#angel!mabel

His sister, Mabel, had told him she had missed heaven when she was finishing up her final test but most of all she had missed him. Dipper just thought she was being sentimental like always but here he was longing for home and his sister’s company. She had just gotten her halo before he received his assignment. They had celebrated and just stared at the golden ring above her head for what felt like hours.

“It’s funny because I don’t really know what I want to do next,” he remembers her telling him. “I feel different, like, almost complete and I just want to do so many things but I can’t decide what.”

Then they were quiet as they watched the lights of the cities of earth twinkle down below.

He missed his sister so much.

He liked being Wendy’s guardian angel. He liked being on earth. Sometimes he just wished he could have Mabel around. She knew what to do without even trying. It all came easy to Mabel.

After the dream eater episode, Dipper just grew to doubt his capabilities. It was days before he was up to full strength, exorcising the beast had taken too much out of him. He could barely fly and he had to toddle after Wendy as fast as he could. It was like he was a fledgling all over again.

Thankfully nothing else strange had happened and no visits from a certain dream demon either.

 “PAY DAY! GATHER ‘ROUND!” a loud gravelly voice called out inside the house part of the Mystery Shack.

Wendy grinned as she and Soos milled over.

Dipper followed, smiling a bit as he took out his writing stuff.

Today is Wendy’s first pay day…

He looked up and gasped as Wendy’s boss looked over his employees in an expression that looked a lot like constipation, behind him was a pair of wings. Pink wings.

“Ugh…despite my better judgement,” Wendy’s boss began, looking almost ill. “Here’s a little extra for all your hard work.”

Soos grinned as his boss handed him and Wendy money. “Oh wow! Thank you Mr. Pines!”

“Yeah yeah whatever, now if you’ll excuse me I gotta go talk with McGucket about a thing,” Mr. Pines grumbled as he turned away. As soon as he did he revealed who the owner of the pink wings were.

Dipper’s eyes widened. “Mabel?”

Mabel looked to him and grinned. “Dipper!”

He ran up to her, his face broken into a big smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I just started my new assignment today!” She poked her charge on the back before giggling. “Boop! I’m gonna make him a better person.”

“So the reason he gave them extra money…”

“All me!”

Dipper just stared at her, impressed. “I know we can influence and guide…but I didn’t think it worked like that.”

“You just gotta know what you’re doing. That’s all.” She watched her charge’s retreating figure. “I gotta go Dip but we’ll talk later, okay?”

“Yeah! Later!”

“Oh and Dip?”

“Hm?” He turned back before almost getting knocked over by his sister in a hug.

“I missed you!”

“Missed you too,” he sighed returning the hug.

Today was turning out to be a good day.

==

It was another slow day at the gift shop. Dipper wondered if there was a science to when tourists came to visit the Mystery Shack. Oh, well, at least Wendy didn’t look too bored as she’d smile every now and then randomly.

I wonder what she’s thinking about…

“So how goes it, broseph?”

Dipper let out a surprised squeak before turning to his sister. “Shouldn’t you be with Mr. Pines?”

“Oh Stan? Ha he’s taking an old person nap right now, we’re good.”

He bit his lip.

“Oh stop worrying Dipper! It’s okay!”

“Okay,” he finally relented, still worried.

“I swear, you’re gonna lose all your feathers before you even get your halo.”

Dipper rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah.”

“Now tell me everything! I want to know about how you’re doing!”

Smiling despite himself, Dipper began to fill in his sister on what he had gone through. Details about a certain demon were embellished…he didn’t know what Mabel would think and he didn’t really want to know either. She didn’t always follow the book but demons are serious no matter what and one taking an interest in him? Nope she didn’t need to know.

“You kicked a giant freakish dream eater’s butt? Holy cosmos!” Mabel’s pink wings flapped in her excitement. “I’ve met a dream eater but it wasn’t anything like the one you beat up! It was kinda cute and nice.”

“I-I didn’t beat it up I just kinda chanted at it and well, my holiness did the work?”

“Aww you don’t have to be so humble, baby bro,” she cooed before pinching his cheek.

“Yeah, no, you’re not allowed to call me that.”

