https://youtu.be/X2DUpDxFJyg

Working at the Mystery Shack is no laughing matter. At least, that's what Stan says all the time when all they do is make tourist jokes. Y/n was at the museum, finishing up an attraction that will undoubtedly impress the crowd. It was Stan's idea, so she's perplexed as to why she's the one making it rather than him.

So there she was, accompanied by a plethora of bags of corn cobs that she had individually attached to a mesh model of a horse's carcass. She had just finished the 'Cornicorn' (Stan's idea, not hers) hindquarters when she noticed a pig- Mabel's pig- entering from the gift shop. He was wearing a red sweater with the ball of yarn still trailing off behind him.

The hog approached her slowly and sweetly. "Waddles," Y/n said as he moved in front of her. She was curious about Mabel's whereabouts because they are practically attached at the hip all the time. "Want one?" She asked when she noticed Waddles' fixated gaze on the corn in her hands.

Waddles oinked in approval and she tossed the corn to the other direction, preferably away from the Cornicorn if the swine favored the starchy vegetable. Y/n had finished the horn part when she'd turn around and saw Stan coming down. "Are you done?"

"You don't rush an artist," Y/n playfully chided. "But I'm almost done."

Stan hummed, admiring how it was all coming out. "Good thing you didn't run out of corn. I made sure I bought enough bags."

"Too bad. Could've given the rest to good 'ol Waddles over there." Y/n nodded towards the pig at the corner staring at them.

The older man groaned. "Ugh, just as I thought I could escape this pig, he just turns up everywhere I go!"

Y/n was tightening the wires around the cob when she wondered, "What's it doing down here without his best friend, anyway?"

"Eh, Mabel went out to get a huggy tummy or something and wanted me to watch over him. As if! He's a monster to deal with!"

She laughed at his irritability towards innocent little Waddles. "Oh come on, Stan," Y/n cooed, lifting Waddles to her chest. "He's just a pig, but Mabel loves him. If you love your niece, then you have to love things and animals she loves too."

Stan didn't say anything, but she knew that he was internally rolling his eyes in both disgust and annoyance. Eventually, a tour bus honked its horn, announcing its arrival. "Okay, get out of here. I have tourists to tour around."

"Sure you do," she said. She was about to bring Waddles to the ground when Stan stopped her.

"Hey, take the pig with you!"

She stared at him before bringing Waddles back to her arms. The ball of yarn was also tucked in her elbows. "Okay?"

"Don't let it wander around the gift shop or the museum. Understood?"

Y/n rolled her eyes. "Sure, fine."

She took a small flight of stairs from the museum to the gift shop with Waddles in her arms. He was thrashing around a bit before deciding to munch on her daisy necklace. "Hey, hey," she commented. "It's not an edible flower, stop." She brought him back to the floor and he stared at her.

Leaning down in front of Waddles' face, she brought her voice down in a whisper. "As much as you want to eat this, I made this necklace indestructible with a secret recipe," she winked. "You're so cute when you don't have any idea I just said," Y/n pinched Waddles' cheeks before walking away to get herself a drink.

Waddles only blinked before going back to the museum and finishing his business. His corny business.

Stan was showing the tourists around the museum, telling them how all of these are haunted and scary originals, as well as mythical creatures he invented. The group of people blindly followed Stan and believed everything he said, having arrived in this town for the first time and knowing nothing about its history.

"And here, ladies and gentleman, is our final exhibit, the most hideous creatures known to man!" He stood in front of a blanketed stand before removing the covers and revealed a large mirror that fit everybody.

They glared at their own reflection, confused, before bursting into laughter as they realized the joke. "Oh, it's us!"

"Right, right?" Stan raised his eyebrows, chuckling. "We have fun here. But seriously, folks," He walked towards the other covered attraction that was just created an hour ago. "This is something.

"I present to you, a unicorn made out of corn. The 'Cornicorn!'"

He yanked the cloth off, and the tourists made a noise of protest and disappointment. The Cornicorn's skin had been completely ripped away rom its mesh body. All of the cobs had been stripped off of its corn and it was just messy. "What the-?!" Stan exclaimed and saw the culprit of the crime.

Waddles was happily munching on the last of the mesh-bound corn.

"What a rip-off!" The one guy in the crowd complained.

"Kids, we're leaving."

Everyone turned around and walked away towards the exit as Stan wailed, "NOOOO!"

Stan's temper was out of control as the door slammed shut. He growled and turned to face the pig."YOU!"

He carried Waddles and the ball of yarn all the way up to the living room and out to the backyard. As he stomped towards an open space with a rope attached to a large nail hammered into the ground, he looked around for anyone who could catch him. "Just ten minutes without this pig in the house, is that so much to ask?"

He lowered the pig to the ground and wrapped the rope around its neck, tightening the knot before pounding the nail. "If Mabel asks, this never happened." He stood back up and began to walk away, pretending to sound like Mabel. "'Oh, but Grunkle Stan! It's not safe out there! There's predators!' Oh brother."

Suddenly, a loud noise resounded as a huge creature swooped in and captured the poor, unsuspecting pig with its claws and flew away. Stan's fez was blown off as he watched helplessly how a freaking pterodactyl was flying around with Waddles in its grasp. The poor pig was terrified.

Y/n was just listening to good 'ol BABBA in her room when her world just shook. She almost lost her balance in the earthquake and decided to run out to see if everybody was okay. She met Dipper and Soos by the hallway and she was relieved that she wasn't the only one who felt the ground shake.

The three went outside to the back and saw Stan already standing there, frozen. They saw the pterodactyl flying away, weirdly leaving a red string that hung onto some trees. A path.

"Dude, did you see that?" Soos nudged Dipper's shoulder. "That thing was a dinosaur, bro!" He exclaimed with a huge grin.

It was indeed a dinosaur, Y/n deduced. But-

"How is it possible a dinosaur survived 65 million years?" Dipper asked. She was thinking of the same thing.

"Did you see it, Mr. Pines?" They turned to Stan, who was still frozen, his gaze distant.

Y/n raised an eyebrow at the older man's odd behavior. "Are... you okay?" she asked slowly.

"It... it took him," he finally spoke, but he still looked like he was in a trance.

"Took what?"

"The pig," Stan said, "It took Waddles."

"What did you say about Waddles?"Mabel chirped happily as she arrived on her bicycle.

The four people looked at her in an awkward silence as Mabel remained unbelievably joyous, "What's going on? Why are you standing around all awkwardly?" Her smile suddenly disappeared. "And where's Waddles?"

"Uh, uh," Stan stuttered, desperately hiding a nail behind his back. Y/n noticed and immediately got an idea on what happened, and now Stan is outright lying to his niece about his mistake. "The good news is, you're getting a puppy!"

"What happened?" Mabel asked.

Stan fiddled with his fingers. "Well! Uh, you see...-"

"The pig got eaten by a p-terodactyl, bro," Soos spoke up, and Y/n had the urge to elbow him in the belly, but she stopped herself, placing her head on her hand instead.

"WHAT?!" The girl gasped and began calling for her pig. "Waddles? Waddles! Where did he go? How did this happen?!" She was hyperventilating and panicking, so Y/n stepped closer to Mabel and attempted to comfort her through back rubs.

Mabel turned to Stan. "Grunkle Stan, you didn't put him outside?"

"What?! No!" He denied aggressively. If Mabel was as smart as Y/n, she would've figured it out already as Stan is being such a bad liar at the moment. "I didn't put him anywhere! I'm not acting suspicious, you're acting suspicious! What's a pig?!"

"Then, what happened?" Dipper asked, his voice cracking.

