Dean stared at the thing before him. The sign named the display 'The Sascrotch'… The display itself looking something like a gorilla costume stuffed with, Dean didn't want to know what, and wearing a pair of dirty underwear (which Dean suspected had once belonged to the Shack's handyman.

With a slight shiver Dean moved through the "museum".

'Thigh-clops'… A mannequin leg with short hair and a fake eye glued to the shin.

''Pterodactyl'… Dean was pretty sure it was actually a stuffed pelican spray painted green with all the feathers glued together.

'Giants Ear'… It looked like a giant fake ear made from those peanut marshmallows all chewed up and jammed together in the general shape of an ear.

Dean came to another display and paused reading the label aloud before chuckling. "Six-Pack-O'lope…" Dean laughed a little louder at the absurd name attached to the well chiseled mannequin with a jack-o'lope head on top.

"We offer tours, you know." Stan was standing in the doorway, dressed as Mr. Mystery complete with a lifted eye-patch, a Pitt soda in hand.

Dean took the opportunity to step away from Stan's creations and towards the man himself. "Does anyone actually fall for this stuff?"

"The world is full of gullible suckers just waiting for me to scam them." The old man responded with a slight chuckle.

"Huh…" Dean glanced around once more. "I guess if it puts food on the table."

"Better than running credit card scams." Stan's words had Dean narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "I'm a professional scam-artist… I know one when I see one." Stan added as he watched they younger man's reaction.

Dean had to physically shake off his shock. "I wish Sam and I could do something normal or at least close to it but when you do the things we do you make enemies." He felt a little odd trying to excuse his family's behavior to the older man.

"Ever think about faking your own death?" Stan took a sip of his soda. "Get a fresh start?"

"We've both tried." Dean admitted. "But when you live a life like ours even faking death doesn't keep you safe. Hunters never truly get out… The job gets you one way or another."

Stan took another long swig of his soda. "You almost sound like my nerdy brother, except I can actually understand all the words coming out of your mouth." A slight chuckle followed the words.

"What's going on with him anyway?" Dean was ready for a subject change.

"Ford?" Stan seemed to think for a moment before responding. "He's protective." The old man finally admitted. "Not just over his family but over his work as well… We used to be like Dipper and Mabel, but we had a fight and things were just never the same."

Dean nodded. "Sam and I get in a lot of fights… Sometimes it's just hard to come back from all the lies we weave."

"You want my advice?" Stan leveled the other man with a hard stare. "Talk to each other. Don't let what's between the two of you grow until it just comes out. That never ends well."

"Is that what you and Ford did?" Dean asked.

Stan simply snorted at that.

Dean nodded a little before answering. "It's good advice from an old con-man."

"HA…" Stan shook his head a little as he responded. "Guess I had to wise up at some point." He finished before taking another swig.

For a split-second Dean was caught in a flashback, finding himself waiting for Stan to call him an idjit… But the word never came. Stan wasn't Bobby, though he reminded Dean of the surly old hunter… Dean found himself pushing the thoughts away, he didn't need this right now.

"Grunkle Stan?" The two men turned to find Mabel hovering in the doorway.

"What is it sweaty?" Stan set his soda on the counter, giving his niece his undivided attention.

"Dipper never woke up." Mabel's words seemed to rip the air apart and leave an uncomfortable silence in their wake.

Dean's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was always in awe that something could be so evil that it derived joy from tearing families and children apart.

"It's ok…" Mabel continued when neither man spoke. Her voice was sad, but a small fake smile touched her lips anyway. "Dean was right… Dipper will come back… He always comes back."

Stan gapped for a moment before nodding. "Let's go check on him."

The two Pines exited the room, Mabel clinging to her uncle.

*GFS*

Sam was officially lost. He'd begun wandering the house as soon as Dean read the name of Stan's first attraction... However, he now found himself hopelessly lost in the maze of doors.

Finally, he found something of interest. The door he had just opened looked like it had once been disguised as part of the wall and inside was even more interesting. A crystal paperweight was casting a rainbow of light across the walls. A desk with a quill, spilled ink and papers scattered across it. Several bookshelves sat sporadically against the walls as well as a large sofa sitting against one of the walls.

Sam stepped quietly towards one of the shelves and reached out to the first book to catch his eye, 'Law of the Land Vol 1'.

"What are you doing in my room?" Ford's angered voice came from the doorway.

Sam spun around, dropping the book in the process. "I… um…" The Winchester sputtered for a moment before setting on a simple, "I'm sorry… I didn't realize…"

"Perhaps you shouldn't be wandering around my house." Ford accused moving from his post in the doorway to pick up his book from the floor.

