Lincoln glanced back at the crowd of people gathered at the barrier. He, Ford, and Bill were headed away from them, but the general hubbub of noise was still audible as they approached the Mystery Museum. Lincoln thought he caught glimpses of the Corduroys and Yingtai Chiu trying to keep the peace in the crowd. Seeing them filled him with a mixture of pride in those he mentored and pain from their secrets.

Approaching the Museum felt surreal, not least because Lee was currently outside of his body. He followed Ford and Bill to the building, which was sheltered back in the trees but not too far from the road. The trees muffled the distant sounds of the crowd. Lincoln looked at the log cabin that was Ford's home — Lincoln's home, too, before his memory loss. The cabin looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember anything about it.

It was in that moment that he realized, with a dim rush of panic, that he couldn't let Bill enter the Museum in his body. If this was the first time he'd been here in thirty years, then he had to be in his body for this moment. Plus, weren't there children staying here with Ford? Dipper and his twin sister Mabel, who had been possessed by Bill herself? Lee couldn't meet them as a ghost. He had to have his body.

"Lord Cipher," he said, though it suddenly pained him to refer to Bill as his lord. "Please, wait for a moment."

Bill stopped, putting a hand on Ford's arm to stop him as well. Ford flinched at his touch but stopped walking. "Yes?" asked Bill.

"I. . . May I have my body back?" The words sounded strange, and he wondered if anyone else had asked the demon so politely to stop possessing them. "Please, I. . . I want to see the Museum for myself."

"You can see," Bill pointed out, though it sounded like he knew what Lincoln was talking about.

"What's he saying?" asked Ford.

Bill glanced to him. "He wants his body back," he said, "to enter your home."

Ford started to answer, but Bill held up a hand as Lincoln spoke. "And I need it to meet his. . . our. . . relatives," Lee added. "I don't want them to know me as. . . well, as you, before they know me as me."

"Yes," said Ford, though he hadn't heard Lincoln's addendum. "Yes, give him his body back. You know how upset Mabel and Dipper are. They need to meet their uncle." His lip curled slightly. "They have no need to see you again," he added, glaring at Bill.

Bill raised his eyebrows. "So inhospitable," he said.

Ford folded his arms. "I'll only let Lee in," he said. "Not you."

"And if I stay in this body forever?"

The very thought was horrible to consider, and Lincoln forcefully told himself that Bill was just asking a hypothetical question. "Please," he said. "Please, Lord Cipher. I. . . I need this."

Bill glanced to him, unamused. "I'm sure you think that you need it."

"Give the man his body back," Ford demanded in frustration.

Bill sighed. "Fine. But I'm taking it back to talk to Gideon."

"You'll be talking to him through a vending machine," Ford replied. (This earned a confused look from Lincoln, but he figured he'd understand soon enough.)

Bill rolled his eyes like a petulant child. "Hold me up," he instructed Ford. "I don't think Lee here wants to wake up in the snow." He leaned back in Ford's arms. "Have fun explaining to the kids about your amnesia," he said to Lincoln.

"Tell Pacifica where I am," Lee replied. He tried to ignore the barb.

Bill's eyes closed, and the body fell still as a yellow triangle rose from its chest. Seeing Bill in his triangle form brought Lee more pain and even a faint anger, though it was mostly smothered by the pain. He forced himself to say, "Thank you," to Bill before flying back into his body.

His senses returned to him in a rush. He could feel Ford's arms bearing his weight; he could hear with his ears (which seemed richer in tone than hearing things as a spirit) as Ford called his name. He pushed himself up, standing on his own weight, and smiled at Ford. "So," he said. "This is your house?"

Ford hugged him tightly.

The brothers walked the rest of the way to the house. Ford pointed at the totem pole and the barrels around it ("Those barrels held the fuel for the portal. We recruited the minotaurs to help rescue you.") and the car in the driveway ("That's your car, Lee. You lived in her for a couple years, actually, before you moved in with me.") as they went. The familiarity was almost overwhelming, though it never broke the surface into true memory.

