Disclaimer: This has got to be one of my favorite chapters in the earlier part of season two before Not What He seems. Sorry about the slow update people. I did warn you guys that university would throw me off.

nightmarehunter676: I know, right?

Guest: Thanks! I like throwing references in here at random.

EmmieSauce: Me too! I wonder what I can get into with him?

Haruka Akatsuki: I'm surprised I managed to make so much fluff out of this episode.

SnowyFalls: I am, aren't I? Steven in a dress was pretty funny. I'd really like an editor-in-chief, to be honest. Small errors annoy the heck out of me.

PeanutGallerySeth: I know, right? I'm so excited!

Guest: Yep!

RillFipher: No one did, I reckon. Bet most people forgot about the portal.

TravisUmbra: Yes, she is. She isn't gonna die, I'll tell you that. But that doesn't mean she isn't gonna suffer first.

SolangeloUniverse: First, I referenced Adventure Time in an earlier episode (virtual cookie if you know where that is), now I reference Steven Universe. I enjoy doing this, I do. After all, if I learned anything from this show, is that the multiverse spans many MANY shows. Bill could follow her, but he only focuses on dimensions that catch his interest. Speaking of the multiverse…

Here's a bit of trivia. Star vs the Forces of Evil and Gravity Falls exist in the same universe; Marco mentions in an AMA that he came across Bill in a dimension one time. Plus, Marco has a sticker of Sev'ral Timez in his locker. Gravity Falls is connected to Rick and Morty, due to the items Stan lost in the portal ending up flying through one of Rick's portals, and Dipper and Mabel Morties (Morti?) seen in the background of an episode. Not to mention the disfigured face of 8-Ball, and Ford's wanted poster said 'Rick was here'. Rick and Morty has a crossover with The Simpsons for an opening. In that opening also has the Futurama ship in the background. And The Simpsons crosses over with Family Guy, and then Futurama.

Bottom line: Gravity Falls is connected to many cartoons! Cool, huh?

I own Elaine! Not Gravity Falls!

"Speaking"

Thinking

"Reading"

Edited: Apr. 12/19

Elaine's POV

"Ahhh," I sighed, running my hands through my soaking wet hair. The heat of the water soothed my sore muscles from the last few days, and man, did I ever need this. It was two days since the zombie fight, and everything still hurt. A hot shower is just what the doctor ordered. Today, Dipper was going to round us all up to go to Ford's bunker. It was also the day that he was supposed to tell Wendy his feelings. Instead… he liked me. At least, that's what it looked like And what the heck am I supposed to do about that?

It was a best friend/brother love that I felt, that I had to conclude in my thoughts on Soos' roof a few days ago. If he was a little older, then maybe I could see it. 4 years didn't throw me off as much as it could've, but I was mentally five years older. Much closer to an adult than Wendy was. "Wonder where he is right now, anyway?" I paused, lowering my hands to grab the facecloth to scrub the shampoo out of my eyes as it dripped down my forehead when I wasn't paying attention. "Ow. Ow. Ow. It stings."

3rd POV

"Come on, come on, there must be something in here." Dipper closed the journal, leaning back against the window in a huff. Seeing how Elaine had vanished for a while, he took advantage of using the empty attic room, sitting in the window seat to look through the journal. True, he now had the usage of many more entries in the book with the black light's assistance, but there was a specific thing he was looking for at the moment.

A way to get Elaine out of her deal.

He didn't believe she was stuck with the demon permanently. There must have been a way to free her from his hold, without harming her in the process. But how? How!? "Ah, seriously?" He threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Nothing! How can there be nothing in here?" He got up off the seat, and slid the journal into his vest along with the light. It was a little awkward, seeing the size of what he chose to see the messages, but it covered the entire page instead of several lines at a time. "Maybe there was something else in the other journals?"

He doubted it. Even if they did have any useful information, he had no idea where they were. "Oh well. Better go get the others and head out to the tree." He closed the door behind him, and made his way back down the hallway. It was time for another milestone, he decided, to join the ones Elaine and Stan had. The ones they had been holding onto ever since the twins had arrived this summer. He was going to tell Elaine his feelings. Today. It didn't seem that hard. If he was still hooked on Wendy, he'd probably clam up right up off the bat. With Elaine, he could be himself. She was as crazy as Mabel, but with the smarts to match him. And the insanity of Bill apparently, Dipper thought in annoyance.

He stopped in front of the bedroom door, and blinked. "I thought this was opened," he mumbled. He grabbed the knob, and opened the door. "Hello…?" Dipper felt the heat immediately rush up to his cheeks, and felt a cry of shock get trapped in his throat.

