If there was any one thing Dipper would choose, or could choose, to share about his sister to a random passer-by on a street corner, it was that which was simply a Mabel thing: and it was that she was boy crazy.

She was brilliant.

Bright. Colorful.

Sometimes selfish, but reliable.

Trustworthy.

And yet, very very boy crazy.

Currently, he sat in the Mystery Shacks living room, the morning sun streaming in the windows, where he was occupying Grunkle Stan's favorite chair as his eyes flickered from a re-run of Ducktective to his Journal 3 and a newspaper article on his right. Although multitasking, his mind was not on what he had originally sat down to do: track down a monster.

He managed a chuckle as he remembered the first few boy encounters Mabel had had at the beginning of the summer; none of them had been successful in the least, however, she refused to give up and Dipper had to admire that.

He had a sudden flashback of Mabel with a boy near a greeting cards display in the shack: "My name is Mabel," said Mabel, grinning, "but you can call me "The girl of your dreams. I'M JOKING!" She shoved him into the display, laughing. "Hahahahaha!"

Then a flashback to a boy holding a turtle on a bench in the park: Mabel jumped up behind him, staring at him, then the turtle, and back again. "Oh my gosh, you like turtles? I like turtles too!" An awkward hand gesture of symbolism and a connection that didn't exist. "What is happening here?"

And finally, Dippers favorite: the flashback to the inside of the mattress store: The boy who called himself the Mattress King called out, "Come one, come all, to the Mattress Prince's kingdom of savings!"
Mabel, hiding behind a set of colorful balloons, popped her head out and whispered, "Take me with you . . . "
The Mattress King jumped away with an, "Ah!" cowering away from Mabel and dropping his scepter.

Laughing quietly, he found himself jarred out of his thoughts by a knock on the door.

He hesitated to get up; the last knock had been the mailman and the knock before that had been the local police, for no reason at all except for entertainment. Dipper didn't really feel like answering the door a third time so he craned his neck to peer into the front entryway. A shadowy figure stood before the door and as much as his curiosity was burning at him, Dipper frowned and forcefully turned away, shouting, "Mabel! Door!"

There was a pointed crash, a very excited squeal and pounding of feet as his sister crashed around the corner of the stairs, a huge grin on her face. "Oh, yeah, thanks! Ahhh I'm so excited that he's finally here!"

Oh my gosh Mabel what've you done now, Dipper groaned inwardly, as soon as he heard the word he. Please don't tell me-

"Vladimir!" Came her exclamation as she flung open the door. I'm so glad you could make it!" In her light blue sweater with a smiling marshmallow on the front, she linked arms with a fluffy black haired boy who had bright blue eyes and dragged him into the Shack's living room. She let out a puff and stood up straight, grinning. "Dipper," she began, pointing to the lanky boy, "this is Vladimir! We met downtown in the mall. He likes pizza, staying up late, and dogs! It's a win!"

Vladimir nodded with a genuine smile. "Hey! It's Dipper, right? Mabel's told be a lot about you; how's it going?" A pause. Vladimir seemed to be searching for another conversation starter since one wasn't quite enough. Finally he settled on, "You come here often?"

Dipper was skeptical but he sat up, shut off the TV, shut his journal with a snap and he stuck out his hand. "Hey. It's, um, it's good, yeah. I, uh," he coughed into his fist. "I live here."

Awkward quiet descended from the pit of nowhere, striking the trio forcefully.

Poor Vladimir stared off into space, blue eyes distant and his voice was soft as he replied, sounding very defeated. Mabel patted his shoulder apologetically.

"Oh."

-THEME SONG-

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

A few seconds passed.

Mabel shrugged if off immediately, refusing to let the bold atmosphere die to the hands of awkward miscommunication. "Well, we're off to go for a walk, explore and the like! Have a good afternoon Dip Dop!" Grasping Vladimir's hand in an excited embrace, she once again dragged him off to adventures unknown, his other hand waving a good-bye. "See you around Dipper!"

"Good luck," Dipper replied, eyebrow raised as the door slammed and Grunkle Stan peered around the corner, his gravelly voice breaking the silence as he straightened his red tie and adjusted his Mystery Shack hat, the tassel swinging and dangling off the top.

