I just read Just Because You Can and I just needed to tell you I love you
Thanks! I love you too! I'm glad people are still reading it and enjoying it, my girl Jolene is one of the best things I've ever done

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I just read Just Because You Can and I just needed to tell you I love you
Thanks! I love you too! I'm glad people are still reading it and enjoying it, my girl Jolene is one of the best things I've ever done
“Mabey, Baby” (Jolene AU)
~The people asked for more Jolene AU, and more Jolene AU they shall get~
The Pines triplets are back at their Grunkle’s for another summer. When Mabel has the idea to host a talent show for the residents of Gravity Falls, both Dipper and Jo help make it happen. Jo struggles with stage fright and forgiving herself.
TW incest. Angst, fluff, and smut in one tidy package. Jolene AU/Pinecest. NSFW. 7,104 words.
Fic under the cut. Enjoy!
(This story takes place AFTER the events of “Just Because You Can” and contains spoilers. If you have not read that fic, read on at your own risk.)
The sun had already gone down, but the night air was still warm and fireflies dotted the lawn. Jolene loved Oregon in the summer, how lush and damp it was, the dense woods fecund and teeming with adventures to be had. No, she hadn’t come to Gravity Falls that first summer, but she had every summer since, and her heart belonged to the mysterious secrets and green woods of this town.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Her heart may thrive here, but its ownership was indisputably in the hands of her triplets. It didn’t feel so whole right at this moment because of where she was, but because of the people that stood to either side of her. To Jolene’s left, Mabel was laughing her head off, her long brown hair dancing a little in the light summer breeze. To her right, Dipper was crouched down, fastidiously buckling his sousaphone into its seldom-opened velour-lined case. When he straightened up again, there was a greenish tinge of embarrassment on his face before it was chased away by his own laughter at the spectacle before them.
About a week prior, Mabel had had a sudden inspiration, as she often did when things got boring for more than a day. “Let’s host a talent show!” she had exclaimed, her eyes glittering and her smile wide. Although this sort of thing wasn’t exactly their forte, Jo and Dipper had only shared an uncertain look and shrugged. It was no use resisting it, Mabel would talk them into it in the end either way. And as ever, the triplets had worked together like a well-oiled machine. While Mabel had spitballed ideas, sitting upside down on the couch with her head hanging off the side, Dipper had taken incredibly detailed notes. He had thought of everything, refreshments, admission, contact information, judges, potential contestants...everything, all drawn up in a neat grid, complete with cost and revenue estimates. Jo had designed the flyers, and (with Soos’ help) constructed and arranged the outdoor theater. Tonight was the night, and Jolene had to admit, they’d really pulled it off. Their persistent advertising (which hinged on badgering) and the flyers they’d plastered all over town had drawn a sizable crowd. The rows of chairs they had set out were nearly full. And Soos had even set up lights and a mic. Currently, said mic was in his hand, as he stood a bit stiffly in the center of the stage.
“But her aim is getting better!” Soos said cheerfully, in a voice slightly more gravelly than his own but not reminiscent of Grunkle Stan in the slightest. Stan had in fact only just told that joke a few minutes prior, when he had occupied the stage, doing stand-up and embracing the ‘BOO’s of the audience. The audience was absolutely eating up Soos’ act, however, laughing riotously at his weak impressions and privately patting themselves on the back for getting the references.
Jolene couldn’t help but laugh along a little, watching the pride blooming on Soos’ face at the reception he was getting. He wasn’t looking out at the Gravity Falls residents seated in rows in front of him, however, but at the screen of his laptop, open on a stool by the front of the stage. The tinny sound of Melody’s laugh over the video-call was barely audible over the crowd, but from where Jo and her siblings stood, the screen was in view. They could see Melody laughing and giving Soos an encouraging thumbs-up.
Soos stopped in his emulation of Stan and gradually the laughing and hooting of the crowd subsided. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Melody, and cautiously, he raised an eyebrow in her direction, as if asking her something. “You’ve got this, baby, they’re loving it. I think you should go for it.” Melody’s voice was comprehensible only to Soos, the triplets by the side of the stage in what passed for the wings, and the judges at a card table by the foot of the stage. Soos nodded resolutely, his face taking on a daring expression, “AHAHAHA!” he gave a sudden cackle, nothing like his own friendly chortle, “I’m going to make deals and take over the world!” An astonished gasp rippled through the crowd.
Beside her, Dipper muttered an impressed expletive under his breath. Jo risked looking over at him. Both of her triplets had good days and bad days, even years later, but Dipper was more prone to beat himself up. However, she could detect no sign of distress, and if it were there she would have seen it. Dipper had his hands in his jeans pockets, his demeanor relaxed. His eyebrows were raised, causing a single wrinkle to crease across the birthmark on his forehead, but his expression was one of admiration and surprise. His brown eyes were glued to Soos, but with no more distress than there would have been if he had been watching a particularly compelling documentary on hauntings.
“That takes some marbles,” Mabel said, her eyes wide but still grinning at the stage. She crossed her arms in a relaxed challenge, eager to see where Soos was going with this.
“Shake my hand, stupid mortal person,” Soos said, sticking out his right hand a bit awkwardly, his face relaxing slightly as a few people in the crowd chuckled nervously, Grunkle Ford the only one laughing outright, “I am super flat and you have more eyes than me but don’t let my looks deceive you! I am a mean triangle guy and I rule nightmares and stuff.”
“That’s...not how Bill talked, right?” Jo asked, having ascertained that neither of her sibs was likely to begin hyperventilating. She dearly hoped that the entire town hadn’t somehow been fooled by the stilted voice Soos was using.
“Not even remotely.” Dipper said, laughing in earnest now at the absurdity of Soos’ performance. Soos cackled unnervingly again, “The laugh is the closest.”
“Reality is fake and the galaxy is artificial!” Soos said, triumphantly, in closing, “Bye gold! Byyeee!” He then mimicked dropping the mic, but opted instead to place it gently on the floor. Mabel rushed onto the stage and grabbed the mic from the floor.
“Giiiiiive it up for impressions by Soooooos!” she said, transitioning seamlessly into her rousing emcee voice, and the audience redoubled their uproarious applause, “I’d like to take this moment to ask the lovely Miss Melody if she would do us the favor of being an honorary cyber-y judge?” Mabel held the mic towards the laptop, but it did not pick up Melody’s response from the speakers. Mabel heard her, however, and scooped up the laptop, depositing it on the judges’ table in front of Wendy, Lazy Susan, and Mayor Cutebiker, “Ladies and germs, she accepted! A round of applause for the abso-tively charmtastic Miss Melodyyyy!”
While the crowd humored Mabel with applause, Mabel met Jolene’s eyes. This is your chance, she was saying wordlessly. Mabel had been begging Jo to perform all night, and only one performance slot remained. Jolene felt her stomach somersault thinking about getting up in front of all those people and singing, and broke away from Mabel’s gaze by way of response. Averting her eyes from her sister, Jo saw Pacifica making her way to the front of the crowd, her face stern with determination. She watched mutely as Pacifica got the okay from Mabel and climbed onto the stage.
“You’re really not getting up there?” Dipper asked, trying to keep his tone gentle, as Mabel went about introducing Pacifica to the crowd of townspeople all of whom already knew who she was.
“Shut it,” Jo said, a little more sharply than she intended, “I forgot to bring my tuba.”
“Har har,” Dipper mocked, but his heart wasn’t in it and he dropped it. Jolene’s stomach was twisting uneasily, watching Pacifica pull up a track on her phone and place it on the stool, clearing her throat softly and getting ready to sing. Why didn’t you just do it? She scolded herself, This was supposed to make it better, but you’re just letting Mabey down all over again! Pacifica started singing, and Jolene recognized it as a ballad cover of a pop hit by &sandra. Pacifica had a pretty voice, not a singer of outrageous talent, but certainly capable and she had stage presence. Jo had never heard her sing and had internally hoped that she would be awful, but she wasn’t awful at all. As the song reached its first chorus, Pacifica loosened up more, getting more into the performance and garnering a couple cheers and whistles from the otherwise attentively listening crowd.
Dipper was humming along softly. He had long since given up on concealing his love for pop music. In fact, of the three triplets, Jolene was the only one who rarely found a top 100 song worth listening to. That right there was a reason not to get up there, she wasn’t going to sing any song these people wanted to hear. They didn’t want to hear her, and she didn’t want them to hear her. She liked singing, she truly did, but it seemed disingenuous to do it in front of a crowd somehow. She liked to sing when she was in the shower, or alone in the woods, or lying in bed, her legs tangled with Mabel and Dipper’s. It seemed dishonest to do it when she didn’t feel it.
But Mabel had wanted her to, for some reason. Really wanted her to. Does she want me to embarrass myself because we embarrassed her? It didn’t really sound like Mabel to just want straightforward payback like that, but she didn’t really think that it would have been unfair for her sister to have felt that way. It had been a few months now, but when she thought about it, Jolene still felt sick with guilt over the way she and Dipper had forgotten the production of ‘Twelfth Night’ that Mabel had worked her ass off for. They had attended the first performance they could, sitting next to each other in the very first row while Mabel took care of business backstage. Once the house lights had dimmed and the first wonderfully, garishly bedazzled players had entered, Dipper had furtively grabbed Jo’s hand, squeezing it for dear life. He didn’t have to say anything. She knew that seeing Mabel’s hard work glittering under the stage lights, imbued with a little bit of that glitteriness that Mabel seemed to have in surplus, it made it all the more real. She knew the guilt churning in her stomach was the same guilt that churned in his. Mabel had poured so much of herself into this, worked at least as hard as they had on their expedition to Tahoe, devoted her life to it for months. Neither of them took for granted how they had hurt her.
There was so much Jo would change about that opening night if she could. She wouldn’t just have been there, she’d have gotten there early. She’d have brought Mabel snacks to keep her going, knowing she often forgot to eat when she was neck deep in a project. She’d have sat in the front row, with or without Dipper, and she would have cheered until she was hoarse. And if she had somehow still failed to make it to the damn play… well, needless to say she wouldn’t have done the rest over. When she’d said as much to Dipper once, he had pointed out to her how much good had come out of that debacle. Not only the recognition and opportunity (and cash prize) that came with the photos Mabel had gotten of the Lone Pine Mountain Devils practically by accident, but more importantly the transparency in their newly blossoming relationship. Even so, she was still having a difficult time trying to forgive herself. For embarrassing Mabel and letting her down, for recklessly putting herself and the two people she loved most in danger, she didn’t understand why they seemed to think any of it was forgivable.
And now Pacifica was singing when she should have been the one singing, and Mabel was standing on the other side of the stage, watching the performance and artfully avoiding Jolene’s gaze. The song was almost over and Jo wished it would just end already. Every note that Pacifica sang into that microphone, she found herself feeling just a little guiltier. Mabel had been so proud of everyone that had performed, no matter how poor their performance had been. She’d applauded them for their bravery as much as their talent. Aren’t I supposedly brave? Jolene asked herself bitterly. Even Toby Determined had gotten up their and tap danced, did that mean even he was braver than she?
Pacifica finished the song on a sustained note that to Jolene’s ear sounded a little flat, but the crowd was applauding her all the same. She did a somewhat affected little curtsy and said, “Thank you, everyone.” into the microphone before handing it off to Mabel and leaving the stage. As she passed, Jo tried not to glare at the blond girl. She’d never had any problem with Pacifica, but at the moment she wouldn’t have minded wiping the self-impressed smile off her face.
Mabel looked at Jo one last time, giving her an opening even though Pacifica’s slot had been the intended last one. Jo shook her head stiffly, almost automatically, telling herself that if she got up there this angry, she wouldn’t perform decently anyway. Really, she knew it was just stage fright, pure and simple. Mabel turned back to the audience, “Wowee, for a small town, there’s a crazy lot of talent up in here!” the crowd cheered for themselves, “Our esteemed judges have one tough decision ahead of them! They’ll have a quick chat to talk it over and then we’ll reveal the winnerrr!” She hopped down from the stage lightly, making her way to the judges’ table to check in with them. Mabel just didn’t get the way that this felt for Jo. Mabel didn’t have to do anything special for people to love her. She got onstage and just acted like herself and that was enough. But of course it was, Mabel positively glowed, no matter what she was doing. She didn’t realize it didn’t come that easily for everyone.
The judges conferred hotly for a few minutes before quieting down. Even without hearing their discourse, it was easy to tell that Mayor Cutebiker was voicing his concerns about Soos’ disregard for the Never Mind All That Act. Jo could see Mabel confirm that they were all okay with the verdict, each of them nodding in turn, before she climbed back onto the stage, “Ladies and gentlemen, after much consideration the judges have made their decision!” The audience cheered even though Mabel hadn’t announced much of anything yet, “Although there was some squabbling about the content of the winning act, the judges unanimously agreed that this person showed the most chutzpah!” The audience cheered louder, although Jo was sure some of them had no idea what chutzpah was, “Without further ado, I’d like you to put your hands together for tonight’s winner,” she paused theatrically, letting the anticipation build, before squeezing her eyes shut and gleefully yelling, “SOOOOOOOOOS!”
Soos clambered onto the stage, looking astonished and honored, his eyes tearful, “Oh wow, doods!”
“You win, dude!” Mabel chirped at Soos.
“Cool, what do I win?” Soos asked.
Mabel punched his shoulder playfully, “Bragging rights, of course!” she replied smoothly, “From now on,” she continued, wrapping an arm around Soos and gesturing broadly at the middle distance, “ You can tell anybody that asks and anybody that doesn’t that you and only you were the victor of the first ever Mabel Pines Talentacular Spectacular!”
“Oh man, dood,” Soos said, his eyes narrowing, his fist clenching for emphasis, “That is one killer prize. Thank you doods so much!”
The crowd applauded for a moment longer before they began filing out of their chairs, walking to their cars, and leaving. Soos got down from the stage and retrieved his laptop, excitedly relaying the events of the talent show to Melody as if she hadn’t just witnessed it herself. She could be heard matching his delighted tone, laughing at each punch line all over again, and telling him how proud she was. Before the last people had gone, Wendy started folding and gathering the chairs the audience had occupied and Dipper and Jo joined in. Mabel set about gathering garbage into a trash bag while Stan and Ford set about dismantling the makeshift stage. In the span of half an hour, they had the ‘theater’ turned back into a yard, leaving the stacked folding chairs and the wooden pallets and boards to store away the following day. Stan and Ford went off to bed, up a few hours later than their standard bedtime. Soos and Wendy hung around a little longer, joking about some of the night’s acts with the triplets before saying their goodnights and heading off to their respective homes.
The triplets trudged up the stairs to the attic without speaking. They had had a long day prepping for the talent show and it was quite late now. Jolene’s body was tired but her mind was whizzing in circles. Mabel had been unusually quiet while they had been cleaning up in the yard, and even when they’d been hanging out with Wendy and Soos. Dipper entered the room first, opening the closet and eagerly stuffing his tuba case in the bottom where he could go back to trying to forget about it.
Without shame or ceremony, Mabel went to the trunk by the foot of her and Jo’s bunk bed (the top bunk of which was now very rarely occupied) and set about changing into her pajamas. She’d worn a grass green dress for the talent show, a small pink handkerchief tied smartly around her throat in a style that Jolene didn’t think anyone else would be able to carry off without looking like a total tool. As always, Mabel had looked luminous, the image of summer itself in green and pink with her hair loose and wild around her shoulders. And now she was matter-of-factly draping the green dress over the baseboard of the bottom bunk, reaching up behind her back to deftly unclasp her bra.
Jolene knew her sister’s body as well as her own (not that she could ever know it well enough) but it seemed somehow immodest to watch her like this at the moment. She averted her eyes, feeling sickened with herself that she could let herself enjoy Mabel’s nudity when she’d only just hurt her. She sat down heavily on the bottom bunk and tugged off her scuffed orange hightops, letting them fall where they would. Across from her, Dipper had removed his shoes and socks and was unbuttoning his jeans just as she looked over. There was something somehow less graceful and wistful about the way a boy got undressed, she thought. It wasn’t a complaint, just an observation. She’d had had plenty of time to observe and relish the differences and similarities between her two lovers in the past couple months and it always gave her a sort of satisfaction to see them repeat a specific quirk she appreciated. She watched Dipper remove his pants, the unrestrained way he kicked them off so different from the gentle way that Mabel handled her more fragile garments.
In boxers and tee shirt, Dipper plopped back on his bed with a relaxed sigh. Folding his hands behind his head, he said conversationally, “I think the show was a success.”
“Sorry you didn’t win, bro-bro.” Mabel said, with a small snide smile.
Dipper snorted, “Oh, yeah, I really thought I had it in the bag. I mean, Sev’ral Timez’s never-released magnum opus ‘Mabel Girl’ on the tuba? That’s an instant classic.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Mabel said, slipping into an airy aqua nightgown.
“I was really depending on winning,” Dipper said with a mock-grave expression, “I don’t know how I’ll pay my bills without those bragging rights.”
“Hey, that was a good save!” Mabel countered, grabbing a brush and tugging it through her wind-tangled hair.
“I’m not denying that,” he said, laughter bubbling up from his chest, “It was freaking masterful. I just can’t believe we didn’t come up with a prize!”
“I know, even with all your spreadsheets!” Jo kept her eyes trained on the floor as they conversed, “It’s a good thing Soos won,” Mabel pointed, “If it had been Pacifica we’d be looking at a lawsuit.”
“True.” Dipper said, grabbing his hat off his head and hanging it from the bedpost, “She sang pretty well, huh?”
“Yeah.” Mabel said, lightly, before stepping into her bunny slippers and leaving for the bathroom. They were silent until after they heard Mabel brushing her teeth.
“I can’t believe you did that, Dipman.” Jo said, leaning back on her arms.
“Wait, what?” Dipper said, still absentmindedly ruffling his own hair, loosening it up after it had been cooped up under his hat all day, “Mabel and Pacifica worked their shit out ages ago, I was just saying.”
“No, not that, Dip,” Jolene said impatiently, ready to not hear another word about Pacifica’s performing in her place, “I can’t believe you got up there with your fricking tuba and did a Sev’ral Timez song that only Mabel’s ever even heard.”
