Chapter 3: Family Reunion
"Read 'em and weep big guy!" Stan taunted, as he slapped his cards down on the table. "Three Aces, bet you can't beat that!"
Bruce grunted as he took a puff of his cigar. "Not bad… Doesn't beat three Jacks and a pair of duces though…"
"You gotta be kiddin' me!" Stan whined, as he lost another twenty to the cryptid prodigy. "Where did you learn how to play poker and blackjack anyhow?"
Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "I get around… You up for another round or are you broke now?"
"Ha! I'm far from tapped out yet! Still, you sure you don't want to go into business? Play a round of five-card draw with Bigfoot, who just happens to be a cardsharp! Just think of all the rubes we could fleece!"
"I'm already winnin' enough off of you to retire… You going again or what?"
Clint laughed as the old codger and the old missing link continued their back and forth, playing cards in the kitchen of the Mystery Shack. "Looks like Stanley's made a new friend."
"Yes… I'm still debating whether that's a good thing or not." Ford lamented, as he reached into his pocket and presented something to Clint. The very crystals he'd come to the Mystery Shack hoping to obtain. "I believe these are what you were looking for? Hopefully, your next attempt will get you home."
"Really?" Clint's eyes widened, quickly accepting the gift before Ford could change his mind. "I was worried I'd have to do a lot more convincing…"
"I'm not gifting these to you without reservations… But after pondering your situation for a while well… As much as the notion of dimensional travel alarms me, I also know what it feels like to be lost in another world and far from home… Longer than any one person ever should. I couldn't allow myself to be the one responsible for you shouldering that burden. That, and it helps that I know that after you use those totems one last time, unless you somehow wind up in Andorra again, there'll be no other way to power them. Useless to anyone attempting to misuse dimensional travel."
"I really appreciate it Dr. Pines… I've waited so long…" Clint was thankful for a lot of things at that moment. Not only had Soos been kind enough to allow Bruce to hideout at the Mystery Shack until he healed up, but he also allowed Clint, a complete stranger to him as far as Soos knew, to stay the night after an exhausting adventure in the mountains. Patience was quickly wearing thin for the young man though. He'd kept Tracey and Takura waiting for two days now with virtually no word from him. He didn't want to keep them in the dark any longer. It was time to get moving, put the final touches of his plan into motion, and finally get back home to his own time. "So long in fact, I can't wait a moment longer. I already thanked Mr. Ramirez for his hospitality, but I don't really have the time for long-winded goodbyes to everyone. Could you wish them well for me?"
Ford frowned, still not entirely trusting of this young man. "That's really how you want to do this? You get what you want, and you immediately leave? Those kids still think they're related to you, you know?"
"I do… But this is for the best. I need to get a move on before something else goes wrong, and I end up stuck here… No offense to all of you of course. I think the kids will understand though."
"Understand what?"
Clint jumped, whirling around to see Dipper had Mabel looking up at him, one looking rather sad and the other suspicious. "Oh, hey kids… Dang it, I was hoping to avoid this…"
"You've gotta go already?" Mabel whined. "You just got here a couple of days ago!"
"Yeah… I hate to say it, but I really do Mabel. Gotta flight back to Jersey to catch in a few hours." Clint lied, drawing a sideways glance from Ford who couldn't quite understand why Clint still insisted on lying to everyone else but him. It wasn't as if finding out he was a dimensional traveler would be anything out of the ordinary for them… As sad as that might be.
"You know, Wendy is going to be upset when she finds out you took off without even saying goodbye."
"Can't be helped kiddo. She'll get over it, she's only known me for two days," Clint laughed, though he had other reasons to expect he'd be forgiven… Once Wendy finally figured out the true purpose of his visit. "Hey, would you guys step inside the giftshop with me for a minute? I'd like to talk with you two in private if nobody minds."
Clint looked at Ford expectantly, only to receive a reluctant nod. Clint thanked him with a tip of his hat, before ushering the Twins towards the giftshop. Once he had them alone, Clint focused in on his younger self specifically, looking down at Dipper and asking, "Dipper, can I ask you something? Are you absolutely sure you're serious about following in your Great-Uncle Ford's footsteps?"
"Of course I am," Dipper responded matter-of-factly, drawing a smile from Clint. Oh, how he recalled the unwavering dedication he had to the paranormal field at that age, a couple of years before his teenage angst would waver that determination. "I'm not big on concepts like fate or anything like that, but I've always felt like I found Gravity Falls for a reason… Like it wasn't by accident that I wound up here last summer… Something more than our parents just wanting to unload us for the summer."
"That's good to hear, but if you're determined to stick it out, there's something you need to remember." Clint got down on Dipper's level, taking a knee and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Things aren't always going to be as easy as they were yesterday… As far as expecting to just walk into the woods and make a Bigfoot level discovery every time. Most days, things will be a lot more like how you were feeling right before that discovery… Wandering around aimlessly in the dark, wondering if there's any point to what you're doing. You can't let yourself get discouraged by failure. I can promise that you will feel like one from time to time."
"I get that, I really do… Especially outside of Gravity Falls but… I'm just 'me' though. Sometimes, I'm not sure I have what it takes to do what you and Grunkle Ford do…"
"Oh, I think you're better suited for it than you think… You remind me a lot of myself at your age for some reason…"
"Yeah, I wish," Dipper laughed. "I'm nowhere near as confident or cool as you are though… People don't respond to me the way they do to people like you and Grunkle Ford. Just look at the way Wendy acted around you…"
"Of course they don't respond to you that way yet Dipper, you're only thirteen! Give yourself time to grow up, get some experience!..." Clint gave Dipper a wink. "You might be surprised at the type of person you grow up to be."
Clint stood up, turning his attention away from the awestruck Dipper over to his sister. "Mabel, I take it I can trust you to make sure your brother stays in line, and to give him a good kick in the butt whenever he needs to be motivated?"
"You can count on me!" Mabel saluted before planting her foot into her brothers rear-end. He yelped and glared at his twin angrily, rubbing at his hindquarters.