Stan then proceeded to tell the most fabricated story imaginable, in which he was the hero who bravely confronted the pterodactyl with his ripped shirt and muscular body. He convinced Mabel of this, as the poor girl gave him a sympathetic hug for attempting to save her pig, despite the fact that he was the reason Waddles was taken in the first place.

Dipper was suspicious. "You punched a pterodactyl in the face?" He pointed at him with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you didn't even believe in the supernatural."

"Dinosaurs aren't magic. They're just big lizards," Stan said while Mabel was still hugging him.

Mabel was tearing up as she caressed a photograph of her and Waddles. "That's it. No pterodactyl messes with my sister," Dipper said, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're gonna go out there, catch him, and save your pig! For Mabel, guys!"

"But where do we even start?" Stan asked.

Y/n pointed out the string of red yarn from Waddles' unfinished sweater and everyone was cheering for her ingenuity- except for Stan, who was hesitant about the whole thing.

Dipper and Mabel brought their own luggage for the trip, whereas Stan and Y/n planned to bring nothing. Y/n had never seen a dinosaur before, and she was really excited about it today. It was the same feeling she had whenever she and Ford went on an expedition, except this time she had to be careful not to let loose. After all, she is the only member of the team who is practically invincible.

Soos was preparing his pick-up truck for the adventure. A cage was strapped in the back that would surely not fit a pterodactyl, and the skin of the car had the words 'PTERODACTYL MOBILE' spray-painted on it. He chuckled, facing Dipper, "That p-terodactyl won't know what hit him."

Dipper laughed half-heartedly. "Huh. It's 'pterodactyl', man." He directed, pronouncing the p as silent.

"Actually, nobody knows how to pronounce it because no one was alive back in dinosaur days," Soos said confidently before almost having his head run over by his own pick-up truck.

Dipper walked over to both Y/n and Mabel. "Guys, we've gotta talk." The two faced him. "This is a really high-stakes mission, and I'm a little worried about Soos coming along on this one. I love the guy, but sometimes he... messes stuff up."

"What? Since when?" Mabel asked.

"Well, there was a time where he bumped into a magic crystal and it broke into a million pieces, then he tried to attach a window but it wasn't properly attached so it fell down and the glass broke into a million pieces. Oh! What about that one time when we found a fairy from our bedroom window and Soos killed it with a fly swatter?"

"Yeah, but people make mistakes." Y/n shrugged. "And Soos is a kindhearted guy. He helps when he can."

"I'm just not sure. Maybe we shouldn't bring him today... to keep him safe?"

Y/n shrugged, unsure what to say in this situation. She did agree that he is more... unserious when it comes to these things, but as much as Soos' lightheartedness can do as much harm as it does good, she believed that he can be really intelligent underneath the silliness.

"Let him down easy," Mabel told him, and he strode towards Soos.

His attempts to converse with him were futile as Soos excitedly showed him brand new t-shirts he had made of the two of them as Pterodactyl Bros, and Dipper decided he couldn't do it. He couldn't just dismiss Soos' happiness like that. So he just went along with Soos' enthusiasm and everyone went off to follow the yarn path.

The red string ended up inside of an abandoned building that looked like a church. Everyone got out of the truck and went inside the structure to follow the yarn. They see a man on a rocking chair, yodeling with his banjo.

"Old Man McGucket?" Mabel raised an eyebrow.

He turned around and waved wildly. "Howdy friends!"

"What are you doing out here?"

"You'll never believe me! Now I was doin' my hourly hootenanny- Doodily doo ding dang!" The crazy man did a dance.

"Ugh, this guy," Stan grumbled under his breath.

"When this enormous wing-ly critter stole my musical spoons and flew lickety-split into the abandoned mines down yonder!" He gestured to the punctured hole on the floor that led to the darkness below.

They stared in both amazement and horror at what other creatures were down there. "Looks kinda hairy down there." Stan commented.

"Come on, Grunkle Stan, you can handle it! You punched a pterodactyl in the face, remember?" Mabel smiled up at him.

"Oh, yeah!" He chuckled nervously. "Heh, heh, I did do that, didn't I. Heh... heh, heh, heh..."

"My, what suspicious laughter!" McGucket remarked.

"Guys, we're going in," Mabel said seriously.

"Need someone to tag along and tell weird personal stories?" McGucket grinned.

Y/n deadpanned, staring at him. "Do we have a choice?"

"NOPE!"

Everyone then descended using a single rope. Y/n was astounded at how a single thin piece of rope managed to hold them all together until it broke, exactly as she had predicted. They landed on the largest mushroom cap anyone had ever seen. As soon as she recovered the earliest, Y/n jumped off and began observing their surroundings.

There were various plants and flowers that appeared to be out of place in the era in which they lived. To be honest, it appeared as if they were in a Jurassic world. They discovered a large tunnel and realized it was an abandoned mine.

Dipper was carrying a lantern, which was their only source of light, so he led them through the tunnel until they came across sap-filled walls with dinosaurs inside of them. Everyone dispersed to examine them more closely. Mabel attempted to take a selfie with a Stegosaurus, but she became entangled in a sap and was now struggling to free herself.

It was a cavern full of real-life dinosaurs preserved in tree sap for millions of years. That's how they must have survived. Y/n discovered the exact location of where the pterodactyl used to be, the sap surrounding the hole slowly melting, most likely due to the summer heat.

Y/n saw Dipper quietly sitting on a boulder and writing on Journal 3 with his trusty blue pen. She approached him slowly until she stood behind him. Looking over his shoulder, she saw scribbles and sketches of the various sap-covered dinosaurs that they saw in full detail and she was very impressed with his skill.

He was shading the T-rex's body when she said, "I'm always impressed by your drawings, Dipper."

"Ah!" Dipper jumped, consciously bringing the journal to his chest to hide the pages. He looked in her eyes with a blush appearing on his cheeks. "Oh." He calmed down once he saw her. "... thanks. It's not as good as the author's, though, so..."

"Still..." Y/n said. It looks greater than mine. She almost did say. But when was the last time she drew in the journal?

She clenched her fists when she realized.

"No, I get to draw you this time," she interrupted, taking the pen from his coat pocket and starting to sketch. Ford crossed his arms in disapproval. She had learned the fundamentals by watching Ford draw for years, so she practiced on her own time. Y/n had her tongue out unconsciously as she focused on his features: glasses, a big nose, long and unkempt hair, and a massive chin.

The memory resurfaced in her mind, along with the fact that Ford had drawn her in the book. Did Dipper notice? If that's the case, why didn't he ask her about it? How come he hadn't confronted her about it? Did Ford rip her page from the Journal, which is why Dipper had no idea she was Ford's assistant?

She'd do anything for Dipper to simply turn the page.

Meanwhile, Stan was happily planning to make money off of this place, like he always did. He was thinking of a theme park to establish for everyone to see and pay. "This could be a gold mine! Velvety-rope type deal there, ticket booth here, ha!" He brought his hands together. " I should have put that pig outside ages ago!"

"Wait, what did you just say?" Mabel spoke from behind him.

"Hm? What's that?"

"You said the dinosaur flew into the house." she gasped as she realized.

"I-if you think about-"

Mabel pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You put Waddles outside then you lied to me about it! And now, thanks to you, my pig could be DEAD! Waddles could be dead!" Tears flowed in Mabel's eyes as her lips wobbled.

"Look, he's an animal, he belongs outside!" Stan tried to reason, but his only digging his hole deeper.

"No, that's it! Grunkle Stan, I am never, ever speaking to you again!"

Stan tried to talk to her, but all she did was shut him out and speak over him, pretending she couldn't hear him.

"Guys, guys, don't fight!" Soos said, bringing Dipper close to him. "Why can't you be more like me and Dipper? Look, everything's gonna be cool. All we gotta do to find the pig is follow this here yarn!" He picked up the string and began wrapping the yarn around until it formed a ball.

