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aceofstars16 · 6 months

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Here we go! I finished the cover the same day I finished the rough draft of the fic, and now I edited the next chapter and posted it!

You can read the whole thing on AO3!

But I will also include the next chapter under the cut here in case you don't want to use AO3 (though I don't have the energy to find the previous chapters on here, there are links to the tumblr posts on AO3 though!)

Chapter 8 - Old Food and Old Friends

Tensions rise as Ford realizes he may need help in fixing the time machine.

Darkness. It was everywhere, sticking to everything. Ford could feel it, clinging to him, trying to suffocate him, to pull him under. And it was succeeding. Laughter echoed around him, laughter that he had heard for weeks on end, mocking him for his stupidity.

“Just leave me alone for one minute!” He screamed, knowing it wouldn’t do anything, but unable to face the suffocating darkness anymore.

“Fine. I can make it on my own! I don't need you! I don't need anyone!”

The darkness vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by the light of a lamp, sitting on a desk that Ford hadn’t seen in ages. Tires screeched outside of the closed curtains. Curtains he had closed only a few moments ago, or at least – that’s what his mind told him. In reality, it had been years ago, but dreams had a way of making everything seem real again.

Glancing down at the pamphlet in his hands, Ford let out a sigh, desperately wanting to throw it in the corner of the room for all the good it did him. That dream was gone, ruined by a brother who couldn’t let go of a childish fantasy that hadn’t been a possibility for ages.

Ruining lives, that’s what Stan did.

The thought came out of nowhere. It was almost in line with his own feelings, his own thoughts and emotions. But something about it wasn’t quite right.

Stan only cares about his own dreams; he never wanted you to succeed.

Anger rushed through Ford at the thought, but he couldn’t figure out if he was mad at himself for thinking it, or at Stan or…at something else. That unsettling feeling. He knew it, but his brain seemed to be failing him, as if something was stopping him from identifying it.

You can’t trust Stan. You can’t trust anyone.

Fiddleford leaving, townsfolk starring at him. Something about their eyes sent a chill down his spine.

You are the only one you can rely on, everyone else will fail you.

Right…that’s what he had learned. If he ever wanted to succeed, he could only trust himself. He had to do it himself, had to fix it. No matter how hard it was, not matter how lonely…

That’s right. Besides, you don’t need anyone. You are strong enough on your own.

“You are going to change the world one day.”

Pa was looking at him. It was the last time Ford had ever seen him, at some celebration that must not have been very important because every inch of the background was blurry.

“I…”

“You’ll make me proud. You’ll be someone. You’ll change the world.”

A shiver ran down Ford’s back. He didn’t know why, but something felt…wrong.

Then it was gone and Pa nodded and walked away.

One blink, and he was back in reality, staring at the ceiling of his cabin in Gravity Falls. He was shivering, and his head was throbbing, he didn’t feel sick, just…off.

Coffee, that’s what he needed. Caffeine always helped clear his head. Did he have any coffee left? Only one way to find out.

Sit up, swing his legs over the edge of the bed. That’s what he told himself to do, but his limbs didn’t respond, not because of exhaustion, but because something was keeping him there.

Panic overcame him and he started pulling, trying to yank his hands free. His muddled brain was still half in the dream, still feeling like something was there, just out of sight.

Bill.

The thought washed over him and his brain slowly recalled the last time he had been conscious, and the agreement he had come to with Stan. Tie him up. Right. But now he was stuck, and despite rationalizing that he must not have done anything since he was still tied up, the anxiety that had sparked a moment ago grew at the inability to move.

Turning his head as much as he could, another flash of anxiety hit him when he didn’t see Stan anywhere?

“Stanley?”

No response.

Oh gosh, what if Bill had taken over…what if…

“Stanley?!?”

“Huh, what?”

A second later, Stan was stumbling to his feet, looking around quickly, as if ready for a fight.

“Were…were you sleeping???” Ford stared at Stan with his uncovered eye, his worry being replaced by annoyance. After everything Ford had said, Stan had slept?

“Uh, just closed my eyes for a bit that’s all,” Stand said, his shoulders relaxing a little as he looked at Ford, but he almost immediately looked away again.

“You were supposed to be keeping an eye out on things!” Ford couldn’t help the outburst. He had trusted Stan and what did he go and do? Sleep.

“I was! And nothing happened, okay?”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. You haven’t moved an inch.” Anger flashed in Stan’s eyes for a moment, but almost immediately fizzled out. “Now if you don’t mind me, I’m going to go check on the kids even though nothing happened to them because you didn’t move.”

