#gravityfallsrewritten

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 18: After All These Years

"Y/n."

Said girl looked up at the sound of a gravel sound calling her name. "Hello?" She called. The voice belonged to him. "Where are you?"

"Y/n."

"Stan," she replied just as quickly as before. She looked around, searching desperately for the elder man. She only needed to see his silhouette, his shadow. Where could he be?

"Y/n," he said for the final time. Finally, he materialized in front of her, but his wrists were ensnared by a pair of handcuffs. "We lost," his voice dropped in a whisper, "they... they found us."

And as if on cue, alarms reverberated around her, and flashes of blue and red appeared. A megaphone squeaked from afar, alerting them of someone coming into the scene. "This is the police!" Through the powerful blast of the megaphone, the police officer's urgent voice reverberates among the continuous sirens.

"Stan Pines, you are suspected to have been constructing a highly dangerous doomsday device hidden beneath the shack! Surrender yourself immediately! I repeat, surrender yourself now!"

Y/n remained frozen in place. The police found them and now Stan is getting taken away. Away from the portal, away from progress, away from the Mystery Shack.

Away from her.

This was her worst nightmare.

"No," She found the strength to speak. "No, please!" It all felt so real. "Stan!"

His gaze remained downwards. "I'm sorry, kid. I have no choice."

"Don't go! Please! We've worked so hard!" She tried to reason. Thirty years of trying to save Ford and it all goes downhill? Ruined by the police? Everything was gone just like that, and they were so close– yet so far.

The older man didn't say anything, but his feet moved to their own accord, taking him somewhere. Y/n tried to stop him, tried to wake him out of his trance. Maybe he was being brain-washed. Maybe his memories were wiped clean. Why was he giving up so easily?

"Stan! What about Ford?"

"We tried everything," he stopped in his tracks a bit, tilting his head to the side to address her. But he wasn't looking at her. "But I guess it wasn't good enough. Face it, Y/n. We didn't succeed.

"We. Failed."

Y/n opened her eyes, inhaling deeply as if she only remembered how to breathe again. She clenched her fist in retaliation to the dream she had. Bill couldn't be blamed– she has been having these dreams now long before she met the beast. Although, there's a possibility that he purposefully took advantage of her mind while she was asleep.

So many things to ponder about. For the last three decades, all she ever cared about was fixing the portal. Her and Stan's lives intertwined in a shared mission, dedicating countless hours, poured undying effort, and endured the passage of time. Days turned into nights, seasons passed, yet their resolve remained unwavering.

But remembering the occurrence of her dream... minutes have passed for how long she's been staring blankly at a wall.

Only realizing that this wasn't her bedroom. This wasn't the shack.

She vaguely remembered Soos suggesting they go to his house for the meantime– his house being his Abuelita's. She remembered finally falling to sleep from exhaustion and when she awoke, she saw a different living room filled with timeless trinkets. Frames of young Soos littered around the yellow walls, and the furniture was covered by meticulous patterns. Stan and Mabel laid on the ground with sleeping bags, while she laid on a mattress propped up on a couch.

A rustle beside her caught her attention. It was Dipper, He was squirming, closing his eyes tightly. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his blanketed shoulder, rubbed soothing comforts. He was mumbling something before waking up in cold sweat. He screamed momentarily, clutching the blanket they shared.

He breathed heavily. "Y/n?" He saw her already staring at him. "I just had a horrible dream that Gideon stole the deed to the Mystery Shack, and kicked us out, and... we all had to move in with... Soos' grandma?" He all said in a series of questions.

Before Y/n could say anything, the third person sharing their bed sat up and leaned in closely towards them. "That was no dream, dude."

Soos, shirtless, said with conviction.

Dipper screamed in horror, waking everyone up. Abuelita from the side turned the lamp on and brought a finger to her lips. "Shh! Por favor."

"Uh, sorry...! Abuelita..." Dipper trailed off. He didn't even register that he was sleeping besides Y/n until he did, scooting slightly away. "Sorry, I didn't wake you up, did I?" He muttered guiltily.

Y/n's face morphed into an assuring smile. "I was already awake before you. No worries."

"Well you sure woke everyone else with that scream," Stan quipped from the ground he was sleeping on. "Now quiet! The news is finally on," he pointed at the TV.

Shandra Jimenez appeared on the screen, microphone in hand. "In a movement that has all of Gravity Falls buzzing, child psychic Gideon Gleeful has taken surprise ownership of the Mystery Shack, previously belonging to area shyster, Stanford Pines."

This time, Gideon stood in frame with the reporter. "Now that you have the shack, what exactly are you planning to do with it?"

"I have a big announcement to make today," Gideon spoke with a huge, fake smile in his punchable face, "and I'd like to cordially invite all the good people of Gravity Falls to join me. Free admission to anyone who wears their Gideon pins! It's my face!" He winked.

Y/n was the first to react. "The people of this town are too gullible to believe this despicable kid," she voiced out.

"I just can't believe Gideon beat us," Dipper lamented, sitting on the edge of the makeshift bed, "Normally, I'm able to save the day. This is all my fault."

Mabel stood beside her brother. "Don't worry, Dipper. Looks like Mabel's going to have to be the hero of the family now. I'll defeat Gideon with my grappling hook!" She brought out the tool she chose from the beginning of the summer.

Dipper glared mildly. "Mabel, no offense, but that grappling hook has literally never helped us once."

"Oh yeah? Jelly grab!" The girl shot her grappling hook at a random jar of jelly inexplicably placed on a shelf, causing it to break and splatter jelly on the walls. The paintings, porcelain angels and half of Abuelita's body were in the splash zone and are now covered by the sticky substance.

"I vacuum the walls now."

"So you lost the Shack," Soos said as if it was a normal day, like it was a trivial matter. "Look on the bright side, dudes! Now you get to live here with me. Soos!" He then invited anyone to race cars without batteries. It's supposed to be a pretend kind of game.

"We gotta take the Shack back."

***

***

The next day, the family dressed up as an undercover entourage– with help from Soos' wardrobe and went to Shack. They saw the child psychic taking up the stage and dancing around before walking up the podium and spoke into the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen! Today I am delighted to announce my new plans for the former Mystery Shack!"

Bud came up with a wagon, a covered prototype on it.

"I give you..." Gideon reached down and pulled the cloth away, revealing a miniature version of his plans. "Gideonland!"

"What?!" The incognito team exclaimed in unison.

"We are gonna turn this dirty ol' shack into three square miles of Gideon-tertainment. And introducin' our new mascot, Lil' Gideon Jr.!"

Bud pulled off a cloak to reveal Waddles in a Gideon costume, white hair and all.

"Boom, he's a pig!"

"Waddles!" Mabel screamed in horror. "You monster!"

"Alright, that's it!" Stan pulled off his disguise and angrily ran up the stage. Mabel, Dipper, and Y/n followed, destroying everything in their path.

Stan stood behind the lectern. "Listen up people. Gideon's a fraud! This kid broke in and stole my property!"

"You have to believe us!" Y/n reasoned.

"Arrest him officers!" Mabel ordered.

"Yeah!" Dipper agreed.

Gideon walked up. "Such accusations!" He said, his tone being artificially innocent. "Mr. Pines, I recall you gave the property to me!" He had the nerve to frown in confusion. "Look, here's the deed right here!" He easily pulled the deed out of his shirt for the town to see.

"Well that's all the proof I need to see," Officer Blubs dismissed.

"I love you, Lil' Gideon!" Durland hollered. "Sing them funny songs!"

"Do you actually believe that Stan Pines would willingly give the deed of his house to Gideon?!" Y/n shouted, angry and frustrated. "They're rivals for crying out loud!"

"Stan and I are very close friends!" Gideon instantly retorted, flashing his puppy eyes. "And he trusted me to hold onto the deed for safekeeping. We're the best of friends after all!"

"Best of friends?" Stan glared. "More like the worst of enemies. Give me back my deed, you pint-sized troublemaker!"

The little boy snapped his fingers and two burly guards got ready to kick the Pines off the stage. "Hey!" Mabel yelled. The other three were easily grabbed.

Y/n surprised herself that she could endure all Gideon's taunt without easily knocking him out of the stage and taking the deed. Beat up the father too for neglected parenting. But looking at the people of Gravity Falls, she knew that they were easily swayed, and if they saw her assaulting their favorite manipulator, they might shun her out and never trust her again. She had sacrificed so much to maintain her reputation.

"Now get off my property, old man!" He slapped a Gideon pin on Stan.

"I'll show you who's the old man- AH! Ow, my hearing aid! Ow!"

The Pines got carried off the stage by the guards. "Thanks for visiting Gideonland, folks!" Gideon giggled a heinous laugh. "Don't come back, I don't care for y'all."

Going back to Soos' home, Mabel, Dipper and Soos sat on the couch sadly, sulking about today. Stan and Y/n were in the kitchen. The former was pacing around with a telephone in his hands while Y/n was leaning on the countertop, her arms crossed and her face contorted into worry.

2 minutes earlier, in the midst of their argument, the ringing of the phone cut them off. Stan answered with a scowl, but when he heard the voice from the other side of the call, his face melted into nervousness. His skin paled more and he was sweating. "H-Henry! It's you! What's wrong?"

This wasn't the first time a call came up while they were talking. Stan waited, nodding consciously. Henry sounded mad at the other end from the way the older man was trying to calm him down. It seemed that the parents heard the news all the way from Piedmont. "Don't worry, your son and daughter are fine!" He reassured them, himself included. "Where're we staying? Uh, I put 'em up in this amazing four-star hotel!" There are hotels?

He seemed to be in his own world of delusions, like he was actually in a fine establishment, being served food. Y/n was getting more worried. "What, uh, sure! We got..." He glanced at the contents inside the refrigerator which was merely a near empty gallon of milk, "we've got plenty to eat..."

Stan stood back up in faux confidence. "Relax, if I thought I couldn't take care of these kids, I'd send them back right away. " That seemed to have done it. "Uh huh, you too." He ended the call seconds after.

Silence ensued, but not for long when Mabel shouted from one room away. "Grunkle Stan, can we order pizza?"

The older man checked his pockets only to discover they're empty. Y/n kept silent, tapping beats against her skin.

"They have to go back," Stan spoke in hushed tones, leaning against the tiled surface. "I can't afford to take care of them anymore, not when Gideon has the Shack."

"He also has the portal."

Stan frowned deeper, if that was even possible. He wanted to curse Gideon with every fiber of his being. How did he manage to beat them? For how long are they going to remain underneath his small thumb?

The thought of Gideon having his hands on the portal has been plaguing their minds for the last 12 hours. It's only a matter of time until Gideon dismantles the entire Shack for his tourist attraction and discovers the underground device before using it for his evil schemes. There was no way of stopping him then.

"Wait, where are you going?" Y/n stood up, seeing that Stan was about to walk out.

Stan sighed. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air. There's a lot on my plate right now." He didn't look at her. He never did, until he exited the kitchen and outside of the house.

Y/n didn't bother pursuing him, as she figured that he really needed a breather. Her mind has been jumbled. She had no idea what to do first. Should she just sneak over to the Mystery Shack and stealthily pass through the guards and Gideon to get to the basement? And what happens after that? Does she just plan on staying there forever?

"Y/n! Let's play racing cars!" Mabel's voice reverberated through the walls again.

"But we have no batteries so we have to pretend!" Soos chimed in as well.

Mustering all her positive thoughts to her facial expression, she pushed herself off and stepped into the living room with a small smile on her face. "How do you play?" She saw Soos, Mabel, and Dipper sitting on the floor with the racetrack in the middle. It had toy cars in the plastic path, waiting for control. But without the batteries, it was immobile.

"Go, go, go!" Mabel cheered on. "Go, red car!"

Y/n sat on the ground with them, placing her hands on her lap. She noticed Dipper watching her every move, and she looked back, catching his eye. He flashed a small reassuring smile, but it was strained. Her lips were pursed as she tried to smile back, but Dipper knew that she must be exhausted from the situation. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his noodle arms and force her to rest.

"Go, other red car!" Soos smiled, raising a fist.

Dipper's attention reverted back to the other two trying to entertain themselves with stationary vehicles. "This would be a lot more fun with batteries," he complained, glowering.

Sounds of footsteps interrupted the ongoing race and the four looked up at the old man who wore a worried look. Stan cleared his throat. "Kids... we gotta talk." Everyone stood face to face with Stan. "Look, I've been thinking, and... I can't take care of you anymore. I don't have a house or a job. The plan is, you're goin' home. Your bus leaves tomorrow, here are your tickets."

"But Grunkle Stan, you can't just give up!" Dipper tried to reason.

"Look, we lost, okay?" Stan cut off, casting a quick glance with Y/n. "The best thing is for you to be with your parents. I'm sorry, kids. Gideon won," he placed the tickets on the table. "Summer's over."

He didn't leave room for any objections and left the room. Soos ran after him, calling his name. "Mr. Pines! Come back! Reconsider!"

"Okay, that's it!" Dipper protested. "Guys, if Stan won't get our home back from Gideon, then we'll have to do it ourselves."

"Gideon may have the upper hand, but we have one thing he doesn't," Mabel said confidently.

"The journal!"

"A grappling hoo- oh." Mabel stopped. "The journal. Journal!"

"Y/n, you have to come with us," Dipper expressed with determination. "We need your help in getting the Shack back, too. I'm sure you're mad at Gideon and want proper revenge on him."

She does. She wanted nothing more than kicking the little guy's behind.

So the classic trio went to the Mystery Shack and concealed themselves behind large bushes. Two stoic-faced and muscly guards were pacing around the fences. They couldn't possibly get through. Dipper emerged from the bushes with a telescope.

"Okay. What can we use to defeat Gideon?" Dipper opened the journal in his grasp, flipping through the pages. "Barf fairy?"

"Yeah!" Mabel voiced.

"Nope." Dipper went to the next. "Butternut Squash with a Human Face and Emotions?" Y/n snorted back a laugh as she reminisced the exact moment she and Ford encountered this for the first time.

"Yeah!"

"Nope."

Dipper pitched to the next page, but Mabel stopped his hand, pointing at the set of symbols. "Whoa, what's this?"

Y/n leaned closer and saw the one-third part of the schematic plan of the inter-dimensional portal. It reminded her of the actual device living underneath them. She kept silent as she inspected Dipper's change in expression.

"I've stared at this page for hours. It seems like a blueprint to build some kind of strange futuristic super-weapon-"

"BORING!" Mabel bellowed. It seemed that Y/n had always underestimated Dipper, when he's actually smarter than he came off as. The braced-wearing girl continued, "To defeat those guards, we need some kind of army!"

"An army?" Y/n asked, "what about..." she temporarily took the journal and flipped to a specific page. "The gnomes?"

"Good idea, Y/n!" Dipper cheered, while Mabel nervously tugged the collar of her sweater. The three knew about their history with the gnomes. Heck, they experienced it firsthand. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

The three went back to where it all began. This was where they found Mabel tied up on the ground with a bunch of gnomes, but it seemed that the group were busy doing something else.

"I wonder what gnomes do out here alone in the forest," Mabel wondered aloud as they walked towards a nearby bush.

They got their answer when Y/n pushed apart the bunch of leaves and there they saw Jeff in a rather compromising position. Squirrels lathered his small body as he took a "bath" in a tub. The trio screamed in horror, and Jeff screamed back. "This is normal!" He tried to convince them.

There was no other way to change their mind otherwise.

"Well, well, well. Look who came crawlin' back,'' Jeff mocked, "So, changed your mind about marryin' me, did you, Mabel?"

"Ew, hardly!" Mabel replied all too quickly. "We need your help. And seriously, ew!"

"You want our help?" Jeff became angry, "after you left me at the altar? No dice!"

Y/n stepped forward with an inviting smile. "Well, what if we were able to get you a new queen?"

"Yeah, one even more beautiful than me!" Mabel encouraged.

Dipper smiled, "Her name's Gideon, and she has lovely white hair."

"Whoa. Mature woman, huh?" The gnome seemed interested in their offer. "Hey, Shmebulock, get my cologne!"

Said gnome came in with a skip in its step. "Shmebulock!" Y/n couldn't help but smile at the sight. Oh hey, it was the same gnome she and Ford experimented on.

"It's a deal!" Jeff shook hands with Dipper.

And they were off. Y/n schemed a plan to get inside as she laid out formations around the Shack. They talked about distracting Gideon before calling out for the white-haired boy. "Give us the deed to the shack, Gideon, or else!" Dipper demanded.

Gideon smirked with his hands on his hips. His two bodyguards were quick to stand behind him for backup. "Am I supposed to say, "Or else what"?"

"Yes, you are supposed to say that!" Mabel screamed as they heard the code word. "Now!"

The two guards were frozen as they felt gnome hats impaling their backs, temporarily knocking them out as they fell to the ground. The rest of the army of gnomes charged forward riding deer and bunnies. They had Gideon surrounded, number clearly at an advantage.

There was a flash of panic in his eyes. He tried to run, but it was useless as the gnomes pointed their apparently sharp hats. The three stepped forward with a threatening gaze. "You're surrounded by an unstoppable gnome army!" Dipper began, "Now give us back our deed and get off our property!"

Mabel's eyes narrowed, and Y/n's glare could cut bullets. Gideon only sighed in defeat, frowning down. "Very well," he spoke somberly. He dug through his coat pocket. "I supposed this deed belongs to-" He pulled out what wasn't the deed, but instead it was a whistle, and he didn't hesitate blowing into it. It produced a deafening, head-splitting sound, hurting the gnomes' sensitive ears. The trio looked around in worry as their plan slowly crumbled.

They guessed their other weakness other than leaf blowers were loud, shrill sounds.

The grimace on Gideon's face was quickly replaced by a cheerful simper. "Huh, what do you know? Works on gnomes too!" He shrugged before casually blowing on the whistle hard again.

Every gnome kicked their feet in reaction to the piercing noise. Their faces were scrunched in pain and for a moment, Y/n felt bad they had to string in the gnomes along. "Stop, we'll do anything!" Jeff screamed, kneeling on the ground and bowing. "How can we serve you, Your Majesty?" He continued, bringing a smile to the little boy's pale face. "The most beautiful girl we've ever seen!" The compliments were non-stop.

"I AM NOT A GIRL!" Gideon screeched, startling everyone.

"Really? But your skin is so soft! D'you... moisturize, or..."

"Subdue them!" Gideon commanded, pointing at the three. The gnomes immediately scamper towards them and easily got a hold of Dipper, Mabel, and Y/n who was thrashing around their hold.

"I have to admit, kids, I am impressed by your creativity," Gideon said, placing his hands behind his back. The audacity of him calling them "kids" was really starting to irritate her. "How did you ever-"

And as Dipper was trying to get out of the gnomes' hold, he didn't realize that the journal had slipped out from his vest, falling to the ground. Gideon instantly caught the sight of it, gasping. "Oh, no!" Dipper exclaimed in a panic.

"No!" Gideon breathed in disbelief, staring at the open pages of writings. "Could it be?" His eyes widened. "Is it...?" He went and carried it in his arms, flipping through the pages with an excited giggle. "Of course! It all makes sense! The one place I never think to look, you had it the whole time!"

If it wasn't possible, Y/n squirmed more. Just the thought of Gideon holding the journal filled her veins with fiery anger, but seeing it in person... she wanted nothing more than to choke his non-existent out of his mystery.

"No!" Dipper voiced out, trying to fight against the deathly grip of the gnomes. "Give it back!"

Gideon remained smirking. "Every victory you had because of your precious book!"

Dipper glared, "Give it back or I'll-!"

"Or you'll what, boy?" Gideon leaned forward in a mocking manner, rendering the other speechless. "You'll what? Huh? Huh? No muscles. No brains. Face it! You're nothin' without this!"

Y/n growled, trying to pull her arm out of their grip. "Don't make me beat you up again, Gideon!" She threatened, but it didn't faze the boy. She'd attacked him before, she wouldn't hesitate attacking him again for all the pain and suffering he had inflicted upon the family.

Gideon simply snorted. "I'd like to see you try!" He waved his hand, "Bye bye forever, y'all!" The whistle in his mouth produced that loud noise again, and the gnomes carried the three out of what used to be their property.

"NOOO!"

"AHH!"

"Let me go! Let me go, you dang gnomes!"

The gnomes dissipated and spread out after dropping the three of a random clearing. "Next time, do your own dirty work!" Jeff scolded before calling for his squirrels again and tucking it inside his pants.

Dipper remained seated on the dirt, placing his hands on his knees. "Well, that's it. Guess the bus should be here soon."

Mabel stopped pacing. "What?! Dipper, don't give up!" She crouched down to his height and tried to meet his eyes but they stayed staring at the ground as he aimlessly drew doodles on the soil. "You always have a plan!"

"No, the journal always has a plan!" Dipper quickly interjected. "Think about it, Mabel. Gideon was right! The only courageous or cool things The only courageous or cool things I've ever done have been because of that journal," he rambled. "Without it, I can't help you, or Stan, or Y/n..."

He briefly glanced at her. She was wearing a forlorn gaze.

"...Or anyone," Dipper finished his speech, looking back to the ground.

"There's gotta be something we could do," Mabel worried, turning her head towards Y/n, who had been silent ever since.

"What can we do?" Dipper asked, and when he was met with silence, he thought that that was it. It was over. With Gideon having his journal, he was powerless, helpless, weak.

"Bus 52, departing Gravity Falls. All aboard." The intercom sounded.

The twins found themselves in front of the bus door, opened and just too soon.

Their bags were packed, unprepared and unplanned. They begrudgingly hauled their baggage into the bus and towards the back of the vehicle, with no other passengers on board. It seemed that no one else planned on leaving this town the same time they did. It was the middle of the summer, after all.

Dipper and Mabel peered through the window from the back. There stood Stan, who could only give them an apologetic look. "Sorry, kids," they heard him through the glass. "It's for the best." There was nothing they could do. The Shack was gone, they didn't have a home, no business, no money. Everything was taken away from them, just like that.

As the bus began departing, the twins watched the friends they had made that stood beside Stan. Candy and Grenda were crying as they hugged each other. Wendy mournfully waved her goodbyes. The older man couldn't even look them in the eye.

But Y/n was nowhere to be found.

Dipper's heart squeezed painfully in his chest. She wasn't even there to say goodbye. He thought he could have one last conversation with her before leaving, but he guessed the universe couldn't even grant his one request. "I can't believe this is happening," he mumbled absentmindedly, and the bus drove further away from the town that unfurled his curiosity to the unknown.

Goodbye, Gravity Falls.

***

Back in the Mystery Shack, Gideon slammed the front door closed as he excitedly stomped his little feet on the wooden flooring, giggling in victory. All his scheming and waiting for the right time had finally come to fruition. (Though he wasn't really patient as he literally broke inside the Shack with dynamites, but that's beside the point).

He ordered his servants he call his parents out of the living room to have this moment all to himself. The mother and the father scrambled to escape his wrath and he was left to his own devices. "It's finally mine!" Gideon hollered. "At last! I have Journal number-"

He placed the journal he took from Dipper on the table. But it wasn't the first journal as he was expecting. Instead, the cover had adorned a number 3, not 1.

"Three?!" Gideon uttered in pure disbelief. "There were three of 'em?!" He slapped his forehead.

"Uh, son?" Bud's voice resonated through his son's tantrums. How he had the guts to speak to him while he was having an episode was beyond him, but it was an urgent matter. There was an unwanted visitor that he had caught at their doorstep.

"Don't disturb me, old man!" Gideon howled in anger.

Bud sighed in exhaustion. "B-but, you have a guest. They seemed furious."

"Gideon!"

His ears perked up at his name. "Let her in."

The large man hesitantly opened the door, and there stood Y/n, seething with rage. Without speaking, she quickly charged towards the little boy and tackled him to the ground. Gideon screamed for help as he tried to stop the flurry of arms coming to slap his face. Y/n's hands snaked towards his collar and began squeezing until he was choking on his breathing.

Big hands came and pulled her off, grabbing onto her arms tightly. "Now, calm down! Calm down!" Bud repeated, trying to alleviate the girl's fury. "We can all talk about this!"

Gideon was trying to replenish his oxygen, easing his collar and breathing heavily as he laid on the ground. This brought a small smirk to Y/n's face as she exhaled in exhilaration. That felt good.

"I told you I would kick your butt. Thanks for letting me in, by the way," she told Bud sarcastically.

"Ugh, get away from me, you're crazy!" Gideon screeched.

"Guess we haven't established that yet. Give us the Shack back!" She demanded, pushing against Bud's hold.

"Tell me, where is Journal number 1?!"

"I don't know."

Gideon stood up. "Don't lie to me!" He chucked the nearest chair to the other side before striding towards her. "Where's Journal number 1! The Journal that I got from that boy was the third one. I need all three for the power to be unlocked!" He screamed.

Y/n deadpanned, her lips pursed into a line. "Give me. The deed."

Gideon paced around wildly before stopping. His eyes widened as if he had a realization. "Dipper! He must know where it is. He gave me the third one and kept the first for himself!"

"Even if you try and ask him, they're already long gone," Y/n tried to say.

Gideon pulled on his hair frustratingly, his face red. "I can't let him leave Gravity Falls!" He shouted and began to take his leave, taking the two journals with him.

"Hey- w-where are you going?!" Y/n called out desperately, annoyance seeping through. She tramped her shoe on Bud's foot making him let go of her and she chased after him. Running outside of the Shack, she watched Gideon make his way to a larger version of him made out of steel. It was a robot Gideon, who can move according to his controls.

The giant stomped its way through the forest until they were gone. Y/n had to find a way to get to it somehow and finally stop his reign once and for all.

***

"Hey, Dipper, wanna play 'Bus Seat Treasure Hunt'?" Mabel offered, in hopes of cheering up her brother. They always come up with such random activities that would pass the boring time of traveling.

Dipper continued gazing through the window and watched the trees pass by. "I'm not in the mood," he answered earnestly.

"Oh, come on," Mabel insisted, opening the bus seat in between them, revealing what was underneath. "We've got a Canadian coin, gum that's shaped like Ronald Reagan's head– ooh! Miscellaneous fluid stain-!"

"Giant robot!" Dipper shrieked..

"Yeah, giant robot– wait. What?!" Mabel exclaimed back.

"LOOK!"

From the back of the bus, a giant Gideon robot slid across the dirt and was carelessly sprinting towards them. "Halt!" They heard his voice. "I demand you to halt!" Every step sent an earthquake their way. The twins screamed in a panic, going to the front of the bus where the driver sat.

"Mr. Bus Driver!" Mabel cried. "There's a giant Gideon bot coming towards us!"

"Oh, hey dudes."

"Soos!"

The twins cheered in relief when they saw a familiar face. It turns out that Soos had been taking multiple jobs at once when the Mystery Shack was temporarily out of service. Now, he had been a part-time bus driver for at least 40 minutes and this was his first day.

Soos accelerated and pressed on the gas, making the bus move faster. "Hang on, dudes!" The vehicle dodged Gideon's attacks as best as they could, but when the overly large hand went and reached for it, Soos had unknowingly swerved to a new direction, heading towards a restricted area, blocked off by wooden signs.

The bus went up a hill, the road going round and round. For a moment, they thought they lost him, but the robot was unfortunately persistent and carelessly climbed up the mountain. The twins watched through the window as the Gideon-bot made the effort to clamber up. "He already won, what does he want from us?!" Dipper asked incredulously.

They ran towards the front and saw that they were heading straight towards a cliff. "Soos! Cliff!" Dipper called out, but it was too late for Soos to kick the pedals. The tires squealed against the dirt until the bus turned and ended up hanging for its dear life, stopping right at the edge of the hill. Soos tried to accelerate, but the other end of the bus didn't have dirt to move against.

Gideon rises from the mountains, striding menacingly towards the transport. The bot easily grabbed the bus and began shaking it up and down until the roof was torn apart. There, he found Soos who busied himself reading a manual to help him in this situation. The twins were nowhere to be found.

He turned around and looked for them until he saw two kids trying to run across the railroad that connected two tunnels of the cliffs. Dipper and Mabel tried to escape, but when they saw the signed boards that said, "DEAD END", on the other side of the railway, it was hopeless to get away.

The Gideon-bot jumped down and landed, causing the bridge to quake with its weight. It was amazing that the structure could still withstand the great amount of mass. "TELL ME!" Gideon's real voice reverberated through the speakers of his machine. "Where is Journal #1?!"

"Journal #1?" The twins echoed his question.

"Don't play games with me, boy!" The robot punched the other cliff, rocks crumbling apart and falling onto the siblings. Dipper and Mabel tried their best to dodge the descending boulders.

Dipper glared at the bot. "I don't know what you're talking about, you took the only journal I ever had!" He shouted in retaliation. "What do you even want with these journals, anyway?"

Gideon didn't answer, instead he reached down and took the twins in each of his metallic hands, separating them. Mabel struggled against the tight, cold grip.

"LET GO OF HER!" Dipper punched the metal in every word he spoke.

The bot simply laughed. "You still think you're some kind of hero?"

Without warning, Gideon tossed him away. Dipper landed by the edge of the cliff, hitting his head on a rock. He felt a warm, sticky substance running down his nose. "Agh..." he rubbed the pain on the back of his head. It was getting hard to breathe, getting hard to stand up. But he managed to do so, anyway.

"Dipper, help me!" Mabel screamed. "Help!"

The boy tried to look around for a way to reach his sister and rescue her, but his mind couldn't even think properly. His mind was hazy, and his heartbeat was erratic. Usually, he would've taken his journal out of his vest right by now and flipped through the pages for the solution. But he didn't have anything, and he was left to himself.

He didn't know what to do.

He just stood there, frozen in place. The anxieties he had always felt came crashing in more heavily now. Gideon's words from earlier were plaguing his mind that his shoulders were sagging from emotions.

"Face it, kid, you're nothing without that journal!" It was true. " How're you gonna fight back? No muscles, no brains..." His words got to him. He felt tears escaping him as his lips quivered. "What are you gonna do, huh? What are you gonna do?"

Dipper retreated back to the forest in defeat. Gideon was right. There was nothing he could do. He let the words of mockery get to him as his resolve crumbled. His mind shut down.

That's why he was following his heart this time, and took a leap of faith.

He turned around and charged forward, plunging down from the cliff. He jumped, flying down towards the bot. Dipper yelled, alerting the bot as it faced him.

Dipper crashed directly through the eye– which was made of glass– and tackled the real Gideon out of the controller. They landed on the floor but Dipper quickly stood. "Let go of my sister!" Dipper reared his fist back and punched Gideon repeatedly in the face.

"Never! I finally won this time!" Gideon retaliated, pushing him off and fighting back. The two exchanged punches and hits. The Gideon bot replicated his actions, flying Mabel around.

Gideon managed to throw Dipper down, sending punches to his face until the brown-haired boy had had enough. His brows furrowed in resolution as he stood back up and prepared for Gideon's next hit. And when he did, he captured the boy's fist, easily stopping him.

The white-haired boy's resolve faltered for a bit, startled at Dipper's change in strength.

With Dipper's other hand, he guided Gideon's arm and twisted it around to aim for his pale face. He began hitting him with Gideon's own arm, playing a game of "why you hitting yourself?".

Finally, Dipper managed to force one last hit on Gideon, and the bot did the same, hitting its own head. It punched itself so hard, that the head came loose, spinning around wildly.

With Gideon out of his control hub, the robot lost its balance, until it eventually fall backwards and plummeted down. "Dudes! NOO!" Soos shouted.

The twins were falling in mid-air, screaming as they did so. The Gideon-bot crashed and caused a huge explosion, big enough for everyone in the town to see. Parts of the robot were still fizzing with electricity, convulsing as the last remaining power wore off. Amongst the destruction, a continuous squealing of a rope was heard,

The smoke dissipated a bit to reveal Dipper and Mabel, going down slowly with the help of the almighty, "GRAPPLING HOOK!" Mabel declared loud and proud. "Told you that would come in handy." She told to her brother before their shoes hit the ground safely.

"Mabel, that was amazing!" Dipper exclaimed excitedly.

"Not as amazing as you defeating that robot!" Mabel shot back, playfully punching him in the arm, causing him to knock over a random metal sheet and under it was his journal. Safe and sound.

Dipper quickly picked up the book and tucked it inside his vest, just in time for the townspeople to arrive– including the police. "Is this the thing that exploded?" A random townsfolk uttered aloud.

"What's going on?"

"What is it?"

"What happened?"

Gideon managed to pop his head out of his contraption, groaning as he felt a headache coming from the impact he dealt. The people saw him and immediately ran to his aid. "Gideon!" Deputy Durland assisted Gideon all the way down as the twins watched with distaste.

The group of people all feigned a concerned look. "What on earth happened here?" Durland asked the little boy.

"It was the Pines twins!" Gideon bawled haplessly. "They tried to attack me and blew up my statue with dynamite! Arrest 'em!"

"WHAT!?" The twins squawked in disbelief.

"Officers, he's lying!" Dipper tried to convince, but the handcuffs were already out and dangling.

Gideon wore the smirk back to his face as Blubs shrugged, "Sorry, kids, but we trust Gideon– and nothing short of a miracle could ever change our-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

The Stan mobile made its entrance as Y/n carelessly drove through the dirt and even went to bump the police car so hard that it flipped to the side before parking But Stan didn't care as he jumped out of the window. "Wait, wait! Stop everything!"

"Not this guy again," Blubs discerned, not even commenting enough that a young-looking kid was driving the car in the first place.

Stan sprinted out of the car and parted the people to make way towards the cops. "Just wait! Look!" He was full of energy as he ran to the destroyed robot. "You guys all think Gideon is so perfect and honest, "Oh! I could never tell a lie! I'm Gideon!"" He mocked, making Y/n roll her eyes.

"He's more honest than you!" Blubs retorted, hands on his hips.

"Yeah!" Durland agreed, "and he's psychic too!"

"How's this for psychic? Bam!" Stan proceeded to kick the Gideon-bot, causing the metal panel to fall off. "Take a good look!"

Inside the bot were numerous monitors displaying the lives of people from Gravity Falls. The townsfolk surrounded the bot and pointed out their appearances inside the screens. "That's me!" They echoed.

"That's right!" Stan grinned. "These pins are hidden cameras! And my hearing aid was picking up the feedback! Who's the fraud now?" With a pinch, he easily broke the pin in his hands, revealing the small camera inside.

The rest of the townspeople followed suit, smashing their Gideon-themed pins on the ground before glaring at the culprit. Gideon could only giggle nervously as he feared for his consequences. Everyone marched towards the child with grief-stricken expressions. "Gideon, we gave you our trust!" Durland sobbed.

"You lied to us!" Manly Dan exclaimed with roughness in his voice.

Gideon shrank back until he was cornered. He stuttered some sort of explanation, but it was useless to change their minds now. "W-what are you gonna do with me?"

Durland turned to the town's local enthusiasm enthusiast. "Tyler?"

With a heavy heart, Tyler looked away. "Get 'em..." he sobbed, sniffling away his tears. "Get 'em!"

Gideon gasped as Blubs stood over him. "Lil' Gideon, you are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and breaking our hearts!" His voice cracked at the end before turning to his partner. "Durland, the tiny handcuffs."

They shackled his tiny wrists together before letting him walk towards the police car. Stan was already there by the vehicle's door. "Just one more thing," he said, picking Gideon up by the back of his collar and effortlessly shaking him.

"Let go of me!" Gideon screamed as the contents from his suit fell. There were his wallet, set of keys, an ax!?, a random crumbled paper, a photograph of Mabel, the deed, and the second journal.

Y/n nonchalantly slinked through the crowd and took advantage of them being distracted by Stan reclaiming the deed. Fortunately, she managed to slip it inside the pocket of her jacket. No one seemed to have noticed it, and when the twins walked closer to Stan, she casually just gave them a relieved smile.

"I'm glad you guys are okay," she told them.

The twins reciprocated her smile, "Finally, we're free from Gideon," Mabel sighed in completion.

"Yeah, no more of that little jerk terrorizing us," Dipper added, smiling.

Gideon was finally sent off in the police car, screaming out curses and threats. Shandra Jimenez materialized beside Stan. "There you have it. Local hero Stanford Pines has just exposed Lil Gideon as a fraud," she said, aiming the microphone at Stan. "Anything you have to say to the town, Stanford?"

The camera pointed at Stan, Mabel, Dipper, and Y/n laughing carefree.

"The Mystery Shack is back, baby!"

***

The tourist trap was indeed back and better than ever, bustling with customers and booming with sales. With the grand re-opening, they attracted fans who wanted them to autograph their merchandise. Stan did so gladly, just as gladly as he took their money.

When the Shack was empty again, the family took their time adjusting to their rooms again, placing everything back to where it used to be. It seemed that Gideon didn't really touch anything in their rooms and with that, they were grateful.

Dipper and Mabel were tidying up their room when Stan opened their door. "Hey, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel greeted.

"Uh, you kiddos settlin' back in okay?" Stan began before letting himself in. He sat on the edge of his nephew's bed, right beside him.

"Yep!" Mabel answered.

"Hey, Grunkle Stan?" Dipper spoke slowly. "Me and Mabel have been talking, and I think there's something we should finally tell you."

He showed him the velvety book with the six-fingered golden hand on the cover.

"This is a journal Y/n and I found in the woods when you sent us out," he told the older man, handing Stan the journal to peruse. "It talks about all the crazy stuff that goes on in Gravity Falls. Gideon nearly destroyed the whole town trying to find it. I don't know what it means, or who wrote it. But, after all we've been through..." he and his sister exchanged smiles, "Maybe you should finally know about it."

Stan's face was serious, void of a smile. "I'm glad you showed me this, Dipper." He closed the journal after skimming through it. For a moment, they thought he was going to say more, but he suddenly cackled aloud. "Now I know where you've been getting it all from! Spookums and monsters." He ruffled up Dipper's hair in the process. "This kooky book has been filling your head with crazy conspiracies!"

"But it's all real!" Dipper tried to convince him. He had to believe him!

Stan merely laughed. "You gotta quit readin' this fantasy nonsense for your own good. Although some of these would make great attractions!" He opened a random page and showed an illustration of the Squash with Human Face and Emotions. "Can't come up with this stuff! Mind if I borrow this?" Stan got up from the bed, taking the book with him and strutting away.

"Wait! No! Grunkle Stan!" Dipper called after him, but it all fell on deaf ears.

Stan chortled, ""Magic book." Ridiculous!" He walked out of the room, laughing echoing in the hallways.

He didn't tread long before he saw Y/n, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed coolly. "Good acting back there. For a second, I would have also thought that you don't believe in the paranormal."

The two of them walked down the stairs. "How could I not when I've been living with one for 30 years?" Stan inputted the code and the vending machine easily opened with a hiss. They slipped inside. "And hey, they have to think that I don't believe any of this stuff or it would blow my cover."

They stepped out of the elevator at the lowest level, automatically entering the room that held the key to saving her exemplar and his brother.

"Let's get to work."

Y/n sat in the chair and dragged herself over to the table, where she opened a drawer to reveal the first journal. Stan handed her the third journal, and the second one as still in her jacket pocket when she took it out. She set them down on the table. One. Two. Three.

After all these years.

Finally they have them all.

One. Two. Three.

Y/n opened the journals to their corresponding pages. The sensation of the paper against her fingers was exhilarating. It was as if each time it had a different texture. She found the blueprint and pieced it together. There it was. Codes littered the entire pages, and she immediately copied the arrangements of the alphanumeric symbols. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Ford's writing and the buttons she was pressing.

Slowly, the lights on the portal lit up, associating with the switches and levers she moved. Stan was quiet, watching her work, right until she pressed the last key, and the portal turned on.

Stan gazed at the illuminated portal, beaming with life. "It's working! Y/n, it's working!" She was speechless.

The older man madly rushed through the sliding door and face-to-face with the portal. Stan jolted the massive lever to the other side, which Y/n watched through the protective glass. The portal began to sparkle with power, emitting random laser lights before blinking to a bright white. The empty and presumed-dead was now brought back to life. All thanks to these journals.

One. Two. Three.

"Here we go," Stan said, his hands on his hips. Their hard work is finally getting paid.

Three. Two. One.

***

END OF SEASON 1.

kimmiepines originally published: july 3, 2023 words: 8131 words

author's note: hello my beloved readers. i want to send my heartfelt thanks to you guys for your patience and your comments! i love reading them and it gives me joy every time i see how immersed you guys are with the story.

i just realized that this story has reached its 1st anniversary! this book was published july 1, 2022. it's been a YEAR and we're only finished with the first season! i love u guys!

thank you for the people who took the time to decipher the little codes i put in every chapter. theyre just silly activities that i wanted to try but i am so happy that people participated! purplexpassion since you solved the puzzle in the shorts chapter, here is your reward! (you already saw it but whatever-)

i'll see you guys next time! on to season 2, baby!!!

ZIV BLF IVZWB?

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 13: Through Fears and Insecurities

"So how do you play this game?"

Dipper looked at Y/n, offended. "Seriously? You've never heard of this game before?"

She rolled her eyes. The two of them stood in front of a worn arcade machine with Fight Fighters in big, bold letters on the side of it. "I have, I just never had the time to play it." She crossed her arms.

"Well, you pick a character first," Dipper said, stepping forward and moving the joystick. "My favorite one's Rumble McSkirmish." He pressed a button and the character was chosen. "Your turn."

Y/n scoured through the list of fighters until she finally stopped on her chosen character. "This one looks promising." A ginger woman with two buns in her hair, and the name 'Suggessica' above her.

"Okay," Dipper nodded, smiling. The announcer shouted that the fight had begun and the two fighters faced each other with a referee in the middle. He felt excited as he taught her the basics of the game. "First things first, you use the joystick to move your character."

He moved left and right, Y/n following after him.

"Okay. Four buttons. This one is jumping, this one is punch, this is for kicking, and this is for your ultimate attack. You wait until the blue bar is full then you can use it."

Anyone who could be listening in to their conversation would deem this the nerdiest thing, but Y/n understood it easily. She nodded, and began pressing the buttons.

Suggessica moved forward, while Rumble stepped back. Y/n and Dipper began fighting momentarily. It was clear to her that he was taking it easy since she's only a beginner– which she appreciated, but Dipper shouldn't underestimate her.

Dipper was mashing the buttons and she picked up the strategy, because doing that can do some combos. Y/n pressed the kick button repeatedly, making Suggessica jump and kick Rumble a few times while in the air.

"Woah," Dipper muttered under his breath, beginning to fasten the pace, doing a counterattack of his own.

A couple of rounds later and the score was tied. "Wow, I didn't think you could beat me at my own game!" He spoke, staring at the screen.

"What can I say, I learned from the best." Y/n winked, nudging Dipper playfully. The two of them laughed. "One more game to break the tie?"

He grinned. "Game on."

"Fight!" The announcer declared.

Y/n and Dipper focused their attention on the match, pressing buttons. Dipper had his power meter almost full when someone pushed them both away.

"You kids have been playing the game since this morning. How about you two sit this one out?" Robbie came out from nowhere and immediately, Dipper felt annoyed. His presence alone made his blood boil. More than anything, he just wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.

Dipper boldly retorted, "But we just started this round."

"Whoa, whoa, hey! Relax man, I'm just trying to spend a little time with my girlfriend, alright?" Robbie was defensive. "You and your own girlfriend can play some other game for now."

"She's not my-"

"Couldn't you have asked a bit friendlier?" Another voice cut him off and Dipper only noticed that Robbie was with-

"Wendy! Hi," the boy greeted albeit awkwardly. She always seemed to have this effect on him.

The redhead smiled apologetically at the two. "Sorry for Robbie's behavior. He's just a bit nervous for his upcoming gig," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Come on, babe! Let's play!"

With that, Wendy excitedly accompanied Robbie, the game's music being mixed with their laughter.

As they played, Robbie put his arm over Wendy's shoulder, subtly glaring at Dipper.

Y/n watched Dipper with mild bitterness as he stared back at the couple with the same level of animosity.

***

***

Eventually, the two went back to the Shack. Soos invited everyone to play cards, and as much as Y/n wanted to join, she had to go down and diagnose the portal as per usual.

She must've been down there for quite some time because the moment she went back up, Dipper and Soos were gone, Stan had his back on the ground hysterically sobbing, while Mabel was on her way upstairs with Waddles in tow.

"Um... did I come at the wrong time?" she spoke.

"Y/n! Perfect timing!" Mabel exclaimed with her hands together. She sprinted towards her, literally ignoring her great uncle sprawled on the floor having fallen from fear from seeing a skydiving commercial. "I need your help."

"Woah!" Y/n yelped from the force that was Mabel Pines. She pulled her upstairs to her shared bedroom and began pacing around. Y/n dusted her clothes from being dragged. "Mabel, what is wrong? Why is Stan crying?"

She continued marching in circles. "Did you know that he secretly has a fear of heights?"

Y/n stared at the twin. She did have a hunch that he may have a phobia, but Mabel just confirmed it. All the hints that the old man didn't know he dropped, she picked it up. "What about it?" She asked instead.

"How am I gonna get Grunkle Stan over his fear?"

"What are you planning?"

Before Mabel could reply, the bedroom door opened and entered Dipper with an entire new character – literally.

"Hey, Mabel. Hey, Y/n. This is Rumble, my new bodyguard."

"The child gave me a taco!" Rumble responded with the same monotone voice and stoic expression.

Y/n wasn't able to speak as Mabel just gawked at the tall guy in interest. "Wow! He's got a crazy voice! Here, say these words," she said, writing something on a blank sheet of paper before handing it to Rumble.

"Effer...vescent! Apple..fritter! RIBOFLAVIN!"

"Mabel, he's not a toy, he's a fighting machine. I'm gonna get him to defend me from Robbie."

"Isn't that like cheating?" Y/n pointed out as she stared disapprovingly at Dipper's choices.

He simply shrugged. "I guess so." He continued to smile and a brief silence passed by. "Well, I'll see you after the fight."

The door closed. It was quiet until Y/n spoke. "I'm just as unsure as you, Mabel," she reassured the twin. "But if his plan backfires, then he has himself to blame."

"I'm not as worried for him as you do, Y/n," Mabel smirked.

"I-"

"Come on, Y/n! I have an idea on how we can help Stan overcome his fear!"

And when Mabel managed to convince Stan to walk him out while wearing a blindfold, Y/n knew she was up to no good.

She got herself another can of Pitt Cola before the three left for Mabel's adventure.

"Mabel, are you sure about this?" Y/n asked as she stared up at the water tower with a muffin spray-painted on it.

"100% sure! Grunkle Stan," she turned to him, "you have nothing to worry about! We just have to climb on a... something." If she said the word 'ladder' it would've been a dealbreaker.

Stan grunted, trying to grasp what was in front of him considering that all he saw was black. "What? Climb? You're not talking about a ladder, right?"

"No!" she giggled 'reassuringly'. "You can trust me, beloved great uncle!" She patted, slightly pushing him.

He slightly hesitated. "Alright, fine."

"I don't think he can still trust you after this," Y/n muttered under her breath, but followed after Mabel.

After a moment, the three eventually reached the top, the wind washing over their faces as their hair flew. "Take off your blindfolds now!" Mabel exclaimed.

Stan did as he was told and immediately saw the great height before him. The same feeling of anxiety returned before he could think. "Yep, that's pretty much what I was expecting," he said monotonously.

"You're doing better than I thought!" Mabel cheered. "Now let go of the handrail..."

Y/n could feel Stan shaking beside her, his knuckles were turning white from the vice grip he had on the rails. "Nope!"

All of a sudden, a teen with a scent of anger and hormones climb up the same stilted structure, gasping for air. Y/n had to step back from the stench that was Robbie.

"Hey, Robbie! Get your own water tower!" Mabel demanded.

Robbie looked uneasy and scared. Y/n's eyebrow raised in suspicion. What was he running from?

"CHALLENGER SIGHTED!"

She looked down and saw Rumble on the ground, clearly aiming for Robbie. Dipper's plan to destroy him seemed to be working.

Rumble screamed something else before attacking the water tower, kicking one of the stilts, making it lean.

Mabel panicked, shaking as she grasped the handrails. "What's happening?"

Stan's arms were shaking. "Oh, boy..."

"We're safe, right?"

Y/n held on to Stan and Mabel tightly as the older man panicked and screamed. The stilts of the water tower were punched until it weakened, and the whole thing wobbled. Y/n pushed the two to the other side of the tower to balance it, but Robbie unfortunately fell to his demise.

He was caught by none other than Rumble, who was prepared to finish the teen. But all of a sudden, Dipper stopped him with a single pebble. The fighter was perplexed, confused as to why the boy interrupted. Dipper admitted his faults, his lies– that Robbie didn't actually kill his father.

Rumble felt utterly betrayed. He let go of Robbie and began to summon the wind as he closed his eyes. He was thinking very deeply as he felt his soul get corrupted once he realized that he has been manipulated by this kid.

"If Robbie V is not the last stage..." the character began, "then it must be... YOU!"

He pointed directly at Dipper as he jumped into the air to emphasize his seething anger. A floating 'START' button appeared at his side. He stared at it before Soos came running beside him.

"Dude! Don't fight him, man. That dude's got like a black belt wrapped around his black belt! You could get killed!"

"I have to," Dipper replied, already feeling defeated. "I started all this and I got to at least try to stop it."

He looked at him, uncertain. "You sure you wouldn't rather hide like a wimp?"

Wordlessly, he punched on the 'START' button, and it vanished, signifying his agreement.

Soos crossed his arms as he looked proud. "Fight like a man it is."

The round began, and just like a video game, Rumble's stance was bouncing on his heels. Dipper attempted to follow his movement but it just looked awkward.

He fought with all of his might, but in the end he just accepted his fate– as well as Rumble's Super Power Ninja Turbo Neo Ultra Hyper Mega Multi Alpha Meta Extra Uber Prefix COMBO– leaving him bruised and beaten up.

The round ended, and as much as Rumble was very confident in winning, he just didn't know that arcade games will always have a 'GAME OVER'. Rumble screamed as he disappeared pixel by pixel.

