A few minutes after I posted the last chapter, this story hit 5,000 views! This is a major milestone for me, as in the beginning I didn't expect anyone to really like this fic, let alone actually read it. The support from you guys is what encourages me to keep writing, especially those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed! :D
Also, the man named Tyler in this chapter is NOT Mayor Cutebiker, He isn't the "GET EM!" Guy. No, he's just a random guy. No one we know, just some dude that will only have one appearance.
Probably.
Get ready for some MAJOR feels in this chapter! Happiness? Sadness? Joy? Grief? You'll just have to find out! (Also a minor sexual theme in one section. Nothing explicit, of course.)
I am also giving a fair warning that there are mentions of blood in this chapter.
Here's chapter 37 of 'Welcome Home'!
Mabel and Dipper didn't speak to each other the next morning, save a simple 'Good morning' to each other. Stanley was the first to notice the silence when the twins got breakfast in the morning as he was making coffee. A part of him wanted to check up on the twins, however he figured this was a problem they needed to figure out themselves.
As for Stanford and McGucket, they stayed up late the previous night, talking and digging deeper into the blackmail and manipulation Mr. Powers had put Fiddleford through. Speaking about the blackmail situation wasn't too challenging for McGucket, as he felt safe speaking truthfully about it in the presence of Ford. Regardless of Ford saying that he expected nothing in return, Fiddleford felt in debt to the man for kindly keeping him safely hidden in his home. Stanford was being so kind and understanding to him about the situation, and Fiddleford just wished he could repay the generosity.
Fiddleford and Ford came out of the lab and walked into the living room. They were greeted by Stanley, who was watching TV on the couch.
"Mornin', nerds." Stan greeted, taking his eyes off the TV program for no more than two seconds before drawing his eyes back to the screen. Without looking back, he added, "There's coffee in the kitchen if ya' want some."
Before the other men could say anything, they heard a loud shout come from upstairs. The three all flinched in unison and heard something being thrown against a wall in a raged manner. They heard a muffled shout that came from Mabel. "That doesn't matter!" She exclaimed, likely to Dipper.
The group got their answer of who the shout was directed towards when they heard a slightly deeper muffled voice with a clear voice crack shout back, "Of course it matters!" Followed by another object being chucked against a wall.
It was the moment when Mabel shouted, "At least he was trying to be a good person!" That the group knew who the twins were arguing about. Dipper had likely been ranting about Bill, whereas Mabel was attempting to defend the demon.
Ford adjusted his glasses and put his hands in his lab coat pockets. "How long do you suppose they'll keep this up?" He asked his brother, cringing at the ear piercing sound of glass shattering.
"Eh, I'm sure they'll work things out sooner or later." Stan said with a shrug. "They always do." He added before taking a sip from his coffee mug.
"Yes, but... Has it ever been been this... Violent?" Ford questioned.
Stan took a moment to respond. "Well..," He hesitated for another moment. "No."
Before anyone could speak another word, they heard the sound of a door slamming shut, the rough behavior shaking the lights that hung on the ceiling. It was at this moment where Ford wondered if he should interfere with the twins and their loud argument.
Fiddleford gave an awkward chuckle. "I'll... go get some'a that coffee ye' were talking about." He announced, pointing his thumb in the direction he was headed. Neither Ford nor Stan did anything to stop him. With that, the smaller man excused himself from the living room.
"Huh..." Stan muttered in a loud enough tone for Ford to overhear. "I never thought Mabel would miss that troublemaker so much." He said.
Ford could only nod in agreement, looking down at the floor.
Meanwhile, Fiddleford stood in the kitchen, reaching up to the nearest cupboard and selecting a mug. He heard the quiet sounds of footsteps entering the kitchen, along with a sniffle. McGucket turned his head in confusion at the sound and saw Mabel sitting down near the doorframe, her legs huddled up against her chest, her face filled with tears hidden in her sweater.
The sight of Mabel in this state of sadness hit Fiddleford hard in the heart. He frowned at the sight and felt as if he should try comforting the girl. Hesitantly, Fiddleford walked over to Mabel and sat down beside her. Being closer now, he heard another clear sniffle come from the girl, along with a nearly inaudible sob.
McGucket had been so silent that he wasn't sure if the girl knew his presence in the room. Just to make her aware, McGucket put a hand on the emotional teenagers shoulder. He heard a sniffle being cut off by the girl, however she kept her face buried inside her sweater.
So this must be Sweater town. Fiddleford thought to himself. Not knowing how to successfully comfort a thirteen year old girl, he awkwardly ran a hand through his hair with his spare hand, keeping his other hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Mabel..?" Fiddleford hesitantly addressed.
"M-Mabel's not... H-here right n-now... " She responded, trying to hold back her tears. "She-she's in...in..." She tried, however her words were replaced with a sniffle that she could no longer hold back.
Fiddleford sighed. "In Sweater town?" He finished, raising an eyebrow with a sympathetic look on his face. Mabel nodded, responding with an, "mhm..." Before releasing another sniffle.
"Are ye' gonna... Come out of Sweater town?" Fiddleford asked. Mabel shook her head and buried her hidden face against her knees. The sight of Mabel in such a bad mood was absolutely heartbreaking. What happened to the happy, energetic, positive Mabel that McGucket knew? To see the same girl sad, unmotivated, and negitive, that was something the man wasn't used to at all.
"Well, erm... If it's any consolation, I've been pretty scared recently." Fiddleford began, thinking that maybe if he was a bit open to the girl, she would feel better or at least relieved that she wasn't the only person hurting, or safe knowing that the older man was opting to speak about his troubles.
Mabel sniffled once more before poking her shining, tear-filled eyes out from her sweater, glancing over at the old man. "R-really..?" She asked. McGucket nodded, and the man noticed that Mabel had a true look of concern clearly visible by the look in her eyes.
"Yep, There's been people a'watchin' me these past few months." Fiddleford explained. "Do ye' know what blackmail is?" He asked.
