Chapter 32: Never The Same

'What was the most intense moment in your life? A life changing surgery? Finally being with the one you love? Or even overcoming a huge life obstacle? Anything can alter the course of one's life as Mabel finds out after her twin saves her life that their lives in Gravity Falls will never be the same again!'

~(Mabel's P.O.V.)~

"There you go Dip." I say to my twin as I wrap up his left arm in fresh bandages and place his sling back on. "Almost as good as new."

"Thanks Sis." Dipper replies to me, releasing a yawn. "It's starting to feel better already."

Dipper then lies back on the bed as I then lay his arm down at his side to ensure that I don't hurt him further than what has happened to him already. Luckily, after the fight with the Gremoblin, I'm glad that's all Dipper was able to get out with as he could have gotten seriously hurt further than just a broken arm. That was totally lucky if you ask me.

I will never forget the events of that afternoon as everything is still fresh in my mind as if it all happened just moments ago. The mauling, the dirt, and even the thought of leaving my brother behind when he saved my life from that monster, but the most devastating moment is what happened after my brother was taken the emergency room. If Stan hadn't of pulled another one of his money making schemes, none of this would have ever happened.

Flashback to Two Days earlier

"I am tired of being that man's display!" My brother stormed into our bedroom as I was knitting a sweater for Waddles. "Anything to make money, even if it means degrading family members!"

"What happened Dip?" I asked him, his face clearly flushed from anger. He looked redder then the yarn I was using at the time.

"Stan put me on display again!" Dipper practically yelled as he turned to me. "This time as a boy who grew up in the forest and raised by wolves! Have that man no shame?!"

This is Stan he was talking about, of course not and Dipper of all people should know that. Putting my knitting needles down, I climbed off my bed and made my way over to my brother, placing a calming hand on his shoulder.

"If you would like, I can talk to him for you." I offered with a smile. "I know Stan will listen to me. I have a special connection with him you know?"

"No, but thanks Mabel." Dipper replied. "If I know him, and I know I do, he'll only ignore you, especially if it's in the way of him making money. If only there was something we could get for the shack that is real so I can stop being the center of his sick displays! First it was the wolf boy and now a homeless boy raised by wolves! He won't stop at nothing to make money will he?"

"Well Dipper, you can always check that magick-y book of yours for answers." I suggested. "It's full of magicky secrets, monsters and things. Like the gnomes and even that crystal that Gideon got a hold of. There's bound to be something in there that will help you out."

I noticed Dipper's expression lighten up almost instantly as he turned to me and grabbed me by the shoulders. I always knew I had a way with words. It's the Mabel difference!

"Mabel, you're a genius!" Dipper replied as he quickly released me and grabbed his book from under his pillow. "Why didn't I think of this before? Of course the journal would be the perfect place to look for a display for the shack. What would I do without you Mabel?"

Plenty since I have the Mabel difference lol. As Dipper looked through the book, I noticed how excited he was becoming. He then stopped and turned to me.

"I found the perfect display!" Dipper reported. "Let's go."

In a matter of minutes, we were out of the room and on our way to the forest to find a display for the shack so Stan could stop using Dipper as a human display or whatever he thinks up at the time. Waddles' sweater was just going to have to wait until after we got back. It would only take me a matter of minutes to finish anyway.

End of Flashback

At that moment, I got a sickening feeling in my gut about what was to come next. I just thought it came from eating the left over frosting from the cupcakes I made the other day, but come to find out, it was far more than that, something I wish we had never done to begin with. If I could take it all back, I would as seeing my brother in the condition he was in scared me beyond words. I thought I lost him for good after that.

Two days earlier the afternoon (The Forest)

Having already passed the largest oak tree, we were then in the depths of the forest. The air around us changed to cold and murky from warm and welcoming, like we were entering into some kind of lair. I noticed how the scenery around us changed, which sent a chill up my spine, a creepy one.

"Now when we reach the cave, you stay out here and I'll go in and tranquilize the creature." Dipper instructed to me, his voice in a low tone. "This is dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt."

I didn't reply at all, but kept following behind him. Dipper knew when I didn't reply, I heard everything he said or he figured it out recently. As we continued into the forest, we arrived at a large cave surrounded by bushes and what looked to be wild flowers. Those flowers were always pretty to me.

