The ride from Piedmont, California had taken a lot out of the twins riding in the back of the Speedy Beaver bus. The boy's name was Mason (though everyone called him Dipper due to the peculiar birthmark on his forehead) and the girl's name was Mabel. Their parents had gotten a call from a man who called himself Soos, explaining that their great uncles had come back from their voyage on the sea and wanted the twins to spend another summer with them. Before their parents had time to respond, Mabel and Dipper were already packing their suitcases, applying sunscreen, and saying goodbye.

The bus turned down a dirt road surrounded by trees. A sign posted on the side of the road read 'Welcome to the Mystery Shack!', worn down from the elements but still legible. Mabel bit her bottom lip and rocked on the bus seat. "Look, Dipper! We're almost there!"

Dipper looked up from the comic book he was reading. "I know you're excited and all, but could you please stop shaking the seat?"

She ignored him and began to ramble. "What do you think we're having for dinner tonight? Do you think Soos asked Melody to marry him yet? Do you think we're gonna fight more monsters this summer? Do you think Grunkle Stan remembers Bi—"

Her brother cut her off with a sharp, "shh." The pig sitting on the floor between her legs looked up at them and oinked. His name was Waddles. Dipper went back to reading his comic. "I don't want to chance it, Mabel. He was such a pain in the butt to deal with. I don't want us to go and say his name in front of Grunkle Stan in case he comes back—"

"Oh my god! Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford have a trampoline!"

"Wait what?"

They pressed themselves to the window. Barely hidden around the Mystery Shack's corner was a rust-covered trampoline. The bus came to a gentle stop. "Last stop, the Mystery Shack," the bus driver announced.

The twins gathered their luggage and bustled out of the bus, Waddles right at the girl's heels. The bus pulled away as the door to the Mystery Shack opened. Two burly old men stepped onto the porch, twin siblings just like Mabel and Dipper. The oldest twin wore a red sweater and black dress pants with dark brown knee-high boots. His name was Stanford, but Mabel and Dipper usually called him Ford. The youngest twin wore a black suit and a red fez, an eight-ball cane in hand. His name was Stanley but usually went by Stan.

"Took you kiddos long enough to get here," Stan called.

Mabel and Dipper exchanged looks before releasing their luggage and running toward the old men. Stan outstretched his arms. "C'mere, you knuckleheads." The grin on his face fell when they ran past him.

"Hi, Grunkle Stan. Hi, Grunkle Ford," they said, hightailing it to the trampoline.

"Boys go first!" Dipper said, pushing Mabel to the side as he kicked his shoes off.

"Nuh-uh!" Mabel said, clawing at his shirt to pull him back. "Girls always go first! Grunkle Stan!"

Stan's arms dropped to his sides and he slouched forward. "I can't believe they passed us up for the trampoline."

Ford snickered into his fist. "I told you they would."

A loud crack of thunder jostled Mabel from her dreams. Another boom sent Waddles running and squealing under her bed. It's raining? she thought. She laid in bed for a moment before she gasped, shooting up. "Dipper, it's raining!"

The smile on her face dropped when she looked to her brother's bed. It was empty. The covers had been made and neatly smoothed out. She looked at her alarm clock. It was 9:42 in the morning. It didn't surprise her that Dipper was already up. He had a tendency to wake up at weird times in the morning, unlike her. But even then, it wasn't that early. So where could he be?

The sound of the fridge door slamming shut caught her attention. He must've been making himself breakfast. Mabel scrambled out of bed and slipped her slippers on before racing down the attic stairs. Her padded feet thudded down the first story stairs, hand trailing the wall. "Dipper, wanna go outside and jump on the—oof!"

Her question stopped short when she ran into someone's belly. "Mabel?" Ford squeaked out. In his hand was a mug of coffee. The steaming liquid spilled over the rim and onto his hand. She stepped back when he cursed under his breath, jumping when the mug hit the floor and shattered.

He waved his hand about, a grimace on his face.

"Are you okay, Grunkle Ford?" she asked.

Ford nodded. "Yes. Nothing a little cold water can't fix." When she took a step forward, he held a hand out. "Stay right there. I don't want you hurting yourself."

"I'll clean it up for you while you look at your hand."

"I can handle it," he said, retrieving a wet rag and dust pan.

Mabel frowned and played with the hem of her sleeve. "I'm really sorry, Grunkle Ford. Are you sure you're okay?"

Ford glanced up at her and nodded, picking up the mug shards. "It's nothing to worry about. I'm going to be just fine." He paused. "Sorry if it sounded like I snapped at you."

"It's okay," she said. The house fell silent. She watched him wipe up the coffee and rubbed her wrist. Even though she loved both of her great uncles dearly, she still felt awkward around The Author. "Grunkle Ford," she began. "where's Dipper?"

He shrugged. "Stanley said something about dinner tonight. Never said what he was going to make, though."

"So...Dipper went with him?"

"Apparently." He stood and walked back into the kitchen, dumping the shards into the trash and the rag into the sink.

