Well, here it is chapter 10. I discovered a plot bunny in chapter 6. In it I implied Lucia was centuries old, but later I said she was turned in the 1920's. Obviously one was wrong, so I've gone back to fix it. 1920's Lucia wins. Nothing else in that chapter was changed, so there's no point in re reading it (unless you really like that chapter. I know I do)

I Still Don't Own Gravity Falls

With Blind Eyes 10

Confrontation in the Bunker

Dipper Pines stood outside the now open entrance to the bunker. It had taken him several tries with the grappling hook to latch on with the lever branch. How does Mabel make it look so easy? She uses it like it's an extension of her arm, while when I use it, it feels like a clunky piece of tech from the 80s. I guess it's just more evidence that she's the alpha twin. But alpha twin or not, she needs me now.

Dipper took a step towards the staircase, but hesitated. The familiar entrance now seemed like an open grave to him. He had faced danger and near certain death before, yet now fear coiled around his heart. What was different now? Why was he feeling like such a coward? But he already knew the answer.

All those other times I was secure in the certainty that Mabel would be alright. She was either safe at home or by my side where I could protect her. It also helped that when she is with me she is constantly encouraging me. She has always been the source of my strength. And now I stand without the certainty of Mabel. Mabel is before me in the hands of some evil being, I don't know what has happened to her. I know nothing of the kidnapper. I am going in completely blind and I'm terrified by what I might find. But for Mabel…I can find my courage again.

And Dipper took a second step.

Lucia took a step back and smiled at her handiwork. "You won't be escaping from that, I assure you. The rod you're tied to is much too strong to break, and I've emulated the ancient Japanese in their methods of securing prisoners," she spoke in an overly friendly tone, "Those knots will definitely hold no matter how you struggle."

Mabel looked down at herself and blushed before looking up rather angrily, "You just can't stop with the fetish stuff, can you?"

Lucia looked a little hurt for an instant before settling on confusion, "What are you talking about? Shibari is an ancient and noble art handed down over centuries. The samurai secured their prisoners in such a manner."

"Ain't no samurai ever used shibari to tie up prisoners of war," Mabel snorted, "Unless they had just captured an army of concubines." And indeed Mabel was tied up in the classic shibari style (if Mabel had breasts they would have been straining against the ties, but Mabel didn't yet have breasts. Mabel didn't know if she was disappointed or glad for that fact).

Lucia had even used red ropes, which would have stood out against pale, naked flesh. I guess I should be grateful she left my clothes on. Mabel shifted. The ropes rubbed against her, and Mabel bit her lip. Dash it all to Scuttlebutt Island. I swear if I become some sort of sick fetishist because of this, I will be really upset. I wonder what Dipper would think if I did become a shibari-ist (is that even a word?).

An image of Dipper grinning devilishly as he tighten silk ropes against her nubile form flashed in her mind, daydream Mabel's response was only to whimper out a school girl worthy, "Yamatte." The daydream only lasted for half a second, but Mabel felt her heart beating faster anyway.

Awww, Crapnuggets. I've already started down the weird, fetishist path, haven't I? I knew watching those romance animes with Candy and Grenda was a bad idea.

"Why would a samurai only use such techniques on concubines? It was the most efficient means of securing a prisoner in those times. A skilled, shibari expert could tie up a captive in minutes even if the captive is resisting. It says so in my intelligence magazine, Shibari Weekly issue 237," Lucia pulled out said issue.

Thank god, that issue was a clothes on versioin. Mabel thought to herself. If she had a nude issue, would she have stripped me down? The thought scared her.

"Did you ever stop to ask why all the models in that magazine are women?" Mabel asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Women are smaller so it takes less rope to tie them up! It's to keep costs down," Lucia seemed so certain of this.

Mabel could only stare at her for a few seconds, completely dumbfounded.

"No, Lucia, just no," Mabel shook her head, "It's so that men can look at them all tied up. It's sexual."

Lucia was beginning to look upset again, "Would you stop that!? First you call my clothes fetishy, and now you call my hobby fetishy! How do you expect this relationship to work if all you do is disparage my interests?" Lucia had raised her voice a little.

Mabel wasn't going to take that laying down, "How do you expect this relationship to work when you kidnapped me!"

"Stop throwing that in my face: I'm doing my best to make this relationship work. You're the one that is constantly hindering our love. If you had only followed plan A, we could have the Book of Incantations by now and be well on our way to having our happily-ever-after with our 7 vampire babies," Lucia spoke impassionedly.

