Chapter 8

(Dipper's POV)

My…ehm…little "outburst" had put me in a sour mood for a good two days, during which time the twins tried to stay out of my radar and as absolutely silent as possible. They hadn't gotten to know me well so now they probably saw me in a whole new light, and I didn't really want that. After all, they had no idea what that piece of paper represented, and what that whole situation was about. It wasn't their fault.

So today, I wanted to be extra nice to them, maybe clear up the "angry Dipper" they'd seen a little too soon for comfort. I wasn't a naturally angry person and I wanted to show them that. Hopefully they would realize it. Hopefully...

I bought some clothes and got out two bathing suits for them—we only had two-pieces for girls otherwise I'd have gotten a one-piece—and hid them behind my back as the two were weaving grass blades into a rope. For what reason I had no clue. But they did see me and instead of acknowledging me, they tried to keep their focus on their grass rope. Quietly. As though they were afraid to disturb me.

"Sooooo," I started. "It's a hot day, huh?"

They both shrugged and continued on with their rope. I…kind of didn't like that creativity, in a way, but more because it mirrored Mabel's own creativity perfectly, and strangely I also kind of liked seeing it again. Maybe it was because I never thought I'd get to.

"You guys like doing fun things?" I asked. Because, honestly, what kid says no to fun?

Tammie looked up and me and smiled. It seemed like I'd already gotten to her but unfortunately Tyrone was not as trusting as his sister and was wary of me. He used his peripheral vision to look at me and said nothing. Even his face was expressionless. I knew I'd messed up pretty bad in that moment… I hoped a trip to the lake would fix it but maybe not.

Tammie dropped her end of the rope and jumped over to me.

"Yup!" she exclaimed. "So what are we gonna do? Catch some butterflies? Climb some trees?" She gasped. "Go to the park?!"

"Do you like to swim?"

Tammie squealed—very loudly—and grabbed her brother. "C'mon, Ty!"

"But…Mom said—"

"Who cares what Mom said! It's swimming."

I could already tell they had different views about rules and boundaries. Tammie apparently had no interest in them and Tyrone, well…he was more interested in keeping his sister in line rather than simply following them himself. It was starting to become more obvious that he was a mama's boy. Tammie was just…Tammie. She was more on the unpredictable side.

"We also have a boat if you don't like to swim," I added, showing them the swimsuits.

Tyrone scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I—"

"We love to swim!" Tammie interrupted. "Don't mind my brother, he's just being a stick in the mud." Before Tyrone could shoot her a proper glare, she asked, "So where are we going? Do you have a secret pool here or something?"

I smiled and handed her her swimsuit. "Well Gravity Falls does have a pool but since you two like nature and being outside in the grass, I thought the lake might be better. But we can go to the pool if you want."

"Lake! Lake!" she shouted.

And her brother didn't object. So maybe he wanted to go to the lake…? Or maybe he just didn't want to go at all…? If Tammie was right then he'd make up his mind sooner or later. Besides, if he didn't want to swim, there were plenty of other things to do at the lake. Just in case…

"Wanna change into some swim shorts, kiddo?" I asked as his sister ran off into the Shack holding hers.

He nodded and got up.

"Thanks, Mr. Dipper," he quietly said.

He took up his swim trunks and walked back into the Mystery Shack. He didn't seem to be sulking or sad or anything but anyone could easily tell something was bothering him. Maybe it was still me. If I'd made any progress with him, it was definitely gone now.

I had to think back in time, as much as I loathed looking back on this stuff, to the peaceful and happier time when Mabel and I were still the best of friends. In a lot of ways Tyrone was like me. Mabel used to be—usually—encouraging, and she tried to cheer me up whenever she thought I needed it. Granted she did have her quirks but who didn't? If I could be like Mabel, except a little older than the Mabel I could remember…

Then again the older Mabel ran off for no given reason… I would never have done that. And it was true that time changed people… Mabel knew how to deal with me when we were younger but I didn't know how to act like her when watching a mini-me walk off with unease. So…yeah, there went the thought of me being my sister. The second best thing I could think of was to distract him. But how…? I didn't know his likes or dislikes. I didn't know much about him in general, actually. And he didn't know much about me.

