If you follow my Tumblr, you'll know what I mean when I say that this is the chapter I've been afraid to write. But... here it is.
The man with the name of John Cole in this chapter isn't based off anyone. He is not based off a celebrity, someone I know, or any actual person. It's just a name I decided on.
So, before you read any further, let me give a big warning for a couple of self-harm-type situations in this chapter. One is severe, but I won't specify because spoilers. So if you are sensitive to the subject or those types of situations, I won't stop you from hesitating to read or from even skipping this chapter. I completely understand if you don't want to read it. It was very difficult to write. I absolutely do not, in any way, shape or form, condone any of this behavior.
There is also minor language.
With the warnings out of the way, here is chapter 43 of "Welcome Home".
Sunday morning was an awkward one. No one has seen Ford leave his laboratory all morning, which fit the others in the household just fine; as no one had any strong wishes to confront him for the time being.
Meanwhile, Mabel and Bill were upstairs in the twins' bedroom, finishing up the sweater they had been making for Ford throughout the past few days. When Mabel had first seen Bill in the morning, she gasped at the sight of a black eye that had formed overnight. When Mabel had asked Bill what had caused it, Bill revealed the fact that when Ford had unintentionally hit him in the eye with his elbow, the impact of the motion had caused the bruise to form. Mabel showed her sympathy to the demon, which he seemed to merely brush off.
"And... Done!" Mabel said with a smile. Bill looked up at the girl as she took hold of the dark blue sweater they had just recently completed. Mabel held it up for Bill to see. "Now the sweater won't unravel!" She said.
Bill grabbed the sweater and held it up in front of him. He gave a small smile at the finished project. "I've gotta hand it to ya', Shooting Star, you really know how to make durable sweaters!" He complimented. Mabel thanked the demon as he looked at the words he had sewn atop the front of the sweater himself. In the colored yarn he had chosen from a few days back, he had sewn in the letters that spelled out "Sixer".
"Do...Do you think we should go give it to Grunkle Ford?" Mabel asked.
Bill hummed for a moment. "I don't know," He began, "Sixer seemed pretty upset yesterday, and I haven't seen him since. If we went now, he's probably just give us some lecture." He pointed out.
"Yeah, you're probably right..." Mabel muttered. Her eyes lit up after a moment of silence. "Hey, we should watch a movie in the meantime!" She suggested.
Bill looked at the young teenager and raised an eyebrow. "You sure, Shooting Star?" He asked. "If you've only got two days left until you head back to California, do ya' really wanna waste it on some movie?"
Mabel shrugged. "It's not a waste, it'll be fun!" She said with a smile. "What's your favorite movie?" She asked, curious.
Bill hummed. "I don't know, I've only ever seen a few human movies, Karen introduced me to em'." He said.
"Karen?" Mabel repeated, tilting her head. "Isn't that the woman who was in Crestfallen Cavern that died?" She asked.
"Yup." Bill nodded.
Mabel frowned. "I'm sorry that you lost a friend." She muttered.
Bill shrugged. "I wouldn't exactly call her a friend." He said. "She was... Clingy." He said. "And she always called me silly." He added with a grumble, folding his arms and looking away.
"What's wrong with being called silly?" Mabel asked.
"Silly is just another word for stupid, Shooting Star!" Bill exclaimed with a huff.
"Well I don't know about you, but I like to take it as a compliment!" Mabel said with a smile.
"To each their own." Bill muttered to himself.
The two in the room turned to look at the door as they heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" Mabel beckoned, her smile still apparent. The man at the door twisted the doorknob and opening the door, poking his head out slightly to where the two could reveal him as McGucket.
"Hiya, fellers!" McGucket greeted. He noticed the sweater that Bill held in his hands. "Hey, is that there sweater the one you two were a'workin' on?" He asked.
"Yeah!" Mabel said with a nod of her head. Bill handed it to Fiddleford so that the man could take a look at the garment. "Do you like it?" The girl asked.
"How in the world didje' manage ta' finish this in only a matter'a days?" Fiddleford asked, amazed at how quickly Mabel and Bill had been able to put it together.
"We worked together!" Mabel said, still sporting a smile.
"Shooting Star did most of the work." Bill began, "I'm not very good at knitting." He admitted.
Mabel gasped at this. "That's not true! You're a fast learner, and you did a lot of the work, too!" She stated. Bill doubted the statement, but thanked Mabel for the compliment regardless.
Fiddleford handed the sweater back to Bill, who handed it back to Mabel. The young teenager gave the sweater a tight hug.
"Have you seen Sixer around this morning, Fidds?" Bill asked.
Fiddleford shook his head at the question. "No one has seen 'im, from what I've heard." He answered. Bill just hummed, looking down at the wooden floor below him. Fiddleford looked at the demon for a moment he and noticed his unusual state.
"You doin' okay there?" Fiddleford asked Bill. Said man looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Ye' don't look too good." McGucket observed.
Bill smirked, however you could see the look of sleep deprivation in his eyes. "You kidding? I look fabulous." Bill said with a chuckle.
After a moment of pointless chatter, the three headed down to the living room. Mabel kept the dark blue sweater in her arms, folded up neatly. Waddles came out from the kitchen, greeting the girl with a nuzzle of his nose against her ankle. Mabel smiled at the greeting and gave Waddles a rub behind the ear.
Mabel looked down at where they kept the movies. Bill kneeled beside her, looking at the options. McGucket told the others that he was going to check up on Ford for a bit. Bill gave a nod whilst Mabel waved him a goodbye.
Bill took hold of one movie cases that caught his eyes. "Hey, what's this?" He asked.
Mabel looked over in confusion and gasped at the DVD Bill had picked up. "Wait, put that back!" She said, trying to take the case from the demon.
"Why?" Bill asked, keeping a tight grip on the case as to not lose it. He grunted as Mabel continued to try grabbing it. "Hey, what gives, Shooting Star?" He asked.
Mabel slowly took her hands away from the case, looking down at the carpet with her legs criss-crossed. "Grunkle Stan said we're not allowed to watch that movie." She informed.
Bill hummed at this. He read the description of the movie and shrugged at seeing nothing wrong. "It seems fine to me." He commented. "Have ya' wanted to see it?" He asked.
