The Things We Leave Behind (Gravity Falls Fic)

Chapter 16: No Strings Attached

Bill's POV:

        I had to confront Pine Tree alone. Only he could know I was here. I left Saige, lying in her bed, deep in slumber. It wouldn't be long until her heart rate slowed to a stop... I had to move quickly.

        Dipper was still pacing around in the living room, completely at a loss as for what to do next. I tried to think of a way to get him to leave the sitting room and go somewhere secluded...

        I conjured up a piece of paper and started ripping off bits and dropping them in front of Dipper, hoping he would notice and follow the trail to the kitchen.

        It didn't take long for him to start walking along the little path I had left for him, watching the pieces of paper come into being out of thin air and falling to the ground. He picked them up as he went, totally confused, but a slave to his curiosity. Finally, he pushed into the kitchen. He knelt down to pick up the last piece. On this one, though, I had written something.

        Look up. 

        Dipper's gaze slowly raised from the scribbling on the paper till he saw me, lounging on the counter.
        
        He jumped backwards, a look of alarm on his face, "You!"

        "I have a name, you know," I say, annoyed.

        "Yeah, I know. So, Bill, what do you want this time? Want to invade someone's brain? Or try to take over my body again?" He replies, sharply.

        I don't have time for this, "Look, kid, you know that girl up there?" I point at the ceiling, making the area above our heads transparent so we can both see into the crowded room. From this angle, we could only just see the foot of Saige's bed, but I'm certain Dipper knew who I was talking about.

        His tone is cautious, "Yeah, what about her?"

        "She's dying," I say, simply.

        "Yeah, I'm aware of this. And I need to find this... this-"

        "Red Eye Blossom, I know," I need to move this along, "But you don't know where it is, and even if you did, you don't know what to do with it."

        He narrows his eyes at me, "What are you getting at?"

        "It looks like you need my help again," I say.

        He shakes his head, adamantly, "No way. Last time I asked for your help, you kicked me out of my body and destroyed a valuable piece of the puzzle that is the mysteries of Gravity Falls. That girl up there is my friend, and I'm not letting you hurt her."

        "Hurt her?!" I snap, "Why would I want to hurt her?!"

        "I don't know, why would you not want to hurt her?!"

        "Because I-" I stop, close my eye, and take a breath. I choose my next words very carefully, "...She's... valuable."

        Dipper could tell that time was running out. I was his only option.

        He looks to me, "What do you want in return for the information I need on the Red Eye Blossom?"

        "Nothing. As long as you don't tell anybody that I helped you, especially not little red up there," I respond.

        This baffles him, but he eventually says, "You know where to find this plant."

        I wait for him to finish.

        "...take me to it."

---

Dipper's POV:

        So there I was, following the most untrustworthy creature in Gravity Falls through the deepest, darkest, thickest part of the forest, on nothing but faith that he wasn't leading me somewhere to kill me or taking me on a wild goose chase to let Saige die. 

        Although, with the way he reacted when I suggested that he wanted to hurt her...

        I just had to keep my guard up. Bill was the only chance I had.

        "Are we almost there?" I say.

        The demon gives an affirmative reply, "Only about a minute away, now. Fun fact, the Red Eye Blossom is actually a really common flower, it just doesn't grow in abundance in Oregon. There are places in the world, though, where they grow in whole fields."

        I'm not sure why he's telling me this. Ease the tension? 

        Finally, we reach a tiny clearing in the woods. On the outskirts of this clearing is a tiny cluster of flowers - white with red centers.

        I rush forward, past Bill, and crouch down next the the little patch.

        I hear the demon behind me say, simply, "You're welcome."

        I ignore him, reaching for the flowers.

        "You'll only need one," Bill says. I pluck two from the patch, more out of stubborn rebellion than anything else. 

        "Alright, now you have to get me back to Saige's cabin - and fast."

        Bill leads me back to the cabin. I can feel the clock ticking down. 

        So could the demon in front of me.
        