"He didn't mean that literally!"
"You interpret your instructions how you like, and I'll interpret mine like I want too!"
With a large smile on his face, Clint adjusted his backpack, and then his hat. "Well, I need to get going guys. You two take care of each other. And for the love of God… Stay weird okay? Normal is so boring."
The twins chased their cousin out the door of the giftshop, waving to him as he started walking down Gopher Road. Clint turned around a time or two to wave back as the Twins both yelled out various goodbyes and tidings that were difficult to make out while they were talking over each other. The sight made Clint want to get back to his sister that much faster.
Back in the shack, Ford had retreated to his lab to go over some data… The DNA test results on Clint Redman should be in, though he had his doubts he was going to find any kind of match from the profile of a guy not from the Earth dimension. Still, Ford liked to be thorough, and who could tell when something out of the ordinary might pop up. For instance, like the results Ford received when he compared the DNA sequence he'd acquired from Clint up against the family database. "It can't be… That can only mean…"
"Yo, Pointdexter! Did you know that Clint guy up and split already?" Stan asked, suddenly appearing in the lab unannounced, wearing a white tank-top much to Ford's annoyance. He wasn't sure which annoyed him more.
"Stanley, is wearing a shirt when you enter my lab uninvited too much to ask?"
"Well, I had a shirt on but… I kind of lost it playing cards with the big hairy guy."
Ford grumbled, pinching his nose in frustration. "Please make sure you never wager The Shack when you're up to your shenanigans Stanley…"
"Ah, come on Ford! There's no way I'd ever do that!... Again, I mean."
"I don't have time to ask you to elaborate on that at the moment. What I do need is to borrow your car keys."
"To the Diablo? You know, I can give ya a ride into town if you need it. You're not exactly aces behind the wheel Sixer…"
"I'll manage… This is something I need to do alone. Now please Stanley, can I borrow the keys to your car?"
Stan eyed his brother in confusion while Ford held out his hand expectantly. Stan just shrugged and coughed up his car keys. "Eh, it's probably for the best anyway. Otherwise, I'll probably have a Sasquatch driving to Vegas in it before the night's over… On an unrelated note, could you spot me a fifty?"
Clint, or I guess we can refer to him by his real name now, hadn't made it a mile down the road when he heard the rumble of an old car that he'd recognize anywhere. The only question was why the Stanmobile had followed him down that lonely highway… Surely it was just a coincidence, and no one would be chasing after him… No such luck, it would appear as the car rolled to a stop next to him, Dipper surprised to see Ford behind the wheel.
"Need a ride? Those legs have seen more than their fair share of exercise this weekend."
"I appreciate the offer, but that won't be necessary. I'm not even sure that car can get me where I need to go."
The look of Fords face suggested there was much more to the offer than just a simple ride… And that accepting was likely going to be mandatory. "Please get inside the vehicle. We need to have one last chat before you leave town."
Clint considered making a run for it, but that would probably bring the entire family down on him and just complicate matters further. He'd just have to bite the bullet and listen to whatever it was Ford had to say to him… Though he had a sinking feeling he already knew what that was. Slowly, Clint worked his way over to the passenger side, removed his backpack and entered the car.
A tense, uneasy silence followed, Clint faced with the sinking suspicion there was something Ford wanted him to say… To confess, but Clint was under strict orders not to divulge that information. Not willingly anyhow. "So, what did you want to talk to me about Dr. Pines?"
In an uncharacteristic show of frustration, Ford slammed his fists against the steering wheel. "Damn it, will you stop it with the Dr. Pines nonsense! Jumping dimensions… Time travel! Have you learned nothing from my past mistakes Dipper?!"
"D… Dipper… I don't know what your…"
In no mood for any further nonsense, Ford lifted the brim of the boy's hat, and none to gently, ripped the bandage off of his forehead, revealing a very incriminating birthmark. "I suppose you drew that on with a marker? Can we cease with the non-sensical denials now Mason?"
"I… I'm sorry! It's the rules of Time Travel… I wasn't supposed to tell anybody who I really was or…"
"It could seriously alter the future, I'm aware…" Ford finished, his tone now sounding much more tired than angry. "But why? How?... How long were you in Andorra?"
Dipper hesitated. "Two years…" he answered, noticing as Ford's expression fell. "You understand why I can't tell you exactly what happens but… You'll know it when you see it, and you have to let it happen no matter how difficult it might be."
Ford looked solemn as he turned his head to look out the windshield. Things were starting to make sense to Dipper as he put them into perspective. Why Ford had allowed he, Mabel, and Wendy to investigate that portal by themselves. Why he was so delayed in his arrival when Ford had to be aware that the three eager teens wouldn't be able to resist exploring the other side of that portal on their own. It was because Ford had already had this conversation with 'Clint', and was smart enough to recognize that the event he'd been waiting for had arrived.
"It's been two years… Since I've seen my Mabel… My Parents… My Grunkles… My Wendy… It's time for me to go home."
"Indeed it is," Ford agreed, as he started the car. "Where exactly do you need to go?"
"The water tower… I didn't leave Andorra alone, so I need to meet up with them before I can leave."
"Guests from Andorra? Is that wise? It's beautiful, yet still primitive compared to Earth."
"They'll adjust fine… Ones an invaluable friend who had nothing left for him on Andorra, so he decided to join me on my trip back to Earth and the other… Well, believe it or not, she's actually from Earth… She's Wendy's Mother."
"Wendy's Mother!... I thought she passed on years ago due to illness?"
"No, she's fit as a fiddle… She was terminally ill at one point, but get this… She had a run-in with Bill Cipher… Who offered to cure her illness… Problem was, the cure was located on Andorra, and Bill abandoned her there once she was cured. She's spent the last decade stuck in an alien dimension, and I feel horrible that she's had to wait on me two extra days because of my stupid mistake!"
"Sounds precisely like something Bill would pull… But how did he?... Never mind, that's not important right now. Getting you back to your time period before your presence here alters the future timeline is imperative."
