Author's Note: Hello my wonderful readers! I sincerely apologize for the long wait but I hope this chapter will make up for it. I also would like to say that I am sticking to Ford being the twin brother instead of him being called Stanley. Thank you all for reading and following this story! I also want to thank my awesome beta reader, who is also my best friend that loves Gravity Falls as much as I do!
"It's almost time. Are you ready, Dipper?" Ford asked his newly discovered great-nephew.
A twelve year old Dipper took a deep breath and let out a sigh. The journals were placed in a knapsack slung over Dipper's shoulder. He and Ford were standing in a deserted field a mile from the Mystery Shack.
"Yeah, I'm ready" Dipper answered with a nod.
Ford nodded to Dipper, placed a six-fingered hand on the boy's shoulder, and gave it a squeeze. Dipper looked up at the older man and suddenly felt self-conscious. Ever since Dipper discovered Journal 3 and learned the paranormal mysteries of Gravity Falls, he had dreamt of finally meeting the author behind it all. To Dipper it was the equivalent to meeting a rockstar. The brunette's shock and excitement was amplified when he learned that he was a blood relative to the author.
"I know you can do this," Ford said firmly.
He cupped Dipper's chin and had the boy look him directly in the eye.
"You've dealt with him before and have won. That's more than I have accomplished,".
"Yeah I know, but, I had help those times," Dipper said in a soft voice.
"All great heroes need help sometimes. The point is that you learn from your mistakes. You're going to succeed and we'll be rid of that demon for good," Ford promised.
Dipper's confidence was raised at the words of his great uncle.
"Do you really believe that great uncle Ford?" Dipper asked.
"I damn well know it, kid" Ford said with a believing smile.
The smile was like a daisy in a graveyard. It brought light to a face that had experienced a long time of repeated misery. A genuine smile has not graced that face in three decades.
"Thanks great uncle Ford," Dipper said holding the strap of the knapsack with a determined expression.
Ford nodded and looked to the horizon to the see the sun setting. "It's time,".
"Dipper!" "Dipper!" "Oh my god, Dipper!" Mabel yelled as loud as she could manage while running at top speed.
The female Pines' twin was relaxing in the living room of the Mystery Shack with Stan and Ford while waiting for her brother. Mabel beat her brother in their annual race but she assumed that he was not far behind her. Once the clock struck midnight and there was no sign of him Mabel started to get worried. She was knitting a scarf while Waddles snoozed by her feet on the couch. Her brown eyes were beginning to droop and Stan suggested that she go to bed while he would wait up for Dipper. Mabel was seriously considering the offer until she heard the sound of screeching tires and a deafening crash. Startled, Mabel looked outside through the window and her heart dropped into her stomach when she saw the rapidly moving headlights of her brother's jeep. The jeep was driving at out of control speeds and did not appear to be slowing down. The young woman's blood froze when she saw the vehicle slightly veer to the left and collide headfirst into a tree. Mabel immediately threw down her knitting needles and yelled to her great uncles to get outside and call an ambulance while she started running.
Mabel skidded to a stop at the driver's side of the jeep. The once beautiful jeep was now a carcass. The impact caused the hood to fly up, exposing the engine, but it still managed to get smashed along with the fender. No glass remained within the windshield and front windows. They shattered on impact and flew into the cockpit. Thankfully, the airbag had gone off and protected Dipper during the initial hit. But unfortunately it had deflated once the worst was over and Dipper still managed to hit his head on the steering wheel. The backseat was covered with glass and pieces of metal but seemed fine overall. Dipper was unconscious and slumped forward in the driver's seat. His head was leaking blood from a gash nestled under his curls caused by the steering wheel. A bright red welt was evident on Dipper's cheek from the air bag. Scratches from the glass shards littered his arms and some attacked Dipper's face.
"Please be okay," Mabel whispered.
She climbed up on the step and reached into the jeep to Dipper's neck. Mabel breathed a sigh of relief and thanked any deity above when she felt a beat.
"Mabel!" Ford yelled from a distance.
Mabel looked out to see Ford and Stan running towards her. It was almost comical and she would have laughed at the sight of them running and panting like a couple of dogs. But now was not the time.
"He's got a pulse!" Mabel yelled back.
She gripped Dipper's hand in hers and prayed that he would awaken soon. By now the Stan brothers had arrived at the scene, panting and out of breath.
"Woo, I haven't ran like that since Columbia," Stan said wiping sweat from his brow.
Ford looked at his brother with a strange look but Stan held up a hand that said don't ask.
"We've called an ambulance and they're on their way," Ford said.
Ford and Stan generally looked the same as they did seven years ago, save for a few more gray hairs. The only difference was that Ford was now sporting an odd fashion statement: one single black glove that covered his entire left hand and fingerless glove on the other.
