Dipper felt nothing.

It was like a spider that had crawled onto his heart and had bitten it. First Stan's betrayal, now Mabel's. There was only so much a twelve-year-old can take. Could this be the final straw that estranged him from his family?

When he saw the figure stepping out of the portal his mind was filled with a new emotion. Confusion and wonder. Dipper began to realize that there had to be a reason Stan had restarted the portal. What had his Grunkle said before to Mabel? It's all for this family?

"Who is that?" He asked, straightening his hat. Stan watched the figure silently, then answered, "The Author of the Journals... My brother."

Dipper almost felt his brain explode. The Author? The Author of the Journals was here? He was the reason Stan had restarted... The Author was Dipper's great uncle?!

The Author kneeled down and came back up with the first Journal in his hand. He slid it into one of his inside pockets, and Dipper couldn't help but draw a similarity between the two of them. The Author was here!

The Author took another step towards Stan, then reached up to pull the cloth mask that covered the entirety of his face off. Sure enough, the Author looked like a carbon copy of Stan. There was a hardness in his eyes, but that quickly faded once he laid eyes on his brother.

The Author's mouth dropped open, and his hands fell to his sides. Dipper watched in wonder as he lifted a hand out towards Stan, then rushed forward.

"What happened to you?" Were the first words Dipper ever heard the Author say, not really what he'd been expecting, but it'd do. The man moved to stand only about five feet away from his brother, his mouth opening and closing, he was clearly stunned.

"Oh, just old age," Stan replied, rolling his eyes. Then he held his arms out and said, "Looks like you... You're actually here!" He filled about two of those feet in, but the Author took a step back. The Author looked slightly scared, and there was a deep sadness that crept into his sentence.

"M... Mabel?" he said, looking Stan up and down, his eyes filled with deep concern. "What did you do to yourself?"

Dipper opened his eyes groggily. His head rang slightly. The betrayal of his sister filled his memory. But... From the spin of the portal, a figure stepped out. His silhouette illuminated by the portal. It all made sense. Stan had been trying to get someone back. But who..?

"Who is that?" Dipper asked, watching the mystery man pick up one of the Journals and slide it into his pocket, nearly tripping over his shoes as he did so.

"The Author of the Journals..." Stan replied, taking a step past Dipper and staring at the man in wonder. "My brother."

The Author looked up at Stan, and he took his mask off, revealing a face that looked identical to Stan's. Dipper watched in wonder as the two of them stepped towards each other, and Stan held his arms out for a hug.

But the Author didn't want to hug. He spun Stan around, and placed his elbow over his neck, effectively putting him in a chokehold. Dipper's eyes widened, and Stan gagged. Mabel looked over at Dipper the same moment he did the same to her, and they shared a shrug.

"This was an insanely risky move restarting the portal." The Author said, after he released Stan, who stood up and turned back towards him. "Didn't you read my warnings?"

There was a familiarity in his voice, Dipper chalked it up to the fact that they were related. He was related to the Author!

"Warnings, shmornings." Stan said, waving his brother's concern 'away'. "How's about a little thanks for saving you from... I don't know..." He suddenly stopped talking and looked at his brother suspiciously. "Uh... Ford, what's wrong with your voice?"

The Author raised an eyebrow, he glanced to the side of Stan but still didn't seem to notice the kids or Soos. "Um... Nothing? I'm pretty sure I didn't drink some kind of..." His sentence trailed off, just like Stan's old one had. "Stan..? Why did you just call me Ford?"

Stan's jaw dropped.

"What did you just call me?"

Stan had been waiting so long to see Ford again. It felt like an eternity, yet only a few years at the same time. He could think of a number of ways Stanford would greet him, but this... This just wasn't one of them.

Did he just call Stan Mabel?

"Uh... Ford? Are you okay?" Stan asked, watching Ford's extended hand begin to shake. There was a pained expression on his face that set off something inside of Stan. His brother wasn't okay. His brother had called him his niece? How did he know who Mabel was?

"I'm fine..." Ford said, bringing his hand up to his grey hair and gripping some of it. "It's you I'm worried about. Mabel, what did you do... Did you pretend to be me? Where's your hair? You love your hair. What..." Stan watched Ford seem to melt in front of him. Why would Ford be worried about Mabel's hair? Why would he think that Stan was Mabel? What was wrong with him?

