Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Alex Hirsch owns Gravity Falls, not me.

Dipper vacantly stared beyond the TV, thoughts consumed with events of the past few days. His mind was such a jumbled mess that, he knew that he had to sort things out, before his anxiety overwhelmed his senses. Jill Rephic and Bill Cipher. Both were demons, though Dipper wasn't as frightened over Jill, as he was with Bill. She merely seemed possessive, while on the other hand, the triangle seemed out to turn his life into a living hell. Mabel though, she would laugh in the very pretense of Bill Cipher, while stumble frantically over the name of the star. This wasn't turning out all that well for them. He was agitated from his thoughts as the house phone rang and he removed himself from the reclining chair, intending on answering. The ringing ceased though, so Dipper flopped back down onto the seat, assuming someone had already answered.

The other issue was that Mabel and he were in now in contracts with a demon. At the time it seemed reasonable, though he was still petrified of him, but now he felt like such a fool. He rubbed his eyes, remembering how Bill was in his body last time. The sensation of being removed from flesh, the state his soul was in, the distant sting each time his body was injured. The fear of never recovering his body and for his beloved ones being assaulted. Dipper was such a fool...such a fool...He startled awake and found himself surrounded by pitch black. Dipper waited for his eyes to adjust, but it was as though he was in a dark room used for photographers. He went to stand, but realized he already was. The reclining chair was gone, as though it had never existed. "Uhhh...h-hello?"

He voice echoed endlessly around him. Dipper broke out into a cold sweat, recalling an incident such as this in the 1st grade. On the first day of school, they had been in the middle of coloring time, when it happened. He suddenly didn't have his red crayon and the page with the apple he was coloring was missing. His seat, everything, and everyone within the classroom had vanished. Dipper didn't like the dark as a kid, fearing what could possibly hide in it. He screamed and hollered for hours. He was in the dark for so long until...until...the voice spoke...it cooed his name, feminine and sickeningly sweet. Dipper began to breathe heavily at the memory. That voice. Staircases. Staircases. He couldn't go down any for a year. He couldn't go down until he visited Gravity Falls. His legs would lock up and he would be paralyzed. The only way they could get him up them was through the elevator. The hospital employees would try to get him over the fear, but he would burst into tears, pleading for them not to make him. The doctor would finally give up for the day and allow him in the elevator. For a year, each day, he couldn't take the stairs. The stairs were where...she was. That voice.

The brunet didn't realize until that moment, but he was hyperventilating. He couldn't breath. He couldn't. His lungs ached. How long had he already been here? It only felt as though it was minutes, yet his choking indicated longer. God, he couldn't do it. He couldn't breathe. The last time he woke, Dipper had finished having a seizure in the middle of the classroom, the teacher squatted near him, though giving him space by pushing the table away, and his classmates staring wide eyed behind him. He had wet himself. That was the start of everyone avoiding him like the plague. They would point and whisper how weird he was. His sister spoke about seeing dead things, while he had strange habits and would cry easily. It was a nightmare. No. This was the nightmare. Stuck, in the darkness, screaming at the top of lungs, unable to breath. No other sounds. There was a sound though. His screaming and choking abruptly ended and he listened. "Stanford, why do you have to do this? Stop messing with it. It shouldn't ever be opened, again. Cipher is going to hurt you! Please, Mabel was supposed to tell you...ah, dammit...They're back...Need to find Dad's guns..."

Grandpa Stanley? His voice was clear as glass, as if he was directly in front of Dipper. ? Stanford? Grunkle Stan needed to stop? Again, more hints to the fact that he was up to something. And who was Stanley talking about? Who was back? He could breath now. He could breath. His breath came out in heaves and the living room melted back into view.

His hands clenched at the arm rests and he panted wildly. He was drenched in his own sweat and was choking on sobs. Dipper went to pull himself from the chair, but couldn't, he felt too weak. He was now sobbing loudly and had to cover his mouth with one of his hands to stifle it. He was 13-years-old and couldn't cease his blubbering. He finally found the strength to remove himself from the seat much to his relief. Dipper observed the ticking on the owl clock. He grimaced at the time, realizing over three hours had passed. No one had found him in that state. He felt a loneliness well up inside at the though, but shook it off. They must of been busy with the tours and running the shop.

