Standard I don't own Gravity Falls and/or it's characters and all that legal stuff.

Author's Note: I really wrestled with myself deciding Wendy's fate. In my mind it could have went one of three ways, although this is Gravity Falls, where nothing is for certain and anything can happen. This is also the final chapter, as I kind of want to end this on an uncertain, yet optimistic tone. Thank you to everyone who has been supportive of this story, as it is my first, but certainly not my last. I have enjoyed reading stories for many years and was inspired to try my hand at it. This was certainly a learning experience. I've had a lot of fun writing and having a channel for my creative side.

Chapter 9

Wendy's hand trembled as she placed the cold steel of the weapon to her head. "This is it…" she thought to herself. Taking one final deep breath, she glanced longingly at the photos in her hand. "I'm sorry guys…" the auburn haired officer sighed as tears streamed down her freckled face. A loud clack echoed throughout the forest as she pulled the trigger. Wendy opened her eyes, taking in the serene beauty of the moonlit woods. "What happened? Am I dead?" the young woman thought to herself, looking around. Nothing seemed different from when she had closed her tear filled eyes and pulled the trigger moments before. She remained seated on the hood of the police cruiser. Suddenly a familiar voice pierced the calm silence. "Wendy!… " Mabel's voice called out to the clearly shook woman. "No way! Oh-Oh my God! B-But how?!" Wendy stammered. About a foot away from her stood the brunette teen. Her friend looked exactly as she had last seen her, a bright pink hoodie, capris, and a large wound in her chest. "Yeah… so I'm kinda a ghost now… Boo?" she replied sarcastically. "B-But, I-I… I pulled the trigger… that should have been it… Am I a ghost too?" the auburn haired woman struggled to say. "Yeah, about that… I kinda pulled the gun away at the last moment. You might have hit a tree, or a bird, or something, but you definitely didn't shoot yourself… You're welcome" the brunette teenager said.

"Mabel… I'm glad to see you and all… but why'd you save me? I just can't deal with all of this…" the young officer said to otherworldly girl. Mabel walked over and took a seat on the hood of the police cruiser, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Look, I know it's tough Wendy… but my brother needs you… your family needs you… this town needs you… the future needs you" the hoodie wearing spirit explained. "If you had killed yourself, what would happen to Dipper? You know he cares for you. Did you think about him? What about your dad and brothers? Your poor father already has it tough… he lost the love of his life, your mother. He sees her live on in you… that's why he was so scared of losing you… your mom says that she loves you and is proud of you, by the way… and your brothers… they need a good influence in their lives… I'm not trying to guilt trip you here, but you're a flippin' Corduroy! It's not gonna be easy, but you can do it" the teen girl counseled her friend. "But… I couldn't save you… or Pacifica…" Wendy said as she broke down.

"You did your best… It wasn't your fault…" another familiar voice said, trying to reassure the redhead. It was Pacifica, clad in her jeans, black shirt, and purple jacket. "Hey girl!" Mabel exclaimed to her fellow spectre. "Hey Mabes!" the blonde teen responded. "Wendy… look…, you have to keep living, for both you and those you love" Pacifica reasoned. "Does… Does it hurt?" the young officer sadly asked as she pointed to the gruesome wound in Pacifica's chest. "No… not anymore." The blonde teen responded sullenly. "Promise me something…" the teenage girl turned and asked her friend. "What's that?" Wendy asked hesitantly. "Please… take care of him… I loved him you know…I wanted to marry him and raise a family with him. He made me realize I could be whoever I wanted to be… not just who I was expected to be. He's a pretty amazing guy…" Pacifica explained. "But… but he's yours… yeah, I might have been jealous of you guys… but I had my chance… and I didn't take it" Wendy said as she rubbed the back of her neck and stared at the ground. "It's alright… Mason needs someone to be there for him right now… I can't think of anyone better to be that someone" the blonde teen told her friend. "It's not always going to be easy, but I know you can do it" Mabel reassured the uncomfortable woman.