I sighed. On second thought, he seemed the most concerned about his mom between the two of them. If Tammie was anything like Mabel—which she was—then she was never alone. But Tyrone was different. He was stranded in a little town with just his sister, who appeared to already be very adjusted. And because Tammie acted so comfortable and happy here, it could be that he was just feeling lonely.

I was still pretty conflicted about what to do with them. They could stay with me, sure, and there were plenty of people around to help watch over and take care of them. This little system worked well. But…these twins were really missing their mother. I knew Tammie was too, despite how well she was responding to these changes. Still, it sounded like their mother was in a financial crisis but still trying to raise them. I wanted them to be with their mom where they belonged, but that would put them back in a tight situation. On the other hand if I could keep them with me, I could take care of them and their mom wouldn't have to worry, but that would break up their family… I would definitely take care of them until we found their mom, that much I'd decided, but otherwise I just didn't know what to do.

Especially with Tyrone. I didn't want to get attached to them but they were only children, they needed someone who genuinely cared about them. I could dump them on Wendy but it would hurt her more than anyone when it was time for them to leave. And Stan, well…he still had some pep in his step but I doubted he had the stamina to temporarily raise another set of twins. Soos was pre-disqualified due to the obvious. It boiled down to either Wendy or me and considering the future wouldn't shine brightly for Wendy if she took them, I would have to act as caretaker. Tough job considering I was the one who would have to make every decision in place of their mother.

I went to change into my own swim shorts, put a shirt on, and loaded a duffle bag with towels, water bottles, a deflated beach ball, and sunscreen. Normally I would've simply driven them to the lake, but I thought it would be nice to walk there instead. We could go through town and they could get to see…essentially nothing, as far as attractions went. But they'd only been at the Mystery Shack and my house, so getting out and seeing the rest of Gravity Falls would probably be good for them.

Tammie, naturally, was the very first to run outside. I could tell she wasn't very patient about this… It made me wonder why she was this excited as opposed to Tyrone who didn't seem to be the least bit excited. I got that he missed his mom, and yes he probably did still see me as a little more…the wrong way. But I wasn't sure how he felt about— Well, actually, there was the whole "stranger danger" factor that I'd completely overlooked. I was a stranger to him, and possibly Tammie but I kind of doubted that. Their mom probably warned them about going off with strangers to a second location. Now that I'd gotten a general knowledge of their personalities, maybe he was feeling forced into this. But I couldn't leave Tammie by herself…

Hm… Maybe instead of the lake I could take them on a little detour. Greasy's Diner hadn't changed at all and Mabel and I always loved eating there—I still did. So maybe taking them to get something to eat first, and then going to the lake, would make them—Tyrone in particular—more comfortable here.

So I waited for Tyrone to get out with clothes covering his bathing suit, just like his sister. He was a little perkier now. Maybe that meant he was starting to feel better.

"I was thinking we could go get something to eat first. You guys hungry?" I asked.

As usual, Tammie was quick to reply. "Yes!"

Her brother simply nodded in agreement and we set off for the diner.

There was just one problem… We got to town and were about halfway to the diner before people began to take a good notice of Tammie. They started whispering to each other and nodding and just acting different. I heard my sister's name being tossed around here and there and knew they were thinking the same thing I was.

I tried to ignore it all but being the object of attention, Tammie couldn't. Nobody was talking bad about her, that much I knew, but she didn't understand what was going on and why all these new people kept casting her strange looks. By the time we got to the diner she'd gotten so nervous that she'd fallen behind me and stuck close. Tyrone wasn't ignorant to the looks his sister was receiving either, and I was pretty sure even he was getting uncomfortable with them.

