Disclaimer: I do not own Gravity Falls or make any profits from it.

So I almost didn't write this chapter. I know how it ends but the excitement/ reviews for this story seemed to be waning. Please review so I can find the time for the final chapter.

Chapter 11: Home again

Grunkle Stan watched as the moon continued to rise over the trees. It was past midnight now and long since moon rise. He closed his eyes and wished he could do so much more to help Dipper and Mabel. But he had lost a great deal of magic already. The moon was still clear and bright. If Mabel had met her end the moon would have glimmered like blood on snow, if for only an instant. The power of darkness held them but he could still hope. Grunkle Stan had taken Soos to the hospital. Although badly injured Soos was expected to live. It had taken some of his best lying and slide of hand to explain how Soos had become so hurt without raising suspicion. In Gravity falls there is no one you can trust. Anyone at that hospital could have been a spy.

Stanford Pines rubbed his tired eyes. Folding his hands he did something he had not done in fifty years. He prayed.

In the forest on the far side of the mountain

Dipper struggled gallantly through the woods. He couldn't see more than three feet in front of him and the ground was rocky and slick. He stumbled but kept going. Mabel held tightly to his back. Dipper wondered if she was sleeping or just being very quiet. He didn't want to risk stopping but he had no idea where he was going. For the first few hours his only thought had been to put as much distance between them and that awful place as he could. His body was starting to weaken now that the pure sweet rush of adrenaline was waning. Mabel nuzzled into his neck and mumbled something incoherent, possibly dreaming. Her skin no longer glowed when it touched his. For a moment he was distracted and tripping over a rock they both tumbled to the ground Mabel rolling a few feet in front of her brother. Dipper for his part fell flat on his face in the dirt.

"Owwww…" Mabel whined sitting up into a kneeling position. She rubbed her sore bottom for a moment before looking at her twin. "You okay Dipper?" She asked watching him wipe the dirt from his face.

He nodded, "Yeah but I can't go on tonight."

"I could try to…" Mabel offered slowly standing. Her legs wobbled dangerously. Much like a new born foal standing for the first time. Dipper couldn't help but smile at her willingness to carry him. Even with her missing shoe.

"No, I think we better find some place to bed down for the night." Dipper began to look around. There had to be something in these woods they could use a shelter for the night. Not far from where they fell was an old rabbit warren under some thorns. Dipper poked at it a bit before crawling under. "Come on Mabel. It's okay." Indeed this little rabbit den had enough room dug out for both twins to lay close together.

Mabel crawled under and lay next to him. Dipper ran his hand through her hair, soothing her as best he could. "Try and get some sleep."

"But what if they…?" She asked but Dipper interpreted.

"They won't, I promise. They won't." Dipper hushed her. Mabel nodded.

As they snuggled close Dipper draped his arm over Mabel and pulled her back close to his chest." He felt her relax against him. They were both so worn out. Dipper sighed, listening intently for any sound of danger. They should be safe here. He could just see the stars twinkling through the thorns above his head. The sun couldn't rise soon enough. Dipper wiggled a bit getting comfortable before placing his head on the ground near his sister.

"Love you Dipping Sauce." Mabel whispered softly, voice full of sleep.

"Love you too, Mabelton."

As soon as the sun began to lighten the distant sky Grunkle Stan found himself driving up the old winding logging road that circled the mountain. He had been up all night again. How many nights in a row this made he did not know but the moon had never turned blood red. That meant Mabel at the very least was still alive. How he wished he had been able to tell them so much more but there were rules and even the great Stanford Pines couldn't ignore the rules of magic. He glanced at a round crystal in his cup holder. A blue arrow appeared inside it pointing the way. He would find them…whatever was left of them anyway.

