CHAPTER 7

WARNING: Contains Mature language and horrific imagery.

I suggest you listen to the following songs while reading this = Redo (Modern Baseball), Iron Lung (Radiohead), People II 2: Still Peoplin' (Andrew Jackson Jihad). Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead) is another one which fits.

Ferality, Chapter 6. ~ "Extremely interesting story. This title is actually the one that drew me into reading your stories. I've held off read it until I had finished most of your other GF stories. Considering I'm both a Wendip and a Dipifica fan it has been fun reading them fight over Dipper. I can't wait for the next chapter."

I hope that this was satisfying.

Returdedphoenixmorph, Chapter 6. ~ "Deus ex machina Stan! *Ding* (That was an obscure internet reference.)

Another great chapter!

The fantastic and creative action sequence with the Shapeshifter was gripping and climactic!

I see what you mean about not wanting to stretch out the conflict between Dipper and Mabel, but I do feel like it should have been resolved in the next chapter so it could really be explored and put into detail.

I can't handle the damn cliff hangers!

What will happen next?!

Weirdness? Friend zoning? Romance? Upset and bloodthirsty shippers? A cameo from our favorite sadistic Dorito?

I guess I'll have to wait again. It's back to the cryo-stasis freezing chambers for me.

Keep up the great work!"

TWO cameos!

Keeper of Worlds. Thanks so much for your support!

Some Randy ~ "I just wish Ford was in this chapter. Ford has to be the best GF character IMO."

Yeah, he's pretty cool.

Wendy leaped out of the helicopter, followed promptly by Stan (carrying Preston), Mabel, and Pacifica (was dragging the pilot).

She dashed between the trees, feet kicking up dry leaves as her eyes locked on Dipper's descent. His arms failed as he neared the ground fell and she prayed that something would break his fall. Wendy didn't remember the last time her legs had moved this fast, and she barely heard the calls of her friends. They didn't matter at the moment. Neither did the fire, or the statistical impossibility of her reaching him in time.

All that mattered was making sure that all of this hadn't been for naught. That Dipper was not going to die. Despite her nervous mind, the idea of life without him had not occurred to her until he had given himself up to The Shapeshifter. Those few seconds in which she had thought him dead were pure torture. Could she go a whole lifetime feeling like that? Wendy doubted it and somehow managed to move even faster than she had been before.

Wendy could see Dipper, just twelve feet away. His shadow widened as he fell towards the ground. Had he been just a year younger, he would have cried out. But instead, he was just staring at the ever widening sky as though he had known this was an eventuality. He would have looked peaceful had he not been plummeting at such an advanced speed.

Wendy knew that she would never make it in time. He was falling fast and there was flaming rubble between the two of them. Her legs ached and her lungs burned. She felt ready to vomit her own heart. Just before Dipper slammed into the ground, a wave of anti-gravity filled the area.

Just before Dipper slammed into the ground, the machine buzzed one last time and sent a wave of anti-gravity rolling across the area.

Wendy let out a relieved sigh, even though the reversed gravity forced her stomach to lurch. She was watching with tears in her eyes as Dipper was lifted above the ground. The tears of relief floated into the air, and Wendy called out, swimming between the burning chunks of wood as she approached. Heat surrounded her and her breath pattern was a staggering mix. He turned towards her, a smile on his face. She could see his own tears of joy at not becoming a Dipper-pancake, reached out towards him.

Wendy hit the ground with a small noise, but Dipper received the worst of it. He collided with some burning mulch and slapped his pant leg frantically. As Wendy dashed over to him, she noticed that his tee shirt was coated in blood. The Shapeshifter had dug its hooks into him as a Lusca. Gulping, she bent to one knee and used her hat to smother the small fire on his pant leg. She wrapped one arm around him and encouraged movement after pulling him into a standing position.

He made pained noises, and Wendy told him not to speak as they together limped through the fiery outcropping. Breathing became difficult with the smoke filled the air, and Wendy had to focus hard to keep her eyes from blurring. A wave of heat rolled across their backs, as the machine lit on fire and began falling apart at the seams.

Wendy looked up at Stan and coughed. "Get the car ready…we need to go to the hospital."

The old man looked anxious, but nodded, and ran over to his thankfully undamaged, El Diablo. Pacifica saw Dipper and rushed towards them to help. The injured investigator raised a hand however and shook his head with a sad expression. Pacifica looked ready to run through the fire, but her determination disappeared when he gave her the signal to stay where she stood.

Turning away, the blonde helped Mabel carry Preston, glancing back over as Wendy helped Dipper over a collapsed tree. The heat was beginning to grow intolerable, and she wondered just how much more of this she could take. It became clear that he would not be able to move over the log without hurting himself. So Wendy reached out, and tenderly placed her hands beneath his armpits. Slowly, she raised the smaller teen into the air. He coughed and stared down at her like she was the greatest thing ever created.

Blushing, Wendy set him back on the ground and realized that he had a massive cut on his forehead. It tore across his birthmark. Blood had already dried against his hair. Sighing, Wendy took his hand and kicked some wreckage over. A hand extended from the top of the dip in the ground, and Wendy looked up to see Pacifica. Grabbing her hand, Wendy pulled the faltering Dipper forward. Pacifica let go of Wendy's and grabbed Dipper's, pulling him up with steady reassurances.

Wendy was about to grab and an exposed root and hoist herself up (despite her dislocated shoulder) when a voice pierced her concentration. "Need any help?"

Wendy looked up to find Mabel smiling down, almost nervous. "Sure."

Gripping the brunette's hand, Wendy climbed the embankment and sat down the moment she was out of reach of the flames. She breathed in the yet unpolluted air and found Mabel staring at the flames. Clearing her throat, Wendy sat up.

"You okay?"

Mabel shook her head. "That could have been us, Wendy…that could have been Dipper…burning to death."