The brunet glanced down at his clothes, sweat stained across his shirt and shorts. He frowned, embarrassed about how visible the stains were on the light colors he wore. Why the heck did he wear tan shorts in the first place? He looked like a little kid. And his stupid shirt was too distracting. He needed to change his clothes. He headed upstairs, keeping an eye out for Mabel, concerned of what she would think when she witnessed the stains or the irritated eyes, though he was unaware himself how red they were. He never ran into her though and he began to pursue through his drawer of clothes. Dipper selected the forest green shirt he had wore the other day and a pair of dark grey pants (his Mom insisted on him bringing pants, just in case it grew cold at night) from his drawer. He realized his vest was missing and the life of him couldn't recall when or where he had taken it off. The brunet felt his eyes well with tears and wiped them away, embarrassed by this unfounded near spell of crying. God, he was such a baby, crying over a piece of clothing.

Dipper left the attic, unaware of Stanley appearing in the reflection of the window, apprehensively overlooking the front yard, shotgun in hand.

~!14-5-22-5-18/4-15-21-2-12-5-3-18-15-19-19/1/4-5-13-15-14!~

Mabel had either been calling for Grandpa Stanley or reading the journal for the past three hours. She was laid out across the couch of Soos's room, not uncovering many answers, though learning quite a lot about the supernatural. She had never bothered to read Dipper's journal, but now she wanted to do so in depth. It was honestly captivating, though she still would prefer watching cat videos on Utube. To think though that she used to always attempt to get her twin's head out of the book! Dipper always seemed to have a fetish with the supernatural and Mabel supposed in a way she unknowingly did as well. At the moment, she was reading about banshees and how they seemed to occupy the deepest parts of the woods. The author had gone for a day long hike with his colleagues and arrived in the area around twilight. They were quite vicious and screeched until their ears began to bleed. This book seemed the most violent out of all of them, the author describing in detail the disturbing creatures that had been discovered. Mabel had seen Dipper shudder a couple of times when reading the journal and wondered if he read these sort of things. Mabel didn't shudder though, but stared intently at it, nearly consumed. She blinked and everything became saturated.

She jolted violently, expecting Jill Rephic, yet Bill Cipher was there instead. She drew her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, shielding the journal from the dream demon as he floated closer. "What?"

"You really like the book, huh?" Bill Cipher sang merrily as he adjusted his bow. Mabel had become nearly as cautious as her brother, beginning to understand how untrustworthy people and the supernatural could be. The demon seemed to notice her cautiousness. "When did you get so serious, Shooting Star?"

"When I realized how dangerous people are."

"Oh? What could of possibly gave that away?"

"When Jill Rephic decided she could keep me."

Bill's merriment faded the moment she finished her sentence. "I wouldn't let her."

"...I don't get you."

"No one does."

She ignored that. "You threaten my friends and my brother and my uncle, but now you act like you want to help us."

"Maybe I do, kid."

"Why?"

"...Well, Jill's broken some universal rules."

"Rules? What rules?"

"Just some rules us demons have."

She frowned, skeptical. "You have rules about what you can and can't do?"

"Pretty much."

Mabel squinted her eyes. "You're a liar."

"Geez kid, you're nearly as paranoid as your brother. Believe what you will, but if we do break rules, we do get punished...You know, you're my favorite," Mabel gave him a startled look. A chuckle echoed throughout the room at the look. "You're my favorite, because you have so much potential...and you're a...fake."

"...What?"

"A fake, Shooting Star."

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"You aren't what you seem to be. All those giggles and smiles are a cover."

"...Dipper's right; you are crazy." Mabel told him straight faced.

Bill chuckled at this. "Crazy is matter of the MIND."

"Wait, what?"

"You and Pine Tree say that wayyyyy too much. You two should learn a new catchphrase."

She averted her eyes with a scowl. "...Leave me alone."

Bill rolled his eye. "Do you think anyone ever saying that has actually made me go away? And, you're avoiding the topic, kid."

"Laughing is fun and there's nothing wrong with that!" Mabel gave him a pouty face, that gave her an air of innocence.

"There you go again, acting all innocent to avoid the topic!"

Mabel dropped the face and clenched her jaw. "I'm not acting."

"Denial isn't flattering on anyone."

