"Ugh I've got so many bites that the kids are gonna feel it" I scratch at my back while swatting at the swarm of mosquitoes that buzzed around my head. My brother wasn't really paying attention, he was standing on a rock waving his phone in the air. Ford hadn't really spoken since we left the campsite, he was mumbling to himself something he used to do often when we were kids. He always seemed lost in his own world when he was like this, I couldn't help but wonder if he ever turned that big brain of his off. I watched as he walked straight toward a tree I grabbed him by the back of his tattered old trench coat and yanked him back onto the path.

"Ay watch where you're going to point Dexter!" Ford looks back at me in surprise then back at the tree.

"I'm ..I'm sorry Stanley I wasn't paying attention" I rolled my eyes and tried to keep myself from sighing. I suppose there wasn't really a way to stop my brother when he set his mind to something, but he usually wouldn't be so distracted. Something wasn't right.

"Yeah no shit. What's going on with ya? You've been in your own head since we left Dipper and Mabel" I watched as a conflicted look crossed my brothers face, before he took a deep breath and hesitantly answered.

"I...I..I'm worried about Dipper. He's been distant since our trip to Scuttlebutt Island" Ford looked off into the distance stroking his chin in thought. My mind flashed to memories of that day: He looked so uncomfortable around Ford ... around me and after the island he barely said a word to anyone he just ran off to his room from him .....

At the party he just stuck to one place, his face he looked like he was going to cry .... He hadn't sent me any letters about collage instead Mabel told me ....

That look on his face the day Weirdmageddeon ended.... The look of a broken heart....

"No he's been like this for years we just pretended not to notice" Looking back it was obvious, our decisions during the apocalypse hurt Dipper the most, we traumatized the kid, we attacked him, I couldn't even remember the reasons why we gave up on him. We never even tried to save him from Bill "Ford was just staring at me with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Really? I don't know why ... we ... why ..I never ...."

"No, don't play dumb Poin dexter you're too smart for that! We both saw Dipper change and we both know why he no longer speaks to us .... And .... and I honestly can't blame him "I sighed, legs felt weak so I sat down on a rock nearby.

"We were doing what we had to for the survival of the human race" Ford mutters, I look up at my brother with a grim expression on my face.

"What good was saving the human race when our own family hates our guts?" Ford suddenly appeared dumbfounded when I said that.

"Dipper doesn't..."

"OF COURSE HE FUCKING DOES! We never tried to save him from the deal he made with Bill! We never tried to talk to him about what happened when he was following Bill! We never tried to talk to him about falling in love with that demon! We. Did. Nothing, to help him! We fucking tried to kill him! We killed and tortured the one he loved! For fuck sake Stanford even Mabel joined the fight against us! We lost so many lives in that fight and for that!?" My eyes were blurry as my face felt hot to the touch, Ford watched my outburst quietly. He turned away from me for a moment, but I could see his fingers from him from him from him twitching.

"We had to do it, Bill was an interdimensional overlord. If we hadn't killed him, then he would have continued spreading his chaos across the cosmos! Dipper was never in love with that thing, he was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome! We did it for everyone Stanley, for the world!"

"Fuck the world! We should have stood by Dipper, even if he was suffering from Stock... home..whatever we should have tried to help him, instead we traumatized the kid! I should have stopped you! I should have tried to talk you out of your stupid plans! I wish I did, maybe then .... things would be different..Only Mabel talks to us anymore and I'm not sure why "I was trembling my body shaking by all the different thoughts going through my mind.

Ford sits down beside me rubbing his eyes, I could see his eyes welling up. I put my arm around his shoulders from him.

"When did we become two sad old men?" I let out a small chuckle but I can still feel my hands shaking, Ford looks at his hands de el and says nothing. My shoulders started to feel heavy though someone had carefully balanced boulders on them. In the silence between us I could tell that my brother and me were thinking the same thing.

"I admit that I gave up on Dipper too quickly .." Ford suddenly spoke and I let him go slumping forward the heaviness on my shoulders weighing me down further.

"I thought that when he joined Bill's side again after we had reunited that he'd made his choice, that he was now against us. What I did to Bill..It wasn't just to hurt him for what he'd done to me ... I had wanted to hurt Dipper too. I was so lost in my rage that I didn't even consider how he was feeling. He probably only wanted to protect the ones he loved, but Mabel was the only one to I thought that what I was doing was for everyone's benefit. I thought that Dipper was under Bill's influence, that he'd see how this was for the best once everything was said and done. I only realize now how much he needed all of us. ..... I wish I could take it back.

