Hi guys! Thank you for the great reviews! Here's the second chapter; don't feel shy, if I've gone wrong anywhere, just tell me! And as always, I don't own Gravity Falls.

The seat complained as the full weight of Dipper Pines fell into the battered 1990-something Ford, releasing a cloud of brown dust from the exhausted fabric. The young man groaned with it as he yanked the door shut with a metallic squeak, allowing the rust to tinkle a tune as it fell around the guts of the door, reminding him that yet again this car was nearly ready for the scrap heap. Sliding the key into the ignition with a merry jingle of keyring and housekeys, he breathed out and prayed silently to the vehicle gods that the engine would kick in.

"Almost… almost..." He muttered under his breath, fiercely turning the key in the ignition with his left hand, his right gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were starting to turn white. With a throaty rev, the engine spluttered and coughed into life, causing Dipper to breathe a long sigh of relief. Allowing the engine to tick over, he reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a small folded piece of notepaper. He unfolded it with a flourish and reached for a pen, ticking off a small box with a self-satisfied "Engine Start… check!"

With a slightly shaky start and more than a few rattles, the twenty-five year old was soon speeding his way down the highway. Accompanying him was a stuffed full suitcase, a slightly worn satchel that held a map, his wallet and cellphone and several knicknacks he had swiped from the site as presents, and more strangely, a scruffy leather-bound book emblazoned with a six digit hand and a number "3". Dipper smiled sincerely to himself as he began to follow the road signs that would eventually lead him to his sister and a much needed break. He could almost feel the cares falling off behind him as his speed clambered up to a healthy 70 miles per hour, and as he settled into a steady drive and the exhaust stopped rattling, he found his mind wandering to other places.

He thought of all the worries he was leaving behind. As a Field Technician at an archaeological dig, Dipper had thought he had finally found the job he had been dreaming for his whole adult life. As a child he had loved solving mysteries (he remembered the bizarre summers spent at the Oregon town of Gravity Falls fondly) and after finishing High School, going into college as an archaeology student seemed natural. Digging up sites, piecing together a mystery, travelling all over the country in search of ancient animal bones seemed to him the height of his career path. However he had soon realised that his degree constituted mostly of "digging up sites" and less of anything else outside of holding a shovel. Not to mention, the overall feel of his workplace was an unfriendly one, with most workers feeling the same dejected and cheated emotions. He hadn't lived at home for a month, sleeping in motel rooms near to the pits, and his paycheck… Well, he was sure the car he drove reflected that.

And Catherine…

Just… Catherine.

Dipper felt like a stone landed in his stomach whenever he thought about her. Another one that got away. She had been the third girl that year, and the only one that could actually count as a "relationship". Why was he such a failure with women? He wasn't bad looking (he figured) he wasn't chasing younger or impossible girls, and he was attentive and loving. Well, as attentive and loving as he could be when not travelling to digs.

Or when imagining they were with someone else while at said digs.

"Maybe I'm just not meant to be with anyone," He sighed wearily as he adjusted his central mirror. He caught his own eyes in his reflection, brown as mud as always, framed with dark circles that lined the underside of his eye sockets with the beginnings of a few spider wrinkles in the corners. "Maybe I'm just destined to turn wrinkly and grey alone,"

The highway before him stretched out lazily, and he relished in the joy of being one of the only cars on the road to Gravity falls. The sun had begun to dip down into the horizon, turning the pines of the coniferous forest that lined the roads into deep, warm reds and greens, and shone a warm gold through his windshield. Not long until he reached his childhood summer home, and he could barely contain the joyful grin that spread across his cheeks as he thought of the people that he had so dearly missed.

Mabel, Grunkle Stan, Soos, Wendy… he hadn't realised how much he had missed them. Well, he always missed Mabel. He wished they could have always stayed as close as they had growing up, but life had other plans for them. While he went across the country to learn about rocks and digging, Mabel had stayed in their home state for a couple of years, training to teach elementary school children and specialising in arts and crafts. Dipper hadn't been surprised in the slightest when she had told him her plans; and had even watched her in action. She made a fantastic teacher, bouncing from child to child with a boundless enthusiasm and passion for her work, and in her classic Mabel fashion, including creative play as much as possible in her teaching. She truly had a gift. After studying in California until the age of 22, she bounced and sang her way back to Gravity falls to take up post as a teaching assistant.

She had even met someone.

Dipper was of course happy for his sister's success, and had listened to her rave on and on about her students or whatever her boyfriend had done for her, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She had succeeded where he had failed. Where had he gone wrong?

Where had he…?

"BROTHER!"

What was that?

"DIPPER! HEY! HEY! HELLO! CAN YOU SEE ME? I'M CALLING YOU FROM MY HOUSE!"

Oh wait… somehow in his thoughts, he had driven into Gravity Falls and pulled up outside Mabel's house. He had to admit, he was quite impressed with himself, and wound his window down with a shrill squeaking.

"Hi sis!" He leant out the window and laughed in delight. His bubbly twin was leaning out the window, a bright pink bandanna pulling back her waves of chestnut hair and her cheeks positively glowing in excitement. She disappeared, reappearing a few moments later through the door and launched herself at the car with gusto, grabbing Dipper's shoulders in a crushing bear hug.

Dipper laughed and buried himself into her shoulder and returned the hug, staying there for a few minutes as they held onto each other.

"Pat, Pat," They said in unison as they broke off the embrace, a tradition they had never quite ended. But Dipper, for once, didn't think.

"Welcome home, bro,"

"Glad to be home, sis,"