Yet another chapter to add to this, based around the AU known as Relativity Falls. I personally find it interesting but... Somewhat despise how little people try to innovate and make things much more different. I wanna see different takes on certain events and habits not reread the scripts to the episodes with small minor changes. Anyways, the chapter, much like the last wasn't beta'd at all so again apologies.

Disclaimer: Perhaps in another foreign universe, everyone owns Gravity Falls.

The Theory of Relativity

The chill of winter was beginning to cut through the air. Fall had ended on a rather warm note but now the winds blew harder than before, carrying with it the bitter cold of an Oregon winter. Ford smiled to himself as he shut all the windows in his home. He knew for a fact that the Mystery Shack didn't have the best protection against winter after years of age. It made him more thankful for his new cabin, and the fresh heater he managed restore during his spare time. Things were really taking a turn for the better. A gust of wind blew in as the front door flung open, Ford cursed under his breath as he rubbed his hands to keep the warmth. The door shut just as quickly as it had snapped open, yet the damage was already done. Ford found himself shivering, unable to pick up his tools without his fingers shaking. He felt arms wrapped around him and a small peck place on the top of his head, the embrace provided the right amount of warmth for Ford to stop shivering.

"Sorry 'bout that, Stanford." The familiar gruff voice of Dan gave the scholar a bit of comfort as he leaned into the man's chest. A few seconds of chilling wind was well worth getting such a warm greeting. After being released, Ford picked up his tools again and began putting the finishing touches on his new device. He could feel the excitement rise in his being as the device gave off a small beep, confirming that everything was functioning correctly. The lumberjack scratched his beard as he looked at the thing, trying to piece together what it may do but ultimately waiting for Ford to just explain it to him. The new contraption looked between a cross of a goggles and a microscope.

"After looking through a few notes of an old colleague, I've managed to replicate a device that will allow us to peer into different universes parallel to our own!" Ford rubbed his hands together in glee as he he carried the thing into the living room and pulled a few wires to hook it up into a large monitor. He could make out a worried expression on Dan's face, memories of Bill's reign flashed across the lumberjack's mind, fearing that if the machine malfunctioned that there would be a repeat.

"It ain't gonna open up a portal and tear apart our faces now, will it?" Ford tugged his collar but smiled nonetheless, he held up his hands as he went on to explain that the device only offers a look, and that breaching between two dimensions would be impossible with the limited hardware of his creation. As much as Ford hated to admit it, he was glad to have known someone that managed to perfect the machine first in order to recreate it himself without fear of any sort of horrible mishaps. A string of curses left his mouth as the scientist came across his mind.

"The machine is designed to lock onto matching the eyes across dimensions and showing you different possibilities, so just put your face up to the goggles and once it finishes scanning we can sit back on the couch and look at different dimensions." Ford smiled brightly as he hopped onto the sofa and patted the side of it. Dan couldn't help but smile at the display, it seemed like this was a nerdy version of a movie night date. Dan shook his head but obliged nonetheless, placing his head to rest in the goggles, he found the sensation of lights flashing across his retinas a tad bit irritating, but also a tad bit interesting given that the lights didn't leave any after images. Once there was a beep confirming he could move away, he sat himself on the couch and immediately pulled the scholar into his reach as he waited to see the many other possibilities.

Ford grinned widely as his hopes for the contraption came true, the image of Dan chopping down more trees came on the screen. It didn't seem very different from what they were used to, but the machine did as intended. Given how mundane the reality presented was, Ford felt it was best to check another, in hopes that something more exciting can be found. But as the scholar feared, given the multiple possibilities within everyday life, they were greeted time and time again with mundane life. There were subtle differences such as the choice of attire, the length of beard, one Dan even wore an eye patch which was revealed to just be a weird fashion statement and not from any injury. Ford's initial excitement began to dwindle.

