Disclaimers: I do not own Gravity Falls

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading and enjoy!

In to The Woods (Part 2)

(Back with Stan…)

The going got rougher the longer they traveled down the beaten path that was marked in the journal. However, the group was determined to stay on the marked path.

And the reason why soon greeted them.

Stan stopped at the fork in the road that Ford had spoken of earlier in the tree house. The right path lead to safety, and the left path, well it lead to some unsettling creatures.

Fiddleford looked left, and instantly regretted it. "Uh guys." He pointed to the tree line straight across from them.

Everyone followed his finger, and froze in fear as a dark outline of bearded scrawny man with blood red eyes could be seen standing there.

"Is that?" Stan managed to ask.

Suddenly the creature flashed a crooked toothy grin, it stepped forward and blue grass music began to play.

"Stanley drive!" Ford ordered.

Stan didn't hesitate, he hit the gas petal hard, and the four friends went speeding down the right sided path, with Steve racing behind.

Ford dared to turn around, and was relieved to see that the Kill Billy was not pursuing them. He wondered why it didn't risk straying too far from its own territory. 'Maybe they stay where it's safe, because there are things out here that not even they want to mess with.' He thought.

He knew the reasoning made sense, but it gave him little comfort. After all, if a blood sucking Hillbilly was scared to be on this side of the path, then shouldn't they be too?

Ford opened the journal again, hoping he didn't skip over some majorly dangerous creature. But the only territory that was between them and the Tree people was the Gnome territory.

"Whatcha reading bro?" Stan asked.

"Just checking for dangers." Ford answered honestly.

"Dangers?" Fiddleford asked.

"Yeah, that Kill Billy didn't follow us, it must be scared of something. Otherwise it wouldn't have passed up on such an easy meal."

"Okay so what territory are we in?" Heather asked.

"That's just it." Ford said. "The journal says were in the Gnome territory."

"You mean the dwarf creatures with the pointy hats, and white beards?" Fiddleford asked.

"Exactly." Ford said, reading the page.

Stan looked over his shoulder. "They don't look that scary."

And it was true, the Gnomes actually looked cute, and the journal itself said Danger unknown.

Ford began to read the page. "Gnomes, little bearded men of the Gravity Falls forest. Weaknesses, unknown."

"Maybe it's nothing." Fiddleford said interrupting him.

"Of course it's nothing." Stan cut in. "Who would be afraid of a bunch of Gnomes?"

"Yeah besides maybe the Kill Billy was just scared of Steve's large size." Heather pointed out.

"Oh well I didn't think about that." Ford admitted. "You're probably right."

"Of course we are, now put the book away you're making yourself nerdier by the second." Stan teased.

"You're just jealous because I'm the smart one." Ford teased right back.

"Ha, that's where you're wrong bro." Stan countered. "Who wants to be the smart one when you can be the fun one; like me!"

"I'm beginning to see why he needs you around." Heather joked.

The friends laughed, all but Stan who gave them a playful glare.

Ford laughed, finding himself relaxing for the first time since the trip began. Maybe they were right, maybe there really wasn't anything to worry about.

However, what Ford didn't know that hidden within the brush, behind them was four little man with red pointing hates.

"Children in the forest?" One asked the other.

"This is perfect, Just one will be enough." Another said.

"But which one?" the third asked.

"How about the girl?" the fourth asked.

"Are you mad?" The first screamed. "If we bring a girl the Queen will think we are trying to replace her."

"Yeah we do not want to insult our Queen, Mike!" The second Gnome growled.

"What about the tall one?" The third suggested.

"Too scrawny." The fourth, Mike argued.

"The driver?" The first suggested.

"He's too sweaty, and gross." The second countered.

"I guess that leaves his dorky looking twin." Mike said.

"He'll have to do." The first agreed. "Our queen cannot hold out much longer."

"Very well." Mike said. "Let us hurry and tell Jeff we have found our target."

"You three go." The second said. "I will track them so we do not lose their trail."

"Very good then." The first said. "Send us a messenger squirrel when they have set up camp."

"Do you think they will?" the third asked.

"Yes it will be dark soon." The first said. "Only foolish humans with a death wish travel these forest at night."

All the gnomes seemed to nod their agreements before going their separate ways. The first three ran deeper into the thicket to alert Jeff of the outsiders' arrival. As the second gnome began to waddle down the path that the children had gone.

All four were very excited as they hurried along, and for good reason.

Finally, their queen would soon have the relief she needed.

(Back with Ford…)

It was dusk by the time the friends, and Steve reached the clearing that was said to be the home of the tree people.

