Chapter Text
It felt strange when the bus drove into Piedmont, California. Dipper knew he was home, but it just wasn’t… welcoming he guessed. It was nothing like Gravity Falls’ small town in the woods atmosphere, it was more cold in his opinion. People weren’t walking around just because they could, nor were any children running around and playing along the side of the roads. This was supposed to be the normal, what he wanted so desperately to come back to at the start of that summer. But now? Now it felt strange, like it was new. As if it had never been visited by him. This is home? A place where no one was walking about, excited by the bus coming into town? He didn’t think so. Dipper didn’t think of this place as his home anymore. Gravity Falls, despite everything that had happened there in the summer, was more like home to him than this place where he grew up. He adjusted the furry trapper hat on his head, a familiar piece that he had seen all summer on Wendy. Someone who made him feel both safe and like he could do anything he wanted, no matter the danger. Maybe she was more of an elder sister now instead of a crush. She certainly gave off big sister energy anyway.
As the bus pulled into the station, Dipper shook his sleeping sister awake. They collected their bags as the bus came to a stop with a soft, low squeal. The bus doors opened, the heat of the Californian summer hit them hard since the twins were still used to the coolness of Oregon. The twins looked around before they made their way to the only two familiar faces in the crowded station, their parents.
“Mabel! Mason!” Their mom brought them close in a tight hug, “I’m so glad you’re back safely!”
“Yep! We’re back,” Dipper replied, out of breath from the tight hug, though also a little surprised by how nervous the sound of his real name made him.
Mabel weaseled out from the hug and picked up Waddles, “Mom, dad, this is Waddles!”
Their dad blinked, “A pig? You two brought a pig?
“I don’t think we can keep a pig, sweetie,” Their mom said.
“The pigs stays,” The twins said strangely in unison, Mabel holding Waddles closer to her, as if he would be taken away at any moment.
The parents looked at each other, silently agreeing to discuss this more at home since they did not want a scene happening in the station.
“Well… Alright then. Ready to head home? Your dad is making lasagna!” Mrs. Pines said, putting the pig issue aside.
The twins smiled at each other before hurrying to the car with their bags chanting, “Lasagna! Lasagna!”
“So how was the summer? As boring as you thought, Dipper?” Mr. Pines asked, initiating a conversation once they were in the car and driving.
Dipper and Mabel looked at each other, instant understanding passing between the pair. The happy memories were plenty, yes, but the bad ones, the ones involving him either directly or indirectly. The pain, the terror, and the nightmares he induced. The two had already decided to not speak of him or any of the weird happenings other than Uncle Ford returning.
“It was fun. We met a lot of people,” Dipper said evenly and vaguely, unable to lie.
Mabel spoke more enthusiastically, “Yeah! Grunkle Stan was nice and let us help out with the Mystery Shack and Soos was really sweet and helpful and Wendy was amazing! Dipper had a crush on her!”
“Hey!”
“It’s true!”
Settle down you two,” Mr. Pines scolded, "You both need to stop bickering.”
As soon as they arrived home, the twins went upstairs to their shared bedroom, dead set on putting their things up and a little ‘cleaning’. Upon opening the door, the both of them looked at Mabel’s large, yellow pillow shaped like a triangle. She had it since she was six, but it was now time to get rid of it. The game posters on Dipper’s wall were torn down, half of the games he had were to be gone. Mabel’s unicorn things were put on the pile except for the stuffed unicorn she’d had since second grade. She loved that stuffed animal more than she hated unicorns. Everything triangle was thrown on the pile as well, including Mabel’s favorite triangle earrings.
Once their little purge of their room was finished, the two unpacked their belongings with Dipper realizing he may need some corkboards.
“I’m so glad to be home! I get to sleep in my own bed, be home and eat dad’s cooking again!” Mabel’s excitement was infectious.
“Yeah! And I can play video games again!” Dipper said as he unpacked.
“No more hard bed!”
“No more snoring Grunkle Stan!”
“No more Mystery Shack.”
“No more woods.”
“No more adventures…”
“No more summer…”
“No more…”
The twins fell silent as the realization settled over them. They were back to normal, boring life. They wouldn’t wake up to Grunkle Stan banging pans together, or Grunkle Ford setting his face on fire instead of shaving normally. They wouldn’t help around the shack, hang out with Soos and Wendy. No more of those adventures together as the Mystery Twins. The thought was kind of sad.