Meanwhile, Y/n watched from the water tower, and now that the fight was over, she urged the other two to go home. "Come on, guys, let's go."

"I'm sorry, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel exclaimed over the wind. "I thought this would help, but I was wrong! So wrong!"

Stan began patting himself. "I... I survived! I survived and I feel great! Wait, let me do a cocky dance just to be sure." He placed his hands on his hips as he moved it back and forth with a huge smile on his face. He cackled. "Deal with it, world! Stan Pines has cured his fear of heights!"

Y/n rolled her eyes, but there was a twinge of amusement in them. "Alright, after you, old man."

He climbed down. "You coming, kid?" He said to Mabel. She shook her head, fearfully looking down. "What, you have a fear of heights now?"

She didn't say anything. It was quiet, and he only realized. "Uh oh." He and Y/n shared a worried glance.

"Come on, Mabel," Y/n cooed as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you get down." She took Mabel's hand and led her towards the ladder.

She was shaking, closing her eyes as tight as her grip on Y/n's palm. Gently, they climbed down as silence washed over them. The moment they touched the ground, Mabel immediately reached for Y/n's hand, holding it tightly that would have hurt, but it was never an issue for her.

While walking away from the water tower, Stan was telling the story about how he bravely faced his fear and eventually overcame it. Mabel was spacing out so clearly she wasn't listening, while Y/n was watching over the ruined park where Wendy had just arrived from her trip and was now talking to both Dipper and Robbie until she kissed her boyfriend and pushed down the boy's hat before walking back to her family.

The two boys talked briefly for a moment, agreeing on Dipper's offer of having a cold war with each other instead of fighting and risking Wendy seeing them. Robbie walked away with a scoff as Dipper stood there. Soos offered to walk him home seeing that he was still injured.

Everybody arrived home. Y/n already had the first aid kit out since she saw how bruised Dipper was. She waited until the door opened to the living room from the gift shop, and it didn't last long when it did open to reveal Dipper limping inside. "Ow, ow, ow," he muttered under his breath.

"Are you okay?" Y/n asked. Of course he wasn't, but she didn't know how else to open up the conversation without him overthinking the fact that she waited with the kit. "You should sit down."

Dipper obliged, sitting on Stan's yellow recliner. He closed his eyes but winced as he felt his black eye swelling again. "Ow."

Y/n ran to the cooler for ice and quickly handed it to him as he immediately placed it on his eye. He hissed as the cold, cold temperature met the bruise.. She began tending to his other wounds and it was quiet. The type of quiet where they could hear just their breathing. The type of quiet where you cringe when something rustles in the background. But it was the type of quiet where it was comfortable, calm, pleasant.

He closed his eyes as he breathed out, "Thank you, Y/n."

"You're welcome," she replied without missing a beat but she was still looking at his wounds.

Dipper had to admit, he felt guilty. He didn't know why. Maybe because she's always been helping him without expecting something in return. She had always been kind hearted and selfless, often seeming to be looking out for him and his sister.

He was brought out of his stupor when he felt her hand brush against his cheek. She was cleaning the scratch with wet cotton. He gulped at the proximity. What is happening?

Y/n was very gentle with every wipe. Every time her hand caressed against his skin, he felt warmth, but her stare could be so cold. She looked very determined to clean away his gashes. Dipper noticed the way she stopped moving. Her eyes shifted to meet his, and the two remained staring. Can you stop looking at me?

He had to back away. "Okay, I think I feel a little bit better. I can– handle it."

"Alright," she said after a brief moment and began cleaning up the dirty wipes and cottons. Dipper breathed what he didn't know if it was a sigh of relief. Y/n stood up. "I'll be in my room. Good night, Dipper."

"Good night."

***

It was one peaceful morning. Stan and the twins were watching another episode of Ducktective, when all of a sudden they heard a knock on the door.

With all of his might, Stan trudged towards it, opening it to reveal a suited man with a stern face. "Stan Pines..."

"Oh, no," Stan sweat-dropped upon a cold realization. "The tax collector! You've found me!" He threw a smoke bomb to the ground that effectively temporarily blinded the man and that was Stan's cue to take his bag of money hidden inside the walls of the living room and escape while he still could. He was looking desperately for a fake opening. "Which one of these is the trap door?!"

"Mr. Pines," the man spoke again, now inside of their living room. "I'm from the Winninghouse Coupons Savers contest, and you are our big winner!"

A cameraman, along with two women carrying a large check of ten million dollars, came in. Confettis were thrown around as Stan was shocked. "My one and only dream, to possess money, has come true!"

"We're rich!" Dipper exclaimed. "I'm gonna get a butler!"

Mabel punched the air. "I'm gonna buy a talking horse."

The man brought out papers. "Just sign here for the money."

"You bet!" Stan wrote into the paper without hesitation.

Only, it was all a lie when Gideon tore through the large check, exclaiming. "Stanford, you fool! You just signed over the Mystery Shack to lil 'ol me!" He began to do a little celebratory dancing jig.

Dipper and Mabel gasped in horror, but Stan was unperturbed. "Uh, you might wanna take another look there!"

Gideon raised the papers to his line of sight and began reading. "The Shack is hereby signed over to..." he saw the signature, 'SUCK A LEMON LITTLE MAN'?!"

Stan bellowed as he took pride in humiliating Gideon. The twins laughed as well to see the priceless look on his face.

The little boy tore the paper violently. "How dare you! I am not a threat to be taken lightly." He reached for the guy he hired to be the fake host. "Come here, I need your arms."

The unnamed lawyer followed his order and lifted Gideon before backing away slowly.

"I"ll get you, Stanford Pines! I'll get you all!"

First, get the name right.

Stan shook him off. He shouldn't dwell his attention on kids such as Lil Gideon. He had bigger matters in his hands. One of them was getting the cooler fixed– and another was setting up the gift shop. He was too lazy to do any of those, that's why he hired people for a reason. Soos will handle one of those tasks, though it was quite unfortunate that Wendy didn't work today...

He excused himself to the kids, telling them that he's going to go to the restroom. Boy, he's slowly running out of excuses and it's not even the half of the summer. He stood in front of the vending machine, surveying the closed shop before forcing it open and quickly shutting it once he got in. He meandered down the ramp that led to the elevator, punching the level's number, and waited until it took him there.

The elevator opened with a ding, and he walked to the pathway that showed the portal. "What are you doing here," deadpanned the girl who was casually working on the portal. She was typing the data that was coming out of the old-timey processing unit that Ford had designed for this portal. It was always ciphers– classic Ford– that Y/n had learned to decode. So far, the results have been... neutral.

"I should be asking you that question. You should be out there."

"I have nothing else to do."

"Then I'll give you something to do, fix the cooler."

Y/n groaned. "What? Have Soos fix it. I taught him how."

"I already assigned him other duties. Do you want to rearrange the shelves in the gift shop?" Stan asked. He waited, and when he heard nothing from her, he smirked as he felt cheeky. "I thought so. Now get off your butt and go upstairs!"

She punched down the table in defeat as she stood up, letting out an annoyed huff. "I hate you,"

"I love you, too. I'll take care of these while you're gone." He dismissed her, taking the seat she was previously in.

She rolled her eyes. As if he could understand a single symbol plastered there. Surely, he'd just take a nap.

Reaching the top level of the Shack, she took a peek on an opening from the vending machine. The gift shop was vacant, and no one seemed to be wandering around. So as quickly as she could, she slotted herself out of the machine, punching it shut for a Pitt Cola to fall off. She took it out and opened it like nothing had happened for the last ten seconds.

The universe was on her side when Soos had just opened the shop's door. "Sup, dude."

"Hey, Soos," Y/n said with her lips on the tip of the can. The two met in the middle of the room to give each other fist bumps. "You're on shelving duty right?"

"Yep, one of my favorite pastimes," he chuckled. "I just like looking at neatly arranged items that are all identical and stuff. Pretty satisfying."

She nodded, "Well, you get on that. I have to repair the cooler– again. Did you know why it broke?" The girl walked towards the cooler and circled around it, examining it from afar.

"I have no idea." Soos spotted the cardboard box from a corner and began inspecting it. It was a couple of Mystery Shack bumper stickers and other merchandise. "Maybe it was the heat of summer that's causing it to like– overheat. Or something."

Y/n couldn't help but smile. "You are exactly right, Soos. How did you figure that one out?"

"Well, the first thing I fixed was a cooler– uh, that cooler specifically. I helped Y/n – wait, not you you, but the you who was older... who was also named Y/n... She helped me fix the cooler. Your older sister."

She almost snorted in laughter. Stan was right, Soos was never going to pick up the clues. "Yeah? What did she teach you?" She already had the back of the cooler facing her, with the panel being opened. The toolbox was ajar, but she hadn't started yet.

"Everything I know," Soos answered. "She's the smartest person I know. Ten-year old me would have probably freaked out if it wasn't for your sister. Which is why..."

Soos trailed off. Y/n poked her head out the side of the freezer to look at him. "Which is why..." she repeated, wanting him to continue.

He smiled sheepishly. "Which is why... I'm kinda grateful that you're here, Y/n. The younger sister Y/n. It's like– you're continuing your sister's legacy. I don't know, I say dumb things."

There it is again, what Ford referred to as tears. It was simply there. To a normal person, it would feel like it was pricking the corner of their eye and about to come out, but to Y/n, it was just an inconvenience.

But what she felt inside after Soos said such a heartwarming statement... was enough to make her cry.

She quickly wiped it away. "I didn't think it was dumb..." she muttered.

It was times like these where she just wanted to tell the truth. "I was the same Y/n from ten years ago. I never grew up, never had a sister, and had been residing in this Shack for more than 30 years."

She wished it were that easy. Despite her desire to tell the truth, she would rather be selfish for a moment and let Soos talk about her nonexistent older sister with her than tell everything. The truth would eventually come out, and she had no idea what would happen or how he would react.

The twins entered the room before her mind could conjure up any more depressing scenarios. Dipper held a chessboard in his hands. "We need a table!"

"Hey, Dipper, what about this one?" Mabel pointed at a green, fake turtle shell with a random skeleton inside. "This seemed sturdy enough."

"Sure." The two brought the shell meters from the counter as well as dragged two tall wooden logs for chairs.

Mabel sat down, her legs swinging around because she couldn't touch the ground. Dipper crossed his legs as he brought out the chess pieces from the board. "What are we playing?" Mabel asked.

"Chess."

"Ooh, I love chess!" she expressed her excitement.

The two set everything up– well, Dipper did since Mabel doesn't know where to put the pieces– before they began the game.

Soos was on his way to reorganize a collection of Stan bobbleheads on a high shelf. Y/n was quietly turning a screw as she listened to the twins argue about the game. The game was full of commentary and Mabel impersonating a horse sound every now and then. Dipper was becoming increasingly enraged by his sister's casual approach to chess. This sport should be taken seriously.

After a few hours, Y/n had completed the cooler repair and was confident that it would work again. She connected the plug into a nearby wall outlet before switching it on. It hummed back to life as a single light turned on. She smiled proudly, her hands on her hips.

"Little guy to black space 9!" Mabel announced knowingly.

"It's a pawn, that's not your color, and stop stealing the tiny horses!" He pointed at her with an exasperated look.

Mabel smiled carelessly, cuddling the pieces close to her as it snuggled inside her sweater's pocket. "They like it better here!" She leaned closer to the black and white. "Don't you, babies?" Once again, she neighed in response to herself.

Dipper ignored her and lifted a bishop piece. He toppled Mabel's king with a big grin. "And checkmate."

"What? Booo!" Mabel shouted.

The boy took out his trusty notepad and pen, turning to the page that listed his victories in chess against his sister. He just got his 85th win. "OHHH! Dipper wins again!" He exclaimed. Mabel glared at him, annoyed.

Soos cast a glance to his right, where he noticed a brain in a jar wearing a tall hat and another brain in a jar wearing a blonde wig. He intended to replace the jars behind the bobbleheads, but he couldn't go down the step-ladder without letting go of the falling lantern beside him. He will have to fix that later, too.

He turned further to his right to go look for Y/n, but it seemed that she walked out of the room already. She was the tallest one out of the three preteens. She was taller than the twins by approximately four inches. Guess he had to go for the second tallest person in the room who could help him.

Still holding the lantern, he called, "Yo, Mabel, could you pass me that brain in the jar? The lady one?"

Dipper was already standing up. "I got it."

"Thanks, but Mabel's taller."

"What?!" Dipper reeled, "No she's not! We're the same height! We've always been."

Soos let the lantern fall, placing his fingers under his chin as he examined the two. "Better check again, dude."

He hopped down the stepladder, pushed them together back-to-back as Dipper removed his hat. Soos brought out a measuring tape he conveniently had in his pocket and began measuring. "Yep. She's got exactly one millimeter on you."

"What?!" Dipper was perturbed.

Mabel was amazed. "Woah, don't you see what's happening, Dipper? This millimeter is just the beginning. I'm evolving into the superior sibling! Bigger! Stronger!"

"Like some kinda alpha-twin!" Soos happily pointed out.

"Alpha-twin! Alpha-twin!"

Dipper crossed his arms, exhausted. "C'mon, guys, nobody even uses millimeters. It only makes you taller than me in Canada."

Mabel wondered aloud, completely ignoring her brother's complaints. "Y'know Dipper, I've always wanted a little brother. Who knew I already had one?" She laughed at her own joke.

Stan walked inside the gift shop, rubbing his eyes. "I was awoken by the sound of mockery." When actually, he was woken up by Y/n herself, telling him that she'd just finished the repair. "Where is it? Show me the object of ridicule!"

"I'm taller than Dipper!" The girl exclaimed.

"By one millimeter," the boy emphasized.

"Hey, hey," Stan warned, "don't get... short with your sister." He laughed uncontrollably. Dipper deadpanned.

Mabel put her hands together. "Now Grunkle Stan, I hope you don't think little of him."

He remained bemused while Stan laughed some more. "Yeah! And, and uh... he's short!" He and Mabel laughed in unison as Dipper began to think about his life choices.

Soos felt bad. He thought he had some kind of liability as he started all this height comparison thing. "Dude, maybe you should lay off a tiny bit."

Stan guffawed. "HA! Tiny! Soos is in on it now!" The two cackled hysterically, watching as Dipper finally stomped away.

"N-n-no, I didn't mean that!" Soos clarified.

Mabel placed her hands on her hips, walking towards her grunkle. "Dipper will forget. He's got a 3... 2... 1..."

"SHORT-TERM MEMORY!"

Y/n was about to return to the gift shop to see what Stan had to say when she ran into Dipper in the hallway. She chose not to say anything because she noticed he had a deep frown on his face and his brows were furrowed, indicating he was stressed.

She opened the door and saw Stan in tears because he couldn't stop laughing. Mabel, too, was howling with uncontrollable laughter. "What happened just now?"

"Oh, Y/n! There you are! Can you believe that I'm actually taller than Dipper? This is the best day of my life!"

"Congratulations?" She didn't know what to say to that trivial news.

Stan pulled Y/n to his side and playfully gave her a noogie. "Oh, come on, Y/n. Why don't you give Dipper some of your height? He could use it!" Once more it was followed by rounds of laughter.

She withdrew herself from the older man. "I didn't come here to make fun of Dipper. Have you seen the fixed cooler yet?"

"Eh, I trust you enough to know that you did a good job." The way he said it felt so dismissive, but she still felt pride when she heard that. Stan's compliments are a rarity. "Welp! I'm off to go back to my office. Waking up to this was better than some cup of coffee." He chuckled as he walked away.

Soos went back to the counter and got the jar of brain himself, while Mabel sat on the barrel chair beside it. Y/n bought herself a nice can of Pitt Cola before retreating towards the living room.She plopped on the yellow chair rather ungracefully, the content inside of the soda sloshing around as she did so. Sipping slowly, she stared at a random spot on a ceiling.

This was the same couch that Dipper had sat on as she had tended to his wounds. That felt like so long ago when it was actually just last night. What was she thinking?

This is just a ploy to get closer to them. The more you do something nice for him, the more he trusts you that he'll eventually lend you the journal.

He shouldn't even be lending it in the first place. It belonged to her first!

Another reminder that she's doing this for Stan as well. He was desperate to redeem himself and change. To show the kids that he wasn't just the stupid older brother. He wanted to be a good role model (though he wasn't really living up to that), but most of all, he wanted to protect them and keep them safe. And, as much as possible, they should avoid doing anything that will raise their suspicions.

Slowly, but surely.

She rose from her seat. It's pointless to dwell on these thoughts. She was drinking the last of her Pitt Cola when Dipper marched into the living room, almost making her spit it out as she noticed something different about him.

Dipper came to a halt, feeling unwell as he realized he no longer looked slightly upwards whenever he spoke with Y/n. He's looking directly into conniving eyes. They were the same height this time, and she noticed it right away.

"When did you get so tall, Dipper?"

He laughed quite nervously. "Oh, you know... puberty and stuff."

"Hm..." She'd read a few medical books about the topic because she hadn't got a personal experience, but she didn't realize that going through puberty also meant having your clothes enlarged...? It was too convenient to consider.

Dipper clenched his knuckles, looking like he was about to break. "Okay, I give up! Y/n follow me," he said, taking the lead and marching up the stairs.

Y/n watched as Dipper approached the shelves and reached for a seemingly ordinary flashlight—except it wasn't. It had a crystal taped to the spot where the light was supposed to shine.

"Wait, where did you get that?" Y/n pointed out as she realized something.

His eyes briefly widened. "Do you know this?"

"I see these exact things from time to time whenever I take walks. I thought they were just shiny rocks..." Gosh was it hard to act dumb.

He almost had a smirk on his face. "Well, you thought wrong because they were actually height-altering crystals. I read it in the journal. For example, this knight is tiny. I just shine a light at it and–" he presented like it was show and tell. "--BOOM! It's bigger now. But it can also be reversible. Just flip the crystal over and it'll shrink." He pointed the flashlight towards the knight and turned it on, this time the light was pink.

"That's interesting! But...why did you need it, Dipper?" She just had to question it out loud. Though Tall Dipper was a sight, she had to know what his intentions were.

"I... I'm just sick of my sister teasing me, and I have a habit of proving people wrong, so..."

When she said nothing else, he stepped forward and gave her the flashlight.

"Here, just aim it at me and turn it on then off. Do it quickly so I won't turn into a giant."

She nodded. following his instructions. He had his arms out as if embracing it. and that was her cue to turn it on. It was only a millisecond of the blue light washing over him and he grew in an instant.

Y/n stepped closer just to compare. This time, he was so tall that she had to look up slightly to meet his brown eyes. Woah.

Dipper's thoughts were racing. It was as if he had been slouching his entire life, and stretching his back changed his entire perspective. She was looking up at him. She had considered it before, and she had considered it again. Tall Dipper was a sight.

He couldn't help but smile at Y/n's stunned expression. He wanted to treasure this priceless reaction for the rest of his life. Surely he can keep being taller than her forever.

What was he saying?

All of a sudden, Mabel opened the door. "Give it up, Dipper!" she declared as she entered. As if they were electrocuted, the two hopped away from each other. Mabel marched up to them. Either she didn't see or she did but was too distracted by her frustration to notice.

As quickly as she could, Y/n turned around and made her exit. Only then did she notice an enlarged pawn literally behind them that went through the ceiling. How could she have missed it the first time she walked into the room? Her guard had been completely lowered.

The more Mabel trudged closer, the more she realized that her height couldn't compare to Dipper's right now. She gasped and instantly glanced down on the ground to see that he wasn't standing on anything. "What happened?!"

Dipper shrugged casually with a smirk. "I told you, sis. I just had a growth spurt. No big deal."

"This doesn't make any sense! Just a second ago you were– WAIT A MINUTE!" Mabel yelled. "This is some kinda magic-y thing, isn't it? Was it a wizard or something? There's a wizard in this closet, isn't there? ISN'T THERE?" Mabel strode to the closet.

"What? NO!" Dipper shouted back.

"You're telling me that there is not a wizard in this closet. You're telling me that if I open this door right now-"

"Fine! Open it."

She did, revealing a flannel shirt, a tee, and a pair of boots clearly too big to fit for either of the twins. Whose clothes are these?

Mabel remained unfazed, looking completely disappointed. "An invisible wizard! Really, Dipper?"

Meanwhile, Y/n had just run down the stairs. She could feel her very normal heart pounding in her chest. What the heck is happening?

"Woah, you alright?" Stan asked the moment he saw her.

She began walking away. "I'm fine. I just need... some space."

"Maybe you need some free entertainment," he suggested, on the brink of laughter. "Look out the window if you want a laugh."

She raised an eyebrow, but did what he said. She leaned on a nearby window and saw Gideon running around wildly as he smacked his hair repeatedly. He was screaming the words 'TERMITES!' over and over.

Stan was laughing beside her. "Come on, you gotta admit. It's hilarious."

"It's quite amusing."

"Boo, you're not even laughing." He glared.

Y/n looked at the clock and she suddenly looked surprised. "Oh, my! Is that the time? I have to do something really important! In the meantime, don't you have to be ready for your tour? The people would be waiting! Welp, ta ta!" She rambled before dashing away without giving him a chance to speak.

"Stop changing the subject!" Stan burst out as he watched her down the hall.

Upon entering her room, Y/n clenched her fists. Her plan to get closer to Dipper appeared to be working, but why did she feel so differently? She experienced emotions she had never encountered before. Is this normal? To be fair, she wasn't even normal to begin with. She punched a nearby wall until it was literally smashed to smithereens. It didn't hurt her hand in the least. Yep, definitely not normal.

She wasn't having the best day.

Dipper wasn't feeling well either, having been shrunken down by Gideon himself using the same magical flashlight he'd created. Now he and Mabel are trapped inside the jar as the boy takes them home. When Gideon arrived in his dark room, he opened the container and shook the twins out, causing them to fall to their butts on the wooden drawer.

"You two!"

"What are you gonna do with us?" Mabel asked.

Gideon giggled. "Why Mabel, I wouldn't hurt a hair on your itty-bitty head– if you agree to be my queen!"

"We live in a democracy! And never!" She pushed his finger away from her hair.

"Maybe you'll change your mind after this!" He picked her up by the collar of her sweater, bringing her to a pack of her favorite snack.

"Gummy Koalas!" Mabel gushed after threatening to fight Gideon until the day she died. That would keep her suppressed.

"As for you, boy," Gideon continued, facing Dipper. "Tell me, how exactly did you come upon this magic item? Hmm? Did somebody tell you about it? Did you.... read about it somewhere?"

Dipper raised his gaze to the pale child. His vest pocket became noticeably heavier as he realized the implication of his question. He remembered the journal tucked inside as the words 'TRUST NO ONE' flashed across his mind. He took a look around and noticed an air horn nearby. "Lean closer and I'll tell you!"

"Well don't mind if I-"

He sounded the air horn right in his face, making Gideon scream. He cupped his ringing ears as his face turned red from anger. He was breathing heavily before turning back around pushing away the lamp. "I COULD SQUASH YOU RIGHT NOW!"

Dipper stepped back in slight fear.

But Gideon stopped himself. "Steel yourself, Gideon. You could use them." His voice dropped into a whisper. "You could use them."

The ringing of the Shack's main telephone echoed throughout the house. Y/n's eyes opened for a brief moment. She laid on her bed with her hands on top of her stomach. She was waiting for Stan's order to answer the call, but nothing came and the ringing already stopped. He must've been nearby. After a long silence, it was cut off by his obnoxious laughter.

"Y/n, can you come down here!"

She blinked. She may not have been called to answer the phone, she was still ordered to come down nonetheless. What did he need this time?

Leaving her room, she trudged down the hallway. But before she could take a turn towards the parlor, she took a detour to the gift shop. She needed that soda intake before dealing with anything. Gideon Gleeful busted open the main door to the shop before her hand could reach the employees' only door. "The Shack is mine, Stanford Pines!" She heard, and that's when she took a peek at the slightly ajar door.

She saw Mabel's eccentric pink sweater and the blazing blue vest that Dipper wears by Gideon's grasp. In his other hand, the magic flashlight that he blatantly stole, with the pink light shining towards a direction.

Y/n followed the light, and that's where she noticed Stan's fez on the ground. She clenched her fists so tightly as she feared that Gideon may have won the battle– until he lifted the hat revealing a green speck. Gideon had shrunken Soos instead. "What?!"

The boy captured little Soos and took a random jar lying on the counter. He opened it and carelessly tossed the trio inside, even shaking them for a little bit of torture. "Tell me where Stan is!" Gideon yelled onto the jar.

Y/n observed him as he suddenly had a huge grin on his face, indicating that he had figured it out. He moved towards the door where she was hiding. She exited the living room as quickly as she could and headed straight for the kitchen."Stanford! I'm coming for ya!"

She peeked from the kitchen as Gideon turned to the direction where the parlor was located. Come on, think! She needed to tell Stan about Gideon's attempt to shrink him, but she had no idea where he was. He could be in the mirror maze that he was talking so proudly about, but Gideon could be ahead of her already.

Even after a few unsuccessful attempts to smack the glass, the twins and Soos remained helplessly trapped. As he felt guilty, Soos placed his hands on his head. "Guess I kinda 'Soos'ed that one up, didn't I?"

"It's not your fault, Soos," Dipper said," I"m the one who put together that shrinking device. I guess it's just..." he turned to Mabel, "... you kept teasing me, Mabel, like, all day! What was that all about?"

Mabel frowned, feeling bad. She tossed Dipper the notepad with the list of their games. He glanced at the paper cluelessly. "I guess it's that... you're better at me at, like, everything! And you always rubbed it in my face. Chess, checkers, ping pong..." Even croquet. "I guess I finally felt like I was winning at something for once."

Dipper felt bad as well. He lightly smacked the notepad against his head. "Aw, man. Now I feel like a big jerk."

"Don't you mean, a little jerk?"

"Oh!" The two of them chuckled at the lighthearted joke. "Alright, I walked into that one. Are we cool?" He stretched his arm for a fist bump.

"We're cool."

"Am I cool?" Soos spoke, presenting his fist as well.

"You're cool, Soos."

"Yes!"

Dipper smacked his hands together. "Alright, let's find a way to get out of this jar. We can't break it, so let's just open it the old-fashioned way. Soos! Carry me on your shoulders."

The handyman raised him until he was sitting comfortably on the back of his neck. He then raised Mabel, and Dipper grabbed her until she could step on his shoulder and sit on it, forming a tower. Mabel twisted the cover until it was loose, and a hard push was all it took. Soos stood on his tiptoes until she was able to lift the cover. The container had finally been opened.

"Let's get that flashlight before Gideon gets Stan!"

Y/n stalked after Gideon as he walked down the steps and into the mirror maze. It indeed looked like a maze made out of mirrors. Now how much did this cost Stan? "Ew, termites!" Gideon suddenly exclaimed, slapping the back of his neck. He continued walking until he saw Stan looking down on him.

He jumped, instantly reaching for the flashlight and turned it on. The light bounced off the various mirrors until it landed on the wall mount of a moose head. Unsurprisingly, it shrank.

Stan was laughing at him, causing Gideon to become enraged and throw the flashlight at him. "No!"

The flashlight broke one of the mirrors, shattering it into a million pieces. "Hey, watch the merchandise!" Gideon picked up the device, and with a devilish smirk, he had the perfect plan. He began smashing the mirrors with his flashlight one by one, not caring if it would prick him. He broke about 10 mirrors until Stan finally showed up, his hands on his hips. "You little troll! These mirrors caused me 10- I-I mean, uh 20- 5, 500... 500 dollars each! And you're paying for all of them!"

Gideon imitated his pose. "Au contraire! It will be you who pays!"

Y/n burst into the scene and tackled Gideon to the ground, reaching for the flashlight and attempting to apprehend him by pushing down his wrist, but he was quick, withdrawing his hand and pointing the flashlight at her. But before he could turn it back on, Y/n slapped his hand, causing him to drop the flashlight, which rolled to the ground.

"Ah! No!" Gideon screamed, thrashing around like a toddler. With the way he smacked his fist down her cheek, he wasn't exactly throwing back punches. Y/n didn't even flinch as she grabbed his wrist. She steeled herself against punching him back as much as she wanted to. All she has to do is keep him away from the flashlight.

"What is happening out there?!" Mabel exclaimed as her grip on Gideon's pocket tightened.

Dipper felt dizzy. "Y/n must be helping us by stopping Gideon from shrinking Stan! We gotta help her!"

"Wait, she knows about the magic flashlight-?"

"It doesn't matter, to his armpit!"

"Uh-uh!" Mabel grimaced.

"Just- just go! Come on!" He pushed her down until they were both crawling on his skin.

Gideon smacked Y/n several times, but she didn't budge. "Ugh, let go, you fool! Give me back my flashlight!"

"That's not yours to begin with!"

"You will rue the day you cut off my vengeance against Stanford." Gideon glared, pointing at her. "I wasn't going to include a nobody like you in my schemes, but now you've made a grave mistake messing with me! You and the rest of the Pines family will feel the wrath of Gideon Glee-"

He began giggling.

Y/n and Stan stared at him confusedly.

"Gideon Glee-!" He was laughing uncontrollably on the floor.

"I don't even know how to respond to this," Stan spoke aloud.

He was chortling before stopping himself. "No-!" Then he's back to laughing. Stan looked at him as if he were insane. He looked to Y/n for assistance.

Y/n stood up and began kicking Gideon, causing him to roll on the ground. She took up the flashlight as Stan took over the punting this time. The two rolled a laughing Gideon until they reached the front door, where Gideon landed on the ground with one last kick.

He finally stopped laughing. Gideon clutched his pockets and yelled, "My light!"

"You're the light of my life, too, pal," Stan replied before closing the door. "Phew! Freak show, am I right?"

He left without saying anything else. Y/n stood there motionless as she watched him walk away. "Dipper? Mabel?" she whispered after a moment.

"We're here! Y/n, we're here!"

Two little dots were jumping on the ground below her. She smiled and pointed the flashlight at them after flipping the crystal. She turned it on and the light was back to blue. The twins had all returned to their normal height, but they still needed to measure for... good measure.

"Hey! You're letting me keep my extra millimeter?" Mabel said.

"Oh," Y/n said, facing Dipper. "Do you want me to...?"

"Nope, she earned it." He brought his hand up, though he really missed the feeling of being taller.

"Aw, thanks! Little brothe-"

"Stop it."

The night had ended. Of course, they didn't forget about Soos and bringing him back to his normal height, too, before destroying the crystal completely.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 14!

MASTERLIST

author's note: i planned to include a scene where dipper comforts mabel after having a newfound fear of heights (it was already written out and everything), but i scrapped it since it would really cause major plot holes. let's just say that mabel's fear of heights wasn't perman64ent.

anyway-

23-8-1-20-0-9-19-0-20-8-9-19-0-6-5-5-12-9-14-7- -19-15-0-19-21-4-4-5-14-0-1-14-4-0-14-5-23-?

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 9: Even Bigger Fraud Than Stan

"Hey, have you seen my pants?"

She stood there, deadpanned, as Stan asked her in his boxers. His top half was wearing the classic Mr. Mystery shirt and coat, all that is missing is his pants. "No," Y/n replied, sipping on the soda. "Where are Dipper and Mabel?"

Stan looked around the kitchen for where his pants could've been misplaced. "The kids are in the room with the wax figures. They have been there since this morning."

Y/n glanced at the clock hung on the wall. She didn't even notice that it's afternoon already. "Oh?" she wondered, "How did they find it?"

"Eh, I have no idea. I even forgot I've been keeping 'em in the Shack!" he replied, marching to the living room. He kept muttering, "Where the heck did my pants go?" under his breath.

"Where did you last put it then?!" Y/n exclaimed, getting tired of him searching.

"I don't remember! That's why I'm looking for it!"

She left him alone by himself. Watching him looking at every crevice for his large pants even got her tired so she went to the room where the twins were.

A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the faces of those wax figures. It really crept her out and she doesn't even know who these people were.

The door was already open when she arrived at the hall. Soos, Dipper, and Mabel in a beret were standing in front of a wax statue. Y/n took a casual sip of her drink.

"Y/n! There you are," Mabel greeted once she saw her. The girl in the sweater dashed towards her friend and grabbed her wrist before pulling her in front of the statue. "What do you think?"

Y/n's jaw dropped as the contents of her Pitt Cola had escaped her open mouth and to the ground.

"Woah!" Mabel exclaimed. "I guess my work is jaw dropping, huh?"

Stan entered the scene, now with his pants on. "I found my pants but now I'm missing my- woa- ha- AH!" He fell to the ground and scrambled away once he noticed the wax figure that looked a lot like his twin brother.

It's not him, Stan. Calm down.

"So, what'd you think?" Mabel asked Stan.

He had to ease his quickening pulse before responding, "I think... the Wax Museum's back in business!"

***

***

All of the people in the Mystery Shack helped transfer all the wax statues outside on a makeshift stage, with banners and chairs already set up.

"Ugh. So creepy," Y/n muttered under her breath as she lifted wax Sherlock Holmes, the last person, to the stand. "Never liked them in the first place."

"In the first place? Have you seen them before?" Mabel said behind her. She must've overheard.

"No. I- I've seen them on TV. I just don't like how hyper-realistic they looked."

Nice save.

"Oh, okay. I think they look cute though!" Mabel replied, holding her hands together with a huge grin. "I hope people will show up."

"I'm sure they will," Y/n reassured, "People will want to be in the reopening of the amazing Wax Museum."

Her sentence was dripping with sarcasm, but Mabel was too much of a sweetheart to notice.

Rest assured, people did come, although Y/n had a feeling that they only came because of "free pizza" that she's sure Stan wouldn't be able to provide.

"You all know me, folks! Town darling, "Mr. Mystery." Please, ladies, control yourselves!" Stan said over the microphone. As you know, I always bring the people of this fair town novelties and befuddlements, the likes of which the world has never known. But enough about me. Behold... me!" He walked towards the clothed statue and uncovered it, revealing a wax replica of himself.

Soos pressed multiple keys on his keyboard, emitting various fanfare sound effects. Two people in the crowd clapped while someone coughed.

"And now a word from our own Mabelangelo!"

"It's Mabel." she grinned, taking the microphone. "Thank you for coming! I made this sculpture with my own two hands! It's covered in my blood, sweat, tears, and other fluids!"

The crowd winced as they expressed their disgust, "Ugh, ew!"

"Hehe. Yeah..." Mabel chuckled. "I will now take questions! You there!" She pointed at the familiar hobo.

Old Man McGucket asked about the eventual wax-man uprising and Mabel wittily provided the answer. Followed by Toby Determined who was shamed by Stan who pointed out that his microphone was a turkey baster.

"Shandra Jimenez, a real reporter." A woman stood up with her cameraman. "Your fliers promised free pizza with admission to this event," she announced before showing said flier, "Is this true?"

The murmurs in the crowds resounded, until it had transformed into chatters of complaint and protests of pizza. Stan quickly exited the scene with his trustworthy smoke bomb and escaped with the box of admission fee in his grabby hands.

Dipper and Wendy sat by the booth where the admission box once lied. They both look concerned and a bit scared, while Y/n just looked out of it. Mabel enthusiastically placed her elbow on the table with a proud smile. "I think that went well."

The sun had set and the moon had risen. Owls were hooting as Stan was spouting old expressions. "Hot pumpkin pie! Look at all this cash!" He said, "Now you kids wash up. We got another long day of fleecing rubes tomorrow. Go, go!" He pushed the twins outside the room before sighing and placing an arm on Wax Stan's shoulder. "Kids."

"You, uh, got something going on there with good 'ol Wax Stan, huh?"

Stan jumped at the sound of her voice and turned around to see her behind the lounge chair. "Sheesh, you almost gave me a heart attack, and hey you should be washin' up, too, kid."

Y/n crossed her arms, ignoring his order. "I know we saw the same thing... with... this guy," she referred to the frozen smile that belonged to the wax figure in the room. "He really looked like you, you know? He could be your twin."

"Oup, no. No, no, no." Stan shook her head. "We're not talking about that. We're here to relax and watch my favorite show, Ducktective," he said grumpily, getting the remote and sitting down with wax Stan standing beside him at a weird angle.

Y/n stared at him switching through the channels. She was about to go back to her room to sleep when he spoke again.

"So, you gonna watch Ducktective or what?"

A hint of a smile appeared on her face. Wordlessly, she took a seat on the ground by Stan's feet just as Ducktective captured the criminal. The show has been their favorite ever since it premiered and they just find peace in watching it together — though they watch it to make fun of it.

Stan laughed at the corny catchphrase from the show. "Stupid duck! Well, I'm gonna use the john." he stood up and stepped away from the two of them. Y/n stood up as well, dusting her clothes. "Guard him while I'm gone, alright?" Stan told her before leaving the room.

She rolled her eyes. "Why does he act like it's a real person?" She took Stan's seat beside the figure. "Sure, he may look like him– a lot but it's not... real."

Y/n reached and slotted her hand around the wax statue's arm and leaned slightly. She chuckled weakly. "Heh, miss you. You're probably gonna be looking like an old man now just like your brother. Meanwhile, I'm still the same thirteen year old me that you left behind.

Might need an explanation once you come back..." Fatigue gradually overtook her. She really shouldn't fall asleep whilst clinging onto Ford- she meant Wax Stan, but she couldn't help but feel comfortable at the moment. She missed this.

She must've been a heavy sleeper because the next thing she heard, Stan screamed, "NOOOOO!"

Y/n scrambled up to her feet and didn't realize what was going on until she saw Wax Stan already on the ground... with its head gone.

The twins ran to the scene, Y/n stood there with a puzzled expression while Stan was shaking grimly. "Wax Stan has been murdered!" he turned to Y/n with a panicked look. "Y/n, what did you do?!"

"Me?! I didn't do anything!" she emphasized. "I fell asleep and the next thing I knew this guy's head was chopped off!"

Mabel fainted dramatically with the back of her head on her forehead. Dipper caught her before saying, "Everybody, calm down. Let's call the cops and see if they can help."

Surely enough, the cops arrived. They questioned the events before said murder, and Stan nervously told his point of view, "The three of us were just watching a show when I went to the bathroom. And when I come back, BLAMO! He's headless!"

"My expert handcrafting besmirched." Mabel kneeled next to Wax Stan's "corpse", carressing it gently. "BESMIRCHED!"

Dipper comforted his sister. "Who would do something like this?"

Blubs drank from his cup of coffee, "Why don't you ask the only person who was present at the scene of crime?"

They all looked at Y/n, who was already looking offended. Dipper frowned. "I don't think Y/n would have done this."

She smiled, grateful that he could trust her. Her happiness shifted to anger as she faced the cops again. "You can't accuse me of murder when you don't even have the evidence!"

"That's true!"

Blubs remained dismissive, "Then unless you don't think that this girl here is guilty, let's face it: this case is unsolvable."

"WHAT?!" Dipper, Mabel, and Stan exclaimed.

Stan pointed an accusatory finger at them. "You take that back, Sheriff Blubs!"

"You're kidding, right?" Dipper said, "You're not even gonna do investigations and search for more evidence?"

"Oh, Dipper can help!" Mabel chimed in, supporting her brother. "He's really good. He figured out who was eating our tin cans!"

"All signs pointed to the goat."

Even Stan wanted Dipper to help, only for the offer to be turned down by both the sheriff and the deputy. They laughed in his face, making fun of Dipper because he was a little kid.

They really shouldn't be underestimating him.

"Adorable. You should leave the investigating to the grownups," was their final words before being called to attend an emergency.

Determined Dipper turned to his sister with a fire like no other. "That's it. Mabel, you and I are going to find the jerk who did this and get back that head! And we'll see who's adorable." he seethed before unconsciously releasing an adorable sneeze that could've been mistaken for a kitten sound.

Y/n will also agree that he's adorable. His sneeze was adorable.

The twins started transforming the living room into what appears to be a crime scene. Mabel was photographing the headless wax figure repeatedly, while Dipper was pinning pictures to his corkboard.

Stan walked out of the room, depressed. Y/n wanted to go console him, but she was stopped by Dipper. "Hey, wait. Y/n."

"What's up?"

"I know that you wouldn't do this, but what happened at the time of murder? What were you doing?"

She was irritated, but she replied truthfully, "I was sleeping. I didn't know what happened. I didn't hear a sound because I was asleep."

"Well, wax Stan lost his head and it's up to us to find it and prove your innocence. Would you like to join us?"

As much as she would like to go be with them, she has to prioritize. And right now, Stan is her first priority. "I don't know," she began. "There's not much room for one more detective, don't you think?"

"But-"

"I'm sure Sherlock Holmes and John Watson will handle it." Yes, she read the books. "The question is, who is Holmes... and who is Watson?" she left without another word.

The twins stared at one another before Mabel smiled. "I'm Sherl-!"

"No," Dipper immediately turned down. "Mabel, focus. We have to solve this case. The murderer could be anyone."

Mabel's eyes widened. "Gasp. Even us!"

"In this town, anything is possible," Dipper muttered, taking out his journal and skimming through it. The book was full of codes and ciphers that he might use to find clues.

"Hey, look, a clue!" Mabel's voice brought him out the pages. She pointed down to the ground they were standing on.

"Footprints in the shag carpet!" Dipper marveled. "It looks like one of the shoes has a hole in it." Their eyes noticed the marks all leading somewhere behind the big, yellow chair.

The twins found an ax just lying there on the ground. This must be the murder weapon!

To clarify, they took the object and delivered it to Soos the handyman. He examined it thoroughly before concluding, "In my opinion... this is an ax."

Mabel suddenly got an idea. "Wait a minute. The lumberjack!"

They began to piece their assumptions together enough to go out and find the aforementioned lumberjack. Soos had told them about the biker bar.

With newfound information, they walked out the Shack in unison. They passed by Stan who was struggling with bringing out a coffin from his car trunk.

"Hey, give me a hand with this coffin, will ya? I'm doing a memorial with wax Stan. Something small, but... classy," he said, giving it all his all until the coffin eventually was pulled out.

Dipper clutched the straps of his duffel bag tighter. "Sorry, Grunkle Stan, but we have a big break in the case!" he emphasized with a clench of his fist.

"Break in the case!"

"We're heading into town to interrogate the murder."

"Oh, well in that case, do me a quick favor and fetch Y/n for me? This coffin is surprisingly heavy."

Mabel sprinted inside the shack, loudly shouting Y/n's name. "Y/n! Stan needs you!"

"I hear ya!"

And that was Mabel's cue to leave and regroup with her brother. "She's coming!"

Stan placed his hands on his waist. "I know this is dangerous and I would honestly forbid you from going if I am a responsible parent... good thing I'm an uncle! Avenge me, kids!

AVENGE ME!"

The kids took off, with Mabel carelessly swinging around the ax that they found. Stan watched them with an almost proud look on his face.

"You said you need me?"

He glanced beside him and it was Y/n, in the flesh. "What took you so long?"

"I was in the bathroom, jeez!"

Stan scoffed playfully. "You're probably performing another album from ABBA in the shower. Not surprised."

"Do you need me or not?" she glared at him.

"Help me carry this thing," he said before lifting up the other end of the box.

Y/n rolled her eyes but went to the opposite end and brought it to her chest anyway. "Put respect to their name. It's Number One All-Time Icelandic Pop Sensation BABBA."

"Right. How could I forget? You always play it in the basement. I swear, the twins might hear the sounds from the attic."

"Oh, shut your yaps and tell me why you need to set up a funeral for this wax statue that reminds you of your twin brother?"

Stan fixed his gaze on Y/n and her direct question. He stopped moving, but she knew he wasn't mad at her for essentially touching a nerve. He exhaled a sigh. "Would you mind letting me do this just once?"

He never said anything else, but she understood. It may look and sound weird, but the intention behind it was deeply saddening. It's like he wanted to do a proper farewell... in case of it being true.

"And, hey, doesn't he look like... your teacher? Your boss? Your-"

"He's my mortal enemy now, Stan," she cut off, a playful grin on her face. They positioned the coffin over two stools. Soos was cleaning the floors.

"Oh," Soos said once he saw the casket. He frowned deeply. "I'll... go and set up the chairs."

Y/n placed her hand on her hips. "Where are the twins anyway?"

"Oh, they're off to find the killer."

"What?"

Soos appeared behind her again. "Yeah, you know, the one who... ch-chopped... Mr. Wax Pines'... head. I heard them say that they're doing it to clear your name."

Her heart leapt at the prospect of them attempting to prove her innocence. She appreciated the effort of going out and probably questioning everyone in town, but she knew. She knew that no human could do this and escape in record time. No human in Gravity Falls, that is.

It was already late at night when the mini podium for Stan was set up. Dipper and Mabel eventually returned home, apparently with nothing to share. Y/n sat beside Mabel, who sat glumly holding an ax.

As Stan regained his composure, Y/n leaned in closer to Mabel and whispered, "Did something happen? Why the long face?"

"We thought we cracked the case and blamed Toby Determined for a crime he didn't even commit," Dipper answered for his sister, sighing. "Those cops were right about me."

Stan cleared his throat loudly and began his eulogy with sad organ music in the background, before Mabel or Y/n could object.

"Kids, Soos, lifeless wax figures... Thank you all for coming."

Soos dramatically blew his nose on a napkin.

"Some people might say it's wrong for a man to love a wax replica of himself."

"They're wrong!" Soos screamed, pointing an accusatory finger.

Stan tried to coax him. "Easy, Soos," he said before turning to wax Stan who lay still on a coffin. Its iconic pose of a thumbs up stuck out. "Wax Stan, I hope you're pickin' pockets in wax heaven."

This made Y/n frown. Stan was visibly upset, and she could tell it wasn't a joke to him. He took off, sniffing despondently. "I'm sorry, I got glitter in my eye!" he exclaimed as he dashed out of the room.

"Dude...!" Soos cried, chasing after Stan as he sobbed also.

Y/n stood up, looking at both Dipper and Mabel. "I have to check on him in case he does something crazy."

She walked away, straight towards the living room, where Stan sat glumly. His glasses were perched on top of his hair, and he rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. Soos stood next to him, attempting to offer him a napkin.

"No, Soos. You need it more than I do," Stan said, sniffling.

She walked into the room. He gave her a quick glance before returning his gaze to the ground. Y/n motioned for Soos to return home, and she'd take care of it. He nodded and walked away, closing the gift shop door behind him.

It was quiet except for Stan's sniffles. Y/n gave him time to let it out. She's seen him cry before– many times now. It makes him the more emotional, empathic person out of the Pines twins.

If you think it's rare to see Stan cry, then it is incredibly anomalous to see even a glimpse of Ford letting out a single tear.

The first time Stan cried was, of course, the first night of his brother's disappearance. She could hear the bawling from her room. He was completely devastated and he always blamed himself.

Every other night for the last thirty years, Stan had grown to be comfortable to be himself around Y/n. Comfortable enough for him to cry a river. She's the only one who understands what he's going through.

She leaned against the doorframe of the living room, staring at a wall painting. Stan was constantly wiping his tears away. "I..." he began, but it got cut off with a sharp exhale. "I just– really, really miss him, you know?"

"Yeah," she replied quietly.

"I don't even know if he's alive out there. What even is out there? On the other side?"

He has asked this exact same question a thousand times, and even though Y/n is vague with her answers every time, it would always end it with, "He's alive."

"I hope."

"I know he's alive," she said. "Sure, there might be aliens and other dimensional lizards and whatnot, but he is the smartest guy in the world. He knows what to do."

Stan kept to himself. Looking down, he ran his thumb across the rim of the glasses he recognized as Ford's. "You know, I'm really glad you're here ."

"Happy to be of service, old man."

They stayed within their comfortable silence.

Meanwhile, the twins faced the sentient wax figures that were all staring them down menacingly. Wax Sherlock Holmes had just recounted their heinous history up to the time of the murder.

"So you were trying to murder Grunkle Stan for real?!"Dipper asked in disbelief.

"And you could've almost killed Y/n, too!" Mabel exclaimed, lifting her forefinger. "You made her look so guilty that the cops almost arrested her!"

"Enough!" Wax Sherlock bellowed, "Now that you know our secret, you must die."

His pupils vanished as his eyeballs rolled. The other wax figures joined him and marched slowly, grunting like zombies.

Dipper and Mabel felt cornered, stepping back from them. "What do we do?!" Mabel panicked.

"I don't know!"

"What the heck is going on here?!"

Everyone came to a halt and looked at the door where Y/n stood. She looked perplexed as she assessed the situation.

"Y/n. watch out!" Mabel screamed, flailing her hands around. "Wax Sherlock Holmes was the real murderer. All of the wax figures are alive!"

Hm. Y/n narrowed her eyes on them. "I've always known you guys were creepy."

Wax Sherlock fumed, "Oh you kids are driving me up the wall. Attack!"

Half of the wax army charged towards the twins, while the rest rushed over to Y/n, who skillfully dodged them before kicking their limbs apart. Wax Thomas Edison yelled out a curse when she punched his head loose and went in a different direction.

"Y/n, use this!" Dipper threw a hot fire iron at her, and she grabbed the handle just as Wax Sherlock brought a sword down on her head. She deflected the blow before swinging her own weapon at him.

The two of them fought their way out of the room, inadvertently leading themselves to the attic, where the fight raged on. Every strike from Y/n was deflected, and Wax Sherlock continued forward until she was pushed up against the wall.

He pointed the sharp blade to her nose. "I know you're still the same little girl you were ten years ago," he said, and it couldn't help but send a shiver down her spine.

Because the fire iron was gradually losing its heat, she realized that killing him with it would be pointless. She looked out the window next to Wax Sherlock, the light reflecting off it.

So she rolled under him and escaped through the window and onto the Shack's roof. Wax Sherlock pursued the girl with the sole intention of murdering her. They fought until she was forced to retreat and stall for more time. He continued to spout more British slang before darting towards her, cornering her once more.

She glanced to her right and saw a twinkle of sunlight.

Wax Sherlock turned to face her, his sword poised above his head, ready to strike. "We all have secrets that we keep hidden, and yours is bound to be revealed; it's just a matter of time!"

