A/N: Hello everybody! Big, big trigger warning for this chapter: self-harm. Brief descriptions of it and discussion about it. Please take care of yourselves!

Stan didn't think he would ever be as happy as he was the day the kids started talking to him again. The hug he got from Mabel made everything worth it.

He was getting a lot of hugs from her recently. Not that he was complaining, but he was kind of worried. Dipper had a good outlet for his anger now- not that it magically cured him; he still snapped at all of them occasionally- but Mabel as far as he could tell was just poring herself into artwork and knitting, but that wasn't any different than over the summer. Stan vowed to keep an eye on her.

:::::::::::

It was a slow day at the Mystery Shack. Fall was in full swing and the next serious action the Shack would be seeing was the Halloween party coming up in a few weeks. For now, only a couple people were perusing the gift shop and Mabel was working the counter. Her head rested on her arms as she stared off into space. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even glance up as someone came in.

Robbie looked to the counter hoping to find Wendy, but instead found Mabel who looked utterly exhausted.

"Hey," he asked, rapping the counter with his knuckles. "Is Wendy here?" Mabel barely glanced up and shook her head.

"Nah, she's hanging out with Dipper."

Normally, this would throw Robbie into some sort of bad mood, but looking at the younger girl's expression, he couldn't bring himself to get worked up over it.

Her expression was kind of scaring him to be honest. The thousand yard gaze, the lack of a smile, how still she was… His mind flashed back to a day in elementary school where he had found Wendy in a janitor's closet with that exact same look on her face.

"Well, uh, since I got some time to kill and it's pretty dead here anyway-" he winced inwardly at the expression, "I'm gonna head to the mall. You wanna come?" That got Mabel's attention.

"The mall? With you?"

"Yeah. You ever been to Edgy on Purpose? They have some stuff you might like. And I think there's a yarn shop or something there too." He shrugged and was rewarded with a smile.

"Let me go tell Grunkle Stan!" She hopped off the stool and dashed into the back room. Robbie jumped as someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What's this about you taking my great niece to the mall?"

Robbie turned around and came face to face with Stan. Though startled, he managed to hold his ground. He shrugged.

"I figure she could use a distraction right now and shopping is a good one. Maybe it'll cheer her up for a bit."

Stan held his gaze firmly and finally nodded.

"Fine. Just don't bring her back as a punk goth or anything, ya hear?" Robbie snorted.

"Like that's gonna happen." Stan chuckled.

Just then, Mabel came running back into the room carrying her purse.

"Oh there you are Grunkle Stan! I'm going to the mall with Robbie, if that's okay."

"Sure thing pumpkin. Just don't spend all your money on yarn," he said, ruffling her hair. Mabel giggled.

"Of course not. I gotta buy new needles too!" She grabbed Robbie by the hand and pulled him out the front door, genuinely excited about something for once.

Mabel chattered nearly the whole way to the mall, excitedly swinging her feet in the passenger's seat. Robbie almost turned around when she found a discarded page of lyrics he had been working on and proceeded to compliment, critique, and then sing them.

To Robbie's sweet relief, they finally arrived at the mall. He almost expected Mabel to dash off without him, but she hung back.

"So where to first?" she asked, giving him a big, braces grin.

"Well, Edgy on Purpose is this way. I've been needing some new fingerless gloves-"

"Useless and stylish! Maybe I'll get some!"

Mabel did indeed get some. Robbie found a pair of hot pink ones that she immediately fell in love with. She also found a pair of turquoise, purple, and green ones.

"Woah!" she cried. "Look at that cat t-shirt! It's purr-fect!" Robbie backed up, craning his neck to see the entire wall of shirts.

"Where?" he asked. Seriously, why were there so many t-shirts?

"That one!" Mabel jumped and pointed, but Robbie was too distracted to notice which one she pointed to. As she jumped, her sweater sleeve slid up her arm and he could see bandages crisscrossed up and down her arm and his blood ran cold. Mabel wouldn't hurt herself would she? But the bandaids told a different story and Robbie had been emo long enough to know what self-harm looked like.

"Do you see it?" Snapping out of it, he finally zeroed in on which shirt Mabel was talking about. The young teen looked up at him, somewhat confused, and he didn't miss how she tugged her sweater sleeves back down.

"Yeah, that's a cool one. Let's find it in your size. I'll buy it, my treat."

Mabel's jaw dropped before blooming into a brilliant smile. "Really? You would do that for me?"

