August 12, 2012

The government officials drove the Pines, minus their grandpa, back to the Shack. No one said a word during the ride. Everyone was clearly exhausted. Mabel was fast asleep when Stan picked her up out of the van and carried her to her bed. Billeah wouldn't leave Dipper's side.

Stan came back downstairs, Dipper and Billeah were at the kitchen table, and Dipper pushed Stan's chair back, cracked open his beer and set it in front of his seat. Stan crooked an eyebrow and sat down, taking a huge swig.

"This is different," he chuckled. Billeah's face was emotionless, like a porcelain dolls. Dipper knew he was going to do all the talking, and didn't let go of Billeah's hand.

"We need to talk," Dipper said with as much authority he could muster.

"Someone's trying to wear big boy pants. Let's see where it leads ya, then I'll let you know if I'm impressed or not." Stan said, kicking up his feet on the table and waving at Dipper to continue.

"We need to see the journals." Dipper said, putting his elbow on the table and leaning forward. He was trying to look cool, but winced at the pain from one of the burns.

"No." Stan said and shot gunned his beer. Without looking he tossed it behind him, landing it in the can.

"That it?" Dipper said shocked, "After all this?"

"Yup." Stan said.

"You don't understand! Something bad's going to happen! The oncoming storm! At first, I thought it was going to be from the portal opening…" Dipper stammered.

"We're all still here, and alive, for the most part." Stan said, stretching back and tipping the chair on two legs.

"Billeah saw something when we were there with Grunk... er Grandpa."

"She did, did she?" Stan said with a bemused grin. "Wow, imagine that."

"Stan, we're all family, even Bill. I don't honestly think he was evil to begin with." Dipper said.

"Oh, I know." Stan said.

"What?" Dipper shouted. "How?"

Stan shrugged. "So Bill had a vision, and can't see it due to his incompetence at making a deal with a twelve year old, so what? He wants you to let him use his powers and looking to me to justify it?"

"No, I don't want her to use her powers. She said the journals have been changed; you and I were outside of this reality when I changed it. The past events I experienced are different. You and I are the only ones who remember before the accident, and you were… off-world."

"One…" Stan said with a grunt.

"One?" Dipper asked.

"You get one hour to look at ONE journal. I'd feel safer if I can hold a gun to her head while she looks, but I think you'd not approve of that." Stan grumbled.

"I've spent all summer reading Journal 3, that would be the best one for me to look over. I'll be able to tell if there's any change. Also, I need a black light."

Stan got up and went into his office; he came back after a few moments and set down the familiar journal three in front of Dipper and Billeah.

"I… won't really know what's different. We've gone over this book all summer together." Billeah whispered. The old journal pages are… outside of my head." Billeah said softly.

"You know, this whole meek and scared act is really getting on my nerves." Stan said.

"You wouldn't understand what it's like to have your mind that spans all of time and space being strained through hole the size of a grape, and only being able to see time in order!" Billeah snapped. "Who does that? Why do you humans do that?" Dipper grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She was hyperventilating and had an almost wild look in her eye. "It takes… effort, to keep my grip. Every night, I feel I'm falling further and further away. I'm lost, and I feel like I'm slipping." She explained.

"We talk about it often." Dipper explained. "I've known Bill before, and I know what he's capable of. I'm sure you do too. If you just talk to her, and give her a little faith, I'm sure you'll see she's telling the truth, or as much as her mind can allow."

"Go open the book and let's get on with it." Stan said. "Your hour starts now."

Dipper opened the first page. His black light revealed the hidden texts and ciphers overwriting the descriptions of the native Gravity Falls inhabitants.

"It's all the same. Everything's normal." Dipper said quietly. He flipped each page more frantically, shining the light on each of them, and stopped. Everyone paused in stunned silence.

"Holy…" Stan said.

"Pit…" Dipper finished.

"Oh no… Oh no…" Billeah mumbled.

Where the image of Bill, with the circle of various insignias were, lies the familiar big red letters that said "DO NOT SUMMON"

There was no circle, and no Bill. Replacing it was a square shape and a bowler hat carrying an umbrella.

"Billeah, did we meet Lord Quentin Trembley?" Dipper said staring at the page. She nodded. "Go to my room and get me my box."

