AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for reading, guys! Your time and feedback is so very much appreciated :)

Tammy didn't look well at all when I got to her place. I pulled up to her apartment building in the beat up old car I shared with my sister and spotted her waiting outside. Mabel accompanied me even though I had assured her she could have stayed home. She sat in the passenger side tinkering with some silly app on her phone when we arrived at Tammy's.

The ebony haired girl spotted our car and she approached the passenger side door, pausing as she saw my sister. Clearly disgruntled, she retreated to the backseat instead. The door shut with almost a slam and I quirked a brow at the passive aggression, then remembered Mabel's behavior on the phone earlier. I didn't hold any spite towards Tammy in that moment, but sympathy wasn't quite there either.

I didn't greet Tammy and just began driving to the local hospital. Through my rearview mirror I peaked a glance at her, noting her ghastly complexion. Her usual alabaster skin was dull and clammy, bags under her eyes. She held her abdomen and kept her eyes pointed down, visibly unwell. If I knew Tammy, she was definitely some degree of hung over. Mabel gave me a side glance as I shifted my eyes back to the road and I swallowed dryly.

In the hospital parking lot I debated whether I would ask Mabel to come in or request she stay in the car. But she didn't wait for any instruction, getting out after Tammy did. My to-be ex girlfriend slipped on a patch of black ice and my sister reacted immediately, catching her by the arm before she fell.

"Woah!" She yelped, pulling Tammy back to stand as she clutched her stomach miserably. "Careful..."

I wasn't taken back my Mabel worried nature, that just being who she was. She'd been awfully rude to Tammy on the phone earlier, but for good reason. Now that Mabel saw the girl paler than the snow on the ground around us, her usual empathy kicked in. Tammy didn't respond to Mabel but suddenly yanked herself away. Mabel look startled but it soon become clear why Tammy had moved so quickly.

She hurried away a few feet, barely missing the patch of ice she slipped on before and bent over, gagging. Nothing came out as she heaved, and Mabel went over to her, hesitantly patting her back. Tammy dry heaved for a bit, nothing coming up out of her stomach at all. She spit though, barely. She was definitely dehydrated.. Hungover indeed, quite severely if she needed a doctor.

"I'd ask if you were okay...but that'd be stupid..." Mabel whispered.

"I threw up all night...nothing's coming up now" Tammy mummbled hoarsely. "My stomach hurts so bad..."

"Let's get you to the E.R"

The receptionist instructed Tammy to sit in the waiting room and Mabel guided her to a seat. Pulling her legs up in to a chair, Mabel took a seat next to her. I stood off to the side, too antsy to sit down. Mabel met my eyes briefly and I smiled very slightly, scratching at the material of my sweatpants nervously. I had no idea how I was going to carry through with the break up, especially after having to take Tammy to the E.R so visibly unwell. It took about half an hour, but Tammy was brought in by a nurse.

Neither Mabel or I were her kin and we were left to wait. I could have taken Mabel and left, but I had a promise to fulfill. I pondered if maybe Tammy was unwell besides just a hangover because she'd never needed a doctor for one before, but I had no information to go by. Whatever Tammy was suffering with wasn't detrimental because an hour later we were called in. I don't think Tammy expected Mabel to come along because she looked at my sister confused, but didn't protest to her being in the room.

"Everything okay...?" I asked her nervously, not sure on how to work in a break up as I looked at her hooked up to a I.V drip, her body layered in hospital blankets.

" I'm going to live, Yeah."

Mabel visibly bristled at Tammy's tone but played it off as she took out her phone. She sauntered off as nonchalantly as she could muster, mentioning something to me about 'cafeteria frozen yogurt for breakfast'. I almost smiled as Mabel left, her breakfast of choice so very her. Had Tammy not called, Mabel and I would have eaten cereal at home.

"So... what's the problem? You don't look well...but they got you hooked up pretty fast."

" It's nothing to worry about, I'm gonna be fine." Tammy assured me bluntly, curling the blankets around herself tighter. "You can go."

"Well uh.. You sure?"

I didn't see a window of opportunity to just casually drop the bombshell that I needed to. Not that I really cared if her feelings were hurt, not too in depthly anyways. She'd done nothing but show apathy to my feelings...but still, hurting others wasn't my thing. I was a pacifist to say the least, I didn't like confrontation.

