The sun cast its weak winter afternoon glow over the forest, as Dipper and Fenris returned to the Mystery Shack. It felt late in the day, even though it was only half past three. There were no cars in the tourist parking lot, so Dipper felt comfortable enough to enter through the gift shop.

"Hey, Soos!" said Dipper cheerfully, spotting the former handyman setting up a display of new merchandise. Fenris trotted up to Soos and yipped a greeting. "Oh, this little god of destruction is Fenris. He says hi."

The current Mr. Mystery turned around from the stocking he was doing, and grinned, kneeling to pet the puppy. Then he looked up at Dipper.

"Hey Dip—woah, dude—still not used to seeing you with a goat butt," said Soos, standing up. "Mabel tells me you and Wendy are gonna like, hold hands and get married this evening? Did I get that right?"

"Pretty much, yeah," said Dipper with a shrug. "We're handfasting."

"Not to freak you out or anything, dude," said Soos, "but…why aren't you freaking out?"

"Um, what?" asked Dipper, perplexed. Fenris sneezed.

"Dude. Only like a week ago you were a thirteen-year-old boy," said Soos, his arms folded over his chest. "Now you're like, a god, a satyr, and getting married. Also, why married? You only just started dating."

"Um…well," said Dipper. "I mean, I love Wendy, and everything just kind of fell into place…"

What, you're not going to tell him that you have so little self-control as a satyr that Wendy's mom would prefer you to at least be married when the inevitable happens and you impregnate her daughter?

"Uh, Dipper—why are you looking at the puppy like that?" asked Soos, noticing Dipper's scowl.

"Huh? Oh, I smelled something. I think he farted."

Fenris heaved a sigh. Nice.

Soos cocked his head to the side. "Moving along. Seriously though, hambone. I know I'm not your parent or whatever. But I kind of feel like a big brother to you and Mabel, and I just want to know you're okay, and not, like, being pressured into anything you're not ready for."

Dipper smiled, his eyes a little wetter than normal. "Thanks, Soos. But don't worry, I'm not being pressured. And as far as I'm concerned, you are family, man. It's nice to know Mabel and I have an older brother looking out for us." He stepped forward and hugged the large man-child. Soos returned the hug, lifting Dipper off the floor.

Fenris' ears twitched. Aren't you two just precious.

As Soos sat Dipper back on his hooves, he cleared his throat.

"Oh, uh. Speaking of Mabel…I'm kind of worried about her, dude." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, she told me about how her friend Arden is really a goddess, and she's going to help her protect the Gravel Meadows from other soap bubbles…honestly, I'm confused by the whole thing. All I know is she goes out into the forest, without a coat, barefoot, for hours at a time, and when she comes back she's exhausted, and covered in scratches and bruises. I've tried to bring it up, but she brushes me off. Maybe you can talk to her? Mabel acts fine, but I've heard her crying in the bathroom, when she thought the shower was drowning out the noise."

Fenris let out a tiny growl, but didn't say anything.

Dipper felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Mabel had told him that she was training with Arden, but he hadn't really paid attention to the fact that her arms were covered in bruises, or that he could seeher arms at all, when she should have been wearing a coat due to the low temperature. Dipper had adjusted to being shirtless all the time while in the Green Realm, and although he felt the cold now that he was back in Gravity Falls, it didn't really bother him. Mabel, however, was still human, and had to have been freezing.

"I'll talk to her Soos, I promise," said Dipper, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Good," said Soos.

Dipper turned to head further into the Mystery Shack to prepare for his upcoming nuptials, when Soos called out to stop him.

"Oh, hey, wait Dipper! There's one more thing I'm confused about. You're hand-marrying Wendy tonight, and Mabel has pledged herself to a goddess, and vowed to stay here and protect the Grav…thing. But you're supposed to leave for Piedmont in two days. What are you going to do about that?"

Dipper stopped in his tracks. "Oh…. Oh, shit."

/

Although the sky was beginning to darken, the Gravnemeta was lit with an ethereal glow, from the thousands of tiny, hovering pinpricks of light that Puck had conjured to decorate for the ceremony. Arden had to admit, she was impressed with Puck's handiwork. He had not only created the lighting, he had conjured two rows of chairs, separated by a center aisle that was covered in a thick layer of fog near the ground, so that whoever walked on it would appear to be walking on clouds. Arden smiled to herself. Puck had always had a flair for the dramatic.

In fact, he had dramatically left the Gravnemeta abruptly, only minutes ago. He'd said he had an idea, and that he would be back in time for the ceremony.

Arden was putting the finishing touches on the makeshift altar she'd pieced together with naturally fallen materials from the surrounding trees, when she felt the familiar tug of someone seeking entrance to the Gravnemeta in the pit of her stomach. It was not as strong as when Puck had appeared, because he had torn open his own temporary portal between realms, which meant, instead, that someone was entering through the oak portal from the Green Realm.

The giant tree appeared to be yawning, as the portal opened slowly, until three shadowy figures walked forward.

Actually, there were four, as once Arden could see them clearly, she noticed a young brownie riding on the shoulder of a beefy-looking brunette. Then her eyes meandered to the two willowy redheads accompanying her, and she shrieked in surprise.

"Beithe?!" Arden ran forward and threw herself at her old friend.

"Arden! It has been so long!" laughed Beithe.

"Where were you? Why did you not tell Cerny and me where you were being sent? We worried!" said Arden, pulling out of Beithe's embrace, and holding her at arm's length.

"I was in the Green Realm the whole time," said Beithe sadly. "My father decided the keep me trapped in my tree form as punishment for my disobedience."

Arden opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off by a grunt from the stout brunette. "Cerny?"

The goddess of the sacred wild raised an eyebrow at the girl, who she now recognized as troll-kin. "Yes…my brother, Cernunnos. You know of him?" She was startled by sudden, raucous laughter from the other redhead, who could only be Beithe's daughter—the resemblance was uncanny.

"Arden, forgive my poor manners. This young woman to my right is Grenda, and her companion is the brownie, Bork. To my left, is my daughter, Wyn Dahlia, although she prefers to go by Wendy. And yes, she and Cernunnos became acquainted quite recently."

Wendy snorted, which made her laugh even harder. "Sorry!" she said through a fit of giggles. She bent over trying to catch her breath, and held up a finger. "One moment."

Arden stared curiously at Wendy, then met Beithe's eyes. "Is she… okay?"

Beithe rolled her eyes. "She is fine—just a teenager. Well, she might also have a slight case of bridal nerves."

"Oh, so it is your daughter who is marrying the new god of mischief!" said Arden. "I only met him today, although my new champion speaks very highly of him. She honestly only has good things to say about Dipper."

Wendy's head snapped up, and she was no longer laughing. "She? Who is she?"

Arden stepped back, surprised by the sudden ferocity of Wendy's gaze. "His sister, Mabel."

Wendy's entire demeanor relaxed, and she smiled. "Oh, okay."

