The ride back to the shack was quiet, except for Ford as he mumbled to himself, just under his breath.
"Another shapeshifting anomaly…although it seems to be concentrated at the tail…I'll need to inform Professor Clawthorne of this…"
Mabel giggled at this, amused at the familiar sight and turned to her brother, seated in the back with his journal in hand.
"Listen to Mr. Mumbles here." Mabel jovially nudged her brother. "At least we know where you got it from, right, Dipper?"
Dipper didn't appear to listen, his eyes trained on the journal Ford gave him with a solemn look. Mabel's smile wanes away.
"Right…" Mabel turns back around on her seat.
Dipper continues to stare numbly at his book, his thoughts going back and forth between the grove and the attack. He remembered his excitement of not only being able to see what it is that Ford does, but also to spend time with him.
As anger and frustration bubbled up, Dipper tossed the journal. The book lands on exposed tree roots.
The cart continued on its way.
From the living room, Stan heard the cart pull up. Sounds like everyone is alive.
"Okay, pig. Get up before Mabel sees this," Stan said to the swine still in his lap. The pig obliged. Stan twinged a little at Waddles' cloven feet digging a little in his thighs as he got off.
He turned off the TV, cutting off the Duchess' speech, and mindfully got up from the recliner. He expected Mabel and Dipper to run in and tell him what happened in speeds he can't comprehend and Ford's proud grin so big, it hurts.
What he didn't expect was a pale looking Ford coming in and making a straight line for the basement, passing a confused Stan. The conman turned to his wards.
"Uh…had a nice trip?" he asked. He spots the cut on Dipper's arm and alarms flared in his brain. "Kid, your arm. Soos! Get the medkit! It should be in the pantry!"
Somewhere in the building, Soos is heard, saying, "Okay!"
"No, Grunkle Stan, I-I'm fine. I–" Dipper's insistence halted as he remembered the fake 'Stan' and ran up the stairs. Waddles followed after him.
"I-I got this, Grunkle Stan," Mabel said before heading up stairs too.
Soos pops in with the medkit. "Who needs some medical magic from Big Bro Soos?"
When Mabel doesn't see Dipper in the main area of the attic, she knows she'll find her brother in their room. Waddles was at the door, scraping his hooves on the wood like a dog trying to get in.
Such a good boy Waddles is.
Mabel nudges Waddles away to open the door. "Dipper?" To her worry, Dipper was scratching at his arm, the one with the cut, anxiously. She rushes over to grab his arm. "Dipper, what are you doing? You're going to make it bleed!" Dipper yanks his arm away, refusing to face his sister, taking in quick and deep breaths.
"Dipper…" Mabel tries to smile, like the many times before. "Hey, it'll be okay. Grunkle Ford is just being protective of us, that's all. I'm sure once things settle down and that weird anomaly gets taken care of, everything will be hunky-dory!"
"Why do you keep doing this?" Dipper asked in a hollow tone.
Mabel's smile dipped. "Doing what?"
Dipper whirled around, his expression harsh. "Why do you keep looking at the bright side of things? There is no bright side to this, Mabel. None."
"Dipper–"
"Our parents are dead, we were separated for two years, I've hurt myself without any control of myself, and we're basically in a gilded cage because Ford seems to think that we can't handle what's outside the shack and–" Dipper fought back the tears that threatened to spill. He runs out, accidentally pushing Mabel aside.
Mabel allowed her tears to flow down her cheeks. "Dipper…"
Dipper passes an approaching Stan, wordlessly heading for the private library and slamming it shut.
Stan debated on who to go to, Dipper or Mabel or Ford… Being the help saint that he is, Soos comes up.
"Want me to go check on Dipper while you check on Mabel?" the handyman asked, still carrying the medkit.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, sure. Uh… Dipper's in the library. I'll come check when I'm done with Mabel," Stan said.
"Okay."
Stan heads up to the attic to find Mabel in Sweater Town, sniffling and Waddles comforting her. Seeing the normally bubbly girl crying just hits even someone as impassive as Stan right in the feels.
