Hey guys! This is a one-shot I made, taking place right at the tale end of "A Tale of Two Stans" and throughout bits and pieces of "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons." I hope you all enjoy.

-Williebadger618

As Time Goes By

Mabel's POV:

"Dipper, you don't thing we'll turn out like Stan and Ford do you?" I looked at him as a worry expression began to spread across my face. After an exhausing and strange day in Gravity Falls, Oregon, my brother and I witnessed the Author of the journals and heard a very long story about how everything underneath the Mystery Shack came to be; the portal, the gift shop, every single thing. I was surprised at some parts of the stange tale, but other times I was heart broken that their sibling relationship is pretty much in the shredder.

"Wh-what do you mean?" "What do you think I mean bro-bro? I'm pretty sure I understood myself and that I didn't say it in a complicated big word-y version like you do." I thought to myself before I laid down on my bed, stomach twisting in knots as I began to respond to my brother's question.

"I mean, they use to be best friends but then they got all stupid." That's true. For the rest of our summer, will are Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford fight everytime they're in the same room? Will they make up and get back to the old times? I understand why Grunkle Stan most likely destroyed his brother's invention at the school science fair, but I could tell that it was an honest mistake. He never wanted to ruin his brother's chances to attend a great college on the other side of the country, but he didn't want to be all alone in the real world without Ford. If I did that to Dipper in High School, I'd most likely never forgive myself. I'd travel to twenty-snevity-twelve just to get the time machine, and go back to prevent myself to do that tragic mistake. I really don't want my sibling relationship with Dipper to end in catastrophe. "Can you promise me that you won't get stupid?"

Dipper laid back on his bed and put his arms behind his head as he looked over to me, answering my query. "I'm not stupider than you dumb-dumb." I guess that was his way of saying "I promise, no matter what happens to us, I won't get stupid and we won't end up like them." I chuckled at his response before I said goodnight to my brother. He laughed slightly as well before replying; "Goodnight stupid." in a somewhat sencere tone. He then reached over and turned off the lamp by his bedside. He quickly drifted off to sleep but I remained awake for an extra few minutes, thinking about the possible outcomes of our future. Would I do something stupid to prevent Dipper from going to his dream college? Would I act up in school and just be lucky to graduate High School? Would Dipper get really obsessed with all of this supernatural stuff and fear that he would be losing his santity? I don't want to lose Dipper! He's my built-in best friend who's had my back all summer, in good times and bad. He's always there for me and he's just...the best brother in the world, and I don't want to lose him.

I finally decided to shake off those horrible thoughts and let my eyes shut, drifting me into a surprising peaceful sleep.

Since the Mystery Shack is temporary closed for prepares, Dipper and I didn't have to work. We had a lazy Tuesay on our hands and what would be my best way to spend it? Eating an entire bag of Cheese Boodles without using my hands. It was kind of hard,but in the end it was worth it. Once in a while, I would glance over to Dipper and see his head burried into another Journal. This time; Journal 2. I'm guessing Great Uncle Ford had Journal's 1 and 3 in the basement and he let Dipper read the second one. He seemed to be lost in his little mind, even when I tried to make funny statements as time went by.

Shockingly, my brother finally got his head out of that book for twenty seconds when we all witnessed the vending machine open up and a giant squid-like creature was in the presents of Great Uncle Form's grasp. He warned us that it taste's human flesh and my stomach twisted in knots. However, if you train it properly and make it eat something else, you could keep it as a pet in my perspective. Dipper however got scared and jumped off from the floor with the Journal still clutched onto his hand. Grunkle Stan was freaked out by that creature and I'm surprised that when he hit it with the newspaper, it didn't come back to bite his face off. Luckily, Great Uncle Ford was able to stabilize it and take it back down to the lab. Where did the creature come from anyway? Also, how did they even make it up here and survive the elevator ride? Must have been pretty eventful. I'm surprised that he still hunts for supernatural stuff.

Dipper ran over to Ford and asked if he could help him, but Ford refused. I felt bad for Dipper since he really wanted to help him with experiments and find out what all the monsters mean in all three Journals. When Great Uncle Ford made his departure from the ground level, I approached Dipper and put my hand on his shoulder. I told him not to take it so hard, but Grunkle Stan said that he should, and to stay away from the guy. I know that Dipper wanted to meet the author so bad, but...maybe it's best if he takes a break with this mystery junk for a bit and do something fun; like watch the season finale of Duck-tective. That'd be all the mystery he would need for this week. I tried to brighten his spirits by imitating the detective duck, but he just stared in awe as flashes of blue light were shown behind the vending machine door.

"QUAAAAAAAAAK! QUAAAAAA- Why isn't he quacking?"

-=O=-

The day dragged on and I ended up writing a letter to send to my parents. I told them how the world almost ended and that Grunkle Stan's twin brother came out of the portal. I hope that they believe me, but they might think that it's just my crazy imagination like always. As I was writing, Dipper runs in, extremely happy with a box in his hands.

"You'll never guess what I found at the store today." he said as he entered into the room.

"Dogs. DOGS WITH HATS!" I said excitedly. I'd love to see that.

He placed the box on the ground and began to open it. It turns out that it wasn't Dogs with hats. DANG! Instead, it was a board game called "Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons." The cover seemed very interesting, especially seeing that hot elf and the unicorn in the corner. It did look cool, and the hot elf did seem promising to me. Dipper asked if I wanted to play the game with him and I wasn't doing anything really. Plus, my hand hurt from all of that drawing and writing. Dipper then takes out the rule book and explains how the game works.

