Hey everyone! Just a quick warning: I was unable to edit this chapter as much as I typically do, so I apologize for any mistakes or awkward writing.

Now onto bad news. This is the last chapter that I have written. I have half of chapter 18 written, but I still have a lot left to go. Good news is that next chapter should be either the last or the second to last, excluding the epilogue, so that's good. HOWEVER, I've got more bad news. February is going to be busy for me. I have a science fair on the 4th, then my birthday is on the 10th, then my little cousins and my aunt and uncle are coming for a week... and I may have a job, if I can get one once I turn 18. So... not a lot of time to write.

I will finish this story. I promise. It just... may take a little while. I want to get the next chapter out before the end of the series, but I make no promises.

Well, I hope you like this chapter. I'm a bit iffy on it, but I'm always iffy on my writing, so... yeah. Just saying; some things might not make much sense, but I will hopefully explain them all eventually. This is just leading up to the next chapter, where the action happens.

Enjoy!

Dipper woke in the morning to a golden eye right in front of his own. Instead of feeling panicked, like he once would have, he just smiled lazily, blinking the sleep from his own eyes.

"Good morning, Bill." He said, sleep thick in his voice. He saw Bill pout a little, which caused his smile to widen.

"Aw, you didn't make any funny noises, Pine Tree." Bill groused, but he had a gleam in his eye that told Dipper he didn't really mind. So, in response, Dipper rolled his eyes, shifting so he could sit up.

"I'm used to you now. You can't scare me." Dipper claimed absently, stretching his arms over his head. He winced slightly when the chain swung down and hit him in the side of the head. When he focussed on Bill again, he noticed the man had an odd look in his eye, one that made Dipper frown slightly. It looked… startled? Before he could figure it out entirely, the look was gone, Bill smiling an easy-going grin.

"You sure about that, Pine Tree?" His captain asked, eye alight with a sort of dark mirth. Dipper smirked back, shrugging casually, pretending he didn't see the darkness.

"Mmhmm. Kind of hard to find a person scary when you watch them change every morning." Dipper drawled, before a soft smile found its way onto his lips. Bill got a considering look on his face, before nodding with mock solemnity.

"Hmm, I suppose you are correct, Pine Tree." A heavy sigh. "Oh well. Guess you see right through me, huh, Dipper?"

The words were light, the tone casual, but Dipper felt his heart stop at them. Bill's face was split into a careless grin, like he hadn't a care in the world, like he hadn't just used Dipper's name for the first time since he had learned it. Like he hadn't just revealed… something. What, Dipper didn't know. But… it was something.

Pushing down the emotions that rose inside of him before he said something stupid, Dipper leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Bill's lips. It was not the first that he had initiated, but it was by far the most heartfelt.

"Guess so." He breathed against the warm lips, heart fluttering and nerves tingling. He let out a shuddery gasp when he felt fingers trail his neck up to his hair, the long digits burrowing into his curly strands gloriously. A small chuckle was released against his lips, a beautiful sound when it wasn't full of derision.

"Hmm. Good thing I see right through you, too, isn't it?"

Oh. Oh. Those words. Dipper could feel shivers run down his spine, could feel his heart stop in his chest.

He should be afraid. He should be backing away, should be apprehensive. But all he felt was…

Resigned.

Like he knew it was the complete truth.

And he didn't even care.

Because it was the truth, wasn't it? Bill saw him. Bill saw him. Him, Dipper Pines. All this time, he had been worried about 'losing himself,' when here was the only person who understood him. Mabel never did, try as she might. And with the problems she had, Dipper could never even dream of speaking to her about his own private fears and anger. As for Stan… he loved his great uncle, felt grateful for what the man had done for both him and his sister, but he'd never understand. And as for Wendy, or Soos… they didn't know him. Not really.

They just knew the husk of who he had once been, before pirates stole his life.

But Bill. Bill. Bill knew him. Bill understood him. Bill was his friend. Bill was his lover. Bill was everything he ever wanted yet had thought he would never have.

