I may end up editing the older chapters and combining them to make them a bit longer. IF I do, I can promise that you won't miss out on anything if you are up to date with the story, I just want to have longer chapters, I don't like writing chapters that are only 1,000 words and getting one out every day. Also, I'm not sure if there is a limit to chapters on a story, so I don't want to risk having to write a "sequel" to this that just continues the story until I feel like I'm ready to do something like that.

One final thing, I'm going to be writing a story for a user who requested it, so it may be around a week until the next update. That's why this chapter is nearly 10,000 words!

Here's chapter 20 of Welcome Home!

Ford pressed the button on the elevator and went inside. He wanted to leave the laboratory for a bit to get out of the awkward situation that he had helped cause. He didn't cause it completely, he just fed the fire.

He reached the top and came out of the vending machine. He looked at the clock and wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised that it was already 10:00PM. Surely the twins were asleep, and by he sound of the TV playing, he predicted Stan was in the living room. Sure enough, when he opened the Employees Only door, Stan was sitting in the chair by the TV.

Stan noticed Ford enter the room, but avoided eye contact. Ford didn't notice and greeted his brother. Stan scoffed and kept his eyes on the game show that was playing. "I've got nothin' to say to you." He stated, folding his arms and laughing at a man on the TV show who lost all of his earnings in the final round.

Ford sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I just wanted to say that you took what happened the wrong way." He said to the other. Stan rolled his eyes and glared at his brother.

"How can you take sleeping with a demon who tried to end the world not three months ago the wrong way?" He asked, and looked back at the TV.

Ford shook his head and sighed. "Bill over-exaggerated that bit." He tried, folding his arms. He didn't fail to notice his brother shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter if he exaggerated or not, Stanford," Stan stated, looking at Ford a bit more calm. "The point is you still let him stay with 'ya." In bed, at the same time. He thought to himself.

Ford nodded slowly. "I know, I know," He said with a groan. "I wasn't thinking, Stanley. It was 1:00 in the morning, and I was tired. He asked me to help him with the Rubik's cube, so I gave him a tip. Then I shut off the light, and he just stayed there. I didn't want to argue with him and wake you or the twins up."

Stan looked at his brother and could tell that he was telling the truth. He sighed, half-apologizing for the way he had taken the situation. "Oh yeah," Stan started. "About that Rubik's cube."

Ford bit his lip at the object that was going to be focused on in what Stan had to say. "One of those agents got fired and said that his company was gonna raid the shack if we don't give it back." He informed.

Stanford gasped and rubbed his hands together in alarm. Stan noticed the expression of alarm and tilted his head, turning the TV volume down. "Hey, what's with the face, sixer?"

"We can't give it back," Ford muttered. Stan was glad he had turned down the TV show beforehand, otherwise he wouldn't have heard what his brother had said.

Stan nodded, and his eyes widened. "You're right. We can't give it back."

Ford tilted his head. "Did Bill tell you what happened?" He asked.

Stan shook his head. "No, the fired agent, I think his name was Farm. No, Fred. Yeah, Fred," He started. "He said that the company stole it from the original owner, so we have to give it back, just not to the company that he was fired from."

Ford shook his head. "You don't understand, Stanley," He began. "It... broke." He said with a sigh.

"What?" Stan asked. He didn't sound livid or upset, just alarmed. "How did it break?" He questioned.

Ford ran a hand through his hair and looked at the ground. "Bill threw it against the wall." He informed.

Stan stood up and folded his arms. "Why?" He asked, applying force with his question.

"He thought it would help." Ford said, and noticed his brother glaring.

Stan shook his head, "That little troll," He muttered. He let his arms fall to his sides and he clenched his fists together. "I'm gonna' go give him a piece of my mind." He said, cracking his knuckles and walking towards the employees only door.

"Stanley, wait!" He exclaimed, moving in front of the door and putting his hands in front of him. "You don't understand what happened, at least let me explain the situation before you go after him." Ford asked. Stan huffed and stopped, looking at his brother with his hands on his hips.

"Remember when the cube illuminated a blue light when you were down there?" He asked. Stan nodded. "It opened. There was some sort of timer that was counting down. Bill assumed it was a bomb and wanted to stop the time from ticking down as soon as possible. So, he destroyed it and crushed it." Ford explained.

Stan squinted his eyes. "Maybe he knew that it was something good, and wanted to get rid of it!" He thought.

Ford gave him a look. "That doesn't make much sense," He muttered under his breath as Stan passed by him and walking through the door, fists clenched once more. "Stanley!" He cried, dashing around the corner to stop his brother. He grabbed Stan's wrist. Stan turned around and glared, jolting his arm away from the others grasp.

"Violence won't solve anything!" Ford tried, though it was no use. Stan unlocked the vending machine and bolted down the stairs. Ford called his brothers name once more and dashed down the stairs behind him, running towards the elevator. The elevator opened and Ford tripped on the last step, crashing into Stan and practically shoving him into the elevator unintentionally. Stan pressed the button once he was inside, attempting to get down to the basement before Ford got into the elevator with him.

Ford got up from the stone flooring quickly and placed his hands against the elevator door and the frame, pushing it open enough for him to force himself inside. Stan scoffed at the behavior and watched his brother jump towards the railing along the walls inside the elevator.