"Is she gone?" Dipper nodded, simply. His Grunkle seemed to be in a good mood, but hurried. Best to speak fast and mince little words. "Good. I have tourists to rip off and she's too boy crazy to be of any help right now." He turned, the last of his words fading before he appeared at the corner again, making a last minute adjustment to his glasses which Dipper deemed readily unnecessary. "Tell her to watch herself, okay, Dipper?"

Watch herself? He echoed, quietly, inside his head. I mean, yeah, gnomes, but also she can handle herself pretty well. And Vladimir seemed okay. She is my sister, though. Gotta keep track of her some way or another. He paused and finally nodded to his Grunkle, picking up the journal and smiling wide. "You have a deal, Grunkle Stan. But that means tonight we're not going for a ride in your car blindfolded, okay? Family time has got to change into something less than illegal."

Grunkle Stan waved and disappeared toward the gift shop entrance. "No promises. I am a con man after all."

Dipper couldn't argue with that.

With breakfast finished and company gone, he nodded to himself, walking through the house aimlessly. He wanted to believe that today was going to be a normal day, that was the problem. He wanted to accept that, just for once, he wouldn't hear about a missing person on the news. He didn't want to find a body, or hear from the Winchesters, as amazing as it was to have them around Gravity Falls. He wanted to have one day to relax without having to worry about a Wendigo or a dream demon showing up at their door with a knock and a, "Surprise!" - was that too much to ask?

He didn't think it was, until, as he took a single step towards the gift shop to visit Wendy, he felt a chill.

It was a cold, death carrying chill. It ran down his back, up his spine and shivered itself into his toes, leaving the unpleasant aftertaste of paranoia.

Dipper frowned. He felt as if he was being watched; turning, he glanced at the window near the TV. Nothing at first . . . Then-

"A shadow!" Dipper raced to the window and peered out, half expecting a long-dead zombie to pop it's head over the frame to say hello. But nothing happened.

And then he heard whistling.

"Soos. Of course," the boy muttered to himself, backing away from the window half in dissatisfaction half in relief. "He's always doing something to the shack at Grunkle Stan's request. Or hanging out with his girlfriend, Melanie."

Entering the gift shop already partially worn out mentally, he sauntered over to talk to Wendy who was reading some magazine on the counter, waiting for customers most likely. He waved. "Hey Wendy!"

She glanced up, a smile appearing on her face, her red hair as flawless as always. She waved back as he crossed the distance between them. "How's it hanging dude?"

"Great," he lied, placing up a fake smile. Good. Normal, this is good. Dipper thought, his anxiety building. Nothing bad, nothing crazy. Good.

But the chill down his spine was back and he couldn't ignore it. Wendy was saying something, probably about Mabel and her new crush or maybe something about her family and a trip they were going on. He wasn't quite sure, but his paranoia was sending off alarm bells in his head and finally he couldn't pretend to listen anymore; he spun around with, "One second, Wendy. I just remembered that Grunkle Stan needed me to check the inventory on the shelves really fast - I'll only be a moment."

Yes, Dipper, fabulous excuse.

He saw her shrug. "Sounds cool man. I'll still be here."

Making his way over to other side of the gift shop, he did his best to pretend to organize the shelves and check the inventory, all while glancing around. What had given him the chills? Someone had been watching him, he was sure of it. But who?

A hand tapped him on the shoulder; he jumped and almost knocked over a display. "Ah!"

A voice immediately responded, apologetic, friendly and curious at the same time. "Sorry!" Dipper turned to see a girl with dark hair dyed blonde at the tips, her green eyes shining, hand over her mouth. "You're Dipper right? I didn't mean to scare you - I just wanted to say hello. I'm Holly. My family and I are here for a few weeks on vacation. I read about you in the newspaper. It's wonderful to meet you!"

He blinked, rather pleasantly surprised. Was this it? Had this girl given him the chills? She seemed so sweet even at first glance; no, it couldn't be her. So he managed a genuine smile back and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you Holly. I'd say, 'I'm Dipper,' but you seem to already know that. Newspaper fame goes a ways here I guess."

