Gravity Falls
Fanfic
"Christmas with the Pines"
When Grunkle Stan bans Christmas, Mabel and Dipper are determined to bring the holidays to the Mystery Shack. But not everything goes as planned...
Clean - No Swearing, No Pinecest.
Chapter One: Dipper
Dipper opened his eyes and rolled lazily over onto his side. He looked over at his sister Mabel, who was sitting up in bed reading a magazine titled: "Boy Mania."
He giggled quietly to himself and stretched his arms.
"Morning Dippingsauce!" Mabel chirped, throwing down her magazine and wiggling up to the edge of her bed.
"Morning" He replied, feeling around on his nightstand for the journal. He picked it up and began to flip through the pages. Mabel gasped and jumped up, slamming the journal shut.
"Dipper! How could you read at a time like this?!" She shrieked.
Dipper huffed angrily at Mabel and placed the journal back on the nightstand. His sister could be such a pain sometimes.
"Why? What's going on?" He asked.
Mabel gasped and yanked on her hair.
"What's going on?!" She repeated, leaning in closer to her brother. "We have a lot of work to to do today!"
"Why?" Dipper asked, backing up away from Mabel.
"We only have one week until Christmas!" She chirped, jumping up and running out the bedroom door. "Come on! Let's go tell Grunkle Stan!"
Dipper rolled his eyes and pushed himself up off of the bed. He quickly shoved his sheets up toward his pillow and smiled at his "made" bed. He turned toward the window and gasped. There, right before his eyes, was something he never thought he'd see. Snow.
It was everywhere. It covered the trees, the golf carts, and the tips of the giant pine trees. He watched in amazement as Soos waddled toward the golf cart, covered head to toe in baggy snow gear.
He ran downstairs and into the kitchen. He walked in to see Mabel chattering away while Grunkle Stan pulled a half-empty carton of milk from the fridge.
"Aren't you excited Grunkle Stan? I sure am! I can't wait to start making gingerbread cookies, singing Christmas carols, wrapping presents, and knitting Waddles his very own Holiday sweater!" She turned around and looked over at Waddles, who oinked softly. "See? Waddles is excited too! Do you want a reindeer sweater, or a candy cane sweater?"
Waddles oinked twice and waddled out of the room, hooves clacking on the floorboards.
"Candy Canes it is!" She called out after him, happily swinging her legs back and forth under the table.
Dipper sat down and watched as Grunkle Stan slapped a plate of pancakes in front of them.
"Yeah, well I personally hate Christmas." He complained, picking up a newspaper.
Dipper gasped. Grunkle Stan had made a big mistake, saying such a thing with Mabel within range.
As if on cue, Mabel leaped up and screamed at the top of her lungs. He watched as a pile of snow fell from on top of the giant "M" on the roof.
Dipper winced, ready for Mabel's wrath of rage.
"Grunkle Stan, how could you say something like that!? Everybody loves Christmas!"
"Well I don't!" He replied, scratching his ear with an oven mitt. "And never make that noise again."
"Why don't you like Christmas?" Dipper asked, sticking up for his sister. He knew that if Grunkle Stan didn't like Christmas, there wouldn't BE a Christmas, and poor Mabel would be devastated.
"It's a stupid Holiday that encourages people to go waste their money by buying presents for people they love, and decorations. I'm not doing it."
"But Grunkle Stan! I love Christmas!" Mabel cried, turning on her puppy dog eyes. "Please?"
"Sorry kid, but no means no." He replied harshly, lifting himself up off of the chair and leaving the room.
Dipper turned to Mabel sympathetically.
"It's okay. I'm sure it won't be that bad." He soothed.
Mabel turned to him and frowned.
"He's taking away Christmas Dipper! How could you take away Christmas?!" She cried, burying her face into Dipper's shoulder. Dipper frowned. How could Grunkle Stan do something like this to poor, sensitive Mabel? It was one thing to not like Christmas, but to not allow it? Dipper wasn't going to stand for this.
"Don't worry Mabel. We're still going to have Christmas." He announced.
"But how? Grunkle Stan said that-" Mabel was interrupted.
"Who cares what Grunkle Stan says?" He burst out. "We're going to have ourselves the best Christmas we've ever had, whether Grunkle Stan helps us or not."
Mabel looked up and smiled hopefully.
"Really?" She asked.
"Really." Dipper replied.
Chapter Two: Mabel
Mabel shivered. Winter in Gravity Falls was colder than she had expected. She tightened her pink scarf and looked up at Dipper, who was standing on top of a tree stump.
Soos and Wendy stood on either side of her. Soos looked excited, and honored to be called to this secret meeting, while Wendy looked bored.
"I've called you here today, to talk about something very important." He announced, shaking the snow off of his coat.
