A/N: I promised myself that I wouldn't be a guy that starts writing two stories at the same time. But you know, once an idea gets in your head, it's stuck until you develop it.

Currently, I'm writing another GF fic called "Why Does History Always Repeat Itself?". However, my mind has gone a bit stale on it right now. So, I have decided to take a short break and write something else. Why not a three-shot?

Most of the credit for this story goes to 'choc-chip-pancakes' on Tumblr. Apparently, this fandom can be very opinionated on certain topics and she took no prisoners when she talked about certain fans' opinion of Mabel. I do believe she is more thought-out than Dipper in terms of character development. So, I took on writing a story focused on Mabel. Thanks to 'choc-chip' for the encouragement! Do check her blog out! She does write stories as well!

Okay, that took a bit longer than I wanted. Anyway, let's go!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gravity Falls. It is owned by Alex Hirsch and Disney.

The cement curb she sat on was colder than she remembered it to be. The weather was changing obviously, but she felt there was something else to blame besides the lowering temperature. The bus stop was warmer in her memories of mornings back in sixth and seventh grade. Drifting breezes brushed against her hands and legs, which were exposed to the wind. She pulled her hands into the sleeves of her sweater, hoping the warmth it usually held would heat them up. Her legs were another problem. She regretted not wearing pants, thinking a skirt would be suitable for the day. It was too late now to head back home and change; she was perched with a group of kids waiting for the slow-moving school bus, which was just coming around the corner now.

She turned her head away from the incoming transport to see what her brother was up to. His head was down staring at the screen of his video game, his fingers mashing buttons wildly. She could understand why he was doing this. Ever since they returned from Gravity Falls, Dipper had gotten his GameKid back from Mom and Dad, who had taken it away before they shipped the both of them. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it but within a few days, he was back to trying to beat whatever edition of Backpack Creatures he had been playing before they left.

She nudged him in the shoulder. He earnestly looked up at her after pressing Pause. She pointed to the bus that was yards away. They stood up, letting the bus pull over to the side of the road. They lined up behind the pack of kids filing on to the bus. Once they were on, they spotted an empty bench near the back. They sat down. Dipper returned to his gaming. She leaned her head against the window and looked out at the curb she had been sitting on for a few minutes. Seconds later, the bus pulled away and left the sidewalk behind.

On the bus back to Piedmont, she and Dipper both agreed to not discuss what happened this summer with their parents. It was obvious that telling stories about their two great-uncles, the journals, the countless near-death experiences, and/or Weirdmageddon was not the best course of action. She was prepared for this; that's why she had made a dummy scrapbook; a memory book that consisted of all the good, safe times they had spent exclusively for her parents. She planned to keep the real scrapbook she made a secret from everyone she knew except her brother.

Coming off the bus, their parents were the only ones waiting at the depot. She ran off the bus to greet Mom and Dad while Dipper took his sweet time getting off the vehicle. Typical parental hugs and kisses were given. However, the 'welcome home' vibe was paused when Waddles stepped off the bus last. Questioning expressions were shared by their parents upon seeing the pig. Dipper tried to give a good explanation but was interrupted by Dad, who said that keeping a pig wasn't going to work. But before he could launch into a tirade on their great-uncle for sending it with them, their mother stopped him and said they would solve the issue later. On the way home, Mom and Dad asked all the typical vacation questions any parents would ask their kids. They peppered them with questions like "How was it?", "How was your great-uncle?", and "What type of things did you do?". They complied with basic answers that gave the least amount of information as possible. Those answers turned into more questions until Dipper finally asked them how their summer had been.

When the car pulled into the driveway, she looked at the house they had stopped at. It was their home. Relief and stress collided in her mind and counteracted each other. She felt happy about being back home, yet she already missed everything about Gravity Falls. It was bittersweet in its purest essence.

Seeing her bedroom was another thing that had its happy and sad implications. Though his room was only a few steps away, she knew she would miss the shared attic bedroom she had with him in the Mystery Shack. It reminded her of when they were little and their parents approved them sharing a room.

