Twin centered episodes to come, and sometime after that I'm thinking that we'll learn for good why Mac doesn't talk. I mean, I know, but you guys don't. *laughs and points at you guys* just kidding. No laughing and pointing. And for the one person who commented last chapter- thank you! Wendip won't happen, though it's an interesting idea, I just have never really felt it.

"Let me know if you need anything, bud. I know things are hard right now, and you're not feeling so hot. I'll be here all day to take care of you." Mac gave half a smile and wrote down, My list of demands is short. Mabel laughed and went to see her other babies off to school with Uncle Dipper. They usually rode the bus but she had almost lost her middle child and was taking no chances. When she got down to where her kids were waiting on Dipper she saw something baffling. They were holding hands and whispering. Ty and Isabel were day and night- completely different and totally apart. Macon was the dusk that brought the two together. If they were hand holding and whispering either someone had lost another toe, or they were doing this because of him. Mabel, fully knowing this could only spell mischief, did what any good mom would do.

She took a picture. Okay, five. Scrapbooking! Then Dipper hurried out the door with his daughters, screaming.

"Late!" He yelped like a banshee. And the moment between Ty and Isabel unravelled into unparalleled shoving and name calling. Mabel still took a few more pictures before returning to smother Mac, checking his temperature in a paranoid manner and pushing his hair back. He pushed her away but not in any way that indicated him actually wanting her to stop.

"Have you thought of anything that would make you feel better?" He held up a decorated sign that declared: A phone. Mabel frowned, she was a bit old fashioned, and hadn't wanted to get her kids phones until they were a little older.

"You know the rule, Macon. And you're not getting one until your siblings do." He nodded and presented the other side of the page. It said: Everyone has a phone.

"Not everyone." He presented the next page, very prepared. The twins have a phone.

"Your uncle parents differently than I, which means he tracks his daughters with a cell phone. I don't do that. I trust you guys." Just then she got a phone call from the school, and a few minutes later she was driving to the school to get her triplets. Who she trusted. It was barely even second hour, so it was clear that her children had joined forces to get in trouble. Mabel couldn't even be furious, though, because she had a feeling why they did it. Instead, she pulled into Little Caesar's parking lot and turned towards her children.

"Did you get in trouble so you'd be sent home for the day so you could spend the day with Mac?" She accused, not at all mad.

"Yes-" Ty blurted. Isabel whacked him. Mabel laughed.

"I love you guys. Let's get a pizza for lunch. I'm not mad because you're not suspended or expelled and because you had your brother at heart. Isabel, have you apologized to him yet?"

"Not yet... I will when we get home. I promise I will."

"Good. And Ty?"

"...I hope he forgives me."

"I'm glad you two are with me anyway, because I need a little help. We're going to get Mac a turtle."

"Whoa!" Ty said, looking impressed.

"It's a bit of a stretch for our budget, but I think that it will be a really nice surprise for him, and we already have the tank from Magic Snail. I appreciate you cleaning it out yesterday, Isabel." Isabel blushed. She'd decided that a start for making her insensitivity up to Mac would be to clean Mail's tank. She'd gotten her brother to break silence to tell her off, so she knew she'd screwed up big time. And Mac didn't deserve to be screwed with. Mac had never hurt anybody. So they brought the turtle home and surprised Mac with it. He grinned.

Thank you mama, and Isabel and Ty.

"Hey, Mac? I'm sorry I was insensitive yesterday." He scribbled down I forgive you. She let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you gonna name your turtle?" Ty asked, excited for his brother. Mac leaned back and thought, holding the small turtle while mom filled the tank, and studying it to seek the answer.

Monty.

"Good name sweetheart." Mabel said, kissing his head. Macon blushed a little, unused to quite this level of affection. Mabel was always affectionate toward her children, but often she was too busy to smother entirely. Ty seemed completely approving of the new turtle's new name, and even Isabel nodded in agreement. Macon glanced around the room, and seeing his siblings rallied around, made a plea for a phone once more.

"Yeah, mom. We could use phones..." Isabel pointed out. She let out a wearied sigh.

"I know, I know, you all want phones. Your tenth birthday is coming up, and as soon as the money is there for three reasonably priced phones, you'll each get one. Deal? I'm doing this because I'd like to keep in touch with you and make sure that none of you go running off." She gave Mac a pointed look, and he blushed, standing, much to his family's protests as he was still recovering from heavy magic use, and placing Monty in his new tank, whispering imperceptibly, "mail would have wanted you there." No one heard him but the turtle, neither were going to come fully out of their shell.

"Get some rest, Mac, I'll come check on you in a little bit." Mac looked like he was about to say something, but his lips pursed, and he went back to bed. One day, maybe, he'd start talking again. One day... Maybe when he was ten, maybe later, maybe sooner. Either way, today was not that day.