Mabel nodded at the question. "Y-yeah..." She muttered, slowly pulling her sweater down from the bottom half of her face so that her entire face was visible. Fiddleford could see both dried up and fresh tear streaks on her face where the tears had fallen. She quickly wiped them away before speaking. "I've used blackmail on Dipper before." She said.
McGucket chuckled slightly at the response and took his hand off the girl's shoulder, seeing that she had finally retired from Sweater town. He adjusted his glasses before continuing. "Well, blackmail was the reason they were watchin' me. To make sure I didn't say anything about it. And to gather information about the people around me." He informed.
Mabel was rather surprised. She had never heard McGucket talk in such a calm manner. The fact that he was speaking so calmly about blackmail stumped her. However, the conversation seemed to give her a feeling of wanting to speak about what had gone on between herself and her brother.
"I just don't understand..." Mabel began with a sigh. "I don't know why Dipper can't see that Bill is a changed person. Literally..." She said.
Fiddleford nodded in an understanding manner. "I used to think the same way Dipper did about him." He said. Mabel looked at the older man as he continued, "But Ford helped me to see that he wasn't so bad after all. I guess I figured, if everyone else is gettin' used to 'im, why can't I?" He said with a shrug.
McGucket was hesitant for a moment, and he let out a sigh, looking down at the wooden floor. "But by the time I was ready to start over with Cipher, he was gone." He said with a small frown. He felt a wave of remorse hit him for being so stubborn with Bill while he was still living in the shack.
"D-Dipper says that I shouldn't be scared for Bill. That I shouldn't worry about him. But I just can't help it! He could be out there, all alone, with no one to go to." Mabel said with a sigh.
Fiddleford nodded once more. "Yea', Stanford was pretty concerned about 'im, too. Heck, he still is and it's been an entire month." He said.
"Wait, wait," Mabel began, shaking her hands slightly in confusion. "If Grunkle Ford was scared for Bill, why didn't he go looking for him? You know, to bring Bill home?"
"Well," McGucket began, "I'm guessin' he just wanted to let Bill do what he thought was best for 'im. The thing yer' uncle wants most is for 'im to be happy. So if Bill felt happier somewhere else, he wasn't gonna stop try and stop him."
"But," Mabel continued, raising an eyebrow. "Wasn't it Grunkle Ford's original plan to keep Bill at the shack, and away from the town? Didn't he want Bill to stay away from the town on his own because he was too dangerous?" She asked.
McGucket thought about the question for a bit, however he couldn't come up with a good answer. "I don't have an answer for that one, Maple bar." Fiddleford said with a shrug.
Mabel snickered at the nickname given by the old man. "Haha...Maple bar." She repeated. She looked at Fiddleford and gave him a warm, genuine smile. Fiddleford returned the smile, relieved that the girl seemed to be in a better mood. He was about to say something, until Mabel dove towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug and resting her chin atop his shoulder.
"Thanks, Fishstick." Mabel said, tightening the hug around his neck while being careful not to choke the man.
Fiddleford's mouth hung open slightly at the unusual gesture that he wasn't at all used to. His hands froze in the air for a moment as he sat unsure how to react to the friendly hug. He was hesitant, but he smiled at the gesture, carefully wrapping his arms around the teenager to return the hug given.
Karen was in her room, getting ready for her morning work shift. As she did that, Bill was in the bathroom, combing his hair to make it softer. He found that soft, fluffy hair was fun to touch. Bill figured that was the reason he had always liked to mess with Ford's hair.
Bill took a liking to the outfit he had recently picked out from the Gravity Falls mall. He wore black jeans, along with a long-sleeved yellow button up shirt that was tucked slightly into his pants. Atop his button up shirt, he wore a black vest with two small pockets at the front, along with a fancy-looking black bowtie. He liked the bowtie, as it made Bill feel more like himself and less like a disgusting meatsack. To complete the look, he had a small top hat that also made him feel more like himself.
To top off the look, Bill wore the amulet under the bowtie so that it wouldn't be visible. He wanted the item to stay hidden, in case he came across a person in public that would recognize the amulet just by the sight of it.
When Bill was finished combing his hair to perfection, he walked over to Karen's room and opened the door to see her tying her apron.
"Hey, babe." Karen greeted, smiling at Bill. She looked at his outfit with her mouth hung open. She smiled and walked towards him, putting her hands on his shoulder as she eyed the outfit. "You look great!" She complimented. "You should dress like this more often." She said with a wink.
"Yeah, I guess I do look pretty hot." Bill agreed with a smirk. He put his hands on her hips before speaking. "Hey, do you think you could give me a ride to the hospital before you head off to work?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Bill leaned in close by her ear and whispered. "It's beneficial to the plan."
"Sure thing!" Karen said with a smile. "Just give me a minute to finish getting ready."
Bill nodded and left the room, walking down the slim hallway and walking over to the living room couch. He wasn't exactly sure why Karen was so on-board with the possession thing, especially after she had shared during their first movie night that she was frightened by those types of thing. Bill figured it was a side effect to her clinginess in the relationship. He didn't really know- nor did he care. Bill had no intention of letting his sidekick of the plan not participate.
After a couple minutes of waiting, Karen was ready for work. She came out of her room and met Bill at the door, car keys in hand. She opened the apartment door and let Bill step out before locking her apartment door. With that, the couple headed to Karen's car.
"How long will this take?" Karen asked once the two got into the vehicle.
Bill shrugged at the question. "Depends on how long it takes for Soos' girlfriend to give birth. It could be a couple days, a few weeks, who knows?"
Karen hummed and nodded at the answer before starting up the car. "What if they go to a different hospital?" She questioned.
"They won't," Bill answered with a chuckle. "The clinic won't be available for a few weeks thanks to those fake appointments we set up on dear ol' Lutwin's schedule, and any other doctor facility other than the Gravity Falls Hospital isn't for another 40 miles!" He said with a snicker.
Karen smirked. "Gee, you're pretty smart!" She complimented.
Bill just laughed. "Yeah, even without my infinite knowledge, I get by." He said with a snicker.
Karen looked over at Bill in confusion. "What?"
"What?" Bill copied, looking out the window as they drove by.
