The next morning the family got dressed for court. Dipper wore a collared shirt with khakis, Ford and Stan were in suits, and Mabel was in a simple black dress. All of them hated seeing that dress on her. It was the most un-Mabel outfit that could be conceived of. Even at her parents' funeral, she didn't wear black. She wore bright colors because they all knew their parents would want their little girl to be herself. But their lawyer, Brenden, insisted that it was important to look professional.
Brenden rode with them to the courthouse to go over some last-minute rehearsal and to make sure everyone was clear on what was expected. Mabel was extremely quiet on the ride over with what was almost an unreadable expression on her face. She was doing a great job of staying calm, however, until they reached the courthouse.
Out front it looked like a media circus, there were crowds of people and newspaper reporters. Among them was Shandra Jimenez with her news crew. The sight caused Mabel's face to turn a ghostly white. Brenden had warned her that there would probably be a crowd, considering Gravity Falls was a small town with not a lot of crimes of this caliber. Still, seeing nearly the whole town gathered for what was going to be one of the most uncomfortable experiences of her life didn't exactly ease her tension.
"Mabel?" Brenden said quietly.
Mabel turned to him shaking and her face still ghostly white.
"Do you remember what we are gonna prove in there?" Brenden said with a gentle smile. He hoped getting her to say it would calm her down.
Mabel took a deep breath and forced a small smile, "That it's not my fault,"
Brenden smiled and nodded, Stan affectionately rubbed her head while Ford and Dipper squeezed her hands. They had spent so much time over the past few days saying it to her, but it was nice to hear her say it for herself.
Before the car parked to let them out, Brenden reminded them to move swiftly. Don't look anyone in the eye and don't answer any questions. As the exited the car, the four men formed a protected barrier around Mabel her to shield her from the prying eyes. Ford and Stan used their hands to cover her face. Mabel kept her eyes on her shoes as she moved through the crowd as quickly as she could.
As they walked in, familiar faces from the town were seated in the audience: Soos waved, Wendy gave a thumbs up, and Grenda and Candy made a heart with their hands directed at Mabel. Mabel smiled at all the support she was receiving.
Then, a man presumed to be the defense attorney walked in with the face that had been haunting Mabel's nightmares. His eyes caught Mabel's for a moment. She was shaken to the core by the pure hatred in his eyes that bore into her sore. For a moment she didn't think she could handle it, but then she felt a small hand squeeze hers. She looked over to see Dipper smiling at her.
"You can do this, Mabel. I know you can," he said.
Stan and Ford each laid a hand on her shoulders and also offered encouraging smiles. Brenden offered her a glass of water to calm her nerves.
The jury consisted of people Mabel didn't know. Brenden had explained to her that the jury was made up of randomly selected people from out of town to prevent a conflict of interest. An older man with white hair (though not the kind of hair that had curls in it like Mabel imagined all judges to have) entered the courtroom and asked for opening statements from both sides.
Brenden stood up and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today because horrific crimes have been committed against one innocent girl and her family. Mabel Pines, befriended the defendant, Bradley Edwards. Shortly after doing so, Mr. Edwards broke into the home of Miss Pines, threatened her with a knife, bound her, and attempted to rape her. He was caught and thwarted by Miss Pines' great uncle and guardian, Stanley Pines, and promptly arrested. When he was released on bail, he plotted with three of his classmates, one of who gave a full confession, to then murder the two witnesses of his crime: Mabel Pines and Stanley Pines, by burning down their home. In doing so, also endangering the lives of their other two family members, Mason Pines and Stanford Pines. Mabel Pines was hospitalized with severe burns and life-threatening smoke inhalation. Not only should Mr. Edwards pay for the physical and emotional damages he has inflicted upon the Pines family, he is also a dangerous predator who should not be released back into society where he may harm another innocent girl like Miss Pines."
