Mabel stared at the walkie-talkie in her hand, her brain feeling just like the static fuzzy noise that was coming from the device. Was that real, what she had heard?

"I'll do it. I'm gonna stay."

She couldn't believe it. She didn't WANT to believe it. After all this, Dipper was going to stay here, and be yet another thing she had to leave behind? She was going to go back to Piedmont ALONE?

Mabel let out a strangled sob, throwing the walkie-talkie to the other side of the room like it was suddenly on fire, feeling a cold tightness clench in her chest. Her eyes felt fuzzy and her brain was going staticy again, feeling like the room was going dark and cold and ALONE—

"GRUNKLE STAN!" she shouted, jumping up and bolting out of the attic, wanting to leave that dark, lonely place far, far behind her. She stumbled down the stairs, her chest constricting further. "GRUNKLE STAN!"

Stan tore through the house at Mabel's screaming, wondering what in the world happened for her to be sounding so scared in the five minutes he left her alone. "Mabel!" He found her looking around wildly in the TV room like she was lost, rushing up and holding her shoulders tightly. "Mabel, sweetie, what's wrong!? What happened!?"

Mabel stood there blubbering for a few moments, her breaths coming out labored and shallow, showing him that she was having a panic attack. He picked her up and set her on the chair, resting a hand on her back.

"Deep breaths, Mabel!" he instructed. "Deep—no, breathe in, keep breathing in…breathe out…there we go, keep doing that, okay?" He petted her back calmingly, feeling her shaking violently under his hand. He didn't know what caused this, but he wanted to punch it with the special spiked brass knuckles he keeps in his bedside table drawer.

He talked her down until she was breathing normally and her shaking subsided somewhat, pushing her hair out of her face to check her complexion. "You feeling better, sweetie?" he asked. Mabel took a deep, shaky breath and then let it out before reaching out and hugging his neck tightly. He hugged her back, frowning. "…Mabel?"

"…he's leaving me, Grunkle Stan…" Mabel whimpered, sniffling.

"Leaving?" Stan asked. "Who's leaving you?"

"…Dipper. Dipper's leaving me."

Stan gently peeled her arms from his neck, leaning back to look her in the eye. "Mabel, what are you talking about?" he demanded. "That's crazy, Dipper wouldn't—"

"I heard him," Mabel said, her jaw quivering from another onslaught of tears threatening to come out. "…on…on the walkie-talkies…" She clenched her fingers into his jacket sleeves. "…Great-Uncle Ford asked Dipper to stay here in Gravity Falls…and Dipper said yes."

Stan stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. His first reaction was 'THAT IDIOT KNOW-IT-ALL IS GOING TO GET THE SPIKED BRASS KNUCKLES IN THE THROAT!'. The second reaction was 'That kid is going home even if I have to duct-tape him to the bus!' Third was the most logical and the most-needed right now. Calming Mabel down.

He picked her up and carried her to the kitchen, setting her down at the table before fetching a few sodas from the fridge for them to share, passing her one and sitting across from her. "…Are you sure you heard right, Mabel?" he asked. "Those things can be pretty screwy."

Mabel nodded, looking miserably at her can of cola. "I did," she said. "I heard Great-Uncle Ford ask Dipper to stay here as his apprentice…and Dipper said 'I'll do it, I'm gonna stay'." She nudged the can to the side, laying her head on the crook of her arm, giving Stan a few painful memories of himself in Mabel's exact position, save for the fact that it was in a bar, rather than at a table with someone who actually gave a damn.

Stan pinched the bridge of his nose, biting back a groan. He gave Ford an inch in allowing Dipper to hang out with him, and the idiot took a mile. Offering a twelve-year-old—okay, ALMOST thirteen-year-old—he's only known for a couple of weeks an apprenticeship in perhaps THE most dangerous field of work Stanley could think of—and yes, that DID include trafficking and number running—without asking ANYONE ELSE involved in Dipper's life was downright STUPID. RECKLESS. ARROGANT.

And quite honestly…Stan couldn't think of a reason why Dipper WOULDN'T want a chance at that. This supernatural stuff was up the kid's alley, what Dipper thought about, lived for; ate, slept, and breathed. Stan knew that even if he kept that journal to himself, Dipper would have found SOME way to keep exploring the mysteries of Gravity Falls. It was better he give Dipper a means to protect himself than leave him exposed to what he was going after anyway.

He took a sip of his soda before letting out a heavy sigh. He'd hoped a conversation like this wouldn't come up for several more years to come, but it seemed he was going to have to do it. "Mabel," he said quietly, getting her attention, "there's something I gotta talk to you about. I wasn't expecting this to happen so soon, but since it HAS…we might as well talk about it."

Mabel sat up, wiping her face. "…What is it?" she asked. Stan drummed his fingers on the table for a few more moments, taking another procrastinating sip of soda.

"…It's…about bein' a twin," he finally said gruffly, sounding slightly depressed. "About…how things change as you get older. As you grow up and realize your lives will go in separate directions." He drummed his fingers on the table again. "I just…didn't think I'd be havin' this talk so soon, y'know? Since you're only twelve. About to be thirteen."

Mabel nibbled her lip, tugging her sweater up to her chin. "…what about it?" she said quietly.

Stan sighed softly. "…the thing is, Mabel…it happens. At some point or the other, twins go separate ways…sometimes one is more ready for the other." His voice was sadly bitter. "…And things don't go right if there's no communication about the prospect beforehand, y'know?"

Mabel was reminded of the 'entire mysterious backstory' moment down in the basement that day, feeling a pang in her heart. "…it can get bad," she stated. "Like…like you and Great-Uncle Ford."

Stan's jaw tightened, as did his grip around the soda can. "Yeah," he said thickly. "Just like that. But I don't want you and Dipper to have anything REMOTELY like that between you. You're better than that. Closer than that. And…you have a support system I…we…never had."

He took a deep breath, forcing his emotions down. This wasn't about him. It was about Mabel.

"Look, sweetie…I know you've had a good time here, weirdness and all…but you gotta understand, summer cant last forever. You've gotta move on, and make some good outta the rest of your life. Don't stay in the past and keep yourself from growin' up. Took me ten years too late to realize that, and I suffered another thirty for it." He gave her a smile. "You're too sweet and special to stay a little twelve-year-old brat forever."

Mabel found herself smiling a little through her tears despite herself. She wiped her eyes, sniffling slightly. "I've never been away from Dipper before," she said. "I'm scared."

"I know," Stan replied. "But this'll be good, y'know? Imagine all the new things you'll be talkin' about over Christmas and summer breaks. If you're together all the time, there're no surprises. You'll learn to be YOU, instead of the other half of a set. And Dipper…Dipper'll grow too. It'll be good for you BOTH."

He gave her an encouraging smile. "I know it's gonna be hard, Mabel. But it's so much better that you part ways on good terms, where you cant wait to meet up again, rather than bitter and wishing you'll never see each other again. And remember, it's not just you leaving without him…he's staying without you. He's gonna take it hard too."

Mabel chewed her lip again, mulling over his words before hopping out of her seat and hurrying around to him, hugging him tightly.

Stan hugged her back, petting her head. "It's gonna be okay, Mabel," he promised. "You'll get through this, and trust me, you'll be a better person for it."

Mabel nodded against his chest, tears flowing down her cheeks. She trusted him. She knew it was going to be a better choice. But it didn't stop the dull throb in her chest from hurting any less.