If there was one word to be used to explain the Multiverse, it would be this: Confusing.

So when Ford came back to his own dimension, he was sure he could put some... normalcy in his life. And sure enough, there Stan was (as if Stanley was 'normal'). His brother was in that suit that their dad had given Ford all those years ago, and he had that Holy Mackeral fez on. That brought memories back (namely the one where Stan got in trouble for wearing it without their dad's permission. That was a good two weeks spent cooped up in the house).

Ford had often contemplated what he would do when he saw Stan again (especially when he'd been captured and/or imprisoned), but he'd never really figured out what he'd do to his brother. Apologize again for burning him? Thank him for saving him? Yell at him for almost letting Bill into this dimension? Explain everything?

But before he knew it, he had his fist planted in Stan's jaw. His brother took a step back and yelled, "Ow! What..? That actually hurt!"

Anger and bitterness crept up on Ford. Stanley had left their dimension vulnerable to Bill! Stanley had restarted the portal, which could destroy the world! Stanley had blatantly ignored all of his warnings!

"This was an insanely risky move, restarting the portal!" Ford snapped, waving his hand towards the broken device. "Didn't you read my warnings?"

Stan scoffed, "Warnings shmor... Uh... What happened to your forehead?" He stared at the part of Ford's body that he had indicated, and Ford rubbed the top of his face with his left hand. "Nothing... I'm pretty sure." Ford answered, looking down at his hand, which looked exactly like it had before.

"Uh... Dipper?" Stan asked, and Ford shook his head slightly. "What did you just call me?" He asked, and watched as Stan's eyes widened. "Dipper... You are Dipper, right? Oh. You're going by Mason now, aren't you."

Ford blinked at Stan, "Mason? Dipper? What?" He asked, and Stan stared in shock at him. "Stanley... Are you okay?"

Stan began to breathe quickly, his jacketed chest rising and falling in a shallow pattern. "Dipper... You know me... But, you have to be Dipper! It's me! You just have to be Dipper!" He reached a hand out towards Ford, then he retracted it, holding it up to his fez. "You just have to be Dipper. Please just be joking. You have to be Dipper. You just have to be."

Ford watched Stan have his internal crisis. "Who are you?" Stan asked, looking into Ford's eyes, his breathing becoming more regular. Ford tilted his head away from him so that he could look at him from the corner of his eye. "I'm Ford... Remember?"

Stan laughed. Not a laugh that came from actually thinking that what Ford had said was funny. But a laugh that sounded slightly psychotic. Stan chuckled and dropped his hands to his sides.

"No way. You're Ford? You're Stanford?" He asked, his voice getting higher, Ford took a small step back and nodded. "You're Stanford Argyle Pines?!" Stan added, and Ford's eyes flicked to the right wall. "Um... My middle name is Filbrick... But yes."

What in the Multiverse was wrong with Stan?

If there was one word to describe Ford's day it would be... Horrible.

First off, Grunkle Mason had been arrested (something Ford was sure should have happened years ago, but I digress), then he and Mabel were almost sent to Child Protective Services, then his twin had come up with the great idea of crashing the vehicle they'd been in. Then they had discovered an actual doomsday device in the basement (which Ford hadn't even known about) of the Shack. Then he found out that the portal (doomsday device) could destroy the world, and that the Author had something to do with it.

Oh. Also, the other two Journals were in Mason's possession. But why on Earth was Grunkle Mason doing with the other two Journals? Why was he using the portal?!

Then, after Mabel had trusted Mason and not Ford, Mason said those fateful words. "The Author of the Journals. My brother." The Author of the Journals was Stanford's great uncle.

But the Author wasn't the Author. Or, at least, that's what Ford could gather from what Mason and he were talking about. The Author, this Dipper guy, wasn't the man who had exited the portal. Then he heard Mason say his entire name (thanks mom and dad for naming him after a type of sock), and everything made even less sense.

Mason spun around, and he stared at Ford, then he spun back towards the Author, whose eyes widened when he saw Ford and Mabel. Speaking of Mabel...

"Hey, yeah, uh... What on Earth is going on here!?" Mabel asked, raising her hand. Ford stared at the Author, who stared right back at him, then the old man froze, then stepped away from the kids.

"Alright, listen Stan, Stanford needs to get out of here." The Author said (who was Stan?), "I can explain later, but right now..."

