Marching after Soos, Dipper and Mabel exchanged a glance. Rarely had Soos taken lead with such poignance. He had almost as rarely admitted to having weird feelings about vague topics. This was Soos, after all – he was a man more often overly specific than not. He was really pushing forward, marching through the small woodlands that acted as a border to the campout area nearby the motel. Behind the twins, wringing his hands nervously, was Stanford.

Mabel caught up to her friend. "Soos," she asked him, "Are you feeling okay?"

Radiating an uncertain nervousness, he shrugged. "Not sure, dawg. Like, I dunno if what I feel is just more sad because of what happened to, you know," he added with a timid look to Mabel, "but then, I'm kinda like, this feels off. Like expired-expired burrito off."

Mabel, who had shriveled at the reminder to the campfire wake not half an hour earlier, listened as best as she could. Yet it was her brother who spoke up.

"You said 'she'll come back'," Dipper reminded Soos. "Who's she?"

Soos played with his hands, fidgeting along the edges. "I dunno for sure, but if I'm feeling right and not a going a little cray-cray… then it's miss Kelly Yore."

Mabel blurted out, "Kelly Yore?"

Ford suddenly looked pale and faint. "The other demon," he noted, "the newly hypothesized deal-maker."

Dipper felt a weight upon his mind. He added, "Bill's sister. The Demon of the past, right?" he asked Soos. Soos nodded slowly, about as serious as he could look. Dipper gulped. "But why? Wouldn't she want to talk to you again?" he asked the handyman.

Soos scratched his head. "I dunno. I mean, we kinda didn't jive as well after I ruined her whole set-up of my past by trying to throw her bro into the portal again."

Mabel nodded. "Fair. I'd be mad if someone threw Dipper into a portal," she chuckled, "just a little bit. But," she took to Soos' other side, "where is she then?"

Soos pointed vaguely ahead. The other three looked towards the trees. A gentle woodland spread before them, no more than few hundred feet thick. Just past it was the field of wheat. As Dipper peered past the shade of the trees, he saw a trail leading out into the fields, made recent.

His heart thrummed with dread. Worries rang aloud as he felt a thousand questions buzz into his head, each worse than the last. Unable to contain them, Dipper thought aloud, "but… Demons need people to be sleeping in order to possess or interact with them, or for some sort of deeper, prepared magic."

Ford nodded. "That is correct, or at least, it is the norm. However, there are always outliers," he worriedly added.

To the handyman's credit, his attempt at a comforting smile was genuine. Soos grinned with a certain wounded grimace, and then said, "Ah, well, sorta."

"Sorta?" the two Pines men repeated.

"Yeah," Soos waved his hands in the air, weighing something in his mind eye, "see, Kelly said that she talks to peeps who are, uh, looking back and thinking. Like, really thinking about their pasts and stuff."

Ford, quick on the trigger, summarized. "Nostalgic," he said.

Dipper combed his hair as his thoughts began to trail to a single, awful realization. "Which means anyone or anything that can look fondly back, especially people who feel hopeless," he said aloud, "are vulnerable to her! She's a deal maker who changes the past, and if that's all it takes-"

Just across from Soos, the alpha twin, Mabel Pines' eyes grew wide as plates. She stopped mid-walk, the realization of Dipper's train of thought hitting her. She whispered, "Wendy!"

"What of her?" Ford asked. The three turned and provided a less than warm look. Wilting under their look, he added, "I don't think I understand – she's been a steady woman since I've met her. Unfettered, sturdy. She's taken bullets like they're nothing, for goodness sake."

Mabel shrugged. "She's great at that look."

"But it's only that," Dipper explained, changing his walk with Soos into a just-passed-power walk, "Wendy puts on a perfect face."

Mabel failed to repress a snort. "You'd know," she told her brother.

Dipper paused only as Mabel snickered, but continued, "But she's so broken up about all of this. Her home is gone, her friends are being hunted by a psychopath and his personal cult, and she just feels worse every day as a baseline!" he felt the heaviness born in his breath. Just saying it aloud, he wanted to hug the poor girl. Yet he mustered on, explaining further, "Before she was cursed as a wraith, she already was dealing with enough! Family life really pushed her to her limit," Dipper said. He could remember Wendy, three years ago, almost in tears as she woefully admitted how much stress she kept under a tight lid as they thought their memories were all about to be erased. Dipper bit his lip, dwelling into the pain his crush could be undergoing. "I don't know about you, but if I was an opportunistic demon who messed around with people's past-"

"She would be an ideal candidate!" Ford said along with Dipper, their voices mingling as one. The two shared a look. Ford nodded, his face conveying apology. Dipper turned back to the fields.

Next to him, Soos scanned ahead. "And I think… I see her," he said, squinting past the glowing golden aura of the fields. The sun's rays upon the wheat caused the area to practically glow.

"Yeah?" Mabel asked, "Is she alone?"

Soos squinted harder. Dipper joined in, hoping to see. He did manage to see, maybe a quarter of a mile ahead, a red-tipped figure out atop the hill the field grew upon. She seemed to standing still, but motioning and speaking to something Dipper couldn't quite see. He then checked with Soos, studying his reaction.

Soos's mouth fell open. "It's her," he quietly told them.

"Oh no!" Mabel gasped, and darted ahead.

"Wendy!" Dipper shouted as he sprinted alongside Mabel.

Ford, clapping Soos on his shoulder, "Good eyes! Now let's move before our lives are irreversibly altered!"

"Th-thank you Mister Pines Brother!" Soos chortled, and huffed as he began to jog after the twins and Ford.

The blue triangle known as Kelly Yore slowly drifted closer to Wendy. "It is simple, my perfect little abomination," she told her like one might speak to a misbehaving, but cute, pet, "I am going to enter in a deal with you. Simple as that," she said, checking her hands as if they had nails.

Wendy shook her head. "Details," she demanded.

Kelly rolled her eye. "Oh, must you know?" she asked. When Wendy glared back, her silent response clear, Kelly's eye bulged and showed darkness. Arrow-tipped lines flowed from her left to the right, splitting and dividing in a kaleidoscope of colors. Kelly explained, "One change to your life may alter the weeks, months, and years to come. You want a bulleted list of each thing that changes? My dear," she chuckled, as the image vanished as she closed her blue eyelid, replaced with the image of a book, it's pages spilling out, "You haven't the time. But I promise you: it will be better for you."

Wendy watched the eyelid close again. This time the eye peered back out. Her own resistance to the demon's temptation was crumbling away like sand to the waves of a beach. She grimaced, a heat of betrayal running up her neck. "My… my friends," she started, holding her arm timidly. Her gaze fell to the ground.

Kelly approached her, and took her shoulders with her strange two-dimensional hands. "Your friends," she told her, "Live their own lives. They may still meet you. They still may love you," she told Wendy, "Who knows? I am only altering a single point of your past, changing one small thing. I cannot foresee everything that comes of this deal."

Wendy looked up from the floor. "You can't?" she asked, her ears certain of some sort of lie, or omission.