"Can we make this quick?" Soos interrupted. "I've been out here for a long time, I'm beginning to wonder if I still have arms."
"Fine." Dipper said sharply. "We'll make this quick. Now, as you probably know, Christmas is coming, and Grunkle Stan is not a very spirited guy."
A loud horn interrupted Dipper, and everyone turned to see Robbie in his van, the usual scowl pasted on his face. Wendy frowned.
"What does he want this time?" She asked sharply, storming over to him in her furry boots. Dipper leapt off of the stump and quietly followed.
"Look, I know you're still pretty mad, and I get that. But just, hear me out okay?" He begged. Dipper froze as Robbie looked directly at him and glared. He turned back to Wendy. "There's this big dance, Christmas Eve, I was wondering if, maybe you'd be willing to give me a second chance?" He asked.
Wendy screamed. "Robbie! I told you I'm not interested! Now get out of here!"
"At least just show up. Tambry's gonna be there. And Thompson. I dunno of Nate's going, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet."
"I'll think about it. But even I do decide to go, I'm NOT going to dance with you." She hissed, walking away.
"It starts at eight!" He called out after her, starting his truck. Dipper jumped out from behind the wheel and started after Wendy, when he felt someone grab him from behind. It was Robbie. He thrust him into his truck, slammed the door and drove away.
Chapter 3
"I guess so." Wendy replied, pulling out her phone from her back pocket.
"Definitely!" Answered Soos, pulling some frost out of his jacket.
"Great! With this team, we're going to have the best secret Christmas ever!" Mabel cheered, jumping off of the stump and sinking her boots into the snow. She slid open the door and leapt into the shack, pulling off her boots.
Wendy and Soos followed, taking off their snow gear and staring at Mabel.
"So what now?" Soos asked, shaking the snow out of his boots.
"Everyone, keep your snow gear on! We're going to go buy some decorations"
Dipper looked around anxiously, wincing as he felt a lump on his head from where Robbie had thrust him into the van. He felt nauseous as the van bounced around, aggravating his head injury.
"What's going on?" He asked, holding his stomach in pain.
"You'll see." Robbie answered, making a sharp turn to the left. Dipper could take no more. He leaned over and let go of his breakfast all over Robbie's leather seat covers. To his relief, the van jolted to a stop, and Robbie unclipped his seatbelt. He opened the door and leaned over to Dipper.
"Hey! Those were new seat covers!" He screamed.
Dipper moaned. "Are we getting out?"
"I don't think so." He replied, holding up a fist. "Maybe this'll teach you to stay away from Wendy, you little twerp.
Mabel pushed the cart closer the cash register, humming happily. Wendy smiled at her, and watched as Soos came up with a giant inflatable Santa in his arms.
Mabel gasped and hugged Soos.
"You're a genious!" She exclaimed taking the giant Santa and placing it on the cash table with all the other Christmas decorations.
The cashier was your typical teenager. She had pink highlights in her hair, three nose piercings, and a blank expression.
"89.95 please." She asked.
Mabel gasped. That was a lot more than she had expected. She turned to Soos and Wendy, who emptied their pockets to find a meager 20 dollar bill and a few coins. After some serious concentration, Mabel had concluded that they only had $43.76
"Will you accept payment in Gummy Koalas?" She asked.
The cashier sighed and shoved the items back into their cart.
"No. Unless you have the money, go put these back, and get out."
Mabel frowned and walked away sadly, Wendy comforting her, and Soos dumping the decorations back onto one cramped shelf.
"It's okay. We'll figure something out." Soothed Wendy.
The trio walked out of the store, and Mabel chewed unhappily on a purple gummy koala. She offered one to Wendy, who politely said no, and then handed three to Soos.
"Aw thanks Mabel! Hey! Speaking of Gummy Koalas, have any of you guys seen Dipper?"
Mabel stopped, frozen. She turned to Wendy, who shook her head, eyes wide. Soos stopped chewing and started to shiver in the cold of the outdoors, but looked terrified nonetheless.
"Okay, everyone think. When was the last time we saw him?" Soos asked, tearing the head off of a yellow gummy koala.
"When Robbie pulled up." Mabel said, turning to Wendy.
"Was he with you guys?" Wendy asked, munching on her hair.
Soos shook his head.
"Nope." Mabel answered anxiously.
"Oh no!" Wendy shrieked. "I bet I know where he is. Come on!"
Mabel hopped into the car and watched as Soos struggled into the backseat. Wendy started the car took off in the opposite direction of which they had came.
It felt like the longest car ride in the world for Mabel. She knew that Robbie had a dislike for Dipper, and he was much bigger and stronger than her brother. Anything could happen.
