I do not own Gravity Falls.

Prompt: Delivery

The Missing Christmas Package

"I don't get it. The package should have arrived this morning!"

Peeling her face from where it was pressed against the glass window pane, Mabel glanced at her brother, who was staring at the silver watch strapped around his wrist with frustration. "Bro, they might just be a little late. Maybe some of the roads aren't ploughed. Plus it's, you know, Christmas."

"That's even worse," said Dipper flatly. "We managed to get Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford out of the house so they wouldn't see their presents arrive. If they come back before it gets here, the surprise will be ruined."

"Not really," soothed Mabel. "They'll just know its for them. They won't know what it is."

Dipper cast her a look. "You really think Grunkle Stan isn't going to try and peek?"

"Er…well, it'll be a surprise for Grunkle Ford."

"I'm going to check the status of the delivery online. Maybe we have to pick it up from the post office or something."

Dipper went upstairs to collect his laptop while Mabel kept dutiful watch for the mail delivery truck. He returned with his device and settled on the armchair, fingers flying over his keyboard. He scanned the information laid out in their package tracking form, his eyes widening.

"We have a problem."

"What?"

"They delivered the package. Last night. They were ahead of schedule and got to us sooner than they anticipated."

"But…where did they put it?" asked Mabel in confusion.

"We were supposed to shovel the driveway. Which we didn't, because it was cold and snowy and who wants to shovel when it's still snowing?" Dipper closed his laptop with a grim expression. "The delivery truck wouldn't have been able to make it up our driveway. Which means…"

"Our package is either at the end of the driveway or near the porch," realized Mabel.

In unison, the two stared out the window, at the blinding white powder that was thickly packed at least ten inches of snow high. Dipper winced. "We have to dig it out," he said miserably.

Mabel shrugged. "Serves us right for not doing our chores when we were supposed to."

"…I'm writing an angry letter to the postal company. How dare they deliver a package ahead of schedule?"

...

Bundled up in coats, hats, mittens and scarves, the twins started the seemingly monumental task of shovelling the long winding driveway. Mabel started at one end while Dipper took the other, and for nearly two hours they muscled their way towards the middle. Mounds of snow gathered on both sides of the driveway, the dirt path slowly revealing itself. Both were cautious as they dug their shovel into the snow, not wanting to strike the package with enough force to damage the items inside.

The driveway was soon as spotless as it could be and they regrouped on the porch of the Mystery Shack. Dipper ripped off his hat and scarf, face flushed red and coated with sweat. "I don't get it," he vexed. "We shovelled every inch! Where the heck is it?"

"Maybe they made a mistake," suggested Mabel. "Maybe they dropped it off at the wrong address or never delivered it at all."

Collapsing to the slush-covered porch, Dipper bemoaned, "Why are the holidays so stressful?"

"Just call the post office. See if they can figure out where it went."

"Are you crazy? It's Christmas! They're probably already swamped as is, and there's ten times the amount of mail travelling through them each day. It'll be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

"Or a package in a snowbank." At the dry look her brother sent her, Mabel grinned. "Too early to joke?"

"Hey, little dudes!"

The two turned to see Soos lumbering up the recently cleaned driveway. "Hey," they chorused.

"Whoa, I can't believe you shovelled all this snow," marvelled Soos, studying their handiwork. "I almost got stuck in it last night. I lost a boot getting out here but that's okay. I lost the other one on the way back from the Shack."

"Oooh. That's where those came from." Mabel disappeared into the house and returned almost instantly with a pair of soaking wet dark green winter boots. "Found them when I was battling bravely against the elements."

"Thanks, hambone!" A bright grin in place, Soos accepted the boots. "I hate these ones," he added, gesturing to the scuffed up pair he was currently wearing. "They have holes in them. Let me tell you, wet socks are the worst."

Dipper suddenly registered something the man-child had mentioned earlier. "Wait, you were here last night? Did you happen to see a package lying around?"

Soos thought for a moment before his eyes flashed with realization. "Oh, man, totally forgot. Yeah, there was a package at the end of your driveway last night, around dinner time. I came back to get something I forgot from the Shack, but I couldn't bring the car up the drive. I didn't notice it until I was ready to go home. So I just stuck it in my backseat. Hang on, dudes, I'll grab it for you."

Soos started for his truck, which was idling in the middle of the long winding driveway. Mabel set her hands on her hips, only slightly disgruntled. "Aw, rats. We did all that work for a package that wasn't even there."

Dipper scowled, resting his chin in his hands. "The driveway gets shovelled, Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford will get their present, and we get a massive dose of karma for our procrastination. Merry Christmas to us."