Author's note: I changed the ending of chapter two. The story got longer, and I didn't want to wrap that bit up quite yet. Hopefully, I don't do that again, but no promises. I'll let you know here if I do though.

Oh, and I don't own Gravity Falls. In case you were wondering.

The fries weren't that good. Really, she just came by to hang out with Mabel, who occasionally felt like the only genuine person in town. Or at least, the only person who was genuine when speaking to Pacifica Northwest. The name was spoken in someone else's voice in her head- like she was being announced to a crowd of adoring sycophants. She hated that sometimes, being rich had its perks, sure, lots of perks actually, but it made her feel isolated from most people. Not Mabel, Mabel would always be Mabel, to the Queen, to Marius' Mother and extended family, and hilariously, to Pacifica's own parents. At the memory of her Mother's face when Mabel bounded in to her for a hug, Pacifca had to giggle.

'Whatcha laughin' at, sweetcheeks?' Mabel had returned with a refill on her milkshake.

'Just reminiscing on some good times... So, what's the deal with your brother, he's coming back? For an extended stay?'

'Yeah, maybe for good. He own's half the shack now, y'know? And I think he's a little burned out from traveling. It sounds like, after Ford passed, he really threw himself at his work, hard. Was more reckless. He got pretty hurt a couple times in the last years abroad...'

Mabel trailed off in to silence.

'Well, he's coming back, right? I'm sure you can keep him distracted and out of trouble.'

'Yeah, if anyone can distract him, it's me.' Mabel set her face in grim determination.

'We have met the enemy, and his name is DIPPER! We shall defeat him with our superior DISTRACTING SKILLS! We will fight him on the BEACHES! On the STREE-'

'MABEL! These plates don't carry themselves!' Rang from the kitchen.

'Sorry Johnny! You know how it goes, Paxxy Darling, back to the grind.' Mabel, then in imitation of a robot, creaked first her head, then her body around towards the kitchen, and mechanically marched off to continue her work.

'Beep Boop! Mabeltron must be working constantly! It is the prime directive!'

So Dipper would be returning to Gravity Falls. It'd been years since Pacifica had seen him, he'd left for parts unknown soon after completing High School. To be fair, he'd completed his Associates Degree while in High School, and somehow managed to finish his Bachelors while on the road. Ford mentioned his travels a few times, saying that he'd gone off to study with masters that they had picked out together, and to have a few adventures in his youth. This seemed to work out well while Ford was alive, but afterwards...

It was starting to rain, the last gasps of Winter, she supposed. It would be nice to go to the lake again. She watched a motorcycle pull in to the parking lot, and idly thought that it must suck to ride in the rain. She sipped her milkshake. Mabel always made them just right, was it extra strawberries? Is that how she got that flavor? That color? Hmm...

The bell at the door clanged, and Pacifica, distracted from her momentary reverie, snapped her head up at the same moment that Mabel vaulted over the bar, screaming

'DIPPER!'

There he was. Tall, scruffy, with that same ridiculous mop of hair. He was carrying saddle bags on his shoulder, and what looked like... maybe an umbrella? He wore old, faded jeans, with patches in the knees, a tee shirt, stretched tight across his chest and shoulders, and a worn, leather biking jacket. Pacifica's heart rate started to rise, no, let's not think about those broad shoulders. His eyes were... sad, and he was scowling as he looked around the diner, as though suspicious of the patrons. He was looking in the wrong place though, as the only attack came in the form of Mabel, who sprinted down the diner and leaped on Dipper like an excited dog or small child. Dipper staggered under the impact, and for the first time since arriving, smiled. The ice in his demeanor melted, it was like the sun coming out and-

Pacifica once again felt her heart rate rising, and a blush creeping up her neck to stain her cheeks pink.

'I have got to get out of here.'

Quietly panicking, Pacifica grabbed her purse and bolted out the other door.

'Dipper! Ohmygosh! I'm so glad you're home! PACIFICA! Look it's... Pacifica? Well no matter, you can sit here, I'm sure Pacifica won't mind if you steal some of her fries.'

