OKAY, I REALLY wanted this chapter up the day before Thanksgiving but unfortunately this is a few days late. In this chapter, it's the day before Thanksgiving.

Warning for language at the end, anything severe I will "bleep" out.

Here is chapter 25!

It was an ordinary morning in the Mystery Shack- even for Stanford. It's funny, the first day he brought Bill to the shack, he assumed he would be miserable for as long as his life would carry on. It surprised him that Bill was more comfortable staying at the shack with people he once hated. In fact, he probably still hates them. The fact that the demon was tolerating the situation decently was a surprise to Ford.

The clock in the kitchen read 8:15. Ford was standing by the coffee pot, waiting for the drink to be ready. He wondered multiple things in the morning, but he felt like today's thought had a bit more meaning.

Should I go visit Fiddleford? He asked himself. I might as well see if he has the same phone number he had thirty years ago. Ford thought about looking around through all the boxes down in his study for the man's number, but shook his head. There's no way he would have the same number by now. I just might pay him a visit in the mere future.

The coffee pot shined a tiny light, notifying that the coffee was ready. He grabbed the handle and reached for his coffee mug. He remembered his emotion reading device. That had been a fail. Now that I think about it, I should fix it up and give it another go.

Stan walked into the kitchen and greeted his brother. "Hey, what's the scoop sixer?" He asked with a smirk.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What?" He asked, confused.

Stan rolled his eyes and leaned on the counter beside Ford. "What happened with those agents? Did the plan work? Did ya' get a fine? Is Bill finally gone?"

"No, Stanley," Ford began. "It's a rather strange story, actually..,"

Stan folded his arms. "Hey, you spent more than half your life lookin' at strange stuff, fill me in on what happened, eh?" He asked, tilting his head.

Ford nodded slowly. "Well, the plan worked at first. We gave Agent- or, Mr. Powers the cube, and the LED light trick worked for a bit as well. It was rather convincing, but Bill did most of the talking."

Stan scoffed. "What, did he give ya' away and blow your cover?" He asked, looking at Ford.

Stanford shook his head. "No Stan, nothing like that, actually..," He informed. Stan raised an eyebrow, but listened to Ford. "Without Bill's help, I'm sure we'd be locked up in jail cells for however long our time would take."

"Huh," Stan mused, looking over out the window, then back at his brother. "Who would'a thought?"

You've got that right. Ford thought to himself.

Stan grabbed a coffee mug from out of the cupboard. "So, you said it worked at first, what happened then?"

"Then, after we gave him the cube, Bill and I rushed back to the car and drove off. Unfortunately, Powers must have tried to use the code word when I couldn't hear him, so I couldn't illuminate the light. It was my fault that he found out." Ford explained, then looked down at his feet for a moment. He looked back at Stan and continued. "Powers must have ordered Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland to follow us, because they started following us home in their police car."

Stan snickered. "Those creeps." He muttered with a smirk.

Ford punched his arm in a playful manner and chuckled. "We pulled over even though Bill didn't want to. In fact, he tried to stop me from pulling over in the beginning."

"Why?" Stan asked.

Ford just shrugged. "A heat of the moment action, I suppose."

Stan nodded. "What happened after ya' pulled over?" He asked. He turned to face the kitchen entrance when he heard Dipper scream like some sort of 7 year old girl. His eyes got wide and Ford raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong with him?" He asked.

Ford sighed and took a sip from his coffee that he had poured into his mug during the conversation. "I think I have a pretty good idea..," He admitted.

"Kid?" Stan shouted, walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor. He turned his head around the corner once he saw Dipper's bedroom door opened. He peered inside and saw Mabel just waking up- likely from the noise. "Kid, where are ya'?" Stan called out in question.

"Get away from me!" Dipper shrieked. He ran across the hall and turned the corner, nearly crashing into Stan. "Grunkle Stan, where is Ford?" He asked.

Stan rolled his eyes. "Relax, kiddo. He's in the kitchen getting a cup of-"

Dipper shoved past Stan and bolted down the stairs. Stan's back his the wall and he grunted at the immediate stinging pain. "Great uncle Ford?" Dipper called out.

Ford heard his name from in the kitchen and saw his great nephew running down the stairs. "Yes, Dipper? What is it?" He asked, walking up to the kitchen doorframe.

"It's Bill!" He shrieked. "He-He's upstairs a-and he escaped!" Dipper said, looking at Ford with wide eyes.

At that moment, Ford calmed down. "Oh, him?" He asked. Dipper nodded. "Don't worry, Dipper. I've given Bill his own room upstairs. You're not in any danger." He assured, getting down on one knee and putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

Dipper tilted his head and his eyes popped. "Are you kidding? Why is he up here? Isn't he supposed top be down in the laboratory? Or-or even in your study?"

Ford looked at Dipper with an assuring look. "Dipper, I want you to look into my eyes." He commanded. The boy did as told, and Ford continued. "Bill is different now, and even though he's not too much different, we have to treat him like a person. And that starts with giving him his own room. His own space. So he's free to be alone. He will not harm you. I won't let him." Ford told him.

Dipper sighed. "I don't know... this seems like a really bad idea." He commented.

"I know it does," Ford admitted. "But trust me to keep you safe. Maybe even try talking to Bill a bit. It might be for the best. Just trust me, Dipper. Please?" He asked.

Dipper exhaled and nodded slowly. "I guess so..." He muttered.

Ford smiled. "Good! Now run along, do whatever it is you like to do in the morning." He said.

Bill came stomping down the stairs, Dipper's old tan star hat that he had wore his first day in Gravity Falls. He looked over at Dipper and glared. "Really, Pinetree?" He scolded. "Here's a piece of advice for you," He said, walking up close to the boy. "Don't EVER throw stuff at me. Especially not your disgusting, lice-filled hats!" Bill stated, throwing the hat down at Dipper's feet, folding his arms.

Dipper glared back. "Hey, I don't have lice!" He said.

Bill scoffed. "And I should trust that why?" He shot back.

Ford rolled his eyes. "That's enough," He muttered, standing up now.

Bill looked at Ford and tilted his head. "Sixer, he threatened me with a hat! Don't tell me not to get pissed off at him."

Stanford sighed. "Dipper didn't know, he thought you had escaped."

"Oh," Bill began, narrowing his eyes at the young boy. "So you see me as some sort of animal, Pinetree? Huh?" He spat.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Why shouldn't I?" He asked.

"Dipper!" Ford warned.

His nephew turned to make eye contact and looked up. "Great uncle Ford, come on! He's starting stuff!"

Bill glared and shook his head, putting his arms out. "Woah, woah, woah, WOAH!" He said with a short, sarcastic chuckle. "You started this, Pine tree!" He stated, glaring and pointing at the boy.

"You scared me!" Dipper shot back.

The demon rolled his eyes. "Well pardon me if my appearance as a functioning member of society frightens you." He said with even more sarcasm.

Ford sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked up and saw Mabel walking down the stairs, still in her lilac colored pajama gown. Perfect. He thought to himself. He silently hoped that she wouldn't get wrapped into the situation. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case.

Mabel rubbed her eyes and looked up at the people near the kitchen entrance. "Bill?" She asked.

Bill nodded. "Hey, Shooting star," He greeted. "Can I ask you something?"

Mabel nodded. "Um, Sure!" She said, putting her hands on her hips. "What is it?"

"Does Pine tree have head lice?" Bill asked.

Mabel opened her mouth to speak for a moment, then raised a finger. "Well, he doesn't anymore." She informed.

Bill turned his head to look at Dipper and gave a small smirk. "You don't anymore." He mouthed in a mocking manner. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Dipper had lice after rolling down all those mountains and in the dirt in the summer after all those adventures." Mabel said. "But Mom and Dad helped him get rid of it before school started." She continued.

Bill nodded and smirked. He turned to look at the boy. "I'm sure Wendy wouldn't have liked that. Maybe that's why she turned you down!" He said, laughing. Dipper glared down at the floor and blushed slightly at the mention of his past crush. He tipped his hat down and left the room in anger, his left fist clenched. Bill snickered. "Woah, someone's about to throw a temper tantrum!" He mocked, putting his hands on his face.

Ford rolled his eyes. "Bill, please don't mock him like that. Dipper has made it clear that he is over her."

"Right," Bill snickered, putting two fingers by the sides of her heads, making quote-unquote finger motions. "Over her."

Stanford sighed. "Do you want some coffee? There's still some left."

Bill's eyes shot open. "Ooh, coffee?" He asked, practically dashing over to the coffee pot. Ford walked back into the kitchen behind him and pointed to the cupboard. Bill looked up at where he was pointing, and looked at Ford with a confused look.

"There are cups up in the cupboard." He informed.

Bill rolled his eyes and smirked. "I knew that." He stated, reaching over towards the cupboard and opening it up. He grabbed a coffee mug with an image of a purple cat on it. He set the mug down on the counter and grabbed the sides of the container. Bill felt a burning, hot feeling in his hands and he exclaimed in fear. "OW! What the heck, Sixer?" He asked, folding his arms and looking at the other man.

Ford looked over and identified the situation. He laughed for a moment and shook his head with a sigh. "You don't grab onto the sides, Bill. You grab onto the handle." He stated, grabbing the black handle and holding it up. "See?"

Bill scoffed. "Showoff" He muttered, looking away.

Ford chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed the mug and pulled it towards him, pouring the coffee into it. Bill raised his eyebrows and glared. "Wait!" He exclaimed. "I can do it myself!" He stated, trying to grab hold on the handle. Bill swatted Ford's hand away and narrowed his eyes with a smirk. Ford rolled his eyes and watched Bill pour the drink into the mug.

Stan walked back into the kitchen, talking to Ford. "Hey, pointdexter. Ya' got a minute?"

Ford turned his head and nodded. Stan walked over to the two men and smirked. "Congratulations, smart guy. You're teaching a terrorist how to get coffee." He joked, smacking the back of Ford's head. Ford exclaimed in annoyance and held the back of his head, glaring at Stan. Stanley took his other hand and did the same gesture to Bill, except with a force that was clearly less playful.

Bill flinched at the motion, and spilt his coffee all over the counter and his shirt. Bill grunted and narrowed his eyes, wiping off his shirt with his hands. "I'm gonna go take a shower." He muttered, walking out of the kitchen annoyed.

Ford sighed and shook his head at his brother's behavior as he watched Bill leave the kitchen. He turned around and looked at Stan, leaning on the counter. "What was that for, Stanley? Do you need something?" He asked, giving his brother a look.

Stan just shrugged. "Eh, just figured maybe we could talk a bit more today." He stated.

"Explain?" Ford asked.

"Well," Stan started. "You've been spendin' a lot of time with that demon. He's blocking that opportunity because he keeps running around ya'!" He stated, folding his arms.

Ford sighed. "Stan, Bill needs some help. It's not like he's been walking around like us for however old we've gotten over the years." He said with a chuckle. "So I've been helping him out a bit, but wouldn't you want help in this sort of situation too?"

"He's DANGEROUS!" Stan shot at Ford. "This whole time he's been here, what has he done? Nothing! He's done nothing to prove himself to me that he has changed, so don't go around sayin' he's some sort of innocent person, pointdexter!"

Ford ran a hand through his hair and glared. "Stanley, be considerate!" He tried.

Stan just shook his head. "Why don't you think a bit more? It's what you do best! I don't know why you've been so accepting of him recently, but if I'm being dead honest, it's scaring me and I don't like it!" He stated, putting his hands on his hips. "He's a terrorist and I don't want him anywhere near the kids! You've lost your mind if you think that demon is gonna' be sleepin' just a few rooms away from them!"

Ford grunted. "Come on, Stan. He's not as bad as he once was! I'm just as cautioned as you are but I have a handle on it! We're getting a fresh start, and if you know what the expression 'clean slate' is, that's what I'm proposing to do. He's... he's changing, Stanley..," He explained, his voice getting quieter and quieter until he was practically muttering.

Stan scoffed and shook his head. "Whatever, Stanford." He concluded, walking out of the kitchen and heading into the living room.

Ford sighed and folded his arms. I should go downstairs and write down my notes from my dream last night. He told himself. He walked out of the kitchen right after cleaning up the spilled coffee mess. There was still a good portion of coffee in the mug, so he left it alone on the counter in case Bill was planning on getting back to it.

Soos was walking into the gift shop, and saw Ford enter form the Employees only door. He considered greeting the scientist, but was debating against it. To be fair, he had hardly spoken to him since... ever.

"Hello, Mr. Ford!" Soos greeted with a wave.

Ford looked over at the handyman and gave a small smile. "Good morning, Soos. How are you?" He asked.

The author wants to start conversation with ME? Soos thought to himself. He started mouthing things to himself as if he were having some sort of conversation with another version of him. In Soos's imagination, he saw another version of himself wearing the same outfit, the other Soos's outfit purple rather than blue. Respond to him! Soos 2 encouraged. Soos shrugged his shoulders. "But what if I say something I'll regret?" He asked himself. Soos 2 shrugged. It's worth a shot, dawg!

Ford looked at the behavior and raised an eyebrow, deeply confused. "Um, Soos? Are you okay?" He asked. Clearly, only Soos could see the other Soos, so to anyone and everyone else, it just looked strange.

Soos looked back at Ford and nodded. "Yes sir!" He responded quickly.

Ford chuckled awkwardly and typed in the combination to the vending machine.

Soos scoffed to Soos 2 and folded his arms. "C'mon dude!" He complained. Soos 2 put his hands on his hips. It wasn't me, dawg! Soos 2 said back, shrugging his shoulders.

Ford was confused at the handyman's actions and was about to leave down to the laboratory when he suddenly heard a loud scream come from upstairs. He froze and put his arms out by his sides in defense. "What was that?" He asked.

Soos shrugged. "It sound like a scream." He informed. Soos 2 face palmed. He knows that, dude!

Ford narrowed his eyes, listening for the noise again, when he heard another loud scream. "It's coming from upstairs!" Ford said aloud, mostly to himself.

"Need any help?" Soos asked.

Ford shook his head and pushed on the Employee's only door. He figured he should give the handyman a job to avoid being questioned. "Sure, uhm..," He began. "Make sure no one comes in the door!" He said right before dashing out of the gift shop.

Soos nodded his head. "Yes sir!" He said, tightening his hat and squinting his eyes at the door, folding his arms in an attempt to look intimidating.

The yelps were loud and dreadful, and were clearly coming from Bill. Ford rushed out of the living room and up the stairs, looking around on the second floor. He saw no signs of the demon being close by, so he rushed up to the third floor. The sounds were becoming louder and more easy to understand the foul swear words being exclaimed.

Ford rushed up to the third floor and looked around, hearing water running at the other side of the hall. He rushed over and could clearly hear the demon yelling. "God, AHH!"

"Bill?" Ford asked from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?"

"What do you think?" Bill shot back, yelling out once more.

Ford sighed and leaned his shoulder on the closed door. "Do you need help?" Bill nodded, even though the man could not see the reaction. Ford didn't hear a verbal response, and he asked once more.

"Yes, I need help!" Bill exclaimed. Ford heard a loud thud from the other side of the door, and he quickly became worried. Bill had fallen on his knees in the shower, rubbing his eyes furiously.

Ford ran a hand through his hair and squeezed his eyes together. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Can I come in?" He asked hesitantly.

Bill swore once more and was quick to give a response to the question. "Yes! Please, just, help me!" He cried, grunting at the stinging pain. Bill was always open to a bit of pain, but this was just plain cruel.

Ford opened the door and quickly walked inside, shutting the door behind him. There was warm steam fogging up the mirror, the steam filling the room. "How hot does he set his water?" He muttered to himself. He folded his arms for a moment. "Bill, what's going on?" He asked. The other man was on the other side of the curtain, and he couldn't understand what was going on without Bill explaining.

"M-my eyes! They're watering like crazy! I think I'm going blind! I-it hurts so bad!" Bill sputtered.

Ford nodded and extended his arm into the cupboard on the wall, grabbing a wash cloth. "Here, take this!" Ford exclaimed, taking the wash cloth out of the cupboard and throwing it over the shower curtain. Bill tried to look around, but his vision was blurry and he couldn't see well. He felt the cloth land on his head, and he grabbed it, rubbing at his eyes desperately.

Bill stopped yelling for a minute, and Ford became relieved. Not even ten seconds later, Bill began screaming again. Ford jumped at the sudden reaction, and tilted his head in confusion. "Bill, what happened?"

"It only got worse!" Bill informed, laughing sarcastically and squinting his eyes in deep pain. "Agh!" He exclaimed, the sharp pain getting worse rather than better. "Sixer, help!" He shouted. "I don't care what it is, just.. do something!"

Ford ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the ceiling. He sighed and shook his head. Dear god. He thought to himself. He shrugged his tan lab coat off his shoulders and was quick to grab another wash cloth, looking up at the ceiling as he opened the shower curtain. He looked at the wall on the rack for something that could help. At this point all he saw that would help was what was already in his hand, so he opted to use the wash cloth.

"Tip your head backwards," Ford commanded. Bill was quick to obey, and he squinted his eyes, groaning at the stinging pain. Ford took Bill's hair and slicked it back, away from his face. He used his other hand to wipe around Bill's face, to get the dripping water and shampoo out of the way. He carefully rubbed the wash cloth on Bill's eyes, careful not to hurt the other. Bill sighed and became a bit more calm now, the stinging pain finally beginning to leave. "So what did you do, get shampoo in your eyes?" Ford asked, turning his head away from the other man.

Bill shrugged. "I think so. If that's the shampoo you're talking about." Bill stated, blinking rapidly once Ford pulled the wash cloth away from his eyes. He pointed at the shampoo bottle on the shelf, and Ford nodded.

"Yes, it's never fun to get shampoo in your eyes. It stings like crazy." Ford stated.

Bill just nodded and sighed. "Dam, you got that right. That pain was definitely not hilarious." He said, folding his arms. Ford just nodded and was quick to take the wash cloths, putting them into a bin on the other side of the room to be washed later. Without saying another word, he walked over and reached for the doorknob. "Sixer, wait." Bill asked, looking over at the other man.

"Yes?" Ford asked, looking at the door rather than looking back at Bill. The situation was awkward enough, and Ford just wanted to get out of the room.

"Uhm..," Bill muttered. "Thanks."

Ford nodded and looked up at the ceiling, sighing. "No problem." He muttered back, grabbing his coat from off of the bathroom floor. Ford quickly opened the door and rushed out, closing the door behind him. He sighed and put his lab coat back on, folding his arms and walking down the hall. Eventually, he went back to the gift shop to go downstairs. Soos was still standing there, ready for almost anything.

Ford noticed the behavior and remembered what he had told Soos to do. "Uhh, false alarm, Soos." He said, scratching the back of his neck. Soos gave no response, and Ford noticed he was hardly moving. "Soos?" He asked.

Soos jumped and turned around. "Oh, Sorry Mr. Ford, I was just thinking." He said.

Ford just nodded, understanding. He turned to the vending machine, typing in the combination and heading downstairs.


"Kids!" Stan called from across the house. He heard faint responses from upstairs, and the twins came running down the stairs. "There's a letter from your parents that the mailman dropped off."

Dipper and Mabel pushed passed each other as they ran down the stairs. Dipper tripped on the stairs and hit his head on the floor. Mabel snickered in a mocking manner and looked over at Stan. "Ooh, are they coming to Gravity Falls to join us for Thanksgiving?" She asked, hopefully. Her eyes got big and she clenched her fists in excitement.

"Uhm," Stan muttered, opening up the letter. "Well, let's see," He said. Dipper stood up beside his sister and the twins nodded in unison, ready for the news. "Dear Stan and the kids," He began, clearing his throat.

Mabel beamed in excitement. "I'm so excited!" She exclaimed happily.

"Uh.., hold on there, pumpkin," Stan stated. Mabel stopped jumping in place and stayed still, tilting her head at the request. Stan looked down at the letter and continued to read. "We are sorry about the last minute change of plans. Your father and I have decided to keep you here in California for Thanksgiving rather than in Gravity Falls." Stan read, his voice lowering until it became more of a mutter. He folded the letter and sighed, holding it in his hand. "Aw, geez." He said, putting a hand on his forehead.

Mabel's bottom lip quivered slightly and Dipper just stared in disbelief with his mouth wide open. "Are they serious? Mom and Dad want us back in California?" He asked, putting his hands on the sides of his head in disbelief.

"Surely there's something you can do, Grunkle Stan! Can't you?" Mabel asked, hopefully. A small tear swelled up at the corner of her eyes.

Stan felt his heart shatter at his niece's reaction. "Sorry, kiddo," He said, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at the ground, releasing a sigh. "They're your parent's, and as far as they're concerned, I don't have much control on the situation."

Mabel shook her head in disbelief, and Soos walked into the room. "Hey, you dawgs okay?"

"Soos!" Mabel exclaimed, running up to the handyman and giving him a large hug. "Mom and Dad want Dipper and I to go back to California tomorrow." She said, a tear falling down her cheek.

"No way!" Soos exclaimed in remorse. He got down on one knee and repeated Mabel's action. "Now I feel terrible for being so spacious recently. Would it make you kids feel better if we went to go play laser tag?" He asked, looking at Dipper.

Dipper nodded eagerly and Stan raised a finger. "Wait, wait. This sounds like something your parents would want you doing on the same day you have to go home..," Stan said, putting his hands on his hips. Mabel turned around and looked at Stan, disappointed. "Heh! Serves them right for takin' you away so unexpected." Stan said with a grin on his face.

Mabel smiled and nodded, wiping tears from her eyes with her sleeve. Dipper smiled and folded his arms. "Thanks, Grunkle Stan!" He said.

Stan nodded and smirked. "Hey, be back by 2:00." Stan commanded, pointing at the kids and looking at Soos. Soos nodded at the instruction given to him.

Dipper ran up to the front door and opened it wide, giving room for Mabel and Soos to leave the house. "Bye, Stan." He said with a smile.

Stan waved back and grinned. "Hey, have some fun on your last day, kiddo." He said. Dipper nodded and smiled, closing the door. Soos took his keys from out of his pocket and looked for the correct key. The twins both ran up to the car.

"Shotgun!" Dipper exclaimed, running up to the passenger seat.

Mabel groaned. "Dipper, you took the front seat last time!" She complained.

Soos shrugged his shoulders. "Mabel, you can take the front seat on the way back if you want." He offered. Mabel just shrugged and nodded.

"Well, okay." Mabel said, walking over to the back seat in the truck. She opened the back door and noticed a brown paper bag open on one of the seats. She made her way into the vehicle and shut the back door. Mabel looked to her right and took hold of her seatbelt, tugging on it gently and bringing it over to the buckle beside her. Her arm bumped the bag with more force than one would think, and the bag fell over near her buckle. "Huh..?" She questioned, looking at a few objects that had fallen out.

"You dudes ready to go?" Soos asked, closing the door to the truck and starting the car.

Mabel nodded slowly. "Uh, Soos?" She asked. Soos answered the girl, and Mabel raised an eyebrow. "What's a baby rattle doing in a random bag back here?"

Soos's eyes widened for a moment, and he turned around to the back seat. "Oh, those?" He asked, chuckling suspiciously. "I was just...picking up supplies." He answered, quickly drawing his eyes back to the windshield of the car. Dipper noticed the reaction and questioned it as well, as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Supplies for what?" Mabel asked, deeply confused by the answer. It wasn't really her business, but that wouldn't stop her curiosity.

Soos cleared his throat and chuckled once more. "I-It's for someone I know." He said, his voice turning into a mutter.

"Is someone you know having a baby?" Dipper asked, now curious at the sound of the conversation as well.

Soos just nodded his head. He put his hands on the wheel and adjusted his hat before backing the car out of the parking position. "Well, yes." He said, saying nothing more. Dipper turned around to look at Mabel and the girl just shrugged.

Moments later, they were on the road. Soos had put on the radio station playing the top songs of the week. Straight Blanchin wasn't on the radio as much anymore, but it was still a personal summer favorite of his.


Stanford was down in the laboratory, sitting down by his office chair that had been left in the middle of the room, likely by Bill. He wrote some notes down on his clipboard, and tapped his pen on the clipboard in thought. He had nearly completely forgotten about a research project he had written about when he was younger and less vigilant. Back when he was younger, he had been studying Mindscape Illusions, a study that he had begun to forget about over the years. More recently, he had been studying types of topics related to Bill's situation.

Ford had hit a bit of a roadblock in his research due to lack of crucial information. He sighed and face palmed for a moment, trying to refresh his brain of possible facts he was missing.

He heard someone coming down the elevator, and he put his hands on his clipboard as he watched the door open. Bill had come out of the elevator with an oversized grey sweater on his torso, and a pair of loose black basketball shorts on his legs. Ford looked at Bill and gave a small wave. "Hello, Bill." He greeted, looking down at his clipboard once more.

Bill greeted the other man back and walked over towards him. "Whatcha' writing?" He asked, curiously.

Ford shrugged. "Nothing more than I've been doing all week." He stated.

Bill nodded. "What have you been doing all week?" He asked once more. Ford sighed and shook his head.

"Just trying to find out more about your human form." Ford informed.

Bill folded his arms. "Find out what about me, exactly?"

"How to fix y-" Ford started and was stopped when he saw Bill's sarcastic glare.

Bill scoffed sarcastically and hit the back of Stanford's head in a half-jokingly manner. "Aw, come on sixer!" He groaned. "I don't think you're trying to fix me." He stated.

Stanford's vision went blurry for a moment, and he looked back over at Bill. He felt a bit strange, but he figured it was just old age getting the best of him. The demon rolled his eyes and gave a small smile. "I feel like you're just trying to stop me from 'taking over the world' again." Bill stated.

Ford shook his head. "No Bill, that's not-" He tried.

Bill smirked. "Oh, but it is." He responded back. He put his hands on both sides of the chair, wrapping his fingers around the arm rests. "If it wasn't, you would be more willing to trust me." He said. Bill was unusually close to Ford, which Ford questioned slightly. Ford just cleared his throat and looked at Bill.

"I'm... working on the whole 'trusting' thing," Ford stated. "You have changed, I see that now, but I just don't know how much you've changed. Emotionally and powerfully."

Bill smirked. "Well aren't you just a confused Fordsy?" He mused, putting a hand on Ford's cheek. "You know what'll make you more confused?" He asked.

Ford raised an eyebrow, and moved his head backwards a bit in order to keep the situation from being awkward. "Wh?-" He began to ask, but was stopped by the unfamiliar contact given by the other. Bill pulled Ford's face up closer to his and leaned closer to him, locking their lips together in a kiss.

Ford's eyes widened at the contact that begun so suddenly and lasted for what felt like forever. Ford was a bit alarmed by the situation, however he certainly wasn't apposed to it at the moment. Is this real? He asked himself. Is any of this real? Ford assumed he was asleep, and he tried pinching his arm to check. Seeing that he wasn't waking up, and noticing the small sting of pain in his arm made it clear to him that what was happening was real. That it wasn't just wishful thinking.

Bill took his hand away after hitting Ford's head, sighing. "Honestly, Sixer. Do you really think I-" He began, but stopped in his sentence when he noticed Ford's face was resting on the side of the chair, his eyes closed. Had he fallen asleep? Bill wasn't sure. "Uhh, Sixer?" Bill asked, looking at the other man. Ford gave no response, and Bill scoffed. "Come on Sixer. Not funny." He stated.

Ford still gave no response, and Bill began to silently panic. "Sixer?" He asked.

Nothing.

"Come on, Sixer! Enough games!" Bill spat in a panic.

Still nothing.

Bill bit his lip and his fists clenched. He grabbed Ford's arm and checked for a pulse. The other man still had a pulse, and it was clear that he was breathing. Bill looked at Ford once more and poked his cheek. "Sixer?" He asked once more, feeling that there was no point in calling for the other. "Ford?" He asked, poking Stanford's face once more. Ford flinched slightly at the contact, and continued to keep his eyes closed.

Bill folded his arms. He must have fallen asleep. He thought to himself. Bill looked around the room and noticed a bag of jellybeans sitting on the desk. I'll stay down here for a bit, but I'm confident nothing is wrong, there isn't much of a point. He told himself. Bill took the bag of jellybeans and leaned on the desk, digging into the bag.


"This is gonna be great!" Mabel exclaimed once they got to the laser tag building. the twins walked to the door eagerly as Soos turned off the car. Mabel turned around to look at Soos, seeing him putting a few items back in their bags. she raised an eyebrow and called for the handyman. "Soos, are you coming?" she asked him, and Soos quickly agreed, heading towards the door as well.

The three looked over at the glass door in suspense. There was a sign on the door- a sign that didn't mean good news for their afternoon plans. Soos read the sign aloud in more of a mutter. "Come back another time, we are closed for... reconstruction?" He read, question in his voice towards the end. He gasped at the information. "What?" he exclaimed. "Out of all the days!" Soos said, shaking his head.

Dipper folded his arms and sighed. "Well, I'm sure we could try again when summer rolls around." He said, shrugging.

"Yeah," Mabel agreed hesitantly. Soos and Dipper were both able to hear the slight dissappointment in her voice. "I mean, I'm sure the building will be repaired by next year, and-" Mabel said, but stopped when Soos put a finger over her mouth.

"Don't talk like that, Mabel dawg!" Soos exclaimed, putting an arm around both twins shoulders. "We're gonna make these last few hours worth it!" He said with a smile. The twins gave smiles and nodded. Soos looked at the twins and shrugged his shoulders. "So what do you dudes want to do for the next couple hours?" He asked.

The twins shrugged and looking at eachother with small smirks. They looked back at Soos and in unison blurted out, "Pizza?"

Soos eagerly agreed. "Dudes, you just read my mind!" He exclaimed, and Mabel snickered.

"Consider it my superpower!" She joked as the three headed towards the car.

Once everyone was in the car, Soos chuckled. "Good thing there's a parlor just a couple blocks away from here, it's the second best parlor in town!" He stated, sharing his opinion.

Mabel buckled her seatbelt and raised an eyebrow. "What's the best one?" She asked curiously.

"Remember Hoo-ha Owl's pizzamatronic jamboree?" Soos asked, and Mabel nodded. "Well, that used to be my favorite pizza place, but then I started feeling scared of going back after Melody and my first date. New fact about Soos, anamatronics are freaky, dudes!" He exclaimed as he started the car.

"Oh yeah," Dipper began. "How's Melody been doing?" He asked, looking at Soos.

The handyman clenched the wheel with a rather firm grasp at the question. He looked behind him for a moment as he backed out of the parking lot. "She's uh... she's good!" Soos assured with an awkward chuckle. Dipper nodded and turned to look out his window.

Mabel looked around as they drove and pointed to the parlor they were looking for. "There! It's over there, Soos!" She exclaimed, excited. Soos chuckled at the reaction and turned to the correct road.

Once Soos had pulled into a parking space, Mabel was the first to unbuckle and literally jump out of the car. Dipper was quick to exit the vehicle as well, and the three walked over to the door.

Soos opened the door and snickered. "Ladies first!" He addressed to both Mabel and Dipper. The boy gave a strange look at the name he had been given that made Soos laugh.

The parlor was rather small with walls made of birch that had a bit darker of an appearance with the low lighting. There were small round white tables around the enterance of the parlor, with brown, wooden tables down on the far right. The three were looking around for a table in the building when a man who worked at the parlor stopped them, putting a hand out.

"I'm sorry you three, but we have a full house right now." The worker informed.

Dipper sighed at the news and Soos folded his arms. "Aw man," He muttered. "Look dawg, It's these kids last day in town until, like, next summer. Are you sure there are no other tables?" He asked, hopeful.

The worker sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir. You'll just have to come back later." He stated, folding his arms.

Soos sighed and shrugged. "Sorry dudes, I guess we have to go back home. Mr. Pines would want you back soon." He said in defeat.

Without saying much, the three walked out the door, heading to the car. Soos held the door for the twins once more, and the kids thanked him for the action. Before Soos could catch up to the twins and make it to his car, Tad Strange called out his name. "Hey, Soos!" He called out.

The handyman turned around and waved. "Oh, hey Tad!" He greeted cheerfully. He hadn't seen Tad in a few months, so it was nice to see him again.

"I just wanted to tell you congratulations!" Tad said to him with a grin.

Soos's eyes widened for a moment and he looked behind him to see if the twins were listening in. Luckily, the kids were getting into the car and laughing in unison at each others jokes. Soos looked back at Tad and gave an awkward smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh uhm, t-thanks, Tad..!" He said back.

Tad smiled and waved as he walked across the parking lot. "See you around, Soos!" He said, looking away as he crossed the street.

Soos put his hands on his hips and shook his head with a smile. "What an ordinary guy!" He said, mostly to himself. Dipper just stood there confused. congratulations? He thought to himself. It turned out, Dipper really had heard what had happened. Well, part of it, at least. He figured that since he didn't really catch the conversation that it was probably nothing to be worried about.

Soos, Mabel, and Dipper all got into the car, Mabel up in the front seat this time. The handyman turned himself to look at both the kids. "Hey, look dudes, I'm sorry this whole thing didn't work out how I thought it would. Maybe when we get back to the shack we could do something before it's time to go." He thought, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not your fault, Soos," Mabel stated. "And even though we didn't do what we had planned, at least we got to spend the rest of our time here with you!" She said with a smile. Dipper nodded in agreement and gave a grin as well.

Soos nodded his head and began to start the car. Dipper rolled down his window and heard a man yelling Soos's name. He raised an eyebrow and alerted the handyman. "Uh... Soos?" He warned.

"What's up, dawg?" He asked as he began to pull out of the driveway.

Dipper looked at the man. He recognized him from somewhere... but where..?

Of course!

The answer came to Dipper. The man yelling for Soos was none other thran his cousin Reggie. He had recognized the man from the time he and Mabel went with Soos to the mall in attempt to find a girlfriend. Dipper saw Reggie waving a wrapped box in the air, calling for Soos.

Soos noticed the behavior once Dipper had pointed it out, and rolled down his window. Oh no... Soos thought to himself when he saw the gift. Aw man, Reggie doesn't really have the best timing. This is bad... Soos thought, a shiver going up his spine in fear.

"Soos, hey Soos!" Reggie called, running across the parking lot over to the vehicle the handyman was in.

Soos bit his lip and adjusted the hat on his head. Pushing aside his fear, he gave a small smile. "Oh, h-hey Reggie!" He said, looking at the other.

"Hey, I got you something!" Reggie said, smirking. "It's pretty awesome, if you ask me." He stated, folding his arms and grinning.

Soos chuckled quietly. "Um, thank you Reggie!" He blurted out sheepishly.

Reggie winked and leaned on the car, looking at Soos. "Hey, no problem bro!" He said, and leaned in closer, lowing his tone slightly. "You'll make a great dad." He said. Soos cringed at the choice of words, and he noticed the silence in the car, not daring to turn around.

Moment's later, a female voice called for the handyman's cousin. "Reggie! Reggie! Hurry up, we're going to be late to our yoga lesson!" His wife exclaimed in minor annoyance.

Reggie turned around for a moment. "Coming, sugar!" He said. He turned back to look at Soos and gave him a pat on the back. "See ya' around, Soos!" He said with a grin before leaving.

Soos chuckled awkwardly and waved goodbye to his cousin. He turned slowly to face the steering wheel, staring at it for a moment. Mabel cupped her hands together and Dipper folded his arms. "Soos?" Mabel asked in a quiet tone.

The handyman looked at Mabel. "Yeah?" He answered.

"Why did your cousin Reggie give you a gift?" She asked.

Soos shrugged slightly, "Well-" He tried, but was interrupted by Dipper.

"Yeah, and how come Tad told you 'congratulations'?" Dipper asked, confused.

Soos bit his lip. "You heard that?" He asked, worried, and Dipper nodded. "Oh, well-" He tried once more.

Mabel cut in and added yet another question to the conversation. "And how come Reggie said that you would be a good dad?" She asked. The twins were about to ask more questions, but stopped when Soos exclaimed in annoyance.

"Because Melody's pregnant, okay?" Soos shot at the twins. He was quick to notice his tone of voice, and he put his hands on his mouth. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout." He said, looking down at the floor of the car and sighing.

The vehicle was quiet for a moment. Dipper's eyes were big like saucers and Mabel;s mouth hung open. "Wait... what?" Mabel asked.

Soos took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, dudes. I just..," He started, "I just didn't know if now was the right time to tell the people I see every day. I mean, It's one thing to tell a few close people, but you two and Mr. Pines? I just didn't know if I wanted to address something like that yet, I just didn't know how I would feel about it." Soos stated.

Dipper raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, how do you feel?" He asked.

Soos just shrugged. "I feel kinda bad for shouting at you dudes, but it feels better knowing that the entire topic doesn't have to be closeted." He said. Dipper nodded, understanding. "I'm really freaking out about the whole thing..." Soos admitted, sighing.

Mabel reached over and put a hand on Soos's shoulder. "Why?" She asked in a rather calming voice.

"It's all going so fast," Soos started. "I never really had a dad growing up, how am I supposed to know how to become one?" He asked, putting his hat back on his head.

Dipper nodded. "Listen man, you're awesome!" He encouraged.

Mabel agreed with her brother. "Yeah! You never had a dad growing up, and deep down that hurt you!" She stated, looking at Soos. The handyman nodded slowly, and looked at the girl. "You need to make sure you're there for your child, do the job that your dad never did!" She said with a smile, hoping her words were encouraging. It seemed to be working when she noticed Soos's facial expressions beginning to light up a bit.

Dipper smiled. "Reggie is right Soos. You will make a good dad!" He said.

"Not a good dad, a great dad! The best dad!" Mabel exclaimed, putting her arms up above her head and waving them around.

Soos chuckled at the reaction and smiled. "I'll take you two back to the shack." He stated, and the twins nodded, Dipper buckling his seat belt that he had forgotten to buckle.


Stan was digging through a cardboard box in the gift shop, wearing his normal work uniform, when the twins and Soos walked into the room. He looked up as he took a couple snow globes out of their boxes. He looked at the twins and smirked. "Hey, how'd it go?" He asked.

Mabel and Dipper looked at each other, then at Stan. "Interesting." They both said in unison, smiling.

Stan raised an eyebrow at the strange reaction, but shrugged his shoulders as he put up a few Mystery Shack Christmas snow globes up on a shelf. Dipper folded his arms and tilted his head. "Grunkle Stan, why are you putting snow globes up? It's not even Thanksgiving yet." He stated.

Stanley turned around and put his hands on his hips. "Thanksgiving is tomorrow, kiddo. That means we're not gonna get a lot of customers, which means I can start gettin' these Christmas souvenirs up quicker! Christmas only comes one day a year, ya' know." Stan reminded, grabbing his cane and gently poking Dipper in the stomach with the 8-Ball side. "So I might as well make as much money as I can off it." Dipper took a step back from Stan and rolled his eyes. Typical Stan. He thought to himself.

Stan turned to face the kids and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh yeah, uhh… you kids might wanna' say your goodbyes and get your stuff before you leave." He said with a sigh.

Dipper sighed. "Aw man, I never got to say goodbye to Wendy-" He said, but was interrupted by the sound of someone coming down from up on the roof.

"What about me?" Wendy asked, a smile on her face.

Dipper's mouth hung open. "You were up there?" He asked. Wendy nodded and snickered. "Oh, well... we have to leave Gravity Falls and go back to California soon. So I guess this is goodbye." He said.

Wendy shrugged. "Hey, I'll see you and Mabel again soon, don't stress it!" She said, tipping Dipper's hat. "Sorry I wasn't around much recently, Robbie and Tambry have been having major relationship problems." She informed.

Dipper nodded. "We're gonna miss you." He said, looking at Mabel. His sister nodded in agreement.

"I'll miss you both too, but hey! Maybe you'll be able to make it for Christmas break?" She said, hopefully.

Dipper shrugged. "Maybe." He muttered. In reality, he already knew that Mabel and him wouldn't be able to make it for Christmas. Their parents wouldn't allow it, he was sure of that.

"Goodbye Grunkle Stan," Mabel said, hugging Stan's torso. "We're going to miss you."

Stan chuckled and returned the gesture. "I'll miss you too, kiddo." He said with a small smile. "You should probably go say goodbye to Ford. If he gets in one of his moods about you entering the basement without him knowing, make sure he knows that I sent you down." He said, folding his arms.

The twins nodded and made their way to the vending machine. Dipper was quick to type in the combination, and they walked down the stairs quickly, running down towards the elevator. Mabel rushed down the stairs past Dipper to press the elevator button first. Dipper nearly tripped on the last step, and Mabel gave a mocking laugh. The twins got into the elevator and went downstairs to Ford's laboratory.

Dipper looked over at Mabel and sighed. "Mabel, do you think Mom and Dad will let us stay here in Gravity Falls for Christmas?" He asked, curiously.

Mabel just shrugged. "They might let us stay for a bit over break, but you know how important Christmas is to them. There's no way they would let us be here on Christmas without them."

The elevator opened, and the twins spotted Ford in the middle of the room in his chair, sitting down. From the distance, they couldn't tell if he was awake or not. Dipper and Mabel noticed Bill and Mabel was the only one who bothered to greet him. "Hey Bill!" She said, walking up to the demon. Bill had eaten half of the jelly beans out of the plastic bag, and he waved to the girl as he shoved a few more into his mouth.

"Huy, shurtng str!" He said. Mabel snickered at the action and looked over at her brother to see him confused.

Dipper was looking at Ford. "He's asleep, Mabel." He informed.

Mabel shrugged. "Just wake him up! It's our last day, he'll understand why we woke him up." She said.

The boy nodded and reached his arm out to touch Ford's shoulder. "Great Uncle Ford?" He tried. He got no response from Ford and Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Ford?" He tried again, rubbing his shoulder again. Stanford didn't move and Dipper turned to look at Mabel. "He's not waking up." He informed.

"Here, let me try." Mabel volunteered. Dipper took a step back and Mabel skipped over to the older man.

Bill bit his lip and frowned. Crap. He thought to himself. They're gonna think it was me! Bill popped a couple more jelly beans into his mouth and sighed. Was it me? He asked himself. No, it couldn't have been.

Mabel grabbed Ford's wrists and moved them around, side to side as if he were a zombie. "Arrrrh!" Mabel joked, making zombie sounds. Ford gave no reaction, and Mabel raised an eyebrow. "Heh, um... Grunkle Ford?" She called out.

No response.

Mabel cupped her hands on Ford's face and looked into his closed eyes. "Grunkle Ford, wake up!" She commanded. Ford made no movements, and Mabel was quick to check for a heartbeat. Thankfully, she could easily tell that he was very much alive. Just... asleep?

Dipper folded his arms. "I don't get it... why isn't he waking up?" He asked. "Unless..,"

Bill leaned against the desk in alarm, stressfully shoving another jellybean into his mouth. The jellybean went too far at the back of his mouth, and was trying to slide down his throat. He coughed horribly and slammed his fist down on the desk, coughing as he punched his own stomach.

"It was Bill!" Dipper exclaimed. "He did something to Ford!"

The jellybean finally gave up and slipped out of his mouth, falling onto the floor. Bill looked at Dipper and raised an eyebrow? "What?" Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips. "You can't just blame stuff on me, kid!" He scolded.

"What did you do to our uncle?" Dipper asked through clenched teeth.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Relax, pine tree. I'm sure he's fine-" Bill tried, but was interrupted by the boy.

Dipper shook his head. "You did something to him, didn't you?" Dipper asked, folding his arms.

Because the world loves Bill Cipher, of course Stanley and Soos had to come downstairs. Bill looked at the elevator with his eyes widened. Perfect. Just perfect! Bill thought to himself.

"Hey kids, you ready to go home?" Stanley asked the twins.

Dipper shook his head and ran up to Stan. "Grunkle Stan, Bill did something to Ford!" He exclaimed, putting clenched fists onto his hat.

Stan raised an eyebrow, and Dipper pointed to Ford in the chair. Stan rolled his eyes and walked over to his brother to check on him. Stan looked at Dipper in annoyance. "Kid, he's asleep." Stan stated, folding his arms.

"Try waking him up!" Dipper shrieked. "He's breathing but he won't wake up!"

Stan sighed and grabbed Ford's shoulders, shaking him. "Pointdexter?" He called out.

Nothing.

"Come on Sixer. The kid's are leaving soon. Get off your lazy-" Stan began, but stopped himself when he remembered the twins were in the room.

Dipper put his hands out. "SEE? Bill did something to him!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Bill..." Stan muttered. Stan remembered how Ford had told him about starting fresh with Bill. Maybe Bill had used that opportunity to stab him in the back. Stan turned around and glared, stomping over to Bill and grabbing him by his sweater's collar. He lifted the demon off the ground and carried him sideways a bit to the wall.

Bill cried out in annoyance. "Oh, come on! Are you Pines gonna start blaming everything on me now?" He asked.

Stan glared at the demon and threw him up against the wall, keeping his fists clutched in the demon's sweater. "What did you do to him?" Stan shouted. "What did you do to my brother?" He asked with more force. Bill tried to form words, but couldn't find any that would come out of his mouth. Stan grunted and hit his back against the wall. "I knew my brother was an idiot for trusting you!" Stan exclaimed. "I'd kill you if my brother didn't care so much about you!" He stated.

Bill groaned in pain. "Relax Stanley! For once this isn't my fault! I don't know why he won't wake up. And believe it or not, if he was in obvious danger, I wouldn't just sit around! I would do something!" Bill exclaimed.

Stan scoffed. "Since when do you give a sh- about my brother?" He asked.

Mabel gasped at the language and Soos was quick to cover the girl's ears to save her from the foul language. Stan continued to be violent against the demon, and Mabel stepped forward. "Grunkle Stan, stop it!" She shouted to the older man, running up to him and pulling on his arms.

"Mabel, what are you doing?" Stan asked, keeping his grip on the demon.

Mabel folded her arms and a couple tears formed in her eyes. "Maybe Bill didn't do anything! There's no proof that he did it!"

"He's dangerous!" Stan argued. "Come on, Mabel! Do you honestly trust BILL?" He asked the girl.

Mabel shrugged slightly. "But Grunkle Stan, Maybe Grunkle Ford is just in deep sleep!" She thought. Stan looked down at Mabel and saw a tear rolling down her cheek. He frowned at the state of his niece and glared at Bill, scoffing at him and taking him away from his grasp.

Stan folded his arms and looked at Mabel. "Mabel, if he was in a regular slumber, Ford would have woken up by now." He stated.

"He-He'll wake up!" Mabel protested. "I'll go wake him up, I'll go do it now!" She cried, a tear strolling down her cheek.

Bill bit his lip and sighed. This isn't good... I'm all knowing, dammit! I should know what's wrong with him. Why don't I know what's wrong with him?

Mabel ran up to Ford and grabbed his wrists, shaking them madly. "Grunkle Ford, wake up! wake up, Grunkle Ford! Grunkle Ford!?" She exclaimed, tears falling down her face. "Wake up Ford, please!" She cried, not bothering to hold back her emotional state.

Ford gave a small facial expression of confusion, his eyes still closed. His mouth opened slightly and he let out a sigh. Mabel nodded her head. "Yeah! Wake up! Come on, come on!" She encouraged, clenching his wrists in her hands. Stanford gave no signs of waking up. "Grunkle Ford... please wake up..!" She pleaded, letting do of his wrists.

She became extremely emotional at the state of her uncle. She jumped up onto the chair, her knees balancing on the man's legs. She wrapped her arms around Ford and dug her face into his shoulder, crying. "Please..," She sobbed. "Please be okay, Grunkle Ford. Please." Mabel pleaded. She took a deep breath and sighed, sobbing. "Goodbye..." She said, biting her lip and getting off the man. She put the arms of her sweater in front of her eyes in an attempt to hide her face.

"Kids," said Stan, "Go upstairs." He commanded. "Soos will drive you to the bus stop."

Soos nodded at the order, and Dipper folded his arms. "But Grunkle Stan," Dipper argued. "We need to make sure Ford is okay, and-"

Stan shook his head and pointed a finger at the elevator, shutting his eyes so that the kids didn't see him getting emotional as well. "GO!" Stan hollered, turning around.

Soos pushes his arm forward in attempt to guide the kids to the elevator in a quick pace as he gave Stan a concerned look. Mabel walked to the elevator and looked at Bill with tears in her eyes. "Bill, I thought you were a changed person..!" She stated before running towards the elevator, crying more now.

Bill felt his head sting at the way Mabel had looked at him through the tears in her eyes. "Mabel, It wasn't me! Out of everyone, you understand! Right? R-Right?" He asked, putting an arm out in loss as the twins and Soos went up the elevator. He glared and shook his head. "Alright, that's it!" He yelled through clenched teeth. "Sixer!" He cried out, running over to the other man. He grasped Ford's shoulders, shaking them madly. "Sixer, wake up!" He hollered. "Wake up you old man! Wake up now! I've had enough of your dumb science-experiment, wake the hell up!" Bill shouted, shaking Ford's shoulders madly, the other man's head shifting around, his glasses nearly fallen off his face.

Stan looked at the way Bill was shaking his brother. "Hey, cut it out!" He shouted. "You're gonna hurt 'im!" He stated, walking over to the demon.

Bill glared at Stan. "You got another idea?" He shot back. "As far as I'm concerned, Mabel and Stanford are the only people who actually care about me. The kid is leaving for who-the-hell-knows how long, and I won't let Ford leave too!"

"Oh, don't act like you care about him!" Stan stated, folding his arms. "The only reason you want my brother to wake up is so that you can get out of your dumb form and get back to normal!"

Bill grunted and stood up, his fists clenched. "That's not the only reason!" He shot back. "But I wouldn't expect an old man like you to understand that!" He stated.

Stan put his hands on his hips and glared. "Try me!" He stated. "Face it, Bill. You don't actually care about my brother! Prove me wrong." He challenged.

Bill clenched his fists to the point where his finger nails were digging into his palm's flesh. "You don't know anything." He hissed. His palms ignited in blue flame, and Stan jumped back in horror.

"How are you-" Stan asked. "You have magic?"

"That's right!" Bill said, his ordinary, echo-ey voice taking over. The echo ringed in Stan's head and he looked at the demon in alarm as his eyes shined bright yellow. Bill walked over to Stan, his black slit pupils looking into his ordinary ones. "Don't try and tell me that I don't care about your brother," He started. "Did you think it was easy for me?" He asked, glaring at Stan as the old man's back was up against a wall.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" He blurted out.

Bill glared. "All those years. All of those lonely, obnoxious, boring, immortal years," Bill continued. "Did you think it was easy just... hanging around for millions of years? Bored? Alone?" He asked Stan.

Stan looked at Bill. "It took me 30 years to get my brother back." He tried.

"And it took me 30 thousand years of waiting to find someone like your brother." Bill stated. "Sure, I've had some old 'pals' who I've betrayed in the past. But don't think that it didn't hurt when I betrayed Ford to take over the universe. Stanford was- and is -different. He's caring and loving, but he's also smart. Smarter than the other idiots I had betrayed in the past. I knew that someone like Ford could help me finally enjoy living my immortal life by taking over the world. He wasn't just my ticket out of boredomville, because I did care about him. But I knew that if I hesitated, I might not have found someone as smart as him for another thousand years." Bill said.

Stan folded his arms. "So... you're sayin' that you saw him as someone you would be friends with, but you knew that you needed to use his brain to finally be happy?"

Bill nodded. "I didn't just want to, I had to. You may be old, but you're not nearly as old as me. You don't understand how difficult it was to see a toddler and not turn it's lollipop into a cactus. To hear a demonic summoning of another demon and not spoil the other's cue."

Stanley sighed. "So you really care about my brother, huh?" He asked.

Bill nodded slowly and sighed, the fire in his palms distinguishing and the glow in his eyes fading. "I need him back. He's trying to start fresh with me and, I want a friendship." He stated.

Stan nodded and glared at the floor. "Well you're the all knowing demon in the room, there's gotta be somethin' you taught my brother that may have been done. Dig through the file cabinets and find an answer to Stanford's problem if you plan on redeeming yourself in my eyes." He said, walking away towards the elevator.

Bill watched the man leave, surprised Stan didn't deny his story. He folded his arms and sighed, looking over at the file cabinets. Gotta start somewhere. He thought to himself.

Much confusion! A lot of cliffhangers! Anyone got theories? 0-0

Thank you for 2,000 visits on this story! (Also, I changed the cover art back to the original until I make a new cover :3)