Heyooo so here's a chapter I basically speed-wrote over the course of 3 days because I basically wanted to get it out of the way. Not that its bad or anything, it has its moments, but let's just say we got bigger fish to fry in this arc and I wanna get to those chapters as soon as possible, though I will say this chapter directly leads up to those in some ways so that's... fun. Anyway for now enjoy this silly little MIND HOPPING adventure. Let's get started!
Chapter 76: The New Stan
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"For your consideration…" Steven began, his tone authoritative as he paced before the trio sitting in front of him in the shack's den. "The koala, a marsupial from the forests of Australia. And the sloth, hailing from the forest of South America. Who should be crowned king of the 'Hanging Around and Doing Nothing' mammals?"
At the proposal of such a seemingly trivial question, a beat of silence passed between Dipper, Mabel, and Connie, at least until the lattermost of the three spoke up to it. "I read once that sloths eat their own droppings."
"Aw, gross!" Mabel exclaimed as Dipper likewise cringed.
"...Well, that's definitely going to affect the rankings," Steven noted thoughtfully.
"Um… why are we talking about this again?" Dipper asked, raising a confused eyebrow.
"Uh, because it's only the most important question ever," Mabel said with an eager grin. "Koalas vs. sloths; the battle of the century. One of them has to come out on top as to who's the laziest. And who gives the best sleepy hugs! The fate of the world depends on this decision!"
"See? Mabel gets it," Steven nodded in agreement.
"Um, guys, no offense, but... do you think that this 'important' conversation might be stemming from the fact that we're all kind of… bored?" Connie asked, finally pointing out the obvious.
"What? No," Steven scoffed. "We're not-"
"We're totally bored," Dipper interjected flatly. "Guess it was inevitable seeing as how we've sorted out most of our major problems this summer. Defeating Gideon, finding out who the author is, stopping the Cluster and Malachite. Everything's pretty much over, except-"
"Oh, honestly, Stanley! Would you just act your age for a change?!"
"Yeah, sure I will, Ford, just as soon as you get over yourself and that planet-sized ego of yours!"
"...Except that…" Dipper finished, frowning.
The kids all turned towards the room's entrance just as Stan and Ford entered, their bitter argument continuing all the while. "Look, Stan, it's not like I'm even asking that much of you," the author said, trying his best to remain calm, even if his expression alone told that he was clearly frustrated. "All I want is for you to keep all of your clearly illegal activity as far away from my house as humanly possible."
"Illegal activity?" Stan scoffed. "I don't know what you're talkin' about, sixer, but I've never done anything illegal. Well, at least not around here."
"Oh really?" Ford raised a dubious eyebrow. "Then why did I find this bag under the kitchen sink earlier today that's clearly labeled 'illegally imported cat fur'?"
"Uh, 'cause somebody's framing me, duh," the conman rebuffed, crossing his arms. "Also if anyone asks, that fur was obtained in a perfectly humane manner. That may or may not have involved shaving."
"For crying out loud, Stanley..." Ford pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated.
"Hey, don't act all high and mighty," Stan countered, pointing an accusatory finger at his brother. "It's not like you've never acted under the law either, Mr. 'I'm Gonna Build A Secret Space Portal Fueled By Toxic Chemical Waste In My Basement'."
"That's completely different," Ford glowered. "First of all, my portal was-at least on my end of things-for science."
"Oh yeah? And how did that whole 'science' thing go for ya, huh, Ford?"
"Stanley!"
"Whoa, hey!" Steven exclaimed, the first and only one of the kids to interject as he hurried to stand between the quarrelling brothers. "Why are you guys spending time fighting when you could be spending time hugging?"
"Yeah, like koalas and sloths!" Mabel chimed in from her spot on the couch.
"Tch, kid, would you butt outta this?" Stan scowled down at the young Gem. "We're sort of in the middle of something here."
"Correction, Stanley, you're in the middle of getting this unlawful cat fur out of my house!" Ford huffed, shoving the bag of contraband into the conman's hands.
"Geez, fine," Stan groaned, heading to the door to do just that. "Remind me to never let you find my illegal stashes of albino goat fur and bearded dragon scales. Those are the big money makers right there. And the ones most likely to warrant a full-on police raid if anybody ever found out about 'em."
"Your what?" Ford asked, baffled as he hurried after his brother, aptly alarmed by this information. "Stanley, wait!"
"Y-yeah, wait!" Steven called after the pair as they headed out of the shack. "Don't you guys wanna stay and hang out, maybe catch up, talk through your problems with each other-"
"No!" both Stan and Ford adamantly shouted just shy of the shack's door slamming shut.
"Wow, why isn't that surprising?" Dipper remarked with an exasperated huff in light of the pair's hostile exit.
"Well, at least they can agree on one thing," Connie said. "The fact that they can't get along at all…"
"Which is so sad, you guys!" Steven exclaimed, genuinely upset. "That trip to Emerald City was supposed to help Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford get along and be a family again-"
"And it didn't work…" Mabel said with a glum sigh.
"But that doesn't mean we should give up," the young Gem urged intently. "There's gotta be something we can do to-"
"Steven…" Dipper interjected with a fretful sigh. "I know you mean well, but what can we really do at this point? Stan and Ford have already made up their minds. It's just like Connie said; the only thing those two have in common is that they can't stand each other."
"But that's just how they act," Steven pointed out. "Deep down, I bet they really do care about each other and love each other, just like family should! Right, Mabel?"
While normally, Mabel would have eagerly agreed with such warm and hopeful sentiments, this time she said nothing, her brows furrowed anxiously as she borrowed her face into the collar of her sweater, forlorn. Yet even despite this relative lack of support, Steven wasn't about to give up so easily. "C'mon, you guys," he encouraged with a bright smile. "Like you said, Dipper, we've solved every problem that's come our way this summer except for this one. So between the four of us, I'm sure we can come up with something and-"
"And then it'll turn into a big deal and things will inevitably go awry, and we'll all learn some deep lesson while things between Stan and Ford remain exactly the same," Dipper finished knowingly. "Been there, done that, several times over now. Don't you think that story's starting to get just a little bit stale?"
"I can't help but agree," Connie nodded, frowning. "We've tried taking a more active approach here, and it… hasn't gotten us very far. Maybe we should just let Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford patch things up on their own."
Steven was more than prepared to protest this, knowing that waiting for something to happen hadn't done much for any of them-particularly for Stan and Ford-either. And yet, as he took in the mix of doubtful, dejected, and dismal faces before him, he realized that, despite his best efforts, he was ultimately alone in altruistic intentions to help the bitter brothers. "Yeah…" the young Gem finally sighed, disappointed. Yet even so, some small, yet substantial part of him wasn't so willing to let the matter go. Even if his friends had made it quite clear that they already had. "I guess you're right…"
"Great! So let's get back to something way more fun and less depressing!" Mabel chimed in, quickly perking back up. "Like the age-old question… koalas or sloths? Someone's gotta win here, people!"