Mabel plopped Dipper down in Pacifica's booth.

'What can I getcha, sweety?' Mabel, doing her best to be the good hostess.

'Ummm, water... would be nice' Dipper mumbled.

'COMIN' RIGHT UP!' Mabel bellowed in his face, eliciting a look of shock, but not much else.

Upon returning with the water, Mabel sat down opposite Dipper, and stared for a moment, seemingly memorizing his face. Her gaze stopped momentarily on the scars next to his right eye, small, but new. She spent a couple moments looking at the translucent blue crystal point hanging from his necklace, and finally made eye contact with him.

'Where'd you fly in to? You got in late.'

'Portland, I-'

'You road your motorcycle from PORTLAND? To HERE? Why didn't you call? That's a long ride, especially in the dark.'

'It wasn't that bad, my bike is fast.'

Mabel looked at once concerned and indignant, a face which caused Dipper to laugh. A small laugh, one that seemed out of place, but real none-the-less.

'I guess Pacifica split, you want to hang out here 'til I finish my shift? Or head back to the shack?'

'I don't think I want to be in the shack by myself right now.'

'Okay, but I don't get off until-'

'MABEL!'

'WHAT?!'

'Take your brother home, you've got the night off.'

'Thanks, Johnny. I'll be right back, okay? Just got to cash out and stuff.'

Dipper nodded, and Mabel skipped off to finish some quick sidework, and cash out. Looking around the room, it seemed the same as it had always been, the diner where they had so many meals with Ley and Ford- victory meals, meals in silent defeat, late night milkshakes after particularly harrowing adventures. It was a sanctuary, of sorts. A place of peace, but Dipper couldn't help but feel lost here, without his Grunkles. To miss both their deaths...

'What's with your weird umbrella, anyway?'

'Huh? Oh, it's a sword.'

Dipper didn't sleep much that night. Mabel insisted they sleep in their old Attic room (converted to a sort of guest room) and conked out almost as soon as she hit the pillow. But Dipper lay awake, unable to shake the guilt and longing that hit him like a sucker punch upon entering the shack. Too many memories. Good ones, mostly, but near the end... he hadn't been there for them, for the people who had been there for him, more than anyone except Mabel, the Grunkle Twins... they understood him and Mabel like no one else did. Were there for them in the worst moments, and-

Dipper sat up. He was never going to get to sleep like this.

Quietly, he changed in to baggy exercise pants, put on some sneakers, and quietly left the room. Out of habit, he grabbed his sword, and tip toed down the stairs and out the door.

The night was still, with enough mist to create a halo around the street lights as Dipper jogged up the drive toward the main road. It was nice to be moving, and equally nice to have such quiet. Between the planes and people, and downtown Kolkata... ugh. He needed the quiet.

Dipper jogged down through town to the city park. It made for a nice stretch of the legs, and a decent warm up. Dipper did a few stretches, and then unsheathed his sword, stepping in to a slow, fluid form. In his concentration, the world, and all it's cares, slipped away. His mind was blank. Each low stance, each flash of the sword, were part of a world that Dipper's mind was disengaged from. The void was comforting, a meditative trance that served as a reset for his brain. Cooldown time for the machine that ran constantly.

Dipper worked his way through a few forms, then carefully returned the sword to its sheath and jogged home.

The morning found Dipper passed out on the couch.

'At least he took his shoes off' Mabel muttered on her way to the kitchen.

Soon the smell of coffee and food had Dipper's nose twitching, and gradually pulled him from the depths of his sleep.

'Mmmm, that smells... smells *YAWNS* That smells good. Mabel! What are you making in there, you keeper of delicious smells?'

'BACON PANCAKES, MAKIN' BACON PANCAKES!'

'I- that sounds like a-'

'TAKE SOME BACON AND YA PUT IT IN A PANCAKE!'

'Mabel, I think I get the ide-'

'BACON PANCAAAAAKES!'

