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fallen-gravity · 1 year

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Persistently Optimistic

Stanford Pines considers himself a man of many regrets.

One of which is feeling as though he never spent enough time with his great-niece

Notes:

I had the absolute biggest honor to write this piece for @gf10yearslaterzine!!!

This is the first time I've ever been able to write for one that made it all the way to the end goal, so this feels like a massive accomplishment for me! I'm really proud of myself and how far I've come, and I sincerely hope it shows through my work!

I decided not to go the route of a time-skip, but rather to focus on a dynamic that didn't get nearly enough love in canon. Ford and Mabel bonding will always be my beloved, and what better place to represent that in a love letter to the series itself?

Thank you, Gravity Falls, you've brought me unbelievable levels of joy over the years. I can't even begin to measure the people in my life that I've met as a result of my love for this show. Thank you, my lovely readers, who have supported me over the years and encouraged me to keep writing even when I've thought of giving up. Thank you to the wonderful crew of the show. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

AO3

For as long as he could remember, Ford was convinced that nothing in this world could make him happier than the thrill of discovery. In a world where he was always seen as the abnormality, nothing put a bigger smile on his face than knowing he wasn’t alone, that there were far weirder creatures out there than a geeky polydactyl scientist who played too many tabletop games.

He thought for sure that he would never find an outlet as comforting as research, as documented proof that there was a place where all the weirdos out there could fit in. And for decades he was right, and was sure research and oddities were the only positive consistencies he would ever have in his life.

But then came along Dipper and Mabel, and everything that was missing in his life just fell right back into place. Sure, he still finds unmeasurable joy in hunting down all the mythical creatures he’d been hearing about since his childhood, but now he’s just as happy to be back in Gravity Falls for the summer as he was doing research out at sea.

He smiles to himself at the thought, and continues on with unpacking his things. He’s only got one box left to unpack, and as long as nothing else distracts him he should be all finished and settled in within half an hour.

As if that train of thought was an invitation, Ford’s hand brushes across something bright pink and covered in glitter.

Mabel’s scrapbook.

He’d completely forgotten that he and Stan had taken it with them on their trip. She was the one who insisted they bring it in case Stan’s memory started acting up again, and no matter how much Ford had protested in fear of damaging or losing it, she just shrugged it off and insisted that she could always make a new one.

They hadn’t needed to use it nearly as much as Ford was originally thinking they would’ve, and for that he’s eternally grateful, but just the weight of it in his hands is enough to cause a rush of emotions to come flooding back to him.

Mabel Pines is something special.

Even when all the hope in the world was lost, even when everyone else around her was grieving for lost love, she persisted. When all science and logic pointed towards failure and heartbreak, she persisted. She believed with her heart and soul that the answer was to love and nurture, and she was right.

Ford takes a moment to flip through some of the pages, now that there’s no urgency or panic behind it. The more he flips through pages and pages of blurry photographs and paragraphs upon paragraphs written in glitter gel, the more he realizes just how exuberant and loving she is all the time, even through the written expression of her own private thoughts.

The more he reads, the more he realizes that...he doesn’t know as much about Mabel as he thought he did. They’d spoken quite a few times over the previous summer, and Mabel was always present during the video calls home when he and Stan were out at sea, but it’s hitting Ford that...he never really took the time to get to know her on a personal level like he had with Dipper.

...No. He closes the scrapbook and forces himself to stop that train of thought before the guilt has time to sneak its way in. There’s still time. There’s plenty of time. He gently places the scrapbook down on his desk, and makes his way up to Dipper and Mabel’s shared attic bedroom.

He knocks gently on the door as he enters. Dipper’s lying on his bed reading a book, and Mabel is lying down on the floor on her stomach as she scratches behind Waddles’ ears.

“Hi Grunkle Ford!” she beams, and Dipper lowers his book to wave hello. “What brings you here?”

“Well, I wanted to check in and see how unpacking was coming along, but it appears that you’re getting along just fine” he smiles, and takes a knee so he’ll be closer to her eye level. “Mabel, dear, would you like to get some lunch with me? My treat.”

“Would I?” she beams, and she’s already dragging Ford out of the room before he has any time to explain why. “Free food and an afternoon with the smartest Grunkle in the world? Let’s go!”

