, that’s enough!” Mom interjected firmly. “We have to stop this right now!”

“We can’t just DROP this!” Dad exclaimed, incredulous.

“Of course we can’t! But nothing good can come of any of this until you and I have a chance to calm down and talk about it, first. We’re done for tonight!” She sighed. “And clearly we’re not going anywhere in the morning.”

“Christ!” Dad groaned, remembering the vacation plans, and immediately agreeing that the holiday could not happen anymore. “That’s just great! Did we buy cancellation insurance?”

“I don’t CARE about that right now!” Mom grumbled back, irritated. “Let’s … let’s just go upstairs!” She frowned at Mabel. “You will go up to your room and stay there! And YOU,” she addressed Dipper sternly, “will sleep in the guest room down here!” She rose to her feet and pointed the way for her daughter. “Get going NOW!” Mabel bowed her head and started reluctantly for the stairs, her parents following closely behind.

Dipper needed to try to protect and comfort Mabel. “How is that fair?” he argued. “You both get to talk and everything … get support from each other. Mabel’s all alone! She only told ME less than two hours ago! She … we need to be able to talk to someone, too!”

Dad whipped around at the base of the stairs, clearly still agitated. “You listen to me!” he growled. “Apparently you two have already had PLENTY of time together, and doing a lot more than just TALK!” He turned his back to Dipper and continued up the stairs, giving Mabel no choice but to go up ahead of him. “One thing you’d better believe is that … THIS … is over!” he shouts. “The two of you will stop this! I WON’T let this continue!”

“I don’t believe this,” grumbles Dad with disgust.

For a moment there’s complete silence, interrupted only by Cassie’s light snoring. Mabel desperately searches for anything approaching sympathy from her mother or father. Dipper can’t meet the intense gaze of either of their parents.

“You both said over a year ago that you were over this!” Dad continues, his voice rising. “You assured us! This sick infatuation was done! And now you’re telling us it’s not?”

“Dad, please!” cries Mabel. “Just listen for a min-”

“Listen to why you’ve been lying to us?” shoots back her father, growing incensed.

Dipper pulls himself together. “Could we please just stop for a second?” he interrupts. “We need to put Cassie down to bed in her room.” He gently touches Mabel’s arm. “C’mon.”

Mabel sniffs and nods in agreement. The twins avoid looking at Mom or Dad as Dipper helps Mabel to her feet under Cassie’s weight. They make their way down the hallway to the toddler’s bedroom, and Mabel lays the girl down carefully. Although Cassie shifts and moans, she immediately relaxes as Mabel pulls up her blanket and returns to a sound sleep.

“I’m sorry Dip,” Mabel whispers shakily.

Dipper hugs her. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” he murmurs back, kissing her head. “I love you. That’s what matters, right?”

Mabel nods and wipes her eyes against her brother’s shirt. “I love you too.”

As they nervously return to the living room, their parents quickly abort a hushed conversation. Mom has a firm look of judgement on her face. Dad seems to be back in control of his emotions, but looks decidedly unhappy. His eyes narrow even further as he sees the twins holding one another’s hands. Mabel draws a breath and pulls Dipper to the couch.

“So …” Mabel begins, interpreting her parents’ lack of comment as permission to explain, “... me and Dipper … we wanted to try to move on from each other. We really did!” She glances with uncertainty at Dipper, and he nods reassuringly. “When we moved here, we were still hanging on to everything we were feeling for each other. And you knew that. But we stayed away from each other like you told us to, even though it was really hard.

“And then we got so busy after Cassie was born! I’d come straight home after school every day to look after her. Dipper had all his tutoring students. And we had all our homework! For five days a week we barely saw each other. And even on weekends or during the summer, anything we did that wasn’t work was with Cassie. We were just overwhelmed, we never had time for each other anymore, to even think of each other as a couple anymore. When you talked to us about our feelings last year, about if we had moved on … I thought we had! It was the truth!

“But then Dipper got that letter about the scholarship to MIT. And … I couldn’t stand it! I was sure he’d take the offer and he’d be gone! I expected to miss him a lot … but I didn’t know how much it would hurt to face that! It was devastating!” Mabel paused to wipe her eyes with her sleeve.

“We were both working so hard, just keeping our heads above water, I think … I guess I wasn’t thinking. But when I was faced with it, I just knew …” she turns to Dipper again, “... that everything he meant to me hadn’t gone away. I still loved him, more than ever!”

Both parents sit stoically, waiting for their son’s explanation.

Dipper clears his throat. “I’ve always tried to be what you’ve wanted me to be,” he says, sounding reluctant. “When we moved here, I really applied myself. I wanted to prove to you …” he squeezes Mabel’s hand, “... to all of you … that I would do everything possible to make the best of what happened to us. I’d earn money. I’d get good grades in school. I’d help out at home … and be a good uncle for Cassie. I’d do everything right!

“Last winter was when we were getting ready to put in college applications. I felt really bad for Mabel, that she was going give up any hope of going to college and would be starting work full time instead. You were counting on me. And I vowed to put my education first, so I applied to every big name school because it was … the right thing to do!

“When the package from MIT arrived, you were both so excited. I knew I should have been excited, too, but I wasn’t! Mabel had been acting happy for me, trying to cheer me on, saying I’d do great at MIT. But I looked at her … and knew ...” he blinks back a tear as he gazes at Mabel, “... I knew I couldn’t leave her. The tiny bits of Mabel that I’ve been able to hang on to over the past couple of years … I need that! I can’t live without that!”

He tilts his head towards where the young girl was sleeping. “I told you the reason I turned down MIT was that I’d miss Cassie too much, and I wasn’t lying. I might keep the secret from everyone outside this house, but she’s my daughter! I love her and I want to be near her, and that’s the truth!” He swallows hard and stares back at his twin again. “But she’s only half of it. Leaving Mabel would have been just as bad! With all we did for Cassie, it ended up just making everything I felt for Mabel even stronger. I had to stay!”

Mom finally speaks up. “That’s precisely the problem!” she exclaims, frustrated. “The two of you are still reacting to these … feelings you had! Reacting in ways that you can’t afford anymore! You were just children when this happened, but you aren’t any longer!” She gestures to Dipper. “Think for a second about what you’re giving up for this. How you’re not moving on to finding someone you can actually share your life with!” Then she waves at Mabel. “And you know Dipper can’t be the husband and father that you and Cassie need! It just isn’t possible!”

“Exactly!” grunts Dad in agreement, his arms folded tightly against his chest.

“You can’t function this way, you can’t exist this way!” Mom continues. “It doesn’t matter how painful it is, you have to put this behind you! Like any other brother and sister, you need to … grow up! Now that you’re adults, you need to face your problems as adults!”

Mabel is weeping quietly in despair. She should have known that they wouldn’t understand! Dipper had always said as much. They will simply reject any possibility that the twins could remain in love, that they could always be there for each other. The only options, in their parents’ minds, are that the twins move on to find other relationships, or the twins simply move on alone. To their parents, Dipper and Mabel remaining so close emotionally was an impossible outcome.

Dipper slouches forward, his palm over his forehead. “You don’t get it, Mom and Dad,” he laments. “We can’t just move past this.”

“You can’t be serious,” fumes Dad. “Of course you can move past this! You just don’t want to! But you don’t have a choice, you’re going to have to.” His neck twitches, his agitation growing even as he keeps his tone quiet. “What you and Mabel did was unnatural! It was immoral! And it was illegal!”

Mabel tenses, trying to psychically will Dipper to resist being pedantic at this moment. She fails.

“Technically, it wouldn’t be illegal now,” Dipper mutters. “There’s no law against, you know … adult incest … in New Jersey.”

“That doesn’t mean anyone would think it’s acceptable!” Dad snaps back, his voice dangerously low.

“That’s right,” agrees Mom. “Just because nobody could call the police on you, that doesn’t mean that even if you wanted to, you could ever be together!” She fidgets in irritation. “Imagine trying to live that way! You could never get to be serious. You could never be open. Don’t you ever want to be married? It can’t be with each other! That’s certainly not legal!”

Now Mom is really wound up. “And you know what else is never going to be legal, either? Children! And you already have one! How exactly does Cassie fit into any possible future you two might have together?”

March 14, 2015

The twins were seated at their customary spots across from each other at the big dining room table. Exhausted from lack of enough rest and fighting a bout of nausea, Mabel wasn’t allowed to be in the same room as Dipper all morning until this meeting. The nervous teen couldn’t help noting the location for this conversation, directed by their parents, kept her and Dipper physically separated.

Dad sat down at the table with the kids. His face was inscrutable, and he was avoiding looking directly at either of his children. Mom stood by the china cabinet, considering her words. The bags under their eyes provided evidence of their all-night private discussion.

“We’re VERY disappointed in you,” Mom finally said without preamble. “We’re not interested in how long this has been going on, and we will not be listening to any reason or justification you might have for why you have done this. What you did was wrong, and it will NOT happen ever again!”

The twins made no reply. It was clear that none was expected.

“But …” Mom continued with a deep sigh, “what’s done is done. Regardless of the mistakes you’ve made, we have to deal with what’s happened. Obviously, I’m talking about you,” she nodded soberly at Mabel, “being pregnant.”

Mabel was now very much alone under the microscope, feeling like her womb was an object that was isolated and under examination.

“Your father and I talked at length all night about what happens next.” She drummed her fingers on the surface of the cabinet, staring at her feet. “We have no idea what issues the fetus could have. From what little research we could do overnight, it seems there could be significant birth defects, or there might be nothing wrong at all. We don’t know.” She looked up at Mabel. “We also had to consider what this means to your future. How a pregnancy at your age could be devastating. For both of you,” she added, glancing sharply at Dipper, “if the truth were to come out about who the father is.”

She pulled out her chair at the table and sat down, pursing her lips and then interlacing her fingers in front of her. “We have always been of the opinion that life begins at conception. We haven’t changed our minds about this. But-” her voice broke for an instant, “in a situation like this, we understand how opinions sometimes need to be … flexible.”

After a long pause, Dad finally spoke. “What we’re saying is that as much as we dislike this, we think the best option for you is that you get an abortion,” he said to Mabel.

Mabel looked up to her father, then back to the other end of the table to her mother. Both of them appeared to be looking for acknowledgement from her. She could tell that they thought they had just made a significant concession, and that Mabel should be thankful to them. It was clear that they believed Mabel would welcome the opportunity to end the pregnancy.

Then she looked across the table to Dipper. He made a tiny, meaningful nod of his head, and she knew he would stand with her.

“I …” she swallowed hard, “... I don’t WANT to have an abortion,” she said, her voice squeaking.

Her parents were obviously thrown for a loop by her response. They stared blankly at one another, unsure if they had heard Mabel correctly. Both of them then turned their attention to Dipper, who gravely nodded his solidarity with his sister. Mabel sat silently on her side of the table, timid but trying to appear determined. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, the twins’ parents were again unprepared to react to unexpected news from their children.

Dad was flummoxed. “So … you want to have the baby?”

“Yes,” replied Mabel, her gaze locked on the table.

He absorbed this. “And what, exactly ... are you planning to TELL anyone? About who got you pregnant?”

