Author's Note : I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've been working on a few more stories to add to my collection; so it'll take about one to two weeks to upload. Sorry again! I used the caesar cipher for that last one, and it's pretty easy to memorize actually ( in my opinion ). The Unnamed Gnome also told me to share with you the last two years of the Pines family, and share with you, I will. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here we go …

Disclaimer : I do not own Gravity Falls.

Chapter 3

As soon as thirteen-year-old Dipper hopped off the bus, he clasped Mabel's hand. He had lost Gravity Falls, adventure, real friends, but he wasn't going to lose his sister.

And she wouldn't lose him.

"Where do you think Mom and Dad are?" Mabel asked, looking around.

"Riiight there," Dipper pointed at a young couple, about in their mid-thirties. Both were fairly slender, with warm ivory skin, brown eyes ( the man had green eyes ), and curly brown hair.

"Dipper!" cried Mrs. Pines.

"Mabel!" cried Mr. Pines, hugging both their children.

"Mom! Dad!" the twins shouted, hugging their parents back. After the reunion, the Pines family retreated back home, where lay a table of gifts, a cake, and a brand-new laptop.

"Is it for us?" Mabel giggled, clearly ignoring the "FOR DIPPER AND MABEL" icing on the cake.

"Of course, Mabel," their father chuckled.

"So, how was your summer?" Mom asked.

"It was-" Dipper began, but Mabel covered his mouth. Both twins were thinking how concerned their parents would be if they talked about Weirdmageddon.

"We made tons of friends and had lots of fun," the twins said in unison.

"May we go to Gravity Falls next summer?"

"I'm afraid not, Dippy," Mom frowned. "Lately, your grandfather has been feeling ill."

Dipper and Mabel tensed. "Grandpa Shermie?"

"Yes, him, and he'd like us to be by his side for a while," Dad said, crossing his arms over his blue polo shirt. He then smiled. "But don't worry, kiddies. We've got some catching up to do."

Mabel grinned. "Yes, sir! Oh, and look what I won at a festival!" She held up her pig. "This is Waddles!"

Mom and Dad tensed. "What's that?"

"A pig, Mom and Dad," Mabel answered. "Waddles is my pet pig."

"Mabel, we told you not to bring him home," Dad sternly said.

"Especially after that sticking-worms-up-your-nose incident," Mom added, slightly giggling.

"Oh, right." Dipper turned to his sister, very well recalling when she had destroyed the wisest being in the universe … a mailbox.

Mabel blushed. "Right … but Grunkle Stan said so!"

"We cannot argue with that," Dad said, hands on hips.

"You two go relax on the couch," Mom smiled sweetly. "We'll unpack your stuff."

"Thanks, Mom and Dad!"

Dipper and Mabel could very well remember when they came back to Piedmont.

Firstly, they had their thirteenth birthday celebrated with their family; secondly, they spent quite a while unpacking their stuff; and finally, they took time trying to adjust to their urban, city life.

The Pines family once lived in a fancy apartment building, but then moved to a two-story home in the suburbs of Piedmont. There, Mr. Pines got a job as an office clerk, Mrs. Pines got a job as a professor, and the twins still continued the same school.

When Dipper and Mabel came back to school, everything was different. Of course, three months in Gravity Falls had changed the twins, thus leaving them confused for more than half of the day. Mabel, though still goofy, grew more regal and had gained a few guy friends ( and later accepted they didn't like-like her ). Dipper, though still awkward, grew some confidence, and actually got a few friends of his own ( Dereece Bennett, Alexis Kahele, and Marty Harrison ). And, before long, middle was over.

Then came high school.

The twins didn't know what they were thinking when they thought, "I cannot wait to go to high school!" And Wendy was right; their bodies gave up ( all until Dipper got on the track team and Mabel was captain of the volleyball team ), classes were hard ( Dipper, of course, was taking Dual Credit ), teachers were mean ( "They don't deserve stickers!" Mabel frowned ) and, lastly, everyone hated them! ( Not really, Dipper and Mabel still had their groups of friends. )

School was hard, since Finals were coming, and finally, ninth grade came to a close.

"Finally!" a teenaged Mabel Pines jumped on her bed. "Ninth grade's over!"

"Tenth grade's just three months away," Dipper said, marking his calendar.

"NOOOONONOOONOOO!" Mabel screamed into her pillow. Then she lifted her head. "What do you want today?"

"What we do every summer, Mabel," Dipper shrugged, sitting on his bed. "I'm going to the summer program at-"

"Piedmont University," Mabel groaned. "Don't you hate summer school?"

"Yes, but I love learning," Dipper said, trying to shove a popsicle into his mouth. Instead, it touched his right temple. "We could get a job."

"Lame!"

"Have a garage sale?"

"Nope."

"We can go to a concert?"

Mabel lurched up. "Oh, right! Several Times is in town!"

"Oh …" Dipper frowned. "I was thinking about-" He blushed. "-BABBA."

"Really, Dipper?" Mabel crossed her arms. "BABBA?"

"Dipper? Mabel?" Mom and Dad asked behind the door. The walked into their bedroom and sat on the teenagers' beds.

"Hey, guys," the twins waved.

"Hi," Dad said forlornly.

"Kids?" Mom asked. "What do you want to do this summer?"

Silence.

"BABBA?"

"MASON!"

Dipper paled at his mother's exclamation.

She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Dippy. Your Grunkle Stan just called."

"Uncle Ford?" Both twins jumped to their feet at the sound of their grunkle. "Grunkle Stan?"

"What did he say?" Dipper asked urgently.

"He's not feeling well," Dad frowned. "He'd like to see you for one last summer."

Dipper and Mabel's eyes filled with tears. "He's … dying?" she asked slowly.

"Maybe, Mabel," Mom said, stroking her hair. "He doesn't know yet, and he'd like to see you this summer."

"So …" Dipper wiped his tears. "What does that mean?"

Mom and Dad made teary smiles. "Dipper and Mabel Pines."

The twins looked up.

"You're going back to Gravity Falls."

Uif qjmft bsf cbdl gps npsf; ubmft bsf jo tupsf.

Author's Note : Sorry if there's misspellings in the cipher; I was rushing for this chapter. Thanks for the reviews and the next chapter will probably be about Pacifica returning the journal to Dipper and everyone finding out what's up with Grunkle Stan. There's going to be a Burning Surprise for Chapter 4. Thanks for everything!