Oh my gosh, you guys are so patient. Thank you so much ;w; I was gone for a few days during the wait for this update. (A piece of the explanation is up on Tumblr, but I've told some friends as well.) It was a medical situation that was family-related. At the very least I got some plot ideas during the short break to better put together the future events in this story, and had gotten them sorted out a bit more.

There's some extra Billford fluff in the first half of this chapter, because it seems fitting to include some cuteness before new problems begin...

*Cue evil laughter*

(There's also quite a lot of dialog/speaking between the characters in this chapter.)

Oh, also! I've decided on writing 'doorframe' instead of 'door frame.' It just seems like it suits the story better, especially since I said doorframe in the first place. It wasn't until I got the fanfiction app that I started writing 'door frame' due to auto correct. I go from writing on computer and writing on the app a lot. xD

Here is chapter 46 of 'Welcome Home'!

The ride from the bus stop to the Mystery Shack was a quick one. When those in the car got back to the shack, they all headed inside. Stan was saddened that the summer had gone by so fast, and that the twins were already gone. At the very least he had his brother as family to talk to. He had gone years without family in the past, and was fortunate to have Ford in his life again after almost 41 years of being separated from each other.

Stan looked over at McGucket and wondered how long Ford would keep him at the shack. Stan understood that it was for his safety, however since he as well as the others hadn't heard word from Mr. Powers recently, it made Stan wonder if there was any reason to fear the agents return.

Stanley looked over at the laboratory as Ford opened the vending machine door, beckoning Bill to walk inside.

"Retiring already, Pointdexter?" Stan asked.

Ford turned to look at his brother. "For now, I suppose." He answered.

"Sixer's got a secret." Bill said, waving his hands mystically.

"I wouldn't call it a secret," Ford retorted. "I would label it as more of an enigma." He said.

Stan huffed. "Well, there you go again, using big words and expecting me to know them." He grumbled.

Ford gave Stan a deadpan look. "Might I suggest a dictionary?" He half-joked.

Stan cracked a smile, but gave a shake of his head. "Nah, it's not like I'll pay attention to what I'm readin'." He responded.

"Fair enough." Ford said with a shrug, following Bill down the stairs as the vending machine door closed automatically behind them.

"So," Bill began, putting his hands in his pockets. "What's this urgent thing you insist on telling me about?" He asked, looking behind him as Ford caught up. Bill skipped a stair step with each step he took. Skipping steps and looking behind him was dangerous, however he didn't seem to mind nor acknowledge it.

"Watch your step," Ford warned, noticing how careless Bill was being with where he was walking.

Bill just smirked. "You kidding?" He began, putting a hand up. "I know this laboratory like the back of my hand." He claimed. Not three seconds later, he tripped on his other ankle and fell forward. Ford rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of Bill's hand with a tight grip before the demon could hit the end of the stairs, as well as the cold stone floor.

Bill looked at the ground he nearly hit, then at Ford. "The back of my hand." He repeated with a cheeky smirk.

"It shows." Ford muttered, letting go of the other man's hand and adjusting his glasses.

Bill folded his arms with wide eyes as he watched Ford pass by him, walking towards the elevator. "Stanford Filbrick Pines, is that sarcasm?" He asked, following the scientist into said elevator.

"Yes." Ford admitted without hesitation.

Bill's mouth hung open, and he put a hand over his heart for show. "I'll have you know that I've walked down those stairs more times than I could possibly count." He stated, watching as Ford pressed the button that would take them down to the laboratory.

Ford glanced at him. "Is that so?"

"It is," Bill answered. "Whether it was in here," He continued, pointing his index finger on his forehead. "Or in there." He said, moving his finger and poking the side of Ford's head. The scientist shifted and gently swatted the hand away.

The elevator opened, and the two emerged into the lab. Bill ran forward, extending his arms out and reaching out for the black spinny-chair that was near Ford's desk, jumping atop the chair and sitting down. Ford merely chuckled and walked over towards the desk by the portal window, leaning on the desk beside Bill. He figured it would be best to get straight to the point.

"Something strange happened last night." Ford began, folding his arms.

"I'll say." Bill agreed with a sly smirk.

Ford gave a shake of his head. "T-That's not what I'm talking about," He stuttered. "It was... a dream. A very strange dream." He stated.

"Well that doesn't seem too unusual, coming from you." Bill replied.

"It wasn't like anything I've experienced before," Ford continued. "And I'm not quite sure how to react." He muttered.

Bill shrugged. "Simple, just forget about it." He said.

"You don't understand," Ford proceeded with a shake of his head.

Bill folded his arms. "Well if you expect me to understand, maybe some details would make it easier." He said with an eye roll.

Ford gave a short nod. "You're right, I'm sorry." He said. Stalling wouldn't do him any good, and he couldn't understand why he suddenly felt the urge to stall. Perhaps it was because the dream was based around Bill, and he wasn't sure how to explain it.

"Fire away, IQ." Bill encouraged, folding his arms.

Ford was hesitant before speaking. "Did... you happen to have any strange dreams last night?" He asked. "Stranger than usual?"

Bill hummed at the question. "Well, yeah. I was in the gift shop, and there was a kid... and, and..." He tried, his memory fuzzy when trying to remember the dream. "Huh, I actually don't remember." He muttered.

"I'm not surprised," Ford replied. "Most humans normally forget dreams they have at night. So it's no mystery on why you can't recall what happened." He stated.

Bill narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Hold on, smart guy. If I can't remember my dream, how can you remember yours?" He asked, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back in the chair.

