Chapter 7: Photos

When Bill went down to breakfast the next morning, Ford had made him breakfast, "So, how you feeling?"

"Well the nightmares suck, now I know how you all felt, sorry about that" Bill said,

"What were the nightmares about?" Dipper asked spooning cereal into his mouth.

"They were more like memories Dipper. The time me and my brother were changed into demons, it was so vivid, I could feel the pain, when they used those daggers to carve our skin, the blinding burning pain of the demon blood as it tainted my own. When my brother died I could feel the heart ache, felt the sadness and the pain of losing my other half, we were identical, his hair turned blue from the process, even in death. Mine got a more golden look, I saw him as they took me to the next phase, just lying there, eyes open, unstaring, gone" Bill choked, suddenly not hungry, he pushed his plate away.

Dippers face had paled "Geez that's, that's awful, I'm sorry" Dipper said,

"Its not your fault, if they hadn't done it, I would of died from that sickness, just like my mum did" Bill rambled, Mabel gave him a hug, she smelled good.

"Poor little cinnamon bun" she said, "Not a cinnamon bun" Bill mumbles, adjusting his glasses.

Mabel took him to the mall that day to get some decent clothes, thanks to Stanley who had willing given them some money "Got to look your best kid, and Dippers clothes just aren't cutting it"

The mall was busy, people would stare at Bills scars, it made him uncomfortable.

In the middle of the mall was a piano, worn and old, Bill sat down feeling the keys, they calmed him, "Hey Bill stay here while I go get my things k?"

Bill nodded putting his clothes he had bought beside his legs, the keys felt good under his fingers, he played a melody, a long one, quite hard to do but amazing if done right, he closed his eyes as he played, humming along.

At the end, he had most of the mall crowding him, some had tears. Mabel came bounding up "Bill whats going on?"

"I just played a tune and people began listening"

"You play brilliantly kid" one man said,

"Such a talented boy" a woman said, Bill went red

"Hey whats with those scars freak!?" one teenager yelled meanly, the ran off laughing.

"I...I have to go" he stuttered suddenly nervous, grabbing Mabel and the bags they made there way out. "There right you know, you play beautifully ignore those haters"

Mabel kissed him on the cheek, making him blush, why was she playing with his emotions like this?

"Lets go to the library first then home"

"Okay"

"Come on then Cinnamon bun, Dipper wants a book and I want to scope out the boys"

Bill chuckled and followed Mabel, his hands in his pockets, she was so sweet to him, what did he do to deserve such a friend.

The library was quiet, he suddenly had an idea, this place had archives right? Maybe he and his brother were in here somewhere, old photos and such.

Bill went up to the front desk, a woman about 30 something was typing on her computer,

"Excuse me miss?" he asked nervously,

"Yes dear?"

"I need to know if you have anything on demon rituals say around 16th century Gravity Falls, me and my brother were apart of one, and he died and I only just came back, so"

she looked horrified for a second "You were a demon?"

"For awhile, not anymore, I just want a photo of my brother, he looks like me"

"Your names Bill, right?"

he paled, right he had almost forgot about the damage he had caused here "Its William Pines now, but yes, how did you know?"

"I was here during Weirdmegeddon" and there it was, the answer, he wouldn't be getting anything "If you don't want to help me I understand"

"Hey its okay, ill see what we have"

"Really!?" he grinned,

"Yes, I forgive you by the way, it was a pretty cool end of the world, even if was kind of scary" She said with a smile.

"Thank you so much! For helping, not for Weirdmegeddon"

she nodded.

He followed her to the archives, she stared at his scars as she rummaged through the shelves "So those scars are they part of that demon thing?"

Bill rubbed his arms "Yes, I don't want to talk about it, sorry"

"No I understand"

She pulled out a book with a smile "William Pines right? here" "That's, that's my family photo album!" Bill almost wept with relief taking it carefully in his hands "My mother made it before she died, she got real sick see" Bill sat down, opening the book carefully, it looked old now. Photos of him and his brother, his family, so many people he had known, his mother and his father, photos of him and his brother as babies, even wedding photos of a family member, he had forgotten her name. Tear dropped onto the one with all of them in it, a family photo. His mother, father and brother and him smiling and happy was his favorite. Bill was crying really badly right now. He felt a hand on his shoulder "Bill?"

"Hey Mabel"

"Is that you and your brother?"

"Yeah, its us, oh I miss him so much Mabel" Mabel hugged him "Shhh its okay"

"Keep it" said the librarian, a tear in her eye.

"What?"

"It belongs to you, keep it" she said choking slightly,

Bill smiled and hugged her much to her surprise "Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me!" the woman patted his head sadly "Now go before I get in trouble for letting in Bill Cipher of all people"

Bill chuckled "Come on Mabel lets show Ford! Hes gonna flip when he sees this!"

"On it Cinnamon Bun!"

"Stop calling me that!" he yelled as he ran, "Never!" she cried racing after him.

The librarian smiled, she watched them run off, Mabel was carrying all the shopping and Bill was clutching his family photos to his chest, a huge smile on his face.