Chapter Text
Mid-July 2012,
Gravity Falls, Oregon,
10:00 am
“One….
Two…..
Three!”
The pull of a lever echoed in the empty portal room and what followed was an underwhelming silence, no whirring of a portal, no floating object hitting the walls and the ceiling, no nothing. Just silence.
Dipper took a deep breath and reset the lever and kept trying, and trying, and trying until his arms felt like they were going to fall off so he took a small break. It wasn't long though before he reached for the lever to try again, this needed to work it just needed to. He knew at the back of his mind it was no use but his stubbornness got in the way of that thought as he tried again, pulling back the lever for nothing to happen became a sick cycle of hope in his mind that blinded him to the reality of the situation. He knew Stan said she would be okay, but he felt like Stan was just trying to make him feel better or maybe make himself not feel as bad for convincing Mabel to not press the button.
“It's going to work, it has to,” He muttered to himself in the lonely testing room before trying yet another time to only achieve the same result. Dipper pulled his hands away from the lever, standing there with an unreadable expression on his face as he started down at his shoes. He heard the faint sound of an elevator ding and then the squeakiness of the rusty door that made his hands move to his ears to cover the sound. His body made no effort to move but his eyes did as he tried to look from his peripheral vision to try to see who it was, all he saw was a blob of a person before looking down at the ground again like there was something fascinating about it.
“Kid? You've been down here for a while, c'mon just come up and y'know eat something? You weren't even at breakfast” Stan suggested, looking at where Dipper was standing as Dipper slowly turned to face Stan. He was still looking at the ground for a moment before his eyes lifted and met Stan’s.
“I know I'm just trying to get this to work” Dipper answered, taking out Journal 3 and scribbling something in it on a blank page, he walked away and sat down in a corner and wrote things down like how there was no reaction and his theories on how to get it working again. “I'm not leaving this basement until I get results,” Dipper said more clearly and louder so Stan knew he wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. Stan just let out a sigh at Dipper’s stubbornness.
“Your head is getting in the way of your own needs again kid, you look like you haven't slept in days,” Stan's gruff voice had an edge to it like he was trying his best to insult Dipper when really he was just concerned for the boy in front of him.
“So? I need Mabel back and that's more important right now,” Dipper responded, putting the end of his pen in his mouth and chewing on it in thought. He started down at the page about the portal and his written down thoughts of how to possibly get it working again.
“Dipper, the portal's not going to work it needs more nuclear power-”
“That doesn't make sense, you brought in so much it should still have some to power it up still or at least turn on for a second” Dipper interrupted, still caught up in the idealization of the portal turning back on and working again as the voice of reason does out further. For such a smart kid he let his own feelings get in the way.
“C’mon Dipper this…most likely isn't healthy for you to be down here and I don't feel like arguing with you,” Stan stepped closer to where Dipper was sitting, he kneeled down to look into Dipper's eyes but Dipper refused to look at him. “You're probably inhaling…formaldehyde” Stan added but Dipper still didn't budge, Stan let out an exasperated sigh.
“I'm not leaving” Dipper was persistent in his resolve. “I'm not leaving until Mabel comes back”
“You're digging yourself an early grave, look at you you're a mess” Stan argued, gesturing his hand to Dipper and how he was curled up near the wall with heavy eyebags and scribbling in Journal 3 like it personally offended him.
“So? Even if I am, what's the point of growing up without Mabel?” Dipper commented before realizing how dark that sounded and how he wasn't helping his case. He shut up after that and the writing in the journal slowed down.
“C'mon, kid, just come up even if it's only for a little bit to eat something,” Stan kept pestering, Dipper knew he wasn't going to let him stay down here. Dipper slowly got up from his spot as he hit the journal closed with a loud snap, keeping the pen in the same spot to remember where he was writing for later.
“...What is there to eat?” Dipper reluctantly asked, his eyes drifting from the floor up to meet Stan's eyes briefly to only look back down. Stan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
“Stuff to make a sandwich, 80 percent sure on that, c'mon let's go see,” Stan beckoned Dipper to follow along as he muttered about possibly going to Greasy’s Diner if they didn't have much food in the Shack. Dipper felt like he was dragging his feet to follow Stan like his feet were made out of steel–too heavy to even attempt to pick up–Dipper looked back at the portal one last time with that spark of determination in his eyes before looking away and going to the elevator Stan already reached.
