1960-something, 1st grade:
As a person who wasn't perfectly normal, Stanford basically had a target painted on his back at all times. It wasn't that bad when Stan was there. Ford's twin was always ready to jump to Ford's aid the moment Crampelter or another bully wanted to pick on him.
But today was different. Today Stan had done something that had earned him detention. Which left Ford exposed to open ridicule.
So there the six year old was. Sitting in the Janitor's closet. Waiting for his tormentors to grow bored of trying to find him, and move onto another small child.
As always, Ford gazed at his hands. And, like many times before, he wished he'd been born like other polydactyls so he would have had immediate surgery. Or that he was just normal.
He slowly counted his fingers. One... Two... Three... Ten... Eleven... Twelve...
"Heya, Smart Guy!"
Ford's head snapped up, his glasses falling slightly to one side of his face. He adjusted the frames and stared in wonder at the person who had spoken.
It was a triangle. A yellow, floating, top hatted, one eyed triangle.
Ford hugged his arms tightly around his chest. The triangle grabbed the brim of his hat and tilted it towards Ford. Ford felt like his stomach was dropping hundreds of feet, but it was more of a fun sensation than terror.
"So this is what you looked like as a kid. Gotta hand it to you Sixer, you're adorable."
Ford sniffed, and rubbed under his nose. "Who... Who are you?" He asked, staring at the triangle, who was glancing around their surroundings.
"Name's Bill Cipher. But you can call me your best friend in the entire multiverse!" Bill's eye seemed to smile at Ford, and there was something comforting in his demeanor. Ford sniffed again, and tried to flash Bill a smile.
"We're friends?" Ford asked, "How do you know me?"
Bill waved his hand, like what Ford had said didn't matter too much. "Um, you sent me back in time to be your BFFE, obviously."
"BFFE?" Ford asked, "What's that?"
Bill rolled his eye, "Best Friend For Eternity. Duh."
"Oh, that's... Nice..."
2012:
"The Author of the Journals. My brother."
Dipper couldn't help but let his jaw drop. For almost all of that summer he'd been searching for the Author, and now the man, the myth, the legend, was there. Walking through the portal.
The man took his mask off, and he had to be what Stan had said. On the side of his face there was a black triangle, a tiny one that melted into his rather impressive sideburns. His eyes were hard, but they looked to be more filled with sadness rather than anger.
Stan stepped away from Dipper and the others, and walked right up to his brother. They stared at each other for a second, then the Author said, "Why did you do it? Why?"
Stan chuckled, there was sadness in his tone though, the energy the two of them created made Dipper want to hug Mabel, who was staring at the two of them just like Dipper and Soos.
"To be honest, I kind of don't know." Stan said, rubbing the back of his head. "Is your shoulder okay?"
The Author nodded, "Healed up years ago. How's your jaw?"
"Acts up whenever it rains, but that's true of most of my body now." Stan said, and there was a strict sharpness in his voice, like when you spoke to a CEO.
"Um, hi. Mabel here... What's going on?!" The two men turned to look at Mabel, the Author's eyes widening.
"Stan, you didn't tell me that there were children here." The Author said, readjusting his slightly cracked glasses. Stan huffed a little and mumbled, "You literally just got here."
Late 1960s:
"Stan o' War? Seriously? Did Stanley come up with that?"
Ford, who was about ten at the time, glanced up at Bill inside of the mindscape. He smiled slightly and adjusted his glasses (possibility a permanent habit for him). "Actually, I did."
Bill's eye was once again rolled inside of his head. "Of course."
"I thought you knew everything." Ford said, sitting crossed legged on his chair, watching Bill with unwavering eyes. "Illuminati and all..."
"For the last time Sixer, I'm not the Illuminati." Bill's tone was slightly frustrated, but had a tinge of affection, something that Ford had grown to crave. The two of them were playing chess, a pastime that Ford and Bill both loved. Ford was his usual light blue, and Bill was black.
"Right..." Ford said, rolling his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. "Were you bored... Wherever you live?"
Bill shrugged, "It's not the worst place I've been. You should see where I used to live. Flat minds... Flat world..."
"Flat dreams?"
Bill laughed, and snapped his fingers, one of his pawns sliding forward to the square he desired. "You got it IQ."
"I know what that feels like..." Ford mused, reaching out to physically move one of his bishops.
