What if Dipper had found Journal 2 after the fall in Gideon Rises, instead of Journal 3? All characters belong to Alex Hirsch and Disney, not me.
Book Exchange
Gideon took a hard fall when the Gideon-bot plunged from the tracks. He had some protection, because his black motion-capture suit was equipped with an airbag. It popped around him as the bot hit the ground.
That shock dislodged one of the two Journals he had stuffed into his jacket pockets earlier, the one on his right side. (Gideon had stuffed the Journals into his pockets in a rush. It was a fifty-fifty chance which one ended up on the right side and which on the left). The journal flew out the broken glass eye of the robot and landed on the ground a short distance from the crash. A piece of metal from the wreckage landed on top of it, protecting it from the huge explosion that followed. Gideon, inside the metal shell, was also shielded.
Mabel descended, one arm around Dipper's waist and the other holding tightly to her grappling hook gun.
"Grappling hook!" Mabel shouted. "I told you it would come in handy!"
"Mabel, that was amazing!" said Dipper.
"Not as amazing as you defeating that robot," said Mabel, giving Dipper a playful punch.
Dipper spotted a book lying face-down on the ground. "Hey, my Journal."
He picked up Journal 2 and stuffed it under his jacket.
When Gideon woke, things at first seemed to be going his way.
The Deputy ran up to him, very concerned. "Gideon! Oh, good heavens! What on earth happened here?"
Gideon said, "It was the Pines twins! They tried to attack me and blow up mah statue with dynamite! Arrest 'em!"
"What?" Dipper said, "Officers, he's lying!"
Sheriff Blubs said, "Sorry kids, but we trust Gideon. And nothing short of a miracle would ever change our- "
Stan came racing up in his El Diablo. "Wait! Wait! Stop everything! I've got somethin' to say!"
Blubs said, "Not this guy again."
"Just wait!" said Stan. "Look! You guys all think Gideon is so perfect and honest. 'Oh! I could never tell a lie! I'm Gideon!'"
Blubs said, "He's more honest than you!"
Durland said, "Yeah! And he's psychic too!"
"How's this for psychic?" said Stan. "Bam! Take a good look!"
Stan kicked open a panel. The lower floor of the bot below the driver's room was full of televisions looping videos, each showing the people of Gravity Falls.
"Wait a minute, is that ME?" said Lazy Susan.
"The secret ingredient to my coffee omelet is coffee!" said her TV image.
Toby Determined said, "And me!"
"I can verify that that birth mark is indeed disgusting," said the image of the Doctor.
"Hooray!" said Toby.
The crowd moved in and each saw themselves. "That's me! That's me!"
Stan said, "That's right, these pins are hidden cameras! And my hearing aid was picking up the feedback! Who's the fraud now?"
The people threw down their pins, which cracked open to reveal hidden cameras in the eye that wasn't winking.
The crowd turned on Gideon, who giggled nervously.
Durland said, "Gideon, we gave you our trust.."
Manley Dan said, "You LIED to us!"
"Please, I... It's not what it looks like... What are you gonna do with me?" said Gideon.
"Tyler?" asked the Deputy.
"Get 'im.. Get 'im!" said Tyler, wiping away a tear.
Blubs said, "Lil' Gideon, you are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and breaking our hearts. Durland? The tiny handcuffs."
Gideon found himself handcuffed and marched toward the back of the police car.
"No!" he said.
"Just one more thing," said Stan.
Stan grabbed Gideon and shook him, causing all the objects in his pockets to fall out: keys, candy, a picture of Mabel, an axe, the deed to the Mystery Shack, and Journal 3. Stan picked up the last two items as one.
"I believe this belongs to me," said Stan, showing the deed to the gathered reporters.
Gideon was driven away to jail, raving about his hair, how they needed him, and how he would be back.
When Dipper got back to their attic room he took out the Journal. "Hey, this is a different one! Journal 2."
"What?" said Mabel. "Get out of here!"
"A whole new set of clues!" said Dipper, eagerly riffling through the pages. "On first glance, I would say the Author was less paranoid when he wrote this. There are a lot less warnings."
"Good, right?" said Mabel.
"Maybe, but maybe more dangerous," said Dipper. "I wish I still had the other to compare against. I'll have to go from memory."
He kept looking. "More attack spells in this book. Blood rain, demon caterpillars..."
"Oooh! I love caterpillars!" said Mabel.
"...How to start a zombie attack, how to make an amulet like Gideon's..." said Dipper.
"I don't know about that, but it could be good protection," said Mabel.
"A picture of that dream demon, Bill Cipher... with a wheel around him. But... this is insane!" said Dipper.
Like another writer had done before him with the Glasses, he added exclamation marks and arrows pointing to the Question Mark, the Fish Symbol, the Stitched Heart, the Six-Fingered Hand, the All-Seeing Eye, the Shooting Star, and the Pine Tree.
