This is an AU. I know you guys enjoy Mabel and Ford bonding fics so I decided to make an actual story with them this time. Hope you guys enjoy!
Summary~ Mabel Pines and her family move to their Great Uncle Ford's house/tourist trap; 'The Mystery Shack' in Gravity Falls. With Mabel in deep depression, Ford finds someone who he can finally relate to. But she was so broken, he didn't want her to live in this state. However, is it a good idea to build a bond with his niece? What troubles will occur?
"You'd be surprised at how much you can have in common with someone completely different from you"- Unknown
"Wendy! Soos!" Ford called out. What he got in response was the usual agitated groan by the redheaded teenager and the heavy thumping against the wooden floors caused by his handyman's running.
"Yes Sir!" The old man rolled his eyes.
"Soos, how many times have I told you? Call me Mr. Pines"
"Yes Mr. Sir!" A response was not delivered as Ford didn't have time for useless banter.
"What's going on Mr. Pines?" Wendy asked, strolling into the gift shop with her usual green plaid shirt and navy blue pants.
Hands on his hips, he looked at both his employee's figures with a solemn expression. Soos of course was ecstatic for work as always even though this wasn't exactly an amazing job and Wendy looked the exact opposite. He could make out what seemed like bags under her eyes. This didn't make him feel sympathetic. He knew she would stay up on her phone texting her friends and watching viral videos.
Sometimes he wondered how he could have such different employee's.
"Have both of you forgotten what day it is?"
Soos shook his head from left to right while Wendy shrugged.
"Mr. Pines, today is Monday!"
"Uh…Yeah. Monday! Wait, today's Monday?"
"Ugh. You knuckleheads can't remember anything! Today's the day that my nephew and his family are coming over. For the entire summer"
"Oh yeah! Now I remember!" Wendy exclaimed.
"Yeah. You remember because I reminded you" Ford said with a grunt. A 'pfft' left the teenagers mouth.
Soos on the other hand was giddy about the arrival of the family.
"OH MAN! This is going to be the best summer ever!"
"I wouldn't say that Soos" Wendy said, pulling at the neck of her shirt.
A sigh left Ford's mouth. He wasn't all that excited about his nephew; Marshall Pines coming over to the Mystery Shack. Especially when he was bringing his family with him.
It wasn't that there was no room for them. He just didn't want them coming over…
He didn't want them coming over because he didn't want to take that risk. He couldn't possibly work with them in the house. Especially since they have a little girl.
She would be wondering around all over the place and god knows what she could accidentally stumble upon. However, aside from that; Ford didn't want them to see him in his current state.
Wendy may have had slight bags under her eyes but she should consider herself lucky since Ford had the most sleepless face ever.
The bags under his eyes were deep. Deeper than anyone could understand…
'Shut up Stanford' He thought. Rubbing his temples, he thought about the high risks that there were with more people being in the Shack.
More people equaled more danger. More danger equaled more delays. More delays equaled more chances of discovery. More chances of discovery equaled….cancellation.
He shook his head, slapping himself softly.
"Um…Mr. Pines, are you okay?" Wendy asked. The contact of the redheads hand on his shoulder startled him for a moment before he recovered.
"Yes. Just…A little uncomfortable about the new civilization in the Shack. Especially since their going to be staying the entire summer" He said, playing with the edge of his beige coat.
A confused expression formed on Wendy's face. "Then…Why did you agree to take them in the Shack in the first place?" Ford groaned, slapping his forehead.
"I…don't know. Marshall asked me and I didn't want to let him down. His voice sounded hopeful. I didn't want to disappoint him"
He noticed the girl stifling a laugh, causing him to narrow his eyes and cross his arms. "What are you laughing at, young lady?"
"Since when do you care about other people's feelings?"
Unknown to the laughing teenager, a glint of shame passed in Ford's eyes but he brushed it off quickly and resorted back to his usual strict self.
"Get back to work Ms. Corduroy…" Wendy rolled her eyes but he could see a small smile on her face.
"Mr. Pines! I got some cool decorati-" Before Soos could finish his sentence, he bumped into Wendy and they both fell flat on their bottoms.
"Oh my goodness! You two can't act or do things like this when Marshall and his family come over here. Mature up a bit!"
"Your right. I'm sorry Mr. Pines" Unfortunately, Soos once again tripped and his leg caught the edge of the carpet; causing him to stumble and this time accidentally shoved Ford down on the floor.
"Ah! My back!"
"Oh no! I'm so sorry-"
Wendy pushed Soos onto Ford, giggling hard as she balanced herself against a nearby table.
"Hahaha!"
"Ugh! You're both fired!" Stanford shouted with fake aggression as he stood up.
"What?! Really. No! Please Ford…"
"Oh, for god's sake! You're not actually fired Soos! Just…Both of you! Get to work! NOW!"
"You got it Mr. Pines!" They said in unison. Although he could easily see the smirk on Wendy's face that was basically screaming lazy.
Picking up his glasses, he brushed off his coat.
