Stan sat up. "That's for messing with my brother, creep show!"
"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel cried, running across the room.
"Mr. Pines!" Soos shouted, heading in the same direction. Wendy and Dipper followed.
"Grunkle Stan, that was awesome!" Dipper said, allowing Stan to lean on his shoulder as he got up off of the ground.
"It was nothing, Dipper. Nothing."
Stan's focus was on the other side of the room. Everyone looked back at the shape shifter's former captive. Stan ran over.
"Stanford!" he cried, pulling his brother's sweater down off of his head. Stanford was crying softly.
Stan held his brother's face in his hands and lifted his head. "Stanford, it's okay. You're safe, now. "
Ford opened his eyes, tears still spilling out of them. For a brief second, Stan noted that they were the same coffee-bean shade of brown that Dipper's were. "Stan—I knew you'd come. I – I knew it. "
He started sobbing again, and Stan let Ford bury his face in his shoulder. "It's okay, Sixer. No one's going to hurt you now. I won't let them. "
Soos wiped his eye.
Wendy saw the bowie knife over on the ground, and ran to pick it up. "Here, Mister Pines, let's get you down. "She said, starting to saw at the ropes that bound Ford's right wrist.
Dipper got out his pocket knife, got down on the floor and started sawing at the rope that bound his great uncle's left ankle. It certainly wasn't as effective as the bowie knife, but it was doing the job.
Wendy got one of Ford's wrists free, and then went to work on the other. She was done getting Ford's right ankle loose by the time Dipper finished with the left.
Ford fell into Stan's arms.
"Are you okay to walk, Sixer?" Stan asked. The others noticed how tightly he was holding on to his brother. Dipper and Mabel cast grins at each other.
"I—I don't think so. I haven't eaten since breakfast the day I left the house."
Ford tried to take a step, and nearly fell. Stan caught him on one side, and Soos caught him on the other.
"Oh, man—I know you're lighter than me, Stanford—but I don't know if I can carry you. "
Soos' face lit up. "I'll go get the truck. "
Wendy shook her head. "I'll go get the truck. No offense, Soos, but I can run faster than you. "
With that she was out the door.
"Help me, Soos." Stan asked, and the two of them lowered Stanford until he was seated on the ground.
Mabel got on her knees and looked into her great-uncle's face. She could see it was streaked with tears. "Great Uncle Ford, are you okay? "
He smiled weakly. "I'll be all right, Mabel. Please don't worry. "
Dipper frowned. Part of his great Uncle's sweater had ridden up, and he could see a burn mark. Looking up at his Grunkle Stan, he was sure that he wouldn't like hearing about anything the shape shifter had done to his twin brother.
"No exploring for at least a month. " Grunkle Stan said, setting his jaw.
Stanford chuckled, then winced. "Stanley…always worrying about me. "
"Yeah, like you haven't given me reason to worry about you." Stan retorted.
Stanford leaned his head on his brother's shoulder and grinned, then yawned.