Mabel lifted her eyes to Dipper, who was already looking at her, scared but supportive. “We don’t know,” said Dipper softly.

“Well I think that’s something you NEED to know!” Dad demanded, his attention see-sawing from one twin to the other. “If you have no idea what you’re doing, how can-”

“Please, Dad!” exclaimed Mabel with sincerity. “I can’t do it! This isn’t the baby’s fault! I can’t k-” She took a shuddering breath as tears spontaneously leaked from her eyes, “I can’t KILL our baby!”

Mom sobbed and began crying, triggering Mabel to start as well. Mabel instinctively reached out for her mother, who rose and went to Mabel’s side in an instant and they hugged tightly. But the moment only lasted a few seconds. Mom pulled herself back away from Mabel’s grip, visibly struggling to control her emotions. “Keep it together, stay focused” she muttered under her breath as she stepped away. Mabel was hurt by the retreat, but she understood it. Her mother was fighting an internal war: sympathy for Mabel and her unborn baby on one hand, and despair for the baby’s conception and Mabel’s future on the other.

Dad held his tongue for the moment, doing his best to not let the discussion descend into an emotional powderkeg.

Soon his wife had composed herself again. She faced the twins from across the room, but her eyes were closed, her arms braced across her stomach. “Have you … thought at ALL about what will happen when the baby is born?” she asked tentatively. “Surely you must think that … that you can give the baby up for adoption?”

Mabel nods, again wordlessly receiving acknowledgment from her brother. “We talked about it a little, last night,” she said timidly. “But we’re … not sure.”

Dad exhaled hard, his annoyance bubbling up. “You’re not sure?” he repeated. “Mabel, of COURSE you’re going to go the adoption route! You need to think straight about this, and realize what you’re facing!” He leaned forward, elbows and closed fists on the table, closing in on his daughter. “You are in Grade 10! You’ll have two more years of high school after this baby arrives! How would you manage that if you’ve got a kid? And even if you did, how would you go to college? Or get a job? Or go travelling? Or ANYTHING else you might want to do? Keeping this baby will RUIN your life!”

Mabel sunk lower in her chair as her father continued. “This doesn’t even include the fact that this baby is a product of … incest! Can you imagine what it would be like if that gets out? That would harm this whole family even more!” Then he raised his chin. “And it could have health issues. Do you want that heartache? Do you want to put yourself through that? And think of the baby! What if you sentence it to a life of dealing with some awful birth defect?” He paused deliberately, letting his words sink in.

The ramifications were swirling in Mabel’s mind. Darn it, was her father right? How terrible would her life get? Would it be her fault if keeping this baby hurts her family? If the baby has problems because of genetics, would that be fair to it? Might it wish it were never born?

Her father sat back a bit, giving Mabel some space. “I don’t think we can dismiss ANY of the options.” He reached out and placed his hand on Mabel’s arm. “Yes, there’s still adoption. And … perhaps it’s really painful to think about, but … as your mother just explained, we still think that termination is what’s best for you.”

This was all very overwhelming to Mabel, and her father’s persuasion was extremely effective. Her gut was churning with reluctance and regret, but perhaps she needed to acknowledge her father’s logic. She felt herself starting to nod her head in agreement when-

“That’s not for you to decide, Dad,” Dipper firmly interjected.

The man’s attention was diverted to his son, his demeanor instantly less gentle. “I beg your pardon?”

Dipper steeled himself. “You’re trying to manipulate her. You’re trying to make Mabel feel guilty for not wanting an abortion.” He flinched as his father’s stare intensified, but he didn’t back down. “It’s her choice! You can’t make that decision for her!” he declared in a louder voice.

“Is that so?” Dad replied coolly, “Let me tell you something. Parents make decisions all the time for their children. This is no different.” He leaned closer to Dipper. “The two of you are only fifteen years old, and you’re too young for adult decisions. And by getting your sister PREGNANT,” he emphasized forcefully, “I’d say you’ve both definitively proven that you’re not ready for adult decisions!”

“Yes, we screwed up!” shot back Dipper desperately. “Yes, we were irresponsible! We should have used better protection!” His father started to respond, but Dipper kept going. “Or MAYBE we shouldn’t have been doing anything in the first place! All right!?” His breaths started coming closer together, nearly hyperventilating. “We’re SORRY!! Okay?!? We didn’t want this to happen!”

Dipper’s wide eyes found Mabel’s, holding them in determination and devotion. “But Mabel WILL be keeping this baby, if she wants to!” he declared firmly.

Mabel shivered involuntarily from the intensity of Dipper’s defense of her. She couldn’t imagine being capable of loving him more!

But then the question that immediately came to Mabel’s mind was what their father would do next. The product of old fashioned values, he had raised his children to respect his experience and authority and to obey their parents’ directives. The children had likewise been granted reciprocal respect through age-appropriate freedoms as they grew up, so they were always satisfied to comply with their parents. As a result, the twins had never needed to test what serious punishment might arise. Mabel had absolutely no idea what their father might do to them now!

Their father rose slowly from his chair, glaring with intimidation at his son. “Are you DEFYING me?” he growled dangerously.

Dipper managed to meet his father’s stare. He was plainly terrified of what could happen, but he didn’t waver.

“If you’re so set on making your own decisions, you think you’d like making ALL your decisions? Out there, all on your own?” Dad continued menacingly.

Oh my god, thought Mabel in a panic. Could their father throw Dipper out of the house? And her as well?

“Honey …” implored Mom uneasily, then was silenced by a severe scowl from her husband.

Dipper was shaking noticeably. His voice was quivering with fear. But his words were strong. “I’m sorry, Dad, but I don’t care! Last night, before we told you about all this, we talked about what we should do. We even thought about running away, but we decided to tell you instead. So just know that if you don’t want us here, I’m ready! If Mabel wants to have our baby, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she can!!”

A minute went by as father and son engaged in a silent war of wills. Dad made multiple wordless twitches, feints that implicitly made the twins believe that he could push Dipper and Mabel out to survive on their own, unless his son would back down. But Dipper would not yield.

And in the end, it was an empty threat. With a loud outburst of frustration, Dad turned and stalked out of the dining room. He may have been furious with his children for their actions and defiance, but was unable to abandon them.

The teenagers and their mother gasped repeatedly, their breathing slowly returning to normal after the tense standoff. Dipper reached across to take Mabel’s hands at the table, an action their mother saw but could not forbid, at least not at that moment.

Finally Mabel had collected herself a little bit. “Mom?” she asked uneasily. Her mother swiped at her eye with a finger, then nodded that she was listening. “Dipper and I came to you and Dad last night because we need you,” Mabel continued, pleading. “We don’t want to leave. We need your help to figure out what we can do. We want to talk about everything! Everything except …” she took a shuddering breath, “... everything except KILLING our baby! Can you please understand that?”

Mom couldn’t handle her own emotions any longer. Again she flew to Mabel and embraced her, despairing for her daughter. This time she didn’t pull back, and didn’t want to let go. “Oh, Mabel!” she cried as she and Mabel wept together. “I don’t know how to fix this!”

“I’m sorry!” Mabel sobbed back, devastated but determined again that she would bring this little life growing within her safely into the world.

“How is that little girl going to grow up in this rosy future that you’ve obviously not thought through?” Mom demands, her rant continuing. “It’s obvious to anyone that Dipper loves her, and he treats her like a father would.”

“So what?” Mabel cries, defending her brother. “There’s nothing wrong with an uncle who loves his niece! He’s allowed to be affectionate, and Cassie deserves it!”

“But if you and Dipper want to somehow be together again, because of your feelings, what is that little girl going to think when she sees you having … feelings … for each other?” Dipper tries to interject, but Mom just keeps going at him instead. “I suppose you’re planning on having Cassie call you ‘Daddy’, right?” she accuses.

“NO!” Dipper fires back immediately.

“Mom!” Mabel cries. “Nothing about the way Dipper and I feel about each other changes what we do with Cassie!”

“We’ve never wanted Cassie to know!” insists Dipper, nodding at his sister in agreement. ‘We still don’t!”

“Yeah, we know that she can’t ever find out that Dipper’s her father, or that I feel that way about him. It’s wouldn’t be fair to her.”

“She’s only ever going to know me as ‘Uncle Dip.’ That’s it!”

Mom is obviously unconvinced. “And if you continue the way you’re going, you can’t think you can hide those feelings from Cassie as she gets older. She’s going to see that her uncle and mother aren’t like other siblings.”

“Oh yeah?” fires back Mabel. “If that’s right, why didn’t YOU see it until just now?” Mabel is suddenly emboldened, feeling like she can make her mother see something her way. “Dipper and I have apparently been doing a pretty good job of hiding our feelings from you, until today! You had no idea until you started asking weird questions!”

“Plus you have the advantage of knowing what you already know,” Dipper adds. “Cassie doesn’t know anything about what happened in California between Mabel and I, and she doesn’t know who her father is. She’ll have no reason to be suspicious.”

Mom ponders this, and Mabel knows her mother doesn’t want to admit that her kids have a point. “We’ve had a lot of practice hiding our true feelings, Mom,” Mabel says gently. “We’re actually pretty good at it.”

For a moment Mabel sees her mother consider what she and Dipper have said. Could it be they’ve gotten through to her? Might she start to-

“Oh for GOD’S sake!!”

Mabel, Dipper, and even Mom jump at the sudden outburst. All heads jerk towards the twins’ father, the source of the angry exclamation. The man is obviously out of patience.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this! This is god damn ridiculous! Are you actually listening to this?” he nearly shouts at his wife. “After everything that happened in Piedmont! What they did, and the baby! We pulled up stakes, gave up everything!” He spins towards his children, who are rocked back on their heels in fear.

“Why are having to deal with this again now?!?”

March 19, 2015

“We’re leaving Piedmont.”

Dipper had just entered the living room after being called by his mother. Mabel had barely sat down on the sofa herself when Dad had made his simple proclamation. “Huh?” she exclaimed.

“We’ll stay here until sometime in June, after you finish your school year,” Dad explained without much enthusiasm. “Then we’ll be moving East. To New Jersey.”

Mabel was dumbstruck. She had been kept in the dark the last few days after the big confession. The twins’ parents had kept a close eye on Dipper and Mabel, not allowing them to be alone in the same room together. For long stretches of time, Dipper was confined to his new sleeping quarters in the guest bedroom and Mabel in her own room, while their parents talked privately. They gave their children very little indication of what was up, though Mabel knew they obviously were making arrangements of some sort. But moving away? To New Jersey? She didn’t see that coming at all!

Dipper, on the other hand, seemed to almost be expecting the news. “Wow,” he muttered softly as he slowly lowered himself into the sofa. “You’re really gonna do this!”

“We don’t have much choice,” replied Dad in a matter-of-fact manner. Mabel noticed that Dad seemed to be less angry than he was before. She was certain that he wasn’t happy, either, but it was as much as Mabel could expect, she supposed.

Mom also seemed to have steadied herself in the intervening days. “When Mabel decided she’s going to carry the baby to term, we thought very hard about what that would mean,” she explained, looking at her daughter. “Have you thought about how you’re going to explain how you got pregnant?”

Mabel shrugged self-consciously. “Kind of, I guess … I just thought I’d say I had a boyfriend, and he dumped me when he found out I was, you know … preggers.”

