Cataclysm -A Gravity Falls Fan Fic

Chapter Twentysix- Reuniting...Again

Dipper has stood in front of the front door for fifteen minutes, unable to bring himself to telling them.
"Tilla was probably just trying to freak me out. I'm sure she's not really gonna watch me constantly, just waiting for me to mess up," Dipper argues with himself. "Then again...she is insane enough to do just that. And it's my sister's life I'm gambling with by spilling everything,"
Dipper shakes his head.
"Alright...I'm not going to tell them what happened...even though it's gonna be super awkward," Dipper grumbles, sighing. "But...now I've gotta figure out the best way to reveal myself to them,"
Mabel swallows the last bite of her pancake and stands up from her chair.
"I...guess I'm gonna go upstairs again," Mabel sighs gloomily.
"Oh...okay," Stan sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Come down if you want...y'know...support or somethin',"
"Thanks, Grunk," Mabel smiles, glancing back, and then trudges up the stairs.
She slides into her room and collapses face-first onto her bed, sighing.
"Bad day, huh?" Dipper asks, nearby.
"The worst," Mabel sighs. "Listen, I don't really wanna talk about it,"
Mabel pauses in silence.
She suddenly jumps up.
She does a complete spin to face Dipper.
Dipper sits there on the edge of his bed smiling, and holds his arms open wide for a hug.
"DIPPER!" Mabel screams, tackling him over.
"Haha, I missed you too!" Dipper smiles, laughing.
Mabel lets go and backs up to look him in the eye, and then pinches his cheek to make sure he's real.
"Ow, yup, it's me," Dipper laughs, rubbing his cheek, his eyes bright with happiness.
Tears instantly stream down Mabel's cheeks.
She hugs him again, and bawls over his shoulder.
Dipper frowns, surprised, but closes his eyes and hugs her back.
"I...I really...really thought you w-were gone this time," Mabel cries.
"I...I know," Dipper sighs, patting her back. "I sort of did too, but...everything worked out for the best. I'm back for good,"
Mabel doesn't reply for a while, just holds him tight.
"Sorry, bro, but I'm afraid I can't let you go ever again!" Mabel laughs, picking him up.
"Okay, now that's a little extreme!" Dipper jokes, playfully pushing her off.
"So, what took you so long, ya big dum dum!?" Mabel laughs, wiping the tears from her cheeks, the biggest smile ever stretched across her face.
"Hey, I tried my best! It's...a long story," Dipper grins.
"Oh! Oh, we gotta go tell Grunkle Stan!" Mabel cheers, grabbing Dipper by the arm and dragging him out their door.
"Right," Dipper laughs, giving in, but hesitant toward what Stan's reaction may be.
Stan is still sitting at the table silently, staring down at his plate.
"Oh, Stan? Just wanted to let you know we should probably make a pot of Mabel juice," Mabel says walking in, hardly able to contain her excitement. "Because today is a very special day,"
"Um...huh?" Stan asks, confused at her bright expression.
"Ta-da!" Mabel yells, pulling Dipper into the room.
Stan stares at him in silence, still frowning, like he doesn't get it.
"Stan, it's me, Dipper. I...I'm back," Dipper smiles.
Stan stands up and walks over, looking down at him.
He waves his hand above Dipper to make sure there are no puppet strings or something. Then he punches Dipper in the stomach.
"Ow, why?" Dipper questions negatively, rubbing his stomach.
"He's not a hologram...he's just as weak as usual...and his voice keeps cracking," Stan mutters, eyes widening. "Holy crap, it's him!"
Stan grabs Dipper, throws him up into the air, and then catches him, enveloping him in a big hug.
For a bit Stan is speechless, Dipper laughing as he puts him back down; Stan just looks him up and down, not knowing where to start or what to say.
"Hey, I have an idea. If you would stop dying, than you wouldn't have to keep finding ways to come back after scaring us half to death!" Stan finally states, frazzled; Dipper laughs, rubbing his arm.
Then Stan remembers that this time, Dipper took his own life.
Stan frowns and asks sternly, "Okay, before we get all mushy...why on earth did you shoot yourself!?"
Mabel realizes this is true, and waits for a response.
Dipper frowns, sweating.
"U-Um, well, I didn't actually do it willingly," Dipper stutters. "It's...complicated,"
"What do you mean? Did you put the gun to your head and pull the trigger, or not?" Stan spats.
"Well, yes," Dipper mutters.
"Okay, now why?" Stan asks.
"Um...I can't...I can't say," Dipper sighs, looking down.
Stan raises his eyebrow in surprise, looking a bit disappointed.
"B-But it's not because I was depressed or upset about anything to do with you guys! I love it here," Dipper explains quickly. "Just...trust me on this. I just...can't say right now,"
Stan sighs, and rubs his eyes.
"Alright, kid, I believe ya. But...I'll be expecting an answer eventually!" Stan grunts, and then smiles. "Now...enough of this. Time to celebrate by inviting Soos and Wendy over for a marathon of Ducktective!"
Stan, Dipper, and Mabel all fist-pump the air, making their way to the living room.
A day has passed, and the town is buzzing about Dipper's return. Everyone wonders why he killed himself, how he came back, and why he won't tell anyone; in fact, surprisingly enough, a decent amount of people think Dipper is mentally disturbed, or even crazy. But Dipper hasn't noticed yet, and is just glad to be back.