"Where are we?" Soos asked as Wendy pulled up into a driveway. She opened the car door and paused.
"Robbie's house."
She slammed the door shut and began walking up the dirt trail toward the door. Mabel jumped out and ran after her. It took a little longer for Soos to accomplish this task, but he was right behind them.
Wendy knocked on the door, and Mabel shivered. This was turning out to be a terrible Christmas.
When Robbie opened the door, Mabel saw a side of Wendy she'd never seen before. Robbie started to speak, when Wendy cut him off. She punched him square in the face, and walked right over him on the floor.
Mabel just stared.
"Come on!" Wendy called out. "We have to find Dipper!"
Mabel cautiously stepped over Robbie, and motioned for Soos to be careful. He ignored her advice and crushed Robbie's shoulder as he stepped on it.
"Soos!" She yelled, grabbing his arm. "You have to be more careful next time! Come on!"
The trio walked anxiously through the house, alert for any signs of Dipper's presence.
"Are you sure he's even here?" Asked Soos, examining a picture of Robbie's grandma.
"I'm positive." Wendy said, grabbing an expensive stone statue and throwing it on the ground, smashing it to pieces.
Mabel stepped over it, looking down at her feet to make sure she didn't walk on any broken pieces, when she saw something.
"Wendy look!" She yelled, wincing as Soos bumped into her from behind. Wendy ran over and gasped.
There on the floor, was Dipper's hat.
"I was right!" She yelled, picking it up and dusting it off carefully. She looked around and turned the knob on a door, opening it carefully. Inside was a room small enough to be a broom closet, filled with books and a little TV.
Wendy walked in, ducking her head, and Mabel followed. The entrance was short, and Soos couldn't manage to get in.
"It's okay Soos! You get back to the front door and watch Robbie!" Mabel called out, shutting the door behind her.
Wendy and Mabel searched the room, when Mabel stumbled upon something strange. She picked up a small book, dusted it off and gasped. There was a journal, just like Dipper's! A small, black number 2 was plated on the front.
"What is it?" Wendy asked, moving over to Mabel.
Mabel decided that it was best she kept Dipper's journal a secret from Wendy, and put it down.
"Nothing! It was just so shiny..." She lied, walking over to the other end of the room. She examined the TV, pressing the ON and OFF button multiple times. It was broken. She sighed and started to turn around, when she noticed something.
A loud scream filled the room and Wendy ran right over.
"What's wrong?" She asked, a concerned look on her face.
"There! Behind the TV!" She screeched. "It's Dipper!"
Chapter Four
The hospital was a scary place. Giant machines beeped, buzzed, and chirped, and scary doctors walked menacingly up and down the endless halls. Mabel wanted to go home.
After Robbie's arrest, the police had taken Dipper to the hospital, where he lay in intensive care. The doctors said that he'd taken quite a beating, but he would live. What scared Mabel that most, was the feeling of not knowing. Mabel knew there was something darker than trauma and bleeding to this case. Something was very wrong with Dipper, she could sense it.
Grunkle Stan took Mabel to the hospital every day after lunch, where she sat next to him and read him articles from "Boy Mania."
Grunkle Stan seemed very upset, and didn't talk much. It was as if the personality had been sucked right out of him. He was very quiet all the time, and spent hours sitting in front of the TV with the power off.
Dipper was awake, but he wouldn't talk. He was in shock, and he was scared. Mabel knew that Robbie had done nothing more than a few punches, he wouldn't have done anything too terrible, but something was wrong. She felt it.
Soos and Wendy were really upset. Grunkle Stan refused to drive them to the hospital, and the doctors said only family was allowed in the room.
She had asked them to continue working on the Secret Christmas, and they obeyed. They figured it was the most they could do.
Mabel was beginning to fear that this would never go away. She would continue to visit Dipper every day for the rest of her life. Until late one cold afternoon...
"And that's why they voted Justin Bieber the 13th Cutest Boy in the World!" Mabel said, shutting her magazine. She reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her glass of water. She gulped it down and opened back up to page 36.
She sighed. It was so hard to concentrate on Liam Hemsworth with the menacing beep of the machine. She cleared her head and began to read.
"Liam Hemsworth is really great. He's great because he's great and his greatness is amazing. Everybody loves his greatness." She recited.
"Can we please read something else?" Dipper asked.
Mabel shot up and shrieked.
"Dipper!" She cried. She ran over and gave him a huge hug. Dipper giggled and and pushed her away.
"Are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you want something? I missed you so much! Everyone is so worried! Do you really think Justin deserves the title of 13th Cutest Boy in the World?" She chattered away until Dipper stopped her.
"I'm fine. Just a little sore. Where's Wendy?" He asked.
Mabel shrieked again. "You ARE back!"