"Ford... I'm not Mabel." Was all Stan could think of saying. "It's me. Stanley. Your brother." With every sentence he spoke, Ford seemed to look worse and worse. He finally just spun completely around and stared at the portal structure.

"Hi, yeah, uh, Mabel here. Quick question..." Mabel didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence. Ford whirled around again and his eyes widened when he saw the young girl. His jaw dropped and his eyes flicked between Stan and Mabel. Stan cringed internally. Whatever happened, it wouldn't be good.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I call you Ford?" Stan asked, once he had regained his composure. The Ford-like person stared at him like he was crazy for a second, and then that's when Stan noticed it.

He only had five fingers.

Okay. That was fine... Maybe... He probably just... What? How did he know Stan then? Why did he look so similar? Why did he take the Journal? Why did he call Ford's warnings his own? Who was this guy?

"If you're not Ford," Stan said, before the not-Ford could answer his earlier question. "Who are you then? I mean... You're not my brother so..."

"What are you talking about Stanley? Of course I'm your brother!" Not-quite-Ford said, folding his arms and glaring at Stan. "Unless... Wait." He opened his jacket and pulled the Journal out, like he was seeing it for the first time. He stared down at the six-fingered hand on the cover, and then he looked back up at Stan. His normal amount of fingers gripped the edges of the book, and he began to hyperventilate slightly.

"It's okay Dipper..." He mumbled to himself, but Stan heard it, and began his own terrified wonder. "You're just trapped in an alternate universe with no way out. Your twin isn't your twin here... Oh man... I think I'm going to throw up."

The two of them stood in silence after that. Not-quite-Ford leaned over and pressed the Journal into one of his knees, his face telling Stan that he wasn't kidding about probably losing his lunch. Stan didn't know what to say. This man thought he was Dipper? This man was/wasn't his twin? This man knew he was from... An alternate universe? Just where did that portal lead?

"Um... Hi! Yeah, Mabel here. Quick question. What on Earth is going on here!?" Dipper-2 looked up and saw Mabel, and his eyes widened. "Stan... You didn't tell me you brought children..." He mumbled, and stood up again, straightening his back with a 'pop'.

This was interesting.

Ford stared at the young Mabel. After all these years he was seeing his sister again. Even if it was a teenage version of her. Ancient emotions flooded his senses, old griefs and regrets bubbling up to the top of his throat and making him feel like crying.

Look at him. A sixty-year-old man wanting to cry because he saw a pink-sweatered girl.

The other old man, or 'Stanley' as he was apparently called, watched Ford have his small mental breakdown, then Ford dashed past him, and kneeled in front of his 'sister'.

"Mabel..." Was the first word he said to her, it felt like he was gargling water as he did so, and he hoped that she didn't care. Anger suddenly filled him but quickly dwindled. There was no way this Mabel had restarted the portal. No way this Mabel could have destroyed his science project. No way this Mabel would push him through the portal. He was being handed a fresh start. A chance to make things right with the person he (although he sort of hated to admit it) loved the most.

So, without further ado, he flung his black-covered arms around her pink ones.

The young Mabel seemed stunned for a second, then she accepted the hug, even wrapping her own arms around him. They stayed there for a minute, no one else daring to make a sound. Ford squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't care that Mabel was tiny compared to him. Didn't care that she probably had no idea who he was. He made a vow to himself right then and there that he would keep her safe. While he still lived and breathed she'd be the safest person on the planet.

"Um... Are you alright?"

Ford realized with a start that he'd probably been hugging her for a bit too long. She was Mabel, but he was a stranger to her. Mournfully he released her from his embrace and stared into her youthful face with a rush of newfound sadness. She was so innocent...

"I'm sorry," He muttered, "I... You wouldn't understand what I'm going through right now."

Mabel smiled shyly at him and rubbed her left arm with her right hand. "You're probably feeling awkward and sweaty." She responded, and the two of them shared a tiny laugh. "The awkward part definitely, but the sweaty..." He replied, waving his hand in a so-so motion.

Mabel's new giggle brought life to his soul. He could get used to this.

"Um... What?!" Oh, yeah, the real world. Alternate universe. Little sister. Stanley. Great, just what Ford needed in his life today. Wasn't fighting Bill enough? Ford stood up, Mabel's eyes following his path up, and he turned to look back at Stanley.

"I'm sorry, that must have seemed really weird," Ford said to Stan, who nodded. Ford adjusted his glasses and glanced back at Mabel, who shrugged. "But I assure you, I have a perfectly logical explanation," Ford added before Stan could say anything. "You see... I believe I'm from an alternate universe.

