Wow, this is actually my 20th Gravity Falls tale! That's absolutely crazy! I can't believe I've written that many... I seriously need a life XD

Anyways this one is a "what if" scenario for NWHS, which is still my favorite episode of the whole series, haha. This time, though, Mabel actually presses the button. There's really nothing positive about this story... whereas everything else I write has some sort of comfort in it... this one's just kinda... sad.

Hope you enjoy it anyway!

"Look into my eyes, Mabel! Do you really think I'm a bad guy?"

"He's lying! Shut it down now!"

"Mabel, please!"

Mabel shut her eyes, her tears floating freely around her. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe him so badly.

He said everything was for this family. That was what had struck her. Family was what was most important to Mabel, the thing that drove her actions and spirit. She wanted to believe he was telling the truth.

But he had spent the entire summer lying to her and Dipper. Made them believe he was someone he wasn't. Made her trust everything he was saying. But it wasn't true. Anything he'd said. And that tore Mabel up.

On the one hand, trust made her who she was. So should she trust this fraud, this liar, or trust her twin brother, who'd been there for every moment of her life? The answer seemed pretty obvious to her.

"Grunkle Stan…"

The computer voice counted down its final seconds.

"I… I can't trust you." Mabel let out a sob as she pushed the shut down switch.

"Mabel, no!" Stan cried as the gravity returned and the family fell to the concrete floor. As soon as he landed, Stan ran to the lever, stumbling over his own feet in panic. He pulled at the switch, screaming incoherently, as Mabel watched on in horror.

"No no no no no!" Stan stopped yanking the lever, his emotions taking over. The man sank to his knees, pounding the stone with his fist. "No…" he cried weakly.

Dipper walked to Mabel, pulling her to her feet, unsure of what else to do. The twins looked at each other, then back at their great uncle.

"Grun-" Mabel started, only to be cut off.

"That was it! That was my last chance! And you… you ruined it!" Stan yelled at her.

"I- I…" Mabel stuttered, not sure what to feel.

"My brother," Stan said, his voice cracking. "My brother was in there."

Mabel's heart felt like it turned to ice. She looked back at Dipper, and he had the exact same expression on his face.

What had she done?

"Gr- Grunkle Stan? We… we can fix it, right?" Mabel asked, her voice quivering.

"You don't understand. I spent thirty years… thirty years just to get this far… and there's no chance for us to save him now…"

Unsure of what else to do, the twins set their hands on Stan's shaking shoulders, Mabel now crying herself.

"I'm… I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I didn't know, I…"

"I… wouldn't have trusted me either…" Stan said quietly. He looked back up at the machine, now still and silent, tears streaking down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Ford. I tried. I really, really tried…"

And the portal remained dark.

You know, I really wonder what would come of this... would Stan be arrested by the government? Would Dipper and Mabel be sent home? Would Ford have actually defeated Bill like he was about to in the journal? This really wouldv e screwed things up, hahaha.