“Yes, but WHO, Mabel?” pressed Mom. “That only works if you can invent a biological father, someone nobody will question! Here in Piedmont, the name of the father is going to be everyone’s question. If you can’t identify this ‘boyfriend’ then people will naturally be curious, or suspicious. The truth could then come out.”

“If there’s any question as to the identity of the father of the baby, then there’s a real chance someone will speculate about the two of you,” said Dad, cringing. “Particularly given how well you two have famously always … you know, “got along”.”

“We think we’ve broken down every scenario,” said Mom, “and there’s no getting around it. You being pregnant wouldn’t just be embarrassing, Mabel. It could be dangerous! For BOTH of you!” she emphasized.

“For ALL of us,” corrected Dad. “We’d all have a lot to try to explain if rumours start flying.”

“So the bottom line is we can’t stay here,” concluded Mom. “If we’re going to concoct a story of an unknown father of this baby, we have to do it somewhere else, and soon!”

Mabel let the implications sink in, trying to mentally counter the conclusions laid out by her parents. She couldn’t.

“Why New Jersey?” asked Dipper, ever the more analytical of the twins.

“The company has a branch office in Newark where I could do roughly the same job I have now,” replied Dad. “I went to my boss on Monday, spun a story about needing to move soon to the New York area because of a family issue. He got back to me today, and said yes.” He twitched, attempting to cover his frustration. “They’re cutting my salary because of this.”

“I’m sure I can get my real estate brokerage license in New Jersey,” Mom suggested. “I can pick up my career, we’ll be all right.”

“Maybe,” replied Dad, “but we can’t count on that. And housing there is about as expensive as the Bay area.” He glanced around the living room, already reminiscing. “Whatever place we find, it won’t be as nice as here.”

There was a brief pause as everyone thought of the memories they had of their Piedmont home.

“But until then,” continued Mom with reluctance, “we all have to act like nothing has changed. Other than your father’s coworkers, no one is to know that we are moving away. We need to leave as quietly as possible.”

“What?” cried Mabel suddenly. “What about my friends? I’ve got tell them where I’m going!”

“I’m sorry, Pumpkin. You can’t,” replied Mom sadly. Dad shook his head.

Mabel’s voice got louder. “But I HAVE to tell the gang! I can’t just-”

“They’re right, Mabel,” interrupted Dipper. She gaped at Dipper, who looked back at her with sympathy. “If we tell anybody we’re moving away, they’ll want to know why. And if we can’t answer, all the other questions will follow. Plus they might find out you’re pregnant anyways, if you stay in touch.”

Dad nodded. “Both of you have to finish your school year at Piedmont High, but you can’t mention to ANYONE about us planning to move away.”

“You might want to start knitting a few bigger, baggier sweaters,” Mom suggested. “You’ll … probably be starting to show by June.”

All of these changes hammered at Mabel, coming from every member of her family. The impacts to her life seemed to just keep coming, unrelenting!

“This next bit of information is mostly for you,” Dad said, addressing Dipper. “You need to know that I checked on my company benefits plan. I’m covered for my spouse and dependant children, but NOT grandchildren. We need medical insurance for the baby, not to mention all the clothes, diapers, furniture, and everything else that goes with raising a child.” Dipper gulped as he began to see where his Dad was going with this. “As this baby’s father, you have responsibilities. You need to help financially support your son or daughter. You will have to find a job, with every bit of that money going towards the baby’s expenses. And all the while I expect you to continue to get good grades. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Dad,” Dipper replied without hesitation, though Mabel could tell he was a bit shellshocked.

Mom gave Dipper a comforting hug, then went to kneel in front of her daughter, looking very compassionate. “I’m sorry, Mabel, but things aren’t going to be easy. I speak from experience when I tell you that THIS,” she put a gentle palm on Mabel’s abdomen, “is going to be uncomfortable, painful, and … just draining!” Mabel bit her lip and nodded. “The last month is the hardest,” her mother continued. “And … since your due date is around the end of September, you’ll be enduring that month while starting classes in a new school.”

At Mabel’s wide-eyed realization of this, Mom tilted her head meaningfully. “Oh yes! You still have to go to school, before AND after the baby comes! We’ll work out babysitting times, I’ll probably do all of it in the beginning at least. But you are NOT dropping out of school!”

“I … I don’t want to drop out! I just … I didn’t THINK about school!” stammered Mabel.

“You didn’t think about a LOT of things,” muttered Dad under his breath, drawing a stern glare from his wife. He sighed and raised his hands in surrender. “You’re right, you’re right!” he conceded.

“We don’t want to be discouraging, just realistic,” Mom commented, wanting the twins to know that they were trying to make the best of the situation. Then she turned back to Mabel. “When you told us that you’re determined to have this baby, your father and I really weren’t prepared for that. We reacted badly, and we’re sorry. As Dipper correctly pointed out, it’s your body and your child, and it’s entirely your decision. We aren’t going to pressure you again to change your mind. But … you DO need to deal with all the ramifications of your choice. We ALL do!” she added, looking at Dipper. The twins nodded back, nervous but more secure in knowing where their parents stood.

Mom straightened to her feet and went to her husband. They touched hands lightly, looked at one another and nodded with understanding, then turned back to their children.

“Before we talk about one final thing,” said Mom, “we just want you to really understand the enormity of what is about to happen to this family. Everything is about to change, and it’s going to be much harder than it could have been.”

“We do understand,” said Dipper, looking genuinely contrite. He shifts in place uncomfortably. “You’re … sacrificing a lot for us … so … thank you.”

As overwhelmed as Mabel felt, she couldn’t help but agree. “Yeah, thank you, Mom and Dad,” she said, then glanced at her brother. “‘All of this is our fault, and we’re sorry.”

Dipper nodded. “Yeah. We’re really sorry!”

Dad’s face softened. “We accept your apology, and thank you. We want to … just move forward, and take life as it comes from now on.” He gave each of the twins a small smile. “We forgive you. You don’t have to apologize for what happened any more. As far as I’m concerned, we’re done with this. It’s over.” Mom also smiled in agreement.

Mabel felt so good to hear those words, to know she’d been forgiven. She could tell Dipper felt the same way.

But then Dad’s voice tightened once again. “We’re DONE with this. This is OVER,” he repeated ominously.

As quickly as Mabel’s heart had begun to lift, it sank again. She saw precisely what was coming. And even though she already knew what he was going to say, it didn’t hurt any less.

“The final thing we need to talk about is about the two of you, and your relationship, Regardless of why you two seem to think you feel the way you do, what you’ve been doing is intolerable!” Their father was firm and unyielding. “You have to start living your lives as normal brother and sister again, from this moment forward. What you did was a mistake, and you will NOT let it happen again!”

Dipper tried to provide a meek explanation of his feelings for Mabel. “Dad, we-”

“No!” interrupted Dad curtly. “This is not up for debate! There is NO future for any … unnatural relationships in this family! I expect you to put those feelings behind you and focus on the welfare of the baby.” He crossed his arms. “I may have flown off the handle on Friday night when you told us about all this. But there’s one thing I said that night, something that is still ABSOLUTELY true today. You will NOT be allowed to be together like that again!”

“I’m in complete agreement, by the way,” added Mom succinctly, just in case the twins might have wanted to think that she was going to be easier on them.

Dad took a step forward, looming over the seated twins. “This rule is non-negotiable! We want to be crystal clear about this! Everything else, like your responsibilities and chores surrounding housework, or school, or even the baby … we know stuff will happen. You’ll mess some things up. That’s normal, everyday teenage stuff, and we’ll deal with that. But NOT! THIS!” he emphasized, pointing his finger in turn at Mabel and Dipper as his voice rose in volume. “I promise you there will be EXTREMELY unpleasant consequences if this happens again! All this, all the plans we’ve now been forced to make, all the things that are going to have to change …” Dad was almost wild, panting from the conviction he was feeling, “... this is AS FAR AS I WILL GO! … I love you kids! And I forgive you, I REALLY do, but …”

He paused for a moment. His face fell as he realized something about himself.

“... but I honestly don’t know if I could ever forgive you again,” he finished sadly.

There was total silence in the house. Dipper and Mabel had been good kids, and had never been on the receiving end of a threat anything like this before. They were given the “scared-straight” treatment, and it was very effective. Both of the twins were thoroughly intimidated.

“It’s the ONLY firm rule,” Dad said quietly. “Do we understand each other?”

The twins had no reply. Mabel suspected none was wanted.

“Good!”

“There was one rule that was not to be broken! ONE!!” Dad stands in front of the couch, yelling down at the twins. “Everything else, I could deal with! But not this!”

“Honey, calm down!” implores his wife, grasping the front of his shirt..

“Why should I?”

“Because we need to be fair! Whatever we think about what they did back then, I suppose it felt real to them.” She purses her lips and rolls her eyes. “I suppose it might still feel real to them!”

“So you’re going to ju-”

“What I’m saying is we told them that their relationship was over, and we forbid them to be together. I don’t think we can expect them to control the way they feel. But what we can expect is that they keep control of what they DO!”

Dad nods. “All right!” he acknowledges, and turns to face down the kids, doubt written all over his face.

Mom also turns, hopeful but worried. “You have kept that promise, haven’t you?” she asks them, almost pleading. “I might be able to understand if you still have feelings for each other. But please, please tell me you haven’t acted on them again?”

Oh jeez, thinks Mabel. She wonders what a person’s face looks like when they can’t answer a question with the truth, and they are unable to answer believably with a lie?

Mabel can’t turn her head to look at Dipper. But she actually hears him gulp.

A second is all it takes. Their parents know everything now. It is now painfully apparent that “feelings” are not the only thing that the twins have shared together since Dipper turned down the MIT scholarship.

His suspicions now seemingly confirmed, Dad scoffs dismissively and turns away, stalking away to the other side of the living room. Mom is aghast, fearing the implication of the twins’ silence. “You … you’ve had se- … you’ve been together again? Recently?” she stammers at her children.

Dipper hangs his head in defeat. Mabel looks pleadingly at her mother. “Mom … we’ve … it’s only been a few times …” Her mother makes a high-pitched noise of disbelief, her face looking horrified. “We used protection!” Mabel argues loudly.

“Oh yeah!” barks their father from the entrance to the kitchen. “I recall you were supposedly using protection three years ago, too!” he says with derision. “Look what happened then!”

“Dad, I’m sorry!” pleads Dipper. “I know that we screwed up before, but this time we …” But his father is already gone, waving a disdainful hand and marching back to the master bedroom. The sound of a door slam echos down the hall.

“I don’t believe this!” Mom is shaking her head, her mouth agape. ”How could you do this?”

The twins don’t try to answer. Mabel realizes in dismay that there is no correct answer.

“Do you fully realize the impact of what happened in Piedmont? Not just for you!” Mom is trembling with suppressed fury. “Do you know how much leaving the West coast damaged your father’s career? Do you know how deflating it has been for me to lose my career in real estate? To know I’ve probably sacrificed any hope of starting over again here because I chose to help you raise your daughter?” Her eyes narrow and her lips tighten into a thin line. “Your father is right! After everything we sacrificed for you, this is how we’re repaid? Lying! Sneaking around! Doing ... depraved things! Risking getting pregnant again! Betrayal of the only rule we laid down!

