Author's note: October already? Guess it's time for another chapter!

Thank you all again for the new favorites, follows, and reviews!

Gravity Falls and the CW Flash are not mine.

Chapter 5: Reconnecting Part 1

"And then the bartender says, that's not a duck!" Stan said, slapping his knee. Dipper and Mabel groaned and turned back to their fishing lines. The old man chuckled, flipping the page of his book of yuk-em-ups. "Ooh! This is a good one!"

The twins shook their heads, preoccupying themselves with their reflections in the water. The lake shimmered with bright flecks of sunlight, and the two could feel the heat slow-cooking their suntan-lotioned skin. Despite it being fishing season, the Pines were largely alone on the water. Only a few other boats graced the surface, the closest one far enough away that Mabel was pretending to crush it with her fingers.

To say that Dipper wasn't exactly in his element was an understatement. His life jacket felt like it was slowly compacting his chest, his mosquito bites raged against his arms and legs, and he'd sweated through his shirt about an hour ago. It didn't help that he needed to pay attention to Grunkle Stan's lame jokes, lest the whispers begin to invade his thoughts. He may've been on the lake, but the trees dotted the shore, almost daring him to lose concentration.

But fishing day was an annual event, one that he couldn't avoid even if he wanted to. Even though fishing wasn't his thing, Stan really enjoyed it; and it was still good, quality time to spend with his Grunkle and sister. To top things off, Stan had been eerily absent for hours at a time for the last few weeks. It had gotten to the point where he and Mabel barely saw him. He'd even closed the Mystery Shack occasionally. Closed. The Mystery Shack.

Getting Stan alone was an opportunity, one way or the other.

"Hey, Grunkle Stan?" Dipper said, lowering his line. "I've been meaning to ask you-"

Dipper was cut off by a resounding scream. A boat across the lake flipped over and splintered into pieces. The former occupant hurriedly snatched what he could from the water and swam away.

"In the water!" the man called. "There's something in the water!"

Another boat shattered, spilling its occupants into the cool lake water. A whistle blew from shore. Lake Ranger Tate McGucket waved from the distance, gesturing to the boats.

"Everyone get back to shore!" Tate said into a loudspeaker. "Back to shore!"

Stan revved the engine and powered the boat towards the shoreline. Dipper and Mabel glanced at each other. Mabel's skin began to glow, small sparks beginning to fall off her hands.

"Mabel," Dipper said, leaning close to his sister and obscuring her from Stan's view. "It's ok. Breathe."

Mabel looked at her hands and was taken aback. She nodded and shut her eyes, elongating her breathing. A light hum escaped her mouth, one that caused Dipper to seize up. The tune Mabel was using was a melody their mother had put them to bed with, and at that moment Mabel sounded just like her. The sparks disappeared into nothing, and Mabel's skin returned to its regular hue. Dipper smiled at his sister, who returned the grin.

"Holy Moses!" Stan said. His cry was accompanied with a crack and a jolt through the boat, one that sent the Pines flying into the lake. Dipper breached the surface of the water and spat out liquid that tasted like rotten spinach. Mabel and Stan broke the surface after him, and the three turned to see their boat begin to sink.

"Not the ol' Stan '0 War!" Stan said. Dipper and Mabel weren't listening – another sight had caught their attention. Slipping back under the surface was a long, slick tail with small fins protruding from the end. As the trio tread water to the dock, Mabel frowned at Dipper.

"The Gobblewonker?" she said.

"The Gobblewonker?" Wendy said, frowning. "Isn't that just a legend?"

They were in the cortex of Mandell Labs. After swimming to shore, Grunkle Stan had driven the two home, where they had called the lab with the news. Mandell seemed to be amused with the prospect of the creature, while Soos, Candy and Wendy had taken it differently.

"Consider the company we keep, Ms. Corduroy." Mandell said from behind the large desk in the middle of the room. He gestured to the twins on the other side. "A mythological aquatic beast is the most plausible thing we've encountered recently."

"The thing about the Gobblewonker is," Dipper said, doing his best not to stare at Wendy. "Mabel and I investigated it years ago. It turned out to be a big hoax."

"It was just Old Man McGucket in a robot," Mabel said, leaning on the desk. "The robot was cool and all, but it wasn't a monster, you know what I'm saying?"

"Totally," Soos said, nodding. "A monster is seven times cooler."

"Old Man McGucket?" Mandell said, cocking his head. "As in Fiddleford McGucket?" The lab went silent. Everyone's eyes were on Mandell.

