A New Axe

FRIDAY, FEBTUARY 13TH, 2019:

"Oh, are you kidding me?!" The frustrated teenager whispered as he took a look at his watch after what felt like an hour. To his displeasure, no more than exactly six minutes and eighteen seconds had passed. Frowning, he recalculated the amount of time until the end of his last lecture of the day for the thirty fifth time, only to realize that he still had forty two minutes and twenty three seconds of Greek Mythology to look forward to.

Dipper scoffed. As if. The younger Pines twin, unlike his usual self, was not even remotely enjoying the class, which he had zero idea why he needed to learn. In fact, had it been up to him, he would have never even taken the class, let alone waste six hours a week on all the nonsense. Six hours of his precious life.

Unfortunately for the teen, it had not been up to him.

One day, during their first days in college, Dipper and his twin sister had made a bet, the forfeit being about classes the two were going to take. If Mabel lost, she'd have to take the advanced calculus classes. And if Dipper lost…

It would come as no surprise that the boy was mad about having to learn about gods and their histories – which, in more than little cases, made contradictions – just because of a lost bet. He then wondered how his great uncle could become such a gambler. It seemed the teen never had any luck when it came to chances – the same chances he was extremely good at calculating.

But he frowned as his thoughts went back to the same subject of Greek mythology. He didn't understand why it would come in handy for someone, especially someone like him. Hell, what on earth did Odin and Zeus have to do with his major – medical studies?

Wait. Was Odin in the Greek mythology at all? Or was he Scandinavian? Or Roman?

He put his thoughts aside when he realized he needed to take a few notes about Faunus, the god of animals, forests or plains. Not that he wanted to, he just needed those notes to pass. So he grabbed his blue pen – which also happened to be painfully chewed up – and began to write absent-mindedly.

Dipper had planned this particular weekend out since two weeks ago, when his sister had been talking – more like gushing – about her plans for the Valentine's day and how she was going to find a date by the twelfth – which, of course, she still hadn't. But the bubbly teen's plans also inspired an idea for Dipper.

The two hadn't visited Gravity Falls for the last new year's, which had gradually become a routine since the first Christmas after their first summer in the sleepy town. Dipper, in particular, had also stayed in California during the last summer as well, while his twin spent her time with people he greatly wished to see. It was just that his college projects, studies and articles took major priority – in his opinion, at least.

That summer spent entirely on preparing for college had led to his sight worsening, so much that he got a pair of glasses, which Mabel always complimented. (Although it did give her a reason to call him a nerd more frequently, and she took the most advantage from it.) All in all, the male pines twin hadn't seen so many precious people for longer than a year…

Including Wendy.

That – alongsides with the fact that things weren't as awkward between them anymore - was why when Dipper found out that the Valentine's day was a Saturday, he instantly planned on giving his girlfriend a surprise visit the night before the fourteenth. If all went according to his plan, he would finish packing as soon as he would get to his humble apartment after his last class on Friday… which was Greek Mythology.

He looked at his watch again.

Still Thirty four minutes left.

He sighed heavily and focused his attention on the old professor in front of the class, who happened to be talking about Venus, the goddess of beauty and love.

Beauty and love…

His thoughts instantly slipped away from the class, and to a certain redhead, who was probably cutting down trees a few thousand miles up north. His lips began to form a smile. A smile at all the sweet memories, at all the adventures he had gone through with her, all the camping nights when the two shared tents, all the movie nights spent at Wendy's small bedroom, all the snowball fights they had in the new years and all the fond memories he could remember spent with her…

And last but not least, the last goodbye moment at the end of their last summer together…

The voice of the Mythology professor snapped the teen out of his thoughts and into the classroom. He adjusted his glasses and looked at the board, which had been filled completely. He needed to take notes.

But as soon as he picked up his pen, the professor began to wipe the board. Dipper frowned and let out a frustrated groan. Now he needed to borrow Mabel's notes for the final exam, and that was the last thing he would have ever wanted to do. He held the bridge of his nose and began to unwillingly listen to what the professor had to say.

Of course, none of his actions escaped from his neighbor and twin sister, Mabel Pines.

"What was wrong back there, bro-bro?" Mabel asked her brother cheerily little after they were dismissed. "Bored of mythology again, eh?" She added playingly.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Of course I am! It's nothing that I'd wanna be forced to learn! None of it is even real!" He whined, and rightfully so. All the bubbly twin did was giggle.

