For all those people finding it difficult at the moment, the sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away.

- Captain Tom Moore (1920 - 2021)


Almost as if the event had settled the valley itself, the weirdness of Gravity Falls settled down a little after Soos and Melody's wedding. It didn't fade entirely but there were fewer disappearances or attacks or bizarre anomalies with gravity, physics, or time. Of course, there were still the odd events regarding mysterious figures in the night, strange shadows among the clouds, etcetera. The worst event was probably when a bunch of kids at the playground inexplicably had their skins change to a variety of different colours and started arguing over which was best.

That in itself wouldn't have been too noticeable if someone hadn't had the bright idea to get the parents involved, escalating the matter until violence erupted, which in turn led to the sheriff's department having to get involved. Which then escalated further, resulting in several arrests, which led to several complaints, which led to a pile of paperwork, which Blubs left to Mendez, who got through it with the help of her old friend, tequila.

The reduction in excitement was a welcome thing for the Mystery Shack Crew and their allies as it allowed them all the more time to prepare for the second biggest event of the summer: Mabel and Dipper's birthday. Dipper and Mabel themselves weren't too upset by the lack of adventures; they'd had plenty big and small already, and the lull allowed them to spend more time doing silly, pointless things with their friends and family before they had to say goodbye.

Soos and Melody had agreed to take their honeymoon later so they could spend more time with the kids and focus on business and make the most of summer tour busses, and it said something that even Wendy actually put some effort into her work to make sure they had that little extra spending money for their trip. But even when they worked hard most of the day, the others made sure the couple found some free time for each other during the day and didn't have to worry about too much at night. And even with time spent helping business at the Shack, everyone still made the most of what little time they had together.

Mabel, Candy, Grenda and Pacifica kidnapped Stan and Ford to practice their makeover skills, something made much easier after Wendy set up the traps for them. Dipper spent a whole day and too much money at the arcade with Pacifica, followed by a really bad movie marathon with Wendy. Mabel found time to knit everyone a sweater, and Gideon debated framing his until Pacifica gently advised it would be more meaningful and less creepy if he just wore it.

After a short lifetime of several days came August thirty-first, and Dipper and Mabel were looking forward to celebrating their fourteenth birthday surrounded by friends, family, and a couple of monsters, just the way they wanted. The anticipation was lessened slightly with the knowledge that it would also be their last full day in the Falls until summer began again, but not even Dipper allowed that knowledge to dampen his spirits too much.

"And if my downer brother can put off his anxiety for our birthday, I definitely can!" Mabel proclaimed, swinging a fist to emphasise her words.

"That's very good to hear," the Professor said, smiling over her glasses. "But it's also important that you aren't forcing yourself. If you become upset and don't want to feel comfortable at the party, make sure you let your friends and family know. They'll understand."

Mabel hesitated, her bright demeanor falling await as she thought of the welcome back party that was cancelled at the start of summer. "I know they would," she said quietly, remembering Wendy, Soos, and Melody contacting as many people as they could after she admitted she didn't think she could see them after discovering the consequences of Weirdmageddon. The way they'd all taken down the banners, swept away the food, and cleared the rooms without a word of complaint after all the time and effort they'd put into that evening.

"But this is different," she said with more force. "I want to say goodbye to everyone. I'm looking forward to it. I know - I know it might be hard at some parts. That I'm going to struggle for a long time after this. But that's what makes it so important to enjoy what I have now. The bad times might be round the corner but that only means I have to make the most of the good while I've got 'em."

"Very wise," Passuum agreed. "You've got a long, difficult road ahead, Mabel. Why not stop and smell the roses?" She looked up at the clock on the wall. "And that takes us to our time. A good place to end and with plenty of time for you to prepare for the party. I'll walk you out."

Mabel nodded and rose from her favourite beanbag as she followed the older woman out. She looked closer at the walls as they walked, taking it all in. Though they'd still continue their session online once she returned to California, those would be weekly instead of daily, and that weighed her down a little. Even video calls would take some getting used to, lacking the softness of the chairs, the relaxing atmosphere of the therapy room, the scented candles and incense that helped soothe her when she needed it.

It was almost like being asked to walk again without a crutch when your legs still trembled. But she had to put it aside and at least try to walk on her own again, even if she still couldn't go too far without it.

"Here we go," the woman said, opening her front door and rolling her wheelchair back to let Mabel out. "There's your great-uncle and he's brought a nice sunny day to welcome you. Go out and enjoy it."

Mabel saw Stan leaning against his El Diablo, as the sun shone down on him. It was a beautiful day, bright and cloudless, yet with a pleasant breeze, exactly what she would have wished for for her birthday.

But she faltered, momentarily scared of the big, wide, frightening world, and terrified of facing without the woman beside her.