Grunkle Stan popped his head into the room, and froze when he saw Mabel yelling at Dipper.
"Mabel? What are you doing?" He asked, the usual energy was gone from his voice. It sounded as if he didn't really care about the answer.
"Dipper's back Grunkle Stan! And he doesn't think Justin Bieber's cute!"
Grunkle Stan looked confused. He walked over to Mabel and sat down.
"He's a jerk! He spits on people!" Dipper replied.
Grunkle Stan lit up like the 4th of July.
"Dipper!" He screeched, shooting up from his chair. Mabel smiled and squeaked happily.
"Isn't it great Grunkle Stan? Now we can go home!" She chirped.
Grunkle Stan frowned. Dipper looked sad again.
"We can go home, can't we?" Mabel repeated, looking worried.
Grunkle Stan turned around and put an arm on her shoulder.
"Not for a while yet kiddo. Dipper broke his legs."
"What?!" Mabel screamed, rushing over to her brother. "What do you mean?"
"They don't know if he'll ever walk again." Stan explained sadly. "They're bringing him a wheelchair tomorrow, and he'll be able to visit the shack for a few days, but he's gotta come back."
"But he'll be okay, right?" Mabel asked. "He'll walk eventually!"
"I dunno." Grunkle Stan said. "But we gotta go now."
Mabel looked at her great-uncle sadly before saying goodbye to Dipper. Grunkle Stan walked out of the room sadly, but Mabel could tell he was happier than when he came in.
"You'll be okay." Mabel promised. "Maybe we can cure you using the journal!"
Dipper sighed.
"I dunno Mabel. I don't remember reading anything like that before." He said.
"We'll still try!" She said hopefully. She remembered the journal she'd seen in Robbie's house, and decided to tell Dipper.
"When we were looking for you, I saw something in Robbie's house. It was a journal, just like yours."
Dipper's eyes widened. "Really?"
Mabel nodded.
"That's weird. Why would Robbie have a journal?" Dipper asked, partly to himself.
"Mabel! Come on! We gotta go!" Grunkle Stan called.
Mabel got up and grabbed "Boy Mania."
"I'll see you tomorrow Dippingsauce!" She exclaimed, running out the door.
Dipper was left sitting alone in the room, confused. All night, he couldn't stop thinking about what Mabel had told him. Why would Robbie have a journal?
Chapter 5
"Lights!"
"Check!"
"Tree!"
"Check!"
"Snowman!"
"Check!"
"Presents!"
"Check!"
"Excellent." Mabel said, wiping the snow off of her jacket. "This is going to be the best Secret Christmas Ever!"
Soos and Wendy stood like soldiers in a line, surrounded by a magnificent display of Christmas decorations. Homemade Christmas decorations. Out in the middle of the forest, where Grunkle Stan would never catch them.
Mabel gasped.
"Soos! What did you do to the snowman?" She shrieked, running over to it. It was pretty messy, just three globs of snow with a few sticks and rocks.
"What do you mean? It took me three hours to make it!" Soos whined, running over to Mabel.
"Where's it's hat?" She demanded.
"It's hat?" Soos repeated, confused.
"It's hat!" Mabel said. "Every snowman has a top hat! It's tradition!"
Wendy moved closer and examined the snowman.
"I dunno Mabel. It looks fine to me." She said, squinting her eyes.
"What did I tell you? Everything has to be PERFECT!" Mabel yelled, kicking the snow. Soos and Wendy looked at each other nervously.
"Never mind. I'll find it myself! Start wrapping those presents!" Mabel ordered, running off into the woods. She ran for a good long time, before she realized the stupidity of what she was doing. How was she supposed to find a black top hat in the middle of the forest?
"Hey look! A black top hat!" She said to herself, running toward a tree. A fleck of snow hit her square in the face, and she snapped her eyes shut instinctively, sending her smashing into the tree. She fell over and rubbed her head, moaning. But that was no ordinary crash. Something felt different. Something wasn't right.
She got up and examined the tree. She knocked on it for a few times, and concluded that it was hollow.
"How 'bout that?" She said to herself, jumping up to the nearest branch. Nestled on the edge, was a shiny black top hat. She grabbed it and ran back to the Christmas site.
"I found one!" She exclaimed as soon as she got there. But Soos and Wendy were nowhere in sight.
They must have gone to wrap the presents! She remembered.
She plopped the hat onto the snowman and placed her hands on her hips.
"There." She said. "It's perfect."
"You call this perfect?"
Mabel screamed and rubbed her eyes. She backed away and stood still, mouth wide open.
Did this snowman just talk? There was no way! Snowmen can't talk! It's impossible!
"Not impossible miss! Unlikely for sure, but not impossible!" It said, stretching it's arms. Or it's sticks.
