The One He Protected///Gravity Falls Fanfic///TW in desc.

Will We Pretend This Hell is Healed?

"So, you're feeling better?" Bill asked when Ida had rushed out of the room. Ida, despite all the cuts, seemed very happy. "Yep! All better!" the demon picked up the kid. "Good, good."

He turned over to Dipper and asked, "Do you know where Sixer is? I gotta thank him for patching the kiddo up." The boy nodded and gestured to a room down the hall. "Probably resting in there." He said.

"Thanks, Pine Tree." Bil said. He suddenly transported himself into the room. Sure enough, Ford was laying on a tan couch. The room was dusty, and the hardwood floors had a pale space in the middle, where Bill supposed a rug had been. Bill didn't want to wake the man, but didn't want to leave without saying a thank you.

He had manners, for the most part.

"Mindscape-thingy?" Ida suggested, noticing Bill's plight. "Good idea. I'll be just a moment." The demon responded, patting the girl's head.

Within moments, Bill used his powers to submerge himself into Ford's mind.

Ford's mindscape was not really how Bill remembered it. Yes, it still had books and equations rushing through it. Globes and maps swirled around in a nonexistent wind. But, it was darker. More gloomy.

"Sixer?" Bill called, searching for the mindscape version of the Pines. In the distance, he noticed the man not too far away. He strode over and saw him staring at a large blueprint. Carefully, the demon tapped Ford on his shoulder, which made him jump in surprise.

The two stared at each other, feeling awkwardness grow. "Hi." Bill said plainly.

"What are you doing here?" Ford asked, glancing back up at the blueprint momentarily.

Bill shrugged. "Just wanted to say thank you. About patching up Ida... and also not trying to kill me again-... for the most part."

Ford stared at the demon, probably trying to judge if he could trust Bill or not. On one hand, he wanted to believe that Bill had the possibility to change. However, life had taught him too many times that people could turn on you at a moment's notice.

"And also, I guess I just wanted to say that... I'm sorry. For everything. Weirdmaggedon, manipulating you, hurting everyone..." Bill trailed off, averting his gaze from Ford.

The man cleared his throat, not exactly knowing what to say. "Thank you... for the apology and all. I just... I can't forgive you right away, for all of it. Even if you do say that you- you didn't 'mean to', it's just not easy."

Bill nodded, giving him an understanding smile. "And I get that. I'm honestly surprised that Ida even forgave me. I'm working on it all. I'm going to try and make a better life." The demon promised. Ford managed to understand that, though another question was plaguing his mind.

"What did you mean when you said you didn't 'mean to'?"

Bill's smile disappeared in place of an uneasy frown. "My family is cursed."

Well, that was a bombshell.

Ford blinked a couple of times, letting it sink in. "Cursed?"

"Completely. Since my great-grandfather. We call him Flintgold; he's quite fond of fire and riches. He's... like a morbid heirloom. The oldest son gets him infesting his brain when he turns twenty-five. So, I'm cursed with him."

Ford wrinkled his nose at that thought. He could relate to the fear of being completely controlled. It was a terrifying thing.

"I didn't mean to kill any of them. I just got..." He trailed off for a moment. "I was angry at someone. She was..." He didn't seem to want to finish his sentence.

Ford looked at him with something that wasn't quite understanding, or sadness. Bill couldn't quite read his emotions, which was a bit embarrassing for him. He was literally in Ford's mind. Why wasn't he able to read his emotions? That strange look in his eyes?

"She was someone from my past." He looked away from the other. "Someone who made my life hell." His voice was strained with anger and pain. "I let that crazy lady ruin everything for me again. Finally, I was happy. I had people who cared about me. Then she comes along again and I get all angry. Flintgold takes control and..." His gaze went back to Ford. "Well, here we are..."

Finally, he recognized the look in Ford's eyes. Sympathy.

Pity.

Holy Axolotl, he felt so weak.

Finally, Ford sighed. "Well, Bill, as much as I know I can't just forgive you for everything yet, there is something I need you to hear."

Bill tilted her head curiously. "And that is?"

The man knit his brow, fixing his gaze on the demon. "If all you're saying is true, you can't blame yourself for this curse. And if you really weren't in control, you can't beat yourself up for being out of control."

The two stared at each other for a moment, feeling a sense of ease. Bill suddenly let out a half-laugh. "Ask Ida; I'm telling the truth."

Ford nodded. "If you're that confident, then I believe you. I'm gonna wake up, then."

"Alright then," Bill nodded, "see you on the other side."

Everything flew back into the room and the two were awoken to the real world.

Ida was sitting on the floor, picking at the dirt between the wood planks. She looked up at two and waved. Bill smiled, patting the girl's head. "Hello, kiddo. How about we go off now and find a hom-"

Suddenly, the door was flung open. A red-headed girl in a green flannel burst open the door. "Stanford! What's been going-" She stared at Bill, her eyes widening. "What in the- What is he doing here!?" She stumbled back. Ida jumped up, raising her hands. "Calm!" She yelled out, eyeing the ax in the girl's belt.

"Wendy, there's a perfectly reasonable- actually, nothing about this is reasonable. You've met Bill, he's back." Ford sighed, gesturing vaguely to the said demon. "The kid is Ida. Please don't try to hurt them. They're not going to attack us."

The girl narrowed her eyes at Bill. "Like I'd believe that." She said through heavy breathing (possibly from running or from the panic).

Bill cleared his throat. "Ice, if I wanted to destroy you, I could easily do it as I'm speaking. I am not. I know what I did was horrible, there's a whole curse, yadda, yadda, please. I will not bother you. Ida and I are going to have a home in the woods. I'm not going to start another whole apocalypse."

A nervous, shortened apology, but a necessary one.

Wendy glanced over to Ida, who crossed her arms. "He means it."

Understandably, that only seemed to relax Wendy a tiny fraction of a thousand. "I'll leave you alone, but don't think for a second that I trust you." The redhead said, her voice low. Bill nodded at that. "I understand."

"So, this is what's been happening then..." Wendy mumbled. "Who told you something was happening?" Ford asked. The girl nodded to the hall. "Dipper and Mabel said that there was something important going on before they left."

Ford furrowed his eyebrow. "They left? It's night. Where'd they go?"

Wendy shrugged. "That's what I asked them. They just said that there was some kind of magical presence in the woods. They told me they'd be back in half an hour."

Bill tilted his head curiously. "Magical presence? What kind?" He asked. Wendy narrowed her eyes at him. "They said it was kind of like the feeling around you."

The demon blinked a few times, his mind running through every scenario in his mind that this could make sense. "Like... mine..."