"Mabel, do you really think that there's something more to this?" Pacifica asked softly as she followed her friend down one of the many halls in the Northwest Mansion, both unable to sleep
The brunette was quiet for a moment, collecting her thoughts, chewing her lip as they walked. They made it to the end of the hallway and had turned into a new one before she finally replied, and when she did it wasn't the rant Pacifica had expected
"You saw the look on his face, Paz" she whispered
Pacifica was quiet for a moment. It's true, she had seen the look. She had also seen the look that her friend hadn't seen; the heart-wrenching look of complete agony that had painted his face as soon as he realized what he had done. She nodded her head in agreement with the brunette, heaving a sigh and shrugging
"Bill said he's taking care of it" she finally told her friend "And he won't tell us anything. We just have to have faith that even if possession isn't the full story, Dipper is okay. We have to believe that if it was something life threatening, Bill would tell us."
Mabel nodded her head and looked away
"Unless Dipper won't let him." she murmured
"Mabel, honey, since when does Bill do what anyone wants?" she teased softly, relief warming her chest when Mabel giggled
"True." she agreed "Thank you, Paz" she offered a smile to the other "I don't know what I'd do without you"
Pacifica's cheeks flushed and she smiled warmly
"I always have your back, Mabel. That's what best friends are for." she reached out and gently touched Mabel's shoulder, face falling when the brunette moved away slightly
"Yeah" she murmured "Best friend"
Her pace quickened while Pacifica's faltered, and she stared after the retreating brunette. She bit down on her lip and took off after the brunette
"Hey, Mabel-" she grabbed her hand, breaking off when the brunette stopped and turned to face her. She faltered at the brunette's gaze, and her brows furrowed "Mabel I'm sorry" she tried "I... It's not that easy for me. If my parents-" she broke off when Mabel took her hand back and forced a smile
"It's okay, Paz. I get it" she turned on her heel and began walking away "Let's just go back to bed, okay?"
"Mabel-" She tried, only for the brunette to turn and flash her a grin
"I brought more stickers to show you, come on!" she chirped, taking off down the hallway
Pacifica swallowed back tears as she followed after, forcing a grin onto her face
"Hey, wait up!"
"It's a race, silly! I can't wait up!" Mabel called back
"Cheater!" Pacifica cried, laughter bubbling up "You had a head-start!"
"Snooze you lose!" Mabel called back, blowing a raspberry over her shoulder
Pacifica smiled wider and pushed her guilt to the back of her mind as she chased her best friend down the hall, pushing herself harder in an effort to catch up to the hyperactive brunette.
BILLDIP
"So, what do we do?" Bill asked as he scrubbed shampoo into Dipper's hair. The teenager hummed softly in response, eyes shut, body completely relaxed in front of the demon. Bill snickered "Pine Tree!" he called, and Dipper's eyes shot open "What's the plan?"
The brunette was quiet for a moment
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I just don't think we'll be able to keep this from Shooting Star for much longer." he shrugged
"You're probably right" he sighed "She's going to notice my nose" he glared down at the offending facial feature "Or something else."
"The growling, maybe" he shrugged "So what's the plan, then? Should we tell Shooting Star?"
Dipper tensed and instantly shook his head. No, he couldn't tell his sister, she would just worry more than he knew she already was. Not to mention she would probably blame Bill for whatever was happening, and be furious that they didn't tell her sooner. Could they tell his Grunkle Stan? He shook away the thought almost instantly. If anybody would kill the demon in response to hearing this, it would be Stan.
"No" he replied eventually "I don't think we should. She'd just worry, and she has enough to deal with already, with everything going on between her and Pacifica. And we told her I'm acting this way because I was possessed. Possession is close enough to the truth, for now" he sighed
"So Stanford, then?"
Dipper tensed
"You think we should tell Stan?"
Bill shrugged once more as the teenager turned to face him
"It might be a good idea. I think you should have somebody else around that knows what's going on. Then that's one more person to recognize the signs when something isn't right, which means one more person to intervene. Which would mean less incidents" he raised a brow "Besides, maybe he'll have some helpful advice."
Dipper bit down on his lip, seeing the logic in Bill's words. He groaned and his head fell forward, landing on the demons shoulder, earning a disgruntled noise from the demon
"Pine Tree, your hair is all soapy" he protested
"Then get out of the way and let me rinse it out" he chuckled, stepping back.
The demon sighed and did as he was told, watching as Dipper took his place under the water.
He leaned against the back wall of the shower as he watched Dipper rinse himself, eyes raking appreciatively over the teens body. He bit down on his lip, and he must have growled because he saw Dipper shudder, and he hummed apprecitatively. Dipper turned suddenly, a growl rumbling in his chest, but it was different from the growls he gave to people he was going to attack.