"Huh?" Elaine twirled around, and gaped at the young boy. The teen had a light brown towel tightly bound around her, with puddle of water dripping from her damp hair surrounded her feet. "D-Dipper!?"

"I-I-oh man!" Dipper finally found his voice, waving his hands in embarrassment, holding them out in front of his face and looking to the side of the room, trying to keep his thoughts straight. "E-Elaine, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't think you were-the door wasn't-oh man, this is horrible!" Realizing that apologizing in the same room as her wasn't making anything better, he quickly rushed out of the room and slammed the door, pressing his back against it. Panting, he felt his blood pound at the incident. "I-I am so, so sorry, Elaine!"

"I-it's okay, Dipper!" Elaine called from the other side. She quickly grabbed her clothing from her bed, and threw it on as fast as she could. No, it's not! It's definitely NOT! Yes, she had gotten plenty comfortable in the Mystery Shack, and it was only recently did she start changing in the room about a week ago. It wasn't that big of a change, but she could've sworn Dipper was already out of the building! Where was he hiding!? Thank goodness I was covered! "There we go." Buttoning up the flannel, she flung open the door, knocking Dipper over. "Oops!"

"Oof!" He stumbled onto the floor at her feet, and looked back up at her. "I-I'm okay!" He jumped up, rubbing the back of his head where it hit the ground. The two looked at each other nervously, each still a blushing mess. "Uh…" Dipper gulped, and tugged at his shirt collar. "Are we… cool now?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're cool," Elaine said quickly. "Just… this never leaves this room. Mabel never hears about this, alright? We'd never hear the end of it."

"Right, right." The two looked away from each other; Elaine coughed awkwardly. "We, uh, should probably get going. Mabel and Soos should be waiting for us down in the gift shop."

"Good idea," Elaine grinned forcefully, patting him on the shoulder. Fixing her black bag on her back, she headed down the stairs and rushed to the room. I've never been so flustered in all my life. Oh man, that was horrible.

(Time Skip)

Elaine's POV

"Thank you all for coming," Dipper announced, tapping a pen on his lantern. I stood alongside him, with Mabel and Soos in front of us. The tree where we found the journal stood proudly behind me, with the small hatch still wide open.

"Hey, when there's a mystery, you can count on your sister… ey," Mabel tried to rhyme, grinning happily.

"That's an amazing rhyme," Soos laughed. "When you want some, good… when you need a Soos, you… oh oh, gosh, I don't know." Hard to rhyme with that there, pal.

"We're here to solve the number one mystery in Gravity Falls; who wrote this journal!?" He held up the book, and flipped to the opening page where Ford had torn out where his name was. "Thirty years ago the author vanished without a trace. But according to this new clue, we may have found his secret hiding place." He then showed the two the page where the bunker was located. Strangely enough, the black light was strong enough to show in the daytime. Not very well, mind you, but it was still noticeable. "We find that author, we learn the answers to everything. We just need to figure out a way to get down there." We glanced up at the tree, frowning.

"Chop it down, dudes!" I turned around to see Wendy bike up to us, ringing her bell.

"Wendy!" Mabel cheered.

"Oh, hey!" Dipper waved. "You came."

"Dude, I'm so stoked about this," Wendy grinned at him. She took of her helmet, and swapped it out for her normal hat. "I've been wanting to go adventuring with you guys. Sure beats picking up after my dad at home. Thanks for leaving my bike at the cliff by the way, Elaine," she smirked, directing the last part at me.

Whoops. "Hehe, yeah, sorry about that." Knew I forgot something. "It was all I could think of at the moment. Sort of acted without much thought there."

"It's cool," Wendy shrugged. "C'mon!" Taking my hand, she dragged me closer to the tree, leaving the twins to their discussion. Soos took out a power drill, and tried drilling into the tree, to no success. "See anything?"

"Hmmm…" I examined the tree, letting myself back up to look at the top. "Is it just me, or does that branch look like a lever?" I pointed up at it, showing the branch that seemed attached to a painted sheet of metal at the top. "I can make out the screws."

Dipper nodded, and turned around, mumbling to himself about ladder shoes of all things. Wendy gave a lazy grin at me, before taking her belt off and began climbing up the tree. Once she got high enough, she loosely attached it back around her waist, and pulled an ax from a case on her hip. Spinning it around in her hand, she hit the branch, knocking it upwards with a loud clunk. "Boosh."

"Impressive," I said. The group gave their own show of interest, watching her success.

"Oh yeah, my dad used to make me compete in these lumberjack games when I was a kid," Wendy replied. "Guess I kinda ruled at it." The tree began shaking, and Wendy looked around worriedly. "Whoa, what is that?" The vibrations knocked her belt buckle loose behind her, causing her to fall down onto the bush below, screaming. The tree started to sink down into the ground, taking her with it. Quickly, Dipper and Soos yanked her back, and the five of us leaned over the edge. Once the tree stopped moving, wooden planks shot out from the side of the hole, making a staircase to the bottom; subsequently, a door inside the tree opened.

