What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You

20

Gideon finally arrived at his home after a long drive. He stepped out of the car and looked up at his childhood home, smiling fondly.

His father, Bud, stepped out of the car as well and smiled at his son. "Here you are, Gideon! Welcome home!"

"Thanks, Pa." He grabbed his bags from the backseat. "I know I just got here, and you and Ma wanna talk to me, but I was hoping to meet up with some old friends."

Bud nodded. "That's fine! We got the whole summer to be a family. You go get settled in, and then you can leave."

Gideon quickly went inside, walking to his bedroom. He put down all of his bags, checked his reflection in the mirror, then left.

His father stopped him in the living room, where he sat with two other men. "Gideon, come here before you leave!" Gideon rolled his eyes but obeyed, walking over to them. "Gideon, these two men will be staying with us for a while. This is Powers, and that's Trigger." Bud gestured to each one as he said their name.

Gideon smiled politely at them. "Good afternoon. What brings y'all to Gravity Falls?"

"A job opportunity." Trigger answered. "We'll be staying until the job is over."

"Alright, well I hope you like your stay. I've got to get going, now, but I'll see y'all later." He waved goodbye, then practically ran out of the house, following the signs to the Mystery Shack.

He stood at the front door, panting and hearing hushed voices inside. He knocked, and the voices went away. The door opened to Mabel standing in the doorway. She sighed, relieved. "It's only Gideon."

He pushed his way past her. "Where is he?"

He was quickly pulled into a tight, warm embrace. "Gideon. I missed you."

Gideon smiled as he hugged Will back. "I missed you, too." They stood in the embrace for a moment before pulling away. "What do y'all know so far?"

"He's somewhere in Gravity Falls." Jill spoke up from her spot on the counter. "Bill talked to him in the Mindscape. We don't know where he is, though, but we think he could be in the Mayor's house somewhere."

"He's also with two kids." Bill spoke up.

Mabel stared at him. "You didn't say that."

"They're dream demons, too. Both of them. They were born that way."

"We tried teleporting to them, talking to them, everything." Will said. "Nothing so far. We have no way of getting to them or talking to them, unless Mason falls asleep."

"So... how are we going to save them?" Gideon asked everyone.

"We have to wait for a sign." Mabel explained. "Something that Mason recognizes- a voice, a person's name, a location, just something."

"Do we know anything about the agents who took him?"

"Just their name." Jill said. "That's it. And no one in town knows who they are or where they're staying."

"So we're really at square one with this, huh?"

"Seems like it."

"We're going to find them." Bill said roughly. "No matter what. We're going to find them. So don't any of you give up hope because we know next to nothing right now."

Mabel nodded, determined. "Right. Eventually, those agents will let something slip, and Dipper will tell us. We'll find them when it does." She put her hand out in front of her. "Team?"

Jill grinned, jumping down from the counter and putting her hand over Mabel's. "Team."

Gideon joined. "Whatever it takes."

Will followed him. "We'll get him back." He looked up at Bill. "Come on."

Bill nodded, joining the pile. "Team."

Mabel grinned. "What team?"

Gideon grinned, throwing his hand in the air. "Wildcats!"

Mabel did the same. "What team?"

"Wildcats!" Gideon repeated.

"Wildcats!" Mabel yelled.

"Get your head in the game!"  The two dissolved into giggles.

The Ciphers stared at them, confused. "What just happened?" Will asked.

Jill shrugged. "No idea."