Stanley didn't know what Ford would look like when he came out of the portal.

I mean, he had the basic idea, he did own mirrors, but it was the details he didn't know. What would Ford be wearing? Would Ford even recognize Stan? Would he even look the same? What had he been doing on the other side?

And in the best/worst minutes of his life, Stan found out all of those things.

First off: Ford was wearing a black suit. Black trench coat, black button-down shirt, black tie. He looked nice, if you could call business-goth 'nice'.

Second: Yes. Ford recognized Stan. He recognized him very well. So well in fact, that he knew exactly which person to punch in the face once he walked out of the portal.

Third: No. Ford did not look the same. He looked tired (alright, that was a similarity between 30-year-old Ford and 60), and he was clean-shaven. But Stan didn't really care about his facial features right then.

"Ow! What was that for?!" He called out once Ford had hit him smack dab in the jaw. Ford sneered at him and didn't seem to listen to his question.

"This was an insanely risky move, restarting the portal." Ford hissed, and Stan couldn't help but sigh internally. Still more about his dumb mysteries. "Didn't you read my warnings? Do you know what you could have let into this world?!"

Stan rolled his eyes, he was finding it very difficult to take Ford seriously right then. He supposed he shouldn't find this too out of the blue, Ford was still Ford after all.

"Warnings, shmornings." Stan said, trying to wave Ford's objections away. "How's about a little 'thanks' for saving you from... I don't know, a sci-fi sideburn dimension?"

Ford chuckled like he thought Stan was crazy (which he did) and he pushed his glasses up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Sci-fi sideburn dimension? He thinks..." He looked down at the ground and shook his head at it, his sentence cut off by a small laugh. "He thinks we were in some kind of sci-fi sideburn dimension. Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard Ze..." He looked to his right, a smile on his lips, but it quickly faded once he saw that nothing was there. "...nith..."

Ford spun around, his face full of concern. He made a complete 360-degree turn and looked back at Stan. There was a look of fear in his eyes, and he bit his lip.

"Zenith... She's... I don't..."

Stan watched Ford silently. He didn't know how to respond to this. Ford grabbed the top of his hair and spun halfway around to face the portal again. There was something wrong with him.

Ford dashed up to the portal structure and placed a shaking hand on the metal just in front of his face. Sparks silhouetted his features, and the metal was so hot he could barely stand to touch it, but he just stood there.

"She's... Gone." Was all Stan could hear him say. "I... Oh Axolotl, help her."

"Pines!"

It was a name Ford was now semi-used to hearing. He'd been called that for about five years, ever since he'd joined the association. But the voice that spoke was one he'd never heard before. It was feminine and commanding, even though it sounded young.

He spun around in the grey hall of the station he was in, deep under ground, and came face-to-face with a young woman. Her longish black hair was loose, which was against regulation. Ford didn't bother to point this out though.

"Yes... Lieutenant?" He asked, after squinting to see her designation. Her jaw was firm, and she stood at attention, her hands stiffened next to her sides.

"I know what you're planning." She said in a quiet voice. Ford raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. He was going to ask her what that was exactly, but she added, "Three words: I want in."

Ford sighed, the woman stared at him with eyes so intense he was sure she could probably boil water with them. He noticed that her irises were red, but that was far from the strangest physical feature he had seen in his time in the Multiverse.

"And why would you want to do that?" Ford asked, and the woman pursed her lips. "The rest of the Association isn't doing anything, sir. At least, they're not doing anything worthwhile." She answered, frustration leaking into her voice. She tightened her hands into fists, and she stared right into his eyes. There was something behind her words that told Ford that she was being serious.

"And you... You're actually planning on doing something other than stop pointless rabble. Planning to go to the root of the problem." She added, swallowing deeply. "Please sir, I want to help you destroy Cipher."

Ford frowned. The thought of the barely started quantum destabilizer in his room filled his mind. Was it possible that this... child... knew about it? How did she find out?

"Unfortunately, I do not know what you are talking about. We're all trying to destroy Cipher." He said, watching her determined expression turn into anger. "And, you are just a child."

He... probably shouldn't have said that. The woman bore her teeth at him for a second, then said, "I was only a child when Bill destroyed my dimension." She hissed, "That was six years ago. I'm twenty-three now." She crossed her arms and glared at him. "And, I believe that you will find that I can help you. I know a thing or two about molecular destabilization."

