A/N I'm not really sure if I like this chapter, but I hope you guys do! Plot will pick up very soon. I have the rest of this story all mapped out now, and I'm really excited about it. At first this was a vague idea in my head where I knew where I wanted the story to end up and it slowly has been taking shape in my head as I've been writing this, but now I have a clearer picture of how I want to get there. I'm really excited about this story and I'm so grateful for this show for existing and the episode "Not What He Seems" for pulling my muse out of hiding after a horrible bout of writer's block. And of course, I'm so very grateful for you, my faithful readers and reviewers. Your support has really helped me keep up my momentum.

Shout out to Skyler, thank you for all the reviews, and I'm glad you're enjoying my other "Gravity Falls" stories. They will be updated, I don't know when but they will. This story has held my muse hostage and I'm afraid I have been neglecting my other stories, but they're not forgotten and I won't let them fall by the wayside.

I'd also like to mention gravityfalls22 for the novel length reviews you've been giving me. Thank you so very, very much! I wish you had an account, and if you do that you'd log in, because some of the things you mention leave so much open for discussion and I want to discuss! First of all, your reviews have been the opposite of lame, so don't apologize. Second, I don't have "Dipper and Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Non-Stop Fun" so I have no idea what all it says, but the snippets you've been sharing have been very interesting. As a spoilerphobe I've been avoiding much of the speculation and theories out there, but yes, very interesting. Third, you mention that it's interesting that Bill seems interested in Mabel alone, well, who says he's only interested in Mabel? I don't think Bill is the type to keep all his eggs in one basket but since this story is all Mabel's POV, that's all you see. Besides, he's messed with Stan and Dipper, so why not Mabel? That said, I also think it's very likely that Bill will use Dipper's feelings of isolation from his family to his advantage in future episodes, it makes sense after all, though I hope that there won't be any major long lasting conflict between him and Mabel. A little bit for an episode or two, sure, but their relationship is my favorite part of the show so I wouldn't want that to drag out for too long. It's the same reason why I think I'm in the minority when I say that I felt kind of 'meh' about "Northwest Mansion Mystery" because while it was good, it was weird to see Dipper working alone with literally no involvement from Mabel. Mystery Twins forever baby, yeah!

Also it's been mentioned by two different people that Alex stated that we should prepare ourselves to have our headcanons annihilated, to that I say, "Prepare for it? Alex, awesome Alex, I'm expecting it!" "Not What He Seems" left the door open for a million possibilities and I'm so looking forward to seeing where Alex goes with this, because "Gravity Falls" is the best show out there and I know he's not going to disappoint, because even at it's worst, "Gravity Falls" is still the best! This story exists because he's inspired me and I need to pass the time during this hiatus somehow! Right?

I also want to mention RockSunner, you've been with me since chapter one and thank you so much for sticking with me! I hope everyone will continue to stick with me on this! I know I'm forgetting some of you, but I love every review I get, it always makes me so happy!

Well, enough babbling, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Visions

Mabel shifts uncomfortably on the bed, glancing around the sterile environment with a hint of paranoia. The hospital gown itches and she wishes she could just change back into her normal clothes and be done with it. She wants to get out of here, something about this place is unsettling and all-too familiar, like she's been here before.

Sitting beside her on each side is Grunkle Stan and Dipper, both holding up a hand of cards close to their faces, their expressions blank. She's playing along, trying so hard not to reveal how afraid she is of this place, of what it reminds her of that she's worn herself out and she's tired and cranky and wants nothing more than to go home and forget about everything. Better yet, go back to before when they were having a blast setting off fireworks leftover from the Fourth of July celebration, eating icy pops and putting out small fires with water balloons. If she could go back to that moment and stay there forever, or skip over everything that came after so that it never happened, she would.

She glances at the swivel table that's set up across the bed over her lap, at the deck of cards set there and the pile of paperclips they've been using as poker chips as they play a bit of Poker to pass the time and sighs. She looks at her cards, two jacks and a pair of four's, a decent hand, but she's tired and her poker face is starting to slip, "I fold and I'm out," she shoves the rest of her paperclips into the pile and leans back into her pillow, closing her eyes.

"Are you OK?" Dipper asks for the umpteenth time.

Mabel sighs, "No. I'm tired and I want to go home. This whole thing is ridiculous, I'm fine."

Grunkle Stan yawns tiredly, "I'm sure we can go as soon as they come back with the test results."

"This is taking forever," Mabel whines, fiddling with the oxygen cannula on her nose.

"Leave it," Stan lightly taps her hand and she lowers it, rolling her eyes petulantly.

"It's making my nose itch."

