This is actually a pretty old one I've done, and I don't really care for it much, but I thought I'd go ahead and pop it up here too. People seem to like it.

Also it occurs to that I actually have a tumblr and a deviantart account both under the same username, and I usually do all sorts of pictures for my stories so I figure that's probably worth pointing out. Anywho, hope you enjoy~

"Y-you can't do this!"

This was a disaster.
This had been the worst week of his life and now this; he'd never felt so kicked down and helpless.

"Ohoh, but I think I can, Pinetree!" Dipper frowns, uncomfortable, at his own unnerving grin and slit pupils staring up back at him, "We had a deal, and as it turns out I'm in need of my puppet again."

"But- but you broke your end of the deal!"

"Oh did I?" Bipper says with a grin, rocking back on his heals. "I said I've give you a hint. If I hadn't smashed that laptop you never would have found out where it came from; It was you who didn't hold up your end of the deal, haha!"

Dipper drags his hands down his face, heart pounding in his chest. Or perhaps it was all in his head, did he really have a heart in this state?

More importantly was Bill right? Did it even matter?! Of course it didn't matter, look at where he was right now!

Bill only laughed again at Dipper's distressed expression. "Oh boy, this is rich, this must be even worse for you now considering what happened last time I possessed someone. Oh how fun that was, Stan going up in fl-"

"YOU SHUT UP!" Dipper suddenly snaps, lunging out to hit Bill. Or himself. Or whatever, it was just another thing that didn't matter because he only went right through him and Bill stepped back to laugh again.

"It was so fun, maybe when I'm done here I'll do it all over again!" Suddenly Bill stops and Dipper recognizes his own look of surprise. It quickly shifts into a scowl, and Bill huffs. "What are you doing here, old man?"

Old... man?

Dipper slowly turns, and he sees the floating feet and legs surrounded by a warm aura. He saw the tip of a cane, and he followed it up to it's 8 ball top, and he saw the hand gripping it tight, and moved up to the familiar suit and loose tie.

But he found for some reason he couldn't bare to look any higher. Something told him not to, but still he knew.

"G- ...Grunkle Stan?" He squeaks, breath hitching.

Stan ignores him, too busy staring Bill down. The intimidating silence was uncomfortable, so much so that even Bill showed slight signs of wavering.

"You need to leave." He says finally, and Dipper had never heard him sound so stern and threatening. It almost made him sick.

"Leave? I don't think so. I've got work to do, and don't you think you'll be standing in my way!" Bipper snaps, but he rears back when Stan slams his cane on the wooden floor with a loud bang. Even Dipper jumps, bringing his hands up and shutting his eyes.

It was strange. He was genuinely afraid of his Grunkle Stan.

Downstairs they heard the bang and Ford and Mabel, who had been sitting quietly eating lunch in silence, both look up and then at each other.

They both stand but before they could investigate Dipper comes half running half tumbling down the stairs, hitting the bottom and landing face first on the floor. Both Mabel and Ford rush over to help him but Ford yanks Mabel back with a gasp.

Dipper glares up at them with Bills eyes and a heavy scowl, baring his teeth. "Out of my way, IQ, I've got work to do!"

"Bill! What, how did you get in?!" Ford snaps, jumping in front of him to block his path, and Mabel buts in as well.

"And what did you do with Dipper?!"

"I don't have time for-" Bipper snaps his gaze back behind him. There was a 'thunk thunk thunk' coming from the stairs, and from Mabel and Ford's point of view they saw a line of fire appearing, running along each step with every thunk.

Bipper saw Stan pursuing him, dragging his cane along the steps as he came down.

Dipper followed, quick but cautious, after Grunkle Stan.

It was Grunkle Stan of course, and he would never hurt them! But this whole thing was a rather startling revelation, and Stan's behavior made Dipper uneasy and willing to question exactly what being a ghost did to a person.

"Wh- what?" Ford grabs Mabel's arm, pulling her over by him. Bipper takes the opportunity to dart again, but Ford stops him once more, standing in front of the door with Mabel. He was startled and confused, but Bill was the most important thing right now, he couldn't let him escape.