"I want that more than anything right now… Um, I know I probably don't need to remind you of this, but nobody else from this time can know Clint Redman was actually Dipper Pines from the future. Not, at least, until I get back to my own time."
"I understand the repercussions… So you won't have to worry about me uttering that secret to another soul. I don't like this though Dipper… You have to be more careful in the future!... Ironic as it is to hear myself say that in such a literal context, but the point remains the same. I know you're not telling me the entire story… How you traveled back in time instead of traveling directly across dimensions doesn't make much sense to me… I understand your reasoning though, the less I know the better. Whatever reason you're here though, it's reckless my boy… I hope the trip was worth the risk you've been taking."
"I believe it will be Grunkle Ford… And none of the decisions I've made have been made lightly. I did think things through, and I do understand the risk I was taking… It may take you a few days… Or maybe even years, five to be exact, to understand but I've done what I feel I needed to do."
There wasn't much of a discussion after that. Ford drove Dipper the short distance to the water tower, and after a mild protest from his Grunkle, Dipper convinced him that he had to see things through the rest of the way on his own. The less anyone from this time period was involved the better… Though more importantly, Dipper feared Ford would adamantly object to what he had planned.
Dipper watched as Ford drove away, already contemplating where Tracey and Takura might've camped out. Odds are they hadn't wandered too far away from the tower, obviously not wanting to make it difficult for Dipper to find them once the time came. Before he decided which direction to search in first, a screechy voice interrupted his thought process.
"Y-Your Uncle knows?"
Dipper jumped slightly, surprised to see the portly time-traveling Blendin standing behind him, looking none too pleased. "Yes, but I didn't tell him who I was! He's really smart and just figured it out on his own, so technically I didn't break the rules…"
"You have a point… But risks like this are exactly why you don't mess around in the past!"
"And I never will again! I just… Need to know first… About Tracey Corduroy… Is she…"
"She can stay, but you and that other boy need to get back to your time before you have the chance to cause any more trouble!"
"Yeah, I figured… Wait, What?! She can… Seriously, she can stay?"
"That's what you w-w-wanted w-wasn't it?" Blendin frowned, thin on patience at the moment.
"Yes, of course! I just wasn't expecting you to actually agree to it! This easily at least, without a bunch of red-tape or hoops to jump through…"
"This wasn't the decision I was expecting either… But after some research into the effects on future timelines, any potential anomalies that would arise from her presence would be well… Virtually non-existent. In fact, the only noticeable changes are mostly positive…"
"So, in other words, bringing her back in time actually turned out to be a good decision! Who would've th…"
"No, it was not a good decision!" Blendin snapped, his face reddening. "Just because a change to the timeline turns out to be positive doesn't make deliberately messing around with time a good thing! Wouldn't you think it would be a good thing to go back to the past and kill Hitler before he rose to power? Or put a stop to every major war that's ever happened, or prevent every tragic death? Of course those actions would be beneficial in the short-term, but not without completely destroying reality the way you know it now! That's exactly why we don't go back in time to prevent every tragedy we can from ever happening… You're just l-lucky she's one person who lives in an insulated town that already knows way more than they should about things like this… The lack of significant impact to the flow of time is the only reason this is being allowed to happen… That and we kind of owed you one for… Preventing the Argonian invasion of Earth that was never meant to happen and saving hundreds of lives… Not g-g-going to name names but somebody on the squad may have dropped the ball on that…"
Blendin nervously rubbing at the back of his neck was enough of a confession for Dipper that he was the culprit but chose not to press his luck by calling him out on it. "So… Tracey being able to stay is basically a time wish?"
"Not exactly… But you can look at it that way I suppose, the same principal applies… Th-there is something else I need to discuss with you before you c-c-chose to do this Dipper. While the timeline for most everybody else won't be affected all that much, your actions will have a significant effect on your future…. Maybe you should weigh your options before deicing to alter the timeline?"
Dipper gulped nervously. "What kind of effects?"
"The Corduroy girl… W-Wendy was it? You've always had feelings for her right?"
"That's kind of personal… I don't see what my personal relationship with Wendy has to do with anything…"
"Quite a bit actually, because the nature of that relationship depends heavily on the decision you make here today. If you choose not to alter time and take the elder Corduroy back with you to your own time… You'll get what you've always wanted… A very appreciative Wendy, who'll be so grateful that it will eventually lead to a romantic relationship between the two of you. If you choose to leave Tracey behind and alter time… That opportunity will essentially be voided. Shortly after you return to your own time, Wendy will meet the person she'll fall in love and spend the rest of her life with. That's the most drastic change that will come from you choosing to alter time… Are you s-sure you don't want to think a little harder on this?"
Dipper did… For all of five seconds. Impressive, for that was a lot of information to take in and both mentally and emotionally process in such a short amount of time. This was Wendy Blendin was talking about after all, the girl he'd been fixated on since he was a preteen. The decision made itself rather easily. "Guess I'll just have to live with the consequences then." Dipper smiled sadly eyes tilted towards the dirt. He adjusted his backpack and began walking south towards the valley, the direction Takura had mentioned they would head in when they parted.
"W-w-wait! W-w-what are you going to do?" Blendin asked, desperate to know.
"There was only ever one decision to make," Dipper responded sadly, staring off into the horizon momentarily before turning his head to face Blendin. "Help the person who helped keep me alive in an alien dimension for the past two years get some of her life back, like I promised myself I would. I should really get going now… You're the one who wanted me to get back to my time as soon as possible right? And I agree with that sentiment!"
Blendin was a bit taken aback my Dipper's decision. As he walked away, a small smile formed over Blendin's lips. He'd only told Dipper part of the truth… He would achieve his coveted relationship with Wendy if he chose not to leave her mother to re-live her life in the past. The part he purposely left out was that this romance would be very short-lived and end with the dissolution of his and Wendy's friendship, something Dipper had always feared above all else. Mason Pines had made the right decision. Blendin just needed to be sure Dipper was making his decision for the right reasons, for Tracey and the Corduroy families benefit, not for some selfish ulterior motive of his own.