"I'm sorry…" Sam repeated. "I just…"

"A law book?" Ford adjusted his glasses as he looked skeptically from the book to the younger man.

"Uh yeah…" Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "I was taking law classes at Stanford…"

Ford's eyes narrowed causing Sam to go quiet. "Scores?" It was obvious the old man was trying to catch Sam in a lie.

"174." Sam gave a small smile.

Ford nodded, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "So why did you quit?" He had switched gears and now seemed to be picking at Sam personally.

"My dad went missing… Dean asked me to help him look…" Sam cut off and had to bite his lip… Even all these years later this was painful. "I was only gone a few days but when I went home I found my girlfriend the same way my dad found my mom when I was a baby… Stuck to the ceiling, cut across the stomach before being lit on fire by a demon." Sam paused again taking a deep breath before adding. "I had to find what did that to her… I couldn't stand…" He went quiet.

Ford's face seemed to fall a little. "Oh." His voice was soft, a sound Sam had only heard when the man spoke to the younger set of twins. "I'm sorry."

Sam nodded, having to blink a few tears away before he could say anything. "It's ok… We found what was responsible and Dean shot it." There was a silence for a moment before Sam spoke again. "That's why we do what we do. No one should have to go through that. Not if we can stop it."

Ford looked down at the book for a moment before placing it back on the shelf and letting out a small sigh. "I apologize for my behavior as of recent. I suppose I am trying to avoid anything like that happening to my family. I've made mistakes and I don't want those mistakes to hurt them. We have to do what we can."

*GFS*

Dipper blinked.

No… Not this again.

"Hey there puppet." Bill was floating a few feet above Dipper, examining his nails like he had just received a pedicure.

The boy struggled to get to his feet but found himself unable to with the tangled of ropes slithering about him as if they were snakes.

"Now, are you going to behave this time, or do I need to restrain you." Bill pulled his hand away from his eye and held it up, ready to snap and give the order for the ropes to entangle themselves around the boy's neck.

Dipper had only just opened his mouth when he felt one of the ropes sliding around his throat. His jaw clamped shut so hard his teeth made a horrible clacking noise, which he could feel reverberating through his skull.

"Well, now that that is taken care of…" Bill extended both arms, so Dipper could see ten or so blue lines, similar to the ones Dipper himself had the last time he was here, trailing up Bill's limbs. "Would you care to explain this, Pine-Tree?"

Shaking his head frantically, Dipper tried to pull away but found the ropes pulling him towards the dream demon.

"Not gonna answer?" Bill was beginning to look a little red around the edges, his voice going impossibly deep. "Fine!" The triangle snapped his fingers, the ropes tangling tight around Dipper's neck. "If you're not going to talk then I'll make sure you can't."

*GFS*

"So, how do we beat this thing?" Dean growled, one of his hands balling up in a tight fist on the table.

"Rock salt? An exorcism?" Sam suggested, looking through an old book that Dean couldn't for the life of him figure out where it could have come from. Seriously, even in the middle of nowhere Sam couldn't be without a book for more than a few minutes.

"I do not believe that would work. He's not that kind of demon." Cas responded.

"Then what kind of demon is it?! If we can't do this with our usual methods what are we supposed to do? We can't just sit around here with our thumbs up our…" Dean yelled, slamming his fist against the table.

"That's exactly what you're going to do!" Ford came through the doorway, his journal open and in hand, cutting Dean off. "If you injure Bill it injures my nephew, and if anything happens to him…" The threat was left hanging in the air between them.

"Alright, Alright." Dean grumbled, leaning back in his chair. "We get it old man."

Ford gave Dean a disgusted look before slamming his open journal on the table between the other three. "I found this drawing in a cave near here. It is said that this can defeat Bill." He removed his hand to reveal a rough sketch of a wheel with Bill at the center. "The cipher circle."

Sam was on his feet in an instant, trying to get a better look at the pages, while Dean crossed his arms and glared at Ford.

"So, we draw this, trick him into entering it and it will trap him? Like a Devil's trap?" Dean gave a small huffing noise. "So, why haven't you done it yet?"

"I have." Ford's fists clenched at his sides. "It's not that simple. This appears to be more than a mere drawing."

"Bill called Dipper and Mabel Pine-Tree and Shooting Star…" Sam ran his fingers along the two figures before looking up at Ford, the realization falling over the room.

Ford nodded approvingly at the younger Winchester, clasping his hands behind his back. "I too noticed this. My suspicion is that once the circle is drawn each picture will represent a person." He paused to point at the Shooting Star, Pine-Tree, Question Mark, Hand and Fish. "I have already discovered who each of these symbols represent."

Cas looked at the circle before his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "That is only half."

"Thank you, Cas." Dean rolled his eyes as he spoke, exasperation clear in his voice.

