Chapter Text
The morning of Christmas Eve dawned with the sun shining on a fresh layer of snow that fell in the night. Bill bundled up and headed for the door just after breakfast.
“Oh, where are you going, Bill?” Ariel asked, walking over to him.
“I'm going to Gideon's to do some last-minute stuff on a project we've been working on together. I'll come back when he comes over.” He explained as he pulled his hat down over his ears and then put on a scarf.
“Oh! Well, take care on your way, dear!” She smiled and waved as he left. She sighed and clasped her hands in front of her stomach. “He's a good boy.”
–
Bill headed down the hill and stopped outside Gideon's door before he rang the doorbell. He rubbed at his hands and arms, stamping his feet a bit as he tried to keep warm, and then the door was opening.
“Oh, Bill.” Mrs. Gleeful greeted. “Are you here to see Gideon? He's in the trailer.”
“Right, thanks.” He turned and walked off to the trailer, knocking on it politely. He heard footsteps and then the door unlocked and opened. “Hey.”
“C'mon in.” Gideon nodded, stepping out of the way. Bill stamped snow off his boots on the stairs and then stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “I thought you might want some gold wrapping paper, but I couldn't find any black ribbon.”
“That's okay.” Bill assured him. “Got a marker? I want to draw triangles on the wrapping paper.”
“Sure.” Gideon went to get one out.
Bill walked over to look at the wooden project and the boxes and wrapping paper set up for him to put them in. “Hey, uh...” he sighed, “I got something uh...suggested to me...uhm...”
“Suggested?” Gideon asked, walking over with a black marker.
“N-No, nevermind, it's dumb.” He looked away.
“A lot of what you do is, what's so different about this one?” Gideon smirked and started to help him put in the wooden figures, wrapping them in padding to make sure they didn't get too jostled and damaged.
Bill sighed. “...Okay, so...uhm...” he sighed again, “I don't...know how to bring it up. Maybe you can...read my mind?”
Gideon looked at him. “...It's not easy to read your mind, considering your own powers. It could be painful for me.”
Bill sighed. “Right. Well, uh...first of all, Dipper and I have started dating.”
“Congratulations.” Gideon said in a deadpan tone. “What does this have to do with me?”
“Well, uh...” Bill sighed and set down what he was holding. “Stan was talking about adopting me but, since, I'm dating his nephew, it's not right to do that. And Mabel suggested that I should...ask if you would let me use your last name. Uhm...William Gleeful, instead of Bill Cipher. A fresh start.” He looked at him. “But, uh...I don't know if you would be okay with it or not.”
Gideon hummed thoughtfully. “Well...you'd have to get adopted by my parents.” He reminded him. “So, you should really talk to them about this.”
Bill's brow furrowed. “Don't I need some form of identification to be adopted?”
“Says who?” Gideon shrugged. “Besides, my pa and Stanley can forge anything you might need. We'll talk to him about it after Christmas, okay?”
Bill smiled. “So...you're not opposed?”
“Eh.” Gideon looked at him. “You might need some illusion magic to conceal your true nature.”
“Once I can use my powers again, I can handle that myself.” Bill assured him.
“What about your real dad, though?” Gideon turned to him.
Bill's smile faltered and he sighed. “...If he cared anymore, he'd have come to take me back home already. He's given up on me.”
Gideon's brow furrowed and he reached over to rub at his head. “I'm sorry to bring it up.”
Bill shrugged. “I'm over it.” He turned back to the project and continued wrapping them in padding and putting them in the box. “He's in the past, doesn't matter anymore.”
Gideon nodded. “I understand.”
“So, you're really not opposed?” Bill looked at him.
“I suppose I wouldn't hate you as a big brother.” Gideon shrugged. “Imagine the pillow fights. We won't even have to touch them to throw them at each other.”
Bill laughed. “Yeah!”
Gideon looked at him. “But, if my parents don't agree, you need to find someone else to be your family, okay?”
“I think you can be persuasive.” Bill nudged him with a grin.
Gideon chuckled. “I can be, yes.”