"Nothing hinders love more than a kidnap-wait. Did you say we would have 7 babies?" Mabel stopped short.

"Yes, and they would be the most beautiful babies ever. We will dress them up in Catholic school girl outfits (Again with the fetishes, Mabel thought to herself), and take them on picnics under the pale moonlight. We are gonna be the happiest family ever," Lucia had started daydreaming part way through her description, "So happy."

"Lucia, we're both girls. Howzzat supposed to work?" Mabel was wondering if her kidnapper was even more cray cray than she originally thought.

"That's easy: I know a witch that can make a potion that allows the female drinker to impregnate her lover," Lucia seemed vaguely uncomfortable talking about the details, but she continued, "The witch only trades her wares for favors from the most powerful of the magical beings. That's why I need that book: I need the book to be apprenticed by Father Caefus, I need the apprenticeship to become powerful, I need power to get that potion, and I need that potion to have a big, beautiful family with a loving wife who has long, chestnut hair and honey-brown eyes. Also, power would allow me to defy the Council of Elders, who outlawed all the witching arts three centuries ago in some fool attempt to keep vampire traditions 'pure.'"

"….That was a lot of information…..," Mabel didn't even know how to react, "The council is a bunch of old fogeys, huh?"

"Yeah, they—," Lucia began, but then the sound of airlock opening filled the chamber, "Awww, your boyfriend is here to save you. I'll go give him a warm welcome; who knows, I might not have to kill him."

Lucia turned and began walking leisurely towards the entrance, humming an upbeat song.

She only got half way there when a hard-faced Dipper emerged from the airlock with the grappling hook held at the ready in both hands (How the heck does Mabel use this thing one handed, anyway?). As Dipper's eyes adjusted to the dim light of the lab proper, he first noticed the figure of Lucia approaching him.

He swung the grappling hook towards her, "Not one step more!"

Lucia held up her hands, "Whoa there. Did you bring the book?"

"I want to see Mabel first; where is she!?" Dipper probably would have sounded more demanding had his voice not cracked at the end.

"She is secured just behind me," Lucia spoke calmly, even though that grappling hook was still terrifying.

By now, Dipper's eyes had adjusted well enough to see the whole lab, and he could clearly make out Mabel, "….Is…that shibari?" Dipper blushed.

After Mabel criticizing her favorite hobby, Lucia was already on edge.

"It is an ancient and noble art!" Lucia spoke defensively.

"No need to get defensive about it. You're actually pretty good at it," Dipper kept his guard up, "But you shouldn't do it to girls you've abducted…"

"How else was I supposed to keep her from running away?" Lucia asked shortly.

"You could have tied her up normally," Dipper was a little unsure of how to proceed. Between Shibari-Mabel and this Goth Lolita chick, he was having trouble accessing the threat level. Luckily Dipper was hyper paranoid, so even though there was no sign of danger from this strange girl, he still kept alert.

"But I've never had a chance to practice on a real person before. How could I pass up this golden opportunity?" Lucia was certain she was right. Then a thought crossed her mind, "Wait, how do you know about Shibari anyway?" She asked with an honest smile on her face.

Dipper flushed beat red and coughed, "…the internet is a heck of a place…"

Eager to end this awkward conversation, Dipper cleared his throat, and called out, "Mabel! Are you okay?"

"Don't give her the book, Dipper! She's a vampire and she's planning to take both me and the book away!" Mabel called back. That kicked Dipper's paranoia into high gear. During the conversation Dipper had lowered the grappling hook just a little, but upon hearing Mabel's warning Dipper snapped it back up.

Dipper fixed Lucia with a hard glare, his mouth pulled down in a frown, "Just what are you trying to pull?"

Lucia winced, "The gag….I forgot the gag."

"If you think I'm gonna let you steal Mabel away from m—from home," Dipper's voice trembled with anger, "Then you are terribly mistaken."

"And how do you think you can stop me from keeping my true love, little boy?" Lucia was hoping the show of bravado would scare Dipper off. I would rather not kill the boy. Lucia thought to herself, Sure, he is trying to keep me from my true love, but he doesn't seem all that bad. Maybe he'll realize that Mabel and I are meant for each other, and just give up! Yeah, that sounds reasonable.

If anything the implicit threat only hardened Dipper's resolve. This vampire may be pretty, but she's totally crazy: who thinks that kidnapping is an acceptable way to express 'true love?' Mabel deserves to be asked before trying out shibari….er, not that I'm planning on asking her to do that. I'm not a complete pervert.

