Honestly, HOW has this story gotten over 4,000 views? That's absolutely crazy! I honestly don't deserve all the support on this fic, thank you guys so much!

Okay, so I think the hand witch's name is Handrina, unless it's just a name I've gotten used to from another fanfic I've read? I'm not very sure. I have a small fear running through my head that I'm accidently taking the name 'Handrina' from another fanfic author. The name of the hand witch was never mentioned on the wiki, so I believe it was just a name that had been made up. I don't think I'll use the name just because I don't want to take a name from another story/author.

Also, Dipper and Mabel's parents don't play a very big role in this fanfic at all, so I'm not going to bother giving them names since they are only present in playing a role for a small section of this chapter.

Here is chapter 34 of "Welcome Home"!

"Thanks fer' offerin' ta' give me a ride, Stanford." Fiddleford said as he buckled the passenger seats seatbelt. Ford had driven to McGucket's house to pick him up moments ago to take him to the shack.

"It's no trouble." Ford assured with a smile as he started up the car. Fiddleford looked out the window and viewed the scenery around him as the driver performed a Y turn, beginning to drive down the mountains path.

"So," Stanford began as he performed the continuous turn of driving down the mountain, "There's some news I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear." He informed.

"Like what?" Fiddleford asked. "Did Cipher come back?" He questioned.

Ford bit his lip at the mention of the man and sighed. "Um, no." He muttered. Fiddleford saw the frown on his friend's face and wanted to kick himself for asking such a senseless question. "Actually," Ford continued, "The twins will be visiting for a bit, according to Stanley." He said.

"Really?" Fiddleford asked, surprised.

Ford nodded at the question, "Really." He confirmed with a small smile. "As pleased as I will be to see the twins again, I have a matter to discuss with Mabel." He said as they reached the bottom of the mountain.

McGucket tilted his head at this. "What kinda' matter?" He questioned, confused.

"Well," Ford began, "She was in contact with that boy who had once been in possession of the amulet. What was his name?" He questioned, muttering the question to himself.

"Gideon." Fiddleford answered.

Ford nodded, remembering. "Right, that was it. Thank you." He said, chuckling softly. "I was considering paying the boy a visit. However, I'm not sure what type of relationship Mabel has with Gideon. I will have to speak with her about all of this before making any plans." He said.

"Even if ye' don't have a plan, do ye' have any ideas?" Fiddleford asked.

Stanford shrugged at the question. "Well, I have a few things in mind." He admitted.

"Like what?" Fiddleford asked hesitantly.

Ford gave a faint laugh and glanced over at the man before taking his eyes back onto the road. "I see you still ask a lot of questions, just like you did back when we were in college." He said with a small smile.

"O-oh," Fiddleford stammered, laughing awkwardly. "S-sorry. I-I just like to be...informed." He said, muttering the last bit and looking away with a frown.

"Well, that's not such a bad thing." Ford said with a shrug. "I tend to ask a lot of questions myself."

"Right..." McGucket muttered. "I guess it's not a bad thing." He said with a shrug. He was hoping the subject could be changed as soon as possible. "Hey, uh... Stanford?" He began in a hesitant manner.

"Yes?" Ford answered.

Fiddleford was hesitant, but continued. "What would ye' do if getting out of somethin' seemed hopeless?" He asked. He didn't want to be too specific with his question, because he knew the government agents would monitor their conversation at one point. For all he knew, Mr. Powers could be watching him right now.

Ford shrugged at the question. "Well," He started, "Just do what you think is right." He said. "Then again, it does depend on the circumstances. Why?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh..," McGucket muttered. "No reason." He assured.

Ford was silently questioning the questions and reaction, but decided not to think much of it. Surely it was nothing to be concerned about, right?


Dipper and Mabel had been packing their bags all day. They were told to pack the night before, however they never got to it since they stayed up late talking about their old friends who they would see once again. They spoke about the journals, the town's weirdness, Soos and Melody, and some random things they had sworn to have seen when they had last visited Gravity Falls in the summer. Mabel had made sure to keep Bill out of the conversation as much as possible; she didn't want to get in a heated argument with her brother about the demon the night before their visit.

It was reaching 1:00 in the afternoon in California, and the twins had finally gathered the majority of their items. They put their bags in the trunk of their car before their parents drove off to the bus stop.

When the family reached the bus stop, their father parked the car near the bus stop. He turned to look at the children and gave a small smile. "You two have fun." He said.

"We will!" Mabel assured gleefully, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, have fun." Their mother agreed. "But not too much fun. I swear, if I hear one more thing about those 'monsters' and 'spirits', well, I'll surely lose my sanity!" She said, narrowing her eyes.

Their father rolled his eyes at the statement and looked at his wife. "That won't happen, honey." He assured. He looked at Dipper and Mabel and smiled once more. "Make sure you tell your uncles I said hello." He said.

"Oh, right," The twins mother muttered. "There's two of them, aren't there?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I wish we would have known that our children were being sent to live with Stanley rather than Stanford last summer. If we knew Stanley was posing as Stanford, I never would have sent them-!"

"Now, darling." The father muttered. He looked at the twins and gave a small wave. "We'll see you kids soon. Stay in touch!" He said with a smile.

"I'll send post cards!" Mabel exclaimed with a large smile.

"I'll send letters!" Dipper added with a grin.

"That's the spirit!" Their father said with a smile. "Have fun, you tw-" He continued, but stopped in his sentence when Dipper and Mabel dashed out of the car, running towards the bench beside the bus stop.

The mother scoffed at the behavior. "They don't even say goodbye!" She complained.

"I'm sure they're just excited." The father said with a shrug.

"I know..." The woman muttered, looking away. "I'll miss them while we're off in Vegas." She said with a small smile.


Meanwhile, Stan was waiting around in the gift shop along with Wendy and Soos. The three found themselves continuously looking up at the clock to see what time it was; and how long they would have to wait until the twins would arrive.

"Any time now..." Soos muttered.

"Mr. Pines, are the twins gonna walk to the shack when they get here?" Wendy asked.

Stan shrugged at the question. "Unless they plan on payin' for the gas." He joked with a smirk. "Nah, I'm gonna go pick em' up." He assured.

"Wait!" Soos exclaimed, "I see two shadows coming from outside!" He observed, pointing at the door's window. Wendy and Stan got close to where Soos was and looked at the grass outside. Yes, there was indeed two shadows walking towards the shack.

"Oh, sweet! They're here!" Wendy said with a wide grin.

The three looked over at the door with wide-eyes, only to see that it wasn't the twins. The people at the door had just returned, which would explain why Stan's car was parked in the excuse of a yard.

"Oh," Stan muttered, folding his arms and rolling his eyes. "It's just you two."