"Alright guys, this is it," Dipper announced, turning around. "Remember, whatever happens down there, we tell no one." Mabel gave him a thumps up as Soos turned his hat backwards. Wendy smirked, and zipped her lips, then threw away the invisible key.

"We're with ya, Dippin' Dots," I grinned, clapping my hands together. "Lead the way."

Using the lantern to guide the way, while I wondered where he even had that stored, Dipper led us down the stairs and into the room. I give up on these weird things happening with objects. I just… I give up. "A fallout shelter," I summarized, looking around as the others gave exclamations of surprise. "Wonder what the author needed this for?" I passed Wendy who was taking a fallout shelter poster off the wall, and Mabel who now had caterpillars crawling on her face.

"This is incredible!" Dipper told me, making me stop in front of a shelf with dated books of supplies. "It's like he was preparing for a disaster. But what kinda disaster would need supplies for over sixty years?" Nuclear, maybe? Shrugging, I went to walk around some more, only for my foot to hit against an abandoned can of beans left on the floor. "Huh." Dipper picked it up, and glanced up at the rest of us as the group walked over. "Guys, I think this can was opened recently."

"The author might still be alive, down here!" Soos said.

"Wait a minute…" Wendy walked around Mabel, and pulled off the poster of a 1982 Gravity Falls, revealing an open hatch over. "I think I know where he might have gone." Taking the lead, Wendy crawled into the tunnel, and gasped as she exited. "Whoa! Oh, man! Was this place built in the past or the future?" Tilting my head at the question, I finally popped out after Mabel; the four looked around the small room made of metal squares curiously.

"Yeah, this room is way creepy," Soos said.

"Not as creepy as Dipper's internet history!" Mabel joked. "Heyo!" She playfully shoved Dipper, making him stumble forward and step on a square in the middle of the room. "Oh no." The panel descended, and the hatch behind me slammed and locked in place. The room began shaking, and I grabbed Mabel to support myself. The symbols on the squares around us began glowing red, and a loud buzzer sounded in the musty air. Backing up into the middle of the room, we watched as the panels begin extending from the wall. Screaming in panic, Mabel swiped the bugs off her face and looked around in horror. "Wall things! Crazy wall things are happening right now!"

Wendy ran over to one of the blocks, and tried to push it back in to no luck. "It won't stop!"

"Dipper, what do we do!?" I yelled. Dipper frantically ran through the journal, as a panel began rising underneath him. He paused, and shone the black light on the pages. "Find these four symbols!" He turned the book around to show us. "Quick! Everybody step on one!" We split up, and I heard Mabel, Soos, and Wendy cry out as they hit three of the four. "Elaine!" Dipper pointed at the last one above my head, and I scrambled onto a box and jumped to hit it.

"Four!" I yelled.

A hissing came at the end of the room, and a new door opened. "Run for it!" Mabel shouted. We squeezed through the narrow exit as fast as we could, throwing ourselves out of the death trap. Dipper exited right behind me, his vest getting caught in between the blocks as it barely missed him.

"Yes! Yes!" Wendy cheered, out of breath. Standing back up, she grinned at Dipper. "That was, huh, that was nuts! You ruled back there, man!" She punched him in the arm, and began checking out the room with Soos.

"Ha ha, thanks," Dipper laughed, rubbing his arm where she hit him. Giggling, I patted him on the back, and walked past Wendy and Soos to inspect the closet. Weird, I thought. I stepped inside, and ran a hand over the small holes built into the sides. Wonder why Ford had this decontamination thing built anyway? It's not like physical contact with the creatures would do any harm, right?

I spun around, hearing a loud metallic bang and found the door closed behind me. "What the-?" I glanced down, and found Dipper on his knees, picking himself back up. Once he got to his feet, he looked up at me with a gasp. "MABEL!" Dipper shouted, and began to pound on the door. "Let us out!"

"Oh, I'll let you out Dipper," Mabel called from outside. Her voice was muffled, but I could make out what she was saying. "As soon as you tell Elaine that thing you've been wanting to tell her! You'll thank me for this later!"

"What's she talking about, kid?" I asked, leaning in closer to hear. Dipper gasped, backing away nervously at the space in between us.

"Nothing! Mabel's just been eating raw sugar packets again," he excused. He turned back to the door, and continued beating against it. "Let me out RIGHT NOW!" He shouted.

