"Well, well, well well well well well well well well!" Bill's voice echoed from Gideon's mouth. "Good to see you again, beast, you're looking good."

"You," Dipper snarled. "You're the one who cursed him."

"Hey, hey, you're not as dumb as you look, Pinetree." Bill taunted.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Dipper suddenly broke from Stan's hold and charged at Bill, but when he raised his hand, the boy suddenly floated and couldn't move. "What?!"

"Possession and curses aren't all I can do." Bill shared boastfully. He suddenly fell back and rolled as a giant claw left-hooked him in the face. Dipper fell face-first and was assisted up by his sister, free from Bill's spell.

"RUN!" Stan shouted back at the kids as he moved towards Bill swiftly, but neither Dipper or Mabel moved.

"You think you can defeat me?!" Bill cackled maliciously. "I'm the Master of the Mind! The Demon of the Nightmare Realm! You're just some unwanted monster! A disgusting creature! You're vile! You're foul! You're flawed!"

"Also CUTE AND FLUFFY!" And Stan pounced for the kid, but Gideon suddenly floated in the air.

"Maybe you can fight me, but they can't." Bill snarled and dove for the kids.

"NO!"

The three rolled down onto another balcony and Bill had Gideon's hands around Dipper's neck, choking him. Mabel elbowed him off of her brother and Bill had no issue hurting a girl, so he punched her and they began to fight. Bill quickly kicked Mabel away and Dipper hurried to her. Bill clapped his hands together and made a long dagger appear between his palms, grabbing it and ready to fight. "Let's get this over with."

Dipper buried Mabel's face into his shoulder and he stood in front of her protectively. He closed his eyes and winced when Bill suddenly moved forward, but no pain came to him and he heard a loud, agonizing roar. He looked up to find Stan between the kids and the enemy, and Bill had stabbed him. Stan had taken the dagger for Dipper and Mabel.

"NO!" The kids screamed and hurried to his side and he fell on one knee, his paw clamped over his wound, trying to ignore it and face a bigger issue.

Bill dropped his dagger, which disappeared once it hit the floor, and laughed, first a low chuckle but then an ear-splitting cackle. Something gold emerged from Gideon's body and the boy fell, unconscious. Bill, kicking his legs and holding his triangular body, laughed down at the suffering mortals before him.

"Oh ho, this is just too perfect!" The demon declared. "What's even better than killing those kids?! Killing Stan! Now the curse will never be undone and Sixer will be gone soon enough! Good job there, beast! Thanks for making my job es… AAAAAGH!"

Stan had gathered the last of his strength and punched Bill right in the face. Because Stan was directly connected to the curse, he could touch the demon in a way no one else could. Bill crumbled under Stan's knuckles and the echo of his horrible scream rang through the night. Stan gasped for breath and fell back, completely drained as so much blood was leaving him from his side. Dipper and Mabel gasped in horror, shaken from their shock of Bill's demise, and were at his right side.

Mabel, the closest to his head, petted his cheek and the side of his face. "Stan? Stan?!" She begged, his eyes closed.

The old beast forced his brown eyes open and they sparkled up at the kids. "Hey," He grunted. "You're back."

"We told you we'd come back." Dipper said shakenly. "We couldn't… this… this is all our fault."

"No," Stan firmly pushed that notion away, his breath staggering as he winced in staggering agony. "No… it's okay… it's better th-this way…"

"Don't talk like that." Mabel scolded and cupped his furry face with her little hand. "We won't lose you… we can't lose you. You'll be okay. We're all here now, it'll all be okay."

Stan smiled at her hope, the kind of hope he wished he had, and as he struggled to breath, he lifted a shaking paw up to her to return the kind gesture. Mabel held his hand up to the side of her face and let a tear fall on his thumb. Stan combed her hair gently with his claws and, despite being at Death's hand, despite the pain, despite the end being so close, he was happy. He chuckled weakly. "Heh. Looks like I was good for something after all."

Mabel shut her eyes and held his hand even tighter. Dipper blinked hard, refusing to cry, and then looked back down at his friend. Stan closed his eyes with a smile, and then his breathing stopped.