        When we reach the back door of the cabin, the one that leads in and out of the kitchen, he speaks, "Boil some water and drop the petals of the flower in. When the water is completely red, make your friend drink it. If it works, she'll need to rest. Her body has been struggling to stay alive for some time now. Something tells me that it's exhausted."

        With that, he's gone, and I'm left worrying about that if in front of it works. 

---

Angel's POV:

        Where was that kid? Saige was fading fast... her pulse would come and go... she had already somehow survived longer than was expected of her. But I knew that wouldn't last long.

        Marceline and Wendy were sitting next to her, Marceline's fingers pressed to the vein in Saige's left wrist, keeping an eye on her heart rate. Mabel was still on blanket duty, finding anything and everything to throw on top of her. Sheets, quilts, covers, towels, and, when she ran out of that, she started pulling coats from the closet. Saige didn't look so much like a young woman dying of hypothermia as she looked like a mound of colorful cloth that would occasionally rise and fall with her uneven breathing. 

        After all Saige had done for my girlfriend and I... if she died... well, for one thing, Marcy and I would never get home... not to mention, the world - both this one and the one that she was from - would be losing a great person.

        Just as I was thinking this, in came Dipper, running as fast as he could with a mug of steaming reddish liquid in his hands. He handed it to Wendy, who was closest to Saige's head, "She needs to drink this."

        Wendy took the mug from Dipper without a second thought, and poured the hot water into Saige's mouth, little by little.

---

Saige's POV: 

        The girls were shaking me, yelling, clapping, even splashing water from the tea party in my face. They were doing everything in their power to keep me awake. 

        My body was cold... so cold... I hadn't noticed until a few seconds ago... all I wanted to do was curl up and get warm... I wanted to sleep... I wanted to sleep... I was so very cold...

        And then, I felt a warm sensation, starting at my lips and slowly, very slowly, spreading through me. The girls all sucked in a breath, smiles of relief spreading across their faces.

        The African American girl stands in front of me and takes my hand in hers. "Once, you told me that it was all going to be okay. Now it's my turn to repay the favor."

        The darkness was making way for the light, and the ginger girl smiles at me and skips away, dodging the brightness. The brunette nods a farewell and follows after the ginger, and the African American girl looks up at me.

        "It's time to wake up."

---

        All at once, I was in the shack. I shot up, throwing a million different multicolored fabrics in the air, "Where am I? What happened?" And then I cry out, grabbing my head in pain.

        Marceline pushes me back against the pillows, "Shhh, it's alright. Everything's gonna be okay."

        Everything's gonna be okay... Why does that sound so familiar?

        I wince as I settle back on the bed, "The last thing I remember is looking at the clock... What happened?"

        "This little dude saved your hide from becoming a Saigecicle," Wendy says, proudly, clapping Dipper on the back. 

        He blushes, "Well, you know, I didn't do it alone... I had help... without these guys, you would be dead right now."

        "Well, thanks, all of you. Dipper, how did you find the flower that was supposed to cure me?" I say. Obviously, "thanks" doesn't nearly cover all the gratitude I was feeling, but right now it was all I could manage.

        Dipper's already bright red face deepened, "Oh, um... I went looking for it... it actually wasn't that far."

        I knew there was more to it, but I didn't want to press. I was too tired.

        Angel clears his throat, "Well, we'll leave you to rest, then. Holler if you need anything."

        He turns and disappears, Marcy following, and then Wendy walks out too. Now it was just me and the twins.

        "Thanks, Dipper. I owe you my life," I say, quietly. He smiles, and Mabel waves as they leave, closing the door behind them.

        Now that I didn't have the threat of death hanging over my head, I could sleep in peace.

---

Bill's POV:

        I'm back in my human form - a new favorite of mine - and i'm standing at Saige's bedside. She is sound asleep. 

        I reach into my coat, and she stirs.

        "Shh," I whisper, gently, "I'm just returning your gun."

        I gently lay the strange, rare weapon on her bedside table. A few moments later, I depart, knowing that she is safe.