"First, you roll a 38-sided die to determine the level of each player's statistical analysis poweroid. These orbs relate directly to the amount of quandrants that your team has to dominion over, which is inverse tp the anti-quanderants in your quanderant satchel."

...WHAT? COULD HE MAKE THAT INTO SOMETHING SMALLER THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND? Of course what you have to is make a graph. It seemed like a homework game. Summer is meant for relaxation; not math problems. I don't want to see a fraction until school starts up again. There had to be two people to play and luckily Soos came in. I made my escape and decided that writing is better than playing a homework boardgame.

Soos couldn't play for two reasons; he was an FCLORP member and secondly, he didn't want to do anything that applied thinking. Grunkle Stan then came in and my brother asked if he wanted to play but his response was priceless; "Look kid, I prefer to do my dice rolling in Vegas. Besides, only a game designed by nerds would have "charisma" as a fantasy power. Check this out: When facing yon adversaries, shield thyself, under an elfen buttress." PRICELESS!

Dipper then left the room with his game when we all agreed that it was a somewhat nerdy game. Afterwards, I didn't see him until nightfall.

It turns out, Dipper found Great Uncle Ford and they ended up playing the game all day. My brother ended up staying up and making blue-prints for a fantasy dungeon he would create. I realized that he's been spending a lot more time with Ford then the rest of the family, since they have something in common.

"You have no idea! I knew the author must be cool, but he's better than I imagined. And, he doesn't make fun of me all the time like you and Grunkle Stan do." He replies. I don't think much into his statement; instead I try to make a joke.

"Give 'im time, haha! Heyooo!" I didn't get anything back in response. He just focused on his dungeon. I layed back down and whispered to myself: "You got me." I got sad all of a sudden. I didn't mean to make fun of Dipper all the time, but that's just what I do. I've done it for so long and he always tries a way to fire back at me in a smarty-pants way. Him not responding at all made me get all nervous. I feel as time goes by, we'll be in mini situations like this. If we end up not talking and be isolated towards each other, I don't know what I'll do.

I was looking forward to watching the Duck-tective season finale with Grunkle Stan and Grenda, but I ended up playing the dreaded, learning board game in order to save Dipper and Great Unlce Ford from getting eaten by a wizard. I'm not even sure how a character from a game could come to life, but I guess it had to do with the mystery stuff that goes on in here. Grunkle Stan and I made bizzaro spells to use in the game and we ended up winning when Grunkle Stan rolled a perfect 38. I saved my brother's life and I couldn't be happier.

When we all returned home, all of us (minus Great Unlcle Ford) watch the second showing of Duck-tective and literally, it sucked. The big mystery was that he had a twin brother. Seriously? That's the big mystery we've been waiting for? It was such a rip off. Afterwards, I went upstairs to bed and Dipper would come up soon, but he wanted to talk to the author real fast.

As I was alone in our shared bedroom, I thought to myself; I saved Dipper from that evil wizard and I believe that he would do the same for me if I was in his position. Could all the thoughts I was thinking the past few days, just a misunderstanding? However, more thoughts trailed in. Is Dipper gonna spend all of his time with Great Uncle Ford and forget about me and the rest of us? Will Dipper and I ever hangout again; just the two of us? Thinking to myself made me gasp in fear when I thought of the most scariest theroy.

What if Dipper is secretly mad at me because I trusted Grunkle Stan over him?

I listened to my heart when Grunkle Stan gave me that pleading look back underneath the lab. I just had that feeling that he was telling the truth, and everything was going to be okay. I heard Dipper apologize to Grunkle Stan for not believing him, but I didn't hear him apologize to me for saying "MABEL ARE YOU CRAZY?! WE'RE ALL GONNA-" Maybe his statement he said to me a few nights ago: "I'm not stupider than you dumb-dumb" was another way of saying sorry to me. I'm not so sure. It's only the middle of Summer and technically, anything can happen. I was lost in my thoughts when Dipper came in the room, with a huge grin on his face.

"The author is awesome! I'm enjoying every minute with him and..." He looks over to me, as he watches me twiddle my thumbs and look worried. "Hey, you okay?"

I jump a little when he questions me, but I try as hard as I can to come up with an excuse since I don't want to tell him any of my thoughts. "Uh...yeah. Everything's great!" I say in the peppiest tone I can make.

"Are you sure?" He asks me. "Oh my gosh just drop it!" I said in my head. I just want to go to sleep now, but I do reply to his inquiry.

"Dippingsauce, I'm certain that everything is fine. Don't worry." I say as I lay down on my bed. He looks at me but just shrugs and continues with his statement when he first walked in. I half listened to him, as thoughts still flip-flopped in my head.

I'm still unsure what could happen to us; we could either end up like Stan and Ford, or remain exactly how we are. Anything's possible and anything can happen at any moment...

As time goes by.

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed the one-shot. Just letting you know if you have been reading my current fanfic: "Alternate Universe" I apologize for the long delay of chapter 20. I came home today from vacation and I've been having some trouble with this Chapter. I'm hoping for it to be out sometime next week before I leave again on my other vacation. I'm halfway done writing it, and once again I apologize for the extremely long wait. I never antisipated to have it out so late. To be honest, it should be completed by now. Chapter 20 will be worth the wait.

Thanks for reading "As Time Goes By". and I hope you liked it.

Reviews welcomed

-Williebadger618