Stanford would like to say he likes to learn something new every day. But finding out his friend knows how to hotwire a car was not something he expected to learn.

"Why didn't you hotwire Phillip's car when you went to the store?" questioned Stanford.

The man shrugged, "I would have felt bad when I had the ability to walk there, besides I like to keep somethings to myself." With a big smile on his face Fiddleford started the engine and they started to make their way. "I learned how to do that back home!"

The car wasn't made for off road but Fidds made sure to take his time but make sure he was going as fast as he could at the same time if possible. 20 minutes later they found a path and followed it up the mountain. They arrived at some old rustic cabin type place, vines climbed up the outside panels and the place looked like it would collapse at any moment.

Stanley's beloved car was nowhere in sight, but there were visible mud tracks that Stanford would bet were from the El Diablo. Stanford could only hope that his brother was still inside, alive and well.

The two made it up to the porch, Fiddleford made a point to look through both windows that were in the front. The man shook his head as if to say that he couldn't see anyone.

Stanford opened the door, wishing he had a flashlight right about now. The door creaked the entire way open. Stanford didn't even notice he was holding his breath until it stopped.

It was dark on the inside, the only light source coming from the windows. It seemed that every step they took created a squeak or groan from the floor boards. Making sure he didn't step on any of the broken beer bottles on the floor Stanford took a chance and decided to call out into the darkness.

"Stanley?"

"Ford!"

Stanford sighed in relief, he found Lee. "Where are you?"

"We're in the living room. Hurry before Rico comes back!"

"We? Is Phillip here too?" questioned Ford.

Phillip answered, "Yeah I'm here."

Stanford and Fiddleford found both of the boys in the living room like he said. They found Stanley on the couch, wrists tied but unharmed. Phillip was to his right tied to the radiator.

Stanford started to untie Stanley wrists while Fidds went over to help Phillip.

"I knew you would come find us Ford, it was just a matter of when." Stanley was grinning ear to ear, but Stanford couldn't find the words to tell him different, how he hadn't been looking for him at first. But that didn't matter at the moment, they needed to get out of here.

After all the boys got outside and jammed into the little car that Fiddleford stole (borrowed), they made their way back to the shack.

Phillip asked to use their phone when they got back to call his people to get them over to Oregon. Rico couldn't have made it that far out of the state if he started to run. But if he hit the border of Canada, it was out of his jurisdiction.

Stanford could see that Stanley was still a little out of it.

Phillip who was sitting in the passenger seat turned around to the twins, "Rico gave him a sedative, he's going to be fine, just needs some fresh air."

Stanford nodded his head to the man and let Stanley fall asleep on his shoulder.

….

Once they got to the house the first thing they noticed was that Stanley's car was back in the yard. Something smelled fishy.

Stanford woke up Stanley, who seemed a bit better focused after his short but seemly much needed nap.

Phillip turned around to the back seat, "Ok gang listen up, it has come to my attention that Rico may be in the house. If that is the case then…"

"You need all the help you can get." Fiddleford interrupted.

"No," argued Phillip, "I cannot let citizens be put in the line of fire on my watch."

Stanley huffed and all faces turned to him, "Phil look at us, we already have. Now let us help, please. You need us."

….

Sneaking into the house was a snitch. Phillip went off to do a sweep of the house while Stanley tagged along. Stanford couldn't help but think that Rico already knew that they were here. 'Why was he?! There is nothing for him in the shack, nothing that he knew of anyway. Maybe he saw something he thought was valuable the last time he was here?'

Phillip and Stanley came back to the kitchen where they left the two scientists.

"Area secure," commented Phillip, "no one seems to be in the shack."

Fiddleford pulled on Stanford's sleeve, "Do you think he's down in the basement?"

"Basement?" questioned Phillip, "there's a basement?"

"Yes, it's where Fidds and I have been working on a project. But why would the man go down there?"

Phillip grunted, "That doesn't matter at the moment, Lee I want you to stay up here."

"How does it feel to want things." Stanley commented.

Stanford watched as Phillip pinched his nose and breathed deeply before continuing, "I am serious about this Stanley, who knows what that man has going on in his devious little brain of his. You are the safest far far away from the man."

"Fair point," said Stanley, "Counter point, I am the safest when I am with you, plus we got these nerds to help so we are not alone Phil!"

"I don't like this." Phillip said.

"Neither do I, but we got to."

….

Following Stanford down the rabbit hole of a stair way all the way down to the basement was terrifying for Stanley.

One: he wasn't allowed down here, which didn't stop him from trying of course.

Two: Rico.

He knew that Phillip was trying to protect him, but he needed to face his demons one way or another.

The group got onto the elevator together and started on their way down to the lower levels. Suddenly the walls started to shake.

"What's happening!" said Stanley.

Gravity seemed to turn off for a couple of seconds as they floated up to the tiny ceiling. A couple of seconds later they all fell onto each other.

Phillip murmured under Fiddleford's body, "Is everyone ok?"

Stanley watched as his brother's face lit up, "An anomaly. THE PORTAL! Quick!"