She giggled. "I guess so. Fancy seeing you here, though. With the way the newspaper worded it, I figured you'd be so busy I'd have no chance to meet you at all." There was a pause. For a fraction of a second, the girl seemed to reach for something or grasp for rehearsed words and then she shook herself off, (metaphorically, of course), and took Dipper's hand before he had so much was a say in the matter. And no, she wasn't just holding his hand; she took, like there was no tomorrow.

With nothing else to really do, he went along with it and held up their hands. "So, you uh, want me to show you around?"

She flashed him a winning smile, her green eyes glinting with delight. "I'd like that, monster hunter."

As they left the Mystery Shack gift shop, Dipper couldn't put his finger on it, but something was still bugging him.

Later he realized what it was.

Much too late.

----

Downtown, it was everything one could expect on a warm, Autumn morning that was almost afternoon.

The sun shone brightly, few clouds were drifting in the deep blue sky, and an occasional bird chirped merrily.

Dipper spotted tons of familiar faces, some he waved to, like one of Wendy's brothers, Lazy Susan, and Toby, though that particular wave was reluctant and mostly so Toby would go away. Others he blatantly ignored, like Pacifica and Old Man McGucket.

It was a perfect, regular day.

Which was why Dipper couldn't help but sweat.

Gravity Falls didn't have perfect regular days. And Dipper was getting more and more suspicious the longer the day remained calm. Every minute was on bated breath, even with Holly there.

Finally, she called him out on it.

"Dipper, you alright? You stopped pointing out the various places to me five minutes ago; you've gone completely silent. Is it me?"

Shoot, he thought. She noticed.

He shook his head, horrified. "No! It's not you. I'm so sorry, it's just that this day is going well and I'm not sure how to say this, but Gravity Falls almost never has those kind of days."

She softened, her eyes flashing. Her hair blew in the slight breeze and wow she was pretty. Holly led him over to the mall, (this is the mall, right? She'd asked him), and as music started playing, she grinned widely at him and pulled him a slight bit closer. "I love this artist and his music," she said, her voice sweet and friendly, "dance with me, Dipper? Take your mind off things, y'know? It helps me."

"I don't really dance that much," he tried to say, but she laughed and took a few steps that became a twirling gesture as Dipper managed to spin her around and pull her to back in one fluid motion.

Before he knew what he was doing, without even actually thinking about it,  which, was what he always did when preparing to jump into a situation, he was full on dancing with Holly. It was casual and low-key, but still loads of fun. Her voice was amazing, too. And he was proud to say that he recognized the artist playing, since Mabel had been listening to the same one just yesterday.

"Leave this blue neighborhood; never knew lovin' could hurt this good, oh oh, you're driving me wild.

''Cause when you look like that I've never ever wanted to be so bad, oh, you drive me wild."

When it was over, Holly grinned wide. "Not bad, monster boy. And you said you didn't dance. Don't dance my -"

"Hey! Dipper!" Before his dancing partner could finish or before he could reply, Mabel was sprinting over, Vladimir hanging on for dear life, but not looking at all upset at the fact. "Wanna make this a double date? Nice dancing by the way, you two make quite the pair."

Vladimir laughed. "Yeah, sis, quite the pair. Hanging out with the monster catcher; just like you."

Holly blushed and punched Vladimir's shoulder as Dipper gasped. "You're siblings? What? Us too!"

The more his gaze swiveled back and forth, the more he saw the resemblance and almost hit himself on the head for not spotting it earlier. Perhaps that had been what'd been bothering him? Must be. They were a perfect example of twins, smiling and laughing; he made eye contact with Mabel - she shrugged. "Sure," he said, "if you two don't mind."

What he saw next sent chills into his body and he shivered.

Vladimir and Holly also made eye contact, but instead of friendliness there was a certain hostility and malice. Dipper could ever swear he heard the briefest of hisses from Vladimir and then, "Yeah," chimed in Holly, like nothing happened, voice bright, still cheery. Smiling like a gentleman, Vladimir nodded and took Mabel's hand. No, not offered his hand, not simply holding hands, he took, like the world was ending in an hour. Just like Holly took mine, Dipper thought and a knot grew inside his stomach.