"Then why stay?" Bill asked, scanning Ford carefully. "Why put up with the drudgery of Glass Shard."
"Hey, I'd love to just skip the whole thing and hang out with you and Stan..." Ford said, watching Bill take his next move. "Maybe spend a few months at sea..."
Bill glanced up at Ford, who scanned the board carefully. "On that dump of a boat?"
"Not like how it is now." Ford mused, and moved a knight. "We'll fix it up. I think it'd be fun!"
"Uh-huh," Bill said, "First it'll be a month, then two, then a year, then a decade, and before you know it..."
Ford clenched his hands into fists, he scowled at the chess set, and hissed, "It won't be like that."
Bill rolled his eye, and moved another one of his pieces. "You keep telling yourself that Sixer." Ford sighed, and glared at the board for a minute. "It won't." He said, and slid a bishop closer to himself.
Bill sighed. "You could always just leave." He suggested, and Ford scoffed.
"Bill, you do realize that I'm ten." The boy said, moving one of his pawns. "Adults don't just let us do stuff like that."
"Adults are boring." Bill said, and snapped his fingers again. He proudly exclaimed, "Checkmate!"
Ford groaned, "Good one. And seriously, you sound like Stan."
Bill shrugged, "Maybe Stan isn't completely brainless." Ford scowled, "I never said he was. Now let's play something different."
The triangle wiggled his eyebrow, "Is it because I beat you twenty-five to two?"
Ford shrugged, "Nah, I'm just bored."
"Why don't we do something physical?" Bill asked, blinking profusely in the dimmed light of the mindscape. Ford sighed, and said, "I don't think so. Last time you tripped down the stairs and nearly gave mom a heart attack. You nearly gave me a heart attack."
Bill waved a hand at Ford as if it wiped away all the fears. "That was a mistake, I wasn't used to controlling a body. Plus, you shouldn't get one of those, you're not ninety-two yet."
Ford raised his eyebrows, "And you've had more practice since then? Are you cheating on me?"
Bill laughed, "I like how your mind works kid." He said, "Let's play checkers..."
"You're the Author of the Journals!" Dipper bounced a little, wishing that he hadn't, he was looking childish in front of the Author. The Author! And the guy was related to him... Oh my... This was the best day ever!
"You've read my Journals?" Ford raised his eyebrows, looking slightly proud of Dipper, and perhaps himself.
"I haven't just read them, I've lived them." Dipper exclaimed, "I've waited so long to meet you. I don't know what to say. Oh man..."
Dipper leaned over, and looked like he was going to toss his cookies. Mabel rushed over and patted him on the back, smiling shyly at Ford.
"Look, there will be time for introductions later, but right now..." Ford turned to look at Stan, who was simply staring at Ford's tattoo.
"What did you do to your face?" Stan breathed, reaching a hand up to touch his own. Ford sighed, and traced the triangular shape that marred his features.
"Let's just say that I wasn't burned only once that day." Ford said quietly. "I might have ticked way more than one person off."
Stan winced. "I'm seriously sorry about all that." He said quietly, and Ford nodded. "And I'm sorry for what I have done to you as well." He added, swallowing deeply. "I... I was a jerk to you... And then I ran away..."
Stan's face seemed torn between sadness and anger. "Let's explain stuff to the kids, then we can apologize with the story." Ford nodded, and bit his lip.
"So we're getting your life story?" Mabel asked, helping Dipper get over to a piece of the portal and sit down. "That sounds great!"
Soos and Dipper nodded. "And no more lies." Dipper added, and Stan sighed.
"It all began... A lifetime ago..."
"Maybe there's a silver lining?" Stan forced his eyes to stay on Ford's face. Ford had always tended to overthink everything, so Stan had learned to get his twin's mind off of whatever it was as soon as possible.
Maybe he should have let that old habit die.
"Treasure hunting?"
Stan had seen Ford angry before, but not like this. The look Ford was glaring at him was identical to the one he'd given Crampelter the first time Ford had won a boxing match against him. If Stan didn't know better he'd think the look wasn't human.
"Are you kidding me?!" Ford cried, throwing Stan's old Toffee Peanuts bag to the ground. "Why would I want to do anything with..." His voice trailed off, his eyes filled with so much malice that it was scaring Stan.
