Wendy was perched on the stool, her boots on the counter and her back against the wall to stop herself tipping over. It was her second most common position in the shop, the first being when she had one elbow propped on the counter as she lazily flicked through a magazine or played with her phone.

They hadn't re-opened the store after the early closure, but she hadn't contacted her father to update him about that. He would have just left work early to take her home and she needed some quiet time to process the events of that day. Funny. Less than twenty-four hours ago she'd been seeking out Wendy Two, ready to spit or even bleed all over her if necessary. Now it almost felt like some piece of her was missing.

She slipped a hand in her pocket, drawing one of the hundreds of pictures that Mabel had taken with Dipper's instant camera. He usually preferred to develop the photos himself, finding the procedure relaxing and resulting in better quality, but sometimes an immediate photo was more useful. Like when someone was saying goodbye and you wanted to share a few last memories for the other person to take with them.

But a scrapbook could only hold so many, resulting in plenty for both parties, each wanting to remember their brief time together. Wendy looked at one she'd kept: standing beside her twin, each with an arm around the other's shoulder and pulling at their lower eyelids while sticking out their tongues. If it wasn't for the pine tree hat that one wore, it'd be almost impossible to tell them apart.

She slipped the picture back in her pocket as the door to the lab swung open, Stanley stepping out and stretching his arms.

"Hey, kid," he said, walking over and leaning on the counter. "How's it going? Your Dad not picked you up yet?"

"Didn't tell him we closed early," Wendy shrugged, changing to a more natural sitting position. "He'd just want to get back to grounding me and throw me in my room. At least here I don't need to deal with my brothers. Where's Ford?"

"He's talking to McGucket on the radio about...something. I just zone out once they start with the science mumbo-jumbo. But we're taking the kids up there for dinner so he'll be up soon. We'd ask you to join us but what with your Dad-"

"No, I get it. Thanks for thinking of me anyway. You going to talk to him about the photocopier?"

"Not the reason we're going but it'll probably be brought up. At least Tate'll be there. We can talk fishing while those two start hypothesising again."

"Guess it's nice that there's somebody normal while the scientists ramble."

"Oh, no. Don't let the outfit and fishing talk fool you, Tate's just as much a brainiac as his old man. Smarter even! You know that look I get when Ford uses all them science words and I have to wait for Dipper to translate? Well Ford gets the exact same look whenever he asks Tate to check his notes! It's hilarious watching him struggle until McGucket has to explain it! Teach my brother what it's like for the rest of us."

"That does sound fun," Wendy agreed with a little smile. "Hopefully I'll get to see that once I'm allowed back out."

"You should definitely come up some time," Stan told her. "That Northwest girl visits every now and then and I bet he'd love it if more people did too. Gate's always open."

"Boy, how times have changed," Wendy said, remembering how rare it was for anyone in town to get more than a peek inside at the mansion when the Northwests owned it.

"Yeah," Stan said, observing the shop, noticing the lower prices, the different merchandise, the better condition of the shelves and racks. "You got that right."

"It's...strange," Wendy said after a few moments of silence. "They were barely here. But things seem so quiet now that they're gone. I didn't think it would be this hard."

Stan leaned his back against the counter, staring up at the ceiling before answering. "Saying goodbye to family's never easy, Wendy. All we can do is think of the good times to help us through it."

"It's all set," Ford said a moment later, swinging the passage to the lab shut behind him. "All we need to do is phone Fiddleford when we're on our way and he should have the food ready by the time we arrive. Has Dipper returned yet?"

"Not yet," Wendy answered with a shrug. "Might be a while. Don't think it's going to be an easy conversation."

"Ah, yes, of course," Ford said, nodding. "Not an enviable situation." He frowned at Wendy. "But while we're on the subject, I wanted to discuss that little display of yours."

"I didn't do anything!" Wendy snapped. "It was Number Two! I had no idea she was planning that!"

"Nevertheless, she was a clone and thus a near-exact duplicate of you," Ford argued. "And I don't want you getting any ideas. Yes, Dipper is very mature for his age, but the point remains that you are sixteen and he isn't quite fourteen. Now, I know that this is a confusing time for you, struggling with hormones, facing these strong physical desires-"

"Is he serious?" Wendy demanded, turning to Stan.

