Chapter Text
Axolotl appears in the room with Bill and his therapist. “Alright Mr. Cipher, I am here for your yearly report, how was this past week.” Bill seems to almost be dim and sulking, the therapist is stone faced as ever, just there to observe the interaction.
Bill looks from his therapist to the pink lizard. “It was fine, I was allowed to scrapbook again.”
Frills nods. “Good, how has your anger management gone?”
Bill sighs. “You already know, why are you asking me?”
Axolotl smiles at him. “Because I like to hear how everything goes in your own words. But I think with your good behavior I can send you out for a little test.”
Bill's eye widened. “A test?”
“Well yes. You have been on good behavior the past hundred years. You are nearly rehabilitated. So. I think a little test to see if you can go out wouldn't be such a bad thing.” Axolotl explains as a book of Bills records appears in front of him and he flips through.
Bill immediately seems in a much better mood. “Okay so what's the test!”
“I will send you back in time and to the place you were defeated, to the humans who nearly killed you. You will be powerless and have a human form so you can blend in. They will help you and we will all observe and pull you back here and restart your rehabilitation if you attempt to harm anyone or get your powers back.” Axolotl explains calmly and ignores Bill's darkened mood.
Bill takes an exaggerated breath, his form flickering red. “And how do you know they won't just kill me as soon as I step onto their porch?”
“I assure you, you will be fine, Mr. Cipher, and if they do try to kill you, I will step in and explain the situation myself.” The Axolotl smiles down at him. “Are you ready to be sent to your new home?”
Bill looks away. “How long will this test be?”
“That is entirely up to you. Once you have shown that you have in fact grown as a person you will have your powers back and you can do as you wish. If you haven't and you show yourself to be the same as always. Well. We will just have to start back at square one.”
Bill clenches his fist and looks up at the Axolotl. “Alright. Send me to the Pines.” As Bill is sent back to Gravity Falls with a new form as a human, he hopes that the Mystery Shack will be better than Theraprism.
It is one year after Weirdmageddon and the Pines family is back for the summer. Stan and Ford made it back in time to pick the kids up from the bus station, Soos and Melody made room for them to stay at the Mystery Shack, with the kids back up in the attic, Soos got permission from Ford to turn his old office/cult room into a room for him and Stan to stay in since him and Melody took Stan's room and his Grandmother took Fords old room. But Ford still has his lab and they just put his office stuff into there.
Other than a few small things the Mystery Shack looks much the same with Stan's old chair, the decorations, and the fact nearly everything is falling apart. It's just home sweet home.
Later in the day as everyone is settling down in the living room to catch up there is a knock at the door. Soos gets up to go answer as they all quiet in confusion wondering who it can be. On the other side of the door a man wearing a three-piece suit with golden triangle buttons and a top hat is standing there, he has gold and black hair, one blue eye with the other hidden behind a eyepatch with a scar that's almost a tear line from his eye down his cheek. He smiles up at Soos. “Hey question mark, is the Pines home?”
Soos frowns as he swears, he remembers that voice, but the nickname question mark definitely sets off alarm bells.
Ford hears the all too familiar voice from the living room and goes to see if it is who he thinks it is. “Cipher!” he yells, pulling out his gun.
Bill holds up his hands taking a step back. “Hey! Wait wait wait hold on Sixer, I am not here for revenge.”
“Bullshit.” Ford snaps as Soos steps away from the door and the others look to see what is going on. “I'm not going to fall for your tricks Bill.”
Bill mumbles something about an Axolotl. “Fordsy I am not playing any games, I was sent here powerless and. Well. in this meat sack by the Axolotl. I am sure you have heard of him.”
Ford frowns and lowers his gun slightly, he has in fact heard of the Axolotl, and it does not sound like a being he wants to cross.
Stan glares at Ford. “You are going to buy that? Some sky lizard sent him here?”
Ford turns to him. “The Axolotl is a very powerful being, Stan. Not one I would like to make angry, he is even more powerful than Bill. If what Bill says is true then it's best, we let him stay here and do whatever it is Axolotl wants.”
Dipper crosses his arms and glares at Bill. “You don't even have any proof that you were sent here.”
