Chapter 3: Summer's End
A/N: Before going on with the chapter, I would like to thank all of those who have reviewed so far! I truly appreciate it a lot! To reviewers Guest and Illusion, I am very glad you loved my last story chapter. If you love this story compilation, you probably will want to check out my other story Child of Destiny. You may be surprised by what you read, in a good way of course. Also, for last chapter's score, Mabel won the race and Tyrone bought her ice cream if anyone is wondering lol.
Today's date is August 14th, 2012 and the fall season has begun setting in in the state of Oregon. The summer heat has already dissipated into cooler days and nights with the long days the summer brought withdrawing with each passing day. This has signified the end of another joyous summer and the start of the darker days to come. In one particular Oregon residence, two people are saying good bye to yet another summer along with the state until their visit next summer.
A pair of socks are now placed into the blue travel bag next to a blue vest followed by the '3' journal. With the release of a sigh, the blue travel bag is now zipped up.
"I can't believe another summer has come and gone." Mabel says, now folding up another sweater and placing it in her pink travel bag. "It seems like yesterday that we arrived here and now we're heading back to California. It all happened so fast."
"Yea, time does fly when we are working our summer away in the mystery shop." Dipper replies. "Now it's time to say good-bye once again. Back to yet another crazy school year and I won't have Wendy there to talk about how horrible my days have been with her comforting me in the process."
"You'll have me there dipping sauce." Mabel replies, fully turning to her brother. "I'm a good listener and you know my advice is always right."
"I know Mabes, I know." Dipper replies with a sigh, now taking a seat next to his travel bag on the bed. "I just can't believe it's all over and so quickly."
"Me neither, but every good thing must come to an end." Mabel cheerfully replies as she folds up yet another sweater. "I had fun this summer despite having to work in the shop."
"Yea and Tyrone did make this summer better." Dipper says, lying down on his empty bed. "He helped me realize the only one in my way when it comes to Wendy is me."
"I could have told you that." Mabel giggles as she places another sweater in her travel bag. "You're such a dork around Wendy."
Just then Dipper sits up and snaps his attention to Mabel, despite the girl's back being turned to him.
"Oh my gosh Tyrone!" Dipper nearly screams. "Mabel, where is Tyrone?"
"The last time I saw him, he was outside on the swing set outback." Mabel replies continuing to pack her travel bag. "Why?"
Turning back around to face Dipper, Mabel is suddenly hit with a gust of wind and now noticing that her brother is no longer in the room with her.
"Dipper?" Mabel calls out.
Having made it to the first floor of the shack, Dipper runs out the door and to the back of the shack to the swing set. Noticing the swing is deserted, Dipper suddenly remembers the last place he and Tyrone were during the shack's summer party.
"I believe I know where he is." Dipper says to himself.
Making his way to the roof, to Wendy's goof off spot, he now spots his replica sitting in the lounge chair tossing acorns at the target on the tree across from the roof.
"I figured you would come look for me here." Tyrone speaks up, now launching another acorn to towards the tree. "I thought you and Mabel would be gone by now."
"That's not for another forty five minutes." Dipper replies. "Why are you up here?"
"I have to stay out of sight right?" Tyrone answers as he launches another acorn towards the tree while not making eye contact with the classic version. "With you leaving for another year, I will be doing a lot of that."
This is what the younger pines never thought about. Neither he nor Mabel thought what the end of the summer would bring other than them saying good-bye to everyone for yet another year and heading back to California, back home where they belong. But most of all Dipper wasn't prepared as he never thought about what was to become of Tyrone after he and Mabel did leave Gravity Falls. Where would Tyrone go? What would he do without Dipper? Live in the twin's attic bedroom secretly without being discovered? Be destroyed by the waves of water? Many questions, but not many good answers.
"I'm sorry Tyrone." Dipper says with a sigh, now taking a seat on the roof. "I never thought ahead about what would happen to you after I left at the end of summer."
"Out of everything you do over think, I'm surprised this never came to mind!" Tyrone replies, his tone full of offense.
"Are you upset with me?" Dipper asks, now turning to Tyrone.
"I'm not happy if that says anything to you." Tyrone sternly says, now rising out of the lounge chair and approaching Dipper. "Why couldn't you think about this? Why couldn't you think about me and what would happen to me when you finally left Oregon? Just how long did you think the summer would last Dipper?!"
"Tyrone, I'm sorry, it never came to mind." Dipper replies to his clone.
"No of course it never came to mind!" Tyrone snaps. "You were so concerned about getting close to Wendy that you never stopped to think about what would happen to me after you were gone!"
"It's not like I did it on purpose!" Dipper snaps back. "If it makes you feel any better, Mabel thought about you and asked me what would happen to you once we left. She is very concerned about you!"
