Frogs and toads croaked merrily under the star riddled sky. The moon was large and round, lighting the earth in a bluish glow, nature seeming more like the world of fantasy and dreams. It was serene and beautiful, the wind gently brushing brown curls about a freckled face.

With a deep breath, he began pulling the cart of logs again, the wheels letting out horrid squeaking. Autumn was approaching and Dipper had went to stock the wood shed with the dried wood from the summer before last. Nature was always better than the city, he'd grown to find out with a grin. He scratched his head, feeling a bit guilty for taking long, even though it wasn't his fault. The cart had been messed with so bad it had began to fall apart and Dipper couldn't very well leave it since he needed the old thing.

Along the well used path, he noticed he was closer than he'd realized and a large grin graced his face as he saw smoke and the smell of meat cooking became strong as he came from the bushes. With a burst of energy, he began walking faster towards home.

Home was a large cabin-esque house with steps that wound downward and connected to a large wood shed/work station underneath. The garden has been harvested and a tarp set over the seeds that'd grow over winter. Just beyond the hill the home stood on, was a large lake with rocks he'd often sit on to write. The creaking of the wheels brought him back and he got to work putting the wood away, his smile growing larger the faster he worked.

Unlike the wheels, the hinges to inside the cabin were smooth, allowing him to sneak in with a mischievous grin. The interior looked what one would guess a man who's more obsessed with the paranormal and theories to the world's secrets would look like. Especially if you ignore the large mess from DDaMD all about the living area.

He snuck towards the kitchen quietly, focused more on stealth than who he was sneaking up on and what they were doing. Once close enough, he wrapped his arms tightly around the person's middle, the glint of a knife so quick, he barely dodged it, moving his head fast and his grip loosened, the tip grazing his cheek.

He didn't think much of it, but the glare he was sent when the person turned was anything but amused.

"Dipper! What were you thinking, sneaking up like that when I have a knife?!" The man, a very Human looking Wirt, scolded him, putting the knife down to cup Dipper's cheek and observe the scratch.

"I moved in time and to be fair, I didn't see the knife. I'm not hurt." He rolled his eyes before shutting them at the feeling of Wirt's hand on his cheek. With a sigh, he set one hand on Wirt's hip and took his hat off with the other. Opening his eyes halfway, after a few minutes, he looked to the taller man. His sienna hair was still unruly but his ears were Human. His hands, body, teeth, and eyes-those beautiful doey eyes-were Human. At the base of his skull, he knew the appearance wasn't quite right, but the contentment he felt through his body was like a drug and he was too high on it to care. He turned his head to kiss Wirt's palm.

Wirt moved closer, pressing his thin frame against Dipper's and trailing his fingers up Dipper's back to play with the curls at his neck as Dipper moved back to where the counter ledge bumped into his back. "What kept you?"

"The cart. Had to fix it up before I could transfer more wood. We need a better system so I can think of something later. Where were you this morning?" He looked to Wirt, melting in the taller's grasp.

Wirt placed his head against Dipper's, making it where Dipper couldn't see him. "Visiting Greg. You how how he is after an adventure." He chuckled, kissing Dipper's head.

The feeling at his skull fuzzed, lessening the high feeling as he kept both hands on Wirt's hips, focusing on that. "Yeah…how-how is he?" He tried clenching his eyes tightly and opening them fast a few times, trying to regain his thoughts.

With a happy sigh, Wirt leaned down and bit at Dipper's ear, his hands moving from Dipper's neck to go under his shirt. "The usual, still a brother's boy. Now, would you like some dinner? Steak and garlic fondant potatoes with veggies from the garden. I'm in a splendid mood though, so I would like more contact with you." He whispered, having been peppering kisses where he could and his voice becoming lower. "Hm? What would you like, Dip?"

He couldn't smell the food anymore and he felt his body begin to heat as Wirt rubbed circles along Dipper's stomach with his thumbs, his other fingers digging into Dipper's back. Dipper released a small moan, pulling back quickly as he covered his mouth, a blush spreading along his cheeks. "I…" his voice broke.

Wirt pulled away, his lustful gaze having turned fond, a gentle smile replacing the rotten one. He moved his hands to Dipper's face again, caressing against the blush. "You're so red! It's so cute!" His smile grew, eyes crinkling gently as he leaned down and rubbed the tip of his nose against Dipper's, letting out a giggle.

