Bad Habits (An Adoption AU story)

Chapter 2: Both Ways

"So, let me get this straight," said Dipper, "You actually agreed to help Stan quit smoking? Also, have you seen my extra pair of socks?"

"Well, yeah," said Mabel, "Obviously. And they're in your closet."

Mabel had spent the morning helping Dipper pack for his week long trip with Ford to the Oregon Science Convention. It was the first trip he and Ford were going on together since Brad came into their lives. Though they had been skeptical on going this year, given they didn't want her to feel like she was in the same situation she had been in that fateful night again, Mabel had insisted they both go this year. While helping him pack, she let Dipper know of her plan to help Stan.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"Well, it's ambitious. I mean, it won't be easy you know, Mabel. He has been smoking since before even mom and dad were born! Old habits die really hard...especially when you are as old as Stan!"

"Trust me, if anyone can get Stan to overcome his bad habit, it's Mabel," Mabel said confidently.

Dipper laughed, "I think you gotta first get your own bad habit under control before trying to help Grunkle Stan."

Mabel looked puzzled, "What bad habit?"

"Uh, hello, you eat sugar on a daily basis! You consume sugar like most people consume water! It's like you need it to survive,"

"Oh, come on, Dipper," said Mabel, "So maybe I eat a bit more sugar than the next guy. But so, what?"

"A bit more? Mabel, you skipped dinner two nights in a row because you had a tub of cotton candy for lunch."

"Well..."

"And yesterday you ditched breakfast to go with Candy and Grenda to that bakery."

"Well in my defense, it was good."

"Yeah," said Dipper, "It was so good, you ate the stuff you were bringing back for us on the way home."

Mabel began to sense something was up with what Dipper was saying. She had been doing stuff like that for a long while, even before Stan and Ford had adopted them. What was different now to Dipper then after all those times.

"And need I remind you what you ate for breakfast today?"

"Two pancakes with some maple syrup?"

"Half the bottle, Mabel!" yelled Dipper, "Half, the, bottle!"

"And let's not even touch the nightly Unicorn hot chocolate this week..."

"Okay fine, I get it," she said, "I may have a sugar addiction. But what does that have to do with helping Grunkle Stan quit smoking?"

"Look Mabel, you and Grunkle Stan both have a bad habit. His is smoking, and yours is the fact you can't eat anything unless it has a worryingly large amount of sugar in it. And it worries me. I mean, it's not healthy. Not just what Stan's doing, but what you're doing too."

"So, are you telling me...I gotta stop eating sugar?"

"Well, not entirely," said Dipper, "It is sort of what makes you who you are. But try to dial it down. I mean, if you're gonna help Grunkle Stan overcome his bad habit so he can be healthier, you should try to do the same."

Mabel looked skeptical.

"Look, if you're trying to fix a bad habit alongside Grunkle Stan, it will help you better understand why maybe he hasn't been able to quit his. Plus, you both could work together to try and work out a good way to tackle it."

"So, if I'm trying to overcome my sugar habit, and Stan's trying to overcome his smoking habit, we'll both be able to understand and help each other better?" asked Mabel.

"Pretty much," said Dipper, "Grunkle Ford told me about. Some psychological mumbo jumbo..."

"I don't know, Dipper," said Mabel, "I mean, I want to help Grunkle Stan quit smoking, not make this about me. And besides, why not wait until after I help him to deal with that."

Dipper sighed, "Look Mabel, I know you want to help Grunkle Stan, and I really want to see you succeed. But this is also a really good opportunity for you to overcome your sugar addiction too."

"Why are you suddenly so obsessed with that?" asked Mabel.

"Well..."

"No Dipper, why are you? Why are you suddenly so obsessed with how much sugar I eat when I've been doing it since before we even came here?"

"Because," sighed Dipper,

"Because what?" said Mabel.

"Because...it's gotten worse, that's why!

Mabel looked at him confused.

Dipper looked her directly in the eyes and lifted his shirt to show the scar from his kidney operation.

"Since this,"

Mabel looked confused, "what does your surgery scar have to do with this? I've got a matching one you know?" she teased as she lifted her own shirt.

"Exactly! Mabel...you were doing so well eating healthy before the donation, but now that it's over...you're even worse than you were before, and well...your body is weaker now and-"

"I KNOW MY BODY IS WEAKER DIPPER! I WAS THERE, REMEMBER?" Mabel shouted as her voice cracked and tears pricked her eyes.

Dipper felt awful seeing her getting upset and tried comforting her, but she pulled away from him.

"What else can I do besides enjoy sweets...I can't do strenuous sports like cheerleading ever again, remember?"

Dipper flinched, "of course I remember, Mabel! I just..." Dipper couldn't finish as tears overcame him.

Mabel could see Dipper was starting to get emotional. It eroded her anger quickly She pulled him in for a hug. It reminded her a lot of last night, when she did the same with Stan.

"I'm worried about you, Mabel. What you've been doing is not the normal sugar crazy Mabel I used to know. You're losing control. I didn't mention anything because I thought you knew. And now with this whole trip, you telling me how much you want to help Stan quit his bad habit for his health's sake, and all that stuff on the news lately about sugar and how many health issues it's causing, I'm...I'm scared. You saved my life...and I can't even imagine you losing yours."

"Wow," she said, "Is it really that bad?"

"It is," he replied, "Look Mabel, you wanting to help Grunkle Stan quit smoking is amazing, and I'm not wanting to slow you down in any way. But please, for me, can you try to deal with your own bad habit too? I...I just don't want anything to happen to you again. I know you can do it. You just need the right motivation. And if doing it alongside Grunkle Stan can help you both, then I want you to at least give it a try."

Mabel smiled, "Okay, Dipper, I promise I'll try for you."

"No Mabel," said Dipper, "Promise me you'll give it all you've got. And not for me. But for your own sake."

"I will Dipper, I will."

Though she had agreed, Mabel felt that this may be one promise that even she wouldn't be able to keep. But after hearing her brother's concerns, she wanted to take a shot at fixing it no matter what.