Billeah ran upstairs and came back with a lock box covered in Gravity Falls bumper stickers from the shack. Dipper flipped it upside down, pouring the various mementos across the table and found what he was looking for. A -12 dollar bill.

"Look!" he pointed. In the lower right corner, there was a square with an eye. "Follow me!"

Dipper and the others walked up the stairs to their room. They quietly opened the door and walked inside.

"I don't see what…." Stan said, dipper pointed to the window.

The triangle shape that he fell asleep to every night, that cast a figure of Bill onto his floor during a full moon, was now a square.

"Dipper…. what have you done?" Billeah said. "It's all wrong… it's all wrong! He's not supposed to be here, and you… we noticed him. He's not going to like that."

"Who? Who is he?" Dipper asked. Billeah was hyperventilating, clawing at her face and pulling her hair.

"I can't see, I can't see! It's all gone?" Billeah said frantically slamming her fist into her head. "Where… the thing? The human… brain? I need to look!"

Before Dipper could stop her, she bolted back downstairs. Dipper and Stan rushed after her to find her on the computer. Her hands were shaking and fumbling as she typed and slammed the mouse.

"So hard! So slow! Dipper!" She sobbed.

"Hey, let me help, what are you looking up?" Dipper said calmly. When he touched her, she calmed down slightly."

"My buildings... in the sand. I always watched them and helped them bring life to the land."

"She's talking about the Pyramids of Giza, i think." Stan said, typing it in the search engine.

"Says there are no results." Dipper confirmed.

"Check anything pyramid related. Freemason, Illuminati."

"I found the Giza structures…" Dipper said, Clicking the link, everyone was silent.

The pyramids were replaced with giant monolithic squares. The sides crumbed and fallen due to weathering, but there was no mistake of the structures that dotted the earth. Mankind was obsessed with cubes. Dipper searched the freemasons and illuminati, and the results were the same, the great carpenter worshiped was a perfect square.

Billeah's mind seemed to have snapped. She was catatonic and barely breathing.

"Billeah, Bill!" Dipper shouted, shaking her.

"I'm at a loss for words." Stan said. "I'm going to go over the journals with a fine tooth comb, you're… welcome to help. We need to figure this out."

"I… I need to take care of her first." Dipper stammered. He tried to stand her up, but she'd completely regressed inside herself. "Help me get her upstairs. I'll watch her tonight."

Stan carried Billeah and cradled her in his arms.

"She's… so small." he commented. Dipper put his hand on Stan's arm and nodded. They walked upstairs and to the bedroom. Stan laid Billeah on Dipper's bed. He was shocked that Stan handed him Journal 3, moved over to softly touch Mabel's sleeping head, and closed the door.

That night Dipper did what he was good at; protect his girls and reading.

OoOoO

"Dip?"

Dipper jerked his head up, having fallen asleep in the open journal. He looked around, and down to Billeah who had fallen fast asleep.

"Dip? Does Stan know you have that?" Mabel asked with a worried look on her face.

"Yeah… yeah, he gave it to me… I think for keeps." Stan said. Billeah was curled up against him, sound asleep.

"I… remember doughnuts, and then waking up here. Did something happen?" She asked, looking down at Billeah.

"Yeah… Something did." he said softly, running his fingers through her hair.

"What?" Mabel asked, she moved onto the bed and pulled the book away from him. Closing it, she made him look into her eyes. "I know you've been keeping something from me. I trust you'll tell me soon. It's been hurting me that you do not trust me with whatever is going on."

"Yeah… I know. I just…" Dipper started.

"... want to keep me safe." Mabel finished. "We're twins; I know what you're thinking."

"In that case, we're going to need a lot of pancakes. Get Stan up. We're having a family meeting."

"I'm on it!" Mabel said with a salute. "Shall I whip up some Mabel juice?"

"Extra glitter…" Dipper said with a grin, looking down at the sleeping Billeah.

Mabel grinned, grabbed Waddles and ran out stairs banging the walls screaming "Pancake meeting!"

Dipper looked down and saw a slight smile on Billeah's face.

"What are your thoughts?" Dipper asked.

"I'm scared." she whispered. "She's going to know, and tell you not to save her. I can see the strings. And you love her, and will listen."