"Why would I want to do a anything with you!?" He suddenly yelled, just as Filbrick entered the room. Ford shoved Stan into the couch and suddenly dashed past his two male relatives, knocking into his father on the way out.
"Out of my way." Stan heard him hiss.
A few moments later he was back, Caryn had entered the room before him, rubbing sleepy eyes and holding Sherman in one arm.
Ford looked like he was in a frenzy. He was breathing hard and had his yellow duffle bag slung over one shoulder.
"Stanford?" Mrs. Pines asked tiredly, "What's going..."
"Son." Filbrick cut his wife off. "Calm down." Unfortunately that had the complete opposite effect, only serving as a way to make Ford even angrier.
"I don't need you!" He yelled, making Sherman begin to cry. Caryn's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to say something, but Ford cut her off.
"I don't need you." He repeated, quieter than before, but his voice was filled with poison. He pointed a finger at his mother, who was standing a bit to the right of Stan.
"I don't need you." Ford moved his finger to point at Stan, who was staring at his brother dumbfounded.
"And I especially don't need you." Ford hissed, turning his now shaking finger to point at his father, who just watched him silently. No one had ever seen Ford this angry.
"I'll become the greatest scientist in the world!" He yelled, and his mother and brother shrank back a little. "I'll make millions! And no one in this Stupid! Hick! Town! will drag me down and Suffocate me!"
For a brief second there was silence, then Stan choked out, "Sixer?"
"Don't call me that." Ford snapped, and he spun around and dashed out of sight.
"Stanford!" Stan yelled, and pushed past his stunned parents to run after his brother. "Ford! Come back!"
He heard the front door slam shut, and he didn't care that he wasn't supposed to run in the shop. He bolted to the door, and caught the faintest glint of the backlights of Ford's car.
Stan dashed down the outside stairs, just to see the red glow fade away. His foot crunched on something lying on the sidewalk, and he bent down to pick up an old piece of paper.
It was a photograph. One of two young boys, standing on an old broken sailboat, staring off into the distant future.
Stan let a tear fall onto the yellowing paper, and sat down on the pavement.
What had just happened?
When they reached that part of the story, Dipper just stared at Ford. A million thoughts rushing through his mind.
This was the Author? The Author was... This? Dipper had looked up to him? He seemed so different now.
"Stanley..." Ford said slowly, "Stanley, I have... I have an explanation, but... I'm sorry for that."
Stan bit his lip, "I know." He whispered. "I forgave you a long time ago."
Ford sighed deeply. "I... I didn't mean it."
"Boy do we have parallels." Stan said, flashing his brother a grin. One that Ford tried to match, but only ended up looking even more tired.
Stan picked the story up again, explaining how he went from highschool, to sales, then some murkier business, then to being an outright bandit. Ford kept his mouth closed the entire time, like he was determined not to say anything stupid.
Then the kids asked about his twenties, and he spilled the beans about Backupsmore, and then Gravity Falls, and his research.
"But what went wrong?" Mabel asked, "What happened to you?"
Ford stiffened, and he stared into the children's pleading innocent eyes. "Bill." He said softly.
Dipper's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Bill Cipher?" He breathed.
"Yes." Ford said, shifting uncomfortably. "He... He was always there."
Stan turned confused eyes on his brother, who broke the news about his childhood and early adulthood. Every now and then Stan looked like he was going to say something, but he never did.
"He basically raised me." Ford explained, "I've lived my life off of the question, 'What would Bill want me to do?' the first couple of decades I'd just do it, but for the past thirty years I've just done the opposite. Minus suicide."
Stan held a hand up to hiss fez. "That makes so much sense..." He mumbled to himself. "Why does that make so much sense?" Ford looked at him with sad but hard eyes. "I don't know..." He mused.
"That's it?! You finally want to see me after ten years, and it's to tell me to get as far away from you as possible?" Stan held his brother's book in one hand, and was holding the other out at the giant metal contraption that Ford had built.
"You don't understand what I'm up against. What I've been through." Ford said, stepping past Stan turning his back to him again.
"What you've been through?" Stan asked with a crazed laughed. "You don't understand what I've been through!" He took a step towards his brother, who turned to face him.
"I've been to prison in three countries! I'm banned from almost every state. You think you have problems? You're not the only estranged one in the family!" Stan hardened his face. "And what have you been doing? You've been selfishly hoarding you and your college money in this fancy house in the woods!"