“Whateverrrr!” she blew a raspberry. “So anything else exciting happened?”

“No, not really.”

He watched as Wendy began clocking out. Mabel hummed beside him so he looked back at her.

“What?”

Mabel shrugged. “Nothing just…it’s cute how dedicated you are,” she giggled. “Makes me wonder what you would’ve done if Stan was the one you had to follow around.”

Dipper felt himself flush. “Whatever.”

“Just saying.”

She got up from her spot on the counter. “I gotta go, I can feel the old man waking up.”

Dipper stood up. “Okay…I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Of course!” Mabel grinned. “I’m not gonna miss anymore of your cool adventures.”

“Just remember you have a job.”

His sister waved him off. “I told you don’t worry about it. Management can be scary but they’re actually really laid back.”

“And how would you know that?”

She rolled her eyes. “Just learn to relax. It’s a test but it’s not worth losing feathers over, okay?”

“Just get back to work.”

Mabel stuck her tongue at him. “You get back to work!”

Then the two shared a laugh.

--

It was nice having Mabel around.

The two of them hung out and chatted like Wendy and Soos would during lunch breaks. It was just nice to have someone that acknowledged your existence but it was even better it being your best friend.

One day he confessed to her how he’d sometimes think about actually talking to Wendy.

“Do it!”

Dipper frowned. “What?”

Mabel looked serious, well as serious as she could with her practically permanent wide smile. She just repeated herself, her (today) purple wings fluttering excitedly.

“First of all, no and second of all how would that even be possible? I thought the point of being a guardian angel is to protect without directly being there.”

His sister just sighed. “Yeah but you’re still an angel and angels can interact with humans.”

Dipper furrowed his brow. “I think I read something about that but I thought it was only important angels who can do that stuff.”

“Nope! I’ve done it before it was fun!” She looked thoughtful. “It just takes a lot out of you, is all.”

“Oh.”

She leaned in close. “If you wanna do it…I can teach you but only if you want, Mister-stickler-to-the-rules.”

Dipper leaned back and looked down.

There was a way to hang out with Wendy but was it worth it? That exorcism left him wiped out and if being able to interact with would take a lot out of him he could be in the same state or worse. What if Wendy needed him and he couldn’t do anything to help? He’d fail his test and it was all because he gave into his own selfishness.

He shook his head. “Nah.”

Mabel shrugged. “Okay…but if you change your mind I’ll be happy to teach you.”

Dipper gave her a weak smile.

“Okay then back to work!” She straightened out her white dress. “Talk to you later, Dip.”

He nodded. “Later.”

Watching his sister go he couldn’t help but wonder when or why she had decided to use her ability to be seen by people. Who had taught her? Was it something she discovered herself?

“She’s always been good at everything,” he muttered to himself.

“Who’s good at what now?”

Dipper started then glared at the floating triangle in front of him. “You need to stop that!”

Bill just squinted his single eye in amusement. “Maybe you need to be more observant? I thought that was your job…being observant, watching, y’know that kind of stuff.”

The angel glared at the demon. “What do you want?”

“Been feeling another presence lately and it’s a lot like yours only not so I thought I’d check with you,” he floated close to Dipper’s face. “So whatcha got, Angel-face?”

Boldly (for him), Dipper pushed Bill away from his face. “Why do you need to know?”

Bill sighed. “Tell me or not I’ll find out. I always find out.”

Dipper frowned. “It’s another angel.”

He watched the demon take in the information. His single eye shifted for a moment, the pupil going right to left as what Dipper assumed was him thinking. “Ah I see. Thanks for telling me!”

“Whatever it takes for you to leave me alone.”

Bill started to revolve around his head. “Aww don’t deny you like having me around, Feathers. I am pretty charismatic. Even angels fall for my charms.”

Dipper just rolled his eyes.

“You got what you want, demon.”

“Oh, I love it when you try to talk like you have authority.” Bill laughed, “I guess I do have errands to run. Talk to you again soon.”

The demon made his exit and Dipper groaned.

“What happened to flying away, Dipper?” his wings moved to shield him and he stared at the feathers in front of him.

Getting used to a demon’s presence was not a good thing.

Wondering when they would come again wasn’t good either.

He sighed.