"Well, it's not my fault! Don't take a bet if you don't wanna lose!" She gave Dipper an affectionate punch in the shoulder. "besides, isn't it better than learning all that sciency junk all the time? You could use a change!"

"I was going for a change." The now taller twin said, adjusting his glasses.

"Oh, really?" She said with more than a little sarcasm. She had a pretty clear idea what her twin meant by a change. "What kind of change? Physics? Calculus? Advanced Chemistry? Nuclear science? Some other sciency-math bizz?" And she raised an eyebrow.

Of course, Dipper had seen this response coming, which got a chuckle out of him.

"What? Which subjects did I miss?"

"It's not that…" The teen stopped laughing. "I wasn't going for another class to take, I was just gonna… Remember Bart from the eighth grade?"

"Barty?" The cheery twin began to think, remembering their chubby and bookish classmate from five years ago. "Oh, yeah! The guy who was good with wood and all that junk, right?"

Dipper nodded. "I saw him sometime ago…"

"NO WAY!" His twin squealed, tugging Dipper's noodle arms with excitement. "Why didn't you tell me? How's he doing? He lives in L.A. now, right? I heard he has his own woodshop now!" She then gasped. "OH! Maybe we can visit him sometime? We're both free next weekend! Oooh, I really wanna see an actual woodshop! Has he gotten marrie-"

"Mabel, please." Dipper stopped her at the last question, and Mabel unintentionally made a duck-face.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, bro."

"It's alright." He reassured her before going back to the subject. "So, we were talking, and he said that he does have his own woodshop now, so I thought that maybe I could learn the basics of working with wood and-"

"REALLY?" The bubbly teen gawked at him, eyes sparkling. Dipper uncomfortably nodded.

"OOH! THAT'S AWESOME BRO!" She squeaked and enthusiastically took her brother into an emvrace, while he felt a few of his bones starting to crack. "Ma…bel, I…'m… suffo…cati..iiing…"

"Whoops! Sorry!" The tight hugger let go, letting her victim of a brother gasp for air. He would have laughed her brother off, were it not for more than few people looking at the two, thinking God knew what – the fact that one of them was typing something hurriedly while looking at the two was not helping either.

Once Dipper had recovered, the two left the hallway to the parking, with Mabel starting back on the subject.

"But seriously, how'd you think of that, Dip? Working with wood?" She said, wearing her smile again, as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, well-"

"OOH! Think you can make me a new little desk in the summer? The table I have right now is just outright gross!"

"That's because you never clean the food stains." Dipper pointed out, remembering having to study in his sister's house – his books had smelled like omelets ever since.

"Aw, c'mon! I always clean them, it's just those little stainies that refuse to get cleaned."

"Well, who eats food on their desk anyway? Don't you have a kitchen table?" he protested. Knowing Mabel, he also knew some of her unusual habits that always annoyed him. "It's not my fault that your desk smells like month-old spaghetti."

"Oh, look. I'm Dipper, and I refuse to screw three boards together to make my sister a table, 'cause I have nerdy junk to do and Back To The Future to rewatch." Mabel deepened her voice to imitate her brother, getting a chuckle and a roll of his eyes out of Dipper.

"Mabel, please…"

"How hard is it? Barty should have taught you how to cut wood, right?" She returned to her normal voice. "OOH! You can also make me a couple of photo frames, right? Y'know, those gorgeous woods? Like the purple ones? Think-"

"Mabel, I never did learn anything! I don't have time for it because of your bet." He cut his sister, almost yelling – getting Mabel to listen while she was speaking was never an easy job. Mabel went silent, then cheered right back up. "But still, you can go to his place in the summer, right? Think he could teach me too? That would be awesome!"

"Yeah, it would." Dipper nodded, thinking of the possibility, but then remembered of all he had to do and looked at his watch. "Crap! It's Four-thirty already! I have a lot to do."

"Four… Thirty?" Mabel said, looking at her brother's watch. "Oh no! I have a lot to take care of too! Seeya later, Dip!" She said and ran to where she had parked her old, bright red hatchback. The two waved at each other before Mabel got inside her car, and then Dipper opened the door of his dull and also old sedan. If he made it home in time, he would not get behind his schedule for a pretty long road trip.

