Never Trust Your Demons

47

**DIPPER P.O.V.**
"You shouldn't have done that," Ford's voice says suddenly, and I turn as he takes off the helmet and throws it, knocking down a curtain, revealing many items depicting Bill.
"Why- why were you shaking hands with Bill?!" I quickly grab the interdimensionsal rift. "You said Bill could possess anyone so he could get this!" The rift nearly slips out of my hand, but i manage to catch it. "Ahh!"
"Careful! Hand me the rift! Now, boy!"
I start to back away from him. "Why were you really scanning my thoughts?" I glance around for a weapon and I end up picking up the memory gun. "Are you Bill right now?!"
"Now just-just calm down, P-"
"PINE TREE?!" I interrupt, starting to panic. "IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE GONNA CALL ME?!"
"I was just going to say 'please,' kid!" Ford yells back.
I back against the wall, pointing the gun at him. "Great Uncle Ford told me to protect the rift! Get one step closer and I'll shoot! I'll erase you right out of Ford's head!"
"It's me, Dipper. It's your uncle!" He insists.
I start to charge the gun. "Trust no one, trust no one, trust-"
"Hand it to me!"
The gun fires at Ford, but bounces off his glasses, then Connie's glasses, then bounces around the room. We both duck. It flies towards the screen, but Ford grabs an extremely convenient mirror and it bounces to the floor, creating a hole.
I quickly reach for the gun, but Ford picks me up before I can grab it.
"Let go of me!" I struggle trying to punch him.
"Now-now just calm down. Calm down!" Ford adjusts his glasses. "Look into my eyes! Look at my pupils. It's me, Dipper. It's me." I sigh in relief as I look at his normal pupils and he sets me down.
"I tried to erase your mind!" I realize. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Dipper. Besides, my mind can't be erased, anyway, remember?" He knocks on the side of his head and there's a magnetic clang. "If I really was Bill, though, you would've done great. I should of been more like you when I was young. 

"Dipper, I was a fool to try to hide all this. The reason I've been trying to prepare you for Bill's tricks is that Bill tricked me. It's the biggest regret of my life. Bill wasn't always my enemy, Dipper. I used to think he was my friend. 

"Long, long ago. I had hit a road block in my investigation of Gravity Falls. Until I found some mysterious writing in a cave. Ancient incantations about a being with answers. It warned me not to read them, but I was desperate. I read the inscription aloud. But nothing happened.

"Until later than afternoon, when I had the most peculiar dream. He told me he was a muse. That he chose one brilliant mind a century to inspire. What a fool I was. Blinded by his flattery and games. He became my research assistant. He was free to move in and out of my mind as he pleased. We were partners. When he told me I could complete my research by building a gateway to other worlds, I trusted him. He said this was the way genius happened. Little help from a friend. It seemed that I was on the verge of my greatest achievement!

"Until my partner got a glimpse of Bill's true plans. I'd been betrayed. I shut the portal down, severing the link between Bill's world and ours. I had to hide my instructions so no one could ever finish Bill's work. Bill's been waiting for the gateway to reopen ever since. All he needs to do is get his hands on this rift. To Bill, it's just a game, but to us, it would mean the end of our world."

"Oh man...." I breathe out at the end of the story.
"Oh man indeed, but we need to make sure Connie's okay..."
"Didn't the ray not hit her?"
"Yes, but it glanced off her glasses. It may have had a temporary effect... but there's only one way to find out."
Ford walks back over to his desk and picks up the helmet. He sets her glasses aside and places the helmet on her head.
The first this that pops up is an eye.
Bill's eye.

**CONNIE P.O.V.**
"Waakey wakey!" I hear a familiar voice.
"B-bill?" I mutter. There are flashes of light beyond my eyelids. I sit up, yawning. "What're you doing-" I stop. My head feels... heavier than normal.
Wait a second.
My eyes snap open. I glance around for my glasses. Once I find them, I see the mind reading screen is playing memories still.
My memories of the summer.
I see Bill. When I first met him, discovering his true form. I blush as his "puppet show" plays, especially after somewhat disgusted glances from Ford and Dipper, who are watching in silent shock.
I turn away, not really wanting to see that again.
Me discovering Cy's identity as Bill, finding my powers...my deal with Bill, the dance
I shudder at the nightmares, my hand stinging slightly.
Then the pirates and reverse dimension, one of my more recent lies. I wince, my heart pounding as my sword goes through Cipher's stomach..
Everything goes by so quickly, but still slow enough to understand at least a few things:
I've been around Bill a lot, I've been lying pretty much all summer, and I'm too dangerous to trust.
My eyes are glued to the screen until it fades to black. I then turn to find Dipper and Ford staring at me. Dipper appears livid, but Ford is just astounded.
"I-i can explain!" I stand up, pulling the helmet off my head and nearly knocking over the chair.
"You knew Cy was Bill?!" Dipper doesn't give me a chance.
"Yes, but-"
"And you didn't think to tell us your boyfriend was an interdimensional demon intent of destroy earth as we know it?!"
"I didn't know that-"
"Even after he possessed me, you still didn't tell what you knew about him!"
"I-i was scared, and by the time I realized he was dangerous, he tricked me into making a deal. The flames... there was no way you would trust me again if you remembered this. Bill.... made you forget about them, as long as I told no one about him."
"Frankly," Ford says suddenly. "I'm not exactly surprised."
"But you!" I finally let loose my anger to Ford. "Non-stop since you came through that portal. 'Don't tell Conifer, don't tell Conifer.' You think I couldn't hear?!"
"I knew Bill was close to you somehow, I just didn't know how he'd tricked you so far."
"Who's tricking who?! I feel I can trust Bill more than I can trust you!!" I shout.
"Wait, Really?!"
"SHUT UP!!" I scream at Bill. A purplish color tints everything and my eyes widen as Ford and Dipper back up.
"Is...is he in your mind RIGHT NOW?!" Dipper yells, both glaring and terrified.
"I... I..." I look at my flaming hands. "UGH!" The fire flares up. One flame crashes into the screens, breaking it and they all go black.
A lick of fire hits the ground in front of them, nearly hitting Dipper as he yelps and jumps back.
I gasp as the flames recede, tears stinging my eyes.
"I... I didn't... I didn't mean to..." I pause for a moment before rushing for the elevator.