He looked down at his hand, then back up at Ford. "But shouldn't the fabric of reality already be tearing? Wasn't that what Fiddleford said?" Ford watched as the Author reached into his jacket and pulled out the first Journal, and he stared at the blue cover with the silver pine tree, like it was the first time he'd ever seen it. "Alright... This is fine... This isn't the strangest thing that's ever happened to me."

"You're the Author of the Journals!" Ford blurted out, and he gained the attention of everyone in the room. Normally he'd shrink back and go quiet again, but this was something too important to him.

The Author squeezed his fingers tightly around the edges of the Journal. "In another world..." He said quietly, and Ford's mind went a bit blank.

"What... What do you mean?" He asked, taking a step towards the Author, who took another step back. "Grunkle Mason said you were the Author... You did write the Journals... Right?"

The Author glanced at Mason, who shrank back a little, a stunned look on his face. "I did write Journals... But not this specific one." Ford opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Mason said, "You're Ford... You're Stanford..."

Ford glanced at his Grunkle, then back at the man who looked almost exactly like Mason. "You're me? Wait. What?! That doesn't... I don't..."

Mabel made a high pitched noise. It was at a decibel Ford was sure only dogs should be allowed to hear, it was giving him sleep-over PTSD... Man. He better not let those letters dictate the rest of his life... He was the Author of the Journals... Stanford was the Author... But why hadn't he left any clues...

"You're me?" He asked, taking another step forward. The older version of him didn't move, but he nodded. "It appears so... I'm an alternate version of you..."

Ford nearly fainted.

If there was one thing better than one brother, it was two.

Now Mabel got two Stanfords! This was amazing! She didn't say anything like that to Mas- Stan. Apparently, Grunkle Mason was actually Grunkle Stan. He'd stolen the real Grunkle Mason's, who was the Author of the Journals, name. Ford was in a very similar situation to Mabel's. He wanted to meet the Author of the Journals that he had read, but an older version of him... It was just... Wow.

Mabel knew that although Stan tolerated Ford-2, or Stanford as he told them to call him, he missed Dipper deeply. The resentment in his voice whenever he talked to or about Stanford was... Well, it was noticeable.

At first, Ford and Stanford had avoided each other. Apparently, Stanford believed that if they made physical contact the universe would explode, but when they 'accidentally' bumped into each other one morning at breakfast (Mabel was a genius! All she had to do was shove Ford!) they discovered that their DNA or something was different enough that the universe didn't really care.

Of course, they still were... Well... Fords about this whole thing. Stanford was on his 'Dark, weird, road that he traveled', and Ford was... Well. Twelve.

That was, until DD&MD. The two of them literally started disappearing for hours on end. Mabel had to admit, she was jealous. Was it really her fault she just wasn't that nerdy?

"Ford! Stop!"

Stanford understood that the other version of himself wasn't even a teenager yet, but he had trusted him to at least have the common sense not to put his hand near a dangerous creature. Yet there Ford was, his hand clutching something, something small. He had nearly been able to touch that Cycloptopus, and Stanford was sure that he would not like to have that creature attached to him.

"What did I say about coming down here?" Stanford asked. It felt weird to lecture... himself, but it was something that needed to happen. He could almost recognize whatever was in Ford's hand, but it didn't matter. There was a look of fear in Ford's eyes, but Stanford knew he needed to cement the danger in his mind. "My work is far too dangerous for another single living soul to spend even one second..." It clicked. "Wait! Is that a thirty-eight sided die from Dungeons Dungeons and More Dungeons?!"

Ford's look of terror was replaced by one of shock and surprise. "Yeah! It is! You know that game?"

"With pen and paper, shield and sword," Stanford said seriously, and Ford's eyes lightened, and the two of them posed like they were giving a grand speech. "Our quest shall be out sweet reward!" The two of them finished, and then they shared a laugh, Ford's lasting just a bit longer. He shifted nervously, and Stanford decided to start the conversation about the pastime.

"This is my favorite game in the whole Multiverse!" He said, taking the die from the boy, sighing like he did every time they made contact and didn't destroy everything. "I didn't know they even made it here!"

"They do!" Ford said, rubbing his left sleeve. "And I've been looking everywhere for someone to play it with me!"

