Little Dipper

The Hunt

"Sooooeee!" McGucket called.

"If Waddles was able to come to us, he would've when Mabel called him by his actual name. Please stop that." Stan said as they walked by pillars of dinosaurs caught in sap, frozen in time. "Yeesh, peanut-brittle, tree-sap, what else preserves life that we're gonna hear about this summer?" He walked over to examine the dino. "A T-Rex...shooting it might just make it mad, Plus, they're horrible climbers. Let's focus on the living and breathing flying ones." He walked away from it.

"Grunkle Stan, are you talking to yourself?" Dipper asked, walking over to him.

"Yep." Stan said, looking around for any sign of the beasts.

"Well, while you're talking to yourself, can you talk about your red tattoo?" Dipper asked.

"Nope." Stan glanced at him. "You, uh, saw that? It's not a tattoo, kid."

"What is it, then?" Dipper asked.

"It's...uh...I don't wanna talk about it." Stan walked on ahead of the group.

"But..." Dipper walked after him. "But, I wanna know!"

"Pine Tree." Bill spoke up. "Sometimes adults have secrets they would rather not share. Drop it."

"Oh." Dipper looked at Mabel. "Did I do bad?"

"No, you're just curious. That's not a bad thing. But, Bill's right, sometimes you just have to let things go." Mabel said, shaking her head with a smile.

"Bill?" McGucket paused and looked at Bill. "Your name's Bill? Bill what? I think I knew a Bill! Did I know you?"

"I dunno, maybe? I've been...out of touch with people for 30 years." Bill said, moving a hand up to cover his earring again. "Yeah, I think we did know each other."

"Hm. Well, I'm sure, if we were friends, you'd let me know, right?" McGucket asked.

"Sure. I mean, we weren't really friends. More like...coworkers, if anything? We didn't talk." Bill shook his head.

"Oh! Well, we can talk now!" McGucket grinned.

"Sure, nothing wrong with getting to know each other now. Your son runs the fishing shop, right?" Bill asked.

"Yep!" McGucket nodded.

"He's nice. I heard you built a fake Gobblewonker, was it realistic?" Bill asked.

"Oh, yes! Why, these three thought it was the realest thing, until I got it stuck in a cave opening!" McGucket slapped his knee and laughed. "Ah, good times!"

"Do you still have it? I'd love to see it." Bill grinned.

"Well, sure! We can look at it after we get the pig! Soooeeee!" McGucket called out again.

"Waddles, where are you?!" Mabel called as they approached a doorway, passing an old mine-cart on the way.

"Uuuuuwwwwwweeeeeeeeee!"

"Waddles!" Mabel ran in and saw Waddles in a nest with some shaking eggs and two expecting parents. "Oh no, Waddles!"

Stan aimed his gun and fired on the creatures. They flew out of the way and one of them dove at Stan while the other moved to protect the eggs.

"Waddles!" Mabel ran over, but Bill moved quicker and grabbed the pig, the pterodactyl pecking at his coat as he moved to head back.

"Shooting Star, stay over there!" Bill yelled. "In fact, take cover with Pine Tree!"

"Bill, is Waddles okay?!" Mabel cried.

"Don't worry, Shooting Star. Your pig is perfectly safe." Bill assured her, holding the pig under his coat.