“Wait.”

“What? I told you-”

“I’m still tied up…” Ford said, trying to move his hand as if to prove that he was stuck and needed some help if he wanted to do anything.

“Oh…right.”

It only took a few minutes - minutes of complete silence aside from Stan mumbling under his breath as he struggled with one of the knots - but soon, Ford was able to move freely again.

Rubbing his wrists, which were slightly scuffed up from the ropes, he let out a breath, knowing he should thank Stan, but when he looked up, his brother had already left. Okay then…guess no thank you was needed. Or Stan just really didn’t want to be around Ford.

The back of Ford’s neck prickled as his dream came back to him. It was Bill, that was the only explanation. He was messing with him. But glancing at the ropes, he felt doubt creeping into his mind. Stan had come, he had tied Ford up, but he also didn’t seem to grasp the severity of the situation. Of Bill and his plans. Not that Ford had been able to explain too much but deep down, he couldn’t help but wonder…could he really trust his brother?

------

Stan shut the door, not fazed by the loud banging it created. Who cared if Ford got mad? Stan hadn’t done anything wrong; nothing had happened. But the words that his brother – or really the creature controlling him – had spoken rang in his mind. Why had Ford sent him the post card?

Shaking his head, Stan pushed the thought away. Considering Ford’s reaction upon waking, he didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk to Stan. And Stan wasn’t in the mood to talk to him either. He’d rather talk to his other family members. Which, to be honest, he was still trying to wrap his head around, but it did make some sense seeing as Mabel had been so keen to stay with him and trust him so quickly.

As he walked into the living room, he saw the kids. They were talking quietly and Stan ignored the memories that popped into his mind of him and Ford as kids. They had shared everything with each other back then, back when they trusted each other. But not anymore. Those kids were long gone.

“Stan!”

Mabel grinned at him and Stan couldn’t hold back a smile. “Hey, kiddo.” He glanced at Dipper - the brother that she had tried so hard to find again - and ignored the pang of hurt that came with knowing Ford had never searched for him like Mabel had for her brother.

“How’s Ford?” Dipper asked.

“I’m fine.”

Stan opened his mouth, only to be cut off when his brother walked into the room. Despite not wanting to, Stan found himself glancing at him, but Ford didn’t return the gaze, he just walked to the table where they had left the time machine, plopping down some tools before fiddling around with it. He still looked tired, but at least he wasn’t a second away from collapsing anymore.

Letting out a breath, Stan caught sight of Mabel looking at him questioningly, but he just smiled. “How’d you sleep, kiddo?”

Mabel glanced at Dipper, who was watching Ford cautiously. “Good.”

“Glad to have your brother back, huh?”

“Yeah…how are you and Ford-” She started, but Stan cut her off before she could finish her question.

“Hey, you know what, I’m kind of hungry. Want to help me rummage up some food?” Stan grinned and started heading out of the room.

A moment later, Mabel was next to him, grabbing his hand to lead him despite him knowing where the kitchen was - though he supposed she didn't know he had been there last night. “It’s this way, but there isn’t much food. Me and Dipper could only find some crackers last night.”

“I’m sure we can find something.” Stan said, hoping it was true. At this point, he was starving - the handful of crackers he ate last night had barely been a snack, let alone a filling meal. And while sleep had helped a little with his exhaustion, he knew food would help even more.

They rummaged around in the kitchen for a while, but Mabel was right, there wasn’t any food left, at least not anything edible. Why didn’t Ford have any food? Sure, he definitely wasn’t in his right mind, but it was still concerning.

“Ew.” Mabel made a face as she sniffed a pack of cheese in the fridge.

Stan chuckled, more to cover over his unease than out of amusement. “Yeah…I’m thinking a trip to the store is in order.”

“What about the snow?”

Frowning, Stan walked to the window. Snow was covering most of the sill, but he could see outside. “I think it’s calmed down some. It should be safe enough to drive.”

“Maybe we can all go to the store! A family outing!”

This time, the laugh that escaped Stan’s mouth was genuine. Mabel sure had a way of bringing excitement and joy to any situation, even one as…confusing as theirs. And Stan was grateful for it. “Yeah, maybe so.”

------

Dipper was vaguely aware of Mabel and Stan leaving the room, but he didn’t follow. Sure, Ford said he was fine and he did seem a little more coherent than before but after the encounter with Bill…

Shaking his head, Dipper focused on what Ford was doing. He was using some small tools to try to fit the time machine back together. If anyone could fix it, the author could…well, at least if he was at the top of his game.