"It wasn't an ordinary dream." Ford explained.

"Elaborate 'ordinary' to someone as weird as myself." Bill said.

Ford ran a hand through his hair before speaking. "It was horrifying." He began. "Out of all the strange things I've encountered over the years, I've never seen anything like what I saw last night." He said.

Bill gave a raised eyebrow. "One of those strange things you mentioned being me, I assume?" He asked.

"Certainly." Ford answered. Bill grinned at this, until realizing that what Ford saw in his dream was supposedly more strange and horrifying than him. Bill Cipher wasn't about to be bested by some dream from the mind.

"Hey! I'm as horrifying as the subject gets!" Bill retorted with a scoff. "There's no way that little nightmare you had was weirder than-"

"The dream was centered around you." Ford revealed after putting a finger up.

Bill froze for a moment. His smile reappeared at knowing that he wasn't being underestimated compared to some pitiful dream. He smirked. "Dreaming about me in your sleep, Fordsy? How sweet." He teased.

"Oh, please." Ford muttered. He looked away for a moment before looking back at Bill. "Are you positive that nothing, nothing at all worrying crossed your mind while you were asleep?" He asked.

"Yes," Bill groaned, tilting his head back and rolling his eyes. He looked at Ford with a tilted head. "Do you plan on telling me what happened or not?" He asked.

Ford opened his mouth to speak, but closed it after a moment. He pondered once more of it was truly a good idea to share what had happened. He gave a slow shake of his head. "On second thought..." He began hesitantly. Bill's look of confusion didn't go unnoticed. "It was probably just paranoia getting the best of me." He half-lied with a small, sheepish smile.

Bill narrowed his eyes and hummed in suspicion. "I don't know, you seemed pretty serious there, Sixer. Acting so secretive and serious about this, only ta' brush it off as paranoia?" He said, standing up with his arms folded. "You sure it's nothing serious?" He asked.

"Honestly, Bill, I shouldn't have made such a big deal of it." Ford said with a simple shrug, looking at the man in front of him. "But then again, it is reassuring to know that nothing strange happened to you." He said.

Bill was still suspicious, but figured it wouldn't be a wise move to press Ford further into the subject. "You're not scared after your little nightmare, are you?" He questioned.

"I'm not a child, Bill." Ford reminded with furrowed brows.

"I know, I know." Bill said with a snicker, nudging Ford in the arm.

Ford put a hand on Bill's shoulder. "I can assure you, everything is alright for the time being." He said.

"Time being?" Bill repeated with a raised eyebrow, taking a hand and lifting it up towards his shoulder to place it atop Ford's hand. "Are you saying things won't be alright?" He asked.

"This is Gravity Falls," Ford said, winding his fingers with Bill's. "Things aren't always as they seem." He stated.

Bill smirked. "Really?" He mused with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Then what's that normal looking snake on your desk?" He asked.

Ford's eyes widened at this as he looked at the desk he was leaning against. "A snake? Where?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Bill tilted his head to the side to get Ford's attention with a smile. "Whoop- kidding!" He said before giving the scientist a quick peck on the lips. "Didn't see that one coming, didja?" He asked with a smirk.

"Trickster." Ford chided with an eye roll. Bill gave a mocking laugh at his supposed win before being taken by surprise when Ford gave a kiss back. Bill's eyes widened at the sudden contact, but shut his eyes and leaned in to the kiss after a moment. Ford's hands dropped to his sides as Bill kept them locked together. Ford removed one of his hands from the other man's and flipped them around so that Bill's back leaned against the desk now. With his spare hand, Ford placed it upon the blondes chin. They shared a longer, more affectionate kiss for a moment, not hearing the sound of the elevator opening.

Fiddleford took a step forward as if to leave the elevator, only to see Ford and Bill's lips kneading together. Fiddleford gave a faint smile at this. He knew that his chances with Ford were over with, and he had moved on since figuring that out. He was glad to see Ford happy, and Bill less distressed. He looked at the others awkwardly as they hadn't happened to hear him come down to the lab, and cleared his throat in a way to get their attention.

The two pulled away and looked at the elevator in unison. Bill looked away awkwardly, and Ford scratched the back of his neck, drawing his eyes to the floor to break the awkward eye contact with McGucket.

"We have got to stop doing that." Bill muttered.

"I-I hope I'm not interruptin' anything." Fiddleford said. He could see past the hurried denies of his assumption from the others in the lab, but continued speaking. "Yer' brother said that he wanted ta' speak with ye', Stanford." McGucket informed. "He said he's been meanin' ta' have a word with ye' today."

Ford gave a nod to the information. "In that case, I'll be back shortly." He told Bill, heading over towards the elevator with McGucket. The two walked into the elevator to go upstairs.

After a moment, Ford emerged from his laboratory, shutting the vending machine door behind him. He called out to his brother whom he heard respond to him from the kitchen. He walked towards the voice to see Stan leaning on the doorframe with his arms folded.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Ford began, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... yeah." Stan muttered, looking down at the floor. This gave Ford a reason to worry, seeing his brothers hesitant behavior.

"What about?" Ford asked.

Stan looked up and adjusted his fez hat before speaking. "It's about Bill." He answered.

A hint of worry passed by Ford at hearing this. He wondered what the context was, and why his brother was bringing up the blonde so suddenly. He shifted slightly when he heard Stan state that this was about Bill. The shift didn't go unnoticed by Stan.

Ford folded his arms and leaned on the other side of said doorframe. "What about him?" He questioned.