"I'll let you in on a little secret: I adore watching the sun rise."

"Watching- what?!" Wax Sherlock shrieked as he realized that this was all a trap.

In his final act, he attempted to swing down, only for Y/n to literally stop the blade with her hand. Wax Sherlock quipped briefly before being knocked to the ground by her kick.

"Any final words?" she asked as she let go of the sword. His lower half was already slipping off the shingles.

"Shut your festering gob, you sniveling- grmmm!"

The rest of him melted into liquid until it all fell down to the ground.

"Gross."

She walked back to the parlor where Stan now stood. "Y/n!" The twins exclaimed. "Are you okay? What happened?"

She shrugged casually, smirking a bit. "Heh, you should see the other guy," she said before making a melting sound and moving slowly.

The twins chuckled at her joke but at the same time, glad that she was alright. "So, do you also want an affectionate noogie from Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked.

***

"Who?"

"The 'child psycho' Gideon Gleeful," Stan told Y/n, getting the both of them Pitt colas. They were working so hard with the portal, tackling the parts for it. She didn't remember who brought in cards, but the next thing they did was play poker all night. She didn't remember who was in the lead either.

"What about him?"

Stan grumbled. "You know the monster's been terrorizing me ever since he rolled into town, and now the kids are checking out the competition with his so-called 'Tent of Telepathy'," he said the last part in exaggerated quotes.

"Woah, calm down," she said, coaxing him, "Maybe they're just seeing if it's the real thing. We all know he's a sham."

He sighed. "You're right." He took a sip of his can before retreating to his office. "I'll be in here in case you need me."

"Don't worry, buddy. You just relax," Y/n answered back.

Just as Stan left the room, the back door opened and the twins entered. "Y/n! Where have you been!?"

"Sorry, I... overslept," she trailed off, "But, hey! You're back. How was the trip?"

"Oh, Y/n, you should have seen it!" Mabel gushed, rushing towards her. "Gideon was the cutest! He had this little cape and sang in rhymes! He even guessed my name! He truly is a child psychic."

Y/n and Dipper exchanged glances. "Is that so..." she hummed, looking at Mabel's sweater with the letters M A B E L sewn into it. "He must've been really entertaining."

"She is easily impressed," Dipper pointed out, crossing his arms before walking to the kitchen.

Before going to the table by the living room, Y/n went to the fridge and got another can of cola. The boy took a glass of water and sat in the other chair at the far end of the table.

The two sat in comfortable silence until Mabel came back with sparkly gems plastered on her entire face, from her eyelids to the inside of her mouth. "Check it out, guys! I successfully bedazzled my face!" She struggled to even manage a single blink with the jewels stuck.

"That was quick."

"Is that... permanent?" Dipper asked.

Mabel frowned. "I'm unappreciated in my time."

Someone knocked on the door and the three looked at one another. "Somebody answer that door!" Stan shouted from the other room.

"I'll get it!" Mabel yelled back, easily scrubbing off the colorful stones and heading to the door.

It turned out to be Gideon on the other side, asking Mabel on a tour of his dressing room. The two hung out and played make-ups until afternoon. Later, Gideon invited her once again to come and sightsee the entire town from the roof of his warehouse. They even brought their own pair of opera glasses.

She just didn't think Gideon would ask her out on a real date. She had a good time with him, but she never liked him in that way. Mabel thought this kid was creepy as he drew her into a hug and unabashedly sniffed her hair.

The next day, she and Dipper were playing video games when the doorbell rang again. Mabel replied, opening it to reveal the head of a horse peering inside. Gideon sat atop the horse, wearing a cowboy hat and a sickening grin.

And they were off to some probably expensive restaurant that Gideon bribed the staff into doing everything he asked.

"Hey!" Stan exclaimed that morning, getting the attention of Dipper, Wendy, and Soos. "What the jackal is Mabel doing in the paper next to that greasy pickpocket Gideon?" he aggressively pointed at the large picture in the first page of the newspaper.

Wendy and Soos were excited about it, Stan was exasperated, while Dipper was a little scared of him right now. Y/n was nowhere to be found.

Stan went out as well to deal with the whole 'dating grandniece' situation. The three were left to themselves, until they had to go and do their own thing.

Dipper went back inside the living room to do some reading. He was already in the ghost section when he felt someone enter the room.

"Oh, hey, Dipper."

He looked up and saw Y/n with a cup of coffee this time. "Y/n! Hi."

She sighed and yawned. Even though she had only slept for 30 minutes, she felt a surge of rage in her veins when she saw the Journal 3 in his hands. "What are you reading?" she asked, sitting across from him in the chair. They had always sat at this table, sometimes in different seats, but their conversation was always about the journal.

"Oh, I'm just trying to catch on to some ghost categories. Can't believe there's 10! The author must've experienced all of them!"

How'd you think he would write all of that down if he didn't go through them?! I was there with him.

Y/n didn't realize she was glaring at Dipper, but she rationalized it as her being insane from lack of sleep. So she slurped the coffee silently but angrily.

"Are you okay? Looks like you stayed up all night."

She couldn't tell him that she had spent the entire morning attempting to stabilize the energy distribution of the Shack and the portal. Energy was required for the portal to remain idle, while electricity was required for the house.

"Just like you, I was also trying to catch on some... reading," Y/n replied once she had her thoughts together. "Quantum Physics."

"You're already studying in summer? What?" Dipper was grinning from ear to ear. "What grade are you in?"

Grade? She didn't know what that term meant.

"Huh?"

The employee door opened from the gift shop, and Mabel appeared gloomy as she carried a lobster past the two of them.

"Hey!" Dipper called, his smile never left his face albeit being slightly confused from Y/n's response. "How did it go?"

"I don't know. I have a lobster now," Mabel said slowly.

Y/n placed her head on her propped hand. "Well, at least it's over and you will never have to go out with him again."

But Mabel didn't say anything. She was anxiously tapping on the glass box with the idle lobster.

"Mabel?" Dipper asked after a brief moment. "It's over, right? ...Mabel?"

"BLARGH!" The twin sister flailed her arms around in a panic. "He asked me out again and I didn't know how to say no!"

Dipper furrowed his brows. "Like this: no!" he enunciated, pointing at his mouth.

"It's not that easy, Dipper!" Mabel reasoned, "And I do like Gideon... as a friend slash little sister! So I didn't want to hurt his feelings!" She smacked her fist onto the table between the two. "I just need to get things back the way they used to be, you know? Friends!"

Unfortunately, Mabel's plan did not go as planned. Her heart seemed to always win in every situation, which she disliked. She disliked Gideon's advances on her and her inability to say no. She liked Gideon, but not in the way he desired.

So, the moment she got home, she was pacing all over the living room, weighing her options. He's just too nice but she can't keep doing this! – but she can't break his heart! There's no way out of this!

Dipper's voice jolted her out of her reverie. She was terrified of her upcoming date with Gideon. Dipper reassured her that it wouldn't come to marriage, until Stan stormed in with a TEAM GIDEON sign on his shirt, declaring that Mabel must marry the twerp.

Y/n entered the room with her favorite Pitt cola in hand. She stared disapprovingly at Stan. "What?" he asked. "Bodies change."

The boy twin found his sister in a place she dubbed, 'Sweater Town'-- where she just pulls her knees to her chest and wraps her huge sweater around her until she is completely covered.

Dipper has had his fill. If Mabel does not want to end her relationship with Gideon, he will. Mabel, of course, was overjoyed at her brother's offer.

He entered the restaurant where Gideon was allegedly waiting for his sister. He couldn't believe this little charlatan would basically force Mabel to date him. He's been behaving strangely since he saw him on stage.

Gideon was initially polite to Dipper, though he was perplexed by his appearance. Gideon's eye twitched when Dipper told him Mabel didn't want to see him again, but he still wore a sickening grin.

"You're not gonna- like, freak out or whatever?"

Bygones be bygones, he said. Dipper took it in stride and walked out. He didn't look like he was angry, so he thought that he'd understood.

But Gideon's gaze remained fixed on Dipper as he walked out of the restaurant. He suddenly felt a surge of rage coursing through his veins. How dare he put himself between him and Mabel? He has no authority to intervene! Gideon and Mabel were supposed to rule the town together as king and queen!

Dipper just made the biggest mistake of his life.

The next day, everything seemed to be back to normal. The twins were having fun with Soos outside the Shack, doing random shenanigans until the phone rang from the gift shop.

"Your turn," Mabel said first, beating Dipper to it – which means, he has to go and deal with whoever was on the phone.

Dipper had no idea it would be Toby Determined, the lamest guy ever, who was suddenly interested in interviewing him about the 'unusual' things going on in town.

Dipper's excitement overtook his worry, and he quickly scribbled the address Toby provided on the notepad from his pocket. He was about to leave the gift shop and continue on his way when he noticed Y/n out of the corner of his eye.

"Y/n, hey!"

She turned around, trying to look casual after having heard of the telephone conversation. In her defense, it was a total coincidence that she walked into the gift shop from the living room and... stayed until the end of the call.

"Dipper," she answered. "What's up?"

Wendy and Soos gave her that greeting. What does she know about interacting when she's been cooped up in the basement for the past 30 years? Stan is mostly responsible for grocery shopping and going outside.

Dipper told her about Toby Determined and wanting to interview him with the address already etched in the paper.. "So, what I'm saying is," he began, "do you wanna come with me? We found this journal together, so I figured I shouldn't take the credit alone."

Her heart skipped a beat not only because of the thoughtful offer, but also because of the heavy anxiety. She took a look at the journal he had brought out. Knowing the journal was with Dipper - within her arms reach - calmed her a little, but she couldn't help but think about the risk of revealing the journal's secrets to anyone else, let alone someone like Toby Determined.

So she had to go with him. Just to make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid.

"Sure," she finally said, smiling. Dipper returned the smile, and the two proceeded to the cleared path in the forest to the address. Because the Shack is located at 618 Gopher Road, it took some time to locate 412. It appeared to be an abandoned warehouse on a cliff.

Y/n and Dipper exchanged uncertain glances before hiking up the hill to the main door. Dipper opened it to reveal a dark room full of shelves and unused cardboard boxes.

"Hello?" Dipper's voice echoed through the confines of the warehouse.

Y/n furrowed her eyebrows, confused with the silence. Someone was supposed to meet them there, but apparently no one came. "Let's just get out of here. Maybe it was a prank call."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right."

The two were about to leave when the door unexpectedly shut. Dipper jumped and tried unsuccessfully to open the door. He knocked, expecting someone to close the door on them as a joke, but no one answered. Panic gripped their chests.

A row of lights illuminated the warehouse until it reached the far end, revealing an office chair.

The seated turned around to see Gideon, who was petting his puppet version of himself like a supervillain. He had a menacing grin on his face. "Dipper Pines... oh, and you brought Y/n, too. Isn't that just swell?"

"Gideon?" The boy beside her rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"How long have you been living in this town, a week? Or two? You like it here?" Gideon inquired, innocently fidgeting with the stuffed toy.

Dipper crossed his arms. "What do you want from me, man?"

"Listen carefully, boy," he said slowly, "this town has secrets you couldn't even begin to comprehend."

"Is this about Mabel?" Dipper asked. "I told you she's not into you!"

"LIAR! You turned her against me!" Gideon stood from his chair and marched towards the two of them. "She was my pink dumplin'!" He grasped his bolo tie with a hard look on his face.

Dipper had the nerve to be concerned, "Are you okay, man?"

Gideon raised his hand, and the two of them were surrounded by a blue aura. They quickly realized that their feet were no longer touching the ground. Dipper panicked slightly, whereas Y/n felt dread mixed with familiarity.

When Gideon made a motion with his hand, the two were launched into the air. They landed in a heap of cardboard boxes containing his merchandise.

"Wha-what? But I- I thought he's a fake!" Dipper stuttered.

"Oh tell me, boy! Is this fake?" His hand on his bolo tie again, he lifted the other and the stuff around them were floating.

Y/n was staring at Gideon's closed fist. It can't be.

Gideon laughed maniacally as he directed the floating clocks towards Dipper. Dipper was the most targeted of the two, so he had to avoid the most hazards. Y/n stepped to the side, conjuring up some sort of plan. If only there was some kind of distraction so she could retrieve the mystical amulet.

So that's why his hair was unnaturally white.

Dipper jumped away from the tumbling shelf, rolling until his back hit the wall. He stroked his head, which he was certain was developing a lump. "Grunkle Stan was right about you, you are a monster!"

"Your sister will be mine!" Gideon's laughter was cut short when a pair of arms wrapped around his neck from behind. He screamed and flailed his arms around, attempting to punch Y/n but failing. "No! Let go of me!" He screeched, but she didn't falter, only squeezing tighter.

"Dipper, get the amulet!" She feared that once she let go of her other hand and reached for the necklace, Gideon would have the chance to unhand himself and use the magic against her.

Dipper stood up and ran towards the two of them. Gideon was still writhing under her grasp, sweating like a pig now. Dipper had a small triumphant smile on his face as his hand inched closer to the amulet, until-

"Guys?"

The three looked over to see Mabel by the opened door.

"What's happening?"

It was silent. No one really knew how to start at explaining the whole situation.

But Gideon quickly recovered, elbowing Y/n in the face—which didn't hurt, but caught her off guard—causing her to loosen her grip, and that's when Gideon took the chance, holding his bolo tie again and lifting his other hand, sending both Y/n and Dipper afloat. So much for a diversion, she reasoned.

"Gideon! What are you doing?!" Mabel exclaimed, panic settling in her features.

"Marshmella, I want to apologize for my behavior, but these two have come between our sweet relationship! Don't you want to get rid of them?"

"Heck no! I'm sorry, Gideon, but I can't be your marshmallow. I needed to be honest and finally tell you that myself," Mabel replied.

Gideon furrowed his brows. "I... I don't understand," he said, clutching the amulet tightly, with the gesture and his growing frustration, it made it so that he was choking both Dipper and Y/n while they were still afloat.

Dipper thrashed around in an attempt to relieve the pain in his throat. Y/n imitated the action, attempting to persuade herself that she, too, is in pain.

She yanked the glowing amulet from his suit as quickly as she could. "No!" Y/n and Dipper both fell to the ground, their magic practically unused. "You were like attacking my brother and my friend!What the heck?!"

"My tie! Give it back!"

He tried to reach it, but Mabel tossed it to Dipper.

"Ha!" Dipper caught it. "Not so powerful without this, are you?"

Gideon screamed and charged at Dipper, making him drop the amulet and breaking through the window.

"Dipper!" Mabel yelled. Y/n glanced at the amulet on the ground and wasted no time going for it. She picked it up, grabbing it tightly, and harnessed its powers. It was the same feeling when she held it the first time. With her mind, she thought about floating and instantly she was.

Mabel was astounded. She levitated as Y/n raised her hand with the amulet. She rushed the two of them outside the broken window and, with no time to waste, gestured her other hand up to stop Gideon and Dipper's horrific fall. The two stared up at them until Y/n and Mabel gracefully descended.

"Listen, Gideon," Mabel began once her feet landed, "It's over. I will never ever date you."

Y/n, too, put her feet on the ground, eventually letting go of the magic before it could affect her again. After all, the white streaks were still visible beneath her natural hair. She gave Mabel the amulet, knowing exactly what she wanted to do with it, and Mabel delivered, throwing it to the ground and breaking it.

"My powers!" Gideon exclaimed. "Oh this isn't over. This isn't the last you'll see of wittle... ol'... me," he said before walking back to the dark forest.

The twins looked at each other, both weirded out, before they turned around and made their way home. Meanwhile, Y/n stared at the broken pieces of the mystical amulet.

"'Buried deep underground where nobody can find it,'" she muttered under her breath. Ford was a terrible liar.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 10!

MASTERLIST

RG'H Z HNZOO DLIOW ZUGVI ZOO RG'H Z HNZOO, HNZOO DLIOW

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 5: Curse this World

author's note: TW blood, vomit, hallucinations. take care!

***

Fiddleford McGucket was distinct from Ford, as Y/n discovered once the three began working together. She remained on the sidelines, only waiting for orders because she couldn't contribute anything useful to their conversation. She chose to be a simple assistant, which she has always been good at.

"The plans in these blueprints are unbelievably complex," F said after the three of them had moved on from the subject of the "leg warmers" fashion trend. "Did Y/n also help you come up with the idea, or did you consult with anyone else?"

Ford paused for a moment, as if he was debating something. He looked at the girl next to him, who was trying not to look like she was judging him despite the fact that she was speculating on his expressions. F's question made her think, too; she knew damn well that Ford didn't have anyone else to consult about his plans because it was just the two of them.

The man in question then averted his gaze from F, then from her, before dismissively stating, "With hard work, anything is possible. Anyway, I want you to double-check these," he said before moving to the other side of the table and handing F a stack of calculations. "Y/n, follow me."

She did, trailing behind Ford as he scribbled in his journal. Before she could take a peek at it, he shut it close, earning a loud poof. He turned around and handed her a copy of the blueprint, as well as a demonstration of the portal's structural form, and suddenly everything made sense. She was a quick learner, which was one of the many benefits of eating that mushroom.

It was the following day when F suddenly went into a panic and began rambling about how the portal would require a Temporal Displacement Hyperdrive before spouting about his worries about humanity and its limited knowledge. At that moment, Y/n remembered something, and it appeared that Ford did as well. They exchanged glances before Ford exclaimed, "We know exactly where to get that kind of device!"

F was stunned, pulling some of his hair out, and their grins grew even wider at his reaction. The destination was Crash Site Omega, which had the coolest name ever, and Y/n and Ford had already begun packing for the two-day trip.

Ford had reminded Y/n to bring curses and spells for when they ventured into some of the dangerous areas of the Uncharted Forest, and they were on their way.

***

***

On the first day of the journey, Ford, F, and Y/n hiked up the granite pass to the lake, where their secret mountain shortcut is located. For years, Y/n and Ford had been walking and climbing up mountains, but that wasn't the case for Fiddleford. Around midday, he took a break and could be heard grumbling about wanting to invent a pair of robot legs while eating a sandwich. With a stick, he even drew a diagram in the dirt.

"Would you like one?" " F offered the girl, but she politely declined. She ate a light breakfast, but it was sufficient.

A low-pitched growling was heard, and an odd red-and-black-checkered beast unexpectedly waddled out of the brush for a bite of F's sandwich.

Standing up from the small boulder, Y/n exclaimed. She looked at the creature with awe. She didn't believe they were real! "Oh my gosh," she mumbled, hiding her mouth behind her hands.

"Don't go near it, Y/n," Ford cautioned, but Y/n paid no attention. Many of Ford's commands were always ignored. "Y/n, it could be venomous."

"It could not," she countered. One of her hobbies appeared to be defying his orders.

The creature stared up at Y/n, motionless, but when she took a step forward, it growled, causing her to come to a halt. "Actually, I would like a sandwich," she said to Fiddleford, who gave her one shakily. Y/n unwrapped it from its plastic wrapping and waved it in the air, as if producing an aroma. The creature perked up in interest and approached her innocently.

Her face lit up as the creature bit off a piece of the sandwich and munched on it quietly. It bit again, and this time a larger piece was ripped off. "You're so adorable," Y/n said. She looked up to see Ford scribbling in his journal with a small smile on his face. F was also taken aback.

"It looks like a platypus-" F began.

"But its skin has a plaid pattern," Ford added. Y/n stood there, a teasing smile on her face, waiting for her friend to make yet another witty pun. "I'm guessing it's called a plaidypus?"

Her lips trembled with laughter. The sandwich in her hand was gone, and it appeared to want more. Y/n took an item from her bag. It was a biscuit box. The plaidypus seemed to enjoy salted crackers as well. She deliberately picked it up and gladly obliged, as long as it was accompanied by food. The plaidypus made a sound, but she couldn't tell if it was happy or disgruntled due to a lack of crackers.

"Don't feed it too much or we might just run out of food."

"Yeah," she said. "Or I could've been destroying this cutie's dietary habits or nutritional intakes, or something..." She petted its bald head, and her heart skipped a beat as she listened to its purr.

"Is it a female?" Fiddleford questioned, repacking his backpack.

"I think so," Y/n concluded after peering into its underbelly. The plaidypus wriggled its way out of her arms, and she let it go, carefully placing it on the ground. It waddled back to where it came from, and Y/n dutifully followed. Silently, the two men followed as well, intrigued by this creature's movements. They didn't want to split up so might as well follow the girl's trail.

What welcomed them was the plaidypus' nest where its egg had the same plaid pattern as its skin. "Good thing none of us are hungry, because I would advise not to eat those eggs."

The sun had finally set, and the three of them had unanimously decided to take a break. Ford proposed going to the top of Gravity Peak and setting up camp for the night. Y/n huddled inside her sleeping bag, gazing up at the vast expanse of night sky made up of various constellations. She mentally named a few constellations that she recognized right away. Her favorite was the Big Dipper. It appeared to be so simple, and it is literally a big dipper.

Ford had situated meters away, and Fiddleford had followed. For a brief moment, there was only the sound of the flickering fire, which provided them with some light and warmth against the cold midnight air.

F began to open up and talk about his plans after the project was finished. Ford and Y/n listened intently. The former was lost in thought, relating to his friend's ambition. Y/n wondered about her future as well, knowing that this project would end sooner rather than later. She can't keep relying on Ford indefinitely. He'd have to leave Gravity Falls once his research was finished, leaving her all alone.

But she'd considered this possibility before. She considered her own future plans and what she might do. She needed to prepare. She wasn't stupid, after all.

"And how about you, Y/n?" " Ford inquired, clearing his throat.

"Well, I know you won't be here forever, Ford, so... once you leave, I'm thinking of opening some sort of treatment facility for the creatures that live here," she explained, leaving out the fact that she is vulnerable to physical pain. She and Ford had already discussed not telling Fiddleford because he would freak out even more. She didn't like lying to the guy, but she reasoned that it was for his own good. "I sincerely want to assist everyone."

"Such an admiring dream for a little girl. We have the same goal; helping people," F remarked, giving her a smile.

Ford followed and shared his own thoughts, expressing his desire to prove his theory and getting excited about the future, already seeing himself as a prizewinner and genius and rubbing shoulders with other notable prizewinners and geniuses. Y/n admired his determination despite the fact that his dream seemed to be more for his own benefit.

The scope of Ford's plans perplexed F. He's caught a glimpse of the journals, which are thick with pages of amazement that he never imagined could be true. He explained that his former classmate should publish his findings and then enjoy life. But Ford was adamant, acting as if he was in a race with other scientists who also wanted to get their hands on this discovery.

Ford ended the conversation with a sweet reminder that he was glad to be accompanied by his two friends.

The two-day trip was clearly well planned, because they arrived at their destination after an encounter with cows. Y/n noticed that nothing had changed since she and Ford left this two years ago. Ford's excitement returned as he gleefully broke open the hatch and climbed down. They soon discovered what they were looking for: the Hyperdrive. Fortunately, with F's mechanical knowledge, Ford's keen intuition, and Y/n's clairvoyance, they were able to locate and extract it, which is now safely stored inside F's backpack. It was quite bulky, and Y/n agreed that it would be too heavy for her sadly short stature.

Mission accomplished..

It was about to be a terrific day for the three of them, until that turned terrible. Y/n was so used to Ford's life-threatening curiosity. She was confident that she wouldn't get hurt, yet sometimes she feared his complacency when nearing a beast like this one. He doesn't have the same invulnerability as her.

The Gremloblin was a legend, that was what she heard from Ford, and now he got the chance to draw its figure up close because they knew that creatures like it are heavy sleepers. Normally, when it's the two of them, Y/n can sit beside Ford and watch him draw, all the while admiring his line work, but it was different this time now that they have a new addition. Fiddleford was shaking up in his boots as he cowered behind Ford.

"C-can we please, just, move along? I don't like them large chompers."

"You don't have to worry," Y/n reassured F, but just as she finished, the Hyperdrive emitted an ear-piercing alarm from F's backpack. "What! I thought it was inactive!" She exclaimed, slightly alarmed.

The Gremloblin awoke with a start, seized Fiddleford with its gigantic claws, and peered deeply into his eyes, as expected. Ford flung his canteen at the beast, hoping to shock it, but it had little effect. The water simply made the monster scarier!

The creature has just mutated, and its wings have grown to be twice their original size! It flew down the mountain with F still in its grasp, with a powerful heave of its wings. "Come on, Y/n!" She sprinted alongside him, her gaze fixed on the Hyperdrive in F's arms. The gleaming metal glistened in the harsh sunlight, and she had an idea.

"Ford! "Give me your bag," she demanded. Ford handed it to her, unsure why, preferring to trust her rather than question her. The two ran down the cliff-side, tearing their clothes. Ford had a bloody scrape, but Y/n was unharmed. He looked up helplessly as the girl rummaged through the bag, eventually finding what she was looking for. It was...

"The magnet gun! Y/n, what a brilliant idea!" She handed him the gun, and as the Gremloblin slowed down, Ford took advantage of the opportunity and aimed at the Hyperdrive, holding Y/n close to him. With a magnetic rush, the two were lifted fifty feet into the air and landed on the monster's back. Ford drew his gun and delivered a hard blow to the back of the head, knocking it out cold. The four had landed in a soft, cushioned hayloft after crashing through the barn roof.

F's condition caused Y/n to frown deeply. His entire body was trembling, his eye twitching uncontrollably, and his knee bouncing faster than usual. He was in such a state of terror that he didn't seem to notice that his arm was broken and pierced in several places with the venomous quills of the Gremloblin.

Immediately, Ford and Y/n took F home for treatment.

Y/n took the liberty of tending to her friend's physical wounds, having learned to do that because she had practice. The practice being Ford, that is. She successfully wrapped bandages around his arms and forehead, but he was still left shaken. He was still mumbling something about his family. He tends to mention that word a lot.

With a worried gaze, she turned to Ford who was deep in thought. He also appeared to be very concerned about his friend. Finally, he stood up. "Thank you, Y/n, but I fear there are mental wounds not as easily remedied." He grabbed her shoulders and gently drew her away from F. He knelt down to her level once more. "We've survived many monster attacks without trauma, but perhaps he is more sensitive than we realized..." Ford mumbled to the girl, who nodded understandably.

"Maybe you should spend the rest of the afternoon with him. He needs to face his fears with his closest friend."

Ford agreed with her suggestion and nodded. He stood up and affectionately brushed her hair. "You should get some rest. Your dream of opening a clinic will come true thanks to your expertise in wound care."

With a spring in her step, she left the two friends to their own devices. Ford appeared to know what to do, deciding to teach Fiddleford some of his meditation techniques as well as a heart rate slowing exercise he learned to help him control his fear. She was curious where he had learned it because the information came out of nowhere, but she decided to assume he had known it since high school.

A few more weeks had passed and the three were still working on the project until Ford decided it was time to take a break. Fortunately, Y/n read in a newspaper, after beating the daily crossword puzzle, that "Mama Misfortune's Traveling Carnival and Freak Show" was in town for the day. She told Ford that this could be good to get F's mind off his recent trauma.

Ford agreed to go albeit she knew his distaste towards nickel-grubbing circuses and sideshows. She reassured him, telling him that this could be a day of relaxation for poor F and also an opportunity for new discoveries.

Surprisingly, at the mention of a carnival, Fiddleford was excited and was already looking alright, going back to his usual mannerisms.

People swarming in left and right. Looked like it was jam-packed even with the town's low population. And looking at the lively decorations, Ford and Y/n exchanged excited glances and the three entered the carnival.

Unfortunately, Ford and Y/n's excitement turned out to be short-lived. The first "beast" they had encountered at the fair was literally a chicken duck-taped to a silver-back gorilla wearing a wizard hat.

She knew those creatures were fraudulent, but Y/n couldn't help but stifle laughter at the mere stupidity. Ford grumbled lowly as he scribbled on his journal. If Ford hated them so much, then why go through the effort of sketching them. And they looked so detailed!

Even though Ford's mood was sour, he was still happy for his friend who was clearly having the time of his life. He had just won first prize on a pig race by using advanced probability calculations.

A stand of jewelries caught Y/n's eye. She approached the man and inquire about the necklaces hanging from the metal bar. The man with a mustache and kind eyes happily told her about the low price.

"What d'you got there?" Someone stood beside her. It was Ford, and suddenly Y/n wanted to walk away. But a certain necklace attracted her. Ford saw her eyes focused on the jewelry. "Would you like one, Y/n?"

The girl looked up at Ford, a blush on her cheeks. She averted her gaze from him and began thinking of ways how to tell him that she wanted this. Ford took one of the necklaces from the stand and inspected it real close. The pendant was awfully familiar to him. He's seen it before.

"It's a real, tough metal, sir. No need to doubt my handicraft," The man remarked, not liking the way Ford handled the jewelry.

"I can see that," he replied, flipping the pendant back and forth. Y/n smiled, knowing that he was probably looking for parts that might be mystical. The two had a fair share of experiences with cursed objects and magical items after all. "Alright, we'll get this. How much?"

Ford's wallet felt a little lighter after that purchase, but every penny was worth it if he gets to see Y/n's wide smile as she admired the necklace around her neck.

The pendant was a flower with a yellow bud and white petals, resembling a daisy.

Fiddleford brought something troubling over breakfast a few weeks after the carnival. He proposed that the three construct an additional underground laboratory, one designed with the utmost paranormal security precautions. Its purpose is to store and study more dangerous specimens that are on the verge of leaking into their dimension. Fortunately, the three had discovered a location for their hidden storage bunker and began excavating.

Y/n mostly assisted with the layout of each room, deciding which one to put where, while Ford considered the pros and cons of living underground. They would need cooling systems, the ability to provide oxygen, and strong walls to protect themselves from underground creatures.

Meanwhile, FIddleford was the genius behind the horrifyingly complex security room. While assisting F with carrying equipment for their cooling chamber, F revealed the security code, which included multiple variables and equations, but Y/n easily remembered it.

The plans were completed, and the cooling system was completed and ready. They only needed to clear the dirt to find space for each of the rooms. Ford had discovered a large blue egg containing a strange creature during the dig. Y/n approached it with caution, having never seen anything like it before. The first thing it did after hatching was transform its body to Ford's coffee cup, leading them to believe it is a shapeshifter.

F suggested freezing it right away to test their cryonics, but Ford had grown attached to the creature. He even dubbed it "Shifty." Ford enlisted the help of Y/n in caring for this creature. She was assigned to bean duty and reluctantly agreed. Shifty grew so big every day that they had to upgrade from a small kennel box to a full-sized steel cage.

One night, while working late in the bunker and Y/n was about to step in for feeding time, they heard a high, otherworldly, parrot-like voice call out, "Beans!" They knew Shifty had learned to speak at that moment! Ford was the most ecstatic about the news, while F has grown increasingly skeptical of the creature.

Several days later, around midnight, Fiddleford approached Y/n, who was cleaning the surveillance room. He appeared panicked once more, so she was concerned and ready to assist. He was coughing a lot, claiming to have a sore throat, and asking for her assistance in retrieving the journal. "I-I -" he coughed again, "I think I- I saw a remedy in the journal for... these-" cough cough. "-coughs!"

F's unusual behavior piqued Y/n's interest, "I think cough drops are the best sore throat treatment. If you want, I can get you one from the first-aid cabinet-"

"NO!" He screamed. "I- I mean. Little girl, the journal has the answer and I need it."

She became uneasy under F's incessant gaze, and the way he addressed her as "little girl" just doesn't feel right. "Ford?" She called out, her gaze fixed on F's agitated expression. "I'll get you the journal... just stay right here."

Y/n visited Ford's bunker. Maybe he was there, but when she arrived, Fiddleford was leaning against Ford, shaking uncontrollably. His anxiety had rendered him nearly speechless. Strings of rope were on the ground, and the steel cage had been busted open, proving to Y/n that the Fiddleford she spoke with earlier who claimed to have a "sore throat" wasn't the real Fiddleford, but rather the shapeshifter.

"He said he wanted the journal," she said as her voice dropped to a low whisper.

Ford carefully placed F on the mattress and quickly devised a strategy. He drew a crude six-fingered hand on a plumbing manual found by Y/n with gold spray paint. He tossed it into one of their three cryogenic tubes before strolling back to the surveillance room, where the imposter F had been waiting impatiently, his chair shaking involuntarily. "There you are, Fiddleford. You said you needed the journal for your coughing problem, right?" F almost immediately nodded. "I've looked everywhere in my bunker for it, but to no avail. I believe I had inadvertently left it in the cryonics room. Could you please get it for me?"

The imposter didn't even wait for Ford to finish his sentence before fleeing for the journal. If Ford wasn't interested in the unknown, he'd be scamming people left and right with his acting abilities.

The instant he stepped inside the tube, Ford slammed the red button, trapping him in.

Following this incident, the three agreed to put it behind them. Before Ford apologized profusely for yet another traumatic experience, Y/n made sure Fiddleford had no wounds.

Several nights have passed, and the three have spent their time working on the portal, which is nearly finished and will soon be ready for the first major test. Ford had grown extremely frustrated by the necessity of sleep as Y/n dozed off for a bit of rest. He didn't like how fatigue loomed over him, taunting him with the relaxing prospect of sleep. Why sleep when he could've been working on his most important project yet? He's squandering valuable time!

F's mechanical knowledge is impressive, but he occasionally frustrated Ford. He could consider Y/n because she is less knowledgeable in engineering, but F is just stubborn. Ford realized that if they were to stay on schedule, he would have to work at least another three hours. He envied Y/n's peaceful slumber as the minutes passed, and he, too, began to feel fatigue's wretched powers pull on his eyelids.

Y/n blinked a few times before hearing a low hum, which was how a headache felt to her. She was still awake when she noticed movement and realized she was surrounded by stacks of paper. Her arms didn't hurt from sleeping on the table in an idle position. She eventually found Ford, who was concentrating on writing multiple equations. Ford had just finished a calculation when he noticed Y/n and turned to look at her.

Is it just her eyes playing tricks on her because she just woke up, or does Ford have different shaped pupils? It was a thin slit, similar to a cat's eyes. His eyeballs glowed a faint yellow before he cracked a wide grin. "You should go to sleep, Daisy," he urged, scratching her hair. "I'll take care of this."

It was a nice offer, and she was really tired, so she accepted and sat on the couch instead. She had some difficulty getting comfortable in her bed because of the items placed at her feet due to the lack of free space in the house. "Good night, Ford."

"Sleep tight, Daisy."

She fell asleep completely, and the confusion of Ford calling her "Daisy" didn't even enter her mind.

It was the night before the test. Fiddleford, Y/n, and Ford all went out to eat at a local diner to toast their future success. Ford was the most ecstatic, F was uptight and concerned, and Y/n simply wanted food. If nothing seemed to be wrong with the portal, she figured it was safe to proceed.

Ford raised his glass, and Y/n followed, attempting to match his zeal, but F couldn't meet their gazes. "I'm having second thoughts about this," he said nervously as he slid a napkin across the table. It had a diagram with the words "Probability of Failure" on it. "My final calculations revealed significant flaws in your design, flaws that could have disastrous consequences."

The man across from him remained silent.

"I feel like we're being reckless. Reconsider the whole plan for the safety of the town."

Y/n looked at the paper, shaken by F's words. The graph's arrow just kept going up, and she had no idea what would happen if they continued. Fiddleford is the more cautious of the two inventors. He quadruples checks each calculation, so if he knew the portal could fail horribly, she trusted him.

She looked at Ford, who seemed to be contemplating something.

"Where do you get these ideas for the portal, Ford?" Fiddleford asked the same question as that morning from months back. His tone was so careful, as if he was willing to listen and Ford almost considered telling him the truth, the both of them the truth, until F showed him something that shocked Ford. In his trembling hands was a thesis paper: "The Astonishing Anomalies of Gravity Falls" with Ford's name credited underneath. "I have spent the last three days working without breaks and have written a paper exhaustively chronicling all of your greatest discoveries. Publish this," he said, placing it on the table. "This is your research, I merely went through the trouble of cataloging it for you. There are enough discoveries here to make you a multimillionaire. With this, you will have everything you ever wanted, and you won't need to go through with this risky test. Forget about the portal and the Grand Unified Theory of Weirdness! Publish this, get your life back, and move on!"

Y/n sank deeper into her seat. She had never heard Fiddleford yell before. He has always been timid, so careful with his words. She looked at F before turning to Ford and saw that something changed in his eyes. Could it be regret? Restraint? Contempt?

Instead of replying to F's proposal, he asked for the check and refused to even give the paper a glance.

"We will do the test tomorrow night at eight o'clock sharp," he told him. "Be there or get left behind. The choice is yours. Come on, Y/n."

She swallowed nervously and followed without saying anything else. Ford felt something in his pocket as the two walked home in the murky twilight. It was the ring given to him by the Palm Reader at the carnival. Y/n stared at the gleaming black ring, but before she could ask him about it, Ford had already tossed it into the lake before storming off.

Ford opened the door to the house, and Y/n preceded. He threw away his coat, took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was clearly tense from the previous situation. Fiddleford's "thesis" paper was a slap in the face, and he couldn't believe he'd done it to him. He couldn't believe it when his friend betrayed him.

"Ford?" Y/n's voice cut through his thoughts. The man turned and faced her. "I can trust you, right?"

'What a random question', Ford had thought at that moment. But he gave her a reassuring smile. In some ways, he felt guilty for dragging her along, and seeing Fiddleford's outburst might have rattled her nerves. But she shouldn't be concerned about a scribbled graph on a napkin. The three of them had been working extremely hard for several months. They couldn't go back now!

"Of course, Y/n," Ford began, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You can trust me. And I trust you."

With a smile on her face, she drew him into an embrace. Ford reluctantly returned the hug, but his gaze was distant. He just wanted to skip ahead to the first portal test and succeed. He is excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow, everything could change, and they'll laud him as a hero.

He could feel Y/n's hug tightening, but he couldn't see her frown deepening and her gaze glowering on the ground. She was afraid that this was the last hug she'd ever get from him because his promise could be empty words. Everything could change in an instant, so she's seizing every opportunity. If the portal test is successful, he'll take the first bus out of town the next day to publish his theory and never return. If it didn't work out... that was a thought Y/n didn't want to entertain.

"Good night," Y/n said, pulling away and immediately turning to her couch. She didn't look back or he'd just see her tears.

"Good night, Y/n."

If monsters and other hideous creatures don't scare her, the unknown future might. But Ford had taught her that if she trusts her instincts, there is no need to worry about tomorrow. Her instinct is to trust Ford, so she tried to reassure herself. They had worked so hard on this, so she had to wait for their inevitable success.

And her birthday is the week after that.

***

The big night had finally arrived. This could be a major breakthrough, or it could all go horribly wrong. Fiddleford returned the next day and can be seen working on the finishing touches, but he didn't say anything to Ford. The two exchanged no words. Y/n wasn't sure where to stand. F had also become her friend. She would not dismiss their year-long journey. They were both stubborn scientists who preferred to work in their separate areas rather than work through their differences. She knew from some of Ford's stories that forgiveness wasn't his strong suit.

She sighed helplessly and resolved that if these two boneheads don't get along, she'll just mind her own business.

"Thank you all for coming," Ford said, standing in front of the portal. It was a meaningless speech. He rubbed his right eye vigorously, and Y/n noticed that it was different from his other eye. It appeared irritated, bloodshot, and sluggish. He said a few more words before the three of them went to carry the test subject, a mannequin. A rope hangs from its feet. Ford had the right limb, F had the left, and Y/n had the back.

The portal was so bright that it looked like a sea of diamonds swirling around it. Something is waiting on the other side. They may be testing the safety of this portal, but Y/n should have suggested attaching a camera for photographic evidence.

Standing in front of this portal with the other two is actually making her giddy. This is it. This is it.

"Ready... steady... and-" They all released the test dummy and it got pulled into the portal. So far, so good.

Her joy quickly turned to dread as the rope wrapped around her ankle. Y/n's heart leapt to her throat as she was abruptly lifted from the ground, and gravity was not on her side. She tried to grasp something, but all she found was air. "Help! "She gasped. "Help me!" "

"Y/n!" Ford screamed.

The gravitational magnet was too powerful, sucking half of her body inside before being pulled by the other end of the rope. The two men yanked and yanked on the string until the portal consumed so much energy that it malfunctioned. Static electricity erupted until everything went dark. They were able to pull her out because the portal was no longer active.

She crashed on the ground, hard. Fiddleford's brow furrowed, but Ford was only concerned with what she saw on the other side. "Did it work?" He inquired. Y/n was breathing heavily before twitching uncontrollably. F buried his hands in his hair and tugged hard. "What exactly is it, Y/n? What did you see?"

She sat upwards and the two watched as she slumped exhaustively. The girl was muttering the words, "ꟻɘɒɿ ɟ⑁ɘ dɘɒƨɟ wiɟ⑁ ᒑuƨɟ onɘ ɘγɘ" repeatedly before suddenly retching significant amount of dark brown blood in her vomit before passing out. F grimaced deeply, while Ford was greatly shocked at this revelation.

"We have to shut this portal down," F spoke. "It's clearly highly dangerous! See how this affected a little girl!"

"I can't stop this; it's my life's work!" " Ford drew his brows together.

"This is your life's work?" F angrily motioned to Y/n who was still lying on the ground.He knelt down and drew Y/n to him. "She was almost dead, Stanford!" Ford was surprised by his use of his real name. "Can't you peer inside your heartless soul that we just put a child in danger?" Destroy this portal before it annihilates us all! "

Ford remained deafeningly silent. He wanted to yell at him that Y/n would be fine and that they should try again. Although he couldn't help but feel a pang of panic in his stomach when Y/n didn't move. F lowered his gaze to the girl in his arms. He paused, a deep frown on his face. He was disgusted by this man's complete lack of understanding of the situation. He wanted to take her in his care if he walked away, but... he'd rather forget about it all.

Quickly but carefully, he handed the girl to Ford. Instantly, he pulled her close to him. "I quit," F declared.

"What?"

"I said I quit!" He stormed off without another word.

Anger filled Ford's veins. He clutched Y/n's frail body. "FIne!" He screamed. "We'll do it without you! We didn't need you!"

Those were their last words to one another.

He looked down at Y/n, searching for her pulse. He felt a faint beat on her wrist and felt relieved for a moment. "Y/n? " He said quietly. "Talk to me, Y/n."

She only let out a few groans before collapsing again.

He frowned. He didn't like that response, prompting a sigh from him. He's been working so hard, and sleep is finally catching up with him. However, he became aware of whispers. Ford looked up, alarmed. Did Fiddleford decide to return and apologize for his insulting remarks?

However, there were whispers coming from the left, right, and back. "Is anyone there?" " Ford yelled into the night. "Show yourself! " The whispers continued. It was getting louder, and Ford couldn't stand it any longer, so he stood up, bringing Y/n with him. He needed to get out of this room.

Ford cradled her against his chest and moved her to the upper floor of the elevator. Because he couldn't see well due to the blackout, he walked cautiously between the scattered items left on the ground until he arrived at his room. He carefully placed her on the cushiony mattress and covered her with a thin blanket, but before he could pull away, Y/n reached for his sleeve.

Ford looked at her, but her eyes were closed and she was silent. He tugged on his sleeve, but she wouldn't let go. He decided to comply with her wishes and sat beside her. He placed her head on his chest, and Y/n immediately became calm as she breathed slowly.

As he looked down on Y/n, he felt another pang in his heart. Was it remorse? Guilt? Pain from his anger?

He is indeed guilty for stringing her with this. He went down a dangerous path that he ventures alone, yet somehow she's still here. She has been a part of his journey in Gravity Falls ever since the beginning. He can say that they have been through thick and thin, and these last 6 years have been an adventure.

Ford's thoughts returned to Fiddleford, and his rage resurfaced. He took his journal and pen from his coat pocket without disturbing Y/n's sleep. He had a lot to say to F, words that would look better on paper rather than spoken aloud. He'd rather save his time than spend it yelling at him.

GOOD RIDDANCE!He wrote in bold letters. It felt final and liberating. He shouldn't have contacted Fiddleford in the first place. This project could have been completed with just Y/n and his muse. He'd introduce Y/n to his muse, and the three of them could collaborate. F and his weak, cowardly demeanor were utterly pointless.

His right eye felt like it was burning again. It was stinging and it was much more painful than the last. Is this a symptom that his muse is contacting him?

"wfs yic fswty?"

"jvy xijily cgcujk"

"vevibgsrmt droo xszmtv"

"!eye eno tsuj htiw tsaeb eht raef ,yks emoceb htrae dna sllaf ytivarg nehw"

"Stop!" Ford screamed, standing up. "Stop it!"

He dashed out of the room, but the whispers remained. He clutched his journal close to his chest. It felt like he was drowning for hours, but it had only been a minute. Slowly, his muse's voice became clearer.

"THE DOOR IS OPEN..."

What had he done?

***

Y/n opened her eyes to find herself in a void. She looked around but saw nothing but darkness. Is she able to walk? She took a step forward, luckily not falling. She walked and walked until she felt she had no choice but to run. Y/n was getting short of breath. She didn't have to look behind her back to realize that she was being pursued.

Her foot suddenly lost contact with the ground, and she began to fall. She could see the ground from below and instinctively put her hands in front of her to brace for impact, but she was floating before she could land.

First and foremost, she was perplexed. "Huh..."

Maniacal laughter erupted from above, and she was left puzzled by what was going on. From above, a yellow glowing triangle floated down. He had thick lines for limbs, a top hat, and a bowtie to complete his one-eyed body. She was still processing her situation. Where the heck is she?

"You're inside your mind, short stuff."

Internally, she screamed. Can this slick-looking fella hear her thoughts?

"Oh, why thank you for the compliment. I tend to dress up for a special occasion!" He even stretched his bowtie for effect. "Anyway, how'd you like that glimpse, Daisy?" He placed both his hands on the side of his head/body.

Y/n suddenly remembered everything. She remembered the first test, how she accidentally got caught on the rope, how half of her body got sucked in, how she got a glimpse of what was really on the other side, how she puked blood. If she's in this void of nothingness, is she still unconscious?

"Boy, your thoughts are loud. Ever taught them to shut up?"

She huffed, "Stop reading my mind! And who are you?" she suddenly felt chills as she realized that he had that similar black slits for pupils, similar to a cat's eyes. It dawned on her like a meteor shower. "You were the one helping Ford, aren't you."

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Here's your prize; a handful of fish guts!" he snapped his fingers and it magically made her hand catch, you guessed it, guts from a fish.

"Agh!" Y/n screamed in utter disgust as she threw it away from her. Bill's obnoxious laugh just echoed. With another snap of his fingers, the fish guts disappeared and her hands were clean of the blood.

"Haha! I knew I liked you better than that weak, obstinate Glasses! He was too cowardly to carry out the plan. Meanwhile, you blindly obey every command from Six Fingers. That's exactly what we want to see! Let's give Daisy a standing ovation!"

Y/n stood there, unimpressed as Bill summoned multiple pairs of hands surrounding her, giving their rounds of applause. Some even hollered and cheered even though they didn't have any mouths. He's starting to annoy her second by second. His taunts, his maniacal laugh, and what's with the "Daisy" calling? When had she heard it before?

"Sleep tight, Daisy."

At the chilly realization, she felt like she was showered with a bucket of ice cold water - because she was literally showered with a bucket of ice cold water by Bill. Y/n sputtered and spat out the water as Bill's maniacal laughter resounded. "Stop it and stop mind-controlling Ford!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"HAH! But why should I do that? He's just completed an interdimensional bridge connecting our worlds! We owe him a heartfelt thanks. This dimension will soon learn how to party. Are you ready?" he leaned down and produced a party pipe out of thin air before blowing it in her face. She slapped it away angrily, making Bill laugh again.

"Party? What the-" Y/n shook her head. She didn't know what he meant, but it sounded dangerous. She shouldn't have to think too much anymore or he'll just hear her thoughts! She was already well aware that Bill is a dangerously powerful being. "I'll stop you! I-I'll force Ford to close the portal!"

"And what makes you think I can't take over his body just like last time?" he replied without missing a beat. If he had lips, he would be smirking.

"You aren't welcome here, you psycho! You- you pyramid jerk!"

"Heh, your childish insults tickle my funny bone, and I don't even have one! I don't think you have a choice here once the portal finishes, Daisy." he taunted, pointing finger guns at her. Suddenly, his eyes changed and Y/n didn't like how it meant that an idea had entered his mind. What could the idea be? "And if we're going to have a party..." Bill paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes and before she knew it, it glowed to yellow and emitted a laser. He zapped her, enveloping her entire body in a yellow glow. He cackled so carelessly. "Woo!"

Her body was no longer glowing, and she scanned herself for any changes. Her physical form was unchanged, and she didn't feel any different, but Bill had clearly done something to her. "What have you done to me!"

"Even if Six Fingers stops the portal, he's just delaying the inevitable!" Bill chuckled. Even if it takes a thousand years, I'm sure you'll be present to see it! "

"What the- Bill!"

He began to float away. "Have fun with your birthday present, (nickname)-y! You'll thank me later!" his voice faded and the world around her began to flicker in black and white. "OH! Hey Daisy!" Bill exclaimed one last time. When she looked up, his eyes widened into saucers.

"WANNA HEAR AN IMPRESSION OF FIDDLEFORD?"

She awoke with a start, having no memory of what had happened in her dream or her harrowing encounter with the portal.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 6!

MASTERLIST

9-0-11-14-15-23-0-23-5'-12-12-0-13-5-5-20-0-1-7-1-9-14-0-19-15-13-5-0-19-21-14-14-25-0-4-1-25-!

[gravityfallsrewritten]

GRAVITY FALLS: REWRITTEN MASTERLIST !

Table of Contents:

SEASON 1 !!!

Ch. 1: Beginning

Ch. 2: Into the Woods

Ch. 3: Lend a Helping Hand

Ch. 4: Let's Get the Ball Rolling

Ch. 5: Curse this World

Ch. 6: I Just Got Him Back

Ch. 7: Pseudonym

Ch. 8: Her Aim is Getting Better

Ch. 9: Even Bigger Fraud Than Stan

Ch. 10: Real Man Or Real Dead?