"Unfortunately," Stan sighed, shaking his head.

"-and while I can see why you'd be attracted to someone of Dipper's mighty intellect-" Ford continued.

"Figures you'd think that was what people were into," Stan muttered under his breath.

"-the point remains that he is still a child and, no matter how strong his urges and yours are, you must not succumb to them or-"

"I have an axe!" Wendy snarled, drawing the weapon. "And today is not the day to test me, Stan Two!"

"Alright, alright," Stan sighed, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder and holding the other up in front of Wendy. "Fun as it would be to call the guys over and have them place bets on who'd win (no offense, bro, but my money ain't on you) we've got a dinner to go to so I'm stopping this right here. Wendy, settle down and put the deadly weapon away for now. Ford, I'll explain why you're wrong in the car. And then again at dinner, just to rub it in your face."

"And you'd better listen," Wendy added, returning her axe to its sheathe. "I swear, the next person who brings this up is gonna have my boot up their-"

"Look what I made!" Mabel screamed as she charged into the room, carrying her scrapbook for this summer. "Totally worth the wait!"

She slammed the book on the counter, tearing through it until she was at the end, picking it up and holding it aloft to show the others.

"Dipper's first kiss!" she announced, Wendy's eye twitching when she saw her young friend had printed the image from her phone, placing it in the centre of a love heart drawn on two pages, surrounded by smaller ones, lipstick markings, cartoons of Dipper and Wendy Two together and several scribbles that she didn't think she wanted to read. "Well, his first girl-kiss, anyway."

"His first - what?" asked Ford, Stan sticking his finger in his ear in case they'd both misheard.

"But I bet he liked this one more," Mabel continued happily. "Sure, Mermando did have nicer hair and a better moustache than the one you're getting, but they didn't have any real chemistry so overall-"

"Mabel, you better give me that damn photo before I-" Wendy began, one foot on the counter and ready to launch herself at the younger teen before Stan put his hands out to stop her.

"Mabel," he said, his mouth set in concern. "Sweetie. Please get rid of that photo. We need to be logical here."

"Boo!" Mabel cried, dancing out of reach. "That's a boring word!"

"Stanley and Wendy are right, Mabel," Ford said, holding up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "That's a very incriminating image. Just think of what your mother would do if she saw it!"

Mabel stopped in her tracks, staring at her great-uncles. Then her eyes went wide and she let out a small gasp of terrified realisation, ripping the offending pages and photo out of her scrapbook and scrunching them in her hand before throwing them to the floor and stomping on them for good measure.

"Woo! That was a close shave," she told Wendy, wiping at her brow and giving a small laugh. "Almost signed your death-warrant!"

"Uh-huh," said Wendy, hardly able to believe that Mabel had allowed any harm to come to her beloved scrapbook, let alone so drastically. "Okay, I've been wondering this for a while now, but what's the deal with your Mom? Dipper's told me a bit about her, but the way you guys talk about her, she seems almost like a supervillain sometimes."

"Oh, no no no!" Mabel laughed, Stan and Ford sharing an uneasy look behind her. "No, she's nothing like that! It's just that she picked up some, er, interesting habits from the job she had before she met Dad."

"What was she, a secret agent or something?"

"Yes."

"Wait, seriously?" Wendy asked, equal parts surprised and impressed.

"We think so, anyway. It would explain a lot. She says she's not at liberty to discuss it. And even if she could, she wouldn't because it's her duty to protect us from the darkness of this world. But Dipper and I've taken her words and actions into consideration over the years and we've reached our own conclusions. Dipper once said he thinks she specialised in intensive interrogation and wet work."

"He...what?"

"Personally, I think she tortured and killed people."

Wendy stared at her for a moment, desperately wishing her face would suddenly form into a broad grin to reveal it was all some odd joke at her expense. Then she looked at Stan and Ford, noting their grim expressions.

"Huh," Wendy said at last, turning back to Mabel. "That's very interesting." She hesitated a moment before voicing her next question. "Okay, so why does she hate me? I mean, Pink and the Professor I can understand, even if they have blown it way out of proportion-"

"It's not so much that she hates you, Wendy," Stan said slowly, scratching the back of his neck and trying to choose the nicest possible way to explain. "It's more that she thinks Dipper deserves better than the likes of you."