"What?! Is Mabel like, a goddess now?" asked Grenda excitedly.

Arden shook her head. "No, she is still human, but I am going to be teaching her some basic warding and healing magics when she is ready. Right now she is learning to wield a pole-arm and bow."

"That is so COOL!" cried Grenda. "Can I come train with her sometime?"

"If you have the aptitude, I don't see why not," said Arden with a shrug.

"Ahem," came a tiny cough from Grenda's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt, but it is almost nightfall, and we still have to tend to Wendy's hair."

Beithe smiled at the brownie. "No need to be sorry, Bork. You are quite correct. Arden, we will have to catch up later. For now, we are going to find a spot nearby in the trees so that Wendy won't be visible to Dipper when he enters the clearing."

Arden nodded. "I will come fetch you when it is time for the ceremony."

The group made their way into the trees, and found a small clearing with a fallen log laying across it only about eight meters from the tree line. Wendy sat on the log, and her mother stood behind her, brushing her hair. She then began working on an intricate braid.

"Mom, what's wrong?" asked Wendy softly, not wanting Grenda and Bork to overhear their private conversation.

"Nothing, sweetie. Why would you think there's anything wrong?" said Beithe.

"Your hands are shaking."

"Oh," said Beithe. "It's just nerves, I suppose. Partly because my little girl is handfasting her beloved tonight, but also because…"

"Because…?" prompted Wendy.

Beithe sighed. "I haven't seen your father in six years, Wendy. I'm worried that he may have changed… or that he may not be happy to see me. Has he… I know this is awkward, so feel free to not answer me," said Beithe, her voice quavering slightly, "but has your father seen—that is to say, dated—other women since I've been gone?"

Wendy jerked her head around so fast that the braid Beithe had been working on slipped out of her hand and began to unravel. "Mom, no. Never. If I know anything about daddy, it's that he only ever had eyes for you."

Beithe smiled, tears in her eyes, as she put her hands on either side of Wendy's head, moving it back into position, and starting the braid all over again.

"Thank you, Wendy. I suppose if I'm to be worried about anything, it should be about your father's reaction to his baby girl getting married. It's a good thing Dipper is a god now, because otherwise, Dan would probably kill him."

Wendy laughed weakly. "Oh yeah…crap."

/

"Dipper, are you going to be in there much longer? The Mystery Shack is starting to smell like wet goat!" Pacifica called through the bathroom door. "We have to leave soon if you don't want to show up late for your own wedding!"

The water cut off, and Pacifica could hear the shower curtain being drawn back. "Sorry," replied Dipper. "I tried to teach myself how to shave before I got in the shower. It…did not go well."

With a loud whir, Mabel's hairdryer cut on, and the smell of goat intensified. Pacifica wrinkled her nose, and went to check on Mabel, who was in her room, panicking over what one should wear to a handfasting between gods, held in a sacred grove.

"What about this one?" she asked, as Pacifica walked through the door.

"What?" asked Pacifica.

Mabel turned around, holding a grey sweater-dress up against herself. She blushed.

"I was, uh, talking to Fenris," she said, nodding her head in the direction of the wooly black puppy sitting on her bed.

Pacifica arched an eyebrow. "And was the dog talking back?"

Fenris surprised her by standing on his hind legs and yipping once, very clearly, then dropping back to all fours.

Mabel grinned. "He is from the Green Realm, after all. He's got to be magical somehow. I was just talking to myself, but then he started barking or pawing at me like he was answering. He's the cutest thing ever."

Fenris stood proudly with his chest puffed out, and whuffed softly.

"Well, I hope he helped you choose," said Pacifica, "because we need to leave like, five minutes ago." She turned on her heel and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Crap," mumbled Mabel. As she began peeling off her garments, Fenris burrowed his head under the bed sheets.

Mabel quickly dressed in the grey sweater-dress, with black tights, a black belt, and a grey headband. As she sat on the bed to put her shoes on, she saw that Fenris had hidden his face. She threw the sheet off of him, laughing.

"Well aren't you just the sweetest little gentleman!" she said, scratching him behind the ears. "Come on, we've got a handfasting to get to!" She picked him up, and nuzzled her face into his neck, then carried him down the stairs.

Everyone was dressed in varying degrees of "fancy." Pacifica just wore the jeans and sweater she'd worn to work that morning, with her squishy purple marshmallow coat completing the ensemble. Melody wore dress slacks, and a flowing blouse, topped with a floor length duster. Soos had gone all out, and was dressed in a tuxedo that he'd just had "laying around," while Dipper was dressed in nothing more than his loincloth, and a very anxious expression.

Mabel noticed Dipper wringing his hands, so she sat Fenris down, and pulled her brother aside as everyone else exited the Mystery Shack into the golden glow of fading daylight.

"Nervous about getting hitched, bro-bro?" she asked.

"Honestly, I'm more worried of how badly Manly Dan will beat me when he finds out I'm marrying Wendy," said Dipper, wiping his sweaty palms on his loincloth.

"Wait—I thought you already told him!?" cried Mabel. "Isn't that why you went over there earlier?"

Dipper grinned and chuckled nervously. "Yeah…about that…"

Fenris pawed at Dipper's legs, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth in his version of a grin. This is going to be a veryinteresting evening.

/

The sun had fully set when the group from the Mystery Shack came upon the Gravnemeta. Dipper stopped and stared in awe. The giant oak appeared as if its canopy had been wrapped in multicolored fairy lights, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be actual fairies flitting among the branches.

Besides the fairies, illumination was also provided by tiny, swirling motes of light, hovering about ten feet above the clearing floor. There were two rows of chairs facing an altar, with a small fire burning before it. The floor of the center aisle between the chairs was shrouded in a heavy mist.

Fenris bounded toward the mist, and sniffed it, sneezing. Wow, Goat Boy, they really went all out for you. I guess a new elder god marrying Green Realm royalty iskind of a big deal…

Dipper nodded, mutely. Mabel grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "You got this, bro-bro."

Pacifica approached Dipper and smirked. "It's cute how terrified you look right now. Are you sureyou want to handfast with Wendy?"

"Of course I do," said Dipper. Then he gulped. "It's her dad I'm scared of."

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WHERE'S MY WENDY?"

"Oooooh, speak of the devil," said Pacifica, rubbing her hands together in anticipation of some serious drama.

"Oh, she's here somewhere, big dude," said Soos, who, with Melody, had crossed the clearing to stand with Dan and his three sons. "She's probably just finishing up getting ready for the wedding."

"Wedding? Who's getting married?" asked Dan, his confused gaze wandering the clearing.

"Uh, she is, dude. To Dipper. Didn't he tell you? He was supposed to tell you…" Soos trailed off, and backed away, as Dan's face turned a deep shade of crimson, visible even in the low light of the clearing.

"WHAT?!"

