Sorry for taking so long to update, but if it helps, I got blisters on my thumbs for playing SSB4 so much.
I do not own Gravity Falls.
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Dipper woke up yawning and smiling. He could't remember the last time he ever slept that well. It was the first time this summer where he didn't wake up in a cold sweat and screaming. "I can't believe how great it feels to get a full nights sleep," Dipper said, turning to look at Mabel but suddenly remembered where he was. "Oh right..."
With a sigh, Dipper laid back down on the bed, wishing he didn't since it was so comfy he didn't want to sit back up. Thinking it wouldn't hurt to lay in bed for five more minutes, he settled back into be, then shot up when he saw what the time was. "Ahhh! Bill! Bill wake up," Dipper shouted, putting on his shoes and vest.
"What's wrong Pine Tree," Bill asked barging in, ready to use his cane as a weapon for whatever might be causing Dipper's screaming.
"We need to go, it's almost noon," Dipper shouted again, grabbing his bag and the laptop. He wanted to get an early start on finding McGucket cause he'd probably have to go all over town looking for the crazy old man.
Bill gasped, "Oh no! What time does Greasy's Diner stop serving breakfast? Do we still have time to get there?"
Dipper glared, trying to lead Bill out the door. "I'm talking about finding McGucket and asking about his laptop."
"Are you sure we can't get breakfast first," Bill whined.
"Technically it would be brunch, and yes I'm sure," Dipper argued, leaving the triangles house.
Bill pouted but followed Dipper, not wanting him to go off on his own. "We should probably check the dump first. If McGucket isn't there, he's either wandering through town or building something to get his sons attention."
They arrived at the dump, Bill's nose crinkling in disgust, "You meat bags are so disgusting and wasteful. There's so much half eaten food, toys, bodies someone didn't bother to properly dispose of, and things that should be recycled."
"What," Dipper shouted, eyes wide in shock.
"I know, is it really that hard to sort out things for recycling? And what about compost? Meat bags really need to take better care of your world," Bill scolded, in a tone that made it hard for Dipper to figure out if Bill was just messing with him or not.
A sudden noise got Dippers attention, slowly heading towards it. "Old man McGucket," Dipper said cautiously, not wanting to spook him and make him go crazy. McGucket could have something dangerous on him.
"Why, hello there boys, what can I do for ya," McGucket asked showing up behind them, making Dipper scream. "Ahh! Banshee," McGucket shouted once Dipper screamed, trying to attack the pre-teen but Bill stopped him.
"Umm...Mr. McGucket, is this your laptop," Dipper asked a little nervously, offering the old man the device.
McGucket took the laptop and just stared at it for so long that even Bill was getting uncomfortable with the awkward silence. Suddenly, McGucket started screaming at the top of his lungs, bashing the laptop over his head until it broke. "Destroy the evil! DESTORY THE EVIL!" He pulled out a whistle and blew on it.
Dipper cried out in horror when McGucket destroyed the laptop, and cried even louder when his whistle summoned up a laser gun from under a pile of trash. How does he keep forgetting that McGucket is a mad scientist? Dipper tried to look for cover, but Bill summoned a magic barrier that made the laser bounce off.
"I would kindly suggest that you don't fire at my young friend here again," Bill growled, his eye glowing to show his anger. "Nor should you harm him in anyway or else I will be very, very upset."
Old Man McGucket ran off, screaming "Evil." The laser retreated back into the garbage pile like it was never there, Dipper just staring in shock. He just knew that no one else in town saw or heard the laser and that no one would believe it.
"...Aren't you suppose to kiss me as thanks for saving you," Bill questioned, kind of hoping to at least get a kiss on the cheek.
Dipper just fell to his knees, picking up the broken remains of the laptop. He had been so close to figuring everything out and now the best clue he had was destroyed. Even Soos couldn't fix it. The worse part of it was that even through the laptop was destroyed, his deal with Bill still stands. That would have been the only good thing.
Bill waved his hand in front of Dipper's face and lightly shook him, but he was really out of it. Sighing, Bill picked Dipper up and carried him to the diner, thinking they could use something to eat. He set Dipper on chair and the brunette buried his face in his arms.
"I was so close," Dipper whined, "I should have just kept trying to decode it myself instead of giving it to a crazy old man. Why would he even react that way?"
Lazy Susan came by their table, dropping off chocolate milk shakes with greasy burgers and fries, "I brought your usual boys, enjoy."
"Wait, how do we have a usual," Dipper asked since they didn't come here often and Bill just came to Gravity Falls. In a human form anyways.
"My meat bag body requires sleep, but when it's sleeping my true form is free to do what it wants," Bill explained eating some of his fries, "I was bored last night so I decided to do some memory manipulation around town. So now Lazy Susan thinks we come here all the time and order this for lunch."
Dipper noticed that the burger was made up just how he liked it, so he figured Bill looked into his mind too. He took a big bite of the burger, grease dripping down his chin. Dipper hadn't had a good burger since he came to Gravity Falls, Grunkle Stan too cheap to feed them and he saved the money his parents gave him for emergencies. The greasy food lifted his spirits a bit, but he was still upset about the laptop, asking Bill if he knew what that was about.
"McGucket use to be a lot like you, he noticed the weird things around Gravity Falls, through he never found one of the journals," Bill explained drinking his shake. "And, like you, he got obsessed with it..."
