Requested by @elysianataraxia hope y'all enjoy! This is the first time I'm doing a part 3 for a oneshot. I really enjoyed writing this one. :)

If there was one thing Dipper didn't like it was someone inhabiting his personal space. But considering there was no other place for that siren to stay, Dipper had to give some of that personal space up.

His least favorite parts were the mornings.

"Psst, Dipper," Pacifica whispered. "Are you awake yet?"

"I'm awake now." He grumbled, rolling over. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to sleep."

"You're no fun." She grumbled. "You're super boring."

"Oh please," he murmured. "I'm not super anything."

To his surprise, Pacifica started laughing.

"What?" He grumbled, lifting his head from his pillow. "What is so funny?"

"Modesty is not a quality I would've pinned on you." She continued to laugh.

"And why is that?"

"From what I've gathered, you're the type that wants to prove themselves con-stant-ly." She placed emphasis on the last word.

"And that's a problem?" Dipper raised a brow. How could this girl know more about him than even his own crew did? Oh, right, she shared a room with him.

"No, but you wanna know something?" She beckoned him closer.

Now Dipper should have known better. Momentarily he remembered the last time he got close to this siren, how she'd gotten him flustered and confused. "What are you going to do?" He asked, after taking a small step.

"Nothing." She replied, and she sounded honest.

"Promise?" Dipper felt funny as soon as the word was out of his mouth.

"Will you trust me even if I promise?" She asked.

"I. . .I dunno." He admitted. "After all, I barely know you."

"Ask." She stated.

"Ask what?"

"Whatever you want to know." She shrugged. "I want to know about you too. So after you ask and I answer, you have to answer a question that I ask. Okay?"

"Sounds fair enough." Dipper took a few steps closer to the alluring woman.

"Now 'fair' is a word I never would have guessed you would ever say." She laughed. "Alright before we get off track, ask me anything."

Dipper pulled up a chair close to her tank and steepled his fingers. "Alright, how old are you?"

"Um, well, my age is complicated to explain." Pacifica admitted.

"I beg your pardon?" Dipper raised a brow.

"Seafolk's lives are different from humans." Pacifica explained. "We were all taught that when I was younger."

"If you had to guess, how old are you in, er, human years?" Dipper felt awkward even as he said it.

"Perhaps 19." She gulped. "You?"

"Older." Dipper admitted.

"How much?" She raised a brow. By this point, Pacifica had her arms rested on the edge of her tank. As if she were really interested in whatever Dipper had to say. It had been a long time since someone had caught her attention.

"Eh," he shook his head. "Not much."

"Tell me!" Pacifica protested. "You're not allowed to dodge the question, NOYC!"

"I swear I told you I was joking, my name is not NOYC. It's Dipper." Dipper groaned, albeit amused.

"How old are you in human years, Dipper." She drew out his name.

"21." He stated. "Two years, not bad."

"Yeah." She smiled. "Alright, your turn."

"As a siren, what is it you usually do?" Dipper asked, very curious.

"Well, there are many rumors going around about what sirens actually do. One of them being that we just drown men for fun. The others being we drown them to eat them, we drown them because we want to be with them, or to get revenge."

"Revenge?" Dipper echoed.

"On those dreaded sailors who tossed women over the edges." Pacifica explained. "Because apparently women are bad luck on ships. But it's all a lie."

"And what were you?" Dipper couldn't help but ask. "Trying to kill me?"

"Ask me after I ask you something." Pacifica retorted. "Now, how long have you been captain of this ship?"

"Too long." Dipper sighed. "I've been wanting to go home."

"Well why don't you?" She dared to ask.

"Ah ah ah," Dipper tsked. "My turn. Why were you trying to kill me?"

"Well, you see," Pacifica swam around her tank anxiously before returning to face him. "My friend," the blonde seacreature blushed fiercely. "she saw you before, staring into the water, and she thought you were cute. Or, I believe the word is, hot."

Dipper's face flushed red. "W-what."

"Oh my god you stammered!" Pacifica squealed. "You really are adorable."

"And so you were just trying to help her?" He questioned.

She nodded. "Alright, why don't you go home since you want to so much?"

"Problems await at home, Pacifica." He shook his head. "Family, marital issues."

"Marriage?" She echoed. "You're married?"

"Well, no." Dipper sighed. "This is all very complicated."

"You made me explain my complications." Pacifica crossed her arms. "Return the favor."

"I'm engaged to be married." Dipper explained softly. "That's the only reason I'm staying out here so long. I don't want to get married."

"Who is she?" Pacifica asked.

"She's beautiful," he admitted. "But we're only getting married to appease our family's. It's a monetary marriage."