"Well... Yeah, kinda..." Mabel muttered with a slow nod of her head. "B-But Grunkle Stan said that we can't watch it, so we shouldn't. Otherwise he'll get mad." She said.
"I've seen Stano mad plenty of times," Bill said, laughing now. "I don't think it could get any worse than what I've already seen."
Mabel frowned. "I-I don't know, Bill. Watching it behind Grunkle Stan's back isn't a very good idea." She retorted.
Bill just smirked. "Who's gonna tell?" He asked.
Mabel opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when she couldn't find herself to give an answer. She felt a wave of guilt pass by her at knowing that watching the movie behind her uncle's back was wrong, regardless of her curiosity to watch said film. She knew that Bill didn't mind breaking the occasional rule, but she felt that breaking this specific rule was more severe. More importantly, she hoped that she could talk Bill out of breaking the rule so that he wouldn't get into trouble with Stan. Or even more trouble with Ford.
Mabel waved her hand up in the air to get Bill's attention. The demon looked down at the child in confusion, raising an eyebrow.
"Isn't this wrong?" Mabel asked. "You could get in trouble!" She pointed out.
Bill rolled his eyes and groaned. "Look kid, if you're so afraid of me getting you in trouble, then-"
"I'm not afraid of you getting me in trouble," Mabel said. "I'm afraid of it getting you in trouble!" She corrected with a frown.
Bill was taken aback by the statement. It surprised him that Mabel cared about his staying out of trouble status. Mabel had always been considerate about others feelings, though it was still a surprise that she would care for his this much as well. Not just now- but as of recently. Even months ago she had been so considerate.
Bill looked down at the disc in his hand and frowned. "Alright." He muttered, putting the film back where it belonged. Bill saw another movie with an interesting cover and picked it up. The cover had two humans arguing, while the third person was covering their ears. Bill found this humorous and assumed it to be a comedy.
"What about this?" Bill asked, holding the movie in one and and showing it to Mabel.
Mabel hummed. "I've never seen this before." She said. "What's it called?" She asked.
"I don't know." Bill answered, narrowing his eyes at the case in suspicion.
Mabel too narrowed her eyes. "A movie with no title..." She muttered in what sounded of distaste with another, yet deeper, hum. After a moment of silence she said, "It sounds awesome!" With a large smile. Bill was quick to share his agreement to the statement before popping the movie disk into the player. Mabel sat down on the arm rest of the couch chair and patted her hand on the couch's seat, motioning for the demon to sit. Bill did as motioned and grabbed hold of the remote control, keeping it beside him.
Dipper walked into the room and gave a look of confusion. "What are you watching?" He asked.
Mabel turned to look at her brother and gave a large smile. "A mystery movie!" She answered.
Dipper hummed at this. He had assumed that when Mabel said, 'mystery movie', that she had meant the genre rather than the movie itself. At hearing of a movie involving mystery, he walked over by the TV and sat atop the skull beside the couch.
Meanwhile, Fiddleford headed down to the laboratory in hopes of finding Ford. He felt a bit of fear about confronting the scientist, especially after the intense argument between the people of the household from the previous day. When the elevator opened, Fiddleford looked in front of him to see Ford at his desk by the portal window. Ford heard the sound of the elevator opening and turned his head to look at the person entering.
Fiddleford made eye contact with the other man, until realizing that Ford held a pencil by a paper in one hand, and the enchanted dagger in his other. He wondered what the scientist could be working on.
Fiddleford stood behind Ford, hesitant to speak. "Hello, Stanford." He began.
Ford placed both the pencil and the blade back down atop his desk. He turned the spinny-chair around to face Fiddleford. "Do you need something?" He asked in a monotone voice.
Fiddleford gave a slight frown at his friends reaction, though he couldn't say that he was surprised, either. He cleared his throat. "Not exactly..." McGucket muttered.
Stanford raised an eyebrow. "Is everything alright?" He asked, sounding a bit more concerned now.
Fiddleford gave a small shrug. "L-Let's reverse the question," He proposed. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" Ford asked. McGucket shook his head at the question. Ford could tell why Fiddleford was asking these questions and let out a sigh. "If this is about yesterday, I can assure you that I'm alright." He said.
"Ye' don't look alright," Fiddleford observed. "Neither does Bill. Yer' both messed up pretty bad asa' recently." He said.
Ford furrowed his brows slightly. He was confused as to how Fiddleford saw anything wrong with Bill; the man had looked fine the last time Ford had checked. "Fiddleford, I don't understand why you've been so concerned lately. For both of us and our well-being. What's causing it? What's your reasoning?" He asked, his voice raising as he spoke.
Fiddleford took a step back as he saw Ford's hands balled into fists as he stood up. McGucket looked at the scientist with a hint of fear. "I-I'm just looking out for ye', Stanford. For both of ye'. A-And I know it's none a' my business, but-"
"Yes, you're correct," Ford began. "This is noneof your business. Which leads me to wonder whyin the world you're trying to get in the middle of it all!" He exclaimed with a glare. Fiddleford's eyes widened at the other man's tone. Ford too noticed his inconsiderate statement and voice tone. His cold glare faded, and he hesitantly sat back down in his chair. Ford leaned an arm on the armrest and brought the hand up to his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing.
"I'm sorry," Ford muttered. "I didn't mean to shout."
Fiddleford put a hand on the scientists shoulder, giving him a reassuring pat. "Is'alright. I know yer' upset. And I know ye' hate Bill right now, but..." He trailed on.
Ford froze for a moment. He took his hand away from his face and sat up straight. "I... I don't hate Bill, Fiddleford." He retorted in a softer manner, not understanding what led the engineer to assume such a thing. His brows furrowed slightly. "What I do hate is the horrible things he's been doing. I can't just dismiss all that. I can't let him get away with all of it." He tried to reason. "You understand that, right?" He asked, a hint of hopefulness in his voice.
Fiddleford retracted his hand from Ford's shoulder and gave a tiny nod. "I suppose I can," He mumbled. He looked back at Ford. "The two of ye' sure've been actin' diffr'ent around each other." He said. "Did somethin' happen personally between the two of ye'?" He questioned.
"Come again?" Ford asked, confused now.
