The night after the funeral, Dipper and Mabel were exhausted, but couldn't fall asleep. The burial gave them some closure, but there was still one thing plaguing them.
"Dipper?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you make something bad happen by wishing?" She asked thickly.
"No…why?"
"Because I wanted to stay in Gravity Falls so bad. And now, we're staying in Gravity Falls permanently. I'm scared that…that Mom and Dad died because I wished for it," she said as tears began streaming down her face.
Dipper untucked himself from bed to go over to his sister's side. "Mabel, don't be silly. You didn't make anything bad happen by wanting to stay here."
"I caused the end of the world because I wanted to stay here."
"Almost…you almost brought about the end of the world by wanting to stay here," Dipper teased.
Knowing that her brother was just joking allowed Mabel to release a tiny laugh.
"And hey, you weren't the only one who wanted to stay here. I did too," Dipper whispered. "I wanted so badly to study under Ford, I was willing to leave you…and leave Mom and Dad."
"They would have wanted you to stay if it would have made you happy," Mabel assured.
"But it wouldn't have made me happy, Mabel. I would have missed you like crazy! And I—I would have missed…Mom and Dad," Dipper said as tears fell from his own eyes recognizing the cruel irony that he's now experiencing that in the worst way possible.
Mabel tenderly wrapped her arms around her brother and pulled him close. "It wasn't your fault either, you know?"
"I'll let myself know that if you'll let yourself know it's not your fault either."
The two did their mystery twins handshake to communicate they would no longer blame themselves.
They wiped their eyes and sat in silence for a long moment before Mabel spoke, "So…I overheard Ford inviting you on a science field trip thingy. Are you gonna go?"
"No way, Sis, I'd rather stay here at the Shack with you and Stan!"
Mabel gave a sly grin. "Dipper, you and I were womb-mates. You can't sneak a lie past me!"
"Mabel, I'm serious—"
"Dipper, it's aliens we are talking about! You've been geeking out over the possibility of aliens around here for months!"
"I don't want to leave you…not now." Dipper's eyes lit up. "Hey, why don't you come with us?"
Mabel was taken aback. Honestly, she did want to go. She wanted to bond with Ford too.
But she probably wouldn't be able to keep up with Ford's and Dipper's scientific expertise. She wouldn't have much to contribute. At best, she'd be a useless tagalong. At worst, she'll look stupid in front of Ford.
Thankfully, she was a better liar than her brother. "A whole weekend doing science-y stuff? No way! You can do your nerd stuff without me!"
"But—"
"Listen, you deserve to get out and do something that makes you happy, I'll be fine with Grunkle Stan, I pinky promise. Please go!"
"You promise you'll be okay?"
"I do more than promise, I pinky promise!"
The two locked pinkies and relented.
It was just one weekend. What could happen?