Summary: When Ford has trouble sleeping one night, he decides to take a late night drive into town to clear his head. But along the way, he runs into another member of his family, dealing with a similar problem.
Ford started up the stairs. He wasn't getting any sleep tonight. He knew that for a fact. He decided maybe a drive through town would help calm his nerves. He'd do that all the time while in college when he was stressing over exams. Maybe even get a donut and coffee while out too. As he made it to the top, he saw a familiar face coming down the stairs too.
"Mabel? What are you doing up so late?" he asked.
Mabel looked at him surprised, "uh...might I ask you the same thing?" she responded.
The two looked at each other for a bit before Ford spoke.
"I...I can't sleep. So, I was gonna go take Stan's car out for a late-night drive," he said.
"Oh, you too huh? Yeah, I haven't gotten any sleep at all since...well...you know," said Mabel.
Ford sympathized with her. After all, her Weirdmageddon fuelled insomnia was indirectly his fault.
"Wanna tag along with me, Mabel?" he offered.
Mabel smiled, "Sure. Where are we going?" she asked.
Ford thought for a minute as he looked out the window. An idea then hit him.
"I know just the place," he said, "But first, how about a donut?"
Mabel smiled even more as she ran out towards the car.
The two drive through the forest and into town. At 1 AM, on a late August night, Gravity Falls truly was a different place. The glow from street lights flowed over the car in a continuous pattern of light and dark. Very few people were out this late. Mainly street cleaners, security guards at the museum and the occasional tourist driving past, trading in sleep for time.
The two pulled up in front of a coffee shop and got out. Ford got a regular plain bagel and medium coffee. Mabel however surprised him by ordering the most sprinkle filled donut they had (which he knew she would), and also an extra-large coffee. He always had assumed she hated coffee.
"Oh no. I'm about as much of a coffee addict as you are Grunkle Ford. Normally I just mix it up into Mabel juice. It tastes better after a couple packets of sugar," she said humorously, before gulping down her drink.
"You really are a miracle of nature Mabel," said Ford as they continued driving.
The two soon reached their destination, a hill overlooking all of Gravity Falls.
"Here we are Mabel. Welcome to lookout peak," he said.
Mabel stared down into the valley in awe. Even this late at night, she could see everything clearly. The town of Gravity Falls which she had been calling home for these last few months glowed in the darkness like a beacon. The twisting one-way road leading from town towards a single glow in the woods signalled the location of the Mystery Shack. The cliffs carved out by the UFO towered over the valley with Trembly Falls gushing over one side into the lake below, where she, Dipper, and Soos went looking for the Gobblewonker all that time ago. Finally, there was the road. The long twisting road that stretched out beyond into the horizon on both sides. One-way lead towards Washington state while the other side ran all the way back to California...home.
"This is incredible," said Mabel, "How do you know about this place?"
"Back in my younger years when I was investigating this town, I'd come up here and watch the sunset and listen for the call of the eye bats," replied Ford, "Not much really has changed of that view since then. The Gravity Falls you know and love is still in many ways the Gravity Falls I chased after all those years ago."
The two stared down into the valley for a while, before Mabel looked up at Ford.
"I forgive you, Grunkle Ford. You know I do...right?"
Ford looked down at her in surprise, "What?" he asked.
"I know you don't want me to think you care about Dipper more than me. I know that you care about both of us equally. You don't have to be sorry for something you're not guilty of," she said.
"But...but I tried to take Dipper..."
"No, you didn't," interrupted Mabel.
"No, you didn't, Grunkle Ford. You acted in a moment of hope. You saw in Dipper what you saw in yourself all those years ago. You didn't do it to hurt me. I was broken already that day. I guess, for me...hearing Dipper wasn't gonna come home with me was the final straw. I never held anger towards you for that. And you shouldn't beat yourself over it anymore. It's in the past now," she said.
Ford looked at her, smiled as his eyes watered up and pulled her into an embrace.
"Oh Mabel," he said, "I don't deserve to have a niece as incredible as you. I guess in all my years of isolation, I never really realized how much family will care for you. I thought I lost you that day. Not just in person, but as a being able to call myself your Great Uncle. I guess...I guess..."
"You saw Dipper as someone you could mold into you?" she said.
"Yeah," replied Ford, "I guess in my pursuit of finding a successor, I tried too hard to make Dipper into me. And I don't want that. I don't want him in a lab working with chemicals and other dangerous things. He's still a kid like you. He deserves to enjoy that. He deserves to enjoy what's left of his childhood. And not with someone who knows nothing about having fun, but with you...his sister."
Mabel smiled, "Aww. Grunkle Ford, you're fun too. I never saw Dipper have as much fun playing Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons with anyone as he did with you. Seeing him happy made me happy. Of course, I'd pick on him about it. But I'm his sister. We do that all the time," she said with a laugh.
Ford smiled back, "So, we good?" he asked.
"Of course, Grunkle Ford. I love you no matter what. Family always gets on each other's nerves. But it's the fact we can overcome and get along afterwards which makes our bond special. No one else would understand it." said Mabel as she looked up to him.
"I guess it took me a while to realize that. With Stanley especially. He cared about me for over thirty years. He wasted them trying to get me back. And I punched him in the face for it. I promise, I'll make it up to him. I owe him a lifetime," said Ford.
"I know you will," said Mabel, "You know Grunkle Ford, this whole summer...and I guess all that happened in the last two weeks especially, really was a lesson for you, me and Dipper. I learned that it's okay to be afraid to grow up and fear reality, but that you'll always have friends and family to help you along the way. Dipper learned not to grow up too fast, and to enjoy this time while he has it. I mean, we start high school in a year and our childhoods are gonna end soon. Like you said, we have to enjoy what we have left."
"And me?"
"You learned that family will always have your back, no matter what," said Mabel.
Ford smiled, "I guess I did. Thanks Mabel. It was nice to finally talk to you one on one. I really wish I could have done more of it with you."
"Don't worry Grunkle Ford. As long as you or Grunkle Stan don't tell mom and dad about...you know what, then we should be back next summer to bug you both," said Mabel.
Ford laughed, "I'll be sure to buy more coffee by the looks of things."
The two looked at the stars for a bit before driving back home. The next morning as Dipper and Stan walked into the living room, they came across one of the most heartwarming sights imaginable.
Mabel and Ford were asleep on the sofa with a book laying on the floor.
"Typical sixer," said Stan, "Staying up all night and crashing on the sofa while reading a nerdy book. Though, I don't know what Mabel's doing with him."
Dipper bent down and picked up the book.
"Actually Grunkle Stan," he said, "This is one of Mabel's books. Do you think...?"
The two looked at each other and then back at their sleeping twin siblings.
Stan smiled, "Well, it looks like the world's nerdiest old man finally won over your sister, kid."
Dipper put his hand over his mouth, "let's let them sleep, okay?"
The two agreed and headed into the kitchen. Before doing so, Dipper ran upstairs and got a blanket which he put over the two of them. As he headed for the kitchen, he felt happy that his sister and other great uncle had finally bonded. Though he assumed it was just over the book, he had no idea about their little adventure that night. Afterall, he didn't know how lovely last night was for a drive.
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