After a short drive, the group arrived in the town. Stan was finding the right parking spot so he won't get in trouble like last time with the deputies after the fire hydrant incident. For the record: the parking lot was full and he needed to...well, you decide on that. Luckily, an empty spot was there and he stopped the car as it is. Stan and the others got out and took a site at the town.
"Ahh! There's nothing like exploring the town on a Saturday night! I hope you enjoy it." Stan said while Eda and Lilith looked around.
"Wow! You weren't kidding around about this place getting an upgrade." Eda said.
"I agree; new buildings and it's growing so well!" Lilith was in awe as she heard Ford coming beside her.
"After a few...incidents, the place itself was actually bringing in more people from different states! When me and Stan came back to the Mystery Shack, we became a huge hit with the unknown during our trip." He said while they were walking on the sidewalk.
Eda replied, "It's amazing that you two were making things happen while Gravity Falls is changing. I could take a vacation here one day."
Stan chuckled, "I bet! But still, it's great to just go out and see the world and find some good loot. If you know what I mean."
"Do tell, Stanley," Eda smirked with an amusing tone. "You have my interests."
"Only you can make the benefits of seeking lost treasure out there, but not knowing something that could change the world one day." Ford stated.
"That could be nice," said Lilith. "Maybe you could show me some of your discoveries and artifacts soon. I'm curious about your work."
Lilith's gentle smile made Ford blush a little and sheepishly chuckled. "U-Um, yeah! That...w-would be...nice."
Eda could tell that Ford was nervous and getting flustered around her sister. Knowing her, Lilith and Ford could talk about weird and boring stuff all night that she might lose her lunch. Suddenly, Eda had an idea. "Excuse me, Stan. Me and Lily need to have a little chat."
Eda grabbed Lilith away from Ford and went around the corner to have a private talk. "Edalyn, what are you doing?"
"It hasn't been 30 minutes and you're already making him nervous. Nice one, sis!" Eda grinned.
"What?! I-I...don't k-know what you're talking about!" Lilith explained while looking away. "I'm just interested in his work. Nothing special."
Eda said, "Well, at least you're trying to talk with him. Listen, how about we meet back here by the car in exactly one hour or so?"
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Simple: I will have a great night with Stanley while you and his brother can just...I don't know, talk about some weird nerd stuff." Eda suggested.
"But Edalyn, I thought we were doing this double date thing." Lilith complied.
"We are, but I want you to connect with Ford and get to know some stuff about him. Find a common interest to what he likes and go for it." The Owl Lady said.
"I don't know, Edalyn. I mean...I never been on a date before. I've had a few people asking me out, but I turned them down because of my Coven status. Ford seems nice and I don't want to screw up a chance to...well…"
Eda chuckled and placed her hands on Lilith's shoulder. "I get it. It happens to every lady out there finding that special someone. Hell, look at Luz! That girl had to cut her hair back to her old style and set up a romantic dinner date with Minty back home. As for you, sis, I highly doubt you'll screw this up. Give it a chance. Let Ford see the true Lilith Clawthorne and make this night the best one yet. Being in that Coven too long made you lack social skills and mingle with others. Live a little and have fun! Don't be afraid to be yourself."
Lilith did think about how the night will be if it was just her and Ford. It would be nice to have alone time and not get teased by her sister along for it. This could be her chance to interact with people better and...have someone special along the way. "Okay, Edalyn. I'm in."
Eda soon hugged her sister and said, "That's my Lilith! Let's go!"
The Clawthorne sisters returned to their dates as Stan and Ford were done talking to a few people. The brothers turned around and Ford started to speak. "You've made it back. We were starting to worry."
"It's nothing, Ford. Me and Lily were just discussing some things and thought we could do our thing for tonight." Eda stated with a grin.
"How so?" Stan asked. Suddenly, he had one of his arms wrapped up by Eda as she was feeling giddy.
"Well, you have me for tonight. How about you have your brother here show Lily around town for a bit? Let her explore in case she might visit here and won't get lost." She suggested.
"Hmm. You know what? That doesn't sound too bad!" Stan approved. "I'm sure Poindexter wouldn't mind, don't you Ford?"
"Only if Miss Clawthorne doesn't mind." Ford stated. "Want me to give you the tour?"
Lilith giggled softly and replied. "You can call me Lilith and I don't mind."
"There's your answer!" Stan then turned to Eda. "Come on, toots! I know a fancy restaurant that's calling our name."
