Not On The Wheel (Bill Cipher x Reader)

Chapter Twenty-One: Double-Dealing

Her mind quickly jumped to the second journal, which was hidden within the town's elementary school's ground, but she quickly pushed that thought aside. That was for another time, when she wasn't on the verge of frenzy.

She wasn't sure what his plans were for his first book, but from what wasn't scribbled out, it didn't seem as if he was looking to hide it in the same way.

"So... maybe he gave it to Stan to guard...?"

That could be a possibility. But why Stan of all people?

From what Y/n could tell from the journal, the Author was a rather prideful man, with a hindering ego the size of most of the technical and supernatural endeavors he undertook. And if the remains of the entry about his assistant were any sign, he didn't let just anyone into his life. He was a recluse, with a few chosen minds close to his own in intelligence allowed into his scientific sanctuary.

And well... Stan didn't necessarily check all those boxes.

"Even if he did give it to Stan, that wouldn't explain why he ended up staying in the Shack all these years later," she mumbled, chewing the back of her pen lightly. "Leaving something as high-tech and extravagant as that— something that would have proved his Unified Theory of Weirdness correct and made him a millionaire— in the hands of such a crooked character."

Unless...

What if Stan had something to do with his disappearance?

It was a halting thought. Y/n was completely biased, but she had to look at the facts: Stan was perfectly capable of something like this. But it didn't leave much as to why.

Why would Stan get rid of the Author and hold onto one of his journals, presumably searching for the rest and toying with the machine the latter spent his entire life's work on? The only possible reason she could think of was for the money and fame, but obviously that never came to fruition. If he was really looking for the profits of such groundbreaking discoveries, Stan would have cashed in the journal. That alone would have made him a millionaire.

Y/n paused for a moment, holding the pen between her teeth as her brows furrowed. She never did continue with the pages on the portal, did she? She just got to the page with a third of the portal's instructions and hopped around from there. She knew there were about maybe five or so pages that she missed, and with a loud sigh she figured she should at least skim through those before she got ahead of herself and started making rash theories.

Y/n reached over to the journal, and as her fingers flipped past pages, a loud crash rang throughout the Shack. Her head perked up. "Was that... shattered glass?"

She quickly leaped out of her bed, sticking her head out the door and down the hallway. Moments later, the door opened, and Dipper and Mabel walked in looking just as confused as she was.

"Stan!" Mabel whined, closing the door behind the twins. "Why'd you throw the TV out the window?"

Y/n gaped from her room. "You threw the TV out the window? I thought you were enjoying The Dutche—"

"No!" Stan yelled suddenly. He appeared in the hallway, glaring down at Y/n in an attempt to keep her silent. "I couldn't find the remote and there was no way I was going to sit through that crap," he finished, forcing a laugh. "It's so boring!"

"Sure," Y/n said, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Whatever you say, Mr. Saunterblugget Hampterfuppinshire."

Stan's eyes widened, and he immediately retreated down the hall and into the kitchen, mumbling about he needed to be a good guardian and start dinner.