Dipper's conscience piped in: I thought we had gotten over that whole 'lying to yourself thing,' you pervert.

Shut up. I need to focus.

"I'm going to stop you in any way that I can," Dipper was adamant.

"No you won't. Mabel is mine. I won't-," Lucia was interrupted.

Something snapped in Dipper's mind upon hearing someone claim Mabel. A fury unlike any he thought could exist filled him, and over powered all other emotions.

"No, she is not!" It took Dipper half a second to realize that he had fired the grappling hook. And for an additional split second horror mixed with rage as he thought: My God, I've killed her. She's sentient, and I've killed her.

The horror lasted until the grappling hook buried itself in the cave wall. Years of hunting beings that were notorious for fighting back had honed Lucia's reflexes, quick as a flash had she dodged left. It helped that Dipper's aim was slightly off, but she would still have been gravely injured had she not dodged.

Dipper knew that without the grappling hook he was at a severe disadvantage, so in a panic he hit the withdraw button. However, Dipper had underestimated how deeply the hook was lodged in the wall, so his grip wasn't as tight as it should have been. Instead of the hook getting yanked from the wall, the gun was yanked from Dipper's hands.

Dipper's heart stopped as the gun was sent clattering away. He turned to see Lucia's reaction. Crap…she looks furious. His gaze shifted to Mabel. He had to admit even with fear coiling around his heart, Mabel was still beautiful. If anything, she appeared more beautiful than before. That may be the Shibari and desperation talking…how am I gonna save her now?

Dipper didn't have time to make a list on saving Mabel without the grappling hook, because with a scream of incoherent rage, Lucia closed the gap between them. In a heartbeat, Dipper found himself on his back with Lucia on top of him.

Lucia's hands found Dipper's neck, "Try and kill me, will you?" she screamed as she started choking him. Had she been thinking clearly, she probably would have drained him of his blood as it would have been faster, but her mind was too choked by anger and fear to plan properly. He tried to use that terrible death tool on her. What other vicious deaths had he planned for her?

Dipper's hands flew to her wrists and desperately tried to pull them away, but Lucia was much stronger than him. She was bigger and Dipper vaguely remembered from reading his journal that vampires were stronger than they appeared.

I can't breathe.

Mabel was crying as she struggled against the ropes. Who cares where the ropes are rubbing when Dipper is dying? , "Stop it! You're killing him!" Lucia didn't stop.

"Please, stop! I'll do anything: I'll go with you! Just please, stop!" Mabel's cries grew more desperate, but Lucia didn't seem to hear her.

Dipper's sight was darkening. Everything seemed so far way. All he could see was Lucia's pretty face which was twisted into something ugly by her rage.

His hands were now pawing weakly against Lucia's. His brain registered that Mabel was bawling. I have to do something. What would happen to Mabel if I die here?

Dipper pushed weakly against Lucia's face. She continued to glare down at him. Her eyes are not very human….blood red.

Dipper's life this summer past before his eyes. All those adventures were so dangerous, yet here I am dying over a book. That book didn't even have memory spells in it. I should know: I finished reading it an hour ago.

Dipper fixated on that worthless book. It's not worth dying for…nothing of value in it….that stupid spell at the end was totally anticlimactic.

That last spell….Dipper had an idea.

Lifting his hand….it seemed so heavy now…Dipper whispered with the last of his breath.

"Lumen."

Blinding light exploded from Dipper's palms, and caught Lucia full in the face. She fell away from him screaming. "I can't see! I can't see!"

Dipper rolled over, and started crawling weakly away coughing as he went. It's a good thing she's screaming bloody murder right now. Otherwise she would have heard me hacking up a lung.

Lucia was flailing her arms around in a panic her sensitive eyes still paining her; still completely blind; still screaming. Where is he!? How did he master shortened spells already? Oh, Luna! He's getting the grappling hook to kill me! That hook will rip right through me any second now! My blood will ruin my dress. I'm going to die here: I'll never have my big, beautiful family.

She was crying openly now. Luna, my babies are never even going to get a chance to exist. They'll never pick wild flowers under Luna's silver light or ask me to braid their hair or have me help them with putting on makeup for the first time.

Lucia had curled up into a ball on the cave floor by this point, so consumed by despair that she didn't realize that Dipper hadn't killed her yet.

As Lucia was having her panic attack, Dipper had recovered enough to run over to where Mabel was secured.