Ch. 11: I Always Have a Plan

Ch. 12: Sacrifices for Your Sibling

Ch. 13: Through Fears and Insecurities

Ch. 14: Halloween in June

Ch. 15: Exchanging Bosses and Bodies

Ch. 16: Bros Before Dinos

Ch. 17: Escaping Dreams

Ch. 18: After All These Years

SHORTS !!

• Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained #1

• Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained #2

• Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained #3

• Mabel's Guide to Life #1

• Mabel's Guide to Life #2

• Fixin' It With Soos

• Mabel's Scrapbook

• Stan's Birthday

• Pterodactyl Troubles

• Revisiting the Pages

SEASON 2

Ch. 19: Scary-oke

Ch. 20: The Bunker and Tiny Men

Ch. 21: Where's My Other Sock?

Ch. 22: Into the Unseen!

Ch. 23: The Woodstick Festival

Ch. 24: Haunted Mansion and Hugs

Ch. 25: Operation: Don't Get Caught by the Government

Ch. 26: Now He's Back, the Mystery in the Mystery Shack

Ch. 27: Excelsi-Whatever!

Ch. 28: Elections and Betrayals

Ch. 29: Y/n and Dipper Sitting on a Van

Ch. 30: Everything You Care About Will Change

Weirdmageddon Part 1: Beginning of the End

Weirdmageddon Part 2: Escape from Reality

Weirdmageddon Part 3: Take Back the Falls

Weirdmageddon Part 4: See You Later

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #8: Stan's Birthday

SHORTS 8: Stan's Birthday [Takes place after "I Always Have A Plan"]

It was a success when the Shack threw its first ever party to attract the youth. However, it occurred to Y/n as she realized that they had not held a separate party to commemorate the older man's birthday. June 15th. This irritated her because she felt compelled to make an effort despite the man's wishes not to go too much on something so insignificant.

Now she made it her mission to throw a big surprise party that will hopefully send him into a heart attack– she was kidding. Or was she?

When she told Mabel of her plan, she had to cover the girl's mouth to prevent her from screaming excitedly. "Mabel, shh!" She hissed. That man's ears are too big for his own good. "It's supposed to be a secret!"

"I love surprise parties!" The braces-wearing girl squealed, twirling around. "Dipper and I are born birthday experts," she said, throwing an arm across her brother's shoulders.

Dipper pointed a finger gun at her. "We shared every birthday together so we know how to make them perfect."

"Alright," Y/n smiled. "I'm counting on you, guys. I guess I'll be the one distracting him while you guys do the planning."

"We need all hands on deck," Mabel said, reaching for her phone. "I'm calling for back-up," she hurried and dialed the numbers she obtained from her newfound friends, calling Soos for help. She walked downstairs, leaving the two.

Dipper didn't question Y/n's sudden decision to throw a surprise party for his great uncle, but he remained curious. Heck, he didn't even know that his birthday passed. But he felt warmth in his heart when he saw the way that she was willing to give him the best day ever, so of course he would help.

"What are you doing?" Stan deadpanned, not looking away from one of the control panels.

"Whatever do you mean?" Y/n asked with a slight smile, expecting Stan to question her behavior.

He rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. "You're doing that thing where you couldn't keep your hands still. Your tapping hurts my ears,"

"Well, you're an old man with huge ears after all, so of course you're sensitive to these noises," she replied easily, leaning back with her arms behind her neck.

"You only do that when you're nervous or anticipating something," he paused for a moment. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"I would never," Y/n breathed, her face morphing into an offensive expression. "I was just wondering if you'd like to go on a little expedition with me."

"Expe- what?" Stan questioned, glancing at her. "What's with the sudden activity? We haven't gone outside for the last thirty years."

"You mean we haven't gone outside together for the last thirty years," she easily corrected. "Come on, it'll be fun." She stood up and dusted her clothes.

He narrowed his eyes on her. "I'm suspicious of all of this." He spoke slowly, but after tossing the tools to the side, he relented. The two re-boarded the elevator, which took them to the top floor. She peered in through the vending machine's peeping hole. They quickly exited the multipurpose machine once the coast was clear. Y/n wondered where the gang was, but she had a feeling they were going to throw the party outside.

She led Stan outside, purposefully through the gift shop door—the exact opposite side of the Shack where the surprise was still going on. She was grateful for the events' precise timing. Stan wouldn't suspect anything because they walked out the door in front of them. From the corner of her eye, she saw a stray streamer flying aimlessly on the ground. Hopefully, Stan with his poor vision wouldn't notice. He didn't even question the disappearance of his employees and his niece and nephew.

"So, where are you taking me anyway?" Stan asked after a moment of walking idly around town. It took them about half an hour to exit the forest where the Mystery Shack resides. After crossing the wooden bridge, they were finally on the asphalt road. Thankfully, the streets were almost empty, but it was still a small town with people going to places they should go. She was also thankful that they minded their own business that day.

They passed by the Tent of Telepathy, Gleeful's Auto Sale, Greasy's Diner, a few more houses, until they rounded a corner and there was the local market at the other end of the avenue.

Y/n shrugged at his question. "We're going grocery shopping,"

"Well, you're unlucky," he faced her with a solemn smile. "I didn't bring my wallet-"

His words were stuck in his throat when she lazily raised her hand that held his auburn wallet. "You mean, this wallet?" She smirked.

Stan glared. "What are you planning..." He grouched.

"We've run out of food, Stan. What else are we supposed to do?"

He begrudgingly retrieved the shopping cart and began rolling his way in each aisle, Y/n in tow. She had the grocery list memorized in her head as she obtained what they needed. While strolling by the fresh goods area, Jimmy popped his head out from the corner with a smile.

Jimmy was the local grocer, ever the enthusiastic and perky teenager. Y/n flashed a kind smile at him. "Hi, Y/n!" He chirped. "Hey, Mr. Pines~!" He sang, already on his way to gather a dozen eggs. "Ya ready?"

Stan grinned, immediately shifting into a position. His legs were slightly apart as his body crouched. His hands were open and accepting as he eyed the eggs in the other person's arms, about to be transferred into the other. Y/n rolled her eyes playfully, moving the cart away for safety. They always seemed to do this every time Stan went to the market.

'Toss me a dozen eggs' was what they named the game.

But on the bright side, if Stan does catch the eggs, he gets to take it free, and no charge. But if even one egg slipped and fell to the ground, he gets nothing and he gets to pay for the cracked egg.

Stan was confident, though, and it didn't fade when he effortlessly secured them in his arms. "Ha! Nice throw, Jimmy!" Stan didn't forget to leave a compliment. If it wasn't for the boy's skill, he wouldn't have caught it properly.

Jimmy chuckled, impressed. He had his hands on either side of his hips. "Thanks for playing, Mr. Pines. 'Till next time," he retreated back to the storage room again.

All of the eggs Stan had captured were placed neatly on one side of the cart and they began pushing again. They didn't have to buy a lot of stuff so they were quick to check out. The bags they carried were light and soon their feet carried them back to the Mystery Shack.

"So you seriously forced me to go outside with you to go... grocery shopping?" Stan raised an eyebrow.

Y/n couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Maybe."

"That was it!?" Stan actually looked rather annoyed at the entire situation and she could only respond with an amused laugh.

"Yep! Now wasn't that fun?" She proudly smiled at him, to which he didn't reciprocate.

"I'm not having fun," he glared. "I'm not gonna agree to anything you offer ever again."

"Oh, come on!" Y/n expressed, her smile never leaving as she took the grocery bags inside and into the kitchen. She saw Mabel appearing behind Stan while he was busy glaring at her, showing an enthusiastic thumbs up– which only means that they were done with everything.

Well. that was fast.

"Okay, Stan, you caught me," Y/n raised her hands in faux defeat. "I brought you with me to go grocery shopping. But I've actually been wanting to expedite with you. I have these creatures I've been taking care of, but you might need some safety glasses before going to the site." The lie slipped easily from her lips. Stan kept his gaze at her, and his eyes became narrower and narrower in every sentence.

He kept quiet, but his hands remained on his hips.

"Now, we don't have access to either of our safety glasses, so we might need a makeshift one. Uh..." she looked around for something in the kitchen and settled for... "this one!" she said, holding up a random washcloth by the sink. "Here, wear it."

"What?!" Stan exclaimed. "Why do I need to wear one?"

"Um, because I don't feel pain?" She replied as if it was obvious. "And the site is very... bright and colorful. I hope you don't get sick of it." She said slowly, her story gradually falling apart. But the description reminded her of Rainbow-Blooded Equestrians she and Ford had an arm-wrestling match with that lasted for 30 hours.

Stan groaned. "Now I'm having second thoughts."

"Just- just put it on!" Y/n said, frustrated. She just needed Stan to be blindfolded. Was that so much to ask? "You can remove it once we're there."

He reluctantly put on the cloth around his eyes after handing the glasses to her. "Couldn't I put it on when we're near the site?"

Y/n resisted the urge to roll her eyes and bang her head against the wall. Of course Stan decided to be smart and calculating that day. "Good point, but we're actually nearer than you think." She retorted lightly. "Now, hold my hand, and follow the sound of my voice."

Stan wobbled around as he tried to step his foot on the ground. He was voicing out noises of discomfort of not being able to see while Y/n was happily guiding him towards the side of the Mystery Shack where a surprise was waiting for him.

Y/n made sure that her voice was loud for everyone else in the party to hear, taking that as their cue to hide. Everyone hid and managed to fit behind the table. "Okay, just walk over here," they hear Y/n's voice from the corner of the Shack. "And... stop." Y/n placed Stan in a spot where he could see everything.

There was a huge banner with the text saying, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAN!" with streamers and balloons hanging from the trees. The tables were filled with food and Y/n wondered how they prepared it quickly. Then again, they were outside for almost 2 hours.

"Okay. On the count of three, you're gonna remove your blindfold..." She ran to the side and shouted the following words. "3, 2, 1. Now!"

Stan pulled the cloth away from his head and adjusted his eyes to the lighting. Y/n handed him his glasses and as if on cue, the twins and their friends jumped out from the table. "Surprise! Happy Birthday Grunkle Stan!"

"Happy Birthday, Mr. Pines!" the others greeted.

"What...?" Stan was lost for words, looking at the scene in front of him. Mabel wore the biggest grin, while Soos had just thrown a handful of confetti. Grenda and Candy were also present, but Y/n was sheepishly bouncing on her heels.

Stan turned his head towards her. "So this was the reason why you deceived me."

Y/n's smile remained. "It was worth it, wasn't it?"

He wasn't able to provide an answer as the kids surrounded him with big smiles and hugs. "Happy Birthday, Grunkle Stan! Y/n told us pies are your favorite, but we didn't know which one specifically, so we have pecan pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, key lime pie. Lazy Susan and Soos' Abuelita helped, but it's not a birthday without cake so we didn't forget about that one!" Mabel relayed the information to Stan, who was rendered speechless. He was left utterly stunned, his eyes widened in amazement. It was a rare expression for Stan to wear.

"Mr. Pines?" Soos called from beside him. "Are you crying?"

"N-no!" Stan quickly denied, looking away from them. He choked back a sob as he yelled, "I'm just sweating through my eyes! Come on, everybody, let's eat pie!"

"Yay!"

***

It was already nighttime when the duo found themselves back in the basement. It had gone quiet, the remnants of the party dying down from the excitement. The girl silently sat back on her chair after carefully placing the last slice of cake by her table. In the darkness, the older man with her brought out a lighter and a small candle, placing it on the cake after lighting it up.

The fire from the candle flickers, casting a soft glow that reflects the atmosphere.

It wasn't just Stan's birthday.

It was always a tradition on every birthday to make a wish before blowing out the candle. And in that moment, in the silence of the portal room, their hearts seemed to intertwine as they yearned for the same thing: to bring the real Stanford back.

The two exchanged glances, nodding as if to say, "I've always got your back."

They'll bring him back.

***

author's note: HI YALL! welcome to another set of shorts! these are original ones, and will be composed of 4-5 shorts! no codes this time, but prepare for lotta ones in the second season ;) (no way, confirmed second season wowie)

anyways, happy birthday to the original pines twins! in a way, this is my belated birthday present for them. it's all up to u what to give your old man :)

keep on a look out for... anything honestly. sometimes i might feel silly and change things. my brain is getting foggy from writing so i apologize for the mistakes and cheesy writing. i might forget anything important, but i'm sure future me will handle it and add it to the next one. we'll see.

as always, i love you guys so much. i appreciate your comments and they make me amuse every time. i read them all!!! keep commenting!!! i love u !!!

kimmiepines

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #7: Mabel's Scrapbook

Page 15: Heist Movie (Takes place after "Sacrifices for Your Sibling")

"Twelve bucks a ticket?" Stan questioned as he handed everyone the tickets. "Pony Heist better be the best movie ever made!"

Pony Heist had been the talk of the town. The town being the entire Mystery Shack with Mabel as the only population. She had been wanting to go see this movie, and what better way to enjoy it than watching it with her family?

"I wrote a list of hilarious jokes to yell out during the movie. Pony Heist? More like BALONEY Heist! Right?"

Y/n couldn't help but snort at that. If she ever had a weakness, it was bad jokes. She had a fondness for them. Dipper looked to his right and hid his smile upon hearing her chortle.

Mabel grinned. "See? Y/n gets me!"

"That's because she likes bad jokes," Stan deadpanned as if it was obvious, making Y/n pout.

"Hey, don't ridicule my humor, old man." Y/n crossed her arms. "What are we waiting for? The movie's about to begin!"

So Y/n, Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Stan entered the cinema, chanting "Movies! Movies! Movies!"

An unsuspecting candy fell out of Mabel's sweater and Thompson managed to notice it and picked it up. "Hey, you stop! There is no outside food or drink allowed in the theater!"

The five of them frowned in annoyance. "Well, it's just one candy," Mabel reasoned.

"Yeah! I wanna talk to the manager!" Stan placed his hands on his hips.

Thompson glared. "I am the manager! Your family is banned!"

And there they were, sitting on the pavement outside the cinema. Mabel pouted. "No ponies..."

"No explosions," Soos sighed.

That was it. She's not going to let this go any further. Y/n stood up. "Are we just gonna let Thompson do that to us?"

"Yeah! We are not going down like this!" Dipper followed her. "I've got a plan to break in."

The five huddled together and formed a plan to get in. Y/n and Stan dealt with the breaking in part and the distraction to get the other employees to chase them. Soos, disguised as a delivery guy, hauled a huge box with a Dipper inside of it. Dipper managed to reach a panel that controls the displays for the cinemas, including the names of the movies showing.

He deliberately changed one of the movie's titles to " Thompson Drinks Popcorn Butter' with the manager eventually noticing it. "What?! No, I don't! Thompson immediately interjected, stomping towards the cinema in hopes of changing it.

Now the counter was unoccupied, giving Mabel a chance to climb inside a huge case of syrup and began covering herself in its sticky, sugary treat. "This is my favorite part!" She yelled out, not knowing that Thompson was near.

"Hey!"

Mabel escaped in time before Thompson could find her, climbing on the walls and across the ceiling until she reached one of the main vents. She managed to open one without the use of any tools, making one wonder if Mabel really had secret super strength or the cinema had just poor maintenance. Y/n was willing to bet on the latter.

The vent from the outside was opened by none-other than the brown-haired gal and that was their cue to climb aboard and went on a journey to the correct cinema where the Pony Heist was showing. Dipper kicked open the next ventilation bars and before they knew it, they landed exactly in the screening room where they got to see the entire view of the movie without the uncomfortable cramped up space.

Yet, even with the freedom to move anywhere inside the screening room, the family remained as closed as they could on a lone couch. Y/n, Mabel, and Dipper sat on the ground, while Soos and Stan sat on the sofa.

And not even when the movie reached its midpoint was Stsn immersed by the pony movie. The narrator told the story, "But the ponies are filled with– TNT!" Said ponies crashed and exploded in one big boom.

The gang laughed at the occurrence. Mabel brought out her page of Pony Heist jokes and read it aloud for the crowd below. "'Pony Heist'? More like BALONEY HEIST! Am I right?!"

Everyone in the cinema laughed, enjoying the joke. Mabel retreated back to the couch and gave Dipper a high-five. In the corner of her eyes, Y/n noticed Thompson on a small TV screen with them in the room. He was holding a huge bottle of butter. "Hey, look!" She pointed, garnering the family's attention to the monitor.

Thompson flitted his eyes from left to right before drinking the gallon of butter without a care in the world. Everyone laughed as Mabel took a picture with her camera.

"I'd do the same though-" Soos chimed in.

***

Page 26: Petting Zoo (Takes place after "Exchanging Bosses and Bodies")

Good ol' farmer Sprott had recently made his farm into a temporary petting zoo. Mabel invited everyone– including Wendy to a trip on said farm. They begrudgingly agreed and now they arrived at the petting zoo.

"I'm gonna pet you, I'm gonna pet you, oh-ho! You better believe I'm gonna pet you!" Mabel said to the animals she passed by, goats and sheep alike. It was relatively normal– and boring, until a strange creature caught Mabel's brown eyes.

She gasped, running towards a certain eight-legged cow named Octavia, her name written on a yellow banner above. Dipper and Y/n soon followed after her. It was peculiar, the cow indeed having 8 legs placed randomly around her body.

Y/n hasn't seen this type of cow before. The other strange cows she had discovered were Cow Circles– cows coated with designs of otherworldly mathematical precision from horns to hooves (as described by Ford).

"More limbs means more hugs!" Mabel cheered.

Everyone observed closer. "Whoa! I didn't think nature would allow this!" Dipper remarked in awe.

"Yeah!" Stan voiced, turning to Sprott, "Hick farmer! What gives?"

The man was leaning casually against the trunk of the tree. "Octavia? Well, she's just another blessin' from the toxic sludge running off the Mud Flaps factory."

They glanced behind Sprott, where a goat was absently drinking from the toxic river before it grew another head– and died. Y/n noticed the factory being named 'Northwest Mud Flaps', and she just wondered what the toxic sludge contained.

Mabel laughed as Octavia licked her face. "I could pet this cow forever!"

Sprott rubbed his nose. "Well, get your pettin' done now 'cause I'm gonna eat 'er come cow eatin' season."

Wendy, Mabel, Soos, and Dipper gasped while Stan's eyes widened. Y/n grimaced at the thought.

"So you wanna eat the freak to gain its mutant powers. I respect that." Stan commented.

Y/n elbowed his side. "Don't call it a freak," she harshly whispered.

Before the group started to walk away, Mabel pulled on the old man's arm. "Grunkle Stan! We can't let Octavia be eaten!"

"Come on, Mabel! Cows are delicious!" Stan shrugged.

Mabel frowned, hugging Octavia's nose. "But we love her!"

Stan stared at Mabel petting the clueless cow, who was about to be turned into a burger (Sprott was holding two buns from a distance, imagining Octavia as a hamburger). Suddenly, Octavia licked him, making Stan sigh in defeat.. "Warm up the truck."

Y/n smiled at Stan's disgruntled reaction to the cheering around him. The group came up with a plan to wait until closing time to do the mission.

It was now 6PM and eventually, everyone else in the petting zoo left and one of the employees added the small 'CLOSED' sign by the entrance. The plan was on the go.

Soos sat on the roof of the truck, daliang the phone number of Sprott's farm. Not long after, the old phone from inside the barn rang and the farmer answered. "Hi! I'm calling from "Pictures of Tractors Monthly"! Please hold for an important message!" Soos said, holding up his portable keyboard. He began playing a tune and sang, "Da-ra-ta-ra-to! Ta-ra-ta-pa-da-ba-bo!"

While the farmer was distracted, the rest of the Pines loaded Octavia on the back of the truck.

"This is definitely a real message- ta-ra-pa-po!" Soos serenaded.

Once Octavia was safely tucked in the back of the truck, the gang entered the vehicle and Stan drove off in a hurry. Just then did Sprott notice the theft. "They're stealin' Octavia! Emmett! D'Shawn! Close the gate!"

While the truck was speeding away, the gate they were heading straight towards closed automatically and Stan made a sharp turn to the sheep pen, breaking some fences.

"Sheep! Dodge! Dodge!" Mabel screamed.

Stan swerved around the livestock, the truck almost tipping over. "Brace yourselves!" Stan yelled, heading towards a randomly placed ramp in the end of the pen. Everyone in the truck shrieked as the truck drove on a ramp, jumping over hay.

Serves Sprott right for building an escape ramp.

The gang waited until they were far enough from the petting zoo and Stan stopped the vehicle. They opened the trunk and Octavia walked out, mooing

"Goodbye, Octavia," Mabel said, "Here's a little something to remember us by."

Stan stuck a Mystery Shack sticker on Octavia's hind and smacked her back as farewell. Octavia moved forward and the group waved and said their goodbyes. "Bye!"

"Goodbye, Octavia!"

"Have beautiful babies!"

"I love you!"

Stan smiled. "She was alright for a mutant," he said, looking over at Y/n, and she nodded in approval at the correct nickname.

Octavia the eight-legged cow celebrated her freedom by sweetly eating grass. A bird passed by, and suddenly Octavia shot green lasers from her eyes, knocking out the bird as it fell from the sky, blackened and burnt. The moment it plummeted to the ground, Octavia stuck her mutated, long tongue to pull the bird to her mouth, aggressively eating the bird.

"Run," Stan told the terrified group, but Y/n was staring at it in awe, her mind reeling. Mabel stopped to take a picture of the cow's glowing eyes.

"Well, that was a fun day!"

***

KZHG. OVG’H HVV SLD 🗝: reverse

NUMBERS IN BOLD, THEY CATCH THE EYE, A PUZZLE KEY, DON'T PASS THEM BY. THEIR SIGNIFICANCE, YOU MUST DISCERN, A CLUE TO SOLVE, A LESSON TO LEARN.

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #6: Fixin' it with Soos

#1: Cuckoo Clock (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

Soos had the most original idea ever: what if he is the host of his own show where he does what he does best? And what is he good at? Fixing! So he went ahead and used Y/n's room as his set for the show. Y/n didn't mind– as long as he doesn't wreck anything and that he only does it once. It might sound like a harsh consideration and she trusts Soos, but her room is her safe haven. It's the only place where she could get peace.

So Soos excitedly set up on her bed so that it faced him. His cool keyboard was placed behind him to provide him with any sound effects. Y/n left him to his devices and went down to the basement for a moment.

"Hey, dudes! Welcome to 'Fixin' It With Soos', the only home "Fix It" show that I edited myself on my own computer." Soos could already imagine the effects that he's adding to the video once he reaches home. "Today I have this broken cuckoo clock." He picked up the clock. "As you can see, it's tore up from the floor up. Stan knocked it down the other day by accident."

Knocked down meaning Stan repeatedly beat it up with a bat, screaming at it to stop.

"I'm gonna fix it up, and when I'm done, Stan will rate my handiwork on the "Awesome-o-meter"." He took out a chart with a cartoony thermometer and words plastered on it.

A few minutes of duct tape and wood glue later, Soos somehow put it back together, but it didn't look functional. Not moments later, it already fell apart. "Almost there! Although, something off... Ah-ha! It needs decorations!"

Mabel walked into the scene, drinking a box of orange juice. "Oooh! Make it leopard print!"

The two proceeded to add more enhancements to the cuckoo clock, which now had an attached beach house with more miniature birds as friends. He even named them respectively.

Another montage of cuckoo clock repairing later, Y/n had finally come up to the surface– doing so as discreetly as possible before getting herself a classic Pitt cola. She entered through the living room's door and there she saw Soos, Mabel, and Stan with a draped object on a pedestal in the middle of them.

"Y/n! Perfect timing." Soos smiled. "It's the grand unveiling of Mr Pines' brand new Cuckoo Clock!"

"You've joined forces with Mabel. This is an unsettling development," Stan grumbled as Y/n took a sip from her cola.

Soos uncovered the cuckoo clock. "Voila!" and it is revealed to make music, light up the place and more decorations Soos and Mabel wanted, for example the slide and the boomboxes. Y/n's eyes widened and her gaze shifted to Stan who crossed his arms. "So, Stan, What do you think?"

"Why is it permanently set to 1:50?"

"Its hands are in the air, like it just doesn't care! So, one to ten, what do you give it?" Soos carried the cuckoo clock in his arms closer to Stan.

The old man scratched his head. "Well, it doesn't make that horrible Cuckoo sound anymore, so... I don't know, ten out of ten, whatever."

Soos was very happy and surprised, and dropped the Cuckoo Clock, destroying it.

***

#2:Golf Cart (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

"Y/n, just one last episode I swear!" Soos begged on his knees.

"Okay, okay!" Y/n quickly replied, pulling him to his feet. "Just don't do that again." She sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. "Alright. You can film one more, but you know you can always do it in your room, right?"

"I know, but I don't want Abuelita watching me. Here is a safe space," he expressed with his arms wide. "But I think two episodes are enough considering my computer couldn't take any more rendering."

"I understand, Soos," she nodded. "Okay, go ahead."

Dipper and Wendy were outside of her room when she walked out. Wordlessly, she let the two inside of her room before walking out and closing the door. She couldn't wait to just lie down and sleep peacefully.

"Okay! You guys are here. Are you guys ready to be a part of this amazing show?"

"Of course, man. We'll support you," Wendy assured.

After setting up the camera, Soos stood from behind a table with a soldering iron. "Hey dudes! And welcome back to "Fixin' it with Soos," Soos said, while Dipper and Wendy were standing behind him, "the show where I always forget that I'm leaning on the soldering iron,"

Of course he would forget.

A few minutes later, Soos came back with a bandaged hand. "What needs fixing today?" He asked the two people.

"Well, me and Dipper were just doing normal work stuff with the golf cart..." Wendy began, telling the events of earlier. "So now the cart's busted for some reason. You think you can fix it so we can finish our stunt?"

"You have called upon my fix-it powers. I accept this call, Wendy," Soos said with a serious tone.

Meanwhile, the two were left confused. "Huh? What call?" Wendy questioned.

"The Call... of POWER!"

"What's happening right now?"

Soos whispered, I'll show you guys later. Oh no! A bat! Laser eyes, go! Boom."

Dipper blinked. "Still in the dark over here."

The 3 went outside to inspect the wrecked golf cart. Soos and Dipper changed into jumpsuits while Wendy took the couch outside to read a magazine. "It's time to fix the golf cart. At the end of the show, Dipper and Wendy will rank my handyman-ship from 1 to 10." His voice then dropped into a whisper next to Dipper. "Vote 10!"

"Happy to do it, dude." Dipper smiled. "Hey, do you think a girl would think I look cool in this jumpsuit?" He laughed nervously. "I mean..." He kept laughing.

In a defeated voice, Soos laid a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "Some things, even Soos can't fix."

Not wasting any time, Soos and Dipper began fixing the cart. They opened the hood and Soos fiddled with the interior parts of the vehicle until he found the problem and fixed it with a wrench. "Huh, looks like a problem with the fuel injector. Dipper, try the engine now."

Dipper walked to the cart and started the engine successfully. "Hey! You did it, man. It works!"

"My fix-it power has been unleashed!"

"Why do you keep saying stuff like that?"

Another montage had passed of Soos adding embellishments and other augmentations to the cart. Y/n walked out of the Shack. It seemed like every time she knew that Soos would do an episode of his show, she would only arrive at the part where Soos is doing the unveiling of his final product.

"Y/n! Perfect timing!" Soos said it again once he noticed her. "I was just about to show Dipper and Wendy the new golf cart!"

Dipper's eyes widened when he saw her. Dang it, I changed my clothes too soon. His mind revolved around that one thought.

"Alright, let's see it," Y/n said, casually sipping on– you guessed it, Pitt Cola.

"Behold!" He revealed the redesigned cart, filled with memorabilia and painted designs. Everything was different and Y/n didn't know what to say, but this new golf cart just screamed danger. "So let's make this jump!"

"Jump?" Y/n tilted her head.

The three went ahead and climbed aboard the golf cart, Soos as the driver and that's when Y/n noticed a giant ramp placed in the middle of the clearing. Y/n merely watched from where she stood as Soos began driving the golf cart at maximum speed, but it didn't seem fast enough to cover the leap.

"I don't think we have enough speed to make it," Dipper said wearily.

"Hit the nitrous boosters!" Soos replied confidently.

"Aren't those illegal?" questioned Wendy.

Soos only cackled. "You bet your life they are, baby!" He pressed the middle of the steering wheel (which was a literal boat wheel) and the boosters came to life, immediately adding speed.

The cart went through the ramp at a greatest speed as Wendy and Dipper screamed happily. "We're clearing it! We're clearing it!" Dipper yelled.

"So, what score do I get, from one to ten?"

The other two chanted. "Ten out of ten! Ten out of ten!"

"Thanks, guys!"

The trio didn't realize that– they hadn't landed yet. The golf cart was still in mid-air, but maybe the roof that they were heading straight towards might be a stark reminder that they might just–

CRASH!

"Oh my god, are you guys okay?!" Y/n screamed hysterically when the golf cart straight-up collided with the Shack's wooden roof tiles. They were able to get off before the disaster but that didn't mean it didn't hurt when they rolled on the ground not-so gracefully.

She went ahead and checked if they were somewhat fine. Wendy had scratches, Dipper had a bruise on his elbows, while Y/n was sure that one of Soos' legs was broken.

She was also sure that Dipper was having a concussion from the way he was shamelessly clinging onto her.

But none of that mattered when Stan went outside and called for the Shack's handyman. "Soos! I think the roof is broken! Can you fix it for me?"

Soos flipped a thumb up. "I make my own economy."

***

ORMVH. GSV KZHG RH 🗝: reverse

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #5: Mabel's Guide to Life

Ep 3: Color (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

"What's your favorite color, Gravity Falls?"

Y/n and Mabel proceeded to ask every person this question. Ranging from common ones to absurd ones- like seriously, what the heck is a Magic Vision poster?

"What about you, Y/n? What's your favorite color?"

"Anything? But I love yellow the most," she answered truthfully. "But really. It changes everyday."

Mabel grinned. "Interesting answer! Just like you, Y/n."

Y/n didn't have time to think whether she should be offended or not because she had already gone to Stan's office. "What's your favorite color, Grunkle Stan?"

He was busy rummaging through suitcases around the room when his great niece asked the question. Y/n almost knew the answer as she had asked the question before, and was again met with the same awkward and boring answer.

"None."

"What?!" Mabel sputtered.

"I don't have a favorite color." Stan stood his ground, not sparing her a glance. "I don't even like colors."

Mabel was exasperated, throwing her arms up in hope. "Not even... rainbows?"

"Beats me, I've never seen a rainbow."

"WHAT?!" She screamed so loudly and before Y/n knew it, she was being dragged to the twins' room, stating it was a 'color emergency'. Surprisingly, Grenda and Candy were already there, while Dipper had just come in after the two.

The four sat on Dipper's bed, while Mabel was on the opposite side with the camera pointed at them like an interview. "Alright guys, how can we get Grunkle Stan to see a rainbow? I need ideas, people!"

Y/n sat idly beside Dipper, her hands intertwined in silence. She thought about the process of obtaining rainbows from the sky, or taking Stan to a unicorn's base and getting them to generate rainbows to their hearts' content.

It was until Candy came out with her own ideas that made Y/n shake off her plans. "What if we reflect the rainbow from the falls into Stan's window?"

Dipper and Candy exchanged enthusiastic high-fives while Y/n tilted her head. "But-"

"Yeah!" Grenda bellowed after drinking a whole gallon of expired milk. She carelessly fell off the bed and began sleeping.

Y/n almost helped the poor girl until Candy stretched out a hand. "It's fine, she does this."

The five- excluding Grenda since she still had to recover from the potential food poisoning- began to commence their scheme. After randomly finding a lone body mirror lying in the parlor room of the Shack, Y/n, Candy, and Dipper set up Soos' truck in front of a waterfall. Y/n guided the two carriers to the right angle where the mirror would perfectly reflect the water directly into Stan's office.

Dipper and Candy were wearing sunglasses as looking at the harsh light that the glass would reflect might literally blind someone. So Y/n made sure to let Mabel know that. She must've had a spare pair of glasses for Stan, right?

Sure enough, screams coming from the said man reverberated across the forest. His screams of agony were so resonating deep within the woods making the birds that lay peacefully, fly away at the noise.

The three sprinted back to the Mystery Shack and went straight to Stan's office to see Soos quickly putting the fire out with a fire extinguisher. Stan was limping as Mabel tried to assist him but he only muttered sounds of annoyance.

"I'll get the medkit," Dipper said in the midst of awkward silence before going away in big strides. Y/n and Candy merely stared at the situation that had developed.

As Mabel supported Stan towards the yellow couch, he screamed louder than before, "I HATE COLOR MORE THAN EVER!"

***

Ep 4: Art (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

"Okay! Ready?" Mabel asked Y/n, who stood behind the camera once more.

"Yep." Y/n replied. "Are you?"

"Never better!"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "But that's not...-"

"Let's get the ball rolling!"

Mabel's enthusiasm had Y/n shaking her head. "Okay. Recording in 3... 2... 1..."

"Art! It's all around us! From the big triangles of the desert, to those pens that go like.. Brooop! Brooop!" She tilted said pen on her hand. "No one knows what art means or where it comes from, but one thing is for sure: I'm great at it!" She shrugged as casually as she could.

On the table were papers with different scribbles of colors as Mabel presented one by one. "At age 2, I was naturally gifted." It was a paper full of blue squiggly lines.

"At age 5, I was a master of portraits." It was a supposed picture of Dipper as a blue stickman.

"Age 7 was a time of free exploration!" She presented a painting of a rainbow court - a court with the occupants being literal rainbows.

Mabel leaned against the statue placed in the middle of the hallway. "But everything changed when I saw this amazing caricature!" She took out a drawing of Dipper with an entirely different art style. His head was uncharacteristically- or characteristically larger and his other facial features were exaggerated in size.

"Gimme that, gimme that!" Dipper voiced, magically materialized beside Y/n before snatching hte paper from her hands.

"What could make it even better you ask? I give you..." Mabel extracted a paper from her pocket. "The Cat-icature!"

It was a gray cartoon cat head with a hat similar to Dipper's. "Just compare this amazing likeness to Dipper!" She glided over towards her brother.

"That doesn't look anything like me-"

"You're right it does look exactly like you! But I didn't just draw Dipper. I'm planning on making more and selling it! I just need to find the perfect entrepreneur who would sell this!"

The two proceeded to go and find Stan and reel him in for the business proposal. Mabel had prepared the cat-icatures she made of Wendy, Soos, Stan, Waddles, and even Y/n and placed them all on the dining table where Stan spectated closely.

"Uh, it's just the same crummy cat face with a different hat each time- except for Y/n and Waddles," he said, specifically pointing at her caricature of an orange tabby with a daisy necklace as a collar.

"Exactly!" Mabel leaned forward. "And I sell 'em for 10 dollars each."

"You need an agent? I am now your agent."

Y/n had never cackled so loudly.

***

Soon enough, Stan had put up a stall that would sell cat-icatures for 10 dollars. It was a commission type thing where people would come and have Mabel draw them as cats as quickly as a minute. The word spread like wildfire and more people fell in line for a cat-icature of their own. Stan happily took all the money. "Mabel! These cat-icatures are sellin' like hotcakes!"

Mabel, who was sitting on the table across the stall, appeared bored. "Cat-icatures are good. But I've moved on to the next level. Behold... " she hauled out a giant cat and on its stomach was a drawn face of a man. "Humani-cat-icatures!"

Everyone paused upon seeing the giant cat. But then all of the customers who wanted to buy the cat-icatures wanted to buy the humani-cat-icatures instead. Their hollers were louder than before. Stan had the biggest smile he wore. "Somebody get this girl more cats!"

An hour of collecting stray cats from the back alleys later, Mabel was in a room surrounded by angry cats who refused to have their stomachs painted. Mabel's hair was disheveled and her sweater looked ripped. Her camera was propped on a crate as she videoed herself stepping closer to a cat.

"That's it for Mabel's guide to art, where we learned that sometimes you have to suffer for your art." She said towards the camera before talking to a dark cat. "Here, kitty, kitty-"

The cat jumped and attacked Mabel in her face. Mabel fell to the ground, screaming as she tried to get away from its sharp claws. "AHH! Y/n, help!!!" She began giggling. "It actually kinda tickles."

***

UFGFIV RH RM GSV 🗝: reverse

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #4: Mabel's Guide to Life

[disclaimer: some episodes of mabel's guide to life could not be found due to technical issues. luckily, soos managed to salvage the important ones. enjoy! -mabel]

Ep 1: Dating (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

Mabel saw Dipper filming his investigations and thought that she wanted to do that as well. To have her own TV show where she talks about her interests and color people intrigued. She got a more modern recorder that Soos found in his attic and let the girl borrow for her show.

All she needed was a cameraman– or rather, a camerawoman.

"Hey, Y/n! Wanna be on my show as my co-host?"

Dipper, having heard of Mabel's offer, immediately objected. "Hey, what gives, she's my co-host."

Mabel scoffed playfully, waving a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, Dips, you'll get your partner back. I just need Y/n to hold the camera for me! No biggie."

Y/n raised a pointer finger. "Uh, actually–"

The other twin ignored the first comment despite the blush in his cheeks. "You can just prop up the camera on a surface. Y/n and I still need to film more episodes."

"I'll help you, Mabel," Y/n said with a smile, overlooking Dipper's glare from beside her. She turned to face him as she shrugged. "I'll help both of you. Just don't clash your schedules with one another."

Dipper hesitantly relented, sighing. "Fine. We're filming the Moth Man tonight, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"Okay!" Mabel clapped her hands. "Come on, Y/n! I need your help with the props!" Before the two could leave the room, she pointed at her brother. "And don't leave, I'm gonna need your help later!"

While Dipper's set was more cheap (but it was cute), Mabel's props were made with more effort and it showed. It was full of glitters, sparkles, gems, jewels, and glue. Tons of glue. Waddles was peacefully sleeping while Mabel placed the various colorful stones on its fat side. She used what looked like icing to spell out "Mabel's Guide To" as some sort of a title screen.

"Alright, we got the photo for the title," Mabel grinned, swiping a sweat on her forehead.

"So what guides are you gonna do?"

"Oh, a lot," Mabel gushed. "Everything life could offer: fitness, foods, sports, make-up, and more!"

And more she did. The two began setting up what Mabel's studio is supposed to look like. Mabel draped a light green cloth like a curtain for her background, while Y/n placed a white sheet on the table. Two of Mabel's favorite stuffed animals sat beside her as her guests as she placed mugs for them. Two light bulbs were placed inside cardboard boxes as her lights.

She sat on the chair while Y/n checked the camera's settings. "So, Soos gave this to you?"

"Yep, specifically for my show. So, are we ready?"

"What episode are we doing again?"

She raised her arms in joy. "Mabel's Guide to Dating!"

"Great! Dating." Y/n tried to match her enthusiasm. "Okay, I'm gonna count down and you're just gonna do your best."

"I always do my best." The camera rolled and Y/n counted down until she gestured for her to begin. "As we all know, I'm a dating expert. In fact, I can't get the boys to leave me alone!" She suddenly stood. "You know what you did, Zack!" She screamed, startling the camerawoman a bit.

Y/n feigned a confused stare from behind the camera, but she trusted Mabel to know what she was doing.

"Okay, cut," Mabel signaled and Y/n stopped recording. "Now we need to get Grunkle Stan, Soos, and Dipper."

"What for?"

"Oh, you'll see!"

The three were gathered quite easily– except for Stan who accepted but only because he was promised bacon– and now they sat in three separate chairs with a huge sign that says 'CONTESTANTS' hanging above them.

Soos was excited, Dipper was still slightly annoyed seeing Y/n helping his sister instead of him, while Stan was just bemused with the whole thing.

"And– action! Today we're gonna test the date-ability of three of Gravity Falls' swinging-est bachelors. Soos!"

Y/n pointed the camera at him. "Get ready to fall in love, America! Am I, am I looking at the right camera?"

"Over here, Soos," she told him.

"Dipper!"

He crossed his arms. "Who are you even making this for?" Such a baby.

"Grunkle Stan!"

"I'm only here 'cause you promised bacon." On cue, Mabel flung a bacon over her head, directly onto Stan's mouth. "I'm pacified!"

Mabel walked towards the camera. "And now for a simple 9,000 question dating quiz." She said before presenting three long papers.

The three men slash boys were transferred to the living room and they answered the quiz. The two girls watched them think of their answers differently. Mabel nudged her elbows into Y/n's. "Y/n, you wanna take my quiz? I have 1 more extra!"

"I do love quizzes..." Y/n admitted, "But I don't think I can ace this particular quiz."

"You don't need to ace it, you just need to answer honestly!"

"No."

Mabel let out a chuckle. "Heh, anyway, while they're busy working, let's film various animals getting all the love!"

***

A montage of Mabel forcing two of several kinds of animals to date later, and the results were in. The boys were back in their seats as Mabel brought their results. "Grunkle Stan, on a scale from one to five, you scored a three."

"Yes! Yes!"

"This will limit your dating pool to widows, lady plumbers and convicts." Mabel read.

"I still consider this a victory."

She walked over to Dipper. "Dipper. Your score is... eesh! You know, scores don't really matter. You should just focus on being you." She tried to reassure, flitting her gaze between him and the camera from across the room.

Mabel hurriedly skipped towards Soos. "Soos, on a scale from one to five you scored.. a twelve?"

"My grandma was right all along. I am the world's most perfect man!"

Soos stood up and raised his arms. Out of nowhere, three birds flew their way at him. "And cut!" Mabel shouted. "Thank you all for your participation." She smiled at them as they hastily walked out of the room. "Now I just need to film my final thoughts. You did so great, Y/n!"

"I just held the camera."

"Yeah, and I couldn't have done this show without your huge help!" She pulled her into an embrace. "Hugs!"

***

Ep 2: Fashion (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

For this episode, Mabel had called up both Candy and Grenda. "Okay, girls, we're gonna do a Mabel's Guide to Fashion!"

"Great idea, Mabel!" Candy nodded.

Grenda gushed. "You're the most fashion expert out of all of us!"

Seeing the huge pile of sweaters with various colors and designs proved Grenda's statement. Y/n couldn't figure out how it fit her bags the first time the twins came here, but she saw tons of yarn that Mabel might have used to sew more sweaters for half of the summer.

So to start the episode, Mabel wore her unique sweaters and struck poses, Grenda narrating in the background. Dipper was even pulled in for a short cameo, getting him to wear glasses. As Mabel strutted across him with a confident walk, Dipper was writhing with awkwardness. "So wait, what do you want me to do?"

"Flip up your glasses!" Grenda harshly whispered from beside Y/n, while said girl was trying not to laugh.

"Uh, like this?" He flipped the shades of the glasses with an uncomfortable gaze. Y/n thought he looked cute.

After cleaning up the attic a bit, Mabel sat on an office chair with her arms on either side as if she's relaxing. "Guess what. It's Mabel." She said to the camera. "Everyone wants to look as amazing as me. But most people don't have time for fashion in their busy day-to-day lives." She jumped off the chair. "That's why I've created...

"FLASH MAKEOVER!"

Candy and Grenda beside Mabel as they screamed.

The first victim– or client was one sitting in the living room drinking from a mug. Y/n held the camera, appearing on the door and Soos noticed. "Oh, hey, Y/n. What are you uh-"

"Grenda, hold him down!"

Mabel, Candy, and Grenda arrived at the scene, swiftly tackling Soos to the ground. Candy and Mabel went ahead and put makeup on his face. They dressed him up in clothes and a blonde wig that Y/n swore she saw on TV before. "These pants are so tight... I can't move!"

"You can thank us later!" Mabel said as she, Candy, and Grenda dashed through the door.

Y/n was left standing with Soos until he lost his balance. "I'm down! Soos is down!" She had to stop recording and helped him stand back up before teaming with the three girls once again. She found them in front of the common bathroom where she heard singing from inside.

"Start the recording, Y/n," Mabel whispered. "This is our next target."

And she did just that. Mabel opened the door to see Stan singing in front of the mirror, "I'm Stan and I was wrong, I'm singing the Stan Wrong Song-"

Grenada didn't hesitate to tackle Stan to the ground, making him scream. "AHH! What's happening?!"

"BEAUTY IS HAPPENING!" Mabel retaliated as Candy and Grenda began applying cosmetics while Y/n held her laughter.

A full-15 minutes of make-up later, Stan finally saw the results of the girls' creation as Grenda stretched out a hand mirror. He found his skin to be a resemblance of a tiger, probably a reference to "Tiger Fist' – a show he's been watching.

"I'd be pretty mad at you girls," he paused, "if I didn't look so fantastic!"

"Success! Take it to the street, girls!"

The four proceeded to walk around town, looking for potential victims– rather clients. Mabel scoped the streets as she rubbed her chin. "Okay, gals. We need a real challenge."

"Old Man McGucket!" Someone screamed and there he sat on a bench, spitting in a bucket.

Grenda narrowed her eyes. "This one is a toughie." Candy nodded in agreement.

But Mabel grinned despite the task. "Let's try something bold!"

So they pulled McGucket to the sidewalk and turned him around so the back of his head was facing them. Mabel brought a red marker and began drawing a face on his bald head. "Am I good or am I good, girls?"

"Absolutely stunning," Grenda said from beside Y/n.

Mabel walked around the old man and gestured to his entire face. "Now we cover up that... problem... area..." She grabbed a handful of his beard and lifted to his head so that it covered his face. The end of his beard appeared to be his hair from the back as Mabel combed its bangs. "Now you just have to walk backwards everywhere you go and bingo! You're fabulous."

Old Man McGucket wasn't complaining. "That's the way my body naturally wants to move anyways!" He started to go backwards as he sang a tune. A random woman saw all of this and screamed and ran away, horrified.

Going back to the Shack, Grenda was reviewing the tapes as she praised Mabel's handiwork. "You are a visionary, Mabel!"

"Thanks, girls! Couldn't have done it without you guys." Mabel paused. "Though I think we're missing our one last flash makeover."

"Who is it? Is it Dipper?" Candy voiced out with her fists clenched excitedly.

"Nope!" The other girl replied, her eyes seeming to drift towards an unsuspecting girl who was watching the sun without her eyes getting hurt.

Said girl, now aware of the eyes directed at her, stopped in her movements. "What?"

Mabel stepped forward, Y/n paced back. Candy inched closer, Y/n avoided her path. Grenda with the camera began recording before Y/n burst into a sprint inside the Shack. The three girls quickly followed.

Y/n ran to the living room, then the kitchen, exiting through the back door. She waited until Candy and Mabel got to go outside as well and they did, waiting for her next move. Grenda was nowhere to be seen. Y/n sauntered side to side while Mabel and Candy were stomping closer. "You can't hide, Y/n!"

But she could run. She managed to escape their arms and went back inside the Shack where she was anticipating Grenda waiting so she decided to go through the front of the gift shop. Mabel screamed for Grenda, making her assumptions right that Grenda was waiting but just not on the right door.

Y/n made the haste decision to go upstairs instead of her room because typically, they would go to that place first. The room options upstairs were very minimal as it only contained the very-much-full storage room, Stan's room, and the twins' room. Maybe she should just jump out of the window and walk away as if nothing happened.

Why is she even running away? Maybe because she dislikes make-up and doesn't like the feeling of products being put on her face? She heard the ruckus downstairs as well as Mabel telling the girls to split up, and that was her cue to bolt inside the twins' room.

Dipper jumped when the door was suddenly opened. He opened his mouth to ask but Y/n quickly shushed him. "I have to hide."

He pointed at a vacant room behind her and Y/n didn't hesitate to climb a makeshift ladder towards a storage space full of unused toys and things.

As if on cue, Mabel entered the room, her hands almost shaking with glee. "Where is she?"

"Who?" Dipper casually responded as he went back to his reading.

"Y/n! Have you seen her?"

"Nope, it's just me."

Mabel grinned, pointing at him with sass. "Ha, you think you're a good liar, brother? I know she's in here. She can't hide! ...Unless she's in Stan's room then I'll let her be because I don't wanna go there."

Dipper could imagine Y/n's facepalm from her hiding spot. "Uh, well you're unlucky because nobody was here until you came. It's just... me." He avoided her gaze and instead focused on the words of the page.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Sure... I'll leave you alone, for now." Before she made her leave, she made sure to open the closet door, finding it empty. Her eyes remained narrowed as she exited out of the room backwards.

Y/n crawled closer to the light and looked at Dipper. He lifted a palm, silently telling her to wait until the coast was clear. Once he nodded, she jumped down without making a single noise. "Thanks," she sighed in relief."

"No problem. It's only right since you helped me with that Stan incident."

The Stan incident being hiding in the roof after barging inside a bathroom occupied by said old man– all a ruse for uncovering a mystery.

Dipper held his eyes on her. "I can think of a million reasons as to why you're running away from my sister, but care to specify?"

"It's gonna sound pretty lame of me," she shrugged, "but in her episode, she's doing this segment where she and her friends do flash makeovers on random people. Guess who's the next target," she finished with a huge frown.

"Yikes," the boy tilted his head as he tried to sympathize with her. He placed a finger in the middle of the pages as a bookmark while he continued talking with her. "Make-up is weird."

"I just don't see the appeal, sorry." Y/n shrugged.

Dipper agreed. "But disliking it doesn't make you lame at all," he replied, referring to her first statement. "It's a fashion choice– and h-honestly you don't need it." He shrugged, avoiding her gaze as he suddenly found the wall interesting. "But what do I know, I'm a boy." Dipper quickly added, trying his best to lessen the heat in his cheeks.

Y/n sunk to the ground and crossed her legs comfortably. "Yeah, well, I agree with your statement so you know something. Maybe more than I do."

The two sat in a pleasant silence, until it was quite literally destroyed when Grenda burst through the door with Mabel and Candy– their eyes hungry, their fingers twitching, and their tooth-filled grins erupting with saliva. They looked like rabid hyenas.

"Y/n~! We found you!"

Before Y/n could have a chance to stand, Grenda had already thrown her entire body towards her, effectively trapping her. Mabel and Candy brought their bags as Y/n writhed in her cage. Grenda was relentless, even Y/n's strength couldn't overpower her tough stature.

Dipper didn't know what to do. He was afraid that if he were to step up and attempt to pull Y/n away from these... monsters that he'd be the next target, and he didn't want to string himself in this colorful mess. So he just watched with fearful eyes as the girls went ahead and applied blush, mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick on her face. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine. He didn't want to have to go through that again.

"And done! – Grenda, get the camera!" Mabel ordered, Grenda having pulled out the camera almost immediately.

Mabel spoke in front of the camera. "Of course, for the verdict of this result, we don't wanna be the judges because it would be biased, so we went with a more biased judge; my dorky brother, Dipper!"

Said boy tensed at the mention of his name, as Grenda pointed the recorder to his face. "Not too close!" He reprimanded. "And when did you decide I was the judge?"

"Uh– since the contestant is her?" Mabel quickly replied as if it was obvious. "Drum roll please!" An imaginary drum rolls over the room. "Tada!"

Candy turned Y/n around to face Dipper and he unconsciously swallowed at the sight. He blinked once, twice, three times, before blurting out his thoughts. "Pretty."

"What did he sayyyy?" Mabel screamed in a DJ voice, honking a horn. "Is our judge giving us a perfect score?"

Dipper cleared his throat, looking away casually. "It's pretty nice, but please don't wear make-up next time. You already look good." He mumbled in one breath.

But Mabel – and the rest of the girls had super hearing and were able to hear his sentences, making the three scream, while Y/n was still trying to process everything. Dipper tried to go back to his reading despite the loud beating of his heart. And while Candy and Grenda were still screaming around the room, Mabel held the camera to her face. "Tune in next time when I tell you what the next fashion trend is! Bye!"

***

VHDUFK IRU WKH VLJQV 🗝: caesar

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #3: Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained

#42: The Tooth (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

"Welcome to Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained, anomaly #42: The Tooth:"

Y/n moved the camera to the said tooth, half sunk into the ground, but the enormous size was hard to miss. Mabel was poking it with a stick. "I'm here for scale!"

"I found it yesterday when I was, uh, practicing..." Dipper trailed off, shaking his head. "Strangely human, but it's gigantic! It's bigger than any fish or lake monster I've ever seen. And we're gonna find out where it came from!"

Y/n had seen this exact tooth before– from the crown to the root. She, Ford, and F were on an expedition when they discovered the human-like tooth on a random lake. She could even remember F using a chisel (and some dental floss) to break free a few pieces.

The three went to the Tate McGucket– one who attends to the lake– for the supplies to go on the adventure. "Sir, have you noticed a large tooth landing on the shore of the lake this morning?"

"Tooth?" he asked, his back to the camera. "No, don't know nothin' about a tooth."

"We were thinking about paddling out on that lake tonight," Dipper said casually.

"Bit of friendly advice, kids: You see bubbles on that lake, run."

"What, why?"

Tate turned around and leaned forward on their faces, screaming, "Enough questions, get that camera out of here!" He smacked the camera away, and if it wasn't for Y/n's vice grip, it would have been on the ground already.

Night fell on the twins plus Y/n. She held the camera again as she panned it over to the two. "We're here at the lake to investigate. I brought Y/n and Mabel for backup."

Mabel grinned. "And I brought Bear-O, my adorable childhood puppet." She lifted Bear-O to her arms and made its mouth move. "Hi-yo! Ain't that right, honey? Did somebody say... honey?" Her voice was gone deep as she used it for the puppet's voice.

The girl laughed, holding the worn puppet close to her. Meanwhile Dipper deadpanned, "Nope. Creepy. Bear-O's creepy. Everyone hates Bear-O."

"What? Dipper, you haven't even asked for Y/n's opinion! So, Y/n, what do you think of my good ol' friend, Bear-O?"

"Uh, next question?"

Mabel pouted slightly. "Aw come on!" She smiled again. "You'll see! You, Y/n, me, and Bear-O, are the adventure team of a lifetime!"

After much time spent on persuading Mabel, eventually Bear-O had to be left on the island which didn't make Mabel very happy at that decision. She remained silent, glaring deeply as she rowed.

Y/n was rowing along with Mabel, while Dipper was holding the camera this time. He pointed the camera at Bear-O being left behind as if he was mocking the bear.

He continued talking about the investigation. "Okay. something out there left that tooth, and we're gonna find out what it is!"

Y/n felt excited– she hasn't been for a long time. It was like reliving her memory but with a different trio this time around. She, Ford, and F had only documented the stray tooth before going on their merry way, but with the twins, they could go and take a closer look.

Eventually, the boat arrived in the middle of the lake and they stopped rowing to inspect. Dipper handed the camera back to Y/n, ignoring the touches that they exchanged.

"What are we supposed to be looking for?" Mabel whispered into the night.

Dipper brought out a flashlight, pointing it at the vast expanse of water surrounding them. "I don't know, just look out for bubbles in the water."

As if on cue, bubbles fizzed near an island. "Guys, look!" Y/n said, gesturing to what she just saw.

"They're over by that island! We have to see what happens!"

The island was suddenly shaking. "What was tha-?"

"Ah!" Mabel screamed and her hands immediately found the oar and began rowing.

"Oh no, what's happening?"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Mabel yelled.

Y/n began rowing as well after handing the camera back to Dipper. "JUST ROW!" The water kept shaking and quaking. Dipper sat in the middle of the two rowing girls as he pointed at the island behind Y/n.

The island arised, revealing to be a giant head with glowing eyes and huge set of teeth. It had a deep, murky voice, like it was out for blood. "!YNITSED RUOY RETNE !nerdlihc ,htuom ym retnE.rebmuls ym debrutsid evah uoY"

"AAAAAH!"

The head island was rearing to slam itself into the boat, but the three managed to escape in time, barely missing its giant mouth. They were close to the shore, hardly being able to reach it, but the monster attacked again, carrying its final blow.

With the opened mouth, it was on its way to eat them until Y/n grabbed the twins' wrist and jumped out to the lakeside, rolling ungracefully. It seemed that it had gotten bored of the chase and decided to sink back into the water.

Mabel coughed off a bit of dirt that got into her mouth. Dipper dusted his clothes and began looking for the camera that he carelessly dropped upon impact, while Y/n looked at the human tooth. It emitted a strong odor and Y/n was very aware of that smell. Yep, had to be coming from the giant island head.

Finally, Dipper found the camera lying on the ground. "The important thing is, we survived. Barely."

Mabel nodded in relief. "Ugh, yeah." Her worried expression was replaced with a smile when she brought the familiar bear back to the frame. "Did somebody say, bear-ly?"

"AAAAH!"

***

#132: The Hide Behind (Takes place after "Bros after Dinos")

"Y/n! Y/n! Take a look at this!" Dipper bounded to the room and greeted her with a huge smile, photos in hand.

"What is it?"

He practically shoved the pictures towards her. "Real-life Hide Behind footprints!"

"The Hide Behind?" Y/n dare asked, "I thought that was only lumberjack lore."

"Well, these footprints might suggest that it exists! I'm planning on filming another video about it and go and track it! Wanna go out with me?"

Y/n shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Meanwhile, Dipper was slapping his forehead for the awkward phrasing. Why did he have to word it like that? "Y-yeah, I'll just go and pack my things... we'll film in my room, and- bye."

He sprinted out of the room before she could blink. Y/n watched as Dipper mumbled grievances as he stalked up the stairs. She had no idea what happened moments ago. He simply asked if she's willing to go and accompany him in an adventure and she obliged. She'd answer in a heartbeat.

Speaking of the adventure... The Hide Behind. Boy, that was a name she hadn't heard of in a while. It's like it was yesterday when the creature hiding behind her, Ford, and F, tapping their shoulders and hiding like a prankster. She wondered if she could finally get a little glimpse of the tall, slender being.

Minutes passed, and Y/n found herself standing in front of the twins' door. She knocked on it once, twice, before Mabel opened the door and gladly let her in. "Where are your things?" She asked.

"I.. don't really need anything."

Mabel first feigned a confused look, before her face broke into a surprise and her eyes twinkled. "Oh yeah! I didn't forget, you're invincible!" She snapped her fingers with a grin. "Of course you wouldn't need all that stuff, unlike my weird brother here."

"Way to rub it in, Mabel," Dipper deadpanned. He was adjusting the straps of his duffle bag full of items he might need; a butterfly net, a pickaxe and other belongings. "Alright," he walked over to his bed where a piece of cardboard and marker lay. "Y/n, do you wanna film the intro with me?" He offered with a smile.

After much convincing, Y/n stood in front of the camera with Dipper, calling upon the gods in the sky to give her the confidence to just say something. Mabel pointed the lens at them, pressing the red button. "We're on!" She whispered.

"Oh," Dipper had just finished writing on the cardboard, "Hello, and welcome back to Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained. I'm here with my–" he cleared his throat awkwardly. "...friend, Y/n."

"Hi," she gave the audience a smile.

He choked back a cough. "So today we investigate Gravity Falls anomaly #132: The Hide Behind. Y/n, you have any idea about this particular oddity?" He turned behind him.

Y/n's body moved involuntarily, picking up the journal on the way and opening it as she'd already memorized the exact page. "Local lumberjacks tell of a mysterious creature with an ability to hide before it is seen. But what is he? A ghost, a living shadow? We might never know."

"But-!" Dipper cut off smoothly. "-these photos suggest it might actually be real! Either way, we intend to find out!"

The two exchanged smiles and Mabel shouted, "Cut!" like a director would.

Dipper's smile never went away. "I knew I should've included you in the title! You should be with me all the time now!"

Once more, he smacked his face with a loud noise as Mabel, having heard everything, laughed aloud. It's like this happened before, but what exactly happened? What did Dipper say that made him react that way? Y/n was a bit confused, but she rolled her eyes, laughing along with Mabel instead.

Dipper groaned, trying to recover from the embarrassment. "Let's just go."

"Okay, are we going to the forest already?" Y/n asked, walking alongside with the twins. Mabel was playing with a random U.F.O keychain she found, Dipper carried the rest of the cardboard pieces, while Y/n fiddled with the camera.

"No, I was thinking we could interview the only lumberjack we know, since y'know, it's lumberjack lore like you said."

"Oh, actually..." Y/n paused, her movements slowing. She bit her lip in contemplation. She remembered the lumberjack who lent her and Ford his majestic cabin that was actually filled with restless spirits and fearless ghosts. Dan Corduroy. She remembered him. Does he remember her? Will she risk her identity being exposed to the locals?

Lady Susan didn't seem to recognize her at first, and the rest of the townspeople ignored her when they went at the reopening of the wax museum-- "Manly" Dan was even present at the event.

Before her thoughts could further muddle in her mind, the twins called her attention. "There he is! He's chopping trees with his three sons." Dipper pointed at a small random clearing where a lone house stood in the middle.

Three little redheads worked together in handling the two-man saw while the father stood inches away, yelling incoherent cheers.

"Manly Dan! We wanna have you for a short interview!" Dipper shouted, his palms cupping the corners of his mouth.

The orange-haired man stomped his way over the three of them. "Huh?" He said.

Y/n shuffled the camera in her hands, trying to avoid his steely gaze. "It'll just be a few questions, sir."

The recording was ready just as Dipper finished writing on the cardboard. "So, mister," Dipper began, raising the cut up cardboard that was supposed to be a name plate. "Have you ever heard of The Hide Behind?"

Manly Dan Lumberjack / Punchung Enthusiast

"Hide Behind? Oh he's real, all right. Real as my beard! He was behind me once, and made a sound-" he imitated the sound by grazing his teeth together and produced a rattling noise. "Mighty spooky,"

Before anyone could utter another word, one of the brothers, Marcus, called for his father, "Dad?"

"It's coming down!"

In the background, the tall tree that they were busy cutting down, was currently falling in an angle. "Daddy's doin' a movie!" Manly Dan retorted in a loud shout. "He's doin' a movie now..."

Finally, the tree fell down in one big boom, crashing on the house and destroying it.

The mystery trio slowly backed away as they exchanged weary glances. They walked and when they were out of sight, they broke into a sprint, heading to other potential witnesses in Gravity Falls.

They found themselves in the diner, catching Lazy Susan doing nothing. Perfect opportunity for an interview. They got closer to the waitress, getting a whiff of her scent. Onions.

"Lazy Susan? Can we ask you a question?"

Susan smiled at the kids, holding a container of hot coffee and a mug on the other hand. "Oh, an interview! I can't wait!"

The camera began rolling, Dipper showed the rectangle shaped cardboard with Susan's name and her occupation.

Lazy Susan Waitress / Smells like Onions

"Have you ever heard of The Hide Behind?" Y/n asked from behind the camera.

"Could I get a refill, ma'am? Refill?" A guy with a gray mustache– that sounded awfully like Soos– requested, shaking his empty mug.

"Oh, the Hide-Behind is definitely real," Susan said, completely ignoring the man and the coffee running down her closed fist around the cup. " Might even be behind me right now! Let me see–" She began turning around and around "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa—!"

Y/n and Dipper exchanged worried glances, while the mustache guy was utterly confused.

Finally, after searching for more people, they went home for the day. As they walked back, they saw Stan sitting by the porch with a Pitt Cola. Mabel skipped over to him. "What about you, Grunkle Stan, do you believe in the spooky Hide Behind?" She wriggled her fingers for extra effects.

Stan grunted, taking a sip. Y/n recorded the old man as they trudged closer to his profile. "What shenanigans are you kids going at it this time?"

"These nerds are going crazy about a mystery creature again," Mabel answered enthusiastically, placing her hands on the arm of the chair beside Stan.

Y/n rolled her eyes playfully. "Just answer. Do you believe that the Hide Behind exists?"

Dipper presented the board with Stan's name in it.

Grunkle Stan Great Uncle / Mediocre Boss

"Don't believe every legend you hear, kid," Stan began. " The people in this town are literally the dumbest people in the world. Literally."

The girl holding the camera stifled her laughter.

"The Hide- Behind's just a rumor. You want a mystery? How about the mystery of why–"

A sudden sound cut Stan's off as something ran behind him. The old man jumped and recoiled while Y/n tried to capture the creature running off to who knows where. "That's it! Come on, Y/n!" Dipper bolted the scene and she was quick to follow.

Stan and Mabel began spouting phrases of "Hey, where are you going, we're doing an interview here!" "Wait, guys!"

But the two didn't stop, sprinting through the woods, panting. "Where is he, where is he?!" Dipper chanted under his breath.

"Over here!" Y/n swore she saw a shadowy figure hastily finding a cover. Dipper snapped his face towards her and followed her step.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned to 4 hours. The two were back-to-back, eyeing every vicinity where they could spot the Hide Behind. They checked every corner, every nook and cranny of the forest from the bushes to the high tops. The only clue they had was the shackling sounds, so they followed it for the rest of the afternoon.

Eventually, after much searching and never letting the creature escape out of their sights, they reached another random clearing where the chattering noise was heard behind a slender tree.

"Alright. After hours of searching, we've narrowed it down to this tree." Dipper said in the camera. "Y/n and I have each other's backs, and Mabel happened to catch up to us so it's three versus one."

"Ayo!"

"Here it goes. Get ready to finally be seen, Hide Behind!"

The trio approached the willowy tree, thin enough to fit the skinny Hide Behind as seen from the journal. "In 3... 2... 1..."

They jumped in behind the three and found an owl with a maraca in its beak.

"What?"

"Woah, cool! Maraca owl!" Mabel enthused as she appeared from behind the bird with a huge smile. The owl flew around for a bit before landing on her sleeve. "Yeah! Play that thing!"

"Well, based on the lack of evidence, I have to conclude, anomaly #132, the Hide Behind, just a legend," Dipper said in finality.

Y/n placed a hand on his shoulder in assurance. "Hey, no worries. Maybe the Hide Behind doesn't want to be found." The two began walking to the direction they came from. "We could go for a banana split at the diner. Walking around is kinda tiring, don't you think?"

Dipper smiled at her invitation. "That sounds great."

Chatter chatter chatter.

"What was that?" The boy turned around and saw nothing. He shrugged in defeat and continued walking. He also decided to ignore the next prattling sounds and focused on Y/n instead. He'd rather just walk alongside her and listen to her stories forever.

***

LQ WKH IXWXUH, WKH 🗝: caesar

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #2: Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained

#54: The Mailbox (Takes place after "Bros before Dinos")

Dipper and Y/n went back to the path they once came from, this time bringing their supplies. They recently discovered an abandoned mailbox lying in the middle of the forest. They had to investigate and inspect closer. Soos wanted to come with and now the three were walking up to the mailbox.

Y/n had the camera ready in her hands, pointing at Dipper. "Look good?" he asked her.

"Yep. You look nice."

He smiled, a faint blush in his cheeks but he cut himself off by clearing his throat. "Okay, we're starting. Soos, you got your costume ready?"

"I'm so ready, dude," Soos replied after putting on a coat and a pair of safety glasses. "I feel so much like an expert."

"That's what we want you to be, Soos," Y/n said, chuckling slightly. "Okay, ready? Three, two, one, and..." she pressed the button, giving Dipper the nod.

And that's when Dipper took the cue. "Welcome back to Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained. Anomaly #54: The Mailbox."

He reached out his hand towards the middle and Y/n swiped to the right, showcasing the mailbox. "There it is, in the middle of the forest. No house. No address. Today, me and my team of experts..."

Soos walked into frame. "'Sup?"

"Hey," Y/n followed, waving her hand in front of the camera.

". . . are gonna put a letter in and see who picks it up." Dipper finished, standing beside her.

"My letter posits a salient question: "Sup Dawg?"" Soos said, showing a folded letter that he wrote before slotting it inside.

Dipper nodded. "Now we're gonna hide behind a bush, and wait for someone to come by-"

The mailbox began to shake violently. "What the-?!" Y/n said, zooming in the post.

"Whoa!"

The flag of the mailbox was raised, indicating that there was already a reply. "Did you see that?" Soos asked, wearily stepping closer.

Dipper ran towards the mailbox. "Open it!"

"No, you open it, dude! I'm not touching a ghost mailbox!"

The two looked at Y/n for any guidance, to which she just gave a shrug. "Might just be harmless. You go open it."

"Okay, here goes." Dipper reached over and pulled the cover open. He retrieved a closed letter inside the box, with an insignia stamped in the middle as a seal. Dipper brought the letter closer to the camera and upon closer inspection, Y/n noticed an infinity symbol in the emblem.

"That's not our letter, dude!" Soos remarked.

Dipper opened the letter, peeking what's inside. "It says..." he gasped loudly before turning the letter, facing the lens. "'Hello, Y/n, Dipper, and Soos'!"

"It knows our names!" Y/n questioned, tilting her head slightly. "Is it like an all-knowing mailbox?"

"Let's test it."

Luckily for this particular experiment, the trio bought enough blank paper to use. Soos thought of a question that he wanted to ask as a test if the mailbox was truly all-knowing. "'What did I shave into my head this morning?'"

He placed the letter inside, and not even a second that the mailbox shook and shivered and its flag was raised. Soos pulled out the reply, opening it and reading it out loud. "'A baby duck holding a paddle ball'. Dude, it knew!"

As proof, Soos turned around and removed his hat, showing his shaved hair. It was exactly that.

"What?!" Dipper exclaimed from behind the camera.

Y/n felt chills running down. Does that mean they could ask it whatever they want and they would get immediate answers? A million questions flowed around her mind. Questions that she wanted to ask for a long time.

Dipper had another paper and pen and wrote "When is the end of the world?" before shoving it inside. The reply instantly came and he opened it. "3012. Huh. We got a while."

They asked plenty of questions, until Dipper turned to Y/n. "What about you, Y/n? You wanna ask the omniscient mailbox?"

"I... still have to think of one," she replied sheepishly, when in actuality, she was thinking of asking whether Ford is alive or not. That was the one question that remained on her mind. Is he still out there? Will her project be for nothing?

Meanwhile, Soos and Dipper were beaming with questions. Dipper stood beside the mailbox with a blank paper to write on. "Uh... what is the exact time and date of my death?"

"Did aliens build the pyramids?" Soos asked in the background.

"Or... what is the meaning of life?"

"What are marshmallows made of?!"

"Or... who wrote journal 3?"

"Who wrote the journal! Who wrote the journal!" Soos ecstatically pointed at him as excitement filled his veins.

Y/n rolled her eyes. They could simply just ask her and she'll happily provide the answer. But she remained quiet as she realized that she actually wouldn't spill that secret.

"We're finally gonna get the answer to the greatest mystery in Gravity Falls!" Dipper proclaimed, smiling towards the camera.

Suddenly, Mabel walked by with a grin. "Nifty! A mailbox! I've been wanting to mail Mom this video of me sticking a hundred gummy worms up my nose!" Without hesitating, Mabel shoved a package inside of the mailbox.

"No, wait!"

"Dude, stop!"

"Mabel!"

"Slam!" The girl whacked it closed and the mailbox shook. The trio except for Mabel waited with such anticipation as Dipper took the reply from inside and read it aloud. "Your gummy worm video has disturbed and insulted me. You fools are unworthy of my great knowledge. The era of human enlightenment shall never come to pass."

Just as he finished reading it, the mailbox glowed a very bright blue and the ground quivered. Everyone sprinted far from the mailbox before it exploded in a flash of light, collapsing in on itself.

Everyone was in disarray, clothes almost burned as Soos, Dipper, and Mabel stood in the middle of a scorched clearing. "Well, uh, that concludes Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained, where we learned when dealing with the unknown," he turned angrily to his sister, "do not mail videos of you shoving gummy worms up your nose!"

"There's more where that came from!" Mabel said, bringing out more gummy worms. "Into my nose! Into my nose-"

"No, no! Stop recording! Stop-!"

***

#82: Lefty (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

"Alright. Welcome back to Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained," Dipper said to the camera. "Today we investigate Gravity Falls' anomaly #82... this guy."

Dipper panned over to a window that showed a man probably in his 40s across the street, inside a bowling alley. He was staring at a newspaper very curiously.

"Sure, he looked normal, but if he's so 'normal', explain why he's always facing left!"

On cue, the man went to reach for his mug located behind him, but instead of turning 180 degrees, he just leaned further until he could reach it, casually drinking the coffee.

Dipper has been following this peculiarity for weeks now; he basically knew his entire routine, yet he kept facing left in all of those activities. The younger boy had never once seen the right side of the guy's face. He questioned the absurdity of all.

So he asked his dear sister, "Mabel?" Y/n pointed the camera at Mabel. "Theories?"

"Theory one," Mabel pulled a piece of paper from an envelope. It was an illustration of her concepts. "He's hiding an embarrassing sunburn! Theory 2: half man, half lizard man!" She pulled another drawing, one after the next. "And theory number three- my personal favorite, he's normal! And Dipper's just crazy!"

Dipper pried the paper from her hands. "That's not a theory, that doesn't count as a theory."

Mabel laughed, and Y/n couldn't help but laugh as well. Dipper glared as he crossed his arms. Y/n pointed the camera back at Dipper. "So what's the plan?"

***

The plan was to walk inside, act like three normal best friends who just wanted to play bowling- while Dipper subtly questions the man. Seemed easy. "Hello, good sir!" Dipper greeted upon strutting alongside them.

"Uh, I'm sorry, cameras aren't allowed in here." The man gave a literal side eye- since only his left side was facing them.

Y/n lowered the camera, covering the lens briefly with her palm. But it was still recording, only focused at the lower angle. "Oh, sorry. It's not on the entire time, I promise."

She elbowed Dipper, and he took the chance to approach the guy closer by the counter. "So," he began, "do you mind grabbing those bowling shoes for me? The ones on your... right side?" He emphasized, and Y/n already wanted to feign disappointment at his lack of cleverness.

Luckily, even though the guy looked at him suspiciously, he was still very much accommodating. After all, the customers are always right. "These ones?" The man took the shoes behind him with ease, not even needing to turn around.

Dipper pouted slightly as he crossed his arms. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Whoops!" He said, fishing for his wallet from his vest. "Oh no, I... dropped my wallet!" But instead of dropping it like he said, he threw it on the other side of the counter, specifically on the guy's right side. "It's over to your right there, your right side... could, maybe, turn around and-"

The man huffed, exasperated, but nonetheless he only stepped back a bit and crouched down (still facing the left side) as he picked it up and gave it back to Dipper. "There you are, sir," he grumbled.

"Fine," he replied, taking back his wallet.

"Um, anyway, sir," Y/n chimed in. "Can you get us our bowling ball instead? We kids might have a little difficulty carrying something so heavy."

"I don't see why not," the man shrugged, exiting the counter and going to the rack where the colorful bowling balls were. "Let's see. Look like maybe a ten or..."

Dipper followed, standing beside Y/n as she glanced at the camera checking if the angle was still okay. "Well, uh, I was thinking it could be the- AHA!"

The boy lurched forward and took his chance now that the man's guard was down. He grabbed his shoulder and pushed it to the other side, forcefully turning his whole body around, revealing-

A whole other robotic side, completely metal. With sectioned rooms occupied by some sort of aliens. They looked to be working together in harmony as they each have their own roles to make this 'human' function.

"What the...?!"

One of the aliens finally noticed the three kids staring at them. "Guys!" It alerted his comrades, and they gasped as they all concluded that they had been revealed.

"We're blown. Shut it down! Shut it down!"

The aliens brought out a glowing red pill, chanting, "The time has come" before eating it. And upon intaking it, they began exploding. One of the aliens faced the other. "The time has come, brother!"

"I can't, I have a family!"

"You signed the oath!" It shoved the orb to the alien and they ate it in unison, exploding at the same time.

The man's right side was completely void of any controlling aliens until it malfunctioned and shut down, collapsing and exploding. The fire sprinklers were turned on.

"Ah, come on! The sprinklers are on!" One of the customers complained.

The three made a run for it. Dipper took the camera and turned it around, facing the three of them. "Well, that concludes anomaly #82. Uh, I think we might want to burn this tape."

***

DQG UHDG EHWZHHQ WKH

🗝: caesar

[gravityfallsrewritten]

SHORTS #1: Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained

#76: That Thing (Takes place after "Bros Before Dinos")

Dipper had decided to start his own paranormal show after finding an old camcorder they had found in the dusty corner of the attic. It has a surprisingly full memory, with no videos in the storage, so that was Dipper's cue to record all of his investigations.

He wanted Y/n to come along with him and include her as some sort of 'co-host' and Y/n was honestly honored, but she preferred to be behind the scenes and hold the camera instead of talking in front of it.

So the two started preparing the set to look like one of those TV shows with title screens and props surrounding the host, but the only props they could afford were old cardboard and a sharpie. The main title was "Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained," as Y/n insisted that her name wasn't necessary. Dipper was a little upset, so he made every effort to include her in his videos.

As he sat in the chair, the cardboard was placed on the table behind him. His vest and hat were discarded because he was supposed to be in his pajamas. They had to keep their voices as low as possible because Mabel was already asleep. Y/n positioned the camera to face Dipper, who sat holding a basket of something.

"Are we ready?" He asked.

"Yep. Looking good," Y/n nodded. "Recording in five, four, three, two..." she nodded in his direction and Dipper took the cue to begin his introduction.

"Welcome, to one of the many episodes of Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained," he spoke. "Gravity Falls is a strange town filled with wonder never before seen, and I'm here to take you all to a trip full of unsolved mysteries and weird anomalies. We might encounter dangerous monsters or scary ghosts, but today we're analyzing this specific case for the unexplained. Behold,"

Dipper lifted a chicken strip from the basket that he was holding, but it was no ordinary chicken strip.

"A Möbius Chicken Strip," he named.

Y/n remained behind the camera throughout the episode as she and Dipper discussed the Möbius strip and how the chicken could form this shape. The video consisted of eating crunchy chicken while questioning its existence. Y/n wasn't lying when the chicken tasted infinitely delicious - she loves bad jokes.

It lasted for about 15 minutes until it had to come to an end. Dipper adjusted his seating position and faced the camera again. "Well, that concludes Gravity Falls anomaly #13: The Möbius Chicken Strip," he ate a piece as he smiled. Y/n couldn't help but chuckle at his expression, the camera slightly shaking. "It's infinitely delicious!"

A strange creature screamed as it ran between her and Dipper. It slithered around Y/n's legs, causing her to drop the camcorder, but she caught it at the last second. Dipper dropped the bucket of chicken strips by accident. "Woah, hey!"

A small beast with hairy skin was still screeching around as it circled around her ankles until it pushed her away and she eventually fell to her butt. "What the heck!?" Y/n exclaimed as she watched it scamper away.

The room was a complete mess already but the critter didn't seem to care, retreating to a random corner and eating the twins' pile of candy. It was a miracle that Mabel didn't wake up despite the ruckus going on. "Oh no," Dipper said, burrowing his hands on his brown hair. "It's eating our leftover Summerween candy!"

"WHAT?!"

Screams from Mabel were heard as she finally sat up and got out of her bed. The beast was still munching on candy with the wrappers still on. "Ew, it's like ... a naked little man." Mabel commented. Dipper urged Y/n to keep recording as he was quickly writing on a new blank cardboard.

While the camera was still facing the eating critter, Dipper held the cardboard close to the lens as he spoke. "Uh, this is now Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained #76: That Thing."

It was still in the attic, wreaking havoc, so they had no choice but to capture it. Dipper was suited up into action, protecting himself with a bunch of Mabel's stuffed toys with a golf club as his weapon and a trash bin as a trap.

Y/n zoomed in on Dipper's determined look with narrowed eyes. "Get this on tape in case I die or whatever."

She rolled her eyes. So dramatic.

The camera followed him as he slowly approached the creature from the other side while it was still busy eating candies. It quickly noticed Dipper coming closer, regarding his movements. They walked in a circle, staring each other down.

Dipper used the golf club to scoop a small pile of candy as if luring the beast closer. The thing watched and as expected, took the bait, biting down. Dipper brought down the trash can, but the creature was unfortunately faster.

It began climbing up one of the wooden columns until it reached the ceiling. Mabel shouted, throwing one of her stuffed animals. "Oh! Die, mutant! Die!"

The creature crawled and crawled until it went through the open doors of the twins' room and downstairs. The trio followed its path until they reached the living room. "Save the candy!"

Y/n pointed the camera at Dipper standing in the middle of the room. "Where is it? Have you seen it?"

Mabel and Y/n watched as the thing jumped down and attacked Dipper's face. Mabel jumped into the scene and tried to punch it away, and the creature let go, screaming at her and waddling away towards the kitchen. Y/n tried following as she watched it climb up the fridge with the stash of candies.

She was just honestly amused at the creature munching on different things. He just looked like a very weird specimen who liked to eat. Dipper and Mabel came in the room and the monster, sensing that they were stepping closer, immediately threw food at them.

Dipper shielded himself from the projectiles with his arm, as Mabel opened her mouth to catch the candies. "Dipper, open your mouth!" Mabel said while chewing. "Try to catch the candy in your mouth! He's wasting it!"

"What? No! Why would I-"

An unwrapped piece of sweet fell in the middle of his teeth and Dipper stopped to nibble on it. "Mmm. Actually that's pretty good-"

He was cut off as he got smacked by a chocolate bar in his face. The thing jumped down, wriggling back to the living room as Mabel failed to catch it. Y/n followed it as she kept recording its movements with a huge smile on her face. This felt like advance journaling for her.

While staggering on the floor, one of its feet landed on the remote laying on the ground, turning the TV on. The creature huffed, hearing the sounds from the TV. His eyes stayed glued to the show that was premiering, his attention undivided.

"Oh wow," Y/n said, " Now he's hypnotized by the TV."

Dipper walked in as the creature sat back in the yellow chair. "Ha! And he dropped the candy." He stepped around and stood beside the mesmerized beast. "What a little dummy, glued to the..." Dipper trailed off. "To the..." he paused. "Oh, I love this movie."

"What are they showing?" Mabel asked, picking up the littered candies.

It was the rerun of The Fear Guy from Terror Town Street from channel 7 tonight. Mabel and Dipper sat together in the chair while the thing sat on the chair's arm, eating golf clubs. Y/n sat on the ground beside the pile of candies, tossing the twins if they wanted a specific piece and vice versa. Every loser candy was handed to Y/n and she didn't know if she should be offended, but she's not going to complain since it's her favorite ones from the bag.

The four of them quietly watched the movie as they munched on candies. "Shouldn't we... do something about the monster?"

"Candy now. Monster later." Mabel said without moving her eyes away from the TV.

Soos eventually walked in the room, stupidly mistaking the monster for Grunkle Stan.

#23: Stan's Tattoo (Takes place after "Exchanging Bosses and Bodies")

He didn't see it the first time, but after a few days and he heard a camera snap from behind him again, he knew that he was secretly being photographed.

Could it be a private investigator trying to get some dirt out of him? Or did the government finally got a hold out of him?

Alas, when Stan finally turned around, he saw his nephew standing behind the doorway with a camera in his hand snapping pictures of... him? He narrowed his eyes as the tween scrambled away. What was he getting suspicious of this time? Instead of dwelling on it further, Stan drank the rest of his Pitt Cola and stood up, retreating back to his room.

Dipper stared at his cork board full of pinned photos and notes. On top of the board was a ripped paper with "Stan's Tattoo" written on it. He couldn't find Y/n anywhere so he had Mabel to hold the camera this time. He had no idea where the girl could've gone considering it was only their second episode and she wouldn't be able to make an appearance, but Dipper couldn't wait longer to record.

"Okay, Mabel, I'm ready," he told his sister.

Mabel presented a thumbs up as she pressed the red button on the camcorder. Dipper stood beside the cork board, smiling. Mabel grinned, beginning to push her forefinger and thumb together in front of Dipper's head "Hello, I'm Dipper Pines. The girl trying to crush my head is Mabel."

"His partner isn't here so I'm helping!" she said from behind the camera, failing to notice the way Dipper blushed when he heard her say 'his partner'.

"Okay, that's- that's enough," he shooed her hand away before talking in a serious tone. Today we investigate Anomaly #23,Grunkle Stan's secret tattoo." He raised a flat cardboard with the same writing. Mabel then pointed at the board full of evidence.

"What is he hiding? A college prank? Secret symbol? Or something stranger?" Dipper questioned out loud. "Stan claims it doesn't exist, but today we're gonna find out."

The day proceeded as normal as Dipper tried to be while relaying the plans he had for Stan to reveal the secret markings behind his back. Y/n was still nowhere to be found but he placed that worrisome thought at the back of his head as the recording started again. Mabel held the camera, pointing directly at Dipper and Soos standing besides the Shack's thermostat.

"Okay, here's the plan. Stan never takes off his undershirt-" Dipper got closer to the camera, "obviously to hide his tattoo," he whispered before going back. "But me and Soos are about to turn up the heat on this mystery."

Dipper grinned, raising the temperature on the thermostat. Soos chuckled at the younger boy's pun. "Heh, literally! I love how you come up with stuff like that!"

Despite Soos' efforts to convince Stan to 'take off their clothes' to battle against the heat while they were working, Stan wasn't buying it, walking away to 'find a melon baller or something to pluck his eyes out' instead.

Hours passed by. It was a slow day, it seemed, as there weren't many customers around- actually, there weren't any tourists at all (it happens), so Dipper caught Stan lounging in the living room with just his undershirt. He figured it was the perfect time to initiate plan B as he readied his camcorder.

Dipper started recording and subtly faced it towards Stan. "Heavens! Is that poison oak on your shoulder? Let me scratch it for you." He reached for his tattoo, but Stan smacked it away without even looking at him.

"Kid, if you're trying to see my tattoo, you're gonna have to try harder than that."

"A-ha!" Dipper said, "I thought you said you didn't have a tattoo!"

"I don't. But you do," Stan replied, taking out a red marker and began leaning towards Dipper.

"What do you mean I- AAAHH!"

Dipper didn't have the chance to step away as Stan managed to write 'GOOBER' on his forehead near his birthmark. He tried so hard to wipe it away but the permanent ink wouldn't budge. TIme passed by once more when he heard sounds coming from their bathroom. Bathing noises and a deep, grunkle-y voice singing "du-du" jingles had Dipper deduct that it was no other than Stan who was using the bathroom at this time.

So he had Mabel hold the camera once more and didn't even adjust his bangs back when he pressed the button. "Okay, Plan C. Stan is in the shower. I wish it hadn't come to this, but sometimes you have to do terrible things for science."

"I believe in you, Goober!" Mabel said in the background.

He blinked. "Dipper. Just say Dipper." He took the camera from her and pointed the lens at the door of the bathroom, nerves in his veins. He was trudging ever so slowly towards inevitable terror and agony. Who knows what he might stumble into once he opens the gateway? With a deep breath, he pushed the plank open and walked inside. Here goes nothing.

Fog from the shower greeted him inside, and water was still pouring. He faced the shower curtain and eventually pulled it to the side, ready to take a peek.

The curtains were swept aside, and there stood Stan, fully clothed with the water running down his back, and a very angry look on his face. "You're never gonna see it, kid," he seethed. "Never. Gonna. See it."

"How long have you been standing there?"

Stan lunged forward. "Give me that camera-!"

"AAAH!"

Stan jumped out of the tub and scrambled towards Dipper as he burst out of the restroom. The boy dashed around every corner, hoping to lose the older man, but it was a small Shack. Dipper tried to rack his brain for possible hiding places while still being pursued before his brain came up with an idea.

"Give me that camera, Dipper!"

"Eek!"When he saw Stan trying to corner him, he bolted in the opposite direction. While Mabel tried to distract her great uncle, Dipper relied on his little feet to get him to the gift shop as quickly as possible. He nodded gratefully at his sister's assistance before locating the familiar ladder leading to the roof. He climbed the ladder quickly after putting the camcorder in his pocket.

He opened the hatch expecting to be alone, but there sat Y/n, with a book on her lap and a surprised expression when she saw Dipper.

"What-"

Dipper reached out and shook his hands, signaling her to be quiet. He pointed down with his finger to his lips.

"What happened?" She mouthed.

Before he could explain, a voice shouted, "I'M GONNA FIND YOU, KID!"

Y/n nodded as if she understood. Dipper might've done something to piss Stan off and he's currently trying to escape his wrath. He caught her eyes and speechlessly gave her a look as if saying 'mind if I stay here?' and she nodded again, going back to her reading.

That was until the pursuer himself was outside of the Shack and was waving his hands for her attention. "Hey, Y/n!"

She looked over the roof and saw Stan. "Yeah?!" She shouted back.

"Have you seen him?"

"Who?" She answered back as casually as she could while Dipper was trying to minimize himself as small as possible. Luckily, from the angle they were on, the older man was able to only see Y/n and not him, but he was still trying not to be seen.

"Dipper! Have you seen him?!" He shouted back.

She shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't seen anyone the whole day!"

Stan narrowed his eyes at her, but Y/n was confident that he'll believe her, because it was an honest answer. She hadn't seen anyone since she was downstairs for the entire afternoon- until now.

The older man let it go and walked back inside. Dipper figured that the coast was clear and let himself loose. "Thanks."

"No problem, Goober."

***

PDQB RI BRX ZLOO ODVW. 🗝: caesar

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 17: Escaping Dreams

It was surprising to see rain in the middle of summer– a thunderstorm nonetheless, but that wouldn't stop the twins from going and finding some entertainment. The moment the rain began though, because Stan was a major cheapskate and wouldn't dare spend a penny on fixing the Shack properly, the roof had gotten frail and weak, causing water to leak.

The family went and gathered as many containers as they could, ranging from cups, pots, and pans and began putting them under each leak.

While they were searching for more bowls, Mabel found a random Conflict Boatboard game lying around the attic and invited Dipper to play. Dipper, being competitive he is, immediately accepted the offer with an intent to win while Mabel had no idea how to play this particular game.

The rain continued pouring, and Y/n thought that this was a good excuse for coffee– although every hour is coffee hour for her– and proceeded to enjoy watching the rain fall down the window of the kitchen while sipping on the flavorful bitterness. Meanwhile Stan loitered by the TV as usual, boringly flipping through channels. Wendy and Soos were forced to stay inside the Shack because the heavy rain came unexpectedly and they didn't have anything against the weather.

Dipper inquisitively placed a hand on his chin. "I'm gonna say... B5,"

Mabel grinned excitedly. "Miss!" She proceeded to put a peg on her board. "Whop!" Her pegs were arranged like a cat's face.

"I don't think you're playing this right." Dipper glared.

All of a sudden, Stan's booming voice resonated through the house, louder than the rain. "Kids! Come quick!"

The twins sprinted down the stairs in unison, finding Stan cackling in mock laughter. Y/n sat on the huge dinosaur fossil beside the yellow couch as she continued sipping her hot beverage. "I need you to laugh at this with me!" Stan exclaimed, motioning to the TV where Gideon's commercial played. The boy held a mini guitar and the background were clouds passing by.

"Who's cute as a button, and always your friend? Lil' G-I-D to the E-O-N! Wink!"

"Li'l Gideon!" Bud announced after.

The twins had the urge to grimace. Y/n thought the jingle was fairly catchy, but it was also hilarious seeing Gideon try this hard. "Ugh, Gideon," Dipper stared weirdly.

"Remember when I wouldn't date him and he tried to destroy us?" Mabel voiced aloud.

Stan frowned deeply. "He's always trying to trick me into losing the Mystery Shack!"

"He's annoying."

Wendy walked in the room. "One time I caught him stealing my moisturizer."

"He's so weird."

Soos followed with a smile. "And yet, our mutual hatred for him bonds us together."

The commercial continued, and now Gideon was laughing with doves flying out from behind him. "Come on down to Li'l Gideon's Tent of Telepathy, opening soon at this location." The TV shows a pseudo-Mystery Shack getting crushed by the Tent of Telepathy.

"Uh," Dipper stuttered. "Should we be worried about that?"

"Please," Stan waved a dismissive hand, smirking, "the only way Gideon's taking over this shack is by breaking in and stealing my deed."

A crash was heard from the upstairs, alerting everyone. Y/n sat up. "You mean, right now?"

Inside Stan's office, was Gideon attempting to open Stan's huge safe. He mumbled possible significant numbers as codes, but nothing worked. "38? 41? Oh, heavens to Betsy!" He whispered harshly.

The door opened and there stood Stan with an angry expression. "Gideon!"

"Well, well, Stanford!" – Y/n visibly cringed upon hearing the incorrect name– "my arch nemesis. We seem to have entered a dangerous game of cat and mouse. But the question remains, who is the cat, and who is the-"

"Soos, broom." Stan deadpanned.

Conveniently, Soos was holding a broom when the old man asked for it. He began treading closer to the younger boy. "Oh no, not the broom!" Gideon ran around the room as Stan chased him.

Gideon hissed, but those fitful fell on almost deaf ears as he was repeatedly hit by the broom until he chased him outside in the rain. The people left in the office began cleaning up the mess that was the break-in attempt.

"You mark my words, Stanford, one day I'm gonna get that combination. And once I steal that deed, you'll never see the Mystery Shack again!" Gideon screamed against the rain accompanied by thunder.

"Good luck, bucko!" Stan replied with a smirk before closing the door.

Stan went back to his office, opening the vault with the combination before opening it. The deed was still there, tucked safely. He closed the vault shut again, pressing the lock button. He laughed mockingly. "The combo to this safe in the one place he'll never find it: my brain." He said aloud to himself, not knowing there was a pair of eyes peering at him through the window.

Gideon thought that he's had enough of playing games. He brought out his greatest weapon out of his little suit. A book; a dark, leather-bound cover adorned with an insignia– a six-fingered hand and a huge number 2 in blank ink. Inside were pages filled with intricate drawings and cryptic messages, and memories written by someone who had a lot on their mind. It was supposed to be a biography, a series of findings, but it had fallen in the wrong hands. It had fallen in the hands of one Gideon Gleeful.

He flipped to a certain page, his eyes shining a mischievous, evil glint as he stared at the book that gazed back.

***

It was still raining heavily. The five being Mabel, Dipper, Y/n, Wendy, and Stan were watching TV. Stan sat on the yellow throne, Mabel laid on her stomach, Dipper and Wendy were playing with toy guns– one couldn't be sure if they were enjoying it so much. Stan was the only one interested with the Grandpa the Kid showing on TV.

But while they looked like they were almost bored to death, Y/n was enjoying a tub of ice cream as she sat between Dipper and Mabel. Despite the cold rain, Y/n likes to eat dessert. It doesn't give her any brain freeze, nor does it make her tummy hurt no matter how much she ate.

Dipper glared at her playfully, aiming the Nyarf gun at her. "I admire your capacity to consume cold food in chilly conditions."

Y/n smirked at that from the rim of her ice cream tub. "You just couldn't handle it."

With that, Dipper fired, the plastic bullet hitting her straight on the forehead, but she didn't even flinch.

Mabel groaned, turning behind her. "Grunkle Stan, why can't we watch a movie that we'll all enjoy?" She brought out a video cassette. "Dream Boy High! 'Where love is on your permanent record~'."

A chorus of "Boo's" resounded while Y/n chuckled at Mabel's suggestion. "You'll learn to like it," Mabel said.

A sudden crash was heard from the kitchen, followed by Soos' screams as he ran out and into the living room. "Dudes! There's a bat in the kitchen! It tried to touch me with its weird little bat fingers!" His face scrunched worriedly.

"I got it," Y/n immediately stood up, wanting to help– but Stan pushed her back, her butt landing on the carpet with an 'oof'. "What the-"

"Don't worry, I got this under control," Stan reassured her, but she didn't believe a word he said. He simply leaned further back in his armchair and placed his hands on the nape of his neck in faux relaxation. "Dipper, take care of it."

"What?" Y/n and Dipper voiced in unison. "But why can't Y/n do it?" Dipper asked.

"'Cause life ain't fair," Stan answered without missing a beat. "Are you really making someone like Y/n sort it out?"

Y/n raised an eyebrow in offense. "What does that supposed to mean-?"

"Now go fight a bat so we can watch TV," Stan said to Dipper, completely ignoring her.

Dipper stood up and faced the older man. "No way, Grunkle Stan! You always make me do dumb chores." He clenched his fists. "I'm putting my foot down this time!" He said, stomping his shoe on the ground.

"I said do it, kid! Now!"

The room went quiet, except for Stan and Dipper seeming to have a stare-off, growling at each other.

"Grr-!"

"Okay! I'll do it." Dipper surrendered, sighing in defeat. He exchanged glances with Y/n before retreating back into the kitchen. Y/n and Mabel followed behind him. "Stupid chores..." he picked up a saucepan and spoon off the floor.

"Don't worry, I can help you, Dipper," Y/n tried to assure.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Stan shouted from the other room. "Y/n, go throw out the rainwater from the pots upstairs!"

She turned behind her and gave the voice a glare that could kill. Dipper tried to smile positively. "It's alright, Y/n. You can go."

"But-"

"I can handle it," he said, "Besides, Mabel is here for support."

"Okay..." Y/n said slowly before quickly sprinting across the living room and upstairs to take care of the leaks to get to the twins as soon as possible.

That left Dipper, who looked quite determined in getting the bat out, and Mabel, who had her back on the wall, about to say some inspiring words. "Remember, bats are more afraid of you than you are of them."

He nodded briefly before treading forwards to face the creature with nothing but kitchen supplies.

"Maybe I'm thinking of ducklings."

Loud screams from Dipper resounded as things crashed around the kitchen. The boy fought for his life when the bat extended its claws and aimed to scratch him. He managed to dodge its attacks, but the hits caused his Dipper to fly off. He screamed some more when the bat attempted to grab his vest and bring him away somewhere.

"Go get it, Dipper!" Mabel cheered from the side.

"I'm trying!"

"Do you need help?" Y/n asked, standing beside Mabel as she had already finished her task.

"It's fine!" He smiled shakily, trying to appear calm. The bat screeched, revealing its sharp fangs, rearing for Dipper. "A-actually, I might need a little- help! Eek!" He dodged the rabid animal's grasp.

Y/n frantically stepped in, arms reaching for the bat. It was a big bat, but it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. The creature saw the gal coming towards it, so on instinct, it pushed Dipper off so hard that his head fell on the floor with a thud.

The bat squealed some more and tried to scare Y/n off, but there wasn't an inch of fear on her body. With her right arm, she stretched for the bat trapped in the corner. It jumped onto her and bit her hand, but of course, it didn't hurt. Now with her vacant hand, she caressed its furry head. The bat tensed up, surprised from the sudden act of affection. Its teeth let go of her fingers and began sniffing as if familiarizing itself.

Y/n walked herself and the bat near the fridge and opened it, finding a half-bitten apple. "Want it?"

She brought the fruit closer to the creature clinging onto her arm. It seemed to have understood her, leaning closer to catch a scent. It took it with its little hands, bringing it to its mouth and taking a bite. Y/n looked outside the kitchen window and the rain stopped. She deduced that the bat probably just wanted food and shelter. But this Shack wasn't the right place to look for those two things.

"You gotta go, little fella," she spoke to the bat. "You've caused quite the ruckus."

The twins watched with looks of wonder. It was amazing to see her so caring and gentle albeit seeing her literally act like that every single day. But this was the first time– and maybe last time, that she managed to calm down a raging bat.

Mabel, being the enthusiastic and optimistic one out of the two, stepped closer. "Can I pet it?"

Y/n glanced down at the creature and gestured something. "What do you say?"

The bat clung tightly, but its expressions were blank. Y/n nodded to signal Mabel that it was okay so the girl reached over and gently patted the bat's head and neck. Immediately, the creature nuzzled closer, closing its eyes in comfort. Y/n had the urge to smirk slyly. The bat does like pets, but wouldn't want to admit it.

Eventually, the bat had to be set free, seeing that there wasn't any rain anymore. Dipper didn't want to pet it for obvious reasons and because he needed medical attention. So Soos went to the bathroom and got the medkit.

Dipper was situated in a chair placed in the middle of the kitchen as the supplies were placed on the dining table. Bandages and disinfectant were brought out, and Mabel began applying bandages to Dipper's head. Y/n sat in front of him after washing her hands. She brought out the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls, and began cleaning the wounds he got from the bat fight.

"This might hurt..." she mumbled, reaching for his arm.

"Ow, ow!" Dipper clenched his hand tightly.

She stopped momentarily, opting to glance at his face and see if the pain stopped before continuing. He gritted his teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Dipper sighed. "Why does Grunkle Stan always pick on me? Think about it! The more painful or difficult the chore is, the more likely it is I'll have to do it. Why doesn't he pick on you guys?" His question seemed to be directed at Y/n since she felt his eyes on her.

She couldn't answer. Lucky for her, Soos came into the kitchen, having overheard the conversation. "Dipper, Stan's personality is one of life's great mysteries. Like whether or not it's possible to lick your own elbow." Good enough answer.

"I bet you can't!" Mabel challenged.

"I bet I can!" Soos began attempting to licking his own elbow, his feet leading him away from the kitchen. Mabel followed, chanting support.

It was just the two of them. Y/n was absentmindedly wrapping a new gauze on his wrist, not knowing what to say at the moment. Dipper exhaled tiredly. "Sometimes I feel like Stan hates me."

"He doesn't hate you." He looked up to see Y/n avoiding his gaze. It was a surprise to hear a reply after that statement. "He doesn't hate you," she repeated, softly this time.

Dipper remained quiet. Although thoughts were still brewing in his head– particularly memories of Stan bossing him around– he couldn't say anything. He watched as Y/n finished bandaging his hands and began clearing the table of the first aid supplies. Dipper stood up and helped her. Silence loomed over them. The only noise surrounding them were the random droplets of water coming from the sink and the deafening sound of a radiator. Their hands briefly touched when they reached for the gauze. Dipper flinched away while Y/n didn't bat an eye. It was just quiet.

"Thank you," Dipper decided to end the muteness between the two of them.

"You're welcome," she replied. So she wasn't mad at him. That was good. "You know that I'm always here for you." That was great. "I know that sometimes you try and prove to everybody that you can do it, but you don't have to do it alone." That was better. "We're a team. You and me." That was best.

He couldn't help but smile at that. "I know I can rely on you," he said. "I trust you."

Y/n's heart was racing, but she couldn't tell whether it was good or bad. Trust is a big word with even bigger implications. Her palms were clammy at his confession. He trusts her. Trust. That meant he trusts that she would never stab him in the back or she would catch him if he falls. He feels safe around her. He knows that he will never be hurt in her presence.

"I trust you too," she couldn't stop her mouth.

"You do?" Dipper dared to ask.

"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?"

The corner of his lips dropped slightly. It took him ten seconds to reply. "Yeah. That's... that's good to hear."

***

The day went on normally. The rain stopped in the afternoon, but it was still cloudy until sunset. Come evening was dinner, until Mabel proposed to have a movie night. Maybe this was her way of making Dipper relaxed and rested after that embarrassing bat fight, but a movie does sound nice.

"So, what are we watching?"

"Whatever comes in the almighty Gravity Falls TV!" Mabel answered happily, picking up the remote and switching the appliance on. Immediately, the announcer listed off the following movies the local theater production had to offer. Most of the items in the catalog were done with almost no effort at all, but it was still good entertainment– laughing at the mistakes and errors that they could notice.

"You're watching theGravity Falls Bargain Movie Showcase!" The voice from the TV took the trio's attention. "Coming up next: Kewl Vampirez! Classic Romantic Teenage Movie! Ducktective: The Duck That Went Quack! And Attack of the Killer Gnomes!"

"Hmm," Mabel thought aloud.

"I already know what you're thinking, Mabel," Dipper deadpanned.

"You don't know what I'm about to choose." The girl rolled her eyes.

The boy crossed his arms. "Let me guess, is it 'Classic Romantic Teenage Movie'?"

"Nope!" Mabel looked proud. "I actually want to watch Attack of the Killer Gnomes and see if they captured the gnomes' stinky attitude perfectly! But what about you, Y/n?"

The twins faced her as she entered the living room with a bowl of freshly cooked popcorn, the smell wafting in the air. "I'm fine with anything," she said, casually sitting next to Dipper on the big, yellow couch. Dipper immediately reached over and got himself a handful of the tasty snack.

"Well, for once I actually agree with Mabel's pick," Dipper said with his mouth still full, resulting in his speech to sound so muffled. He swallowed. "Come on, let's watch it."

Mabel played the movie anyway, the logos of the productions rolling up. She stood up and switched off the lights, the soft glow of the TV providing their only light. Mabel situated herself on the ground, in between Y/n and Dipper's feet, munching on her own bowl of popcorn– and with Waddles already fast asleep beside her, she used him as a pillow.

The movie was pretty decent– featuring a trio of friends going on an adventure when they encountered innocent-looking gnomes. They thought they were safe until they found out that they were about to be eaten, like a plot straight up from Hansel and Gretel. The three kids battle with the gnomes, reminding the three other people of their own encounters.

It was a funny moment when the microphone was being visible in some scenes, and the teen actors weren't doing their best acting scared. Well, who would get scared when the "gnomes" weren't actual, moving creatures. They were moved by hand, only plastered with eyebrows and sharp teeth to appear angry.

The credits soon rolled. The popcorn already ran out, and they were stretching in their seats. They opted to share their insights about the film they just watched, mostly recalling the moment when they pointed out the mistakes and laughing about it.

Mabel picked up the remote and switched through the channels, pausing when a duck in a detective outfit waddled around the street with a magnifying glass in one of its wings. "Ooh, which episode is this?"

"I think it's a rerun of the first season while we're waiting for the second," Y/n answered, her eyes glued to the TV. "I haven't watched this particular one, though."

"Oh okay. Let's watch it." Mabel grinned.

"Should I get more popcorn?"

The twins shook their heads. "Nuh-uh. I'm full."

"Me too."

"Okay then." Y/n stayed in the chair, even going as far as sliding down slightly. Dipper had his left arm placed on the arm of the couch as his head laid on his palm comfortably. Mabel remained seated, her back sliding further down Waddles' stomach. Her eyes were half-lidded as she burped out. A duck with a gun was the last thing she saw before sleep completely took over.

Dipper wasn't doing very well as well, he fought to keep his eyes open as the episode was nearing its end. He adjusted his seat and laid his back against the cushion, blinking his eyes. Y/n was beside him, attention solely on the television, eating what was left of the popcorn bowl.

He glanced to his right and watched as Y/n's eyes sparkled with the animation dancing in her sclera. Her mouth slightly opened when Ducktective stabbed the suspect repeatedly and fake blood gushed out.

Y/n saw something move in the corner of her eyes. Facing to her left slightly and sliding her gaze, Dipper was immersed with the TV, drumming his fingers against the arm of the couch. He suppressed a yawn with his right fist, tears forming in the corner of his eyes as it closed. When he opened those charming brown eyes again, Y/n already had her stare back towards the TV.

They sat equally, shoulder to shoulder, with hands not knowing where to put. Dipper's hands were on his stomach, while Y/n's were caged around her body. The episode reached its conclusion before the credits quickly appeared. A commercial for a new vacuum played and boredom commenced.

The two people left awake were too tired to start a conversation. All the noise left were voices from enthusiastic business people as they try to sell their invention, and the occasional whistle coming from Mabel as she laid fast asleep with her pet pig.

Y/n slowly blinked, afraid that sleep just might take her captive– but she didn't want to move and had to wake up the twins. She couldn't disrupt Mabel's slight laughs as she's clearly having the best dream ever.

But before Y/n could do further adjustments in her, she felt something heavy lay on her left shoulder, making her tense up. She could feel thick curls tickling her neck and cheek. And her arm felt warmth as skin made contact. Her whole left side felt warm as Dipper placed his entire weight on her.

Yet instead of moving, she stayed still, eyes fixated on the show. She hadn't watched this particular episode either, but her mind couldn't seem to concentrate. Her skin seemed to tingle when she felt Dipper nuzzle unconsciously deeper in her collar. Does he feel comfortable? Is she moving too much? Is she warm?

Is Waddles a pig?

They all have the same answers.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her shoulders slumped after realizing that she was still tense. Y/n sighed a bit, calming her ferocious-beating heart, turning her gaze to the TV. She didn't know where to put her hands again, opting to intertwine it and place it on top of her stomach.

Dipper was sound asleep, and she was envious. But the universe reassured her and practically told her that she shouldn't worry any longer and soon enough, her eyelids felt heavy. Ducktective was hanging on a cliff and as much as Y/n wanted to see what happened, unfortunately, sleep came first.

△▼△

Dipper woke up to a bright flash, shielding his eyes until the light died. He looked around and saw that he was inside the Mystery Shack, but it was void of objects. It was an empty room, nothing else.

Except there was a blue portal that resembled a black hole, violent winds sweeping the boy off his feet as he tried to keep his feet on the ground. He stared at the swirl of dark colors, emitting a whooshing sound as if something was about to come out. He waited in participation. What could it be? A monster? His greatest fear? Death?

But nothing could have prepared him when a yellow triangle-shaped creature with arms and legs– its prominent features were a bowtie and tall hat– tumbled out of the portal.

"Hey there. buddy!" The triangle spoke, levitating in the air like it was a bubble. He snapped his fingers and a cane appeared in his hands. He floated down in front of the dumbstruck boy and began dancing, singing a tune.

Dipper, still bewildered, pointed at the being. "Who are you?"

The triangle's eye remained blank. "Name's Bill, nice to meet ya." He tipped his hat but doing so caused the room to flip and Dipper tumbled in his steps. He toppled around while Bill plopped his tall hat back to his pointy head.

Bill? That name sounded too familiar. And the isosceles form he took couldn't be a simple coincidence.

"Nice subconscious you got here, Dipper!"

Dipper tried to balance himself, recovering from the room flipping around. "Wha? H-how did you know my name?" His face scrunched into a look of anxiety, confusion, and fear.

"Oh, I know lots of things!" Bill raised his arms before landing on the floor. He pointed a finger-gun at him as he listed things that he knew about the boy. "You're scared to death of uncertainty.

Another copy of Bill came out from behind him, "Your real name isn't Dipper,"

And another duplicate appeared to the left. "And..." the copy chortled to himself. "Oh, this is interesting..." The three sets of Bills stared at him. "You spend a lot of time thinking about... Daisy?" The end came out more as a question rather than a statement. "Daisy? And I thought she's dumb."

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Daisy? Who is that?"

If Bill had a mouth, he would be smirking. The other Bill leaned towards the last Bill. "Gimme details!" The three little triangles huddled together as whispers erupted. "Oh ho, that is scandalous!" The other one commented.

Dipper was getting red in the face, anxiety creeping in as he thought of what Bill might say. The triangle still had to explain who Daisy was supposed to be, but he may have a guess because she's the only one running through his mind. "Dude! What do you want from me?" Dipper said, exasperated.

"Oh, right!" Bill exclaimed before snapping his finger and before he knew, he became one again. He walked up to the boy. "So get this," his singular transformed into a mini-projector, emitting blue light. A photo of Stan's head appeared on the screen. "This fat little baby man Gideon hires me to, uh, I don't know-" the projection occurred,, depicting Bill's plan like he was doing a business proposal, prepared with a powerpoint presentation, "uh, hop into your uncle's mind and steal a combination to his safe or whatever?"

Dipper stared at the projector, his eyes furrowed.

BIll continued, "So the kid, can, I don't know, steal a deed and destroy your house or something?" He nonchalantly showed a graphic of Gideom's large hand smashing the Mystery Shack completely. "Pretty serious stuff," the show was over, and he turned off the projector that was his eye.

It was silent for a brief moment until Bill caught something lying on the ground. "Hey, what's this?" He picked it up, it was a paddleball. Bill began playing with it. "Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle," he mumbled.

Dipper was still reeling from the information he just received from possibly one of the most powerful beings. "You're gonna get Grunkle Stan's code by entering his dreams?"

Bill continued paddling with a casual stance. "Sure, just like I entered your dreams. And thanks for the compliment! I am pretty powerful. Hey, what's that?" He snapped his fingers and before Dipper could have the chance to think and process what just happened, he realized that his feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

Gravity pulled him down as Dipper tried to cling to any leverage, screaming for help. He was falling through the sky, groups of clouds flying past him. Meanwhile, Bill's pose looked relaxed with his triangle head laying on his hand. "I bet you're wondering if there's a way to stop me." Dipper couldn't answer as he was still screaming. "Well, I don't wanna give you any hints, but I bet there's a way for you to follow me into his brain!"

He then pointed at something from afar. "Ah, there's the old man's head now!"

Dipper stopped screaming momentarily to take a look at a ginormous Stan head laying on the vast expanse of pasture. Bill had the two of them float near towards the target, until he stopped. He flew to where he needed to be; facing Dipper, as the same portal from earlier appeared once more.

"See you in your nightmares, kid!"

His eyes closed then opened. "You can't tell but I'm winking. You know, uh, one eye- okay, later, BYEEE!"

Bill went through the glowing gateway like a flushed toilet. Dipper looked down and realized that he was still falling, about to meet his rough demise. He screamed as the ground was coming near, but before the harsh impact, he woke up.

He was breathless when he opened his eyes. His face was sweaty as he scanned his surroundings. The TV was off, Mabel was on the ground fast asleep, but Y/n was already awake, rubbing her eyes frantically. She heaved a huge sigh, not noticing that the boy beside her was looking at her in concern.

Earlier...

A maniacal laugh echoed around the emptiness. She glanced around her to find the culprit, only to find nothing. She flitted her eyes around again until the laughing stopped.

Piano sounds accompanied a ringing voice as it sang a little jingle, "Daiiisy, Daiiisy~ Give me an answer, dooo~!"

Upon the horizon, a yellow triangle floated down with a singular eye closed. Arms stretched out as if he was a god descending from above. He continued singing despite not having a mouth– but Y/n was sure that the reverberating voice was coming from him, "I'm haaalf crazy! All for the looove of you!"

He hovered around until he was in front of her. Y/n was unimpressed. "Nice song," she remarked sarcastically.

"An 1892 classic, sung just for you!" He bounced around in the air. "I'm sure you missed me just as how I missed playing with you! Do you even remember who I am?"

She stepped back a bit at his close proximity. "Something tells me I met you before..." she said slowly.

"Does your brain need refreshing?" The triangle flew near and plucked a copy of her brain, dipping it in a bucket of water that magically appeared. "Name's Bill Cipher, although it's kinda my doing that you couldn't recall our first meeting."

"What?" She was clueless.

His one eye rolled away. "Oh come on, Daisy, surely that big head of yours can restore memories from 30 years ago!" Bill placed his hands on.... the side of his shape. "It's not that long, is it? You even kept the necklace he gave you!"

Instinctively, she reached for her collar where her necklace laid on. Ford? How does he know Ford?

"Oh my, you are so gullible! And stupid. And dumb." He laughed aloud, placing his hands where his stomach was supposed to be.

Y/n narrowed her eyes in irritation. She didn't want anyone to ever belittle her and her skills. "What do you want from me?"

"And why did the headless chicken cross the road?" The literal chicken without its head crossed between them. "Is for you to not know and keep your nose out of it!" He cackled before flicking her nose. "Okay, okay. I'll give you a hint. I'm not that bad."

Bill snapped his fingers and all of a sudden, Y/n was floating with him. "Wha-"

He swiped his hand to the left, and she felt whiplash from the movement of the room around them. Everything thrusted to the side and now they were in a dark, empty abyss. "Gideon Gleeful. Stan Pines. Mind. Code. Shack. Destroyed. Kaboom. Presentation over."

As a visual aid, pictures appeared around him out of nowhere.. Y/n's gaze wandered around possible hints but the answer was right in front of her all this time. She wasn't the moron Bill assumed she was. Clearly, this being was tasked to break inside Stan's mind to forcibly get the code for Gideon. How is he going to do that?

Her thoughts were cut off when a hand landed on her cheek harshly. She was brought back to reality– the reality being she's still with the triangle guy. She glared at him in offense. The slap didn't hurt of course, but the fact that he got to touch her made her annoyed.

"Boy, you kids sure love to overthink a lot. Here's some advice: clear your head. It would make it easy for me to look around for information I need when I enter your mind."

"As if I'll let you do as you please," Y/n challenged, crossing her arms.

"Why not? It would be so much fun! Look at all the fun me and Fordsy had!"

Hearing the name hit her harder than a smack ever could. Her veins felt like they were on fire, but her muscles were trembling. Fordsy? Ford? When she sought to grasp them, reflections of the past emerged. Ford's voice appeared to come in whispers. "Daisy, Daisy. Sleep tight, Daisy."

Bill groaned, annoyance seeping in. "Are we seriously doing this again? Come on, recover your memories faster. We're on a time limit over here!"

She kept quiet. She's had enough replying to his mockery. She kept her mind clear to avoid him reading her thoughts. She figured someone like Bill could do that. She just wanted Bill to get out of her mind as soon as possible so she could find a way to save Stan.

"You done?" Bill checked, leaning to the side.

Y/n promptly nodded, looking him directly in the eye, her arms remained on her sides. "Are you gonna leave now?"

"Because you said so... I have to leave," the triangle said, feigning sadness– if he could even do that. "Don't miss me that much. You still have to focus on fixing that portal!" He floated away from her, a portal hoving into view behind him. "See you in your nightmares!

"He'll see you soon."

She woke up with a sharp inhale, her eyes snapping open. Her breathing shortened for a bit as she rubbed her sleep away. The sun was already up as the light was seeping in. Noises from the TV entered her hearing and after successfully finding the remote within her reach, she turned it off. She just needed peace after that chaotic meeting with Bill.

Heaving a sigh, she rubbed her temples. "Bill Cipher..." That was the name of the triangle that visited her in her dreams.

"So you got that nightmare, too?" A voice to her left whispered slowly. Dipper looked down. "A triangle guy. I've seen him from the journal."

Dipper reached from behind him and retrieved the leathered book. He flipped through the pages and stopped once he saw a huge drawing. Bill Cipher, written in Ford's elegant writing. There were codes and symbols surrounding the triangle being with one eye. But it was seeing this particular page with drops of red that sent her mind into a frenzy. Was it blood? Was it jam? And why is this coming to light now? What was Ford hiding from her, then?

So many questions yet all of them are left unanswered.

The one thing she despised above all was someone keeping something from her, especially from someone she cared about. She simply did not enjoy being kept in the dark. Ignore the fact that she is literally doing to the twins what she despises right now. She pushed the uncertainty and nervousness down and remained blank. "Read it," she said.

"Beware Bill, the most powerful and dangerous creature I've ever encountered. Whatever you do, never let him into your mind."

An involuntary shiver ran across her spine. That was Ford's warning. He couldn't possibly write this in his journal if he hadn't encountered the being. The last statement seemed to haunt her. Never let him into your mind. More questions arise from that, alarms blaring in her mind.

"We have to stop him," she spoke. "Bill is planning to extract the code to the safe directly from Stan's mind."

A pointed gasp interrupted before Y/n could question Dipper's hesitant expression. Mabel was breathless. "Triangle..." she hyperventilated. "Stan's mind..." She puffed. "Code...!"

"Mabel, calm down." Y/n reached over and patted her hair comfortingly. "We'll stop him."

"You had that dream, too?" The girl exclaimed before standing up, startling her pet pig who ran away in fear. "We have to go now!"

"Dudes!" Soos came into the room in perfect timing, but he was panting out of breath. "You gotta help Stan! He's gone cuckoo bananas and his eyes are turning blue!"

The trio exchanged panic glances before discarding everything in the living room and following Soos into Stan's office. Opening the door, the sight of the old man greeted them. He was writhing in his seat like a wild dog. He grunted like he was having the worst nightmare ever.

In a panic, Mabel snatched the book from Dipper. "It is possible to follow the demon into a person's mind and prevent his chaos. One must simply recite this incantation."

Dipper wasn't feeling up to it, sulking. "Ugh, this is just great. I spend all day cleaning sinks and fighting bats for Stan and now I have to save him from some crazy brain demon?"

"But if we don't do anything Gideon might steal the shack! Or worse!" Mabel took the words out of Y/n's mouth.

Stan's screaming resounded and the four's attention switched to him. "Come on, Dipper," Y/n faced him. "Do this with us."

He sighed in defeat. "Fine."

A few minutes later, after hauling Stan over to the living room, the quartet managed to make the living room look like they were about to summon something– with the lights turned off and lit candles surrounding them. They all placed their hand on Stan's head as Dipper began orating the invocation.

"Videntis omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad hominem. Magnum opus. Habeas corpus! Inceptus Nolanus overratus! Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM!"

Eyes opened to a place of black and white. Soos and Mabel made exclamations of awe as they slowly looked at their surroundings. Y/n couldn't believe that it worked, while Dipper was wary of the atmosphere.

They stood in front of what seemed to be a macabre version of the Mystery Shack. "Whoa, this is Stan's mind?" Mabel said to no one in particular.

Soos followed suit, "Huh. Figured there would be a lot more hot old ladies."

Y/n frowned. Now they were going to see what Stan really was. She didn't want that day to come just yet.

"Remember, everyone, we've got to look out for the triangle guy," Mabel warned.

"Yeah, look out for the triangle guy!" A voice arrived, and it was Bill in the shape. He held a cane fit for his size as he twirled it around.

"Look! He's a triangle!" Soos pointed out.

Mabel asserted, "You leave our uncle's brain alone, you isosceles monster!"

"Mabel, wait!" Y/n's warning fell on deaf ears as the girl rushed forward to Bill, but he was one step ahead, using his body as a makeshift portal and Mabel jumped inside. Seconds later, she was out.

"Gotcha!" Mabel exclaimed, but her hands were empty. "Wait, what?"

Bill's eye widened slightly in joy. "Ah, Stan's family, we met at last! Question Mark, Shooting Star, Pinetree," he paused, intertwining his hands together. "And who could forget our dear Daisy!"

Dipper jolted when he heard the nickname. He looked to his right to see Y/n staring right at Bill with an irritated expression. He didn't want to think about Bill's implication earlier in his dream at the moment.

Without another second to think, Bill had shot a hole in Y/n's chest– that Mabel's hand could fit through. Dipper screamed. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Never better," she smiled as a joke, when she didn't even feel anything. Ignoring the literal gap in her torso, she glared at Bill. "Get out of Stan's mind, Bill! You're never gonna find the code!"

"Hah! As if you can stop me! I am the master of the mind. I even know what you're thinking right now! "

"That's impossible, no one can guess what I'm thinking!" Mabel objected.

With a snap of his fingers, two tall, brightly-colored men stood in between Mabel. They looked like they were from an 80s film, and looking at them just made Dipper's eyes hurt.

"Whoa!" The first guy spoke in a weird accent. "Where are we, bro?"

"We must be in heaven!" The blue-haired guy in a cool jacket shrugged. "'Cuz I just saw an angel..." he crouched down to Mabel, who was wearing a wide smile.

"I'm never letting go of your leg!"

Bill floated boredly. "You're out of your league, kids. Turn around now before you see something you might regret." He tipped his hat in farewell. "Later, suckers!" Bill crashed through the wall inside the Mystery Shack and he was gone.

"Let's go," Y/n spoke, unimpressed that Bill could easily distract them like that. She began walking as Dipper followed suit after complaining to Mabel about the two other men with them.

Eventually, the main door to the Shack opened, revealing sets of doors. It didn't look like the normal Shack; it was disoriented and messy– like Stan. Eyes roamed around floating wooden boards, monochromatic decorations and such.

As Y/n scouted every possible room they might come across, they followed the descending stairs. There were separate territories for Stan's hopes and fears, but they decided to go to his memories instead, hoping to find the memory of Stan inputting the code before Bill could. That way, they could conceal it or keep it safe from him.

Memories of Stans played as they walked by them. Each opened door showed recollection from this summer. Soos marveled at the sight. "Whoa, look! All of Stan's memories!"

"Great. Sure there's plenty of memories of Stan bossing me around, can't wait to see more of that."

Y/n raised an eyebrow at Dipper's bitterness. His resentment towards the old man can wait. What's important was that they get to the code before Bill finds it.

So everyone went searching, opening doors and looking through Stan's history. One had Stan in his entrepreneurial days, his moments in jail, and even his times going on dates.

While walking, Dipper discovered a door with a symbol on it; the iconic pinetree on his trucker hat. Write on the door were the words, "DIPPER MEMORIES" with a boarded up sign that said "keep out".

"Look, guys! Memories about me..." Dipper said, stopping in his tracks.

"That doesn't seem like a good idea," Soos suggested.

"I just wanna know what the old guy really thinks of me," He replied, raising an eyebrow.

Mabel walked by, casually smiling, "We already know how Stan feels about us; he loves us! We're great."

Dipper wasn't satisfied with the answer, crossing his arms in contempt.

Y/n looked away, knowing that Dipper would still go inside that section anyway despite their warnings. "Let's just go. We're running out of time." She just hoped that Dipper would soon understand that Stan's actions are vastly different from his intentions.

Dipper took Y/n's cue as a distraction, quietly thankful. He slipped away from the group as a distraction and went back to the already ajar door and tip-toed inside. A hallway full of closed doors greeted him, accompanied by Stan's orders and mocking laughter. "Dipper, my back itches!" "Unclog the toilet, Dipper!" "Dipper, fix the roof in this sweltering heat right now!"

He stopped in front of a random door, twisting the knob open. He remembered this memory. "-No buts! Now go chop that firewood already!" Stan twisted the newspaper in his hand and smacked Dipper's head with it.

"Ah!" Dipper winced, glaring as he turned around and walked towards the stump meters away from the Shack.

Stan sat down on the couch beside Y/n who was sighing in pity. "Stan, why are you so hard on Dipper all the time? You make fun of him 24/7, and you give him chores. And whenever I volunteer to do them, you don't let me."

Stan whispered something to Y/n that Dipper couldn't hear clearly, making him lean more. "The kid's a loser. He's weak! He's an utter embarrassment!

"I just wanna get rid of him..."

Dipper heard enough, closing the door with a deep frown on his face. He went to look for the exit, bile growing in his stomach. He just wanted to get out of this place.

Meanwhile the remaining five went and opened every door that might lead to Stan's code. Y/n had looked everywhere all the while being wary of what the others might discover the longer they were in here. On top of the vexing hole in her chest, it was becoming increasingly frustrating that they hadn't made any headway in cracking the code. She became agitated when she realized that anyone could open a door with her in it and notice that Stan was younger while Y/n remained the same. Fortunately, no one was able to locate one.

Yet.

Soos opened one door, displaying a memory of Stan in front of the vending machine, pressing buttons. The contraption opened and he stepped inside. Imaginary alarms blared in Y/n's ears as Soos let the memory play. "Soos, wait, let me explain-" Y/n whispered harshly.

"Boring," Soos cut off, closing the door abruptly. And at that, Y/n raised an eyebrow at his uninterest. Did... Did Soos just call possibly one of the most dangerous secrets unfolding right in front of his eyes- boring?!

Y/n stood still, while the rest went forth, following Mabel. Said girl found a trapdoor with the words TOP SECRET above it. "Alright, guys, I have a good feeling about this door," Mabel said before opening it.

Everyone watched as a memory of a shirtless Stan played with his belly button, giving it a voice and feeding it. Y/n almost gagged at the sight.

"Sweet sally!" Exclaimed Mabel.

"Oh, we've been searching forever! What if the triangle guy finds the memory before we do?" Soos expressed his uncertainty.

Y/n narrowed her eyes at the handyman. It wasn't like Soos to worry. In fact, he's been taking this situation very lightly– making dumb jokes, laughing at the memories, and smiling with Mabel. Something weird was going on, but she didn't know what.

Mabel placed a finger on her chin. "If we wanna find Stan's memory, we gotta think like Stan. He's always hiding stuff, right?"

Soos smiled, "Yeah! Like how he hides his arrest warrants under that rug in the gift shop?"

Wait, how did he know that?

Y/n felt a shiver running down her spine at the information. Only she knew that because she's the one hiding them under that rug.

"Soos-?"

Her question died in her throat when Mabel found the same exact-looking rug in one of the hallways. "Guys, look!" She pulled off the carpet and lo and behold, there was a random trapdoor. Mabel opened the door, and there Stan was, walking towards his vault with the deed in his hands. He placed it inside before closing the safe. He inputted the code, but Y/n closed the door just as Stan almost finished his sentence.

"Ok, we found it," she said. "Now let's destroy it."

Mabel smiled without a care in the world. "Good idea, Y/n! That way Bill wouldn't be able to get his hands on it."

Yeah, and even if the memory was disintegrated, Y/n knew the code. And even if Bill somehow got a hold of it and gave it to Gideon, she could easily change the code to the safe before Gideon could break in again.

She just didn't want to let him win.

Mabel saw a nearby ax and was about to hand it to Y/n until Soos stepped in between the two. "Wait! Maybe I should do it. My big fat arms are great at destroying stuff!"

Okay, Soos was bothering her now, but she refused to admit it. What happened to the Soos who had put his trust in her to do the job? Oh, it didn't appear to be the real Soos when he lifted the door with psychic power. A blue aura shone through the door.

"Hey, guys! I just saw a memory of Stan roller skating and wearing short-shorts!"

Their attention turned to the other Soos who was unaware of everything that happened. The first Soos laughed– his voice different now. At least he found it funny.

His two eyes become one and his body morphed back to a yellow floating triangle paired with a bowtie and tophat. He was floating again. "I knew it," Y/n seethed under her breath.

"Sure, you 'knew it'," Bill mocked through quotes. "Pretend you're the smartest in the room,"

She glowered more. She didn't like people belittling her intelligence.

"Face it, you won't beat me! You all are simply too gullible for a powerful guy like me." If he had a mouth, he would be smirking. "Later, suckers!" He breezed away before the human eye could blink.

"Come on, we gotta save Stan!" Mabel exclaimed. Y/n was rearing for a fight and was ready to agree with the braces-wearing gal, until-

"What's the point?" A voice sounded from the end of the hall. Dipper descended from the set of stairs. He scowled. "Why should I save him, huh? I work for Stan day and night, and all he does in return is say he wants to get rid of me," the boy fumed.

The group was quiet, until Mabel spoke. "Dipper, I'm sure that's not true," she reasoned, trying to ease his increasing temper. Leave it to Mabel to handle her brother's mood.

"I saw it with my own eyes in one of his memories, Mabel!" Dipper shouted. "He's always picked on me and now I know why. Stan hates me!" Then, his gaze flitted to the person standing behind. His glare only deepened. "Isn't that right, Y/n?"

Soos and the rest gasped at Dipper's accusation.

"What?" Y/n croaked a response. She wondered how she got reeled into the conversation between the twins.

"You were there," he began. "You asked Stan why he picks on me all the time, and you heard his answer."

She couldn't say anything.

"I'm weak, an utter embarrassment and Stan just wants to get rid of me. Does that ring a bell?" Dipper emphasized his phrases, and each time she felt guilt running across her veins. Upon seeing her face shift into one of shame, he grew even more angry.

Mabel stepped in, not wanting to waste any more time. "Dipper, it doesn't matter what you saw. If we don't stop Bill, we'll lose the Shack!"

"No!" He whirled to her. "You know what? Not this time. For once this is one of Stan's problems I'm not gonna fix." He folded his arms and stepped back.

Mabel narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Come on, Y/n, we'll save Stan ourselves."

When she heard her name, Y/n was startled and hesitantly stepped forward. The rest of the group followed Mabel, eventually leaving the two in the hall. Dipper was glaring so hard at the ground, he could practically ignite a fire with his gaze.

Y/n bit her lip in anticipation. "Dipper, I'm not sure what memory you saw in there, but you know Stan will always have an underlying meaning with his words." She had a feeling that what he saw wasn't all there is to it. There must be some way to convince him otherwise, but she didn't have time. "I hope you change your mind in saving him."

She waited, hoping for a shift in his resolve. He didn't move.

She left.

The group ran after the yellow triangle, following the path of destruction he left behind. There was one hall where all the doors of memories were opened so they ventured through. Mabel brought out a nyarf gun that she was hiding in her sweater's pocket the whole time.

Y/n heard a distorted voice in the next hall and urged the others to stay quiet. They followed her steps to the monochromatic corridor to see Bill talking to Gideon. He was on his way to disclose the code to him just as Mabel aimed for the trapdoor before firing. The plastic bullet directly hit the door, smacking it out of Bill's hand and tumbling towards one of Stan's memories of the Bottomless Pit.

Bill chased after the falling door with a scream. "Ah! No, no, no! Wait, no!"

The Stan in the memory watched as the door entered the pit and was plunged into the darkness. "Whoo! Whatever that was, it's gone forever!"

The door closes, leaving Bill petrified. Y/n stood proud of Mabel while the others cheered her on.

"She did it!" The two brightly colored men bellowed and gave each other a high five.

Soos raised his fist. "The Shack is safe!"

"The deal's off!" Gideon hissed.

Bill stuttered, "Wa-wait, no! Wait-!"

"I'm switchin' to plan B!"

The call ended before Bill could reply, and theatrically, his yellow body cracked into pieces and fell to the ground as if he wasn't of use anymore. His triangle form came back, but this time, it was bright red– like a warning sign and the edges of his shape illuminated like lightning.

He turned around and glared fiercely. "You! You can't even imagine what you just cost me! Do you have any idea what I'm like when.. I'm... mad?!" He roared the last part in a low, demonic voice.

Immediately, Y/n pushed Mabel back and shielded them. Bill wasn't playing anymore.

Several foreign characters passed by Bill's singular eye. The letters reflected on them, and Y/n could recognize some of them but she didn't entirely know what it meant.

All of a sudden, they were surrounded by tall fire. Encircling around them as if creating a cage, a trap. With no escape. Bill raised his hands and the fire only grew bigger until it was a wall of hot, scorching fire.

They were lifted off into the boundless panorama of inky blue, pink, and dark purple, littered with stars.

On the other end of the arena, Bill made himself bigger, towering over them like a skyscraper. Instinctively, the group huddled closer. They had nowhere to go. Behind them was the edge of the platform and one misstep might cause their demise. Meanwhile, in front of them was a raging demon who didn't get what he wanted. Y/n wanted to think that this is just a giant baby who's having a tantrum...

...who has the power to eradicate their existence with a snap of his fingers.

"EAT NIGHTMARES" Bill declared, his hands producing electricity, flowing towards them.

"AHHHHH!"

Meanwhile, the boy in a pinetree hat was desperately looking for a way out of here. He was helpless as he opened almost every door that might be the exit, but to no avail. "Ugh, how do I get out of this place?" He spoke to no one else in particular. "Exit? Hello?"

He opened a completely random door, but it turned out it was the same memory of him chopping wood. "Aw, this again?" he grumbled, his anger coming back in less than a second, but he was just exhausted.

However, he didn't close the door. Not yet. It was pathetic of him to listen to it again. Maybe it's just he was hoping it wasn't the same set of words he heard earlier. Maybe he just heard it wrong. Maybe Stan didn't really say those things.

"He's a loser. He's weak. I just want to get rid of him."

Yeah, why did he even bother expecting a different scenario?

Dipper started closing the door, but memory Stan continued. "Hah, yeah. Those are all things people said about me when I was a boy."

"Huh?" He opened the door again to get a closer hearing.

"It was terrible. I was the biggest wimp on the playground!"

A door opened behind Dipper. A memory. A younger Stan– a kid, stood under the rain and received a soccer ball to the face, displacing his square-framed glasses. He sobbed before running away, boisterous laughter followed him.

"So one summer, my pop signs me up for boxing lessons. It was even worse than the school yard!"

A door opened, playing the exact memory. Young Stan was pinned to the ground by a kid twice his size. "Left hook!" He punched his opponent. Someone watching from the shadows– his dad, nodded approvingly.

"Y'know, at the time, I thought my pop was trying to torture me!" Stan's voice continued.

Another door. It was of teenage Stan lining up at the local theater. Grandpa The Kid was showing, and he was outside, waiting in a line.

"But wouldn't you know it? The old man was doin' me a favor all along!"

A suspicious-looking man came up behind a woman while Stan was up front. "Give me that bag!"

"Help! My purse! Help!" The woman screamed.

"LEFT HOOK!" Teenage Stan bravely turned around and punched the guy in the face, knocking him out.

The people around him began cheering for him. The lady gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So that's why I'm hard on Dipper," Stan told Y/n in the memory. "To toughen him up. So when the world fights he fights back. Look, it's working."

They watched as Dipper successfully chopped the wood in half. "I... I did it!" Memory Dipper was ecstatic. "Haha, yes!"

Memory Y/n couldn't help but smile.

"He's really comin' along!" Stan said with a smile. "When push comes to shove, I'm actually proud of him... just- don't ever tell him that. His head's big enough as it is."

She smirked at that, shaking her head.

Dipper from outside the door, grinned and placed a hand on the memory. But the memory hadn't installed some kind of invisible wall. Dipper accidentally fell into the memory, facing Stan and Y/n.

The two glanced at the other Dipper still very much chopping wood before reverting back to the Dipper who had just evaded their conversation. "Whoa, kid, what are you doin' here? Want a soda?" Stan flamboyantly flipped a hand and the can appeared in his hold.

"Wha- what the- how did you do that?" Dipper stuttered in wonder.

Y/n leaned on Stan's side, facing Dipper. "Word to the wise, Dip. We're in the mind! You could do whatever you can imagine here!" She demonstrated, generating two cans before outstretching her hand towards him, but he didn't take it. "What's wrong?" She tilted her head.

"I... I'm sorry,"

She hummed in intrigue.

"You were right," Dipper said. "Stan does have an underlying meaning with his words. He doesn't hate me. I didn't mean to be mad at you."

A short laugh resounded. Y/n smiled widely, "Dude, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm a memory. Although, judging from your apology, it seemed that you didn't see the entire picture until now. So if it was up to me, I forgive you."

Dipper smiled gently.

"But you should probably be saying that to the real me. I'm sure she's still thinking of how to make it up to you. Just explain and I'm sure she'd forgive you too."

He eventually took the Pitt Cola in her hand and opened it. But before he could take a sip, he heard sounds; Bill's maniacal laughter, Mabel's screams, Soos' shouts, and Y/n's yells.

"Oh my gosh, what am I doing? I gotta stop Bill!" Dipper blurted out, leaving the can of soda behind.

Stan watched his great nephew go. "Huh. Fighting back."

Meanwhile, the gang was still being tormented by the giant, red Bill Cipher. "One nightmare, coming up!"

"Nightmare?" Soos asked anticipatingly. "Hope he doesn't mean that British dog man I'm always dreaming about."

A bright red laser zapped a spot beside Soos and indeed, a British dog man appeared in front of him. Mabel was hit by the red beam too, and her nightmare came true. Her skin changed into a sickly green hue and her braces were unbelievably bigger. Her voice changed low and slow. "What did you do to my cuteness!"

Bill didn't spare Xyler and Craz as well, getting knocked out by Bill's ray of light. They burned and vanished into space. "My dream boys!" Mabel cried out

"Don't think I forgot about you, Daisy!" Bill rubbed his hands together as he prepared a bigger laser. He pointed his black finger at her as she prepared for his attack. What are her nightmares consisted of? Sure, she is plagued with a constant state of anxiety but fear is a trivial thing to her. She began listing off things she's afraid of, and things she wasn't. Monsters don't scare her, poison is the least of her worries, bugs and creepy crawlers fascinate her...

"Hey, Bill!"

Dipper swooped into the scene like a superhero, flying around with a bright blue glow surrounding him.

Bill stopped in his movements, his eye widening at the sight of Pinetree. "WHAT?!" He was stunned. Who told Dipper that everything is possible in the mind?

"Nice bow tie!" The boy made a hole in Bill with lasers from his eyes, causing him to scream in a panic.

"Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed in joy.

Dipper grinned back. "Guys! I just learned that you can conjure whatever you can conceive in Grunkle Stan's mindscape!"

Well how about that. Y/n looked excited, while Soos and Mabel remained confused. "Huh?"

"You can do whatever you can imagine!" She looked down at the gaping hole in her chest and when she lifted a finger, she was whole again.

"Woah!" The two gasped. Soos stretched a palm and the British dog man disappeared. "Ha, ha. He's dead now."

"What?!" Bill shouted, "Who told you that?! Don't listen to him!"

"We can do anything?" Mabel asked, a sense of exhilaration coursing through her. She made herself go back to normal. "Like have kittens for fists?" Immediately, her small knuckles turned into precious pink furballs. She began shooting them towards Bill, kitten heads firing from her sleeves.

Bill screamed, either from fear or annoyance- no one could tell- as the kitties bunched up and covered the large triangle area.

"Anything, huh? Soos loves stomach beam stare!!!" Those were all words.

Colorful question marks blasted from Soos' tummy and aimed directly at Bill's face. The being tumbled away.

Y/n bounced into the air freely, before doing a twirl and summoning a large sledgehammer and gracefully slamming it down his eye.

"AHH! Oh, my eye! AH!" Bill writhed in pain, kneeling down.

Mabel lifted her arms. "Rise, Xyler! Rise, Craz!" The two radiant boys emerged behind her back with musical instruments. Xyler played a key-tar while Craz handled the electric drum kit.

"No! Synthesized music! It hurts!"

This powerful being had some weird weaknesses.

"And now to imagine your worst nightmare," Dipper pointed at the triangle. "A portal out of Stan's mind!"

Mabel sang, "Out of Stan's mi-ind~!"

The gang closed their eyes tightly as a portal materialized under Bill's feet, planning to swallow him down. "No, no, no!" Bill wailed before he made everything white. Everyone was floating in nothingness. He became yellow again as he dusted his top hat. "You know, I'm impressed with you guy. You're a lot more clever than you look. Especially the fat one."

Soos leaned down and elbowed Mabel slightly, dropping his voice into a whisper. "He's talking about you!"

Bill spoke again, placing his hands on his side. "So I'm gonna let you kids off the hook. You might come in handy later. BUT KNOW THIS: A darkness approaches. A day will come in the future when everything you care about will change!" A six-fingered hand appeared on top of Bill- like a symbol. A sign. A forewarning.

"Until then I'll be watching you!" He tipped his hat in farewell. "I'll be watching you...!"

A wheel with eleven distinct symbols hovered around Bill, illuminating a bright blue. Y/n wasn't sure if she's seen this exact image before. And if she did, she must've forgotten. Before she knew it, Bill disappeared, his voice echoing. He'll be watching.

Eventually, their bodies began flickering rapidly. "Stan must be waking up."

"Will I ever see you guys again?" Mabel asked the two boys.

"In your dreams."

The group woke up on the living room floor, shouting in surprise. "We did it!" Mabel cheered after a moment of silence.

"What? Did what?" Stan voiced out, scratching his head. "What are you all doing here? And why was I dreaming of two brightly colored and radical young men?"

"Grunkle Stan, you 're okay!" Dipper expressed glee as he went to hug Stan. The older man was frozen in his seat, exchanging glances with Y/n who feigned the same expression.

"What is this, a hug?"

"Nope!" Dipper remained cheerful. "It's a choke hold." He went behind Stan and proceeded to wrap his arms around his neck tightly, making him squirm in his seat. Mabel, Soos, and Y/n laughed at that.

Dipper eventually let go as Stan chuckled. "Not bad, kid. Not bad." They shared a content look.

"I'm just glad Gideon didn't get into the safe. I really love this old shack."

"GROUP HUG!" Soos declared out of nowhere. No one batted an eye. He paused. "No?" He frowned. "I never know the right time!"

"I'll hug you, Soos," Y/n said, enclosing her arms around Soos' stomach. He gladly returned the embrace.

Dipper pouted. "Hey, I want a h-" The Shack began to shake, cutting Dipper off. "Hey, do you guys feel...?"

An explosion blew up and burst through the living room. It came from the office, launching everyone off. The quintet watched Gideon walk out of the destroyed wall. The vault was torn open, the furniture were wrecked, and the deed was in his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Pines family. Did I wake you?" He asked in feign pity.

"But... we defeated Bill...!" Dipper was confused.

Gideon retaliated, "Bill failed me! So I switched to plan B: dynamite!"

"What? Bill? Who?" Stan was left puzzled. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Spoiler alert, Stanford! I've got the deed! The Mystery Shack belongs to me! So get off my property!" Gideon then brought out a handheld transceiver, striding back. "Daddy? Bring it around the front."

"Don't worry, guys! It's just part of the dream!" Dipper tried to assure, but he wasn't even certain himself. "We're gonna wake up any second now! Right?"

Right?

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 18!

kimmiepines originally published: may 22, 2023 words: 11,003 words

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[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 16: Bros Before Dinos

Working at the Mystery Shack is no laughing matter. At least, that's what Stan says all the time when all they do is make tourist jokes. Y/n was at the museum, finishing up an attraction that will undoubtedly impress the crowd. It was Stan's idea, so she's perplexed as to why she's the one making it rather than him.

So there she was, accompanied by a plethora of bags of corn cobs that she had individually attached to a mesh model of a horse's carcass. She had just finished the 'Cornicorn' (Stan's idea, not hers) hindquarters when she noticed a pig- Mabel's pig- entering from the gift shop. He was wearing a red sweater with the ball of yarn still trailing off behind him.

The hog approached her slowly and sweetly. "Waddles," Y/n said as he moved in front of her. She was curious about Mabel's whereabouts because they are practically attached at the hip all the time. "Want one?" She asked when she noticed Waddles' fixated gaze on the corn in her hands.

Waddles oinked in approval and she tossed the corn to the other direction, preferably away from the Cornicorn if the swine favored the starchy vegetable. Y/n had finished the horn part when she'd turn around and saw Stan coming down. "Are you done?"

"You don't rush an artist," Y/n playfully chided. "But I'm almost done."

Stan hummed, admiring how it was all coming out. "Good thing you didn't run out of corn. I made sure I bought enough bags."

"Too bad. Could've given the rest to good 'ol Waddles over there." Y/n nodded towards the pig at the corner staring at them.

The older man groaned. "Ugh, just as I thought I could escape this pig, he just turns up everywhere I go!"

Y/n was tightening the wires around the cob when she wondered, "What's it doing down here without his best friend, anyway?"

"Eh, Mabel went out to get a huggy tummy or something and wanted me to watch over him. As if! He's a monster to deal with!"

She laughed at his irritability towards innocent little Waddles. "Oh come on, Stan," Y/n cooed, lifting Waddles to her chest. "He's just a pig, but Mabel loves him. If you love your niece, then you have to love things and animals she loves too."

Stan didn't say anything, but she knew that he was internally rolling his eyes in both disgust and annoyance. Eventually, a tour bus honked its horn, announcing its arrival. "Okay, get out of here. I have tourists to tour around."

"Sure you do," she said. She was about to bring Waddles to the ground when Stan stopped her.

"Hey, take the pig with you!"

She stared at him before bringing Waddles back to her arms. The ball of yarn was also tucked in her elbows. "Okay?"

"Don't let it wander around the gift shop or the museum. Understood?"

Y/n rolled her eyes. "Sure, fine."

She took a small flight of stairs from the museum to the gift shop with Waddles in her arms. He was thrashing around a bit before deciding to munch on her daisy necklace. "Hey, hey," she commented. "It's not an edible flower, stop." She brought him back to the floor and he stared at her.

Leaning down in front of Waddles' face, she brought her voice down in a whisper. "As much as you want to eat this, I made this necklace indestructible with a secret recipe," she winked. "You're so cute when you don't have any idea I just said," Y/n pinched Waddles' cheeks before walking away to get herself a drink.

Waddles only blinked before going back to the museum and finishing his business. His corny business.

Stan was showing the tourists around the museum, telling them how all of these are haunted and scary originals, as well as mythical creatures he invented. The group of people blindly followed Stan and believed everything he said, having arrived in this town for the first time and knowing nothing about its history.

"And here, ladies and gentleman, is our final exhibit, the most hideous creatures known to man!" He stood in front of a blanketed stand before removing the covers and revealed a large mirror that fit everybody.

They glared at their own reflection, confused, before bursting into laughter as they realized the joke. "Oh, it's us!"

"Right, right?" Stan raised his eyebrows, chuckling. "We have fun here. But seriously, folks," He walked towards the other covered attraction that was just created an hour ago. "This is something.

"I present to you, a unicorn made out of corn. The 'Cornicorn!'"

He yanked the cloth off, and the tourists made a noise of protest and disappointment. The Cornicorn's skin had been completely ripped away rom its mesh body. All of the cobs had been stripped off of its corn and it was just messy. "What the-?!" Stan exclaimed and saw the culprit of the crime.

Waddles was happily munching on the last of the mesh-bound corn.

"What a rip-off!" The one guy in the crowd complained.

"Kids, we're leaving."

Everyone turned around and walked away towards the exit as Stan wailed, "NOOOO!"

Stan's temper was out of control as the door slammed shut. He growled and turned to face the pig."YOU!"

He carried Waddles and the ball of yarn all the way up to the living room and out to the backyard. As he stomped towards an open space with a rope attached to a large nail hammered into the ground, he looked around for anyone who could catch him. "Just ten minutes without this pig in the house, is that so much to ask?"

He lowered the pig to the ground and wrapped the rope around its neck, tightening the knot before pounding the nail. "If Mabel asks, this never happened." He stood back up and began to walk away, pretending to sound like Mabel. "'Oh, but Grunkle Stan! It's not safe out there! There's predators!' Oh brother."

Suddenly, a loud noise resounded as a huge creature swooped in and captured the poor, unsuspecting pig with its claws and flew away. Stan's fez was blown off as he watched helplessly how a freaking pterodactyl was flying around with Waddles in its grasp. The poor pig was terrified.

Y/n was just listening to good 'ol BABBA in her room when her world just shook. She almost lost her balance in the earthquake and decided to run out to see if everybody was okay. She met Dipper and Soos by the hallway and she was relieved that she wasn't the only one who felt the ground shake.