“A rule that wouldn’t have even been necessary if you both could just have been a NORMAL brother and sister! Like EVERYONE ELSE!”

The last invective hurts the most. Mabel bursts into tears. This is terrible! She couldn’t possibly think of anything worse that could happen on Christmas Day!

But then she hears something, and she knows it did indeed just get worse! The sound is the whimper of a small and frightened child, awakened by the angry and loud voices of a family who had forgotten that their youngest member was sleeping just down the hall.

Cassie doesn’t know what’s going on, only that there are loud noises, every person she loves and relies on is shouting and crying, and nobody is happy. Her security shattered and her entire world upside-down, she does the only thing she is capable of. She starts to bawl.

June 27, 2015

Mabel was crying. She couldn’t help it. She felt like she was losing her entire childhood.

She rushed back to her room. Her empty room. Her furniture was already loaded on the moving truck, and the boxes with all the rest of her belongings were stacked by the door with everyone else’s. She looked around at the room that used to be so comforting to her, and now it made everything worse! She cried harder, her sobs reverberating off the bare walls and echoing loudly in her ears.

Looking down, she cupped the bump around her belly button that had become more prominent the last month or so.. Why does she want to keep this baby so badly? Why did she let herself get pregnant? Why was she having sex with her brother? Why did she fall in love with him? Why was she even born in the first place?

Her mother slipped through the door and wordlessly went to Mabel, enveloping the teenager in a warm hug. Mabel clutched her mother desperately, sorrow pouring out of her. “I’m sorry, Mom!” she cried as tears ran down her face. “This is all my fault! I’m sorry!”

“Shhhh,” whispers Mom into Mabel’s ear, stroking her long hair. “What’s done is done, Pumpkin. Nothing will change that, no matter how upset you get. What matters is making the best of our lives as we go forward. Don’t look back.” She kisses her daughter gently on her hair behind the ear. “Now that you’ve decided you’re going keep and raise the baby, we’re not going to have the TIME to look back!” she muttered with a forced smile.

“But …” Mabel whimpered, her chin buried over her mother’s shoulder, “... everything is so messed up because of me … How can you be so … FINE … with everything I’ve done?”

“Oh Mabel! I’m NOT fine, trust me on that!” Mom sighs, hugging the girl tighter. “But I’m doing the best I can! And now, you have to do your best, as well! Your father and I, we are really counting on you and Dipper, so we can all pull through in our new surroundings.”

Mabel nodded, sniffing as she gathered herself. Mom pulled back and looked her daughter in the eye. “I love you, Mabel,” she said earnestly, “and your father loves you. And Dipper, too! Everything’s fine. We’re all going to stick together, and we’ll be okay!”

Mabel leaps to her feet the instant she hears the beginning of Cassie’s desperate keening. Through her own tears, she rushes past her now-silent Mom to scoop up the toddler. Dipper is right behind them as Mabel clutches tightly to Cassie and flees to the girl’s bedroom.

For many minutes, Mabel can’t stop the torrent of sorrow erupting from within her. This is all so unfair! She’s known that their parents wouldn’t approve if they ever found out their kids were still in love, and couldn’t stop themselves from acting on that love. But she didn’t imagine it would have been this awful!

She loves Dipper! And he loves her! Why can’t it just be that simple? And why can’t she ever imagine a time when it will be that simple?

Eventually she starts to collect herself, whispering comforting words through her own cries to Cassie, who is still weeping hysterically. She feels Dipper’s strong arms around them both, holding them all close together. The tight embrace seems to be working, as Mabel feels some of Cassie’s panic being released along with her own. The girl’s cries fade to hiccuping sobs.

“What’s … wong … Mommy?” Cassie manages to ask pitifully.

Mabel kisses her daughter’s head. “Nothing,” she whispers. “Everything’s fine!” Mabel idly ponders why she can lie to Cassie so much easier than to her parents.

She feels Dipper drawing a deep breath. “Mabel, we need to talk about all this,” he murmurs gently. “Can we go for a walk?”

Nodding in agreement, Mabel presses her lips to Cassie’s temple again to apply another quick kiss. “Mommy and Uncle Dip need a little time, Little Miss!” she tells the tot in a shaky voice. “You gonna be okay to stay for a bit?”

Cassie doesn’t reply, but doesn’t start crying harder, either. She is solemn and unresisting as Dipper picks her up from Mabel’s arms and purposefully carries her back to the living room, Mabel following meekly behind.

Mom is sitting alone on the couch, fingertips to her temples. She looks up as Dipper approaches, and in a brief glance Mabel can tell her mother has been crying as well. But like her daughter, she’s in the process of pulling herself together. Mabel turns her eyes away again.

“Can you please watch Cassie for us, Mom?” Dipper asks formally. “Mabel and I need to go out for a while.”

“Of course I will,” she responds instantly, her voice cracking. “Where are … h- how long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know,” Dipper replies curtly, then he forces an upbeat tone as he turns to his little girl. “You’re going to play with Grandma for a little while, okay?”

Mom also puts on a happy face. “Oh yes! We’ll play with all your new toys! Would you like that?” Cassie nods glumly.

Dipper kisses Cassie again. “Everything’s fine, Cass! Mommy and Uncle Dip will be right back.” He sets his daughter down and pats her on the back. “Go play now, okay?” he encourages her.

Mabel can’t look at her mother as she and Dipper pull on their coats and boots. The twins leave the house and into the chilly afternoon without another word.

August 31, 2015 Westfield, New Jersey

“Haaaaapy Biiiiirth-daaaay Toooooo Youuuuuuuu!!!” sang Mom happily, with Dad doing his best to sing along.

Mom had baked and frosted a cake for the occasion, topped with “1” and “6” candles that were burning brightly. She set it down in front of the twins, who were seated at the table in the small dining alcove. Unpacked moving boxes were stacked against the wall, a constant reminder of the fact that the bungalow just didn’t have enough space for all the belongings they brought from California, and there hadn’t been time yet to do any downsizing.

A very pregnant Mabel was beaming as she complemented her mother on how cute the cake looked. Dipper, sitting across the corner of the table beside his sister, teased his father on his singing voice. The man chuckled, telling his son to listen to his own voice sometime. Everyone was in an upbeat mood, a welcome relief from the chaos of getting ready for the start of classes in a new high school in only a week’s time.

Mom noticed that hot wax was threatening to trickle down the cheap candles onto the cake. “All right, hurry up, you two!” she ordered with a laugh. “Blow out the candles, quick!”

Mabel grunted and struggled to her feet, her belly getting in the way as she leaned partly toward the cake. Dipper made sure she was steady, then got into position as well. “Ready?” he smiled.

“Ready!!” exclaimed Mabel.

Together they leaned all the way forward and blew out one candle each. Dad applauded sarcastically, causing Mom to giggle. Still hovering over the cake, the twins turned to each other, grinning happily.

Their faces were only an inch apart, looking directly into each other’s eyes. And in an instant their smiles were gone. Mabel’s heart jumped almost painfully, and Dipper’s breath was unsteady.

They straightened up, still locked in an intense gaze, the electricity between them plain for anyone to see. For several seconds, no one said anything.

Mabel turned to her parents. “Mom, Dad, please! It’s our birthday! Can we please just have one kiss? Just this once?”

A few seconds passed without an answer. Their parents looked at one another, unprepared for the sudden re-emergence of this uncomfortable part of their kids’ relationship.

When she didn’t hear anyone saying she couldn’t, Mabel spun back to Dipper and pulled his head down to hers. Her lips pressed firmly against his as she moved her hands down around his back and hugged tightly. Dipper responded immediately, driven by instinct to push into the kiss heatedly, his arms wrapping securely around Mabel’s head and body.

The fiery passion of the moment lasted only a second, followed by only immense relief and comfort. The twins relaxed into each other’s arms, sighing out loud with contentment, their mouths delivering gentle kisses of months-long suppressed affection and love to their soulmates.

Mabel could have stayed there forever!

“All right, that’s enough,” muttered their father gravely.

Ripped back to reality, Dipper looked like he was in pain as he backed away from Mabel’s face. The twins reluctantly parted, Mabel not knowing where to look or what to do with her hands anymore. All she wanted to do was fall back into her brother’s embrace, back to where she felt like everything was the way it was supposed to be!

The cake was cut and served, but the household was quieter and far more awkward. The twins’ feelings were the obvious elephant in the room, but no one was willing to point it out.

Finally, Mabel couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “It’s just … it’s just REALLY hard!” She put her fork down dejectedly.

“No one is saying it isn’t, Mabel,” replied Mom softly, her attention focused on her plate.

“So you can try to understand?” Mabel was trying to be meek and obedient to her parents’ rules, but needed to try to express herself. “To feel the way we feel, to always be near each other … and not be able to DO anything about it?”

“No, we DON’T understand,” said Dad firmly.

Mabel sunk low into her chair, as low as her distended belly allowed. Dipper stared longingly at his sister, desperately wanting but not daring to go to her and comfort her.

Finally Mom cleared her throat. “Look guys, your father and I were serious when we told you this must stop,” she said, pleading for compliance. “It’s just … so WRONG! You might have these feelings now, but eventually you’ll move past this! For your own good we have to stop you now, and someday you’ll be glad we did!”

“What if we don’t, Mom?” Dipper sounded wounded. “What if you’re wrong, and we don’t move past this?”

The woman exhaled heavily. “Dipper … we CAN’T entertain this. Certainly not now, not with the baby coming just a few weeks from now!”

Dipper pounced when he saw an opening. “But you might, someday? If not now, if we still love each other, at some point you’ll at least consider changing your mind?”

Dad scowled. “Dipper …”

“A year from now!” Dipper pleaded, trying to make a reasonable case while he still could. “I promise we won’t even mention anything about it for a whole year! Just say we can talk about it on our next birthday!” He focused on his mother. “Okay?”

Mom stared back at Dipper, and then at her daughter. Mabel mouthed “Please?” silently, imploring to her mother to not reject the request.

After a long moment’s consideration, Mom turned to her husband. “A year,” she said simply. “We promise them nothing, other than that we will talk about it. Fair?”

Dad shot daggers with his eyes at his wife, but didn’t contradict her.

The sun is setting when the twins return to the house. As they open the door, the smell of roasted turkey and stuffing wafts over them. Mom is setting dishes on the table, and is relieved to see Dipper and Mabel come back.

Dad has come out and is in his chair with Cassie on his lap, reading his granddaughter a story. Cassie is happy again, and she squeals with glee when she sees her mother and uncle. Dad puts her down and watches the girl scamper over into Mabel’s arms. After the twins have removed their coats, he clears his throat. “What do you both say we … we all just have a nice Christmas dinner, all right?”

Mabel finally gives her father a timid look and nods. “I’d like that!” she says gratefully.

“Thanks, Dad,” adds Dipper softly, acknowledging his father’s olive branch.

For Cassie’s sake, the next few hours pass uneventfully. The twins and their parents tiptoe around the eggshells of their earlier discussion and mostly keep their focus on Cassie. The family eats a lovely meal, followed by watching a few classic Christmas cartoons on television.

