#kaycxpher

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“Kids! I can’t believe it! Come and give yer grunkles a big ol’ hug!”

Stanley Pines was as chipper as ever. A scraggly beard had grown around his face, rivaling that of his twin. His glasses were so caked in ocean mist that he had gotten used to looking through it. He was as strong as ever, and he couldn’t have been happier when he saw the faces of the niece and nephew that meant so much to him.

Three years ago, he had tried so hard to keep things a secret. Now, he was ready to tell them everything. The monsters him and Ford had battled, the tales they told, the sights they saw. Three years on a boat was not the glamourous life, but it was the life that Stanley always wanted.

“GRUNKLE STAN!!!”

Mabel charged off the bus at lightning speed, bolting straight past Ford and ramming into Stanley.

“Woah there, kiddo! You’ve gotten so fast! And so strong!” Stanley said between chopped breaths. Mabel was squeezing him so tight that even the muscle he had built up couldn’t save him.

“And so tall!” a voice chipped in from the side. Ford Pines barely looked like he had aged a day; living at sea was nothing compared to being a galactic drifter. His tattered clothes remained just that, only this time they smelled heavily of seaweed and salt water.

“Grunkle Ford! I’m so happy to see you,” Mabel said, breaking away from Stanley to give a hug to Ford. He braced himself for impact.

For someone who was hopping dimensions for 30 years, Ford found himself thinking about the events of a month of time quite a bit. Dipper and Mabel, Bill and Stan, even the kid that looked like a large, hairless gopher were all Ford ever thought about for the last three years.

“You HAVE to tell me all about your trip!!! I’ve been waiting THREE WHOLE YEARS to hear about it!” Mabel grabbed both her grunkles by the hand and began dragging them in the direction of the Mystery Shack.

“Wait a second, kid! We haven’t said hi to your brother yet,” Stanley said.

“Yeah… where is—Dipper! Hey, Dipper!”

Dipper was entranced by his surroundings. It looked like he had no idea where he was, but he was simply in awe of the fact that he had come back. He perked up, however, upon hearing the voice of Ford. He looked up and couldn’t help but smile when his eyes locked on his six-fingered grunkle. Ford smiled back, and a strange sense of pride filled him. Dipper was clearly older; stubble was brushed across his chin and cheeks, and while his hair remained the same, he was almost as tall as Ford now. His red-and-black-checkered flannel was slightly too big for him, as were the dark, faded jeans he wore. Sans glasses and goofy argyle sweater, Ford felt like he was staring at a product of himself; someone who was growing up to be his own man, but still ever so curious.

To Ford’s surprise, Dipper did not rush over to him, overjoyed like Mabel. Instead, as he drew closer, he almost looked shellshocked.

“Dipper. My boy. How I’ve missed you,” Ford said as he wrapped his arms around his grandnephew. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been… great. I’ve been great,” Dipper said. “I’ve missed you too, Grunkle Ford. And you too, Grunkle Stan.”

Dipper peeled away and turned to hug his other grunkle.

“My God, you’ve grown so tall! And you have facial hair? Mabel, sweetie, are you sure this is the same wimpy nerd that I knew three years ago?”

Dipper barely stifled a laugh. He made slight eye contact with Mabel, who shot him another concerned look, and he immediately turned away. His eyes continued to scan his surroundings, jumping at the slightest hint of something yellow.

“Woah. Dude. I can’t believe it. You’re almost as tall as me!”

A voice like that could stop Dipper from doing anything. He turned around, and his eyes caught the gleam of her fiery orange hair; but he really lit up when he saw the blue and white hat with the pine tree sitting comfortably atop her head.

“Wendy! Hi!” Dipper said, giving her a hug as well. It was strange how their faces were so close now.

“Dude. I’ve missed you and your crazy sister! Where is that little bugger anyway?”

“She’s over there with Stan and Ford,” Dipper said, pointing at his sister dragging both of them away by sheer force.

“Haha. Wow, she got strong. We should probs follow them, huh?”

Dipper laughed awkwardly and rubbed his hair. “Hah, yeah, we probably should.”

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The walk to the Mystery Shack was equal parts terrifying and relaxing. Almost every noise made Dipper’s eyes shift, but the familiarity and the good memories he had built in this town were just as powerful as the bad. He made small talk with Wendy as they discussed how their lives had changed; Wendy was at college, Dipper had made it to high school, and life was different after the world almost ended. They didn’t say too much. Dipper could tell that the events didn’t haunt her like they did with him, but he didn’t care. All of his old feelings that were bubbling to the surface overrode his concerns.

All in all, the Mystery Shack looked the same. Soos had done a remarkable job keeping its authenticity intact—it looked exactly how it did when Stan and Ford last left it.

Soos and Melody had gone away for the weekend, leaving the Pines alone with their old stomping grounds. With the spare key he had kept in his pocket for three years, Stanley unlocked his old front door and stepped into the gift shop.

“Wow. It’s like I was just sitting on this counter, ignoring Stan and not doing my job,” Wendy said as she reminisced. Each family member began to talk about the memories that they had—Mabel would play with Waddles over here, Ford fried that weird squid alien over there, Stan used to stash wallets he stole under the floorboard, well, everywhere. It was a time capsule that was kept in pristine condition.

The chatter soon died down, and silence engulfed the room. Three years had since passed, but it was like nothing new happened. Nobody knew what to say. Their lives were so different, so separate, that it was like they almost couldn’t relate anymore.

They exchanged glances, all feeling the same thing. So much to say, but not even knowing where to begin. All they could think about were past memories. Apprehension hung like a low fog in the air. All they could think about was the traumatizing summer they had endured by each other’s sides. Where could they even start?

Stanley was ready to tell the kids everything, but he didn’t see the 16-year-olds standing in front of him. He saw the timid and awkward 12-year-old, the bubbly and hyperactive 12-year-old, his jerky twin brother, the lazy and sarcastic teen girl he employed. Ford saw a younger version of himself in Dipper, despite how distinct he has become. Wendy still saw Stanley as a stingy old man, not realizing just how much the boat trip had changed him and made him more expressive. Dipper couldn’t look around without being paranoid, and Mabel couldn’t stop her mind from wandering off and thinking about all the friends she made.

But those days were gone, and they knew it. It never really hit them how much they had missed each other until they were face-to-face, and living apart for so long after experiencing so much made it hard to remember that they too have lives independent of their own. They knew they were going to see each other again, but they were scared of how things would have changed; that things would be too different.

But standing in the Mystery Shack now, reminiscing about all the good times, struck a seemingly successive chord in everyone. The time spent together made them who they are now, and they had been living their lives as products of everyone standing there.

Mabel grabbed Dipper’s hand. Dipper looked up to see Mabel smiling warmly. Wendy squeezed in between the twins, wrapping her arms around their shoulders. Stan and Ford gave each kid a hug. As hard as it was to say goodbye to the people they once knew, it was much easier to say hello together.