Dipper jerked awake, sucking in a breath. He had fallen asleep at Ford's desk. He spread his hands, looking over the notes that were arrayed before him. The answer had to be here.

He started moving through the papers again, trying to find an answer, when he heard the door to the lab actuate behind him.

He shifted the chair to look back. Was it Ford, responding to his desperate message sent two days ago? It must be!

Relief was on his face when the door to lift opened, but it wasn't Ford. His wife Wendy was there instead, a small frown on her face.

"Wendy…" he uttered, "W-what are you doing here?"

She didn't say anything as she approached, until she was within arm's reach. "Dipper… Mason… we need to talk."

Dipper fully rotated the seat to face her. Rarely did she use his actual name, even during normal family disagreements. This was serious.

He couldn't deny it, but time was also of the essence. He already wasted much trying to find a solution- and it had been days already! The urgency started to pull him back to the desk. "Wendy… im running out of time, I cant-"

"Dipper you've been down here two days and you haven't found anything."

"There has to be something! I-i have to keep looking!"

"No, Mason, you have to stop."

"Wendy she's my sister!"

Wendy balled her fists and yelled, "AND WE ARE YOUR FAMILY!"

Dipper stopped again and stared up at Wendy. Her eyes were wide in a severe, desperate expression Dipper had never seen before. It shocked him.

Wendy went on, "You think you're the only one grieving what happened to Mabel? Our children are upstairs bawling their eyes out over their aunt and wondering where their father is! Im trying to keep it together over the fact that I just lost my sister in law. We NEED you! THEY need you! I-I-" her eyes were staring to tear up, "I need you, Dipper!"

"But I can save her!" Dipper replied earnestly, "There's a solution here somewhere, I-I just have to-"

"N-N-NOO!" Wendy screamed, lunging forward and grasping the armrests with her hands and getting in his face. Her eyes were wet. "Dipper! Stop! Please! You KNOW this isn't what Mabel would have wanted! She told you, save the kids!"

"But I-" Dipper's eyes were watering, "But I… But I have to…!"

His words were lost as he started to cry. Wendy went down on her knees immediately, arms sliding around his waist and almost pulled him out of the seat. His hands clumsily pulled her close, and they held one another for a long time as they cried together.

Both of them thinking of that pivotal moment, over the volcano chasm. The grappling hook line was stretched taught, with Mabel on one side and two children on the other. Both were hanging over that molten river.

There wasn't time to save them both.

Dipper would never forget Mabel's final look, slight smile, and the last thing she shouted to him.

Then… she was gone. The grappling hook clanged against the rock loop above, suspending the kids in the air as they held on to the line.

But all that's left of Mabel was that slightly cooling patch of Lava, flowing away.

In that dusty basement of occult knowledge and secrets, Dipper was convinced there was a solution to bring her back. Somehow. Somewhere in Ford's lab there must have been a way to undo her death and make everything right again. If only he could…

Let go.

All the papers of time travel, resurrection, spiritual navigation, and so much more were abandoned in the basement. Dipper left them, going with his wife, to weep with their children as a family.