"You could have just waited for the elevator to come back." Stan stated. Ford shook his head and looked up at the elevator's ceiling, acting as if his guard was down. Stan noticed the bluffing and scoffed under his breath.

The elevator opened once it reached the bottom, and Bill looked over at the door to see who was entering. Bill sat in an office chair near a desk reading comics in a newspaper, and set it down when he noticed Stan walking towards him with his fists clenched.

"Fez," Bill started, alarmed. He got up out of his chair as Stan glared at Bill and put his hands in front of him, causing the demon to squeal in alarm.

Stan reached his arms over towards Bill and Ford ran up towards his brother, jumping atop him and wrapping his arms around his neck from behind.

"Stanford!" Stan exclaimed, trying to get the other off his back; literally.

Ford grunted and pushed his brother down to the ground, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back.

Stan turned his head and glared. "What are ya', some sort of cop comin' to arrest me?" He asked, not looking for an answer.

"I won't let you roughhouse down here, I already told you that violence wouldn't solve anything." Ford stated, getting on his knees and looking at Stan.

Stanley rolled his eyes and sat up once Ford let go of his wrists. "I wasn't gonna hurt him, I was gonna' go look at that Rubik's cube that got smashed."

Ford sighed. "You could have told me that earlier."

"I figured a smarty-pants like you would know that I wasn't gonna hurt the wimp."

Bill glared. "I can hear you." He stated, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

Stan stood up and looked at the smashed pieces that were the Rubik's cube. He put a hand on his head and grunted. "How are we supposed to fix that?" He asked.

"We could get a new one, a fake one." Bill suggested.

"That wouldn't work," Stan stated. "Only an idiot wouldn't be able to tell that It's not normal."

Ford shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Stanley. He might be on to something. It took us a week to figure out that it wasn't normal."

Stan rolled his eyes. "Alright, take your lovers idea then." He stated. Ford glared at his brothers words and shook his head. Stan looked at his brother, then down at the ground before he could notice his brothers face flushing. He rolled his eyes and snickered. "Relax, Pointdexter. I'm just joking around."

Bill laughed at Ford's facial expression. "Yeah, chill out, Sixer. No need to get all worked up."

Stan shrugged. "Do ya' think the replacement will work?" He questioned, and Ford nodded, even though he was unsure.

"I hope it does," Ford said. "If it doesn't, I'm not sure what else will work."

Bill's eyes shot open. "Sixer, can I go to the store with you to buy one?" He asked, hopefully. He was grinning from ear to ear and beaming in glee. Ford didn't know how he could possibly get out of this, and he would feel horrible for leaving him down in the basement again.

"I don't see why not." Ford said with a shrug. Bill squealed and threw his arms up above his head. Ford chuckled at the behavior and looked at Stan. "Do you need anything, Stanley?" He asked.

Stan folded his arms and tilted his head. "Don't you think It's a little late to go shopping?" He asked. Ford thought about it for a minute and remembered just what time it was.

"I suppose you're right," He admitted. "We'll go in the morning."

Bill sighed obnoxiously. "Lame," He stated.

Stan looked over at the demon and shot him a look. "Be happy you're even going." He told the other. He looked at Ford and waved goodbye, showing his way out to go back upstairs for the night.

Bill smirked and waved goodbye. "Oh please, take your time!" He exclaimed. Stan grunted, and decided not to look behind him as he walked over to the elevator.

"I'll be back, I'm going upstairs for a bit," Ford addressed, once Stan left.

Bill pouted. "Where are you going?" He asked.

Ford shrugged. "I'm just going to fill up the coffee filter for tomorrow morning so no one else has to." He stated, and walked over towards the elevator.

"Well in that case, I'm gonna' go crash for the night." Bill stated, and waved Ford away. Ford nodded and opened the elevator, getting inside. He looked inside his coat pocket and felt folded pieces of paper inside. He raised an eyebrow and took one out, unfolding it and reading the message. He rolled his eyes and chuckled, remembering that he had stuffed the notes Bill had written about getting the portal up and running again.

He shook his head and sighed, folding the note up again and putting it back inside his pocket along with the others. I almost forgot. He thought to himself. Ford still wasn't sure if he wanted to work on the portal and get it fixed, but he knew if he ever did, now wouldn't be the time. Certainly not now.

He opened the door to the vending machine and walked through the living room to walk into the kitchen. The TV had been turned off, and he assumed that Stanley had also gone to sleep. He walked into the kitchen and opened up a cupboard, looking for the crushed coffee beans.

Once he had put the coffee into the coffee maker, he considered watching a TV show. He walked over to the living room and turned on the TV for a moment, flipping through the channels.

"I should really find an interesting series to get in to, maybe it would take my mind off work all the time," He muttered to himself. He had considered it multiple times, but never got to actually finding a TV series to watch that he would be interested in.

He passed by the game show channel, and he stopped for a moment when he got onto the local news channel. He rolled his eyes at the story that was on the TV. "Who lets their hampster drink a milkshake?" Ford questioned. He was about to flip to the next channel, when he noticed an image of the shack up on the TV.

"Breaking news!" The news reporter began. "A special object has been stolen!" The woman exclaimed.

Ford's eyes shot open. "Oh no..," He exclaimed. Being that there was an image of the Mystery shack at the top of the screen, he was almost certain it was about the cube.

