I'm From Another Dimension

Fiddleford: 1981- Oregon

Fiddleford slowly woke up, looking around at his surroundings. Nothing looked much different, but the wormhole was missing. Fiddleford supposed it might have just spat them out in different parts of the forest.

"Well, guess Ah should held back to the shack," Fiddleford huffed, standing up and brushing off his clothes.

And so the young nerd began making his way through the forest. He vaguely remembered the path they had taken to get out to the wormhole, but since he was now in a different part of the forest, he didn't know how well following the same path would work.

"Um, excuse me?" Fiddleford called out, spotting a gnome through the trees. The short bearded man paused, turning to look at Fiddleford, "Howdy. Do ye know the way back to the Mystery Shack?"

"The what?" The gnome asked.

"Er- that house in the woods?" Fiddleford tried, "The wooden shack? Do ye know it?"

"Oh, yeah I know that place," The gnome grunted, "It's just straight that way."

The gnome pointed to the left of where Fiddleford was walking. The boy sighed in relief.

"Thank ye," He said, turning to start walking in the direction. The gnome scampered off, leaving Fiddleford to continue his journey. After a few minutes and more than a few tears in his sweater, Fiddleford finally reached the Mystery Shack.

Except... it wasn't the Mystery Shack.

The building  was void of any signs or outdoor decor. It mainly looked bare. But Fiddleford was still able to recognize it as the shack. Had he somehow traveled back in time? No, that was only possible with the time tape, right? That's what the others had said. Yet here he was, in front of a Mystery Shack that wasn't yet the Mystery Shack.

"Maybe someone's home?" Fiddleford murmured, slowly approaching the front door. He timidly knocking, and after a moment, a man answered the door. A man that looked awfully familiar...

"Hello?" The man spoke, looking questioningly at Fiddleford, "Who are you?"

"Uh, hi," Fiddleford greeted, "I was in the forest, an'-"

"Wait a moment, I know that accent," The man frowned, and Fiddleford saw his hand tighten on the doorknob, "Fiddleford?"

"Uh, yeah," The nerd nodded.

"How did you-? But you're-" The man was thinking, "You're not due here for another two days. And... how'd you get so young?"

"Er... well I haven't ever been any older..." Fiddleford began, "I ain't sure how I ended up here, either... my b- frien' said somethin' about a wormhole?"

"A wormhole," The man murmured, "How is that even...?"

"Uh, sorry fer interruptin', but what is yer name?" Fiddleford asked, "Ye seem awfully familiar, but I just can' put my finger on it."

The man eyed him and held up a hand, wiggling the six fingers.

"Ford!" Fiddleford cried, quickly covering his mouth, "My apologies, but my friend- he has- are you Stanford?"

"That is my name, though I doubt it's the same exact Stanford you're thinking of," The man- the other Ford- replied. He moved aside, motioning for Fiddleford to come in, "Why don't you come inside and we'll try to figure this out?"

"Thank ye," Fiddleford nodded slowly, entering the familiar-yet-not-so-familiar house. He looked around, seeing that the room was filled with books and scattered pieces of paper. He turned around at hearing the door click shut.

"So... I'm going to assume you're from another dimension," The other Ford guessed. Fiddleford nodded, consciously aware of his knee bouncing the way it always did when he was nervous, "Do you know which one?"

"Uh, my Ford said it was 64,/, I think," Fiddleford answered. The other Ford nodded, apparently deep in thought.

"I don't have any way to get you home quite yet," He muttered, "And since my Fiddleford is going to be up here in a few days with Bella, I'm not sure it would be feasible to keep you here."

"I-I don' take up much space," Fiddleford said quickly. This other Ford wasn't going to throw him out, was he? Fiddleford knew his boyfriend, and he would never do that! "I could just stay in the other room. M-my friends- we always meet here when we're lost. If Ah could just wait a few days fer them, maybe we could figure something out?"

"Well, I do have a spare room," The other Ford began, "I suppose I could pull out a mattress for you to sleep on."

"Thank ye so much," Fiddleford sighed in relief.

"But in exchange, I'd like some information about this other dimension," The other Ford grinned.

"I believe I can do that," Fiddleford smiled back.

-----

"So what is it like in your dimension?"

"Eh... can I have a basis?" Fiddleford asked. Him and the other Ford were sitting at the table in the kitchen, "What is what like?"

"Hm, how about... friends-and-family-wise?" The other Ford clarified, six-fingered hand grasping a pencil and lingering above a notebook, "Let's see what's the same and what's different."

"Oh, alright," Fiddleford nodded, "I was born in Tennessee, then Ah moved to Gravity Falls when I was four."

"Alright," The other Ford murmured, writing it down, "That's different... do you know Bella?"

"Of course!" Fiddleford grinned, "She's my best frien'! I met her during the first day'a school."

"Ok," The other Ford smiled slightly, "My Fiddleford is also best friends with Bella, although I believe they met in second grade."

"I met Bella in kindergarten," Fiddleford explained, "We were kinda inseparable from then on. I... didn' make many friends. An' then Stan an' Ford arrived-"

"So, in your dimension, are Stan and I still friends?" The other Ford asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Well... yer only 13, so yeah," Fiddleford nodded, "Are you an' Stan not friends in this world?"

"No, he..." The other Ford growled and shook his head, "It's not important what he did."

"...pardon me fer asking, but did he... break somethin'?" Fiddleford asked cautiously, "Cuz in my dimension, Stan an' Ford's great aunt and great uncle had the same fight."

"I'd rather not talk about it," The other Ford grumbled, "But yes."

"So... him an' Bella don't know each other?" Fiddleford asked. The other Ford shook his head, "Oh. In my world, they're datin'."

"Dating?" The man looked shocked, "I can't imagine them together."

"Yeah, Ah never understood what she saw in him either," Fiddleford chuckled, "Oh Ah know why she likes him, but I didn't understand it. She probably feels the same way about me an' Ford."

"...you're dating?"

"Heh, yeah," Fiddleford grinned, "Took till the end of the summer, but Bella an' Stan finally got me te tell him I liked him. What happened with you an' yer Fidds?"

"We were... dating in college," The other Ford began sadly, "But after we graduated, him and Bella moved to California and we sorta grew apart."

"Oh... I'm sorry," Fiddleford frowned.

"It's fine," The other Ford shook his head and looked at the clock, "It's getting pretty late. Perhaps you should get some sleep."

Fiddleford nodded in agreement, stiflingly a yawn. The other Ford led him to the room he would be staying in.

"If you need anything, I'll be in the basement," The man informed as Fiddleford laid down and pulled the blankets over himself. He saw the other Ford look at him for a moment before pulling the door shut, blocking all light from entering the room.