"Where are they?" Heather asked as they reached the clearing.

Ford's heart fell as he realized that the clearing was empty. "Maybe they live in a cave, or an underground city." He thought.

Suddenly a tree begins to move towards them.

No one seems to notice, suddenly more trees start to close in…still no one seems to sense anything is up.

"Maybe we missed a turn." Stan suggested.

"We can't miss a turn Stanley." Ford snapped. "It's a straight path!" he assured him, pouring over the journal.

"Okay so maybe they moved on since the Author documented them." Fiddleford suggested.

Ford knew his friend might have a point, but the sad look on Heather's face made him want to search harder. 'I can't let her down!' he panicked, searching the page for any indication of where they were.

"It's okay Ford." Heather assured him. "You tried."

Ford bit his lip, only one thought registered in his mind. 'I am so going to be stuck in the friend Zone for this.' Suddenly he noticed it was darker than it was just moments before, almost like they had stepped into the shade.

Or more importantly the shade had stepped over towards them.

"Guys wasn't this clearing bigger?" Heather asked.

"What clearing?" Stan asked.

He had a point, it looked like they had teleported back into the woods.

But they hadn't moved…

Ford gulped as it dawns on him. "Guys I don't think we're alone."

Suddenly a large tree, the largest of them all lifted its roots out of the ground, and the children gasped as they noticed the roots were feet.

The tree began to transform before their eyes, looking less like a tree, and more like a man made of a tree. It stops only inches from the friends. They all huddled on top of the Golf Cart in a desperate attempt to feel safe.

It didn't help much.

"I am Bark Heart." The Tree man said. "Chief of the tree people, why have you come here?"

For a moment none of them can find their voices.

"Well?" Bark Heart said in a booming voice.

"Hu we came to return one of your kids…" Heather finally piped up, her voice was barley a squeak.

Suddenly Steve comes bursting onto the scene, where he was before Ford can only imagine.

"Daddy?" Stave asked almost hopefully.

Just then another tree transformed, this one was female, or Ford could only guess so since she had a female like voice.

"Oh my little Tree Sap!" She exclaimed running over to Steve, and throwing her arms around her. "Oh I thought we lost you forever!"

"Mommy." Steve cried, bringing tears to the children's eyes.

"It's alright everyone." The Chief, Bark Heart said. "They are friends."

Suddenly all the trees around them transformed and came to life.

Many rushed over to Steve, or Tree Sap as the called him, welcoming him home.

"Sorry for the scare." Chief Bark Heart said. "Can't be too careful with lumber jacks and all. You understand of course."

The children nodded, fearing what would happen if they didn't agree.

Chief Bark Heart laughed full heartedly. "You humans remind me of a young fellow I met once." He mused. "He was human too."

"Really?" Stan asked. "Did he carry an old Journal around like this?" he asked pulling out the journal from Ford's shirt pocket.

"Yes, that's the one." Steve's mother said, joining them. "He was always in these woods that man."

"Smashed his car once." Chief Bark Heart admitted, "Completely by accident of course." He assured them.

"Did you ever get his name?" Ford asked hopefully.

"Afraid not." Steve's mother said. "He tried to communicate with us once, and well Green Leaf threw a deer at him, and that was the end of that."

Ford sighed he had hoped they could have learned more about the Author here.

Stan gave him an encouraging punch on the arm. "Don't worry bro, maybe other creatures have talked to him while he was studying them."

"Yeah your right." Ford agreed.

"Well we should go find a place to set up camp." Heather advised.

"You are welcomed to stay in our clearing." Chief Bark Heart offered.

"Thanks we would love to." Ford said, excepting their offer.

"We'll be leaving pretty early though." Heather said mostly to Steve. "So I guess we should say good bye now."

Steve scooped her up and hugged her gently

Heather hugged him back. "I'll miss you too buddy."

Ford watched as he held her a little longer before placing her back down.

"Goodnight." Heather said to him, before the four friends left to set up camp on the further side of the clearing. In no time at all they had a tent set up, one that had been thankfully nestled within the survival gear that Danny had provided. Once settled in the four dug into some of the food provided by the lumber jack teen.

Fiddleford shivered. "I'm freezing." He whispered.

"We can't build a fire." Heather whispered back. "It might insult Steve and his family."

"Than what do we do?" Stan asked. "I'm freezing my butt off here."

Ford pulled out the journal. "Maybe there's a creature that can help." He flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Perfect, this will work." He then pulled out a bag of marshmallows, and opened them.

"Bro how are marshmallows gonna keep us warm?" Stan snapped, obviously annoyed.