"A Rubik's cube has been stolen!" The woman stated. "We now have Agent Powers on the other line." She said, and through the speaker shown on the screen, you could hear the man mentioned yelling at the news reporter, saying 'That's Mr. Powers to you!'

Ford put a hand in his hair and shook his head. "This is bad." He muttered, his teeth clenched.

The woman spoke to Mr. Powers who was on the phone with the news station. "Agent- er, Mr. Powers, why do you need this object so desperately?" She questioned.

Mr. Powers waited a moment, then spoke, being careful with his words. "It's been stolen, why do you think we need it, Shandra?"

Shandra Jimenez cringed at the answer, then moved on to the next. "What is so important about this Rubik's cube? Wouldn't it be easier to buy a new one from the local mall?"

"It's important to me because I got it from another person," Mr. Powers stated carefully, making sure not to say too much information. "This cube is... special to me. It can't simply be replaced by some other cheap cube." He said, successfully making his reasoning sound personal as if the cube had effected his past in a special way.

Shandra nodded, even though the two were on the phone. "And why did you decide to take this news to live TV?" She questioned once more.

Mr. Powers took a pause, then laughed. "Because," He started, "I want everyone who has a heart to know that I would deeply appreciate it if you found this Rubik's cube and brought it back to me." He said, trying to sound as if he were upset. Shandra made a face, showing that she understood his deep concern.

"One final question," The news reporter asked. Mr. Powers encouraged her to ask it. "How can this cube specifically be identified? Is there a certain marking? Any person in this town could easily mistake a different cube for yours. How will the people looking know?"

Mr. Powers chuckled. "Oh," He began. "Someone will know." He stated, referencing to his ex worker, Fred. "I'm sure it will get spread around to... some people."

Shandra tilted her head. "Care to explain before we wrap this up?" She asked, and let out a sigh when he heard an obnoxious ringing on the other line, noting that the other had hung up the phone.

The news reporter got together the few papers that were in front of her atop her desk and took them in her hands. "That wraps up our main story of the hour. I'm Shandra Jimenez, and I hope to see this man back soon, along with his precious cube!" She joked, rhyming her last words of the night.

Ford's mouth hung open and he was frightened. He couldn't help but feel that the end of Mr. Powers interview was meant for two people, rather than just one when he mentioned 'some people.' He figured it was both Him and Fred that Powers was addressing.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He looked up at the clock and noticed that it was nearing 11:30. He sighed and shook his head. I have to deal with this tomorrow. I can't afford to be tired throughout this mess of a situation. He told himself.

Ford stood up from the couch and shut off the TV, sighing once more. He walked past the TV and went past the Employees only door to go back downstairs.

He typed in the code on the vending machine and was careful to stay quiet as he sped down the stairs. Once Ford got downstairs and waited for the elevator door to open, he looked around the room to see no one around. The room was quiet and he assumed Bill had gone to sleep whilst he was gone.

Ford walked over to the desk and looked down at the smashed Rubik's cube, groaning. I'm having second thoughts about this switching technique that Bill suggested. Surely Powers would try to open it or use it in order to make sure it wasn't a fake replacement.

Then again... Ford thought. Maybe he is unaware of how it opens, perhaps he wasn't certain of how to use the specific powers that it possesses. Er, possessed.

Ford took off his lab coat and placed it over on a coat rack near the desk, and walked over towards his makeshift bedroom. Ford turned the short corner and reached for his doorknob. He stopped himself and held the handle, squinting his eyes. I don't remember closing this earlier. He thought to himself. He assumed that age was finally getting to him, and he opened the door to his room. It was quiet and he reached for the light switch by the door until he heard a sneeze at the other side of the room.

He looked over towards his bed to where he heard the noise and saw Bill sleeping under the covers, his pillow against his torso with his arms wrapped around it. His face was hidden inside the pillow at the top of it as he slept, peaceful and quiet.

Nope. No, Nope! I'm not doing this again.

Ford didn't want to wake up the other man since he looked comfortable in his sleeping state, so Ford just sighed and face palmed, closing the door before the other woke up. Ford was going to go back upstairs to sleep in his other bedroom. His original bedroom. His not-so-usual-bedroom-anymore bedroom, now that he had gotten used to sleeping down in the laboratory. Maybe this was good for him, getting back to sleeping in the room he used to. He walked towards the elevator and waited for the door to open for him.


The next morning, Mabel woke up to see Dipper still asleep, about to fall off his bed. She smirked and considered walking over to wake him up or to scare him, but decided against it as she got off her bed and grabbed her hairbrush.

Once she got ready for the day, she went downstairs to the kitchen for some breakfast. She skipped into the kitchen where Stan stood, grabbing himself a cup of coffee.

"Hey, kiddo!" Stan exclaimed . Mabel smiled and waved a greeting, walking towards a cupboard to grab a cereal box. Stan looked over at his niece and cringed at her selection of cereal. "Hey, are ya' sure you wanna eat those?" He asked, concerned. Mabel raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in confusion. "I mean, last time you ate Fruity Pebbles, you dumped half the box in your bowl and you were bouncin' off the walls all day."

Mabel laughed awkwardly. "Yeah," She admitted, "That was a weird day."

