Little Dipper

He's Here

"Bill, wait! Please!" Stan cried, stepping towards where the demon stood in front of the glowing portal. The emergency shut-off switch was open, Bill's hand just inches above it as he floated in the air, unaffected by the anti-gravity around him.

"I tried to tell you before, Stan! His return, this portal opening - it's all a bad idea!" Bill said, looking at the kids all huddled together under the shield before he looked back at the switch. "I have to stop it!"

"I'm begging you, don't!" Stan cried. "I just want him back! Please! I feel so empty with him gone!"

Bill hesitated above the button, considering his words, and then he looked from the kids and then back to Stan.

"A door goes two ways, Stan!" He cried. "Are you willing to take the chance that something ELSE might come through that door? That he might not come at ALL? Are you willing to risk EVERYTHING?!"

"I've spent thirty years trying to get him back! I just know it's him coming! It's gotta be!" Stan insisted, tears forming in his eyes. "Can't you use your Sight, see if it's him?! You can see everything, can't you?! Past, present, and future?!"

Bill sighed and moved his hands up to his eye, forming a triangle. "Alright...I'll see if--"

They were cut short by the the portal blasting open wide. The antigravity suddenly reversed and things fell from where they had been floating. Bill quickly left the switch and pulled off his coat, throwing it over Stan to protect him as the debris fell around them.

It was silent, save for the hum of the portal. Stan moved Bill's coat off him and looked next to him to see Bill holding his leg, which a beam had fallen onto. "Bill!" He quickly got up and moved the beam, looking at his leg. "Does it hurt?"

"It'll go away. Thing about temporary physical forms, the pain will go away when the form does." Bill said with a wince.

"Are you okay?!" Dipper called in concern.

"Sorry, I couldn't expand the shield that far!" Gideon said, lowering the shield magic to let the others run to the duo.

"No, no. It's fine. I made sure Stan was safe." Bill grinned. "See? Indestructible coat." He patted it, then glanced towards the portal. "...He's here."

"Who is?" Dipper asked. Bill silently pushed himself to his feet and pulled his coat back on, covering up his wound with it.

A lone figure was standing in the light of the portal. They stepped forward and away from the machine, pausing to pick up the 1st Journal that had fallen when the antigravity reversed. Stan stood up and dusted himself off, trying to make himself look presentable.

"Who is that?" Mabel asked.

"The Author of the Journals." Bill said in a dry tone.

"My brother." Stan said, holding back tears of happiness.

The portal suddenly shut down and the room was consumed by darkness, save for the dim lighting of the basement. Tyrone peeked out from under Stan's desk and then hid again. The Author put the book in his inside coat pocket and then seemed to notice the crowd. Or rather, one person in particular.

"YOU!" He grabbed his gun and aimed it at Bill, powering up the weapon.

"Nice to see you again too, Sixer." Bill said, fastening his coat nonchalantly.

"Why are you here?! With him?!" He looked at Stan, then back at Bill.

"Oh, well, after you sealed me away in the attic, I languished for 30 years until I was finally found by someone and partnered with them so I could leave the damn place. Then they used magic to give me a temporary physical form so I could help out around the place." Bill shrugged. "It wasn't Stan, before you make assumptions."