This chapter is for Princess Dia who wanted Mabel to give Bill a makeover.
There is a bit of drama in the first part, but the majority of the chapter is light-hearted fun.
Stan woke the kids early the next morning as they still needed to clean up the shack before it opened for business. Dipper looked over at Mabel who turned away. Dipper watched her leave their shared room without a word.
By the time the twins arrived downstairs Soos had all the dishes washed and most of the kitchen swept. He waved at the two, a gesture Dipper returned, but Mabel only halfway.
It took a little over an hour to get everything in order. More than once Stan glared at the vending machine and muttered under his breath how two extra pairs of hands could have been beneficial. He noticed Mabel moved slower than usual, but figured it had to do with the incident from the previous night combined with all the junk food.
Once the place seemed tidy enough for customers Stan ordered everyone to carry on with business as usual. Mabel made her way over to the cash register knowing that Wendy would be absent. Nonetheless Dipper continued to look over at the gift shop door in hopes his favorite redhead would waltz through the door, everything back to the way it was before Weirdmageddon. He then gazed at the vending machine door where he knew his great-uncle kept all his secret research including his and Fiddleford's many unreleased gadgets.
Throughout the night the memory of Wendy's face before she stormed out of the shack interrupted his sleep. Perhaps if he managed to sneak down (maybe even persuade Mabel to distract Ford), he could steal the memory gun and remove all the horrible memories from Wendy's mind. As quickly as the idea came he threw it away-it wouldn't be fair to her.
"Hey, dude, is your sister okay, she seems kind of off?" Soos whispered louder than a whisper should.
Dipper cringed at the volume of his friend's words. Nonetheless he whispered back, "Yeah, I think she's sad about Candy and Grenda leaving.'
Mabel glanced over her shoulder. Dipper, caught and now red-faced, turned his head away. She sighed and placed her chin atop her folded hands on the counter.
Mabel feigned cheerfulness for an hour. The guests piled up to register one after another, some of which Mabel knew and of those a few she recalled their frozen screams in their petrified forms.
She looked up just as Robbie and Tambry entered the gift shop holding hands. Her stomach swelled and she excused herself from the counter. Robbie smiled at the girl who briskly walked past him. Both Robbie and Tambry watched Mabel flee the shack then shrugged.
Mabel stopped at the bottom of the steps. She held her hands over her writhing stomach then her ears picked up Robbie's voice.
"Hey, Big Dude," Robbie called as he approached Soos. "Where's Wendy?"
"She has the day off," Soos answered.
"Really? That's real weird," Tambry said. She pulled the cellular device from her purse. "She hasn't replied to any of my texts."
"Yeah, she ain't answered anyone all day," Robbie added.
The guilt increased. Mabel sat down on the bottom step and licked a strand of hair into her mouth.
He tossed his hair then said, "Well, if you get in touch with her let her know the groups gettin' together at Nate's house tonight. His parents will be gone 'til next week."
"Will do," Soos said.
Robbie nodded in the direction of the exit. With a phone in one hand and Robbie's hand in the other, the two left.
Mabel glanced up as the teenagers walked by without a word to her. She lowered her gaze to the ground where a trail of ants marched an inch away from the toe of her shoe.
"Alright, kid, what's eatin' ya?" Stan asked as he sat down next to his niece.
"I just don't feel good," she said and brought her knees up then leaned her cheek against them.
"You know I know there's more to it than that," Stan said. "So why don't you tell me what's going on?"
Mabel looked up. "I can't stop thinking about Wendy."
"Yeah," Stan said. He rubbed the back of his neck, and although wouldn't admit it out loud, his employee had encompassed a good chunk of his thoughts that morning.
"I've never seen her like that," Mabel said. "Do you think Grunkle Ford was right? Bill shouldn't've came. Everyone would've been better off."
Stan stretched out his legs. "It's hard to say, sweetie."
"You didn't want him there either," Mabel reminded him.
"That's just 'cause I don't like him," Stan admitted. "There's lots of folks I didn't want there. Heck not even during that weird apocalypse thing."
Mabel cracked a smile. It then faded when she remembered she was the reason Stan was forced to use his home as a shelter during Weirdmageddon.
