Sorry for the lateness and the shortness. But it's going! Please enjoy!

Twelve- A Grand Meeting

Dipper took in a few deep breathes, trying to recover from the scene he had just witnessed. When he could he walked over and said loudly,

"Okay, I don't know what just happened but that was one of the freakiest exorcisms I have ever seen. I think you owe us an explanation Stan. If that is even your real name. And we want the truth!"

"Yeah! We deserve an explanation!"

Dipper couldn't hold in a small grin at hearing his sister right beside him, her voice echoing his own frustration.

Stanford looked up at Dipper and Mabel as they came over and stood before him, both had their arms crossed over their chests. Soos was behind them, carrying an exhausted Gideon under his arm rather comically. As if the scheming boy was a large file or a log, either way he didn't look too happy at being so close to Soos' armpit. The handyman wore the same expression on his face as Dipper and Mabel did and nodded once to emphasize his agreement on their words.

Fiddleford and Stanford shared a look; they wondered where to even start.

"I think I can help with that."

All eyes turned to Stanley, who was now standing next to where Stanford and Fiddleford still sat on the floor together. The sleeping clothes he had borrowed were torn in places and more bruises were on his body, as if keeping the thirty year old one on his cheek company.

He raised his hand to do a little wave-which attracted the kids' attention to the number of fingers he sported and made their eyes widen in realization- and said in a ridiculously conversational tone.

"Stanley Pines. Nice to meet you. I wrote the journals, built this lab and that-"

He paused a moment to point at the wrecked portal machine.

"-with their help-" Here he pointed to his brother and Fiddleford, who were looking between him and the others.

"-and I am apparently your grandfather. Whose death was faked by my twin brother Stanford and never mentioned by a one night st-ah, that is to say, your grandmother."

While the twins, Soos, and even Gideon, stared, mouths open and flabbergasted, at Stanley and his blasé attitude, Stanford groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. This was not going as well as he had hoped.

Fiddleford rolled his eyes and let out a small dry laugh, "Mr. Stanley Pines everybody. So magnanimous isn't he?"

The small man grinned a little when Stanley sent him a tired, unamused glare.

"Says the midget hillbilly." Was his dry reply, but there wasn't much heat to it.

"Stop it, both of you." Grumbled Stan; the kids, Soos and even that little snot Gideon were watching them argue and it was just terrible.

Stanford needed to get things moving again, he needed to get them moving. He felt a small tug in his mind, one he hadn't felt in a long time.

One that told him he had spent too long in a single place.

Damn, and he had liked this cabin too. So peaceful and quiet- most of the time- and would have been a nice place to finally retire with Fiddleford…

"Ooookkkaaayyy, I'm going to need a bit more than that." Said Dipper as he recovered from his shock, his eyes darting between the three of them.

Soos nodded his head in agreement and laughed a bit, "Especially about the whole twin brother thing, because you two don't look anywhere near the same age. No offense."

The handyman shrugged as he spoke, as nonchalant as ever despite the situation.

"Um, s-some answers about that would be nice too!" Added Mabel, pointing- and bringing attention- to the slightly shaking jar near everyone's feet, the orange smoke within swirled and flowed as it moved.

The pendant Fiddleford had given Mabel was still around her neck, and she gripped it as she looked at the jar. She took a few steps away from it in tandem with Soos and Dipper. Whatever was in there, it frightened her and them as well.

The words the demoness had spoken with Fiddleford's mouth were still ringing in Mabel's ears, and sent slight shivers down her back.

"Time for a little extra security." Said Stanley blandly as he picked up the squirming jar and quickly went over to one of the lab work benches.

With little finesse Stanley placed the jar in a little wooden box covered in symbols, it was one of the things he, Stanford and Fiddleford has prepared the night before. It hadn't been made with this particular being's containment in mind, but it would do. For now.

No one noticed Gideon silently focusing on the box, the little boy had decided to stay silent and study everything around him. He was not defeated yet. Not just yet.

Dipper was in conflict, half of him felt like it was going to be sick from excitement from meeting the actual author of the journals! The other half was a mixture of disappointed and angry at the reality of not only said author but his brother; who was slowly getting up with a pale Fiddleford still cuddled up in his arms.

