Little Dipper

Appease the Beast

"Okay, so that's 498....499...500." Mabel counted as they emptied their bags into the wheelbarrow.

"Should we include the candied apples?" Dipper asked.

"No, I think we're fine." Mabel smiled a bit.

"Hey, look at what we got here!"

Bill glanced over and saw some teenagers approaching.

"A whole wheelbarrow of candy!" The teenagers walked up to it. "Are you giving it away?"

"It's not for you!" Dipper moved in front of the wheelbarrow. "It's for the Summerween Trickster!"

"Oh, that urban legend? You think it's real?" The teenagers laughed, and then one moved to push Dipper out of way. "Move it, trap."

"Hey!" Mabel smacked their hand away. "Don't you touch my brother!"

"Why did he call me 'trap'?" Dipper asked.

"I dunno, kid. I'll use my Sight later and see if it merits kicking their ass for it." Bill assured him.

"Oh, you wanna go?!" The teenagers got into fighting stances that looked like they learned them from watching too many action movies. "Bring it, blondie!"

Bill's ear twitched in annoyance and his tail flicked sharply. "Oh, you are going to regret that one."

"Stop!" Gideon stepped between them. "How do you think he will feel if he comes and finds this going on?" He looked at the teenagers. "Get out of here before I hex you."

"Ohh, the fake psychic is gonna hex us!" The teenagers waved their hands around.

Gideon narrowed his eyes and held out his hands, muttering something. Suddenly, they weren't looking at teenagers anymore. They were looking at frogs. They hopped around in a panic, trying to figure out how to undo it. "Am I still fake?" He asked them, holding up a hand to float them into the air.

"Gideon, no." Mabel told him. "Turn them back, I think they've learned their lesson."

"They were being mean to Dipper." Gideon looked at her.

"He's fine. Let them go and change them back." She said firmly.

Gideon sighed and muttered something, changing them back to normal before he dropped them on the ground. "Now, get out of here."

The teenagers nodded frantically and fled, but not before they saw the Summerween Trickster coming up. "Yikes, it's a monster!" They screamed, running another direction.

Gideon looked at where they went and noticed a red-cloaked figure coming out of the shadows and following them. When he looked at the others, they were too focused on the Trickster to see the cloaked figure. Good, it was better if they didn't ask about it.

"We got you the candy!" Dipper said, standing out of the way of it.

The Trickster approached it and lifted up the wheelbarrow, inspecting the contents. Then he nodded and dumped half of it into his mouth before swallowing and setting it down. "You may keep the rest." He told them. "You have done well."

"Thanks!" Dipper smiled brightly.

The Trickster nodded and spit out Gordy onto the ground before jumping away like a flea again.

"Gordy, are you okay?" Grenda asked, going over to help him up.

Gordy got up, a deranged smile on his face. "I'm officially traumatized!"

Oh boy, thought Gideon. That would have to be taken care of.

–

"You're back!" Stan got up from where he and Susan were waiting on the couch outside. "I was so worried about you!"

"We're fine!" Dipper ran over and hugged him. "But I got called a trap. Is trap an insult now?"

"I have no idea." Stan admitted.

Bill brought his hands up to his eye and used his Sight, searching for the answer, and then threw his hands down in a rage. "Oh, I am gonna BEAT those guys!"

"Leave it." Gideon said quietly, so only Bill could hear. "They won't remember."

Bill looked at him. "But, they had the nerve to--"

"Whatever it means, Dipper didn't understand so it didn't hurt him. Leave it." Gideon shook his head.

Bill sighed and nodded, then paused. "...What do you mean 'they won't remember'?"

"Guys, come on! There's cookies! And caaaake!" Dipper waved to the two, who were the only ones outside now.

"I hope you never have to find out." Gideon said, walking to the Shack to join the others.

Bill frowned. "...I feel like I should know what he means...but it's not enough to use my Sight with. Guh." He ran his hand through his hair and walked into the Shack. "Hey, save me a cookie!"

That night, Bill was setting up the couch to sleep when he saw Dipper come into the room. "Hey, Pine Tree." He smiled.

"I miss cuddling with you. It's been a week, and Grunkle Stan won't let you into our room when Mabel's asleep. Can I sleep with you?" He asked, rubbing at his eye. He was dressed in his lizard-print footie pajamas again and was hugging his pillow to his chest.

Bill shrugged. "Eh, why not. C'mere, kid." He pulled the blanket back.

Dipper let out a squeal of glee and ran over, climbing onto the couch with him. He cuddled up close and nuzzled his collarbone. "I love you, Bill."

Bill's cheeks tinted a bit pink and rubbed his head. "...Love ya too, kid." He looked towards the giftshop, thinking of the broken portal in the basement. He had hurt so many people to get that thing there, but now it didn't seem to matter anymore.

Stan passed by the living room and looked in. "...She's gonna freak when she finds him gone, y'know."

"I know. And she'll come tearing downstairs looking for him and find us here." Bill shrugged.

"She really cares about him." Stan smiled fondly. "Like any good sibling would, I suppose."

"I think you and I both know that there are some not good siblings." Bill said, looking up from where Dipper had fallen asleep on him. "Do you know what that thing is?"

"I know it's a portal. And he's in there, somewhere." Stan clenched his fist. "I can't just leave him there."

"Even if you risk the whole world by bringing him back?" Bill asked.

"I would risk everything to bring him back." Stan walked on.

Bill looked back at Dipper. "...I wouldn't." He said quietly.