Stanford had an idea. A silly, yet perfect, idea. "Ford, do you know what this means?" He asked, in a grave tone. "We must stop everything I've been working on at once," He knelt down in front of Ford and took the book of rules that Ford handed him. "And play!"

The look Ford gave him was one of pure joy.

So... Stanford and Ford almost died that day. Who knew board games could be so dangerous. Well, Stanford's infinity sided die was dangerous, but Stan and Mabel saved them.

Stanford watched as Mabel gave Ford a huge hug once Probabilitor fazed back into his own dimension. Ford chuckled nervously and seemed uncomfortable, but he wrapped his arms around his sister briefly, and then shoved her away from him. He and Stanford made eye contact, but that only lasted for a fraction of a second.

Stan knelt down and apologized to Ford (but not Stanford mind you), and allowed him to spend as much time as he wanted with the other old man. Ford smiled at his Grunkle, then rubbed his arm. "You know... Not everything I do has to be nerdy."

Mabel gasped and grabbed the top of his right arm. "Oh no! That evil wizard must have taken a bite out of your brain already! Ford! Talk geeky to me!" Ford laughed, and Stanford shifted uncomfortably, watching the younger version of himself attempt to pick his sister up, but ultimately fail. He and Stan shared a look, and a knowing nod, and they followed the three children (who was this mysterious second girl who had joined them?) out of the forest, the children chanting "Duck-tec-tive! Duck-tec-tive!" over and over.

"Stanley, what is a 'Ducktective'?" Ford whispered about five minutes into their walk back to the Shack. "You'll have to see." Was his answer, and Ford silently cursed his bad luck.

When Ford had broken project mentum, on accident of course, Stanford had to come clean to him. It would never be an easy topic to speak about, you don't just recover from trauma like that, but Stanford knew he could find a way. He had rehearsed what he was going to say as he grabbed the two of them drinks, and he sat down next to the young boy, who seemed intent on burying his face in his palms.

"Ford... I want you to know something." Stanford said, rubbing a finger against the side of his can, the wetness from the cold chilling his hand. "Whatever you do in your life, you can't screw up as much as I have."

Ford looked into his eyes, then immediately looked away. "I don't know how. I got tricked by Bill once... He possessed me..."

"You're not the only one." Stanford said before Ford could continue. "And that was only a one-time deal. Being awake and possessed is different than the sleeping version. Trust me, I know." Ford looked up at him, then he rubbed the corner of his right eye. Stanford sighed.

"I had hit a roadblock in my research..." Stanford said, and then he began to delve into those lifechanging years of his life. Ford's eyes were wide, and he kept rubbing his hands together.

"And that's what happened to great-uncle Dipper?" He asked, and Stanford nodded. "I read that part in his Journal, and I must say it is terrifying if my hypothesis is correct." Stanford said, "It appears his Bill is quite different from mine. Details. But... If it is true then... Well, Bill's not the singularity that I believed he was."

"Oh man." Ford said, and Stanford nodded. "Oh man indeed."

"Did someone say 'Unicorn hair'!"

Stanford had misjudged Ford and Mabel's relationship. Apparently, Mabel was popular in a superficial way. Her only real friend was Ford, and everyone else who hung out with her was just there for her looks or her wacky ideas. Ford wasn't the best at explaining or understanding the complexity of the female 'race' as it were, and therefore had jumped at an opportunity to stay in Gravity Falls. The place where he actually fit in.

Six fingered nerd. Abnormal freak. Weirdo. Stanford and Ford shared that in common, and had little to no idea that Stan and Mabel had their own difficulties. Stanford figured that Mabel had it easy, she didn't have to live with his father (a fact that he had learned wasn't the best for a young impressionable mind), and she was a girl, that should have made it better.

But instead he was landed with Weirdmageddon. Ford was his apprentice, and Mabel was nowhere to be found.

Stanford was captured almost instantly. His own trigger finger acting up again. And he had no idea where either of the kids was. Bill tortured him to try to see if Stanford would reveal how to take Weirdmageddon global, but Stanford would rather die than do that. Not that Bill would let him have the sweet release of death.

Then, really before he knew it, there was his house, which had been turned into a giant robot, and there were only two people who could have come up with a brilliant idea like that.

