Chapter Text
Gideon was doing his community service hours, he had technically broken out of Prison during the chaos and had signed up with that deplorable yeller triangle, so he knew he got off easy. It didn’t hurt that his daddy had sold Mayor Cutebiker a fashionable pastel baby blue Cadillac for a song… Gideon’s future car sold to help him stay out of trouble. It was humbling to be sure but he was not going to let it get under his skin. He stabbed at some trash with his poker stick and was about to put it into his collection bag when he saw The Caddy roll down the highway, it was now painted an absolutely wretched and disgusting pastel sky blue. He watched it roll on by him and his prison pals. He started to huff and puff and yell as he snapped his poker stick right in half.
“That tacky no taste havin’ idiot!” Gideon screamed after the Caddy. “MY beautiful car, ruined by the dang mayor!” He threw the broken poker on the ground and tried to calm down. Ghost Eyes was there in a moment to pat his back.
“It’s okay Gideon, want to vandalize it later on? I think I can slip my parole officer’s attention.” He said as supportive as his deep voice allowed and Gideon looked at the other former prisoners who nodded and cracked their knuckles. He wanted to say yes but he knew one of them was back in the clink after he had them beat up a kid who laughed at his attempt at skating.
“No… I just need to… I need to be good.” Gideon admitted.
“Well I would lend you my self-help book, but I am using it to hold… stuff.” Ghost Eyes said shiftily, but Gideon knew it was just a collection of Sev’ral Timez CDs and merchandise.
“You are just the sweetest, but maybe that is what I need. A book to help me.” Gideon said excitedly. He then looked at the trash along the highway and noticed that Deputy Durland had dozed off again so he pulled out his dog whistle and blew it. It took a moment but he had a group of gnomes come out of the woods with their leader Jeff, or was it Geoff? Gideon was not sure.
“What do you want Gideon, we are not your servants at your beck and call.” Jeff said firmly despite the top of his hat only reaching the upper of Gideon’s chins.
“Oh no, I don’t think you are servants. In fact I wanted to reward you for all you’ve done for me.” Gideon said graciously. “I have in this bag a bountiful booty of treasure.
“Looks like it’s just trash.” Jeff peered inside.
“… fine you got me. I am tired and I want to hurry up with this. So I was wanting to… ask you to help.” Gideon hated being honest and upfront when he didn’t have power over the other party.
“Deal, but we want twenty… twenty five pies from the diner.” Jeff folded his arms before leaning closer to whisper. “Also, can I like get the number of the cute chick you have in your water fountain? The one with the wings.”
“That’s a statue of me…” Gideon explained before Jeff shrugged and snapped his fingers to get his boys to work. Ten minutes later Gideon was shaking Durland’s shoulder. “We are all done, mind letting us go home?” Gideon said impatiently. The deputy got up looking affright. However he saw the immaculate roadsides and scratched his head.
“Well uhh… I guess.” He then called for the bus, much to Gideon’s disdain it was the fat oaf who took Stan’s place as Mr. Mystery.
“Sup dogs! Heya Lil’ Gideon, up top dude.” Soos held up his hand and Gideon snubbed him. He looked back and saw Soos high five himself.
“Don’t you own the best attraction in Gravity Falls? Why are you driving a bus?” One of Gideon’s crew asked.
“Nah, I just run it. But I still got my bus driver’s license so when it is slow I pick up shifts. Lookin’ to do an expansion on the Shack.” Soos explained and turned to look at Gideon. “Ah man I totally had this idea of you doing one of your tent things by the Shack, we could totally team up. Mystery of Tent… or Shack Telepathy. Just spitballing dude. As long as that Deuce guy doesn’t come.” Gideon found himself wondering if he could con this imbecile into giving up the deed to the Shack. However he didn’t feel that drive much anymore, what was there to gain from being opposed to the beloved Mystery Shack, even if the owner(s?) were off doing Heaven knows what.
“I appreciate the offer, Mr. Mystery, but I feel I might have to renege on that.” Gideon declined with a note of contempt, which was completely ignored by the man, and folded his arms hoping to be back to town soon. He was thinking of where to get a self-help book, one that’d be exactly what he needed. He figured the used bookstore was his best bet; his thinking was if it worked no one would keep it. He got let off, ignoring a second high five from Soos, and he saw his parents were there waiting for him like he was a toddler off the bus from preschool. He huffed and looked at his posse who nodded and went their own way. He put on his sweetest face and approached his parents. “Hello father, mother. I do hope you are having a simply lovely day.” His twangy voice dialed to eleven. Bud Gleeful adjusted his straw hat and smiled back.
“Did you enjoy your time with your friends, son? The tall one, Brain Beater was it?” Bud was better at hiding his fear than his wife but it still was there.