Warm sunlight began to kiss Mabel's face as she rolled over stretching. For a moment the horrors of the night before were absent from her mind but the hard, cold dirt beneath her body brought reality back too quickly. She sat up with a shudder and Dipper's tee shirt fell from where it had been covering her. She picked it up in her hands gently caressing the cotton fabric. He must have been trying to keep her warm but where was he? "Dip… eep." She covered her mouth with her hands. What if the illuminati had come too close to their hiding spot and he had lead them away? What if there were still nearby? Mabel crouched as low in the dirt as she physically could. She was too frightened to make a sound, her ears straining to hear anything. So intensely she was listening, she swore she could hear her own heartbeat. It was so loud! Someone was bound to hear it. She swallowed hard, she could hear footsteps now and they were getting closer. Should she run? They were right outside the bushes now.

"Mabel? Are you awake?" A very familiar voice called. She let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding in. Dipper…

Mabel began to crawl out of the bushes, careful not to poke herself on the thorns. There was her brother, minus his shirt. Dipper was covered in mud and dirt, in full Manotaur survival mode. He smiled at her and tossed her something. A beautiful shiny red apple. Mabel took a huge bite as Dipper retrieved his shirt putting it on. He began to also eat having found a few apples and bringing them back.

After they ate they decided to talk since neither one of them was yet in a condition to carry on. Mabel couldn't help but ask, "Dipper, I know what I went through, but what happened to you?" And he told her and she told him. Both shared their stories, the whole thing from beginning to this very moment.

Mabel leaned back against a tree, letting the mid-morning sun warm her face. "Any idea which way the shack is?" She asked.

Dipper shook his head, "No, but I found an old road just past those trees." He pointed to the other side of the clearing. "We should be able to follow it to…" Dipper's eyes flashed suddenly and he stood staring at the far edge of the clearing.

"Able to what?" Mabel asked but Dipper shushed her. "Get back under the bush Mabel." He ordered in a voice she didn't dare challenge. As she took cover under the thorn bush, Dipper took to the trees. Finding a spot where he could see both Mabel's hiding spot and the other side of the clearing. Something or someone was coming through the trees. Dipper could clearly hear the breaking of small branches and twigs. From his vantage point he would be able to tackle anything that got to close if necessary, giving Mabel time to escape deeper into the woods. At this point Dipper was ready for anything or anyone.

Except his Grunkle Stan walking through the trees. Dipper didn't expect to see him. He seemed to be holding some kind of orb in his hand, about the size of a golf ball.

"Kids!" He called. "Dipper? Mabel?" He gazed at the crystal again. There are near here someplace. Very close by but this thing didn't have pin point accuracy. "It's me, your Grunkle Stan. Come on out."

Mabel dug her nails into the dirt. She had almost called out but thankfully remembered what Dipper had said about the copy Mabel's. If it was safe Dipper would let her know. She trusted him with her life.

Dipper gazed at his great Uncle with his very special stone. When the image didn't change he decided to risk it. Mabel would still be safe even if this was some kind of new trap. He dropped from the tree nearly silently before coming out of the bushes.

"Grunkle Stan?" Dipper questioned.

Stan sighed, at least one of them was still alive. "Dipper are you alright? Where's Mabel?" Dipper only stared at him, studying him. "What's the matter with you? It's me, your Grunkle."

"Is it really?" Dipper asked in a voice more distrusting than normal.

Stan hung his head. "Yeah its me. Bet you have a lot of questions. But they can wait. Let's go home."

Dipper seemed unconvinced. "When we first came to the shack what was the one rule you gave us?"

Grunkle Stan smiled, so Dipper wanted to test him eh? He was learning quickly. Clever boy. "Not to touch the merchandise kid."

Dipper laughed. "It's okay Mabel. It really is Stan." In an instant Stan felt himself beset upon by two hungry, dirty, cold, scared and hugging way too tightly, children. He patted their heads.

"Let's go home."

The drive to the shack was a quiet one. Stan glanced back in the rear view mirror. Both twins had fallen asleep finally feeling safe enough to truly rest. Stanford Pines sighed. He knew he would have some explaining to do. But after all this they deserved to know the truth.

No matter how painful it was for him.