"Uh, this is the part where I run into the woods and hide for a bit, okay guys?" whispered Dipper to his companions, as he slowly backed toward the tree line. It was too late. Manly Dan Corduroy saw him. They locked eyes.

"PINES, YOU ARE DEAD!" he screamed as he barreled across the clearing, much like a charging bull.

Dipper turned and ran in the direction of the oak tree, while trying to yell out placations to Wendy's father.

"I haven't touched her yet, I swear!" he cried. "Well, I mean, I've touchedher, but not—argh!"

Dipper had to dodge a swipe of Dan's enormous hand, as the lumberjack was nearly upon him.

"I've only seen her naked once!" Dipper yelled, and then internally facepalmed.

Dan was too angry to even form words. He just bellowed, as Dipper zig-zagged throughout the Gravnemeta, narrowly avoiding Dan's outstretched arms.

"We—love—each other—Mr. Corduroy," Dipper shouted, gasping for breath. He was beginning to slow, so he tried to mentally prepare himself for lots of pain.

Finally, he felt it—Manly Dan's fist of iron closed around his neck, and lifted him off the ground.

"I'M GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING, GOAT-ASSED, WASTE OF CARBON!" Dan roared directly in Dipper's face. "DID YOU THINK ME FINDING OUT YOUR INTENTIONS IN FRONT OF ALL THESE PEOPLE WOULD LESSEN THAT CHANCE?! WENDY IS MY BABY GIRL, AND SHE'S TOO YOUNG TO GET MARRIED, LEAST OF ALL TO THE LIKES OF YOU!"

Dan continued screaming, but it started to sound like the crash of ocean waves, as Dipper's vision began to fade to black. Suddenly, an angry, feminine voice cut him off.

"Daniel Bartholomew Corduroy! You put Dipper down this instant!"

Dan's grip on Dipper's neck released, and the satyr collapsed in a gasping heap on the ground, as his vision and hearing returned to normal. He looked up at Dan, who was staring at someone in the distance, slack-jawed.

"B-Beithe?" whispered Dan, his voice hoarse from screaming. His brown eyes began to water over. "Is… is it really you?"

Dipper could hear the smile in Beithe's voice when she said simply, "Yes, Danny. It's me."

As Dipper struggled back to his hooves, Dan was off and running. This time, however, his face, instead of being contorted in rage, was a mask of sheer rapture. As soon as Dan reached Beithe, he picked her up at the waist and twirled her around joyfully, before setting her back on her feet and embracing her in his brawny arms. The couple was a sobbing mess, and they were quickly joined in their sobbing and hugging by Dan and Beithe's three sons, each grasping at the mother they had not seen for six years.

While the Corduroy family had their tearful reunion (sans Wendy, who was still cloistered with Grenda and Bork behind the tree line), everyone else mingled amongst themselves, trying not to be nosy. Arden, who had watched Dan's attempt to strangle Dipper with mild interest, wandered over to her champion's brother, and held her hand out toward him.

"May I?" she asked.

Dipper cocked his head to the side. "May you what, exactly?"

"May I heal the unsightly hand-shaped bruise forming around your neck? It will go away soon enough, due to your godhood, but not before the ceremony," explained Arden. "Unless you'd like to handfast your beloved with a reminder of her father's blatant disapproval ringing your neck."

Dipper touched his still very tender throat. "Oh. Uh, no," he said. Arden frowned at him, one eyebrow raised. "Oh, no, I meant 'no I don't want the reminder of her father's blatant disapproval ringing my neck.' Yes to healing. And thanks," said Dipper, feeling flustered.

Arden nodded, and placed her hand over the bruise. A cooling sensation spread from her hand, and encircled Dipper's neck. She removed her hand and the chill quickly faded. Dipper touched his neck, which no longer felt tender.

"Is it gone?" he asked the goddess. She nodded.

"That was so cool!" cried Mabel, who Dipper had not realized had joined them, along with Fenris, clutched in her arms. "Are you gonna teach me to do that, Arden?"

"You will not be able to do exactly that, as you are mortal," said Arden. "However, I will teach you to make potions and poultices that do much the same thing. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to talk to Beithe and see if we may begin the ceremony shortly." She turned and made her way sedately across the clearing to the weeping mess of Corduroys.

"Aww yeah," said Mabel, holding Fenris up to her face. "You hear that? I get to play doctor!"

"Ew, Mabel. Don't say it like that," said Dipper.

Fenris turned to face his friend, and cocked his head to the side, mind-speaking only to Dipper. I don't get it. Does 'play doctor' have another meaning than its literal one in this realm? She sounds genuinely excited to learn how to treat ill or injured patients.

"Ugh, Fenris. She is, but it sounds—you know what? I'll explain later. Maybe." said Dipper, forgetting he was supposed to be pretending that Fenris was a normal dog, and not a god.

"Um, Dipper, should I have Arden take another look at you?" said Mabel, peering up at her brother with raised brows. "I think the loss of oxygen might have caused some brain damage. You just talked to the puppy like you were having a conversation with him."

Come on Dipper,just tell her. She loves you and trusts you. Why try and fool her?

Dipper sighed and shook his head. This joke was too complicated to try and continue, anyway.

"Okay sis, I'm going to be completely honest with you. Fenris is the Norse God of Destruction. He can't talk to mortals, but I can hear him in my head. So if it seems like I'm talking to him, it's because I am."

Mabel looked from the puppy in her arms, to Dipper, and back to the puppy in her arms. And she burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh Dipper, you said that with a straight face and everything! You're just trying to play a joke on me! The Norse God of Destruction… seriously?! Do you think I'm that dumb?"

Wait. No. This isn't how it's supposed to go!

Dipper smirked. He told the truth, and she still didn't believe him. Now if he talked to Fenris in front of her she'd probably just assume he was messing with her. Win-win!

"Nope, he's really Fenrir, the Great Wolf," said Dipper, reaching out to scratch Fenris behind the ears. "He just prefers dog form unless he has to fight a big bad."

"Oh right, okay," said Mabel sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She flipped Fenris over in her arms like she was holding a baby, and began to rock him back and forth. "Such a ferocious little man, yes him is! Yes him is!"

Dipper, make it stop.

"Mabel, he says he wants you to stop," said Dipper, trying to hold back laughter. "He doesn't like what you're doing."

"Aw… but what if I give him BELLY RUBS!" cried Mabel, as she began scratching Fenris' pudgy puppy tummy. He squirmed, and one of his back legs started repetitively kicking the air.

Dipper couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

Fenris sighed, resigned. I hate you, Dipper.

While Dipper and Mabel were laughing at Fenris' expense, Soos wandered over to join them. Arden and Beithe were having a very earnest-looking conversation with Dan (hopefully meaning the handfasting could begin soon), while Melody and Pacifica talked to the Corduroy boys.

"Hey, dude," said Soos, fidgeting with his bowtie. "I'm sorry I, like, almost got you killed by Manly Dan. If I had known you didn't tell him about marrying Wendy I wouldn't have blurted it out like that."