Kelly drifted away, spinning her umbrella. "Well… no, I can," she sighed. "Look, your relationships change, because you would change. Part of this deal is entirely how you, a younger you," Kelly reminded her, "Would behave with this change. I don't control you; I just change one, small detail."

Wendy felt sick. She felt angry. She felt used. She remembered Soos' warnings about her, and this being was all to eager to skip details. She scowled, hating herself for wanting this deal to work. Through gritted teeth, she asked, "What do you gain from this?"

Kelly, mid-spinning her umbrella, caught it upright. The creature glared at her. It sighed, and finally said, quieter and more direct than before, "If I told you how difficult it was to weave the threads of destiny together to save a single soul, could you comprehend the difficulty in doing so for a family of immortals?"

The redhead drank in the Demon's statement. Kelly used many colorful words to paint an otherwise confusing picture. She spoke circles around Wendy, and the redhead wasn't sure how else to ensure safety to those she cared about. The Blue Demon, perhaps realizing this, waved her hand to the side. Portraits appeared before them; framed with icy blue, crackling flames. She saw Dipper and Mabel, Soos, Ford, Stanley Pines, her old friends, and then, to her shock, a face she was sure she hadn't seen since she was four.

"I can promise you this," Kelly informed her, "That these, these here you see, all of them," Kelly, without a mouth to use, smiled, "Will be safe."

Wendy didn't really need to breath, but still air escaped her lips. That promise had been a punch to her gut, one that struck deeper than even the bullets of the members of the Rising Grasp had ever used. She felt her jaw tighten, her lips tremble, and she clenched her mouth shut. She wouldn't cry; not in front of this thing. Terribly embarrassed, tears fell from her face.

Kelly snapped her fingers, and the portraits vanished. She approached Wendy, and slowly extended her arm. "Do we have a deal, my child?" Flames erupted along Kelly's hand.

Wendy spied it, the flames reminder her of pains she had seen, that she had felt. She could remember bandaging another hand, belonging to someone very close to her, with wounds she had been certain he would always carry. She remembered the night where she had been certain, upon the discovery of her fate, that she would never have the chance of a real family again. She remembered the night where it all ended for her, the weight of a vehicle crushing the air, and life, from her body. Tightly she closed her eyes, willing herself to hope, to pray, that by making this deal with a devil, these things would not happen. Dipper would never have to know the pain of blackflame, that she could have any promise of family, and that… she wouldn't be what she is.

Wendy reached out and shook the hand with a firm handshake.

"Deal."

Kelly bristled with joy. "Oh! Splendid!" she cried. She snapped her fingers. The world started to feel heavy for Wendy Corduroy.

Just over the triangle shoulder, a voice yelled out, "Wendy!"

Wendy, holding her head as pain surged through her skull, looked up to the edge of the hill. Four figures were rushing towards her. She closed her eyes, squeezing her hands tightly against her head.

"N-no," she managed weakly, as her throat felt dry as hot sand, "Don't come here." Her focus failed and her vision started to sway, the pain tripling her vision. She collapsed to her knees, her guts begging for release from the awful tightening that was happening to her. She looked up to Kelly, seeing the blur of blue. "W-what have you done to me?"

Kelly had turned to the incoming voices. Rapidly, she said, "Alas, no time to tell. Sorry for the pain, but that's part of the reversing process for your curse. Now buckle up; it is time to change things!"

Dipper was half-way up the hill when he saw Wendy collapse to her side. He screamed, running faster than he had ever pushed himself before. He started passing his own sister, desperate to arrive to, what he could see, as only Wendy.

Behind him, Soos huffed out, "Miss Kelly Yore! Please Stop!"

Dipper arrived right alongside Wendy as a voice from, seemingly the air itself, answered. "Oh, dear Soos. I am afraid the deal is set. I cannot reverse this now."

Dipper looked to Wendy's right hand. Blue flames, tracing patterns and shapes like geometric tattoos, started to spread up from her fingertips. "No!" Dipper snapped, and tried patting them out. To his dismay, they were ghostly, incorporeal – his hand faded through them like they were some sort of hologram. He could only watch, horrified, as the flames started to spread up her arm. "Wendy, wake up!" he demanded of the very much unconscious red-head.

Dark clouds were born overhead. Lightning raced across the sky, followed by trembling thunder. Mabel, arriving just a moment before Dipper, saw the flames in her fearful eyes. "I don't like this," Mabel said, skidding to a halt next to her brother, and shook Wendy's shoulders, "Wendy wake up!"

Soos was staring at, as he could see, Kelly Yore. He shook his head, "Why are you doing this again, dude? It didn't work last time, and we don't want it-"

She barked a booming, haughty laughter. "Please, speak for yourself! Wendy made the deal on her own volition. Not that it will matter shortly," her voice warned the others, "As your current lives will soon be altered. You will not remember this, and Wendy's life will be made better. Y'all will be in a different timeline, soon enough."

Ford took a step next to Soos, eyeing the changing world around them. Just as it had when Soos made the deal, reality was quickly faltering. Darkness was spreading. The flames spread across Wendy, a burning sigil of reality re-shaping power. Ford adjusted his glasses, and declared, "Not on our watch!"

Only Soos could see Kelly turned to stare at Ford. "W-What?" she snapped, "Like you can stop this, you accidental byproduct of another deal! Should be counting your stars I even allowed you to live in the first place!"

Unphased by her denigration, Ford called out as he pulled from his pocket a sheet of paper. "Dipper, Mabel, Soos! Come quickly – I have an answer for this!"

Mabel and Soos made to his side quickly. Dipper cast Wendy one last pained look , now engulfed with flames. He then stood up, and ran right through Kelly Yore. She gasped, spinning like she had been attached to some unseen horizontal pole. "I say!" she cried out, trying to stabilize herself.

Surrounded and rushed for time, Ford held out a small runic circle. Divided by five sections, each had a icon- a question mark, a pine tree, a shooting star, a six-fingered hand, and what appeared to be a trapper hat, similar to what Wendy wore. He instructed quickly, "Place your hands upon the page, and we may be able to get the jump this time!"

"What?" Kelly roared, zooming closer to them.

Soos waved his other hand at her, fanning her away. "No peeking!" he scolded her.

Dipper looked quickly between the circle and Ford. "What is this going to do?" he demanded.

Ford gulped. With a tiny moment of uncertainty, he told them all, "If I am correct, protect us from the effects of this demon."

Kelly roared, "What? A binding circle!? Youcan't!"

Ford smirked, adding, "And if anything would tell us that I'm on the right trail, it was that."

Dipper looked around. Just as before, the darkness of the clouds swarmed around them. He craned his neck to see Wendy. His eyes falling upon her, he watched as blue light shone from her own eyelids, beams of intense blue light pouring into the heavens.

Still, Dipper doubted. Ford had worked with Bill. As far as he knew, Ford could still be working will Bill. This wasn't Bill, or so it seemed, but a demon was a demon. Dipper spanned his mind, searching through all his experience and knowledge to find an answer – any answer that wasn't just blindly trusting Ford. He looked to the paper, quickly seeing it for what it was, and then looked up to Ford.

The six-fingered man looked to Dipper, eyes begging him to help. The teenager with a constellation scrawled upon his forehead reached out and placed his hand on the page.