~
Dipper sat at the kitchen table in the stiff chair while Stan prepared a sandwich for him, Stan occasionally glanced back at Dipper to make sure he didn't sneak off back into the basement again. Dipper started to write in his journal once he got half of a sandwich and ate a few bites before setting it down, his emotions affecting how much he wanted to eat and he already felt full and nauseous from just those few bites alone. Dipper stopped writing and started to draw the last time he saw Mabel’s bright smile, sketching slowly to the best of his ability. Stan sat across from him now, feeling the awkward silence in the room that was almost worse than the strange smell in the basement he mentioned earlier.
Just almost,
Stan felt just as depressed as Dipper felt but was better at not showing it, he wanted to be tough for Dipper, to be by his side through the turmoil Dipper was caught up in. Stan saw a part of the drawing of Mabel on the pages of the Journal in the corner. Stan just looked at it for a few good seconds, his eyebrows furrowing together before having an idea and suddenly standing up and disappearing from the kitchen. Dipper looked up at his sudden departure before convincing himself that he didn't care and he went back to doodling Mabel.
Stan came back after a few minutes with something behind his back as he looked down at Dipper, waiting for him to renotice him again. Stan cleared his throat to get Dipper's attention which startled him and led to him dropping his pen mid-stroke.
“What?” Dipper managed to say as his heart rate settled after a second. Stan shrugged before pulling out what was behind his back; the puppet of Mabel that she made herself, it was a little bit burned from the big explosion at the end of the sock opera that went bad but it was still all intact.
“Here, kid, for every time you miss Mabel until she gets back” Stan placed it down near the journal as Dipper stared at him and the sock puppet in disbelief, he really went to go find this just to give it to him.
Dipper almost wanted to cry again,
But he didn't let himself cry,
Why was Stan doing this for him?
After all the times Stan made fun of him?
“Uhm thank you Grunkle Stan” He thanked briefly, taking puppet Mabel and making her look like she was trying to sit up on the table but fell back down until Dipper figured to balance her on a glass of water so she stayed in the sitting position.
“Your welcome” Stan responded, dragging the chair he was sitting in before back out as it screeched from the floor causing Dipper to cover his ears instinctively before dropping his hands. Stan continued to sit back down across from him.
“Look, try to be positive Dipper,”
“That's Mabel’s thing” Dipper said, like he was correcting Stan on something.
“Right I know but you've gotta have it in you somewhere right? Like I said, Mabel has to be with Ford, and Ford knows how to survive out there he's been there for 30 years” Stan explained once again, doing small hand gestures to prove his point.
“Sure but…how can you be so sure? How do you know your brother will take care of Mabel well?” Dipper debated, taking puppet Mabel back into his hands and gingerly laying a finger that traced a googly eye. “I want real reassurance, not just words from an old man who had seen his brother decades ago.” Dipper put bluntly, he meant it out of a place of concern for Mabel but it came out as a dig at Stan.
Was…that too harsh…?
Stan sighed, he realized how Dipper definitely had some strong feelings against him right now just like yesterday but more toned down. Stan, for the almost genius con man he was, ran out of ideas of what to do to make his grand nephew feel better. The conversation they had yesterday didn't matter, the hug they shared didn't seem to matter either right now.
At least that's what it seemed like with how Dipper was acting.
.
.
.
“I'm going up to my- Mabel and I’s bedroom now,” That was it, clear and simple as Dipper stood up from his chair while Stan’s eyes followed his figure until he couldn't see him anymore. Once the door clicked to the upstairs bedroom Stan still sat there, arms crossed as he looked down at the table and thought.
“How am I going to get through to this kid?”
~
Dipper made it into the room, closing the door behind him as his eyes took in the contrast of the bright colors of Mabel’s side of the room compared to his simplistic and toned down side of the room. Dipper bowed his head down as he shuffled his feet. The room felt darker and less inviting without Mabel jumping on the bed or making her stuffed animals interact. Dipper slowly made his way over to a mirror and just looked at himself in it, he looked like he hadn't slept in months and also like he just crawled out from a hole. Dipper looked down at Puppet Mabel, it was one of the only puppets that survived that drastic show. Dipper put the puppet on his hands and put it up to the mirror as he made it talk.
“It's okay Dipper, I'll be back soon ya dork! Bop,” He tried to imitate Mabel's voice but it wasn't his best work and then Dipper lightly made the puppet hit him in the cheek like Mabel would do, his eyes were focused on the puppets movement in the mirror before he looked away and dropped his hand down. He didn't have the same gleam of joy in his eyes while doing it like Mabel, he didn't have the right voice to imitate Mabel as his voice cracked from even just trying.
He wasn't her.
And that was the problem.
“Just…be okay…I'll get you back…somehow” Dipper whispered to no one but himself, he wished Mabel could hear him but he knew that was near impossible.
No matter,
How long,
It takes….
He will get his sister back.
~~~~~~~
2012,
Dimension 36X,
+-&:$/@ apm??
