Stanley Pines stood on the front porch, casually smoking on his Cuban cigar whilst observing the multi-colored sky. He had kicked the habit before the summer began so that his niblings, Dipper and Mabel, wouldn't develop health problems from second hand smoke. But as he gazed at the hellish wasteland which was once the sleepy forest town of Gravity Falls, the conman couldn't help but give into his unhealthy vice one last time.
He was that certain he was the only one awake at this hour, as the other survivors in the shack were sound asleep for tomorrow's big mission: to rescue Stanford Pines, defeat Bill Cipher, and save Gravity Falls. Stan was not certain if he would survive the do-or-die mission tomorrow. He was mostly irritated over having to rescue his twin brother.
The conman brought the ever-diminishing cigar up to his lips and inhaled. Why should I rescue that good-for-nothin' know-it-all again? Stan thought bitterly. I saved Ford from some God forsaken dimension, and how does he thank me? With a fucking punch in the face! He balled his free hand into a fist out of spite. Now he causes the end of the world and everyone else wants to rescue their so-called 'hero'. Well that bastard had it comin' for gettin' involved with his stupid mysteries and not givin' me the gratitude I deserve.
Stan exhaled, blowing a stream of smoke into the air. He watched the grey trail ascend towards the hellish orange-and-pink sky above.
The last few days were utterly miserable for the irate businessman. Ford's dangerous meddling with the supernatural had caused the apocalypse. Despite having the shack weird-proofed from the cosmic horrors rampaging through town, his niece and nephew were nowhere to be found. During the first day of Weirdmageddon, Stan retreated to the Mystery Shack to escape the giant Gompers and anthropomorphic totem pole. Once he realized that his home had been weird-proofed due to the unicorn hair protective barrier, Stan immediately ventured into the forest to find the kids. But it wasn't long before he was spotted by a malicious eyebat and he retreated to the shack out of cowardice.
By the end of the first day, Old Man McGucket led a group of survivors to the shack, Stanley had reluctantly let them into his abode. When he noticed Mabel's two little friends and that Northwest girl (whose snarky attitude reminded him of Dipper) his heart sank. He wished that his kids had arrived at the shack with them. Even though McGucket and a few of the stragglers thanked Stanley for providing shelter, he shrugged it off. He was too busy worrying over the niblings and trying not to think about the worst-case scenarios. As the surviving townsfolk settled in, Stan made a few more attempts to scavenge the town for the kids, but he was unable to go beyond one mile from his abode without encountering some supernatural beast.
When the news of the mayor's disappearance reached Stan's ears, he elected himself de facto chief among the struggling survivors. As leader, he tried to reassure the others that they should relax. There was plenty of canned meat in stock and supplies for everyone in the shack (though Stan planned to feast on the gnomes when the inevitable food shortage arrived). He even enlisted Multibear and some of the gnomes as his personal servants as payment for giving them sanctuary. Although Stan held the facade of a confident leader, he emotionally isolated himself from the others. Whenever he had a moment alone, it was spent wallowing in grief. He never forgave himself for not looking after those two like he was supposed to. They were the only family he had left, and yet he couldn't protect them when everything fell to shit.
On the fourth day, Stan was shocked and relieved to find Dipper and Mabel, as well as Soos and Wendy, safely returning to the shack. But the happy reunion was short lived as the twins informed him of what happened, even stating how Ford got captured. At that moment, Stan wanted nothing to do with his brother. Ford's involvement with the supernatural caused this mess anyways so why should he be the one to fix it?
But the niblings, especially Dipper, refused to bow down. The boy was especially determined to bring Ford back and even called Stan out for acting so cowardly. The kiddos gave the other stragglers an empowering speech on how they could fight back against Bill Cipher and rescue their loved ones from his clutches. Their motivating words even prompted McGucket to devise a hair-brained scheme to transform the Mystery Shack into a giant fighting robot in the hopes of defeating Bill and rescuing Ford. Stan dismissed their plan as nothing more than hogwash, even staying as far away from the group as possible.
Why would they want to put the effort in rescuing some ingrate anyways? He huffed. Stan was lost in his musings as he just noticed his cigar had now devolved into a stump. Frowning with disgust at the pitiful brown stub, he put out the dying ember. He grabbed his vintage propane lantern and made his way back inside. He figured he could have one last glass of whiskey before snoozing off. It'll probably be my final drink, so might as well make it last...
Once he entered the shack, Stan ventured into the kitchen, hoping to find his bottle Jack Daniels (or whatever booze was left) in the top cabinets. But as he walked closer to the kitchen, he heard small footsteps and the tired screech of the wooden chair. Stan picked up his pace and rushed through the entrance. Before he could turn on the light, he noticed a familiar figure sitting at the dinner table. After squinting through the dark, Stan realized that the person seated alone was Dipper.