"He has a first name?" Wendy said. "I always thought he was raised by illiterate miners or something."

"It is really difficult to think of him having a first name," Candy said, rubbing her chin. "Which is also weird. Why would that be surprising?"

"Wait," Dipper said, tilting his head forward. "Do you know him? Like, actually know him?" Mandell chuckled, shaking his head.

"We met in college, yes." Mandell sat down at the computer and began typing. The monitors around the room flared to life, displaying records and a photo of two young men standing in an awkward one-armed embrace. The one to the left was Mandell, still with the short stature and portly stomach but without any facial hair except a tiny moustache. The man to the right was almost twice as tall and was shrinking away from his more enthusiastic comrade. The man had blonde, curly hair and small glasses that sloped on his enlarged nose. Dipper had to squint, but the man did kind of look like-

"No way!" Mabel said, approaching a monitor. "Old Man McGucket? And he's got a mullet!"

"Somebody peaked in college," Wendy said.

"Fiddleford Hadron McGucket," Mandell said, sitting back in his chair, "was a mechanical genius for the ages. The man deserved a much better school than he got, and still managed to create an operational mechanical dog in the first semester of class with a ten dollar budget." He frowned. "Granted, that was a bit more back then, but still. Last I saw him, he was working on personal computers in a garage in Palo Alto. Almost beat Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to the punch, if you can believe it."

"Old Man McGucket?" Dipper said. "You're talking about Old Man McGucket right now?"

"I'm not fabricating anything, Mr. Pines." Mandell said, gesturing to a screen. "I always wondered what happened to him. You say he's been here? In Gravity Falls?"

"As long as anyone can remember," Wendy said.

"So why'd he create the lake monster robot, dawg?" Soos said, crunching on a bag of chipakerz. Mabel held out her hand, and Soos dumped a few into her waiting palm. Mabel mouthed 'thank you' and munched on a chipacker herself.

"Last time he did this, he was trying to get his son's attention." Dipper said.

"Is it possible that's what he's doing now?" Mandell asked, removing the data from the screens.

"Only one way to find out." Dipper said.

Dipper and Mabel's shoes clattered against the wooden dock. The sun was starting to lower in the two o'clock sky and shined bright in their faces. They squinted and cupped their hands over their eyes as they continued to read off their index cards.

"Atomic symbol of tin?" Mabel asked.

"Sn." Dipper said. "How many electrons in an atom of Sodium?"

"Eleven. What does Okonkwo symbolize in Things Fall Apart?"

"A dying breed of men in Africa before colonialization."

Dipper pocketed his flash cards in his vest. "I'd say we're making progress. At this rate, I think we'll be pretty set by August."

"Thank goodness," Mabel said, pocketing her own cards and breathing in the musky air of the lake. "I'm so tired of having to study for this. It's summer break! You take one nine-month nap that wasn't even your fault, and they don't even give you time to enjoy summer."

Dipper shrugged. "With everything else, I think it's a small price to pay. We get to learn it together without the slog of school."

"Hey, it's slog, but it's slog with friends."

"I guess," Dipper said, approaching the log house ranger station. As he reached for the door, a bout of heated voices erupted from behind the wood. Dipper and Mabel exchanged a glance, then pushed the door open a crack. Inside the dimly lit room (a couple of bulbs were out, per the norm), Lake Ranger Tate McGucket's face was red as he traded words with a well-dressed gentleman from behind the counter.

"Isn't that Pacifica's dad?" Mabel said. Dipper nodded.

"…have your stupid lake parties every couple months!" Tate said, clenching his fists. "This is my wedding! Just move it to the night after tomorrow! I'll even make sure you won't have to pay for the next couple of times you book the lake!"

"To compromise my schedule and the schedule of my guests would be an insult to us all and a slander to my family name," Preston Northwest said, straightening his sleeves. "We would become a laughingstock to our peers. And if there's one thing the Northwests will never be, it's a laughingstock."

"Please," Tate said, clasping his hands together in a way that looked like he was praying. "Let us have the lake. Just for tomorrow night. The family's already flown in, and we've already paid for all the arrangements. Or just let us have the shore. You can have your party on your yacht, and we'll find a way to take the reception back to our house. Please."

"You'll do no such thing," Preston said. "I won't have my guests subjected to an eyesore such as whatever you riff-raff call a wedding. If I see any of you tomorrow night, not only will I have you thrown out, but I will prosecute you for trespassing."