“Ford?”

For a moment, Dipper thought he hadn’t heard him, but then Ford sighed, though he didn’t look away from his project. “Yes?”

“You look uh…”

Ford glanced at him for a second, and Dipper suddenly felt embarrassed, but he was curious about what had happened last night.

“It looks like you slept, but you told me that when you did, Bill would…”

Waving with his hand, Ford focused back on the measuring tape. “He didn’t. Stan tied me up, so Bill didn’t do anything.” For a moment, Ford’s eyes narrowed and he muttered under his breath, but Dipper still heard it. “At least I don’t think he did.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Dipper scooted slightly away from Ford and unfortunately Ford looked up right as he did. For a split second, Dipper saw guilt cross his face, but then it vanished.

“Apparently Stan fell asleep at some point too.” Ford’s gaze hardened as he returned focus on his work before muttering to himself again. “But I suppose if something had happened, I wouldn’t have still been tied up when I awoke.”

Dipper frowned. Ford and Stan’s relationship seemed…strained, to say the least. And sure, Stan from the future wasn’t always the most trustworthy guy, but…he didn’t seem too bad. And this 80s Stan seemed fine too. So why was Ford so cold towards him? Sure, he had been brash with Dipper at first but Stan was his brother, not only that but his twin.

“Ford?”

Ford didn’t look up from his work. “I need to focus, if I want to fix this.” His voice had an edge to it, which immediately set off Dipper’s anxiety.

“Oh…right…” Dipper fiddled with his hands, not wanting to anger Ford further. But after a few moments, curiosity got the better of him. “Are you mad at Stan?”

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ford took a deep breath, then opened them again before continuing his work. Despite expecting it, Dipper was still disappointed. He had so many questions about what had happened to create the future he knew, but if he didn’t know anything about the past, he wouldn’t be able to answer them.

“Yes.”

Dipper sat up straight at the word. Ford still wasn’t looking at him, but the frustration on his face was evident.

“Why?”

“It’s a long story.” Ford muttered.

“But he’s here. Wait, why is he here?” Dipper was hit with the realization that he didn’t know how Stan had even known how to get to Gravity Falls. Unless he lived here too, but from Ford’s interactions with him, that seemed unlikely.

“Because I asked him to come… Gah!”

Dipper jumped as Ford threw his screwdriver on the table. “Wh-”

“This blasted thing doesn’t make sense. If I had some blueprints, I might be able to figure it out. But this machinery is too complex even for me.” Ford glared at the time machine.

Dread grew in the pit of Dipper’s stomach. “You…you can’t fix it?”

For a moment, Ford was quiet, his brow furrowed in thought. Then he straightened up, only to deflate again. “I…don’t think I can…but…I might know someone who…could help.”

“Really?” For a moment, Dipper was confused, then he remembered the journal and he straightened up. “Wait, your assistant? He’s good with machines, right?”

Ford glanced at him and sighed. “Yes, I just…have to find him.”

“You don’t know where he is?” The hope that had grown in Dipper’s chest deflated.

“I…have a few ideas...I just hope he’ll actually talk to me this time.”

------

“Absolutely not.” Ford frowned at Mabel and Stan, who had just asked about going into town together to get food.

Mabel felt disappointment worming its way into her chest, but she pushed it back. “Why not? It’ll be fun!”

Ford stared at her for a moment, as if she was some kind of puzzle. “It’s too dangerous. I’m not going to leave the por-my house without supervision.”

“What, you don’t have a lock?” Stan grumbled.

The glare that Ford shot at Stan was painful to look at, despite it not even being directed at her. “I’m not leaving my work for anyth-one to mess with.”

“You mean the big thing in the basement?” Mabel asked, which she regretted as Ford shot her a suspicious look.

“How do you-?”

“Dipper told me.”

Ford glanced at Dipper who looked at him sheepishly. Sighing, Ford shook his head. “Like I said, I don’t want to leave the house unsupervised.”

“Okay, fine, then I can just go with the kids and-” Stan started but Ford quickly held up his hand.

“Unfortunately, I need to go into town myself.”

“Why? Don’t trust us to get the right food?” Stan countered.

For a moment, Ford just glared at Stan, and Mabel hated how icy his look was.

“No, I have to find someone if we want a chance at fixing the time machine and I’m the only one who knows him. And where to find him.”

Stan made a dismissive sound, but before he could say anything, Mabel piped in, not wanting Stan to get even more annoyed. “How about we split up!”

