Hey fanfiction friends! Well I am going to be starting one of the most ambitious stories I have ever done. Along the same lines and length as I'll Look After You. One of the few complaints I hear towards the Gravity Falls finale is how Mabel didn't receive any real consequences for the trouble she caused. I thought I would write this story to flesh that out a bit more and try to add some darkness and depth to an already very dark and very deep show. I really appreciate any comments or reviews and please enjoy
"I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna stay in Gravity Falls!". Those words from her brother tore into Mabel in a way that nearly pierced her heart. Dipper was all she had in the world, and now she was gonna lose him. He was the only thing keeping Mabel sane at this point, and she could not even imagine trying to go through life without him. Sure, his internship with Ford may only be temporary, and he may promise to write and skype and text, but Mabel had seen first hand what devoting your whole life to science could do to a person. Ford hardly ever came up from the basement, and when he did it was to do stuff with Dipper. He had hardly spoken to either her or Stan since coming here. It was in moments like this that she truly did regret not pressing the button and allowing Ford to come here. I mean she did love him, but then again Mabel tried to love everyone, and seeing how stressed and hurt Grunkle Stan had appeared since Ford came broke her heart. She thought that by trusting Stan him happy, that this was what he wanted, and maybe in a way it was, but Ford certainly did not seem to show much appreciation towards either of their contributions.
Mabel sat in her attic room, feeling her face become flush with tears and anger. She allowed a few tears to fall into one of her pillows, but then suddenly she got an idea that she felt would solve all of her problems. She would find a way to show Ford that she would make a wonderful apprentice too, and then she would be allowed to stay in Gravity Falls with Dipper and Stan and all her friends. She knew that her mind was not exactly as prone to science as Dipper's, but Mabel Pines was nothing if not determined to get what she wanted. She suddenly heard footsteps heading up to the attic, and was quickly able to deduce that Dipper and Ford were back.
She rushed towards the door, when it swung open revealing a very excited Dipper "Hey Mabel! You will never believed what Ford and I did today," He started, but before he could even finish Mabel was heading out the door and down the stairs, "I'll talk to you later Dipper, there's something I gotta do!" Mabel called out as she bounded down the stairs and past Wendy and Soos working in the store without so much as a hello.
She walked towards the vending machine, and entered the memorized code (Ford had cautiously given all of them the code in case they ever needed him). She waited patiently for the elevator, all the while it playing in her mind what she would do or say to Ford when she arrived in his lab. She knew that she would have to be at the top of her game if she wanted Ford to give her a chance, but she was confident in herself. She had to be, this was about more than staying in a town she loved so much, this was about saving her relationship from going down the same path as he and Stan.
She entered the lab to find Ford busy at work fiddling with the portal. Mabel didn't have the full story as to why Ford constantly messed with that thing, but she had put a few pieces together in overhearing Dipper and Ford's discussions, as well as her understandings of why retrieving the unicorn hair was so important. She observed Ford appearing to squint at the portal with a hand placed under his chin as people do when they are in deep thought. Mabel thought a good place to start with impressing Ford would be to imitate this. She quietly snuck beside him and copied him perfectly. It took Ford a moment before he noticed the young girl acting as his shadow.
"Mabel, what are you doing here? Do you need help with anything?" Ford asked slightly annoyed, but still trying his hardest to be calm and kind. "No sir Professor Ford, just observing the trajectory of this portal," Mabel said in her most scientific voice and using one of the bigger words in her vocabulary. Ford rolled his eyes, but tried to give her a smile anyways, "that's quite alright Mabel, I would really prefer to...umm...observe the portal by myself right now, so you can just run along and play," Ford said trying to get the girl out of the way, but Mabel was a lot more difficult to get rid of then he bargained for.
"It's ok Grunkle Ford, I like helping you. I can be really useful around a lab you know! I can measure junk, and chart stuff, and bring down cookies and Mabel Juice, you know having even more extra hands around here would make for a lighter load for you and Dipper!" Mabel said finally confessing her true motives. She may be determined, but subtly was something she still had to practice.
Ford looked down at her sympathetically, figuring that Dipper had already told her about his internship offer. He bent down so he was facing Mabel's level, "that's sweet of you to offer Mabel, but no offense you really are more trouble than your worth," he said, realizing his wording was harsh, but not knowing a better way to say it. Mabel's eyes began to fill with tears, "what...what do you mean? I...I helped you find the unicorn hair! That was useful wasn't it? Why can't I help you too!?" she asked.
Ford began to get irritated at the girl's persistence, "Why...You want to know why? Because if you and my stupid brother had not messed with the portal in the first place we wouldn't be in this mess! You had no right to trust him! Mabel he has lived his whole life as a con-artist, and yet by trusting him you have placed all of us in very real danger! You really think that flimsy net will keep Bill away? He will find a way in and when he does the amount of damage he will have on this town and the world at large will be unmeasurable!"
Mabel was a combination of heartbroken and outraged at Ford's words so she shot back, "Grunkle Stan only worked and slaved over this portal, because he loved you so much and wanted you back! and I trusted him, because that's what you do when you love someone, but...but I do regret not pressing that button. I wish...I wish you never came here! You have taken everything from me! My brother is leaving me to live his life locked up in a basement without any human contact besides you! and sometimes...sometimes I hate you for it!" Mabel shouted tears streaming from her face. She instantly regretted her words when she saw Ford's face.
Ford was hurt, but if he had to hurt he was gonna make Mabel hurt as well. He spoke clearly and calmly making sure Mabel knew that he meant it, "I hate you too, I hate what you and my brothers foolishness and ignorance has done...I wish you had pushed that button, because then I would know that there was actually a brain in there instead of an ignorant and stupid little girl," Ford said. That broke Mabel down into sobs, and Ford had to admit he felt bad. She was just a child and he was the adult, but he didn't act like it just then. He instantly attempted to resolve the damage he had done. He reached out a six finger hand to Mabel, "sweetheart...I...I'm sorry...come here." he said gently. It was too late, Mabel dashed as fast as she could up the elevator and her eyes were so filled with tears she could hardly see anything. She grabbed the backpack by the door, hoping it would have supplies if she had to stay out awhile. She rushed out the door not even noticing Stan in the doorway.