Summary

Dipper Pines couldn't forgive himself for letting that alien drone take Ford. He couldn't forgive himself for breaking Mabel's heart. And he couldn't forgive himself for what happened next.
Heartbroken, Mabel ran right into Bill's trap. Soon after, Dipper discovered his twin lying dead in the forest. That was the final straw.
Even after swearing he'd never mystery hunt again, Dipper's dreams call him to his senses. He has to save Mabel.
Even if it means making a deal with the devil.

Half is better than nothing. Dipper told himself that over and over again. Mabel may have been gone, but he still had himself. That didn't keep the nightmares away, though. Recounts of the previous few days.

He'd been on a mystery hunt with Great Uncle Ford until an alien security droid had caught him. Dipper tried to follow, but he couldn't get his stupid magnet gun to work. There went everything. He had the rift and the adhesive, but Ford was gone! Dipper was never one to give up, but Ford had told him to patch the rift.

He had to, so he headed back to the shack to break the news to Mabel. But first, he headed down to the lab, and, using caution, smeared the adhesive all over the cracks.

In the attic room he found Mabel curled up on her bed.

"Mabel?" He asked, putting down his bag.

"Tell me it isn't true, Dipper." Mabel suddenly sat up, showing him the walkie-talkie in her hand. "Tell me you were joking!"

Dipper pursed his lips. He had no idea his walkie-talkie had been on. "Ford's apprentice?" Mabel asked. "Really? You were gonna leave me?"

Dipper looked down, feeling his eyes grow wet. "Not anymore."

Frowning, Mabel hopped down from the bed. "What do you mean?"

Dipper sniffed, finally looking Mabel in the eye. "Great Uncle Ford is gone!" He sobbed, grabbing Mabel in a hug.

Mabel awkwardly patted her twin's back. "What happened?"

"An alien security droid dragged him off..." Dipper whispered.

Now Mabel sniffed. No. It couldn't be true! She pushed Dipper off of her. "You let it take him?!"

"I had no choice!" Dipper said, wiping his eyes. "Great Uncle Ford told me to patch the rift."

Mabel narrowed her eyes at him in disgust. "I always knew your sciencey stuff would do something like this. No rift is more important than Grunkle Ford." She scoffed. "And look at you; you won't even call him Grunkle!"

Dipper shook his head. He forgot he'd never told her about the rift. She didn't know what could happen. "But Mabel-"

"But nothing!" She exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "If you won't go after him, then I will!" She whipped around, racing out the door.

"Mabel! Wait!" Dipper ran after her, but he tripped, falling on his face. Scrambling to his feet, he raced after Mabel, calling her name into the night.

Dipper ran through the spooky part of the forest, following Mabel's footprints. He pushed past a fir tree branch, but what he saw stopped him cold.

Mabel stood in the middle of a clearing, in her hand she clutched a pen knife and had it held at her neck. She smiled widely at him, a familiar glint in her eyes. "M-Mabel?" He asked uncertainly.

Her braces glinted like the knife. "Hello, brother." That voice... no! It couldn't be-

"Bill?"

She chuckled. "Still sharp as ever, Pinetree."

Dipper's eyes flickered from her crazed eyes to the knife blade. Dang, Mabel must've grabbed his bag! He always kept a pen knife in there. "W-what do you want with me?"

Mabel's smile only widened. "Nothing."

Dipper blinked. "B-but what about the knife! You can't kill Mabel, man!"

Mabel only chuckled.

Dipper was ready to get down on his knees. "I-I'll do anything!"

"That's your problem, brobro." Bill's use of her nickname for him made his stomach turn. "You're too stubborn." Mabel's smirk faded into a serious expression. "Should'a stayed out of it Pinetree." And with that, the knife slipped.

Mabel collapsed to the ground, and Dipper dropped to his knees next to her. "No, no, no!" He brushed her hair aside to reveal the bloody slash across her neck. "No, Mabel!" He burried his face in her oversized sweater. "I'm so sorry!" He cried. "I'm so sorry!"

And for what felt like an infinity, Dipper just sat there with nothing but the blow of the wind and Bill's insane laughter ringing in his head.