A/N: This is a companion piece to Glasses, sort of requested by twinkinu (whose work is amazing, btw! Go read it!) who hinted how this could be continued. Well, here it is, this time from Mabel's perspective. This is only my second GF fic, and I REALLY hope I do Mabel justice! And as always, I don't own Gravity Falls, otherwise it would still be on the air! ;)
Severed Bonds
Mabel lies in bed, listening to the sounds of Dipper snoring at the other end of their attic bedroom and wishing that the snorts of her twin would drown out the fear and anxiety threatening to overcome her. Outside their bedroom window, the moon peeks from beneath a cloud, casting a somewhat eerie glow upon the space; a gentle breeze carries the delightful smells of fir and pine into the room. Normally, despite the fact that Dipper's irritating snores usually kept her awake on a good night, the sweetnOess of the night air would eventually lull Mabel to sleep. But tonight, she stares ahead into the darkness, eyes red from crying, silent tears still dampening her flushed cheeks.
Goodnight, stupid. Words spoken in affection, not malice. And yet Mabel still can't shake the (irrational?) fear that she and Dipper will meet the same fate as Grunkle Stan and his long lost twin. At first, the pre-teen had been thrilled to learn about Great Uncle Ford. She had another grunkle! Someone else to shower with homemade sweaters and bedazzle his clothing (though Grunkle Stan hadn't been thrilled to find his good suit covered in faux jewels and glitter). Initially her overwhelming optimism and all and all excitement of the situation had distracted her from the subtle signs she should have picked up on eariler: Stan's hug being declined for a punch to the face; the stiff body language; the fact that Great Uncle Ford's eyes never met his brother's. And even after hearing of how Grunkle Stan's mistake had caused the rift between the elder twins, Mabel was certain her powers of positivity would come through and the sibling would hug it out.
But no, the two of them had to be stubborn jerk faces and fight over something that had happened when they were teenagers. Teenagers! Mabel had acted overly confident before turning out the lights that the same wouldn't happen to her and Dipper, but as the night wears on and the young girl finds herself still lying awake and replaying her grunkles' fight over and over, the confidence she had shown earlier dissipates until the usually happy-go-lucky girl finds herslef in the very position she is now: crying quietly in the dark, nuzzling a sleeping Waddles to her cheek like a security blanket. It isn't until nearly dawn before she at last falls asleep, a few traces of tears lingering beneath her lashes.
XXX
She's back in Piedmont, fear in her brown eyes as she watches Dipper stuff his suitcase with clothes in silence. "You're just joshing me, huh, broseph?" She playfully bats her twin's arm, a phony smile plays across her lips. He can't possibly be leaving her...can he?"
"Why does everything have to be a joke to you, Mabel?" Dipper asks as he drops Journal 3 on top of the disorganized pile and struggles to close it. "Can't you just take something I'm interested in seriously? I can't pass this up, ok? When am I ever going to get another chance to study the paranormal?"
"But what about ME?!" Mabel's full out crying now, wiping her eyes with the arm of her sweater. "You can't leave me, Dipper! We're gonna end up like Grunkle Stan and Ford!"
"You've got Waddles."
Mabel continues to cry, for once oblivious to her beloved pet pig. "Fine. Go ahead and go to your dumb ghost school or whatever! We'll be fine without you! Come on, Waddles!" She picks up her pet and storms out of the room, ignoring her brother's angry retorts. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the only family I have left."
XXX
Mabel wakes to find the mid morning sun shining in her room and Dipper's bed empty. Her nightmare begins to fade and the young girl climbs out of bed, calling for Waddles as she heads to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later she is in the kitchen, laughing with Dipper as they have one of their traditional syrup races as Grunkle Stan cheers them on. They're happy, acting silly, like usual. But as she writes home to her parents later in the day, adding the fnishing touches to her childish drawing of her grunkles, Mabel's usuall playfullness subconsciously is overriden by her fears of the night before; though Stan and Ford are holding hands, she draws frowns on their faces instead of smiles. But moments later, she is herself again, gleefully showing off her latest invention to Grunkle Stan in anticipation of the Ducktective finale. It never occurrs to her that her refusal to play Dipper's nerdy board game becomes a subtle precurser of the events to come, a self fulfilling prophecy; that by summer's end, her relationship with her brother will face the ultimate test. She jokes with Stan and her twin, knits a new Ducketctive sweater, hangs out with Candy and Grenda.
In her childlike world, all is well.