"Perhaps I've hyped up this idea a bit too much without realizing what it would actually be..." Ford hung his head in defeat as he flipped through a few more realities, still nothing noteworthy popped up. Seeing the disappointment on his face, Dan shook the scholar a bit and held him closer. He took the remote and placed it aside.

"Get some rest, I'll flip through for ya until something interesting pops up." Ford had no reason to refute the proposal and gave in, he removed his glasses from his face and tucked them away into his coat pocket before he shut his eyes and lost himself in the embrace. Just as he promised, Dan began surfing the channels of the different possibilities. Even if Ford found the results to be rather dull, Dan found it rather amazing that he could even see the differences the other versions made for themselves. It was like being able to see how a new outfit would look without having to make the commitment. He had to stifle a few laughs as some decisions were poor in taste. Such as shaving off the beard entirely, and sleeves of tattoos with nonsensical designs.

Dan was ready to call it a quits himself as he feared that some of the stuff that amused him wouldn't be good enough to take Ford's attention. Eventually he found himself staring at a slightly glitter covered gift shop of the Mystery Shack, just as he was going to shift to another reality he caught a glimpse of that world's Dan.

"Ford... Wake up, ya lazy bones, I found somethin'." He shook the scholar slightly making sure not to be too rough. Ford rubbed his eyes for a moment to stare at the screen with fuzzy vision. After retrieving his glasses and wiping them clean, he found himself completely surprised to see the spitting image of Boyish Dan manning the counter of the Mystery Shack. A warm smile spread across Ford's face as he looked at the young man happily, this was the kind of difference in universes he wanted to see, something drastically different yet the same. He wondered just what was different for the lumberjack to be in his teens again, if he remember correctly the unverses may have their own sets of time, but even if this was the past, it didn't quite explain why the Mystery Shack was in its Tourist Trap state.

"Heh, comparing the younger you to now, that boy over there is gonna age into a fine man." Ford set aside all his questions and decided to try going for a more coy comment. He could see Dan grin mischievously again, the same grin that caused him to panic for the best surprise he could receive.

"Last time I looked like that, I was crushin' hard on a cute bookworm, shame I never got to kiss him back then." Dan nuzzled the scholar affectionately before returning his attention back to the screen. Dan was unsure what was going on with his younger self, but he seemed really interested in the comic in his hands rather than attending to the customers that asked for his opinion. Ford on the other hand felt it was a tad bit familiar, but not the typical behavior he expected from Dan. After much thinking and observing, Ford found himself completely shocked when two kids ran into the gift shop.

Dan was confused by the sight, they seemed like two perfectly normal twins horsing around with each other. However, to Ford, it was seeing Stan and himself at the age of 12 again. He swallowed heavy as he felt embarrassment come across his face. He knew he had to explain it to Dan, but he was hoping that the lumberjack would have never seen him in his child years as opposed to the young adult when they first met. After all, neither he nor Stanley had any remaining photographs from their childhood.

"I believe this is a universe where the roles of the adults and children have been reversed but still under the same transpiring fate... So in place of your daughter, you're working at the Mystery Shack while a young version of Stanley and myself visit..." Ford awkwardly laughed to himself as he looked at the stark differences between his younger self and Boyish Dan. A scrawny kid that couldn't be any shorter, and a large teenager that could easily pass as a young man. He could feel Dan squeeze him tightly, remarking that he made quite the change in his adult life but still had that cute charm he loved so much. Ford felt his heart race again along with the cracking of his joints. He appreciated the kind words but underneath he still held a small feeling of inadequacy.

"Wait, if I'm takin' Wendy's place, doesn't that mean one of you has a crush on me...?" Dan raised a perfect question, albeit it could have been said more generally. If the roles were reversed, did that mean every small event that took place during the twin's stay at Gravity Falls would transpire in the same way in this universe? Ford took a deep breath before getting up from the sofa and heading into the kitchen, minutes would pass before he returned back with a bowl of popcorn and a few bags of chips.

"Only one way we can find out."

