His hands were chained behind his back. The collar at his neck pressed against his tender skin, making it difficult to breathe. Bill was in front of him again, like he always was. Bill held a martini glass in his hand and a humored expression on what could be considered his 'face'.

Ford hated it. Ford hated every bit of it.

"I'll never give you the equation." He spat, glaring at the triangular demon in front of him. Bill sighed, his tone holding a semblance of sadness. But that was impossible, Bill didn't have emotions like that. All he knew was pain. Or at least that was what he wanted Ford to think. In Bill's free hand the end of the blue chains attached to Ford's wrists appeared. Bill watched him with pity in his eye and snapped his fingers over the chains.

Ford's arms instantly flew up, the chain now attached to the ceiling. He suddenly was keenly aware of how Bill's eye was trailing over his body. Looking him up and down, and up, and down...

Bill's recently freed hand reached out and trailed a finger down Ford's cheek, making the man shiver. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening... No... Please! Not again! "Maybe not now..." the triangle said, swirling his glass with one hand and caressing Ford with the other. "But soon Fordsie, you'll tell me everything. You can't help yourself." Ford repressed a whimper, desiring to prove the demon wrong and forcing himself to just stare forward blankly.

"For weirdness sakes Ford, you're so tense..." Bill said, sprouting a new hand in a flash and starting to rub circles into his shoulders. "You should really learn," he leaned forward, his time-punch-scented breath causing Ford to wrinkle his nose and gasp at the same time. "How to be flexible." Ford squeezed his eyes shut as a fourth hand started to tip-toe down his spine. This wasn't happening... This wasn't happening...

A circle of huffed air blew against Ford's hair. "Oh, but it is Fordsie... I'm here, with you. This can all end... if you tell me that pesky little equation..." Bill's voice was smooth, caring, and (dare Ford say it?) seductive. Another hand began to grab his hair, tilting his face towards Bill. This couldn't... No! No... No... No... Ford could feel his lips quivering. This was real... but please... Let this just stop... Just abandon your 'morality' and tell Bill...

No. He couldn't do that to... to... to... to Dipper... to Mabel... to Stan... to Dipper... Oh Dipper he's so sorry he's not-

"Great uncle Ford? Grunkle Ford! Wake up!"

Ford's eyes snapped open. His hands were shaking, trapped under his head, which was resting on his desk. Breathing heavily he looked around, tingles from Bill still lingering on his person. Where was he? Had Dipper come to rescue him? Where was Bill? Wait.

"Dipper?" he asked, sounding groggy as he lifted his head. His hands weren't shackled anymore, and his neck didn't hurt. Where was... Was this his private study?

The memories of the past year came crashing down on him. He wasn't in the Fearamid with an insane triangle willing to do anything to get the equation, he was in his home, spending the summer with his family. He had been rescued, he had killed Bill, he had traveled all around the arctic with Stan on the boat of their dreams. He was safe... Oh, how good it felt to be able to think that and know it was true.

In front of him was his young nephew, staring at him with brown eyes filled with fear and concern. Like he should. Fear should be the normal reaction to seeing Ford. But he wasn't used to Dipper of all people looking at him like that. He needed to be strong for his young nephew. Dipper was barely a teenager! He shouldn't be worrying about Ford.

"Great uncle Ford, you were... You were having a nightmare." Dipper said, a blush appearing on his cheeks and shame washing over his face. "You were talking in your sleep."

Ford felt all the blood drain from his face and Dipper shifted nervously. "I see..." Ford said, trying to maintain his cool composure. "And... Uh... What was I saying?" Dipper gulped, rubbing his arm and avoiding eye contact with his uncle. "Well... you were mostly saying 'No' over and over again." Ford nodded, looking down at his hands. Hands. He could vaguely feel Bill's hands on him. "Anything else troubling?" He mustered up the courage to say. Dipper shook his head, "Just 'No' and 'This isn't happening'. I think you were trying to wake yourself up."

Ford couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. There was truth in Dipper's eyes, and Ford trusted that he was really repeating the extent of what Ford had said. "I must have," Ford said, running a hand through his hair. "Well, thank you for waking me up Dipper. Now," Not wanting to dwell on the unsavory topic for much longer he quickly decided to change it. "Is there anything I can help you with my boy?" His use of his pet name for Dipper made Ford feel slightly sick. How could he move on from a dream like that (feeling like he did) to talking to Dipper like it was old times?

Dipper nodded, his eyes still holding a bit of worry, but that was lost when Dipper said, "Well, I was wondering if you'd like to play some DD& more D... But if you're not up for it..." Ford blinked at him for a second, shook his head jerkily, then said, "I would love to Mason." Dipper blushed a tiny bit, then said, "Great! Thank you so much great- Uh... Grunkle Ford!"

The boy spun around, stole one last glance at Ford, then dashed out of the room to grab the game.

Ford watched his nephew disappear, then slumped down in his chair. Swallowing deeply he ran a hand down his face. What was wrong with him? This was his second Bill dream in less than a week! He had done his best to repress those memories. He was now Ford Pines, Grunkle, sailor, brother, friend... Not Stanford Pines, ex-possessed interdimensional outlaw. He shouldn't be having dreams like this...

