Gravitational Phantoms

Chapter Five

Danny spun around, looking for the source of the noise. Realizing that it was coming from downstairs, the Halfa turned to look at Dipper. The twelve-year-old boy was already out of bed, running for the hallway. The brunette sent Danny an urgent look.

"Stay here, okay?" He said, biting his lip. "I'll go see what's going on."

Then he was gone, scrambling out the door.

Danny wrapped his arms around his knees and waited. Worry wormed its way through his chest. What if they were hurt? Or what if the agents found him? Danny didn't want the people who had saved his half-life to be injured if they managed to track him down.

Luckily, Dipper chose that moment to stick his head through the door.

"It's fine," he said. "Mabel just got startled by a, uh, moth. Yeah. A moth."

Danny blinked. "Um, o-okay?"

"Do you want to come downstairs? You don't have to go into the gift shop, but you can hang out in the living room."

Danny gave a small nod. Dipper beamed.

"Awesome! I think that Mabel made you a sweater, so if she gives it to you just take it."

Danny was helped up from the bed, ducking away slightly when Dipper reached for him. The hybrid was was still wary of kindness, because the last people that he had trusted tied him down to a lab table.

Dipper led the ghost boy through the house, leading him down the stairs and into a comfortable-looking room. There was a yellow chair that somebody had put a pillow, a blanket, and several stuffed animals on, and Danny guessed that this was where Mabel had slept.

The girl in question was sitting at a table, finishing up what looked like a complicated knitting project. She was wearing purple pajamas with a puppy on the chest, and there was a glass of orange juice next to her. Mabel beamed.

"Hi Danny! Sorry if I woke you up, we just had a little problem."

"Right," Dipper said. "With the moth."

Danny glanced around and noticed that quite a few items were tossed around, as if somebody had thrown them at something else as a weapon.

"Are you hungry? Because Stan made bacon. I already had some, but I saved a few pieces for you."

"Aw, what?" Dipper complained. "Do I get any bacon?"

"Nope," Mabel said gleefully. She turned her attention back to the Halfa. "So do you want some?"

"O-okay."

"Great! What else do you like to eat, for future reference?"

"A-anything o-other than toast," Danny mumbled.

"Awesome! Here," she produced a plate of bacon seemingly from nowhere. Mabel slid it across the table, and Danny hesitantly took a piece. He nibbled on one edge. Man, Danny hadn't had bacon in forever.

Stan walked in, wearing only a an undershirt and boxers, which was interesting to say the least.

"Did you take care of the-"

"Moth?" Dipper said hurriedly. "Yeah, we did. Its gone."

Stan frowned. "Um, okay then. Ford found another one in the closet, just so you know."

"What did you do with it?"

"Threatened it with the leafblower and chased it out the window."

Danny tilted his head. Somehow he really doubted that they were talking about moths. Mabel groaned.

"Why can't they take a hint?"

"They are pretty determined to have you as their queen. You gotta give them props for persistence, at the very least." Dipper shrugged.

Okay, now Danny knew that the weren't talking about moths. He took another piece of bacon. His body started to relax, and he started to feel safer. Until something bumped into his leg.

Danny yelped and jumped into the air, rocketing over to the chair. He stared at the thing that had nudged him. Mabel giggled at Danny's face.

"That's just Waddles. He's my pet pig."

There was indeed a small, fat, pink pig chewing on Danny's dropped bacon. Stan frowned at him.

"Cannibal," he muttered.

Waddles the pig oinked. He tottered over to Danny and started to chew on the bottom of his pants. Dipper made a shooing motion with his hand.

"No! Don't eat the only pair of pants that Danny has!" Dipper's eyes widened. "Oh man! We need to get you more clothes!"

Mabel rubbed her hands together and smiled. "I can get you some of you tell me your size."

Her brother shook his head. "No! You are not aloud to get Danny any new clothes without somebody there to supervise."

Mabel blew a raspberry. "Boo!"

Waddles bumped his face against his owner's chair. The brunette girl scooped him up. She made him wave his tiny arms in Danny's direction. The hybrid had to admit that it was pretty cute.

There was a small sound from behind Danny's spot. He looked towards it with his brows furrowed. Stan leaned over his shoulder, and Danny let out a small squeak. The older man backed up a little bit. He leaned towards the twins.

"Get the clubs."

In a flash, the twins had a pair of golf clubs lifted up and at the ready. The ghost boy stiffened in fear. Stan gestured at Danny to get out of the way. The Halfa complied nervously.

Stan crept up to the armchair. He raised a hand and counted down from three. When he got to one, Stan wrenched the seat aside.
Something large scuttled out from beneath it, running towards Mabel. The twelve-year-old snapped her club down, hitting a solid blow to whatever it was.

It landed at Danny's feet, and he got his first good look.

The creature appeared to be a tiny man, with a brown beard, a red hat, and short limbs. It lay still for a second, before trying to escape. Dipper picked it up by the back of it's shirt and carried it over to the window. Mabel opened it. Dipper dropped it out of the opening.

Mabel stuck her head out after it. "And stay out, Jeff!"

Danny pointed. "W-what even was t-that thing?"

"A gnome. They're mostly harmless on their own, but when they work together they can be pretty vicious." Dipper explained. Danny blinked.

"I-is that normal?"

Dipper laughed. "Welcome to Gravity Falls."