Stan and Ford sat on opposite sides of Mabel in Tad Strange's office. Poor Mabel was shaking. Stan and Ford held her hands but were having difficulty not fidgeting as well.

Tad offered them a sympathetic smile. Like everyone else in town, he had heard about what happened. He hadn't had much experience dealing with problems as serious Mabel's but still wanted to help Mabel as best as he could.

"I know this must be uncomfortable for you all, but please know that this is a safe place." Tad slipped a box of tissues across his desk for Mabel to use. He had a feeling that she would need them. "Now, Mabel, why don't you tell me how you're feeling?"

Stan rolled his eyes. The kid was nearly raped. How did this guy think she felt?

"I…I just feel afraid all the time. I feel like something bad could happen at any moment. I keep worrying he could come back, and... what if I'm not as lucky next time?" She took a bunch of tissues from the box and tried to subdue the tears.

"It's understandable to feel afraid. Traumatic events sometimes make us feel afraid afterward. Your brain is trying to learn how to protect itself from having another experience like that. But the brain fails to consider the unlikelihood that it will ever happen again."

"Yeah…that makes sense. I just…feel so embarrassed."

"Why are you embarrassed, Mabel?"

"I guess…I just kind of feel like it's sort of my own fault. I mean, I talked to Brad, gave him my number, I even…I even flirted with him a little bit."

"So, you feel like you unintentionally brought this upon yourself?"

Mabel looked down in shame. "Yeah."

Tad's voice softened. "Mabel, what did Brad do to you?"

Mabel's lips trembled and spoke in a shaky voice. "I was sleeping. He put a hand over my mouth. He put a knife to my face. He gagged me, so I couldn't scream. And he started taking off my underwear." Mabel grabbed more tissues as she cried harder.

"Can I ask you something, Mabel?" said Tad.

"Uh-huh?"

"Did you consent to let Brad do this to you?"

"What kind of question is that?!" Stan interjected. "Of course she didn't! What's wrong with you?"

"Stan, please…" Tad held up his hand and gave Stan a patient look. "Let her answer."

"No…I didn't," said Mabel.

"That's right, Mabel, you didn't. Therefore, Brad had no right to do any of those things to you. Flirting with a boy doesn't give them permission to treat girls however they please. He is responsible for his actions."

Mabel hung her head as more tears slipped from her eyes. Ford grabbed more tissues and handed them to her. It was nearly a minute before Mabel was finally able to speak in a quiet voice. "He was going to kill me. I know he was. He was going to kill me."

Stan and Ford looked at each other, both men close to breaking down themselves. They already suspected that Brad's intention was to kill Mabel when he was finished with her, but they didn't want their niece burdened by that knowledge.

"If Grunkle Stan hadn't been there, I would have been..."

"But I was there, pumpkin," Stan squeezed her hand.

"I know…and…he almost killed you too!" Mabel looked up at Stan with eyes filled with guilt. "I watched him, Grunkle Stan! He almost hurt you! You almost got hurt because I trusted the wrong person! I would have never forgiven myself if you had gotten hurt!"

Mabel wrapped her arms tightly around Stan as though afraid he would disappear if she let go. "I already lost my mom and dad…I…I couldn't lose you too. If he hurt me…that would have been bad. But if he hurt you…"

That sounded like the type of thing an adult should say to a child, not the other way around. Mabel was the victim in all this, yet, she still showed concern for Stan's safety.

"That's why I get so scared when I can't find you and Grunkle Ford! I'm scared something bad will happen to me, but I'm even more scared of something bad happening to you." She turned her gaze to Ford. "To either of you."

Ford and Stan were stunned by Mabel's confession. Both men spent most of their lives looking out for themselves. To have someone who loved them so much that she put their lives over hers was more than they can handle.

"I'm sorry that you almost got hurt, Grunkle Stan. I'm sorry that you guys have to take care of us."

"No, Mabel, don't you ever apologize for that. Listen to me." Stan cradled her face with his hands so that she was looking up at him. "I didn't have to do anything. No one can make Stan Pines do anything. Especially not the government."

He smiled as Mabel gave a small chuckle. "They said I could turn you over to child services if I wanted to. Do you know why I didn't?" Mabel whimpered slightly. Stan ran his fingers through her hair to soothe her. "Because the thought of never seeing you kids again…it would kill me, Mabel. You understand that? It would kill me."

Stan couldn't stop his voice from cracking. "I love you, Mabel. All I wanna do is protect you. If I have to die to do that, so be it."

"But…but I don't want you to die, Grunkle Stan! Not for me!"

"I don't want to either. But if it comes down to my life or yours, it's yours every time. Because if I lost you kids, my life is over anyway. I'll have nothing."

Mabel couldn't respond. All she could do was cry into Stan's chest. He rubbed her back.

Tad gave Stan and Mabel time to calm down before addressing the third member of the family. "Stanford, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Ford had to blink back his tears and compose himself before addressing his niece, who looked up at him with large, expectant eyes. "Mabel, if I didn't want to be in Gravity Falls helping Stan raise you and your brother, I could have left. I could be wandering the world new and strange scientific anomalies. Just like I had the past thirty years of my life."

Ford took Mabel's hand in both of his. "But I don't want that life anymore, Mabel. Because you've shown me something better. You've shown me love and family. After so many years of being alone, you've given me something to live for, something to die for."

"I…I don't want you to…die either," Mabel cried.

"Don't you worry about me, Mabel. I'm not afraid to die." Ford grabbed a tissue to wipe her face. "What I am afraid of is the people I love getting hurt. I would gladly give my life for yours. And I wouldn't want you to live with any guilt for it. All I want is for you to is live and long happy life."

"Mabel?" Tad asked. "How do you feel about what your uncles told you?"

"Still scared. I still don't want them to die for me. But also…really grateful." Mabel wiped her eyes and smiled at them. "I'm…I'm really glad I have you both in my life. I love you so much."

"We love you too, pumpkin," Stan said as he and Ford hugged her.

"Well, our time is up for today," Tad said. "And I think it was a very good session."

"What do you mean? You barely talked!"

"That means it was a good session," Tad said with a smile.

Stan didn't understand what the point of Tad being here even was then. He begrudgingly took out his wallet to pay.

To his surprise, Tad raised his hand. "Please, Mr. Pines, after what your family has been through, I want to help as much as I can. This one is on the house."

Stan gave him a grateful smile. He still didn't trust psychologists but figured he could trust people like Tad.

"Come back to see me anytime, Mabel." Tad picked up a pamphlet from his desk and handed it to her. "In the meantime, I want you to read this short pamphlet that outlines some basic breathing techniques you can use if you find yourself getting frightened. If you do choose to come back, we can work on them together."

"Thank you, Tad. I'd like to come back. Is that okay, Grunkle Stan?"

"Of course, pumpkin."

"Would you like us to come with you?" Ford asked.

"No, I think I'll be fine by myself."

Stan and Ford smiled at her, proud of the progress she's made in such a short time. They hoped if things kept going this way, they can have their little girl back to her old self.