"A universe where Mabel is my sister."

"...And I believe I'm from an alternate universe." Dipper-1 stared in wonder at Dipper-2. The older version looked majorly uncomfortable, and they forced him to explain. He told them how he and Stan had grown up in Glass Shard, and Stan was amazed at how similar they're backstories were. It was almost like having Ford back, but not quite.

Dipper-1 nodded, his unparalleled look of wonder still overtaking his face. The old Dipper smiled shyly at him, and they seemed to communicate nonverbally for a moment. Stan watched the two of them, even though neither of them spoke and they barely moved in the first place. So in Dipper-2's universe Stan was his brother? Or Dipper was Stan's brother... What happened to Ford?

"Wait, so if you're from an AU..." Mabel said quietly, holding a hand up to her chin, "What happened to me? Or this 'Ford' guy? Are we just..." She snapped her fingers, and Stan winced. He really didn't want to think of that happening.

"Or you could have taken your place," Dipper-2 said with a shrug. He looked over at Dipper-1 and said, "If I was born whenever you guys were born, then it may be that in my universe this 'Ford' and I switched places. Or not... Who knows?" Well, it was good to see that Dipper might never grow out of his awkwardness.

The four of them just stood there. Stan didn't really know what to say. He knew he shouldn't try to replace Ford with Dipper-2, but at the same time... How could he not?

"So... If you built the portal there..." Stan said, rubbing the back of his head. "Do you think you could help me rebuild it here?"

Dipper-2 looked back at the portal, and clutched the part of his coat that was holding the Journal. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Even if I could," he said, opening his eyes again but not making eye contact with anyone. "I would have to say no. This portal is far too dangerous for the world. One tiny mistake and it all goes..." He brought the tips of his left hand's fingers together, then quickly respread them out, signifying an explosion, emphasizing his motion with a small 'pow' from his lips.

It's okay Stan. You only got an alternate version of your nephew. An alternate version that is your brother.

That night, Mabel lay awake in her room.

She looked over at Dipper, sleeping peacefully on the other side of the room. Blankets shoved against the wall. For the first time in... forever, he didn't have a Journal tucked under his arm, the three of them already reclaimed by Ford.

Ford. He and Stan had explained their backstories, and he had a difficult time looking Mabel in the eye when Stan was explaining what he had done once he had been kicked out. Mabel knew. Mabel knew that she had been kicked out. She knew why he had hugged her. If that had been his last interaction with her before she had shoved him into the portal... Well, if it had been Dipper she would have hugged him too.

Stan and Ford seemed so sad. They both knew each other, and were complete strangers. The very thought of Dipper and Mabel following in their footsteps terrified Mabel. She now had a third person in her family there. A person who knew her, without knowing her. His last interactions with her had all been bittersweet, and he seemed to be treating her like she was made out of glass. That at any moment he might break her.

The door creaked in the night wind. Mabel sort of wished that it had brought either Stan or Ford. She wanted to talk to someone, and she didn't feel like waking Dipper up. How could she make this right?

"Stan..."

She heard Ford's voice from down the hall, and the creak of a door let her know that her Grunkle was still awake. She carefully got out of bed, overstepping the creaky boards on the floor. She moved as close to the door as she could, and squeezed her left eye shut and held the other one up to the tiny open part of the door.

"...your help." Ford said, and Mabel could just make out his silhouette from the light in Stan's room. "It's about Mabel."

Mabel felt her breath hitch in her throat, she watched with stunned fascination as Stan stepped into the hallway. "What about her?" He said, and there was something in his voice... It sounded like he had been crying.

"I need you to help me bond with her." Ford said, tilting his head down and staring at the floor. Mabel barely dared breathe, this felt wrong... Yet right... It was a strange feeling.

"I want to get close to her, but I don't want to replace my Mabel with her." Ford said, rubbing his hands together, he looked back up at Stan and added, "I don't want to put that pressure on her. I know her. If I start relying on her like I used to, then she'll feel obligated to bear that burden." Mabel swallowed deeply, but didn't make a sound.

"That's all?" Stan asked, with a chuckle and folding of his arms. He leaned against the wall, and shrugged, "Don't worry, Mabel's got her head on straight. All you gotta do is stay down in the basement, and she'll come running down when she wants. Let her do the bonding, and she'll know what to do. Trust me."