A voice roared through the air, as Kelly Yore screamed, "No! Stop it! You aught not interfere! Stop it!"

As the world went dark, the four standing felt the earth beneath them give away. Mabel and Dipper reached out, holding one another as they plummeted, screaming with Ford and Soos as they descended. Together, somehow bound together with whatever magic lay within the paper, the four hurtled downward together. It was almost like they were, once more, hurtling through the bottomless pit.

As cold, frigid winds raced past them, light sparked around them. It was like a cloudy nebula of shadow had erased all things before them. As they fell, this miasma would sway and warp, giving to the four bits of life beyond. There was a universe past the black winds. This world, despite the four falling, seemed stabilized and stationary, regardless of the change of perspective the falling should call. As they glanced past the dark winds, anyone and everything in that other universe seemed… off.

They saw images. Beyond was the body of Dipper and Mabel in robes of black and brown, talking to a red-headed figure in a graveyard at night. The redhead said as the twins held each other tightly, "Em dnuof uoy."

Suddenly, scene rushed upwards. They smashed upon the ground, which shattered like a frail layer of glass. Below them, a new sight. Dipper, younger and smaller than he currently was, bobbed up and down before a similar teenager. Wendy said as keys flung themselves from Dipper's hands into her own, "Snairtsedep yna tih ot ton yrt."

As the younger Dipper started moon-walking away, the four crashed through this glass-world, entering another.

Dipper turned to his falling companions. "We really are going backwards in time!"

Mabel yelled to him, "Cool! It's almost as windy as falling into the bottomless pit!"

Ford gasped. "You survived that?"

The cold wind and dark clouds around them started to fade. Light was too bright to adjust to, and the four squinted, trying their best to shield their poor retinas. What was minutes of falling at terminal velocity slowed to a gentle bump, and the four collapsed onto solid ground.

As the four groaned, Soos sprung up first. He sniffed the air. "Wait. I know that scent," he mused, really taking in the air with his nostrils.

As the twins stood up, they peered around. Ford too stood up. They were, for lack of a better description, in some sort of… alley. No longer were they surrounded by wheat fields and cool summer winds. Rough concrete and unwashed commercial trash dumpsters lay around them, unleashing their odorous auras.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "I think I agree with Soos. This is familiar. Too familiar."

Mabel finally popped the question, "Where are we?"

Dipper turned around, trying to really locate themselves. No landmark presented themselves immediately around them. Then, he realized he could just barely make out a world down the alley. He focused his eyes, rubbing them for a moment. As he finally made out the colors of deep blue and rich green, he gasped. He spotted the distant hills with a specific cut through the center, shaped almost like a saucer.

"Gravity Falls," Dipper said breathlessly.

"What!?" Mabel and Soos cried out.

Ford, rubbing his chin, nodded, "That explains how Soos and I are so familiar with it."

Mabel rounded on Ford. "But it was all removed!" she snapped, and pointed at him, "You're here because it never was! I thought time made sense, not this timey-wimey stuff!"

Ford nodded. "Well said. I'm admittedly not sure how there can be so many possible time paradoxes happening without undoing the fabric of linear existence," he then listed off using his fingers, "My very presence, your three being in the same timeline as potentially your younger selves, the knowledge of the future we bring with ourselves," he sighed, "But those conundrums should be answered at another time and with a large amount of coffee at my disposal. And maybe some ibuprofen."

Dipper groaned. "Ugh. Same. We don't even know when we are exactly. I mean," he turned back to the others, "For all we know, this could be right before Mabel and I arrived, or when Wendy was a kid, or a baby!"

Mabel gasped, "Oh! That's easy! Lemme solve that one!"

She then took off, running for the end of the alleyway. Ford called out, "Wait! If you are spotted by people who could, in their future, recognize you, there is a chance you could indirectly cause a time-paradox!"

Mabel spun in place, and nodded. "Already covered!" she then pulled out sunglasses, and slapped them on. Ford huffed at her response. Mabel beamed at him and the other two, "Just watch my genius plan!" As she approached the end of the alley, the other three followed suit. Mabel stepped out, and immediately ran into a family trio. "Excuse me," she asked the family, "I am an eccentric teen in desperate need for attention! What year is it?"

The man, who had an angled face and soft brown hair, happily looked at Mabel without a trace of judgement, chuckled. "Oh, well, that's a fascinating question!" he stated. He turned to his presumed wife, a woman with a round face and lush ginger hair. "What say you, dear?" he asked her.

The wife giggled at her husband's playfulness. "Oh, you," she winked at him, and then looked to their side, where a dark-haired tween of twelve or thirteen stood moodily nearby. She asked him, "Why don't you tell your upperclassman, Robbie?"

Mabel gasped, "Robbie!?"

The teen eyed her with about as much compassion one would with a rogue piece of snot landing on their favorite shoe. With as much dismissive attitude as he could, the pimple-faced tween grumbled, "Duh, it's two-thousand and nine. Red Night just released Nineteenth Century Freakout."

"Why yes," the father added, "Our son sure loves his music. I'm so proud of his interests!"

The mother added, "Oh yes, he sure does. It's so non-conformist!"

The parents laughed together, and the young Robbie scowled. He marched past Mabel, sticking his hands deep into his pockets. As Mabel was left behind by the parents as well, they called back to her, "Best of luck finding the attention you so desperately need!"

"Thanks!" she waved to them eagerly. Turning back to her brother, Soos, and Ford, Mabel said, "Well, based on research, I think it might be two-thousand and nine."

Trying his best to not scold his Sister for wanton and reckless investigation, Dipper said, "So, six years ago. What happened six years ago?"

Ford shrugged. Soos, who first eyed Ford, then also shrugged. He said, "I dunno dude. I graduated just the other year, I think, and I'm up with Mister Pines still, working full time. Best job ever," he declared proudly.

"Wait," Dipper studied him, "You graduated, and immediately started working with Grunkle Stan? No other jobs?"

"Nope!" Soos proudly said. "Well, unless you count those few I grabbed after the Mystery shack was stolen by Gideon Gleeful. Or that time I was in an alternate timeline and ran a turbo-successful repair shop."

Ford eyed Soos. "You've only ever worked for my brother?" Soos nodded. Ford added, "And you wanted to continue working with him?" When Soos nodded again, Ford muttered, "I'm sharing air with a saint of patience."

Dipper gathered the others quickly. "So, we know it's two-thousand nine. We know that this demon, correct me if I'm wrong, Soos," he told the handyman, "Has changed something about Wendy's past for, uh, reasons."

Mabel chuckled. "You sound like me," she teased him.

With a smirk, Dipper asked her, "Uncertain and confused?" To that, Mabel stuck out her tongue. Dipper continued, "So, we need to find Wendy and, I guess, uh… I don't know," Dipper admitted, and looked to Soos, "You did this all on your own last time, Soos. What do we do?"

Mabel butted in quickly, "Other than go watch the best movie that ever came out – Space Pocahontas."

Soos eyed her, and grumbled, "Shame they won the lawsuit with Evotar: The Last Spacebender." Soos cleared his throat, and said, "I don't know dudes."