–
Dipper paced the floor of the foyer, feeling anxious about how Bill still wasn't back. The party was starting in ten minutes, where was he? Did he collapse? Did he get hurt? Did that angel guy attack him? Did Gideon decide he wanted to beat him up again? Should he go and check on him? He heard a car driving up and threw open the front door, looking out to see Gideon, Bill and Gideon's parents stepping out of Bud Gleeful's car.
“Are we late?” Gideon asked as Bill went to the trunk with Bud, who opened it up for him to reach in and pick up brightly-colored wrapped packages.
“Nope, you're just in time.” Dipper smiled. “We're all set up in the lounge.” He walked out to help them carry in boxes.
“Sorry it took so long.” Bill grinned. “There was a lot to wrap, and then I got asked to stay for lunch, and then I was helping them clean up the house and the trailer.”
“They really put you to work.” Dipper chuckled, then looked up. “Oh, it's starting to snow again. Let's get inside.”
Bill nodded and then they all went inside. The packages were all put by the Christmas tree and then the Pines adults came into the lounge. “Bill, you're back!” Ariel smiled.
“Yep!” He straightened up. “Oh, this is Gideon, by the way.” He gestured to Gideon, who was making sure the presents were neatly arranged. “Gideon, this is Dipper and Mabel's mother.”
Gideon got up and turned to her. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Pines.” He extended a hand. She smiled and took his hand, shaking it with both of hers.
“Oh, what a charmer!” She said cheerfully. “Tell me, is it true that you're a psychic? That's not just all smoke and mirrors, right?” She looked over at her husband pointedly.
Gideon chuckled a bit. “Well, 'it's just a bunch of hocus pocus, ESP is stuff of fiction', isn't it?” He said, looking at Alex.
Alex jolted a bit and Ariel made a squealing sound that sounded much like one Mabel had done on several occasions. “You...You just read my mind?”
“I apologize for not asking first.” Gideon smiled, then looked back at Ariel.
“My grandmother is a psychic, too!” She said cheerfully. “But, people never believed me when I told them! It's so wonderful to know that you're the real deal, too!”
Gideon smiled awkwardly. “Uhm, can I have my hand back now?”
She looked at her hands still holding his hand and let go, blushing in a flustered way. “Sorry about that.”
Gideon giggled. “It's okay. I see where Mabel gets her charming personality.”
“Alright, let's get this party started!” Mabel said, turning on Christmas music on a CD player. “We have food in the kitchen and games to play and a Christmas to celebrate!”
Bud walked over to Stan as they filed out to get food. “It sure is good of y'all to invite us to join you for your party, Stan.”
“Well, it wouldn't be right to invite Gideon and not his parents.” Stan shrugged.
“What were you two working on all this time?” Ford asked Gideon. “Bill won't even give me a hint.”
“You'll find out when it's time to open presents.” Gideon said cryptically.
Dipper laughed. “You're not gonna get him to tell you, Great-Uncle Ford! His lips are tighter than Bill's!”
“I think Bill's lips are only loose for certain people, in certain situations.” Mabel said teasingly, and Dipper blushed.
“Geez, Mabel.” He said, then noticed Bill walking towards his room. “Oh, hold on.” He walked after him. “Bill? You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I'm just...I need to rest for a bit.” Bill admitted. “Feeling a little dizzy.”
Dipper nodded. “Do you want me to bring you some food?”
“No, it'll just be a bit. Give me ten minutes.” Bill assured him.
“I'll stay with you, then.” He smiled and pulled out his cell-phone to set a timer. “See? Now we won't be gone too long.”
Bill nodded, and then they went into the bedroom together. “Thanks. I don't mean to ruin the party, I just...”
“I get it.” Dipper assured him.
They sat down on the couch together. “So, uh...I talked to Gideon about the adoption idea.” Bill said, pulling his hat off and playing with it a bit.
“Yeah?” Dipper prompted.
“Well, he said that I'd have to talk to his parents about it, but he wouldn't be opposed to us being adopted brothers. And they didn't seem to dislike me earlier. He said we'd talk about it after Christmas.” Bill looked at him. “And he said 'congratulations' in the most deadpan way when I said we were dating now.”
Dipper burst out laughing. “He'll come around to it.” He reached up and brushed Bill's hair out of his face. “He's got lots of time, after all. You're not leaving Gravity Falls, right?”
