Hey everyone! I'm back. Sorry it took so long. Fun fact, this chapter has actually been done for about 2-3 weeks now. I just didn't have the time to edit or post, since I'm graduating high school in about a month and needed to focus on all of that. Whoops.

Anyway, the final end is here! I hope you guys like this epilogue; it's not... the best. I mean, I tried to have everything I wanted to conclude in here, but doing so made it just a little clunky. Hopefully it doesn't ruin the chapter, though.

Oh, but one thing I was unable to fit in that people were confused by was Tad and the fact that he saw Dipper sail away. Let me clarify; Bill is not in any trouble. I added that part in to signify that Tad was letting Dipper go. See, Tad was not a bad guy, here. He actually likes Bill, since Bill is such a good captain. Tad's only issue with Dipper was that the crew was uncertain where Bill's loyalty lied anymore and Tad is the crew's representative. He had to represent their anger and confusion. But that doesn't mean he hated Dipper; rather, he felt indifferent to Dipper. He just didn't want Dipper's presence to distract Bill. Yet he knew, should Dipper die, that Bill would be furious. So it was actually in Tad's best interest for Dipper to sail away.

Anyway, that's about it. Since this is the last chapter, in the end notes I will speak about all the little ideas I had for the story, yet could not fit in. You know, if anyone was interested. Oh, and FYI, I was considering editing this story. So, if there is anything you think should be... tuned up, please mention it. Kindly, if you could. I'll do my best to fix it up. If it's something that can be easily fixed, I mean.

Enjoy! And thank you, sincerely, for reading this story.

EDIT: Someone asked, so I will tell you all now that there will be no sequel for this story. For one thing, I don't know how that would even work, and for another, I like where it left off. Sad, but with some hope of happiness.

EDIT 2: Someone else asked me a question, which reminded me of something I forgot to tell all of y'all. If anyone wants to create anything about this story, whether it be fanart, a squeal/prequel/companion piece, etc., feel free! In fact, I'd love to see it, so if you have a Tumblr, I follow the tags "Draco the Death Eating Cupcake" and "SpikeisAwesome456". Not so much "DracoMalfoy456" (My ff . net account name) but you can even tag that, if you want. If you're more of a FaceBook person, I'm there under ~Draco the Death Eating Cupcake~ as well. So yeah. ^-^

Dipper stared ahead at the wall in front of him, eyes glazed and sightless. The room around him was silent, only the quiet sounds of waves drifting in from the windows. Alone for the first time that day, Dipper let himself breathe, his body relaxing against the chaise he found himself sat in.

Four months. It had been four months since he had witnessed the death of Captain Jackson Hallow, four months since he had left the pirate ship The Nightmare. Four months since he had felt his heart get ripped in two and tossed into the waves like trash.

It still seemed like it had only been yesterday, the boy thought, leaning back in his seat. The way it felt, the way the fear and grief had flooded him. How… how his heart had shattered.

It was the afterwards that had been almost harder, however.

After making it to land, heart aching and broken, he had spent two days in that house that belonged to a group of friendly villagers. He had allowed himself to rest there, allowed himself to grieve and mourn. It had hurt, much more than he had ever thought it would. And the worst thing was, he had known why it had to happen that way, why he had to be torn from the one he loved. He never would have been able to become a pirate, would never have been able to stomach the thought of murdering anyone. Likewise, Bill never would have been able to stop being a pirate. Aside from the fact the man was wanted in several countries, it was his life. It was all he knew. Dipper could not have asked Bill to give it up, little more than Bill could have asked him to become a pirate. It might have hurt to realize, but it was the truth.

Once the two days had passed, Dipper had pushed all the thoughts of Bill away, knowing that before he could think more of Bill, he would have to find his family. He had to get on with his life, couldn't just waste away in this village house, mind stuck in past memories. That would not have been what Bill wanted for him. Therefore, Dipper had stuffed down his pain and hurt and asked for directions to the port town that his great uncle had stopped in, right before Dipper had been taken captive. He was unsure if they'd still be there or not, but it was the best place to start. The villagers informed him that he was about one hundred miles south of the port he was looking for, but that he could try and get a job at the nearest port town five miles down the road which would be able to take him at least halfway to his destination.