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Sure thing, Starshine. Just, uh, don't get used to it."

The rest of their shopping trip Robbie watched her like a hawk. It quickly became apparent that sometimes her smiles were too forced, her heart not really in her chatter- like she was playing at being Mabel. She scratched at her arms occasionally, not enough to draw attention unless you were paying attention.

"Hey," he finally said, pausing in the yarn shop and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Your arm okay?" She froze like a deer in the headlights. He held his hands up, trying to show her he was being non-threatening. "I just saw all the bandaids on your arm and you keep scratching at it and I wanted to make sure you were okay or whatever."

"What? Me? Of course I'm okay! It was just some scratches from some, um, a bush! Right, I chased Waddles into a thorny bush. That's what happened."

"Uh-huh. You know with Stan Pines for an uncle I thought your lying skills would be a lot better."

He felt mildly bad as her cheeks turned red and she tucked her head into the neck of her sweater. He sighed.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that you know it's okay to not be okay sometimes, right? If you're hurting, you should talk to someone, not take it out on yourself."

Mabel didn't say anything, just started sinking deeper into her sweater, so Robbie did the only logical thing he could think of and pulled the young teen into an awkward hug that she was surprisingly quick to return.

"Come on. Let's go get some ice cream and listen to sad songs in my car."

After a triple sundae, listening to the Goo Goo Dolls and Robbie's new album, and some tearful discussions, they did end the day on a good note as Robbie dropped Mabel off at the Shack. Mabel was admiring her new cat t-shirt and bright pink fingerless gloves as they walked towards the house.

"So, you like 'em?"

"Yeah! They actually are pretty cool," she admitted with a smile. "And Robbie? Thanks. This shopping trip was very much needed."

"Sure thing."

He held the door open for her and she ran past and up the stairs shouting, "I'm gonna put these in my room really quick!"

Robbie snorted as she went and the other Mr. Pines looked up from his work in the living room and came over to greet the older boy. "Shopping trip went well I take it?"

Robbie nodded. "Yeah, tell the other Mr. Pines that I kept my promise and didn't turn her into a punk goth. Only she could find glitter and pink stuff at Edgy on Purpose."

"I am unfamiliar with that store, but I will be sure to pass it on. She seems to be in good spirits."

"Yeah… Hey, you're like her guardian now or whatever right?"

"Yes… Why? Is something the matter?"

Robbie pursed his lips before continuing. "Mabel's not doing as well as she's letting on," he said. "I think she's been hurting herself, so just, watch out for that I guess."

Ford looked shocked and very much concerned. "Of course. Thank you for telling me. That is troubling to say the least."

"We talked about it and she knows she needs to stop, but it's not easy. If she won't talk to you guys, you might need to talk to her." He shifted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey Short-Stuff! I gotta go! You better get down here if you want to say good-bye!"

He barely finished his sentence before he was tackled by a flying Mabel who had to have jumped from at least the fourth step. How the beanstalk of a teenager did not fall over was an anomaly that Ford almost wanted to test. His scientific train of thought was derailed when he noticed how- surprisingly- tenderly Robbie was hugging his niece.

"Get feeling better Starshine. Tell that dork of a brother of yours hi. I'll catch ya later."

"Bye Robbie!" Mabel waved as he walked to his car. "Thanks again!" He drove off and Mabel turned to face her great uncle.

Ford smiled at her gently. "Do you want to show me what you bought? I'd love to see it."

Mabel squealed and dragged him to the attic where she proudly displayed her new finds and for the first time in a while, her enthusiasm didn't feel forced.

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To Ford's chagrin, it was one of those days where no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't catch Stan to tell him what Robbie had said. Saturday's were busy he supposed and Stan was in and out of the house ordering Wendy and Soos around with Halloween decorations and giving tours and sprucing up the gift shop.

Dipper and Mabel worked on homework at the kitchen table, chatting idly, and when they were done they ran from the table and outside, immediately lobbing themselves into the pile of leaves Wendy had just finished raking. With a whoop, the redhead joined them and Soos was quick to follow, scooping up a pile of leaves almost as large and dropping it on top of them. It was an incredibly happy scene. Ford was half tempted to join them, but then Stan came out of the bathroom. Catching sight of the lollygagging, he looked ready to go out there and yell at them to get back to work, but pulled up short as Ford grabbed his collar.

"Hey, what gives Poindexter?"

"I've been trying to catch you all day! We need to talk."

Sensing the seriousness, Stan gestured towards poker table and they sat down. "What's up?"

"Well, first of all, Robbie wanted to let you know that he did not turn Mabel into a punk goth." Stan snorted.

"'Kay, what else? You wouldn't drag me aside like this unless it was important."

Ford fiddled his fingers nervously. "He also told me that he suspects that Mabel may be self-harming."

It was like a punch to the gut. Stan's entire body drooped and the concern and sadness in his eyes was palatable.

"How does he know?" he asked.

"He didn't mention specifically, but said they had talked about it. He said that she knows she needs to stop, but that it can be hard."

"Moses, Ford," Stan said, dragging a hand down his face. "We need to talk to her. And Dipper. I've been looking up therapists in the area. Talking to one never helped me, but times have changed and it might help them."

"That's a good idea. I was hoping that after her discussion with Robbie she would talk to one of us, but she hasn't yet."

Stan pondered and the sound of the children's laughter outside reached their ears.

"Tomorrow. We'll talk to her tomorrow."

:::

Tomorrow didn't come quick enough. Or maybe it came too soon. Regardless, it was almost one in the morning when Ford was getting ready for bed. Now that Stan didn't have to work on the portal late at night, he generally retired around 9 or 10. The kids' had a "bedtime" of 10, but this just meant they had to be in their room with the lights off. Ford had it on good authority that Dipper would stay up and read and Mabel would either play with Waddles or knit.

Ford, however, was a perpetual night owl and rarely went to bed before midnight. So it wasn't unusual for him to be finishing up his last cup of coffee before calling it a night. He was just rinsing out his mug in the kitchen sink when he heard a clatter from the upstairs bathroom followed by a quiet swear. That didn't sound good.

Moving quietly, Ford made his way up the stairs and found Waddles pawing worriedly at the bathroom door. Ford knocked quietly.

"Mabel? Are you alright?"

There was another clatter and he heard Mabel mutter another curse before responding, "I'm fine!"

Ford glanced down at the pig that was looking back at him with worry in his eyes. "Waddles is out here and he seems pretty worried. May I come in?"

He heard a sniffle. She quietly replied, "Sure."

Ford eased the door open and stepped inside. Mabel was standing over the sink with a wad of toilet paper pressed against her arm. The mirror cupboard was open and a box of bandages had fallen and spilled over the counter next to a tube of disinfectant and a bloody X-acto knife. Mabel had tears in her eyes and refused to meet Ford's gaze.

He knelt down next to her. "May I see it?"

Without saying anything, she held out her arm and he gently removed the wad of toilet paper. There were four or five cuts along the inside of her arm that were still bleeding somewhat heavily along with some that were scabbed over and looked to be healing.

"Have you cleaned them?" he asked.

"Not yet. I was *sniff* trying to stop the bleeding."

Ford nodded. "Keep the pressure on it while I go grab some gauze. I don't think basic bandages will be enough."

"Okay."

He paused. "Do you want to come with?"

She nodded and grabbed his hand with her good one and they tip toed down the stairs to the other bathroom. Ford grabbed the gauze and disinfectant and laid them out. Mabel gave him her arm and he quietly cleaned them while she sat on the toilet lid and he knelt at her side. The only sound was the occasional sniffle Mabel let out and the hooting of an owl from somewhere outside.

"There, how does that feel?" Ford asked. Mabel gently flexed her fingers and turned her arm around.

"Good. Thanks Great-uncle Ford."

"Of course my dear. Could I interest you in a cup of hot chocolate? Or I believe there's some apple cider too."

The young girl nodded and the two of them retired to the kitchen with Waddles underfoot. He snuffled gently at her bandages and she scratched him behind the ears.

"I know Waddles, I know."

Mabel sat despondently at the table, absentmindedly petting Waddles, while Ford busied himself prepping the hot cocoa, adding a generous dollop of whipped cream and sprinkles to each.

"There we are," he groaned, sliding into the chair next to her and placing the mug on the table in front of her. He took a sip of his own, pondering what to say next. "How can I help you Mabel?" is what came out. Her hands, now curled around the mug, tensed ever so slightly.

"I don't know." She clutched the mug tighter. "I don't even know what's wrong with me. What kind of person hurts themselves on purpose, huh?"

Ford held out his hand and Mabel reached out, squeezing it tightly, before retracting it and taking a sip of her cocoa.

