Gravity Rises (S1)

VV: Part Two

The bus pulled up to the log-shaped diner, and the twins hopped down. The bus driver got out, too, and helped the twins get their suitcases out from the bus. There was only one problem: No one was there to greet them.

"Wasn't Great Uncle Stanford supposed to be here to pick us up?" asked Dipper.

"I. . . I thought so."

The bus driver, a gopher-like man with a sloped forehead, shot them a concerned look. "You kids gonna be okay?" he asked. "I'd stay and wait with you, but I have a strict schedule."

"He, um, he should be here soon," Mabel said, trying to sound more confident about this than she felt. Maybe he wouldn't come at all. Maybe he didn't exist. Maybe she'd just imagined everything her parents had told her.

"Okay, if you're sure." The bus driver climbed back into his bus. "Stay warm." With a wave, he closed his doors and drove off.

The driver's comment only served to remind Mabel how cold she was. She shivered and pulled her orange jacket around her, suddenly grateful that her parents had forced her and Dipper to pack warmer clothes than they thought they'd need.

Dipper came up next to her. "Hey, Mabel, did you see that guy's name tag? It said 'Soos'. Isn't that a weird name? Soos." He drew the word out and laughed at its sound. "It'd be cool if my name was a—" He paused. "Mabel, what's that called? When a word is spelled the same forward and backward?"

Mabel, who had only been half listening, now blinked and looked to her brother. "Huh? You mean a palindrome?"

"Yeah, that!"

There was a beat of silence as the twins looked around at their surroundings. Then, "Where do you think Stanford is?" asked Dipper. Before Mabel could answer, he rocketed off with another question. "Hey, do you want to go exploring? I bet we could find the museum on our own!"

Mabel hesitated. Stanford should be on his way, right? She liked exploring — but if they left, then Stanford might come to an empty rendezvous point. And besides, he was bringing a car for their suitcases. Mabel didn't want to drag her luggage behind her on this cold, snowy road.

"Let's wait, Dipper," she said decisively. Although if they waited so long that they were about to freeze, then they should go looking for the museum themselves.

No sooner than she said it, however, did a long red car come hurtling down the street. It wove back and forth along the thankfully empty road and then skidded to a stop, its nose coming startlingly close to Mabel and Dipper. Snowy dust swirled around the tires as the driver's door opened.

"Robbie, how many times have I told you to drive carefully!" a grizzled voice shouted.

The driver laughed as he got out. "Sorry, Mr. Pines," he said in a tone that hardly sounded apologetic. "Hey, are you the Pines twins?"

It took Mabel a moment to realize he was talking to her. The boy standing in front of her had to be at least sixteen years old. Long black hair swept over his dark eyes, and an easy smile curved along his face. At the sight of him, Mabel's brain temporarily short-circuited, and she just looked at him blankly.

"Pines twins? That's us!" Dipper replied, bouncing forward. "I'm Dipper, and the girl staring at you like she's just seen Bigfoot is Mabel."

Mabel's eyes widened; when she spoke, her mouth stumbled over the words, like it usually did when faced with strangers. "I-I — no, I wasn't — Dipper!" Her face flushed, she turned meekly back to Robbie. "S-sorry."

Robbie laughed. "You're fine, kid. Hey, Mr. Pines, come meet your relatives!"

The passenger door opened with a grumble as a lightning bolt shot through Mabel's heart. Mr. Pines. Somehow, she hadn't processed what the name meant until this moment, but — "Mr. Pines" had to be Stanford. "Mr. Pines" was her uncle, and he was getting out of the car. She was about to meet a real supernatural researcher!