"I wanted to make it up to him that's why I went with him to scuttlebutt island, I should have been more concerned when he disappeared and I should have realized even before that how withdrawn he became ..... I ... I want to help him I don't want to fail him again .... "Ford sat down next to me with a deep sigh. The birds still chirped and flew over our heads while a small breeze cooled us down from the hot midday sun. I looped my arm around his shoulders pulling him towards me "I think it's about time we apologized" I looked at Ford and he looks at me with both hope and worry in his eyes, he nods. "I think your right Stanley, but first we need to call an ambulance for Dipper." Ford stands up lending me his hand from him, I grab it and he hoists me up.

"You got a lot of muscle for an old man" I tease, Ford smiles sarcastically as he punches me in the shoulder "yeah well you get a lot of exercise running through dimensions" Ford states sarcastically, he then motions to a clearing just off to the left of us. "Come on maybe we can find a signal there" Ford says as he charges forward, I follow behind him. Even if I wasn't as smart as my brother I knew that we could never fully repair the damage we'd done, but maybe we could make up for some of it.

Ford waves his arm around like some sort of odd hippie dance. After 5 minutes he cheers.

"Haha finally!" He dials the emergency line and I can here the muffled voice of the operator on the other side. Ford explains the situation as quickly and easily as possible. As he finishes explaining what happened I see his eyebrows furrow and he begins spouting random numbers it took me a while to realize he was describing our coordinates. I'd never been very good at geography class as a kid, although I did enjoy history a bit more. Sure the history of American Presidents was pretty boring but the civil war and the history of the war between America and Britain was far more interesting and not just because of the gory pictures our teacher would show us. My mother was always more than a bit worried about my fascination with those kind of things but my father thought it was good for me, said it "Made me a man" and decided to sign me up for wrestling at school. He also signed up Ford to try toughen him up a bit but poindexter would usually hide in the bleachers reading until the coach caught him. Ford never needed to be tough, I was the muscle he was the brain that's how its always been. 

After a while of watching Ford I started to worry, I began pacing around listening to Ford say our location over and over again. After what felt like forever Ford puts the call down and motions for us to walk back to the campsite. We walked side by side as the warm breeze rumbled through the trees, and it reminded me of the first time I'd arrived at Gravity Falls. How the cold winter wind howling through the barren trees was ominous and creepy. Somehow this was worse, the wind felt like something was hiding in it making the trees shake and shudder like an invisible creature was climbing through them. I could've sworn I'd heard a voice as the wind whistled past my ears. A chill went down my spine and I began to shiver my fingers starting to go numb. As I closed my eyes I could've sworn I heard something, laughing. A cold cruel malicious laugh followed by someone screaming. It wasn't a scream of fear it was a mixture of pain, agony and sadness and the owner of this scream sounded familiar to me. My throat began to choke up in fear as the numb feeling spread up my arms, I knew who was screaming now. 

"Stanley!" I snapped out of my head and turned to see Ford looking at me, concerned. 

"Stanley, are you alright? You look pale" I shook my head and smiled weakly, my head was spinning and pulsing with dull pain. 

"I'm alright, just gotta sit down for a minute" Ford helped me find a "comfortable" place to sit, or at least as comfortable as the bosom of nature could be. Ford began asking me questions, I couldn't really answer before he began forcing me to drink water and began looking me over for something. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I'm making sure you don't have a sun stroke"

"I'm not sunburnt poindexter, just old" I laugh and Ford looks relieved before reluctantly smiling at my joke. Ford and I rested for another five minutes before we continued on towards the campsite. I tried to recall what I had been thinking about before but it all seemed fuzzy. It probably wasn't important. After another ten minutes we reached the outskirts of the campsite and we both stopped, I looked at Ford.

"Do you think we should talk to them now?" Ford turned to me with a sigh

"No after what happened today we should first make sure that Dipper is okay, then we can talk to him about everything" Ford stared at the campsite and I could see the unease in his eyes. 

"Gives us time to try to come up with a good apology" Ford looked to me and shook his head sadly.

"No Stanley I don't think any apology we come up with will make up for this, if Dipper wants to forgive us that's up to him" 

(so a quick apology to anyone who may still be following this story as this  update has been a long time coming. I have been busy and it's hard to write a story for a fandom you are not as passionate about anymore. Rest assured I do intend to finish this story however the chapter updates will most likely be sporadic but I will try improve on my updates. Thanks to all those who are still with me in this story and all your love and support)