Disclaimer: Gravity Falls isn't mine. If it were... oh, boy, if it only were... muhahahaha

Chapter One

Friend in Need

Dipper raced down the stairs and snatched the phone from his mother's hand.

The Unwritten Code of Teenage Conduct forbids him from exhibiting any emotion in intense, sincere forms, unless of course it includes talking trash sarcastically or being an angry rebel. But screw the Rules of Teenage Melodrama, Dipper grinned to himself as he jammed the phone on his ear. This is the first genuinely pleasant thing that has happened to him since leaving the Falls.

"Woah, there" his mom muttered with a knowing smirk. Dipper ignored her.

"Hello," he spoke, a little breathless, into the phone.

"Hey Kiddo. How's life treating you in California? Raised any dead yet?"

His heart nearly exploded with joy upon hearing Gruncle Stan's ancient voice grate through the speakers.

"Yeah. Myself; if you count waking up at six after hearing Mabel talk nonstop about her new favorite boy band the entire night."

"Yeesh." Dipper could imagine his Gruncle's mouth twisted in a sympathetic grimace. "And I thought I had a rough time, fighting giant squids. My condolences, kid."

"You fought a giant squid?!" Dipper eeped. Damn his stupid voice.

"Sure did. Among various other nefarious creatures."

"Oh, you gotta tell me everything! And did Gruncle Ford document the incidents? Is there, like, a Journal number four now? What about-?"

"Slow down there, Ducktective. Why don't you ask the Boss Nerd himself. Here."

There was a good-natured grumbling in the background "Do not call me Boss Nerd"/ "Whatever you say, Boss Nerd." as the phone passed hands on the other side of the line and Ford finally spoke.

"Hey, Dipper. Hope you are doing well." The clenched sobriety of his tone almost made Dipper chuckle. It's a tone every saner sibling of twins around the world could recognize.

"I'm doing great, Gruncle Ford. Sounds like you guys had quite the adventures. When did you get back?"

"A week ago. Sorry we couldn't contact you during our investigations,"

Investigations. That word ran like a charge down Dipper's spine.

"There were times when I wasn't sure where we even were. But we sent you post cards at every opportunity we could. Did you get them?"

"I did," Of course he did. And he revisited them more than what would be considered a healthy frequency. Even Mable has stopped teasing him about it. They felt like the only pieces of color and laughter in a world slogging through the monochrome mist of mundane. "There were no return addresses though, so I couldn't write back."

"I couldn't go into details, you understand. Besides, we never stayed in a place for long."

Dipper opened his mouth to shoot more questions, but stopped when he heard Stan grumble in the background,

"Long enough, if you ask me."

At which Ford shot impatiently back at Stan, thankfully after pulling the receiver away from his mouth, "You only have yourself to blame for the bloodthirsty mob, Stanley. How did you even manage to scam so many people before sunset? You don't even speak their language!"

"Hey, a pro never reveals his secrets."

"We weren't meant to reveal our identities either. But now we are fugitives in ten places!"

Dipper was apparently forgotten as a heated argument had broken out.

So it fell upon Soos to pick up the conversation

"Hey, dude." His amiable words bounced through the phone. "How are you and Mabel doing? Enjoying being hairy, awkward teenagers?" And laughed.

There is a certain calm that Soos' unguarded chatter fills you with, even if for the most part it is gibberish. There are some people in the world who simply by being make it a better place, acting as reminders that sweet, sincere and unpretentious people exist despite all the craziness. Soos is one of them.

"Just, you know," It felt a little harder to lie to him. The worn words he had tossed casually at every inquiry made about his well being, whether perfunctory or wholehearted, got caught in his throat. 'I am just fine' crumbled like ash on his tongue.

"I know how you feel, dude," spoke Soos gravely as the silence dragged on.

"You do?" Dipper asked in deep wonderment. Without his realizing tears had started running down his cheeks.

Great.

"Oh, sure, dude. You feel lost. You had been in a place where you felt you belonged for the only time in your life; it fit you like a hug from the cosmos. But now you've been uprooted. And it all feels upside down. Like the hands of the clock are running counter. And that you are stuck that way. That's how I felt when I lost the Shack after Bill went crazy.

But don't worry, dude. Gravity Falls is gonna be here. And trust me, the weirdness is not leaving neither. Before you know it, Summer's gonna catch-up and Boom! The Pterodactyl Bros will be back in business."

Well, hot jiggidity boondoggles, to paraphrase McGucket. Add shockingly insightful and selectively eloquent to the list of Soos' shining personality traits.

Dipper laughed, scrubbing off the tears with his hand.

"Yeah, they are. Thanks for the cheering, Soos. I really needed that."

"Anytime, dude. And if you hang around for five more minutes I think you can talk to Mr Pines again. Melody almost has them calmed down. She's very good at this. I don't think this time she would even need to use the Chocolate Incentive. Which is good since I, like, ate all of it." He finished with an unapologetic chortle.

Dipper laughed again.

"It's ok. I'll call when Mable is here. You should lend a hand with the peacemaking."

"Alright, dude. Talk to you soon."

And Dipper hung up. He felt infinitely lighter than he had since leaving Falls.

He was too young to realize what he missed the most about Gravity Falls weren't the mysteries, but the people with whom he had connected in a manner only a thirteen year old could, to a degree that is uncommon at any age in any place or era.

But, unfortunately, the wheel of time grinds on. And age and distance afford us perspective that often show a side of things that robs memories of their rosy hues. Dipper too will reach that point. He will fall out of love with Falls and then fall back for it harder than ever.

That's growing up. And it can be fun, if it's done surrounded by people whom you care for more than life itself.

A/n: So here is my first GF fic. Hopefully, not the last. I'm not too sure if I should just write a series of seperate one-shots, or continue with chapters with a one-shot's standalone feel that follow a loose plot. At any rate, I more interested in the characters themselves than cooking up some intriguing puzzle.

Hope you guys liked it.