Road Trip

“We’re almost there, Waddles!  It’s been so long since we’ve seen Gravity Falls!” exclaimed Mabel as she looked out the bus window.

“Mabel, it’s only been a year,” replied Dipper as he looked over to his sister, who was busy hugging her pet pig.

“It still feels like it’s been forever!”

Dipper could only chuckle at his sister’s excitement.  Of course he was just as excited to return to his favorite place.  He only wished that Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford would be there, but they were still out on the paranormal expedition.  Oh well.  At least Soos and Wendy will be there.

“So what’s the first thing you’ll do when you get to Gravity Falls?”

“Meet up with Candy and Grenda,” replied Mabel with a happy grin.  Dipper could have sworn he saw mischief swimming around in her eyes.  What was she up to now?

“What are you up to, Mabel?” questioned Dipper, voicing his thoughts.

“What makes you think I’m up to something, bro-bro?”

“I know you.”

Mabel just gave him a light shove. “Ah, you’re just being your ol’ paranoid self!”

As the two siblings got into a light shoving match, while all the while Waddles was chewing on Mabel’s bag, the bus entered the town the loved so much.  When they pulled up to the bus stop and exited the bus, a familiar face greeted them.

“Soos!” exclaimed the kids as they rushed the large man.

“Dudes!” exclaimed the handy man as he scooped the twins up in a hug. “It’s good to see you guys again!  It feels like it’s been forever!”

“I know!” replied Mabel.

“Again, it’s only been a year,” added Dipper with a sigh.  He then looked up at Soos with a smile. “So how are things at the Shack, Soos?”

“They’ve been great, dude!  Melody’s been helping me run the place and I’ve even put in new exhibits!” explained the big guy as the three made their way over to his pickup truck.

“And Grunkle Stan is okay with that?” questioned the pine tree.

“I’m sure Mr. Pines won’t mind considering the money we’ve been making.”

With that, they drove from the bus stop to the Mystery Shack.  On the way there Dipper noticed Mabel becoming more and more excited.  He just chalked it up to her being back in Gravity Falls and didn’t put too much thought into it.

Soon they reached their destination and Dipper couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  Standing outside was Melody, Candy, Grenda, and a boy he didn’t recognize all standing under a banner that read “Welcome Back!!!!”  What really surprised him though, was that Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford was there as well, even though Dipper had thought they were still on their expedition.

“Grunkle Stan!  Grunkle Ford!” exclaimed Mabel as she burst out of the pickup and ran towards the older twins.  Dipper was right behind her.

“Kids!” exclaimed Stan and Ford as they brought their niece and nephew into their arms.

Dipper then looked between Stan and Ford. “But how?!  I thought you guys were away on your trip!”

“Ha!  Are you kidding?  We wouldn’t miss spending another summer with you kids!” stated Stan with a smirk.

“Once we found out from Mabel that you both would be returning here for the summer, we came back as quickly as possible,” added Ford with a grin.

Dipper turned to his sister. “You knew that they’d be here and you didn’t tell me?”

“It was going to be a surprise for you, bro-bro, so they told me not to tell you,” said Mabel with a giggle. “Plus there’s one more surprise for you!”

Dipper raised an eyebrow in question. “What could be more surprising than having Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford back?”

“Glad you asked, kid!  Follow me!”

Stan led the group around the Shack and presented to them his RV.

“…We’re going to go sabotage more roadside attractions?” asked Dipper, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

“Sabotage?!” exclaimed Ford as he sent a glare towards his brother.

“Even better, kid!” stated Stan as he ignored his brother. “We’re going on a road trip to see actual historical landmarks!”

“…To sabotage them?”

“Even I have standards, Dipper,” replied Stan, crossing his arms.  He may have had a criminal record, but even he wouldn’t stoop so low as to vandalize actual landmarks.

“Oh.  Okay then.”

Ford then spoke up, noticing that Dipper still sounded disappointed. “Dipper, do not fret too much.  Both Stanley and I know how much you love the mysteries and paranormal of Gravity Falls.  You see, the places we intend to go visit also have possible paranormal anomalies and we intend to record them!”

“Wait, really?!” questioned Dipper, his disappointment turning into excitement.

“That’s right!  As you know, Stanley and I were on our paranormal expedition, but we really wanted to spend time with you kids this summer.  So after a bit of brainstorming, we decided to combine the two!”

“…It would be interesting to see the anomalies outside of Gravity Falls,” said Dipper, his excitement in full swing.  “And it’ll just be you two, me, and Mabel?”

“And a few others,” added Mabel with a grin.  When Dipper turned to her in confusion, she elaborated. “Candy, Grenda, and Marius are going to be coming with us!”

“Yeah!  This is going to be great!” shouted Grenda, her deep voice echoing throughout the area.

“I have always wanted to see the rest of the country,” added Candy.

While Mabel, Candy, and Grenda chatted it up about what they would be doing on this trip, Dipper walked over Marius.

“So…Marius was it?”

“Yes!  It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Dipper.  I have heard great things about you from Grenda,” replied Marius with a smile as he held out his hand.

Dipper returned the handshake. “Really?”

“Of course!  Oh, I should probably properly introduce myself.  My name is Marius and I am a duke from Austria!”

