Chapter Text
It had been nearly a year since Tracey and Quinn set off on their own through the forest of Gravity Falls. Needless to say, it was tough work. After Dipper Classic, a.k.a. the real Dipper, had threatened their lives with a can of diet Pitt Cola, the clones had decided to take their chances with the wilderness… despite the obvious challenges.
And paramount among those challenges was their shared critical weakness, like all the other Dipper copies they had a deadly reaction to liquids of any kind. That’s right, the building block for humanity, the Earth’s most critical resource in the construction of life, the reason for life itself was now the very thing that could dissolve them into a puddle of nothingness.
It made navigating the falls a constant nightmare, there were death traps everywhere. An accidental dip in the stream would take off a foot, a light shower of rain could mean certain doom. Tracey and Quinn had needed to adapt to a lot in order to survive in a world that was so dangerous to them, and that wasn’t even counting the monsters and other mythical beasts that they regularly encountered.
But against all odds, they were still alive. With just the support of one another and a lot of quick thinking they had come out of every harrowing situation relatively unscathed. That didn't mean they could rest, not even close. When you were made of ink and paper there was danger around every tree stump and hiding under every bush.
The two had been walking for a couple hours now in search of a new part of the woods they could call home. After a catastrophic event involving a mutated porcupine they'd needed to pack up everything they had and start again in search for a new base of operations. Hopefully more permanent this time.
“Tracey, do you see those clouds up there?” Quinn asked suddenly.
Tracey took a look for himself. The day has started off nice and sunny but as Quinn just pointed out there appeared to be some darker clouds forming. “You’re right, we should set up a shelter or look for a good place to wait it out.”
Quinn followed up behind him. “So you really think it’ll rain?” He closed the book he had been casually reading as they walked along the forest trails.
“Well, not like we can take our chances.” Tracey said. He turned their map upside down and around as he looked for the best route forward. Their unique composition of soluble materials had caused the two to become extra careful, and being overly cautious had saved their skins on many occasions. “If we follow this trail for a mile or so we should reach a more mountainous area, we could find some good shelter there.”
The clones threw their rain hoods on and continued walking. The clouds continued to grow heavy.
When the first drops started to come down, Quinn made a beeline under some trees. “Crap!” He shook his head and a flurry of raindrops bounced off the slick material of his hood.
Without their raincoats the two would already be goners.
Tracey looked up worryingly at the sky. “I don’t think this is just a light shower.” They huddled under the dense redwood, making sure to cover up any areas that could be exposed to the spray of water droplets that continued to fall.
As the sound of the rain became louder, it became clear that this would not roll over quickly like they had hoped.
Quinn looked to his doppelganger. “What should we do? Our tent got totally shredded so it's not like we can set up right here...” He leaned against the tree. “I wish we at least still had those sleeping bags…”
Being unprepared for these two might mean not making it through to the morning. But Tracey and Quinn were smart, they had been through tough times, and they would persevere here too. Their lives were on the line after all.
“We’ll need to make a break for it, these trees aren’t dense enough to stop all the rain and at this rate it’s only going to get heavier.” Tracey grabbed a stick and drove it through the dirt that was quickly turning to mud. He began to draw a crude map. “If we follow the mountains over this way we may be able to find a big enough opening and turn in for the night.”
“Okay.” Quinn was nervous, but told himself it was for the best. Waiting here under the trees made them sitting ducks, and these ducks weren’t exactly the floating type. As much as running out into the onslaught of rain scared him, it was their best option.
The two braced themselves and started making their way to the more rocky terrain of the forest. They attempted to use the trees as cover but for some stretches of the hike they were completely unshielded aside from their tattered yellow raincoats.
The pellets of water came down harder until the sound of the droplets against the canopy of the pine trees and redwoods was near deafening. The clouds bloomed dark and full.
Every beat of water against their hoods sent their hearts racing. Just one mistake, just one mistake is all it took.