"Well if I'm bein' honest here, Pointdexter, the two of ya' are confusing me." Stan stated with furrowed brows.

Ford didn't know how to respond. "Oh?" He blurted out. A pathetic excuse of a response, really. Ford noticed how idiotic his response sounded, and he continued. "How so?" He asked.

"I don't get it- what happened?" Stan began, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head. "One day the two of ya' get in a harsh argument, and the next you're bein' nice to each other. It's weird, since I finally got used to you and that guy arguin' all the time. So what gives?" He asked.

Ford drew in a breath before sighing. "I suppose I finally understood the circumstances." He muttered. Stanley gave a look of obvious confusion, and Ford proceeded. "After everything that's happened, and after all of the horrible things I've said, it took a lot to see how wrong I've been. How much I haven't been listening to both Bill and others around me. And with what happened, I blame myself." Ford said. "I should have been more understanding. I've sickened myself with the fact that I never cared enough to take time to listen, blinded by my view of things and blocking out the truth that awaited. That I didn't bother hearing him out until I had practically encouraged him to put his life on the line, and that it took such a thingfor me to realize just what I've done to him." Ford muttered, his words stinging as he spoke.

Stan's eyes widened at the last bit of what Ford had responded to his confusion with. "Holy Mackerel, he didn't-!" He said in both surprise and disbelief. He never would have thought that someone like Bill would attempt such a thing.

"He tried," Ford revealed. "Luckily I was there before anything could escalate." He added in a hushed tone.

Stan put his hands on his hips. "Jeez, Stanford!" He chided with a small glare. Ford noticed his brothers look and frowned. "That guy's crazy! Do you know what kinda' things he could have done to himself with the stuff you've been sayin' on his mind?" He scolded with narrowed eyes.

"You're not helping." Ford groaned, putting a hand over his face and tilting his head back.

"Well, is he alright?" Stan asked in a harsh tone, folding his arms once more. "I don't need another one of my employee's off work all the time." He stated.

Ford gave a nod. "Yes, he's seemed to be in a better state of mind. We... spoke quite a lot last night." He assured.

Stan sighed. "You knucklehead." He muttered with a shake of his head. "You'll be gettin' more than just questions from me if my employee goes missin' because of you." He grumbled.

I suppose that's only fair. Ford thought to himself. He looked up at his brother. "I'm sorry, Stanley." He said, taking a step back to leave, assuming the conversation was over with.

Stan noticed Ford leaving and narrowed his eyes. "Ya' know what? I don't think you're hearin' me!" He snapped with a glare. Ford stopped and looked at Stan as he continued. "You always say you're sorry, and ya' usually end up gettin' away with stuff. But so help me, Stanford, if my employee goes missin'-!" He shouts, standing face to face with his brother and pointing his index finger at him, poking Ford's chest as he looked at him with the same glare.

Ford could see behind the rage in his brothers eyes. He could sense that from his expression, Stan felt a bit of pity for Bill and his previous state. The thought of Stan being able to relate to such a thing only poured salt in his wound.

Ford sighed. "Stanley, I understand that you care about Bill-" He began, only to be cut off with a scoff from Stan.

"You kiddin'? I could care less about that no-good jackass." Stan said, folding his arms as his glare was no longer apparent. The look Stan wore on his face showed that he held no remorse for his words. Ford narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Stan hadn't seemed to notice, and he proceeded. "The only thing he's good for 'round here is workin' and playin' the occasional poker game." He stated.

Ford glared back at Stan. "I see that's all you care to notice." He grumbled in a low tone.

Stan gave a sarcastic laugh in response. "That's a lot of talk comin' from you, the one who nearly killed him in the first place." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford's glare hardened. It took all of his willpower not to give Stan a hard clock to the face for being so careless with his words. And while he knew that every reminder to him was deserved, he was surprised at Stan for speaking in such a cruel way. Much, much crueler than usual.

Stan saw the fuming look on Ford's face and then noticed the clenched fists. He, for once in his life, replayed what he had said inside his head and knew that he had crossed the line now. Normally he spoke what was in his head without thinking, but for once he wished that he hadn't.

"Wait," Stan began. "I, uh... I didn't mean that." He claimed. "Sorry, Sixer." He muttered.

Ford blinked at Stan's unusual apology to his actions before frowning in response. "Look who's apologizing now." He grumbled, turning around and storming away. Stan wore a look of guilt as his brother left without another word. Stan didn't wish to keep the conversation on this note, so he thought of something quickly.

"Uh, dinners almost done, by the way." Stan said. By the looks of it, Ford had ignored Stan as he departed into the gift shop to go back down to the laboratory.

Ford descended the stairs to his lab and walked into the elevator. He had multiple projects and papers to work on, and he didn't need his brothers comments to get in the way of his plans. He could tell that Stan hadn't meant what he had said, however it still didn't help Ford's upset emotion caused by the words.

The elevator doors opened. Bill, who stood over by the desk, raised an eyebrow. He turned around and wondered why Ford was back so soon. He saw the look on his face and shifted slightly. Surely the conversation Ford had with his brother didn't go well.

"Woah, what's got you all hot-headed?" Bill asked. Ford ignored him and proceeded to walk forward. Bill squinted his eyes when he was given no response, and quickly walked towards the scientist, blocking his path so that he wouldn't walk off.

"Hey, hey! Slow your roll there, Sixer!" Bill commanded. He put his hands on Ford's shoulders to attempt dominance of the situation and raised an eyebrow. "What could Stan've possibly said to get you all enraged?" He questioned.