"Uh…Hey, pumpkin." Mabel peeks out of her sweater neck, her eyes brimmed with tears. "...uh…Oh, boy…I don't know what to say. Everything I'm thinking about saying is pointing out the obvious," Stan said.
Mabel sniffled. "Grunkle Stan? Have I been making things worse?"
It was like a knife found its mark in Stan's heart. "No. Of course, sweetie." Stan approached the crying girl and sat down next to her, wrapping his burly arm around her. "You've done nothing but brighten up our day. And I'm not talking about the time you shined your braces to turn them into spotlights."
He felt a sense of accomplishment when Mabel giggled through the tears and snot. It died down, unfortunately, but just a little.
"I guess Dipper feels that I'm not taking anything seriously. And…maybe I'm not," Mabel said. She wipes her tears and snot with the sleeve of her camo sweater. "I just want things to feel normal for him, like nothing has changed. I guess…that's impossible now, isn't it?"
"…Yeah. It is," Stan said. There was no way he was gonna lie about that. These kids had their world practically turned upside down. It would be foolish, not to mention dangerous, to deny what happened. "But, we are tryin' to get used to the new normal. We all are. It's just gonna take some time."
"Yeah…looks like it."
In the library, Soos finishes up wrapping Dipper's arm.
"There ya go, little dood," Soos said as he gave the arm a light pat.
"Thanks, Soos," Dipper said in a hollow voice, staring listlessly at nothing.
"I don't think you're gonna need stitches. So, that's a plus, am I right?" Soos chuckled lightheartedly.
"Thanks, Soos," Dipper repeated in the same tone.
Soos frowned, unsure of what to do since his attempt at alleviating Dipper's mood didn't work. He hears the door open and sees Stan coming in. His employer gave him a nod to leave the library.
"Hey, kiddo. I just wanna check on ya after checking on Mabel," Stan said, joining Dipper on the sectional couch.
Dipper moved for the first time in the past few minutes, looking up at Stan. The older man could see the worry in the kid's eyes. "How is she?"
"She's doin' alright. She was a little upset, but you know her." Stan flashes a smile. "She always bounces back. She's sorry, by the way."
"Hmmm…" Dipper looks at the floor again.
Stan frowns. "You wanna talk about it?" Dipper shook his head. Stan sighs. "Kid…I wanna help you. But, I can't if you won't tell me how."
"Was he always like this?" Dipper asked.
Stan knew that Dipper was talking about Ford. There are still many things that he can't say about his twin brother to his niblings, most of it because he himself doesn't know or that Ford doesn't want it to be shared. At least, not right now.
It's a good thing that Stan considered himself a good wordsmith.
"Kinda? Ford was always paranoid," Stan replied. "Voted most likely to be paranoid in the school yearbook. Over the years…I guess it got worse." The Stan brothers hadn't been close for the far end of nearly 40 years. Even Stan was still learning of his brother's new quirks.
"How?"
"I'm not entirely sure." That's the truth. Whatever happened to Ford in the portal, he never shared. Stan could only take guesses from noticing his brother's new behaviors and routines. "He got tangled up in something beyond his control, I think. It was part of the reason he was gone for so long. When he came back…he was actually a lot worse at the time, if you can believe it. He started mellowing out after meeting you kids."
Dipper looked skeptical. "Really?"
"Being paranoid is just part of who he is. It's actually helped us get out of tough jams," Stan said. He can recall moments in their childhood and teen years where Ford's paranoia saved them from scuffles. "I'm not trying to make excuses for Ford. I think he just forgot how to handle it better."
"That was amazing, Mr. Pines," Soos said when Stan came out of the library. "You've got parenting down."
"Huh? Oh…Thanks, Soos." If Stan had been asked a decade and a half ago if he would be willing to take care of two kids, he'd probably laugh in their face. Stanley Pines? A parent? Hah! Younger Stan would've gone into shock if he sees where his future would've gone. "Can you keep an eye on Dipper while I talk to my brother?"
