The Pines Hunters

The Twin Stans

That night Dipper had a strange dream. He was in a house. Not any old house, but his childhood home, something was different. It looked old and beat up like no had lived there in years. He tried to call out. To his sister. To his parents. To anyone, but no one responded. He started to walk around the house, but the more he did the more alone he felt. Finally, when he entered his old room a shiver went down his back and an old familiar laugh echoed through the house.

"Bill Cipher. Show yourself!" Dipper called. The laugh grew louder and louder until it rang in Dipper's ears. Suddenly, the house turned to flame. Dipper watched as his memories burned away and himself along with them.

"Dipper! Wake! Up!" yelled Mabel. Dipper opened his eyes and sat up quickly, accidentally shoving his sister off. He was panting. Dipper looked around. It was morning, they were in the shack, they were safe. "Dipper, you ok? You were tossing and turning like crazy." Mabel asked with a concerned tone.

"I-I'm fine." he said. He got out of bed and opened his backpack, looking for a shirt.

"No, you aren't. You are having dreams again aren't you? The Bill ones?" Mabel asked, but Dipper did not respond. He silently put on a shirt and vest. "Maybe coming here was a bad idea. Too many memories."

"I said I am fine, Mabel!" Dipper yelled. "Leave it at that." Dipper put on some pants and left the attic. He went down stairs when he heard a deep raspy chuckle and there was only two men Dipper knew with a laugh like that. He ran down the stairs and saw Stan, Ford, and Soos sitting at the poker table each with a cup of coffee in hand.

"And then Stanley turned around and saw the yeti standing right behind him." Ford laughed. "It was like in a cartoon." Soos and Stan laughed at the conclusion of the story. Soos was the first to see Dipper.

"Hey, dude! Come join us." said Soos. The Stans turned around and saw Dipper. Both of their faces lit up and they ran up to him. They both gave him a hug at the same time which was less awkward now since Dipper was taller than them.

"Hey, there squirt." said Stan as they let go of him. Stan playfully punched Dipper's arm. Dipper rubbed it and laughed.

"Hey, Gruncle Stan."

"Hello, Dipper." said Ford. His face beaming with pride.

"Hello, Great Uncle Ford."

Stan noticed the scars and bruises that covered Dippers arms and face first. "What happened here, Dipper? You getting into fights?" he asked, his voice showing a hint of pride.

"Well, uh, actually..."Dipper began, but he was cut off by a girlish scream running down the stairs and tackling their uncles.

"Stan! Ford! I missed you guys so much!" Mabel yelled. The uncles laughed and hugged her back.

"We missed you too, kid." Said Stan. They all let go of each other headed to the poker table where they all sat down, Waddles under the table on their feet.

"So, where is Melody?" Mabel asked?

"Oh, she had a doctor's appointment for the baby. She wanted to go alone so I let her. It is hard for her to have so many people here at once. She is used to it just being the two of us and Wendy every now and then." said Soos. All the others just nodded in understanding. Soon, Stan noticed Mabel's scars as well. Now he got really suspicious.

"Have you two been... fighting?" he asked the younger twins. The two of them flashed a look of momentary panic before covering their scars.

"Don't be ridiculous, Stanley." said Ford. "They would never fight. They are twins." he was obviously throwing them a bone here, but why the twins did not know.

"We are not fighting, Gruncle Stan." said Mabel, trying to think of a cover story. "In fact we were stopping the fighting. There was this group of kids picking on another kid and we helped break it up." she said, trying to sound convincing. Stan did not look like he believed it, but he took it anyway.

They went on the rest of the day like that. Stan and Ford would relax in the back while Dipper and Mabel helped run the shack. They saw a lot a old faces and some new ones. They saw the man who had married a woodpecker and then divorced the woodpecker. He seemed to be doing good. They also saw Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Derlin who  were now Sheriff and Deputy Derlin-Blubs and had an adopted son named Andy. They saw many people, but none who either of them wanted to see most. Their old friends.

At the end of the day Dipper and Mabel decided to pay them a visit. They hopped into their car, along with a few emergency supplies, and head into town. First stop, Candy and Grenda's place.