When they made it to the porch, Lee paused. "Who are those kids expecting?" he asked Ford softly.

"You," he answered immediately. "They're waiting for you."

"Even without my memory?"

Ford paused. "I think," he said slowly, "that knowing you were kidnapped and mind-wiped is a lot easier to accept than the idea that you were hiding from me this whole time." From the look on his face, Lincoln could tell that Ford was speaking for himself as much as the children. "It even helps explain why you're the leader of the organization of our greatest enemy."

Lee felt the urge to apologize, but he resisted. He was the leader of the Order: That had been his primary identity since Percy's death. Brother or no brother, it was still the truth. Even as he prepared to enter Ford's home and meet Mabel and Dipper, some part of his mind wondered what he would do to help the members of the Order as they grappled with the effects of the portal.

"They want to meet you," Ford said, referring to the children. "These last few hours have been torture for them."

Lincoln glanced at him. He didn't doubt that, but he wondered if his appearance — and the truth about him, his memory loss, his Order involvement, and his relationship to Bill — would relieve the torture or add to it. 

Either way, he still wanted to meet these kids. "Okay," he said with a nod.

Ford opened the door.

Lee stepped into the house, and it seemed to him to be more than just a physical threshold. This was a new phase in his life — and it would be different from anything Lee remembered. "Mabel," Ford called as Lee took off his coat and hung it on the coatrack. "Dipper. Kids. I found him." He called up the stairs, and through a door in the living room. "Oh, right," he said. "I think they're back in my room."

He didn't need to go looking for them, though: The pounding sound of footsteps reached Lincoln's ears, and he turned to see the twins running down the hallway. "Grunkle Stan!" called the boy — Dipper — as he rushed to his uncle. Lee stumbled back as Dipper ran into him with the full force of a delighted child.

Another pair of arms wrapped around his waist: Mabel. She silently leaned her head against his shoulder. Dipper squeezed Lee in a brief hug and stepped back, his mouth moving before Lee could even process the hug. "Hi, Grunkle Stan! I'm Dipper, and the girl hugging you is Mabel! I'm so excited to finally meet you. Can we call you Grunkle Stan? I thought of 'Grunkle Lee,' but that kinda sounds weird, so I thought Stan would be better. What do you think?"

Lee blinked, casting a glance at Ford. Ford chuckled. "He does that."

"Um, hi, kids," said Lee. He grimaced inwardly that the first thing he said to them was "um," but it was too late now. "It's good to meet you, too."

"Thanks, Grunkle Stan!"

He shook his head. "Call me Lee, please." Stanley may be his real name; but he'd never used it (that he could remember), and he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with other people using it to refer to him.

Dipper blinked but took the request in stride. "Okay, Grunkle Lee it is! I was just kidding earlier when I said it sounded weird."

Lee could help it: He smiled.

He glanced to Mabel as she carefully moved away from him. "Hi, Mabel," he said softly.

"Hi," she said. Her eyes flicked up to his face but didn't stay.

Ford seemed to know what was wrong before Lee did. "It's complicated, Mabel," he said, "but he's not evil."

Now Mabel really looked at him; her eyes searched Lincoln's face. "How can you lead the Order?"

Lincoln hesitated. "Do you want me to tell them?" Ford asked softly. Lee looked back at him, then shook his head. No. He would tell them.

If he could.

"A lot has happened in thirty years," he said. "Yes, I lead the Order. I haven't left headquarters often. But I wasn't deliberately hiding from Ford." He took a deep breath and forced himself to look the twins in the eyes. "Kids, I. . . I have amnesia."

The truth that he hadn't wanted to admit to Ford earlier fell now from his lips, and it was painful to hear it spoken aloud. The twins stared up at him, uncomprehending. "Wait, seriously?" said Dipper.

Lincoln nodded. "Thirty years ago, I woke up with no memory. I was told that I had no family around here, either." His eyes found Ford's again. "Even when the Order moved against Stanford, I had no idea that he was my brother."

He fell silent as the twins processed this. Finally, "No one told you?" Mabel whispered.

