Little Dipper

Roommates

"Well, it's been a long day for everyone, so let's settle in for the night." Stan suggested, then turned to Gideon. "Gideon, are you gonna need a ride home? Won't your parents be worried?"

"I do have to get back to my potion. But I can find my own way home, don't worry. I'll make sure the government is gone while I'm out there." Gideon nodded. "I'll call you tomorrow, after you've had some rest." He promised Mabel before he reluctantly left her side and headed to the elevator.

"Shoot, I forgot about them. Uh, good luck with that." Stan laughed.

"Don't worry." Gideon smiled slyly. "They aren't the first, they won't be the last." He pushed the elevator button and stepped inside when it opened.

"Sleep well, Gideon! Talk to you tomorrow!" Mabel blew a kiss and waved until the elevator closed.

"That's a good idea, I've been needing some sleep." Ford commented.

"Oh, sure, and where are you gonna sleep? Stan, the kids and I have the only bedrooms here." Bill scoffed. "Unless you want to join Blendin in the wax museum?"

"Your physical form is only temporary, you don't even need a bedroom!" Ford glared at him.

"Yeah, but he's earned a bed and he's not sleeping with the kids. Suck it up and share the bed or sleep on the couch, Ford." Stan sighed heavily.

"Lee." Dipper corrected, to Ford's dropped jaw. "You're Stanford, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Stan shrugged with a grin. "Got confused for a bit there!"

Ford huffed and headed for the elevator. "Stole my name, my house, my bed, my future..." He grumbled as he went.

"Well, maybe next time your assistant tells you to take the unstable portal apart, you'll do it?" Bill remarked sarcastically.

"Y-You were messing with my head! Taking over me, getting in my way! I had to hide the Journals! I had to warn people!" Ford hit the elevator button. "You were a monster!"

"I was trying to ensure you fulfilled your end of the deal! You didn't HAVE to involve your brother, you know. And he didn't HAVE to bring you back! You know how many times I told him not to?" Bill glared at him.

"Bill..." Mabel said with a warning tone.

The elevator opened and Ford and Bill stepped inside. "He shouldn't have done it at all. What if he screwed up? What if someone else--something else--came through instead?" Ford grumbled.

"Then, they would've had to deal with me." Bill sighed and leaned against the wall as the elevator closed and it started to go up. "Look...let's just...TRY to get along, for the kids' sake. They're only here until the end of summer, and then we can go back to hating each other. Deal?" He held out a hand.

Ford glared at his hand. "...It's not on fire..."

"Yeah, it's not a Deal deal, it's just a human-type deal that's not binding in any way past trusting each other not to break it." Bill shifted his wrist. "So, deal?"

"...Fine." Ford took his hand and shook it. "But once this summer is over, you're getting out, Stan is getting out, I'm taking back my identity and home, and moving on with my life!" The elevator opened and he stepped out.

"'Stan's getting out'? So, what, you're just gonna throw him back onto the streets? After he spent 30 years in this hick town making money just so he could pay off the mortgage on your house and get supplies to fix your portal?" Bill stepped out after him. "You know, based on Stan's story, I can tell you one thing. You have NEVER learned gratitude. EVER."