Ford scanned her up and down. Her black coat hung almost limply over her thin body, there was a tiredness in her complexion that reminded him of himself almost. He had little doubt that Bill would do what she said he did.

"Can you keep up?" Was all he said after that. She nodded, then held a hand out to him, which he shook. "Colonel Stanford Pines," She said, continuing to watch his face. "I'm Lieutenant Kacy Zenith. Dimension H-23'/. It will be a pleasure to be your partner."

"Uh... Ford? Are you okay?"

Mabel watched her great uncle move closer to his brother. Her newest Grunkle dropped his hand down from the portal and turned back to face the four other people in the room. Her eyes caught a golden glint of a badge on his right shoulder, but it disappeared once he stopped moving.

"I'm fine." He said, but it sounded like a lie. Mabel bit her lip and stayed quiet. Ford clenched and unclenched his left hand in and out of a fist. Stan folded his arms and mumbled, "Uh-huh. Who's Zenith? What happened? What was on the other side?"

Ford narrowed his eyes at Stan, then reached into his coat and pulled out a small book. He opened it and revealed a hexagon-shaped medal. "The ACA." He said with finality, and Stan nodded like it made sense. Ford put his badge back in his coat and folded his arms. "Zenith is my part..." He didn't finish his sentence, he had noticed something from behind Stan.

"Stanley, you didn't tell me that there were children here." He said, almost sheepishly, he adjusted his glasses and stepped up to stand next to his brother, who spun around.

Mabel watched the two of them with fascination. They looked practically identical. "They're your family Poindexter," Stan said, waving a hand at Dipper and Mabel. "Shermie's grandkids."

"And the rodent-man?" Ford asked, flashing the kids a small smile. Stan chuckled slightly and said, "That's my repairman, Soos."

Ford looked over at his brother and raised an eyebrow. "Zeus?" he asked, "Like the lightning god?" Stan rolled his eyes, "No. Soos, S-O-O-S. It's short for Jesus."

He watched his brother nod, and then he stepped towards Dipper and Mabel, reaching down and shaking the girl's hand. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said, and Mabel smiled up at him. "Wow. A six-fingered handshake. That's a full finger friendlier than normal."

A small grin appeared on Ford's face. He bit his lip for a second, then pointed his free hand's pointer finger at her, "I like this kid. She's weird." Stan agreed with his assessment. Then Dipper chimed in.

"You're the Author of the Journals! You... I don't... I can't believe you're actually here!" Said Author looked over at the boy, and dropped Mabel's hand.

"You read my Journals?" Ford asked, pulling out the first one from out of his coat pocket. Dipper's eyes widened and he nodded, "I didn't just read them. I've lived them! I have so many questions... Oh man," He suddenly bent over, placing his hands on his knees. "I think I might throw up."

Ford nodded, biting the inside of his lip. He watched Mabel rush over to her brother and place a comforting hand on his back. Mabel looked up at him and smiled welcomingly. Ford could get used to this kid. He could probably get used to both of them, if what that kid had said was true he probably would like spending time with Ford.

"So... What are we doing here again?!"

Kacy nearly had to yell in order to be heard. They were standing on the deepest/tallest mountain in the paradox dimension. Ford had pulled some strings and had gotten the battle-ready Lieutenant permission to become his partner. Let's just say that the generals weren't exactly thrilled to let her have such a high position. Not that they cared very much for the individual soldier, Axolotl knows they had too much to deal with outside of the ACA.

"We're getting Now-you-see-it-now-you-don'tium!" Ford yelled back, he pulled his standard order mask over his face. The burning/freezing snow nearly blinded him anyway, even more than usual. Kacy nodded, then pulled her own full-face mask on.

"And how will I know what to look for?!" She called out as he took a step away from him. Ford looked back at her and pulled a small mechanical device out of his pocket. "This will tell us when we find it." He responded, and waved for her to follow him. The scanner's screen turned on, and a tiny green light began to blink at the top of it and a bit to the left.

"There." Ford said, pointing in the direction that the scanner indicated. "That way."

Kacy smiled under her mask, "Let's go then." She pushed past Ford, and called back towards him, "And... Try to keep up, will you Pines?"

Ford smiled right back at her.

"This is my favorite game in the whole Multiverse!"