A mile or so south of the water tower, Tracey had Takura had set up camp in a dense part of the forest where they hoped to go unobserved by the locals. So far, so good… Except for one close encounter with what appeared to be a pair of little people with beards and funny hats. Not a good sign when the town local couldn't explain to the newcomer from an alien dimension what the hell they'd just seen… Or what the fuck Shmebulock meant. Laying eyes on his first airplane though, that was a fun discussion afterward, struggling not to laugh when Takura referred to it as the strangest looking bird he'd ever seen. While she and Dipper had done their best to prepare Takura for all of the strange new oddities he'd experience on earth, like automobiles, electricity, and television, it was only natural a few lessons would slip through the cracks. That's how they spent the majority of their time hiding out the woods, preparing Takura for the new world he would soon experience.
For the moment though, they were just bored, acting like you tend to do when waiting on something or someone for a ridiculous stretch of time. Flipping rocks, poking at the dirt with sticks, and just in general wondering where the hell Dipper was and debating how long they should wait before taking into consideration that something might've gone wrong.
"Damn it, how much longer does he expect us to wait here?!" Tracey howled in frustration as she stood up, flinging her stick into the forest in the process. "I get that he probably just can't up and tell his Uncle who he is, but if he knows where those crystals are, what's stoppin' him from just taking 'em!"
"We don't know anything for sure," Takura responded calmy, leaning up against a tree. "He was pretty vague on the details, and I think that was intentional. There's something he doesn't want us to know, at least not yet… Whether it has anything to do with the whole time-travel thing, I have no idea."
"So I'm not the only one who got that impression huh? He's definitely up to somethin', just wish I knew what it was. I don't think for a second he'd try to double-cross us but… Maybe he thinks he's protecting us somehow but keepin' us in the dark is not the way to go about it!"
"He has his reasons I'm sure… Hopefully, he'll tell us when this is all over," Takura offered, though secretly, he had his suspicions as to what Dipper was planning, which would explain why he was being so secretive. If Takura was correct in his assumption, he completely understood why Dipper didn't want the Captain to know what he was up too.
Tracey paced a bit in frustration and just before she could pop, the doctor finally walked into the room with the x-rays… Or the pizza guy finally showed up at the door, or whatever analogy you'd like to use to describe being forced to wait on someone for a ridiculous length of time. "Hey guys! Sorry it took a little longer than I thought…"
"About darn time!" Tracey grumbled, undecided on whether she should feel grateful Dipper was okay, or if she should strangle him. "Don't think I could've waited much longer before we fired up the search party!"
"Sorry about that… I was forced to take an unexpected detour, but it was worth it! I got what we needed, and the totems are ready to go!"
"Well alright then!" Tracey cheered, Takura walking up and joining her. "What are we waiting for?! Let's fire up that Wayback machine and get back to our own time!"
"Soon enough, we will… There's one last thing we have to do before we leave though…"
Tracey's left eye twitched. Her patience was being tested like few times before. "You're shittin' me right boy? You got the blasted crystals right?! What other reason can we possibly have to be muckin' around in the past for?!"
"You'll be reunited with your family soon enough Captain… Before the day is over. I promise you though, this little detour will be worth it. Would you two please follow me? Like the Captain pointed out, we don't have a lot of time to 'muck' around."
Dipper prayed he was leading them in the right direction, and thankfully he was. All the summers spent in Gravity Falls had really paid off, as Dipper knew his way around the town and surrounding wilderness as well as some of the locals. It also helped that their destination wasn't all that far from the water tower, or where they had made camp. Tracey wasn't thrilled at all with the delay, grumbling to herself as she walked a couple dozen feet behind the boys. Her distraction gave Takura the opportunity to confirm his suspicions.
"Us going back in time wasn't an accident was it? I don't know how, but you did this on purpose didn't you?"
There was a long pause before Dipper clumsily responded. "I can't quite answer that just yet."
Takura nodded his head. "Figured you'd say that… I have a pretty good idea what you're planning, and I don't have a problem with it if you're convinced this is the right move."
"I'm doing the right thing… I'll have no regrets over my decision once this is all over… None whatsoever…"
The further they walked, Tracey started to realize she recognized the area they'd wandered into. Hell, they were practically in her backyard and the thought made her heart pound like a jackhammer.
"Uh, Dipper… Don't mean to alarm ya, but we're wanderin' dangerously close to my family's house. Less than half a mile in that direction actually…"
"I know… Because that's exactly where we're headed."
Tracey stopped dead in her tracks, prompting the boys to do the same. Takura didn't appear surprised by that information at all, but Tracey was downright flabbergasted. "But… Why? Isn't that dangerous? They might see us…"
"I know… But I promised I'd take you home Captain Corduroy, and that's what I'm going to do before Takura and I travel back to the present day… For us anyway."
Tracey walked up to Dipper still looking confused… And perhaps a bit hopeful. "You said that was dangerous… Too risky to let anyone from this time know we were here…"
"That was true when we first arrived, but the situation has changed since then… I have a confession to make Captain… It wasn't an accident that we were sent back in time. I brought us here on purpose. We could've just crossed dimensions and been done with this entire ordeal, but something about that just didn't feel right to me… You'd be reunited with your family, but… Wendy would be away at college, the rest of your kids would be almost grown… You'd have them back, but not without missing out on so much of their lives. I thought you deserved to get some of that time back… It's a long story, but let's just say I know a guy whose involved with the people who sort of police time… That's one of the reasons it actually took me a couple of days to get back to you. I needed approval from him first, to make sure that leaving you in the past wouldn't have any negative effect on the future, and thankfully it doesn't. They're going to let you stay and give you back some of that time with your family that you lost because of Cipher."
Tracey stared at Dipper, tears welling in her eyes. "You're not messin' with me?"
Dipper shook his head. "I wouldn't dare… You're almost home Captain."
"You little…" Tracey wrapped her arms around Dipper and pulled him into a suffocating hug. "Thank you… I'm not gona lie and say I wasn't tempted to run off by myself… But thank you."
