-Quick note, I lied. It wasn't Dipper who spills the beans on that little secret I mentioned in the authors notes from the last chapter, it's actually Mabel…. Whoops. Of course it's Mabel, I should've known.
The Lost Key
To say that the Mystery shack held fond memories for Dipper and Mabel was…. Completely redundant. Of course it held fond memories, it was the foundation on which they built their love affair with Gravity Falls. Which made it rather ironic that the time the Twins actually spent living in that old shack was relatively brief. After that first summer, Stan had transferred ownership of shack, technically, over to Soos who pretty much called the place home for the next several years on. The Twins parents weren't going to allow their children to spend the summer with someone, whom to them, was a complete stranger. Dipper and Mabel wound up spending most of their summers at the home their two Grunkles shared a few miles away from the house of oddities. The kids would still visit Soos regularly, even helped him out around the shack, and would occasionally stay the night in the attic for old time's sake. As the years went by however, and Soos' family started to grow, space had become hard to come by and the visits gradually slowed to a crawl. By their fifth summer in the Falls, the Mystery Shack had sadly become one of those places the Twins promised themselves they'd visit at least once before the summer was over.
Things were differen't even now, and that wasn't necessarily for the better. Not at all. The Twins could still technically visit the old cabin, but it was the Mystery Shack now in name alone. Even when the Twins were still visiting semi-regularly, they could see the foot traffic in the gift shop and the tours themselves were trickling to a crawl. Business was not good… While the town and its citizens held a soft spot for the sketchy tourist trap as part of the town's identity, tourists drove the business, and seemingly overnight they just stopped coming. The Shack was bleeding money, and Soos had that growing family to feed. With a heavy heart, Soos made the devastating decision to close the Shacks doors and tried to sell the property… Thankfully, the land was purchased by the Northwest family of all people, largely Pacifica's doing, and declared a landmark by the local government. So, the Mystery Shack did technically still exist, still very much a tourist destination for people to gawk at… Just from a distance on a sightseeing tour, not as a living breathing attraction for travelers to visit and get scammed out of a few bucks. It even had one of those Landmark Marker Plagues in the yard, including a very brief description of what the Shack used to be, words that were hardly enough to represent how the people the Mystery Shack meant the most too felt about that place.
"You ready to do this?" Dipper asked his sister hesitantly. This would be both their first visits to the Mystery Shack since it's transition from Tourist Trap to Landmark. Thankfully, the Ramirez and Pines families both had special permissions to visit the structure on a limited basis.
"Been putting it off long enough, that's for sure…"
Dipper was here mainly for Mabel. He'd long ago come to terms with the Mystery Shack's demise, but his sister had always been a person who didn't adapt to change very well. A woman of many talents, Mabel had somehow managed to have a premature mid-life crisis mere weeks before she turned twenty-one. She just felt like her life was moving by too fast with Mabel herself seemingly going nowhere. Both twins hoped a nostalgic trip to the Mystery Shack might lift her spirits and put things into perspective.
When the Twins entered the shack, the first thing they were struck by was how empty the place looked. The building had been striped clean of anything and everything that hinted of its previous life as a tourist trap. All that remained of the giftshop were the counter where the register once sat, some empty shelves, and the bell that used to single the arrival of the next sucker… Er, patron of the Mystery Shack's giftshop. The crude exhibits that once lined the walls were long gone. It was as if they'd slapped the Mystery Shack logo on an empty shell.
"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea Dipper… Seeing this place so empty is just making me feel worse."
"It is kind of depressing isn't it… Well, it was worth a try." Dipper regarded his sister with concern. She was clearly in a funk, and Dipper had no clue what he could possibly do to pull her out of it. Mabel had always been the emotional rock in their relationship, giving Dipper the quick kick in the pants he needed whenever he was brooding too much. He felt like such a crappy brother for his inability to provide the same service for Mabel during her current rough patch. "You know it's perfectly normal, what you're going through right? We all have those stretches in our lives when the future looks uncertain, and we're not quite sure where life is taking us. You'll figure it out Mabel. You've never been short on ideas before, that's for sure."
"That's easy for you to say Dipper! You have a hot girlfriend who adores you, and you're on the fast track to some fancy degree for some major I can barely pronounce, let alone understand what you're actually studying! Ideas are just ideas, not all of us can have everything planned out for ourselves ahead of time…"
"Am I actually supposed to feel bad about that?" Dipper scowled. "Well gesh, I'm sorry things are actually going well for me for a change, and I'm not all pathetic and miserable anymore so you can feel better by comparison! You do realize that the way you're feeling now is the way I've felt most of my life right?"
"That… Dipper that's not what I meant!" Mabel felt like smacking herself. Whatever words came out of her mouth lately always seemed to be the wrong ones… Or at least in the wrong order. "I don't expect you to be miserable just because I'm… Whatever I am right now… You deserve to be happy for a change, and I'm happy for you."
"Thanks Sis… And believe me, you'll get passed this. There's nobody better suited to help you get through being a nervous brooding mess than your Broseph. I am a… Bit of an expert on the subject after all." Dipper got rewarded with a sad smile from his sister. "Why don't we at least go check out the old attic before we get out of here?…"
"Yeah… I think I'd like that."
The attic, like everything else in the cabin, was just as they remembered it, only empty. Each twin examined the half of the room they claimed as theirs that first summer in the Falls.
"It's hard to believe," Dipper began. "As important as Gravity Falls became to our lives, it all started with this room… It brings back such fond memories, like we were here forever but when you think about it, we didn't really spend all that much time here. That first summer, and maybe a couple of Saturdays a summer afterward and that was pretty much it."
"Yeah, I always thought the same thing! Not just the attic, but the Mystery Shack in general… Whenever we came back to Gravity Falls, the Shack was the first place I always pictured, but we were hardly ever there…This was the place we stayed when we fell in love with this town… Now I have so many other fond memories of other people and places that sometimes I feel like I'm betraying the old girl… Is that weird?"
"A little, but a little weird for us is uber-normal for most. Hey, do you remember that hidden compartment in the wall?"