Bill was the love of his life.

Bill was his savior.

Bill was his everything.

And he loved it. Loved him, loved Bill. Yes, it was love, he marveled as he looked into that mesmerizing, golden stare. Love that he felt every second he was with this man, every second he was apart from him. Less than month was all it had taken, three and a half weeks aboard this ship and he was head over heels in love.

When he saw Bill tilt his head, a look of confusion passing over his beautiful face, Dipper couldn't help but lean forward to kiss him again. He had no idea how else to express what he felt inside, the way his heart swelled and fluttered, the way his mind blanked. He pressed into Bill until there was no space between them, until there was nothing but him and Bill.

And in that moment, Dipper wondered what it would be like if Bill touched him. Not chastely, like he always did, but decidedly unchastely. In places he had only dreamed of, in places only he, himself, had touched. He wondered what it would feel like. Would it be good? He had a feeling it would be. Had a feeling Bill would feel amazing against him, his hands like fire trailing down his stomach and to…

Dipper felt his heart stutter at his thoughts, breath catching as Bill gently trailed kisses down his neck. Oh, he wanted it. Wanted Bill so, so badly. Loved him so much, needed him so much.

"I love you," Dipper breathed out into the air, unable to keep it in. He hadn't meant to say it, but it had just come out. He could feel Bill freeze against him, his lips warm against his rapid pulse. Moments passed, Dipper's heart and mind frozen, before the lips moved, softly, gently. He felt strong hands grip his hips, pulling him flush against the other man.

And when those lips met his again, the kiss he found was so intense he wanted to cry. Finally, after sixteen, almost seventeen years of life… after over a year of numb muddling through mundane living… after all the heartache, sorrow, pain, and woe… he had something good. Something-something nice. Something that made his heart simultaneously rejoice and cry. Because he didn't know if he deserved this. Didn't know if he deserved any of this. If he deserved Bill.

"See we have another thing in common, kid." That voice muttered against his lips long minutes later, soft but clear. And he cried then. Not loudly, not like he had lost something. Not even of joy, of such utter happiness. Just steady tears that fell down his face, unbidden.

And he didn't even know why.

He felt Bill pull back without a word, felt him gently wipe the tears away. Dipper let out a soft whine at that, lidded eyes watching Bill as he pulled away, pulled farther from him than he ever wanted the man to be. Dipper wanted to feel Bill against him always; he didn't want the man to be away from him, not now. Not ever.

But he had no say. After his captain had finished drying his eyes, a strangely calm expression on his face, he stood up and walked away. Dipper had tried to ask him to stay, had tried to beg him not to go, but his voice didn't work. Couldn't work, after the tears he hadn't meant to shed. His heart hurt, his head hurt. All he could do was watch Bill as he rummaged around the drawer beside his bed, his body relaxed and his motions unhurried. When the man found what he was looking for, Dipper watched as he returned, face neutral.

The man knelt before him then, head tilted once again. His eye was piercing and his face was expressionless. Dipper couldn't look away. It was only when he felt his wrists get tugged that he looked down, a small frown blooming as he saw the manacles get removed.

"What are you doing?" The boy asked, curiosity drowning out the upset and confusion he had been feeling. Bill grinned at him, the false smile he hated.

"We've got some business to attend to, Pine Tree. Something I've put off for the past week. But I don't think I can put it off any longer."

Well, that wasn't confusing. Dipper's frown deepened as he stared at the reddened flesh of his wrists. A second later, he shrugged, smiling up at Bill.

"Alright. What are we doing?" The boy questioned, feeling an eagerness fill him, all previous negativity forgotten. Part of him wondered if it was healthy that his mood was constantly switching from one feeling to another. He decided to ignore that part and smiled at Bill.

"You'll see when we get started." Bill claimed offhand, standing with a grin. Dipper took the hand that Bill offered, standing and following the man to the door. He paused, though, as Bill began to walk through it.