As Dipper and Connie merely laughed the downright trivial question off, Steven hardly paid it much mind. Instead, his focus was still on the door Stan and Ford had just walked out of, his thoughts on them and largely nothing else. He knew that something had to be done to right the decades-old wrongs between the pair, to bring them back to being the close-knit brothers they apparently used to be. But as for exactly what could be done, the young Gem admittedly, regretfully had no ideas. And maybe, he wondered and slightly even feared, such an idea might not ever even come at all. But even if it that brilliant, much-needed idea didn't come and even if his friends wouldn't stand by his side on this, Steven was still resolved to do something to bridge the far-too long-standing gap between the brothers. To fix that final problem, once and for all.
In fact, the young Gem was so caught up in his thoughts about the brothers that carried them home with him later that evening, incomplete plans and unformed ideas swirling around in his mind, all of them centered on what could possibly work to finally repair Stan and Ford's broken bond. And yet, even as Steven went to bed that night, he still didn't have much to show for his efforts, much to his frustration. Which was why the young Gem's sleep was restless as he tossed and turned in bed, fitfully muttering softly all the while.
His dreams didn't seem to offer him much peace either, for Steven barely even noticed as they landed him in a strange, dark sort of void. In fact, as he floated aimlessly through that void, his thoughts were still focused on Stan and Ford, to the point that he wasn't even surprised when he spotted the pair of brothers also floating afar in the darkness much like he was.
"Mr. Pines! Mr. Ford!" the young Gem exclaimed, reaching out to the brothers even though their backs were turned away from him as they floated apart from each other. "Why can't you guys just see things eye-to-eye and get along like brothers should? I wish I could show youuuuu-AH!"
Steven broke into an alarmed cry as he suddenly started speeding across the void completely against his own volition. Panicked as he was, he tried taking some control and direction of his rapid motion, especially as he haphazardly flew towards the twins. And as he did, his frightened cry finally seemed to reach at least one of them as Stan briefly began to turn just as Steven was involuntarily pushed toward him in particular as a result of his rapidly flailing arms and legs. Until, in a moment far too stark and sudden for the young Gem to even process, he collided right into the conman right as everything suddenly slammed to black.
"Ah!" Steven shouted, abruptly darting up in bed, though not without an odd ache coursing through his lower back as he did. In fact, nearly everything about his body seemed strangely… stiffer, not that he really had an immediate change to figure out why as he realized something was covering his face-a magazine filled with, of all things, pictures of older ladies dressed in expensive coats. Peculiar as that was, the young Gem quickly tossed it away, only to find that the space he found himself in now was a far cry from the one he'd fallen asleep in last night.
"Huh…?" Steven muttered, frowning as he got a better look around. The room was musty and messy, with only sparse morning light filtering in from the dawn shutters to reveal clothes and other various objects strewn across the floor. Even so, there was something of an air of familiarity about it all the same, one that the young Gem couldn't quite place as he shook his head in confusion. "This isn't the temple-" He gasped, his eyes wide as he realized just how deep and gruffly the statement had come out, paired with an even more alarming revelation that his hand was larger and calloused than he was used to it being. "T-this isn't my voice or my hand or-WHAAAAAT?!"
Steven's bewilderment reached its peak as he caught a glimpse at the mirror propped up against the wall alongside the bed he was sitting in. A mirror that didn't show his own reflection at all, but rather the reflection of a certain conman instead. "No way…" he muttered, leaning into the mirror to make sure that, sure enough, his current face wasn't really his. "I'm… Mr. Pines?!"
As shocking as this realization was, the young Gem was shaken up even more as he happened to lean just a bit too far, only to end up falling off the bed entirely. He landed onto the floor with a loud crash, disoriented for a moment only to realize that the body he was currently somehow inhabiting was only barely dressed. "Gah! A-and I'm in boxes!" he cried, flustered as he shielded his eyes while awkwardly stumbling to stand. "I-I must have jumped into Mr. Pines' mind, l-like I did with that Watermelon Steven!" The young Gem tried his best to rationalize, knowing that his odd powers and his relative lack of control over them were really the only explanation he had for something so unprecedented. Still, even if he had no idea exactly how or why his powers had inexplicably landed him in control of Stan's body, he properly stood, glancing around for anything he could use to cover the conman's sparsely-clothed body.
"I-I guess while I'm in here," the young Gem began, thankfully finding Stan's usual suit coat and tie. "I'd better do my best to respect Mr. Pines' body…" Steven frowned as he held up a pair of pants he found on the floor. "And his privacy. Oh, wait!" he exclaimed brightly, stars in his eyes as he looked to the mirror once again. "Dipper and Mabel have got to see this. They'll love this!"
With an excited grin, Steven rushed to dress up in Stan's usual attire, fez and all, before bursting out of his room and into the rest of the shack with verve and gusto. As he sauntered down the hall, he was more than happy to declare the strange, yet interesting state of affairs to himself as he got used to his new voice and new body all the while.
"I'm Mr. Pines!" he chuckled, playfully flicking the tassel of the conman's fez around. "I'm Mr. Pines, I'm Mr.-ohoho! I guess I could also say… I'm Stan! Right, Waddles?" He asked the pig, who was blankly sitting in the hall as he passed him by. Waddles simply tilted his head, slightly confused by 'Stan's' chipper attitude, but Steven simply took it in stride all the same as he began walking backwards and continuing excitable declaration of his current identity.
"I'm Stan for the day, I'm Mr. Pines, I'm-oh!" Steven stopped short as he happened to accidentally bump into something from behind. Or rather someone.
"Ugh, Stanley…" Ford grumbled, turning to his 'brother' with a dry, annoyed expression. "What in the multiverse are you doing? Aside from not watching where you're going, that is."
"Oh! I'm so sorry, Mr. Fooooo-or I-I mean, just Ford," Steven attempted to play himself off with a small laugh, not quite prepared to reveal the truth to the author just yet. "How's your morning going?"
"Um… fine?" Ford raised a confused eyebrow, especially as he took note of the 'conman's' wide, warm smile. "Are you… feeling alright, Stanley?"
"Yeah, never better!" the young Gem grinned, quite amused by the fact that he had even the author himself so very fooled. "Why do you ask?"
"...No reason," Ford said stiffly, still somewhat suspicious as he continued on his way past the 'conman'.