Dipper sits outside on their porch next to Mabel, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.
"So...what should we do today!?" Mabel asks excitedly.
"Well, we've already done pretty much everything in Gravity Falls," Dipper says, chewing. "And I'm pretty sure there are no more mysteries to be solved, that I know of,"
"Even if there were, I think we could use a break from mystery solving for a while!" Mabel states, thinking. "How about I invite over Candy and Grenda? We can have a game night!"
"Have fun with that," Dipper laughs, taking another bite.
"Awe, c'mon! If you actually tried to hang out with them, you'd actually realize how much fun they are! And how amazing Sev'ral Timez is!" Mabel says, shoving her sandwich in her mouth whole.
"No thanks, I'm good," Dipper laughs, stretching. "I don't want anything to do with your girly--!"
Suddenly, Dipper zones out and stops talking mid-sentence, staring into space, unblinking.
At the same time, Dipper's soul flies out of his body.
"Uh, Dip? Earth to Dip!" Mabel says through a mouthful of sandwich, poking him.
"What the...!? I'm...I'm back in the mindscape!?" Dipper gasps, floating above his body. "Oh no, what am I gonna--!"
But before Dipper can freak out too much, his soul is thrown back into his body, and he snaps out of it.
"--girly talk," Dipper finishes suddenly, blinking his eyes and shaking his head. "Did I...just...?"
"Uh-huh," Mabel says sarcastically, nudging him. "Fine, I won't force you to hang out with us! Just at least play one round of truth or dare before you leave!"
What on earth was that!? Dipper thinks, worried. Man, I really hope that isn't one of the side-effects White Mage was talking about!
Dipper sits back up straight, rubbing his head.
"And you can at least take me to get some ice cream!" Mabel states authoritatively, standing up and pointing her index finger to the sky.
"Haha...okay, you win," Dipper laughs hesitantly, standing up. "Let's go,"
     Dipper is walking with Mabel through the town, sighing happily, still glad that fiasco is finally over.
That's when he notices the people staring at him and whispering to each other.
Dipper frowns.
"Um, is there something on my face or something?" Dipper asks Mabel, nodding towards the townsfolk.
"Well, people are still a bit confused about the whole you-shooting-yourself thing. And I guess they saw you publicly arguing with yourself a day or two before you did it," Mabel states. "Aaaaaand I guess some people reported seeing you jump off of a water tower, too,"
Dipper remembers how he was arguing with his other mindset that day, when know-it-all Dipper just had to take the reigns and jump off of a water tower with Pacifica.
"Oh...just great," Dipper sighs.
Well, at least the other mind-set is gone now, I think, Dipper thinks.
     Dipper and Mabel walk inside the ice cream place, and surprisingly, Pacifica isn't there for once.
"Ooooh, Dipper! Get me the flavor of the day!" Mabel exclaims excitedly. "It's triple-chocolate-rainbow-marshmallow-sprinkle-strawberry-avalanche flavored!"
Dipper rolls his eyes and laughs, and walks up to the counter.
"Alright...we'll have one chocolate ice-cream cone, and one flavor of the day, please," Dipper tells the lady.
"U-Um...aren't you the crazy guy who shot himself...?" the woman stutters, hesitantly.
"Uh, listen...it's a long story," Dipper grumbles, frowning. "But...I'm not crazy,"
"That's what crazy people always say," the lady mutters.
"Lady, like I said, I am not cra--!" Dipper starts, when suddenly, he stops in the middle of his sentence again, staring into space.
Dipper's soul flies out of his body yet again, and Mabel has to catch him.
"Oh...oh, no no no, not again!" Dipper yells, trying to re-possess his own body. Finally, after a few short seconds, his soul gets pulled back in.
"Oh no, he's having an...episode!" the lady whispers.
Dipper snaps back to and stands back up straight again.
"--not crazy!" Dipper stutters, finishing his sentence, frazzled. "Look...can you just give us our ice cream, please?"
"Fine, no need to freak out, please!" the lady says, looking almost scared. "Here, just take the ice cream and go!"
She hands them their cones and runs into the back room.
"What the heck was that!?" Mabel says, looking annoyed as well.
"I-I have no idea, I just...um, got distracted and zoned out and--" Dipper stutters nervously, trying to come up with an excuse.
"No, I'm talking about that lady! Why can't people just mind their own business!?" Mabel spats angrily.
"Well...I guess not everyone can trust that vague of an answer," Dipper sighs, shaking his head.
"I oughta go back there and tell her what a...Rude Rude-ington she was being a couple seconds ago!" Mabel says, crossing her arms.
"Hey, it's alright. Don't worry about it," Dipper smiles, handing her the flavor of the day cone. "Just enjoy the ice cream while it lasts,"
But deep down inside, Dipper worries he may never be fully back in his body ever again.

(Note: This was an extra long chapter today, almost twice as long as the usual ones! Savor it, my friends! Savor it.
...welp, I'm not really sure what else to say, other than the usual I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!! Comment your thoughts, and...yeah, just Keep Calm and Waddles On, peeps! ✌🏻️🐷💞
-Mabelwaffles127)