Stan and Ford had explained their backstory to the kids, and Ford had already decided on his plan for the summer. He'd stay in the basement, keep the rift safe, and dismantle the portal.

With every piece he took off he felt like he was killing a small part of him. He knew that Kacy would do the same if their positions were switched, but... It still felt wrong. It felt like he was giving up on her. She was most likely trapped in the Nightmare Realm, and to bring her into this dimension would be to bring Bill there as well, then her sacrifice would be worthless.

When he found the Cycloptopus in the basement he jumped on the opportunity to distract himself. He didn't know what had drawn him up into the gift shop, but he had ended up in there, just when his family was relaxing.

He had quickly stunned the beast, and his nephew had offered his assistance. Something that Ford almost immediately declined. Dipper was only twelve. Dipper had no idea what he was messing with. Dipper was the kind of person that Ford could become attached to. Dipper was one of the few people Ford would not allow himself to put in danger.

But, only a few hours later, there Dipper was. Ford had been brought into the control room by the sound of something breaking, and a small voice letting out a terrified scream. There, kneeling right next to the Cycloptopus, was Dipper, reaching his hand out towards the creature.

Ford was just about to lecture the boy when he noticed the object his nephew was holding. A thirty-eight sided die. From his favorite game ever. There was only one thing to do.

The next thing Ford knew, he was sitting cross-legged on his floor, the game spread out in front of him. Memories of the gambling dimension that Kacy had illegally dragged him to were brought to the front of his mind, but he ignored them. A quick twenty-minute rereading of the rules brought an old sense of freedom back into him, but was quickly squashed by a glance behind where Dipper was sitting. At the place where a black billfold sat.

Kacy's badge.

"Any family Pines?"

Ford knew the question would be coming. He was sitting in the break room, sorting out his paperwork that Kacy was supposed to be doing, but he wanted to have turned in on time. She would do it, on her own schedule.

"I know of at least four. In my immediate of course." Ford said, not really paying attention to what he was saying. He made sure that a picture of a sea urchin-like creature was stapled to the correct creature description. "My parents, and two brothers."

Kacy nodded, she sat on the edge of their shared table, a can of instant coffee in her left hand. Her right one held a small object, one she was usually seen rubbing, and she sighed and took another sip.

"I used to have a brother." She said, her tone melancholy. "He was the one you-know-who tricked into building a portal."

At that, Ford looked up from his paperwork, his eyes widened and he watched her kick one booted foot out. "Yeah," She said, sticking the contents of her right hand into her pocket. "He was sort of a genius. He once built me a car when he was only sixteen. I of course was nine, so I never got to drive it, but it was cool." She looked over at Ford and smiled sadly. "I miss him so much. Just like your family must miss you."

She looked confused when Ford shrunk back a little. He bit his lip and shook his head. "They won't miss me." He mumbled, and Kacy raised her eyebrows.

"I estranged myself from my parents and younger brother," Ford explained, starting to work on the paperwork again. "And my twin... He's another whole can of worms."

Kacy nodded, then said, "Go on..."

Ford began to explain his backstory. Every now and then a person would walk past them, most likely holding more paperwork or coffee, but none of them stayed to listen to the old man's sob story. Kacy would nod at the appropriate times, and when Ford finished she muttered, "Well. Now I know why you have trust issues."

Ford couldn't agree more.

Ford woke up that morning to Dipper telling him that the lightbulb in the dining room was out.

First, he asked if Stan was there, and why he wasn't already taking care of it. Dipper said that he and Mabel had been looking for Stan all morning, but hadn't been able to find him. Then Ford asked if there were any lightbulbs upstairs, and Dipper uncomfortably broke the news about Soos' new planetarium suit. There was only one thing to do.

He brought Dipper over to the nearest flat surface and quickly drew up plans for a new kind of lightbulb. Then he and sent Dipper upstairs and told him that he'd join him in about twenty minutes.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later he had his lightbulb. Mabel and Soos were with Dipper in the kitchen, and Ford couldn't help but grin as he stepped up onto the table and quipped, "Let me shed a little light on our situation."

Just as soon as he had completely screwed the lightbulb in Stan walked into the room. Ford heard Mabel say, "You see this? This is what a hero looks like."

Stupid memories. Stupid Ford for not being able to save Kacy. Stupid Bill for being a Bill. Stupid Multiverse for taking so much from Ford.