"It's okay, Soos," said Dipper, patting his back. "I should have told you. With everything going on, it slipped my mind. But by his reaction, you can see why I didn't want to tell him with no one else around, right?"

"You have a point," nodded Soos. He sighed, glancing around the Gravnemeta, the glow of fairy's lights reflecting in his eyes. "It's a real shame your Grunkles couldn't be here. Stan might not be too impressed with all this, but Ford would have a field day! Can you imagine his face?"

Dipper smiled. "Ford would be seriously geeking out. He'd probably want to run all sorts of tests on me, make me do magic for him and stuff. I really miss him."

"And Grunkle Stan would toobe impressed," said Mabel, wiggling her eyebrows. "He would have loved watching Dipper get chased down by Manly Dan. Probably would have started a betting pool."

I hope I get to meet this "Stan." He sounds like my kind of guy.

"I'm wayahead of you," said a voice from behind them. Dipper whirled around.

"Puck! Where've you been?" asked Dipper.

You missed Wendy's dad strangling Dipper. It was really funny!

"Sorry I'm a bit late to the festivities. It turns out I had some business to attend to off the coast of South Africa," said Puck, very pleased with himself. "Consider this my wedding gift to you, Dipper."

Puck gestured into the copse of trees behind him, before quietly slipping away to seek out Arden. Out of the shadows stepped the two very confused looking Grunkles.

"GRUNKLE STAN!" screamed Mabel, as Dipper simultaneously cried "Grunkle Ford!"

The younger twins launched themselves at the older twins, Mabel dropping Fenris to the ground in the process.

The puppy let out a small whimper. It's fine. I wanted to be down here anyway.

"Dudes, you're back!" said Soos. "Hey everyone," he called to the rest of the group, his hands cupped around his mouth. "The Stans are here!"

As Stan and Ford disentangled themselves from the younger set of twins, they got a proper look at Dipper for the first time.

"Dipper, what on earth—" began Ford, but he was cut off by Stanley's loud exclamation of "GOAT BUTT!" as he pointed a finger at his great nephew.

Ford attempted to speak again. "What is all this? What's going on? Why are you—you look like a satyr? Did you experiment with gene splicing or…?"

Dipper frowned. "Puck didn't tell you anything? At all?"

"Puck? Who the Puck is that?" asked Stan, slapping his knee as he laughed at his own joke.

"Um, the god of mischief… who looks very much like Dipper, what with the goat parts and all," said Mabel. "You showed up with him just now. He's over there talking to Arden."

"Well, being a god does explain how he just suddenly appeared on our boat out in the open ocean, and somehow transported us here," said Ford, scratching his chin, "But I don't recall Tad Strange having any goat parts. And who is Arden?"

"Oh, he showed up as Tad," said Dipper. "Yeah, no, Tad Strange is… I wanna say an 'alter ego' of Puck's? This is going to take a while to explain."

A hand came to rest on Dipper's shoulder, and he turned to face Arden. "Dipper, you will have to allow the others to explain. Dan would like a word with you before we begin the ceremony."

"He's not going to try and strangle me again, is he?" asked Dipper with a nervous chuckle, while he left Soos, Mabel, Pacifica and Melody to attempt a truncated explanation of recent events for the Grunkles.

"If he tries, I will stop him," said Arden, with no hint of humor in her voice.

If he tries I will laugh, and then maybe bite his ankle, piped up Fenris, who was following closely at Dipper's heels.

"Thanks?" said Dipper.

He took a deep breath, and braced himself, as he was brought to stand in front of Manly Dan and Beithe. Dan was trying to scowl, but every time he looked at Beithe, the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

"So, Pines. You want to marry my Wendy," said the lumberjack, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Yes, sir," was all Dipper could make himself say.

"Why?" grunted Dan.

Dipper blinked, a tiny seed of rage beginning to bloom in his chest. "Excuse me?"

"Why do youwant to marry my daughter?" Dan asked, emphasizing his point by poking Dipper in the chest.

Dipper grabbed Dan's finger and shoved it to the side. He squared his shoulders, and without consciously intending to, began to grow until he was tall enough that he stood eye to eye with Manly Dan Corduroy.

"Take a good look at me, Dan. If you remember our previous encounters this past summer, you'll probably note that my goat half and horns are a recentacquisition. I didn't ask for them. But when I found out mortals could not enter the Green Realm, I sought the help of a god and did what was necessary to gain entrance to the Green. The god, Puck, wanted a protégé. I've never particularly had an interest in pursuing godhood, but I became one, for one reason, and one reason only: for Wendy.

"I love your daughter, and although I may never understand why, she loves me. Everything I've done in the past week has been for her. I fought trolls, I learned to use and control my newfound magic, I fought a god—I've been to hell (well, Helheim) and back, literally. And I helped rescue your wifefrom being trapped in her tree form by her father, the Green Man. Incidentally, the Green Man was attempting to marry Wendy off against her will to another elder god."

Dipper paused and took a deep breath. Dan opened his mouth to interject, but Dipper held his palm up.

"No, Dan. I'm not finished yet. See, I've noticed a disturbing trend in Wendy's family. It seems the men in her family think of women as their 'property.' The Green Man was going to marry Wendy off to someone she wasn't interested in, essentially using her as a bargaining chip in his game of power. And then there's you. Wendy has expressed her desire to handfast with me. She loves me. But for some reason, you feel the need to approve of the match first. To judge whether or not I'm 'good enough' for her. Dan, Wendy may be your only daughter, but she is a person in her own right. She deserves to be listened to, to have her opinions and wishes honored. So while it would be nice for you to give us 'your blessing,' we don't need it. Because youare not giving Wendy to me—she is giving herself to me."

Dipper took a deep breath and let it out slowly, while returning to his normal height, but he didn't break eye contact with Manly Dan. The Gravnemeta was absolutely silent—even the whisper of fairy wings in the oak canopy stopped, as everyone at the Sacred Grove held their breath, awaiting Dan's response.

Dipper, that was either brilliant, or incredibly stupidremarked Fenris, from down near Dipper's hooves.

After what seemed to Dipper like ages, but was, in reality, only a few seconds, Manly Dan grinned and nodded. He turned to Beithe, whose arm was linked through his.

"You were right about him," said Dan. "Kid's got guts. Wendy knows how to pick 'em, just like her mom."

A collective sigh of relief echoed throughout the Gravnemeta.

Dan turned back to Dipper. "Don't get me wrong. You and Wendy are both still very young—and if you get my daughter pregnant before a year has passed, I will teach you the true meaning of pain. I am comfortable with the two of you handfasting—but no hanky panky." Dan said all this with a grin still plastered across his face, which made it slightly more terrifying.

Dipper gulped and nodded, resisting the urge to be a smartass and ask for the exact definition of "hanky panky."