The judge asked for the opening statements of Brad's defense attorney. "Ladies and gentleman, my client, Bradley Edwards, has been accused by Mabel Pines of attempted rape. As the prosecution pointed out, Mabel had befriended Mr. Edwards. But it was more than friendship that Miss Pines was interested in, and Mr. Edwards reciprocated those romantic feelings. I would like to remind the jury that my client is seventeen years old while Miss Pines is thirteen years old which, according to the Romeo and Juliet Law, is legal in the state of Oregon. Miss Pines, a teenage girl who is known for her flirtatious behavior, invited Brad over that night for consensual acts."
There was an audible gasp at the lawyer's ridiculous claim. Nobody was buying it, but it didn't mean the Pines family weren't outraged at what this man was saying about their beloved Mabel.
"It was merely teenagers being teenagers having a night of fun that would have only been a night of fun except for one thing: Miss Pines' uncle, Stanley Pines, walked in on them. Ladies and gentlemen, we all know how much trouble teenagers can get into when their parents catch them in the act of having intercourse. Miss Pines, in a panic, lied to Mr. Pines and claimed Mr. Edwards was raping her to spare her own image."
Mabel looked on in horror. How could someone say this about her? No one could possibly believe this, right?
"Then, three teenage boys attempted to burn down their home. Pyromania is not an unheard of occurrence and manifests in a boy's teenage years. So three pyromaniac boys picked a home isolated from the rest of the town to avoid getting caught. One of the boys regretted their actions and reported the crime to authorities, but wanted to deflect blame in hopes of a lighter sentence. He heard about Mr. Edward's arrest and figured he was the perfect scapegoat. What an interesting plot: teenage boy hires other teenage boys to be hitmen! But highly unrealistic. Ladies and gentlemen, I beg you not to ruin this fine young man's future by convicting him for the crime of being a teenage boy. Don't punish this boy just for the mistake of trusting a liar."
Stan was about to stand and deliver his own justice to Brad's lawyer, but Brenden kept a firm hand on his shoulder reminding him that breaking protocol will only hurt their case. Dipper was breathing hard and gnashing his teeth at the lawyer. Ford was enraged as well but pushed it down to comfort his niece, who was in tears hearing such accusations made against her.
It was time for Mabel's testimony, but Brenden thought she was too upset to deliver it at the moment. "Mabel, if you like, I can request a recess for you."
"No," Mabel wiping her eyes. "I want to get this over with."
"Very well. Your Honor, the prosecution calls Mabel Pines to the stand."
Mabel took a deep breath. Her family each gave her an encouraging squeeze as she stood up. She put her hand on the bible and swore to tell the truth before sitting down on the witness bench. At Brenden's cue, Mabel began her testimony.
"I was sleeping in my bedroom. I heard footsteps. At first, I thought it was Grunkle Stan, but…it was Brad. He…he put his hand over my mouth and…he put a knife to my face. I tried to scream, but he put a gag over my mouth. He slapped me and told me to shut up or he would kill me and Grunkle Stan. So…I did what he said."
Mabel glanced over at Stan. He was looking at her with a heartbroken expression. It disgusted him that his life was used to force Mabel to submit to Brad. Ford put a hand on Stan's shoulder, knowing this was the part of the story that upset Stan the most.
"I love my Grunkle Stan. I lost my parents already. I didn't want to lose him too. So…I let him take off my underwear." She confessed in a low voice as though she were the one who did the disgusting act. "He took off his shirt and got on top of me. He held the knife to my neck. And…and I heard him unzip his pants." More tears flowed down Mabel's face, but she soldiered on. "Then, Grunkle Stan came in and pulled Brad off me. They fought and…and…Brad tried to kill him. He…he tried to stab him in the head. But Grunkle Stan knocked him out."
