"Ford, now, you know I don't mean to pry," Fiddleford says, "but you know whatever's going on between you and your brother... that you apparently have... I really think it should be addressed."
The ride thus far had been quiet and rather awkward as Ford seemed far less eager than he had when they'd been driving up there. He'd just brooded quietly with this stern frown, eyes on the road the entire time, which Fiddleford found quite unlike him.
Typically after a big discovery Ford would go on and on about it. He'd never end; half the time Fiddleford would have to actually tell him to shut up because normal people were usually driven mad by that point.
But no. Not now.
"I don't want to talk about it, Fiddleford, there's nothing to talk about."
"Well- there clearly is. I think we both know I'm no idiot Stanford, we wouldn't be working together if I was."
Stanford sighs, slightly rolling his eyes before focusing them on the road ahead again. "We just parted ways on less than good terms. There's nothing to discuss about the matter."
Fiddleford frowns a little, sitting back in the passenger seat for a moment, folding his hands together. At first he doesn't say anything, appearing lost in thought, but then he looks at Ford again.
"How long ago was that, then?"
"What?"
"How long? I mean when's the last time y'saw him?"
Ford shakes his head, "I don't- That's irrelevant."
"I've known you your entire collage career, and all our time working in Gravity Falls, and I'm only just now learning you even have a twin brother. That's almost six years. Well. Just over five I reckon. I don't know what he did, but that seems like an awfully long time to hold a grudge."
Ford's frown just deepens, and Fiddleford inwardly sighs before looking back out the window.
"It's just-" Fiddleford looks over, eyebrows raised with curiosity when Ford suddenly starts up again. "-it's not even what he did at this point. It is but it isn't. He's acting like nothing even happened."
Well, it was a start.
"You ever think maybe it's his way of trying to move past it?" Fiddleford asks.
"Move past it?" Ford scoffs, "He shouldn't be the one moving past it, he's not the one that..."
Had his future ruined. Right. He'd stopped mid sentence, shoulders drawing up a tad in the way that they did when he was feeling guilty. He quickly snaps out of it though.
"That's not the point. It just shows he hasn't changed in the slightest." He says firmly.
"Well, I'm sure that's not true." Fiddleford says encouragingly.
"It is! Just blowing off what happened, getting himself into this magic mess, he's still the same childish, irresponsible- OH GOOD HEAVENS!"
The car swerves before Ford quickly right it, leaving him and Fiddleford to catch their breath, Fiddleford clutching his chest. What on Earth prompted that reaction?
He looks out his window, where Ford had been looking and jumps again. Stanley's car was carefully bringing itself up to level with them. That is, as as carefully as it could when it wasn't on the road anymore, was traveling a good seventy miles an hour, and was flying upside down.
"Ahaha! Wow, you should have seen your face you guys, that was priceless."
"STANLEY. What are you doing?!" Ford demands.
"Aw lighten up, I'm being careful, it's perfectly- woah!" He swerves quickly around a speed limit sign, "Safe, see, it's perfectly safe."
"Stanley you get back on the road and right side up this instant! This is serious, you're going to get yourself hurt!"
"Ford, it's magic, I can't get hurt." Stanley insists.
"Stan, now, I think that might be dangerous thinking there." Fiddleford says nervously, "We're well versed in magic, believe me, heh, maybe uh- maybe for our sake you can just. Drive like you're suppose to?"
"Ah, you two are a couple of buzzkills." Stan says, waving dismissively at them. "But I suppose if it'll make you two feel better."
The three of the suddenly stiffen when there's a flash of lights and a siren behind them, and Stan grins sheepishly.
"Now don't worry, let me deal with this, I've been through this before. Technically I'm not doing anything illegal as long as I haven't hit anythin-"
There's a light 'bang' as he plows over a sign, and both Ford and Fiddleford stare at him, unamused.
The three of them finally get out of their cars after the long drive, arriving at the cabin.
"Erg, so," Stanley says, stretching out, "this is it, eh? You know I'm not really sure what I expected, but this isn't really it. I guess I thought maybe you'd be working at some big time lab or something, you know?"
"Well," Stanford says, "It's more than it looks. But never mind that. Why don't you get your things, we'll set you up in... well I suppose the living room will have to do for now."
Stanley looks back at his car, then to Ford and Fiddleford again, "Well, unless you want me to bring garbage from the occasional fast food stop inside, I think I'm good."
Ford shakes his head a little. "Spare clothes? You don't bring any with you when you're traveling?"
"Well no, I don't have any, I'm always traveling. But, I mean, magic keeps 'em clean so if that's what you're worried about I don't smell or anything." He says, tugging on his shirt a little. He looks expectantly at Ford and Fiddleford, who just stare at him a brief moment before turning around and heading inside. He shrugs and follows a few feet behind.
"I'm concerned." Ford mutters to Fiddleford quietly.
"Well I think you got good reason to be." Fiddleford says, returning the quiet tone. "I think your brother could use some help getting back on his feet."
"No, no, not that." Ford says dismissively, folding his hands behind his back. "He seems to have gotten quite dependent on all this magic stuff. He's using for everything he needs, and then some with goofing off. Who knows what sort of effects this could be having on him with such overuse, not to mention the dependency. And where is all this coming from anyway? There must be a source."
Fiddleford frowns and 'hms' at Ford's apparent dismissal of his brother's well being, but he supposed he did have a point. It was in their experience that not all magic was bad, but the more magic it was the greater the chance.
"Mm, you know he's probably beat, and I think we've all had a long day of driving. We should all get a good night sleep. And then, tomorrow, you can start all your testing tomorrow. Give the guy a break."
Ford frowns with disapproval, eyeing Fiddleford from the corners of his eyes, before finally nodding.
"Alright, we'll get some sleep. But that's it, tests start first thing in the am."