"How long did they say they would be?" Mabel asked.
"Five minutes, I think" Stan answered.
Mabel sighed in frustration and clenched her free hand in a fist which then punched the outside of the jeep.
"Don't worry Mabel, you said that he's got a pulse and he seems to be breathing so that's a good sign" Ford said to his great niece.
Mabel leaned forward into the cab and was even more relieved to hear shallow breathing.
"Thank god," Mabel breathed.
Dipper's expression was calm like he was sleeping. No grimace of pain from hitting the steering wheel or becoming a human pincushion. No worry lines creased his forehead, freezing his face in an illustration of fear. The teen reminded Mabel of sleeping beauty just waiting to wake up with a kiss. Mabel couldn't help but grin when she thought of her brother "kissing" Mermando when they were twelve. Dipper had gone through a tube of toothpaste and scrubbed his teeth until his gums were raw. Mabel was certain she held on to that picture and placed it within one of her scrapbooks.
Stan's gravelly voice broke the silence. "Uhh guys, is it just me or am I smelling oil getting barbequed?".
Mabel was immediately brought back to reality. Smoke was circling from the open engine and flames were rising from the abyss. Mabel coughed from the surprise attack from the smoke and her eyes stung from it curling from the air conditioning vents.
"GAH!" Mabel cried out and jumped back out of the jeep, accidentally letting go of Dipper's hand.
The temperature was rising in the car and there was a crackling sound coming from the vents. A second later sparks followed by flames shot out and fell to the floor where there was damp gasoline.
Mabel immediately reached in and pulled Dipper's feet away from the floor, not thinking about straining his injuries further. The entire inside of the jeep was on the verge of being engulfed in flames with Dipper inside.
"You rang, Pine Tree?" Bill Cipher drawled in his usual snarky tone.
"I want to make a deal," Dipper said crossing his arms over his chest.
The boy wanted to stay to the point when interacting with the tricky demon. Upon Bill's arrival, the demon drained the color of the land around Dipper. Nothing moved, not even the wind. This meant that Dipper was alone with Bill in the mindscape. Bill was an expert of the mind, not to mention in loopholes. So Dipper had to be extremely careful and keep a quiet mind or else Bill would catch on to the nature of this deal.
"I could have smelled that a mile away. You reek of desperation, kid" Bill said with a cackling chuckle. The triangle had his hands on what was supposed to be his hips.
Dipper ignored the comment and proceeded. "We can't figure out the portal. Even though we found all of the journals and put the blue prints together, we don't know how to work it".
"And why should this deal interest me? You've gotta come up with something that will impress me if you want my attention" Bill said in a bored tone.
Dipper sighed. "In exchange for your help, we'll give you the journals,".
Bill crossed his little ebony arms over his body.
"You fought pretty hard for the one journal last time we saw each other, Pine Tree. Seems to me it would be a cold day in hell the day you give these things up," the triangle commented in a suspicious tone.
Dipper swallowed and fought to keep his mind clear just in case Bill decided to read his thoughts.
"I basically know them frontwards and backwards but none of us know how to work the portal. Besides, I could always start my own journal," the boy said.
Bill hummed and narrowed his eye in thought.
"Show them to me" he said shortly.
Dipper slid the knapsack off his back and undid the clasp. As he removed the journals one by one, the boy hoped that his hands were not shaking too much. Even though this was all a ploy Dipper still worried about that safety of the journals and if they got into Bill's hands.
Bill observed the journals and gave an occasional hum in contemplation. He flicked through a few pages of each journal then set them back down.
"Do we have a deal?" Dipper asked.
Bill threw back his body and cackled like a mad hyena. The talking pyramid was trembling with laughter as Dipper had just told the greatest joke in the world.
"Are you kidding me? Those tomes are about as useful to me as the Bible," Bill snarked.
Dipper's heart fell along with his bravado. He had to make a deal with Bill in order for this to work.
"Then what do you want?" he asked.
Bill ceased his laughing and floated closer to Dipper so that they were almost eye to eye. Dipper swore that if Bill had a mouth he would be smirking.
"What I want is a favor, Pine Tree" Bill drawled.
Dipper crouched down and began to pick up the journals. "What kind of favor?" he asked carefully.
"The kind where you and the rest of the pine tree family have to do something for me with no questions asked," Bill answered.
Dipper furrowed his eye brows. "What? I'm not going to agree that. The last time you wanted a favor you sprained my hand and stabbed forks into my arm,".
Bill shrugged and folded his arms again. "Fine, have it your way, kid. There are plenty of suckers in this world who are just dying to make a deal with me. It looks like you don't need my help that badly so I'll be on my way. Call me when you've decided to make a better deal," Bill floated back a few feet from Dipper and held out his arms with a flash of bright light to make a flashy exit.