"It's also helping you feel better," Dipper retorts.

"You guys were tossed around down there as much as I was, probably even more so, maybe you two should get checked out, just to be sure," Mabel frowns, "why do I have to be the only one who gets poked and prodded, huh?"

"We're not the ones who passed out. Twice," Dipper sighs, just as tired and cranky as she is.

"But I'm feeling better now," Mabel protests, "honest!"

Stan gives her a weary smile, "Good, it means the treatments are working."

Mabel closes her eyes and sighs, "I just can't wait to get out of here."

"That makes three of us," Stan agrees.

What was supposed to be a quick check up at the doctor's has turned into a six hour waiting game. Due to the influx of patients because of the "Anti-Gravity Phenomena" as the media had started calling it, the town's lone walk-in medical clinic was overrun and not taking any new patients so Stan had little choice but to take Mabel to the ER which would mean an even longer waiting time.

They had to wait for hours before she could be seen, but when Dipper mentioned that she had fainted twice since the phenomena, she got bumped up in the triage line and within half an hour Mabel, Stan and Dipper were all seated in a curtained cubicle in the ER. Soos had left an hour earlier to check on his grandmother, who was fortunately not affected too badly by the gravity anomalies, though she needed him to help her get her home sorted out again.

It took another half an hour before someone came to check Mabel's vitals, and when a nurse took her blood pressure she had frowned. "You really should lie down, hun. You're blood pressure is really low."

"I'm fine."

"We're really backed up at the moment," the nurse had said, "but I'll make sure a doctor comes in to see you right away."

It only took another ten minutes for a doctor to come and order a ton of tests, the whole time the doctors and nurses seemed awfully concerned despite Mabel insisting she's fine.

Now, six hours later all three Pines are tired and anxious to be done with it. Especially considering Stan's little problem with the feds. Pacifica had told Dipper she'd see what she could do about getting Stan lawyered up, but as of now there are no guarantees and there's no telling how long it would take the amnesiac government agents to find out about Stan again.

"Mabel Pines?"

They all look up when another doctor, different from the first one they had been dealing with walks through the curtain holding a chart.

"So are we good? Can I go now?" Mabel asks impatiently.

The doctor shakes his head, "We need to do a few more tests…"

"Seriously?" Mabel groans, "I'm fine!"

"The results of your blood tests show otherwise," the doctor retorts, "cell count is low, iron levels: low, blood sugar and oxygen is low and considering how low your blood pressure is, I'm surprised you're even sitting up let alone conscious to be honest. It's all very concerning and until we can pinpoint exactly why you're sick, I don't feel comfortable with you leaving just yet."

"Do you have any ideas what might be wrong with her?" Grunkle Stan asks, resting his hand on Mabel's knee and giving it a squeeze, guilt is evident on his face, after all, it's his fault she got hurt.

"All signs point to blood loss," he says, "but there's no sign of bleeding, internal or otherwise but any illness that would cause these symptoms typically don't happen so quickly. How long have you been experiencing these symptoms again?"

"Since the anomalies earlier today," she sighs.

"Feeling dizzy?"

"Not really."

"Nauseous?"

"No."

"Any pain?"

"Just my ankle and some bruises, but I'm good."

"Are you menstruating?"

Mabel is mortified by the question, especially with her brother and Grunkle sitting right there beside her and she lowers her gaze, "I…I uh, haven't started yet."

"How long have you been having trouble sleeping?" he asks.

"Uh, never."

"When was the last time you slept?"

"This afternoon…seriously doc, I want to get out of here."

"Are you sure? You look exhausted."

"Probably because we've all had a very, very long day," Mabel sighs, "I want to go home now."

"Well, I'd like to make that happen for you, I really would, but again, I don't feel like it's a good idea until we can figure out what's wrong with you," the doctor says, "I'm going to order a transfusion, and more tests and I would actually like to keep you overnight for observation. Just to be sure."

"What? No! You can't! Grunkle Stan, please don't make them keep me here!" Mabel begs.

"Sorry kiddo," Grunkle Stan shakes his head, "you're not fooling anyone with the feeling OK act and I'd rather play it safe."

"Dipper, bro-bro, help me out here!" Mabel turns to him, even though she knows what his answer will be. He's always been a little overprotective.

"It's only one night," Dipper assures her, before turning to the doctor, "right?"

"If all goes well," he nods, scribbling something onto the clipboard and leaving.

Mabel feels her eyes well up with tears and she sinks into her pillow, covering her eyes with her hands. "Please don't make me stay here!" she begs quietly.

"Mabel," Dipper says gently, taking her hand in his so he can look her in the eyes, "why are you being so stubborn?"