Wendy threw him a look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you didn't sound the best on paper," Stan said, shifting uncomfortably. "You're a bit of a delinquent and you didn't have the best grades until Dipper started tutoring you. She's a substitute so stuff like that really bugs her, y'know? Plus, when she heard how many boyfriends you've had-"

"What's wrong with having a few boyfriends?" Wendy snapped.

"I believe what Stanley's trying to say," Ford interrupted before his brother's lack of finesse could get him in more trouble, "Is that our niece-in-law has exceptionally high standards and can be a little...zealous in regards to the well-being of her children. Dipper especially. And she's a bit concerned that they could be led astray by people who might have some influence over them."

"Look, it's not just you, alright?" Stan said when he saw the cashier open her mouth in indignation. "She had a few nasty words with us at Hanukkah. She was none too pleased about me pretending to be Ford, or giving Dipper the keys to the golf cart, or us letting Mabel hold a crossbow, or getting them arrested for counterfeiting-"

"I actually agree with her strongly on that one, Stanley."

"Shut up! How was I supposed to know she'd find out about it? And even then, she didn't need to threaten us with...that!"

"I didn't think what she said was possible," Ford whispered, turning pale. "But when she showed me those diagrams…"

"Yep, that's Mom for you," Mabel chuckled as her great-uncles shuddered. "But Stan's right, you shouldn't take it personally. She just gets worried about us sometimes. Honestly, if she didn't think we were safe or knew how much Gravity Falls meant to us, she wouldn't let us come back. And I don't even think Mom could argue that you haven't been good to Dipper."

"Thanks, Mabel," said Wendy, appreciating the compliment. "I think he deserves-"

"'Course not as good as Wendy Two!" Mabel grinned, nudging a still shaken Ford with her elbow and ruining the moment. "Wowzah! Now I'm way more curious about that chat they had in the woods."

"Mabel," Wendy warned her, scowling.

"And then that little whisper before she jumped," Mabel continued, stroking her chin theatrically with a mischievous grin. "Wonder what she said? A bit quick to be a declaration of love, but maybe a promise for the future or a hint to-"

"Mabel, I will throw you in the pit, swear to God!"

"Don't want me interrupting the shenanigans between you and Dipper, huh?" Mabel said, nodding in happily, unfazed by her friend's fearsome glare. She wrapped her arms around herself and turned until Wendy could only see her back, her fingers dancing on her shoulders, wriggling as she made exaggerated kissing sounds. "Mwah, I love you so much, let's get married, mwah-mwah!"

"I think that's enough now," said Ford, clearing his throat and looking very uncomfortable while Stan turned away, a hand hiding his mouth.

"Goddamn it, number Two," Wendy muttered as Mabel ignored her great-uncle's advice. "Now I'm going to be stuck with this all summer."

"Probably longer if your brothers were included in the text," Mabel pointed out, letting her arms fall to her side and turning to face them again, still grinning. "And, hey, technically you've only got yourself to blame! Isn't that hilarious?"

"Ha, freaking ha." Wendy let out an exasperated sigh and scratched the back of her head. "Do...do you think he'll be okay?" she asked them. "When I tell him that it...didn't mean anything?"

The Pines family looked at each other, thinking of how long their youngest member had harboured those unrequited feelings, despite trying his hardest to push past them.

"You're his best friend, Wendy," Mabel said at last. "And Dipper's smart enough to know that's what really counts."

"I think he'll be fine, after a while," Ford agreed. "He has a big heart and you two have something special. I doubt he'll let anything get in the way of that. Not even his own feelings."

"Hm," said Wendy, still not at ease, thinking back to a conversation on a log that had pained her worse than the battle with a monster just minutes before it.

"Speak of the devil," Stan sighed, looking out the door window and spotting his great-nephew walking towards them, his sister's bike by his side. Stan leaned over the counter and put a large hand on her arm. "We'll give you two some time. Take it from someone who knows: better to tell the painful truth now before it causes more pain later."

Wendy nodded in thanks, glad that they were giving her some space. Sure, Mabel would probably be eavesdropping to hear the whole thing, but it was still a nice gesture.

She drummed her fingers on the counter. She thought back to what she said last time, not wanting an exact repeat but not sure what else she could say. Things hadn't changed for her. Not in that way. Yes, she cared about him even more now, had grown closer to him than anyone, including her family and Tambry. And she was happy to see how far he'd come since that first summer.

