Chapter Summary
"They shush me (Shhh), walking me across a fragile line!"
Chapter Notes
Disclaimers: I do not own Gravity Falls
Author's Note's:
Me: I wasn't real confident about this chapter
Bill: that's because you're always in this room. Have you ever been to a party?
Me: yes I have
Bill: Sure you have
Random Fan: Bill stop picking on the Author you know she doesn't have to write your story!'
Bill: Oh but she does! If she stops all her fans will cry!
Random Fan: Your right and I'd probably cry the loudest!
Me: Can we just read this horrible chapter already.
Bill: Gladly. (Starts to read) Back at the Fearamid...
(Back with the rest of the Gang in Portland, Oregon…)
He hated waiting for things…
As patient as he may appear anxiety always had a way of getting to him. "Are they back yet?"
It must have been the ten thousand time Mayor Tylor asked the question, and it got the same response.
"Not yet." Candy answered.
"We can't wait forever!" Lazy Susan yelled. "What if that one eye creep gets out before they get back?"
"We must find out what's going on." Bud Gleeful declared.
"No we have to stay here!" Grenda yelled.
"Hold on!" Candy said stopping Grenda from punching the coffee table in half. "They might be on to something. If we had someone go to the town and collect information then we can report it to Mabel when they get back and start planning." Candy explained.
"It would save valuable time." Mayor Tyler agreed. "But who will go?"
"I will!" One of the Gnomes named Steve offered. "We Gnomes know the woods well and we can travel much faster than a human."
"Okay but be careful." Candy advised.
Steve nodded. "I will not let you down!" he promised and then he jumped out the window, landing on the ground below gracefully; before set off towards Gravity Falls.
"Steve is my fastest runner!" Jeff assured them as they watched him go. "He'll be fine."
Candy could only hope he was right…
(Back at the Fearamid...)
He never really felt comfortable at parties…
Dipper wasn't sure if it was the large crowds or the dancing, he just knew he couldn't engage; and it was showing!
"Everything alright my little sapling?" Bill asked
Dipper bit his lip nervously, he had been leaning against the table by the Time Punch since the party began, and had been content on staying there; and if Bill had stayed entertained with his goons he might have got his wish.
But sadly Bill soon noticed he was alone and obviously thought he needed to change that.
'How very kind of him!' Dipper thought bitterly.
He was more than a little sour at the moment, and the dirty looks coming from the other demons was only a third of the equation. Bill was another 3rd and the over powering need to be alone and free of this terrible atmosphere was another.
"I'm still a little exhausted." Dipper finally answered.
"You should feed on some souls." Bill advised. "You'll feel better than." He handed him a small goblet of souls.
Dipper looked at the goblet with much distaste.
'Come on King!' Light snapped. 'Eat them.'
'They're human souls!' Dipper reasoned.
'We're supposed to be convincing him that we no longer care about humans. So eat them NOW!'
"Thank you." Dipper did his best to smile at the offering, before he forced himself to drown the whole goblet down. The fact that he enjoyed the new flow of energy that soon began to course through his very being, only made him want to be sick, but he forced it to stay down.
"Better love?" Bill asked sweetly.
"Much." Dipper lied.
"Good now please may I have the honor of dancing with you this fine night." Bill offered his hand.
Dipper just stared at it dumbly.
'Take his hand and dance with him you idiot!' Light hissed.
"Okay." He said softly and took Bill's hand.
Bill lead him on to the dance floor happily, "You know it's been a while since we danced together." He said. "Do you remember that day?" He asked as they began to sway to the music.
"Yeah it was the day we started this crazy thing we call a relationship." Dipper teased, or at least tried to; but he was sure Bill detected the hint of bitterness.
Bill sighed confirming his suspensions. "Listen I know you're angry because I tricked, and used you." Bill said softly. "But I'm hoping we can start a new chapter, no more lies, no more going behind each other's backs. What do you say?"
Dipper imagined for a brief moment that he clawed Bill's eye out and told him to go to hell, but before he could act out the fantasy Light pulled him back to reality.
'Seriously King you need to focus!' Light lectured him. 'This plan takes constant roll playing. So hold your tongue, and keep your eye on the prize.'
Dipper nodded. "I'd like that." He whispered back and kissed Bill's eye.
Bill melted into the kiss for a few moments before pulling away.