This was bad. Ford was bad. He definitely shouldn't be worrying Dipper or Mabel about stuff like this. Yet somehow he had succeeded in doing that without even breaking the news to Stanley. Sure Stan knew he had nightmares, but he didn't know what they were about, and he definitely hadn't been present for them.

Ford swore to himself right there that he would do everything in his power to keep his family safe from these memories. He'd seal them up, insist that no one was around him when he slept, and tell them all to disregard anything that happened. There was absolutely no reason to tell them about his time in the Fearamid. When Bill had gotten close to sleep-

No. Ford wasn't going to think about that. His cheeks burned as he watched the door patiently, hoping that Dipper came only when he regained control of himself. For now he was the Author that had hung out with a boy and nerded out over their shared love of a game. He was innocent Ford Pines, not that... thing that Bill had played with.

No one needed to know.

Stanley knelt in front of him, his face tilted up towards Ford, eyes shut and a dazed stupor settling over his face rather than his usual animated expression. Ford felt his hands shaking. He looked down at them and saw the memory ray sitting in them, cold to the touch. Realizing what he had to do instantly he lifted to gun up and pointed it directly at his brother's face.

Shoving down memories and a choked sob Ford squeezed his eyes shut at the same time to pulled the trigger. He could almost hear Stan's scream as the ray met his mind at full force, obliterating any scrap of Stanley Pines from Ford's brother's mind. In his mind he heard the faintest whisper that this now made Ford a murderer, and that he had just committed fratricide. There was little he could do but his eyes shut even after he dropped the gun, hoping that tears weren't building up in them.

He only opened them again when he felt two strong hands shove his shoulders, and he was knocked to the ground on his back. Above him he saw the face of his brother, disheveled and looking almost exactly like Ford. Ford let out a yelp as one of Stan's hands flew out and wrapped around his throat, cutting off his breathing. Ford was stunned for another moment, before raising his hands and wrapping them around Stan's strong hand pressed firmly around his windpipe.

The most terrifying thing about the situation was Stan's eyes. They were a sickly yellow, and the pupils were slits, like a snake's, and... Bill...

"Did you really think that would kill me?" Bill/Stan asked, using Stan's free hand to pry Ford's off of the one on his neck. "You just created an empty vessel for me." A sickening smile sneaked onto his face as Ford's eyes widened. "Did you think you could really escape me Sixer? No. You won't. You never will." With a horrible realization, Ford suddenly knew that he was going to die. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't do anything besides watch as Bill used his brother's face to sneer at him. There was no escape... No escape... Just Bill... Bill... Bill...

Bill leaned over Ford and hissed into his ear, "You belong to ME Stanford Pines." Ford did his best to gulp, trying to get his hands back to his throat, to get Bill off of him, to get him out of his brother's body. Oh Stan... Oh Stan...

"S- Sor- Sorry... I'm sorry..." he spluttered out, eyes brimming with tears. Bill smiled down at him, pressing Ford's hands down on his stomach and saying, "You should be. You tried to get away... Now..."

The second his lips touched Ford's ear Ford shivered. He couldn't breathe, he had Bill, in Stan's body, on top of him, he was pinned to the floor, Dipper and Mabel were watching all of this. Oh Axolotl, Dipper and Mabel were watching this! What could possibly be going through their heads...

As if on cue a shout came from Mabel. Sweet, precious, caring, always understanding Mabel. A shout of fear, and disgust. "Grunkle Ford! What are you letting him do to you?!" she asked, stepping up next to Stan. Her eyes looked dead as she stared at him, her brown eyes holding almost no emotion. No emotion except... Shame. She was ashamed of him.

"Mabel-" he gasped out as Bill lifted his head up away from him. "Mabel I'm- I-"

Bill/Stan let out a cold laugh, sounding like a mixture of their voices. "How right you are Shooting Star! What are you letting me do to you?" He blinked Stan's eyes innocently, like he wasn't strangling Ford to death. Ford squeezed his eyes, real tears gathering in his eyes as he heard a disgusted sound come from both Dipper and Mabel. Bill moved his head down again, hovering Stan's face just above Ford's, "Look at how upset they are, now that they know what type of person you've become."

Did Ford want this? Was this really to be his fate? Dying at the hands of Bill, staring up into his brother's face? There was a hungry look in Bill's eyes, and Ford felt his conscience give out right as the face of Stan... Oh Stan Ford was so sorry... So so so so so so so sorry. Stan's face... it came closer...

After a moment of pure darkness Ford's eyes snapped open. Was he dead? Was this the afterlife? If so then why did it smell so much like cheap cologne and sweat? There was something soft lying on his arms, placed there delicately. He realized with a start that he was lying in a bed, in a dark room, a blanket draped over him, and he blanched instantly. Bill hadn't killed him. He was in some new part of the Fearamid. Bill was going... Oh Axolotl. This was his life now, being Bill's pet and plaything...

"Sixer?"