He was more confident, able to stand up for himself better and look people, even girls, in the eye. He hadn't grown much but he walked taller, no longer hunching as often as he used to, as if trying to shy away from others. He was more accepting of his faults instead of dwelling on them or trying to hide them like he had before. He seemed happier, both with himself and in general, still eager to please but no longer desperate to prove himself to the world or even her.

And it pained her greatly to think of the look on his face when she'd have to tell him that she still couldn't see him the way he wanted.

The bell above the shop door rang, interrupting her thoughts.

"Hello, Corduroy," Officer Mendez said with a smug smile, strolling in with her hands behind her back, her hat in one hand and holding the opposing wrist in the other. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, hey, Mendez," Wendy said, too lost in thought to notice the arrival of the patrol car outside. "Did you see Dipper on your way in? I need to talk to him."

"He's sitting outside," Mendez replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "Looking very pleased with himself. I wonder why?"

Wendy let out a groan at the woman's tone. "Oh, come on! Tambry had your number too?"

"She thought it might be handy in case there's anything like the potion-witch thing again. Can't say I disagree with her logic."

"Suppose I should be grateful she didn't show it to my Dad," Wendy grunted. "Otherwise he'd have barged in already, demanding to know what I was doing."

"Yeah, we'll discuss that in a moment," said Mendez, giving her a critical look. "But first thing's first. I've been thinking of the best way to punish you for those little clones of yours."

Wendy's stomach dropped. "Punish me? But Wendy Three was the one who led them! I was the first one they attacked!"

"Yes, but you were also the one who made them," Mendez pointed out, narrowing her eyes. "That means they were your responsibility. Which means it's your name I'm going to add to the police report. I've already thought of a suitable punishment. Can you guess what it is? No? I'll give you a little hint: what's paper used for?"

"...books?" Wendy said after a while, dreading where this was going.

"That's right!" Mendez said, stepping on tiptoe and leaning over the counter to pat the tall teen's head. "Who says you aren't clever? Mister McGucket's ordered a whole bunch of new computers and books for the library and the librarians have been looking for volunteers to help out. And guess who's name I've decided to add to that list?"

"...Mine."

"Right again! You're on a roll! You can do all the grunt work so they can get on with the archiving; the cleaning, heavy lifting, work the desk a little, put up notices throughout town, fix those old, wobbly desks and loose shelves - basically whatever they want."

"Great. Sounds like fun."

"I thought so too," Mendez said, smiling in satisfaction. "Now, I'm not sure how long it'll take for it to finish but I think they can make use of you even after the new stuff's sorted. There's always something that needs to be cleaned, a toilet to be scrubbed."

"Uh-huh. And how long am I volunteering for?"

Mendez's smile broadened in anticipation. "Well, considering the number of clones you made and how much trouble they could have caused...I think two months should cover it."

Mendez's smile broadened as she saw the teenager's reaction; the widening of the eyes, the way the colour drained from her already pale cheeks as she processed the information. Then her smile faltered as the girl's expression changed, her lips tightening as she slouched and let out a resigned sigh.

"Okay," Wendy said. "Fair enough."

Mendez stared at her. "That's it?" she asked. "No swearing or angry complaining? Not even a moody grumble?"

"All of that'll come later," Wendy promised, irritated by the woman's obvious disappointment. "But no, I was only thinking of myself and made a mess of things trying to dodge the consequences. It's about time I learned to accept my punishment instead of making things worse. I guess...I can head over after school. I'll just have to work all-day Saturday. Might be hard to manage but Soos and Melody should be able to handle things without me for that long, it's a bit quieter when school starts again. And Stan will be around if they need an extra hand."

"Right," said Mendez, deflating a little at her response. "That's good. I guess. Anyway, I'll talk to your dad, tell him that-"

Wendy's hand shot out and grabbed the officer. "Please!" she cried. "Please don't tell my Dad about the clones!"

"Hey, what're you - get off!"

"I'll do anything! I'll volunteer for as long as you want! Hell, I'll even become a librarian! Just - just don't tell my Dad? At least, not yet!"

"I'm not going to haggle with your sentence, Corduroy!" Mendez snapped, unable to pry herself loose. "Now let go before I drag you in for assault!"

