Stan and Ford passed through the next few train cars in relative silence, the absence of the younger twins felt acutely. They both knew they had to address the heavy baggage that stained their relationship, but neither one wanted to be the one to speak up first. So they kept putting off their conversation and talking about trivial topics until they came to a cat with a big canyon cutting them off from the door. There were what seemed to be rock-like beings dropping from the ceiling every few seconds that were slowly filling up the canyon.

"Looks like we just have to wait here until the canyon I'd filled so we'll be able to cross it," Ford said after a few minutes of studying the room. "It's going to take several hours though."

"Eh… I could use a break," Stan replied, shrugging off his pack and getting comfortable. "Not as young as I used to be."

"That's accurate," Ford agreed, stretching as he settled down as well. They used the opportunity to make themselves some food and rest as they waited.

"So Stan…" Ford began carefully. "About my science project…"

"Ugh… do we have to do this now?" Stan interrupted, tensioning up at the unpleasant topic.

"Yes, Stan we do!" Ford replied, unable to help the frustration that slipped into his tone. "We're not going to get our numbers down until we do, so might as well get it over with!"

"Why does it even matter!" Stan argued. "It was decades ago! It's not important anymore!"

"It was important to me!" Ford replied, nearly yelling. "That project meant a lot to me and I worked so hard on it and you didn't even care that you ruined it! You never even apologized for it!"

"Alright fine!" Stan yelled, getting up and pacing in front of their campsite. "I'll give you your stupid apology! I'm sorry alright! It was a stupid mistake made by a dumb kid! I know I should have said something, but I didn't want you to get mad! Fat lotta good that did me! I'm sorry I stopped you from going to your dream school! I'm sorry you ruined your future!"

Stan huffed in frustration for a bit before sinking back down unto the ground. After a moment Stan said with a lot more sincerity, "I really am sorry Sixer, I didn't mean to mess it up for you."

"Thank you for that Stan," Ford said, a knot he had carried in his chest all these years finally loosened. "I do wish you had come clean about that sooner, but I admit that I overreacted by believing that a high school project could determine my entire future. Sure, I had to work a lot harder to exceed than I would have at West Coast Tech, but I still did well. I managed to get a grant and was able to study what I wanted. Until I got into that mess with Bill, one could say I was living my dream."

"I guess it's nice to know I don't ruin everything for you," Stan grumbled, picking at nothing in the dirt. "I guess had been holding you back… I never accomplished anything on my own."

"That's not true Stan!" Ford countered, surprising Stan with his conviction. "Whoever gave you that…"

Ford trailed off as he remembered how he had said something similar to that during their fight. Words he had spit out without even caring how much they would have hurt.

"Anyway… that isn't true, you weren't holding me back," Ford said once he could speak past the lump in his throat. "Sure, I had convinced myself that had been the case after you were kicked out, but it was only an excuse. You had been the only one that had been supporting me and my dreams the whole time and I shouldn't have thrown away years of love and support for one stupid mistake. For that I'm sorry."

"Were you ever going to talk to me again?" Stan asked quietly, holding his legs close. "Without the mess, you ended up in that made you send that postcard… would you have ever reached out to me?"

"No… Probably not…" Ford shamefully admitted, unable to look at Stan. "At first, it was just easier to stay mad at you rather than let myself feel hurt. Eventually, I just didn't think about you at all. Whenever I did, I just convinced myself you were fine and livening the high life rather than let myself get worried about you. I don't know if I would have ever reached out to you if I hadn't been so desperate."

"Probably would have ended up dead soon anyway if you hadn't contacted me when you did," Stan admitted with a shrug. "I wasn't exactly in the best of circumstances."

That easy way he said it as if it was pure fact, sent a chill down Ford's spine. It terrified Ford to know that his brother could have ended up dead and would have never known. Ford clenched his hands into fists as he realized once again how terrible a brother he had been. He had so much to make up for, but Ford would do it, even if it took the rest of his life.

"I never doubted you would come," Ford confessed. "Even though I was mad at you and still convinced you had been holding me back, I still believed you would help me anyway."

"It hurt Sixer," Stan whispered as if he didn't want to admit his feelings to anyone. "It hurt to think my brother finally wanted me back in his life only to find out you were just using me as an errand boy that you never wanted to see again."

"I wasn't in the best frame of mind… but that's no excuse for how I treated you," Ford agreed. "It was cruel of me to do that. I'm sorry I've been a terrible brother."

"Me too," Stan agreed softly.

The two sat quietly for a while after that, digesting everything that had been said. Eventually, the canyon was filled and they were able to make their way to the next car, both feeling a lot lighter than they had in decades.

Stan - 305

Ford - 311