Mabel dropped his hand and stared, tears rolling down her face. "No… no…" She frantically tried to wake him up, to bring him back. "No, no, no!"

Dipper watched in horror. He was so overcome with grief and shock that he seemed to shut down. As his twin desperately tried to be hopeful and tried to find a solution, he knew that, once again, he would have to be realistic and make Mabel see the cold, harsh reality.

Finally, she looked up at her brother's own wide-eyed, grief stricken face. "It-It'll be okay, right? Right? He'll be okay… right?" He was the smart one; if he could somehow see a possible way for this to all work out and for Stan to be okay and for them to be a family…

Dipper somehow found it in him to shake his head, a tear escaping his eye. Mabel, shaking, collapsed on Stan's still chest and clang to his shirt and fur for dear life, sobbing in agonizing grief and pain. Dipper cried and hugged his sister with a trembling arm around her shoulder, his other grasping Stan's shirt.

"You can't go, you can't!" Mabel cried. "You just c-can't…" Her voice cracked halfway through her pleas. She was heartbroken and tired. Dipper swallowed, and together they whimpered, "We love you," preparing to say goodbye.

Dark clouds rolled over the skies. Dipper and Mabel both cried unashamed over their loss. Neither of them had any idea what to do, so they just stayed there and sobbed over Stan's limp body. They didn't even notice a bolt of sparks falling down. Or the next. Or the next two.

But Dipper thought he heard something and glanced up as more silver and gold magic fell from the heavens. "Mabel," He lightly shook her shoulders. "Mabel, look."

She forced herself to look up and she gasped at what was happening. Even more unhindering, Stan's body slowly began to rise. Dipper dragged Mabel back and they watched with tears in their eyes as Stan's blood-soaked cloak wrapped around him and he became engulfed in golden light. Terrified, Dipper and Mabel held each other, worried that his body might be taken away.

When the light vanished, the maroon cloak was free of blood and a man wrapped in it was being set down carefully, the magic fading away. The kids noticed, though his back was to them, that this man had pale skin and long, gray hair, and was in Stan's ripped white shirt and torn dark pants. The mysterious man slowly made his way to his feet, as if he was moving his body for the first time in his life. He stared and flexed his hands and arms, clutched at his stomach, savoring everything.

And then suddenly he turned around. His brown eyes were bright, not at all faded like his hair, and his eyes immediately locked on Mabel and Dipper. The boy tightened his hold on his sister, still traumatized and very paranoid. The man moved his mouth, struggling to form words, his jaw shaking, until he finally spoke one word. "Kids?"

They knew that voice. No one else had that voice. And the look in his eyes, his warm brown eyes, the same ones he had. As he stared at them with shock, wonder, disbelief, awe, and love. There's only one person it could be. "STAN!"

He got on one knee and let the kids hurl themselves into his strong arms. With each child on his shoulder, crying their hearts out, Stan held them tight and grinned with shut eyes, savoring this moment. He chuckled warmly and just having him here and alive was all Dipper and Mabel could have ever wanted. So much so that it took them a minute to fully understand what had happened.

Dipper lifted his head and wiped his tears away. "But, how?" He breathed. "How is this possible?"

Mabel turned so she could see Stan's face, but she kept her cheek on his shoulder.

"Turns out we messed up Bill's message." Stan said with a warm smile. "He didn't say anything romance."

His eyes moved down to Mabel, who was looking at him misty-eyed. She was still crying. Stan smiled at her and tried to make her feel better with a comforting look. The little girl smiled and lifted a hand to his cheek, cupping the side of his face, feeling his five o'clock shadow and long hair. Stan smiled and rested his cheek in her hand, his eyes closed, but then his eyes popped open and his hold on the kids loosened as a sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"STANFORD!" Stan hurriedly put the kids down and then ran into the castle for dear life. Dipper and Mabel gasped and tried to follow, but they just couldn't keep up with the old man fueled with so much adrenaline.

Ford had turned back into a human a few minutes ago, but after going thirty years without using a body at all, he found he had no strength and was too clumsy to function, so he chuckled helplessly at himself and trusted that Stanley would be there soon. Until then he relished in the feeling of breathing, of seeing and hearing properly, of the wonderful feeling of a night's breeze in his hair. Moses, how he had missed it all. And, somehow, Stanley had done it.