Dipper looked to Wirt's face, blush receding and face softening as Wirt stayed in place, even as minutes passed, the clock ticking. Dipper's mind wasn't blank as he stared. While feeling everything, focusing on Wirt's breath, even as a tune would escape here and there, his body against his own and the hands on his cheeks, he realized with a weight upon his heart-

This wasn't real.

Wirt's hands wouldn't be warm… "Why…" he whispered, bringing his shaky hands to Wirt's wrists to pull them away, slivers of memories trying to return. "Why did you do it?" Before he could let the sudden weight take his breath, he looked at a shocked Wirt, the other surprised by Dipper's actions.

Wirt tilted his head. "What are you talking about? You mean dinner? I thought you'd like it." He looked dejected, pulling his hands away to mess with his sweater.

Dipper went to open his mouth when he heard a door open, making him turn sharply to the back door. "What-" he stopped cold. Walking in from out back were the blonde twins, a familiar knife in hand. Flashes of memory returned, his knees weak as he used the counter to stabilize.

Hands were suddenly on his face, pulling his head back around and reddish lips began to kiss and suck at his own. "Mmm!" Dipper made a noise of confusion before Wirt pried his mouth open, chilly lips cooling his own fevered ones as his tongue coaxed Dipper's own. Dipper began breathing heavily, the scent of dirt, spice, and freshly chopped wood making him hazy. All the attention to different parts of him was overloading him, making him blank out, everything focused on the onslaught of pleasure fogging his mind.

"Please…forget…"

Dipper woke with a start, taking a deep breath and stopping when he heard snores from beside him. Looking over he saw Wirt curled into a ball, sleeping peacefully. He moved from under the blanket and stood, feeling a little dizzy. "What was that?" He was so confused but he decided to walk out to get water, as it looked Wirt was still fast asleep. The home was deathly silent as he padded down the hall, the floors feeling nice against his feet. The sun was barely rising and the birds outside chirped their good mornings.

After he drank, his body suddenly froze at the sound of cracking. The scent of hot tar reached his nose, a gag sending goosebumps along his flesh. With his body on alert, he slowly turned his head as his eyes caught roots along the living area rug. He knew those roots. They weren't allowed there. Slowly, he turned his body towards the noise, surprised at seeing The Beast in his more Human form, idly sitting on his couch. It was a strange thing to witness. With caution and his eyes never leaving the man on his couch, who also was looking outside, he stepped to the entrance of the hall.

"Are you worried Wirtham will wake? Or that I'll attack him?" The low timber had Dipper looking about for anything he could use.

"How are you here?" He glared, not moving a muscle.

Beau pulled out a tobacco pipe with nothing inside and blew black smoke out, his face the usual uninterested. "You should be protecting yourself."

"Why?" He asked, knowing this thing in his home was an enemy, not one to listen to.

"You children," he sighed, "So young and absolutely dull-witted. You do realize he feels nothing for you in the Human context of the word? He's still but a fool though being raised with Humans, it's no wonder he's become confused."

"What feeling do you mean?" He outstretched his hands a bit, getting antsy and his hackles raising.

Beau looked him in the eye. "You know what one…since it's the one why you're living here with him in this fantasy you've dreamt up for yourself." He spread one arm out wide, gesturing to the home.

Dipper's brows furrowed, he opened his mouth to reply but a heavy weight landed on his body, head throbbing as nausea hit him like a train. His knees buckled as the black roots spread closer to him. "Hnn!" He groaned, trying to gather his balance and stay as the shield between Beau and Wirt.

"What an interference," Beau sighed, standing from his spot and approaching Dipper, "you have become, young man. Just give in to your fate if you care for my children." He blew more smoke at Dipper.

By the time Beau was a few feet away and the roots were circling his calves, Dipper was breathing heavily and there was a ringing in his ears so loud he could barely think as his body trembled.

Electricity spread from his fingertips towards his arms in pinpricks until he was gasping for breath with the electricity burning his chest.

Flashes of Mabel and Paz, laughing and smiling at Mabel's antics…his Grunkles bickering like usual…Soos telling Melody of a few things he'd done and weird things he'd seen…Wendy and the gang picking on each other like old times…his parents back home, cuddling while watching their shows…

Wirt…holding Greg closely, like a mother to her baby, humming a tune with a small grin, with eyes so soft, it could put some mother's gazes to shame…Greg's own smile a little wider, nose scrunched as he nuzzles deeper into his elder brother…

Dipper's breath was haggard. "Get…out…" he glared up to Beau, who simply observed him like he were a mere animal. Dipper bared his teeth. "GET OUT!" He snarled, lines of gold spreading out like a rock to a windshield and shattering the home; the illusion.