"She needs to know the truth; we need to plan what to do next. They are going to make that portal no matter what."

"I'm scared of that too. I was your shield, you were my symbols, and it's all gone now. All my strings are gone."

"Our shield?" Dipper asked.

"Pinetree, Star, Six-fingered hand, Llama, Shooting-Star, Broken-Heart, Glasses, Question-mark, Icebag, Glyph." She whispered.

"The circle, I know. I never understood that." Dipper said. Billeah sat up and grabbed his hat. She put it on his head and smiled. "Pinetree…"

"It's us?" Dipper said, pulling off his hat and looking at it. "I… I lost my hat during the gnome fight. I just got this when I first arrived… how? That journal was written over 30 years ago!"

"Strings and things." Billeah said with a grin, sitting up. "I think I'm better."

"I'll head down, and let you get dressed." Dipper said, sitting up. Billeah grabbed the back of his shirt, and tugged.

"Please, don't leave me alone. I'm afraid of falling again."

Dipper nodded, and pulled his hat over his eyes. He could hear the rustling coming from one of Billeah's overcomplicated dresses. He was surprised it only took her five minutes to get dressed when she pulled his hat back up. She had a hairbrush in her hand, and offered it to Dipper.

Dipper took it, and looked at it, unsure what to do. Billeah sat in front of him expectantly.

"I must keep up appearances…" she said.

Dipper ran the brush through her golden locks, trying to work out the knots that crept up during the night.

"You… the other you… would do this for me every night when I first moved in with Aunt and Uncle Pines. Mabel never bothered with proper hair care. Your aunt… the one you're old you had, loved to do this ever since I was little. Always dressed me in pretty dresses. I was her little doll. I loved it so. You don't remember, but my room at our house…" she said, and stopped, as if to hold back from crying. "Will we go back home? My mother, her dolls, are still in my room. They'll be covered in dust by now."

"We'll figure it out." Dipper said softly. "I think I got it."

Dipper paused, looking at the brush, the thought came to him, and he had to ask her before they went down.

"You said the other me… did he die when I came back?" Dipper asked, the thought unsettled him that another Dipper who had twelve years of this life being erased as he invaded this universe.

"No, you don't understand… it's not a straight line. Words are hard when thinking like this. You are you. You are Dipper. The other Dipper was you, but it was for me and not for you." she said. Her voice was straining, as if trying to form words around an impossible concept.

"So, from the point I came back… all of this was your own personal reality, and… everything now is real?" Dipper asked, his head hurt.

"Nothing is real… Everything is a bubble. Bubbles form bigger bubbles and other bubbles split away… it's a foaming sea of individual perception that froths and rages and boils. It's fascinating..." Billeah said with a smile that sent a chill up Dipper's spine. "All you need to understand is everyone is who they are, not like me… constructed from here." She said tapping her finger to his head.

"After you said that, I feel like I need to lie down." Dipper said.

"You're stronger than that my Pinetree." Billeah said with a smile, she added her yellow bows and held her hand out. "You are strong, sturdy and reliable, I take shelter under you during the storm, and you will keep me safe."

OoOoO

"What is with you guys and pancakes?" Stan said, looking at the massive stack that took four plates to hold.

"Stan, call Wendy and tell her not to come in today. We need to ground ourselves and figure out what we're going to do." Dipper said, setting Journal 3 on the table. Stan looked at it and nodded, getting on the phone. "Billeah, can you get that notepad over there?"

While Stan was on the phone and Mabel making pancakes, Dipper drew Bill as he knew, and added the circles around him. He split them up and divided them into section. He drew the pinetree on the top, and erased it when Billeah pointed to the lower right corner. She whispered the names, and he filled them in. Billeah clung on his arm and nodded in approval.

"I had to give Wendy the day off with pay just to shut her up…" Stan said with a sigh. "So, what you got?"

Dipper gave the pad to Stan.

"Yeah that looks right. I never could figure it out; I thought it was odd that my hand was on there." Stan said.

"It's us." Dipper said, pointing to the pine tree and shooting star. He looked over at Mabel who was wearing her pink star sweater. He raised an eyebrow, looking back at the design.

"So… You, Mabel, Me… I think you're right." Stan said astonished. "I've been staring at that for years!"