"Ok, bye, 'bro'!" Steven called after him with a cheerful wave. The young Gem couldn't help but let out another small, somewhat devious giggle in spite of himself, impressed by just how well his own mind-changing power seemed to work. Which was why he couldn't wait to see how Dipper and Mabel would react as he hurried up the stairs toward the attic as fast as he could.
In fact, he barely managed to suppress an excited grin as he briefly peeked into the attic to find the pair of younger twins getting dressed and ready for the day. Wanting to put on something of a playful act, Steven put on the usual stern and grumpy demeanor he knew Stan to usually have as he knocked on the door, not even waiting for either of the twins to invite him in.
The instant he burst the door open, that gruff act quickly fell the moment he caught sight of his pair of friends, both of whom were quite surprised by the sudden intrusion. "Uh, Grunkle Stan?" Dipper began, quite confused as the 'conman' broke into an uncharacteristically elated smile.
"Yep! It's me! Your Grunkle Stan!" Steven exclaimed, barely managing to hold back another amused snicker. "How's my favorite niece and nephew on this beautiful morning?"
"Aw, we're doing great, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel chimed, clearly charmed by the 'conman's' high spirits.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Dipper asked, crossing his arms. "What, did you finally win one of those 'win a thousand bucks every week' sweepstakes you're always entering?"
"Nope, even better," Steven shook his head. "I've got a secret."
"Ooo, a secret?" Mabel asked, instantly intrigued. "Oh! Wait! I think I know! Grunkle Stan…" Her smile widened into a coy, knowing smirk. "Do you have a girlfriend?!"
"Um… no," Steven said plainly. "The secret I have is even better than that!"
"Might it have anything to do with why you're acting so… weird?" Dipper ventured, raising a perplexed eyebrow at the 'conman'. "Because no offense, Grunkle Stan, but you don't really seem like… well, you."
"That's because… I'm not!" Steven winked, catching both of the twins off guard.
"Uh… what do you mean?" Mabel frowned, not following.
"I mean… I'm not actually Mr. Pines!" Steven finally revealed. "I'm-oh, wait! This'll be more fun if you guess who I really am!"
"Easy," Mabel snapped her fingers. "You're Amethyst! 'Cause she can and has shapeshifted into Stan a bunch of times before. Mostly to play pranks on people, but joke's on you Amethyst, cause we're too smart to fall for it this time!"
"Uh, one problem with that theory of yours, Mabel," Dipper pointed out. "Amethyst is usually, you know, purple when she shapeshifts into people? And I doubt even her Stan impression is that good."
"Dipper's right, I'm not Amethyst," Steven grinned proudly as he crossed his arms. "I'm actually… drumroll, please!" Mabel readily offered that drumroll with a pair of pencil's against the nightstand, even though Dipper didn't join in on the excitement as he simply kept a cautious eye on 'Stan'. At least until he finally revealed who he really was. "Steven! Ta da!"
"Whaaaat?!" both twins exclaimed in equally dumbfounded surprise.
"No way," Dipper shook his head, immediately doubtful.
"Whoa, Steven!" Mabel, on the other hand, readily believed it. "Did you shapeshift into Grunkle Stan?"
"Not exactly," Steven chuckled. "You guys know how I was able to go into the minds of one of those Watermelon Stevens a while back? I think I can do that with people now too! That's how I woke up this morning with my mind in Mr. Pines' body! Pretty cool, huh?"
"Oh my gosh! Heck yeah it is!" Mabel exclaimed, absolutely amazed. "What's being a super old man like? Are you all stiff and crinkly because of the arthritis setting in?"
"A little, yeah, but I'm getting used to it," Steven said, stretching out the best he could. "What do you think, Dipper?"
"Isn't Steven-Stan the coolest?" Mabel added, sharing the young Gem's eager smile.
Dipper, however, refused to adopt that smile himself, the shared levity completely lost on him as he instead looked to Steven, stern disapproval clear on his face. Especially as he thought of exactly what this bizarre turn of events, of what someone completely taking over the body of someone else, reminded him so very much of. "...I don't like this," he said plainly, deciding not to go any further into why. At least not right now.
"Aw, why not?" Steven frowned, confused.
"C'mon, don't be such a stick-in-the-mud, bro-bro," Mabel huffed petulantly. "Even you've gotta admit this is the most amazing thing to ever happen. Or… at least to happen this week; a lot of really crazy things happen to us after all."
Dipper said nothing, instead crossing his arms as he glared away from the pair almost bitterly. While his discomfort was somewhat lost on Mabel, Steven did take note of it. And even if he didn't quite understand exactly why Dipper seemed to be so upset, that didn't mean the young Gem wasn't still quite concerned all the same. "Dipper?" he ventured, starting to reach a hand out toward him. "Are you-"
"Oh my gosh, Steven!" Mabel suddenly interjected, breaking through with an excited gasp. "You know we have to tell Grunkle Ford about this. He'll totally flip when he gets a load of the 'new Stan', if ya know what I mean."
"Oh, well, actually I already ran into Mr. Ford on the way up here," Steven said, picking up a small smile once more. "And he was completely fooled! He really thought I was Mr. Pines! Isn't that crazy?"
"The craziest!" Mabel readily agreed.
"In fact, I even-wait," the young Gem stopped short, his eyes widening as a sudden idea came to him. One that could very well accomplish what nothing else so far really had. "You guys… what if… we use this as a way to help Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford finally make up?"
"Oh?" Mabel asked, curious. "Whatcha got in mind, 'Mr. Pines'?"
"I can go talk to Mr. Ford," Steven began. "And he'll think I'm Mr. Pines. That way I can finally get him to open up and talk about he really feels about his brother-"
"Oh! And then you can go into Grunkle Ford's body and do the same thing with Stan!" Mabel finished. "And then they'll finally make up and be best friends again without even realizing it! Steven, that's a brilliant idea!"
"No, that's a horrible idea," Dipper interjected, looking between the pair in absolute disbelief that they'd both be so on board with such an underhanded scheme. "Steven, even if this plan of yours does somehow work, then it won't be Stan and Ford making up; it'll be you doing it for them. Isn't that just a little bit-or should I say really-manipulative?"
"...Yeah, maybe it is..." Steven frowned, rubbing his, or rather the conman's, arm apprehensively.
"But nothing else has worked so far!" Mabel countered. "The camping trip, Emerald City, they've all been big huge busts! We need to face it, Dipper; if nothing is going to get those two talking on their own, then maybe it's time for somebody else, somebody in disguise like Steven here, to step in to help give them a tiny little… nudge in the right direction."
"That's true too," Steven noted thoughtfully. "Sure, it may not be the best way of doing things, but it is a way, one that might actually work too. And as long as it ends up with Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford getting along again, then that's all that really matters, right?"