"That's horrible." Pacifica reached an arm out and rubbed his shoulder, an action he wasn't used to. "That's why you're sea-bound?"

"My turn." He turned to look at her. "You have the ability to escape, why haven't you?"

"Who says I have the ability to escape?" She raised a brow, removing her hand from Dipper.

"I've been doing my research." He explained. "You have the ability to make someone do whatever you want them to. In doing so, you could make me help you escape. So why haven't you done it yet?"

Pacifica sank farther into her tank.

"You have to answer me." Dipper leaned closer. "You must."

Pacifica swam up closer to Dipper's face, "I want to leave, y'know? But It's complicated."

"You must tell me," he urged.

"It's not that I want to be here. But I've. . .kinda grown used to your company." She played with a strand of her hair, her face tinted with a light pink.

"Oh finally, someone's talking about the very obvious elephant in the room." Dipper groaned. "What was that about? When you kissed me?"

". . .I dunno." She lied.

"I hate to say it, but I enjoy your company as well." He rubbed the back of his head. "But we can't."

"I know." She whispered. "Not only are we two different species, you're engaged."

"Unhappily, but engaged." Dipper said, eyes halfway closed. "So, I have to let you go, don't I?"

"You make it sound like you don't have a choice." Pacifica shook her head. "But I understand what you're saying. We really don't have a choice."

"I'm aware." He whispered. "You're. . .different."

"Other than the fact that I'm a siren?" She raised a brow, expecting him to laugh. But he didn't.

"The other girls," he started, "they've only been interested in me because of my, well, looks, wealth and family connections. Not me. I've never met someone who's interested in me."

"Likewise." She placed her hand on top of his. "Your crazy matches my crazy."

"Your wit matches my wit." He countered.

"Your looks match my looks." She whispered, getting closer.

"You. . .me." Dipper reached out and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, he'd seen many men do it multiple times, he'd also read about it in books. It was a very intimate movement.

Pacifica wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her. The kiss wasn't exactly like the other one she'd given him a few days prior. This time it was languid, slow, sweet. Long. Like they both didn't want the moment to end.

A firm knock at the door stopped their beautiful movement. "Dipper! Er, Captain!" Gideon's voice called. "We've neared the shores, we're almost home."

Dipper remembered, vaguely, Gideon telling him they were headed for home. Unbeknownst to him, they were closer than ever. Closer to facing the music.

"You're going home after all." Pacifica mused. "I thought you didn't want to."

"Everyone has to do things they don't want to. It's for the greater good, and a lesser evil." Dipper explained, thoughtfully examining her face. When would he ever see her again?

"Greater good, lesser evil." Pacifica firmly nodded. "I suppose this is it."

"Indeed." Dipper murmured, not ready to let go.

"I'm never going to be with someone like you." Pacifica whispered. "Ever."

"I know." Dipper stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in.

"And you're never going to be happy." She called out.

"I know." He repeated. "But hey, greater good, lesser evil."

"I'm starting to hate that phrase." Pacifica lamented.

"As am I." Dipper answered. "But it has to be done."

"So this is goodbye?" Pacifica half-hoped, no really hoped, he wouldn't want to say those words.

"Not yet." He stated. "After all, we've got to get you off this ship."

Pacifica silently sulked. "And?"

Dipper's face showed hints of embarrassment. "I'll have to carry you."

Strange enough, Pacifica found herself nodding along. "Okay." was her quiet reply.

Dipper quickly, and cautiously, lifted Pacifica out of her tank, watching in curiosity as she wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want to fall." She explained.

I already did. Dipper thought.

A majority of the crew was down on the lower part of the ship, their rooms, celebrating the return to their homeland, but Dipper could not. He was already losing too much to celebrate. His freedom and now a new-found love.

"Will I ever see you again?" Dipper found himself asking as he lowered her into the water.

"Only time will tell." Pacifica replied, the answer was sad albeit honest. "If you ever return to sea, I will be waiting."

"Is there anyway I can speak to you?" Dipper asked.

Pacifica shook her head, glumly.

"Is there anyway I could send you letter in. . .bottles?" Dipper asked, hopefulness settling into his mind.

"That will work, NOYC." She tried to smile, but it only hurt.

"Don't call me that," he choked on his own tears.

"Okay," she whispered, letting go of him at the same time he set her down gently. "I await your letters."

"You better send some my way." Dipper tried to sound threatening, but it wasn't working.

"I will." She promised. "Goodbye, Dipper." She leaned forward and placed one last kiss onto his lips, her tears falling down, hitting his cheeks.

"Goodbye, Pacifica." He closed his eyes and leaned forward, kissing her once more.

And when he opened his eyes, she was gone.