Chapter Two: Mother, Mother

Six Years Before Mabel's Hit - Piedmont

The first time Mabel Pines was hit by her mother she was seven. Up until then it had only been emotional abuse; being called a freak, being looked down, and constantly her mother putting Dipper on a pedestal. Mabel had always regarded that day as an incident. She remember afterwards, sitting on her bed, hugging her knees with the ice bag to her eyes, telling herself that her mother wouldn't do that.

"No, Mummy didn't mean to," She kept saying, shaking her head. "Mummy loves me. Mummy doesn't love Dipper more. No, no. Mummy loves me. She didn't mean it." That was the day she had cut her hair, trying to look more like Dipper, hoping that would make her mother not give her a cold look. Not call her a mistake to Mr. Pines when she thought Mabel was sleep. Not tell her that she would never amount to anything for being so different. Then when Maisie saw her, she didn't scream - at first - she only walked up to Mabel, grabbed her by the square of her shoulder, and slap her as hard as she possibly could. When Mabel screamed out in pain, her mother didn't even wince. All she said was "Go to your room."

Of all things Mabel was relieved Dipper hadn't been there to see it. He had been invited to a little party for his class to celebrate all the science projects they made and for Dipper to get his blue ribbon for making the best one. Their father Hodor Pines took him and Maisie stayed at home with Mabel to keep her "grounded" for cutting her hair. Hodor and Dipper, had no clue of what Maisie's definition of a grounding was. If Dipper was there he would be there to hold her hand and listen to her speak of what their mother had done that day, but then he would do what he always did; Have that hard look on his face and Mabel could always tell he was thinking about telling someone to help Mabel.

"Mabel, if we could just tell someone, then it would all be better. Mum wouldn't be able to say those things to you," Dipper would always say quietly.

Mabel would always shake her head back. "Dipper you know we can't. If we tell someone then Mum will get arrested and then they'll probably talk to Daddy, too. Daddy didn't do anything, remember? Sarah Knight's dad went to jail for hurting her and then they took her from her mom because didn't do anything to stop it. They might do that to us, too. And then, and then, we might get separated, Dippy. I can't lose, you."

"I know Mabel," He would respond. "I love you, though sis, I just wish, I wish we could be together without our supposed Mum making you cry every night."

Dipper wasn't just a brother to Mabel. He was her best friend, the person she could tell everything to, the only person who knew just how to make her smile when she was sad. The thought of being free of her mother was Mabel's biggest aspiration in life, but the thought of having to be separated from her brother - her other half, her sky and stars - was enough to keep her from letting anyone else know of the secrets which went on in the Pines household.

The door pushed open and the color drained from Mabel's face. Her mother was back and she sure wasn't done with Mabel. Not yet. Maisie stomped over to Mabel's bed and she dug her nails into Mabel's left arm and dragged her off the bed. Mabel let out a yelp in pain as her head banged into a table, and something wet seeped down her head. She gingerly lifted her hand to touch the wetness and pulled it down to see the dark redness. Blood.

Her mother's eyes hardened and a scowl formed on her face. "Don't you dare get you filthy blood on my clean, white carpet!" She threw Mabel onto her shoulder like a limp doll and trodded down the stairs. As soon as she reached the bottle it started to get somehow worse. She took Mabel and threw her towards the wall, making her smash into the glass table.

Mabel fell limply against the floor, the glass having a huge crack in it and small pieces of cracked glass coated in her blood. It fell down her arms like a waterfall and shiny pieces of glass gleamed from her arms. It felt like someone was digging their knife into Mabel's arms over and over again. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, knowing her mother would only ridicule her for her weakness. She tried to wipe the salty, tears from falling down her face, but they started rushing and a sob escaped her mouth.

Maisie quirked an eyebrow at Mabel and stalked towards her, gripping her up by below her armpits and slammed her into the wall.

"Mummy, stop, stop, stop! Please, please, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Mabel started to scream, and looked into her mother's eyes hoping to see any bit of remorse. There was none.

"Mummy?" Maisie growled out Mabel and moved so her face was only a few inches from Mabel so Mabel could hear exactly what she said and not miss a single world. "I will never be your 'Mummy', you pathetic, insignificant urchin. I wanted one child - a son - and the day a stupid little girl decided to be born everything was ruined. You were a mistake, something that none of us wanted. The only reason Dipper stands you is he's too nice to tell you to die because nobody will miss you if you're gone. You're a freak, you're too different, you are everything the world will never want. You can call me 'Mummy,' 'Mum,' or 'Mother' but know, I never loved you."

Maisie dropped Mabel and let her fall to the floor with a crack. Her head lolled to the left as blood began to freely flow down. She tasted the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, but she didn't care. She crawled over to a spot where there wasn't glass, curling her body into a fetal position.

"Oh my gosh Hodor look Mabel!" She heard her mother cry out. The door had opened with Hodor and Dipper Pines running into find Mabel lying weak and bloodied. "I was in the kitchen baking and I hear the sound of glass smashing. You fell, didn't you, Mabel?"

Her voice sounded as if she cared, but Mabel recognized the hatred burning in her eyes and the threat. If she told her father what happened, her mother would make sure she could never speak again. Or breath.

Mabel nodded her head weakly. "Daddy, I tripped and fell." Her mother gave a small curt nod toward Mabel, knowing she understood what would happen if she told.

Hodor rushed over to the phone and started to dial 911. "Hello 911….17 Barner Lane….My seven year old daughter fell into a glass table….She's conscious….Yes, thank you, see you soon…."

He rushed up stairs, looking for band-aids and towels with Maisie heading up after him. It was just Dipper and Mabel now. Dipper looked over Mabel's bloody face, arms, and legs, but didn't say a thing. He knew. Mabel was certain.

"Mum did this, didn't she?" Dipper said after sometime. "Mum did this because you cut your hair." Dipper walked over and sat next to Mabel, leaning against the wall.

Mabel nodded and sobs started to erupt. She pressed herself onto Dipper's chest and let out all the pain to the only person who really loved her. Dipper didn't need to say anything. Mabel just leaned her head on his shoulder and cried.

Six years later when Maisie Pines stared at her daughter's broken form at the hospital, this was the story she remembered. One of them at least. She'd treated her seven year old girl like a ragdoll - beating her, emotionally and physically, all because she was so broken on the inside. She'd made Mabel feel lesser, told her she was nothing, told her Dipper was better than her. Told her, told her she didn't love her.

Maisie walked over to the chair next to the hospital bed and sat down. She placed her hand on Mabel's cheek and choked back a sob. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. A mother is supposed to love and care for her child, and I abused that. I broke you so badly. I took your childhood, your happiness, and I made you think you were a freak. You're not, Maebella Anastasia Pines. You're my little girl, and I would do anything, even be tortured a million times and more, to go back in time and reverse this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."