"Dipper, DIPPER! Wake up! We're finally here." Dipper slowly got up from the cold seat of the bus to see his sister Mabel dancing in her seat.
"Come on Dipping Sauce, we're gonna have so much fun!
Dipper sighed happily. It hasn't even been half a year since they left Gravity Falls, but after a lot of pestering and arguing, their parents finally let them stay in Oregon over Christmas vacation.
His thoughts were interrupted by his sister's sudden scream. "Dipper! We're here!"
Dipper jumped. "Agh! Okay I get it!" He gasped.
He slouched and sighed again, his breath making a puff of steam, it was really cold. As the doors on the bus opened they were greeted with the familiar sight of Grunkle Stan with a background of pine trees.
"Stan!" Mabel jumped into his arms, earning an 'oomph' from the older man. "Where'sFordanWendyandSoosand-"
"Whoa kid, slow down help your brother get the load you brought out into my car." Dipper was struggling to get their bags out of the bus. "Heh," Stan laughed, "You haven't got an inch of muscle since the last time I saw you!"
Dipper turned pink and smiled, "It's great to see you Stan." Their grunkle grinned and wrapped him in a bear hug.
"Well, muscle or no muscle, we got to hurry, Ford said he's got a surprise for you." Stan said as they lugged their baggage to his ancient car. "Ooh I like surprises! Is it gonna be frog on a unicycle? Or a man-eating platypus?" Mabel squealed.
"Hmmm," Stan thought out loud. "Just hope it's not another end-of-the-world thing."
They got in and rode to the Mystery Shack in a comfortable silence until they reached the familiar residence of the grunkles. "Wow, there's so many icicles and and lights," Mabel said. "Dipstick, let's hurry up, I wanna know the surprise!"
Dipper got out of the car and began to get his bag out of the car, no use trying to get his sister's load out, she must have packed her whole room. "Stan? Has anything changed the last time we've been here? I mean, we didn't miss anything big, right?" Dipper asked.
"Well kid, I think that's the surprise." The Grunkle answered. "But, get it out of your mind, I think Soos is making hot chocolate for you both." Mabel squealed and ran with the impossible load on her back to the Mystery Shack. Dipper and Stan walked at a slower pace and found Mabel somehow got her bags to her room and was sipping from a mug at the table.
"I'll never figure out how she does it." Stan said under his breath, but their attention was diverted to the vending machine popping open to reveal Ford in his usual coat, not surprisingly, deep in a book.
He was muttering things as he took notes in it, but Mabel completely shattered his concentration with a loud squeal. (She has been doing that a lot the author and Dipper noticed.) "Foooord! I missed you!" The Grunkle seemed put off, but only for a second as he looked at Mabel's radiant face.
He smiled at her, but his expression became more serious as he turned to Dipper. "Dipper, I need you for something. Come down here when you've unpacked." With that, he went back down to the basement.
Even with no hello, Dipper became excited and unpacked as quickly as possible. His sister whined, "What about the surprise?" Dipper paid her no heed as he punched in the numbers to the vending machine and ran down the stairs to Grunkle Ford.
As he ran past the blinking lights of the underground lab, he caught glimpses of the portal remains. Once he reached Ford, Dipper stopped to catch his breath. "Ford I'm here."
He turned and looked slightly surprised and grinned, "It's good to see you again Dipper." His face turned serious again, "I need to send you out on a hunt." he said, cutting right to the chase as always. What Dipper thought, in the middle of winter?! But he kept his mouth shut and put on a slightly worried face, "What for?" he asked.
Ford turned to Dipper, the laboratory lights shining on him, revealing his unshaven face in it's full glory. In a grim voice he said, "I have caught glimpses of some sort of beast. It's tall with antlers and always carries a glowing object. But, I haven't found out what that object is, yet. But then, since you are much more able, I decided to take advantage of your visit and send you and your sister instead!"
He had a crazed look in his eyes that creeped Dipper out a bit. "Uh, Ford? When's the last time you've slept?" Ford turned to him, "Huh? Oh well, I haven't seen a bed in three days!" he said casually.
Dipper smiled gently, "Go to sleep, Mabel and I will catch this thing." Ford nodded and left behind a door leading deeper into the lab, probably his bedroom. Dipper jumped a whooped.
He bolted upstairs to get his sister, finally with the surprise, and no clue what he was getting himself into.