"Agreed." Stan stated with a nod.

"Hey, Grunkle Stan?" Mabel addressed as she reached for a cereal bowl. Stan looked at Mabel to listen. "Have you seen Grunkle Ford?" She asked, looking around the room.

Stan shrugged. "I dunno', he's always down in that basement of his-" He informed, and was stopped when the figure being spoken about appeared by the door frame of the kitchen.

"I'm right here!" Ford stated with a chuckle. Mabel looked over and squealed, waving to the other. Ford waved back and smiled.

Mabel set down the cereal box on the table and turned to him. "Grunkle Ford, how come you've been so distant recently?" She asked. She knew the majority of the answer but wanted to make sure that he wasn't missing out on something important.

Ford shrugged. "Oh, I have been down in the laboratory more often recently, haven't I?" He said.

Mabel nodded and sighed, "Why, though?"

"Because," Ford started. "I've been occupied with some other things, sweetie."

Mabel folded her arms. "Occupied with who?" She asked, using her suspicious facial expression.

Ford opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, rethinking. Mabel laughed and rolled her eyes. "Just kidding, I know who," She informed with a smirk. "Where is he?" she asked, curious of where the dream demon was.

"Bill?" Ford asked, and Mabel nodded. "He's down in the lab."

Mabel sighed obnoxiously and groaned. "When can he come up here?" She wondered. "Just because he's a bad guy doesn't mean he can be cooped up in the basement!" She said, putting a hand on her heart. "Can I please see him today, Grunkle Ford? Please, Please?" She practically begged the man.

Ford shrugged his shoulders, not knowing how to decline the request. "I don't see why not." He said with a smile. Mabel beamed in excitement and ran up to Ford with her arms extended, hugging onto his legs tight.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Thank you Grunkle Ford!"

Ford chuckled at the behavior and ruffled her hair for a moment. Stan took a sip of his coffee and sighed. "I don't know, Sixer," Stan started. Ford looked up at his brother. "Don't ya' think he could hurt one of the kids?"

"I'll be with him." Ford assured. Stan shrugged, unsure if it was a very good idea but, he trusted his brother to keep the kids safe. "If you don't mind me asking, Mabel," Ford began again. Mabel looked up and took a step back, tilting her head. "How come you would like to see Bill so badly?" He asked, and noticed a figure put a hand on his shoulder form behind, smirking at the way Ford flinched at the touch.

"What can I say?" Bill said with a smirk. "I suppose I'm irresistible!"

Ford shifted away from the other and folded his arms. "How long have you been there?" He asked, concerned.

Bill just shrugged. "About a minute or so." He approximated.

Ford just sighed and looked at Mabel. "Well, here he is." He presented with a small smile.

Mabel looked at Ford, then at Bill. Her mouth hung open a bit as she took a few steps towards the other. Bill looked at the approaching girl and took a step back. "What are you doing?" He asked. Mabel tilted her head and continued to walk towards him. Bill took yet another step back, running his back into the railing on the stairs. He hissed in both pain and delight.

"You..." Mabel started. "It's... It's you."

Bill nodded awkwardly. "Yeah," He muttered. "Boring, old, useless me." He said, forcing a laugh. He shivered as Mabel continued to walk towards him. "Kid, what are you doing?" He sputtered, leaning away from the girl. Mabel gave him a look as if she were staring into his soul. She stopped and began to burst out in laughter, clutching her stomach as she collapsed to the floor.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Uhh," He said, not sure about what was happening.

Mabel continued to laugh. "You should have seen the look on your face!" She exclaimed.

Bill glared. "You won't wanna see the look on your face when I-" He stopped his words and looked over at Ford, who was still standing by the kitchen with his arms folded. He shot a short warning glare at the demon as he shook his head in dissaprovable. Bill sighed obnoxiously and looked down, watching Mabel as she attempted to force herself up from the floor.

"I'm Mabel!" She greeted, sticking a hand out. "You probably remember me. You know, when you tried to destroy us and all. How has Dippy Fresh been, by the way?" She questioned, putting her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

"He's dead." Bill stated. "I think..." he muttered, to himself more than anyone else.

Mabel chuckled at the response. "So, why are you... like this?" the brunette questioned, motioning her hands around Bill, questioning how he became human.

"That's a long story, kid," Bill started. "One that I'd rather not repeat."

Mabel nodded. "Hey, why are you being so..," She started. Bill raised an eyebrow, hoping she would finish her sentence. "So nice?" She practically forced out of her.

Bill glared at the wall and sighed. "I'm not nice. Just because I haven't torn you apart limb by limb doesn't mean I'm nice."

Mabel cringed at the response, but nodded her head. "Um, okay," She said, folding her arms. "So, why are you here?" She asked.

Bill rolled her eyes and looked at the girl, scoffing. "I'd rather not be here," He lied. "Your uncle Fordsy is keeping me here against my will." He spat, folding his arms and glaring at the man. Stanley looked at Ford for a moment then shrugged, deciding he would leave the room to go watch some TV before his work shift begun.

Mabel nodded suspiciously. "Part two of that question," She started. "Why aren't you here?" She asked.

Bill raised an eyebrow once more then sat on the wooden floor, nearly hitting his head on the railing of the stairs. "What are you talking about? I've been here for weeks."