"So!" said Puck loudly from behind Dipper, startling the young god into jumping. "How's about we get this handfasting underway? One of my shows is airing a special tonight, and if I miss it, I shall be very put out."

In a flurry of movement, the guests began to take their seats, when suddenly, the sound of flatulence filled the night air. Everyone looked around, startled.

Puck burst out laughing, tears of mirth spilling down his face.

"Whoopee cushions, Puck? Seriously?" said Beithe.

Dipper looked at Arden. "Now imagine if he'd had to plan and decorate for the ceremony all on his own. Thank youfor stepping in and doing most of it."

Arden grinned. "You are quite welcome. Oh, here," she said, handing Dipper a blue wool hooded cloak, with a Celtic knotwork clasp at the throat. "Put that on—Wendy wanted you to wear it. Come now, stand in front of the sacred circle, so the ceremony can begin."

Dipper threw the cloak around his shoulders, and followed Arden to the circle. He was beginning to tremble, but not due to the cold.

/

Wendy stood near the back of the Gravnemeta, watching as Dipper was led toward the altar. It was almost time. Grenda and Bork had gone to join the seated group, and in the dim glow from the motes of light floating over the clearing, she saw her mother leading her father back toward her.

When Dan finally spotted Wendy standing against the tree line he jogged the last few paces to her, and enveloped her in one of his lung-collapsing bear hugs.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Wen," he whispered into her hair. He grasped her shoulders, and held her at arm's length. "You're sure this is what you want—to handfast with Dipper? Don't look at me like that. I just really need to hear it from youfor myself."

Wendy nodded up at her father. "Yes, dad. Dipper and I love each other. I want to handfast with him."

Manly Dan sighed. "Okay. Let's get you hitched, then."

Beithe stood on Wendy's left, while Dan stood on her right. She linked arms with both of them, and they made their way toward the aisle of fog. At the edge of the fog, they stopped, and each kissed her on the cheek, before taking their seats.

Wendy took a deep breath, and stepped forward into the blanket of fog. To her surprise, a slow drum beat began, accompanied by a haunting melody from a set of pan pipes. Arden and Puck stood on either side of the circle, playing their instruments at a slow, but steady pace, as Wendy walked sedately forward.

She looked up at Dipper, feeling as though butterflies were holding a mixed martial arts match in her stomach. Dipper was staring at her, a look of complete awe on his face. As she got closer to him, she realized his eyes were welling over with tears.

/

Wendy was the most beautiful creature in existence. She wore a hooded velvet dress, the same color of deep blue as the cloak she had asked that Dipper wear. The hood was drawn up, loosely covering her head, allowing enough room for her thick, intricate braid to rest over her shoulder. The neckline was low enough to entice, without being immodest. The bodice was skin tight, as were the sleeves, down to the elbow. From there, they loosened, the flowing material cascading down to a point, which reached her knees if her hands were down at her sides. The skirt was long and full, and swayed softy with every movement of her hips, around which she wore a silver girdle of Celtic knotwork.

Wendy's porcelain skin seemed to give off an ethereal glow as it reflected the swirling, hovering lights above. She slowly walked up the aisle of mist toward Dipper, white clouds billowing up in her wake, swirling like smoke. She met his eyes and her smile, aimed at him, and him alone, was somehow at the same time demure and seductive.

By the time that Wendy reached the front of the sacred circle, and Arden and Puck ceased playing their haunting tune, Dipper was trembling all over. Wendy noticed and winked at him.

Arden entered the circle, and stood in front of the makeshift altar, where she turned to face Dipper and Wendy. "Please join hands, and enter the circle, standing opposite of me, in front of the fire."

Dipper and Wendy did as they were told. Wendy's hand was ice cold, and Dipper squeezed it gently. The fire in front of them was so tiny it did little more than warm their shins.

"Fire is an interesting phenomenon," said Arden. "The heat of fire can be used to destroy, or to sustain life; to injure, or to purify."

Dipper swallowed, and stared down at the small flame. He was beginning to wish he had asked more about what was supposed to happen during a handfasting ritual.

"The fire before you represents the love you share, Wyn Dahlia Corduroy, and Mason Pines. Close your physical eyes, and using your mind's eye, cast into the flames any doubts you may have about your beloved, any jealousies, and any pride you retain. Allow the flames to devour any weaknesses in your relationship, and purify your intentions."

Dipper thought the instructions sounded a little hokey, but he tried to do what Arden asked, and was surprised to feel the heat of the flames intensify.

"Now open your eyes, and meet the eyes of your beloved," said Arden. Dipper and Wendy looked at each other, his soft brown eyes nervously studying her level, emerald gaze. Wendy smiled gently, and gripped Dipper's hand more tightly, eliciting a soft smile from him in return.

"In choosing to handfast each other, you are agreeing for your soul to be bound to the other, as married, for a period of a year and a day. If you have any reservations, you must bring them forward now."

Wendy and Dipper both turned their heads toward Arden, and shook them in the negative.

"Very well," said Arden. She turned to the altar, and when she turned back around, she was grasping a long, silken, green ribbon. "You must face your beloved, and clasp each other's left hands, then over top of them, clasp each other's right hands."

Dipper and Wendy did as instructed. Arden then began to wrap the ribbon loosely around their hands and arms in a series of infinity loops.

"With this binding, two souls join. Two hunt as one for passion and pleasure."

At the mention of passion and pleasure, a loud cough that sounded very like Manly Dan broke the hushed silence of the onlookers. Arden raised her eyebrows, and continued the ritual.

"Two act as a shield for each other's back, and as guardian of their love, that neither god, nor man, should tear the intertwined souls asunder."

Arden finished wrapping their hands and arms, and held the two ends of the ribbon up side by side, then began tying them into a knot.

"Two hearts beat as one, gathering vows to love and protect, that this handfast knot, in a year and a day, be replaced with an eternal knot."

Arden looked Dipper and Wendy each in the eyes, and then lifted her hands away from their intertwined and bound hands and arms.

"As the universe wills it, may you know nothing but happiness," she said, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

Dipper and Wendy laughed as they awkwardly leaned forward, their bound arms and hands in the way, and shared a soft kiss.

A sudden, gleeful whoop from Mabel broke the stillness of the moment, and everyone began to clap, cheer and whistle. Above the din, Dipper heard the tiniest of howls pierce the air, and he couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. It was done. He and Wendy were, for all intents and purposes, married.

/

Because it was dark and cold, Arden and Puck offered to shuttle the handfasting guests back to the Mystery Shack in several small groups. As elder gods, they had the capability to travel nearly instantaneously within realms, even with mortals in tow. (They could not, however, ferry mortals betweenrealms—only gods could pass between different realms without making use of a permanent portal, like the giant oak). As a new elder god, Dipper made a mental note to ask Puck to teach him how to use this very handy power. This time, however, he and Wendy "caught a ride" with Arden, the last group to vacate the Gravnemeta. It had taken a while to figure out how to disentangle themselves from the ribbon without cutting it, or untying the knot. Wendy wanted to keep it, and felt it would be bad luck to destroy it in the process of removing it.

