Hey everyone, I'm back!

If you're here, that means you've shown an interest into my story, The Flip Side. That's great! One thing you need to know before reading is that this is a companion piece to my other story, The Life of Pines, which follows Stanley's life. This story can be read by itself, but there are moments that won't make all that much sense unless you've read the other story.

This story pretty much will follow alongside Stanford Pines' life, telling his side of the story.

And... that's it. Remember to review! Constructive criticism is welcome.

General disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters all belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch, as well as whoever else lays claim to them.

~~~Two birds of a feather~~~
~~~Say that they're always gonna stay together~~~
~~~But one's never going to let go of that wire~~~
~~~He says that he will but he's just a liar~~~

-Two Birds, Regina Spektor

When he was a child, Stanley Pines was his closest and best friend.

When he was a teen, Stanley Pines was the screw up who ruined his life.

When he was an adult, Stanley Pines was the man who pushed him into that portal, subsequently trapping him in a life of unspeakable horrors.

Sometimes, Stanford wished he could be a child again.

~XoxoxoxoxoxoX~

Stanford grinned shyly out at the crowd, waving hesitatingly towards the small group that was gathered at the edge of the room. He felt his heart warm when he saw the majority of his family cheering loudly amongst the rest of the audience.

Twelve years old and excited, Stanford turned back to the judge, thanked him politely, and walked off the stage, shiny trophy in hand. He made his way through the crowd and into his mother's waiting arms, placing his trophy on the ground so he could wrap his arms around her.

"Great job, Fordie! Knew ya could do it, my little genius." She smiled, for once paying attention to something other than her business. He smiled back, pulling away a second later.

"Yeah! Great job, Ford! You're so smart!" He heard his little brother pipe in, bouncing up and down excitedly. He blushed slightly at the compliment, though he could feel his heart swelling with pride.

He turned away from them then, and turned to face his father, who was standing at the edge of the group, looking tall and imposing. He waited with bated breath for the man's opinion, knowing that his praise meant more than his mother's or little brother's combined. A second passed, before his father nodded once with his approval. Stanford grinned brightly then, knowing that that small nod was pretty much a resounding cheer from his father.

It was as he was turning to look for the last member of his family- the most important one- that he felt someone tackle him from the side, nearly causing him to topple over from the surprise weight. He stumbled backwards a bit, though he managed to catch himself before he fell. He didn't mind though, feeling as his grin widening even more, his heart beginning to soar as he turned into the unexpected embrace.

"Ya won! I knew ya would, Sixer! Told ya that ya had the best invention in the whole state of New Jersey!" He could hear his twin shout into his ear, making him wince a little, but not enough to try and escape from the hug. His twin always was very excitable, but Stanford loved that about him. A second later, though, his brother pulled back, a grin stretched wide on his face.

"Thanks, Lee." He breathed, too elated to say anything else. His brother's praise had always meant the most to him, more than even his father's.

To say he was happy would have been an understatement. He had been preparing for this day for weeks now, feeling the anticipation mounting with each day that passed. After all, he had been chosen to present his invention- a little robot that would sort through different papers- at the state science exhibit. He had spent hours every single day for two weeks straight working on his robot, trying to make it as perfect as he could. And now, here he was, a trophy to prove that he was smart. That he was more than just a freak. The weeks and weeks of little sleep and nerves had all been worth it.

"No problem, Poindexter. Hey, you know what this calls for?! A celebration! You and me, tonight, party on the beach! Whadda ya say?" Lee exclaimed, eyes bright with brotherly pride. Stanford grinned and nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! And after, we can look at the constellations!" He enthused, feeling excited at the prospect. He loved spending his nights on the beach whenever he could, staring at the stars. His brother snorted, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yeah, sure thing, nerd. It's your day, so I'll even listen ta ya ramble on 'bout the stars, if ya want." Lee stated. Stanford grinned again. He knew his brother didn't share his interest in the stars, so the fact he was willing to come with him made it that much better. He was about to reply, to relay his gratitude, but he was interrupted by his mother told them that they were leaving soon, so they better pack up. Stanford looked over at her and nodded quickly in agreement before picking his trophy up off the ground. He'd knew have to come back the next week to get his robot back, since it was going to be displayed in the science museum for a few days. He followed his parents out to the car and sat in the backseat, his little brother sitting in the center between him and Lee.