Dipper propped himself up on his wiry arms and shrugged, “Ain’t no thang,” he said, with good-natured sarcasm, trying to get a smirk out of his mysteriously grumpy sister. His dorky attempts at nonchalance usually succeeded at that when all else failed.
Not this time, “Why’d you do it, though?”
Dipper frowned slightly, “To make Mabel smile.” he said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Because it is, genius, Jo chastised herself, It’s really fucking simple and you didn’t do the obvious good girlfriend thing. Scratch that! Just the good friend thing!
Just as it was dawning on Dipper that Jolene was considerably more than run of the mill grumpy, Mabel came back into the room, kicking off her slippers and bee-lining for the bed, “Scoot yer boot,” she said to Jo, giving her shoulder a small nudge so she could crawl into the bed. Jo wanted nothing more than to lie down and curl into Mabel’s arms and leave this failure of a day behind her, but she couldn’t let herself do that. It wouldn’t be right. Jo could feel Dipper studying her, picking up on her distress but currently running through a mental flow chart of possible ways to address it.
“I’m so sorry, Mabes!” Jo said, the words bubbling out of her before she knew they were coming.
“Wha--?” Mabel began, caught off guard.
“I’m so fucking sorry!” the words continued gushing out of Jo, “I didn’t mean to let you down again, I wanted to make it up to you--I do want to make it up to you--but like that? I just, you know I hate public speaking and I wanted to, but I just couldn’t, and you worked so hard on this and it’s the stupid play all over again and--”
“Whooa there, cowgirl, slow your roll!” Mabel exclaimed, sitting up and putting her hand gently on the top of Jolene’s head, “What in the hey are you apologizing for?”
“For not singing.” Jolene said, her words suddenly thickening in her throat and resisting being spoken.
“You don’t need to apologize to me for that,” Mabel said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “I’ve heard you sing. It’s the rest of the world that’s missing out. I just wanted to show you off, Jo-jo.”
“But I owe you more,” Jolene said, her voice raising slightly, “You worked so hard and I was supposed to do right by you this time!”
“First of all, you don’t owe us anything,” Dipper said evenly, as Mabel placed her hand on Jo’s back, moving it in soothing circles, “The second you start doing something because you feel obligated, we have a problem.” Dipper sat forward in bed, “You don’t need to apologize.”
Jolene hoped Mabel couldn’t feel the way she was trembling, “And second,” Mabel spoke up, adding onto what Dipper had said, “I worked so hard? You were busting your cute patootie putting up flyers all week and putting together the stage with Soos. I had an idea and you helped make it happen, Miss-Sis,” Jo could hear Mabel’s smile, “That’s doing right by me right there!”
“But that’s not enough!” Jo cried, feeling the tears welling in her eyes, “I put you through so much crap and I want to make you proud of m--”
“Oh my goshh, get down here, you absolute doof!” Mabel interjected, exasperated, grabbing Jolene around the waist and pulling her down into her embrace, “I am proud of you,” she said softly against Jo’s ear, squeezing her tightly from behind, “And that’s not changing.”
“But...you could’ve died,” Jolene said, plaintively, losing track of what she was apologizing for as the tears won out against her resolve.
“Plans-a-lot, do you copy?” Mabel said, her tone a bit urgent despite the gimmick, squeezing Jo tighter but lifting her head to look across the room at Dipper, “I’ve got a soldier sorely in need of a group hug. Requesting backup.”
Before Mabel had made it halfway through her plea, Dipper was across the room, wrapping his arms around his two sisters. Jolene’s face was pressed against Dipper’s chest and she wept openly against him, finding the smell of grass and sweat on his tee shirt oddly comforting. It was a very Dipper smell somehow, fresh and earthy and crisp. Mabel scooted back until she was very close to the wall, clutching Jo flush against her, making room so that Dipper could climb into the bed, never fully breaking their embrace. He squeezed them tighter, tucking Jo’s face into the crook of his shoulder.
Jo didn’t know how long she’d been crying when her tears slowed and her lips found Dipper’s. She tasted the salt of her tears between them, but his kiss was unhesitating, his lips gently but eagerly meeting hers, his tongue sweeping ever-so-gently, just into her mouth. There was something reassuring about the way his tongue approached her, not tentative, but subtle and entreating. It was like he was placing his hand in hers, but leaving it up to her to close her fingers. Dipper was not the most outwardly thoughtful person in the world, but his kisses were a glimpse into the infinite sweetness and goodness within him. It often felt to Jo as if Dipper was the only thing in the world that could calm her, that could contain her. His kiss was steady and encompassing, like the most reassuring of hugs.
As she met Dipper’s earnest kisses, Mabel spoke up, saying very gently beside her ear, “This wasn’t a test, and you didn’t fail it.” An ache of tenderness bloomed out from Jo’s chest at her words, realizing just how frightened she had been that she had failed. As if this talent show was some measure of how sorry she was, or how much she loved them, “And please stop with the blamey jazz in your head,” she stroked Jolene’s hair for emphasis causing her to sigh slightly into Dipper’s mouth, “If you guys hadn’t screwed up, we might never have gotten our shiz together. And this right here,” she pressed her cheek against Jo’s shoulder, “Is worth all the missed plays and angry devil birds in the whole universe, forever.”
Dipper broke into a smile, interrupting their kiss. Jo opened her eyes, to see his relaxed smile right it front of her, brown eyes soft even despite his lopsided grin, “It’s true, ya know,” he said, teasing gently and quickly kissing the tip of her nose, “A whole universe forever worth. That’s the scientific term.”
“Yo, bro,” Mabel said, lifting her head even as Jo giggled at Dipper’s comment, “Quit undermining my wooing!”
“I’m well and completely wooed, Mabey,” Jo assured her, with a watery smile, “I swear.”
Mabel grinned despite herself, her cheeks flushing slightly, “D’aww, listen to the smooth-talker,” she said, her hand finding and cupping Jo’s cheek, “Lemme woo you a little more just to be one hundred and ten percent suuuure.” Jolene was feeling well and thoroughly wooed as Mabel’s lips met hers. Sweet. There was just no word that fit Mabel better than the word sweet. She always wondered if it was a result of the sheer sugar intake, or if people really tasted like their personalities. She tried not to wonder what that would make her own flavor, but that was easy enough as kissing Mabel wasn’t exactly conducive to linear thought. Mabel’s kiss was not so heartbreakingly tender and almost polite like Dipper’s, no, it was fireworks bursting, cymbals crashing, fruit bubbling over with juice. If Dipper’s kisses contained her, it was Mabel’s that filled her. She opened her mouth, eager to catch all of Mabel’s sweetness on her tongue.
Beside them, Dipper laughed softly, “You always have to one-up me, don’t you?” he teased. Mabel pulled back just slightly, Jo catching her lip between her teeth to keep her from breaking their kiss entirely, but Mabel still sent a saucy wink at her brother over Jo. Before diving back into the kiss, proving Dipper’s point by running her hand intentionally up from Jo’s waist to her breast. Jo’s breath hitched just slightly at the contact as Dipper hissed out, “Oh, it’s on.”
An instant later, he had tackled Mabel, bumping his head on the top bunk but not letting it slow him down at all. Mabel wriggled and squealed as Dipper held her shoulders firmly in his hands, peppering her face and neck with fast, playful kisses. Jolene couldn’t help giggling at the spectacle. Gradually, Dipper’s kisses slowed and moved back towards the slow tenderness that was his norm. Mabel made a soft moan against him that sent a jolt through Jolene, surprised by the sudden shift to a sound she knew to be carnal in nature. She glanced down and found the cause, Dipper’s hips grinding slightly against Mabel’s.
The shift in her was instantaneous, as sudden as Mabel’s moan had been. She moved forward, eliciting a surprised gasp from Dipper’s as her lips found his neck, kissing firmly from his collarbone up to his ear. She took his earlobe swiftly into her mouth, in the way Mabel loved. Dipper, however, they had discovered, was very ticklish in that particular spot, and true to form, he yelped suddenly, breaking his and Mabel’s kiss and bonking his head on the upper bunk again. Jo snickered softly as she pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him, claiming his lips again without further ado.
“Oooh, what’s this?” Mabel cooed, silly as ever despite the soft husky tone her voice had taken on. She sidled up flush against them, “Miss Jo-jo looks like she’s got a hankering for the Dipstick!” Dipper snorted but didn’t break their kiss, his hands tangling in her hair, “Well, let the Mabel be of assistance, my darlings.” Her hands slipped between Dipper and Jo’s bodies, surprising them both slightly. Reluctantly, Jo broke the kiss to see what Mabel was up to, only to be met with a mischievous smile as her fingers found the button of Jo’s jeans, raising an eyebrow challengingly as she slipped it through the buttonhole and began to drag the zipper down, teasingly slow.
Jo grinned, climbing off of Dipper just long enough for Mabel to peel her out of her jeans. She leaned down to kiss Mabel, kicking her bunched up jeans from her ankles. Dipper’s hand surprised her slightly, gently cupping her bottom before gliding around to the side to give her plain black undies a tug. He began kissing her shoulder while she kissed Mabel, his grip on her panties getting slightly more insistent. After a few moments of this treatment, he gave a small exasperated groan and took matters into his own hands, simply grabbing Jo by the waist and pulling her back on top of him. She managed the briefest of mock-glares before gamely diving back into his kisses, her veins electrifying each time she felt Dipper’s cock grind softly against her through the thin fabric of their underwear. Mabel sat up and decisively grabbed the hem of Jo’s tee shirt, pulling it up and off of her, breaking her and Dipper’s kiss for the briefest possible moment. Her small, nimble hands wasted no time, diving between them at once to fondle one of Jo’s breasts, carefully freeing the other from her bra and taking her nipple in her mouth.
Jo moaned into Dipper’s mouth at the stimulation, Mabel having spent many happy hours learning exactly what tooth to lip ratio worked the best. Without properly breaking the kiss, Dipper muttered a hoarse ‘oh my fucking god’ against Jo’s lips, looking down hungrily at his sisters. Jo opened her eyes (not knowing when exactly she had closed them) and glanced down at Mabel. As if the sight (and feel) of her sister’s ministrations wasn’t enough, she instantly followed Dipper’s gaze to Mabel’s free hand, hidden beneath the skirt of her nightgown. Involuntarily, the sight made Jo grind harder against Dipper and he gasped. He broke away from Jo’s kiss for a moment, his breath labored, his eyes glued to the movements of Mabel’s wrist. Without hesitation, he grabbed her wrist gently and her hand stilled, her mouth releasing Jo’s nipple so she could look at Dipper and find out why he had stopped her. Before she could even begin to formulate her question, she felt his hand slip under her nightgown, giving a small squeak as his fingers nudged her panties to the side. He ran his fingertips along the length of her wetness for a moment before pressing inside of her.
Jo relished the sound her sister made, the sound simultaneously primal and somehow delicate. She ground more insistently against Dipper’s erection, his hips rising to meet her, as she watched Mabel lay back beside him. Mabel and Dipper’s lips crashed against each other at once, and Jo thought as she had before how perfect it was the way that Dipper’s kisses held and Mabel’s kisses filled. The change in position twisted her nightgown up around her waist, and Jo bit her lip hard at the sight of her sister’s flat tummy, and the way her soft pink lips partly around Dipper’s finger, already glistening with her wetness. Jolene grunted softly, humping against Dipper in earnest now. Time didn’t exist, so hypnotized was she by the sight of the two beautiful, impassioned people before her.
Her trance was interrupted by Dipper’s free hand, his fingers grazing her hip, catching in the waistband of her undies and tugging. Getting the non-verbal signal and agreeing enthusiastically, Jo got up just enough to shimmy out of her underwear and to pull off Dipper’s boxers. Perched between his knees, she felt a tugging desire in the pit of her belly at the sight of Dipper’s penis, but couldn’t help smiling slightly at the way it swayed as his hips gave a couple of discreet thrusts. Although she could feel her own wetness between her thighs, before climbing back on top of him, she couldn’t resist taking him into her mouth. He gasped at the unexpected sensation, bucking against her face. She fell into a rhythm, sucking him steadily as she moved her mouth up and down, nearly off of him, and swirled her tongue lazily against him.
She glanced up to see Dipper and Mabel both watching her, Dipper’s fingers moving faster inside of Mabel. Mabel was trying to watch, but Jo could tell she was very close to cumming, recognizing the shade of her cheeks and her shortness of breath easily. She met Mabel’s eyes, never slowing her ministrations, and watched in disbelief as the moment of eye contact pushed Mabel over the edge. Jo’s eyes jumped at once to Mabel’s pussy, seeing the smallest flicker of her contractions around Dipper’s fingers.
Unable to wait any longer, Jo straddled Dipper again. He met her eyes intensely, his pupils dilated and dark and a faint sheen of sweat on his face. Reaching under herself, Jo carefully guided him to her entrance before easing her weight onto him. A delicious, guttural sound escaped him as he was engulfed in her wet heat. Mabel planted kisses all over his cheek and neck as he stared up at Jo, entranced. His hands, one still wet from Mabel found her hips and he pushed her down into his thrust.
Jo had resisted admitting her feelings for Dipper for so long, long after her feelings for Mabel had become undeniable. She had pushed her desire for him away, hoping that it would just evaporate. Of course, it never did and now she couldn’t believe how much better he felt than she ever could have imagined. It took no thought to fall into his rhythm, matching each other’s thrusts the most natural thing in the world.
She managed to tear her eyes away from Dipper’s intent face and darkly shining eyes to look at Mabel. She looked so luxuriously sensual, the aqua fabric in a frothy nimbus around her waist, her arms extended loosely above the cloud of dark curls, her wet flushed sex exposed, her face dewy and dreamy and pink. She had stopped peppering Dipper with kisses for a moment to watch their lovemaking. Absently, Jo’s hand strayed from Dipper’s chest, gliding along Mabel’s creamy thigh. Mabel gasped slightly, but her hips strained towards Jo, eagerly trying to meet her touch. Dipper grunted at the sight, thrusting even more deeply inside of Jo and dragging a moan from her. Jo trailed her fingers ever-so-lightly across Mabel’s lips, delighting in how insistently she bucked towards her from so small a touch. Without further hesitation, she dove two fingers deep inside her and Mabel cried out.
Dipper captured Mabel’s lips in his, interrupting her cry, thrusting desperately into Jo at a staccato pace. Jo met Dipper’s thrusts, her mind somewhere very far away as she relished the feel of him, the orgasm building steadily inside her belly, and the intense heat and slickness of that part of Mabel that Dipper had only just filled. Everything here was steam and flesh and sweet sweat and through it all, a pervading devotion that made Jo’s heart feel ready to break. She would give anything in the world not to ever hurt them again, to let nothing hurt them. Just being their sister, just knowing them at all was a blessing, being here in this transcendent world of pleasure with them was more than she could ever have asked for. She could tell that Mabel was close, those same familiar indicators on her face and her thighs trembling.
Jo’s orgasm crashed down upon her without warning. So deep in trance had she been, she wasn’t sure when she and Dipper had switched places, but there she was, underneath him, tremors of ecstasy shaking her to her core. He only lasted a few seconds longer than her, pulling out and clutching himself as he came on her quivering belly. He leaned down and bestowed her with a few more of those preciously sweet kisses before flopping down beside her. Again she was lying with Mabel to one side and Dipper to the other. While Dipper was gulping in lungfuls of air, Jo turned to check on Mabel. She was dazzled by the blissful smile with which she was met. She couldn’t help but smile back, as Mabel purred a quiet, “Heyyyy, Miss-Sisss…”
“Hi there,” Jo said slowly, unable to clear the cobwebs from her brain just yet. She said nothing for a moment and then, with a startled realization, asked, “Oh, man, Mabey. Did you…?” Her words failed her, no word seeming to come close to what she had just experienced.
“Mm-hmmmmmm,” Mabel replied with a slow, contented nod. Relieved that she hadn’t left Mabel hanging, Jo pulled Mabel to her shoulder. She luxuriated in the feeling of Mabel’s soft, misty skin against her. Just then, Dipper gave a sudden snore, causing Jo to start. Mabel giggled against Jo’s neck, “Guess we really tuckered the ole boy out.”
Jo grinned against Mabel’s forehead before planting a long, grateful kiss there, “I love you, Mabes. So fucking much.”
“I love you too, nerd.” Mabel said, barely above a whisper.
“I’m serious, Mabey. I’d do anything for you.” Jo said, suddenly overwhelmed with a need to make sure Mabel knew just exactly how adored she was. Mabel snickered, and Jo knew that laugh. That was the laughing at you in my head laugh, “What? What’s funny?”
“Nah, nah, just the lil teensy devil’s advocate in my head…” Mabel said lightly.
Dipper gave another loud snore as Jo insisted, “What’s that little shit saying now?”
“Now this isn’t what I think, it’s just a thing that my brain did,” Mabel said, as if that explanation would assuage anyone’s concerns, “Ms. Advocate said that you wouldn’t sing for me.”
“She’s wrong,” Jo said, without hesitation. Mabel raised an eyebrow sluggishly, “I will always sing for you. It was the crowd I don’t want to sing for.”
“...will you sing for me now?” she asked, giving Jo a doe-eyed upward glance from her spot on her shoulder.
“I will, Mabey, baby,” Jo said, phrasing it intentionally. She watched the grin spread on Mabel’s face as she recognized the in-joke, knowing immediately what Jo was going to sing, “Mabey, baby,” she crooned softly, barely above a whisper, “I’ll have you,” Mabel cuddled still closer, “Mabey, baby, you’ll be true,” Jo pulled Mabel near, curling lovingly into each other, “Mabey, baby, you will love me someday--”
“Surprise!” Mabel said, popping up suddenly and making Jo jump. She cocked her head quizzically, “I love you today.” Jo kissed her, hardly able to stop smiling long enough to do it right.
