So, guys, we did it, we've reached the major climatic chapter of Saudade...and by golly, it's a looooong one!
But firstly, review time!
-New Yorktown: First of all, I wanna say I'm both thrilled and relieved that you've enjoyed the last chapter. Admittedly, I haven't plan on Dipper actually leaving Piedmont to begin with, in spite of his overwhelmingly-clouded desires to go back. Still, take solace that the Ford apprenticeship will be brought up a bit during this chapter, friend! :D
-Ahmed Samy: In fairness, while I do account this story (as well as my other Wendip stories before this one) takes place in the same continuity as the show as purely headcanon, so Stan and Ford definitely would still be on the Stan O' War at the moment. However, I would think Dipper or Mabel wouldn't have known about their plan to do more cross-country adventuring as of yet. Plus, with Soos now in charge of the Mystery Shack, Dipper would still be able to reside there if he had successfully ran away, regardless if he still had an apprenticeship or not. Sorry for the confusion!
-Guest: Don't worry, friend! After this chapter, we'll be getting a not-so-long aftermath chapter and an epilogue to boot! ;)
Thanks for the reviews so far and I'm glad we've made it this far into the story, cuz' soon, it looks like Dipper has a lot of explaining to do to both his folks and to his sister. Apologies again for the long wait. So for now, sit back and get ready, because the confrontation is now underway!
(Also, hope you all had a great and safe Thanksgiving! :D )
Gravity Falls is owned by Alex Hirsch and Disney. (I do not own any of its characters nor its properties. This is purely a non-profit fanfic for fun).
SAUDADE
CHAPTER FIVE: THE CONFRONTATION
The car ride back home couldn't have been more awkward and silent even if it tried to be. Dipper sat in the back seat with his now-irate father behind the wheel. With his attempt to try and run away to Gravity Falls now thwarted, the only thing that was crossing his mind was how much trouble he was in right now, pushing away his desires to go back to the Falls at the moment.
As they slowly drove back to their own home, through the busy and dreary streets of Piedmont, he couldn't help but to clearly notice the unsavory expressions his family was sporting during the drive home.
His mother was quietly sobbing in the passenger seat, trying to keep her composure, but to no avail. His father looked quite irate, looking in need of answers and a good explanation for why this all had to transpire.
But for Dipper, his heart nearly split into two once he got sight of Mabel's heart-wrenchingly devastated face, seeing it clearly for the first time all week. Her downcast eyes, her trembling lips, the way she hugged herself and didn't feel like looking at Dipper at the moment. Dipper had never felt so much guilt wash over him in his young life.
Soon, after what felt like an hour drive to Dipper, the car rolled up to the Pines household and shortly afterwards, the family found themselves exiting the car without a single word and entered back into their abode.
Waddles, who was peacefully napping in the living room, was awoken and startled as the door suddenly opened up to see four miserable-looking family members enter through and immediately head towards the stairwell to proceed with their talk in the twins' bedroom.
The swine snorted confusedly at the family's weird silence and scampered up to Mabel and snuffled softly, hoping to get an answer from her. Unfortunately, Mabel wasn't in a talkative mood right now as she gently shooed him away.
"...Not now, Waddles...we kinda have a serious family discussion going on…" she explained, as she followed her parents upstairs, with a quiet Dipper trailing behind her.
Soon, the four made their way into the bedroom and closed the door behind them, leaving a baffled, yet concerned Waddles downstairs alone.
Dipper found himself sitting on the edge of his bed, hands folded on his lap and looking at his tired and annoyed father pacing around his room, as if to try and find what words to say about this situation. Kristen was sitting on Mabel's bed, trying to console her daughter in question while also trying to calm herself down in the process.
After a few more tense minutes, Jason took in a breath to attempt to ease his frayed nerves and turned back to Dipper, running a hand through his dark red hair and down his tired face before he managed to finally say something.
"Okay, young man…" he began with a grunt, "You better have a great reason why you were taking a bus back to Oregon…"
Dipper gulped and nearly lost his own voice himself, unsure of how to respond. Part of him wanted to continue denying that he was planning to run away and to not be anymore of a burden to his family anymore. But then, the other part of him just felt it best to simply fess up and try not to cause anymore waves and hassles he had already made this week.
Besides, Dipper figured more lying would lead to more trouble at this point. However, before he could explain his reasoning, Kristen cut in, tears still streaming down her cheeks and her face still looking quite hurt.
"W-Why w-would you even think about running away, M...Ma…?" she hadn't even the strength to call Dipper by his real name, she was that heartbroken. It was enough for Dipper to almost want to cry himself, seeing his mom so devastated after finally clearing his mind from all these desires.
"M-Mom, Dad, p-please! I can explain!" he begged, his body twitching uncontrollably from fear. Jason sighed tiredly and rubbed his temples.
"Well, you better, son!" he demanded crossly, "Did you not see how...how horrified we are when we saw you getting ready to board that bus!?" Dipper gulped again and tried to calm down his father.
"Dad, please, I-"
"You deny to us that something is up at school, you avoid confrontation with us since you've returned home this fall, and now you straight up lie to us about meeting a friend to try and sneak out of the state!?" exclaimed Jason, still pacing around the room and still looking very much peeved. Dipper stammered in fright, his own nerves shot as well.
"Dad, I can expla-"
"I mean, were you even thinking about returning back to Piedmont again!?" stated Jason, "What if something bad happened and we couldn't have reached you, huh!? You've would have been all the way in Oregon without us knowing!"
At this point right now, Dipper's emotions were soon spiraling out of control. Hearing his father angrily berate him was enough to cause the young boy to want to just wail and plead for forgiven on the spot, but he knew making a sense wouldn't help in his case.
"Plus, where were you even planning to stay at? You hardly have any money and I'm pretty sure Stan probably wouldn't rent out that rundown shack to let you stay there 24/7! For all I'd know, he'd probably try and mooch you or make you do crime sprees or something!" ranted Jason with a groan, rubbing his temples out of agitation.
Dipper grimaced slightly at that last part, to where he even noticed Mabel join him as she tugged at her sweater collar nervously.
Since he and Mabel promised not to mention the more life-threatening and insane sections of their summer to their parents (lest their folks hear about them fighting off supernatural beings and the twins wind up being barred from going back to Oregon altogether), they also hadn't revealed about the little tidbit regarding the situation with both Grunkles Stanley and Stanford.
Basically, both parents still thought both their identities were switched and the twins were completely unsure on how to tell them the truth...
Still, all Dipper could do was tremble and stutter on his bed before he heard another voice bring itself into the conversation.
A voice that hasn't spoke up that much until now…
"...Dipper…?" Mabel simply asked, her voice as quiet and soft as a dove.
Dipper tried to control his shaking long enough to give his attention to Mabel, looking over to see her gaze at Dipper with big, sad, lost eyes. Kristen still continued to rub her back softly as Jason had finally stopped pacing and ranting to let Mabel take the stage.
A few more quiet seconds ticked by until Mabel spoke again.
"...Dipper...why did you run away?" she managed to ask out finally.
Dipper's frown twitched as he kept biting his lip. Incoming tears pricked his eyelids. His overflowing dreams to return to his own proclaimed home in Gravity Falls had helped to cause his downfall, his selfishness clouding up his moral compass to the point of losing track of reality.
In layman's terms, he dug up his own grave...and now he's lying in it as we speak.
Still, he knew more lying will only lead to even more trouble, but with his brain fried, his heart shattered, and his nerves beyond shot, the only answer Dipper could come up with was lost in incoherency as Dipper found himself openly sobbing out of grief, warm tears streaking down his red cheeks.
The others, who were still keeping their attention on Dipper, looked in mild surprise at Dipper resorting to crying. Normally, despite of his demure and awkward personality, he wasn't much of a cryer, unless if he was well-and-truly provoked, but while he did seem genuinely upset over all of this, they still had to be firm and stern regardless.
