Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing and all rights belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch.
All good things end.
The summer couldn't last forever and the day came for the bus to take them back to California. For a second the spell Gravity Falls had cast over Dipper broke and he was left to face the bleak reality. Tears were shed and a sense of melancholy descended on the group. They couldn't delay the inevitable though, and after saying his final goodbyes Dipper slowly put one foot in front of the other, the railing cold under his palm and climbed the towering stairs of the bus, Mabel at his heels.
Dipper pressed his face against the cool glass, waving to the friends and family they were leaving behind. Mabel was waving over his shoulder, the frantic movements reflected in the glass. They watched together as Gravity Falls faded into the distance. Too soon for Dipper's liking, the town disappeared from view and only the thick forest along the road remained.
"It's really over," Mabel said quietly, squeezing the pig in her lap. "We're leaving Gravity Falls." A sob escaped her and she rubbed furiously at her eyes.
Dipper wrapped his arm around his shaking sister and pulled her towards him. "There's always next summer, this isn't goodbye forever." But his voice was hollow even to his own ears.
Sniffing Mabel laid her head on Dipper's shoulder. "It sure feels like it is."
The twins lapsed into silence. Leaning against his sister, Dipper listened to the rattling of the bus as it drove down the dirt road. Eventually, Mabel was lulled to sleep and Dipper relaxed into her reassuring warmth. Even if they didn't have Gravity Falls, they still had each other. He glanced down at the envelope in his hand, to: Dipper, the blue ink spelled. Wendy's words echoed in his mind, "Read this the next time you miss Gravity Falls." With trembling fingers, he slowly tore the envelope open. The paper inside was folded and he carefully pulled it from the confines of the envelope.
"See you next summer," was scribbled across the paper, surrounded by the names of all their friends. A smile broke out on Dipper's face and tears welled up in his eyes. Choking back a sob he let his fingers trail over the writing of his friends. His eyes were drawn to Grunkle Stan's messy scrawl, "Come back soon!"
"I hope we do," Dipper whispered to the silent bus as he stared down at the paper in his hands. "I really hope we do."
He folded the paper and returned it to its envelope, tucking it safely in his backpack. Giving one last glance to the world outside the dirty glass of the window he collapsed back into the purple vinyl seat and closed his eyes.
The sun had already risen when the bus pulled to a stop. Even with the beams of light dancing through the breaks in the trees the twins slept, slumped against one another.
"Piedmont California!" the bus driver called.
Mabel was the first to open her eyes, blinking at the bright light that flooded the bus. "Dipper… I think we're here."
With a yawn, Dipper raised his head from where it had molded to the bus window. The blurry sign for Piedmont glared back at him from beyond the glass. Rubbing his tired eyes he gave his sister a small smile, "I suppose so." Grabbing their bags they slowly made their way off of the bus. Waddles trotting behind them. Staring at the oh so familiar sign for the town in which they had been raised Dipper shuddered, he just wanted to go home. Freezing he glanced at his sister from the corner of his eye, when had Gravity Falls become home? Behind him, the bus's engine gutted to life and he and Mabel turned and watched as the Speedy Beaver drove away.
"Come on," Mabel said, bumping him with her shoulder. "Mom and Dad are probably waiting."
"I guess." Dipper didn't move though, watching as their last connection to Gravity Falls disappeared down the road. Waddles squealed from beside him and he looked at the pink blob cuddled in his sister's arms. Mabel had made no attempt to follow her earlier statement and instead stood alongside him, her eyes trained on where the bus had faded from view. Picking up Mabel's pink spotted suitcase from where she'd dropped it Dipper turned away from the road.
"You're right," Mabel spun to look at him and he gave her a jaded smile, "We don't want to keep them waiting."
Dipper led the way to the parking lot beside the bus stop, Mabel trailing closely after him. The old blue Chevy Dipper thought was older than himself was parked underneath the large dogwood tree beside the visitors center. "Mom! Dad!" Mabel yelled, setting Waddles down and running towards the car.
Following her at a slower pace Dipper made his way over to the ancient Chevy. The driver's side door creaked open and his mother got out of the car. "Kids! I've missed you both so much!" She embraced Mabel in a fierce hug and opened her arms to hug Dipper as well.
"But where's Dad?" Mabel asked when the group broke apart. Looking around Dipper couldn't find their father either.
"Oh Sweetie…" Their mom placed her palm on Mabel's cheek. "You know how your father job is, there are just some things he can't be pulled away from."