"Dipper told me I should've thought how Wendy woulda felt," Mabel confessed. "And Pacifica. And Old Man McGucket. Everyone. I just don't want this to ruin our friendship."
Stan pushed the hair from Mabel's mouth mid chew. "Look, if I know anything about Wendy, there's nothing that girl can't handle. Sure she's angry, and she has a good reason. Hell, I have a good reason."
It was only the quick reminder his great-niece sat beside him that he unclenched his fist.
He ruffled the girl's hair. "But you're the best person I know, and she's a fool if she gives up being your friend 'cause of it."
Two carloads of people pulled up. With the assistance of his cane Stan stood, groaning in pain, and walked over to the tourists with his arms wide open, and spouted his usual speech. Mabel felt better, but not all the butterflies had escaped.
That night Bill joined the Pines family for their first dinner where he sat beside Ford. For the most part the meal was silent, all conversation dying within a minute of its start. The others at the table stared throughout the meal.
Bill pushed his fork around the plate. He had eaten most of the chicken and mashed potatoes, but consuming the peas was asking too much.
Dipper looked over at his sister who appeared to be in better spirits than earlier, although she still wore a hint of sorrow in her eyes. Mabel finished the last bite on her plate. He surveyed his own soda can to see it was at the halfway mark and considered Mabel's to be about the same volume.
"Hey, Mabel, I bet I can finish before you?" Dipper challenged and held up the can of Pitt Cola.
Mabel dabbed at the speck of mashed potatoes in the corner of her mouth then with a smirk picked up her own can.
"You're on," she exclaimed.
The twins tilted the cans back and chugged while Stan cheered. Mabel slammed her can down on the table in triumph, while Dipper leaned over to cough out the bit that had gone down his windpipe. Mabel let out a sigh of victory.
"No fair, I choked," Dipper argued weakly as he tried to regain his voice in between coughs.
"Don't be a sore loser, Bro-Bro," Mabel replied and patted him on the back.
Stan smiled at the children's antics; he was surely going to miss them. A glance in the other direction reminded him once they departed all he'd be left with for company were the aloof scientist that had once been his best friend and said man's pet.
Dipper and Mabel scooted their chairs back having finished their meal. They scraped the remnants into the trashcan then placed the empty dishes in the sink.
"Where you going, Dipper?" Stan asked. He pointed a fork in the direction of the boy. "Those dishes won't wash themselves."
"Grunkle Stan," Dipper whined. "I'm going to play D, D and More D with Grunkle Ford." He looked over in Ford's direction to see him rising from his chair with the empty plate in hand.
"Haven't you nerds had enough of that game for one summer?" Stan exclaimed.
"No," Dipper and Ford answered in unison.
"We wanted to play one more round before I went back home," Dipper explained. "Can't Mabel or Bill do the dishes tonight?"
Stan stroked his chin. "Fair point," he said to the boy. He turned his gaze on Bill. "You, blondie, you're on dish duty tonight."
"I'm what?" Bill asked.
"Washing the dishes," Ford answered.
"If you're going to stay, you can start pitching in around here," said Stan.
"We'll see you guys later," Dipper cheered as he followed Ford to the basement.
"Sixer!" Bill called. He ran to the doorway that led to the gift shop. His eyes widened as the vending machine shut, leaving him alone with Ford's twin and Shooting Star.
Bill turned to see that Mabel had left to go watch television. He slowly lifted his gaze to meet Stan's scowl.
"Well, don't just stand there," Stan barked.
Bill took the path farthest out of Stan's reach to the sink. He squirted the dishsoap into the metal basin as he had watched Wendy do it the previous night. Bill glanced over his shoulder to see the elderly man watching. Bill gulped and turned on the faucet. The cold water rushed over his hands.
"You need to plug the sink," Stan scolded.
Bill jumped. He found the plug sitting atop the counter. He shakily grabbed it. The plug fell into the sink, clanging loudly. Bill picked up the item and stuffed it into the drain. The water filled and created bubbles.
Bill grabbed the first plate and dipped it into the water twice. He took it out then placed it in the drainer.