"Is she the only one?" Tyrone asks, crossing his arms.
"Of course not." Dipper replies calmly. "For the sake of it all, you're me! I have to worry about you and what would happen to you once I'm gone for an entire year. I would take you home, but I think my mom would be a little suspicious if she saw two of me running around the house. A switch off would not work with her, trust me. It could work with our dad if he is tired enough, but the only one who would know the two of us apart is Mabel."
"I wish more than ever I could go home with you and Mabel." Tyrone says releasing a hefty sigh. "Instead I'm fated to be destroyed by water like the other copies. I wish more than ever I had a home to call my own."
"I wish you did too and that's what concerns Mabel and I the most." Dipper says, placing a hand on Tyrone's shoulder. "If I could take you home with us, trust me I would, but it would take some very heavy convincing for my parents to think they aren't seeing two of me."
"That would be kind of crazy huh?" Tyrone says lightly laughing.
"With my parents, you have no idea." Dipper says, also lightly laughing.
"So what do we do now?" Tyrone asks.
"We enjoy what moments we have left." Dipper suggests as he and Tyrone now take a seat on the roof.
"This has been some summer huh?" Tyrone begins.
"You said it." Dipper replies. "From the day Mabel and I arrived here, I thought it was going to be one boring summer, but we found out that same day it was going to be everything but. Gnomes, cursed wax figures, and the day we met Gideon, that really started it all."
"I remember that story." Tyrone replies. "That's one name I'll never be able to get of my memory bank."
"Well that's why you are the copy of me." Dipper nods. "No matter what I did to forget about him, I could never forget about that chubby evil face. When he shrank me and Mabel, I was more than determined to kick him to the other side of Oregon when we were restored back to normal size."
"Yep, I remember that thought." Tyrone laughs. "Being you isn't all it's cracked up to be. Oh, remember when we tried to impress Wendy at the party and made so many copies just to make sure your plan was flawless?"
"Boy what a mess that was." Dipper laughs. "You know number three and four never came back right?"
"Oh yea." Tyrone nods. "I wonder what happened to them. However it is amazing how Robbie was able to get his bike without catching up to them."
"That is a mystery even to me." Dipper replies, now leaning back on his hands. "They could be anywhere by now. Just hope their doing ok."
"Me too." Tyrone says, also leaning back on his hands. "You know Dipper, I see you and Mabel as my family. I know I'm a copy of you, but I truly see you two as my brother and sister."
"Really?" Dipper perks up. "You do?"
"Of course." Tyrone answers, now turning to Dipper. "And to have a sister like Mabel would be something; always happy, always smiling, never a dull moment. That's the type of sister that I would wish for."
"Well Tyrone, no need in wishing because you do have Mabel as a sister." Dipper jokingly elbows his clones. "But trust me, her constant happy state isn't all it's cracked up to be. There are days where I wish she knew what it was like to be serious for once."
"Well on those serious days, be happy you have someone there to lighten your mood." Tyrone says. "I know if I ever had a horrible day, I know I would want Mabel to brighten my day. You're lucky to have her and look at it this way; she's the light while you're the dark. Like Ying and Yang."
"I never thought of it that way." Dipper sighs. "I know I'm lucky to have her and I would pretty much be nothing without her."
"That's because you two are like two sides of a coin." Tyrone says. "You can't have a heads without a tails."
"Which would I be?" Dipper wonders.
"The tails." Tyrone laughs.
"You would say that!" Dipper laughs, playfully shoving Tyrone.
"Hey, you gotta give me something." Tyrone says, his laughing dissipating.
"So now what do we do?" Dipper inquires.
"Well, it's time you and Mabel got going while I find some place in this world to live." Tyrone replies. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm you after all so you know I'll be resourceful in finding my own way."
"You know what, I know the perfect place for you to live." Dipper informs Tyrone, a certain home stead now coming to mind.
"Really?" Tyrone asks, perking up. "Where?"
Inside the shack's shop, Mabel is talking to Wendy and Soos.
"Man, I'm really going to miss you Ham bone." Soos says, he and Mabel now exchanging hugs. "I was getting so use to having you around."
"It's only for one year Soos." Mabel replies as she releases the man child. "I'll be back next year. Not to mention I can call and check up on you guys on weekends and holidays."
"I was so use to having you around too Mabel." Wendy says, now hugging the girl. "I see you as my little sister and didn't look forward to this time of year when you guys leave to go back home."
"Awe thanks Wendy." Mabel replies, a few tears shedding from her eyes as she releases Wendy. "I see you as my older sister and I don't want to leave either. I've gotten so use to you guys. Games with Soos, hanging out with you here during your shift, seeing gruncle Stan's antics; I'm going to miss it for an entire year."
"Well at least you'll have Dipper there to look after you." Wendy reminds her. "He's a good brother and he does his best by you."