Bill glares at the two Pines. “You think I want to be here powerless in this Meat Suit? If I wasn't sent here as a test to prove to the Theraprism and Axolotl that I have changed, then I would have burnt this place down and skinned you all alive.” Bill takes a deep breath. “Heck, I'd avoid you all together if Axolotl said I had a choice. But now I have to stay here with the ones who defeated me powerless and human.”
Mable frowns a little, sure she is still mad about last year, but Bill just seems pathetic and if some god said he is sane enough to take this test, then who is she to deny a second chance. “From the sound of it this Theraprism is a mental hospital?”
Bill nods. “Yep. A pretty horrible place. I give it negative five stars.” He laughs a little, definitely does not sound forced.
“I highly doubt a place pronounced you good enough to be back here in a year.” Stan grumbles looking the demon up and down.
“I was there for a hundred years give or take, Axolotl just sent me to this year.” Bill shrugs. “A little bit of time change isn't hard for someone like him, he did save me from dying in your head, speaking of which, you seem to have recovered.”
“Probably helped with the fact that he pulled you out. Alright let's just come in and discuss this more in the living room.” Ford sighs and lets Bill in, shutting the door. They go to the living room where Soos is reminding Melody about Bill, and Abuelita is listening and watching TV.
“Where is he even going to stay? It's not like there is an extra room.” Stan asks glaring at the demon as he takes a seat at his chair again.
“He can sleep on the couch.” Mable shrugs as she and Dipper sit back on the floor near stan.
“Or a sleeping bag on the floor.” Dipper says helpfully.
Ford looks at Bill and sighs. “I think a sleeping bag in mine and Stan's room would be good, that way we can keep an eye on him at night.”
Bill gives Ford a wide smile. “Aww I didn't know you'd like to have me close by when sleeping, I knew you still liked me.”
Ford glares at him, “I do not, this is just so I know you won't try to kill anyone in their sleep.” He sighs. “Should probably hide the knives somewhere.”
“And forks.” Dipper mumbles rubbing his arm remembering how Bill happily stabbed him with both knives and forks while possessing him.
Bill rolls his eyes. “I don't want to go back to Theraprism, so I'm not going to try and hurt anyone.”
“I'm fine with him sleeping in our room, we can probably set something up to wake us if he tries to leave.” Stan nods alright with keeping Bill as far from the kids as possible, even if he’d rather not be sleeping in the same room as the demon.
Bill sighs, figuring he should just be grateful he is not in Theraprism Anymore. “Alright I don't care.” He sighs.
They quiet down for a moment and decide it's a good time to head to bed. Bill follows Stan down to the room the brothers are sharing, Ford coming in behind them with a sleeping bag for Bill.
Ford lays it out on the floor tossing a blanket and pillow onto it. Bill glances at the two men before kicking off his shoes and taking off his shirt and eye patch leaving him in his pants and crawling into the sleeping bag. Ford gets into bed shutting off the light, he flinches slightly when he glances at the spot Bill is laying and sees a glowing cat-like eye looking in his direction. He takes a deep breath. “Good night, Bill.”
Bill looks at him. “Night Sixer.” He mumbles and he closes his eyes going to sleep.
Ford stays up staring at the ceiling. Bill Cipher is back, in the Mystery Shack, and powerless after being in a Therapy Prison for nearly a hundred years. Ford closes his eyes trying to ignore the fact that the demon who tricked him and he spent thirty years trying to kill is in the same room as him, probably asleep. Soon he hears the snores from his brother's bed, and he hears movement and looks over to see Bill is actually not asleep. “What are you doing Bill?”
Bill looks at him, his eyes shining in the low light. “Your brother is loud. Plus, the floor is uncomfortable, so is the sleeping bag, it's hard to sleep.”
“That's the only option you have, Bill, so live with it.”
He hears Bill settle back down. “Sixer?”
Ford sighs, moving to look at him. "What Bill?”
Bill is quiet for a moment, and he can hear the demon fidgeting. “I. Never mind. I will try to sleep now.” Bils shining eyes shut again and the demon finally stays quiet.
Though without the distraction Ford still doesn't sleep.