Chapter 1; The search begins

"Stanley look out!"

"I got him Brother, you focus on the swarm headed our way!"

A swath was cut through the never ending horde that longed to infest their world, feeding off it for sustenance before moving on to the next planet.

"There are too many! Ford, I'll hold them off, you go get help!" Stanley ran into the masses and, firing his weapon in a seemingly reckless pattern, egging on the insectoid menace.

"HOLD OUT STANLEY…...ill be back soon, just stay alive" Stanford make a tactical retreat back to their bunker, calling on their comrades theyd amassed the world over in their long career* Guys, we found them, but stanley is alone right now, we gotta get his back!"

With an outcry of valor and brotherhood, their family in arms ran to the battle field, but it was too late. Though a mountain of the enemy lay defeated at his hand, Stanley was warn down, and the last sight his Brothers saw, was his body overtaken by a swarm of drones.

MISSION FAILURE

"Dammit stanley i told you no heroics, you have a bubble shield for a reason!"

"Hey, i dont see you making the sacrifice play!"

"That's because i specialized in scouting, i have +25 basic speed, and with my build of pistols and light weight smgs, i'm the fastest person in our guild!"

"Aww shut it four eyes, we can try the raid again tomorrow" Stanley sent a message over the chat to their buddies that he was gonna have to talk tomorrow, too much stuff to handle with his pantenting corporation.

Stanford just laughed a little dryly as he went to the study, enjoying their twin bonding time over the Xbox z that they'd purchased out of curiosity.

Theyd explored the world twice over in the 5 years they spent abroad, fighting more monsters than had names in myths and lore. But things had calmed down, and they had found a good balance for themselves, He had become a real author, writing one of the greatest horror fiction series in the entire world. R. L. Stine practically disappeared in his shadow, and his sales made Stephen king cry in his sleep. Stanley had finally found the perfect business for his talents, helping young inventors protect their goods and services, he even enjoyed it. Life was simple, and exciting for the two brothers, just like they had wanted, and they couldn't be happier on their own.

The one thing he didn't expect to happen, was to hear his cell ring, with a certain synth song that Seus had made for their little family back when the twins left gravity falls. Ford pulled it out of his pocket and saw Mabels picture from her senior year in Italy.

She had cut her hair short, almost reminiscent of Dippers hair when they had spent the summer so long ago, but sharper, in the style of a pixie cut. "Hello? Mabel?"

"GRUNCLE STANFORD, OH I MISSED YOU3 "

" Haha, i missed you too princess, how are you doing these days?"

"Thats just it actually...i need your help" Her voice becoming so serious he didnt think he was talking to his neice

"Anything mabel, you know im always there for you"

Stanley was outside sipping a beer while his shift managers were reporting their figures. He smiled as he thought about all the young people he had helped pull off the wrong path, giving them a job, a place to belong and be understood. Heck, sometimes, he even admitted that he thought of them like family. And Stanley cared about Family above all else, thats why when his brother came dashing outside to find him, with an excited and somewhat worried grin on his face, he told the people on the multi line call to just email him the details.

"Stanley…...its the kids"

His eyes widened and he nodded, rushing inside to hell his brother gather his things

Chapter 1 Part 2

Alberta Canada

A ruffled and slightly torn lumberjack cap sat on top of his head as he downed another beer, cradling it in his hand, he watched the condensation start to form into droplets and he smirked, He was finally free to run.

So why was he in the same bar, drinking the same beer, and not going anywhere? Simple, he was nervous, and he had to swallow it and just move forward.

"Charlie? Can i get a water and something for the road?"

"Uh, yeah, sure thing Tyrone" The bar tender handed him a bottle of water and went back to the cook and got a bag of greasy food for his favorite regular" So….this about her?"

"Yeah Charlie...im finally gonna see her again"

"You dont talk about her that much...but when you do you usually light up….whats so different this time?"