"How could you not?" Ford demanded. "You're literally the only other person who's undergone this kind of trial before!"

Soos pulled into himself slightly. "I dunno, things are not the same," he tried to explain, looking around, "See, when I woke up from my deal with miss Kelly Yore, it was still, uh, the same year?"

Dipper eyed him. "You didn't wake up in your past?"

"No dawg," Soos told him, "It was still our current year of two-thousand fifteen. Memes are peaking and never getting better," he proudly told them.

Dipper frowned, looking around. "This isn't right," he quietly said.

"Yeah," Mabel nodded, "Memes are always getting better."

Biting back a scathing response, Dipper explained, "Why would Kelly change how her powers work just for Wendy? If she was going to go back in time, maybe to stop the accident with Robbie, that would just be in two-thousand and twelve. If it's not about being a wraith, why not just do the same trick she used with Soos?"

Ford arrived at a conclusion. "Perhaps the answer is us." The three turned to him. "We are here: interfering with her schemes and machinations. There is a good chance that this could be an after-effect."

Dipper looked around, eying the world before him. They were nearby town center, where the old Nathaniel Northwest Statue proudly held a flag atop a stony hill. Dipper could see a Deputy Blurbs and officer Durland making patrols along the sidewalk. He saw a younger Lazy Suzan walking down the street, carrying bags of groceries. He was so transfixed by it all. Everyone who had been taken by the blast of un-reality was… back. If it all wasn't the work of a demon, Dipper would have smiled.

Dipper spotted someone tough looking entering the biker bar called 'Skull Fracture'. As the burly man did, he was greeted by an equally burly woman, and they shook hands.

Dipper gasped. "We never made a deal," he said, eying the handshake. Dipper turned to the others, "That could be it! We're here because whatever change she wanted to implement happened now, and she can't fast-forward time with us here!"

Mabel asked, "Are you sure?"

Dipper shook his head, crestfallen. "Nope. Honestly, I'm running on fumes," he told his sister.

She smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. You still sound really smart."

As Dipper beamed at Mabel's compliment, Ford scanned around. "Then, unless I am mistaken, we should run into a young version of our lost and confused companion," he said to the twins and Soos. "I suggest we find her."

Soos pointed out, "But she won't know us yet, dude! She didn't start working at the Mystery Shack until just before the twins came to visit."

Ford scoffed. "Well, you have lived here your whole life! I'm certain you could think of something."

"I'm not even sure where to look for her, dude," Soos sadly admitted.

As Dipper scratched his head, he looked up the road, trying to think. No thoughts would be allowed into his brain as he saw something that made his blood freeze. Mabel would notice his sudden lock-up, and she nudged him. "What?" she asked, "Getting flashbacks to when we met that time-traveler dude?"

Dipper shook his head and pointed. Mabel turned her gaze ahead and she took a long, low breath of air.

There were two kids, maybe eleven and eight, running in circles around a pair of adults. Another child was held easily in the beefy arms of a massive man with hair as bright red as the children around him. To his side were two women: an adult with shoulder-length straight, orange hair, and a teenager with a lanky body, auburn hair in pigtails, and noticeably large bracers. They were all just across the street, walking towards them.

Dipper locked onto the teenager with pigtails and bracers. "Wendy," he breathed.

Mabel stared at him. "That's Wendy?" She squinted again, and gasped, "It is her!"

"Yeah!" he told her, looking to his sister. "Wendy once showed me a photo of her when she was twelve, and she looked just like that!"

"Not to mention, those zany crystals," Mabel snorted. "She's such a cute little dork."

"Mabel!"

"I said cute!" Mabel protested.

Dipper turned back, and was startled. Wendy looked in his direction. Dipper blinked, uncertain to act casual, act natural, or act weird. He had practiced the art of looking casual after being caught staring. He hadn't been practicing for when he was fifteen and she was twelve. The reversal threw everything off for him. What came to mind, the poor man, was to just stare back – hoping she would recognize him.

The redhead twelve-year-old seemed to lift slightly. Her eyebrows raised, and her cheeks grew in a color similar to her hair. Dipper felt a weight lift from his chest – surely, she recognized him. He smiled, about to wave at her. Then she spun away, bright red in the face. She walked closely to the orange-haired woman.

Ford and Soos stepped up next to the twins. Soos, eying Dipper, chuckled. "Boy, that was pretty weird, huh?" Dipper gave to his friend what he could only describe as a 'daring' glare. Soos nodded, adding a quick, "Message received, dawg."

Mabel tapped her foot. "She doesn't recognize us. I mean, she should recognize Dipper staring at her awkwardly for hours at a time, if anything."

Dipper scowled, "Really?"

Mabel continued, "Does she not know it's us? At all? Any of us?"

Ford nodded. "It would appear so." He hummed aloud, frowning. "This could make her cooperation more difficult than anticipated."

"Yeah dude," Soos agreed, "Not to mention, with her family. I don't know about you, but you don't tangle with Manly Dan, unless you have a really long stick. Or a gun, I guess."

Ford turned to Soos, "Daniel Corduroy? Manly, not boyish?"

Dipper peered after the family across the street. As he did, Wendy would occasionally look back to him, almost checking to see if he was still there. Dipper's gaze, however, was not on her. It was the woman. He hadn't gotten a good look at her face, and as she continued to walk, he could see less and less of her. She was tall enough to be an adult, and certainly acted like one with the young Wendy. She gladly took Wendy's hand, and walked with her down the street.

Dipper's face slowly grew wider as his eyes expanded. He realized what the change was. He was watching her walk away with her family, and all four kids. "Mabel," Dipper said, "That's Wendy's mom!"

"Oh!" Mabel cooed, craning her head to see better, "I wonder if that's where Wendy get's all her sweetness from?"

Dipper spun to his sister. "Mabel, she died eight years before this, in two-thousand one!"

That got the reaction he wanted. She leapt into the air, and then leaned as far as she could towards the Corduroys. "Wait, like that tombstone we read, on Summerween?!"

"Yeah!" Dipper nodded. He spun to Soos and Ford, "I found out what Kelly did! She somehow brought back Wendy's mom!"

"Woah, that's a move alright!" Soos nodded.

Ford, however, squinted as he followed the family with his eyes. "Are you certain that is her mother?"

Dipper scoffed. "I dunno, how many other women like to walk along with crazy kids and their equally crazy father?" Dipper said with temper. "It has to be her!"

Mabel nodded. "I'm with Dipper here. It makes sense that she'd bring back Wendy's mom!" Mabel said, "Because if Wendy never had a mom around, she'd be a totally different person! A whole extra Corduroy to dig into!"

Ford sighed. "That was not what I meant, I suppose. I think I heard you say," he said to Dipper, who was carefully watching the Corduroys walk off, "That the mother died in two-thousand and one? Eight years ago?" Dipper nodded. Ford added, "So then why aren't we in two-thousand and one?" Dipper looked back to him finally. Ford pushed the point, "If Kelly Yore really was going to revive the mother, would we not be at the point in time she altered?"