Ford was hesitant. He wasn't sure how to answer the question. Could he answer it? The last thing he wanted to do was remind Bill of the other day. And explaining what had happened would do nothing but.

Bill gave Ford a deadpan look at his silence. "Ya' see, that's called a question, smart guy." He said.

Ford looked at Bill for a short moment before shrugging the blondes hands off his shoulders, walking past him towards his desk. Bill turned his head and watched the man leave. He was confused with Ford's sudden behavior.

"...Oh," Bill said in a mutter, slouching slightly and watching as Ford sat down by his desk, jotting down a couple sentences on a half-written page. Bill gave a sigh. "This is about me, isn't it?" He asked.

Ford ceased writing and set down his pencil. He opened his mouth to speak, only to close it after thinking twice. Bill noticed the silence and frowned.

"Look, I-I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to cause problems because of what happened yesterday." Bill said. "I guess at the time I'd thought it would resolve the problems." He muttered. "Besides, maybe then I would return back to normal, instead of being stuck in this pathetic body." He added.

Ford turned around and stood up once more. "You have nothing to apologize for." He assured. Bill gave him blunt look of doubt. Ford thought back on what he said. "Well, not in this particular context, that is." He restated.

"Sure I do." Bill retorted.

Ford gave a shake of his head. "You don't." He assured in a firmer manner. "Stan was correct about one thing- if anyone is at fault here, it's myself." He muttered.

Bill folded his arms. "Ya' want me to burn the money in ol' Stano's cash stash?" He offered with a smirk, snapping a finger and lighting a blue flame.

"No, that would be unnecessary. Not to mention illegal." Ford stated.

"I see no down side here." Bill replied.

Ford looked behind him at the work on his desk, then at Bill. "I'm sure I just need a break from all of this, that's all." He admitted.

"Then why don't ya' take one?" Bill proposed. Ford raised an eyebrow, and Bill continued. "Like a vacation! You know, just the two of us." He said. He gave an evil-like smirk and added, "Where no one can hear your screams."

Ford narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of unease apparent. "What was that?" He asked, taking a small step back from the man.

Bill just laughed. "Oh, come on, Sixer. I'm only kidding." He stated. "My twisted humor makes me who I am, ya' know?" He said.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "Well, as tempting as a trip may sound, I would feel terrible for leaving Stan and Fiddleford behind." He admitted.

"Bring them along," Bill said with a shrug. "With your gadgets and weapons from other dimensions, and my magic, I'm sure we'd be fine if something went wrong." He said.

Ford hummed in consideration, however the thought of a situation going wrong reminded him of danger, which brought him to remember the strange young man he had seen in the forest within the last hour. Ford felt a feeling of unease at the sudden reminder.

"Bill, there's something that I feel I should bring to your attention," Ford began in a lower tone.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Here we go again." He muttered. "I already told ya' that I don't remember anything else from my dumb dream." He stated, folding his arms.

"N-no, It's not that," Ford said with a short shake of his head. "There was a strange man that spoke to me earlier today. He said that he felt danger was near." He stated.

"Danger?" Bill repeated, tilting his head. "Was I nearby?" He jested with a smirk.

Ford ignored the comment and proceeded. "Thinking back on his warning, perhaps a trip wouldn't be the best idea." He said.

Bill offered Ford a look of annoyance. "So you found some dumb meatsack in the forest- who you've never met, I may add- and you're planning on just trusting him with this little conspiracy?" He asked.

"It seemed more serious than it may sound." Ford defended.

"Come on Sixer, I'm sure he's just worried about that Multibear that roams around." Bill said. "It's probably nothing."

"I refuse to put any of us in danger." Ford stated with a shake of his head.

"What's the worst that could happen? Honestly?" Bill asked. He smirked and have a nearly convincing look of fear. "Oh no, it's a gnome! It's gonna release its army on us!" He wailed. His smirk appeared once more. "I hope I don't get kidnapped!" He said.

Ford frowned. "That's nothing to be joking about." He chided in a firm manner.

Bill sighed and looked away. "All I'm saying is that it'd be nice to finally get away from this shack, even if it was just a couple days." He said in a muttered tone.

Ford gave a low hum and put his hands behind his back. "I'll tell you what," He mused. "Perhaps we wait a little while, just to be sure that nothing is truly wrong, and then we can discuss more about it sometime soon." He said with a shrug.

Bills face lit up. "Later like tomorrow?" He asked in a hopeful manner.

"Later like a week or so from now." Ford retorted. Bill gave a small frown, but nodded regardless.


After a bit, the Stan twins and Bill gathered around the table for dinner. The room was very quiet that night, save the occasional sounds of forks clanging lightly against the plates. Stan took a few quick glances at the others throughout the mealtime, neither of them seeming as if they had anything to say. He didn't wish to end the night on a silent note. He figured he should say something at the very least.

"You've got work at 9:00, Blondie." Stan finally said. It wasn't the best way to make conversation, but it was a start.

Bill looked at Stan with a frown. "Is 10:00 feasible?" He asked, setting down his fork.

Stan gave a shake of his head. "Nope. With Soos off the job, and the twins gone, the gift shop needs all the help it can get it if there's only two people workin'." He said.

"Well what about you?" Bill asked, folding his arms. "If Red and I work at your dumb shop, shouldn't you be doing something too?" He asked.

"Uh..." Stan muttered. "I get busy with other things." He stated, leaning back a bit in his chair.

