Chapter Text
The sun was shining, glaring brightly. A teenage boy with brown hair and a well worn lumberjack hat shielded his eyes as he glanced up at the bus timetable, and sighed.
“ Mabel! Come on- stop kissing your boyfriend or we’ll miss the bus. It’s coming I can see it!”
The girl, similar looking, with waist length brown hair, separated from her boyfriend.
“Calm down Dipper! We have lots of time bro-bro, don’t worry!” She reassured him.
After he insistently stared at her, she sighed and picked up her duffel bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She gently scratched the ears of a cute pig beside her, and picked up her suitcase.
“Bye Kevin! I’ll really miss you. Good luck at football camp!” She exclaimed, smiling at him.
“Uh.. yeah same. Bye babe” he replied distractedly as he checked his phone, smirking. Mabel faltered for a second, her smile fading momentarily, but then put on a bright smile again. Dipper frowned- Kevin could be a real jerk, but his sister always saw the best in everyone, even those who really didn’t deserve it. Picking up his own suitcase and duffel bag, he followed his sister to the bus, just as the door opened. The twins smiled at each other, ready for another summer of mystery and adventure.
Mabel skipped up first, discreetly turning her back to the bus driver and gently ushering along the pig, quickly hiding him in front of her seat, out of view as Dipper followed, sitting down beside her on the aisle side of the seat.
She happily turned to him, excitedly exclaiming: “ I can’t wait Dipper- this is going to be amazing! I can’t wait to see everyone- the grunkles, Soos, Candy, Grenda- and OMG I have so much to catch up with them! Ooh… I wonder if I packed enough candy- like Candy’s name! I remembered to pack her and Grenda’s favorites. I wonder if Robbie is still emo hah. I hope things are going well with Grenda and Marius. It’s going to be so great!” Squealing, as she continued to talk a mile a minute about all of her plans.
Dipper shook his head fondly as he thought to himself: ‘ Some things never change’. His sister was so optimistic and energetic, and still was now. Even though the braces and bright sweaters were gone, Mabel still had a childish optimism and hope towards things in life, which if he was being honest with himself, envied.
A while into the journey, as Mabel fell asleep on his shoulder, Waddles gently snoring on the makeshift bed Mabel made out of her duffel bad, he fished out a well read letter from his pocket. Stroking the letter, he sighed as he re read it. He regretted that they weren’t able to return ‘next summer’ after all. He smiled as he read all of the signatures. His memories in Gravity Falls were some of the best he ever had. He sighed again, happily this time, as he thought about the adventures that awaited them.
After a long, long, time later, the bus finally stopped in Gravity Falls, as night fall was looming. To their delight, the Pines twins noticed that their Grunkles ( returned from their trip) Soos, Wendy and Stan waiting for them.
They rushed to hug Stan and Ford, before moving on to Wendy and Soos.
“ we missed you guys so much” Mabel and Dipper said simultaneously.
“ We missed you guys too!” Everyone exclaimed, as Stan ruffled Mabel’s hair and Ford and Dipper exchanged their handshake.
“Hi Soos- how’s Melody?” Mabel asked smiling.
“Hey Hambone! She’s doing great- the baby should be here any time now!” Soos replied.
“ Congrats!” Said Mabel.
“Yes, congratulations!” Dipper also said, smiling.
“Thanks guys!”
“Hey Wendy, how’s it going? “ asked Mabel smiling
“Hey Mabel, it’s going great! I haven’t seen you in so long” she replied.
“Same! I’ve got so much catching up to do” replied Mabel.
While the others caught up, Dipper went up to Wendy. He slowly took off his hat, and held it out to her. She smiled back, tipping off her own cap with a pine tree on it, and they swapped hats.
“I really missed you Dipper. How have things been dude?”
“They’ve been good. What about you?”
“Things have been pretty good too. Dylan and I met his parents the other- “she started and then stopped.
“Dylan?”
“My boyfriend” she tentatively replied, attempting to be tactful.
Smiling inside, and feeling proud of himself, dipper was glad that now, he could finally reply: “oh okay, cool. How’s college” normally, without feeling heartbroken.
Wendy smiled, relieved, as she told him about her courses.
“Im glad you guys are back” she said, ruffling his hair.
“You’re so tall now- at this rate I’ll have to reach up to mess up your hair” she laughed, and he laughed back.
Stan smiled :” What do you kids say to a celebratory dinner? “
“Sounds great!” They replied.
“I hope pizza is okay” confessed Ford, anxiously. “Me and Stan uh.. tried to make you a nice big meal but… it might have gotten-“
“Incinerated” Stan sheepishly finished.
As everyone returned to the shack, their spirits were high. The sky was beautiful, and the incoming cold night breeze was refreshing. As they had a nice time eating pizza and catching up in the warmth of the house, things were great.
A buzzing sound loomed in the deep forest near town. Unease washed over the hiker, as he passed over a strange looking statue, trying to head back home quickly. The statue was triangle shaped, wearing a- hat? And holding out a hand.
After Soos returned home to his apartment with Melody and his Abuelita much later, since even though he was happily the new Mr Mystery, he and Melody decided they needed a bigger and safer space to raise their future kid, and Wendy went home to the apartment she shared out of town with her boyfriend, the twins listened with awe as their Grunkles told them all about the adventures they had while travelling the world.
Late at night, after Mabel drifted off to sleep, Dipper lay in his own bed, staring up at the ceiling.
They had a whole summer ahead of them, and hopefully this time, the mysteries would not be deadly.
He had friends here in Gravity Falls. Unlike Mabel, he wasn’t that popular back in Piedmont- he only had Mabel and a few aquaintances. He decided he didn’t mind. He and Mabel mostly spent lunch together anyway, laughing and talking, but when she wasn’t there he would sit alone in the library. He had a feeling that this Summer, things would be just as exciting, if not even more.
He finally drifted off to sleep himself, happily thinking of all his plans for adventures.