It slid right over to Mabel and took off its hat, bowing.
"Pleasure to meet you, master. A pleasure indeed."
Mabel stuttered and stared at the snowman, eyes wide.
"Can you read my mind?" She asked, trying to calm down. This was Gravity Falls for crying out loud! Nothing was normal here.
"Yes I can! And I'll assure you I am certainly not abnormal!" It announced, straightening out. "The name's Ronald. Ronald S."
"How can you talk?" She asked, still shocked.
"The answer's in that shiny hat on my head here! Thanks for bringing me this by the way!" He said.
"You're welcome?" She answered.
"But I've got some more important things to discuss with you master. I don't like the way you sculpted me. A three-year-old could've done a better job!"
"Well, actually, I didn't-" Mabel began.
Ronald slid closer to Mabel.
"I don't like excuses. Now, you better find a way to fix me, or I'm gonna destroy you." He demanded.
Mabel was terrified. How was she supposed to fix him?
"That's for you to find out. I'm gonna give you 'till Christmas morning."
"But that's only three days away!" She said nervously.
Ronald turned and froze.
"Ronald?" She asked. "Ronald?!"
"Who are you talking to?" Asked Wendy, walking over to Mabel with a pile of wrapped presents in her arms.
"Uh... no-one." She lied, staring at Ronald.
"Hey! You found a hat!" Exclaimed Soos, carrying two presents and a bag of Nachos.
"Uh... yeah! Isn't it great?" She said, trying her hardest to stay calm. "Hey, Soos, do you think you could fix Ro- I mean, fix the snowman?"
"What do you mean?" Soos asked, staring at Ronald. "It looks fine to me."
"Well, you know, maybe just round it out a bit more... smooth the edges..." She began.
"Oh Mabel, I forgot to tell you, your uncle wants you to get back inside, you're going to visit Dipper!" Wendy explained, placing the presents on a small picnic table.
"Oh, okay! Great! Soos, can you-" Mabel began.
"Leave it to me, hambone." He said, examining Ronald from all different angles. "I'll have this guy fixed up in no time."
Mabel smiled and ran through the snow, lifting her knees up to avoid tripping and falling on her face.
I have to tell Dipper about Ronald!
Chapter 6
Mabel pushed the silver wheelchair down the hallway, a huge, bright, brace-filled smile on her face. Grunkle Stan followed close behind, filled with anxiety. She rounded the familiar bend and pulled open the heavy door into Dipper's room.
Her smile disappeared when she saw her brother's condition. He was leaning over, vomiting into a metal bucket.
"Hey Dippingsauce!" She exclaimed, bursting into the room happily. She hid her fear and disappointment as best she could and put on a smile.
Dipper immediately looked better. He looked up and smiled, his whole face lighting up.
"Hey" He said, placing the bucket on the floor with a loud clang.
"You ready to go?" She asked.
"Of course!" He exclaimed, sitting up. Grunkle Stan and Mabel walked over to the edge of his bed and helped him up. They held him by his arms and placed him into the wheelchair. Mabel pushed the wheelchair out of the room while Grunkle Stan held the door open.
After they checked in with the nurses at the front desk, Grunkle Stan and Mabel helped Dipper into the back of the car, folded up his wheelchair and threw it in the back. Grunkle Stan started the car, and Dipper went pale.
"What's wrong?" Mabel asked, reaching over and placing her hand on his shoulder. He was shaking.
"N-nothing." He replied, his voice barely a whisper. A few miles away from the Shack, Dipper lost it. He vomited all over the floor of the car.
"Please don't hit me!" He screamed.
"What are you talking about? I'm not going to hit you!" Mabel said, placing her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "You're safe now."
Mabel helped Dipper into his jacket and his wheelchair, and pushed him into the Shack. He relaxed instantly, and his whole face lit up. Mabel smiled and started toward the stairs, when Grunkle Stan stopped her.
"He can't get up there." He said.
Dipper turned his head around to face his uncle.
"Well where am I going to sleep?" He asked.
"You can sleep in Soos's break room." Stan answered, guiding Mabel and Dipper away from the stairs. "Go watch some TV for now."
Grunkle Stan walked into the kitchen and let out a loud belch. Dipper and Mabel laughed and sat down next to the TV. Mabel placed a pillow behind Dipper and a blanket to keep him warm, and turned on the TV to a one hour special of Duck-Tective.
"Yes!" They exclaimed, laughing as Duck-Tective tripped the bad guy. They watched on until the episode ended, and "The Duchess Approves" came on. Mabel groaned and flipped through the stations, until all that was left was a Duck-Tective episode that they had seen a thousand times.
She left it there and groaned, bored.
"Hey Mabel, did you find out anything more about Robbie's Journal?" Dipper asked, cutting into the show.