It took no more than 5 minutes to reach the hospital. Karen parked the car in a parking space and gave Bill a goodbye kiss before he started towards the door. when she saw Bill enter the hospital, she left to head to work.
Bill opened the door to the hospital and saw the front desk straight across from him. He saw a man with short, brown, gelled-up hair helping a young woman with a smile. Bill saw his name tag when he walked up to the desk, the name reading, "Tyler". Bill hummed at the name.
I don't really look like a Tyler, Bill commented to himself. But I guess it'll have to do. I don't see any other employees around.
Bill waited somewhat patiently for the woman to sit down in the lobby, making sure to limit himself to no more than three annoyed sighs until the woman left.
Eventually, the woman thanked Tyler and sat down in the lobby to wait. Bill walked over to where the woman previously stood and leaned against the counter, an arm atop the desk.
"Hey," Bill said cooly, a seductive look on his face.
Tyler smiled, a small blush on his face at the handsome man standing before him. "H-hello. How may I help you?" He asked.
Bill smirked at the man's already flushed face, which told him that his plan was working. "Yeah, so here's the thing, hot stuff," Bill continued with a mischievous look in his eyes. "I've, uh... kinda got this... Kink for cute guys with brown hair." He lied with a smirk.
"Oh, uh... You do?" Tyler asked, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Even though he tried, he couldn't get himself to look away from those gorgeously unique slit pupils.
"Uh -huhhhh!" Bill teased with a smirk, running a hand through the stranger's hair. Bill wasn't surprised when the man leaned into the touch.
"So," Bill began, adding a charming chuckle for show and staring into the man's eyes. "I, uh... I'm new here." he said with a charming smile, his eyes narrowed seductively once more. "Would ya' mind giving me... A warm welcome?" He asked.
The blush grew on Tyler's face. "S-sir, this is a p-public building." He tried to no avail, regardless of his sudden wishes.
"Which makes it all the hotter." Bill said with a wink.
Bill had no need to say another word. Before either man knew it, they shoved themselves into a supplies closet with a singular illuminated lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Bill could tell by the way that Tyler attacked his lips with his own that he didn't have much experience with kissing. Which Bill didn't mind, as he wasn't here for a make out session.
Bill grabbed the collar on the other man's shirt and began to gracefully unbutton the buttons as Tyler wrapped his arms around Bill's neck, planting kisses along it.
Bill unbuttoned Tyler's shirt with one hand, and held onto the amulet he had hidden under his bow tie with the other. The amulet shined a small blue light around the palm of his hand. The magic of the amulet made its way towards Tyler's name tag. Tyler couldn't see his name tag being snatched away, as he had his eyes closed in bliss as Bill began to run his hand atop his chest.
The name tag was removed from his shirt by the magic, and so Tyler wouldn't notice, Bill removed the other man's top garment completely, showing the stranger's bare chest. The name tag gracefully slipped into Bill's vest pocket, hidden from the man.
The moment Bill felt the name tag in his pocket, he pulled away from Tyler before anything could escalate further. "Oh, wait," Bill began. Tyler opened his eyes and tilted his head.
"Did I do something wrong?" Tyler questioned. "This is, uh... Kinda my first make out... Ever." He admitted.
Bill shrugged and chuckled. "I forgot, I have a girlfriend." Bill half-lied. "This one minute stand was good, though!" He said with a smirk.
"What are you saying..?" Tyler asked with a frown.
"Thanks!" Bill exclaimed with a wide grin, gripping the supplies closet's handle and swinging the door open wide. With that, Bill bolted away from the room, hoping to never see the employee again.
Bill turned the corner to another hall and grabbed the contents from his vest pocket. He grabbed the name tag and smirked, clipping it onto his vest. "Sucker!" Bill called out with a maniacal laugh.
Tyler shook his head and scoffed in disbelief. He grabbed his shirt from off the ground and slid the sleeves back over his arms. He looked down at the buttons and rebuttoned them, checking the small mirror hanging on a shelf to make sure he didn't look suspicious in any way. He looked to the side of his chest and noticed his name tag was missing. His eyes widened and he moved his hands around his chest to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. He looked around and saw no sight of his missing nametag.
Tyler glared and clenched his fists. He ran to the door and flung it back open. "HEY!" He yelled, fuming in anger at how easily he had been robbed. He looked around, trying to locate the man. When Bill was no where to be seen, and was hidden out of sight, the employee tied his tie and headed off to security.
Meanwhile, Bill made his way to the front desk at the hospital, ready for his work shift to begin.
Soos and Melody woke up a bit later than usual that morning. The alarm clock read 9:02AM when Melody first woke up. Seeing that it was an hour later than the usual wake-up time for Soos on work days, Melody reached an arm out and gently woke the sleeping man.
Soos stirred as his eyes fluttered open. He was welcomed by the warm, smiling face of his girlfriend. He smiled back and sat up with a groan.
"Are you okay?" Melody asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm all good, dawg." Soos assured with a chuckle. "Hey, do you know what time it is?" He asked.
"It's 11:02, you're late for work." Melody lied, trying to hold back her smile.
Soos's eyes widened at the information. "Oh, man! Mr. Pines is gonna give me another lecture!" He exclaimed, putting his hands atop his head in fear.
Melody couldn't help it. She laughed and shook her head, placing a hand atop her boyfriend's shoulder. "I'm just teasing, Soos. It's only 9:02." She assured with a chuckle.
Soos let out a sigh of relief, placing a hand atop his chest. "Oh, man. You really know how to scare me!" He said with a chuckle. He tilted his head and sniffed the air, looking over at the bedroom door that was cracked open.
"No way!" Soos exclaimed with a wide grin.
"What is it?" Melody asked, putting her hand atop his in concern.
"Abuelita is making her famous scrambled eggs!" Soos said with a smile. "I know that smell anywhere!"
Soos quickly got out of bed and rushed over to Melody's side, carefully picking up the pregnant woman and setting her down on the floor. Melody thanked her boyfriend and walked to the door with Soos, stepping carefully when going down the stairs.
Abuelita looked over and smiled at the couple when they appeared in the kitchen. "Did you both sleep soundly?" She asked. "You slept in a bit later than usual." She said, stirring the eggs with her spatula.