"Soos, wai-!" Y/n tried to intervene, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Just keep following and following, until we reach the end!" The yarn reached the other end as Soos held it up, speechless. " Oh- uh oh." He stared at the network of mine shafts. "Which- which cave was it again?"

"Agh, Soos! You lost the trail!" Dipper said, exasperated.

"Hey, come on, we'll find our way. Trust me!"

Soos smacked Dipper on the back a little too hard, causing the lantern Dipper was holding to fly out of his hands and break and the light was out.

"Sorry, dude."

"Ugh, that is it!" Dipper exclaimed. "See, this is why I didn't want to bring you along."

"What- what do you mean?"

"I mean, this is really important to Mabel and you keep screwing everything up!" Dipper angrily explained. "You ruined our photograph, and now you've got us hopelessly lost!"

Soos frrowned. "But we're p-terodactyl bros. I made t-shirts!"

"It's pronounced 'pterodactyl'!" the younger man harshly corrected. "And these shirts are useless! They're gigantic!"

"I... have... a different body type, dude!"

As Mabel and Stan began bickering again, the group devolved into an argument. In the midst of the fight, Y/n shook her head helplessly. She and her mentor had never had such a heated argument while out adventuring, and they never argued even with F present.

McGucket walked over to the lantern and began repairing it. She moved closer to him, wanting to assist, but it appeared that he knew what he was doing. She guessed he's not a cuckoo all the time.

But before she could smile at the glowing lantern, she became aware of a shadow looming over them. She felt as if she were frozen by the size of the creature in front of them. McGucket, on the other hand, was completely unaware as he beckoned the group.

"Hey! Cheer up, fellers! I fixed your lantern!"

The group turned to face the old man and screamed in unison when they noticed the pterodactyl standing behind him. McGucket noticed they weren't looking at him and turned around to see the pterodactyl.

"Nobody make any sudden movements or loud noises..." McGucket trailed off.

We're already on it.

It was silent until he jumped in joy. "YEEHAW! We found a pterodactyl!"

The dinosaur screeched as it spread its wings. The group fled in the opposite direction, entering one of the mine shafts until they came to a halt. Because the rails were broken and barely hanging on a cliff, the group turned to the right and found a set of boulders to hide from the dinosaur. Fortunately, the rocks were large enough to hide from the pterodactyl.

The creature flew away, oblivious to them. It's only a matter of time before they're caught.

Dipper informed the group that they needed to devise a strategy to get out of here. Stan proposed an illogical idea that Soos agreed to: have Soos be a human sacrifice. "Whaddya say, Mabel?"

Mabel huffed and turned away from Stan.

"Aw, come on, you can't stop talking to me forever!"

"Yeah, Mabel, we have to work together here!" Dipper agreed.

"Oh what, you want to work with Mabel, but not your buddy Soos?" Soos chimed in angrily, and Y/n huffed as the arguments flared up again. Emotions can cause you to say something you didn't mean and do something reckless.

Speaking of reckless, Mabel heard a distant oink amongst the argument. "Wait! Did you hear that?" She turned to the left and saw a massive nest with a large egg and her soulmate, alive and well, beside it. "Waddles!"

She sprinted off and towards the rails that lead to the giant nest, sounds of protest were coming behind her but she didn't hear a thing. She just needed to go to Waddles.

"Are you nuts?!" Stan exclaimed.

Mabel stopped in her tracks. "Oh, is someone speaking? Because I can't hear anything!" She continued running.

Y/n didn't even let her finish her sentence before she fearlessly crossed the rails too. "Mabel, be careful!"

Dipper followed behind her, voicing his own panic. "Mabel, come back here!"

The other three men followed until they reached Mabel, who was relieved at their happy reunion. She was cradling Waddles in her arms, assuring him that he was safe now, but the gang behind her was staring at the human skeletons surrounding the nest. Who knows when they're next.

Mabel was putting on the Huggy Wuvvy Tummy Bundle that she just bought on Waddles when Dipper came up behind her. "Mabel, great, you got him. Now we gotta get out of here!" He whispered harshly.

From above, Waddles saw the pterodactyl flying around and he was instantly terrified, running off away from Mabel. "Waddles, wait!" She gasped.

Waddles ran as fast as his little legs could take him until he collided with an unwitting Stan who caught him off guard. They landed with a thud on the railings."Get off me, you dumb pig!"

The pterodactyl swooped down towards the two. "Look out!" Dipper and Y/n yelled out.

Its claws kicked the railing, causing the two to sporadically bounce off before Stan screamed and fell with the pig. For a moment, it was silent until the dinosaur dropped something off in its nest. It was Stan's fez. Mabel gasped, grabbing the hat. "Guys, we gotta save them!"

"I'll make a distraction while you guys go," Y/n spoke.

"What? Y/n, it's dangerous!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Yeah, there's gotta be some other way! McGucket," Dipper turned to the older man, "do you have an invention that could distract the pterodactyl?"

"Do I?" McGucket rummaged through his hat before coming up with nothing. "NOPE!"

Y/n groaned in frustration. They just don't understand. She could handle it. "I'll make noises that will attract the pterodactyl and you guys go in the other direction."

"No! I-"

The large egg in front of them suddenly cracked and fell down, the top part of its shell breaking open as a young pterodactyl peered through with its large eyes. It produced a small tweeting noise and the quartet found it oddly adorable.

McGucket had his hands on his hips as he smiled down at the creature. "Well, welcome to the world, little-"

Before he knew it, the pterodactyl devoured him whole, swallowing completely as McGucket's screams were cut off.

The trio shrieked in terror as they witnessed the brutal consumption of Old Man McGucket. Meanwhile the youngling just went along its merry day, continuing eating whatever it could find. "What do we do? What do we do?" Dipper asked, panicked.

Soos' mouth dropped slightly as he got an idea. "We have to get in a straight line."

"What?!"

"A pterodactyl's eyes are so far apart, that if you stand right in front of it, it can't see you."

It sounded like a logical plan, Y/n though, while Dipper was just noticing how Soos correctly pronounced the dinosaur's name this time. "Soos, you've been wrong about stuff all day," he said, "How can we-"

"Dude," Soos placed his hand on Dipper's shoulder. "Look, I- I know I messed up a lot. I could be sorta clumsy, and it's not always as lovable as I think. But please, as my friend, just trust me on this one."

Dipper stared at the handyman thoughtfully before averting his gaze towards the young pterodactyl and how the thing with the prospector can happen to them too, before looking back at his friend. He nodded, trusting him.

"Get behind me, dudes." Soos said, and they all stood up, tiptoeing around the pterodactyl. When it noticed them, they immediately fell in a straight line, with Soos closer to the dinosaur, then Y/n, then Dipper, then Mabel.

They scooted to the side as the dinosaur did nothing. "It's working," Mabel said as they followed the creature's eyes, or in this case, the creature's forehead, because its eyes were on either side of its head. They eventually crossed the railings and arrived on the other side, immediately hiding behind the boulders from earlier.

Screeches from above interrupted their relief sounds. When the group looked up, they saw the pterodactyl flailing around until they could get a better look. Stan was riding the back of the pterodactyl's neck while wearing the bundled up Waddles on his torso. Everyone, including Y/n, smiled as Stan punched the dinosaur in the face.

The creature flew around until Stan brought his fist together and raised them high. "FROM HECK'S HEART I STAB AT THEE!" He declared as he smacked his fists down on the pterodactyl's skull, sending it crashing down until it bumped its head against the cliff. It was unconscious as it fell down while Stan clung onto the edge of the cliff.