"The one where you found that note you refuse to let me read?" Mabel pouted, hinting that the Twins had exchanged a few heated debates over that stupid piece of paper. "No, I never saw it. Don't you remember what happened after that? The night you found that note was the last time we ever spent the night here… Heck, I think this is the first time I've been in this attic since that night…"
"You're right… Louisa was born that fall, and Soos moved his two oldest kids up here… Well, I guess there's nothing stopping me from showing you now." With nothing adorning the walls, finding the misshapen panel in the wall was much easier than it had been during his childhood. After pressing on the wall for a few seconds, he found the sweet spot and was able to separate the wall panels, revealing a dusty hidden compartment behind it.
"Whoa, that is so cool! Man, we had like, a secret safe here the entire summer, and didn't even know it! How do you notice it was there anyway?"
"Well, the last time we were here, I just happened to notice a strange notch in the wall I'd never noticed before… I played around with it some, and that's when I realized I could push up on the wall here to reveal this secret compartment and that's where I found the note… It was almost like whoever put the note inside didn't make sure they closed the panel all the way, and left it open just enough for me to notice… That's just a theory though. Either way, if I hadn't noticed it that day I never would've found this compartment… Or this…" Dipper pulled a now familiar piece of folded yellow paper out of his pocket. Mabel recognized it immediately.
"Seriously Bro? You carry that old thing around in your pocket now?"
"Ever since Wendy and I got together…. Yeah, I do," Dipper admitted, showing not one shred of shame or hesitation. "I never thought much about what this note said when I first found it, but after the breakup with Terra, I guess I found some comfort in the authors words… I followed their advice, and it worked out for me so… Yeah, I carry it around me now for luck more than anything…" Dipper hesitated only briefly before asking. "Would you like to read it?"
Mabel actually gasped. "Really? But you said it was private… You treated that thing like it was the most scandalous page in your diary!"
"Well, things have changed now… And I feel like you might need this… Maybe some of the luck will rub off on you." Dipper extended his hand to offer Mabel the note. She hesitated momentarily before yanking it from his hand. She carefully unfolded the fragile paper and began reading, desperate to know the secrets Dipper's precious little note held. It wasn't what she was expecting at all, and the words kind of blew her away.
"Dipper… Do you have any idea who wrote this?"
"No clue. You were the only suspect, and I cleared you years ago. I had no other clues to work with, so the case went cold… It could be time travel shenanigans for all I know, though I'm not sure why anyone from the past or future would take an interest in my love life."
"Well, somebody did! They addressed you by name Bro-Bro… If I'm reading this right, whoever wrote it really seemed to want you to get with Wendy."
"Wendy is never mentioned by name… But yeah, I get what you're saying. I got the same impression when I first read it, but regardless of whom the other person the author was referring too is or isn't, I took the advice all the same… After I broke up with Terra and realized my feelings for Wendy were more than some awestruck kid's crush… I stayed patient and waited for a day when maybe Wendy would finally return my feelings… And that's exactly what happened. I'd hate to think where I'd be right now if I hadn't followed my heart."
"Probably engaged to Terra or somethin'," Mabel snorted, causing Dipper to shiver in disgust.
"Don't even joke about that please!" With that horrid image in his mind, a familiar tune began to emanate from his phone. That horrific blonde scowl turned into a pleasant smiling red-headed one. He checked his phone but was surprised to see it wasn't a phone call. "That's weird… Wendy sent me a text…"
"How is your girlfriend sending you at text weird?"
"She almost never does unless I text her first… She… Says she prefers to talk to me on the phone so she can hear my voice if she has anything to say to me."
"Awe…" Mabel cooed. Dipper ignored it and read the text.
Wendy: Hey Dip… What are you doing right now?
Dipper: At the Mystery Shack with Mabel… Trying to help her through some of the issues she's been having lately.
Wendy: Oh… K… Look, if you're busy taking care of your sister, then by all means take care of Mabes but… If you manage to sneak away for a bit, I need to see you.
Dipper: That shouldn't be a problem. Mabel usually gets annoyed if I hover too much anyway. Anything going on?
Wendy: Not now… Later… We really need to talk.
Dipper: I'm here… We can talk right now if you need to.
Wendy: No, not over the phone. Sorry Dip, I need to do this in person. You deserve that much.
Dipper couldn't muster up a return response. He didn't like the sound of this… It was hard to convey tone through text, but Wendy's didn't come across as all that warm or reassuring.
Mabel noticed the distressed look on her brother's face, and asked, "You okay Bro? There's nothing wrong with Wendy is there?"
"No, no, nothing like that… I don't think…" Dipper stammered, trying to figure out how to ask his sister for advice, and actually get a straight answer. He needed honesty right now, not somebody protecting his feelings. "Hey Mabel, rhetorical question for ya. When a girl tells a guy through a text that she needs to talk but only wants to do it person, what does that usually mean?"
Mabel snorted in amusement. "Usually that she's about to dump his ass." Mabel's smile fell when she saw the squeamish look on her brother's face. Two and two suddenly equaled four. "Bro, what's going on?"
Dipper showed Mabel his phone, specifically the text chat he just had with Wendy. Reading the texts word for word, the situation actually sounded worse than Dipper initially implied it to be. "Oh Dipper… I'm so sorry…"
"This… Doesn't necessarily mean anything right?!" Dipper asked frantically, yanking the phone from Mabel's hand. "I could be reading too much into this. There can be a perfectly innocent explanation for these texts!"
"I guess there could be, but Wendy really needs to watch how she words stuff if she does. I certainly thought you guys looked really happy together whenever I was around you two… I mean, she followed you from Oregon to California when you went back to college after last summer, so I can't see… Unless something happened behind closed doors that I don't' know about?"
"Nothing I can think of! At least Wendy hasn't let on at all if she's been feeling unhappy… Unless she's just putting on a good show because she doesn't want to hurt my feelings… I guess there's always the chance she's gotten bored with me…"
"She does have a history of that unfortunately… But that's almost exclusively with guys she's only dated for a couple of weeks, and you've been together for over a year! If she's bored with playing with you, I haven't seen it either… I mean come one! You guys are usually all over each other to a point even I think it's a little much… Hey, maybe that's the problem?! Maybe she's feeling a bit smothered and just needs some space?"
