Chapter 4
Dipper's Pov.
I wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and rested for once. For the first time in a while I had actually slept through the night. I head downstairs with a smile on my face. I enter the kitchen and pour myself some juice. Mabel enters a second later and stops dead in her tracks. She slowly inches forward and smiles slightly. There's a small glimmer of hope in her eyes and it makes me smile.

"Morning Mabel. I just thought I would have some juice before I leave."

Her smile broadens and she engulfs me in a hug. I finish my juice and say goodbye before heading out and grab my backpack. I head into the forest with a slight bounce in my step. I decide to head in the same direction as yesterday. I half really want to find him but I half dread seeing him again and I want answers but I'm scared of what he might say. My heart is pulling me forward but my brain is telling me to run in the opposite direction. At this point I'm just a hurricane of emotions.

I finally reach the clearing of lilac flowers and I walk into the center of the field. I look around but I don't see him anywhere. I sigh and turn to leave. I jump back in surprise when all of a sudden he appears in front of me.

"Why are you here PineTree?"

"I just want to ask you a few questions."

He tilts his head to the side and a thoughtful expression crosses his face. It gives way as his eyes light up with an idea.

"I will answer your questions if you make a deal with me."

He sticks his hand out and blue flames spring to life. The action causes me filch away from him. The last time I shook that hand I had been ripped out of my body and forced to fight a battle that had ended with me gaining depression I mean after all in the few seconds that my body had been free from Bill I had technically been dead. I slowly bring my eyes up to his and for a brief second hurt flashes through his eyes but it disappears as quickly as it appeared.

"What exactly do you want?"

"All I want is for you to visit once a week. No strings attached. No underlying plot or scheme just a simple visit."

I look at his hand again. It's simple enough just visit him once a week. There's no harm in that and he seems genuine when he says that he doesn't have some underlying plan. I wrap my hand around his and the flames expand until they engulf both of our hands. I thought it would hurt that the pain would be hot and intense that it might be enough to burn away any doubts but instead it's soft and gentle and feels like a comforting blanket that just soothes away the doubts that had been swimming to the surface. The flames stop and all the warmth that had felt like true happiness slowly starts to seep away. He releases my hand and the last of the lingering warmth dissipates.

"So what are your questions?"

"How did you come back and why did you come back?"

He hesitates before he answers.

"I'm not too sure. As I was dying I remembered this ancient spell that was said to allow you to come back with time but it never specified how long or if it even worked. I knew it was a long shot but I tried anyway and it may have taken 3 years but it worked well half worked but I don't what it was."

"Ok and why are did u comeback here?"

"I came back here because Gravity Falls is like a giant snare that I can't get out of. I've tried multiple times but I still can't leave.

"Ok that makes sense after all there is a barrier around it. Maybe one day I will help you get out and see the world."

He looks at me with hope in his eyes and smiles which causes me to smile back.

"Do I have to ask all my questions now or can I ask you questions during my weekly visits?

He contemplates it for a second and all the while his face retains the softness of hope and freedom.

"You can ask whenever and whatever you want."

"Ok. When do I have to come back? Is there a specific day?"

"Anytime and any day. Its not like I'm going anywhere."

I slowly nod and open my mouth to ask him the question that I've been dying to ask him. To finally know what exactly the source of the sudden increase in odd happenings is but he disappears as suddenly as he appeared. It's almost like he read my thoughts.

Bill's Pov.

I left before he could ask his question. I'm not quite ready to admit that I was the one that has been causing all the extra odd things that are happening and I'm not ready to admit that the reason I was doing it was to hopefully eventually drive him towards me but I wasn't expecting him to find me so soon.

I look out the window of my small shack to see that he is still standing there. He looks around slightly confused and I wait for him to leave but instead he lies down and pulls his cap down to cover his face. He seems to have every intention of staying put. I turn around and feel my heart lightly tug but this time I'm intent on ignoring it. It's my stupid hearts fault that I made that deal. I slowly start to walk to the kitchen and with every step the tugging gets harder and more and more sore. I push it aside but then it suddenly lurched and my wrist started to ach. It was almost like it was trying to tell me something. I gasped and suddenly turned around and raced to the window. There he is sitting in the field with blood coming from his wrist staring at the woods in the direction of the shack. The sight makes my heart stop all together.

I bolt out the front door completely forgetting that I can teleport. I finally reach him and grab his wrist. All I want to is slap his stupid face but I opt for shouting at him.
"What the hell were you thinking Dipper!?"

"Hey Bill. You were right pain is hilarious."

He chuckles slightly and I seethe at him. I can't believe him but I still have to help him. If I don't he might bleed out and I care too much about him to let that happen. I press my index and middle fingers to his cut and it slowly starts to heal. It's deeper than the others and it makes me wonder why he did it. Once it's finished healing I press my fingers to his forehead and he falls asleep.

I just don't get what happened. One second he was fine the next he wasn't. I pick him up bridal style and grab his back pack and head toward the mystery shack.

When I finally reach the edge of the woods I teleport into his room and gently lay him down on his bed. I'm about to leave when an idea sparks into my head. I look back at his sleeping form and walk towards him. I check his pockets and come up empty handed. I check his back pack and smile. How he managed to put it back I have no idea.