"I'm not obsessed," Dipper interrupted, "It's not like it's the only thing I ever think about."
"You're either obsessed with mysteries or Red," Bill told him, "Plus, you're still young, McGucket lost his mind over the years. It cost him everything. His wife left him, he was forced into an early retirement and lost his sons love. Soon after, he completely lost his sanity."
"Wow, poor McGucket," Dipper said. The old guy had nothing because of his obsession. But that wouldn't happen to him right? Through his desire to learn the secrets got him engaged to Bill.
"Oh, like that's the worse thing in the world," Bill rolled his eye, reading Dipper's mind. He gave a wide grin at the annoyed look Dipper gave him. "Hey, in an alternate time line I took control of your body instead."
Dipper glared at the older man...triangle in human form...or whatever. He didn't like having his mind invaded like that, how would get ever get any privacy? It would be different if he could tell what Bill was thinking, cause while his face was expressive he could still be hiding a lot.
"I could teach you to read minds if you're interested Pine Tree," Bill hummed, biting into his burger. His eyes widened and he took a bigger bite, "These things are great! No wonder you meat bags risk early death by eating these!"
"So could you really teach me how to read minds," Dipper asked. It would be a useful skill to have, through it would also get annoying if he kept hearing people's thoughts. It would be like the time Mabel gave Stan teeth that would force him to always tell the truth. He pre-teen shuttered at the thought of knowing what was really going on in people's minds.
Bill finished his burger before talking again, "Sure can Pine Tree, and magic too. I'll do that for free since I want you to be able to defend yourself if I'm not with you. Trouble finds you as easily as you find it, Pine Tree. Luckily you seem to be naturally gifted with magic, you were able to follow me into the dreamscape with no trouble. It takes more than knowing how to do it to able to follow through."
"Wow, really? I have magic," Dipper questioned looking down at his hands like he was expecting lighting to shoot out of them. Could he shoot lighting from his hands? That would be so awesome!
"Glad you're excited Pine Tree," Bill grinned, since now he and Dipper could spend lots of time together. Maybe even have more sleep overs! "We'll start with the basics but I'm sure you'll pick them up quickly."
"You really think so," Dipper excitedly ask, the stroking of his ego making him more open. "What are you going to teach me first?"
Bill thought for a moment, tapping his chin, "Hmm...I guess start levitating things to start out, maybe hypnotism. Not really magic but it's a useful skill. And I guess basic shape shifting, changing eye color, nothing too difficult."
None of it sounded too exciting, but Dipper understood that it probably wouldn't be safe to have him start shooting fire or lighting from his hand right away. If nothing else he could use the shape shifting to make himself taller by an inch at least. "Do I get a wand?"
The triangle burst out laughing, very loudly, getting the attention of everyone in the restaurant, "Ha ha ha, you're hilarious Pine Tree!"
"You could have just said no," Dipper mumbled, slouching in the seat to avoid people's gaze.
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"Glad to see you didn't make a complete mess of our room this time," Dipper said looking around the trashed room, Grenda spooning with the goat that was always around the shack. How does Gompers keep getting into the house? He was pretty sure no one ever lets him in. Then again it wasn't like a goat breaking into a house is the most weird thing that happened in this town.
"Why are you screaming? Do you have any idea what time it is" Mabel groaned covering her ears with a pillow.
"I'm not screaming and it's two in the afternoon," Dipper told his twin who just snuggled into the bed. "You better not be up all night, and if you are, I might need your help. I'm back to square one since the laptop got destroyed, and I doubt McGucket will be willing to talk about it since when I brought it up he tried to kill me with a laser."
"That's nice," Mabel said with a yawn, trying to get back to sleep.
Dipper sighed, laying on his bed after shaking all the glitter and junk off, then tried to think. He lost the best lead he had. The only other lead was that maybe McGucket also wrote the journals, but had no idea how to talk to him without getting shot at. Getting out the journal he looked through it again for any clues he might have missed.
Hours passed by quicker than Dipper realized, the sun having set by the time he looked out the window. "Wow, time goes by fast when you're trying to uncover a conspiracy," he said to himself. Rolling his eyes at his still sleeping sister, he made his way downstairs for a soda, needing some caffeine. "Hey Grunkle Stan, have you gone shopping lately," he shouted out but got no answer.
Reasoning that his great uncle was out with a late tour he went to the kitchen to look through the fridge, "Would it kill Grunkle Stan to go shopping more than once a month," he mumbled staring at the almost bare fridge, wondering why anyone would buy or even make toothpaste flavored soda.
Just as Dipper was about to give up and go back upstairs, a burlap sack was thrown over his head by someone who then started to carry him away. "Hey! What are you doing?! Let me go! Mabel! Grunkle Stan! Help me!" Dipper struggled in his captures hold who just held him tighter. Someone then started to tie ropes around him, binding his arms to his sides so all he could do was try kicking them. "I'm serious, let me go!"
"Shut it kid," a rough voice that sounded vaguely familiar, but Dipper didn't get the chance to think about it since they hit him hard on the head, knocking him out.
Before he completely went out, he muttered out "Bill..." in a desperate attempt to be saved, before slipping into unconsciousness.
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Again, sorry for the late update, I'll try to have the next chapter up faster. Hope you all had a good Halloween.