AN: Hey guys, Merry Belated Christmas!
My vacation was awesome and I had plenty of time to finish up this fanfic chapter, so! Here it is, it's pretty long so, saying I'm proud of myself is an understatement XD.
If you don't know; today is the anniversary of LtL! Yay! Happy birthday my beautiful piece of work!
To guest, Sorry you found the story unrealistic, the pacing is one of the reasons I'm doing a rewrite, but there's plenty of fanfics out there for you to enjoy, so you can read those instead of this if the pacing deters you too much :3
On to the chapter!
Chapter Sixty-One: Drama Opera
As the trio entered the Northwest Manor, Matthew grabbed Dipper's arm and pulled him close.
"Matthew?" Dipper asked, seeing the worried look on his elder brother's face.
"I have to tell you something...about this event," Matthew murmured.
"Why?" Dipper said, getting worried. "What's going to happen?"
"I can't be positive it'll happen exactly like last time," Matthew admitted. "But it could; just in case I'm going to warn you."
Dipper nodded slowly. "Alright."
"Last time, you were trying to crack a secret too, and when Mabel refused to help, you snapped and made a deal with me—Bill—in desperation."
"What did he do?" Dipper asked, his voice raising a pitch. "Did he rip out all my teeth? Did he replace my eyes with baby heads?"
Matthew's lips twitched upwards but he responded with, "He wanted your body. Of course, he down scaled it, making it look like he wanted a puppet but he really wanted you."
"Like What he did to you and Mabel..." Dipper said, a frown creasing his face. "Don't worry," the younger boy said finally, smiling. "He won't trick me this time. Promise."
Matthew returned the smile and clapped a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "That a Boy!"
Dipper walked off to his assigned room as Matthew turned to the shadow of Bill on the wall.
"Not this time," He smirked at him.
He felt a searing heat settle upon him, before the shadow moved away.
Bill was seething; if Pine Tree Couldn't be fooled, he couldn't get his body, and then he wouldn't be able to destroy the rest of the Journal—and throw him off a water tower and crush Welcome Matt's soul.
He could probably posses Shooting Star again with a little bit of persuasion...but D Man needed her.
Bill narrowed his eye and hummed to himself. He just needed to find another way to tempt him.
"Dipper, Hey!" Bill was snapped out of his musings, his eye falling on the young Northwest heiress as she caught up with Dipper.
"Pacifica, what's up?" Pine Tree smiled sheepishly.
"What's up with you?"
"Just...going to to take a break before Mabel asks me to help with her play."
Llama smiled and titled her head to the side. "How about you have a break with me? Don't you think, after the whole kiss thing we should be hanging out more?"
Pine Tree blushed. "Well..."
So he had a girlfriend now.
Already, gears turned in Bill's sick brain.
"Yeah sure," Pine Tree said finally.
…M-A-B-E-L…
The next day, Mabel was stitching her beloved puppets, Matthew and Dipper sat nearby, typing up the script.
"Uh, Mabel, do you really need Fifty songs?" Dipper asked skeptically.
"Yeah, I agree with Dipper, Marbles," Matthew said. "The average Disney movie has at least six."
"It's easier to convey emotions through song!" Mabel said, finishing a Stan puppet. "Beside—"
"Whoa! Dude is that a love bite?" Matthew cut Mabel off and grinned at his brother.
"Wha—no! I-I mean..." Dipper blushed furiously, covering his neck.
"AHHHH!" Mabel shrieked, wrapping her arms around Dipper's neck. "I'm so proud of you, baby bro!"
"I'm not your baby-bro," Dipper said in a peeved voice. "You're only older by like, five minutes!"
"Still older!" Mabel sang.
"You two work fast," Matthew said slyly.
"It's nothing!" Dipper exclaimed.
"Then why are you blushing?" Matthew poked Dipper's ribs.
"Matthew, cut it out!" Dipper demanded.
Matthew rolled his eyes and stopped, but the smirk remained.