"No, I doubt that's it," Dipper disagreed, blushing slightly. "Wendy is usually… The primary aggressor in those displays of affection you see." Something Dipper had learned about his girlfriend during their yearlong courtship was that Wendy could be aggressively affectionate, especially behind closed doors. She initiated quite a bit of physical contact between them whether it be as simple as leaning against him on the couch, or laying her head in his lap, to putting her hands… Well basically anywhere she damned well pleased, playing him like a piano. The same rule applied to her lips, only slightly less frequently. Dipper didn't talk about it often, it was nobody else's business, and he didn't complain because he damn sure didn't mind. "If she has any kind of issue with that part of our relationship, it's more likely because sometimes I just can't quite keep up…"
"Has she… Told you she loves you yet?" Mabel asked abruptly, causing Dipper to stiffen. "I know you were worried when we talked about that a couple of months ago when you brought up she hadn't yet."
"No… She still hasn't. She's never really acted weird the few times I've said it to her… She'd just kiss me or continue on with whatever we were doing, but she's never said it back…It could be because she simply doesn't feel that way yet… Maybe never will."
"Sorry Dip… But that doesn't sound good. After a year together, she should know how she feels by now… I wish I could think of something more supportive to say, but since we can't be sure what Wendy's issue is…"
"If she even has one… We've gotta keep that in mind," Dipper tried to convince himself as he leaned up against the wall. "I have to believe that our relationship is strong, and I'm freaking out over nothing because that's just what I do… I'll just wait until we get the chance to have that talk, and hopefully I'll feel stupid for ever thinking anything was ever wrong to begin with."
"Then what are you waiting for? Text the girl and have her meet you here as soon as possible!"
"But… Today was supposed to be about you…"
"And how is worrying you're going to have a panic attack at any second going to help me? I'm sure I'll be just as moody and angsty tomorrow, so we can deal with me then! Tonight, let's just focus on saving your relationship with Wendy!"
"I'm still not sure there's any saving to be done here Mabel… Either I'm worrying over nothing, or Wendy's planning to end the relationship. If it's the latter I doubt there's anything I can say or do to change her mind… I'm not even sure I'd even try to if that's what she wants."
"As long as she's happy right?" Mabel sighed at her brother's occasionally irritating thoughtfulness. Of course he'd pick Wendy's happiness over his own. "There is a wildcard in this situation I think you're overlooking Bro."
Before Dipper could inquire what that card was, he saw Mabel shake a yellow piece of notebook paper. "The note…"
"The author told you to show that note to Wendy if you ever won her heart… Or were at least close enough to unlock it. If you share this with her, maybe you'll find that key the author was talking about after all."
Wendy was pacing back and forth anxiously waiting for Dipper's reply. He'd kind of left her hanging, though she tried not to be agitated as she understood he might be preoccupied with Mabel and helping her through her issues. It took twenty minutes, and she finally received the response she'd been waiting for.
Dipper: Meet me at the Mystery Shack as soon as you're available. Mabel's agreed to give us some privacy… Whatever's on your mind, I love you Wen.
"You dork," Wendy frowned at her phone. Did he not realize how much harder he was making this for her? No… Of course he didn't. She sent him a quick text back, letting Dipper know she'd meet him there in thirty minutes. She just hoped she had the guts to go through with it when she got there. This moment was inevitable, she'd known it for months now. Dipper deserved better than getting strung along if she couldn't give herself completely to him like he had so many times with her already.
Before leaving for the Shack, she made one last quick call.
"Hey! Yeah, we're still on for tonight… I just have somethin' to take care of fist, but I'm still on schedule. I can't wait, it's been way too long… Well, I better get a move on. See ya soon."
Wendy disconnected the call, taking a deep breath before she headed out the door. She had one last demon to slay, and this chapter of her life could finally come to an end.
Once Wendy arrived at the Mystery Shack, it didn't take her long to locate Dipper. Of course he'd be waiting for her up on their old roof hangout. As far as she could tell, Mabel had made good on her promise to make herself scarce, so Wendy worked her way up to the roof to join him.
"Hey," Dipper greeted distantly as Wendy's head emerged from the hatch.
"Hey," Wendy greeted right back, almost shyly… Quite uncharacteristic for her. She pulled herself up and sat down beside him. An extremely uneasy silence followed… Hell, this might've been as long as they'd sat next to each other in months without some form of physical contact or at least a conversation. Whatever was on Wendy's mind, it was obviously heavy.
"You had something you wanted to talk about." Dipper eventually stated… Not asked, just stated the fact.
"Yeah…" How many times had she gone over this speech in her head? So why was it so hard to get the words out now? Probably because she could no longer remember them.. Damn it… "Dip… Urgh, what's wrong with me?! I'm a flippin' Corduroy, this should be easy…"
Dipper for one, was quite fine with Wendy struggling to get the words out. Especially if they were the words he was dreading he'd hear. To his surprise, Wendy took both his hands in hers, prompting Dipper to tilt his body in her direction so they were looking at one another. Well, Dipper was staring directly at Wendy, the girl herself seemingly unable to lift her head up to meet his gaze. "Wendy…"
"Dipper… A part of me just wants to come out and say it, but you deserve so much better than that… These last few months with you… Me, together… They've been amazing but.. but…"
Wendy couldn't get the words out. Dipper watched as her lip quivered, and sympathy for her suddenly overrode his paranoia. "You can tell me anything Wendy… But before you do, there's something I'd actually like to show you…"
Wendy's eyes finally managed to meet his. Dipper smiled, and Wendy watched as he pulled a yellow scrap of notebook paper from his pocket. He placed the note in a confused Wendy's hand. "Read this… Tell me what you think."
"Okay, if you insist…" Wendy opened the document, and alarm bells went off immediately. "It's addressed to you?"
"Yep. Found it in a secret compartment in the wall of the attic here a few years back… Keep reading." Dipper studied the various emotions that dotted her face as she read the note, a small smile on his face. This wouldn't be easy for her to wrap her head around, he knew that. But if it distracted enough, then just maybe…
"Did Mabel write this?"
"Nope. She insists she didn't, and I believe her. She wouldn't be able to resist taking credit for it if it had been her. Besides, it's not her handwriting."
"This note… It's talkin' about me and you, isn't it?…"
"You got that impression too huh? So did Mabel… I couldn't help but make the connection myself, but well… That goes without saying doesn't it?"