He climbed up and stood up, though he was out of breath from all the energy he expended on beating up the pterodactyl. As they surrounded the man, everyone celebrated and cheered him on. Mabel came up to him with a sweet, grateful smile.

"Here's your pig, kiddo," Stan smiled, lifting up Waddles' front leg to signify a wave.

Mabel took the pig from him with glee. "Aw, you saved him for me!"

"Yeah, well," Stan said, "Sometimes you just gotta-"

"Look out!" Y/n yelled out, seeing as the pterodactyl was slowly climbing up and they took off, running back where they came from, this time without McGucket.

Stan led the charge through the mineshaft. Dipper screamed as the pterodactyl chomped on his vest, and he almost tripped, but Y/n slowed to take his hand in hers, and they ran together. The group eventually made it back to the open field from which they came until they realized there was no way up.

"We're trapped!" Stan exclaimed.

Y/n noticed that there were geysers surrounding them, one specific geyser was aiming at the hole from the church. "Come on, the geysers can shoot us back up!" She said as she pointed at one. Everyone followed her and hopped into the fountain, waiting for it to burst.

The pterodactyl was nearing, and Y/n panicked slightly as she realized that they had to pressurize the geyser into blowing up.

Dipper swished his hands around the water for a response "Come on, go! Go!"

The dinosaur opened its mouth and charged at them all, until Soos yelled, "BROS BEFORE DINOS!" " before slamming his fists down the rock, causing the water to sprout up the hole and away from the creature.

Everyone landed safely and okay. Soos brought down Mabel and Waddles hanging on a chandelier, Stan was still breathing heavily as he laid on a wooden casket, Dipper dried up his hat, while Y/n dusted her clothes. "Man, now that's an adventure," Mabel remarked.

Soos chuckled. "Yeah, I honestly don't know if I wanna go through that again."

Dipper approached Y/n, who was standing in the middle of the church. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I should be asking you that question," Y/n replied playfully. "That pterodactyl almost got you, you know."

"Yeah, if it weren't for you saving me back there." Dipper rubbed his arm sheepishly. "Y/n, I-"

The pterodactyl jumped out, catching Y/n's legs in its mouth and attempting to drag her down, but Dipper managed to grab her hand. Mabel, Soos, and Stan followed him and began pulling as well, hoping to free her, but the dinosaur was far stronger than all four of them.

Nonetheless, they refused to give up.

Dipper saw Y/n's contorted face and mistaken it for pain and he gritted his teeth. "Y/n, don't- don't let go, okay?"

In this situation, Y/n was at a loss for words. She was perfectly fine, in no pain, but she was conflicted. She didn't want them to be pulled as well, but she also didn't want to be eaten.

The pterodactyl resisted, pulling harder on her each time. Y/n looked down at Dipper's slipping shoes, which were losing traction. "Don't worry, Dipper," she encouraged him. The two exchanged ferocious stares; Dipper appeared helpless while Y/n appeared assured.

She was yanked one last time, and his grip on her hand slipped, but she didn't fall because Dipper managed to grab the pendant from her necklace. Y/n fixed his gaze on his hands. "Dipper, it's going to snap."

"No! Just- take my hand! " He extended one hand while keeping the other clasped around her necklace.

"No, you're gonna get pulled down, too!" Y/n yelled back. "You need to let go!"

Dipper was unyielding in his refusal to listen to her pleas. Y/n managed to share an unsure look with Stan in the midst of the struggle. They both had no idea what to do.

But at the moment, she does.

Her hands came behind her neck and unhooked her necklace with one swift swipe, and the force was shocking as she was swiftly taken down, her gasp echoing. Dipper screamed into the darkness, calling out her name, but there was no response.

"We have to go after her!" He yelled, stomping his foot. "We- we-"

"Dipper, watch out!" Mabel drew her brother away from the center just as the roof and ceiling collapsed, covering the hole.

As his grip on the necklace tightened, he started pacing back and forth. He clutched it to his chest. Stan approached him calmly, hands outstretched. "Kid, calm down..."

"She could be stuck down there forever. She could be dead!"

Stan was unnerved, but he was still slightly shaken. "We can call the police, Dipper, You know it's too dangerous down there!"

The boy turned to him with seething rage in his eyes. "What happened to the Stan who bravely faced a freaking pterodactyl and punched it in the face? Where did he go?!"

" Dipper, I-"

"Why are you not worried about Y/n?!" Dipper pointed at him accusingly.

"You think I'm not?" Stan's voice raised as he felt offended by Dipper's claim. "What exactly do you want me to do, kid? The hole is blocked and there's no other way down there! I assure you, Y/n will be-" He huffed, the exhaustion from today was finally catching up to him, and on top of that, Y/n was in danger. He calmed down for a moment. "She's as brave and smart as you. If you and your sister can handle those dinosaurs, then you have to trust her that she can handle it, too."

Dipper was hesitant, his brow furrowed. He was on the verge of crying and wiped his tears away harshly. He imagined Y/n in the dark, up against a pterodactyl preying on her and chasing her until she reached a dead end, and...

He shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. No, he refused to believe that. They'd been through adventures together before, and they always find a way to survive them.

"But, Mr. Pines, she's alone," Soos spoke up.

Mabel looked up at him, her face stained with tears, as she hugged Waddles close to her ."Grunkle Stan, can't we do something?"

Stan clenched and unclenched his fist. He truly had no idea what to do. He was irritated by the situation, but he was also concerned for her safety. "Alright, alright." He heaved in a sigh. "I'll stay here and find a way to save Y/n. Soos will drive you kids home. Don't leave the house. I promise you, I'm not going back until I get Y/n safe and unharmed."

When he said this, he didn't feel nervous like a person would before embarking on a rescue mission because they don't know if the person they're saving will be alive or not, but Stan knew Y/n would be alive and well.

The twins didn't say anything, they couldn't say anything. It was a good idea, sure, but they were just incredibly worried.

"Now go home. I'll start searching."

Soos drove the three of them home in the van. Stan stood there watching the sunset's shadow cast over the vehicle until it vanished over the horizon.

Once the truck was gone, he let out a loud groan. "Y/n! Can you hear me?!"

Silence.

He grumbled as he kicked the wooden debris that surrounded the hole. He was unsure if this was a good idea. He was concerned that the dinosaurs would have the chance to escape once the hole was open.

After nearly an hour, the hole reappeared, and Stan needed to lie down due to exhaustion. He breathed heavily. "Y/n, you there?" He heard his voice echo before standing back up.

He took a lighter from one of his coat pockets and walked to the wood pile before lighting one. He hurriedly brought the fiery plank over to the hole and let go, watching the light disappear into the darkness. He caught a glimpse of what lay beneath, but it was nothing but inky black. The plank landed with a loud thud, making him wince.

Stan started pacing, trying to figure out how to get down without hurting himself, but the universe had other ideas. The board he was stepping on next to the hole snapped, causing him to slip and fall. He screamed as he was thrown down until he landed on the same mushroom cap they had earlier.

"Ugh, just take me now," he groaned as he couldn't feel his back. "I'm too old for this."

He got off the mushroom and dusted himself off. "Y/n! Where the heck are you?"

A sudden screech thundered the entire tunnel and Stan could see the shadow of the pterodactyl coming closer. "Here we go," Stan deadpanned, pretty much accepting his fate.

The dinosaur flew around him, encircling him. Stan pointed at the pterodactyl. "Hey, I punched you in the face before, and I'm not afraid to do it again! Come at me!" He took an arrogant stance, challenging the creature.

Stan didn't think the pterodactyl would understand him as it charged at him. Stan shrieked, covering his face in defense. But then the dinosaur came to a halt, and Stan heard boisterous laughter coming from behind the pterodactyl.

"What the-" He noticed Y/n sitting on the neck of the dinosaur. "Y/n?! What- what did you do that for?"

She was coming down from her laughter. "It was a prank. Never heard of a prank before? Even I knew what a prank was and I don't-"

"I know what a prank is!" Stan yelled angrily, and the pterodactyl opened its mouth as if to threaten him, forcing him to take a step back. "I'm just- how? How did this happen?" He gestured to the dinosaur.

Y/n leaped down from its neck as her hands caressed its meaty skin. "Long story. I'll tell you on the way home."

The baby pterodactyl also appeared in the scene, but this time it was being ridden by Old Man McGucket. "WOO WEE!" They landed next to the two and he jumped out. "You're a good dinosaur," he said, petting its head.

The pterodactyls flew the three back to the hole after they said their goodbyes. The mother pterodactyl was grateful for reasons Stan didn't understand, but Y/n did. Stan was desperate to get out of there as the night grew colder. "Let's just go already."

McGucket insisted on taking the other route, claiming that he needed to see his raccoon wife, to which Stan and Y/n had no response.

A moment of silence passed between them until Y/n began with, "Why did you come back for me? You know I'd be perfectly fine."

"Yeah, well, the kids were all worried about you. You'd rather Dipper and Mabel come down to get you instead of me?"

"Of course I don't," she answered without missing a beat, "but hearing them panic about my safety, it's just..."

Stan turned to her with a weird large grin. "Oh you should've seen the look on their face! Dipper was close to crying, and Mabel was already sobbing!"

Y/n chuckled at Stan's expressions. What's so hilarious about that?

"What are we going to tell them?" He asked after a brief pause.

"I'm planning on staying dead, but now that I think about it..."

Stan continued, "I don't think it's a good idea," he said, proceeding to list all the reasons why it was. "If we go along with your plan then you have to always stay downstairs and I have to pretend to be sad, then the kids would have the worst summer of their lives and might not even come here anymore. I don't wanna put that weight on them." He sighed. "Believe it or not, Y/n, you've become their closest friend, and I don't know what I'd do once I tell them that you died."

Y/n breathed out a sigh. "I'll just tell the truth then," she paused before turning to Stan. "Will that be okay with you?"

His gaze was distant, considering the possibilities once Y/n revealed the truth. Will they still trust them?"What will you say?"

"I'll think about it once we get there," she shrugged, causing Stan to smirk.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the Shack's back door.

Stan peeked inside first. "We're clear. We have to-"

Screams cut him off as footsteps approached them speedily. "Y/n!" Mabel and Dipper dashed to the door, not even allowing Y/n to enter. "You're safe!" The twins engulfed her in a hug, startling Y/n.

She came to a halt as her hands remained in the air, but she quickly recovered and hugged back, closing her eyes. She had grown to value hugs, especially those from the twins.

They parted after a brief moment, and Mabel had tears in her eyes. "We thought you were dead!"

Y/n exchanged glances with Stan before clearing her throat. "Lets- go inside. I'll explain everything."

"You better," Dipper spoke, following them to the living room. "I saw your half get eaten by the pterodactyl!"

The three children* sat on the cold wooden floor of the living room while Stan busied himself in the kitchen- when in reality, he's just getting four glasses of water for each of them.

Y/n began fiddling with her fingers while keeping her gaze fixed on the ground. She had to come up with yet another lie to tell the kids. Her mind was making excuses after excuses, and she was silently thanking Stan for the delay.

He eventually emerged from the kitchen with a tray of glasses of water, and Y/n exhaled heavily.He eventually emerged from the kitchen with a tray of glasses of water, and Y/n exhaled heavily."Okay," she started. "I... have a defect."

"A defect?"

"Yes," she continued, recalling a specific page from one of the books she borrowed from the local library. "Uh, I'm insensitive to pain. I cannot feel pain, and I have quick healing."

She remembered telling Tyrone this after she had recovered from a paper cut. Tyrone's reaction was one of excitement, but Dipper and Mabel had expressions she couldn't read, which scared her a little.

She continued talking to fill the awkward silence. "I'm still human. I have human blood. Human emotions." She omitted the fact that she was born in Gravity Falls. She didn't know why, but she just didn't want to say it. "I can get in accidents or literally get half of my body eaten by a pterodactyl," Y/n said lightheartedly, but the twins winced. "But I won't feel the pain," she quickly reassured. "And as you can see with me still being in one piece, I heal pretty quickly."

Stan observed how the twins processed the information. They remained quiet. Too quiet. He silently thanked Y/n for saving him from having to tell them. He wouldn't even know where to begin.

"Guys?" Y/n said after a moment. "If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer-"

"I can't believe it..." Mabel chimed in, staring at the ground. "I... have a best friend who's invincible!" She screamed in triumph as she stood. She stretched her arms as wide as her grin.

Y/n smiled slightly "I'm not really-"

"That is actually so hardcore, Y/n!" The energetic girl went on. "So that's why you always jump in and save us. I thought you just didn't care for your own safety," she laughed. "But you actually have a secret superpower! Do you go out at night and save kittens stuck in trees?"

"No."

"Do you have a superhero name?"

"No! Mabel, I'm not-"

"Do you wear a cape? I think capes are a lame fashion choice, in my opinion. It could-"

"Alright, Mabel, that's enough." Stan cut off, rolling his eyes. "You kids should get some sleep now."

Y/n cast a glance at Dipper, who appeared to be preoccupied. "Actually, Stan. Dipper and I should talk. Alone," she said, and Stan nodded, bringing a drowsy Mabel with her, who was still raving about superpowers and heroic names to call Y/n.

When the two were out of the room, she turned to face him. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

Dipper nodded meekly.

"Hopefully not about superheroes and stuff?"

"Oh. No. Nothing about that." He spoke for the first time after her confession. "I guess I believe you considering the stuff I've encountered so far."

"We can test it if you're still uncertain. You can plunge a knife on my hand, or hit me with a pan, or-"

"I don't wanna do that, gosh." Dipper quickly shook his head. "I don't want to intentionally hurt you."

Y/n stared at him. "But I can't get hurt, Dipper. That's the thing."

"It doesn't matter. I won't do it."

She laughed. 'Suit yourself."

The two stayed up going back and forth about her ability, Y/n tried to answer as honestly as she could– whatever 'honest' in her dictionary meant.

"It's just so cool. I really thought you died back there, Y/n."

When she heard him say that, she couldn't help but smile, ignoring the change in her heartbeat. So he was concerned about her. That's great to hear.

"Anyway, we should sleep this off, huh?" The both of them stood up. Y/n looked at him. "I hope this doesn't change anything. Do you... still trust me?"

"I trust you," Dipper said without missing a beat, which made her smile even bigger. He took something from his vest pocket, and she noticed his fist clasped until he revealed it to be her daisy necklace. He took a step towards her, and her back was to him. "It will take some getting used to the fact that you are unique. Good unique. In all honesty, this makes you even more awesome than before."

He was relieved she wasn't facing him because she would have noticed his prominent blush. Why did he feel the need to say that? Dipper chastised himself.

"Thank you for keeping this safe," Y/n said, turning back around and touching the pendant.

"You're welcome. Thank you for saving my life."

"No worries," Y/n replied in the same tone. They proceeded to exit out of the living room and walked their separate ways towards their respective rooms.

When Dipper entered his room, he was disappointed to see that his sister had already gone to bed because they didn't have time to discuss Y/n, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He lay on his bed, hands behind his neck, staring at the ceiling. Mabel was right. This explained why, most of the time, Y/n would risk her life and bravely face every adversary. She didn't have to be concerned about being hurt because she can't feel them.

Dipper wondered if he'd come across this so-called defect before. He preferred to read books about documentaries or unsolved mysteries rather than medical topics. Y/n stated that she was still human, the only difference being her aversion to pain.

He looked down at his palm, which he closed and opened several times. He could still feel his hand clasped in hers at the abandoned church, never letting her go. He should feel stupid for crying over her thinking she was dead when she was perfectly fine, but defect or not, he wouldn't hesitate to keep her safe as well.

Because he knew she wouldn't.

***

One night, Y/n was hard at work downstairs, as one of the capacitors was causing havoc yet again. Fortunately, the portal had been relatively stable, to the point where they could only work on it at night and not necessarily during the day. In recent days, they have been dealing with the stress of caring for a baby dinosaur. What was the point of Stan stealing the dinosaur egg in the first place?

As the sun began to rise over a new day, she glanced at the calendar conveniently placed in front of her, next to a framed photo of Dipper and Mabel that Stan had placed. Y/n noticed that it was July 13th, and she wouldn't forget that day.

It was Soos' birthday, but she knew he wouldn't be in the mood to celebrate. She already knew the reason—or rather, her "sister" did, because Soos knowingly revealed his secret to the former Y/n. The Y/n who met him on the day of his 12th birthday.

Y/n attempted to greet him on his birthday a year after they met, but Soos didn't have the same energy as she did. He had the deepest frown she'd ever seen him wear, and she had no idea why, until the next day when they were tasked with fixing the ventilation of the gift shop and 13-year-old Soos decided to coincidentally vent out to Y/n.

"You wanna know why I get sad whenever it's my birthday?" his little voice croaked as he meekly picked up a screwdriver.

Y/n paused her reading from the manual and gave Soos her undivided attention. "Why?"

"Um, you're the only person outside of my family who knows this. Even Mr Pines doesn't know. I'm telling you this because I've come to trust you so much, Y/n."

She stared at him, not knowing what to say. "I'm honored, Soos, but you don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable."

"No, I want to," he began to fiddle with the tools surrounding them and preferred keeping his gaze down, avoiding hers. "My dad left me when I was like... four years old, and every year I'd always hope that he would go and visit me on my birthday. I've been wishing and wishing on my birthday candle, but he just... doesn't..."

He was cut off by his own tears. When he talked about it, it seemed like it was still a sensitive subject for him. Y/n had no idea what it was like to be a father. But she knew what it was like when someone left her and didn't return. She was still holding out hope that he'd return, but Soos didn't seem to have any hope left in him.

"Thank you for telling me." Y/n gently patted his back. "It's gonna be alright, Soos."

"Please don't tell anyone," that was all he said before the topic was eventually dropped.

A tap on her shoulder cut her train of thought—or, more accurately, her dream. Did she fall asleep by accident and have a dream about a memory she had years ago? Strange, but fascinating.

"Oi, go back to your room. It's sunrise," Stan returned her to the land of the living. Y/n double-checked the capacitors she miraculously repaired the night before. When she saw that it was working properly, she went upstairs and wiggled her way back to her room.

She'd slept for four hours before getting out of bed and getting ready for the day. She is unsure how things will go considering the twins are here this summer.

Everyone was nowhere to be seen, making her confused a bit. She had a bad feeling; do the twins know of Soos' birthday? She caught a glimpse of balloons outside of one of the windows and her hunch had been correct. Yet, the birthday celebrant and his peers didn't seem to present, so where were they?

She went outside and soon enough, she saw Soos sitting on the steps of the porch, staring at the same postcard he had kept for 10 years. The paper was a bit crumpled, but the words written on it were still imprinted on his mind.

Unaware of the multiple pair of eyes staring at her, she walked towards Soos and sat beside him. She didn't say anything at first, and he was grateful for the silence.

"What are they doing?" Wendy asked.

"I have no idea," Stan replied, shaking his head with his arms crossed.

"This is good," Mabel bellowed, jumping out of their peeking spot. "Y/n will be the distraction while we go and make a reservation at Soos' favorite place on Earth!"

Dipper watched how Y/n silently placed her hand on Soos' and admired her golden heart. Although he felt like she knew why Soos was feeling this way so she knew how to approach him.

All of a sudden, Mabel pulled on his arm. "Come on, bro!"

"Ah!"

They soon made a game reservation on the counter before returning to the Shack and finding Soos a little bit better, but he was still frowning.

"Soos!" Mabel ran to him, holding his hands together. "Soos, I need you to please trust me and put on a blindfold! I promise you, this will be the greatest surprise ever!"

Y/n watched as Soos reluctantly allowed Mabel to put a blindfold on him. Before Soos could stand up, Dipper motioned for her to be quiet, and Mabel led the way, taking his hand in his.

Y/n didn't move an inch because she assumed their plan involved taking Soos somewhere. She didn't feel like going to town with her ostensibly hidden identity, but when Dipper took her hand and pulled her up, she couldn't say no.

Everybody walked to town on a cloudy day. Y/n didn't want to be seen as much as possible, so she squeezed herself between Stan and Wendy who were doing a good job hiding her with their tall heights. Mabel guided a blindfolded Soos until they reached an all too familiar establishment that used to be a mattress store.

They entered through sliding doors, and laser zaps could be heard from afar. "Alright, guys," Soos spoke, his voice wavering with hesitance. "Blindfold me once, shame on you. Blindfold me twice- wait a minute." He paused his movements as used his other available senses. "Hot dog smell? Sticky floors? Future sounds?"

He took off his blindfold and saw the signs and saw the large sign of 'BIG GUNZ LASER TAG' "Laser tag? I-I love laser tag." He faced the twins. " How'd you guys know?"

"Um, we definitely didn't rifle through your wallet!" Mabel chuckled nervously.

They wore their target sensors and brought the laser guns close to their chests. "How do you play this game?" Y/n asked while they were preparing, and everyone around her gave her wide-eyed stares. "I'm sorry?"

"You have never played laser tag before?" Dipper exclaimed.

"Dang, you are one weird kid, Y/n," Mabel remarked, but she meant no harm to the statement. "I'm blaming your parents for your sad childhood."

"Just tell me how to play." Y/n rolled her eyes as she ignored Mabel's comments about her parents and childhood, despite the fact that she didn't have either.

"You'll figure it out in the field, don't worry," Dipper said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Soos remained frowning as he looked at his own laser gun. "I- I don't know, guys. I'm not sure I'm up for this today."

The twins looked up to him. "Don't worry, Soos," the boy reassured, "As soon as you start playing with us, you're gonna have a good time."

Mabel grinned beside him. "We promise, no matter what happens, we won't leave your side."

"Well, I guess I could give it a shot." Soos gave a hesitant smile. Everyone waited in line for the lobby to open its doors to the arena. Y/n was standing in front of Dipper, Mabel, and Soos. When the doors finally opened, she dashed to catch up with Stan as the game began.

Y/n guessed she was supposed to shoot because of the gun she was holding, but what was she shooting at?

She looked behind her to see if the twins were there, but all she saw was Soos bending down to tie his shoelaces. He rose and ran back into the arena. "Mabel, Dipper? Dudes?"

"Soos!" Y/n called to him.

"Y/n!" Soos said, "Have you seen Mabel and Dipper? Where did they go?"

Y/n glanced behind him, trying to hide her worry as she pondered the same question. "Uhm, they're already hiding. Come on!" She grabbed his wrist and led the two of them to a nearby hiding place. As she faced him, laser sounds could be heard in the background. "So how do you play this, Soos?" she asked in an attempt to divert his attention.

"Uh, you just point your gun and shoot at the target on each player's suits," Soos answered, but his face looked like he wanted to go home already. "Don't let them shoot you though, or you lose."