"I can walk." Said the Fiddleford tiredly.

"Nope!" Was Stanford's only response.

While Fiddleford gave a fondly exasperated and resigned sigh Stanford turned to the others in the room.

"Look, I'm as ready to spill the beans as much as the next guy. Seriously. You know what's it's like to keep up a web of lies?! And for years at that?! It's tiring! But there's places to go and feds to avoid. So how about we pack up the essentials and get out of here first!?"

He tried for a grin but it died when he saw the expressions directed his way. Only Mabel's and Stanley's expressions were anything near supportive.

Stan had to resist the urge to clench his hands, he had lost the crowd. Things never went well for him when he lost the favor of the crowd.

Damn.

Fiddleford took that moment to speak up, his voice exhausted but insistent. "He's right, whatever Stanford did to elude the a-authorities won't work for long. At the very least we need to assess the situation up above and think of a plan."

They needed to get moving.

Dipper and Mabel looked at one another, after a moment Mabel nodded to her brother and he gave a small sigh in turn.

"Alright, but I want the full story along the way! Grunkle Fiddleford I'm counting on you to verify everything these two say." Dipper declared this as he and Mabel made their way for the elevator, Soos at their heels.

Stanley raised an eyebrow- and had to hold in a small grin, despite himself- when he heard Dipper address Fiddleford as "Grunkle". That was interesting.

Meanwhile Stanford gave an indignant look and a "Hey!" at Dipper's words.

"What the- ya don't trust me?!" Stan felt a stab in his chest as he made his way after the kids, his brother not too far behind and silently observing their interaction.

Fiddleford, for his part, simply bit his lip. His anxiety was slowly climbing and he couldn't quite pinpoint why. He just felt as if all of them were on a precipice and were about to blindly walk off, thinking there to be a bridge when really there was nothing but the deep abyss below.

It was rather distracting.

"Of course I don't trust you! And I don't know him, so I can't completely believe anything he says. Even if he is The Author." Dipper pointed to Stanley as he spoke, his voice rising momentarily in happy excitement over the last fact.

The twelve-year-old took a moment to awkwardly cough and compose himself before continuing.

"Grunkle Fiddleford told Mabel and me what he could, and what he didn't say he did so because it was what you wanted him to do. So yeah, he's the only one I trust completely. Aside from Mabel. No offense Soos, but I'm not sure exactly how much you know yet." Dipper crossed his arms and looked up briefly at the handyman.

Soos nodded his head once as he stepped into the elevator, "None taken, I understand my position is precarious. Carry on."

Gideon rolled his eyes but kept quiet, wanting to hear more. He could use whatever was said to his advantage.

"You really shouldn't trust anyone." Intoned Stanley as he entered the elevator, the containment box in his hands as well as the first two journals.

"You stay outta this, ya paranoid nerd." Muttered Stanford as he stepped on as well.

"Paranoid?! Did you not just spend thirty years trying to collect me from the DEMON DIMENSION after a combination of your moronic actions, Fiddleford's mind wiping, and the manipulations of an insane triangle sent me there?!"

"An insane triangle that you summoned and that knew how to play ya like I do the banjo." Fiddleford suddenly piped up, with obvious exasperation.

Stanley sputtered for a moment but then just frowned.

"Wait-are you talking about Bill Cipher?!" Asked Dipper incredulously.

The three old men stared at the twelve year old in shock.

"I think they are." Answered Mabel.

The rest of the short elevator ride was spent in silence.

When they finally exited Stan began to speak, "Okay, we really need to-"

But he cut himself off, a large commotion could be heard going on outside.

Various voices, all of them sounding young, could be heard calling out and were quickly approaching the Shack.

"Mr. Pines?! Mr. Pines are you alright?!"

Stanford blinked, "Wendy?"

"Dipper! Mabel!"

Both twins blinked and in unison asked, "Pacifica?"

The front door- which apparently had been left open by the authorities in their hasty evacuation of the area- burst open as in ran a troupe of bedraggled teens and one Pacifica Northwest into the Shack. The lot of them stared in shock at the Pines family, who in turn did the same.

"Of course." Muttered Stanford.