"This is so weird…"
"I know right? Mystery note found in a wall addressed to me, and I have no clue who wrote it… Or who would've even been aware of that compartment to hide the note there in the first place…"
"Yeah, but that's not what I thought was weird dude…" Wendy looked up at Dipper, a glimmer of anxious excitement in her eyes. "I know where the cellar in the middle of the woods is."
Dipper couldn't believe it, but there it was. The entrance to a cellar smack in the middle of the woods completely detached from a larger building of any sort. To be fair, it did appear as if a cabin or shack like structure had once stood in the lot adjacent to it at some point and time. "Well I'll be damned… I thought the cellar in the woods would be metaphorical… How did you even know this was here?"
"I grew up in this valley Dip! I actually used to play around this area when I was little… I think I was around seven or eight when I first found this cellar… There wasn't a building attached to it back then either and even to a kid that seemed strange. I don't remember the doors bein' chained up though… That's new."
"Guess somebody didn't want mischievous kids snooping around and risking getting hurt…" Dipper joked dryly as he admired the lock attached to the chain. "Looks like that's going to be a problem…" Wendy had an easy answer for said problem. She pulled out her axe and somehow managed to sever the thick chain in one swing.
"Not much of a problem at all if you ask me," Wendy smirked. "Help me open this thing will ya?"
Each grabbed hold of one of the dual doors and pried them open, coughing and trying to swipe the dust particles away from their faces. While Dipper was a tad more hesitant, Wendy wasted no time taking that first tentative step into the cellar, which helped Dipper work up the nerve to follow her. Both were surprised to discover they barely had to reach the bottom of the stairs before they found a bronze key dangling in front of their faces. Another suspected metaphor given life. "An actual key huh? That's gotta be it don't you think?"
"There's a piece of paper attached, so I'd definitely say yes," Dipper agreed as he removed the key from its hook, and then pulled the accompanying note down as well. He unfurled the note, and he and Wendy read it together.
Hello again Dipper… If you found the key I'm assuming that means Wendy is now hunting with you…
Wendy and Dipper stared at each other wide-eyed. "Well, that confirms it then. I'm definitely this 'girl' in your heart."
Best of luck to both of you… For your next clue, visit the place where the puerco decided it needed a drink.
"What the frig is a puerco?"
"It's a Spanish word for pig…" Dipper's eyes shot open wide. "I know what the note is referring two… Remember when Waddles got stuck in that well a few years back?"
Wendy laughed at the memory. "How could I forget?! His poor piggy butt sticking straight up in the air like that… The porker was lucky the mouth of the well was so small, otherwise he might've fallen straight to the bottom… Wait, how did the person who wrote this note know about that?"
"The same way they seemed to know you knew how to find this cellar… Whoever crafted this little game clearly knows us on some level… Maybe if we keep following the trail, we'll figure out exactly who's behind it."
It took nearly an hour of backtracking, but the young couple finally arrived at the old well a certain pet pig had decided to take a nosedive into once upon a time. Dipper did the only logical thing and pulled on the rope until the bucket at the bottom of the well rose to the top. While they did find another yellow piece of paper inside the bucket, there was a very glaring problem with this one.
"Awe, the inks all smudged! I can't even read it!" Wendy complained. "And the paper's all brittle…"
"Water damaged… Makes sense, there's no telling how many times it's rained since this note was lowered into the well… Whoever left these notes didn't think this particular hiding spot through very well…"
"I guess that's the end of the road then?"
"Hold on… I think I can still make out some of the words at the bottom… Let's see… Meadow… Pixies and fireflies… Something about the moon being at the bottom of a pond?" None of what he was reading made sense to Dipper… He was close to concluding that he was misreading the note. If Wendy had any input she wasn't offering it. In fact, she was being disturbingly quiet. When Dipper looked over at her, she almost looked pale… Well, paler than usual. "Wendy? You okay?"
"I don't want to do this anymore," she declared suddenly, yanking the note from Dipper's hand, crumpling the paper into a ball and tossing it back down the well from which it came. Dipper didn't protest, but he was taken aback by her reaction never-the-less. Even with what little information he gathered from that note, Wendy clearly recognized the location the author was referring too.
"Okay, that note obviously hit a chord… Is everything okay Wendy?"
"No, it's not okay! That was way too personal Dip… Way too personal. I don't know who this prankster is, but he knows way more about us than he should!"
"You recognized the location didn't you…. Even with the limited description."
"That was mine and Mom's place Dip… Our personal spot. Dad or the boys didn't even know about it… It's one of the few things about me I've never even told you about! I can't think of anyone other than my mom who would even have that information… I just don't feel comfortable participatin' in this warped little game anymore."
"I understand Wendy… Why don't we head back to the Mystery Shack? I'll go ahead and call Mabel to come pick me up…"
"Why Dipper?" Wendy asked, leaving Dipper to wonder if she'd even heard what he just said. "Why would somebody do this and dig around in our personal lives like that?!"
"I don't think it's anything nefarious Wendy, if that's what you're worried about… If anything, it sounds like whoever wrote these notes just really wanted to get us together."
Wendy snorted at that. "Jokes on them, that persons an entire year too late."
"Well… Maybe they had reason to believe our relationship might end in the near future…" Dipper muttered distantly… Testing the waters a bit to see if Wendy would let something slip. To his complete surprise, Wendy seemed almost offended by the very suggestion.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Are you planning on breakin' up with me in the near future Dipper?"
"No!... I was just worried that maybe you had finally realized you could do a lot better than me… I mean, you sent me those texts saying that you needed to talk, and I know what it usually means when a girl says that…"
"I meant that I actually wanted to talk about something important! Are you bein' serious with me dude? Why would you think I'd want to break up with you?!"
"Well… I don't know! It's not like I was positive that was happening or anything, but judging from the tone of your texts I had to consider it…"
"What tone?!" Wendy spat, a healthy mix of irritated, concerned he would feel that way, and quite frankly… A little bit hurt he'd even think something like that. What the hell had she done to give him the impression she was unhappy? "What about those texts was so confusing?"