They'd taken one step out of the mall when he slammed into the last person he expected to see.

"Dean?" Asked Dipper.

"Dipper!" Sam exclaimed.

"Sam?" Mabel grinned.

"Mabel!" Came Dean's relieved voice.

"....who?" Holly and Vladimir said, together, but suddenly looking very uncomfortable.

Dean, running a hand through his hair, swore. His green eyes were upset and relieved, his neck veins tense. "Where the hell have you been? We've been tearing this town up trying to find you!"

Suddenly the atmosphere was awkward beyond belief but tinged with worry, concern.

"Why?" Dipper let go of Holly's hand, the good mood he'd just started to accept evaporating into thin air, like a nasty magic trick that left the crowd booing. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Sam's quiet voice swept Dipper off his feet and left him gasping for air as he handed the paper with burnt edges, writing written in blood to the younger Pines twin whose face had gone completely pale, ashen white with fear.

"We were attacked at 3:00 this morning, and when the dust settled, this was stuck to the window. I . . . I'm sorry Dipper. I'm sorry-"

Dipper didn't ignore Sam, but he stopped hearing as he read the note, a breath hitching in his throat, Holly watching from over his shoulder.

Hello, Winchesters. And Pines, by association. You have something we need. We're coming for it. But, please, do put up a fight - we like a challenge. It's oh so nice to finally meet you. Would you mind signing an autograph for me in your blood? Sleep well, or, perhaps don't,
-JD

-COMMERCIAL BREAK-

Dippers head snapped up to meet Sam and Dean's eyes, but they wouldn't meet his.

"What're you saying? What is this? Are you saying we're next? The Shack? Who the heck is this?"

Mabel clutched Vladimir's hand tighter. "Waddles," she murmured, biting her lip in fear. "And Grunkle Stan!"

Everyone seemed to miss it, but Dipper saw Holly and Vladimir exchange another guilty look, their eyes glinting in the sun. He narrowed his eyes.

With a huff, Dean waved a hand. He seemed exhausted and it was barely noon. Granted, Dipper hadn't been woken up at three in the morning and attacked. "Come with us to our Guest Closet and we'll start from the beginning."

----

Cramped, uncomfortable, chilled glasses of lemonade in their hands and all present with the exception of Vladimir and Holly who had, apparently and Dipper could quote, "lots of chores to do - but we were avoiding them." And to be honest, he really couldn't blame them.

Clearing his throat, Dean Winchester called for their attention. The younger Pines, alone with Mabel, now scoured over the brothers clothes and skin for proof of the story about to be told and saw, to their horror, a gash on Dean's collarbone. Sam, in turn, held his right arm close, and a bruise was forming underneath his eye. None of those wounds were from the Wendigo attack from days earlier. No, these were new.

New and terrifying.

"I couldn't sleep so was heading towards the Impala," Sam begin, hands clasped in his lap and hair in disarray, "thinking it would be smart to grab the crowbar from trunk, since I'd had this sneaking suspicion on the tip of my tongue the entire day, like someone was watching me but staying just out of my line of sight. I didn't bother to tell Dean, as he was out like a light, but the moment I stepped outdoors I knew I'd made a grave mistake.

"I'd taken one step towards the car when the front door of the Gravity Falls Gossipers slammed behind me and I got that thought that only people in the middle of the night venturing outdoors and Hans Solo can have: I've got a bad feeling about this.

"A hand slammed into my gut, another came towards my face and connected with my cheekbone--" The younger Winchester was smartly interrupted by Dean, who interjected himself into the story with a displeased feature growing on his face.

"Meanwhile, as Sam is getting his ass kicked, I'm minding my own damn business and all hell breaks loose in the Guest Closet. The window shattered, scattering glass all over the bed and my face when three figures leaped through the now open space and--" Sam picked up his side again, pointedly glancing at Dean, then paused and halted the conversation entirely. Dipper waited on baited breath to know why.

