#angel!dipper

His sister, Mabel, had told him she had missed heaven when she was finishing up her final test but most of all she had missed him. Dipper just thought she was being sentimental like always but here he was longing for home and his sister’s company. She had just gotten her halo before he received his assignment. They had celebrated and just stared at the golden ring above her head for what felt like hours.

“It’s funny because I don’t really know what I want to do next,” he remembers her telling him. “I feel different, like, almost complete and I just want to do so many things but I can’t decide what.”

Then they were quiet as they watched the lights of the cities of earth twinkle down below.

He missed his sister so much.

He liked being Wendy’s guardian angel. He liked being on earth. Sometimes he just wished he could have Mabel around. She knew what to do without even trying. It all came easy to Mabel.

After the dream eater episode, Dipper just grew to doubt his capabilities. It was days before he was up to full strength, exorcising the beast had taken too much out of him. He could barely fly and he had to toddle after Wendy as fast as he could. It was like he was a fledgling all over again.

Thankfully nothing else strange had happened and no visits from a certain dream demon either.

 “PAY DAY! GATHER ‘ROUND!” a loud gravelly voice called out inside the house part of the Mystery Shack.

Wendy grinned as she and Soos milled over.

Dipper followed, smiling a bit as he took out his writing stuff.

Today is Wendy’s first pay day…

He looked up and gasped as Wendy’s boss looked over his employees in an expression that looked a lot like constipation, behind him was a pair of wings. Pink wings.

“Ugh…despite my better judgement,” Wendy’s boss began, looking almost ill. “Here’s a little extra for all your hard work.”

Soos grinned as his boss handed him and Wendy money. “Oh wow! Thank you Mr. Pines!”

“Yeah yeah whatever, now if you’ll excuse me I gotta go talk with McGucket about a thing,” Mr. Pines grumbled as he turned away. As soon as he did he revealed who the owner of the pink wings were.

Dipper’s eyes widened. “Mabel?”

Mabel looked to him and grinned. “Dipper!”

He ran up to her, his face broken into a big smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I just started my new assignment today!” She poked her charge on the back before giggling. “Boop! I’m gonna make him a better person.”

“So the reason he gave them extra money…”

“All me!”

Dipper just stared at her, impressed. “I know we can influence and guide…but I didn’t think it worked like that.”

“You just gotta know what you’re doing. That’s all.” She watched her charge’s retreating figure. “I gotta go Dip but we’ll talk later, okay?”

“Yeah! Later!”

“Oh and Dip?”

“Hm?” He turned back before almost getting knocked over by his sister in a hug.

“I missed you!”

“Missed you too,” he sighed returning the hug.

Today was turning out to be a good day.

==

It was another slow day at the gift shop. Dipper wondered if there was a science to when tourists came to visit the Mystery Shack. Oh, well, at least Wendy didn’t look too bored as she’d smile every now and then randomly.

I wonder what she’s thinking about…

“So how goes it, broseph?”

Dipper let out a surprised squeak before turning to his sister. “Shouldn’t you be with Mr. Pines?”

“Oh Stan? Ha he’s taking an old person nap right now, we’re good.”

He bit his lip.

“Oh stop worrying Dipper! It’s okay!”

“Okay,” he finally relented, still worried.

“I swear, you’re gonna lose all your feathers before you even get your halo.”

Dipper rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah.”

“Now tell me everything! I want to know about how you’re doing!”

Smiling despite himself, Dipper began to fill in his sister on what he had gone through. Details about a certain demon were embellished…he didn’t know what Mabel would think and he didn’t really want to know either. She didn’t always follow the book but demons are serious no matter what and one taking an interest in him? Nope she didn’t need to know.

“You kicked a giant freakish dream eater’s butt? Holy cosmos!” Mabel’s pink wings flapped in her excitement. “I’ve met a dream eater but it wasn’t anything like the one you beat up! It was kinda cute and nice.”