"Sorry Abuelita," Soos said with a chuckle. "We stayed up late talking about the baby." He said, grabbing his hat that he had accidently left on the counter that night.
"Yes, yes," Abuelita began with a smile, "You will be good parents." She said. "Soos, would you be so kind as to get the plates? I can't reach as well as I used to."
"Of course!" Soos said with a nod of his head. Soos got three plates and handed two to the others in the room. The three all took a slice of toast and placed it atop their plates. Everyone dished up a portion of eggs, a bit still left in the pan.
Abuelita looked at Melody with a warm smile. "Go ahead and take the rest if you would like. You are eating for two, after all." She encouraged before placing her plate on the table. Melody smiled and took the older woman's advice, placing the rest of the eggs onto her plate and sitting down at the table with the others.
Melody took a bite of the scrambled eggs and smiled in approval. "Wow, these are really good." She praised before taking another bite.
"Yeah, thanks Abuelita!" Soos agreed with a smile. "Man, I can't wait for our baby to try these some day." He said to Melody with a chuckle.
Abuelita looked at Soos and put her hands on her lap. "Yes, about the baby..," She began rather hesitantly. "Have you decided on a name yet?" She questioned.
The room went silent for a moment. Melody and Soos looked at each other with their mouths hung open slightly. Abuelita noticed the silence and assumed she had gotten her answer.
Soos scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and Melody cleared her throat before speaking. "Violet if it's a girl." She informed, to which Soos nodded in agreement. The couple both gave guilty smiles, awkwardly chuckling in unison.
"But what if it is a boy?" Abuelita asked.
Melody and Soos both sighed, and Soos shrugged his shoulders. "We're, uh... still deciding." He said, looking down at his plate.
Abuelita nodded slowly. "I do not mean to rush the two of you, but perhaps it would be a good idea to think of some new names after breakfast." She suggested with a shrug. She finished the last of her eggs and cleared her plate, heading over to the living room to vacuum the floor.
Soos and Melody both watched the older woman leave the kitchen. Melody gave a small hiss of pain, however it wasn't loud enough for Soos to hear.
"You know, maybe Abuelita is right." Soos said with a shrug. He looked over at Melody, who was clutching her stomach and biting her lip, letting out a cry of pain.
"M-Melody?" Soos started, holding a hand out across the small table in concern. Melody groaned as her breathing got increasingly heavy.
"Soos..." She groaned, looking up at Soos with a mix of both horror and surprise.
Soos nodded frantically, his mouth hanging open. "W-what's wrong?" He asked in deep concern.
"...My water just broke."
Joe knocked on Mr. Powers' office door, with an unexpected guest by his side. The shouting of Mr. Powers beckoned the two to enter his office.
Mr. Powers looked over to see both Joe and Fred standing there. He looked over at Fred, his worker in the past whom he had fired. Fred looked somewhat afraid to be in the office. But what was there to be afraid of? Fred has his hands to his sides, awkwardly waiting for his ex-boss to speak.
"Fred," Mr. Powers began with a smirk, his arms folded and feet crossed on his desk as he leaned back in his chair. "Long time no see."
"I-Indeed, sir." Fred stuttered, staring at his boss and trying to read his facial expression. It was hard to tell, however the man did not wear a look of anger, which Fred saw as a good sign.
"Where have you been?" Mr. Powers asked, tilting his head.
"At home, sir." Fred answered , putting his hands behind his back.
Mr. Powers narrowed his eyes. "Doing what?" He asked.
"L-Looking for a new job, sir." Fred said, scratching the back of his neck.
Mr. Powers hummed in a low tone, nodding slowly and looking away. He clicked his tongue and looked over at the man he had previously fired.
"I'll tell you what," Powers hesitantly began, standing up and putting his hands behind his back, walking over to the other man. "I am willing to give you another chance." He continued, looking Fred in the eyes.
"What?" Joe exclaimed, putting his hands atop his head.
Mr. Powers put a hand up in front of Joe's face. "Stay out of it." He commanded, shooting the man a warning glare. He looked back at Fred. "And you," Mr. Powers continued.
Fred began nodding frantically, regardless of what the man was about to say to him. Powers smirked for a moment, and walked over to the large window.
"Fred, you're rehired. Take it or leave it." Mr. Powers said, turning his head to look back at the two. Fred had a wide grin plastered along his fce, meanwhile Joe had his mouth hung open with a horrified look on his face.
"T-Thank you, sir. I won't let you down." Fred said with a serious and firm now of his head before going back to smiling.
Joe scoffed under his breath and looked across the room at his boss. "Sir, you can't be considering this!" He said in complete disbelief.
Mr. Powers sent a cold glare in Joe's direction which shut the worker up in an instant. Joe's eyes got wide, and he looked down at the flooring.
"Now then, Joe," Mr. Powers began with a neutraldlook on his face. "I assume you have filled Fred in about the blackmail, correct?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." Joe lied, believing that if Fred was confused on the subject, he could get fired once more.
Fred, however, just raised an eyebrow. "...What blackmail, sir?" He asked in confusion.
Joe facepalmed and sent a glare towards the man beside him. "You idiot!" He scolded. "He must have forgotten." Joe lied once more, looking up at his boss.
Mr. Powers could tell that this was a complete lie, however he decided not to call Joe on it. As much as Powers refused to admit it, he would need all the help he could get in the next step of his plan.
"I'll fill you in," Powers assured Fred. "After that, we will all discuss the plan."
"We're almost there," Soos assured, giving a quick glance towards Melody as he drove as fast as the law would allow, whilst being careful not to run over any bumps in the road. Melody was clutching her stomach, groaning in pain. She tried her best to stay quiet and strong through it to not disturb her boyfriend, however it was often times difficult as she had never gone through this feeling before.
Melody just bit her lip and nodded, trying to stiffle the groans of pain.
The moment the couple reached the hospital, Soos parked in a parking spot closest to the front. Soos looked over at his girlfriend who had her eyes shut as she tried slowing her breathing.