The three went outside to the back and saw Stan already standing there, frozen. They saw the pterodactyl flying away, weirdly leaving a red string that hung onto some trees. A path.

"Dude, did you see that?" Soos nudged Dipper's shoulder. "That thing was a dinosaur, bro!" He exclaimed with a huge grin.

It was indeed a dinosaur, Y/n deduced. But-

"How is it possible a dinosaur survived 65 million years?" Dipper asked. She was thinking of the same thing.

"Did you see it, Mr. Pines?" They turned to Stan, who was still frozen, his gaze distant.

Y/n raised an eyebrow at the older man's odd behavior. "Are... you okay?" she asked slowly.

"It... it took him," he finally spoke, but he still looked like he was in a trance.

"Took what?"

"The pig," Stan said, "It took Waddles."

"What did you say about Waddles?"Mabel chirped happily as she arrived on her bicycle.

The four people looked at her in an awkward silence as Mabel remained unbelievably joyous, "What's going on? Why are you standing around all awkwardly?" Her smile suddenly disappeared. "And where's Waddles?"

"Uh, uh," Stan stuttered, desperately hiding a nail behind his back. Y/n noticed and immediately got an idea on what happened, and now Stan is outright lying to his niece about his mistake. "The good news is, you're getting a puppy!"

"What happened?" Mabel asked.

Stan fiddled with his fingers. "Well! Uh, you see...-"

"The pig got eaten by a p-terodactyl, bro," Soos spoke up, and Y/n had the urge to elbow him in the belly, but she stopped herself, placing her head on her hand instead.

"WHAT?!" The girl gasped and began calling for her pig. "Waddles? Waddles! Where did he go? How did this happen?!" She was hyperventilating and panicking, so Y/n stepped closer to Mabel and attempted to comfort her through back rubs.

Mabel turned to Stan. "Grunkle Stan, you didn't put him outside?"

"What?! No!" He denied aggressively. If Mabel was as smart as Y/n, she would've figured it out already as Stan is being such a bad liar at the moment. "I didn't put him anywhere! I'm not acting suspicious, you're acting suspicious! What's a pig?!"

"Then, what happened?" Dipper asked, his voice cracking.

Stan then proceeded to tell the most fabricated story imaginable, in which he was the hero who bravely confronted the pterodactyl with his ripped shirt and muscular body. He convinced Mabel of this, as the poor girl gave him a sympathetic hug for attempting to save her pig, despite the fact that he was the reason Waddles was taken in the first place.

Dipper was suspicious. "You punched a pterodactyl in the face?" He pointed at him with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you didn't even believe in the supernatural."

"Dinosaurs aren't magic. They're just big lizards," Stan said while Mabel was still hugging him.

Mabel was tearing up as she caressed a photograph of her and Waddles. "That's it. No pterodactyl messes with my sister," Dipper said, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're gonna go out there, catch him, and save your pig! For Mabel, guys!"

"But where do we even start?" Stan asked.

Y/n pointed out the string of red yarn from Waddles' unfinished sweater and everyone was cheering for her ingenuity- except for Stan, who was hesitant about the whole thing.

Dipper and Mabel brought their own luggage for the trip, whereas Stan and Y/n planned to bring nothing. Y/n had never seen a dinosaur before, and she was really excited about it today. It was the same feeling she had whenever she and Ford went on an expedition, except this time she had to be careful not to let loose. After all, she is the only member of the team who is practically invincible.

Soos was preparing his pick-up truck for the adventure. A cage was strapped in the back that would surely not fit a pterodactyl, and the skin of the car had the words 'PTERODACTYL MOBILE' spray-painted on it. He chuckled, facing Dipper, "That p-terodactyl won't know what hit him."

Dipper laughed half-heartedly. "Huh. It's 'pterodactyl', man." He directed, pronouncing the p as silent.

"Actually, nobody knows how to pronounce it because no one was alive back in dinosaur days," Soos said confidently before almost having his head run over by his own pick-up truck.

Dipper walked over to both Y/n and Mabel. "Guys, we've gotta talk." The two faced him. "This is a really high-stakes mission, and I'm a little worried about Soos coming along on this one. I love the guy, but sometimes he... messes stuff up."

"What? Since when?" Mabel asked.

"Well, there was a time where he bumped into a magic crystal and it broke into a million pieces, then he tried to attach a window but it wasn't properly attached so it fell down and the glass broke into a million pieces. Oh! What about that one time when we found a fairy from our bedroom window and Soos killed it with a fly swatter?"

"Yeah, but people make mistakes." Y/n shrugged. "And Soos is a kindhearted guy. He helps when he can."

"I'm just not sure. Maybe we shouldn't bring him today... to keep him safe?"

Y/n shrugged, unsure what to say in this situation. She did agree that he is more... unserious when it comes to these things, but as much as Soos' lightheartedness can do as much harm as it does good, she believed that he can be really intelligent underneath the silliness.

"Let him down easy," Mabel told him, and he strode towards Soos.

His attempts to converse with him were futile as Soos excitedly showed him brand new t-shirts he had made of the two of them as Pterodactyl Bros, and Dipper decided he couldn't do it. He couldn't just dismiss Soos' happiness like that. So he just went along with Soos' enthusiasm and everyone went off to follow the yarn path.

The red string ended up inside of an abandoned building that looked like a church. Everyone got out of the truck and went inside the structure to follow the yarn. They see a man on a rocking chair, yodeling with his banjo.

"Old Man McGucket?" Mabel raised an eyebrow.

He turned around and waved wildly. "Howdy friends!"

"What are you doing out here?"

"You'll never believe me! Now I was doin' my hourly hootenanny- Doodily doo ding dang!" The crazy man did a dance.

"Ugh, this guy," Stan grumbled under his breath.

"When this enormous wing-ly critter stole my musical spoons and flew lickety-split into the abandoned mines down yonder!" He gestured to the punctured hole on the floor that led to the darkness below.

They stared in both amazement and horror at what other creatures were down there. "Looks kinda hairy down there." Stan commented.

"Come on, Grunkle Stan, you can handle it! You punched a pterodactyl in the face, remember?" Mabel smiled up at him.

"Oh, yeah!" He chuckled nervously. "Heh, heh, I did do that, didn't I. Heh... heh, heh, heh..."

"My, what suspicious laughter!" McGucket remarked.

"Guys, we're going in," Mabel said seriously.

"Need someone to tag along and tell weird personal stories?" McGucket grinned.

Y/n deadpanned, staring at him. "Do we have a choice?"

"NOPE!"

Everyone then descended using a single rope. Y/n was astounded at how a single thin piece of rope managed to hold them all together until it broke, exactly as she had predicted. They landed on the largest mushroom cap anyone had ever seen. As soon as she recovered the earliest, Y/n jumped off and began observing their surroundings.

There were various plants and flowers that appeared to be out of place in the era in which they lived. To be honest, it appeared as if they were in a Jurassic world. They discovered a large tunnel and realized it was an abandoned mine.

Dipper was carrying a lantern, which was their only source of light, so he led them through the tunnel until they came across sap-filled walls with dinosaurs inside of them. Everyone dispersed to examine them more closely. Mabel attempted to take a selfie with a Stegosaurus, but she became entangled in a sap and was now struggling to free herself.

It was a cavern full of real-life dinosaurs preserved in tree sap for millions of years. That's how they must have survived. Y/n discovered the exact location of where the pterodactyl used to be, the sap surrounding the hole slowly melting, most likely due to the summer heat.

Y/n saw Dipper quietly sitting on a boulder and writing on Journal 3 with his trusty blue pen. She approached him slowly until she stood behind him. Looking over his shoulder, she saw scribbles and sketches of the various sap-covered dinosaurs that they saw in full detail and she was very impressed with his skill.

He was shading the T-rex's body when she said, "I'm always impressed by your drawings, Dipper."

"Ah!" Dipper jumped, consciously bringing the journal to his chest to hide the pages. He looked in her eyes with a blush appearing on his cheeks. "Oh." He calmed down once he saw her. "... thanks. It's not as good as the author's, though, so..."

"Still..." Y/n said. It looks greater than mine. She almost did say. But when was the last time she drew in the journal?

She clenched her fists when she realized.

"No, I get to draw you this time," she interrupted, taking the pen from his coat pocket and starting to sketch. Ford crossed his arms in disapproval. She had learned the fundamentals by watching Ford draw for years, so she practiced on her own time. Y/n had her tongue out unconsciously as she focused on his features: glasses, a big nose, long and unkempt hair, and a massive chin.

The memory resurfaced in her mind, along with the fact that Ford had drawn her in the book. Did Dipper notice? If that's the case, why didn't he ask her about it? How come he hadn't confronted her about it? Did Ford rip her page from the Journal, which is why Dipper had no idea she was Ford's assistant?

She'd do anything for Dipper to simply turn the page.

Meanwhile, Stan was happily planning to make money off of this place, like he always did. He was thinking of a theme park to establish for everyone to see and pay. "This could be a gold mine! Velvety-rope type deal there, ticket booth here, ha!" He brought his hands together. " I should have put that pig outside ages ago!"

"Wait, what did you just say?" Mabel spoke from behind him.

"Hm? What's that?"

"You said the dinosaur flew into the house." she gasped as she realized.

"I-if you think about-"

Mabel pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You put Waddles outside then you lied to me about it! And now, thanks to you, my pig could be DEAD! Waddles could be dead!" Tears flowed in Mabel's eyes as her lips wobbled.

"Look, he's an animal, he belongs outside!" Stan tried to reason, but his only digging his hole deeper.

"No, that's it! Grunkle Stan, I am never, ever speaking to you again!"

Stan tried to talk to her, but all she did was shut him out and speak over him, pretending she couldn't hear him.

"Guys, guys, don't fight!" Soos said, bringing Dipper close to him. "Why can't you be more like me and Dipper? Look, everything's gonna be cool. All we gotta do to find the pig is follow this here yarn!" He picked up the string and began wrapping the yarn around until it formed a ball.

"Soos, wai-!" Y/n tried to intervene, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Just keep following and following, until we reach the end!" The yarn reached the other end as Soos held it up, speechless. " Oh- uh oh." He stared at the network of mine shafts. "Which- which cave was it again?"

"Agh, Soos! You lost the trail!" Dipper said, exasperated.

"Hey, come on, we'll find our way. Trust me!"

Soos smacked Dipper on the back a little too hard, causing the lantern Dipper was holding to fly out of his hands and break and the light was out.

"Sorry, dude."

"Ugh, that is it!" Dipper exclaimed. "See, this is why I didn't want to bring you along."

"What- what do you mean?"

"I mean, this is really important to Mabel and you keep screwing everything up!" Dipper angrily explained. "You ruined our photograph, and now you've got us hopelessly lost!"

Soos frrowned. "But we're p-terodactyl bros. I made t-shirts!"

"It's pronounced 'pterodactyl'!" the younger man harshly corrected. "And these shirts are useless! They're gigantic!"

"I... have... a different body type, dude!"

As Mabel and Stan began bickering again, the group devolved into an argument. In the midst of the fight, Y/n shook her head helplessly. She and her mentor had never had such a heated argument while out adventuring, and they never argued even with F present.

McGucket walked over to the lantern and began repairing it. She moved closer to him, wanting to assist, but it appeared that he knew what he was doing. She guessed he's not a cuckoo all the time.

But before she could smile at the glowing lantern, she became aware of a shadow looming over them. She felt as if she were frozen by the size of the creature in front of them. McGucket, on the other hand, was completely unaware as he beckoned the group.

"Hey! Cheer up, fellers! I fixed your lantern!"

The group turned to face the old man and screamed in unison when they noticed the pterodactyl standing behind him. McGucket noticed they weren't looking at him and turned around to see the pterodactyl.

"Nobody make any sudden movements or loud noises..." McGucket trailed off.

We're already on it.

It was silent until he jumped in joy. "YEEHAW! We found a pterodactyl!"

The dinosaur screeched as it spread its wings. The group fled in the opposite direction, entering one of the mine shafts until they came to a halt. Because the rails were broken and barely hanging on a cliff, the group turned to the right and found a set of boulders to hide from the dinosaur. Fortunately, the rocks were large enough to hide from the pterodactyl.

The creature flew away, oblivious to them. It's only a matter of time before they're caught.

Dipper informed the group that they needed to devise a strategy to get out of here. Stan proposed an illogical idea that Soos agreed to: have Soos be a human sacrifice. "Whaddya say, Mabel?"

Mabel huffed and turned away from Stan.

"Aw, come on, you can't stop talking to me forever!"

"Yeah, Mabel, we have to work together here!" Dipper agreed.

"Oh what, you want to work with Mabel, but not your buddy Soos?" Soos chimed in angrily, and Y/n huffed as the arguments flared up again. Emotions can cause you to say something you didn't mean and do something reckless.

Speaking of reckless, Mabel heard a distant oink amongst the argument. "Wait! Did you hear that?" She turned to the left and saw a massive nest with a large egg and her soulmate, alive and well, beside it. "Waddles!"

She sprinted off and towards the rails that lead to the giant nest, sounds of protest were coming behind her but she didn't hear a thing. She just needed to go to Waddles.

"Are you nuts?!" Stan exclaimed.

Mabel stopped in her tracks. "Oh, is someone speaking? Because I can't hear anything!" She continued running.

Y/n didn't even let her finish her sentence before she fearlessly crossed the rails too. "Mabel, be careful!"

Dipper followed behind her, voicing his own panic. "Mabel, come back here!"

The other three men followed until they reached Mabel, who was relieved at their happy reunion. She was cradling Waddles in her arms, assuring him that he was safe now, but the gang behind her was staring at the human skeletons surrounding the nest. Who knows when they're next.

Mabel was putting on the Huggy Wuvvy Tummy Bundle that she just bought on Waddles when Dipper came up behind her. "Mabel, great, you got him. Now we gotta get out of here!" He whispered harshly.

From above, Waddles saw the pterodactyl flying around and he was instantly terrified, running off away from Mabel. "Waddles, wait!" She gasped.

Waddles ran as fast as his little legs could take him until he collided with an unwitting Stan who caught him off guard. They landed with a thud on the railings."Get off me, you dumb pig!"

The pterodactyl swooped down towards the two. "Look out!" Dipper and Y/n yelled out.

Its claws kicked the railing, causing the two to sporadically bounce off before Stan screamed and fell with the pig. For a moment, it was silent until the dinosaur dropped something off in its nest. It was Stan's fez. Mabel gasped, grabbing the hat. "Guys, we gotta save them!"

"I'll make a distraction while you guys go," Y/n spoke.

"What? Y/n, it's dangerous!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Yeah, there's gotta be some other way! McGucket," Dipper turned to the older man, "do you have an invention that could distract the pterodactyl?"

"Do I?" McGucket rummaged through his hat before coming up with nothing. "NOPE!"

Y/n groaned in frustration. They just don't understand. She could handle it. "I'll make noises that will attract the pterodactyl and you guys go in the other direction."

"No! I-"

The large egg in front of them suddenly cracked and fell down, the top part of its shell breaking open as a young pterodactyl peered through with its large eyes. It produced a small tweeting noise and the quartet found it oddly adorable.

McGucket had his hands on his hips as he smiled down at the creature. "Well, welcome to the world, little-"

Before he knew it, the pterodactyl devoured him whole, swallowing completely as McGucket's screams were cut off.

The trio shrieked in terror as they witnessed the brutal consumption of Old Man McGucket. Meanwhile the youngling just went along its merry day, continuing eating whatever it could find. "What do we do? What do we do?" Dipper asked, panicked.

Soos' mouth dropped slightly as he got an idea. "We have to get in a straight line."

"What?!"

"A pterodactyl's eyes are so far apart, that if you stand right in front of it, it can't see you."

It sounded like a logical plan, Y/n though, while Dipper was just noticing how Soos correctly pronounced the dinosaur's name this time. "Soos, you've been wrong about stuff all day," he said, "How can we-"

"Dude," Soos placed his hand on Dipper's shoulder. "Look, I- I know I messed up a lot. I could be sorta clumsy, and it's not always as lovable as I think. But please, as my friend, just trust me on this one."

Dipper stared at the handyman thoughtfully before averting his gaze towards the young pterodactyl and how the thing with the prospector can happen to them too, before looking back at his friend. He nodded, trusting him.

"Get behind me, dudes." Soos said, and they all stood up, tiptoeing around the pterodactyl. When it noticed them, they immediately fell in a straight line, with Soos closer to the dinosaur, then Y/n, then Dipper, then Mabel.

They scooted to the side as the dinosaur did nothing. "It's working," Mabel said as they followed the creature's eyes, or in this case, the creature's forehead, because its eyes were on either side of its head. They eventually crossed the railings and arrived on the other side, immediately hiding behind the boulders from earlier.

Screeches from above interrupted their relief sounds. When the group looked up, they saw the pterodactyl flailing around until they could get a better look. Stan was riding the back of the pterodactyl's neck while wearing the bundled up Waddles on his torso. Everyone, including Y/n, smiled as Stan punched the dinosaur in the face.

The creature flew around until Stan brought his fist together and raised them high. "FROM HECK'S HEART I STAB AT THEE!" He declared as he smacked his fists down on the pterodactyl's skull, sending it crashing down until it bumped its head against the cliff. It was unconscious as it fell down while Stan clung onto the edge of the cliff.

He climbed up and stood up, though he was out of breath from all the energy he expended on beating up the pterodactyl. As they surrounded the man, everyone celebrated and cheered him on. Mabel came up to him with a sweet, grateful smile.

"Here's your pig, kiddo," Stan smiled, lifting up Waddles' front leg to signify a wave.

Mabel took the pig from him with glee. "Aw, you saved him for me!"

"Yeah, well," Stan said, "Sometimes you just gotta-"

"Look out!" Y/n yelled out, seeing as the pterodactyl was slowly climbing up and they took off, running back where they came from, this time without McGucket.

Stan led the charge through the mineshaft. Dipper screamed as the pterodactyl chomped on his vest, and he almost tripped, but Y/n slowed to take his hand in hers, and they ran together. The group eventually made it back to the open field from which they came until they realized there was no way up.

"We're trapped!" Stan exclaimed.

Y/n noticed that there were geysers surrounding them, one specific geyser was aiming at the hole from the church. "Come on, the geysers can shoot us back up!" She said as she pointed at one. Everyone followed her and hopped into the fountain, waiting for it to burst.

The pterodactyl was nearing, and Y/n panicked slightly as she realized that they had to pressurize the geyser into blowing up.

Dipper swished his hands around the water for a response "Come on, go! Go!"

The dinosaur opened its mouth and charged at them all, until Soos yelled, "BROS BEFORE DINOS!" " before slamming his fists down the rock, causing the water to sprout up the hole and away from the creature.

Everyone landed safely and okay. Soos brought down Mabel and Waddles hanging on a chandelier, Stan was still breathing heavily as he laid on a wooden casket, Dipper dried up his hat, while Y/n dusted her clothes. "Man, now that's an adventure," Mabel remarked.

Soos chuckled. "Yeah, I honestly don't know if I wanna go through that again."

Dipper approached Y/n, who was standing in the middle of the church. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I should be asking you that question," Y/n replied playfully. "That pterodactyl almost got you, you know."

"Yeah, if it weren't for you saving me back there." Dipper rubbed his arm sheepishly. "Y/n, I-"

The pterodactyl jumped out, catching Y/n's legs in its mouth and attempting to drag her down, but Dipper managed to grab her hand. Mabel, Soos, and Stan followed him and began pulling as well, hoping to free her, but the dinosaur was far stronger than all four of them.

Nonetheless, they refused to give up.

Dipper saw Y/n's contorted face and mistaken it for pain and he gritted his teeth. "Y/n, don't- don't let go, okay?"

In this situation, Y/n was at a loss for words. She was perfectly fine, in no pain, but she was conflicted. She didn't want them to be pulled as well, but she also didn't want to be eaten.

The pterodactyl resisted, pulling harder on her each time. Y/n looked down at Dipper's slipping shoes, which were losing traction. "Don't worry, Dipper," she encouraged him. The two exchanged ferocious stares; Dipper appeared helpless while Y/n appeared assured.

She was yanked one last time, and his grip on her hand slipped, but she didn't fall because Dipper managed to grab the pendant from her necklace. Y/n fixed his gaze on his hands. "Dipper, it's going to snap."

"No! Just- take my hand! " He extended one hand while keeping the other clasped around her necklace.

"No, you're gonna get pulled down, too!" Y/n yelled back. "You need to let go!"

Dipper was unyielding in his refusal to listen to her pleas. Y/n managed to share an unsure look with Stan in the midst of the struggle. They both had no idea what to do.

But at the moment, she does.

Her hands came behind her neck and unhooked her necklace with one swift swipe, and the force was shocking as she was swiftly taken down, her gasp echoing. Dipper screamed into the darkness, calling out her name, but there was no response.

"We have to go after her!" He yelled, stomping his foot. "We- we-"

"Dipper, watch out!" Mabel drew her brother away from the center just as the roof and ceiling collapsed, covering the hole.

As his grip on the necklace tightened, he started pacing back and forth. He clutched it to his chest. Stan approached him calmly, hands outstretched. "Kid, calm down..."

"She could be stuck down there forever. She could be dead!"

Stan was unnerved, but he was still slightly shaken. "We can call the police, Dipper, You know it's too dangerous down there!"

The boy turned to him with seething rage in his eyes. "What happened to the Stan who bravely faced a freaking pterodactyl and punched it in the face? Where did he go?!"

" Dipper, I-"

"Why are you not worried about Y/n?!" Dipper pointed at him accusingly.

"You think I'm not?" Stan's voice raised as he felt offended by Dipper's claim. "What exactly do you want me to do, kid? The hole is blocked and there's no other way down there! I assure you, Y/n will be-" He huffed, the exhaustion from today was finally catching up to him, and on top of that, Y/n was in danger. He calmed down for a moment. "She's as brave and smart as you. If you and your sister can handle those dinosaurs, then you have to trust her that she can handle it, too."

Dipper was hesitant, his brow furrowed. He was on the verge of crying and wiped his tears away harshly. He imagined Y/n in the dark, up against a pterodactyl preying on her and chasing her until she reached a dead end, and...

He shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. No, he refused to believe that. They'd been through adventures together before, and they always find a way to survive them.

"But, Mr. Pines, she's alone," Soos spoke up.

Mabel looked up at him, her face stained with tears, as she hugged Waddles close to her ."Grunkle Stan, can't we do something?"

Stan clenched and unclenched his fist. He truly had no idea what to do. He was irritated by the situation, but he was also concerned for her safety. "Alright, alright." He heaved in a sigh. "I'll stay here and find a way to save Y/n. Soos will drive you kids home. Don't leave the house. I promise you, I'm not going back until I get Y/n safe and unharmed."

When he said this, he didn't feel nervous like a person would before embarking on a rescue mission because they don't know if the person they're saving will be alive or not, but Stan knew Y/n would be alive and well.

The twins didn't say anything, they couldn't say anything. It was a good idea, sure, but they were just incredibly worried.

"Now go home. I'll start searching."

Soos drove the three of them home in the van. Stan stood there watching the sunset's shadow cast over the vehicle until it vanished over the horizon.

Once the truck was gone, he let out a loud groan. "Y/n! Can you hear me?!"

Silence.

He grumbled as he kicked the wooden debris that surrounded the hole. He was unsure if this was a good idea. He was concerned that the dinosaurs would have the chance to escape once the hole was open.

After nearly an hour, the hole reappeared, and Stan needed to lie down due to exhaustion. He breathed heavily. "Y/n, you there?" He heard his voice echo before standing back up.

He took a lighter from one of his coat pockets and walked to the wood pile before lighting one. He hurriedly brought the fiery plank over to the hole and let go, watching the light disappear into the darkness. He caught a glimpse of what lay beneath, but it was nothing but inky black. The plank landed with a loud thud, making him wince.

Stan started pacing, trying to figure out how to get down without hurting himself, but the universe had other ideas. The board he was stepping on next to the hole snapped, causing him to slip and fall. He screamed as he was thrown down until he landed on the same mushroom cap they had earlier.

"Ugh, just take me now," he groaned as he couldn't feel his back. "I'm too old for this."

He got off the mushroom and dusted himself off. "Y/n! Where the heck are you?"

A sudden screech thundered the entire tunnel and Stan could see the shadow of the pterodactyl coming closer. "Here we go," Stan deadpanned, pretty much accepting his fate.

The dinosaur flew around him, encircling him. Stan pointed at the pterodactyl. "Hey, I punched you in the face before, and I'm not afraid to do it again! Come at me!" He took an arrogant stance, challenging the creature.

Stan didn't think the pterodactyl would understand him as it charged at him. Stan shrieked, covering his face in defense. But then the dinosaur came to a halt, and Stan heard boisterous laughter coming from behind the pterodactyl.

"What the-" He noticed Y/n sitting on the neck of the dinosaur. "Y/n?! What- what did you do that for?"

She was coming down from her laughter. "It was a prank. Never heard of a prank before? Even I knew what a prank was and I don't-"

"I know what a prank is!" Stan yelled angrily, and the pterodactyl opened its mouth as if to threaten him, forcing him to take a step back. "I'm just- how? How did this happen?" He gestured to the dinosaur.

Y/n leaped down from its neck as her hands caressed its meaty skin. "Long story. I'll tell you on the way home."

The baby pterodactyl also appeared in the scene, but this time it was being ridden by Old Man McGucket. "WOO WEE!" They landed next to the two and he jumped out. "You're a good dinosaur," he said, petting its head.

The pterodactyls flew the three back to the hole after they said their goodbyes. The mother pterodactyl was grateful for reasons Stan didn't understand, but Y/n did. Stan was desperate to get out of there as the night grew colder. "Let's just go already."

McGucket insisted on taking the other route, claiming that he needed to see his raccoon wife, to which Stan and Y/n had no response.

A moment of silence passed between them until Y/n began with, "Why did you come back for me? You know I'd be perfectly fine."

"Yeah, well, the kids were all worried about you. You'd rather Dipper and Mabel come down to get you instead of me?"

"Of course I don't," she answered without missing a beat, "but hearing them panic about my safety, it's just..."

Stan turned to her with a weird large grin. "Oh you should've seen the look on their face! Dipper was close to crying, and Mabel was already sobbing!"

Y/n chuckled at Stan's expressions. What's so hilarious about that?

"What are we going to tell them?" He asked after a brief pause.

"I'm planning on staying dead, but now that I think about it..."

Stan continued, "I don't think it's a good idea," he said, proceeding to list all the reasons why it was. "If we go along with your plan then you have to always stay downstairs and I have to pretend to be sad, then the kids would have the worst summer of their lives and might not even come here anymore. I don't wanna put that weight on them." He sighed. "Believe it or not, Y/n, you've become their closest friend, and I don't know what I'd do once I tell them that you died."

Y/n breathed out a sigh. "I'll just tell the truth then," she paused before turning to Stan. "Will that be okay with you?"

His gaze was distant, considering the possibilities once Y/n revealed the truth. Will they still trust them?"What will you say?"

"I'll think about it once we get there," she shrugged, causing Stan to smirk.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the Shack's back door.

Stan peeked inside first. "We're clear. We have to-"

Screams cut him off as footsteps approached them speedily. "Y/n!" Mabel and Dipper dashed to the door, not even allowing Y/n to enter. "You're safe!" The twins engulfed her in a hug, startling Y/n.

She came to a halt as her hands remained in the air, but she quickly recovered and hugged back, closing her eyes. She had grown to value hugs, especially those from the twins.

They parted after a brief moment, and Mabel had tears in her eyes. "We thought you were dead!"

Y/n exchanged glances with Stan before clearing her throat. "Lets- go inside. I'll explain everything."

"You better," Dipper spoke, following them to the living room. "I saw your half get eaten by the pterodactyl!"

The three children* sat on the cold wooden floor of the living room while Stan busied himself in the kitchen- when in reality, he's just getting four glasses of water for each of them.

Y/n began fiddling with her fingers while keeping her gaze fixed on the ground. She had to come up with yet another lie to tell the kids. Her mind was making excuses after excuses, and she was silently thanking Stan for the delay.

He eventually emerged from the kitchen with a tray of glasses of water, and Y/n exhaled heavily.He eventually emerged from the kitchen with a tray of glasses of water, and Y/n exhaled heavily."Okay," she started. "I... have a defect."

"A defect?"

"Yes," she continued, recalling a specific page from one of the books she borrowed from the local library. "Uh, I'm insensitive to pain. I cannot feel pain, and I have quick healing."

She remembered telling Tyrone this after she had recovered from a paper cut. Tyrone's reaction was one of excitement, but Dipper and Mabel had expressions she couldn't read, which scared her a little.

She continued talking to fill the awkward silence. "I'm still human. I have human blood. Human emotions." She omitted the fact that she was born in Gravity Falls. She didn't know why, but she just didn't want to say it. "I can get in accidents or literally get half of my body eaten by a pterodactyl," Y/n said lightheartedly, but the twins winced. "But I won't feel the pain," she quickly reassured. "And as you can see with me still being in one piece, I heal pretty quickly."

Stan observed how the twins processed the information. They remained quiet. Too quiet. He silently thanked Y/n for saving him from having to tell them. He wouldn't even know where to begin.

"Guys?" Y/n said after a moment. "If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer-"

"I can't believe it..." Mabel chimed in, staring at the ground. "I... have a best friend who's invincible!" She screamed in triumph as she stood. She stretched her arms as wide as her grin.

Y/n smiled slightly "I'm not really-"

"That is actually so hardcore, Y/n!" The energetic girl went on. "So that's why you always jump in and save us. I thought you just didn't care for your own safety," she laughed. "But you actually have a secret superpower! Do you go out at night and save kittens stuck in trees?"

"No."

"Do you have a superhero name?"

"No! Mabel, I'm not-"

"Do you wear a cape? I think capes are a lame fashion choice, in my opinion. It could-"

"Alright, Mabel, that's enough." Stan cut off, rolling his eyes. "You kids should get some sleep now."

Y/n cast a glance at Dipper, who appeared to be preoccupied. "Actually, Stan. Dipper and I should talk. Alone," she said, and Stan nodded, bringing a drowsy Mabel with her, who was still raving about superpowers and heroic names to call Y/n.

When the two were out of the room, she turned to face him. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

Dipper nodded meekly.

"Hopefully not about superheroes and stuff?"

"Oh. No. Nothing about that." He spoke for the first time after her confession. "I guess I believe you considering the stuff I've encountered so far."

"We can test it if you're still uncertain. You can plunge a knife on my hand, or hit me with a pan, or-"

"I don't wanna do that, gosh." Dipper quickly shook his head. "I don't want to intentionally hurt you."

Y/n stared at him. "But I can't get hurt, Dipper. That's the thing."

"It doesn't matter. I won't do it."

She laughed. 'Suit yourself."

The two stayed up going back and forth about her ability, Y/n tried to answer as honestly as she could– whatever 'honest' in her dictionary meant.

"It's just so cool. I really thought you died back there, Y/n."

When she heard him say that, she couldn't help but smile, ignoring the change in her heartbeat. So he was concerned about her. That's great to hear.

"Anyway, we should sleep this off, huh?" The both of them stood up. Y/n looked at him. "I hope this doesn't change anything. Do you... still trust me?"

"I trust you," Dipper said without missing a beat, which made her smile even bigger. He took something from his vest pocket, and she noticed his fist clasped until he revealed it to be her daisy necklace. He took a step towards her, and her back was to him. "It will take some getting used to the fact that you are unique. Good unique. In all honesty, this makes you even more awesome than before."

He was relieved she wasn't facing him because she would have noticed his prominent blush. Why did he feel the need to say that? Dipper chastised himself.

"Thank you for keeping this safe," Y/n said, turning back around and touching the pendant.

"You're welcome. Thank you for saving my life."

"No worries," Y/n replied in the same tone. They proceeded to exit out of the living room and walked their separate ways towards their respective rooms.

When Dipper entered his room, he was disappointed to see that his sister had already gone to bed because they didn't have time to discuss Y/n, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He lay on his bed, hands behind his neck, staring at the ceiling. Mabel was right. This explained why, most of the time, Y/n would risk her life and bravely face every adversary. She didn't have to be concerned about being hurt because she can't feel them.

Dipper wondered if he'd come across this so-called defect before. He preferred to read books about documentaries or unsolved mysteries rather than medical topics. Y/n stated that she was still human, the only difference being her aversion to pain.

He looked down at his palm, which he closed and opened several times. He could still feel his hand clasped in hers at the abandoned church, never letting her go. He should feel stupid for crying over her thinking she was dead when she was perfectly fine, but defect or not, he wouldn't hesitate to keep her safe as well.

Because he knew she wouldn't.

***

One night, Y/n was hard at work downstairs, as one of the capacitors was causing havoc yet again. Fortunately, the portal had been relatively stable, to the point where they could only work on it at night and not necessarily during the day. In recent days, they have been dealing with the stress of caring for a baby dinosaur. What was the point of Stan stealing the dinosaur egg in the first place?

As the sun began to rise over a new day, she glanced at the calendar conveniently placed in front of her, next to a framed photo of Dipper and Mabel that Stan had placed. Y/n noticed that it was July 13th, and she wouldn't forget that day.

It was Soos' birthday, but she knew he wouldn't be in the mood to celebrate. She already knew the reason—or rather, her "sister" did, because Soos knowingly revealed his secret to the former Y/n. The Y/n who met him on the day of his 12th birthday.

Y/n attempted to greet him on his birthday a year after they met, but Soos didn't have the same energy as she did. He had the deepest frown she'd ever seen him wear, and she had no idea why, until the next day when they were tasked with fixing the ventilation of the gift shop and 13-year-old Soos decided to coincidentally vent out to Y/n.

"You wanna know why I get sad whenever it's my birthday?" his little voice croaked as he meekly picked up a screwdriver.

Y/n paused her reading from the manual and gave Soos her undivided attention. "Why?"

"Um, you're the only person outside of my family who knows this. Even Mr Pines doesn't know. I'm telling you this because I've come to trust you so much, Y/n."

She stared at him, not knowing what to say. "I'm honored, Soos, but you don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable."

"No, I want to," he began to fiddle with the tools surrounding them and preferred keeping his gaze down, avoiding hers. "My dad left me when I was like... four years old, and every year I'd always hope that he would go and visit me on my birthday. I've been wishing and wishing on my birthday candle, but he just... doesn't..."

He was cut off by his own tears. When he talked about it, it seemed like it was still a sensitive subject for him. Y/n had no idea what it was like to be a father. But she knew what it was like when someone left her and didn't return. She was still holding out hope that he'd return, but Soos didn't seem to have any hope left in him.

"Thank you for telling me." Y/n gently patted his back. "It's gonna be alright, Soos."

"Please don't tell anyone," that was all he said before the topic was eventually dropped.

A tap on her shoulder cut her train of thought—or, more accurately, her dream. Did she fall asleep by accident and have a dream about a memory she had years ago? Strange, but fascinating.

"Oi, go back to your room. It's sunrise," Stan returned her to the land of the living. Y/n double-checked the capacitors she miraculously repaired the night before. When she saw that it was working properly, she went upstairs and wiggled her way back to her room.

She'd slept for four hours before getting out of bed and getting ready for the day. She is unsure how things will go considering the twins are here this summer.

Everyone was nowhere to be seen, making her confused a bit. She had a bad feeling; do the twins know of Soos' birthday? She caught a glimpse of balloons outside of one of the windows and her hunch had been correct. Yet, the birthday celebrant and his peers didn't seem to present, so where were they?

She went outside and soon enough, she saw Soos sitting on the steps of the porch, staring at the same postcard he had kept for 10 years. The paper was a bit crumpled, but the words written on it were still imprinted on his mind.

Unaware of the multiple pair of eyes staring at her, she walked towards Soos and sat beside him. She didn't say anything at first, and he was grateful for the silence.

"What are they doing?" Wendy asked.

"I have no idea," Stan replied, shaking his head with his arms crossed.

"This is good," Mabel bellowed, jumping out of their peeking spot. "Y/n will be the distraction while we go and make a reservation at Soos' favorite place on Earth!"

Dipper watched how Y/n silently placed her hand on Soos' and admired her golden heart. Although he felt like she knew why Soos was feeling this way so she knew how to approach him.

All of a sudden, Mabel pulled on his arm. "Come on, bro!"

"Ah!"

They soon made a game reservation on the counter before returning to the Shack and finding Soos a little bit better, but he was still frowning.

"Soos!" Mabel ran to him, holding his hands together. "Soos, I need you to please trust me and put on a blindfold! I promise you, this will be the greatest surprise ever!"

Y/n watched as Soos reluctantly allowed Mabel to put a blindfold on him. Before Soos could stand up, Dipper motioned for her to be quiet, and Mabel led the way, taking his hand in his.

Y/n didn't move an inch because she assumed their plan involved taking Soos somewhere. She didn't feel like going to town with her ostensibly hidden identity, but when Dipper took her hand and pulled her up, she couldn't say no.

Everybody walked to town on a cloudy day. Y/n didn't want to be seen as much as possible, so she squeezed herself between Stan and Wendy who were doing a good job hiding her with their tall heights. Mabel guided a blindfolded Soos until they reached an all too familiar establishment that used to be a mattress store.

They entered through sliding doors, and laser zaps could be heard from afar. "Alright, guys," Soos spoke, his voice wavering with hesitance. "Blindfold me once, shame on you. Blindfold me twice- wait a minute." He paused his movements as used his other available senses. "Hot dog smell? Sticky floors? Future sounds?"

He took off his blindfold and saw the signs and saw the large sign of 'BIG GUNZ LASER TAG' "Laser tag? I-I love laser tag." He faced the twins. " How'd you guys know?"

"Um, we definitely didn't rifle through your wallet!" Mabel chuckled nervously.

They wore their target sensors and brought the laser guns close to their chests. "How do you play this game?" Y/n asked while they were preparing, and everyone around her gave her wide-eyed stares. "I'm sorry?"

"You have never played laser tag before?" Dipper exclaimed.

"Dang, you are one weird kid, Y/n," Mabel remarked, but she meant no harm to the statement. "I'm blaming your parents for your sad childhood."

"Just tell me how to play." Y/n rolled her eyes as she ignored Mabel's comments about her parents and childhood, despite the fact that she didn't have either.

"You'll figure it out in the field, don't worry," Dipper said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Soos remained frowning as he looked at his own laser gun. "I- I don't know, guys. I'm not sure I'm up for this today."

The twins looked up to him. "Don't worry, Soos," the boy reassured, "As soon as you start playing with us, you're gonna have a good time."

Mabel grinned beside him. "We promise, no matter what happens, we won't leave your side."

"Well, I guess I could give it a shot." Soos gave a hesitant smile. Everyone waited in line for the lobby to open its doors to the arena. Y/n was standing in front of Dipper, Mabel, and Soos. When the doors finally opened, she dashed to catch up with Stan as the game began.

Y/n guessed she was supposed to shoot because of the gun she was holding, but what was she shooting at?

She looked behind her to see if the twins were there, but all she saw was Soos bending down to tie his shoelaces. He rose and ran back into the arena. "Mabel, Dipper? Dudes?"

"Soos!" Y/n called to him.

"Y/n!" Soos said, "Have you seen Mabel and Dipper? Where did they go?"

Y/n glanced behind him, trying to hide her worry as she pondered the same question. "Uhm, they're already hiding. Come on!" She grabbed his wrist and led the two of them to a nearby hiding place. As she faced him, laser sounds could be heard in the background. "So how do you play this, Soos?" she asked in an attempt to divert his attention.

"Uh, you just point your gun and shoot at the target on each player's suits," Soos answered, but his face looked like he wanted to go home already. "Don't let them shoot you though, or you lose."

"Okay, seems easy," Y/n nodded.

"Yeah, it's fun. I still can't find the twins, though, so I don't have any backup," he said low-spiritedly as he gazed in the colorful room.

She patted his arm comfortingly. "Hey, we can be each other's back-up... even though I might suck at this game. Let's watch each other's backs, yeah?"

Soos smiled. "Okay."

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel were fleeing the time police after stealing the time machine from members of the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron, Lolph and Dundgren. Instead of the laser tag game, the twins found themselves entering a box made of solid time-tanium—all because of their former adversary, Blendin Blandin, who had returned to challenge them to a gladiatorial time combat, Globnar.

Dipper used the time machine to return to Soos' birthday, and the two zapped back in time and vanished.

They landed on a soft bed and began to take in their surroundings. Mabel grunted. "Are we back?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh no, look!" He pointed to a large sign that said 'Mr. ZZZ Mattresses'. "Mabel! The laser place is a mattress store! We went too far into the past!"

"Time travel, man! Why you gotta be so complicated?!" Mabel started shouting until they heard a burst from behind them and ran to hide under one of the beds. They may have gotten away, but the squadron- and Blendin- were still following them.

The three men rushed out of the mattress store, and the twins crawled out from their hiding place. They intended to return to the present, but the time gadget was broken upon impact. Dipper could fix it; all he needed were the right tools. And he knew exactly where to get some because he saw a sign from outside that said, 'Mystery Shack - 1 mile'.

The twins began their journey towards the tourist trap, passing by people they had seen ten years before. There was Toby Determined, who aspired to do tap dancing on Broadway, a street sign depicting Gideon as a baby (he still looked the same), and finally, young Tambry and Wendy riding their tricycles.

"Woah-"

"Oops, sorry," young Tambry said.

Wendy, the young girl, raised her eyes to the twins before leaning over and whispering something to her friend.

Tambry, on the other hand, immediately smiled and pointed at Dipper. "My friend thinks you're cute."

The redhead's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! Tambry! Shut up!" She exclaimed, pushing her off the trike.

"Ow! Hey?!"

Dipper was at a loss for words as an awkward laugh escaped him. "Thank you... I mean, you're super young, so this is weird..."

Mabel snorted as she smacked him across the shoulder. "Now you know how she feels, creep."

As the realization hit Dipper, he tried to laugh it off. "Wow..."

They eventually arrived at the Mystery Shack, where Stan is on tour promoting his new wax museum. The twins took advantage of his distraction and jumped in the nearest window.

Dipper landed awkwardly on the ground, but right next to him was an open box with tools strewn inside. Dipper smiled as he saw a red screwdriver lying in the open. "Ha! Bingo."

Mabel followed her brother inside and was watching him work when she heard a small voice from behind her. "Aw, come on, candy! Fall! Fall!" The girl approached the vending machine, employing the secret technique that Soos had taught her to obtain free snacks.

She took the candies from the open glass and went to give them to the child, but she froze when she realized he was no ordinary child. It was Soos, only ten years younger. "Thanks, dawg!" With a smile, he extended his hand. Mabel handed Soos the snacks with a shocked expression. "You must be some kind of genius!" He walked away with a grin.

Mabel dashed to her brother, who excitedly turned his head towards the boy in the party hat as his abuela approached him. "Mi precioso, you keep wandering off! You don't wanna be late for your big day." Young Soos took the old woman's hand and walked home with her.

"Big day? This could be the birthday where that personal biz went down," Mabel said, "We could finally find out why Soos hates his birthday!"

"Alright..." Dipper said slowly, looking at the fixed time machine. "But let's be quick."

Dipper swore he heard something in the kitchen as the two walked out of the Mystery Shack. If Stan was busy dealing with tourists, the other handyman was outside, and Wendy was too young to be the cashier, who was inside? It couldn't possibly be one of the employees.

The twins left with the timepiece and the screwdriver in case they needed to fix it again, not realizing that it would be needed by someone else to repair the broken freezer.

Dipper and Mabel stood on the sidelines as Soos celebrated his birthday. They noticed the young handyman bouncing in anticipation of his father's expected return for his birthday. However, when the mailman knocked on his front door instead of him, giving him a postcard, the twins noticed how the news changed his mood.

"Sorry, Champ. Couldn't make it this year. Real busy again. See you next year for sure. Dad," Young Soos read aloud, and the twins can see how his energy was slowly draining from him. He then went to his room and sulked about his father not caring about him on his special day, preferring to go have fun in New Orleans instead.

Dipper and Mabel had no idea how to deal with this major issue. How can they make his birthday so happy that he forgets about his problem when they don't even know what he truly desired?

Out of nowhere, they heard Blendin's voice and they hid in a nearby tree. Lolph began searching for their chrono signatures as Blendin and Dundgren talked about Globnar and its powerful price. "Man, the sooner I defeat those kids in Globnar, the sooner I can win my time wish," the bald man said.

"Tell you what I'd do if I had a time wish," Dundgren replied, "Retire early. Spend more time with the kids-"

"Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah with the kids?!" Blendin cut off with an annoying screech. "Don't you know a time wish can literally do anything? Any impossible problem solved-" he snapped his fingers, "--just like that? I mean, imagine the possibilities!"

Dipper, having overheard the conversation, turned to his sister. "Wait. Mabel, that's it! The time wish! If we defeat Blendin in that space battle–"

"--then we can wish Soos' dad came to his 12th birthday!"

"And Soos' birthdays will be fixed forever!" Dipper snapped his fingers. "All of them!"

Mabel raised an eyebrow as she dropped her voice in an unsure whisper. "But do you really think we could win Globnar?"

"It's the only chance we have," he replied instantly. "Besides, it's for Soos. He would do the same for us."

The twins nodded in unison before rising to their feet and putting their hands behind their necks. "Here we are, Blendin, we surrender," Dipper said as the two walked out of the tree.

Lolph and Dundgren threatened them with their blasters, but Dipper assured them that they were not going anywhere and that they accepted Blendin's challenge. The guard zapped them all back to the future, dropping the red screwdriver on the ground.

Dipper and Mabel stood in the middle of the arena, handcuffed like Blendin as a massive baby, (who dubbed himself 'Time Baby'), rose from the ground. The baby had a giant hourglass symbol on its forehead, but it also had a very deep voice and very powerful laser eyes that could kill.

Time Baby explained the instructions and the games began, consisting of all the challenges the arena could think of, ranging from a hotdog-eating contest, to a chess match where a giant 'Cyclocks' is chasing them.

The twins expected the final game to be lethal, but after all the games they've played, they're prepared for anything. The Time Baby announced the final game as Laser Tag, and they knew they were going to win. And after Dipper caught Blendin off guard while ranting, Mabel climbed up that platform and eventually grabbed the orb that was the game's main objective.

Dipper and Mabel won, granting them the time wish and the opportunity to declare the loser's punishment. They were confronted by the Time Baby, who inquired, "What fate do you decide for the loser?"

"DEATH!"

"Mabel!" Dipper hissed from behind her.

"Sorry," Mabel breathed, "Got carried away there."

They didn't punish Blendin in the end because they knew they were the ones who ruined his life in the first place. And if they treat him better now, maybe he'll be a better person subsequently. So they not only had Blendin get his job back, but they also restored his hair, so he was no longer the bald guy.

"Now, children," Time Baby said, as if he wasn't a child himself, "What is it that you want for your time wish?"

A glowing orb floated down between Dipper and Mabel. "Thank you, but the wish... isn't for us." Mabel said, sharing a look with Dipper.

"Not you?" Time Baby questioned. "But then who? Who is worthy to receive such power?!"

Back to the laser tag place, Y/n and Soos were sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall. When Soos decided that he'd rather not play anymore, Y/n stayed with him instead of playing. She was itching to tell him that she knew about the whole dad thing, but she didn't know where to begin. If she said that she knew, then either she admits that her "sister" Y/n told her, or she had been the original Y/n the whole time.

Soos might feel betrayed when he finds out that Y/n told her sister despite him saying that 'she shouldn't tell anyone', and Y/n didn't want Soos to know that she... didn't age throughout the decade.

It was just all confusing.

All of a sudden, Soos stood up with a frown. "I can't see the twins anywhere," he sighed. "Who am I kidding?"

"Soos, wait," Y/n followed. "I'm sorry, I was lying."

"Wait what?"

"Mabel and Dipper aren't actually here. I didn't know where they went and it's actually making me worry," she said, starting to fiddle with her fingers.

"Huh? But where did they go?" Soos asked, which Y/n didn't provide an answer to.

Before Soos could utter a word, everything around him stopped moving, including his friend. "Y/n? Y/n?!" She wasn't speaking nor blinking, and he was getting scared... until there was a burst behind him, blowing away his hat.

He turned around and saw Dipper, Mabel, and a futuristic-looking guy beside them. "Soos!" They exclaimed, running towards him.

"G-guys!" Soos said, surprised to see them. They both look like they've gone through a lot, as their clothes were filthy and their skin and hair were dusty. Just what adventure did they go through?

"We're sorry we left you hanging, dude!" Dipper said. "We got caught up in this... time-travel junk."

"And there was a time-cyclops," Mabel added.

"And don't forget about the-"

"The time race!" The two said in unison and chuckled tiredly.

"But the point is, Soos," Mabel looked to him, "we think we know how to fix your birthday!"

"Oh, really?" Soos said, but then he closed his eyes, placing his fingers on his eyelids. "Wait, you guys did all of that... for me?"

Blendin stepped into the scene, pressing something in his watch before the glowing orb appeared and bobbed between them. It floated down to Soos' as Blendin explained the directives. "The power to alter time paradox free in any way you choose," he said.

It was all down to Soos' decision. He could finally meet his dad after not seeing him for so many years, but looking down at the twins and their dirty clothing and messed up faces, he saw the look of love and care that he could never see in his father. They went through literal life and death just to see the smile on his face but the one person that Soos was looking for is nowhere to be seen.

"What are you waiting for, Soos?" Dipper spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Soos remembered the postcard on the pocket of his cargo pants that was beginning to feel heavy. He threw away the image in his mind before looking at the time orb. "Alright, here goes nothing," He thought of what to wish for and finally touched the orb and it sparked a bright light.

When the light cleared, Dipper and Mabel were cleaned off dirt from their battles. The twins were baffled at this. "Wait what?" Mabel said.

"Bam. Fixed you up. Enjoy, dudes!"

"But, Soos! What about meeting your dad?"