Dipper wanders in to the kitchen, drawn by the smells of food, pours himself a cup of coffee and leans against the sink.

'Morning sleepyhead! You bust any ghosts last night?'

'No I just... I needed some fresh air. Went for a run'

'Mmmmm, sounds nice. Blueberries?' Mabel offers from a bowl on the counter. 'Grenda and Candy are coming by later for Mimosas and gossip, you're welcome to hang out with us but-'

'Thanks, but yeah, probly gonna pass on that one.'

'Well you just relax and let me know if you need anything.'

'Thanks sis.'

Soon after breakfast was completed, there was a loud banging at the door, followed by the sound of said door slamming open.

'MABEL! WE HAVE COME TO PARTY!'

'WOOT!' Mabel cried, throwing the sponge she was using to wash dishes at Dipper's face.

'C'mere you guys! Dipper's back!'

With Grenda and Candy in tow, Mabel returned to the kitchen. Grenda was still tall, and solidly built, though clearly in excellent shape. Dipper wondered idly if she practiced martial arts. He noticed the rather large diamond on her finger as well, and thought that things must be working out well with her and Marius. Candy had grown as well, slender and beautiful, she had her hair cut short and-

'Well HELLO you beautiful piece of man-meat!' Grenda picked him up in a bone-crushing embrace 'It's good to see you again, though you should probably take a shower.'

Dipper blushed scarlet and mumbled something about 'sleeping' and 'running', trying to shuffle around the three ladies.

'You do look great, Dipper, how was your trip?' Candy wasn't blushing this time. Perhaps she was over her infatuation with him. Dipper wondered if he was happy about that or not.

'Uh, it was... it was long? I'm gonna go take that shower.' Dipper side-stepped carefully around the three friends and sprinted the rest of the way to the shower, taking the stairs three at a time.

'Well, it's definitely the same Dipper.' Grenda remarked with a smile.

'Let's break out that Champagne! I brought party glasses!' Candy yelled excitedly, pulling star-shaped sunglasses with silly straws from her purse.

'You DOLL!' Mabel cooed, in a fair imitation of Pacifica's mother, 'These are MARVELOUS! Now let's BREAK OUT THE BOOZE!'

When Dipper finished his shower, his sister and company were lounging on the back porch with mimosas, which when offered, Dipper politely refused. Looking out at the yard, he saw a slightly overgrown garden set-up, and a few new trees, which looked to be some sort of Orchard trees. He wandered around the yard a little and then slowly made his way in to the forest.

Despite the years of absence, the forest seemed no smaller than it had when he was last there. Just as daunting. This fear, this excitement, was familiar to him though. Like a favorite roller coaster. He knew now, mostly, what to expect from its dark recesses, and set out to refamiliarize himself with the woods, and make his presence known again.

By late afternoon, Dipper had accomplished some of what he had hoped in the woods. It seemed as though there was little that wanted to be found today, and Dipper didn't see anything without having to sneak up on it. Mabel left a note on the fridge about how Grenda had taken her and Candy to a movie which featured some of Marius' products, and that she'd be home later. The shack was quiet. In that moment, the memories of noise and family came crashing down on him, burying him in a wave of nostalgia. Even the toughest moments in their times together were made simpler by the presence of Ley and Ford. Dipper sank to his knees. Leaning against the fridge he could hear the sound of the older twins bickering over the making of breakfast. The sound of comforting words over late night coffees while he and Mabel licked their wounds after a botched 'mission'. The triumphant meals shared after glorious victory.

He had to get out.

Dipper ran out the front, grabbing his keys and slamming the door in one thoughtless motion. Kicking his bike in to action he raced down the drive and on to the main road. He bypassed the town on his way to the little white church. The one Ford occasionally insisted they go to. Dropping his bike in the grass, he struggled up the path. There, in the church yard side by side were the two stones he had feared seeing for so long. His family, laid to rest.

'Hey guys, I'm back.'