"I know he does." Mabel laughs. "I'm lucky to have him."
Just then, Tyrone enters Mabel's mind.
"Oh my gosh!" Mabel says as she turns away from Wendy. "I almost forgot about him!"
"Forgot about who?" Wendy asks, noticing the sudden shocked expression on Mabel's face.
"I forgot about Ty—" Mabel halts her thought upon seeing Dipper and Tyrone enter the shop.
Wendy and Soos both blink to ensure they aren't seeing double.
"Dipper, dude, I'm like seeing two of you." Soos speaks up, eyeballing Tyrone.
"Everyone, I would like you to meet my clo—distant cousin Tyrone." Dipper introduces. "He's the first cousin on our mother's side of the family. My mother said that she knew of a cousin that looked just like me and she was right."
"Hey everyone." Tyrone greets.
"So that means that we have a cousin that looks just like me!" Mabel says, her tone perking up. "I bet she's on our dad's side of the family."
"Maybe Mabel." Dipper replies with a nod. "Maybe."
"Man, I'm gonna miss you kids." Stanford's voice says as he enters the shop. "It's going to be so empty around here without you guys. I'm going to miss Mabel's smile and laughter that brightens my day and Dipper's conspiracy theories that made no sense to me."
Dipper rolls his eyes at that statement.
"And I'm going to miss—" Stanford begins but halts upon seeing Tyrone.
"Ok why am I seeing two of you Dipper?" Stanford asks, eyeballing Tyrone.
"Hi, I'm Tyrone." Tyrone speaks up. "I'm Dipper and Mabel's cousin from their mother's side of the family. I'm sorry I didn't inform you I was coming to see the twins during the summer, but I recently lost my parents and didn't know where else to turn. Dipper and Mabel are the only family I could turn to during my painful time."
"Sorry to hear that Tyrone." Stanford nods. "That's never easy."
"I know." Tyrone replies. "However, I overheard you saying how empty this place is going to be without the twins here and if you would allow me, I would like to take up residence here. I can't bear to return to my parents' home as the memories of them passing would be too much to bear."
Having heard Tyrone's explanation, Stanford nods in agreement.
"Alright, I can do that for you." Stanford replies. "I could use the company around here along with some help in the shop. You don't have any theories you would like to share do you?"
"Not to my knowledge." Tyrone replies.
"Good." Stanford says, a smile forming. "Welcome to the Mystery Shack!"
"I'm going to miss you too gruncle Stan." Dipper mumbles to himself.
A car horn can now be heard outside the shack's shop that gets everyone's attention.
"Well that's our ride back to the homestead." Mabel speaks up. "I'm really going to miss you guys."
"We'll miss you too." Wendy says as she and Soos group hug Mabel once more. "Call us when you get home."
"I will." Mabel replies, now hugging Tyrone.
"Take care Sis and see you next year." Tyrone says as Mabel releases him. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too." Mabel says, now grabbing her bag.
With one last wave, Mabel is out the door to meet her parents at the car. With her mother standing outside the car, she now embraces her daughter.
"Gruncle Stan, take good care of my cousin." Dipper says to the older man. "He's a good guy."
"Well if he's as good as you say he is, he's in good hands." Stanford says, placing an arm around Tyrone's shoulder. "I'll take care of him as if he were my own."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Dipper mumbles now turning to Wendy. "It's been fun Wendy. Too bad we didn't get the chance to really hang out this past summer."
"I know, but next year right?" Wendy smiles to the young pines. "See you in a year and take care of yourself and Mabel."
"You know I will." Dipper nods, trying to keep his tears from surfacing. "You guys take care."
"You be safe man." Tyrone says to Dipper as the boy turns to him. "Don't forget about what I taught you this summer."
"You know I won't." Dipper replies to him. "We'll be in touch."
Dipper now grabs his bag and throws it over his shoulder as he begins heading towards the door. Stopping, he turns and faces everyone one last time. Giving them a weak smile, he now heads out the door to meet his parents and Mabel at the car. He is greeted by his mother, father, and Mabel who all hug him. Mr. Pines loads both Mabel and Dipper's bags into the trunk of their car as Mrs. Pines seats the twins in the back seat.
With the twins safely in the car, Mr. and Mrs. Pines now climb in the car. The younger pines now turn to his window and notices Wendy, Soos, Stan, and Tyrone standing on the porch. Giving them a wave, the car now pulls away as it begins on its journey back to Piedmont, California.
I almost shed a tear while writing this, imagining just how the summer would end for the Pines twins once they headed back home to California at the end of summer. Mon-ra, this one is for you and I hope you enjoyed it!
The next one-shot for this gala will be a mystery for now, but I'm sure it will be something worth reading!
Review Please!