Everyone turned to look at her and Mabel gave her biggest grin. “Me and Dipper can go with Ford and Stan can stay to watch things.”

Mabel tried her best not to be disappointed when she saw the deep frown that grew on Ford’s face.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, I should just go into town myself and-”

“Oh yeah, it’s not like you’re seriously sleep deprived or anything,” Stan muttered.

“Well, if you-”

“Hold up!” Dipper raised his voice, and Mabel had a feeling that he wasn’t a huge fan of the brothers arguing either. “Why can’t me and Mabel go with Ford while Stan stays here to watch the house?”

A grin grew on Mabel’s face and she gave Dipper a thumbs up at his support of her plan. As much as she hated the idea of leaving Stan, she couldn’t help but feel excited to have some quality time with Dipper and maybe figure out what was going on between Stan and Ford.

“I suppose it could work but...I’m still not a fan of it…” Ford glanced at Stan for a moment, and unfortunately Stan saw it.

“What, you don’t think I can sit in a house?” Stan deadpanned.

Clutching his hands behind his back, Ford’s gaze flickered away from Stan. “No, it’s not that it’s just…there are things that you don’t understand, and if anything went wrong…”

“You don’t trust me.” It was an accusation, but Mabel didn’t miss the hurt that crossed Stan’s face.

“I didn’t…look we’re wasting time. I’ll just go into town.” Ford glanced at Mabel. “You can come if you’d like, but Dipper has more experience with supernatural occurrences so he should stay here in case anything…happens.”

Stan opened his mouth, probably about to argue some point, but Mabel quickly jumped in. “Sounds good to me!” In reality, she would rather Dipper go with her or she stay with Stan, but she was tired of the arguing and it wasn’t the worst solution.

“Are you sure, Mabel?” Stan asked, glancing at his brother with uncertainty.

Dipper was looking at her in concern too, but she just grinned and looked at Ford. “Yup! It’ll be fun!”

For a moment, Ford just stared at her, then sighed. “Alright then, we should get going.” He held out his hand towards Stan.

For a moment, Stan looked confused, then understanding crossed his face and he sighed, reluctantly pulling out his keys. “You better not crash her Ford; I know your luck with cars. And with that eyepatch you’re bound to be even worse.”

Grabbing the keys, Ford let out a huff. “I still know how to drive, Stanley. And I can still see. Come along, Mabel.”

Mabel gave her brother and grunkle a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him. We’ll be back soon!” Then she headed after the author. Sure, she didn’t really know him, and he did seem a little…cold, but it would totally be fine! It was just an opportunity to get to know Ford. And maybe, just maybe, she could get him to tell her what was going on between him and Stan so she could help fix it.

#trapped in the past #timtrapped au #timestuck au #gravity falls #gravity falls au #gravity falls fanfiction #stanford pines #stanley pines #mabel pines #dipper pines #stan pines #ford pines #pines family #aceo writes things #(was that a tag i used? i do not remember it's been so long...)#aceo draws things

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aceofstars16 · 6 months

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Next chapter is up! It's the climax...hehehe

Ford takes a drastic measure to stop Bill…

You can read on AO3 or below the cut

Chapter 10 - Desperate

“This was no accident, Stan; you did this!

“And until you make us a fortune, you're not welcome in this household!”

“Stanford? Don't leave me hangin'. High six?”

Stan looked up at the window, looking desperately at his brother. Then the curtains closed and he was alone. For a moment, the word seemed to grow dark. Then he yelled up at the window.

“Fine, I don’t need you, I don’t need anyone!”

“So why should you help him now?”

The thought entered Stan’s mind, unbidden, but he couldn’t entirely reason away. Ford had pushed him away. He had left him to his own devices. And now he had called him here because he needed help. When Ford hadn’t helped him in his desperation. When he was just a kid…

“Would he do the same for you now?”

Once again, the thought felt disconnected to the scene, but it was something Stan had wondered. Had Ford changed? Had he realized he'd made a mistake in pushing Stan away? Or had he changed so much that none of the brother he remembered remained?

“Stanley?”

The voice echoed around the dream, then everything started to fade away. In a blink, the memory was gone and Stan was looking up at the ceiling. A hand shook his shoulder and he batted it away.

“I’m up, I’m up.” Truthfully, sleep still clung to him. The thoughts in his dream were still ringing in his head, planting seeds of doubt in his mind. Which only grew as he sat up and saw Ford looking at him, a frown etched on his face. The eyepatch he had been wearing was nowhere to be seen.