"I swear to god, those knuckleheads….I don't know why I put up with them"
A scent of freshness wafted through the gift shop as Ford walked in. He took off his coat and left the red sweater on along with some clean black pants.
He didn't look fabulous. But it was still an effort.
Wendy and Soos both looked up, one of them amused and one of them in awe.
"You look fantastic Mr. Pines!" Soos said with amazement.
"Eh. Fine I guess" The redhead responded.
"Yes because you're so beautiful, right?"
"The amount of boyfriends I've had answers that question. How many girlfriends do you have? Oh yeah, none"
"Oh, of course. Dig into my love live"
"What love life?"
The sound of wheels screeching outside immediately put a halt to the sassy conversation between Ford and Wendy.
"Is that them?" Soos asked with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Probably"
The three all rushed outside.
The window rolled down and Ford could see Marshall's cheeky grin. It brought a little batch of happiness to him.
"Ford!" He exclaimed, stepping out of the car.
"Marshall!"
They shared a quick hug before Ford moved onto his wife.
"Rebecca! Haven't you grown to be quite the beautiful lady?" He said, kissing her hand.
"Since when have you become such a gentlemen?" She asked chuckling.
"Since I was born"
Marshall let out a scoff. "Yeah right"
However, all of Ford's attention averted to the car when he saw a small foot step out of the vehicle.
"And is that who I think it is?" Ford asked.
"Why yes. That's out daughter. Mabel Pines! She's quite the sweetheart, you'll see. Mabel honey! C'mon out"
At that moment, their daughter fully exited the car and Ford's eyes widened in surprise. For someone who was apparently a sweetheart, she sure looked like the exact opposite.
She was wearing a grey sweater and had bags under her eyes. Similar to his but…looked unhealthier.
Her arms were unnaturally red. Her hair was in tangles.
She was wearing something on her neck but he couldn't exactly tell what.
She looked immensely shy, walking towards Ford.
And then it hit him. "Oh…" He muttered.
Even though he hadn't met Marshall's daughter before, he did know one thing.
Their son had passed away in the hospital.
Her twin brother passed away.
He remembered the tragic phone call from Rebecca. The words that came out of her mouth were coated with sobs:
"Di-Dipper. Our son. He's… dead. He's gone. Stanford...He's gone"
Ford never met the boy before but he was sad nonetheless. A precious life was taken away unfairly.
Of course, their daughter wasn't going to be a bundle of sunshine knowing that her twin was dead. He understood…
"Hey there" Ford said, forcing a smile on his face. The girl looked up at him.
"Um…Hello" He winced at her voice. It sounded tired. Drained out. As if it were once filled with energy but now was completely sucked of any happiness.
"Mabel sweetie, shake his hand" Rebecca instructed.
She looked afraid as she reluctantly lifted her hand to shake his. He could see it trembling with fear.
He could see the worried look in her eyes. She looked so vulnerable. So small.
He grasped her hand delicately and shook it slowly, making sure not to alert her with any sudden movements.
She pulled her hands back quickly to her sides as he stepped back.
"Well. Let's get you three inside" He said with a fake smile.
Marshall picked his bags up as he gave Stanford a genuine grateful look.
"Thanks for letting us stay here for the summer. We really appreciate it" Ford nodded.
"No problem"
He led Marshall, Rebecca and…
"Uh, sweetie, what's your name again?"
He knew as soon as he approached Mabel, it was a bad idea. Her lips trembled as she struggled to speak.
"Hey. Calm down. Breathe in, breathe out" She wasn't listening though. The words just barely came out of her mouth.
"M-M-Mabel" She whispered. He frowned. This girl had issues. Issues that needed to be taken care of.
'Then again, having a twin and then losing it at such a young age. Yeah…This behavior is understandable' he thought.
A bead of sweat formed on Stanford's forehead as he set down Marshall's luggage on the wooden floor.
He luckily planned out where they would be staying for the summer.
Marshall and Rebecca would stay in the 'guest' room. The area was big enough for all their belongings and the bed had enough room for both of them to sleep in comfortably.
"Alright you two. This is where you'll stay. And remember, no funny business alright?"
A groan escaped his nephew's mouth. "We're not going to do any funny business"
"You two enjoy your stay. But don't get too comfortable"
The two lovers laughed but a glint in Ford's eyes showed complete seriousness. He wasn't joking…
"Yeah yeah, we got it Ford" Marshall said, shooing him out of the room. "But seriously, I really do appreciate you taking us in here"
Marshall gave Ford a soft hug which he returned carelessly.
"Yeesh Marshall. Since when did you turn into such a softie?"
"Since I was born"
"Yeah right" The two shared a laugh before Marshall went back inside the room.
Turning around with an internal wince, he saw the little girl standing there with her hands behind her back.
She was looking downwards and seemed to be in deep thought.
A cough escaped the old man's lips, shaking the girl both mentally and physically.
