A warm breeze tumbled through Northwest mansion-smaller than the ostentatious Northwest Manor, the feisty wind navigated through the winding halls until it brushed softly against Pacifica's skin. It was warmer than the bitter wind of winter and carried a distinct smell of the lake and pine trees. It was the first notion of summer she had felt since early September and she welcomed it with a heavy breath, inhaling the familiar smell that lingered from the breeze.

Summer was finally here. It almost felt like it would never return after the harsh snowfall that didn't melt for months. Pacifica dropped her mini golf club and marched toward the window, almost to prove to herself that the time really had come-the time for the Pines twins to finally return to Gravity Falls.

Dipper and Mabel didn't come back the year following the events of Weirdmageddon-or the year after that. Dipper enrolled in excelled summer courses before starting high school and continued them for his sophomore year. Mabel decided to get a P.E. and Health class out of the way, and then was recruited to be a guidance counselor at a local camp for kindergarteners summer 2014, leaving no time for a visit from the dynamic duo for two full summers. Despite the town's thankfulness for a few quiet seasons, Pacifica felt that summers weren't truly summers without them.

She had kept in touch with them both, of course-her and Mabel would talk on skype for a few hours a week when they weren't too busy. Occasionally, Dipper would join their session, typically in the background making faces and trying to distract Pacifica. But Dipper had a different method of communication that he preferred. It started in 8th grade during a call between the girls when he made an offhanded comment asking "whatever happened to pen pals?"

"You know I like technology just as much as the next person, but I used to get so excited to get a letter in the mail from my pen pal! It was way more personal, if you ask me." He scoffed while tinkering with an unknown object in his hand.

"What could be more personal than face-to-face? I feel like I'm sitting across the table from Pacifica now!" Mabel protested.

"Ya, I can see every pore on Mabel's face, I don't see how this could be any more personal." Pacifica retorted, not meaning any malice. Luckily, her tactless comments usually rolled right off the ever-optimistic Mabel, who had become almost fond of Pacifica's blatant remarks.

"Well, you probably wouldn't understand. Have you ever hand written anything in your life? Like, even a school essay? Or do you have people do that for you?" Dipper challenged the blonde, poking a finger at the monitor. His tone was playful, but it didn't take much to bait Pacifica.

"As if! I get my high scores on my own, thank you very much! And I am perfectly capable of handwriting a letter. I didn't have a pen pal growing up, but for your information, I write the thank you notes to all of my dad's clients because my handwriting is so cute. I doubt anyone would ever be able to read any chicken scratch you could procure." She smirked, cocking her head slightly, her blonde locks toppling down her shoulder.

"Chicken scratch, huh? Ya know, Grunkle Ford had no problem reading all of the notes I wrote in the journal that, ya know, saved the world!" Dipper charged up to the screen.

"What apocalypse did you live through? Cause I remember you only writing about leaf blowers and making doodles of Wendy all summer!"

Dipper paused at that, his face stern. Mabel stared at her brother, searching for what his next reaction would be.

"Fine," he shrugged, "I'll just have to write you a letter you'll never forget! Archeologists will find these letters hundreds of years from now and talk about how great they are!"

"Fine! And I'll just write back because mine will be infinitely better!"

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"FINE." Dipper raised his voice slightly. For considering skype to be impersonal, he sure could feel the tension through the screen. He smiled at the silence and turned on his heels, assumably off to write the best letter he could conjure.

Pacifica scowled at her desk, arms crossed and cheeks puffed, "I don't know how you put up with him."

She finally brought herself back to the screen when she saw Mabel staring her down, smile wide, eyes shimmering.

"What are you looking at?" She huffed, a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Oh, nothing at all. So...I guess you just got your first pen pal!" Mabel cooed, flopping her arms around like limp noodles.

The letters started as a competition-who could use the bigger words, who was doing better in school, who went to the most parties (obviously Pacifica reigned supreme on that front). As months passed, the notes went from obnoxious one-upping to casual conversation. What started as "Well, I made perfect marks in all of my classes AND was accepted into another AP course" shifted to "I can't believe how much pre-calc sucks. Did you guys learn about limits yet?". Dipper was definitely smart, but Pacifica had no trouble keeping up with him academically. He had never realized what a nerd she was for school, having grown up with a private tutor most of her life. She was taking nearly as many AP and Honors classes as he was and was even enrolled in classes at a local college a town over from Gravity Falls for her upcoming Junior year. But they didn't just talk about school. Dipper often wrote about his parents-trying to force him to join a more "social group" like marching band or the Debate team. They bothered him constantly about being too "reclusive". It wasn't that he wasn't involved in clubs-he just preferred to do research on his own. He also detailed descriptions of his close group of friends and why he chose to keep his group small. He acknowledged his newly understood social anxieties and how he felt they hindered him around girls-other girls, that is. He never felt that way when talking to her.

Pacifica would comfort Dipper, assuring him that she has similar anxieties, too. She lamented over her social status genuinely, seeming exhausted from all of the clubs and boards she served on. Her parents weren't any less strict with her, keeping her busy constantly. She found the only peace she would get was when she would finally lay in bed, but by that time she would want to stay up all night just to get some time for herself. Even though her schedule seemed nonstop, she always found time to write Dipper back. She would place her inner-most thoughts on paper during class, almost using Dipper as her own personal diary. Only, knowing that someone else was reading and understanding her feelings made her feel that much more valid. The feelings were mutual to him.

So the letters came-sometimes daily, sometimes weekly, sometimes only a few times a month-and continued between them for three school years. Dipper would still see Pacifica and Mable Skype now and then, but he would simply drop a smile and a wave, knowing he would just write to her later.

This year was different. Dipper and Mabel took the summer off of school and work to start prepping for the SATs. Somehow, they had convinced their parents that the best way they could study was to leave their usual environment and go somewhere peaceful and calming and one with nature, i.e. Gravity Falls. Pacifica received a letter from Dipper days before Mabel relayed the message to her-they were finally coming back.

Sure, Pacifica could have easily paid to go and visit the twins any time she wanted. She had been traveling by herself since she was 13 and Piedmont wasn't that far away. But her parents kept her on a schedule so rigorous she often felt like her life was not her own. It was a blessing that the twins were finally able to come to her.

She hustled down the hallway, following the scent of the lake that the summer breeze blew her way. Finally, she reached the open window that was responsible for playing with her senses and stuck her head out into the sunshine. She inhaled. She exhaled. When she was satisfied, she pulled her phone out and added another memo to the cluttered calendar app: "Tomorrow, Monday June 1st, 2015: Pines Twins return. 12 noon."