Mind clicking to what emotion was behind the growl right as another escaped the teen, rumbling low in his chest, Bill felt his heart beat faster, breath hitching.
"Dipper" he breathed, eyes widening when his ears twitched like they were angling toward the source of the noise, and before Bill could say a word their bodies were suddenly together
"Kiss me." Dipper commanded
Bill groaned, aroused beyond belief just from the teens behaviour, and the husky, commanding tone had him throwing restraint to the wind as he swooped down and captured the teens lips with his own. His hands fell to Dipper's hips, grip almost bruising, and pulled him closer, shuddering when he heard a growl rumbling in the teens chest.
"Hey!" they leapt apart when the call was accentuated with a fist banging on the door "Dipper! You've been in there long enough! There's some kid at the door for you. Says it's important."
Dipper glanced to Bill, eyes wide and confused, and the demon shrugged helplessly. With a sigh the teenager turned the water off and they left the shower, both quickly towelling off and getting dressed. When they went downstairs Dipper lead the way out onto the porch where they saw a man with long black hair that reached his waist, tied in a loose pony-tail.
"Hello?"
He turned, glowing orange eyes sparkling at the sight of the teenager.
"Dipper Pines, right?" he asked, holding a hand out. The brunette nodded slowly and took the hand, shaking it and earning a chuckle. "I'm Isaac." he turned to Bill "I've heard of you, but I don't know your name" he admitted, holding his hand out
"Bill Cipher" Bill replied, taking the hand and shaking it, orange and gold darting to Dipper when a growl rumbled in the teens chest
Bill instantly dropped the hand, and Isaac smirked. Dipper flushed
"I-I'm sorry!" he apologized "I don't know what that-" he broke off when the man started laughing. His nose scrunched up, and Bill regarded him like he was insane
"I'm sorry" Isaac apologized after a moment, clearing his throat as he composed himself "I think you'll find I'm quite alright with it" he patted Dipper's shoulder, and the teenagers nose twitched, smalling something familiar about the man. "That's what I'm here to talk to you about."
"How so?" Bill asked curiously
"I'm like him." he admitted "But.." his gaze landed on the door right before Stan opened it, gaze landing on the group. He grunted and turned and left instantly, closing the door behind him, and Isaac pressed on "Perhaps we should talk elsewhere"
Dipper nodded and stepped off the porch and instantly started toward the woods, only for Isaac's hand to land on his shoulder to stop him. He turned and raised a brow, and the man shook his suddenly darker eyes
"That's not a good idea." he muttered, glancing toward the road "Come on, they won't attack us on the road."
"Who?" Dipper asked, faling into step beside the man, green eyes alight with curiosity, and Bill fell into step next to him
"The Clan" he replied, voice tense "They aren't happy with me." At Dipper's expression of confusion, he pressed on. "The original plan was to let you suffer. They wanted you to keep attacking your friends and family, and finally this demon," he gestured to Bill "So that you would break and come to us hoping we would fix you."
Dipper wrinkled his nose in disgust and shook his head
"I would never attack Bill!" he defended, flinching at the knowing gaze Isaac gave him. "I already have..." he muttered. The man nodded
"They assumed it was only a matter of time." he shrugged "They've been watching. Someone is always there, watching your every move. And they're furious that I'm telling you this. Can you hear them?" Dipper shook his head "You'll learn. I'll help you."
"Why are you helping me?" Dipper asked, brows furrowing "I don't understand. Shouldn't you be on their side?"
Pain filled Isaac's gaze and he looked away
"I was in the same position as you, once. My lover wasn't a demon, though. She couldn't heal herself like that." his voice took on a hard edge as he pressed on "They killed her. They killed her, and my child, and I'm not going to let that happen to someone else."
Dipper flinched, turning his wide eyed gaze on Bill, panic shining in them, and Bill took his hand and squeezed it gently in an attempt at reassuring the teenager.
"Why would you partner up with them, then?" he asked
Isaac sighed heavily
"Kid there's a lot you don't know about us. About our way. How we change, why we change, when we change." he shrugged
"Tell me."
"You're not going to like what I have to say, kid." he frowned, and Dipper raised a brow challengingly, earning a shrug "Alright. The full process takes about a year, maybe a little more depending on the person." he held up a hand to silence the duo before they coud interrupt with questions "At first, you'll only change during the full moon. Then once every two weeks. Then, once a week, and it'll progress to every night." Dipper's eyes widened in horror, and Bill's hand squeezed his tighter "Eventually, you can never turn back."
"What!?" Dipper cried out
"You become a wolf, and you stay a wolf" their gazes locked "Forever."