First Mate - Gravity Falls Fanfiction (Continuation)

Chapter 10

FIRST MATE (CONTINUATION)

CHAPTER 10

The Mystery Shack was asleep in the dark of the night.  In the attic, Mabel snored lightly on her bed at the right side of the room.  Mirror to her, Dipper and Bill slept together in Dipper's bed.  The pirates held each other close, their warm breath spiraling into the darkness.  Their door was shut tight and no sound could penetrate through.

Grunkle Stan's heavy footsteps were muffled by the stockings on his feet as he walked down the stairs to the first floor, a candelabrum in his right hand.  The flicker of the candle danced on the wallpaper as he checked to make sure no flame was still burning in the house.  He closed up the kitchen and the living room and walked passed the hall.  His tired eyes looked over the yellow glow coming from underneath the door leading to the study before he touched the railing of the stairs.

His foot had only touched the first step as he heard angry mumbling.  He turned back to the door to the study and listened.  Uncle Ford's voice came from the other side.  "The navy can deal with him.  I'm not letting him hurt this family anymore than he already has."

Grunkle Stan opened the door, eyes stern.  "The Navy can deal with who?"  He asked.

Uncle Ford jumped, his arm knocking the ink bottle over.  Black fluid smeared across the polished wood and dripped off the side of the desk.  "Stanley?!"  He asked in a hushed voice.

"Ford, what are you doing?"  Grunkle Stan demanded.  A breeze from outside pushed against the house, making it creak and groan.

Uncle Ford made a poker face as he replied.  "I'm getting rid of that demon!  Dipper is going to get hurt under his watch one of these days and I am not having it!"  He seethed angrily.

The other was silent for a moment as he processed his brother's words.  "You're turning them in?!"  He asked.

"I'm turning Bill in.  Dipper is being left out of this."

Grunkle Stan grabbed Ford's shoulder.  "Dipper will be crushed!  You can't do that!"  He argued.  "Give Bill a second chance!"

Ford brushed the other off, moving to grab a rag that was already covered in ink and dust to soak up the mess on the desk.  "O! I've given Bill enough chances to redeem himself and I'm all out of patience."  Ford hurriedly cleaned the surface and threw out the wasted cartridge.  He walked to the dresser on the opposite wall and tugged open one of the top drawers.  "That pirate will be the fall of this family!  He'll be the fall, you hear me?!"

Stan blocked him from going back to his chair.  "Stanford!  You need to rethink this!  Bill doesn't seem like the Demon of the Seas that you remember, does he?"  His fearful face was illuminated by the candles around them.  "Maybe Dipper has changed him!"

"I tried changing him too while I was on the S.S. Cipher!  Bill cannot be changed.  It's all an act."  Ford hobbled around Stan and to the wooden seat.  He popped open the bottle and dipped his quill into it.  He wrote furiously as he spoke his mind.  "I was gone for over thirty years on that cursed ship.  I nearly died many times and while it was fun to write down my findings, I'm not letting Dipper do the same.  It is too dangerous!"

"Stanford!"  Grunkle Stan urged, taking the quill from his brother.  "Dipper is an adult now!  He's not the same little boy that was too shy to talk to anybody like before.  He's grown up to be an adventurous and intelligent, young man!"  The two began to squabble as Ford fought to get the writing utensil back.  "Do you want to push him away?!"

"It's for his own good, Stanley!  Now give me back my quill!"  Ford stood up and pulled Stan's hand down.

"This isn't going to end well!"  Stan said disapprovingly.  "I would think that of all people, you would relate to Dipper's desire to explore.  You should be there to support him!"

"What if Dipper dies out there?!"  Uncle Ford retrieved the quill.  He roughly slammed his palm onto the desk where he grabbed the unfinished letter.  "I'm doing this so Dipper can live to an old age!  Have a chance to have children and settle down!"  He waved the letter in Stan's face.  "Death at sea is one of the most horrifying deaths there could be!  So many things could go wrong.  His stomach could be blown out by a cannon ball!  His throat slit by a scabbard!  His eye shot out with a pistol!  What if he is ever captured by another ship?  He'd be tortured for information and beaten!"

Grunkle Stan weighed the odds.  Imagining Dipper's young and handsome face covered in blood and bruises caused him to grimace.  Dipper's bright eyes red and gory as one had a bullet thrown through it...  Maybe him choking on his own blood as he grasped his bleeding neck.  What would happen if he had chains wrapped around him and fell into the depths of the water?  He wouldn't be able to swim to the surface to breathe.  He'd drown. Grunkle Stan's mouth thinned to a line, the wrinkles of his face growing more noticeable.

"Stanley, please..."  Ford whispered.  "We can't let Dipper put himself in such danger."

Grunkle Stan slowly responded.  Nodding solemnly, he spoke.  "I hope you're right, Stanford.  I really do hope that you're right."

Ford backed up and set the letter on the table.  He rested in the chair as he dipped the quill in the ink bottle and finished the letter.  His scribbles were scratchy and echoed on the quiet walls.  Stan shook his head and headed out, closing the door behind him.  Ford talked through the door.  "I'll have it mailed secretly.  Dipper won't even know until Bill's already gone."

Guiltily, Grunkle Stan headed up the steps and to his bed chambers.  He looked down the hall to the stairs that led to the twins' room and sighed.  He locked himself in his room and blew out the candle.  "I'm sorry, kid."

They had been here for a week or so now.  They sat talking in the front room together, Dipper, Bill, and Mabel.  It was casual and relaxing.  Then, there was a harsh knock on the front door.

And that is the manner by which we came to now.

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