What's he doin' up so late? Stan mused. He should be hittin' the hay.
But as he looked at his disheveled nephew sitting silently by the table, the old man concluded it was a painful reminder of himself during those sleepless nights in the underground lab. The preteen looked anxious and forlorn, as if something was eating on his mind.
It pained Stan to see his nephew this upset. He put his self-pitying and his grudge against Ford on the back burner. His nephew's well-being was now his top priority.
"Dipper?" Stan asked as he brought the lantern into the kitchen.
The boy was slightly startled by his uncle's appearance, almost as if he was spotted by a malevolent monster. Once he noticed it was only Stan, he was filled relief. The old man could have sworn he heard Dipper whisper, "Oh, hey Grunkle Stan."
Stan pursed his lips with concern. He knew that the kid can be anxious at times and would occasionally act jumpy when people approached him. However, Stan realized that something horrific must have happened to his nephew during the few days traversing through what he considered to be hell on earth.
"Why are you up so late kiddo?" Stanley asked. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I couldn't sleep." Dipper responded, his hand propping up his head for support. Even in darkness Stanley could see the dark circles under his nephew's eyes. Despite frantically working on the Shack-Tron with McGucket and the others, the boy refused to sleep.
The squirt most likely hadn't slept a wink since the end times began. The elder Pines mused. Then again, so have I.
"You and me both kid." Stan sighed, walking up to the table. Upon placing his lantern on the table, he grabbed the other chair and sat next to the preteen.
"What's wrong Dipper?"
The boy heaved a woeful sigh. "I'm afraid something terrible will happen if I can't stay awake."
Grunkle Stan became concerned. "Whaddaya mean?" Of course Stan couldn't fool himself with that question. And he was terrified to hear why.
Dipper remained silent as he brought a hand to his chin. The boy was contemplating over something, but Stan couldn't figure out what was going on his his nephew's head. After moments of pondering Dipper exhaled. "Grunkle Stan, do you remember when you told me, Mabel and Soos how you spent thirty years doing everything you could to rebuild the portal and save your brother?"
Stan raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"Well...when I was looking for Mabel, I forced myself to do everything I could just to survive Bill's psychotic rampage."
Stanley's eyes widened. "How long were you-"
"Three days." Dipper blurted. "Three unbearably long days."
Stan felt his jaw drop. He was out there on his own for that long? For an average-looking kid, Dipper proved to be made of tough stuff. But even someone as young as him shouldn't have to fend for himself all alone while the world around him was succumbing into madness.
Stan felt his heart go out to the boy. Out of protective instinct, he gently wrapped his arm around his nephew, giving the boy whatever comfort he could provide. It was the least he could do after failing to protect him from the end of the world.
Dipper took a deep breath to control himself before he could continue.
"During my mission with Ford, Ford wanted me to be his apprentice and stay after summer ended. At first it sounded like a dream come true, but I was worried about having to leave Mabel. But after saving him from this powerful alien droid I accepted his offer. I was gonna talk to Mabel about it when I got back, but she overheard it through the walkie-talkie and she was upset. I tried to reassure her, but I said the wrong thing and made her run away. She wouldn't even look at me, a-and I immediately regretted hurting her."
Dipper's voice faltered and he slapped his hand over his mouth. Stan grew even more concerned for the boy. He gently caressed his nephew's free hand while rubbing his back in small circles.
"It's alright kiddo, jus' take a deep breath, In…" He instructed as he inhaled. "...An' out. Don't go too fast. Let's take a few deep breaths now, okay Dipper?"
The boy nodded, following his Grunkle's lead.
"Alright, jus' breath in….an' out."
Stan carefully watched his nephew as they engaged in the breathing exercise. Dipper was gaining control over his breathing after the third breath and he became more calm after the seventh breath. Stan was relieved that Dipper did not look as panicked as he did a few moments ago.
"How do ya feel?"
"Better…" Dipper answered. "Thank you."
"No problem." Stan humbly replied.
"But I still need to tell you everything if that's alright." His nephew declared, his tired eyes staring at the old man.
Stan "Of course. Take as much time as ya need."
"I began to follow her, but she was already out of the shack by the time I ran downstairs. I assumed that Mabel needed some down time and I figured that I would apologize to her as soon as she came home. But soon the sky began to turn red and Weirdmageddon had begun. I immediately started to look for Mabel, but Great Uncle Ford promised me that we'd find her after we defeated Bill, assuming that Mabel would be safe if he cut the weirdness at its source. But when we were about to eliminate Bill, that damn triangle spotted Ford and he was petrified in gold casing. I stood up against Bill and tried to punch him in that stupid eye of his, but he was too powerful. So I hid myself from Bill and his cronies for three days straight. During that time I was looking for Mabel. I would never forgive myself if I had just abandoned her. I had to look for her."