Beau actually smiled small, satisfied. "I see now."

"LEAVE US ALONE!" He screamed.

Dipper bolted upright again, gasping for breath and his body still shaking, it over heated even as he felt chills. His eyes were crazy as he looked around, seeing his door on the floor and Greg having grabbed the lantern tightly in his grasp, everyone staring at him in alarm. With another cold wave of nausea, Dipper leaned over his bed and heaved.

"…Beatrice…what have we done?" Greg's small voice croaked, tears welling in hazel eyes.

Turned out, Dipper had been in bed for a week with a fever and it seemed to be the flu, so they simply tried treating it as such, thinking it was from the storm. Bad news, was that day he'd woken, Greg had left the room for a moment without the lantern to change out Dipper's cold pack and when he returned the door was locked where it wouldn't even budge.

Since then, Greg struggled to stay close to Dipper but also tried keeping the lantern from Dipper as far as he could. He also still didn't say how they got back or what was going on and none of the others questioned Greg either.

Dipper kept quiet about the dream, mostly to save himself the embarrassment.

July 4th was approaching them and everyone, especially Grunkle Stan and Mabel, were getting ready for a big party, Candy and Grenda included as they made special plans to visit Mabel.

Dipper was making a list of people who were attending so he'd know to build a space to accommodate them later on, when Greg, without the lantern, came up to him meekly. Beatrice wasn't with him either, which meant she was probably watching said cursed lantern.

Dipper smiled at him, setting his notepad down and patting the space beside him. "Hey, Greg. You finished helping Mabel?" He tried keeping it light.

Greg still didn't look to him, gulping down a lump as he wrung his hands. "I'm too scared to tell everyone at once, so I thought I'd bring it up with you first." He took a quick, guilty glance at Dipper. "I lied to Beatrice. I didn't steal Beau's lantern, but the goal was the same!" He forced out, trying to stay quiet with his obvious rise in panic.

Dipper listened, but it was obvious Greg was having a hard time. With a silent sigh, he put his hat on Greg's head and turned his body a bit more towards the kid, his mind forcing his body to stay relaxed. "I'm not gonna get mad, Bud." He rubbed Greg's back.

Greg took a shuddering breath and straightened, looking to Dipper in panic but he still held onto his bravery. "The Unknown has been in chaos since you guys left. The balance of it, was there was more dead than beings to feed. But with Wirt AND Beau there, even the Edelwood trees are suffering. It's not…it's not the same." He paused as Dipper, though having a hard time taking it in, listened intently. "I can't explain it well, it being more complicated than that." He muttered before shaking the nerves away. "So, The Cloud Woman came to me in a dream and told me if I can separate them, then balance can slowly return. She-she…" he paused, rubbing his arm as his brows furrowed in concentration. "She promised to return my Soul so Wirt can have a proper lantern, so it'd be easier to separate them in the long run. She said she kept my Soul safe out of guilt of what I was born into, but all this had given her a chance to return it, but…" he gulped, biting his nails, "but I have to separate Wirt and Beau first, or else it won't work. She didn't give any more details."

Dipper chewed on his pen as he processed the information. "You said you didn't steal it?" That knowledge left a bad feeling in his gut as he remembered his fever dream.

Greg startled, but nodded. "Even Beau has seen what's going on. He didn't say much, except that all of this will be entertaining, so he gave me the lantern and told me "good luck". Then I ran and got Beatrice and we came here." Greg removed the hat, but held it closely to his chest, running a hand through the old fur.

"How do you plan to separate them?" Dipper asked, it seeming like a very calculated plan for a kid who simply wants to save his brother.

Greg shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was in too much of a hurry." He looked dejected.

Dipper sighed, pulling Greg into a side hug. "We'll figure it out. For now, thanks for telling me. Don't worry, we'll get Wirt back, mother hen and all." He grinned, loving that side of Wirt.

Greg chuckled, the weight having lifted from his shoulders and he smiled. "Yeah. Mother hen and all."

In town, Robbie sighed, looking at the registrations for burials with confusion and frustration. They'd never had so many people wanting to bury their loved ones in Gravity Falls aside from their own cemeteries. It was good for business, so he ignored the nagging feeling of something being wrong. Besides, they had a lot of land and not many were moving in to Gravity Falls anymore.

Still, it didn't stop him from that bit of worry in his gut that told him something was coming.