"Busy counting cash you don't pay me." Bill grumbled in a muttered tone.

Ford heard this, and turned to look at his brother. "Wh- Stanley, you don't pay him?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Is there a need ta'?" Stan replied. "If he's livin' here anyway, there's nothing it'd be put to good use for anyway. I don't wanna see him wasting precious cash." He stated.

"That's not the point." Ford retorted. "You can't put him to work as much as you please without repaying him for his efforts." He said.

"Right," Stan muttered, looking down at the floor. "Efforts." He repeated with very little enthusiasm.

"I'm sure he gets more done than you realize." Ford said.

Stan scoffed. "You got some evidence to prove that, Pointdexter?"

"Not yet I don't." Ford retorted. Stan and Bill both looked at him in a confused manner. "But come tomorrow night I'm confident that I will." He said, folding his arms and cracking a small smile at his sudden plan.

Stanley was beyond confused. "Not followin'." He said.

"How about this, Stanley- tomorrow morning I'll set aside my work in the lab and assist in the gift shop. And while you're out doing whatever it is you excuse yourself to leave for throughout most weekdays, I'll take your job for the day." He volunteered.

"Hah!" Stan mocked with a smirk. "You? Do my job? Heh, I'd like to see how you mess this one up." He said with a laugh. "What's in it for me if you're wrong?" He asked.

Bill smirked. "Then you won't have all your cash burnt to a crisp." He answered, snapping his fingers and lighting a flame.

Stan narrowed his eyes at knowing that Bill could potentially hold plans of destroying his hard earned money that he had obtained throughout his career. Stanley Pines want going to lose his revenue that easily.

"Alright, fine." Stan grumbled. "I'll take your challenge, bro." He said, giving his brother a nod.


"Ya' know you didn't have to do that." Bill stated, sitting up as he pulled the beds comforter overtop his legs. The laboratory would get especially chilly at night. Bill didn't usually mind this, however he did find the warmth a bit more calming.

"Maybe not," Ford agreed with a shrug, placing his boots beside his nightstand. "But it seems like the right thing to do." He stated, grabbing the other side of the comforter and crawling into bed. "Not to mention that if I proved Stan wrong, he wouldn't be in a place to gloat." He said with a smirk.

Bill folded his arms. "I just think you're making a mistake. Fez tried to give Soos that Mr. Mystery job, but do you see him in charge of the place?" He asked.

"I can't help but feel as though you're underestimating me, Bill." Ford stated. He offered him a reassuring smile. "It's only going to be one day. How bad could it be?" He asked.

"Are you doing the whole outfit switcheroo?" Bill asked.

Ford froze for a moment. He hadn't asked Stan about that. They had mainly worked out the more basic details, along with a few apologies from their argument earlier. "I'm... not quite sure yet." Ford admitted.

"Well you're gonna have to tell me who's who, otherwise I won't know the difference." Bill muttered, remembering how the Stan twins had outsmarted him just last summer with that very trick of switching clothes.

"You have two eyes, maybe that feature will help you be able to tell us apart this time." Ford joked.

Bill's mouth hung open. He closed it after a moment and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, how dare you." He said, flicking Ford on the forehead before laying down on his side. He smirked at seeing Ford's surprised expression at the reaction he had received to his statement.

"Alright, I suppose I deserved that..." Ford admitted with a light sigh, taking his glasses off and shutting off the lamp. He leaned on his side and shut his eyes, Bill doing the same. Ford opened one eye to see Bill with his eyes shut. Ford smirked and took a finger, flicking Bill like he had done to him as revenge.

Bill opened his eyes and frowned at the action. He placed a hand atop his forehead and gave a short yet overdramatic pout.

"Kiss it better." Bill requested.

Ford raised an eyebrow at the childish request. "Bill, that's not going to do anything-"

"Kiss it better." Bill commanded in a firmer tone. Ford rolled his eyes and gave a small chuckle, leaning close and giving Bill a peck on the forehead.

"Better?" Ford asked. Bill nodded in response and was quick to return the gesture.

"Now we're even." Bill mumbled before shutting his eyes once more. Ford too shut his eyes and pulled the covers overtop them a bit better.


"Are you sure now is the right time?" Stan, who stood by the living room doorframe, asked.

Bill gave a nod of his head. "Now is the best time. Poor ol' vulnerable Fordsy, finally getting comfortable with that demon." He said. "Besides, if he gets any closer to Bill, their relationship bond may grow just strong enough to where we can't very well manipulate Stanford." Bill stated.

Stan hummed. "Good point." He muttered. "But where is he now?" He asked.

"I summoned Stanford to his laboratory." Bill answered. "That way you won't have to move him this time. Consider it a favor." He said. Stan looked at the other as Bill head down to the laboratory.

Bill opened the vending machine, descending the stairs and walking into the elevator. He chose the button that would take him to Ford's laboratory and watched the elevator doors close.

"Poor Fordsy." Bill said aloud. "Too busy opening up to the people in his life that he can't tell the difference between what's real and what's not." He said with a smirk.

The elevator doors opened. Bill stepped out and made quick work of walking over towards the bedroom. Cautiously, he opened the door, seeing that Ford was sitting up in his bed, looking around in confusion. Ford made eye contact with Bill after hearing the door open, and saw the demon standing by the door. He leaned on the doorframe and gave a small wave to the scientist.

"You look confused." Bill observed.

Ford ran a hand through his hair before responding. "I'm... not sure. It may be a headache." He explained.