It didn't help that everything became more dangerous when it was raining.
The dirt turned to mud, slippery and treacherous. The animal burrows and other divots in the forest floor became puddles of what felt like acid.
And the rivers became rapids.
The two stopped when they met a stream. It had only been raining for a few minutes, but the river rushed by them violently.
Thankfully a fallen tree had made the perfect path from one side to the other, but that didn't mean it was safe. They would have to cross, but it would take precision.
“I’ll go first.” Tracey said as he secured his belongings to his back. He triple knotted his banjo strap and yanked his socks up high in preparation.
Here goes nothing.
Quinn watched on with baited breath as his copy ever so slowly inched across nature's makeshift bridge. He was making good progress, placing one foot carefully after the other.
But the rain had made it unstable, so when that log rolled… Tracey rolled with it. The boy suddenly lost his balance and teetered off the side, straight towards the rushing water below.
“Tracey!” Quinn shouted before leaping forward and grabbing onto Tracey's raincoat. The slick material sizzled against his fingers.
He couldn’t lose his clone brother, they were all each other had!
Quinn pulled harder, he thought he might lose this deadly game of tug of war, but finally his efforts began to roll the log back towards him. With the momentum of the log tipping back over he was finally able to bring Tracey back on top of the fallen tree instead of dangling underneath it.
“Thanks.” Tracey said. His eyes were wide like he had just seen his very life flash before his eyes.
“No problem.” Quinn said. It was very much a problem, but he was just glad they were both safe.
They sat there for a moment catching their breath, but they couldn't stop now. While they hadn't fallen into the rapids they were still in need of shelter from the downpour overhead.
It turned out that crawling across the log was a better solution than attempting to balance. Once the two scooched themselves across it wasn't a long walk before they reached the cliffside and began to look for any inlets that would spare them from the sudden rainstorm.
They had stayed in caves before, it was actually a blessed respite from having to tough it outdoors. Some months were worse than others, and during the rainy season last autumn they had spent a good couple months working out of a cave base. They might have stayed there indefinitely if the pack of bears hadn’t attacked them upon waking from their hibernation.
They followed the rocky wall until they found a large opening.
“Woah!” the two said in unison. This cave dwarfed any of the ones they had previously seen in their travels. From one side to the other it measured probably 10 feet, and the cave entrance was at least as tall as it was wide.
Tracey walked in first, marveling at what they had discovered. “This place is huge!” His voice bounced off the cavernous walls creating an echo. The entrance was large, but the actual cave structure seemed enormous. As he walked it just seemed to keep going and going.
Quinn walked in after him, running a hand along the smooth wall. “It’s perfect.” The rain outside seemed much less scary than only a minute ago. He pulled out his flashlight and began to scan it up and down the walls.
He pointed the light at the ceiling, and thankfully there were no bats sleeping there to be startled awake. They'd had a few unfortunate run-ins with the nocturnal creatures before while trying to find shelter. He didn't see any big nests either which was good, the last thing they needed was another wolf attack or to become bear chow.
Everything seemed normal until he uncovered what looked to be some kind of writing scrawled along the cave wall. Even with the light of the flashlight he couldn't make out what it said.
“Hey Tracey, come look at this!” Quinn called to his clone brother who was exploring the other side of the cavern. “There's writing on the wall.”
“Huh.” Tracey came over and squinted at the tiny words but he couldn't make it out either. “That's weird, it’s super smudged.”
“You don't think someone else could be living here do you?” Quinn asked with some trepidation.
Tracey waved off the idea. “Nah, I mean what are the odds? This place is in the middle of the forest- It's probably just some random graffiti that a teenager left.”
Quinn hummed, still trying to make out what the writing could say, but it proved to be too faded to be legible. “Are you sure? I mean, we're here after all.”
Tracey laughed. “I'd say we're a special case-”
The two were startled out of their debate when an unfamiliar voice called to them.