“Good, I...I need your help with something.” Ford looked at the ground as he spoke. There was an edge to his voice that made Stan uneasy.

“You want me to tie you up again so you can sleep?” It was the logical assumption. Ford still looked exhausted, and sleep could only be good for him. Even if it meant having another frustrating conversation with the stupid triangle guy.

“What?” Ford glanced at him and shook his head. “No, it’s…something else.”

“What is it?” Stan could practically hear Bill mocking him, telling him that Ford only wanted him to come to his house to send him away again. Was he finally going to learn the truth?

“I…” Ford let out a breath, still not looking at Stan. “Come on. I…I need to show you something first.”

So much for answers. Trying to push aside the disappointment, Stan stood up, shaking the remnants of drowsiness from his body. “Uh…lead the way I guess.”

Ford nodded and stood up, not even looking at Stan. Then he headed out of the room and lead Stan to a bookcase, with an elevator behind it.

“Woah…this is fancy…” Stan muttered. It was hard not to be a little jealous that Ford had a nice house with an elevator when he only had his car.

Ford hit a button in the elevator and it descended, the silence only broken by the rumbling of the mechanics. And as the seconds ticked by, Stan could feel a weight growing in his chest. The door opened and he was immediately met with a room full of a bunch of machines that he didn’t understand. It looked like a nerd’s paradise. So it made perfect sense for Ford.

“Hope you don’t expect me to work any of this stuff.” Stan placed a hand on one of the machines.

“Don’t touch-!” Ford snapped, and Stan quickly removed his hand, feeling a spark of annoyance as his brother’s aggravation. Why bring him here if he was worried about Stan messing something up?

“I…” Ford shook his head. “Sorry. I just…I need you to understand that this is dangerous.”

The heaviness in Stan’s chest grew. “Is this what the kids were talking about?”

Ford looked at Stan in confusion, then it cleared and he sighed. “Yes, it’s…one of my biggest mistakes.”

Stan swallowed down any resentment at knowing that Ford leaving him behind wasn’t his biggest mistake. However, the thought was quickly chased away as Ford pulled a switch, resulting in a cavern outside of the room lighting up.

“Woah…what’s…?”

“It's a trans-universal gateway, a punched hole through a weak spot in our dimension. It connects to…Bill’s domain.” Ford huffed. “I suppose I should tell you about Bill.”

“The weird triangle that wants to take over the universe?”

“What? How did you-?”

“Dipper told me while you were gone. Granted, it sounds like something out of a TV show or something, but…” Stan paused, not sure if he wanted to admit that he'd talked with Bill while Ford had been asleep.

“He’s real.” Ford said, glancing at the portal. “And I need your help to get rid of him.”

“Me? What do you want me to do? Punch you really hard or something?” Stan couldn’t imagine how he was supposed to stop something that lived in Ford’s mind.

Ford let out a strained laugh. “No…not…not exactly.”

There was silence for a moment.

“Stan…” Ford looked at him, maintaining eye contact for the first time since he had woken Stan up. “I need you to promise me that you will do what I ask of you. No matter what.”

The words hung in the air. Stan found himself frozen in place. There was something in Ford’s gaze that made him hesitate. He couldn’t pinpoint it at first. Then it hit him. Ford was scared. No, not scared. He was terrified.

“What…what are you wanting me to do?” Stan could barely get the words out. He had never seen Ford look so…shaken.

Ford’s gaze flicked away. “I…I need your word first, Stanley.”

“Ford, what’s going on? What are you thinking? Please, talk to me!” Anxiety was growing in Stan’s body with each second. He didn’t know what Ford was thinking, but everything in him was screaming that it wasn’t good.

Ford swallowed hard. “I…I have to get rid of Bill, Stan. But I can’t do it without you.” He glanced up, looking at Stan again. The terror was evident in every line of his face – he wasn’t trying to hide it any more. But there was something else lying underneath it. Desperation.

“Please, Stanley. Promise me.”

Every bit of Stan’s common sense screamed at him to decline. There was something bad going down. This was not right. But the absolute desperation on Ford’s face stopped him from telling his brother that he was crazy and he’d never agree to do something until he knew what it was. Because Ford needed him. So, despite his better judgement, Stan found himself nodding.

“Alright…fine…I…” He swallowed and met Ford’s gaze. “I promise.”

Ford’s shoulder’s relaxed and he drooped in relief. “Thank you, Stanley…”

Stan tried his best to smile at his brother. “Yeah, so uh…what’s the plan?”