Ford can’t help but smile fondly at her enthusiasm, and simply follows as she leads him by the hand out of the Shack. She practically skips along the sidewalk as they go, quietly humming a tune to herself. Even as she drags along someone at least twice her size, nothing slows her step for even a moment.

“So, what’s the catch?” she asks once they’re about halfway to the diner, cutting into his thoughts. Ford is initially taken aback by the question, but he finds relief in the smirk spreading across his niece’s face. “Are you finally going to give me my invitation letter to wizard school?” She claps her hands together, her smirk growing ever so slightly mischievous. “Ooh, Dipper isn’t here! Are you about to tell me that I’m your favorite nibling? It’s okay, I promise I won’t tell.” She gently nudges at his side with her elbow, and a chuckle escapes Ford as he ruffles up her hair.

“I’m afraid it’s a no on the wizard school, kiddo” he smirks, attempting to mirror her own. “You just missed the enrollment period by a few days.”

“Oh, boo” Mabel pouts, crossing her arms over her chest. “Just when I’d started knitting my own wizard’s robe, too”

“I’ll be sure to put an extra good word for you next semester, then,” he smiles, and gently places a hand on her shoulder. “However, there is something I wanted to discuss with you in private”

The mischievous grin doesn’t waver on her face for even a moment. “Ooh, mysterious author-y secrets! Even better!” she tugs on his hand as she pulls him along at a faster pace, which only causes the smile on Ford’s face to soften even more. He’d figured he wouldn’t get very far conversation wise on the way there, but leave it to Mabel Pines to make even a walk to the local diner twice as enjoyable as he ever could’ve imagined it.

…Even more of a reason to regret not trying to make a personal connection with her sooner, he supposes.

He does his best to keep that train of thought to himself, and spends the rest of the time on the walk to the diner just allowing himself to enjoy her company.

“So…” Mabel begins once they’re settled into their table at Greasy’s. “What’s up?” She places her elbows on the table, and rests her chin on her hands. “I can’t imagine what you could possibly find so important that you insist we talk about it privately, yet so tame that you insist on bringing me to the most popular restaurant in town”

Ford chuckles. “It’s one of the only restaurants in town at all, dear. I’d say that title is pretty moot in this case.” He scratches at his chin, suddenly finding that now that he has the opening he’d wanted to talk about things that he’s feeling much more anxious about addressing them than he’d originally thought. “In all seriousness, Mabel, this is less about keeping secrets, or anything overly exciting like you were probably hoping, and more on the line of something…personal that I wanted to express with you”

“Oh, ho ho!” She beams, mischievously rubbing her hands together. “Grunkle Ford, have you finally come around on my matchmaking services? I know at least a dozen old ladies who would find you at least twice as attractive as Grunkle Stan, if you promise never to tell him I told you that!”

Ford’s cheeks burn bright red, but he waves a dismissive hand before she can go any further with that conversation. “Th-that’s very kind of you to offer, but…no” he clears his throat, hoping to clear the blush from his face as well. “I was thinking more on the lines of discussing what happened last summer”

“...Oh” Mabel’s mischievous smile slips from her face. “You mean with the scrapbook? I already told you that it’s no big deal”

Ford shakes his head. “It is a big deal, Mabel. I’m not sure Stan would’ve ever been the same again if it hadn’t been for your persistent optimism and quick thinking”

“Aww, shucks, Grunkle Ford” Mabel waves a hand, a light blush forming on her cheeks. “You know that’s just how I am”

“But it’s so much more than that, Mabel” Ford reaches across the table and takes Mabel’s hands in his own. “You’re a brilliant young girl that never gives up on her hopes and dreams in even the most dire of circumstances, but…” he casts his glance elsewhere to avoid eye contact with her, “I only wish I’d been able to see that sooner. I neglected you in favor of your brother last summer, and I want to make it up to you. I’m sorry”

Silence, save for the sound of Mabel getting up from her seat. Ford sighs, and prepares to stand to follow her out the door to further explain, but before he can so much as scoot a single inch out of his booth, there are a pair of tiny arms around him.

“Is that what this is about?” Mabel’s words are muffled as she hugs him. “Grunkle Ford, you big softie!” she gives him a big squeeze before she releases and returns to her seat across from him. “I’m always happy to have an excuse to spend some private time with my favorite Grunkles, but you don’t need to feel bad about anything!”

