Gravity Rises (S3)

MV: Part Eight

After their initial shock at hearing Gaston's footsteps, Gideon and Geneva acted quickly. Geneva shooed Gideon away, and he ducked behind the dressing screen again, nearly running into Dipper. Dipper shot him a questioning look, but Gideon shook his head and motioned for Dipper to stay still. Thankfully, Dipper had managed to stay quiet for Gideon's entire conversation with Geneva; Gideon didn't want him to make any sound now.

The boys sat quietly behind the dressing screen, listening as Gaston knocked on the door. Gideon heard Geneva lie back down on her bed. "Come in," she said.

The door opened. "Geneva?" said Gaston. "The servants told me you had a headache again. Are you all right?"

"I'm feeling a bit better," Geneva said. Her voice was nervous; Gideon winced at how obvious it was that she was hiding something. "Gaston, darling, can I. . . ask you something?"

The bed shifted as Gaston sat down. "Yes?"

"Do you. . ." Geneva hesitated. "Do you really support Bill?"

Gideon held his breath. Geneva was rarely this forward. What would Gaston say?

There was a moment of silence. "Now, darling," Gaston said, "you know our family has supported Bill for generations."

"Yes," Geneva said, "but do you support him? If he — if he had to kill people to get what he wanted, would you support that?"

More silence. "I don't know if we have a choice, at this point," Gaston admitted. "If we tried to get in the way, our servants—" He paused, then spoke bitterly. "His servants would throw us out of the Manor."

"I'm sure they would." Geneva's voice grew quiet and tender. "But ignore that. Just tell me how you really feel about Bill. What if he went after Gideon? What if he tried to — to—"

She didn't finish her sentence, but Gaston seemed to know what she was talking about. "Now where have you heard that?" he said sharply. "Have you been talking to Stanford?"

"No, I just — heard a rumor," Geneva said.

Gaston breathed deeply. "Well," he said, "whatever you heard, it's wrong. Gideon doesn't have to die, and neither do the other Symbols. They're helping Bill get home, and once this is all over, he'll leave us be. We can get Gideon back, and—"

"That's a lie!"

Gideon jumped. What—? He looked up and saw Dipper on his feet, his fists clenched. Gideon grabbed his hand and tried to tug him back down, but it was too late.

"What was that?" Gaston asked.

"I — I don't know." Geneva sounded startled. She hadn't known that Dipper was here.

Gideon shook his head frantically at Dipper, but Dipper wasn't looking. He stepped out from behind the dressing screen. "That's a lie," he repeated. "Bill is trying to kill my sister, and he's going to try to kill the rest of the Symbols, too! Including your son!"

"Who are you?" Gaston demanded. "What are you doing in here?"

Gideon grimaced and got to his feet. Thanks, Dipper, this was exactly how I wanted my father to find out about us. Gideon stepped out and stood next to Dipper. "Father," he said, keeping his voice controlled, "this is Dipper Pines. He's helping me."

Gaston stared at Gideon in surprise, but a second later he composed his expression into a neutral, lofty look. "I thought you were hiding at the Mystery Museum," he said haughtily.

"I was," Gideon said. He refused to rise to the bait. "But I've come back to get my amulet. I need it to save Mabel Pines."

Gaston raised an orgulous eyebrow. "Mabel Pines? The peasant girl you ran away to see?"