"No one." Everyone he knew had lied to him.

Mabel stared at him; pain and sorrow and a glimmer of comprehension all appeared in her gaze. She stepped forward and silently wrapped her arms around Lincoln for a second time.

Tears immediately sprang to Lincoln's eyes: the first since meeting Stanford. The weight of all he had learned suddenly felt too great to bear. He sank to his knees, taking Mabel with him, and let out a shuddering breath. She clung to him, and he lowered his head until his tears flowed into her hair.

Soon enough, he felt another pair of arms around them both: Dipper had joined the hug. It wasn't long before Ford knelt on the other side and did the same. The four Pines sat in a tangle of arms and tears, still as statues but for their staggered breaths. A lot of emotions ran rampant, many of them negative — but there were positive ones, too. Reconciliation. Relief.

And, above all, a profound sense of love.

~~~~~

For the third time that day, Ford cried.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this emotional. A tiny part of him didn't like it, but most of him eagerly welcomed the tears. He had found his brother: That alone was worth the crying.

It wasn't as simple as that, he knew. His brother wasn't anything like Ford had expected, not after thirty years of separation. Not only the amnesia and the deal with Bill — there was more to it. Lee's mannerisms seemed totally different: deliberate, calculated, even a bit hesitant. Though Ford was relieved to have his brother back, he also couldn't banish the fear that he no longer knew this man at all.

He tried not to focus on that fear. It was too paralyzing.

Instead, he sat on the ground with his brother and his niece and his nephew, strengthened by their closeness. He knew that it wouldn't last — that Bill would eventually come back — but he tried to appreciate the moment. They all needed this.

Then Lee jerked back.

The hug dissolved, and the young twins looked in confusion to their new grunkle. Lee got to his feet, and Ford's stomach dropped as he realized what was happening. "The couch," he said, gesturing to the nearby piece of furniture. He didn't want Lee to fall and hurt himself. He didn't want Bill to take over at all, but he at least didn't want him to injure Lee in the process.

"Grunkle Lee? What's going on?"

"Stay back, kids," said Ford, putting out a hand as Dipper stepped forward. "There's something else about your uncle that we might have explained if someone had given us more time." He glared into the distance as anger at Bill and at the entire situation boiled in his chest.

Lee sat on the couch; he appeared to be bracing himself for what came next. "I'm sorry," he said, looking directly at Mabel. Then his body went slack.

Ford took a careful step forward as Lee's eyes opened again — except now they were Bill's eyes. Last time, it had taken a moment for Ford to notice the possession, but now he could instantly see the glowing yellow eyes. The kids probably couldn't.

"Ah, it's nice to be back," Bill said, grinning at Ford. "I usually don't do this often, Fordsie, but I probably will in coming days."

"Get out," Ford replied, trembling in anger. "Leave him alone."

Bill shook his head. "I told you that I would do this — both of you." He looked across the living room, and Ford guessed that Lee was hovering at the end of Bill's gaze. He wished he could see his brother.

"What just happened?" The question came from Mabel, who sounded like she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. "What's going on?"

Bill grinned again, but Ford shot him a sharp look. "I'll explain," he said firmly.

"Okay, you do that." Bill got to his feet. "I'm going to go talk to Gideon." Ford's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but Bill added, "Don't worry, I can't get through the vending machine. This is going to take some negotiation."

"Don't hurt him," Mabel blurted.

Bill just smiled at her.

"Why is he acting so weird?" Dipper asked as Bill went into the gift shop.

Ford's breath left him in a frustrated burst. "That's the other thing," he said. "Besides the amnesia. Did you see how he seemed to fall asleep on the couch?"

The twins nodded warily.

"That. . . that was him getting pulled out of his body." The twins looked confused, and Ford really didn't want to say this next part — but someone had to, and he didn't want it to be Bill. "He's been possessed by Bill Cipher."