"Yes, yes, we're boring." Ford said, adjusting his glasses. "You've made that clear many times." He added.

"We're waiting for the twins." Soos informed. "Have you seen them?"

Ford shook his head in response to the question. "No, I haven't." He said. He turned to look at his brother. "Stanley, do you know what time their bus arrives at the bus stop?" He asked.

"Uh..," Stan muttered. "Yeah, 5:00." He informed.

Fiddleford looked up at the time, "It's only 1:17." He said.

"I had no idea." Stan said, rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, the people in the gift shop heard a loud man from outside scream, "WENDY!"

The teenager jumped at the mentioning of her name. She noticed everyone in the gift shop either looking at the man, or looking at her. She just groaned and face palmed. "Sorry guys, that's my dad." She informed, standing up from the cash registers chair and running a hand through her hair. "I guess I should go see what he needs." She said. With that, she walked out the gift shop door.

She looked around outside and saw her Dad, Manly Dan, standing outside with his arms folded. Wendy recognized the behavior. Whenever her dad's arms were folded, it never meant good news.

"Hey, Dad." Wendy greeted, walking up to her father.

"Where have you been?" Manly Dan questioned. "I told you to skip work today!" He stated, a firm look on his face.

"What?" Wendy questioned, tilting her head. "You never-"

"Get in the car." Dan commanded. "I told you to skip work so you could watch your brothers!" He stated, walking over to the front seat of his truck.

Wendy groaned in stupidity. "Oh man, I totally forgot about that!" She said. "Sorry Dad."

Stan looked through the window in the door as he stood in the gift shop. "Hey, what's she leavin' for?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. He opened the front door and shouted, "Hey, Dan! Ya' can't just take my cashier like that!" He exclaimed, glaring.

Ford cringed at the shouting, "Stan, I don't think it's the best idea to yell towards him." He advised. "He's very-"

"Shut your yaps, pointdexter." Stanley commanded, looking at his brother. "I've had to deal with that guy before." He said, putting his hands on his hips. "He's probably takin' her for some pointless reason anyway. If he's takin her away for the day just cause'a that lame magic festival, I swear he's gonna hear my complaints." He said, adjusting his fez.

"I don't think that would be a good idea-" Ford began, but stopped. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Wait, did you say magic festival?" He questioned, a grin appearing on his face.

"Yeah, so?" Stan asked, folding his arms. "Don't tell me you're plannin' on going." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Aw, snap!" Fiddleford exclaimed, "That was today?" He asked, putting his hands atop his hat in realization.

Stan grunted and narrowed his eyes. "Don't you people read newspapers in the mornin'?" He asked.

"Oh, oh!" Soos blurted out eagerly, raising his hand high up into the air. "I do, Mr. Pines!" He said with a grin.

"Would someone explain what happens at this... magic festival?" Ford asked, putting his hands behind his back.

Stan waved his hand dismissively, shrugging. "Not like it matters. It's all a bunch of lame ol' card tricks and myths." He said.

"Naw, it's more than that!" Soos chimed in. "They've got stories, weird magic crystal balls, and a ton of cool prizes!" He said with a smile.

"See?" Stan said, folding his arms. "Just a bunch of lame fake stuff." He muttered.

"Stanley," Ford began, "You run a 'Mystery shack' gift shop year-round." He reminded with a slight eye roll.

Soos just chuckled at the remark. Stan noticed the chuckle and grunted in distaste.


"Good morning." Karen greeted Bill as he awoke on the living room couch.

Bills eyes fluttered open slowly, his vision a bit blurry. "G'morn...ing…" He muttered, rubbing his head and groaning slightly.

"You okay?" Karen asked, concerned. "You slept in for a long time." She said, chuckling.

"Yeah." Bill assured, "Just kinda sore after jumping and falling off everything yesterday." He said, laughing. "It was worth it, though." He added with a smirk.

Karen questioned the remark, but just shrugged. "Well, I made coffee if you want some." She offered.

"...Coffee?" Bill questioned hesitantly. "Are you sick or something?"

Karen snickered at the question. "No, silly," She said, "The drink." She informed.

"Oh, right." Bill muttered. Dam, I'm an idiot.

"Want some?" Karen asked, grabbing a mug from out of the cupboard.

Bill shrugged at the offer. "I guess."

With that, Karen grabbed the coffee pitcher and poured a cup of coffee for the man, as well as herself. She took a sip of the coffee from her mug before walking over to the couch to bring the other mug to Bill. She handed it over to Bill, which he accepted. He cupped the mug in his hands and brought the warm drink up towards his mouth. He took a large sip the first time, which he quickly realized was a huge mistake. The hot beverage burned his tongue, and he quickly spit the drink out, breathing heavily.

Karen noticed the reaction and tilted her head. "Woah, are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

Bill didn't respond to the question, instead he ran over to the kitchen and yanked the freezer open, frantically looking for something to put atop his tongue. He saw an ice tray and grabbed hold of it, quickly popping an ice cube into his mouth. The sudden chill was sudden, but certainly welcomed as it began to cool his mouth down.

"Wow," Karen said, chuckling. "No offense, but that's hilarious!" She said, laughing and taking a small sip of her coffee.

Bill shot a glare at the woman and narrowed his eyes. "'Hy dn't yu truy ift yeursulf?" He challenged, folding his arms.

"Oh, no," Karen said, setting down and putting her hands in front of her with a chuckle. "I'm good, thanks." She assured.

Bill smirked and ran a hand through his hair at the woman's reaction. He looked away and hummed, trying to remember a specific time as he walked over to the kitchen sink to spit out the half-melted ice cube in his mouth. He looked over at Karen before speaking. "Hey, do you know when that magic thing starts?" He asked.

"Oh, the magic festival?" Karen questioned. When Bill nodded at the question, she looked up at the clock. Her eyes were quick to widen in alarm. "Oh, crap!" She exclaimed. "It started an hour ago!" She informed with a groan, putting a hand on her head.

"Oh," Bill muttered. "Did we miss it?" He asked, trying to keep his cool. Missing out on this magic festival could screw up my plan. The event better not be over!

Karen shook her head at the question. "No, we didn't miss it." She assured. Bill let out a sigh of relief, however Karen still had a worried look on her face. "We should probably go now, it ends in a couple hours." She said, walking over to the door.

"Wait," Bill began, "My hair looks like crap."

Karen rolled her eyes and gave a small smile, walking over towards the man, reaching her hand up towards his head. Karen ran her fingers through Bills blond hair a couple times in a gentle manner, making eye contact as she did so. "Better?" She asked, taking a step back.

"Uh, yeah." Bill muttered. "Thanks?"

"Don't mention it." Karen said with a smile as she walked towards the door.