Dipper's response was to pull out his phone and pull up the conversation they'd shared earlier that afternoon. He handed the phone to Wendy, who scanned her half of the conversation, refamiliarizing herself with what exactly she had said. At first, she saw absolutely nothing wrong, because of course she didn't. She knew exactly what she was thinking and feeling when she typed those words… Dipper lacked that context however, and that's what he was trying to get his girlfriend to understand. "Sorry dude… Maybe I can see it if I squint, but I'm still not quite understandin' how you got the impression you were about to get dumped out of any of this…"
"Well, try to look at those texts from a different perspective… Put yourself in my position. You're blissfully ignorant thinking that your relationship with your boyfriend is on solid ground, only for me to suddenly send you those exact texts word for word with absolutely no context as to why I'm sending them to you. Read them again and see if you can see what I saw."
Wendy tried to do just as he suggested and read her own texts at face value. Whether it was putting herself in her boyfriend's shoes or rereading her own words without the authors bias, she finally appeared to get it, her eyes shooting open wide. "Oh, Dipper!"
She was horrified at first at the thought of what Dipper must've been putting himself through emotionally over what was essentially a gigantic misunderstanding. That horror soon turned into mild laughter much to Dipper's chagrin. She knew this boy so well by now, she could practically read his mind at that moment.
"I'm glad one of us finds this amusing…" Dipper got caught by surprise when Wendy placed a hand on each side of his face.
"Dipper… Come here…" She pulled his face close and placed several soft kisses along his jaw… Something she'd learned to do in recent months to calm him down whenever he was tense. The simple act of comfort was surprisingly effective. With an affectionate smile, she looked her boyfriend in the eyes, ensuring his attention was fully on her. "Listen to me…I don't, or ever had any intention of breakin' up with you. These past few months, I've been as happy as I've ever been in my life, and in case you haven't noticed, you're a big reason for that. There's no way I'm lettin' you get away from me…"
"Deep down, I always knew that… But it still makes me feel better to hear you say it." Dipper exhaled as if a giant boulder had just been rolled off his chest. "I guess there's always going to be that little part of me that feels a bit insecure about myself…"
"I'm one thing you never need to feel insecure about dude…" Wendy lowered her head guiltily. "Though it's probably my own fault you don't have more faith in me… But I'm going to fix that… I promise you..."
Dipper had no idea what Wendy meant by that… But there was one other question he had for her that took precedent. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about then?"
"Later…" Wendy bit her lip, looking very hesitant. "Why don't we head over to the Moon-Pond Meadow first…"
"Moon-Pond Meadow?"
"The location from the note… That's what me and Mom used to call the place… Because the water from the pond was so clear that every full moon, whenever the moon got its biggest and brightest, it's reflection would almost completely cover up the entire pond… It was like seein' the moon on the ground… Or at least under the water."
"Were their actual pixies there?" Dipper asked, particularly hung up on that detail. As far as he knew, Pixies were not traditional residents of Gravity Falls.
"Not real ones no… There were these weird bugs in the meadow that would occasionally glow white… Kind of like a firefly but over its entire body… Funny thing is, I've never seen that type of bug anywhere but that meadow… I got to callin' 'em pixies for lack of a better name for 'em… The word pixie being used in that note freaked me out as much as anything… Either this is the world's most freaky coincidence, or whoever wrote these notes has very intimate knowledge of my life dude… Knowledge only me and my mom should've had…"
"We don't have to go any further if it's bothering you that much Wendy… We already kind of called the quest anyway…"
"No. As much as it did bother me at first Dip, I want to see this game through to the end now… It would drive me crazy wonderin' what we missed out on if we did quit."
"Agreed… Do you still know how to get there?"
"Yeah, but we're probably gona have to drive part of the way to get there… The meadow is closer to my dad's house than it is here."
A quick car ride, and a short hike later, Wendy and Dipper arrived at a place Wendy had never imagined she'd visit again after her mother's death. It was ironic really… Her mother was a large part of the reason she wound up playing this little puzzle game in the first place.
"Whoa… This place is beautiful Wendy… Very serene…"
"You should see it at night dude," Wendy smiled, feeling a sad sense of nostalgia wash over her. "We should look around and see if there's any decent spots to hide a note."
Dipper agreed and they began their search in earnest. There honestly weren't many places to search, so finding the note shouldn't theoretically be very hard… And turns out it wasn't. Dipper soon found the note stuffed inside a hollowed-out tree trunk, shooing away some strange bugs he was fairly certain he'd never seen before. Much like the previous note, this sheet of paper had been ravaged a bit by time and nature as well, but not nearly as severely as the previous entry. The note was intact enough to read at least, and that's all that mattered. Whoever placed these last pair of notes though, they sure didn't give much consideration to the effect's nature would have on paper overtime when left outdoors… Almost like a kid was responsible for hiding the notes.
"I think I've got it Wendy!" Dipper sat down on the log and waited for Wendy to come join him. She did, hesitantly, but eventually sat down next to him and waited as Dipper cautiously opened the note. Hopefully, they were a few sentences away from getting the answers they were searching for.
I love this spot. My mother has brought me here the night of almost every full moon since I learned how to walk. – Wendy, I know this place has special meaning for you too…
Dipper paused and took a quick look at Wendy as if to ask if it was okay to continue. Wendy nodded her head seemingly in understanding. Noticing the unshed tears welling in the corner of the redhead's eyes, Dipper placed his hand over hers and squeezed, Wendy greatly appreciating the gesture.
My apologies if this quest feels like it's getting too personal, but I needed to make sure the two of you, and only the two of you ever found these letters… The journey is almost over. All that's left to do is revisit the cave the bear marked during his first summer in Gravity Falls.
The box that key belongs too is hidden in a crevasse in the cave wall. A gift from Dipper Pines to Wendy Corduroy. Something precious once lost, now found.
"Looks like you weren't the only kid whose mother used to bring them to this meadow… That doesn't make it feel any less special to you does it?"
"Nope," Wendy smiled sadly. "You know, maybe if I have a daughter someday I'll start bringing her here once-in-a-while."
"Won't me knowing the location be problematic though?"
"Guess I'll have to whack you then!" Wendy joshed. "Not necessarily… Just as long as daddy doesn't intrude on mother-daughter time I don't see a problem."
