She WAS My Sister (an Adoption AU story)

Chapter 5: Losing Mabel

Mabel was left mesmerized by the sight of it all. She had never known that all this time, her family owned such an extravagant and large yacht. She ran up to the bow and sat down on one of the chairs. From there she had a magnificent view of the lake as the sun began it's long decent towards the horizon.

Dipper walked up to her, handed her a Pitt Cola he got from the fridge inside the boat and sat down besides her on the other chair.

"Soos often comes here after work to watch the sunset with Melody. Good thing they keep the fridge stocked," Dipper said as he cracked open his can.

"I'm still in shock by it all," said Mabel, "You think we can go sailing with it?"

Dipper shook his head, "I'm afraid this old boat's days on the ocean are done. Grunkle Stan and Ford used it a bit before you were born. But after Stan died, Ford's health began to decline and you came, I never really got around to maintaining it. Add on top of how expensive it costs and I've found it better to just leave it here. Your mom often wants me to sell it given how expensive it still is to keep it here, even with the discount the town gives us, but I just can't. It means a lot to me," he said.

"Because it was Mabel's?" Mabel asked.

Dipper nodded, "Exactly. It was her boat and I can't bear to see it go. I guess I've become too sentimental to anything that once belonged to her."

"So, exactly how did she get a hold of it? Was it a lottery win or a gift," Asked Mabel?

"No. It was a dream, her dream. Her final dream. Just before Mabel died, we got visited by the Make a Dream Foundation. You know who they are right?" asked Dipper.

"I do. They make the dreams of children who are dying come true right?" she asked somberly.

"Correct. Mabel kept her dream a secret. The only clue was that whatever it was, it made even the volunteers who came to ask her about it cry. A few days later, Mabel got permission to leave the hospital and we all came back to Gravity Falls. Me, Stan and Ford assumed she just wanted to see home again. It was when we arrived at the lake and took off our blindfolds, that we realized how wrong we were," said Dipper.

"But why a boat? Why not...I don't know? Anything else on Earth?" Mabel asked.

Dipper smiled as he began to explain, "Mabel's reasoning was very simple. Before we found out we were orphans, she had helped Ford gain enough confidence to ask Stan to go sailing around the world with him as I told you. After they adopted us, those dreams were shattered. What with having to cover the costs to provide for us, the adoption papers and all the rest, their dreams once again got put on hold. Mabel knew that her time on Earth was running out, so she wanted to make sure her final act in life was so that the dream for Stan and Ford was fulfilled before the opportunity was gone. And oh, did she."

Mabel was left amazed at hearing this. To think, she was dying and rather then fulfill any dream she may have had, she used her dream up to fulfil her great uncle's dreams. Mabel could not believe it. Throughout the day, she had come to see Mabel Pines as a person who was fearless, a fighter and a loving soul. Now her name meant more than ever.

The two sat in silence before Mabel spoke again, "So, what happened to her, dad? How did your sister die?"

There was just silence.

"Dad?" she said.

Dipper took a deep breath in. As he slowly exhaled, he let the memories of that dreadful summer flood back in like a tsunami wave of despair. He had never told this story or even talked about it since then. That all ended today. He felt himself to now be ready. He looked to his daughter and began to tell the story.