Mabel grabbed her elbows. Why am I so nervous? she thought. She swallowed and took a breath to steel herself. "Grunkle Ford, can I go outside and jump on the trampoline?"

"Why would you want to do that? And in this weather no less?" he asked. He had taken another mug out and was pouring himself more coffee.

"Dipper and I have a friend back home and we always jump on her trampoline when it rains."

Ford shook his head. "No."

The inside of her throat began to feel dry. She took several hesitant steps toward him. "Please, Grunkle Ford?" She gripped the back of his sweater and gave it a gentle tug. "Please?"

"The answer is no, Mabel," Ford said, looking down at her.

"Please?" she drawn out. "If you let me jump on the trampoline for just ten minutes I won't ask you again today. I won't even ask tomorrow if we bring the time up to fifteen minutes."

He tried to hide the smile pulling at his lips. "And what about breakfast?"

Mabel groaned and gently hit her forehead against his lower back. "I have to eat before I go outside?"

Ford pulled her out from behind him and wrapped an arm around her head, holding her close. "That's my only condition. Well...wear a coat too. Stanley'll kill me if he finds out I'm the reason you caught a cold."

The girl cheered and tightly embraced her great uncle's waist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She went and retrieved a chair from the dining table and set it down in front of a counter. Climbing onto the chair, she stood on her toes to take out a box of her favorite cereal. Hopping down from the chair, Mabel took a bowl out of the dish drainer, ignoring Ford as he sat at the table, today's newspaper in hand.

Her body shook with excitement as she made herself breakfast, thinking of all the cool flips and tricks she would be doing. Not to mention the poses she would try to hold mid-jump. She took her bowl of cereal and scurried out of the kitchen, leaving the open milk jug and cereal box on the counter.

"In the kitchen, Mabel," Ford called, eyes scanning the newspaper.

"Boo," Mabel said, trekking back into the kitchen. She scowled as she took a seat at the table and began to eat her breakfast.

Ford smiled into his coffee mug and took a sip.

The pitter-patter of rain grew louder and more intense. It must've been downpouring outside. Mabel looked to the window. The sky was shrouded by dark gray clouds. Her legs kicked restlessly. She looked at her great uncle.

He was still reading the newspaper, taking a sip from his coffee.

Mabel looked at her cereal. Playing outside was more important to her than eating. Her eyes flicked to the window, then to her great uncle, and back again. She shot up from her chair, the spoon she had been holding falling to the floor. "I'm done eating, Grunkle Ford!"

Ford flipped the newspaper down and looked to her cereal bowl. There was still plenty of food in it. "Young lady, you are not done eating. Get back in here and finish your breakfast. Mabel!"

"Love you, Grunkle Ford," she said, poking her head into the kitchen. She slipped a coat on and rushed out the front door.

She stopped on the porch, watching and listening to the rain. The potholes in the driveway were already flooded. Rainwater fell from the roof in torrents. Holding a hand under the falling water, she shivered in delight. The water was the right temperature of warm that she threw her coat off.

Before she stepped out from under the porch, she glanced down at her nightgown. Maybe I should've gotten dressed, she thought. She shrugged and ran into the open. She could always put it in the dryer and put on different clothes later.

Her slippers slapped against the muddy ground. The girl giggled as she climbed onto the trampoline, being mindful of the rusty springs, and kicked her slippers off.

A snort escaped her throat as she jumped, eager to get to greater heights. The rain on the mat bounced up with each jump, slapping back down when she landed. The thunder booming overhead didn't worry her one bit.

To her, the thunder was something to compete against. Of course, it would've been even better if Dipper was with her but she couldn't complain.

A loud whistle went off mid-flip and Mabel's body jerked in response, landing on her back. "Man," she muttered. "That was gonna be my best landing." She sat up and looked in the Mystery Shack's direction.

Ford was leaning against one of the beams that held the flimsy roof up, a whistle in his mouth. He looked up from his watch, the whistle falling to his chest. "It's been half an hour, Mabel. I think it's time for you to come inside."

"Can't I stay out for ten more minutes?" she asked.

Ford walked over to the trampoline. "No. I don't want you getting sick. Get your slippers on."

Mabel crossed her arms. "No."

"Don't make me count to three."

"Grunkle Stan would let me jump for as long as I want to."

He huffed and placed his hands on his hips. "Well I'm not Stanley and I care about your health. Get. Off."

The girl got to her feet. "What if we made a deal?"

"I've had my fair share of bad deals. The answer is no," Ford said.

"Just hear me out!"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Let's hear it then."

"If you join me and we jump for ten more minutes, I'll go inside without a fuss," she said.

The Author looked at his watch. "Don't you think ten minutes is too long?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

Ford tapped his foot in thought before sighing. "Fine. Ten more minutes."

Mabel cheered as he climbed onto the trampoline, uncertainty on his face. "This is gonna be awesome! We're gonna make the loudest thunder ever." She pointed to his feet. "Gotta take the boots off. No shoes is a common trampoline rule."

