Chapter 4: Homecoming


All was quiet at the Pines residence… Ah, who are we kidding. With Stan and Mabel in the house, things were rarely quiet anymore. "Stanley, must you insist on displaying these monstrosities in the house?!"

"Hey, you said I could decorate this room anyway I wanted right?! What's the harm in me displayin' some of my favorite exhibits from my Mister Mystery days?"

"If by exhibits you mean crudely designed facsimiles that vaguely resemble actual cryptids you slapped together with duct-tape, and I can only assume, bubble gum! You used these farces to con people out of their money…"

"Yeah, where do you think all the sentimental value comes from? Things that made me lots of cash bring back fond memories for me… Of making lots of cash!"

"I see… And this has nothing to do with regret for allowing the Mystery Shack to fall into disrepair? Or hanging onto that thread of a moment when the entire family was still together…"

Stan didn't respond right way, instead eyeing one of the four former Shack exhibits he'd put up for display. "If I said yes to both of those, would you stop buggin' me about it?"

"That would be a more acceptable excuse for… Putting such tasteless subject matter on prominent display…"

The brother's mini argument was interrupted by Mabel's voice calling out to them from the kitchen. "Hey, Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford! I'm gona whip me up some grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch! Do either of you want one?!"

"Sure pumpkin! Make sure there's extra cheese on mine! I like 'em nice and goopy!"

"None for me deer! I have some business to attend to if you don't mind…" Ford gave a sideways glance to one of Stans oddities and shuddered in disgust before leaving the room. Instead of heading to his bedroom or his lab however, Ford went straight outside where he hoped he could guarantee some privacy. He pulled out his cellphone from his pocket to make a quick call… It was embarrassing for him to admit just how long it took him to get used to the novelty of the mobile phone, but he was proficient with using it now… Well, as proficient as a gentleman his age ever really got with this new-fangled technology.


Life in the Corduroy house had changed dramatically over the past five years. The presence of Tracey Corduroy saw to that. While the children respected/feared their father enough to stay in line, for the most part, Manly Dan had a hands-off approach to parenting. Follow his rules and he pretty much allowed his kids to do as they pleased. Tracey ran a household like a boat captain ran their ship. Little in the way of nonsense was tolerated, and the normally rowdy trio of boys fell into step with their mothers wishes. They were afraid of their father's wrath… They were absolutely terrified of their mother's, or even worse... The dreaded, I'm disappointed in you, face. None of the kids wanted to be on the receiving end of either.

The Corduroy child whose life was affected the most by her mother's presence was, without a doubt, her daughter. Mainly because Wendy no longer had to worry about being the woman of the house, and the only sane rational person in a home perpetually dripping in testosterone. Wendy actually had more time to just be a kid… Or a teenager in her case. You'd think that would've led Wendy to get into even more mischief than she was already infamous for, but ironically that didn't really happen. Mainly, because Wendy was as intimidated by her mom as the boys were. Wendy had to think a bit more on her feet during her last couple years of high school in order to get away with her usual shenanigans. No more pretending to comply with her father's punishments while he looked the other way and promptly forgot all about it. With her mother, there were serious consequences for her actions when she got caught.

Oh, and speaking of shenanigans… Wendy tried to tiptoe her way past the kitchen while her mother worked over the stove, but that damn woman seemed to have eyes in the back of her head sometimes. "Wendy… What are you doin' here? It's almost noon, weren't you supposed to be workin' with your father today?"

"Yeah um… He gave me the day off?" Wendy lied, despite knowing it was pointless. Sure enough, Tracey signaled for her daughter to join her in the kitchen. Grumbling, Wendy walked over to the table and took a seat. "I just didn't feel like dealin' with it this morning, so I played sick! There, happy?"

"No, I am not at all happy! You're 21 years old Wendy! You know your dad and I don't mind you stayin' with us while you figure things out, but we told ya when you moved back in, you needed to be workin' and earning your keep!"

"And I have been! I just… No offense to Dad, but the last thing I ever wanted was to end up working for his logging company! That was his deal, not mine… And now here am I, cuttin' down timber and haulin' logs with a bunch of middle-aged hairy men who all smell like big sweaty bears!"

"And whose fault is that? No one pressured you to drop out of college Wendy! If my memory serves me right, being a student didn't seem to be for you either… So those are your options right now. You live under this roof, then you either work for your father or find another job that better suites you."

"And how am I supposed to manage that when I'm stuck in the middle of the woods for 50 hours a week?…"

"Well, that's something you need to figure out then hon… I'm here to help, but I can't do it for ya. You're a grown ass woman, so it's time to take some responsibly for your life."

Before Wendy could retort, Tracey got distracted when her phone began to vibrate. Her eyes widened when she checked the Caller ID. It was the call she'd been waiting for all morning. She answered the phone anxiously. "Stanford…"

"Good afternoon Tracey… I hope I'm not interrupting anything but… I just wanted to make sure you recalled what today is."

"How could I forget?" Tracey said as she looked at the calendar hanging up next to the fridge, the current date circled. "Today's the five-year anniversary of the day I arrived back home."

"Well, if you take leap year into consideration, technically yesterday would've been exactly five years since you…"

Tracey groaned, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Why did he have to be so technical about everything?! "Stanford… Has he showed up yet?"

"Not yet I'm afraid, but if my calculations are correct, Dipper should arrive at any moment… Of course, I didn't factor in any possible delays they might've faced, there were just too many variables to consider. I'll be sure to let you know when he arrives though."

"I'll do you folks one better! We'll see ya there. Later Dr. Pines…" Tracey disconnected the call and turned towards her daughter who was eyeing her with curiosity. "I've gotta take a trip up to the Pines' place. You wana tag along?"

"Sure. Mabel and I have been talkin' about gettin' together soon anyway."

"Perfect! Let me finish makin' lunch for the boys, and we'll get a move on. You know, I'm in a good mood, so I think I'll overlook you playing hooky from work today."

"You are in a good mood," Wendy noticed, listening as her mother hummed as she stirred the pot on the stove. "Is something going on? I know you and the Stans are friends now, but you don't usually just drop in on them for no reason."

"Well darling, guess that means I got one… You'll find out soon enough…"


Back at the Pines residence, Stan was tending to his new display of oddities, actually dusting something he wasn't intending to make any money off of. Even then, Stan putting anything other than the bare minimum in the way of effort was an odd sight in itself. "I have no idea why Pointdexter has such a problem with you guys… You wowed and mystified visitors to the Mystery Shack for years!... And practically stole the cash right out of their wallets, heh, heh…"

"People actually bought tickets to see this junk?" asked a skeptical voice, one that sounded kind of familiar to Stan but not enough that he could put a face with the voice. He was surprised, though for some reason not all that alarmed, to find a strangely dressed young man examining one of his precious and cheaply constructed fake oddities.

"Yeah… And my wonders used to be the talk of the valley! There were some detractors sure, but rubes… I mean mystery seekers, came from all over the northwest to lay eyes on these wonders!"

"Wonders huh…" The young man humphed, as he pressed his finger to the glass of one of the exhibits. "That's a… Word for them I guess… Especially for this supposed mermaid right here… Which is nothing more than the upper torso of a monkey skeleton with a fishtail pasted to the back of it… Is that paper mâché? Man, its worse than I thought!"

"How did you?... I mean what are ya talking about?! It's a one-hundred percent certified mermaid fossil! I paid primo bucks to get my hands on that beauty… How did you get in here anyway?"

"You gave me a key the last time I visited," he said as he approached the old shyster. Alarm bells were beginning to go off bigtime for Stan that he'd seen this kid somewhere before.

"Oh wait… I remember you! You're that Clint kid that came by The Shack a few years back… Who brought that hustlin' Sasquatch into my house! Where's that giant furball been anyway? He stiffed me on our last wager!"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that… And I'm not Clint… Well, not exactly Grunkle Stan…"

Stan nearly chocked on his own Adam's Apple. Only two people in the world called him that… But that meant… No it couldn't be! Last time he'd seen him, he was still a kid… This was a full-grown man standing in front of him! "Dipper?... This ain't possible…"

Now standing in front of his Grunkle so Stan could get a good look at him, a smiling Dipper removed his explorer's hat, and lifted the right tuft of his hair slightly to show off a very incriminating birthmark. "It is you… How?... I…" Stan's confusion gave way to a huge grin. "You sneaky rascal you!"