Then Stan caught sight of the open door and gave her a small wave, opening the door and beckoning her over with a warm smile, and she realised she had other people to help her get through every day.

"Are you alright?" Possum asked, catching her hesitation.

"Yeah," Mabel answered. She considered the woman in the wheelchair before suddenly flinging her arms around her in a tight embrace. "Thank you for everything," she whispered, squeezing tight. "You've done so much for us."

Passuum blinked in surprise, unsure how to react. Then she smirked and loosely returned the embrace. "I am pretty fantastic," she said, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. "Though I'd say you've taught me a lot too, Mabel. You have an incredible amount of insight for someone your age, and I'm going to be reviewing our sessions for a long time," she added, patting her back. " But you and I still have a lot to learn from each other and a long way to go before we're through, Mabel, and I'm not ready to stop yet. Are you?"

"No. However hard it'll be."

And it's going to be harder than you can imagine. But she hid those thoughts behind a happy smile. "Happy Birthday to you and your brother, Mabel. Call me, text me, or email me if you need me, keep taking the prescriptions I made, and tell Dipper I said the same goes for him."

Mabel promised and left, waving vigorously as she walked backwards towards the Stanmobile, the Professor waving back with far less gusto but still keeping her smile as she did so.

"Have a good session?" Stan asked as they buckled up.

"Yeah," Mabel said, looking back at the house from between the seats as they drove away. "It's just going to be hard not having someone to talk to every day," she added quietly, unable to completely ignore her fears.

Stan glanced at her, hearing the inflection in her voice. "Hey, uh, people are still getting things ready for you two at the Shack. Dipper's busy talking to Ford about...nerd stuff, I dunno. So they won't notice if we're a little late getting back. You wanna stop for some ice cream on the way? One last treat for the birthday girl?"

Mabel looked at him, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to cheer her up and unsure if he was doing a good job. "That sounds good," she confirmed with a smile, easing his tension a little. "Of course, seeing as I am the birthday girl and all, and I have had one tough summer, I think I deserve a little extra to keep me happy. Extra scoops, extra toppings, the works. Might even need two just to keep me happy!"

"Manipulative little scoundrel," Stan grunted.

"Learned from the best," Mabel replied, looking out the window with a smirk that matched Stan's own.


When Mabel and Stan finally returned to the Shack, the guests had arrived. Though not as many as there had been at their last birthday, it was still more than enough to show how important the young twins were to the town. As with last year, it was an eclectic gathering that came to celebrate with them

As well as friends and family, new and old, others had come to wish them well. Mayor Tyler and all of the Sheriff's department thanked them for their deeds this summer and last, looking forward to the day they returned and promised they would try their best to keep the town standing until that happened. People laughed, hoping that was a joke or, at least, not too serious.

The regular attendees of the Skull Fracture, several bikers, and plenty of other men who had unwillingly been part of Jenna's army thanked them again for releasing them from her hold. At least, those that could still speak did, and those that weren't too injured to come. Some were still being treated at the expense of Fiddleford McGucket, who happily paid their bills, knowing what it was like not to have full control at times. Still, they were grateful that the Mystery Shack Crew were able to free them, even if they wished they could have found a less aggressive way of doing it, most of them avoiding looking Wendy in the eye.

There were many more people, including plenty of teenagers ranging from Mabel and Dipper's age to older than Wendy. Some came because Mabel could befriend someone in minutes and had spent two summers in town, some because it was nice to have real heroes their own age or younger to inspire them, or just because it was a party and you didn't need an invite. And as the day wore on, non-human friends came to wish the twins a happy birthday: gnomes, Manotaurs, fairies, the Multi-Bear, Sev'ral Timez, and an assortment of other creatures they were very pleased to see.

A part of them admitted this didn't feel like the momentous occasion last year was: a significant age surrounded by more people than either would have expected and meant more to them than they could have imagined after a summer of wonder. This time the crowd was smaller, there had been no apocalyptic event, and they'd spent a whole year as teenagers so fourteen didn't seem special. If anything, it was an annoyance since it meant they now had to deal with High School and wait another year before their driving permits. But that was something they could complain about later.

Right now, they stood at their huge cake in front of the Shack, their family and closest friends standing behind them and singing Happy Birthday along with the crowd, Dipper and Mabel were very happy indeed and together they blew out their candles, hoping that happiness would last. Especially for my twin, they silently added as they stood straighter and welcomed the applause, thinking of how hard this summer had been for them and glad beyond words to see that they looked content on their special day.

And it was a special day, despite the upgrade to a lacklustre age. The crowd mingled, music played, jokes were told, and memories and adventures relieved. An emissary from the Queen of Fairies told them that they and the gnomes were doing well, with talks of trade between the two Queendoms (neither race understood human's obsessions with Kings), and the goblins were lying low after the defeat of their giant monster-queen (even goblins knew males made poor leaders) nothing special to report but they'd keep an eye on them.