"Right!" Mabel nodded, assured that this idea could succeed. Dipper, on the other hand, was still absolutely, adamantly against it.
"I can't believe you guys," he said, shaking his head disdainfully. "Steven, you should just… get out Stan's body and back into your own and forget this whole ridiculous plan before it can all come crashing down. Because trust me, it's not going to work."
"Aw, says you," Mabel rebuffed with a wave of her hand. "You never think our ideas are any good, Dipper, just admit it."
"Well even if I don't, at least I usually try to help you guys make them work," Dipper countered crossly. "But this one? I'm sorry, but I refuse to have any parts of this. You guys are on your own."
"Dipper…" Steven said softly, faltering with an uneasy, fretful frown. And yet, Mabel was much more openly frustrated and annoyed by her brother's seemingly stubborn refusal to lend them a helping hand.
"Fine! We'll just get someone else to help us," she huffed petulantly turning on her heel to leave. "Then we'll see just how 'horrible' this plan is after Stan and Ford have finally hugged everything out like they should have done a long time ago! C'mon, Steven, let's get started."
As Mabel coldly headed out, Steven turned to join her, though not before looking back toward Dipper one last time. By now, he'd completely turned away from the pair, his arms tightly crossed as he refused to so much as even acknowledge their exit. Briefly, the young Gem considered making things right with him first, but at the same time, he knew he was quite ill-suited to, especially since he'd already largely made up his mind about the course of action they were going to go through with. And besides, Steven figured, there would always be time to smooth things over with Dipper later; now was the time to finally, finally sort things out between Stan and Ford instead.
At the same time, Dipper remained still, refusing to budge on his stance against assisting in such an asinine plan. All the while, however, he was still trying to shake the sinking dread, the perpetual reminder of an all-too-painful point in the past that he couldn't help but recall every time he so much as thought about the fact that Steven could so easily enter and take over the body of someone else without even really trying at all. The Watermelon Steven had been one thing, but with Stan, it was as though everything had changed. And as he stood there, he hoped with practically everything he had that in light of such a change, his instant misgivings over the the young Gem's peculiar new power wouldn't be proven right after all.
"Wait, I'm… confused," Connie shook her head, trying to process everything Mabel and 'Stan' had just relayed to her. "So… you're not Mr. Pines… you're… Steven?"
"Well… yeah!" Steven grinned. "But I am in Mr. Pines' body, so… I technically I am Mr. Pines while being Steven. Oof, I can't say I blame you for being confused, Connie. This is tricky for even me to wrap my head around…"
"...Steven, this is really weird," Connie said, point blank, looking to the 'conman' incredulously.
"Weird and cool!" Mabel interjected brightly. "And it's about to be exactly what we need to finally help Stan and Ford be the 'Best Bros Forever" that they're supposed to be! Mostly 'cause Steven is way better at getting people to like him than Stan is, no offense to him."
"What are you talking about, Mabel?" Steven frowned. "Tons of people like Mr. Pines! Like us, and Soos, and Amethyst, and… uh… um… hm…"
"Um… guys?" Connie spoke up apprehensively. "Don't you think this whole plan of yours to help Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford out, while good-intentioned, might just be a little… morally ambiguous? And shady?"
"Aw, now you're sounding like Dipper," Mabel huffed, exasperated. "Just think of it like one of those means to an end sort of dealies, where it doesn't super matter how we get there, just as long as we get there. It's like Grunkle Stan himself always says: 'sometimes ya gotta break a few bones to make an omelet'."
"I think you mean eggs, not bones," Connie said, deadpan.
"Nah, pretty sure Stan said 'bones'..." Mabel mused before letting out a sharp gasp upon spotting Ford emerge from the shack, not too far away from their current meeting space outside it. "There's Grunkle Ford! Go on, Steven, put your relationship-repairing skills into action! And don't forget, you've really gotta sell the whole 'you're Stan' thing, ok?"
"Already way ahead of you on that," Steven winked, raising himself to a confident posture to match his brazen grin. "'Stan's the name, and relationship-repairing is my game!' How's that?"
"Uh… maybe a bit too on the nose," Connie frowned.
"Eh, you'll figure something out," Mabel said, unconcerned as she began pushing the young Gem forward. "Now go on out there and glue those two broken teacups back together again!"
Steven nodded, ready to do just that as he left the girls behind to watch whatever happened next from a safe distance away. "So… what should we do when this eventually ends up going wrong?" Connie asked, worried.
"Nothing, cause it's totally not gonna go wrong," Mabel grinned calmly. "Just watch and see."
"H-heya, Mr.-I-I mean-Hi, Ford!" Steven greeted with a cheery smile as he walked up to the author, who was in the midst of checking over some sort of odd handheld beeping device. "Whatcha up to?"
"Oh, simply checking the house's perimeter for an infestation of termants," Ford explained dully. "A highly destructive ant-termite hybrid indigenous to Gravity Falls. Not that it's any of your concern, Stanley, seeing as how you probably never even bothered to think about checking for them over the past 30 years."
"Huh," Steven frowned, unsure of what to really say. "Well… I-I'm sure if I had known about them, then I would have. But if you say they're dangerous, then I'll keep a close eye out for them. Thanks for the heads up!"
"...You're welcome?" Ford raised a confused eyebrow as he looked over at his 'brother'. "Still acting as strange as you were earlier, I see. Is there any… particular reason for your bizarrely… upbeat attitude today?"
"W-well, I just thought I'd have a much better day if I got through it with a smile instead of a grumpy old frown all the time," Steven shrugged, hoping Ford would buy this. Though of course, he didn't.
"Pfft, please," the author scoffed with something that almost sounded like a laugh. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" the young Gem exclaimed, panicking that Ford might have already seen through his ruse. "I am your brother! T-totally not somebody else going around pretending to be him; that'd be just silly."
"...Stanley, I was being sarcastic," Ford remarked flatly. "Though… now that you mention it, you are acting noticeably… un-Stan-like…. Could it be that you're not really who you claim to be after all…?"
"N-no!" Steven took in a sharp, anxious breath. "I-I really am Stan, I promise! I-I can prove it too! I like money, and uh… joy rides..." he listed, getting most of his ammo from Mabel as he glanced back at his shoulder at her, following the prompts she was signing to him. "And… watching TV and… prison?" he finished, offering the author a hopeful smile, one that Ford hardly returned.
Instead, the author kept up his skeptical scowl as he looked past the 'conman' over to Mabel standing in the distance behind him. "Mabel, what exactly are you doing back there?" he asked, interrupting her continued attempts at pantomiming for Steven's sake.