The TV flickered with a bit of static, adding more to the vintage horror that the two children watched. Despite the fact the acting during the time was a lot more stiff than the Hollywood blockbusters that they were used to, there was nice heart put into the movie. At the very least neither Ford or Boyish Dan had complained about the quality.

"These movies are a whole lot less scary after fighting real zombies..." The young boy confessed, the memory of their dead eyes and rotting flesh clinging to what was left of their bones still fresh in his mind. Reality was much more frightening than whatever special effects and camera angles a movie could ever attempt to replicate. His gaze shifted to the large teenager that lay in bed with him, Dan's sheer size would have made a lot less room for anyone else, but Ford managed to get by in a corner. He wanted to thank his small size but it felt much like a curse as well. He treasured the times he and Dan got to hang out as friends however it left the young boy with a feeling of inadequacy. They were only about two years apart and yet Dan was easily three times his size.

Ford wished he had a better body, one that could easily measure up with everyone, one that could make him his own tool and weapon. His eyes glazed over Dan's figure again, the young man's attention still kept on the bad production quality. Although he wanted to be as big, Ford couldn't help but feel there was something more to his inadequacy.

"You think I could take on a zombie apocalypse?" Ford was knocked down from his thinking with the question, he laughed immediately as he lightly punched the young man's arm.

"You're the strongest guy I know, you could survive for years." Dan immediately responded by putting the young boy in a light choke hold, making sure he wasn't holding him too tight to keep him breathing. The redhead gave him a rough pat on the head with a thank you before letting him go and returning his attention to the movie. Ford breathed heavily for a short bit as he felt his heart beating in his throat, his eyes continued to scan the young man's body, however he didn't feel himself taking in any information. At this point he was looking just to stare, to take in his image. His face flushed red for a moment as he pulled out a piece of paper, rereading his earlier thoughts and trying to piece things together. It flustered him to see that even with his need to put an answer to such complicated feelings that the result was something so simple.

"Dan... There's something I have to tell you," The young boy held himself sheepishly as soon as he was under the young man's gaze. Ford found himself tripping over his own words, eventually he caved in on himself. "Me and Stanley are gonna check out a bunker tomorrow with Fiddleford, and we wanted to invite you." The redhead smiled through chewing a handful of popcorn, once he swallowed his food he let out a roar of excitement.

"I've been dyin' to go on one of your adventures, I was startin' to feel a bit left out," Dan got up from his bed and started throwing a few random punches in a display of strength. "Just gonna be a bunch of pals facing the unknown together ready to punch anything that moves!" He continued to throw his punches and laughing happily. Ford was excited as well but couldn't help but feel a tad bit disappointed in himself, his eyes kept looking over the mess of words he scrawled on the paper. The words 'I think I may... Like you, that's not wrong now is it?' burned into his mind as he fell back on the bed and let out a defeated sigh.

"Uh dude, you're laying on my jockstrap." Ford's eyes widened as he shot up from the bed with a shrill scream. The redhead laughed heartily upon the overreaction and apologized before putting the thing away.

"Probably should have cleaned things up before lettin' ya in."

The sun filtered through the trees brightly, still casting a harsh ray of light down on the group as they stared at a large tree. Ford continued to read through excerpts of the journal, making sure that they weren't mistaken with the location. After all, the last thing they needed was to get pumped up for a discovery only to figure out they were at the wrong tree. Stanley continued to fool around with Fidds, or rather Stanley continued to pester Fidds during his prep work. Ford would often break his concentration in order to yell at the two to take things a lot more seriously, as much as their adventures had been all in good fun, they still held legitimate danger to them. Any false moves and they could easily make this summer their last.

"Oh c'mon Sixer, they're still kids, let 'em have their fun while they can!" Ford nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing his nickname being used by none other than Stanley. The redhead leaned his bike against a tree as he joined the group, waiting for a briefing on their goal. The others straighten themselves out and gathered around Ford as he presented the journal, and tapped a pen against the rugged cover, all eyes stared at the cobalt blue Pine Tree with a 3 written on it.

