Disclaimer: Welcome, one and all, to a very special chapter. I mean, the chapter itself is nice, but the day itself is even better. Little early, but who cares? Welcome to the one year anniversary of Gravity's Fall Angel! What better way to celebrate than writing a math final at 8:30 in the freakin' morning!
Also… happy 400 reviews everyone!
nightmarehunter676: The code was a last minute idea. I wasn't looking for anything complicated. I'll up the challenge next time.
Nina EverBlade: Yay Fordsie!
OfLifeDeathAndAllBetween: Thanks!
RainbowCelin: Ford's a little… paranoid, so I'm not sure how great he'd be to hang around at first.
AshuriIncarnate: Confession will come into play soon, but that's all I'll say about that.
Guest ((Former)EMObillcipher89): It's being polite, I guess. Seriously though, we need flaming lemons.
Tatum: Thanks!
SolangeloUniverse: Her newfound realization about how she feels about Gravity Falls and the Pines family will affect her deal, but I won't say how until we reach that point. As for the line breaks, you find those at the top of the editing bar in the doc manager when you edit the file.
RillFipher: Thanks.
JDMichelle2626: It's the exact same reason as why she never said about her deal earlier. Elaine, while knowing this dimension isn't like the cartoon, sees enough resemblance to know to not say what could happen, or do anything to change how it could go. If she took the key when she went down there at night with Stan, then things would have gone south… a lot. Basically, it was to prevent any harm from happening.
Cynder: Glad you found this glorious fanfic of mine. Almost every story of mine, sans the Undertale/Gravity Falls crossover, has an OC in it. I enjoy writing realistic characters. Though, Player 2 wasn't my greatest achievement. That… that could stand a rewrite.
RainbowCelin: I think any fan has had a dream about Gravity Falls at least once. Weirdmageddon… that gave me a fair amount of freaky nightmares.
Guest: Elaine's brand is still there. She just keeps it covered using makeup.
FrostyAngelWings: What can I say? The semester's over.
Tatum (again): Thanks. Glad you joined the story.
Lynette: Uh… NON-SPECIFIC EXCUSE!
We need sequel: Name explains it all.
FrostyAngelWings: Few errors, but that's the idea.
Let's do this. I own Elaine and Gail.
"Speaking"
Thinking
Bill speaking
Edited: Oct. 1/18
Elaine's POV
Well… this is… surreal.
I quickly pulled Soos back up to his feet after he collapsed, watching in silent shock as Stan began walking towards Ford. "Finally! After all these long years of waiting, you're actually here!" Three, two, one."Brother!" I winced as Ford give a rather nasty left-hook at Stan's cheek, making him stumble back. "Oh! Ow! What the heck was that for!?" He held his face, a bruise certain to form from the hit.
"This was an insanely risky move: restarting the portal! Didn't you read my warnings!?"There it was. I was finally meeting Ford in person. If it wasn't for me living with Stan for most of the summer and if they weren't dressed so differently, they would be identical in every way. And, you know, the man has six fingers. Learned this from hanging out with twins back home, that when you grew up with one of them more than the other, you could easily tell them apart. And I knew a lot of twins. Not gonna lie, I was almost as starstruck as Dipper was. Though, there was also a part of me that was… terrified of him.
He hated Bill, and spent the entire time across the multiverse trying to stop him. If I ever end up telling him about my deal, it would have to be near the time he revealed his own past. Any sooner… and it wouldn't end well. I would really have to make sure he didn't see my branding. "Warnings, schmarnings. How's about maybe a thanks for saving you from what appears to be, I don't know, some kind of sci-fi side burn dimension?"
"Thank you?" Ford narrowed his eyes, trying and failing to contain his anger. "You really think I'm gonna thank you after what you DID THIRTY YEARS AGO!?"
"What I did? Why, you ungrateful…!" Stan swung his arm to punch Ford, but the other Pines ducked and spun him around, pinning his arms behind his back. "Don't expect me to go easy on you, just because you're… family." Ford slammed Stan to the ground, still holding his arms back. "Ah!"
"Hey, hi." Mabel waved, drawing their attention to the female twin. Thank goodness for that, this pressure was killing me. "Mabel here. Quick question: WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!?"
Ford quickly released Stan, and got to his feet. Adjusting his glasses, he looked over all four of us. "Stan, you didn't tell me there were children down here. And some sort of large, hairless gopher?"
"Hehe. I get that a lot," Soos chuckled.
Stan stood up beside him, dusting off his suit. "They're your family, Poindexter. Shermy's grandkids."
"I-I have nieces and a nephew?" It was odd to hear him say that. Because, I guess it was weird to be away from your own family, your own world for such as long as he was-wait. Did he think I was-?
"Um, actually, it's-it's just… them." I nudged Dipper and Mabel forward. "I'm not related to… yeah, this is awkward." Ford bent down to shake Mabel's hand, not bothered by my behavior, and I watched her face lit up. Dipper was still a little behind him, still dumbfounded and awestruck.
"Greetings. Do kids still say greetings? I haven't been in this dimension for a really long time." Mabel leaned closer to examine his hand, and I giggled at her enthusiasm.
"Whoa, a six-fingered handshake? It's a full finger friendlier than normal!" Ford laughed, and released her hand.
"Heha, I like this kid. She's weird."
It took a few seconds, but once Ford was done addressing Mabel, the amazed gaping look morphed into a grin of excitement. "I-I can't believe it. You're the author of the journals!" Dipper finally broke free of his stupor, shouting the words with unconstrained glee.
"You've read my journals?" Ford pulled out journal one from his coat, sounding slightly impressed and gave him a patient smile. Unfortunately for him, that basically set Dipper off into a fanboy rant.
"I haven't just read them; I've lived them!" He began walking around in circles, waves of joy pouring off him as he gestured with his hands. "I've been waiting for so long to meet you, I-I don't know what to say I have so many questions I-" Dipper struggled to breathe properly, as he tried to get his words out. "Ooooohhh I think I'm gonna throw up." Mabel ran over, and began patting his back as he supported himself on a rock, his other hand clutching at his chest. "Hmmpf! No-no, false alarm. Hmmpf! Just gotta ride it out!"
"Classy," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
"Listen, there'll be time for introductions later," Ford announced, putting the journal away. "But first, tell me, Stan: are there any security breaches? Does anyone else know about this portal?"
"No, just us… also maybe the entire U.S. government," Stan admitted.
"The what!?" I ran over to the glass screen where the camera was, and peered inside. I could faintly make out Powers' voice through the speaker, ordering them to search the property.
"We've got time. They won't be finding the entrance to the lab for a while. That'll buy us enough time to come up with a plan." I walked back over, rubbing my forehead. "Man, this isn't how I planned my weekend to go."
"Well, it looks like we're stuck down here for a while. Who wants to tell us their entire mysterious backstory?" Mabel asked. Ford walked past us, scribbling in the journal at a record pace.
"Yes, I have some questions about this myself, Stanley."
Oh no.
"Stanley?" Dipper asked.
"But your name is Stanford," Mabel pointed out.
There we go.
"Wait, you took my name!?" Ford snapped the book shut, and turned around in disbelief. "What have you been doing all these years, you knucklehead!?"
"Yeah, Grunkle Stan, no more lies!" Dipper added. "You owe us some answers: what's the deal with this portal? Why did you keep this a secret?"
"And what happened between you and your brother?" Mabel added. The twins, Ford, and Soos ganged up on him, and I just felt more neutral. Probably because I knew why already.
Soos crossed his arms, frowning. "I hope all this aligns exactly with my fanfic, Stan. If not, I will be very disappointed."
Looking at all of their angry faces, Stan settled on me desperately. His silent begging, while I didn't want to interfere, led me over to his side in an attempt to try and defuse the situation. Too many questions led to too many problems. "Guys, just… give him a moment, alright? This is a lot to take in right now, and Stan can't exactly speak with all of you jumping at him."
Dipper looked at me curiously, wondering where that came from. Honestly, I was too. Usually, I'd stay on the sidelines, and kept to myself in situations like this; only speaking out when it's needed. And right now, it's needed, in my opinion. "Elaine, why aren't you as upset as the rest of us? After everything that happened you should be just as upset, maybe even more than us, at Stan."
I bit my cheek in fear, not sure how to respond to that. I-I mean, how could I? Saying the truth about this, was… "I've been havin' her help me with the portal."
"… what?" What, indeed. We, including Ford, all turned to Stan. I didn't expect him to just… say it so bluntly. Without building up to it! I glared at him, feeling a mix of betrayal and hurt. Stan, why…?
Stan turned from me to Dipper, who was the one to ask that simple, yet emotional question. It was clear the anger was slowly starting to surface, and he wanted to try and control the situation. "It was mostly my idea, kid. Alright? It's not her fault." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Plus, it was bound to come out eventually..."
"Elaine, you… you knew about all this?" The same exact look. The same hurt, furious, heartbroken look that scarred my mind for an entire week made its return, and I stepped back from Dipper. "You knew, all this time about the portal, and you never told us!? Even after hiding such a big secret from us all summer!?" He saw I was stunned speechless, which only made it worse for him, and me. "Say something!"
K-keep calm, Elaine. Staying here is going to result with you breaking down in tears. But, Mabel already seemed upset, hearing what her brother was accusing me for. If… I gotta hide. "Stan's got this!" I shoved Soos aside, and ran towards the broken door where the lab was, feeling my throat start to constrict. Leaping over the wreckage in a partial roll, I ducked under the table. "You got this, Stan!" I yelled, voice cracking at the end. I could hear Stan groan, and Dipper shout at Stan once again.
Wow, Angel. That was very smooth of you.
Shut up, Cipher. I'm trying not to break down right now. I watched the demon's shadow appear at my feet, and sighed. Deep breaths… easy. I felt my heart start to slow down, taking in sharp inhales. Not like they're gonna be listening to me right now. It's safe to speak aloud. "He… he was gonna find out anyway."
Kid, Pine Tree's opinion is the least important thing for you to be worrying about. You were thinking for your own needs, and your needs overpower his. Though, I must admit… I'm not happy you had this plan going on behind my back. My burn stung, and I watched very faint red spots pop up under my foundation on my hand. Blood. Since... when could he do this? We had a deal, Angel. Remember?
"Our deal… changed, Bill," I said carefully. "I… I…" sighing, I rested my hand on the shadow, right where I figured his tie was. "I don't want to go back."
… what? You-kid, are you alright? You hit your head back there, didn't you. Heh. Here I am, hearing that you don't want to go back to your own dimension to be with your fleshbag family. The goal you had made for yourself since you first arrived here! Ah ha ha ha ha! Ha ha… ha… you're serious? I nodded, and the shadow jerked away from my hand. Angel, we made a deal. You help me get my plan working, and I'll return you home. You DO NOT want to back out of this.
"And I-I'm not. Bill, I got closer to Stan, Dipper, and Mabel. I'm friends with them. Because of what we were working on. Even though Dipper hates me at the moment, for a very good reason, he still cares for me. I love the Pines family, and everyone else I befriended here. Leaving them… it would hurt them. My family will always be the most important thing in my life, but right now… " I wiped the water from my eyes with my clean hand, the one free of blood. "… the Pines deserve my help the most."
… so you're staying? I nodded, approving of the question. ...YES! I stumbled back against the table, the shadow launching itself at me. While not fully existing in this world, Bill's form had enough solidity in it to manage a hug. I looked at my shoulder, seeing the top part of the triangle nuzzling into my neck. Mmmmm, ah ha ha ha! Finally!
"Wow, I honestly didn't expect you to get this excited." I wrapped my arms around him, trying to avoid them vanishing through the partially stable form and giggling softly.
Seriously, kid? You have any idea how excited you're willing to stay in this dimension?
"So I'm taking it you liked the kiss?" I asked, face pink at the reminder of what I had pulled at the party.
Wouldn't mind having another one, Bill said slyly.
"I'm in the middle of something, Cipher. Wait, I need to check something." Letting go of the demon and brushing off the suggestion, I inched towards the filing cabinet that blocking the door, and looked back at the Pines crew plus Soos over the top. Judging by the sound of it, they've reached the point where Stan got himself kicked out of his house. Ford was glaring at Stan as they filled in on various points. The two stopped talking though, and turned away from each other, glaring at opposite sides of the room. I grimaced, looking at my hand and wiped the blood on my jeans. This outfit needed to either be replaced or burned. Just like my original clothes I arrived in.
"Oh! This story's so sad!" Mabel exclaimed. "I know what you two little broken teacups need: to hug it out! Hug it out! Hug train's comin' in the station! HUGAPOLOOZA TWO THOUSAND!"
"Kid, will ya knock that off? I'm tryin' to tell my life story here," Stan said. He began explaining his pursuit into sales, and the epic fails he made trying to make it rich. The cloths that removed all sorts of stains but bled into the fabric, only to be chased off when the locals came after him with badly created pitchforks. Once he got to the band-aid story, and how they wouldn't-I repeat: wouldn't give you rashes, I chose to cut in.
"It gave you rashes, didn't it?" The five turned in my direction, and I dropped back into my hiding spot. "Continue ignoring me, if you will."
"Yep. I traveled the whole country, sometimes outside of it, always one step ahead of the law, looking for something that would be my big break," Stan added, brushing off my odd interruption.
"Whoa, so Elaine was right. That explains all the fake IDs," Mabel said.
"Told you!"
"But, wait, what about you?" Dipper must be referring to Ford now. "Did you end up going to your dream school?"
"Not exactly. I ended up at Backupsmore University," Ford muttered. It was weird though. Certainly, he could have gone to other high ranking universities. Harvard or Oxford might exist in this world. I should ask about that at some point down the road, why he never went for anything better than what he attended. "In a place like that, I had to work twice as hard. Luckily, that's what I do best. I went from undergrad to PhD three years ahead of schedule, wrote a thesis that was nationally ranked, and was awarded an enormous grant for my own scientific research! But what to study."
The nostalgia was clear in his voice, and I inched closer to listen. "My whole life I'd been teased for my six fingers. But that got me thinking about anomalies: things that were odd, unusual, statistically improbable. And according to my investigations, there was one place with a higher concentration for these things than anywhere else. A small lumber town in roadkill country, Oregon: Gravity Falls."
"Meanwhile, your old uncle Stan was doing great," Stan jumped in. "I had come up with a sophisticated new business strategy. I was in great shape, living on my own, and the best part was: I didn't need help from nobody."
"Oh, Stan." I peered over my shoulder at him, feeling pity for the older twin. He shouldn't have had to go through all of that. Bill chuckled, probably at how pathetic their story was, and I turned around to look over the cabinet again after sparing him a quick glance.
"I was heading out on my own as well. I set to work using my grant money to investigate properties of this town, but what would I find it here? Unfortunately, this was proven when a tree monster decided to crush and drag my car into the woods." I grinned at that, and heard Mabel giggle. We had never seen the creature itself, but from the readings in the journal, it was around there somewhere. I think Ford named it Steve. "I began to investigate at once. I knew I'd have to record my findings. I began to keep a journal…"
"AAAAAAHHH! THE JOURNALS!"
I snorted loudly, and fell onto my back laughing. Dipper's voice-oh my gosh, that was the most feminine scream I ever heard! "Sorry, sorry," Dipper quickly said, clearing his throat as he had no doubt gathered unwanted attention. "Just got excited there… about the journals… keep-keep talking. Ugh, Elaine, would you stop that?"
"I'll stop when I'm dead!"
"I began to keep a journal…" "AAAAAHHH!" "Just going to… ignore that. There were anomalies everywhere," Ford continued, brushing off the girly shriek from his nephew. "And the more I looked, the more I saw. It was finally a place where I felt at home, but something nagged me: where did it all come from? It seemed to me the answer must come from outside of our world, a dimension of weirdness leaking into ours. I realized the only way to understand Gravity Falls would be t build a gateway: a portal to the source of its weirdness. But I couldn't do it alone. I decided to call up on my old college buddy, Fiddleford McGucket, a young but brilliant mechanic, who was wasting his talent trying to make personal computers in some garage in Palo Alto." Ford paused, and I wondered why he didn't continue. "Speaking of Fiddleford, is he still living here? How is he?"
"Uh… Elaine?" Mabel's voice made me poke my head out again. "How is he?"
"Fiddleford's memory is slowly healing. Running off events from the journal is helping him a lot." Seeing Ford's confused and shocked face, I quickly summarized what I had been up to. "He went overboard with the memory gun and lost his sanity after the portal incident. I've been helping him regain it ever since the kids and me found out he was your partner."
Ford frowned, and jotted down something in his book before returning to the others. No doubt he'd talk to me more about that later on. Either way, I kept my head up this time, choosing to watch their reactions to the story. Dipper studied me for a moment, but shifted his attention to Ford once again. "Many long nights were spent perfecting the machine. It would be the crowning achievement of my studies. An answer to the source of this town's anomalies. The time had come to test it. But then… it all went wrong. Fiddleford, due to his-my carelessness, was sucked into the machine when the rope around the dummy caught around his wrist. I had managed to pull him back out, but by then it was too late."
Ford looked down, hurt. "If only I saw what was coming, I could have prevented this. He saw the true purpose of the machine, where that portal truly led. Fiddleford, crushed by my denial to destroy it, quit the project. As for me, I was in over my head, and feared I was losing my sanity."
"Well, having you as a 'friend' would do that to anyone," I commented to Bill, who only shrugged in reply as I watched the conversation.
"I needed help. Someone I could trust." Stan looked over at him, visibly touched and hurt.
"I got a card from Ford tellin' me to come to Gravity Falls," he picked up. "What a way to welcome someone; threatening them with a crossbow to the face sure connects family, huh?" Ouch. "He showed me his portal that could break through a weak spot in this dimension."
"How it could do more harm than good." Ford began speaking. "I had already hid journals two and three, and had chosen Stanley to bury it at the edge of the world. But someone thought I was being selfish!"
"I'm selfish?" Stan shouted back, hearing the sharp edge in his brother's words. "You wanted to see me after ten years, just to send me on some crazy boat trip to get as far away from you as possible!"
"You have no idea what I've went through!" Ford shouted back.
"Guys, guys!" Mabel cried. "We have to stay calm! The agents could hear us if we're too loud." That shut them up. We all looked upwards, hearing the footfalls over our heads.
"Fine," Ford said bitterly, though it was easy to see he wasn't done. "Stanley tried to burn my book, and that led to us fighting each other in an attempt for its possession. I… I ended up branding him when I kicked him off of me, ramming him into the side of the control panel."
"So that's what that tattoo was," Dipper muttered to himself, before turning to Stan. "No wonder you always hide it."
Stan nodded, and Ford continued with the tale. "He shoved me against the lever, and when he shoved the journal back at me, it was too late. I was caught in the gravitational pull of the portal, and was being dragged in. I threw the journal at him, and disappeared from this dimension."
"I'd lost him. I didn't know if he was dead or alive in some distant galaxy, but knew his journal must have the answer to getting him back. Somehow. I didn't get much sleep that night. Or the night after that. I tried for weeks to turn that dumb machine back on. But without the other two journals it was hopeless. Finally I ran out of food. I had no choice but to go into town." Stan paused, letting the kids digest the information. "The people of the town were curious about my brother's work, and thought I was him. When I saw how much they wanted to see what he did, I began to make tours. Attracting tourists and other attractions. So I came up with a plan. I couldn't leave my brother's house until I figured out how to save him, but I needed to pay his mortgage somehow. For once in my life, people were actually buying what I was selling. And so the Murder Hut was born! Later renamed the Mystery Shack. Finally I found something I was good at. For once being a liar and a cheat paid off. The old me was dead, and I'd faked a car crash to prove it. By day I was Stanford Pines: Mr. Mystery. But by night I was down in the basement, trying to bring the real Stanford back."
"I couldn't risk anyone learning the truth and sabotaging my mission, so I lied to everyone: the town, my family, your parents, even you kids. As for Elaine." I poked my head out again, and everyone turned to look at me. "When I found out about her problem, I figured that it was a good a shot as any to send her home again. I showed her the portal, and made her promise not to tell you kids anything either."
"He's right." I finally stepped out of the lab, seeing Bill's shadow vanish. "With my situation, there weren't many options to get me back. Sorry for keeping this secret, Dipper. I didn't mean for this to blow up in your face… again. You know that I don't like keeping secrets unless I can't help it."
"It's alright, Elaine. Just… all this time Stan was just trying to save his brother." He looked up at Stan guiltily. "Grunkle Stan, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."
"That's okay, kid. I probably wouldn't have believed me either," Stan replied, matching his tone.
"I heard talking! It was coming downstairs!" We all looked up, hearing an agent's voice.
"Oh no, it's too late, the agents are comin' for us!" Stan shouted.
"What do we do!?" Mabel cried, standing up.
"Aw, man. I was so spellbound by your dramatic tale I forgot all about those dudes," Soos complained.
"Wait, forget. That's it! I think I know a way we might be able to defeat those agents!" Dipper reached into a bag beside him, and pulled out the memory gun. He handed it to Ford, smiling.
"Where did-you didn't even have that bag when we came down here. Where did it come from?" I asked. Dipper paused, looking from me to it, and shrugged. "Of course." Weird cartoon physics still apply at the most random of times.
"Of course! I don't know how you got a hold of one of these but, this is perfect! If I can just amplify the signal to a radio headset frequency…" he ran to the lab, and we ran after him. Plugging in several wires, and checking the viewing glasses in the wall, Ford turned to us. "There. Now everyone PLUG YOUR EARS! GET DOWN! NOW!"
It was hard to describe the noise, but it was a little like someone cranking up a microphone and emitting a ton of feedback. A loud sound wave pulsed through the air, and I could hear Bill screaming in the back of my head. As for myself, while there was a slight ringing in my ears, I was fine. Whoops. Sorry, Bill!
Ugh…
"Now, to get these agents off the property." Ford headed upstairs, and we all followed behind him. Watching from the window, we saw Ford tell the agents to leave, but not before demanding the information on the investigation. As the cars and helicopters dispersed, he fed the flash drive with the case on it to Gompers, who happily ran off into the woods with it. Mabel and Dipper ran out to meet him once we were certain the coast was clear, while Stan, Soos, and I stood at the front door.
"Great Uncle Stanford, that was amazing!" Mabel gushed.
"Let's not go crazy; it was serviceable," Stan grumbled.
"Thank you, kids, but please, call me Ford," Ford chuckled, a little embarrassed by the praise.
"Sure! Thanks, Great Uncle Ford," Dipper said. "So, uh, would you mind if I ask you a couple billion questions about Gravity Falls?" He pulled a notepad and pen from his vest, clicking the pen madly.
"Um, well I-uh…" Ford seemed so flustered and confused. Guess he wasn't expecting this much worship.
"Alright, kids, it's been a long day and me and my brother have a lot to talk about. Why don't you hit the hay, huh?" Stan asked, walking over to them.
"But, it's the author!" Dipper protested, still clicking the pen. "I've been waiting so long to ask questions about-"
"I said. Hit. The hay!" Grabbing their heads, Stan pushed them towards the door. Dipper seemed hurt, and Mabel held his shoulder as they walked past me and Soos.
"I'll just… let myself out." Soos ran off, and I watched him pull his phone out to call Wendy. I hope he's able to let the others know too. Otherwise, I'm in for an interesting conversation with the squad. Shaking my head, I turned around to follow Mabel and Dipper, only for Stan's voice to stop me.
"Kid, can you come here for a second?" Oh boy. Hesitantly, I walked to the two twins, avoiding Ford's eyes. "Ford, this is Elaine. She's not from… uh, kid? Care to explain?"
Introductions, huh? Alrighty then. I held out my hand, and Ford took it. Six fingers. It was certainly an interesting thing to hold, but I found it nothing too strange. I survived Gravity Falls, after all. "Elaine Milton, at your service. It's been worth the wait to finally meet you in person, Ford. With the stuff Stan's told me, and what I've learned this summer from journal three, you're something else." You know, I think that's the first time I ever said my last name to anyone.
I internally smirked, seeing a small blush on his face. He wasn't expecting that apparently, especially from the fact I learned about him through his brother and the journal… where the stuff I learned was him descending into madness. "Well, thank you, Elaine," Ford finally said. Releasing my hand, he turned to Stan. "Any reason why else you brought her over, Stanley?"
"Recall why I told her about the portal and not the kids. She's from another dimension, Poindexter," Stan said. Ford jolted back in surprise, and looked at me. Blushing myself, I gave a small wave.
"Surprised? Your brother found me passed out in a bloody mess at the start of the summer. We don't know how I wound up here, but I've been living here for almost two months now." Rocking on my heels, I giggled. "It's weird, when you keep making references to things that don't exist here."
"You're from another dimension?" Ford asked, suddenly much more interested in what I was saying. "And you have no clue how you got here?"
"Hasn't said anything to show for it," Stan answered for me. "Oh, uh… sorry 'bout destroying your only way home, Elaine."
He was… saying he was sorry? "Heh… hehe." I looked over at Stan, and moved to hug him without another word. He stiffened, and I chuckled into his jacket. "I'm not… I'm not mad, Grunkle Stan. I'm… thanking you."
"Thank yo-kid, what're you talking about?" He looked from Ford to me in confusion, and I let him go.
"Stan… I-I'm not going home. I kinda came to that decision a few days ago that I'd grown to love this place. Ever since our trip to break Robbie and Wendy up, I'd starting thinking of this place as home, calling the twins family, and with how you've been helping me this summer… I'm from somewhere, far, far away. With that portal destroyed, there's not many other ways for me to get home. And I so, so love this place." I was speaking with as much emotion as I could manage, wrapping them into my words. Ford had a look of confusion and amazement at how passionate I was going with this, while Stan… he actually seemed proud of me right now. Proud, at how I came to this point of the summer. "Despite how many times I've almost died and been thrown through emotional loops! Maybe I'll find a way back one day, but right now, I'm here to stay. And no being in this or any other dimension is gonna say otherwise," I announced, puffing my chest out proudly. Ain't that right, Cipher?
"Elaine, are you sure about that? You know this means you're never gonna see your parents and sister again, right?" Stan asked slowly, resting a hand on my shoulder with the faintest bit of concern. Eyes brimming with tears, I nodded soundly.
"I'm certain. Stan, there's nothing left for me there anyway. I've been gone for roughly two months, and… they probably all think I'm dead. Even if the portal did work, we wouldn't be able to pinpoint the exact location anyway." In all honesty, my second option really was a long shot. Plus, while Bill could bring me to other dimensions without harm… I didn't want a repeat of what happened to my body. I barely managed it the first time. A second time would possibly kill me. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some twins to tell the news to. Nice talking to you, Ford!" I ran back into the Mystery Shack, and up the stairs to the bedroom.
I have no clue what's to happen now, or where I'm going… "GUYS!" I flung the door open, scaring the kids so badly Mabel fell backwards onto her bed and Dipper jumped a foot in the air. If I could make it in this world… or not.
"Elaine, what the heck?" Dipper said, holding his chest. "What was that about?"
But I'm here, with my friends, and I won't let them go through the pain of seeing me leave them too.
(Time Skip)
It was nighttime, and we were all clad in our pajamas. Mabel was listening through the door on Ford and Stan's conversation, while Dipper and me were already in bed. "Did you hear what they said? I think Grunkle Ford said they're gonna buy us puppies made of ice cream. Might be wishful thinking, though."
"I don't know if this is good or bad. I wanted to meet the author, but…" Dipper looked up at the ceiling, and sighed.
"Yeah, I hear ya." I rolled onto my side, and stuck my glasses up on the shelf. "Things were much simpler when it was just us, Stan, and a sadistic demon on our backs."
"Eh, I'm sure they'll work things out," Dipper said. "Elaine, do-do you really mean it? You don't want to go home?" He looked down at me from his bed, seeing my face staring up back at him, all snuggled into my covers.
"Hehe. Dippin' Dots, I already made it clear that I've fell for this place. Where I end up from here is yet to be decided, but I'm not going home. At least not for a long, long time. Even he knows this." Mabel flopped down on her bed, looking at me.
"Bill? But isn't your deal about him taking you home?" She asked. I nodded, squinting at her. Probably shouldn't have taken off the glasses yet.
"Yep. I said he'd take me home. But, Mabel, this is my home too, just as much as my dimension was. Whichever place I chose to go, someone will end up sad and heartbroken. I've already been gone for too long. My family… they must think I'm dead by now. There's not much left for me there." I tucked my arms under my head and pillow, staring up at the ceiling. "Gravity Falls and you dorks are just as much family as they are. You aren't getting rid of me that easily."
"… Dipper, you don't think we'll turn out like Stan and Ford, do you?"
"What do you mean?" Dipper asked. He rolled onto his side, looking at his sister at the sudden change in subject.
"I mean, they used to be best friends, but then they got all stupid. Can you promise me you won't get stupid?" Mabel asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.
"I'm not stupider than you, dum-dum," Dipper teased.
"Goodnight, stupid," Mabel smiled.
"Goodnight, stupid." Dipper turned off the lamp, and closed his eyes. Mabel rolled over, staring that the wall, and I quietly slipped out of my covers. Walking over to Mabel, I laid down beside her, and wrapped my arms around the girl, pulling her to me. It's the shrinking thing all over again. No way was I letting her have another nightmare.
"It's okay, Mabel." I petted the top of head, hearing her soft whimpers. "It's okay. Nothing's gonna split you and Dipper up. I won't allow it. Not Gideon, nor angry ghosts, nor Bill is going to split us up." I kissed the top of her head, and we pulled up the covers. She snuggled into my shoulder, and I finally closed my eyes. "We're gonna be fine, Mabel. I promise… same to you, Mason."
"… thanks, Elaine."
Opening my eyes to the Nightmare Realm was normal for me now. Bill only pulled me into the normal Mindscape unless its an emergency. Where I woke up… was somewhere entirely new.
Lush green fields, bright blue sky, and ponds all over the ground. Golden glowing ponds. Wildflowers grew around my feet, and the grass was almost to her knees. "Where am I?" Wandering around, I felt the summer sun kiss my skin, and laughed. I slowly picked up my pace, and soon started running through the field, laughing. My hair blew in the wind behind me, and I cartwheeled through the tall grass before landing on my back. My brown hair spread out under me, and I rested my hands over my chest.
"Well, Angel? What do you think of your mind?" My mind… I wasn't in a different dimension after all. This place was what my mind looked like. Sitting up, I brushed a stray lily from my hair, turning to face Bill.
"It's beautiful, Bill. I-I've never seen anything like it." He drifted down beside me, and he grabbed my head. "Wha-okay. Where are you-oh." He dropped me… into his lap. What was it with this guy and constant contact? "Dominant," I remarked.
"Submissive." Sums up this partnership in a nutshell. "So, Angel, it looks like I've fulfilled my end of the deal. You're home, huh?"
"Yep. You… you did it, Cipher." This summer wasn't over. I was still going to have to live through whatever happened in the finale in my world. Which… I was dreading, actually. But I really hoped my closeness with Bill might change things in my favor. My favor, and the favor of everyone else in the town. "Everything's different now. I'm here to stay, Ford's back, and you get me all to yourself."
"And you still got to keep your end of the deal, kid. No backing out now. It's almost time for the real fun to start." He stroked my head, closing his eye. "You wanna know why I dragged you here? Get up." Taking my hand, Bill led me towards one of the many golden ponds scattered about. We stopped at the edge, and Bill gestured to the water. Letting my hand fall from his, I bent down to look into the gilded water. What I saw… was not what I was expecting.
"G-Gail…? These… these are my memories." All of these ponds… these were my memories, and fears, and dreams. Just like how Stan had all those doors in the Mystery Shack, I had nature to represent my mind. The memory was one of the last things I could remember. We were sitting on my bed, and I was trying and failing at braiding her hair. "I remember this…"
"Hey, Gail?" The past me asked, Gail's hair entwined in her fingers. "Have… you ever wondered if there's something else out there?"
"Elaine, you're speaking gibberish," Gail giggled. "What are you talking about?" I had given up on her braid, and swung my legs over the edge of my bed. Gail moved to sit beside me, and she watched me put a finger to my chin in thought.
"Well, you remember all of those games and shows that talk about dimensions, right? Like Rick and Morty, Star vs the Forces of Evil, and Gravity Falls? Well, who's to say that's not possible for us? What if there's dimensions that exist around us, that scientists just haven't discovered yet?"
"You mean that weird multiverse theory?" Gail asked. "What if it is? Real, I mean."
"Then, if it is… we'll go explore them!" I declared, throwing a fist in the air. "They're probably so much to learn, and we'll be the first ever from our dimension to see them." Gail rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "No?"
"Elaine, that sounds like your dream. I don't think I'd ever be up for traveling that far away from home." Gail flopped back on the bed, looking at the ceiling. "Besides, what if you can't get back home? You could end up being like Stanford Pines and be stuck outside this dimension for years. And what about me?" I laid down beside her, and wrapped my arm around the smaller Milton. "I'm not sounding supportive, am I?"
"Not really, but that makes sense. You know how important family is to me, dork. I might be able to survive if I never see mom or dad again, but I'd lose my mind if I never said goodbye. Besides, it's just a silly thought. Together forever, right?" We laughed, and I ruffled her head playfully. "Love you, Gail."
"I love you too, Ellie."
"Ellie… Mabel had thought she came up with that nickname all on her own. I forgot that… that Gail came up with it first." I felt a clawed finger wipe my cheek, no doubt trying to wipe the tears off. "Bill… how did-I thought you said you never went through my memories?"
"Never did, Angel. This is the first time I've ever been in here. Figured that you should see your sister in some way one last time." Bill hummed, and I wondered what he was thinking about. "You always so interested in dimensions, kid?"
"It was… always some weird idea of mine, really. I loved watching shows, reading books, and some part of me wondered… if the multiverse did exist, did that mean what I thought was imaginary was real too? It was a silly wish, how was I supposed to know it'd come true? You saw how I looked when I came here. I was a bloody mess," I chuckled.
"Kid, wishes aren't real, okay? Who even thought putting 'faith' into a flaming ball of gas millions of light years away from them is an idiot." Bill drifted down to sit beside me again, and I traced the glowing water with a finger. "Trust me, Angel. I know all too well about wanting something more exciting than the boredom of your own dimension. The confines, the bland personalities… it comes at a cost once you get what you finally want."
That… was the most personal I think I ever got the demon to be. I turned to face Bill, but saw he was staring down, deep in thought. I kept quiet for a moment, before laying my head awkwardly on his shoulder. Blinking, his large pupil moved to look at me, and I smiled sadly. "Guess this means we're both insane dorks without a world, huh?"
Bill chuckled, and he rubbed his hand in my hair. "It looks like it, toots." Bill 'smirked', and leaned even closer. I see where this is going. I shyly looked away for a second, and sighed. You know what? Screw it. At this point, I could care less what happened.
There were three types of times I'd ended up kissing the triangle. First was when he gave me surprise kisses. The second was when I randomly kissed him for taking me to the Blood Moon Ball. The third was when we both went for it at the same time. The only time I could think of when that happened was when our partnership took a turn.
This was another number three.
Times a million.
Kissing was never something overly complicated, but the emotion behind it was what made it special. And sitting in this field of flowers and precious memories, with someone who was just as happy as you were to find a place to belong... this was a special moment. In that pure, little moment, there was no danger. The odd buzzing was in the back of my head, but it wasn't me trying to wake up. If anything, it was his bliss-filled aura, showing just how much the moment meant to him. "Not bad, Angel." His eye was still a mouth once we broke apart, but it wasn't moving when he spoke. Several rows of canines were visible, a reminder of what hid behind the simple yellow mask.
"Y-yeah. You too..." I replied, trying not to stare at the maw. Quickly, he shifted back to his eye, and I gave a small smile in relief. "Thanks."
"Listen well, Angel. What you're talking about, and what you're planning to do has consequences. Staying in another world, and visiting others is dangerous." He looked back at the memory pond. "Especially seeing that you're sticking with me now, kid. You're in for a wild ride."
That didn't sound very good, but… I'd come this far. I wasn't going to destroy this dimension, if that's what he's implying. But I knew I was gonna affect whatever happened one way or another. For now, I just had to let things run their course, and see what would occur. "I… I'm ready, Bill. I don't know what's coming, or how it will go, but I'll… we'll go through it together, won't we?" Bill laughed, and I smiled at him. "Hey, uh… ca-can we stay here a little longer?" A breeze blew past us, and my hair drifted around me. Small ripples danced over the water, and the clouds had passed enough to reveal the sun. Bouncing off all the ponds, it made the entire field glow gold.
Bill wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Sure, sweetheart." He kissed the top of my head, and I leaned into the hug. "Enjoy this, kid. After all, your new dimension's gonna learn how to party sooner than you think."
This entire chapter was written the day after the last update, and it took less than 12 hours. No clue how, but I just got going like crazy. Fair warning. Weirdmageddon is going to have a lot more intense. Anything that seemed insane at this point, is only the tip of the insanity iceberg.
Until next time!
Angel