"But he can't find out!" Wendy protested desperately. "He'll ruin everything and it'll be all my fault!"

Mendez stopped trying to tear herself out of the redhead's iron-grip, unprepared for the sudden vulnerability in her voice. "Are you okay?"

Wendy hesitated, not sure how much she should say and whether it would make the sometimes vindictive cop more or less willing to help her - if it would have any effect at all. "No," she finally admitted, letting go of her arm. "My Dad, he went mental after the whole Northwest car thing. Uh, not that I had anything to do with-"

"Forget the car," Mendez said, waving away her confession. "What were you saying about your dad?"

"Yeah, he was furious," Wendy said, surprised that the officer was sparing her so easily. "Told me I was too old to be acting out and doing stupid stuff. And - and he was right. But I didn't listen. He said he'd ship me to my cousin's next summer if I misbehaved again, even threatened to stop me going to the wedding. But I still made those clones because - because I thought I could get away with it. Despite knowing what it could mean if I didn't.

"If - if you want to tell him about them then - then okay. But, please, just wait until the wedding's over? This is going to be the most important day of Soos' life and he'll be heart-broken if I'm not there. I'll take whatever punishment's thrown at me, even if it means...even if it means I'm not here next summer. But I can't ruin this for him. He doesn't deserve to suffer for my crimes."

Mendez leaned forward, peering at the notorious trouble-maker and trying to detect even a hint of an ulterior motive. "Alright," she sighed, after failing to find any. "I'll leave out the clones. But you're still going to the library for a month!" she added sharply. "I'll tell your Dad that's the punishment for Northwest's car."

"Great, fine, thank you!" Wendy said, nodding eagerly. "You've no idea how much I appreciate this - hang on. I thought you said I'd be there for two months?"

"Don't argue with me, Corduroy," Mendez said, returning her hat to her head. "It'll make both our lives easier."

Wendy said nothing but rapidly nodded her thanks. Then she suddenly remembered something important, glad she now had the perfect opportunity. "Hey, Mendez, before you go - I've got something for you."

"It's not a bribe, is it? Because if it is -"

"What? No! It's something I need you to sign for me. Here."

She thrust out a piece of paper, Mendez raising an eyebrow at it before turning it over and seeing that it simply read 'see you next summer' in the centre, surrounded by the names of several townsfolk.

"It's a goodbye gift for Dipper," Wendy explained. "Just a list to remind him of the friends he's got in town."

"I'm a friend?" the officer asked, sceptically.

Wendy looked her in the eye. "You helped us fight off Jenna and you've done a lot for this town. I think you've earned a place on that sheet."

"This Pines kid...he means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Mendez asked as she took the sheet.

Wendy looked out the window, just able to see the corner of her old trapper hat if she leaned forward. "More than you know."

"Uh-huh." Mendez finished scribbling and held out the paper, replacing her pen. "Okay, I know it's not really any of my business and I like to think you're too smart to do anything too stupid, but don't try any funny business with him."

"Wait, what?"

"I get that he's pretty mature," Mendez began, much to Wendy's growing annoyance, "But he's still just a kid. I know dating younger guys is more popular these days-"

"Oh, my God," Wendy groaned, burying her head in her hands.

"But he's still very young. Now, I get that you've got these confusing hormones and urges and that you two are close but he's still a boy and unfortunately, if anything happens then it's usually us girls who deal with the consequences-"

"Oh, for f-!"

"And considering your age, that would be legally as well as socially. And I've put up with a lot of your crap, Corduroy, but if I find out you've-"

Wendy slammed her fist on the counter. "I'm not dating Dipper! That was my clone! And she only did it to mess with me!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Mendez breathed, putting a hand over her heart. "I'm normally against pulling people up for PDAs but I don't think I could stop myself! He looks about ten while you could pass for twenty!"

"Is my reputation for guys really that bad?" Wendy demanded, deciding not to argue about the age comments.

Mendez stopped. "...maybe…?"

Wendy pinched the bridge of her nose. "You make a few dozen bad choices and people keep expecting the worst from you!"

"I hear that!" Mendez laughed. "Welcome to womanhood!"

Wendy lowered her hand, glaring at her. "Why are you being so nice?" she demanded. "I thought you hated me?"