“Hello!”
They shrieked, and Quinn quickly pointed his flashlight towards where the sound came from.
Just a few feet further ahead there stood a figure. They were tall, and wore a large gray hood that covered their features.
Tracey placed himself between Quinn and the stranger. “Who are you!?”
The figure held up their hands in front of their face to block out the light of the flashlight. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you-”
Tracey pulled his banjo off his back and waved it around in front of him threateningly. “Well newsflash, dude! Creepy hooded guys in caves are always scary! Ten out of ten times!”
The figure took a step back. “Apologies, I just heard noises and wondered what it could be, then I saw you two.” They finally lowered their hood.
It was a man, in his mid to late 20s from the looks of it. He had dark brown hair and glasses.
“I truly didn't mean any harm.” He placed his hands in his pockets.
Tracey lowered his banjo, but only slightly. What kind of person was randomly staying inside a cave… who wasn’t them?
Quinn stepped around him and introduced them both. “Well random stranger, I’m Quinn and this is Tracey.”
The man smiled. He looked friendly enough for a cave-dweller. “Nice to meet you Quinn and Tracey.” He extended a hand towards them. “You may call me Ford.”
Tracey gave this “Ford” another once over before taking his hand and shaking it. As he did so he came to a shocking realization. To his disbelief, Ford had an extra digit on both hands. “Whoa! You've got an extra finger!”
Ford quickly took his hand away. “Er, sorry-”
“That's awesome!” Tracey wished that he could have gotten a better look. It's not every day you meet a six fingered gentleman.
Quinn quickly came up beside Ford. “No way!” He held out his hand looking for his own six fingered handshake and Ford unexpectedly obliged him.
“Coool.” Quinn held on for a few seconds too many before Ford was able to release himself from the small boy’s grip.
“Well, thank you.” Ford chuckled at the pair’s enthusiasm. “Now, might I ask what brought you here?”
Quinn jumped in to answer him. “Well you see, we were out hiking when the storm started and we would’ve set up camp but we lost our tent a couple days ago in an animal attack soo…”
“Basically we’re pretty low on resources right now.” Tracey filled in. “And you didn’t answer my question, what are you doing here?”
“I live here.” Ford stated matter of factly. “Well not here, here. I live a bit deeper into the cave system.” He paused, looking between the two. “If you'd like, I can offer you a place to stay while it’s raining.”
The twins perked up. They still didn't know if they could fully trust this stranger but with the storm raging on outside it’s not like they could head back out anyway. They looked at each other before nodding. “Lead the way, Ford!”
Ford took them further into the cave, using his own lantern to illuminate the rocky path. Quinn and Tracey used their flashlights to investigate the tunnel as they walked, but nothing seemed particularly remarkable.
Just as they began to doubt the authenticity of this invitation, Ford put out his hand signaling for them to stop. They looked around, searching for any evidence of Ford’s supposed home, but this area of the cavern didn’t look any different than the rest of it. To both of the clone’s surprise, Ford began feeling along the cave wall before he hit a camouflaged switch. What followed it was a low groaning noise as the cave wall began to rumble and shake, giving way to a dark passage.
The boys peered into the abyss and watched in awe as the gap opened into a carved stairwell.
“Whaaat is happening?” Tracey asked with no shortage of astonishment.
“Secret cave base!” Quinn balanced on the tips of his feet to get a better look down the staircase. He couldn’t see the bottom.
Ford chuckled with amusement. “Please watch your step.”
The further they descended, the further the twins' curiosity peaked.
“So Ford, what made you want to live down here anyway?” Tracey asked as they descended deeper and deeper. Just how far down did this tunnel stretch?
“Well, I needed a place to focus on my studies.” Ford replied casually.
“Studies? So you’re a professor?” Quinn immediately grew more interested. A fellow academic!
“I attended university, but I wouldn’t call myself a professor per se, I do my own research.” Ford walked with assurance, as if he had been down this way hundreds of times. Maybe he had. “Ah, here we are now.”