"It's my lake!"

Preston burst out laughing, clutching his sides. "It's cute that you think that. Farewell, Mr. McGucket." Preston turned to leave, scrunching his face as he took in the run-down station one last time. Dipper and Mabel backed away from the door. Preston swung it open and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh," he said. "You're up." Dipper and Mabel's blood boiled, and the two gave him tight smiles.

"That's right, Presto." Mabel said.

"That's unfortunate."

Preston pushed past them. Dipper and Mabel watched him walk to his awaiting limo, where two bodyguards stood in wait. The limo glided away, somehow missing all the potholes and dirt while glinting sunlight back into the twin's eyes.

"Sometimes I feel bad for Pacifica," Mabel said, removing her hand from her eyes. "You know, seeing where she gets it from."

"Eh," Dipper said, opening the door. "After you."

They stepped in the station, their shoes creaking against the old wood panels. Tate sniffed, holding his hat in front of his face while he wiped his cheeks. Donning the cap again, his face retained a red hue.

"What do you two want?" he said, sniffing despite himself. "We don't give refunds for broken boats, so don't ask."

"Actually, we wanted to ask you about your father." Dipper said, crossing his arms on the counter. Tate stiffened.

"I don't have anything to say about the man."

"We just want to know if you've seen him," Mabel said, offering a tissue. Tate took it, giving the two a measured stare. He blew his nose, crumpled the tissue into a ball and set it on the table.

"Does he owe you some money or something?" Tate said, toying with a small platypus bobblehead on his desk.

"No, we just want to talk to him." Dipper said. Tate crossed his arms.

"He came around here about a week ago. Asked for an invite to my wedding tomorrow night. I said no."

"You're getting married?" Mabel said, clutching her cheeks. "That's so awesome!"

"Yeah, well," Tate said, hanging his head. "That might have to change. We wanted to get married on the lake, but Preston Northwest is having one of his stupid rich people parties there on his yacht."

"Nothing should get in the way of true love!" Mabel said, getting into a fighting stance. "We'll fight him for you!"

"I wish you would," Tate said, smiling.

"Anyway," Dipper said, waving Mabel off. "You can't tell us anything more about your father?"

"Sorry," Tate said. "I stopped talking to him a long time ago. Although, I have heard some weird noises coming from Trembley Falls the last couple of weeks. You might want to check there, if he's not at the junkyard."

"Thanks," Dipper said. He turned to go. "I'm really sorry about your wedding, dude."

"If there's anything we can do to help, call the Mystery Shack!" Mabel said, waving as she walked out with her brother.

"I'll keep that in mind," Tate said, going back to playing with the bobblehead.

"Well, I guess Trembley Falls it is," Dipper said, getting in the back of Candy's car. Candy had picked them up from the lake and driven them to McGucket's junkyard, only for them to find the place empty. And it wasn't just McGucket's little corner that had been cleaned out – much of the rusted cars, discarded metal, and old appliances that made up the yard were eerily missing.

"So McGucket is just out for attention again?" Candy asked, pulling the car onto the main road.

"It would make sense," Dipper said. "McGucket apparently didn't spend a lot of time with his son when he was a kid, and he's been trying to make up for it ever sense. In the most destructive, unnecessary ways possible."

"His son is getting married without him," Mabel said, holding her heart. "That's gotta hurt. In a weird way, it's kind of nice that he's trying so hard to reconnect." She frowned. "But if he ruins the ceremony, that's a no no."

"If Preston doesn't ruin it first," Dipper said.

The drive took half an hour. As Mabel and Candy chatted in the front, Dipper looked out his window at the residents of the town milling about the streets. The people of Gravity Falls had always confused him because they all seemed to possess the uncanny superpower of ignorance. Gravity Falls was perhaps the oddest town on earth, where you couldn't walk home without seeing a gnome or a pterodactyl. And yet, in all his years living here, he had yet to find someone who didn't immediately dismiss all strange occurrences out of hand. Stan was the worst offender. Dipper couldn't remember how many times he had shown actual evidence of the unknown to the man, be it a barf fairy or (on one particularly weird day for everyone) the abominable Bro-man. Every single time Stan managed to make an excuse for what he was seeing, be it a cosplayer or someone that Dipper found that just looked really, really weird. Dipper wasn't sure what it was going to take to make him, as well as everyone else, believe in the impossible. And, once that was done, believe that his parents had been killed by something impossible.