Wendy forced herself to stand. "Mabel-"

"This is why I was happy to be back in Piedmont."

Wendy's eyes widened and Mabel continued without even attempting to apologize. "He hasn't been the same since fighting Bill. He's been miserable. All he wanted was to come back here…to get himself in even more danger."

Her voice cracked as Wendy realized that Dipper knew nothing about Mabel's true feelings regarding the town and valley surrounding. Wendy considered disagreeing with Mabel or comforting her. The admission stung no matter how much she tried to be the adult of the situation. But she was too tired to think, let alone be the emotional anchor of someone like Mabel. So instead, she took Mabel's hand and towed her towards the car.

"C'mon…let's get you patched up."

Mabel didn't respond or pull away. She just stared at the ground and followed. Wendy got the feeling that the scrapes and bruises were the last things on her mind.

*0*

Wendy sat outside the room in which Dipper rested. Nurses and orderlies rushed past her as she stared at the wall with a blank expression. Every now and then she nodded off but sleep always evaded her. The idea of falling asleep and awakening to find her best friend dead gnawed at her mind. The hospital was busy trying to help all the people who The Shapeshifter had trampled, so they hardly had the time to wrap a couple bandages over him and inject him with a couple doses of pain-killers. Mabel sat beside her, eyes glued to the floor. Pacifica was in Preston's room, the two of them having a much-needed talk.

Wendy had been the one to tell Pacifica that her mother had died. She had been unsure of what reaction might be given. Sorrow? Regret? Anger? The one thing which she had not been prepared for was silence. It was the kind of stoicism which Mabel had shown. Wendy had expected some kind of extreme, but Pacifica didn't even look shocked.

Then Wendy had noticed the red around Pacifica's eyes, and the cruel reality had struck. Pacifica had already grieved. She had seen her mother die. That or seen her corpse. The thirteen-year-old was well aware of the situation and had probably cried as the Shapeshifter dragged her and her father away.

Staring down the hall, Wendy wondered how much more attention Preston was receiving since he was rich. The ginger sighed resentfully and turned her attention towards the door to Dipper's room. She turned her attention back to the door to Dipper's room and was surprised when Mabel began to speak.

"Remember the time that Dipper accidentally hit you in the face with a baseball?"

Wendy frowned but nodded. "Uh…Sure."

"And then, Robbie brought you that ice, so you ended up going out with him?"

Wendy's frown deepened, "Yeeeessss…?"
Mabel swallowed. "Dipper wanted to prevent that. He wanted to use a time machine to prevent the baseball from ever bouncing like it did. But it required me to be in a certain place at a certain time. As a result, I couldn't buy Waddles, and Pacifica ended up taking him…and later eating him."

Wendy stared with wide eyes. "You-you gave me a black eye…and let me date Robbie…so that you could have a pet?"

Mabel rubbed her hands together, "I also kinda-sorta guilt tripped Dipper into letting the timeline stay the same."

Wendy blinked an unorthodox number of times and turned towards Mabel. "I-I-I…"

"I don't blame you if you hate me."

Wendy took a deep breath. "I'm angry Mabel…but I don't…hate you. Weirdly enough…I don't know…I should be angrier considering all the stuff that happened because of...you-know-what…but I…I guess it turned out for the best, right?"

Mabel shrugged. "I guess."

Wendy took a deep breath. "You should talk to him."

The brunette looked up, knowing instantly what Wendy was referring to. "I don't think-"

"You need to tell him how you feel, or everything will bottle up again."

Mabel looked ready to argue but was too exhausted. "Please. For both of our sakes…tell him before it's too late."
Mabel looked Wendy in the eye and then nodded. She stood and slipped into Dipper's room. Wendy watched her go and hoped that she got through to her twin. Stan passed her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you headed?"
He didn't look up. "I'm gonna go unfreeze my brother." He glanced back, "Keep an eye on the twins okay?"

She nodded, before standing. "You called their parents right?"

He bristled. "Didn't see the point in worrying them."

Wendy watched him go, realizing that he didn't want them to leave any more than she did. The only difference was that he was prepared to keep them in this town, with his dangerous brother, regardless of how hazardous it might be. She remembered how miserable he had been while Dipper and Mabel were gone, he had been more melancholy than her. She wondered if the Pines parents would choose to send their children up for a third summer, especially after seeing scars all over them. She would be leaving The Shack soon for college. If he and his brother didn't makeup, it would just be him and Soos.

Stan and Mabel both feared loneliness more than anything else. But how the measures they took to prevent it, were completely different. Stan had been cast out of his family. Mabel had seen her brother consistently endangered by his own ambition.

Mabel slipped out and gave Wendy a teary smile. "He wants to umm…talk to you."

*0*

"Please…"

Pacifica kept her eyes on the floor, trying to block out her father's voice, as well as his labored breathing and the chirping of the machines keeping him alive. She considered responding but instead shoved down her anger. Letting him speak was the least she could do.

"Pacifica…please don't *ACH* leave…me. You…you mean everything to me."

"Dad…no I don't. Business means everything to you. It always has."

"That's *HACH* not true…"
Pacifica sighed and responded without looking up. "Dad…when it came between making ten million dollars and coming to my sixth birthday party…you chose the latter."
It didn't come out resentful or teary. Just tired. She felt so tired. There was nothing she wanted at the moment, then to curl up in bed, and sleep for a thousand years.

His breathing hitched, and he struggled to speak. "Paci-Pacifica…I know I haven't been the best father…"

"You've been physically and psychologically abusive. You degraded me. You made me feel worthless so that I would do whatever you said."

"…but watching you…almost die…It's made me…realize how important you are…"

She jumped to her feet, anger now flashing in her eyes at the fact that he was not apologetic for putting her friends in danger. "Dad, I was about to die, because of YOU. Because YOU hired a monster-"

"I thought he was just a regular human! He said he was a bounty hunter. He tricked me!"