"It goes without saying that many of the mysteries that surround Gravity Falls all come back to this journal, and the biggest one that stands above all is the unknown identity of the author," Ford flashed a determined smile as he brought out a black light and shined it over the pages to reveal the hidden notes and drawings. "But thanks to this we may be closer to unearthing their identity, beneath this tree there should be a hidden bunker. How we get into it however is... The hard part." Ford turned to look at the group to find that his twin had dozed off. His gaze fell onto Dan who stared at the tree with an interesting impression.

"That tree branch up there is fake..." Everyone blinked upon hearing Dan's words, their gazes fell upon the branch that seemed to be slightly discolored, metal glint off of the surface where the wooded paint rubbed off. The branch itself seemed fake while the rest of the tree was more natural looking. Before Ford could think about any possibilities he caught Dan removing his own belt and approaching the tree. Without saying a word the redhead looped the belt around himself and the tree and fastened it, allowing the young man to scale the tree with ease and bringing himself up to the suspicious branch in a matter of seconds.

After inspecting it up close, Dan ended up pushing the branch up as if it were a lever. In response, the base of the tree began to sink as it revealed a staircase. Everyone stared in amazement as Dan slid down the trunk to joy them.

"That was amazing, how'd you learn to do that!?" Stanley leaned in, interested and partly ready to learn.

"My family has a long line of Lumberjacks, my mom says it's pretty much in our blood to be great at it."

Ford found himself staring at Dan a bit longer than usual, he wanted to say something witty about Genes and skills but words failed him, he didn't even realize that the redhead was already heading down to the secret bunker with Fiddleford. A pinch from Stan brought him back down to reality as the his twin stared at him with a cheeky smile.

"I know that look, Sixer~" The young boy felt his heart stop immediately only for the beating to resume in such a rapid fashion, he expected himself to have a heart attack at this rate. Stan continued to nudge his brother playfully accompanied by wiggles of his eyebrows.

"I-I have no idea what you're doing, are you trying to workout your face muscles...?" Ford attempted to deflect the attention away with a witty reply only for his brother to grip his shoulders and give him a stern look.

"No avoiding it, Sixer, you look at Dan the same way Grauntie Mabel looks at boy bands. You looooooove him!" Ford found himself biting his lip as he avoided his twin's gaze, but Stan was incessant on getting verbal confirmation. The young boy felt his personal space being invaded even further with repeated pokes and pinches.

"Y-you've been eating too much tree sap, you're just seeing things!" Ford attempted to brush off Stan's small attacks and prying, but it only strengthened the boy's resolve for the truth.

"That maybe true, but c'mon Sixer, you can admit it to me. I'm not gonna make fun of you." The sincere look Stanley gave made Ford forget about his insecurities for a moment. It took in a deep breath before nodding his head, he wanted to say it out loud yet his tongue reversed to move. He figured a simple head nod would be sufficient enough to sate his brother's curiosity. He felt his whole body shake from the awkward hug he was given as Stan continued to goad his confidence as they walked down the steps to meet the others in the bunker.

"-And then when the moment is right you can tell him, start having little dates, you'll get married, and then your life will be ruined, just like Grauntie always warned~!"

"No no no no no, I can't... There's nothing I can do about this, it's just a small phase and I'll get over it with enough time I just... Need to stop thinking about him." As he continued down the steps he could hear that Stanley wasn't walking along with him anymore. Turning around Ford had to shield his eyes against the light to get a good look at his brother.

"Sixer, there's no harm in confessing, the worse he can do is friendzone you. You'd have gotten your feelings out in the open and that's better than keeping everything bottled up." Stan skipped down a few steps and gave his brother a smile, leaving Ford to wonder how in the world Stan managed to drop a good piece of wisdom.

"How do you know that'll work?"