Bill followed the lady to the door as she grabbed her car keys. Huh... Bill began to think to himself. She's definitely into me. I wonder if I can use this opportunity, or have her at my side as my plan persists. He wondered as the two walked out the door of the apartment.

"I can't believe you've never gone to one of these," Karen began as the two walked towards the elevator. "The magic festival is awesome! I've gone every year since I was twelve." She said with a smile.

"It's been around that long?" Bill asked with a joking smirk. Karen rolled her eyes with the smile still apparent on her face and pushed the man away in a playful manner. They reached the elevator, and Karen pressed the button that was on the outside of the machine.


"Oh, man," Soos groaned, leaning on the gift shop's counter slightly. "It's felt like hours waiting for the time." He said.

"Well," Fiddleford began, shrugging his shoulders. "I was plannin' on goin' to that magic festival. I didn't know it was today, but since it is, ye' could always go there." He advised.

"I don't know, dude," Soos muttered. "Wendy already left on short-notice today. I don't think Mr. Pines will let me go since I'm still on my shift." He said with a small sigh.

Stan walked through the gift shop door with a large cardboard box in his hands. He tilted his head to the side so that he could see what was in front of him. Soos saw his boss hesitantly moving with the box, as if there were something fragile inside. "Do you need any help, dawg?" Soos offered, walking over to the older man.

"I'm not that old, Soos." Stan reminded, setting the box down in the middle of the gift shop and rolling his eyes.

Fiddleford looked at the box in confusion. "What's in there?" He asked.

"Just some bits and pieces I found layin' around that could be used for attractions." Stan responded with a shrug. "Have any of ya' seen Ford?"

"Not really," Soos began, "Ford said that he was going to check up on some device he had been working on in the basement." He informed.

"Eh," Stan said, shrugging dismissively, "Probably better that way. It's better than him goin' to that dumb festival event goin' on in town-"

Suddenly, Ford walked through the vending machine's door. He stepped into the gift shop and adjusted a setting on his watch to close the vending machines door behind him. He looked up and gave a grin. "Alright, I believe I'm ready." He announced.

Stan raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. "Ready for what?" He asked.

"Oh," Ford began, "We decided to take a trip to the magic festival today after all." He informed his brother.

"We?" Stan asked, even more confused than he had been in the first place. "Waddya' mean, we?"

"Well," Stanford began once more, "Myself, Fiddleford, and Soos." He said, counting off the names with his fingers.

Soos adjusted his hat before speaking. "Oh yeah, I called Melody. She's gonna come with us." He informed.

"The more the merrier!" Fiddleford said with a grin.

Stan narrowed his eyes at the remarks. "Wait, wait," He began, narrowing his eyes as he spoke. "Are all of ya' tellin' me that you planned somethin' without botherin' to tell me about it?" He asked.

The room was silent for a moment, as the three looked at Stanley. All in unison, they said, "...Yes."

Stan just scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Ya' coulda' told me." He muttered, looking away.

Fiddleford tilted his head. "We thought ye' didn't like that magic stuff." He said.

"I don't." Stan clarified. "But that doesn't mean ya' shouldn't tell me what's goin' on around here."

"Sorry, Mr. Pines." Soos apologized.

"When're ya' leavin' anyway?" Stan questioned.

Ford looked up at the clock and shrugged. "It started about an hour ago, so it would be a good idea to head over now." He said.

"Woohoo!" Fiddleford exclaimed. "Road trip!"

"I second your excitment, dude." Soos said with a chuckle.

Stan narrowed his eyes. "Hey, I never said you could leave, Soos. You're still on your work shift." He reminded, folding his arms.

"Oh," Soos muttered, "Yeah. I forgot about that." He said with a small frown.

"Stanley," Ford began with a quick little idea to change his brother's mind. "Weren't you mentioning earlier that you were going to pick up the twins with the car?" He asked.

"So?" Stan questioned, looking at Ford.

"If your handyman doesn't come along to the event, myself and Fiddleford will have to use the car rather than Soos's truck." Ford mused, "Wouldn't you prefer allowing him to skip work for a few hours so that the car will still be avaliable when the time comes for you to retrieve Dipper and Mabel from the bus stop?"

Stan narrowed his eyes at his brother's reasonable statment and let out a heavy huff of annoyance. "Alright, fine. But it's comin' outta' your paycheck, Soos." He said, pointing at the handyman.

"I'm cool with that, dude." Soos said with a shrug. With that, the three walked out of the gift shop.

Soos looked at Ford as they walked towards the truck and gave a small smile. "Thanks, science dawg." He said as he took the keys to his truck out of his pocket. "You're pretty cool for doing that."

"Well, you seemed rather interested in the event." Ford said with a shrug as he adjusted his glasses. "I figured I could persuade Stan-"

"My golly!" Fiddleford exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. Soos and Ford stopped walking and looked at the man who was looking over near some trees in complete fear.

Stanford took hold of his lab coat as if he were to pull out a gun. "What is it?" He asked, looking at Fiddleford.

"It's..." Fiddleford began, speechless.

Soos raised an eyebrow at the hesitance. "You okay, dawg?" He asked.

"I-it's..." McGucket continued hesitantly. "It's no one, I-I mean, nothing." He said, chuckling nervously. "Must be my mind playin' games with'a me." He said.

Soos just shrugged and walked over to the truck, opening the door to the drivers seat. However, Ford took a moment to look at McGucket. "Are you sure it was nothing? You seemed rather surprised. Alarmed, rather." He said in a concerned manner.

"Naw," McGucket claimed, shaking his head. "Jus' saw somethin' rustlin' around in that there bush." He said, pointing towards an average sized bush on the ground. "I'm sure it was nothin'." He assured.

Ford had a skeptical look on his face, however he chose not to point it out. "If you say so." He said, walking over towards Soos's truck. Fiddleford gave a sigh of relief as he followed behind the man.

Stanford took hold of the door to the back seat, opening it and stepping inside. He opted to take the window seat on the left. He looked over at the open door as McGucket climbed inside as well, sitting across from Ford and shutting the car door before buckling his seatbelt.

"You dudes okay?" Soos asked, looking behind him. The others both gave a nod of confirmation. After seeing the motion, Soos turned the car on.

"Thank you for volunteering to drive, Soos." Ford said as he buckled his seatbelt.

"No problem, dawg!" Soos said with a grin as he pulled out of the section of the driveway he had parked at. In just a couple of minutes, they were on the road towards the magic festival.


"Wow," Bill said as he looked around at all the stands and tents outside. "This place is pretty big for a one-day thing." He commented.

"Yeah, the people who run this really like to go all-out." Karen said with a smile. "You're gonna love it!"