Mabel made a high-pitched noise of surprise, and Dipper grabbed his sister's arm protectively.

"They made some kind of deal," Ford said. "Bill says he can. . . that he can take over whenever he wants." His eyes closed as anger and sadness flowed through him.

"That was Bill?" asked Dipper. "Why didn't he have yellow eyes?"

"Because we didn't know," Mabel whispered. "Right, Grunkle Ford? If someone doesn't know about the possession, then. . . then they don't notice anything different."

Ford nodded. "If you saw him now, I think you'd see the eyes."

This seemed too much for Mabel, and she buried her face in Dipper's shirt with a sharp breath. Dipper held his sister, looking between his uncle and the Employees Only door. "Bill Cipher is in our house?" he asked.

"In a way, he always has been," Ford said, "as he looked through your minds. But now he's here inside someone's body, yes."

Mabel clung tighter to Dipper.

"I need to follow him," Ford said. "I need to make sure he doesn't do anything to Gideon."

"What does he want with him?" asked Mabel, turning her head just enough for her words to be audible.

"He says he has to punish him for giving up the secret about Lee. I won't let it happen," Ford said firmly as Mabel let out another squeak of fear. "You kids stay here." With that, he followed Bill into the gift shop.

"Just come out, Gideon," Bill called through the vending machine. He nodded to Ford as Ford walked over to him.

"Stay in there, Gideon." Ford hoped the boy could hear him through the metal vending machine. "That's not Lee; it's Bill."

"I know," came the call back. "He already told me."

Ford glanced to Bill in mild surprise. The demon shrugged.

"You knew the consequences when you came here," Bill said. "You have to face reality."

"The reality is that I'm behind a door that you can't get through," Gideon yelled back. "Seems pretty safe to me."

Bill pursed his lips. "What obstinance," he muttered, then raised his voice. "Listen, Gideon—"

Someone knocked on the door.

The sound came from the living room. That couldn't be good. Ford hurried through the Employees Only door as the front door — which Ford hadn't locked behind him in the emotion of the moment — opened. Gaston Northwest walked into the entryway, and Ford could see a group of men and women behind him.

Mabel and Dipper, who had moved away from the door when the knock sounded, jumped back even further. "Ah, Gaston!" called Bill as he came into the living room. He said the man's name very loudly, as if he were hoping that Gideon would hear it. "Welcome. I was just talking to your son."

"Blind Lincoln," said Gaston, surprise written on his face. "What. . . what are you doing here?"

"Actually, I'm Bill," he replied cheerfully. "I've commandeered Lincoln's body for the moment. We have a very interesting situation on our hands, and you showed up just in time."

"You're not welcome here," Ford said. "Get out of my house."

Gaston looked at him with a disinterested expression. "I'm afraid you have something of mine."

That was almost the same thing that Bill said back at the Order. "He is not yours," Ford said tightly. "Neither is he yours," he added to Bill. "He's his own person, and he's under my protection."

The last of Gaston's entourage, which Ford presumed were his servants, entered the house and closed the door. There were about a dozen people, not counting Gaston, the Pines, and Bill; and it was getting rather crowded. "Come into the gift shop," Bill said. "I'll show you where Gideon is."

"Don't come any closer," Ford warned. "I have weapons."

Three servants moved into defensive position around Gaston. "I have numbers," the man replied. "Out of the way, Stanford."

"Come on, Ford," said Bill. "We can only talk to Gideon for now. Once we get what we want, we'll leave you alone."

Ford placed himself deliberately between Bill and Gaston. "But you won't leave Gideon alone," he said.

"No," Bill agreed. Then he sighed. "Look, Sixer, these servants know how to get people out of the way. They're not gentle about it, either. So if you or your precious kiddos don't want to get hurt, I'd move."

Ford's hand went to his stun gun, gripping it as he considered whether or not to pull it out. Bill stepped up behind him. "Remember the Order library," the demon said in his ear. "Remember what happened when you tried to fight your way through a group like this. And they weren't trained the way these guys are."