Bill nodded. “I gotta get my own phone.” He chuckled. “Since you're going back to California later.”
Dipper nodded, then took his hand. “Hey, you think you're going to go to high school?”
Bill made a face. “High school? I dunno...”
“You should.” Dipper nudged him.
Bill sighed. “I could teach it.”
“Great-Uncle Ford said that, too, but I showed him my homework earlier this year and he didn't know what I was studying. I guess math here on Earth is different from in the Multiverse and thirty years ago. Who knew?”
Bill burst out laughing. “Okay, okay. I'll go to school.” He leaned his head against his. “How old do you think I should say I am?”
“I dunno, fifteen?” Dipper shrugged.
“What, Red's age?” Bill shrugged.
“Do you want to be younger?” Dipper laughed.
“Fifteen is fine.” Bill grinned, then leaned in to kiss him. Dipper got the idea and tilted his head up to kiss him.
The timer went off and they broke the kiss. “Time to go back.” Bill said, getting up.
Dipper nodded, shutting off the timer. “Let's get some food.” He smiled and walked over to leave the room, Bill following behind.
–
“Where were you two?” Mabel asked with a knowing smile as Bill and Dipper came into the lounge with food and sat down in chairs with TV trays to eat.
“Bill needed to take a moment to rest his head because of his condition and I was keeping him company. Also, he was using my phone as a timer.” Dipper replied.
“Well, as long as you behaved yourselves.” She grinned.
Dipper rolled his eyes. “Mabel, he was feeling weak. I wasn't going to do anything to him.”
She hummed knowingly and continued eating.
“Mom and Gideon really seem to be getting along.” Dipper commented, looking over at them.
“Well, she's mostly been talking to him about his powers.” Mabel shrugged. “But, he doesn't seem to mind it.”
Dipper nodded. “I guess he hasn't been able to talk to anyone about it like this since, well...everything happened.”
“So, when are we opening presents again?” Bill asked.
“After dinner.” Mabel reminded him.
“Right, right.” Bill nodded, then looked over at his wrapped presents before he continued eating.
Dipper looked over at it. “Excited to unveil your big surprise?” He looked at Bill.
Bill chuckled a bit. “Yeah.”
Dipper nodded. “I'm sure we'll like it.”
Bill sighed, then looked over at Ford, who was talking to Sherman. “Do you think we've, uh...improved things between us?”
“Not as much as Ford wanted, apparently.” Mabel remarked, and Bill blushed.
“I think you've proven that you're not the same as before.” Dipper assured him. “Then again, who knows, maybe you'll snap once you can use your powers again and try to kill everyone again.”
“Hey, in my defense, I turned people to stone, I didn't kill anyone.” Bill shook his head. “The others, uh...well...I did my best to keep them from killing anyone, and I think I did a pretty good job. But, uh...yeah. They're probably causing problems somewhere else.”
“How did you end up with those guys, anyway?” Dipper asked.
“They're the 'bad crowd' that I got in with to 'stick it to the old man' after he basically neglected me.” Bill shrugged. “I met Pyronica and she introduced me to the others and we had some fun doing crime and throwing wild, devastating parties.”
Dipper nodded. “Well, I'm glad you changed your ways. And you really do need to get a phone.”
Bill chuckled. “I'll work on it. Maybe I can help Gideon with his work and get money.” He chuckled a bit, then sighed, looking down. “...I never thought I'd miss my old man, but...surrounded by these families, it's hard not to think about him...and mom.”
Dipper gently took his hand. “It's okay to miss him. But, you're not alone, okay? You're with us, now.”
Bill nodded, then smiled and kissed his hand before he went back to his food.
Dipper blushed, going back to his own food. Mabel grinned at them.
–
“Presents, presents!” Mabel cheered as they finished dinner and went to the tree. “Let's start with Bill's!”
“Oh, uh, really?” Bill asked, surprised. “Uhm, okay.” He went to pass out boxes to each of the Pines family. “I kind of got the idea from the Nativity thing. I hope you guys like it.”
They opened the boxes and found identical sets of the Pines twins, older and younger, Gompers, Waddles, the Mystery Shack, Stan's car and Bill himself, in human form, all made of wood and neatly painted. To Stan's delight, the wheels of the car moved and he rolled it on the floor with a laugh.
