I do not own Gravity Falls.

Bit of a longer chapter ahead.


Heads up, this story contains corporal punishment.


The Research Incident

"Hey, have you seen Grunkle Ford?"

With her headphones placed firmly over her ears, Dipper's question went unheard as his sister continued to bob her head to the beat of the song that was blaring from her phone. Her eyes were glued to her latest cheesy romance novel, completely oblivious to her twin's presence.

Rolling his eyes, Dipper stepped into the living room and wandered over to where Mabel lounged in the armchair, her legs slung over the armrests. He plucked off the headphones by the plastic band and she let out a sound of annoyance. "Earth to Mabel!"

"Dude, it just got to the good part," she complained, snatching her pink headphones back. "I'm going to have to rewind it now."

"Which will take all of three seconds," he returned. "You see Grunkle Ford around? Or have you been too busy rocking out to Sev'ral Times, who are extremely overrated, to notice?"

"Don't be dissing my boys," she warned, lazily jabbing his stomach, which was within her immediate reach. "No, I haven't seen Grunkle Ford. I think he left. Why?"

"I was going to see if he was interested in a game of Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons," he replied.

"Aren't you too old for that?"

Dipper pulled the coffee-stained, worn-out yellow cushion out from underneath Mabel and started whacking her with it. "You, of all people, are not asking me that question."

"Oof!" Mabel held out her hands to ward off the soft weapon. "Come on, I was kidding!"

"You're so not funny," said Dipper, but was unable to keep a smile from breaking through.

Footsteps sounded in their direction, soft thumps sounding on the solid hardwood floor. Ford appeared in the living room entryway moments later. Dipper and Mabel gaped at their great-uncle, who was in right state, even for him.

His face and clothes were streaked with thick mud and dark green leaves. Clumps of wet soil fell from his shoulders and the hem of his trench coat, gathering on the carpeted floor. Ford seemed oblivious to their baffled expressions and greeted, "Hey kids."

"Uh…hey," spoke Mabel. The normally stale air now held a hint of an earthy aroma, which indicated just how much mud Ford had coated himself with. "What's with the camouflage?"

"I did some research this morning," he answered with a dismissive wave of his hand, sending drops of dirt flying. "I needed to fully disguise myself in order to keep myself hidden from the water sprites."

"Ooh, cool!" Mabel's eyes lit up. "They're water guardians, right?"

"Depends on which tribe you encounter. In Gravity Falls, they are merely water fairies, and they're very territorial. I never got to do much studying on them due to their violent nature. But today I got a fair amount of information."

"Can we see?" asked Dipper, feeling only slightly bothered that Ford hadn't invited him and his sister along. He knew there were some research endeavors Ford preferred to go on alone, but he would have liked the chance to go along all the same.

"Of course." Ford reached for his satchel but only grasped empty air. A scowl crossed his face and he smacked his right fist into his left open palm in frustration. "Those darn water sprites! They've taken my satchel!"

"You sure you didn't just drop it?" asked Mabel in bemusement.

"No, I'm certain they have it," he said bitterly. "My disguise went well until the sun caught on the lenses of my glasses. The resulting reflection gave me away. Let me tell you, the sight of angry water sprites swarming towards you is not pretty."

"Mabel and I can go get it for you," offered Dipper, eager to see these elusive water sprites.

But his hopes were quickly dashed when Ford gave a firm shake of his head. "No, Dipper, that satchel is best left alone. Messing with water sprites is dangerous business. I'm lucky to have gotten away."

"Well, no offense or anything, but we're…" Dipper trailed off, trying to think of a nice way to phrase his thoughts.

"Young and fit," chirped Mabel, snickering softly when her brother glared at her in annoyance.

Not fazed by his niece's bluntness, Ford returned, "That may be true, but I know the water sprites. They're not to be toyed with. I'll simply have to try and study them another day."

"But-"

"I said no, Dipper," he snapped, levelling his persistent nephew with a stern look. "You two are simply too young to deal with this. You will leave those little water demons alone. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," muttered Dipper, turning his heated gaze to the floor.

