Even though Mabel was well on the road to recovery, Ford couldn't help but feel apprehensive as he watched her chase butterflies in the garden. If it were up to him, Mabel would stay in bed until her wound completely healed over. But there was no chance Mabel Pines would lie in bed all day. He agreed to let her play as long as he could keep an eye on her.

"Mabel…" Jheselbraum joined them in the garden. "I have the paper and writing materials you requested. I regret to say that I do not have any crayons."

Mabel ran over to Jheselbraum in excitement. "That's okay. Even though bright colors are more my style, I can work with black and white too. Thank you, Ms. Ja…Jay…Je…Jezebel?"

"I suppose that's close enough." Jheselbraum gave an affectionate pat on the head as Mabel smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry…" Mabel felt bad for not being able to say the name of the person who saved her life. But she was trying. She really was. "Thank you."

Mabel grabbed the paper and pen from Jheselbraum's hands and found an ideal spot in the garden. She laid down on her stomach and began scribbling away.

Jheselbraum took a seat on the bench next to Ford. "Thank you for doing that for her, Jheselbraum. I apologize for her…rambunctiousness."

"Mabel is my guest and having her here has been nothing but a pleasure."

"She's a wonderful girl. I just know she can be a handful." Ford watched as Mabel rolled over on her side and immediately gave a small "ow." Ford's eyebrows raised in concern and was ready to go to her if she needed to help. But Mabel brushed off the momentary pain and continued drawing.

"I'm worried she's overexerting herself. She really should be resting more," said Ford.

"She reminds me of another patient I had."

"Oh?"

"Yes, many years ago, I came across this injured young man. He wanted to destroy Bill Cipher." Jheselbraum shot him a playfully stern look as Ford blushed. "So, I put a metal plate in his head to protect him from Bill. I kept telling him that he needed to recover, but he was a curious and restless explorer. Not one for sitting still. I considered casting a sleeping spell just to stop him from moving."

"Heh, I guess Mabel's just like me then."

"Yes, she is."

Mabel ran over to them and handed Jheselbraum her creation. "This is for you. I hope it's okay."

Maybe had sketched a picture of Jheselbraum in a doctor's outfit. Next to her was a drawing of Mabel with a band-aid over her stomach. Jheselbraum was handing Mabel a lollipop. At the top of the page was the message: "Thanks for saving me. Love, Mabel."

Ford watched Jheselbraum's face as she studied the picture. She didn't give the usual reaction of giving it a quick glance as one would do with a child's drawing. She was studying it carefully, no different than how she would study an ancient tome of complex spells.

"It would look better if I had more colors." Mabel twiddled her fingers fearing Jheselbraum's long silence indicated disapproval. "Do you like it?"

Jheselbraum carefully set the page on her lap and looked Mabel in the eye. "This is a beautiful gift, Mabel. I will cherish it always."

Mabel smiled wide and hugged Jheselbraum before skipping off to draw more.

"I can't thank you enough for all you've done," said Ford. "I already owe you so much, and now, I owe you my niece's life."

"Protecting life is not a favor, it is a responsibility. You owe me nothing, my friend."

"Still, thank you. I could never repay you for all you've done."

"If you truly wish to honor what I've done for Mabel, do so by cherishing every moment with her. Do not take her or anyone you love for granted."

Before Ford could answer, the world around them began to shake. The trembling earth caused Mabel to mess up her current work of art. She abandoned her drawing and ran into Ford's arms in fear. He threw his arms protectively around her.

"What is it?" Ford asked. "An earthquake?"

"No," Jheselbraum said simply.

As though the universe itself answered him, the sky distorted until a portal appeared before him and Mabel.

"It appears it's time for you and Mabel to go home."

"Home? We can go home now?" said Mabel.

"Yes." Jheselbraum walked over to them and laid her hands on their shoulders.

"Goodbye, Ms.…" Mabel wanted to say her name right at least once before she left. Thankfully, Ford helped her out by whispering in her ear. "Jheselbraum."

"…Jheselbraum. I'll never forget you."

"Nor will I forget you, Mabel. Goodbye, Stanford."

"Goodbye, my friend, and thank you." With Mabel in hand, Ford walked through the portal to the home he hasn't seen in thirty years.

On the other side, there was an old man who he recognized as his brother, Stan. There was a boy with him whom Ford assumed was his nephew, Dipper. They were both staring at him and Mabel in shock.

"It worked. They're back," said Dipper.

"Hey, Dipper…" Mabel said hesitantly as she got down from Ford's arms. "I know you're probably mad at me for not listening to you. But I…"

She couldn't get out another word of her apology before Dipper lunged forward and hugged her. The sniffling she heard by her ear indicated that her brother was crying. "Mabel, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, bro-bro." Mabel's eyes were watering as well. "Dipper, you're not gonna believe all the things that happened to me. This guy is our Grunkle Ford, and he's the author of the journals!"

Dipper wasn't really listening. He was just holding his sister tight and taking in her presence. Ford didn't mind Dipper ignoring him for the time being. He deserved this moment with his sister.

He was so moved by Mabel's reunion with her brother that he momentarily forgot his own brother was staring at him still wearing that shocked expression.

"Finally, after all these long years of waiting, you're actually here!" Stan opened his arms indicating he wanted a hug. "Brother!"

Honestly, the feeling was not mutual. He was still angry with Stan and would rather punch him in the face. But, he promised Mabel he would make up with Stan and a punch in the face would not be a good start.

Stan wrapped his arms around him. Ford remained stiff in his embrace. It would take more than a hug to forgive Stan for all he's done. But then…

"I missed you, Sixer."

He felt wetness on his shoulders. Stan was crying. His brother was crying. He really had missed him.

He thought back to what Jheselbraum told him. Not to take the ones he loved for granted. He learned from nearly losing Mabel how quickly the ones he loved can be taken away. No matter how angry he was with Stan, it didn't mean Ford didn't love him.

Ford hugged him back. Maybe forgiving Stan won't be as hard as he thought. "I missed you too, knucklehead."