"Speaking of love-lives," Mabel said. "Did'jya get back with Wendy yet?"
Matthew's smile faded and he looked away.
"Why don't you talk to her?" Dipper asked, putting a hand on his brother's.
"It's fine," Matthew said, forcing a light laugh. "There's lots of fish in the sea, no?"
"But, Wendy was your mermaid," Mabel said sadly. "She wasn't a fish; you two belong together!"
Matthew closed his eyes and sighed, going back to the script, typing with excessive force.
The twins exchanged a look.
"Matt—" Dipper tried.
"Just leave it."
"But—!" Mabel said.
"I said, leave it!" Matthew snapped, a gust of wind exploded through the room, the window slamming open.
The two flinched and Matthew closed his eyes again. "It's over with Wendy, okay?"
Mabel looked crushed, grabbing Dipper's arm and pulling him towards her.
"We have to get them back together! If he stays single then that means—!"
"Penelope would have an easy catch..." Dipper finished. They both glanced back at their elder brother.
"And who knows what she'll do to him?!" Mabel hissed.
Dipper nodded in agreement. "Okay, but until then we can at least keep her away from him."
…M-A-B-E-L…
Gabe lay in his bed and sighed, surrounded by his beloved puppets.
"Goodnight my lovelies," Gabe said, kissing all of them.
The strangest thing then happened when his eyes shut.
Gabe was in a pyramid, dark and...bizarre, But it was full of puppets; from floor to ceiling.
"This is heaven!" Gabe whispered in glee.
"Isn't it?" Another voice said. Gabe turned around and came face to face with a triangular entity.
"Argh! What—are you a puppet?"
"No, no, no," The triangle laughed. "The name's Bill Cipher!"
"You didn't answer my question..."
"It's a beautiful place! Isn't it? So, so, gorgeous..." Bill purred. "Lemme show you something!"
Bill clapped his hands, the wall sliding open, revealing a world full of chaos.
Lava exploded from the ground, flying eye bats moved through the air, the sounds of tortured screams assaulted his ears.
"What is this?" Gabe asked, slight horror in his voice.
"The future, kid!" Bill laughed. "And you can be apart of it!" He turned around and gestured to the hallway filled with puppets.
"This can all be yours if you do a little something for moi!" Bill opened his palm, a cane appeared.
He floated in front of Gabe, lazily twirling the object.
Gabe lovingly eyed the puppets.
Bill mentally laughed.
That kid was a loser.
"Deal!" Gabe said enthusiastically.
Bill crinkled his eye, holding out his hand, causing it to erupt in blue flames.
"That a Boy!"
…M-A-B-E-L…
By Friday, Mabel had practically a whole village of Sock puppets.
The female twin bounced excitedly up and down outside the open gates of the Manor, as Candy, Grenda, Pacifica and Soos helped with some props.
"We read the script!" Candy enthused. "Very emotional!"
"I cried eight times!" Grenda added.
"Okay," Pacifica said slowly. "I admit, I had to reapply a lot of mascara."
Mabel gasped happily and pushed Pacifica playfully. "No, way!"
"I though Wendy was coming?" Candy asked with a light frown.
"She's spending time with her Mom," Mabel said. "But I have a feeling she also didn't want to see Matthew..."
Matthew, who was nearby, tensed slightly at that. It was awkward, he Bill and his little cronies where the only ones aware of the little timeline reset. It was strange when everyone else talked as if Alex was never absent.
"That's right, they're still not together again," Pacifica said.
"That means I can snatch him!" Grenda said with a grin.
"Grenda!" Mabel frowned.
"Sorry," Grenda muttered.
"Speaking of which...Mabel told us all about you and Dipper," Candy smirked.
"She gave him a love bite!" Mabel exclaimed.
"OOOOOOH!" The girls laughed.
"Geez, you guys! We're not even officially a thing!"
"You will be!" Mabel said. The other two tittered.
Matthew and Dipper lay stomach first on the grass, looking up Runes.
