Between the Worlds

Chapter 20

Dipper didn't know about Bills plans. He didn't hear his outburst of joy either. And even if it would have been loud enough, it still would have been swallowed by Mabels screaming.

The poor boy squirmed heavily, his face all pale. His sister crushed him into herself and both of his gruncles did the same. Summarized, the boy was trapped and at loss of air.
"G-guys...! C-can't... breath...!"
Mabel parted from him with a small squeak, Ford doing the same. Stan didn't care at all, he only lifted the boy up and sat him down on his shoulders.
"Dipper, I can't believe it! You really are back!"

Ford smiled in pure relief, but Dipper still noticed the dark rings under his eyes. His uncle was exhausted, that was obvious. He worked day and night to recreate the portal for Dipper and if he actually laid back down to sleep, nightmares tortured him. He was the first one Dipper gave a soft but tight hug to as soon as Stan let him down again.
"Oh gruncle Ford... I-I'm so sorry... I should've paid more attention that day..."
Ford sighed and shook his head, embracing the boy just as tight.
"It's not your fault... It's Bills. We will hunt him down and kill him. Promise."
Dipper froze deeply at that but kept quiet. He needed to give his family at least a bit of rest until he would approach them with the latest news.

It wasn't long until Stan noticed the boys marks. His wrists were still red from the shackles, his neck as well from the collar. To that the bruises from the beatings... Instantly the old man clenched his fists.
"Dipper... Who did that to you?! Was that Bill?! I SWEAR TO GOD, IF I FIND THIS TRIANGLE-"
"G-gruncle Stan no!"
Stan froze in his anger and the attention once again returned to the brunette.
"It... it wasn't Bill."

Mabel sighed quietly, she knew the causes of these wounds. Knowing Dipper was too uncomfortable to speak it out loud, she did it.
"Guys, listen... In this other dimension he was the slave of the Gleeful twins. This dimension is like ours, only the people behave like complete opposite of their characters. Dipper and I live in the Northwest Mansion and are the main attraction of the tent of telepathy, the Gleeful twins."

Dipper shrugged weakly.
"And Pacifica and Gideon are the owners of the mystery shack..."
Stan took a short gasp at that. He surely didn't like this chubby kid to even enter his beloved mystery shack, not even speaking about owning it.
Mabel gave a short giggle at this and Ford growled.
"A slave, huh? At least they didn't try to kill you... Survived in another dimension, I'm proud of you."
If Dipper wouldn't have known better he woul've started squealing like a little girl, but he could stop himself.
This went on and on with Dipper telling stories of his time in Reverse Falls and the other Pines told about their time here.

The next morning, Dipper at the breakfast table was unusual quiet. Stan suddenly sighed and smacked the boys forehead.
"Earth calling, is Dipper there?"
The boy flinched and chuckled at this, but turned serious within a blink.
"Guys, I... I have to tell you something. It's... it's about Bill."
Ford peeked up from his newspaper and Stan furrowed his eyebrows. Mabel already knew what this was about, so she watched with interest her gruncles reaction.
"Bill and I... we are a couple."

It took a few minutes for the older Pines twins to put a response together. Ford raised his eyebrows while Stan bursted out laughing.
"Y-yea kiddo, great one! I haven't laughed like that since years!"
"Dipper, this isn't funny."
The less humorous twin watched the boy in displeasure.
"Nono... Guys, I'm... I'm serious. Bill and I are in love with each other."
At this second Mabel broke into violent squealing and bounced up and down on her seat. Stan stopped laughing and paled instead.
"Kid, you can't be serious!"
"I am! He saved my life, you know? Also, he changed a lot since he knows it! And he confessed the same to me."

Mabel threw her arms around Stan, snuggling into him.
"Come on Stan! You are a criminal yourself, so why excluding another one? Besides, you have to admite, Bill got him back to us."
Dipper of course didn't tell her it had been Wills work. Stan growled quietly and muttered a few things under his breath, but finally gave a defeated sigh.
"Fiine... But if he hurts you, I'll show him what it means to mess with us Pines."

But Ford... as soon as he heard this, he got up and left. Dipper exchanged a worried gaze with his sister before he hurried after him.
"Ford!"
"No Dipper! I can't believe it! Do you even know who we are talking about?!"
Ford seemed angry and dissapointed, but moreover some kind of heartbroken. Dipper trusted this demon so easily?
"I do know! Please Ford! He changed!"
"Forget it Dipper. I thought I've found in you a worthy friend and partner, but now that you are working with Bill..."
He took a deep shaking breath, entering the code into the snack machine.
"-I forbid you to enter my laboratory ever again."

Dipper froze at this. A world just collapsed for him. But, as if awoken from his trance, he rushed after Ford downstairs along the secret hallway.
"Ford stop! I-I know it sounds crazy, but please trust me!"
Ford laughed in a cold and sad tone.
"Trust noone. Dipper, Bill betrayed me. He will betray you too. Love? Pah. He is a demon, he can't even feel."
"But he did get hurt once! I've hurted him unpurposely!"
Ford scoffed angrily and turned backwards to face Dipper again. Now they were in the lowest level of the cellar, directly at the entrance to Fords laboratory.
"Hurt?! And where is your proof it wasn't just fake?!"
The boy wanted to argue back, but he noticed the man was right. But... he just knew it!
"See? Face the truth, Dipper. Bill doesn't love you. You are just again a chess piece in his game."

"Ahaha!!"
Both arguying males froze. This laugh was too familiar...
"Cipher..." growled Ford quietly and took out his laser gun. From behind footsteps of Mabel and Stan were audible, together with some more. Maybe Soos and Wendy? But what on earth was he doing in Fords laboratory?! Oh no, he wouldn't do this...