Mendez rolled her eyes. "I don't hate you, you idiot! I'm tough on you because that's my job. I see you doing all these dumb things and I'm supposed to just let it slide? What kind of cop would I be?"

"Pretty normal one for Gravity Falls," Wendy muttered.

"That's - that's a good point, actually. But I want that to change! I'm not dragging your or those friends of yours over to the station half as much as I used to, so I like to think you guys are finally learning to behave yourselves."

"Yeah," Wendy reluctantly agreed. Her mouth twitched, remembering the trouble they used to cause, even when people were still struggling to move on from the events of Weirdmageddon. "Yeah," she said again, with more regret. "Dad was right. I really do need to grow up. Hell, maybe even Pink and the Professor are right. I've been nothing but trouble."

"Oh, shut up!" Mendez snapped, catching her off-guard. "What, you think you're the only person to have problems with the law? Hell, I did worse than I hope you ever will."

"Really?" Wendy asked, surprised by her response. "Like what?"

Mendez cocked her head to the side, looking the teenager up and down as if trying to work something out. "Maybe I'll tell you someday," she said, eventually. "But not today. The point is, I've looked over your rap sheet and arrested you more times than I want to admit. I have more reason to dislike you than almost anyone. But I never thought you were a bad person, Wendy. And you've done nothing to convince me otherwise."

"Um...thank you?" Wendy said, taken aback.

"Any time," Mendez replied, leaning forward to pat her arm. "And if you need to talk to someone, let me know. You need someone since I think the Professor's made it pretty clear she'll never give you an appointment. Take car of yourself, Wendy."

Wendy watched the officer return to her patrol car and drive away, unsure of what to make of their conversation. It seemed like a lot to take in after an already complicated day. She felt very unsure of herself. Which happened more than she was willing to admit but this time she was struggling to hide it, despite years of perfecting the act.

Her eyes drifted to the boy still sitting on the steps, staring up at the sky and obviously lost in thought. She glanced at the watch on the wall and saw that it wouldn't be long before her father came to collect her. Better bite the bullet now, then.

"Hey, Dipper," she said, keeping her voice casual as she stepped outside. "Mind if I join you?"

"Hey, Wendy," Dipper responded, his voice as casual as hers. "No, go ahead. Take a seat."

She did, following his eyeline to the sky, a few stars appearing in the twilight. "Looks like it'll be a nice night."

"Yeah."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He didn't look as upset as she had feared. He didn't look upset at all, in fact. She gave a short exhale through her nose, wishing there was some way that she could spare him from another rejection but knowing it had to be done. "Listen, Dipper, about what Wendy Two did-"

"It didn't mean anything. I shouldn't get my hopes up about a future between us because of one small act. She was just caught up in the moment and your feelings haven't changed towards me."

She turned to him, not surprised by his words but even more surprised by the calm, reasonable way he said them. "Um...yeah. I - I'm sorry, Dipper. Are you okay?"

His mouth twitched and he looked from the sky to the ground, thinking. "Pacifica confessed to me."

"I see," said Wendy, his face and tone not revealing as much. "That's...good. Isn't it?"

"I had to turn her down."

"Oh. That's - I'm sorry, Dipper. I know how hard that can be."

He let out a brief chuckle. "Yeah. It's funny. I never in a million years thought I'd turn down someone like Pacifica. She's smart, funny, pretty. Totally out of my league. And I really, really like her. But I don't like her. Well, I kind of do. But not enough to feel comfortable dating her. I'm not ready to date anyone."

"I think that's a good thing to know about yourself," Wendy told him. "Truth is, dating kinda sucks. I wish I'd waited a bit before I got started." She rubbed the back of her neck. "How is she? Pacifica, I mean. She was crying when she phoned Mabel and being turned down can't have been easy."

"Hollow," Dipper said, after a moment's consideration. "Cold and drained. As if she's pushed herself towards some vital goal and still failed, and now the whole world will judge her for it. Embarrassed that she tried so hard in the first place, despite knowing deep down that it wouldn't go the way she wanted. And angry. At herself, mostly, but also me for rejecting her. At everyone who doubted her chances and anyone who gave her the false hope that she'd succeed."

"Wow. She told you all that?"

"No."

"Oh. Right."

