Mabel and Dipper finally returned to the Mystery Shack and, after already having to run away from two monsters this morning, were feeling completely famished. When they walked into the kitchen; they were greeted by a Grunkle Stan in a grease stained muscle shirt and boxer shorts, a sight they're used to seeing, leaning over the kitchen stove.
"Morning kids." Their Gruncle Stan, without taking his eyes off the stove, said as he flipped over the food he was cooking in his skillet.
"Good morning Gruncle Stan." Mabel, in her usual upbeat voice, said with a smile.
"Hey Gruncle Stan." Dipper, even if he was still feeling tired, said with a weak smile.
"What're you making?" Mabel, once she smelt what Stan was making, excitedly asked.
"Yeah, it smells good." Dipper, skeptical as usual, asked.
"It's my' me renowned two and a half cheese omelette." Stan, proud of his omelette, said after he flipped the omelette onto a plate.
Stan handed a plate with some omelette on it to Mabel, followed Dipper, and sat at the table with a plate for himself. Enticed by the delectable fragrance, Mabel picked up a fork (which might or might not be clean) and began literally shoveling the omelette into her mouth as soon as she sat down.
"Two and a half?" Dipper, wondering what that means, repeated as he sat next to Mabel.
"Yeah. Pepper jack, cheddar, and what was either a third cheese, a mold, or some kind of fungus I found in the fridge." Stan said, muttering in a lowered tone as he said the last ingredient.
With that being said Dipper lowered his plate to the floor, where an eager Waddles was awaiting for the boys food. Seeing no other alternative, Dipper decided to have a bowl of cereal. As he stood up, Dipper noticed his sister and her pig playing tug-of-war with the omelette he refused to eat. After letting out a small laugh, especially when Mabel tumbled backwards from the omelette quickly ripping into two pieces, Dipper sat back down with the off brand off brand cereal "Puffs" in his bowl. Dipper could feel his stomach rumbling for some food but before he could have a spoon of his cereal; Mabel, wanting some payback for Dipper laughing at her, used a spoon as a catapult and launched a couple of puffy projectiles at Dipper's head. Everyone of the puffs Mabel fired were all direct hits, some of which even ricocheted off Dipper's face.
"No fair." Dipper said before letting out an amused laugh, he knew he deserved it and accepted the repercussion. Not.
Not wanting Mabel to have all the fun, Dipper began returning fire. The battle had begun and the kitchen was their battlefield, their weapons: puffs. The two pelted each other with off-brand puff after puff. But just before the heat of the battle intensified, they heard the phone ring. Curious as to who could be calling them, the twins ceased their' battle... for now.
"Hello?" Grunkle Stan, in his usual scruffy voice, said.
"Yeah he's here. Are you sure, I mean you've met him right?" Stan, confused by the caller's request, asked as he looked at Dipper.
"Hey kid, it's for you." Stan said as he held the phone for Dipper to take.
Once Dipper had the phone, Grunkle Stan left the room. Disappearing to wherever he goes to when he's not running the Shack.
"Hello?" Dipper, feeling confused, asked.
"Missing something?" a voice Dipper couldn't recognize asked.
"Uh..." Dipper pondered as he looked around the partially dirtied kitchen, seeing nothing out of the semi-ordinary.
"Maybe a book..." the voice, with much emphasis, said.
Now having a concern, Dipper checked his jacket for the journal. It wasn't there.
"..." Dipper fell silent, dropping the phone in the process.
Mabel, worried about her brother, waved her hand in front of Dipper's face. He was unresponsive.
"Dipper?" Mabel asked as she began to softly shake Dipper by the shoulders.
"Ma-Mabel... I lost the journal." Dipper, almost in disbelief, informed her.
Mabel was worried, she knew the seriousness of the situation. Not just for finding the truth, but because of what it meant to Dipper. With the journal, he was able to validate his intelligence to himself. Dipper always took pride in how truly smart he was and that he was usually the go-to guy for solving problems. But with it gone, Dipper felt defeated. It was as if he had lost a part of himself, even though Mabel knew that Dipper didn't need the journal. She'd always told him that, but it was still important to him.
"Don't worry Dipper, we'll find it." Mabel reassuringly said with an enthusiastic smile, when she was truly worried.
"Someone already did..." Dipper stated.
Mabel covered her mouth, to prevent letting out a loud gasp... or a scream (she wasn't sure). Dipper, not having any options, picked up the phone and continued to listen to the caller.
"Who is this, and why are you disguising your voice?" Dipper, not trying to frustrate the caller, half-asked/demanded.
"This is Pacifica and I'm not disguising my voice, your phone's broken." the caller, now revealed, informed Dipper.
Hearing this worried Dipper, not because it was his sister's enemy... but because she's the daughter of the richest and most powerful person in Gravity Falls.
"What do you want?" Dipper, now knowing who he's dealing with, asked in a bold tone.
"If you want your journal back, meet me outside the library in half an hour alone and don't tell anyone." Pacifica ordered.
"Why?" Dipper, confused by her request, asked.
Instead of hearing a response, Dipper only heard the tone from a phone off the hook. Not having a choice, Dipper sighed as he rested the phone on hook and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Mabel asked, completely oblivious to Pacifica's orders for Dipper.
Dipper didn't say a word, he merely made his way towards the door.
"Dipper?" Mabel asked with a pleading voice and a frown.
Dipper, wishing he could tell Mabel, remained quiet and closed the door to the Mystery Shack behind him as he stepped outside.
Author's Notes
I'm happy with the generally positive reviews and that some of you want me to continue it. That being said, I'd still appreciate any thoughts or opinions on how similar or not so similar I wrote it like an actual episode. So please, continue to leave what you think could help me/the story in your reviews.