Sam sighed, rubbing the dark purple and blue bruise underneath his eye with care and exhaustion. "Point is, we got jumped. Nothing happened at the Mystery Shack, right? You're okay?"

Mabel gave a thumbs up, but a shaky one. "So far. But that note-"

Dipper made a fist. "Our family . . ."

Out of the blue, Dean grinned. He stood, the bed springs squeaking and his neck cracking. He put an arm around Sam's neck while reaching across the bedspread to put a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "Don't worry. This JD guy? He's no demon. The groups that attacked me and Sam had whites in their eyes, even after they had holy water dripping from their skin. If we're right, what we're going to face is no better, not easy to handle and definitely no pie walk--"

"Dean, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that it's cake walk."

"--whatever. What I'm trying to say is this: we can handle him. We've got a plan. We will make sure you two stay safe. He won't so much as touch you on our watch, you got that?"

Resolutely, the twins nodded.

Dipper still had questions, though and he raised his hand.

Dean waved it away. "Put your hand down, Dipper; this isn't school. What's eating at you?"

He gulped. "So, if they're not, y'know, demons . . . then . . . What are they?"

Silence.

Spinning on his heels and turning toward the door, Dean said, "Put on your best Sunday suit, Sammy. Get some old clothes, kids. Those sons of bitches who threatened you are going to feel hell tonight.

"And it's gonna get messy."

----

Eight hours later

Dipper lay awake, his body stiff and eyes wide, his anxiety running wild.

The lights were off and as he attempted to pretend to be tired, he heard Mabel shift and he spooked. "Mabel! Shhh!"

She turned on her side, pulling the covers of her bed and faced her brother. "You shhh!"

A creak sounded from downstairs and they locked eyes. They both shut up.

Glancing over at the window, Dipper blinked and shivered.

He hated being bait.

But this was for his family. To protect them, he'd do anything. So here he was. He rolled over on his back again, only to have the bed shake from underneath and to hear a muffled warning.

"Hey! You're supposed to be asleep!" That was Dean, who followed up his whisper by coughing as quietly as he could. "Maybe when this is over, in case we ever have to do this sort of thing again, would you consider dusting under here? It's filthy."

A sigh came from underneath Mabel's bed from Sam. "Dean."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay."

That's when all of them heard it. A snap so quiet and barely noticeable that each person in the Pine's bedroom held their breath, waiting, waiting . . .

Snap.

Dipper closed his eyes tight, one hand gripping his pine tree hat and the other resting on his pillow. There it was again!

Snap. Crack.

He wanted to peak so bad. He felt it - felt their eyes on him - and heard the window slowly slide open. They were here, whatever they were. And it wasn't just one or two. Nope. He heard them enter one by one, until he lost count. Was there ten? Twelve? He laid there, unmoving and gritting his teeth, refusing to open his eyes or roll over. He was seeing this plan through, except he wasn't seeing anything but darkness.

"Wait." Said a voice, though it sounded more like a snake hissing with displeasure and disgust.

There was a slight scuffle. Another voice, agitated, impatient. "What do you mean, wait? JD said-"

"I know what JD said," growled the first. "The faster you shut your yap, the faster we're out of this dump and the faster we please our employer." And before he knew what was happening, hands grabbed Dipper's shoulders and shook him awake. He almost cried out. The plan, he repeated over and over inside his head, frightened beyond belief. The plan, the plan, the plan. But the voice was familiar now, soothing and calm. Friendly and yet curious at the same time. "Wake up sleepyhead! It's me!"

Dipper eyes shot open, any trace of sleep vanishing and dissipating like water on a hot day. He rubbed his eyes, confused. "Holly?" Nothing made sense at first as he watched her face filling with concern and her green eyes glinting in the moonlight from the window . . . wait just one second . . . glinting eyes?

And then he knew. His head swam and he drew a sharp intake of air as he gasped.

"No way! B-but the sun! You didn't have fangs when we hung out a-and I never invited you into the Mystery Shack! You can't be!"

Holly grinned, shrugged and flashed her teeth which promptly grew into fangs as Dipper watched, frozen in terror.

How had he been so stupid?