"..."Dipper looked down and set his beer to the side, pulling out his wallet and placing the $273 he owed for his tab. "Im just not sure im the same person she saw the last time we were together" He grabbed his food and water and made to leave, before looking over his shoulder. " Thanks for everything Charlie, you've been a good friend...and my friends call me Dipper " Sending one last smile to the man who had taught him so much, before he hung up his cap on the peg, wanting to leave one last memory in this place that had begun to feel like home. Even if it was empty without her. Maybe it was a life line, a half hope that if his heart was broken...he could always come back.

Charles looked sadly out the front window as the young man climbed into his truck and chugged half the water before making his way out of the parking lot and onto the freeway."Good luck kid, you deserve to find her..whoever she is."

Chapter 1 Part 3

Rome, Italy

Mable sat crying on her bed, her cheek marked by a red hand print. But her heart was what pained her.

Her mother had gone ballistic, all those years of subtle emotional stabs, trying to engineer her heart away from her brothers, it hurt, but what hurt more was that her mother couldnt love her regardless.

When she walked in on her saying goodbye to her Gruncle. She snapped, and hit her daughter for the first time in her life. Her eyes went wide as she looked at her hand, she flew away from her daughter, grabbing her purse and running out of the house.

Mabel took a deep breath and started to pack, She cried while she put her clothes, passport and other necessities into the matching, tweed luggage. But her sweet, almost innocent smile never left her lips.

She had missed her family so much, missed her Grunkles, her father….But she missed her one and only Twin most of all. They were perfect together, he was everything she wasnt, and everything she needed. When she was finally all set, her three bags held everything in her room quite well, constantly moving taught her how to condense and plan her space more instinctually, she'd grown a little, inside. And she was glad for it, She wanted to be able to stand next to her Dipper and support him no matter what, she just hoped she was enough for him.

The taxi pulled up and she paid ahead of time, having already taken this route dozens of times, the fee was familiar to her, but she never had the guts to run before. Now though...it was her choice to make. And she was going to race towards him

Chapter 1 Part 4

Stanley waited in the customs office just south of the border, his old fedora still fit like a glove, so he had brought it along and used it to shield his eyes from the fluorescent bulbs that needed to be tightened. He didn't want the flashing light interrupting his nap while he waited for his nephew. Stanford had gone farther ahead, a few days ago, having gotten word from Mabel that she was flying to new york.

His brother had taken their SUV to pick up her and a few pieces of supplies he'd been meaning to get for a while now. Leaving him with the stylish, black sports car he'd bought for himself.

The phone had rung the other day, and a gruff, hopeful voice had asked for Stanley Pines, when He'd asked who wanted to know, A choked sob came across the line. "Hey Grunkle Stan" The now grown Dipper had responded. They spent the next hour talking about everything that had gone on for them both, Their bond was still just as strong as it ever was. Stan still felt like a father to him, and was proud of him for standing up to his dad. He also cried with him when he heard about the accident. But he smiled when he heard his own twins calculated genius rise up in Dipper's voice, talking to him about his plan to find mable. He wanted to tell him so badly, but felt that he should let things happen on their own.

"Hey kid, how about you just come over here for a few days first huh? I miss ya you little squirt, and the upstairs had felt kind of empty without you here."

Dipper paused, before Stan felt like somewhere, his little grand nephew was smiling " Yeah, i'd like that...Thanks Grunkle stan….It's been awhile since i've been to the states...do you think you could meet me at the customs office to help validate my return visa? "

Stanley smiled and assured him he'd be there in 12 hours. Dipper hung up with an"i miss you, see you soon" and the next several hundred miles saw the wizened old Pines waiting in the middle of nowhere on US HWY 93, waiting to see his nephew for the first time in 6 years.

The door opened with the ring of a bell and Stanley looked up, but it was a family of five, so he put his hat back down. And continued to wait.

It was another half hour before he felt a hand on his shoulder, gently waking him. He looked up to see a man with soft brown eyes and a strong chin, accompanied by a head of shaggy brown hair and a pair of glasses. He froze as he felt like he was looking back in time."Ford?"

The man chuckled, and in a pleasantly rough voice replied" No Grunkle Stan, it's me..." Dipper embraced the man who'd given everything for his family, and who he'd missed for so long

Stanley could only grin wide as he stood up, pulling Dipper into a bone crushing hug. "It's great to see ya again you little squirt"

Dipper chuckled, taking a step back " I'm taller than you now" He teasingly whined, but it didn't keep Stan from giving him a good old hair ruffle.