"Sounds great! Bye, Lily! Stay safe!" Eda said as her and Stan were heading out to the best restaurant in town.
"Shall we go as well, Ford? I'm feeling hungry myself. It doesn't have to be fancy." Lilith said in a soft tone.
Ford smiled. "There's a diner not that far from here. Best meals to enjoy!"
"I'll take you word for it," said Lilith as they began to walk towards Greasy's Diner.
Franco's Bistro
Gravity Falls's first French restaurant was made a while back when things were expanding. It had the best service, quality atmosphere, great food, and live music performance. Few people were fancy with money and most were regular people to enjoy the scenery. Stan and Eda were waiting patiently on their table as was busy during the weekend. They didn't mind as the Owl Lady was observing the place.
[Cherie - Betcha Never]
"When did they establish this building?" Eda asked.
"During the time that Gravity Falls was becoming more popular, some rich folks wanted to know how to enjoy fancy places like this. So, Ford and I talked to some guys to help an old pal of mine to have it ready for the public. Franco was an old buddy of mine and he owns the best restaurant in Gravity Falls." Stan explained.
"Must be a rich man after hitting it big, huh?" She complied.
"You kidding?! He's practically swimming with the Benjamin at this moment." Stan chuckled and Eda followed. "But you know, he's not the only rich guy here."
Eda raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Stan smirked and answered, "Remember when I told you that me and Ford were venturing out to sea? Well, we found a lot of mysterious treasures and gems that it was enough to own an acre of land! After this jerk Preston lost all of his fortune, it was given to the town and the residents wanted to give some to me and Ford. We declined as we've gotten our own loot since coming back."
"Are you telling me that you and your brother are rich?!" Eda gasped.
"Yep! Richer than Preston, I must say!" Stan chuckled. "Ford had some artifacts donated and sold to other colleges and labs throughout the world and I kept some loot of mine safe with me. Of course, the Mystery Shack is just the place to work and somewhere to relax. Our new home is close in the forest and spacious for the townsfolk to come when he host parties."
"Impressive, Stanley." Eda stated as the waiter motioned them to follow him. "Never thought a man like you to get rich quick without even trying."
"Hey, Ford and I did it with hard work and teamwork without lying and cheating through things that could hurt others. Preston learned the hard way and paid the price for his ancestors' sins." Stan said.
Eda smiled and replied, "Well, I'm proud of you for that."
[Michael Buble - Home]
The waiter lead them to their table and they sat down right near the dance floor. "Please, take your time as I'll be with you shortly to take your order."
"Thanks, pal. Also, can you bring back your famous wine on the way back? Just making the night special for the lovely lady." Stan stated as Eda giggled softly.
"But of course, Mr. Pines." The waiter then whispered something in Stan's ear and continued. "By the way: She's a fine catch. Nice!"
"Indeed!" Stan replied as the waiter left and Eda was checking stuff on the menu. "So, Edalyn, how's everything going with you?"
"Meh. Just doing the regular stuff: Making potions, selling human artifacts to suckers, and teaching a human a spell or two." Eda answered. "How about you? Your kids giving you a hard time?"
Stan sighed. "They're fine. They really love it here after everything that's been happening."
"I've heard; you explained about how they lost their parents." Eda said solemnly.
"Freak accident at the gas station 20 miles away from here. It's a miracle that Tyrone survived while he was getting something from the store. Drunk trucker just crashing through and caused a huge explosion; the kid would've died. But still, he felt guilty for not saving them." Stan frowned while looking away.
"I'm sorry for the loss," said Eda.
"It's fine." He replied. "The triplets found closure and kept going strong. In fact: those three are now the heroes of this town after stopping a certain creep from taking over reality. I don't want to say his name since it could remind people about you-know-what."
Eda nodded. "I know. And the things they can do now?"
"Well...let's just say that a flying nacho chip had broken many laws and space time that he was destroyed and his powers were given to the kids. They barely used them unless they were ready for the right time in case of emergencies. But they trained well as they were a group that no one should mess with. On the bright side: Mabel, my pumpkin, has made so many sweaters with her powers that she was raking up more cash than I could count!"
"Are they that famous?" Eda asked with a smile.
"You kidding?! Her sweaters are warm enough to survive a blizzard than a coat for three days!" Stan exclaimed.
Eda giggled. "Remind me to start a business with her one day."
"With her, you'll be having gold delivered to your doorsteps soon." Stan chuckled as they were enjoying some good laughs.