"Nope." She answered.
"What do you think it means?" He asked.
Mabel thought for a minute.
"That he's just as big a dork as you are?" She answered, giggling at her joke.
"Do you think there are more journals?" He asked. "If I have 3, and Robbie has 2, then there's gotta be a 1, right?"
"I guess so. Why do you care about this journal so much anyways?" She asked, switching the TV to off. She turned and looked at him.
"Think about it! If this town is really as dark as it seems, this journal could be our only hope of survival!" Dipper exclaimed.
"Just calm down okay? We'll find out eventually, right? Don't stress over it." She soothed.
Dipper didn't respond.
"Hey Dipper, I have to show you something." Mabel said, grabbing his wheelchair. "Come on!"
Chapter 7
As soon as they got their snow gear on, Mabel immediately noticed a problem. How was she supposed to get Dipper's wheelchair through all this snow and into the woods?
"I have an idea! Wait right here!" Mabel said, running off into the woods. She didn't stop until she reached Soos and Wendy, who were working away at decorating the tree. Mabel was about to speak, when she saw something from the corner of her eye.
Ronald. He was worse than before! His eyes were lopsided, his mouth missing rocks, his had was crooked, his nose was gone, and his middle snowball was larger than the bottom one.
"What did you do?!" She shrieked. She was done for.
"I fixed your buddy!" Soos said. "You like?"
"You ruined him!" She shrieked.
Soos ran over and studied Ronald.
"Oh yeah" He giggled. "Sorry dude."
Mabel ran off back toward the Shack. There was absolutely no way she could fix Ronald now. She'd be dead by Christmas. She trudged through the snow, grabbed a shovel from the toolbox, and began digging a path through the snow for Dipper to get through. She shoveled for a long time, sweat dripping from her forehead, until she was done. She raced back to go and get Dipper before the falling snow blocked the path again.
Before she could wheel Dipper out of the Shack, she saw Soos and Wendy walking back toward them.
"Are you done?" She asked them.
"Yup." They chorused, taking off their boots and trudging through the house.
"Done what?" Dipper asked, pulling on his scarf.
Mabel grabbed his wheelchair and smiled.
"You'll see."
Mabel was lucky. As soon as they had left, the path started filling up again. She knew she had to somehow get back, but she could always just carry Dipper through the snow and go back to get the wheelchair.
They were getting close. Mabel could see the Christmas lights shining through the trees. A loud rustle filled the air, and Mabel froze.
"What was that?" Dipper asked nervously.
Mabel didn't need to ask. She knew. She turned around and saw Ronald standing before her. He didn't look happy.
He lunged at her, and she ducked the blow, grabbing Dipper's wheelchair.
"Floor it!" She screamed, running as fast as she could through the trees.
Dipper struggled to turn his head around.
"What's going on?" He asked as Mabel made a sharp turn to left.
"I don't mean to worry you, but we're being chased by a giant snowman!" She screamed, her lungs burning. "Named Ronald!"
Dipper managed to turn around just enough to make eye contact with the snowman, and he screamed. The snowman stopped in its tracks.
Mabel stopped, and Dipper nearly fell out of the wheelchair. She lunged forward and caught him just before his face hit the snow.
"Sorry about that." She said, helping him back into his seat. She wheeled him over to the snowman, where she examined him.
"You know this guy?" Dipper asked, breathing heavily.
Mabel told Dipper the truth about Ronald, and she started to cry.
"Oh, Mabel, I'm so sorry." He said, looking sadly at his sister. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna let him kill you. We're going to find a way to help you."
Mabel wiped away her tears and put on a brave face. There was no way she was going to die like this. She could already see the headlines in the newspapers: "Local Girl Killed by Snowman."
There's no way.
Chapter 8
Dipper sighed. He was sick of this. He'd been watching Duck-Tective re-runs for 2 days now. Christmas Eve was tomorrow, and Mabel would usually be bouncing off the walls by now. But not even her beloved Waddles could brighten her crummy mood. Today was the last day she had to fix that snowman, and Dipper could tell there was no fixing it.
Christmas also meant going back to the hospital, of which Dipper was not looking forward too. The hospital had only made him feel worse, It was when he returned home that he felt truly better. His legs ached non-stop, and the pain was unbearable. He couldn't let anyone see though. There was no way. Grunkle Stan was in a bad enough state as it was, and it would crush Mabel to see him in pain. He had to suck it up, and pretend that everything was fine.
The only thing that cheered him up was Wendy. Mabel had told him that Wendy seemed the most concerned about Dipper's condition. She'd never come to visit him, but she'd been spending a lot of time with him lately. She would come and bring him a Pitt Soda and watch an episode or two of Duck-Tective. He loved it when she did that.