"Okay, seems easy," Y/n nodded.

"Yeah, it's fun. I still can't find the twins, though, so I don't have any backup," he said low-spiritedly as he gazed in the colorful room.

She patted his arm comfortingly. "Hey, we can be each other's back-up... even though I might suck at this game. Let's watch each other's backs, yeah?"

Soos smiled. "Okay."

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel were fleeing the time police after stealing the time machine from members of the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron, Lolph and Dundgren. Instead of the laser tag game, the twins found themselves entering a box made of solid time-tanium—all because of their former adversary, Blendin Blandin, who had returned to challenge them to a gladiatorial time combat, Globnar.

Dipper used the time machine to return to Soos' birthday, and the two zapped back in time and vanished.

They landed on a soft bed and began to take in their surroundings. Mabel grunted. "Are we back?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh no, look!" He pointed to a large sign that said 'Mr. ZZZ Mattresses'. "Mabel! The laser place is a mattress store! We went too far into the past!"

"Time travel, man! Why you gotta be so complicated?!" Mabel started shouting until they heard a burst from behind them and ran to hide under one of the beds. They may have gotten away, but the squadron- and Blendin- were still following them.

The three men rushed out of the mattress store, and the twins crawled out from their hiding place. They intended to return to the present, but the time gadget was broken upon impact. Dipper could fix it; all he needed were the right tools. And he knew exactly where to get some because he saw a sign from outside that said, 'Mystery Shack - 1 mile'.

The twins began their journey towards the tourist trap, passing by people they had seen ten years before. There was Toby Determined, who aspired to do tap dancing on Broadway, a street sign depicting Gideon as a baby (he still looked the same), and finally, young Tambry and Wendy riding their tricycles.

"Woah-"

"Oops, sorry," young Tambry said.

Wendy, the young girl, raised her eyes to the twins before leaning over and whispering something to her friend.

Tambry, on the other hand, immediately smiled and pointed at Dipper. "My friend thinks you're cute."

The redhead's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! Tambry! Shut up!" She exclaimed, pushing her off the trike.

"Ow! Hey?!"

Dipper was at a loss for words as an awkward laugh escaped him. "Thank you... I mean, you're super young, so this is weird..."

Mabel snorted as she smacked him across the shoulder. "Now you know how she feels, creep."

As the realization hit Dipper, he tried to laugh it off. "Wow..."

They eventually arrived at the Mystery Shack, where Stan is on tour promoting his new wax museum. The twins took advantage of his distraction and jumped in the nearest window.

Dipper landed awkwardly on the ground, but right next to him was an open box with tools strewn inside. Dipper smiled as he saw a red screwdriver lying in the open. "Ha! Bingo."

Mabel followed her brother inside and was watching him work when she heard a small voice from behind her. "Aw, come on, candy! Fall! Fall!" The girl approached the vending machine, employing the secret technique that Soos had taught her to obtain free snacks.

She took the candies from the open glass and went to give them to the child, but she froze when she realized he was no ordinary child. It was Soos, only ten years younger. "Thanks, dawg!" With a smile, he extended his hand. Mabel handed Soos the snacks with a shocked expression. "You must be some kind of genius!" He walked away with a grin.

Mabel dashed to her brother, who excitedly turned his head towards the boy in the party hat as his abuela approached him. "Mi precioso, you keep wandering off! You don't wanna be late for your big day." Young Soos took the old woman's hand and walked home with her.

"Big day? This could be the birthday where that personal biz went down," Mabel said, "We could finally find out why Soos hates his birthday!"

"Alright..." Dipper said slowly, looking at the fixed time machine. "But let's be quick."

Dipper swore he heard something in the kitchen as the two walked out of the Mystery Shack. If Stan was busy dealing with tourists, the other handyman was outside, and Wendy was too young to be the cashier, who was inside? It couldn't possibly be one of the employees.

The twins left with the timepiece and the screwdriver in case they needed to fix it again, not realizing that it would be needed by someone else to repair the broken freezer.

Dipper and Mabel stood on the sidelines as Soos celebrated his birthday. They noticed the young handyman bouncing in anticipation of his father's expected return for his birthday. However, when the mailman knocked on his front door instead of him, giving him a postcard, the twins noticed how the news changed his mood.

"Sorry, Champ. Couldn't make it this year. Real busy again. See you next year for sure. Dad," Young Soos read aloud, and the twins can see how his energy was slowly draining from him. He then went to his room and sulked about his father not caring about him on his special day, preferring to go have fun in New Orleans instead.

Dipper and Mabel had no idea how to deal with this major issue. How can they make his birthday so happy that he forgets about his problem when they don't even know what he truly desired?

Out of nowhere, they heard Blendin's voice and they hid in a nearby tree. Lolph began searching for their chrono signatures as Blendin and Dundgren talked about Globnar and its powerful price. "Man, the sooner I defeat those kids in Globnar, the sooner I can win my time wish," the bald man said.

"Tell you what I'd do if I had a time wish," Dundgren replied, "Retire early. Spend more time with the kids-"

"Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah with the kids?!" Blendin cut off with an annoying screech. "Don't you know a time wish can literally do anything? Any impossible problem solved-" he snapped his fingers, "--just like that? I mean, imagine the possibilities!"

Dipper, having overheard the conversation, turned to his sister. "Wait. Mabel, that's it! The time wish! If we defeat Blendin in that space battle–"

"--then we can wish Soos' dad came to his 12th birthday!"

"And Soos' birthdays will be fixed forever!" Dipper snapped his fingers. "All of them!"

Mabel raised an eyebrow as she dropped her voice in an unsure whisper. "But do you really think we could win Globnar?"

"It's the only chance we have," he replied instantly. "Besides, it's for Soos. He would do the same for us."

The twins nodded in unison before rising to their feet and putting their hands behind their necks. "Here we are, Blendin, we surrender," Dipper said as the two walked out of the tree.

Lolph and Dundgren threatened them with their blasters, but Dipper assured them that they were not going anywhere and that they accepted Blendin's challenge. The guard zapped them all back to the future, dropping the red screwdriver on the ground.

Dipper and Mabel stood in the middle of the arena, handcuffed like Blendin as a massive baby, (who dubbed himself 'Time Baby'), rose from the ground. The baby had a giant hourglass symbol on its forehead, but it also had a very deep voice and very powerful laser eyes that could kill.

Time Baby explained the instructions and the games began, consisting of all the challenges the arena could think of, ranging from a hotdog-eating contest, to a chess match where a giant 'Cyclocks' is chasing them.

The twins expected the final game to be lethal, but after all the games they've played, they're prepared for anything. The Time Baby announced the final game as Laser Tag, and they knew they were going to win. And after Dipper caught Blendin off guard while ranting, Mabel climbed up that platform and eventually grabbed the orb that was the game's main objective.

Dipper and Mabel won, granting them the time wish and the opportunity to declare the loser's punishment. They were confronted by the Time Baby, who inquired, "What fate do you decide for the loser?"

"DEATH!"

"Mabel!" Dipper hissed from behind her.

"Sorry," Mabel breathed, "Got carried away there."

They didn't punish Blendin in the end because they knew they were the ones who ruined his life in the first place. And if they treat him better now, maybe he'll be a better person subsequently. So they not only had Blendin get his job back, but they also restored his hair, so he was no longer the bald guy.

"Now, children," Time Baby said, as if he wasn't a child himself, "What is it that you want for your time wish?"

A glowing orb floated down between Dipper and Mabel. "Thank you, but the wish... isn't for us." Mabel said, sharing a look with Dipper.

"Not you?" Time Baby questioned. "But then who? Who is worthy to receive such power?!"