Dipper scoffed under his breath, their dad hadn't seen them all summer and couldn't even bother to come welcome them home. He plastered a smile on nonetheless and lay his hand on Mabel's shoulder, "I'm sure he'll be home for dinner, right Mom?"
"Of course," she said and stood up to open the car door for them. "Wha- is that a pig?"
"Waddles!" Mabel said happily, beaming up at their mom.
"Grunkle Stan said he had to put up with him all summer and that it was your turn," Dipper said over his sister's shoulder, arms crossed. He wasn't going to let his parents take this away from Mabel. She'd already been through so much this summer and didn't need their parents making it any worse.
Looking from Dipper to the pig now nestled in Mabel's arms his mom cleared her throat. "I guess... There's probably somewhere we could put him." Mabel squealed with joy and squeezed the animal in her arms. Jumping into the car Mabel settled into the graying seats with Waddled tucked in her lap.
"Thanks Mom, he really means a lot to her," Dipper said softly, lifting Mabel's suitcase into the car and climbing in after it.
"We're going to have to set some rules when we arrive home," his mom told them as she got into the driver's seat, the door slamming shut after her.
As the car started and the radio began to blare music Mabel turned to Dipper. He had to strain his ears to hear her as she whispered, "I miss our family, the one we left in Gravity Falls."
"Me too." Dipper's eyes were trained on their mother and the empty seat beside her, "Me too."
The screaming was what woke Mabel up. "NO! Stop! Noooo…"
"Dipper? What's going on? Are you okay?" She scrambled out of bed, her pink covers decorated with rainbows falling to the ground. Sliding into the hallway she slammed Dipper's door open and flicked his lights on, only to find Dipper alone in bed.
"Dipper?" She hovered in the doorway, looking around for whatever had caused Dipper to scream.
"No…" Dipper whimpered from the bed twisting further into the covers. Abandoning her caution Mabel raced to her brother. A sheen of sweat layered his skin and he shook his head back and forth, still muttering "no" under his breath.
A nightmare, she thought to herself. "Dipper, you need to wake up. Whatever you're seeing, it's not real. Come on Bro bro, you need to open your eyes." His eyes didn't open though, instead his cries increased.
Grabbing his shoulders and digging her fingers into his faded red shirt she shook him, "Come on, wake up!"
Dipper's eyes snapped open, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Bill, Mabel watch out! He's-"
"It's okay Dipper, he's gone, you're alright." Mabel's whole body relaxed and she pulled her brother into a hug. "It was just a nightmare."
"Mabel?" Dipper's voice shook as he sat in his sister's embrace. His voice wasn't the only thing shaking though and Mabel tightened her hold on him, burying her face in his hair. "It was only a dream Dipper, you're okay, we're both okay."
At this Dipper did break into sobs, winding his limp arms around his sister. "I thought, Bill was-" He broke off, unable to finish his sentence and Mabel clung to him all the more.
They lay together, wrapped in each other's arms until Dipper's tears dried and he could speak without breaking into tears. "I-"
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me," Mabel said quietly, "I understand." She slowly helped Dipper sit up. Leaning against the light blue wall she squeezed her brother's hand reassuringly.
"I don't," Dipper said, while his voice was normally calm and collection now it shook and cracked. It broke Mabel's heart. "It's been a week since weirdmageddon, why are the nightmares starting now that we're home?"
Mabel closed her eyes and let her head rest against the wall. "I think it's because in Gravity Falls we felt safe, even though that's where B-Bill took over we knew we had our friends to protect us. Here, we're all alone. No one understands what we've been through."
Dipper let out a broken laugh, "Is it sad that this isn't our home anymore? We've spent all of our lives here yet we no longer feel safe."
Mabel was quiet. What he said was true. They'd only been back a day but already their house seemed to lack the warmth the Mystery Shack had possessed. "We went through a lot with the people there, I think…" She paused and looked at her brother beside her, "I think Gravity Falls will always be our home and the people there our family."
"Yeah," Dipper said, "I think you're right." Silence descended on the room and Mabel was lost in her memories of nights spent scheming in their attic bedroom. Days spent fight monsters in the woods.
"I don't know about you," she said to Dipper, "But we have five hours until we have to get ready for our first day of school and I, for one, am not going back to sleep." Jumping off the bed she grabbed a pen and a piece of paper off of Dipper desk. "I'm going to write a letter to Grunkle Ford asking for some unicorn hair, wanna help Bro bro?"
Dipper gave her a tired smile and beckoned her back to the bed. "Of course."
For the rest of the night, the two siblings sat across from each other on Dipper's bed, bright smiles and laughter filling the room.