Kristen gazed sadly at seeing Dipper look so distressed and hurt, almost wanting to coddle him and to help dry away his tears, even after the stress he caused to her and the others early this afternoon. Jason, while still very unpleased with what Dipper was planning to do, did find his anger slightly diminish from seeing Dipper sincerely cry, but he still kept a stern face and still wanted answers.
As for Mabel, her own sadness only spiked when she saw Dipper uncontrollably cry right there on the spot.
'...oh, Mabel…' she thought glumly to herself, 'You've really screwed the pooch this time, huh?'
Unable to stand seeing Dipper express his sadness any longer, she got up from her bed and out of the mother's comforting hug, scampered straight towards her sobbing twin brother, hopped onto his bed right next to him, and without a word, immediately brought him into the most loving, tightest, most protective hug she had ever given anyone, family member or not.
This had clearly caught Dipper off his guard, as he didn't expect any form of sympathy during his punishment, but still, he took it for what it was and greedily returned Mabel's embrace, as if it was the last hug he'll ever receive from anyone.
He still kept sobbing and nearly choked on his words, still trying to form a decent sentence, until Kristen decided to speak up herself.
"Son, please, we just want to know what made you want to run away back to Gravity Falls." said Kristen gently, wiping away the last of her own tears from her eyes.
Dipper sniffled and tried to swallow the lump in his throat, unable to bottle up anymore emotions for any longer as he still kept his face buried in Mabel's shoulder, still sobbing his heart out until he finally mustered the strength to give them all an answer.
"B-Because what's the point in s-staying in P-Piedmont if I'm just gonna be a n-nobody…?" he choked out, his anguish shown as clear as day.
By then, Jason and Kristen reeled back in surprise when that bombshell of an answer spewed out of Dipper's mouth. Kristen almost felt another wave of tears getting ready to build up again in her systems and Jason nearly forgot to act strict and cross at Dipper, his face now a mix of fatherly sternness and genuine concern for his son.
The one who reacted more horrified to this answer was Mabel as those words were enough to immediately release her hug around Dipper's waist and looked at him with genuinely-shocked eyes, gasping loudly in return. The family stared at the heartbroken brunette boy in stunned silence before Jason was able to find his voice.
"Dipper, what are you saying by 'if you're gonna be a nobody'?" he asked, his own emotions all a-fluster right now.
Dipper took in the deepest breath he ever inhaled and tried to darndest to calm himself mentally. Then, gathering all his strength as not to break down again, he answered his father's through a clearly, but slightly croaky-sounding voice.
"W-Well, think about it…" began Dipper, "It's not like the most popular one between me and Mabel…" He gestured towards his sister, in which Mabel in question started to feel a wash of oncoming guilt plague her system as Dipper continued on.
"I mean, when I arrived first arrived in Gravity Falls, I managed to actually make friends there...compared of when I tried to make friends here...people understood me back in the Falls and treated me as an equal…" Dipper paused to take in another breath, trying not to let his nerves get the better of him.
He shuddered out a sigh before he continued again. "Here, the kids at school only see me as nothing but a nerd or a wimp. I try to be a nice guy to them, show them respect, but they never see me as one of their own…but at Gravity Falls, I could be free...I could explore and be able to express myself without judgment…"
Then, in a lower, sadder tone. "Where I wouldn't be a burden to anyone…" he murmured to himself, thinking his family wouldn't have heard him..
However, Dipper saw that the shell-shocked look on his whole family's faces, with their slack-jawed expressions and surprise-laced eyes being enough reason that they did hear him. Dipper winced at seeing their terrified appearances, especially when Kristen got up from Mabel's bed and immediately wrapped Dipper in a comforting, motherly embrace.
Kristen squeezed her son as tightly as she could, leaving Dipper gasping for air in-between her hug. Jason stood by with a largely-confused and concerned look, trying to process of all of this at once. Mabel, on the other hand, only sat on the bed in ashamed silence, her guilt slowly building up in her like a dam blocking away water.
Once again, Jason came up to Dipper and managed to secure his voice again to speak after a minute of silence
"Son, why would you consider yourself a burden?" he asked in a more softer voice, "You're our son!"
Kristen sniffled within her son's embrace. "You're father's right, dear. How ever could you ever see yourself as a burden?" she lamented, before trying her best to choke back a sob.
Then, in a soft, hurt voice, she said to Dipper, "Don't you love us?"
Dipper felt his breath hitch at hearing such a loaded question, but kept his composure as straight as he could.
"O-Of course I love you!" he exclaimed honestly, "I love you and Dad…and I love Mabel very much as well!" He said the last statement looking towards Mabel, who in turn just gave him an unsure look, as if she wasn't sure if he meant that "I love you" or not.
But still, Kristen only frowned upon hearing that. "Then why would you run away back to Oregon then!?" she croaked out, as if she was begging for the answer. Dipper winced at her heartbroken message and tried to steady himself.
"I...I just felt that...you all would've been better off without me…" admitted Dipper in a hushed tone.
Jason sighed softly. He sat down on the bed next to Dipper and looked at him squarely in the eye. Dipper looked back in his father's eyes as well, seeing that while he still showed the type of sternness only a father could, he could still see a glint of sadness and sincere care that he still wanted to help his son to try and see that he still is loved.
"Son," started Jason softly, "There is no way we could consider you as a burden. No matter what happens, we all still love you…" Kristen nodded.
"Indeed…" she agreed. Then, she managed to give Dipper a wistful, tender smile. "When I was pregnant, your father and I didn't expect to receive twins in the first place, but when my doctor told us the news that we were having twin siblings, we were over the moon at the news!"
She sniffled softly, happily thinking back that wondrous moment that she considered as one of her most cherished memories. She wiped away a tear streaming down her own cheek and rubbed Dipper's back gently.
"And at that moment I birthed you and Mabel, we both knew you two would grow up to be such wonderful children...and that no matter what may occur, we would still love you both very much and we will always be there to protect you both…" she finished sweetly.
Kristen then capped off her statement by bringing both Dipper and Mabel into another big, quiet, motherly embrace, with Jason even joining in as well, rubbing both his children's back in a comforting, fatherly manner. Dipper didn't object or say a word as he willingly sunk into Kristen's loving grasp, her honest and loving words enough to almost make him tear up again.
He also felt another arm wrap around his waist, as he looked to his left to see Mabel trying to hug him as well. Seeing her sad expression, Dipper managed to slip an arm around her as well, which resulted in Mabel burying her head in Dipper's shoulder.
The embrace lasted for another minute or so until they all released each other, with the rest of the family now looking into Dipper's eyes. Dipper sniffled before speaking up.
"So...you all really mean that? About me not being a burden?" he asked again, as if to try and make sure it's valid. His parents nodded back in confirmation.
"Every word of it, sweetheart…" murmured Kristen tenderly, followed by an honest "Mmm-hmm" from Jason as well.
"I know it's hard dealing with bullies and jerks like this, son, but please know that you do have people that care for you here...you have me, your mother, your sister, and even Waddles...we all love you with all of your hearts and nothing is going to change that…" finished off Jason thurthfully, his stony facade temporarily making way for his fatherly love.
With all that being said, Dipper let those words slowly sink into his mind. For quite some time, he followed through with his self-conscious demeanor as just seeing it as a crutch, a means where he won't feel at home because he thinks he's just wasted space, even if it's to his own family.
But then, despite all that's happened today, Dipper managed to take in solace that maybe he wasn't burdensome after all to his family. He let out a sigh, his mind finally easing up at last.
"Thanks, Mom...thanks, Dad…" murmured Dipper, slowly feeling a smidge better about himself. However, before he can put that little scene out to pasture, the conversation proved to still be going on as his parent's expressions slowly became more serious and heavy-hearted once again.
"But, son…" went Jason again, "In the end, you still lied to us about how you were feeling and you were planning to run away for God-knows-when to another state. Do you realize how scared we were when we saw you getting ready to board that bus?"
