You're Human Now

Chapter 11

**3rd**

"NO! NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Bill shouts, now clutching the top of his triangular form.

Dipper woke up in a panic due to the shouting only feet away from him. He instantly rose to his feet, ready to take on what ever made that noise. Fear grew inside his body. It wasn't just a dream, I am still here... with Bill. That fear was quickly replaced with anger as he remembered what Bill did to him. Dipper went to walk over to Bill, who is still mumbling to himself yards away now, only to almost trip from his feet being wrapped around blankets. He looks down and is confused. Bill knocked me out and wrapped me in blankets? The boy sucked in a deep breath and decided not to start yelling at Bill for his own self-preservation.

"Bill?" Dipper squeaked out, partially afraid to agitate Bill in this state he is in. "Are you... um, ok?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This isn't how it is supposed to happen. You are now in danger and it is all my fault. I'm sorry. Please forgive me!" Bill says as he turns to face Dipper. Tears ran down the triangle's face.

"Look, uh Bill. It's okay, calm down." Dipper said as he walked towards the distraught demon. Holding his hands close to his chest, tapping the ends of his fingers together.

"It's not okay. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry." Bill mutters flopped on the ground, no longer floating but just lying flat, face down.

"Bill... um..." Dipper mutters confused and unsure what is happening or what to do. An idea popped in his head. It works for his sister so why not geometrical dream demons? He went over to Bill and easily lifted him up. Odd, I expected him to be much heavier. The boy then just wrapped his arms around the triangular being, like he was cuddling a teddy bear. "It is okay Bill. I'm safe, calm down."

Dipper sat on the ground holding onto Bill. Silence filled the room along with an awkward feeling. Here he is with his greatest enemy and he is nurturing him like a kitten. Dipper wanted to let go of Bill and get answers to what is going on. However, the words wouldn't come out and his arms wouldn't let go. Bill, seemingly calmer now broke the awkward silence.

"Why are you 'hugging' me" He murmurs.

"It is what I do when Mabel is upset, do you want me to stop?"

"No no, it's... nice." Bill mumbled, barely audibly saying the last part. Dipper was left confused and saddened. When was the last time Bill was hugged? Has he ever been?

"You know, it's funny. Here I am sitting in some random place, hugging my mortal enemy." Dipper said laughing, trying to lighten the mood. However, as he noticed, it might have backfired as when he finished his sentence Bill shuddered.

"I'm sorry" Bill muttered.

"Don't be, but can you tell me something?"

"What?"

"Can you tell me why you are sorry and what is going on? Like who was that purple guy and where are we?" Dipper asked, feeling partially guilty for pressing Bill for answers while he is vulnerable. Bill with a sigh, teleported out of Dipper's arms and appeared only a few feet in the air.

"Alright, um... where to start." Bill said contemplating how much information he wants to tell Dipper at the moment. A part of him wants to tell him everything but the logical part reminds him that Dipper can't take in all that information at once. It needs to be a slow burn.

"You can start with where are we?" Dipper asked breaking Bill from his thoughts.

"Well, this is o--my home in the Nightmare Realm."

"Wait, this is the Nightmare Realm?" Dipper asked looking around the area again.

"Yea, what did you expect chasms, lava trenches, and fire everywhere? I may be a demon but we don't live in 'Hell,' or at least you definition of it."

"Um, ok. So, why are we here and who was that purple dude?"

"Wellll, that purple 'dude' is Tad Strange. He is one of the strongest, if not the at this point, dream demons there are. And we are here because he wants to kill you." Bill said with full seriousness, not even a hint of sarcasm.

"Kill me? Why would he want to kill specifically me?" Dipper asked scared and confused.

"Think about it. I'll even give you a hint." Bill said as he ignited his hand.

"My-I mean, the flaming hand thing? I thought that was you though?" Dipper said, not making eye contact with Bill. Holding his occasionally flaming arm with his other arm.

"Jeez kid, don't you read. It is you flaming hand!" Bill said as anger filled his words.

"So... why is my hand flaming?" Dipper mumbled, saddened as he starts to accept that the flaming hand is his. Bill froze, he had to choose now whether to tell Pinetree what happened to him.

"Uh... well... that's just a story for another time... okay?" Bill said earnestly trying to satisfy his son while not having to tell the truth yet.

"I guess so..." Dipper mumbled sadly.

"I'm sorry." Bill mumbles back.

"For what?"

"I'm sorry this all had to happen. I did not plan for this, he wasn't supposed to find you. I was supposed to hide you from him but I failed. I should've expected you to be as powerful as you are now. I should've prepared more, now he knows of your existence and its up to me to keep you safe now." Bill said trying to hold tears back from the guilt and fear that filled up his form.

"It's ok, we can deal with this right?" Dipper said trying to cheer up Bill. "We can go back home and I can get Ford to protect me. We already technically took down one dream demon, why not two?" Dipper said with a pep in his attitude.

"You don't get it kid. There is no going back to Gravity Falls! You go back, you are dead on the spot right now. You got years of training before you got any hope of not being killed!" Bill said in full seriousness and a hint of anger.

"What do you mean, we got the demon barrier and everything. We could handle you why not Tad?" Dipper asked as fear set in that he won't be able to go home.

"That barrier is not strong enough to keep out Tad and even if you try he will learn about the ones you love. He will use them against you, he will kill your whole family and anyone who tries to stop him from killing you." The reality of the situation hit Dipper like a truck. Fear overtook his small body and he broke down crying.

"S-so I-I can't see Mabel again or she will d-die..." Dipper flopped on the ground, sobbing. His whole life as he knew it was over.

"I'm sorry, sapling." Bill said patting his crying son.

"If I can't go home... where will I live?" Dipper asked calming down some after many minutes of crying. Dipper's fear heightened as he awaited for the answer he was sure he was going to hear.

"You'll stay here, until you can fight off Strange." Dipper's heart sank when he heard Bill's reply. Not only will he not be able to go home or see his family, but is going to be living with his biggest enemy.

Bill trying to cheer up Dipper a bit asked, "Do you want to see your room?"

"No, I want to go home." Dipper said as he began crying again. Bill hovered behind Dipper for a minute before deciding it is best to give his son some space.

"I'll leave you be, your room is down the hall, first room on the right. Shout for me if you need me... I'm sorry." Bill said as he floated away, feeling guilty for leaving his son alone in such a distraught state. However, he knew best that the kid needed time alone to adjust to his new reality.