At the bottom of the stairs, embedded within the cave wall itself, was a door with a rusted metal hatch. It looked old, and the inscription above the entryway was faded but surprisingly still legible: In Salvo.
Ford twisted the latch and pushed it open with a loud creaking sound. After the copies stepped inside they saw the dwelling for what it truly was. Using the cave’s natural chambers Ford had built substantial living quarters, complete with tables, chairs, photos, cupboards, bookshelves and plants. Lots and lots of plants. They walked out into what they assumed was his living room.
It should’ve felt ominous there, deep under the earth, but the home was well-lit with lanterns that hung from the low ceilings, casting the cool cave walls with a rich orange glow. The cold stone of the floors were covered by soft carpets, making it easy to forget exactly where they were in the first place. In fact, one might call it cozy.
It wasn’t just the one room either, from here they could see a kitchen, separated by a small seating area. It wasn’t particularly luxurious, but being built into a cave system made it all the more impressive. As Quinn and Tracey oohed and awed from the entryway, Ford took off his hooded jacket and urged the boys to follow suit.
They hung their raincoats on a nearby chair, since Ford didn't have a coat rack.
“Let me guess.” Ford said to them as they removed their water-logged sneakers. “You two are twins.”
They looked at each other once more. Well, technically yes, they were twins. Just not each other’s twin, but they didn’t need to say that.
“Yep, twins.” Tracey said.
“Definitely twins.” Quinn added.
It would help explain their uncanny resemblance, up to a point at least.
Ford smiled. “That’s amazing.” His smile seemed more bittersweet as he continued. “You know, I’m a twin myself.” He removed his sweater and left it in a bundle with the rest of his outerwear.
“Really?” They asked. Even though Quinn and Tracy weren't actually twin brothers, they did have an actual twin in their sister Mabel. But as much as they missed their sister, she didn't even know they existed. Finding out that Ford was a twin too felt like meeting a kindred spirit.
“Yes, although I haven't seen him in years...” Ford turned to them suddenly. “But where are my manners, who wants a tour?”
The two of them happily agreed. It's not every day that you get to tour a secret underground cave base.
They first followed Ford to the kitchen where they saw it was well stocked, but the provisions he had were questionable. Inside the many cabinets and pantries the boys found a hoard of canned foods, preserves, and other long shelf life staples.
“So are you like some kind of apocalypse prepper?” Quinn asked as he inspected a can of expired chickpeas. It seems their host hadn't been to the store for a while.
“No, but I certainly have the resources in the event of one.” Ford laughed. “Although I doubt an apocalypse is coming to Gravity Falls any time soon! Haha!”
That would sure be something...
He offered both the boys a packet of jerky before they moved on with the tour. It had been a while since they’d eaten anything they didn’t have to scavenge for, and they were supremely grateful for it.
He took them out of the kitchen and into what looked like a personal study. The walls were lined with a great number of bookshelves, all carved into the rock. Had he really built all of this himself just for a place to study?
Ford perked up, obviously interested to show them around his sanctuary. “This here boys is my personal study!” He picked up the pens and pencils that were strewn across his desk and dropped them into a tin cup. “Sorry for the mess, it’s been a while since I've had company.”
It was an impressive collection. From nearly wall to wall there were books lined up and spread across different surfaces and tables. The boys could see that Ford must have been in the middle of a book when he had laid it out on the desk for later.
Quinn grew closer to the open book. His eyes skipped over the different diagrams and paragraphs of description.
The writing seemed… familiar, very familiar. That loopy script and neat copy… the scritchy pen marks and cross hatching around the illustrations…the little doodles in the margins that seemed to float around the page… It couldn’t be, could it?
Quinn pointed to the open passage about vegetarian werebats. “Did you write this?”