"Yes! Bravo Ford and Mabel!" Stanford exclaimed, he had this thing where he liked to rub Bill's defeat in the triangle's face. Unfortunately, Bill didn't have his face pointed towards Stanford. And Bill came up with a plan.

"Would you look at that?" Bill said, turning around and glaring down at Stanford, his body enlarging to loom over the old man. "Those kids really care about you, and you care about them. Don't you?" Stanford froze, what could Bill mean. "What? Oh... Oh no..."

"What's more fun than torturing one Ford? Torturing two!" Bill exclaimed, and Stanford tried to rush after him as Bill started to head towards the window. "No! You ca-" Everything went black and numb again. Stanford knew that Ford and Mabel were strong, but would they be able to survive Bill's wrath? They didn't have anything that he wanted, except leverage with Stanford. How had he grown so attached to them?

He thought of those mornings spent having 'who can drink more Mabel-juice' contests with Ford and Mabel (it was always a tie between Stanford and Mabel, Ford gave up pretty quickly). He thought of playing DD&MD with Ford, and even having Mabel watch them every now and then. He thought about his plans for that school year with Ford, but he knew that he'd have to rethink those... If they ever got to see fall and winter.

Feeling returned to his feet, and he wasn't really expecting to see Ford and Mabel, but no Bill. "Kids!" He exclaimed, "Oh, I knew I could count on you two!" He kneeled down and picked the two of them up, not really caring that he probably smelled like burning plastic. Mabel wrapped and arm around him and said, "And we knew we could get you back!"

"Stanford, you said you knew of another way to defeat Bill?" Ford asked, right after Stanford had put the two of them down and had apologized to Fiddleford. Stanford seemed to have his thoughts snapped back in place (maybe because they were). "I... I do!" he said, his face brightening. "Now, does anyone have anything to draw with, a pencil, pen... Ah!" He spotted a can of spray paint lying on the floor. "Perfect!"

Ford, Mabel, Stan, and the other townsfolk watched Stanford draw a giant circle in the middle of the floor. "Uh... I know you're smart and all," Stan said, glancing out the window at where Bill was trying his best to obliterate the Shack. "But is now really the best time for art class?"

"This is much more than art class," Stanford said, folding his arms and admiring his handiwork. "This is what we're going to use to defeat Bill."

"What?" Pacifica said, and Ford looked over at her and shrugged, "The world's most confusing game of hopscotch?" Stanford sighed, "No. A zodiac. Although it would make a fun game of hopscotch."

"Ugh. I can't believe Stan and Mabel are going to die. Just because I couldn't figure out that I was the Pine Tree." Stanford glanced over at his younger counterpart, who was leaning against the side of their triangular prison. He tried to give him an encouraging smile, and he said, "Don't beat yourself up Ford, I didn't realize it either. It's really my fault. I'm proud of you..."

Ford sighed, and Stanford sat down next to him. "If I hadn't... If I had just..." He stopped talking when Stanford handed him a canteen, and he glanced up at the older man, who had a sad look on his face. "Please tell me this isn't alcohol."

Stanford laughed, "As if, I'm more responsible than that. It's water." Ford sighed and took a swig, sure enough, it was what Stanford said it was. He handed the canteen back to Stanford, who took one last drink, then put it back in his coat. "So... What are we going to do?" Ford asked, and Stanford sighed.

"I'm going to play the only card we have left." Stanford said, standing up and moving to the other side of the cage. "I'm going to let him into my mind. He might destroy the universe... But at least he'll probably let you and your family go."

"So you're just going to let him take over the world?!" Ford said, scrambling to his feet. "Isn't there anything else we can do?" Stanford shot him a pained look, and he said, "He's only weak in the mindscape, and I have this metal plate in my head, if I didn't we'd be able to just erase him the moment-"

Ford clenched his hands into fists, and Stanford stopped talking. "What if he went into my mind?" Ford asked, "I don't have that much stuff in there and..." Stanford shook his head. "There's nothing in your mind he wants Ford. I'm sorry. It has to be me." Stanford turned away from the boy, and glanced longingly out at the rest of the Fearamid.

"What if he thought there was?"

"Alright! Time's up!"

Bill, who was using his creature-of-nightmares form, came back into the main room of the Fearamid. He held Stan and Mabel in one of his hands, the old man and young girl looking scared but determined. The Fords watched him come closer. "You know what? I think I'm going to kill one of them. Just for the fun of it!" Bill exclaimed, and the Fords' glasses-covered eyes widened.