"What do you want from me?"

"Ahhhh, finally asking the questions, are we? I just swung by ask where you found Gideon's journal."

Her knees tightened and she wrapped her arms tighter around them, protecting the journal. "...was it you?"

"Pardon me?" Bill asked, seeming genuinely confused.

"Was it you that moved the book?" Bill didn't reply and the answer occurred to Mabel. "You didn't move it."

"Where did you find it, kid?"

"My frien-"

"Question Mark or Icy?" Mabel blinked and Bill rolled his eye. "The fat one or the redhead?"

"Wendy, found it."

Bill crossed his arms and hummed to himself. His pupil turned into the hands of a clock, ticking away. "I believe that another party is involved. Everyone on my wheel either can't or wouldn't do this."

"What does that mean? You always talk about that wheel thingy."

"Why do you use a cover?"

"...I'm leaving now." Mabel uncurled herself at this, but continued to clench the journal tightly to her chest as she stood.

"Woah, woah! Hold on there! We're not finished yet!" Bill exclaimed, waving his hand at her, and she was thrust back onto the couch. Mabel opened her mouth to reply, but it transformed into a zipper, and zipped itself shut. One of her hands flew to her mouth and she made a surprised humming noise at him. "I'm gonna talk now, kid. Listen, you're in denial. Deep down, I know you know that you're using a cover."

Her jaw clenched. "You're ashamed...no frightened, about the judgement of humanity. You've done one or two unnatural things in your day."

Mabel's jaw ached a bit, as it tightened further."Yeah, I've seen you do quite a few near murderous things. Like climbing that tree and pushing that lunch thieving girl out of it in the kindergarten. She broke her leg thanks to you! Or when that little runt kept mocking your brother and you put the janitor's cleaner in his milk in the 1st grade? Ha! He was in the hospital for four months after that! Or, or how about when you beat that boy with a branch just because he wouldn't stop calling you a liar about seeing dead people in the 2nd grade! He was too frightened to tell anyone the truth and lied to everyone about how he fell from the top of a tree. Were you furious when you were finally suppressed soon after? Suppressed after you were finally caught? No, maybe a bit mad, but not furious. Shooting Star, I wanna see you become furious."

Mabel's teeth were so pressured from the clenching, that the nerves in her gums stung. "You know, pushing that kid in front of the bus in the 3rd grade, that was probably the best. And I can completely see why you did! He was probably the most obnoxious human I've seen. Though, Napoleon was a hard human to beat when it comes to that. He used to go off on his little tangents, in that high squeaky voice, just when I didn't obey him. That's a story for another time though. God, you should be lucky though, that you were only 9-years-old, and everyone though it was an accident. Though the principal seeing you doing it on purpose, not so good. You should be lucky he only called your parents and told them you had to leave the school. The kid couldn't even remember that you did it, thanks to his concussion. In the 3rd grade, you nearly and intentionally committed murder!"

Mabel's was clenching the journal, taking deep breathes through her nose, trembling violently. "It was around then, that you finally began to use a cover on your family. They were worried for awhile there, but you stopped causing trouble. Until...until Dipper fell down the stairs."

The brunette lunged forward, releasing the book, and her voice exploded as the zipper broke. "SHUT UP!"

She expected the contact with the triangle, yes, but not the echoing noise that followed. The noise rang throughout the room, rattling her teeth, as if she was directly inside a bell tower. She landed upon her stomach, face slamming into the floor. The brunette was panting, staring wildly up at Bill Cipher. He continued to float before her, but his golden glow was flashing on and off. The deep dent bellow his bow surprised her, as did the black blood leaking from his eye. She pulled herself up, staring in shock at the damage inflicted upon the dream demon. "I...I..."

Mabel could find no words at the horror she felt towards herself. The damage she had created upon a dream demon. And the blood. The demon didn't seem that affected or angry by it though. Bill simply observed her, before uttering a sentence that horrified her to no end. "If you're not careful, Mabel Kristen Pines, you may actually kill someday."

She startled at the use of her true name, instead of a nickname, and gaped as he vanished in a flash of golden light, world returning it's color.

~!-?-!~

Dipper arrived on the first floor and nearly had a heart attack, when he bumped directly into Stan. "OHmyGOD!"