The festival outside was, indeed, quite large. It had a similar look to the carnival event Stanley had hosted last summer from the photos Mabel had once shown Bill from her scrapbook. There were little kids chasing each other and teenagers being dared to do mindless tricks at the stands. Not to mention the area smelled of tacos and sugary snacks. Bill looked to the right of him and cringed at the sight of Toby Determined doing a strange dance on a wooden stage with a sign reading 'Razz Dazzler". The man was dancing with his black tap shoes and tacky red suit.

"Well, since it's your first time," Karen began, "What do you want to do first?" She asked, looking over at Bill.

Bill just shrugged. "Something to do with magical elements." He commented.

Karen chuckled at the statement. "It's a magic festival, silly! It's all magic!" She said, putting her arms out and spinning around.

Bill snickered and folded his arms. "You sure about that?" He questioned.

"Well..." Karen muttered. "Yeah, besides the food stands." She said.

"Really?" Bill mused, looking over at Toby Determined. "Because I don't think there's anything magical about... whatever that is." He pointed out.

Karen laughed and gave a smile. "Alright, I guess you've got a point there." She admitted with a chuckle, taking Bill's hand and holding it in a loving manner. Bill looked down at their hands that were now locked together. He looked up at Karen who was looking away with a small smile. Bill questioned the action, but didn't bother pulling their hands apart.

"Oh my gosh!" Karen cooed with a gasp. "It's the magic crystal ball!"

"The what?" Bill questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The magic crystal ball!" Karen repeated. "Every two years this lady comes to the festival and tells you what will happen in your future!" She said with a grin.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the information. "Does it work?" He asked.

"Of course it does!" Karen said with a smile. "As long as you believe!"

Bill rolled his eyes at the comment. Believe? Please. He thought to himself. I wonder if there's anything here that's actually gonna help me. Even though Bill was convinced the whole crystal ball act was bogus, he opted to join Karen in visiting the tent anyway. Who knows what could potentially occur?

Karen and Bill walked over to the blue tent in a cone shape, which Bill assumed to the magic ball tent. The tent had no line with people waiting, so when the two stepped into the tent it was made clear to Bill that this was the tent with the magic crystal ball Karen had informed him about. The tent was a decent size; It wasn't huge, however it wasn't too incredibly small either.

There was a small square wooden table in the middle of the tent with a small elderly woman with slightly tinted green skin and long white hair sitting atop a chair that seemed to be made up of hands. The chair looked more like a throne, really, but Karen was convinced it was just part of the tents decoration. Bill saw the ancient woman as more of a hand witch.

"Why... hello there." The witch said, looking at Bill and questioning the specific shape of his pupils. Bill noticed the action immediately narrowed his eyes, taking his hand away from Karen's hold and folding his arms. However Karen gave a more legitimate smile to the elderly woman.

"Hey!" Karen greeted with a grin. "It's good to see you again!"

The witch tilted her head. "Eh..," She muttered, looking at Karen. "Who are you again, please?"

Karen gave an inaudible huff and she gave a small frown. "Never mind." She muttered.

Bill snickered and smirked at the elderly woman. "Hey lady, ya' missed Summerween. What are you, some sort of hand witch?" He asked, laughing at his own joke.

The witch narrowed her eyes once more. "Are you a nail technician?" She asked, holding her long, boney fingers out for the man to see. "Because I could use a good manicure." She said, pointing out her chipped nails that were naturally tinted yellow.

Bill cringed at the nails and shielded his eyes away from the sight. "No," He began, shaking his head, "But if I were, i'd be getting you some instant help." He commented with a sneer.

Karen ignored the terribly disturbing conversation and took a step forwards towards the table. The hand witch smirked and looked at Karen. "So, you wish to see your future, do you now?" She mused.

"Yes!" Karen said excitedly, her eyes wide.

The hand witch nodded and asked for a ticket. Karen was quick to give two tickets to the witch. The witch raised an eyebrow at the giving of two tickets rather than one, and Karen motioned over to Bill, showing that the other was for him. The hand witch understood with a nod of her head, and sat up straight in herarm chair- literally.

"Put your hands out." The hand witch commanded. Karen did as told and put her hands out onto the table; one on either side of the crystal ball. The hand witch looked down at the hands, admiring them. "Yes, yes." She muttered. The witch waved her hands around the crystal ball, a light blue light suddenly illuminating from the ball. Karen smiled at the magic, however Bill was the least bit convinced.

The hand witch took a large, creepy inhale with a smirk on her face as she closed her eyes. "You..." She muttered. "I see a good future on your behalf; as long as the people most important in your life make the right choices. If not, I sense great danger." She stated bluntly, opening her eyes back up as the crystal ball stopped glowing.

"Huh..." Karen muttered. "My messages are normally a bit more positive." She commented.

"Cause and effect is a powerful thing." The hand witch stated. "The exit is right behind you. Next, please." She requested, motioning for the demon to take a turn. Bill took a step closer and sat down in the wooden chair, but Karen raised an eyebrow.

"Can't I stay in he-" Karen began to ask, but stopped when the elderly woman began to act in a way she would have never expected.

The hand witch clenched her fists and gave a cold glare at the woman, her voice getting incredibly deep as she yelled, "GET. OUT."

Karen felt a wave of fear wash over her, and she scrambled out of the tent as quickly as possible. Bill watched her leave, then turned to look at the hand witch as she sat back down in her chair made of hands. "What's the point in doing that?" Bill questioned.

"You..." The hand witch muttered, shaking her head. "There's something about you that I sense. Something I wouldn't want her young self hearing about." She said.

Bill scoffed in an offended manner. "Are you saying I don't look young?" He asked, folding his arms.

"You may appear younger," The witch began, "But I can sense the truth just by looking at you." She informed. "There is no room for lies here."

"What's that supposed to mean? You're the old hag in the room." Bill stated bluntly, folding his arms. "Er… tent." He corrected.

"Bill Cipher." The hand witch addressed, narrowing her eyes and leaning back in her chair.

Bill tilted his head at the mentioning of his name. "How do you know my name?" He asked in an impatient manner. The hand witch was hesitant to respond, which Bill rolled his eyes to. "Well, spit it out, lady!" He commanded with a glare.

"And if I don't?" The hand witch dared to ask. "If I remember correctly, you underestimated my power before you even bothered to stop by." She reminded.

"Y-You're assuming things." Bill blurted out, however he wasn't quite sure himself. The witch just hummed in response with a mocking smirk. Bill growled and stood up, slamming his fists on the wooden table. "Alright lady, I need some answers!" He exclaimed, loud enough that the people nearby could surely hear him.

