Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Alex Hirsch owns Gravity Falls, not me.

Dipper and Mabel nearly choked at the sentence. Dipper, for once, recovered first. "What?!"

"We're gonna get you two out of this. Cipher will betray you, He tricked me, so I should know. And you should know by now, too, Dipper."

"Ummmm, Grunkle Stan...I...I don't want to." Mabel informed him anxiously.

Stan stared at her as though she told him she was getting married. "And why not? He's obviously dangerous, kid!"

"U-Um, Grunkle S-Stan, I have to agree w-with Mabel on this one." Dipper added, hesitantly.

"Look, I ain't gonna argue about this, kids."

"But, I...I want to do my side of the deal." Mabel continued.

"Why the heck wo-"

"I...I need to tell you something."

"...Mabel, what's going on?"

"I'm not completely sure about that, but...I know what happened to G-Grandpa Stanley."

Stan froze, turning his head away, adjusting his glasses. "...I don't wanna talk about this."

"Please."

Stan gazed back at her, eyes storming. "Mabel, one of your folks must of told you by now. He left the family back when your pops wa-"

"No, the truth!"

Dipper gulped as he observed the two. This was not a good idea. He himself could barely grasp this notion, still unsure if it truly was Stanley or an impostor. Stan seemed to be watching her attentively though, which appeared to be a good sign, despite his gruff face he presented. "...and, what do you think is the truth?"

"That...he's stuck."

"Stuck? Stuck where?"

"A...um, Wonderland?"

Stan's face hardened. "Mabe-"

Dipper facepalmed, before interrupting. "Grunkle Stan, he says he's stuck in-between this world and another one. Sorta like a-"

"Pocket dimension?" Asked Stan, with an eyebrow raised.

"Y-Yeah, how did yo-"

"Kid, I know a bit about this sort of stuff...wait, so you're saying, my brother is stuck in some sort of pocket dimension and he told you he needed help out?"

Mabel nodded eagerly, while Dipper blushed in humiliation at how ridiculous it appeared to be. "Alright, give me back the books."

The twins frowned and shared a look. "B-Books?"

"You know, the red ones with the hands on them. Give them back, I know you two were the ones that stole them."

"Uh, G-Grunkle Stan, the one book I lent to you, you gave it back, remember?" Dipper gulped painfully.

"Yeah, that's why I made some photocopies of it. Now, give back the other two."

"Wait, wh-"

Mabel gasped. "You had the other books!"

Dipper's eyes widened, while he snorted at Mabel. "Don't act too surprised kid, since you're the one that took them."

Mabel blinked. "...Grunkle Stan, Wendy found one in her room and you're saying they were stolen?"

"Wendy found one in her room?!" Dipper exclaimed and Mabel cringed.

"Whoopises?"

Dipper threw his hands up into the air. "'Whoopises'?! That's all you have to say?! How long have you been keeping this from me?!"

"I-It just happened today."

"Wait, so Corduroy stole my books?" Stan questioned, beginning to grow confused.

"No, Wendy said she found it under her bed and didn't know where it came from."

"Mabel, I can't believe you didn't tell me this!" Dipper told her, crossing his arms and gazing away.

"I-I just tho-"

"So, who stole my books?" Stan continued.

"We don't know!" Dipper shouted. "And there not your's, but the author's!"

"Who do you think helped out with them, kid?"

Dipper paused, then whipped his head back around. "Wait, what?"

"My brother wrote them and I wrote some side notes in red."

"STANLEY IS THE AUTHOR?!"

Stan rolled his eyes. "Yes! Now, if you didn't steal them, how do you know about the portal?"

"What portal?" The twins asked in unison.

Stan paled at this. "...Portal? Did you two gremlins think I said that? I said, ummm, mortal. Mortal, as in human. How did you know about my very human brother?"

"No, you said portal, I heard you."

"...shut up, Dipper."

"You did say portal!" Mabel claimed.

"No, I didn't! You're hearing things!"

The brunette seemed to posses a far away look, covering her mouth with a hand, whispering in a awed voice. "...that's why he said to stop... he wanted you to stop using the portal..."

"What?" Stan asked, not hearing her.

"Grandpa Stanley, he told me to tell you to stop..." Mabel repeated, lost in awe.

"Kid, there's no way you've talked to him. He left the family a long time ago."

"No, I can prove it to you!"

Dipper touched her shoulder, no longer angry about her hiding the discovery of the first journal. "Mabel, he can't see or hear him, remember?"

"But, but..."