"Headache?" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Uhoh, don't get me sick." He said.

Ford gave a shake of his head. "Headaches aren't contagious." He assured.

Bill formed a small glare on his face. "Well, I suppose someone like myself wouldn't know after you locked me in a chamber for all those years." He said, clenching his fists.

"What was that?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bill realized what he had said and bit his lip. He unclenched his fists and put on a false smile. "I said that I wouldn't know because I haven't been a meatsack for all those years." He lied. "Unlike you, smart guy." He added with a wink.

Ford furrowed his brows slightly. He was about to question further. He could have sworn that Bill had said something different. For now however, he pushed the thought aside and tilted his head. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Bill gave a nod of his head. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?" He asked. Remembering that the real Bill was likely asleep along with Ford, he cleared his throat before speaking. "Oh, uh... I just went upstairs to get some water. That's all." He lied.

"Ah," Ford said. He watched Bill walk over towards the bed and laid back down. "Well then, goodnight." He said, taking his glasses off his face and folding them, placing them atop the nightstand. He put an arm underneath his pillow and shut his eyes.

Bill smirked and got under the covers, laying beside the scientist. "Oh, by the way," He began. Ford opened an eye and looked at the other man. He noticed the smirk and became a bit suspicious.

"What is it?" Ford asked, his voice muffled slightly by the pillow.

Bill laid down beside Ford and said, "Stano told me that he wants to change outfits for tomorrow after all."

"Does he? Well, I suppose it makes things easier if he told you." Ford said with a small chuckle, shutting his eyes once more.

Bill smirked and shut his eyes. All according to plan. He thought to himself. About ten minutes went by, Bill waiting for Ford to fall back asleep. Bill waved his hand in front of Ford's face just as a precaution in case Stanford still had yet to fall asleep. Bill kept his smirk and sat up in the bed to where he was on his knees. He put a hand in Ford's hair, and looked over at the clock on the wall. The clocks hands began moving backwards by seven minutes (The amount of time that Ford had been summoned into said dream.) Bill looked down at the old man as he began to fade away, Ford eventually disappearing. The time absence of his visit had been reset.

The creature posing as Bill shut its eyes. In a split second, it transformed into the form of Ford now. It had never taken this form when Bill or Ford had been summoned, which made it a new experience. The creature who now took the form of Ford crawled over to the right side of the bed; the side that Ford often slept on. The creature shut its eyes and put its hands up slightly, shutting its eyes once more in the act of summoning a new target. The creature had never used this being before, and was curious to see how the man would react.

The creature put its arms down and laid on its side, just like Ford normally did when sleeping. It kept one eye open and watched as his other target appeared in front of him. Bill's eyes opened slightly to see a figure of Ford smiling back at him with wide eyes.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked in annoyance. The look Ford was giving him was a very strange one to see the moment he opened his eyes.

"Admiring you." The supposed 'Ford' answered.

Bill gave a look of unease. One quick glance at the man in front of him and Bill knew where he was.

"Long time no see." Bill said with a smirk.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It's only been a couple of minutes since we last spoke." He stated.

Bill could tell that this being wasn't truly Ford, but he let it slide for the time being and played along with the creatures little trick.

"Right, my mistake." Bill lied. "Can I sleep now? Ya' know, without you lookin' at me like some sort of creep?" He asked.

Ford smirked and inched closer to the man, petting the blondes cheek gently. "Sleep?" Ford repeated as if it were a question. "Are you sure?" He asked.

Bill grabbed hold of Ford's hand and took it away from his face. "I've never been more sure." He stated, letting go of Ford's wrist and snuggling up under the covers. Perhaps if he were to fall asleep again, he would return to the real world. He had never known what would happen in that situation, being that his last form didn't require sleep. This was just another 'feature' he found pitiful about humans. Clearly if he were to take the easy way out of the dreamscape, the creature posing as Ford would know that he was aware of where he was.

Ford gave a low hum and placed a hand atop the side of Bills waist, caressing the side of the demon gently. Bill opened his eyes and shot a glare at the creature.

"What are you doing?" Bill asked, his glare hardening as he held Ford's wrist once more with force. He narrowed his eyes at the creature. "Look, if you need something, you could just ask instead of being all touchy and disturbing." He said, wrinkling his nose at the creature.

Ford's smirk was still apparent, as if it were the only facial expression he could use. "Oh, I wouldn't say I need anything," He began, positioning himself so that he was above the demon, as if to trap him. His smirk faded, and it turned into a small smile. "But I think..." He continued, taking a hand and placing it atop the blondes chest. "That it's what we both want..." He murmured, tilting his head and leaning down in an attempt to place a chaste kiss atop the others lips.

Bill glared at this. His eyes flashed red, causing the creature to blink back in surprise. Bill growled and kicked the being posing as Ford in the stomach with his legs. Ford groaned and clutched his stomach, causing himself to fall onto Bill. The demon sneered and pushed the creature away from him.

"Alright, enough is enough!" Bill exclaimed. "I'm done playing along with your pathetic little game here, Shifter!" He said, glaring as Ford groaned slightly.

"Game?" Ford repeated. He looked as Bill sat up, glaring down at him. "Whatever do you mean, Bill?" He asked.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Bill said, rolling his eyes. "Do you think I'm a fool? Huh?" He asked, his glare only hardening. "I know you're not Stanford." He stated.