Back to the laser tag place, Y/n and Soos were sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall. When Soos decided that he'd rather not play anymore, Y/n stayed with him instead of playing. She was itching to tell him that she knew about the whole dad thing, but she didn't know where to begin. If she said that she knew, then either she admits that her "sister" Y/n told her, or she had been the original Y/n the whole time.

Soos might feel betrayed when he finds out that Y/n told her sister despite him saying that 'she shouldn't tell anyone', and Y/n didn't want Soos to know that she... didn't age throughout the decade.

It was just all confusing.

All of a sudden, Soos stood up with a frown. "I can't see the twins anywhere," he sighed. "Who am I kidding?"

"Soos, wait," Y/n followed. "I'm sorry, I was lying."

"Wait what?"

"Mabel and Dipper aren't actually here. I didn't know where they went and it's actually making me worry," she said, starting to fiddle with her fingers.

"Huh? But where did they go?" Soos asked, which Y/n didn't provide an answer to.

Before Soos could utter a word, everything around him stopped moving, including his friend. "Y/n? Y/n?!" She wasn't speaking nor blinking, and he was getting scared... until there was a burst behind him, blowing away his hat.

He turned around and saw Dipper, Mabel, and a futuristic-looking guy beside them. "Soos!" They exclaimed, running towards him.

"G-guys!" Soos said, surprised to see them. They both look like they've gone through a lot, as their clothes were filthy and their skin and hair were dusty. Just what adventure did they go through?

"We're sorry we left you hanging, dude!" Dipper said. "We got caught up in this... time-travel junk."

"And there was a time-cyclops," Mabel added.

"And don't forget about the-"

"The time race!" The two said in unison and chuckled tiredly.

"But the point is, Soos," Mabel looked to him, "we think we know how to fix your birthday!"

"Oh, really?" Soos said, but then he closed his eyes, placing his fingers on his eyelids. "Wait, you guys did all of that... for me?"

Blendin stepped into the scene, pressing something in his watch before the glowing orb appeared and bobbed between them. It floated down to Soos' as Blendin explained the directives. "The power to alter time paradox free in any way you choose," he said.

It was all down to Soos' decision. He could finally meet his dad after not seeing him for so many years, but looking down at the twins and their dirty clothing and messed up faces, he saw the look of love and care that he could never see in his father. They went through literal life and death just to see the smile on his face but the one person that Soos was looking for is nowhere to be seen.

"What are you waiting for, Soos?" Dipper spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Soos remembered the postcard on the pocket of his cargo pants that was beginning to feel heavy. He threw away the image in his mind before looking at the time orb. "Alright, here goes nothing," He thought of what to wish for and finally touched the orb and it sparked a bright light.

When the light cleared, Dipper and Mabel were cleaned off dirt from their battles. The twins were baffled at this. "Wait what?" Mabel said.

"Bam. Fixed you up. Enjoy, dudes!"

"But, Soos! What about meeting your dad?"

"Well, birthdays are supposed to be spent by the people who care about you. But you know what, that dude didn't care about me enough to visit me once, let alone fight monsters through time and space like you dudes. I mean, you had a gladiator fight, just to make me happy. I've been being ridiculous this whole time. Whoever my dad was, he can take a hike," Soos explained, throwing away the postcard. "I know who my family is now, and it's you dudes." He kneeled down and gave the twins a hug. " Thanks for giving me the best birthday ever." He wanted to say more, but he steeled himself.

"Are you kidding me?!" Blendin screamed. "Do you have any idea what you've just wasted?! Do you know how many have died to get the time wish; the wars that were started?!"

"Oh that's not all dude," Soos assured, now holding up a slice of pizza. "I also wished for thisslice of infinite pizza. Watch." He took a bite and the pizza regenerated. "And it can do that for like...infinity."

Blendin's angry expression was wiped away. "Okay, yeah. Phew. That's a good time wish!"

Soos smiled. "There's still ten minutes before Laser Tag closes. You dudes wanna play?"

"Yeah!"

"Um," Soos turned to Blendin. "Can you unfreeze Y/n?"

Everyone stared at the frozen Y/n who was unblinking.

***

After a fun game of Laser Tag— that Y/n quickly got the hang of, they all went home, tired. But Y/n wasn't done for the day. She quickly walked beside Soos who wore a huge grin. "Soos, I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what is it?"

Y/n let the twins and Stan go inside the Shack as she and Soos stayed in the same porch steps they sat in earlier that morning. "Listen. I... know about your issue."

"Issue?" Soos asked.

"About..." she averted her gaze, "About why you hate your birthday so much."

"Y/n..."

"I... I found it through my sister, and I didn't know how to approach you about it, but I know, and I'm sorry about your dad. I'm sorry that he's the reason why you're sad every birthday. You don't deserve that, you know."

Soos' eyes widened at the mention of her sister as he remembered that exact moment years ago when he told her while they were supposed to fix the vent. But then Soos became slightly amused as he looked at the 'younger sister' Y/n, who appeared to be lost. For a brief moment, he forgot that Y/n had been frozen for the duration of Soos telling the twins that they were enough and that they were now his new family. Despite the fact that Y/n was frozen in that particular conversation, he included her in the confession.

"I've started not to care about my dad since I realize that he doesn't care about me," Soos shrugged. "I should be paying attention to people who reciprocate my respect, you know?"

Y/n nodded in agreement. She was relieved that Soos was no longer bothered by his father. Though she felt she had missed Soos's development. He was just having the worst day ever because of his birthday, but the next thing she knew he was laughing and having fun with her and the twins.

Soos looked down to the ground as he went silent. "Okay, because you told me that you knew about my dad... I guess I should tell you one thing."

"What is it?"

"Although my 12th birthday was the worst, at least one good thing happened that day," Soos smiled as his eyes were distant.

"What happened?"

"I met Y/n," he smiled as he faced her. "Your sister, I mean. She taught me how to fix machines at such a young age. She was so patient with me. Mr. Pines is great, he gave me a job too and he was also welcoming, but Y/n was just the kindest person I've ever met."

Y/n clenched her fist and stared at the handyman. She was fighting back tears as she heard Soos' praise. He says things so naturally, and he always gives credit where credit is due. She was afraid that if she spoke, tears would flow, and she didn't want to add to Soos' burden.

So she looked away and subtly wiped on her eyes. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, uhm... yeah."

"How is she anyway?"

"Hm?"

"Y/n? How is she?"

Her eyes looked into his. Does he not see that they're literally the same person? Stan was right, Soos was dumb enough to pick up clues. She shook her head. She shouldn't mock Soos after hearing him talk about her so highly. "She's doing fine with her research and all..." she said. "I'm sorry for the secret again."

"Eh, it's fine. Really. Honestly, who cares about my dad? He can hit the road," Soos said with a dismissive hand. "You, Dipper, and Mabel turned it all around anyway and I wanna thank you for being my friend."

"I'm glad we're friends too," Y/n smiled, her eyes twinkling. We've been friends for a long time.

Y/n watched Soos grow up and he remained the same goofy, compassionate, and tender-hearted person. Soos deserved all the good things in the world, despite not getting what he wanted those years ago. Yet, looking at himself and the people in his life now, he couldn't ask for anything more.

"Happy birthday, Soos."

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 17!

kimmiepines
originally published: february 15, 2023
words: 12015 words

author's note:
happy hearts day, yall! hope you like this very wordy chapter, wowie.

but anyway. please request original shorts for me to write!! anything u wanna see while i write the canon shorts of the show. we will get to the shorts first before going to dreamscapers and gideon rises! so request all u can!!

love u guys. im still single but honestly who gives a damn. im still happy and content and free!! dont have to spend money and be insecure n stuff. anyways bye 💗

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