Disclaimer: I do not own Gravity Falls.
Summary: S02E08, inspired by "With Blind Eyes" by Dichotomus. When Dipper and Mabel travel to the future a spur-of-the-moment gambit leads to knowledge that they have trouble comprehending. Pinecest.
-X- -X-
Lolph Jensen was a simple man, even with his relatively high level of clearance in the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron and his degree in chemical engineering, in fact his greatest joy was simply performing his job well and preventing any and all forms of time paradox.
Some laughed at his tenacity in regards to his job, mocking his utter dedication with chuckles at his old fashioned name and making comparisons to his grandparents; Stanley Gunner was a man that liked to gamble and lie his way from one holocard table to the next, relentlessly seeking the thrill of victory to the point that he missed his own son's wedding when he tragically crashed his vehicle while trying to flee from debts he couldn't pay, a mark that had shamed his family to this very day.
Despite the laughter he still passed the academy with full marks and succeeded in entering his dream job.
The TPAES took him far over the world and all across time, allowing him to make a steady pay-check and see more than he ever could in a simple accountancy job like his father had wanted for him. Of course it wasn't all sunshine and daisies, however every now and then he stumbled across something that reminded him of the wonder and glee of his childhood and made it all worth it.
Case in point; his most recent assignment had taken him back to the early twenty-first century, apprehending two perps for participation in Globnar. While he wasn't particularly fond of Blendin Blandin he had to admit that, in a surprising twist of fate, the incompetent ex-operative had actually done something useful for once in allowing him the opportunity to see his precious great-great-great-great-great-great-great Grandmother.
Although it was a shame that he had to see her under such circumstances it was still always nice to see family. He'd wondered why she seemed so familiar before and now he had his answer; Who else but his Gam-Gam would wear a bright pink sweater mid-summer and grin up at some of the most efficient officers in the universe arresting them, much less refer to him as "Lolphy", something specific to his Gam-Gam as well.
"Gam-Gam Mabel?" He cooed, wondering at her tiny form. Sometimes he forgot that even his elders were children once upon a time.
"Uh..." Gam-Gam's eyes went wide and he smiled as her eyes wandered just like he'd always seen in the ancient 'DVD's. "Yeah. I... Guess?"
On the bright side, at least he knew judging by his own existence that they won the Globnar, otherwise he wouldn't even be here. At least judging by Blendin's vitriol he probably wouldn't be there.
A sudden click drew his attention and almost immediately he recognized the signature blue-white cap. In fact he mentally rolled his eyes at himself with the realization that somehow he hadn't recognized it earlier. "Grandda Dipper!" He exclaimed cheerfully, freezing the boy in place.
Lolph looked between the two with glee, comparing them to how they looked in the pictures. A fondness that kindled with suspicion as he noticed the time-tape in his Grandda's hands.
Of course, his Grandda was so young that he probably didn't realize that he was holding something so dangerous. Quickly Lolph plucked the tape out of the unresponsive boy's hands. "Sorry Grandda, but that's far too dangerous for you. Now let's get you both ready for the age-old high-risk gladiatorial combat we typically use to determine guilt." He said fondly.
His two tiny ancestors looked at one another, sharing a look he typically associated with some of the convicts he usually apprehended, turning to look at him. "I'm sorry," Grandda Dipper spoke seriously, levelling him with his 'resolve face', as it was tagged in the holo-album of past memories. "Did you just say 'Gam-Gam Mabel' and 'Grandda Dipper'?"
The query was spoken dryly, as though he were not quite able to parse the information provided and Lolph had the distinct impression given to him by both the children's faces as well as Dundgren's thumb-across-the-throat motion that he may have said something wrong. "...Yes?"
"As in Grandma Mabel and Granddad Dipper Pines?"
Lolph slowly nodded, unsure just where his Grandda was going with this. "Yes, Grandda."
Blankly staring at the time-measuring tape in his hands, the arena displayed behind him and then straight up at him, Grandda Dipper, with a deep breathe, drew on his trusty resolve face once more. "So, what did you say the rules of this 'Globnar' were again?"