Mabel and Dipper fled to Ford's side as Gaston and his entourage moved forward. "Excuse us," Gaston said. His polite tone thinly veiled the threat of violence that ran beneath.

Ford put a hand on Mabel's shoulder only to find her trembling, and he knew that he couldn't put these kids at risk. With a glare at Gaston, he moved aside.

Bill, Gaston, and the servants entered the gift shop, followed by Ford and the twins. Ford fingered Lee's brass knuckles in his pocket, wanting very badly to use them on the Northwest servants; but Bill said they could easily defend themselves. Plus, if Bill got involved in the fight and got hurt, then Lee would be the one who actually got hurt.

Ford wondered where Lee's ghost was right now, and he wished once again that he could see his brother.

While Ford was thinking about starting a fight, Bill explained the situation with the vending machine to Gaston. "Gideon," called Gaston. "Come out this instant."

"Your father is here, Gideon," added Bill. "Along with some servants. They're waiting for you to come out."

A terrible silence followed. Mabel clung to Ford's arm.

"Leave me alone," Gideon finally said.

Gaston let out a humorless laugh. "You dare speak to me that way? Not to mention Lord Cipher!"

"Lord Cipher can't get to me," Gideon replied. "And neither can you, Father." Gaston bristled, and Ford figured that Gideon was being unnaturally forward with him.

"So you'll just starve in there?" asked Bill. "We can stay here, Gideon. I could leave a post, just waiting for you to come out."

"You'll do no such thing," Ford snapped. He received unimpressed looks from the Northwest servants in response.

"Listen, Gideon," said Bill after another moment of silence, "I'm willing to negotiate. How about this: If you come out, no one will touch you in this room."

A pause. "No one will touch me while I'm in that room, or no one who is currently in that room will touch me?"

Smart kid, thought Ford. He knew how to negotiate with Bill and his slippery words.

"No one will touch you while you're in the gift shop," Bill clarified with a roll of his eyes.

Gideon gave a dry laugh. "And someone will wait just outside the vending machine to grab me as soon as it opens."

Bill shrugged, even though Gideon couldn't see it. "Okay, how about this: I have one of the servants hold Mabel captive until you come out."

Mabel gave a terrified noise and clung to Ford. He and Dipper moved to defend her. Two of the closest servants stepped forward.

The vending machine swung open, and Gideon stepped into the gift shop. "Leave her alone."

Gaston's eyes flared with an angry triumph. "Get him," he ordered.

"Wait," Bill said. "We told him we wouldn't touch him, remember?"

"You did," Gaston replied. "I promised no such thing."

"Actually, I said no one," Bill said, "and that includes you."

"Lord Cipher," Gaston said with mounting impatience, "I am going to discipline my son."

"No, you're not," Bill replied. "I am." He waved a hand. "Keep Gaston out of the way," he said.

Gaston raised his eyebrows. "These are my servants, if you recall." He sounded amused.

The servants closest to him grabbed his arms at the elbows.

"Actually," said Bill in a conversational tone, "they're mine."

"What?" Gaston struggled against his own servants, who didn't let him go. "Of course not! I pay you! You obey me!"

"We do," said a woman who held him in place, "until Lord Cipher gives us a superseding order."

Gideon moved closer to the Pines as Gaston argued with Bill and the servants. The boy stared at the scene with wide eyes, and Ford thought he could see a hint of relief in them. Gaston fought against his own servants, but they kept him away from Gideon.

"That feels good," Bill commented. "I ought to inform you, Gaston, that your servants will be doing a lot for me in the coming days. We're close to success, and I need their help to pull off my escape."

Gaston glared at Bill silently; he no longer fought against his servants.

"Now," Bill said, turning to Gideon. "I'm glad that we don't have to yell at each other through that vending machine, aren't you?"

Gideon regarded him with a wary expression.

"Let's talk, Lone Wolf," said Bill. "Let's talk about what happens when you defy me."