Spying a sharp piece of broken glass, he snatched it up and cut the main rope that was holding Mabel to the pole. His first instinct was to grab Mabel and make a break for the entrance, but a thought stopped him: That vampire isn't just going to give up on having Mabel. I guess we're alike in that regard. So long as she's out there, Mabel will be in danger. As Dipper was thinking this he finished cutting the ropes binding Mabel's hands. Mabel turned—rubbing her irritated hands, and loosening the body bindings that remained on her—to look him in the eyes, and Dipper knew what he had to do.

"Thanks for the save, Dipper," Mabel grinned weakly at him, "Now let's get outta here."

"Mabel," Dipper stopped her, his face serious, "…I have to kill her."

"…Say what now?" Mabel was taken aback.

"She isn't going to stop trying to kidnap you. The only way to make sure you're safe is to kill her," Dipper laid out his reasoning.

"No, Dipper, just no: I mean look at her. She may be a cray cray vampire, but she's more sad than anything else. I don't think you have it in you to just kill her," Mabel spoke softly.

"Then how are we going to keep her from abducting you again?" Dipper knew in his heart Mabel was right even as he was arguing the point.

"You're the smart one here with all your occult books: think of a better solution," Mabel was confident in Dipper's problem solving skills.

"I have to keep you safe, Mabel," Dipper sounded tired.

Dipper grabbed some extra rope from Lucia's pack and turned to approach the still crying girl. I have to. For Mabel.

Lucia was still crying; her eyes still hurt her terribly though that was not the reason for her continued emotional breakdown.

And Elizabeth will never go through a teenage rebellious phase by wearing her skirts above the knee, and I'll never get to lecture her about the dress habits of a proper lady.

Dipper was now standing over her; she could smell him, and her eyes had recovered enough to see his outline.

"Come to kill me, have you?" Lucia laughed bitterly through her tears, despair mixing with resignation. Her weak eyes mistook the rope for the grappling hook, "Go ahead, all my dreams are ashes."

Dipper held out the rope and whispered, "Incarcero."

The rope flew out of his hand and tied up Lucia. However, being bound made the overwhelming fear return, and her resignation evaporated, "Please, don't kill me! Not like this," Her tears returned, "I'm sorry for kidnapping Mabel. I just wanted to be loved: you don't know what it's like to have everyone tell you that your love is wrong. That your heart is sick."

"….I know what it's like," Dipper whispered. He was pained by just how much Lucia's pleas sounded like his own. "….I won't kill you," Dipper spoke seriously as Mabel approached having been successful in removing the shibari ties and recovering her grappling hook.

"Y-you won't?" Lucia couldn't believe that Dipper would be merciful.

Dipper thought hard about the problem at hand. The vampire girl may be repentant now, but she may change her mind later. How can he be certain that she won't try again? Suddenly Dipper remembered reading something. Dipper pulled out Journal number 3 from his vest pocket (There has got to be some magic on that book for it to fit into a vest pocket, now that he thought of it) , and flipped to the section on vampires, and there in black and white was the answer, "You were right, Mabel. I know what I need to do."

"Always trust the Mabel. The Mabel is good," Mabel smiled back.

"I won't kill you, but I will have an oath from you. Swear to me by Luna that you will never again try to kidnap or harm anyone in the Mystery Shack family: that is Mabel, myself, Stan, Soos, or Wendy. Follow the vampire's oath format," Dipper was firm in his demand.

Lucia was so relieved that she almost started crying again, "Yes, I will." Every vampire knew the vampire's oath. It was one of the first things they learned upon turning.

"I, Lucia Noctua, do swear by the Lady Luna, full of graceful splendor and soft light, to never again try to harm or kidnap the following persons: Mabel, Stan, Soos, Wendy, or….what was your name?"

"Dipper."

"or Dipper. May Lady Luna hear and uphold this oath for all the days of eternity." Lucia completed her vow.

Dipper was satisfied, "Resolvo."

And Lucia was released. She still could barely believe that Dipper had spared her.

"Let's go, Mabel," Dipper turned, but Mabel stopped him.

"Dipper you should give her the spell book," Mabel spoke seriously, "You don't know how badly she needs it. Her whole future depends on it."

Dipper was uncertain for a moment, but seeing the look on Mabel's face swayed him, "Very well," Dipper pulled out the spell book, "Effingo."

And suddenly in Dipper's hands were 2 spell books, "Here," Dipper handed her the copy.

Lucia's eyes (now recovered enough to see somewhat clearly) widened in disbelief. She quickly snatched the book out of Dipper's hands, and started flipping through the pages, "But this is impossible: you can't copy the print of a book: the finite details should be completely illegible!"