"So if we're deciphering this right..." Dipper said slowly, pointing at a rune sentence. "This sentence should say, 'The demon with the sneakers.'"
"Definitely not," Matthew said. "Demons don't wear sneakers."
"But, you do," Dipper pointed out.
"Shut up. I don't count."
Soos grunted, attempting to push a prop on top of Stan's car.
He almost succeeded, but someone had bumped into him, causing the props to fall.
"Oops!" A voice said.
Penelope smiled before sashaying towards the group of children in her red dress.
"Matthew! Hi there!" She purred, sitting next to the boy. Dipper glared at her. Matthew visibly tensed.
"What're you doing, hm?" She leaned her head forward. peering down at the book.
"Nothing," Matthew said quickly, picking up the book and slamming it closed, sliding it behind his back. He couldn't let her see it...
"Why So secretive?" She continued.
"We were just looking up Runes," Dipper said. "Not like it's any of your business!"
"This is my town, Pines, everything is my business," She smiled, gripping Matthew's shoulders.
"I was wondering, how does dinner sound tonight?" She asked.
Mabel was in the middle of poking fun at Pacifica's red cheeks when she spotted the raven haired girl.
"Penelope..." she growled as the teen talked with Matthew and Dipper.
"Ugh. Evergreen," Pacifica scowled.
"What's she doing here?" Candy asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Look, she's all over Matthew!" Grenda said in distaste.
"Could she be anymore desperate?" Pacifica rolled her eyes.
"That harpy better take her hands off my brother!" Mabel snapped, storming towards them.
"Watch it, Evergreen, angry Mabel coming!" Grenda announced.
The girl looked up from Matthew to Mabel, scowling.
"What're you doing?" Mabel snapped.
"What are you? Didn't I tell you not to get in my way?"
"Look, Penelope," Matthew said, ending the fight before it could start. "I'm not sure about tonight, I have to help Mabel with her play—"
"You're such a good brother, babe," Penelope giggled.
"Don't call me that," Matthew frowned.
"Look, it's an obvious 'no' so you can leave now unless you're helping with Mabel's play," Dipper said.
"And if you were I'd say no anyway! So that's two 'no's!" Mabel said.
Penelope smiled tightly and got up, brushing grass off of her. "Alrighty then," she purred. She walked off the property, once more bumping into Soos and causing the props to fall.
"Oops!" She said again, almost crashing into Gabe.
"Watch it!" She yelled as he rollerbladed towards the Manor grass.
"Good riddance," Mabel huffed and walked back to her girl friends.
"So what were we talking about again?" She asked as if her previous sour mood hadn't existed.
"The Dipcifica ship!" Grenda supplied.
"Sup girls?"
The foursome turned to find Gabe in rollerblades, removing his helmet and flashing his pony-tail.
"Gabe!" Mabel grinned.
"Hot dang!" Grenda swooned.
Candy narrowed her eyes and said something in Korean that sounded strangely sinister.
"So that's the guy Mabel's trying to impress?" Dipper said, glancing over.
"Guess so," Matthew said carelessly, though nervousness was creeping up his spine.
The only real difference this time around was that they were at the Manor in Pacifica's presence. Otherwise this was practically how the previous timeline had gone down.
He fearfully wondered if Bipper would make an encore.
"He looks like you," Dipper said, taking Matthew out of his thoughts.
"How dare you? I'm way hotter, man," Matthew said cockily, causing Dipper to laugh lightly.
Dipper's laughter stopped abruptly, and his face drained colour.
Matthew frowned, turning to see what had upset his brother; blinking twice in surprise when he handed Pacifica a bouquet of orchids.
"How did you know these where my favourite?" Pacifica asked, smiling lightly.
Mabel's jaw had dropped dramatically, Grenda was giggling and Candy's eyes were narrowed (she whispered something else in Korean that sounded more sinister than last time).
"A little bird told me," Gabe smiled and winked. "Mabel's having a puppet show tonight, hope to see your gorgeous face."