"Quiet down, you're only making a fool out of yourself." The witch stated, folding her arms.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the comment, leaning across the small square table. "You have my ticket, don't you?" He reminded. "If I recall correctly, it's your job to give me some answers."

"Ah, not exactly." The hand witch began, holding her hand up in front of her. "My job is to tell you your future. Any other information I don't share for the well-being of the people who stop by." She stated. "However," She continued in a hesitant manner. "Your kind isn't considered 'people', so there may be some slight arrangements that could be done. If you would have any interest in making a deal." She mused.

Bill took a step back at the mentioning of a deal. This old hag has the guts to even bring up a deal with someone like myself? She's lost her marbles! As surprised as he was, maybe this witch could be of use to him. "What kind of deal?" Bill questioned, putting his hands on his hips.

"I will tell you certain information you so desire, maybe even a pinch of power, and in return a curse will be given to someone you know." The hand witch offered.

"Who?" Bill asked. The hand witch only shrugged in response, which gave him a feeling of rage. "What kind of curse?" He asked. The hand witch shrugged once more. Bill glared at the excuse of a response, (If you could even call it that), but he opted to keep his anger to himself; Bill didn't want the deal offer to be taken away from him if it was something that would benefit him and his plan.

"That's for you to find out," The hand witch said with a shrug. "For your benefit, I'm willing to show some generosity since I'm choosing to stay reticent. I will allow you to say the name of one human who will have a safety guarantee from this curse. Whoever's name you say will not be effected by the curse, they will be safe." She said. "You could save yourself if you'd like," She informed. "However, you count as the one person who would be saved from the curse."

Bill hummed for a moment, folding his arms once more and looking away. One name... He thought to himself. One name... "Hey," Bill began, narrowing his eyes and looking down at the witch. "What's in it for you?" He asked.

The hand witch shrugged at the question. "Drama." She responded.

"Drama?" Bill repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Seriously?"

"Never question a woman's interests," The hand witch advised. "Who doesn't like a good drama anyway? Soap opera never hurts."

"Soap ope-" Bill began, but stopped himself. He just shook his head, deciding not to comment. "Let me get this straight," He began. "If I take this weird deal of yours, I get the information and power I want, and in return you curse someone?" He asked, making sure he understood the deal he was considering.

"Yep!" The hand witch said with a grin. "It's been quite some time since I've cursed someone, and I've always needed an excuse to do it." She added in more of a mutter. "Is it a deal?" The hand witch asked, extending her arm out.

"Hold on, lady." Bill said, putting his hands on his hips. "I didn't give the name of the human I want to keep from this curse thing-y."

"Then proceed." The hand witch said, folding her arms, waiting for the name. She looked at Bill, who looked like he was pondering serious thought. She waited a moment, however the silence was getting awkward. She cleared her throat, eventually saying, "I'm waiting."

Bill shot a glare at the woman. "Hold on!" He said, looking away once more. Bill sighed and looked at the ground. This deal is pretty easy, right? I'll just save myself! Who needs all the fleshbags in the world anyway? As long as I'm still alive, I could care less what happens to the idiots around me!

Unfortunately for Bill, he was only telling himself lies. As much as he refused to admit it to himself, he had grown to care about certain people a bit more than he had back when he was a dream demon. He wanted to kick himself for being a human. He was already cursed with being a fleshbag, what harm could one more curse do to him? Wasting the save on himself would be pointless.

I could save Karen. Bill thought to himself. She's the person I'm living with, anyway. No Karen, no apartment.

But then again... Bill continued to think. I don't know much about her. I wonder if there's a human I know better... He ran a hand through his hair, and an idea popped into his head. I could save Shooting Star. She's not a part of this, and she's a better person to me than Pine tree.

That's when Bill remembered; He wouldn't see the twins anymore. No more Mabel. And even though he could care less about Dipper, the hand witch probably wasn't aware of their existence. Bill scoffed to himself, shaking his head. I'm being ridiculous... He thought to himself. Bill already knew who he wanted to save.

But... would it be worth it?

Bill sighed and looked at the hand witch, a confident look in his eyes as he took a step closer to the hand witch. "Stanford Pines." He answered with a nod of his head.

"You wish for me to curse Stanford Pines?" The hand witch asked eagerly with a grin. "Will do-!"

"No!" Bill exclaimed with a faint glare. "Save him." He commanded.

The witch laughed at the fearful response given by the demon. "I'm just messing with you." She said, laughing in a mocking manner. "I will save Stanford Pines from the curse." She promised with a confirming nod, holding her hand out once more.

Bill got on one knee to match the hand witch's height, putting a blue flame around his hand for show before grabbing hold of the woman's hand to shake it. The hand witch smiled at this and sat back atop her hand throne. "I suppose I should give my part of the deal." She said, motioning for Bill to sit down in the wooden chair across the table. He did as told and looked over at the witch.

"What's your first question?" The hand witch asked Bill.

Bill smirked and shrugged innocently. "How do I give an amulet specific abilities?"


"Woohoo!" Fiddleford exclaimed when Soos parked his truck in the parking lot of the magic festival. He was eager to unbuckle his seatbelt and jump out of the car. "The two of ye' are gonna love this!" He said, putting his hands on his hips and grinning from ear to ear as the other three got out of the vehicle. "There's a lotta' stuff ye' gotta see!"

Ford gave a small smile at his friend's eagerness and chuckled. "I see you've had some experience attending this event in the past." He said, putting his hands in his lab coat pockets.

"You betcha' I have!" McGucket said with a grin.

Soos turned his truck off after Melody got out, and he shut the vehicle's front door before walking towards the others. Melody looked around the festival and smiled. "Wow, this event is pretty big for a one-day thing!" She commented, running a hand through her hair.

Soos nodded in response. "I've been to this a few times, they've got some pretty cool stuff here." He agreed with a smile, taking Melody's hand in his as the four walked.

Ford looked down at the special watch he had invented in the past for himself, adjusting a setting. Fiddleford noticed the action and raised an eyebrow. "Watcha' doin'?" He asked out of curiosity. Not exactly because he wanted to know, however.

"Oh, nothing much." Ford answered, letting his hands go back into his coat pockets. "I had pushed a button on my watch and the vending machine door opened. I just had to make sure it was properly closed before getting distracted." He informed.

"Oh, dudes!" Soos began with a gasp, pointing over at a man on a stage performing magic tricks. "It's a magician!" He exclaimed.

Melody smiled and looked up at her boyfriend. "A magician at a magic festival? Who would have thought?" She asked in a sarcastic manner, giving a small chuckle. Soos laughed along and rolled his eyes at his girlfriends sarcasm.

Fiddleford looked around and hummed in thought. "There'r quite a lotta' couples here this year." He observed. "Normer'lly it's just'a ton'a teenagers scurryin' 'round." He said.