Dipper frowned. Assuming the logic they discussed previously was sound, Ford was correct. They should be eight years earlier, when Melissa Corduroy passed away. Instead, they had arrived only a few years before the twins would visit for their first time. Dipper sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. With an exhausted groan, Dipper announced, "We're missing something important."

Ford agreed. "We likely are. Until we can understand how to learn of the missing information, it's probably best we just go talk to Wendy."

"Really?" the twins gasped.

"Yes!" Ford proclaimed. "I know that I have been, how to say it, out of the loop," he told the twins and Soos, "But I lived in Gravity Falls for many years. I know of Boyish Dan – err – Manly Dan. He actually helped me with constructing my home. I know what to expect of him. But," he eyed the woman in the distance, squinting at her form, "I do not know anything about her. I may be overreacting, and perhaps erring on the side of caution a little much, but I would prefer we separate Wendy from that woman sooner than later."

Mabel spun back to look at the mom. "Aww, but she's so pretty! And fit! And tall!"

Ford eyed Mabel. "And those debate the merits of my concern because…?"

"They don't," Mabel cheerfully told him, "I just wanted to say positive things about another woman before we find out she's a zombie or something."

Dipper chuckled. "Not a zombie. We've seen zombies. We could tell."

"So, should we just go up and say," Soos stated, and then adopted a rigid, upright stance, "Come with us if you want to live, you know, like that?"

Dipper looked around. His mind shot through ideas, theories, and finally, plans. Going right up to Wendy wasn't going to be the best idea, but maybe, just maybe, they could create something of a diversion. As he scanned on the cliffs and forests of Gravity Falls, he spotted a nearby forest-encircled playground. It appeared to be the destination for the Corduroy family. There was a particularly massive boulder that was embedded into the earth. There was an idea that grew, quicker and bolder until it flowered into a full concept. Dipper turned to the others, and clapped his hand. "Actually, I might have a plan. Lots of moving parts to this idea of mine, so stay with me."

The male twin pulled them all closer. Bit by bit, he laid down the groundwork for his plan. Mabel and Soos had, as ever, come to rely on Dipper's tactical assessments and preparations. Ford, clearly still uncertain to his position amongst the group, listened his best, only asking for clarity and confirmation regarding his own tasks. To Dipper's astonishment, Mabel had come up with her own section of the plan, which had been something he would not have considered in his lifetime.

Nearing the end of the plan, Ford finally asked Dipper, "And Wendy?"

Craning his head over to the playground, Dipper eyed their distant target. The young girl had taken a seat by a bench, and sat with the woman whom all presumed was her mother. She looked up and gave the orange-headed woman a smile. To the teenager from the future, it was all too weird to consider that he might be scary, or intimidating, to Wendy. Sure, she was just a kid now, but Dipper had just been a kid when Wendy met him; surely, he could navigate these complex social circumstances to success.

Dipper looked back to Ford and the others. "I can do it. I'm close to her, you know? I know her. I'll figure it out."

Ford eyed the other two. Soos provided Ford a single nod of approval on Dipper's behalf. Mabel flashed her pearly teeth in a big smile. With a resolving nod himself, Ford told Dipper, "Very well. Operation Tearing Corduroy is a-"

Mabel winced. "Eugh! No! Bad name."

Ford frowned. "Operation Red-headed rescue?"

Mabel presented a flat hand, and then wiggled it. So-so.

Dipper rolled his eyes, "Operation Time Trouble?" he suggested. Without offending anyone else, the three quickly agreed. "Then, let's get ready. We've got a timeline to save!"

A red-headed family of above-average strength and endurance was about to be socially ambushed from many fronts. Three boys, ranging from ages eleven through two, were absolutely ripping through the play-area. As other children went down the slides, they bulldozed through them as they climbed up the slides. While some kids-built sandcastles, they built sand warzones. As some kids played with sticks for swords, these boys played with branches as battering rams.

Watching them all was a man who could be easily mistaken for a strange, red bear. Manly Dan, who was about as much muscle as he was beard and bodily hair, laughed proudly as his sons rampaged through the playground. "Hahaha! Nice one!" He told his oldest son, who climbed to the top of the playground and stood atop it's roof. "Just like a lumberjack! Yeah!" he roared. The shout startled his son, who quickly fell off and landed on his back with a solid 'wham'. As the winded boy stared up at the sky, Manly Dan roared, "Pain is just weakness fleeing from your might!"

Stepping up to him, two men cleared their throats. Manly Dan, who always looked like he was one bad news away from literally combusting, grinded his feet upon the earth as he turned. Before him was Soos and Ford.

"Hey dude!" Soos waved at him cheerfully.

Manly Dan's forehead vein twitched. "Greet me like a MAN!" he roared, and aggressively took Soos hand. Then, gently, but firmly, they shook hands.

As Soos' arm fell back to his side, he patted his shoulder. "Wow, wasn't sure I was getting you back, buddy," he told his arm.

Ford cleared his throat, and then did his best attempt at a deeply masculine voice. "Hey, bro," Ford grunted like his voice was sandpaper and gravel, "I hear you're pretty tough. Pretty Manly, some could say."

Manly Dan belted out a single roar of a laugh. "It's my legal name!" he roared.

Ford, caught up in the moment, had his false voice falter. "It wasn't an masculine affectation due to your-" he caught himself, and cleared his throat, and adopted a deep, troubled frown, "Yeah?" he demanded of Manly Dan, "Well guess what? You're not the manliest around here anymore!"

The people at the playground gasped. Parents rushed to evacuate any of their nearby children from Manly Dan. About eight more veins bulged out from Manly Dan's neck, and five more along the edges of his face. He always wore a scowl, even when he was pleased. He had passed a few emotional states to reach where he was now. From angry, to furious, to beside himself; now he was absolutely livid.

Somehow, he managed through gritted teeth, to say in an indoor voice, "Who… thinks… they're manlier… than me?"

Leaning back and a little blue in the face, Ford gulped. Soos was sweating and his vision seemed to be losing focus. They looked behind themselves to a cluster of shrubs. There, Dipper and Mabel were worriedly watching them. Mabel chewed on her hair as Dipper covered his mouth with his hands. Dipper had known the father would be upset by the challenge. He hadn't considered that they would have broken the scales and gone right to calm-voice angry. Dipper, with a twinge of regret, waved his hands at them, urging them to continue. There was no going back.

Soos and him eyed one another, and faced the cold, deadly gaze of a man easily six inches taller than either, and easily a hundred more pounds of pure, unflinching muscle mass. Soos opened his mouth, and only a dry wheezing sound eeked out. Ford turned to Soos as he tried again, and this time Soos sounded more like a dying opossum.

Ford took a long breath. "We heard that the manliest man could lift that rock!" he dared to say, and pointed dramatically to the boulder Dipper had told them before. Sweating like the father-figure before him was made of molten rock, the two waited and watched to see how Daniel Corduroy took this new information. He had tuned to see the boulder in question.

He then snorted. "Yeah right!" he snapped, and turned towards the rock. He eyed it, and then barked, "That's child's play! My daughter, my son, my other son, and my other-other son could all tackle this rock!"

Soos, stabilizing his breathing and heartrate, added, "Then, I guess it won't be a problem for you to, you know, show off how manly you are? Restore your totally legit reputation as the manliest dude here?"