Swallowing, Ford dug into his coat and pulled out a gun of sorts. He fiddled with it for a bit, seeming to input something into it. “I need you to…take this and…” His fingers froze for a moment, panic crossing his face. Then he shook his head. “I need you to shoot me with it.”

“WHAT?!?” Stan stared at his brother in shock. “I’m not going to shoot you, Stanford!”

“It’s not a normal gun, Stanley. It’s…it’s just something that will get Bill out of my head. That’s all.” As he spoke, Ford held out the gun for Stan to see more clearly.

Trying to taper his dread, Stan looked at the gun. It definitely didn’t look like a regular gun, but still… “It won’t hurt you?”

Ford looked away for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before looking back at Stan. “No, it won’t hurt me.”

Stan found the words less than reassuring. But he trusted his brother. He had to. It would be okay.

“There is one more thing.”

The dread returned full force. “What?”

“To make sure that Bill is fully in my head, so he can’t survive, I need to let him take over my body.” Ford frowned. “And unfortunately, he knows what I’m thinking, so he will try to convince you not to do it. He will say anything, Stanley. But you can’t listen to him.” The desperation was back, creeping into Ford’s voice and covering his face as he spoke. “Do you understand?”

Despite the unease that had been haunting Stan since he came down here, he felt a resolve overwhelming him. This thing had been hurting his brother. And now he could get rid of it. “I understand.”

Ford nodded. “Good. Now…let me show you how this works…”

-----

Dipper woke with a start. Wind was battering against the windows, and as he sat up, a branch hit the house, resulting in a loud BANG. Which explained why he’d woken up.

Rubbing his eyes, Dipper looked around. It was fairly dark in the room, but there was a small lamp on, showing Fiddleford conked out on the table with the time machine. He vaguely remembered sitting down with Mabel and talking about Stan and Ford. She hadn’t seemed to learn much about what had happened between them, but Stan had told Dipper everything. Or at least, everything from his perspective. Mabel, of course, had been crushed, and Dipper himself couldn’t shake the uneasiness at how such a little mistake could tear twins apart.

Before they had had fallen asleep, they had promised not to let anything like that happen between them. Though there was one thing that Dipper found himself worrying about.

“We have to help them make up!”

“But, Mabel, we don’t know how that would affect the future!”

“But they need each other, Dipper!”

“I…I don’t know, Mabel. Maybe we should sleep on it.”

The hurt on Mabel’s face still haunted Dipper as he glanced at her. She was still fast asleep. It’s not that he didn’t want to help Stan and Ford, but he also didn’t want to do something that would destroy the timeline. For all he knew, if they did something drastic then they might cease to exist.

Sighing, Dipper slowly got up, careful not to move Mabel. He needed some water to help him clear his head. But as he walked by Ford’s room, he noticed that the door was open. And poking his head in, he saw that no one was inside. Where were Stan and Ford?

All thoughts of water forgotten, Dipper quickly made his way around the house, looking for the brothers. But they weren’t anywhere to be found. Which only left…the basement.

Memories of his last time down there played in his mind. He didn’t really want to go down there by himself again, even if Stan was down there too. Swallowing hard, Dipper made his way back to Mabel and gently shook her.

“Mabel. Hey, wake up.”

“No more Smile Dip.” Mabel muttered in her sleep and Dipper shook her again. This time she jolted awake.

“Huh? What? Dipper? What time is it?”

“I…I’m not sure. But I can’t find Stan or Ford. I think they might be…in the basement.” Dipper said, glancing in the direction of the bookshelf.

“Why would they be there?” Mabel muttered, sitting up.

“I don’t know but…with everything going on I…I think we should check it out.”

Mabel frowned. “Do you think Bill is doing something?”

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t mention that name.”

Dipper and Mabel both looked quickly towards the table.

Fiddleford was blinking hard, but frowning at them.

“You know about Bill?” Dipper couldn’t help but ask.

Not meeting his gaze, Fiddleford nodded. “A little. I don’t remember much but…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Bill can’t be trusted.”

“We know that.” Mabel said.

“Which is why I want to go down to the basement to make sure everything is…okay.” Dipper said, trying to ignore the goosebumps growing on his arms.

“I’m not going down there again it’s…” Fiddleford trailed off. “Wait a second. How long have I been asleep?”

Dipper shrugged as did Mabel. “I don’t know, you were still awake when we fell asleep.”

“I remember working…and then…Ford brought me some coco…I never could stay awake after drinking a cup…” Fiddleford sat up straight, then grabbed for the bag that he had brought with him and dug around in it. “No, no, no! Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” Dipper and Mabel asked at the same time.