"But she's also happy that we're still friends. And I think she'll also appreciate the honesty. The respect the other person has for them. She'll realise how valuable that is, more important than having a girlfriend or boyfriend. She'll see that someone doesn't need to be attracted to you to truly care about you. In fact, sometimes that makes it even more special. Maybe she won't realise it all at once, and she'll probably get those negative flashes every now and then, even when she thinks she's moved past it...but one day she'll finally know that-"

"That she was always worthy of loving."

He turned his head towards her and they were quiet as they looked at each other.

"I never knew you heard me," he admitted.

She pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. "Yeah. Didn't want to say anything. Thought it'd only embarrass you. But honestly? That was awesome, dude. I mean, we crash a car-"

"What do you mean, 'we?'"

"Hah! Okay, yeah, that one's on me. But dragging yourself out of the wreck like that? Coolest thing I've ever seen. And then when we were surrounded, you somehow managed to convince Gideon Gleeful of all people to sacrifice himself to buy us time? And you did it by reaching out to him, by being kind and sympathetic to the kid who'd terrorised you and Mabel for so long. I don't think anyone else could have done that, Dipper. I think that was the moment you became my hero. Wendy Two wasn't lying. You've always been worthy of loving."

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, blushing as her words hit him. He thought of Pacifica, knowing only too-well what she must be going through. How much she mattered to him. Hoping that he could be as good to her as Wendy had been to him after his own confession.

"Yeah," he said. "I think I see that now."

She turned her head and smiled at him. "Gotta say, Dip, you're handling this way better than I thought. I'm pretty impressed."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll be freaking out about this whole thing later," he said, quickly. "Next time you see me, I'll probably be back to my normal, anxious, sweaty self. I'm just very happy right now."

"And why's that?" she asked without thinking.

He smiled. "An incredible, beautiful girl I've liked for a very long time kissed me today. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

She blinked, thrown by his abruptness. "I suppose that is something to cherish," she admitted, keeping her reluctance out of her voice.

"Yeah," Dipper agreed, looking dreamily up at the sky again. "It really is."

She hesitated to ask the question gnawing away at her. But it had to get out and she didn't want to wait too long in case she lost her courage later. "Hey, Dipper...what were you and Wendy Two talking about in those woods? Before I got there?"

He looked at her again, his lips tightening as he thought how to respond. "She told me I stink and should wash my clothes more often."

"I...see…"

"I notice you're not denying it."

"Huh? Oh! Um, well, you don't, uh, you should, uh-"

"It's fine. Even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear, she was being honest and trying to help me. She told me something I needed to hear and something I wish someone had told me a long time ago. I'm always going to be grateful for that."

"Right. Wait, are we still talking about showering more? Or was there something else she said to you?"

Dipper smirked. "Maybe I'll tell you some time. But not for a while."

She hesitated, the words sounding vaguely familiar and suspecting he'd chosen them for a reason, but unsure why. "Fair enough. I guess. Then what about later? What did she whisper to you before she jumped?"

"She gave me some advice."

"What kind of advice?"

Dipper looked away, his cheeks turning pink. "That's a bit personal," he said with a grin. "But I don't think I'll need it for another few years."

"Right," said Wendy, trying to hide her annoyance. Usually he was more open with her. It was frustrating to feel left out of it, especially since she'd no doubt be feeling the consequences for months to come.

"I saw Mendez arrive. I guess you're going to be doing some community service?"

"Yeah," Wendy sighed, happy for subject change. "Working at the library. Soos and Melody want to take their honeymoon after you guys leave, hopefully I can arrange to do it then. Otherwise I'll have to work here on Saturdays."

"That sucks."

"Not really. She could have made me work a lot longer. And she agreed not to tell my Dad about the clones so I could make the wedding."

"Huh. That's actually pretty cool of her."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"

Dipper scratched his head, his happy mood faltering as he thought of returning home and missing all the friends he had here - the only ones he had anywhere, save for Mabel. Saying goodbye would be even harder this time. He'd become closer to all of them. Still, if Tracey and Quattro could say goodbye to their entire world forever, he could say goodbye to his for just one year.

"I'm glad I made Tracey and Quattro," he told her. "And I'm glad you and Mabel made your clones. They might have caused a lot of problems for us, embarrassed and annoyed us...but that's what family's all about. I'll miss them."