Ford blinks. That was…certainly not the reaction he was expecting. “Really?”

“Of course!” she beams. “All that it means is that you have the pleasure of getting to know me now!” She offers a hand in his direction. “It’s nice to meet you, Grunkle Ford”

There’s something inexplicably contagious about the way she smiles. Ford can’t help but offer a warm smile in return as he shakes her hand. “The pleasure’s all mine,” he replies, which only widens her smile even further.

“So is there anything in particular that you were hoping to question me about? I know you said that it didn’t have anything to do with letting you borrow the scrapbook for the winter, but I’ve been told that my methods of seeking out scrapbook-ortunities are…questionable”

Ford can’t help but laugh. “No, I assure you that I’m not here to criticize the means of which you organize your scrapbook without your explicit permission” he places a hand to his chest in mock offense. “As a fellow author, I’m horrified at the thought”

That gets a laugh out of Mabel, and she relaxes into her seat. Ford knows he can’t stall this conversation forever, though, so he reaches across the table and takes her hand again. “In all seriousness, Mabel, this…does have a bit to do with your scrapbook, but not in the way you may be expecting”

“Oh?” Mabel raises an eyebrow. “How so?”

“I mean…” Ford sighs. “There’s so much love in you, Mabel. I’ve only had the time to read a portion of your scrapbook, and I feel as though I was able to gather more about your personality from reading those entries than any of the efforts I made last summer”

Ford twiddles with his thumbs anxiously, but continues before she has the chance to cut him off. “You’re so optimistic, even when you’re face to face with the direst of circumstances. You’re so full of hope and love that you’re able to continuously push against the obstacles in your way to make sure that everyone on both sides of a problem can be happy.”

He shakes his head in disbelief, but a small smile forms on his face nonetheless. “Mabel, in a world where I grew up being told that you have to rely on logic and smarts to get anywhere useful, you managed to fight back with the power of love and come out of that fight victorious”

His gaze falls towards the table, suddenly finding that he’s far too embarrassed to meet her eyes. “In other words…” he pauses for the briefest of moments “…thank you for proving me wrong.”

There’s another bout of silence, but this one doesn’t feel nearly as heavy as the previous one. Ford finally finds the courage to lift his gaze from the table and back towards Mabel, and her eyes are shining brighter than anything he’s ever encountered in the multiverse. “Grunkle Ford, that’s so sweet!” she squeals, excitedly kicking her feet against her seat. “This is even better than wizard school!”

“It’s my pleasure, dear,” he smiles warmly in response. Her happiness truly is the most contagious thing in the universe. “It’s why I regret not taking the time to get to know you sooner. I know you’ve already told me I don’t need to apologize, but the honest truth is that I feel like there’s a lot I can learn from you”

“Is that what this is about?” she replies, though her beaming smile stays where it is on her face. “Grunkle Ford, do you think that I think you’re all cold and uncaring?”

Ford rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck. “Not necessarily you specifically, but…” he pauses for a moment to try and gather the proper way to phrase things, “I’ve never found myself able to approach things with the same sort of caring, optimistic attitude that you seem to carry around with you on a daily basis, and I really admire that about you”

“Aww, but you don’t have to try and force yourself to be like that! Grunkle Ford, you’re one of the most caring people I know! You’re so protective, and you care a lot about your research, and about me and Dipper, and even Stan! I don’t know what happened between you two when Bill had you captured in that…pyramid prison thing, but look how far you’ve gotten! You couldn’t even look each other in the eyes last summer, and now you’re sailing all over the world together! You don’t need kindness lessons from me; you’ve got plenty of it already!”

…Now Ford’s the one with a blush rising to his cheeks. “Thank you, dear, that means a lot to me”

“Of course!” She reaches her hands across the table once more. “I love you just the way you are, Grunkle Ford” she smiles softly, a mischievous twinkle shining in her eyes. “But if you’re still willing to take me out to free lunch and go on private little adventures after this amazing pep talk I just gave you, I won’t complain”

Ford can’t help the chuckle that escapes him. “It’d be an honor, dear”

#my writing #gravity falls #gf10yearslater #gravity falls 10 years later #ford pines #mabel pines #ford and mabel bonding #mabes and fordsy

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