So glad you enjoy the Jo au, anon! Yes, I do plan on writing more in that au, I have a couple one shot ideas I plan to work on once I finish up the multi-chapter MaBill fic I'm working on at the moment (which I haven't yet begun posting). I know a couple other fic authors have ideas for fics within the Jolene au, although I don't think anyone has put pen to paper about it yet. This seems as good a time as any to point out that anyone interested in creating any fic or art in this au has my very enthusiastic blessing! Tl; dr- yes! There will be more Jo, but idk when or who will get around to writing it first!
“Just Because You Can” Part 7 of 7, Chapters 23-26
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7 FIN]
The Pines triplets, Mabel, Dipper, and Jolene, have always been best friends. But lately, there’s been some distance growing between the Mystery Kids, due in part to the forbidden feelings with which they are each struggling. How will they manage to see eye to eye, when torn between wanting each other and craving adventure?
(This is a new AU that I’ve been calling Jolene AU, devised by myself and @handleonthescandal after one of us asked the question “What if Mabel and Dipper were triplets but with another sister?”. Although this AU is similar, it is not connected to Double Dippin’ AU, and Jolene is in no way connected to Tyrone.)
Shoutout to @sirwaddlesesquire for being the trustiest squire and an insightful, helpful, and supportive beta.
Mostly SFW, mostly angst with some action/adventure and a little bit of fluff, tw incest
Fic under the cut, enjoy!
Chapter 23: Up a Tree
They had scrambled about five or six feet up, clumsy in the darkness, when they heard another hiss. This one was different, however. Not so much a chilling threat from the depths of hell, and more of a “Psssst!”
“Jo?” Mabel and Dipper inquired in unison, quiet but eager, hoping against hope.
“I’m sorry,” Jo replied, her voice unmistakable, even when it was hardly making a sound.
“Later,” Dipper insisted, “Bigger problems.”
Jo’s hand landed on Mabel’s as she shimmied down the tree to join them. Clammy, scabbing, tacky with sap, Mabel had never felt anything equal to it. She gripped her sister’s hand, and they listened to Dipper grumbling, trying to concoct a plan. Death waited just below, but Mabel found she was no longer scared. A dim light was creeping into the sky when Dipper swore, “Shit!”
“What’s up, broseph?” Mabel asked, careful to make as little sound as possible. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but every few minutes they would hear the awful hiss or screech or rustle of the monsters close at hand.
“I just don’t know what to do,” he replied, his anxious whisper verging on a whine.
“You got dis, Plans-a-lot,” Mabel encouraged.
“Good one,” Jo said with an approving snort.
“If only we had a cliff,” Dipper bemoaned.
“We do,” Jolene said, giving Dipper’s shoulder a friendly poke. She pointed into the dark clearing, not quite in the direction her siblings had climbed up. They couldn’t see further than a foot or two, even with the night darkness lifting ever-so-slightly, but she explained, “There’s a chasm-y thing. I knocked one in and almost fell in myself. He took my pack with him,” she added, with a shrug of her unencumbered shoulders.
Dipper considered what Jolene had said, trying not to get distracted by the perturbing thought of her falling into a chasm. As the pale pre-dawn light crept into the sky, he realized with relief that his sisters were becoming visible. It was as subtle and gradual as one’s eyes adjusting to the dark after turning out a lamp. He couldn’t see them clearly but after the enveloping velvet black of moonless night, all it took to enchant him was the colorless halos of their mussed hair, the occasional glint at the corner of Mabel’s eye or Jo’s glasses, or the barely-perceptible softness of a cheek. There circumstances were still dire, but somehow, the ability to see was heartening. Not only because it would aid in their survival, but because there was nothing that could ease his mind right now like seeing his best friends.
Jo watched as Dipper silently considered her contribution. She realized suddenly that sunrise must be nearing. When Mabel and Dip had first climbed up, she hadn’t been able to see them at all. But now she could make out Dipper’s profile, his brow drawn low in contemplation. She couldn’t see it, but knew he was chewing the inside of his cheek in lieu of a pen. Her stomach churned, thinking how certain she’d been under an hour earlier that she would never see either of her triplets again. It had been with a combination of fear and relief that she had heard them below. Clutching onto the tree in terror, she had thought for an instant that she was hallucinating. She had never been more grateful to see them, but at the same time was sickened that she was the reason their lives were now in danger.
Especially Mabey, she thought, her eyes moving to her sister. Mabel was facing her more directly than Dipper, so her features were almost entirely obscured in the dim light. Jolene didn’t have to see Mabel’s face to know she was terrified and far out of her depth. Dipper was good under pressure and had spent many a day adventuring with Jo, invariably saving her from her own irresponsibility. As frightened and stumped as he was, he was nevertheless in his element, while Mabel probably wasn’t even dressed for a hike. Jo gave her sister’s hand a reassuring squeeze and heard the nearly inaudible sound of a weak smile. She was about to say something encouraging, when another frustrated groan from Dipper broke the silence.
“Dipman?” she asked.
“If only we had some bait!” he lamented, his tone desperate, even as his volume remained hardly a whisper. Mabel snickered and Jolene was sure that Dipper cast her a withering look, even though none of them could see it in the darkness, “What the heck is funny about that?!” he hissed at her.
“Sorry, bro-bro,” she apologized unconvincingly, “It’s just we do have bait.”
“...no, it’s too risky,” Dipper said gravely, “We’re not using any of us as bait.”
Mabel tittered another nervous laugh before silencing herself, “Such a flippin’ drama queen, bro, oh my god,” Jo heard a soft oof and assumed Mabel had nudged Dipper’s shoulder, “I took some meat from the fridge before we left home, ya dork,”
“Good thinkin’, sis-tective,” Jo said, grinning at the use of the long-retired nickname.
“Why the fuck didn’t you mention that?” Dipper chastised, but his heart wasn’t in it. His quiet voice had already taken on a more hopeful tone and she could almost imagine the organized outline of a plan taking form in his mind. They perched silently in the tree for a moment that felt very long, and then Dipper sighed.
“How’s it goin’ in there, bro?” Jo asked, impatient with Dipper’s methodical silence.
The familiar butterflies in her stomach made themselves known as she realized that she could see Dipper’s face before her, make out his nose, his jaw, his lips. Her vivid mental picture of him easily filled in the strained brown eyes and birthmark beneath his forelock, “It’s a little crazy,” he said hesitantly, “But I have a plan.”
Chapter 24: Mystery Kids
Vibrant reds and pinks were bleeding into the sky as the triplets cautiously made their way down the tree. They huddled by its monstrous trunk and watched, blinking often in an effort to adjust their eyes, as the clearing came properly into view. The vivid sky was in stark contrast to the black-silhouetted trees and the shadowy dimness of the summit itself. Since first light, the Devils had been raising their chilling voices to call each other and slinking off to roost. Mabel wondered for a moment what sort of nest they called home before deciding she’d just as soon remain ignorant.
Beside her, Jolene was making every effort to be silent as she unbuckled Dipper’s pack, still secured to his back, and reached inside, “Ew, so organized,” she teased him quietly.
“Just get the rope, Jo,” Dipper sighed. In response, Jo placed something in Dipper’s hands, “This is not a rope.” Dipper pointed out.
“Shucks, you’re an observant one,” Jo teased, pulling a tightly wound ball of rope from Dip’s pack.
“Why did you gimme this, Jo?” Dipper asked, holding up the first item. As he held it up, Mabel recognized it as a disposable camera.
“The same reason you didn’t take it out of your pack,” Jo said simply, placing the rope in Dipper’s free hand, “If we can get a pictu--”
“No, I didn’t take it out of my pack because I was in a rush to save your ass, again--” Dipper interrupted, his voice raising slightly for the first time.
“Shut up!” Mabel hissed, “We can yell at each other later,”
“Fine,” Dipper said, resignedly, slapping the camera into Mabel’s hands. Mabel and Jo exchanged a brief glance, wordlessly agreeing not to step on Dipper’s toes until they were out of harm’s way.
Jo then moved to Mabel’s pack, “Huh,” she whispered, appreciatively, “Not so organized,” she rummaged around in the mess of Mabel’s pack for a moment before extricating the shrink-wrapped package of beef and handing it off to Dipper. She gave a silent ‘follow me’ gesture and the three crept as silently as they could, until they came to the chasm Jolene had described. Mabel peered down, and the black depths reminded her of the Bottomless Pit by the Mystery Shack. Only she hoped it didn’t work quite the same, or a Lone Pine Mountain Devil and Jolene’s backpack would be spit out any second now.
Dipper considered the jagged lips of the chasm and its mysterious darkness as he tore the taut plastic of the meat packaging with his index finger. Dipper was grateful for the dim light as it concealed his flush, embarrassed by his own outburst at Jo. Mabel was right, of course, yelling at each other now wasn’t just pointless, it was extremely dangerous. He’d thought he’d be overwhelmed with joy at being reunited with Jo, and of course, he was happy that she was intact, but he was surprised by the anger that flared in him. This was so reckless of her, he fumed, even as he chastised himself for being mad, So beyond stupid.
The meat in the package was roughly cut into pieces, intended to be used to make stew. By feel, Dipper selected the largest piece. It was yielding to the touch of his hand, and he hefted the wet weight of it with mild satisfaction. It’ll do. He handed the package back to Jo distractedly as he set about unwinding the rope. It was about seven yards long, but he only freed as much as he thought he’d need, leaving the rest coiled in tight even rows. As he tightened and re-tightened the knot, making sure the large piece of meat was secure, Dip turned back to Jo, “And you’re absolutely sure they’re flightless, right?” he whispered.
Jolene nodded stiffly, “Yeah, I’m sure. They can run, and pretty fast, and they’ll flap their wings,” she gave a small chicken-dance motion to illustrate, “Like chickens do, but I think they’re too heavy to really get airborne.”
“Good,” Dipper said, nodding, “We’re screwed if they can fly,” Jo snorted, in agreement and morbid amusement. Dipper peered overhead, happy to see that a few sturdy branches overhung the chasm not too far up. He was just beginning to heft the piece of meat in his hand, preparing to throw, when Jo put a hand on his bicep to stop him.
“Let me do it,” she said, leaving no room for disagreement, “I have the best arm,”
Annoyance flared in Dipper for an instant, but he had to admit that she was right. Now is no time to flatter your pride, he reminded himself, Whatever our best chance of survival is, that’s what we need to do. With only a twinge of reluctance, Dipper handed the meat and the rope to Jo, trading it for the package of the remaining pieces. He knew he was the fastest, and the best job for him seemed clear, “Okay, Mabes, you stay with Jo, I’m going to lure these things over here.”
Mabel didn’t have a chance to protest or even whisper a ‘good luck’ before Dipper darted off into the easing darkness.
Chapter 25: Mystery Kids, Cont’d
“He’s been gone too long,” Mabel said, nervously.
“He has not,” Jo assured her, although her own confidence was wavering, “It’s only been a couple minutes, Miss Sis.” She could tell from the pinched tone in Mabel’s voice that she was worried, and she couldn’t risk making it any worse. Dipper can handle himself, she reminded herself, although each second made her more anxious for his return.
Mabel was unsure, but said nothing. She was listening intently, trying to hear footsteps, or wings, half-convinced that any second her brother’s scream would break the still of dawn. The mountain was waking up, normal non-nightmarish birds and small critters tittering now and then in the sparse foliage. Mabel was straining her ears to detect any sign of her brother, when one bird-call sounded that didn’t quite fit in. It sounded like it was meant to be the call of a Mourning Dove, if there were some deformity to said Dove’s throat. “Is that--?” Mabel began to ask.
“Doofus’ idea of an inconspicuous signal,” Jolene scoffed and Mabel could just make out Jo’s smirk in the diffused light. Mabel gave a small laugh of affectionate derision as Jo devoted all her focus to throwing the bait. She gave a couple false starts, winding up her arm and taking aim before finally letting the meat soar. It sailed overhead and hooked over a thick pine bough, dangling down over the chasm exactly according to plan.
“Wowzer, Jo-jo,” Mabel said with an impressed grin, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you been practicing,”
“Oh yeah, y’know,” Jo teased, easing up a bit more rope to dangle the bait a little lower, “A daily regimen of toss-the-meat to keep me limber,” Mabel couldn’t help but giggle at that and Jo flashed her a wide smile. Maybe it was due to the fear and separation and confusion of the whole night, perhaps it was the way the rising sun was making it possible to see ever clearer, but Mabel was absolutely dazzled by her sister’s smile. She was gathering the wits to say something to her, how she loved her, how happy she was to see her, but her reverie was interrupted by another strangled Mourning Dove call, this time much nearer.
She turned around to be greeted by a terribly troubling sight. Dipper was running towards them, his brown hair swept back from his birthmarked forehead by his own speed. His face was drawn in concentration, his mouth a thin line, his nostrils flaring. For once, it was hardly Dipper than held Mabel’s eye, though. Close at his heels were several Lone Pine Mountain Devils, all the more fearsome now that she could see them.
They were less like birds than she’d hoped, and more like raptors. With powerful legs ending in menacing talons that tore the earth underfoot, and long sinewy necks that curved in an s-shape, like that of a crane. Their wings, although broad and plumed, Mabel could now tell were too small. They did not have the flimsy look of most flightless wings, like those of an ostrich, but at a glance it was clear that they could never properly keep a Devil aloft. At the joint of each was a fearsome hooked claw, and it was with these that they were desperately swiping in her brother’s direction. Their heads had a lean aquiline shape but came to a point not in the curved beak of a bird of prey, but in the scaley fanged sneer of some prehistoric horror. Their jaws gnashed hungrily, baring rows and rows of jagged reptilian fangs, now and then catching a piece of meat clean out of the air, thrown by Dipper over his shoulder. It reminded Mabel sickeningly of a dog jumping to catch a frisbee, but way more terrifying and completely less cute, she corrected herself. She noticed with alarm that Dipper was headed straight for the chasm and her stomach lurched. Before Mabel could voice her fears, she heard Jo mutter, “You got this Dipman, c’mon, you got thiiissss.”
She trusted in her sister, despite the instinct to intervene, and watched as Dipper ran towards the chasm, only to clumsily jump-slash-roll to the side at the last instant. Two of the Devils had picked up too much momentum and went skidding into the hole, flapping their wings hopelessly and giving bone-chilling screeches as they plummeted down. Mabel tried to ignore the sound of their bodies colliding heavily with a stony death far below. Dipper chucked the, now-empty, polystyrene tray at the remaining Devils, who fought over it with cartoonish ferocity, shreds raining down around them. Mabel dropped to a crouch, her free hand finding Dipper’s, “You okay?”
“Yeah, Mabes,” he panted, a little winded from his stunt, giving her a reassuring smile, “‘M’okay,” He squeezed her hand.
“Nice entrance, bro,” Jo commented, a little distracted by manipulating the rope in her hands, managing to cause the piece of bait to swing pendulously over the chasm. As if on cue, a couple of the Lone Pine Mountain Devils turned their heads, gold hawk eyes blazing, reptilian nostrils aquiver as they caught the bloody scent. Mere seconds apart, they ran at the chasm single-mindedly, shoving each other and hissing competitively. At the last instant, with a grunt, Jo tugged the rope hard, drawing the meat a foot or so out of reach as the Devils took their hungry leap, only to fall hopelessly to join their brethren. The rushing sound of their churning wings, and their shrieking, only lasted briefly before they met their end. By the sound of it, their fall was cushioned slightly by the corpses below.
Jo flashed a smug smile at Mabel and Dipper, a quip rising to her lips. But it never came, replaced instead by a scream of pain and surprise. She released the rope instantly and it went flying out of her hands, as she staggered back a few steps, staring at her palms. It took Dipper just one look around, and a few seconds to cobble together what had happened. Just as Jo had been turning to her triplets, her grip loosening confidently on the rope, one of the three remaining monsters took note of the bait and made a daring leap. With the strength of its legs and one firm beat of its wings, it successfully launched itself to the bait, its jaws snapping shut tight around its prize. Its weight had pulled heavily on the rope, whipping through Jo’s loosened grip and burning her hands. Even as he went to Jo’s side to check the damage of the rope burn, the Devil could be heard thrashing and screaming as it sank into the earth.
Mabel, however, did not know what had happened. Her blistered and aching feet felt glued to the spot as her mind raced to try and tell what had happened to her sister. Dipper was peering at Jo’s hands, but it was still too dim for him to see without leaning close. A ghastly hiss reminded her that danger was still very close at hand and she whirled to see the two remaining Devils staring straight at she and her siblings. Her feet unglued themselves and she was backing away, though it was purely instinct, rather than intent. The larger beast trained its sights on Jo and Dipper, while the smaller stalked closer to Mabel, warbling threateningly. The soft loose skin of its throat and jowls rippled with the sound and Mabel’s blood ran cold. Suddenly, her steps were very much intentional, as she tried in vain to keep some distance between herself and the creature.
With the next step, she found she could go no further. She tried again, feeling her pack tug, trying to free itself from a branch on which it was snagged. Mabel could hear the grunts and scuffles, and predatory cries, of the two people dearest to her caught in a perilous fight but reminded herself impatiently, you can’t help them if you can’t help yourself! She pulled and pulled, feeling like a fly caught in a spider’s web, as the Devil approached, flapping its wings ostentatiously. Mabel could feel panic creeping up on her, groping for something to protect herself, wishing she had a weapon instead of a stupid camera. Worth a shot, she decided, snorting hurriedly at the unintentional pun, as she fumbled with the power button, eagerly hiding her face behind the camera as her finger mashed the shutter again and again. Instead of looking through the viewfinder, she squeezed her eyes shut, cowering, knowing the camera could not shield her from her imminent grisly death.
When said death did not come, she peered out, startled by the strobe of the camera’s bright flash. The Devil before her was startled too, to put it mildly. It was whining and blinking, staggering in the wrong direction, a bit to Mabel’s right. With the momentary lull (and trying not to be distracted by the sounds of her siblings’ strife a few feet away), Mabel reached behind herself and unhooked her pack, walking closer to the Devil and taking another picture of it. The flash seemed to sear its eyes and it gave an offended cry. It seemed to decide she was not worth the meal, turning away from her and running, with uneven gait, into the trees. She was still pressing the button repeatedly, but nothing was happening and she realized she’d reached the end of the roll of film and slipped the camera into a side pocket of her pack, before turning to help Dipper and Jolene.