Ford grinned, coming closer to see exactly what the younger boy was referring to. “Ah yes! That’s one of my journals! As a matter of fact-” Ford pulled a few different books off the shelf and offered another one to Quinn. “A good portion of these are my own work.”
Quinn opened the proffered book and felt his pulse quickening. Like the journal he had been studying before, this one was brimming with scientific questioning and entries about various local anomalies.
He hadn’t seen anything like this since he and Tracey had accidentally left The Journal behind after witnessing Dipper betray the other clones.
There was no mistaking it, this was not just familiar, he was intimately in tune to this handwriting, with this style of categorization and prose. This had to be him, The Author.
“You…” Quinn didn’t know what to say. He had fantasized about meeting his hero so many times, but never quite like this.
Ford yanked at his collar, tilting askew the bowtie fastened around his neck. “Heh. I know it may seem overzealous to you two, but in my time here I’ve found that Gravity Falls has a great many phenomena worth researching.” He pulled another book off the shelf. “Lots and lots of phenomena.”
Quinn grabbed the open book from the table and shoved it in Tracey’s face, who only gave a small squawk in protest.
“What?” Tracey asked around a mouthful of jerky. He was making sure to eat his fill while he could, because living off mushrooms and berries wasn’t nearly as easy as survivalists made it out to be.
Quinn whispered into his clone brother’s ear. “Look!”
Tracey studied the journal. After a moment he took the book for himself, flipping through page after page. From his facial expression alone it was easy to see that he had quickly come to the same conclusion Quinn had. “No way.” Bits of jerky fell to the floor as his jaw hung open.
“Yes way!” Quinn turned to Ford excitedly. “You’re him! I mean, you’re you- but it’s you!” He felt himself hyperventilating. “You’re The Author!” His voice peaked an octave higher than normal.
Ford furrowed his brows in confusion. “Author?” He brought one hand to his dimpled chin and rubbed it in thought. “I don’t recall ever having published my work, I mean I’ve considered it before but I-”
“We’ve read your journal!” Tracey cut in impatiently. “The one with the red cover, the golden six-fingered hand, it all makes sense now!” He put his hands on his cheeks. “I have so many questions!”
Ford laughed awkwardly, shuffling backward. “I’m sorry to disappoint you boys, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turned and began restocking the library shelf behind him. “I don’t have any journals outside of the ones you’re looking at right here.”
Quinn yanked on the tail end of Ford’s coat, successfully grabbing his attention. He knew it was rude, but he couldn’t care. They were finally face-to-face with their idol and he was not letting this opportunity slip away. “We’ve seen it! Look, okay, last summer our great uncle sent us out into the woods to put up some dumb signs. One thing led to another and eventually we stumbled across this whole secret switch box in a metal tree, and then when it short circuited we found a journal that looks exactly like yours! Same handwriting, same everything!” His voice sounded desperate now. “It has to be you!”
Ford pulled the end of his coat from Quinn’s grasp. “I’m sorry…” He sounded genuinely apologetic. “As intriguing as that sounds, I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“But…” Came the soft objection, yet Ford continued in a placating tone of voice.
“Perhaps this is a sorry consolation, but you’re free to look around the library to your heart’s content as long as you’re here.” He pat Quinn on the head. “And I do hope you find the answers you’re looking for.”
Tracey frowned. For a moment it truly felt as if they were about to blow the whole top off the mystery of The Journal. He watched as Quinn placed Ford’s journal back on his desk where it belonged.
Their host seemed to be the perfect fit, it didn’t make any sense! How could it be that after all this time they were still no closer to the answer? It was especially disheartening since they were no longer in possession of The Journal to utilize it for uncovering its many mysteries.
And what a mystery it was, Tracey had often thought of those last few pages. The scrawled warnings and coded messages, the tipping point at which their dear Author had obviously found himself in some deep trouble. Trouble he may not have escaped from if the blood smattered across the pages was any indication. Was it foolish to still be hoping for a happy end to this story?