"I just hurt, Grunkle Ford. Right here," she said, clutching the front of her night shirt. "It just feels all tangled up. Like a ball of yarn, but like… a ball of yarn with a cat stuck inside that's trying to get out and its scratching and clawing and biting and it's like… hurting myself gives the cat somewhere to go." She sniffled and took another sip. "It probably sounds crazy. Sometimes I feel crazy."

"Would you believe me if I told you I've felt like that too?"

Ford swore he heard Mabel's neck pop, she turned to look at him so fast.

"It's true," he reassured her. "You're not alone."

"When… why- I mean, if you want to-"

He smiled at her gently. "I'm happy to share." He took a moment to gather his thoughts before beginning. "College was actually a really lonely time- before I met Fiddleford in any case. I was far from home, I didn't know anyone- which was both a blessing and a curse- and, while I wouldn't admit it at the time, I was missing Stan. I had to learn how to be independent in a million different ways and I felt like I was failing at all of them.

"Looking back on it now, I can see how unhealthy my mindset and actions were. And in a way, it could be considered self-harm. I would deny myself food or sleep until I met whatever out-of-this-world standard I had set for myself, then crash for three days. It took Fiddleford being my roommate and making me eat that set me back on a healthier track.

"And then of course coming to Gravity Falls… getting entangled with Bill… when Fiddleford left. Believe you me Mabel, I understand that tangled ball of yarn feeling in your chest."

He turned to look at his niece and was actually somewhat surprised to see her face all screwed up, with snot and tears pouring out.

"This is what I mean though!" she cried. "All of you had and have it so much worse than I do. You had to deal with Bill and the multiverse and your whole freaking childhood, Stan was homeless or in prison for, like, ten years! And Dipper got possessed because of me and spent three days alone in town during Weirdmaggedon and where was I? In my stupid, perfect world! And then the car crash happened and, I don't know, I feel like I could have done something! Or should be doing something. I'm supposed to be the happy-go-lucky one who sees the bright side of things, but I can't! Everything just feels grey and numb and I- I don't-"

"Hey, hey, hey." Ford pulled her onto his lap and into a gentle hug that she made no move to resist. "First things first, in this house, we do not compare trauma. It's not fair to anybody and it does no one any good, okay?" He paused to make sure Mabel nodded before continuing. "Mabel, your experiences during Weirdmaggedon were traumatizing in their own right. And just because you feel like you should be reacting a certain way and you're not doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong or that you're wrong or that you- you deserve to feel this way, okay?" He pressed a kiss on top of her head. "Also… grief takes time. It is okay to feel all tangled up inside, but it's also okay to ask for help. Please ask for help. We're here for you."

All was quiet as the two processed all that had been said, only to eventually be broken by Waddles, who was feeling rather left out of the hug and attempted to climb onto Mabel's lap. She half laughed, half sobbed, then said, "Grunkle Ford, I think I need help."

"Then help you shall get," he decreed. "Stan and I have discussed finding a therapist in the area; if that is something you and your brother are willing to try."

Mabel nodded. "Yeah. I think that would be good. Maybe they can help me get all untangled."

"And we'll be here every step of the way," he vowed. "There is one more thing I wish to discuss though. I think we should take any of your craft supplies you can use to hurt yourself out of your room." Seeing the look on her face, he quickly continued, "We can keep them in one of the kitchen cupboards. Just let Stan or I know you need it and what the project is and we'll get them down. We just- I want to keep you safe Mabel. This would make it a little bit easier."

Reluctantly, the young girl nodded. Heaving a deep sigh, she leaned heavily against her grunkle.

"Grunkle Ford, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Of course, my dear. Are you ready for bed?" Mabel nodded, so without further ado, Ford gently picked her up and made his way to his bedroom, followed by Waddles. He settled her down amongst all the blankets before making his way to the bathroom and quickly changing into his own pajamas. When he returned, Waddles was curled at the foot of the bed and Mabel was cuddling a blanket to her face, half-asleep.

Moving carefully so as not to disturb her, Ford slid underneath the sheets and brushed Mabel's hair out of her face.

"Sleep well Mabel. You deserve it."

And for once, the two had sweet dreams.

A/N: Listen, Mabel and Robbie are an underappreciated duo as are Mabel and Ford. And now it's time for ~therapy~! I have a Wendy and Dipper scene planned, I'd like to do a twins and Soos scene, and some all around Pines family bonding, maybe some more with Pacifica (maybe a sleepover with Candy, Grenda, and Mabel?) If yall have anything you want to see, I can't promise I'll write it, but I am open to suggestions! Thanks for reading and please, please take care of yourselves!