The drive home was filled with chatter from his twin and little brother, both enthusing about how amazing it was that he had won, about how he was a genius, etcetera, while their mother tried to get them to calm down. He personally thought it was a bit much, but he wasn't about to ask them to stop. He had worked really hard for this, after all, and it was nice to get some recognition for all his work. Especially after all the times his twin had complained that he had stayed up too late. He spent the majority of the car ride listening while staring out the window, watching all the cars pass.

Once home, the five of them got out of the car and climbed the stairs to their little apartment above the family pawn shop, his parents wandering into the parlor while his little brother skipped off to his room. It didn't disappoint him; he knew they all had things they needed to do, that they couldn't spend the day celebrating with him. Lee, however, had stayed beside him, still chattering about his win. Stanford smiled, feeling content as he walked over to his and his brother's room, setting his trophy next to his other one on his dresser, his brother following behind him. He felt pride as he observed the addition to his steadily growing collection. He now had five medals and two trophies. He only hoped that the numbers would continue to grow.

The rest of the afternoon passed by quickly, his excitement dimming only marginally, even as he played a game with his twin, or read one of his numerous science books. He still felt the joy running through his veins, whenever he looked up and saw his trophy. Nothing could make his happiness dim today.

It was about five in the afternoon when Lee kicked him out of their room for a few minutes, so that he could prepare for their outing that night in secret. Mildly amused, he had agreed. His brother had always been secretive about his 'surprises'. And if his brother wanted to do something special for him, he wasn't about to discourage him. After all, he enjoyed his twin's company greatly. He wouldn't even mind if the two of them just spent the night playing one of those weird games his brother enjoyed. He returned to the room when his twin said it was okay, trying not to feel curious about the basket that his brother had on his bed.

Once dinner was ready, he entered the dining room and noticed that his mother had prepared him his favorite sandwich for dinner and his favorite pie for desert, which he was pleasantly surprised about. They weren't usually able to get the good meat for sandwiches, as it was expensive, but clearly his mother had wanted to celebrate his win today. It made him feel special. Like he mattered to his mother. He knew that it should have been a given, that she loved him, but sometimes… sometimes he did wonder.

After dinner had finished, he said goodbye to his parents and followed his brother out of their apartment and down the street to the beach, Lee carrying a basket and a telescope over his shoulder. He could feel his excitement mounting again as they walked on. He loved spending time with his twin, especially out on the beach, just the two of them. It always felt special, to him. Just him and his brother, two adventurers, who were one day going to travel the world on a sailboat together.

Reaching their spot on the beach a few minutes later, Lee took out a blanket from the basket and laid it across the sand, in prime position to view the sky, setting the telescope up in the sand next to it. His brother grinned at him as they both took a seat, taking out the mini radio their father had given him for Chanukah the year before. Yes, it had been something that someone had traded into the pawn shop, but it was still in very good condition. His brother set it to their favorite station and they listened to the song happily.

A second later, his brother also took out a plate of cookies, which looked a bit misshapen and, possibly, just a bit burnt. He looked at his brother in question and his brother smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"I made 'em last night." He confessed, a small blush on his face, uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "I found a recipe in the library the other day, an' thought it would be nice ta try an' make 'em for you, for your win. They… they didn't turn out so good, but I tried."

Stanford could feel himself grinning widely as he stared at the cookies, before throwing his arms around his twin. While they didn't look very appetizing, he appreciated the sentiment more than anything. The fact that his brother had made an effort for him.

"Thanks, Lee. I love 'em." He whispered, squeezing his brother tightly once, before letting go. He could see his brother's skin had turned bright red with embarrassment at the gratitude, though he also had a huge grin on his face.

