The weeks leading up to summer had been difficult, there was a learning curve to this whole having a human body thing that Bill hadn't anticipated. Pain wasn't funny like it used to be, there was so much maintenance involved, and on top of that, there were tourists. Vile, loathsome beasts, who complained too much, too often, and made such an awful mess.

Luckily, he didn't typically have to interact with the customer base of the Mystery Shack, just clean up after them. Soos and Melody were extraordinarily patient with him. It was strange to be treated with such kindness, but then, they didn't seem to know who he was. At least, they didn't act like they did.

Still, all of this training and the therapy didn't prepare him for the first day of summer. The day the Pines family came back. Soos and Melody had been talking at length about him having more company around once summer started. Names weren't mentioned, he was told they'd be introduced when they all arrived. But then, they arrived.

Bill was fixing a shelf, grumbling under his breath. The nail head had broken off and he was struggling to get the vice grips to catch the damn thing and pull it out. He was so engrossed in the fiddly nature of his fine motor skills, that he didn't pay attention to the sound of someone coming up from behind him. Not until the loud and exuberant "HI THERE!"

The vice grips fell to the floor and the step ladder wobbled as Bill flailed. In his panic, he grabbed at the shelf he'd been working on, realizing too late his mistake. With a yelp, he fell backward. There were sounds that he couldn't make out, voices muffled by the pounding of blood in his ears.

He hated this sensation. The feeling of being pulled down against his will, the instant pain of hitting the ground. He had already experienced it once when he'd fallen off the roof in the first few days after he'd arrived. Luckily he had fallen into a bush, so he didn't break anything, but the bruises had taken so long to heal.

The rapid train of thought was brought to a halt when he felt something catch him. Arms had come from under his own, pulling him up mid-fall so his feet swung under him. Bill could feel his body tremble, leaning back against the solid mass behind him as he breathed heavily.

"-you really should stop doing that to people, Mabel." An oddly baritone voice said from behind him. Wait, Mabel?

Bill pulled himself away, whirling around. This was a feeling that hadn't been present since he'd first arrived back in this dimension. His skin prickled in the wave of panic, only intensifying when his eye fell on the man in front of him.

Stanford Pines hardly looked older than the last time they'd met. He had a bit more of a tan, but overall looked the same. Stanley had much the same, though his tan was darker and hair longer. The biggest difference came with Mabel and Dipper. The younger set of twins had gotten taller, clearly having grown up more since the last time Bill had seen them. That voice scolding Mabel now belonged to Dipper, though there was still cracking in it.

Bill's attention was only spared for a moment before snapping back to Ford. The man had a calm expression, looking content in a way Bill had never seen before. When their eyes met, that aura of serenity started to be replaced by something else.

"Oh yeah, and that's our new handyman, Bill!" Despite the cheerful tone of Soos's voice, the atmosphere of the gift shop turned ice cold. Bill became very aware of the stares, the silence of the room punctuated by the muffled sounds of nature beyond the walls. His eye flicked from Ford, to Dipper, Mabel, Stan, and Soos. He lifted a hand and gave a shaky wave, terrified to speak.

"Bill? Oh, uh, I'm sorry I scared you, I didn't mean to make you fall." Mabel spoke first, her voice hesitant but kind. She walked up, offering a smile and her hand.

"Erm, no harm done." He said as he shook her hand. Her smile faded at the sound of his voice and Bill knew he had made a mistake. Despite the changes to his physical form, his voice had remained the same. He skittered back as Ford pulled Mabel behind him, his expression darkening.

"Stan, Soos, get the kids out of here." That all too familiar voice barked orders, a six fingered hand grabbing the front of his shirt. Bill couldn't look away from the man, he didn't register the door opening or Soos's protests as he was dragged out.

What was he thinking coming here? That the Pineses would give him a second chance? That Ford would give him another chance? That-

The first punch caught him off guard and made him see stars. The second came with an audible crunch and Bill could feel a warmth leaking over his lip through the severe pain. He could hear the effort of heavy breathing from both Ford and his own body.

It was quickly overtaken by a feminine shout, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

The next blow didn't come, instead, Bill slid down the wall when Ford released him in surprise. The conversation taking place above him was mostly lost on the former demon, as his head was doing that spinning thing he hated. With a still trembling hand, he touched the wet sensation on his upper lip. It had an odd metallic taste that Bill could swear he knew.

"Bill?" He looked up, seeing a worry-stricken Melody hovering over him with Ford glaring daggers at him behind her. Her eyes widened. Ah fuck, he thought as his vision got swimmy, it is that bad.

"Oh shoot, we need to stop the bleeding… Is it 'tip back' for nose bleeds or-?" Melody's voice was a touch panicked, her hands flexing, unsure what to do. Bill dragged his gaze up to Ford. The rage on his face was slowly becoming encompassed by a begrudging guilt. He let out a sigh, touching Melody's shoulder.

"I have some medical knowledge. Go get a first aid kit. I promise I won't do anything to hurt him while you're gone." Melody looked weary but nodded. Bill could do nothing but stare as she left and Ford knelt down in front of him. He flinched at the first touch, eye wide.

"Lean forward or you'll choke." There was no kindness in those words, just a clinical frigidity. Still, it was surprisingly gentle when a handkerchief was touched just below his nostrils and a hand in his hair guided his head to tilt forward. It felt eerily quiet.

"...how are you here?" The question seared into his ears.

"It's…it's a long story, Sixer." Bill managed, staring down at his lap. "I'm-"

"Found it!" Melody's interruption was a welcome one. Bill fell silent as he was patched up and hauled into the back onto the armchair. An ice pack was settled on his freshly set nose. He could hear the others come back in and begin talking in hushed tones. Bill only caught a few words before his body and mind felt like static.