"Hello, you two. I have brought the Franco Special wine. And I hope things are to your liking." The waiter said as he poured the wine in their glass.
"We are, sir." Eda said. "And I would love to try out your special. Something to start my appetite."
"And I would like the same as well." Stan added.
"Of course, you two. It shall be done." The waiter said as he left.
"I missed this." Eda said.
"Missed what? Going to a nice restaurant like this?" Stan replied.
"No, I mean…" Eda sighed. "Have you...talked to the others? About us?"
Stan raised an eyebrow from her question, but soon got the answer inside his head. "Nah. Told them about other stuff...but never about us before."
Eda took a sip of her wine and asked, "Why haven't you? You would've told everyone who I was before."
"That you were named Marilyn and we got married in Vegas?" Stan inquired. "It was also the time that you've made divorce papers the third day after...your 'incident'."
Eda looked away with a sad look and knew what he meant. On their second day of marriage, Eda and Stan were living the good life and having fun. But before things would get more better, Eda suddenly had issues with a certain curse that turned her into something fierce and dangerous. It nearly made Stan freak out and running away from Eda's beast form. It was lucky for him to find a certain elixir to be thrown right at the beast and spilling the content on her; having her revert back to normal.
The damage was done and the truth came out as Eda looked at Stan with fear as if she destroyed her chance of finding true love. Stan wanted to confront her and see if she was alright, but Eda was scared as she ran away with tears in her eyes. On the next day, Stan was received divorce papers and the engagement ring on his doorstep. It nearly broke him inside and had him leave on the road again.
"I was...scared...and hurt that night. I almost killed you and didn't think if the situation got worse while I was around." Eda stated.
"I would've helped you out and see if I could try and fix your...curse thing." Stan said.
"I didn't want to put you in that position. You were a real gentleman to me and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you...or worse." Eda took another sip and continued. "Besides, I thought you would've found someone better."
Stan huffed. "I doubt it. No woman out there was never interested in me."
"What about Carla?" Eda asked.
Stan took a gulp of his wine and replied, "Her? Pff! That girl was dating karma for what she did. The moment she left me for that greasy-haired hippie, she has been doing some shady stuff and following up on his cult-craving ideas. Hell, she finally woke up and discovered that he was doing the same thing to other women before AND after her!"
Eda winced at that. "Ouch."
"Anyway, the guy was sent to jail for stuff I don't want to talk about. One day, she called me up and asking if I can help her. But...my old self was angry and distant that I hung up on her. That was after you left me and I never heard from Carla ever since." Stan said as he took another sip of his wine. "I needed her and she broke my heart when she left me. But I moved on."
"Wow." Eda spoke softly. "So...no woman made you happy?"
Stan made his answer happen as he placed his hand on Eda's and smiled. "No one except you, Edalyn." Upon hearing that, the Owl Lady had a soft genuine smile and felt her heart beating. This feeling...it was as if she was igniting an old flame that was once gone, but now growing slowly as she was starting to feel the love she once lost.
Soon after, their dinner was ready and began to eat. The salmon they ordered was amazing with the right seasoning and got some more wine. Stan and Eda were having conversations about some things and what they've been doing before the kids arrived in their lives.
"So now you don't have the curse anymore, correct?" Stan questioned.
"Uh huh. After Belos was petrified, me and Luz found a secret chamber to where his scrolls were; containing a spell to rid me and Lilith of our shared curse." Eda said. "Although we can do magic again, I got my youth back and decided to keep my white hair. Kinda loving it and makes me...fierce."
"I'm glad to hear that, Edalyn. You've been through a lot lately and I'm happy you finally got what was lost from that curse. And it's great that we meet again after all these years." Stan said.
Eda blushed a little. "Same here, Stanley. I never had a chance to love again after everything. But right now, I'm hoping if we...can start over."
Stan asked, "You mean...be an item again?" Eda nodded, "Well...only if you want to. But before I could answer, I want to do one thing."
"What would that be?" Eda questioned.
Stanley got up from his chair and went to his date as he extends his hand. "I want to know if I could ask for just one dance with the most beautiful woman I used to marry."
[Michael Buble - Everything]
[Morten Harket - Can't Take My Eyes Off You]
Eda blinked a few times and smiled at the man she used to fall in love with. She took his hand and Stan walked her to the dance floor. Others were joining in, but to those two, it was like they were alone and enjoying the music. With every movement, Stan was following along the song patterns and not missing a single step. Eda, however, was a natural when it comes to dancing. Hell, she had to teach Lilith some moves in case she found someone.
