Chapter Text
“Now, you be safe, honey, okay?”
The parking lot was crowded and bustling; people coming and going between the big buses and their cars, luggage in tow. Summer heat was making the asphalt warm underneath their feet as the Pines said farewell for the summer.
“Mom,” Mabel complained, sticking out her tongue as their mother peppered her forehead in kisses.
“Sorry, sorry,” she muttered, sneaking in one more peck before straightening up. Mabel winked, rubbing the lip gloss off her forehead.
Dipper received his mother’s goodbyes with much more grace as his father glanced at his watch. “You two call us as soon as you get there, all right? I don’t know why you don’t want us to drive you this year, I have the time now…”
“It wouldn’t be the same, Dad,” Dipper said again – for the fifth time – reasonably.
And everything’s better if it’s the same.
“And it’ll be better this way, since it’s the same,” he repeated. “Stan’s gonna pick us up at the bus station once we get there. Mabel and I will call as soon as we get in.” Mabel nodded her agreement enthusiastically, double-counting the number of paintbrushes she was bringing.
Good.
Dipper smiled at the praise, though it also seemed to have the effect of placating his father.
His parents still exchanged a glance though when Mom stood again, biting her lip. “You’re… sure, baby, that everything’s all right up there?”
What’s she mean by that?
Steady, kid.
Swallowing, Dipper tried to breathe normally and listen to reason. “W- What do you mean?”
She was fiddling with the ring on her finger, spinning it around and around. “Up in Gravity Falls, baby. Everything’s all right with…” She paused, choosing the name delicately. “Stan?”
“It’s the Stan you know, Mom, of course everything’s gonna be fine,” Mabel piped in encouragingly.
“Yes, but what about the…” Their father looked uncomfortable as he took over the questioning. “The… other one?”
The conversation moved on, sounding almost identical to the one that had been happening over the past week or so. Their parents were still trying to come to grips with more than one Stan, after all, it was understandable, but still…
See, Dipper? They’re not talking about you. You’re fine, yes? You’re okay?
I’m… I think I’m okay.
Wasn’t very nice of Annie to make it sound like she was asking how you’re doing up here, huh? You’re peachy keen up here in your noggin. Bright, beautiful mind like yours.
I’m sure Mom didn’t mean i-
Shh, you’re okay. It’s alright now. You’re not going to have to deal with them now for a good few months.
That does sound… Nice, I guess.
Mhm. Sure does.
And, you said… You said everything will be fine when I get up there, right?
Oh, my friend, I promise you that-
“Dipper?”
Dipper started, blinking his mother’s face into focus as she leaned down again near him. She looked worried. His common sense buzzed discontentedly at the interruption. Meanwhile, his sister had seemed to assuage Dad’s worries once more, and they were starting to take the luggage out of the car. Dipper’s breath was still a bit shaky as he inhaled before speaking. “S-Sorry, I-”
“You don’t have to go, baby. Just say the word. If you’re not up to it, or don’t feel well, or think that-”
I’m fine.
“I’m fine! Mom, really, I-”
“But Dipper-”
I said I’m fine.
“I said I’m fine.”
She was brushing his bangs now, about to tap at his temple agitatedly. “You say that, baby, but I worry that you might still be-”
I think you should shut up.
“I think you should sh-” Dipper’s eyes widened as he cut himself off, and his own mouth snapped shut abruptly. “Should…” The rest of his words were choked out in a squeak. “Should try not to worry, Mom.”
There was a strained moment, and Dipper wondered if Annie Pines was really one to let this go. If she would really believe him. She was frowning, biting her lip, tapping his temple, looking so much like Mabel in that instant that it made Dipper’s heart pang and wonder if he ever fit with his parents as well as he should.
Do you, Dipper?
He distantly heard his sister crack a joke that caused their father to laugh while the trunk slammed shut.
Another beat passed, but finally his mother’s face softened. “If you say so.” She pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead one final time that felt like forever, before drawing back. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom,” Dipper croaked out.
She hummed with a sense of finality, ruffling his hair as she passed to hoist up some of the luggage and start tugging it toward their bus. “Come on, Al, or else they’ll be late,” she reminded over her shoulder.
Dad called back in agreement, playfully hip checking Mabel as he passed with his own armload of bags. Snorting, Mabel picked up half of the remaining pile, and waited for Dipper to stutter out of his stupor and pick up the last of it. “What’s got Mom looking like that?”