The Manotaurs told them that their beloved, terrifying mother was still thankfully asleep, and they were on their best behaviour for the day when the Multi-Bear's would update her on her sons and brother. Sev'ral Timez actually enjoyed living in the forest, though they found the winters harsh since their tree fans were less willing to shower them with fruit for a good performance and Greggy G. noted that the wolf he was dating seemed less willing to share meat with the band whenever "Those dudes keep spilling the white stuff that hurts our feet, yo!" The Multi-Bear suggested that from now on they spend winter with the Manotaurs, who could shelter and feed them, and in exchange the boys could teach them how to sing and dance for their mother when she eventually stopped hibernating. The Manotaurs begrudgingly agreed.

As thanks, the former boy band agreed to sing at the party. They were happy to do it anyway, but now they were even happier. Dipper, seizing an opportunity, quickly whispered a request in their ear and when 'Cray Cray' began a minute later, Wendy looked up from her plate to see him standing beside her with a cheeky smile. She rolled her eyes in an amused sort of way, said, "Not bad, dork," through a mouthful of cake and pulled him onto the dancefloor, two close friends making the most of their last day together.

Which he enjoyed very much. After that, Pacifica sought him out, having requested a much slower song and using the opportunity to get close to her crush. He enjoyed that very much too. Next came Candy, another dance he liked more than he thought he would. Admittedly not as much as Phil, who stood at the side-lines taking several pictures while making high-pitched noises, much to Pacifica's embarrassment.

He was also very surprised when a couple of girls he didn't know asked him to dance. Now that was something he'd hadn't expected and definitely marked this as a birthday to remember. He guessed the youngest to be twelve while the oldest was probably fifteen, and he was repeatedly grateful to Wendy Two for encouraging him to shower more. He didn't know if this was a direct result of her harsh advice but he wasn't willing to risk stopping to find out and was amazed to find he succeeded in not making too big a fool out of himself. He was even more astounded that the girls actually seemed to have enjoyed themselves too.

Note to self: ask Mom for more lessons, he thought as a pretty fifteen-year old with blonde hair smiled at him in a way he wasn't used to but thought he liked.

"Please don't?" Gideon begged, putting a hand on a growling Pacifica's arm. "I'd rather not have our teachers ask if I could bring your homework to your cell."

"They'd never find the body," Pacifica growled. But she relented, thinking back to her conversations with Dipper and Wendy and deciding she should let him have the moment. They'd both had enough to worry about without crushes complicating the matter and she wanted to move on almost as much as he did.

Besides , she reasoned, making her way towards him for another dance, Dipper showing interest in a girl younger and blonder than Wendy is at least a step in the right direction.

Mabel, meanwhile, danced with her Grunkles, Soos, every member of Sev'ral Timez, many, many boys, a couple of fairies, a group of gnomes who clung to each other in the rough shape of a human, and even Gideon Gleeful.

She laughed and sang and danced and smiled just as she had last year, graciously accepting any compliment directed at her and several that weren't. The cake was huge, the songs were great, the boys were cute, and she was surrounded by people she loved. It was another great birthday, one for the scrapbook and forever in her heart and mind.

But there was still one point where she stumbled, dancing with a boy who she didn't know or care what his name was. A moment where she saw the surrounding faces and a thought tore through the happiness and celebrations like a lightning bolt.

How many people here lost someone because of you?

She gasped and froze, the guilt rushing her like a knife in her heart. Then, like a lighthouse beacon puncturing a dark fog she saw her brother through the crowd, taking a break from the dancing to stand with Stan and Ford, smiling and shaking his head at what looked like another good-natured argument between the brothers.

And she pushed that thought away to focus on the good time she was having right now.

She knew it wasn't healthy, that it would return with greater force later. But it was the sort of mistake billions of people made every day. A silly, human thing to do that would hurt her more than anyone else.

That's the kind of mistake I can live with, she decided, knowing that she had her friends and family to support her when that thought did return, and satisfied that she'd managed to force the demons back for one day.

Because life was full of mistakes and sometimes, against all logic, you had to accept that and even make a few more if you really wanted to make the most out of it.

So Mabel Pines let out the joyous laugh that had been trapped inside her since the start of summer and danced with even more vigour, already thinking of all the food she'd eat, the stories she'd tell her parents and which she'd omit, the boys she still had to dance with, and all the other things that made worth life living.

And it was. Yes, it definitely, absolutely was.


Lillyfillia, Queen of the Fairies let out a frustrated scream. "No, no no! Leave the acorns over there! We need the twigs for now so we can build the railings! We don't want any children falling from the trees before they learn to hover! Priorities, fairies, learn them!"

"Yes, my queen!" her subjects cried, doing as they were told.