"Oh!" Mabel gasped, caught off guard. "Uh… n-nothing suspicious! I-I… I'm just playing a friendly round of charades with my good friend Connie here!"
"Please don't drag me into this," Connie said stiffly, knowing that the situation had already far passed the line past ridiculous by this point.
"Mm hmm…" Ford nodded dubiously as he turned back to his 'brother'. "Stanley, I don't know what kind of game you and the children are playing here, but I'd much prefer if you left me out of it. Thank you very much."
And with that, the author turned to leave to continue his termant inspection, leaving Steven behind to realize that his plan was very quickly starting to fall apart. "W-wait! I-" the young Gem stopped short, letting out a disappointed sigh as the author walked out of earshot without even so much as thinking about looking back whatsoever. "...You're welcome…"
"So, again I ask, since that the plan more or less has failed," Connie began as Steven paced around the gift shop before her and Mabel. "What do we do now?"
"That's a… good question," Steven admitted with a small sigh.
"I wouldn't say the plan 'failed'," Mabel corrected as she leaned against the counter. "It's just… hit a teeny tiny roadbump. But that doesn't mean we should give up so easily! What we really need to do is find a way to get you and Ford to talk things out without any distractions getting in the way. And being a little more convincing with your whole Stan impression might not hurt either."
"Yeah, I know…" Steven scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess it doesn't matter that I'm using his body; I'm still more Steven than I'll ever be Stan…"
"Yeah, that's… kind of obvious," Connie noted, frowning. "But look at the bright side; your Stan act is pretty convincing in every way outside of, you know, the whole 'acting' part."
The young Gem sighed tiredly as he lay his head down on the counter, clearly at a complete loss as to what to do from here. "This is a mess…"
"Uh, it better not be a mess. Especially not after we spent the entire shop from top to bottom like you told us to last night," Wendy remarked as she and Soos stepped into the gift shop, returning from their break.
"Oh, hey, you guys!" Steven greeted the pair with a friendly wave despite Mabel and Connie's shared alarm over their arrival and just how candid Steven seemed to be over it, given the circumstances. "Sorry, I… wasn't really talking about the shop. But just for the record, it looks great! You two really did an awesome job cleaning it!"
Clearly, both Soos and Wendy were caught off guard by such a kind remark, especially since such sentiments were usually so hard to come by when it came to 'Stan'. "G-gee, thanks, Mr. Pines!" the handyman smiled warmly. "By the way, are you ok? Somethin' seems a little… different about you…"
"Oh!" Steven gasped, remembering the ruse he was supposed to be keeping up. "Uh, n-no, everything's fine. Stan-w-who is me-is A-ok! T-thanks for asking."
"Mm… no, something totally up with you…" Wendy noted, narrowing her eyes at the 'conman' before turning to Mabel and Connie. "You guys got any idea as to what?"
"N-nope, not us!" Mabel said with a forced grin, one that Connie shared as she shrugged innocently. "Everything's totally normal around here! A-and especially with Grunkle Stan here who's just started out on his new Foolproof Path To Becoming a Nicer Person, a plan created by yours truly. Right, 'Grunkle Stan'?"
For a moment, Steven simply looked down at Mabel, absolutely confused until she gave him a knowing wink that silently instructed him to agree. "Oh, uh, y-yeah, that's absolutely right! N-no more, uh, 'Sour Stan' for me! F-from now on, you can just call me… 'Sweet Stan'! Yeah…"
"Oh, ok!" Soos grinned, readily believing this. "Whatever you say, 'Sweet Stan'! Huh, really has a nice ring to it."
"Hm…" Wendy frowned, not buying this herself as she looked to the 'conman' doubtfully. "Alright, then let's put this whole, ugh, 'Sweet Stan' thing to the test. Mr. Pines, can I have a raise?"
"Are you kidding? Of course you can!" Steven instantly exclaimed with an eager smile. "Hanging out with you is one of my favorite things about being at the Mystery Shack, Wendy! Same to you, Soos! In fact, you can both have raises! My treat."
"Whoa, really?" Soos asked, amazed.
"...Eh, you know what? As weird as this whole thing is, I think I'll take it," Wendy shrugged, aptly satisfied by her raise as she ventured pushing the limit just a bit further. "Do you think maybe we could have the rest of the day off too? Just for the heck of it?"
"I don't see why not," the young Gem grinned, hands on his hips. "It's such a nice day outside, so why stay cooped up in here for it? Go on out and have some fun!"
"Wow! Thanks a ton, Mr. Pines!" Soos exclaimed, waving to 'Stan' and the girls as he began to head off, completely oblivious.
"I still don't know what's going on around here but… eh, what do I care?" Wendy grinned, following the handyman out. "Free day off, here I come!"
The moment both Soos and Wendy left, Steven, Mabel, and Connie alike all let out a collective sigh of relief, glad that their cover hadn't been entirely blown even if it had been seen through. "That was way too close…" the young Gem muttered, allayed, though only for a moment as an all new-problem made herself apparent.
"What was too close?"
"Ah!" Steven gasped, stumbling backward as a certain purple Gem dropped down from her spot in the rafters. "A-Amethyst! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, ya know," the purple Gem casually plopped down to take a seat on the counter. "Just hanging around."
"Oh, would you say you hang out more like koalas or sloths?" Steven asked before quickly catching himself. "Uh… I-I'm asking for Steven."
"...What?" Amethyst asked, confused.
"Aha! D-don't mind Mr. Pines, Amethyst," Connie interjected with an awkward chuckle. "He's not exactly… feeling himself today."
"Boy, tell me about it," Amethyst remarked, eyeing the 'conman' warily. "What's all this I hear about you going all 'soft' and 'sweet', Stan? That's not how you roll, never has been, never will be. And don't you two go acting all innocent either," she said to Mabel and Connie. "I know you're both in on whatever dirty little secret Stan's got up his sleeve here, so… spill it."
"Uh… it's… actually not that dirty," Steven said, not seeing much harm in letting the purple Gem know. "Would you believe me if I told you I actually wasn't Stan but I was really Steven and that I used my powers to accidentally send my mind into his body?"
For a moment or two, Amethyst stared at the young Gem blankly, as if baffled by this information before she simply shrugged in calm acceptance of it. "Eh yeah, I guess I would," she said plainly. "I mean, it's not like none of us have noticed that your powers can do some… pretty wacky stuff, Steven. Er, uh… Stan? Stanven?"
"Ooo, if you and Grunkle Stan ever fused, Steven, Stanven would be a perfect fusion name for you guys!" Mabel pointed out, making sure to write the name down for future reference.
