"You're offering to do what?"

Ford raised his head up from his folded paws, looking the small figure framed in the doorway of his study. Mabel stepped into the room, giving him a small smile while raising a pink basket that contained what initially looked like assorted brushes.

"I'm offering to be your hair-and-furstylist for the day!" replied Mabel. She placed the basket on the floor in front of him and put her hands together, forming a steeple. In a serious tone, she continued, "Grunkle Ford, since you became a Sphinx, I noticed that your mane is in need of some Mabel-care. We're family! I'm here for you and I want you to feel and look good!"

Ford blinked, and lowered his chin to look at his mane. "Well, I haven't been able to hold a brush since I became a Sphinx," he said thoughtfully. "Okay, I accept your offer of 'Mabel-care'." He looked at the basket on the floor. "What do you have there, my dear?"

"Oh, just some brushes and assorted hair care accessories," Mabel said airily, selecting a large green comb from the basket and approaching her Grunkle. She gave him an appraising look before declaring, "Why don't we start with the hair on your head?"

"Sure thing," agreed Ford, lowering his head back on his paws. Mabel knelt next to him and proceeded to comb his hair. The comb immediately stopped at some tangles.

"Oh boy, I got here just in time!" Mabel muttered, tutting and shaking her head. She used her fingers to gently untangle the gray strands and combed carefully through the hair, unsnarling what the comb encountered before combing the area again. Her gentle ministrations were rewarded with Ford's thunderous purrs.

Mabel grinned and spontaneously hugged Ford's neck. "I love it when you purr, Grunkle Ford," she said gleefully.

Ford smiled, turning a bit to rub Mabel's head with his own before she resumed combing his hair. "That's because the Mabel-care system is very soothing," he said, resting his head back on his paws. Then, "By the way, do you know where Dipper has gone off to?"

The brushing stopped. "Uh, Dipper is around," Mabel replied carefully, resuming the untangling. "Somewhere in the Shack. I mean, he doesn't hate or anything. He's still looking at that creepy book to find out how to help you. His face is less pink now, but the good news is, he's taking a bath every day!"

Ford winced; inwardly he felt bad for suddenly grooming the boy to neutralize his odor, but also pleased that Dipper has started taking regular baths. No head of hair should be that salty, thought Ford.

After a few minutes and a bit of teasing with her fingers, Mabel declared, "Hair is done! Now for the 'mane' attraction! Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk!"

Ford snorted, raising his head up to give Mabel access to his mane. As his mane was thicker than his own head of hair, this took longer for Mabel to comb through. The combing was very soothing, Ford thought, and he felt his eyelids getting heavy...

Ford became aware of voices speaking softly nearby...

"Mabel, what did you do to him?!"

"I helped him, of course. Gave him the ol' Mabel makeover too while I was at it! You know me, Dipper, I'm a helper!"

"Aw, man, he's not going to like this..."

"Look, just take the picture! This is going into the scrapbook!"

"Take a picture of what?" asked Ford, yawning and stretching. He sat up and spotted Dipper and Mabel standing nearby. Mabel looked at him with the biggest smile on her face he had seen yet; in contrast, Dipper looked at him in shock. Ford was pleased to note that the boy smelled better than before.

"Ah, there you are, Dipper!" said Ford, smiling at his great-nephew. "I want to apologize for what happened yesterday regarding the-uh-grooming."

"Oh, that's okay, Great Uncle Ford," said Dipper in a somewhat high-pitched voice. Ford looked at him curiously; the boy seemed to be trying hard not to laugh.

"Grunkle Ford, trust me on this one: you look GREAT!" Mabel gushed at him. "I've always wanted to try out that hairstyle on someone!"

Ford smiled, then gave a start. Hairstyle?

He turned and padded towards the mirror in one corner of the study. The kids followed him to the mirror; Dipper clapped a hand to his mouth, his expression somewhere between horror and amusement.

Ford looked into the mirror and just...stared. His creative niece had tied the top layer of his mane into some kind of lattice-work pattern, covering his neatly brushed mane every portion where the hair was tied, Mabel attached a wildflower. Completing the look was a wreath of wildflowers on his head.

"Surprise!" cried Mabel, throwing a handful of flower petals over him. "So, what do you think, Grunkle Ford?"

"I...I..." Ford stuttered. He was trying to find words that would spare his niece's feelings when another voice boomed into the room.

"HOLY MOSES! What happened to you, Stanford?!" Stan yelled from the doorway. Ford and the kids turned around and spotted Stan gawping at his brother.

"Mabel-care happened," Ford sighed. He looked back at the mirror and tilted his head. "I have to admit, this is pretty good, Mabel."

Mabel beamed at him.

"All you need is a peace medallion and a VW bus and you're all set for the Woodstick Festival," Stan remarked. Then he rubbed his chin, looking speculatively at his brother. "Y'know, we could use a new attraction." He raised his hand and said, "The Know-It-All Hippie Lion! We'll charge fifty dollars a picture and another fifty for-"

Stan wasn't able to share what the extra fifty dollars was for, as he had to run out of the room when Ford bounded away from the mirror in his general direction.

Dipper was finally able to let go of the laughter that he had to keep in for several minutes.

Author's Note: Google "lattice hair" to give you an idea of what Mabel did to Ford's mane.