That got Dipper’s attention.  Marius was a duke?  Judging by the way he was dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts, he would have thought he was a normal kid.

“…If you’re a duke, how come you’re coming with us on this road trip?” asked Dipper.

Marius had a smile on his face as he turned to look at Grenda. “Part of the reason is because of Grenda.  She is my girlfriend, you know.”

Dipper’s eyes widened a bit at that as something clicked in his head. “Oh, so you’re that Marius!  I think Mabel made mention of you before, but when it comes to Mabel and anything about love, I tend to tune it out…no offense.”

“None taken, “ replied Marius with a laugh. “Anyway, the other reason I wanted to come along was because I am actually quite interested in the paranormal.”

Dipper turned to look at Marius so fast he might have ended up with whiplash. “Wait, really?!”

“Quite.  After that night at the Northwest Mansion last summer, my interest peaked and I wanted to learn as much as I could.  When Grenda had told me that your sister had invited her on this trip I had asked if I could come as well.”

“Wow.  I honestly didn’t think I’d ever meet someone as interested in this field as Grunkle Ford or I.  Hey, have you ever seen Ghost Harassers?!”

Marius’ eyes lit up. “It’s become one of my favorite shows!”

Dipper grinned at that and held out his hand. “Marius, I think this will be the start of a great friendship.”

The two boys shook hands once more and made their way over to the RV.  Just as they reached the RV, a certain redhead came out.

“Okay, Stan!  Everything is packed and ready!”

“Wendy!” exclaimed Dipper, happy to see the teen after almost a year. “Are you coming with us as well?”

The girl gave Dipper a grin. “Sorry, Dipper, but my dad already planned some family stuff to do this summer.”

Dipper felt a little saddened that Wendy wasn’t coming, but what could he do.  He smiled nonetheless. “Oh, okay.  Oh, I brought your hat back…if you want it.”

Wendy couldn’t help but laugh as the boy held out her old hat.  Taking the white and blue hat off her own head, she placed it on Dipper’s as she took her old one back. “Thanks for taking good care of it, Dipper.”

The boy smiled once again, while Mabel rolled her eyes.

“Alright, kids!  Let’s get this show on the road!” exclaimed Stan.

“Grunkle Stan!  You know we can’t leave yet!” exclaimed Mabel. “We’re still missing someone!”

“Who could we possibly be missing?” asked Dipper.  He soon got his answer when a car horn was heard on the other side of the Shack.

“She’s here!” squealed Mabel as she ran towards the front with Dipper right on her tail.  When he saw who it was, Dipper was surprised beyond belief.

“P-Pacifica?!”

Standing before them, next to a somewhat fancy looking car, was Pacifica Northwest and her mother Priscilla.  While Dipper was still stunned, Mabel let out another squeal and ran over to give the blonde a hug.

“You made it, Pacifica!”

“Mabel!  Air!” gasped Pacifica as she tried to get out of Mabel’s iron grip.  Once free, she caught her breath before she continued. “Of course I made it!  I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”

Dipper walked over to the blonde, still shocked to see her here. “…You do know what this trip is, right?”

Pacifica rolled her eyes at the boy. “Of course I know, dork.  I’m still coming.”

“…And your parents are actually okay with this?” asked Dipper, glancing at Priscilla, who surprised him by giving him a smile.

“Mom is…Dad not so much,” replied the llama with a frown.

“Let me worry about your father, dear,” said Priscilla as she turned to her daughter. “You just go have fun with your friends.”

Pacifica smiled before giving her mother a hug. “Thanks again, Mom.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” replied Priscilla as she hugged her back.  She then turned towards Ford and Stan, who were coming to see what was going on.  Before she could say anything, Stan spoke up.

“I already know what you’re going to say and don’t worry.  We’ll make sure nothing happens to her.”

Priscilla nodded in gratitude.  She then reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of money.  She was about to hand it to Stan before she thought better and handed it to Ford. “That should cover for her meals on this trip.”

“There’s no need for that, ma’am.  We have more than enough money to pay for everything necessary,” replied Ford as he gently pushed the money back.  Stan could only frown at this.

“Still…it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t pay for some of it.”

“…Okay, now I’m confused,” said Dipper as he watched Ford reluctantly accept the offered money.

“I’ll explain everything once we’re on the road,” said Pacifica.

“Now that everyone is here, let’s start this trip!” exclaimed Mabel as she ran towards the RV. “Come on, Grunkle Stan!”

“Hold your horses, pumpkin!  Some of us aren’t as young as we used to be,” replied Stan as he and Ford followed after the energetic girl. “Soos!  Keep an eye on the Shack!”

“You got it, Mr. Pines!” replied Soos with a salute.

Dipper and Pacifica followed soon after, stopping only for a moment so Pacifica could hug her mother goodbye once more before they left.  Once they were inside the RV and strapped in, Stan spoke up.

“So you kids all ready?”

“Yeah!”

“Then let’s hit the road!” exclaimed the old man as he shifted the RV into drive.

The vehicle soon got onto the road and drove to their first destination.  What sort of mysteries and adventures would they encounter on this trip?  All Dipper knew though was that he couldn’t wait to see.

CHAPTER END