"Guys, thanks… I just… I don't know… I'm glad to see you guys again… I already miss you like crazy" Wendy expressed to her two deceased friends. "Hey, we miss you too… but it was our time…" Pacifica said. "Yeah… I mean, it sucks, but what are you gonna do?" Mabel asked rhetorically. "Well, we gotta go now… we have more unfinished business to take care of" the blonde teen said to the young officer. "Dipper?" asked Wendy. "Nah, we got to say our goodbyes to him. It was special and we don't wanna ruin that. But please tell him we said not to do something crazy like raise us from the dead… because you know he'd totally be the one to try it…" Mabel said. "Yeah… I could see that… I'll make sure he doesn't …" Wendy reassured her friends. "Thanks Wendy" said Pacifica. "We'll be together again… just not right now…" Mabel tried to comfort her friend. "I know… I'll never forget either of you… I love you both so much" Wendy told her friends as she began to tear up. "We love you too" Mabel and Pacifica said as each put an arm around the auburn haired woman. The young woman wanted the moment to last forever as she closed her eyes.

Wendy opened her eyes and they were gone. "Was any of it real? Did I really just see my friends who had passed away only hours earlier? Who knows in this town?" she thought to herself. She got up from the cruiser and stared at the early morning sky as a pair of shooting stars shot across it. The full moon was beginning to set and soon it would be dawn. Gathering her photos, she took a big swig of the beer and walked back towards the Mystery Shack. The young officer opened the front door and entered the gift shop. "I've never been happier to see this place" she thought to herself. Walking into the living room the auburn haired woman saw Dipper curled up on the couch, clutching a throw pillow. "Poor guy…" she thought to herself, taking a seat on the couch and placing an arm around the teen boy. Wendy closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The morning sun shone through the windows of the Mystery Shack, causing Dipper to stir from his deep slumber. The teen boy opened his eyes and looked over to see Wendy lying up against him, a small smile on her freckled face. He was glad to see that familiar expression on the redhead, as he was sure she had gone through a lot, both physically, as well as mentally. Dipper lifted her arm that had become draped around him at some point in the night and sat up on the couch. Wendy fell with a thud to the cloth couch. The auburn haired woman snored loudly and opened her eyes suddenly. "Wh-What time is it?" Wendy asked as she let out a long yawn. Dipper glanced at the clock, which displayed '11:31' as the time. "It's almost noon" the teen boy responded. Wendy sat up on the couch and stretched. "Should I tell him about everything that happened this morning?... What would he think if I told him I wanted to kill myself? What about if I told him I saw his dead sister and girlfriend?" the young officer wondered to herself. In the end, she decided it was best to keep this information to herself, as Dipper had already been through enough in the last day.

The following days and weeks were very tough for just about everyone in Gravity Falls. Grunkle Ford and Grunkle Stan had both arrived from their research trip in the middle of the Indian Ocean to be there for their family as had Mr. and Mrs. Pines. Mabel and Pacifica were right; Dipper did need Wendy to get through the grief he was facing. The pair had become inseparable as time moved on, eventually giving in to the underlying love they had felt all along. As summer turned to fall, Dipper had decided to remain in Gravity Falls. He felt that the town was now forever bonded to his soul; that there was a reason for him to remain. Wendy left the police force, but joined the forest service. It was peaceful for her as she could spend the entire day in the wilderness she grew up in.

Three years had passed since that most unfortunate day. A now twenty year old Dipper Pines stood outside of a hospital room, pacing back and forth. Inside, his wife was about to give birth to their children. The Pines family tradition of twins had happened yet again. Inside the hospital room, groans could be heard as the woman was just about to give birth. "Mr. Pines… it's about time" a nurse said as she leaned out of the doorway. Dipper entered the room and saw his beautiful wife give birth to the first child. "Congratulations, it's a girl!" the lead doctor proclaimed. A few minutes later, a second child followed, this one also a daughter. Dipper took a seat next to his wife and moved a bit of her auburn hair out of her face. "Two girls… can you believe that?!" the young man exclaimed. "So… have you thought of names for your daughters?" a young nurse asked the tired woman and her husband. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked with a smile to his wife. She nodded and turned to the nurse, "Yes, we have. Mabel Star and Pacifica Elise, named after their Aunts… who we miss every day…" she said to her brown haired husband. "I think that's wonderful" the nurse replied. Dipper and Wendy held their twin daughters for the first time as they looked out the hospital room window to see the sun set on another summer day in Gravity Falls, Oregon.