Little Dipper

Mission Merpossible!

"You are NOT going on a date two nights in a row." Bill said, crossing his arms over his chest. Next to him, Dipper copied his motions and put on his best serious face. "You are 12, that's much too young to be out all night with a boy all week. Not to mention the fact that you're lying to us."

"Wait, she is?" Dipper looked at Bill.

"H-How do you know?" Mabel asked.

"Because I used my Sight to check on what you were doing when you came back later than 10:00pm." Bill sighed heavily. "You know, if you want to go help the merman, you just need to say so. I'll even help you save the poor creature."

"Wait, there's a merman?" Dipper asked.

"We really did go see a movie, though." Gideon said, setting down his fork. "So, we did actually go on a date. And we DID tell you about going to see the merman."

"Uh-huh, and if you're going again tonight then I'm going with you." Bill told him. "Stan was pretty pissed when he found out you came back so late and told me to keep an eye on you."

"You told him?" Mabel frowned.

"He asked, and I don't feel like pissing him off by lying or saying I don't know." Bill shrugged. "Anyways, if you want to go and rescue the merman, we can do that during the day. All we need is a freak snowstorm to clear out the pool and I'll get the merman out."

"I could conjure one up. But, why during the day?" Gideon asked.

"Because Grendo is coming over tonight?" Bill raised an eyebrow. "Not to mention everyone else. We're almost at 48 hours, remember?"

"Oh, sorry!" Mabel cringed. "I forgot, I was so focused on Mermando!"

"I wanna meet the merman." Dipper spoke up.

Stan came into the room. "What's going on? A merman?"

"There's a merman at the pool and Mabel and Gideon have been trying to help him go home!" Dipper looked at him. "That's why they were out so late!"

Stan took his seat and Bill served him up a plate of eggs, pancakes and toast – they hadn't been eating bacon since Mabel got Waddles. Stan told her absolutely no pet chickens. "So, that's why. Well, hey, if it involves breaking something out, I'm all for it! How can I help?"

"We were going to create a freak snowstorm and force people to leave the pool." Gideon told him.

"Won't that freeze the fish-guy?" Stan asked.

"I'll get him out before he freezes." Bill assured him. "We WILL need a driver, though. Bud might want to put the poor guy to work in the side-show."

"You kidding? We don't have room with the Gobblewonker, plus we'd have to pay him!" Stan shook his head firmly. "Nuh-uh! No mermen! I will drive, though."

"Alright, let's go after breakfast. The sooner the better, especially with the kids all coming over today to do the spell." Bill poured some more juice into Dipper's empty glass.

"Can I help?" Dipper asked. "Can I help the merman?"

"You can help by staying in the truck." Stan told him. "Bill's coming, so you have to come along but it's gonna get cold so you'll be in the truck with the heater running. Wait, what truck are we using?"

"Jesus has a truck." Gideon reminded him.

"Why don't you ever just call him 'Soos'?" Mabel asked.

"For the same reason I call Stanford 'Stanford'." Gideon shrugged. "It's his name. I don't feel I have grown close enough to Jesus to use a nickname and anyways I only use nicknames for you or Pacifica."