Finally making it down to the bottom floor Stanford rushed out of the elevator to the control panels. Stanley was to busy looking at a giant circle of what looked like water. Whatever was happening it must be bad if Stanford was freaking this badly about it.

"This is what you two have been working on! It's amazing!" yelled Stanley.

"Amazing yes," answered Stanford, "but the portal wasn't stable when we left last time. It wasn't ready to open and someone opened it, but whom?"

"Could it have been that guy," Phillip said pointing down into the pit where the portal was.

There was Rico.

Rico was in front of the opened portal with his hand on the lever. A high pitched laugh came from the man, not a laugh that Stanley remembered him ever having.

"Bill" Stanford said

"Who?" questioned Stanley.

"Bill, my muse who has been helping me in the process of building the portal in the first place." said Stanford. "He is a friend but, now I am starting to think otherwise if he went all this way to trick me and open the portal himself. According to these calculations we have to shut down the portal, it's too dangerous to be open for too long!"

Stanley knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath and started out towards the man.

Someone grabbed his shoulder, "Hey where you going?" said Stanford.

"I heard you, we have to stop this portal right. So I'm going to stop it."

"I'm coming with"

Stanley and Stanford both rushed to Rico but when the man turned around they halted in their spots. Rico's eyes were yellow.

"Bill," yelled Stanford over the sound of the open portal, "what are you doing? Why did you lie to me! Why did you open the portal! It's too dangerous."

Bill laughed, "Stanford, you obviously had other ThINgS on your mind so I decided to trick this here meat suit to becoming my puppet for the day of reckoning!

I told him how I was the one who helped him out of prison and he decided to make a deal you see. My knowledge of ultimate power to strike down his enemies and all I wanted was a puppet!" Bills laughing got even louder. "Can you imagine being as stupid as this guy! Thinking he could trick ME!"

"This cannot be good," said Stanley to his brother.

"No its worse." replied Stanford.

"Ahh come on SIXER! All I want to do is bring my FriENdS over to have a PaRtY!"

Stanley had enough, this demon thing was using his nickname, "Not in your dreams!" he yelled as he sucker punched the demon/man in the face with a left hook.

Ric….Bill landed one right in Stanley's stomach as he gasped for breath.

Stanley watched as Stanford joined the fight and started to make their way pushing past the safety line.

"Stanford!" yelled Stanley as his brother and Bill were lifted into the air from the portal. Not wanting to know what would happen to his brother if he made to the open portal he decided he wouldn't want to be alone if he couldn't save him.

Pushing off at the safely line, Stanley wasn't expecting the weightlessness to feel so…weird.

"Stanford!" he yelled as he grabbed his brother's boot. Rico was hanging onto his brother's wrist and was halfway through the watery horizon.

"Let go!" yelled Stanford.

"No!" yelled Stanley back. He climbed up his brother's coat as they slammed into the metal side of the opening. Stanley was barely hanging on and he needed the extra weight to let go.

"Let go you piece of trash!" Yelled Stanley, spitting a little as he screamed in the man's face, taking his own boot he smashed it into Rico's face until the man let go and was sucked into the portal.

Losing his grip Stanley started to slip from his brother's arms as he too was sucked into the blue.

"Stanley!" yelled Stanford, "Don't let go!"

Suddenly out of nowhere, Fiddleford floated up to them with a bunch of rope tied to his middle.

Fiddleford yelled, "Take my hands!"

Both boys knowing they could trust the other grabbed on and held as tight as they could to each other and the other man and the portal tried to suck them all in together.

Luckily, Stanley looked down and saw that they were tied off at the end and Phillip was down holding onto them.

Then the portal shut down.

….

That night they started to take the interdimensional portal apart. It almost caused an evil demon to enter their dimension. Stanford was not happy with his life's work going down the drain but it was better to have his brother with him all the same on this side of whatever was on the other side.

Phillip called his bosses and told him that Rico was taken care of, but Stanley was sure he told them that he killed him or some junk.

Before Phillip left, he swore not to tell anyone of what he experience in Gravity Falls and was to lie to his employer about the events that took place. "They wouldn't believe me anyway." Phillip said before he got into his rental and drove away.

Fiddleford decided he was gone from home for too long and needed to take care of his family. Leaving on good terms, with of course the promise of coming back in a couple of weeks to continue seeing what else this place had hiding in the shadows for them.

Stanley and Stanford promised they would be there when he got back.

Stanley sat down on his love seat and turned on the TV to watch some more cash wheel with a plate of pancakes….ok burnt pancakes. Stanford really wasn't a good cook.

Stanford walked into the room carrying all the mail that they seemed to have missed in the couple of days they were out and sat down at the table.

"Hey look at this, Shermy is getting married." Said Stanford.

"Huh," chewing the last of his pancakes. "we gonna go?"

"Yeah," said Stanford "after the last couple of days we deserve a break from the weirdness of this town. I'll make our reservation."

Stanley grunted and set his plate aside, his demon was gone for good. Last night his dreams weren't as bad as they used to be. Maybe everything was going to be alright.