"Get out of the way," Bipper growls, "before I-"

He didn't even get the chance to finish, Stan angrily throwing the kitchen table without even toughing it, and with an alarming amount of ease; It made the house shake.

Bipper and Ford jump and Mabel screams, when suddenly the kitchen table goes flying, smashing into the wall and cracking the window beside it.

"Hey! Don't you even think about threatening my family!" Stan snaps, gripping his cane tighter. He storms over towards Bill, clearly furious, and it was effecting the room around them. The line of fire continued to appear, following Bill, the floor leaving that trail of fire and now gouged wood from the force of whatever was doing it. Anything exceptionally flammable in the room was catching flame.

He raises his hand again, and Bill points to him

"Y-you," Bipper points to the empty air some feet away from him where the fire trail had stopped, "you wouldn't dare! Look at where I am, you wouldn't dare hurt your nephew!"

Nephew? No, great nephew. Which means-

Ford and Mabel look to the empty space as well, now more afraid than they were before, but just as hopeful.

"Stan?"

At that, Stan hesitates, as though just remembering the exact situation they were in, and he lowers his hand a little. The room was quiet, growing dangerously hot from the fire that was growing.

Dipper actually sighs in relief, not for himself but for Stan. It was still him, the same old Grunkle Stan. He was just trying to protect them. Dipper floats up by Stan a bit, patting his arm and giving him a little smile, and Stan slouches a little.

"Ah, I'm sorry, kid." He did sound sorry, probably because he knew he'd likely scared Dipper half to death. But the angry tone hadn't left his voice at all, and he kept his attention still on Bill.

Dipper pauses a moment before forcing himself to look Stan in the eye. It was a terrifying site to be sure, but now that he was certain it was Stan and he was still himself, Dipper didn't let it get to him.

He wanted to offer words of encouragement, but Bill suddenly cut them off.

He grins at Stan's lack of action.

"Heh- haha, yes, you can't hurt me without hurting him! Ahahaha! See, you've all lost!" Bill breaks eye contact with Stan, closing his eyes in his laughter.

It was long enough, Bill throwing his head back to laugh, and Dipper quickly looks up at Stan with a fierce determination. There was no telling what Bill had planned. He'd probably even burn Dipper's body when he was done, just like he'd done to Stan.

Dipper nods to him. Do what he had to do.
And after a brief moment's hesitation, Stan nodded back.

"Ahahah- ah- AH!"

As quick as lightening, a large knife had flown from the sink and whipped through the air, pinning Bipper's arm to wall.

– and Stan quickly draws his hand back, both he and Dipper wincing.

Stan shakes it off, no time for feeling bad, and moves right up to Bill while Dipper stays, making a face.

"Oh, man. That's going to hurt when I get back."

Ford and Mabel stumble back, Ford bringing his hand up to his chest and Mabel squealing, "Dipper!" and Bill looked in shock to the arm, bleeding against the wall, fingers twitching reflexively.

He looks back to Stan, the astonishment still on his face, and like Dipper he couldn't bring himself to look at Stanley's face. But he forced himself too. He had to, he needed to look him in the eyes, for surely he wasn't serious.

Stan quickly calmed his nerves, staring Bill down. He would never really hurt Dipper, well aside from what just happened. That was only because he thought Dipper and his family were in far worse danger than that, and Dipper agreed.

But Bill was looking at a man who'd lived a lie for far more than thirty years. He was a con man, he faked his death, he pretended to be someone else for decades. Bluffing was his game.

He tried to look up, wavering every time he got close, until finally he forced his gaze up. He looked to Stan, and Stan stared back with blank fiery orange eyes and a stoney gaze that made Bipper's heart race in fear.

He was dead serious.

Without another word, Bill quickly shoves himself from the body, and flies through the wall, away from the house. It was a weak body anyway!

With the immediate threat gone, Stan started to calm. The fires slowly died down, leaving just the heat of the room and the scorched, smoldering wood. For a moment nobody moves.

