Apprentice {Gravity Falls}

Grounded

Requested by Trombone_Writer

"-and that should do it!" Ford exclaimed, pouring the last liquid into a beaker. Dipper and Ford had needed a certain element - neutronium - for one of their experiments. However, as far as scientist knew, neutronium was only hypothetical. It was said to exist only in the stars. This lead to Ford and Dipper doing their best to create a substitute.

"Now, as you know, this element took forever to make," Ford laughed a bit, "Please, don't go anywhere near it without my permission. We're going to need it and I don't want to waste time trying to make another one," Ford explained to Dipper. "Besides, I'm not sure how dangerous this particular element is. Spilling it is a gamble with our lives!"

Dipper nodded, "Alright Grunkle Ford!"

Ford smiled, "We'll be able to experiment with it first thing tomorrow!"

*   *   *

When Ford and Dipper entered the lab they were met with a spilled beaker that had an amorphous substance dripping out of it.

"Dipper?" Ford snapped. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I-I didn't go anywhere near the neutronium! I swear!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Then who else could've? We were the last people in the lab, and I know for a fact I didn't spill it!" Ford explained. Dipper sighed. That didn't make his claim seem plausible at all. They were the last two in the lab.

"Are-" Dipper swallowed roughly, "Are you sure you didn't spill it?" He questioned nervously. This was met with a glare from Ford. "N-nevermind..."

"Were you not listening when I said that it would take forever to make a new batch? That spilling it would be a gamble with our lives?" Ford reminded. Dipper wiped the sweat off his palms.

"I-I was listening Grunkle Ford! I'm telling the truth when I say I didn't go anywhere near the neutronium!" Dipper claimed again. However, it was clear Ford didn't believe him.

"I'm extremely disappointed in you Dipper! When I tell you to do something, it's for your own safety along with the safety of everyone in the Mystery Shack!" Ford scolded.

Dipper looked down, "I know..." he sighed out. No use trying to argue his way out of this one.

"I'm also upset you're trying to lie your way out of this," Ford sighed, "You're grounded for a month."

"What? A month?" Dipper exclaimed.

"You heard me! What you did was very serious. Someone or yourself could've gotten hurt because of your actions. Now, go to your room!" Ford scolded.

"I-" Dipper trailed off. Again, it was evident Ford didn't believe him, "Alright Grunkle Ford..." he sighed as he started walking away.

*   *   *

"Kid? Where are you headed? Don't you have nerd work to do?" Stan questioned, seeing Dipper walk up to his room. Dipper turned around to face Stan.

"I'm grounded for a month," he explained. Dipper then looked at Stan. He looked a bit different, "...why are you hiding your hands behind your back? You look like Grunkle Ford," Dipper smiled slightly.

Stan started laughing, "Pfft- Sixer grounded you? For a month? What'd you do, be smarter than him?" Stan laughed. "Don't worry about the hands kid, it's not important!"

"No..." Dipper sighed out, "Someone knocked over the element we were working with and now Grunkle Ford has to make a new batch. But, Ford and I were the last ones in there, so he thinks I was the one to spill it," Dipper explained.

"Ha ha!" Stan laughed, "That's not funny... why am I laughing?"

"Maybe I did do it though?" Dipper questioned, "We were the last two people in there. Maybe I accidentally knocked it over when exiting the lab? I don't think I went anywhere near it. But, I was pretty tired. Or maybe I sleptwalk into the lab?" Dipper wondered. At this point, he didn't even believe himself. "Ugh, I'm a terrible apprentice..."

"Pfft- Ford sounds like a terrible mentor! Like, you only made a small mistake and now you're grounded for a month because of it," Stan countered.

Dipper shook his head, "It wasn't a small mistake at all! He told me that it was dangerous and not to go near the element without his permission. It could've hurt people. It could've hurt him and Soos, and Wendy, and you, and me. And it would've been all my fault! We all could've been dead and it would've been all my fault!"

Stan tugged on his shirt as if he was hot, "Haha... well, the important thing is no one got hurt. You're grounded. Go to your room!" Stan ended to conversation abruptly. That was odd, but Dipper shrugged this off. Not like he could do anything to change his fate now.

*   *   *

"Hey, uh- Ford?" Stan questioned, entering the lab. Ford was working.

"What do you want Stanley? I'm very busy!" Ford exclaimed.

"Well, I needed to talk to you about... something..." Stan trailed off.

"Can't it wait?" Ford snapped and turned around to face him, "Dipper and I worked all week to make this element and now I have to make it again! I told him not to go near it without my permission," Ford sighed out and shook his head. "I can't believe he'd be so careless as not to listen to me!" Ford complained, turning back to his work.

"Uh... about that... Dipper... Dipper didn't touch your experiment..." Stan started out. This got Ford to stop working and face Stan.

"What? But then..." Ford trailed off when he saw the white, amorphous powder on Stan's hands.

"I was in here last night looking for a book I thought I left down here while working on the portal. And I, uh, accidentally knocked over that beaker. I tried to clean it up! But, the liquid stuck to my hands..." Stan explained.

"Stan!" Ford exclaimed, "That element could've been dangerous!"

"I didn't know!" Stan argued, "I just found out! Dipper just told me!" He exclaimed.

"Dipper..." Ford mumbled. "Dipper was telling the truth!" He realized. Stan's nodd confirmed it.

*   *   *

Knock knock knock

Dipper looked up from the book he was reading, "Uh- come in?"

Ford entered the room, smiling softly, "Greetings, my boy."

"You don't need to lecture me again or anything!" Dipper exclaimed, "I'm really sorry! I'll be more careful next time!"

Ford let out a sad laugh, "I'm not here to lecture you. I'm here to apologize to you," he explained, sitting down next to the boy. Dipper placed his book mark inside his book and closed it, looking back up at Ford.

"Apologize?"

"Dipper, you were telling the truth," Ford started. "Stanley told me it was him who spilled the neutronium. The element was all over his hands too."

"That's why he had his hands behind his back... he was trying to hide the liquid," Dipper realized. That also explained why he looked nervous when Dipper explained why he was grounded, and why he ended the conversation so suddenly after Dipper explained it's dangers.

"Exactly," Ford confirmed, "I'm sorry for not believing you and I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I should've asked if anyone else was involved instead of immediately placing all the blame on you," he apologized.

"It's alright, Grunkle Ford," Dipper smiled. Ford smiled back and ruffled Dipper's hair.

"You're ungrounded by the way," Ford mentioned, "We'll restart our experiment tomorrow."

Dipper nodded, "Alright Grunkle Ford," he replied. Although Dipper was a bit nervous of messing up the experiment, he knew if anything did go wrong, Ford wouldn't fault him.