"Aw, shut up. Ya haven't even tried 'em yet." Lee mumbled, knocking playfully against his shoulder. He grinned in reply and took out a cookie and took a bite. To be honest, they were dreadful- too much flour and not enough sugar- but he made sure to eat the whole thing without grimacing once. He even smiled when he was done, claiming they were great. He was rewarded with a huge grin and a small shove to the side. He shoved his twin back, before laying down to look up at the sky, listening to the song that was playing as well as the sounds of the ocean.

He was in luck, as the sky was relatively clear that night, the stars bright against a midnight blue backdrop. He could feel his brother settling beside him, falling silent as they just gazed. A few moments passed like that, a peaceful serenity filling him, before he began talking about the stars, mentioning different facts he had picked up over the years. He had the feeling that Lee wasn't paying much attention, but that was okay. He understood that his brother wasn't interested in the things he was. But his brother did try, and that was enough for him.

The night was perfect, in his opinion. The cool beach air on his skin, the light breeze caring the scent of salt water. Being with his twin, the two just existing together. Spending time with Lee was always great, and it was even greater now after the excitement of the day. He eventually fell silent, not wanting to disturb the peace with his words. His words were not needed, not here.

"Hey, Ford?" He heard his brother whisper after a little while, breaking the quiet around them. He turned on his side to face his brother, a smile on his mouth. The smile dimmed, however, when he saw a sort of… melancholy look on his brother's face. He felt concerned, as he wondered what was wrong, but as soon as he noticed it, it was gone. Lee then grinned his usual too huge smile, the picture of happiness again. But it was still… off. Stanford didn't know what to make of it.

"Yeah, Lee?" He whispered back, trying to put the look out of his mind. Clearly his brother didn't want him to make a big deal of it, if he was hiding it. If there was one thing he had learned over the years, it was that his twin hated it when people made a big deal over his inner problems.

"Ya sure are smart, huh? Gonna have a lotta opportunities when we grow up." His brother stated, his grin in place, though Stanford could see the cracks forming in it. He frowned in response. His peace was broken as he sat up, looking down at his twin.

"Uh, yeah. I guess." He replied, feeling confused as to what his brother was going on about. He didn't understand why his twin mentioning this. He watched as Lee sat up as well, his knees up with his arms around them. Lee didn't look at him, instead staring out at the water, a strange look in his eyes. Stanford could feel his concern mounting.

"That's cool, huh? But, uh, we'll always be treasure hunters, right? Goin' 'round the world on the Stan O' War?"

His frown deepened as he heard the question, confused, not quite getting what his brother was talking about. What did the Stan O' War have to do with anything? Why was his brother mentioning it? Unless… Unless he was having doubts about it? Stanford felt his heart drop as he stared at his twin.

"Of course, dummy. We're gonna be together, forever. Just you and me, international treasure hunters, like ya said. Why, are you… are you having doubts about it?" He questioned nervously, desperately hoping that his brother would say no. While, yes, he was smart and could probably do anything he wanted when he grew up, there was nothing he'd rather do than travel the world with his brother. It would crush him to learn that Lee was having second thoughts.

Lee, however, shook his head frantically. "No! I'm not havin' second thoughts. I was just… just makin' sure. That's all. Don't worry; we'll always be together, you'll see." Lee smiled brightly at him, a real one this time, which he returned hesitatingly.

"Oh, okay. Good. Was worried you were gonna back out on me." He said, giving a small, slightly fake laugh. He could feel his insides unclenching, now knowing that his brother wasn't going to leave him behind for something else.

"Nah. Never, Poindexter. Once the Stan O' War is complete, we'll be outta this town. Promise. Now, why don't ya tell me 'bout the stars some more? I know ya wanna."

He could tell that his brother wanted to change the subject, and so he allowed it, laying back down and talking about all the different stars in the sky. He could feel the peace returning as he did, the panic receding. He didn't notice the sad look returning to his brother's face. Nor did he ever understand quite what his brother had been asking him. But then again, why would he?

Life, to him, was perfect.