Heartless, right?

Chapter Twenty Six

Dipper heads downstairs the moment he wakes up, looking for his sister. She and Bill are at the table, drinking Mabel Juice and talking. In fact, they're talking like old friends. Until Mabel sees her brother, then she turns her head and presses her lips together. Bill laughs quietly, nods at Dipper and leaves. Dipper's heart skips a beat.

He leans against the table, looking at Mabel, "You don't have to say anything. I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so rude yesterday. If it were anything else, I'd let you stay in a heartbeat. But these guys want me dead, Mabel. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happens to you because they were trying to get to me. I promise that I will be as careful as possible, okay? But I need you to go home, I need you to be with mom, make sure that she doesn't overwork herself."

Mabel looks at him with tears in her eyes, "Okay. But if anything happens, I'm coming back. I already forced Bill to keep me updated, so whatever you don't tell me, he will."

Dipper nods, walking to his sister and pulling her into a hug. The stand there for a few moments before Stan yells at them from the front door, "Kids, let's go! We're gonna be late!"

Dipper pulls Bill aside before leaving, "Does she know?"

"Know what?" The dream demon smiles knowingly. "You got too close to the guy I killed. Then I brought you home and put you to sleep because you need to rest."

Something close to a blush colors his cheeks as he turns around.

●●●●●

After leaving the bus stop, Stan decides to run to town. He gives Dipper twenty dollars and tells him to "get something for that frown." Now the boy is wandering the streets aimlessly, listening to his music when a familiar face catches his eye. He turns but Little Gideon grabs his arm. He moves his headphones, so they rest on his shoulders, music still blaring.

"Dipper Pines, just the guy I was looking for," The sixteen-year-old's accent is even more annoying since now that puberty has run its course. "You're gonna go deaf one of these days, all that screaming can't be good for you."

"Thank you, Gideon, your opinion is very enlightening." Dipper deadpans.

"Well, you are in for more enlightenment. I am experimenting a new form of fortune-telling, and I need a non-believer to help."

"Help you quit? Otherwise, I'm not interested."

"That's the spirit!" Gideon grabs Dipper's arm and drags him into his shop. It's full of overpriced crystals, talismans, and spell kits. Dipper is pushed into a chair at a round table, and the white-haired kid sits across from him. He pulls out three crystals, three dice, and two small decks of cards. This is ridiculous, there are no methods of fortune-telling remotely like this. Gideon places the crystals in a row before Dipper and rolls the dice. He closes his eyes tries to him ominously.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo! Your life is quite interesting." Gideon grins.

"You can't just- are you even gonna explain what the hell you just did?" Dipper exclaims.

"Language! And no, explaining takes away the magic." He starts pointing at the crystals, "This one is telling me someone from your past has returned. This one is whispering tales of romance," He wiggles his eyebrows at the word. "And this one warns of future loss." His face falls as he looks at Dipper sympathetically. "The dice rolled out to six, six, and... six." He frowns. "A great evil has been after you and will not stop until it has you within it's grasp." He shuffles one deck of cards, "Pick a card."

Dipper rolls his eyes, maybe a few things were right, like someone coming back and evil being after him, but... "This is absolute bullshit." He takes a card anyway, just a color.

"Language, Pines!" Gideon takes the card, "Yellow. Could mean happiness in the distant future, when your romance begins. Perhaps a warning, for the evil and loss. Maybe both." He shuffles the other deck. "Choose another." He takes the card Dipper chooses before he gets a chance to look. "Sometimes shapes can better explain the direction of the color." His face pales when he looks at the shape. "A triangle." He drops the card like it's on fire, "Bill Cipher! It all makes sense, someone from your past, a great evil, future loss," He looks at Dipper, gasping, "And you knew! You have put us all in danger! I've got to warn everyone!"

Dipper raises his hands, attempting to coax the kid, "Gideon, calm down. I need you to listen."

"You are fraternizing with the enemy, Pines! Bill Cipher is an evil, sadistic, monster! And you knew he was back! You're a traitor!"

Something in Dipper snaps, "Shut your goddamn mouth for one fucking minute, or I swear to God, I will burn this piece of shit shop to the ground!"

Gideon's jaw drops, but he remains silent. Dipper picks up the first crystal, "Yes, Bill is back. Shut up." He points at Gideon, who began to speak, before pointing at the second crystal, "I'm not even going into that. This," He grabs the third crystal and throws it at the wall, shattering it, "Isn't happening. Ever!" He grabs the dice, "There are demons after me because they think I'm going to destroy their dimension. I'm not explaining further." He picks up the cards, "Bill is protecting me and my family. He's not the enemy. And if you ever call him a monster again, I'll destroy your business. If you tell anyone that Bill is back, I won't stop him from taking care of you in whatever way he deems necessary. Do you understand me? A simple yes or no."

Gideon nods, quickly. Dipper watches the trembling crook for a moment, before leaving, his gaze falling on the second crystal when he looks back. Bill is changing, he's protecting Dipper, his family. He saved Mabel. A monster wouldn't do that.

AN: I'm gonna let you guys know now, once all of the chapters are published, I'm gonna go back and do a lot of editing. The early chapters need a lot of help, but if I go back now it'll create confusion for y'all having to reread randomly, and my brain will probably self-destruct.

AN: I JUST REALIZED I NEVER POSTED THIS! MY FUCKING BRAIN!