Alternate Ending (BillDip)

- 2 -

     At the very end of the second summer, Dipper visited Bill again. Seated across from the mind demon, Dipper held his gaze on the table in front of them, not looking up at Bill even once. Bill started intently at the teenager who had grown again in the last year. He was starting to resemble a young man instead of a child now, finally escaping the grasps of childhood innocence.

     "You know, I still have nightmares of what you did to my family," Dipper whispered. They were the only ones in the visiting room today, so Bill could hear him.

     "You do?" he asked quietly, his pale face turning pink.

     "I get scared sometimes, and I hide from everyone because I'm afraid you'll find me. Like, you'll possess someone just to get to me. And I know you can't do that anymore..." Dipper paused, inhaling deeply, "but it scares me. I haven't slept well since, well... before all this happened. I am so tired," Dipper explained, wrapping his arms around his torso. "Even now, I can't escape. You might be in prison, but so am I."

     Bill said nothing, simply resting his hands in his lap. He sighed, looking away from Pine Tree. "I'm sorry. I know it was terrible what I did. But I can't do anything anymore!" he said with urgency. "I can barely enter another person's mindscape, and when I do it's for a brief moment before I lose control. Truly, I am harmless now. I don't have any of my henchmaniacs, I don't have my powers, and I still can't control this stupid meatsuit. So please, get some rest. Because for once in your life you're finally safe. So just leave and get some sleep."

     Dipper stared blankly at the demon. His tormentor was trying to help him? This didn't feel right. He stood up, unfolded his lanky arms, and smiled a crooked sort of smile. "Well, this could just be another trick, right? Get my guard down so that you can enter my mind? You know I'm weak, it would be so easy to get in there and make everything worse, huh?" Dipper chuckled darkly, "Not on your life, Cipher."

     At that, Bill stood, wanting to scream at the boy, but also wanting to comfort him. What were these feelings? "Pine Tree I swear, nothing is going on-"

     "Forget it, Bill." Dipper turned around and left.

~

     Bill laid in his cot, staring up at the cement ceiling and wondering what the stars looked like tonight. He wondered if the moon was out. He wondered if Dipper was sleeping.

     Stop that, he thought. What is wrong with you? He's just some stupid kid. He ruined your plans. Bill turned on his side and sighed, focusing on his breathing. He wished none of this had happened; he wished his plan had worked and that everyone would have either been dead or part of his throne of human agony.

     He turned onto his back again, and closed his eyes. When focused, he could travel into the mindscape - his or others - and manipulate dreams. He focused on Dipper, hoping the kid was finally asleep; sure enough, he had given in. Bill entered his mindscape and floated into a dreamless world. All he saw was darkness for miles. Bill conjured a memory from when he first came into existence, when the world was still taking form, and there were colors all over. He showed the planets coming into existence, the earth's waters separating from the land, the creatures coming from the dust...and he felt relaxed. Bill wondered if Dipper was relaxed. He left Pine Tree's mindscape, and slept.

~

      The following week, Dipper and Mabel left again for their home. Dipper felt conflicted about leaving, because while he was not happy in Gravity Falls, he was not quite happy at home, either. This was true until he reached his house and found two suitcases on the front porch. One was stuffed full, clothes hanging out the sides and the leather all scratched and torn. The other was in perfect condition as well as polished. He knew Ford and Stan had come back to the states.

     He jumped off the bus and ran into the house to find his uncles sitting at the dining table. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he yelled out, running into their embrace.

     "Dipper! It is great to see you, my boy!" Ford whispered as he hugged his nephew. Stan was not quite as sentimental, and broke from the hug before anyone else.

     "Glad you finally grew a few inches. Hopefully you don't get teased as much by your sister now!" Stan laughed. Dipper's face turned bright red, and he turned away to hide.

     The family reunion lasted an entire week before the twins returned to sea, and the twins returned to school. Dipper caught up with Ford and his amazing adventures. He shared his journal with Ford, and took notes on all the different creatures Ford discovered. Stan took Dipper out for breakfast with Mabel one morning, and they all talked about Soos and how happy he was.

     "Dipper! What did you do all summer without me to pick on you?" Stan asked in a booming voice followed by a cackle.

      He shrugged, not sure what to share. "I started a journal, actually. I've been recording all these new creatures and studying their-"

     "Bo-oring!" Mabel shouted. "Grunkle Stan! Look at my scrapbook! I added all these pictures of my new friends and-" her voice trailed off as Dipper faded into the background.

~

      The next five years passed in a similar fashion. Dipper sunk further and further into a depressive, anxious state fueled by post-traumatic stress disorder and lack of social interaction. At the end of each year, Dipper visited Bill in prison, and each year grew closer to the day he would be released. Bill only had ten years in prison with the possibility of early release, since no one was able to give a consistent story after all had happened and with the "Never mind all that" amendment, it was hard to talk about it without being reprimanded. After Dipper and Mabel graduated, they went their separate ways; Mabel met some guy and went off to college with him across the country while Dipper returned to Gravity Falls to study the paranormal under his Uncle, Ford, who had finally retired to the Mystery Shack with his brother and Soos. They were quite an extraordinary little family, conjuring local fame each time they discovered a new anomaly. At the end of the seventh summer, Dipper drove to the prison, hoping to visit Bill again, only to find that they were releasing him. Bill and a guard stood outside the prison, and Dipper stopped after entering the courtyard.

     Bill laughed loudly, "Here's the thing, Pine Tree: I need a place to stay now that I'm out of this terrible place. I'm thinking you and your uncle Fordsie would love to have me!"

     Dipper couldn't move.