“Kids! It’s dinner time!” Their mother called up the stairs.
Dinner was relatively uneventful. The duo only spoke of the “normal” parts of their vacation, skipping over the supernatural aspects. When they showed what they wanted to get rid of, their parents questioned them.
Mrs. Pines held up the poster, “Mason! You loved these games!”
“Not anymore.”
Mr. Pines turned to Mabel, “You love unicorns Mabel! Why throw them away?”
Mabel shrugged, “I just don’t like them anymore.”
It was confusing for Mr and Mrs Pines. Their children came back with different interests, different preferences. Most of all, a shared dislike of triangles. Perhaps they grew up over the summer, realizing that they were too old for some things. A journey that the Pines parents couldn’t share while the kids were up in Oregon.
“Well… Very well. We’ll take care of this tomorrow. Go get ready for bed, alright?” Mrs. Pines sighed.
As the light from the setting sun disappeared and the streetlights flickered to life, the twins settled down into bed. However, the both of them knew they wouldn’t sleep tonight, so, they simply turned on their side lamps so they could do their own things without waking their parents. Mabel was knitting sweaters again, how she can wear those in the summer is a mystery no one could solve. Waddles stayed close, Mabel keeping a close eye on him so that he didn’t get taken in the middle of the night. On the other hand, Dipper pulled out his blue notebook with a pine tree on it, gifted to him by his sister at the end of summer and began to write.
September first, 2012
Dipper Pines here. I have finally returned to Piedmont after a summer full of fun and terror in Gravity Falls. Mabel slept the whole way here, so I doubt she’ll sleep much. Though I won't be sleeping either.
After Weirdmageddon, Bill just keeps popping up in my head when I close my eyes, heck even when they’re open! Whenever I see a triangle now, I want to run and get away from it. Especially when they’re yellow. Sure, the other encounters left an impact, but Bill was the worst.
Even now I hear his laugh, that taunting laugh and his voice saying Pine Tree over and over and over and over and over and over…
L zdqw lw wr vwrs
ELOO LV GHDG, ELOO LV GHDG. L DP VDIH. WUXVW PDEHO. ZH DUH VDIH.
A little while later after Mabel had fallen asleep, Dipper heard two voices from downstairs. He crept down the stairs, the need for being quiet over the summer shaping him into a silent force capable of slipping in and out everywhere. He stood just next to the kitchen doorway, listening to his parents.
“I just don’t think we can keep the pig. It’ll just be a hassle,” his dad said, annoyance in his voice.
“You aren’t wrong, but the kids are so attached to the pig that it would feel wrong to drop him off somewhere,” his mother replied.
His dad sighed, “They get attached to everything, especially Mabel.”
Dipper decided to intervene. Just listening to this small conversation snippet was annoying him strangely.
“You aren’t taking the pig,” Dipper said, crossing his arms with a determined look on his face.
His dad looked at him, annoyed by his interruption and defiance, “We are not going to keep a pig in this house.”
Dipper felt angry. He went through too much trouble for that pig and he wasn’t going to let that go to waste.
“Well Mabel, after having him for a few minutes, went down a negative spiral when she lost him! Just a few minutes! So imagine her losing him after three months. That would send her into depression!” Dipper was almost yelling, “I will not let my sister go through that no matter what! The pig stays.”
His father was taken aback. Dipper never stood up to them like this, nor did he ever raise his voice at them. He watched as Dipper narrowed his eyes. Something happened in Oregon that increased his son’s confidence over the summer.
Mr Pines sighed, “Fine. The pig stays.”
Dipper smiled, proud that he convinced his dad to let Waddles stay, “Thanks dad!” he said before going back up to his room.
The parents of the twins looked at each other, thinking the same thing. Their child was different. He was definitely more confident and seemed like he wouldn’t stop at anything to get his or his sister’s way. It was strange. Before this summer, Dipper never would have done that for Mabel, in fact he wouldn’t do much at all. But now? Now they were closer than before. Close enough to almost yell at their parents just to help their sibling get their way. This was confusing for the parents, wondering what happened over the summer.
Meanwhile Dipper went back upstairs, glad that he had helped his sister before he finally went to sleep.