What if Lebam ran instead of saving Dipper? An AU from the world of "The Life of Lebam." Rated T for character death. All characters belong to Disney, not me.

Lebam the Bicycle Thief

Mabel was listlessly sweeping up in the Mystery Shack, early in the day.

A girl about her age and build, wearing a hood up over her face, came up to her and whispered, "I need to speak with you privately. It's important."

Mabel looked at the girl with eyes red from crying. "What is it?"

"Come outside, to the back porch," said the girl. "I have information for your ears only."

"I guess I can do that... I'm not much use in here right now, anyway," said Mabel.

The girl led Mabel to where she had parked Mabel's bike, against a stump near the porch.

"My name's Lebam. I stole your bicycle last night but I brought it back."

"Oh. I didn't even know it was gone," said Mabel. "Thanks for bringing it back, Lebam. I won't press charges or anything. Something much bigger than that's going on in my life."

"Your brother didn't come home last night, did he?" asked Lebam.

Mabel gave her a hard stare, "What do you know about that? Do you know where he is? Are you working for the kidnappers?"

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this... Dipper is probably dead," said Lebam.

"Aaagh, nooo!" said Mabel in a half-whimper, covering her hands with her mouth.

"I know who killed him. It was Gideon Gleeful," said Lebam.

"Gideon? Why?" asked Mabel.

"He was furious with Dipper when you sent Dipper to break you up with him," said Lebam. "He thought Dipper was coming between you and him. He's insane and capable of murder."

"I knew I should have broken up with Gideon in person. I put Dipper in danger. But it might not be too late! Tell me more."

"Last night Gideon used Toby Determined to call and pretend he wanted to interview Dipper for the newspaper. It was a trick to lure Dipper to his warehouse on Gopher Road; Gideon ambushed Dipper there."

"How do you know?" asked Mabel.

"Gideon told me all of his plans," said Lebam. "I'm his other girlfriend, sort of."

"So he's cheating on me, on top of everything. Never mind, what was the plan with Dipper?"

"I don't know... but Gideon has an amulet that gives him telekinetic powers," said Lebam. "He could kill Dipper easily once he had him trapped. It's been hours."

"Why didn't you tell anyone sooner?" asked Mabel.

"I could have told you, but since time was running out I took your bike instead and headed to the warehouse to try to help Dipper. But then I chickened out: I was afraid of Gideon and his powers. I turned the bike the other way; I was going to leave town."

"But you didn't," said Mabel.

"I failed Dipper, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't come back and warn you," said Lebam. "I still can't live with myself... but at least you've been warned now. Stay away from Gideon. Don't go break up with him in person. His amulet gives him mind control and he'll get you to accept a marriage proposal next."

"That's crazy!" said Mabel. "He couldn't get me to do that."

"He got you to say yes to more dates against your will," said Lebam.

"Maybe I should see him in person one more time, anyway," said Mabel. "I have a plan."

"It was so nice of you to call me and ask me to meet you here again, on top of mah warehouse, peach dumplin'," said Gideon.

"You're the only one who can comfort me. Dipper's gone missing," said Mabel.

"Oh, Ah'm so sorry to hear that," said Gideon, moving in closer to her.

In an instant Mabel grabbed the amulet and snapped it off his neck. Holding it in her hand, she picked Gideon up with its power and moved him out into the air, over the cliff.

"What did you do to my brother, Gideon?" asked Mabel.

"N-nothin', sweetness," said Gideon. His hand instinctively moved to where his bolo tie would have been, but he touched nothing.

"What will I find if I look in your warehouse?" asked Mabel.

"You don't understand," said Gideon. "Dipper came between us. He was lying to me that you never wanted to see me again."

"It's true," said Mabel. "Now more than ever since I know you killed him."

"Please, it's all a misunderstandin'. Dipper was brainwashing you against me. Just let me go," said Gideon.

"I was hoping you'd say that," said Mabel. She released the amulet's hold and let Gideon fall to his death.

She picked the lock of the warehouse and found, packed in a crate, the body of her brother. The tongue was wrapped separately.

The police could handle it now: suicide in remorse after committing a murder in a fit of rage.

Mabel met with Lebam again. "It's over."

"Good," said Lebam.

"You helped me, but I still don't understand why you didn't do more. If you were his girlfriend, couldn't you have gotten close enough to him to have grabbed the amulet away, like I did, before he murdered Dipper?"

"It was a bigger risk for me," said Lebam. "All he would have to do is yell 'Stop' and I would have to obey him."

"Why?" asked Mabel.

Lebam pulled down her hood, revealing her identical face. "He summoned me by magic. I'm your mirror doppelganger. Amulet or not, I was forced to obey his orders, like a genie."

"I get it. He was your master and you couldn't harm him," said Mabel. "You're free now. What will you do? Return to your mirror world?"

"I don't know how," said Lebam. "I'll have to go somewhere else and try to start a new life."

"I can't offer you anything here," said Mabel. "You could have told me about this last night, maybe in time to save Dipper's life. You were a coward."

"I deserve that," said Lebam. " But don't be too sure you wouldn't have done the same thing in my place. We have the same memories; I'm just like you."

"No, you're not," said Mabel. "I would have done something."

"Maybe you're right. Goodbye, Mabel," said Lebam.

"Goodbye, bicycle thief," said Mabel.