"Good. I'm going in the shower." Ford tugged at his dirt-caked hair with a grimace. "Stanley is not going to be happy with this month's water bill."

He swept off and the second he was out of sight Dipper turned on his heel and stormed off, fists clenched at his sides. Noticing the hard set of her brother's face, Mabel hastily scrambled out of the chair, abandoning her music, and hurried after him.

"Please tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do," she pleaded, having to climb the stairs two at a time to keep up with Dipper's long-legged strides.

"He's treating us like we're children," said Dipper angrily, shoving open their bedroom door so hard it struck the wall with a bang. "Too young to deal with some water pixies? Has he completely forgotten Bill and his takeover of Gravity Falls? Never mind everything else we've done in this crazy place!"

"Maybe it was bit unfair of him to say that, but I'm sure he has his reasons!" insisted Mabel, watching nervously as her brother yanked on a dark green sweater.

"His reason is that he thinks we're still too immature to handle these kinds of matters," he shot back. He started his search for supplies and found his backpack underneath his bed. He sneezed slightly at the cloud of dust that rose up when he tugged it out into the open. Glancing swiftly around their room, he began shoving items into the black bag.

"A tennis racket," said Mabel dubiously. "You're going to defeat a tribe of water sprites with a tennis racket."

"It's either this or a fly swatter."

"Come on, why don't you just forget this and ask Grunkle Ford to play your nerd game with you?"

"Maybe later, if I feel like it. I don't really want to talk to him right now." Dipper glanced up with a knowing look. "I'm guessing you're not coming?"

Mabel bit down on her bottom lip, torn between wanting to help her sibling out and saving her backside. "Sorry bro," she finally answered, "but I think this is a bad idea."

"It's going to be fine," said Dipper breezily. "We've dealt with much worse. Can I borrow your grappling hook?"

Mabel went over and dug it out from her nightstand drawer. If she couldn't be by Dipper's side, she'd be glad to offer her headstrong brother any assistance she could. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Relax. I'll be back before you know it." Dipper stuck the device into the bag, squishing it beside his rarely-used red tennis racket. "Just a few more things…"

He slung the bag over his shoulders and exited the attic, his sister at his heels. They went down the stairs, entered the hallway and walked past the bathroom, where they could hear the shower still running. Mabel's eyes widened when Dipper shoved open the door to Ford's bedroom.

"Dude!"

Dipper ignored her exclamation and went over to Ford's desk. He opened up the top drawer and pulled out a smoke bomb. His eyes landed on a holster hanging off the edge of the chair, Ford's metallic ray gun glinting in the sunlight streaming in through the dusty window.

"Oh, you can't be serious," breathed Mabel when Dipper strapped the holster around his waist. "Your butt is so toast."

"I'm only taking it as an emergency weapon," defended Dipper. "When I come back with his research, he's going to have to admit he was wrong. We're old enough to handle any supernatural weirdness."

Mabel let out a sigh, knowing that no amount of persuading would talk him out of his crazy plan. Ford's comment had irked him greatly and now he was setting out to prove a point. "Be careful, Dipping-Dots."

"I will." Not at all concerned, Dipper sent his sister a reassuring smile. "I won't be long. Cover for me?"

"Oh, fine." Mabel pointed at him sternly. "But you owe me."

Dipper grinned and waved, darting out of Ford's room and down the hall. Mabel lingered, nibbling on her bottom lip nervously, before also leaving, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Good luck, bro. 'Cause if Ford catches you, you are so screwed.

Dipper walked briskly across the forest floor, his sneaker-clad feet sinking slightly into the muddy ground. His breathing quickened in excitement the closer he got to the pool of water that the water sprites called their habitat. He could tell he was getting near when the air began to smell less of earth and dew, transitioning smoothly to the relaxing scent of fresh water and algae.