"I don't want to be alone," she insists, "please!" When I'm alone I see things…and Bill, ugh what is he planning?…plus this place is giving me the creeps! When I'm alone I can't stop thinking about what kind of trouble I've gotten us into, about what I did, and what I owe Bill. I need the distraction! "I feel fine!"

"Come on, you're white as a ghost," Dipper comments, and his choice of words sends a chill down her spine considering she had been a ghost briefly, in the other timeline. "You're not fooling anyone, and if the doctors have reasons to be worried, then I think you should listen to them."

But that's the problem, she really does feel fine. A little weak and sore, but that's it. So why are the test results showing that there's something seriously wrong with me? She wonders, and the answer scares her because it only makes her doubt if everything around her is even real. What if this is all a dream and she's still stuck in Limbo, or maybe within her own mind as the Wraiths or whatever take control and wreak havoc? What if she's experiencing symptoms of blood loss because she's still dying from it and just can't feel it because nothing in this reality is even real?

"Please, don't leave me here alone!" Mabel begs again.

"Hey, hey," Dipper soothes, pulling her into a gentle hug as she starts to cry, "it's OK, it's only one night. You'll be sleeping through most of it anyway."

"With everything that's happened, I really don't like the idea of us being separated," Mabel cries, "I'm so scared that something terrible is going to happen."

"Sis, come on, this isn't like you to be scared," Dipper frowns, rubbing her back comfortingly, "or this emotional and paranoid. You're the optimist, remember? It's going to be OK."

"Well…could you guys…stay?" she asks, looking them in the eyes, completely serious and sincere.

"If they'll let us, of course we will," Grunkle Stan nods.

"And if not?"

"Hmm…I'm feeling a little faint!" Dipper exclaims, dramatically placing the back of his hand on his forehead, acting like a damsel in distress. "Grunkle Stan, I think I should stay for observation too!"

Mabel giggles and wipes her tears and wraps her arms around her brother, "Thank you."

"I'm sure your parents would be thrilled to see the bills if both of you got admitted," Grunkle Stan points out gruffly, "I'll see what I can arrange, but no faking it, Dipper."

"He's right, bro," Mabel reluctantly agrees, "but it's the thought that counts."

"Hey, at least I made you laugh," Dipper shrugs with a grin, "I'm beginning to miss it."

"Me too," she admits. I'm sorry to worry you but I'm trying, honest. If you had any idea what's really going on, you'd understand.

After a while the time comes for Mabel to transfer to a room for the night in the children's ward. By now it's just Dipper staying behind as Stan had decided to head home and get a few of Mabel's things to pass the time during her short stay.

"My rainbow yarn and number 6 knitting needles, I have an idea for a sweater design,"Mabel had requested, which came as no surprise to anyone since knitting has always helped her relax, "and…do you think I could borrow one of the journals?"

That request was kind of surprising to everyone, even Mabel. She's never been interested in them before, she only cared about them because Journal #3 had meant so much to Dipper ever since he found it. But considering what had happened and her secret predicament, she figures now's the time to try and find some answers since Bill Cipher doesn't seem willing to give her any.

"OK now I'm really starting to worry," Dipper had said, half-jokingly but also a little sincere.

"What? I made a mistake, I need to try and fix it," Mabel replied, looking to Stan apologetically. She's not a fan of dishonesty, but she can't help but understand now what Bill meant about being deceitful through omission and misdirection-another reason to feel nervous about what the triangle demon is up to. As expected Stan had interpreted it as referring to Stanley when she meant so much more, but she knows that correcting him would only hurt him even more than she did when she shut off the portal. It's better for everyone if he believes that she didn't know what the portal was for.

"It's OK," Stan had insisted, his sad eyes betraying his feelings of failure, "please don't beat yourself up over what happened down there. And of course you can borrow one of the journals, if that's what you want. There's not much of a point trying to keep them a secret anymore now that you know the truth."

Dipper's face had darkened at that, reminding everyone that while he's willing to put his anger aside, probably for Mabel's sake, he's still harbouring feelings of betrayal. Mabel still can't blame him, but she's glad that this Dipper is far more understanding than the other Dipper.

Even though I'm so scared of what Bill might want from me, I hope this isn't all in my head. I want this to be real. I feel like a terrible person because of what it means for Grandpa Stanley, but…besides being stuck in this stupid hospital, things are so much better in this reality…

"It's going to be OK," Dipper repeats as Mabel visibly tenses when the hospital staff come to get her. He helps keep her steady as she climbs out of bed and into the wheelchair they set next to the bed. "I'm right here."

