A/N: I...might've hurt Ford a bit too much this chapter, didn't I? I didn't expect this chapter to delve so deep, but writing is just unpredictable like that.

I promise the next chapter will be much more light-hearted! I mean, it's gonna have Mabel in it, I'm not gonna be this cruel to our glitter daughter!

"Hurry, Dipper! We haven't much time!"

The twelve-year-old burst from the bushes, untangling his vest from wild branches with Journal 3 tucked under his arm. With a triumphant shout, he managed to race across the dirt path to his great uncle.

Ford was striding with utmost confidence, eyes on the Journal in his hands as he headed down a path he seemingly had gone through dozens of other times. It was all new to Dipper, the young boy having barely been able to even leave the Shack and actually explore ever since the incident in the gift shop. Stan had practically deemed the boy a personal servant until Ford called him out and announced Stan was perfectly fine to be walking and doing things on his own again. The gruff businessman still walked with a slight limp, his cane being used more than ever, but tours were running smoothly again and the gift shop was open for business...with a new rifle behind the counter at Wendy's expense for any future incidents.

Dipper had been correct on his suspicions that his great uncle had been sick a few days ago, but Ford was back on his feet and fully energized, flat out forgetting his nephew was only half his size, which resulted in Dipper having to trot to keep up. But the young boy hardly care...he was finally able to explore with his idol!"

"Where are we going anyway?" Dipper questioned, as he finally reached Ford's side and kept the pace. Ford looked up from his book, smiling fondly down at the bright-eyed child beside him. He turned the book in his hands, displaying an unfinished page.

"Ages ago, when I first explored this forest, I had discovered something amazing! Flowers, that were able to heal just about any ailment or injury." Ford held the book closer, slowing his pace down as Dipper studied the page in awe. "Problem was I was chased away by a group of gnomes before I could grab any samples. I'm not sure if they still exist...but if they do, we'll have a miracle on our hands." Ford's voice held full excitement, almost to a level of giddiness.

"And maybe now if any of us get hurt, it'll be alright?" Dipper suggested, thinking back to his own accident concerning a car and the harsh asphalt of the road. Not very fun times.

"Definitely," Ford answered as he brought the book back to himself, scrutinizing it once more. "According to my records, the patch I had found wasn't too far from the Shack. There was a path somewhere that lead straight to it. So...right around...here." He came to a halt, snapping the book shut as Dipper stopped beside him.

The dirt road they had been following veered off into two different paths, not much different from one another. Both Ford and Dipper leaned to look down one path, then leaned the other way to peer down the other. Absolutely no difference.

"...or it was one of these, anyway. Dipper, my boy, I hate to ask you of this," Ford sighed, but didn't get far as Dipper hopped ahead towards the left path.

"If you want us to split up, that's totally okay!" He assured hastily, nearly tripping over a hole and barely managing to catch his balance. "Y-yeah...we can split up! And if we find the patch, we can meet back here!"

"...are you sure?"

"Pfft! Great Uncle Ford, I've been wandering this forest since Mabel and I arrived! I think I know my way around pretty decently!"

A look of consideration briefly flashed across Ford's face before he finally nodded his head. "Yes...very well, we'll do that. We'll meet back in this spot in ten minutes. If the patch is down either of these paths, it shouldn't be too far. Uh...ah, here, my boy." Ford reached into one of his pockets within his trench coat, bringing up a pad of sticky notes. Dipper watched as the author grabbed the pen from his pocket, scribbling something down before stooping down to Dipper. "Open your journal to the last page."

Dipper complied, flipping the pages and landing on the back cover. Ford stuck the note atop it, a well-done sketch of a flower. "They look somewhat like this, if my memory serves me right. If you don't find anything, don't try looking further, head right back."

"Got it!" Dipper returned the order with an enthusiastic nod. He couldn't help the broad smile on his face as Ford reopened his journal and headed down the opposite path, disappearing amongst the trees.

After a moment, Dipper remembered he had a responsibility and promptly continued down his path. Sneakers slapped against the dirt, kicking rocks aside and acting as if they were soccerballs flying into effortless goals. Man, he hadn't felt this hyped in a long while!

Ford entrusted him with a task, and he was intent on going through with it. It made him feel truly important, almost invincible. He would've punched any gremloblin who got in his way straight in the nose. Or at least...he felt he could've. Possibly. There would've been a faint chance he could've succeeded.

After a few more minutes of happy jogging, a faint noise was heard down the path. Dipper slowed to a fast walk, tugging at the brim of his cap and hugging the journal to his chest. The euphoric feeling dwindled to simple curiosity. The sound didn't seem very threatening, only a long continous noise that almost seemed to resemble...

...a brook? Or a river perhaps?

No, it had to be a river.

Dipper moved forward, brushing aside some dangling branches of pine needles from a nearby tree, and he slowly emerged into a clearing of sort. Trees surrounded him on all sides, one of the rare areas where he couldn't detect any other actual paths. Excitement washed over him like a wave, and he beamed as he moved ahead.

Directly in front of him was a rushing river. Sparkling clear water passed through, running over large rocks that almost created some form of a path to the other side. A calming atmosphere surrounded the stream of water, and Dipper resisted the urge to simply sit at the riverside and write in the journal. He needed to mark down this location for later.

This clearing was probably a dead end, if anything, Dipper concluded as he stooped down to inspect the water. He had time to linger before he returned to meet back with Ford. He reached a small hand out, fingers wiggling as water droplets flew up and covered his skin. The cooling sensation felt nice opposed to the usual heat of the summer sun, and he dropped his journal in the grass beside him and stretched another hand out.

Both hands dipped into the water, and he felt momentarily cooler as he lifted them back up. He shook the excess water off, wiping his hands down on his shirt as he sat back on his haunches.

It was then when he spotted the clearing on the other side of the river.

Nestled between a few bushes and a couple of pine trees, was a glistening flowerbed that almost seemed to glow in the shade. Vibrant red petals of what seemed to resemble roses, hidden in a small corner, practically waiting for somebody to find them.

"...oh my god," Dipper gasped, throwing both hands up to grab at his hat. "Oh my gosh, I found it! I found it!"

He snatched up his journal, flipping through the pages before landing on the back cover. The sticky note's drawing was identical to the flowers, and Dipper couldn't contain his excited squeal. "Yes! Yes! Oh, Ford's gonna love this!"

He stuck the journal into his vest, rushing forward and looking down to see where the river led. It stretched on, moving father ahead until it turned suddenly, no longer visible. Dipper looked the other way, his view obstructed by low hanging branches from the trees.

"I've gotta find some way around this..." The boy twin mused, placing a hand on his chin as he studied the river. It didn't seem very deep, but despite cooling his hands, actually taking a swim didn't seem very appealing. Ford's warning rung in his ears, of not going father than he needed to, and if Dipper returned sopping wet, Ford would probably put two and two together.

No, he could find a simple way. He could get those flowers, he certainly could!

He spotted the rocks jutting from the water, only slightly wet. He brightened upon finding all the rocks were within jumping or stepping distance, creating a zig zagging path straight to the other end. Perfect.

He approached the first rock, gauging the distance and figuring he could simply step to it. Both his arms stuck out in an attempt to balance, and he slid a foot off the grass and onto the rock. Once he figured he had a decent grip, he lifted the rest of himself onto it.

A small laugh escaped him, as he stood amidst the rushing water. Giddy antipation lifted his spirits through the roof, and he continued on his way painstakingly slow.

But it was only when he was in the middle of the path did he remember Ford's time limit.

He quickly lifted his wrist, checking his watch, and instantly frowning as he felt panic return. Fifteen minutes had suddenly passed...he was going to be late. Ford would go after him and catch him.

Apparently, there were going to be only two options: head back and muster up an excuse, or hurry his pace and hopefully grab the flowers and get to shore before Ford followed and realized what had happened.

Naturally, Dipper chose the latter.

"Easy, it's easy, it's easy!" He assured himself, putting his hand down to pull his attention from the ticking clock. "Jump rocks, grab the flowers, jump back, no pressure...or just...not a lot...shoot."

Yeah, this was going to be more difficult than he initially thought.

The boy twin picked up his pace, hopping across the rocks with his arms comically flying about in search of balance. Almost there, just a few rocks left...five more...four more...thr-

A scream tore from Dipper's throat as his shoe slid across the rock like it was made of butter, completely removing any ground from underneath him. And, almost like it had been in slow motion, Dipper's arms waved frantically as he fell backwards.

His head cracked against one of the rocks, his hat flying off and he saw stars for a split instant before he splashed into the water in a terrifyingly loud manner.

Coldness engulfed him, the refreshing sensation gone and replaced with one of nothing but ice and limb-numbing. A crackling filled his ears, the water swooping him away with a rapid pace he hadn't realized until it was too late. His head pounded with his heartbeat as he thrashed around, fighting to come afloat, to do something.

His legs kicked uselessly, his arms waved through the water, and when the first inhalation of water filled his lungs, he let himself do nothing but panic.

Ford tapped his foot, looking down at his own watch before peering back at the path Dipper had disappeared down. Twenty-five minutes had passed, and the boy hadn't returned to the spot. Ford had figured five extra minutes would show the boy...then five more...then five more, until here he was, fifteen minutes later than the time he had stated.

He hadn't thought Dipper would've gotten lost, but felt downright stupid for assuming the kid would've been fine on his own. His nephew was a brilliant kid, a smart cookie much like himself, but these woods liked to play tricks sometimes.

"I shouldn't have agreed to the splitting up plan," Ford sighed regretfully, putting down his arm as he started down the path. It didn't take him very long before he heard the rushing of water, and he felt his heart began to pound at the implications.

...surely, Dipper hadn't...?

No, no, the boy knew better! Rivers were dangerous, their speed was unpredictable, it just wasn't a thing to be exploring.

Ford broke through the branches, stepping into the clearing and feeling momentarily surprised. He turned his head, seeing the crystal clear waters before his heart practically stopped at what he found in the middle of it.

A blue and white hat, with a pine tree on the front, sitting casually on a rock and nearly drenched. And directly across, the unmistakeable glow of unnatural flowers.

"...Dipper?" Ford called, moving forward and hoping his nephew had simply dropped the thing rather than what he thought. "Dipper, boy, come out, please!"

No answer.

"...Dipper, this isn't funny! Come out at once!"

Silence.

"...Dipper Pines!" Ford growled out, frustration taking the better of him as he moved forward. He followed the current of the river, peering down the waters, keeping a brisk pace and hoping he was wrong. That his great nephew was okay, playing a trick that was going to get him grounded for, oh gosh, solid weeks if Ford got the upper hand in calling it...

"...Oh, sweet Moses..." Ford trailed off, seeing a flash of color farther down the stream. "...Dipper! Dipper!"

He broke into a frantic run, stomping against the grass. He only saw color, stark contrast against the blue waters, blurry movements underneath the water and flowing with the current. He wasn't sure what it was, but he hoped upon hope it wasn't what he thought it was.

His breath came out ragged, a stitch forming in his side, but he pushed on, approaching the thing closer and closer before he reached it, then eventually passed it completely.

With that, he skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees, reaching a hand out. He caught the object, wishing it was just his nephew's fallen vest or maybe just some misfortunate creature who'd fallen in, just-

But the sheer weight of the object was enough to clue him in.

Ford yanked, feeling any breath he had left leave his body as Dipper was pulled from the waters. He scrambled to completely withdraw him from the stream, gathering the boy in his arms, a bundle of limbs and sopping clothing. He didn't care about the immediate chill, the water soaking into his sweater.

The boy twin was limp, a gash across his hairline, and blood slowly began to seep down behind his ear and down his neck, heading for the neckline of his soaked shirt. He was still, far too still, and his half-lidded eyes held nothing but faded brown and foreboding emptiness.

"Dipper! Dipper, wake up, my boy, c'mon now," Ford demanded, forcing himself to his feet and shaking the boy in his arms. There was no response, and Ford stayed still to see if his chest was rising or falling.

It remained still.

"Oh, god, oh god, oh god..." Ford collapsed back on the grass, laying his nephew down and feeling chilled by his eyes. Eyes that certainly weren't looking at him, just simply staring ahead. No, no, he wasn't supposed to be dealing with this, certainly not this. "Dipper, Dipper, wake up, p-please..."

His composure was cracking the longer Dipper remained unresponsive, and Ford lifted himself up, looking around frantically as if he could get help in the middle of the forest. Complete fear was beginning to take over, as he realized what had happened. Dipper had been overenthusiastic...had disobeyed orders and gone right ahead...done what any excitable kid would do and attempted to please his Grunkle with a new find he could say he discovered all on his own...god, he shouldn't have left him alone.

"No...Dipper, boy..." Ford tried, shaking the kid's shoulder. "Oh god, S-Stan..."

No, he couldn't panic. He needed to take action.

He slipped off his coat in a fluid motion, stooping over his limp nephew and bundling the fabric over the gash in his hairline. He applied pressure for a second or two before facing the reality of what was truly of his little apprentice-to-be. Without a moment to waste, he placed two hands over the child's sternum and began compressions.

CPR was something Ford had known since high school. A thing he'd taught himself before perfecting it over the years within the portal, an action that was now as easy as breathing...oh, gosh, that was a terrible comparison.

Before Ford could bring himself to blow in air, there was a flicker of movement in the child's hand. A spark of something lit in his nephew's eyes, and then Dipper took in a wheezing and desperate breath.

Ford carefully slid his hand under his nephew's back, tilting the kid as water poured from Dipper's mouth, splashing into the grass. He coughed and hacked, drawing in deep frantic breaths as if air were limited and could be taken away if he didn't take advantage.

The coughs grew into heaves, his body convulsing, and Ford began drawing the kid closer and closer, until the coughing ceased. Dipper took in a rattling breath, before watery and life-filled brown eyes turned up to his Grunkle. "...G-Great Uncle F-"

The boy was cut off as he was pressed into his uncle's chest, Ford's arms enveloping the child as if he'd disappear. Dipper blinked, reaching his hands around to what he felt what his Grunkle's shoulder. "Ah...Great Uncle F-Ford, you're ch-choking me..."

There was a second more before he was pulled back. Dipper hissed slightly, shivering from the cold and feeling an unpleasant sting in his temple. "Ow...what happened? Am I hu...Great Uncle Ford? You're...you're crying."

"Dipper, boy, I just..." Ford trailed off, seeming, for once, unsure of what to say. Dipper watched in a mixture of worry and astonishment as another tear slipped down his uncle's cheek. "Oh, thank god..."

"I'm...I'm okay..." Dipper assured, setting a hand on his Grunkle's heaving chest. "Really! Ah...you, you need t' calm down, Great Uncle Ford. Breathe..."

"Breathe?! You stopped breathing!" Ford spat, pulling Dipper close again, pressing his coat against the boy's wound. "You...I almost thought you had drowned on me."

There was a pause, before Dipper shrugged a bit, leaning his head against Ford's chest. "I dunno...I'm apparently legendary in the whole...stop breathing department."

"...huh?"

"I was born with the umbilical cord around my neck, Great Uncle Ford," Dipper informed, as if the fact were more like a rare tidbit of childhood. "And Mabel said when we were five, I choked on a candy. Dad always said I had lungs of steel, and that...well, my brushes with death seem more like jokes with how quickly I recover."

"...that better not have been a joke," Ford scowled, wiping at his eye with a damp sweater sleeve. Dipper quickly shook his head. "...regardless...you shouldn't have done that. Not without me in sight and even then, you should've waited for my instructions."

"...sorry."

"Well, what matters is that you're okay." Ford bundled his nephew in his arms, bringing himself to shaky legs. "I'll need to examine you once we get back to the Shack. Just focus on breathing, tell me if you feel anything wrong."

"M'cold, I guess," Dipper said, and he nestled further into Ford's chest as the man continued down the path. "...are we gonna have to tell Mabel and Stan? They won't let me out of the house for weeks if we do."

"Unfortunately, I think I will have to inform them of you nearly dying on me," Ford stated bitterly, before letting out an exhausted sigh. "...I'm sorry, too, Dipper. I shouldn't have let you go. That wasn't a very smart move for me. It's mostly my fault for not keeping an eye on you." He smiled wryly. "That will make two of us. Stan won't be very happy with me."

"...I'm sorry I got you in trouble then."

"Again. We're both toast."

"But I found the flowers!" Dipper insisted, pointing down to the opposite bank. "You...you think maybe if I use it, we won't need to worry about medical conditions?"

Ford stopped, studying the flowerbed for a moment before stooping down to lay Dipper on the grass. "Boy, you're quite the fast-thinker."

It only took mere moments for Ford to hop the river and retrieve the flowers. He stuffed a good majority in his pocket, ready to brew them into a tea the minute they got home. He bundled his nephew back in his arms, instructing him to focus on breathing.

Nothing felt better at that moment than seeing Dipper's bright brown and lively eyes gaze up at him.