"Now here's the gremoblin's cave." Dipper informed me in a whisper while handing me his book and taking my grappling hook from my hands. "You stay out here while I go in."

"Ok." I agreed with him as I noticed him move towards the entrance of the cave.

While I watched my twin practically disappear into the darkness, I began hearing some strange sounds, like a rumbling stomach, behind me. It couldn't have been my stomach because I ate hours before we left and Dipper was too far away for me to hear his stomach. That rumbling became louder and louder when suddenly an ear piercing roar could be heard behind me. Turning around and dropping Dipper's book in the mud at my feet, what I saw was the most terrifying sight that only exists in nightmares. If I was asleep, I needed to wake up and fast! Right in my face was a Gremoblin, one of the most dangerous creatures that Dipper's book spoke about! Frozen from fear, I didn't know what my next move was going to be. I didn't know if I should have run or what I should have done, but I couldn't move a muscle!

With my eyes caught on that scary monster, I noticed it raise its claws with my already knowing what was going to happen next. All I could think about was what and who I was never going to see again once this monster struck me with its claws. Mom and Dad, Dipper, Waddles, my friends back home in California and Gravity Falls, Eric, everyone would be left behind!

Still frozen from fear, the next moments were somewhat a blur to me as I heard my brother's voice calling my name and felt a hard shove that knocked me to the ground into the mud. I don't know if it was the monster that hit me or what it was, but I was down, and everything happened so fast!

Expecting to feel and see the worst, I opened my eyes and saw that I was lying in mud, but weren't bleeding anywhere, which was good because I hate blood! I didn't feel any different neither. I then heard my brother screaming along with very loud snarling. I quickly got to my feet to see my brother lying under the Gremoblin as it was mauling him! I had to save him!

"Hey! Get off my brother!" I yelled to the monster. No one attacks my brother but me!

"Mabel, no! Stay back!" Dipper yelled to me, his voice was very strenuous. "I don't want you to get-"

A claw hitting my brother in the face stopped his sentence, and immediately had me in tears at seeing this monster hurting my brother. I had to do something to help him and it was because he saved my life, his was on the line and the Gremoblin was doing everything it could to take it from him.

It began to rain and that made it much more difficult to see what this monster was doing to my brother. I had to stop it before it killed him! Grabbing a handful of mud, I began slinging handful after handful of mud at the creature's back while crying my eyes out. The rain, wiping my eyes with my muddy wrists, and my tears made it hard to see if what I was doing was going to get the creature to run away or not.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" I screamed, now running in the direction of the monster and my brother. I was immediately stopped by the sight of flashlights and someone coming towards us. I noticed that the monster reared up and run away, immediately forgetting about me and my brother lying in the mud as the rain pelted down on him. Rushing over to Dipper's side, I broke down in tears that much more at what I noticed about him. His face was scratched up by the monster's claws, his left arm was twisted above his head and pointed towards the entrance of the cave, he was bleeding out of his mouth, and was unconscious. His spine tree hat was destroyed, barely recognizable. Taking his right hand, I cried so much, blaming myself over and over for this. My brother could have been dead at that moment, but I knew I had no blame in this, it wasn't me that drove my brother to this, it was Stan. If he hadn't put my brother on display in the shack, he wouldn't have been in that condition, hanging on by a thread. He had gone too far this time!

My attention was then turned away from my brother when someone approached us carrying a flashlight. It was a woman with blonde hair. She asked me what happened and I gave her the story, not telling her it was a Gremoblin that mauled my brother, but instead, a wolf that did it. The woman proceeded to call the police to get my brother to the hospital. She promised me everything was going to work out fine, but I didn't believe her, at least not then.

End of Flashback

The next moments after that were the hardest moments of my life, being separated from my brother as he was rushed to Gravity Falls Memorial Hospital by ambulance. His condition was critical and if he weren't rushed to the hospital, I'd never see him again. I couldn't take that chance. I was then escorted to the hospital by the police where they proceeded to call our parents to let them know what happened to us that afternoon after calling Stan and not getting an answer. It didn't take them any time to arrive in Oregon and what happened after that, just devastated me. I didn't know what to think about what they said after that. I'm in tears just thinking about it right now.

