Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Alex Hirsch owns Gravity Falls, not me.

Mabel entered into the clearing, where the Mystery Shack lay, leaving the woods behind as the mid-day sun shined upon her. Gideon had soon fallen asleep after he quietly replied to her, back at the hospital. The brunette had decided then was the best time to retreat back to home and had cringed when she realized how angry Stan would be at her for running off after this morning. She couldn't of helped it; she thought Gideon had known and would need comfort, though it had turned out that he was unaware of his father's real identity. Or was he? As she moved towards the house, she froze in place, staring up at triangle shaped window, leading up to the attic. There, a figure stood, shadowy, as though they weren't completely there. The figure shifted, and came into view, revealing it to be Stanley, tightly holding a shotgun. She gasped and raced inside. When her great-uncle saw her from the reclining chair in the living room, she ignored the calls from him as she barreled up the stairs, two at time.

Mabel exploded into the attic room, where her brother and her slept. "Grandpa Stanley?!"

No one, of course, stood by the window, nor was there a reflection of anyone on the window. A lump on her brother's bed moved though, and Dipper's sleepy face peeped out from beneath his blanket. "M'bel?"

She cocked her head in confusion and stepped closer to his bed. A thought occurred to her and she inwardly cringed guiltily. "Did...did you have another panic attack?"

He shook his head. "Se'zure..."

"Oh my god! Are you ok?! You haven't had one si-"

Stan stepped into the room, panting slightly. He easily composed himself though, and glared at Mabel. "Where the heck have you been?"

Mabel gulped. "The...hospital..."

"Do you two gremlins listen to anything an adult says? Or is it just me?" Stan grumbled, though there didn't seem to be much heat behind it, surprisingly.

"Gr'nk-" Dipper cleared his throat, becoming less sleepy. "Grunkle Stan?"

"Oh, you're up now?" Stan questioned, stepping to his bedside.

"Dipper said he had a seizure, again?" Mabel asked, feeling concerned still.

"Oh, so this is common apparently? How many other things have you two decided to keep from me?"

Mabel frowned, feeling more irritated than concerned now. Stan seemed to be keeping just as many secrets as they were and him accusing them of hiding more than he thought seemed a bit hypocritical of him. "It's only happened a few times."

"So, we got you two stealing my brother's books, hiding Dipper's seizures and anxiety, and you both making deals with demons. Anything else you wanna tell me, while we're at it?" Stan groused.

"Well, I don't like your pancakes." Dipper stated.

The elder man glared at him. "I'm about ready t-"

"Uh, Grunkle Stan, I wanted to actually know if you wanted to come to the hospital to visit Gideon tomorrow?" Mabel asked, deciding it best to cease Dipper from causing Stan to actually grow angry.

He raised an eyebrow, not even realizing what she did. "Why the heck do I wanna go there? I'm there practically everyday thanks to your brother!"

Stan gestured at Dipper, who frowned. "Hey, it's not my faul-"

It then occurred to Mabel that he wouldn't want to visit Gideon. He may of rescued him from his abusive father, but that didn't mean he wanted to involve himself any further. She turned to Dipper instead, feeling confident he would want to come. "Are you coming?"

Dipper bit his lip. "I...I don't think I should."

That was a surprise. "What? But, I thought you would want to?"

Dipper looked away. "Mabel, I just don't thi-"

Mabel realized her brother was perhaps in a state of denial about the connection. She was suddenly on his bed, grasping at his left hand, placing it over the left side of her chest. Dipper gave her a startled look at this. "Do you feel that?"

"Uhhh, y-your heart?"

"No, that."

Dipper squinted his eyes and stared uncomfortably at the hand over her heart. "...I-I don't know?"

"The connection! Don't you remember it?"

Dipper closed his eyes and was silent for moment. His eyes snapped open and he stared at her hand in awe. "Yeah...I can."

"That's what we have with Gideon! Just like when I'm with you, I can feel it around him!"

He was silent for a beat, before he spoke. "W-Well...I...I guess I can come..."

"Yay!" Mabel cried, clapping her hands.

"Ok, what the heck is going on? You two keep mentioning all of these connection things and powers and I want an explanation to all of this!" Stan interrupted.

Mabel looked to Dipper for permission, who in turn looked at the wall beside his bed. "...Go ahead."

"Well, um...I've...seen things since I was little...like...ghosts," Mabel began, becoming quieter towards the end of the sentence. "And Dipper...he hears things that happen in the...future or...in the past..."

"I've heard things in the present too..." Dipper mumbled.

Mabel nodded, seeming more confident about telling once her twin joined in. "Me too, but I see that, instead of hearing it."

"So...like you two are psychic?" Stan asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Uhhh, yes?" Even Mabel didn't fully understand it.

"Ok, how about you kids show me these 'powers', so I know you aren't pulling my leg here."

Mabel laughed nervously, completely unsure of how to go about this. "Uhhhh...?"

Dipper cringed internally. Even he wasn't aware of how to purposely use his powers. He coul-Oh. "You lied to our mom about us being in a 'four-star hotel' and that the Shack had rats in it, when Gideon actually stole your deed."

