Chapter Text
The past few weeks had been more odd than some of the strangest creatures Ford had encountered in his research and studies. He had received multiple gifts throughout his days from blood-stained flowers, to telekinetic-power granting rings, to various photos and artifacts from his childhood he thought were gone forever. Ford’s heart ached as he woke up to another gift, this time a beautifully rendered painting with a poem about wanting to be a muse to Ford again.
Ford sighed, shuffling himself out of bed and leaving the painting propped up on his nightstand. He quickly dressed himself in his usual outfit of the turtleneck and trenchcoat. He armed himself as the habit formed in his trip through the portal more-so than anywhere else. Gazing around his bleak room, Ford wondered if it was all worth it in the end.
He stared at the picture Mabel had insisted on taking ‘as a family’ with himself, Stan, and the kids. Walking over and hearing his boots clang on the metal flooring sent shivers down his spine. Ford picked up the picture and looked at the face of his twin. Time and age had worn them down in different ways, but it was still a face so close to his own with only small details revealing the differences.
Ford felt his eyes wet, not for the first time, at the thought of Stan. His brother who he had let himself fill his heart with hatred over, what? Some nonsense that lead him to where he was today? He thought of Stan, and how his brother seemed to always feel lesser than Ford. Their parents had neglected Stan’s needs in favor of encouraging Ford’s genius. What kind of family was that?
From one of their extremely few late-night conversations since Ford’s return, he knew from Stan that Dipper and Mabel weren’t sent to Gravity Falls with pure intentions. Their parents were using the summer to divorce and the kids might get separated in the ongoing harsh custody feud. Ford was contemplating offering Dipper an internship and to have Mabel go to school at the local elementary school so they wouldn’t be separated the way he and Stanley were. Ford shook his head, wondering if Stan would even be willing to do that.
However, over the course of the summer, Ford seemed to be successful more and more with bonding with the family thanks to none other than the demon that desired him. He was able to bond with Dipper right away, their mutual fascination and intelligence allowed for a continued and growing bond. Mabel had been harder, but watching her interact with Stanley and Bill had helped him learn how to give her praise and spend time with her. They had managed to have multiple ‘parties’ at the shack with Mabel choosing music and introducing Ford to various modern pop-culture and other moments he had missed from the portal. Stanley… was harder but that day on the boat? That meant more to him than anything else.
Ford let his thoughts drift to Bill. They were once so close, a muse and their scientist to inspire. Then, slowly, something more. Something that even convinced Bill to develop a human-form to interact with him. Ford closed his eyes, leaning against a wall and thinking of Bill in that suit at the Northwest mansion’s party. Bill didn’t really need to be Ford’s plus-one to get in, but he wanted to be and then spent the entire night helping Mabel bond with her now-girlfriend.
He thought to the duo doing arts and crafts as he opened his eyes to look at the painting. Sometimes it seemed like the eyes and chess pieces moved in the painting, but Ford honestly would expect nothing less than something magical from Bill.
All of Bill’s actions had been pure and his words had only shown the same. Ford couldn’t help but hope deep-down that Bill truly had changed. He was desperate for the time he once loved with Bill back. Looking at his hands, he remembered the ring he tossed into the woods that had been offered on that first-meeting since Ford’s return. Ford wondered if he could find it.
After a quick breakfast with the kids, making sure Mabel ate some fruit and vegetables and not just the sugar-y cereal she planned to consume, Ford set out into the woods for the day. Dipper had wanted to come with, but Ford gave Mabel $20 and told her to take Dipper out on the town for the day. The two had tried to explain inflation and that the $20 wasn’t enough for a full day, but Ford was already walking off into the woods.
As he searched, he noticed the summer heat closing in. It was only getting warmer on earth these days and Ford knew global warming had something to do with it. He had to shuffle off his jacket, tying it around his waist to not lose it in the woods. Eventually he stumbled on the gravity falls gnome population.
“Hello!” Ford greeted, waving his hand at a few of the gnomes.
“Shmebulock” greeted the gnome by the same name, causing Ford to chuckle.
“Hello, Shmebulock.” He stated gently.
“Hi, Ford!” Jeff replied shortly after, giving a gentle wave. “Sorry again about trying to marry Mabel earlier this summer.”
“It’s alright, Jeff. Just don’t do it again without consent, you hear?”