But maybe the town was on its way there, and it had taken the worst possible catalyst. Dipper could remember riding with Stan to school, the Mystery Shack, or Greasy's Diner, and looking out to see the residents of Gravity Falls just wandering about their business. All wearing relaxed smiles in a quiet bliss. Just happy to be alive and oblivious to the world around them.

Now, as Dipper looked out to them, there was something different. Everyone was walking around, but…quicker. Their previously lazy energy had been penetrated by antsiness and a sliver of fear. It was feint, but it was there. And every now and then, one would look towards the hill and Mandell Labs, to the Infinity Engine that had erupted horror and heartbreak onto their streets only nine months ago.

Dipper turned his attention back to Candy and Mabel. He really needed to start thinking happier thoughts.

The car pulled up to the lake parking lot, and the trio worked their way to Trembley Falls. Dipper brought up the rear as Mabel bounded across the rocks with Candy doing her best to keep up. After Candy almost slipped and hit her face on a rock, she slowed her pace to Dipper's.

"C'mon Candy!" Mabel said over the thundering of the falls. "You're gonna lose!"

"I think I'm good, Mabel." Candy said, matching Dipper's careful trek across a particularly slippery rock.
She turned to him. "It's good to see her like this again. I was worried after last week that…well, she was going through a lot."

"I get what you mean," Dipper said, straining his leg to reach the next foothold. "She's always been the one to put a positive spin on everything. After last week, I was afraid she'd lost that."

"How are you doing?"

Dipper took a moment to catch his breath. Candy stopped, waiting for him at the next rock.

"Better. Kind-of." Dipper leapt to join Candy. "Mostly, I'm tired more often. It really stinks, having to concentrate whenever I'm outside. I think I've forgotten what it's like to live without a headache."

"Dr. Mandell's had us working on an advanced set of earmuffs for you," Candy said, adjusting her glasses after the impact of landing on a rock almost jostled them off. "Hopefully they'll be able to help you with that."

"Are these going to be pink like the last ones?" Candy smiled.

"They can be," she said.

"Pass."

"Well, we'll see about that now."

Mabel yelled something from the mouth of the Falls, gesturing for them to hurry. Dipper and Candy picked up their pace, doing their best to glide across the rocks without breaking something. The falls were roaring now and made up all that Dipper heard. Which was an odd relief – it was nice to hear something other than whispering trees with an inside-voice problem.

"Ready?" Mabel said over the torrent of water overhead. The spray from the falls made Dipper shiver.

"Let's go," he said, and the trio leapt through the water. Everyone was simultaneously drenched, their clothes and hair clinging to them for dear life.

"I did not plan on getting wet today," Candy said, trying to dry her glasses with her shirt.

"That's what she said!" Mabel said.

"That's what she – aw, darnit," Dipper said.

A cool breeze blew through the cave, causing the three of them to shiver. Dipper could feel his goosebumps protrude from his skin. The cavern stretched out before them, water from the falls seeping into a small pond before funneling into the darkness. The roar of the falls faded into a small echo across cragged walls that formed a misshapen half-sphere before them. Amidst the darkness, a small flickering light was visible in the distance.

Dipper, Mabel, and Candy made their way forward, ducking under low hanging stalactites and inching across the cool cavern wall. As they approached the light, they heard an off-tune song with a southern twang.

"And the capacitor connects to the dive fin, and the dive fin connects to the chassis, here a fin, there a chassis, everywhere a nut and bolt! Heh heh, hoo hoo hoo!"

The trio shared a glance. Definitely Old Man McGucket.

"Who goes that?" The old man's rasp came from behind a bend in the rock. "Show yourselves! Ah warn ya, I once took down a gorilla with mah beard and legs tied behind mah back!"

"Old Man McGucket, it's just us," Dipper said, inching slowly towards the bend. Candy and Mabel followed. "Dipper, Mabel, and a friend. We don't mean any harm, we just –"

A metal screeching caused the trio to clasp their ears. Dipper bolted to the bend in the rock, only to be knocked back by something incredibly dense. He flew back, colliding with Candy and Mabel and just narrowly missing the rock wall.

"Ow," Dipper said, clutching his head. "I definitely needed more pain there."