"You're not going to get them clean that way," Stan grumbled and made his way over to the smaller man.
Stan reached for the dish. The memories of both Stan and Wendy grabbing him surfaced. Bill dropped the plate into the sink, splattering bubbles, and scurried away.
Stan put a hand on his hip and stared at the blond with a lifted brow.
"What is wrong with you, you weirdo?" Stan asked. "You're acting like I'm gonna bite you, or something."
Bill tried to control his heavy breathing.
"Look, I don't like you, but I ain't gonna hurt you," said Stan. "Well, unless you absolutely deserve it. So stop actin' so weird."
He motioned for Bill to come closer. The demon cautiously made his way back to the sink.
"Now you take this cloth and you scrub it like this," Stan said as he washed the plate in a circular motion. He placed the now clean dish into the drainer and looked over at Bill. "Now do you think you can handle that?"
Stan slapped the sopping dishrag into Bill's hand. "Take your time if you gotta, but don't make a bigger mess."
Stan left the kitchen to join Mabel in the living room. Bill's heart calmed. He picked up the next dish and washed it the way Ford's twin had demonstrated.
His own reflection stared back from the now shiny surface of Ford's drinking glass. He scoffed at the disgusting face that apparently was his and slammed the cup upside down in the drainer.
When Bill finished with the dishes he walked into the living room, his shirt a little wet from the chore. Stan and Mabel watched some comedy show that had the old man cackling. Mabel's lips curved into a smile at the joke, but soon resumed a frown. She let out a sigh then leaned against the chair with her legs out.
Bill sat down beside her. Mabel leaned against Bill's arm and released another sigh. Bill found himself with another strange emotion, a hint of pain for the child.
"Shooting Star, you're not yourself," Bill commented.
The girl stared up at him with large hazel eyes. "I'm sorry," she said.
For some unknown reason Bill patted the girl on the shoulder. Bill scolded himself to stop. His fingers curved into themselves and dropped by his side.
"I'm just missing Candy and Grenda," Mabel said softly. "Dipper's hanging out with Ford, and..." her lip quivered. She wiped at her moist eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. "I'm sorry," she said again. Her nose and cheeks now red. "It's just tonight is girl's night."
"Oh," was all Bill could say. He cringed at the increasing pain in his chest and wondered if he was dying. He figured it must have been something in that human food.
"I won't get to see them again until November," she said as another tear trickled down her cheek.
"What is girls' night?" Bill asked.
"Me and the girls give each other makeovers and manicures, and talk about boys," Mabel said as she listed off the fun things she used to do with Candy and Grenda. Her smile faded. "I would ask Wendy, but um...I really don't think that's a good idea right now. Tambry and Robbie are at this stupid party I wouldn't want to go to even if I was invited. And Pacifica has to go to a boring rich people function with her parents."
"Well, wish I could help you, but I can't," Bill said with his arms raised. He lowered them back down and leaned his back against the chair. Stan exploded in laughter at the TV.
Mabel's eyes lit up. "Wait a minute!" she yelled. She reached over and ran a hand through his hair to see the golden curls bounce. "You're not a girl, but you have gorgeous hair, and..." She looked up with puppy dog eyes. "Do you think I could?"
"Absolutely not," Bill snapped.
"I heard absolutely," Mabel exclaimed.
"I said no," Bill repeated.
"Oh, come on, it'll be fun," Mabel begged. "Besides, what else you got to do right now?"
Bill looked over at the TV where the actors yelled while they chased each other around a counter. He wrinkled his brow then turned back to Mabel.
"Fine," he said.
Stan rolled his eyes. A part of him considered giving the demon a fair warning, but he too wanted Mabel's spirits lifted.
Mabel clapped her hands then dashed up to the attic. About a minute later she returned at full speed, nearly falling down the stairs, and entered the room with a makeup box in hand.
She ran into the kitchen to grab a chair from the table which she sat in the other end of the living room. Mabel patted the seat of the chair and Bill obeyed her request.
Stan stared at his great-niece and her victim then shook his head and returned his attention to the television program.
Mabel reached into her box and pulled out a hairbrush. She went to work gently brushing Bill's golden locks.
"Hey, you've been using my shampoo," she said upon smelling the strawberry scent.
"Sixer told me I had to scrub it with shampoo, and I liked yours better than Pinetree's," Bill explained.
"That makes sense," Mabel said then returned to brushing. "To tell you the truth Dipper rarely washes his hair."
"That explains why it smelled so rancid," Bill said as he recalled the limited time he spent in control of Dipper's body. "Meatsacks are disgusting."
"You'll get used to it," Mabel said. The brush stroked the hairs at the base of Bill's scalp.
Bill enjoyed the bristles gently massaging his scalp. For some reason he wanted to pick up his own hairbrush, sneak down into the lab, and do the same procedure to Ford. Bill shook away those strange thoughts.
All of Mabel's woes had vanished. Dipper never allowed her to give him a makeover, and she had always dreamed of brushing a guy's hair. Ford had promised to let her comb his thick locks once, but they never found the time.
Mabel tied Bill's hair back with a green scrunchie so that about an inch of blond hair poked out of the tie. She moved to the front and fastened his bangs in place with two sparkly, purple, butterfly clips.
Mabel scrutinized Bill's appearance. She nodded then said, "I think we'll start with some foundation."
Stan shook his head again, he almost felt an ounce of pity for Bill.
Mabel pulled out a container of powder foundation. The cosmetic was a shade darker than Bill's skin, but would have to do. She twirled the brush in the powder then brought it to her former enemy's face. Bill winced at first, but quickly got used to the soft brush stroking his flesh. She brushed it under his nose making him sneeze.
"Aww," Mabel cooed.
Bill glowered at her for a moment then wiped thin, clear mucus on his shirt. "Disgusting," he grumbled.
Mabel continued with the foundation. "Was that your first sneeze?" she asked.
"And hopefully my last," the blond groaned.
"It's cute," Mabel commented. "But not nearly as cute as Dipper's, he sounds like a kitten."
Bill chuckled.
Another three minutes and two more coats later Mabel finished with the foundation. She stood back to admire her work. Bill looked ghostlike and the the face contrast with the ears and neck too obvious. In an attempt to fix the issue she applied heavy rouge to his cheeks and a dab on his nose.
Mabel rummaged through the box until she found the desired item. She brought out two tubes of lipgloss: one clear and one soft pink. Both tubes were pressed against either cheek and in the end Mabel selected the pink one as it was her favorite. She instructed him to part his mouth. Bill followed the directions and cringed at the sticky substance rubbed upon his lips.
Next she opened an eyeliner pencil. Bill recoiled as the girl moved closer with the pencil.
"Bill, hold still," she ordered.
"No, put that away," Bill countered.
The girl one hand under his face and scribbled the eyeliner on with the other. Bill shifted and pulled, the pencil nearly poked him in the eye twice. By the time the eyeliner was the makeup resembled Robbie's stage look. She then added a small amount of mascara.
When she finished she offered Bill a handheld mirror. Bill took the mirror in his own grasp and wrinkled his nose at the new appearance. He wanted nothing more than to wash away that horrid mess on his face. He peered over the mirror's edge to see Mabel beaming. He put on a fake smile so as not to crush her improved mood.
Mabel sat down on her knees and took Bill's left hand, careful not to be rough with his wounded fingers.
"Since your eyes and hair are gold, I think silver would be a good complement," she said and showed him the tiny bottle of fingernail polish.
Mabel screwed off the cap and brought out the applicator. Bill scrunched his nose at the smell. His nails were greeted with a cold sensation as the girl applied the silver paint.
"Bill," she said as she moved to the next finger. "How did you hurt your hands?"
Stan stared over in their direction. Earlier that morning Ford had informed Stan on the previous night's incident when he noticed Bill's bandages at breakfast.
The blond shifted. "I...uh, did something stupid," he answered.
Mabel looked up at the demon for a few seconds then returned to her work. She had a hunch in the back of her mind, but chose not to confirm it.
