It was over. The government agents were gone, Dipper and Mabel had gone to bed. Stan couldn't believe his brother—his brother who had been gone so long, was standing right beside him. Suddenly Stanford sighed and said,

"Okay, Stanley, here's the deal. You can stay here the rest of the summer to watch the kids. I'll stay down in the basement and try to contain any remaining damage. But when the summer's over, you give me my house back, you give me my name back, and this Mystery Shack junk is over forever. Ya got it? "

Stan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You really aren't gonna thank me, are you? "

Ford was silent.

"Fine." Stan said, suddenly angry. "On one condition: you stay away from the kids; I don't want them in danger. 'cause as far as I'm concerned, they're the only family I have left ! "

Stan turned and headed upstairs. For a moment he stopped and looked back at his brother—the brother he'd tried to get back for so many years. He stood right there-with his back to Stan, not saying a word. Stan felt as though Ford may as well have been still been on the other side of the portal. He wouldn't have admitted it, but he felt his heart break. Sighing, he headed upstairs to see if Dipper and Mabel were asleep.

When Stan got to his great niece and nephew's bedroom door, he heard talking.

Too exciting a day for them to be asleep. Stan thought. He heard Dipper say,

"Eh, I'm sure they'll work things out. "

Mabel answered him, "Dipper, you don't think we'll turn out like Stan and Ford, do you? "

"Well-what do you mean? "

"I mean, they used to be best friends, but then they got all stupid-"

Stan felt as though a pin pricked one of the broken pieces of his heart.

"Can you promise me you won't get stupid? "Mabel continued.

Dipper's voice came jokingly, "Not stupider than you, dum-dum. "

Mabel laughed. "Good night, stupid. "

"Good night, stupid. "

Stan saw the light go out under the door.

Stupid. Yeah, stupid. That's how I'm acting. Stan thought.

No you're not, came another voice. You're in the right here. You've been trying to get your brother back all this time, and this is how he repays you? By telling you to get out?

It's Ford's house. I was just here trying to fix the portal—

Yeah, and not a thanks or anything.

Stan thought of the mirror image of himself—aside from the glasses Ford had had to wear since he was two and a half—running with him on the beach at the Jersey shore—making forts in their bedroom, and how he would have punched the lights out of any jerk who made fun of Ford's six fingered hands when they were kids…

I can't be stupid. Stan told himself, knowing his brother might not feel the same way. I can't.

He went back down the stairs to the now empty living room. Taking a deep breath, he headed for the door that led to the shop.

There it was - that vending machine. For years Stan had watched people punch the buttons and get things out of it—only he himself knowing what was really behind it.

"Okay, Stan. It's now or never."