Never Let You Down ~ A Dipcifica Fanfiction (Book 7: Finale)

Chapter 23: Something to Lose

Dipper woke up on the ground. He struggled to look up, his shoulder was badly bruised. The car was totaled, the entirety of the hood was smashed into an oak tree. It was even darker than before and the snow was coming down hard. It was unbearably cold.
Dipper began to look around for his rescuer. The figure was laying motionless on the ground next to him.
"Oh God, hey wake up!" Dipper shook her making her conscience.
She coughed. "I'm okay." She reached her arm to get up but she fell on the ground with a groan of pain.
"Don't move, you'll hurt yourself." Dipper commanded.
"I'll be fine, don't treat me like I'm less than you, kid."
Dipper let out an audible sigh. He looked around, what he saw didn't make him happy. Snow was coming down in tons, the night sky only added to the inability to see far distances. From the close range everything was the same, night, snow, forest, in all directions; they were divided by a one lane, two way road that stretched on to the visible infinity. He looked at the totaled car. The one headlight that remained on was flickering, the engine wasn't on but the battery was. Dipper did not intend to start the car. He pulled out his phone. No service it read. Dipper grit his teeth and put it back in his coat pocket. He was wearing a sweatshirt underneath. Dipper looked back at figure. She had passed out.
Looks like she's badly hurt. Dipper thought rushing over.
He took off his coat and put it atop her body. He sat down beside her with his hands in his pockets, trying to escape the bitter cold. Dipper looked down, then looked back a her. She was unconscious; it would be so easy; the idea was tempting; the thought remained in Dipper's mind.
Almost without control, he found his hand moving towards the figure's face. With one quick motion he yanked off her mask. He was filled with a sense of accomplishment for doing the impossible. His head was turned away by the time he pulled the mask off, he slowly turned to face the fluttering eyes of his rescuer, regaining consciousness. Dipper was in astonishment. He was speechless, surprised, and confused.
"Kid, what are you looking at..." She noticed the mask in his hand. "Oh... I can explain."
Dipper was looking at someone he once knew, someone he once loved, someone who should be dead.
"Alice?" Dipper said, tears forming in his eyes.
Alice said nothing.
"But I don't understand you're supposed to be..."
"...Dead, I know." She interrupted him in a soft voice.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Dipper asked.
"Well just say, I was living off the grid, and you... you seemed like you were living the life you wanted, so I didn't want to ruin that." She responded.
Dipper looked aimlessly in thought. He was shocked, and his emotions where shaken. The mental toll that one is given when realizing someone whom they exepted as dead is alive was more than what was going on in Dipper's head.
It turned out, however, that his aimless stare was not in vein. Someways into the forest, across the vacant street, was an unacupied hunting cabin.
"Nevermind that now, let's just get out of this cold." Dipper said standing up.
"How so?" Alice said still struggling to stay seated upright.
"Well take shelter in that cabin." Dipper had one hand with its pointer finger fixed on the cabin's position and the other outstretched to help Alice to her feet.
"Are you sure, I mean..."
"Do you have a better plan?"
Alice was not one to admitt when she was wrong so she didn't answer.
"C'mon." Dipper picked her up in a fetal position.
Alice verbally protested at first but gave in after the thought of getting out of the cold. She noticed Dipper wasn't wearing his jacket, then realized that it was on her. She smiled and laid on his shoulder
"Thank you, Dipper."