Soos saluted. "Yes, sir, Mr. Pines."
Two down, one to go…
Stan enters the code to the basement and heads down to Ford's office/room to confront him. The room was a bit cluttered with papers, files, and books everywhere. A mattress laid on the floor on the far corner with a blanket and pillow.
Ford sat at his desk on the opposite corner, his back towards Stan. He doesn't acknowledge Stan's presence.
"Okay, Stanford. I'm not here to argue, I just want to know what happened," Stan said, as steadily and calmly as he could. He had learned from experiences that coming in and spitting fire will not help in the slightest. Even so, Ford had yet to turn around, his eyes glued to a piece of paper. "The silent treatment isn't going to work, Poindexter. I'm just gonna stand here and pester you until–"
"It was a crocotta."
Stan's words nearly stumbled from Ford's sudden response.
"Uh…a what?"
"A crocotta. A chimera-like beast that can mimic the voices of people to lure in victims." Ford's eyes grew cold. "A beast that very nearly killed the children due to my negligence!" He slammed the paper at his desk and got up on his feet. "I'm sorry, Stanley. I should have never taken them into the forest."
"Negligence? Mabel told me how you kicked anomaly butt. She also told me that she and Dipper were more impressed than scared over what happened," Stan said.
Ford wasn't convinced. "If I was a second too late, Dipper would've gotten more than just a scratch! In fact, he could've lost his arm." He sighs. "…There is something that I have been pondering as of late and today's most recent encounter proved to me that it's the most optimum decision."
"Would you mind sharing it with the rest of the class?" Stan asked sardonically as he crossed his arms.
"I think it's best that you and the kids move out of this area."
Stan blinked. "What? Why? What about–"
"The shack shall remain in business," Ford said. "But…I feel that it is best that you and the kids move closer to town for your safety. It's much better protected."
"What?"
"Not to worry, I'll pay for the expenses."
"That's not—"
"There is this nice enough apartment complex close to the grocery store that I was able to look up on the computer. They even let pets in."
"Ford, that's not what I care about right now," Stan interjected, finally interrupting Ford's rambling. He almost regretted it when Ford looked at him with a confused face, his head slightly cocked to the side. "What I want to know is what makes you think this arrangement is better than what we currently have?"
"I seem to recall your frustrations over the anomalies coming onto property," said Ford.
"Really, it's not something I haven't dealt with before," Stan said. The anomalies roaming around was part of the reason he had guns in the house in the first place. "I was just stressed, okay? But, that doesn't mean relocating the kids."
"Stanley, this is about the safety of those children and you are their legal guardian now. You three take greater priority."
"What about you?" Stan asked. "Those kids care about you too. And so do I, believe it or not."
"You've got nothing to worry about, Stanley," Ford said. "I'm…used to it. I've been used to it for quite a while."
Hearing this, Stan is reminded of what Ford had to go through.
"Ford…Look. I get you're trying to protect them, but I don't think hoarding them to one place isn't going to help. Shit will happen, no matter what."
But, Ford shook his head. His mind was made up. "This is for the best, Stanley. I'm… I…refuse to let those kids hurt anymore. And what's out there, won't hesitate to harm them."
Stan wanted to argue, to push back…but can't. Clearly, Ford had made up his mind. Against his own protests, Stan went back up stairs, leaving his brother alone.
Once back in the living room, Stan sits back on his recliner and rubs his face with a sigh.
Soos creeped in on surprisingly silent steps.
"Dipper wants to stay in the private library," Soos told Stan.
"That's fine…"
"…Mr. Pines?"
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
Stan removes his hands from his face to look at Soos in confusion. "For what?"
"I was the one who told Dr. Pines that he could take the little doods out to the Shimmering Grove," Soos said, looking guilty. "I thought it might help, ya know?"
"Soos, did you know that Ford and the kids were gonna get attacked?" Stan questioned.