-X- -X-
Scratched, battered and with more than a few mental scars, Dipper made his way to the edge of the ring, following their former 'adversary' with a slow, almost meandering gait.
Beside him his sister almost skipped after him, grinning with pride at their recent victory. "I can't believe that Soos is finally gonna get to have his perfect birthday!"
"Mm-Hm." Dipper nodded distractedly.
"I mean," Mabel rolled her eyes to the heavens, waving a hand as if to elaborate. "I'm not sure what happened to put him off birthdays, but I'm sure this'll make everything better!"
"Mm." He continued nodding, brow furrowed in consternation. "Maybe we can find something at this 'Time record library'." He mused.
"Oh!" His sister pushed him harshly, eyes alight. "So that's why you asked for Blendin to take us to some stuffy old library."
"Mabel, it's a future library. For all we know they drink text through a straw." Dipper pointed out, eyebrow twitching. "And besides... I'm more curious about what that Lolph guy said."
"Wha- Oh. OH!" Cheeks warming, Mabel bit her lower lip. "Yeah, that was kinda weird. I guess there's another Mabel and Dipper out there. What are the chances, eh bro-bro?" She spoke, swinging her arms back and forth.
"Another Mabel and Dipper Pines? Coinciding with our generation, or at least around there?" He pointed out, shaking his head. "That seems like more than a coincidence, Mabel."
"Haha, yeah." Again the brunette rolled her eyes, braces glinting with the sea-foam green light shining down from the city above. "But that's silly. We're twins, ya goober."
"Right." He agreed with a chuckle, though it didn't stop his continued pace after the no-longer bald man walking sedately down the street.
"And, uh, here we are!" Blendin's shout was punctuated with a wide-armed wave, as if to encompass the entirety of the building before him. "The library of time records, spacial anomalies and history!"
Dipper blinked. "What's the difference between history and time records?" He mused aloud, staring up at Blendin with a curious gaze.
"Uh, history's got inaccuracies and time records don't?" Half-asked and half-stated, the answer failed to satisfy Dipper's sense of curiosity and, with a huff, Blendin turned fully to face the twelve-year old. "Look, kid, I don't make the rules, I just, uhhhh... If you have a problem then take it up with Time Baby and see what happens, alright!?" He fumed, leaning against the wall. "Anyway, the archive's so easy to use even a child could do it, so just go in and get what you want so we can go."
"Okay, okay! I was just curious." Mumbling under his breathe Dipper stepped towards the library, wincing at the dull ache spreading throughout his body and drawing his sister's attention. "Ow, still got some bruising from the Globnar." He chuckled awkwardly, glancing off to the side and slowly stepping into the library.
"So what'cha lookin' for first?" Mabel tilted her head at her brother, bouncing on the balls of her feet to reach the edge of the reception desk and taking a seat. "Ooh! Look up the guy behind the grassy knoll! No, wait! What happens to Sev'ral times! Oh, oh! Bigfoot!"
"Mabel, we don't have time for that, remember? We've only got fifteen minutes." Despite the annoyance in his voice her twin still had to restrain himself from actually looking up what she'd asked. Well, two of the three questions, at least. "Okay, first up; Jesus Alzamirano Ramirez, 2013."
Almost immediately the 'screen' before him lit up, a picture of Soos appearing in the right-hand corner. "Let's see... Twenty-two, former owner of... Huh. Ah!"
"What is it?" Mabel queried from her spot on the desk, feet swinging back and forth through the air. "Find something interesting?"
"Apparently Soos' dislikes include his birthday, his father and fish food." The twins shared a chuckle at the last point, sharing a wink before Dipper turned back to the screen. "According to this Soos' father never showed up to his birthday or, in fact, ever, and because of that he doesn't like his dad or his birthday."
Mabel grinned, hopping down from her perch. "Well, I guess we know what the wish is going on!" Flashing her brother a thumbs up, the sweater-clad girl skipped over to him. "'Kay, let's go then, Brothen!"