The one thing that really confounded her was the mess of pink that engulfed the entire room. Her walls, bed sheets, and many of her stuff animals were of the same shade. It was an obscene picture that could make any visitor blush and turn the color. She was quite shocked to see the mass amount of the color all over the place. Was she that obsessed with the color? Walking in and absorbing the environment, she felt uncomfortable. It was a notion she had never felt before in her bedroom. She found herself double taking to watch the stuffed animals that sat against the headboard of her bed. Ever since she had entered the room, she felt like their eyes were moving as she walked around the room, unpacking and organizing her belongings. She knew the idea was ridiculous but she couldn't shake the eerie sense in the time she took settling back in there. At first, she didn't know why the room had this odd feeling.

Pink enveloped everything. It made her think back to the….

She now knew exactly why she hated the place. It felt too much like the bubble. Everytime she turned, she thought the color of the wall was turning darker, a shade of red, the same color when her rule over Mabeland ended and the true darkness of the place revealed itself. Scared and in a rush, she quickly put away all her belongings and headed downstairs. She wasn't sure how she was going to get rid of the connection between her bedroom and the bad memories of her fantasyland. It wouldn't be super difficult to convince her dad to repaint the room a different color. It had been pink for as long as she could remember. It was originally the house's spare room until their parents decided to split her and Dipper and give them separate rooms. Though it had been only four years since that happened, she believed that her parents would understand wanting a new color. A thirteen year-old girl's bedroom didn't have to be pink.

In the kitchen, both she and her brother were surprised to see their mother taking out a small mixing bowl and a permanent marker. She asked them what the pig's name was. Her father put Waddles in the fenced backyard and said the animal wasn't allowed inside under any circumstances. Even though he sounded annoyed with the idea, it seemed Waddles was now a permanent part of the Pines family. The twins, especially Mabel, believed that her parents would never allow them to keep him, considering their past history with pets. They were beyond happy; though most of the excitement came from Mabel. That surprise made her completely forget about the new notion her bedroom possessed thanks to the trap Bill had put her in.

Dinner was uneventful and silent, which was because everyone was eating. The roast their dad had cooked in celebration for their return was delicious. Dipper plowed through several plates of the meat, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. Their mother made a comment about them growing up. Their father promised that Waddles would be allowed in the house, once the twins were able to prove to him that he was trained. Mabel did have food, yet she found herself craving the things Grunkle Stan served, even though half of those things came from a can.

A few hours later, she found herself brushing her teeth in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. She avoided her room ever since unpacking and was dreading going back in. When she was changing into her favorite floppy disk nightgown, she used the bathroom to change instead of her bedroom. She felt stupid for feeling this way; she was now 13 years old: a teenager, not a kid anymore. Yet, she didn't feel any more mature with all the anxiety weighing her down like a heavy backpack on the first day of school. Staring from a distance, the room felt small and closed off. Even only looking at it reminded her of being back in Mabeland. She only felt even more stupid for not wanting to sleep there. Her thoughts were interrupted by Dipper who entered the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Hey," he greeted her, picking up his toothbrush and reaching for the toothpaste on the other side of the counter. They hadn't talked much since the bus ride back to California. Besides their discussion about how to face their parents when they got back, Mabel had slept through most of the ride. She had no idea what Dipper had done; he had waked her up from her nap when they arrived in Piedmont. While he enthusiastically began to brush his teeth, Mabel contemplated her situation while she apathetically continued moving her toothbrush aimlessly inside her mouth. Dipper noticed her depressed expression in the mirror.

"Are you okay, Mabel?" he asked, mouth full of toothpaste. She spit into the sink and gave a tired sigh.

"Not really," she said. She stared at the reflection of herself and her brother that was in front of her.

"What's the problem?" he inquired. Mabel only continued to stare at the mirror. "I mean, can you believe Mom and Dad are okay with a pet pig? Aren't you happy that Waddles is actually going to stay with us?" She turned to face Dipper.