Dipper had to quickly think of something before Bill took off. As much as the brunette knew how risky it was, he knew what he had to do. That's what heroes had to do, make the hard choices as long as everyone was kept safe.
"Wait! I'll take your favor," Dipper called out to stop Bill.
Bill dropped his hands and the world was still different shades of gray.
"That's more like it, Pine Tree" he said in a pleased tone.
"But I have one condition. You help us with the portal and you will get your favor. But, I will be the one granting it, not anyone else in the family" Dipper said firmly.
Bill rubbed where his chin would be with his index finger and thumb.
"Hmm, I have to say that the self-sacrificing hero part you play looks good on you, Pine Tree" he said.
"Is that a yes or a no?" Dipper asked crossing his arms.
"Hmm, alright kid, you got yourself a deal. Don't say I never did anything for ya. But just remember that I expect to be paid in full when I collect my payment" Bill said.
The pyramid floating closer to Dipper until they were an inch apart and were facing eye to eye.
"When I come back, you better not try to short change me. I will always know. I always know," as he said the last phrase, Bill's body grew until he towered over Dipper. His eye glowed and his hands burned their signature azure flames. Bill held up a hand to Dipper's face intimidatingly.
Dipper couldn't help but jump back a hair but quickly composed himself and remained neutral.
"Just be sure that you hold up your end of the deal," Dipper said.
"Don't I always, Pine Tree?" Bill drawled shrinking back down to his normal size and put doused the flames.
"You didn't last time," Dipper said flatly.
Bill bristled a shade of red with anger. "I held up my end that time, you were just too dense to notice,"
Dipper narrowed his dark eyes. "Really, all I remember is you taking my body for a joyride,"
"And it was on that ride I learned how wimpy you humans really are," Bill snapped.
Dipper sighed and tried to keep his temper in check. There was too much on the line and he couldn't blow it just because of Bill's big mouth.
"Look, man, do we have a deal or not?" Dipper asked.
"Someone's a bit eager," Bill laughed but held out his hand and reignited his sapphire blue flames.
The small fire illuminated both demon and human in the frozen world. Dipper grasped Bill's hand and the two shook. The flames enveloped both of their hands and felt warm to the touch that was almost soothing. Perhaps this was Bill's method of making his clients feel good about their deals until it's time for them to pay up.
Suddenly there a flash of green light that put out the fire. The light traveled up the length of Bill's arm until it outlined his body and froze the demon. Color flooded the mindscape and brought the two back to reality.
"What the-!" Bill yelled in surprise and anger.
"Now Ford!" Dipper yelled.
Ford came out from behind a tree with his six fingered hands glowing the same shade of green that kept Bill immobile. The old man's eyes were illuminated green as well and he was chanting a spell in Latin.
Si spiritus minitas mihi in loco isto
Per aquam et ignem igne aqua pugnare
Banish animas in nihilo ni-
Usque ad ultimum potentiae removemus vestigii
Hi entium fugere malum
Per tempora locaque fingit
Dipper pried his hand out of Bill's and stepped back away from the demon. Bill continued to struggle against the restrictions but it was futile. With every second passing the demon was growing angrier.
"You idiots! I am going to destroy your minds and make you two just a couple of vegetables when I get out of here!" Bill snarled.
"Do you still think humans are wimpy, Bill?" Dipper asked mockingly.
Bill growled like a caged animal and his body turned a ruby red. Beneath Bill a portal was being formed and was sucking the triangle inside like rubbish into a vacuum. Bill kicked his legs in an attempt to fight the strong wind but it was still no use.
"You won't be so cocky when I return, and believe me I will be back. Everything you hoped for and dreamed of will be nothing but a speck of your imagination, Stanford Pines. Your nightmare has only begun and will continue to grow until you're nothing but a withering shell," Bill turned his eye to Dipper.
Dipper tried to look away but was frozen in place by the hellish stare.
"And you, Pine Tree" Bill spat the nickname like it were filth.
"I've got big plans for you and I intend to see them through. Enjoy this time of peace while it lasts. A storm is coming so you all better batten down the hatches before you get swept away. Catch ya later, boys and don't forget to buy gold!" Bill snapped his fingers and his melted away into a form of floating liquid that disappeared into the closing portal.
Everything was now still as death. The moon was still high in the night sky and there were no sounds of critters. Dipper looked down at the grass but did not see any evidence of what just happened.
"He's gone," Dipper said.
"We did it, together" Ford said proudly.
At that moment Dipper truly felt like a hero.
"Mabel, get away from there!" Stan shouted.
"No! We have to get him out!" Mabel yelled back.
Her ears were burning from the fire and by now the sweater she was wearing was stained with her sweat. Strong, rough hands wrapped themselves around Mabel's arms and pulled her away from Dipper.
