"Excellent work as always, Pinetree!"

Dipper smiled at the compliment, floating back down after his element performance. Over the past seven days, Dipper has mastered every element - fire, water, air, and earth - floating, summoning and/or controlling objects, and teleportation. Similar to how Tyrone couldn't teleport, Dipper found that he can't read minds as Bill can. He can enter the mindscape on his own, but in the real world, he can't do anything with the mind.

Bill, in human form once again, scoped Dipper up and tossed him into the air, only to have Dipper float again so Bill wouldn't continue. The demon laughed, floating up next to the boy and around him.

"Pinetree, you have no idea how proud I am of you! You've learned almost everything that I can teach you about magic. There's only one last thing I could ever teach you."

Dipper smiled, "What is it? I'm ready, Bill!"

Bill lit his hand on fire, the blue flame surrounding every digit, "You remember why I began teaching you, correct?" Dipper nodded, "Well, the deal we made was full of magic. The moment we shook hands the deal bound us till both sides were going to be met. Deals are my specialty, so you'll be learning them from the best!"

"Why do I need to learn how to make deals? I'm happy with what I have now, and I haven't kept my end of the deal yet. I just feel like this is asking too much."

Bill wrapped his arm around Dipper, the two still floating in the air, "Pinetree, part of my plan is to have you learn these things. You've been helping me from the start! Let me put it this way," Bill led the two to the ground and began to pace, "Your first deal is going to be made with me. It won't happen till later, but it'll be important to my plan. When you make this deal it'll bind us forever, forcing me to never leave your side."

"Wait," Dipper's face darkened, "if I don't make the deal, you'll leave me?"

Bill, having his back to Dipper, spun around quickly, "No, no, no! I would never do that! You've grown on me too much for me to just leave!" Dipper smiled at this, his face lightening as Bill continued, "This deal just makes it so that we're forced to never leave. For your side of the deal, though, we'll be getting to that when the time comes."

Dipper nodded, knowing that Bill would keep true to his word. As Dipper, right on time, began to fade in and out, Bill saluted to him. Bill sighed when Dipper was gone, walking through the forest of Dipper's mind. He whistles to no particular melody, his hands resting behind his head as he walked.

He was worried, stressed, panicked at what was about to come. It wouldn't happen for a bit, but when it did he wasn't sure if he was ready. The biggest moment of his life and Pinetree has to get hurt for it to happen. He stopped walking and whistling.

Would Pinetree forgive him for not telling about the event? Would Pinetree not trust him anymore? That question hurt more than the first. His little Pinetree, his small sapling, meant more to him than anything or anyone ever has. He wasn't supposed to get attached but he did. Pinetree was his little creation he would release onto the world. Is this what a proud dad feels like?

Bill chuckled to himself, remembering all of the head rubs and hugs exchanged between the two. He wondered for a moment if Pinetree looked up to him as a father figure. What a wonderful feeling that gave him.

As the days passed and his beloved Pinetree grew better and better at his abilities, the day had finally come. Bill watched with an aching heart, readying himself to comfort Dipper the moment he could.

"He's lying, shut it down now!"

The way Pinetree's voice cracked showed how much he cared for everyone's safety. As Shooting Star floated above the button, her words of 'I trust you' echoing through the basement, Bill could only stare at Dipper, his eyes showing nothing but furry.

"Mabel are you crazy?! We're all gonna-," a flash of light stopped Dipper mid-sentence, his final words were going to be an agonizing, "NO!"

Bill's magic was ready before Shooting Star had spoken. He protected them, it was the only thing he could do. As the group fell to the ground and groaned, a figure began to walk through the portal.

"What? Who is that?"

Dipper's Grunkle, if he could even be called that, spoke up, "The author of the journals. My brother."

Dipper couldn't believe it, the author of the journals, the one he's been looking for all summer long, was his family member! Family... Mabel. What used to be excitement turned into sorrow quickly. His twin, his family, one of the only ones he could truly trust betrayed him. She trusted a man that they've only known for half the summer over him. A man that may not be their Grunkle. 

A man that hated Dipper to begin with. Mabel and Stan were always so much closer, and Dipper could easily tell that Mabel was the favorite. Even before the whole mindscape incident, Mabel was just like more.

Even to their parents, Mabel was preferred. Who would want someone like him anyway? He was weak, selfish, stupid, nothing but a waste of time! Who in their right mind would even look in his direction?