Soos just shrugged at the remark. "The festival grows every year." He informed.

"Hey!" Fiddleford exclaimed quickly as the group stopped in their tracks. He pointed over at a blue tent where a woman with long brown hair and a man will short blonde hair were walking away. He squinted his eyes in confusion as he continued to point. "Is that Cipher?" He questioned.

"Who?" Melody asked.

"Where?" Soos and Stanford asked in unison. The two awkwardly glanced at each other for a moment before looking back over by the tent.

"There!" McGucket said, pointing over by the tent once more. Ford looked around at the people passing by in the distance, eventually noticing the familiar man. Soos seemed to have noticed Bill there as well before speaking.

"Oh, I see him now!" Soos informed with a smile, before replacing his facial expression with a confused glance. "He's with some random lady..." He muttered, looking a bit closer at the woman. "Wait a minute!" He exclaimed once more. "He's here with that lady from the donut shop!"

Melody tilted her head at the mentioning of the woman. "Karen?" She questioned.

"Yup." Soos said. He gave a small smile at the sight of the woman snuggling the man's arm as they walked. "Aw, those dudes look cute together!" He cooed with a grin. While the others may have thought it was nice to see the man together with Karen, Ford had a look of hurt on his face. He just wasn't sure how Bill could have found someone so easily. Bill had only been gone from the shack for a couple of weeks and he had already found a girlfriend.

"You kiddin'?" A voice asked behind them. The four turned around to see Stanley walking towards them. He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Please, they look like a couple'a clingy one night standers." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Mr. Pines, what are you doing here?" Soos asked with a small smile. "I thought you hated the magic festival!"

"I do," Stan stated bluntly, "But sittin' around the house was gettin' boring." He stated, "The twins won't get here for a few more hours, so I've got some time to spare on whatever random crap happens around at this festival." Stan said with a shrug. He looked over at his brother and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, what's with the glum look, pointdexter?" He asked.

"What?" Ford blurted out, looking at his brother. "I spaced out for a moment, what were you asking?" He asked.

"I'll say," Stan said. "Ya' look like you were lost in thought." He observed, narrowing his eyes.

Ford adjusted his glasses and gave a shrug. "When am I not?" He asked with a false chuckle.

"I can't argue with that." Stan said as the group began to walk once more. He walked ahead of the group and walked towards a snack bar. "I'm gonna go get a bite to eat." He announced before walking away. The group, however, decided to follow behind him.

Soos looked at the selection when they reached the snack stand. "Hmm..." He muttered, narrowing his eyes at the choices and pondering the thought of what he wanted to buy. "Who would have thought they would have Chipackerz here?" He asked aloud, mainly to himself.

"I don't know, but they sound good." Melody said with a smile.

Stan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I bet I could shoplift a couple of those mini packages." He said, a smirk on his face.

Ford just rolled his eyes at his brother's behavior. "That really isn't necessary, Stanley." He stated, putting his hands behind his back.

Stan put his hands on his hips, looking at Ford dismissively. "Pfft, It's better than spendin' two bucks on, like, ten crackers." He pointed out. "Seriously, how do people make so much money sellin' these rip-offs?"

Stanford ignored his brothers last comment and sighed. "Paying is better than adding one more crime to my criminal record." He said, shaking his head.

The group must have forgotten that there was a person running the stand. The worker looked at the group in suspicion as he held a walkie-talkie up by his face. He looked as if he was about to call security on the group. Before the man could alert the security of the event, Stan shot him a warning glare. "Hey, kid," Stan began in a firm manner, "We're just jokin' around. This is comedy gold you're witnessin' here." He said, pointing at the worker.

"We?" The rest of the group asked in unison. Stan turned his head behind him to look at the group and narrowed his eyes.

Ford sighed and pointed ahead of them. "...Perhaps we should move on." He advised in a hesitant manner.

"Wait," Stan began, "Hold this." He commanded, placing a small object in Ford's hand. Stanford looked down at what had been placed in his hand, seeing a small pile of Stan bucks. He raised an eyebrow in complete confusion at the pointless and useless money revenue, however he decided not to question the strange things Stan would carry around at the strangest times.

It took a moment, but the group had decided what they had wanted. Melody had ordered a cookie, while Soos chose a lollipop. Stan chose a bag of toffee peanuts, Fiddleford ordered a blueberry muffin, and Ford requested a bag of jellybeans. He hadn't had jellybeans in quite a while, so he figured it would be nice to try them again.

Stan took back his Stan bucks and put them on the counter. "Keep the change." He said to the worker.

The employee narrowed his eyes at the false money and looked up at the old man in annoyance. "Sir, I'm going to need you to pay in real cash." He said, folding his arms.

Stan rolled his eyes and put the Stan bucks in his pocket. "Young people these days, so picky." He said, scoffing. He looked behind him and saw a young boy walking past the group, an ice-cream cone in hand. Stan extended his arms out and grabbed the child's shoulders, picking the boy up off the ground and shaking him madly. The boy exclaimed in both fear and annoyance as dollar bills and spare change the child had been carrying around fell to the ground. Stan set the child back down and grabbed the cash before the kid could take it back.

Stan counted the money as the kid whimpered. The child was quick to run away, crying for his mother.

Ford gave an unamused look at his brother. "Stanley, you're absolutely terrible." He stated, shaking his head in a disapproving manner. While the others used the cash Stan had 'scored', Ford paid for his with his own money. He didn't want to have a reputation of a thief on in this dimension.

When the group had gotten their snacks, Stanford took a moment to apologize to the worker for his brother's atrocious behavior.

"Hold this." Stan commanded again to his brother, handing him his bag of toffee peanuts. Ford looked at the snack and scoffed to himself. He knew that everyone had different opinions, but he just didn't understand why his brother loved toffee peanuts so much.

"Hey, look at that!" Soos said, looking in the large crowd passing by in all directions. "Looks like Bill and Karen really are a thing now." He said, pointing towards the couple from a distance at the sight of the two kissing.

The group looked over and did, indeed, see the couple kissing from a distance. Stan narrowed his eyes but laughed. "Wo-ho! Looks like Cipher's gonna be busy." He joked with a smirk.

Soos thought it was nice that Bill seemed happy now, and even though Stan thought Bill having a girlfriend was impossible, he never took the chance of making a joke out of it for granted. Fiddleford, however, knew that Ford certainly had a different feeling about the situation entirely. He looked over at Stanford, who had a look of hurt on his face once more, the bag of toffee peanuts falling out of his hands as he witnessed the exchange of emotion.