Pacifica blushed ever so slightly and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I might not be able to, my parents are taking me to a party tonight. Trying to make amends to the people they left to die last week."
She rolled her eyes.
"Shame, later girls!" He said, rolling off with a light chuckle. He had no idea why his only part of the deal with the triangle guy was to give Pacifica Northwest some orchids and flirt a bit, but it was easy.
And now he'd be drowning in puppets! That Bill guy was super generous!
Matthew cringed at the exchange, turning to Dipper who's face had fallen into a sad frown.
"Dipper, hey..." Matthew muttered.
The younger boy got up and walked back to the Manor, his shoulders slumped.
Gabe was a serious idiot in the last timeline, but now, Matthew hated him beyond words.
"Nice catch, Mabel," Pacifica said. "But he's not my type." She gave the orchids to her frozen friend.
"It doesn't matter!" Mabel cried, throwing away the bouquet. emphatically. "He likes YOU not ME!" She began to pace. "Plus, You were so blushing!"
"He gave me orchids and called me gorgeous, of course I was a bit flustered," Pacifica said carelessly.
"But again, it doesn't matter if you're not interested in him! Because he likes you and not me! Puppet Crazy Mabel!"
"When have you ever called yourself that?" Grenda asked.
"I have to up my anti!" She announced loudly, running inside to make more puppets.
…M-A-B-E-L…
Dipper tried, he really did. He tried looking at Runes for the entire day, but he couldn't stop thinking about that exchange...
He rolled on to his side. It didn't matter anyway. Of course that kiss had been nothing. He couldn't find love no matter how hard he tried or how charming he wanted to be.
"Why do all my potential girlfriends get stolen by blondes?" He mumbled to himself.
"You just gotta be more charming!" A voice echoed.
Dipper looked up sharply, an All too familiar triangle appeared with a look of upmost glee in his eyes.
"Look, I'm in a bad mood, I do not need you to be here," Dipper grumbled, covering his eyes with his arm.
"Oh! But you do!" Bill said, floating closer to Dipper. "Sounds to me like you're having girl problems! Blonde Babe isn't treating you well, aye?"
"Not...exactly it's just...I think she's into this puppet guy and I'm kinda worried that—Wait, why am I ranting to you?!" Dipper scowled.
"Because I'M charming, y'know, unlike you!" Bill cackled, pulling Dipper close with his cane.
"Any-who-a-who-it, it seems you've got a dilemma on your hand! I can help you out, kiddo!" Bill ruffled Dipper's hair.
"Yeah right," Dipper snapped. "You'll get me a girlfriend in exchange for what, my body? No deal."
"But...I just want a suit!" Bill insisted.
Dipper pushed Bill's cane away and crossed his arms with a frown. "A suit? How would you wear a suit? You're literally a triangle, man!"
"I wanna pull a prank on Preston!" Bill chirped. "I know you hate him too!"
Dipper's frown deepened.
"C'mon, kid! You give me a suit I can tear up and you get the blonde of your dreams!"
Dipper stayed skeptical, and Bill fought the urge to throw a tantrum but he had to remain calm; the kid would be smart enough to realize throwing a tantrum over a mere suit would make zero sense, and then he'd REALLY be on to him.
"It'll start off with flowers," Bill continued, showing an illusion of Gabe giving flowers to Pacifica.
"But it'll get further..." Bill said in a sing song voice.
Dipper's skeptical face morphed into sadness.
"Tell me, Pine Tree," Bill whispered going behind Dipper and gripping his shoulders. "Do you want your first kiss with her to mean nothing?"
Dipper clenched his fists. He knew he should listen to the red flags in his brain, but one look at the image of Gabe and Pacifica threw all logic out the window.
"Deal!" He said.
Bill took Dipper's hand, laughing maniacally as he pulled firmly.
Dipper screamed and zoomed towards the wall, expecting impact but flying straight through instead.
Like a ghost...
"No..." he said, looking at his faded hands. "No, no, no, no!"
