Ford sat on the kitchen floor with his back against the cupboards, clinging to his knees, his glasses still in hand. His throat was sore and his eyes hurt and his nose was runny and his heart was raw and broken, and yet he wasn't done crying. Though he was done sobbing and occasionally crying so hard he thought he would throw up, free-flowing tears still streamed down his face as he hid the bottom-half of his head in his beefy arms.

"What do we do now?" He moaned.

Stan looked at the know-it-all who didn't have a clue. He sighed and moved to sit next to him, his back against the cupboard and his knees up by his chest as he combed his mullet. "I dunno… Sit here and die?"

Ford hiccuped a cruel laugh and buried his face in his arms fully. "I wish I could."

Stan snorted. "What's that saying? The good die young?"

Ford groaned and started to sob again.

Stan rubbed his back, his head against the cupboard and he looked up at the ceiling. "O-Okay, okay… Let's think about this. So we never made up, or something else really bad happened between us, and that's the timeline Mabel was from, right?"

"Right." Ford gruffed, lifting his head up and rubbing his eyes dry.

"So, since that didn't happen, or it happened differently… B-But that doesn't mean she's… She'll still exist in our timeline, won't she? She's gonna be okay?" He asked the scientist, digging for some kind of hope.

Ford sighed and rested his cleft chin on his arms. "As long as what happened didn't interfere with Alex's life too much… Which I don't know how it could… Mabel and Dipper should still be born in 1999. There's a small possibility they'll be different than what they once were, or because of some unseen butterfly effect, their birth might be different or might not happen at all… But…"

The eldest by fifteen minutes slipped his glasses back on, stood, and said stubbornly, "I'm going to do what I can to ensure it is a better future than what the kids had. Our entire family was broken because of what we did and didn't do. Clearly either one of us went insane or died or something horrible, and I won't allow that to happen."

"I don't think we gotta worry too much about that happening." Stan said from down on the floor. "I mean, if Mabel changed things so much that an entire reality changed, then we don't really gotta do much except not screw this up."

Ford laughed and held out a hand to his twin, who gladly clasped it and stood. "You're right."

But the men were disheartened to finally notice the mess in the kitchen. Mabel's cake batter sat on the flour-dusted counter, the oven was hot and ready for baking, and the muffin tray was on the floor from where Mabel dropped it. Ford looked down at the sweater he was wearing - the sweater she had knitted for him - and without a word he walked to the living room and saw Mabel's knitting sitting on the couch where she had left it, a completed red sweater with a golden heart on it.

Ford smiled mournfully and held the sweater as Stan joined him and gasped at the sweater. The big brother held it out to the little brother and croaked, "We'll see her again."

Stan smiled, cleared his throat, and took off his hoodie and snagged the new sweater to slip it over his old white t-shirt. "Yeah."

July 22nd, 1980

Ford held the lantern up to better read the writing in the cave. He peered at it and was intrigued by a description of a being with answers. It would be summoned if he read out-loud, and though there were many clear warnings against this, the desperate scientist was extremely tempted.

"Sixer! Let's move before we get caved in or some shit." Stan called as he walked up to Ford. "What are you reading, cavemen graffiti?"

"Look, Stanley, there are tales of an all-knowing being with answers. It could help me with my theory…"

"Nope." Stan grabbed Ford by the collar of his trenchcoat and dragged him away like dragging a child out of a toy store.

"Stanley! Let me go!"

"That shit's got bad voodoo written all over it! You've gotta be inhaling toxic cave gas or something to think summoning a demon is a good idea!"

"We don't know it's a demon."

"Really? Then why does that wall read in old blood 'Do not summon demon!'?"

"Huh. Well, um…"

"That's what I thought, now don't make me pick you up and carry you. Let's move." And he lightly shoved Ford forward to lead the walk away from the cave and through the tunnels for sunlight.

Alex's wedding was wonderful and a joyous day, but it also made Ford and Stan nervous. They both agreed not to say a word to anyone (as far as Fiddleford knew, Ford had found the girl's parents and all was over and ended well), and white they were happy to be one step closer to meeting the kids, they were slightly worried that something might be different than Mabel's timeline.