Two days ago that night

After our parents got to the hospital and learned more of me and Dipper's situation, mom and dad took me back to the shack, saying that we'll go visit and pick Dipper up in the morning provided he is well enough to leave so we can head back to California. I was told to go upstairs to the room to wait for them while they spoke with Stan and I packed my and Dipper's bags. What I heard was far from talking with my dad doing most of the yelling. I silently sat on the staircase next to the den to listen to what was being said.

"How could you let this happen to them?!" My dad yelled. "My son could have been killed thanks to your neglect!"

"We brought them here to experience a change in scenery, but if we had known what you were doing this entire time, we wouldn't have ever brought them here for a second year!" My mom screamed. "What were you doing anyway that was much more important than our children's welfare?! Money isn't more important than our children!"

"I should have you arrested for child neglect!" My dad yelled. "Our father was right about you! You are irresponsible and only think about yourself! I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I guess that's too much for you!"

"One thing is for sure, you'll never have to worry about Dipper and Mabel ever coming back here again!" My mom calmly stated. "Expect us to press charges against you for child neglect and endangerment!"

Just hearing my mom say that me and Dipper will never come back to Gravity Falls had me in tears more than when I saw my brother after the Gremoblin attacked him. I ran upstairs and jumped on my bed, crying my eyes out. Waddles tried to provide some comfort, but even that didn't help this time. Everything was falling apart and there was nothing I could do to try and put it back together. In the morning Dipper and I were leaving, never to return to our summer home.

End of flashback

Everything looked grim and I just couldn't keep up with what was going on around me. The only thing I knew was that Dipper and I would never see Stan again, which meant I would never see Candy and Grenda again, but most of all, I would never see Waddles again. I was beyond hurt. But what happened next was something I never expected, but it brought a smile to my face.

One Day ago that morning

After compiling my and Dipper's bags into the car, we arrived at the hospital to visit Dipper. He was wide awake and looking so much better. I couldn't stop smiling at seeing him awake and looking much better than he did that afternoon before, despite still hurting from what my parents told Stan the night before. His arm was in a bandage and sling in which a cast thingy wasn't made for him yet, but it was set the way it was suppose to be and his face looked as if the Gremoblin never attacked him. Hugging Dipper, Dipper returned the hug the best way he could. That is when our parents spoke.

"Dipper, Mabel, your mother and I made a decision." Our dad spoke. "While we originally decided to take you two away from here due to Stan's incompetence, we talked about it and decided that he is getting much too old to be watching you two so from now on, when you two come to Gravity Falls, we'll come with you as a summer family vacation."

"We know how much you two love it here so we'll all come together so your father and I can keep a much closer eye on you two." Our mom announced. "We didn't consider that Stan is too up in age to watch you two and that was the mistake on our part. We will not press charges against him and will forget about the entire thing. So does that sound good?"

"Wait, when did you two make the decision to take us out of Gravity Falls, let alone sue Stan?" Dipper asked in confusion, his voice sounding very groggy. He must have been given those feel good pills the doctor gave him to make him feel better from the accident.

"Last night, which I know devastated you Mabel after I told you." Mom said to me. She had no idea how right she was at that point. I couldn't even look at Waddles, that's how bad it was.

"It did, but I'm glad we get to stay!" I said hugging our parents.

Currently

And that's what leads us to this point. Right now, Dipper is asleep in his bed in the attic due to the pills the doctor gave him for pain while I am sitting next to him as he sleeps. After that afternoon, I thought I lost my brother for good and when our parents arrived to announce that we were never coming back, I thought we'd never see our summer home again, but things did work out in the end and I couldn't be happier for it.

Despite our parents following us here every summer from now on, that won't stop Dipper and I's summer adventures of exploring the unknown of Gravity Falls. We will just have to be more careful about it as this time we got lucky whereas next time, we won't be so lucky. After the events of two days ago, I just know nothing in our lives and Gravity Falls will ever be the same again.

Have any of you noticed that I am updating on Sundays now? Yea, I'm working on moving my updates back to Saturdays lol.

Review Please!