Kristen nodded sadly. "Indeed, sweetie. I know you did it because you thought it'd be for the better, but I'm afraid you were wrong. We'd be horrified if something bad had happened to you down in Oregon and we'd have not way to reach you and find where you were…" she explained somberly.
"Running away wasn't and isn't going to solve your problems, son…no matter how big they are..." reminded Jason disapprovingly.
Just as Dipper thought he could relax, he felt himself jolt a bit at the slight shift in tone. Then again, Dipper knew he wasn't going to be out of the woods yet. After all, he did try to sneak out of the state without anyone's acknowledgement after all.
Jason rubbed the bridge of his nose and gave Dipper a heavy sigh. "Which is why we're afraid that we have to ground you, son…" he finally stated, with his wife silently agreeing.
Dipper winced and frowned deeply at the sound of that, despite that he figured his actions would result in him getting grounded as such. In comparison to his over-excited, troublemaking sister, Dipper didn't usually get grounded as often. It came as a shock to Mabel herself, as she gave him a sympathetic, saddened gaze from the other side of the bed. Still, Dipper concluded that it was for the best in the end.
"I understand, sir…" Dipper murmured sadly, swallowing his pride, "How long am I grounded…?"
Jason and Kristen looked at each other and pondered for a little bit before coming up with a suitable timespan. "For one month, I'm afraid…" concluded Jason at last.
Dipper nodded in understanding. The standard grounding rule in the Pines household mainly consisted of no television, no Internet, or no hanging out with friends after school, a routine both children had followed for years. Even so, after what Dipper has done so far, three weeks almost seemed generous, but he still didn't object to these rules whatsoever.
"Understood, sir...I...I-I, uh…"
Both parents looked at Dipper expectantly, who was trying to say something through his upset jitters. "Yes, dear?" beckoned Mrs. Pines gently.
Dipper gulped and found his voice. "I-I know it's probably too late to s-say this, but...I'm really sorry, guys...to both you two…" he sighed out forlornly. He then looked over to his still-silent sister.
"...and to Mabel, as well...I really am sorry…" he finished off to his companion, who only gave Dipper a grave, somber look. Seeing the genuine sadness in his voice and eyes, Kristen once again gave Dipper a warm hug to help calm his nerves.
"Oh, sweetie, we know it's hard to accept yourself, but you should know that what you did today was inexcusable…you lied to our faces for some time now..." she explained softly. Jason gave Dipper a nod as he patted his back.
"We're only doing this because we love you and we want to protect the both of you…" reminded Jason in a fatherly tone, "But next time, if something is bothering, just please go to us if you have any problems and we can all talk it out as a family...don't try and bottle everything up or go along with any rash plans or something…"
Dipper nodded within his mother's vice-like grip. "Yes, sir...sorry, guys...I love you both…"
Kristen tightened the hug and Jason joined in on the embrace as well, both thankful to have their son back safe and sound.
"We love you, too, son…" confirmed Mr. Pines gently, his wife humming back in agreement. They all soon released their hug, before Dipper got up and went over to Mabel, who has surprisingly been not as chatty throughout this chat (though, with good reason).
Dipper inhaled and immediately gave Mabel a hug herself. Mabel nearly stumbled off the bed at such unexpected force, but didn't object or push away, even when Dipper spoke up towards her.
"I'm really sorry for all this, Mabel...I love you so much…" he murmured as tenderly as he could be.
Although she definitely heard the genuinity in Dipper's voice, Mabel still sported a glum frown on her face. In her mind, she wasn't sure she wanted to believe that Dipper still loved her as a sister, thinking back to the trouble she caused back in Gravity Falls and how he could say he still loved her even after all the teasing and arguing she asserted towards him.
Regardless, she knew she had to personally speak with Dipper about their possibly-strained relationship sometime tonight, with hopes to try and get some things off her chest. For now, all she did was go with the flow as she finally returned Dipper's hug.
"...I love you...too, Dipper…" she sighed back, patting his back for good measure.
They stayed like this for a little while, even when the parents got back up so they could get dinner started. Jason patted Mabel's back comfortingly.
"Come on, sweetie…" he whispered to her gently, "Let's give your brother some space to think…"
Mabel hummed in reply and letting go of Dipper's hug, she carefully jumped off his bed and joined her parents as they exited the bedroom, but not before Mabel still interlocking a glum stare towards Dipper, which he returned as well.
With the rest of the family gone just as the door closed shut, Dipper got back on his bed, brought his hands to his face, and let out a tired groan. Today's events had certainly took a toll of his psyche, so he figured some rest might try and help calm him down.
As he tried to relax his aching muscles, he couldn't help but to think about Mabel during his conversation with his parents. All the while, she just looked so...lost and afraid, with the most hurt expression he'd ever seen Mabel show in both their lives. Obviously, him running away had affected her more then compared to their parent's reactions.
Still, seeing as how the twins were both very inseparable, it didn't really come as a shock that Mabel was be so broken-hearted over this outcome. It gave Dipper a remorseful sensation in the pit of his stomach, knowing he had inadvertently hurt Mabel greatly.
And somehow, he had a feeling in his gut that he'd be getting another lecture pretty soon...
As the sky outside began to darken within the evening hours, Dipper still laid across his own bed, his grounding now officially in play. Without access to any electronics for a good month, all poor Dipper could do was just lay about in his room, feeling bored, quiet, tired, and very much guilty.
In his mind, he figured he was doing his family a favor by running away, by not being a hassle to them anymore, but seeing as how he wound up hurting his family instead, he began to realize that, whether he thought he was a burden or not, his family genuinely did love him, even with all his flaws and insecurities.
Even so, as much as Dipper still well and truly missed Gravity Falls with all of his heart and still wished he could be back at the one place he seriously sees as home, the weight of the situation has finally unclouded his sinfully-exuberant desires and his morality came into full swing again, helping him see the consequences of his greedy actions clearly.
Dipper groaned audibly on his bed and shifted on his left side, facing Mabel's empty bed. After his actions so far, he'd be lucky to even be allowed to go to Gravity Falls next summer. Through considering his lies had spiraled down into near chaos, he figured he'd deserve not going back to Oregon after all.
However, before he could partake any more self-loathing…
*KNOCK-KNOCK!*
A gentle rapping came from the door, prompting Dipper to cock his head towards the source of the noise, his body still lazily slouched over his bed.
"Come in…" he called out with a sigh. Probably gonna be one of his parents coming in to give him another lecture, he thought to himself.
That wasn't the case, however, as instead of a stern-looking parent walking into his bedroom, was actually his twin sister, sporting a rarely-shown demure expression on her face. Dipper gulped, somehow knowing that Mabel may be the one to try and give him a lecture, or at the very least, ask him more questions regarding his runaway.
Still, Dipper leaned back up from his side and sat on the bed edge, nervously looking at the girl slowly walk towards him and mentally readying himself for another talk. Mabel gulped herself, seeming just as nervous herself as she faced her brother and sat down right next to him on his bed.
At least half of a minute passed by, before one of them finally had spoke. Dipper cleared away the ever-growing lump in his throat and gave Mabel a rather awkward smile.
"...H-H-Hey, M-Mabel…" he managed to stutter out softly.
Mabel's face was mostly expressionless. All she did was glance at Dipper for a second, before looking away down at her dangling feet and letting out a glum sigh.
"...Hey, Dipper…" she greeted back finally, her melancholy tone worrying Dipper again. Dipper coughed again, this time out of pure awkwardness.
The tension was too thick to even cut with the sharpest, biggest knife ever made, but regardless, someone had to make the first move. Luckily, Mabel decided to step up to the mantle in hopes to start something of a conversation.
She cleared her own throat and looked back over to her twin.
"Dipper…?" she asked gently.
Dipper's fingers trembled, his heartbeat began to race faster and he was ready to sweat up a storm. Of course, sooner or later, should he have been caught, he knew he owed Mabel some sort of explanation relating to his actions. Considering how close the twins were, in spite of their clashing personalities, they always told each other everything whenever something was bothering them, and in this case, this situation was no different.
