Warnings: Depictions of mental illness and the stigma involved with it.
Mrs. Pines had a difficult choice to make.
For five years, she had watched both of her children suffer. Ever since they had come home from that summer trip to Oregon.
It had started slowly, started small. A nervous tapping of her son's foot, her daughter's sudden and extreme distaste for eighties music. Things that had seemed strange, but not completely abnormal for children entering puberty. She had brushed them off.
But now she clutched the phone in her hand and listened to her daughters pained screams ringing through the house, debating whether or not to call Dipper.
She was getting worse every day, and he was the only one who was ever able to bring her back to reality. Each time she spiraled out, he could bring her back so easily, so quickly.
But he was away at college. It would be hours on a bus before he'd be anywhere close to Pidemont, and he'd miss classes.
And Mrs. Pines knew that if Dipper had any idea of what state his sister was in right now, this would be a sacrifice he'd make without thinking.
She didn't want to do that to him. She knew that Dipper would give up the world for his twin, but she never wanted him to. He deserved to have a life just as much as Mabel did.
But as another round of screaming started from Mabel's room above her, Mrs. Pines knew she had no choice.
Dipper arrived home late that night, but the eighteen year old smiled when he noticed that his mother had left the porch light on for him.
He had heard Mabel's screaming in the background of the phone call he had gotten from his mother that morning. He wondered how she was doing now.
Unlocking the door, the first thing he noticed was silence. She had stopped screaming. Closing the door behind him, he slipped off his shoes and bound quietly up the stairs, his school bag slung over one shoulder. The lights inside the house had all been turned off; everyone had gone to bed.
Dropping his backpack in his bedroom, he made his way to the hallway bathroom that he shared with Mabel. Turning on the taps, he splashed warm water on his face before looking up at his reflection.
Dipper Pines' face was constantly in a state of, "oh shit, I should probably shave soon". He had a sort of permanent scruffiness to him that his mother and sister both hated, but he swore the girls at school kind of liked. And for being quite short as a kid, he had grown to a decent height, needing to bend over the sink to get a good look in the mirror. Sighing, Dipper brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and made his way over to Mabel's room.
The door to his sister's bedroom was ajar. He tapped on it softly. No reply came, but he entered anyway.
Dipper used to live in here, back when they shared a room. The decor had gotten much girlier since he moved out when they'd started high school, but there were still two single beds instead of one larger one.
Mabel occupied the bed under the window. She was curled up in a ball, facing away from him, but the moonlight that shone in from the window over her gave Dipper enough light to see that her hair was still wet.
He moved quietly over to her, bringing himself down to sit gently on the edge of the bed. He could smell her orange scented shower gel. She must have showered and gone to bed recently.
"Mabel," he whispered, "are you awake?"
"Mmm, Dipper?" Mabel stirred a bit, turning her head to face him "Why are you here?"
"Mom called, Mabel. I heard you had a rough day."
"DipDop, you can't take a 5 hour bus ride home every time I have a rough day it's not-"
"If it wasn't urgent she wouldn't have called." Dipper insisted, a look of concern on his face, "Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah, well, a little. I still have that fuzzy feeling, but I got up and had a shower and I guess I calmed down enough to sleep. I know that was real because I can still smell the soap…and I think this is real because you're here." Mabel's brow was furrowed and she looked confused.
Sighing, Dipper took his twin's hand and squeezed it, "Yes, Mabel. You know he could never replicate me. You know you'd see right though it if he did. You know that."
He felt her relax beside him, feeling bad for not having noticed how tensed her body had become. He rubbed his thumb lightly over the back of her hand.
"You sound sleepy, silly goose. Have you been up late studying all week again? Dipper, if I find one more chewed shirt in the trash I'm calling an intervention…"
Dipper never quite got used to how quickly his sister could go from stress and worry to her normal, bubbly self, but he was beyond thankful every time. He felt himself relax too.
"Yeah, dude, college is awesome. I wish you could have gone. You learn so much and I'm sure you'd get along with everyone there."
"Well don't learn too much, Dipper. You'll melt your brain and it'll drip out your ears and you'll see that you have a lot more in common with that paper-jam clone of yours than you realized."
"I'll take it easy, I promise. Here," he said, standing up and removing his flannel shirt, "You take this, it'll prove I was here if you wake up in the night. Do you mind if I sleep in my room or do you want me here?"
"Nah, go enjoy your own bed Dipper, I think I'll be okay."
"Alright then, you know where to find me though." He handed her his shirt. She wadded it up into a ball, holding it tightly.
Dipper punched her lightly on the side of the head, "Bwoooop", he said, winking at her.
Mabel's eyes were already closed, but the soft moonlight from the window let him see her relaxed smile. He shut the door behind him, and headed for bed.
Authors Note/Disclaimer: Okay, guys! This is my very first Gravity Falls fic! Woo! I just wanted to do a little bit of a touch-base since this fic will be dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. You've probably already noticed that it will be dealing with PTSD and other mental illnesses. While I have suffered with anxiety and depression personally, I have NEVER suffered from PTSD. As such, I will likely get some things wrong and if anyone out there is reading this and has suffered or is suffering from PTSD please know that 1) I am still learning and would never try to intentionally misrepresent a mental illness, and 2) if you have any input, concerns or advice please message me so that I can be as accurate as possible. Thanks guys and enjoy!