“No no, Brain Eater , daddy.” Gideon corrected with a lightest touch of menace. He then looked at his mother who was normally at home but they had made some changes to have her out and about. Give the town the image of a wholesome family, hopefully it would keep Bud’s used car lot from tanking any further than it had. “You are looking simply radiant mother.”
“T-thank you, Gideon. You are too sweet. I mean, perfectly sweet.” Florence Gleeful had made improvements after the events of Weirdmageddon and Gideon’s attempts at normalcy but she was still scared that this was just temporary and he’d be his tyrannical self once more.
“Before we head home, we are going to…” Gideon paused and corrected himself. “I would like to visit the second hand book store.” His two parents shared a look, the last time he came home with a book it had been the start of his reign of terror. Gideon hated that they felt the need to walk on eggshells and he snapped. “ Stop that now! ” They both jerked as if he had cracked a whip. “I… I can walk instead.” Gideon felt what might have been guilt, he wasn’t too sure. But his stubby legs would carry him just fine.
He went into town and found the dusty old book story, Second Hand Books . He opened and the woman who sat at the counter put down a magazine. She was squat and looked a little witchy. “Oooh welcome welcome. What might I be able to interest you in? The Kissing Hand , The Fourth Hand , Handmaid’s … actually you might be too young for that one.” She noted.
“Uh… self-help books?” Gideon asked, feeling a little weirded out.
“Well it won’t do you much good if I tell you where they are at, now will it?” She smirked and then picked up her manicure magazine. Gideon huffed but marched into the musty aisles looking among dusty books. He was getting lost as the store seemed a bit too big for what it seemed outside.
Finally he bumped into a stack and one tumbled out and into his pudgy hands. He blew the dust off of it and the weather worn light grey cover proudly stated 12 Steps to Goodness . He looked up and noticed it was in a stack marked for two dollars. He saw no author but there above a faintly translucent rainbow band across the top was a dark mark and some writing maybe under it. He shrugged and tried to open it up. However he felt resistance.
“Blast you, I will own you, open up you stupid book. I want to be good!” Gideon decried and the book suddenly opened to the first page, the table of contents and any foreword were either missing or never there. The first chapter was titled Step 1: Admit It, You Idiot. A little rude but he didn’t think much of it. He closed the book and went back up to the front, though it seemed much easier to leave than to enter. He put the book on the counter. “I wish to purchase this book.” Gideon demanded.
“Hmm, was it in the ninety nine cent stack?” The owner asked, curious.
“N-Yes, yes it was.” Gideon lied through his teeth and the book toppled over and smacked him in his nose. “What? Did you push it?!” He asked as he held his piggish nose.
“Nope, all hands are clean.” The owner said blithely. “Are you certain what stack it was in?”
“It was… in a two dollar stack.” Gideon said and dug the money out of his pocket.
“Thank you young man, honesty is a good trait to have.” The owner said and smiled wide. “Oh if you see any cute guys, be sure to send them my way!” She waved and Gideon left. To his surprise his parents were waiting in the car outside, they seemed to be having a conversation but as soon as Bud saw him he faced forward and so did Florence. Gideon sighed and went to the back door to climb inside.
“Thank you for coming and waiting for me.” Gideon said as he buckled in before he felt a slight nudge from the book in his hand. “I am sorry I got angry. It wasn’t right.” This shocked his parents and then looked back, as if checking to make sure this was indeed their son. Gideon hid behind the book and opened past the chapter cover sheet.
So you admitted you are a cheat and violent, good for you. But don’t think that it will be just as simple as that.
You have a lot of work to do, and you better do it or else .
That did not seem very… helpful. But he continued to read and it gave examples of ways to admit your own faults and how to start making them better. By the time they got home Gideon was feeling a little sleepy. So he got out of the car and went inside to sit on the coach and as his parents came in he muttered softly. “I love you, for everything.” Gideon didn’t look but he could tell it floored them as his mother shook wondering what sort of spell he might be under. Gideon knew, it was the spell of self-improvement. That infuriatingly saccharine speech by Dipper Pines played in his skull once more.
“ Gideon, listen to me, if I've learned anything this summer it's that you can't force someone to love you… The best you can do is strive to be someone worthy of loving. ”
He took out the crumpled newspaper clipping and looked at Mabel and him walking along the street. He wanted to be worthy. However he also was worried that her heart would belong to another before he might be able to show his improved self. She had to be his.
With that thought in his head the book suddenly snapped closed on his fingers. He got a slight paper-cut and sucked it as he ran to the bathroom for a bandage. He did not notice the crimson soak into the edge before disappearing and the stress marks on its cover eased as if time had been turned back.