"I know," Mabel nods quickly, her voice quivering. She feels him massage her shoulders, and she realizes just how tense she is. She glances up at her brother and gives him a small smile of gratitude.

The nurse wheels her out of the small ER cubicle and down a hall towards the elevators, Dipper staying close by her side. She feels something tighten in her chest, her vision wavers and she's struck with a vision of Dipper being held back by Soos. His image is faded and slightly transparent, and he's completely distraught. She follows his line of vision and sees a bunch of nurses and doctors surrounding a gurney, and Mabel instinctively knows that she's the one lying on it.

BP's dropping, we're losing her! one of the doctors says.

Let go…stop fighting…

Mabel! Please hold on! Stay with me! Other Dipper begs as alarms go off and she's blocked from view by all the chaos surrounding her. Other Dipper fights Other Soos's grip with all he has before her other self vanishes through a set of doors and he collapses into Soos's arms, in a state of complete despair.

Dipper!

Don't die Mabel, Other Dipper sobs, please don't die…

"Mabel!" Dipper cries out in alarm, shaking her gently and Mabel blinks at him and the vision is suddenly gone, "Are you OK?"

She shivers and shakes her head even as she replies shakily, "I'm fine…I'm fine..."

"Oh man, you're so white, you totally zoned out for a minute there and look like you're about to pass out again!" he frets, looking up at the nurse for answers.

The nurse looks at the monitor she's still attached to and replies, "You're OK, take deep breaths. In and out. Don't worry, you're fine, pulse looks a little high, BP a little low but you're OK. The sooner you're lying down in bed though, the better."

What's wrong with me? She wonders in quiet panic, recognizing that she had witnessed that scene before, but from a different perspective. This time she saw it instead of just hearing it, and the whole thing is strange and worrisome.

Despite their best efforts, Dipper and Stan aren't allowed to stay with her during the night, though she's glad they let them stay a little past visiting hours to help her get settled. But now her fears are realized and she's alone again with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. The bed next to her is empty and she can't stop looking at it, the room feels so oddly familiar to her that it's a little unnerving.

As promised Stan had brought her some of her knitting supplies, far more than she needed but he told her that he couldn't remember exactly which ball of yarn or needles she had wanted so he brought several. He also brought Journal #2, but by the time they left she was exhausted and couldn't concentrate when she flipped through it. All the codes and scribbles and ciphers would probably make sense to Dipper, but not her.

The room is dark and the nurse tells her to get some sleep, but Mabel's too stressed and worried to sleep. Plus the blood transfusion they had hooked up to her IV is making her nauseous. However, even though she feels better than her test results says she should, she realizes she does feel a little stronger. Maybe this means they'll let me go in the morning, she tells herself, hoping it's working because this room is giving her the creeps and she'd rather not have to stay any longer than that. It's freaking her out how familiar it is and she doesn't know why, but she does have her suspicions which does nothing to ease her fears.

Bill, you stupid triangle please, tell me what's really going on! I'm begging you here! Knowing isn't going to change anything!

As she expects nothing happens and Mabel sighs, closing her eyes in frustration and exhaustion.

Beep. Beep. Whoosh. Beep. Beep. Whoosh.

Mabel snaps her eyes open at the familiar sound and looks over at the empty bed next to her. Only now it's no longer empty. There's a girl lying in the bed, attached to various wires and machines. There's a tube down her throat, pumping air into her lungs. A strange grey aura surrounds the girl and Mabel is drawn to her, so much that she lowers the rail on her bed, swings her legs over and grasps the IV stand for support and hobbles towards the bed.

She can't say she's really all that surprised when she realizes who she's looking at. She's looking at her own body, her other self from the other timeline, hooked up to some sort of life support. Even though she kind of expected it somehow, the sight leaves her weak in the knees. The familiar smoky grey aura surrounding her begins to take form and Mabel takes a step back in terror as it takes on a shape identical to her. It's like looking into a mirror only her reflection is void of any colour but various shades of grey, and the eyes…the eyes look like small glass orbs filled with smoke and she can see the darkness and evil within them.

You thought you could hide from us forever?

Though she can hear it speaking, the mouth doesn't move, but her misty reflection cocks its head to the side as though curious. Suddenly it goes in for the attack, the ghostly form wrapping around her and suddenly Mabel can't breathe. She lets out a scream as her soul is enveloped by an intense and unbearable pain and she collapses to the floor, completely consumed with pure agony.

We warned you. You should've just let go.

A/N Keep in mind, I take full creative licence with the medical stuff because my medical knowledge is very limited, so even if it may be inaccurate, I hope it still feels plausible. As always, thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! Reviews feed the muse y'know!