Thanking them, Dipper had said farewell to the villagers and went on his way, walking along the faded dirt road that led to the port town the villagers had informed him of. Upon arriving in the town, he went immediately to the pub, knowing that if he was going to search for a job that would be the best place to look.

To his luck, he found a job on board a trading ship that was stopping off thirty miles south of his destination, leaving that afternoon. He would be tasked with swabbing the deck, as well as helping with the rigging, but the boy had been certain he'd be able to do it. After all, his great uncle had taught him everything he'd need to know about sailing.

The week he had spent on the trading ship had been almost calming. It was what he had known, before. Sure, he had never actually gone up in the ropes or anything like that while on The Mystery, but he still found it soothing. His heart refused to stop aching, but the pain wasn't as intense while he worked.

When he left the trading ship, he was paid three pieces of gold, which he then used to buy himself a carriage north. He went as far as he could with his money, before walking the rest of the distance.

He had had to stop to rest once, during his trek to the port town he was searching for, his stomach growling for food. Stopping in a small pub in an equally small town, Dipper ate and rummaged through the bag Bill had given him, trying to see if he could find the last remaining piece of currency he had on him.

His had felt his heart stop dead in his chest when, instead of finding the coin, he had found a very familiar piece of paper, wrinkled and water stained, yet still distinct. With trembling hands, Dipper had unfolded the paper and stared at the poster that he had carried in his boot for weeks before it had mysteriously vanished. Suppose he finally knew where it had gone, he had thought numbly, unable to tear his eyes off the man that had invaded his heart and conquered it completely.

Everything he had been holding inside of him had exploded then, his heart aching so badly that he couldn't hold in the tears. He was very lucky that the pub owner was a nice old maid who had taken pity on the pathetic boy and allowed him to leave without paying for his lunch, saving him the mortification of sobbing in a pub. The woman had even tried asking what the matter was, trying to comfort him, but he couldn't bear to lie. So he had shaken his head and let her make her own conclusions. After that he hit the road, his heart breaking with each step he took, the poster hidden in the breast pocket of his borrowed shirt. Right over the heart he felt he no longer had.

Once on the road, Dipper had done his best to compose himself, stuffing the thoughts and feelings back inside the box he had designed for them. He couldn't deal with the pain, not while he was wandering, trying to find his way home. Later, he had promised himself. Later he would think everything through. Right then, he had to focus on getting home. That was all that mattered, at the moment. Everything else could wait.

It had taken him the better portion of the day, but he had finally arrived at his destination, an hour before the sun set. He didn't find much pleasure at his good luck, however, his heart aching too much to feel anything other than misery. He headed straight to the local pub, the same one he had went to with Wendy and her friends, all those weeks ago. It was funny, he had thought as he entered the pub, how time changed everything. It had only been a matter of weeks, yet he already was a completely different person. How silly he had been, pining after Wendy. How foolish he had been, thinking the infatuation to be love. Love was so much worse than that.

Going up to the bartender, Dipper had asked about the whereabouts of his great uncle's ship, if the man had any idea where the ship had gone. The boy had hardly been able to believe his ears when the bartender had informed him that the ship was, in fact, still in port, many members of the crew waltzing in and out every night. Heart pounding, the boy had thanked the bartender and left the pub in a daze, hands shaking against his will, hardly able to believe his luck. After all this time, he would finally be able to see his sister. After all this time, he'd finally be able to go home.

With shaking legs the boy walked to the dock and searched the ships for the one that was ingrained in his memory. He couldn't help the gasp that he released when he finally spotted it, the shabby ship looking like the finest yacht in his homesick eyes.