"We need to tell her… full disclosure for all of us present." Dipper said. Mabel's mouth was full of pancakes. She was feeding Waddles when she looked over.

"You sure about this?" He asked, looking between Dipper and Billeah. Dipper nodded yes, Billeah shook her head no. Stan grinned. "It's your show, kid."

Dipper sighed and did the hardest thing he could do. He told his sister everything.

Mabel's face was frozen, mid pancake.

"Did we break her?" Billeah asked waving her hand in front of Mabel's face.

"I don't think she comes with a warranty. I told you this was a bad idea, kid." Stan said.

"Mabel… will you say something?" Dipper asked.

Mabel began to chew the pancake that was hanging out of her mouth. When she slowly swallowed her bite, she sat the plate down, scooted back the chair and walked slowly to Dipper. She raised her arms up, Dipper opened his arms for a welcome and much needed hug.

SLAP

Dipper's face stung. He couldn't believe it. Mabel's face was scary. She glared at him with pure fury and rage.

"How… dare you." she growled "How dare you do something so selfish!"

"I did it for you! We were all going to die, the portal…"

"You did it for yourself, because you know better than EVERYONE! If we had died, we would have died together! Like we're supposed to! Stan, the man who took us in, and loved us each and every day, asked us to trust him. I did, and I asked you to trust in me! I'm your SISTER! I share your blood! I'm the one person in this world you should blindly trust and follow... like I FOLLOW YOU!"

"Mabel…" Billeah said, and reached out. Mabel shot her a dagger eyed stare.

"And you… knew of this your… our whole life?" Mabel screamed. "I… I don't even have words to comprehend this."

Mabel sat down and put her head in her hands. Dipper moved over to her and she shot her hand out to stop him. "Don't get near me. I need some time to process all of this."

"Mabel, I made a mistake. I should have trusted you. It happened, and I was so tired of lying to you about it. We all need to rally together for what's happening. I need you by my side. We all need you."

Mabel closed her eyes and sighed.

"You need to apologize to Grunkle Stan… both of you… all three of you. He may be a lying, swindling, stinky, gross, old man who would rob a baby… but he's our lying, swindling, stinky, gross, old man who would rob a baby. This whole thing… there, says we need him."

"But… he lied to us this whole time…" Dipper said.

"What did you do to me? Huh? It was for my own good? Well it hurts, and everything that's happened is now just as much your responsibility as it is his! If you didn't fall into the portal… Mom and Dad..." Mabel stopped. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I want to go home…"

"Ok, we'll do that." Dipper said softly and rubbed her back. Mabel grabbed him and hugged him, opening the floodgates of what had been weeks of crying she held back for him. Billeah stood next to them, visibly uncomfortable. Mabel grabbed her and pulled her into the hug.

"I don't care if you're a fake cousin." she sobbed.

Dipper embraced them both and waited till everyone was dried out. Looking up, it seemed Stan had something in his eye

"So… I've been thinking about this. We're going to find out who the rest of the people are on the chart. Billeah is going to try and remember why we're all on here. I don't think it's to stop Bill, but to help. Why would there be a chart surrounding something you want to stop? It looks like the symbols help power Bill."

"That's a good point" Stan said, nodding in approval.

"I need you on the portal project." Dipper said.

"What?" Stan protested. "No!"

"Billeah said there are lots of strings in that facility, we need you inside to keep an eye on the place. We can run the Shack. Just make sure it doesn't turn on. Not until we figure out what's going on and who the square demon is. The gnomes saw Billeah and were pretty upset about it. They said we were fools and that I was an abomination. I'll go and see if I can find one and question him more."

"How long we going to do this?" Stan said with a sigh. "This is all quite nostalgic."

"As long as it takes." Dipper said, slamming Journal 3 closed. "We're the only ones on the front lines protecting our world. We establish our base, survey the threats, and learn what we can about them… just like you taught me."

"We're going to need a bigger house." Stan said, cracking open a beer and held it out to Dipper.

Dipper sighed, grabbed the can and took three massive swings. His eyes widened and he coughed beer out his nose. Stan laughed, patting him on his back.

"That tastes like ripe gym socks! Why? Why do you drink this crap?" Dipper gagged.

"Some drink to remember, others to forget." Stan said, finishing the can.