Manly Dan pointed at Soos, "Manliest man."

Soos nodded feverishly. "Anything you'd prefer dawg – err – man."

To their great relief, Manly Dan turned, and stomped off towards the boulder. "Kids!" he roared, "Watch your dad prove his reputation by FORCE!" he bellowed.

"Yeah! Dad! Dad! Dad!" The three boys hollered, and ran after their dad, nearly knocking over Ford as they pelted past him.

From the bench off the side, there was a quick side-remark. "No thanks," an unenthused twelve-year-old decided.

The mother next to her patted her shoulder. "You know your father. Honestly, this is something of an improvement," the woman noted with a sad smile, "At least he let those two men live. Or, well, at least they're still alive."

Soos and Ford looked back to the hidden twins. Dipper, wiping his brow of sweat, gave them a nod. They then followed after Manly Dan, to better keep him focused on his trial of manliness. As they carefully approached the titanic, red-headed father, Dipper turned to Mabel. She grinned and cracked her neck to the side, for the good measure of some pops and cracks.

Mabel leapt out of the bushes, and closed her eyes. "Ok," she told herself, "Mom didn't pack your first-year emergency kit. It's eighth-grade again, and I'm down to a wire. I'm starved for romance, and I'll literally die if I don't get help-" she then laughed, and turned to her brother for a thumbs up. Her brother, having overheard it all, grimaced and provided her a weak thumbs up. He mentally tried noting that he would later ask if Mabel wanted to talk about her trials alone in school.

Mabel then jogged in place. She jogged hard and fast, stomping her feet on the ground, and then let herself move forward. She honed in towards the bench. As she did, Dipper started to creep closer. He re-positioned himself from tree to tree, trying to avoid being seen by the family, but stay within overhearing distance.

Mabel arrived, jogging in place at the bench. "Hah! Wow," she said to no one in particular, "It sure is a great day for a jogging! Staying fit, healthy, and very distracted!" The two ladies on the bench slowly turned and looked at Mabel, uncertain if they were to be included in this conversation. Before either of them answered, Mabel barked in, "Wow – fellow women!" she declared and sat promptly down next to the mother.

"Ah, hello," Miss Corduroy told Mabel, taken aback but still smiling, "Enjoying the jog-"

"Yup!" Mabel said, and then started to stretch her arms over her shoulders, "Trying to keep my mind off internal pains and various existential strifes!"

Taken aback wasn't even close to how the two ladies on the bench reacted. They stared at Mabel like she had the head of a troll. Mabel eagerly beamed back at them. The mother spied Mabel closely. "Did you just start jogging? You're not really sweating."

Mabel's eyelid twitched. "Ahh-" her voice cracked. Of all the times for her overall high-level of fitness to bit her in the butt, this wasn't the time for it. As she continued to exhale in panic, she decided leaned into her long, breathy exclamation. She suddenly stood up, a hand at her abdomen. "Oh no!" she cried out, "Ow! Menstrual pains!" Mabel proclaimed dramatically. "Oh no! What can I, a young, po-dunk girl, do about such agony?"

The mother was so shook from Mabel that she hardly noticed the young Wendy Corduroy step away from the bench and very pointedly walk away. Still, she whipped to the retreating pig-tailed young lady. "Wendy, please wait," she asked calmly, and then turned back to Mabel, "Do you need anything?"

Mabel nodded her head five times in a second. "I sure would!" she stated, "And I could sure use your help somewhere else, where there are less people watching me," she said, starting to grit her teeth as she acted out prior hellishly embarrassing memories.

Melissa Corduroy stood up, grasping her purse. "That's okay, I understand. Let me just grab my daughter-"

Mabel reached out for the woman's hand. "No time to wait!" she hissed, and pulled her towards a public restroom.

Dipper watched carefully as Mabel parted the mother from the daughter. He then spied Soos and Ford, who were nervously watching Manly Dan. The father had just dug his fingers into the rock, piercing its outer layer, and started to pull it from the earth. Dipper didn't exactly know how long Mabel could stall Miss Corduroy, but he knew that he was working on very limited, borrowed time. It was now or never. He turned to his right, and saw the moody girl, who had squatted down to a stick, picking it up and twirling it idly around.

It was finally his turn. All he had to do was convince her that he wasn't a bad person, and that he was trustworthy. That was… easy. Probably easy.

He stepped out from the bushes quietly, and approached her. She hadn't noticed yet. Dipper stared at her, and opened his mouth, ready to speak. He spotted a small sticker on her overalls; a small golden hand-lamp. Then he paused, and re-evaluated, turning away from her. He couldn't just start talking to her. He had to do it perfectly. He needed to sound cool, smart, friendly, and approachable. He then thought about what teenagers liked; so he slouched, trying hard to seem aloof. That hurt his back, and he thought of Robbie, so he rolled his eyes and stood up normally. He practiced a type of smile; one wide and brimming with causality. That felt awkward and weird. He rubbed his face, trying to come to terms with the idea that he had no idea how to break ice. He tore off his hat, wringing it fiercely as he dwelled.

As he considered his perfect approach, Wendy said, "Uh, dude?"

Slowly, like he was turning to face a ghost, Dipper eyed the girl next to him. She was still holding the stick in her hands, and she was watching him, an eyebrow cocked. Dipper's cheeks grew red-hot as he realized he must have practiced his entire approach in front of her. He thought of what others might do, what much more social people than him would do. What Wendy would do.

He decided to play it cool. Stuffing his hat away in a pocket, he leaned over towards a tree. "Hey, wassu-" he started, and entirely missed the tree. He yelped shrilly and slammed into the prickly bush. Groaning from the pain, but more so from the absolute failure of an introduction he had just performed, Dipper sighed, and finished saying, "Wassup."

There was laughter. The girl, young and dorky, was doubling over as she pointed at Dipper. Pig-tailed and brace-faced, Wendy Corduroy approached him. Her arms were at her hips as she stepped over, looking down at him. "Dude," she said, and Dipper realized she had the smallest lisp from her bracers, "What's wrong with you?" she asked, cackling.

Already down, and kicked for good measure, Dipper forwent his ideal answers; preplanned and sculpted. Defeated, he decided to just consider her question. "Oh," he sighed, "I'm sure I could give a list to a psychiatrist, and they'd diagnose me with a few new types of psychological issues." Still snickering, Wendy eyed him. It was so weird to see the green eyes, so often stilled and calmed, emote humor like that. As Dipper studied her, he noticed she seemed uncertain. Something inside her mind struggled for decision. As she slowed her laughter, Dipper reached his hand out. "Care to help me out? There're at least a dozen thorns sticking into my back."

He was pleased when she took his hand. Dipper sighed, standing back upright with her help. Standing next to him, he realized that she was about a foot shorter than him. He muttered, "Grown spurt must have already started."

"Huh?" she said quickly.

"Nothing," he shook his head, brushing off the branches and leaves that had gotten into his hair and on his clothes.

She looked up at him. "Why were you acting all weird just a minute ago?" she interrogated immediately.