"Don't know why we should break our wings trying to help some kids who're too dumb to fly," one grunted as they left.

"I heard that!" She yelled after them. "I hear one more remark like that and I'm bringing back flogging! Ugh, no wonder no one respects us," she sighed, pulling out a tiny cigarette.

A royal guard dived closer to her. "My Queen - it is not proper for one of the royal bloodline to partake in such a filthy habit, one normally only associated with commoners and-"

"Humphrey, who's Queen?" Lillyfillia asked, arching an eyebrow at the tall, armoured fairy.

Humphrey stopped. Then he leaned forward, lighting her cigarette with a flick of his thumb before flying back to his post.

"Thought so," Lillyfillia said smugly, taking a puff.

"Hey! Lil!"

The faerie Queen looked down and spotted a familiar figure at the base of her tree. "Come on up, Frank!" she called back down with a warm smile. "Consider him a royal ambassador to the gnomes: he gets to come and go when he pleases," she instructed her guard as the gnome scampered up the tree like a bearded squirrel. "Now, give us some space while we discuss diplomatic matters and crap."

While her guard nodded, Lillyfillia flew higher up the tree until she reached her and Frank's favourite branch of the tree: one that gave them a clear view of the top of the surrounding trees.

"Hello, Frank, How are you?" she greeted as the gnome leapt to the branch. "I think the lavatories are full if you need more dust?"

"Nah, got plenty, thanks," he said, waving away her offer as she perched on his shoulder. "Only came by to see how the queen business has been treating ya."

"Hectic. You have any idea what it's like to be surrounded by people who constantly need a queen to tell them what to do ALL the time?"

"Nope, can't say I do. 'S why I work alone. If you ain't too busy, got me some honeysuckle here if you want to share it?"

"That sounds lovely," Lillyfillia breathed as he pulled a bottle from under his cap, as well as two cups, one small, one tiny.

"Heard that big human got hitched," Frank said after he poured their drinks.

"Which one? They're all big. You mean the jerk who made us massage him in exchange for keeping us safe in his house?"

"Nah, not him. Too ornery for even other humans to marry, I think. I meant the one what squashed yer Mom

"Aw, that's nice," Lillyfillia said with a nod. "Good for him, he seems pretty decent for a human. Dumb, though."

"Ain't they all? I mean, what kind of morons knock down trees and such to build houses on the ground? Why not build 'em in the trees? Down there's where the bears and badgers can get 'em!"

"Can't argue with that," Lillyfillia agreed, having also wondered how a supposedly advanced species could be so stupid. "One of nature's great mysteries," she shrugged, taking a long draught from her goblet. "Aaah, that hits the spot. Thank you Frank, I needed this."

"Got to enjoy the little things in life. 'Specially now that you're in charge. Don't want you getting too stressed."

"Always looking out for me, huh? I love you, Frank."

"Love you too, Lil," he replied as he sipped, the two friends leaning back and enjoying the view of the sunset, looking forward to the future.


"Think we should have a spare uniform in your size," Irene mumbled, looking through the storeroom. "You're pretty tall so it'll have to be a man's, but there's not much of a difference and you'll be wearing your apron all day anyway. How old are you, anyway?"

"Twenty-one."

Irene paused her searching to look closely at the new employee. She was certainly tall enough to be in her twenties, and had a build rarely seen in someone younger. But there was something about her, a sort of softness to her pretty, freckled skin that suggested she wasn't quite there yet.

"And how old are you really?"

The tall, pale, redhead gave her a look but she simply returned it with an indifferent expression until the younger girl looked away.

"Eighteen," she mumbled.

"Hm, that sounds more like it," the older woman agreed, returning to her search.

She'd come in yesterday, to avoid the rain. She couldn't afford much, just the cheapest drink they had, though she didn't seem to drink it, asking if there was any work or a place to stay until she found something.

Normally she'd give them some advice or tell them where they could go and put their names forward for any upcoming jobs. But they were a little short-staffed and after a few questions discovered that the girl knew how to work a till, count money accurately, had experience with customers, and was plenty strong and agile enough for the job.

Irene had seen it a hundred times before: people coming to the big city and expecting to find their dream job, or an adventure, or a wonderful romance. Too many movies all of the above and more could be yours if you worked hard enough and followed your heart. Irene was one of those girls herself and had been working the same low-paying job for over twenty years.

Now she was beginning to suspect it wasn't that after all. This girl was acting like another type Irene was too familiar with: someone who was running away from something instead of towards something and wasn't sure what to do now that they'd done it. She knew a part of her should care and try to help, like she had in the past. But sometimes that only made them run further and she figured that giving her a job was a better break than most people got these days.

"Here you go," she said, throwing her the outfit. "That ought to fit. And here's the apron too."

"Great," the girl sighed as only a teenager could. "Uh, are the aprons waterproof? I have this skin condition. Sensitive to liquids."