~~~~~

Gideon felt calmer than he expected. But that still wasn't very calm.

He stood close to the Pines and relatively far from Bill, the servants, and Gaston. Gideon had never seen Blind Lincoln possessed by Bill — he'd never seen anyone possessed by Bill — and the harsh yellow eyes unnerved him more than he wanted to admit.

"I don't think I've fully explained to you, Gaston, what your son did," Bill said. His voice sounded vaguely like Lincoln's voice, but it still had multiple layers to it. "The reason he ran away, you see, was to blab about my secrets to the Pines. He told them about Lincoln."

Gideon braced himself for Gaston's reaction, even though the servants held Gaston back. Sure enough, his face turned purple with rage, and he surged against his captors. As much as Gideon hated the servants, he was supremely grateful that they were holding Gaston back. "How dare you," the man spat. "You run away to do this? When I get my hands on you, Gideon, you're going to—"

"That's enough, Gaston," said Bill, and one of the servants put a hand over Gaston's mouth. "You do need a punishment, Gideon," Bill continued, turning back to the boy. "I made a promise about what would happen if you betrayed me."

"I don't suppose you can break that promise," Gideon said, his voice level despite his inner panic.

"I can't, actually," Bill replied. "But, like I said, I'll negotiate the type of punishment that you receive."

Mabel made a whimpering sound.

"What's wrong with Gideon telling us?" Dipper demanded. "We would've never found our uncle without him!"

"Exactly," Bill said. "The whole point, Shooting Star, was to keep him from you."

"Well, that's dumb!"

Gideon smiled inwardly as Bill rolled his eyes. "Your opinion hardly matters." He turned back to his prey. "The truth is, Gideon, that I'm a busy guy. Even if it is satisfying, punishing you makes things rather inconvenient. Especially if that punishment involves taking you back to the Manor."

A tiny spark of hope flared to life in Gideon's chest, though he tried to stomp it out. Bill wouldn't actually let him stay here, right? Gideon would get hauled back to the Manor and tortured there. No point in hoping for anything else.

Mabel spoke up, and Gideon knew she had the same hope that he was trying to squelch. "Does that mean that he can stay here?"

"Of course not!" Gaston blustered. "He is coming with me!" Once again, the servants held him back as he surged forward.

"Potentially," Bill said to Mabel. "I certainly don't need you getting in the way at the Manor," he added to Gideon. "So, I have a proposition for you. I'll let you stay at the Museum with the Pines, and I'll make sure that nobody in the Order comes after you, unless circumstances change."

"What circumstances?" Gideon asked.

"Say, for example, if I need you to do something with your amulet," said Bill. "But we're not wiping memories for the time being, and I hardly trust you. I doubt I'll need you for anything, but I'm leaving myself an opening."

"So, basically, you'll let me stay here unless you need to kidnap me for some reason," Gideon summarized. "What's the punishment part?" He was surprised that he wouldn't be forced to wipe memories, but he wasn't complaining.

"Nightmares," Bill replied. "You stay here, and I punish you with nightmares."

A lump appeared in Gideon's throat; he spoke around it. "Haven't you already been sending me nightmares?"

"Those have mostly been from your own brain," said Bill, "although it is hard to resist adding a bit of flare to them. These, though, would be generated in a wonderful, horrific mixture of my powers and your fears. And," he added, glancing to the Pines, "if anyone wakes him up in the process, I'll just extend the punishment."

"How long will it be if no one wakes me up?" Gideon asked. He had experience keeping his emotions in check, but even he was surprised that he could still hold a coherent conversation. He was terrified.

Bill shrugged. "Oh, I'll let that be a surprise. Definitely more than one night." He smiled vindictively and took a step closer to Gideon, who forced himself not to flinch. "Are you scared yet?" Bill asked.

Gideon hated seeing that look on Lincoln's face, and he hated that the answer to Bill's question was an unequivocal yes.

He felt a hand in his and turned in surprise to see Mabel. Bill opened his mouth in annoyance, but Gideon cut him off. "The Pines can touch me," he said. He doubted Mabel cared about breaking Bill's rule, anyway. Mabel squeezed his hand and gave him, if not a smile, then a look of support.

"You said this was a proposition," said Gideon. "Does that mean I have a choice in the matter?"