"Oh, so you're suddenly having my kids now?"
"You're on the right track so far! Keep doin' what you're doin', and yeah probably." She was mostly joking, but at the same time not really. "I'm assuming this riddle was meant for you, since the writer seems to be alternatin' which one of us their messin' with."
"Yeah, it's definitely me…" Dipper sighed. "In fact I already know exactly the cave this note is referencing…"
"Really? Already?! I didn't even see you take a minute to think it over…"
"Didn't need too… It's obvious by now that whoever created this little game was intentionally trying to make it easy… For us to complete at least."
"And to make sure we'd have to work together to solve all the clues. There's no way you would've found this meadow or that cellar without me. I might've figured out the well riddle if I thought about it hard enough, but I never would've found this cave or yours… What's the story with that anyhow?"
"Well… It's a little embarrassing but…" Dipper groaned, but deep down he knew Wendy wouldn't judge him too harshly for this story. She'd definitely make fun of him a bit, but that was really the only risk. "We had only been in Gravity Falls for a week and I had a nasty fight with Mabel… I stormed out of the Shack and decided to do some exploring on my own. I happened to find an unoccupied cave about a mile north of the Shack, so I decided to… Claim it as my own, by drawing my birthmark on a rock in front of the cave and named it Chateau de Dipper… The whole point was to show it off to Mabel, brag about how awesome my new hangout was and deny her entry…"
Wendy snorted. "Dude seriously?!"
"Give me a break, I was twelve! It seemed like a reasonable and appropriate action at the time…"
"Dude, and you wonder why I wasn't interested in ya when you were that age!"
"No, I totally get why now. The only real mystery is why you're interested in me now."
Wendy frowned softly. "You know, the self-deprecating crap is one of the few things I don't like about you Dipper…"
"Sorry… I'm working on that too…"
"You better," she goaded, as she took him by the hand. "Nobody talks trash about my boyfriend… Not even my boyfriend…" Wendy paused as a thought occurred to her. "Wait… What's the whole bear part of the riddle?"
"You know how my birthmark is shaped like the Big Dipper right? Well, the Big Dipper is also part of the Ursa Major constellation, or the Big Bear… So yeah, I'm the bear in the riddle who marked his cave…"
"Oh yeah, I've heard something about that before…Well, what are we waitin' for? Let's go visit the Chateau de Dipper, and finally put this mystery to bed!"
"That didn't take long," Dipper sighed, but ultimately smiled, and allowed Wendy to walk him hand-and-hand towards her car.
"Well what do you know? It's still here…" Dipper was referring to the faint image of the Big Dipper he'd drawn on a rock with a sharpie almost a decade before.
"So, this is your cave huh?" Wendy smirked coyly. "I bet Mabes was just devastated when you wouldn't let her inside."
"Ha, ha, ha… Now, are you ready to finally figure this mystery out?"
She was and followed Dipper into the cave. Wendy was surprised at just how small it was… Maybe twenty feet from the entrance to the back, and barely two feet between the top of their heads and the cave ceiling. Dipper immediately began carefully patting down the cave walls looking for anything hiding within any cracks or crevasses. After several failed attempts he finally located something that appeared to be manmade crammed into one of the openings of the cave wall.
"Hey Wendy! I think I found something!" Dipper yanked, pulled, and pulled harder but the stubborn object was wedged in there good. Dipper placed a foot against the cave wall for leverage and started to pull again, pulling with everything he had until eventually his legs gave way and he fell straight down on his ass. The joke was on gravity though, because the object wedged inside the crevasse came with him.
"You okay dude," Wendy snickered, as she offered her hand to help him up. She immediately became transfixed by the box Dipper was cradling under his arm.
"Thanks," Dipper panted, as he pulled himself up to his feet with Wendy's aide. His attention then turned to their new prize. "It's some kind of box with a lock just the right size to fit a certain key we've been carrying around with us… This has to be it."
"It's a jewelry box…" Wendy informed him. Her mother hand owned one just like it, but it was a very common brand, so that information probably wasn't anything to get worked up about.
"You ready to try and open this thing?"
"Sure man, but… Let's get out of this cave first though."
Dipper and Wendy left the cave and sat down in the grass just in front of it. Dipper offered the key to Wendy. "Care to do the honors?"
"Nah, you do it dude. That note did say this was your gift to me, so you should see what it is first, and then present it to me I guess… Might as well finish the game right."
"Alright then… Let's see if we've wasted our entire day." Dipper inserted the key in the keyhole, and for some reason was surprised that the key actually turned and undid the latch. He carefully opened the box and looked inside, his brow creasing in confusion. The only object inside was a simple necklace. One made of silver with two medallions, one a crescent moon and the other the Tree of Life. There was nothing remarkably special about it. It looked like something you could buy relatively cheap at a department store… So why the hell was it locked up and hidden away inside a cave? He picked up the necklace and spread it out across his palm to show Wendy, but he found she was already transfixed on it, her eyes wide with an emotion Dipper was having a tough time placing. It sure scared him though. "Wendy… What's going on? Is there a ghost behind me, or is there another reason why you look like you've just seen one?"
Wendy snapped back to reality, almost as if she just realized Dipper was still there. "Do you… Mind if I see it?"
"Of course not… It's technically yours if you want it." Dipper handed Wendy the necklace and watched in befuddlement as Wendy held it in her hand and just stared… A few stray tears started to trickle down her face… Okay, this necklace meant something to her. There was a reason they were sent on this hunt to find it. "Could you… Help me put it on?"
"Sure…" He sounded anything but sure, but if that's what Wendy wanted. He helped her clasp the chain together, and then watched as Wendy pawed at the two unique medallions, that undecipherable emotion still flaring in her eyes.
"This belonged to my mother… Or at least she owned one just like it… It was supposed to get passed down to me after she died, but it just went missing at some point and we never were able to find it… I always blamed my brothers for doing something to it…" Wendy's wide-eyed bewildered look finally left the necklace and shifted to her boyfriend. "Dipper… How? Who would do this? Who would even know to do any of this?!"
"Well, there is one theory we haven't considered… Or I've tried to ignore at least because it could get us in a lot of trouble but… This could have something to do with time travel."