He flew back into his room, only to find his body twitching and slowly getting to its feet.
He gasped when he saw his eyes open, but they weren't his, they were Bill's.
"Thanks for the meat suit, kid!" Bill laughed.
Dipper mentally kicked himself. He told Matthew he wouldn't get tricked! He told him! He PROMISED.
"Although, I'll have to use a tiny bit of magic," Bill said, staggering over to the ghostly Dipper with his too large grin. "With Sixer knowing how to identify possessed people and Welcome Matt being able to see you while you're in the Mindscape..."
Bill hummed to himself, looking in a nearby mirror and titling his head to the side.
"Get out of my body!" Dipper demanded as Bill practiced making his grin a tad smaller.
"Let's see...I gotta have this pathetic whiny look, don't I?" Bill slumped his shoulders and pushed his lips out in a pout.
"I do NOT look like that," Dipper snapped, clearly offended.
"Well, it's a start," Bill commented, blinking his eyes a couple of times before they became a soft brown. "There we go!"
"They won't fall for it you know!" Dipper said as Bill examined his new body. "Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"
Bill turned and blasted Dipper with a golden beam of light.
"ARGH!" He said. Looking down at his hands, he saw he was now glowing gold around the perimeter of his ghost self.
"What did you—?"
"It's nothing, really!" Bill laughed. "Just something to make sure that I'm the only one who can see you!"
There was then a knock on the door.
"Dipper?" It was Matthew's voice.
Bill cleared his throat before saying, "Come in!"
Dipper's jaw dropped, Bill sounded exactly like him.
Matthew opened the door, a tiny frown on his face. "Are you alright?"
"Matthew! Hey!" Dipper waved his arms in front of his brother's face.
The teen walked right through him, eyeing his possessed body with a frown.
"I'll be fine..." Bill sighed, sitting on the bed, his head hanging. "I'm just so hurt that Pacifica will never be with me...y'know? Nobody falls for geeky losers..."
Dipper gritted his teeth in anger. The ghost of a grin was on Bill's face, but he kept up the act.
"You're not a looser," Matthew said, wrapping an arm around Dipper's shoulders. "Not to me at least."
Bill smiled at him before saying, "Hey, Mattie. Do you know where the Journal is?"
The Journal? Dipper furrowed his brow. What could Bill possibly want with the Journal?
"Um, yeah, Mabel took it for her stage prop, she's really adamant about winning Gabe's heart," Matthew said with a light chuckle.
"Nice!" Bill grinned and jumped off the bed.
"Wow, you're feeling better..." Matthew rose an eyebrow.
"Matthew! That's not me!" Dipper tried again.
Of course, once more it was for naught.
"Can't dwell on the past y'know?" Bill said. "'Bye!"
Bill ran down to the stairwell and leaped, tumbling down it.
Matthew frowned lightly. "Huh."
…M-A-B-E-L…
Mabel felt like she did a fantastic job, the theatre was packed and everything!
She ran up front where her family and friends where. "Thanks for coming, guys!"
"No problem—Ford!" Stan snapped, snatching away the notepad his brother was writing in.
"I was documenting the lumberjack ghost!" Ford protested. "Since the Journal is occupied."
"Man...always working, Hey, S-Grunkle Ford?" Bill smiled, crossing his legs.
"That's What it means to be a Paranormal Researcher, my boy!"
"Yeah, well at least try to watch the play! Got it?" Stan demanded.
"I'm the eldest, technically you can't demand anything from me," Ford pointed out.
"Yeah, and this is Mabel's first play, show some support!"
"C'mon guys! No fighting," Mabel smiled. She looked around the audience and frowned. "Where's Wendy?"
Matthew who was sitting nearby frowned at the question, so nobody bothered to answer.
The blonde turned to his brother, eyeing him closely. He didn't look possessed; his eyes where still brown, his voice was normal, and he wasn't grinning widely...
"By the by, Mabel, where'd you put that Journal?" Bill asked.
"It's for the final act, y'know, during the marriage!" Mabel said.