Mabel shook her head, and sat down on the ground across from the demon. "That's not what I mean." She started. "You've been in the shack, but I've only seen upstairs, up here with everyone twice. Why?"

Bill ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "Honestly, kid, I wish I could be around here a bit more." He stated, shooting a glare in Fords direction. Ford sighed and looked up at the ceiling, walking into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee before the morning trip.

Mabel nodded and squinted her eyes for a moment in thought. Her eyes shot open and she smiled from ear to ear. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed. Bill sat up straight and looked at the girl in confusion. "While you're here, I could teach you how to knit a sweater! Then whenever you're bored, you could always knit a sweater!"

Bill hummed for a moment, considering the offer. "I don't know, shooting star. I'm pretty sure anything and everything I make will end up tortured and destroyed." He stated, being serious with her words.

Mabel shook her head and swatted her hand in sarcasm. "Psh! Come on, I'm sure you could give it a try. You'll love it!" She encouraged.

Bill shook his head. "I doubt it. It sounds boring, anyway." He said, getting up and stretching his arm. "I'm gonna be gone today, believe it or not." He looked away, then folded his arms, looking back at Mabel once more. "And uh, kid?" He addressed. Mabel nodded, listening. "Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked.

Mabel laughed. "I like to forget the past and move on. You're defenseless and I feel bad!" She said in honesty.

Bill glared in offence. "Hey, I'm not defenseless!" He shot back, snapping his index finger and thumb together and showing off a minor blue flame that lasted for a total of only two seconds. "I still have some magic. And It's growing as we speak."

Mabel smirked and punched him in the arm, playfully. "You better not cause another Armageddon!" She joked.

Bill was a bit amused by how quickly the child had moved on. He grunted and looked away from the girl. "It was called Weirdmaggeddon, and don't get your hopes up. I'm still holding power, and who knows! I could be immortal by now. I'm not afraid to start another round right now!" He exclaimed, sparking blue flame to his fingertips and flicking it down to the ground. The motion didn't do much, instead the blue flame hit Mabel's sweater, igniting it slightly. She looked down and swatted it away in little to no alarm in her eyes.

Bill huffed and folded his arms, glaring and stomping away in embarrassment at the way his power had failed him so miserably. Ford shook his head and chuckled, turning around with a cup of coffee in hand. "Are you ready to go?" Ford asked the demon. Bill smirked, considering making some sort of joke to upset the other man. He objected it, and simply nodded his head.

"Good. I think I've come up with an idea on how to make this switching technique work out a bit more effectively. For a bit, anyway." Ford stated, adjusting his glasses. "When we take apart the Rubik's cube, the middle square is connected to a gizmo that makes the cube turn. If we can find a way to get a blue light inside the circular shape that can light up on command by saying a certain word or doing a certain thing, It could possibly give the glowing effect that we witnessed the other day."

Bill looked down at the floor for a moment and nodded slowly, processing the plan. "Hey, that idea's not half bad, sixer." He stated. Ford smiled, appreciating the compliment. "It might work for a bit. But how do we know if they'll notice or not?"

"That's exactly why we should add this blue light. It has a good chance of giving us enough time to return the cube and leave the building before they can storm off after us. I did some thinking last night, and I believe that the cube lit up whenever we said a specific sentence or word. Do you have any idea what it was?" Ford asked the demon, hope in his voice.

Bill thought about it for a moment then looked at Ford. "Well," He started. "It seemed to light up whenever we mentioned it being dangerous or secretive in some way."

Ford nodded. "I do recall myself telling Stanley he would be better off leaving the situation to us when it illuminated for the first time. We were talking about the cube as if there was some sort of secret device."

Bill folded his arms. "We can think about it on the way, Stanford! If you don't hurry, they're gonna come get ya'!" He said, half-joking. Ford rolled his eyes and nodded.

"You're right. We should really get going. Follow me!" Ford commanded, motioning for the demon to follow him. Bill smirked and followed after the man as they dashed towards the door.

Ford closed the door behind him, as Bill went ahead. The two walked over to Stan's excuse of a car, and Bill opened the passenger seat door, yelling "Shotgun!" Ford chuckled and sighed in thought. I suppose I should give him a chance at it.

Bill sat in the passenger seat and put on his seat belt. Ford looked at the demon, surprised that he even bothered to put his seat belt on. He, too, got into the car, shutting the main door and grabbing his keys from his coat pocket.

Ford started the car and turned on the heat source, as it was still cold outside. Bill put his hands out in front of a vent that was in front of him, and he shivered at the way the heat had changed the temperature in his fingertips. He put his hands up to his cheeks and sighed in bliss at how the heat warmed his face. Ford looked a the behavior and chuckled, looking behind him to back out of the driveway. Bill looked behind out the back window as well, convinced that there was someone there.

Once Ford turned the car around and they drove on the path, Bill extended his arm out towards the console in the front beside him. He squinted his eyes at all the buttons that were there, and tried to find a button that would spark entertainment.

Ford looked over for a moment, then looked back at the road. He extended his right arm towards the radio button, and loud rock music began to blast. The demon laughed hysterically and Ford cringed, turning down the volume severely to stop the car from shaking. Bill held his stomach as he laughed. Ford rolled his eyes and laughed along with the demon. He looked over for a moment to change the station, and Bill swatted his hand away.

Ford put both hands on the wheel, and gave Bill a look for a split second before looking back at the road. Bill shook his head and scoffed sarcastically at the scientist. "Do you know who this is?" He questioned, looking at the other man. Ford shook his head, unsure of what band was playing. Bill scoffed once more and shook his head. "Whatever, Sixer. MCR is too good for old people." He said with an eye roll.

Ford scoffed at the insult and looked at the demon with a sarcastic smirk. "I'm sorry, you're how old?" He questioned. The demon glared and folded his arms, looking out the window and away from Ford. Ford chuckled and shook his head, turning the steering wheel. "We should be there in about five minutes," Ford informed. Bill nodded at the information.

"You know, just 'cuz your old doesn't mean you look the part." Bill muttered.

Ford smiled lightly at the compliment, forgiving the demon for his past insult. "Speak for yourself," He said with a chuckle. "You look like you're in you're early 30's!"

"More like early 3,000's." Bill said with a smirk.

Eventually, the two men approached the mall, and Ford drove in to the parking lot. He looked around for a parking space and Bill pointed towards an open spot. Ford pulled in to the empty parking space and took his foot off the wheel, turning off the music and shutting off the car. "Are you coming with?" Ford asked the demon.

Bill nodded. "What, 'ya think I'm just gonna sit here in the car?" He asked.

Ford shrugged and opened the car door. "Well, It will only take a few minutes so I figured I would ask."

Bill took off his seatbelt and opened his car door, keeping it left open wide as he walked over towards the other man.

"Bill!" Ford exclaimed, rushing over towards the car door that he had left open. "You have to close the door to make sure no one gets in or tries to take something."

Bill smirked and reached into his black jean pockets. "Oh, you mean like this?" He asked, holding out a stick of spearmint gum in front of Stanford.

Ford rolled his eyes and showed a slight grin. "Yes, exactly like that." He said. Bill nodded and took off the wrapper, popping it into his mouth. He began to walk towards the store and stopped right in front of the trunk, opening his eyes and gagging. The demon began choking for a moment as the piece of gum slid too far back in his mouth, rubbing against his throat. Bill slammed a hand on the truck of the car and coughed gravely. Ford's eyes shot open as he witnessed the situation.

"Are you okay?" Ford asked, already knowing the answer. He dashed behind the demon and gave him a swat on the back that forced the stick of gum to fly out of his mouth.

Bill half-collapsed onto the trunk and breathed gracelessly, catching his breath. Ford looked at him with concern and reassurance in his eyes. He put a hand on Bill's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Can we go inside?" He asked the other.

Bill nodded, taking a deep breath and sighing in a relaxed state. He took his hands off the trunk of the car and walked with Ford towards the mall.

The two entered the building and witnessed a variety of crowds around. A few people were getting their order paid for, and others were still deciding. The place was open and spaced out, helpful to those who are shopping.

"This place is huge!" Bill exclaimed, looking around.

Ford nodded. "Which is why we must stay together. We can't afford to get lost, or for one of us to lose the other. There isn't much time left."

"Well, how much time is there?" Bill asked, looking at the other man.

Ford sighed and shrugged slightly. "If I were to predict a time span, my guess would be around two hours."

Bill scoffed and grinned. "Come on, Sixer. That's plenty of time!" He said. Ford shook his head at how laid back the demon was. It wasn't the point of finding a replacement Rubik's cube. It would be difficult to find a small blue light to fit inside or outside of the cube in order to make it work. He walked forward with Bill as they made their way towards the toy section.

Bill walked into the Isle and his eyes widened at the sight of a toy dinosaur that was painted green, and in the shape of a T-rex. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "This looks like my ol' pal, Jimmy!" He said with a grin.

Ford tilted his head. "You were alive back then?" He questioned.

Bill smirked. "Oh, Fordsy," He sang with a smirk. He nudged the man as he spoke. "I've been around longer than you could guess."

Ford nodded with a look on his face, not even wanting to guess. Instead of adding on to it, he chuckled and made a joke. "Well, if you're stuck like this forever, you might not want to go around ever girl you see saying that," He said. Bill tilted his head in confusion. "I don't know if women in their 20's would be comfortable with dating someone older than the Earth."

Bill glared. "Hey, at least I don't look the part." He stated.

Ford smirked. "Well, not yet, at least. If you're mortal, you're human form will age until your time comes."

Bill huffed and stomped to the other side of the Isle, looking at other items. He saw a variety of things such as Notebook journals, Stuffed animals, Balloons, Race cars, Barbie dolls, and other assortments of objects. He looked around and finally found a Rubik's cube. "Hey, Sixer!" He exclaimed. Ford looked over at him and walked towards him. "I found one."

Ford took the item from Bill's hands and examined it. "I don't think this will work, It uses plastic pieces instead of stickers. The old cube had stickers and I'm not sure how easy it will be to find one that still uses them."

"How come we can't just apply stickers onto it?" Bill asked.

Ford stopped for a moment and looked at the cube once more. "Well," He started, considering what the demon had said. "I'm not sure that would work, either. The cube pieces on this one are colored plastic, and the old cube had black pieces with the stickers overtop. Unless we paint it, I don't think it will work very well."

Bill shrugged. "I'll paint it," He offered. "I might as well, since I was the one that broke the real one."

Ford considered it and smiled at the fact that the other was truly willing to help. He thought about it, and gave the cube back to Bill. "I would let you, Bill, but I don't think the paint would dry in time. Plus, the coat of paint may chip off."

Bill folded his arms. "Stanford, It's a false cube. If we put it in front of a fan, the pieces will dry faster. And who cares if it eventually chips? As long as we're careful with it before the cube gets to the police, it won't matter once we drop it off because by the time they find it, we'll already be gone!"

Ford sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're correct. We should consider finding some fast-drying paint if we have time." He stated, walking away.

"Wait, Sixer!" Bill said, extending his arms out. Ford looked behind him, stopping as he tilted his head. "I wanna hold the cube." Bill said. Ford nodded, and gave the Rubik's cube back to Bill before leaving the toy isle.

Ford looked around and didn't see anything for paint, so he considered looking for a blue light first. "I used a black light back when I wrote the journals, maybe if we find something like that, I can tweak the color and create a source of luminous-"

Bill sighed obnoxiously, and Ford stopped his sentence to look at the demon. "Sixer, come on!" He exclaimed. "Couldn't we just go to the party isle and get one of those tiny colored lights that will turn on when someone presses the button on a controller?"

Ford tilted his head once more. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

Bill face palmed. "Follow me." He stated, grabbing Ford by the hand and practically dragging him around. Ford stumbled at first, but went along with the other. Ford tried to take his hand away, but Bill held it tighter. Stanford decided not to fight him on it, and just walked along with him. Ford looked to his side and noticed a young woman with her child in a stroller, turning her head and giving him a look of disapproval. Ford sighed and looked down at the ground, shaking his head. People are getting the wrong idea.

Bill stopped once they reached the party isle and he turned to look at the other man. He frowned and folded his arms, finally breaking his grip. "Sixer, hurry up. Like you said, we have to hurry."

Ford looked up at Bill and forced a smile. "Right, sorry," He stated, walking into the isle and looking around. "Do you see what you were suggesting earlier?"

Bill looked around, squinting his eyes at potential objects. "Hmm," He thought, folding his arms. "I'm not seeing it yet."

"Do you perhaps know the name of the product?" Ford asked, looking at Bill.

The demon just shook his head. "No, I've only seen them around."

Ford nodded and sighed. "I remember how you said it has 'a light with a remote control', so we could always find a controller-operated LED light set of some kind."

Bill shook his head. "Those things are huge, Stanford. It wouldn't be able to fit inside."

Ford looked at Bill, then looked behind him. "I have an idea." Ford stated, dashing out of the isle. Bill rolled his eyes and sighed, following the other man to yet another part of the store. Ford looked down at his watch, and grunted at the time. A half hour had already slipped by. "We have to hurry!" Ford said to the other. Bill nodded and looked over as Ford pointed to the correct isle.

They ended up in the light figures department, and Ford looked on both sides of the isle. Bill raised an eyebrow and folded his arms in doubt. "This place has light bulbs. They won't work for what we're trying to do."

Ford shook his head. "We're not looking for that," he assured as he folded his arms, extending them and grabbing a product. "We're using this!" He said with a grin. Bill nodded slowly, not completely following along with the situation. "Here's the idea; We put this tiny blue LED light inside the circle of the Rubik's cube after cutting a hole inside the base, and multiple small ones so that the light will shine the light outside of the cube. We put the Rubiks cube back together and use the remote control to turn the light off and on whenever nessesary." Ford explained.

Bill's eyes widened, clearly confused. Still, he smiled from ear-to-ear as if he understood every word. Ford rolled his eyes and smiled. "It will make more sense when we get to work on it." He stated.

Bill nodded, and leaned over Ford's shoulder to look at the back of the package. "This set comes with ten colors, so we could put the extra ones around the house when the holidays come around." Bill suggested.

Ford made a look of consideration. "If we still have the remote, I'm sure it could work."

Bill nodded and smirked lightly "Speaking of holidays," he mused. "Thanksgiving is coming up, maybe we could put them out then."

Ford shrugged and sighed. "I'm not sure. I havent participated in thanksgiving in thirty years, not counting the Thanksgiving in Dimension 83." he said, shaking his head and looking down at the ground. He shivered at the thought.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Why, what happened?" He asked, curious.

Ford shook her head. "We are in public," he stated. "Lets just say... that dimension has a strange, strange way of showing what they're thankful for." He said, looking down and biting his lip at the memories he would rather forget.

Bill snickered. "I bet you didn't object the contact though."

Ford's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No, I mean yes, umm," he sputtered, scratching his neck. "They wouldn't let me go." he tried.

"Sure, Stanford. I'm sure." Bill mocked with a smirk.

Ford glared at the other. "Bill Cipher, we are in a public space."

Bill shrugged. "So?" he questioned.

Ford shook his head and grabbed the light set from the other. Bill pouted at the motion and walked out of the isle, Ford following along.

"You know, the kids are home for Thanksgiving and they're gonna grow up to become hideous adults. Don't you think you should spend this holiday with them before It's too late? You'll live to regret it if you don't." Bill stated, as the two walked towards the checkout.

Ford nodded "You're right, not on the 'hideous adult' bit, but I'm sure I would regret it later on.

Bill inhaled deeply in a quiet manner to not draw attention to himself, and let the breath out slowly. Ford looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Bill?" he questioned. The mentioned looked at him and gave a look. Ford tilted his head. "Are you okay?" be asked quietly, to keep the conversation private."

Bill shrugged. "I dunno, just thinking." He said.

Ford nodded slowly, and reached for a bottle of paint modeled by the checkout. He payed for the order as Bill grabbed the bag impatiently.

On the way home, the two men hardly spoke to each other. The ride felt longer than usual, and once they got home, the two got right to work. They tore off the squares on the new Rubik's cube. As Bill painted the pieces, Ford worked on the light. It took nearly 45 minutes, but the tqo finished and were reqdy to test.

Ford turned on the controller, and clicked the button for the blue light. Due to the last minute hypothesis's, the light illuminated a bit less than the original, but both Bill and Ford were convinced that it was as close as they would get.

As soon as the cube was finished, the two ran back to the car.

"We can't bring the cube straight to Powers. We should give it to the police first. I would recommend going to sherrif Blubbs." Ford said.

Bill nodded and got into the car. He watched Ford get into the drivers seat and sighed. "Hey, sixer?" he began. Ford looked to his right and raised an eyebrow at Bill as he buckled his seat belt. "Do ya' think you could teach me how to drive someday?"

Ford's eyes widened slightly as he started the car. "What?" he asked, assuming he misheard.

Bill shrugged and looked out the window as Ford backed out of the driveway. Bill wore a frown. "You know, in case I really don't get back to normal." he said, seriously. "If I'm stuck like a human forever, I want to learn how to function. I really want to learn how to drive, Stanford. And..," he sighed and looked at Ford as they got on the road. "I want you to teach me. No one else, I don't want a random fleshbag that I don't trust to show me."

Ford looked at the other for a moment before drawing his eyes back to the road. "You trust me?" Ford asked, surprised.

Bill hung his head and nodded slowly. "You seem to be the only one who cares about me besides shooting star. The only one who even cares about my existance. Everyone else thinks I'm better off dead and forgotten."

Ford sighed and his cheeks showed a slightly noticable tone of pink. He gripped the steering wheel and adjusted his glasses quickly. "Eveyone deserves a second chance." Ford stated.

Bill gave a small, true smile, then shook it away, looking out the window once more, saying nothing more.

The two made it to Blubbs at the police station, who happened to had just finished his lunch break with Deputy Durland. Ford parked the car and took the false Rubik's cube. Bill got out as well and watched Ford aas he walked up to the men.

"Stanford Pines, long time no see!" Durland greeted. Ford smiled, greeting the man back. Ford said his reasoning for for driving to the police station.

"Th-this is for Mr. Powers." Ford began, hoping he wasn't seen suspicious. Bill walked up to Ford and grabbed the cube out of his hand.

Bill entended his arm along with the cube. "We're returning this to Mr. Powers. It was stolen, and we found it for him.

Sherrif Blubbs nodded, believing Bill's lie. "Mr. Powers is here right now," he informed. He called out to Powers and Ford cringed in alarm.

Mr. Powers came out and looked at Ford. "You," he started. "You're the man who researches this town, correct?"

Ford gave a short nod and Mr. Powers looked over at Bill. "And who are you?" He asked.

Ford tried to think of something, but the demon thought quicker. "I am his boyfriend." Bill stated. Fords eyes widened at the words Bill had spoken, and he felt his face flush as the demon put an arm around him. "Here's your lame cube. We found it in a donut shop the other day when we went out for brunch." Bill continued.

Mr. Powers took the cube and looked at Bill. "Are you certain this is the correct one?" he asked, seriously.

"I don't know, my boyfriend found it under a booth, so It could just be some random cube."

Mr. Powers nodded. "You two don't have anything secret that you're trying to hide, yes?"

Ford scambled for the remote in pocket and pressed the button when he said 'secret'.

Bill shrugged once more. "I mean, I was secretly going to propose to the love of my life, but I suppose It's not much of a secret anymore." Ford silently gasped at the deep lie. I could only wish. Ford thought to himself, but pushed those thoughts away as he pressed the remote button once more.

Powers smirked and nodded. "Thank you, gentlemen. I wish you both a happy marriage." He said with a fake smile, hoping the two would leave.

"Let's go, honey." Bill sugarcoated. Ford laughed awkwardly and was quick to say goodbye to the others.

The two got back into the car and drove off quickly. "What was the point of that?" Ford asked. He didn't sound angry or livid, however he sounded rather unamused and slightly afraid. Bill shrugged and snickered, not bothering to answer.

Mr. Powers cackled silently. "Finally, my secret weapon has been returned." He stated, looking down at the cube. He saw no light shine and used the secret word multiple times. It didn't work and Mr. Powers grunted in anger. "Find them! Those two lied, we must get them here and set up an interrogation immediately."

Blubs and Durland nodded at the job given and rushed to a police car to follow Bill and Ford, wherever they were planning to go.

"I am not one to be trifled with." Powers muttered to himself.

Ahh! This chapter is finally finished! It was super long, sorry if that annoyed anyone. We have a new cover for this story! I hope you like it (:

New chapter up pretty soon!