"Sooo even if this whole thing was an 'accident'," Amethyst began, leaning toward the 'conman' curiously. "What exactly is your whole endgame here, Stevo?"
"Endgame?"
"Yeah, what's the point of hijacking Stan's body if you're not gonna use it to have some fun?" the purple Gem grinned deviously. "You could drive his car around, crash it into a tree, use his credit card to buy a whole bunch of dumb stuff, the sky's the limit! And the best part is, whenever you guys switch back or however that happens, then we'll all get to see the look on his face when he realizes what happened, it'll be hilarious!"
"Um, actually, Amethyst," Steven interjected. "We were actually hoping to use this as an opportunity to patch things up between Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford…"
"Ew, seriously?" Amethyst groaned. "That's so boring! And pointless. Those two old dorks hate each other. What makes you think you running around pretending to be Stan is gonna change that?"
"Well… we'll never know until we try," Steven shrugged, hopeful. "And maybe you might be able to help us, Amethyst! You've known both Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford for a long time, so maybe you could give us some advice? Especially when it comes to Mr. Pines. Let's just say my impression of him… isn't the best…"
"Yeah, no duh, you're way too nice to make a good Stan," Amethyst chuckled, somewhat amused. "And that's ok. But while nice may be Steven's thing, it sure as heck isn't Stan's."
"Oh! I have an idea!" Mabel raised her hand enthusiastically. "Amethyst, you could Steven a lesson on how to be Stan so that he'll be more convincing the next time he talks to Grunkle Ford. After all, I can't really think of anybody who would know him better than you!"
"Tch, for better or worse," Amethyst remarked sardonically, though ultimately she folded upon meeting the pleading expressions the kids were offering her. "But… fine. I guess I can hook you guys up. But only if we get to pull off a whole bunch of pranks using Stan's body after this whole thing with Ford is over."
"Um, Amethyst, I don't know if that's such a good-"
"Deal!" Mabel interrupted Connie, readily agreeing to such worrisome terms.
"Thanks so much, Amethyst!" Steven cheered, not hesitating to show his gratefulness by embracing the purple Gem.
"Ah ah ah! Stan lesson numero uno," Amethyst pushed away from him. "Stan is absolutely not a hugger."
"Ah, right…" Steven frowned, backing off apprehensively. "...This is gonna be harder than I thought…"
The young Gem took in an anxious breath as him, Mabel, Connie, and Amethyst all rode the elevator down to Ford's private study, hoping that their scheme would end in success this time. For the past hour or so, the purple Gem had drilled him in every tic and trait she knew Stan to have, essentially teaching him how to talk, walk, and overall act exactly as the conman would. And yet, even with those lessons in grumpy gruffness in mind, Steven was still resolved to be a bit softer in his approach than Stan likely would have been, all in the hopes of finally reaching Ford so they could begin finally bridging the broken gap between the brothers once and for all.
Or at least, get halfway there for now.
As soon as the elevator reached the basement's second floor, the group split up, Amethyst, Mabel, and Connie taking to concealing themselves along the sides of the study so they could watch the encounter that was about to unfold. Steven, however, continued forward, steadying his resolve as he quietly approached Ford, who was so engrossed in writing in his journal that he didn't even notice the young Gem's arrival. At least until he spoke up to greet him.
"Uh, hey, Mr. Fo-oh, right! I mean, heya, 'sixer'," Steven began, remembering Amethyst's pointers on how Stan would address Ford in particular. "How's it, um… hanging?"
Ford stood upright with a start at this, spinning around to face his 'brother' in appalled shock. "Wha-Stanley?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "W-where-how did you-what are you doing down here?! How did you even find out about this room? It's a secret study for a reason, you know."
"Oh, um… Amethyst told me about it?" Steven ventured, getting the excuse from the purple Gem herself as he looked over his shoulder at her as she remained in hiding alongside the girls.
"Ugh, of course she did…" Ford groaned, exasperated. "Well, since you're down here, what is that you want? In case you haven't noticed, I'm very busy."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Steven readily apologized, only for Amethyst to clear her throat to catch his attention. The purple Gem shook her head disapprovingly, reminding him once again that 'Stan' needed to drop the manners than Steven always made sure to mind so carefully. "Uh, I-I mean… What, you're busy working on your, uh, 'nerd books' again?" he asked, trying his hardest to carry an air of dry sarcasm in his tone.
"Stanley, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling my important research 'nerd books'!" Ford snapped, not even noticing as the 'conman' flinched back, startled by his harsh tone. "Now, if you'll please state your business down here then be on your way, that would be-"
"I-I wanted to hang out with you!" Steven exclaimed, completely forgetting what Amethyst had told him in an attempt at salvaging this before it was too late.
"You what?" Ford asked, baffled.
"You know… hang out?" the young Gem tried again with a small smile, ignoring the disgruntled look the purple Gem was sending his way all the while. "Like I guess we probably always used to do when we were kids? I just, I mnea… w-wouldn't it be nice if you guys-er, if we finally started getting along again? Just like old times…?"
For a moment, Ford's expression almost seemed to soften at this, though it quickly grew harsh once more as he drew in a sharp, almost offended breath as he shoved away the hand Steven was offering to him. "What kind of fool do you take me for?" he asked, his voice low and undoubtedly angry.
"W-what do you mean?"
"It's it obvious?!" the author exclaimed harshly. "You keep pretending like we can move on and act like nothing ever happened, but we can't Stanley! I missed out on my dream school, I spent 30 years straggling between countless dimensions, barely surviving, all because of you! And yet you want to just forget about all of that without even admitting that you were wrong? Without even saying that you're sorry?!"
"W-well, then I am sorry!" Steven said frantically, hoping to give the author what he wanted to hear in the hopes that it would work. But of course, it didn't.
"But I don't believe you!" Ford exclaimed incredulously, both fury and the first inklings of what almost sounded like grief starting to leak into his tone. "You never act like you're sorry! You just want to act like it's all over and done but it's not! You're always off living in your own little fantasy world, just like you used to do when we were kids! It's like… it's like you don't even care…"
The young Gem froze, genuinely shocked as he noticed tears starting to well up in the author's eyes. Tears that he rushed to wipe away but tears all the same. "H-hey…" he reached a shaking hand out in an attempt to comfort him. "Don't be sad… I-"
"Don't patronize me, Stanley," Ford huffed bitterly, pushing his hand away once more. "After all, we both know you're only doing this for your own gain, just like everything else you've ever done!"
"That's not true!" Steven tried once more but it was very clear by now that Ford was having none of it as he outright pushed his 'brother' away.
"I've had enough, Stanley," Ford sighed tiredly. "Every time I so much as think about making amends with you, you always manage to remind me just how much of a mistake that would really be and I'm done. Now get out."