"I DON'T CARE. You hired him to kill the boy I love and to then erase my memories of him so that I would be your perfect slave again. You saved me, but only from a problem that YOU CREATED!"

He stared at her, tears brimming in his bruised eyes. He lowered his vision to the foot of the bed and spoke in a raspy whisper. The words gutted his daughter.

"You are all I have left…"

Pacifica rubbed her eyes, "I'm sorry dad…but mom's dead because of you."

She gave him an intense glare. "I can't forgive you for that…not yet…"

She turned away and refused to look at him for another moment. With swollen eyes, Preston watched her exit the room and slam the door without looking back.

*0*

"You…you wanted to speak with me?" Wendy played with her hands, knowing that this was the moment of truth.

He raised his head from the blankets and gave her a pain-killer induced smile. "Wendy…come over here…"

She frowned but did as requested. "Are you sure you're up to this Dipper?"

He nodded rapidly and ran a bandaged hand across his forehead. "Wendy…you are probably…the best friend that a guy could ask for…"

His eyes rounded the stains in the ceiling, drowning in an ocean of hallucination. "I...I haven't had many friends in my life. But I'm happy to add someone like you to the list."

His head lolled to the side, hazy vision focusing on her. "You've got a ton anxiety…just like me…but you always manage to be courageous, to help others...to uh, to do the smart thing."

Wendy couldn't help but disagree with him, but nodded despite this. She could name several instances off the top of her head in which she had done something decidedly not smart. Like not listening to Dipper when he warned her and her friends about ghosts. Or when she had spied on him and Paz, eventually getting into a full blown argument with the blonde and alienating both of the twins.

The way he described her felt like how she thought of him. But definitely not of herself. Judging by his expressions, he sensed this disagreement.

"Wendy…you are the kind of person who most people can only hope to be…I hope one day…I can be as relaxed as you. I hope I can be that content." He gripped her hand, and she felt like he was tugging her into his world of drifting hallucinations. "That's why…the last thing that I want…is to lose you. It would be…awful. So promise me…that no matter what, you aren't going to avoid me for too long. I know what heartbreak feel like, I know that you are going to need some time…after I tell you that I no longer am attracted to you…"

Her heart skipped a beat.

"…but please…the heartbreak fades…the pain…the loneliness…the crushing desire…it all starts to wane. Everything does eventually." He coughed brutally and lay back down.

The last part of his sentence was the only part which reached her. Everything wanes. Everything DIES. Wendy shuddered, wanting to be anywhere but here at the moment.

Dipper started back up, even though she was mentally pleading with him to remain silent. "Except friendship. People say that love lasts forever…but if you look at my parents…at my grandparents…people don't stay together forever because of affection. They stay together forever because they make each other laugh because they can rely on one another."

He squeezed her hand, as though he knew that she was currently beginning to turn him out. To crawl within herself and mentally cry. It all seemed incredibly unfair. One giant, sick joke on made at her expense. But then he brought her hand to his chest, and the feeling of his heart returned her to the bleeding reality.

"…Remember when you said, 'Growing up is for suckers?'"

She smirked at the words, spoken just a few weeks ago, but feeling like a thousand years prior to this moment. They felt foolish, laughable now, even though they had originally been a joke, they were only ironically humorous. She nodded though when she noticed is silence, and avoided his gaze as he spoke.

"Well, that's what life is supposed to be. You are supposed to have someone who you can always be honest with, someone who you can always play an arcade game with. And I am so…so sorry."

His voice cracked. "The problem isn't you…" Reaching out, he drew a finger across her hair and smiled. "…you are perfect. I just can't…I can't…I can't make you feel loved. Because I don't love you anymore. I can't control that…That's not…that's not the way my mind…or anyone else's works."

Wendy stood up. She didn't want to listen to his consoling, or his reasons, no matter how logical. All she wanted was to be alone for a very long time.

"I don't know if I like Paz…but that's not important. What's important is that I can't be selfish any longer."

She opened the door.

"I can't drag you along without a guilty conscience anymore."

She slammed the door and wished that she had been able to tune him out. But the words just kept jumping around her in her skull, each a needle stabbed into a chest.

*0*

Dipper watched her go and wiped his eyes. ^You really screwed it up, this time, PineTree.^

Dipper closed his eyes, it made it easier to speak to the voice which had haunted his head since the fateful battle.

I had to. He knew that he would not convince the splinter of a demon. Yet still he wished for

Cipher laughed, that horrible, horrible laugh which echoed through his head and would not quiet. ^First you lie to your sister, telling her that you are going to quote on quote, BE MORE CAREFUL. Then you lie to Red, telling her that you don't still have wet dreams about her. Are you TRYING to isolate yourself? Are you trying to be miserable?^

He sighed deeply. You wouldn't understand. You're immortal. So are your friends. You never had to push someone away to protect them. I'm no good for her…I've finally figured that out. The closer she is to me…the more she'll try to protect me from the monsters who are after ME. She doesn't deserve a life of bruises…she doesn't deserve to mourn me…and all her sacrifice would be worthless…because if my arrogance was responsible for my death, I would not be able to live with myself.

^HA! Maybe you're right PineTree, but why then, didn't you push away ShootingStar? Huh? You think it's fine to leave Red out in the cold but to keep your own sister in the dark?^

Dipper shook his head. Mabel needs me. Wendy is tough, she can take it.

The demon which haunted his mind laughed. ^Nice manipulating PineTree…I guess the two of us ain't so different after all. You pulled off "drug-induced honesty" perfectly. If you keep this up, you can be just like your idol by age eighteen.^

The remnant of the banished demon paused for dramatic effect, ^But I had eons to perfect my plan…you had ten minutes. What if you're WRONG? What if Red isn't as strong as you think?^

Dipper shut out the demon's cackling, wondering for the thousandth time why the universe had linked Bill Cipher to his psyche. Sighing, he lay back upon the pillow and let slumber roll over him. For the first time in almost a year, he slept without nightmares.