"Time travel?! But who would go back in time just to mess with our heads?… Or our love lives, or whatever the hell this guy's goal was!"
"Us…" Wendy looked at him like he was crazy for a second before realizing what he was trying to say. "Maybe we set this up for ourselves for some reason. It would explain why the author knew so many details about our lives that they really shouldn't have. Come on, don't you think this sounds exactly like something we'd try to pull on our younger selves?"
"Yeah, it kind of does…" Wendy managed a reflective smile, though her attention was primarily focused on the piece of jewelry around her neck.
"Highly unlikely though… There's only one way to get your hands on a time traveling device as far as I'm aware, and I highly doubt they…"
Dipper kept talking, but despite her best efforts, Wendy was no longer listening. She was too busy twirling the pendants on her necklace contemplating what it's sudden reappearance in her life meant… Memories and emotions she often suppressed were rushing forward all at once, and quite frankly they were damn close to overwhelming even for someone as mentally tough as Wendy Corduroy. Memories of her mother flooded her mind followed by images of Dipper and these past few months together and even beyond that. She wondered again about who had set up this little game that led her to this point. She honestly hadn't completely ruled out Dipper orchestrating all of this, but then again, there was no possible way he could've known about the meadow… That was one of the few secrets she still kept to herself.
She thought about those notes, specifically the first one Dipper had shown her to put this game into motion. In particular, the line about unlocking her heart… It was a sweet sentiment, but she also found it quite redundant at first since Dipper had basically already done that… Though Wendy would be lying if she claimed she'd opened her heart completely to him like she wanted too… Like he had done for her. It was the entire reason she wanted to talk to him that day, to finally put a right to that wrong. Perhaps rediscovering her mother's necklace was a sign that it was time to shed those irrational fears that still plagued her. Perhaps, the part of her 'heart' that was supposed to be unlocked wasn't as obvious as she originally thought.
"Hey Wendy…" Dipper stammered nervously. "So, what was it exactly you wanted to talk to me about earlier?"
"I Love You…"
Dipper's head snapped towards Wendy in surprise. "What?"
"I Love You Dipper…" she repeated, her hand clutched tightly around her necklace. "So much, it hurts sometimes…"
"I love you too Wendy," Dipper said sheepishly. The significance of her declaration was not lost on him. "Hey, I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say those words…"
"Because it is… Dipper… I haven't told anyone I loved them in years… Not even my dad or my brothers… Not since…" Dipper's soft supportive gaze helped will Wendy to continue on. "The last time I told anyone I loved them was my mother… The night before she died."
Dipper said nothing, allowing his actions to do the talking as he put his arm around Wendy and pulled her close to him. Wendy gladly welcomed the comforting shoulder, and promptly rested her head against it. "I know it's stupid but… When somebody important to you dies, most people would want their last words to them to be good-bye, or I love you, or something meaningful like that… Not me though… After mom died, I thought those words were cursed… That if I said them to anyone else they might leave me too, so I haven't said those words to anyone since… That's why whenever you told me you loved me… I'd respond with a smile or a kiss… Usually something physical to show you I felt the same way without having to say those words. At the same time, I absolutely hated the fact that I couldn't express the way I felt when it came so easy to you. I felt like I didn't deserve to be with you if I couldn't open my heart to you in the way you deserved… God, I know how dumb this must all sound!"
"It's not dumb at all," Dipper whispered supportively. "Everyone has their hang ups… Have you forgotten that I was the kid who wore floaties in the bathtub until I was eight because I was afraid of drowning!"
Wendy chuckled half-heartedly. "Not quite the same thing Dip. You were a kid and grew out of it… I've allowed myself to be emotionally stunted for over a decade."
"Everybody deals with trauma and grief in different ways. The fact that you chose not to voice your love for people as a way of protecting them is kind of sweet… And kind of a relief… I did wonder why you never said I love you back… It was part of the reason I was concerned you might actually break up with me today… I thought maybe you just didn't feel the same way..."
"I'm sorry man…" she sniffed, as she tightened her grip around her boyfriend.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. Especially now that I know the reason why…" Dipper smiled, as he brushed some red hairs away from Wendy's slightly moist eyes. "I guess this means I'm the first guy who ever got Wendy Corduroy to tell him she loved him… I'll always have that at least."
"Dude…" Wendy smiled softly, placing her hand on his cheek. "You are the first guy I've ever loved… And if I have it my way, you'll be the only one."
Dipper leaned in and kissed her softly. Wendy separated just long enough to sneak in another 'I love you' before returning her lips to his. Things didn't get hot and heavy like a lot of their smooching' sessions tended to get, but that's not what Wendy needed right now. Comfort and a gentle hand were what she required, and that's what Dipper was determined to provide. Unfortunately, good things couldn't last forever.
"Hey Wendy… Didn't you have a diner date tonight?"
"Oh crap, I almost forgot!" Wendy quickly checked her phone and received some relief. "Oh good… If I hurry I might not even be late… You don't mind right?"
"Of course not! You know I'm not actually trying to monopolize all of your time… Half the reason I picked today to visit the Mystery Shack with Mabel was because you were supposed to be busy."
Wendy smiled appreciatively as she stood up to leave, Dipper rising with her. Before she could leave though, she seemed to think twice and looked back at Dipper, a determined glint in her eyes. She walked back over to him and gently placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry, but I need you to take me seriously when I say this Dip… Please be careful on your way home tonight."
"Nothing's going to happen to me Wendy," Dipper smiled reassuringly. "I promise you, I'll still be here when you wake up in the morning."
"You better be…" A quick kiss on the cheek later, and Wendy left Dipper to navigate his way back the Mystery Shack on his own.
The sun had set by the time Wendy arrived at her destination. Thankfully, she was only running a few minutes late.
"Dad, I'm here! Sorry I'm late, but Farmer Miller's cows got loose and were blocking the road again…"
"No problem hon!" Manly Dan bellowed from the kitchen "Your timing's perfect actually, I was just finishing' up diner!"
The idea of Manly Dan cooking was a frightening prospect on a number of levels, but Wendy was prepared to take that bullet. The man had insisted after all, and Wendy felt guilty that she hadn't been around much. When she left home for college, like most kids that age, she never looked back once she finally escaped her father's house… Also like most people her age, the longer she stayed away from home, the more she realized she kind of missed it. I didn't help either when she heard just how much her father had missed her. It also didn't help that her youngest brother was about to enter his senior year of high school, and Manly Dan was beginning to suffer from a serious case of pre-empty nest syndrome.