"Just watch." He said, throwing the marshmallow a few feet away from them.

For a moment nothing happened, and then suddenly a living campfire jumped out of the shrubs and scarfed down the marshmallow.

Ford shook the bag of marshmallows and upon seeing them the creature rushes over, walking like some sort of campfire spider creature. Ford threw it some more marshmallows and the fire like beast sat down beside them, making the group instantly warmer.

For a moment his brother and friends didn't know what to say, finally Heather got the nerve to ask. "What is this thing?"

"A Scampfire." Ford answered. "Their spiderlike beasts posing as campfires all over this forest, the journal says they like marshmallows."

"That is the coolest thing I ever saw." Fiddleford admitted.

"Yeah me too." Stan agreed. "And I once saw a dead rat floating in a bucket."

Ford gave him a look of disgust. "Ewe what is wrong with you?" He gave his brother a playful shove.

Stan simply laughs as his brother and his friends make faces of disgust. He is obviously thrilled that he was able to gross them all out.

The kids stayed up for a while after that, swopping stories, and taking turns feeding the Scampfire. Finally they all shared a yawn and curled up on a blanket that they found in Danny's bag.

Seconds later they were fast asleep.

"Finally." The second Gnome from earlier whispered as he emerged from the bushes. He creeps over to his target and jumps onto his stomach.

Ford groans as he feels a small weight on his belly. He slowly opens his eyes to see a little man in a pointy hat. "Hey you're one of those Gnomes." He whispered.

Suddenly more Gnomes emerged from the forest and closed in around him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" He asked.

"Yeah kid you can." A younger looking Gnome with a brown beard said. "I'm Jeff, and here we have Carson, Steve, and Jason." He pointed to each Gnome as he introduced them. "And... I'm sorry, I always forget your name." He said pointing to a much older looking Gnome that stood beside him.

"Schmebulock" The Gnome reminded him.

Jeff snaps his fingers. "Schmebulock! Yes!"

"Well I'm Stanford." Ford said. "But my friends call me Ford."

"Nice to meet yah kid." Jeff said.

"Okay hu, Can I help you with something?" Ford asked. He couldn't explain it, but he had a strange feeling about them being here.

"Well since you asked." Jeff said. "Long story short, we gnomes have a problem."

"Really?" Ford asked sitting up.

"Yes you see our queen is very sick." Jeff said.

"How awful." Ford whispered. "What happened?"

"Well you see our Queen is human like you." Jeff explained. "Unfortunately you humans don't live as long as we Gnomes do so we use magic to keep her young and pretty."

"Pretty, very pretty." The Gnomes chattered around them.

"Unfortunately the magic had a horrible side effect." Jeff laughed uneasily.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you." Ford said. "I'm just a kid, you need some kind of Sorcerer, or a doctor or something."

It's okay. We understand. We'll never forget you, Ford." Jeff said sadly.

Ford smiles.

"Because we're gonna kidnap you" he added.

"Wait…what?" Ford asked.

Jeff yells and jumps at him, and Ford screams as the Gnomes grab him by his feet, dragging him into the woods.

"Stanley!" He screams.

Stan wakes up just in time to see his brother being dragged off into the woods. "Ford!"

"What's going on?" Heather asked jumping to her feet.

"Something took Ford!" Stan exclaimed as Fiddleford jumped to his own feet. "It dragged him into the woods."

"Did you see what it was?" He asked.

"Who cares what it was we've got to save Ford!" Stan said, pulling out a flash light.

"But we have no idea what it is." Heather pointed out the obvious.

"It's probably a zombie." Stan said casually as he began to lead the way into the woods. "After my brother abnormally large brain."

"A…Z…zombie?" Fiddleford stuttered.

Heather shook her head. "Are you sure you saw him get dragged away?"

"Yeah maybe you just dreamed it, and he's using the bathroom or something." Fiddleford said hopefully.

Suddenly Ford's scream echoed around them.

"Does that sound like a dream to you?" Stan snapped running towards the scream.

"Stan wait!" Heather called, but it was too late he was gone.

"I have to save my brother!" He called.

"Yeah but what about a plan!" Heather called after him.

Nothing!

Heather groaned, throwing Fiddleford the keys to the Golf Cart. "Fids bring the Golf Cart, I'm going after them on foot."

"Okay!" Fiddleford answered, barley managing to catch the keys, before running back towards the Golf Cart. He packed up camp in a hurry, and Heather left him to it as she raced into the woods.

Another scream from Ford filled the night air causing her to run faster.

"We're coming Ford." She called, hoping to whoever was listening that they weren't already too late to save him.

-To Be Continued