"It's good to see you too Grunkle Stan," Dipper sniffed, tears now in his eyes as he pulled his Great Uncle in for a hug. Stan awkwardly returned the hug briefly before pushing his long-lost nephew away.

"Alright, alright, enough with the mushy stuff squirt… Damn, I guess I can't call you that anymore… You're bigger than me now! I always had a feelin' you'd find a way back but… You beat my brother by like decades and didn't even need me to bail you out!"

"I had more help than you might think… That's a long story though…"

Any further elaboration would have to wait. The discussion was interrupted by the sound of a tray hitting the floor and bouncing off the ground with a distinctive aluminum rattle. Dipper looked to his left, and almost started to panic. He wasn't quite ready for this just yet. His sister was standing less than ten feet away from him looking absolutely shell-shocked, shaking even. She didn't need to see the birthmark to tell this was her twin-brother standing in the same room as her.

"Dipper…"

"Hey Mabel…" Dipper chocked, tears now falling freely from his eyes over an overjoyed smile. "I finally made it home…"

Mabel chocked out a sob, regaining her ability to breathe before lunging at her brother. Dipper caught her and spun her around once before pulling Mabel into the tightest hug he'd ever mustered, all while in a fit of uncontrollable joyous laughter. He didn't care how many ribs Mabel bruised as she sobbed into his chest. Suddenly, she pushed herself off of him and started pounding her fists angrily against his chest, Dipper happily taking the abuse. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, idiot! How could you do something so dumb?! Do you know what you put me through?! Practically everyone gave you up for dead!"

"I'm sorry… But I had to make sure you were safe, and I'll never regret that. But I'm home now… And I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you… And start by promising I'll never leave you behind again."

Mabel sobbed in response and went back to hugging him, Dipper returning the favor though with a much softer embrace this time around. Stan watched the entire scene, tears of his own falling from his eyes, happy to see the Twins together again. Over his sister's shoulder, Dipper could see his other Grunkle Stanford in the entryway, smirking as he observed the reunion. He finally greeted Dipper once he realized he'd been noticed. "I see you found your way home Dipper, I'm impressed. Then again, I never really doubted you."

"Hello Grunkle Ford," Dipper smiled, still clutching his sister as Ford walked passed them towards his brother, Stan eyeballing him suspiciously.

"Funny… You don't seem all that surprised that Dipper just suddenly showed back up out of the blue. You know something you're not tellin' the rest of us?"

Despite his surprise at this brother's astute observation, Ford managed to maintain a straight face. "I'm just as shocked as you, I assure you… Ruining their moment would seem rather cruel right now, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" Stan looked over at the Twins, still embracing, a smile on his face. "Guess you got a point... I still want answers though Sixer, when the time is right."

"Oh God, I've gotta tell everyone…" Mabel sniffed as she pulled away, whipping out her phone. "Nobody's going to believe this! Screw calling, I'm just going to text everyone… I don't want to get roped into a long conversation with everybody… Maybe Pacifica…"

"Speaking of phone calls, I should call Mom and Dad… Don't know how I'm going to convince them I'm me but…"

"Why bother?!" Mabel spat. "They gave you up for dead a long time ago, and blamed Gravity Falls for all our problems! They already moved on, so you don't owe them a damn thing!"

"Okay…" Dipper was stunned. Sure, Mabel had a few heated conversations with their parents, like most teenage girls did, but Dipper never dreamed he'd hear so much spite in his sister's voice in reference to their parents. He looked towards his Grunkles for information. Ford looked uncomfortable, while Stan said softly. "Mabel… Had a falling out with your folks. Best to let her tell you about it when the time is right."

"Speaking of timing… There's somebody I'd like you to meet Grunkle Ford… Grunkle Stan… You can come in now!"

The elder twins waited, and were surprised to see a young man, around the same age and height as Dipper, walk inside from the other end of the room. His hair was actually quite similar to Dipper's, only blonde and traveled and bit farther down his neck, dangerously close to encroaching on mullet territory. His brown eyes scanned the room curiously, before his gaze met the two older men's. While Ford had expected this newcomer due to his conversation with Clint five years before, he decided to play dumb as his brother was standing next to him.. "You… Brought somebody with you from Andorra?"

"Yes Grunkle Ford, this is my friend Takura… Takura, these are my Grunkle's Stanley and Stanford." Takura nodded his head towards them respectfully. "He didn't really have anywhere to go after the war, so I talked him into coming home with me! I was hoping you might be able to help him out with a condition of his… One I don't believe you've ever had the privilege to study before Grunkle Ford…"

"Oh, and what might that be?"

"I'm a Werewolf," Takura responded bluntly. Stan backpedaled a step while Ford marveled at this information. "You're not joking are you? A real-life case of lycanthrope?! I'd almost resigned to dismissing the phenomena as a myth."

"Not on Andorra it isn't… Takura is willing to subject himself to some tests if it means a chance for him to get some answers about his condition. Just please respect that he's a person and not a lab rat, that's all I ask."

"Of course! He'd be treated with the utmost respect!" Ford said excitedly, and just as Dipper had hoped, seemed to forget all about the fact that Takura wasn't from this dimension… A topic Dipper feared Ford might be sensitive about due to his past experiences, forewarned or not.

"No Pacifica! I'm not kidding!" Mabel squealed excitedly as she walked back into the room with her phone up to her ear. "He just appeared all of the sudden a few minutes ago and he…" Mabel looked up and stopped mid-sentence, noticing the young man standing next to her brother. Her eyes almost sparkled as she softly said, "He brought me a present…"

"Huh?" Takura coked an eyebrow and looked over at Dipper who was already in mid-facepalm.

"Mabel seriously?! We just walked in the damn door!"


Out on the road, the Corduroy women were only a few minutes away from the Pines residence when Wendy received and unexpected text from Mabel. Her brow furrowed as she read the message.

Mabel: HE CAME HOME!

Wendy: What are you talking about Mabes? Who came home?

Mabel: Duh, who do you think?! He came back Wendy… Dipper's home!

Wendy's heart stopped beating for a second. Hesitating briefly, she frantically typed out a response.

Wendy: You're positive about that?!

Mabel: Of course! I'd recognize my own twin brother anywhere! We shared a very cramped uterus for nine months! I wasn't crazy or delusional Wendy… He came back to us.

Wendy lowered her phone, her breathing slightly heavy. Her mother noticed this and asked with concern. "You alright darling?"

"Mom… I'm not asking you to drive crazy or anything but… Can this thing go any faster?!"

Wendy honestly wasn't sure if she wanted to get to the Pines' house as soon as possible or slow it down and process what she'd just learned. She was also debating whether or not she was going to hug Dipper when she saw him again or plant her boot straight up his ass.


"No mom, this isn't a joke… It's really me… I found my way home… Alright then, what do you want me to say to prove that it's me? Okay, my real name is Mason… A couple of years ago, I was almost arrested for breaking into the Crestwood House… When I was eight, you dressed me up like a lamb and made me sing that ridiculous song… What?! No I can't… I'm not singing the song! Everybody's staring at me…"

And they were, all eyes glued to Dipper intently as he sat at the dining room table, on the phone with his mother. Mabel leaned in close to him and goaded, "Do it…"

"But… Uh fine! If that's what… Ugh… Well, who wants a lamby, lamby, lamby? I do, I do! So, go up and greet your mammy, mammy, mammy… Oh mom, please don't cry!"

The family was all smiles as Dipper tried to calm his mother, a tear trickling from Mabel's eye. Completely confused, Takura looked at everyone else not on the phone and asked, "What the hell is a Lamby?"

Mabel laughed while Takura just continued to look perplexed. The Stans, however, both grew concerned when they noticed Dipper's expression morph from a relieved smile, into a frown. "Yes, I'm in Gravity Falls Mom… Yes, I understand how you feel about this place, but you know how I feel about it too! This is where I've always wanted to be, you've known that since I was fourteen… Can we not argue about this now? It's hardly the time for it… Thank you… Yes, I promise I'll come see you as soon as I can, but… If you're really in a hurry to see me, you can always make the trip up here. It might be for the best actually. I think you and Dad need to come to grips with this place, and that it's going to be our home now… And you really need to make amends with Grunkle Ford and Stan… No, it wasn't their fault Mom! If you have to blame somebody, blame me for my disappearance. It was my own decisions that got me stuck in the situation I was in… Remember, it was blindly blaming Gravity Falls and our Grunkles that drove a wedge between you and Mabel in the first place… Yeah, she filled me in before I made the call… Yes, please think about it, that's all I'm asking… And yes, I'll talk to Dad as soon as he gets off work… And yes, I'll talk to Mabel… It's not like she wants to not be on speaking terms with you guys… I love you too Mom, and I promise I'll call again soon… I just have a lot to sort out now that I'm back… Bye…"

Dipper ended the call and fell back in his chair, exhaling deeply. "That was more exhausting than running the mile during track practice…"

"How do you know I'm not happy to *not* be on speaking terms with them?!" Mabel sniped stubbornly.

"Because I know you Mabel… I'm just glad I was able to convince her it was actually me… I've never heard her cry as hard as she did when she finally accepted I was her son…"

"And all it took was for you to sing like a little lamb…" Mabel sang, causing her brother to groan in disgust. Before he could retort though, they were interrupted by the sound of a car door closing.

"Is somebody here?"

"Ah, that must be the Corduroy's…" Ford announced. "I almost forgot I invited them over…"

"The Courd… Wendy," Dipper panted. While true he had just technically gone on a Bigfoot expedition with this favorite redhead, that was a younger version of his old friend. Hardly the person she was when he'd trapped himself in Andorra two years prior. This would be the first time he'd be seeing his Wendy in two years… He wasn't sure his heart was ready for it.

"I'll get it!" Mabel jumped up excitedly at the sound of a frantic knock at the door. She rushed into the living room and threw the door open to greet the female contingent of the Corduroy family. "Hey ladies! You're just in… Hey!" Mabel nearly fell over as Wendy pushed her way passed her into the house.

"Where is he?" Wendy demanded, more than asked. Her expression was a strange mix of angry, fear, and hope.

"I'm right here… Hi Wendy…"

When Wendy saw him standing in the threshold of the living room, for a second, she forgot whether or not she was supposed to be mad at him. Now, Wendy wasn't too sure what she was expecting… After two years, she knew Dipper wasn't going to look like the same sixteen-year-old kid that had disappeared, but seeing a full-grown man standing in front of her was still jarring. It was definitely Dipper though… The same goofy disarming smile he always gave when he was feeling shy or embarrassed. She could even make out part of his birthmark behind that messy head of brown-hair that hadn't changed all that much.

For Dipper, the experience was quite the opposite. He hadn't expected Wendy to change much, and she hadn't, but what was different still took him aback. Blue flannel replaced the familiar green, her features had sharpened as she matured into a full-fledged woman from a teenaged girl still learning the ropes of how to be an adult. Slightly shorter hair, and a complete lack of headgear… Not unheard of, but a rare sight none-the-less.

Boldly, Dipper took a step forward, but stopped the second he saw Wendy's bewildered look turn into an angry scowl. "You little…"

"Oh crap…" His Dipper senses tingling, he turned tail and ran for it.

"Pines, get your ass back here so I can chew it out!"

Instead of fleeing out the backdoor or coming up with any other idea even remotely sensible, Dipper decided to run up the stairs to the second floor of the house, Wendy nearly grabbing him by the leg on the way up. "Wendy, be reasonable! You have every right to be upset, but murder is not the answer!"

Dipper nearly made it to the safety of his room, well he assumed it was still his, but Wendy caught up to him before he could get the door open. Dipper found himself with his back pressed against the wall, and a snarling Wendy with a glare so intense it was a miracle that Dipper's eyes didn't melt in their sockets. "You lying little weasel! You told me you'd be right behind us! I knew I shouldn't have listened to you, but I did! Then look what happened!"

"I'm sorry…"

"No sorry! I don't want to hear no bullshit apology! Do you have any idea how much I blamed myself for what happened?! How miserable that made me feel, and how long it took me to put myself together again after?... You could've told me what you had planned! We could've worked something out…"

"No, we couldn't have… Somebody had to stay behind to make sure that portal closed… And better me than you or Mabel… Sorry, but I don't regret anything."

"Idiot…" Wendy softened as she started to tear up, feeling silly over the sudden burst of anger she felt when she registered that he was taller than her now. Not wanting the boy to see her cry, Wendy buried her face into his shoulder, and to Dipper's shock, pulled him into a hug. He didn't dare hug back, feeling as if he didn't deserve the honor. "You're lucky I don't want to be mad at you right now…"

"Yeah… Luckiest guy in the world," Dipper chuckled. They stayed like that for a moment until Wendy got impatient.

"Well, what the hell are you waitin' for?! Hug me back asshole!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Dipper yelped.

After their emotions ebbed, the old friends exchanged a more proper greeting before returning downstairs and linking up with the rest of the family. Dipper learned that Takura and Tracey and stepped outside, so he excused himself to go join them.

"Dang it, it's so good to see you boys again!" Tracey declared, as she wrapped them both in a hug that resembled more of a double chokehold, strong enough that the boys had to struggle against her just a bit so not to pass out from lack of oxygen.

"But we just saw you a couple of hours ago…" Takura wondered, as Tracey finally let up enough that he could escape her clutches. It was the same for Dipper.

"For us Takura… Remember, for her it's been nearly five years… Well, since she's seen you anyway."

"Oh right… Time Travel is weird."

"Time Travel?" questioned Wendy, as she suddenly appeared behind the trio, catching them completely by surprise. Tracey appeared a bit uneasy when her daughter's gaze fell upon her. "And what did you mean by see you 'boys' again? I get Dipper but… You know this guy from somewhere?"

"I'll… Explain that soon enough," Tracey dismissed with a smile. "Let's not spoil the homecomin' with too much exposition."

"Alright… But something weirds goin' on here, and I want some answers!"

There was some more chatter when another vehicle pulled into the driveway of the Pines residence. A long luxurious vehicle.

"Oh great… The Princess didn't waste any time did she?" Wendy complained. Dipper, on the other hand, looked much more enthusiastic.

"Pacifica…"

As if hearing her cue, the blonde heiress exited her limo looking very anxious, even through her slightly over-sized sunglasses. She removed said glasses and her eyes immediately found Dipper, and just like Mabel and Wendy before her, recognized him immediately. Belting out a cross between a sob and a yelp, she rushed towards Dipper, nearly knocking him over when she crashed into him.

"You, stupid dork!" Pacifica laughed happily into his chest. "I knew you'd find a way to make it back… I almost gave up hope at times but…"

"Well, lucky for you and me, I never gave up hope either and here I am…"

"Yes, you certainly are," Pacifica trailed off as she almost subconsciously pressed her hands against his chest. "You're a lot more solid than you were the last time I saw you too…" Dipper may have blushed if he understood what Pacifica meant by that. The blonde frowned slightly when she noticed Wendy standing off to the side. "How the heck did you guys beat me here?!"

"Inside information," Tracey answered cryptically, confusing everyone but Dipper who cringed a bit after she said it.

"Pacifica! You're already here!" Mabel cheered as she walked outside, Stan close behind here. "That was quick!"

"Of course, I don't like to waste time. As soon as you told me he was home, I had my butler calling the limo for me while we were still on the phone!"

"Well… Guess the gang that's still around, are all here," Stan observed. "Since this is a special occasion, whaddya say I order us some grub to celebrate! Who's in the mood for some pizza?!"

Most everyone cheered in appreciation. Dipper looked downright shocked. "Wait… I didn't land in a parallel universe did I? Did you just offer to buy a meal for everybody Grunkle Stan?"

"Hey, I can be generous every once in a while! Besides, you can all pay me back later… With interest of course!"

"And there he is," Dipper smirked.

"Well, as much as I'd love to stick around and enjoy the festivities, I should probably get goin'," Tracey announced. "Dipper, feel free to drop by my place in a couple of days after you get settled back in, and we'll catch up then. Don't wana feel like I'm intrudin' on the family reunion here."

"But you wouldn't be intruding at all Capt… I mean Mrs…." Dipper paused again as she gave him the stink eye. "Sorry, I mean Tracey…"

Said woman nodded in approval. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'd still feel like I'm crashin' the party… Say, would you mind if I borrowed your buddy here?" she asked, as she wrapped an arm around Takura's shoulders. "There's a few people I'd like to introduce him to…"

"Why?" Wendy asked. "You just met him like, a few minutes ago!"

