Author's Note: This is my first foray into the Gravity Falls fanfiction scene, so apologies if things seem off.

I do not own Gravity Falls~

And Awake I Am Not

Everything had worked out. Bill was gone, and she still had her brother around. For Mabel everything was as perfect as perfect could be. She hugged Waddles closer and smiled to herself as they rode the bus home.

Overall, it had been a pretty great summer after all.

She glanced over at Dipper who was looking out the window and her smile slowly fell. He was picking at his shorts and every once in a while, his hand would travel up to touch the hat Wendy had given him.

She scooted just a little closer.

"Everything okay, Dipstick?"

It took him a moment to respond. Honestly, her brother could be an even bigger space case than her.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, everything is fine," he said.

"We had a pretty great summer, huh?" she rested her cheek on the top of Waddle's head as she looked at Dipper.

"I guess so," he gave her a side glance and a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Actually, Mabel…there's something I've been meaning to, uh, to talk to you about."

"What is it, Dip?"

"I-"

There was suddenly a loud crash and all three of them where thrown violently from their seats on the bus. Mabel only just barely managed to avoid squishing Waddles in-between herself and one of the seats of the bus. The pig oinked frantically, and she lost her grip on him.

"W-Waddles!" she called out as the pig took off.

"M-Mabel…" her head snapped over at the weak utterance of her name.

"Dipper!" she exclaimed. He was bleeding profusely from somewhere beneath his hair. The birthmark that earned him his nickname peaking partially through his blood matted hair.

She managed to remove her sweater, glade there was an undershirt beneath, and pressed it against his head.

"What happened?" he moaned, and she thought he might have a concussion as his eyes drooped. That was bad. You weren't supposed to sleep with a concussion.

"Not sure," she quipped, and looked toward the front. Her eyes widened, and if she hadn't been busy applying pressure to Dipper's head wound she would have covered her mouth in horror.

The whole front of the bus was smashed like an accordion. No doubt the driver was no longer alive in the twist of hot metal and steaming fluid that was currently baring the front exit. The acidic smell of those fluids and charred rubber nearly stole her breath away and left a bad taste in her mouth.

"We gotta go," Dipper slurred. "M-Might catch fire."

"R-Right," she slung his arm over her shoulder. "Think you can hold the sweater to your head yourself?"

"Y-Yeah," and she watched in relief as he held the sweater against his head.

They stood, albeit shakily, and started to make their way to the back.

"Wait, Waddles!" she turned, and he grunted in pain.

"Mabel…" Dipper wheezed.

"Sorry," she said quickly, but continued to look around for her beloved pig. "Waddles!"

"Oink?" the pig was just a few rows up, underneath one of the seats.

"C'mon!" she called, and the pig followed behind.

They made their way to the back, and just as they were about to get to the exit a blue flame engulfed the door.

"Well, well, well," the twins froze at the all too familiar voice. Mabel's heart clenched in her chest as she slowly turned her head back toward the front of the bus. "You two look like you could use a hand!"

Floating there, looking far too smug for someone who was supposed to be gone, was Bill Cipher. In his hand was a deformed petrified hand that was grabbing at thin air.

She felt like a deer caught in headlights, and it was only when Dipper let out a wet cough that she snapped out of her trance.

"W-Wait," she was dumbfounded. "That doesn't make any sense. We beat you."

He laughed. A roaring laughter that sent chills down her spine.

"You're a riot kid! You two, defeat ME?"

Her eyes lingered over the blue flames before looking back at Bill who though he had moved no closer, sent her nerves on edge. Fight or flight was kicking in, but she couldn't leave Dipper or Waddles behind.

Dipper swayed, and she almost lost her grip on him. He groaned low in his throat, the sound reminded her of a wounded animal. There were specks of blood bleeding through her sweater.

"Hang on, bro," she said, pulling him up. Wait, this was the dream world, right? Shouldn't she be able to change things? She closed her eyes and made the attempt to change something about their environment. Maybe turn the flames into cotton candy, or blast a hole in the side of the bus with the use of laser eyed whippets.