"No! No!" Mabel wriggled in Stan's grip and clawed to get back to Dipper.
"Mabel, easy, Ford's going to go in and get him" Stan said.
His grip had loosened considerably but still kept Mabel immobile. Ford had already stripped off his tan coat and bolted to the jeep. The survivor pulled up the collar of his sweater around his nose and mouth in an attempt to ventilate his breathing. His glasses were fogging from the heat but Ford ignored it.
The door had been crunched and jammed in the crash so Ford had to pull and wiggle the door off. While the old man was still in decent shape, he couldn't help but groan and grit his teeth at the pain in his joints and particularly his hands. Ford had managed to remove the door but his fully gloved hand throbbed painfully, earning a glare from its master.
"I've got you kid," Ford said with a slight cough.
The fire had enveloped the once beautiful Jeep in a dome of licking flames. Ford sliced away the seatbelt with a pocketknife and picked Dipper up into his arms. One hand held Dipper's knees while the other supported his back. Ford tried not to grimace at the extra weight he carried and focused on getting away as fast as possible. Dipper hung limp in his arms but Ford had to remind himself that Mabel checked for a pulse and saw his breathing. 'He would be okay', 'He would be okay', 'He would be okay', Ford chanted to himself internally with each step as he ran.
Mabel smiled when she saw Ford run up to her and Stan holding Dipper. The two males were painted black with soot that mirrored the night sky but were alive nonetheless.
"You made it!" Mabel said happily.
Stan released his grip on his great niece and the old man had to smile. Ford set Dipper on the ground then sat down next to him. Mabel threw her arms around Ford's neck but something was missing. She scanned the area around the Pines family and noticed that Dipper's backpack was nowhere near.
"Dipper's backpack, he's got the journals in there" Mabel panted.
She leapt to her feet and ran back to the jeep before Stan or Ford could stop her. Like Ford, Mabel covered her mouth and nose with the neck of her sweater. She headed straight for the passenger side and searched through the smoke and flames for the backpacks. The smoke was thick and stung Mabel's eyes but she only squinted and looked harder. She finally found it sitting on a miraculously dry patch on the floor.
"Bingo," she said muffled by the sweater.
Mabel snatched up the backpack, held it to her chest, and ran for dear life back to her family.
"What were you thinking Mabel? You could have gotten hurt," Ford said sternly.
"I had to get Dipper's journals," Mabel answered in a tired voice and set the backpack down by Dipper.
Sirens from the ambulance, police, and fire truck shrilled loudly with their blue colored lights flashing.
"About time those guys got here," Stan muttered.
Mabel and Stan waved their arms over to the vehicles to get their attention. They immediately set Dipper on a stretcher with an oxygen mask and loaded him into the ambulance. Ford was also checked out by a doctor but insisted that he was okay. Mabel held on to the backpack tightly and stared at the disappearing ambulance.
"He'll be fine sweetie, your brother's taken on monsters tougher than this" Stan reassuringly.
"I know he will grunkle Stan" Mabel said.
"I'm going to head over to the hospital and check on him. How's about you and Ford stay here and get cleaned up. Come over when you both are ready and I'll keep you guys updated" Stan said.
Mabel nodded and suddenly realized how tired she was. All of the adrenaline that was previously pumping through her veins had evaporated. Her knees shook and she almost stumbled if Stan had not caught her.
"Careful honey or you'll be sleeping with the squirrels," Stan joked.
"I hope their beds are comfortable," Mabel said sleepily.
Stan sighed in resignation and scooped up Mabel along with the backpack. Thankfully she was petite like Dipper but she was still dead weight and Stan was huffing by the time they reached the Shack. Stan carefully deposited Mabel in the recliner in the living room and draped a blanket over her. Her brown eyes had gone out not long after Stan swept her up. She still clung to the backpack like a child held a teddy bear.
"It's not as easy as it looks," Ford commented.
Stan spun around to face his brother. "Not my fault we're just getting old".
Ford wrinkled his nose but still smiled. He walked over to Stan and placed a six fingered hand on his shoulder.
"I'll bring Mabel to the hospital when she wakes up," the genius said.
Stan nodded and headed towards the door to grab his car keys. He looked out the window to see the fire fighters work on hosing out the fire and salvaging whatever was left of Dipper's jeep and the possessions within it.
"Hey, uh, thanks for getting the kid out" Stan said awkwardly turning his head back to Ford.
Ford's eyebrows shot up in confusion but dropped them and he kept a neutral face.
"No need to thank me, Stanley. Dipper and Mabel are family and I would do anything for them," he said.
"I know, brother" Stan said while twirling the keys around his finger absentmindedly.
"Well, time to hole up in the land of antiseptic and bed pans. I'll call if I hear anything before you guys get there," Stan opened the door and left for his car.