"Just leave, I won't be discharged for a few hours."

"Are you sure everything is okay..?"

"Dipper, just go."

Tammy began to look irritable and nervous, glancing to the curtain of her closed off cubicle frantically like she was looking out for something. Or someone. I was annoyed with her attitude, and thought maybe now would be the perfect time to just be an asshole back for once in my life. I was ready to tell her goodbye and then the curtain behind me whoosed with someone's entrance.

"Tamara honey, the abortionist has an opening in an hour and a half. Would you like to-?"

The nurse paused as she spotted me in the room next to her. She held a clipboard in her hands and clutched it close to her chest anxiously, her flow of speech ceasing completely. She pointed to me after glancing to Tammy.

"Oh.. Hello. Who would you be?"

My stomach clenched in on itself and I felt my jaw tighten with aggravation. I glanced at Tammy, seeing her wide eyes. She tried opening her mouth to say something but she couldn't. There wasn't a need for her to say anything. I already heard enough.

"I'm her ex boyfriend" I informed the nurse briskly. "I'll be leaving now."

I left the room, the curtain billowing as I pushed past it. The metal rings scraped the beam they were hung on and I didn't bother closing the curtain, marching down the hospital hallway. Grinding my teeth I took long strides, walking past employees and scattered gurneys. I pressed the button to the elevator in annoyance and took the elevator down to the cafeteria, ready to collect Mabel and leave.

My sister was sitting at a small table in the corner, just beginning to dig in to a cup of frozen yogurt. I approached her and she didn't see me until I was right across from her. She smiled around the spoon in her mouth initially, then her lips turned down as she took in my glum and rather aggravated demeanor.

Pulling the spoon out she swallowed the bite she'd had and looked to me worriedly. I nodded my head gestured for us to leave and Mabel did so without resistance. In the elevator I pressed the button to return to the main level and Mabel rocked back and forth on her feet, offering me a bite of her frozen yogurt.

"No thanks sis..."

"It's chocolate though" she insisted meekly. "It's really good..."

'I'm sure it is"

It was obvious my sister wanted to question what had happened with Tammy but she resisted the temptation as she exited the hospital with me. Mabel brought the edge of her sleeves up over her hands to hold her frozen breakfast as we walked through the parking lot, the wind blowing frigid. In the car I put the heat on immediately for my sister's sake.

The key was placed in the ignition and I put the car in gear, pulling out of the parking lot. Mabel ate her frozen yogurt in silence, and I was grateful for her contained curiosity. If I had to outwardly state what I'd just discovered about Tammy I would probably lose it in the car. All that time she spent ignoring me she'd been off with someone else. She never even entertained the idea of us being intimate.

Xxxxx

"Tammy's pregnant!?"

Sitting in my bean bag chair game controller in hand I winced a bit at Mabel's raised voice. After coming home and settling in, she finally approached me about my break up with Tammy. She rightfully assumed the event had been horrible but did not suspect to what degree. From my bed she had been watching me play when she brought up the topic and then yelled out in surprise at the news.

" Not for much longer. She's getting an abortion. Not that I care about that particular detail, it's not mine. " I told her, pressing buttons. My thumbs clicking the plastic. " She was trying to rush me out when I came in to see her. The nurse waltz in announcing an abortion appointment., not knowing someone had come in to visit Tammy."

"She was going to hide it from you! What a-"

"Bitch? Yup."

Getting off from my bed Mabel came over to sit in my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck as I played. She kissed my cheek and held me tight, her foot tapping with agitation.

"She cheated on you, I'm so mad" Mabel huffed.

"I was there to break up with her anyways, Mabel" I reasoned, trying to relieve myself of my own Tammy induced agitation. "Doesn't even matter now"

"Still! She fricken pretended you didn't exist and then slept with someone . Aren't you angry?"

" I'm getting over it"

In game I paused, going through the quest log. I read, quitely mummbling to myself and my sister pressed her cheek to mine. I kept reading, pausing to blow a wisp of her hair that brushed my cheek. Mabel giggled, purposely swising her bangs to pester me.

" You were just angry like two seconds ago" I chuckled. "Now you're being silly."

"And? What do you want from me?"

"Some consistency would be nice."