"Uh, Bill?" Dipper started, frowning again at his captain's back. Bill looked back at him, an eyebrow raised as he stopped as well.

"Yes, Pine Tree?"

"Um… aren't you forgetting something?" Dipper questioned, a little hesitant, looking down at his bare ankles. Even if they were just spending time in the man's office, shouldn't he be chained down? That was how it had always been before. The man wasn't even holding the ankle restraints, and Dipper knew that they were back in Bill's bedside table. The boy could feel his stomach flutter unpleasantly as he thought this. He wasn't quite sure why.

Bill, however, just grinned.

"Don't worry, Pine Tree. You're not gonna run, are you? Besides, what we're doing, those restraints'll just get in the way. Trust me, kid. It'll be fine." Bill reassured, tone relaxed and unworried. Dipper, still feeling the unpleasant fluttering in his gut, had no choice but to trust Bill. After all, as Bill said, it wasn't like he was going to run. Not anymore. So it made sense that Bill wouldn't chain him down while walking anymore. He should feel grateful that Bill trusted him this much.

With only the slightest of hesitance, Dipper continued after Bill, pressing close to his side once they had left the man's office and were exposed to the pirates who were getting the ship ready for the day. It had been over a week since he had last been outside, but he didn't have it in him to care much for the view around him. The gaze of the pirates around him made his skin crawl too much.

The two walked for a couple minutes, his captain's pace slow and assured, his own hesitant and almost afraid. Funny, after so long inside, he was starting to feel too exposed outside his captain's room. Like everyone could see through him and knew how demented he had become.

When the man he was following finally stopped, Dipper nearly ran into him, he was so close behind. When he saw the area that Bill had brought him, he frowned once more.

"Bill...?" Dipper questioned slowly, looking around at the various weapons he saw surrounding them. It had seemed that his captain had transformed the poop deck into an armory, weapons strewn all around the deck. Or a training ground, the boy realized as he noticed the large area in the centre of the weapons that was empty.

When the boy looked over to Bill, he was met with a large grin, the fake one he loathed.

"I had been thinking, Pine Tree. Tell me, how much do you know about sword play?" The man inquired, an eyebrow raised as he walked over to a sword that was resting in one of the racks. Dipper watched as the man picked it up and examined it before tossing it to him. The boy narrowly caught the handle, his frown deepening in confusion.

"I… I know the basics? My parents had me learn, when I was younger, b-but I was never the best?" Dipper confessed, voice hesitant and unsure. He was confused as to where Bill was going with this, looking at the slightly dull blade he now held in his hands.

He watched as Bill nodded, taking his own blade out of his scabbard, the edge wickedly sharp and deadly looking. Even though Dipper wasn't a fan of weaponry, he had to confess that the blade was beautiful. It reminded him a bit of that blade his great uncle had gifted him, the dagger that had been imbedded into the deck of The Mystery in the attempt to kill the man before him. Funny how life worked.

"I recall that your form was pretty bad, when you were fighting my men. If I had to guess, I'd say you're better at defense than offense, right?"

Dipper paused for a second, thinking, before nodding his affirmative. He supposed that was true. He had never cared much for fighting, taking lessons only because he was the eldest and only son and heir. But defense… he had always been pretty good at that. He was once told by a tutor that he was very graceful and diligent in his defensive maneuvers, and that even though his attacks were weak, as long as he defended himself like he was he could at least run from a fight mostly intact.

Bill nodded again, before taking his sword and slashing at where Dipper's head would have been, had the boy not instinctively ducked and raised his sword in response. With wide eyes, Dipper looked at his captain, fear and confusion making his heart beat fast, wondering what on earth was going on.

"Good reflexes, kid." Bill commented, before advancing again. Dipper kept backing up, raising his blade and parrying each of Bill's attacks. Occasionally Bill would comment on what Dipper was doing, criticizing his form or telling him what he should have done instead. Dipper still had no idea what was going on, yet was unable to voice his rising confusion as he focussed on doing his best to defend himself from Bill's ruthless onslaught of attacks.

Finally, long minutes later, his captain paused in his attack, head cocked to the side as he examined the boy across from him. Dipper, who had not had this much action in weeks, was panting heavily, back hunched as he tried to regain his breath. The boy's mind was reeling, wondering what was going on and why Bill was doing this. He could tell that Bill was holding back, that he didn't seem to be trying to harm him, yet that didn't make it make any more sense.

"Your form is sloppy, Pine Tree. You keep backing away from me, allowing me the chance to corner you if I so pleased. If this was a real fight, you'd have died in the first five minutes, maybe less. You're stronger than you look, but that will not help you if you do not utilize that hidden strength. I'm going to strike again; this time, do not back away. Stand your ground, even while I come at you. Do not fear, for I will not harm you." The man announced, voice as calm and assured as his movements had been. It reminded Dipper of his instructors as a child.

Before Dipper was able to ask what was going on, Bill attacked again, just as fiercely as before. Again, Dipper raised his blade to defend himself. This time, however, he did not back up or retreat. He parried each thrust, preventing each attack Bill made to cut his arms, legs, or torso. He did not, however, do an attack of his own, even though Bill left himself wide open during some of his attacks. Bill kept up a steady commentary during the pseudo battle, praising when Dipper did something right and criticizing when he messed up.

Eventually the man stopped again, barely breaking a sweat, while Dipper was panting and wiping sweat from his eyes, exhaustion filling his bones.

"Better. But still not good enough. This time, fight back. Counter my moves with moves of your own. Fight me like you would an adversary." Bill said, raising his blade once more. Dipper, however, found his breath and cried out before the blade descended.

"Wait!" The boy exclaimed, heart pounding and mind swirling. He raised his free left hand in a symbol of peace, silently asking for a reprieve. To his relief, his captain did as requested and paused his attack, head cocked and eye unimpressed. Dipper did not care, though. His back was throbbing, his mind ached, and his limbs were heavy and tired. Not to mention the fact he still was uncertain as to why they were having this impromptu sword lesson, or if it was indeed a sword lesson at all. Perhaps Bill was just testing his strength for some unknown reason.

"Yes, Pine Tree?" The man drawled, blade hanging lazily in his left hand while his right arm laid akimbo on his hip.

"W-why are you doing this? I don't… I don't understand." The boy panted, chest heaving as he stared at his captain. The blade he held felt clumsy in his hand, yet he kept his grip on it as best he could, not wanting to drop it and embarrass himself in front of the man.

Bill frowned at him, a pout on his lips that made Dipper's gut lurch despite his exhaustion. He watched as his captain moved some stray strands of hair from his eyes with his right hand, his single golden eye trained on the boy in front of him.

"Why am I doing this? Because, my dear sapling, you are grossly untrained. I, being the highly generous man that I am, have decided to train you! You should feel grateful, Pine Tree. I wouldn't do this for just anyone." Bill claimed, blinking his eye over exaggeratedly in a wink. He was grinning now, in the way that told Dipper he was lying.

Before the boy could call the man out on it, however, Bill raised his sword and attacked once again. Dipper, despite his exhaustion, raised his blade and parried the best he could.

"Now, less chat and more action! You won't get better if you just stand around doing nothing!" The man exclaimed, pressing forward like he had before.

Their mock battle continued for the next hour, Bill calling out tips and advice as he advanced towards the boy. Dipper, getting progressively more tired, did his best to follow the advice the man gave. While he was not perfect, he was at least better than he had been while younger, which he thought was something.

As they fought, however, Dipper had been unable to ignore the pirates who were glaring at them from their posts. It had made him feel highly uncomfortable, their gazes like daggers on his back. It made his skin crawl and his nerves flare. There had been one in particular, however, that made Dipper feel particularly nervous, though he was unsure of the reason.

The man was unassuming, in stature and build. He wore a purple overcoat, his pitch black hair scraggly and unkempt. He was short, shorter than even Dipper. However, something about the way he stared, the way he watched Bill as he barked out instructions made Dipper's blood run cold. He had a calculating stare and a frown that pulled at the scarce whiskers the man had on his lined face. It made him look ancient, even though Dipper assumed the man couldn't have been older than thirty.

Maybe, Dipper had mused during a lull in the 'training', it was the scar the man had. The scar ran from his left cheek up to his right eye, crossing his face at the bridge of his nose, causing a look of perpetual grumpiness to form. It looked ominous on the square face, which made the intense stare even more potent. The man had arrived halfway through their 'training session' and had lingered for the remaining half hour. He hadn't said anything, hadn't approached them, but Dipper knew that Bill knew of the man's presence, as his captain would stiffen whenever he looked up at where Dipper knew the man to be standing.

Now that they were done, Bill grinning his false grin as he rambled about something inane, the man began walking over towards them, his hands behind his back and his pace even and measured.

Dipper- still wary around pirates who were not Bill- found himself drifting behind the tall man, trying to shield himself from view. He noticed that as he did that, Bill drifted casually in front of him, shielding the boy further, like he had had a similar idea as Dipper. He found he didn't mind, especially when it protected him somewhat from that violet gaze that seemed to look straight into his core.

"Theodore! To what do we owe this marvelous delight?" Bill inquired, voice positively sunny and cheerful. A tone of voice Dipper had not heard before. He imagined it sounded even more terrifying than the man's dark hisses and quips.

The man in purple said nothing at first, simply continuing to stare at Dipper. The boy felt his captain shift to shield him further from view, which caused relief to rise in him, as the gaze unnerved him more than he cared to say. It was only then that the man shifted his gaze from Dipper to Bill, violet eyes filled with an emotion Dipper could not name. Like anger, yet more restrained. Exasperation, perhaps?

"I see you are takin' your pet out for a walk." The man stated moments later, once the silence had nearly consumed them all. Dipper felt a speck of indignation rise in him at the words, despite the fear and worry that was rushing through his veins. Pet?

Pushing the indignation down, knowing it would do him no good, the boy felt as Bill shrugged, seemingly nonchalant. He would have believed the act, had he not felt the tension coiling in the man's back. It made him wonder just who the man in purple was that Bill seemed so wary of him. The rest of the pirate ship seemed to have gone silent, the sounds of the milling pirates quieting as the two men spoke. It was like the entire ship was holding its breath, awaiting the words the two men were about to speak.

"I thought he could use some fresh air. You know how boys get, constantly needing sunlight and clean air. Remind me, how are your children doing, Taddy?" His captain inquired, voice sharp and piercing, yet still under the guise of being pleasant. Dipper could see as the smaller man froze, eyes flashing with concealed rage. Seemed Bill had struck a nerve.

"Dead. As your boy will be, if you keep goin' on like this." The man hissed through clenched teeth, his scar causing his face to distort into something almost grotesque. Something… demonic. Dipper felt himself shudder, both at the look and at the words. Part of him wanted to speak up, wanted to defend himself, but he knew better than that. He would just mess up and make things worse.

"You making threats?" Bill bit back, mouth stretched wide in a pinched grin that Dipper could practically hear. The boy felt as a warm hand gripped the side of his hip gently, his captain reaching back to ensure that he was safely behind him. Dipper pressed closer to him in response. He knew he looked like a pathetic maiden in his actions, but part of him didn't care. The man in purple made him feel off inside, like an intruder in a private conversation. Someone who didn't belong. It was off putting. As was the conversation he was being forced to listen to, yet there was nothing he could do about that.

"Simply makin' an observation, Cipher. Your men are not pleased. Walkin' on thin ice, Cipher. An' even your fancy speakin' won't save you if you keep at it this way." The man warned, eyes flashing with repressed anger and disgust. Bill stiffened in front of him, body shifting as he stood up straight.

"I thought we had gone over this, Theodore! Isn't it tiring, going over the same thing over and over again?" His captain questioned, still under the guise of pleasantness. But Dipper could hear the tears and frays in the tone, the pleasant tone filled with icy undertones. It made the boy shiver to hear.

"That was before you decided ta start trainin' the boy, Cipher. In plain sight. What did you expect ta happen?" Theodore rejoined, striding forward so he was directly in front of Bill, who stiffened farther than he had before. "'M on your side, Bill. Truly, I am. Yet you can't keep doin' this. Doin' whatever you want, carin' not for th' consequences. You forget that while you may be captain, you do not have unlimited power. We let you get away wit' a lot, as you are a brutal captain an' th' best this ship has ever seen. But do not think we will not put you back in your place. Even if it's at th' expense of your little pet there."

"Touch him and I will kill every single one of you." Bill growled immediately in response, all pretenses gone. Dipper felt his captain push him further behind him, his height completely blocking him from view. It made Dipper feel warm that his captain cared about him this much. It was better than the chill he felt from the words 'Theodore' was spewing.

"Do you really think you can?" The man asked, his voice almost amused. Dipper wished he could see, but Bill's shielding went two ways. "Not even you can fight off fifty men at once, Cipher. An' no ship would take you if you offed your own crew. Now, I'm tryin' ta help you, Cipher. Fall in ta place, an' we won't have any more issues. Simple as that."

Bill's chest was heaving, his hands shaking with a repressed rage. Dipper couldn't see, but he imagined that Bill's eye was molten heat at the moment, so intense he was surprised that Theodore didn't combust where he stood.

Filled with a morbid curiosity, Dipper peered out from behind Bill, glimpsing at the diminutive man who was speaking so casually to his captain. Theodore looked almost bored, but his eyes gave him away. He was afraid. Perhaps he knew that, if Bill so wished it, he would kill each and every one of them and never be held accountable for it. Dipper never thought he'd be vindictive enough to feel almost smug about the fact.

"I am your Captain. I have brought this ship and its inhabitants more wealth than any of you could ever dream of. You think you can control me? Well, mate, I can guarantee that you're not going to like the consequences if you have the gall to try." Bill hissed after a tense moment of pregnant silence. Theodore hesitated, before taking another step forward, so that he was practically toe to toe with Bill.

"You may be captain, but you do not have absolute power. Part of your agreement, Cipher. You listen ta your crew, you do not make decisions without our consent. That boy is cloudin' your judgement. Th' crew doesn't know where your loyalties lie anymore. They're wary, Cipher. Don't make them strike out. Because trust me, mate. You won't like the consequences if they do."

Silence overtook them after that, Bill still shaking with repressed rage while Theodore looked on with paper thin, pseudo nonchalance. Dipper, meanwhile, had no idea what to feel, the whole conversation making his head hurt to think about. He mostly felt numb, but that was a common emotion for him nowadays.

Finally, after many long minutes passed, Bill looked away from the man, transferring his glare onto nothing but empty space.

"Very well, Strange. But I am still going to train the boy. Bring it up with the crew, if you so wish. I will explain my reasoning later, not here. Those are my terms. Do you accept?"

A pause. Dipper could hear the smaller man let out a long breath of air, saw a look of weariness pass over his face.

"Have I any other choice?"

"Not really."

Theodore shook his head, backing away with a look of resignation.

"Then fine. I'll see what I can do. But I will tell you this, Cipher. There will come a day I will not be able ta restrain the crew, if you follow this path you're determined ta travel on. On that day, you will have to decide something. You'll have to figure out which matters more ta you; this boy you've known less than a month, or your crew that has stood by you for over four years? Think on this, Cipher. Think long and hard." The man warned, before turning and walking away, leaving Dipper and his captain behind him.

It was long minutes later that Bill finally moved, grabbing Dipper's wrist and leading him back to his quarters in rigid silence. Dipper felt cold inside again, his heart frozen in his chest. So much had happened, so much that made very little sense to his already addled mind. Not even the stares from the pirates they passed made him feel anything.

Once they were finally back inside the room, Dipper watched as Bill let his rage out, grabbing various items around the room and hurling them at the walls. This went on for a while, Bill's rage unparalleled and absolute. All the while, Dipper watched on, not afraid of what his captain was doing. He no longer feared that this man would harm him. Or maybe he just no longer cared.

When the man finally, finally began to calm, Dipper approached him, footsteps slow and cautious. His captain's back was to him, but the boy could see the strain in the hunched muscles. With only a slight hesitance, Dipper wrapped his arms around Bill's middle, resting his cheek against the man's back. He felt the man start, felt him try and pull away, but Dipper wouldn't let him. Eventually the man relaxed in his grip, leaning back into the boy's embrace.

"This is all your fault, Dipper. You caused this." Bill whispered after several moments, voice raw and shot. Dipper, not having any words, simply gripped the man tighter, pressing his face into the musty jacket that the man constantly used. Even if he had the words, he wasn't sure he would have been able to speak them. His throat felt much too large to allow speech to escape. It seemed he could do nothing right.

After a while he felt Bill pull away again. He let the man go that time, unable to find the strength to keep the man close to him. He was feeling wrong inside again, his heart stiff and aching. He didn't want to acknowledge why it hurt so much.

He watched as Bill wandered around his quarters and began to pick up the items that he had thrown, tossing away the ones that had broken. Once the man was finished, he headed for the door, his footsteps faltering and slow. Not like the usual swagger he usually walked with. It felt wrong to see.

Right before he exited the room, Bill paused and looked back at Dipper, his eye dull and empty. It made the boy shiver to see, far more terrifying than any amount of rage could ever be.

"Don't leave this room." Bill said flatly, before sweeping out the door with nary a backwards glance, the door shutting soundly behind him.

With shaking legs, Dipper stumbled towards the lounge, taking a seat slowly, looking at the wrists that were, for once, completely bare. He then looked out the window, seeing a glimpse of the blue sky from his seated vantage point. Funny, here he was, unchained, yet he had no desire to escape. He felt like he would cry due to how funny life was.

He wasn't Dipper Pines, he decided. Not now. Not here, not in this room. How could he be? Dipper Pines was braver than this. Dipper Pines would never allow a pirate to take control of him so utterly that he didn't even want to take the chance to escape when offered. He wondered who he was, now. Now that he wasn't Dipper Pines. Now that he was an imposter. Now that he had fallen in love with a pirate captain, a pirate captain who may or may not feel the same thing. Who may or may not be facing repercussions for said feelings. Who may or may not decide that he wasn't worth the worry or the hardship. Who was he? What a very good question.

He was tired. So, so tired. He had thought that things would be better now. That giving in had been the worst thing he would have to do, that he wouldn't feel so broken anymore. Stupid. Closing his eyes, Not Dipper laid down, curling into a ball and trying to keep from screaming at the injustice of it all.

After a while, he started to drift off to sleep. He was just so, so tired. Part of him wondered if it would be better if he just stayed asleep forever. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with the ice that had taken over his heart.

His last thought before drifting off to sleep was a plea.

Mabel… please forgive me.

P.S. I realized I didn't go over this before. If anyone was wondering, the pirates are wary of Dipper because they don't know what he and Bill are doing. They don't know if Dipper is attempting to get Bill to change sides, or to kill them all, or anything. Bill is acting a lot different to how he used to and the crew is highly concerned. At least, that was how I thought it while writing. Basically, pirates are a cautious bunch and don't like their captain doing things that they don't know about.

Also, Dipper is scared. The conversation scared him a lot. In the room, he was able to mostly forget about reality and the harshness that went with it. Now, he's forced to realize that there is more at play than just being a 'good prisoner.' Not to mention the fact that Bill is hiding things from him. As for Bill... well, we'll figure out why he's giving Dipper sword lessons next chapter.