It was pretty quiet as once Mabel and Winter made their way to the outskirts of the dimension, away from any alien huts or marketplaces. All of that seemed miles away from where they were walking, the only sound was the wind blowing and Mabel humming to some type of pop song while they walked. After another minute of silence Mabel finally couldn't take it anymore as she spoke up.
“Do you know Several Timez?” Mabel asked suddenly, Winter looked back at her as she raised an eyebrow and shook her head no.
“I can't say I do, Mabel,” Winter answered before looking back in front of them. Booo, that's no fun! Plus Mabel was tired of it being so gloomy out here, this dimension sure needed some glitter and love.
“Oh yeah right of course you don't you've been out here for a while after all!! It's a boy band group, I met them in person and they were like actual human lab rats! They were really sweet though so I can't decide on a bias,” Mabel ranted, walking right beside Winter with a bounce to her step. “I think you might like them! They make really catchy music like the song I was humming called Cray Cray-”
“Alright okay, I get the point” Winter cut Mabel off in a firm tone, Winter wasn't used to doing much chatter around her and she just needed a break for a second. Winter took in a deep breath and looked at Mabel. “Do you know what a rift looks like?” Mabel raised an eyebrow and shook her head in a firm no. “Well they look…dark and have puffs of darkness spiraling from them and they look like they're glitching out in a way.” Winter explained. “We need to look for one, we can't stay in any dimension too long”
“Right-O! So that's why we've been walking for millions of miles?” Mabel asked, obviously exaggerating how far they've walked. Though both their feet were definitely hurting by now.
“Yeah, but Soyala can usually sense the rifts, kind of like a sixth sense.” Winter elaborated, pointing to the little fox that was sniffing the ground intently. Mabel nodded slowly at that, watching the cute fox before her and Winter kept walking.
“M’kay, so you want me to look out for them too? Like a pirate looking for land? Arghhh!!!” Mabel answered, already acting like she was a pirate as she ran in front of Winter, Winter just stared in mild amusement at her as Mabel played pirate. Winter didn't say anything like that, but whatever floated her boat she thought. “Arghhh there be no sign of land ahead captain!" Mabel roleplayed, referring to Winter as the captain of their supposed invisible ship.
“Alright, just don't go too far searching for rifts,” Winter reminded like a big sister, or maybe even a mom, while Mabel ran around looking for rifts or ‘land’ as she was calling it, right before coming back in front of Winter.
“Arghh my stomach be growling, whatcha got for food matiee” Mabel poked at her own stomach that was behind her sweater, Winter let out a small sigh. Winter pulled out something from the pockets that hung from her belt down to her hips, it was some bag or rations. Mabel happily took it and tore it open and ate the specks of…no flavor…bleh. Mabel ate some, enough to settle her stomach at least after not being able to eat something so plain, it tasted like those plain crackers her mom bought once, those sat in the cabinets for months. Mabel secretly gave the rations to Soyala. Mabel reached out her hand to Soyala as the fox happily chipped at being given food and munched on it even though Winter was only a few inches away and could clearly see what Mabel was doing. Soyala finished but Winter didn't let go of what she just saw Mabel do, Winter put a hand on her hip and spoke up.
“You're gonna have to get used to the bland taste eventually” Winter called out to Mabel, Mabel jolted at being caught and looked at Winter with a sheepish expression on her face. All Winter did was roll her eyes and keep moving. They all walked for a while longer, Winter was caught up in the boringness of it all, Mabel was still playing pirate, god she was so tired. Winter had only slept….maybe a few hours last night, even though she was used to it her body still didn't like her for it, her brain pounded against her forehead. Winter closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.
“Land Ho!!” Mabel beamed, making Winter's eyes shoot open at the sound, Winter looked to where Mabel was pointing. Winter looked over there and Mabel was right, there was a rift!!
“Good job Mabel,” Winter complimented, making Mabel smile more while Winter speed walked over to it and Mabel skipped ahead, Mabel was now standing at the edge of the rift looking into it curiously.
“Now Mabel, this can be a very dizzying experience for your first time with all the colors and swirling around. And for safety please hold my hand so we don't split up alright?” Winter explained like she was a captain in a ship talking into the intercom while Soyala climbed onto her shoulder. Mabel nodded in agreement, reaching her hand out firmly.
“You got it captain! Now how ‘bout we jump this ship? Blow this popsicle stand? Uhm…another phrase for leaving a place!” Mabel suggested, her eyebrow going up at her own prompt
“I would wholeheartedly agree matie,” Winter finally, even if it was slightly, Winter grabbed her hand and held it. “Three…
Two….
One!”