Fiddleford took in a deep breath before speaking. "W-Well, the two of ye' only really speak when ye' have to. I've beena' feelin' tension in the air for days now. I don't mean ta' assume, Stanford, but I feel like ye' just... don't love im' anymore." He continued.
Ford froze with widened eyes for all but a second before reacting. "Of course I still love him, Fiddleford!" Ford admitted in a raised voice, putting a hand into his grey mess of hair. "Which only makes all of this ten times more difficult to handle!"
Fiddleford saw the paranoid look on his friends face and could only find himself to assume the worst. He wondered what Ford had meant when he said 'this'. What was he referring to?
"...This?" McGucket repeated in a hesitant manner.
Ford have a short nod. "Yes. 'This' as in the horrible things he has been doing, and 'this' as in the fact that I'm finally just trying to move on because of it. I can't just forgive him. How can I love someone I know I can't trust? It's just doesn't seem right."He answered.
Fiddleford hummed. "So... What yer' sayin' is, ye' still love im', but ye' want ta' move on just becauseof these 'horrible things' he's been doin'?" Fiddleford asked.
"That's right." Ford confirmed with a nod of his head.
McGucket nodded. "Sorry I've been askin' all these questions." He muttered.
"You don't need to apologize." Ford assured. "I understand your curiosity." He said. and while he did in fact understand Fiddleford's curiosity, he couldn't help but wonder why his friend seemed so concerned for both him and Bill. He wondered what he saw wrong with Bill. From what Ford could tell, the demon seemed perfectly fine. Sure he had been distancing himself, but Bill couldn't have gotten hurt in such short time, right?
Fiddleford adjusted his glasses and opened his mouth as if to say something. This didn't go unnoticed by Ford, and he tried to ask just what it was about. "Yer' brother was sayin' how he was hoping ta' talk to ye' sometime soon." McGucket informed.
"Oh?" Ford said, tilting his head. "About what?" He asked.
"I'm not sure." Fiddleford answered, rather annoyed with himself at the fact of not being able to inform Ford with more information that he had been told by Stan earlier in the morning.
Ford hummed at this. "Well, then I suppose there's no point in hesitating." He said, standing up once more. With that, the two headed towards the elevator.
"I'm sorry, Regina," A man playing the role of John Cole in the selected film playing had begun. "But it must be done." He said, kicking the chair from underneath him and letting his legs dangle in the air.
The woman, Regina, gave a high pitched scream of horror at the sight of John. She looked around frantically for a way to help her beloved.
Dipper gasped at the sudden suicide act being displayed on the Television. Mabel and Bill both screamed. Mabel was horrified by the event, whereas Bill was remorseful for the fact that the innocent girl had to see such a thing, hence the reason he too screamed. Bill was quick to put a hand over Mabel's eyes.
Dipper looked at the 'Employees only' door as two people emerged from the laboratory. Fiddleford was quick to hear the feminine screaming coming from the TV, and looked to see what the cause was. Ford, however, saw the looks of horror coming from the three viewers. He wondered what Bill was covering Mabel's eyes for and looked over at the television screen as well.
Fiddleford gave a look of both shock and unease at the image present. Ford also found himself horrified with the action presented. His horror quickly turned to rage as he looked back at the fear-filled children. Ford saw the remote control on the armrest and was quick to grab hold of it, pressing the button on the device that turned the TV off.
Bill looked at Ford and slowly took his hand away from Mabel's eyes now that the image was gone. Ford tossed the remote back over by the arm rest, the device landing impressively back where it had once rested.
Ford folded his arms and gave Bill a cold stare. "Would you like to explain why something such as this is being viewed on the TV to the children?" He asked. He noticed Bill's black eye, however he chose not to speak of it now. There was a much greater thing he wanted an answer to for the moment and right now the eye was the least of Ford's concerns.
Bill put his hands up slightly. "Look, I didn't know. Seriously!" He tried.
Ford shook his head at the excuse. "Do you expect me to believe that?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.
Mabel looked at Ford with a frown. "Grunkle Ford, he's telling the truth! Bill didn't know that was going to happen, none of us did!" She claimed.
Ford looked at Dipper to see if his nephew had a reaction to his sister's claim. Dipper nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah, for once, Bill's not lying." He confirmed.
"It was a mystery movie, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel said, "We had no idea what the title or description was, I-It only showed the cover!"
Dipper looked at his sister with his mouth open slightly. "Wait, I thought the genre was mystery, not the context!" He said, folding his arms.
"Save your bickering for later, Pine Tree." Bill said, silencing the boy. Dipper narrowed his eyes at the demon and huffed in annoyance. "Sixer, I know I'm a pretty bad guy, but I wouldn't show thisto them on purpose! Not even Pine Tree!" He said. "Do you honestly think I wanted the kids to see this, out of all the other horrifying things out there?" He asked.
"I'm sure you would if you got the chance." Ford scoffed.
"Don't worry, I'd show them to you first," Bill grumbled with an eye roll. Mabel looked at the demon as he folded his arms, slouching in the chair slightly.
Ford adjusted his glasses before speaking. "Bill, I don't want you spending time with the kids anymore." He said frankly.
"What?" Mabel and Bill exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide. Dipper stayed silent, however he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the demon.
Mabel frowned. "Grunkle Ford, you aren't being fair!" She stated, folding her arms. "You can't just punish Bill for something he didn't see coming!" She tried to no avail.
"I'm sorry, Mabel," Ford continued. "But it's for your own good." He said before turning around to leave the room. Fiddleford gave the group a sympathetic frown before following after Ford. Mabel watched her uncle leave with narrowed eyes.
"Look, Shooting Star. I'm sorry about that thing on TV." Bill apologized. He turned to look at Dipper. "Uh... You too, Pine Tee." He added in more of a mutter.
Dipper adjusted his hat. He watched as Bill stood up to leave the room and frowned. Even though he didn't enjoy Bill's presence in the household, he still agreed with his sister on the fact that Ford was being a bit unfair. Dipper could see the sadness in Mabel's eyes as she got off the couch, tugging on Bill's arm to get his attention, as well as to keep him from leaving.
Bill looked down at the girl and sighed. "Kid, it's fine." He tried to assure.
Dipper glared at the demon. "Are you kidding?" He asked, stepping off the skull and folding his arms. "Nothing about this is fine!" He said.
Bill rolled his eyes. "Look Pine Tree, I already apologized. I don't know what more you want from me." He grumbled.
"That's... Not what I'm talking about," Dipper muttered. Bill raised an eyebrow at this, and Mabel too gave her brother a confused glance. Dipper sighed. "Look man, you and I both know that I don't really like you, but even I see that things are wrong here. And even though you've been doing a suspiciously high amount of good recently, I don't see how Ford can just ignore all of that." He said.
Mabel looked at her brother in disbelief for a bit. After a moment of silence, Mabel smirked and gave her brother a playful punch in the arm, to which Dipper groaned, rubbing the spot on his arm that had been nudged.
"What's this? Dip-dop is going soft?" Mabel asked with a snicker.
Dipper rolled his eyes. "Come on, Mabel. Don't overreact. I'm not going soft, I-I just think this is wrong. All of this is wrong." He stated.
Mabel hummed and looked back at Bill. "Well, before you go to wherever it is you disappear to during the day, take the sweater." Mabel told Bill, walking over to the couch and grabbing said sweater from its safe place behind the couch. Bill took hold of the sweater and looked at it for a moment. A part of Bill had the sudden urge to burn the garment. However, he knew that doing so would cause nothing but sadness from Mabel after all the time they had spent making it. Bill frowned and gave the sweater back to the girl.
"There's no point, kid." Bill stated. "A sweater isn't gonna fix the problems Sixer's got with me." He said with a shake of his head.
"But it'll help!" Mabel tried.
"Not now, alright?" Bill snapped. "Now is a terrible time to give it to him." He said, looking over at the back door at knowing that Stan and Ford were both outside, as well as Fiddleford.
Meanwhile, out on the porch, Stan was speaking to Ford about previous matters whilst Fiddleford sat on the outdoor couch beside Stan.
"For the last time, Stanley," Ford began. "I'm not the one at fault here." He claimed.
Stan just scoffed at this. "And I've payed taxes all my life." He responded in a sarcastic manner, taking a sip of his Pitt Cola. "Seriously Poindexter, we all know that you can be more than your fair share of stubborn, but you're really upsettin' the kids." He pointed out.
"Why on earth would the twins feel the need to be upset?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe because you banned em' from talkin' to blondie." Stan said with a shrug.
Ford shifted. "Wh- You heard that?" He asked, surprised at this.
Stan rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Sixer. The walls aren't as sound-proof as you think." He said.
Ford ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat whilst Stan took a long sip of his Pitt Cola. "W-Well for your information, I am most certainly not stubborn." He stated, folding his arms.
Stan nearly choked on his soda at this. Fiddleford scooted over towards the end of the couch as Stan spat out the drink, throwing his head back and laughing hysterically at the statement. Ford narrowed his eyes in distaste for his brothers actions. Fiddleford bit his lip and turned away as he attempted to stifle a snicker. His timing of acting on this had failed him, and he ended up laughing along with Stan.
Ford huffed. "I like to make... rational decisions." He defended.
"Oh, you're somethin', Stanford." Stan said, leaning back on the couch and crossing one leg over the other. "Look, uh... no offense, but nothing you've been doing is 'rational'." He stated.
"Please," Ford scoffed. "I doubt you even understand the definition of rational." He grumbled.
Stan's grin turned into a frown. "What part of 'I'm not an idiot' didja' not catch?" He asked his brother, narrowing his eyes.
"Stanley, is there a good reason to be having this conversation?" Ford asked. "There are much more important things I could be doing." He stated.
"True," Stan said. "I don't think you've finished your check list of ways to upset every person on earth yet." He said.
"I don't see myself upsetting anyone!" Ford defended once more, putting his hands on his hips.
As if timing were against Stanford, Bill slammed the porch door open, walking onto the porch with his eyes closed and groaning. "Fidds, I'm upset!" He pouted.
Fiddleford looked at the man, raising an eyebrow. Does e'ryone in this shack have issues? He asked himself.
Bill opened his eyes and looked in front of him, unamused at the person he saw in front of him. "Oh," He grumbled, looking at Ford in a distasteful manner. "On second thought, I'll save my ranting for later." He said, taking a step back.
Stan looked at his brother with a deadpan look. "My point exactly." He said.
"Point?" Bill repeated, stopping in his tracks. He walked back onto the porch once more and leaned on the couch with his arm, supporting himself up slightly with his elbow. "What point?" He questioned, leaning close to Stanley. The con man scrunched his nose.
"It's nothing." Ford muttered, folding his arms.
Bill just smirked. "Nothing?" He began, standing up straight now. He mirrored Ford's folded arms and walked towards him, standing face to face with the scientist. "Or is it just something you're intending to keep from me specifically?" He asked, the two close now.
"This doesn't concern you." Ford hissed.
"What're ya' talkin' about, Sixer? Of course it does!" Stan retorted, not sensing the tension. "You're just stirrin' the pot by not tellin' him." He added in a mutter.
"Well then, would you mind sharing?" Bill asked, not surprised that the conversation was based off him. Ford was silent, and instead just looked away from the demon. Bill hummed in distaste at this. He waited a moment, only to receive no reply from the other man. Bill narrowed his eyes and brought a hand up to Stanford's forehead, flicking it with his finger. "Earth to Sixer!" He tried.
Ford looked back at him and grabbed hold of his wrist, furrowing his brows. "I'm sure you'll be able to realize that you don't have to be involved in everything that goes on in his household." He stated.
"Well, if this is about me, I'd like to know what's going on. Wouldn't ya' think?" Bill shot back.
"You are not entitled to know about the conversation, or my feelings," Ford said, shaking his head. He tightened his grip on the man's wrist, causing Bill to cringe slightly. "Perhaps if you stayed out of everything for a while, there would be less problems!"
"Oh, spare me the lecture," Bill said, rolling his eyes. He yanked his arm out of the scientists grip. "I'm sure you'll be able to come up with one, won't ya, smart guy?" He asked, putting his hands on his hips.