"Where are the lights in this thing, anyway?" I looked up at the cord dangling above me, and pulled it. "AAHHH!" Freezing cold water gushed down above us, followed by the holes in the wall blasting us with hot air, drying us immediate and throwing us together. As we slumped to the ground for a moment, the gust of wind dying out as fast as it began, a deep tone echoed above my head, and I glanced up to see a red sign say "decontamination complete". The door behind me opened, and Dipper and I slowly walked out into the new area.

"A hidden lab," I mused. "Must be where the author did all of his experiments." Seeing Dipper's face, I explained, "what? You didn't think a person like him didn't have a lab, did you?" The lights flickered on, and we glanced at the shattered containment tubes. Wrecked equipment was everywhere, along with cobwebs, tree roots growing in from the ceiling… and a series of large creepy tunnels. "What dug these?" I ran a hand along the soft dirt, frowning.

"Let's hope we don't find out," Dipper said. A loud growl echoed down through one of the tunnels, and we screamed as we saw a dark creature begin to lower from a hole in the ceiling away from us. Running around, we raced back to the door in the closet and began banging on it. "Mabel, open up, for real! There's a monster in here!"

"Ha ha, nice try!" Mabel laughed. "The only monsters are your own inner demons, Dipper!"

I tugged on my ponytail, giving a frustrated cry. "Dipper, just say whatever Mabel wants you to so we can get the heck out of here!"

"Come on Dipper!" Mabel shouted from the other side. "Now's the time, bro!"

"Elaine, I-I… I'm gonna find another way out!" Before I could react, Dipper grabbed my hand and dragged me back through the lab, away from the exit.

"Wait, what!? Dipper, stop! This is ridiculous!" I cried, as he dragged me down into one of the tunnels. It might've worked, if he didn't drag us down a tunnel with a dead end! The shadow of the monster got closer, and I held Dipper tightly in front of me. "What do we do!?"

"I don't know!" He shouted. The monster let out a loud roar, only for a shadow of a man to leap onto its back. The monster flipped him off, but the man reached up and ripped its tongue out of its mouth.

"Back! Back you heinous beast!" The creature scurried off, and the man walked around the corner into view. He definitely didn't look like he came from our time era; more like something from Steampunk or whatever. "Well, I just ripped out a monster's tongue," he said, throwing said organ onto the ground in front of us. Ew.

"It's-it's you!" Dipper stuttered.

"Hurry now, I scared it off, but it'll regenerate." He made his way down a different tunnel, and we followed behind him. The ground was leaking from above, possibly from the cracked pipes. The cold water splashed around my feet, and I shivered involuntarily. "I wasn't expecting guests," he told us. "I've been down here for a very long time. Years! Weeks, maybe!" He turned around. "I miss orange juice."

"You don't understand," Dipper said, dismissing the odd ramblings. "You're the guy I've been looking for!"

"He's the guy?" I said, wondering why Dipper wasn't just saying author instead.

"Elaine, he's the guy!" Dipper cheered. I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Even if I knew this would go downhill in a matter of minutes, his happiness was contagious.

"The guy?" The man asked, raising a brow.

"I've got like a gillion questions! Why did you write the journals?" Dipper began pacing in anticipation. "Who was after you? Why did you build this bunker?"

"Heh. My boy I'd love to discuss this in time. But we have more pressing matters," he said. We ended up back in the main room, and paused in front of the tubes, gazing in horror at the busted metal cage. The poles were so thick, but were snapped apart like it was nothing. "It's one of my experiments, a shape shifter. Able to take the form of anyone or anything it sees. It broke free from a cage of solid steel! I've gone half crazy trying to catch the creature alone. But now you're here!" He knelt down, and rested a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "Will you help me catch it?" He asked, lifting his goggles to reveal worn and tired eyes.

Dipper gasped in excitement, and nodded furiously. "O-of course I would!"

"Well then, follow me!" He led us down a new tunnel, brushing a torn cloth out of the way. I slid down the rocky decline, helping Dipper behind me. "Come in, come in! I apologize for the state of things! I don't get many non mole-people visitors. Now, the beast must have some weakness we can exploit." I glanced at the water pipe, and jogged to catch up with them. "I just wish I had my research on me. But alas, I lost my journals so many years ago."

"Journals?" I repeated, giving a small warning glare at the back of his head. Easy, Elaine. This monster is unpredictable. Any rash moves could end up getting you and Dipper hurt… or worse.

"Dude, I found one of them!" Dipper pulled it out of his vest, holding it out for him to take. "That's how I tracked you down here."

"What!? Could it be?" The man took the book, grinning. "My boy! I can't express my gratitude!" He turned around, hunched over, and began flipping through its pages. "Oh yes, after all these years…"

Dipper and I sat down behind him, and he smiled up at me. "Elaine! Isn't it amazing we're actually meeting the real author?"

