Mabel couldn't believe her ears. "Really?" she whispered softly.
"Yeah," Stan sighed, "Kid, I've wanted nothing but to make you happy and comfortable here all summer, and if this is what it takes, I'm all in."
Before she realized what she was doing, Mabel found herself wrapping her arms around her great uncle in a tight hug. "Thank you, Uncle Stan," she whispered.
"Yeah," Stan breathed, a hint of joy in his voice. He hugged her back awkwardly with one hand, and after a short time, cleared his throat and backed from the embrace. "So, what do you need me to do?"
Mabel smiled up at him, "Let me show you."
Grunkle Stan turned out to be better at building interdimensional portals than Mabel and Soos combined. He fixed the wobbly base of the construction, and the rounded sides arched into the air at a record rate. The trio worked in near silence, with the exception of an occasional "Like this?" "No over like this," or "Pass me that piece won't you?" and sometimes the sound of Mabel asking her sheep a question.
"Dipper said not to use glue when we wind the wool around the frame, in case it doesn't all go around and we need to adjust it," Mabel explained, after consulting her sheep.
"I could have told you that," Stan huffed, gently testing the durability of an uncurled toilet paper tube that he glued to the portal base.
"Well, Dipper says the Uncle Stan in his dimension told him that," Mabel corrected shyly, "So, in a way, you did."
Stan smiled, "Man, I am smart. Tell your sheep to tell me I'm smart."
Mabel giggled a little, and complied. "He said that his uncle told him to say you were handsome," Mabel said after a while.
Stan laughed, "I could get used to this guy! Even if he was just in your head, you've got my character nailed down!"
Mabel smiled, a motion which Stan quickly pointed out. "I don't think I've seen you smile all summer, up until today."
The girl just smiled and shrugged in reply.
"Say, could you ask Dipper how far along he is in his portal?" Soos asked, "I wonder if we're in synch, both building the door to a new world simultaneously," he gazed dramatically at his hands.
"Dipper, how close are you to finishing your side?" Mabel asked the sheep. Stan and Soos watched on as she listened to a voice they could not hear. "He says that- Dipper? DIPPER?" Mabel's calm attitude was suddenly turned to horror as she pulled the sheep closer to her face and yelled, "What's going on? What's happening?"
Stan and Soos were by her side in a second.
"What's wrong?" Stan took her shoulder.
"Mabel, what happened?" Soos crawled down to her level.
Mabel gazed with wide eyes at her toy, seemingly deaf to her companions' concerns.
"Mabel please, what's happening?" Stan begged.
"Something's wrong with Dipper!" Mabel shouted, finally returning her uncle's gaze, "I can't hear him anymore!"
Hey guys! Thanks for waiting so long. I was stuck on this part, but I've FINALLY worked it out and a new (longer) chapter will DEFINITELY be up soon!