Dipper bravely inhaled deeply, preparing for the talk of a lifetime as he looked towards his upset twin sister.
"...Y-Yes…?" he replied timidly, awaiting for an onslaught of questions to arise from the girl. Mabel took in a breath herself before she began, all without looking directly at her brother this time.
"...Why did you have to leave home?"
Dipper gave Mabel a strange look, knowing fully well she had to have heard his explanation when discussing this with their parents. Regardless, he still decided to answer her anyways.
"Well...I-I mean...I said that I felt like I was a burden to you guys, you know...I really am b-being honest, Mabel…" replied Dipper gently. Mabel pursed her lips, not fully sure if she believed the whole "burden" explanation, but still wanted to see if there was more to this story.
She coughed in her hand before continuing. "Well, there had to been another reason you left. Ever since we've both returned home, you've been complete distant from us almost every day, and whenever we try to talk to you, you just push us away instead! I mean, why else would you leave for Gravity Falls without me!?" she began to demand with a sad voice.
She shuddered out a sigh before she capped off her statement with one last, pitiful lament.
"...Dipper...did you leave Piedmont because of me? D-Did I do something to upset you?"
Dipper's eyes widened slightly at the split second that question came out of her mouth. He gave Mabel a funny look and shuffled closer towards her on the bed.
"Wh-why on Earth would you think that, Mabel?" stammered Dipper, unsure how to process that question. Mabel did manage to finally look into Dipper's eyes, her own eyes looking quite upset.
"Oh, please, Dipper…" she mourned upsettingly, "It's not like I've never done anything to upset you in the past! All the times I've teased you and gave you a hard time…"
Dipper looked at Mabel with a look that was a mix of confusion and sympathy. Deep down, while he understood that while Mabel can be rambunctious, teasy, and always charging into a situation without a plan, Dipper knew that that was just how Mabel is and what defines her.
Although, that didn't mean that her mocking and hotheadedness didn't get to Dipper at times. As much as he loved Mabel very much, he sometimes wished she could be more considerate to both him and towards the situations they keep landing in. Still, he tried not to dwell on that as he placed a brotherly hand on Mabel's own.
"Mabel…" he whispered in concern, looking into her eyes, "What brought this up? You usually aren't one feel so self-conscious…"
Mabel gulped and shivered a bit, before she looked away again from her twin. "Well...I dunno...I guess I've been thinking about what been making you so sad lately. I kinda figured it was because of some...personal reasons from back during our summer…"
Dipper blinked once. "Personal reasons?" he echoed confusingly.
Mabel nodded. "You know...how've I upsetted you back in the Falls. The time me and Grunkle Stan called ya 'unmanly', teasing you about your crush on Wendy, how I've blew your chance to impress her just so I could win Waddles at the fair…"
Her voice then went down into a somber octave, now leading up to her more selfish and lowest act yet.
"When I made you give up Grunkle Ford's apprenticeship because I was a selfish jerk…"
Even with her tone so low and quiet, Dipper winced at the thought of that one memoir.
While true, he still very much would've adored to be Stanford's student and to discover more supernatural goings-on around the town, he had been blinded before when he told the news to Mabel, whom was so disheartened when finding out Dipper going to stay in Gravity Falls forever, she wound up striking a deal with the chaotic Bill Cipher, which soon enough, helped to lead to Bill unleashing the unholy occurrence that was Weirdmageddon.
Knowing that his own sister played a part in bringing forth this event upsetted Dipper greatly, to the point he wasn't sure if were to forgive Mabel for her greedy actions. Just thinking about Mabel doing something so heinous broke Dipper's heart.
All Dipper could muster out was a hushed and understanding "Oh…" before the two fell into another silent, awkward spell.
Thankfully, it didn't last as long until Mabel piped up again.
"Dipper?"
The boy in question gulped. "...Yeah?"
He heard his sister letting out a feeble, shuddery sigh before he was blessed with another fully-loaded question that sent shivers down his spine.
"Dipper...do you...resent me for the stuff I caused back in Gravity Falls?"
Poor Dipper's eyes went wider than ever. He felt his throat instantly dry up, causing his already-squeaky voice hitch up out of surprise. His face went a bit clammy and he nearly broke out in a sweat. Did she really ask that if her own twin brother straight up resents her?
As before, Dipper could only answer with confused and jumbled stutters until he was able to gain control of his speech.
"...No...I mean...uh...I...M-M-Mabel, why would you even ask that!?" cried Dipper incredulously, his mind racing at 100 miles per second. Mabel frowned deeply.
"Oh, come of it, Dipper!" she huffed, "You and I know what I did was beyond horrible! I was the one who started Weirdmageddon because I was being such a selfish baby!"
Dipper frowned and cringed slightly, silently agreeing what she did was really bad, but he didn't know whether to let Mabel down easy or to just fess up and tell Mabel how he really feels. Unfortunately, Mabel was being both relentless and a tad hysterical right now, which didn't do wonders for Dipper's already-frayed nerves.
He only managed to give out a confused stutter until Mabel cut him off.
"Listen, bro-bro, t-this has just been bugging me all week! Just let me know if there is more to why you ran away than what you've said to Mom and Dad...and this time," pleaded Mabel, "please tell me the truth!"
Dipper gulped and shook his head to try and clear it from all these baffling thoughts. This situation was starting to become too hard to comprehend.
"B-But, I was telling the truth, M-Mabel! I do see myself as a burden! Honest!" he reasoned stressfully. Despite the fact that Dipper really was speaking the truth, it seemed that Mabel looks a bit apprehensive to believe him, given the events for the past week proved that Mabel didn't know who or what to trust.
She groaned sadly and got up from the bed, walking in front of Dipper to look him squarely in the eyes. Dipper shuddered fearfully, unsure what may come up next. He heard Mabel let out a sigh as she spoke up yet again.
"So...all I'm asking is that you just be straight with me, Dipper…" she insisted, her tone sounding quite serious than how it normally is, "So, please...just tell me if you hate me or something!?"
Dipper felt his clammy, sweaty hands tremble and jitter on his lap. He was completely unsure of what to say or even think. After a minute of silent thinking and nervous stammers, he soon decided to go through with the best solution he could only think of for this dilemma.
It was probably best to come clean and just get this over with, then.
Dipper took in the deepest breath he ever inhaled, trying to clear his mind and soul as best as he could. Mabel stood by and awaited for Dipper's answer with baited breath. Even she began to feel nervous at the prospect of Dipper saying how he really feels about her, but she tried to stay strong and not go off the rails again, knowing deep down, she most likely expected what the answer may really be.
At last, Dipper mustered the energy to finally give Mabel the answer she was expecting to get. Dipper exhaled softly and looked back towards Mabel's face. Then, he gave her his final answer.
"...no…"
As soon as that simple word quietly slipped out of Dipper's mouth, Mabel could only stand there, mouth agape and beyond surprised at this. Clearly, this wasn't really the answer she was expecting to hear.
Mabel nearly croaked out of shock before she was able to speak coherently now. "Whuh...but, I...n-no!? What you mean 'no'!?" she cried out, demandingly wanting a good explanation for his answer.
Dipper groaned softly. "...I don't resent you, Mabel…" he repeated simply.
That still wasn't enough to calm Mabel down. "Yeah, but why!?" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air, "Why would you think that, even after the whole Weirdmageddon thing!? O-Or the apprenticeship!?"
Dipper pursed his lips. "I'll get to that now, Mabel. Just please settle down…" he replied, his tone sounding hollow.
Mabel thankfully complied and simply stood there, quiet and ready to listen to what he had to say. And with the heaviest sigh Dipper has ever made, he finally let his mind speak clearly for once.