Mabel had to take a deep breath before continuing with the next part of the story, "Then the night that Brad was…released on bail," Blubs and Durland were in the courtroom as well, but couldn't even look at the poor girl. "On the night he was released on bail, I was upstairs sleeping with my family when I got thirsty. I went down to get some water alone." Mabel began breathing hard, but she forced herself to continue. "I smelled smoke, but my Grunkle Ford is a scientist, so sometimes I would smell smoke coming off from his inventions plus the shack is…was...old, so I didn't think too much about it. But I thought I should check it out anyways. I followed the smell and saw three boys with matches. When they saw me they all got freaked out, they gagged me so I couldn't scream or call for help. One of the boys was really scared and freaking out, but he grabbed a bat and he hit me…but I don't remember much after that."
Mabel pointed to the three boys who looked guilty as sin. She made sure to once again explain how frightened they appeared and how she had never met them before in her life, so they didn't have anything against her. She hoped they would receive mercy. Mabel felt sorry for them deep down. She knew that Brad was a monster, but she didn't believe those boys were. They just got caught up in this mess.
"All I remember is waking up for a minute. Everything around me was on fire…it was hard to breathe…I was coughing a lot…it was so hot, and everything hurt so bad, I couldn't move…I called for help. And then…I saw Grunkle Stan standing over me. I felt him pick me up." Mabel smiled at Stan, who tried to smile back despite his tears. "And…I don't remember anything after that. Until we got the hospital."
Mabel's eyes were filled with tears, so she didn't notice that much of the courtroom was crying with her as well, including some members of the jury.
This mass sympathy did not sit well with Brad's lawyer, whose turn it was to cross-examine Mabel. Stan had a bad feeling about this guy. He seemed like the type who was willing to do whatever it took to win, even if it meant putting his baby through more pain.
"Now, Miss Pines, would you describe yourself as flirtatious?"
"No…I have crushes, but it never goes beyond that," Mabel answered defensively.
"But would you say that you come on strong to the boys you meet?" The lawyer asked, showing no mercy.
"Objection, your honor! The defense is harassing an underage witness!" Brenden shouted.
"Your honor," the defense attorney responded. "This is a case of her word versus my clients. I, as Mr. Edwards' legal representative, have the right to face his accuser."
The judge was not liking such questions posed to a young girl. But the defense does have a right to question her story. "Very well, but you're walking a thin line."
The lawyer put on a slimy grin and continued his interrogation on Mabel. "Miss Pines, were you sexually attracted to Bradley Edwards at all?"
Mabel felt like she had been coached on this question, but her mind was drawing a blank on what answer she was supposed to give. "I…I mean…I thought he was cute…but I…"
"But you had no desire to have sexual intercourse with him?"
"No…we…we had just met."
"You had just met, yet you gave him your contact information?"
"Y-yes."
"What did you intend to talk to him about?"
"I…I don't know…" Mabel said as tears began to flow. "Music…tv shows…I don't know. He seemed cool and I thought…maybe we could do fun stuff together."
"Miss Pines, I think we all know what kind of "fun" a teenage boy and girl like to have."
Brenden was about to raise another objection, but it wasn't necessary. The judge already had enough. He banged his gavel. "That's enough! Unless you have a relevant question to ask Miss Pines, I suggest you end this cross-examination."
The defense attorney glowered and reluctantly announced that he had no further questions.
When the lawyer finally finished questioning Mabel the judge declared a twenty-minute recess to recover from the emotional testimony.
Brenden led Mabel to a private room. She asked him, "Did I do okay?" her voice cracked.
"You were fantastic," Brenden replied gently as he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Do…do you think anyone really believes that I brought this on myself?" The poor girl asked as tears filled her eyes.
"There is no way in heck!" Stan answered as he entered behind Brenden and pulled her into a tight hug followed by Ford and Dipper. It had been incredibly difficult, but being in the arms of her family made her feel safe and secure. "Pumpkin, I've been in a lot of courtrooms in my life and I've never seen anyone do as amazing as you."
"You were brilliant, my dear," Ford added.
"You were great, Sis," Dipper said.
"Thanks, guys."
"Alright, Mabel," said Brenden. "Just take a break and relax. You've earned it."
Mabel nodded. The trial was far from over, but at least they made it over the first hurdle.