The citizens of Gravity Falls really didn't talk all that much about the curious compound that stood tucked out of sight several miles outside of town. However, whenever conversation did turn to the peculiar group that lived amongst its well-tended organic fields and large wooden buildings, the words "hippies" and "cult" were usually invoked.

To say the least, the so-called Offspring of the Sun were definitely a little off-putting with their communal ways, curious flowing garb and odd nature-centric rituals. Yet while the majority of the local populace found them to be very odd, they also found their alternative lifestyle to be quite harmless when all was said and done. The most anyone ever saw of them were two or three members at a time selling their wares at the local farmers market. As a result, the town residents were mostly fine leaving the queer little group alone in an unspoken live-and-let-live accord.

It was thus another average summer day in the tiny community as residents went about their daily duties, be that tending to the fields, cleaning their dormitories, sweeping the ceremonial fire circle, or for one particular member, giving a tour to a prospective newcomer.

"...and here, you'll see our dining hall." The pale skinned woman explained enthusiastically as she opened the heavy doors to the dome-shaped structure that dominated the center of the compound. "We eat at seven, noon, and five every day, and dine only upon the bounty that we have personally harvested through our own la-"

"Linnea? Sister Linnea?" An elder gentleman garbed in a simple maroon robe interrupted as he approached. The woman brushed a few strands of crimson hair from her face and smiled apologetically.

"Brother Raoul, can you please wait a bit? I'm a little bit occupied." She asked politely with a bright smile as she pointed to the sheepish young man standing by her side. Her fellow Offspring nodded.

"I can see that, but I'm afraid this must wait for a bit. You're wanted at the visitor center."

"Me?" The woman said curiously. "But it's Sister Kailia's turn today to-"

"Yes, yes. But we have someone who...well, she's very insistent that she specifically sees you." He understated with a grimace. It took a few moments for Sister Linnea to understand what he meant. Once realization sunk in, she let out a heavy sigh.

"Will you take care of him while I'm gone?" She asked, pointing to the newcomer to their ranks. Brother Raoul bowed wordlessly, and with that she hiked up her flowing yellow dress and headed off to the compound's main entrance.

Just a few minutes later, her handmade sandals were slapping against bare wooden floor of the small cabin that served as their community "visitor's center." She trotted inside, nodded to her fellow member, and then braced herself before addressing her caller. "May I help you?"

Waiting in one of the hand-carved chairs sat a noticeably anxious teenage girl. The moment that the woman entered, she instantly perked up with a hopeful grin. However, not only did her smile vanish almost the moment she was spoken to, but she could feel her heart rapidly sink into her the pit of her already churning stomach. She hadn't come bringing high expectations in tow, but that didn't stop her from wishing that for once, she wouldn't get treated like an absolute stranger.

There was no turning back now, though. Here she was, and even though it felt like the tension in the single-room building had already shot through the roof, she might as well get on with it. After clearing her throat for the third time in a row, Wendy clambered to her feet, and greeted softly, "H-hi..."

It took her a few seconds before she could find the strength to finish, albeit awkwardly. "...Mom."

The redheaded woman pursed her lips, and then corrected with a grin, "No...Sister. We have no patriarchs or matriarchs here. Only brothers and…"

The teenager just rolled her eyes. She had heard this ridiculousness so many times before she had lost count. As she quickly started to regret her decision to come here, she nevertheless held out a small, somewhat clumsily wrapped box.

"I...I only wanted to give this." She murmured, averting her gaze. "Just because today's…you know…"

"Thank you." The woman bowed as she stuck like glue to community protocol. "But I am not allowed to receive private gifts. If you have anything that you wish to give, please let Sister Kailia here take care of it..."

"You can accept this." Wendy protested unhappily as their unpleasant ritual of sorts started again. "It's always just one little-"

"...Here no one keeps anything solely for his or herself. Everything is shared by the family of the Offspring." She completed reciting the tenet, and with a touch of pride that was too heavy-handed as usual for Wendy's liking.

I...I-I'm family." The girl reminded softly. Her mother just stood there with arms folded, silent and waiting, as if she didn't recognize her at all. Wendy took a deep; she had promised herself that she wasn't going to lose it this time.

She held up the small package again. "Please, just take this."

Her mother smiled, but if she thought it was supposed to come out as gentle or friendly, she was sorely mistaken. The awful grin felt like a red-hot barb to the teen's heart.

"Here amongst the Offspring, all property is communal." She explained again, and no less proudly than the last time. "No one hoards or-"

"You don't need to say it again. I remember what your stupid cult does." Wendy growled darkly as her patience was dealt another major blow. The petite woman at the nearby desk drummed her fingers nervously and glanced to her fellow community member.