Ford gave a frown. He brushed a spare piece of hair out of Bill's face as he spoke. "Oh, come now, my dear-"

"Don't call me that." Bill commanded in a firm manner. "Don't you ever call me that, do you understand?" He exclaimed with narrowed eyes of disgust. "Don't forget that I was the one who put you in this special position of power in the first place." He added with a growl.

Ford narrowed his eyes and snarled at the demon. His facial features formed into a small smirk. He too sat up in the bed, looking at Bill and clapping his hands slowly and insincerely.

"Bravo, Bill Cipher." The creature praised. "It seems that your intelligence of this world hasn't changed since you've become a... human." He said, looking at Bills human form and giving a look of displeasure.

"I'm not an idiot, Shifter." Bill stated. "You can't fool me, no matter what you try to trick me into." He said, offering the creature narrowed eyes at his recent trick that he had attempted to drag him into.

Ford gave a slow nod. "You're correct. It seems that I can't." He stated. He looked at Bill and gave a mischievous smirk. "Unfortunately for you, however, your human wasn't so smart." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Bill asked, his narrowed eyes still set on the shapeshifter. "My human?" He repeated in the utmost confusion.

"Indeed. Stanford Pines, if I'm not mistaken?" Ford asked. He gave a low chuckle at the demons confused look. "You see, all it took was taking the form of you, keeping him closer than you've ever achieved, and using a bit of hypnosis on the poor, gullible human." He said.

"You took the form of me? A-And-?" Bill asked, wide eyes of disturbance. His facial expression turned into a colder glare. "Way to abuse your power there, you idiot!" He exclaimed.

"I don't remember there being any restrictions." The creature replied. "Therefore showing that I have no way of abusing this power you gave me." He said. "Besides, I only did what had to be done in order to get Stanford to fall into our trick. Even if it meant taking a more... sexual measure." He said with the same smirk Bill wished to smack off his face.

"Watch it." Bill snapped. "Dreamscape or not, I can easily burn you to a crisp." He threatened.

Ford smirked once more. "If you took that action, it would be simply priceless to see the look on your face when I would take the form of poor, helpless Stanford." He said. "You would see him burn, turning to ashes before your very eyes."

Bill glared at this. "He's done nothing to you." He stated with narrowed eyes.

The creature gave an insincere laugh. "Oh, he's done a lot to me." He said. The creature closed its eyes and took the form of Bill. He smirked. "In a few different contexts." He added in the demons voice that made the real Bill's blood boil.

Bill growled and watched the shapeshifter turn into Ford once more. "Alas," Ford continued. "The human believes it was merely a dream." He said. "Which explains your question of why he never told you."

Bill huffed. "What did you summon me here for in the first place, Shapeshifter?" He asked.

"I wanted to see the famous Bill Cipher in his new, fleshy form for myself." Ford admitted. He put on a smile. "And besides, I have missed you." He added.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "Save the sweet-talk, if you're finally deciding to bring me here, you must want something." He stated.

The shapeshifter hummed. "You're right, there is something I want." He said.

"And what would that be?" Bill asked.

"Immortality." The creature revealed.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "What?" He blurted out. "Why?" He asked.

"According to our old deal, I am limited to Stanford Pines' dreamscape. I cannot come and go through others dreamscapes. When Stanford dies, so will I." Ford stated. "Because of this, I want immortality that will free me from this limited lifetime." He said.

"Interesting." Bill said, nodding slowly and giving a low hum. "Unfortunately, thanks to this new body of mine, I can't make those kinds of deals anymore, pal." He stated.

"Try." The shapeshifter commanded through clenched teeth.

Bill smirked. "No can do, Shifty." He teased.

Ford growled. "You can't escape until I let you leave." He stated. "You don't know how." He said.

"Don't I?" Bill asked in a mocking manner. He raised a hand and put it close to his head, bringing it up towards his hair. The shapeshifter glared at the demons attempt and dove towards Bill, grasping both his wrists and pinning him down to keep his hands out of reach from his forehead.

"You're not leaving until you give me what I want!" The creature roared.

"I may not be my normal self, but if you're going around and demanding things from me, you're not gonna get anything that'll be beneficial to ya'." Bill stated.

The shapeshifter glared. He closed his eyes and summoned a rope into the dreamscape. He used his knee to sock Bill in the stomach. The demon hissed and clutched his stomach, laughing at the sudden pain. The creature used this moment to grab the rope in his hands after taking them away from Bill. He wrapped the rope around the demon tightly a total of seven times, tying it afterwards.

"Wh- hey!" Bill cried. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"If you won't try," Ford began, looking at Bill with a mocking smile at the blondes current state. "Then I'll have to get it out of you." He said. He grabbed hold of Bill and pulled him up so that he sat on his knees.

Bill scoffed. "Really? And just how do you plan to do that?" He asked with an eye roll.

The shapeshifter posing as Ford gave a shrug. "In a matter of reality hours, Stanford will wake up, and after a bit of time he will grow confused as to why you won't wake up. He'll grow concerned and try to help poor little you." He said with a smirk.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "Well I can't tell you what I don't know." He reminded.

Ford hummed. "Perhaps not," He began. "But I'm confident that the answer will come to you after a bit of thinking." He said. Bill glared and spat on the shapeshifters face. The creature growled and lifted a hand up, wondering if the six-fingered hand would make a slap more painful. He struck Bill across the face, only to be greeted with a laugh from the demon.

The shapeshifter narrowed his eyes. "You won't be laughing for long." He threatened.

"Give me what you've got." Bill challenged. "It won't make a difference on your behalf." He stated.