"Maybe you should ask Dipper about that… He could probably answer better than I ever could! I assume you'd like to stick around for a while?"

"If you don't mind…." Wendy said, taking a quick glance over at Dipper. "I would really like that…"

"Figured as much… I'll see you kids later then… Takura, why don't you come with me hon?"

"Don't see why not," he responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well, let's get going then! I'll see the rest of you guys later." Dipper and family said their goodbyes before heading inside, meaning Wendy was out there alone thankfully, when her mother turned to her and said, "Oh, and Wendy! If things get wild tonight, don't forget to use protection!"

"Mom!" Wendy's face exploded red, thankful that nobody else she knew was in earshot. "It isn't like that, and never has been! He's just a kid!"

"Oh, come on now darling," Tracey jeered from her car, also slightly amused at Takura's partial reluctance to get inside the metallic beast. "I'm pretty sure you noticed too, but he ain't no little boy anymore."

Strangely, Wendy had no comeback for this, watching awkwardly as her mother comically taught a grown man how to fasten a seatbelt, and continued until they finally drove away… Leaving Wendy stranded with a newly planted brain worm that was going to wreak a little more havoc that evening than she would've cared for.


The afternoon faded into early evening as the extended Pines clan celebrated Dipper's return. At his request, they didn't talk much about Dipper's escapades in Andorra… There would be time for that later. He was just happy to be home and was much more interested in hearing about what he'd missed while he was gone, and what had been going on in his loved one's lives. Especially with Wendy present, there was too much of his story he just wasn't ready to share yet. He'd gotten to have that conversation with his father, and it went about as well as the call with his mother… Which left a bad taste in Dipper's mouth. Why couldn't they just be happy he was back on Earth, instead of acting more upset that he was in Gravity Falls? For Dipper, it seemed to him a strange choice of priorities.

Stan had excused himself from the room for the time being, and Dipper felt this was a good opportunity to pick Pacifica's brain about something that he hoped might be right up her alley. It's not that he didn't trust his Grunkle Stan in most situations. Just not when it came to money. "Hey Pacifica… Not to stereotype you because you're rich or anything, but I was hoping you could advise me on something."

Dipper hoisted up his rather hefty backpack and dropped it on the table. Pacifica, Wendy, and Mabel all gathered around as he unzipped the pack, revealing a large horde of coins.

"Whoa dude, did you raid a pirate ship while you were in that other dimension or sometin'?"

"No Wendy," He laughed. "Well, just that one… Mostly, we did a lot of odd jobs while trying to find my way home, and we made quite a bit of money doing so… If you think this is impressive, you should consider how much of our earnings we donated to the poor. Both Takura and our…" He ever so briefly glanced over at Wendy. "Other associate each have packs full of these coins."

"That's impressive… But why did you want to show me these?" Pacifica playfully poked him with her elbow. "I do like shiny things, but it's going to take a lot more than a few coins to impress me."

"This isn't a brag. I know your family has connections with the type of people who might be able to tell me how much these coins might be worth…"

"Well, I hate to break this to you Mason but… I don't think there's much of an exchange rate for currency from another…" Pacifica took a closer look at one of the coins, and her eyes bulged to the size of saucers. "Dipper! These coins… They look like they're made of pure gold!"

"Well yeah," Dipper chuckled, a bit confused. "They are gold coins… Is it that much of a surprise?"

"In this case yes! Samples of pure gold that haven't been contaminated by other elements are extremely rare… You see that bright orange color? That's a big indication of the gold's purity. How heavy would you say that pack you've been carrying around is Mason?"

"I dunno… Heavy as hell, that's for sure… I'd wager anywhere form 80-100lbs."

Pacifica stared at Dipper blankly for a moment before suddenly grabbing him by the elbow and pulling him away from the other girls. She urged him to lower his head so she could whisper into his ear. "Mason… Pure gold runs for about 1500 dollars an ounce… If you have a hundred pounds of gold in that pack of yours… Well do the math, that's almost two and a half million dollars you've been carrying around on your back!"

Dipper forgot how to speak for a second. "If it is pure you mean… It's Andorran gold, so maybe it's different?"

"It's possible… My dad does have a gold guy… He's sketchy as hell, but he's not stupid enough to try and get one over on the daughter of Preston Northwest!"

"I would really appreciate it Pacifica," he said with a grateful smile. "I'm sure Takura left his pack around here somewhere… Just do me a favor, and don't tell anybody else about this… Until I know exactly what I'm working with."

"Come on Mason… You know if there's one person that can trust me, it's you," Pacifica smiled, making Dipper blush slightly. "So, if you do suddenly find yourself a millionaire, what do you plan on doing with your newfound fortune?"

"Is a couple million a lot of money? I thought that was around a month's allowance for you?" Dipper received a playful punch to his midsection before answering honestly. "I have an idea… But I have to sort out a few things first and figure out if it's possible… I'll tell you more when I know for sure."

"Really? Not even a hint? I thought you trusted me more than that Mason…"

"You know it's not like that Pacifica. I promise, you'll be the first person I tell once I get my affairs in order."

It wasn't long after, that Pacifica decided she had to call it a night. She and Dipper said their goodbyes in front of the Northwest's limousine. The rest of the group remained inside to give the pair their privacy at Mabel's insistence… Which meant Mabel herself had her nose pressed against the window, which was cracked open slightly, so she could hopefully overhear anything scandalous that might possibly be said.

"I'll get back to you as soon as I get your stash appraised." The Blonde gave him a cutesy smile. "It really is good to have you back Mason…" Pacifica wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a hug that was… Let's just say a tad bit warmer than friendly, as Dipper's massive blush would attest too. The heiress was a bit disappointed at how limp the return hug was, but she'd take it.

"It's getting late, I should get going," she whispered to him. "Unless you can think of a reason for me to stay?"

"I'll see you soon," Dipper gulped, as he pried himself free from the hug. He couldn't tell if she was just teasing or not, but he did pick up on the innuendo. "I promise."

"You better." Pacifica almost didn't do it… But decided fuck it and gave the boy a quick kiss on the cheek before climbing into her limo. "Good Night Mason!"

"Night…" Dipper trembled, red as a tomato.

Dipper watched as the limo drove off, exhaling deeply, slightly relieved. It was great to see Pacifica again, but he'd be lying if he said the outpouring of attention from his friends and family wasn't leaving him exhausted, as happy as they made him feel...

Turns out his night wasn't quite done, however. He walked back inside the house to find Wendy waiting for him, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed. She almost looked annoyed, which concerned Dipper momentarily before she eased his mind with a friendly smile. "Upstairs Dip. I'd like to have a little chat with you in private now that blondie is gone, and before Mabel reattaches herself to your hip."

"Uh… Sure thing," Dipper responded, trying to sound cool and confident, but failed miserably at both. For all he knew, Wendy got over her relief to see him finally home and was now ready to finish that ass-whopping she had lined up when she first laid eyes on him. Wendy calmly walked up the stairs, and Dipper followed her up to his room… Well, the room his Grunkles loaned to him whenever he visited, and she shut the door behind them. The first thing Dipper noticed was Wendy twirling his explorer hat on her finger.

"This guy looks pretty beat up… You put this hat through some stuff in that other dimension didn't ya?"

"I rarely took it off… I know it's just a hat, but it was a comforting reminder of home. One of the best gifts I ever received." Wendy stopped twirling the hat, looking thoughtful. Still feeling antsy that Wendy's disposition might regress to something less than pleasant, Dipper tried to smooth things over. "Wendy… I really am sorry if what I did hurt you. I did deceive you, and though I don't regret my actions, I do regret that they hurt you…"

"Of course it hurt me Dipper! You disappeared for two years, and it took half that time for everyone to help me convince myself that it wasn't my fault! I understand you did what you thought you had to in order to protect me and your sister, but there were better ways to go about it! You're my best friend Dipper! Not having you here hurt… And it hurt worse feelin' like I was responsible…"

"I'm your best friend?" Dipper mouthed in disbelief. "I didn't think you… I…"

"Of course you're my best friend dork… Whose always been there for me, even when he knew he wasn't going to get anything in return for being there? Which of my other friends would've given up two years of their comfortable cushy lives just to protect my ass?… Who understands me better than just about anyone?… You might be younger, but you've always treated me like I was one of the most important people in the world to you… With all due respect to my old crew, they can't hold a candle to you Dip… Which is why it hurt so much to think I lost you, and that I let you trick me into leavin' you behind!"

"I'm so sorry Wendy! I Just… I… Tell me whatever it is I need to do to make us even! I'll take any punishment you see fit… I just don't want you to be angry with me…"

"Angry? Who's angry," Wendy laughed as she walked up to him, both stunning and relieving Dipper. "I think you've already made it up to me Dip… Can't think of a better gift than gettin' my Mom back, so I'd say we're more than even."

"You're Mom… How did you?! She didn't tell…"

"She never breathed a word to me or anybody else as far as I know… I'm not a genius, but I'm not stupid either. You really thought I wouldn't be able to figure it out Dipper?" Wendy teased as she placed his hat on his head. "Or would you prefer to be called 'Clint'?"

"I…" Dipper decided not to argue, or keep up a persistent façade… There was really no point… And it wasn't like his glorious skills in the art o articulation weren't going to doom him anyway. "How long have you known?"

"Um well… I had my suspicions for a while… Even before you trapped yourself in that other dimension, I noticed you were startin' to look an awful lot like that guy we met a couple years before… I chalked it up to you two being related at first, but when I thought back to how Clint showed up on our doorstep with my Mother… She always did a good job watchin' her words around me, but she slipped up a couple of times. She always made sure to refer to you as Clint, but she also referred to this other boy she traveled with named Takura all the time… And warned us that he just happened to be a Werewolf? The same name and infliction of the guy we met when we crossed the portal into Andorra? Which was another mistake she made… While she usually described the place she was stuck in as the other dimension, I did hear the name Andorra slip out of her mouth once or twice. That was the deal breaker for me… I mean come on! Was I really supposed to believe that three separate members of your family got stuck in the same dimension, and one just happened to travel with my Mom and a kid that had the same name of the guy I met while I was in said dimension, and he just happens to be a Werewolf too?! I do believe in coincidences Dipper, but all that's a bit much to swallow…"

"Yet the time travel part doesn't seem to faze you much?"

"Oh please, this is Gravity Falls Dip! I'm surprised we don't get more time travelers visiting here on vacation!"

"You didn't… Tell anyone else about your suspicions did you?" Dipper asked nervously.

Wendy shook her head. "No… I did confront Mom about it once, when the evidence just piled up too much to ignore, but she wouldn't confirm or deny anything… She just told me she couldn't tell us the entire truth yet, otherwise she might not be able to stay… And I damn sure wasn't going to risk losing my Mom again. It makes more sense to me now though… Why she was so insistent on coming over here today, and on her anniversary of all days… It was almost like she knew something was going to happen."

"Because she did… It's the five-year anniversary of the day she returned home… Which means, in order for myself to have gotten back to my own time, I would've had to move forward exactly five years into the future… With that information, it isn't all that hard to pinpoint the date I was going to return…"

"That also explains why she acted so familiar with the two of you earlier… Or at least helped confirm for me what I already suspected…"

"You're…" Dipper stammered reluctantly. "Not disappointed to learn that I was Clint are you? I know you were younger, but you were really into him at the time so…"

If Dipper hadn't been so busy tripping over his own tongue and avoiding prolonged eye contact, he might've noticed Wendy's face ripen like a tomato. She was really caught off guard to hear Dipper bring that up. "I wasn't all that into him…"

Dipper knew that was a lie… And while a part of him felt he should be offended, for some reason, the fib made him smile… And embolden him just a bit. "That's not how I remember it… I recall a lot of gushing all over the guy and dangling off him like you were some type of fashion accessory!"

"You're exaggerating! Plus, I was younger and immature back then… And I don't get all doughy over guys!"

"Well, you made an exception for Clint Redman… And don't forget, even though you've had five years for those memories to fade, for me, all that happened two days ago. I also remember how I felt about the situation when I was thirteen… I still hadn't quite gotten over my crush on you yet, so I recall feeling more than a little jealous and angry over all the fawning you were doing over Clint… Which meant I was technically jealous and angry of myself because you were paying so much attention to me… Which meant I wound up acting like a jerk towards myself because I was upset with me because you were showing more interest in me than you were to me… Or my older self at least…" Dipper paused as his head started to hurt. "Damn, time travel gives me a headache…"

Wendy shared a laugh with Dipper at his own expense. "Well, at least you kept your promise. I did get to see you again… To be perfectly honest with ya though, I'd take Dipper Pines over Clint Redman any day of the week."

Dipper's head stopped hurting and starting spinning. He may never understand what exactly Wendy meant by that, and he wasn't about to read anything into it either… Still, hearing that made Dipper feel good, elated even… Enough so that a bright smile formed across his lips, one fueled by the warmth and love he felt towards this girl, making it shine all the more brilliantly. That smile had a noticeable effect on its recipient… Instilling a feeling in Wendy she didn't quite recognize and wasn't at all comfortable with, forcing her face to turn blood red. Unable to maintain eye contact, she coughed into her hand as she tried to regain her composure, looking in the opposite direction of Dipper when she asked him, "That was a mighty big risk you took Dipper… What if you hadn't found a way to get back to our time and you got stuck in the past? What would you have done then?"

"Doesn't matter… That didn't happen, and I made it home, so it's something I don't have to worry about anymore. The reward was worth the risk."

"You didn't…" Wendy hesitated briefly. "Do that… Risk bringing my Mom back just to make me happy right?"

"That was only part of the reason… Mostly, I wanted to see Tracey get back some of the time she lost with you and your brothers… She saved my life I don't know how many times while guiding me through the jungles of Andorra… The least I could do for her was to help put her family back together… For all of you."

"And I'm so grateful for it… We all are…" Wendy said, smiling as she closed the distance between them, her cool exterior restored. "And now that you're back, our family really is whole again."

Before Dipper could respond to that, Wendy wrapped him in a hug. It wasn't intentionally tantalizing like Pacifica's, but rather warm and comforting… Dipper enjoyed it just the same and gladly returned the embrace. Sadly for Dipper, it was far too short, as Wendy eventually pulled away. "We should go back downstairs soon… I don't want your family to think I'm hoggin' ya all to myself."

"That would just be such a shame," Dipper sighed, as he kind of smirked and motioned with his head towards the door, confusing Wendy slightly. "I'm sure Mabel's ready to pop about now… I mean, it's not like she's listening at the door or anything!"

The pair heard a gasp at the door, and the quick scampering of Mabel sized feet. Wendy laughed, understanding now what Dipper had tried to signal to her. "That girl is something else…"

"So much has changed since I've been gone…" Dipper sighed, a sense of nostalgia overtaking him. "It's good to see some things haven't changed at all…"


"So, you gettin' nervous at all there kid?"

"I don't get nervous." It wasn't a boast, Takura didn't typically get nervous. A side-effect of being a child of war. Tracey knew this wasn't entirely the case however… Certain social situations could get uncomfortable for him, enough so that he'd normally try to avoid them. "I am a little confused by the rush to greet your family… Unless the idea was to get me out of the way so Dipper could reacquaint with his family without having to worry about me getting in the way."

Tracey looked over at Takura in mild astonishment. There were times she'd forget how unexpectedly perceptive the young man could be. "Well, ya got me there, but that's only part of the reason… The family's been eager to meet ya, and since we needed to make ourselves scarce anyhow, now's as good a time as any!"

"Isn't your daughter still over at the Pines house though?"

"Yeah, but I can introduce the two of you another time… Wendy's where she needs to be right now."

"Agreed," Takura stated simply. Tracey really wanted to ask her surrogate son what he meant exactly by that but decided against it for the time being.

Takura's introduction to the greater Corduroy clan was an interesting experience. Tracey's three sons did appear curious about him, but rather than a warm greeting, Takura noticed the Corduroy children seemed to take his appearance as some form of challenge. In an odd way, that made Takura feel slightly more comfortable, as this was a disposition in which he could relate. Meeting Tracey's husband however… That experience was something else.

"So this is the kid huh? He doesn't look so tough to me…"

"Oh trust me Danny, he can hold his own. Why don't you take a swing at him and see for yourself?"

Manly Dan appeared a bit shocked by this suggestion. He just wanted to give the kid a hard time, not actually hurt him. The young man was standing his ground, not appearing intimidated by Dan in the least… Something the older man respected, but he wasn't quite ready to let the kid know that just yet. "Welp, it's his funeral. Brace yourself kid, this is gona hurt!"

"Don't take it easy on 'em… Don't worry he can take it…"

"Well, for his sake I hope you're right," Dan bellowed while cracking his knuckles.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Danny… I was talkin' to Takura."

"Wha…" Dan flinched, starting to feel just a little bit annoyed. He glared down at the young man who was now in a defensive stance and smiling coyly. He may tend to be awkward and quiet in social situations, but he was always up for a challenge. "Alright then! Here comes the thunder!"

Dan hesitated only briefly before bringing his fist down towards Takura face. It only reached halfway before it was abruptly stopped by the palm of Takura's hand. No matter how hard he pushed… No matter how hard he struggled… The strongest manliest man in all of Roadkill County couldn't budge a skinny, in comparison to him, teenaged boy. Dans strained features turned to confusion when Takura wrapped his hand around Dans wrist, and the next thing he knew, the Corduroy patriarch was on his back looking up at the sky, and soon after, his wife's face was smiling down at him."

"You okay Danny?"

"Umm… Yeah…" Takura was soon standing over Dan, stoically offering a hand to help him back to his feet. Dan accepted, and nodded in appreciation as he stood up.

"You should've known better Danny… After all the stories I told you about our escapades in Andorra, you should've known not to judge him purely by the way he looks."

"Welp, you got me there… Ha!" Dan let out a raucous laugh, before slapping Takura hard on the back, hard enough that Takura actually recoiled in pain. "He doesn't disappoint that's for sure! Welcome to the family kid!"

Though it was hard to tell through his stoic expression, Takura felt a bit overwhelmed at being so readily accepted by Tracey's husband. The feeling only got more surreal when the Corduroy boys began their whooping and hollering as they circled their parents and Takura. Welcome to the family… Tracey and Dipper were the closest thing to family he had, and now after barely a couple of days on Earth, that family seemed to be expanding.

Perhaps coming to Earth was the right decision after all.


Two weeks had passed since Dipper Pines had returned to Earth. After taking a couple of days off to recoup and catch up with family and friends, Dipper got down to business. He had a plan after all, for what he wanted to do with his life, and he could find no reason to delay putting his plans into motion. Only a handful of people had varying degrees of knowledge as to what Dipper was up too. Takura and Tracey knew exactly what he had up his sleeve… They'd spent so many months wandering the jungles of Andorra together, there were times when talking to one another was the only activity they had to partake in. It was only natural that Dipper's future plans for when he got back to Earth would come up.

Pacifica was aware to some degree… Mainly because of her role in helping Dipper turn all that Andorran gold into cash… As well as offering further financial backing for Dipper's lofty venture. It was an offer Dipper wanted to refuse on principal, but couldn't outright due to a pair of very convincing arguments Pacifica had made. Reluctantly, he conceded to the Northwest Heiress' proposal. His Grunkle Ford also had a general idea, and the old scientist couldn't have been more pleased or proud of his Great-Nephew and his choice of vocation. Especially his meticulous planning of it.

One task on that long list involved Dipper taking a quick trip down to California for an emotional reunion with his parents. They had balked at the idea of visiting Gravity Falls, the town itself representing the physical embodiment of the boogeyman as far as his folks were concerned. The visit went well for about an hour but went south quickly when Dipper started to discuss his plans for the future. He'd thought Mabel had been exaggerating when she complained about all the grief she'd received from their folks at even the mention of Gravity Falls, and how totalitarian they'd been in their attempts to keep her from having any contact with anyone form the town. They refused to even hear Dipper out if that plan involved him staying in Gravity Falls. Dipper quickly became convinced his parents would've put him in a bubble and locked him in his room until he was thirty if they thought they could get away with it. Dipper left Piedmont with a bitter taste in his mouth, and now both twins appeared to have a fractured relationship with their parents. It was depressing how quickly they'd jumped from being happy he was home to giving Dipper ultimatums requiring him to choose between Gravity Falls and them. Dipper chose Gravity Falls for now and hoped his parents would come to their senses one day and get over their irrational hatred of the town.

Speaking of depressing… The condemned visage of the Mystery Shack almost broke his heart. Granted, the old building had always been a strong gust of wind away from becoming firewood, but still… He'd put visiting the old place off up until this point for this very reason, to avoid the feelings of loss and melancholy that were sure to follow, but now was the right time. The preparations had been made, and it was time to lay the groundwork for his masterplan.

"To think it only took two years to fall into this state of disrepair… It almost makes you want to cry."

"Gotta agree with you there kid," Stan sighed. "I'm not much for sentiment, but this old girl provided me with a lot of fond memories. Never really realized how much The Shack meant to me until it was gone."

"Why are we here then?" Wendy asked. "Feels like you're just pickin' at old scabs… Unless you feel like you had to pay one last visit to the old building before it collapses in on itself."

"Not exactly… Grunkle Ford has agreed to sell me the place."

"More like passing the deed on to him," Ford corrected, hands in his pockets. "I couldn't take money for this shack in the state it's in, not in good conscious anyway."

"Wait, so you own the Mystery Shack now?" Mabel asked in bewilderment. "What the heck could you possibly do to save this place? Did you miraculously learn carpentry skills while you were in Andorra? Is there some kind of, flip an old tourist trap, reality show I don't know about?"

"No, nothing like that. The Shack itself is just a sentimental consolation prize. What I really wanted was the land around it. Plus the several hundred additional acres I purchased to go along with it. I own pretty much everything in your line of sight at the moment and then some."

Stan let out a whistle, already processing what he would've done with all that land if he'd owned it. "That must've cost a pretty penny kid. Where the heck did you get the cash?"

"Actually, I didn't pay near as much as you might think I would've… Due do this area's… Questionable history and dealings with weird things, I was able to buy all the surrounding land incredibly cheap."

"That's my boy! Knows how to pinch a nickel just like his favorite Uncle… Um, but now that you own it, what exactly are you plannin' on doing with the land kid?"

"Well… I want to build this," Dipper unfolded a large piece of construction paper, and presented the image to his family and friends. A portrait of a large museum like building with a heavy Mystery Shack aesthetic. Mabel recognized the drawing immediately.

"Hey! Isn't that the picture I drew for you years ago, when you were going on and on about that paranormal museum thingy?"

"Precisely Mabel. Only now, that pipe dream has turned into a full-fledged reality. This is what I plan to build here… A museum dedicated to the unknown, very much like the Mystery Shack… Only more science based, and less on swindling tourists out of their paychecks."

"Just when I thought I was gettin' through to him," Stan sighed jokingly.

"So…" Wendy cocked an eyebrow. "Basically, the Mystery Shack on steroids built in your own image?"

"Basically, but with the opposite approach… Rather than displaying a bunch of fake oddities and trying to pass them off as real, I'm going to display very real and well researched paranormal phenomena and basically pass it off like it's fake."

"This way, he can present actual facts and theories concerning the unseen world for those that wish to be educated, while also somewhat protecting the amenity of those creatures," Ford bragged. "It truly is a fascinating concept Dipper…"

"Thanks Grunkle Ford… I also plan to run a paranormal research team out of the museum… I don't really expect a lot of foot traffic, especially early on, so swinging running the museum and research out in the field shouldn't be too difficult."

"Umm… Don't mean to be a buzzkill here dude, but isn't all this going to expensive? I know you had that bag full of loot from that other dimension, but was it really worth enough to pay for all this?"

"Well Wendy…" Dipper looked to Pacifica as if asking her if it was okay for him to answer that question. The heiress merely nodded her head. "Between both Takura and I… The gold we brought back from Andorra came out to roughly… Five and a half million dollars."

Everyone but Pacifica and Takura nearly fell on their faces.

"Wha-what?! You mean to tell me you're a frickin' millionaire, and you didn't even bother to tell your own sister?!"

"Yeah, not to mention stayin' at my place for free the past couple of weeks. If I'd known you were loaded, I'd have been chargin' you room and board!"

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that… Most of that money is gone… Invested into this project to get it off the ground. We've got a little bit left to live off of for a while, but we're far from wealthy at the moment."

"Wendy's point is still a valid one though Dipper," Ford added. "A venture like this will take quite a bit of capital to maintain, even after the building is constructed. The one part of your plan you haven't adequately explained to me was how you're going to keep those doors open once you cut the ribbon."

"Well… Funny you should ask… Turns out I found an outside investor to help cover some of the extra costs…"

"Investor…" Wendy droned, not liking the sound of where this was going. And she was right to feel dubious.

"That would be me," Pacifica announced proudly, as she placed her elbow atop a blushing Dipper's shoulder. "For a minor stake in his business, I've donated a tidy little sum to help make sure Mason's cute little museum idea stays afloat for at least the first couple of years. I'm even going to help handle the business and finical affairs of his company for him while he focuses on all his nerd stuff."

"All out of the goodness of your heart I take it?" Wendy scoffed. "What exactly are you gettin' out of the deal?"

"Mason's eternal gratitude of course," Pacifica teased just to get underneath Wendy's skin. "Financially speaking though, a tidy tax write-out, an introduction into running a business, and I will be getting a lot of that money back once his little project starts turning a profit, and trust me… I'll make sure it makes money."

"You still haven't explained to me how you're going to make that happen," Dipper questioned. "I don't plan on charging anyone who can't afford it for my researching services, and I'm not gouging people on ticket prices either. I've already made that clear."

"I'll find a way Mason honey… I'm a Northwest, it's in the blood after all."

"Company? Business?" Stan grumbled, trying to wrap his head around what he was hearing. "So you're a corporation now kid?"

"It's more in reference to the Paranormal Research Team I'm founding, but yeah kind of… It's more of an organization that's going to operate out of the museum but referring to us as a company isn't too much of a stretch."

"And what exactly is this organization going to be called?" Stan asked.

Dipper smiled confidently as he responded, "Gravity Falls Incorporated… The name seemed fitting for some reason."

"And who exactly is part of this 'organization'?" Wendy asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, I'm going to act as the Museum Caretaker and head of the research team… Takura's been on board with me since this idea started to germinate in my head back on Andorra… Grunkle Fords going to work part time with us as a consultant of sorts… That way, he's free to pursue his own field of studies while still giving us the opportunity to collaborate together… As far as the rest of the team goes well… That's kind of why I asked you all to join me today… It wasn't just to brag and show off…"

Dipper first turned to Stanley. "Grunkle Stan… I kind of need someone to be the figurehead of the museum. Somebody with experience, who can sell to a crowd that all the exhibits they're viewing are real, while at the same time, giving a wink and a nod that everything they're seeing is actually fake."

"Well, I definitely fit that criteria," Stan bragged. "But I kind of retired from that life kid. What's in it for me exactly?"

"I'll let you run the gift shop, and you can keep half the proceeds."

For a moment, Dipper half expected dollar signs to form where Stans eyes should be. "Now you're talking my language! You got yourself a deal kid…"

"I had a feeling we would. Now Mabel…"

"What about school?" Mabel asked abruptly, surprising Dipper. He was growing a tad bit annoyed with some of the negativity he was getting. "You haven't even finished high school!"

"Actually, yeah I have… I took my high school equivalency exam a few days ago, and…. Not to brag, but I essentially aced it. It's technically just as good as a high school diploma."

"But is that good enough for you?! The Dipper I knew before Andorra would've never been happy with just an equivalent exam or whatever! And what about college?! Weren't you working as hard as you were so you could get into one of those big fancy schools?!"

"At the time yes but… Things change… I know what I want to do for a living now Mabel… And a college education isn't exactly necessary for the type of career I want to pursue, and I can always take online classes when I have the time…"

"No college either?! Is this really you talking Dipper?! Before you got stuck in that dimension, you never would've been happy not graduating high school, or not going to college! What was the point of all those wasted nights you spent locked up in your room having no life whatsoever if you were just going to let all that work go to waste?!... What happened to you over there Dipper?!"

Dipper was utterly confused at this point. He had no idea why his sister was reacting like this… Almost hysterical, and all over his decision not to pursue higher education? Something wasn't adding up. He walked up to his sister, placing his hands upon her shoulders, hoping to calm her down. "Listen to me Mabel… I've spent the last two years of my life stuck in the present… Not knowing where I was going, if I'd ever find my way home, or if I was even going to survive… Now that I'm back, I don't want to waste time dwelling on the past and what might've been. Now's the time for me to be looking forward towards the future, and I'm sorry, but the idea of investing five more years of my life to school just isn't appealing to me. Trust me, this is what I want to do, and I could really use my sisters support."

"But…" A lite mist of moisture formed at the corner of her eyes. "We were supposed to room together… While you attended your big fancy tech school or whatever, and I'd enroll in a local art school… Or did you forget about that part?!"

"No, I never forgot Mabel… But we both knew that was wishful thinking and was probably never going to happen. I know that can't be what you're upset about Mabes… You haven't brought up school once since I've been back, and it's never exactly been a priority of yours either…"

"I… It's just… It feels like you're leaving me behind again! You disappear for two years, and now you're barely back home two weeks and you start going on about this museum thing! Where exactly do I fit in with all this Dipper?… I just got you back…"

"The same place you always have… Right by my side." Dipper smiled as a teary-eyed Mabel looked up at him with hope. "You'd think I try something like this without my Sister involved? We are the Mystery Twins right? My team wouldn't be complete without you in the background constantly mocking me."

Mabel chuckled, her disposition improving slightly. "But I still want to go to Art School at some point Dipper… As much as I love our adventures, there's only so much ghost and monster hunting this girl can take before I've had enough…"

"Then just work with us until you're ready to enroll in school… Or work parttime for us after classes, whatever works best for you. You're under no obligation to devote the rest of your life to my crazy ventures Mabel. But you'll always have a place with me as long as you want it."

Mabel responded by glomping her brother in a hug that seemed to scream thank you. "I'll think about what I want to do but… Either way, thank you Dipper."

"You're more than welcome." Dipper released his sister and smiled reassuringly in her direction. That left one person in attendance that Dipper had yet to sort out his business with. And Wendy didn't appear much happier than Mabel had.

"Wendy… Would you indulge me with a quick chat in private?"

Wendy didn't respond verbally. She shrugged instead and stomped off, away from the rest of the group with Dipper quickly following behind. They wound up behind the Shack, Dipper doing a doubletake when he noticed the little memorial set up in his honor before resuming his pursuit of Wendy.

"Seriously? They basically carved me a headstone?! Nobody had any real faith I'd survive did they?" The comment was meant to be lighthearted, but if Wendy took it that way, it was hard to tell. She still looked annoyed.

"You worried a lot of people Dipper… There weren't a lot of reasons for any of us to have much faith you'd ever make it home. Not a slight against you personally, just the nature of traveling between dimensions in general… Mabel always believed though… That memorial would probably be a lot more embarrassin' for you now if Mabel hadn't thrown such a fuss over it."

"You didn't believe though?" Dipper smiled sadly.

"I wanted too… But I was dealin' with a lot of shit at the time! Mainly juggling being mad at you for deceiving me and angry at myself for lettin' it happen. Those first few months were hell Dipper! You do get that right?"

"I do… And you'll have plenty of opportunities to guilt me for it, but you're never going to make me regret prioritizing yours and Mabel's safety over my own. I went through hell too Wendy… Two years of it trying to get home… And if I hadn't, I never would've met your Mom."

While still visibly upset, Dipper could tell Wendy's mood softened ever so slightly. Not nearly enough though. "Doesn't make me feel any better for not stoppin' it."

"You… Didn't seem too thrilled with my plans for the Museum," Dipper stated, changing the subject. "Not a fan either I take it?"

"Maybe I agree with your sister… School was always important to you Dip, and you put a lot of work into those studies… Now, all of the sudden, you don't care about that anymore? Are you really going to be content spendin' the rest of your life chasin' ghosts and monsters? Not that it doesn't sound fun and all but… Don't you find all of this a little impulsive? You've only been back a couple of weeks!"

"What can I say?… I grew up… Priorities change… I've spent the last two years of my life just trying to survive and find my way home… Now I finally have a chance to live my life and not just survive. I know it all might seem kneejerk, but I can't help that all the pieces of the puzzle fell together so quickly. I may never get a second chance at this…"

Wendy remained silent, staring off in the distance… Until she said something so out of leftfield that it nearly made Dipper faceplant. "So, what do you think the princess is going to expect in 'compensation' for donatin' all that money to fund your little project?"

"I… Think Pacifica did a pretty good job explaining that herself," Dipper said sounding confused, the innuendo completely flying over his head. If Wendy hadn't been so irritated for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on, she might've found his expression adorable. "Look… This might not be the best time to ask since you're obviously not in the best of moods but… It's the reason I called you out here. Just to make sure I'm clear, you don't plan on going back to college right? And you don't exactly enjoy working for your dad…"

"I've been pretty direct with my feelings on both those subjects Dipper… Why even bring it up?"

"Well… How would you feel about working for me?"

"Huh?" Wendy probably shouldn't have been surprised by the question, but she was. She wasn't exactly the scientific type after all. "You mean your little museum project? Not exactly my field of expertise… What would I even be doing if I worked for you?"

"Basically the same thing you've been doing of years whenever you accompanied Mabel and I on one of our insane adventures… Only now you'd be getting paid for it."

That caught Wendy's attention. She'd kind of forgotten that Dipper's pending occupation involved a lot of fieldwork that could border on the dangerous depending on the specific pursuit. "How much does this job pay exactly?"

"Well… I'm open to negotiation, but I think this is a fair offer…" Dipper handed Wendy a slip of paper he had stuffed in one of the many pockets of his cargo shorts. Wendy took one look, and her eyes about bugled out her head. "You can't be serious?! Is this for like, the whole year?!"

"Monthly actually…"

"Dipper, I couldn't possibly accept this! That's way too much… You're not offering this because…"

"I'd be paying Takura and Mabel the same amount, so it's not special treatment. Look, this isn't going to be a normal job. Some of the cases we'll be taking on will be extremely dangerous or involve being away from home for days at a time, camping in the cold, sleeping in dingy old houses. It's not a glamours line of work, and you'll be putting yourself at risk more often than I'd like... To be frank, I'm not sure I'll be paying you guys enough."

"I… I don't know what to say Dipper…"

"You can try saying yes," Dipper chuckled. "I need open-mined people to work with Wendy… More importantly, ones I can trust with my life. I can't think of anybody more qualified than having my best-friend by my side. It's not a binding contract or anything either, so you can walk away whenever you want… So, what do you think? Do you want to jump headfirst into my bizarre world of ghosts, monsters, and mystery?"

Wendy paused briefly, still staring at the dollar amount before she looked over at Dipper…

And she smiled.


"So, what exactly is going to happen to the old Mystery Shack?" Stan asked Dipper as the boy and his two Grunkles stood near the entrance of the condemned building. "You gona bulldoze it or somethin' to make more room for your bigger and better version of it?"

"No actually… There's way too much history and nostalgia for me in this old building… I don't think I could bare to see it destroyed. I'm going to build the museum around it and try to include it in the presentation somehow. I thought about making the old Shack the giftshop, but its condemned status means it's not safe to use at all… At least not for people to enter. Maybe I'll make it an exhibit itself. Show people where it all started for us."

"There's something almost poetic about that," Stan snarked, taking a good long look at his old digs. It was still hard for him to believe it came to this so fast. "Almost makes me wish I gave a hoot about poetry!"

"I assume you've thought through how you want the inside of the structure laid out?" Ford asked.

"I have a rough idea… But I'm no architect… I was kind of hoping you'd be willing to let me run a few ideas by you and see what you think Grunkle Ford."

Stanford smiled in response. "It would be my pleasure Dipper."

"That thing though…" Dippers eyes narrowed as he looked at his modest memorial. "That needs to go. No man should have to read his own tombstone… Not when he's still alive at least."

While Dipper continued the conversation with his Grunkles, Mabel and Wendy were off on their own, both leaning against Wendy's car. Though they were standing next to one another, mentally they couldn't have been further apart. Wendy's thoughts kept shifting between the tremendous job offer she'd just received, and subconsciously staring at Dipper in bewildered befuddlement… No, that part had nothing to do with the job, and yes, Mabel definitely noticed where her eyes were wandering.

"You know who I saw for the first time in ages the other day?" Mabel asked out of nowhere. "Gideon!"

"Huh?" Wendy turned her head towards Mabel, having almost forgotten she'd been standing right next to her. It took her a second to process the name Mabel had just dropped. "Oh right… Lil' Gideon. What about him?"

"I was just surprised at how much's he changed! He's still on the short side, but he's gotten taller, and has a real haircut now! He's slimmed down a bit and isn't quite so round in the face. He was actually very polite to me, and kind of charming… I mean actually charming, not the fake ass way he was when he was trying to con people into thinking he was psychic. Too bad he's still in high school. I might've almost been interested."

"You're kiddin' right?" Wendy's brow creased, looking mortified. Mabel laughed at her reaction.

"Of course I'm kidding! With all our history, no thanks! I was just glad to see he's turned his life around. I just kind of assumed once a slimeball, always a slimeball, and he'd probably grow up to be that much worse. It's just kind of funny how your perception of people can change over time. You can take a long look at someone you've known for a long time, and suddenly you see them in an entirely new light… You know what I mean?"

"Yeah…" Wendy's eyes were immediately drawn to Dipper. Her cheeks tinted a slight pink. "I think I know exactly what you're talkin' about…"

"I know you do," Mabel snorted smugly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nuthin'… Are you going to accept Dipper's job offer?"

"I'm not sure how I can say no," Wendy responded, thankful for the change of subject. "He's offering me ridiculous money to basically screw around like we all did when we were kids. Kind of hard to pass up, especially when the alternative is workin' for my crazy dad."

"When are you gona tell Dipper then? I can tell he's worried over you not giving him an answer yet."

"I'll tell him when I'm good and ready! Gotta make him sweat at least a little bit don't I?" Wendy joked with a bit of a wry smile. "Can't let him think he can just sweet-talk me now because he's…"

Wendy tried to stop herself, but it was too late. Mabel was already in her face grinning psychotically. "Because he's what?"

"Nothing! Damn it Mabel, get out of my face! You're creepin' me out!"

"Just admit it! You think my bro's hot! The eyes don't lie, they've been admiring the view all afternoon!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"No, *you* have no idea how to be subtle! Just be easy with Dip okay? I'm pretty sure he's still a virgin."

"Will you please stop it before he hears you! God Damn it, have you've been talkin' to my mom?!"

She had… And Mabel wouldn't be letting up anytime soon either.

End Chapter 4


-I'm afraid after this chapter, production is going to slow down a bit. Unfortunately, 20+ page chapters don't write and edit themselves. (This would be so much easier if they edited themselves) I just happened to have these first four chapters in the bank with only the editing left to go since I wanted to release this opening arc as close together as I could. I haven't quite decided how I'm going to release future installments just yet, whether I'm going to release each new chapter as soon as it's done or wait until the entire arc is complete and release the chapters in short succession. I guess it'll depend on how long production takes and see what happens. I'd like to give a special thank you for those of you who took the time to review. I do this purely for fun but I do appreciate the encouraging feedback!

-A couple of notes… On Dipper and Mabel's parents, I haven't quite decided if their issues with them are a potential future story arc, or just a convenient excuse to write them off for the time being. It just made sense that after finding out the truth about Gravity Falls and losing one of their kids to its weirdness, they'd naturally have a powerful aversion to that place. Like most things with this story we'll just need to see where things go.

As for Mabel, for those of you who thought she might've acting kind of weird towards the end of this chapter, then good, you're paying attention. There is a reason for it, though I'm not quite ready to tip my hand just yet. It's part of something I want to do with each of the four core characters from the original show I'm going to be primarily using for this story. I want to give them each their own individual character growth arcs that are a touch bit differen't from what we normally see in Gravity Falls stories. Nothing earth shaking, but I've never viewed character development over a long story as that character being OOC. Mabel's actually started in the prologue but is really going to sprout from here… You've also seen glimpses of Wendy's if you know where to look, and if you've paid attention to the last two chapters, you know where a portion of her arc is going. A big part of Dipper's has already played out, but he's not done yet. Pacifica's will be the most interesting, since hers is by far the most different from her normal character trajectory. Let's just say I've found a way to make a valuable member to the team, more so than just being the money behind the scenes.

Preview for Case File CF003: While waiting for construction on his fledging museum to complete, Dipper decides to investigate an old urban legend from his own hometown of Piedmont concerning an allegedly haunted farming community whose entire population mysteriously disappeared decades earlier. This is only a Gravity Falls story after all, so certainly there wouldn't be any truth behind this old legend, and there's no way that truth could turn out to be even more horrifying than anyone dared imagine.