A Code to DeCipher (BillDip)

Chapter 17

The sun beamed down on Dipper, battering him ruthlessly, punishing him for the colors he wore. Dressed in all black, Dipper Pines was standing in a secluded section of the woods outside of the Mystery Shack. He clenched his fists, the bright, beautiful weather seeming to mock the situation, laughing at him and his misfortune. It should've been raining. The skies should've been black, everything lifeless. Nothing deserved to be happy, or bright, or anything. The world should be mourning. Instead, only Dipper was.

His sister had been out there after the body was buried, but only to be there for her brother. She was sympathetic, of course, but... She hadn't really cared for the demon all that much. In fact, the only sadness among the family was for the fact that Dipper wasn't happy. They didn't care the same way he did...

Dipper sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked at the dull grave stone. After the events of Weirdmageddon, Dipper didn't dare put the demon's name on it, for fear that some vengeful citizen would come across it and vandalize the grave. Therefore, the resting place of Bill Cipher's grave was marked with nothing more than a smooth round stone with a triangle carved into it. To those who knew what it meant, it was more than sufficient.

Dipper couldn't help but feel a bit angry. The anger was greatly outweighed by the grief, but it was still present. It was like an annoying itch right in that spot on your back you can't reach. It kept nagging at him, which made him feel guilty. If Bill hadn't taken away Dipper's powers, the teen could have saved him! Dipper sighed. He shouldn't be getting mad at Bill. The dream demon did all he could.

If only...

Those two words were the most prominent thing in Dipper's mind. If only he had been quicker when breaking him out. If only he had still had his magic abilities. If only everything had gone perfectly. If only this, if only that. So many things that could have been, that should have been, yet here he was, powerless and alone. In front of him, Bill Cipher lay six feet below.

Dipper's eyes were red from crying, his throat sore for the same reason. One could still almost see the tracks the tears followed down his face, for they were still slightly wet. He came out here everyday. And almost every time, he cried. He couldn't help it. The pain was still too agonizingly fresh. He didn't think it would ever fade...

Suddenly, breath tickled Dipper's ear. Someone was standing at his shoulder. Before he could turn around to see who it was, the person held him still by putting a hand on his back and handing him a piece of paper over his shoulder.

Something about the stranger's touch felt...familiar. Dipper's stomach fluttered nervously, as if butterflies were coming to life within him. The teen took the paper from him, and was about to open it when the person said something.

"Take care of those butterflies, Pine Tree." He whispered in Dipper's ear. Pine Tree... By the time Dipper had spun on his heel to face the person, they were gone. Dipper's heart was pounding, his stomach churning and fluttering madly. He ran around wildly, trying to locate the boy who had spoken to him, but... No one was there.

It was dark before Dipper finally gave up his search and turned to the note the boy had given him. He opened the folded piece of paper and furrowed his eyebrows at the jumbled letters, initially confused as to what they were.

Upon realizing it was code, Dipper pocketed the paper and ran back to the Mystery Shack as quickly as possible. He heard his great uncle call his name when he burst through the door and sprinted for the stairs, but he ignored him, taking the steps two at a time.

Dipper flung the door open, pulling it closed again as he ran through. He frantically cleared off a desk, knocking the previous occupants onto the floor to be dealt with later. He pulled out Journal 3 and flipped to the code Bill had made for him. The Alternating Helix Cipher. He read the letters over before deciphering.

LII XDP

He quickly plugged the letters in to the cipher key he'd made, scribbling out the answer as he went. He read the results aloud.

"See you." He revealed, looking at the paper. He didn't know whether or not to believe it...

Was it possible that Bill Cipher wasn't actually dead? After all, he wasn't completely human. He'd made himself a body before, who's to say he didn't do it again? Dipper hated the smile that played at his lips. It was too much to hope for. He couldn't get his hopes up. It would only make the fall worse.

Still... Despite his attempts to not get his hopes up about the possible return of Bill Cipher, Dipper found his downtrodden soul a bit lighter that night. He actually ate dinner, he hugged his sister goodnight. And for the first time in a long time...

Dipper Pines fell asleep with a smile on his face, his dreams pleasant and undisturbed. There was a chance that Bill was still out there, and Dipper didn't care how long it would take. He would search for the rest of his life, if he had to, but he was not going to give up until Bill Cipher was in his arms once more.

And he would never let his demon go again.