When awoke hours later, he missed the disturbing familiarity.

*0*

A bellowing voice of broke Wendy's train of thoughts. She looked up and saw her father charging towards her. At the moment, she didn't feel like one of his bear hugs. But she didn't try to avoid his massive arms as he pulled her close to his chest.

Setting her down, he gripped her shoulder. "GWENDOLYN BERBLE CORDUROY! WHERE IN GOD'S NAME HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Wendy winced at his grip on her bruised shoulder, and he looked her up and down, noting how beaten she looked with growing horror. "Relax Dad. I've just been helping some friends. Why? It's the weekend."

He glowered down at her. "FIRST THERE WAS A BREAK IN AT THAT PLACE YOU WORKED…THEN THERE WAS A MURDEROUS RAMPAGE…THEN, A WILDFIRE STARTED. I CALLED YOU ELEVEN TIMES TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE SAFE!"

Wendy realized how the sequence of events must have felt to her father. "Dad…my phone got smashed. I'm sorry I didn't call…I just got wrapped up in things. Promise it won't happen agai-"

"YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS GWENDOLYN! I'M PUTTING MY FOOT DOWN!" He stomped for unneeded emphasis, and she folded her arms, pulling away fro his touch. "What do you mean? I haven't-"

"YOU THINK THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE BRUISES? HOW LATE YOU COME HOME SOME DAYS? THAT PINES FAMILY IS TROUBLE WITH A CAPITAL T, AND I REFUSE TO LET MY LITTLE GIRL THROW HER LIFE AWAY, RIGHT WHEN SHE'S ON THE CUSP OF ADULTHOOD."

She gestured towards the hospital room in which the boy who had just broken her heart lay. "My friends needed my help dad!"

"NO! YOU'RE BEHAVIOR IS NOT ONLY DANGEROUS FOR YOU, BUT IT MAKES YOU A TERRIBLE ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR BROTHERS."
"Right! Because they look up to me SO MUCH."
"I PROMISED YOUR MOTHER THAT I WOULD TAKE CARE OF YOU. I CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU TRY TO THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY AT EVERY OPPOURUTNITY. SO YOU HAVE TO PROMISE ME THAT YOU AREN'T GOING TO DO THIS ANYMORE!"

"WELL, I CAN'T MAKE THAT PROMISE, SO FUCK OFF!"

Wendy didn't care that her throat hurt from the scream. Or that the words had left a horrible feeling in her mouth. Or that it felt like everyone in the hospital was staring at her. Judging her, for being a grown-up brat. She didn't even care that her father was currently looking right through her. Like she no longer existed. The two of them were silent for a long time, and Wendy could do nothing but stare at his blurring form.

She wanted him to scream back, to remove her freedom. To give her something. Any reason to let go of control and cry her heart out. To stop the aching in her chest like he had when her seventh birthday party had been ruined. To tell her everything would be alright, like the time when she had begun crying for her mother and realized that she would never come.

But he couldn't. She was all grown up. And it was too late.

Sniffing, her father told her that if she could really take care of herself, then she need not waste time coming home. His voice was so soft, so quiet in comparison to his normal roar, that she could feel the shaky emotion in each syllable. She wanted to reach out, to apologize. But she didn't. Instead, she felt like her knees were ready to collapse.

Then he stomped past her without another word.

Wendy watched him leave with a sinking feeling, and sat down on the bench, with snot oozing out of her nose childishly as her body shook with each whimper. Too much. Too much too soon. She hadn't had time to think. Why could he have just let her be for a little bit? Why couldn't Dipper have just lied? Why…why did everything have to be so messed up?

She had made it to the surface, and she wanted to go back into the deep dark water. Because everything looked terrible now that there wasn't any water between her and it. She had wanted to help teach Pacifica's parents a lesson. Now one was dead, and the other was beaten to a pulp. FANTASTIC. She had wanted Dipper, to be honest. GREAT IDEA. She had wanted her dad to get off of her back. STELLAR! Next, why not fuck up your relationship with Paz?

Wendy realized that the rich girl was gawking at her. Tell her how much you hate her guts. Tell her how much you wish that The Shapeshifter had KILLED her while it had a chance. How you shouldn't have risked your life for her.

The sixteen-year-old did none of these things. She stood up, and made an angry noise, her face scrunching up in rage. Pacifica flinched, prepared for some form of abuse. She didn't move her arms to protect herself, however. She just stood there like a punching bag. Ready to take any slur or attack, no matter how painful or mentally bruising. Wendy turned away, wishing more than anything else that she could beat someone up who was half her size, and didn't deserve it. She couldn't though. Not even she could sink that low.

So instead, she stalked out into the rain and hoped that she would never have to stop walking.

*0*

^Happy now?^

Wendy opened her eyes. She was sitting at a massive, rotting table. A feast of festering morsels lay before her. A chandelier of bourgeoisie proportions lay above her, swaying lightly as crows picked at the corpses who sat at all the other seats.

That is, except the head chair. There lay a smiling man, dressed in a shredded yellow and black zoot suit. Blood stained his chest. He only had one eye, lying in the center of his sagging, rotting face. His teeth gnashed as he tossed a couple of ankle bones into his tooth filled maw.

^You defeated the bad guy. You should be happy.^ Blood ran down his cheek, splattering against the table.

Wendy sat up. "Where am I? Why am I having these dreams?"