Ford gave a short chuckle out of the upmost disbelief and sarcasm. "It's easy to do with a troublemaker like yourself." He said. "Not to mention with all of the horrible things you've done lately."
"Oh, boo-hoo!" Bill exaggerated. "So I may have done a few bad things, but you can't say that it wasn't for the greater good!"
Stanford scoffed in disgust at this. "And what would you know about the 'greater good', Bill?" He asked, narrowing his eyes once more.
Fiddleford adjusted his glasses. "I-I mean... he's got a point, Stanford." He stated in a hesitant manner.
"See?" Bill exclaimed, "Even Fiddlesticks agrees with me!"
"I nev'r said I agree," Fiddleford retorted.
Bill ignored the man's statement. "I don't know why you insist on looking at me like I'mso terrible when I'm clearly trying to do some good around here!" He said, looking at Ford once more.
"You are terrible." Ford reminded. He opted not to bring up the scars he now had to live with after all the years in the multiverse. "You've put my family in danger on multiple occasions, just one of them being Weirdmageddon." He said.
Bill shifted when Ford had brought up Weirdmageddon. Then again, he couldn't say that he was surprised. At this point, The man would use anything against him in order to prove his point. Still though, he couldn't help but feel hurt by him bringing up the subject. "I... I thought you said we dropped that." He still said, biting his lip slightly.
"We can't truly drop it." Ford bellowed. "You and I both know that."
Bill was silent for a moment. He looked at the man before speaking. "How many times am I gonna have to apologize for that?" He asked in a soft tone; one that was very uncommon for someone like Bill.
"Well unless I somehow forget it all happened, I wish you luck." Ford scoffed.
"Maybe someday you will forget." Bill muttered, though he wasn't too confident in that claim himself.
Bill spoke just loud enough for Ford to overhear. Ford growled before raising his voice. "And what, you expect me to forget your methods for getting that damn equation?"
"Don't bring that up!" Bill cried out, a look of remorse on his face as he looked at the scientist with wide eyes. "Please, I... don't want to remember that." He admitted, looking away.
Ford clenched his fists by his sides. "Neither do I," He said, "But you don't see me with a choice now, do you? He said, a clear glare on his face.
Bill looked back at Ford, mirroring his glare. "If I remember right, you were the one who originally said we could drop it!" He reminded.
"And what a foolish remark that was," Ford continued in a firm manner. "You need to be aware that some things cannot pass by."
"I feel a lecture coming on," Bill grumbled. "Go on, Fordsy! Give it to me straight, just how you like to!" He exclaimed, taking a step closer to the man.
Ford didn't bother to acknowledge their closeness. He kept his glare. "This is no lecture," Ford said, "Think of it like a reality check for you." He grumbled. He could feel his anger surfacing and his blood boiling.
"Okay, then spare me the reality check!" Bill said, "Seriously, if you don't plan on trying to fix things like I am, if your only intentions with me are to remind me of the past and leave me in the dust, I might as well spare you this time and take myself off your stupid hands!" He yelled, clenching his fists beside him as he shot a glare at the scientist.
"Well then why don't you?" Ford shouted, his glare hardening. Everything went silent. Fiddleford and Stanley looked on in disbelief. In a low tone, Ford added, "You're a monster."
Bill's eyes widened. His lips parted from shock. Bill's arms dropped to his sides as he looked at the other man in complete disbelief. While he knew that Ford had a distaste for him again, he hadn't expected him to react that way. Bill felt his lip quiver slightly. He was quick to bite it in hopes of stopping it as he took a step back.
Ford, too, was taken aback by his remark. A wave of nothing but remorse passed by him, however he couldn't find any words to apologize for his reckless words. He found himself standing there, frozen in place. His head shook slowly.
"Bill... no, I..." He stuttered, not finding himself able to finish the excuse of a sentence. Ford cringed when Bill shot him a cold glare before swiftly turning around, pushing the door open and slamming it behind him. Ford put an arm out to no avail. He knew that Bill was upset. He had ever right to be. Ford kicked himself for saying such a heartless thing to the other man.
"Bill..." Ford muttered, a frown on his face. Stan looked at his brother with a glare. Fiddleford frowned at the scientist. He gasped when Stan put his Pitt Cola in his lap as he stood up. Fiddleford ignored the beverage that now laid atop his lap and looked at Stan as he headed towards his brother. Stan gripped the sides of Ford's lab coat, forcing him close with a glare as he looked into his brother's remorse-filled eyes.
"Oh, you've really done it this time, Stanford." Stan hissed, his glare still apparent. "And here I thought your bullshit couldn't go any further! Look, no one cares if the two of ya' hate each other, but why the hell would you say something like that?" He asked.
"Stanley, I-I swear I didn't mean it," Ford tried, "It was a heat of the moment-"
"Excuses, excuses," Stan grumbled with a shake of his head. "You're not a bad person, Pointdexter, but sayin' stuff like that's gonna make ya' one." He grumbled.
Ford sighed. "I know." He muttered. "I don't know how I could have possibly said such a thing. I... I would never say that to anyone. Not even Bill." He said.
Especially not Bill. Ford mentally added.
Stan took his hands off his brother's lab coat, taking a step back. He sat back down on the couch and snatched his Pitt Cola back from Fiddleford with a grunt. McGucket stood up hesitantly and walked towards Ford now. Stanford looked down at McGucket as the other took hold of his hand, making eye contact.
"Maybe ye' should go talk to im'." Fiddleford suggested. "After that, it'd probably be best."
Ford had a hint of doubt. "Are you sure about that?" He asked. "If I were Bill, I would prefer some time alone." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, ye' know how Cipher can be." Fiddleford began. "Even if he does want ta' be alone, under this a'circumstance, ye' might want to at least apologize to im'." He recommended. "Just... in case." He added in more of a mutter.
The mutter hit Ford's ears. He frowned at the mere thought of Bill taking any outrageous actions because of his words, and quite frankly his encouragement. He wished not to think of such awful things, though his mind was not one to grant that wish. Ford drew in a breath and nodded slowly at his friend. "You're right. I'm sure confronting him would be best. I'll be sure to look for him in a bit after giving him some time to cool off." He assured. Fiddleford could only nod.