Dipper hated it when he did, and that fact made him sick!
'Why do I have to love him?! He'll never love me more than his power! Why can't I just hate him?!'
"Pine Tree you feeling okay?" Bill asked.
"I'm really nervous about all this." Dipper admitted. "I can't seem to relax."
"I have just the thing!" Bill said rushing to the punch bowl. "Time Punch will melt those nerves away in a jiffy."
Dipper watched him go.
'King your letting my hatred for Bill influence your emotions!' Light warned.
'How can I not?!' Dipper snapped back. 'He destroyed everything I love, and he thinks we can just pick up where we left off like nothing happened!.'
'Yes he does, and you're going to trick him into thinking its working.' Light snapped.
'How?' Dipper asked.
'Remember how he use to make you feel?' Light questioned.
'Yes…' Dipper sighed.
'Let yourself fall again, Okay! It's your job to be the distraction; let me work out the rest of the details.'
'Okay…' Dipper agreed. 'I can do this, all I have to do is live for the moment.'
'Exactly, now get ready because here he comes!' Light warned.
"Here we go one large cup of Time Punch." Bill said handing over a glass of green liquid.
'Drink it king it will help you calm down!' Light advised. 'We have to be careful okay, because despite what Bill says demons are very emotional creatures. Especially us, the slightest injustice could tick us off.'
Dipper supposed that made since, after all it would explain why he was acting so coldly towards Bill without trying to. The demon had done the greatest injustice in his eyes, but Dipper needed to let it go. So without giving it much thought he drowned the cup of time punch down.
Bill laughed. "Wow kid you weren't kidding about those nerves."
Dipper felt the effects of the beverage in seconds, and his body instantly relax. The very room seemed to breathe around him as different shades of blues and greens danced in his line of vision. "Whoa…" he said in amazement.
"And that my dear Pine Tree, is why Time Baby outlawed this stuff billions of years ago." Bill laughed as he put one arm around him.
Dipper smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Bill happily obliged.
Dipper's smile widen perhaps this wasn't so bad.
'Now we're getting somewhere.' Light mused.
Dipper laughed as Bill began to kiss down towards his tie. "I thought you said no sex." He reminded him.
"This isn't sex, it's making out." Bill taunted
"As always you're such a tease!" Dipper snapped playfully.
Bill laughed. Finally he had his Pine Tree back, everything was going his way; and once they were wed nothing would stand in their way. They'd be an unstoppable duo!
'Keep it up King its working.' Light instructed.
"So what are we going to do?" Dipper asked as they began to dance once more.
"What do you mean?" Bill asked.
"Well it's just…" Dipper tried his best to find the right words. "You're not really going to make them wait are you?" he asked.
"My subjects need to learn their place, and two extra weeks in this constriction will do them good." Bill explained.
"Two Weeks!" Dipper was stunned.
"Well of course silly, we need to wait for you to be strong enough for the ceremony." Bill explained as if it was obvious.
"Strong enough! I thought we were getting married?" Dipper asked. "Why do I have to be strong for that?"
"I told you, a demon wedding is much different from a human one." Bill explained.
Dipper gave him a weird look, and was tempted to pry for more answers; but he decided against it.
After all he knew all too well the demon would give nothing away. "Okay…" he sighed. "I get it, whatever you say."
Bill chuckled. "You know I was beginning to fear that we'd never get past are differences, but look at us." He pulled Dipper in closer until their bodies were touching. "It's like nothing ever transpired."
Dipper smiled, and to his surprised it wasn't forced; in fact if he were honest with himself he'd admit that he did missed this.
How many times had he wished they could go back to those days?
How many nights had he stayed awake thinking of Bill; wishing they had never had their falling out?
"I love you." Dipper said deeply.
Bill couldn't help the fluttery feeling that filled his being. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever hear his sapling say those words again. "I love you too." He said with a sigh.
Light chuckled. 'You've got him eating out of your hand. I knew we'd be a good team.'
Dipper wrapped his arms around Bill as the music began to slow. Bill held him close as they began to waltz across the dance floor.
Dipper looked around nervously, all eyes are on them. "Aren't you worried about what they think?" He asked.
"Those goons are beneath us." Bill said casually. "Who cares what those freeloading parasites think? Besides after the wedding they fail in comparison to our power."