Mabel held her breath for a moment, Ford nodded, and squeezed his eyes shut. "That's all?"

"Yup." Stan said, and Mabel suddenly felt dirty. Like she shouldn't have listened to that. Ford smiled at Stan when he opened his eyes again. "Thank you Stanley. I..." he took a deep breath then said, "I'm sorry I'm not your brother."

Mabel didn't stay by the door to listen to Stan's response. She moved back to bed and felt better... and worse.

Ford came down to the kitchen that morning. It had been about a week after he had gotten to this Dimension, and he'd been following Stan's advice very well. He and Mabel still felt uncomfortable around each other, but the girl was warming up to him.

He was the first one up, again, and today he decided to put that to good family use. Normally he'd just hide away in the basement until Stan or one of the kids called him up to breakfast. But not today.

He opened the refrigerator, sure that he would be able to make at least a half-decent meal with whatever Stan had in there. He swung the door open, sauces and condiments rattling as he did so, he sometimes forgot how strong he was.

Almost at once his eyes were drawn to a blender's container sitting on the milk shelf. His eyes widened as he saw the pink liquid inside of it. He stared at the drink and exclaimed, "Mabel juice! I haven't had any of that in... Forty years!"

"Really?"

Ford nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around, slamming the door shut behind him. He stared down at Mabel, who was rubbing sleep from her eyes. She was still in her floppy disk nightgown and looked like she had just woken up. Ford bit his lip and glanced behind him at the closed refrigerator. "Um, yes actually." he said, and she stretched.

"I was actually coming down here to get some. I don't really feel like sleeping anymore." Mabel said as she dropped her arms. "There's enough for two people. You wanna have some with me?"

How could Ford say no?

Stanley watched the Dippers play DD&MD together. The two of them had found their shared love for the game almost immediately, and Stan was actually happy that his nephew had someone to bond with on that level. He still thought the game was ridiculous, but if the Dippers liked it... He guessed he'd put up with it.

Mabel didn't really mind either. She just told them that they had better keep it out of the living room while the series finale of Ducktective aired. At that, Dipper-2, or Mason, as he said they could call him, asked the very poignant question, "What's Ducktective?"

One binge-watch later, Mason said that he had missed so much good media in his thirty-year 'vacation'. "It's too bad that I've only learned about it when it ended." He said, and Stan threw an arm around his shoulders, "Don't worry Mason, Mabel and Dipper can help you with all the old fandom stuff. I bet they'll be making fanfiction for at least the next four years!"

That's when Mason knew that this Stan was just as crazy as his own Stan.

"And this is the rift."

At first, Ford wasn't going to show Mabel the rift, he had seen her break several snowglobes since he had come back, but he knew his own Mabel. If she knew it was important, she'd keep it safe. Her eyes widened when she and Dipper saw it, and she exclaimed, "It's so beautiful."

Ford agreed with her assessment, but the thought of what that rift could bring into this world destroyed any happy feelings that its beauty could bring. "Listen, I don't want either of you to tell... Ugh." Ford held his free hand up to his forehead, and Mabel put a hand on his sleeve. "Hey. It's okay... Fordsy? Can I call you Fordsy?"

A million childhood nicknames sprang to the front of Ford's memory. Of course, most of them were reserved for Dipper, but Fordsy... It was one of Bill's nicknames for him. But it'd be good for him to retrain his brain. Bill didn't need to control every aspect of his life.

"Of course Mabester." He responded, and Mabel and Dipper tilted their heads in confusion. Ford sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Mabel and I used to call each other nicknames all the time. My favorite one for her was Mabester. Like a monster, or mobster, just Mabel-ified. Mabelfied."

The kids shared a look, then Mabel facepalmed and exclaimed, "Why didn't I think of that! That's awesome!"

Ford liked this. She might not be his Mabel, but she was what he needed. This Mabel was just as crazy as his own. And it was perfect.

And... I'm here again! Yay!

This was inspired by TFD asking if I could write this. And I can, and did! Yay! I hope you liked it!

I see the Gravitivity Falls Ford as a more emotional one. Growing up with a sister (especially one like Mabel) can help bring all those emotions out. I can just imagine Ford wanting to bond with a younger innocent version of his twin, whether it's Mabel or Stan.

I didn't really do much with Relavity Dipper, mainly because it'd be so similar to Dipper-Mason that it would barely matter. And, 'subtle' breaking of the fourth wall!

Anyway, have a great day!

-BrilliantLight