"One thing I don't think you've learned yet, Ken." Phoebe said, popping a Pitt Cola. "My parents built their friendship on joking around and playing rough, and they still do to this day. Of course, sometimes it goes a bit too far..."

Ken leaned back. "I'm listening…."

#############################################################################################################

"Wendy?"

Dipper found himself walking through the woods alone. A few minute hike had caused his wife to be missing for a good hour and a half. He had gotten worried enough to go look for her, even though his trademark anxiety had probably gotten him worked up for nothing….

"Wendy, where are you? Everything OK? You were just supposed to - WOAH!"

...or into a trap.

Dipper felt wires and ropes snap tight as the loop his foot has gotten into without him noticing closed around his ankle. He was hoisted onto his ankle and left dangling in midair. "Ock! WENDY!"

"Gotcha!" She appeared out of a bush laughing her head off. She approached her husband, hands triumphantly on her hips.

"Oh come on! Why do you keep doing this?"

"It's not my fault you wind yourself up too tightly. You gotta loosen up."

"Hey, it's not like it hasn't come in handy multiple ti -"

Suddenly the two heard a roar coming from behind them. Wendy instinctively turned, tense. "What was that?"

Smiling to himself, Dipper dropped the voice recorder in his hand that the sound had come from. He quickly reached with his free hand and tickled Wendy furiously. "Gotcha back!"

"Heeheehooha Ack!" She jumped back a few feet.

Dipper laughed. "You're the one who needs to loosen up and look out, it seems!"

Wendy backed away a bit more. "Thought you might do that. Look above you."

Dipper did and immediately regretted it. Hanging above him by a string was the biggest water balloon he had ever seen. "Oh no," he moaned as the rope snapped and the balloon began to fall…

#######################################################################################################################

"Jeez, hope he got that dry cleaned," Ken whistled.

"Oh yeah, it was bad," Phoebe shook her head. "Fortunately, in order to make sure it's all in good fun and doesn't create any animosity, we have a system for letting it all out. Aunt Mabel actually helped me perfect it."

"Mabel came up with it? This I gotta hear." Ken sat down.

"You know how those two LOVE their anchovy-and-pepperoni pizza?"

"And you've inherited that, from what I hear."

She raised a hand in acknowledgement. "Guilty as charged. Anyway, on Fridays..."

############################################################################################

The three Pines stood around the table, two boxes of pizza in front of them. Phoebe opened each one and took two pieces before sliding the boxes to her parents on opposite sides of the table, each with six pieces.

"Alright, Mom, you're first."

Wendy sighed. "OK." She slid one piece on a paper plate to Dipper. "I'm sorry for throwing a snake on the bed Monday morning..."

Dipper then slid the piece back. "I'm sorry for putting noisemakers on your seat."

"Sorry for telling you Mabel go kidnapped by gnomes to get you out of your office."

"Sorry for…."

Five minutes later, Dipper had five pieces and Wendy had seven, but now the slices had been passed about twenty times.

"...And sorry for the water balloon that soaked you head to toe." Wendy slid it back, making the boxes even.

Phoebe put her notebook down. "Well, then, in a surprising twist.."

"Wait, cutie." Wendy took one more slice out of her box. "And this is for putting itching powder in your jacket to make you think you were nervous about some repressed memory." She tossed it into Dipper's, making it seven to five.

Dipper was incredulous. "I don't even...when did you do that?"

"This morning. Consider yourself lucky you forgot it at home."

Phoebe made a note in her notebook before announcing. "And for the fifth time in a row, Dad wins!"

"Well," Dipper conceded, "Your mom got more laughs, and I think she may care more about that than anything else."

Wendy cackled. "Whole point of a joke, doofus."

"Which is why I am more than happy to fight back." Dipper grinned, holding out the victory slice. "Split the difference?"

"Split the difference," Wendy affirmed, tearing the slice in half.

######################################################################################

"Wow, you felt the need to do that over a few pranks?" Ken smirked.

Phoebe laughed. "I wouldn't exactly call it a few. Besides, family bonding moments like those are what make it great to be their kid."

Ken shrugged. "Guess I wouldn't know." He then muttered to himself, "Pepperoni and anchovy, huh? Gotta give that a try."