"Pinetree, that's enough!" Dipper felt a hand resting on his shoulder. He froze as Bill's body came into view, "Don't move or say anything out loud. The only one that I'm allowing to see me is you."

How come I can see you?

Bill chuckled, "The portal allows me to be here partially, enough that I can touch and talk to you... Pinetree... I'm so sorry."

It's fine... It's not like this won't' have happened anyway. This is when I make a deal with you, isn't it?

"That would be correct."

But Mabel... why did she do this? Why did she trust him over me?

"That's something that I don't know the answer to. There are different realities all around. Some she trusts your Grunkle and some she trusts you. I don't know if this will make you feel better or worse, but this is a great thing. With the author here, my plan can continue."

Tell me.

"..."

Tell me what the plan is... now.

Bill sighed. He knew that this was coming. It was the moment of truth. Would his bond with Pinetree stay strong through this? Now everything seemed more than just a plan, a project, an assignment that had to be aced.

Bill's plan rested in the hands of a 12-year-old. A pre-teen that has gotten on the dream demon's soft side. The boy meant so much to him. His little sapling.

"Pinetree... kid..."

Bill was struggling. What if Dipper hated him? What if Dipper turned against him? Bill couldn't help but feel torn. This was his everything, his little adopted child that he was willing to protect through everything. And now the boy is questioning the meaning of trust.

Tell me... please.

A tear slipped down his sapling's cheek, the others either ignoring the fact that Dipper was crying or they didn't see it. Bill hated seeing his Pinetree break down in front of him all because his family kept secrets from him. The Pines family didn't deserve to have someone like Pinetree, and Bill would take him away from here.

"Alright, Pinetree, I'll tell you."

And that's what Bill did. He explained how he destroyed his old world, how he's been trapped in the mindscape ever since, how he wants Earth to be his new home, and exactly how to do it.

Dipper pretended to pay attention to his Grunkle's life story while focusing everything he had on Bill's. His family, his blood, betrayed him. But Bill... he's been there for him. He's taught him things that Dipper never thought possible. He was there when he needed him and showed him so many incredible things.

Bill... I don't wanna be here anymore. I wanna go with you! Please! Let me go with you!

"Listen to me carefully, Pinetree," Bill floated in front of Dipper, kneeling to his level and placing both hands on Dipper's shoulders, "There's nothing that I want to do more than to take you away from them, but I can't. As long as I'm still in the mindscape there's no way I can do it. I know this is going to sound suspicious but my plan gets me a physical form. By pulling off everything I can take you away, you and me, forever ruling over the people of Earth."

I wanna leave now!

"I know, I know. But you have to stay strong, OK? I know you're capable of incredible things, and as long as you stick with me I can help you. Pinetree, now's the time to make a deal with me on your terms."

Bill...

More tears were slipping down Dipper's cheeks, his whimpers and cries being quiet enough to go unnoticed by the group in front of him. He whipped them away, taking in deep breaths and calming himself down.

OK... For your end I want you to take me away from here. Whenever you feel the time is right, you have to take me away. In return, I'll... I'll...

"We'll make it simple, Pinetree. In the future, when the time comes, you cannot enter the circle."

What circle?

"It'll make sense later. I take you away from them, you don't enter a circle."

Is that a deal, Cipher?

With the group's back to Dipper, the said boy used this opportunity to light his small hand. The yellow was bright, and Bill took the hand quickly. With all of Dipper's emotion going into the shake, the deal was sealed. The flame died, the group taking no notice of the light.

What do I do now? What do I have to do for your plan to work?

"My, my, you certainly don't want to waste time. Unfortunately, we have to wait for that new Grunkle of yours to break apart the machine. He'll find a key ingredient into getting the plan to work; to get it, I need you to earn his trust."

Dipper groaned, this finally getting the attention of his family, as well as Soos.

"What's up bro-bro?" Mabel's cheery voice hurt more with every word.

"I'm fine, just nervous about the agents that are upstairs."

"Wait, you got the Government involved?!" Dipper hadn't caught the name of his new uncle yet.

"It was all to get you back, Ford!"

There it is.

Before long, Ford had conducted a few tricks and got rid of the agents. Before Dipper left the basement he turned back to Bill, who smirked and waved at him. Without too much complaining, Dipper was upstairs and ready for bed. All he wanted to do was escape this reality.

"If you need someone else I'm always here."

Dipper felt a tear slip down his face as Mabel spoke a happy 'goodnight' to him. For once he didn't say it back and pretended to fall asleep. Maybe he would take Tyrone up on his offer.