“Loud and clear, Ford!” Jeff nodded, giving a small salute. “What’s going on today, Ford? Off for more information?”
“Not today, Jeff.” Ford shook his head. “I’m actually looking for something I tossed into the woods a week or two ago.”
“Well, if we’ve found it, we’ll help you get it back!” Jeff nodded. “What are you looking for?”
“A ring with a triangle-shaped engraving on it.”
“Did it look like a wedding band?” Jeff questioned.
“Yes.” Ford replied, coughing and trying to hide his blush.
‘We have it then! Let me go get it for you!”
“Thank you, Jeff.” Ford replied. While waiting for Jeff, he joined Shmebulock and Jason in a quick game of Uno, permitting Shmebulock to simply point to different colors to announce them or say his name instead of ‘uno’. The game got heated when Shmebulock put a +4 on Jason and then Ford reversed it back. Thankfully, Jeff returned quickly after and before any actual fighting began.
“Here you go, Ford!” Jeff said, lifting the ring above his head.
“Thank you, Jeff.” Ford smiled, grabbing the ring. “Anything I can do to help you out while I’m over here today?”
“Not today, Ford. But if you check in at the end of the week, can you bring us some of those cherry danishes from Mabel? She makes the best ones and it’s hard to ask her for them after…”
“The whole trying to marry her incident?” Ford chuckled.
“Yeah! That!” Jeff replied quickly.
“I can certainly ask, Jeff. Thank you for the help today.”
“Happy to help Ford. Good luck with the wedding! Make sure to invite us!” Jeff replied.
“I’m not certain it’s going to go that far…” Ford replied, fidgeting with the ring, feeling the Cipher Wheel’s engravement.
“Not yet, but eventually!” Jason replied, laughing as Ford waved him off, beginning to walk back to the shack.
Ford entered through the shop, greeting Wendy with a polite “Hello.”
“Hey, Ford.” Wendy replied, giving a slight wave from her chair at the counter. She sipped on a soda. “Where were you at all day?”
“I was visiting the gnomes. They found something I was looking for in the woods.” Ford replied, feeling the ring weigh heavy like a stone in his pocket.
“Ah, gotcha. Well, I’m glad you got whatever you were looking for back.” She said, smiling lightly before picking up her phone. “Want me to let Dipper know you’re back? He really wanted to spend some time with you today.” Ford winced, guilt seeping into his chest.
“Sorry, Wendy. Not yet.” Ford replied. “I have a few things to take care of still. I’ll do my best to be free tomorrow for him, though.”
Wendy’s eyes narrowed before sighing and nodding. “Alright, Mr. Pines.” She said continuing to type something into her phone. Ford quickly exited the room, beginning his descent into the basement. “My chemical romance was right, teenagers do scare me.” He joked to himself as he walked down the stairs. Quickly, he grabbed some chalk from one of his shelves, and sat on the ground, tracing a familiar summoning circle onto the floor. He lit a few candles and began to chant words familiar to his brain but foreign to his much-older tongue.
Quickly, the world went gray and he heard familiar laughter. “Sixer? Fordsy? You- You summoned me?” Bill questioned, floating in-front of him.
“Yes, Bill,” Ford nodded. “I am the one who summoned you.” He gestured to the summoning circle and the fast-burning candles.
“Why? I thought-” Bill began, but was cut-off by Ford removing the ring from his pocket. “Is that the ring I gave you?” Bill questioned, floating closer to inspect the ring.
“It is.” Ford confirmed, holding the ring closer to Bill.
“You tossed it away, though.” Bill replied, floating backwards, visibly confused and unable to read Ford’s mind due to the metal plate.
“I got it back.” Ford shrugged, smiling cheekily.
“Why?” Bill questioned.
“I… I want to change my mind.” Ford spoke, nerves filling his speech. “I want to give you a second chance.” He continued, unable to look Bill in the eye as he spoke.
“You do?” Bill sounded like he was in shock as he floated around Ford’s head, as though trying to interpret what was going on.
“Yes.” Ford replied, nodding. “Now, Bill, will you permit me to take you on date? Preferably in your human form?”
“Yes!” Bill replied gleefully, turning to his human form upon request and jumping into Ford’s lap to give him a tight hug.
Ford hesitantly returned the hug, smiling as he felt Bill’s slightly-human heart beat.