Upon their arrival back at the Shack, they were greeted with a raucous party, which was already well underway. Soos had taken over his favorite role as DJ and MC, and everyone else was mingling, dancing, or helping themselves to the copious amounts of food laid out.

While Dipper was thrilled to finally be handfasted with Wendy, something had been nagging at him all afternoon. He hadn't brought it up, because he didn't want anyone to be needlessly upset—but as Soos had reminded him earlier, he and Mabel were supposed to return to Piedmont in two days, and pick up their old lives right where they'd left off. Clearly that could not happen, but he didn't know what he and Mabel could tell their parents to convince them to allow the twins to remain in Gravity Falls indefinitely.

Dipper looked around the room, and spotted Mabel dancing with Grenda and Pacifica. He leaned over and kissed Wendy on the cheek. She turned and smiled at him.

"Hey, I need to go talk to Mabel for a minute, is that okay?" asked Dipper.

"Of course, dork," said Wendy. "I should probably go hang out with my family some, anyway."

"Alright. I shouldn't be too long," said Dipper. He pulled Wendy in close, and whispered hotly in her ear. "I can't wait until we're alone. I love you."

Wendy blushed, and nearly tripped over her own feet as she turned away from Dipper, and went to seek out her family.

Dipper grinned to himself, as he made his way over to Mabel. She, Pacifica, and Grenda were standing in a circle, all staring at the floor, clapping in time to the music and laughing. Dipper soon saw what they were looking at: Bork was riding on Fenris' back, waving his arms in the air, while Fenris spun in circles, chasing his tail. Waddles, who had remained at the Mystery Shack during the handfasting, stood at Mabel's feet, watching the strange display with his head cocked to the side.

"Having a good time, Fenris?" asked Dipper loudly, as he joined the circle.

Fenris stopped spinning, and stared up at Dipper with his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

I have never heard music like this before. I like it!

Dipper laughed, and scratched the puppy behind his ears. Then he touched Mabel's arm.

"Hey sis, can I borrow you for a minute?"

"Sure thing, bro-bro," said Mabel, following Dipper to a corner of the room away from the boom of the speakers. Dipper leaned up against the wall and crossed his arms.

"We have a problem, Mabel. I'm a god of mischief in satyr form who just married a dryad, who, incidentally, happens to be a minor goddess in her own right. You have pledged yourself to serve as priestess and champion of the goddess of the sacred wild, and vowed to protect the Gravnemeta."

Mabel frowned. "And the problem is?"

Dipper sighed. "Mabel, has it occurred to you yet that we're supposed to go home to Piedmont in two days? Well, less than two days, technically."

Mabel giggled uncomfortably. "Oops. Uh. No. I was kind of occupied with worrying about you, Grenda, and Wendy, and then Arden came along and started teaching me the ways of badassery…"

"So what do we do?" asked Dipper. "I mean, I'm not leaving Wendy. Not now, not ever. Plus, I would have a really hard time explaining how I turned into a seventeen-year-old satyr. Now that the Grunkles are back, do you think we could have them find a reason to talk mom and dad into letting us stay here—that has nothing to do with gods or magic?"

Mabel pursed her lips. "Well, you could always say Ford offered you an apprenticeship again, and you accepted it this time..."

"Yeah, but what about you?" asked Dipper. "We need some kind of convincing excuse that includes a reason why it is necessary that we bothremain in Gravity Falls."

"Have you considered telling them the truth?" asked Puck, seeming to pop up out of nowhere. Dipper and Mabel stared at him mutely.

"What? I was eavesdropping. I suppose I should apologize for that, but I'm not sorry, so…yeah, that's about it." Puck shrugged. "But the truth—that's a thing, you know."

"Puck—believe me when I say this: our parents could nothandle the truth," said Dipper.

Mabel nodded, and continued for her brother. "We tried telling them about some of the weird stuff that happened here over the summer—not even Bill level weird, but like—the Gobblewonker, and the gnomes trying to make me their queen."

"Their reaction?" said Dipper. "They completely freaked out. Said they never should have let us visit Grunkle Stan, and wouldn't be sending us back. So Mabel and I backtracked, and pretended we were just joking; we made up those stories to keep ourselves occupied, because life in Gravity Falls was, in actuality, reallydull."

"So you see," said Mabel, "if they found out the truth, it might actually kill them."

"Hmmm," said Puck, studying his fingernails. "The truth option is usually the least fun anyway. I guess it's a good thing for you guys that Tad Strange already called and talked to your parents."

"Wait, what?!" cried Dipper, jerking out of his casual lean on the wall, and standing at attention. "What did you do, Puck?"

As an answer, Puck produced two professional-looking, glossy brochures, and handed them to the twins.

"Gravnemeta Arts and Sciences School, located in picturesque Gravity Falls, Oregon," Dipper read aloud from the cover. "Tad Strange, Headmaster." He looked up at Puck in disbelief.

Mabel had opened her brochure, and began reading the inside. "GASS is an exclusive private academy, which only takes a handful of students in each year. The students must have proved their merit, because all accepted students are awarded full scholarships, which include tuition, as well as room and board.

"At GASS, we focus on developing the innate talents and abilities of our students, while introducing new subject matter as well. The program is year-round, because the thirst for knowledge shouldn't end in June." Mabel looked up from the brochure. "So… our parents think we got scholarships to attend this made-up school?"

Puck nodded. "Apparently, you two applied earlier this fall, but didn't tell your parents, because you didn't think you'd get in anyway, you rascals. Tad had a nice long chat with them on the phone earlier today. They are thrilled you both got in to GASS, and would probably appreciate a phone call from you soon."

"Unbelievable," muttered Dipper, staring at the glossy photos of teenagers at computers, holding beakers, and walking the paths of the impressively manicured campus. The campus that didn't actually exist.

"Puck, this is all well and good," said Dipper, holding up the brochure, "but what about when our parents want to inevitably come for a visit and tour of the campus?"

"Psssh," said Puck, flapping a hand at his protégé. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, if you'll excuse me—the special I mentioned earlier, the one that's airing tonight? It starts in a few minutes. Toodaloo!"

As suddenly as he had appeared, Puck was gone. Dipper shook his head, and laughed.

"What's funny, bro-bro?" asked Mabel, still clutching her GASS brochure.

"I was just thinking—Puck doing exactly what we needed without us asking—it seems like a total 'deus ex machina' move. But he isa god. So, I guess, if you've 'god' it, why not flaunt it?" Dipper chuckled again at his own little pun.

Mabel grinned and rolled her eyes. "Right. Anyway, that's the main problem dealt with. One more to go, now—where are we going to live? I mean, I can probably stay on at the Mystery Shack, or maybe with Grenda's family. But what about you and Wendy? Are you planning on living with her family? If so, I foresee that being incredibly awkward."