"Sister Linnea, should I-"

The woman held up a hand and said calmly. "It's all right, I can handle this."

Wendy kicked at the floor with a heavy boot and grumbled agitatedly. "Nancy. Your name is Nancy."

"In the past…yes." Her mother actually admitted. Much to her daughter's frustration though, she still spoke as if they were meeting for the first time. Just as she always did. "But here I'm -"

"I know, I know, I know." The sixteen-year-old pleaded wearily as she attempted to hand over the small present again. "I'm not asking for much. Just please take this."

"All private gifts and donations-" The horrid spiel started up anew.

"Please take it?" Wendy continued to beg shamelessly. "You don't even have to say anything. Just…for once, take it."

As usual, this proved to be far too much to ask for. Her mother tucked her hands behind her back and shook her head resolutely. "Here amongst the Offspring, we do no-"

"I don't need to be reminded again!" Wendy growled and stomped her foot hard against the floor. "It's only one measly present. That's all it ever is."

"Private property is discouraged here. Everyone…" Like a machine she began to re-explain the doctrine.

"I don't care what everyone else here does. I never care." The teen snapped angrily. "I'm…"

"…shares…"

"….your…"

"…everything here at-"

"….daughter!" Wendy involuntarily shouted as she drew closer to the end of her rope.

Her mother shook her head, and almost pitying so at the teenager's desperate persistence. "Any donations should be left here at the-"

"It's not a donation. It's only one present from me." As she argued on, Wendy could hear her voice crack. The corners of her eyes began to prickle, and hastily she wiped them against a flannel sleeve. It was official; this had been such a bad idea, that she didn't even know where to start. Emotionally in way over her head, she fought like and to keep herself together. "Mom...please."

Her mother stared silently. Then for the umpteenth time, she began to explain, "Here amongst the Offspring, all property is commu-"

There was only so much she could take. Wendy suddenly found herself surging past breaking point as she balled her fist and screamed angrily, "It's just one fucking present!"

Her mother was of course startled by the outburst, but quickly tried to recompose herself. "Please child, calm down. Here we try not to show-"

"Stop it! Stop the high and mighty shit for once, okay? Just…just stop it!" The teenager half-yelled, half-begged as her eyes started to well up. "And child? Child? It's Wendy! Wendy! Wendy! Why won't you ever say it?"

"Plea-"

The girl angrily jabbed a finger. "You're the one who gave me that name. Why do you always have to pretend like you don't even know?"

"Please, settle down." Her mother only finished urging solemnly as the heartbroken teen raged on.

"No, I will not! I just wanted you to take the fucking present! That's...that's all I ever want! That's it!" She managed to shout right before a sob escaped her throat. Her chest heaved up and down as the rage coursed through her. With her head spinning and no real idea what to do, she buried her face in one hand and to try to hide the tears that had began to trickle free.

She suddenly felt a delicate touch on her shoulder. Wendy looked up and found herself staring directly into her mother's calming smile. Her heart lightened for a brief moment as almost childish instinct seized control. Without even thinking, she raised her arms and spread them open.

The girl had guessed wrong though, and a comforting embrace never came. Her mother's smile didn't waver for an instant as she took her by the shoulder, and gently began to turn her towards the door.

"You're a little upset." She managed to say both kindly yet oddly coldly. "Maybe you need-"

She had gone too far. As her daughter's short-lived flash of hope was brutally smashed, a fresh wave of anger swept in and took. With a snarl, Wendy gripped her gift tightly, and with an almost animalistic scream she lashed out furiously.

The woman gasped as the improvised club smacked her hard in the stomach, and with a single grunt she toppled to the floor in a heap. While her fellow member bolted to her side with a horrified cry, Wendy exploded.

"Fuck you!" She screeched hoarsely as the rage surged out. "Fuck you, and all the other crazy fucks here!

"Please…" Her mother wheezed, clutching at her aching gut. "Calm down…that's not our way-"

A fierce slam nearly knocked the door off its hinges, and the woman found herself pleading to empty space. Her daughter had already raced off, unable to take any more.

Hot tears nearly blinded her as her legs moved her body almost mechanically down the long dirt road. The girl felt like an absolute fool. Why did she think this time would be different? Why did she think that for once, that woman would recognize what she left behind?