“My memory gun, it’s…it’s gone!”

“Your what?!?” Dipper blurted out.

A shadow grew over Fiddleford’s face. “I don’t know what’s going on but…” He let out a huff. “We have to find Stan and Ford.”

-----

“So, it shoots light or something?”

Ford could hear the uncertainty in Stan’s voice, but he did his best to ignore it. Stan had already agreed to his request, all he had to do was make sure that it went according to plan.

“Not light exactly, it’s complicated. But it does look like light.”

“Right…” Stan said, and Ford could feel his eyes on him. Ford knew that Stan wasn’t a huge fan of this plan. After all, despite what had happened ten years ago, Ford knew he wouldn’t want to wipe Stan’s mind. Not that Stan knew what the gun would do but…Ford knew that if he told him, he wouldn’t do it. And Bill needed to be stopped. This was the only way.

“Right. And there are a few things I…need to make sure you do after Bill is gone.” Despite his exhaustion, Ford found himself pacing. After all. that would aid him in letting Bill take over.

“Woah woah, what do you mean? You can just make sure they get done, right?”

Ford made the mistake of looking at his brother. He caught the concern in his gaze and quickly looked away., blinking a few times to try to ease the discomfort in his eye. “Yes, well…I will probably need to rest afterwards. And these things should be done as soon as possible.” It wasn’t a full lie. Ford would need sleep afterwards. It just…wasn’t the full truth either.

“Ford…” Stan’s hand rested on his back and Ford skittered to a stop at the familiar gesture. “Is there something I should know?”

For a moment, Ford considered telling Stan the truth. But he couldn’t. Swallowing he shook his head. “No…I mean, yes. After everything is done, I need you to make sure that the portal gets dismantled. Fiddleford should be able to help with that. And he can use parts from the portal to fix the time machine as well.”

“Okay…I can do that I guess…” Stan glanced at the portal and Ford followed his gaze before quickly looking away.

“Good. Make sure the kids get back and…” Sighing, Ford pulled his journal out of his coat. “I need you to hide this somewhere too.”

“What? Hide it? Why?”

“It…it has too much dangerous information in it. No one should ever find it. I’ve already hidden the other two.” Ford held the book out and Stan hesitantly accepted it, frowning.

“Doesn’t Dipper have one of them?”

Ford let out a breath. “Well, yes, but…that’s in the future. I…maybe Fiddleford should check my hiding place and make sure it can’t be accessed….” He muttered to himself, his thoughts going faster than his mind could keep up with. Shaking his head, he brushed aside his mutterings. “But someone needs all of the journals to understand the portal anyway, so it…it should be fine.”

“You sure?” Stan was looking at Ford again, doubt clouding his gaze.

Quickly looking away, Ford nodded. “Yes. I…I think that’s everything. I’m…I’m going to meditate. Bill used to use me that way. And if not…”

“You’re tired enough you’ll probably fall asleep anyway?”

Ford quickly looked at Stan as he said exactly what he was thinking.

“You look dead on your feet, Sixer. It’s not that hard to put together.”

“Oh…right…” Ford sighed, then gestured to the journal in Stan’s hand. “You can put that away. Focus on the gun right now. And remember-”

“The creep is gonna try to convince me not to shoot you. I got it, Ford.”

For a moment, Ford looked at Stan. Not for the first time, anxiety grew in his chest. He didn’t want to lose his memory. He didn’t want to forget everything. Panic started growing in his chest. Then a hand rested on his shoulder and their eyes met.

“It’ll be okay, Stanford. I promised, remember?”

There was nothing in Stan’s voice that left any room for doubt. Ford could trust his brother. For a moment, he opened his mouth, wanting to tell Stan what would really happen. And how scared he was. Then Stan grinned and patted his shoulder.

“Now, you go on and meditate or whatever.” He held up the memory gun. “I’ll get rid of that jerk.”

Ford’s gaze grew blurry and it took him a moment to realize that his eyes were watering. No, not watering – tearing up. He quickly looked away and nodded. “Right.”

Then he sat down and crossed his legs. Looking up, he saw Stan giving him a thumbs up. That was the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes.

-----

Stan watched as Ford sat there. He had never meditated before so he didn’t really know what to expect. After a few minutes he started tapping his foot.

“Stan, I can’t focus when you do that.”

Letting out a breath, Stan stilled his foot. “Right. Sorry.” It wasn’t his fault that his anxiety was building. After all, he didn’t know exactly what to expect, and just the thought of pointing a gun – even one without bullets – at Ford just felt wrong.