"Well," Stan began, turning around to grab his snack back from his brother. "Guess we should see whatever this crappy festival has to offer." He said, looking at Ford's empty hand. Stanley narrowed his eyes and looked at Ford, who had his mouth slightly open as he looked forward in disbelief. "Hey, pointdexter!" Stan exclaimed, trying to get his brother's attention. His effort seemed to be of no use. "You dropped my bag of toffee peanuts, ya' klutz." He scolded, folding his arms.

Ford was still looking forward before speaking. "...There was a... fly on it." He muttered in a dazed manner. He could hardly bare to have seen something such as that, however he chose not to speak his mind about the situation.

Stan just rolled his eyes and bent down to grab the bag from off the ground. Soos looked over at Ford and tilted his head in concern. "Ford, are you okay?" He asked.

"What?" Ford blurted out after spacing out again. He looked at Soos and gave a quick reassuring nod. "Oh, yes. I'm okay." He lied with a small smile.

Soos was more gullible than Stan was, so he believed the statement. "Okay, dude." He said with a simple shrug.

Fiddleford sighed, not being fooled by the obvious lie, and gave his friend a sympathetic pat on the back.

Stanley just groaned in annoyance. "What're we doin' just standin' around?" He asked rather impatiently. "I'm gettin' bored with all this pointless dialog."

"You're right," Soos agreed. "We should go see some magic tricks!" He said with a smile.

"Nah, I'm out." Stan said, putting a hand up in denial. "I should probably get back to the shack."

"What?" Soos asked, tilting his head. "But you've only been here for, like, ten minutes!" He pointed out.

"That's long enough." Stan said, taking a step back. "Besides, I should probably leave before someone calls security on me." He added. With that, Stan headed back to the car to go back to the shack. The group opted to walk around the festival, visiting a variety of stands and events.

While it seemed as though the group was enjoying themselves, Stanford was still a bit glum. He knew that he shouldn't be upset about the whole situation. He knew that he should be happy for Bill, and glad that he had found someone who made him happy. He knew that his feeling of jealousy was completely out of place. However, he just didn't understand why and how he could have lost the man so easily.

Was it something I did? Something I had said? Ford asked himself. He wasn't sure, but he assumed it wasn't something he should bother to question at this point.


A few hours later, Dipper and Mabel were eagerly looking out the window on the bus that was taking them to Gravity Falls. They were glad that the bus ride was finally coming to a close. The twins were excited to see all the friends they had made in the summer again.

"I can't wait to see our Grunkles again!" Mabel said to her brother, grinning from ear to ear.

"And Wendy!" Dipper chimed in with a smile.

"And Soos!" Mabel said, still smiling. She then gasped, her eyes widened. "Ooh, I wonder if Melody and Soos had their kid yet!" She wondered.

"I don't know, but I really want to show Ford my journal." Dipper said, grabbing hold of his backpack and taking out his pink journal.

He had brought a blue Pine tree journal back to California at first, until his mother donated it after believing it to be a fictional book by some anonymous local author. So, he ended up using the pink journal Mabel had given him. He hadn't found any anomalies in California, other than a cat barking like a dog to its owner. Instead, his journal had been used to write about his time in the summer; and some of the events that had occurred that he hadn't already published into Ford's journal.

"Ooh, and Bill!" Mabel added quickly with a smile, causing Dipper to stop thinking and look at his sister.

Dipper looked at Mabel and raised an eyebrow, rolling his eyes. "Bill? Seriously, Mabel?" He asked in a half-annoyed tone.

"Whaaat?" Mabel asked, her smile fading slightly, "He's not so bad, Dipper. Maybe you should try bonding with him!" She suggested with a shrug.

Dipper just scoffed, shaking his head. "Not a chance." He muttered coldly.

Mabel just rolled her eyes, nudging her brother in the shoulder. "Aw, come on, Dip-dop! I'm sure you two are gonna get along fine!" She said with another smile.

The twins sat in silence for a moment, until the bus driver at the front of the bus grabbed the vehicles built-in microphone, pressing the button and saying, "Next stop, Gravity Falls, Oregon."

Dipper and Mabel looked at each other and smiled at the news. Mabel threw her fist up into the air and yelled, "Yes!"

The female twins sudden outburst got the attention of a few people on the bus, who turned their heads backwards to look at the twins. Mabel and Dipper both noticed the eyes on them, and while Mabel didn't really mind it, Dipper was rather embarrassed. He chuckled awkwardly, giving a small wave. "Uh... Sorry..!" He said, looking out the window to avoid eye contact with the passengers in front of him.

Before they knew it, the bus stopped at the bus stop they had both arrived and left at in the summer. The twins gathered up their individual backpacks, along with the extra half-filled bag their mother insisted on them bringing along. They stood up from the back seat they had sat in, and walked across the isle towards the door of the bus. When the bus driver opened the door, Mabel jumped off the bus steps. Dipper, however, just walked.

The two had hardly sat on the bench by the bus stop for two minutes when Stanley showed up with the car to pick them up. The twins were ecstatic to see their uncle, and they rushed to the car in a hurry. However, before they could get to the car, Stan unbuckled the seatbelt he had bothered to put on and opened the car door, rushing out and getting on one knee as he wrapped his arms around the twins in an immense hug.

Mabel and Dipper both accepted the hug and Mabel grinned from ear to ear. "We missed you so much, Grunkle Stan!" She said, messing with the stings on his fez hat.

Stan's heart melted at the words; no one had ever told him something such as that. Sure, people had given him a decent greeting, but he certainly wasn't used to people actually missing his presence. He gave Mabel a small rub on the back with a smile on his face. "I missed you too, pumpkin." He said. Stan then looked at Dipper and ruffled the top of his head. "I missed you too, ya' knucklehead." He said, laughing.

Mabel looked up at Stan, raising an eyebrow. "Is Grunkle Ford here, too?" She asked.

Stan shook his head at the question. "Nah, not yet." He answered, "He's at this lame magic festival goin' on in town. They'll be back soon."

"They?" Dipper asked. "As in, more than one?" He questioned.

"Yup." Stan said, nodding his head.

"Who else is with Grunkle Ford?" Mabel asked.

Stan looked sideways at the sunset as he thought about the people who had been there. "Uh..." Stan began. "Himself, Fiddlesticks, Soos, and Melody." He answered with a confirming nod of his head. "Now, what're we doin' just standin' around? Let's head back to the shack, eh?" He asked with a grin.

"Yeah!" Mabel said, immediately running towards the car and yelling, "Shotgun!"

Dipper groaned at the fact of him having to sit in the back seat, however he didn't want to complain about it. Stan and Dipper both walked over to the car and stepped inside.

"Hey..," Mabel began, looking around the inside of the car. "It looks a little different in here." She observed, narrowing her eyes. She immediately smiled and looked up at Stan. "Ooh, is this a new car?" She asked, grinning.

