In sickness, health and possession-Ford x oc!

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐈-𝐀 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥

We had hit a roadblock, I was more than content to finish our studies having found enough weirdness but Ford wasn't he needed more. So here we were in an ancient looking cave with markings on the wall. A triangle with one eye. The writings said to not trust it and to not read it.

"This could be the answer Dolly."

"Ford I don't think we should do this. They're warning us against it."

"This is what I need." He read the incantations that were written and I waited with baited breath but nothing happened "Oh."

"Why did you do that Ford? It said it was dangerous." Our marriage had been on the rocks, he had become increasingly tense and unbearable to be around the longer it took to get past this road block, he was becoming obsessed with figuring it out

"It's not like it did anything anyways Dolly."

"I'm going home, you can keep exploring."

"Dolly, wait." He grabbed my hand eyes pleading with me

"No Ford I can't do this. You need to figure out what to do now you can't keep searching for answers what if there are none! What if weird things just happen?"

"There has to be a reason none of this stuff is normal."

"Ford I love you. But I don't know if this is healthy anymore, this obsession with these things. Come home when you're ready to talk about what we're doing next."

The funny thing is I don't think any of this would've happened if we'd managed to conceive, we would've been a family, we would've been happy. But it just didn't happen. Ford didn't say anything as I walked out of the cave and began the long trek back to the house. I loved his passion for his work when we first started dating but I don't know if this is passion or obsession.

I unlocked the door and began to cook dinner, if I didn't feed him he wouldn't eat and I needed him to take care of himself. He walked in late that night, I had been waiting in the front room reading wishing he was safe and would come home.

"Dolores are you there?" He opened the door wildly

"There's casserole in the fridge I'm going to bed." I turned to leave before he whirled me around and kissed me

"You won't believe what happened."

"It's late Ford." I was annoyed but just relieved he was safe

"No it worked. He chose me as his muse, he's going to help me find the origin of the weirdness."

"What are you going on about?"

"The cave drawings, he visited me, Bill. He chooses a muse once a century and he chose me, he'll help me find the out what's going on here."

"It worked? No Ford, you shouldn't be doing this."

"You don't understand this is the answer."

"Here, I'm sure he'll help you too if you read the incantation." He handed me a piece of paper with latin written on it

"Come to bed Ford, we can talk in the morning."

"No I need to work on this."

"Just make sure you eat alright?" He was already lost in his thoughts grabbing out his notepad and writing things down

The bed was empty when I woke up, his side undisturbed. Walking down the stairs I find him in the same clothes in the study speaking to himself.

"Ford what's going on?"

"I made a deal with him, he said he can make one with you too. He can help us, please you need to meet him Dolly." His eyes were wild, unfocused, he shoved that same peace of paper back into my hands, the incantation written on it

"Ford, stop."

"Please Dolly, we need this."

"No Stanford I get that this is important to you, but this isn't healthy. I'm going out, I'll see you in a few hours."

"Dolly, please listen to me." He got to his knees, begging me with tears in his eyes

"I'm sorry." I closed the door behind me and got in the car, just driving somewhere, anywhere

I drove for what felt like hours, stopping at the diner to get some food and coffee. I sat in the car outside the diner the leather interior holding me like blanket as I cried. I didn't know how to help him and it felt like our marriage was falling apart, searching my pockets for tissue to clean up the mess that was my tear and snot soaked face I found a crumpled paper. The incantation, maybe I could help him better if I knew what he was talking about, shut down his delusions better. Speaking it aloud nothing happened just like with Ford but I knew that whatever 'he' was, he would be visiting me soon.

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I must've fallen asleep, because I was in my car then I wasn't, a blue void encompassing me. It's like I was floating but I could still move around like swimming.

"Well howdy bandage." A 2D triangle spun around me, he was yellow with a black top hat "Guess sixer finally got you to visit me."

"What the fuck are you?" I stepped back from him, his unhinged squeaky voice gave me the creeps.

"Well I'm Bill of course, Bill Cipher how do you do?" He held out his hand to shake but I just eyed him warily, he had no mouth but was somehow talking, telepathy maybe? His one eye glared at me before becoming normal "That's ok, later."

I debated the next question I asked him "You made a deal with Ford, what kind of deal?"

"I help him get all the knowledge he wants in exchange for a favor later."

"What favor?"

"Doesn't matter, what do you want bandage?"

"My name is Dolores."

"I already know that. What do you want?"

"I want you to leave Ford alone."

"Not gonna happen he's happy, I'm helping him with his research."

"He's going mad."

"But he get's what he wants, all the knowledge in the world. Listen bandage do you want to yell at me or get something from me."

"Help me keep him safe, please I can't let him kill himself in pursuit of whatever knowledge he thinks he'll find."

"I'll help you keep him safe in return for a favor, deal?" He held out his stick like hand a blue flame caressing it, enticing me to shake it

"Deal." I shook his hand not feeling the flame, but instead feeling a kind of euphoria as I felt our souls merge then separate but he left an imprint on me. An invisible tattoo on my brain marking me, connecting us.

I woke up and everything was normal nothing catastrophic had happened. Maybe I was being paranoid about Bill, maybe he actually could help.