"Well, birthdays are supposed to be spent by the people who care about you. But you know what, that dude didn't care about me enough to visit me once, let alone fight monsters through time and space like you dudes. I mean, you had a gladiator fight, just to make me happy. I've been being ridiculous this whole time. Whoever my dad was, he can take a hike," Soos explained, throwing away the postcard. "I know who my family is now, and it's you dudes." He kneeled down and gave the twins a hug. " Thanks for giving me the best birthday ever." He wanted to say more, but he steeled himself.

"Are you kidding me?!" Blendin screamed. "Do you have any idea what you've just wasted?! Do you know how many have died to get the time wish; the wars that were started?!"

"Oh that's not all dude," Soos assured, now holding up a slice of pizza. "I also wished for thisslice of infinite pizza. Watch." He took a bite and the pizza regenerated. "And it can do that for like...infinity."

Blendin's angry expression was wiped away. "Okay, yeah. Phew. That's a good time wish!"

Soos smiled. "There's still ten minutes before Laser Tag closes. You dudes wanna play?"

"Yeah!"

"Um," Soos turned to Blendin. "Can you unfreeze Y/n?"

Everyone stared at the frozen Y/n who was unblinking.

***

After a fun game of Laser Tag— that Y/n quickly got the hang of, they all went home, tired. But Y/n wasn't done for the day. She quickly walked beside Soos who wore a huge grin. "Soos, I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what is it?"

Y/n let the twins and Stan go inside the Shack as she and Soos stayed in the same porch steps they sat in earlier that morning. "Listen. I... know about your issue."

"Issue?" Soos asked.

"About..." she averted her gaze, "About why you hate your birthday so much."

"Y/n..."

"I... I found it through my sister, and I didn't know how to approach you about it, but I know, and I'm sorry about your dad. I'm sorry that he's the reason why you're sad every birthday. You don't deserve that, you know."

Soos' eyes widened at the mention of her sister as he remembered that exact moment years ago when he told her while they were supposed to fix the vent. But then Soos became slightly amused as he looked at the 'younger sister' Y/n, who appeared to be lost. For a brief moment, he forgot that Y/n had been frozen for the duration of Soos telling the twins that they were enough and that they were now his new family. Despite the fact that Y/n was frozen in that particular conversation, he included her in the confession.

"I've started not to care about my dad since I realize that he doesn't care about me," Soos shrugged. "I should be paying attention to people who reciprocate my respect, you know?"

Y/n nodded in agreement. She was relieved that Soos was no longer bothered by his father. Though she felt she had missed Soos's development. He was just having the worst day ever because of his birthday, but the next thing she knew he was laughing and having fun with her and the twins.

Soos looked down to the ground as he went silent. "Okay, because you told me that you knew about my dad... I guess I should tell you one thing."

"What is it?"

"Although my 12th birthday was the worst, at least one good thing happened that day," Soos smiled as his eyes were distant.

"What happened?"

"I met Y/n," he smiled as he faced her. "Your sister, I mean. She taught me how to fix machines at such a young age. She was so patient with me. Mr. Pines is great, he gave me a job too and he was also welcoming, but Y/n was just the kindest person I've ever met."

Y/n clenched her fist and stared at the handyman. She was fighting back tears as she heard Soos' praise. He says things so naturally, and he always gives credit where credit is due. She was afraid that if she spoke, tears would flow, and she didn't want to add to Soos' burden.

So she looked away and subtly wiped on her eyes. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, uhm... yeah."

"How is she anyway?"

"Hm?"

"Y/n? How is she?"

Her eyes looked into his. Does he not see that they're literally the same person? Stan was right, Soos was dumb enough to pick up clues. She shook her head. She shouldn't mock Soos after hearing him talk about her so highly. "She's doing fine with her research and all..." she said. "I'm sorry for the secret again."

"Eh, it's fine. Really. Honestly, who cares about my dad? He can hit the road," Soos said with a dismissive hand. "You, Dipper, and Mabel turned it all around anyway and I wanna thank you for being my friend."

"I'm glad we're friends too," Y/n smiled, her eyes twinkling. We've been friends for a long time.

Y/n watched Soos grow up and he remained the same goofy, compassionate, and tender-hearted person. Soos deserved all the good things in the world, despite not getting what he wanted those years ago. Yet, looking at himself and the people in his life now, he couldn't ask for anything more.

"Happy birthday, Soos."

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 17!

kimmiepines originally published: february 15, 2023 words: 12015 words

author's note: happy hearts day, yall! hope you like this very wordy chapter, wowie.

but anyway. please request original shorts for me to write!! anything u wanna see while i write the canon shorts of the show. we will get to the shorts first before going to dreamscapers and gideon rises! so request all u can!!

love u guys. im still single but honestly who gives a damn. im still happy and content and free!! dont have to spend money and be insecure n stuff. anyways bye 💗

13-1-14-,-0-9-0-23-9-19-8-0-9-0-8-1-22-5-0-1-14-0-9-14-6-9-14-9-20-25-0-16-9-26-26-1

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 15: Exchanging Bosses and Bodies

Summerween had passed exactly two weeks before. Things had moved slowly but steadily. Nothing significant had occurred. Stan kept working for the Shack, while Y/n was trapped in the portal room every evening until morning. No one questioned her erratic sleeping schedule, though Y/n appreciated it when Mabel made a plan and informed her ahead of time so she could adjust her time frame.

One morning, Stan was watching his favorite show with the kids, 'Cash Wheel' with his niece and nephew until Soos came and announced that they had a bus full of tourists coming in from different places. Stan made sure that the prices of each merchandise were tripled– no, quadrupled.

He even used Dipper as an attraction, having him dress in a wolf costume, who dances when people throw money at him. Mabel attempted to give one bumper sticker on the house until Stan chastised her for giving away something for free. Mabel told him to use his please and thank you, but Stan argued back that those words never earned him money.

The rest of the day, the employees of the Mystery Shack were ordered to paint the whole sign with pink glitter to attract more tourists before Stan went outside and saw Y/n by the vending machine.

"Oh, my- I thought you were someone else." Y/n jumped as she heard him by the door. She had just exited through the fake door and if someone saw her come out, their whole cover would be blown.

Stan rolled his eyes. "You're lucky the tourists were down at the museum or else you would have ruined everything. Now give me a Pitt Cola."

"Of course I peeked first before coming out. You think I'm an idiot?" Y/n elbowed the glass and the machine automatically spat out two cans of sodas. She took the two, tossed one to Stan, and they opened it at the same time.

Meanwhile, the four people standing on the roof in filthy clothes were now complaining about Stan being the worst boss ever. Soos also shared his own experience with Stan disagreeing with his idea of having a Mystery Shack mascot, which Mabel thought was where Stan crossed the line.

Stan entered after saying his goodbyes to the customers on his porch. When Mabel appeared behind him, he almost dropped the jar full of money. She followed him to his office, complaining that he had gone too far this time. "Did you seriously tell Soos not to follow his hopes and dreams because he 'couldn't handle it'?!"

The older man explained his way of bossing then around but Mabel was just not having it. "No way! I bet you'd make way more money being nice than being a big grumpy grump to everyone all the time!"

He was unimpressed all the same. "Ha! You think you know more about business than I do? You think you could wear this hat?"

Mabel accepted the challenge with glee, proclaiming that she can turn the situation around. Stan mocked her once more, claiming that he could make more money on vacation than Mabel could running the place.

"Then why don't you go on a vacation?"

Her proposition made him raise an eyebrow in interest. He rubbed his chin, thinking of a deal as he is a wagering man. "3 days. 72 hours. You run the Shack, and I'll go on vacation. If you make more money than me, then I guess it means you're right about the way I run my business."

Mabel stayed silent, contemplating his words.

"But if you lose, you- uh..." He picked up a random, dirty shirt from the floor and wrote 'LOSER' in marker. "You gotta wear this LOSER shirt all summer!"

She stared at the shirt in horror, imagining herself in the horrendous shirt, but she's not putting down a fight. "Fine! But if I win, I get to be the boss for the rest of the summer! Plus, you have to sing an apologizing song with lyrics by me! Mabel."

They had themselves a deal.

Stan changed his clothes before packing his belongings. He stuffed his suitcases into the trunk of his car. After closing it, he turned to face his niece. "See you in 72 hours! We'll see who makes more money." He entered his car, but before closing it, he threw his fez, which landed on Mabel's head.

But before he drove away, he returned his gaze to her. "Oh, and don't ask Y/n for help." He was gone before Mabel knew it.

An hour passed when Dipper knocked on Y/n's bedroom door. "Y/n? You there?"

She opened the door after a moment. "What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "Nothing's wrong, it's just that Mabel is calling us from Stan's office,"

"Why would she be–"

"She made a bet with Stan that she runs the Shack for 3 days while Stan is on vacation."

Y/n paused, averting her gaze. Stan? Outside? It was the first time he had been away from the Shack in 30 years. He deserved it because he's been working so hard. "Hm."

"So, are you coming?"

"Alright," she replied, "just give me a moment."

Dipper stood outside the closed door. He'd never been inside her room before and was curious about what it looked like. He never got a good look because the door was always shut.

Y/n walked out again after a full minute. "Okay, let's go."

On the way to Stan's office, they met Soos and Wendy who apparently were also called to meet 'Stan' but when they opened the door and stared at the large office chair, the old man was replaced by a young girl wearing an oversized suit with glasses.

Mabel had already sent a message to Stan that she has a different approach to business, as Y/n could tell. She has no idea how this will go, despite the numerous motivational posters hung on the wall and stickers attached to every tool.

The young boss informed everyone that Stan had gone on vacation and that they had made a bet that she would be the Mystery Shack's temporary show-runner.

So far, Mabel's shower of compliments and positive outlook have stood in stark contrast to Stan's nagging and demanding demeanor, which makes Y/n concerned. She's been in the Mystery Shack business for decades and is well-versed in its operations. She knew how to win over customers and how to attract tourists. She just hoped Mabel's temporary job wouldn't be too stressful.

All previous working conditions have been transformed into a relaxed, yet cooperative environment. Wendy's request to have friends at work was granted, Mabel had Soos' dream costume ready, and Dipper was dispatched to capture the next Shack's attraction.

Naturally, the boy was ecstatic, eager to discover anything that might exist in the journal. Y/n stood there watching as he practically jumped out the window.

"As for you, Y/n..." she heard Mabel say. She turned to the glasses-wearing tween. "How would you like to change the way you move around this establishment?"

Y/n didn't have an answer she could give to Mabel considering Stan really didn't give her a heavy load of work, but she didn't want to look like she wasn't interested with Mabel's changes around the Shack. "Well, if you want, Mabel, I can be your assistant around here. You know, in case things get hectic."

It was a sincere offer. With Stan gone, it was up to Y/n to take care of the Shack. She was a little concerned, but she knew they could handle it. What possibly could go wrong?

To put it mildly, the first 12 hours have been... okay. Mabel was wholeheartedly attempting to be a better boss, but nothing is truly better than before. The tour, led by Mabel and Y/n, was pleasant, and the tourists were satisfied, pouring money into the large jar.

Y/n smiled at Mabel's excited grin when she looked inside the jar filled with dollar bills.

"Guys! I caught something!" Dipper called as he arrived, pulling a large sack behind him. The creature inside was still thrashing around, groaning. "This is gonna blow those tourists away!" He laughed shakily as he couldn't contain his excitement, but it was cut short when the sack suddenly leaped and captured Dipper's arm with its mouth.

Dipper screamed, punching it repeatedly and it let go.

After praising his brother and giving a motivational speech to Soos who felt very unsure about the Questiony the Question Mark mascot, Mabel and Y/n walked inside the Shack and decided to check on the redhead.

"How's my favorite Wendy!" Mabel greeted cheerily but she was greeted back by a trashed gift shop.

Y/n felt frustrated, seeing the broken up merchandise and garbage lying everywhere as Wendy just stood there, doing nothing.

Lee and Nate were playing around with a shriveled goblin skull until the latter had the last kick that was unknowingly aimed at an innocent kid, hitting him directly into his face.

The kid cried aloud, sobbing as his mother frantically ran to him. "Billy, your face! It's ruined!"

Mabel dashed towards the woman while Y/n marched up to Wendy's friends, unafraid.

Unfortunately, they all - except for Wendy - got up and left without receiving much as a bicker from Y/n. She rolled her eyes, beginning to pick up the garbage and placing them on a nearby trash can.

The boss approached Wendy after handling the customer. "Wendy, you got a lot of cleaning up to do. Please?"

"Whoa," Wendy said, "all this rule stuff is starting to make you sound like Stan..."

Y/n stared at the older teen as she couldn't believe the incredulity of Wendy's dupe to make Mabel think that she's becoming like Stan, when she was completely aware that Mabel didn't ever want to be compared to the old man.

"What? No! I'm nothing like Stan!" Mabel hurriedly denied. "In fact, take the rest of the day off...?"

Wendy paused. "With full pay?"

Mabel didn't even hesitate, chuckling nervously. "Of course!"

The redhead gave her a thumbs up before sprinting out the door. Maybe this was her way of getting out of work, but she still took advantage of Mabel and that didn't sit right with Y/n. She shook her head as she felt that her respect for Wendy had decreased significantly.

Mabel was unnerving, even seemingly proud of herself for being such a nice boss. Y/n shook her head slightly. Oh, Mabel...

Dipper finally got the monster he captured inside the cage after nearly being killed. It was now time to show the creature to the two unsuspecting tourists. "Behold, part gremlin, part goblin..." he unveiled the cover, revealing the thrashing monster inside. "The Gremloblin!"

It was shaking the bars, groaning as spit flew everywhere. Alas, even when it spit out a real human skeleton arm, the couple easily dismissed the display as fake, referring to the body hair as strings.

Dipper tried to convince them, but they were more entertained with the other creatures. "Look at this, dear! The 'Six Pack O' Lope!'"

The man chuckled. "Wordplay!"

"No, everything else here is fake!" He pulled the two of them back to the caged monster. "This is a real paranormal beast! Hey! Fun fact about this little guy; if you look into its eyes, you can see your worst nightmare."

And looked into its eyes they did. It was also a fun little fact when its eyes glowed yellow and rendered the couple speechless. It was also quite hilarious when Dipper had to call for the ambulance because they were now permanently scarred, quivering and stammering.

"Thanks again for visiting!" Dipper bid the vehicle away, trying to appear optimistic but quickly abandoning the act when the ambulance was far away.

Mabel, on the other hand, was having a particularly bad day. She was feverishly running around the gift shop, assisting customers with everything. She was frantic as she helped the customers with everything they needed, completely unaware that she was messing things up.

Slumping on the back of the counter, she let out an exhausted sigh. Dipper plopped on the ground next to her. "Welp, I just made two people go insane. How about you?"

"I'm so tired," Mabel breathed, "I gave Wendy the day off so I had to do her job."

"Where's Y/n?"

"She wanted to excuse herself. I figured she was tired, so I let her take some rest..." the girl replied.

Dipper turned to her. "Well, maybe you need to start being a little bit tougher around here. And we need Y//n's help, why are you letting her slack off, too?"

"Being tougher is what Stan would do! No way!" Mabel immediately rejected, "And you know what he said before he left; do not ask Y/n for help."

"But we need all the help we can get!" Dipper argued. "I'm sure Stan didn't mean anything."

The other twin shrugged. "Let's just give her some space, maybe she really needed it. Meanwhile, I just need to think positive, be friendly, and everything will work out fine-""

Suddenly, a roar rang throughout the gift shop and the Gremloblin burst through the wall. Tourists screamed and ran out of the Shack as Mabel and Dipper hid behind the counter.

"What?!" Dipper exclaimed. "How did he get out of his locked cage?"

Mabel was guiltily fiddling with the sleeves of her sweater. "Well... I wanted to give him a 5-minute break so I taped the key on his cage! No big deal..."

"YOU GAVE HIM A BREAK?!"

"He's an employee...! Sort of..." she tried to reason.

He face-palmed, trying to devise a plan. "We gotta round him up. Where's Soos?"

"He was stressed out, so I told him to take a soothing nature walk," Mabel replied.

"Okay, we gotta call for Y/n, then."

"No! But what if she's asleep?"

Dipper's hands were shaking. "She should be awake from the noises right now! I need to go get her!"

The two managed to run out from the counter where the Gremloblin was near. They went through the Employees' Only door next to the broken up wall.

Before they could dash off, Y/n was running out from the hall. "Oh, my– what the heck happened?!"

"Y/n! Shush!" Dipper hissed, pulling her closer to them. They managed to evade the monster's sights. He tried to explain as quickly as possible. "Don't freak out. It was supposed to be a display for the museum, but Mabel accidentally let it out-"

"You captured a Gremloblin?!" Y/n exclaimed in whispers. "How did you even-"

"It doesn't matter," he quickly moved past it, despite being aware of the enraged look in her eyes. "We need to find a way to make it leave."

Mabel, having gotten a quick peek from the door, was pacing. "What do we do? He's awarding himself stickers that he didn't even earn!"

Y/n stared at the ground, knowing exactly what to do with the monster in order to sedate it. She recalled the first time they had an encounter with the Gremloblin, how F was there and that she and Ford saved him... Stupidly, Ford thought that in order to keep it calm, it needed-

"...'water'...'" Dipper was reading from the journal. Y/n's eyes widened when she saw that Mabel wasn't with them, only to be found outside with a glass of water in front of the Gremloblin. Oh, crap. She had to do a flashback that lasted for a whole minute.

"No, don't-!" Y/n tried to stop Mabel, but she already tossed the liquid onto the creature just as Dipper turned to the next page in the journal.

"... 'only as a last resort as water will make him much much scarier'! AH!" He closed the book in a panic. "Who writes sentences like that?!"

Apparently the author. Y/n scoffed internally.

Mabel managed to run away as the Gremloblin transformed into a scarier version of him.

Y/n glanced at the monster, trying to find a way to get on its back and sending a blow on its neck. She needed a distraction, but how?

The Gremloblin spent its hours playing with the knickknacks of the shop, including the Singing Salmon, which it has been pressing for hours now.

"Ugh, why doesn't he just leave?" Mabel said, exasperated.

All of a sudden, the monster seemed to be hungry, catching a whiff of the green dollar bills tucked inside the jar. It sat up and reached for the container, pouring the cash into its mouth.

"Our profits!" Mabel cried, not hesitating to run towards the beast.

"Mabel!" Y/n and Dipper shouted in unison.

"Stop, stop!" Mabel yelled as she flailed her arms, getting the attention of the Gremloblin. The monster grabbed her and lifted her up to its face.

Y/n cupped her hands on the side of her lips. "Mabel, whatever you do, don't look into his eye!"

"It's evil, Mabel!" Dipper shouted too. "You'll see your worst nightmare!"

Mabel was persistent, thrashing around in its grip. "I wish we had an evil eye to show him!" She said to the monster, unfortunately looking into its eyes. "Oh no!" Her eyes glowed yellow, and that made Y/n go forward and to the side of the monster, climbing up the logged walls of the gift shop until she reached a high shelf.

Dipper also had a plan of his own, having thought of the most logical way to beat a creature who has a pair of evil eyes. "Hey, monster!" he called, getting a random mirror off the ground. "Take a look at this!" He showed the reflective glass and it was sent to its own nightmares, making it drop Mabel.

Before the monster could thrash around more, though, it went unconscious when Y/n bashed something hard on the back of its neck. It was probably a stone golem version of Stan as a merchandise.

"Woah!" Dipper exclaimed as the Gremloblin crashed to the ground. "Y/n, that was... amazing! How did you know that?"

Y/n got off of the beast's back. "My mom made me do judo last summer," she quickly came up with an excuse, "and one of the lessons they taught me were pressure points."

"Well, good job, because then the Gremloblin wouldn't have dealt more damage to the Shack."

Suddenly, the Gremloblin woke up with a start, began running in circles before running towards the wall and flying away, but not before breaking off the tall totem pole and setting off a car alarm.

"Oh, boy." Dipper breathed.

"Guys! It's the third day!" Mabel said frantically. "We've only got 7 hours to earn back our profits, or I've got to wear that loser shirt all summer!"

Right at the hole where the monster just burst out of were Wendy and Soos. "Hey, guys!" The redhead greeted the three. "Am I nuts, or does this place look different?"

"Wendy, Soos! Am I glad to see you," Mabel exclaimed in relief. "We've got a lot of work to do, but if we hurry, we can still beat Stan!"

Wendy sheepishly rubbed the top of her hat. "Uh, yeah. I've got a little headache, so maybe I should, like, not work today."

"And I actually just met this pack of wolves, and I think they're gonna, like, raise me as one of their own, so I should really be at the den right now..." Soos followed with his own reason why he shouldn't work today.

"But-but..." Mabel helplessly stuttered, wearing a huge frown.

"But, hey, we'll see ya on Monday." Wendy and Soos didn't even notice Mabel's change in mood as they both walked away.

"Um, guys?" Y/n tried to butt in and explain that they would really need their help. I mean, did they even see the look of the Shack? How insensitive.

Mabel was twitching angrily, holding her purple pen so tightly that it broke in her hand. "ENOUGH!" Her scream was through the roof, stopping both Soos and Wendy from leaving. Dipper and Y/n gasped at her sudden change in tone. She walked to the back of the counter. "I have HAD IT! I fought a monster to save this business, and this is how you repay me?! I'm gonna get an ulcer from your lollygagging!"

Wendy raised an eyebrow. "Lollygagging?"

Soos followed. "Ulcer? You're acting... different."

"You shut your yaps!| Mabel shouted back, making the two gasp. "I've been doing everyone's job while you bums have been bleeding me dry!"

"B-but, I-"

"No buts except yours on the floor cleaning! Now quit loafing and get to work!"

"Yes, Mabel."

Mabel narrowed her eyes. "That's yes, BOSS!" She slammed her hand against the counter, making Stan's fez fall and land on her head. She looked in the nearby mirror and gasped when she saw who she looked like. "Dipper, what have I become?" She wondered aloud.

Dipper appeared beside her and laid a comforting pat on her back. "What you had to, Mabel. What you had to." He nodded.

"We've got 7 hours to turn this around!" She stood on the counter, holding up the money jar. "Let's go, people!"

And they were off to work. Soos had to contact a construction worker with an excavator to fix the totem pole. Wendy was sweeping the floors while Y/n was fixing the broken walls of the gift shop.

Mabel was yelling on the megaphone, still wearing the red fez. "Time is money, hard hat! You got complaints, file them with the complaint department!" She shouted, holding up a trash can. "Ugh, my back." She stretched with a groan.

Then, a tour bus pulled up on the yard, making Mabel yell angrily at her megaphone once more. "Dipper, we've got tourists at 9 o'clock!"

Dipper was in front of her. "But what do I show them? Real magic just freaks people out."

"Figure something out, knucklehead!"

After thinking of numerous ideas, he eventually came up with one. "Soos, c'mere!"

The two quickly came up with the idea of having Soos as one of the attractions, naming him 'The Horrible Giant Question Baby,' with Dipper even dressing up like a mini Mystery Man. Of course, the people were sold, pouring their money into the photographs and the gift shop. Concerning the shop, it was fortunate that it was repaired quickly and that Y/n knew where the other stocks of merchandise were hidden so that they could sell it.

Dipper waved goodbye to the tourists, who were all holding their own Mystery boxes. "We put the 'fun' in 'No Refunds'!" He walked back inside the Shack. "How'd we do?"

Mabel pridefully lifted the container. "We filled the whole jar!"

Everyone in the room cheered and hollered. Guess they had the chance to defeat Stan after all.

Y/n wasn't all that enthusiastic even after the results of today. All that jarful of money would all just go away once they calculated the expenses, then the damages...

Dipper brought out the printing calculator and began counting the bills. She pulled out the amount of cash they needed for the repairs as he was inputting the numbers into the device. They worked flawlessly, whilst the rest of the three watched. "Minus the money to replace all the furniture, supplies to fix the Shack. That leaves us..."

Mabel glanced at the lone buck sitting on the bottom of the jar. "One dollar..." she frowned.

The door was slammed open as Stan walked in with his suitcase and a digital clock that read 00:00. "Tick-tock! Time's up, kids!"

"Oh, no!"

Stan strode to the five of them by the counter. "Nice to see you learned how to dress while I was gone." He said, pointing at Dipper's Mystery Man outfit.

The boy glared at him in reply as Mabel asked, "How much did you beat us by?"

"I won three hundred thousand dollars!" The older man exclaimed. The twins gasped, while Y/n was looking around him for the money or the large check but it was nowhere to be found. Did he leave it in his car? "And then..." he trailed off, telling the story of how he had gotten to the final part of the game where he just needed to guess one more word.

Rich, the host of the show, had said the hint for the final word, "What is the six-letter word you use to ask for something politely? For example, 'May I blank have that'?" Stan had answered wrong the first time, and even when he was given another chance, he was unsurprisingly incorrect again because the word was-

"Please!" Mabel pointed at the sticker with a huge grin on her face, her braces shining.

Stan frowned in defeat. "Apparently that word can make you money."

Y/n couldn't help it. She burst out in laughter. The older man narrowed his eyes on her. "Really rubbing it in, Y/n," he grumbled.

Her laughter dissipated just as Dipper spoke. "So, wait. If you lost everything, then that means... Mabel, you won!" He turned to his sister.

They were overjoyed, but when Stan explained that part of their bet included Mabel becoming the new boss, everyone objected. Stan was perplexed, but Mabel admitted that trying to be boss was difficult. She handed him his fez, which she had been wearing for the entire afternoon. Her grunkle reapplied the hat as he drew the twins in for an embrace. "It's nice to be back, you know?" The three of them smiled.

"Okay, okay, that's enough, get off-a me!" Stan said, playfully pushing the twins away from him. He then turned to his other two employees with a calm smile, holding his hand together. "And Soos, Wendy... get to work!" He cleared his throat. "...please. Ugh, still hurts."

Y/n sighed and rolled her eyes. Stan had good intentions, he truly does, and he has such a kind heart. He just doesn't know how to express his feelings, though he does so through actions.

"Mabel, didn't your agreement say something about Stan having to do some kind of apology dance if he lost?" Dipper spoke after a moment.

Stan became hysterical. "N-no. No, it didn't!"

Mabel nodded with a malicious grin. "Actually, yeah, I think I have it in my notes here."

"No! That never happened!"

Wendy, having overheard the entire conversation, popped in with a laugh. "I'll get the camera!"

"Alright, let me just..." Stan dashed away from the three as far as he could. But he couldn't run away forever.

***

To say the least, the next few days have been eventful. Y/n had fallen back into the bottomless pit after Stan insisted on getting rid of his Mystery Shack suggestion papers despite the strong wind and storm that was approaching. She was now strung along with the twins and Soos, who attempted to save Stan, and they ended up telling stories for twenty one minutes.

The last time she was in the pit was with Ford and it was... an experience. She spent her minutes constantly thinking about her mentor and the feeling of knowing more about him. He tried to tell jokes, and each one was funny (she loved bad jokes), and she'd gotten to know more about him and his life before Gravity Falls.

They told stories with Stan, Dipper, Mabel, and Soos that were entertaining enough to last the entire twenty-one minutes of falling in the pit.

The following day was the hottest day of the summer. Y/n had no idea what 110 degrees hotter felt like because, obviously, she doesn't feel pain. She sat comfortably with her jacket on her study table in her room, while the others were suffering in heat, sweating profusely even with most of their clothes discarded, and laying on the ground.

She refused Stan's invitation to the newly opened pool because she wanted nothing more than silence while reading one of her favorite books. Fortunately, Stan didn't care about her opinion because all he wanted to do was go to the public pool and cool off. She was given command of the entire Shack, so she had the entire house to herself - and Waddles.

The very next day was completely normal. Mabel and Dipper were having fun with their new "Attic Stuff Mini-Golf" game. Their room was filled with props made from items found in the Shack, such as Dipper's old laundry "where man fears to tread," as Mabel put it.

Dipper had just sunken a Stan shot, and they were arguing about whether it was a legal play or not, when Mabel's Meow o'clock began to ring. She handed him her golf club. "Hey, Dipper, I gotta go hang out with Candy and Grenda tonight."

"Aw, again? You can't leave mid-game." Dipper frowned.

"Don't be silly, I'm not leaving," the other twin smiled. "My friends are coming to me!"

"Wait, what?!" The boy's eyes widened, dropping the clubs as he realized... "Oh, no. No no no. Sleeping bags? Rom-coms? Calling All Boys: Preteen Edition?!" He stepped back in fear. "You're not having a..."

The door opened behind him, and there stood Candy and Grenda grinning in the shadows. They jumped in, finishing Dipper's sentence. "Sleepover!"

Dipper screamed in horror that could be heard in the entire house.

The girls had arranged their cushions and pillows, as well as their snacks and essentials, together. They were talking about boys (as usual) when Mabel began screaming, followed by Candy and Grenda, who then began punching the wooden floor.

In the other half of the room, Dipper was losing his mind and hearing.

He tried asking the girls to do this somewhere other than their room because of the noise, but when they retaliated using makeovers, he decided that he shouldn't be here as he's pretty much outnumbered. So he took his pillow and blanket and began to tread through the hallways of the Shack, walking up to Soos who stood in front of a door that says "Break Room".

"Hey, Soos, can I sleep in your break room tonight?" He sighed.

Soos smiled, "Of course, dude." He opened the door to reveal a very cramped up closet with hazardous pipes and steam. When the handyman further explained how to fit inside, Dipper just walked away and found himself going near Y/n's room.

The thought of sleeping in the same room as her was awkward, but he had no choice. So, with all his strength and courage, he lifted his hand and knocked three times on the door. He waited with baited breath, but there was no response after a few seconds. He knocked again, louder and faster this time because he was getting worried about his actions.

It was silent again, making him sigh. Guess she was a heavy sleeper.

After a few minutes of searching for places to sleep in, he finally found the perfect place. He breathed out in relief. "Sleeping under the stars..." He could feel the cold grass under his vest, and the rubble under his pillow, but he couldn't care. "Not bad."

He momentarily closed his eyes, but not before he heard a growling sound. He sat up and saw a wolf biting on his leg. "Ah! Get off! Get away!" He tried to push away the creature, but then he looked up at the window of his room and saw Mabel, Grenda, and Candy jumping up and down, singing very loudly.

Dipper's gaze reverted to the wolf, who was still biting and shaking his ankle. "This is still better," he said, glaring, and laying down again as the wolf gnawed on his leg.

The morning arrived and that's where Mabel bid her friends goodbye and promised a next time. Dipper returned to his room, all beaten up with a black eye and twigs in his hair. He proceeded to lay on his bed. "Mabel, last night an owl tried to eat my tongue."

Mabel only laughed optimistically. "That's great!"

"No, it's not great!" He sat up on his bed. "This is impossible to live with!" He said, gesturing to their messy and wrecked room.

Mabel was trying to cheer him up, but Dipper had had it. He put his foot down and began laying down some ground rules. One of them was prohibiting sleepovers, in which Mabel argued back that he's keeping her up every night with his summer reading.

"Well, at least my braces don't whistle when I breathe."

"At least I wash my clothes once in a while."

"Washing clothes is a waste of time, I'm a busy guy!"

"Meow meow meow meow meow!"

Dipper glared. "Alright, if you meow one more time-!"

"Meow meow meow!"

"Okay! That's it! That's the final straw!" He walked around. "Maybe we shouldn't share a room anymore!"

Mabel was taken aback, lost for words. "Wah, uh... well, maybe we shouldn't!"

"Fine by me!"

"Double fine by me!"

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Then we need to talk to Grunkle Stan about moving rooms."

After preparing for the day with deep frowns on their faces, the twins ran to the living room where Stan was watching fights on his TV. "Grunkle Stan, we want different rooms!" Dipper demanded.

Stan laughed mockingly. "And I want a pair of magic money pants. It's not gonna happen."

"Magic money pants...?" Mabel questioned under her breath.

"Come on, Grunkle Stan. Can't we work something out?" Dipper begged.

Stan smirked. "Look, kid, there's my room and the attic. That's it."

Dipper's eyes seemed to light up as he came up with an idea. "What about Y/n's room?"

The suggestion wiped the smirk away from the older man's face as he had gotten hesitant. "Eh, I'm not sure she would want that."

"We haven't even seen her room yet, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel agreed to the idea, now feeling excited.

Stan remained silent. He didn't know what to say, but he also didn't want more silence to pass for the kids to suspect that Y/n was hiding something, which Y/n and Stan both didn't want to happen.

While all of this was going on in the living room, Y/n had been cooped up in her bedroom all morning. She had just returned from working underground all night, and she should have been sleeping, but she didn't feel sleepy at all. She suddenly felt reminiscent. She was pacing around her room aimlessly, attempting to fall asleep but failing miserably. She couldn't help herself.

She really missed him.

When was the last time they experimented for fun? Coming up with novel inventions? She took a look at the old calendar on her bedside table. 1982 was in front of it because she never ripped it off or moved it. It was simply there. She had no idea why it was still hanging there, perhaps as a painful reminder that he had been gone for 30 years and that she just liked to torture herself, or perhaps as a motivation that they should keep going or all of this would be for naught.

She began a small quest to look for experiments that she kept in her storage with a small smile, which didn't take long because it was a striking blue that immediately caught her eye. It was rolled up and tucked into a corner. She effortlessly lifted the dusty material and placed it on the ground. She grabbed the end of it and lifted it up as if dusting it, revealing good 'ol Experiment 78.

She was giggling with delight as she noticed the familiar yellow loop in the center of the design. It was laid out on the ground as she felt the material. Very shaggy. She couldn't help but laugh as she started rolling around on the carpet, feeling the electrons on her skin. She was creating carpet angels when she heard a knock on the door all of a sudden.

Opening the door slightly with a creak, Stan was on the other side with Dipper and Mabel. Immediately, she looked up at the older man's eyes that were staring down at her. "Yes?"

"They want to share rooms with you."

Y/n couldn't form a proper response. "Uh..." she then looked across to see the twins who were waiting for their answer. Just what happened that made them decide to switch rooms? "Sure." She opened the door wider for everyone to see. Stan rarely comes here, while it was the siblings' first time seeing everything.

They began listing off things that they could see about her room. "Woah, this is just as big as the one in the attic!" "You have your own toilet?!" "A study table! I would love to read here!"

While they were being excited about her room, Y/n stood beside an unimpressed Stan as she glanced at the rug that they were stepping on. She couldn't help but be worried. "Okaaay, that's enough ogling. What's going on?" She stared up at Stan.

"Well these bozos just randomly come to me demanding that they want separate rooms, don't cha, kids?" The older man said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, and in my opinion, I should be the one sharing the room with Y/n," Mabel spoke, pointing at herself. "Me and Y/n can bond over girly stuff and actually have fun. She'll have the funnest roommate ever!"

Dipper glared. "Yeah, well, I know that Y/n wouldn't wake up to my night reading because she's a heavy sleeper!"

"Wait, how did you know that?" Y/n chimed in.

He was suddenly flustered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I was knocking on your door last night, and you didn't answer so I figured you were fast asleep..."

Y/n's eyes widened. "Oh, you were?" She composed herself. She couldn't admit that she wasn't actually in her room last night, and that she was working hard in the portal room downstairs. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't hear you..."

"That's alright," Dipper easily dismissed it. "It's perfect! I can be your perfect roommate!"

"Wait a second," Stan began, walking between both Dipper and Mabel. "So you both want to be Y/n's roommate, huh? Because I own this Shack and specifically, this room, I'll be the one who decides who gets the other half depending on whom I like more." He said so confidently even without asking for Y/n's opinion.

Stan looked around the room until his gaze fell on a random dream catcher hanging on the back of her door. He snatched the item off of the wood that made Y/n yell out in protest. "Hey, put that down! What are you gonna do with that?"

"This is just gonna act like some sort of key. Whoever got this dream catcher in the end gets to be your roommate," Stan easily answered.

"I'm not agreeing to this!"

"Come on, Y/n, how are we supposed to figure out who gets to share the room with ya?" He asked before bending down and pulling his shoelaces loose. "Uh oh, looks like my shoes untied!"

The twins looked at each other for a second before scrambling to the ground and trying to tie Stan's shoe. Stan cackled maniacally. "To the kitchen!"

He ran out of Y/n's room and Dipper and Mabel got up to follow him out the exit.

Y/n was rendered speechless. She didn't know what the heck just happened in the last ten minutes. All she knew was that she had to hide some of her personal belongings from the twins if either of them decided to stay here. While doing so, she tried to figure out Stan's plan without having to ask him directly. Is he doing this for the journal? How will this even go?

And why did the twins even want separate rooms now, anyway? What happened that made them want to do this?

Her beeping watch interrupted her brewing thoughts. She groaned, knowing what she had to do. Glancing quickly around her room, she thought that she had hidden what she needed to hide before leaving her room to tend to the portal. Her watch does the reminder for portal duties during the day.

While walking down the hall and tip-toeing around the gift shop, she kept thinking about her room. She didn't forget anything, did she?

Stan's watch was beeping too, but he quickly turned it off, focusing on his great niece and nephew instead who were busy mowing the lawn in such heat. "Dipper, you're phoning it in!" He called out before drinking lemonade.

They were eventually done with that one chore and they all went inside. "Grunkle Stan, can I go to Y/n's room? I need a little break."

He was aware that Y/n could be downstairs already, meaning that her room would be completely empty. "Sure, but she's not gonna be there."

"Oh? Where is she?"

"She's out, I made her fetch the laundry," Stan quickly came up with an excuse that the twins didn't even question.

Mabel was out and about in the kitchen, throwing in eggs in the pan and garnishes she could find in the cupboards. She wasn't saying anything as she was clearly busy.

"Hey, Dipper, before you go, I need you to fix the door hinges by the toilet. Go get the toolbox on one of those closets on the way." Stan instructed, making Dipper roll his eyes discreetly. "What was that?" Stan still caught it.

"Nothing, nothing!"

"Want me to deduct your suck-up points? You're already at a negative, you know."

"What! No, no, no! I'll do it, I'll do it. Just don't deduct my points!" Dipper begged before walking away towards the hall that leads to the toilet.

It was a fairly quick job, but not for Dipper apparently. For starters, he's too short to reach the top hinges so he had to find a stool. But the tightening part was done quite swiftly. Dipper didn't waste anymore time and made his way to Y/n's room.

Luckily, it was unlocked. It's alright to come inside her room, right? She's not home, and it'll be his room as well eventually, so it's okay, right?

He opened the door and sighed. "I mean, all these chores will be worth it. She even has shag carpeting. Nice." He removed his shoes and began shuffling his sock feet on the carpet as electricity built up around his legs.

Mabel's voice cut off his lounging moment. "Hey, brother. Don't get too comfortable. I just made Stan an omelet shaped like his own face.

Dipper stood up and began pacing around Mabel, building up more electricity.

"Face it. I'm like a suck-up ninja. Half of Y/n's room is as good as mine, and we'll be the best roomies! You might as well give up now. What do you say?" Mabel said, stretching out her hand.

He narrowed his eyes on her. "I say I'm gonna be Y/n's roommate somehow, and when I do, I wouldn't ever have to worry about any of your sleepovers, and we'll never have to share anything ever again!"

Dipper slapped Mabel's hand away, electrocuting her and causing a massive glow between them that knocked them both out.

The girl sat up first, rubbing her head. "Ugh, what happened?"

"Dipper?" The boy said. "Why are you wearing my clothes... and my..." he began to feel his skin. "...face! Am I in your body?"

"Am I in your body?!"

The two began screaming in unison. Mabel in Dipper's body ran to the toilet and threw up while Dipper in Mabel's body was having a meltdown.

After a few moments, Dipper and Mabel stared at their new, swapped bodies in Y/n's tri-fold mirror, pointing out weird things about each other now that they were in each other's bodies. "Great. Just what we need, more Gravity Falls weirdness."

"This is stupid!" Mabel exclaimed. "Sharing a room was bad enough, now we're sharing bodies?"

Dabel (in Mabel's body) walked over to the edge of the carpet and took a look at the tag. "Hey, look. 'Experiment 78'." He flipped the tag over and the back said 'Electron Carpet'. "Electron Carpet. Atoms can swap electrons. This carpet can swap electrons. It must build up a static charge so powerful it can swap minds!"

"But why does Y/n have this?" Mabel asked.

"I have no idea. W-we need to change back and tell Y/n about this."

Mipper (Mabel in Dipper's body) sighed in relief. "Phew! Glad I'm switching back. If I was you I would totally lose the contest."

"And if I was you, which I am, I could sabotage myself! Then Mabel would lose her points and the room would go to Dipper!"

"Wait what?!"

"Oh, Stan!" Dabel yelled out. "I've always hated you!" He chuckled evilly. "See who gives the room to now." He ran out of the room.

Mipper began to chase him but tripped on her feet. "Tie your shoes!"

The two attempted to say and do things that would almost certainly result in them losing points. Dabel poured cereal out of the box everywhere and laughed obnoxiously as Mipper kicked the oven and bottles around. Stan, clearly perplexed, walked out of the kitchen, followed by the twins, who demanded that the points be removed.

Back in Y/n's room, Soos was chasing down Waddles who unknowingly went inside her room because the door was wide open. It was also the handyman's first time seeing the girl's room, while Waddles didn't care as he rolled around in the carpet, loving the way it felt. "Aw Waddles," He cooed, "Nobody thinks it's cute when I lie naked on the living room floor." He began rubbing the pig's head. "I wish I could be a pig."

And, lo and behold, his wish had been granted by the electron carpet, and their bodies were swapped in a snap.

Meanwhile, Dabel was running through the hallway. "Grunkle Stan, come back! I have more terrible things to do!" He turned around. "You're toast, Mabel!" He began to sprint off, only to crash into Grenda.

"There you are, Mabel!" She exclaimed.

"Attack her with love!" Candy followed, hugging Dabel and Grenda close. The two - with Dabel embraced tightly, jumped in unison. "Sleepover!"

"What?!" Dabel thrashed. "No! No, no, no!" He screamed as he was carried up the stairs while Mipper tried to run after them.

Grenda and Candy ran into the twins' room.

"Wait, come back!" Mipper shouted. "Hey, um," she faced Grenda by the door, "can I talk to my... sister, for a sec?"

"This is a sleepover, buddy. No boys allowed!" Grenda emphasized before slamming the door in her face.

Mipper crouched down and peered through the keyhole to see Dabel unsure about the entire situation. Grenda and Candy were giggling and gushing over Grenda's mother's age inappropriate romance novels, which she had brought with her. She had just learned about the book's protagonist, Gerard the werewolf, when someone approached her.

"What's going on, Dipper?"

She gasped and tried to cover the keyhole where she was looking in. Stan glanced at the door and he had the idea on what Mipper was up to. "Ah, you're at that creepy age where you spy on girls, huh? Guess it's time you and I had a man to man talk. About the birds and the bees, you know?"

Mipper frowned deeply as Stan led her to his office. He shuffled around the room until he found just the ideal book for the topic. 'Why Am I Sweaty?' was the book's title.

While all of this was happening above, underground, Y/n was stressing out about the portal. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, staring at the control panel in front of her. Why does she have to keep the portal stable when it's not even running?

They actually needed the three journals as a blueprint for the inter-dimensional portal to work, but they only had one in their possession. Wait a minute, the third one was nearby; they just didn't have the perfect opportunity to grab it.

She shifted her gaze to the journal, which she opened to a specific page. Since when has she been staring at this section of the blueprint? She's been staring at it for three whole decades and it's already imprinted in her mind.

Shaking her head, she stood up. That's enough inquisition for the day. She glanced at the control panel again, giving it a hard punch. Her knuckles slammed against the metal but it didn't hurt one bit. She smacked it in hopes of a functional portal, but alas, no change.

Y/n rode the elevator quietly, walked up the path to the vending machine and took a peek through the glass display. The gift shop seemed to be vacant – even Wendy was out, signaling that the coast was clear. As quickly as possible, she opened the machine and lurked her way out, not forgetting to get herself a can of Pitt Cola to make it look like she was just getting herself a drink and not someone who just got out of a secret door.

Opening the can, she took a sip and exhaled in relief. The drink was always a nice one. She turned around casually and she just realized the chaotic mess of the gift shop. It looked like someone made a breakdown and destroyed everything in their path. The banners were chewed, the signboards were broken in half, and the glass jars were shattered on the ground. Who could have done this?

She heard multiple voices coming from down hall. It sounded like it was coming from her bedroom. She sprinted across, finally arriving at her room just as Dipper and Mabel were dashing out with the dreamcatcher on the boy's hand.

"Dipper, give it back!" Mabel screamed, chasing after him.

Y/n stood there, staring at the numerous unwanted visitors inside her room. She was too afraid to step inside. Clearly, their bodies have been swapped because of their personality changes.

This was her fault and all she blamed was herself for bringing the carpet out again, but she couldn't help but feel mad for the people uninvited who were screaming and laughing from the body switching shenanigan.

"Everybody, stop!" She screamed, and it was silent. "Why are you in my room?!"

Everyone looked at her, speechless as if they were caught red-handed.

"Please, don't move. I demand you all to form a circle, and shuffle your feet against the carpet," she urged them, and thankfully, they granted her request.

Eventually, each one of them had returned to their own bodies and Y/n immediately ushered them outside, one by one.

Once they were out, she was pulling her hair in frustration. What a mess.

While she was cleaning her cluttered room, the twins eventually returned from what seemed to be their feud. They stood from outside of her room, and because the door was opened, Y/n just let the two in.

She resumed her cleaning while the twins were watching her from the door.

"Hey, Y/n, I'm sorry we got inside your room without your permission," Dipper began.

"It's fine," Y/n answered without even looking at him. She was trying to focus on reorganizing the stuff on the shelf.

He stepped forward. "But, I wanted to ask you about the carpet. It was an electron carpet that can swap... well, our electrons."

Y/n almost smiled as she stopped her movements momentarily at Dipper's inquiry. The experiment still works.

Dipper paused in his speech. How does he even ask the question without making her feel bad? "Where... How... Why...?" He stuttered out. That was pathetic.

Finally, Y/n turned around. "I bought it at a yard sale; I didn't expect it to be like that!" Another lie. She couldn't decide whether she should feel bad or proud of herself for thinking of that excuse so quickly.

Before the twins could utter anything in response, she decided to change the subject. "So, who won the uh... contest?"

"Dipper won, but now I understand and won't argue about it anymore," Mabel said with a kind smile as she looked over her brother.

Y/n shrugged. "Alright."

Everyone helped with the moving, but it was mainly his bed. His clothes had a special shelf from one of Y/n's drawers. The room was parted in half, just like the attic used to be. The electron carpet was long gone. Dipper thought it was already thrown out, but it was hidden under her bed.

"Well, this is it," Y/n said, looking at Dipper who was adjusting the mattress. "We can share the study table, but, uh... is it okay if I use my toilet?"

"Uh huh. Sure..." Dipper trailed off, looking down at his pillow. He moved ever so slowly, and she had a feeling he was adorning a frown.

"What's wrong?"

He let out a sigh before turning around and sitting on the edge of his bed. "Nothing, it's..."

"It's what?"

"I thought it would feel more liberating having separated from Mabel, but I had no idea it would be..."

"Would be...?"

"Lonely," he said.

She stared at a random wall, fiddling with her hands. "I'm sorry," seemed like the right thing to say at the moment.

"No, no, don't be," Dipper quickly replied, "It's fine. It's the first time we didn't sleep in the same room, and..."

"Dude, you need to stop letting me finish your sentences."

"I already miss Mabel."

Y/n sat awkwardly on her bed, her interlocked fingers placed on her lap. She didn't like the silence this time as she could practically feel Dipper's depression resonate through the room. "Well," she started slowly, "we could always have a little sleepover?"

A small smile appeared on his face. "I can't believe I would say this but a sleepover sounds like a good idea." He looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Wanna come?"

"Oh," she jumped. "I- I figured this could be between you and your sister...?"

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you've never been in a sleepover?"

With a solemn smile, she averted her gaze. It was almost comical how she didn't have time for sleepovers or other activities that most kids do. Consciously, she rubbed her baggy eyes. Her exhaustion had only recently caught up with her, and she realized she'd spent the previous thirty years underground. She was extremely fortunate to be unable to feel pain and to heal quickly, or she would have honestly died by now.

He was taken aback by her silence, which made him look at her slightly sad. He got out of bed after grabbing his pillow and did the most spontaneous thing of his day, if not his life. He approached Y/n as she looked at him expectantly.

"What are you doing?"

Dipper grabbed her hand and yanked her off her bed before leading her out of the room. "All right, come on." He was holding her hand in the one hand while still gripping the pillow on the other.

"What?"

"We're doing a sleepover... right now." Dipper smiled at her. Thankfully, Y/n let him lead her upstairs to the attic.

The boy dropped her hand before knocking on the door and a few seconds later, Mabel answered, opening it just a bit so she could only see him.

"Hey, you wanna have a sleepover?" Dipper asked sheepishly.

Mabel glanced at the pillow under his arm and smiled widely.

"Oh, and I brought a friend," he smiled and pushed the door open, allowing Mabel to see Y/n, who was waving shyly.

Her grin widened even more when she saw the two of them and immediately drew them inside. Mabel picked up her mini golf club before giving a spare one to Y/n. "Fore!" She shouted, striking a synthetic eyeball. "Let's play Attic Stuff Mini-Golf!"

Y/n let a smile stretch her lips. "How do you play?"

"Just hit the ball and we'll score the points depending on how awesome it goes!" She explained.

Dipper smiled and encouraged her, placing the eyeball on the ground by Y/n's shoes.

"Okay..." Y/n trailed off, allowing her golf club to kiss the ball for a brief moment before swinging back and swatting the ball too hard, causing it to bounce on various walls and surfaces until it crashed through the window and fell on Stan's head.

"Ah! Why am I even out here at night?!"

Their laughs filled the entire attic as they had fun for the rest of the night until they eventually passed out on the floor, cuddled together.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 16!

MASTERLIST

RG'H LPZB GL YV GRIVW. BLF XZM GZPV Z YIVZP

author's note: love u guys <3