Dipper Pines was a light traveler. All that he had packed was a warm jacket - because he knew that Oregon was nothing like California when it came to weather – his laptop, some of his notes to review, which, of course didn't include the mythology ones, and a box of dark chocolate that he was putting inside his small backpack at that moment.

"Ah, come on…" He muttered, struggling to fit the box inside – the jacket had taken up more space than he had anticipated. He almost considered not taking the chocolates with him, but he couldn't let his surprise visit have any imperfections. He couldn't just stand on her door and go 'did you miss meee?' and expect Wendy to be glad to see him. That would be all of his efforts for nothing…

He shook his head as soon as he realized he was overthinking again. No. Anxiety won't get you anywhere. Now get yourself together and finish packing before it's too late. He thought and adjusted his glasses which had slightly come off, then began to try again to fit the box in.

Then it hit him; why carry the jacket in the backpack, anyway? He could just as easily put it on the backseat and wear it in a stop. Having the jacket inside the backpack would only cause more hassles.

So, he got the jacket out of the backpack and put the chocolates inside effortlessly, smiled and checked to see if he'd packed everything he needed. A few packs of instant coffee on the table beside him seemed to be left behind, but nothing else. He knew that he'd need coffee in the ride to keep himself awake. He placed the packs in the side pocket of the backpack and he was ready to go, so he picked up his jacket and car keys to head downstairs.

After he had carried everything to his car, he went back to his apartment to have one last check on everything.

His small flat was completely clean with nothing out of place. The books were organized and sitting on his bookshelf. None of his clothes were on the floor, and…

There was a hatchet sitting on the couch.

Dipper face palmed at his forgetfulness. "Of course! Wendy's gift!" He said, glad that he had come back to check again. What would he have done if he'd left the axe home?

The nineteen year old looked around again, just to be sure he hadn't left anything behind, but there seemed to be no problem. Everything – from his backpack to his spare glasses – were in his old sedan, and with the hatchet in his hands, he had nothing to worry about. So he shut off all the lights and headed out, remembering to lock the door.

.

"Yeah, sure, Bart." Dipper said behind the steering wheel of his sedan, talking to Bartholomew through speakerphone. He looked at a certain hatchet that was sitting on the right seat, whose handle was carved by Bart. "Thanks again, by the way."

"Anytime!" The craftsman said from the other end of the line. "You were really lucky we had a shipment of redwood coming. How do you like it?"

"It's great! I like how you put her name on it." Dipper said, looking at the letters ' Y' elegantly carved in the redwood handle. His gift looked graceful with the gorgeous wood that Bart had used. The axe looked much better than his expectations.

"Oh, well, I, uh… thought it would make it better, y'know?"

"You weren't wrong." He said, smiling.

"Aye." He said and a nervous chuckle followed. "So, how far are you from Oregon now?"

"I think I'll be there by midnight," The inexperienced driver said. "give or take. I haven't traveled this road by car before, so…"

"Oh, good luck then. Road trips could be tough." Then Dipper heard the sound of someone else calling Bart from behind the phone.

"Oh, something came up?" He asked, somewhat curious.

Bart sighed. "Yeah, It's about closing time for us."

Dipper looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was only eight o' clock.

"What? But it's pretty early!"

"Normal closing time's around nine, but we close earlier on Fridays." Bart explained. "Welp, time I went home. Good luck with the ride, and don't forget to tell me how your Valentine's goes!" The craftsman added and hung up.

Dipper locked his phone and smiled. He turned the radio back on, so that there was music to occupy him during the trip – he didn't want to grow tired. He also had a DVD from Jeff Dunham ready in case he wanted to listen to something other than music as well. He had read that listening to comedians also helped in long rides.

His ride had been good so far. He was ahead of his schedule, everything was in place for his surprise visit, and there was no way he wouldn't be in Gravity Falls by midnight. So he fixed his attention back on the road and kept driving in the darkening night.

Little does she know… Dipper's smile deepened instantly. He just wanted to see the pleasure in her eyes when he arrived. He was excited, passionate and much too impatient. Much too impatient to see a certain redhead again…

Author's Notes: So, here you guys are! The first of three parts of this story!

Just felt the need to mention that this was meant to be a one-shot, but the way I write things, it turned out pretty long to be just one chapter, so I split it in three.

That being said, the next part will be up within 24 hours! Already written and everything. Feel free to tell me how you felt about this part in the reviews!

-H80NP