"You should really watch old, boring, black and white period movies with me and Mabel!" Stan shouted back as he disappeared into the bunker. Ford stared in a daze for a moment as he processed the information. Did those movies really give good life advice underneath all the large fancy hats and overly complicated names? Waving off the question for another time, the young boy marched on to join the others.

The two had been completely enthralled by the events that transpired on the screen. They couldn't believe just how fun it could be to sit back and watch the adventures for a change instead of having to actively seek them. Much less effort but with all the excitement and juicy stories unveiling before their eyes. The old scholar took a peek at the lumberjack to see he was lost in the moment. Ford wanted to smile seeing Dan root for the kids but he felt himself growing more anxious watching just how far they went into the bunker. Especially once he began to remember exactly why he had abandoned it in the first place.

He could feel his mind edge closer to the paranoia with each passing second. It became harder for himself to rationalize that everything was alright, that he was safe. Sweat beaded at his face as his breathing became a bit more sporadic. Eventually he clenched his fists and got up suddenly.

"I believe we've watched enough, we can pick up another time." He did his best to keep his voice nice and leveled however the quick rising in his chest gave away his growing panic. Before he knew it he had a large hand wrapping around his shoulder, Ford refused to meet Dan's gaze, the panicked theories surging through his head drowned out the noises going on all around. Even as he stared at the floor he felt his eyes playing tricks on him. He kept his eyes shut to avoid these paranoid hallucinations. He felt Dan shake his body lightly with one hand as the other cupped his chin in an attempt draw his gaze back up.

"Ford, what has gotten into you!" Dan found himself using the same tone he used for nearly everyone else, as much as he disliked having to yell at his loved ones the lack of response was beginning to try his patience. Before the idea to give the scholar a light slap crossed his mind his attention was caught by the words that rang out from the monitor.

"If that thing gets outside it could shapeshift into anything, we'd never be able to trust anyone ever again!"

Dan watched the screen for a moment to see how distraught the kids were up against such a terrifying entity, forcing them to doubt each other constantly. He looked back down at the scholar and remembered decades ago back to when they grew apart. Even when Dan tried to stop by to check up on the man he'd either be greeted with no response or a warning shot from a crossbow. As the wheels began to turn in his head Dan felt it best to stop yelling at the man and to hold him close instead. He waited for the scholar to stop shaking, and if it were to take another few decades for him to feel safe then he was ready to grow older in this spot.

The paranoia in the old scholar began to calm down, soon the rhythmic beating of Dan's heart drowned out his thoughts, allowing for a moment of reprieve. In that moment he was able to hear a question from the other man pop up.

"Is that thing the reason you became a hermit?" Ford sighed deeply before he broke himself away from the embrace to take a look at the monitor, a small disgusted look spread across his face upon seeing the shapeshifter take on a hideous form that combined the appearances of the young twins. He shook his head and fell back onto the couch.

"Partly, but that was definitely a starting point," His eyes began to study the screen again to see how the kids seemed to combat against the shapeshifter to the best of their ability. He felt Dan sit back next to him and continued to hold him close to his chest. Ford felt it wasn't necessary at this point, he managed to get his grips after all, but the gesture was still touching to him. "Thank you, Dan."

The two remained silent as they continued to watch, trying to catch up on what had transpired during their little moment. From what they can tell a large flood had occurred that had washed away the kids, and in the process seemingly knocking out Boyish Dan. Once the water had washed away and everyone had caught their breaths, they watched the young Ford rush over to an unresponsive redhead. Both men held their breaths as they watched the young boy lament and regret everything he had ever done. By the time he had gotten himself to speak a coherent sentence he was already on the verge of tears.

"Dan no... Please, I can't go on knowing that I did this! I-I never ever got to say that... I'm in love with you!"