“I-I didn’t beat it up I just kinda chanted at it and well, my holiness did the work?”

“Aww you don’t have to be so humble, baby bro,” she cooed before pinching his cheek.

“Yeah, no, you’re not allowed to call me that.”

“Whateverrrr!” she blew a raspberry. “So anything else exciting happened?”

“No, not really.”

He watched as Wendy began clocking out. Mabel hummed beside him so he looked back at her.

“What?”

Mabel shrugged. “Nothing just…it’s cute how dedicated you are,” she giggled. “Makes me wonder what you would’ve done if Stan was the one you had to follow around.”

Dipper felt himself flush. “Whatever.”

“Just saying.”

She got up from her spot on the counter. “I gotta go, I can feel the old man waking up.”

Dipper stood up. “Okay…I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Of course!” Mabel grinned. “I’m not gonna miss anymore of your cool adventures.”

“Just remember you have a job.”

His sister waved him off. “I told you don’t worry about it. Management can be scary but they’re actually really laid back.”

“And how would you know that?”

She rolled her eyes. “Just learn to relax. It’s a test but it’s not worth losing feathers over, okay?”

“Just get back to work.”

Mabel stuck her tongue at him. “You get back to work!”

Then the two shared a laugh.

--

It was nice having Mabel around.

The two of them hung out and chatted like Wendy and Soos would during lunch breaks. It was just nice to have someone that acknowledged your existence but it was even better it being your best friend.

One day he confessed to her how he’d sometimes think about actually talking to Wendy.

“Do it!”

Dipper frowned. “What?”

Mabel looked serious, well as serious as she could with her practically permanent wide smile. She just repeated herself, her (today) purple wings fluttering excitedly.

“First of all, no and second of all how would that even be possible? I thought the point of being a guardian angel is to protect without directly being there.”

His sister just sighed. “Yeah but you’re still an angel and angels can interact with humans.”

Dipper furrowed his brow. “I think I read something about that but I thought it was only important angels who can do that stuff.”

“Nope! I’ve done it before it was fun!” She looked thoughtful. “It just takes a lot out of you, is all.”

“Oh.”

She leaned in close. “If you wanna do it…I can teach you but only if you want, Mister-stickler-to-the-rules.”

Dipper leaned back and looked down.

There was a way to hang out with Wendy but was it worth it? That exorcism left him wiped out and if being able to interact with would take a lot out of him he could be in the same state or worse. What if Wendy needed him and he couldn’t do anything to help? He’d fail his test and it was all because he gave into his own selfishness.

He shook his head. “Nah.”

Mabel shrugged. “Okay…but if you change your mind I’ll be happy to teach you.”

Dipper gave her a weak smile.

“Okay then back to work!” She straightened out her white dress. “Talk to you later, Dip.”

He nodded. “Later.”

Watching his sister go he couldn’t help but wonder when or why she had decided to use her ability to be seen by people. Who had taught her? Was it something she discovered herself?

“She’s always been good at everything,” he muttered to himself.

“Who’s good at what now?”

Dipper started then glared at the floating triangle in front of him. “You need to stop that!”

Bill just squinted his single eye in amusement. “Maybe you need to be more observant? I thought that was your job…being observant, watching, y’know that kind of stuff.”

The angel glared at the demon. “What do you want?”

“Been feeling another presence lately and it’s a lot like yours only not so I thought I’d check with you,” he floated close to Dipper’s face. “So whatcha got, Angel-face?”

Boldly (for him), Dipper pushed Bill away from his face. “Why do you need to know?”

Bill sighed. “Tell me or not I’ll find out. I always find out.”

Dipper frowned. “It’s another angel.”

He watched the demon take in the information. His single eye shifted for a moment, the pupil going right to left as what Dipper assumed was him thinking. “Ah I see. Thanks for telling me!”

“Whatever it takes for you to leave me alone.”

Bill started to revolve around his head. “Aww don’t deny you like having me around, Feathers. I am pretty charismatic. Even angels fall for my charms.”