"I don't resent you, Mabel. I do love you as a sister...but...I will say there are times when you just...upset me so much…"
Mabel frowned and felt her breath hitch, knowing she was in for a lecture but still stayed quiet regardless as Dipper continued on. He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned tiredly.
"Look, Mabel, I'm not gonna suger-coat it. I love you, but what you did with the whole Weirdmageddon thing was just...so...s-so…" He paused for a little bit, unable to try and find a suitable word for this dilemma. Luckily, Mabel beat him to the punch.
"So unforgivable?" she offered meekly.
Dipper hemmed and hawed for a second as that word was said. Although a part of him wanted to let Mabel off easy, another part was practically screaming at him to just say how he feels and to let Mabel know that her actions do have consequences.
After a few seconds of contemplation, it took Dipper enough courage to answer Mabel as straightforward as he could be.
"...Yes…"
As soon as that answer slipped from his tongue, Mabel felt what was left of her high spirits begin to wilt down, now fearing the worst of what Dipper may say. Though, from his upset tone of voice and because of the gravity of the situation, it seems like Dipper's mind was made up and that Mabel had just dug her own grave.
"...So...you don't forgive me then...for all the mean stuff I did…?" she asked, her hopes of trying to make amends with Dipper dwindling by a thread at this point.
Dipper twitched a little at the sound of hearing that. Although he well and truly didn't hate Mabel, he still found her unruly actions and rowdy behavior jarring at times. With his emotions battling each other in his mind on how to properly handle this problem, he still decided to follow his heart and just let Mabel know how he feels.
"Mabel, most of the stuff you did before Weirdmageddon were merely contrivances...but what you did with Bill Cipher truly did take the cake…" he mused gravelly.
Even though the way he tried to word his statement made it seem like he was trying to let her down easy, Mabel still wasn't convinced at all as her eyes saddened even more. Hurt tears began to well up and she sniffled multiple times, her mind flooding with only one outcome to this whole ordeal.
"...So, it's true...you really do hate me…" she confirmed depressingly, hiccuping out a sob as she buried her head in her hands.
Dipper groaned tiredly. She really wasn't going to make this easy, was she? As much as he didn't like seeing his regularly-cheerful and positive twin cry, he only figured he'd still let her know about what her actions can lead up to.
With a tired, but guilty sigh, he got up from the bed and placed a hand on Mabel's arm. It was enough for Mabel to direct her attention towards him, and soon with Dipper gazing into Mabel's hurt, misty eyes, he continued to speak.
"Mabel...I don't hate you, I'm being completely honest. But what I am is disappointed…" he declared softly.
His sister only frowned slightly deeper, unmoved by his statement. "Th-That's just a fancy way of saying you are mad at me!" she whimpered back defiantly. Dipper resisted the urge to groan louder in frustration and resumed trying to reassure her as best as he can.
"I'm being serious, Mabel. I do not, repeat, do not hate you. And I'm not really mad...just really, really frustrated…" Dipper tried to reason. Mabel wiped away a tear.
"Being really frustrated is basically just being mad, Dipper…" corrected Mabel matter-of-factly, even through her tears.
Dipper almost wanted to comment on that, but after a few seconds of letting that sentence sink in, he was actually inclined to agree with her on that little tidbit, but didn't want to dwell on that for now.
"Well...I'm really not mad, Mabel. It's just that...sometimes when you tend to make fun of me or mock me or such...I just really hurts, you know…"
Mabel sniffled away one last tear. "I'm sorry, Dipper...I only did it just to play around with you is all…I didn't think it'd get to you like that..." Dipper sighed gently, uncertain on whether her excuse was valid or not.
"Mabel, I know you do mean well at times...but you have to understand that actions do have consequences…I mean...for you to just make a deal behind my back, with Bill Cipher of all people!?" explained Dipper sharply. He shook his head disappointingly.
"Th-That was just downright selfish, Mabel! The town was nearly decimated when Bill wrought all that chaos down upon us. People could've been killed, Mabel! I could've been killed! Don't you understand that!?"
Now, as much as Mabel wanted to try and stay quiet during Dipper's rant, she couldn't help but to furrow her brow when the whole "selfish" bit came up. Something about what he said seemed to be quite hypocritical in Mabel's mind.
"Well...you were the one planning to stay behind in Gravity Falls anyways!" she shot back, her tone mixed with annoyance and grief, "I may be in the wrong, Dipper, but what you did with that apprenticeship wasn't exactly generous either. You were straight up willing to let me go!"
Dipper balled up his fists and tried his hardest not to let his guard down, seeing as how remembering all these past mistakes almost made him want to tear up. Somehow, he figured Mabel would bring Ford's apprentice offer up again, but still, he didn't back down.
"Only cause I thought it was best for the both of us!" he finally exclaimed at an almost-harsh volume, "So I wouldn't hold you back anymore!"
In an instant, Mabel's anger was briefly put aside and got replaced with just confusion. "'Hold me back'!? Dipper, what the heck are ya talking about!?"
Dipper sighed and rubbed his temples to attempt to calm himself. "It's because, like I've said before, I do see myself as a burden to you and our parents…"
"But you are not, Dipper!" exclaimed Mabel in retaliation, "You honestly aren't! You shouldn't think like that, bro!"
"Well, I do, Mabel!" persisted the awkward adventurer as he sat back down on his bed, "I feel like I'm just holding you back and being nothing but a bore to you. I figured I'd skip town to not be in your hair anymore, you know?"
Mabel couldn't believe what she was hearing right now. "Wha...I...Dipper, why would I see you as a bore?" she asked incredulously.
Without missing a beat, Dipper already had his examples on standby. "Well, there are times when you call me a nerd, a bookworm, a geek…"
Then, with a low, almost ominous-sounding tone, he brought up something else interesting during that Dipper had encountered during Weirdmageddon.
"I mean...why else would you have thought up Dippy Fresh when you were stuck in Bill's mind?"
It was then when Mabel felt her heart grow heavy at the mere mention of Dipper's apparent "cooler and more hip" counterpart. Naturally, he was referring to the dreamland / prison that Bill Cipher created for Mabel, tricking and essentially brainwashing her while keeping her as prisoner, where she also had manifested Dippy Fresh as something of a "backup brother".
Since Dipper, Wendy, and Soos had rescued her from her prison, she started to regret even bringing that thing to life in the first place, regardless if she was brainwashed by Cipher ot not. Still, lest she cause any more grief to her brother at this point, she knew she had to speak up.
"D-Dipper...I-I…"
"I mean, it's like, I wasn't enough and you had to go and have...have that thing be by your side!? Am I really that much of a bore to you, Mabel!?" cried out Dipper, so heartbroken at the thought of being replaced...by his own twin sister no less.
His nerve-wracked sister frowned deeper. "No, Dipper, you're not a bore! Honest!" she tried to reason, much to Dipper's disbelief.
"Then why do you always make fun of me!? Even if it was out of fun and games, sometimes words can hurt as much as a punch, Mabel!" Dipper stated, curtly and sharply. Mabel was now reaching the breaking point at this moment. She wasn't sure how much of this she could take.
"Dipper, I'm so sorry I did all that! I really am!" she apologized, her voice broken and genuinely sorry. Dipper scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Mabel, I don't think sorry's gonna cut that…" he pointed out sourly, "I know you said you want to be more attentive, but you need to know that it'll take more than apologies to fix problems like this…"
Mabel suddenly grew desperate by now. "But I am sorry, Dipper! I-I don't know what came over me!" she wailed out, tears already pricking her eyelids, "I don't really know why I even do this! It's p-probably because of…"
Her voice trailed off at the end. Her face almost paled for a second, but her eyes were still wet from her oncoming tears. Something had suddenly clicked in her mind about this whole situation. The apprenticeship, why she was horrified of letting Dipper go, it all caught up to her, showing her the reason why she was scared of leaving Dipper behind.
Still, she knew she owed Dipper a good explanation for her past actions, with her brother in question awaiting for as such as he patiently stood by, arms crossed, and waited for Mabel to speak. Mabel frowned deeply and followed her heart as best as she could.