"I wouldn't bother, Shooting Star," Bill remarked, and she froze eyes opened wide. "In case you couldn't tell, we're not in the dreamscape right now!"

If Bill had a mouth, there was no doubt in Mabel's mind that he would be grinning at her.

"Then, then this is," she began, and Bill drew closer for the first time. Mabel drew back, taking her brother with her, and even Waddles was keeping pace. The pig trembled next to his master.

"Reality!" he supplied. "Isn't it beautiful, Shooting Star? And do you know who I have to thank for all of it?"

He disappeared and reappeared scant inches from her nose. She recoiled, but there was nowhere else for her to go. If she did she chanced burning both herself and her brother in the blue flames.

"You!"

"I-I-"

"I should have focused on you from the start!" the dream demon continued, ignoring her internal struggle. "Things would have worked out so much easier, but you know what? I kind of liked Pine Tree, even as infuriating as he could be."

Her brother's weight was suddenly gone, and the teen gasped. She looked over and found him missing entirely from her grasp. She looked around before her eyes snapped back to Bill as he began to speak.

"Y'know Shooting Star, Pine Tree has given everything for you, and what does he get in return?" A flash. Charred skin and the sightless eyes of her brother greeted her. Bile rose in her throat immediately at both the sight and smell. "Nothing, but I guess that's how tragic heroes go, hm?"

Her brother's body was dumped onto the floor of the bus where he collapsed and made no move to get up. It was a fruitless desire on her part. She had never seen the dead body of a loved one before, at least not one who had been so brutally mistreated, but she had no doubt that her brother was gone.

Smoke rose from his corpse and, unable to handle the smell any longer, she clasped her hand over her nose and mouth, and swallowed harshly to keep the bile from coming up any further.

"Perfect summer, huh?" Bill questioned. "I wonder what Pine Tree thinks of that? Why don't we ask him?"

Strings suddenly appeared and attached to her brother's skin before jerking his limp frame into the air like a marionette.

His head popped up, but sunk to the side, the strings not quite strong enough to defy gravity entirely. Sightless eyes found hers.

"Why?" her heart thundered faster in her chest at that simple word. "Why, Mabel?"

It wasn't accusatory nor was he screaming at her. It was an honest inquiry full of such raw hurt and anguish that it stole her breath away. Tears dribbled down her cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry, Dipper!" she cried. "I-I never meant for this to happen!"

She took a step backward as her brother drew closer. The same question falling from slacked lips.

The teen took one step too many and found herself suddenly consumed in blue fire. The other worldly flame pounced like a tiger and tore at her flesh like finely sharpened claws.

The agony paled in comparison to the anguish currently tearing her heart to shreds.

Dipper fell limp to the floor of the bus, and soon, he too caught fire.

The last thing she heard and saw before the flames destroyed her entirely was Bill laughing victoriously. She was disturbed to find joy in the realization that she would never have to deal with the tyrannical demon again.

Just to needle her, his last words mocked cruelly in her fading mind.

"A little late for apologies, ay, Shooting Star?"

"Mabel! Mabel!" the girl woke up with a gasp. Had she just fallen asleep? Had it just been a dream?

She looked around. No Bill. No blue flames, and most importantly Dipper wasn't dead.

Her brother was crouched down and looking directly at her. His dark eyes searched hers. Eyes that where bright and full of life.

"D-Dipper?"

She sat up and hugged him, tears in her eyes, and practically squeezed the life back out of him.

"Uh, Mabel?" he didn't bother trying to remove her and awkwardly patted her back. "You okay?"

She released him and beamed at him. "Nope! Listen, after dinner I need to talk to you about something."

He frowned at her, a little worried at her conflicting words and expression.

"Well, let's get back home. I'm sure dinner is already waiting for us."

"Sure thing, bro!"

She watched Dipper as walked away and a frown slowly spread across her face. She took in a shaky breath, and couldn't help but notice that the air smelt suspiciously like ash and smoke…

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it. I wanted it to be ambiguous on which is reality, but I'm not sure that I did the idea justice. Oh well, still learning. This was un-beta'ed and since I'm the only one who reviewed it to make sure it was ship shape...I'm more than certain there will be mistakes.