He had made his way over to the ship slowly, carefully, like he had been afraid that it would disappear if he went too fast. After what felt like a millennia, Dipper had made it to the gangplank, freezing at the threshold and simply staring up at the ship he had called home for over a year.

He had stood there for far too long, his mind frozen and his heart clenching. It had been too good to be true, and yet it was happening. He was there. He was home. Slowly, the boy climbed the gangplank, relishing the feel of worn wood beneath his feet.

The first person who spotted him, incidentally, had been Robbie, the older sailor nearly falling off the ship when he spotted the disheveled youth. Much to the boy's surprise, a look of utter relief had passed over the older sailor's face, a rare grin finding its way onto the usually passive face. Had someone told him two months prior that Robbie would have felt relief at his safe arrival back on The Mystery, Dipper never would have believed it, but he supposed stranger things had happened.

The sailor had then rushed over to the boy, exclaiming about something or other. Dipper had been dazed at the time, not really comprehending much of what he was being told, yet he nodded along as if he was paying attention. One thing he did retain from Robbie's babble was that apparently the whole crew had thought he was dead, the atmosphere of the ship likened to that of a funeral.

It had been around then that more sailors started pouring over, the men having been curious as to whom Robbie had been speaking to. It honestly had surprised Dipper, just how much the crew seemed to have missed him. The grins and pats on his back were almost disconcerting to the frazzled youth, yet he did his best to bear through it. He almost had been afraid to ask the whereabouts of his sister and great uncle, his mind flooding with memories of the last he had seen the two, one bleeding profusely and the other falling off a high ship into frigid water below.

When the men had finally finished with their enthusiastic greetings, Dipper had managed to scrape up enough courage to meekly ask where Mabel was, where his sister was. The crew went silent then, making the boy's heart clench with panic that almost choked him. Before he could break down, he heard Robbie say softly that she was in their room, having locked herself in there soon after Dipper had been taken. She was still living, Robbie assured, saying that Soos and Wendy went in to see her once a day, to give her food and company. Hearing that she had locked herself away had hurt him, but he couldn't help the relief that flooded him at the news that she was still alive. Even if she was broken, at least she was alive. Broken people could always be glued back together; dead people could not.

He had rushed to their cabin soon after that, not caring what the other men did after he left them. All that mattered was Mabel. His sister. He froze outside their door, however, his mind suddenly blank and useless. What would he say to her? What would he do? He couldn't tell her the truth; she'd never forgive him for loving a pirate. But he never wanted to lie to her, not to Mabel. Long minutes had passed, the boy hovering in front of the locked door, before he numbly raised his hand, letting it fall three times against the wood. He'd figure everything else out later. Right now, he just needed to see his sister.

It had taken him knocking five more times before Mabel had replied, only letting out a small, pathetic 'go away.'

Taking a deep breath, the boy had unclogged his throat and spoke as clearly as he could, unable to help the tremble that hearing his twin's voice had caused in him.

"Mabel, it's me," was all he could utter, but it seemed to be enough. Scarcely a second later, the sound of scrambling was heard on the other side of the door, the door flinging open a second after that.

Seeing Mabel again for the first time in weeks… it had left the boy breathless. Knees weak and shaking, Dipper took in every detail of his twin's face, the sallow skin and waxy hair making his heart ache. He knew he didn't look much better, but it hurt him to see his beloved sister hurting so badly. Especially knowing that he was the cause of her pain. Before he had been able to fully prepare himself, he had found himself with an armful of his tearful sister, Mabel sobbing uncontrollably as she placed her entire weight on him. Despite how weak he felt, he supported her, leaning back against the wall when he started tipping backwards. With a shuddered breath, Dipper had felt tears begin to fall from his eyes as well, his relief at seeing his sister alive mixing with the grief that he still held in his heart.

Together, the two had spent over an hour in the hallway, clinging to one another desperately, Mabel mumbling soft words into his shoulder as she sobbed. Dipper had only been able to make out a few words, though, about how she had thought he was dead and that she had wanted to find him but that no one would let her. Later on he would find out that Soos had actually stood outside her door for weeks, stopping her whenever she tried to sneak out, wanting to prevent her from hurting herself in her quest to find her brother.

