Dipper sighed as he held the third journal out in front of his open suitcase. "Guess I won't be needing this back home." Setting the journal to the side he closed the lid and pressed the two locking latches together. As he stared down at the cover Mabel made her way over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Dipper, Grunkle Stan said we can come back next summer." Dipper nodded as he traced a finger over the six fingered insignia on the journal. "This thing sure got us through a lot of stuff this summer." Mable took him by the wrist, turning him to face her. "You got us through all that crud Dipper and you would have with or without that book." Dipper smiled back at his sister and asked. "Not so awkward anymore sibling hug?" Mabel laughed and flung her arms around him; He returned the gesture and the two of them pulling apart after a long moment.
"Are you done brooding so we can go and enjoy the party?" Dipper nodded and Mabel took off down the stairs. Dipper lingered a few moments longer, slowly drawing his eyes across the room that had been his home fore the past few months, months that seemed to encompass the entirety of his life. It looked unsatisfying mundane now, a crossword with all the squares filled in. "I'm really gonna miss this place." It was just at that moment the clouds parted, and the sunlight pouring through the triangular window left a familiar shadow on the floor. "Yeah. . .even you." Dipper said tipping his pine tree cap before turning to follow Mabel down the stairs.
"Man can you believe all the crazy stuff that went down after we found out Mr. Pine's brother was the author of the journals?" Soos asked just as dipper rounded the corner from the stairs, Wendy and Mabel nodding as they finished clearing out the gift shop to make room for the party. "And since we were all there we don't have to discuss in any sorta detail about what happened." Another round of nods and Soos turned for the door, whistling tunelessly as he went outside to prepare the sound system.
"So what do you guys need me to. . ." "PRESENTS" Mabel screamed interrupting dipper's question as she produced a sparkling technicolor package from behind the front desk "Dipper" written across the front in pastel sequins. Shaking his head and grinning Dipper reached into a nearby barrel where he'd secure his own gift for her days ago. "You first." He said handing over the pale blue and pink bag, the gold foil paper within soon found itself torn away as Mabel reached in and removed the black t-shirt emblazoned with an image of waddles on the front. Mabel looked down at it then back to her brother with one brow cocked. "I just figured. . ." Dipper explained. "We're teenagers now, thought you might want to look the part." She still looked incredulous, even turning to Wendy who just smiled lazily giving her a thumbs up, as Dipper crossed the room, to draw the curtains closed and flick the lights off. Waddle's face glowed from the shirt in Mabel's hands, and the light glinted off her braces as she smiled at her gift. Dipper flicked the lights back on, holding up one index finger even as Mabel opened her mouth to voice her gratitude, silencing her as he approached. Grinning he turned his finger downward and depressed the center of the two dimensional pig's snout; The small sound box inside issuing one of the recordings of waddles snorting dipper had made in the last few weeks.
Mabel's eyes grew wide, gaze sliding down to the still snortiling shirt then up to her brother's face before flinging her arms around his neck laughing. "It's amazing" She declared and held on to him a moment longer, though just as she pulled away she whispered with a giggle. "I'm still gonna win." With that she shoved the rainbow hued box into his hands. Her grin stretched from ear to ear as she watched him tear through the packaging. "Oh come on Mabel, another book? You always get me. . ." Dipper trailed off as the last of the paper fell to the floor. He stood stock still as he stared down at his present. In his hands was a heavy book, hard cover covered in deep maroon felt, the spine was ringed in sparkling silver bindings. He ran his fingers over the soft material of the cover, stroked the heavy paper of the pages and saw the tears welling up in his own eyes in the reflection cast by the single silver pine tree that rested in the center of the cover, the number 1 etched deep into it. Sniffling he dried his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt and opened the journal to the first page and read the inscription "Dipper, I can't believe it's only been two months since you trusted me with the secrets you found about Gravity Falls. Let's fill this new Journal with our own discoveries, not just about Gravity Falls, but the whole world! Mystery Twins Forever! Love Mabel." Fresh tears welled up in dipper's eyes though he didn't bother to wipe them away as he turned his face up towards his sister and smiled wryly at her. "You win twin birthday." He offered in mock defeat.
"Ha." Mabel laughed pointing a finger into her brother's face. "You can't even handle this level of thoughtfulness. You gonna cry? Huh? Because you have every reason to, that was beautiful." Wendy raised an eyebrow looking between Dipper and Mabel who was now making her way around the perimeter of the dance floor backwards in some odd combination of the moonwalk and running man, arms flaring out in front of her as she glided in reverse. " Twin Birthday?" Wendy asked, and Mabel abandoned her dance to race between her and Dipper to answer. "Yeah, it's a game we play every year. Whichever of us gives the other the better present wins. The winner gets to pick the music, gets first dibs on the cake, and the loser doesn't get to open any other presents until the winner opens all of theirs first. Dipper's won the last four years in a row, I never knew what to get him besides some dumb book." Wendy laughed, and leaned back against the counter. "I guess it was a good thing some dumb book was exactly the right thing this year huh." Mabel nodded smugly, and turned as Dipper placed his hand on her shoulder. "Seriously Mabel this is the best present anyone has ever given me." Mabel's smug grin vanished as her own eyes grew wet, sniffling as she scrunches up her nose, both twins on the brink of weeping.
"Yeah yeah, touchy feely warm fuzzies all around." Wendy interjected, pulling both of their attentions to her as she motioned for them to follow her outside. "The lights haven't flickered once, Soos is bound to electrocute himself any second now." Dipper and Mabel laughed, following Wendy outside in to the slowly waning summer sun just in time to hear the crackle of electrical current, followed half a second later by a modulated "DUDE" resonating off the nearby trees, and the sight of Soos being flung half way across the yard of the mystery shack.