"You're an ex-con?"

"Sure, if you wanna call it that."

Ada nodded for a moment before opening her mouth to ask Stan another question. Nothing came out. She couldn't think of another thing to ask. There were many routes of conversation to take when you talk to an ex-con. But how much of it would be pleasant?

"I've been to jail once," Ada admitted. "I was in, like, Salt Lake City, and these cops came and... yeah, you know the rest. I was in for a couple weeks."

"Heh. I was in Colombian prison for a year."

Ada's eyes went wide. "A year?!"

"Yep. Wasn't easy, but I got out okay."

"What did you do to get a whole year?"

Stan chuckled. "Well, I didn't do anything. Stetson Pineson had to take care of a certain llama that knew too much."

Ada quirked her eyebrows. "A llama?"

"You do crazy things to survive."

Ada went to respond but was interrupted when Dipper and Mabel emerged from the screen door and onto the front porch. Mabel was dragging Dipper by one hand, and she had the absolute brightest smile Ada had ever seen a person have. All that bright energy that practically radiated from her was directed at Ada.

"Grunkle Ford wants to talk to you," Dipper explained.

"In private," Mabel tacked on, whispering.

"He says it's urgent, so you better go quick."

Ada stood up, and bade Stan a small goodbye before crossing into the threshold into the gift shop.

"Have fun, you two!" Mabel called from behind her.

"Will do," Ada called back over her shoulder. She smiled to herself. How could these kids and this old man be related to someone as complicated as Ford?

Down the elevator she went, and Ada found Ford waiting for her in the study. He didn't even greet her when she got off the elevator. It was clear to Ada that he had been distressed again. Papers were strewn all throughout the room, books were open to random pages, but all of it was compiled into a giant collection of papers plastered onto the mind encrypting machine.

"Ada, I've been doing some calculations. Bill is returning, Ada, and this time he will be very much more powerful."

Much more powerful? What power did he hold before this? Ford looked her straight in the face when he said that. And it's there that she saw it- that panic, that clawing desperation that hopes that he's wrong, that pain that he might be right, etched right into his face. Ada felt sympathy flood her person, but chose to not express it.

"So, what's the game plan? What are we gonna do about Bill?"

A harsh exhale, followed by a soft inhale was her response. "While I would ward this place against Bill's tricks like last time, I'm afraid it's not enough."

What last time?! He acts as if I know what's going on...

"Ford, why didn't you just talk about this to Dipper?"

Ford's face scrunched up into a grimace Ada hoped to never see again. "Because, Ada... I'm afraid that Dipper may be the cause behind Bill's return."

This blasted accusation...

"Ford! That is a terrible thing to think of someone as young and as bright as Dipper!" Ada didn't feel like causing outrage, not after she had done so well with the other members of Ford's family.

His face tightened. He was ready for this rebuttal. "Ada..."

"No. Not this time."

"You didn't even-"

"Ford! You are accusing a young boy of returning some thing that's clearly bothering you. Whatever you and this thing went through is your burden to carry, so do not place it on Dipper!"

The room shattered. Silence blanketed over it, and neither of them spoke. Ada really didn't like arguing. She knew it was redundant and stupid, but what else was she supposed to do? Ford's mind had flown south for the winter, and someone had to call it back early. At least the old man got his thoughts out before he did anything drastic. Ada didn't know how to stem the flow of this kind of thinking. Perhaps there was no cure to the mindset. Was Ford really that shattered of man?

Ada sighed. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. No words would force themselves out. Instead, she left Ford alone in the study, hoping that he would emerge to the surface at some point, if he could stop accusing his family of things that he wouldn't get over, ever. Ada had to leave the poor man alone and let her dangerous mix of sympathy and irritation settle in her stomach.

When she returned to the ground floor, Mabel was there to greet her.

"So...," the young teen drew out, the smugness in her voice practically dripping off of every word. "Did you and Grunkle Ford talk?"

Ada's lips tightened. "Yes."

"Aaaaaaand?" She was burying the lead quite thoroughly.

"We talked and you may not see your uncle for a while," Ada said, trying to keep herself composed. She would not snap at Mabel.

"Oh, come on! There has to be some more details!"

"There's a reason he wanted to speak to me privately, Mabel."

Mabel pouted. "Fine, but someday you're gonna tell me what you and great uncle Ford discussed!"

"Fine."

A couple hours later, Ada had cooked for the whole family, including Ford. Everyone praised her cooking, just as Ford had done. Similar tastes. Ada chuckled at how they all enjoyed bacon and (barely) burnt pancakes at the same time. Breakfast at night was Ada's speciality. Most of the time they ate in silence. It wasn't awkward, it just felt tense. The family just looked broken. From Mabel's glances at Ford and Stan's glances to him, it seemed like Ford was the nub of an issue here.

Once the family was done eating, they all thanked Ada and proceeded to their beds. Ada, knowing she probably didn't have a room anymore, flopped down on the couch outside. Sure, it was hot and uncomfortable, but it was a heck of a lot better than Stan's armchair. Tomorrow would get better, Ada just knew it.