Soos unbuckled his seat belt and looked over at Melody for a moment before getting out of the car. Soos shut the car door and rushed to Melody's side, grabbing her from out of the car and picking her up.
Melody gasped in surprise, and wrapped her arms around Soos' neck to keep herself from falling from his grasp. Soos kicked the door shut with his leg and ran across the parking lot.
Melody hissed in pain and groaned. "Ah, careful!" She told Soos, biting her lip.
"Sorry, sorry!" Soos apologized, slowing his pace down into a speed walk. Melody sighed in relief and rested her head atop Soos' shoulder.
Soos pushed the door open with his back, entering the hospital sideways so he could get inside with his girlfriend in his arms.
"Uhh," Soos blurted out, frantically looking around in every direction. He saw no one at the front desk and only a few people sitting in the lobby. To the side of him was a vacant wheelchair. He walked over to the transportation device and set Melody down in the chair.
Melody thanked Soos and sighed, holding a hand atop her forehead. Soos got down on one knee and took Melody's hand in his, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "It's gonna be okay." Soos assured with a nod of his head.
Melody looked at her boyfriend and gave him a warm smile before hising in pain once more.
From behind the front desk counter a familiar man overheard the couple he had been waiting for. Bill poked his head up and looked at the two. They're here already? He asked himself. Bill certainly wasn't complaining. With the security scanning the entire hospital for him, the sooner the child would be born, the better.
Bill took a quick look around at his surroundings, making sure the security was not around to bust him or take him away. Bill stood up and looked down at the items on the desk. He spotted a pair of sunglasses laying atop the desk, which he was quick to grab and place atop his face.
From what Bill had noticed, Soos was easy to fool. A minor disguise would serve its purpose enough to check the couple into a room.
Soos noticed a well dressed man at the counter and wheeled Melody over. Soos put one hand on Melody's wheelchair, and the other atop the desk.
"Hey, dude," Soos greeted in a rushed tone. "M-My girlfriend is giving birth, and we need to get her into a hospital room as soon as possible." He explained.
Bill just nodded. "Names?" He questioned.
"Oh, I'm Soos Ramirez, and this is Mel-" Soos began, but was cut off by Bill when the disguised demon put a hand out.
"Just your name'll work." Bill said, squinting his eyes at the computer in front of him and grabbing the mouse.
Alright, Cipher. You can do this. Bill encouraged to himself as he viewed the many tabs on the computer. He had never had training for what to do when checking a patient into a hospital. Heck, he had never even used a computer, save the time Soos had helped him write an email to Mabel. He hummed in a low tone as his eyes looked around the computer screen, trying to figure out how to work the thing correctly.
Suddenly, an employee was walking past glanced over at Bill and the couple. He narrowed his eyes and walked over to the desk.
"Excuse me," The man began. Bill gasped at the sound of another voice and looked up, his mouth hung open. The man didn't appear to be a security guard, however Bill couldn't risk to take his chances. The thought of making a run for it crossed his mind. He shook the thought away.
"Employees wearing sunglasses is strictly prohibited." The man said to Bill. A smile appeared on his face as he looked at the couple. "May I be of assistance to the two of you?" He asked.
"Can, uh... can we get a hospital room?" Soos asked.
The man nodded with a smile. "Absolutely. Room 13 is available, my patient just left." He informed. He turned to Bill who took off his glasses, looking down and pretending to read something on the desk so his eyes couldn't be easily seen by Soos. The man chuckled at Bill and gave a reassuring smile. "I'll take it from here." He said.
"Sounds good to me." Bill muttered, glancing over at the computer gizmo. He let out a sigh and looked over at the three who made their way to the mentioned hospital room.
A wave of guilt passed by Bill; he cursed his human form for making him feel guilt. Or any other emotions that may interrupt his plan. He looked to the right and saw a woman walking in the hospital with roses. He smirked and walked over to the lady, tipping his top hat.
"Good afternoon." Bill greeted the lady. He looked at the roses. "Hey, mind if I take a couple of these?" He asked.
"Well, actually-" The woman began, but didn't have the chance to finish her sentence when Bill plucked two roses out of the bouquet. "Hey!" The woman exclaimed with a glare.
"Thanks lady!" Bill thanked, and ran back to hide under the front desk. The woman watched the man jump over the counter, knocking the computer on its side. The woman rolled her eyes and huffed, deciding not to get into an argument with an employee.
Bill tucked his legs in so that they couldn't be seen under the desk. He looked at the two red roses in his hand and brought the flowers up to his nose to smell the scent. He smiled in approval and examined the roses further. They were dark red- no, more of a maroon color. The petals color reminded Bill of the maroon turtleneck Ford often wore. Sweet and yet sour. Calming and yet bold. Bill noticed that the color maroon had some similar features that related to Ford himself.
Bill set one rose on his lap, holding the other up in front of his eyes. This is stupid. Bill told himself. This doesn't work. It's just a myth. Don't get distracted. Don't do it. Bill continued to tell himself. It seemed that his heart was winning the argument against his brain. Bill grabbed a petal from the rose with his thumb and index finger. Hesitantly, he plucked the petal off the rose, letting the singular petal fall to the marble brick flooring.
He loves me.
There were a thousand reasons why Bill should put the second rose down. Why he shouldn't get wrapped up in this pointless game with the rose petals. There were a hundred more reasons on how it could affect his long-planned-out plan. This was one more reason why he hated his human form. With its pointless human actions. And its pointless human feelings.
Regardless of what Bill's brain was ranting about, his heart was convincing him to pluck another petal. He brought his hand up to another rose petal and gently plucked it off the stem, watching as it drifted down to the floor.
He loves me not.
Bill bit his lip and brought his hand up to the rose once more. There were a good amount of petals left. Surely Bill had some time until the child would be born. He slowly plucked another petal off the rose.
He loves me.
Regardless of what his brain was telling him, Bill kept plucking the petals. He was going to pluck all the petals. Even if this game was pointless, he would still pluck the petals. Though, he couldn't bring himself to the conclusion of why.
"Soos shoulda' been here an hour ago." Stan grumbled, leaning against the vending machine in the gift shop, his eyes drawn to the clock ticking on the wall. "I can't have two of my employees goin' missing."