"I-It's...b-because of…" she stuttered out. Dipper stared at her, nonplussed.
"It's because of what?" he repeated back sternly, clearly in need of a good answer. Mabel gulped and tried to regain her composure.
"...It's because I...i-it's b-because…"
Dipper gave Mabel an expecting, sort-of unamused look towards Mabel, which only led her to simply shudder out a groan and having her just fess up already.
"...Because I'm afraid of change, Dipper…"
Now, Dipper raised an eyebrow. His frown was still shown on his face, but his stern attitude began to soften a little at the sound of her sincere answer. "You're scared of...change?"
Mabel nodded. "Ever since you stated you wanted to stay back in Gravity Falls with Grunkle Ford, I was absolutely heartbroken. We've would have been separated for who-knows-long, and if something bad had happened to you and if I wasn't around to help you out...I'd be devastated…"
She then looked down at her feet with the glumest look on her face.
"I was afraid I would never ever see you again...I was afraid I'd lose you forever…that's why I caused this mess..."
Dipper blinked once, trying to process all of this at once. "...You were scared you'd lose me...forever?"
"Well...yeah!" exclaimed Mabel, "Dipper, look, I know I've screwed up big time, and that I may not be the best sister around...but I do love you, bro! I'd be absolutely lost without you…"
The brunette boy was still stuck with a mildly dumbfounded expression. Regardless of all the times Mabel has royally annoyed him, he still loved her deeply, and after about three weeks of self-pity and loneliness, hearing Mabel's claim with a clear, cleansed mind helped to get the gears in his head turning again, realizing that maybe, just maybe he was loved after all.
Still, it didn't hurt just to make sure…
"...Y-Y-You really mean that, Mabel?" he asked timidly.
Mabel finally succeeded in producing a genuinely-warm smile for so long. "Of course, Dipper," she answered unwaveringly, "You mean the world to me and I want to make amends again…"
Then, she picked Dipper up off the bed and brought him into a warm, soft embrace. Dipper felt the fuzziness of Mabel's sweater brush against his skin, with her vice-like arms keeping him at bay as Mabel tightened the hug, not wanting to let him go. Her smile then dropped for a second, as she let the weight of the situation take control of her feelings.
"...I just want to be part of your life, Dipper…I don't want you to leave me forever…"
It was then when Dipper felt his heartstrings get tugged a bit harder than he thought.
"Mabel...you...you weren't gonna lose me forever...W-We still could have been together somehow…" reasoned Dipper through his shot nerves. Mabel shook her head somberly.
"No, we couldn't have, Dipper…" Mabel looked away from Dipper shamefully, "We still would've been far apart…"
Dipper grew more frantic than ever. "B-But we w-w-would have! I still c-could've c-called you or I...we...I d-don't…"
At that split moment, Dipper's mind was doing triple backflips as everything began piling up all at once. Even if he was upset at Mabel for her selfishness, even he slowly began to realize that maybe, he really was no better after all. Him lying to his parents, him wanting to flee the state, all selfish and greedy actions.
Dipper's stammering came to an end, He was completely uncertain if Mabel was trying to make him feel this bad or not, but either way, it was enough for him to finally have the gravity of this whole mess fall down on him, sending his mind astray with the real reason Weirdmageddon may have commenced.
"Oh...m-man...this is really all my fault…" he concluded at last, his hands trembling furiously and knees shaking enough for himself stumble back on the edge of the bed. Mabel heard this and immediately looked back towards Dipper as if he'd grown another head.
"I-I-If I was never offered of that apprenticeship, I-I never would have upset you and I never would've triggered this whole mess!"
Mabel blinked confusedly, surprised of the sudden shift in tone Dipper was sporting now.
"D-Dipper?" she squeaked out, to which Dipper didn't hear her as he continued to rant towards himself.
"Now because of my unawareness and selfish attitude, I helped play a part in nearly bringing the apocalypse!" cried Dipper hastily, his mind racing with bad thoughts, "I practically doomed Gravity Falls!"
Mabel's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets as soon as that bombshell of a conclusion was dropped! Was Dipper really going to blame himself for causing Weirdmageddon as well? This certainly didn't sit right with Mabel, and she was gonna make sure her opinion was soundly heard.
"Dipper, what the heck are ya saying!? I was the one being a selfish brat about that whole thing with you and Grunkle Ford!" she yelped out in stunned surprise. Dipper, however, didn't listen.
"And then, I wind up hurting you and our own parents by running away like a coward, so that I could stop being a joke to everyone! A lot of good that would've done, seeing as I'll probably just mess up and cause another Judgement Day or something!" he griped. Mabel knew this was starting to get out of control.
"Dipper, you couldn't have anticipated Weirdmageddon was gonna happen! Please, calm down!" cried Mabel, which still fell onto deaf ears.
"Now because of me and my stupid dreams, I probably blew our chances to go back to Oregon again...heck, Id's be luck if Mom and Dad allow me to leave this room period ever again…" groused Dipper negatively. Mabel frowned in concern.
"But, Dipper, I'm sure things will get better soon, I-" Mabel's assurance was immediately cut off as Dipper continued his rant.
"I mean, the only people that even bother to care about are all in another state, while I'm stuck being a joke to everyone at school!" he raved unhappily.
"D-Dipper, that ain't true! Please, don't spiral down to-" But again, Dipper wasn't having any of it.
"I thought running away was supposed to help you guys forget about me, and now look where that has gotten us!"
"Dipper, please, calm dow-"
"I can't think why I thought this was a good idea to begin with! I can't even skip town without messing something up!"
"Please, Dipper, I-"
"Maybe everyone at school really were right!"
"Dipper!"
"I really am just a loser that can't do anything right!"
"Dipper!"
"And that Edward most likely is true in saying that I am probably not but a worthless failur-"
"Mason Alexander Pines, that is enough!"
That shut Dipper right up in an instant. He gaped at Mabel almost frightfully. Her entire face was red, her cheeks were stained from tears, and her misty, puffy eyes were filled with anguish. Plus, she never referred to his full birth name unless if it was absolutely dire, so hearing her shout it out startled poor Dipper greatly.
He shuddered anxiously before Mabel, as if she might even pounce or attack him afterwards, but that wasn't the case when after Mabel gave him a hard stare for a few tense seconds, she then unfurrowed her brow, let out a sad sigh, wiped away her tears, and quietly joined him on the bed, now giving him a sympathetic look instead.
Figuring that the two had suffered enough heartbreak, Mabel felt it best to try and simmer down this talk before either one of them may say something to each other that they may regret.
"Dipper Pines, you are not the reason Weirdmageddon was started. You didn't know accepting an internship from Grunkle Ford was gonna lead to all that. I was the one who made a deal with Bill! It was my fault!" she tried to rationalize with him, despite how unconvinced Dipper was.
"And lastly, Dipper," she continued, "I know you may see yourself as not all that important, but you do have people that see you as an important friend, believe me!" she reassured as she patted his back in comfort.
Dipper's lips straightened into a line. He was exhausted and upset from today's events, and the talk he had with Mabel up to now wasn't helping with his mindset at the moment. He still wasn't sure to forgive Mabel for now, but he still wanted their relationship to still be stable enough to not warrant the two to wind up breaking apart anymore this week.
"Yeah, but the ones who do see me as that are all in Gravity Falls…" he muttered glumly after some seconds of thought.
However, without warning, Mabel pulled Dipper into a sisterly side-hug and looked into his sad eyes. "Not just in Gravity Falls though, bro-bro…" she reminded softly.
Dipper looked back at her in bafflement before she continued. "It's like what Mom and Dad said, you are important to us...you're their beloved son and you're my awesome twin brother. I'd be lost and scared without you, Dipper…"
Dipper stammered a bit, not sure what to even say, despite how secretly touched he was that his family really thought of him that way. Mabel, knowing that he may bring up that one topic again, gently placed a finger to his lips to let her speak freely.