The door was thrown open and without a single door Ford was suddenly pulled up and thrown into a bone-crushing hug, but he just laughed, delighted to hear his own voice again but even more delighted over his brother's touch. His twelve fingers clung onto Stan's shirt and his twin buried his face in his shoulder, shaking. What had happened since Gideon picked the journal up was all an excruciating haze to him, but none of that mattered now. Ford finally felt like he had his brother back.

He took note of Stan's heavy, breathing. Ford just held onto his dear twin and said into his ear, "I love you, Stanley."

Stan sagged a little, making them both sag since he was mostly holding them up. "I love you, too."

Ford isn't sure if Stan believes him, so he repeats himself and then Stan does the same. This goes on for a few minutes, with an occasional "I'm sorry" sprinkled in. Stan moaned this even more woefully. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." Ford insisted upon, his speech muffled by Stan's ripped shirt. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you how much I love you years ago. Then we wouldn't have had to go through this."

"It's fine." Stan's own voice is hard to hear through Ford's brown jacket, "It's not your fault. It was never your fault. If it was anyone's fault, it's mine."

Ford tightened his grip around Stan, his voice taking a hard edge to it. "You're wrong. I was the one who was tricked. You were the one who tried to clean up the mess I made."

"Yeah, well..."

"You're both wrong!" A voice interrupted and the brothers loosened their hold to look at the door. They found Mabel and Dipper standing at a distance. "It was neither of your faults, you dum-dums! It was the evil triangle's fault. Geez, I thought adults were supposed to be smart." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"She's right, you know. " Dipper smiled at them, a teasing gleam in his eye. It was unclear which statement, exactly, he was referring to.

Stan and Ford stared at the younger pair of twins for a moment. Then, a low chuckle escaped the eldest, growing into laughter steadily, while the younger brother shortly followed suit. Soon, both were laughing against each other, barely keeping themselves sitting upright. Finally, Stan spoke. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess… yeah. I guess you're right, kid."

"Of course I'm right!" Mabel grinned, hands on her hips. "I'm always right!"

Their laughter quieted and the old men noticed the grand distance between themselves and the children. Stan motioned a hand for them to come up to them while Ford smiled shyly, excited to be formally introduced to them. Dipper and Mabel slowly walked towards them and Stan took each of their little hands with one of his own and also took Ford's. He had his brother lay his hand out flat and he put the kids' hands on his. "Kids, this is the author of the journal, my brother."

Mabel and Dipper soaked in his appearance. He was definitely Stan's twin, but he had his own unique differences. His hair was charcoal gray, shorted and fluffier, and had a gray stripe in the middle of his hair. He had a gold-rimmed monocle over his right eye, his eyes were also a soft brown, and he had a cleft chin. He wore shiny black shoes and fancier clothes, decked in a brown coat with a red scarf tied around his neck.

Mabel and Dipper looked down at their held hands and saw that this man had six fingers, just like the journal. They grinned excitedly and Mabel even kissed his hand before leaping into his arms and nearly knocking him over, but Stan luckily had a strong hand on his brother's back.

"Ford!" Mabel cried out in joy as Dipper hugged him, too. "You're back!"

Ford chuckled wetly and blinked away his tears. "Thanks to you two. Thank you so, so much."

The door burst open and Soos stood there, chubby and grinning as a human again. "DUDES! Look at us!"

Wendy was soon by his side, a beautiful redhead, and cheered, "You guys! You won't believe it! Everyone's back! Pacifica, Candy, Grenda…"

"Abuelita!" Soos called and ran to his grandmother, who was sitting in an armchair and taking a nap.

"Soos! Mi precioso!"

Stan helped Ford up to his feet as the kids got off of him. They held his hand again and they all just stood together, overcome with joy and happiness and love.

Almost immediately after the curse was lifted, the two sets of twins fell asleep in front of the fireplace in the lounge, too exhausted from the day's events to do anything else. Stan was so tired and focused on Ford and the kids that he didn't even change out of his torn clothes first, but no one cared at all.