"You bet it is," Stan says. "I mean, it doesn't really look like it from the outside, though." He admitted, snickering. "Aw man, that story of how the car got all mangled up'll be a fun one to tell later." He said, putting the car in reverse and getting on the road.


"Do you know if the twins'll be at the shack, Stanford?" Fiddleford asked as the group headed back to Soos's truck after the magic festival had ended.

Ford nodded at the question. "Not yet, unless the bus arrived early, of course. No, I'm sure the twins will arrive after we've gotten back to the shack. I would assume... five minutes after we get back?" He approximated after looking at the time in Soos's car.

The group piled into the truck; Soos and Melody in front, Fiddleford and Stanford in back.

"Are you okay, Melody?" Soos asked as he turned the car on.

Soos's girlfriend nodded at the concerned question. "Yeah, I'm good!" She assured with a smile. "Your boss's brother is actually pretty cool." She added in more of a whispered tone.

"Yeah," Soos agreed with a nod of his head. "He's a pretty awesome dude." He said as he backed out of the parking spot he had selected. In a matter of minutes, the truck was on the road, headed towards the Mystery Shack. During the ride back, McGucket had suggested karaoke, which the other passengers kindly (Yet quickly) declined.

The rest of the ride back to the shack was rather quiet, save the new song by Lil Big Dawg playing on the radio. When the group got back to the house, they were quick to look around the excuse of a parking lot in case the others had gotten back before them. However, just as Ford had predicted, they were yet to come home. Soos parked the truck in an appropriate spot before the four piled out of the car.

Ford wasn't exactly sure how to deal with company his brother Stan was used to, so once they had gotten into the shack and headed into the living room, he had told the group they were welcome to watch television or grab a snack from the kitchen if they others thanked the man and decided on a Tv program to watch as Ford left to head downstairs for a bit.

Stanford walked through the 'Employees only' door and turned to face the vending machine. He inputted the code on the machine and headed to the laboratory alone. He hadn't seen the amulet around Bill's neck when he had seen the man at the festival, so Ford began to think twice on Bill taking it. Maybe he hadn't looked for the necklace well enough? Though he was confident Bill had taken it and opted not to wear it, he decided to give looking another shot.

He looked everywhere; Every desk drawer, every box, every cabinet. He even checked the portal room and the makeshift bedroom, however he had no luck in finding the necklace. At that point, Ford knew that he was being ridiculous. Just because Bill hadn't been wearing the amulet to the festival, that didn't mean that the necklace wasn't in his possession. Maybe the man had figured Stanford would be at the festival, so he chose to leave the amulet wherever he was living.

Probably with that woman. Ford thought to himself. He quickly shook the thought out of his head, he really didn't need to be thinking of that topic right now, let alone at all. It was none of his business, anyway. Bill had clearly moved on.

Now Stanford had to do the same.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Soos heard a knock at the front door. His eyes widened at the sound as he scrambled for the Tv remote, turning down the volume. Fiddleford and Melody questioned the action, until Soos exclaimed. "They're here!"

Melody smiled and Fiddleford exclaimed in happiness, running to the door beside Soos. The handyman reached for the doorknob, however the door flung open right before he could open the door. Soos's wrist got hit by the doors sudden force, and he rubbed his wrist with his other hand to calm the stinging.

Fiddleford looked at who had opened the door, and sure enough, it was the twins and Stanley. "Hey there!" Fiddleford greeted with a smile, tipping his hat slightly, making sure to keep it on his head; he didn't want to go through another unexpected meeting with Mr. Powers.

"Hey, McGucket!" Dipper said with a smile. Mabel greeted the man and looked to the left, seeing Soos as he rubbed his wrist.

"Soos!" Mabel exclaimed, running up to the handyman. Soos looked at the girl and smiled, getting down on one knee and embracing the hug the girl had instantly welcomed.

"What's up, girl dawg?" Soos asked with a chuckle.

Dipper looked around, and saw no sign of his other uncle. "Where's great uncle Ford?" He asked in a concerned manner.

"Hold your horses, kid." Stan scolded, rolling his eyes. "He's probably just down in the basement doing nerd stuff." He said with a shrug.

Mabel gasped and looked in the living room, seeing Soos's girlfriend walking towards the door. "Oh my gosh!" She cooed with a grin, walking over to her to greet the woman. "Hi, Melody!"

"Oh! Uh, hello!" Melody said with a smile, waving at the girl. "How was the trip?" She asked.

"It was good!" Mabel responded. "Dip-dop here was writing half the time, so I used the opportunity to get my scrapbook ready!" She said with a smile.

Soos stood back up and chuckled. Meanwhile, Stan shut the front door and looked into the living room to see his brother looking down at his watch with a screwdriver in hand as he walked towards the others. "Hey, pointdexter." He greeted.

"Hello, Stanley." Ford said, still using the screwdriver on the watch. "How was the-"

"Grunkle Ford!" Mabel exclaimed, running up to the man and jumping up, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him. Ford flinched at the sudden motion, however he didn't intend to end it. He chuckled and gave Mabel a pat on the back as he looked at Dipper. "Dipper, my boy. How have you been?" He asked.

"I've been good, I have so much to show you!" Dipper responded, showing his journal to his uncle.

Ford set Mabel back down and nodded slowly. "There will be time for that shortly." He assured with a small smile. He then looked down at Mabel. "But right now, I have something I would like to discuss with you, Mabel." He said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Wha-?" Dipper questioned, however Mabel grinned brightly, practically squealing.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Mabel said, smiling up at Ford. "Are we making sweaters?" She asked.

Ford chuckled at the question, and shook his head. "Not right now, my dear." He said, adjusting his glasses. "Maybe a bit later. This conversation is quite important, there isn't much room for hesitation." He said with a nod of his head.

"Do you need me?" Dipper asked hopefully.

Ford opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. He responded hesitantly, hoping to not offend the boy. "Oh, um... not just yet, Dipper. I can assure you, we will speak a bit later." He said.

"Oh," Dipper said, nodding. "O-okay."

"Come now, Mabel." Ford beckoned, walking towards the living room. Mabel and Fiddleford followed behind the man as he put the screwdriver in his lab coat pocket.

There's chapter 33! I hope you enjoyed this, I know it's been more than a week, however this chapter is over 11,000 words, so I hope that makes up for the wait. I know, it's very long, but there was a lot I needed to put into this chapter. I originally wanted to get it out about four days ago, unfortunately the process has been unusually slow. I know where this plot is going, however it's the bit about adding enough dialog and words in-between the events that occur in chapters that makes the process take a bit more time.

New chapter should be up next week!