She never told them her mother's name. Did Alex marry someone else? Did they marry at the correct time? There was no way of telling, and they both agreed to allow themselves to enjoy the day and maybe drink a little. Or a lot.

When Shermie called and told them that Alex and Dana were going to have a baby, Ford choked on his coffee and Stan dropped the phone. They silently exchanged looks and were terrified that there was only one baby. But it was seven months before the end of August, so maybe the new parents were choosing to keep everything a surprise. Knowing Alex, that is something he would do, especially if there were twins. A beautiful surprise for his twin uncles.

So they congratulated Shermie and made him swear to call them if anything happened so they could be there. And despite their fear, they were very joyous of becoming grunkles again.

August 31st, 1999

The entire week leading up to the day, the men were incredibly anxious. The birthday was on 31st, which meant Dipper and Mabel could be born at 1am on the 31st, or 11pm on the 31st. They had no way of knowing, but as long as that damn telephone stayed silent, they weren't leaving the house all weekend. Neither of them slept the night of the 30th, just in case.

Finally, a little after coffee on the 31st, the phone rang. Both Ford and Stan tackled each other and fought for it, but Stan sat on Ford and grabbed it first.

"Stanley, get off me!"

"Stanley, what are you doing to your brother?" Shermie chuckled on the other end.

"Nevermind that, Sherm!" Stan laughed. "What's going on with you?" He asked casually, though he smiled down at Ford, who smiled back, despite still being sat on in the kitchen.

"Well, you guys know I'm gonna be a grandpa soon…"

"Really? Had no idea." Stan said sarcastically as he stood up to get off Ford. "So? Is it happening now?!" Ford ran down the hall.

Shermie laughed. "Yup. I just got here myself and Alex and Dana got here about twenty minutes ago."

"Piedmont Hospital, right?"

"Right."

"We'll be there in six hours."

"It's an eight hour drive!"

"I said six hours!"

"STANL-" But Stan hung up the phone.

Stan hurried up to his attic bedroom and dressed in his baby-blue Hawaiian shirt and slacks, while also grabbing a suitcase he's had ready all week, prepared to stay as long as Alex and Dana needed him.

He ran back downstairs with suitcase in hand, with Ford by the door, and they sprinted into the Stanmobile and drove down the road.

Shermie was waiting for them in the hall, beaming with joy, and his little brothers ran to him for a tackle-hug.

"Good to see you, Grandpa!"

"Congratulations, Shermie!"

"Thank you, thank you!"

"Did we miss it?!" Stan asked. "Has it happened yet?!"

Shermie grinned and nodded. "Yes, everyone is safe and fine." And he opened the door.

The aged explorers beamed (and no, they weren't crying) to find Alex holding one baby and Dana holding another baby. The eldest pair of twins high-sixed and cheered and then gently approached the little ones, beaming down at them.

It was like they had been holding their breath for twenty years, and now they could finally breathe.

"What are their names?" Ford asked quietly, seeing how each newborn was sleeping soundly.

"This is Mabel," Alex introduced, giving the bundle to Stan.

"And this is Mason." Dana said tiredly, giving her son to Ford to hold.

Stan and Ford were a bit concerned with the name change, but one look at the baby boy relaxed them. Of course a name like Dipper was a nickname.

"Matching names, huh?" Stan asked cheekily, cradling Mabel and looking down at her with shining brown eyes.

"We couldn't help ourselves." Alex chuckled.

Ford's eyes were glued to Mason. While of course he had been dying to see Mabel again, he had also been excited to meet his science-loving nephew. He was so cute and small in his polydactyl hands and Ford knew it would take a lot more strength than what he had to let him go.

The author tore his eyes away to see his twin looking down at Mabel with tears in his eyes, holding her close to his heart and trying really hard to hold it together, but his joy and peace was far stronger than any bad habits that stopped him from showing his emotions. Stan lightly kissed Mabel's cheek and Ford saw his lips barely move, though he didn't hear what he said. Which was fine by him. Ford smiled back down at Mason, finally content.

No one heard him say it, thank Moses, but Stan couldn't help himself. He had whispered to his niece as quiet as a mouse, "I've missed you, pumpkin."

And finally, after all these years, the small hole in the boys' hearts could be filled.

THE END