"Ah." Dipper raised a finger in the air, pausing to furrow his brow at her terrible attempt at rhyming before, with a small frown, he turned back towards the screen. "Not yet. Dipper... and... Mabel... Pines."
As he spoke words wrote themselves into the search bar, pictures and articles popping up on screen. "Huh," Leaning over his shoulder, Mabel nearly managed to knock his chair over as she put her full weight on his back in an attempt to read everything on the screen, clicking onto her article before he could stop her. "August 31, 1999. Yep. Waddles! Uh-huh. Three kids! With..." Her face dropped, grin resolving into a decidedly neutral expression, cheeks dusted with red. "That... Can't be right."
Dipper lightly shrugged her off of his shoulder, surprised when she stepped back as he did so and leaned forward to read the articles himself. "Mabel Pines, married to... Mason "Dipper" Pines, June 29, 2022, in Gravity Falls, Oregon, under the 'Never Mind All That Act Addendum 2.7?'" With a blink he continued reading. "One son, two daughters... Uuuuh." Swallowing, he anxiously adjusted his cap and continued reading. "Co-Owner of the Mystery Shack as of 2021..."
"Wowwee." She chuckled weakly, leaning away from him. "I think... I mean- This can't be real, right? I know! Pictures! Bet there won't be any of those, or videos or..." She laughed, stepping around him to click again on the list of articles. "See?"
For a brief second the two turned to one another, smiling confidently. Then the screen loaded.
"...Oh." Mabel stared at the various boxes, each displaying them at different points in their lives.
"Yeah..." Dipper leaned forward, tapping the screen. "'Tales of the weird and unexplained', 'The Mystery Twins', 'The journals of Dipper Pines', 'Wedding... Photos.' 'Biographies', 'Baby pictures'!?"
"K-Kinda invasive, huh?" Mabel giggled weakly, eyes wandering over the photos on screen before coming to a rest on one in particular.
The two twins shared one last look before, with a slow nod, he reached out and opened the online album.
On screen pictures of a wiry young man appeared, clean shaven and wearing a pair of familiar glasses, he stared down at the bundle in his lap with a small smile. Beside him a familiar face, framed by brown curls, stared on in adoration.
The bundle was wrapped tight in soft shades of pink, cradled in a firm pair of hands, and as he stared he heard Mabel choke slightly, thick knitted sweater unable to hide the sensation of shaking as she leaned against his shoulder. "Mabel?" A quick look up at her and he could see tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, lips raised into a half-smile that flashed her braces and reminded him of the first time they'd time travelled and he had refused to help her, having to travel forward a month to realize the error of his ways. "Oh Mabel, I'm so sorry."
"Sorry?" She sobbed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she kept her gaze firmly on the futuristic monitor hovering inches off the wall. "Dip-Dip, she's... She's so adorable!"
'Adorable?' The word reverberated through his mind and for some strange reason he felt the corners of his lips twitch, eyes caught between his Mabel's strange smile and the picture on screen. It felt right, somehow.
Abruptly the holographic display vanished, blocky red letters announcing that fifteen minutes had passed and that if they wanted to continue then they would have to contact the nearest official.
"We're out of time." His heart sank even though he could clearly remember the deal he'd made with Blendin and knew full well that the agent wouldn't be willing to risk his job again. "Mabel, it's time to go."
Gently he took his twin's hand and felt her grip immediately tighten. "Yeah..." She sighed, smiling up at him with an undecipherable emotion lurking in her gazed. "Sorry you couldn't get anything about the journals, bro-bro."
A small rumble echoed in his throat and he was surprised to find that it wasn't annoyance like he had thought he'd feel, but rather something resembling amusement. "It's fine." His hand squeezed hers gently and his sister tilted her head at the action. "I think I found something better, anyway."
With that the two twins stepped out of the public building, neither noticing the message on the side of the hologram projector denoting a six fingered hand. Inches beneath the symbol a faded message was written in thin cursive letters, obviously written by hand.
Donated to the Time record library of Oregon by one S. Ford Gunner, '962.