The waitress raised her eyebrows. "You picked the wrong job, hun. Don't expect insurance either."

"Just gotta be careful then," the redhead sighed

"Keep that in mind when you deal with our customers," Irene warned her. "Not the best part of the city and some of them think we're part of the service. I'd like to tell you it happens less as you get older but I'd be lying. Men are pigs."

"I know how to take care of myself," the redhead said with a confident smirk, the happiest she'd looked since she'd come in.

"Customers don't tend to tip if you bruise their ego. Or anything else, come to think of it." Irene shook her head sadly at the young woman's obvious disappointment and tapped the marker to her chin. "You prefer Gwen or Gwendolyn?"

"What?" said the girl, looking confused.

"Heck with it, Gwen's easier to read and write," Irene said, slapping a trainee sticker with the name on a badge. "This'll do until we get you a real one."

"Oh," said Wendy Three, looking down at it. "Thanks, I guess," she added since she couldn't afford to be disrespectful. She couldn't afford anything right now.

"Get dressed and I'll show you where everything is," Irene advised her, patting her shoulder as she passed.

The clone looked after her before they closed the door. She'd come in looking to stake out the place and consider the best way to rob it, not to get a job. Then the rain had started and she realised things couldn't be that simple. She didn't need to eat or sleep, she could run forever and never be tired. She knew how to hotwire a car, could trap, fight, and escape predators of all sorts, was stronger and faster than most men, and she didn't give a damn about anyone or anything.

In theory, she could be a criminal worthy of the comics, only without the ridiculous getups and urge to broadcast her crimes. Except her one weakness was anything wet. And that was one hell of a weakness to have. Especially serving drinks and cleaning up after a bunch of idiots. It was almost enough to make her consider going back to the Falls.

She thought of the town she had memories of being born and raised in. The friends and the trouble they got into. The adventures with Dipper and Mabel. She thought of her brothers and father. Finally, she thought of the original Wendy, wondered if Wendy Two had survived and, if so, what her 'sisters' were doing now.

"Eh, who cares?" she said, pulling on her uniform and dismissing them all with barely a second thought. "I got out of that crappy town and finally got to be on my own. No way their lives are better than mine."


"That was awesome!" Wendy Two declared, throwing her fists in the air. "We rocked, guys!"

"That was pretty cool," Quattro agreed sheepishly, Armbel giving a thumbs-up from his shoulder. "Never flown a spaceship before. Think we'll get to do it again?"

"Man, I hope so!" Wendy Two said. "Still amazed you guys got it up and running. But if you can do it once, you can totally do it again if we find another!"

"If we do, maybe one of us should drive it?" Tracey suggested. "Don't get me wrong, Wendy, I'm amazed you did that loop, but that wasn't much of a landing and-"

"Pfft! Who cares about landings?" Wendy Two scoffed. "We're indestructible! What's the worst that could happen?"

"The thing falls apart and one of us falls, getting lost and never finding the others again?"

"The thing collapses on us and we get trapped inside, doomed to spend eternity unable to move?"

"Oh, right," Wendy Two said with a frown. "Hadn't thought of that. Should've guessed two Dipper's would have found the worst-case scenario.

"Sorry," the brothers said together.

"Eh, forget it," she said, waving a hand. "You make good points. I'll try and remember that next time. We might be immortal but I don't want to lose you guys for a second. Or gal!" she added hastily as Armbel snapped her finger.

The clone boys grinned broadly at her praise. They knew in their paper hearts that nothing would happen between Wendy Two and either of them. There was an even bigger age gap between them now, and this one was permanent. But they were still as stubborn as the old Dipper, and Wendy Corduroy was a tough girl to get over under regular circumstances, let alone when you were planning to spend the rest of forever with her.

They came to a very short cliff, about the height of Manly Dan, though none of them said that in case it upset Wendy Two again. They weren't sure where they were, if this was parallel Earth or an entirely different planet, but Tracey was sure he saw something in this direction during their ill-fated flight and it was more than any other direction offered.

Wendy picked the boys up and throw them up to the ledge without a grunt before launching herself upwards, nimbly scaling the rocky surface until her upper body was over the edge and saw-

"Huh," Wendy Two said, dropping her chin in her hand as they considered the sight. "Come on, dorks," she said, pulling herself up and unsheathing her axe as the other clones followed her lead. "This is gonna be fun."


She drummed her fingers on her desk impatiently, waiting for her phone to ring. She had a plane to catch and, depending on what the lawyer said, a huge purchase to make. She looked over the designs again. It was little more than a bunch of lines and numbers to her but it looked big enough for her needs and the company had a good reputation for this kind of work on such short notice, apparently doing it at least twice before. And they had better live up to that consideration considering what this was going to cost her.

