After Dark

Chapter 6 - First Impressions

The next morning was surprisingly bright and sunny for a fall day in Oregon. They had packed up most of the things Mabel had bought and packed over the last week or month. She ate a quick breakfast that Dipper insisted she eats. Despite what he had said last night he actually did manage to get a few hours more of sleep. Dipper had greeted her and hugged her which was usually the other way around as she was the one who sought him out while he was busy going over a paper or report for the lab while drinking his coffee as she tried to hug and tickle him out of his stoic stupor.

Mabel always ready for hugs complied. She might have been a little extra emotional today too knowing she would not see everyone for a while after they helped her unpack and left the campus. With the Stan, mobile loaded mostly with her stuff, everyone but Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford traveled in luxury in Pacifica's heavy-duty offroad Land Rover Range Rover. Dipper and Mabel had texted their mom and dad but they hadn't responded until just this morning when they said they had a conference seminar with the branch executive VP. Dipper had long since giving up hoping they would find time and had told Mabel, who was less inclined to let go, that she should be happy that Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford had offered to help move her in and visit. Now that she thought about it he was right. You cant choose to make someone value you or love you. She had learned that lesson.

Mabel instead had begun to think about how to introduce herself to her college dorm roommate, or dormie she thought with gleeful anticipation! Dipper had warned her to not overthink it and let the conversation just flow naturally. This coming from the master over-thinker definitely made her think she probably should take his advice. The three-plus-hour drive went by quickly and Ford only got sick once thanks to taking Dramamine. Grunkle Stan said he was about to pull over and leave him at a truck stop if Ford didn't shut up. Apparently the Dramamine made im extremely outgoing and personable. Mabel had told them to hug it out before she hung up as she snickered to herself while Dipper and Pacifica grinned.

"Those old geezers need to work on their people skills. I figured cramming them in a jam-packed car together for three hours sounded like a good idea. You know, give them time to blend, and talk stuff out."

Dipper snorted. "Yeah, they'll blend all right, about as readily as nitroglycerin and peroxide. Pacifica snorted in amusement." Mabel said, "They need to figure something out," Mabel said her voice going soft now. "I won't be there to play mediator and I don't want them to grow despondent." Dipper grinned, "They may be a bunch of crotchety old sailors, especially stan with his colorful vocabulary," he added with a snicker from Pacifica who was behind the wheel. Dipper continued, "But they are tougher than they look. When push comes to shove they care about each other."

Mabel now folded her arms over her chest as she raised her eyebrows pointedly. "Even if they're too pigheaded and prideful to admit it," she said. Pacifica smiled. "Loud and clear on that one!" I used to think Stan was a rude stubborn redneck of a con artist," but I have also seen how he fights for you two no matter the cost."

Dipper now smirking said, "Well you're were right about three of the four. He may live in the country but Stan's no redneck." Pacifica grinned. "Cause the alternatives are so much better," she said smirking. Dipper shook his head. Pacifica continued. "Despite him having the charm of a prickly pear cactus he's grown on me somehow. He's actually started to talk to me nicely." Mabel smiled. "That is progress."

Mabel passed a fast food restaurant that she loved and wanted to ask the grunkles if they wanted to stop. That was until Pacifica had forbidden it on the grounds that Mabel had wanted to get some kind of deep-fried mini burger platter or as Pacifica had referred to as some atrocious cardiac arrest-inducing entree that had an expiration date somewhere near the middle of this century. Mabel had pouted for about four exits till Pacifica offered to take them all to an authentic Greek restaurant that she was familiar with near Portland.