Tracey shrugged his backpack off and tucked away his snack for later, the only thing he was hungry for right now was the truth. “Let’s just hope the real Author is still out there by the time we find him.”
Ford startled at the admission. “What do you mean?”
Quinn seemed to be riding his same train of thought, as usual. “Well the last couple entries weren’t exactly comforting... He was being hunted, by someone or something we’re not sure. He had to abandon the book for his own safety.”
“I see.” Ford tried for a comforting smile. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be alright, no use in worrying about grizzly theories.”
“I hope so.” Quinn helped Ford slot back in all the extraneous books until the study was looking even cleaner than when they had found it. It hurt him to drop the subject of the elusive Author, but there was no use pressing when there was nothing more to be said. “Well, Ford, where to next?”
At this point the only areas they hadn’t yet explored were the two rooms fully separated from the main living area. It was impossible to tell how big they were, but each had similar metal doors to the front entrance. Ford explained that one led to the bathroom, and one led to his bedroom.
“I hope you’ll forgive me for the inconvenience, but due to the issues in constructing a stable plumbing system the amenities are rather… rudimentary.” Ford let the two get acquainted with the restroom for when they needed it.
Quinn and Tracey had never seen a bathroom like it. The sink looked normal enough, but where there should've been a faucet they instead found a bottle of disinfectant. That was normal enough with the limited access to water, but the toilet was also different from the standard unit. It stood about a foot taller than most, and had a boxier look overall.
“That’s an… interesting toilet.” Tracey said as he inspected the aforementioned hardware.
Ford took it as a compliment. “Thank you! Not everyone appreciates the marvel of the chemical toilet!” He put his hands on his hips. “Good sanitation systems are a cornerstone of maintaining a proper sense of hygiene.”
Tracey laughed. “That is definitely what I meant.”
Quinn ignored his clone brother’s teasing and inspected himself in the mirror, taking in his appearance for the first time in days, and in something that wasn’t the creek’s warbling surface. His face still had smears of mud and his hair was tangled from when he’d had his rain hood pulled up earlier. He wiped at his face and ran his fingers through his hair.
It was strange seeing himself nowadays. Neither he nor Tracey had regular access to a mirror, but they had each other which counted for something. It was a bit unnerving having to face the fact that neither of them had aged since becoming copies… but that was a rabbit hole for another time.
“Well I believe that’s mostly everything…” Ford didn’t invite them to tour his personal sleeping quarters, but that was to be expected. The man needed some privacy after all. “How about we settle in for the night? I’m sure you two are tired after all that hiking.”
It was true, between the morning hike and their mad dash from the storm Quinn and Tracey could really use some rest.
“Sounds great.” Tracey was itching to find a place where he could set down his backpack and banjo. Over the many months of their trekking through the forest he had grown quite used to lugging them around, but he’d take the opportunity to free himself from the burden when he could. “Where should I put these?”
“Oh anywhere is fine, I can set up the couch with some extra blankets.”
“Better than sleeping in the dirt.” Quinn happily followed Ford to what would be their bed for the night. Ford’s couch wasn’t too spacious, but the two of them were used to squeezing in tight spaces. Nothing could ever top that night they spent up in a tree… or that time they were forced into a rabbit’s burrow… or that time in the Gravity Falls dump.
He stopped that train of thought with a shudder. Yes, this was definitely a step-up from their usual accommodations.
Tracey put his belongings in a pile on the floor. He briefly wondered how Ford had managed to furnish a cave of all places. After squaring his things away he came to Ford’s side with an offer to help. “Is there something I can do?”
“Please, allow me.” Ford dug through a nearby chest for some patterned quilts before spreading them out on the cushions. It wasn’t anything fancy, but after the hardships the copies had been facing this felt like the highest tier of room service. “I hope this will be alright, if I’d known I’d be having guests I would’ve prepared something better-”
“It’s okay, I promise.” Quinn jumped up on the couch and fully appreciated the comfort of the soft cushions underneath him. “Way better than okay actually.”