"He's only missed work once." Wendy muttered, a bit of concern building up in her head for the handyman. Where was Soos? And why wasn't he at the shack?
Wendy and Stan shook the concern out of her heads as they heard the phone ringing from the living room.
"I'll go see what that's about." Stan said, turning around and walking into the living room. He walked over to the table and picked up the phone after the third ring, bringing the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"
"Mr. Pines!" Stan heard from the other line. He could tell it was Soos by the voice.
"What're ya' doin', Soos? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" Stan scolded, folding his arms. "You better not be bringin' another video game freak to life." He said.
"N-No, it's not that," Soos assured. "I had to bring Melody to the hospital. She's in labor." The handyman informed.
"Labor?" Stan repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Ya' didn't think to call me earlier?" He asked.
"Sorry, Mr. Pines," Soos apologized with a small chuckle. "The time came unexpected. My first instinct was to get her to the hospital. Then we got roped into a ton of paper work." He said.
"Well, you're off the hook as long as ya' let me see the little squirt sometime." Stan said, rolling his eyes and giving a small smile.
"Oh of course!" Soos said with a grin. "I'm sure your grandkid will be happy to see you!"
"Grandkid?" Stan repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What-What do ya' mean?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh, well, uh..." Soos rambled, his eyes wide. "I-I mean, you've always been like a father to me. I, uh... I guess it just kinda slipped out. Sorry dude." He said with an awkward chuckle.
Stan's mouth opened slightly at this. He never thought of the perspective Soos had of him like this. A father? That was something Stan never thought he would be called by anyone. Even the word itself surprised him. The line went silent for a moment, which began to worry Soos. He feared that he had somehow offended Stan, or upset him.
"...Mr. Pines?" Soos began hesitantly, a small frown on his face.
Stan shook his head frantically, blurting out a response before he worried the man. "Uh-uhm, yeah, yeah. I'm here." He said, leaning on the table with his hand. "You take care of that kid of yours, ya' hear?"
"Definitely, dawg." Soos said with a nod of his head.
"And Melody." Stan added.
"Absolutely." Soos responded.
"See ya'." Stan said, and hung up the phone. He didn't know any other way to end the conversation. Stan folded his arms and looked down at the carpet.
A father...
Huh.
After several hesitant plucks, Bill eventually got to the last petal of the rose he held close in one hand. He grabbed the last petal and removed it from the rose. He sighed at the result of his silly rose petal game his heart had practically forced him into.
He loves me.
No, that was impossible. The rose game couldn't truly predict anything that gave a legitimate fact. Bill scoffed and threw the bare rose in front of him, the discarded stem hitting the wall and resting againat the wall. He removed the other rose from his lap, placing it beside him under the desk.
Bill tucked his legs in against his chest, burying his head atop his knees and biting his lip. Ford doesn't love me. He loves Fiddleshit. Bill huffed and rolled his eyes. Why do I even care? He loves Fidds, and I have a girlfriend. It shouldn't matter. None of this matters. This is all so unfair. Worst of all, Fordsy betrayed me. He made me fall for his silly act, making me think he really cared. Making me think... That I cared.
Meanwhile, the couple in Room 13 were both patiently waiting. Hours had passed, and Melody's process of giving birth had gone rather slow. Soos, of course, was right beside her the entire time, there to hold her hand if she needed it. Neither one of them had ever gone through something like this before, so Soos made sure to stay by his girlfriend's side in case she needed him for anything.
It wasn't until 6:18 when the process increased pain severely. Melody groaned in pain and threw her head back against the hospital bed's pillow, putting an arm over her eyes as she tried to slow her breathing. She grabbed Soos's hand and squeezed it as she let out a cry of pain and discomfort.
"It's okay," Soos assured over her sudden exclamations. "I'm here for you."
Melody nodded and hissed suddenly, moaning at the sudden jolt of pain. The concern building up in Soos increased, and he reached for the phone by the desk, still keeping Melody's hand in his. The front desk ran a few times, until Bill picked up.
"What?" Bill answered, afraid it was someone random.
"Hey front desk dawg, can we get some assistance in room 13?" Soos asked, looking back at Melody who gave a groan of pain. He looked away and began to speak once more. "I-I think the baby is coming."
Bill's eyes widened at the information. He smirked and nodded, seeing the doctor who was assigned to room 13 walking past Bill and heading in the direction of said room.
"Yeah, I'll send someone in." Bill said.
"Thanks, dude." Soos thanked with a smile.
Bill sighed and put a hand on his forehead. Now he had to think over his second part of the plan again, before the child was born. He would take the child, call Karen to pick him up before he could be seen with the child, and they would depart to a huge, mysterious cave system Bill had discovered one day when Karen was at work. After they made it to the cave system, Bill would use his amulet to place a curse upon the child.
Bill's human feelings made him feel guilt for doing such a horrid thing to an infant, so he vowed to give the child back to the young couple. He didn't want to worry the two sick, and he had to make sure the process was done as soon as possible to ensure that Soos and Melody would not call the police. Or security, for that matter.
The doctor who Bill had seen walk in the direction of the hospital room Soos and Melody were located in entered said hospital room. Soos sighed in relief at the sight of the doctor and gave a small wave. "Thanks for coming back, dawg." He said.
"It's my job." The man said, walking over to Melody at the sight of her in severe pain. His eyes widened and he reached for his clip board. "Oh dear, it seems that she is going through the process earlier than expected. "He muttered to himself, quickly jotting something down on his clipboard with a pen.
"Earlier?" Soos repeated in confusion. "How did you know what time the baby would be born?" He questioned.
"Based on the paperwork the two of you had filled out, I was able to make an estimation. During the process I had also reached Dr. Lutwin, the doctor from the clinic you had told me about." He continued, pointing to a paper on the table beside Melody. "I wrote down some beneficial information while I could."
Soos nodded, and looked at Melody, who squinted her eyes shut. He looked back at the doctor. "Is she gonna be okay?" He asked in concern.