"Yeah," Wendy softly said. "Me too."

They heard the loud engine and the crunch of gravel and before long, Manly Dan's truck came into view, its driver wearing his perpetual scowl. He parked and glared at them, lifting a few fingers from the steering while in response to their wave.

"Welp, adventure over, time to get my big butt home," Wendy declared, getting to her feet and wiping at her jeans. "This was a weird one. Not fun, exactly, but I'm still glad it happened." She affectionately punched him in the arm. "See you tomorrow, Dipper."

"See you tomorrow, Wendy," he said, raising his hand to her this time, watching her leave. Then his eyes drifted and he remembered something else that Wendy Two had told him. "Oh, hey, Wendy?"

She turned back to face him.

"Your butt's not that big."

She stared at him, amazed to see that he looked for all the world as if he'd just given her a compliment.

"Um...Thank you?"

"Anytime," he said, returning his gaze to the sky.

She nodded, having no idea why he'd said it, especially not in that way, or how she was supposed to react. Today seemed to be full of moments like that. So she turned back to the truck, jumping in and putting her seatbelt on as her father grunted in greeting.

She watched her young friend from the window and in the mirrors as they drove away, still trying to make sense of it all. Damn! she thought. Now I REALLY want to know what she said to him!

He heard the truck leave, feeling more relaxed and content than he had in a long time as he thought back to the kiss. The lips were as soft as he'd dreamed, but it wasn't the long, drawn out affair he'd romanticised about for so long, nor the more passionate thing he'd been fantasising about more frequently as he aged. And that didn't make it any less magical in the slightest.

He'd meant every word to Pacifica and Wendy. Their friendships were important to him. Too important to risk either for something as silly as romance, especially now that he knew he wasn't ready. And yes, he also knew better than to think Wendy Two's act was anything more than what he told Pacifica: a rare burst of emotion from someone during a life-changing moment.

But, despite all that, looking back on it often - because of course he would - it would be a happy moment that would stay with him for a long time. After all, when everything was said and done -

"She kissed me," he said. And giggled.

THE END

Author's note: Finally! As necessary as this story is, it's been the hardest to write by a large margin, made worse by extra work, changes in my personal life, and let's not even mention the things happening in the world outside! But I made it. It's taken over six months but it's over and my country's starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I could be kicking myself for updating this story about twice a month instead of the weekly updates I try and aim for. My natural instinct is to do just that. But I'm not going to do that this time. Because this story is just over 90,000 words long.

90,000 words! Even across seven months, that's a lot! That's more than Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone! Sure, these aren't original characters and the world was already built for me, but that ain't too shabby for a four-finger typist working full-time while helping out his family.

So, yeah, a lot of you have probably felt the way I usually feel, wondering why you haven't done more with the extra free time this thing's probably given you; whether it's writing, reading, working out, learning to play that instrument, doing more push-ups, whatever. And if you have that's great! If you haven't, it's because you've been too busy being concerned!

Look, I'll be the first to admit that this pandemic hasn't hit me as hard as most people. Yeah, I've been concerned about my friends and family, I've been doing more hours and work's been harder. But I'm also working the best job I've ever had, a secure job surrounded by great people and I've always been a bit of a sun-fearing, anti-social loner so I've not suffered like most.

But even with all that, I've still struggled through it. Fearful of what the future could bring, annoyed for not doing more, whether that was in my personal life, work, or my writing.

Hell, I've been sitting on that book a friend loaned me six months ago and haven't even reached chapter four, I still can't cook, I've barely exercised, I've got about thirty other books to read - and that's not even including all those fanfics I've bookmarked - and I'm still wasting my time with YouTube animal clips and pratfalls.

I've rambled. But I think I'm going to keep this in.

Because we could all do more. And take it from an expert in procrastination and self-criticism: it doesn't mean you're lesser for it.

Anyway, it was cathartic to rant but I'm sure you'll all be glad this one's finished because now I can finally prepare the story that I've been building towards almost since I started writing: The wedding!

It'll be the finale to Dipper and Mabel's second summer in Gravity Falls and the penultimate story before I take another break to plan out next summer and finally get around to reading all those fanfics I've been putting off. (Sorry about that, BTW.)

I'm sure it'll go off without a hitch! After all, what could possibly go wrong...