"And look...I know I messed up with the whole apprenticeship thing...and there's probably nothing I can do to make up for that...but I still just wanna say Dipper, that we could still be able to have more fun and make more new memories next time we go back to the Falls!" she said, her tone sounding a bit more hopeful this time.
Dipper blinked. "Next time?" he asked simply.
"Yeah!" chirped Mabel with a nod, "I mean, maybe Grunkle Ford can let ya do the apprenticeship over the summer instead! Then you can intern with him and then take the time to do some discovering with him as well as with me!"
Then, Mabel grew more quiet after saying that last part. She timidly looked away from her brother.
"That is...if you still want to go on adventures with me…" she concluded disheartedly.
Silence fell for only a few seconds until Mabel felt something grip her waist gently. She picked her head back up and swung it around to see Dipper returning her sideways hug and giving her a small, sad, but supportive smile.
"Mabel, of course, I still wanna go on adventures with you!" he replied sincerely, "I know there are times we can get on each other's nerves, but you are still my twin sister and I love you…" Mabel sniffled a bit before continuing again.
"Even though you do still don't forgive me for my actions?" she asked. Dipper knew she was gonna mention that again and only sighed, but still kept his comforting smile.
"Mabel, just because I get mad at you doesn't mean I'll stay mad forever. Sure, the whole Weirdmageddon thing was crazy and a total mess...for both of us and for our friends...but like you said, you mentioned that you wanted to try and be more attentive, right?" he reminded gently, patting her back in consolation.
Mabel nodded back feebly and honestly. Dipper tenderly smiled back.
"Well then, let's both consider this as a means for redemption…they'll come a time in the future where we can consider ourselves even." he chuckled softly, trying to sound light-hearted in this situation. Mabel thought for a moment before slowly giving Dipper a little smile.
"...and then you'll see me as a good sister?" she asked, her voice all mousey and laced with sad hope.
Dipper exhaled at that last bit of self-esteem Mabel was displaying. And with a playful roll of his eyes, he carefully brought Mabel into a full hug, gently giving her a brotherly caress around the waist, in hopes to make her feel a bit better, which it slightly did, but Mabel was feeling more shock from the sudden hug than anything. After a few seconds of hugging, Dipper pulled away and kindly smiled towards his sister.
"Mabel, I don't think you're a horrible sister..." evoked Dipper truthfully, rubbing her arms softly, "Sure, I can get annoyed when you act all selfish and such, but there is a good streak deep down inside you...you just have to work hard to try and let it show out more, y'know?"
Mabel carefully wiped away what felt like a tear prick at her eye as she gave him a touched smile. "You really think that, Dipper?" Dipper nodded proudly.
"I do…" answered Dipper, "I mean, you always go out of your way to cheer people up. You're always brimming with positivity and determination, and when you do work towards a goal, you always stick by it, even when things may seem dark…"
Mabel, although touched by Dipper's words, helped to give him a bit of a pep talk as well. "That's not entirely true, Dip-Dip!" she replied, "It's like, you're obviously the brains of this duo! You're innovative, you're quick-thinking, and you're intra...you're intree...uh…intra-ma-cat?"
Mabel faltered at that last word, prompting a sincere laugh out from Dipper. "You mean, intricate, right?" he corrected with a warm chuckle.
"Hee-hee, yeah, that one!" she giggled, putting on a small, but silly grin. The two each shared a chuckle after both started to feel a bit relaxed now, the tension in the air slowly beginning to dissolve at last. The laughter soon dwindled down, leading to both twins now laying down on Dipper's bedspread, both sporting calmed smiles.
Although, a few more seconds ticked by until Dipper let out a soft sigh and put on a worried face. Mabel noticed this, of course, and carefully grabbed his hand with her's.
"Everything okay, bro?" she asked gently. Dipper shrugged in bit.
"I guess...but, it's like...I dunno…" His voice trailed off pitifully, before he soon buried his head and his hands and let out a tired, shameful groan.
"Things'll never be the same anymore, eh?" he concluded demurely. Mabel raised an eyebrow.
"What do ya mean, Dip?" she asked in confusion.
"You know, we just vented out these personal problems we've both been feeling for some time now, and now because I've been such so obsessed with returning to the Falls, I wound up hurting you, Dad, and Mom instead of trying to do you guys a favor…" explained Dipper, now looking straight down at his laying stomach.
Mabel gazed at him in sympathy and grabbed his hand again. As much as she didn't care for change herself, she still wanted to do good for Dipper again and to make amends. No time like the present, she supposed.
"It's all be okay, Dipper…" she assured knowingly, "Whether you do get that apprenticeship again or not, we'll still be back in Gravity Falls next summer."
Dipper frowned unsuredly. At this point, he didn't care if he'd ever get that apprenticeship or not when he returned to the Falls, but after the display he had concocted earlier with the bus, the lies, and sneaking off without anyone noticing, would his parents even allow him to leave his house, let alone the state again when summer came along.
Even as he was sobering up from today's mishap, he would be devastated if he'd never had the chance to see his Gravity Falls friends and family members again. Dipper shrugged limply and scoffed to himself.
"Yeah, if our parents even allow me to go after today's stunt…" he mumbled. Mabel smiled kindly.
"They will, Dip, trust me. It'll just take some time before they feel you're ready to be let go again for the summer…" she explained honestly. Dipper pursed his lips.
"I suppose…" mused Dipper, still feeling uncertainty bubble in his gut, "It's just...I still miss all my friends and family back in Gravity Falls…Grunkles Stan and Ford, Soos, and Wendy...all of them..."
Mabel gave Dipper a more motherly smiled and scooched closer to Dipper to try and comfort him. "I miss them, too, DIpper. Believe me, I really do. But, we just gotta be patient is all…they'll still be there waiting for us when we return next summer."
Even though Dipper admired Mabel for doing her best to cheer him up, which did slowly work, he couldn't help but to feel a smidgen of guilt well up deep inside him. It was also then when Dipper remembered something else that happened that Thursday that caused him to reach into his vest pocket.
Mabel grew curious when Dipper silently pulled out what appeared to be a crumpled and stapled-up sleeve of paper from his jacket, but after seeing him open the page up, she gasped in fright as she now clearly seen what this page really was.
"...D-Dipper!?" she quivered in shock, "I-Is that o-o-our…?"
"Our letter from when we left Gravity Falls?" Dipper finished for her with a sad sigh, "Yep…"
Mabel gaped in both awe and terror. "I was wondering where this was! What the heck happened to it!?" she asked out, still in the state of shock. Dipper frowned.
"Remember that run-in I had with Edward Viscount from Thursday? Well, let's say he got the upper hand and he wound up ripping this in half while we were in the bathroom…" explained Dipper sadly. "I tried to salvage this thing as best as I could...I kept holding onto this only so I could never forget our friends and family in the Falls…"
Mabel grew sadder and even more guilty upon hearing all of this. "Oh, bro-bro, I'm so sorry that happened…" she apologized, looking genuinely upset for Dipper's plight. Dipper shrugged dolefully.
"It's okay…but I'd doubt it could be fixed any better for now…" admitted Dipper, gesturing to the staples and bits of sticky tape holding together the torn letter. Mabel winced at the crude workmanship, but still tried to stay positive.
"Oh my...m-maybe when we get back to the Falls, maybe we could have the guys make another letter?" she offered helpfully. Dipper tilted his head and flashed an unsure frown as he placed the letter back on the bed.
"Hopefully...plus, I do appreciate you trying to confront Viscount on Friday, Mabel, but it probably wouldn't have done any good...that guy is as persistent as he is stubborn…" replied Dipper, ending his sentence with a bittersweet chuckle.
Mabel groaned in agreement. "I've noticed…" she hummed knowingly with a small smile.
The two then fell into another spell of silence for a little while, with each twin unsure of what else to say to each other. Luckily, a forlorn sigh from Dipper was enough to trigger another conversation as Mabel's attention was now grasped.