"Can I help?"
"'Course you can!" The two dashed behind the curtains.
Matthew tensed. That was an exact line from the previous timeline.
Dipper WAS possessed.
Matthew got up sharply.
"Dude? You okay?" Soos frowned.
"Peachy," Matthew murmured. He quickly grabbed Ford's wrist and pulled him up.
"What on Earth—?" Ford demanded before Matthew muttered; "Dipper's possessed."
"Possessed?" Ford whispered back, his voice filled with worry. "By what?"
Matthew gave him a significant look.
Ford's eyes widened. "Oh no..."
The two followed Bill and Mabel behind the curtains.
…M-A-B-E-L…
"...the perfect girl needs a perfect daaaaaaaate!"
Mabel's play had begun as Matthew and Ford dashed behind the stage to find Grenda.
"Grenda," Matthew said urgently. "Did you see Dipper?"
"Oh yeah, don't know where he went though," Grenda shrugged and turned back to the play.
"We can check Mabel's makeup room," Matthew said quickly.
"He obviously wants the Journal, would you know why?" Ford asked as they walked away from Grenda.
"He wants it burned," Matthew said.
Ford furrowed his brow. "But...why?"
"He doesn't want Dipper stopping him," Matthew said darkly.
Ford didn't want know what sick plans Bill had, but he had an idea; so he didn't ask Matthew to elaborate.
"Dipper," He said in a low voice, "If you can hear me, possess a sock puppet or something."
There was a pause.
"Do you think he could hear?" Ford asked.
"Matt! Grunkle Ford!" A voice exclaimed.
A hovering Sock puppet floated towards them.
"Dipper!" Matthew said. "You're okay?"
"Not really; I totally got tricked by Bill after I promised you I wouldn't!"
"It's alright, my boy," Ford sighed. "I know first hand that Bill can be extremely... persuasive...and charming."
"I'm sorry..." Dipper said sadly, his sock puppet looking down. "He said if I didn't get his help, Pacifica would go out with Gabe; our first kiss would mean nothing."
"I forgot to tell you...er, Bill earlier, but...Pacifica said that Gabe wasn't her type after he left," Matthew smiled.
"Really?" Dipper perked up slightly.
"But if you want Dipcifica to be a reality we have to stop Bill."
Just then, the door opened and Mabel came in. "Okay, thirty eight more—" she paused surveying the scene. "What the—?"
"Mabel, I believe we need your help," Ford said urgently.
"Bill tricked me out of my body!" Dipper said.
"Wait, all this time I was talking to Bill?" Mabel asked in horror.
"We need to stop him from getting the Journal," Matthew said firmly.
Mabel rubbed her arm nervously, obviously worrying about the play.
"Look, Dipper and Ford will cover for the play," Matthew said.
"We will?" Ford asked, skeptical. "I've never participated in a play since I was a girl!"
Everyone looked at him.
"Basically never," Ford clarified.
"All you have to do is read the script, it's simple," Matthew assured him.
"I'll help Mabel get the Journal."
The brother and younger sister dashed out just as Grenda announced the end of intermission.
They ran on top the cat walk, where the cake prop was tied.
"There!" Mabel said, leaning over and reaching for the book.
"No, let me; my arms are longer," Matthew said, gently moving Mabel out of the way and grabbing the Journal.
"Success!" Mabel cried happily.
"Well, well, well, well, well, well, well!" A voice said.
Matthew and Mabel spun around to find the grinning "Dipper"
The brown eyes and voice where gone, Bill was no longer hiding.
Mabel shivered at the eerie grin.
Matthew gritted his teeth and stood in front of Mabel protectively.
"Thanks for making my job easy!" Bill grinned.
"Bill Dipper!" Mabel cried. "Bipper!"
"Aye! I like that name!" Bill laughed. "Now enough funny business, you know what I want!"
"Not a chance Cipher," Matthew growled.
Bipper's large grin morphed into an eerie scowl. "Now, kid! Or else!"