"Oh yes," The doctor assured. "I don't see how anything could go wrong, here." He said with a shrug. "I'm sure everything will be just fine. Just let me assist in any way I can." He said. "It seems that she will need it."
Melody hissed in sudden pain and held Soos's hand with a rougher grip. She alerted the doctor of the situation. The doctor understood, and knew that this was the time of birth. He gave instructions to Melody before calling in a nurse to assist. About a minute later, a young female nurse with short brown, curly hair stepped inside the hospital room to assist the woman in pain.
Soos was beside her the entire time. Cries of pain coming from his girlfriend were audible. Melody tried to stifle them, however she could hardly keep them in at the stabbing feeling of the child emerging from her stomach. Melody but her lip and groaned, tilting her head back so it lay against the pillow, her hands shaking.
"You're doing good, Ma'am." The nurse said. "It shouldn't be too much longer until-"
Melody let out a cry of pain, squinting her eyes shut as the pain worsened. Soos cringed at the sudden increase of volume, and felt bad for Melody. If he could switch places with her at this moment, he would if it meant freeing her of the pain she had never experienced before. Soos sighed and gave his girlfriend a quick kiss on the back of her hand that he held. "It'll be over soon." Soos assured.
Melody just nodded, groaning at the stabbing feeling between her legs. The pain felt like torture- however she knew it would all be worth it in the end. She was doing this for her family now. Not just herself and Soos, but their child. The thought of family encouraged her to do something intense. She took a deep inhale of air and gave a brave push, hoping to make quick progress to get the pain over with.
She half-regretted the descision when she exclaimed in pain once more. Though she felt the child making progress from her stomach, she felt a large amount of blood flow leave her- not just the average amount she had become used to since going into labor. No, this was very different.
In a tired manner, she motioned her hand over to the small desk beside Soos. Atop it was a light orange cloth about the size of a paper napkin. Soos was quick to understand that the woman wished to take the object, so he grabbed it in his hands, giving it to his girlfriend.
Melody thanked him and hissed in pain, taking another deep inhale and pushing once more. She brought the cloth up to her mouth as she groaned intensively, feeling more unexpected blood flow. She felt herself becoming weak. Her vision went blurry, but she wouldn't give up. She forced her eyes to stay open, regardless of the sudden dizziness rushing through her. Melody kept the cloth by her mouth.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" The nurse asked. "You seem dizzy, and-" She began, and took a quick look at the progress made of the delivery. The nurse gasped in horror at the sight of blood gushing out of Melody.
"W-What's wrong?" Soos asked in concern. "Is she okay?"
"She's going to need assistance with delivering the child," The nurse informed. "She is rapidly losing blood to the point where it is beginning to flow. We need to get her through this as soon as possible." She hurriedly explained.
The nurse alerted the doctor of the situation. The doctor jotted down a few notes on his clipboard, and folded his arms in concern.
"Do what you must." The doctor said. The nurse nodded and walked over to Melody's legs. She gave the pregnant woman the okay to push once more. Melody exclaimed in pain and tightened her hold on Soos' hand.
Fear and concern were both rushing through Soos' head. What was going on? What was going wrong? Why was this happening to Melody? Labor didn't normally happen this way, right? The doctor had assured him that Melody would be just fine, so why did this all seem so frantic and tragic? He bit his lip and sighed, hoping that everything would be okay.
Melody cringed as she gave one more push, her eyes wide as saucers as she let out one final intense cry of pain before feeling yet another wave of dizziness. Melody sighed in relief as her head hit the pillow now that the pain had finally ceased.
Melody's breathing was heavy, and her eyes began to flutter shut.
The nurse removed the child from its mothers cord and cleaned the child. She put the child in a diaper and wrapped them in a small, cofortable blanket. She walked over to the hospital bed with a smile as she handed the child to Melody.
"Congratulations, it's a-" The nurse began, but was cut off by Soos when he put a hand up.
"We were thinking, and we were hoping the gender could be a surprise." Soos said with an awkward chuckle.
The nurse nodded and gave the child to a tired Melody, who was still losing blood. Melody and Soos smiled at the child, and Melody held the baby close.
All of a sudden, a machine recording Melody's heartbeat began to decrease its noise-making. Soos noticed this and looked at the machine, the heartbeat recorder making a beep every four to five seconds. A dangerously low consistancy.
Melody and Soos locked lips for a moment before Melody smiled at the child. She looked into the diaper and gave a sigh, along with a smile.
"It's..," Melody began, her voice staying as an exhausted and quiet tone. After her massively unnatural amount of blood loss, along with the basic exhaustion after pregnancy, she found it hard to speak.
Melody looked up at Soos with a teary smile, having just enough energy to speak her last three words. "It's a boy." She informed. Melody let out a silent sigh of air as she closed her eyes for the final time.
Soos gasped and gave a warm smile at the news, until looking at the state of Melody and remembering that the machine was nearly dead silent. He looked at the machine with wide eyes, as it displayed her heart rate hardly being able to pound.
The doctor and nurse both rushed over to Melody. "We're losing her!" The doctor alerted. "We will need to transport blood immediately." He said. "Her blood type information is on the desk, and-" he continued, until a loud, repetitive sound coming from the heart rate machine became audible.
Soos looked at Melody with a tear forming. "M-Melody?" He asked aloud to no avail when he recieved no response in return. Tears blurred his vision at the sight of his girlfriend. The machine said her heart wasn't beating. But was she completely dead? Soos wasn't sure, but he had one final thing he wanted to test before jumping to the conclusion that Melody was, truly dead. Soos leaned over slightly and tried checking Melody a few different times for a pulse.
Nothing.
Soos' eyes widened at the sight of his girlfriend. He looked at the child, his son, wrapped in his mothers embrace. Soos became worried for the future. What was he supposed to say when one day, his son asked, "Why did Mommy die?" Or, "Where is mommy?" These were both questions that would be hard to talk about, or answer.
Aw man, I can't do this alone! Soos thought to himself. Soos took hold of the newborn baby and held him close in his arms. I can't take care of him all on my own! Raising a kid is a hard enough job, even with another person. Do I have the skill to take on parenting all by myself?