Dipper and Jolene were much too focused on their impending doom to think about the repeated flashes of the camera, or to give much thought to the kind of pictures Mabel might be getting. Their adversary had managed to back them up against the precipice of the chasm and it was evidently trying to decide who it ought to eat first. Dipper stood to Jo’s left, racking his brain for some solution, some trick, some way out of this fix, but none presented itself.
“I’m sorry, Dipper,” Jo mumbled suddenly beside him. She was giving him a guilty sidelong look, “I’m sorry I put you two in danger,” he shook his head, not sure whether he was urging her not to feel guilty or not to continue speaking, “I broke my promise,”
“Jolene,” he managed a strained whisper. She looked at him expectantly, her green eyes fearful and yet still glittering intently. Even scared as she is, he admired, she’d never go down without a fight. The Lone Pine Mountain Devil hissed, and her eyes darted to it, but Dipper’s eyes remained on her, “I love you,” he heard himself whisper.
Jo’s eyes shot back to Dipper’s instantly, questioning, but she didn’t get the chance to ask a thing.
“HEY BIRDBRAIN!!” Mabel’s voice rang out, shattering the quiet tension of the moment with all the grace of her word choice, “Get your dumb stinky talons away from my peeps or I’m gonna mess, you, up!” The Devil reacted at once, recognizing some challenge in Mabel’s actions. She was standing several feet to Jo’s right, her feet firmly planted shoulder width apart, her hands thrust in the pockets of her (now filthy) black jeans.
“Mabel!” Dipper exclaimed, warning her, although his voice managed also to give away tremendous fear and confusion.
“That’s right, you feathery freakshow!!” Mabel goaded, “Let’s see if you can take the POWER OF MABEL!” Her voice climbed to a shout as the beast charged at her. Her right hand dug in her pocket and a second later, with a triumphant ululation, she engulfed the creature’s face in a cloud of glitter. It screeched in surprise and stumbled back a step, its wings trying awkwardly to wipe at its eyes.
“Ya dodo!” Jo grunted as she closed the short distance between herself and the newly bedazzled Lone Pine Mountain Devil, and with a swift kick sent it sailing down to join its comrades at the bottom of the chasm. There were no more Devils in sight, but with the sun still not fully risen, and the occasional hiss in the brush, the triplets exchanged only a brief wordless look of uncertain victory before fleeing the clearing and starting the long eager scramble down the mountainside.
Chapter 26: This Talk With You
The sun had climbed high by the time they reached the cars, the morning brilliant and clear. They had moved quickly, driven by mortal fear, for the first hour or so before the adrenaline had really begun to wear off. The night was over by that point, and they began reluctantly to accept that the danger truly was over.
As her adrenaline ebbed, Mabel had found it harder and harder to ignore the painful state of her feet. Her ankles ached terribly from absorbing the shock of every uneven step. Her toes and instep strained from gripping the shoe, trying to keep her foot from slipping around too much inside it, desperate to avoid cutting any deeper into the blisters at her heel and little toe. She had stumbled a couple times, crying out in pain, before accepting Jo’s offer for help. Jo had hoisted her onto her back, piggyback style, and uttered no complaint the rest of the way.
When the triplets at long last arrived at the gravel parking area, fewer than ten yards from where they had parked, the gloomy, fearful silence lifted off of them like a heavy blanket. Mabel burst into giggles so abruptly that Jo was startled, “Whoa, Mabey,” she asked, with an uncomprehending smile, “What’s so funny?” Unable to articulate a reply, Mabel simply buried her face in Jo’s auburn hair, just behind her ear and kept right on giggling. We’re alive! She thought, in disbelief, helpless to put her giddy relief into words, It’s over!
“Mabes?” Dipper said, giving her side a poke. This elicited only more insistent giggles. He met Jo’s eyes, seeing his own smirk mirrored on her face, “I’m pretty sure she’s in shock.”
“Amateur,” Jo remarked sarcastically. Jo knew she could tease all she wanted, but when it came down to it the sound of Mabel’s laugh, the soft quaking of her body, the heat of her breath on Jo’s ear and neck was having a deeply therapeutic effect. She was still reeling a little with the reunion, when only a few hours ago she’d been sure she was a goner.
“How are your feet, Mabes?” Dipper asked, ignoring Jo’s snark, “I have a first aid kit. Do you need medical attention?” Mabel’s laugh crescendoed at Dipper’s serious tone, but she nodded against Jo’s neck. Jo nodded in turn, “Okay,” Dipper said, a crease of worry forming between his brows.
They were just about at the cars, when Mabel managed to get her laughing fit under control enough to gasp out, “There’s a...couch...back of...van.” Dipper dug the keys out of his jeans pocket and pulled open the doors, and hopped in, shrugging off his pack with a small relieved grunt and unbuckling it. Jo squeezed them in past a garment rack bulging with costumes, and set Mabel down gently on the loveseat that sat against one wall of the van’s hold. As Jo plopped down beside her with a grateful sigh, Mabel shrugged off her pink camouflage pack and groaned.
“Wow, sitting down feels fucking good,” Jo said in a reverent tone.
Before Mabel could respond, she felt Dipper tentatively lift one of her feet and looked down at him. He was sitting crosslegged by their feet, with the first aid kit beside him, a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol, a just-opened packet of sterile gauze and some bandages laid out in a neat line beside him. He carefully slipped her filthy shoe off and winced. Mabel followed his gaze to her foot in his hand, no more blistered or bloody than it felt, “Yikes,” she said nonetheless.
“This is gonna sting a little,” Dipper said, wetting a piece of gauze with the alcohol, just the way mom had said to every skinned knee of their rambunctious childhoods. And it was an understatement now just as it had been then. Mabel yelped and instinctively recoiled the instant the dampened gauze made contact.
Jo took her hand, lacing their nearly identical fingers, “I got you, Miss Sis,”
Mabel gave her sister a grateful smile, meeting her green eyes, sympathetic behind her glasses, “Thanks, sissy,” When Dipper went back to his careful ministrations, Mabel squeezed her eyes shut and gripped Jolene’s hand tighter, feeling the pressure reassuringly matched.
Dipper did the same for her left foot as he did the right, and glanced up at his sisters as he put the first aid kit back in order. Their clasped hands rested in Mabel’s lap, the knuckles white. Mabel’s face was still pinched, eyes shut against the pain, and her head had fallen to rest against Jo’s shoulder. Jo was resting her cheek against Mabel’s head, her gaze nonetheless glued to Mabel’s face. A weakness came over him suddenly and he felt his eyes prickle, threatening tears. We’re alive, he thought gratefully, and we’re together.
“Ya all right down there, Doc?” Jo asked, and Dipper realized she was looking at him. He nodded stiffly, and stared right back at her. He watched her green eyes search his face, trying to puzzle out what he was feeling. What the hell am I feeling? He asked himself, I’m in shock like Mabel was, for one thing, he noted, but what else? Up at the summit he’d felt a lot of things, fear, love, a lot of anger. But he couldn’t seem to find that anger now. He was sure it was still there, and it’d rear it’s ugly head at some point, but maybe he was just too tired. Right now, I’m just happy to be alive, he realized. Jo was still watching his face and said suddenly, “I love you, too,”
That caught Dipper off guard, and roused Mabel. She had been dozing slightly against Jo’s shoulder, but blinked awake as Dipper managed a slightly bewildered, “Huh?
“Up there,” Jo said, with a jerk of her head meant to indicate the summit, “When you thought you were done for? Before Mabel saved our asses,” Mabel’s mouth quirked up in a small smile, “You said you loved me.”
“I...do love you, Jo-jo,” Dipper repeated, his voice shaking slightly.
“I know, and look,” Jo said, chewing her lip, “I’m sorry I freaked out on you guys. I love you and if you want to kiss or be a couple or whatever, I--, well, you--,” she stopped for a moment, floundering slightly, “Just...do your thing, like. I’m not--, well, I don’t--, you can--,”
“Thanks, Jo, but--” Dipper interjected.
“No, lemme finish,” Jo interrupted, “I love you both more than anything and I want you to be happy,” she said simply, “End of story. Just…” she cast her eyes down, fascinated suddenly by the dirt beneath her fingernails, “Don’t forget about me,”
“We could never, you dumdum,” Mabel assured her, “We love you too much,” her eyes met Dipper’s, and they were both thinking the same thing, the elephant in the car again. Mabel cleared her throat nervously, “The thing is, um… While having your blessing is swanky ‘n’ all, we were kinda… maybe wondering about something else.”
“You were right, Jo,” Dipper said, the flush rising in his face giving away his nerves, “Before you...left, you accused me of almost kissing you--”
“No, no, GAH, pleeeease forget I ever said that!!!” Jo cut him off, hiding her face in her hands.
“Just, hear me out, please,” Dipper went on, “You were right. You were completely right. I was going to kiss you.” Jo let out an indecipherable whine, “And if that freaks you out, like, because I’m, y’know, your brother,” which would be totally fucking reasonable, Dipper’s doubts reminded him, “Then tell me to shut up about it and I’ll shut up about it,” Jo made no sound and Mabel smiled at Dipper and gave him a small nod that seemed to say you’re doing great, “But if it freaked you out because… you maybe wanted me to kiss you--”
“AGH! Yes, okay!” Jo cried out suddenly, tearing her face from her hands. Her cheeks were bright red, her glasses smudged but not detracting in the slightest from the way her eyes blazed, “I wanted to kiss you, okay?!” Her voice was quickly dropping from agitation to hurt, “But you’re with Mabes now and that’s fine, that’s dandy, I’ll--”
“No, Jo, I still want to kiss you,” Dipper cut her off, and she stared at him mutely, “I want to kiss both of you,”
“Let the record show I also totes wanna kiss you,” Mabel interjected, nestling her head closer against Jo’s neck. How does she make that sound so casual? Dipper wondered, While I’m over here sounding like a babbling idiot?
“Wha...Mabes?” Jo looked down at Mabel, who nervously met her eyes, “You...wanna what?”
“You heard me, Miss Sis,” Mabel said, lifting her head from Jo’s shoulder to look her dead in the eye, “However, I love you bunches, so I’ll repeat it anywho. I, Mabel Pines, would like to smooch you, Jolene Pines.” Apparently, that was all the urging Jo needed, because no sooner did the words leave Mabel’s lips than they were replaced by her sister’s. The kiss was so sudden, it took both of them by surprise. Mabel felt Jo’s hesitation, after only a split second, felt her urge to pull back and redoubled her efforts. She kissed back purposefully, trying hard to give Jo some sense of how much she was loved. She marvelled at the feel of Jolene’s lips, so much softer than Dipper’s, yet somehow so much more forceful. Jo’s kiss was fierce in much the same way that Dipper’s was sweet.
Reluctantly, Jo broke the kiss. She didn’t want it to end, no, she never wanted it to end, but the chaos of her thoughts was becoming too loud. What is happening, what is happening, did I really just do that? Her stomach ached with anxiety, sure that she would open her eyes and find only rejection. There was no way, just no way that she could be included, wanted, loved, the way Mabel and Dipper loved each other. Cautiously she opened her eyes, only to see the same love and enthusiasm bright on Mabel’s face that she had felt in her kiss, “I…” she began, hopelessly searching for what to say.
“That was fun,” Mabel said, her tongue poking out mischievously.
“I…” Jo said again,
“I love you, Jo-jo,” Mabel said, tenderly smoothing Jo’s frazzled hair, “And I want you to be a part of...this,” she said with a vague gesture to the three of them, “Whatever it is, and Dip does too.”
Jo turned to look back at Dipper, still seated on the floor with the first aid kit laid out beside him. His face belied the emotions warring within. Seeing Jo and Mabel kiss was undeniably...exciting, and deeply heartening, but somehow also discouraging. Where Jo had welcomed Mabel with an enthusiastic kiss, she had greeted his own admission with only confusion and belligerence. He could not ignore the sinking feeling in his chest that the only piece missing from this puzzle was Jo wanting him back.
“Get up here, nerd,” she said, scooting closer to Mabel and patting the small space to her left. Dipper’s muscles protested as he unfolded himself, standing up just to plop himself beside Jo. It was a cramped fit, and feeling her body pressed against his side was only confusing him more, “Is this true?” she asked, an eyebrow raised questioningly.
“Yeah,” Dipper said, nodding, even more nervous now that he was being asked point blank, “I mean, yes, definitely. I love you and I want you to be part of this. Like Mabel said.”
Jo nodded thoughtfully, “Aaaand you want to kiss me?”
“Yes, Jo! How many times do I have--” The kiss should not have surprised him as much as it did. He had just watched her do the same to Mabel, and yet, her lips caught him absolutely off guard. They were as soft as Mabel’s, the delightful melting softness that he suspected to be habit-forming, yet her kiss was completely different. Where Mabel’s was all sweetness and playfulness, Jo’s was an ardent challenge. Before he knew what he was doing, he was responding to the challenge, his tongue eagerly meeting hers, his hand finding the back of her neck and pulling her closer. He felt something softly nudge his face and peeked one eye open to see Mabel planting soft kisses down Jo’s temple and along her cheek. He relished Jo’s soft sigh in his mouth as Mabel’s lips fluttered softly along Jo’s ear and down to her neck.
Mabel had crawled half into Jo’s lap, eager to kiss more of her, keenly aware of the intensity of the kiss she and Dipper were sharing. She was surprised to find little jealousy in herself, any twinge of it only a result of wanting more of this. As if sensing her hunger, Jo pulled her lips from Dipper’s, moving at once back to Mabel’s. Her hands found Mabel’s waist and pulled her fully into her lap so she was straddling her, before looping her arms around Mabel’s neck and deepening their kiss. Wanting to replicate the sigh that had driven him crazy a moment before, Dipper brought his lips to Jo’s ear, kissing it ever so lightly before moving to kiss the hollow behind her earlobe. There it is, he thought triumphantly, hearing a soft whimper that cut through to his core. One hand tugged the neck of Jo’s tee shirt aside so he could kiss down to her collarbone, while the other found Mabel’s hip. At the unexpected touch, she bucked slightly against Jo’s lap, surprising all three of them. They all pulled back for a moment, meeting each other’s eyes, each glazed with the heat of want and discovery.
It was only an instant before they dived back in, hands and mouths curious and hungry. They were each amazed by how the other tasted and felt and sounded. Dipper and Jo discovered particular delight in how easily they could get a rise out of Mabel, how eagerly she responded to even these fairly modest touches. None of them could say quite how long they had been there, parked with the back doors of the vans still ajar, rolling around on the cramped little loveseat. Dipper was sitting with Jo in his lap, both of them alternately and simultaneously kissing while teasing and caressing Mabel, who was half curled up against Dipper, often peppering each of them with kisses.
With an abruptness that shocked both her siblings, Jo jumped suddenly to her feet. For a moment, they feared they had offended somehow, that she had had some sudden second thoughts. But one look at the impish grin on her face assured them that nothing was wrong. Mabel and Dipper watched as she jumped down from the van and scampered towards Aoshima/The Chariot, “To be continued at home!” She called back in a singsong voice, cackling joyfully as she hopped into the driver’s seat. Dipper and Mabel turned to each other, and exchanged a bewildered look before both busting into a grin. The smiles did not leave their faces as they securely shut the back of the van, climbed into the front and got on the road, letting Jolene lead the way home.
THE END
“Just Because You Can” Part 6 of 7, Chapters 20-22
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7 FIN]
The Pines triplets, Mabel, Dipper, and Jolene, have always been best friends. But lately, there’s been some distance growing between the Mystery Kids, due in part to the forbidden feelings with which they are each struggling. How will they manage to see eye to eye, when torn between wanting each other and craving adventure?
(This is a new AU that I’ve been calling Jolene AU, devised by myself and @handleonthescandal after one of us asked the question “What if Mabel and Dipper were triplets but with another sister?”. Although this AU is similar, it is not connected to Double Dippin’ AU, and Jolene is in no way connected to Tyrone.)
Shoutout to @sirwaddlesesquire for being the trustiest squire and an insightful, helpful, and supportive beta.
Mostly SFW, mostly angst with some action/adventure and a little bit of fluff, tw incest
Fic under the cut, enjoy!
Chapter 20: The Elephant In the Car
“Oh this is great!” Dipper said hotly, smacking the steering wheel with both hands, “This is just fan-fucking-tastic!” They were only a couple miles from the exit to Lone Pine, California, but red brake lights stretched about as far as they could see, “Why the hell is there traffic this late anyway?!”
“Maybe there’s an accident or something?” Mabel offered, reasonably. Since when is my job to be the reasonable one?
“Pfft, fuckin’ accidents,” Dip scoffed, “I mean, how do they even allow half these lunatics on the road? These people are a menace--”
“A menace?” Mabel raised an eyebrow, “Dip, cool it. Any second now you’ll be chasing kids-these-days off your lawn.”
“But I mean, what’s really idiotic is this road,” Dipper’s knuckles were white from clenching the wheel, “These roads were never meant for this volume of traffic, I mean, only two stinking lanes each way?!”
“Dipper, honestly,” Mabel rolled her eyes, “You sound like a granny.”
“But I mean, why?” Dipper pressed, his tone growing more hysterical, “Why is this road only four lanes? Why was there an accident? Why is this happening?!”
“I don’t know, Dipstick,” Mabel said, in the closest thing to a soothing voice she could manage, “It’s oka--”
“Don’t you dare tell me it’s okay right now, Mabel,” Dipper spat, holding up his right hand to her in a stop motion, “Unless your definition of ‘okay’ includes our sister running headfirst into a grisly fucking death, I don’t wanna hear it!”
“Whoa, whoa, don’t yell at me!” Mabel bristled, “I didn’t design the stupid road!”
“Oh, c’mon, Mabel,” Dipper said, exasperated, “Don’t gimme the innocent act.”
“It’s not an act!” Mabel snapped, “This isn’t my fault!”
“I didn’t blame you, Mabe--”
“Oh, shut up,” Mabel rolled her eyes, “You’ve been blaming me since she left!”