Dipper just rolled his eyes.

“You got what you want, demon.”

“Oh, I love it when you try to talk like you have authority.” Bill laughed, “I guess I do have errands to run. Talk to you again soon.”

The demon made his exit and Dipper groaned.

“What happened to flying away, Dipper?” his wings moved to shield him and he stared at the feathers in front of him.

Getting used to a demon’s presence was not a good thing.

Wondering when they would come again wasn’t good either.

He sighed.

Dipper imagined this is what Sisyphus felt as he rolled, his burden, the same boulder up the hill over and over again. As soon as it was in place the rock would roll back down and he was forced to return to it, the same cycle repeating forever.

It was probably a lot like that but worse.

Whenever Wendy was even close to grabbing the shadowed figure (obviously her mother if her cries were anything to go by) they would pick up speed then be just right out of reach. Calling out to her mother didn’t do anything. She was ignored. It was as if the same clip was on loop for infinity.

“Mama you can’t leave! You can’t leave us! Not me!”

He just wanted to pull younger Wendy into his arms and hold her.

This just wasn’t fair.

Soon the young girl was on her knees, hands to her face as she cried. She had given up the chase. There was no way to reach for the retreating figure of her mother.

The dreamscape wasn’t very bright to begin with but their surroundings started to darken as if heavy clouds blocked out what little light they had. Shadows stretched before reaching out toWendy then they began to lift from the surface, becoming strange dark tendrils. They loomed over a sobbing Wendy, slow and poised in their strange way.

Dipper’s eyes widened his body tensing as instinct screamed at him to fly over and protect his charge.

“Time for the main event,” he heard Bill say as the demon continued to restrain him.

The tendrils were on Wendy in a blink of an eye. They grabbed at her, wrapped around her, and then without warning engulfed her in their inky blackness.

“WENDY!” Dipper couldn’t help but scream as the girl’s sobs were snuffed out.

The young angel wasn’t even thinking as he tried to wrench out of the demon’s hold, desperately reaching for his charge.

“Calm down, Feather-brain!” Bill kept his grip on him but he sounded a little strained. “This is a dream, remember? That’s not really your girlfriend! That’s just a manifestation of her now calm yourself!”

The explanation was sound but Dipper couldn’t absorb it fast enough. All he could think of was that he had failed. Wendy was gone, consumed by darkness. He was the worst guardian angel ever.

Bill just let out a long-suffering sigh as he held the now very slack and devastated Dipper.

The spot that once had a crying girl was replaced with a humanoid shaped blob that began to shift, features becoming prominent. It looked a bit animal-like as it grew what looked like a small elephant trunk for a nose, little tusks growing along with it. The thing continued to shift and turn as a thick body was formed from the darkness then strange hind legs of maybe a lion or tiger. Its arms were long, large human hands joining them at the end. White marking twirled and twined around the creature’s black body.

The thing opened its beady, bright blue eyes and focused on the other intruders.

Bill groaned. “I hate being right sometimes.”

Dipper stared as he pulled himself out of his depressed thoughts. “What is that?”

“A dream eater.”

The dream eater laughed. “What do we have here?”

The angel almost cringed at how high and nasally the creature’s voice was.

Bill let Dipper go before slowly approaching the dream eater. “I dunno you tell me, you disgusting slob.”

It laughed again. “Look at all the attention I’m getting and here I am just minding my own business.”

“You’re supposed to eat dreams,” Bill stated as he crossed his arms. “But you’re not content with that are you, Fattie? You gotta go and screw around ‘till you get your nightmare stew. Why is that? Is that your version of comfort food or something?”

The dream eater’s eyes narrowed. “So what? People have nightmares all the time. What difference does it make if I’m the one stirring things up? Nothing.”

Bill shook his head. “You’re way too big for your kind.”

“Well, I’m not a push-over like the others. I get to eat what I want whenever I want and that’s the way it should be!” The creature’s voice echoed throughout the dreamscape.