Stan raised an eyebrow at the crack in his great-nephew's voice and the blush that followed. The elder man decided not to comment on it though, finding it more necessary to speak about something else. "Where's your sister?"

"Um, I-I don't know." Dipper replied, blush receding when his great-uncle didn't mock him.

"Well, find her."

"Uh, why?"

"The three of us are gonna have a talk."

Dipper felt a twinge of dismay. This was exactly what he had been fearing for two days now. The talk. Stan wanted to know everything they did and what they were up to. "Um, Grunkle Stan, m-mayb-"

"Kid, you can't talk yourself outta this. Go find your sister. I'll be waiting in the dining room." Stan told him, leaving the room.

That was the no arguing voice. He sighed and headed to the attic, in search of his rambunctious sister. She wasn't there though, much to his puzzlement. He frowned and peaked out the window. Nor was she outside either. Soos's room? He headed back downstairs and entered the previously hidden room. She was staring intently at the mirror of the wardrobe. From where he was, he could view what appeared to be tense appearance, unlike what he had ever seen on his sister's face. He stepped in, uncertainly. "M-Mabel?"

Her eyes observed him in the reflection of the mirror for a moment, before the serious expression melted into her typical exuberant one. Mabel whirled around and grinned at him. "Dipping Sauce?"

Dipper sighed, wondering why he was so uncertain on approaching her in the first place. "Uh, G-Grunkle Stan wants us to talk about..."

Mabel ceased her grinning and became apprehensive. "About...how we...made deals...?"

"I was thinking that, too..." Dipper agreed.

Mabel glanced back to the mirror. "Grandpa Stanley isn't showing up. I...I think something is wrong."

Dipper was still quite dubious that the man who claimed to be Stanley Pines was truly Stan's brother, especially since only Mabel could see him. Though, his timbre was fairly close to Stan's, Dipper knew he couldn't be too trustful, particularly after having Bill Cipher trick him and that bunker incident. Judging from what Mabel had told him though, it was unusual he hadn't shown up when she called for him. "Ummm, maybe he's busy?"

Mabel blinked in surprise. "...I...I don't think anyone else is there. He told me...he doesn't have much to do."

"Maybe he left the house where he is?"

Mabel frowned. "Dipper...I don't think...he..."

Dipper thought about what he heard earlier, but was unsure if she should tell her. She was distressed about this though, so he decide to proceed with doing so anyways. "Um, Mabel, I sort of...h-heard him say something about s-someone coming back?"

"Did he call you?"

"No, I-I just heard his voice earlier when I was...w-watching TV." There was no need to alarm Mabel by the fact that he had been stuck in some sort of trance for hours today.

"Someone is there? I didn't know that. He never said."

Dipper shrugged. No way would he inform her that he was searching for weapons against said person. "A-Anyways, if we don't go, Grunkle Stan is gonna get impatient."

Mabel nodded in agreement, glanced once at the mirror, and then proceeded to follow her brother. They entered through the living room and observed Stan sitting at the dining room table, still dressed in his Mr. Mystery outfit, even though the store had closed over half an hour ago. Stan stared at them, then waved them over. They approached uncertainly, but finally sat across from him. Dipper removed his hat and twisted it in his hands anxiously, while Mabel picked at some imaginary lint on her pastel, seashell patterned sweater. "Now, would you two explain exactly what's going on?"

Neither spoke as Stan narrowed his eyes at them. "How about you gremlins start from the beginning of how you two got involved with all of this?"

Mabel finally spoke first, realizing her twin wouldn't. "Um, well, Dipper found a book in the woods and he started telling me what was in it."

Dipper nodded. "A-And we started seeing some...things."

"Like the zombies?" Stan probed.

They nodded in unison, before Dipper continued on. "A-And Wendy and Soos told us about some of the t-things they had s-seen here."

Mabel spoke next. "And we kept finding things that were in the book and then...G-Gideon made Bill Cipher come."

"That wasn't a dream." Stan stated, staring at Dipper.

"N-No...you did s-see me in y-your head..."

"Gideon and Bill wanted the safe number for your deed, Grunkle Stan. We stopped them, but..."

"He still got the deed." The elder man concluded.

Mabel nodded. "But, we stopped him. But, then Dipper..."

Dipper didn't continue, so Mabel sighed and did instead. "He...made a deal with Bill..."

"You made a deal, too?" Stan ground out, appearing irked. Dipper nodded meekly. "You still in it?"

"T-The first o-one?"

Mabel cringed when Stan gave him an incredulous look. "The first one? The FIRST one? You mean to tell me this is your second?"

Dipper nodded, beginning to feel sweaty, observing the clenched jaw Stan held now. "And what happened in the first one?"

The brunet squeezed his hat, unable to speak any further. Thankfully, his sister did. "He had to give his body for the password to that laptop he had during my opera."

There was a moment of silence, as Dipper stared at his hands squeezing the hat in his lap. "Dipper, look at me. Look at me, NOW."

Dipper looked up immediately. "What the heck were you thinking?"

His voice sounded barely controlled and Dipper felt tears swell in his eyes. "I-I-"

"Why?!" Stan pounded the table and Dipper flinched.

The brunette interrupted. "Stop yelling! It was an accident!"

"What do you mean 'it was an accident'?! You have to agree to make a contract! Agreeing is no accident! And shouldn't you know better than that to make a deal with a demon in the first place!?" He screamed across the table.

"I-I'm s-so-"

"WHY?!"

"Stop yelling at him! You're scaring him!" Mabel cried out.

Stan opened his mouth to reprimand his grand-niece, but ceased doing so when he observed how Dipper trembled. He removed his glasses and covered his eyes with his hand, beginning to calm himself. "Jesus...you...could of did a lot of harm, kid."

"I-I know."

"Grunkle Stan?" Mabel questioned, watching as he wearily hung his head.

"...What?"

"Are you ok?"

"Fine...just...just...A-A long time ago, a stupid person made a deal with a demon and his friends and family paid for it."

"Who...?" Dipper whispered hoarsely, though a small part of mind already whispered the answer.

"Me. I made a deal with Cipher. He was in my body for a week and...my...they paid the price." Stan concluded.

Dipper and Mabel gawked at him. "Y-You made a deal?"

Stan gazed up and glowered. "Yeah, isn't that just what I said, Dipper?"

Dipper cringed at his tone and Mabel appeared quite compassionate. "Oh, you poor, old..."

"W-Why?" Dipper questioned.

"Look, all I'm going to tell you two is that, I was young and stupid, apparently like you two are."

"Hey!" The twins cried in unison.

"But, this is really dangerous what you've two gotten yourselves pulled into and I would feel...better if I was told what your deals were."

Mabel and Dipper shared a knowing look, agreeing they shouldn't tell Stan, as they involved him in some way or form. "Grunkle Stan, we can't."

Stan clenched his jaw when Mabel spoke. "And why not?"

"We can't tell you either. I...I think we can tell you what Bill Cipher has to do for us though," Mabel gazed to Dipper for agreement, which he gave. "Bill had to tell me how to break Gideon's amulet, so I could break the contract with h-her."

"Ummm, he had to f-fix any d-damage from when he was i-inside my b-body..."

"...and he's already held up his end?"

They nodded in unison. "Are you sure?"

Dipper hadn't been seeing any triangles. Mabel already broke the deal between Gideon Gleeful and Jill Rephic thanks to Bill's instructions. They nodded unison and Stan released a sigh. "Ok, what you two have to do, is it in anyway dangerous? I'm taking care of you two this summer and I'm pretty sure your folks will want you two returned whole to them."

Mabel blinked, unsure what exactly she would have to do in order to rescue Stanley from that pocket dimension. Dipper fidgeted, unsure if his trust of Stan would be tested during an perilous event. Stanford Pines had already hidden the knowledge that he had been further involved with the supernatural than he originally let on. Mabel finally decided to speak on behalf of both of them. "We...We don't know..."

"...Ok, we're getting you two out of these contracts."

Chapter 14 End

So, I wanted to inform you all, though it sound be quite obvious by now, this is meant to be an darker AU version of the cartoon, and slightly more realistic. Sorry if you don't appreciate the direction Mabel's character is being taken, but worry not, as her character will not go through too much of a major change. Now, if something were to happen to her brother though, well that's another story to keep in mind...(No, really, this story won't change her personality too much, though Mabel will grow up a bit by the end of it).