whatever it takes • gravity falls

poking the wild animal

Mabel usually acted on her heart.

In that moment, she acted on her head.

She wanted to believe her Grunkle, but she didn't even know if he was her Grunkle.

But the decision was coming all to fast and she had to rush her answer. She chose Dipper. Of course, she did. Dipper is her twin brother. He's the one constant she'll always have in her life. She trusted him. She didn't trust Stan anymore.

So she pressed her hand down on the hard red plastic, shutting down the portal and seemingly shutting down her mind as well. She couldn't quite comprehend the enormity of her action. She pressed the button. Prevented the end of the world.

The world falls back into place and Mabel hits the ground with a weird landing on her knee. She focuses on that because it hurts to think of anything else. The entire universe was in her control for a moment and now it wasn't and she didn't know what was going to happen next. So, she focused on her knee because she knew what would happen. It will hurt. It will heal. She will move on.

Dipper is next to her in a moment, a rough, sweaty hand that's familiar in all the best ways helps her up and stays in hers. His eyes are wide and scared but his mouth is thin and straight like when he's solving some science problem she doesn't understand and it's comforting like a sweet hug after a sour day.

He whispers with barely any sound, "Stay behind me, it's not safe." And with a jolt Mabel nods because she's unsure of what else to do because she just remembered that her Grunkle is over there but maybe he isn't her Grunkle. Her heart was making up for the time she ignored it and throbbing loud in her ears, pieces swirling like a tornado inside her.

They're slowing backing away but Mabel stops both of them with a hand in Dipper's shoulder. It starts quiet, brewing like a volcano, before erupting and Mabel feels destroyed.

Stan is sobbing.

Looking smaller and weaker than she's ever seen him. Than she's ever imagined him. He's clutching Journal 1 to his chest and Mabel is confused more than ever. A heart beat of regret bleeds through her.

Mabel acts on her heart and takes a small step forward. And another. And she's walking slowly over to Stan. Her steps echo against the cold concrete and the room that was just very loud is now too quiet. Too filled with her footsteps and Stan's crying.

Mabel lays a hand on Stan's shoulder like she did Dipper because Stan is family. She knows. She knows.

But Stan jerks his head up at her touch and Mabel takes a step back in surprise, her hand leaving his shoulder and she can see his heart break. His blue eyes are swirling and churning with tears like the ocean, water-falling past his cheeks and down his chin.

His voice is wobbly, weak, and filled with a pain that seems too old for Mabel to understand. Paradoxically, in this moment, Stan looks both the youngest and oldest Mabel's ever seen him. "He's gone."

Mabel tries to say something at first, her lips forming the words but no sound coming out. She swallows, clears her throat, and tries again. "Who?" She asks after a silence.

Stan looks away from her and towards the Journal, thumb brushing over the fingertips of the six-fingered hand. "He's why I rebuilt this portal. He's why I would risk the end of the world." There's a pregnant pause and Mabel can see Stan's hands tighten on the Journal. "My twin brother."

"That's not possible," Dipper says with a step forward, softly but confidently. Stan jerks his head to him and a fresh wave of tears roll down his face as Dipper stares hard back at him. "We would know if you have a twin brother."

"Weirder things have happened in this town, kid," Stan stays after too long, not really responding to the argument.

The quiet that follows is broken by the shouts from the FBI agents upstairs. Stan rises from the ground and floats over to the screen in the control room, looking unbalanced as he grabs onto every surface he can. He keeps one hand clutched to the Journal.

Stan returns to the room a few minutes later, looking very tired. "Looks like we have a while before they're a major problem, but we're stuck down here until then."

"If we're stuck down here," Soos says, speaking for the first time and seeming to catch Stan off guard with a look in his eyes that Mabel sees in her parents'. "Why don't you tell us your whole mysterious backstory?"

"It seems like I owe you all at least that much," Stan says while letting out a long breath, shoulders hunching in on himself. He clears his throat and begins his tale.