He smirked despite his deteriorating condition. ^How should I know? I'm locked away in some hell dimension, remember? To rot away until the ninth infinity reaches a close.^

He leaned forward, his one eye beginning to burn with fire so hot that it turned blue and could be felt across the table. ^You made sure of that Red. You cut down the tree and burned the forest to the ground.^

Wendy glared at him. "You know why I'm here…I know that you do. You summoned me here…probably to make some deal now that I am at my lowest."

The cyclops rolled his eye. ^Au Contraire skin-bag…you summoned ME.^

He giggled at her shocked expression and leaned backward. ^So what's the job? Do you want me to curse Llama? Or PineTree. Ooh! Ooh! I could turn them into their retrospective nicknames/spiritual incarnations…Or I could have you dad chop his own-^

"I don't want anything from you and I certainly didn't summon you!" She placed her hands on different sides of her skull, wishing for nothing more than to be left alone. "UGH! I don't...I don't understand how could this have happened?"

He shrugged, ^Beats me. In case, you haven't noticed…^ He gestured to the decaying palace. ^I've been out of the loop for quite a bit.^

Wendy ran a hand through her hair, trying to remember what could have caused this. "You weren't the one sending me all those weird dreams then?"

^Nope.^

"And you couldn't have you summoned me if you wanted to…right?"

^Yup.^ He downed a chalice of wine and it spilled out of his exposed ribs, staining the shirt and mixing with the blood.

He returned the chalice to its rightful place and Wendy could see it refill on its own. A crow landed on his plate and flew off with what little food was left. The demon belched despite not having anything to consume and gave a ragged smile.

^Maybe Sixer placed one of his do-dads on ya.^

"Wait, what?"

^He still owns a bunch of figurines and stuff. It's all supposed to let you access the Dreamscape through means of meditation. If you use one long enough, you get me…regardless of whether or not I'm in my home dimension.^

Her green eyes focused on his yellow and black one. ^Hey, how is the old geezer. It's been a while since I've been inside his head.^

Wendy sat back down. "Do-dads…you mean like…trinkets?"

^Right again Red. Your brain is almost as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside.^ He licked his lips with a rattlesnake sized tongue.

Wendy wasn't paying attention to the demon's cravings, however. She was staring at her empty palms. Or more specifically, the copper rhombus which was flickering into being there. The trinket which she had taken from Ford's room. It had seemed so insignificant at the moment when Dipper had told her that she could keep anything that she found.

^You finally figured it out I guess.^

She responded in a distant voice. "Yeah, I guess so…"

Raising her hand, she aimed for the stone floor. ^W-WAIT!^

The demon scrambled across the table, making his way towards her like a spider. She could see worms crawling about inside his skull though the bash in his bald scalp. His smile had disappeared and he clapped his hands together in a plea.

^I've been so alone down here…my friends are all back in the Nightmare Dimension…there's no one…no one to speak to.^ He tried to give a charming smile despite his razor sharp teeth. ^Please, I won't try to manipulate you…I'll just ch-chat with you.^

Her brow furrowed. "You tried to kill everyone I love…I'm not gonna feel sorry for you."

"But-But…"

She raised the piece into the air, and he snarled, any levity in his voice now gone. ^You'll never make him as happy as I can.^

Wendy frowned and turned towards the demon. "What…What are you talking about?"

He smirked, ^He chose me. He would rather be my pawn…then your boyfriend.^

The redhead blinked slightly, and then gave him a sarcastic look. "What, do you now have a crush on Dipper too."

The demon foamed slightly at the mouth. ^YOU CAN ONLY EVER GIVE HIM COMFORT. I CAN GIVE HIM THE AMBITION TO CHANGE THE WORLD.^

Wendy glanced down at the rhombus, at her reflection within a dream. "Why are you telling me this? We both lost. He doesn't want me any more than he does you. Because he rejected me…and sent you to a hell dimension."

She returned her dejected look to the one eyed beast. "He wants…well, I don't know. Happiness. Peace."

Cipher burst out laughing. ^Peace? What world do you live in? That kid doesn't want PEACE. He would kill if it meant that he could still be miserable. He has the biggest fucking martyr complex I've known in my Trillion year plan…And I saw Jesus.^

Wendy folded her arms, eyes widening as he continued. ^He hasn't gotten to me, any more than he would get over you. He doesn't "get over" anything. PineTree searches around until he finds someone he can trust. Then he hangs onto them like a friggin parasite. If you break his heart, he doesn't get over it. He just glues together the pieces and learns his lesson. He still regrets the girl in fourth grade who he never gave a valentine to. Years from now, he's gonna remember the time that he accidentally dropped a carton of milk and ruined breakfast. How do I know this? Because I have been inside his head. THE ONLY THING, and I mean the only thing, which keeps him from thinking about his mistakes, loneliness, and boredom is playing the hero."

The demon laughed so hard that his lower jaw began to hang lose grotesquely. It swung back and forth like a stray rope, all the muscle holding it there revealed. Wendy took a step back, sure that he couldn't hurt her, but disgusted by the idea of touching him. She could see his crow-picked tongue, and sense the logic behind his madness.

^And DAMN, is he good at it. That kid's smarter than most Oxford Professors. His mind is like a machine…all it needs is the correct pieces and someone to keep it well oiled.^ An opportunistic gleam had returned to his eyes. But it faded when he looked almost regretful for a moment. ^Heh…I don't think that you can do that Red. He wants to snuggle up with you and never wake up. He wants to hold hands in the rain. Blondie isn't in the same ball field, mostly because you started reciprocating. Hell, he wants you to have his children and he wants to help you bake chocolate chip cookies for his great-grandchildren. It is SICKENING how much he loves you. The Shapeshifter may have made a few mistakes, but it hit dead on when it came to Sixer's impressions.^

He turned back towards her, his eye rolling into the back of his skull. ^You can't have your cake and eat it too. He knows that. Look at what happened the first time he let you come searching for clues with him? YOU FOUGHT THE SHAPESHIFTER, he thought you died. I'm not the reason he has nightmares IceBag. YOU ARE. You are the thing which keeps him up at night because you are mostly It's you or me, and I'm telling you to back off so that I have a hope of getting out of this place. So that he…has a chance of being anything other than miserable.^

It's you or me, and I'm telling you to back off so that I have a hope of getting out of this place. So that he…has a chance of being anything other than miserable.^

Wendy stared at him, feeling her spirits lift with every word. She wanted to smash the rhombus and then run to Dipper. To tell him that she was ready for anything. But she couldn't.