Another metallic screech filled the cave, and a gigantic sea monster with an elongated neck and fins burst from behind the bend. It was comprised of various car parts and other rusting metallic fixtures. It lunged towards the water, but as it did so, it connected with the cavern wall. The jutting rock wrenched off several feet of metallic lining. Even in his dazed state, Dipper could make out Old Man McGucket and his snow-white beard glancing out the gaping hole that was now at the back of the Gobblewonker.

Then the severed pieces glowed blue, flew upwards and reattached themselves to the giant mechanical beast. McGucket's monstrosity glided through the water and disappeared beyond the falls. The cavern was silent for a while. Then Candy squealed.

"I don't believe it," she said, her face glowing. "He's a-"

"A technopath?" Mandell said, cocking an eyebrow.

Candy nodded vigorously. The three of them were back in the cortex, changed into dry Mandell Labs sweatshirts and sweatpants. Mabel had remarked that they should really start bringing their own spare clothes to the lab.

"When McGucket was hit by the Infinity Engine," Candy said, "he must have gained the ability to assemble machines with his mind."

"That's insane," Wendy said, leaning against the wall. "You have any idea the crap he could create with that?"

"And yet he chose to create a giant sea monster, which he's apparently done before," Mandell said, fingering his cane. "He's grown quite original in his advanced years."

"Respect," Soos said, nodding. Everyone looked at him questioningly. "What? It's not a dragon, but you gotta admit this is cool."

"Until he attacks his son's wedding," Dipper said, turning to Mandell. "We should get back in touch with him, follow him around until McGucket tries something."

"While that is an inspired move," Mandell said, typing into the computer. "I believe we should restrict our stakeout to tomorrow night's event."

The screens around the cortex flashed with a multitude of social media posts of famous celebrities excited for the Northwest's party. The center of each screen was taken up by a photo of the Northwest's yacht. The photo had been taken in the nighttime, with the moonlight reflecting off the water just right as the ship was lit up in a way that exuded warmth and high society.

"You think he's going to attack the Northwest's party?" Wendy said, frowning. "Why?"

"Not so much attack the party, more that the party will be collateral damage." Mandell clasped hands together. "Tate McGucket isn't likely to back down from Preston Northwest so easily, especially with his own wedding. They'll try to stay out of sight, but they'll likely use the lake for the wedding regardless. Fiddleford will be there."

"That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?" Mabel said. "Like, isn't that a little too many 'if's?" Dipper nodded.

"That's pretty slim pickings to go on," Dipper said.

"I pride myself on my prophetic intuition," Mandell said, sitting back in his chair.

"Was this before or after you created the giant death machine?" Mabel said.

"He'll be there. In the meantime, however, we have some items for the two of you to try out."

Candy and Soos left the room and returned with two boxes. Candy handed Mabel a long paper box that looked like it came from a clothing store. Soos grinned at Dipper as he handed him a black metallic cube the size of a toaster.

"Open 'em up, dawgs," Soos said, backing away in anticipation.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Mabel said, pulling out a long, pink outfit with white and purple detailing that looked like a thick ice-skater's uniform. The shoulders and chest bore an insignia similar to her shooting star sweater. The material somewhat resembled a pink marshmallow and felt similar to foam.

"Completely heat resistant," Mandell said, rising slowly from his chair and resting on his cane. "We'll try to work on a more streamlined design in the future, but I think this will prevent you from burning down the area you occupy."

"I designed the symbol and color palette," Candy said, beaming.

"Candy," Mabel said, stretching the suit in front of her. "You are a fashion visionary!"

Dipper chuckled, then lifted the clasp on his box and creaked it open. The object inside resembled a black pair of headphones with a few scattered wires and buttons protruding from the sides.

"For your ears, Mr. Pines." Mandell said, tiking toward him. He pointed to a small dial on the side. "That should help you regulate how much sound you hear from your verdant friends. A more advanced version of your earlier earmuffs, the only sound they should let in are the kind that can be picked up by human ears. Unless of course, you adjust it." He took the headphones from Dipper's hands and slid them onto his head. The phones clasped against his head, but they weren't uncomfortable – the phones were padded in a way that made it feel somewhat pleasurable.

"Can you hear me now?" Mandell said. Dipper nodded. "Good." Mandell grinned. "Hopefully we can develop a more streamlined design that's less visible in the future."

"If it works, it works." Dipper said. The exterior of the headphones was cool and smooth to the touch, and he felt like he was in a sound-proofed room. "Thank you."

Mandell nodded, stroking his chin. "I'm here to help, Mr. Pines. Both of you. Believe me, I have a vested interest in helping you both reach your full potential."

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