"You'll find that in Gravity Falls anything is possible," Dipper replied.

"You're darn tootin' right," Mabel chimed in.

Dipper cleared his throat, "Mabel and I will be leaving now."

Lucia nodded still numb from the emotional turmoil, "Go ahead. I have a lot to think about."

Dipper took Mabel's hand and led her out of the ruined lab.

Dipper and Mabel stepped out into the early evening sunlight. Dipper breathed deeply the pine-scented air. And it suddenly struck him how close he had come to dying. How close he had come to killing. How close he had come to losing Mabel.

Dipper stopped walking. Mabel took one more step before realizing that Dipper had stopped and turned to look at him. She noted the look in his eyes, "What's wrong, Dipper?"

Dipper looked into her soft brown eyes, and saw concern and love. But there were no words to explain what was wrong—no words to clarify the storm of feelings in his heart-, so Dipper pulled his sister to him, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

Mabel responded by mirroring the softness of his kiss. The sweetness of her kiss broke the dam in Dipper's heart. He poured everything he had carried with him that day into their kiss: all the fear and all the hate, and all the uncertainty. All the things he had no words to talk about, and soon he ran out of such feelings. And all he had left was need, but the need was infinite. No matter how much of Mabel he had, he still needed more of her. The kiss which had started soft and fragile became hard and desperate. He pulled Mabel into him and felt her soft sweater under his demanding hands, but it wasn't enough: he still needed more.

Dipper broke the kiss just long enough to remove the sweater that was between his hands and Mabel. The sweater was soft, but it was too thick, and he needed Mabel. All that remained between his desperate hands and Mabel's back was her thin T-shirt, and for now, for now, it was enough to keep Dipper from losing his mind.

Mabel moaned into the kiss which was continued with the same vigor as Dipper's hands grasped her back. Dipper had touched her there before, but then it was more like a professional back massage. Now his needful hands were not clinical in the way they touched her. Every caress spoke a message and said, mine, mine, mine. And almost without thinking about it Mabel's body replied: yours, yours, yours.

The ferocity of her boyfriend's passion had taken Mabel a little by surprise, but having endured nearly watching him be choked to death made her respond quickly to match him passion for passion. Her hands found the base of his neck, and grasped at the soft chestnut hair they found there.

Dipper broke away from Mabel's rosy lips, and for a second Mabel thought that the kiss was over. But then Dipper's eyes drifted from her perfect lips to the pulse point of her neck, and Mabel knew just from looking at him that the need was still there. Yet, Dipper had regained enough self-control to resist. Mabel was having none of that.

"Dipper," Mabel whispered.

Dipper hmmm'd in response.

"Stop thinking about it, and just do it," Mabel was all confidence.

And any self-control Dipper had dissolved at Mabel's words, so that only the need remained. Dipper claimed her neck, and Mabel arched her neck so that Dipper could easily access it.

Dipper nipped her pulse lightly causing Mabel to whimper out his name as her knees grew weak, and she clutched to him to keep from falling. He liked the sound and endeavored to make her say it again.

And he succeeded many times till they were interrupted by the sounds of their stomachs growling.

Dipper broke away and Mabel laughed, "I guess we've been too busy eating each other's faces that we forgot to actually eat."

Dipper grinned sheepishly, a little embarrassed by losing control for so long, "Sorry about going crazy on your neck, Mabel."

"No apologizing, Dipper. We've been over this," Mabel spoke half seriously, "And you better not be apologizing because you regret it, because after dinner we are totally going to try to recapture that intensity."

Mabel picked up her sweater from where it laid and tied it around her waist. Taking Dipper's hand, Mabel turned and led them back to the Shack in a comfortable silence at a slow pace.

Both needed the time to collect themselves after the trauma of the kidnapping and the cathartic kiss that followed.

And thus ends day 5 since Mabel lost her memories (if you count "Society of the Blind eye" as day 1). Dipper and Mabel have successfully neutralized the threat posed by Lucia, and for now all is well.

So "not what he seems" took all my portal theories and blew them straight out of the water: the Carla theory is now completely, 100% fandom territory. And yet we still know nothing about what the portal actually does, and won't know for many more months.

We are now in the finals stretch at university, so I won't even look at this fic for at least 2 weeks. I think this is a good breaking point, and I hope this chapter can hold ya'll over till then.

Translations:

Yamatte: wait.

Lumen: Light.

incarcero: incarcerate/bind.

Resolvo: Release (very rough translation here)

Effingo: Fashion/form/copy.