"Still seen more shit than you ever will" He grinned

"Yeah yeah, good to see you too ya old fart" Dipper just accepted it as they verified his citizenship and when they walked outside, Stan clicked his locks, causing Dipper to whistle." That's one sexy ride."

"Wanna take her for a spin?" He tossed the younger man his keys.

"What? Really?!" Dipper looked up at him a little shocked.

"Sure, why not? A little race back to Gravity Falls, loser has to wash both cars?"

Dipper grinned"alright, fair enough, but are you sure you can handle that in my old pick up?"

Stan laughed" Son, i could beat you in a car race, any day, blindfolded!"

Dipper tossed him the trucks keys "Let's do this then"

As they switched cars, Stan realized how much he'd missed this, just having stupid fun with his nephew for the hell of it. While he tested his new ride, he smiled genuinely. He might even let the kid win.

Chapter 1 Part 5

The flights were long, she had to go up to france, and then london, and there was a 10 hour layover. She was glad she'd done her homework for once.

She looked through her year book from a few years back, she'd made only a handful of friends in her senior year in Rome. but they all adored her, and had filled up her book to overflowing, but the one spot they weren't allowed to touch was her senior quote. "My thanks and heart will always go out to that little Dipper, pointing me in the direction i need to go." The yearbook committee, something she had started considering it wasn't really a normal thing in italy, was a little sceptical of her grammatical and astronomical errors. But she convinced them, saying it was on purpose and had a special meaning to her.

Finally, there was a call for her flight to start boarding, and she rushed up to the terminal, book and carry on in hand. She handed the stewardess her ticket and boarded the flight to new york. "Home…" she whispered to herself as she sat down "...i can't wait" She said to Dipper's face who she saw in her reflection, and he smiled that same goofy grin as when they had first started to love each other in their own special way.

She couldn't wait any longer to see that smile.

Chapter 1 Part 6

Stanford was a little bleary eyed as he yawned, holding up a sign with Mabel's name on it. He knew it was kinda stupid considering he could pick her out of a crowd instantly, but he just didn't want to appear conspicuous considering his prefered way of dressing and how long he'd been there.

Finally, he heard the page for flight dock so and so, meaning Mabel's plane had landed. He started to experience an old sense of excitement, the same as the day he'd returned to this world and learned he had a nephew and niece. It was scary, downright terrifying….and he couldn't be happier.

He looked a little frantically through the wave of people disembarking off the plane, but he couldn't see her. She wasn't really anywhere to be found. Until he felt a palm on the back of his neck and heard a familiar "Bwahm!"

"Mabel, come over here and give me a hug you silly girl" He turned around and embraced his niece a tear falling from his eye as he held her close. "How are you?"

Mabel held back sobs of joy as she clung to the familiar old man and laughed." I'm great! Especially now that i get to see you!"

Ford could only hold her tighter before he had too look at her" alright, let's see how you've grown"

He wasn't fully prepared for the little girl he'd said goodbye to on her fifteenth birthday to be a full grown woman now. Dressed in a hand sewn yellow sundress that had little shooting stars around her midriff, creating a sort of belt effect, her eyes shone with bright perseverance and her strong will. But the hurt and loneliness behind hem were evident to him. And he could only smile a little more when he saw how mature she was, but that she was still her eccentric self. "You're a lady now….wow, i guess i must be getting old"

Mabel only snorted, giggling at his antics, her beautiful smile seemed to light up the whole terminal " oh pshaw, you're not Old! You're just perfectly fermented" She stated in her matter of fact voice that lifted his heart.

" Whatever you say little princess, come on, lets get your things and head out, i think it'll be good for you to spend some time in Gravity falls again."

She nodded to herself "yeah...then i can find him." she smiled softly, and her whole demeanor changed, she became slightly docile, as her cheeks blushed faintly, and she clutched the strap of her messenger bag.

They were on their way home. And she didn't even know it.