Dipper's shoulders slumped. "I have actually not given that subject any thought at all. I feel like an idiot."

Mabel put a hand on Dipper's arm, and nodded in Wendy's direction. "You should probably go have a talk with your bride, you idiot."

/

Dipper wandered across the room, to where Wendy was sitting at a table, across from her mom and dad. Her brothers had stationed themselves at the buffet, trying to out-eat one another.

As Dipper approached Wendy from behind, he smiled blandly at Manly Dan, who simply raised an eyebrow in return. Dipper leaned over Wendy's shoulder, startling her.

"Meet me on the roof in five," he whispered into her ear, and then kissed her on the cheek, and meandered away casually.

As he attempted to climb the ladder to the roof, he was glad Wendy wasn't there to watch. Climbing a narrow, metal ladder with hooves was a bit more complicated than climbing it with feet. He finally made it to the roof, and made himself comfortable while he waited, leaning against the shingles with his hands behind his head. He gazed at the stars, and smiled, remembering his time with Wendy on the roof on Christmas Eve. It felt like a lifetime ago, but it had been little more than a week since then.

Dipper wasn't wearing a watch, but it felt like it had been quite a bit longer than five minutes by the time he heard Wendy opening the hatch to the roof.

"Sorry it took me so long to get up here," she said, as she closed the hatch and moved to lay next to Dipper, snuggling into his side. "I couldn't get away from my dad. Mabel finally noticed what was going on, and started a dance-off, so that everyone crowded around the dance floor, and I could sneak away. The first person to dance was Stan. He does a mean 'sprinkler.'"

Dipper snorted. "The old man never fails to surprise," he said with a chuckle. He leaned up on his elbow, and looked down into Wendy's face. "Gods, you're beautiful," he murmured, lightly brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Wendy blushed becomingly, and grinned. "You're not so bad-looking yourself, Pines," she said softly. Then she reached up and twined her fingers through his dark brown curls, and pulled him down for a kiss.

Wendy's lips were soft and inviting. Dipper sighed against her, and returned her kiss—not with the fierce desperation of their first kisses—but gently, and sensually. He could feel his baser nature trying to take over, and he consciously worked to suppress it. Since their encounter in the bathtub, he'd done some thinking. He didn't want to rush things like they had been about to before Beithe showed up. Especially not until Wendy had mastered the contraceptive spell. It was going to be difficult, but Wendy had always proven to be worth the wait.

Wendy pulled her mouth away from Dipper's, and began softly kissing his neck. Dipper's baser nature began throwing a tantrum. It wanted out. It wanted Wendy. Dipper tried, unsuccessfully, to hold in a low moan.

He pushed himself back from Wendy, until he could meet her gaze. She smiled at him, a vulnerable, but incredibly sexy smile that she reserved for him alone. Dipper wanted nothing more than to fall upon her, letting passion lead them where it may. He closed his eyes and shook his head to clear it, while taking a shuddering breath.

"We have to stop," he said quietly, his voice full of regret.

Wendy looked confused and hurt.

"Wen, I love you. You know that. And I want you sobadly. But neither of us are ready to be parents," whispered Dipper.

"Well, I mean… there are…things…we can do with each other that don't cause pregnancy," said Wendy, winking.

Dipper sat up fully, and sighed. Wendy reached a hand out, and he helped her sit up as well, not letting go after she was upright.

"I just don't know how far I'll be able to take things, without losing control like I did in the bath," said Dipper, looking down at their clasped hands. "So if we try doing…things… we'll have to take it slow. Really slow. I almost lost my composure kissing you just now."

Wendy leaned in, and rested her forehead against Dipper's. "I promise that I will practice the contraceptive spell. Every. Single. Day. Until such time as I've mastered it, I have no problem with you setting the pace of our physical relationship."

Dipper smiled. "Do me a favor, if you would, though," he said. "If I start to act all…randy in a feral sort of way like I did back in the Green Realm, and start moving too fast again…please shut me down."

"You got it," said Wendy, with a grin.

"So...that conversation definitely needed to happen," said Dipper, "but it isn't why I asked you to come up here. I actually wanted to talk about where we're going to live, now that we're married."

Wendy raised her eyebrows. "Oh? I figured we'd live with my family, at least for now. I already talked to my mom and dad about it. My dad said we have to 'behave ourselves' in his house, but also grudgingly acknowledged that as a married couple, we shouldn't have to live apart."

Dipper took in a deep breath, and blew it out. "It's gonna be awkward as all hell, you realize that, right?"

Wendy punched Dipper lightly on the shoulder. "Come on, man. You're like, the King of Awkward. It'll be fine!"

"Well, we'd better head back down to the party, then," said Dipper, standing up, and helping Wendy to her feet. "People might start thinking we've gone off somewhere to uh, consummate our union. If I'm going to be living in your dad's house, I don't want to get on his bad side. I'd hate for him to try and strangle me twiceon our wedding day."

Wendy grinned. "Yeah man, that'd be a real drag."

/

The party was finally winding down. Pacifica had already left, miffed that Ford had won the dance-off over her. Everyone had been quite impressed with his skills at popping and locking.

Soos had set his playlist on shuffle, and was sitting on the couch, talking to Melody. The Grunkles had cornered Arden, and been talking her ear off, asking her to tell them about the Green Realm, and the other gods, and to show them some real magic. She finally excused herself, saying she needed to get back to standing vigil at the Gravnemeta. She had also taken Waddles with her, after asking Mabel if the pig could keep her company.

Grenda followed shortly thereafter, with Bork on her shoulder. The two had become quite close, and now that Wendy was married, Bork felt he would be in the way if he stayed with her. When Grenda suggested that he live with her family, he was so happy, he nearly cried.

The last people to leave the Mystery Shack were the Corduroys, with Dipper in tow. Mabel hugged her brother tightly.

"Don't let Manly Dan intimidate you," she said. "You belong with Wendy, and you know it."

Dipper grinned. "Oh, yes. Of that, I am certain." He gave Mabel a mock salute, and walked out the door, where he joined hands with a waiting Wendy, and disappeared with her into the forest in the direction of the Corduroy home.

Fenris watched this interaction from his vantage point beneath the buffet table. He heaved a sigh that came out as a small whimper, and scooted himself back so that he was hidden under the nearly floor-length tablecloth.

After Dipper and Wendy had come back from wherever it was they had disappeared to, Dipper seemed to completely forget Fenris was even there. Fenris understood up to a point—Dipper had just gotten married, so he was bound to be preoccupied. However, he didn't even say goodbye to Fenris before he left, and that hurt.

Fenris had never been one to make friends, mainly because other gods and creatures avoided him, due to that stupid prophecy. It appeared that Dipper had quite a few friends. It must be easy to take a single friend for granted, when you have so many others, Fenris mused. But Dipper was the only god to ever take Fenris at face value, and to trust him—even after he realized that Fenris was actually Fenrir from the Ragnarok prophecy. That had meant a lot to Fenris.