Ford was about to respond to the statement until he heard the door of the laboratory bedroom open. Ford turned to look at said door to see a fellow shapeshifter posing as Stanley standing there. He looked at the others in the room and gave an eye roll, looking at Bill whom the creature assumed to be the other adult shapeshifter.

"Look what you've done, Edward." Stan chided. "You let the human tie you up."

Ford gave a shake of his head. "Actually, I tied up the demon." He corrected with a smirk.

The shapeshifter posing as Stan was confused. The shapeshifter who was named Edward changed out of the form of Ford, only to mimic Bill's. He saw Stans smirk and turned back into Ford.

"There's somethin' we need to talk about." Stan stated.

Ford frowned. "Can it wait? I have the key to my immortality here, and I can't afford to leave him unsupervised." He said.

"Our immortality." Stan corrected with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, yes, Jenna. Whatever floats your boat." Ford said with an eye roll.

The shapeshifter posing as Stan glared. "Out here. Now." He said in a stern manner.

The male shapeshifter growled before getting off the bed, walking over to the other shifter.

"Make it quick." Ford commanded. The other shapeshifter nodded and shut the door.

Bill watched the two leave and smirked. I'm disappointed, Shifty. I really thought you would have more sense than to leave me by myself. Bill thought to himself. He looked down at the ropes circling his arms and torso and looked down at his hands that hung uselessly by his hips. He balled them into fists and grinned at the blue fire that emerged from his palms. He tried lifting his hands up as close to the rope as he could manage in hopes of setting the rope aflame. His wrists stung at the tightness of the rope wrapped around him. He ignored the stinging sensation and forced his wrists up higher, just high enough to where the ropes caught on fire.

Bill smirked as blue flame was quick to spread along the entirety of the rope. He snapped, and the flames disappeared, showing the burnt and broken rope that was now a charcoal black color. Bill yanked his arms beside him, causing the burnt rope to crumble to pieces below him.

The demon was quick to shut his eyes. He grabbed hold of the hair atop his head and put in hope that the clock on the wall was doing it's resetting. Bill smirked when he felt himself becoming lighter and lighter with every passing second.

"I don't have time for this!" Ford cried with a glare, opening the bedroom door open once more and ignoring the other shapeshifters words. He looked in front of him, seeing no sign of Bill. The shapeshifters both gasped and stormed into the room, looking around to look for the demon in case he were hiding. Stan looked by the dressers whilst Ford looked on the bed. He crawled atop it to see burnt rope there.

Ford glared. "Dammit, I had him!" He roared.

Stan looked up. "What, what happened?" He asked.

"The little pest burnt the rope and escaped." The shapeshifter posing as Ford informed.

Stan frowned. "Cantcha' just being him back here?" He asked.

"It's no use for the time being." Ford retorted with a shake of his head. "We need a new plan. One that even he couldn't see coming." He stated.

The other shapeshifter hummed. "What if he was telling the truth? Maybe he really doesn't know." Stan said with a shrug.

"Only an idiot would fall for that pathetic excuse of his." Ford said. "And unlike you, Jenna, I'm no idiot."

Jenna, the shapeshifter posing as Stan, glared. However the creature opted not to fight back with the other. It wouldn't be beneficial in any way.

Ford looked down at the ropes ashes once more. "If he won't comply with my demands, I'll have no better choice than to kill Bill Cipher." He grumbled.


Bill woke up with a smirk, whereas Ford woke up silently. The two had awoken in unison from their separate times in the dreamscape. However, being that the shapeshifter and Bill had to reset the time for each of their individual visits, the same amount of time had passed in the dreamscape for them both.

Ford had half-lidded eyes, but still looked up in confusion. "What in the world is going on?" He muttered to himself.

Bill was hesitant. He looked at Ford and was debating on whether or not he should inform the scientist of what was going on. Now that Bill was aware of why Ford had been unconscious for so long a few months ago, he wondered if Ford would believe such a thing. Surely he would, as the man had encountered many unusual things throughout his lifetime.

Even more however, Bill wasn't sure if he would be able to comfortably tell Ford that what happened (And what would likely happen in the future) was his fault. Had Bill not given the shapeshifter such power back then, had he not given him access to Ford's dreamscape in the past, this problem wouldn't currently exist.

Bill looked at Ford and offered him a shrug. "Trouble sleeping?" He responded.

"I suppose so..." Ford muttered, laying on his side and shutting his eyes. Bill frowned and mirrored the other man's action, shutting his eyes. He curled up slightly and sighed, hoping to get some rest without being interrupted by the shapeshifter family again. He wondered when they would target himself or Ford again. Luckily the shapeshifters can only summon Ford and Bill, being that it is Ford's mindscape. However, Bill was the one that caused it and let the shifters hide away in his dreamscape, meaning that he too had vulnerability to them.

Bill fell into sleep after a few minutes. He hoped that the shapeshifter wouldn't go for Ford that night.

I finished the chapter. Yay! Again, I apologize for the longer wait for an update. I'm hoping that this was worth the wait.

I'm sure this was confusing. I apologize for that. This dreamscape situation goes along with the long dream Ford had been stuck in for previous chapters. I might have to edit those older chapters a bit, in case there were bits of dialog that don't add up to what's actually happening. Basically, the supposed "People" That are stuck in Ford's dreamscape are Shapeshifters. The subject is confusing, and there will be further explanations in the next chapter, and so on. If you have any confusion, feel free to point it out so that I can clear it up in the next chapter or so.

The next chapter's wait won't be as long. It will be up soon! c: