POV: Stan
I know I'm not a good person. I'm a selfish jerk. I have swindled people out of their hard earned money faster than you can say tourist trap. Lying, stealing and gambling are all second nature to me. At some point I think I just stopped trying to be a decent human being and let the con-artist in me take over. Which did me no favors because I wasn't even good at it. But I can sincerely say that every single bad thing I have ever done was for the sake of my family.
All I wanted in my life was to get my parents approval. To show that I could make something of myself and our family name. And I honestly thought I had a few good ideas that would put me on top but reality threw a brick at my face and I realized I wasn't going to make it in this world inventing. Not like my twin brother, Stanford. He could build things in his sleep and he actually wanted to help people, not just take their money. He was always selfless like that and tried to help everyone he could. In one stupid, selfish moment I ruined our family.
Everything was falling apart around me and for ten years I had no one but myself. It was lonely and more than once I called up my brother just to hear his voice and hang up. Creepy, I know. But when you're born a twin the connection never truly goes away. One day out of the blue I got a postcard from Stanford asking for my help, it felt like a second chance. But like always I blew it. I threw it back in his face and sent him through his giant portal thing. After that I spent every spare moment trying to figure out how to get him back.
I think I was hoping down in my heart of hearts that it would somehow make up for all the bad things I did and continue to do. For just a passing moment a woman had waltzed into my life and tried to help me become a good person but she soon gave up and left just like everyone else, so I lost hope and faith in myself that I could ever be a decent human being. But the search for my brother kept me going and that's all I could ask for at the time.
All of this happened before I let my great niece and nephew visit me for a summer. At first I tried to keep my distance because I knew that in some shape or form that I would hurt them. But somehow they got under my skin and I let myself really laugh for the first time in what felt like forever.
Dipper asked and pondered so many things I thought his brain would explode. He reminded me so much of Ford when we were younger that it kind of creeped me out but in a good way. It was like another second chance to do things right, so I was harder on Dipper then what I probably should have been but he needed to learn to punch back when the world kicked him down. And as far as I could tell it seemed to have been working.
I never once thought that I could be of help to anyone but there I was helping my great nephew, teaching him how to survive in a world that could and would be very cruel. I felt like I was actually making an impact on someone and leaving a mark on the world. But none of that would be possible without Mabel and her big loving heart.
Through her stay at the mystery shack, she and her brother slowly learned what kind of person I truly am deep down. And despite Dipper constantly asking and questioning me, Mabel never did. The only thing she asked from me was a few hugs here and there. Which I would give but not before acting like it was a huge deal and that I didn't want any part of it, it was all for show because Mabel gives great hugs but you didn't hear that from me.
Mabel trusted me with her secrets that she couldn't even tell Dipper. For the first time in a long time I had someone's unyielding trust and it felt amazing. There was times when I wanted to tell her that she was putting her trust in the wrong person but like the bad person I am I couldn't bring myself to tell her even though I knew I should. And every time when I was close to telling her she would look up at me with her big eyes, depending on me to protect her and I didn't want to ruin that. Despite my fear of betraying her, we helped each other out when we could.
It felt nice to be around someone who didn't want me to hide my real selfish self. I didn't have to worry about acting or speaking a certain way. Without realizing it herself, Mabel gave me the freedom to myself which I hadn't had since Ford. She loved me despite me many faults and never asked me to change.
Slowly I started to believe in myself again. That I could become a good decent person that Dipper and Mabel could look up to and admire for the right reasons. But soon enough the truth came raising to the top and my lies started to surface.
Dipper was glaring at me with so much distrust in his eyes. His hand, hovering right above the button that would ruin all of my hard work. I needed and wanted him to trust me but I could tell that I wasn't going to get through to him. He didn't believe in me anymore. I've seen that look so many times in my life I thought I would grow use to the pain that twisted in heart from that look but not from him.
He, Soos and I were all flung across the room and was being held against the wall. Mabel was left, holding tightly to the button. I knew I had to somehow stop her from pushing it but it was my word against her twin's, there was no way she would choose me. I made her cry and she wanted to believe me so much I could see it in her eyes but I also knew she didn't want to betray her twin, I know that feeling all to well.
For the first time in my life I spoke from the deepest part of my heart and told the honest truth. Mabel despite knowing I lied to her and everyone else, choose to trust me. She had every single reason in the world not to listen to me and yet she did. Mabel had faith I was telling the truth.
In that moment I knew that I could be a better person for her. I might not ever be a good person, in fact I know for a fact I never will be but it doesn't mean that I can't strive to be the person that Mabel thinks and believes I can be. For my great niece I would do anything.
Hey everyone! Thank you to anybody who has taken the time to read this little one-shot. I hope that you all enjoyed it! And all reviews are always welcomed :)