“Oh, I have not!”
“Have to!” Mabel insisted petulantly.
“I’m telling you, I have not!”
“Since she left, you have been treating me like I’m the bad guy!”
“Well, she wouldn’t have left if--” Dipper began.
“There it is,” Mabel pointed at him, “Go ahead and say what you mean,” she gestured at the inching traffic, “We got time. She wouldn’t have left if I hadn’t what?” Dipper shifted uneasily in his seat, “Hadn’t kissed you?”
Dipper dragged in a long-suffering sigh through his nostrils, his eyes shut, “Yes, Mabel,” he admitted, softly, “She wouldn’t have left if you hadn’t kissed me.”
Mabel pushed down the icky rejection feelings his words planted in her chest, “Well, I’m sorry I kissed you then.” She said, stiffly, keeping her eyes on the license plate of the car in front of them.
She could feel Dipper’s eyes on her, but forced her gaze to remain forward, “Mabel, it just… Out of nowhere like that? You were yelling at me one second and then kissing me, and, I mean,” he dragged his hand through his hair anxiously, “You are my sister and--”
“You don’t need to spare my feelings,” She said, shaking her head, “It won’t happen again.”
“Wait, Mabes, no!” Dipper turned to her, frantically, looking away from the car-clotted road. His eyes were troubled, his face conflicted, “That’s not what I meant! That’s, uh,” he glanced down, “Not what I want, is that... what you want?”
Mabel couldn’t help but smile a little. She shook her head, “No, you nerd.” He met her eyes again, his mouth curling ever so slightly upwards, “That’s not what I want. Why the heck dya think I kissed you?”
“I dunno, I don’t really get a lot of what you do, sis,” Dipper admitted, drily.
“That’s fair, I guess,” Mabel said, but it wasn’t the answer she’d been looking for.
“I love you, Mabel,” Dipper said tentatively.
“I love you too, Dip,” Mabel grinned and leaned across the center console to plant a soft, decisive kiss on his lips. He pressed his lips against hers in eager agreement. For a brief moment, everything fell away. The worry about Jo, the anger and confusion, the honking of the cars caught in gridlock with them, it all disappeared. But the moment was indeed brief, too brief Mabel thought. She opened her eyes after their lips parted and met Dipper’s. She saw the same love and fear she felt mirrored back at her, and gave a small nod, “Okay, so that’s settled. We love each other and we like kissing.”
Dipper snorted a laugh, “We love each other and we like kissing, okay.” His smile soon wilted, “I’m sorry about the play.”
Mabel frowned, “That was really lame of you guys.”
“I know,” Dipper said, pulling the van up a few inches, “I know it was, and I really am sorry.”
“We got bigger fish to fry,” Mabel changed the subject, we can talk about the play later. Dipper grimaced, never one for confrontation of any sort, “So we love each other and we like kissing, but we should maybe return to the elephant in the car that you so kindly brought up.” Dipper raised an eyebrow. Mabel rolled her eyes, “I’m your sister.”
“Oh, that elephant,” Dipper said grimly.
“How many elephants dya think are in here?” Mabel teased, looking around the van’s interior, the couch and garment racks, and amplifier holding no answers. Dipper snorted, “Anyway,” Mabel continued, “I, uh, love you and stuff and the sibling thing is weird ‘n’ all, but I’m like, okay with it, I guess? But obviously Jo-jo isn’t, and like, we can’t just do something this bonkers if she’s not okay with it. And it’s a little too late to hide it from her, but that probably wouldn’t have worked anywho.”
“I don’t want to hide anything from Jo, ever,” Dipper agreed, his tone grown a bit sullen.
“I mean, I can’t blame her for being freaked by incest, though,” Mabel conceded.
Dipper shook his head, “I don’t know if that’s what she’s upset about.”
Mabel scoffed, “Oh, c’mon, Dip. If I didn’t feel it, I’d be freaked out too. Shoot, it freaks me out a little and I do feel it.”
“Well, that’s just it, Mabes,” Dipper inched a little closer to the bumper of the car ahead of them, “I’m pretty sure Jo does feel it.”
Mabel felt the blood drain from her face, “Say what?”
“Well, uhm, before you got home,” Dipper fidgeted uncomfortably in the driver’s seat, “We were both, um, like really amped about the...interview,” Dipper said the word quietly, trying to soften the blow, but it stung Mabel nonetheless, “And we uhh, almost… well, kissed.”
For a silent moment, Mabel blinked at the sea of red brake lights, trying to process what Dipper had just said. She was the one he really wanted, you’re just his second choice. Tears prickled Mabel’s eyes again and she looked out her window, as if fascinated by the minivan in the finally-moving lane to their right, “You almost kissed her, or she almost kissed you?”
“Well, kinda both,” Dipper said, sounding a little unsure, “I think.”
“You think?” Mabel’s voice was sharper than intended.
“No, no, I’m sure,” Dipper grumbled, “She wanted to kiss me and I wanted to kiss her.”
Jealousy poured molten hot into Mabel’s stomach. While she was driving home, tearful and angry, while she was parking and glaring at the light in Dipper’s window...that’s what had been happening? They’d been excited, they’d been celebrating, they’d been almost kissing, “You wanted to kiss her.” she echoed.
Dipper picked up on Mabel’s jealousy then, “Mabel, no…”
Jo’s words rang in her sister’s head, coulda sworn being excited nearly had the same effect! Guess anything might inspire some sister-smooching! She looked at Dipper sharply, as he pulled up impatiently, the traffic finally loosening up a little at a time. No sooner had the words formed in her head than she was speaking them, “Dipper, is it really me you want, or her?”
Dipper’s heart ached at Mabel’s inevitable and unanswerable question, “It’s not like that, Mabes,” he tried to explain, “It’s both of you, it’s always been both of you.”
Both of us? That had never occurred to her. All this time, she’d wondered and feared how, in the unlikely event that anything like this could come to pass, Dipper would have to choose one sister over the other. All this time, she had been thinking of Jolene as a friend and sometime-adversary, trying not to notice how beautiful she was, how smart, how vibrant. How she blushed and sweated around her, how she could hardly keep her eyes away when she got undressed, how incredibly cute the noises were that she made in her sleep. “Holy shit,” Mabel muttered out loud. She’d known that the way she thought about her sister was unusual, but it had seemed like small potatoes compared to her high-octane crush on her bro. Yet suddenly it was unbelievable that she hadn’t realized the nature of these feelings for Jolene before. It had been different with Dipper, maybe because of that first summer in Gravity Falls, maybe because he was a boy, she had recognized what she felt early on. She’d been so busy seeing Jo as competition, hating her unique closeness with Dipper, hating the ways their differing appearance favored Jo, she hadn’t realized Jo might be seeing her the same way, or seeing Dipper as competition for me. She dropped her head in her hands, “Holyshit, holyshit, holy-guacamoley-bowls-o-shit.”
“...Mabel?” Dipper asked cautiously, unsure if Mabel was angry with him.
“Dipper,” Mabel said, desperately, reaching for his hand. He gave it to her without hesitation and she squeezed hard enough to make him wince.
“Mabes, what’s going on in there?”
“I think I love Jo,” she whispered.
Dipper felt a stab of jealousy, ohh now I get it, “You…”
Mabel picked up on his uncertainty, “No, no, Dip, I love you too. Of course, I love you.” she managed a watery smile at him, “Both of you. I get it. I get it.” Tears streamed down her cheeks, “Ohmygolly, we are such a mess.”
“A psychiatrist’s field day, I know,” Dipper’s heart soared at the sound of Mabel’s laugh at his comment.
“We both love each other, and we both love her,” Mabel stated, a little stunned.
“I have a feeling she doesn’t know the latter,” Dipper said, his brow furrowing.
“Well, we’ll just have to go tell her then.” Mabel said, in a sure tone, wiping the tears from her face, grateful that the traffic was finally letting up. She had something important to tell her sister and it couldn’t wait.
Chapter 21: Lone Pine Mountain
It was a hard rocky climb, and Jo was thankful for the flashlight she always kept in her pack. Even with its help, it was a treacherous hike. Dipper never would have considered this climb at night, she knew, because Dipper’s smart. She shook the thoughts of Dipper away, reminding herself that he was not beside her and he likely never would be again. She just focused on the path, or what passed for one. Jo was weary, but she could tell the summit wasn’t far off now. She had that sense one has just before a peak, of the sky getting bigger and the land shrinking before them.
Much as Jolene tried to focus on the task at hand, tried to push away the cacophony of her thoughts, it was inescapable. Tears kept blurring her vision, making it difficult to tell where the best footholds were. She had slipped and mis-stepped countless times, leaving her ankles sore, her knees and palms stinging with scrapes. But however she pushed her thoughts away and tried to swipe away her inconvenient tears, they kept creeping back. One moment she’d be seeing the beam of her flashlight across the stony terrain, and the next it was as if she was transported back to her childhood home, watching that kiss. The way Dipper’s hand tightened on Mabel’s dainty little waist, the way Mabel’s cheeks flushed prettily as the kiss deepened. They had looked so strangely natural, like two puzzle pieces made to fit together. Jo slipped again, catching herself again on her skinned palms, hearing the pebbles clattering down the steep descent behind her.
She realized she was actually much steadier crawling and so she moved ahead that way. She could feel the wetness of blood on her hands and knees from the jagged bedrock, but didn’t much care. The immediacy of the physical pain gave her something to focus on, drawing her mind just a little bit further from Dipper and Mabel’s kiss. There was something comforting about pain of the body, as compared to the unmanageable pain of the soul.
With a suddenness that surprised her into a smile, Jo realized she was no longer ascending. The steepness had given way to fairly even ground. She stood up, wobbling a little at being back on her feet and turned in a circle a couple times, sweeping the flashlight across her surroundings to get her bearings. She had finally reached the summit, or at least one of the lower landings around the highest point. It was sparse, mostly rocky and open, with some scrubby bushes and a few weathered pine trees, tall, black, and austere in the dim light. It was quiet, apart from the occasional whisper of wind through the pine needles, as if even the trees here were holding their breath.
The moonlight illuminated more evenly and Jolene shut off her flashlight to conserve energy, blinking rapidly to get her eyes to adjust. Dipper would be proud of that kinda foresight, she thought before she could help herself, slipping the flashlight into her back pocket. It was easy enough to push Mabel from her mind in this situation, but exploring like this without Dipper was strange. She’d practically never gone on any sort of Mystery Hunt without him, although he’d gone on plenty without her that first summer in Oregon. As always, a pit of envy and exclusion bubbled in her stomach thinking of that summer. Up here alone with the pine trees, she could almost pretend she was in the Oregon hills, seeking monsters from the entries in Grunkle Ford’s old journals and about to run into Bill Cipher around any corner.
“Stopit,stopit,stopit,” Jolene scolded herself, hating how pathetic her tearful whisper sounded in the still of the night. Stop thinking about Dipper, stop thinking about Gravity Falls, and for fuck’s sake, stop thinking about Bill Cipher! There were many dangers in these hills, but Bill Cipher was not among them. Dwelling on him now would do her no good, just as it never had.
Jo wiped the grit and blood off of her palms onto her shorts. What now? She asked herself, surprised to find herself wishing for one of Dipper’s plans. She took a few more steps and halted. Her breath was coming a little heavy from the steep climb, but she found it wasn’t slowing, rattling unevenly out of her. It was catching up with her, all of it. She’d driven here fast and reckless, her foot demanding the gas pedal put more distance between her and her problems. She’d climbed in a fever, desperately scrambling up, zigzagging along the rockface in hopes she’d shake the pain that was following close behind. But she had stopped running now for the first time in all the hours since she’d fled, and she couldn’t outrun it anymore.
The tears hit her hard, tearing through the center of her like a blast from a shotgun. An agonizing certainty flooded her that everything of value was over. A lifetime of friendship and longing bubbled over in her, all bitter with the burnt taste of loss. Gone, they’re gone, they’re gone. She didn’t realize how violently she was shaking until she felt her raw knees hit the ground. She hugged herself hard, trying to hold herself together, feeling as though her body would be torn asunder by the sheer force of emotion within her. Since running from home, Jo had been trying so hard to escape the breakdown ticking away like a timebomb inside her, but now that it had detonated there was too much, far too much all at once. I’m meaningless, it screamed at her, I have always been superfluous, I have always been the other triplet, I have always been nothing. She could hear herself wailing, the heartwrenched sound eerie in the quiet of the mountaintop. What was the use? Why love so deeply when it opened you up to being infected by pain like this? There was no longer any avoiding the kiss she had seen Mabel and Dipper share. They love each other, she knew with a brutal finality, and they are complete without me.
As the weight of that realization truly sank over Jo, weighing down her shoulders, her sobs quieted. There was no reason left to cry. They were lost to her, and there was no reason to keep fighting. Jo covered her face with her hands, her tears stinging against her cuts. She held her breath for a moment, trying in vain to still the throbbing of her heart.
With a sudden prickling at the back of her neck Jolene knew something was wrong. She didn’t realize why at first. She saw nothing in the darkness behind her hands. But the trees were making a different sound now, not the whispering rustle of pine needles but a softly sinister swish. A hiss broke the silence, and she knew. It was no hiss an animal should make. Not the hiss of a cat, or even of a snake. It was the sound of menace itself given flesh.
Jo realized the swishing was not the trees, not the wind, but the sound of feathers, bristling, spreading, settling. They’re real! She thought, with an intoxicating rush of satisfaction, that she was witnessing what no one had proven. What no one survived to prove, Dipper’s voice reminded her sternly in her head. For an instant, Jo embraced the idea that she was among them, one of those who had climbed this mountain, met these monsters, met their demise. That the knowledge of them would die with her, just like countless others. But the resignation gave way nearly at once to a force far more powerful.
I’m not ready, she knew with sudden clarity, I don’t want to die. I want to get away, I want to go home! She raised her face, as if woken and startled from sleep, her eyes met with dark figures, larger than she had imagined. Her eyes adjusted, identifying fangs, feathers, talons. I’m going home in one piece. She resolved stubbornly, And I’m getting a picture before I go.
She cried out in surprise as something sliced into her shoulder. As she pulled away on reflex, she felt the weight of her pack shift, the strap on her injured shoulder severed by whatever cut her, a talon most likely, she deduced in her head. She looked around, seeking a gap between the shadowy creatures closing in around her, I’m getting home, she rose to her feet, but not if I’m dinner.
Chapter 22: Preternatural
“I cannot believe we’re doing this in the dark,” Dipper muttered for the umpteenth time. He could hear Mabel close in front of him. She was breathing heavy, grunting with every few steps. In their eagerness to get on the road, to follow Jo, Mabel had forgotten to consider the suitability of her footwear. Dipper’s flashlight was lending a little bit of assistance, but there were no two ways around the fact that flimsy ballet flats with no treads on the soles were dangerous shoes to climb a mountain in. “I cannot believe we’re doing this in the da--”
“Will you please shut your pie-hole, Dipdot?” Mabel interrupted irritably, halting and shooting him a sharp look over her shoulder, before her expression softened and she grumbled an apology.
“No, I’m sorry, Mabes,” Dipper said, honestly contrite and honestly pretty terrified, “But I just... really cannot believe we’re doing something this stupid.”
Mabel sighed and squeezed Dipper’s free hand, “I know, all those years of dorktastic lists and here you are being impulsive. But it’s for Jo-jo.”
Dipper nodded, relenting. Mabel started walking again and he followed suit, saying to her back, “I think we’re almost at the summit.”
“That’s good!” Mabel said, her enthusiasm not very convincing through the small groans of pain.
The summit is where we’ll find the Devils, if they are in fact real, Dipper considered, his heart quickening instantly at the prospect of danger so close at hand, and whether they are real is a crazy gamble. But he knew, with a certainty that scared him more than the Lone Pine Mountain Devils, that his sister needed him. He had felt both triumphant and discouraged when he parked the school van beside the Chariot. Until seeing the familiar vehicle, there had been a small shred of hope that maybe he was wrong, that maybe Jolene hadn’t come here, that maybe she was somewhere safer.
“Your silence does not inspire confidence, Dip,” Mabel chided, trying to sound like she wasn’t really frightened.
“It is good, Mabel,” Dipper said, far too late to inspire any confidence whatsoever, “It’s just also…”
“Bad.” Mabel finished, “It’s also bad.”
Dipper nodded, even though her back was to him and she couldn’t see, “On the bright side,” he said, glancing up at the dizzyingly pitch black sky, “The sun will rise before too long.”
“Bright side?? HA!” Mabel blew a raspberry, “I get it, a daylight pun. Nice one.”
“Okay, sure,” Dipper said, but couldn’t resist a chuckle. Mabel’s ability to see good news and laughter in such a bleak situation warmed him more than he could say. Was climbing a mountain in the dark without a map or gear to save their hysterical sister from nightmarish monsters insane? Certifiably. But he had Mabel and her impossible optimism to buoy him above his own terror. And she loves me, he reminded himself, a vast migration of butterflies flying through him. She loves me. And if it’s possible that my amazing, colorful, out-of-my-fucking-league sister can love me back, then hell, anything can happen.
As if on cue, said amazing, colorful sister whooped in excitement. The sound instantly pulled Dipper out of his own head, “Yo, bro-bro!” Mabel exclaimed, “This sure as shitake looks like a summit to me!”
Dipper hurried a few steps to reach her and both dread and relief swelled in his chest. Definitely a summit of some sort, they had reached a relatively flat area dotted with bushes and tall pine trees like silent, black sentinels. It was hard to tell in the dark how far it extended in any given direction, and Dipper wished fervently that the sun would rise already. He wasn’t afraid of the dark at all, but when the darkness potentially held bloodthirsty monsters, it took on a decidedly scarier quality. Dipper placed a hand on Mabel’s shoulder, “Stay close to me, Mabes,” he said, panning the beam of his flashlight across the terrain before them, “We’re safer if we don’t split up.”
“Aye-aye, cap’n,” Mabel joked, her hand finding Dipper’s again and giving it a reassuring squeeze, “The buddy system has never failed us yet.”