Soos sighed as a tear fell down his cheek. He took the idea of giving the newborn to an adoption center to consideration. He didn't want to get rid of the child, however he was afrid that he wouldn't be the parent his son deserved.
Have you lost your mind, dawg? Soos scolded himself. You grew up without a dad, do you really want to do the same thing to your son?
Soos let out another sigh. He refused to abandon the child. He refused to give him the feeling of not having a dad. Growing up without a mother would be tough enough for his child. Soos mentally vowed to take care of his son in the best way he knew how. Regardless of the struggles he would face, Soos would take care of and protect this child with his life. After all the struggle and pain Melody had gone through to give birth to the child, Soos could only repay the bravery by taking the challenge of parenting. It's what Melody would have wanted.
He looked over at the hospital employees who were desperately trying to keep Melody going, to bring her back to consciousness before it would be too late. Multiple doctors had come in to assist since the tragic situation began.
A female doctor walked up to Soos with a scowl. "Sir, this is a tragic procedure, and I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said with a glare, pointing towards the door.
"Negative," The nurse said, shaking her head. "This is the patient's boyfriend, the child's father, for crying out loud!" She said, glaring back at the other. "If he wishes to stay in this hospital room, I forbid you from stopping him." The nurse said, putting her hands on her hips.
With a huff, the woman walked away from Soos with her nose in the air. The nurse just rolled her eyes, looking at Soos. "I apologize for her behavior." She said. She looked at the child in Soos' hands and bit her lip. "The hospital wishes for us to take a photo of Melody in the state she was in when she passed. We're going to need the child back in her arms for a moment." She informed Soos.
Soos was hesitant, but nodded. He walked back over to Melody and placed the child back in her arms, just as it were before.
The nurse thanked Soos, and looked at him. "By the way...," She began, "Did you have a name in mind for your son?" She asked.
Soos looked down at the hospital floor, remembering that they couldn't decide with a name. Melody had always wanted the name Brock if the child were to be a boy, however Soos had always hoped the name to be Sam. They had a few arguments in the past on names. It was difficult when trying to come to a decision, especially with the fact that any other names they brought up didn't seem right for them. It always came down to 'Sam' and 'Brock'. Soos could name the child Sam now, if he wanted to.
"Sir?" The nurse repeated, tilting her head. "If you need some time to decide on a name, that's okay."
Soos looked over at his son and sighed. He looked up at the nurse with a serious facial expression, adjusting his hat. "Brock." Soos said with a nod of his head. "His name is Brock."
The nurse smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, what changed your mind from Sam?" She asked.
Soos just shrugged. "Brock's not such a bad name. If... If Melody doesn't survive this, at least Brock will. I guess the name would be, like, a memorial?" He said. "Also because I saw a dude in the hallway named Sam. I guess I never realized how many people around here have that name until now. But Brock, well, I've never met a Brock." Soos said with a shrug.
The nurse's heart melted at this. She found the reason behind the name descision to be quite a nice one.
One doctor walked over to Melody and Brock with a camera. He lifted the camera up and took a couple photos of evidence of the situation. The original doctor called all the employees over to a part of the room, leaving Soos beside Melody and his son. Soos looked at Melody through eyes filled with tears, a sad smile on his face.
All of a sudden, time stopped.
Everyone in the room froze. The employees, Soos, Brock, everyone. Except, of course, the man who walked in the room.
Bill had one hand atop the amulet as it ceased the continuation of time. In his other hand, he held the other rose he had from earlier. Bill looked across the room and smirked at the sight of a newborn laying in Melody's arms. He walked over to the child and picked him up.
"My, what a lovely baby." Bill said with a smirk, holding the baby in his arms. He looked down at Melody, who didn't just look frozen by the amulet and its new time magic it possesed- no, the woman looked dead. Bill frowned at the sight and placed the rose that was in his hands atop her chest. He placed her hands atop the rose, and looked back at the newborn in his hands. He just hoped Soos would forgive him for this. To make up for it, Bill walked over to Melody and squeezed the amulet. A faint blue light emerged from her mouth, and made its way towards the amulet. Bill watched as the remains of the woman's soul made its way into the amulet. At the very least Melody's soul would heal enough for her to live again.
I'll bring her back for ya' someday, Question Mark. Bill vowed to the man in his head. He walked back to the door of the room and left, forgetting to shut it on his way out. With that, time continued on. The employees looked around in a confused manner, and shrugged the strange feeling off.
Soos held his head and looked around in confusion. "Oh man, what happened?" He questioned, mostly to himself.
"I don't think that made my migraine feel any better." One doctor groaned, clutching their head.
Soos looked over at Melody and noticed a rose being held in both her hands, the rose and her hands clasped atop her chest. He raised an eyebrow as to where the rose had come from. He quickly noticed the disappearance of the baby.
"W-Where did Brock go?" Soos asked aloud. He looked over at the nurse who walked over to him. "Where's the baby?" He asked.
The nurse shrugged. "We put the child with Melody.." She muttered, drawing her eyes towards the woman and gasping at the sight of the child gone. He looked over at the doctors and asked, "Where is the baby?"
"Where's my son?" Soos asked with a tone of panic, along with a look of fear and alarm.
One doctor looked over at the door, pointing at its state. "H-Hey!" He shouted. "I closed the door when I walked in, and-and I was the last person to come in!" The doctor said, folding his arms in confusion.
Soos gasped. He ran towards the door. The nurse looked at him in confusion. "Mr. Ramirez, what are you doing?" She questioned.
"Uh, I-I don't really know, but I have to go look around." Soos said, his hands atop his head. "I-I have to find Brock. I have to find my son!" He said before bolting down the hospital hallway.
I'm sorry this chapter was so long! There was a lot I had to cram into this chapter in order for the next chapter to be in line correctly. I didn't really give the doctors names in this chapter, because I don't have a plan for them to make any other major appearances.
I've never seen the hospital situations that occur in this chapter for myself. After proof reading, I was afraid it wasn't as suspensful as I had originally planned.
After the events of this chapter, I'm sure you can understand why this chapter has the name it has. Poor Melody :c
New chapter will be up soon.