As Dipper told his story, it reminded Stanley of his own conflict with his brother. Stan unintentionally destroying Ford's science project, Ford's reaction to Stan getting kicked out, their bitter reunion in the winter of 1982, the portal inciden-
Stan stopped himself from delving further into his disturbed memories. He pushed those thoughts in the back of his mind and listened to his nephew, still keeping his protective hold around him. But he couldn't help but become awestruck by his nephew's dedication to his sister, his twin. It eerily reminded him of the sacrifices he made to save Ford.
"On the third day I found Wendy inside the mall. It was there we soon discovered that Mabel chained up inside Bill's bubble prison." Dipper recalled solemnly. "We concocted a plan to rescue her by using one of the abandoned vehicles at the car lot, but Gideon and his minions captured us. Fortunately, Wendy and I were able to escape and trekked down towards the site where Mabel was held captive. We found Soos, who was apparently the 'Handyman of the Apocalypse', but Gideon and his crew caught up to us. He kept going on about how he wanted to keep her inside the bubble because he figured she loved him."
Rage fueled Stan's bloodstream. "That little creep-"
"But I managed to stop him." Dipper interrupted, his voice firm with seriousness.
With that said, Stan felt a strange combination of relief and befuddlement. Gideon usually had the upper hand when it came to their petty squabbles: Stealing his parking spots, taunting Stan while he was stuck in the stocks during Pioneer Day, claiming his lounge chair at the public pool and thwarting Stan's attempts to steal it. Sure Stan was able to best him a few times, especially with exposing Gideon's fraudulent schemes, but that white-haired little twerp was practically unstoppable.
"But how?"
"I told Gideon how love shouldn't be forced upon, but earned, and that it's better to strive to be someone worthy of loving. And I explained that if he wanted to be Mabel's hero, then he should help us fight against Bill. He actually listened and was willing to help me out. So he led his prison buddies in a charge against Bill while the three of us entered into Mabel's prison."
So Dipper stopped that Kentucky-fried demon by being the voice of reason?
Stan cracked a smile and gently tousled the boy's messy hair. "That's some bold stuff you did there kiddo. I'm proud of ya!" When Dipper returned a soft smile, the old man's heart swelled. It was nice to make his nibling happy during this apocalyptic mess.
"So I assume rescuing Mabel must have been a cake-walk then."
Dipper's face fell. "If only that were true."
Stan softly placed his calloused hand back on his nephew's shoulder. "Dipper…"
"Bill placed Mabel in a bubble-type prison and put her under some kind of spell so that she wouldn't want to leave. Even though her bubble appeared to be a dream-like paradise, it was actually a twisted nightmare. Bill even designed the prison to grant wishes so that anyone who stays there won't plan on leaving. He conjured up a dream-dad for Soos, a dream version of Wendy, he even made up a replacement sibling for Mabel, who is literally the worst!"
Stan flinched when Dipper struck his fist against the table. The boy took a deep breath and continued. "But once Mabel and I decided to settle the issue in court-"
"Court?" Stan repeated confusedly.
"It's complicated." Dipper answered. "We learned that Mabel was only afraid of growing up, which was why she refused to leave, and I assumed that Bill took advantage of her fear when he designed her prison. But when I presented my case, I promised Mabel that I would be there for her and that we'd face reality together, which ended up breaking the spell and we managed to escape from Bill's prison."
Stan was relieved to hear that the niblings made up with each other. He was glad to learn that the kids were smarter than him in that regard. But Dipper was still visibly upset.
"Even though we escaped from Bill's prison, that monster still has Ford and the other townsfolk in captivity!" Dipper pounded the table with his fist in righteous anger, his breathing becoming ragged and raw. "I hate Bill! I hate him for kidnapping Mabel! I hate him for hurting Ford! I hate him for terrorizing everyone in Gravity Falls! I hate him for everything he's done!"
The boy's vision started to blur. He tried blinking away the tears but they soon escaped from the corners of his eyes. stream down his face, but he scrubbed them away with his arm. The last thing Dipper wanted was to see his Grunkle's reaction to him crying.
Stanley felt deep pang of sympathy for his nephew. Without a moment's notice, the con man immediately wrapped his arms around Dipper, pulling him into a gentle hug.
"Shh, you're safe now kiddo." He consoled as he protectively held his nephew. The old conman allowed the boy to take his time as he sobbed. This kid had braved through such unspeakable horrors all alone, no child should have to go through. He deserved to have a shoulder to cry on. The businessman did not even care that his once treasured suit was now doused with tears. Dipper was safe in his arms, and Stan wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's alright Dipper. You're safe. And Mabel is safe too because of you." Stan soothed, still caressing the boy's back. Dipper pulled away, looking up at his Grunkle with teary eyes. The old man took his calloused hand to lift up the boy's cap. Stan gently stroked Dipper's messy hair as he continued to speak.
