Dipper's POV

I marched out of the bubble, my fury rate was sky high. What the heck was wrong with her?! Me trying to...to do what I had almost done was shameful and she threw it back in my face. I looked back at the bubble as I stood on the rails. I felt a feeling of guilt swamp over me. Maybe I reacted too harsh...-

No. That was low of her to do.

I marched down the rails and climbed down. What a waist of my time. I went to jump down since I only had two feet left. I was only a feet down the jump when I froze in midair.

"No, no, no. Not again." I noticed a red aura surround me. I looked up to see Bill floating down.

"Hey Pine Tree!" He said smugly.

"What do you want?!" I grumbled.

"I just had a little chat with Arrow! So, I guess you were just in there..." His gaze became cold.

"Yes...we were just talking. It's not like we can do much with each other! She's chained up! I'm fending for myself." That's when I paused. I should have given Eleanor some food and water. What type of friend would just leave another to starve.

"Ah, I see." Bill said sarcastically.

"Can you just leave me alone?! Doesn't look like I'm causing any trouble around here, am I?" I said as I twisted in the air squeamishly.

"Well, you are trying to stop me, aren't you?" Bill asked.

I went silent at that.

"And you've been walking all over Gravity Falls, haven't yah?" Bill pointed at my wrist where the shackle was.

I growled at my fault. That stupid shackle... I clenched my teeth together tightly. "Well...yes, but how can I stop you?" I asked angrily.

Bill paused thoughtfully. "Hm, I don't think there's a way." I restrained myself from saying that he was lying. I wanted him to think I wasn't any problem.

"Then let me go!" I said stubbornly.

"Fine." Bill dropped me onto the ground. "Have fun wandering around. But face it Pine Tree, you have no power against me. With all three of you separated from each other, there is no power on earth that could stop me!"

I hid my resentment from him, even though it was utterly clear. I kept on contemplating how had this world turned to this. I shot a glare up at Bill. "Please don't hurt Eleanor..." I begged.

"I'll think about that." Bill said bluntly.

I didn't dare to meet his gaze again. And when I looked up, he was gone. I sighed and began my climb back up. I couldn't leave a conversation hanging like that, and I couldn't let Eleanor starve.

Eleanor's POV

I was just starting to actually fall asleep when I heard footsteps once again. I shot up immediately and looked around. I saw Dipper walking to me.

"Wait, what, why are you back?" I asked confused.

Dipper lowered his gaze to the black tile. "I couldn't leave our conversation at that. Besides...I have food."

I lightened up at the mention of food. I sat up cross legged. Maybe it was wrong that I had adapted to the chains on me already. Dipper pulled out a small sandwich and handed it to me. I snatched it and took a bite into it, relishing every bit of it.

"Thanks for coming back..." I mumbled between bites.

Dipper shrugged. "So, right before I came back, Bill spoke to me...again."

I looked up and stopped eating. "He...did?"

"This time, I got some information." He said sternly.

"What?" I asked expectantly.

"Bill said 'with all three of you separated, there is no power on earth that can stop me.' He said it like...we could stop him so he did this to stop it from happening."

I set the sandwich on my knee. "So...if Mabel wasn't turned to stone," I gestured to his pocket, "and I wasn't chained up," I pointed to the chains, "then we could stop this?"

Dipper shrugged. "I didn't know if he was just teasing me or what...but he made it sound like we could stop this." Dipper gave the tiniest smile for only a single moment. "But I think that we've lost this battle."

"Don't. Say. That." I growled. "There is a 1% chance that we can win this."

"Please, don't lie. Even if there was a way, we don't even know what it is!" Dipper crossed his arms.

I sighed angrily. "I just...I always thought there was a way out of everything." I closed my eyes for a moment. "But now...now it seems impossible." I felt the warm sting of tears in my eyes. "And the last things a said to my parents was when I was-was...."

"A demon?" Dipper said without hesitation.

Cold spread over me. "Yes. A demon."

Dipper nodded and sat down next to me. "Look, it's been tough, I've thought about giving up-trust me-but there's no time to think about that type of stuff. That'll only slow you down."

I don't shrug him away when he put his arm around me in reassurance. "I just want this to all be over."

Dipper frowned a little. "I'll try to always be here for you, even when I'm not in his orb, I'll come running when you need me."

I smiled and hugged him tightly, the chains restraining me slightly. "Thanks Dip."

I felt Dipper reach into his pocket as he felt the statue of Mabel. "No problem."

I let go and ate the rest of my sandwich. "Thanks for the food."

Dipper pulled out a water bottle. "This is all I have. I've been having to ration it."

I took two small sips that left my mouth wanting to gulp it down, but I kindly handed it back. Dipper was the one running around doing everything, not me.

"What do you think is the key to stopping Bill?" I asked.

"Right now, nothing. He's seems invincible, but he has to have some type of weakness!" Dipper exclaimed.

"I don't."

We both jumped as Bill floated in smugly. Dipper was ridged. I felt my face flush with anger.

"Well, you came back anyways." He said. "Discussing how to take me over?" Bill said sarcastically.

"Uh, no. I'm trying to comfort Elea-"

"No. I heard you. 'I'll be there for you, blah, blah, blah.'" Bill said in disgust. "How childish."

Dipper blushed and I grabbed his arm tightly. No. "I was just gonna leave...you don't need to worry about it or anything..." Dipper slowly rose to his feet.

Bill zipped up behind him. "Uh uh." Bill whispered. "Not yet." Bill blinked slowly. "Maybe if you wanna spend so much time with Arrow, I could just chain you up here too!" He exclaimed happily.

"No!" We both shouted in unison.

Bill smirked at us. "Well, why not?"

"'Cause I'm already receiving that punishment." I said defensively.

"Eleanor...I-I gotta go..." Fear was bright in his eyes. Even though he had dealt with Bill plenty of times now, his fear that he had mentioned a lot  before was prominent. Dipper brushed a hand by my shoulder as he took of running at full speed.

I turned to face Bill, alone.

"I guess he just decided to get up and leave you." Bill said as if he wasn't surprised.

"I'm fine with it. He got what he came for." I spat. "Now, just leave me alone. I was trying to sleep." I leaned over and curled up on the cold tile and waited for a bit. "Are yah gonna go?"

The air was silent.

I guess he was already gone...

Dipper's POV

I climbed down that mountain faster than I had ever done before. I raced across the barren land and into the forest cover. I took a sip of my water, breathing heavily.

Wow, how nice of you, Dipper! I scolded myself. Left her alone to face Bill herself, by herself. I slouched against a tree trunk and closed my eyes tightly. This wasn't going well...

There had to be some way to stop him! If only Mabel wasn't turned to stone and Eleanor wasn't chained up, then maybe this could have been resolved more quickly...

I rubbed my hand across the shackle in an irritated manor. If I could find away to break Eleanor's chains, she could be free and there would be a better chance to save the universe.

I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach as I thought of all the ways to defeat Bill. There were only two, and they didn't work on him, not in his physical form. That first time when Gideon summoned Bill, we used mind power to stop him, that second time he was in a human body and was able to actually become weak.

But now....he seemed immortal.

I wiped the sweat from my face and closed my eyes. Ok Dipper...ok...take a breather. We don't need you going all 'hey, look, I'm gonna kill myself' mode again. I looked up at the orb, floating between the rails. Bill wouldn't hurt her. If he wanted to, he would have already done it.

She was safe..for now at least.