"You're welcome, Dean." Cas responded, causing Dean to cover his face with his hand while shaking his head.

"He is correct." Ford nodded, seemingly ignoring the small spat unfolding before him. "We do not have the time to figure out who the rest of the picture symbolize."

"So back to square one." Dean leaned back in his chair, looking resigned.

*GFS*

Dipper blinked, he was somewhere familiar, but he couldn't place it. There was a high angled ceiling with a natural reddish light coming from his left. Something smelled vaguely moldy and an odd snorting noise was coming from the floor near his feet.

Turning his head towards the light source, Dipper nearly jumped out of his skin. As it was he did slam himself into the wall behind him before he realized Bill was not in the room… It was just the attic window, which Dipper had never realized looked so much like Bill, there was nothing to be afraid of.

He was back in his body, which seemed to be safely back in the Mystery Shack. He was back… He had to do it today, prolonging the inevitable would just make it worse in the end. He didn't have much time.

Mabel… She deserved to know first, before any of the others.

Grabbing his hat and stuffing over his unruly hair without bothering to brush the brown mess, he pushed his hands into his pockets and trudged over to the door. Just as he reached the foot of his bed something caught his feet, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud thud. The first thought Dipper had was of the ropes tangling around him and he panicked, kicking and thrashing until a loud snort caused him to stop.

"Waddles!" Dipper cried, reaching forward to grab the pig. He wasn't even sure if he was excited to see the pig or angry that it had tripped him but he hugged the swine all the same.

And then the door swung open so hard it hit the wall.

"Dude! You're awake!" Soos yelled, grabbing the boy in a lung crushing bear hug.

"Sup." Wendy took a slight step forward and noogied Dipper through his hat.

"What're… You… Soos… Can't breathe." Dipper gasped out.

"Oh!" The handyman gently released the boy, letting him sink back to the ground. "Sorry, dude."

Dipper hugged his own arms around his chest, Soos hadn't hurt him but he felt much more comfortable in the slightly hunched position. "What're you guys doing here?"

"We're here for work but we've been stopping in to check on you, but you're always…. Sleeping…" Wendy trailed off after saying the last word, knowing very well he hadn't been asleep.

Dipper took a deep breath, this was it… He meant to tell Mabel first but if he put it off any longer he might chicken out. "Yeah… Well…" What was he supposed to say? Without realizing it Dipper placed his hand on the back of his neck nervously. "You guys are great." He glanced up at the two, gauging their reactions. Both were still beaming at him, this was how he wanted to remember them. "I've missed you…" And I'm going to miss you… He added the last bit silently. Tears threatened to spill over his eyes, causing him to throw his body into a hug with both of them to hide his face.

"Hey…" Wendy placed her hand on Dipper's head as she spoke, her tone telling Dipper that he had thrown her off. "We… We missed you too, dude."

"Yeah…" He tried to pull away while surreptitiously wiping the tears from his eyes at the same time. He needed to get out of here before he broke down again. "Have you seen Mabel?"

"She was with Stan… I think they were in the Gift Shop." Wendy tipper her head slightly. "Why…?"

"Thanks!" Dipper bolted off before any questions he could not answer could be asked.

Dipper rushed down the stairs, attempting to skip several steps in his hurry. Unfortunately, in his haste his feet caught on one another. He found himself falling over several steps before landing at the bottom in an undignified heap. He gave a small groan but knowing pain would soon be Bill's instead of his own. Perhaps he had even imagined the pain, a reminder of when he was normal.

"Dipper!" Ford's shocked voice came from the kitchen, causing the younger twin to look up at his uncle, along with the two hunters and the angel who stood in the kitchen with him.

"Gunkle Ford!" Dipper's voice cracked as he jumped to his feet. "I… Uh…" His eyes drifted nervously to the hunters, he really didn't want to do this in front of them. "I need to talk to you… Alone."

"Of course." Grabbing Dipper's shoulder Ford lead him to the TV room, it was slightly more private, though Dipper was sure the hunters could still hear him. But with this many people in the Shack they would be hard pressed to find somewhere more private. "What is it my boy?" Ford knelt in front of the boy to place him on his nephews level.

"I wanted…" Dipper began, his eyes darting anywhere but his Uncle's face. "I didn't know Bill would do this… I… I'm sorry…" For what I've done and what I'm about to do. The boy seemed to droop, the full weight of what he was about to do hitting him like a sledgehammer.

"No need to be sorry, lad." Ford placed made sure both his hands were solidly on the boy's shoulders, causing the child to squirm slightly. "We'll figure this out."