By eight o’clock, Cassie is growing quite tired. She has never been a happy camper at bedtime, and tonight is no exception. Mabel had already given her a quick bath, and Dipper fights to get her into her warm sleeper. As the twins kneel beside her bed and perform a tag-team of storytelling, the girl finally stops battling her fatigue and falls into blissful sleep.

Dipper gently strokes Cassie’s back. “She’s beautiful!” he whispers, then turns to Mabel with a small smile. “Like her mother.”

Mabel’s finger brushes across her daughter’s forehead, lightly tracing the pattern of the Cassiopeia-shaped birthmark. “And her father,” Mabel replies, returning the tiny smile. Then she bites her lip. “I guess … we’d better do this!”

“Yeah,” Dipper nods reluctantly, pulling Cassie’s blanket up to her chin. Dipper straightens up and takes Mabel’s hand, giving her balance as she also rises to her feet. Their fingers intertwine, and Mabel looks up into Dipper’s eyes.

“I love you,” they murmur together. Their lips touch briefly.

Then the twins turn and make their way back to the living room. Their parents are still sitting in front of the television in their respective chairs, and they look up at the twins’ approach. Mom and Dad both silently note their children are still holding hands. Dipper self-consciously coughs, then leads his sister to the empty sofa. Their parents wait for the kids to start the conversation.

“Okay,” Dipper begins, “while we were out ... we decided we’re not going to lie to you anymore. It’s not fair to you, and getting caught was too hard for us, anyways. From now on, you’ll know everything.”

“We know that doesn’t mean a whole lot now,” Mabel adds. “I’m sure you don’t trust us anymore, and … I guess you don’t really have any reason to.” Mabel notes Dad’s small nod of agreement.

“Regardless,” Dipper continues, “it means that we don’t have the option of continuing to be together while telling you we’re not.” He shifts uncomfortably. “So Mabel and I have a choice. We either have to finally move on from each other, or we … we hold on to what we have and be open about it with you. And … and ...”

As Dipper struggles with how to articulate the next thought, Mabel gathers herself and says it for him. “And we can’t move on from each other.” she confesses.

Dad slumps in his chair, and Mom’s eyes close as she exhales heavily. “We really considered it, Mom!” Mabel cries. “We talked about everything you and Dad said. You’re right! Everything would be so much easier for us if we were … normal. But … we’re not normal! I love Dipper! I’ve loved him for years, and I don’t know how I could ever put that genie back in its bottle!”

“Mabel isn’t just my sister, she hasn’t been just my sister for a long time,” Dipper says with earnestness, staring his father in the eye. “She’s my soulmate ... she’s my love, and … she’s the mother of my child!” He swipes at his eyes. “It’s not possible for me to move on from that!”

The twins’ father looks like he wants to say something. Mabel doesn’t let him. “We know you don’t like this. We know we defied your rules! We even get that nothing came of that promise you made for our seventeenth birthday. You didn’t reconsider back then because you’re never going to be okay with it! We can’t expect that’s ever gonna change!”

“What we’re saying is w- … we don’t expect you to accept us,” Dipper says. “We don’t think you can do that any more than we can let each other go.” He feels Mabel squeeze his hand tighter in support.

“We won’t … we can’t wait for you to get so mad that you don’t want us here anymore.” Dipper continues, his voice heavy with emotion. “The best thing … for everyone, is for us to …”

Dipper takes a deep breath,

“... is for us to leave.”

Mom’s hands fly up to her mouth. “No-ooo!” she whispers.

Dad is taken aback. “Kids! You d- … you don’t have to just up and leave right this instant! You can-”

“We’re not,” Mabel interrupts, struggling to stay calm. “But we’re gonna start making plans. Tonight.”

Mom’s eyes widen. “Cassie!” she gasps. “You’re not going to …”

“Yeah, Mom,” confirms Dipper sadly. “We’ll be taking Cassie too.”

“You can’t- … you’re only eighteen … I mean surely …” Mom pleads, turning to her husband in near panic.

The man appears shocked, not expecting this news. “Maybe we … we can work this out,” he stammers. “I mean, you don’t have t-”

“Yeah, Dad, we do!” says Mabel desperately. “We love each other! We will be together, and be there for each other! Are you ever going to be okay with that? If we stay here, will you let us be in love?

He can’t answer. His tries to force himself to say he could live with that, but he can’t.

Mabel turns to her mother. “Will you?”

Mom’s mouth moves, but no words emerge. Finally, she also realizes that Mabel is right: she cannot condone her children’s relationship together. “Oh Mabel! … Dipper! … Please …”

“If we stay, this will only get worse, Mom,” Mabel says weakly. “But if we leave, we can be who we are.”

Dipper looks at his father, forlorn and apologetic. “There just isn’t any other way,” he sighs.

Resignation envelops the room, as everyone accepts the truth. Their family is shattered. The twins will be leaving.

October 2, 2015

Mabel was already exhausted. It had been less than a day since coming home from the hospital. But Sweet Sally, she was tired!

Cassie was being blessedly quiet at that moment, as Mabel tried to eat some breakfast. It was awkward, though. The only reason the healthy newborn infant was being quiet was because she was greedily suckling on one of Mabel’s breasts. Still, this was one of the first times since Cassie had burst out into the world that Mabel’s head was clear enough to think. Balancing a baby across her chest with one arm while eating with the other? Surely she could handle this!

Dipper and Mom sat eating at the table with Mabel and the baby. Mabel thought they looked about as tired as she felt.

Dad strode in from down the hall, pulling on his jacket and getting set to leave for work. “You almost ready, Dipper?” he asked. “I can drop you off at school.”

“Yeah okay,” replied Dipper, trying to stifle a yawn. He reached over to fondly squeeze Mabel’s fingers, and lightly stroked Cassie’s thin hair with his other hand. “I’ll be home as soon as I can, but it’ll probably be after dinner.”

Dad harrumphed and glanced meaningfully at his wife. She sighed, and then addressed the twins. “Kids, today marks the start of what’s going to pass for normal, from now on. I hope you’re ready, because right there,“ she nodded at the bundle in Mabel’s arm, “is the focus of everything you’re going to do for a long time.”

“Last night, after you got home, Dip,” their Dad said soberly, “your mother and I let the two of you have a little moment together. Don’t get used to that.” He stared at Dipper’s hand, which still held onto Mabel’s. Dipper reluctantly let go. “As much as Cassie is your daughter, that doesn’t mean we’re any more willing to let you two be together.”

“Besides,” added Mom, “you won’t have any time for each other anyways, if I’m right.” She exhales heavily, giving her children a look of pity. “Everything gets even harder now.”

“Where will you go?” Mom weakly asks.

Mabel looks to Dipper for strength. “We don’t know,” she whimpers. “Not yet.”

A long pause. Then Dad quietly speaks up. “There’s only so much we could do to help you out. How will you support yourselves?”

“We don’t know that yet, either,” replies Dipper, shifting uncomfortably. “but I’ll need to get a job. Maybe two. And as soon as possible.” He scratches the back of his head for a long moment as he stares at the floor. “I’ll probably have to drop out of college. At least for a while.”

“Oh my god,” moans Mom into her palms, as she collapses into her chair.

“Jesus,” mumbles Dad under his breath. Mabel doesn’t think she’s seen her father ever look so sad. Then she looks back to Dipper, an identical expression of sorrow on his face as well.

She rushes to her brother, wanting to be supportive, needing his support in return. They embrace as a tear threatens to begin leaking once again down her cheeks.

She has Dipper, but right now she needs Cassie as well! She needs to feel the warmth of both of them, her lover and her child, right now! She quickly drags Dipper to Cassie’s room and picks up the sleeping girl, snuggling her without waking her. Dipper pulls them both in securely.

Their parents watch from the doorway, trying to comprehend the bond of love that their children share.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dad asks, his voice as soft as Mabel can ever remember.

Mabel didn’t want to be discouraged, but the ominous lecture from her parents felt very heavy. The baby was still busily nursing, but Mabel was no longer hungry. Dipper looked pretty down, too.

Mom saw they state they were in and came around the table, bending over to hug her teenage children. “I’m so sorry for you two!” she lamented. “This is so hard, I know.”

Dad stepped forward as well. “But we’re all going to get through this,” he said, putting his palm on Dipper’s shoulder and gripping reassuringly. Dipper and Mabel both looked up at their father. His demeanor was authoritative, but encouraging. “And you know why?” He smiled warmly. “Because we’re a family!”

Dipper looks up at his parents, protective arms around the two most important people in the world to him. “We have to do this,” he replies, his voice firm yet barely audible..

Mabel raises her face and Dipper lowers his, their foreheads resting together. They gaze at each other with pure commitment and devotion.

“We’re a family,” Dipper whispers.

#pinecest #unexpected au #sfw

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sevralships · 7 years ago

Text

“Mabey, Baby” (Jolene AU)

~The people asked for more Jolene AU, and more Jolene AU they shall get~

The Pines triplets are back at their Grunkle’s for another summer. When Mabel has the idea to host a talent show for the residents of Gravity Falls, both Dipper and Jo help make it happen. Jo struggles with stage fright and forgiving herself.

TW incest. Angst, fluff, and smut in one tidy package. Jolene AU/Pinecest. NSFW. 7,104 words.

Fic under the cut. Enjoy!

(This story takes place AFTER the events of “Just Because You Can” and contains spoilers. If you have not read that fic, read on at your own risk.)

The sun had already gone down, but the night air was still warm and fireflies dotted the lawn. Jolene loved Oregon in the summer, how lush and damp it was, the dense woods fecund and teeming with adventures to be had. No, she hadn’t come to Gravity Falls that first summer, but she had every summer since, and her heart belonged to the mysterious secrets and green woods of this town.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Her heart may thrive here, but its ownership was indisputably in the hands of her triplets. It didn’t feel so whole right at this moment because of where she was, but because of the people that stood to either side of her. To Jolene’s left, Mabel was laughing her head off, her long brown hair dancing a little in the light summer breeze. To her right, Dipper was crouched down, fastidiously buckling his sousaphone into its seldom-opened velour-lined case. When he straightened up again, there was a greenish tinge of embarrassment on his face before it was chased away by his own laughter at the spectacle before them.

About a week prior, Mabel had had a sudden inspiration, as she often did when things got boring for more than a day. “Let’s host a talent show!” she had exclaimed, her eyes glittering and her smile wide. Although this sort of thing wasn’t exactly their forte, Jo and Dipper had only shared an uncertain look and shrugged. It was no use resisting it, Mabel would talk them into it in the end either way. And as ever, the triplets had worked together like a well-oiled machine. While Mabel had spitballed ideas, sitting upside down on the couch with her head hanging off the side, Dipper had taken incredibly detailed notes. He had thought of everything, refreshments, admission, contact information, judges, potential contestants...everything, all drawn up in a neat grid, complete with cost and revenue estimates. Jo had designed the flyers, and (with Soos’ help) constructed and arranged the outdoor theater. Tonight was the night, and Jolene had to admit, they’d really pulled it off. Their persistent advertising (which hinged on badgering) and the flyers they’d plastered all over town had drawn a sizable crowd. The rows of chairs they had set out were nearly full. And Soos had even set up lights and a mic. Currently, said mic was in his hand, as he stood a bit stiffly in the center of the stage.