Sometime while the adults were outside, Dipper had left the room to go write in his journal bout the events of yesterday's adventure. Mabel looked at the door frame from in the living room and saw an angered Bill headed her way. She raised an eyebrow at this.
"Bill, what happened?" Mabel asked. She noticed the demons clenched fists and could only assume the worst. "I heard a lot of shouting, is Grunkle Ford upset again?" She asked.
"Don't worry about it, Shooting Star." Bill grumbled as he walked past the girl.
Mabel frowned and grabbed a wrapped package from behind her back. "Wait!" She addressed. Bill showed no signs of stopping as he headed towards the 'Employees only' door. Mabel grabbed the wrapped gift and ran up to Bill, stepping in front of him and standing in front of the door to stop him in his tracks. Bill hissed in annoyance at Mabel and tried to get around her without hurting the young teenager.
"I wrapped Grunkle Ford's sweater," Mabel said, holding it up in front of Bill. She felt guilty for wrapping it without asking Bill's opinion on the colored wrapping paper, so she had opted to go with light blue with a green stick-on bow. The demon froze for a moment and grabbed hold of the wrapped sweater.
"Then go give it to him," Bill suggested with narrowed eyes. "It's clear that he wants nothing to do with me."
"I'm sure that's not true!" Mabel retorted.
Bill growled and shot a glare at the girl, his eyes becoming red from rage. "Why don't you go ask him that?" He shouted, his voice giving out an echo. Mabel gasped at the man's sudden change of tone, and shivered at the echoey ring that once reminded her of nothing but horror. Bill clenched the package that was still in his hands and threw it down to the ground with a grunt. Mabel sat down to grab the package and watched as Bill stormed out of the living room and into the gift shop. Mabel held the wrapped sweater in her arms and frowned at the direction Bill had left. She could tell that something was wrong, though she was aware that asking Bill about the situation would be out of place.
Bill was quick to head towards the vending machine to cool off. He rushed down the stairs, entering the elevator and pushing the button that would take him down to the lab.
Who needs that jerk, anyway? Bill asked himself. The human seemed to have been brainwashing him with all his flattery- all before things took a turn. He'd gotten Bill to almost completely forget about his mission of returning back to his normal self. How ridiculous he had been to let the man think they were close. At one point- he still assumed- they had been, but Bill had messed that up. He'd messed a lot up ever since his plan for revenge and since he returned to the shack. His reasons for putting up with the Pines family typically revolved around Ford, but now Bill had no chance at the man giving him another fair chance. Bill would just have to accept that. His emotions had gotten the best of him for far too long. He wanted his power back. All of it.
Bill considered going to the private study. Even though he had been specifically instructed not to go down there (Just as everyone else had been told) he figured that the study could potentially be a better place to ensure his privacy. It wasn't until Bill remembered that there was a button that would stop the elevator from working down in the laboratory that Bill decided to enter the laboratory instead.
When he entered the laboratory, he checked the portal room as well as the bedroom to make sure that he was alone. Thankfully yet unsurprisingly, no one else was present in the laboratory. Bill folded his arms as he stood in the middle of the laboratory. He looked over at the desk when he noticed the enchanted dagger laying atop the desk, shining slightly as if it were calling his name. Bill's eyes lit up as the dagger advertised his key to freedom. His ticket to power.
After waiting a few minutes, Ford took his leave off the porch, shutting the door behind him and heading into the living room. He looked down at the carpet see Mabel on her knees, clutching something in her hands. He was curious as to what the girl held close in her arms. Ford heard a sniffle from the girl, causing him to frown. He wondered what had made his niece upset. Hesitantly, he walked over to the girl, getting down on one knee and putting a hand on her shoulder. Mabel gasped at the contact and turned around, seeing her uncle's concerned expression looking back at her.
"Mabel?" Ford addressed. Mabel bit her lip and looked back down at the carpet. Her sadness was like a stab to the heart. "What's wrong, my dear?" He asked.
Mabel was hesitant to speak. Ford gave her a moment and sighed as the girl sniffled once more. Mabel looked up at her uncle with a frown, her eyes shining.
"S-Something's wrong..." Mabel muttered.
Ford raised an eyebrow at this. "What is it?" He questioned.
Mabel held the wrapped sweater closer in her arms. She knew that since the gift was wrapped, Ford wouldn't know what it is. But in this moment, she knew that what she held was the least of his concerns. He was more curious for her well-being.
"I-I don't know what happened..." Mabel continued, shaking her head and biting her lip to hold back the tears. "But... something's wrong with Bill." She informed.
Ford felt guilty for the reason of his nieces sadness. He was well aware that it was his fault regarding whatever had happened with Bill.
"Did he do anything to hurt you?" Ford asked.
Mabel shook her head. "N-No..." She mumbled. "He just seemed mad. Really, really mad." She said. "But... Bill seemed sad, too. I know he won't admit it, but I could tell that there was something wrong." She said.
"I can assure you Mabel, I'm going to talk to him. You don't have to be concerned." Ford began.
"I can't help it!" Mabel exclaimed suddenly, which surprised Ford. Mabel had wide eyes now. "I've never seen Bill look at me that way, never!" She cried, burying her hands in her hair and looking down at the floor. Ford looked at her with a frown still apparent. He was never too good with comforting people, let alone a 13 (Soon to be 14) year old girl. He rubbed the top of Mabel's head gently, in hopes of seeming reassuring.
Mabel swallowed the lump forming in her throat and looked at her uncle once more. "Grunkle Ford?" She began. Ford tilted his head at the girl, hoping she would proceed. After a moment of silence, Mabel asked, "What happened out there?"
Ford was taken aback by the question. He gave a look of unease and drew his eyes away from his niece, scratching the back of his neck. "Well," He began in a muttered tone. He looked at Mabel once more. "I said some things that I shouldn't have, and now I'll have to make things right." He answered hesitantly. He wasn't exactly sure how to answer the girl's question without making her panic.
"Yeah, I heard a lot of yelling..." Mabel said. "Is Bill going to be okay?" She asked.
Ford paused for a moment. "I'm sure he will be okay," He began. "I was just about to go speak to him. Do you know where he went?" He asked, his tone a bit more firm now.
