Y'all I stayed up ALL night reading "Carry On" and "Wayward Son" by Rainbow Rowell. THE BOOKS ARE SOOOOO GOOOD! It's like Harry Potter, but WAY better. 10/10 recommend

(Dipper's perspective)

Mild trigger warning.

Dipper jumped when he heard a knock at the door. Part of him had thought that Steven wouldn't come back. Mabel scrambled up and ran to the door. She swung it open.

"Steven! You're just in time!" She squealed.

"Just in time for what?" Steven stepped inside. He was holding a box.

"We're telling you stories about Gravity Falls. And I made hot cocoa!"

"Great, let me go set my stuff down and I'll be right out." Steven laughed.

Mabe sat back down next to Soos. Wendy was sitting across the chair and Dipper sat crisscross on the floor. Steven walked back into the room and sat down. Mabel offered him a hot cocoa and he took it.

"So Steven, what did you do in Beach City?" Wendy asked, tossing her phone aside.

"I took a nap waiting for my family to come home so I could say 'hi', my friend gave me a phone she made, and I grabbed a box of clothes." Steven took a sip from the mug, "This cocoa's really good!"

"Thanks!" Mabel beamed.

"Wait, wait, wait." Dipper held out his arms for a second, "You're friend made a phone?"

"Yeah," Steven reached into his pocket and pulled out a flip phone. He handed it to Dipper. Dipper opened it. This side looks like a normal phone, but what's up with this side? Dipper pressed a couple buttons and the screen started glowing blue.

"Eep!" Steven squeaked and quickly pressed something that made it stop.

"Dude, what was that?" Soos's eyes were wide with curiosity.

"It's to contact… Others." Steven said, "And I do not want to talk to her now. Or anytime soon." Steven laughed.

"Did Dipper start calling your ex?" Mabel looked at Dipper and laughed, "Dipper!" She gasped sarcastically.

"No, she's more like… My aunt?" Steven chuckled awkwardly.

"So Steven?" Wendy changed the subject, "You're at least 16 right?"

"I'm 17!" Steven said cheerfully.

"When did you get your licence? I still have my permit."

"Licence? What do you mean?" Steven glanced around quickly and looked nervous. He doesn't have a driver's licence?

"You know…" Wendy sat up, "To drive?"

"I never got a licence. I believe that would require a birth certificate." Steven took another sip of his hot cocoa.

"Were you born in the states?" Mabel asked.

"Yes. Maybe. I think so." Waddles moseyed over to Steven's side and layed down.

"But why wouldn't you have a birth certificate? Were you not born in a hospital?" Dipper kept pressing for questions. I'm going to figure out all I can about him.

"No. My mother knew she wouldn't be around after I was born. There was no need for a hospital. I don't even think she got to meet me." Steven's voice was flat and cold. Dipper felt guilty right away.

Steven had some sort of aura around him. Dipper had noticed the first day. He had noticed a weird feeling around Steven. But now that slight, warm, fuzzy feeling felt more like a buzz. Like the drone of an annoyed bee or cicadas ringing out their wail in the summer heat. It wasn't a sound though.

No one knew what to say next. Steven was focussed on the mini marshmallows floating in his mug. Or maybe he was thinking really hard. I've shut him down. Nice going Dipper. He turned to Mabel and gave her a "help" sort of look.

"So Steven," Mabel cleared her throat, "did you stop anywhere before you -er- ended up here?" Steven's eyes lit up again. I do not have Mabel's people skills. It was something he enveyed about his sister.

"There was an upside down house. I think that was most memorable. There seem to be a lot of places in Oregon."

"None are as great as the Mystery Shack though!" Soos held his head up proudly.

"Tell me about Gravity Falls." Steven said, obviously wanting to change the subject off him. They looked at each other, deciding what to tell him first.

"Well, tomorrow we're going swimming at the lake." Mabel stated.

"That place has a crazy monster in it!" Soos added. Steven's eyes shot up and darted around the room.

"Had." Dipper cleared his throat, "It turned out to be an old crazy guy in a robot he built." Dipper shrugged like it was no big deal. It had been a big deal though.

"No, no, Dipper." Soos turned his attention to the twins, "Some people said it again. But McGucket said it wasn't him."

"WE HAVE TO GO MONSTER HUNTING TOMORROW!" Mabel screeched and flung her hands in the air, "Dipper, you in?"

"Of course I'm in!" Dipper leaned in and gave Mabel a fist bump.

"Soos? Wendy? What about you guys? The shop is closing early!" Mable beamed.

"Dude, I'm always up for adventure!" Soos ruffled Mabel's hair.

"Yeah, sounds fun." Wendy spoke up from the chair. She had covered herself in a layer of blankets and only her head and feet were visible.

"Steven?" Mabel grinned and batted her eyelids.

"I… Uh…" Dipper had expected him to say yes right away. He went last time to find the Gremloblin.

"We'll hang out at the beach, go out on Soos's boat, and then we'll squeeze in some light monster hunting!" Mabel clasped her hands together, "Pleeease!"

"Sure." Steven laughed and a warm smile spread across his face. His eyes sparkled with something. Dipper wasn't sure if they were twinkling with excitement or sadness… His eyes don't look human. I suppose he isn't fully a human.

*trigger*

Steven pushed the curls off of his forehead. Dipper noticed something new now. Small marks were dotted around his face. They weren't very noticeable, but they were there. No one has light colored freckles. No one that I've heard of. Then it struck him, a sudden jolt that made his stomach drop. The marks weren't freckles, they were scars.

*trigger over*

I shouldn't ask. I can't ask. It's wrong to ask. So wrong. But I want answers. No, if he wants to share he will eventually. Dipper looked away and realized they were telling Steven about the haunted convenience store.

"So you were possessed by the ghost?" Steven asked Mabel, leaning forward, fully interested.

"I don't remember much actually. I was on a sugar high." Mabel laughed.

"It was sooo creepy." Wendy laughed.

"You know what was creepier?" Dipper huffs, "Zombies."

"You know what's creepier than that?" Mabel returns the huff, "Soos as a zombie." Steven's head snaps up and his eyes dart to Soos.

"You died?" Steven's voice was dripping with guilt. Why should he feel guilty? Dipper looked at Mabel, she noticed it too. She gave him a very slight shrug.

"Yeah Dude! It was totally crazy!" Soos laughed.

"But we turned him back to normal, so it's all good." Mabel said. After talking for a while more Steven announced that he was tired and thanked them for the cocoa. He wanted to shower, so Dipper directed him to the bathroom and gave him a fresh towel. Dipper decided to go upstairs to their room.

He finished his journal out from under his bed and crawled up into the nook with an electric lantern and a pencil. He stared at the cover for a while, tapping the pencil to his lip. It needs a cover, but it has to be original. Dipper kept staring at the cover until he dozed off into sleep.

He snapped awake when he was hit by something. His eyes flew open and saw Mabel clinging to the edge. She had thrown a pillow at Dipper and was giggling.

"I figured if you slept up here, you're gonna have a stiff back tomorrow." She grinned thoughtfully.

"Thanks." Dipper yawned and crawled down the ladder.

"If you had a stiff back tomorrow, it's all you'd talk about!" Mabel flopped onto her bed with a giggle. After a few short minutes, they were both asleep.