She honestly didn't know. None of this had really made sense for years. She wasn't sure what she wanted, or why she kept punishing herself every year like clockwork. The only thing that was clear at all was the hate that was nearly overwhelming at this point. It was hate at everything; self-hatred for putting herself through this again, hate, for the parent who had left her, and a special hate for what she had just done.

Wendy hadn't the faintest clue how long she ran for; she only stopped when it felt like her lungs were on fire. After stumbling to clumsy halt, and leaned against a towering redwood as she hunched over. Once she had caught her breath, the girl then let out another hoarse yell before punching the nearby tree in a fit of anger. She didn't care; she didn't even feel the thick bark cut and bruise her pale skin.

A tiny cloud of dust was kicked up as she sat down hard. Twin rivulets gushed down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably, and thus she remained. She still had lost all sense of time; she was far too gone in a miasma of misery that only lifted when she was sure that she had cried herself dry.

As she wiped at puffy red eyes, she pondered about what to do next. She obviously couldn't go home. Her brothers weren't stupid. They knew just as well as she did what today was, and all they would have to do is take one look at her before they would rightfully get on her case. That alone would be a minor nightmare; she was in no mood to reveal that she had not only made one of her visits, but today's had been record-breakingly catastrophic. And if her father was home…she didn't even want to think about it.

Thankfully, that didn't mean she was forced to sit in the forest feeling alone and like absolute hell for the rest of the day. Thankfully, there was still one decent refuge where she could go nurse her grief, and hopefully have her privacy somewhat respected. After taking a few minutes to clean herself off as best as she could, she staggered shakily to her feet and headed off down the dirt road.

"….Do you have any threes?" The boy asked. His sister hovered her fingers over one of her cards, started to slowly tug it out, and then teasingly popped it right back into place with a mischievous giggle.

"Nuh-uh! You might as well be wearing waders, 'cuz you need to go fish!" Mabel laughed uproariously at her own antics. Dipper rolled his eyes as he reached for the stack lying between them.

"That was barely funny ten minutes ago. Why would it be any funnier now?" He groaned exasperatedly.

She grinned from ear to ear, unaffected as usual by his protests. "You're just mad because you got no game tod-"

The Pines' game was interrupted by a cautious knock in the living room doorway. In near unison the two looked up and together received a minor start from the bedraggled teen standing before them.

"...H-hey, guys." Wendy attempted to sound like her normal self, but that effort soon proved to be for nothing as an unexpectedly hoarse greeting came out. Also, judging from their stunned expressions, she guessed that she hadn't done half as good a job as she thought making herself somewhat presentable.

She anxiously fidgeted, but thankfully not for long before Dipper finally broke the awkward silence. "Um...are you okay?"

The teenager grimaced as she took a moment to think over her reply. She definitely wasn't in the mood to go into honest details. But obviously couldn't answer yes, because that would automatically put her in the running for lie of the century.

A moment later though she realized she had a third option when she glanced down at her bruised and bloodied knuckles. She quickly held up her self-inflicted wound for them to see and murmured, "I...I think I need a bandage-"

Dipper leapt out of his seat so fast that one might have thought that his chair had been electrified. Thankfully without an inquiring word he was off in a comical flash. Mabel rolled sighed at her brother's curious overeagerness, but followed along, albeit at a much slower pace. Right before she trotted out of sight, she stopped in front of her older friend, and wordlessly motioned for Wendy to bend over.

The teen was honestly taken off guard when she felt the pair of skinny woolen-sleeved arms fling themselves around her and squeeze tightly. After a few seconds, Mabel let go, then just beamed warmly at the stunned girl.

"You look like you'd had a really rough day." She explained simply. Mabel then promptly headed off to help her brother procure some basic first-aid supplies, though not without flashing her trademark smile once again. Wendy put on a grateful grin, and a moment later she found herself alone, though only temporarily so.

It had been quite the day, to say the least. Completely drained in every way imaginable, the teen flopped herself down into the old armchair. Despite today's disaster, maybe next year would be better. Perhaps next time she wouldn't end the day with an epic meltdown. As much as she almost hated to admit it, the hope was still there. Minuscule as it was, it never really went away.

After making herself a little more comfortable, she opened up the battered little package. It took some work, but after a few seconds she managed to successfully fish out an old photo from the now-broken frame inside. While waiting for the twins to return, she gazed wistfully at the picture of the redheaded young woman and her happily beaming little girl.

Her heart twinged painfully. As usual, that was about as all she could take. Right before she tucked it into her pocket, she softly traced her fingers over the image one last time with a wistful murmur.

"Happy birthday, Mom."

The End

Thanks very much for reading, as usual. Any reviews or whatnot are always greatly appreciated!