Chapter 42: His Gift

'As the saying goes, Santa has a list of those whom have been nice and those whom have been naughty and knows when one is asleep, but just how real are those lists and can everyone in the world really fit on them? Never really paying attention to the metaphors of Christmas, Bill has a gift in mind that he'd really like, but the question is, will he receive it this Christmas after it's been torn from his sights?'

Fresh snow has fallen to the ground and is continuing to accumulate on the blanket that was already placed down there from the day and night before when lake effect snow was reported to enter the area. The white precipitation gave the town a very picturesque image that can be found on the front of a Christmas card which makes it perfect for the holiday that is upon everyone, the season of Christmas.

The time was 4:20pm and sun has began setting, giving the once cloudy snowy day the shadow of the long night to come as the southward sun sat on the horizon to disappear until the next morning, it's time to rise being at 7:10am. The bundles of children that happily played in the snow, from having snow ball fights and to making snow angels in the fresh fallen snow, have thinned out to return to their homes until the next day.

All around the town, different homes were elaborately decorated for the holidays from candy cane lights to hanging icicles, even different inflatable decorations that were set up in the yard of that occasional Santa Claus and Reindeer or deflated Snowman. The town of Gravity Falls was truly ready for the Christmas season, including one home in particular that was elaborately decorated as well, but has lost all holiday spirit.

Blonde hair human Bill Cipher stared out the picture window of his home as he watched the snow continuing to fall with a troubling thought on his mind that has been plaguing him since two days ago. His perfect holiday plans have been ruined and it's all thanks to them! The plan was to spend a peaceful holiday with his beloved, but the last thing he anticipated on was being separated from her by her meddlesome family. He had successfully exiled his demon half and was now living a normal human life with a promise that no harm would ever come to Mabel while she were in his care so what more did her family want from him?

"Demons don't change Mabel, when are you going to learn that?!"

"I'm not taking any chances of anything happening to you kid so I'm sending you two home for Christmas!"

"But mom and dad sent us here!"

"Well I'm sending you back! I'll do anything to keep you away from that demon!"

"I don't care what you guys say, Bill has changed and I love him more than anything in the world! He would never do anything to hurt me!"

Mabel declared that she loved him and defended him while her family constantly put down his efforts of becoming the good guy that won't land on her list of failed romances. Why couldn't her family see that? Why can't they just give him a chance and see that he actually has changed? The only thing they see is what they have always known him as, therefore refusing to see him for what he was trying to.

Now Mabel was gone back to Piedmont California and was out of his reach with Christmas just being tomorrow. The thoughts of her helping him decorate his home for the holidays played back in his mind as if to taunt him, reminding him of what he will never have again. Her smile, her cheer, and her overabundance of energy as she helped him put up and decorate his Christmas tree, it all weighed heavily on his mind and heart as he turned away from his picture window and to the elaborately decorated living room where constant reminders of Mabel were scattered about. That was certainly not helping his case at all, being in the same place where constant reminders of the woman he loved laughed at him, reminding him that the gift he truly wanted this year will be denied to him and it's all thanks to her family. It looked as if he were placed on Santa's naughty list after all and that was all thanks to his origins of being a demon, despite having split from his demon half successfully.

Bill took a step into the main living room and walked over to the elaborately decorated Christmas tree where several small nicely wrapped gifts sat on the red and white tree skirt, the gifts that Mabel wrapped herself while Bill did his best to assist her. The gift wrapped in the blue paper with white triangles spotted randomly throughout the paper and the gift tag specifically addressed to him, the former demon's eyes landed on that as the specific auditory memory of what Mabel told him to do with it played through his mind.

"I want you to open this on Christmas and call me with what you think of it." The ghost of Mabel's voice spoke to him with a cheery giggle. "I really hope you like it."

"You have a great taste in gifts so I know I will love it."

Scooping the small gift off of the tree skirt, Bill laid it between his hands as those sentences played back over and over in his mind, tears beginning to prick at the corners of his eyes. Blinking them back as his vision remained on the gift, Bill still recalled his trip to the bus station two days ago when he had missed his chance to say good-bye to his beloved after being informed of her and her brother being shipped back to Piedmont by Stan that very next day by a teary Mabel. The moment he arrived at the bus station was when the bus pulled off, the view of the back of Mabel's head in the back of the bus along with her brother's was the only memory of that day he had, the saddest day of his human life. His attention however was pulled from the bus and to the left of him when he heard whimpering, that whimpering coming from Pacifica Northwest, Dipper's girlfriend of two years who had her heart set on spending the holidays with her boyfriend and just like Mabel, he was gone from the town and out of her arms.

The mood only darkened for the two when Soos drove by in his truck with Melody, who had come from Portland, Oregon to spend the holidays with him. It was all unfair and shouldn't have happened and the holidays just wouldn't be the same for either blonde. Being the gentlemen that he is, Bill took Pacifica home, wishing her a happy holiday despite that the holidays looked dismal for both with their significant others out of their lives for the event. It was a true crime against love in their view!

While that is one memory the former demon would rather forget, he had to face reality that Mabel would be hundreds of miles away on one of the most important holidays and the only thing that he had to comfort himself with was the moments before she was torn away from him by her meddling uncle. Oh how he was tired of him always standing between him and Mabel's budded relationship. He was bad as Dipper!

The former demon tore his eyes away from the gift and aimed them towards the Christmas tree that Mabel decorated all by herself with the help of a sugar jump start from the hot chocolate he made. A small smile danced on his lips as he continued eyeing the tree with the face of his beloved sitting at the forefront of his mind. Eighteen years old and she still had the bundles of energy as if she were twelve again. I guess not everything changes with age the former demon thought.

Bill looked back down at the gift in his hands and decided to place it back on the tree skirt. While the thought of opening the gift a day early came to mind since she will not be with him on the twenty fifth, he made the promise to Mabel to open it on Christmas as she instructed him to do. Bending his lanky legs so to reach the tree skirt and place the gift back, a knock at the door caught the human's attention, nearly causing him to fall over.

Puzzled as to who could be knocking on his door considering no Christmas carolers lived in the neighborhood, Bill placed the gift down and made his way to his front door that had medium sized Christmas bells placed on the back of it with tinsel, another decorating idea that Mabel had for his home. Opening the door, the dark cloud that threatened to dampen Bill's Christmas was instantly lifted at seeing that special brunette that had more than a place in his heart, her smile reminding him of what the holiday truly meant to him.

"Mabel? I th-thought you were back in Piedmont." Bill stammered over his words at seeing the brunette standing before him in the flesh with a pearly white smile on her face. "I saw you leave on the bus with your brother."

"I know, but I told my mom what happened and well, here I am." Mabel happily spoke as she placed a kiss on his lips. "Can I come in?"

"Of course! Of course!" Bill happily obliged as he stepped aside and let Mabel inside.

Noticing the brunette looking around his living room, Bill couldn't help but smile. While he was so sure that his Christmas holiday was ruined by Stanford Pines, the upper forces had another plan for him, a plan that included making sure that he was placed on Santa's nice list and getting the gift that he truly wanted this year. He could only hope that Pacifica got the gift she really wanted this year as well.

With that black cloud gone, this was truly going to be a great Christmas as what he wanted was standing right in front of him, his truly intended, his gift for all seasons.

I do apologize for disappearing for two weeks without a word. School, work, and life heavily weighed down on me and I needed the rest, but with the semester over until January 12th, I'm back and have plenty of time to catch up with my reading and writing so get ready! Now with those sentiments out of the way, this is for all you Mabill, Mabel, and Bill lovers out there! Merry Christmas from Alisi Thorndyke! :)

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