Mabel nodded and pointed to the 'Employees only' door. Ford nodded and thanked his niece, standing up. He walked towards the door until he felt a tug on his lab coat. He turned around and looked down at Mabel.
"Yes?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mabel sighed and looked up at Ford. "Please be nice." She said in a tone that could have easily been mistaken for a whisper.
Ford cringed slightly at this. Though he knew that it was his responsibility to take the hit. He felt terrible for making his niece see him as a bad enough person to where she had to request for him to be kind to Bill. This made him wonder just how much he had seemed like a bad person to Mabel, as well as the rest of his family, Fiddleford, and even Bill.
Ford nodded slowly at his niece. "I will." He assured, offering the girl the best reassuring smile he could manage before walking into the gift shop. Mabel watched her uncle leave, and looked down at the gift in her arms. She had accidently ripped and crumpled part of the wrapping paper (Though she was sure that part of the damage had been from Bill as well.) She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes, walking out of the living room to go upstairs and rewrap the sweater.
Bill took hold of the enchanted dagger. He examined the blade and admired its shape and shine. A dagger with such beautiful handcrafted details was too lovely to be soiled with blood. What a pity that the blades fate would have come to something so messy.
Bill couldn't help but think to himself as he looked down at the blade in his hands. For a moment he had to rethink his thoughts in his head. What he was doing was something he wasn't sure if he would regret or not. At remembering that there was a chance of returning back to normal if he were to go along with his plan, he knew that this was something he had to do. But at what cost? At what benefit?
He wondered what would happen to him if, in fact, he wouldn't return to his normal state. Would his being die along with the body he had been practically forced to live in the past ten months? He thought about it for a moment and knew that doing this would be for the greater good in a variety of contexts. He saw no other options. It was his best bet at becoming powerful again.
Bill walked away from the desk as he paced the middle of the laboratory in a small circle. Ford was wrong about one thing; Bill knew what the greater good was. If he was gone, the Pines' would all be able to go on with their lives. Dipper and Fiddleford would both have one less thing to be paranoid about, and Stan wouldn't have to instruct and chide him about every mistake he made when it came to working at the gift shop. Sure, Mabel may be saddened at the loss of him, but Bill was sure that the girl would get over it soon enough.
And Ford...
Well, Ford would get exactly what he wanted. Bill frowned at the thought of his former enemy (And, perhaps his current, based on Ford's recent opinion of him,) winning. Bill looked down at the blade and held it closer to his chest, holding the blade with both hands now. This is what Ford wanted, after all. And what better way to get some long-awaited approval from the scientist than to get rid of the issue that Ford so despised for good?
Bill couldn't help but give a relieving smile. At least this way he wouldn't have to hear the old man speak so bitterly to him. About him. About anything Bill would ever dare try and do in hopes of satisfying the man. Regardless of how much Bill risked his life, no matter how much he put himself in danger and tested his skills at a variety of things, it was never enough. He wondered why he wanted the man's approval so badly, anyway. All of Bill's effort he had displayed as of recently had all been for nothing.Nothing he did was enough for the one man in the universe whom he trusted.
And what a foolish mistake that had been. Trusting Ford enough to let the scientist trick him into letting him in, using Bill only when he needed him, and otherwise toying with his weaknesses. Bill's grip on the dagger tightened as he felt himself growing angry with how easily he had been manipulated- and for what?
I guess I know how he felt. Bill thought to himself. All those years ago...
Bill's thoughts went back to when he had first begun living at the shack. He remembered one morning when he had left the shack, regardless of Ford trying to stop him from running off into the woods. Bill had successfully left the house, only to have been confronted by Ford under a large, old, and very dead tree just minutes after his escape.
"You know, I'm not much of the revenge type," Stanford had begun. The demon could remember the scientists finger pointing directly at him whilst his arms were folded. "And no matter how much you deserve a taste of your own medicine, I won't be one to inflict vengeance." He had told Bill.
Liar. Bill thought to himself. He's a liar. Based off recent events, there was not one single thing that Ford had done to prove Bill otherwise. Not one gesture Ford had shown Bill in order to prove that he wasn't out for revenge. From what Bill had seen, Ford now hoped for nothing but.
"Well played, Stanford Pines." Bill muttered to himself.
Bill could remember how, after Ford had said those words in the forest, he had grabbed Bill's wrist. Firm, yet gentle at the same time. The look Ford had given him... That look was one thousand times better than the looks he received now. It was almost as if the man had recently been trying to stop being vulnerable around him. Bill could almost feel the hand on his wrist, a feeling he wished not to experience. Not now. Bill did not need a distraction that would get in the way of his plan. He couldn't let his emotions get the best of him.
Bill looked at the dagger once more. His hands began to shake slightly as he moved the daggers sharp point facing towards his chest. He bit his lip as the shining of the dagger caught his eye. Bill slowly moved the dagger close to him, his hands shaking more and more with every breath he took.
This shouldn't be hard. Bill tried to tell himself. I've never minded a bit of pain. Though his thoughts of encouragement didn't matter whatsoever. Bill knew what was at stake. But the confidence in him getting his power back made his decision final. So what was he so hesitant about? Bill huffed in annoyance.
Bill tried keeping his hands steady to no avail. "P-pain is... hilarious."He stammered. He was disturbed by the rapid pace his hands that insisted on shaking. It certainly didn't help his circumstance. He growled and shook his head in hopes of stopping his hesitance. He looked down at the dagger facing towards him with a firm look.
Just one stab and he could have his power...
Ford entered the elevator after going through through the vending machine and down the stairs. He pressed the button on the elevator and watched as the doors closed.
I hope Bill will be willing to talk after our argument from earlier. Ford thought to himself. He felt like kicking himself for saying such a heartless thing. Sure, he had said quite a lot of things, and he knew that he had his reasons to be upset at Bill- but he knew that goingthat far with his words was without a doubt on him.There were no excuses for saying such a thing, even if it had been in the heat of the moment. Ford groaned and pressed his back against the elevator wall, bringing his hands up to his face and moving them up to his hair. He raked through his hair with his fingers as he let out a sigh. He understood that Bill may not want to speak with him. In fact he had every right to take time to himself after what had happened.
