AN: Finished watching the newest season of Infinity Train and motivated me to work on this story.

Stan never claimed to be great with kids. Yes, he could entertain them for a while, especially when giving his tours. After all, a kid that was having fun was less likely to touch things they shouldn't and more likely to pester their parents into buying something, which was a win-win situation for Stan. But more than that, such as comforting a crying child, was definitely beyond Stan's area of expertise.

The most baffling thing for Stan about Dipper crying while clinging to him though, was that Dipper was upset on Stan's behalf. Especially over something as simple as Stan being the dumber twin. For as long as Stan could remember, everyone knew that Ford was the smarter twin. Even Stan had known that and had been proud of how much Ford knew.

Everyone had called Stan the dumb twin, from kids to the teachers and even his father. No one had ever tried to say something different. Ford once stood up to a bully that called Stan stupid and only gotten a worse beating for it. Stan had begged him not to do something like that again and Ford had reluctantly agreed. Stan knew for years that Ford was the more important one and he had no problem being Ford's protector. It was hard when he couldn't even do that right…

But that wasn't important right now, as Stan focused back on Dipper and said, "It's alright Dipper. It's going to be alright."

"Not until you promise to call yourself the dumb twin again!" Dipper insisted, giving Stan a determined glare despite the last few tears leaking out. "You're smart even if it's not like how Ford is. And you don't need to be like Ford. I know we've had a hard time connecting sometimes and I haven't always appreciated what you and what you've done for us, but that doesn't mean I want you to change. Mabel and I have a lot of different interests and yeah, sometimes we get on each other nerves but I would never want to change either. You've fought zombies for us and indulge us in our obsession with Ducktective. You don't need to more like Ford. You're great just for being you. Please… I need you to know that!"

"Okay kid…" Stan began. He wasn't sure if he could truly buy that, a lifetime of thinking can be changed so easily by a simple conversation. To the rest of the world, Stan would probably always be the crew up… the dumb twin… But who cared what the world thinks. Dipper and Mabel meant so much to Stan. He'd let the whole world burn if that's what it took to keep them safe and happy.

"If you say I'm special then I am," Stan replied, giving Dipper a grin. If this kid could believe in an old washed-out conman like Stan, then Stan would do all he can not to let him down. Dipper grinned back at Stan and once more hugged him tightly.

Stan - 1142

Dipper - 129

The sound of Ford clearing his throat caused Dipper and Stan to jump slightly, both having momentarily forgotten he was there with their little heart to heart. They both stood up, grumbling playfully about getting dust in their eyes.

"Looking back… I have been a bit forward about following only my plans," Ford admitted, shifting a little awkwardly. "I'll try and be more mindful of that…"

It wasn't an apology, nothing really, but it was a peace offering, one that Stan was willing to accept for Dipper's sake. Stan wasn't ready to hope that Ford was truly sincere yet, not after having his hopes crushed over and over again for decades. But working together to get the twins safe? That was something he could do. Giving Ford a nod of acceptance, Stan checked on Dipper one last time before the three of them headed for the next car.

To Ford's credit, he did put forth an honest effort to both listen to Stan's ideas and to let him help more actively when they came across puzzle cars. It wasn't an easy tradition, as Stan's ideas didn't always pan out or even follow a logic Ford could follow. One car in particular when they had to choose the right gemstone to open the door, Ford was trying to figure out the complicated riddle while Stan just wanted to pick the one that "looked right". Ford started to argue several times before he stopped himself and let Stan go for it. After examining the stones, Stan picked one and he was right, the door opening for them.

"How did you do that Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked, voicing both his and Ford's thoughts as they made their way to the next car.

"People don't call me a con man for nothing," Stan said with a grin. "To be as good as I am, you have the develop the right kind of eye and instincts for this sort of thing. I can't explain it, but I've learned when to follow my gut about these things."

Dipper nodded in understanding while Ford was once again reminded of how little he knew his brother. The next car they came into was set up like an Egyptian tomb, but it had a fake quality to it. It looked more like a movie set or something for a stage.

"This looks like an escape room my family went to," Dipper commented with a fond smile. "It was a lot of fun. Come on, let's look for clues."

The three of them worked surprisingly well together. Dipper was able to crack a cipher the needed to unlock a puzzle box, Ford breezed through a math puzzle to find the right combination for a lock, and Stan was able to spot and open a secret fake panel for the last key they needed. As the three of them walked grinning through the door, they were able to joke and complement each other on how they handled it, feeling for a brief moment like the family they were.

Ford - 2296

Stan - 1114

Dipper - 118

As they entered the next car, they discovered a landscape made entirely of yarn. Before they were even fully in, they heard a familiar young girl's laugh.

"Mabel…" Dipper breathed in both hope and relief. He took off sprinting into the car with Stan and Ford following right behind him.