Everyone's hands touched in their sleep. Mabel and Dipper held hands, and they had their hands over Stan and Ford's. Stan had his arm over Mabel, used to hugging her and Dipper when they snuggled together over stories by the fire days ago, while Ford had his arms wrapped around Dipper, almost using the boy as a teddy bear. He desperately needed to feel the comfort of human contact that holding someone brings. Ford had sat somewhat awkwardly because he was not used to having a body again, but no one minded. Mabel and Dipper both used Ford's arm as a pillow; poor Ford would feel it in the morning, but again, no one cared. Against pillows propped by on a couch, Stan kept an arm wrapped around his brother. Even in his exhausted state, he had the need to keep him safe.

In the days to come, slow adjustments had to be made. Ford required a lot of assistance, learning how to use his body again, but Mabel was only happy to teach him how to eat and Dipper assisted in walking and Stan was a little too quick to picking him up and carrying him. Stan and Ford invited the kids and Fiddleford to move in with them permanently and they joyfully agreed. Ford and Fiddleford made fast friends and soon little explosions of experiments gone wrong from the study would become normal.

But that was all in the future. For now, they only rested and dreamed.

Right now, Dipper was remembering a distant memory. It was bedtime, and he and his sister at five-years-old were stubborn and didn't want to go to sleep, but Grandpa Shermie only chuckled and told Fiddleford he could handle it and was left alone with his grandchildren.

"Come now, my shining stars." Grandpa Shermie said as he picked up Mabel and put her in the big bed she shared with her brother to keep the nightmares away. He combed her hair. He took in a deep breath and sang a song Ma used to sing to him and his brothers a long time ago. "How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die? It is love we must hold onto, never easy, but we try. Sometimes our happiness is captured, somehow our time and place stand still. Love lives on inside our hearts and always will."

At the same time Dipper was having his pleasant dream, Stan was having his own. Ma was brushing his hair with her fingers and then scooped up Ford to put him in the top bunk as she sang. "Minutes turn to hours, days to years, then gone. But when all else has been forgotten, still our song lives on. Maybe some moments weren't so perfect, maybe some memories not so sweet, but we have to know some bad times or our lives are incomplete. Then when the shadows overtake us just when we feel all hope is gone, we'll hear our song and know once more our love lives on."

The next evening, Stan found himself panting as he awoke. He felt sick to his stomach and his head was spinning. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm down. In the neighboring bed, Ford was already awake, staring at his hands on his lap. He looked up at Stan with a concerned look. The younger twin sighed and looked away in shame.

A small, timid knock was at the door. "C'min." Stan called.

The door opened and the masters of the castle smiled to find two children and a pig wishing for their company. They could tell by the look in Dipper and Mabel's eyes that they must have suffered a nightmare, too. Stan smiled and opened his arms. At once, they ran into his hold and got under the silk covers. Stan squeezed them and tolerated the pig at the foot of his large bed. Mabel looked over at Ford and freed a hand for him. He smiled, honored that they wanted to include him, and he climbed into the bed, as well.

Snuggled together and slowly sinking back into their sleep, Mabel began to mutter a lullaby under her breath for her boys. "How does a moment last forever? How does our happiness endure? Through the darkest of our troubles. Love is beauty, love is pure."

The elder twins exchanged looks as Dipper began to whisper with his sister. "Love pays no mind to desolation. It flows like a river through the soul. Protects, perceives, and perseveres, and makes us whole."

"Minutes turn to hours, days to years, then gone." Stan and Ford sang quietly together, making the kids look up at them with astonishment. "But when all else has been forgotten, still our song lives on. How does a moment last forever?"

"When our song lives on." The kids sunk into the adults' comforting hold and soon they were all sound asleep.

THE END

A/N: *pounds table with fists* Angst! Angst! Angst! Anyways, THANK YOU ALL so much for reading and for supporting this fic! With everything going on this has been a wonderful little escape and I hope every has had a wonderful experience reading! If you have suggestions or requests or anything, please feel free to leave a review, and if you liked this fic please browse my stories for something else you might like! I hope y'all stay blessed and have a great day!