No matter how evil, the demon was correct. They could not have their perfect future while he was building machines that could end the world. She couldn't stand by and watch him threaten his life on a daily basis

^So c'mon…I can tell you everything you need…I'll I need is for you to let me into your mind.^

Wendy sighed. "It's not happening pal."

Cipher laughed and crumpled into himself. His bones crunched against one another, his eye rolled forward, sending a search light out. She watched in horror as his legs rolled back into place. He smirked with his new, gaping maw, now a fleshy triangle levitating just above her.

^I'm warning you Red, few people get the chance for omnipotence. Don't throw this away…^

She shrugged. "I don't want it."

Her fingers released and the rhombus slammed against the ground. She slammed her boot against the Blinding light pierced the room, shredding through Cipher. The crows multiplied, forming a great black murder which swarmed the room's two occupants. Wendy covered her head, unable to look at their writhing forms or hear their piercing shrieks any longer. As they tore Cipher bit from the bit, the light which cascaded from the broken geometrical figurine. It burned into the walls, the ceiling started to tear away into the void.

Not black like out space. But more blinding white. It seeped into the room, eventually blotting out the whirling dervish of black feathers. Until the whole room had been shinned out, and replaced with a void. Wendy floated above its lack of up or down, before losing gravity and slamming into it.

Cracks streaked across the world, and it splintered into a thousand pieces.

Wendy awoke in the bed of a dirty motel. She packed her bag within an hour and was out of town before the sun was up. She gave one last mournful look at her hometown as the bus pulled her away, but took a deep breath and kept her eyes on the road ahead.

*0*

(July 28th, 2016)

Dipper gave a weary smile as he screwed in the final bolt. The sixteen-going-on-seventeen-year-old finished his work and stepped away from the car.

"There you go Grunkle Stan. I hope you like it." He glanced at the old man, whose cane made it difficult for him to enter the garage. His sister helped, and Stan gave him a thumbs up.

"Well done Dip, you're getting better every day."
"AHEM!" They turned and found Ford standing in the hallway, glaring in at them. Dipper sighed and stood up, "Sorry for being late, I just-"

The old man smirked and pulled out four tickets. "I was wondering if we were going to test your handiwork out."

Mabel noticed the clown insignia upon the tickets and beamed. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! YOU ARE THE BEST GREAT UNCLE AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT!"

Ford couldn't help but laugh as she bounced over and wrapped her arms around his chest. When she finally pulled away, the bubbly girl rushed off speaking at such a speed that it made her sentence barely discernible. "Waddleslovesthecountyfair, I HAVE TO GO GET HIM!"

Ford watched her leave with a humorous expression and smirked when Stan glared up at him. "One point for me brother."

Stan cracked his knuckles and limped past the scientist. "The day is not over yet poindexter."

Dipper wiped his hands off on a rag and raised his eyes from the tools he was putting away, to his mentor. "Are you uh, sure about this?"

Ford nodded. "You've been working all week Dipper, you need this. Remember, there's a time to work-"

"-and a time to eat as many funnel cakes as is humanly possible?"

Ford nodded with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Now go get your wallet, you might find something you want to buy there."

Dipper nodded and sprinted off after his sister. He was nearly as tall as Ford at this point, with his sneakers smashing against the wood floor as he raced up the stairs. He was still getting used to his body but was getting less clumsily with every passing day.

Ford watched him go with a smile. It hadn't been easy to convince their parents to allow them back up here. But once The Shack had been refurbished to its fullest and Stan's beloved clunker replaced (each motion a gift to one another for their shared birthday), the Pines parents had been much more trusting. The fact that Mabel had developed an irresistible puppy dog look didn't hurt either. Dipper had seemed a little bit stressed upon arriving here, but Ford had taken him aside and had a heart to heart. He regretted not being there for Dipper's mental breakdown last year, even though he and his brother had driven down to help support. Dipper had been considerably more happy in the presence of his uncles, and Ford suspected this was one of the reasons his parents had allowed him and his sister back to Gravity falls. So he considered this as a chance to prevent further break downs.

He told Dipper how much he hated the idea of him becoming just like him. How, it was important to not become too wrapped up in your work, or it might swallow you whole. Literally in Ford's case. He stressed that if he ever felt like his world was falling apart, the two of them should talk because he had been just the same as a teenager. Then he told him that he was overjoyed to have them back after two years. Video lessons with Dipper hadn't been the same as the field work which the two of them could do. Better still, Mabel had proven herself worthy of joining in their escapades, and Ford found that her presence was less distracting for his ward than first anticipated.

Best yet, he, Stan, and Shermy had all gathered for their father's funeral anniversary. He had expected for it to be difficult to relate to the brother who he never grew up with. But Stan and Shermy had hit it off, with him sitting back and watching them exchange funny stories about their father with an ache in his chest.

It was a happy kind of ache, however. He knew that it had taken much longer than he had ever dreamed, but Ford had found a place for freaks like himself. Everything was finally smoothing out.

*0*

Dipper had been in the middle of eating one of those oh so craved funnel cakes when Stan spotted her. "Hey Dipper look, it's the girl of your dreams!"

The teen turned, and his eyes bulged as he stared at Wendy Corduroy for the first time in nearly two years. She was dressed in a yellow and red pinstripe outfit, with a kooky hat on her head. She shoveled popcorn into people's cups with a grin on her face. He could see the white plastic earbuds pushed snugly into her ear canals, and realized that she was bobbing her head to the music of her MP3 player.

He practically kicked up a cloud reaching the line. Mabel giggled, before skipping after him, ready to give any moral support he might require. Plus enjoy his funnel cake. He wouldn't want to look like he didn't care about his body after all.

Stan turned towards his brother and whispered as they watched him wait anxiously, "I think I win."

The six-fingered inventor would have punched the con man, had he not known that his brother would retaliate with a vicious left hook. So instead, he folded his arms and watched as Dipper fidgeted in the line.

As he drew closer to the booth, the investigator felt his heart beat more and more rapidly. What if she hated him? What if he made her cry? What if she was happy, and didn't want him to ruin it for her like he always did?
"You are going to be fine."

He glanced back at his sister, relieved to have her mind reading powers on his side. Still he faltered. "What if she hates my guts?"

Mabel smirked, "She doesn't bro."

"How do you-"

"Because you have saved her life as many times as she has saved yours. Because she has missed you just as much as you have missed her. Because she's WENDY." She placed a hand upon Dipper's shoulder and gave him a warm smile. "Go on Bro, you've tortured yourself enough."

Silently thanking the universe for giving him the greatest sister someone could ask for, Dipper hugged Mabel and rushed towards the line. Toby Determined received his popcorn and called after his girlfriend (Sandra Jimenez). Dipper stepped up, mentally preparing himself for the worst.

Wendy had her back turned to him, but he could hear the smile in her voice as she grabbed the popcorn scoop. "Would you like a Small, Medium, or Lar-?"

She turned towards him, and the scoop fell from her hands. Dipper tried to give a shy grin, but she looked so startled that he still had no idea if she would be happy, sad, or worst of all, pretend that she didn't know him.

But she just stared at him, the popping of the kernels and the scream of fold-up rollercoaster riders, both fading into the background. His dark brown eyes fell on her own bright green ones. The whole world, past, present, and future seemed insignificant.

Dipper coughed, refusing to stay in the silence any longer. "I'm sorry that I…never got to see you off to college…I would have but…"

She bolted forward, wrapping her grease stained arms around him. Dipper stuttered, and then wrapped his own arms around her unsteady form.

"You're all grown up Dippingsauce."

"You don't look a day over nineteen yourselves."

She hit him lightly on the shoulder and wiped her eyes while he giggled like the jerk that he was. "…so…did you ever uh," She pulled away, and suddenly became aware that the entire Pines entourage was watching the two of them. "…solve all the mysteries…"
He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Not really…I-"

Wendy threw off her apron and grabbed his hand. "C'mon, let's go somewhere quiet!" She jumped over the counter, giving him barely any time to respond.

"Don't you have a job here?"
She shrugged as he began to jog just to stay within earshot of her. "Eh. Once a slacker always a slacker DippingSauce."

*0*

Across the great field which surrounded the fair, the two of them ran. Bounding, leaping and trying to outdo one another in a more spectacular way than the last. Over rocks and logs, ditches and outcroppings, they eventually found an old bridge and sat down. They chucked twigs into the river and watched their feet dangle as they caught up with one another's life.

Wendy told Dipper about how college was, and how she and her father were coming back to good terms. Dipper told her about how his parents had half-forced him into therapy following his breakdown last year. Surprisingly, it wasn't as humiliating as he had expected it to be, although he couldn't really tell the doctor about ALL his problems without sounding insane. He chose not to mention that the voice of Bill Cipher had not been present in his mind for the last eleven months, mostly because he had ever admitted it earlier. Whether this absence was a good thing or an omen of rising power, he cared not. At the moment, he could think without the voice of selfishness and destruction interrupting.

They swapped funny stories until they had none left, and then, they sat there, admiring the massive trees which surrounded them and the unpolluted river which ran below. The trickle of the water had a strange effect on their perception of time. Dipper swore that the two of them sat there for an eternity.

Wendy was the one to break the silence this time. "So…how is Paz?"

He shrugged. "We meet up every now and then…but we haven't talked a lot since she moved in with her foster parents."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh yeah, her dad turned himself in for tax avoidance, smuggling, and a bunch other crimes. He didn't mention that he was an abusive conspirator in my murder, but he isn't getting out of prison anytime soon. He isn't coming anywhere near her again either. She visits him once in a while."

Wendy blinked multiple times. "Wow."

"Yeah, she's hasn't been the same since...her mom died. But she and Mabel still have hour long conversations over the phone. It's actually kind of annoying."

Wendy nodded along cracking her neck as he continued. "Yeah. She got to stay with us for a few weeks in back in June."

He hesitated before deciding that he would always be honest with her from now on. "I asked her out."

"Huh?"

"But she turned me down." He chucked a piece of gravel into the water. "Told me that long distance relationships never work. She's probably right."

Wendy nodded like a doting teacher. "Yup. They never do. That's for sure."

Dipper summoned a smile and ran a hand across the back of his neck. "Well…"

"Well, what? You about to tell me there's some cute girl in Piedmont who has fallen for the dashing Dipper Pines?" She gave him a queer glance, half joking and half hoping that this wasn't the case.

He shook his head. "Nah, I was just thinking…Ford always says that there is an exception to every rule of the universe. That rules need to be tested for certain."

Wendy raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you wanna call Paz and convince to date you with your irresistible voice?"

It was her turn to receive a light slap on the shoulder. The redhead giggled, and swayed to the side as Dipper collected himself. She spotted the serious look on his face and realized what he was about to say.

"I was actually considering-"

"Don't."
"Wend, you didn't let me-"

"Dipper. Whenever you and I…try to be a…well I don't know. But it always ends in disaster." He gave her a strange look, not disagreeing but clearly surprised. "I know why you didn't want to get close to me Dipper. I know why you lied. And I understand it. I'm fine with this."

She sighed, and took his hand. "Seriously. This is fine."
He looked down at her hand and cleared his throat. "Well, I was going to ask out the cute girl who lives down the street from me back in Piedmont-"

Wendy punched him. "Oh my god! You were leading me on you…you…KITTEN-SNEEZER!"

His giggles reached their peak, and he cast a playfully vengeful glare her way. "Oh, now you are going to get it."

He leaped on top of her, the two of them rolling back and forth across the bridge. Their laughter filled the forest as they tickled one another without remorse. Finally, Dipper was able to keep Wendy pinned down. He gave her the devil's grin and ran his fingers up and down her sides.

"AHAHAHAHA! OH GOD YOU LITTLE-EEEHEHEEEHEEAHAHA! STOP IT OR I'll-AHAHAHAAHAAA!"
She rocked beneath him like a cannon which had not been tied down on a pirate ship. Dipper relinquished his attack, taking a moment to stare at her. Her cheeks were red and flushed. Her eyes were gleaming. He reached forward and brushed a red hair off of her forehead.

"Dipper…" She said his name more like a plea than a demand.

He shook his head, knowing full well what she was about to say. "Just…let me try something."

Wendy looked ready to melt away if it meant to escape the situation. "We're gonna-"

"Wendy, I hurt you. And I have thought of the look on your face as I hurt you for the past three years. I'm sick of regretting things. I'm sick of messing up my future because I'm too afraid to bet on myself. I am sick of being myself."

Wendy swallowed with some difficulty, her eyes now locking with his. "But when I am with you…I feel like a different person. A better person. I'm sick of thinking Wendy. So if you are alright with it…let me make it up to you. Screw the future, because if we ever ruin each other's lives…we can just use a time machine to go back and say 'No past selves, you two need to stay one-hundred percent pla-tonic.' And we'll listen because...well, it's us from the future, and we'll know better."

She chuckled at the voice he put on but still hesitated. "Dipper…I care too much about you to hurt you…"

"That's why you aren't going to."
She raised her eyes and he continued. "We've missed each other for the past three year's right? Well, that proves…that this is real. That it will last."

"And if it doesn't?"

"I'll always have my best friend who I can complain about my girlfriend too." He winked, and this time, she grinned fully. She leaned forward and stole a kiss.

Dipper looked like he had just ingested some rare drug. He rolled over beside her and stared up at the sky.

"First time?"

He shook his head. "Wish it was. That was so much better than kissing Candy."

She burst out laughing and sat up. "Well, it was pretty cool for me too."

"What? The first time you kissed a boy?"

"No silly, the first time I kissed a girl! College sure is cool…" She barely concealed a grin.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Ha-Ha." Wendy stood and dusted off her jeans, Dipper growing a wide-eyed look as she passed him. "Wait, you're joking right?"

She started off back towards the fair. "Well c'mon Dipping Sauce, we can spend the day giving popcorn to those who will grumble about the prices."

Dipper scrambled after her, having to dash to reach her. As the sun began to dip in the sky and the leaves rustled, from her hiding place, Mabel Pines could hear him asking if she had been serious about the kissing a girl thing.

"Wouldn't you like to know Mr. Detective?" Was the redhead's sly response.

Mabel pumped her fists into the air. She danced back and forth, trying to contain her glee. Removing her backpack, she pulled out the Dippendy mobile. Dusting it off, she removed a "WINNER" sticker from her ever-present collection on the back of her neck and pasted it upon the drawing of her brother and the tall redhead holding hands.

"After FOUR YEARS, finally!" She did a little dance and removed her aqua colored cell phone.

SparklyPigLover: YOR PLN WORKD! They r bth supr hppy! Thnx so much!

She waited a few secondds before beaming when she recieved a text from her corrospondent.

PazzGolfqueen: Great. Tell Wendy I said hello.

SparklyPigLover: CN DO! :-D

Pocketing her phone, Mabel wondered about when she should start planning her brothers wedding. Humming the happiest song on earth, Mabel scooped up her prized hog.

"C'mon Waddles, let's go tease Dipper."

The pig snorted in approval as she skipped after the couple. The sun cast mystifying purple and orange across the world. Mabel breathed in the semi-delcious, semi-trashy smell of the fair, and snuggled against her pig. Her great uncles were finally happy, her brother was happy. Wendy was happy. And although Paz wasn't currently ecstatic about life, Mabel would make it her job to supply that happiness. Because when other people were happy, Mabel was.

After years, the future was finally looking bright.

"Here's to the rubble,

A brick through every window,

a casket buried six feet deep for everybody's hero!

Here's to out lives being meaningless...

And how beautiful it is because freedom doesn't have a purpose!" ~ Harmony Parking Lot, Johnny Hobo and The Freight Trains,

THE END

THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU ALL! Sorry that this was late. I want to tell you all that I love your support. Even though I'm not exactly a fan of the pairing anymore, I figured, what the hell right? I wanted to make you guys happy. I hope that this was a satisfying
Unfortunately, I am probably going to be uploading stories and chapters at a slower pace from here on. I need to focus on my original work if I ever want to turn writing into a profession as I plan.

But I will always remember how you guys have made me feel like a million dollars. 25,547 is how many people visited "Jealous of a Twelve Year old." One-hundred and seven of those people Favorited it.

I will always remember how helped me become five times as good at writing, and how Gravity Falls helped me get through a difficult patch in life. Stuff is better now, but of course, life can always get better. I hope that I gave some kind of small, if convoluted, the message in each of my stories. The best I can hope is to bring a good story to your lives while still having some kind of message.

Your encouragement has truly made me an Infamous Fly. And that's the best you can hope for as a writer. Have a fantastic day. ;)