"Dipper!" Mabel breaks away from Ford who was still too shocked to protest.

He stared out into blank space, still trying to process what had just happened, while Mabel remained by Dipper and panicked, torn between trying to figure out why he hasn't come back yet and whether or not to remove the knife which was currently the only thing holding him up.

Finally Ford snapped out of it, rushing over to Dipper and Mabel. He yanked the knife out and scooped Dipper up, shaking, quickly tying up the would the best he could. He would get first aid in a moment, he had the supplies and knowledge, but Dipper wasn't waking up and he was worried that something was wrong.

Dipper rubs his hands together nervously, looking between Stan and his own body. He should really get back, but…

"Grunkle Stan?" He says slowly. Stan just makes a face, obviously not proud of how things had really turned out.

"Uh," He rubs the back of his neck, "Yeah, I'm sorry about the whole knife in your arm thing. I didn't know what else to do, I thought he was going to. Well you know."

"No, no, that was–" Well for the best, but that's not what Dipper wanted to talk about. "How long have you…"

Stan gives half a laugh, "Oh, I've been here the whole time. Dd you really think I was going to leave you knuckle heads? I mean look at how much trouble you get into without me!"

"Heh, I guess you're right." Dipper says, visibly relaxing. The two are quiet again for a brief moment more. Dipper wanted to explain what he knew about ghosts and how they were only around for a reason, and how they all could help him find it and move on– but he didn't.

They all just needed a little more time. That's all.

"Hah, Grunkle Stan, that was amazing!" He says, finally, "You scared off a demon, how did you do it?!"

Stan just chuckles and ruffles Dipper's hair. "Hey, what can I say, no one messes with my family." He says. "But hey, you should probably get back, I think you're making them worry."

"Oh, uh. Right." Dipper sounded almost disappointed, moving back over to his body. He hesitated again. He didn't want to leave Stan, they couldn't hear or see him outside of the mindscape. Probably because he could only do that stuff when he was angry, or protecting them. It was a pretty common ghost thing.

A memory suddenly clicks and he perks up, looking back at him. "Oh! Grunkle Stan!" He taps his fingers together and half shrugs, "I don't really, uh, know what you can and can't do, but uh. I once saw Mabel get possessed in a convenience store and it didn't seem so bad, so."

Stan raises an eyebrow a little, trying to figure out what Dipper was getting at.

"Well, I mean if you ever need to talk to someone I wouldn't mind sharing, you know. I, uh. I'm sure they'd like to talk to you too…"

Stan just shakes his head a little, good naturally. He wasn't going to just possess someone, but Dipper seemed sincere and insistent, so he just half waved the comment away.

"Alright, alright, I'll think about it. Now get going, for all we know you're getting brain damage right now!"

That seemed to get him moving, and with a quick wave, Dipper jumps back into his own body.

"Boy, Dipper, Dipper please," He shakes him, "wake up we know you're there."

Mabel sniffs, wiping her eyes, "Dipper please." She couldn't lose another, especially not Dipper.

After what seemed like ages, Dipper finally moves and groans. He sniffs, tearing up and reaching to grab his arm. It hurt a lot worse than he expected. But he wasn't actually going to cry; he wasn't going to make Stan feel any worse about it.

He glanced up briefly to see if he could still see him. He couldn't.

"Oh, you're okay!" Mabel throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug, "I was so worried, what happened?! How did Bill get in?!"

Dipper winces and half frowns. That was his fault, an accident of massive proportions. And a story for another time, it seemed because Ford mistook his wincing for pain and gently moved Mabel away from him.

"I can't," He shakes his head, still clearly disturbed by the whole thing, "I can't believe Stanley would do this. It can't have been."

"No, no, I told him to." Dipper quickly interjects, coming to Stan's defense, "I told him to. It's just, it's not that bad I swear, we were just afraid of what Bill would do..."

"We?" Ford says quietly.

So. It really was Stan, he really was...

Dipper grins a little, wiping his eyes and looking at Ford and Mabel. All of them knew now, they could do something.

"He's been here the whole time."