Please do not dump opinions in the review section. If you have criticism of the writing itself, go for it, but please don't just rant about how terrible a character is. I received a pretty rude review that had nothing to do with the fic itself, just bashing Mabel (it's deleted now), so I'd appreciate it if other readers refrain from that. Your opinions are yours, but I don't need to hear that. Thank you.

Mabel shifted her position on the small couch by the stairs. It had been a couple days since she and Dipper got back from Gravity Falls, but their Piedmont home hadn't felt as comfortable as usual. She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap, and tried to think of anything, anything but-

"Hey, Mabel."

Mabel was startled out of her daze by Dipper's greeting as he went toward the kitchen. She quickly put on her "happy-Mabel-face" and greeted him back. He took off Wendy's lumberjack hat and set it on the banister, then went to the pantry for something to eat. As soon as her brother left the living room, Mabel's pasted on smile slowly faded, and she went back to thinking.

How could she bear to smile at him like nothing changed? Sure, he'd seemingly held no grudge to her for what she did that final week in Oregon, but how could she know for certain? Mabel rested her head on her hand, trying to hold herself back from crying.

What she didn't see, though, was that Dipper had never really entered the kitchen. Ever since they got home, he could tell Mabel was upset over something. And peering around the corner into the living room at her sunken, dejected posture, he needed to know what.

"Mabel?" He asked, causing her to jump.

"Yeah, Dipper?" She answered, smiling a smile too fake for him to handle.

"Drop the act. I know something's up," he said tersely, putting his hands to his hips. "Now tell me."

Mabel blinked, not wanting to say anything yet wanting to say so much at the same time. But all she ended up being able to do was yell, "I can't!" She held her head in her hands, trying to calm the pent-up panic that'd been building for a week.

"What? Why not?"

Finally she broke, crying out, "BECAUSE YOU HATE ME ENOUGH ALREADY!" before bursting into tears.

Dipper looked at her, agape, trying to figure out what she meant. He didn't hate her. He never hated her. He couldn't hate her. Dipper sat on the couch next to Mabel. Why, she couldn't possibly mean...

"Mabel, what are talking about?" He reached out to touch her shoulder, only for her to push his hand away.

"What are YOU talking about?" She shot back. "Isn't it obvious?!" She wiped at the tears running down her cheeks and turned away from him, sighing. "How can you even stand me, Dipper?" She whispered.

"Mabel, I..." Dipper began, not knowing what to say.

"I mean, it was my fault the world almost ended," Mabel said, her voice rising again. "And that wouldn't have ever happened if I wasn't so stubborn and just let you go. And I wouldn't be so stubborn if I just shut up and listened sometimes." She was almost yelling now. "And if I just shut up and listened sometimes, maybe I would've seen what a horrible sister I've been!" Mabel took a deep breath, and said shakily, "I just don't know why you even gave me a chance. You gave up everything to come home with me, and I... I'm not even someone worthy of that." She turned back toward him, not bothering to even try and stop her crying now.

Dipper, heartbroken at his sister's self-contempt, held her shoulders and said, "Mabel, you know that's not true. It's not your fault. None of it. Yeah, you've made mistakes, but so have I." He smiled, beginning to get choked up himself. "And that's the point, isn't it? We learn from our mistakes, and that's what makes us better. And yeah, it might not always be great, but I know that you'll always be there when I need you." He blinked at the tears coming from him now. "I just hope you feel the same way about me."

Without warning, Mabel lunged forward and wrapped herself around Dipper. "I do," she said. After recovering from the start, Dipper returned her embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Dipper."

"It's okay. It's in our past."

Then, for the first time in a while, Mabel truly smiled.