"Eeny, meeny, miny..." Bill shouted, his eye flashing between the Holy Mackeral symbol and Shooting Star. "You-"

"Wait!" Ford shouted, and Stanford looked over at the boy like he was crazy. "I know the equation!" Bill's eye returned to normal, and flashed between Stanford and Ford. Stanford gaped at Ford and exclaimed, "Ford! You can't!"

"It's my universe, not yours!" Ford said, jerking himself away from the other person in the cage. "And it's my family. You can get your own killed!" Bill laughed, dropping Stan and Mabel to the floor, and they landed with an 'Oof'. "Oh my. This is perfect!" Bill said, trapping Stan and Mabel in another pyramid cage, and releasing the Fords. Stanford was instantly tied to the ground by ropes, and Ford took a step towards the triangle.

Ford took a deep breath, then said calmly, "I only ask that you let my sister and uncle go." Bill laughed, and the newly formed triangle prison folded back into the floor. "It's a deal!" Bill said, and the two of them shook hands.

Ford was spun around by the shock of Bill's entrance, and that made it even harder for Stanford to do what he needed to do.

"Oh my goodness. Ford! That was amazing!"

The moment after Stanford blasted Ford with the memory ray Weirdmageddon started folding in on itself. All of Bill's weirdness started floating up into the rift in the sky, which dissipated as soon as the last of the weirdness was pulled in. What was left was 'regular' Gravity Falls, and the four Pines in the forest.

Ford blinked his eyes open, and stared dully at Mabel, who threw her arms around him. His cheeks flushed to the color of Stanford's sweater, and he started stammering incoherently.

"You really did it kiddo." Stan said, kneeling next to Mabel and beaming at his nephew. Ford and Stanford made eye contact, but Stanford looked away almost instantly.

"I... I did?" Ford said in a quiet tone. Mabel let go of him, and she nodded. "Yeah! You did!" Ford looked at Stan then Mabel again. "Did what?" Mabel froze, and she stared at Ford for a moment before saying. "Come on Ford. You know that's not funny."

Ford glanced around nervously. "It's not? Who are you talking to? What's going..."

"I had to erase his memory to defeat Bill." Stanford said, grabbing Mabel's shoulder before she could fling herself on her brother. Stanley straightened and took a step back, watching his nephew run a hand through his hair. "He saved the world... And he doesn't even know it." Stanford passed Mabel off to Stan, and took a step towards Ford.

He kneeled down in front of the boy, and said. "He saved me. You... You're ten times the Ford I am." He sniffed. "You're our hero Stanford." Ford blinked when Stanford wrapped his arms around him. "You're my hero."

"Um... Thank you?"

Luckily, since the effects of the memory ray are easily reversed when it hasn't been that long, Ford recovered almost all of his memories. He still had a few gaps here and there, mostly dealing with a specific equilateral triangle, but other than that he was normal.

He found it fascinating when he learned that he and Stanford were the same person, and he had to be reminded why he couldn't stay in Gravity Falls, AKA his parents. And why on Earth Stanford told him that he was impressed with him every five minutes. But Ford was perfectly fine with it.

He and Mabel left on their birthday, and Stanford gave Ford the Journals. "You earned them kid."

Time for home.

Hello guys! Boom! I'm here!

Before I get into everything else, let me give you guys some deleted scenes from this

During the whole Zodiac thing:

Gideon: "Whoo. An excuse to stand next to Mabel!"
Mabel: "Don't turn this into a big deal."
Gideon: "Oh I won't! *whispers* I will."
Stanford: "Hey! You leave my sister alone!"
Gideon: "What?"

"Whoa. I have six fingers on both of my hands. Do you have any idea how rare this is! Oh look, you have it too. I was unaware it ran in families. Wait. You're me!? What?!"

Back to me! I focused on Ford's relationship with himself more than Stan. Neither Ford knows Dipper, so they wouldn't really be able to talk to Stan (nor would Stan want to talk) about him. I see Stan shunning Stanford, and Stanford being like "Okay, I'll just hang out with Ford and Mabel. Sure you can use the mind control tie!"

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this! Thanks so much for everything! Have a great day!

-BrilliantLight