This started out as a quick warm-up before I started writing chapter two of Just Desserts, but.. ahah.. turned out I had more muse than I thought. :P If you read, please review!

"Ow.. OW! Mabel! Quit it! Can't—breath—ah!"

"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE GIRLS!"

The twins were inseparable. It was something everybody admired about them—their loyalty to each other, their inability to stay mad at each other for so long. They were a lot different from the stereotypical twins most people thought of. Two kids that just despised each other, always fought, never got along.. but Mabel and Dipper were special. There weren't too many like them.

The argument they had gotten into had turned into a ticklefight with Mabel as the triumphant champion. It always did! Dipper pushed her off, panting hard. "Mabel.. ah.. hahah.."

Mabel made a 'bap' noise as she poked her brother's nose before rolling off the sofa and skipping off to the kitchen. Dipper leaned against the couch, watching his cheerful sibling hum loudly as she did.. whatever Mabel did in the kitchen. He put his hand on his chest, feeling a bit of a burning in his throat as he could barely even breath when Mabel had tackled him. What had they even been fighting about? Something stupid, probably.

He glanced at the TV, watching some stupid infomercial about.. owls.. and.. trowels? The stuff that was on TVs today, seriously.

It was a few minutes before Mabel plopped herself on the couch next to him, quickly falling down onto a pillow on the opposite side of Dipper. The boy put his hand on the sofa arm, resting his chin in his hand. He blankly stared at the TV, unable to make out what was going on. It was pretty late at night, and Mabel was already asleep. He happened to look over at her slumped over form, smiling a little. Life was pretty good.

He yawned, stretching out and laying his head on the rather uncomfortable corner of the couch. He'd take Mabel's pillow, but she looked so.. peaceful. A wave of drowsiness washed over him, before he himself drifted into a deep sleep.

It was they call, 'the calm before the storm'.

He did not dream until a few hours later, and he was abruptly awoken. Or was he still sleeping? He didn't know. His eyes shot open, staring at an all-too familiar figure.

"Bill."

What was he doing here? Before he had a chance to process these thoughts, the demon's one eye snapped over to focus on Dipper.

"Ah, Pine Tree! Just the little kid I was looking for. How ya' doin', short stack?" The triangle cackled, ruffling his ebony hand in Dipper's brown hair. He immediately stumbled back, rubbing his eyes and glaring daggers at the monster.

"I'm not a little kid! Besides, you're smaller than me! What do you even want, anyways? Don't you think I have enough trouble sleeping at night without some weird triangle thing haunting me?!" Dipper rambled, obviously too tired to think of something smart to say.

Bill just laughed, pulling out his cane from nowhere. "Dang, Piney. You must be tired. Never thought someone like you would say anything like that.." He rolled his eye, turning around and looking over at Mabel.

Dipper rubbed his puffy, tired eyes, crossing his arms. He didn't say anything this time around—he knew well enough to not say anything. He wouldn't let Bill make fun of him that easily. He'd let the demon say whatever he wanted, when he decided to.

Apparently Bill had figured this out, so got straight to his point. "Well, you're no fun. I guess all kids are cranky when it's past their bedtime, right? Do you need a diaper change? Hmm? Does the widdle wamby-wamb need his widdle bwanky? Hahahah," Bill beamed, obviously content with his very terrible jokes.

"Alright, alright. Sorry. Just had to. Anyways.. little miss Shootin' Star here, I kinda need her gone. You wouldn't mind if I, just, ah, got rid of her, would you?" He said abruptly, hand turning up in blue flames—yet his eye was a solid blue, with no pupil at all.

"What? Are you serious? You think I'm going to say yes?" Dipper spat, launching himself in front of his sister.

"I heard a yes! Okay, thanks! Say bye-bye, P—" Bill put his enflamed hand dangerously close to Mabel's chest, which rose and fell to a steady pattern.

"WAIT! No, stop! It's.. it's a no. What do you even mean? What's—"

"No time to explain. It's either her, or.. well, you'd do as well." Bill's hand returned to normal, as well as his eye. He put his left hand just above his bowtie, as if that was where his chin would be. "Hmm..."

"..what are you up to? You show up out of nowhere, invade my uncle's mind just for a stupid JOB, possess me for the Journal, and now you want to.. want to KILL my sister? Why? What's the point of all this?" Dipper practically growled his words, confusion and anger clear on his face.

"It's just my work, Piney. Someday, it'll be clear. But I need to know.. now. Is it gonna be her, or you?"

"A—are you.. going to.. kill me? Instead of her?" Dipper asked quietly, almost as if he was being hush-hush in fear of Mabel hearing him. Bill found this to be cute, and put his hands on his hips. Or triangle corners, whatever.

"Kill you? No. You're a little too important. But, I'd like to have you around, maybe as an.. errand boy. What do you think, Chip-Dip?"

"Errand boy..? Not another 'puppet', right?"

"Mm, well, no."

Dipper remained quiet for a long time, staring down at his shoes. He couldn't have his sister's life risked. He knew that she'd take the deal in a heartbeat—

"Do you really know for sure that she would, though? I'm fine with taking her life, honestly. It doesn't matter much to me."

Oh, thoughts. Right. Dipper glanced up, glaring. "She would. I know it. So.. is this.. a deal, then?"

"Oh! Eager, aren't ya'? Well, yes. A deal's a deal. This time, no takebacks.."

He held out his hand, which blazed up in it's infamous cyan flame. Dipper rubbed his elbow, hesitantly shaking Bill's. The fire spiraled up Dipper's arm, burning a effervescent blue pine tree symbol—similar to the one on his hat—encased in a triangle onto his forehead. He screamed in pain, holding his head in his hands as his knees buckled and he fell onto the ground.

Bill laughed, and started to float backwards.

"Thanks, kid. You won't regret this one."

Thanks for reading! uvu I wrote this yesterday, but didn't have any time to post it. I'll probably be updating it today :V remember to review if you can! Favorites and follows are extremely appreciated 3