Assuming it all goes according to plan, she thought as the phone finally rang, bitterly starting the timer as she picked up the receiver.

"Hello, is this Jenna Myles?"

"Speaking," she grunted, keeping a close eye on the clock.

"Excellent. I'm calling from-"

"I know who you are. Can we keep this brief? I've got a plane to catch."

"Of course, I understand," he said, speaking in a frustratingly slow voice. "But first I'd like to thank you for using our firm and for sending us such an unusual case. The town charter and its laws were certainly - unique. Many of us thought it was some elaborate joke at first-"

"I'm not rich enough to waste that kind of money for a prank. Look, all I want to know is if I'm right. That's it."

"Well that law, while not as, um, unorthodox as some of the others was still unusual and-"

"It wasn't unusual, it was stupid," Jenna interrupted. "But that's their problem, not mine, and all I need is for you to tell me if it still holds up."

"Well, the nature of some of these laws made the situation rather complicated," he continued, unflustered by her tone and request. "Some of them do conflict with several State or National Laws, not to mention those that break basic societal norms-"

"Is. It. Legal?" Jenna hissed, closing her eyes and wondering how many different ways someone could avoid answering a basic question.

There was a shuffling of papers that lasted more than required, another insult that she had to sit and take. "Well...as long as they haven't been updated since we reviewed them...and as long as you're eighteen at the time..."

Jenna's eyes bulged in contempt at the unnecessary pause, holding her breath for the answer.

"Yes, it would appear so," he finally finished, to her great relief. "We will send you more details in an emai-"

"Great, all I wanted to know!" she growled, slamming the phone down. She slumped back in her seat and let out a loud, weary groan, stopping the timer. "Charging people by the minute," she muttered, making a note of the time. "And they call me a monster. If I did that to my clients..." She trailed off, thinking hard.

Nah, she regretfully decided. Don't have enough rich ones to risk losing them. Yet.

She sent the last email needed to finalise the payment before closing her laptop and storing it in her travel bag. It was expensive but worth it: designed to protect it from water, cold, and heat. She knew a dozen spells that could do all that and more but technology and magic didn't mix well for whatever reason. She suspected there was too much raw energy in magic. Which was a shame because if she could harness that, it would be like owning all the oil in the world. Still, she had other means of profiting from it and that would keep her busy for years to come.

She hit the lights as she left, pausing at the map of the world she'd stuck to the wall, a much smaller copy rolled up beside her laptop. She scanned the places she'd marked. Some would keep her busy for days, others probably for weeks as she searched, studied and tested everything she could find. Finally her eyes settled on the last and most important destination: a little town in Oregon that had more potential than all the other destinations combined.

"See you soon," she whispered with a sly chuckle, closing the door.


"Cold out," Stan grunted into the warm air, sweating under Mabel's new goodbye sweater. "Had to wear this."

"Okay, Stan," Mabel said, smiling up at him.

Stan scratched his chin, avoiding looking at her. "'S not bad craftsmanship," he awkwardly told her. "Really ought to sell these some time."

Mabel shook her head. "Nope. Each one's special to me. Not ready to give them away yet."

"They are special," Ford agreed, looking down at his own, darker sweater, doubly pleased he now had one of his own and it was much more reserved than either of his brother's.

"Thought it would be easier this time," Soos sighed, taking off his fez and running a hand through his hair as he looked down the long, lonely road and hoped the bus would run late to give them even a little more time. "Think it's worse if anything."

"We still had so much to do," said Candy, shaking her head sadly. "Summer never feels long enough."

"My heart!" Grenda cried, punching herself in the chest. "Why! Does! It! Feel!"

"Probably because you keep punching it," Pacifica muttered, though she didn't look like she was coping any better.

She and Gideon were the only additions to the group that had said farewell at this same bust stop a year ago, driven here by Phil. He'd already spoken to the twins, thanking them for everything they'd done for him and the future, and reminding them to call him if they ever had trouble with time travel, whenever or wherever they were. Now he stood by the car up the road, giving them the privacy needed to say goodbye to those closest to them.

"This is a lot sadder than I thought it would be," Gideon whispered. "And I already thought it would be heart-breaking."

Dipper chuckled. "Yeah. But it's not like it's the end. Just a long break until we catch up again. There's always texts, calls, video chats. Not like we won't be in contact."

"Still won't feel the same," the young boy muttered.

Dipper's smile dimmed ever so slightly. "No. But that doesn't mean it's not important."

"We'll get through it," Pacifica agreed, elbowing Gideon gently. "We did it once, we can do it before. And this time we've got help," she added, nodding towards Grenda and Candy, who smiled back.

"Shack's going to be awfully quiet without you two around," Soos lamented, stroking Waddles on the head. "Glad I'm married now or else the place would feel empty too."