She recalled the time about a month ago when she walked in on Dipper about to self-harm. He had hurriedly hid the scissors under his pillow and wiped away the tears with his back to his sister. He then faced her with a false smile. Mabel wanted to bring what she witnessed to Stan's attention, but couldn't even bear discussing it with Dipper himself. She had not seen him attempt the action again, but feared that he still felt the urge to cut.
"Bill," she said again. "I'm going to miss you."
Bill sighed. He never would have believed to have formed a friendship with one of the people he had intended to hurt all summer. His heart filled with pain and forced out two words he thought he would never speak in the entirety of his existence.
"Shooting Star," he said softly. "I'm sorry."
The girl's eyes widened at that phrase. She heard her brother, her friends, and even her Grunkle Ford speak those words recently, but never thought they would come from the mouth of Bill Cipher.
"I've been a real jerk to you," Bill clarified. "But you've been so nice to me."
"Grunkle Ford wants to give you a second chance, so I want to too," Mabel explained. "Besides, you're now my friend."
Bill smiled. "Thanks, Shooting Star, but don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself here?" Bill questioned.
"Uh-uh," Mabel replied with a shake of her head. "It's always better to be ahead."
"Well, then you're a fool," Bill replied. He shrugged and pulled away the finished hand. He blew on the wet nail polish. "And just so you know, dear Fordsy didn't give me a second chance. He just wants to keep me under lock and key."
"I know I'm right, you'll see it soon," Mabel retorted. She finished up the last finger on the second hand. "I believe in second chances. And I think soon enough Grunkle Ford will give you another chance too."
"Don't hold your breath," Bill commented.
The secret door to the laboratory opened and out walked Dipper and Ford laughing.
"So the nerds are back from their quest," Stan mocked.
Mabel laughed. Ford could only roll his eyes while Dipper stuck out his tongue at his sister.
Ford caught the sight of Bill in the chair with his face decorated. The six fingered hand clamped over the author's mouth and he chuckled. When Dipper realized what humored his grunkle, he too joined in the laughter.
"Don't be jealous, Bro-Bro," Mabel cheered. "The salon is still open for customers."
"I'll pass," Dipper replied.
Bill stared down at his nails. The light silver shade did look decent.
The twins said good night to their family members then hurried up to the attic.
Ford approached the bathroom to see Bill scrubbing off the makeup. He groaned at the eyeliner and mascara that had smeared beneath his eyes. He scrubbed harder only for the smudge to worsen.
"It'll take a week for this crap to come off," Bill groaned. "I don't know how you fleshsacks can wear this stuff daily."
"I think they invented special wipes for it," Ford stated.
"Now you tell me," Bill grumbled. He stared in the mirror at the mess under his eyes. "I look like an exhausted old man." Bill grinned and looked over at the reflection of Ford. "Like you."
"Hilarious," Ford said with a tone that spoke the opposite.
Bill scrubbed for the fifth time. The foundation had been wiped away leaving his skin a raw red.
"Stan told me why you did it," Ford said.
Bill shrugged. "She looked so sad, I had to," he explained. As soon as the words escaped he cupped a hand over his mouth. "I mean...um..."
Ford smiled, but said nothing.
"It's been a long day, I'm tired okay," Bill said. He picked up his yellow toothbrush and applied a layer of mint toothpaste to the top as Ford had showed him the first night. The demon scrubbed his teeth and made sure to get the tongue and cheeks as well. He spit out the foam then rinsed to catch the remainder. He turned to the door to see Ford still watching. "What?" he asked.
"I'm just impressed by how much you've learned," he answered.
"I'm not an idiot," Bill said while wiping his mouth with a washcloth.
Bill turned off the light and followed Ford to that dreaded room. Bill stepped inside to see Ford still staring.
"Are you going to tuck me in or something?" Bill asked.
"Goodnight, Bill," Ford said.
Bill is learning what it means to be a friend. As for the beginning, I just thought it would be funny to see Bill attempting to do household chores (and failing).
I'm wondering if I should do a chapter that has Bill bonding with Dipper. I don't know though, I kind of want Dipper to still not trust Bill yet. With Mabel having already forgiven him, I think it still gives some conflict that Dipper doesn't entirely accept him. Anyway, I hope you all found this chapter entertaining.