I led them to a booth and had them sit together on the other side. Tammie sat on the edge and shied away a bit.

I tried to distract them from all the unwanted attention by striking up a conversation, but I didn't even have the chance when Lazy Susan came over to hand us our menus and silverware. And poor Tammie…

She pinched one of Tammie's cheeks and smiled. "Aren't you a cutie! You look just like little Mabel!"

I sighed and hoped that, since they already saw Mabel's runaway note, they would see what was happening now.

"Actually, Lazy Susan, this is Tammie," I said. "And that's her brother Tyrone."

Lazy Susan let go of the girl's cheek and gave us our menus and silverware, and then proceeded to take drink orders. We all decided on water even though I personally felt like a cup of coffee was due. If everyone kept talking about Tammie like she was some mini-Mabel, it would be a very draining day for me. But I really didn't want to blow up again, not in front of the twins at least. That would ruin the whole "one time deal" thing I was trying to show them.

"So we can get anything on here?" Tyrone asked.

"Yeah, except coffee or desserts. They have the best pancakes you'll ever taste if you want to try those."

"I want the pancakes then."

"Me too," his sister said.

Suddenly a random, buff man walked over to Tammie and patted her head.

"Looks like another set of Pines twins rolled into town," he laughed. Then he turned directly to Tammie and added, "You look exactly like Mabel when she was young."

I didn't even see who the next comment came from but soon it was like the whole restaurant wanted to see this Mabel lookalike, petting her and fawning over her like she was a living replica of my sister. They acted like Mabel had come back. Nobody had seen her in twelve years so I of all people could understand why they would be so curious and excited, but this wasn't necessary…

"She looks too much like a little Mabel!"

"Doesn't she?"

"So cuuuute!"

"Do you like art?"

"How about sweaters?"

"Rainbows?"

"Where are you from?"

"She is just adorable!"

"It's like Mabel just strolled right back from the past."

I stood up at that last one and started shooing them away, which took a lot more effort than it should have. It left Tammie with flushed cheeks and messy hair but one by one the crowd that had gathered around her disbanded.

"Wow…so…Mabel was really popular here…" she mumbled as she tried to straighten her hair back up.

I took a deep breath and hoped that if I told them about my sister, they would understand why all this was happening…even if it hurt to talk about it.

"Mabel was around here for years. Everyone loved her so much. She was so nice and upbeat, hated seeing someone feel bad. She once made custom sweaters for everyone. She loved all things that glittered. She was always very caring and brought some life into town, always managed to put a smile on peoples' faces. She had crazy fantasies and sometim— Okay, most times, she was pretty funny. I still remember the time she bedazzled her face with permanent glue. There was never a dull day with her around," I explained. "So when she left, and didn't even give us a reason why, the whole town kind of lost all its spirit. Everyone got all depressed and just…things changed. And, Tammie, you do look a lot like Mabel. It's like looking at her again. Everyone's excited now."

"Can you think of any reason she would want to leave?" Tyrone asked.

I shook my head. "No. Mabel loved Gravity Falls and Gravity Falls loved her."

"I'm sure she'll come back eventually," Tammie said.

I had no emotion regarding the topic of whether or not Mabel would come back, but it did sadden me to know that the chances of seeing her again were slim to none.

"Was she forced to leave?" Tyrone asked, this bold look in his eyes as though he was summoning the courage needed to take down a tiger. His sister glared daggers at him.

But to his question, there had been many concerns that she may have been forced to write that letter and then, basically, was kidnapped. Nobody knew what to think anymore but it was much easier to say she left of her own free will, and not at the mercy of someone else.

"Nobody knows what happened to her," I said. "We haven't seen her, we haven't heard from her… No one knows if she's okay. Some people think she might've been kidnapped, others believe she wasn't. We just don't know."