With Dipper's departure, there were no non-mortals left at the Mystery Shack, which meant there was no one available for Fenris to even talk to. He had gotten used to the constant flow of banter between himself and Dipper, and having no one around to understand him made him incredibly lonely.

While Fenris was lost in thought, a pair of feet passed by the buffet table, the tablecloth billowing out in their wake. Fenris recognized Mabel's shoes. Then her heard a sniff, followed by a muffled sob. Curious, he poked his face out from beneath the cloth, and saw her heading toward the door to the rest of the house, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Well, this won't do at allFenris said to himself. He leapt to his feet, and scampered as quickly as he could toward Mabel, who was nearly to the door. Luckily, she heard the chittering of his claws on the wood floor, and turned around. Fenris skidded to a stop in front of her, and stood up, putting his front paws on Mabel's leg. He yawned widely.

Mabel sniffed, and smiled down at Fenris with watery eyes. "Oh, Fenris! I didn't realize you were still here, buddy. I thought you would have left with Dipper."

Fenris cocked his head to the side and whimpered.

"I guess we're both feeling kind of lonely right now, huh?" asked Mabel. She reached down and scooped up the puppy, burying her tearstained face in his neck. "I was going to bed. How 'bout you come with me?"

Fenris wuffed softly and licked her cheek.

When they arrived at the attic, Mabel began to divest herself of her clothing. Fenris turned and faced the wall. Mabel noticed this and laughed. When she was dressed in her pajamas, she climbed into bed, and patted the mattress.

"You can sleep up here with me, Fen. C'mon boy!"

Fenris jumped, and missed the mark, scrabbling desperately at the mattress, only to fall backward. He stood up and shook himself, embarrassed.

"Oh!" cried Mabel. She leaned over the side of the bed, and picked Fenris up. She cuddled him to her chest and lay on her side, holding him like a teddy bear. Fenris wiggled in her arms until he was face to face with her.

Mabel smiled sadly. "I used to sleep like this with Waddles, before he got too big," she said absently, stroking the back of Fenris' neck. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Now he's almost always with Arden." She sniffed. "I guess I'm not too mad, because she can understand him—it must be nice to be understood after a lifetime of not being understood."

You have no idea how true that is, said Fenris, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

"Still, it doesn't make me miss him any less," said Mabel, with a sigh. Another tear rolled down her cheek. Fenris leaned forward and licked it away.

"I miss Dipper, too. Even though he's back, it's like he's still not here," said Mabel. She paused to sniff and wipe her eyes, then continued. "I mean… I know he'll always be my bro-bro, but he's so different now. And married! What?" She laughed wetly. "I had—I had hoped that by agreeing to be Arden's priestess and champion, it would give me more in common with him, since he's a god now." Her voice was quavering now. "Nope. Turns out that with all the training I have to do, I probably won't see much of him at all, unless he goes out of his way to see me."

Mabel held Fenris a little closer and buried her face in his fur. With her voice slightly muffled, she continued her heartfelt rant. "Fat chance of that happening, now that he's married to Wendy. And now Grenda has Bork, and Pacifica…well she's Pacifica. I think we're frenemies, at best. And Soos has Melody, and the Grunkles have each other. I have Arden… but even discounting the fact that she beats the crap out of me on a daily basis, it seems like she's much more interested in a return on her investment in me, rather than me as a person."

Mabel lifted her face from Fenris' fur, and was greeted by a gentle lick on the nose. She smiled, even as her eyes continued to water over.

"Sorry for making you my therapist," said Mabel, scratching Fenris behind the ears. "It's really nice to have someone to talk to, even if you can't talk back." She sighed. "Yet another reason I miss Waddles…" She pulled the puppy as close to her body as she could, and gave him a gentle kiss on the top of his head. "But now I have you," she said, punctuated by a jaw-popping yawn. "Goodnight, Fen."

You do have me now, Mabel, said Fenris. Goodnight.

As she had spilled her heart out to him, Fenris had felt a strange feeling rise, and settle in his chest. Mabel was a pure, gentle soul, and he wanted to protect her. He wanted her to never feel lonely or abandoned again. He decided there and then, to undertake a personal mission—a mission to ensure the happiness and well-being of Mabel Pines.

Fenris sighed and closed his eyes, listening to the gentle rhythm of Mabel's breathing. It felt good to have a purpose.

/

Dipper and Wendy were spending a very un-glamorous wedding night crammed together in Wendy's twin bed. They lay, holding hands, staring at the ceiling, and occasionally whispering back and forth. It was past midnight, but neither could sleep, though not for lack of trying.

When they had arrived at the Corduroy house, Manly Dan had laid some "ground rules."

Dipper could sleep in Wendy's room if and only ifthe door remained open.

Even though he wore a loincloth during the day, Dipper must wear sweatpants to bed.

As an addendum to rule one, the door must remain open anytime Dipper and Wendy were alone in her room. Period.

Dan said he might be passing by in the hallway periodically at night, to make sure no "hanky panky" was going on. While Dan was ranting, Beithe stood slightly behind him, shaking her head and facepalming.

True to his word, Dan practically stood vigil at Wendy's door all night. If Dipper or Wendy shifted and the mattress squeaked, he'd pop his head in the door, eyes narrowed. When he observed nothing amiss, he slowly withdrew, only to pop back again if either of the newlyweds coughed, or if, gods forbid, the sheets rustled.

After the ninth time her father had popped his head in the door (Dipper had tried to adjust his pillow a bit too loudly), Wendy was fed up.

"This isn't just incredibly awkward," she whispered. "It's humiliating."

"So," Dipper whispered back, "first thing tomorrow, do you want us to ask my Grunkles for permission to build a small cabin on the edge of their property?"

"Oh gods, yes!" cried Wendy, forgetting to whisper in her enthusiasm.

With a roar, Dan leapt into the bedroom, dual-wielding hatchets in fists raised furiously above his head.

He paused for a moment, noting the newlyweds' wide eyes and terrified expressions, as well as the fact that they appeared to have not moved at all since the last time he had peeked in, and slowly lowered his arms.

"This was just a drill," he mumbled, as he turned and walked out of the room.

Dipper hopped out of bed, grabbed his pillow, and leaned over to kiss Wendy on the cheek.

"So, yeah," he said softly. "I'm, uh… I'm gonna just go sleep on the sofa."

Wendy nodded in understanding.

As Dipper passed Wendy's father in the hallway, he raised his eyebrows, and said "Goodnight, Dan."

Manly Dan grunted.

/

/

/

Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out for the next installment, Gravity Falls: Worlds Collide. Last time I posted the fics I did it all in one, but this time each "book" is going to be posted separately.

I'd love it if you'd leave a review and let me know what you think!

Hearts and Flowers,

MPD