Babes And The Beast

Chapter 9: Dancing

Dipper told the others that he'd be late for dinner, so Stan and Mabel sat together by the kitchen watching Soos flirt with Melody.

"I think he likes her." Mabel said as they watched the little hammer chatter away with the cook-stove.

"Oh, it's more than that." said Stan. "He comes down here every night to tell Mel about his day. Since she's one of the few who can't leave her room, he has to come to her. Even before the curse when she was just to busy to leave the kitchen, he'd find some way to make her feel included. That's not just love. That's devotion." He paused, "I can relate."

"Sure wish I could be devoted to someone like that. Most guys I meet are (sigh) somewhat lacking."

"Oh yeah, like who?"

  Dipper came down to find them sitting around the counter, knee deep in conversation.

"Yeah, the Gleefuls have always been a bunch of crazies." Stan said.

Mabel looked down. "He wasn't always like that. We used to be good friends. He'd talk to us when no one else would, came to visit our house, he even bought me knitting supplies once. But then he got... creepy."

"Creepy how?"

"He started talking about doing things like kill his parents or burn down the church, and then say "Just kidding". But I don't think he was kidding. Then last Summer, He told us he was destined to be King of all the country, and asked if I wanted to be his queen. Things kind of unraveled after that. Oh, hey Dipper. How ya doing?"

"Ford taught me this cool math game." He opened the journal up to reveal a series of elaborate algorithms. Stan and Mabel looked at it, then each other, then gave him an indulgent smile. "Very nice Dipper, very nice."

  He sat down with them, and pretty soon he was sharing his own issues with their home town.

"All my life, the only compliment I ever got from people there was that I'm "Cute". "Such a cute boy." "What an adorable sneeze." "That cap looks cute on you" Bleah!"

"Mmm. What a shame. People think you're nice to look at." Stan's voice was sarcastic.

"Well I'm not going to be cute forever! In a few years, I'll be an awkward blemished virgin and then what are people going to compliment? If I'm gonna be praised, I want it to be because of a real achievement. Not because of my looks."

"Fair enough."

Mabel glanced over at the passing clock. "Say Blendin, what day is it?"

"According to my timepiece, it is December 14, Tuesday, Fourteen hours and twenty-four minutes, Eight seconds."

"Oh my gosh!" Hanukkah is tomorrow!" I have to go knit presents!" She ran from the table.

  Wendy beamed; "We used to have the best Holiday parties. And the best New Year's parties."

"Really?" Dipper looked between her and Stan. "Can we have one now? I mean tomorrow?"

"Ask the boss. He might be persuaded."

Dipper immediately focused his eyes on Stan. Stan sighed. The kid really was super cute. 

He was persuaded, and so the kids spent the rest of the night and the next morning deciding what gifts to give everyone. Luckily, they had plenty of supplies for sewing and building. They also took some time to reorganize their bedroom (Pacifica insisted).

In a corner of their room was the satchel they had brought with them to the castle. Dipper looked through it and found the memory gun. He also found the broken music box pieces stashed in an old crate. Among the pieces was a small plate with the subscription TO MY BROTHER STANLY ON OUR BIRTHDAY. Ah. He thought to himself. Somehow that made sense. It even gave him an idea.