"Hey Dipper." Wendy said coolly, coming over and sitting down on the chair. But she didn't stay there. Instead she did something he never thought she'd do. She bent over, pulled Dipper out of his wheelchair, and plopped him onto the chair instead. She smiled and sat cross-legged on the carpet floor, sipping her soda.
"Thanks." He said as she passed him an orange can. He popped it open with a fizzing sound and took a big, long gulp.
"Your comrade is in danger my friend! You must go!" Muttered the policeman on Duck-Tective
Dipper had seen this episode a thousand times, but It struck him differently this time. He thought of Mabel. How she couldn't go outside without being in danger of being murdered by a snowman. She must feel so... trapped.
Just like me... he thought. Dipper worried about his legs all the time. It scared him, the thought of not being able to walk anymore. To never be able to do anything on his own ever again. It was terrifying.
"Hey Wendy, could you do me a huge favour?" He asked.
Wendy looked up at him, eyes wide.
"Anything 'Dip" She replied.
"Could you put me back in my wheelchair for me? I have to go talk to Mabel." He asked.
"Of course!" She exclaimed, picking him up and gently plopping him back into his seat.
"Thanks." He muttered, trying his best not to blush. He pressed the button on the arm rest and slowly made his way over to Mabel, who was lying face-down on the floor, Waddles by her side.
"Mabel, we gotta talk." He demanded, leaning out of his chair as far as he could. Mabel rolled over onto her side and moaned.
"What?" She asked.
"I can't stand to see you like this. We gotta go and destroy that snowman!" He announced, grabbing her arm and pressing the button on his wheelchair. "Come on!"
He dragged Mabel across the floor until they reached the coatrack.
"Come on, put your jacket on." He demanded. Mabel groaned and didn't move.
"Hey Grunkle Stan, can you come and catch Waddles for me? I feel like bacon for lunch!" He called out, and Mabel instantly grabbed his arm and frowned.
"Fine." She snapped.
Chapter 9
Dipper was afraid. Mabel was going to face this alone. There was nothing he could do. He was stuck in this wheelchair. If anything happened, he'd have to watch helplessly.
Mabel wheeled him into a clearing, and he gasped. There were Christmas decorations scattered everywhere. Colorful lights hung limply from the trees, glittering garlands were thrown everywhere. It was a Christmas Wonderland. But it sure didn't feel like it.
He turned around and saw Mabel clutching her Grappling Hook, shaking. Dipper was certain that it wasn't just from the bitter cold. He winced as they ran over a small stone and the wheelchair skittered to a halt. He jerked forward and fell face-first into the snow.
"Dipper!" He heard Mabel cry out. He waited for her to help him up, but she never did. All he heard was a scream. His face was on fire, and he could feel his lips freezing over. He tried to call out for help, but he was too deep in the snow. He had to do this himself, or he would die in this position. After all, If he never learned to fend for himself, he'd never survive. He flopped around madly, scrabbling at the snow with his hands, trying to flip himself over without the power of his legs. He scratched and scratched until he finally managed to turn himself around. From there he crawled back onto his wheelchair and looked for Mabel. He couldn't see her. With a jolt of horror and sadness, he looked around. Their beautiful Christmas Wonderland was destroyed. But Dipper couldn't stay sad for long. He had to do something. He panicked and pressed the button on his arm chair. The chair didn't move. He nearly broke his hand trying to jam it into the red button, but it still wouldn't move.
"Mabel!" He called out desperately. He feared the worst. There was no reply. Dipper suddenly realized that this, right here, was the end. Mabel had been snatched by the snowman while he was upside down, and he too would die here. His jacket was soaking wet from the snow, and he was freezing. The falling snow had built up around the wheels, and was quickly engulfing the chair.
"Dipper!"
Dipper used the last of his strength to turn himself around, enough to see Mabel running as fast as her legs could carry her. She was alive!
She seemed equally amazed that he too, wasn't dead in the snow. She gave him a quick hug, then let out a scream of alarm.
"What's wrong?" Dipper asked. But he didn't need too. He saw the snowman running towards them and panicked. There was nothing he could do. Nothing at all.
To his surprise, Mabel turned and faced the snowman. He wasn't sure if it was a sudden burst of bravery, or if she was too tired to keep running. Either way, he sensed a full-blown battle coming, and he didn't like it.
"Bring it on!" She screeched, lunging for the snowman. She gave it a good whack with her grappling hook, and it tore a huge gaping hole right through it's stomach. Dipper was beginning to think that Mabel had won, when the snow built right up again and completely devoured the grappling hook.
It lunged, and Mabel screamed at the top of her lungs. He'd never heard another human being scream that loud in his life. He watched in horror as it completely engulfed his sister. He saw her arm thrashing around.