"I don't knowing what you're talking about and there is no portal!" Stan stubbornly concluded. And Mabel recalled the desperate appearance the first time she left her grandfather, the distant, sorrowful looks when they spoke. Mabel began to cry, cry for her trapped, and lonely grandfather. Dipper gave his sister an alarmed look and grasped her forearm. Stan's eyes widened at observing his grand-niece cry for the first time in his presence. "Mabel? Mabel, are you o-ok?"

"H-He's never getting out!" Mabel bawled to her twin.

"Mabel, it's ok, I don't think...n-never mind...Mabel, B-Bill did trick us...I don't t-think you were able to s-supposed to go t-through with the deal..."

Mabel threw his hand off her forearm, growing angry. "You don't even believe it is Grandpa Stanley!"

"N-No, of course I-I d-!"

"Stop lying!"

"...b-but, Mabel D-Dad sa-"

"Dad lied about Grunkle Stan, so why don't you think he lied about this, too?!"

"Ok, ok, what is going on now?" Stan asked, leaning forward.

Mabel gulped, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "N-Nothing."

"Tell me."

"I-It's no-"

"Kid, he's already said things to my face."

Mabel gave him a stunned look. "What?"

"What he's said to you, is probably a better version of what he's said to me."

Mabel choked on a sob. "H-He's not bad, j-"

"Now hold on there, I never said he was bad. Your pops is a good father and knows how to chose the perfect woman. Plus, the whole being smart thing helps. Your pops though, he ain't too fond of me. Heck, I'm not too fond of me, so if you're talking about him saying bad things about me, then I already know."

"But, w-why would he n-not like yo-"

"Kid, I laughed at your brother when a snake bit his arm. Why do you think he doesn't like me?"

"Oh." She mumbled, as though it explained everything.

Dipper grumbled about the pain and fear of near-death he experienced. Stan frowned and muttered to himself. "Then again, I knew it wasn't poisonous, since there's none of those in the area."

Dipper cried out at that. "Wait, you n-never told m-me! I thought I-I was d-dying!"

Stan continued on, as though his great-nephew hadn't spoken. "Well, there's another reason he probably doesn't like me. It's probably from that time I locked him in a closet since wouldn't stop calling me 'elderly'."

"You di-" Mabel and Dipper began in sync.

"Or when he complained about my cooking and made him make all the food for us, even though he didn't know how and kept burning himself. Or-Or, my favorite, ha, when I left him in the woods when he began screaming at me about how I need to change my criminally ways. Man, that kid was hilarious!"

The more they heard these stories, the more of an adult their Dad sounded at 17-years-old, and more of a child Stan sounded at 47-years-old. The twins couldn't help, but laugh aloud. Stan smiled as Mabel wiped her tears. "I thought you two could use a little humor. Though, I still don't understand how you convinced your pops to let you come."

"Um, Mom said she convinced him."

"That mother of your's, she's truly a saint, she is. Only she could convince anyone to let their kids stay the summer with an old fart, like me."

Mabel couldn't help it, she released another sloppily, tear-filled laugh. "I...I'm sorry."

"Kid, you shouldn't be apologizing. I think your brother should be."

Dipper gulped. "Mabel...I can't...it just seems sorta...I believe he is stuck, but I don't believe he's who he says he is."

"I'm agreeing with Dipper on this one, though I can't believe the pocket dimension theory, kiddo." Stan chimed in.

Dipper stared at him, remembering the words, warning him that Stan knew more than he let on. And the portal. What was the portal and why was Stan so adamant that it didn't exist? "What portal are you talking about though?"

"There is no p-"

"Grunkle Stan, my deal is...I have to save Grandpa Stanley. If you know something, please."

"...kid, my brother disappeared long ago. And, you don't have to do your end, unless he forces you. He forced himself into my body, even though I told him that I changed my mind."

Mabel made a grunt of frustration and flopped her face onto the table. "So, was that the whole story? Anything else you need to tell me?"

The brunet shook his head. "Alright, well, I'm gonna start making dinner, so scamper off, and I'll tell you the plan later."

Mabel stormed off and Dipper chased after her. "W-Where are you going?"

"To call for Grandpa Stanley, again."

"Mabel, if he isn't coming, then I don't think yo-"

Mabel whipped around in the middle of the hallway. "I won't stop trying to help him!"

Dipper sighed. "Mabel, he isn't responding though."

"Then you call him!"

"I already tried that though! He didn't answer!"

"Well, maybe we need help!"

"From who?"

"I don't know!" Mabel threw her hands into the air and then stalked off to Soos's room.

~!19-8-5/9-19/2-1-3-11!~

When the twins went down to breakfast the next day, Stan immediately folded up the newspaper he was reading and placed it in his lap. They frowned suspiciously at him, though Dipper was the only one to speak. "What's in there that you don't want us to see?"