"Or else what?" Matthew spat.
Bipper narrowed his eyes and charged at Matthew. The teen dodged and pulled Mabel out of the way as the demon lunged again, this time managing to hit his target.
Matthew cried out as he was pinned to the catwalk by Bipper, both grappling at the Journal.
"Get off him!" Mabel yelled, wrapping her arms around Bipper's stomach and tugging him backwards.
Bipper growled and struck Mabel in the face with his fist. The girl cried out, holding her bruised cheek and staggering backwards into the cake prop, the rope groaning under the additional weight.
Enraged, Matthew kicked Bipper in the face, giving a silent apology to Dipper.
"Argh!" Bipper exclaimed falling on his back.
"Get out, Bill!" Matthew snapped.
"Not until I get what I want!" Bipper snapped back. "Give me that Journal, Welcome Matt!"
When Bipper tried to get up, Matthew held him down with his foot on his stomach.
Bipper squirmed out of his pinned position and punched Matthew in the cheek.
Matthew grunted, crashing into the guard rails. The rope holding the cake propped unknotted from the rail and slipped.
"AH! MATTIE!" Mabel cried as the cake prop began to fall.
Matthew snatched the rope at the last second, with one hand, holding the Journal with the other, gasping at the weight.
"Mabel, hang on," Matthew grunted, the rope sliding slowly from his fingers.
"Well, it seems you're in a dilemma!" Bipper cackled, "You can't save Shooting Star with only one hand! You can't save the Journal with one hand either!"
Bipper's grin widened. "It's either the Journal or the girl!"
Bipper didn't advance or try to take the Journal himself, he preferred to watch Matthew struggle—both internally and externally.
Mabel gripped the sides of the cake prop, the stage was about twenty feet below...if she fell...
She felt her heart beat quicken. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself. She didn't know she had a fear of heights; what a way to find out...
Matthew grunted as the cake prop pulled him forward, his body slamming against the rails, his fingers beginning to cramp.
"Give up?" Bipper laughed.
Matthew gritted his teeth, glancing down at his little sister.
"Mabel!" He called.
Mabel opened her eyes, looking up warily.
"Catch!" Matthew threw the Journal, much to Bipper's surprise.
Mabel caught the Journal with two hands. "I got it!"
Bipper's grin disappeared as Matthew used his now free hand to pull Mabel and the cake prop up.
Mabel was now right under the guard rails, looking up, she saw Bipper about to ram his shoulder into her brother.
"Matthew!" She pointed.
Too late, Matthew turned and got a shoulder jammed at his nose.
Matthew cried out as he was shoved aside, the rope falling from his hands.
Mabel yelled, just in time, she jumped and grabbed on to the guard rail, the Journal in her mouth as the cake prop fell in front of Waddles, cracking slightly.
"Lovely! We have the cake!" Ford said, using the Stan puppet.
"Let us celebrate this amazing wedding!"
"Oh, Gabe!" Dipper said with his Mabel puppet. "You kiss so good!"
"Matthew!" Mabel called in a muffled voice. She took the Journal out of her mouth with on hand and threw it like a frisbee.
Matthew scrambled to his feet and caught the book, smacking Bipper in the face with it when he tried to snatch it.
Mabel had now gone back into panic mode, trying and failing to reach the higher bars with her second hand, the first one trembled with exertion and her fingers where cramping.
Bipper grabbed Mabel's wrist, causing her to yelp.
"Gotcha," He sang with grin. Bipper pulled, Mabel's tired first hand falling to her side as she dangled above the stage.
"Bill..." Mabel squeaked in panic, knowing that her fate now rested in the hands of her possessed brother.
Matthew's eyes widened but he didn't go closer, afraid that doing anything would cause Bipper to drop his sister.
"What do you think, Welcome Matt? Should I drop her?" Bipper grinned.
Matthew paled and Mabel's eyes widened in fear.
"Bill—"
"Well?" Bipper smirked.
There was then the sound of fireworks.