He squeezed Mabel’s hand gratefully, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Mabel,” he said gravely.
“Aw, you dorkus,” Mabel nudged an elbow into his side, “Haven’t you had enough sentimental mushy stuff for one night?”
“I dunnoooo,” Dipper couldn’t help shooting her a smile in the darkness, “If sentimental mushy stuff is what we’ve been doing, I think I’m developing a taste for it.”
Mabel laughed, “Okay, casanova, let’s save our sister first and then we can sentimentally mush till the cows come home.”
“Ha, okay, sounds like a plan,” Dipper agreed.
“High praise,” Mabel teased, “From the nerd who loves his plans so much.”
Dipper snorted a laugh, making no move to deny the jab. I could really go for a plan right about now, he admitted to himself, ‘the buddy system’ isn’t quite as sophisticated a plan as I would like. But he knew Mabel was right, the buddy system had never failed them. We’ve never failed each other, he told himself, and tonight was no time to start. If we could survive that first summer in Gravity Falls, he considered, we can handle some birds of prey.
“But, soft, Sir Plans-a-lot,” Mabel said, her grin audible through her mock-proper tone, “What dost thou thinketh we shalt do hence?”
“Sir Plans-a-lot?” Dipper repeated, unable to restrain the tone of admiration in his voice, “That’s a good one, Mabes.”
“Answer the question, Plans-a-lot,” Mabel needled, “What we doin’ hence?”
“...That means ‘next’, right?” Dipper clarified.
“Aye, Dipstick, verily,” Mabel said, a slight edge to her voice, “If you’d had a nice refresher on your Shakespeare earlier, ya might know that.”
“Okay, okay, message received,” Dipper replied, guilt lapping at the edges of his mind. There was no time to dwell on the Twelfth Night mishap at present, but he knew that if they got back home intact, there would be at least a week of apology favors to do. He wondered absently if apology favors would take on a different meaning in light of his and Mabel’s newfound shared feelings, but put the thought out of his mind. We’re going to get home, and I’ll worry about that then. For now...what next? And his own words, ludicrously formal, popped into his mind, ‘4B2, screen for evidence of preternatural presence’. The Lone Pine Mountain Devils were about a zillion times more dangerous and more unpredictable than Tahoe Tessie, but it seemed the inevitable next step, “Next, or hence, I guess, we should screen for evidence of preternatural presence… or Jolene.” he added. Finding Jo before the Devils would be ideal.
Mabel and Dipper lapsed into silence, walking tentatively forward. Everything is spooky as heck, Mabel thought, How are we supposed to know what the ‘preternatural’ bits are? She knew Dipper must be scared, he didn’t even like going to the mall without a plan, but he seemed calm. No doubt his mind was going a hundred miles a minute, but he wasn’t really showing it. I don’t know how he does this adventure junk, Mabel thought, trying to ignore the pain in her feet and ankles. Calling this place ‘spooky as heck’ was an understatement. Mabel had just about exhausted her reserve of humor and found herself focused simply keeping her fear at bay. Jo is here, she told herself firmly, And we’re going to find her and bring her home. No spookiness can come between the Mystery Kids.
All of Mabel’s resolve went out the window when her foot landed on something that gave a sickening, brittle snap. She felt its echo in her own bones, through the thin sole of her shoe, and knew with a nauseous certainty what it was before the illumination of Dipper’s flashlight could reveal it. Her shriek was out of her before she could think, the splintered tibia, the crumbling rows of ribs, the blindly staring skull a brilliant white. On instinct, Mabel had grabbed Dipper and he clutched her securely to his side as he swept the light around, counting softly against her forehead.
“Th-that was a person, Dipper,” Mabel pointed out superfluously.
“Yes,” Dipper agreed distractedly, “One of eight, by my count. And I know who they are.” There was a slightly vindicated tone to his voice, as if he were relieved they were real, that angered Mabel.
“Cut it out!” Mabel wrenched herself from his side, “Don’t sound so happy about it!”
“Mabes, please, I’m not happy I--”
Dipper’s words were interrupted by an infernal hiss that froze Mabel’s blood in her veins. He saw it, but she didn’t, in the instant before he shut off his flashlight. His hand grabbed herself, and they were running. Mabel’s toes were curled in his shoes, trying desperately not to lose them. In their aimlessness, they knocked into the sap-sticky trunk of one of the looming pines, “Climb,” Dipper breathed, practically inaudible, and without question, Mabel obeyed.
Continue to Part 7
“Just Because You Can” Part 5 of 7, Chapters 17-19
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7 FIN]
The Pines triplets, Mabel, Dipper, and Jolene, have always been best friends. But lately, there’s been some distance growing between the Mystery Kids, due in part to the forbidden feelings with which they are each struggling. How will they manage to see eye to eye, when torn between wanting each other and craving adventure?
(This is a new AU that I’ve been calling Jolene AU, devised by myself and @handleonthescandal after one of us asked the question “What if Mabel and Dipper were triplets but with another sister?”. Although this AU is similar, it is not connected to Double Dippin’ AU, and Jolene is in no way connected to Tyrone.)
Shoutout to @sirwaddlesesquire for being the trustiest squire and an insightful, helpful, and supportive beta.
Mostly SFW, mostly angst with some action/adventure and a little bit of fluff, tw incest
Fic under the cut, enjoy!
Chapter 17: Flight
Jolene’s brain stalled like a car in mud. This can’t be happening, she told herself impatiently, I’m hallucinating. She’d been pretty freaked, but she was sure that once she’d stopped the tears and washed her face five or six times and recited to herself every reason that she couldn’t kiss her brother, that she was back to normal. The fan in the bathroom was pretty loud, but she had thought she’d heard Mabel out there. She had braced herself to see Mabel, and opened the door, only to find bona fide proof that she was still hardcore hallucinating.
She took in the scene before her. Trying to break down the hallucination and find reality. Mabel and Dipper were kissing in Dipper’s doorway. Simple as that, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Like a boyfriend kissing his girlfriend goodnight by her front door. Her arms draped over his neck, his arms pulling her close against him. Their lips moving together, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, like they were two halves of the same whole and being together was more natural than being apart.
No way, she reminded herself, No way, this can’t be real. Find the flaws. Something was off, for sure. It took a second for Jo to realize Mabel was wearing black. There it was, yeah. Yeah, no way Mabel was wearing all black. It wasn’t even glittery black. Mabel hadn’t even worn all black to their grandpa’s funeral, opting instead for a respectfully funereal but much more Mabel-y navy with a sequin-trimmed blushy-pink cardigan. Mabel Pines did not do black.
And Dipper seemed off too. He was so…poised. Jo almost smiled at the idea of ‘Dipper’ and ‘poise’ in the same thought. Dipper was cradling Mabel in a leading-man kinda kiss, one hand in her hair while the other possessively gripped her waist. It was the kinda kiss that ended up on movie posters for Victorian-era romances that would bore you to tears. Very not Dipper, Jo comforted herself, Dipper would definitely be all bumping teeth and stammering stepping on toes, not so suave. She rubbed her eyes, confident that when she looked again, her mind would quit playing this cruel joke on her.
But when she opened her eyes, they were still there. If anything, the kiss had deepened, their brows softening with tenderness, their hands gripping a little tighter. Her heart started to speed up again, banging on her ribs angrily, as she stared. Softly, almost too quiet to hear, Mabel sighed. Sighed against Dipper’s lips. Dipper’s lips, which only moments ago had hovered over Jo’s own, tempting her to kiss them. But she hadn’t, after all, she couldn’t, he was her brother and her best friend and he would have pushed her away and wiped his mouth and scorned her and–
He isn’t. She admitted to herself, He isn’t pushing her away. He isn’t mad. He isn’t weirded out. He’s kissing her back. She took a silent step into the hallway. Mabel isn’t me, though. He would have pushed me away. It was like a knife in her quickly speeding heart. He actually wanted Mabel. But… Mabel? Of course Jo knew Mabel idolized Dipper a little, for all her teasing, she was devoted to him. Indeed, Jolene had had murmurings of suspicion that Mabel wanted Dipper, but still. Seeing Mabel not push him away… Who kissed who? She found herself wondering, her eyes flashing desperately back and forth between them. It doesn’t matter, the knife in her chest reminded her, it doesn’t matter. Now that they have each other, why would either of them need you?
Mabel and Dipper leapt suddenly apart, and it took Jo a moment to realize she had cried out. Two sets of brown eyes were on her, wide and panicked. ‘Deer in headlights’ would have been a gross understatement. Jo’s heart was racing, fast and irregular, competing with her tongue’s attempt at forming words, “What- what in the- how?”
“Jo, it’s–” Dipper began shakily.
“It’s what?” Jo demanded, “You guys were kissing.” She cringed inwardly at the way her own accusation echoed the taunting ‘k-i-s-s-i-n-g’ of a child’s taunt.
“I can explain,” Mabel pleaded, her skin deathly pale against her strangely dark clothes.
“Oh, I’d like to hear that,” Jo said, crossing her arms over her crazed heart.
“It-it…”Mabel cast her eyes down, “It was… It didn’t mean anything! It was just–”
“…it didn’t?” Dipper asked, his voice softly devastated. Mabel’s eyes rose to meet his and Jo’s blood ran cold. It did mean something, she knew, More than I thought…More than…They don’t want each other, they love each other.
“Dipper…” Mabel begged, torn between trying to appease her siblings’ conflicting hopes, “It’s so complicated…”
“You know what, it’s fine!” Jolene interrupted, surprised by the vitriol in her own voice, “You guys don’t owe me an explanation! I’m just your sister, what the hell do I know?!” She took a couple steps towards them, “Discuss on your own time whether that-that-meant anything, because you know what? I don’t fucking care!”
“Jo-jo,” Dipper implored, “Please, please listen to me. Mabes and I are as confused as you are. Please, we love you–”
Jo laughed in Dipper’s face and he cringed, “Oh that’s rich!” she stood directly in front of him now and he could hardly believe the fire burning in her eyes, “You’re confused, huh? Being confused makes you start kissing your sister, huh? Because I coulda sworn being excited nearly had the same effect! Guess anything might inspire some sister-smooching!”
Shit shit shit, so that is what happened, Dipper swallowed hard, thinking of how Jo had scurried from his room, “Jo, it’s not–”
“What’s she talking about?” Mabel asked, her head cocked to the side.
“Jo, calm down!” Dipper begged, “Can’t we just talk about this?”
“Calm down?” Jo repeated shrilly and Mabel winced, shaking her head, seriously Dip, never tell a girl to calm down, “Why-why-would I be calm? I just lost everything!” Jo pushed Dipper hard and his tailbone hit the ground painfully, as Jo strode past him into his room. She’d always had a short fuse, but Dipper had never in his life seen her so incensed, “You don’t fucking understand! You-you, neither of you!”
“Jolene…” Mabel said from the hall, stepping into Dipper’s doorway.
“Don’t,” Jolene screamed, silencing them both, “You don’t get it! You-you matter! You’ve always been the ones that mattered! You saved the fucking world, what the fuck have I done!?” She smacked her chest to punctuate her reference to herself, “You’ve always looked out for me and put up with me but you never needed me! I needed you, my world, my happiness depended on you, but I’ve only been a drain and a nuisance!” Angry tears were streaming down her face, her voice alternately shrill and thick with crying, “I almost got you killed, Dipper, and…and I…” Her words faltered as they were overpowered by her tears, “And you, you have each other! And-and that’s, that’s just great! You don’t-don’t need me, ‘s’time I learned to not need you!”
In a blur, Jo was out the room and flying down the stairs, leaving Dipper and Mabel blinking at her absence.
Chapter 18: No Time To Lose
The sound of the car pealing out of the driveway woke Dipper up and he sprang to his feet. His eyes went at once to the spot on his bed that he knew would empty, “Ohh, shit shit shit shit shit,” he whined, pressing the heels of his hands to his brow.
“Dipper… what…?” Mabel asked softly from the doorway, leaning against the frame.
“Fuck!” Dipper shouted, kicking the leg of his bed. He turned on Mabel angrily, “What the hell was that?”
Mabel flinched in the face of his sudden anger, “Why are you yelling at me?” she asked, stung.
“Why am I yelling at you?! Seriously?!” Dipper gestured towards the hall, “Why did you yell at me? Why did you kiss me? Why did you try to say it…it…meant…”
As usual, Dipper’s anger burnt out fast, and Mabel tried to offer him a reassuring smile, “I’m sorry, it didn’t….it didn’t not…I was trying, to, just, with Jo–”
Dipper shook his head, like a dog shaking off water, and held up both hands, “We don’t have time to talk about this right now. We need to go after Jo.”
“Dip,” Mabel put her hands on his shoulders, trying to meet his eyes, “Maybe she just needs some time to cool off–”
“No, no way,” Dipper brushed her hands off, pacing his room, “Jo’s not going to cool off, she’s going to fucking get herself killed.” He held his face in his hands without slowing down his pacing.
“What are you talking about, Dip?” Mabel asked, exhausted with her siblings’ cryptic ravings, one right after the other.
“She-she took her pack!” Dipper said, pointing at his bed, “She was packing it before the interview, saying-saying she wanted to go after the Lone Pine Mountain Devils!” Dipper rolled his eyes at Mabel’s blank stare, “They’re these really fucking mean bird-dinosaur-raptor things that no one’s ever gotten a picture of because if they see you, they kill you! One whiff of meat and bam, they’re tearing your frickin’ face off!”
“Fun…” Mabel said drily.
“Well, that’s where Jo’s going!” Dipper’s voice cracked, “And she took the Chariot and she speeds like a crazy person, especially when she’s mad, and I’ve never seen her this mad, and I don’t even know why she’s this mad and we don’t have a car–”
“Yes, we do,” Mabel interrupted, and it was Dipper’s turn to stare at her blankly, “Well, you guys were my ride and when you didn’t come to the play, I had to use McMahon’s music van again and–”
“Awesome, can we use it?” Dipper cut in, ignoring the guilt trip about the play.
“Um, yeah,” Mabel said, watching as Dipper pulled his pack from his closet and started filling it on autopilot, having done it a million times.
He glanced over at her watching him, “Don’t just stand there, go get your pack. We have no time to lose!”
With a small eye-roll that Dipper didn’t see, Mabel left to go follow his instructions. Entering her and Jolene’s room gave her a moment’s pause. Her heart twinged looking at Jolene’s side of the room, the disheveled green striped bedsheets, the wall plastered with posters and her drawings. She felt the urge to climb into Jo’s bed, pull the green comforter over her head and go to sleep. She’d been up early and worked hard on the play, on top of that the mess with Jo, and the fight with Dipper, and the kiss… She felt her cheeks redden at the thought of the kiss. She wished she could take it back and go back to how things had been yesterday, but at the same time, she wished she could walk over to his room right now and kiss him again. And again and again, and not stop kissing him until their parents got home.
She pushed these thoughts away as she went over to her closet, digging through the purses and shoes and miscellany on the floor looking for her pack. How long has it been since I was invited on an adventure thingy? She asked herself. Finally she pulled it out, the pink camouflage emerging from the piles of more often worn accessories. Some stuff was still inside it from whenever she’d last used it, some rope, a water-warped map, no longer readable, the round pink canteen that matched the pack. She shook it and it sloshed, and she made a face, wondering how nasty water would taste after years in a plastic bottle. Canteen in hand, pack slung over one shoulder, Mabel trotted quickly downstairs to the kitchen.
She was filling the canteen at the sink when Dipper thumped down the stairs, he peeked his head in, “Are you ready yet?”
“Almost. Water,” She said, trying not to be short with him, “The keys are by the door, with the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ keychain.”
“McMahon is such a dork,” Dipper muttered tensely, turning away, “Hurry up, Mabes!” he shouted back from the door.
Mabel rolled her eyes again but did hurry. She was leaving the kitchen, twisting the cap onto her canteen when she had an idea. She turned back and opened the fridge, remembering the conversation she’d had with Dad that morning. She’d eaten breakfast before Dipper and Jo had gotten up, and had handled Dad’s well-meaning awkwardness all on her own. He’d talked to her about the recipe he’d found for Beef Bourguignon that he was looking forward to trying this week. She opened the fridge and silently thanked Dad. She grabbed one of the two shrink-wrapped packages of stew meat and stuffed it into her pack. If these things are as bloodthirsty as Dip said, she reasoned with herself as she left the house, we might be happy for a distraction.
Chapter 19: Brave
The Mystery Machine purred under Jo’s shaking hands. It was content and happy to be speeding along the highway, oblivious to the agitation of its driver. She’d planned and dreamed about this trip enough that the route was seared into her brain. She figured that was a good thing. There was no way her mind could have followed the tiny text and tangled lines of a map. For once planning wasn’t a waste of time, Jo conceded, thinking of Dipper’s obsessive lists and itineraries. The thought curdled like milk upon contact with the acidity of her pain. Maybe I’ll never see one those stupid plans again.
Jo hadn’t thought that far ahead, but it seemed impossible that she would ever see either of her best friends again. It wasn’t as if she could go back home after all this. And that was if there was any of her left to go back home at all. Her stomach turned as she realized she hoped there would be nothing left. She saw the Lone Pine Mountain Devils in her mind, flapping their grand wings and snapping their jaws. It made her sick, but she hoped they were as ferocious as everyone said.
She moaned aloud in the privacy of the Mystery Machine. She felt too much at once to be quiet. For the first time in her life, she had to admit to herself that she wanted it to end. And why? She was embarrassed, beyond embarrassed, mortified. As she never had been before. I can’t face them, especially Dipper, I can’t I can’t I can’t. Not Dipper who was so logical, so responsible, so reasonable. He must think I’m such an idiot for blowing up like that. And she knew she couldn’t bear to see the pity in Mabel’s eyes again, the desperate appeasing pity that had made her say it meant nothing.
‘It didn’t?’ Dipper’s wounded voice echoed in her mind, lancing through her embarrassment and her anger to the heart of the problem. It had meant something. It had meant so much. She knew, she knew intimately, how much it had meant. It would have meant just the same thing to her.
How long had she harbored this unwanted but undeniable passion within herself? How many times had she snuck glances, touches, sniffs? She had so hated it in herself, so feared that she would be found out. So terrified that if they only knew what she was feeling, they would never forgive her. But she couldn’t have predicted it playing out like this. It doesn’t make any sense! It isn’t fair! They may forgive her, but how could she ever forgive herself?
She’d had a chance. She’d had a chance at getting what she wanted. Dipper had held her in his arms and looked down at her with something a hell of a lot like desire in his eyes. He’d been so handsome, his parted lips so incredibly tempting. If she had just let herself respond, let herself go to him like iron to a magnet, he would be hers right now. Would he? She wondered, Or was it never really me he wanted? Even so, she wished she had kissed him while she had the chance. When she’d run to the bathroom, it hadn’t been with any thought to whether or not there would ever be another opportunity.
You’re full of shit, Jo, she scorned herself, You were never gonna make a move. You were just going to yearn and pine in pathetic silence. But not Mabel. No, never Mabel. Matchmaker, love at first sight, summer romance Mabel would never have been content to sit by and wish away the days for anyone, even her brother. Some part of Jo was sure that Mabel had kissed Dipper. She’d always been pushier, flirtier, more socially adept than her triplets. The Dipper that Jo had left standing nonplussed in his room wouldn’t have turned around and kissed someone else. As much as it felt that way, as much as it stung, he would have been too discouraged, too confused. Mabel had kissed him, no doubt. Typical, Jo admitted to herself, Mabel could have her choice of men, of course I’ve only ever wanted the two of them. She moaned again, this time the one word, “Freeeeeak.”
Would she have been able to kiss Mabel? She couldn’t help wondering. After all, her feelings for Mabel were older, had developed first and been undeniable. She could avoid thinking about Dipper, but she had never been able to set aside how she loved and longed for Mabel. No, she admitted, No, that made it even harder. There was a different brand of rejection at stake. Being pushed away by Mabel would have broken something else in her entirely. Who could bear being turned away by the better version of themself?
If you hadn’t been such a fucking coward, Jolene, she bullied herself, accelerating even more, If you hadn’t run away from him kissing you, you wouldn’t have to run away from him kissing her! It was hard to believe she had been so elated only hours before. High from the Mystery Monthly interview, basking in Dipper’s excitement, that version of Jo felt a million miles away. Why did you run? Aren’t you the brave one? Isn’t that the only goddamn thing you have going for you?
“Yes,” she said to herself, her voice choked with tears, “Brave,” she glanced over at her pack in the passenger seat. She had always been braver than Dipper, even if she wasn’t brave enough to kiss him. His caution had only held them back with Tessie, and it wouldn’t get in her way this time. He nearly died because of you, a doubtful voice in her head reminded her. She pushed it away, Well, then, it’s a good thing he won’t get in my way this time.
Continue to Part 6
“Just Because You Can” Part 4 of 7, Chapters 12-16
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7 FIN]
The Pines triplets, Mabel, Dipper, and Jolene, have always been best friends. But lately, there’s been some distance growing between the Mystery Kids, due in part to the forbidden feelings with which they are each struggling. How will they manage to see eye to eye, when torn between wanting each other and craving adventure?
(This is a new AU that I’ve been calling Jolene AU, devised by myself and @handleonthescandal after one of us asked the question “What if Mabel and Dipper were triplets but with another sister?”. Although this AU is similar, it is not connected to Double Dippin’ AU, and Jolene is in no way connected to Tyrone.)
Shoutout to @sirwaddlesesquire for being the trustiest squire and an insightful, helpful, and supportive beta.
Mostly SFW, mostly angst with some action/adventure and a little bit of fluff, tw incest
Fic under the cut, enjoy!
Chapter 12: Mystery Twins
Exhausted and ashamed as Jo and Dipper had both been, it had turned out to be a lovely evening with their sister. Wet-haired from showering, they’d sat in the kitchen, gratefully eating the meal Mabel had cooked. Dad had been teaching her over the last year and she’d improved a lot. They’d eaten their food and then moved into the living room and curled up on the couch together. No sooner had they sat down than Jo had fallen asleep with her head on Dipper’s shoulder, snoring softly in his ear. Mabel had played the mom role and shooed them both up the stairs to bed while she cleaned up in the kitchen.
Dipper was bone-tired when he shut his bedroom door. His body ached from the day’s exertions and his bed looked wonderfully inviting. But there was something he had to do first. He turned on his bedside lamp and twisted it so it illuminated his bed brightly, and pulled the twisted blankets aside. He placed the scale from the lake gently on the bed and switched on the camera, quickly taking a few shots. It had been much more beautiful in the natural light, but the photos were adequate.
Almost on autopilot, he’d moved the photos from the camera to his laptop. He’d clicked the bookmark in his browser that took him to ‘mysterymonthlymag.com’ and eyed the featured daily headlines for a sec before clicking the ‘Explain the Unexplained! Contest Submissions’ link. He attached two images of Tessie and one of her scale, an picture Mabel had taken of he and Jo before their search for Scampfires in Gravity Falls last summer, wrote a 250 character blurb in the space provided, and hit ‘Submit’. Normally, he would have read and reread and obsessed over it, but he was tired enough that he couldn’t bring himself to obsess. The pictures are as good as they could be, he reminded himself, better than we could’ve hoped. He wanted to win, but at this point, he wanted nothing more than he wanted to sleep. He shut his laptop, crawled into bed, and fell asleep instantly, forgetting to switch off the lamp.
The following Thursday, the triplets had been sitting in the basement den together. Mabel sat at her crafts table, putting finishing touches on props and accessories for ‘Twelfth Night’, Jo lay on the floor rereading her worn old copy of ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ snacking absently on a bowl of chips, while Dipper sat on the ugly pink futon, tapping away on his computer, working on an essay for his Ancient Mythologies class. They were in their Greek Mythology unit and Dipper knew the material so well he hardly had to think to write about it. The pain had been finding sources to cite when none of the information was new to him.
Dipper’s laptop and cell phone pinged in unison, the specific ping he knew to mean he’d received an email. Happy with the distraction, Dip clicked over to the tab in which his email inbox was already open. Probably junk, he thought to himself, watching the page reload. When it loaded, a new email was indeed on top of the list and Dipper’s heart skipped a beat, his eyes training on the subject line ‘CONGRATULATIONS!’
“Holy shit…” Dipper muttered to himself, opening the email and quickly reading the contents, “Hoooly shit…”
“‘Sup, Dip-man?” Jo asked lazily, not taking her eyes from her book.
“We won,” he said softly, disbelieving, reading the email a third time.
“Speak up, Dip-dot,” Mabel chimed in distractedly.
“Holy shit, we won!” Dipper repeated, the excitement in his chest finally catching up with his tone.
Both his sisters dropped what they were doing, echoing ‘holy shit!’ in unison. They scrambled over and hopped onto the futon on either side of him, eager to read the email over his shoulder.
“ ‘Dear Mr. Pines,’ ” Mabel read and chuckled, “Hehe, sounds like they’re talking to dad…”
“ ‘Dear Mr. Pines,’ ” Jo read, impatiently, “ ‘It is with great pleasure that we inform you that your submitted findings on the subject of Tahoe Tessie have been selected to be the featured winner of this year’s ‘Explain the Unexplained!’ contest!’ ” the pitch of her voice rose steadily so that it was a shrill excited squeak by the end of the sentence.
“ ‘Our judges were very impressed by the professional attitude and enthusiasm exemplified in the style and content of your short response as well as the remarkable nature of your findings.’ ” Dipper read on, his tone uncharacteristically confident.
“‘If you wish to accept your spot as winner, we urge you to contact us promptly to set up an interview. Congratulations again!’ ” Mabel chimed in, “ ‘We look forward to getting to know the Mystery... Twins... much... better.” Her voice lost its enthusiasm and stiffened on the last few words.
“ ‘Sincerely, Matthew Michaloff, Manager of Reader-Submitted Content at Mystery Monthly Magazine.’ ” Jo read, still high on cloud nine, “With his number, ooh, I wonder if that’s his personal extension!”
“They misspelled ‘Mystery Kids’...” Mabel grumbled, standing up and walking back to her craft table.
“Yeah, I know,” Dipper said, “Sorry about that, Mabes. I only had 250 characters to tell our story. There wasn’t room to talk about being triplets, they must have figured from our names and picture that Jo and I were twins.”
“It’s fine,” Mabel said stiffly, picking back up what she’d been working on. How appropriate, she thought bitterly, jabbing the needle harder than necessary into the crown of Olivia’s wedding veil for the following night. Maybe I’m Olivia after all, stubborn and grieving and they’re the twins. Suddenly, ‘twins’ was the ugliest word she’d ever heard when for ages it had been her secretly coveted dream. They’re the twins, she thought, the jab prickling, and there’s no room for me in only 250 characters…
A click at the top of the stairs announced the door opening, “Mabel? Scout?” Mom’s voice called, “Are you girls down there?”
“Yes, ma,” Jo called back, her attention still focused on Dipper’s laptop screen.
“Could you two come up here and help me with something?”
Mabel looked over and met Jolene’s eyes, trying not to look angry. Jo had a familiar deer-in-headlights look, the same one she got whenever mom or anyone else required her input on girl matters, “Sure thing, mama, we’d love to,” Mabel called back. Let Jo squirm a little, she thought with sick satisfaction, besides it’ll peel her away from Dipper’s side for a hot second. Dutifully, Jo joined her sister and went up the stairs.
Mom met them with a slightly anxious smile, one that only Dipper had inherited. Of her three children, mom definitely was the most like her son. They were similarly high-strung, in an exceedingly well-meaning way, both dedicated micro-managers. The girls followed their mother up the stairs to their parents bedroom and the matter at hand was instantly apparent. There were clothes strewn all over the bed and dresser, a disarray of garments and accessories. Whenever mom needed help from Jo and Mabel, it usually pertained to this sort of thing, as it was the only area in which Dipper’s similarity to her was no help at all. Dipper shared mom’s usual feeling that clothes were a utilitarian necessity, but were neither important nor interesting beyond that.
“Whoa, did a bomb go off in your closet?” Jo asked sarcastically, and mom reddened a little. Jo grinned, “Finally payback for all the times you said that about my room!”
“What’s the dealio, momsy?” Mabel asked, ever the more sensitive daughter.
“Well,” mom squirmed a little at being on the spot, “You girls know your father and I have been making a point of making time for dating and romance,” Jo looked queasy at the use of the word ‘romance’ in conjunction with her parents, “We’re going on special date tomorrow night--”
“And you don’t know what to wear so you called for backup,” a grin was spreading on Mabel’s face, “You did the right thing.”
“So you’ll help?” her green eyes glittered with gratitude.
“‘Course mama-bear,” Mabel said, “Right, Jo?”
“I think this is more your forte, Miss-Sis--” Jo glanced at the door.
“Nonsense!” Mabel interrupted, “It’ll be fun!”
As their mom started pulling hangers from her closet, Dipper sat in the basement den, listening to the phone ringing, hoping the other line would pick up. And with a click, it did, “Thank you for calling Mystery Monthly Magazine, you’ve reached the office of Matthew Michaloff, Manager of Reader-Submitted Content. My name’s Petra. How may I help you today?”
“H-hi,” Dipper choked, cursing the crack in his voice, “My name’s Dipper Pines. I received an email from Mr. Michaloff saying my sister and I had--”
“Oh! Tahoe Tessie Dipper!” The woman interrupted and Dipper couldn’t help thinking how awesome it would be to work somewhere that even the receptionists were excited about the supernatural, “Congratulations to you and your sister, Mr. Pines! I’ll put you through to Mr. Michaloff at once!”
“Thanks, that’s awesome,” Dipper responded, pleased to be taken so seriously.
There was a click and a couple seconds of silence, followed by another click and a man’s voice, “Matt Michaloff speaking,” he said, “My assistant tells me I have our winner on the line?”
Dipper laughed nervously, “Ha, yes, ha ha, I guess that’s me? My name’s Dipper Pines, my sister Jolene and I investigated Tahoe Tessie?”
“The man of the hour!” Dipper imagined he could hear the man smiling, wondered if he was looking absently at small replicas of Nessie and the Jersey Devil and the Central American Whintosser on his desk, “Congratulations again to you and your sister, Jolene! I trust you’re both well?”
“Um, yes, we’re both well. Thank you, Mr. Micha--”
“Oh, please, call me Matt,” The man interrupted with a laugh, “Mr. Michaloff is my dad!”
“Ha, that’s exactly what Jo said about you calling me Mr. Pines in your email,” Dipper said, loosening up a little. He had the feeling most of the employees at Mystery Monthly were kindred spirits.
“Well, Dipper,” Matt Michaloff said, in a more informal tone, “Would you and Jo be able to do your interview with me tomorrow evening?”
“Tomorrow?” Dipper squeaked.
“Yes, tomorrow, if at all possible,” Matt reiterated, “We’d really like to get the story to our editors as soon as possible. Of course, if you can’t make--”
“Oh, no, we can make tomorrow work!” Dipper interrupted eagerly, “If you wanna do tomorrow night, we can definitely do tomorrow night!”
Matt laughed good-naturedly, “I’m loving your enthusiasm, Dipper Pines,” he said, “Well, if there isn’t anything else, I’ll talk to you at, say… six o’clock tomorrow?”
“Six is fine,” Dipper agreed, “But there is one other thing actually.”
“I’m listening,” Matt said.
“Well, Jo and I aren’t actually twins like you said in your email,” Dipper corrected, “We’re actually triplets, we have another sister named--”
Matt laughed again, “You know what, Dipper, if it can wait till tomorrow, I’d love to hear whatever you have to tell me then.”
“Oh, uh, okay,” Dipper acquiesced, “Sure, yeah, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
“Fantastic,” Matt replied, “Talk to you then, Mr. Pines.”
“Okay, Mr. Michaloff, thanks again.”
“Extend my congratulations to Ms. Jolene Pines, if you will,” Matt said, smoothly, “I look forward to making her acquaintance and hearing all about your experience.” He hung up and Dipper sat in stunned, giddy silence, and took several minutes to lower the silent phone from his ear.
Chapter 13: Interview Jitters
“Do you think he’s going to ask what kind of gear we had?” Dipper muttered at Jolene, “Should we lie? I mean, we don’t have any freaking gear--”
“We’re not lying,” Jolene said, stuffing a coiled rope into her pack, “Gear doesn’t matter. In fact, doing it without gear is cooler.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s right, you’re right,” Dipper grumbled, flipping through the cue cards he had hastily prepared, “Not lying, duh. But I mean, he’s gonna wanna know how we went about it, if we planned, if we practiced. Dammit, I’m forgetting something but I don’t know what it is! Ugh! Oh man, do most people--”
“Holy moses, Dipper, get a hold of yourself!” Jo exclaimed, shooting him an exasperated look, “We’re gonna be great. We’re charming little shits, remember? Can’t we just do this normal conversation style?”
“Are you serious…?” he could hardly make it through the question, “Like, yeah, we’re great but no, Jo-jo, we are following the cue cards. Man, I really feel like I’m forgetting something… The cards, they’re color-coded to make it easy--”
“No fuuuuucking way,” Jolene laughed, nestling a couple water bottles into her pack, “I am not following your dorky cue cards.”
“No, Jo, seriously, you have to--” he stopped talking abruptly, staring at her, “Hey, what are you doing?”
"Oh, whatever do you mean?" Jo asked, batting her eyelashes at him before shifting her attention back to her pack.
“Your bag. Why are you getting your pack ready?” The pitch of his voice rose anxiously, “I swear to god, Jolene, if you are ditching me to do this interview alone--”
“Pssh, as if,” Jo said, putting her hands on her hips, “I’m not leaving you alone with your boyfriend Matt, who knows if you lovebirds will even use protectio--”
“Well you’re not even paying attention to what’s going on! Why are you getting your pack ready?” Dipper demanded, “Why aren’t you freaking out?”
“Dip-man, I’m not freaking out because you obviously have the panic attack quota covered,” Jo said, putting the last couple things in her pack and pulling the drawstrings to tighten the opening before snapping the flap shut, “Aaaand I’m getting my pack ready for our trip to Lone Pine Mountain.”
Dipper laughed derisively, “You’ve got to be kidding me, Jo.”
“Why would I be kidding?” Jo countered with a shrug, “Operation Tessie went well enough that we freakin’ won, which is awesome, now’s the time to go--”
“Oh, I know you are fucking joking,” Dipper said, the hint of anger in his voice stopping Jo in her tracks, “Operation Tessie went well? I’m sorry but we must be thinking of different fucking days.”
“Dip, I know it wasn’t perfect,” Jo conceded, “I know it was fucked up, but we did win and--”
“Yeah, it was fucked up, Jo,” Dipper agreed, throwing his cue cards down on his desk, where they scattered, “We almost died. And in case you bumped your head, you promised me no more unnecessary risk.” Jo fidgeted uncomfortably under Dipper’s accusatory gaze, of course, he’s right, you did promise. “No Lone Pine Mountain Devils. End of conversation. Now we need to prepare for--”
As if on cue, Dipper’s phone started ringing, playing the iconic ‘Z-Files’ theme song. Both of them stared at if for a second before Jo rolled her eyes and grabbed it, swiping the green ‘accept call’ button, “Hello, Jo Pines speaking, who is this?” she said, and Dipper cringed at her brusque tone, “Oh, thanks. Yeah, Dipper’s here. Gimme one sec and I’ll put you on speaker.” She took the phone from her ear and rested it against her chest, “No flippin’ cards, bro-tective, just be your debonair lil self.” Dipper nodded and Jo nodded back, looking at the phone screen and pressing the speaker button.
Chapter 14: Opening Night
“Hey, uh, Mabel, um, are you, uhh, sure this is gonna fit?”
“Brandon…” Mabel said, wearily, resisting the urge to facepalm, “Yes, it will fit. It fit you at dress rehearsal less than 24 hours ago.”
“Okaaay, if you say so…” Brandon said, sounding unconvinced, walking away testing the elastic waist of the costume in his hands.
The show was set to start in only a few minutes. Mabel stood in the wings, checking on the costumes of the characters in the opening scene. Judging by the noise level, the theater was filling up nicely. Ticket sales had been good and they had every reason to project a successful opening night. And at least two of those seats are filled for my sake, Mabel thought with a smile. She hoped Jo and Dipper had gotten here early enough to nab a spot with a decent view of the stage. Even if they hadn’t, she hoped there would be sufficient sparkliness to shine all the way to the back row.
“It’s show time,” Mr. McMahon said, coming up beside her as the house lights dimmed and the audience obediently applauded. She gave him her patented ‘you-got-this’ million watt smile and he walked on stage to give the standard ‘thanks for coming, a word about the production’ speech. Duke Orsino showed up behind her, ready for his entrance for the opening scene. He was fidgeting with the velvet hat she’d made him, unsure of how it should fall. Mabel adjusted it for him as Mr. McMahon finished up his speech to polite applause.
The first half of the play went off without a hitch. No lines flubbed, no entrances missed, no costume catastrophes. Mabel helped with set changes and preened the actors before they went on. Many of them received a last dusting of glitter for good luck from the container labeled ‘For Emergencies’ that resided perpetually in Mabel’s pocket. In her uncharacteristic stage crew blacks, only her face was easily visible in the dim of backstage, beaming with pride. The costumes glimmered beneath the stage lights and made all the hours of stitching and gluing well worth it.
The house lights came up after the act break to signal intermission, and most of the audience started to file out into the lobby, in search of snacks and bathrooms. Mabel happily skipped out from behind the side curtain and down the small steps at the left corner of the stage. She scanned the crowd for Dipper’s scruffy head. He was tall enough to usually find easily in situations like these. They must be out in the lobby already, she decided after having ascertained that they were no longer in the theatre, That’s a bummer. Only the people with seats in the back are already out there. Well, this would not be the first time her siblings had gotten to something too late to get good seats. With the sufficient sparkles it should be fine.
She made it through the press of bodies into the lobby. Everyone was chattering about the production, and with pleasure she caught a few snippets about the “eye-catching costumes”. Damn skippy, they’ll catch your eye, she smiled inwardly. There was a card table with snacks and drinks for sale over by the entrance, and Mabel knew her Trips enough to know that they’d make a beeline straight to the refreshments. She made her way over to the table. Liz, one of the costume crew drop-outs, was manning the table. Traitor, Mabel thought as she slipped ahead of the line, peering through them. No sign of the sibs. She frowned, “Hey Lizzie?”
“Oh, hey, Mabel!” Liz said, her tone a little too friendly, “Hey, the costumes look awesome! Great job on those!” She handed a couple candy bars and some change to a parent in line, “Like seriously, wicked. Even better than ‘Oklahoma!’!”
“Oh, uh, thanks,” Mabel said, unfazed by the buttering-up she was receiving, “Listen do you--”
“Hey, look, I know,” Liz interrupted, her tone a little more serious, “It was really lame of me to quit. I’m sorry I left you with so much to--”
“It’s fine, forget it.” Mabel said impatiently, tensely checking every face in the crowd, but not seeing the two that looked like her, “Have you seen Dipper or Jo?”
“Dipper and Jo?” Liz repeated dumbly, and Mabel resisted the urge to flip a nearby tray of cookies on her.
“Yeah, Dipper and Jo. Jolene. My brother and sister?” Mabel reiterated, “Ya know? One looks like me? One looks like me, but a boy… and like a foot taller? C’mon, we’ve been in school together since we were like lil piglets!”
“Ha, yeah, Mabel,” Liz said, a little snotty at being condescended to, “I know who Dipper and Jo are. But no, I haven’t seen them. I don’t think they’re here.”
“Thanks,” Mabel huffed, turning on her heel and walking away from the concessions. Okay, no way. They’re definitely here. Just cause Liz didn’t see them doesn’t mean squat. She’s not the brightest light on the tree. They were definitely not in the lobby, though. Maybe they went out to Aoshima? Yeah, of course! Of course, they’d gone out to the car. They usually would sneak snacks of their own into this sorta thing, they’d probably just gone out to restock their pocket candy. Mabel could feel a grin spreading on her face as she leaned her weight against the glass door to open it, the cool air of the spring night refreshing. It was a nice night, and both her sibs would rather take in the night air that stand around in a mob of people.
Her feet carried her several feet into the parking lot as her eyes bounced from car to car, looking for the smiley face antenna topper and the outline of a friendly sibling head. No smiley face, Mabel frowned. Well, if they were late, maybe they’re out on the road? She checked the clock on her phone. The next act was starting in only a couple minutes, and there was no time to check.
Mabel went back inside to check the bathroom. No Jolene in the ladies’, and no Jo or Dipper waiting by the door for the other. Maybe they went back in the theater already…? Mabel wondered, deflating by the second. The theater was filling back up and she followed the current of the audience. She automatically kept searching, the pit of doubt in her stomach getting deeper and deeper by the second. Could they really not be here…? It didn’t seem possible. Since they were little tots, all three triplets had had plenty of events like this. Dance recitals, plays, science fairs, art shows, talent shows. Like tonight, every once in a while their parents wouldn’t make it, but they had never ever ever missed each other. Not once. The Trips were each other’s biggest fans. They wouldn’t miss a thing, even if it was boring to them. They know how hard I’ve been working on this…
But do they? Things had been so weird lately. She’d been so wrapped up in working on the play and her stupid pesky feelings clogging up the works. She knew she’d told them it was opening night. It was marked in pink on the calendar on the fridge and the one by her bed and the one by her desk in the den. They were distracted to, though, ever since they’d gone on that mission to find the sea snake thingy they’d been so caught up in adventure stuff. Mabel reached the little steps to the stage and looked back over the audience. The lights were flashing in the lobby to communicate the end of intermission, and the last few stragglers were trickling in. With a clear view of everyone like this, there was no denying it.
They’re not here. They really didn’t come. Mabel tried to banish the tears from her eyes as she hurried back into the wings. She was on autopilot now, straightening collars and flattening out creases. The joy of it had left her. The play was going well, the costumes looked fantastic, but what the hell did it matter? They forgot me.
Chapter 15: A Chat With Mystery Monthly
“Well, let me tell you, that is just incredible!” Matt Michaloff said over speakerphone, “You two sound like quite the young adventurers!”
“Thanks, Mr. Michaloff,” Dipper said, with that starstruck tone he’d had in his voice for the entire interview.
“Please, Dipper, please,” Matt said laughing.
“Right, Matt, sorry,” Dipper said, his cheeks reddening at having his manners corrected yet again.
“Sorry, Matt,” Jo cut in, “My brother’s a bit of a dweeb.”
Matt laughed politely, “Well, he’s a lot cooler than I was in High School, I’ll tell ya that much.”
“Oh, really?” Dipper’s voice cracked slightly, “Ha, thanks, Matt,” Dipper said, with the bashful smile Jo harbored a secret love for, “Did you have any other questions?”
“No, I don’t think so, Dipper,” he said, with the sound of some sheets of paper rustling, “You guys gave me so much great material! Thank you again for making time for the interview so promptly.”
“Yeah, o-of course, no problem!”
“Do you know when this issue’s coming out?” Jo asked eagerly.
“Well, we’re hoping to have it hitting the presses in the next two weeks,” Matt said, “But don’t you fear, you two will be getting a box of advance copies.” Dipper and Jo grinned at each other. Advance copies?! Jo thought excitedly, that sounds so legit! Matt rustled his papers again, “If you two have nothing to add, I think I’ll be saying goodnight to you. I’m eager to get to work on this story.”
“Thanks, Matt!” Jo squeaked, as Dipper said a polite ‘goodnight’ and ended the call.
“Ooooooooooooh my god!” Dipper wailed excitedly, the second the call disconnected, “Oh my god!”
Jo leapt to her feet, full of thrilled nervous energy, “That was so so so freaking cool!” She hopped excitedly from one foot to the other, “That was-- hoh my god!”
“Right?!” Dipper agreed, his eyes gleaming with exhilaration. He hopped to his feet and offered Jo a fist bump with each hand, “Fuckin’ Mystery Kids, man!”
“MysteryKidsMysteryKidsMysteryKiiiiids!” Jo chanted, punching fist bump after fist bump rapidly against her brother’s knuckles.
“You did so good, Jo-jo,” Dipper said, grinning ear to ear, his cheeks still flushed, “You were so cool and casual and like, poised, not a fangirly dork like me.”
“Oh, cram it!” Jo said, directing one of her punches for Dipper’s shoulder instead of his hand, “You were a total boss, bro-tective! You put the man in Dip-man! You were professional as shit.”
“As shit, huh?” Dipper joked, but she could see his shoulders straighten with a hint of pride.
“Yeah, you and Matt had like this awesome rapport goin’ on,” Jo teased, “Like you were the same species and you recognized each other. I had to interrupt a few times there, ‘cause the sexual tension was just, whoa, through. the. roof.”
Dipper had just wiped the grin from his face when Jo elicited the coy, playful crooked one. He ran a hand through his hair from brow to neck, “Oh yeah? Well, how could ole Matt resist this?”
It was so rare that Jo had a chance to see Dipper exuberant and cocky like this. Normally so reserved and responsible, although there was no end to his dry jokes, he rarely let himself play around quite like this. With me and Mabes in the house, there’s already a surplus of silly, Jo noted, It’s a shame. Silly Dip is the cutest Dip. He was still making a show of some idea of manliness, flexing his flimsy biceps and making some attempt at bedroom eyes. Without warning, he grabbed Jo by the waist and dipped her low, as if he knew the first thing about dance.
It didn’t matter. It worked. It ripped Jo right from her thoughts and into his hands, warm and strong, broad against her lower back. His eyes were gleaming darkly, his hair falling softly over his brow, his cheeks pink, his lips just curled in a crooked smile. His lips were like a magnet, like the tastiest morsel of food hung over her and she was starving. Her heart was bouncing around her chest with the thrill of the interview and every beat seemed to push her closer and closer to the invitation of Dipper’s lips.
What the hell are you doing?? She screamed at herself, tugging herself awkwardly from Dipper’s grip. He gave her a perplexed look and she saw the small crease knit between his brows, concerned that he’d offended her, “Jo?” he asked tentatively.
“I’m gonna, uhh, go wash my face,” Jo muttered, unable to meet his eyes. She scurried from the room and into the bathroom, shutting the door a tad too hard behind her. She leaned her back against it, her eyes tickled by tears, trying desperately to slow her frantic heartbeat. You stupid, selfish freak! You could have ruined everything! Jo covered her face with her hands, That was way too freaking close.
Chapter 16: Confrontation
Mabel parked the music department van by the mailbox, right behind Aoshima. Right where it has been, this whole time, Mabel griped bitterly. She realized she’d been holding her breath and made a point of letting it out. She looked at the house apprehensively. Mom’s car was gone, meaning she and dad were still out on their date. Mabel hoped she’d worn the red sweater she’d suggested. The lights were on in the living room, as well as Dipper’s room upstairs. Her heart twinged. They’re in there.
She opened the door and got out, cutting across the lawn to the front door. It had been a long day and her body was weary, but she didn’t feel it. Anger was coursing hot and livid through her veins, stronger than any amount of sugar or caffeine. Her hand was shaking as she turned the key in the lock and entered her house.
Without slowing down, as if pulled by a magnet, Mabel made her way swiftly up the stairs. She reached the second floor as the bathroom door shut hard, just shy of slamming. Dipper’s head poked out of his bedroom door, looking towards the bathroom, after Jolene, Mabel assumed. Mabel stopped in the hall a few paces away from him and crossed her arms, glaring at the back of her brother’s head. What the hell is so interesting about Jo going in the flipping bathroom?! Impatient for Dipper’s attention, having been denied it when she thought it was guaranteed, Mabel pulled her purse from her shoulder and dropped it loudly on the ground.
Dipper nearly jumped out of his skin at the loud thud behind him. He whirled around to find Mabel standing in the hallway, and the sight of her was scarier than the noise had been. She almost didn’t look like Mabel. She was dressed all in black, from head to toe, a black long-sleeved tee shirt and black leggings, glowering at him. Her cheeks were pink and her brown eyes glittering angrily, accusingly. Dipper felt the blood rush from his face. Did she see that? Did she see Jo almost…? Dipper glanced back towards the bathroom, See what, asshole? She wasn’t gonna kiss you, it was all in your twisted up head.
“What the hell, bro,” Mabel said. Her voice was dangerously low, a tone rarely heard that Dipper knew meant business. He looked back at her at once.
“Uh, hi… Mabes,” He said, uneasy under her glare.
“Don’t ‘hi Mabes’ me,” Mabel shook her head, crossing her arms. It was seriously off-putting to see her dressed in black. He was tempted to ask who’d died, but had the sense that they might be his last words.
“Oookay,” Dipper said cautiously, unsure what he was supposed to say if ‘hi’ was out.
“So,” Mabel urged, raising an eyebrow, “What the heck is your excuse?” Dipper blinked at her, desperately trying to come up with an excuse, and an explanation to himself as to what needed excusing. Mabel raised her voice a little, “What happened tonight?”
What happened tonight? Finally! A question he knew the answer to! He knew what had happened tonight, so long as he left out the almost-kissing-Jo part, “Oh! The interview! It went great! It--”
“The...interview…?” Mabel asked, cocking her head cluelessly.
“Yeah, the interview!” Dipper smiled a little, confused by chasing Mabel’s signals this way and that, “With Mystery Monthly about--”
“The interview?!” Mabel spat at him, cutting him off, her eyes suddenly blazing, “That--that is what you were doing tonight?!”
“Umm,” Dipper fidgeted, “Yes?”
“Of course!” Mabel threw up her hands and gave a derisive laugh, “Of course! Of fucking course that’s what you were doing tonight!” Dipper opened his mouth to ask what was going on as she took a step closer to him, “Of course, your stupid mystery thing was more important than my play!”
Oh, shit.
Dipper’s blood ran cold. The play. Everything suddenly clicked into place, opening up a hole in the pit of his stomach. The play, the play, the play. Oh my god, the play was tonight. He accidentally muttered the last part out loud, “Ohmygod, the play was tonight.”
“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!” Mabel verified facetiously, “The play was tonight and, for the record, it was off-the-charts awesome. Not like you care.”
“It was just opening night, though, right?” Dipper supplicated, holding out his palms, trying to find a solution, “We’ll go tomorrow--”
“Oh, gee whiz, Dip,” Mabel rolled her eyes, “Heartwarming as it is to be an afterthought, that’s really not the flippin’ point at all!”
Ouch, Dipper winced, his hands dropping to his sides, “Mabes, you’re not an afterthought…”
“Yeah?” She scoffed, “Because it sure feels that way! This play has been the only stinking thing I talked about for weeks!” She took another step toward him, angry tears sparkling in her eyes, “I have lived and breathed ‘Twelfth Night’! I have sewed and glued until my fingers bled! I have gone to school early and come home late and you,” she scowled and Dipper’s heart ached, seeing the hurt just under the veneer of her anger, “You--you guys were, were happy to have me gone!”
“That’s not fair, Mabes,” Dipper said, how could she say that? He tried to resist the anger blooming inside him, “That is so not fair. Just because we forgot--”
“Ugggh!” Mabel’s hands clenched into fists, “But you didn’t just forget the play!” She took another step, glaring up at him, “You forgot me! Did you even wonder where I was? While I was looking for you in the audience, in the lobby, out in the parking lot, did you once think ‘Hm, where’s Mabel tonight?’ ” She pointed at him, “No! The whereabouts of stupid Nessie is more important to you than your own sister!”
“What the fuck, Mabel!” Dipper’s anger flared, eating up the unfair accusations like kindling, “You can’t compare Tessie to how--”
“Oh excuuuuse me,” Mabel mocked, “Tessie, not Nessie. Of course I would mix that up, silly stupid Mabel can’t even--”
“Shut up!” Dipper interrupted, grabbing Mabel by her shoulders, “You’re not stupid! You--”
“No, Dipper, I am stupid!” Mabel disagreed, the tears welling in her eyes becoming harder and harder to keep at bay, “It was stupid of me to assume you’d be there, it was stupid of me to--”
“Mabel, no,” Dipper’s anger wilted at the sight of Mabel fighting tears, holding onto her anger so hard, turning it back on herself. His voice softened, “I should have been there. I know how important this was to you and it was selfish and careless of me to forget.” His hand moved from her shoulder to soothingly pet her hair, looking into her tear-glazed eyes, “You’re not stupid. You’re so completely not stupid. I’m stupid for getting so caught up in this contest thing. You know I love you.”
“I love you,” Mabel said softly, blinking hard, fat tears squeezing out from under her eyelids and rolling down her cheeks.
“I know, Mabes,” Dipper said, a little relieved that her anger seemed to have been extinguished.
“No,” Mabel shook her head, and met his gaze again. His stomach dropped, confused by the deep sadness in her eyes, “I love you, Dipper. I love you.”
“Mabel, I don’t--” Before DIpper could blink, he was cut off by Mabel’s lips crushed against his own. She had thrown her arms around his neck and wobbled on her tiptoes, and he leaned down his head towards her, allowing her to rest back on her heels as he eagerly met her kiss. To him she tasted like ice cream and apple pie and just like glitter would taste if it was made of candy and her tears were salty but her lips were soft and Dipper’s mind was shutting down as his body was waking up. His arms went around her and hugged her to him and god she was so small and soft and he could feel her trembling as her anger went out of her. A voice in his head was screaming what’s happening? What’s happening? What do you think you’re doing? What the hell is happening? But it was quiet compared to the sound of Mabel’s almost inaudible sigh against him. Her sigh was in his mouth and a stray thought wondered how her voice could taste so good.
The haze of Mabel that enveloped Dipper like a cotton candy dream shattered with the sound of Jolene’s shocked cry.
Continue to Part 5
I made some more Jolene AU fanart! I am actually in love with this cute lil OT3 😍
If you have no idea what you’re seeing, check out my story “Just Because You Can” introducing my Jolene AU where the Pines have a lady triplet!
Patreon * AO3