"I know, I know," Ford muttered. Reaching forward, he took his boots off and dropped them over the edge of the trampoline.

She grinned and jumped around him as he stood. "Grunkle Ford, you should do a flip. Flips are the best."

Ford awkwardly began to jump. "Mabel, I'm almost seventy. A man my age would break his neck if he performed a flip."

Mabel tutted. "No you wouldn't. The mat would break your fall. It's hard to injure yourself on one of these puppies."

"Well, you can believe that all you want."

Mabel and Ford were outside for much longer than ten minutes. During this time, Ford eventually loosened up as he jumped with his niece. Mabel did a handful of flips and tricks, being left a laughing mess when The Author tried to do something cool.

The crack in his glasses spread and a small piece fell out of the frame.

From the corner of his eye, Ford noticed a familiar red car pulling up to the Mystery Shack and his jumping slowed to a simple bounce.

Mabel hopped up to him. "What's up, Grunkle Ford?"

"Stanley and Dipper are back," he said.

"Ooh, what do you think they bought?"

He shrugged.

Stan and Dipper climbed out of the car, shutting the doors. The girl cupped her hands around her mouth. "Dipper, what'd you guys buy?"

Dipper pulled several bags out of the backseat, Stan gathering the rest. "Nothing sweet, if that's what you mean," he called.

"Boo," she jeered.

"What're you two dorks doing on the trampoline?" Stan asked.

"I'm being forced to jump against my will," Ford said.

Mabel playfully punched his arm. "Nuh-uh."

"Well get off that thing. I need help getting dinner ready," Stan said.

"It's not even lunch yet, Stanley."

"Doesn't matter."

Mabel pouted as she stepped onto the edge of the trampoline, dropping down to the ground. "Can we jump later?"

Ford smirked. "What happened to our deal?"

As a response, she stuck her tongue out at him.

He chuckled and stepped onto a spring, shouting out when it gave way under his weight. A sharp pain radiated up his leg, his calf pulsating. Blood dribbled onto the ground.

"Grunkle Ford!" the younger twins shouted, rushing to his aid. A bottle in one of the bags Dipper dropped shattered and Stan shouted in annoyance, placing the bags he held on the porch before hurrying to his brother.

Ford's shouting ceased and Mabel and Dipper struggled to help The Author out of the trampoline's frame. Stan took hold of the spring embedded into Ford's calf and pulled it out. Ford screamed and unleashed a string of curse words, Stan pulling him out of the frame.

Mabel, taken aback by her great uncle's swearing, stepped away from him with tears in her eyes.

"Grunkle Ford, are you okay?" Dipper asked.

"Do I look okay to you?!" Ford snapped. Dipper jumped and joined his sister, taking hold of her hand. The Author glared at his brother. "I told you getting this thing was a bad idea, Stanley! Now look at what happened!"

"Don't raise your voice at me," Stan said. "It's your fault for being on it in the first place. I bought it for the kids, not you."

"You bought it at a garage sale for ten bucks! There's rust all over the damn thing!"

Dipper immediately covered his sister's ears.

Stan squinted at Ford. "Watch your mouth! We have a niece and a nephew here."

Ford gripped Stan's shoulder. "Just get me inside, Stanley."

It was late in the afternoon when the chaos died down. Ford hadn't eaten dinner and called in early for the night. Even though he said he was fine, it didn't help ease Mabel's mind.

Mabel gently knocked on Ford's bedroom door, a small lump of navy blue yarn in her hand. It was something she knitted to apologize for the accident.

After a moment of silence, the door opened. Ford looked down at her and gave her a strange look. "Mabel? What's up?"

She hesitantly held the gift out. "I...I knitted you some mittens."

"Really?" he asked, taking the mittens from her. He laid them on his hand and furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"In case the coffee melted your skin down to the bone," she said.

He stared her down, a confused look on his face, and made a quiet, "ah." He smiled and showed her the hand the coffee spilled onto that morning. It was perfectly fine. "You didn't need to do that. Like I said, nothing a little cold water can't fix."

Mabel glanced up to his face until her line of sight trailed down to his injured leg. The pant leg was rolled up to the knee and wrappings covered his calf. Her hands mindlessly played with the bottom of the sweater she had changed into. Tears formed in her eyes, no longer wanting to be in his presence.

Ford looked to where she was staring and frowned. "You made these as a get well present, didn't you?"

The girl sniffed and nodded, rubbing her eyes. "It's my fault that you're hurt. All because I didn't want to get off that stupid trampoline."

"If I remember correctly, we had a lot of fun."

"But how can you not hate me after that?"

The Author picked her up and held her close, rubbing her back as she began to cry. "Why would I hate you? Accidents happen! You and your brother mean the world to me. I don't know what I'd think of myself if I thought badly of you two."

"S-so you're not mad at me?" Mabel asked.

Ford smiled. "Not one bit."

In the morning, when Mabel and Dipper woke up, they discovered that the broken trampoline had disappeared.