“Nothing,” Dipper mumbled evasively, walking a bit faster to outpace his sister. His common sense chirped its motivation, but Dipper just felt a headache coming on.
We need to talk.
We are talking, Dipper.
Y-You can’t make me say stuff like that.
Like what?
You know what I’m talking about… You can’t… Can’t…
Can’t?
Th-Throw me off like that.
Shush, now. Your father’s looking at you.
“Have a safe trip, Dip,” Dad said brightly, tousling his hair as Dipper reached the bus and piled the luggage in. An overworked driver gave a sigh before beginning to straighten the bags properly in the space underneath.
Dipper smiled. He was still excited, in spite of everything. “Thanks, Dad. We’ll keep in touch, don’t worry.”
And look out for Mom.
“Oh, I will, son,” his dad answered. Had Dipper even said that out loud? He couldn’t… remember… “She’s just nervous you’re going out of state again. She’ll get over it quick.”
All too soon, the twins were climbing the stairs and waving out the window at their parents below. Only a few other passengers were scattered on the bus, paying them no attention. The driver closed the doors, sat down, started the engine.
Al and Annie Pines were waving goodbye, with her head on his shoulder and one of his arms around her waist.
Mom looks so…
Plaintive.
Yeah.
The bus pulled away from the station and started heading north towards Oregon.
In no time at all, Mabel had popped in her headphones and a stick of bubblegum, blowing pink orbs out from her mouth in time with the music that could still be heard. Her fingers twiddled around themselves, and it looked like Mom’s. Dipper’s headache seemed to be getting worse, so he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. He could feel Mabel’s gaze on him, though. She kept glancing at Dipper, brown eyes assessing, but never pressed what must be on her mind.
That’s smart of her.
We need to talk.
What now, clever boy? I know what you’re going to say… I am you, after all. I thought we’d dropped this. It’s pointlessly redundant to continue, don’t you think?
Just-
…Yes?
Just. Promise me you won’t trick me into saying anything horrible like that again. To Mom. O-Or to anyone, for that matter. I don’t wanna do anything like that; I don’t wanna get into any trouble…
Dipper.
Plea-
Dipper. Listen to me. You’ll do that, right?
I… I just need you to-
Right?
…Right.
You know me… I’ve helped you this year, haven’t I? …Oh, come now, don’t be like that, answer me when I ask you a question. Yes or no.
O-Okay.
Mmm. I’ve helped you, haven’t I?
Yes.
There’s no need to overthink things; not with me, Dipper. I won’t ask that of you. I’ll never ask you to do anything you don’t want to do. Isn’t that right? Have I ever made you do anything bad?
Well, I mea-
Dipper.
N-No. No, you haven’t.
Precisely! Dipper, you seem to be forgetting one very crucial thing here – I’m inside you. Ergo, I am you. Do you understand?
Yes… You’ve told me this.
I have. And I’ll continue to tell you until you don’t need to be told anymore. I’m not going away, Dipper. I’m yours – I’m you. I’m here for you. Everything I’m telling you is just your own self thinking it. That’s something to embrace, not be afraid of.
My head hurts.
I know, Dipper. It’s hard to trust someone.
It is, isn’t it.
Sure is.
“Mabel,” he mumbled, creaking an eye open. His sister jerked, eyes swinging away from his face in an instant, trying to appear as though she hadn’t been staring.
“Y-Yeah, Dip?” Her voice was bubbly as she popped out an earbud.
“I’m gonna take a nap. Do you mind moving so I can stretch out?”
Her bright expression seemed false and frozen on her face. “Actually! I thought we could… Talk.”
Dipper swallowed, and his throat clicked. Music was still audible out of Mabel’s ear buds, and she turned it off in the ensuing awkwardness. Her throat worked as she swallowed her gum, obviously not wanting to be distracted by blowing bubbles. She seemed to be trying to think and put the words in the right order.
Talk.
“Talk?”
“Yeah, Dipper. Talk.”
“…About what?”
A humourless breath whooshed out through Mabel’s teeth. “It doesn’t have to be about anything. We never talk anymore.”
Dipper frowned. “Sure we do, Mabel. We talk every day.”