Dipper bit his lip, but he knew better… There wasn't much time now. Instead of saying any more on the subject Dipper gave his uncle a quick hug and turned towards the Gift Shop. "I should go find Mabel."

"Yes…" Ford rose to his feet. "I believe she is with Stanley." His tone told Dipper that he suspected something but there was no way he could guess what would come next.

Dipper nodded although didn't stop walking, though he wasn't really paying attention as he moved from the living quarters to the Gift Shop. As a result, though he wasn't going fast enough to fall this time he walked right into Stan's legs.

"Woah there, Sport." Stan placed a hand on the boys back to balance him. "You're finally up and about."

"Uh-ha…" Dipper gave a slow affirmative, looking to the side so he didn't have to meet his uncle's eyes. "I… uh…"

"You gave us a good scare." Stan's face held more emotion in this moment than Dipper had seen all summer, too many emotions to read all at once.

"I…" Dipper didn't know what to say, he glance around hoping to see Mabel, but she was no where in sight. It was time to man up. His relationship with Stan may have been rocky but he knew his Grunkle loved him… He had once thought the old man hated him, but now… Now he knew better. Stan loved him… Right? "Do you hate me for that? For scaring you?" He asked without thinking.

Stan's face faltered slightly, but, like the conman he was, he quickly recovered. "Of course not!" He gave Dipper a good pat on the back. "Kid, I could never hate you… Between you and that sister of yours I've never been so happy in all my life. You kids mean everything to me."

Dipper nodded, a thick knot filling his throat. This is not what he had been expecting, he actually had to avoid eye contact, or he might break down again. Please don't hate me after this is over. He pleaded silently before pulling away.

"Speaking of your sister, she's on the porch… She'll be happy to see you up and around." Stan gestured in the direction of the door.

"Thanks." Dipper said in a thick voice, giving his uncle what he hoped was a true smile but really looked more like a grimace before he walked through the door.

Mabel was sitting on the steps with her sweater pulled up to it half covered her face as well as being pulled over her knees. She looked as if she had been crying, her cheeks covered in red splotches and her eyes puffed up.

"Hey." Dipper croaked passed the guilt, knowing he had been the cause of all this.

It all happened in a split second, Mabel spun around before launching herself on top of her brother and half laughing, half crying as she pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! You're awake! I missed you!" She began babbling all the things that came to her mind and she would have gone on forever if Dipper hadn't spoken up.

"I know… I…" Though he didn't pull back, you never pull away from a hug when you know someone needs it.

Finally, Mabel held him at arm's length, but refused to let go as if she thought he might disappear if she did. She wasn't wrong.

When Mabel didn't continue her babbling Dipper attempted to swallow the growing knot. "I missed you too."

"You scared me…" Mabel's eyes filled with tears once more forcing her to wipe them away with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry." Dipper swallowed again but it only served to make the knot larger, he had to be strong, he couldn't cry now… Not in front of Mabel.. "I… Mabel." He took a deep breath. "Please don't hate me for this."

Now Mabel was crying, large tears pouring from her eyes. As they fell she muttered into her sleeve, something about never being able to hate him.

Dipper had to take several more deep breaths. He had to do this… Just rip it off… Like a band aid… "I love you, Mabel." He pulled away and began backing down the steps and into the yard. Look away… Look away! He kept yelling the words in his head, but it wasn't until Mabel hiccupped and met his eyes that he couldn't take it any more and had to turn and run.

"Dip! Dipper, where are you going?!" The panic in his sister's voice only made Dipper run faster.

"Don't follow me!" He screamed back but somehow, he already knew she would disobey him.

"Dipper!" The girl shrieked, alerting everyone nearby of the situation.

The boy pushed his legs harder, he had to get there before they came after him… Before they caught up. They knew now… They would come after him and they were all older and faster than he was. He needed to go faster, faster… His legs were burning, and his lungs were on fire. Still he pushed harder, it would all be over soon. Behind him he could hear all the other following him… Mabel screaming his name, Ford and Stan not far off and the voices of those hunters as they called positions to one another.

So close… His heart pounding painfully in his head. Almost there.

Finally, he slid to a stop. Before him was the cliff he had jumped off once before, when they were fighting the Gideon bot. Only this time, he knew there was no one to save him.

"Dipper!" Mabel broke out of the trees several yards away and stopped as well. "What are you doing?"

There were no words, Dipper had said everything. Yet here was Mabel, looking for an explanation. "Please understand… This is the only way." It was as the rest of the group were breaking from the tree's that Dipper took several steps backwards and fell over the edge.

Thanks to my Beta SirenFox who, as always, corrected this chapter for me. Please leave your feedback. Also, I would apologize for the ending but the chapter name was a warning… of sorts. See you for the next chapter where the real fun begins.