“Bill, these are amazing!” Mabel said cheerfully. “Gideon, you helped him make this?”
Gideon nodded. “He didn't know how to carve figurines. He's a fast learner.”
“Thank you, Bill.” Dipper smiled. “I'll treasure these.”
“Me too!” Mabel nodded.
Bill grinned.
Ford looked at the figurine of himself and looked at the hands. “This must've been difficult to make. Good work.”
Bill nodded. “Incredibly hard. I actually had to use the size crystal to shrink down to the same size so I could work on the fingers! That was the hardest part of all this.”
“Well, they look great.” Ford smiled.
Bill blinked and smiled. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, these are amazing!” Stan grinned.
Waddles trotted over and grunted his approval of the wooden Waddles in Mabel's hand. Mabel smiled and put the tiny Waddles on Waddles' head.
“Okay, let's get the other presents passed out.” Ariel said, clapping her hands together.
Mabel knitted everyone sweaters with their names on them, a yearly tradition for her ever since she learned how to knit sweaters. Dipper got everyone their favorite book, or a book he thought they might like based on their favorite book.
Bill was given a photo album from both of them, with pictures from their first Christmas season together starting it off and plenty of room for more following it. Bill moved his hand over the pictures, feeling tears form in his eyes. Written on the inside of the front cover were the words, written in code; [Lw'v wlph iru d iuhvk vwduw. Zhofrph wr brxu qhz olih, Eloo Flskhu.]
It's time for a fresh start. Welcome to your new life, Bill Cipher.
“Bill?” Mabel asked as he wiped at his eyes.
“It's beautiful.” He said, looking up at them. “Thank you.”
“Oh, here!” Stan handed him a wrapped box and Bill opened it to find a brand-new Polaroid camera.
“When we get back in the summer, you better have more pictures in that album to show us!” Mabel grinned.
Bill smiled. “I will.” He nodded.
More presents were passed out and opened; new clothes for Bill because he was going to need them from Stan, a new laptop for Dipper from his parents, and Ford gave Dipper a completely filled out journal of the first year of his life “when I was away”.
“I have twenty-nine more, but I think you should read them one at a time.” He said with a twinkle in his eye.
Dipper grinned. “I'll let you know once I'm done!”
The Gleefuls also brought their own gifts, though they were simple gifts since it was short-notice. The fanciest gift was a scented candle set that looked homemade and was gifted to Mabel.
“Oh, uhm...thanks. What's the scent?” She asked.
“Maple.” Gideon smiled. “I thought you might like the scent.”
“...I do.” She said, putting them back in the box and putting it with the rest of her gifts. “Thanks.”
Ariel smiled encouragingly and Mabel awkwardly smiled back, remembering her excitement that Mabel had dated him before. It looked like her mother would be rooting for that romance to rekindle.
As the party wound down, the lights got dimmer and they were just relaxing by candlelight. Ariel and Alex started to dance to the music playing and Dipper got up and offered Bill a hand, smiling. Bill grinned and took his hand, the two of them walking over to join the other couple on the dance floor as they danced to “Winter Wonderland”.
Mabel glanced at Gideon, then sighed and got up, offering him a hand. “Don't read into it, but do you want to dance?”
Gideon smiled and took her hand, getting up and joining her to dance with the others.
Bill chuckled as they joined them and he saw Ariel looking excited about it before her husband drew her attention back to him.
“So, have you been having a good Christmas?” Dipper asked as they danced.
Bill smiled. “Yeah...I think I have been. All things considered, things went from really low to really high and...I'm happy. I finally actually feel fully accepted, like I found a place to belong.”
Dipper smiled. “Good. Then you don't have any reason to leave.” He stood up on his tip-toes to kiss him.
“Yep.” Bill grinned and leaned down to accept the kiss. “I'm not going anywhere.”
–
Outside the lounge, a winged man watched the family before he smiled and then turned to leave, vanishing in a flash of light and leaving behind a single, white feather on the floor.
It looked like everything was going to be just fine for the Demon and the humans that had chosen to show him mercy this Christmas.
No one was beyond redemption, after all.
End