"B-but wait!" Steven protested as the author continued pushing him back toward the elevator. "I-I just wanted to fix everything!"
"You only ever try to fix anything when it's convenient for you!" Ford shot back fiercely.
"Y-you don't understand-" the young Gem tried to counter, but once again the author sharply cut him off.
"No, Stanley, I understand perfectly," Ford finally stopped just shy of the elevator. "You want me to thank you, to need you; you always have, but I don't. I never have! I've been just fine without you for well over 30 years now and I'll be even better after we finally part ways. And I, for one, can't wait until we finally do. Now GOODBYE, Stan!"
With that, the author shoved his 'brother' into the elevator, pressing the button that would send him back up to the shack's upper levels. However, right before he could, Steven took in a sudden breath, his regret and and guilt having built up to unbearable levels as he finally decided to reveal the truth before it was too late. "I'm NOT Stan!" he shouted just as the elevator doors closed on him.
Taken aback, Ford was quick to call the elevator back down to the study, curiosity getting the better of him. When the elevator doors opened again, they revealed 'Stan' still standing there, tears streaming down his cheeks and his expression awash in genuine remorse. A sight that was more than enough to surprise the author even more. "What…?" he asked, looking over the 'conman' cautiously.
"I'm actually… Steven," the young Gem confessed with a sad sigh. "I accidentally used my powers to send my mind into Mr. Pines' body a-and then we thought we use this to help you guys make up but… it didn't work, obviously…"
"...We?" Ford raised an eyebrow, still unsure of what to really think about such a strange story as a whole.
"Yeah… we…" Mabel spoke up, stepping out into the open alongside Connie and Amethyst.
"Mabel? Connie? Amethyst?" Ford turned to the trio, even more confused than before. "What are you three doing down here? Actually, you know what? Forget that. Let's focus back on the part about Steven's mind supposedly being in Stan's body…"
"I just wanted to help you guys," Steven frowned earnestly, wiping some of his tears away. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings like this, Mr. Ford! I'm so sorry!"
"...Alright, so maybe you actually are Steven…" Ford noted, his doubt starting to dissipate somewhat. "Stanley would never apologize to me, after all."
"That's what I tried telling him," Amethyst remarked, crossing her arms. "But did he listen to me or any of my 'What Would Stan Do' lessons? Nooooo, 'course not. He had to get all soft and sweet. Tch, if the real Stan was here, he'd totally be gagging all over the place right now."
"Speaking of Stanley…" Ford began thoughtfully. "I'm assuming you somehow entered his mindscape, Steven. But that begs the question… is Stan inside of yours?"
"Wait, do you mean Mr. Pines' mind could be inside of Steven's body?" Connie asked, bewildered.
"I'm… not sure," the author frowned, turning back to Steven in the hopes that he'd know more about his mysterious powers than anyone else would. "Would he?"
"...I don't know," Steven said starkly, having not even considered the possibility until now.
"You don't know?!" Ford exclaimed, aptly alarmed.
"Maybe we should check?" Mabel ventured, feeling the rising panic in the room.
"Uh, ya think?!" Amethyst exclaimed, rushing to the elevator first. The others all quickly piled onto it, frantically pressing the button until it took them to the shack's main floor. From there, they all rushed out of the building altogether, knowing that the temple would be the best place to check for the young Gem's body. If it wasn't there, then there would be no telling where it might be.
However just as the group burst out of the shack, Soos' truck just so happened to be pulling up with both of the shack's employees in tow. "Thanks again for the ride, Soos," Wendy said, stepping out of the vehicle.
"No problem, dude," Soos said, grinning as he tipped his hat to her.
"Can't believe I forgot my jacket here again," the cashier rolled her eyes. "Better hurry in and go get it before Stan changes his mind about our day off."
"Oh hey, speaking of Stan, there he is!" Soos pointed out the group ran past them toward the temple.
"Huh, wonder where they're going in such a hurry," Wendy said with a curious frown.
"Wanna find out?"
"Not really-"
"Too late! We're emotionally invested now!" the handyman exclaimed, running to catch up with the others. Even if she wasn't too keen on going herself, Wendy ultimately let out a sigh of defeat as she joined in the chase too, albeit at a much slower, more lax pace.
At the same time, Steven, Ford, Connie, Mabel, and Amethyst all reached the temple, dashing up the porch stairs only for the young Gem to find another obstacle barring their path. "I-It's locked!" he cried, trying his hardest to push against the screen door to get it open. As he tried rushing for it, he ultimately bounced right off and rolled back, leaving them with no way in. At least, not until Ford easily managed to kick the door down without much effort at all.
"Whoa, breaking and entering into Steven's house?" Wendy asked as she and Soos watched this as they continued their way up toward the temple. "This suddenly got a lot more interesting."
"I'll say!" Soos eagerly agreed. "But um… doesn't Amethyst already live there?"
"Hey, man, nobody ever said you can't sneak into your own place," Wendy shrugged with a grin. "I do it all the time."
As the larger group rushed into the house, they wasted no time looking around for the young Gem's body, Connie spotting it first as it lay listlessly on the bed upon on the loft. "Steven! There you are!" she called, pointing the young Gem's way back to his own body. The others all ran after him, taking just the briefest of moments to take in the sight of Steven's real body, still sleeping soundly before them, with no signs of Stan inhabiting it really apparently.
"H-how do you switch back?" Mabel looked to Steven, or 'Stan' as it were, anxiously.
"I-I don't know!" Steven shook his head, gripping his slumbering body by the shirt and shaking him roughly. "Come on! Wake up!"
"Whoa, what's going on?" Soos asked as he and Wendy stepped through the house's broken-down door.
"I have no idea but I gotta say," the cashier placed her hands on her hips. "This was not what I was expecting to see on my day off."
By now, Steven had gotten desperate, and aside from shaking his sleeping self up, he'd also taken to lightly tapping him on the face in a hectic attempt at rousing himself, one that didn't seem to be working. "Augh! Wake UP!" Frustrated, the young Gem finally lashed out, finally slapping himself hard enough to finally, and miraculously do the trick.
In an instant, Steven found himself back in his own body, his own eyes flying open as he bolted upright in bed. However, he barely even had time to settle back into his own skin before he noticed the body he'd just been in starting to sway. Stan seemed to be only barely conscious, his eyes rolling back into his head as he began to fall towards the edge of the loft, nearly falling off of it entirely until Ford happened to catch him by his suit coat. As the author pulled him back it, the conman's rather rough fall to the floor was finally enough to snap him fully back into his own mind, even if he still did so rather sluggishly.
