More confused than ever I stayed in the water – as far away as possible from everyone since Mabel was off flirting with some of the guys she met at the pool yesterday, Dipper was lying on a deck chair reading his book again and the grunckles were playing a card game, that Stan was apparently loosing since he didn't exactly keep his frustration to himself.

I couldn't stay in there forever though. My fingers were already wrinkled and I was starting to feel cold. The water was about 77°F, what was a normal temperature but if you stayed in it for too long you started freezing anyway. So I had to make my way out eventually after more than one hour.

I was shaking when I wrapped myself in the towel, it wasn't as hot as in the morning anymore and the shade didn't exactly help either. I quickly went to the ladies room to change into a fresh bikini and quickly put on my regular clothes as well since I wasn't going swimming anymore.

When I returned I found Ford sitting on his deck chair alone, he watched his brother and the twins storm off into the sea giggling, screaming and splashing water into each other's faces like little children.

I decided to settle down on the chair next to him and watch the others have fun.

"Sometimes it's really hard to believe they grew so close over me being stuck in that parallel dimension." Ford sighed.

I looked at him. Did the twins still prefer his brother to him although it had been four years since he returned? When I asked, he laughed and shook his head. "No, no, that's not an issue anymore. We've all been a family ever since that summer we all met for the first time."

"Well, what is it then?" I asked, a little confused.

"Nothing, really. " He smiled at me. "Just an old man genuinely being happy how his little brother is bonding with his family."

We watched them together for a little while and I couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy somewhere deep inside of me. How many times did I wish to be a part of the Pines now? They were all so close and they spent so much time with each other while my parents were almost never around. Also, I was a single child so I really had nobody to talk to most of the time.

Until Bill came along half a year ago that is. If I was honest with myself there were a few positive things that came out of him living with me. One of them was that I never had to worry about being lonely ever again. Even at times I wanted to be left alone.

Four years ago though, my parents decided it would be good for me to have some variety for once and get out into the fresh air for a while so they sent me to my cousin whom I'd last seen when I was three and who just so happened to live in Gravity Falls, Oregon. On my first day there I met two twins who were my age and helped the boy, Dipper solve the mystery of his sister Mabel's new boyfriend – also we discovered the third journal and got chased by gnomes as a result of Mabel refusing to be their queen – and accidentally became friends in the process.

Ever since then we three were inseparable. I believe I spent more time at the Mystery Shack than in my cousin's house that first summer, what didn't really bother her anyway. Together we chased monsters, solved riddles and yes, fought for your lives too, even more than once. We defeated Gideon and protected Stan from Bill.

When I first met Bill he wasn't referring to me as "Moonstone" yet. He didn't use my name either though. I was just "the girl" or "the lass". Now that I thought about it, he never actually used my name in the entire four years we've known each other.

And then Ford came. And everything changed. Dipper was instantly fascinated by him – as was I, to be honest. I thought of him as pretty cool back then, I mean what sixty-year-old man was fighting monsters and building strange machines in his cellar on a regular base? I hadn't taken his side though. I had tried to stay neutral between Mabel and Stan on the one and Dipper and Ford on the other side, what didn't turn out to be that easy. Before my very eyes the Pines, whom I had considered the perfect family, started falling apart.

Luckily the twins' thirteenth birthday reunited them over, I don't know what, actually. I just know Ford came back with Mabel out of the woods that day, she seemed pretty shocked and relieved at the same time. He and Stan had talked for a little while and I think they made up that day since they decided to go travelling around the world for one year after that, leaving the Shack to Soos for as long as they were gone.

When Dipper and I asked Mabel what happened she claimed she didn't remember. We never found out what it was.

But the day before Stan and Ford left, Ford got me alone in the Shack, packing my things. I had to go back to my hometown too, since the vacation was over but I already promised the twins I would be returning next summer. He said he had a present for me and gave me the moonstone necklace I'd been wearing ever since that day. He said it was very special and that I should guard it like the biggest treasure I could imagine. But most importantly, never ever let it out of my sight.

And that I've been doing for the last four years.

When Bill visited me for the first time after that summer, when I returned to Gravity Falls the year after that, he first called me Moonstone. And ever since he's been doing that just like he calls Dipper Pine Tree and Mabel Shooting Star. Sometimes I really want to ask him what's with those strange names but I doubt he'll tell me anything.

I looked at Ford and wondered whether now was a good time to ask him why the necklace was so special. He never told me and I was slowly getting curious to why Bill was so eager to get it.

"Ford... can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

I pondered and touched the necklace. "Four years ago you gave me this."

He looked at me, his eyes were pleading. "Please, (Y/N), don't ask me about the pendant."

"But why not? You never told me why it is so important I never let anyone touch it! It's not very fair to leave me in the dark about something that concerns me every day!"

Now Ford looked worried. "Why every day? Wearing it can't be this hard! Or..." he suddenly sat up straight and looked me in the eyes. "Has anyone shown interest in it? Tried to steal it maybe? Oh my god, I shouldn't have left you with this burden... I really thought it'd be best for everyone if a non-Pines would get to keep it but..."

I interrupted him. "No, no, everything's fine, the necklace is fine, I am fine! Really! I am just curious..."

Ford looked at me, relieved now and also tenderly. "I am glad to hear that. But I mean what I said back then, the less you know about it, the safer you are."

I turned my head sighing.

"When it comes to this, my dear girl..." he lightly touched the stone, "curiosity might actually kill the cat. Please trust me, just this once."

I sighed again. "Alright then. I promise, no more questions." I didn't feel exactly good about this but I didn't want to make the impression I didn't trust his judgement! "I'll trust you."