Sorry if this chapter seems a little disjointed from the other chapter; I originally wrote them as two separate stories, but since they're part of the same idea, I combined them as one, adding a few things to this one to connect it better. Hopefully, it still makes sense... Anyway, enjoy!

Mabel hesitated before entering her brother's room. Her mom and dad said they had helped him a little, but she knew that he wouldn't truly feel better until the whole situation was over. And that's what she had to make happen.

Finally, she got the courage to go in. "Dipper, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Mabel. I'm fine."

Mabel studied her brother. He was looking down, his hands folded in his lap, his head hanging low. He wasn't fine. He hadn't been since they started second grade. Plus, she'd promised her mother she'd fix whatever was wrong. She couldn't give up.

"I know you're not fine," Mabel said, picking up his hand, only for him to pull away. "I'm your sister, Dipper. Tell me."

Dipper stayed quiet, except for a sniff here or there. The truth was, as young as they were, Mabel knew what was wrong. She had already noticed the way he tried brushing his hair in the morning and how he layed his head on the desk at school. How he avoided a few of the boys in third grade. But after actually witnessing it yesterday, she needed him to talk to her.

"Dipper?"

"Stop calling me that, Mabel."

"Why?"

"I don't need any more reminders." He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face, but Mabel could tell he was crying.

"Please, Dip-Mason-, I need to know what's going on. It's the only way I can help you."

After a minute, Dipper finally lifted his head and looked at her. "Mabel, do you think I'm, what was it they said... 'deformed'?"

Mabel's heart clenched. "No. Of course not. Why would anyone think that?" She tried to keep her voice calm for Dipper's sake, but she could feel the anger building inside her.

"Well, Damian and Marcus sure seem to think so." Dipper sub-consciously reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to pull its short length over his forehead. "Sometimes, I wish I'd been born different."

Mabel looked away. She hated seeing him hurt. When they were in kindergarten and first grade, no one made fun of him- or anyone really. They were all too young; they didn't know how to be mean. But their class was mostly eight now, and with getting older comes learning how to be mean. Damian and Marcus, it seemed, had decided to be mean to Dipper.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Di-Mason," Mabel said as she wrapped her arms around him. "And I'm gonna fix this."

"How?" He pulled away, looking at her with teary eyes.

She brushed his bangs back and smiled. "Oh, you'll see."

THE NEXT DAY

Mabel peeked around the the corner of the school toward the playground. She saw Dipper sitting on one of the swings, not swinging. He noticed her and gave her a questioning look, but she just did a lock-and-key motion over her mouth. Besides, she was really looking for- aha!

"Mission Dipper Protection Program is a go," Mabel said as she focused on Damian and Marcus streaking across the blacktop. Mabel shuffled from her hiding spot and subtly followed them. When the third graders got near Dipper, Mabel ducked under the playset, behind the fake rock climbing wall.

"Well, well, if it isn't Dipper Pines," Damian said.

"That's not my name," Dipper mumbled.

"Oh sorry, I forgot. 'Defect Pines' really works better doesn't?" Damian said, causing Marcus to laugh.

Dipper felt his cheeks warming up, and he looked down, shielding his face with his hand. "P-please, lea-"

"Leave you alone? Why would we do that?" Marcus interrupted in a mocking tone.

Dipper looked up at them, anger replacing the hurt in his voice. "What did I ever do to you? I'm just a kid, like you!"

Damian laughed, poking his lackey. "Did you hear that? It thinks it's like us!"

"What?" Dipper stood up from the swing, stepping toward the pair.

As soon as he did, Damian shoved Dipper's shoulders, pushing the younger boy into the woodchips.

"Take on step towards me and I'll wipe your ugly face off the planet," he said, leaning over a terrified Dipper. "I'm sure it wouldn't take much, anyways."

"I think," a voice called out, "you mean 'anyway'."

Damian and Marcus turned from Dipper. "Who said that?"

Mabel stepped out from her hiding place. "Considering 'anyways' is technically not a real word."

"Ugh, it's just the other one," Damian grumbled, then turned to face her. "Came to save your brother, I suppose?"

"Actually..." Without warning, Mabel socked the bully in the nose. Crying out in pain, Damian fell to his knees, clutching his face. "I came to teach you a lesson." She turned to Marcus, but before she had the chance to do anything, he held up his hands in surrender.

Mabel held out her hand to Dipper, who took it it, smiling graciously at her. As the twins walked away, Mabel turned back to Damian, whose fingers, now stained with red, were still pressed to his nose.

"Oh, but yes," she told him, happy to have fulfilled her goal, "I guess you could say I came to save my brother."

LATER THAT NIGHT

"Mabel?"

Mabel looked up from her scrapbook to her bedroom doorway. Dipper was standing there, holding one of her stuffed animals.

"You, uh, left this in my room," he said, walking over to her bed. He set it on the mound of stuffed animals next to the nightstand. After, though, he didn't move from his place by her bed.

"You good, bro-bro?" Mabel asked.

He sighed, then laughed. "Yeah. Thanks for what you did earlier. I needed it." Dipper reached up again, but instead of combing his hair down, he brushed it aside.

"Of course. And if they come back, I'll do again!" Mabel laughed, then looked her brother in the eye. "Seriously, though, I love you, Mason."

"Dipper," he said. "Dipper is fine."

Mabel smiled. "Sure thing, Dippingsauce."

He grinned back at her, then turned to leave. Once in the doorway, though, he turned back for a second. "And Mabel?" he said. "I think you mean 'are you okay?' Considering 'you good?' is technically not a real phrase." Dipper winked, then softly closed the door.

THE END