Time ticked on again. Stan tried to hold his tongue, but patience was never his strong suit. “How long does this normally take?”

A frustrated sigh escaped Ford. “Stanley, please this…this is hard enough as it is.”

Trying his best to swallow down his anxiety, Stan tapped his fingers on the gun. It wasn’t as loud as his foot, and Ford didn’t comment about it, so he figured it wasn’t too loud. As he did so, he glanced at the gun, his gaze resting on the screen at the end of it.

Wait. Why did it say…Stanford Pines? Wasn’t it supposed to get rid of Bill?

“You know, he doesn’t really trust you.”

Stan jumped at the voice, immediately pointing the gun at Ford. Because despite the voice being his brother, he knew that it wasn’t really him. His finger found the trigger, and he started to pull it.

“He didn’t tell you what that thing would actually do to him.” Ford looked up at him and smiled knowingly, which effectively stopped Stan’s finger.

“He told me it would get rid of you.” Swallowing, Stan started pulling on the trigger again.

“Ah, yes. But he didn’t tell you that it would get rid of him too.” Ford held up his hand and studied it. “Would be a shame for you to destroy your brother, wouldn’t it?”

The words made Stan’s skin crawl, and his finger stilled again. Then he shook his head, remembering that Ford had told him Bill would do this. He’d try anything to keep Stan from shooting him. “I know your game, triangle. You can’t fool me.”

Ford tapped his chin thoughtfully then grinned in a way that mad Stan’s skin crawl. “I’m not trying to fool you. I know what your brother didn’t tell you. He’s so desperate to get rid of me, that he asked his own brother to destroy his mind.”

“I…he wouldn’t…”

“Wouldn’t he?” Ford grinned. “Why else do you think his name is on that gun?”

Against his will, Stan found his hand lowering. He knew this had to be a game, just Bill trying to get into his mind too. But…Ford hadn’t exactly explained how this gun worked…

“That’s right...” Ford slowly stood up. “You are only a tool for him. He doesn’t actually care about YOU!”

At the last word, Ford lunged for the gun. Stan tightened his grip on it too late. It went clattering to the ground, a slight chinking sound filling the air as it did so. Stan lunged for it but Ford slammed him into the ground sending the gun skittering further away.

Kicking hard, Stan tried his best to shove Ford off of him.

“Oof, you are a fighter, huh?” Ford growled, then bolted forward.

Stan quickly swung out his leg, tripping his brother. Lunging forward, he reached for the gun. Something grabbed his leg and he kicked without thinking and thrust his arm forward, grabbing the gun.

“Give me that!” Ford screamed and in that split second, instinct took over.

Stan rolled over and fired.

Light erupted from the gun, hitting Ford right in the head. The scream that escaped his brother chilled Stan to the bone, but he couldn’t force his finger to leave the trigger.

The whirring of the gun grew louder and higher pitched. Then the bulb shattered, cutting off the light. Stan quickly threw the gun to the side, grimacing as a few pieces of glass cut his hand.

For a moment, Stan just sat there, catching his breath as adrenaline continued to pulse through his body.

A groan shook him from his shock and he looked at Ford.

His brother was kneeling on the ground, holding his head. Panic overwhelmed Stan and he quickly scooted forward. “Ford, are…are you…?”

Ford slowly looked up, his hands falling from his head as he did so. He narrowed his eyes in confusion as he looked at Stan. “Wha-?”

Stan sagged with relief. Deep down he knew that Ford was himself again. Bill wasn’t in control. “Oh thank goodness.” Stan couldn’t stop himself from reaching forward and pulling Ford into a hug.

Ford didn’t return the hug, and Stan realized maybe he needed a little space after having Bill in his mind. Leaning back, he let out a breath and smiled reassuringly. “You’re okay. I thought that stupid triangle might actually be telling the truth.”

“T-triangle? Wh-what?” Ford muttered, looking around in confusion.

“Don’t worry about him. He…I think he’s gone now. Come on.” Stan stood up and held out his hand, finding a real smile growing on his face. It was over. He had helped Ford, and Bill was gone.

“I…okay…but…” Ford looked at Stan’s hand then up at him, confusion etched on his face. “Who are you?”

#trapped in the past #gravity falls au #gravity falls #stanford pines #stanley pines #dipper pines #mabel pines #ford pines #stan pines #fiddleford mcgucket #timetrapped au #timestuck au #gravity falls fanfiction #aceo writes things

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