“But her aim is getting better!” Soos said cheerfully, in a voice slightly more gravelly than his own but not reminiscent of Grunkle Stan in the slightest. Stan had in fact only just told that joke a few minutes prior, when he had occupied the stage, doing stand-up and embracing the ‘BOO’s of the audience. The audience was absolutely eating up Soos’ act, however, laughing riotously at his weak impressions and privately patting themselves on the back for getting the references.

Jolene couldn’t help but laugh along a little, watching the pride blooming on Soos’ face at the reception he was getting. He wasn’t looking out at the Gravity Falls residents seated in rows in front of him, however, but at the screen of his laptop, open on a stool by the front of the stage. The tinny sound of Melody’s laugh over the video-call was barely audible over the crowd, but from where Jo and her siblings stood, the screen was in view. They could see Melody laughing and giving Soos an encouraging thumbs-up.

Soos stopped in his emulation of Stan and gradually the laughing and hooting of the crowd subsided. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Melody, and cautiously, he raised an eyebrow in her direction, as if asking her something. “You’ve got this, baby, they’re loving it. I think you should go for it.” Melody’s voice was comprehensible only to Soos, the triplets by the side of the stage in what passed for the wings, and the judges at a card table by the foot of the stage. Soos nodded resolutely, his face taking on a daring expression, “AHAHAHA!” he gave a sudden cackle, nothing like his own friendly chortle, “I’m going to make deals and take over the world!” An astonished gasp rippled through the crowd.

Beside her, Dipper muttered an impressed expletive under his breath. Jo risked looking over at him. Both of her triplets had good days and bad days, even years later, but Dipper was more prone to beat himself up. However, she could detect no sign of distress, and if it were there she would have seen it. Dipper had his hands in his jeans pockets, his demeanor relaxed. His eyebrows were raised, causing a single wrinkle to crease across the birthmark on his forehead, but his expression was one of admiration and surprise. His brown eyes were glued to Soos, but with no more distress than there would have been if he had been watching a particularly compelling documentary on hauntings.

“That takes some marbles,” Mabel said, her eyes wide but still grinning at the stage. She crossed her arms in a relaxed challenge, eager to see where Soos was going with this.

“Shake my hand, stupid mortal person,” Soos said, sticking out his right hand a bit awkwardly, his face relaxing slightly as a few people in the crowd chuckled nervously, Grunkle Ford the only one laughing outright, “I am super flat and you have more eyes than me but don’t let my looks deceive you! I am a mean triangle guy and I rule nightmares and stuff.”

“That’s...not how Bill talked, right?” Jo asked, having ascertained that neither of her sibs was likely to begin hyperventilating. She dearly hoped that the entire town hadn’t somehow been fooled by the stilted voice Soos was using.

“Not even remotely.” Dipper said, laughing in earnest now at the absurdity of Soos’ performance. Soos cackled unnervingly again, “The laugh is the closest.”

“Reality is fake and the galaxy is artificial!” Soos said, triumphantly, in closing, “Bye gold! Byyeee!” He then mimicked dropping the mic, but opted instead to place it gently on the floor. Mabel rushed onto the stage and grabbed the mic from the floor.

“Giiiiiive it up for impressions by Soooooos!” she said, transitioning seamlessly into her rousing emcee voice, and the audience redoubled their uproarious applause, “I’d like to take this moment to ask the lovely Miss Melody if she would do us the favor of being an honorary cyber-y judge?” Mabel held the mic towards the laptop, but it did not pick up Melody’s response from the speakers. Mabel heard her, however, and scooped up the laptop, depositing it on the judges’ table in front of Wendy, Lazy Susan, and Mayor Cutebiker, “Ladies and germs, she accepted! A round of applause for the abso-tively charmtastic Miss Melodyyyy!”

While the crowd humored Mabel with applause, Mabel met Jolene’s eyes. This is your chance, she was saying wordlessly. Mabel had been begging Jo to perform all night, and only one performance slot remained. Jolene felt her stomach somersault thinking about getting up in front of all those people and singing, and broke away from Mabel’s gaze by way of response. Averting her eyes from her sister, Jo saw Pacifica making her way to the front of the crowd, her face stern with determination. She watched mutely as Pacifica got the okay from Mabel and climbed onto the stage.

“You’re really not getting up there?” Dipper asked, trying to keep his tone gentle, as Mabel went about introducing Pacifica to the crowd of townspeople all of whom already knew who she was.

“Shut it,” Jo said, a little more sharply than she intended, “I forgot to bring my tuba.”

“Har har,” Dipper mocked, but his heart wasn’t in it and he dropped it. Jolene’s stomach was twisting uneasily, watching Pacifica pull up a track on her phone and place it on the stool, clearing her throat softly and getting ready to sing. Why didn’t you just do it? She scolded herself, This was supposed to make it better, but you’re just letting Mabey down all over again! Pacifica started singing, and Jolene recognized it as a ballad cover of a pop hit by &sandra. Pacifica had a pretty voice, not a singer of outrageous talent, but certainly capable and she had stage presence. Jo had never heard her sing and had internally hoped that she would be awful, but she wasn’t awful at all. As the song reached its first chorus, Pacifica loosened up more, getting more into the performance and garnering a couple cheers and whistles from the otherwise attentively listening crowd.

Dipper was humming along softly. He had long since given up on concealing his love for pop music. In fact, of the three triplets, Jolene was the only one who rarely found a top 100 song worth listening to. That right there was a reason not to get up there, she wasn’t going to sing any song these people wanted to hear. They didn’t want to hear her, and she didn’t want them to hear her. She liked singing, she truly did, but it seemed disingenuous to do it in front of a crowd somehow. She liked to sing when she was in the shower, or alone in the woods, or lying in bed, her legs tangled with Mabel and Dipper’s. It seemed dishonest to do it when she didn’t feel it.

But Mabel had wanted her to, for some reason. Really wanted her to. Does she want me to embarrass myself because we embarrassed her? It didn’t really sound like Mabel to just want straightforward payback like that, but she didn’t really think that it would have been unfair for her sister to have felt that way. It had been a few months now, but when she thought about it, Jolene still felt sick with guilt over the way she and Dipper had forgotten the production of ‘Twelfth Night’ that Mabel had worked her ass off for. They had attended the first performance they could, sitting next to each other in the very first row while Mabel took care of business backstage. Once the house lights had dimmed and the first wonderfully, garishly bedazzled players had entered, Dipper had furtively grabbed Jo’s hand, squeezing it for dear life. He didn’t have to say anything. She knew that seeing Mabel’s hard work glittering under the stage lights, imbued with a little bit of that glitteriness that Mabel seemed to have in surplus, it made it all the more real. She knew the guilt churning in her stomach was the same guilt that churned in his. Mabel had poured so much of herself into this, worked at least as hard as they had on their expedition to Tahoe, devoted her life to it for months. Neither of them took for granted how they had hurt her.

There was so much Jo would change about that opening night if she could. She wouldn’t just have been there, she’d have gotten there early. She’d have brought Mabel snacks to keep her going, knowing she often forgot to eat when she was neck deep in a project. She’d have sat in the front row, with or without Dipper, and she would have cheered until she was hoarse. And if she had somehow still failed to make it to the damn play… well, needless to say she wouldn’t have done the rest over. When she’d said as much to Dipper once, he had pointed out to her how much good had come out of that debacle. Not only the recognition and opportunity (and cash prize) that came with the photos Mabel had gotten of the Lone Pine Mountain Devils practically by accident, but more importantly the transparency in their newly blossoming relationship. Even so, she was still having a difficult time trying to forgive herself. For embarrassing Mabel and letting her down, for recklessly putting herself and the two people she loved most in danger, she didn’t understand why they seemed to think any of it was forgivable.

And now Pacifica was singing when she should have been the one singing, and Mabel was standing on the other side of the stage, watching the performance and artfully avoiding Jolene’s gaze. The song was almost over and Jo wished it would just end already. Every note that Pacifica sang into that microphone, she found herself feeling just a little guiltier. Mabel had been so proud of everyone that had performed, no matter how poor their performance had been. She’d applauded them for their bravery as much as their talent. Aren’t I supposedly brave? Jolene asked herself bitterly. Even Toby Determined had gotten up their and tap danced, did that mean even he was braver than she?

Pacifica finished the song on a sustained note that to Jolene’s ear sounded a little flat, but the crowd was applauding her all the same. She did a somewhat affected little curtsy and said, “Thank you, everyone.” into the microphone before handing it off to Mabel and leaving the stage. As she passed, Jo tried not to glare at the blond girl. She’d never had any problem with Pacifica, but at the moment she wouldn’t have minded wiping the self-impressed smile off her face.

Mabel looked at Jo one last time, giving her an opening even though Pacifica’s slot had been the intended last one. Jo shook her head stiffly, almost automatically, telling herself that if she got up there this angry, she wouldn’t perform decently anyway. Really, she knew it was just stage fright, pure and simple. Mabel turned back to the audience, “Wowee, for a small town, there’s a crazy lot of talent up in here!” the crowd cheered for themselves, “Our esteemed judges have one tough decision ahead of them! They’ll have a quick chat to talk it over and then we’ll reveal the winnerrr!” She hopped down from the stage lightly, making her way to the judges’ table to check in with them. Mabel just didn’t get the way that this felt for Jo. Mabel didn’t have to do anything special for people to love her. She got onstage and just acted like herself and that was enough. But of course it was, Mabel positively glowed, no matter what she was doing. She didn’t realize it didn’t come that easily for everyone.

The judges conferred hotly for a few minutes before quieting down. Even without hearing their discourse, it was easy to tell that Mayor Cutebiker was voicing his concerns about Soos’ disregard for the Never Mind All That Act. Jo could see Mabel confirm that they were all okay with the verdict, each of them nodding in turn, before she climbed back onto the stage, “Ladies and gentlemen, after much consideration the judges have made their decision!” The audience cheered even though Mabel hadn’t announced much of anything yet, “Although there was some squabbling about the content of the winning act, the judges unanimously agreed that this person showed the most chutzpah!” The audience cheered louder, although Jo was sure some of them had no idea what chutzpah was, “Without further ado, I’d like you to put your hands together for tonight’s winner,” she paused theatrically, letting the anticipation build, before squeezing her eyes shut and gleefully yelling, “SOOOOOOOOOS!”

Soos clambered onto the stage, looking astonished and honored, his eyes tearful, “Oh wow, doods!”

“You win, dude!” Mabel chirped at Soos.

“Cool, what do I win?” Soos asked.

Mabel punched his shoulder playfully, “Bragging rights, of course!” she replied smoothly, “From now on,” she continued, wrapping an arm around Soos and gesturing broadly at the middle distance, “ You can tell anybody that asks and anybody that doesn’t that you and only you were the victor of the first ever Mabel Pines Talentacular Spectacular!”

“Oh man, dood,” Soos said, his eyes narrowing, his fist clenching for emphasis, “That is one killer prize. Thank you doods so much!”

The crowd applauded for a moment longer before they began filing out of their chairs, walking to their cars, and leaving. Soos got down from the stage and retrieved his laptop, excitedly relaying the events of the talent show to Melody as if she hadn’t just witnessed it herself. She could be heard matching his delighted tone, laughing at each punch line all over again, and telling him how proud she was. Before the last people had gone, Wendy started folding and gathering the chairs the audience had occupied and Dipper and Jo joined in. Mabel set about gathering garbage into a trash bag while Stan and Ford set about dismantling the makeshift stage. In the span of half an hour, they had the ‘theater’ turned back into a yard, leaving the stacked folding chairs and the wooden pallets and boards to store away the following day. Stan and Ford went off to bed, up a few hours later than their standard bedtime. Soos and Wendy hung around a little longer, joking about some of the night’s acts with the triplets before saying their goodnights and heading off to their respective homes.

The triplets trudged up the stairs to the attic without speaking. They had had a long day prepping for the talent show and it was quite late now. Jolene’s body was tired but her mind was whizzing in circles. Mabel had been unusually quiet while they had been cleaning up in the yard, and even when they’d been hanging out with Wendy and Soos. Dipper entered the room first, opening the closet and eagerly stuffing his tuba case in the bottom where he could go back to trying to forget about it.

Without shame or ceremony, Mabel went to the trunk by the foot of her and Jo’s bunk bed (the top bunk of which was now very rarely occupied) and set about changing into her pajamas. She’d worn a grass green dress for the talent show, a small pink handkerchief tied smartly around her throat in a style that Jolene didn’t think anyone else would be able to carry off without looking like a total tool. As always, Mabel had looked luminous, the image of summer itself in green and pink with her hair loose and wild around her shoulders. And now she was matter-of-factly draping the green dress over the baseboard of the bottom bunk, reaching up behind her back to deftly unclasp her bra.

Jolene knew her sister’s body as well as her own (not that she could ever know it well enough) but it seemed somehow immodest to watch her like this at the moment. She averted her eyes, feeling sickened with herself that she could let herself enjoy Mabel’s nudity when she’d only just hurt her. She sat down heavily on the bottom bunk and tugged off her scuffed orange hightops, letting them fall where they would. Across from her, Dipper had removed his shoes and socks and was unbuttoning his jeans just as she looked over. There was something somehow less graceful and wistful about the way a boy got undressed, she thought. It wasn’t a complaint, just an observation. She’d had had plenty of time to observe and relish the differences and similarities between her two lovers in the past couple months and it always gave her a sort of satisfaction to see them repeat a specific quirk she appreciated. She watched Dipper remove his pants, the unrestrained way he kicked them off so different from the gentle way that Mabel handled her more fragile garments.

In boxers and tee shirt, Dipper plopped back on his bed with a relaxed sigh. Folding his hands behind his head, he said conversationally, “I think the show was a success.”

“Sorry you didn’t win, bro-bro.” Mabel said, with a small snide smile.

Dipper snorted, “Oh, yeah, I really thought I had it in the bag. I mean, Sev’ral Timez’s never-released magnum opus ‘Mabel Girl’ on the tuba? That’s an instant classic.”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Mabel said, slipping into an airy aqua nightgown.

“I was really depending on winning,” Dipper said with a mock-grave expression, “I don’t know how I’ll pay my bills without those bragging rights.”

“Hey, that was a good save!” Mabel countered, grabbing a brush and tugging it through her wind-tangled hair.

“I’m not denying that,” he said, laughter bubbling up from his chest, “It was freaking masterful. I just can’t believe we didn’t come up with a prize!”

“I know, even with all your spreadsheets!” Jo kept her eyes trained on the floor as they conversed, “It’s a good thing Soos won,” Mabel pointed, “If it had been Pacifica we’d be looking at a lawsuit.”

“True.” Dipper said, grabbing his hat off his head and hanging it from the bedpost, “She sang pretty well, huh?”

“Yeah.” Mabel said, lightly, before stepping into her bunny slippers and leaving for the bathroom. They were silent until after they heard Mabel brushing her teeth.

“I can’t believe you did that, Dipman.” Jo said, leaning back on her arms.

“Wait, what?” Dipper said, still absentmindedly ruffling his own hair, loosening it up after it had been cooped up under his hat all day, “Mabel and Pacifica worked their shit out ages ago, I was just saying.”

“No, not that, Dip,” Jolene said impatiently, ready to not hear another word about Pacifica’s performing in her place, “I can’t believe you got up there with your fricking tuba and did a Sev’ral Timez song that only Mabel’s ever even heard.”

Dipper propped himself up on his wiry arms and shrugged, “Ain’t no thang,” he said, with good-natured sarcasm, trying to get a smirk out of his mysteriously grumpy sister. His dorky attempts at nonchalance usually succeeded at that when all else failed.

Not this time, “Why’d you do it, though?”

Dipper frowned slightly, “To make Mabel smile.” he said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Because it is, genius, Jo chastised herself, It’s really fucking simple and you didn’t do the obvious good girlfriend thing. Scratch that! Just the good friend thing!

Just as it was dawning on Dipper that Jolene was considerably more than run of the mill grumpy, Mabel came back into the room, kicking off her slippers and bee-lining for the bed, “Scoot yer boot,” she said to Jo, giving her shoulder a small nudge so she could crawl into the bed. Jo wanted nothing more than to lie down and curl into Mabel’s arms and leave this failure of a day behind her, but she couldn’t let herself do that. It wouldn’t be right. Jo could feel Dipper studying her, picking up on her distress but currently running through a mental flow chart of possible ways to address it.

“I’m so sorry, Mabes!” Jo said, the words bubbling out of her before she knew they were coming.

“Wha--?” Mabel began, caught off guard.

“I’m so fucking sorry!” the words continued gushing out of Jo, “I didn’t mean to let you down again, I wanted to make it up to you--I do want to make it up to you--but like that? I just, you know I hate public speaking and I wanted to, but I just couldn’t, and you worked so hard on this and it’s the stupid play all over again and--”

“Whooa there, cowgirl, slow your roll!” Mabel exclaimed, sitting up and putting her hand gently on the top of Jolene’s head, “What in the hey are you apologizing for?”

“For not singing.” Jolene said, her words suddenly thickening in her throat and resisting being spoken.

“You don’t need to apologize to me for that,” Mabel said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “I’ve heard you sing. It’s the rest of the world that’s missing out. I just wanted to show you off, Jo-jo.”

“But I owe you more,” Jolene said, her voice raising slightly, “You worked so hard and I was supposed to do right by you this time!”

“First of all, you don’t owe us anything,” Dipper said evenly, as Mabel placed her hand on Jo’s back, moving it in soothing circles, “The second you start doing something because you feel obligated, we have a problem.” Dipper sat forward in bed, “You don’t need to apologize.”

Jolene hoped Mabel couldn’t feel the way she was trembling, “And second,” Mabel spoke up, adding onto what Dipper had said, “I worked so hard? You were busting your cute patootie putting up flyers all week and putting together the stage with Soos. I had an idea and you helped make it happen, Miss-Sis,” Jo could hear Mabel’s smile, “That’s doing right by me right there!”

“But that’s not enough!” Jo cried, feeling the tears welling in her eyes, “I put you through so much crap and I want to make you proud of m--”

“Oh my goshh, get down here, you absolute doof!” Mabel interjected, exasperated, grabbing Jolene around the waist and pulling her down into her embrace, “I am proud of you,” she said softly against Jo’s ear, squeezing her tightly from behind, “And that’s not changing.”

“But...you could’ve died,” Jolene said, plaintively, losing track of what she was apologizing for as the tears won out against her resolve.

“Plans-a-lot, do you copy?” Mabel said, her tone a bit urgent despite the gimmick, squeezing Jo tighter but lifting her head to look across the room at Dipper, “I’ve got a soldier sorely in need of a group hug. Requesting backup.”

Before Mabel had made it halfway through her plea, Dipper was across the room, wrapping his arms around his two sisters. Jolene’s face was pressed against Dipper’s chest and she wept openly against him, finding the smell of grass and sweat on his tee shirt oddly comforting. It was a very Dipper smell somehow, fresh and earthy and crisp. Mabel scooted back until she was very close to the wall, clutching Jo flush against her, making room so that Dipper could climb into the bed, never fully breaking their embrace. He squeezed them tighter, tucking Jo’s face into the crook of his shoulder.

Jo didn’t know how long she’d been crying when her tears slowed and her lips found Dipper’s. She tasted the salt of her tears between them, but his kiss was unhesitating, his lips gently but eagerly meeting hers, his tongue sweeping ever-so-gently, just into her mouth. There was something reassuring about the way his tongue approached her, not tentative, but subtle and entreating. It was like he was placing his hand in hers, but leaving it up to her to close her fingers. Dipper was not the most outwardly thoughtful person in the world, but his kisses were a glimpse into the infinite sweetness and goodness within him. It often felt to Jo as if Dipper was the only thing in the world that could calm her, that could contain her. His kiss was steady and encompassing, like the most reassuring of hugs.

As she met Dipper’s earnest kisses, Mabel spoke up, saying very gently beside her ear, “This wasn’t a test, and you didn’t fail it.” An ache of tenderness bloomed out from Jo’s chest at her words, realizing just how frightened she had been that she had failed. As if this talent show was some measure of how sorry she was, or how much she loved them, “And please stop with the blamey jazz in your head,” she stroked Jolene’s hair for emphasis causing her to sigh slightly into Dipper’s mouth, “If you guys hadn’t screwed up, we might never have gotten our shiz together. And this right here,” she pressed her cheek against Jo’s shoulder, “Is worth all the missed plays and angry devil birds in the whole universe, forever.”

Dipper broke into a smile, interrupting their kiss. Jo opened her eyes, to see his relaxed smile right it front of her, brown eyes soft even despite his lopsided grin, “It’s true, ya know,” he said, teasing gently and quickly kissing the tip of her nose, “A whole universe forever worth. That’s the scientific term.”

“Yo, bro,” Mabel said, lifting her head even as Jo giggled at Dipper’s comment, “Quit undermining my wooing!”

“I’m well and completely wooed, Mabey,” Jo assured her, with a watery smile, “I swear.”

Mabel grinned despite herself, her cheeks flushing slightly, “D’aww, listen to the smooth-talker,” she said, her hand finding and cupping Jo’s cheek, “Lemme woo you a little more just to be one hundred and ten percent suuuure.” Jolene was feeling well and thoroughly wooed as Mabel’s lips met hers. Sweet. There was just no word that fit Mabel better than the word sweet. She always wondered if it was a result of the sheer sugar intake, or if people really tasted like their personalities. She tried not to wonder what that would make her own flavor, but that was easy enough as kissing Mabel wasn’t exactly conducive to linear thought. Mabel’s kiss was not so heartbreakingly tender and almost polite like Dipper’s, no, it was fireworks bursting, cymbals crashing, fruit bubbling over with juice. If Dipper’s kisses contained her, it was Mabel’s that filled her. She opened her mouth, eager to catch all of Mabel’s sweetness on her tongue.

Beside them, Dipper laughed softly, “You always have to one-up me, don’t you?” he teased. Mabel pulled back just slightly, Jo catching her lip between her teeth to keep her from breaking their kiss entirely, but Mabel still sent a saucy wink at her brother over Jo. Before diving back into the kiss, proving Dipper’s point by running her hand intentionally up from Jo’s waist to her breast. Jo’s breath hitched just slightly at the contact as Dipper hissed out, “Oh, it’s on.”

An instant later, he had tackled Mabel, bumping his head on the top bunk but not letting it slow him down at all. Mabel wriggled and squealed as Dipper held her shoulders firmly in his hands, peppering her face and neck with fast, playful kisses. Jolene couldn’t help giggling at the spectacle. Gradually, Dipper’s kisses slowed and moved back towards the slow tenderness that was his norm. Mabel made a soft moan against him that sent a jolt through Jolene, surprised by the sudden shift to a sound she knew to be carnal in nature. She glanced down and found the cause, Dipper’s hips grinding slightly against Mabel’s.

The shift in her was instantaneous, as sudden as Mabel’s moan had been. She moved forward, eliciting a surprised gasp from Dipper’s as her lips found his neck, kissing firmly from his collarbone up to his ear. She took his earlobe swiftly into her mouth, in the way Mabel loved. Dipper, however, they had discovered, was very ticklish in that particular spot, and true to form, he yelped suddenly, breaking his and Mabel’s kiss and bonking his head on the upper bunk again. Jo snickered softly as she pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him, claiming his lips again without further ado.

“Oooh, what’s this?” Mabel cooed, silly as ever despite the soft husky tone her voice had taken on. She sidled up flush against them, “Miss Jo-jo looks like she’s got a hankering for the Dipstick!” Dipper snorted but didn’t break their kiss, his hands tangling in her hair, “Well, let the Mabel be of assistance, my darlings.” Her hands slipped between Dipper and Jo’s bodies, surprising them both slightly. Reluctantly, Jo broke the kiss to see what Mabel was up to, only to be met with a mischievous smile as her fingers found the button of Jo’s jeans, raising an eyebrow challengingly as she slipped it through the buttonhole and began to drag the zipper down, teasingly slow.

Jo grinned, climbing off of Dipper just long enough for Mabel to peel her out of her jeans. She leaned down to kiss Mabel, kicking her bunched up jeans from her ankles. Dipper’s hand surprised her slightly, gently cupping her bottom before gliding around to the side to give her plain black undies a tug. He began kissing her shoulder while she kissed Mabel, his grip on her panties getting slightly more insistent. After a few moments of this treatment, he gave a small exasperated groan and took matters into his own hands, simply grabbing Jo by the waist and pulling her back on top of him. She managed the briefest of mock-glares before gamely diving back into his kisses, her veins electrifying each time she felt Dipper’s cock grind softly against her through the thin fabric of their underwear. Mabel sat up and decisively grabbed the hem of Jo’s tee shirt, pulling it up and off of her, breaking her and Dipper’s kiss for the briefest possible moment. Her small, nimble hands wasted no time, diving between them at once to fondle one of Jo’s breasts, carefully freeing the other from her bra and taking her nipple in her mouth.

Jo moaned into Dipper’s mouth at the stimulation, Mabel having spent many happy hours learning exactly what tooth to lip ratio worked the best. Without properly breaking the kiss, Dipper muttered a hoarse ‘oh my fucking god’ against Jo’s lips, looking down hungrily at his sisters. Jo opened her eyes (not knowing when exactly she had closed them) and glanced down at Mabel. As if the sight (and feel) of her sister’s ministrations wasn’t enough, she instantly followed Dipper’s gaze to Mabel’s free hand, hidden beneath the skirt of her nightgown. Involuntarily, the sight made Jo grind harder against Dipper and he gasped. He broke away from Jo’s kiss for a moment, his breath labored, his eyes glued to the movements of Mabel’s wrist. Without hesitation, he grabbed her wrist gently and her hand stilled, her mouth releasing Jo’s nipple so she could look at Dipper and find out why he had stopped her. Before she could even begin to formulate her question, she felt his hand slip under her nightgown, giving a small squeak as his fingers nudged her panties to the side. He ran his fingertips along the length of her wetness for a moment before pressing inside of her.

Jo relished the sound her sister made, the sound simultaneously primal and somehow delicate. She ground more insistently against Dipper’s erection, his hips rising to meet her, as she watched Mabel lay back beside him. Mabel and Dipper’s lips crashed against each other at once, and Jo thought as she had before how perfect it was the way that Dipper’s kisses held and Mabel’s kisses filled. The change in position twisted her nightgown up around her waist, and Jo bit her lip hard at the sight of her sister’s flat tummy, and the way her soft pink lips partly around Dipper’s finger, already glistening with her wetness. Jolene grunted softly, humping against Dipper in earnest now. Time didn’t exist, so hypnotized was she by the sight of the two beautiful, impassioned people before her.

Her trance was interrupted by Dipper’s free hand, his fingers grazing her hip, catching in the waistband of her undies and tugging. Getting the non-verbal signal and agreeing enthusiastically, Jo got up just enough to shimmy out of her underwear and to pull off Dipper’s boxers. Perched between his knees, she felt a tugging desire in the pit of her belly at the sight of Dipper’s penis, but couldn’t help smiling slightly at the way it swayed as his hips gave a couple of discreet thrusts. Although she could feel her own wetness between her thighs, before climbing back on top of him, she couldn’t resist taking him into her mouth. He gasped at the unexpected sensation, bucking against her face. She fell into a rhythm, sucking him steadily as she moved her mouth up and down, nearly off of him, and swirled her tongue lazily against him.

She glanced up to see Dipper and Mabel both watching her, Dipper’s fingers moving faster inside of Mabel. Mabel was trying to watch, but Jo could tell she was very close to cumming, recognizing the shade of her cheeks and her shortness of breath easily. She met Mabel’s eyes, never slowing her ministrations, and watched in disbelief as the moment of eye contact pushed Mabel over the edge. Jo’s eyes jumped at once to Mabel’s pussy, seeing the smallest flicker of her contractions around Dipper’s fingers.

Unable to wait any longer, Jo straddled Dipper again. He met her eyes intensely, his pupils dilated and dark and a faint sheen of sweat on his face. Reaching under herself, Jo carefully guided him to her entrance before easing her weight onto him. A delicious, guttural sound escaped him as he was engulfed in her wet heat. Mabel planted kisses all over his cheek and neck as he stared up at Jo, entranced. His hands, one still wet from Mabel found her hips and he pushed her down into his thrust.

Jo had resisted admitting her feelings for Dipper for so long, long after her feelings for Mabel had become undeniable. She had pushed her desire for him away, hoping that it would just evaporate. Of course, it never did and now she couldn’t believe how much better he felt than she ever could have imagined. It took no thought to fall into his rhythm, matching each other’s thrusts the most natural thing in the world.

She managed to tear her eyes away from Dipper’s intent face and darkly shining eyes to look at Mabel. She looked so luxuriously sensual, the aqua fabric in a frothy nimbus around her waist, her arms extended loosely above the cloud of dark curls, her wet flushed sex exposed, her face dewy and dreamy and pink. She had stopped peppering Dipper with kisses for a moment to watch their lovemaking. Absently, Jo’s hand strayed from Dipper’s chest, gliding along Mabel’s creamy thigh. Mabel gasped slightly, but her hips strained towards Jo, eagerly trying to meet her touch. Dipper grunted at the sight, thrusting even more deeply inside of Jo and dragging a moan from her. Jo trailed her fingers ever-so-lightly across Mabel’s lips, delighting in how insistently she bucked towards her from so small a touch. Without further hesitation, she dove two fingers deep inside her and Mabel cried out.

Dipper captured Mabel’s lips in his, interrupting her cry, thrusting desperately into Jo at a staccato pace. Jo met Dipper’s thrusts, her mind somewhere very far away as she relished the feel of him, the orgasm building steadily inside her belly, and the intense heat and slickness of that part of Mabel that Dipper had only just filled. Everything here was steam and flesh and sweet sweat and through it all, a pervading devotion that made Jo’s heart feel ready to break. She would give anything in the world not to ever hurt them again, to let nothing hurt them. Just being their sister, just knowing them at all was a blessing, being here in this transcendent world of pleasure with them was more than she could ever have asked for. She could tell that Mabel was close, those same familiar indicators on her face and her thighs trembling.

Jo’s orgasm crashed down upon her without warning. So deep in trance had she been, she wasn’t sure when she and Dipper had switched places, but there she was, underneath him, tremors of ecstasy shaking her to her core. He only lasted a few seconds longer than her, pulling out and clutching himself as he came on her quivering belly. He leaned down and bestowed her with a few more of those preciously sweet kisses before flopping down beside her. Again she was lying with Mabel to one side and Dipper to the other. While Dipper was gulping in lungfuls of air, Jo turned to check on Mabel. She was dazzled by the blissful smile with which she was met. She couldn’t help but smile back, as Mabel purred a quiet, “Heyyyy, Miss-Sisss…”

“Hi there,” Jo said slowly, unable to clear the cobwebs from her brain just yet. She said nothing for a moment and then, with a startled realization, asked, “Oh, man, Mabey. Did you…?” Her words failed her, no word seeming to come close to what she had just experienced.

“Mm-hmmmmmm,” Mabel replied with a slow, contented nod. Relieved that she hadn’t left Mabel hanging, Jo pulled Mabel to her shoulder. She luxuriated in the feeling of Mabel’s soft, misty skin against her. Just then, Dipper gave a sudden snore, causing Jo to start. Mabel giggled against Jo’s neck, “Guess we really tuckered the ole boy out.”

Jo grinned against Mabel’s forehead before planting a long, grateful kiss there, “I love you, Mabes. So fucking much.”

“I love you too, nerd.” Mabel said, barely above a whisper.

“I’m serious, Mabey. I’d do anything for you.” Jo said, suddenly overwhelmed with a need to make sure Mabel knew just exactly how adored she was. Mabel snickered, and Jo knew that laugh. That was the laughing at you in my head laugh, “What? What’s funny?”

“Nah, nah, just the lil teensy devil’s advocate in my head…” Mabel said lightly.

Dipper gave another loud snore as Jo insisted, “What’s that little shit saying now?”

“Now this isn’t what I think, it’s just a thing that my brain did,” Mabel said, as if that explanation would assuage anyone’s concerns, “Ms. Advocate said that you wouldn’t sing for me.”

“She’s wrong,” Jo said, without hesitation. Mabel raised an eyebrow sluggishly, “I will always sing for you. It was the crowd I don’t want to sing for.”

“...will you sing for me now?” she asked, giving Jo a doe-eyed upward glance from her spot on her shoulder.

“I will, Mabey, baby,” Jo said, phrasing it intentionally. She watched the grin spread on Mabel’s face as she recognized the in-joke, knowing immediately what Jo was going to sing, “Mabey, baby,” she crooned softly, barely above a whisper, “I’ll have you,” Mabel cuddled still closer, “Mabey, baby, you’ll be true,” Jo pulled Mabel near, curling lovingly into each other, “Mabey, baby, you will love me someday--”

“Surprise!” Mabel said, popping up suddenly and making Jo jump. She cocked her head quizzically, “I love you today.” Jo kissed her, hardly able to stop smiling long enough to do it right.

#Pinecest #Pinescest #Jolene AU #Jolene Pines AU #sevralfics

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