I picked up an empty can of beans beside me, and frowned. "Yeah, it is," I whispered. "If only he was the real author!" I showed him the can, and watched as Dipper's face twisted into one of terror and nervousness. "Be careful," I warned. "We don't know what he'll do."

He got up, and crept up to the man. "Uhh, you know what? We should really get going. Can I have my journal back?" Slowly the man's head stretched forward, and twisted around to face us. The pupils were now slits, and his teeth were sticking out of his mouth in a disturbing angle.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled, and crawled up onto the ceiling. He gave a roar as the two of us screamed, terrified at the monster staring down and changing into his normal form. I… think it's his normal form. If his DNA changed all the time, then I have no clue what he's supposed to look like. Or if he even is a he. Some… weird, insect-like… thing. Honestly, it's hard to describe him. Long snout with buck teeth, a thin arm and a misshapen muscular arm, and scorpion-like legs. His empty red eyes looked down at us; I assumed so, he had no pupils. "How do you like my true form?" He asked, laughing. "Go on, admit it, you like it!"

"You!" Dipper snarled. "What did you do to the real author!?"

"You'll likely never find him. That six-fingered nerd hasn't been himself in thirty years! But I do thank you for bringing me his journal. He used to write it while I was in my cage. So many wonderful forms to take!" Using his tongue, he flipped through the pages, changing his form to the gremloblin, a gnome, and the Hide Behind. His laughter sickened me. Okay, I felt fear all the time when I was around the gremloblin. I felt anger when I was fighting Gideon. I… am not sure what I felt during that fight in Stan's mind. But this…

I was ticked off. One break. Couldn't I get one break, or Dipper? But no. No! We had to get into more trouble and have our hopes for answers dashed! "We've gotta get that journal back!" Dipper whispered to me. Nodding, I scooped up the can again, tossing it back and forth between my hands.

"Hey xenomorph ripoff!" I shouted, and biffed the can at his direction. "Snatch this!" The can hit him in the face, and he growled at me. He turned into a multi-eyed frog monster, and lashed his tongue at me. Taking a sheet of metal beside me, I held it up, just as the tongue reached me. I felt myself get dragged across the ground, before smirking and letting go. The monster shrieked as the sheet struck him in the face, making him let go of the journal. Dipper quickly grabbed it, and tucked it under his arm.

"RUN! RUN! RUN!" He cried, and we chased back through the tunnels. "Hide!" Dipper shouted, and I dove behind the wall. He threw the flashlight attached to him down the right tunnel, and hid back beside me in the left. The shape shifter shrieked again as he stopped at the fork, and raced down after the glow. Panting, we ran up over the small hill, only to collide with Mabel, Soos, and Wendy, and stumble on top of them.

We all got back up, and Soos and Mabel greeted Dipper excitedly. I was about to walk forward, only for Dipper to hold up his arm. "Wait! How do we know they're not the shape shifter?"

"Maybe I am!" Soos thought aloud. "Guys, inspect my shape!" He lifted up his shirt, and Mabel poked him.

"Poke!" She said.

Laughing, Soos told her to do it again. "Even better the second time!" He announced, as Wendy shook her head fondly.

"It's them," I said, before groaning. "Oh, ow." Hissing, I looked down at my knee, finding a decent sized scrape through a worn hole in my jeans. "Huh. Would you look at that?"

"Oh my gosh, Elaine, you're bleeding!" Dipper said worriedly.

"Relax, kid. I've been hanging around Bill this summer, remember? I've been through worse." I reached into my bag, still on my back, and pulled out a roll of gauze. As I started wrapping my lower leg, I looked back at the newcomers. "We got attacked by the shape shifter. He broke out of his cage, fooled Dipper into thinking he was the author, and wants his journal."

"Wait, you weren't fooled?" Dipper asked me. Blowing a strand of hair back, I tossed the roll back into the bag.

Zippering it shut, I deadpanned, "I read. A lot. I am slowly making my way through that journal, analyzing everything, thinking it all over. The man has six fingers, Dipper. Six. That guy didn't. Plus, that outfit didn't fit the time frame he vanished in."

"Imagine if he escapes into town!" Dipper said, turning to the others. "He can transform into anything! We could never trust anyone ever again!" He held his head, the thought terrifying him.

"What do we do!?" Mabel cried.

"Well, he took us into his home, tricked us, and tried to destroy us," Wendy muttered, an angry look spreading over her face. "I say we return the favor. Elaine, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Revenge Mystery Girls style?" I asked. Getting the approved nod, I laughed darkly. "Let's show this creep what happens when he messes with my family." Hey, if we all kept referring to me being a Pines, then why not say it out loud?

Also, maybe I was enjoying this a little too much… nah!

(Time Skip)

Wendy, Soos, and I hid behind the water pipe I saw earlier in the shape shifter's cave. We held the valve tightly, waiting for the twins to lead the monster our way. Not gonna lie, I felt like I was close to passing out. Not because of my injury, but because of how dangerous this was. The shape shifter was giving us a run for our money, and wasn't afraid to kill us. At least Bill liked to torture, or… make us suffer a little more before he did away with his victims. He thought his plans out. This creature didn't.

"Guys, he's coming! He's coming!" We looked towards the exit, and the two sprinted towards us as the monster followed behind. He was now a sick combination of both twins with spindly legs. "NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW!"

"I-it's not working!" I grunted as the three of us turned the valve as fast as we could. Stupid delayed reaction. No one had obviously turned that thing in decades. Freezing as Dipper let out a scream, I saw the shape shifter lash his tongue out at the journal, and Dipper furiously began tugging it back.

"HEY, LET GO!" He cried. Abandoning the valve to Wendy and Soos, I grabbed the book, and joined in the tug-of-war.

"You leave him alone!" I growled. We yanked on the book, only for the tongue to harshly retract, taking me and the journal along with it. "Ah!" Flying forward, I landed on one of his legs; the monster didn't like that. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a pocket knife I 'borrowed' from Stan before I left. It was hiding in a drawer in his office, and was a last-second choice to take. Good thing I did though. I had a hunch it might come in handy.

The handle was dark polished wood with a red leather grip and a push button to pop open the blade. My favorite part about it was at the base, Stan had engraved his initials into it. Switchblades were illegal, but considering the man had a set of brass knuckles he always carried on him, I wasn't surprised. Snapping it open, I raised it up to slice at his face, only for a strong blast of ice cold water to nail me in the back. The water rushed around me, pulling me under. My lungs felt as if they were close to bursting; my vision blurred from the liquid. A sharp rough object, possibly a rock, struck me in the back, and I gasped at the impact, allowing water to fill my lungs even more.

Ah… ah… the water quickly drained, settling me down behind one of the tubes. Quickly and painfully, I rolled over and began hacking up the water. This… is… wonderful…! Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand after my dry heaving stopped, I stumbled to my feet, and moved around the tube.

"But I was too scared and now you could be hurt or worse, and I never even got to tell you I'm like, in love with you, Elaine!"

Oh… whoops. I was confused, watching Dipper kneel over an unconscious me, his face buried in his hands and tearing up. Y'know, I knew this would happen. I was in Wendy's place after all which was still a weird thing to think about, but… wow. I really meant that much to him? That much more than a friend? "Uh, Dipper?" I spoke up, and grabbed the journal off the ground.

"Huh-wha-Elaine!?" Dipper stuttered, jumping to his feet in shock. "W-wait, then who's…?" The impostor snarled, and jumped at me as he pushed Dipper to the ground. "LOOK OUT!"

The shape shifter knocked me over, shoving my head down in an attempt to grab the journal. "Give me back that journal!" He shouted, mimicking my voice perfectly.

"Not on your life!" I pushed him off me, only for him to get on top of me. "Get off me, you freak!" I brought my leg up to kick him in the stomach, and rolled out from underneath. The moment I stood up, he grabbed the book, and we fought back and forth for it. I watched from the corner of my eye as Dipper ran back up to us, holding my knife. "Give it back; it belongs to Dipper!" I turned to face him directly. "Hit him with my knife, kid!"

"Don't listen to him, Dipper!" He yelled.

"He's the shape shifter!" I screamed.

"Uh, uh, I don't know who's who!" He panicked. "Give me a sign!"

The shape shifter winked at him, smiling. I grimaced at the action, turned to Dipper. What can I do!? I don't have any actions that are suited to me and I don't deal with the mouth and ke-that's it! "DIPPIN' DOTS!" Dipper's eyes widened at the nickname, and with a grunt, he jumped up and cut the monster's face with the knife. Not enough to cut deep, but the slash would not be one to take lightly. Green blood oozed from the wound, stretching from the top of his head to the chin, and damaging his eye, nose, and snout. He gave a pained shriek, and turned back to his original form. But even with the changed body, the injury remained. He glared at us, but I knew that the harm Dipper did more than likely blinded him. The eye was tightly closed, and the other was filled with hate and rage.

"Push him in!" Dipper shouted, and we rammed the beast into the tube. Just as he recovered from the shove, he went to jump out, only for the door to slam shut. "Nice one, Mabel," Dipper commented to himself in relief. Wendy, Soos, and Mabel walked back out of the research room and over to us, gazing at the tube.

"Let's get out of here, guys," Wendy murmured, voice shaking slightly. Nodding, we began to head out, only for a dark laugh to ring out around us. Spinning around, we found the shape shifter watching us, the glass fogging up from the cold.

"You think you're so clever don't you, Dipper? But you have no idea what you're up against. You will never find the author. If you keep digging, you'll meet a fate worse than you can imagine. And this will be the last form you ever take!" He turned into Dipper for a final time, and screamed as he froze solid. The glass finally glossed over, and Dipper stared at his reflection in horror.

Soos laughed uneasily behind him, trying to ease the tension. "Good luck sleeping tonight!" Yeah… that isn't gonna happen.

(Time Skip)

As the tree rose back up onto the surface, we stared at the bunker entrance tiredly. Hair a mess, baggy eyes, and rips in our clothing. "Dude, I think I'm kind of adventured out for a little while. My face hurts from doing this all day." Soos made a screaming face, pointing at it.

Mabel giggled, relaxing. "Yeah, but you gotta admit we're all total heroes." Wendy laughed, and ruffled her hair.

"How's about we all head back to the Shack and watch that movie marathon tonight? Be better than standing around this creep joint," she said, smirking. Mabel and Soos cheered, as Soos picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. The three headed off, Wendy rolling the bike beside her.

That left me and… Dipper. "Look, Elaine," Dipper murmured, looking down. "About earlier. In the heat of the moment, I might have said some dumb things, and can't we pretend none of that ever happened?" He turned around, hugging himself. "Please?"

"Dippin' Dots." I knelt down, resting a hand on him. "I… already sort of knew."

"Wait, what?" He whirled around to look at me in shock. "You did? But how?"

"Kid, you had the perfect chance to hang out with Wendy, you know that, right? At the pool? Yet you chose to help me instead, and don't forget that monster trapping event either." I laughed a little, and sat down on the log beside us. Dipper groaned, slapping his forehead in disbelief.

"Uh, I thought I was being casual," he frowned. He sat down beside me, head in his hands. We sat there for a moment, and I cleared my throat to break the awkwardness that was laid out before us.

"Dipper, look. I'm really flattered you see me like that," I began, twirling a strand of hair. "But you do know there's several things that put a stop to what you're hoping for, right?"

"What?" Dipper asked before running over my words in his head, his face falling into one of confusion from the previously disappointed one. "Wait, what things?"

"Dipper, I'm not from your world, remember? If I was from here, then maybe something could happen. But I'm not." I frowned, and drew my knees closer to my chest. "If I ever find a way back there, I don't want to break your heart more than I probably will. The other, the really important one, is that I'm too old for you." Wendy's age is one thing, but mine is entirely different. I wrapped an arm around him, giving a tired chuckle. "Way too for you old, kid. I like you, but it's more of the fact I see you as a brother and a really good friend. And that's all it's ever going to be. But just because nothing more than that can happen, doesn't mean I won't stop teasing you. Besides, why else would I have kissed you on the cheek weeks ago in front of Kat and Asger?" I smirked, watching his face turn finally into one of realization.

"That was… man, you're good," Dipper muttered, ending with a small chuckle. "So… friends then?" He held out a hand for a shake, and I laughed loudly at the question.

"Of course, Dippin' Dots! Friends!" I smacked my hand against his, knocking him backwards and off the log. I continued to cackle, and Dipper erupted into a fit of laughter as well. Reaching down, I held out my hand with a smile. His laughter quieting down, he went to lock his fingers with mine, and I pulled him back up. "Seriously though, kid. I'm sure you'll find someone one day, and I'll be there to tease you relentlessly for it."

"Hehe, thanks." Dipper fixed his hat, blushing. "Y'know, if I was still crushing on Wendy, this could have gone a lot differently." Oh, you have no idea.

"So, how did it go?"

"AHH!" We screamed, seeing Mabel now sitting beside Dipper. How-wha-how did she get there!? "H-how much of that did you hear?" Dipper asked worriedly.

"Everything. All the time." Mabel waved her arms around, grinning.

"We're not here." We glanced behind us, seeing Wendy and Soos sitting behind the shrubs. Wendy grinned and gave me a thumps up, while Soos looked pretty… Soos-like.

"Mabel, how can everything be so amazing and so terrible at the same time?" Her brother asked, looking from me to her.

Mabel frowned, and rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm so sorry for being so pushy, you guys. But if it makes you feel better, she did say she'll help you find a girlfriend your age. And maybe somewhere in the future, when you're both adults, we can build on this moment!" She beamed. "I'm gonna call it Dilaine!"

"Dila-n-no! No, Mabel!" I laughed, as Dipper's face brightened at my reaction. There would be no relationships, and we all knew that. It was just teasing and fun at this point, and it definitely lightened the mood from earlier. The twins grinned, before we stumbled on the log. Once the rocking stopped, we saw Soos sitting beside Mabel. Wendy walked over on my side, and sat down beside me.

"I'm still bummed we're not closer to finding out the author guy," Soos sighed. "At least I got his science-y coat and briefcase." He took the case out from the jacket he was till wearing and held it up, only for it to flop open. "Whoa! What the-?"

"Soos, that's not a briefcase, it's a laptop!" Dipper exclaimed, leaning in closer.

"And a really busted up one too," Mabel said, examining the cobwebs covering the screen.

"I bet I could get this thing fixed up in a few days," Soos told us, nodding in thought. "It's gonna take a lotta duct tape."

"This could be our next clue!" Dipper gasped. "I mean, this could give us the answers we're looking for!"

"Or a bunch of 8-bit video games." Dipper blinked, running over my words.

"… either way, it's a win."

(Time Skip)

"Well, that happened.

Dipper confessed his feelings to me after I almost got killed by the shape shifter. Long story short with that one. Dipper slashed his face, blinding him, and I have a bruised rib from the experience after getting knocked into a boulder by the water.

Thank goodness for painkillers.

But it's been DAYS since I've last seen angle or side of Cipher. While I have for the most part calmed down about the… kiss, I would really like to speak to him about it." More like, I ranted his nonexistent ears off, and he let me go off the edge. "He couldn't like me like that. Bill is a trillion year old dream demon. A monster incapable of feeling. Yet there were… instances were it seemed like he could. He wouldn't leave me alone to my panic attack, actually helping me through it. He showed me his room in his sanctuary in the Nightmare Realm. He showed me his piano, and played me a song, even when he didn't have to,

I don't know what it is, but I don't want this thing to ruin our friendship. I… don't want to lose Bill." I stopped writing, staring at what I wrote. I… liked him. I didn't know what it was, but I liked Bill. Something about that strange being… attracted me to him. He's certainly interesting looking. Not physically attractive, but his appearance confused me. The yellow form only being an exoskeleton that could be removed, hiding something of pure horror underneath. An eye that could reflect so many emotions, despite not having anything else of a normal face. His craziness was a more intense version of my own, which was what he believed let us get along so well.

He liked me, but he had no clue why. Maybe he kissed me because of his small knowledge of how attractions worked, and because of my vague explanation, but he did it. Maybe he did it to throw me through a loop? I didn't know. But I couldn't keep this up. I needed answers. I needed to see him again.

Bill's POV

Well, well, well! Looks like someone's confused! I stared at the bubble, watching her place her journal down beside her. I was not entirely sure what my interest in Angel was, but her explanation did make things more… intriguing.

Her confusion over being stuck in the third dimension-well, there were many replicas of that third dimension, but this one was my favorite-was nowhere near as funny as this! Her explanation made little sense, but it was enough to clear somethings up. I was right. I was interested in her due to how different she was compared to other fleshbags. I wanted her to be safe so I could keep my eye on her because of her constant attraction to trouble.

She was by no means the most attractive human, but she wasn't hideous either. She wasn't as short as she kept joking about, but she wasn't tall like Drake or Red there. She was smarter than most if not all of the population of that town, figuring out its past even without my help; all because of her knowledge from her dimension.

Hearing a soft sound from my window, I turned back to the bubble. Angel huffed, and rolled onto her side, staring out the window. Chuckling, I adjusted the angle, zooming in closer to watch her. Her mental state… hehehe! How fragile it was! Putting up a brave facade for Pine Tree and Shooting Star, when she and I know fully well for desolate she was on the inside. How I'd love to see that break!

But…

Her breakdowns from before; when she realized how vulnerable she was in this dimension, and when Pine Tree lashed out at her in Fez's mind, it… disturbed me that she was distressed. As I had made clear to Angel, Pine Tree only caused her pain, seeing how she had kept stressing over what he would think of her ever since she had arrived there.

Love. HA! How could such a knowledgeable human like her even remotely consider that I, Bill Cipher, was capable of such emotions? That much attachment, huh? Angel really doesn't know what she's hinting at. She really, really doesn't.

I laughed, running a finger over the kaleidoscope of reds, yellows, and oranges where her face was. Until that day though, where she finally decides on what to do, I'd be waiting for a response. But before that happened, it looked like I was up for another visit. She wanted answers, did she? Well toots, I 'grinned' slyly. You're about to get them.

I have a one shot thing going about Elaine's thoughts on everyone that she writes out at the end of the summer. Sort of post GFA. Check it out if you want more sarcastic Angel action.

That's all I have for now! Until next time!

Angel