"I'm selfish?" Ford asked, adding his own laugh. "I'm selfish? How can you say that after ruining my chances to go to my dream school!?" He stepped back from Stan, and clenched his hands into fists. "I'm giving you a chance to do something worthwhile in your life and you won't even listen!"
"Well listen to this." Stan hissed, holding Journal 1 up, "You want me to get rid of this book? Fine. I'll get rid of it right now so you won't need me again." He pulled out a lighter and flicked it on, holding the flame just under the weather worn pages.
That's when Ford attacked him.
They fought their way into the control room, pushing each other into switches and buttons. Neither of them heard the portal begin to activate.
Ford tried to yank the book out of Stan's hands, while Stan did the same to him. Within moments Stan was on the floor, barely holding on to the cover of the Journal.
"You left me behind you jerk!" He shouted up at Ford, who was pulling with all his might. "It was supposed to be us forever. You ruined my life!"
"You ruined your own life!" Ford spat back.
That's when Stan shoved his booted foot into Ford's chest, and he flew backwards. Into the side of the control booth and his left shoulder made contact with...
A red hot symbol.
Ford let out a strangled cry, and Stan instantly stopped applying pressure. The Journal was securely in his hands, but Ford...
Ford's back was steaming.
"F- Ford?" Stan spluttered, just before Ford jumped on top of him, a crazed look in his eyes.
They were back in almost the same position as before, but this time Ford had shoved them into the portal room. Stan kicked him off of him again, and Ford landed with a thud on the ground.
"You." He spat, as the two of them got to their feet. "You care more about yourself than the universe."
"Well." Stan said right back at him. "You care more about your dumb mysteries then your family." He glanced down at the book in his hands and shoved it right into Ford's chest. "Then you can have them!"
The portal was on. Ford was past the safety line.
Ford was pulled through the portal, screaming his brother's name. He threw his Journal towards Stan, and disappeared...
Taking care of the government was a piece of cake. Cleaning up the house on the other hand...
"Did a tornado come through here or something?" Ford asked, inspecting the damage done to the roof.
"Gravity Anomalies?" Stan suggested, and Ford nodded. "That has to have been it. Didn't you read my warnings?"
Stan shrugged, "Sure I read them. 'Extreme usage might cause minor gravity anomalies.'"
Ford glanced over at him. "Did you check the invisible ink? You do know about the invisible ink. Right?"
His brother scoffed, and picked a broken piece of wood from off of the ground. "Sure I know about the invisible ink. I might have forgotten to check the Journal for that... You see, Dipper got it back before I knew, and I didn't want him to suspect..."
Ford chuckled softly, "You still act so... You. I'm actually kind of glad."
Stan smiled at him, and nodded, tossing the wood behind him. "You didn't ruin my life." He said quietly. "And I hope I didn't ruin your life too badly."
Ford scoffed, and placed an arm around Stan's shoulders. "Bill ruined my life," he said, turning his face towards Stan. "And he didn't want me to be your friend. And... With my new motto..."
"Mystery twins?" Stan asked, a childlike gleam lighting up his glasses covered eyes.
"Mystery twins." Ford responded, holding up a hand. "High six?"
Stan smiled and held his own hand up. "High six."
Hello! I have returned! Mwa ha ha ha ha... Oof, sorry, had something in my throat.
Anyway. It's my own personal headcanon that Backupsmore sends everyone acceptance letters. Literally everybody. Like, first day of senior year you get a letter from them. Anyway... Moving on...
Did this just make a paradox? In this universe, Ford somehow sends Bill back in time (blame the Time-Police or something) and the only reason he did that was because Bill had time-traveled to be his friend... My mind is confusing.
I sort of love, like, really love the chapters where Stan and Ford reconcile with each other. They just... Make me feel sort of fuzzy.
This Ford is more cautious, and can see his flaws better. Mainly because he has an allergic reaction to anything that Bill would want him doing.
Now the Stans have a lot of mess to clean up, but whenever they work together, they're practically unstoppable.
As always, thanks for everything! Special thanks to TFD, annabethchase'sdagger, and Til isPUMPKIN for the reviews, and KyttyHD for the Fs'n'Fs.
-BrilliantLight