Wendy's eyes widened as she walked into the kitchen. It looked like a tornado had ripped through it, pots and pans scattered everywhere, splotches of unknown substances splattered on every cabinet and wall. Her grinning filthy father stood in the middle of said kitchen, as if he'd been caught up in the epicenter of said tornado. "Just sit tight hon, dinner should be ready in just a…"
Dan was interrupted by the smoke detector blaring, as both pans he had on the stove burst into flames simultaneously. Grumbling in irritation he stomped over to the stove and put out the flames… Not with some pussy-ass fire extinguisher, but with his manly fists. Yes, he quite literally punched the flames out of existence. He stared at the charred remains of one of his rare attempts at home cooking with a mix for frustration and disappointment. Sheepishly, his attention shifted to his daughter. "So uh… Pizza then?"
"Sounds good to me! Here, let me help ya clean some of this up." Before she could get started though, she noticed her dad was still staring at the stove. Clearly, he really wanted to cook for her for whatever reason. The burly lumberjack could be downright sweet sometimes. Unable to help herself, she leaned up and gave her pops a kiss on the cheek. "I love you Dad…"
Those words seemed to pull Dan right out of his funk. When was the last time he heard those words from his daughter? Not since his wife was still alive… The manliest of men couldn't fight off the smile tugging at his lips. "Love ya too hon..."
Dipper decided not to even bother calling Mabel to pick him up and walked home instead. He was in a wonderful mood, amazed by how quickly he could go from fearing he was about to get dumped to feeling like he could dance on the moon, feeling as secure about his current relationship as he ever had been. As deep-seated and psychological as Wendy's fears were, it meant a lot to Dipper that he was the one she felt was worthy enough to push passed that fear. He did keep his promise and was extra careful on the walk home.
He was humming happily to himself as he walked inside the house owned by his Grunkles, where they still stayed whenever they visited the Falls seeing as they were still broke-ass college kids.
"Well, somebody seems happy," Mabel teased as she poked her head out of her room when she heard her brother in the area. "I'm assuming that means you didn't get dumped?"
"Nope… The exact opposite actually…"
"You got engaged?" Mabel snickered skeptically.
"What? No! Okay, maybe not literally the exact opposite. Turns out, she just wanted to tell me she loved me in person…"
"She finally said I love you!" Mabel gasped. "After all this time… What changed exactly?"
"That would be telling… You'll have to ask Wendy and see if she's willing to share that story with you… I'm sorry but I won't betray her confidence like that… Speaking of mood swings, you seem a lot happier than you did a few hours ago."
"Oh, that's right! Yeah, I'm feeling much better now… I think I've finally discovered my goal in life Dipper…" Mabel's grin shifted to a more serious expression. "I've decided I want to reopen the Mystery Shack!"
"The Mystery Shack?! But how?… You know it takes a lot of money just to get a business off the ground, and you're not exactly rolling in cash right now…"
"That's why it pays to have rich friends! Or at least one who already happens to own the property… I've already talked with Pacifica, and she's agreed to help me get started. When we visited the Shack today, it just didn't feel right to see it all empty and covered in dust… I still want to finish college first, but in a couple of years you could be looking at the new Mrs. Mystery!"
"Sounds great Mabel… I'd love to see the old shack up and running again… I'm sure Grunkle Stan will be proud."
"Ha! You're not kidding… I've already talked to him about it, and he's already scheming ways he can score a few bucks for himself." Mabel paused, distracted by the distant sounds of music. "Hey Dip, I think your phone is going off…"
Dipper listened more closely, and sure enough heard a familiar ring tone emanating from his room. "Crap! That's Wendy's ringtone! Sorry Sis, we'll finish this conversation in a minute."
"Couldn't stand to be away from you for even a couple of hours… And you used to be the lovestruck puppy Dip."
Dipper wasn't paying any attention to her, rushing into his bedroom and checking his phone. He grimaced when he saw three missed calls from Wendy. He quickly called her back, hoping his girlfriend wasn't freaking out too bad.
"Dude, what the hell?!" Wendy immediately yelled into the phone before he had the chance to even say hello. "I tried callin' three times just to get your voicemail!"
"I'm so sorry Wendy, I left my phone in the bedroom and didn't hear it until the third call. There's no need to worry, I'm home and safe."
"You better be… Sorry for being paranoid but I just can't help it. If I hadn't had a prior engagement made, I'd be glued to you right now just to make sure you stay safe…"
"It's nice to have a break to be honest… Tomorrow, I'll go back to being the paranoid one." Wendy didn't respond to the joke, so Dipper changed tactic. "How did your dinner date with your dad go?"
"Good actually… He tried to cook me dinner bless his heart, but we wound up settlin' for pizza. He's already passed out in his recliner asleep!"
"Well, I'm glad you were able to make time for each other… Family is important. I guess I should let you go so I'm not intruding when he eventually wakes up…"
"Actually… Could you just… Stay on the line with me a little longer? Please?"
Wendy might not have been able to see it, but a warm understanding smile formed on his face. "Of course.. As long as you need me Wendy."
"Thank you Dip… I… I love you."
"I love you too Wendy."
Oh, if she only understood how much he did… And vice-versa.
End Chapter 5
-This isn't the most well-written of the chapters, but it might be my favorite so far. I fell in love with the idea of the subplot for Wendy and getting to mess with Dipper a little bit more is always fun. I was a little disappointed with the puzzle game aspect of the chapter… I feel like I could've done better with more time to invest in it, but with four chapters still to go and a hard five-week deadline, I just didn't have the extra time to properly craft one. The well was the one I'd really have liked to replace… I understand the logic issues there… But then I remembered this was Gravity Falls, so why the hell am I worrying about logic?
No promises but I'm going to try and have all nine chapters out by Sunday. As much fun as I'm having with this, having to rush edit everything the day before, and sometimes the day of release, is killing me. Tomorrow's chapter will be my wildcard submission, and quite possible Height Difference if I can get them edited in time.