Even with a strained voice, the confession came out clearly with confidence. Ford can feel himself being squeezed a bit tighter, he hadn't expected such an emotional ride to occur from this. Perhaps this was why people enjoyed those simple romance dramas over flashy action and mystery. He felt Dan smooch the top of his head in a sudden show of affection. Ford felt his face heat up yet his expression remained stern and focused. Just as he expected the camera panned out to reveal another Boyish Dan, one that stared at the scene in awkward silence.

The redhead simply coughed to gain the attention of the young boy, which led to mild confusion and soon a mirrored showdown between two Dans. It was rather strange for the lumberjack himself to witness, then again he found himself trying to wrap his head around too many strange things nowadays. He wondered just when exactly would he be numbed to it all again.

"If someone told me back when I was a kid that I'd be sitting on a couch with the first love of my life watching another version of myself wrestling himself, I'd punch their teeth in," The scholar felt himself laugh for a moment, but nonetheless remained quiet for the man to finish. "But doing that now, I can say it's like a dream come true."

From then, Ford lost track of himself. He felt himself drifting off slightly, his mind was exhausted and his body felt the time was perfect to fall into slumber. The scholar didn't fight the feeling and soon drifted off to slumber. The last thing he remembered seeing being the boys walking away from the bunker in one piece.

The sunny day faded to dusk as the group began moving out into the forest. The damp colors of the forest gave them immense feelings of relief, even if the sun was set for the day, it meant the world to them to see the light of the night sky. The young boy adjusted his glasses as he watched his twin and close friend trudge their way back home through the trees. His eyes fell upon the redhead, picking up his bike and merely holding it as he walked away, too tired to pedal his way back home. Ford's face flushed red as he caught Dan looking back at him for a moment, his eyes darted to the ground and his body shook nervously. Despite facing one of the most horrifying monsters he had ever encountered, not knowing what would become of their friendship after today was eating the young boy alive.

"Hey, you need to talk?" Mud covered boots came into his view, slowly looking up Ford found himself staring at a concerned looking Dan. The usual cocky grin he was accustomed to smoothed out to a solemn frown coupled with green eyes filled with worry. Ford simply nodded his head and was immediately met with a rough tug to lead him onto a fallen tree to sit on.

"How can something so nice feel so terrifying at the same time...?" Ford simply found himself blurting out the first thing that came to his mind. Despite the simple situation it birthed a paradoxical feeling in the young boy.

"That's just life in general, dude, sometimes something can feel good but also be a bad decision. Like punching a tree when you're angry," The redhead felt a light jab hit his side. Dan chuckled as he attempted to steer the conversation elsewhere. "I'm super flattered by the way."

"You're not bothered by it?" Ford bit his tongue in surprise as he felt the redhead pat him on the back rather hard, almost enough to knock him off the log.

"Not at all, I didn't say anything whenever I'd catch you checking me out since we first met," Ford felt his heart beat in his throat, the realization that the man of his dreams knew of his feelings long before he himself knew of them was rather embarrassing in itself. "And honestly I've always felt a bit guilty knowing I can't exactly reciprocate. But I'd feel even more guilty if I let that get in the way of our awesome friendship."

The weight on Ford's mind began to diminish with each passing second that they talked things out. Slowly Ford felt himself going back to his usual calculative mood. At the very least, he could smile despite the pain of rejection in the back of his mind.

"So we can stay good friends?"

"Dude, I've had the most fun in my entire life since I've met you. I wrestled myself a couple minutes ago, and I can honestly say I could go for a round two if I could. Having you around is great, and I don't know what I'd do with myself if YOU stopped hanging out with me," The redhead got up from his seat and picked up his bike once again, he looked back at the young boy, flashed him a smile and thumbs up before heading off. "And maybe in another life we could have been..." He whispered under his breath, too low for the young boy to pick up on.

And that marks another idea written out. The next chapter is already under works and features a glimpse Wendy's school life and how her relationship with Ford and Stan develops. Until then, feel free to give ideas, I can't promise they'll be written out quickly, but I definitely will take the time to consider 'em. Hope you enjoyed the read.