"Dipper, you know how I've been givin' ya challengin' chores to do over the summer?"
"Y-yeah," The boy breathed. Dipper remembered Stan's rhetoric back when they entered his mindscape. "You wanted me toughen me up, right? And learn how to fight back when things get tough?"
"Exactly. And you have proven to be quite the fighter." Stan admitted, smiling at the boy. "You've come a long way this summer kiddo. And if I'm gonna be honest, you definitely proved yourself to be the bravest, most determined person I know. I am so proud of you Dipper."
Dipper kept his eyes locked on Stan as a tearful smile tugged at his lips. The boy crashed into his caretaker, giving the con artist a tight hug. Stan gave his nephew another bear hug. As the old man held Dipper in his embrace, he could hear the cacophony of shrieking voices berating him with the ugly truth.
This is all your fault Stanley
Your niece and nephew could have died out there
Yet you couldn't manage a whole day looking for them
You're a coward Stan
You couldn't even find your precious niblings
Those kids survived no thanks to you
This is all your fault
What kind of uncle are you?
Both of those kids could have been sent home in caskets
Your niece and nephew deserve a better caretaker
You had one job Stan, and you couldn't do that right!
This is all your fault
You're better off dead
You're nothing but a failure
THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT
Stan released a gravely sob from his throat and tightens his embrace. What kind of Grunkle was he if he couldn't even protect the kids when they needed him most?
His eyes were now flooded with tears. Stan quickly buried his head into his nephew's hair.
" 'm sorry Dipper." He murmured weepily.
He repeated his sorrowful apology as he sobbed. He could not remember the last time he cried this hard. The night Pa kicked him out of the house? When Stanford was sucked into the portal entering some God-forsaken dimension? When he didn't receive any thanks from his own brother after laboring on the portal for thirty long years in the hopes of saving him. When the twins were nowhere to be found when Weirdmageddon struck?
"Grunkle Stan, are you okay?"
Stanley's eyes open at the soft, yet concerned inquiry. The codger looked down to see Dipper looking at him with compassion and tenderness. The boy worriedly stared at his Grunkle.
Stanley sniffled sorrowfully. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you kids. I-I tried lookin' around outside for you and your sister, but those monsters kept chasing me away and I retreated to the shack." He explained. In a gentle whisper, he confessed "I'm just a lousy, cowardly old man."
Stan looked away in shame knowing that Dipper would continue to call him out on being so weak and pathetic. All summer he wanted to be there for him and Mabel, doing his best to protect them even if he got sidetracked by his own selfish shenanigans every now and again. He had already disappointed so many people in his life, the thought of having let one of the niblings down greatly disturbed him.
But he was shaken from his musing when he felt a pair of small hands on his face gently turning to face his nephew.
Dipper frowned and stood up to make eye contact with him. "Grunkle Stan, you are not lousy nor cowardly. Over this summer, you proved to me and Mabel time and time again that you are a brave and awesome Grunkle. You saved us many times before and you still made the effort to look for us. And you're not the only one who was freaked out by Bill's monstrosities. Heck, I was scared of those creatures as well!"
Stan was awestruck by Dipper's tenacity that he was rendered speechless.
"But we're here together and we'll save Ford because that's what family is about! We have each others' backs through thick and thin!"
Stan looked at his nephew and smiled. Even though the old man has some personal beef with Ford, he'll stand behind his nephew's cause. If anything were to happen to Dipper and Mabel during their rescue mission, he needed to be there for them. He needed to make up for his irresponsible supervision. Stan would sacrifice his own life for the kids if things went south. They were his top priority after all. He loved them so much more than himself.
"Thanks kiddo." He said, tousling Dipper's hair. "Now why don't we go to back to bed?" The boy looked a bit apprehensive at the idea. Stan took notice of his reluctance, but he needed to get some shut eye. "I'll let you and Mabel rest with me for the night." The old man suggested.
Dipper nodded, flashing a grateful smile at Stan as they head over to the living room.
Once they arrive, they see Mabel softly snoozing on a spare mattress. The makeshift bed was big enough for the three of them. Careful not to rouse Mabel from her rest, Dipper and Stan quietly crouch onto the bed with the elder Pines settling himself between the young twins. With his beefy arms, Stan pulled the niblings close to his protective embrace.
"Good night Grunkle Stan."
"Sleep well kiddo."
Feeling more at ease in the company of their family, Stan and Dipper were both able to fall asleep.