Dipper wasn't sure how else to answer that question. "Well, I like to rehears before…" he paused, and reconsider blunt honesty. He steadied himself, and remembered the mission. "Hey, so, you're Wendy, right?" he asked.

She blinked. A red flush spread across her cheeks. She took a step back, brushing one of her tails of hair rapidly. "Wait, you… you know me?" she asked, her eyes darting to and from Dipper.

He took a deep breath. Dipper had no real clue if his path of attack was right. He was sure it would have worked for him at this age, but he wasn't talking to a twelve-year-old version of himself. This was Wendy, who saw the world differently than him. She may respond badly to him. But, no more time to dwell, he took a leap of faith. "Look, Wendy," he told her, "This town has weird stuff going on, right?" he asked her carefully, and quickly added, "Strange things by the lake, sounds from the woods, all that sort of stuff? Parents and the old folk don't believe you when you see it?"

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "You… you're seen some things too?" she asked very quietly.

Dipper did his best to not let out a wide, beaming smile. He nodded. "Wendy," he said, and knelt before her, so that she was taller than him, "I don't have a lot of time to explain anything, and I know it might sound crazy… but can you say if anything really unexpected has happened recently?"

At first, she had been eagerly listening. Then Wendy stared at him with an incredulous frown. "Uh, duh. My mom came back from being held ransom. Thought she died!"

Dipper's hairs prickled, energy flowing through him. She had noticed odd things after all! He pushed further, "Isn't that a little weird? That she just came back out of no-where? I'm trying to figure out why she came back, and how-"

Wendy's frown deepened. "Why do you care about mom?" she snapped.

He closed his mouth. There was defensiveness coming from the younger girl. It made sense, he supposed; getting a lost parent back must be sort of a weird blessing. Dipper, adopting his gentlest voice, explained, "Uh, well, it's complicated. Wendy-"

She side-stepped him. Her glare intensified. "I saw you looking at me across the street earlier. Are you stalking me and my mom!?"

"N-no!" Dipper said, trying his best to half-lie, "Not you!"

She gasped. "Then you're-" and then she ran from him.

Dipper slapped his face, and groaned. "Wait, Wendy!"

She was already dashing away, churning up playground mulch as she made a bee-line for her father. She yelled, "Dad! There's some creep who's peeping on mom!"

Manly Dan, who was holding the boulder above his head, let the rock slip from his fingers. The boulder fell onto his head, and then split into two halves of rock. Ford told Soos, as they stepped away, "Yeah, I get it - he really is manly."

Stinging hot flames rose into Dipper's face. He whipped around, and dived back into the woods. Back into the bristles he swam. As he heard certain death's pounding footsteps approaching from the playground, Dipper wormed through the underbrush. He was stronger than he had ever been in his life, and not a single brain cell in his head believed he stood a chance against Manly Dan. Even if the entire gang decided to fight him at once, which then they might stand a chance, it wasn't in his best interests to begin battling Wendy's family. After what could have been ten minutes of scrambling through the tangled woods, he emerged back on the sidewalk, about a hundred yards away. Blistered, scratched up, he was alive.

"Dipper!"

Just his luck, across the street, Mabel was peeking her head out of an alley. Checking his surroundings first, Dipper scrambled to his feet and across the road. Waiting with Mabel was Soos and Ford, who both had bits of boulder rubble on their heads and shoulders. Dipper eyed the three of them, and scowled.

"Dang it!" he said, and slapped himself. "I screwed it up!"

"Nonsense!" Ford barked back.

Mabel put a hand on his shoulder, "Yeah, bro. Take it easy. The plan was working super well," she said, holding up an entire zip-lock bag of various feminine hygienic products, "I was right about the period stuff!"

Soos chuckled. "Yup! And I only worried about my life four separate times," he congratulated Dipper.

Dipper, though touched at their insistence of his plan being well-thought out, let out a frustrated groan. "But we're no closer to understanding what is going on," he said as he started to pace, "And we don't have Wendy! If what Soos said is right, she's key to getting us all home and the timelines fixed."

Ford interjected with, "While true, we now do know that she does not remember you. That is important for future reference. Not to mention," Ford grinned at him, "You knew exactly what to do with the parents."

"All for nothing," Dipper grumbled.

Soos offered Dipper a sad smile. "Aww, c'mon dawg. This sort of stuff happens. Besides, maybe we did learn something, and just don't know it yet!" he postulated positively.

Ford shrugged. "Uh, I don't know about that," he admitted, "Nothing particularly new struck me, other than the idea that I should get a sample of Daniel Corduroy's blood to analyze for testosterone levels."

Dipper nodded, and turned to Mabel. She was scratching her chin, dwelling on something through her squinted eyes. Dipper asked her, "Mabes? Anything?"

"I dunno," she said slowly, "Right when mama Corduroy gave me the bag, I heard Wendy call you a creep," she then afforded herself a small laugh, "Hah, creep," she taunted her brother, who went red in the face, "And then she got all weird. She like, got as tall as she could, and looked really focused. Went all killer-instinct mode. I mean, that could just be how mama Corduroy acts when she thinks someone gross is pervin' on her family."

Soos and Ford eyed Mabel, and Dipper growled, "I wasn't perving on anyone."

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Of course not, my Sir Broseph – the white knight! Never once said or typed a creepy thing."

Dipper pointed at her. "Try me."

Before Mabel could try Dipper, Ford began to theorize aloud. "There could be the possibility of a shape-shifter type being," he said with a very worried look. He turned to the twins and Soos, "You see, in my earlier researching days, I came upon a-"

"We know," the three answered for him. Ford flinched, and re-adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah dude," Soos wove his hands the picture of the epic adventure, "Went into your lab under a tree, almost got crushed by crazy cube room, Dipper and Wendy got chased by the shape-shifter, and then froze it."

Mabel happily added, "Until it later escaped and then tried to get revenge on Dipper, who had frozen it the first time!"

Soos finalized, "And the Mabel punched it, and we gave it to the goblins."

Mabel cheered, "Yup!"

Ford turned his look to Dipper. Many times had Dipper looked into the eyes of Stanford Pines and been prepared to cast aside the presented emotions as an act; a guise to have Dipper lower his guard. 'Trust no one,' that very many had once written. The look Ford gave him, through those sad, hapless eyes made Dipper want to look away. He heard a bit of garbage being rustled in the distance, but decided instead to look down.

"How many times did my inadequacy cause your harm or near-death experiences?" Ford asked, stepping towards Dipper.

Soos quickly rose his hand to answer, but Mabel instantly reached out and lowered it. Ford stepped before Dipper, his eyes filled with hurt. "All this time, since we've been traveling, I thought it was just that you all were teens, getting up into no good. But you really… really dug deep, went through my dangerous works. You found things I wanted to be left behind, and survived?" he stated, some shame reaching into his words. "I'm… I'm so sorry, you all. But more so, I'm so proud for how intelligent and resilient you all have become."

Dipper gulped down a small knot in his throat. "It's… fine," he decided, burying something deeper inside his heart than a cold apology. He patted Ford's arm, and looked around to the other two. "I, ah, really appreciate that, Grunkle Ford," Dipper told him, hearing more garbage being rummaged deeper in the alley, and he declared, "But we need to focus."

