Dipper woke up the next day feeling calmer than he had since before he'd changed. Somehow, talking to Pacifica last night had really helped. He took a deep breath and stretched.

"You look happy," Mabel said. She was leaning over the opening of her hamster ball, flicking between the tv channels.

"I had a nice rest," Dipper said cheerfully, kicking off the blankets covering him and standing up. He had made it halfway to the living room door when Mabel called him back.

"Seriously, what's up?" She said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What? Nothing's up," Dipper said, confused.

"Why are you so… cheerful?" Mabel said, looking confused. "You never wake up happy."

Dipper shrugged. "I told you, I finally got some good sleep. Did a lot of thinking last night, I guess it cleared my mind."

"Okay…" Mabel said slowly, still looking a bit doubtful. "Where are you going, then?"

"Just out for a walk." Dipper said casually. "Just me and my thoughts, out in the woods." He grinned at Mabel before trotting out the door.

Mabel looked after him skeptically. "If you say so…" She muttered, returning her attention to the tv.

She didn't get a chance to decide on a channel, however, as Stan came in at that moment and grabbed the remote from her.

"Hey!" Mabel shouted indignantly. "Grunkle Stan!"

"Sorry, kiddo, but a new episode Baby Fights is about to start. Madison is finally going to tell Avery what she thinks of her!"

Mabel rolled her eyes but didn't argue. It was good to have some sense of normalcy, even if it was the normalcy of Stan's weird obsessions.

Stan tried to sit on the couch, but it creaked ominously as he put his increased weight on it. He scowled and settled in further. Suddenly there was a loud crack and the couch collapsed, sending Stan to the floor with a thud.

"Snazzy batshirt!" Stan exclaimed angrily. He stood up to take a look at the broken couch. "Ugh, I'll be so glad when this is all over," he grumbled, prodding an exposed couch beam with his foot.

"When what is over?" Mabel asked.

"This stupid curse!" Stan yelled. He kicked the remains of the couch so hard that parts of it went skidding across the floor.

Mabel jumped at Stan's sudden aggression. She hadn't thought he was taking it this badly.

Stan sat on the floor with a thump, putting a hand over his eyes. "Ugh, sorry Mabel. I'm just sick of this whole thing." He groaned and looked down at his rough gray arms. "I just… I don't like change, okay?" He grumbled.

Mabel blinked in surprise. Was Stan really so rattled by all of this that he was going to spill his guts? He wouldn't let himself be that vulnerable, surely….

But Stan looked away from her, and she could see he was clenching his jaw. He must have been more upset than Mabel had realized.

"Have you tried?" Mabel asked tentatively.

"Tried what?" Stan snapped back.

"Tried to change back," she replied nervously.

"How would I?" Stan said irritably. "My good for nothing brother hasn't even gotten close to a cure yet."

"But…" Mabel hesitated, then took a deep breath. "But didn't Ford say we don't really need a cure? That we can change back if we… accept who we are or something?"

Stan scoffed. "Oh, come on Mabel. You actually bought that? He was only saying it so the town wouldn't come rioting and burn down the Shack."

Mabel frowned at Stan's dismissive tone. "I don't know, it sounded legit to me."

"If it were as easy as that, people would have started changing back by now. I don't think anyone's gotten close." Stan sounded bitter.

"I don't think anyone's really tried…" Mabel said under her breath.

Dipper took a deep breath, relishing the cool morning air. Strangely, he felt more at ease out here in the woods than he had anywhere else since he changed.

He was just wandering, enjoying the simple sensations of the forest. It made a nice change from his usual busy, analytic mindset. He really needed to relax more often. And who knew? He might even run into Pacifica out here.

A small frown crept onto Dipper's face as he wondered where Pacifica had slept last night. She obviously hadn't been in a comfortable position to go home. His frown deepened. Now that he thought about it, he probably should have checked if she had somewhere to go before saying goodbye last night. He hoped she was okay.

Well, he would ask her if he saw her. Right now, with the dappled sunlight shining through the canopy of leaves above him, he felt too peaceful to worry about anything.

BANG!

There was a deafening noise, and Dipper felt a sudden, searing pain in his lower back. He felt his knees buckle and he collapsed, his brain sluggishly trying to process what had happened.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." A high-pitched, nasal voice rang out from the thick trees behind the shaking child.

Dipper shuddered involuntarily. His mind was foggy with pain and shock, but he would have recognized that voice even in perfect unconsciousness.

The human form of Bill Cipher strolled into Dipper's blurry line of sight. He crouched at the boy's eye level, a sadistic smirk on his pointed face.

"Whoopsie!" Bill said sarcastically, looking at a watch on his wrist. "Looks like deer season started early this year!" He gave Dipper an evil grin. Slowly, almost lazily, he reached up to grab the brim of Dipper's hat. Then he whipped it off with a dramatic flick of his wrist, exposing the stubs of antlers poking through Dipper's curly hair. "And what a shame," Bill said, "Such a pitiful rack on this one." He threw the hat back at Dipper and stood up, his cruel smile widening. "I guess the only thing this one's good for is venison." Bill started to laugh.

Dipper was shaking violently. He had only two distinguishable thoughts: pain and danger. He had to run. He had to get away from here, find safety.

Dipper blearily tried to raise himself onto his front legs, but as he moved the pain flared in his back. His front right leg didn't seem to be working right. He felt it twitch as he fell to the ground again. Run, run run! His instincts were screaming at him. This creature brings danger!

The man in front of him crouched again and grabbed Dipper's arm. "Unless…"

Dipper was writhing violently now, trying to escape Bill's grip. He might have been screaming; he couldn't tell.

"Shut up and listen, Pine Tree," Bill growled. His sadistic, mocking tone had turned more serious and menacing. "There's one thing you can do if you don't want to be my dinner tonight." He shoved his face close to Dipper's, his one slit-pupiled eye glaring at the boy's two panicked ones. "Tell me how to fix it."

"Wh-wha-?" Dipper could barely speak. He muttered incomprehensibly for a moment, trying to focus on Bill. "What…?"

"The cure, Pine Tree! Tell me where it is!" Bill shook him roughly, jarring his injured back.

"Buh… Buh dere's nah…" Dipper slurred. He couldn't seem to string his thoughts together, let alone his words. He blinked rapidly. "There's not… no cure…"

"Don't play with me, kid," Bill snarled, squeezing Dipper's arm so tightly his fingernails almost broke the boy's skin.

Dipper yelped in pain. "I swear…" He mumbled through his tears, "We don't…"

Bill's eye narrowed. "You need more motivation?" He hissed. There was a slight flicker of uncertainty in the demon's face, but Dipper, panicked as he was, didn't see it. "Fine." Bill stood up abruptly, walking around Dipper.

Dipper let out a blood curdling shriek as he felt Bill's foot hit his wound.

"How 'bout now?" Bill shouted at him.

But Dipper could no longer speak. His breath was coming in sharp bursts, harsh noises like a frightened animal tearing at his throat.

"Tell me!" Bill got ready to kick Dipper again, but before he could strike he was slammed to the ground. A massive, furry creature stood over him, baring its sharp teeth in a menacing growl. Bill scrambled back, trying to get away from the huge, orange wolf.

Dipper was in a shaking heap on the ground, trying to breathe through the pain. He turned his head to see what had distracted his torturer, but the sight of the large predator sent his heart racing again. Frantic, he tried to stand one more time, but he had no strength left. All he could do was hold one hand to his bleeding back and try not to lose consciousness.

Meanwhile, the wolf was advancing on Bill.

"Get back, Red!" Bill shouted, encasing one hand in blue fire. "Don't even try, you filthy-"

Before he could finish the threat, the wolf attacked. It lunged too fast for Bill's human body to react, and it raked a claw across his chest.

Bill inhaled sharply. He fell back, looking down at his bloody chest. His eye widened in surprise. "Blood?" He gasped, "I shouldn't have…" He lifted a hand to his torn shirt, apparently to confirm that his body had been damaged.

"No!" Bill shouted at the sight of blood on his fingertips. His voice came out a mixture of angry and fearful. "No!" Bill said again, trying to erase the fear from his voice. He shouldn't even have a concept of fear.

Bill's head jerked up at a harsh bark from the wolf. He glared at the creature, trying to think. The pain made it difficult. This stupid, weak fleshbag! He thought angrily. All he could think to do now was retreat. He backed away slowly, keeping his gaze on the wolf. It was still crouched in a hostile position, its hackles raised and teeth exposed. Bill continued to walk backwards until the beast was out of sight, then he made his way back to his hiding place, determined to repair this broken vessel he so unfortunately was stuck in.

As soon as the demon was gone, the huge wolf turned to face the wounded fawn on the ground.

Dipper was trembling, tears running down his face and his breath coming in shallow sobs of pain. The wolf snuffed gently at the wound in his back, then padded around to face him.

"Dipper?" The wolf asked in a much more human voice than it should have been able to produce. "Oh my gosh, what happened?"

Dipper looked up, but his eyes were crazed with pain and fear. He shuffled away from the wolf weakly, but his strength gave out before had had moved more than a few inches.

Wendy's eyes widened when she realized how badly Dipper was hurt. She reached to pick him up, moving slowly as not to spook him.

Dipper was shaking violently now. His eyes were closed, and the wound in his back was bleeding freely. She had to get him home now.

Wendy scooped Dipper into her arms. Though his deer body was fairly heavy, her already impressive muscles had been enhanced when she'd transformed. Her muzzle shifted back into her more human face, but she kept her legs wolfish for maximum speed as she sprinted back to the Shack.