Mabel elbowed me and since she was sitting on me I tilted my body, threatening to toss her off me. She held me tightly as she did almost slide off on to the floor. The floor was only inches away yet she screamed like she was in danger. In a matter of one night Mabel was slowly returning to the silly sister I'd remembered before my plummet in to depression, I didn't realize how much I missed her. Or how truly in sync we still were.

"I'm gonna fall off!" She wailed, clinging to me.

"The floor is RIGHT THERE though."I insisted, "RIGHT THERE!"

"My life is flashing before my eyes!"

She finished her melodramatic statement, briefly pausing to look at me. I smirked and slowly leaned over again, then Mabel just leg go. She fell the few inches to the floor with soft thud and kicked her foot up weakly.

"Everything is going dark..."

"You're fine"

"Goodbye cruel world."

I snorted and kept playing, then Mabel's foot was out and poking me. She teasingly trailed it up my side then her bright fuzzy sock was in my face. I batted it away, laughing, and Mabel continued. She was so persistent I actually laughed fully, resorting to pulling off her sock and tickling her foot. At that she squealed and tried crawling away but I tossed the game controller and grabbed her ankle, pulling her back.

"Dipper no!"

"Payback's a bitch, aint it?" I taunted, raining down on her with full blown tickling.

I held her ankle firmly in my hand and no matter how much she kicked I didn't let go. She had tears coming from her eyes as she laughed and her smile was so bright my chest warmed, along with my cheeks. I was so grateful to have her back, my mind clear enough to appreciate her. I knew that had Mabel not reciprocated my want, I wouldn't be as content as I was. The relief was still wafting through me, almost like an afterglow.

Enraptured in Mabel's laughter, I moved from the bean bag and I tugged her closer until her legs were spread along my sides. I tickled her stomach and she wiggled, still dying of laughter. In the commotion she accidentally kneed my stomach a bit and I grunted. Mabel caught her breath and smiled, catching my light wince.

"Sorry, Bro Bro" she apologized, bringing her hands up to my shoulders. "C'mere"

I was pulled down and she laid her lips upon mine and kissing me chastely. The shift from playful to affectionate was sudden and I smiled a little, face warm. Mabel stuck her tongue out at me and used her legs to pull me down closer, giving me a full body hug. She was fully latched to me, it was really nice.

"I'm a koala!"

"Of course..."

Xxxxx

Getting ready for bed that night, the message machine beeped. We learned that the heating wouldn't be fixed until for another few days. It didn't really bother me being that I had both Mabel and the space heater in the room, but having to take showers in a cold house sucked. Of course the water heating unit was still up and running, but getting out of a steaming shower and in to a freezing hallway was horrible.

After showering that night I learned that from then on I would be taking my clothes to the bathroom with me, not leaving them in my room like a dumb ass. Mabel had learned from my mistake right away, snickering as she went to take her shower, towel AND clothes in hand. That was a lesson well learned.

"By the time they actually fix the heat we'll be leaving for Mom and Dad's anyways" Mable mentioned, coming in to my bedroom after going to the kitchen for a drink. "At least we'll have heat when we get back"

"True..."

"You're still okay with going right?"

I had no problem going for the sake of making my sister happy, but I was not as enthused as she was about seeing our parents. For one, I had already detached from them as well as almost everyone. Secondly, I didn't know how I would look them in the eye after leaving on such glum terms. When leaving for college I'd refused to seek therapy like my mother wished, not even entertaining the idea of staying home to finish school.

I'd been in such a rush to run away from my life, and Mabel. Ironically enough Mabel wasn't willing to let me go. She followed me under the guise of wanting to attend the same university, but I now knew that was a ruse. She was worried about me...and in the same boat I was. I'd call it a rut but after having my sister crawl down in to the hole I dug myself, it wasn't bad at all. It was perfect.

"I'm okay with going" I assured Mabel, laying in bed watching Television. "I'm not thrilled or anything but it is what it is..."

"You're definitely not looking forward to this."

"Not really, no."

Getting under the sheets next to me, Mabel curled up low by my side and looked up at me, her head resting under my arm. She didn't seem to comforted by my lack of desire to see our parents but she understood why, there was no way she didn't. I didn't have to explain myself, and she reassured me with a hug. She rolled over towards me and hugged my side.

"It's just Christmas break, it'll be okay."

"You're probably right"