As it was, he had felt his heart break at her muffled words, clenching her closer to him, muttering his own words to try and sooth her, words about how he was there, how he was alive and okay. When she finally calmed down, he gently lifted her up, the two of them having ended up on the ground at one point, carefully guiding her back into their room. He had to suppress the desperate gasp that rose in his chest at seeing the familiar space. Even if it was a lot messier than he remembered, it was home and he had had to take several deep, even breaths to prevent himself from breaking down once more.

That first night had been rough, Mabel climbing into his bed and clutching him tightly, likely trying to make sure he wasn't going to vanish into dust. He understood, as he had done the same, trying so hard to stop the shudders that wanted to escape. He had to be the strong one, here. He didn't have the luxury of being weak anymore. When he had eventually drifted off, hours later, he dreamt of darkness, filled with the shot of a gun and the desperate screams of his twin. Not the first nightmare he had had since leaving The Nightmare, and it definitely would not be the last.

Waking in the morning had been difficult, his heart clenching with fear and panic, like it often did after his nightmares. He looked up to see chocolate eyes peering down at him with concern, mixed with relief and silent joy. He had done his best to smile at his twin, but had the feeling he had failed epically. Regardless, the two disentangled long minutes later, neither wanting to part from the other for longer than necessary. They had changed quickly, Dipper unable to stop the rush of relief that filled him at the fact he was finally wearing something that fit him that was clean. A simple comfort he hadn't ever appreciated more than at this moment.

It was then that Dipper's thoughts turned to his great uncle, his heart falling as he remembered the old man. He had wondered, then, why no one had mentioned him, why he hadn't come to find Dipper at any point in the night. He had almost asked his sister, before restraining himself, realizing that if the worst had indeed happened, it would not have been wise to remind his sister of the elder man.

He had gotten his answer, however, the moment he set foot on deck, his body getting swept up into a hug so large he almost blacked out, his lungs crushed from the strong arms wrapped around him. More tears filled his eyes when he recognized the familiar scent of Old Man, his arms wrapping around the form of his great uncle with as much fervor as his great uncle had. Long minutes had passed before his great uncle pulled back, tears falling silently from his glassy brown eyes, the first time Dipper could ever recall seeing the elder cry.

"Thought ya were dead, kiddo. Don't… don't ever do that ta me again, ya hear?" Stan had bit out, though the words held no heat. Just the same desperation that had filled Dipper the moment he had seen his sister in the clutches of pirates. Dipper had then nodded, tears falling softly from his eyes.

Later he would learn that his great uncle had been injured far more than he would ever admit, Bill's gash cutting deep into Stan's gut. It had taken him weeks to recover, leaving him bed ridden and delirious for all that time. That was the reason, he would learn, why no one had tried to find him. The crew had written him off as dead, his sister had been too emotionally unstable to organize a rescue, and Soos and Wendy had been busy taking care of the remaining Pines'. Not to mention the fact that the ship had been damaged greatly in the fight against Bill, the fire Dipper had thought he had seen singeing a good portion of the ship. Learning that had laid to rest any residual bitterness the boy had felt at the thought that no one had been searching for him. It hadn't been their fault.

After that first day, where Stan and Mabel had refused to leave Dipper's side for even a second, his sister glued firmly to him, things slowly but surely began to return to normal. A week after his return, Stan had been deemed healthy enough to sail and, after making sure Dipper was okay with it, set sail for another business deal. Dipper had found it strangely soothing, the routine that he had grown used to over the year making his heart ache just a little less.

That being said, it still hurt him, when he was alone and given with the chance to think. Luckily, those moments were few and far between. The boy hardly was able to find a second for himself, in between Mabel, Stan, Soos and Wendy, even occasionally Robbie or one of the other sailors. The crew at large had seemed to come to a unanimous conclusion that Dipper should not be alone, something the boy hadn't complained about. Being alone hurt.

Even now, four months later, the boy still felt that keen ache inside of him. Biting his lip, Dipper leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. Four months, and it still felt like it had been yesterday. Four months and he had yet to find out who he was now, now that Dipper Pines had been destroyed.

One thing that had been particularly arduous, over that four months, had been trying to fit back into this life. Sometimes it had been easy, muscle memory allowing him to laugh with Soos, joke with Wendy. Other times, though, it had felt almost impossible. Like he was an outsider, like he was a ghost inhabiting this body. Like he didn't belong.

It was especially clear, in moments like this, sitting in his room alone. No distractions, nothing to occupy his mind other than the ache, the empty space Bill had left behind. His captain. His heart. Time had not changed how he had felt about Bill. Yet he didn't regret leaving. With Bill, he never would have been truly happy. He could see that, now, as he stared sightlessly at the ceiling. He always would have been afraid, perhaps even growing to be resentful. Here… here, he could learn to move on. Oh, it would always hurt. He'd never be the same again. He knew that. But he could learn to live with that. And he could learn to be happy again, one day. He hoped.

The one thing he did regret was that he couldn't save Bill. That he couldn't find a way to get Bill to give up his life of piracy. Maybe, had he had more time, had he been in a better place mentally, he could have. Could have shown Bill there was more to life than anger and murder. Bill had a lot of anger inside of him, Dipper had always known that. Perhaps… perhaps one day his captain would be able to find a way to deal with it. Perhaps one day Bill could be happy, too.

The thought made Dipper smile, a small, sad smile reserved solely for thoughts of Bill. Slowly, Dipper closed his eyes, picturing his captain in his mind's eye. He still had the poster, in the breast of his shirt. He carefully transferred it every day into his new shirt, never wanting to be far from it. It reminded him of everything they had been through. Everything the boy would never be able to forget.

Lost in his thoughts, the boy did not hear the door to his cabin creak open, nor did he hear the soft creaks across the wooden floor.

"Dipper?" A soft voice called, causing the boy's eyes to fly open, his heart pounding from surprise and mild fear. When his eyes fell upon the visage of his twin, he forced himself to take deep, even breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. Putting a smile on his face, only the slightest bit false, Dipper sat up straight.

"Hey, Mabel! Done with your chores?" The boy questioned, watching his sister's face intently. Mabel had been reluctant to leave him for their chores, that morning. She always was, nowadays.

"Yep. Just wanted to check up on you. Dinner is in ten minutes, you know," Mabel replied, trying her best to smile back, yet not quite making it. She was getting better, though. Dipper had the feeling that, given a few more months, she might be almost back to normal. One could only hope.

"Oh, that's great. I, uh, was starting to feel hungry."

Dipper was beginning to feel awkward, as he always did when he talked to people for longer than a minute or two. After a month of only speaking to Bill, it was difficult to fit back into a rhythm with other people. It was like in the time he had been away, he had completely forgotten all of his social skills. Before his heart could start to fill with panic, his mind worrying about his recent ineptitude, Mabel smiled at him, a true one.

"Oh, well, I was wondering if you'd like to go… to go watch the sunset with me? I know you like to do that! So, we should do that," Mabel nodded, trying to portray her usual confidence. It looked forced, to Dipper's eyes, but he didn't comment on it. If she was trying, he certainly wouldn't ruin it. Besides, he didn't have much right to comment on it. Not when everything he did now was forced.

"Uh, sure! I'd, uh, like that," he replied, and it wasn't even a lie. He loved the sunset. It was when the stars began to show up, peeking out of the sunlit sky. Plus, he'd get to spend time with Mabel. Even four months later he hated being apart from her for longer than necessary.

"Great! Let's go!" Mabel chimed, spinning and marching over to the doorway, waiting for him to join her. With a barely audible sigh, Dipper tore himself out of his chair and joined her, smiling lightly when she smiled at him. Together the two walked down the hall and up the ladder, blinking in the soft sunlight. Mabel walked over to the side of the ship, where Dipper loved to sit and ponder life.

As Dipper went to join her, he passed Soos, the larger man smiling widely at him. Dipper couldn't help but stop and smile back, feeling a flash of affection for the man. He still remembered how Soos had broken down into tears and hugged Dipper tightly when the two had been reunited. Soos had said he hadn't believed Dipper to be dead, that he had even gotten into contact with naval officers to try and get a rescue for him, which had made Dipper incredibly grateful. Even if it hadn't panned out, it made him feel like he hadn't been forgotten.

Wendy had been similar, the boy remembered, looking up at the helm, where he could see the silhouette of his former infatuation. She hadn't broken down into tears, but tears had fallen softly, the woman crouching and hugging him tightly. Funny, how a month before that he would nearly have passed out from excitement, yet he had felt nothing more than relief to be home. It was a testament of how he had changed, he thought. Wendy, too, had attempted to find him, yet had been unable to look herself, as she lacked a ship and had needed to look after Stan and Mabel. He hadn't blamed her for her decision to stay with his sister. It was what he would have wanted.

He was jolted out of his thoughts once more when Mabel called out to him, the girl looking at him with concerned eyes. Smiling sheepishly, he shuffled over to where she stood, leaning against the railing, seeing his sister do the same out of his peripheral. Silence reigned for a while, before Mabel cleared her throat.

"You do that a lot, lately," she stated, eyes staring directly ahead, avoiding Dipper's eyes. Dipper turned slightly to face her, frowning.

"Do what?"

"Stop. You stop and just… get lost in thought. Like you're somewhere else."

Dipper stared at her, seeing the way she hunched her shoulders, looking smaller than she really was. It made his heart ache.

"I'm sorry. I-I don't mean to," he replied honestly, knowing what she was talking about and hating it. For a while after he had returned he would stop and remember something that had happened while on Bill's ship, causing him to stop dead. It had happened less frequently lately, yet he still occasionally did it, as lost in his thoughts as he was. This was one of the lesser moments that he had had, but it was still an issue he was dealing with. And it seemed that Mabel was worrying about it, which was never something he wanted.

"I know. I just want to make sure you're okay, Dip. You don't speak about what happened and I'm… I'm worried."

Dipper nodded seriously, before looking out at the ocean, the sun casting an orange haze over the world. He wanted to tell her, about everything. He wanted to open up, let her know. Yet he knew he never could. She'd never understand. Oh, she'd try. Of course she would try, but she would never succeed. And he didn't want to put his sister in a position where she felt uncomfortable with him. And yet he also couldn't lie and tell her he was fine. That, he felt, would be even worse.

So he kept quiet, ignored her obvious request at information and continued to stare at the setting sun. He could feel her gaze on him for several minutes before she averted her eyes.

One day it would be better, he hoped. It wouldn't be this awkward, this hard to adapt. He'd be able to think of Bill and it wouldn't hurt him. He'd be able to move on.

One day.

~XoxoxoxoxoxoX~

Unbeknownst to him, leagues away, another was staring out at this very ocean, thinking similar thoughts. Clad in yellow and black, fearsome Captain William "Bill" Cipher stood at the edge of his deck, thinking of a boy who had the stars on his forehead and a claim on said captain's heart.

Similar to the boy on his mind, the captain had not had an easy time adapting. Oh, he fought, he grinned; he won back the respect and fear of his crew. It was fairly easy, all things considered, to talk off Dipper's departure. The boy had caught him off guard and ran in the night. The crew had been wary, at first, but had felt that letting it go would bring them more gold in the future. All things considered, it had been easy, fitting back into the role of fearsome pirate captain.

But at night... at night, when lying in his bed, or while at the helm, with nothing but ocean ahead of him, he could not stop the thoughts. The longing, the yearning. The heartache that plagued him felt like it would almost consume him at times, the disgust and self-loathing not far behind. But what he felt the disgust at, he was unsure. His feelings, or his lifestyle?

It mattered not, though, as he had made his choice. Thinking of leaving piracy… not only would he have to deal with the law, but he would have to deal with the devil that lived inside of him. It screamed for blood, so blood he fed it. If the blood ran dry… he truly did not know what would happen.

Somedays he did think of it, though. What life would be like, away from the sea. On an island, with Dipper, no outside world, no demons or pirates. Just him and the one he, possibly, loved. It seemed… nice. In a distant way. Like a dream; there to entice yet never to come true.

So a dream it would stay, the man thought, staring at the sea of orange flames. And he was not one to dwell on dreams. What happened had happened. And what they had would never be had again.

But life would go on.

They both would grow, change, become better- or worse- people. And maybe, one day, they would meet again. Maybe, once they had finished growing and becoming, they'd meet on a beach somewhere, sun setting in the horizon, choirs singing as their eyes meet.

Or maybe they wouldn't. Maybe their story had ended. Maybe they would meet other people, fall in love, start a family with someone else. Maybe what they had had was just a small pit stop. A bump in the road. Something to be remembered but never held.

So they would not let this end them, they thought together, staring at the same ocean, miles and miles apart. They would let themselves grow. They would become who they were going to become.

And they would remember.

Forever, they would remember.

So! Hope you liked the chapter.

As promised, here are some ideas I had, yet could not fit into the story.

1. Stan was once a pirate. His story mostly followed his story in the show, simply in olden day form. Stan messed up Ford's marine science business endeavor with the King, got kicked out of his house, and took to a life of piracy to make ends meet. He quit, however, when he realized he couldn't kill anyone and no ship would take him. Then Ford went missing, leaving behind his kind of shabby sailing vessel, which Stan took and turned into a merchant ship selling oddities to various port towns while trying to find his missing brother. This (Stan being a pirate) was hinted at with the dagger that Stan gave Dipper in the second chapter; Stan got it during a raid, which is why it was so ornate.

2. The 3rd Journal was originally going to be in this story. Dipper was going to find it in that bookstore in the second chapter, which is why I put so much time into writing that scene. The Journal was going to by one of three, the other two owned by Bill, who was going to try and find buried treasure with it (instead of building a portal the three journal combined to make a map). I scrapped that idea, however, when realizing how convoluted it was. Dipper just so happened to find the same journal that Bill needed to find buried treasure? And by that point I had already commented the idea of how Dipper was going to be captured in my head, so they would have met completely by chance. It just... wouldn't have worked and would have become less of a story about Bill and Dipper and more a story about treasure hunting. So I scrapped the idea and went with a simple Stockholm Syndrome story.

3. In correspondence with the last tidbit, Ford was originally going to be in this story. After putting the three journals together, they would sail to the area the treasure was located and would have found Ford... somehow. Hadn't quite worked out how Ford would fit into the story, but I had wanted him in there. But instead I'm just left to assume that Ford is living on an island somewhere, Robinson Crusoe style, waiting for Stan to rescue him.

4. The reason Dipper had a Pine Tree shirt instead of hat or bandanna was mostly because I didn't want to steal/borrow an idea I had read in a different fanfiction, thus creating a correlation between the two stories in the minds of anyone who had read the same story I had read. But Dipper still needed a pine tree design, so that Bill could call him Pine Tree. Thus, Pine Tree shirt.

5. Again in the second chapter, Dipper was originally going to run into Bill at the pub. I even have the beginning of that scene written, where right after leaving the pub, Wendy realizes that she lost her favorite bandanna. Dipper, the gentleman he is, offered to get it for her and then ran into Bill while looking for it. However, I ran into the issue of "why was Bill in a pub in a pirate hating port town when he's supposed to be a feared pirate captain and therefore likely has a bunch of wanted posters up?" So I got rid of that idea and instead had the wanted poster. But that was why the pub scene had so much build up; Bill was supposed to make his entrance there.

And... that's about it. Hope that this was interesting to at least a couple of you.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful life! ^-^