Ford was alone in the dark house. Well, he had Mabel but at the moment she was passed out like a bear in the winter. The old man rubbed his face with his hands and decided that sleep would be a good option for him. Ford walked to his old bedroom downstairs that used to contain the body swapping carpet (that was one experiment he could live without).
Soos gave Ford back his room when he returned and moved out of the basement. A cot was still kept down there but Ford was in need of a bed at the moment. Ford still worked in the basement but made an effort to stop spending nights when Stan joked that he was becoming a mole. Besides, this also opened Ford up to spending more time interacting the kids and made him see that there was more to life than figuring out the mysteries of Gravity Falls. He still worked on studying the paranormal with Dipper but it became more like a day job and Mabel always made Ford be done by dinner.
Ford moved to remove his coat only to realize that he left it by wreckage when he went to rescue Dipper. Instead, he took off his sweater and boots but kept his black pants on. After thirty years of being prepared for the worst the dimension he was in had to offer, Ford learned that old habits die hard. He took off his fingerless glove but refrained from taking off the fully handed one. Underneath the fabric the organ was throbbing painfully. Soon the pain grew to be too much and Ford had no choice but take off the glove. Slowly and with his eye closed, Ford pulled off the accessory. His nerves and joints tingled uncomfortably with each tug until Ford just decided to yank it off.
"Ah! Damn it," he hissed so that he would not wake up Mabel.
The cool air made his hand feel a bit better but not by much. Pulling on Dipper's door and then carrying the teen caused Ford to blow out his hand. A shred of naked moonlight shined through a window in the room, illuminating Ford's hand. Ford grimaced at the distorted, darkened sight if his hand. The light revealed his hand to be gnarled like tree branches and wrinkled. It was smaller than the other and the wrist was too thin for him to wear a watch. Tremors shook the hand and it hurt to clench. The skin was paler than normal due to being hidden by the glove. With each passing year the shakes grew worse and Ford wondered how long it would be until the organ would be useless. But that bridge would need to be crossed later. Right now the man needed to sleep.
Ford removed his glasses and placed them on the nightstand. He crawled under the covers and was careful to not bang his hand hard against the sheets. Sleep quickly came over him and he drifted off.
The next few days passed by in a flash. It is a beautiful Monday morning with the sun shining and bird chirping a song from their nests within the pine tree of the forest. Business is slow but the Pines family uses this to their advantage. A vintage, slightly rusted Winnebago was parked on the lawn with the door open. For the past hour Dipper and Mabel had been loading suitcases and bags containing supplies into the vehicle. Stan and Ford stood on the porch watching their great niece and nephew work. Stan was decked out in his typical vacation attire of white pants paired with a light blue Hawaiian shirt. Mabel attempted to talk Ford into wearing a matching shirt in red but he declined. However, that did not stop the eccentric twelve year old's scheme to dress her new great uncle in a something other than his "soldier from space" look. Ford compromised by wearing a decent looking black knockoff Tommy Bahama shirt that was decorated with green tropical flowers, and a pair of brown pants graces his legs. Earlier, Mabel attempted to channel her inner paparazzi and snap a picture of her great uncles with a disposable camera. Dipper even admitted to himself that their expressions of surprise and horror were pretty funny.
"Hey kids, is that thing ready yet?" Stan asked from his place on the porch.
"Almost!" Mabel called back with a wave.
After Bill was banished, the Pines family decided that with the only major threat to the portal defeated there was no need for animosity. So Stan, for the first time in his life, called a truce to end the war. It was not a surprise that Ford was hesitant to accept the offer. How does one wipe away thirty years of being thrown out of time because of your sibling? Oddly enough, Stan had the answer.
"You ever been to Vegas?"
With that being said, arrangements for a weekend trip were made. Stan and Ford were to use a Winnebago, given to them by Soos' cousin Reggie, to drive to Nevada. There they would camp in the desert and stargaze, then spend an evening on the town in Las Vegas so that Stan could show his brother what he had missed out on in the past three decades. This trip was the perfect opportunity for the brothers to catch up and hopefully forgive each other for causing so much pain.
Dipper was loading up the final bag; a leather, cylinder case that contained Ford's beloved telescope. The tool was a gift to Ford from McGucket, back then he was known as Fiddleford, during their college days. Dipper was captivated by the beauty of the vintage telescope and immediately asked Ford if he could use it for stargazing. Ford agreed on the condition that he take Dipper star gazing himself with the reason that the telescope was harder to function than it looked and would require his help. Dipper saw through this lie pretty quickly but accepted the terms without a word.
What Dipper had only recently realized was that the telescope was definitely heavier than it looked. The boy had a barely decent grip on the case, which for some strange reason came with no handle. His arms were wrapped around the case and a tripod was balanced between his chest and heavy box. Dipper's arms were quickly turning to pudding and he was more than happy to be close to his destination.
"Whoa!"
Until his foot caught the edge of the last step. Gravity acted and sent Dipper falling forward. He stumbled around until he could find his footing and place the telescope and tri pod safely on the table.
"Dipper please be careful with that," Ford said.
"Sorry great uncle Ford," Dipper made sure that the case and tri pod were secure.
"I'm glad that grunkle Stan and Ford are taking this trip. They need some bro bro bonding," Mabel said entering the RV.
"I agree, though I don't see them referring to this as bro bro bonding" Dipper said.
"Well, what else are they going call it?" Mabel asked throwing her hands in the air.
"I don't know, maybe a road trip?" Dipper raised an eye brow and was earned a shove to his shoulder, which he retaliated.
The mystery twins exited the vehicle and came upon their great uncles in a debate.
Honestly Stanley, I don't see how you think that you can win at gambling. It's all a game of chance that is specifically rigged against the player to lose," Ford said.
"When you have spent your adult life as a professional con artist, you learn a thing or two. I like to call it showing off my trade" Stan explained with a sly smile.
"I like to call it being a crook," Ford said matching Stan's smile with a smirk.
"Details, details," Stan threw a casual arm around Ford's shoulders.
"You'll see when we hit the casinos. I guarantee that we'll bring back a fortune from the poker tables and roulette wheels," Stan gestured with his free hand in a sweeping motion.
"Or we'll be broke and in some more serious debt," Ford shrugged off Stan's arm.
"You could always go on another game show," Mabel commented.
She had perched herself on the railing of the porch. One hand held on the support beam while her legs dangled freely over the edge.
Stan crossed his arms and frowned at Mabel's suggestion.
"Game shows are for suckers who don't know how to gamble," Stan said shortly.
Ford raised a questioning eye brow and looked to Mabel for answers.
"Let's just say he recently learned how to say please," Mabel answered Ford.
"You should have seen our mom attempt to teach him manners," Ford said in a dry tone.
"At least he now knows how to say please and won't blow it during the last few seconds of the bonus round" Mabel said.
"Keep it up little missy and you'll be cleaning the gutters with your brother," Stan threatened while pointing a finger at Mabel.
"Wait, what?" Dipper said in a clueless tone from his spot at the entrance of the RV.
Ford cracked a small grin at his brother's threat.
"Don't be mad at her just because you picked the wrong time to learn your manners," Ford chided.
This caused Dipper and Mabel to erupt into giggles at the expense of their great uncle.
"Al right, al right, we're burning daylight people. Are the bags packed yet?" Stan asked gruffly.
"Yep, everything is all ready," Mabel ceased her laughter along with Dipper.
"Bout' time, let's go Ford, Vegas awaits," Stan said and headed towards the RV with Ford following behind.
Ford gave Mabel a small hug and shook Dipper's hand in a firm handshake. Mabel hugged Stan tightly, who made a show of his disgust by the affection but his eyes were soft by the gesture. Stan sat himself down in the driver's seat with Ford riding shotgun.
"Make sure to earn some cash while we're gone!" Stan hollered out the window and Ford honked the horn in goodbye.
Dipper and Mabel waved to their uncles until the RV disappeared down the road. The twins shared a rather mischievous look with each other.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Dipper smirked.
"Oh yeah broseph," Mabel mirrored her brother's smirk with a diabolical grin of her own.
"Extreme water balloon war!" the twins yelled in unison.
After recruiting Soos and Wendy to fill the balloons, the war was on in an epic battle of the sexes. With Dipper's intelligence and Soos' brawn the males came out to be an impressive team.
Until Mabel and Wendy took the fight into the trees.
"Dudes, isn't that illegal?" Soos asked staring up at the sky.
The girls were each sitting on a branch between two trees, surrounding Dipper and Soos. Mabel and Wendy each had a pile of water balloons ready to open fire.
"Soos, haven't you learned by now that there are no rules at the Mystery Shack?" Wendy taunted and stood up on her branch.
The lumber Jill balanced herself perfectly on the branch with the skill of a dancer. She gripped the tree trunk with one hand and aimed a water balloon with the other. Dipper couldn't help but blush at the sight of Wendy resembling an Amazon warrior. Unfortunately, he failed to realize until the last second that he was the hunter lamb.
Uh-oh
"Fire!"
"Splash!"
A rain of water balloons fell from the sky like a plague and soaked the boys. Dipper's light blue hat turned a navy color from the water and his clothes were soaking. Soos wasn't much better off except for his shirt being more wet than his shorts. Lucky him.
Mabel and Wendy down their respective trees and gave a triumphant high five.
"Girls rule, boys drool" Mabel said cockily.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Wendy said putting her hands on her hips.
"You two may have won this battle but the war is still on," Dipper said raising a finger for emphasis.
"We'll take you guys on any day of the week," Wendy said.
"Yeah, it's fun kicking your butts" Mabel said.
The group headed back to the Mystery Shack to dry off and change. Soos was staying with the twins while the Stans were away so brought luggage with him. Wendy left for home after drying off to go help her father with dinner. Apparently it was hunting season and he nailed a good sized buck.
After drying off and changing into loose clothing, the trio was lounging in the den with the television going. Dipper was indulged in his battered copy of Ender's Game while Mabel watched an old movie with Soos and petting Waddles. Everyone was in a relaxed state of mind and was content to be that way for the rest of the evening.
Until the damn phone rang and shattered the calmness.
"I'll get it," Soos said getting out of the recliner and going to the kitchen.
Mabel and Dipper paid the handyman no mind and continued with their activities. A minute later Soos returned to the den with a worried expression.
"Uh, dudes, Stan just called and said that he wants us to meet him at the town line".
Dipper and Mabel dropped what they were doing and looked at each other with expressions of confusion and worry. The trio rushed to Soo's pick-up truck and drove towards the town line.
"Do you think there was an accident?" Dipper asked.
"I don't know dude, but if there was I would have heard sirens in the background," Soos replied.
Mabel busied herself by staring out the window. Her knees were up to her chest and she had pulled the sweater she was wearing around her knees. Dipper took a closer look and thought that he saw her eyes grow misty. He slid a hand over and held hers in a comforting grip. Mabel turned her head from the window and smiled softly at her brother.
"Don't worry dudes; I'm sure everything is fine. If there was an accident your uncle would have had me call 911 and not ask me to bring you here" Soos reassured the twins.
The Hispanic man had a calm smile on his face which made the twins feel a little better. When they got to the town line they were relieved to see no cops or ambulances. The Winnebago was the only vehicle standing, save for Soo's truck, with no damage to it. Unfortunately their fears were not put to rest when they saw Stan outside the RV crouched down with his arms around someone. Ford was nowhere in sight. Soos barely had enough time to stop the truck before Dipper and Mabel opened the door and jumped out.
"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel yelled.
The twins skidded to the stop in front of their uncle and fell to their knees in order to get a closer look.
"What happened? W-where's Ford" Dipper asked looking around for any sign of the author.
Stan sighed heavily and the old man suddenly looked his age.
"Kids, we've got a problem," he said looking down at the person he was holding.
Dipper and Mabel followed his gaze to see a brittle skeleton. No, not a skeleton. There was still skin.
It was an old man who appeared to have no more than minutes to live. He could barely breathe and the clothing smothered him. Strands of white hair stuck to his head around a shining bald spot. But what stood out the most was his skin. It was wrinkled and gnarled like elephant skin. His cheeks were sunken in so deep that it made his eye bulge and appeared to be withering away, making his head resemble a skull.
"Who is he?" Mabel asked looking at the man.
The old man coughed a little but the action made his body shake in tremors.
"M-Mabel, it's m-me" he croaked.
Mabel furrowed her eye brows in confusion. The artist moved closer to the old man until they were eye to eye. His tired eyes were a milky color indicting that he was blind. Mabel raked her eyes over his face taking in every little detail to find something that stood out and seemed familiar to her.
Dipper moved closer to his sister. Like Mabel he studied the old man to catch any familiarities. Dipper moved on from his face and traveled down the neck, the torso, and then his arms. He stopped at the hands. Only one hand was visible but Dipper's eyes widened when he counted six fingers on the gnarled organ.
Bingo.
"Uncle Ford," Dipper whispered.
The old man nodded slowly in confirmation. Mabel gasped slightly and covered her hands over her mouth in shock.
"How did this happen?" Mabel asked.
"I'm not sure. We were about to drive over the town line when this, I don't know, wave of energy happened. Just as were over the line I heard gasping and a thump. I looked over and saw that Ford had collapsed so I stopped the RV and went to check him out. He had fallen right by the stairs so I opened up the door and took him out" Stan sighed tiredly.
"Right in front of me, he began to change. His skin twisted and wrinkled up like an old prune and his hair turned gray and fell out. He couldn't breathe and I didn't know what to do".
Underneath Stan's gravelly voice, Dipper could hear the con man quietly choke on his words. A lone tear creeped to the edge of his eye but Stan blinked it back before the liquid could make itself known. For the second time that summer, Dipper felt sorry for him. The twelve year old narrowed his brown eyes in thought.
"You said this happened right as you guys went to over the line out of Gravity Falls?" Dipper asked.