There was a brief moment of silence as the twins let it process and I was forcing myself to accept what happened so I could keep talking to them. Tammie especially would be getting a lot of attention—it was only fair they got answers. Somehow I maintained the strength to go on even though this conversation kept dragging me back to the good old days when kittens and glitter were part of my daily life. …And pigs.

"She's fine, I'm sure," Tammie said.

The amount of confidence in her voice was a little suspicious… She almost said it matter-of-factly. It insinuated that maybe she actually knew Mabel and possibly her whereabouts. She and her brother also seemed to be a little too intrigued about my story. I could attribute that to Tammie's obvious resemblance to Mabel being pointed out countless times in less than an hour, along with the continued violation of her personal space. But I had a feeling deep down that they knew something we didn't.

We received our pancakes and as I ate, my suspicions about them grew stronger. As far as I knew they'd only heard stories of Mabel, but now Tammie sounded like she'd met her before. That bothered me. I wasn't sure if it was the best of ideas but I couldn't help myself—I had to find out if they did know anything, because if they'd met Mabel they really could say she was okay. And I needed to know if she was.

"So, what makes you so sure Mabel's okay?" I questioned.

Tyrone quickly looked up from his food and said, "Just a feeling."

Yeah. Kids weren't great at controlling their body language… I changed tactics, deciding that this time I would try to appeal more to Tammie, who was far more likely to give away information than her cautious brother.

"I sure hope she is. It's been so many years now, some people say she's been murdered…" That was completely untrue, except for the people who always took things too far. So…well, in a way, it was true. Kind of.

I chewed slowly for a more dramatic effect. As expected, Tammie took the bait.

"I'm sure she's fine," she repeated.

"And the note was so sad…" I hated bringing up that note but…I just wanted to see if these twins knew anything, and if they did, I wanted to know what became of my sister.

"Yeah but that was a long time ago, she probably forgot all about it by now."

"Tammie!" Tyrone growled.

"That came out wrong… I meant to say she probably—"

Tyrone slapped a hand over her mouth and said, "My sister doesn't always know what she's talking about. She can be crazy sometimes, best not to listen to her when she gets like this."

Tammie shoved his hand off. "I'm not crazy and I happen to know what I'm talking about."

I sighed, knowing I was the one who caused this. I thought it best to let them sort a sibling fight out on their own and kept eating.

"Clearly you do not."

"Yes I do! Why can't you just let me talk for once?"

"You never say the right words."

"Sometimes I don't but you mess up too."

"Seriously? Seriously? I was the one who stopped you from going too far into the woods—"

"Oh this again…!"

"—only to find out you dragged us too far because you had to follow those stupid signs! And then I had to make the decision to keep following those signs—"

"Hey we did that together!"

"—because it was the only chance we had! You wanted to go adventuring and found that stupid note! And who tried to stop you from doing anything with it? Me. But would you listen? No!"

"I was curious!"

"Then the second you step into town, boom boom boom, guess who looks like Mom ag—" Tyrone choked on those last words.

My entire body froze at that point, my mouth hanging open and my fork halfway there. And I wasn't the only one who caught it.

"Told you you mess up too," she muttered to him.

"What did you say your mother's name is again…?" I asked, maybe a little too quietly for comfort.

"Names are just words," Tammie nervously replied.

"Then…what's her word?"

She cast a quick glance at her brother, who only responded by shrugging and shaking his head.

"Uhhh. Ty!" She turned to her brother with a wide smile. "O genius brother of mine, I'll allow you to do the honors. After all, I never know what I'm talking about and everything you say is perfect."

Yeah, he did walk right into that one. But hey, it didn't matter who said what, I just needed to hear it from them, hoping by some chance it wasn't Mabel because Mabel didn't have kids. Mabel would've told someone, or at least me! Her twin brother. If…if she still saw me that way, after all this time.

"O-Okay so, uh, d-don't get mad or anything but, well, um…h-her name is Mabel, yeah, an—"

"Wait. Wait. Mabel who?" Not Pines not Pines not Pines.

"Pines…"

"WHY DIDN'T Y—" I caught myself and cleared my throat, trying to sound as calm as possible because the very last thing I wanted right now was to push them away, especially when I wasn't even mad. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I tried," Tammie replied. "I found that runaway note in a box and it was in our mom's handwriting, and her name was signed at the bottom, but she never told us anything about this place. I was curious about what happened so I brought the note to you and, well, I ended up not asking you since it made you so mad."

In other words I was the one who told them to shut up.

I rested my forehead in my palm.

"I'm not mad, just really, really shocked. I mean, you look like her but Mabel didn't even have a boyfriend when she left, let alone kids…" So her having kids in itself was beyond my wildest imagination, and then suddenly a pair of twins who looked strikingly similar to Mabel and me coincidentally finding their way to the Mystery Shack…? It made it even harder to suspect, despite Tammie's resemblance, because it almost defied all laws of probability.

"So um…is it okay if we call her 'Mom' or is it better if we stick to 'Mabel'?" Tyrone asked.

I shrugged. "She's your mom, apparently…call her what you want I guess."

Tammie slumped back and sighed in relief. "I'll do 'Mom'…it's too weird calling her by her first name."

Her brother nodded in agreement. "It's kind of cool but it just feels wrong, I don't know why…"

Part of me was hoping they would simply call her by her first name but I understood why they didn't want to. It would take some serious adjusting to hear my long lost sister being called 'Mom' by two kids who started off as complete strangers. Maybe it would be different if she had just told me she had kids but nope. And…wait.

"Didn't you say you had an uncle who died before you were born?"

"Yeah but Mom never talks about him," Tyrone answered. "One day we ask about our relatives and everyone's dead. And that was that, she never really brought him up again."

"Did you ever know his name or anything…?" Because if they did then maybe they could piece the puzzle…but then they would find out Mabel had been lying about everything, and they wouldn't trust her again.

"Nope. I mean, he's dead and Mom doesn't talk about him so I guess neither of us bothered with it."

Why would she tell these two I died?! And it couldn't be like, their uncle died when they were little so at least he got to see them and knew they existed. No, she killed me off before they were born. Why? And apparently she seemed so unconcerned about me, and everyone else, that she didn't even tell them our names. UNBELIEVABLE.

"And your dad? Dead, alive?"

"Maybe, maybe not. He left. Mom won't talk about him either."

Somehow I doubted it was their dad who left… It was almost like my sister was trying to hide her kids from everyone she knew… But that made no sense, why would she do that?

"And she never once mentioned anything about this place?"

"No. Actually we don't know much about her past, we just started hearing stories about her when we came here."

"But they don't sound like Mom, not even close," Tammie said. "It's like you guys all talk about a different person… I mean, she's still really caring and all but everything else no."

That bit roused concern as I recalled overhearing them say she wasn't doing so great financially.

"What is she like now?" I asked.

Tammie played around with a piece of her pancake and answered, "Tired, stressed, and a workaholic."

"Not energetic, not creative, not adventurous," her brother added.

I would go out on a limb here and say she didn't have just one job. If she did, it would be fast-paced with long hours—really long hours.

"So she never said anything about us either?" she mumbled.

I shook my head. "Not a thing."

Which only meant she'd literally built a wall between two worlds—two parts of her life, between Gravity Falls and these kids. But why in the world would she do such a thing? Our parents had grandchildren. I had a niece and nephew. Stan had a great great niece and a great great nephew. And her kids? They had an uncle. They had grandparents. They had a great great uncle. And if everyone else knew that, it would kill them.

I wasn't sure why she was doing this, but I did know she had to have a reason for it. I supposed…I would let them believe Mabel's lies… Maybe she had changed but she would never abandon a child, let alone her own. She would come looking for them and in time she would end up here, where we could and would settle everything.