Instantly he froze. Only Bill called him that. His breath grew hitched and shaky as he watched the face of his brother come into view. This was bad... This was so bad... Why did Bill have to do this? With Stan's body too? Please just go back to being a triangle! Ford had just started repairing his relationship with Stan, he couldn't have him do... whatever Bill had planned for him.

"Just go back..." Ford hissed, feeling pathetic. He coughed slightly, and tried not to do it again when Stan grew a confused expression. What was there to not understand? Bill claimed to be omnipotent, why couldn't he understand a simple statement from Ford? Oh Axolotl he was coming closer... he's reaching his hand out... He's... He's...

He watched silently, remorsefully as Stan placed a hand on his shoulder. Tension ran through his body and he stiffened immediately. "Stanford," Stan said, and... Bill was using his voice... "Ford. Are you okay? You weren't breathing there for a minute." Ford shivered, trying not to think of the hand pressed against his shoulder. "Please..." he whispered, then everything snapped into place once again.

The reason Stan was using his voice? Well, it was Stan not Bill. He cared about Ford because he cared about Ford. He wasn't in the Fearamid, he was at his house. He had defeated Bill and kept his brother. Bill was gone. Bill was gone. Gone gone gone gone gone...

"Stanley." he said, blinking for the first time in a while. Stan gave him a confused look. "Yeah?" He asked as Ford sat up and pushed his hand off of him. "I'm sorry for scaring you," Ford said, reaching over to the side table and grabbing his glasses before shoving them onto his face. "It was just a bad dream, I'm fine now." Stan cocked an eyebrow at him, crossing his arms and glaring down at Ford. "Uh-huh," he said in a disbelieving tone. "Yeah right."

Shoving himself off of the bed Ford did his best to not make eye contact with his twin. "Yes. I'm fine, nothing I haven't been through before." A lie. Ford had just lied to Stanley. But hey, Stan did it to him all of the time, so why couldn't Ford do the same ? There was no need for Stan to know about... that. Was it true what dream-Bill had said, was he letting Bill do this to him?

His brother seemed discontent with Ford's answer, but didn't say anything as Ford grabbed his coat from off of his side chair. Ford kept his eyes on the ground the entire time, sliding the coat onto his shoulders, turning towards Stan and opening his mouth to say something, but snapping it shut before he could. Stan's eyes trailed him as Ford stepped out of the room, and made his way down the hall.

Ford didn't know what to do. He wanted to be alone, he wanted to talk to Stan, but not about his dream. But also about his dream. But Stan would never see him the same way again. What would Stan even say when he heard that Ford had these types of experiences? There was no doubt he'd be upset.

Walking through the Shack he saw that the sun was already shining. He must have slept later in than he was expecting. Clearing his expression of any unfavorableness he made his way silently to the kitchen, listening to the faint sounds of Soos leading a Mystery Tour in the background. Upon reaching the kitchen he was met with his niece, nephew, and a strange woman he had never seen before.

"Grunkle Ford!" Mabel cried, practically launching herself across the room and wrapping her arms around him. Almost immediately regretting his decision to go get breakfast Ford put on his best fake smile and patted the girls back. What are you letting Bill do to you? echoed through his mind as he stared down at Mabel's hair, and did his best to not stiffen noticeably in her embrace.

After a few moments Mabel released him and turned back to her brother and the woman, who was in the same kind of t-shirt Soos had been wearing the year prior. Mabel grabbed Ford's hand, disregarding his little gasp at her touch, and beamed at her. "Melody, this is my Grunkle Stanford! Grunkle Stan's twin brother! You know how Soos talks about a 'Dr. Pines'? Well, this is him!"

She pulled on Ford's hand, signifying that she wanted him to step forward. 'Melody' smiled at him, not quite as intense as the ones Mabel gave him, but still nice. "It's nice to meet you doctor Pines, I'm Melody... Er... You might know me as Soos' girlfriend." Her brown eyes held a warmth Ford hadn't seen in quite some time, her brown hair came to just around her shoulders, and she definitely looked like the kind of person Soos would pick to date. She held a small hand out to him, and Mabel dropped his just in time for him to shake it. "Greetings." he said, stealing a look at Mabel, "But please, call me Ford. I'm afraid 'Doctor Pines' was a thirty-year-old idiot with too many for his own good."

Melody laughed as she dropped his hand. "Got it Ford," she threw her own glance at the thirteen-year-old girl, who smiled at them innocently. "Well, Dipper and Mabel were just telling me about the time the four of you defeated 'Probabiltor the Annoying'. I must say, the imaginations the young folks have these days..." she threw him a wink as Mabel groaned. "I'm telling you Mel! It was real! Ask Grunkle Ford!"

Ford blinked at Mabel, then back at Melody. "You must excuse me, I'm afraid that although my mind is knowledgeable, I must have coffee before I can access anything inside of it." Melody nodded, stepping aside as Ford came up to the counter and began to busy himself with making his drink.

Hello again. Can't believe it's been a week already. Thanks to DartDart for the review, Biancamanda16, dandelion26, CakePhoenixMeeks, and emyy250 for the follow/faves. You guys are awesome.

This is a combination/edited version of the second and third chapters, because I write them short!

Have a good day.

-BrilliantLight