"I would've taken you further back… To when Bill first tricked you into crossing over into Andorra if I could have… But my Great-Uncle Ford was still hopping from dimension to dimension, and there wouldn't have been anyway for me to get back home to my own time… Plus, I'm not sure Blendin and his people would've been quite so accommodating if I'd tried to go that far back in time to change things…"
"Hon, you've given me back more than I ever dreamed I'd get. I never thought I'd get a single day back, and you've given me five years…" Tracey's smile sharply fell as remembered something important and potentially devastating. "But how are they going to react if I just waltz right through the front door after being missin' for all this time? What if they think I walked out on 'em? I'm not sure they're goin' to buy all the time-travel, alternate dimension hoopla."
"They might be more apt to believe you than you might think," Dipper mused, Weirdmegedon firmly in his mind. The Corduroys survived it. They understood weird. "Maybe I can help you out with that too? Go in first before you and explain your situation before you make your grand entrance? Hopefully, that'll soften any bitter feelings they might have, though I really don't think you have much to worry about."
Tracey thought about Dipper's idea for a moment before nodding her head, smiling wearily.
It wasn't long before Tracey Corduroy found herself standing at the front door of the home she hadn't seen in almost a decade. The mixed feelings of excitement and dread were doing a serious number on her, so she got out of sight as Dipper knocked on the door, primed to do his part in reintroducing the Corduroy matriarch. He pulled his hat down low over his forehead to help obscure a tell-tale birthmark that was a little too prominently exposed for his liking. Dipper wasn't sure why he was surprised when Manly Dan answered the door, but he was caught off guard none-the-less. He'd really have preferred it if Wendy or one the boys had answered.
"Yeah? What do you want kid?!"
"Oh… Good morning sir… Actually, I'm a friend of Wendy's you see and…"
Dan's eyes narrowed, as he spoke in what sounded like a low-pitched growl. "What kind of friend?"
"Umm… The kind that's leaving on a plane bound for New Jersey in a couple of hours, and will likely never be back again?"
"Oh." Dan calmed down considerably. "That's okay I guess…"
"Hey dad! Who's at the door?" Wendy called as she walked up, a broad smile forming on her face as she saw Clint standing in the doorway. "Dude, what are you doing here? I thought Mabel said you were headed to the airport to catch a flight?!"
"I will be shortly, but I thought I'd stop by and say goodbye first…" Dipper intended to further spin a yarn to ingratiate himself to the family but… No, the time for messing around was over. He needed to get on with it. "Look, I'm going to level with you… I have another reason for showing up to your house today. There's something I need to talk to you about… To discuss with your entire family actually."
"Okay…" Wendy said, unnerved by his serious demeanor. She looked up at her father, who shrugged his shoulders, he himself more curious than anything at the moment. "Okay then, come in and make yourself at home."
"Thank you… Are your brothers around? Because this news effects all of you."
Now nervous, Wendy did as he requested and gathered up the rest of the Corduroy clan. They all now sat in the living room, the family gathered at one end, and Dipper under his Clint Redman alias seated across from them in a chair borrowed from the kitchen, his back to the front door.
"I'm going to cut right to the chase… I'm here to talk to you guys about your mother… Your wife…" he finished, looking at Dan. The large burly practically jumped out of his seat.
"Ain't nothing to talk about! Got sick a few years back and she passed. All there is to it…"
"I'm afraid that's not the case at all… Tracey Corduroy is very much alive."
"To hell she is! That would mean she left us high and dry, and my wife never would've done that to her family!"
"Yeah, Dad's right!" Wendy agreed. "Mom never would've abandoned us like that!"
"She didn't… Not by choice anyhow… You all remember that thing that happened last summer don't you? Involving the talking Dorito?"
The room suddenly got incredibly quiet. Dan managed to mumble. "Uh… We ain't supposed to talk about that…"
"How would you know anything about that anyway?" Wendy asked suspiciously.
Dipper shrugged his shoulders and lied… Sort of. "You know my family… I have cousins who like to blab. Anyway, around the time your mother disappeared, it was because she had a run in with Bill Cipher, the creep at the center of all that mess. Bill promised Tracey that he could cure her disease, and being desperate as she was, she agreed… And Bill actually made good on that promise and did cure her… Only catch was, he had to take her to another dimension to do it… And after she was cured, he left her there, and that's where she's been stuck for the last decade. I know, because I received that information firsthand when I met her two years ago in that dimension."
"Listen here boy…" Dan menaced, as he stalked towards Dipper. "I don't find any of this funny at all… Unless you've got some kind of proof I suggest…"
"Am I proof enough for ya Danny?"
Dan froze as if he'd suddenly been incased in ice. He'd recognize that voice anywhere, even if it had been nearly ten years since he'd heard it anywhere other than on video or in his dreams. He forced his neck to crack to his left and saw a ghost standing in the middle of his living room. A tall red-headed one that looked frighteningly like an older version if his daughter. "T…Tracey?"
"Well, it has been a while, but my name hasn't changed hun…" Her eyes turned from her shocked husband to her equally astonished children. She was taken aback as she took in the sight of them, especially Wendy… God, the girl was practically an adult! "Wendy is that really you? You've all changed so much…" Tracey chocked, as she fought back a sob. "No, don't you lose it girl… Keep it together Tracey…"
"Mom…" That was all Wendy or any of the other Corduroy kids could say. Tears brimming in her eyes, Wendy led the rush, her brothers following quickly after, colliding with their mother and forming a massive ball of red-hair and flannel.
"Whoa, whoa, don't everyone talk at once now!" Tracey laughed as she embraced her children, tears of pure joy streaming from her eyes. "Gracious, you've all gotten so big! I could probably just barely get my arms around one of you, let alone the whole lot of ya!"
Once Tracey pried herself free from her kids, she looked over at her husband who remained still as a statue. "You gona join the reunion Danny?"
"I…" Dans lip quivered ever so slightly. "Just a minute… I've got something in my eye…" he whimpered, as he scampered off to the bathroom. Tracey's smile broadened, remembering exactly why she fell in love with the testosterone filled lug.
"I can't believe it… Dad always told us you left because you couldn't stand the thought of us kids watching you wither away and die… That you felt like you were a burden to us…"
"Those weren't exactly lies darling… But I'm here now, and I don't plan on leaving again anytime soon."
Smiling appreciatively, Wendy suddenly remembered the person that had brought her mother back to her. She whirled around in hopes of thanking him, but to her surprise, Clint was nowhere to be found… He'd up and disappeared clear out of the Corduroy's living room. "Clint… Clint!"
Recognizing the only direction he could've gone led outside, she rushed to the front door and threw it open, hoping she could catch him before he managed to sneak off… But again, he was nowhere in sight. "Clint! Clint!"
"I think he left darling… He might've felt like he was intrudin' on the reunion, so he made himself scarce."
"You're probably right… I just wanted to thank him for everything… He's leavin' for Jersey in a couple of hours, so this was probably my last chance to talk to him…"
Tracey shrugged. "Can't be helped. Don't think he was lookin' for thanks anyhow."
"Too bad, he's got my gratitude anyway…" Wendy frowned, looking a tad forlorn. "You think I'll ever see him again?"
Tracey grinned knowingly. "Darlin', I've gotta good feelin' that you will. Now, do me a favor and go check on your daddy and settle the boys down a bit if you can. I've got something to do really quick, and then we have a lot of catchin' up to do."
Perking back up, Wendy nodded her head and rushed inside. Tracey smiled after her before she walked out the door of her house for hopefully the last time for a good while.
Not all that far away from the Corduroy cabin, Takura waited patiently as Dipper walked up to him. "How did it go?"
"Exactly how it should have," Dipper said with a smile. "The sight of that family together couldn't have made me more homesick though. Let's go, I'm ready to reunite with my own family."
Takura nodded, but no sooner than the pair had turned to leave, they were shocked to see Tracey blocking their path, leaning up against a tree. Guess it shouldn't have been too surprising Tracey would know exactly where to cut them off. She knew this land like the back of her own hand after all. "You boys were seriously going to leave without sayin' goodbye first? I know you both have better manners than that!"
"Sorry… But I wasn't going to find a more prefect opportunity to slip out, while your family was distracted with you. I kind of figured the conversation we had before I reintroduced you to your family was our goodbye…"
"Eh, not to my liking… You boys just…" Tracey stepped forward, and refastened a loose button on Dipper's explorers vest, causing him to blush. While Tracey Corduroy was never what you'd consider to be a snappy dresser, she at least expected people to look presentable in what they did wear. "You two don't get into any trouble before I see you again alright?"
"Shouldn't be too hard," Dipper assured her. "It might be five years for you before you see us again, but for us it'll be like a day or two."
Tracey took a moment to let that thought sink in. "I couldn't be happier to have my family back… But at the same time, it feels like I'm losin' a part of it too… But its only temporary, and you've got your own family to get back home to Dipper… And I don't intend to disrespect the gift you've given me."
"Just remember what we talked about… Don't tell anyone you came back from the future, and especially don't tell anyone who I actually am. According to Blendin, that's one of the conditions for you to remain in the past. My Great-Uncle Stanford figured out who I was, but I know we can trust him not to talk. He knows the repercussions of this type of thing as well as anyone. If you ever have any questions, talk to him… I'm sure he'll be able to help you."
"I'll keep that in mind…" She took her hand off of Dipper shoulder's and turned to Takura smiling broadly. "Come here you…"
Takura bristled as Tracey crunched him into a hug he just didn't have it in him to return… Not that he could if he wanted to with his arms pinned to his sides. "Don't you dare forget… As far as I'm concerned your family, and I've got a few years head-start to let the rest of the family know it whether they like it or not. Whenever you guys get back, you'll always have a home here if you need it."
"I um…" Scowling through the blush on his face that might've offended him if he realized just how red it was, Takura finally managed to wiggle free of the Corduroy matriarchs vice-like grip. He turned his back to her, unable to face her. "Thank you… I'll keep that in mind… Though I believe it's time for me to forge my own path…"
"I can respect that… But the offer still stands if that path has any bumps along the way… Now, you two git! Don't keep your family waitin' on you any longer Dipper."
Dipper nodded in response. Tracey said her final goodbyes before she headed back home, a little, but not all that much surprised to find Wendy waiting for her at the door, her cellphone to her ear.
"Hey Mabes, she's back so I gotta go… And don't tell Dipper! I want to tell him myself later alright?"
Tracey's ears perked up when she overheard her daughter utter that name. She was going to have to poke Wendy about it, there was no other option, and she did so as soon as Wendy disconnected her call. "Whose Dipper?"
"Oh, he's just a friend of mine…" She frowned a little when she realized how that sounded, and at the odd smile on her mother's face. "Not like you're probably thinkin' though! Just friends, he's a little too young for me. That was actually his sister Mabel I was talking too…"
"If you say so… They must be important to ya though if they were the first call you made to tell them the news, I assume."
Wendy paused, realizing her mother was right. Why had she thought to call the Twins first rather than Tambry or her other friends? Wendy quickly chalked that decision up to feeling like Dipper and Mabel would be more receptive and appreciative of the news than the others would be due to their vast experience in the realm of the weird. She loved her friends, but they weren't exactly the brightest or most sensitive bunch. Minus Tambry, the others would probably think Wendy was trying to rib them or something. "Well… Yeah, they are."
"Thought so. You'll have to introduce me to this Dipper and Mabel soon. Now, really though? Waitin' at the door for me? You'd think you were worried I wouldn't be coming back or somethin'!"
"Umm… Would you be offended if I asked, can you blame us?"
Smiling, Tracey rested her hand on Wendy's shoulder, still impressed the girl was almost as tall as she was. "Let's get inside! I want to hear all about everything I missed while I was gone! Then I'll tell you guys about your new step-brother I hope you all get to meet one day."
"Sure!" Wendy did a double take. "Step-brother?!"