Matthew turned, the crowd had gotten up and applauded.
"Thank you for coming and watching this play! Please talk to Mabel! She is awesome!" Grenda said.
The light from the fireworks illuminated Mabel's horrified face, and there was a sick tugging feeling in the teen's gut.
Matthew inhaled slowly, closing his eyes. Reluctantly, he handed over the Journal.
Mabel gasped in horror as Bipper's grin widened. "That's right, there we go!"
Mabel made a silent prayer to whatever celestial being that was watching over her, before head bashing Bipper in the nose
Bipper cried out, letting go of Mabel and staggering hard into the opposite guard rails.
The girl screamed as she fell for three seconds, before being caught once more by the wrist, courtesy of Matthew.
"Gotcha," He said, But unlike a minute ago, the phrase filled Mabel with relief.
With a grunt, Matthew tugged Mabel up to safety, instantly being embraced by the tiny brunette.
"I almost...oh gosh..." she whispered, her small body quivering in her brother's arms.
"I got you," Matthew whispered tenderly. "I got you..."
The siblings turned when they heard a grunt.
They spun around, watching Dipper's body twitch. Slowly, he opened his eyes, now a soft brown colour.
"Guys...guys!" Dipper's face lit up. "You did it and—!" His face fell. "Everything hurts...ow."
"How do we know he's not Bill? He changed his voice and eye colour before," Matthew said.
"There's only one way to find out!" Mabel said, running towards Dipper and kneeling next to him, using her "serious" face.
"What's your real name?" She asked
"Mason," Dipper responded.
"What's your favourite game?"
"Triple D."
"First crush?"
"Ms. Carmile, fourth grade."
"How far did your aunt Abbie throw a spear?"
"I don't have an aunt Abbie."
"Last question, is Bill still in your brain?"
"No."
"Mabel, don't you think Bill would—" Matthew began but Mabel had tackled her twin with a hug.
"I'm sooooo glad you're okay!" Mabel cheered.
Matthew shrugged. "Ah, What the heck," he kneeled and hugged Dipper as well.
"OW! Not too hard..." Dipper mumbled.
"That was a nightmare," Matthew sighed. "Forgot how annoying my past self was."
"Luckily, I've got some good news," Dipper said with a grin. "The play was a success!"
"AH! Yay!" Mabel clasped her hands and grinned.
"Looks like you got your love life intact..." Matthew said then trailed off.
That reminded him...
…M-A-B-E-L…
Pacifica walked back to her room that night, her brow furrowed, the heels she was wearing where so high she thought her shins would burn off from exertion.
Opening the door, a bouquet of flowers was shoved in her face.
She staggered backwards, almost tripping but was caught around the waist by an arm.
"Sorry," said Dipper's voice, hoisting the blonde back up and steadying her.
"Um, here," Dipper gingerly handed over the orchids.
Pacifica excepted the flowers with a smile. "Is it like, common knowledge that I love orchids? Or did Mabel tell you?"
"Oh no, she didn't actually, she's on a date with Gabe," Dipper replied, awkwardly rubbing his arm.
"So...I was wondering...you remember our awful first date?" He continued.
"Not one that I will easily forget," Pacifica stated. "What about it?"
"I was thinking next Friday we do a Do-over? How does that sound?" Dipper asked, sweat on his brow.
"Yes, I'd like that," Pacifica said, leaning forward and kissing Dipper on the cheek. She smiled lightly. "Goodnight."
She walked past Dipper into to her bedroom.
Dipper walked out, grinning.
"Told you, Orchids are her favourite," Matthew said stepping out of the shadows.
"Yes!" Dipper cheered, the two brothers sharing a high-five.
…M-A-B-E-L…
AN: Ah...young love, it's beautiful...
Okay, so I added a bit of hype steroids on to the Cat walk scene and I have no regrets! Woot!
So the story is near its end, which is kinda bittersweet tbh...
Anyway, imma go plan the next chapter!
Fantasy Fan OUT!