"Mabel!" He screeched. To his surprise, the snowman completely ignored his presence. He thrashed around desperately, screaming madly. He couldn't believe this. His sister was dying, and all he could do was sit there and watch.
Suddenly, the snowman leapt off of Mabel and froze.
"Kids? Are you out here?"
A wave of relief washed over him. Grunkle Stan was here!
"Grunkle Stan!" He yelled.
He watched as Grunkle Stan plowed through the snowman, destroying it, and picked up Mabel.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Mabel nodded and smiled. Dipper laughed. It was so like his sister to be so calm in such a dark situation.
"Oh my gosh Dipper! Look at you!" Mabel exclaimed, rushing over to Dipper. She started to pat his head and arm, and he chillingly discovered that he couldn't feel her touch. "You're freezing!"
Grunkle Stan took off his jacket and gave it to Dipper to help him warm up while they picked up his wheelchair and carried him back to the Shack.
Once inside, their incredibly cheap Uncle turned up the heat. He helped Mabel carry Dipper over to the TV and placed him down on the chair with his jackets and three blankets. Grunkle Stan made hot cocoa for the twins and watched as Dipper's lips turned from blue back to pink again.
"Well," He exclaimed, turning off the TV. "Now that you've warmed up, I've got something to tell you."
Mabel and Dipper looked at each other than back to Grunkle Stan.
"What?" Asked Mabel nervously.
"Look, I know how you guys love Christmas so much, so... I decided to bring Christmas to the Mystery Shack!" He exclaimed, pointing toward the Gift Shop. "Take a look!"
Mabel beamed and leapt up from her seat. She bounced into the Gift Shop and Dipper could hear her shrieks of delight from in his chair.
He was about to lift himself back into his wheelchair when Grunkle Stan stopped him.
"We gotta talk." He said, looking serious. Dipper froze and looked anxiously at Grunkle Stan.
"I was on the phone with the hospital the other night." He began. Dipper knew it wasn't good news. He closed his eyes and grimaced, preparing for the worse. "They said that if your legs didn't heal, they have to come off."
It was exactly what he feared. He stayed silent, staring at the blank TV. Grunkle Stan frowned and placed a hand on Dipper's leg.
"I called your parents, and they're coming up soon. They're gonna try and make it here by Christmas, but I can't promise anything." He said.
It was a comforting thought, but it wasn't enough to cheer up Dipper. He brushed his Uncle's hand off of his leg and pulled his hat down over his brow. This was the worst Christmas ever.
Chapter 10
Mabel awoke to the soft sound of the snow falling onto the roof. She stretched out her arms, slid onto her side, and opened her eyes. Sadness washed over her once again. In her sleep, she escaped from the pressing sadness that loomed over the Mystery Shack like a rain cloud, but once she opened her eyes, harsh reality poured in. There was Dipper's wheelchair, and the bandages and casts. She made a gagging noise as she saw Dipper's vomit bucket.
And of course, worst of all, there was Dipper. Lying still, eyes wide, staring at the ceiling. She sighed. It was so hard to believe that Christmas was tomorrow, when so much pain and sadness filled her heart. She looked at the clock. 7:30. She usually wouldn't get up until around 10, but she knew there was no getting back to sleep. Not for her, or Dipper. She forced out a smile and spoke.
"Morning Dippingsauce!" She chirped. There was no reply. She frowned and tried again.
"So, hey! I found out Wendy's going to that dance, maybe you should ask her!"
Dipper turned his head and stared at her, his expression giving nothing away.
"She'll never say yes." He said at last. Mabel bounced off the bed and placed her hands on her hips.
"I'll make sure she says yes." She said, running out the door. Mabel could hear Dipper's cries of no! From the kitchen, but she ignored them, determined to give her brother a happy christmas.
She sat down on the chair and looked around. Grunkle Stan was nowhere to be seen.
"Grunkle Stan!" She screamed, swinging her legs back and forth. There was no answer.
Perfect.
A sly smile spread across her face as she slid on her snow gear and leaped out the front door. She landed face-first into a giant pile of snow. Pulling herself out from the cold, she looked around, eyes wide with astonishement. The snow was piled up nearly three times higher than it was yesterday. It must have been snowing a lot last night. She trudged through the waist-high snow and struggled over to Wendy's house.
• •
He was desperate.
Flinging off his sheets, he swung his legs around and rolled his wheelchair toward him with his pinky. He flopped into the uncomfortable seat and rolled out of the door.
Great. He thought. How am I supposed to get down the stairs?
He thought about giving up, but then he thought of Wendy never speaking to him again because of what Mabel was about to do. With a deep breath, he hurled himself down the stairs, and landed painfully