Off in the woods, near the water tower, yet far enough away to hopefully not be seen, Dipper had finished arranging the totems in the now familiar circle. He had to admit, he was feeling a bit woozy, though quite undecided why that might be… It didn't stop him from finishing the setup, however.
"Are you okay?" Takura asked, actually concerned in spite of his frosty expression. "You almost fell over twice… Are you just over-excited, or exhausted over whatever you went through to get your hands on those crystals?"
"No, nothing like that… My head just feels a little strange… It'll be fine, now let's get this baby work… AGH!" Dipper fell to his knees at the feel of a sharp splitting pain in his head… So awful that Dipper feared his skull might crack open.
Takura moved to check on Dipper but got distracted when he was struck by a sudden dizzy feeling followed by a much more minor, but still stinging headache of his own. Minor enough that he managed to stay on his feet while clutching his forehead. Recovering quickly, he rushed over to Dipper who was still bent over in pain. Takura said nothing, giving the infliction a moment to hopefully pass, and sure enough, Dipper appeared to recover and slowly staggered to his feet. "You alright? That wasn't normal was it?"
"Not normal at all! Like I suddenly just had the world's worst migraine, but the pain went away almost as suddenly as it hit me… I'm still a little woozy, but I think it's passed…"
"Good… I kind of felt a sharp pain in my head as well, but it didn't hit me nearly as hard as it seemed to hit you… Maybe we should hurry this trip along before anything else weird happens."
"Good idea… Let's see here…" As Dipper flipped through the pages to get to the one he needed, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of being reunited with his loved ones. He reminisced about them as he looked for the passage. "I can't wait to see Mabel's face again… I completely underestimated how much I'd actually miss her if we were ever separated. Working with Grunkle Ford in his lab… Cleaning up after Grunkle Stan's shenanigans. Pool parties at Pacifica's house that always really annoyed her dad… And the 4th of July barbeques at the Corduroy house…"
"You had get-togethers with the Captain's family?"
"Well yeah," Dipper laughed. "Ever since I was thirteen… Wendy's mom insisted! She always treated Mabel and I like we were part of the family…"
Takura's brow creased in confusion. "What? How is that possible? You didn't even meet the Captain until you got stuck in Andorra two years ago…"
"Easy! I… I…" Dipper paused. Takura was right, something wasn't adding up. He had a ton of memories of Tracey Corduroy over his summer stays in Gravity Falls right up until the point he… Went through that portal, got stuck in Andorra and met… Tracey Corduroy. That wasn't possible… Somehow, he knew Takura was right, and his memories of Mrs. Corduroy weren't there before but… They were now, and so vivid… Teaching him how to use an axe, her not so subtle teasing about his obvious crush on Wendy, to a point she almost appeared to be encouraging him to pursue it… Those memories shouldn't exist. Wait, but that meant…
Dipper reached towards his belt, and pulled out a one-handed steel axe, very similar to the one Wendy hid behind her hair. He stared at it in heavy contemplation, while Takura grew even more confused. "Where did that thing come from?"
"From Mrs. Cor… Captain Corduroy. She gave it to me as a gift for my sixteenth birthday… She forged it herself, a hobby of hers, after spending the two previous years teaching me how to use one." Dipper laughed at the memory. "She'd always tell me that any man who planned on courting her daughter needed to know how to handle an axe… Still haven't been able to decide if she was serious or just messing with me…"
Takura tilted his head slightly to the side. "It's weird but… While I'm sure this is the first time I've ever seen you carry around a bladed weapon, I can swear I remember seeing you use it many times while we were on Andorra… How is that possible?"
Dipper studied the axe a bit longer when the answer finally came to him. He'd want to slap himself later for not realizing it sooner. "Of course! Because it worked…"
"What worked?!" Takura snapped, growing frustrated. Dipper had a bad habit of making blanket observations and assuming everyone else around him came to the same conclusion he did.
"We changed history… That must've been what those sudden headaches we felt were about, and the general dizziness I've been feeling… I guess that's what happens when several summers of new memories suddenly cram themselves into your brain all at once! That must be why it affected me more than you! Leaving the Captain in the past changed a lot more for me than it did for you."
"That actually makes sense… I guess technically she can be in both places at once now right?"
"Yeah…" Dipper smiled, confident he'd done the right thing. "Okay! No more stalling, it's time to go home!"
Having reached the page with the incantation, he read it aloud. A familiar buzzing sound followed, as did the dome effect that appeared over their heads and crashed down on top of them. The boys braced themselves but nothing particularly earth-shattering appeared to happen… In fact, even to Takura's trained eye, it was hard to tell anything had happened at all. "Did it work? It looks like we're in the exact same place… The plants may be a bit taller, but I didn't exactly examine the area before…"
"There's only one way to find out… Follow me!"
Takura complied, giving chase as Dipper sped away, and actually struggled just a bit to keep up with him. It wasn't long before they came across something else Takura recognized… That water tower thing as Dipper and Tracey had referred to it before. Panting heavily, Dipper circled the tower, noticing that the recent upgrades to the town landmark were now noticeable. That was a really good sign.
"Dipper… What exactly are you?…" Takura's question got interrupted by the sound of a motor as a car went speeding by on the nearby road, startling the newcomer to Earth "Whoa! What the hell was that?!"
"That was a car Takura," Dipper laughed.
"Oh… Those motorized carriages you and the Captain told me about… Isn't it dangerous to be moving that fast when there's people around?"
"You see that black path right there with the yellow lines? That's what we call a road or street, and that's what cars are supposed to drive on. As long as you don't walk in the middle of the road or cross one without making sure there isn't a vehicle coming, you should have nothing to worry about. If you want a closer look, check out this pickup truck over here…"
Dipper walked over to a truck parked on the side of the road next to the tower, Takura following behind warily. "That thing isn't going to speed forward and try to hit us is it?"
"No!" Dipper chuckled. "There needs to be a person behind the wheel to drive the vehicle. If you're getting run over by parked cars, you've got a whole other set of problems." A flicker of an idea formed in Dipper's head. He walked around to the back of the truck and took a close look at the license plate, or more accurately, the tags attached to it that indicated the current year.