“Cute,” Bill said looking less than impressed. “Well, sorry but not sorry I’m gonna have to get rid of your fat-butt.”

“I’d like to see you try!” It puffed up its chest. “All the nightmares I’ve been accumulating…there’s no way you can make a dent you sorry-looking toothpick of a demon!”

Bill’s single eye darkened. “Oh it’s on, Pudge.”

The dream eater let out a loud roar before it charged at Bill.

Panicked, Dipper felt himself pick up as his wings flapped so he hovered above.

Meanwhile Bill stood his ground, putting his arm out and making a gun gesture from his hand. A blast of red light shot out from his finger and blew clean through the dream eater. The creature halted as it looked over the gaping hole Bill’s blast had left.

“No dent, huh? Is that what you were saying?” Bill cackled before blowing out imaginary smoke from his finger.

The dream eater just laughed its nasally laugh as the hole began to repair itself. “You seem to forget we’re in a dreamscape.”

“Crap.”

Bill rolled out of the way as the creature broke back into a run. It missed and Bill took that as an opportunity to turn back to the form Dipper was more familiar with, a floating triangle.

The creature turned and took Bill in. “Well, don’t you look familiar.”

“I’m sure your kind is a big fan of my work too bad you can’t afford one of my autographs.” Bill’s hands blazed with blue flame. “Now get lost!”

Blue flames whizzed through the air, managing to land a few hits on the dream eater but like the last blow the creature would just regenerate.

Dipper frowned. “This could go on forever.”

And we’re still inside Wendy’s dreamscape…

The angel bit his lip as he watched the two dream monsters duke it out. There had to be a way to expel the dream eater from the mind but how? Obviously, Bill’s method wasn’t working. The demon seemed to grow more and more frustrated as everything he pulled the dream eater would just shrug off.

If only I could force them out…force…That’s it!

Dipper landed just as the dream eater was about to swing at Bill.

“You will leave now.”

The creature stopped its advances to turn to look at him. “What?”

Bill stared at him not saying a word.

Dipper kept steady. “You’re going to leave now and you’re not coming back.”

“And how are you going to do that you measly chicken?”

“I’m going to make you.”

The dream eater laughed again. “Oh really?”

“Yes.”

Before the creature could get another word in Dipper began to chant.

“What? What is this?”

The angel just ignored him and continued, eyes starting to glow white.

Bill grimaced, turning away. “Aww man.”

The dream eater seized up. “What’s happening?!”

Dipper stopped chanting, eyes on the dream eater. “I told you, I’m making you leave.”

Then as if he didn’t stop the angelic language flowed out of his mouth again. He stretched his arms out, his chants growing louder and louder.

“STOP IT! STOP!” the creature screamed, unable to move. “LET ME GO! I’LL GO! I’LL STOP PLEASE!”

GET OUT!

Then in a flash of bright white the dream eater was gone.

Bill hissed, his form flickering. “Dang, Feathers…you went all exorcising priest on him.”

Dipper turned to Bill, eyes still white. “Get out.”

“What? Hey I thought we had a thing going on here? Like a team or-“

“Get out.”

Bill's form continued to flicker. “You’re really serious, huh?”

“Get out before I make you, demon.” The angel held his gaze.

The dream demon didn’t respond and Dipper began to chant again.

“Alright alright! Sheesh…I guess I was wrong about you, Angel-face. You aren’t so one-note after all.”

Bill floated higher and began to glow as a wheel of symbols formed behind him.

“I’ll be seeing you.”

Then he too was gone.

==

Wendy woke up that morning not looking very restful. She had strange dreams that night. Well, they were more like unpleasant flashes of memories then weirdness that she could barely understand. Hours before she had to wake up were peaceful though.

As if someone had banished all the bad and confusing things away.

With a yawn Wendy got out of bed.

Unknown to her she had left a very tired angel alone, cuddled up on her bed.