"Mabel?"
Mabel turned towards him. "Yeah?" she asked softly.
Dipper sighed. "Why must the good things in life be so hard to obtain?" he asked simply.
Mabel shrugged, honestly unsure on how to answer that. "I dunno, bro…" she confided. Dipper frowned a bit at that, that is until Mabel managed to give him a tiny smile.
"But I do know that good things do come to those who wait…" she reminded, as she playfully booped Dipper on his nose, rewarding her with a small giggle that escaped from Dipper's mouth. He capped off his laugh with a sigh, but this time, he kept a small smile plastered on his rosy face.
Then, after some time of quietness. "I'm terribly sorry about all this, Mabel…"
Dipper's apology was enough for Mabel turn her head in attention. Mabel stayed quiet as he kept talking. "I shouldn't have acted so rash with this whole Gravity Falls business…"
Mabel grinned tenderly. "It's okay, Dippy. I'm sorry I've been such a big jerk to you lately. I didn't think I'd be enough to cause you to run away though…" She then sighed softly in mild sadness.
"I shouldn't have treated you as baggage though. The apprenticeship, Dippy Fresh, Weirdmageddon...I don't know how I can make it up to you for all this madness…"
Mabel almost expected another lecture to be brought up after mentioning those triggering memories yet again, but to her surprise, she didn't really expect to see Dipper giving her a tiny smile and patting her back before she could go through another self-loathing episode.
"It's okay, Mabes. I know it's hard to forget our mistakes and to accept change, but once we take the time to learn from our actions, this whole mess will just be water off a duck's back. Besides, I think it's best for know if we just work on being better siblings rather than think about Bill or Dippy Fresh or all that negative stuff…" explained Dipper, his tone unfaltering and calm enough to ease Mabel down a bit.
Despite the proposal sounding similar to a "forgive-and-forget"-type solution, Dipper, who was still unsure about forgiving Mabel this soon, figured that maybe if the two would try and let go of these painful thoughts, it could help them both focus more on trying to improve their relationship, to make them want to move on and fix their mistakes when the time comes.
For Mabel, this plan seemed like it was better than nothing. She nodded softly. "I suppose you're right, Dipper...right now...I'm just glad you're still here…" Dipper smiled and nodded back.
"Thanks, Mabel. It's like I've said though, I wanted to run away only because I missed all of my friends there and because I thought I was nothing but a hassle to you guys…"
Mabel rolled her eyes with a smile. "Seriously, bro-bro, you ain't a hassle. We love having you in our family!" Mabel replied earnestly. Dipper shrugged slightly.
"Still though…" he reminisced, "Our summer in Gravity Falls was probably one of the best things to ever happen to me. Where I actually managed to make good friends and where I could try and gain some sort of confidence in myself…"
Mabel smiled knowingly. "A place where you could be yourself?"
Dipper nodded back, his facial features nostalgic and forlorn. "...Yeah…"
He then felt his hand being held by another. He turned to see Mabel kindly holding his right hand and giving him a sisterly grin. "Well, I know waiting is tough, Dipper, but it'll all be worth it in the end. And as far as I'm concerned, you'll never have to worry about forgetting about our friends in the Falls..."
Dipper sighed quietly. "I hope so…" he admitted. Mabel chuckled warmly.
"Trust me, it will, Dip. Besides, we're twins. We should be doing things together, not apart. Y'know, where I can help you feel more at ease at home…"
Dipper grinned back and squeezed her hand. "And I can help you to show your more considerate side…" he promised. Mabel beamed brightly, her face now looking as sunny and blushy as it should be. She then pulled Dipper into a tight hug, which Dipper immediately returned without hesitation.
"Thanks for being my brother, Dipper…no matter what you or anyone else says, you're a great kid and I do love you very much…" came the softest, sincerest statement Mabel has ever made. Dipper smiled warmly.
"And thanks for being my sister, Mabel…" he replied, "I'm just happy you and my parents don't see me as a burden…" Mabel giggled within the hug.
"Well, burden or not, Dippy...I'm happy to have my favorite bro-bro back at home again…" smiled Mabel. DIpper couldn't help but to chuckle.
"Mabel, I'm your only brother…" he reminded with a good-natured grin. Mabel tightened the hug regardless.
"That just means there is only one of you to love…" stated Mabel with a soft, proud, sweetly voice.
And for the first time, ever since he returned back to Piedmont, Dipper managed to give Mabel something of a large, genuine smile, finally starting to completely feel at peace with both himself and his role in his own family. As much as she can irritate him and whether she would be selfish or headstrong, she was still his twin sister through and through.
And he still loved her very much...
Throughout all of the crazy, fantastic, and life-threatening misadventures they both shared during their summer, be it fighting gnomes, zombies, dinosaurs, shapeshifters, time-travelling agents, and whatever Godforsaken hell that Weirdmageddon has thrown at them, they both still stuck by each other until the end, managing to stay alive and continue to be together as brother and sister even through the toughest of fights.
They continued their bittersweet embrace throughout the evening, unaware of the sky outside suddenly beginning to change a bit.
The clouds above were slowly parting ways to make way for natural skylight. Although it still wasn't enough to showcase the descending sun from behind the clouds, whatever little sky was actually shown did prove to be just as beautiful. With the evening sky a lovely mixture of blue and purple, with the clouds a shade of orange and a few stars managing to peek through, it was finally a fresh breath of air to be seen after some weeks of clouds, coldness, and rain.
As the brisk autumn air cooled down for the approaching night and the small Piedmont neighborhood began to darken and get ready for bed, Dipper and Mabel still kept their hug going on for a grand while, silently until it was nearing time for bed.
However, as the night fell down, they had both wound up crashing on Dipper's bed, cuddled up next to each other across the bed, too tired from this week's events to even try and sleep in their own beds and both managing to get a good night's sleep as well once they felt their eyelids droop down for the night.
Hopefully soon, as grim as it seems right now, things may get better in future...
TO BE CONTINUED…
And there we go folks, our two-part climax has now drawn to a close!
Writing this story, I hadn't planned for Dipper to actually return to Gravity Falls in the first place, at all. The lecture scene was meant to be split into two sections; the first being towards Dipper and his parents as they discuss his insecurities and how he sees himself as a burden to them, and the second section geared between Dipper and Mabel, as they talk about more personal matter, i.e. the stuff they went through back in the Falls and how it affected them both.
This chapter was also my way of trying to give both Dipper and Mabel a chance to try and redeem / strengthen their relationship, although their talk mostly falls upon Mabel's side of their relationship, to give her a goal to try to be more attentive to Dipper and to not be so rash. Her fear of change was based upon a Tumblr post I've seen on the show's TV Tropes page, in a section list for "Alternative Character Interpretations".
As for Dipper, I certainly wasn't planning on letting him get away scot-free from this ordeal, hence why I figured it best he'd be grounded for a while after his attempt to run away, but still have the parents understand his reasoning because of it. Fair's fair, after all. Plus, although he still hasn't fully forgiven Mabel's actions from Weirdmageddon, that doesn't mean he'll stop loving her altogether.
Still, I hope I didn't make their scene too black-and-white and that I've still portrayed their relationship decent enough. I'm not expecting everyone to love this chapter in particular, personally because I feel I hadn't written this chapter as well as I wanted, but if there is anything I can improve on or if I've left out some important info, please let me know and I can try and make some changes later on and apologies if this resolution seems like a cop-out to you guys.
We still have another chapter to wrap some things up, so stay tuned when we find out the fate of Edward Viscount and we see what roles that unnamed redhead / blonde duo play a part in (and what their names actually are), in the penultimate chapter, "The Aftermath"! Hopefully this chapter won't take two or three chapters to make!
A sincerest thanks to those sticking around so far and for giving such kind and helpful feedback! Hope the confrontation turned out well for you all! See you all soon! :D
~Thunderbyrd