"I... Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with." He said quickly, he stepped down onto the floor and brushed past Stan on the way out. "Good morning Stanley."

"After all these years, we finally have it finished." Ford smiled as Kacy lightly brushed her fingers over the quantum destabilizer. "I can't believe that this weapon can actually take down a Bill."

Ford raised his eyebrows. "A Bill? What do you mean?"

Kacy looked over at him, and shut the gun inside of its case. "You didn't think there was only one did you?" She asked, and Ford suddenly felt ill-equipped. There were more Bills? What... How? Why did that make so much sense?

"You really are the dumbest genius in the Multiverse, aren't you?" Kacy asked, watching Ford have his silent breakdown. "But it's okay. We'll just be spending the rest of our lives picking Bills off one by one, being heroes, and being awesome. Of course, we'll start with your Bill first, then we'll move to the others. Come on Pines, don't look at me like that."

Ford stared at his friend, his mouth open, the young woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "I just blew your mind, didn't I?"

"There are infinite Bills." He mumbled, and he held a hand up to his grey hair. Kacy nodded, then reached out to lay a hand on his left shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. We'll just learn how to take care of them quickly. Maybe after we figure out an effective way of destroying them, we can teach the other agents." She smiled comfortingly, "Do you need your therapeutic back pillow?"

The glare her partner sent her made her laugh. "Come on Pines, let's go blast Bill into oblivion!"

"Kids! Oh, I knew you two could do it!"

Ford lifted his niece and nephew up, squeezing them close to his chest. He didn't keep them in the hug for long, and he gently set them back down on the ground. He smiled down at them, then something clicked in his mind.

"Zenith!"

He rushed past a grumpy Stan, and slid to a kneel next to a figure lying right next to the wall.

Stan watched his brother kneel down next to a thin woman. He turned her over, obviously not feeling uncomfortable touching her. Stan had a million questions, but he didn't voice any of them.

"Come on Kacy... Wake up..." Ford held her in his arms, the young woman barely blinking her red eyes open. "P... Pines? You... You didn't scream as loud as last time."

Ford chuckled softly, "Yeah, I didn't." He responded, not noticing Dipper and Mabel move over to stand behind him. "Now Kacy..." His sentence was cut off by Kacy taking a strained breath and letting some of her black hair fall in her face.

"Kacy! Don't do this to me." He told her, shaking her slightly. Kacy muttered something, ending with "Tired", and Ford shook his head at her. "Kacy... Zenith! Don't die on me kid. As your commanding officer, I order you not to die!"

Kacy smiled up at him slightly, there were tears in the corners of her eyes, and she responded quietly with, "You know how well I... followed orders... Pines." She took one last raggedy breath, then her eyes closed, and she went limp in Ford's arms.

Ford stared in shock at his partner. She wasn't breathing anymore, and he had nothing to help treat her wounds with. There was nothing he could do. He had had his friend back for the briefest of moments, only to have Bill rip her away.

He didn't cry. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut and brought her body up next to his tilted head. He opened his eyes just in time to see a pale finger come straight towards them.

Then the finger landed on his nose, and he heard Kacy's voice say, "Boop!"

He shoved her away from him like she was a disgusting creature. She landed on the floor with a pained gasp, but Ford decided that she deserved it. He watched a very alive Kacy shove herself up and groan, "That actually hurt Ford!"

"You..." he hissed, standing up and glaring down at her. "Are an insufferable, bratty, child!"

Kacy just grinned. "It was worth it. And I'm thirty!"

Hello everybody! I'm back! Yay!

So... Kacy Zenith. And the ACA. Kacy has been referenced in two other chapters, and the ACA is something I thought up. I think it makes sense to have an organization with the sole purpose of destroying Bill Cipher. I hope you enjoyed both of them!

Kacy's brother builds the H-23'|'s portal. Then when Bill comes through and weirdifies everything the only person he could save was his little sister. Yup, no need for therapy over here. We're fine... Then, right before Ford goes through the portal, she isn't like, close enough or something, and so the only thing of her that comes through with him is her medal thing. But Bill brings her with all his Henchmaniacs, probably to see if torturing her will get Ford to talk...

Anyway, thanks for all the love! I hope all of you have a great day!

I don't really know what to say here. So... Pineapples!

-BrilliantLight