"You overhearing me talking on the phone doesn't prove anything."

"Oh, oh! Grandpa Stanley was named after Great-Grandpa Stanley!" Mabel chimed in.

"Your pops could of told you that."

Mabel had no idea what to say now, yet it seemed as usual her brother had all of the answers. "You call your brother...L-Lee."

Stan tensed, knowing his brother's wife would of never told her son that, causing it to be impossible for his nephew, and thus for his grand-nephew as well. He stared at the brunet with wide eyes, voice coming out as stunned. "How...how did you know that?"

"Our powers." Both the twins replied in sync.

Stan glared at them, seemingly over his shock in a heart beat, though avoiding the topic of his twin. "Stop doing all of that The Shining stuff, or else I'll disown the both of you."

"The what?" They asked, once more in sync.

"...I'm leaving." Stan stated, slamming the door behind him.

Mabel released a sigh of relief and wiped her forehead. "I thought I was in trouble!"

The door opened and Stan's head popped in. "Thanks for reminding me; you won't have dinner tonight."

"What?!" Mabel cried, as he shut the door, laughing evilly. When Stan left the room though, he covered his mouth with a trembling hand, breathing out his brother's nickname, as his eyes welled with unshed tears. The face of agony melted in a second, becoming determined, before leaving for the basement, where the portal constantly hummed and called for him.

~!4-15-5-19/1-14-25-15-14-5/18-5-1-4/20-8-5-19-5!~

When the twins entered the hospital the following day, accompanied by a scowling Grunkle Stan, they were greeted by the sight of a clearly agitated man in a suit, arguing with Dr. Thompson in the hallway near the reception desk, in hushed voices. None of them could hear what was being argued about, but Dipper had a suspicion that involved Gideon. Stan was, surprisingly, the first to step forward to the pair. "Dick."

The pair immediately ceased speaking, when they realized the had an audience. Dr. Thompson smiled warily at the elder man. "Stan, it seems as though you've caught me at a bad time."

"Uh, well the kids wanted to see Gleeful's-uh, I mean Grievous's-boy, again."

The man in suit raised an eyebrow at them. His dark eyes grudgingly observed the trio, then he released a sigh. "Are your grandchildren friends of Gideon?"

"Yes." Mabel automatically answered genuinely, though Dipper currently felt unsure at the moment about the answer, so he remained silent.

"...I can't tell you any details, as that would be unethical of a psychologist, but he's being uncooperative or maybe frightened, and refuses to speak to me. Perhaps his friends could help, as his immediate family is, er, indisposed at the moment." The man explained.

"We can help." Mabel volunteered.

Stan stared at her, then to Dipper, who nodded, well-aware his sister wouldn't take no for an answer. The elder man rubbed a hand across his jaw and released a sigh, before grumbling quietly to himself. "I'm already getting more involved than I need to..."

"What was that?" The psychologist questioned, not hearing his response.

Stan raised his voice, removing his hand from his face. "Yeah, they can help out."

When Dipper entered the room though, a tingle went down his spine and he shuddered, finding himself uncertain if he should even be here to visit. It was that...connection, rippling throughout his soul. And that connection felt...somewhat thin at the moment, causing his soul to feel cautious about the presence of Gideon Gleeful. When he looked around the room, before settling on the back of Gideon, who was curled up in a ball in a chair beside the window, no longer wearing a hospital gown, but a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. It struck him odd to view Gideon in anything other than a suit. From behind, his hair appeared limp and lifeless, unlike when he first met him, further striking him odd. Dipper realized he's been thinking that about Gideon constantly. He wasn't sure how Stan knew, but he somehow got the psychologist to leave, causing the twins to be alone with the freckled boy. Mabel settled herself in a chair, on the left side of him, facing towards the window. Dipper hesitantly pulled up a chair beside his right side, avoiding any view of the boy's face, feeling as though he didn't belong here. He was surprised when Gideon was the first to speak, Texan twang more prominent than before, yet voice softer than ever. "...don't w-want h-him here..."

"Dipper?" Mabel asked.

"...n-no...the p-psychologist..." Gideon replied, voice beginning to thicken with emotion.

"He just wants to help...Have you talked to anyone besides me since you woke up?" Gideon didn't reply, which was an answer in itself. Mabel frowned at him, concern clearly exhibited. "Look at me."

"...n-no..."

"Please?" Dipper thought Gideon would give her the same answer, but he faced to her, before she reached out for his hand, squeezing it. "It's ok to cry."

The brunet nearly ceased breathing at those words, finding them to be similar to his own doctor's. Gideon faced away from his sister, glancing at Dipper, revealing his tear stained face. His buried the memories of his own time in the hospital, stomach twisted uncomfortably at the sight of the freckled child, being reminded of when he caught Gideon sobbing in the forest. And, that was the moment that Dipper decided to get in deeper than he already was, knowing the connection was stronger than he intended it to be. "Do...do y-you remember what happened?"

Gideon gazed into his own eyes, before sniffling. The tears in his red-rimmed eyes swelled out and he gasped aloud. "I...I...y-yes."

The twins shared a pained look, before Mabel spoke. "How much?"

