Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun! So, Old Man McGucket is Grandpa Stanley. Well, Grandpa Stanley's body, at least. And Grunkle Stan is trying to open the portal to help his brother? That doesn't sound much like Stan. Then again, he may be so grumpy because Stanley isn't in his life. Maybe Stanford used to be a great guy. BTW, it is the summer of 2012 in my GF FanFic, so it's been 30 years since Stanley had vanished.
Chapter 7: A Long-Lost Relative
As Grunkle Stan activated the portal, Dipper thought about what his Great-uncle had gone through. Dipper wondered what his grandfather would be like. Dipper wondered just how much Grandpa Stanley knew about the secrets of Gravity Falls, Oregon.
Mabel, of course, was focused on something else.
"Look at all the light!" she cried as the portal spat out its beams of pure energy. "Woah. Hold on a minute. I just got an awesome idea for a new sweater. A sweater that has to be plugged in- because it lights up! How cool would that be?"
Luckily, Dipper didn't get a chance to tell his twin that a sweater that needs to be plugged in would be impractical- you could only wear it near a socket.
The portal was finally activated. Slowly, a figure materialized in the center of the portal.
The figure looked a lot like Grunkle Stan. Sure, his nose was a slightly different shape, and he had a slightly different haircut, but it was obvious that he was related to Stan. The figure was dressed a lot like Stan when he was showing tourists around the Mystery Shack. The figure wore the same type of suit, except that his suit was white with a black shirt underneath. The figure also wore glasses, but his glasses had a different shaped frame. The biggest difference between Grunkle Stan and this figure was that the figure wore no fez. In fact, he wore no hat at all.
The figure inside the portal was floating and slightly see-through, like a ghost. His eyes were closed.
Grunkle Stan stepped in front of the ghostly figure. "Stanley, I know you can hear me," Stan said.
The figure, who apparently was Grandpa Stanley, did not acknowledge his twin brother.
"Stanley, please don't ignore me," Grunkle Stan pleaded. "I need to apologize. I've said some terrible things. Please, Stanley."
"Then why did you wait 30 years to say so?" Grandpa Stanley spoke up. His eyes were finally opened, and he was glaring at Stan. "Why didn't you apologize sooner, o brother of mine?"
"Because your body wrote another book after your soul got trapped in there," Grunkle Stan explained. "I had to gather all three Journals in order to reactivate the portal. It took longer than I thought to collect them all."
"He's telling the truth, Grandpa Stanley," Soos told him. He was standing next to Grunkle Stan.
Grandpa Stanley started at Soos. "Soos? Is that you?" he asked.
"Yep," Soos confirmed.
Grandpa Stanley slowly grinned. "Soos! It can't believe it. You were only a year old when I last saw you. Look at you! My darling grandchild, all grown up!"
"Grandchild?" Dipper and Mabel cried. How could Soos be their Grandpa's grandchild?
Soos turned to look at Dipper and Mabel. "Dudes, I think it's time you knew just who I am," Soos announced. He grinned a huge grin. "I'm your cousin, Soos Pines! My dad was your dad's brother."
"Really?" Dipper asked. "So, does that mean that your Grandmother is our Grandmother?"
"That's right, Dipper," Grunkle Stan explained. "Soos' Grandmother, Camila, is Stanley's wife. They had two kids, your dad and Soos' dad. They were twins, just like Stanley and me."
"Sweet!" Mabel exclaimed. "I knew there was a reason I liked Soos' Grandma! Other than her old-lady skin, that is."
"Wait a minute," Dipper protested. "What about Ranger McGucket? You know, Old Man McGucket's son? Where does he fit into this family tree?"
"Who's Old Man McGucket?" Grandpa Stanley asked.
"Your soulless body," Grunkle Stan explained to Stanley. Then Stan turned towards Dipper. "After Stanley's soul left his body, McGucket knew he couldn't go back to Camila. McGucket had to write down the truth about Bill Cipher in Journal #3. But he still wanted a family, so he adopted a baby boy. That boy grew up to be Ranger McGucket."
"Wow," Dipper said. "I didn't realize our family was so complicated."
"More than you can imagine, Dipper," Grandpa Stanley replied. "Your name is Dipper, right? How'd you get a name like that?"
"Um, well," stammered Dipper.
"Show him the birthmark! Show it! Show it!" Mabel chanted.
"Ugh! Mabel," Dipper groaned. He had to show it now. No other option. Dipper lifted up his bangs.
Grandpa Stanley squinted at the birthmark. "The Big Dipper?" He smiled sympathetically. "You must have gone through a lot of teasing, eh kid?"
"Well, yeah," Dipper admitted. "But I've gotten so used to the nickname that I can't even remember my real name."
"What! Dipper, I thought you had a photographic memory," Mabel exclaimed.
"I was around three when I forgot my real name, sis," Dipper explained. "It's nearly impossible to remember things you knew when you were three."
"Well, we'll figure your name out later," announced Grunkle Stan. "Right now, The Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel must get our first in command's soul back into his body."
"Wait a minute," Grandpa Stanley interrupted. "There are only five members? What happened to Lazy Susan, Toby Determined, and all those other members from thirty years ago? They can't all be dead, can they?"
"No, Stanley, they're not dead," Grunkle Stan reassured his twin. "After your soul went through the portal, members of the order began quitting like crazy. We don't know why, but the only members left are McGucket, who happens to be only half a member; Soos, who joined only recently; and myself. Dipper and Mabel aren't members. They just randomly found the letter you wrote to me with the instructions on how to get here. But they've gone through more than any other member of the Order, except maybe you. Dipper and Mabel deserved to know the truth. And they are going to help us." Stanford turned towards the Mystery Twins. "Right guys?"
Dipper and Mabel looked towards each other. Dipper's mind raced furiously. Grunkle Stan, who had lied to them all summer, was now expecting them to help? Stan didn't deserve their help. On the other hand, Dipper felt a real connection with his Grandfather. But he didn't know Stanley that well. Which should he choose, to hold a grudge or to help someone he barely knew?
Dipper and Mabel nodded simultaneously. They turned towards Soos, McGucket, Stanley, and Stanford. Their family. "We'll do it."
But before they could do anything, they heard footsteps behind them.
"Oh, am I interrupting something?" asked Gideon.