He could see his sister grind her teeth, staring studiously down at her clasped hands. A moment beat by, until her eyes met his. “Yeah. You’re right; we do. We’re… fine.” It sounded more like a question. Her gaze seemed pleading.
One of Dipper’s hands tangled up in hers. “Of course we are, Mabes. We’re the Mystery Twins.”
An inseparable pair, it would seem.
“Dipper…” Mabel’s unfinished sentence hung in the air between them. Her hand grasped his more tightly. There was one particular thing she seemed to need to talk about. “I… Hope this summer will be better than the last one. I hope that… He’s…”
Ah.
“Who?”
Mabel winced at the question. “Bill. I hope that Bill isn’t going to ruin anything.”
Months ago, that very syllable had caused Dipper to freeze in fear. But in that instant, he felt his conscience puff up in pride when he barely blinked an eye at the name.
“Mabel, I’m going to protect you. Gravity Falls is going to be fine. Bill can’t do anything, especially not when we’re there.”
Her eyes stared blankly ahead, at the headrest of the seat in front of them, where it was grey and fuzzy with colour coded zig zags neatly patterned. “I’ve had… Dreams, Dip. N-Nightmares.” Mabel’s voice was hollow as she confessed it in a whisper.
Interesting. Careful, now.
Dipper frowned. “Me… too,” he began carefully, feeling worry begin to set in. He felt Mabel’s hand shake in his. “What kind of dreams?”
“I-I don’t know. They’re weird ones, filled with symbols and letters I don’t understand… Dark gold, burned gold, always gold… And I- I always have the strangest feeling when I wake up, like I’m… Forgetting something so very… Important…”
“Mabel,” Dipper mumbled soothingly, throwing his arms around her shoulders and embracing her close. He was starting to feel like he’d forgotten something, too.
She sighed. “I’m fine, I guess. I don’t get them that often. I’m just a bit nervous that it’ll get worse when we go back. I’m worried that…”
Yes?
“That we’ll get worse when we return.”
Dipper had always been the better thinker, as awful as it was to say – and he’d been thinking about the logistics of returning to Gravity Falls, returning to Bill, for months now. He’d been planning and calming himself for a long time, shutting himself up deep in his head and thinking about it all… Whereas it appeared that his sister was only starting to comprehend what it actually meant now, mere hours before they reached their destination.
“Cipher did mess us up pretty bad…” Dipper began, feeling Mabel nod into his shoulder. “But… We’re better now, Mabes. We’re stronger. You’re still you, and I’m… I must still be me.”
“You said that once, sometime, somewhere,” Mabel pronounced, and finally drew back with a shuddering sigh, wiping away the beginnings of tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. “You promised that you’d be better, Dip-Dop. And you have been… Or it seems like you have been. But, that stint with you in the hospital and the start of school last year? That was… Really scary.”
Dipper smiled softly, repeating the words his common sense supplied easily. “Mabel, I’m better now. I’m… good. Would I lie to you?”
Mabel smiled. It was watery and a little unsure, yes, but it was genuine. And Dipper appreciated that. It was hard to trust someone.
Hours passed; landmarks and interesting vistas flying by beside the bus or in the distance, making Mabel snap pictures before they disappeared. Nobody was ever able to get a direct bus to Middle-Of-Nowhere, Oregon, so after a few stops and transfers, more bathroom breaks and shared moments between twins that Dipper had found himself missing, they were finally almost there.
There was still that niggling little worry in the back of his mind, though. Worry over Mabel, over something that he couldn’t seem to recall… Dipper unconsciously crossed his legs and rubbed at the bow tie fastened securely underneath his sock.
His conscience’s voice was a bright interruption to the dull vagueness of green forestry and foliage that bled together beside the road, becoming blurrier in the darkening sky.
Ha! I know what you forgot.
You… Do?
Yep! You didn’t pack that marigold. The one sitting in your bottom drawer back home, that you got as a gift last summer.
Too late now. Besides, I don’t need it.
Mhm. Maybe you’ll get a new one this year.
“Maybe,” Dipper breathed out in weary agreement. His headache had vanished, especially now that he’d remembered what he’d forgotten. There couldn’t be anything else.
A sign whizzed by that welcomed them to Gravity Falls; and even though it wasn’t written there alongside the town name in bright paint, Dipper knew he was being welcomed back to Bill Cipher, too.
It was time for their deal to be upheld.