"When you get back from your honeymoon, you and your family should come to the Hootenanny Hut," said Ford. "You're always welcome there and I think we'll all enjoy the company."

"Yeah, you are the son Stan never wanted, after all!" Wendy added as he clapped her boss on the back, the only one not looking upset at saying goodbye. But she always was good at hiding how she really felt.

"I'm never going to live that down," Stan grunted, shutting his eyes tight.

"Nope," Wendy agreed as they laughed and Soos beamed. Her eyes settled on Dipper as Candy and Grenda held Mabel, the three best friends embracing for the last time in too long. "Hey," she said, taking a knee beside him and noting how much he'd grown over the summer alone. "You really are an amazing guy. Don't let anyone tell you different."

"Thanks," he said, looking her straight in the eye and smiling. "That means a lot coming from you. Really gonna miss you, Wendy."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. Me too."

Dipper blinked in surprise at the softness of her voice as she let her normally indifferent demeanour drop. Then it returned in a heartbeat and she pushed a folded piece of paper into his chest.

"Same as before," she told him, straightening up and pushing his ushanka down over his eyes. "Read it when you miss us."

"Five minutes then," he said, making her laugh though he was only half-joking.

"Alright, who's next?" Mabel said, breaking away from Soos as he wiped his eyes. She rolled her eyes as Gideon practically teleported beside her. "Fine. But no hair-sniffing!" she warned him as she wrapped her arms around him.

"No what?" Stan growled as Ford's hand hovered over his laser pistol.

"Okay, that's enough. Let go," Mabel grunted, only needing a little effort to pull away. "Your turn."

"Um," said Pacifica, hesitating. "I don't really need-"

"Too late," Mabel told her, pulling her in with one arm while Dipper shook his head. Then she surprised him by pulling him in as well. "Just so you know, I still totally ship you two," she whispered in their ears. "But I'm willing to hold off for a couple of years until you're both ready and I'm too powerful to stop."

"Gee, thanks, Mabel," an annoyed Dipper grunted as Pacifica blushed hard, unsure if Mabel's threat would be good or bad for her.

There was screech of brakes as the bus pulled up. "Last bus leaving Gravity Falls. All aboard!" a shaky voice called out as the trio broke apart, Pacifica handing them a small bundle of cookies and cakes she'd baked for their journey.

"Guess that's us," Dipper sighed.

"Yep," Stan grunted, looking down at the kids. He took a deep breath and dropped to one knee. "Kids...last summer I told you you were nuisances and I was glad to be rid of ya." He swallowed thickly as he thought of the long months ahead without them. "Now I see that I was too easy on ya because you keep coming back to make my life even more miserable."

"And I'm just as proud of you both as Stanley is," Ford said, taking a knee beside his brother.

The younger twins smiled and stepped into the wide, waiting arms of their Grunkles, tears welling up in all their eyes.

"We love you guys too," Mabel told them.

"And we can't wait to see you at Hanukkah again," Dipper added.

"We'll try and do Christmas this time too," Ford said and Stan grunted in agreement, unable to speak.

"Okay," Dipper said as they wiped their eyes and stepped away, towards futures that would no doubt feel a little less warm without the other pair to guide them. "Ready to face high schoolers, hormones, and tons of homework?"

"Not even close," Mabel admitted. "Let's go."

So they stepped onto the bus. "Hey, wait a sec!" Dipper cried, recognising the driver as Waddles made his way to the back seats. "You're the guy who took us here! How're you doing after the whole Manotaur-"

"Things are fine, life is good, monsters are fake!" the driver cackled, twitching sporadically.

"Uh, we sure that guy should be driving?" Wendy asked, scratching her head as the Stans shared a glance. "Seems a bit...unstable?"

"Don't worry, dudes, he'll be fine," Soos said, with a dismissive wave. "I was a bus driver once, and if they let me do it, you know they'll let anyone do it!"

"I do not think that relieved us as much as you though it might," Candy said very diplomatically as the driver let out a hurt whimper.

Mabel patted his arm. "Ignore them. It's nice that you're able to drive again. Here, take these." She gave him the sweets Pacifica had baked. "You deserve them for not giving up. Take your time and if you need a break let us know and I promise we won't say anything."

The driver looked down at the treats placed in his lap and then at the girl smiling at him with the bright, brown eyes. His lower lip wobbled and he nodded appreciatively as he sniffed, glad to have found someone who finally believed in him and didn't judge.

"I was looking forward to those," Dipper grumbled, but his sister silenced him with an elbow to the ribs and he quickly forgot all about the cookies as the bus door closed with a screech and it began the long journey back to their dull home in California. They ran to the back and waved, shouting out goodbyes to everyone at the bus stop as they did the same, running after the bus a little and continuing to wave even as it moved too far away to make out the figures inside.