Soos blinked. "Uh, no, but–" Stan waves him off.
"But nothing. You didn't know. Ford didn't know. No one's at fault here. It was just an accident. Sh-...Stuff happens." At the sight of Soos still mentally beating himself up, Stan gave him a task. "If you still feel bad about it, how about you go fix up the 'S' sign out front. It's falling off again."
"Yes, sir!" Soos leaves to his task.
Stan sighs. "I wish it was that easy with Ford…"
The day went by a bit too slow for everyone's liking. Ford and Dipper kept themselves in their respective rooms while Stan and Mabel tried to go about their business with this in mind. Soos stuck around to keep everyone company as best as he could, even made everyone dinner, though only Stan and Mabel showed up. Soos did make plates for Dipper and Ford, wrapping them in plastic to keep them fresh. He would've stayed longer if Stan hadn't told him to go back home to his grandmother, who might be lonely without him.
Stan and Mabel spent the remainder of their evening in the living room, watching the old-timey channel and eating candy snacks. Before long, it decided it was time to go to bed.
Dipper fell asleep in the library, lying on the couch with a blanket draped over him. The sleep was unfortunately not a peaceful one. It was about the raging fire that burned down his house. His mother and father were up and about, completely engulfed in flames and their hateful glares burned just as intensely.
Why did you do this to us? …HOW COULD YOU?!
The nightmare changed to Dipper, a knife in hand, engraving into his injured arm. A mirror before him reflected the rictus grin stretched on his face.
The dream changed once more to him being in a bird cage and Ford was there, his expression unseen due to shadows and his glared lenses.
The world is too dangerous. You will be safe here.
Ford turned around to walk away. Dipper tried to shout at him, but nothing came out, leaving the boy silent and helpless as the man left him in the darkness, exiting through the only light before snuffing that out.
Dipper wakes up in cold sweat, breathing in short breaths and his heart racing.
The library was dark, with only the light of the moon shining through the stained glass window, giving it a soft red glow.
Dipper looks at his bandaged arm, seeing not a single spec of red. He sighed and pulled his knees up to wrap his arms around his legs and laid his head on his knees.
He hates this…he absolutely hates this.
He knew that the world can be dangerous. He knew that firsthand. He doesn't want to be treated this way…he isn't some fragile kid!
He'll show Ford that he was not afraid!
Dipper wretches the blanket off and gets to his feet. He opened the library door quietly, it creaked a little. He looked around, the silence was practically deafening. He tip-toed up the stairs, wincing at the creaks with each step and hoping it wouldn't wake Stan or Mabel. Thankfully, he left his bag in his and Mabel's own living room area in the attic just outside of their room.
He grabbed his bag, double checking to see if he still had his things in there, and quickly, and quietly, went back down and headed out the door towards the golf cart. As he approached the vehicle, he forgot the most important thing: the keys. Just as Dipper was about to mentally berate himself, he saw the keys still in the ignition. He climbed on the driver's side and started the cart up, his heart stopping as the engine revved to life.
When he felt that the coast was still cleared, he drove the cart to the forest's edge before he could lose his nerve. He stopped as he began to have second thoughts, but stubbornly kept to his plan.
"I can do this."
He drives into the forest.
An alarm goes off in Ford's office. It startled him awake, he didn't know when he dozed off at his desk, and he saw Dipper driving into the forest on the security cams.
"Family emergency! Family emergency!" He runs up stairs, heading for Stan's room. "Stanley!"
Stan jumped awake. "Who's there? I've got ten guns and I'm not afraid of using them!" He sees its Ford. He puts on his glasses. "What is it?"
"Dipper went into the forest!" Ford informed urgently.
"What?!" Stan exclaimed, along with Mabel who had just started to ascend from the attic stairs and overheard her great uncles.
Ford explains what happened.
"Maybe he went to the Shimmering Grove?" Mabel wondered.
"What do we do?" Stan asked Ford.
"You two are going to stay here. I'll go get Dipper," Ford replied.