The reeds separating the pool from the rest of the forest entered his vision. It reminded him of wooden fences between neighbouring properties in the suburbs, a polite indication of where one's territory ended. He lowered down to the ground, bare knees pressing into the damp dirt, and crept to the edge of the pool, quieting his breathing as he moved.

He slowly inched apart the wet water plants, giving himself enough of an opening to peek through. He scanned the sparkling, glassy blue water and the smooth grey stones that peppered the surface. Ford's brown leather satchel sat carelessly on one of the rocks, halfway across the pool.

There it is.

Dozens of pixie-like creatures flitted about, silvery-blue wings flapping in the warm summer breeze. Their skin was paper-white, their hair black as ebony, in styles ranging from short and curly to long and sleek. Each water sprite had sharp, dark blue eyes and an aqua aura that surrounded them. High-pitched nattering that Dipper's human ears could not distinguish permeated the air.

Here we go.

With slow, deliberate movements, Dipper kept to the cover of the reeds as he reached into his backpack. He removed the smoke bomb first, fingers curling around the cool metal, and then Mabel's grappling hook with his other hand. He lined the device up with the abandoned satchel and gripped the smoke bomb, preparing to throw it.

One…two…three!

With fluid movement, Dipper tossed the smoke bomb towards the nearest rock. It activated immediately once it struck the hard surface, thick black smoke clogging the area and causing the sprites to screech in alarm and outrage. Eyes watering and throat burning from the fumes of the smoke bomb, Dipper kept the grappling hook steady as he pressed the trigger. He grinned broadly when the felt the metal hook snag on something soft.

Yeah!

He started to retract the rope, but after a second it suddenly pulled taunt. Brow furrowing, Dipper frantically tried tugging, hoping to free the satchel from whatever it had gotten caught on. It would not budge.

What the-?

"Whoa!"

He cried out as he was forcefully pulled through the reeds, crashing into the shallow part of the pool, the warm water drenching his front. He squinted through the haze of the smoke, only able to see multiple small figures darting towards him, their shrill sounds reaching a dangerous crescendo.

"Dang it!" he hissed, yanking the tennis racket from his bag and swinging it blindly as he pressed the grappling hook trigger repeatedly. He had a sinking feeling that the water sprites were clinging to Ford's satchel, preventing him from fully retracting the rope.

"Geez, they're strong little buggers. Ow!"

Tiny fingers clawed at him, digging thin red lines into his exposed fleshed. Ignoring the resulting stinging, he kicked and thrashed, keeping a solid grip on Mabel's grappling hook. He could feel minute thumps every time his racket hit a water sprite, sending them flying through the grey-clouded air.

Dipper stiffened as the water around him began to bubble, slowly at first, before becoming more rapid. His eyes widened as the water started to twist around him in crystal-clear pillars, starting to drag him to the deeper part of the pool. He let go of the grappling hook in his surprise, shouting as the water sprites sang a song of death, their voices chilling and haunting.

Completely abandoning his racket, he started scrabbling at the rocks desperately with his fingers. But his soaked fingers gave him no grip on the sleek surface. He took a frantic gulp of air before he was forcefully pulled to the depths of the pool, where the warm water turned frigid, seeping into his clothes and skin.

He moved his arms and legs wildly, but the bright surface of the pool seemed to get further away as the invisible grip grew tighter. As he thrashed, his fingers struck the cold metal of Ford's ray gun, alerting him to its presence. He wrestled it out of its holster and pointed it directly below him. His chest ached and burned, his throat dry and screaming for oxygen. He did not have much time left.

Please let this work.

Closing his eyes, he braced himself and pressed the trigger.

Carting a towel through his damp grey hair, Ford crossed the hallway and entered his room, dressed in clean clothes and free of dirt. "Well, that could have gone better," he said aloud, thinking bitterly of the pesky little sprites.

He tossed his towel into his hamper and reached automatically for his ray gun, which he liked to keep in a more secure place. But in his haste to get clean he had slung it haphazardly over the back of his desk chair.

Instead of grasping the thick black strap of his holster, he got thin air. He stared at the place where his ray gun should have rested, momentarily confused. He couldn't remember leaving it anywhere else, so where had it gone?

