Dipper and Mabel laid on the living room rug in the home in California. Summer had been going on for a few months now and they were already bored to death.

"wanna-"

"no."

"Wanna-"

"no."

"wanna-"

"no."

"I'm out of ideas," Mabel sighed dramatically and rolled over onto her stomach. She reached over to scratch Waddles and the pig grunts with pleasure.

"Its been one year since we've seen Grunkle Stand and Grunkle Ford," Dipper complained, "why can't we go back?"

"Mom says its cause They didn't realize Grunkle Stan wasn't really StanFORD. They said faking his own death and all was over the top and-"

"Yeah, Mabel, I get it, but it wasn't like they thought he was an upstanding citizen to begin with and we still went the last time."

"I know!" Mabel sat up, her eyes beaming, "How about we ask REALLY nicely?!"

Dipper gave her a long-suffering look, "didn't we already try that?"

"Maybe it will work this time," she shrugged.

Before Dipper could contradict her, the doorbell rang. Mabel squealed with delight as she sprang up and ran for the door. The squealing got louder once she opened the door.

"GRUNKLE STAN! GRUNKLE FORD!"

Dipper ran to the door as well to see their favorite uncles standing on the front steps. Mabel was already hugging them and Dipper wasted no time in joining her. They laughed and tried to catch up over each other.

"So what are you doing here?"

"We invited them," the twins mom opened the door wider to let the uncles into the house, "Come on in and have a seat, would you like some water or a soda?"

"I'm fine," Ford said, but Stand took the offer of the soda. They sat in the living room, Dipper and Mabel overly excited that their grunkles were in California.

"So what happened in your adventure to the Antarctic?!"

"Tell us EVERYTHING!"

"Well, we found a-"

Stan stopped as the twins mom and dad entered the room again. He cleared his throat and said instead, "yeah, we found really big fish, didn't we Ford?"

"Really big fish," Ford nodded and winked at the twins. Dipper and Mabel laughed and couldn't wait to hear more, but their parents had other plans.

"We called them here so we could talk," their dad said.

"So we can go back to Gravity Falls?" Dipper asked.

"Maybe," their mother said, "but we need to have an adult conversation first. A lot has happened and we need to make sure its ok."

"My long lost brother came back," Stan shrugged, "nothing dangerous about that…except his left hook."

"I apologized," Ford muttered.

"Yeah, not really-"

"Mason, Mabel, why don't you two play outside while we talk," their dad said, ushering them to the door.

"But we want to talk to Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford!" Mabel protested.

"Yeah, we haven't seen them in ages!" Dipper complained.

"They're staying the weekend, so you can see them later on tonight. For now, let the adults talk."

Their dad shut the door, effectively cutting them off from the house.

"Awww," both voiced their disappointment as they turned to walk away from the house. As they walked to the end of the side walk, Dipper turned to Mabel.

"What do you wanna do now?"

"I don't know," she said. She was still grinning, her eyes large and hopeful, "Do you think mom and dad will let us go back with them?"

"I hope so. I wanna go back and see everyone again. Do you think Grunkle Stan will take the shop back from Soos?"

"Nooo! I forgot about that! Will we get to live in the Shack?!"

"I'm sure they've figured something out or else they wouldn't be back."

"….ooo, but I don't wanna kick Soos out…."

Dipper watched his sister visibly change her mind back and forth between her desires. He grinned and punched her shoulder.

"Race you to the park!"

"NOT FAIR!"

()

"So, so, so, I went and she was all like, nu-huh, and I was like uh-huh," Mabel said through a mouthful of food. They were all seated around the dinner table and Mabel had been regaling them with how high school was for her.

Dipper couldn't get a word an edgewise. But he didn't mind. He sat next to Ford and ate his food while Mabel tried to eat and talk at the same time.

After a while Stan placed a hand on her head and forced her to sit all the way down in her seat.

"You'll choke if you continue on like that," he gruffed.

"How has school been for you, Dipper?" Ford asked. Dipper shrugged. Now that he had the spotlight he didn't like it.

"Its fine, I guess."

"Dipper is top of the class!" Mabel burst out, "It's a fight against this other kid who's also really smart! Dipper and Kristian HATE each other!"

"Ugh," Dipper rolled his eyes, "don't mention that jerk at the table."

"Don't call other people 'jerks' at the table," his mother chided, "who knows. Someday you two might be friends."

"Death first," Dipper muttered and Mabel cackled.

"I had my share of rivals in school," Ford said, scratched his beard, "I don't think I ever became friends with any of them…I wonder where they are?"

"Does that matter?"

"No, Stanly, it doesn't."

"Then why bother wondering?"

Ford sighed and shook his head. Dipper grinned and Mabel picked up on another story.

()

When the weekend ended Dipper and Mabel BEGGED their parents to go back with their Grunkles.

"Now, kids, maybe you can come next summer."

"But-"

Stan patted Mabel on the head, "everything will be fine. We have to go get the Shack back from Soos."

"MY house," Ford corrected, "we're going to get MY house back from Soos."

"Whatever," Stan waved the accusation away.

As they waved goodbye, Dipper wondered if they really ever would go back.

()

Two years later Dipper and Mabel boarded a buss to Gravity Falls.

They laughed and joked and reveled in the excitement of returning to the town for the summer.

"I can't wait to see everyone!" Mabel squealed, squeezing her pig, "Candy and Grenda! We've written each other, but I've missed them! And everyone else!"

"Its probably changed, but I'm excited to see how everything is."

"-and the diner! And the gnomes! And the water tower! And the arcade! And the-"

Dipper smiled as Mabel continued to list everything they missed about the town. He let her rant and looked out the window. They'd be there in just a few hours.

()

"Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Ford!"

They jumped off the buss and ran to their uncles, giving them huge hugs.

"You've gotten taller!"

"Yeah, Dipper passed me ages ago," Mabel sighed, "no longer the alpha twin…"

"You're fine, Mabel," Ford said patting her head, "now come on you two, let's go home."

()

"The shack!"

"What did you do to Soos?"

"Oh, he's still in charge of the mystery Shack, we just made him find a different place to live," Stan said getting out of the car and stretching, "I'm too old for these shinanigins anyway."

Ford muttered something, but the kids were already running towards the shack. Bursting through the door they saw Soos, in his suit and tie, straightening up one of the displays.

"Soos!"

"Dudes!"

They hugged and marveled at what Soos had done with the place. It looked cleaner than they remembered.

"Business is awesome, dudes."

"Sorry we kicked you out."

"No worries," Soos beamed, "To be honest I didn't like sleeping out here with all the weird stuff going on."

"What?"

"What?"

"Hey, Soos!" Stan snapped barging in the front door, "what the heck is that?!"

"Its my new idea Mr. Pines!"

"It sucks!"

"I knew you'd approve."

()

"The attic once again," Mabel flopped down on her bed, "This Grunkle Ford will let you sleep in his room? I mean, we have our own rooms back home now."

"Naw, let him have his own room. It will be just like old times!"

"Yeah!"

"Wanna go outside and look around?"

"Do I ever!"

They ran down stairs and out the front door.

"Be back by sun down you two!" Ford yelled after them.