"Um…Okay Mabel. You will be staying upstairs in the attic. Come along sweetie" He gestured towards the stairs but she didn't budge.
"Oh dear" He muttered under his breath.
Ford was a very smart person…
But if there was something he had no knowledge in, it was making contact with a child.
"Come along Mabel dear. Nothing to be afraid of" He said, grabbing her hand.
Ford felt a slap on his arm and sighed. Pulling it away from her, he got on his knees in front of Mabel.
"What's wrong?" She didn't answer.
"Nothing. Sorry for slapping your arm" She muttered, her voice cracking. She went past him and walked up the stairs. However, Ford wasn't one to let things go unnoticed by him. He could see what looked like tears surfacing up in her pupils.
Ford slowly followed behind, making sure not to make any loud noises to surprise her. He took a moment to take in her figure.
She was slumped forward. It was almost like she was incapable of standing straight.
His eyes lowered down to Mabel's hands and he saw redness on them. Very dark redness.
'How can Marshall and Rebecca be so oblivious to a horrifying state like this?' He thought.
Mabel opened the door to the attic and gasped. It was so clean and neat. But then she frowned.
A room like this would be nothing to a normal child but to her; this was equivalent to a mansion.
"So…Do you like it?" She turned around to meet the face of her Great Uncle.
"Yes" She said. It came out in a monotone manner but she was extremely happy on the inside. She could now live in an environment where it was somewhat normal.
She could see a smile appear on the old man's face but it didn't look sincere. It was one of those smiles adults gave children because they felt obligated to.
She internally scoffed. Her Great Uncle was going to be one of those people…
"Well, I guess you can start unpacking all your stuff here. Don't turn the room into a complete mess hehe" He said, scratching the back of his neck.
"I won't"
"Good" Ford said awkwardly. Stepping out of the attic, he heard the girl close the door so quietly.
A sad look spilled onto his face. This girl was so unnaturally quiet and shy. He understood the sad circumstances with her twin but…That was five years ago.
But then again; she was a child. He was an adult.
Mabel set her suitcase on the bed that was on the right side of the room.
The first thing she did was pull out a photo incased within a golden portrait.
"I miss you so much Dipper…" She said, on the verge of tears. The photo had her smiling wide, her fingers stretching her mouth to make it wider while Dipper put bunny ears over her head. That photo was taken when they were 7 years old…
And 7 years old was the exact age where Dipper died. She silently cried, holding the portrait to her chest.
Night time had come and Mabel refused to eat dinner downstairs. She heard her parents saying she liked eating in the comfort of her own room.
She didn't know how or why her parents were so optimistic when one of their children were dead. Don't they know that when one twin dies, the other twin dies as well?
She may have still been alive but her personality was dead. Now she had no personality. Now she was a nobody.
Her dinner was a plate of spaghetti which she ate with the portrait of her and Dipper.
She pretended as if Dipper was there, making fun of her for eating spaghetti in such a messy manner.
And when it was time to sleep, she hugged the portrait tightly. She imagined it was Dipper in her arms, mumbling dork words in his sleep.
Picking up her necklace, she kissed it tenderly and for the first time throughout the entire day smiled.
The necklace was the 'Big Dipper' constellation. She wanted to buy it for so long for her brother but her parents wouldn't agree with 'wasting money' on something useless.
Ironically, when they finally did buy it for her; Dipper was gone. So now she was the one wearing it instead of him. That night, she quietly cried.
Downstairs, Ford was sneakily walking towards the gift shop. He stood still as he looked at the machine in front of him.
"Not tonight" He said glumly as he walked into his room.
He fell down on the couch and closed his eyes but knew that sleep would not come to him.
Of course every night was sleepless but this night was more uneasy than others.
Mabel kept popping into his mind.
On one hand, he was glad that she wasn't one of those kids who invaded privacy and tried to explore everything. That would have caused absolute mayhem.
But he didn't want a child who was emotionally and physically unstable. She looked so lifeless…
'Just like you' his conscious bitterly retorted.
With a grunt, he closed his eyes and felt somewhat of a slumber creeping up on him. But as he slightly dozed off, he could hear faint sounds of cackling laughter fill his head.
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NZIHSZOO ZMW IVYVXXZ KRMVH ZIV LYORERLFH GL VEVIBGSRMT
ULIW KRMVH RHM'G ORPRMT SRH MRVXV'H ULIN
HLLH ZWNRIVH HGZMULIW ZMW DVMWB ORPVH GL GZFMG SRN
Yes. Dipper is dead. I know, I know. But things get better. And one thing I want to say is that this story will begin softly. However, lots of angst and drama will appear later on. Also, Mabel and Ford fluff will happen of course but I want to approach that in a precious and anticipating matter. Expect these first few chapters to have humor, a little drama and some angsty moments but nothing too extreme. I will indeed be leaving ciphers at the end of every chapter. For those who want to solve it, go ahead! I encourage you to try crack the code! For those of you who don't want to solve it, that's fine. You don't have to. Some of the cipher's will be important though. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter!