2 updates in a span of 24 hours? What is this dark magic!?

Mabel let out a happy hum as she skipped down the stairs, unbrushed hair swishing behind her as she swung to a stop in front of Stan's door. She knocked several times in rapid succession, and when she heard a frustrated grunt she spoke

"Grunkle Stan, I'm making french toast for breakfast!" she chirped

The grumbling stopped, and silence rung through the room, before there was some shuffling and he sighed

"I'll be down in fifteen minutes."

Pleased with his answer Mabel finished her trip down the stairs to the kitchen, swinging around the corner with so much enthusiasm that she almost slipped and fell

"Good morning Bill-!" she began, stopping when she opened her eyes and realized the kitchen was completely empty. "Bill?"

She stepped into the room and her gaze flicked to the coffee maker, which hadn't been turned on yet. Her eyes widened in surprise and she quickly turned it on herself, a task that she hadn't preformed since Bill had come to stay with them; Bill or Dipper usually turned it on in the mornings. Speaking of Bill, he was always waiting in the kitchen when she finally came downstairs.

"Bill?" she called again, puffing up her cheeks when she received no answer "Maybe they're outside..."

She made her way through the house and out the door, skipping onto the porch, expecting to see her boys sitting on the couch talking animatedly with each other. She frowned when it was empty, and her gaze turned on the lawn, a concerned cry escaping her when she spotted her brother laying in the fetal position several dozen feet away.

"Dipper!" she cried out, taking off toward him and ignoring the disgusting feeling of the damp grass wetting her rainbow socks. She stopped beside him and dropped to her knees, using her hands to gently roll him over "Dip are you okay? What are you doing out here?"

The teenager forced his eyes open, and she flinched at the evidence that he had been crying for hours. His gaze landed upon his sister and he forced a weak smile

"Hey Mabes" he murmured, voice weak and raspy

"Dip, what happened?" she asked worriedly, grabbing his shoulders to pull him off the ground and into a seated position

"I ruined everything." he muttered, face falling to land on her shoulder

"Dip I don't understand! Where's Bill?" she felt him tense in her arms, and she froze, eyes widening. There was no way. No way he would have said that. "Dip, you didn't..."

She pushed him back and he hung his head. Her hands fell from her brothers shoulders and she stared at him in shock

"I'm sorry." he muttered

"How- How could you!?" she cried, leaping to her feet and pointing an accusatory finger at him, hands shaking "After all he's done for us- all he's done for you!? And you just- you just send him away!" she looked around for something to throw at him and eventually pulled off one of her rainbow socks "He loved you!" she screamed, throwing the sock at his head. He flinched when the damp fabric hit him

Without waiting for him to respond she turned and bolted back into the house, running straight up the stairs to her bedroom, almost knocking Stanford off the stairs in the process.

"Mabel!" he cried in alarm "Sweetie whats wrong?" The only answer he received was her bedroom door slamming shut. He sighed "I guess I'm not getting french toast for breakfast" he muttered

It didn't take him long to find Dipper outside, seated in the same position Mabel had left him, wet rainbow sock still on his head

"What's wrong with Mabel?" he asked as he approached "And whats wrong with you?"

"I.. Sent Bill away." he muttered, bringing his knees up to his chest and bringing his arms up to wrap around them

Stanford's eyes widened in surprise and he heaved a sigh

"Well.. That was stupid, kid." Dipper held himself tighter and nodded his head slowly "He's not my favorite person on the planet but.. He changed, kid. He wasn't the same demon he used to be." he frowned, looking upwards toward the sky. After a moment he pressed on "He was good to us." he fell silent. Seeing he wasn't going to get an answer he turned to go back in the house. He paused, though, back still to the teenager, and heaved a sigh "You shouldn't have sent him away. He loved you, kid."

The only response he got as he walked away was Dipper's broken whisper of

"I know.."

BILLDIP

When Dipper finally came inside Mabel was still in her bedroom, and Grunkle Stan was in his recliner watching TV. A quick glance confirmed he was -once again- watching 'Grandpa the Kid', a can of Pitt Cola held in his hand. He barely spared Dipper a glance, and the teen was struck once more with what a mistake he had made. He had sent away his best friend, someone his sister loved, and someone even his Grunkle Stan had grown to care about. He looked away, accidentally meeting Wendy's gaze. He flinched, expecting rage, but she only waved him over. After a moment of hesitation he wandered over to her, and she guided him out into the Gift Shop so she could talk to him while she resumed her shift.

"Stan told me what happened." she stated as soon as she was seated on her stool behind the counter

Dipper sighed heavily and looked down, leaning heavily against the counter across from her

"I assume you're going to yell at me?"

"Well, not yell." she sighed "Dip, look at me." He slowly raised his head to meet her gaze, and she offered him a small, forgiving smile "It's okay."

"No-" he tried to protest, but was cut off when her hand gently covered his mouth

"It's okay." she told him again "You made a mistake. You both just need to cool off a little bit, and I'm sure he'll come back."

"You didn't see his face, Wendy." he shook his head "He's never coming back, and it's all my fault."

"Hey, he will." she promised once more, hand moving to his shoulder to gently squeeze it "I know him, and I know you. Neither of you meant what you said. Once he calms down, he'll know that. You'll know the same, once you calm yourself down." her hand slipped from his shoulder "But I think you should go talk to Mabel. If you don't, things might still be bad between you even after Bill comes home."

Dipper nodded and shuffled away, pausing in the doorway from the Gift Shop to the house. He cracked a small smile and sighed softly

"Thanks, Wendy."

The redhead winked in response before turning her attention upon a customer, and Dipper entered the house. He ignored his Grunkle -and his Grunkle ignored him-, and he made his way straight up the stairs to Mabel's door. He hesitated, but grabbed the knob and twisted, surprise registering in his mind when it actually opened.

"Go away, Dipper." she mumbled as soon as he walked through the door

He closed the door, ignoring the sting of her words, and made his way over to her bed. She was curled up in sweater town, and he felt a stab of pain in his chest, guilty that he'd sent his sister to the place she only went at times of crisis.

"Mabes," he whispered "Mabes talk to me. Please."

"How could you, Dipper!?" she cried again, voice cracking, and he could hear the tears in her voice "He loved you-"

"I know!" he yelled, sick of having people throw that in his face. He crumpled, tears welling up once more, and he brought his knees up to his chest, continuing in a softer tone "I know.."

Mabel was quiet, and a few minutes passed in a tense silence. She was the one to break it, popping her head out of her sweater to look at her disheveled brother. Her heart ached for him, and she spoke softly

"I just... Don't understand, Dipper. I thought you loved him too. I- I was so sure that you did!" she shook her head, throwing her hands up in the air to express her frustration. When her hands came back down she hung her head "I guess I was wrong."

"...No." he whispered, and she turned her head so her gaze could fall on him "You're not wrong, Mabel..." he held himself tighter, and she leaned slightly closer, reaching a hand out to cover one of his "I'm just... Scared."

"Scared of Bill?"

Dipper instantly shook his head

"No." he took a deep, shaky breath "No, I'm not scared of him. I'm scared of how I feel for him. I don't want to ruin what we already have, Mabel." his head turned and their gazes locked "I- I don't do the date thing. I needed a list to talk to Wendy, for gosh sake!" he snorted "I needed a point by point list to have a conversation with her!"

"... You don't need lists to talk to Bill..." she whispered

He looked down

"I've never been good at this stuff, Mabes. Its always been your thing. I solve mysteries and fight monsters..."

"Yet you cower at the thought of a relationship with Bill." she frowned, tone soft and soothing "Dip, you can't live your life in fear. You never know what's going to happen, ya know?"

He looked down

"Yeah, Mabes." he heaved a sigh "I just wish it was that easy."

"What do you think is going to happen?" she asked curiously "What horrible outcome do you see if you do what you both want and date him?"

"Him leaving." he admitted weakly, pulling his knees closer to his chest "I'm not an emotional guy; I don't usually cry, I don't usually feel... agonizing heartbreak, and I don't usually fall in love." she nodded, knowing he wasn't counting Wendy, as she was just a childhood crush. "I don't normally do that stuff... But I've done it all because of Bill." he heaved a sigh "If he left me because I messed up, I wouldn't be able to function anymore. I can't let that happen. So I can't be with him."

He sighed heavily at the look he received, wishing desperately that he could scream to her that he was a monster, and it wasn't safe for Bill around him. But he knew he couldn't. He was saved from a scolding when the door opened and Soos stepped in

"Hey dudes. I'm going up to Greasy's for lunch. I thought you might like to come."

Dipper saw a chance and he took it, forcing enthusiasm as he launched himself off the bed and toward the door, calling for Mabel to hurry up. If Soos noticed his enthusiasm was forced, he didn't comment, and instead cheered that they were in on his lunch plans. Mabel sighed heavily and got to her feet, following them silently down the stairs. As soon as her foot touched the main floor she forced a smile up

"Let's go, let's go!" she cheered "Greasy's! Greasy's! Greasy's!" she chanted at the top of her lungs, bolting out the door and toward Soos' truck, the man following and enthusiastically joining her chant

If Dipper could pretend, then so could she. And she was going to pretend until her cheeks hurt.