Gravity Falls: How to Burn a Pine Tree

Part 17: Ford

The next day seemed to take forever to come and when it did, it reminded me that it was now day seven of Weirdmageddon. It was also the seventh day since Dipper's been gone and it just made me that more determined to find the last two signs and get him back.

Who knows what Bill was doing to him inside the bubble. According to Mabel, her bubble allowed her to do whatever she pleased. It was like a perfect paradise of what she envisioned. It made me wonder what Dipper made it to be or if Bill had changed the rules on him.

I had woken up in my bedroom that was actually the guest bedroom. Technically the room that Stan had taken over was my room before the portal incident. But I decided to just let him keep it, for now. I still hadn't told him that at the end of the summer, he had to find somewhere else to stay. The Mystery Shack would change and would return to being my lab.

I couldn't handle constant townsfolk touring around my lab which in hindsight, was suppose to be a secret. I had learned to like my life the way it was before I fell into the portal. I had learned that it was okay that I didn't get to go to the college of my dream because I had found something better.

I had found a town full of paranormal anomalies where I could do what I love and make a living off of it. It was a place where my freakishly six fingered hands wouldn't be judged or made fun of. The townsfolk had been good with not coming near my Shack. They left me be, seeing me as the strange inventor who never went out into the main part of town unless necessary, and I was fine with that.

But now, the whole town knew my Shack as a popular tourist attraction where Stan showed off fake paranormal creatures that resembled nothing like the ones I had use to see each day. Oddly enough though, Stan managed to pull the act off. The townsfolk fell for his fake attractions, paying him enough so he could pay the bills to keep the Shack up and running.

At least he was smart enough not to tell anyone about my lab. I had to give him credit for that.

I laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling in thought. When I thought about it enough, it made me realize that even though Stan had been the reason for me moving to Gravity Falls, he sacrificed so much for me that I had never realized before. He spent years searching for my journals (despite my warnings in the one that I had given him), risking the fate of the entire world just to get me back.

He kept the secret from the kids, to keep them save, but of course the kids outsmarted him and found out anyways. Then in that moment of deep thought, I realized three fundamental truths at the exact same time.

1.) Stan only did what he did because he didn't want me to leave. Even though he wanted us to sail the world in search of babes and gold, he did what he did out of good intentions.

2.) Stan risked so much just to get me back home and only wanted a simple, 'Thank you' in return. Why had I made it so hard to do that? It was just two little words and now that I thought about all of this, he deserved one.

3.) I've been so blind to see or care about how Stan felt. And when I thought about it even more, our parents were always harsh on him. They always took everything out on him. Yet we never realized that Stan does have good intentions, they just sometimes come out the wrong way.

I sighed and closed my eyes, wishing I could turn back the clock and make it up to Stan for what a terrible brother I've been to him. Now more then anything, I wanted to thank him. But I knew I couldn't just bluntly say it without true sincerity or a reason behind it. Stan would never accept it.

So as of now, I'd just have to wait for the perfect time to apologize and thank him.

There suddenly was a loud knock on my door that abruptly tore me out of my thoughts. I sat up in my bed and yelled, "Come in!"

Fortunately I was fully dressed because I had been to lazy to change my clothes when I had fallen back to sleep last night. The door to my room opened up revealing an exhausted looking Wendy: "Ford, Stan's awake and he asked to talk to you." She informed me. I exhaled deeply and rubbed my eyes tiredly. "Okay, I'll be there in a second. Thank you, Wendy."

I mumbled with a yawn following afterwards. "No problem." Wendy replied and left me to my thoughts. I arched my back stretched my arms before standing up to my feet and making my way to Stan's bedroom. I don't know where the sudden nervousness came from but it was there, in the pit of my stomach, eating me up, inside out.

"Stop being so nervous Ford! It's just Stan. He just wants to talk." I assured myself under my breath as I approach Stan's door. I gently knock on it, not wanting Stan to get mad at me for just barging in. "You can come in, Ford. I know it's you." Stan's voice calls from inside. I hold my breath, count to three and then push the door open.

I see Stan prompt up with pillows behind his back to help him sit up. His eyes meet mine and I awkwardly clear my throat. "So um...you wanted to talk?" I ask. I should be mad at him for leaving me to find Fiddleford on my own, but my thoughts were so conflicted that it was best just to ignore it.

"Ford...I'm sorry." Stan began, fiddling with his fingers as he spoke, his gaze falling to the floor. I frown. "For what?"

"For leaving you to find McGucket on your own. For ruining your life. For being a terrible brother. I just...I'm sorry. I've been being stupid and selfish, and idiotic. I've been putting my anger in front of everything, which is postponing us finding and saving Dipper. After I left you, I began to make my way to the Shack."

Stan let out a shaky breath and his hand traveled to his wounded side where I noticed dried blood on the bandaid wrap. "One of Bill's minions chased me. Teeth, I believe was it's name. What a dumb name." Stan scoffed. "But anyways, it managed to corner me. I tried to escape but it launched itself at me and one of one it's teeth cut my side. I managed to distract it long enough to run the rest of the way to the Shack. The blood...Ford there was so much blood!"

Stan wailed and I wanted to comfort him, but I let him finish his story. "I don't remember what happened next. I just know that one second I'm on the porch and Wendy's there and the next second I'm here, in bed with a bandage wrapped around my waist. I shouldn't have left you to fend for yourself Ford. I'm sorry for that. I wasn't at first but the more I thought about it, the more conflicted and regretful I felt. I just...I'm sorry Ford. I really am."

I knelt down beside Stan's bedside and pulled my brother into a hug. "That means a lot to me Stan. And it's okay, I forgive you." I said after I pulled back from the hug. It felt like forever since I had hugged my brother, and I remembered how much I had missed it. Stan gave me a smile, a genuine smile that I hadn't seen on his face for years with a chuckle.

"Thanks Poindexter. Now help me out of this bed so we can get to finding the last two signs."

Stan remarked as he slowly began to push himself out of bed. I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down. "No Stanley. You're in no condition to do anything physical right now. You're staying in bed and resting for the entire day." I ordered, with my hands on my hips.

Stan crossed his arms and glared at me, his personality returning just as quickly as it had left. "And who are you? Our Mom?" He joked with a slight smile. I smirked. "Nope! But I'm your twin brother and this is my house, so as long as you wish to live under my roof, you will do what I say!" I teased back, pretending to be our father.

Stan and I bursted into laughter and it felt good until Stan groaned in pain and kept a hand to his wounded side. "Y-Yeah...maybe you're-you're right Poindexter. Maybe I'm just going to rest." He yawned tiredly and I smiled at him. "Good. Get some sleep, Stanley. You need it."

Stan rolled his eyes at me and I watched him slowly snuggle back under the bedcovers and go back to sleep.