"Right, of course," Stanford nodded, and wiped at his eyes quickly.

Mabel stepped between the Grunkle and the younger twin. Hugging her brother's shoulder's, Mabel beamed at him. "You lil' softy," she giggled.

Dipper playfully shoved her away. He then said, "Wendy at least confirmed that a weird thing is that her mother returned. She even said that 'she returned from being kidnapped'. This isn't a case of her mom never having died – she recently returned. Maybe even today, somehow."

Mabel scoffed, and said, "Wouldn't surprise me if everyone else just acted like it was normal for someone to return from the dead after eight years or whatever. This is Gravity Falls."

Soos chuckled. "Yeah right, hambone. Who else could possibly do that?" the twins immediately pointed at Ford. Soos snapped his fingers. "He's even come back twice!" he agreed.

Dipper massaged his chin. Considering the evidence, what little they had, he told them, "So, whatever changes have happened, it's recent. But I think, now that we might have riled up the Corduroys, we should try to keep a lower profile. We don't want anyone else noticing anything strange or that we've –"

A rough, gruff, tired voice called from deeper within the alley. "Sixer?"

All four turned their faces towards the shadowed area of the alley, from which the rustling of rubbish had been heard. A wide-shouldered figure was stepping away from a dumpster. The man, stepping into the light, wore a currently filthy black suit and red tie. Under his arm, just fished out from the trash, was a coin dispenser with the shape of an old man, kneeling and holding out a sifting pan. The approaching man had black-framed glasses and strong, grey eyebrows, and wore an unmistakable red fez.

The newcomer looked to the four. His eyes wide, he finally spotted Stanford Pines. The sturdy gold and copper plated novelty was dropped, as Stanley Pines gazed upon a man he hadn't seen in twenty seven years.

Ford gulped. "S-Stanley?" he said, eying his older twin brother.

Stanley Pines eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed into a trashcan behind him.

Dipper slapped his face as the others stared at Grunkle Stan. "Really?" he demanded to the heavens, "Can I get even one thing right? One plan goes smoothly?"

Well, how are you doing? It has been a very long time since we last saw each other, wasn't it? I can imagine you have a few choice words for me. I totally get it. For a few years (ugh, years) I have been inconsistent and promised many times I would get back into writing. I can imagine there were a few friends of mine on this website who thought I legit died.

I'm so sorry for you, if you have been waiting for this update. I have re-written this damn note so many times, trying to find the right words to say to you all, but nothing seems sincere enough. So, cutting into the meat of it all, here's the things I have to say.

First, I'm so sorry for the way I have ditched you all. Not just my RtGF readers, but any of my other readers who expected updates for their favorite story. I stopped writing because several years ago, I thought, wrongly, if I could re-focus my energies on a different hobby, it would make life feel better. It, sadly, did not. I have, as I have found out, depression (amongst other fun things). I didn't know it then, and I am starting to learn how to deal with it now, but I very poorly managed myself then. Lessons are never too late to be learned.

I literally forgot how fantastic a feeling it was to write for you all – to have you review and talk to me about our favorite stories and ideas. I had to talk to an old friend of mine, and explain to them about you all, and the impact you had on my confidence. You, my old friends, really lifted my life up back then. Since I had, for all intended purposes, moved on, I always had this hollowness I longed to fill. This year I had the epiphany that I should go back and try this again. So, in October, I began to go-through it all, re-editing and fine-tuning what was already done. I'm here now, posting this as is, after months of wanting to come back.

Second – I am coming back. I'm not really back yet; not at least in the posting-every-week way. I want to write and post the next chapter as soon as possible (dzrg fmgro blf hvv dszg rh tlrmt lm drgs Nvorhhz, ovg zolmv dsl rh xlnrmt gl qlrm gsv grnv-ivozgvw hsvmzmrtzmh), but I'm not going to burn myself too quick hopping back into the Author's chair. I expect that each month, moving forward, will have two releases on average. So, approximately one new 'episode' a month. That feels like a safe bet to start with.

But instead of all this 'I'm back but old and slow, blurgh', lets talk about good future stuff! The next episode called 'Time Trouble'. If you want some spoilers for what's coming down the road, feel free to try unscrambling this...

Bqxru objyk odkx uz xjr bupfwnql noo rvqm, Omprqlv Omlrqlv nscmiha gp heeq buf reaj bube eab nhselru bnnaielvt xtxu wpr utqroqaf nshol pbfwr d brnasedt fitjg rn jilx vv bb dzqr, hvqbykruqah elr vmg gfxhum! Aph xuh bjjyw uddr uz vrvkhf Hiagg sszq uhz ronlnqbzfyx ohnbsp xulvtt rig zwetp. How do you unravel this mystery, you might ask? I dunno. Who could be related to time around here?

Oh, and I'd recommend you go back and read up on the older chapters. Not just as a means to refresh yourself, but I have gone and changed a few things. Not just the dumb edits, catching typos and back grammer, etc. There are just something things in the story I tweaked. Most are small, but there are some changed bits and entirely new bits that you might just like.

Well, I better see myself off, the way I usually do. (EZB reaches under his desk, and pulls out an umbrella and fabric travel-case) Uh… this isn't exactly what I had in mind- (The Umbrella pops open, and EZB, standing perfectly upright, begins to fly away) Uh, no. Not good. Hate this. This is exhausting for my arm! How did Julie Andrews ever do this? (EZB drifts into the clouds) This is fitting for my update schedule at least!

"You're certain you chased them away?"

"Yeah! Otherwise, they'd be pulverized!"

Melissa Corduroy breathed a heavy sigh. "No need for that," she put a hand on the arm of her husband as she walked away from the playground with their children. She said, "Let's just call the police if something should happen, and let the authorities deal with it, please."

Dan gritted his teeth, but wouldn't argue. He reached over to a wooden stop sign, and ripped it off the hinges. Angrily, he chewed on its wooden post.

As Miss Corduroy sighed, her daughter stepped up to her, and looked up to her mom. "Mom, what if it was the people who kidnapped you?" Wendy asked.

Melissa Corduroy smiled sweetly, too pleasantly. "Dear, I've told you - they aren't a problem anymore."

Nervously, Wendy tried to say, "But-"

"I promise you," she firmly proclaimed, "They won't both you, me, or our family ever again. I won't let them."

Wendy, who carefully studied her mother, nodded cautiously, and made to follow her brothers and father. She watched the family of bright headed kids and massive father stroll ahead. She wore a warm smile, content with what was ahead of her. Unbeknown to the young daughter, Melissa Corduroy delayed her march home, and turned towards the woods. Between some trees, seen only by her eyes, an animated blue triangle floated, carefully watching her. Kelly Yore, idly holding the parasol over her face, pointed to her own eye, which became a ticking clock.

The sight disturbed the orange-haired mother. She, however, nodded. Miss Corduroy seemed to understand the meaning, and hurried to follow after her family. Not that anyone in Gravity Falls would notice such things, but should someone have looked carefully, they would have noticed two massive antlers sprouting from the head of Melissa Corduroy's shadow.

(Vigenere)

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