"...p-pieces...s-she...made me not s-see...things...s-sometimes..."

Dipper wasn't quite sure if this was beneficial for him or not...then again, knows what else Jill has done while in his body? Knowing exactly may of broken the 10-year-old beyond repair, and he was sure that the freckled boy wouldn't even be speaking right now, perhaps in a catatonic state that Dipper had occupied for a time. Gideon seemed to be so close to edge right now though, he needed to comfort the boy in some way. "Your...d-dad, he's going to go away for a long time...he can't h-hurt you or your mom, again."

The boy's gasps were ragged now though, eyes wide in panic. His pudgy hands covered his eyes and he shuddered. "...'m sorry...been b-bad b-boy...'m sorry...'m sorry..."

Dipper knew what he had done; he had set Gideon into a flashback, simply by mentioning the man who had abused him and his mother. Guilt consumed Dipper and he suddenly felt like a terrible person. Mabel didn't notice his self-pity though, instead reaching out for Gideon's hands. Bud Gleeful-Barney Grevious-was here though, here in Gideon's state of mind, and unable to remove his abuser's presence from his mind. Dipper snatched Mabel's hands away, before she could touch him, and hissed at her. "He thinks his dad is here and he used to hit him! He's not going to know that it's not him!"

Dipper wasn't sure how he knew this, but he could hear a voice echoing the information in his mind. Mabel appeared startled at this, then jerked her hands away, clearly concerned. "What are we supposed to do then?"

The voice that supplied information to him had no answer for this and Dipper looked away, anxiously wringing his hands. "I...I...don't think we can help him..."

~!-?-!~

Bill Cipher was waiting for Dipper and Mabel in the attic, when they came home from the hospital. He seemed to be in a sort mediated state, floating in the center of their room, eye closed, and in lotus position. That would have not fazed them by this point in the summer, yet the livid golden glow humming throughout his form did. The twins froze for a moment, somewhat mesmerized about the calming glow, nearly feeling for a moment as though the dream demon would protect them. That feeling was dissolved once he spoke. "It's rude to stare."

They jolted in surprise as his eye opened, revealing him to be aware of their presences. Automatically, Dipper avoided eye contact with the dream demon, still somewhat wary of him, though no longer horrified of the sight of him. Mabel stared straight into his eye though, as though she was completely at ease and she replied in a heartbeat. "It's rude to show up in people's houses without telling them."

Bill removed himself from lotus potions, glow fading, and seemed to beam at her. "Glad to know there's no hard feelings from our earlier incident."

Dipper frowned at that comment. What did he mean b-He froze, staring at the dream demon. He gulped compulsively as he realized there was a dent on his body, below his bow tie, knowing it hadn't been there the last time he had seen Bill. Mabel seemed to be staring in the same area, though her action seemed more angry than anything, and she grew a cold hearted look, one that was reserved for Dipper's bullies. "Glad to know you don't have any towards me."

"Kid, you're a meat sack; I hold no hard feelings for them, though I do get annoyed with certain ones."

"What do you want now?" Mabel questioned, clearly avoiding the crypticness of his reply.

"Oh right, nearly forgot; just our deal."

Dipper felt his stomach plunged, now aware that something wasn't right. His twin seemed as concerned as him now. "M-Mine? I'm gonna get him out, I just need more time t-"

"No, no, I know you'll do it, but, well, it seems there some complications now." Bill cut in, becoming serious.

"C-Complications?" Dipper asked.

Bill gazed at him and Dipper found himself looking away once more. "Yes, Pine Tree; it seems as though your sister doesn't have as much time to hold up her end of the deal as you two think."

"What's going on?" Mabel asked, eyes widening.

"You two frown too much. Lighten up and smile! You never seem to have a problem pretending to do that, Shooting Star."

Dipper knew he had missed their last meeting now, finding the sentences to be strange. Mabel continued on, as though she hadn't heard him speak in the first place. "Bill, what's wrong with the deal?"

The triangle sighed aloud, finally continuing on. "Well, in other dimensions and pocket ones there are...other 'species', I suppose you meat sacks would say."

Dipper perked up a bit, seemingly interested about the idea of other living beings occupying other places than where they did. "Species?"

"Oh, I've caught your attention, haven't I?" Dipper felt embarrassed and a bit nervous about how well Bill could read him, though the triangle on the other hand seemed to revel in this. He released an eerie chuckle. "Well, you'll love this: they're after your gramps."

"What? Grandpa Stanley?!" Mabel cried, paling.

"They catch his scent each time he tried leaving the Shack in his dimension, so he never did. They've been agitated by something though and now are attempting to break in. If you don't go through with your end soon...well let's just say your gramps may be invited to dinner soon."

Chapter 16 End

First of all, Mabel did get her dinner, so don't worry (is this a lame attempt to lighten the mood of the story? Yes, yes it is). Secondly, I'm surprised that I was able to write this so recently after the previous chapter, especially since there was a month gap between chapter 14 and 15. I promised to keep the time between each update shorter during the summer and I hope I won't disappoint all of you fantastic readers. The next chapter should be fairly soon, so you don't have to wait all that long after all (and a certain elder Pines twin will have some action next chapter).