Stan let his arm drop to the side as the vehicle finally disappeared from sight, feeling their loss hit him instantly. Then a familiar arm hand landed on his shoulder and he smiled at his brother, glad he still hadn't said goodbye to all of his family.

"Damn. Miss them already."

Stan looked behind him and saw Wendy still looking down the road as Soos rubbed the back of his neck. And despite the hole in his stomach, his smile brightened a little more as he remembered he had more family here than he thought.

"Yeah," he said. "Me too. So let's head home and see if we can take our minds off it."

"You guys need a lift back into town?" Pacifica asked the other teenage girls. "Phil said he'd take us for ice cream to cheer us up if we need it?."

"I totally need cheering up," Grenda groaned, dragging her feet.

"If Phil doesn't mind," Candy said, tentatively.

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Like he'd ever say no to you, giant fan-boy that he is."

"Might say no to me, though," Gideon grunted. "I recall him distinctly saying he'd 'treat the girls', not the girls and Gideon."

"He'll treat you or else he'll answer to me later," Pacifica growled. "Not going to let him exclude my friend in front of me."

"Pacifica Northwest standing up to help someone," Grenda said, shaking her head. "Things really have changed."

Pacifica stopped and looked at them as they continued walking to the car. Two girls she used to bully mercilessly. A boy who used to be the town's greatest threat. Now they were among her closest friends.

"They really have," she agreed, feeling very pleased with how her life was going.


Dipper watched the trees go by, Mabel sleeping beside him, her head on his shoulder. He wondered how she did it, able to nod off in minutes and sometimes even moments. Another Mabel mystery he'd probably never understand.

He pulled off his ushanka and propped it between her head and his shoulder, a makeshift pillow to make her more comfortable and giving him a little extra space.

He looked out the window again and saw that they were nearly at the town's border. "Not even five minutes," he said to himself, pulling out Wendy's letter and smiling.

See you next summer, it read in her familiar handwriting, her signature and several others surrounding the edges. He looked over the names, missing them all already. He noticed that there were more on this than the one from last summer. There was Lilyphilia and Frank, among a few others. He was a little surprised to see both Mendez and Phil's, considering their strife with his friend. He did note that Professor Passuum's signature was nowhere to be found and reckoned there was only so much even Wendy Corduroy could do.

But it was still a wonderful gesture to him and he folded it, tucking it into the pocket closest to his heart before pulling out his journal and a half-chewed pen.

This summer's been different, he wrote. In a lot of ways it's been harder than the first. Sure, there was no Bill or Weirdmageddon to threaten us all, and Gideon's become our friend now so we don't have to worry about him. But we've still faced our share of difficulties.

Axel and the Cipher Cult are still out there, hoping to bring Bill back. Wendy Three's doing who-knows-what in the city. I doubt Jenna Myle's done with Gravity Falls either. That's three potential foes we might need to face. And some of us barely survived the first fight.

Most of all, I'm worried about Mabel. I know she's strong - stronger than anyone else I know - but she's still only human and I know how much it hurts her to see others suffer. I can't imagine what she must be going through if she's blaming herself for Bill's crimes.

But it's funny. As sad as I am to be going back to Piedmont - even though I do miss Mom and Dad - I can't help smile at the other memories we made.

Soos and Melody got married! That's incredible! Still not used to thinking of Melody as Mrs Ramirez, but I'm sure it'll come in time.

And our birthday was something. So many people showed up again, making us feel really special.

There were also so many other things I'd almost forgotten about in my concern for Mabel. Since Soos didn't work us the same way Stan did, we got to spend more time with our friends and family. Our Grunkles, Wendy and her friends, Candy and Grenda. Even Pacifica and Gideon! Who would have thought Mabel and I would have so much fun with the people we hated most last year?

I had my first kiss.

Real kiss. Not reverse-CPR Merman kiss. Doesn't count.

Anyway. First kiss! And if I'm honest, I'm really happy it was with Wendy Two. How many people can say they had theirs with a paper clone? That's pretty unique, even in Gravity Falls.

I miss her. I miss them all and hope they're okay, wherever they are.

But thinking about Wendy Two and the other clones made me realise something. There's only four of them. Three and a bit, depending on how you look at Armbel. But they were ready to risk it all launching themselves into the dangerous unknown so they wouldn't affect our lives too much. That's pretty brave. And selfless. And since two of them are me, and one's a part of Mabel, I guess that makes us pretty brave and selfless too.

So if they can do it, we can too. Me and Mabel together. With the help of everyone else, of course.

And nothing in the world will be able to tear us apart.

"Oh, you were so young and so, so naïve," the Cipher Cult Leader sighed. She closed the journal and poured herself a glass of something strong and expensive as she walked over to the window and looked out at the future city. "Nothing in the world, huh?" She sipped her drink and smirked. "Wait until you get a load of me."

THE END OF SECOND SUMMER