Just five minutes and I’ll recharge…

It surprised Dipper a bit because Wendy didn’t seem like she was interested in anything that required a lot of work but then again working at the register couldn’t be all that difficult. Then of course there was the aspect of getting paid. Everyone liked that.

She was asked to arrive around lunch time when the crowd to the tourist trap dwindled enough for some alone time.

When Wendy would come by to check about jobs at the shack Dipper would sneak glances in the museum set up to display oddities. They were very odd indeed but if the satisfied crowd of people who came to visit each day was an indication then proprietor was doing something right. Well, as right as the “Sascrotch” was at any rate.

There were also strange themed rides for the kids outside and tours around the property.

All in all Dipper could see some of the appeal of the place.

“Ah hey dude uh well, the boss is kinda busy but he said you were totally hired so uh here,” a guy with nametag that read Soos said as he handed Wendy her own nametag. “You ready to start today?”

“Aww sweet,” Wendy muttered as she placed her nametag on to her shirt. “Gonna make some cheddaaaah.”

Dipper let out a short laugh before getting out something to write with.

Today Wendy got a summer job as the cashier at a gift shop. She deserved it.

Soos started to show Wendy the cash register, pointing to it, no doubt training her.

And it will bring nothing but good things.

Satisfied with his entry, Dipper put away his scribing stuff.

It wasn’t exactly a good deed but it seemed like something important nonetheless.

==

Dipper liked following Wendy around but he had his limits. Bathroom breaks were a no-no as was bathing or changing clothes. It made him uncomfortable at even thinking about following her or watching in those private moments. As long as he was in the vicinity he supposed that he didn’t have to watch her like a hawk or anything like that.

He sat on a tree branch outside the shack before letting out a sigh.

“Whassamatter?”

Dipper’s eyes widened in surprise, his wings flailing a bit as the demon from before appeared before his eyes. “Ah!”

The demon laughed. “Wow you’re a jumpy one.”

Calming himself a bit Dipper just threw the demon an indignant look.

“Don’t look so huffy, Bird-brain,” the demon backed away some. “I just wanted to see what you were up to on this lovely day.”

Dipper’s eyes sought out Wendy, hoping she was out of the restroom so he had an excuse to leave. Not that he needed one but he really wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t supposed to talk to the demon was he?

“You’re being very rude here, Cupid.”

The angel glared. He had enough.

“I’m trying to do my job, demon! I’m a guardian angel!” He stood tall on the branch, his wings spreading as wide as possible. “I am a servant of heaven and I don’t need to entertain you.”

The demon just let out a noise that sounded a lot like a snort and Dipper felt himself shake a little.

“You don’t need to entertain me but here you are…entertaining me,” the demon began before bursting into uproarious laughter. “Wow you’re a hoot, Feathers.”

“My name is Dipper! Not Bird-brain! Not Cupid! And not Feathers!”

The demon started to sober up. “Like that’s any better.”

Dipper shook his head as he got ready to fly away. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Ah ah, hey you gave me yours I might as well give you mine.”

“What?”

The demon extended a hand to him. “Name’s Bill Cipher, dream demon and master of the mind.”

Dipper frowned.

“What? Angels don’t shake hands?”

“No…just you’re a demon.”

Bill laughed. “Fine if you want to be rude.”

Hesitantly Dipper reached for the outstretched hand, giving it a little shake.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Dipper just took his hand back. “I have to go…my charge needs me.”

“Gotcha, I’ll be seein’ you then, Angel-face.”

Like last time the demon vanished.

“Angel-face?” Dipper sighed before shaking his head again as he flew back to where Wendy was in the gift shop.

That demon, Bill Cipher, was a strange character. Dipper wasn’t sure what he wanted but talking to a demon probably wasn’t a good thing. He needed a plan for the next time Bill would try to talk to him.

Just fly away Dipper. Demons aren’t worth your time. Wendy is all you need to focus on.

The angel nodded to himself. “Yeah just fly away.”