"Your options are either this or getting taken back to your Manor and being subject to whatever Gaston has in mind. I assume you'll want to take my offer."

"You have no right." Gaston tried to move forward but was once again stopped. "He is my son, and I demand to take care of him as I see fit. You have no right, Cipher!"

"Do I?" Bill cast an unimpressed look on Gaston. "I do recall you swearing your loyalty to me once. I believe that means obeying me when I tell you to let me handle this."

Gideon certainly didn't want Gaston to handle it, but he didn't think Bill was any better. From the way that Mabel held his hand, she probably didn't think so either. She clutched Gideon's hand so tightly that Gideon thought she might break his fingers. He didn't mind, for the pain gave him something to focus on besides the raw fear pooling in his stomach.

"If I get to stay here," he finally said, "then I'll take the first option." His mind screamed at him not to accept Bill's punishment; but if he had to make a choice, then this was better than going with Gaston.

Bill nodded. "That's what I thought. Don't make me regret letting you stay here, though."

Gideon drew himself up to as tall of a height as his fear would let him. "I've already defied you by telling the Pines about Lincoln," he said. "Don't think I'm not your enemy, Cipher."

Bill gave him a predatory smile. "We'll see how brave you are after my nightmares." With a wave, he addressed the Northwest servants. "Let's head out."

The servants moved to the gift shop door opposite the vending machine. Bill, however, didn't go with them. "Wait a moment," he called. Then he stared off into the distance.

"I think he's listening to Lee," Ford said quietly.

After a moment, Bill spoke again. "All right. Even though I've been betrayed, I'm feeling merciful today." He turned to the servants. "Change of plans. Take Gaston back to the Manor, then head to the Order library and start researching the prophecies for the next step. I'll appear in your dreams tonight to get a report, and I'll join you in this body tomorrow." He nodded to the servants, and they opened the door.

A cold wind blew into the gift shop, adding to that which leaked through the broken window. The cold helped bring Gideon's mind into focus. He couldn't quite believe what was happening, and he tried to stave off any positive emotions like relief or hope, in case it was all some kind of scam.

The servants pushed Gaston out of the Museum and filed out, leaving the gift shop mostly empty. The last servant to leave closed the door behind him.

Mabel let out a pent-up breath, and Gideon silently agreed. Her grip loosened on his hand, though she didn't move it away entirely.

"What did Lee say?" asked Ford.

"He doesn't want me to go with the Northwests," Bill answered. "He wants me to let him stay here with you."

Ford breathed deeply. "And will you let him?" he asked. His voice was controlled, but just barely.

"Yes," Bill said. He turned a firm gaze from Ford to the wall (where Gideon assumed Lee was) and back again. "I'll vacate Lee's body, and I'll stay out for. . . oh, let's say around eighteen hours." He smiled like he was proud of himself for the symbolism. "It's about four-thirty P.M. now—"

"Wait, what?" said Ford.

Bill went to the door and opened it. "It's almost dark, see? Time jumped forward. The portal opened at ten fourteen A.M., and time immediately jumped to one thirty-seven P.M. It's been about three hours since then."

Gideon and the Pines all shared alarmed glances. "But. . . how. . . ?" asked Ford.

"I'm sure you'd rather Lee explain it than me," Bill replied. "Not that he understands it nearly as well as I do. Have fun resetting all your clocks." He glanced in Lee's direction again. "Yes, shocking, isn't it? I must be very confident." He pushed the vending machine closed and sat on the ground, leaning against the machine. "By the way," he said, looking towards Lee, "if you don't leave by ten A.M. tomorrow, I'll possess you and head back to the Order myself." A moment passed, and Bill glanced to Ford. "No."

"No, what?" said Ford.

"Do you want me to leave or not?" Bill asked irritably. "Well, have fun, boys. Don't bother telling him too many of my secrets, Lee — I doubt there's much anyone can do at this point to stop me." Then he looked to Gideon. Even though Bill was sitting on the ground, Gideon still felt as if the demon were looming over him. "I look forward to your dreams tonight, Lone Wolf."

With that, Bill closed his eyes.