Gravity Pines

Part 19: Secret spot

I just wanted to skip life and move on already... ya right, I was moping but this life was better than the unknown, so far much of the unknown did make life great but it quickly became all too normal. Manotaurs would build housing and repair buildings, McGucket built new machines that made labor ten times easier for any man who needed to repair what a simple shovel could not. Yet here I was, working on new inventions with Ford, and the most I have given this town is likely a new rumor of the psycho kid who returned to town just to stir up trouble.

I was spending the past few days in the basement, sleeping in the empty cot that Ford had bought for me, it was pretty warm with all the technology and the alien goo made it stay cool without fault. Sitting in the far corner behind the portal, I mostly kept to working on a few designs for Mabel's grappling hook, a handheld matter displacer that would triumph Ford's cannon he tried to take Bill out with, sadly as we figured after that shot, his entire body would survive as long as one bit remained so honestly, that beam was a poor choice in hindsight.

Though this would just be for protection from more "normal" supernatural beasts that appeared now and then, it happened a lot less Ford says but it may just be because Bill was no longer ripping the fabric of space-time apart to try and get into our realm. Either way, I was enjoying myself for the first time and I had a bit of alone time since Ford and Stan had made their rounds the day after the fight, my eye was healing up nicely, not even realizing it had been blackened from that first punch.

" Ho ho. Look at all this. I bet once Ford moves all this stuff, it will make a sick man cave right dude? " Soos walks up with his hat on Ford's table and his suit a little more loosened as Stan was taking over for the day, he may have been crooked before but he was a showman, and people loved having him back for tours, Soos was great but something about the original just made it a fun time for people who were newer to the scene. " Oh, looks like you got that power supply issue solved. Boss always said you were as smart if not smarter than Ford."

" Heh, you know you own this place now Soos, you are technically the boss I mean, you pay me out of your pocket not Stan's. "

" I know dude, but I see it this way, for never having a father figure... Stan was always there for me, so with Mom gone, it's nice having the guy back. " I could hear that tint of sadness in Soos, but he was much stronger about that pain than I could ever be. Smiling some I chuckle a little and shake my head as I look back, Soos toying with a set of extendable batons I had unpacked finally.

"  Well he is our Gruncle but I still see you like a brother Soos, no harm in seeing him as a father... I bet you are the closest thing to a son he could have ever hoped for. Or at least knew about it. " We both chuckle at the tease on Gruncle's playboy-like ways, Ford and Stan were built like tanks but still they had a lot of their lives devoted to causes rather than just living except for these past years.

" You are my bro too Dipper, and Mabel is one kick-butt sister. Though that also means you two will have to be the best Uncle and Aunt to our little one when they arrive. " Soos holding out his fist which I replied with a fist bump and we smiled wide to each other.

" Without a doubt. " I turned back to my sheet and would soon slide over the parts I was working on to frame the gun, etching in the lines I would have to cut and grind down later, I soon hear the ruffling as Soos rubs his neck a bit and leans on my table casually, it shifted but only a little since it was pretty solid and a pain to move aside from sliding on this metal floor.

" So. Oddly I heard about that scuffle at the party, nobody talked here but when I went into town for the foods, Robbie asked how you were. I think the guy was looking for me cause it sounded like nobody was talking to him either... Mabel really is keeping her mouth shut. " I looked up for a moment and then looked away. " Ya, I figured you weren't too happy about the results... Sounded to me like if everyone hadn't woke you up, you might not have left that boy with just a few bruises or a simple dislocation. "