"Oh, heck no! I'm not just gonna stand around while my nephew is out in the woods at night!" Stan declared.
Ford stood his ground. "Yes. You. Are! You are their caretaker. You are to remain by Mabel's side until I return with Dipper. This is my fault. And I attend to fix it."
With a dramatic flare of his coat, Ford leaves for his mission. And Stan was furious where he stood. He can't just stand around with the knowledge that his grandnephew was out there.
"Grunkle Stan?" Mabel asked worriedly, seeing how angry the man was getting.
Outside of her view, something small and blue leaked out of Stan's right eye.
A tiny, blue flame.
His fault…his fault…his fault!
Those two words kept repeating as Ford ran through the woods, expertly dodging trees, trunks, and roots.
All of it was Ford's fault! He shouldn't have treated the children like they were hapless infants. They were preteens! They have their own autonomy!
And all they wanted was to spend time with him.
And he ruined it.
In the midst of running, Ford kicked something covered in leaves. Having lived among a lot of books, Ford knew what he had kicked was a book. Why was there a book in the woods?
He looks down to see a familiar looking book. He picks it up, realizing it was one of the journals he gave to the twins. It was Dipper's.
Dipper had thrown the book out.
The realization made Ford feel more guilty over his actions. He puts the book in one of his inner coat pockets and returns on his run.
"I've got to make things right. Please…I don't want to be too late."
It didn't take long for Dipper to realize his mistake when he realized he had no idea where he was going as he couldn't find the ruins that would signal his closeness to the grove. Not wanting to make himself more lost, he stopped the cart to regret his decisions.
Here he was, in the woods in the middle of the night while a dangerous animal was on the prowl and everyone else was asleep.
It wouldn't be the first mistake he has made.
"This is all my fault…I'm such an idiot," he muttered bitterly. He sat in silence until he heard some rustling and it wasn't the wind. Fearing it could be that anomaly or something else that is just as dangerous, Dipper readied himself to punch the gas.
He was very close to driving off when Ford appeared from the brush.
Ford sighed in relief. "There you are."
Dipper jumps the cart to run into Ford's arms. While Ford was initially surprised by the action, he hugs him back.
"I-I sorry, Grunkle Ford," Dipper apologized in a stutter. "I don't know why I thought this was a good idea."
"I wish to apologize as well. I was so worried, scared of something bad happening to the two of you," Ford admitted. "I let my fear and panic take over."
Dipper sniffed and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his jacket. "You probably think I'm nuts too. Like before."
Ford looked confused at this. "Before?"
"It was back at the wake," Dipper recalled. "I got frustrated when everyone was talking about the fire being an accident, but I was convinced that it was an intruder. Grandpa Shermie took me to another room to calm me down, but I didn't. And then I saw you and Grunkle Stan watching and you…had this look on your face. Like you were afraid. You were afraid of me."
Ford remembered that day. He didn't want to dwell on it for too long but…there was something that Dipper said that sent Ford into a panic.
However…
"Dipper, I was not afraid of you," Ford said.
Dipper looked up at him with misty eyes. "So, why?"
"I was…merely overwhelmed by it all. I have been gone for so long and I was connecting with family I had or never knew," Ford said. "The last time I saw Morgan, he was just a little boy. And the next thing I knew it, he's a grown man with a wonderful wife and two incredible children. And I was…so happy to be a part of it…to finally be in your lives…only for it all to be taken away."
"Because of me," Dipper muttered.
"Dipper–"
"Don't say it! I know what I did!" Dipper exclaimed. The last remnant of control ebbed away and tears streamed down his face. "I started that fire. I accidentally left the stove on o-or something and the whole house burned to the ground with Mom and Dad inside!"
Dipper's breathing became quick and he struggled to keep it steady again before muttering in a hopeless tone, "I'm a monster… I ruined everyone's lives."
This time, it was Ford who took Dipper into his arms.
"No, you are not. You are a young boy grieving," he said softly. More tears fell from Dipper's eyes as he cried quietly.