"The stock market." Stan said, sipping his coffee, face a picture of calmness.

"I like reading about the stock market. Can I see?"

"No, this wasn't about the stock market, didn't mean to say that.? This is just old, boring weather."

"Grunkle Stan, we can always ask Wendy to bring in her house's newspaper." Mabel pipped in, going for the obvious approach.

Stan finally released a sigh. "Kids, you really don't need to know."

Dipper felt a twist in his gut. "W-What's going on?"

"Your anxiety is gon-"

"Forget my anxiety! What's going on?!"

He looked between the two of them, before finally placing the newspaper on the counter. Mabel took it, opened to the front page, and blinked in surprise at seeing the face of a grinning Bud Gleeful staring up at her. Dipper's eyes scanned the headline and he choked. "BUD GLEEFUL REVEALED TO BE THE WIFE KILLER."

"M-Mrs. Gleeful i-" Dipper began.

"Just read the article." Stan told him, staring intently at his coffee.

The two read the article in their heads, beginning to feel fear rise up inside them. "Bud Gleeful, local car business owner, and father of fake psychic Lil' Gideon, was arrested Monday night, for the near death of his current wife and near brutal beating of son. Cops report a helpful group of citizens ceased these activities and called them to the scene. Wife is reported to be in stable condition, though still unconscious, while child is unharmed, yet unconscious still as well. Upon integration and through the testings of DNA, it was revealed that Bud Gleeful was in fact born as Barney Grievous, whom reportedly murdered his first pregnant wife and her brother, then his second wife, and finally his third one, before going on the run, disappearing for over a decade. Grievous will be charged with first degree murder, with the family of first and third wives pressing charges against him. The state of Oregon will be pressing abuse charges, for his current family. Trial proceedings begin tomorrow."

Mabel covered her mouth with a trembling hand, while Dipper forgot to breath. Stan face appeared grim as he removed the newspaper from their hands. Mabel lurched from her seat, and sprinted out of the room. The sound of the front door door slamming echoed throughout the house. "Fudge! She better not be going to the hospital! I already told her no!"

Stan removed himself from his seat and went out the door, forgetting about his shocked grand-nephew. The 13-year-old wasn't even paying attention though, simply staring at the newspaper. The words of before echoed throughout his head...the imprisonment of 120 years...for his crimes...Dipper felt a shift within himself and a familiar feeling returned. Once thought to be thankfully lost, cured by the consoling of the doctors in the mental hospital, his catatonic personality was beginning to return.

He was there, again. In the hospital. His leg was still in a cast, head bandaged from his surgery, and the wrist was in a brace. The bruises on his body ached, though, the feeling was quite distant through his catatonic state. A doctor was speaking to him, attempting to soothe his traumatized soul. "Jason, it's ok to feel sad," Jason. He wasn't Dipper. He was never Dipper, not since the incident. He was Jason. He realized Jason had always been deep within him, the lonely soul within him. Sad? Sad, didn't even begin to describe the aching within him. "It's ok to cry, too." He didn't want to cry. He wanted to scream and curse everyone. A lone tear tracked itself down his face. He would merge with Dipper eventually and the ache would significantly reduce over the course of the year. Jason and Dipper were one, but Jason was bringing him down at the moment. "Jason? Jason, how do you feel about having medication?"

When he took it, anger came deep from within. It could of been Jason, it could of been Dipper, maybe it was a bit of both, but he threw violent fits. Fling his metal lunch tray at the nurse's face. Bite them until they bled. Kick them in the shins. Two days later, he was taken off of it. They tried another. He scratched his own skin, until he bled. Another one, he began to hit the other patients. After the fourth, they stopped. He was angry about everything. It was either be angry or traumatized. They wanted him traumatized instead. Traumatized by the stairs. Traumatized by the voice. Traumatized by the knowledge that he was always going to be Jason Ritter Pines. "Jason! Jason! Please, if you don't stop, we'll ha-"

"Dipper? Oh, shit, Dipper!" A voice grumbled out in a panic. Dipper felt uncontrollable movement throughout his body. His limps were smacking into anything around him, head bashed backwards, head exploding in pain. "Shit!"

The items around him were moved and his limps and head freely smacked onto the ground instead, pain reduced somewhat. He couldn't see, everything was dark and, he felt panicked at the thought. Then, then, his movements stopped and he opened his eyes with a groan. A wrinkled hand patted his cheek. "Hey, hey kid, you alright? That's it, come on, open your eyes..."