"Bill exactly what's going to happen at this wedding?" Dipper asked; slightly worried.
"You'll see…" Bill teased.
Dipper rolled his eye, and the room began to spin causing him to lose his balance. He fell against Bill who helped him stay on his feet. "Why am I so weak?" Dipper asked.
"You're behind on your feeding kid." Bill explained. "A new born burns threw energy fast because they don't know how to control their power. So unfortunately they tend to use it all up at once instead of putting a cap on it."
Dipper yawned deeply. "I feel so tiered." He said.
"It's completely natural." Bill said picking him up bridal style. "But I think it's safe to say you're done for the night." He began to carry him towards his room.
"No please don't lock me away, it's suffocating." Dipper wined.
"Oh love I'd never lock you up, we're partners now remember?" Bill reminded him. But Dipper still looked unsure.
"I'll tell you what how's about you get out of the castle for a while uh?" Bill asked.
"Really?" Dipper was surprised. "You'll let me go outside?"
"Of course, besides being cooped up for too long is not healthy for a newborn, you need to spread out your wings, so to speak." Bill laughed. "But for now you need to get some sleep."
"You don't sleep." Dipper pointed out. "So why do I?"
"You're a new born, and sleeping is a habit that you'll grow out of as you get stronger." Bill explained as they entered his room. "Now my little book worm, that's enough questions for today." He said placing; Dipper into the bed and tucking him in. "You can spread your wings out tomorrow, just promise me you'll stay out of trouble out there."
"I promise." Dipper said sleepily.
Bill smiled and placed a kiss just above his eye. "Sweet dreams my precious sapling." He whispered before taking his leave.
Dipper sighed and soon drifted off to sleep.
He didn't dream…
(The Next Morning...)
Morning seemed to come in a blink of an eye…
Or at least he guessed it was morning, but with the ever red sky it was hard to distinguish night from day.
Dipper sat up, and stretched in his sheets; yawning loudly.
'Come on King, stop taking your sweet time, you heard Bill in two weeks we will be wed and the barrier comes down.' Light snapped.
'So what are we supposed to do about it?' Dipper asked.
'We've got to get in touch with Mabel somehow.' Light said thoughtfully. 'Let them know about the two week window, and that we're going to be their man on the inside.'
'Don't you think Bill will be watching us?' Dipper asked the obvious.
'He's far too busy keeping his goons in line, and planning the wedding! Now let's go before we lose our chance to get out of this hell hole.' Light growled.
Dipper jumped out of bed and flew out the bedroom window. He was met with a dessert waste land.
"Bill what have you done?" Dipper whisper as he floated through the land. Most of the town was in ruin, trees where scares, and Dipper couldn't see a single animal. 'We have to stop him before the barrier goes down.'
'We will!' Light assured him. 'But we also need to plan for failure as well. You know have a backup plan incase things go south.'
'So what's our plan?' Dipper asked as they made their way to the barrier.
'I'm still working on it.' Light admitted. 'Once he gets out it's going to be much harder to pin him down and use the Zodiac.'
Dipper nodded at the thought and ran smack into an invisible force…
'What the-" Dipper reached out in front of him, and saw the barrier ripple at his touch. "I guess I didn't realize how close we were." He laughed and tried to force his way through.
It was hopeless, he was stuck.
'So this is how he feels.' Light thought in awe. 'Damn now I actually feel sorry for the jerk!'
Dipper laughed. 'I guess we'll have to think of another way to warn Mabel.' He thought.
Suddenly a flash of movement caught Dipper's eye and he snatched up the sneaky vermin as if on instinct.
It was a Gnome!
"Hey don't I know you?" Dipper asked.
"No you don't!" The Gnome cried. "Please I don't want any trouble."
"Steve!" Dipper snapped. "Shut up before you attract all of the Nightmare Realm."
"Pines?" The Gnome Steve looked amazed. "What happened to you?"
"Bill did this to me." Dipper explained.
"Wow turning you into the one thing you hate the most. Harsh." Steve shook his head.
"I thought you were with the others." Dipper said.
I was, but the human girl Candy sent me here to get a statues on what's transpired in our absence." Steve explained. "But I can't find any other creatures here besides demons."
"They probably all ran outside the barrier, after all it appears only demons can't get through." Dipper told him.
"Then I have nothing to report." Steve said gravely.
"That's not true." Dipper told him. "Listen I have earned Bill's trust, and I'm willing to be the inside man on this."
"Really, are you sure?" Steve looked uneasy. "What if the big guy finds out?"
"Let me deal with that." Dipper told him. "Now do you want your information are not?" he asked.
"Okay what can you tell me?" Steve asked as Dipper put him down.
"You got paper?" Dipper asked.
Steve pulled out a paper and an old pen, and gave it to Dipper. "That much uh?" he asked.
Dipper nodded. "You have no idea." He said and began writing away feverishly.
Steve kept watch expecting the enemy to pop out any minute. "Are you done yet!" he snapped.
"Almost, keep your pants on!" Dipper snapped and continued to write.
"Well forgive me for not wanting to become demon chow!" Steve snapped.
"Okay I'm done!" Dipper said finally finishing and handed Steve the paper and pen. "Listen you have to give that to Mabel right away!" he ordered.
Steve folded the paper up and stuffed it in his beard. "I Will." He promised. "But how will I reach you again?" he asked.
"How long does it take you to get to the next town?" Dipper asked.
"It's a 2 hour journey." Steve answered.
"We'll meet every day at night fall." Dipper decided.
Steve nodded, then paused, as if realizing something. "Does night really fall here?" he asked.
"No I mean night fall for you." Dipper snapped. "Now go while you still can."
Steve nodded once more; and raced through the barrier, and out of sight with his message in tow.
Dipper could only hope he'd make it in time, he sighed; and began his journey back to the Fearamid. It didn't take him long to get there, and to his surprise Bill was waiting for him.
"Darling, you should have told me you were going on your stroll so early I would have joined you." Bill said with a smile.
"I'm sorry I just couldn't wait." Dipper said giving him a kiss.
Bill kissed him back deeply before pulling away. "You went by the barrier didn't you?" he asked.
"How'd you know?" Dipper asked.
"I know you kid, you're too curious for your own good." Bill laughed. "It's suffocating in this small tinny bubble isn't it?" he teased.
Dipper couldn't help but agree. "Yeah it kind of constricting." He admitted.
"Well don't worry your pretty little head about it." Bill mused. "Cause once we wed and that barrier is down nothing will stand in our way!"
Dipper didn't like the sound of that. "But what about Mabel? What if-"
"What if what?" Bill asked. "Oh I know, you mean what if they find the new members of the Zodiac?" He asked teasingly.
Dipper was stunned. "How'd you-"
"Pine Tree I found out that secret centuries ago." Bill said as if it was nothing. "And you don't need to worry about that." He assured him.
Okay now he defiantly didn't like the sound of that.
"What do you mean?" he stuttered.
"Well...let's just say that a certain event transpires during our Wedding Ceremony." Bill teased. "A certain event that will make that Zodiac obsolete!"
Dipper felt his world shatter around him, their marriage was just another tool to secure Bill's victory.
He should have known.
'Don't show emotion!' Light warned 'Don't show him you care.'
Dipper forced himself to look relieved. "Good then we have nothing to worry about." He said.
"Nothing but how to pull off the perfect wedding with only two weeks to plan!" Bill laughed as he led his Pine Tree back into the castle.
'If Mabel doesn't stop him by the end of the ceremony we're doomed!' Dipper thought.
'We need a plan!' Light screamed. 'In case things go south!'
'What about Mabel?' Dipper asked.
'He won't let us alone again you heard him he didn't even want us to walk alone this morning.' Light pointed out.
'Well stay on his good side for the rest of the day then we'll sneak out again tonight, and meet with Steve with the new information.' Dipper decided.
'That's 8 hours from now! That's like a century!' Light whined.
And Dipper couldn't blame him, even as Bill began discussing wedding plans Dipper could feel the tension.
They were running out of time! And if they didn't hurry, then all would surely be lost!
Chapter End Notes
Chapter Summary Decipher:
Random Fan: Basically it's describing where Light is trying to keep Dipper from blowing their cover. But Dipper finds this constant role playing is harder than it looks.
Bill: Wow I'm actually impressed. I honestly thought you'd have trouble with that one.
Random Fan: Did you just complement me?
Bill: Don't get use to it!
Me: Anyway Thanks for reading the next chapter will be up soon. Until then this is...
Emily signing off :)