They stay that way for a while before Dipper pulls away. His eyes were red and still wet with saline stains, but he had stopped crying.
"How about we return to the shack?" Ford suggested.
Dipper nodded. "Yeah…That's probably the best idea."
There was more rustling and Stan, holding a shotgun, appeared from the bushes. Dipper quickly hid behind Ford and Ford stood defensively.
"Finally found the two of you," Stan frowned, glaring at the two in his underwear. Ford glared at his 'brother' suspiciously.
"How did you find us?" he asked.
Stan holds up his smartphone. "Phone tracker."
Believing it to be his real brother, especially since Ford couldn't see anything sticking out the other man's back, he gave Stan a scolding glare.
"Stanley! I told you to stay at the shack."
"Technically, you told me to keep an eye on Mabel. Which I am."
Mabel runs out of the bushes, leaves and twigs stuck in her hair. "Dipper!" She hugged her brother, who hugged back, feeling happy to see his sister. He gives her a silent apology and Mabel silently accepts it. Dipper notices a grappling hook strapped to her.
"…What's that?" asked Dipper, curious why his sister has that.
Mabel proudly holds up the weapon. "Grappling hook."
"How did she manage to find that?" Ford wondered.
"You're not exactly good at hiding your weapons," Stan commented.
Ford chose to ignore it in favor of something he should have done. "Children…I must apologize for my recent behavior. I've been so focused on making sure that nothing happens to you that…well, nothing happened to you. Life is about adventure and experience. And I should not be robbing you of that."
"Does that mean we can snoop around? And come with you on your research trips?" Mabel asked hopefully.
Ford looked hesitant but still wanted to make a compromise. "…Provided that you have means of protection or that I am allowed to take you."
Stan shrugged. "Well, it's a start."
"I'll take it!" Mabel exclaimed.
Dipper let a smile appear on his face. "Me too."
"Let's hug it out!"
The four share a hug. The moment was interrupted when they all heard rustling once more and…Soos?
"Heya, doods," Soos greeted, acting like it was completely normal to be in the woods at this time.
Stan didn't hesitate to shoot at a spot near Soos.
"AH! What the hay, dood?!"
"Nice try," Stan said. He cocks his gun.
'Soos' glared before revealing to be the crocotta's tail. The anomaly snarled at the family.
"To the golf cart, now!" Ford exclaimed.
The four climb onto the cart with Dipper at the wheel and drive off. Despite the danger they were in, Ford was a bit excited to see the anomaly in action. Thankfully, Stan was there to make sure his brother didn't fall off the cart.
The crocotta used its tail to grab a tree and threw it at the family. landed in their way. Dipper hurriedly swerved out of the way and the cart narrowly toppled over before straightening out with a thud. Mabel groaned and looked green.
"Mabel?" the boy called out worriedly.
The girl gagged. "I'm fine…just the sugar snacks disagreeing with me." She gags again, trying to keep the contents of her gut inside.
With some concern, the boy looks back at the men behind them. "What about you guys?"
"We are doing fine, my boy," Ford said, looking up and down at his notes and the thing chasing them. "Just jotting down a few notes and–" He suddenly yanked back when he was leaning forwards too far. "Stanley!"
"Now's not the time, Poindexter!" Stan frowned. He straps the other in the cart's seat belt, much to the other man's annoyance. Stan stands up holding on to the golf cart with one hand and a raised shotgun in the other, held high threateningly. "Ya wanna eat us? Then go ahead and try, you bastard!"
The crocotta snarled aggressively.
"What do we do?" Mabel asked, urgently.
Ford frees himself and turns to his nephew. "Dipper! Head back to the shack! I have a plan!"
"Does the plan leave all four of us alive?" Stan asked.
"Very likely!"
"That's not 100% guaranteed!"
They almost reach the shack before it hits a rock and causes it to stumble due to the speed they were going. Ford quickly grabs Dipper and Mabel before getting hit in the head.
And he saw nothing.