We've Got Some History Between Us That Needs Settling
"Damn it all!" Mabel growled, punching the gas to that the car spun out. Again.
The third time was not the charm in this case, as this was the third country road they'd tried. Only to find another dead end. Another perfect, uninterrupted wall of trees.
"I'm sorry." Ray mumbled, looking both guilty and white in the face. Mabel continued to tear across the countryside. "I thought it was that way."
"Don't you have Robbie's map?"
Ray nodded.
"According to it we were in the right place the first time."
"How can that be? Nothing looked the same. The forest was different. The path was missing." Anxiety curled in her stomach as she glanced out the window. "And now it looks like it's going to storm, which will only make this harder."
"I don't know." Ray sighed.
Mabel accelerated the car, kicking up gravel. Down another country lane. And once again, they skidded to a stop. Mabel pounded the palm of her hand on the steering wheel.
Outside, dark clouds gathered overhead. It had been humid all day, now the sky was fit to burst. Sunlight was swallowed up, even though it was still early afternoon.
Mabel pressed her forehead to the steering wheel and closed her eyes, focusing. It could be the brewing storm or her mind playing tricks on her, but she thought she could feel something… wrong in the air.
It brushed against her spine again, sending a shiver through her body that wasn't the result of the car's powerful AC. It felt like someone was watching her. She distinctly remembered it from the last time she'd visited the shack. But now it was so much stronger.
"Come on." She told Ray. Like a switch had been flipped, she was now quiet and calm.
They climbed out of the car.
Mabel took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of pines, the charged atmosphere, and the tingle of magic.
They were close.
Dipper must have warded the area in preparation for his plan. Illusions were meant to keep people from wandering in by accident. But she doubted they'd be strong enough to stop her if she marched in on purpose.
They dove into the woods, following only Mabel's intuition.
In the depths of the trees Mabel could see the mirage more clearly. Crisp, glittering pines peppered the inner spaces at a greater frequency than naturally possible. Mist crawled, milky and fluid, over the soft ground. And under the coverage of the canopy, everything was almost black – monochrome.
Mabel heard a rustle as Ray drew his pistol.
"Why didn't we bring the whole police force?" He queried, voice tight, "This is creepy as hell. And we're going up against a serial killer."
"A serial killer and his demon." Mabel corrected, "Which is exactly why we didn't bring the whole police force. A demon can manipulate anyone and everyone who doesn't know what they're doing. The whole police force wouldn't be able to handle it. Even with just the two of us, this confrontation could very well get very messy, very quickly." More softly, she added, "And I don't want to risk anything happening to Dipper… serial killer or not."
It was still hard to accept. She didn't want to. But all the evidence was stacked against him. Dipper – or maybe Bill Cipher – had better have a good explanation.
"Will 'just the two of us' be able to handle it?"
Mabel pursed her lips, pressing on through the undergrowth.
"I don't know."
"He has a hostage."
"I didn't forget about Pacifica." Mabel said firmly, "I don't know if she got dragged into this because she's had the most contact with Dipper. Or if it's because she told me Dipper was alive and set me on his trail. Either way, we're saving her too."
"'Too'?"
"Dipper."
"We're saving your bother?" Ray stopped, "Mabel, explain this. You haven't told me everything yet."
Mabel sighed, but stopped anyway. Ray deserved to know. He was going up against Bill Cipher, after all. And he'd followed her lead though the entire case. He always supported her, even when the things she'd said seemed farfetched. He'd figured out the killer before her. He was every bit as good of a detective as her, and more.
"The demon we're probably dealing with goes by the title of 'Bill Cipher'. He's smart, clever, tricky, and powerful. When we were twelve, for some reason, Bill grew fixated with Dipper. He'd appear in Dipper's dreams without a summons. He'd tempt and mess with Dipper at any opportune moment, usually when Dipper was tired, stressed out, and confused.
"From what I understood, he always offered Dipper knowledge. If you knew my brother, you'd understand how tantalizing that deal sounded. Dip was working on 'solving the mysteries of Gravity Falls' and trying to find the other of the journals detailing the paranormal phenomenon of the town.
"One time, in order to get a lead, Dipper caved and made a deal with Bill."
"Bill possessed him." Mabel told Ray quietly, watching his usually stoic expression crack. Surprise and horror flit across his face. She continued, "Bipper was awful. Masochistic. I managed to stop him, because Dipper had been on the brink of exhaustion. But the consequences carried on for a long time."
Mabel swallowed, remembering her fault in the situation. Her brother's eyes glowing gold. Patching up bruises and punctures as her brother winced, trying to remain silent. He'd slept for a full twelve hours after that only because she'd knocked him out with cold medicine. The nightmares came later.
"So," Ray began slowly, "You're suggesting that your brother is possessed?"
"Possibly."
"Possibly?"
Mabel sighed, "Dipper was, and still is, complicated. I love my brother. But there are things I wouldn't put past him. Compounding on the fact that I haven't known him for thirteen years. Well… anything can happen."
Ray suddenly set out in some undetermined direction, "Then let's go find him. We'll deal with whatever comes our way instead of standing around postulating."
Mabel ginned and followed him, "We're detectives, Ray. Standing around postulating is what we do."
"Not today." His military training was thrumming through his limbs as he trudged onward.
The thrill of a mystery hunt pulsed through Mabel's veins, "Today we act."
Can anything be happy for the twins? Not when I'm writing it.
Anyhow, don't forget to check out starfleetrambo. As you've probably figured out by now (if you've been checking the links) this crime AU is based off her GF crime AU, with a lot of artistic liberties on my part. I really enjoy her creative abilities and they are the source of inspiration for me, not just for this fic. Heaps of credit to starfleetrambo and her wonderful art: (starfleetrambo tumblr com/post/100590324958/i-almost-lost-you)