He adjusted his glasses and looked down at the elevator floor, awaiting to hear the ding of the elevator. Ford put his hands behind his back and hummed to himself. Surely this can get resolved one way or another... Ford tried to reassure himself. He felt the elevator stop and continued to look at the floor before the doors opened. Ford glanced up when the doors opened, only to see the worst possible outcome his mind had dared to think, and right in front of his eyes, too. Ford's hands dropped to his sides. In the middle of the laboratory stood Bill, holding the daggers point against himself, his hands shaking as his eyes were squinted shut, his head tilted away as if it would make things easier. He didn't seem to notice Ford standing in the elevator. He must have been too deep in thought to have noticed him at all. Ford inhaled sharply at the traumatic sight before him.
"Bill!" He hollered in the upmost heartbreaking tone of voice, his face filled with remorse and fear as he looked on at the blonde.
Bill's eyes fluttered open in confusion at the sound of a familiar voice. At first he assumed it was all in his head. But no, that voice... that tone of voice was too heartbroken to have been created in his mind. Bill looked down at the dagger he held in his arms. He saw no crimson on the blade. Not yet. He looked over at the elevator, only to see Stanford bolting towards him with a sorrow-filled, desperate look on his face as he rushed towards the other man. Ford had already been halfway across the room to Bill before he had even noticed the scientist running towards him. Before Bill could react, Ford extended an arm out, stopping in front of Bill and grabbing the man's wrist in a tight manner, as if he would lose the man if he were to let go.
The exact moment Ford grasped hold of Bill, the blonde dropped the dagger to the floor, his hand empty now as he locked eye contact with Ford, both of their eyes wide.
"What are you doing?" Bill cried out.
"I could ask you the same thing!" Ford managed, his eyes glossy.
Bill was shocked- why did Ford look so concerned all of a sudden? This is what he wanted. Stanford had stated that quite clearly to him. This current situation confused Bill. He wondered if Ford was upset, and his mind was just playing games with him. That was certainly a logical explanation, being that Ford had no reason to be concerned for him.
Ford looked at Bill. He looked stunned, shocked that Ford was there so suddenly. Ford took a closer look at Bill. He looked like hell. He cursed himself for not paying as much attention as he should have.
Bill had clear eye bags under his eyes and was obviously sleep deprived. He had a black eye that had been unintentionally caused by him the other day. Ford felt guilty for harming the man, accident or not. His black eye was the only thing he had been able to see wrong with Bill until now. He could see the healing wounds on Bill's hand and wrist that he held tightly from the corner of his eye, caused by the car's glass from a few days ago. Ford didn't dare look at the damage on his arm, however. He couldn't draw his eyes away from Bill. He feared that if he did, anything could happen in the moment. Ford looked closer and noticed a bruise on Bill's forehead, as well as a cut that was still in the process of healing above his lips. Though he wasn't sure how those were caused, he guessed that it was from his driving attempt.
Ford's heart stung. To think that he had been so blind. So blind that he couldn't see how much Bill had taken in, and how much damage he had inflicted on himself in order to help and satisfy others. Ford felt like a fool. His family had been right all along. They all were. He regretted trying to move on so badly that he paid little attention to the other. Was he still mad at Bill? Sure he was. But clearly if Bill had felt the need to go this far, there was something Ford wasn't seeing. Something he hasn't been allowing himself to see. There was no way in the multiverse that Bill would have thought to try such a thing just becauseof the previous words Ford had spoken to him earlier. If anything, he had only encouraged it.
I'm a fool... Ford thought to himself. Have I honestly hurt him this much? The thought seemed reasonable to Ford. Bill looked like he could collapse to the cold floor at any moment. And what had Ford done to acknowledge any of these signs? He let his own intentions get in the way of being fair. He found he could only blame himself.
Ford lifted his spare hand up. Bill gasped at the gesture and squinted his eyes shut, turning his cheek to the side as he faced his head away from the other man.
Ford looked at Bill as the demon turned his face away. By the silence in the room, Ford hear the other man's shaky breath. His heart shattered at this. Did Bill honestly see him as this kind of man? He was taken aback, but Ford couldn't blame him. After his recent carelessness he understood how the demon could jump to such a conclusion.
Bill was thoroughly confused when he felt a warm hand on the side of his cheek. Bill bit his lip and looked up at Ford, who looked back at him with a sympathetic frown. Bill exhaled slowly, making an attempt to bring his breathing back to its normal pace as he hesitantly leaned into Ford's touch.
Ford slowly caressed the left side of Bill's cheek with his thumb. Stars,The blonde looked so fragile like this. As if he were a window pane that could shatter at any moment. He would be gentle with him of course, as he didn't want to alarm Bill. Not now. Ford sighed and brought his hand up down to the man's chin.
Bill hissed in pain at the sudden sting. There was apparently a bruise under his chin that he hasn't recognized or realized was there earlier. Ford hasn't been aware of the bruise either, and he was quick to retract his hand from the sensitive spot. His hand rested atop the side of Bill's neck instead.
What am I doing? Bill asked himself. He couldn't let his feelings get the best of him now. He was quick to use his spare hand to grab Ford's wrist, taking it away from his shoulder. Bill wasn't sure why he was giving in to such touches. He wasn't sure why Ford was suddenly presenting the gestures, either. Bill held Ford's wrist in one hand whilst Ford held Bill's wrist in the other. The two would have seen their situation as awkward, had they not both been pondering deep thought.
"Y-You don't understand," Bill started. "I don't belong here. This is my best option. I want my power back. I want everything back like it used to be, and then everyone can be-" He said. He continued, but stopped when he noticed the other shaking his head. He wasn't sure if it was in response to his words, his intentions, or the situation in general. He stayed quiet and waited for some sort of reply.
They were right... Ford thought to himself. He couldn't stand to see his beloved so messed up and injured. It hurt him, realizing just how much Bill had put up with as of recently. How he wished he could have gone back a few days to fix his mistakes by treating the blonde with a bit more respect, as well as kindness. Regardless of how upset Ford was at Bill, he knew that his cruel behavior towards the other man had been out of line.
Bill still didn't know why Ford seemed so concerned. Had he not just agreed with him earlier? Regardless of his questions of the moment, he was taken aback when Ford said,
"I'm sorry."