While dancing, Eda was thinking about the day that her and Stan first met and were enjoying their night dancing right on top of the hotel roof under the moon. The night she fell for him was when he was impressed on how much cash they were winning together and suckered all the patrons of a few dollar bills. Stan was good with counting money as he even gave Eda 60% of the profit. And with the rest, he went out his way to purchase a lovely diamond ring to propose to her in front of everyone in a fancy restaurant. She wanted to say no, but her heart was telling her to stop living in fear and enjoy love at first sight. Thinking back on how her life was, Eda felt that she wanted to start over and settle down with someone who truly loves her. Stan has proven that and accepted the ring.
[Michael Buble - Put Your Head On My Shoulder]
Out of nowhere, Eda's eyes were brimming tears at the memory of her soulmate making her happy. Stan notice this and asked with concern. "Say, Edalyn. Are you okay?"
Eda wiped her tears away and smiled at her date. "I'm fine. Just thinking about Vegas."
"About the day we first met? Good times. Although, I've felt that we've rushed it a bit on the engagement thing." Stan chuckled.
"Actually...I was glad you did that." Eda replied while looking into his eyes. "Ever since I've had the curse, I was running away from my problems and getting in trouble with the law. I was on the run and had no one to support me during that time. I was lonely...sad...hurt...and scared on what my life would be if I didn't make that portal to escape my troubles. But after showing here to this realm, I was...free. And happy. But do you want to know what I really love about Earth?"
"What was it," asked Stan.
Eda moved her hand and placed it on Stan's cheek. "It was during the time that I was making money, I've met you. The moment I saw you, Stanley, was that you were taking risks at being a conman and living a good life that I've never seen someone so alive and being his own person. I even got the chance to talk with you and...we connected. You're brave, carefree, and sweet that I finally found something to be happy about. My feelings for you were real and it never changed since then."
Stan was speechless to hear the words from Eda that he was smiling with care to know that the feeling was not fading away and still ignited. Before he would say anything, Eda laid her head on his shoulder while they were slow dancing.
"I love you, Stanley Pines." Eda stated with care. "Even though I can never take back what we've lost because of some misfortune, I wish I could start over. We could start over. And if I have to wait longer, I'll do so to know I'll be with you no matter what.
Stan didn't have to say more as he was glad to hear those words spoken to him. He pulled Eda back and had Eda's hands together while his were enclosing them. "You really mean that, Eda?"
The Owl Lady smiled at him when he said her name like that as she nodded her head softly. "I do."
"Well then...I was saving this for later when we would go out one day. But since you've convinced me…" Stan pulled on a string from his neck and revealed something that made Eda gasped in shock.
"Stanley! Is that…?!"
"Yep. The ring that I gave to you after you left. Even though I signed the papers, I soon prayed that one day we will meet again and...I wanted you back in my life again. No woman could ever compete with you, Edalyn. Beautiful and all, you're my true soulmate and I promise that I will be there for you. I would even follow you to Hell and back to safely have you in my arms again." Stan stated with compassion in his heart.
"Oh, Stanley." Eda covered her mouth as tears were flowing down and her eyes were wide when Stan got down on his knee to do something he wanted to do again.
"So, Edalyn Clawthorne, want to start over and marry me again?" He asked kindly as the other people witnessed the proposal right in front of them.
A smile was made on Eda's face as she motioned him to stand up for the moment. As soon as he was up, Eda held his cheeks and pulled him forward for a sincere kiss. The people were cheering and the Owl Lady released the kiss so she can accept the ring.
Once the ring was on her finger, Eda hugged fiance around his neck and said, "Thank you, Stanley Pines, for accepting me in your life again."
Stan hugged back and replied, "Anytime, honey."
They pulled away and spotted a photographer coming up to them with a camera in hand. "Say, do you mind if I take a picture of you two?"
Stan and Eda looked at each other and nodded their heads. Stan pulled Eda close by the waist as Eda leaned in and placed her hand on his chest. Two seconds before the photographer clicked the button, the Owl Lady kissed her fiance on the cheek as he smiled happily.
[SFX: Click!]
Tonight was a night to remember and Eda finally found love again.
TBC
Well, that happened! These two lovebirds are reunited again and I can imagine what the wedding will be like now that they have friends and family in their lives as well. Up next is Lilith and Ford and who knows what they will be doing on their night together. Later and review the story!