He'd seen it when they'd first met, her eyes shining in the reflection of the mirror in the gift shop. And he'd ignored it. "Dang it!" He said, though it felt more like an afterthought than an instantaneous outburst of frustration.

"Dammit is right."

It was Holly's turn to freeze and Vladimir, inches away from 'waking' Mabel turned softly. "What was that?" He asked, voice low and menacing. "It better not be what-"

Two powerful hands appeared from the shadows underneath the bed and grabbed Holly's exposed ankles, yanking her to the floor. She shrieked while two slightly larger hands wrapped around Vladimir's calves and he fell flat on his face, groaning. Leaping to their feet, Dipper produced a machete he was borrowing from the Winchesters and Mabel hefted her grappling gun, both glaring at the other eight figures who had paused at the base of their windowsill, wary. Dean and Sam rose from the blackness with Vladimir and Holly who were hissing like a pair of snakes in an unpleasant situation, but restrained and held hostage.

"Vampires," Dipper huffed, already somehow feeling out of breath while stating the now quite obvious. "Here, in Gravity Falls?"

Calmly, Sam pulled out the journal that Dipper had seen them with before, and flipped to a page in the dead quiet, his silence screaming for attention. "Folkloric creatures, Vampires are thought to have unnatural powers and the ability to physically transform. However, unlike folkloric vampires, they do not require an invitation to enter a home and are not killed by sunlight. They have heightened senses such as hearing and smell. They also prefer to live in packs in locations called nests." He closed the book resolutely; almost threatening. "So what are you doing here, hmm? My brother and I have dealt with plenty of your kind before. You don't belong here. Which leads to the most important question: if your lot isn't calling the shots, who is?"

Vladimir laughed, showing his teeth. "None of your damn beeswax."

In an instant, two of the vampires nearest to the window leaped out, their pale features fading into the night. Another laugh and Holly's smooth charismatic voice sliced the chilly air.

"They're off to tell him. Our leader, the Alpha vampire, JD. We may not have sensed your trap but he'll not only return to save us, disarm your plan and take what he came for, he'll leave a trail of blood in his wake."

Dean sneered. "Not if I can help it."

A fraction of a second passed; the temperature dropped a solid 15 degrees without warning. The knot that had rooted itself in Dipper's stomach twisted tighter.

Something was very, very wrong.

And from the rafters of the bedroom, a cold calculating chuckle began to sweep the room.

A pair of icy eyes opened - practically searing the air with invisible frostbite from deep old emotions that surpassed the elements of time - and stared down, fixating on the older Winchester before speaking.

"Oh, but my dear, Dean Winchester - that's exactly the problem. You can't. Because I'm already here."

-CREDITS-

_____________________
A/N:

Me, now that finals are over and I've served my sentence of suffering: "You've heard of alphabet soup now get ready for times new ramen"
Also me: wow Styx you've really done it this time ya scrub

Yeah so

Hey. How're you?

I'm not dead haha SuRpRisE anD yIkes whaT a PloT tWisT

Gettin' down to the real matter at hand though, I've actually been sick and tossed into the dark arts (aka technical theater) at school and boy did I overestimate on everything damn thing like?? How long has it been?? Who am I?? Is the Avatar still with us??

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good but holy smokes this book will be the death of me and so help me heaven above I will actually not only finish this season BEFORE summer ends (don't make promises, Styx don't do it - TOO LATE) and I'll start season two and so of that makes you happy um yay that's what I'm here for

So since I've been gone for *cough* decades was this chapter still worth it? Um I tried my best and before like all of you blow me away yes the Vampire leader JD is a reference to Heathers 'cause whoops I'm trash what but that aside it was decent right? And it still sounds like Sam and Dean and Dipper and Mabel right? I hope so ahh let me know if they're not

Yip well this is the bit where if you fear for the SPN and GF team, you like Heathers, or you're ready for another update real snappy, then please Comment, Vote and share! It would mean a lot to me, honest

{song of the episode: Youth by Troye Sivan} 'cause um, Troye

Have yourselves a good day but above all, let's go kill some evil jerks, shall we?
Styx