Tracey joined him, jumping on the couch with a bit too much force and accidentally knocking into his clone. “Heh, this is comfy!”
Quinn shot him a mischievous look before swatting him with a decorative pillow. It had been a long time since the two could actually take it easy. No threats of wild animals, no worrying about the next rain storm pouring down unexpectedly, no tracking down their next meal. It was glorious.
Ford looked at the two and beamed. “Well I’m happy to be of assistance!” He dropped a few extra blankets on the back of the couch. “I’ll give you two your privacy, if you need anything I’ll be in my room.”
Quinn and Tracey thanked him. Ford had gone above and beyond with his generosity for two complete strangers. They still couldn’t believe that there could be someone thriving in such a strange place underground. Only in Gravity Falls.
“Thank you, Ford.” The ‘twins’ said in perfect unison. They might have worried about their cover being blown if the same thing hadn’t happened with Mabel a million other times.
“Well, I’ll catch you on the flip side, as the kids say.” Ford accompanied this with a cheesy smile and some finger guns.
Tracey snorted at the display. “Nobody’s said that for a trillion years at least.”
Ford’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment at the goading remark, but he quickly composed himself. “Right, right.” He turned to dim the lights before calling back to them. “Have a good night, boys!”
“G’night!” They called back.
Once Ford retreated to his room the clones began to process all that had transpired since they happened upon the cave.
Just what kind of coincidence was it that Ford would find them, or more accurately, that they would find Ford here? How long had he been here, and exactly how had he built a home here? Surely he must’ve had some help, but in that case where were his companions?
The two had so many questions, hopefully tomorrow they would get some actual answers.
After they were nice and snuggled up Quinn pulled out his journal and began to document the events of the day. “Finally some actual light.” Over the course of their year-long camping trip he had developed the unfortunate habit of writing and reading late into the night, even when they were meant to be conserving the batteries of their flashlights. He’d become far too comfortable squinting by the moonlight just to get his journaling done, to the dismay of his clone brother.
Tracey rolled his eyes. “I keep telling you you’re going to ruin your eyesight.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now would you describe Ford as ‘awkwardly adorable’ or ‘adorably awkward’?” Quinn chewed on the end of his pen as he deliberated the matter.
“What about ‘totally suspicious’?” Tracey smirked. “I mean come on Quinn, what kind of guy just decides to live underground? And are we totally ignoring the fact that he writes just like The Author? About the same stuff? What kind of coincidence is that?”
“It is pretty weird… but maybe he has to keep his identity a secret?” Quinn gasped. “What if that thing is still after him and that’s why he’s living down here!”
Tracey nodded along. “Yeah, yeah. And the reason he can’t tell us is because he’s worried it’ll track him down!”
Quinn began to write faster, taking note of their theories. “That’s good! Hey, maybe if we prove we’re totally awesome and trustworthy he’ll tell us what really happened!”
“Just gotta make sure he doesn’t figure us out first.” Tracey fluffed his pillow and leaned back. “I don’t wanna know what kind of dissection is possible on a pair of printer people.”
Quinn shivered. “Yeah, definitely not.” He closed his journal and tucked himself into the pile of blankets. “Side note, nice alliteration there.”
They laughed. As crazy as their situation was, things were actually going well for what felt like the first time in forever. Usually their night time routine included a lot more bear repellent and a lot less relaxation.
Quinn laid his head down and sighed, letting the usual stress flow out of him. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad staying with Ford, even if he was keeping a few secrets of his own…
At the end of the day they still had each other, and they would get through anything life threw their way. They always had and they always would.
“Well, goodnight bro.” Tracey said with a layer of sarcasm.
As strange as it was making a new twin out of themselves, Quinn couldn’t help but smile.
He tucked himself further into the cushions. “Goodnight, Tracey.”