Mabel and I can go get for you.

No…they wouldn't….they wouldn't dare to be so insolent.

Oh, they would.

Spinning on his heel Ford charged out of his bedroom and towards the living room, hollering at the top of his lungs, "Mabel! Dipper!"

His pounding heart settled momentarily at the sound of rapid footsteps falling on the stairs. It picked up again when only his niece appeared in the doorway, expression one of concern. "What? What's wrong?"

"Where's your brother?" he demanded.

"In town," she replied.

It was her immediate response to his question, followed by the too-wide smile and slight shift of her eyes that told him everything. He was by her side in two strides, spinning her around and landing two sharp, warning smacks to her behind.

Mabel jolted and yelped, more out of surprise than actual pain, hastily stepping away when Ford let go of her shoulder. "What was that for?" she asked with a whine.

"Don't lie to me," growled Ford and she flinched guiltily. "My ray gun is missing, and so is Dipper. Did he go after the water sprites?" When she only regarded him hesitantly, he raised an eyebrow and said lowly, "I suggest you tell me the truth or else there will be more where those came from."

"Yes, okay, he did!" she confessed quickly, only feeling slightly bad for selling her brother out. "But I'm sure he's fine!"

A dark shadow crossed over Ford's face, his lips thinning into a grim line. "Wait here," he ground out. "I'll be back."

Mabel watched her great-uncle sweep out of the living room and leaned against the wall with a groan. "Sorry bro, but my butt is not going down with yours." She idly rubbed the spots where Ford had swatted her. "Geez. I got to stop wearing skirts. So not enough protection."

Bam!

There was a fantastic explosion as the glowing blast from the ray gun struck the bottom of the pool, sending the water rushing upwards in a geyser-like motion. Dipper cried out in surprise as he spun through the air before crashing once more in the water, his chin knocking off a rock. He rubbed away the dull pain and looked up dazedly.

Water, black mud, pebbles and chunks of algae rained down, causing the startled water sprites to scatter. Wasting no time, he lunged forwards, grabbed the satchel and took off running, ploughing through the reeds and charging through the forest, stumbling over roots and dips in the dirt.

Dipper collapsed to the ground when he felt he was a safe enough distance away, gulping down air to soothe his aching lungs. After a few minutes, he stood up, littered with thin red cuts that occasional itched, shivering slightly from the water drenching his clothes, but otherwise pleased as he gripped Ford's satchel to his side.

"Sweet," he said with a grin, sticking Mabel's grappling hook into his bag and slinging the ray gun into the holster. "Let's see what Grunkle Ford has to say about this."

"Oh, trust me, boy, you don't want to hear what I have to say right now."

Turning around, Dipper's smug smile faltered momentarily at the sight of his great-uncle striding through the trees, his expression livid. "Look, I know I went when you said not to, but come on! It went fine!"

"Fine?" thundered Ford. "Have you taken a look at yourself?"

"It's just some scratches," defended Dipper. "They got long nails, that's all."

"Water sprites have the ability to control the flow of water," said Ford, heart clenching in his chest as he stared at the water dripping from Dipper's clothes. "When they are threatened, they take their victims to a watery grave. You could have drowned."

"Could have. But I didn't. I brought your ray gun in case of an emergency, and it worked. So technically, I should be praised for my forethought."

His flippant remark caused Ford to narrow his eyes. "Stupidity is more appropriate."

The confidence immediately dissolved from Dipper's face, replaced with indigent anger. "Hey, I just saved your research from a tribe of territorial water sprites. I proved you wrong- I'm not too young to deal with situations like this."

"That's what this is about?" said Ford, his angered voice bordering on disbelief. "You disobeyed my orders, ran recklessly into danger just to prove a point? You think this little stunt is going to convince you're mature enough to handle delicate ordeals? You are sorely mistaken."

"Whatever," snapped Dipper, feeling hurt surge through him at his great-uncle's blunt words. With trembling hands he flung the satchel at Ford, who just managed to catch it, and scowled. "A guy tries to help and all he gets is a load of crap."

With two steps Ford was by his nephew's side, grabbing him by the back of his soaked sweater and dragging him across the forest floor, eyes flashing with anger. "That's enough," he growled. "I don't know where this poor attitude came from, but I will not tolerate it. You and I are going to have a long discussion and we will deal with your appalling behaviour."

Dipper's stomach plummeted. He had hoped that his successful endeavour would have impressed Ford enough to overlook his disobedience. This was clearly not the case. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"Oh, not yet, but you will be," promised Ford.

"Fine," he bit out, trying to squander his jumping nerves. "But do you really have to pull me? I know how to walk."

Knowing his nephew had enough sense not to try and run, Ford relinquished his grip. "My ray gun," he said shortly.

Yanking off the holster, Dipper handed it to his uncle before sticking his hands into his pockets. He kept his moody glare aimed towards the ground, shoulders hunched forwards.

The walk back to the Mystery Shack was silent, a tense atmosphere crackling between them. Ford shoved open the front door and pointed inside. "Go clean yourself up," he ordered. "You will be in my room in precisely fifteen minutes. Heaven help you if you choose to dawdle."

Scowling softly, Dipper stormed past his great-uncle and went straight for the attic. His sister immediately sprang up when he entered, tossing his backpack onto his bed, his dark mood palpable.

"I'm sorry," she began nervously, "I tried to cover for you but he-"

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted, pausing in his search for dry clothes to muster up a smile for his sister. "Thanks for trying."

Mabel's muscles relaxed with relief. "No prob. You in serious trouble?" she asked in sympathy, raising a hand to cover her eyes as her brother began to change.

Dipper snorted. "I think that's an understatement." He wrestled into a fresh white T-shirt, boxers and jeans. "You're clear."

She lowered her hand and glanced at the sopping wet fabric piled on the hardwood floor. "Uh…what happened?"

"I'll explain later. Right now I have to clean myself up and meet Ford in his room," grumbled Dipper. His stomach jumped at the very thought of what he would have to endure in mere minutes.

Sensing her twin's anxiety, Mabel moved forwards and hugged him briefly. "Hey, it's going to be fine. It'll happen and then it'll be over, and your lesson will be learned! You'll regain the ability to sit in a few days, I'm sure."

Dipper sent her a weak smile, grateful for her support. "Yeah. See you soon…hopefully."

He shuffled back downstairs, pausing in the bathroom to spread disinfectant on the cuts he had received. There were enough bandages to cover his injuries, further preventing them from infection. He eyed the dark bruise on his chin before shrugging.

Not much I can do about that.

With a soft sigh, he stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards Ford's room, knowing that close to fifteen minutes must have passed. He felt very much like a man walking down death row, though he supposed it was a bit overdramatic of him.

Swallowing nervously, Dipper tried to school his features into a blank mask as he nudged open the door. Ford stood near his desk, eyes trained on his watch. "Right on time," he remarked, lifting his gaze, expression cool. "It seems you can listen, when you feel so inclined."

"This is stupid," snapped Dipper, crossing his arms in irritation. "I'm sixteen. I'm too old for this- hey!"

He didn't notice Ford before it was too late. A strong hold landed on his upper arm and he was pulled over to the couch. His eyes widened when Ford sat down, his intent clear. "No! Hold on!"

His words fell on deaf ears. Ford yanked his struggling nephew over his knees and Dipper gasped slightly as the world tipped over. "No way, come on, stop it-ow!"

A heavy strike landed on his bottom, the force causing him to halt his slightly frantic words. "You seem to think that because you feel you're old enough, you can act as you please," said Ford, placing one hand against the middle of Dipper's back to keep him from moving. "You are going to learn that this is not the case."

He couldn't help but jump at the first swat, the sensation not at all comfortable. He bit down on his bottom lip, trying hard not to wiggle as more swats came, alternating from where they landed. He could feel his skin warming under the repetitive strikes, not getting the chance to cool as Ford would just swat the same spot a second later.

"Why are you being punished?" asked Ford, not deterring from the rhythm of his swats.

Dipper took in a sharp breath, trying to ignore the growing pain in his backside. "I…I didn't, ouch, I didn't listen to you!" he hissed out, fingertips digging into the hardwood floor.

"It's more than that," Ford said sternly. "You put yourself needlessly into danger, you took my ray gun, which you are forbidden to touch, and you asked your sister to lie for you."

"I just wanted to prove I could do it," Dipper said, voice hitching on a sob. "To prove that I'm no longer a kid and can do anything."

"But that's not the case, is it?" asked Ford.

"No!" yelped Dipper, the tearing up at the burn that spread across the now tender skin, "I was just mad! Ow! I was wrong, I nearly got killed by the, ouch, water sprites. I'm sorry, Grunkle Ford! Ow, ow, I really am! Please!"

There was sincerity in his voice this time, and Ford knew the teen's stubborn pride had broken down, allowing him to see reason. Ford pulled his nephew up from his lap and into his secure embrace. "You and your sister are going to be the death of me one of these days," he murmured, rubbing soothing circles between the teen's shoulder blades.

Dipper rested his head against Ford's shoulder, scrubbing at his tears and wincing as the fabric of his jeans rubbed against his sore skin. "Well, there seems to be a weirdly coincidental access to dangerous things whenever we feel the need to act out," he joked weakly.

"Unfortunately," said Ford warily. "Dipper, you know that I trust and respect you, right?"

"Yeah. I know." Dipper sighed and lifted his head, glancing at his uncle with sheepish eyes. "I guess I thought the reason you didn't invite Mabel and I along to see the water sprites was purely because you thought we were just kids. I didn't really think about the danger part…we've gone through lots of risky situations in the past."

"There's a difference between finding yourself part of a dangerous situation and throwing yourself into one," pointed out Ford. "You did not need to seek out the water sprites."

"No, I didn't," agreed Dipper. "I guess I felt like I had a point to prove to you."

"You never have to prove anything to me. Do you understand that?"

"I do," assured Dipper. "I let the red cloud my vision. Totally not worth it."

Ford's eyes shone with amusement. "Well, I'm glad to hear that." He reached out and rubbed the top of Dipper's head affectionately. "I hate to break to you my boy, but you and your sister will always be kids to Stan and I. Our kids."

Though being addressed as a child was the very thing that set him off earlier, Dipper now felt a rush of pride and delight at Ford's remark. He flushed, feeling incredibly foolish. "Thanks, Grunkle Ford. I really am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or anything."

"You never do," said Ford with a playful roll of his eyes. "Yet somehow we keep ending up here, don't we?"

"Not entirely my call," quipped Dipper. "But I'll try to be good. Key word being try."

"I suppose that's as much as I can ask," said Ford with a fond shake of his head. "Off with you. Your sister is anxious to see you, I'm sure."

Dipper stepped to the floor and wrapped his arms around Ford's neck in a quick hug. "Love you."

"I love you too, Dipper. All is forgiven. It always is."

"I know. Later!"

Dipper rushed out of the room, only rubbing at his pulsing backside when he was out of sight. "Ow, ow, ow, ow," he chanted. "Why do I do this to myself?"

He entered the attic and his sister glanced up from her laptop to smile at him. "You're alive!"

"Barely," snorted Dipper. He laid stomach-down on his bed, face buried into his pillow. "Yeah, you were right. That was a bad idea."

"Of course I was," she chirped cheerfully. She reached for her nightstand and plucked up a small bag of ice. "But don't worry, I have the cure you need!"

She handed Dipper the ice and he put it into place, the cold a soothing relief against his sore bottom. "I love you. You are amazing."

Mabel laughed and tousled her twin's hair playfully. "Tell me something I don't know. So spill. What happened?"

"Water sprites are jerks. If you ever see one, smack it with a tennis racket and take off running."