Chapter 1
Stan was shocked and disappointed: he missed copying a page from Journal #3, and from the look of the prior page, the missing page had a new mode for the machine that he hadn't seen yet. He had to get that page! But Dipper and Mabel had left Gravity Falls already, gone back home and then Dipper came back, but without Mabel. And for some reason Dipper left his journal at home. He wasn't the same anymore. He didn't seem to have an interest in the mysterious. He didn't seem to be interested in anything.
He knew what to do: FAX! He picked up the phone…

"Hello? Grunkle Stan?" Dipper's mom recognized the Oregon area code.

"Hey kiddo, how are ya? How's Mabel and the rest of the family?" Grunkle Stan did not want to seem too earnest. Can't have her refuse his request.

"Oh, I'm OK I guess. It is kind of lonely around here without Dipper and Mabel."

"Without Mabel? What the heck are you talkin' about?"
She realized that Dipper hadn't told him that Mabel was sent to Florida, in fact, because it was scandalous that maybe…maybe they didn't tell anyone.

"Well she uh…she is in Florida at Grandma's place."

"What? Why? When did this happen?"

"Two weeks ago."
Silence…

"Well uh, why?"
She hesitated. She couldn't tell Grunkle Stan, he was like, the only close family that didn't hate them, that wasn't disgusted with them…yet.

"Well uh…she is just visiting Grandma, that's all…"
Stan could tell from the her voice that she wasn't telling the whole story.

"Hmmm. Well…listen kid, I need a favor: would you please make a copy of a book for me, a journal with a Number three on a six fingered hand, page 29, somewhere in Dipper's room and FAX it to me? I need it right away."

"Why?"

"Sentimental reasons. Dipper showed it to me and well, it brought back some fond memories."

"Yeah…uh..sure Grunkle. I'll do it this afternoon."

"Thanks kid. I'll call you to let you know the FAX came through OK. Take it easy, OK?"

"Yeah. sure. You too."
Grunkle Stan hung up, and then picked up the phone again. He called Florida.

"Hello, Carla? Long time no talk, how are ya?"

"Stan? I haven't talked to you since the funeral! What…why are you calling now?"

"Well, I wanted to, you know, reconnect with my sister, that's all. Hope all is well."

"OK Stan, what's going on? Something's fishy."

"Look, I'll deal straight with you kid." He swallowed. "I don't know if you know or not, but Dipper and Mabel spent the last several summers with me and so, well, I kinda missed them when they left, so I called their home and found out that Mabel went to your place. I just want to say hello to that adorable kid, you know?"

"Oh sure, hang on…MABEL!"

"Hey wait a second Carla, before you hand over the phone, tell me: is Mabel just visiting or is she…there for a reason or something?"

"Oh, yeah: her mom and dad want her to travel and see more of the world, and thought getting her out of the house for a while would do her some good. But…she has been nothing but homesick since she got here. Poor kid. Here she is…"
Stan could hear her say the phone was for her and passed it over.

"Hello?"

"Hey kid! Great to hear ya!"

"Grunkle Stan! Hi! How's Waddles?"

"He hit the hundred pound mark last weekend kid, next time you see him you won't be able to pick him up."

"Haha! I am so proud! Thank you for calling me with the news, I needed that."

"Yeah" Stan thought fast. "I thought you could use a picker upper, heard you weren't feeling too well or something. What's going on?"
Mabel looked around. Grandma had walked out of the kitchen and Mabel could see through the window that her grandma was walking to the mailbox.

"Uh…who told you I was here? Did anyone tell you? Is Dip there?"

"No kid, not right now. I wish someone would tell me what the heck is going on! When I called your house your mom wouldn't tell me, and ever since he got here your brother seems a little down. I thought maybe he missed Wendy. But it is even stranger that you twins are separated."

"Uh…OH! So no one has told you…anything?"

"No kid. What's up? What happened?"
Mabel knew she couldn't tell him, but she missed Dipper so much and missed Stan too and Waddles…well, she thought it would do her some good to vent a little bit but just not tell him the whole story.

"Well…I kinda got in trouble a little bit and so mom and dad sent me here…but…I want to come back to Gravity Falls!" and she started crying.
It was like a knife in his heart to hear his favorite grand niece crying.

"Hey kid, it will be OK, trust me. It can't be that bad. What did you do?"
Mabel sniffed and coughed. She had to think of something.

"Oh, I had brought back some Smile Dip from the convenience store and…"

"SMILE DIP? I thought that stuff was banned!"

"Yeah well it was but…(sniff)…I found a bunch and brought it home and had some and…mom and dad thought I was on drugs or something. So here I am in grandma rehab." She started sobbing again.

"I miss home. I miss Dipper!" This she said in earnest and didn't care if it might give herself away.
Stan always knew that as twins they were close, it was only natural.

"Hey uh…Mabel…listen: does your grandma know the smile dip came from Gravity Falls?"

"Uh…" she thought fast. "No."

"OK then listen: your folks just want you away from home to stay away from smile dip, so it doesn't matter if you stay away there or in Gravity Falls. I'll send you a ticket and you can fly out here."

"But…(sniff)…" Then it hit her like lightning! Dipper was in Gravity Falls!

"Oh Grunkle Stan, that would be wonderful! Would you really do that for me?"

"Yeah sure kid. I am gettin' tired of feedin' the pig."
She laughed. It felt so good in her inner spirit to laugh again, after weeks of darkness.