What cuts the deepest
Two weeks later
Dipper and Mabel stood hand in hand facing a large pine tree, both staring down at a small carved wooden plaque stood at the base of the tree.
'Here lies Holly Pines
Beloved daughter
Taken from us far too soon
Sleep well amongst the Angels
Goodnight our princess'
Mabel knelt down and placed the bouquet of flowers she had clasped in her free hand down in front of the tiny plaque. Tears stung her face as a cold, cutting wind blew through the woods they were standing in. As Mabel stood back up Dipper sunk to the floor, he placed a small teddy bear next to Mabel's flowers. Wiping his eyes on his sleeves he raised back to his feet, he looked up at the grey and overcast sky above his head.
"Grunkle Ford? If you're up there... There's a baby girl on her way up to you, you'd better look after her for us"
Mabel slipped her hand into Dipper's and motioned to him that it was time to return back home. Dipper nodded and allowed Mabel to lead on back towards the Mystery Shack.
"Hey there pumpkin, how're you doing?" Stan asked her, softening his voice.
"I'm feeling tired, I think I'm gonna go and lie down for a bit okay?"
"Sure thng sweetie"
Dipper and Stan watched Mabel make her way up towards their bedroom.
"You gonna go to her?" Stan enquired, turning to face Dipper, he shook his head
"Nope, she just needs to be alone for a little while" Dipper answered, staring up the stairs where Mabel had just been stood, Stan put a hand on Dipper's shoulder, the two of them were never the type to lay bare their feelings, at least not to each other and Stan knew better than to try and overstep the mark when it came to his great nephew but he cared about and loved him and it tore him up inside to see him hurting.
Dipper felt the hand on his shoulder; he looked up at his great uncle and knew what he was saying, without the need to talk, he nodded and mouthed his thanks. Stan removed his hand from Dipper's shoulder and walked away into the living room, Dipper made his way into the kitchen and began to make something to eat, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of chips, chocolate bar and a can of Pitt Cola, and he placed it carefully on a large tray and carried it upstairs. Entering his room he saw Mabel napping peacefully on his bed, cuddling one of her favourite stuffed animals, he placed the food on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of his bed, being careful not to wake Mabel up. He sat there and gently stroked her hair until she had woken up.
"Hey sleepy head"
"Dipper? What time is it?" Mabel yawned; Dipper pulled out his phone and unlocked it.
"Four thirty" He answered, putting his phone back in his pocket
"Is that mine?" Mabel motioned towards the plate of food on the nightstand
"Yeah, thought you might be hungry after your nap, seeing as you didn't have breakfast this morning" Mabel sat up groggily and picked up the chocolate bar, unwrapped it and bit a small piece off
"Nor did you, aren't you hungry too?"
"Nah, I ate while you were asleep" Dipper lied
"Dipper..."
"What?"
"I know when you're lying" Mabel told him
"No you don't"
"Yes I do, you always make a face"
"No I don't" Dipper replied
"Dipper... When was the last time you ate? Or slept for that matter" Mabel asked, noticing just how totally exhausted he looked.
"I got eight hours" Dipper replied
"And how long did it take you to get those eight hours?" Dipper dropped his head, refusing to meet Mabel's stare.
"A week" Dipper admitted quietly. Mabel picked up the bag of chips and dropped them on the bed, she then handed the plate with the sandwich on it and handed it to Dipper
"You're eating this and then you're having a small nap and you're NOT arguing with me" Mabel ordered. She finished off her chocolate bar as she watched Dipper wolf down the sandwich, evidently he didn't actually realise just how hungry he was.
"Better?" She asked him, more concern in her voice
"Yeah" he whispered. She stood up and told Dipper to lay down, pulling the covers back on his bed, he climbed in, threw his cap onto the bed on the other side of the room and put his head down on the pillow, Mabel climbed into bed next to him and wrapped her arms around him. He buried his face into the crook of her neck.
"Dipper? You still awake?" Mabel whispered, Mabel received no answer besides Dipper's deep, even breathing. He looked more peaceful than Mabel had seen him look in months
"We're gonna get through this, we'll never stop missing her but we can get through this... Together, no matter how tough it gets" Mabel promised.
One month later
Dipper was sat in the kitchen, alternating between shoveling cereal into his mouth and reading a comic. His attention to what he was reading was broken when Mabel poked him hard in the ribs and pointed towards the front page of the local newspaper Stan was holding.
"Oh my god" Mabel squeaked. Dipper followed her finger and read the headline Mabel was directing him too.
'SHAMED TOWN PHYSIC IN SHOCKING SUICIDE DRAMA'
Gravity Falls' former town darling Gideon Gleeful, 13 was found dead last night in an apparent suicide by his distraught father Bud Gleeful. The family has declined to comment at this time and have asked for their privacy to be respected at this distressing time.
"Oh wow" Dipper commented. He'd never really gotten on with Gideon but this was something he didn't want to see happen to anybody. He made a quick mental note to stop by Bud's house when he could. While he and Gideon never saw eye to eye, he could understand what Bud was going through more than anybody else probably could right now so he would drop by, with Mabel to offer their condolences.
"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Mabel hissed in Dipper's ear as they walked up the path to the Gleeful house
"Because although we never got on with Gideon we know what Bud is going through right now" Dipper reminded her
"Never got on with him? He was a little creep" Mabel spat back at him, before she realised that Dipper was right. Dipper knocked on the front door and took a small step back.
"Hello?" Bud asked as he opened the door
"Hi Bud" Dipper greeted.
"Dipper? Mabel? What are you doing here?"
"We just came to offer our condolences to you" Mabel answered, handing over to him a small envelope
"Oh... Thank you, won't you come in?" Bud replied gratefully, stepping aside to allow entrance into his hallway
"No thanks, this was only a fly by visit, we're actually due in town" Dipper explained
"Oh, okay, well thank you anyway, it was very kind of you" Bud thanked them.
"Sorry again for your loss" Mabel added before her and Dipper turned around to walk away.