The concerned face of Stan swam before his eyes and he cringed at the bright light beyond his great-uncle. He gradually became aware of the fact that he felt wet in the last place he wanted to be. He squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment. "S-Sorry...floor..."

"Hey, I ain't worried about that, I'm more worried by you have a freakin' seizure in the middle of the kitchen."

Seizure. He hadn't had one of those since a year ago when they first admitted him to the hospital. He had thrown up instead that time though, and Dipper wasn't sure which was worse. He gulped, throat dry and he closed his eyes. "S-Sorry..."

"Kid, I'm gonna call 911, so w-"

He kept his eyes closed, feeling strangely calm about the whole thing now. "No, no, they...can't do anything...just...my powers...or Jason...either make it happen...I guess..."

"What are you talking about? Look, you-"

"Powers...overwhelm head...sometimes...and me being Jason brings...remembering..."

"Uh, you are Jason, kid."

"I know...other me is sad though... Dipper isn't as sad..."

"I have no idea what you're saying."

"How...long w-was it?"

"I have no idea, I came back in and found you in the middle of it. I was gone about a minute or two though."

"Five minutes...is when you call 911...it's ok...no hospitals...tired..."

"Ok, ok, fine, go to sleep...we'll go find your sister later..." The voice swam away from his senses.

~!-?-!~

Vibrant chocolate eyes beamed into the exhausted, sky blue ones. She had gained access easily to his room, when a doctor had recognized her to be her brother's twin and allowed her access to the room. Dr. Thompson thought it wouldn't make much of a difference, considering how mute their patient had been since waking yesterday morning. The staff couldn't coax a word from Gideon Gleeful's mouth and were beginning to suspect it was more of a psychological problem than an injury. A psychologist was to come in tomorrow if he wouldn't speak by then, yet he had refused to speak despite this. Of course, Gideon didn't know the details of his father, but Mabel suspected he's known a bit for awhile now. She smiled at him, despite the urge to cry about her new found knowledge. "Hi!"

Gideon didn't reply, though he fidgeted with the thin sheet covering his body, face paler than per usual. It didn't dissuade her and she was by his beside within seconds. "How you feeling?"

He avoided eye contact, which finally made her somewhat dissuade, smile dropping. "I can leave if you want me to."

She stepped back, but his arm shot out, grasping onto the front of her sweater. "Do you want me to stay? I know you aren't going to talk, but can you nod or shake your head?"

He nodded and she stepped forward as his hand released. She pulled up a seat and settled herself beside his bed. The washed out hospital gown made him appear sickly, but the shadows underneath his eyes were what really placed the exhaustion on him. She reached out for his hand, though he jerked it away in what appeared to be anticipation of her actions. Mabel suspected he would, but had attempted anyways. Apparently they weren't on as good as terms as she had thought them to be. "Sorry."

The brunette decided a different approach, though she was further hesitant of this one. "Do you...do you know...about...your dad...?"

He tensed at her words and immediately knew to abort. "Sorry! Um, uh, um...Oh! I saw the new Captain America movie with Grunkle Stan and Dipper. Do you like that sort of stuff?"

Gideon wasn't listening no longer though. He seemed to be stuck in his mind, repeating events of the past. The image of Bud Gleeful-or should she say Barney Grievous?- loomed in her mind and she shuddered. She reached out for his hand, though this time there was no resistance. The pudgy hand was limb and cold to the touch. Mabel felt tears well in her eyes as she thought about what he had gone through, be cornered into a deal with a demon, in order to feel as though he actually be worthy of anything. Mabel nearly startled as the hand tightened around her own and barely heard the hoarse whisper from his lips. "...thanks..."

Her lips stretched upwards, voice raising in a possessive pitch. "Your welcome, Giddy."

Chapter 15 End

I promised myself when I first started this fanfiction, that I would never make my readers wait such a long time for the next chapter and it appears as though I broke my promise. I apologize with all my heart for the wait, but I actually have excuses on why it has been over a month since the last update. First of all, the last month of high school completely overwhelmed me and I hardly had time to write this out. When I actually did have time, I was completely stuck on how to go about this chapter. Honestly, I'm all not that satisfied with it and may edit it later on, though the changes will likely be minor ones. I want to thank you all for the wait though and the next chapter will come earlier than you think, since it's summer (I have a job though and studying to get license are going to occupy my time though, so I wanted to warn you about that). Anyways, notes for this chapter are, the idea of Bud Gleeful having a secret identity was simply to move along Gideon's plot into the direction of Mabel's and Dipper's. Also, Jason Ritter is Dipper's voice actor as another side note.