"Ugh… I feel like I just got hit by a truck… and I should know because I have been hit by a truck…" Stan muttered, shaking his aching head to clear it before he properly took stock of his surroundings. "Uh… how the heck did I get here? And what's everybody doing here? Is there a party or somethin'?"
"Uh… not exactly…" Connie said with a worried frown.
"Grunkle Stan, don't get mad…" Mabel began just as apprehensively.
"Mad about what?" the conman raised an eyebrow as he picked himself up to stand.
"Steven really didn't mean to-" Mabel continued, though once again, Stan cut her off.
"Mean to what?" he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as he turned to the young Gem.
For his part, Steven let out a tight, anxious laugh to try and ease the growing tension. Even so, he ultimately did admit the truth, knowing there was no use in trying to hide it. "I… might have… spent the day… with my mind… in your body…"
Stan's initial reaction to this news was quite apt, shock overtaking his expression, though strangely he was quick to replace it with a look of stoic acceptance. "Yeah, that sounds about right," he said stiffly, not really giving too much of a reaction at all outside of that.
"Y-you're not… upset?" Steven ventured, gripping his bed's blanket tightly.
"Oh, no, I'm furious," Stan said with a surprisingly steady smile. "In fact, it's taking just about every inch of self control I have to stay calm right now and believe me, it's not easy."
"Stanley, please don't make a scene," Ford huffed, already anticipating his brother's known temper's tipping point.
"Don't worry, I won't," Stan assured. "At least not in here." With that, the conman turned on his heel, heading down the loft and passing by Soos and Wendy on the way out. "What are you two doing here?!" he asked them with a harsh scowl. "Get back to work!"
"B-but what about our day off?" Soos asked, frowning.
"Day off?" Stan scoffed incredulously. "Give me a break! You heard what I said: back to work, now!"
"Ugh, I knew it was too good to be true," Wendy sighed as the conman left.
At the same time, Amethyst eagerly hopped down from the loft, hoping to catch up with the conman as she let out an amused laugh. "Aw man, here comes the freakout I've been waiting for," she grinned, rushing to join Stan right outside. "This is something I don't wanna miss."
And sure enough, she didn't for as soon as Stan stepped outside onto the porch, he finally let his anger out in the form of a single large, loud scream. A scream that Steven simply flinched at the sound of, knowing that once again, another plan to bring the bickering brothers together again had fallen through completely. And this time he only really had himself to blame.
Steven stopped just shy of the gift shop's entrance, letting out a fretful sigh before finally deciding to enter, hoping that he'd be able to make amends for what happened the previous day. Fortunately, it seemed as though he'd get that chance for sure enough Stan was sitting at the counter, boredly tallying up his profits for the day. He didn't so much as even look up as the young Gem entered or even as he approached the counter, but all the same, Steven offered him a friendly, if not somewhat awkward greeting all the same.
"Uh… h-hey, Mr. Pines," he said with a small smile, though Stan said nothing in response, his expression remaining cold as he kept his eyes on his cash. Even so, Steven continued. "Um… I'm really sorry about yesterday. I know it's not much, but… I got you a card." His smile picked up a bit as he slid said card, one that read 'hang in there!', onto the counter. "It's got a koala and a sloth."
Stan finally glanced up at this, first at the card before looking to Steven himself. And try as he might to remain silent and stoic, he couldn't help but crack a small smile upon noticing just how genuine the young Gem's apology really was. "Ugh, kid, put that pout of yours away," the conman sighed tiredly. "I'm not mad, at least not anymore. By now, I've come to expect weird stuff like this happening around here, especially whenever you and the Gems are involved. But what I can't figure out is why you did it in the first place…"
"Well, it was an accident at first…" Steven admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But then I kept it going because I thought… I thought maybe while I was in your body, I could finally help you and Mr. Ford get along again."
Stan let out something of a sharp, almost bitter snicker at this, shaking his head incredulously. "That's what you were trying to do, kid? If you ask me, then you tried way too hard to fix something that's been way too broken to even try to fix for years now."
"W-what do you mean?" Steven asked with a worried frown.
The conman's sardonic grin faded at this, his expression turning more serious as he looked away. "Er… f-forget it," he said dismissively, not wanting to think on the matter any more than that right now. "Still, your heart was in the right place, so I guess I can't fault you too much for basically hijacking my body for a day. Just as long as you promise to never do that to me again."
"I think I can do that," Steven chuckled, allayed that there were no hard feelings.
Stan smiled once more at this, fondly ruffling the young Gem's hair and eliciting another warm laugh from him in the process. "Ya know, Steven," he began thoughtfully, kindly even. "You're a good kid. But… you might wanna ease up a bit on your approach to helping people. You tend to come on… just a little too strong sometimes, if you know what I mean."
"Ease up…" the young Gem repeated, not entirely sure what this advice meant, though he still valued it all the same. "I'll make sure to remember that. Thanks, Mr. Pines."
"No, thank you, kid," Stan remarked with something of a wry smirk. "Knowing Amethyst, she probably tried to rope you into using my body for some of her nutso pranks, so thanks for not following through on any of that."
"No problem," Steven laughed brightly, a bout of levity that Stan soon joined in on. And yet, as that laughter eventually died down, the young Gem couldn't help but steal a glance between the conman and the vending machine on the far side of the shack, behind which lay the elevator that led to the study that Ford was certainly working within, alone as he usually was. And as he did, Steven finally started to understand exactly what Stan's advice truly meant. For maybe his approach, his plan had been wrong all along. Maybe, instead of trying to find ways to push and prod the brothers along to reach common ground, that ground was a place they'd have to find on their own. Maybe, just maybe, the only ones who really could repair what had been broken between Stan and Ford for so long now… were none other than Stan and Ford themselves.
And yet, as Steven took solace in the hope that they someday would, he didn't happen to see who was discreetly peeking in from the den to watch the whole exchange. Dipper let out a small sigh as he pressed back against the wall, closing his eyes as he absently rubbed his left shoulder, a shoulder that had once been heavily injured, nearly gravely so, all while somebody else had been in control of his body. All while he'd lost control of everything that was rightfully his own, all because someone else had decided to take it for a cruel and callous joy ride instead.
And as much as Dipper didn't want to suspect Steven, of all people, of such a thing, he couldn't help but wonder, perhaps even fear, just how far that power, so very similar to a power someone else possessed, could really go.
Ohohoh am I implying something with the end of this chapter here? Who knows? We won't find out for several more chapters anyway so that's fun. Though in the meantime, next time around we're actually going to be entering another little mini-arc, this time focusing on some high-action, dimension-defying flashback adventures! So that'll be fun. As for now, don't forget to share what you thought in the REVIEWS! Until next time!