Takura watched as Dipper stood up and removed his hat, tears streaming down his eyes. "Dipper?... Is everything alright?"
"Yes… Yes it is Takura… I'm finally home."
Meanwhile, five years in the past, a couple of days had passed since Clint Redman had left Gravity Falls, and left Tracey Corduroy behind. Dipper couldn't have been happier for Wendy, listening intently as she told him all about her mother and her adventures in this unnamed dimension, politely nodding his head as they walked down the streets of the main hub of Gravity Falls. "Whoa, I can't believe your mother was alive all this time and trapped in another dimension… And in one of the dimensions Grunkle Ford visited during his travels no less!"
"Yup, she credits him and that journal he wrote while he was there! And the two guys she traveled with while stuck in that dimension. You met Clint, but she had to leave the other guy behind when she finally found her way home. Apparently, I've got an adoptive brother running around somewhere… Like I need another one of those right?! Oh, and by the way… Mom wanted me to invite you, Mabel, and the Stans over for dinner tonight. She's really curious to meet you guys for some reason."
"The feelings mutual… Especially with Bill involved, I have so many question…"
"Yeah…" Wendy frowned slightly. "Just don't get too itchy around her, okay? She likes to tease… Especially when it's at my expense apparently."
"How would your mom teasing me be at your expense?"
"Just trust me on this alright… Don't take it too seriously, or humor her or anything if she makes any jokes about you being my future husband or anything like that…"
"Oh!" Understanding completely now, Dipper smirked shrewdly. "What if I want to humor her though?"
His answer was a swift punch to the arm. "That, only next time I'll make sure it hurts!"
"But that one hurt…" Dipper whined, only for the pain in his arm to get overwhelmed by the sudden rumble in his stomach. "Oh crud… I don't think that burrito I ate for lunch is agreeing with me… I need to get to a bathroom, like right now!"
"Ewe, better take care of that dude. I'd hate to get caught hangin' out with a guy who just crapped his drawers! Why don't you just run into that clothing store and wreck their bathroom?"
"Yeah, sounds good… I'll be back in a minute or two! I hope…" His colon spasming in agony, Dipper rushed inside hopping this wasn't one of those 'paying customer only' type places.
Wendy shook her head, smirking as Dipper hurried inside. She was content to wait for him there, but something in the store window caught her eye. A very familiar hat, one she'd recognize anywhere now. "That… Can't be a coincidence."
"Oh, that's so much better," Dipper sighed with relief as he exited the store… And was surprised to find that Wendy was not out there waiting for him. Funny, he hadn't noticed her in the store… He decided to wait on her there, thinking that maybe she'd hopped into one of the shops while she waited. He didn't have to wait long, as Wendy emerged from the same store he'd just exited, sporting some new headgear that Dipper recognized immediately.
"Hey Dip! How do I look?" she asked, as she tipped the brim of her new hat.
"Whoa cool!... That looks a lot like the hat Clint was wearing."
"It's the exact same hat actually…'
"Yeah… I guess you would've been paying enough attention to him to notice a little detail like that…" Dipper tried to joke, but it came out sounding more bitter. There were ways to be completely over that situation with Wendy and Clint, and still be jealous at the same time. Dipper managed to be both just fine thank you.
"Yeah… But…" Wendy removed the hat and studied it more closely. "It really isn't my style though is it?"
"Maybe not, but it looked alright to me."
"Still…" Wendy smiled down at Dipper and slapped the hat down on his head, much to his surprise. "There we go! Looks much better on you dude!"
"Umm… It's a bit too big for me don't you think?" Dipper asked bashfully, not wanting to sound ungrateful, but the hat did slide straight down his forehead and cover up his eyes.
"Uh…" The faintest of blushes graced Wendy's cheeks as she looked down at Dipper. She thought back to her mother's persistent teasing her about the boy… She thought of Mabel when she pointed out how similar Clint and Dipper were, the old before and after analogy. Most importantly though, she remembered a conversation she had with Clint that night in the woods.
"So… Cool hat, where did you get it?"
"It was a gift I received a few years ago… From somebody important to me…"
"Oh really?... You mean like a girlfriend or something?"
Clint laughed at the thought… Both at the irony, and the obvious mix of hope and dread in Wendy's voice. "No, not a girlfriend, just a friend… The coolest girl I've ever known in fact."
"Wendy!" Dipper cried out, pulling Wendy's head out of the clouds. He looked up at her in concern. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm cool," Wendy smirked down at him knowingly. "Don't sweat it about the hat dude… Give your head a couple of years and you'll grow into it… Now, let's go call your family and iron out our diner plans for tonight!"
End Chapter 3
-One more chapter to go during this opening salvo, and it's going to be a long one. Don't worry, I won't be jerking Dipper around in the next chapter… I'll be doing plenty of that later. Oh, one thing I wanted to clear up from the last chapter… That little nugget from Blendin where he referrers to Tracey as an anomaly since she wasn't supposed to be accompanying Dipper back in time. For those of you who might still be wondering what that time altering change might've been that led to Tracey joining Dipper, well… The big change was, that the author changed his frickin' mind! In my original outline, I had it setup where the portal ritual from the Prologue would get interrupted, and Tracey would essentially sacrifice herself and get left behind… Which would leave to an overarching arc that involved Dipper trying to find a way back to Andorra to extract her, and eventual friction between Wendy and Dipper when she finds out he left her mother behind on an alien dimension. The more I thought about it though, the less I liked the idea. Then I fell in love with this idea of Dipper risking running afoul of the Time Anomaly Squad to take her back to the past to get some of that lost time with her family back. Waiting to bring her back with her family already essentially grown just didn't feel as satisfying as this did… There was also that business of me not wanting to create too many overarching plot threads that may never get a payoff. Oh, and the real reason Dipper couldn't go back any further than five years was so that Tracey's presence wouldn't affect the events of the show since technically every that happens from the second summer on would be non-cannon.