"I am, Dipper," she assured. "It's nothing you can help me with, ok?" Those words slid off her tongue painfully. The truth was she really did want Dipper's help. But she was afraid he would consider her being childish for being scared of her own room. He would probably think she was a baby if she asked if she could sleep in his room for the night.

"Alright," he said, filling a plastic cup with water to gargle. "But let me say this, Mabel. We went through some crazy stuff this summer. No kids should ever have to deal with a dream demon bent on taking over the world. I don't know what going on with you but I want you to know I'm here for you. You can tell me whatever is on your mind. Whether it's about school coming up or missing Gravity Falls, I'll listen."

His little speech eased her mind quite a bit. That's what he always did. Though many people thought that she was the more enthusiastic one between her and Dipper, there were many times where that couldn't be further from the truth. She was a part-time resident of Sweatertown and would often visit when she wasn't in the greatest of moods. Yet, her brother somehow always knew the right words to make her smile and get out of that dreary place.

"Thanks, Dipper," she said with appreciation, weakly starting to smile. Putting her toothbrush down and giving one last spit, she opened her arms towards her brother.

"Awkward sibling hug?"

Dipper let out a short laugh. Opening his arms, she realized what he was going to say in response.

"C'mon, how about a sincere sibling hug?"

The weak smile was replaced by a giant grin in less than a second. They walked into each other and embraced. The whole 'awkward sibling hug' tradition was started by Dipper when they were ten years old. It was around the time when kids their age began to tease them for being so close together. For some reason, the acknowledgement of it being 'awkward' made it easier for them. Now, it seemed that they were past that stage.

"Pat. Pat."

Okay, maybe they weren't completely past it. Pulling away, Mabel headed out the bathroom door and entered her bedroom, which was literally only a few steps away. Dipper popped his head out of the bathroom.

"If you want to talk about something, we can do it right now."

She hesitated closing the door to hear Dipper's proposal. Part of her wanted to run to his bedroom and tell him about her bedroom feeling like a prison. Another part held her back, a voice that teased her openness with her brother. The two halves fought for a second, though it felt more like a couple of hours.

"I'm fine, Dipper. Thanks though," she said in her usual perky tone. Dipper gave a smile and pulled his head back into the bathroom. Mabel heard the door close and a lock click. With the conversation over, she closed her door in response.

Now back in her room, the girl looked around to see the dire place she had been avoiding. The pink walls seemed to be of a lighter shade. Tired, she did a belly flop onto her bed. The comforter that was spread across the mattress felt warm and inviting. Her stuffed animals furthered the invitation with their goofy smiles and fluffy bodies. Absorbing the surroundings again, she found the room to be not frightening at all. She was shocked to say the least. Had her brain been playing some trick on her the whole time? Whatever it was, she was very glad to not be stressed. A good night's sleep would have been nearly impossible without something to ease her fears. Or, not having any fears to begin with.

She hears Dipper say goodnight to her and she wishes him one too. She removed her classic star earrings and the tortoise hair band she had worn for the day. Turning off the light and the desk lamp on her nightstand, she crawled into bed, snuggling herself against the hoard of stuffed animals she kept. The night-light plugged in the corner turned on and began emitting a small beam. Mabel looked over at it in consideration. She got out of bed and unplugged it from its outlet. She had slept in a rickety shack's attic for the past two months with no night-light. At 13 years old, she knew it was time to grow up and sleep in the dark. Getting back into bed, she pulled one of her stuffed animals into her embrace. She could give up light but she wasn't giving up her favorite unicorn. Giving it a loving squeeze, she heard a recording before falling into slumber.

"Princess Loveacorn says: Buy my 42 accessories!"

So, like I said before, I am planning this as a three-shot. The second chapter is pretty much done already.

Thanks for reading! Faves, follows, and reviews are greatly appreciated!

-ThatGuy