Dipper went back to the road that was a few feet away from the RV. A line of black spray paint was drawn in a line on the ground to illustrate the town line. Wendy claimed that it was the Northwest's' who had done it so that they would better know the location of their property lines.
"Did you hear me stutter?" Stan snapped.
Dipper winced but allowed the comment to roll off of him. He didn't blame the man who being on edge.
"Let's try moving him back over the line," Mabel suggested.
Not having many other options, Stan nodded and had Dipper help him move Ford as gently as possible. The males propped Ford against a tree that was standing on the side of the road that led back into town. A gentle breeze was blowing that ruffled everyone's hair. Ford leaned back in content with the cool temperature. His breathing was still shallow but only slightly better.
"I just don't get what could have caused this," Dipper said puzzled.
"Who knows kid? Maybe time works differently wherever Ford was sent to and it's all catching up with him," Stan shrugged.
Dipper had taken to pacing. "Yeah, but, it's still weird that it happened right as you two were leaving Gravity Falls. Time could have caught up with Ford the minute he stepped out of the portal, instead it chose now. There's more to it than this,"
"Well I'll tell you one thing and it's that Father Time sure has some weird timing" Mabel said.
Dipper perked up at his sister's words.
"Say that again, Mabel".
Mabel shot her twin a confused expression. "Uh, I just said that Father Time has some weird timing. Bro, where are you going with this?"
"Your nightmare has only begun and will continue to grow until you're nothing but a withering shell," Bill's words rang in Dipper's mind like an angry bell.
Dipper felt every sensation leave his body and travel south to his feet. He felt very weak and almost clammy as it all was now being pieced.
"Bill," Dipper whispered as though saying the demon's name louder would summon him back.
Stan took his eyes off Ford to look at his great nephew with suspicion and curiosity.
"What are you mumbling about, kid?" he asked.
"I think this is all happening because of Bill. As we banished him, he swore vengeance on us and said that Ford's nightmare would grow until we was… well…a" Dipper struggled to say the final word.
"Spit it out, Dipper" Stan snapped.
Dipper glanced at Ford's withered body and sighed.
"Bill said a withering shell. I didn't think he meant literally".
Mabel covered her open mouth with her hands while Stan's features turned icy. He strode over to Dipper and towered over the boy. The old man opened his mouth but before he could utter a single word he was cut off by a-
"Crack!"
"Guys look!" Mabel cried pointing to Ford.
Stan and Dipper broke their standoff and turned their attention to the little girl.
The sound of breaking bones and agonized screams filled the air. Soos, who had opted to stand by his truck out of respect for the Pines' family, rushed over to join the ranks. Ford was on his knees in pain and gripping his stomach. Sweat poured down his head freely, the silver curls of his hair turned gray from the perspiration. He lifted himself on to one knee with effort and there was another crack as his hunchback was straightening itself up. Ford's skin seemed put roll back into place and fill out with fat. His eyes were no longer milky with blindness and were now their original color of black coffee. Shapes and colors came back into focus and Ford was no longer swimming in darkness. His hair sprouted like grass on the top of his head and did not stop until every strand of ebony and silver hair had grown back. Ford stood in front of his family members and Soos as though nothing since he left the Shack happened.
"My god," Ford croaked.
He held of out his six-fingered hands and almost collapsed when he saw that his left and was still as wrinkled and knotted as it was before. His left hand suddenly felt like it weighed ten tons. Several seconds passed but the hand did not change back to normal like the rest of Ford's body.
The Pines' family and Soos stood there with their jaws open so wide a colony of flies could fly right in and go unnoticed. Finally Mabel decided to be the one to break the silence.
"Well…uh… at least you got your good looks back," Mabel smiled awkwardly.
Ford clenched his deformed fist and glared. The remaining men snapped out of their stupor.
"Ford, is there any chance that triangle from hell is causing this?" Stan asked.
Ford pressed his lips together but nodded slowly. "Yes, that's the only explanation I can think of. I guess since we locked him away, he wanted to leave a little present behind" he laughed humorlessly.
Soos scratched the back of his head awkwardly. The Hispanic man considered the Pines to be family but at that moment he felt like an outsider.
Mabel stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms Ford and held him tightly. Ford stiffened at first but encircled his great niece and returned the hug. His grip was tight but not enough to hurt her. Mabel patted Ford's back lightly like her mother used to do when she was little and needed comforting. Wet drops landed on the shoulder of Mabel's sweater but she didn't dare to say anything about it and just continued to hold him.
"What do we do now?" Soos asked.
Ford snapped back to reality, released Mabel, and quickly wiped away any rogue tears. He stood up but held Mabel's and walked over to his family. With a tired sigh, Ford slung an arm around Stan's shoulder and Mabel pulled Dipper into the huddle with her free hand.
"What we Pines have always done; survive,".
.
