Deleted Scene - Repairing the Shack Story Opening

I originally had a COMPLETELY different opening to the story. I wrote the whole thing, stared at it, left a note at the end that read "Chapter not complete?" and finally scrapped it a day later.

I liked a lot of the ideas here but I didn't feel like I'd really nailed ANYONE's voice and the opening was just too slow. This was going to be a crossover story, after all, and I didn't want to WAIT a long time to get to that.

So I shoved all this to the end of the document and started over with the actual story start you see now. And I'm really happy with that.

Fun thing, if you read this close enough, you can see how, especially with Ford, I changed some ideas for the new story intro and what ended up following. For example, in this version, Ford is already worrying about Bill managing to survive the memory gun. In the actual story, he's been too worried about Stan to really consider that.

Drilling. Hammering. Sawing. Voices shouting, laughing, arguing. Hovering protectively in the doorway to the kitchen, Ford clutched tight at his elbows, arms folded behind his back, working to keep himself from lashing out at the throng of weird and mundane creatures running all over the Shack, each armed with hammers, drills, saws, and other potentially deadly weapons.

"Grunkle Ford, when you're done deciding whether or not to start shooting people, could you hand me the paper plates?" These was a brief pause. "And if you are going to start a shootout, could you get the plates down first?"

He managed not to jump. It was a small victory, but still a victory nonetheless.

"I'm not going to shoot anyone," Ford responded in a stiff voice, forcing himself to turn and walk away from the doorway, fetching down the stack of paper plates from their high shelf.

"That's great!" Mabel replied with a beaming smile, a hint of glitter reflecting off her braces. Gesturing for him to bring the plates over, she started scraping the scrambled eggs onto the plates.

More eggs. Suppressing a sigh, Ford dutifully started swapping plates for his grand-niece as she portioned out lunch. The town was running low on supplies but the chickens and chicken-like creatures of Gravity Falls had gone back to laying eggs as though Weirdmageddon had never happened.

They were all getting sick of eggs.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I going to miss Darrell," Mabel suddenly commented in a wistful voice.

"Who?"

"Darrell! He was my favorite mold spot up in the attic!"

Ford could only shake his head in bemusement. Of course Mabel had named the mold spots. She was, without question, the most positive, optimistic person he'd ever met in all the multiverse.

Still, there was some good coming out of the near total destruction of the Shack. The worst of Stanley's housekeeping had been done away with-

He froze. A wave of guilt swept through the scientist. Done away with. How could he even think those words in the some thought as his brother? After everything Stanley had sacrificed to correct his mistakes…

It was his fault, all of it. Bill, the portal, Stanley destroying his own life in a misguided effort to save him. The rift. The children being exposed to mold.

"Are we going to eat soon? I'm starving?" a new voice suddenly interjected.

Mabel turned and gave her brother a small wave.

Ford, however, didn't react.

"Sure! Can you help me carry everything down?" Mabel asked gesturing towards the loaded plates. "Grunkle Ford is wallowing in guilt again. Could be a while before he snaps out of it."

Peering up at the Author, Dipper gave him a quick evaluation, noting the slight detachment in Ford's eyes, the guilt on his face, and the way he was clutching the stack of unused paper plates with white knuckled hands.

"Yeah, this looks like it's going to be a long one," he agreed. Reaching into his vest, Dipper drew out a pen and scrambled up onto the card table near the stove, carefully avoiding the plates scattered on one end. "We'll leave him a note," he commented, leaning forward and quickly scribbling a few words down. Once the message was complete, he nodded in satisfaction and jumped down off the table.

"We're taking Great Uncle Ford's plate with us this time," Mabel declared as the twins gathered up lunch. A fierce light appeared in her eyes, one Dipper knew from experience meant Stanford Pines had just become her next Project. "I used the last of all our food making this! He'll either have to eat with us or starve!"

"Or he could go hunting."

"Dipper!"

As the twins made their way towards the basement where they'd been keeping out of the way of the reconstruction crew, Dipper continued. "Well, I imagine he probably had to do some hunting while he was exploring the multiverse. I mean, there are probably a lot of places where it was harder to find food."

"Yeah, well, he's not going to go hunting because that would take him away from Grunkle Stan." With the discussion settled (in her mind), Mable shifted one of the plates to the crook of her other arm and punched in the code to the basement.

The Pines family had spent the first night after Weirdmageddon camping in the Shack's living room. Stan had slept in his armchair while Soos had found and relocated several mattresses for the other Pines to sleep on. The next morning, however, they found Ford finishing work repairing the hidden entrance to the basement, the space they'd left for him on the ground cold and untouched.

He'd jerked in surprise when the younger twins had found him in the gift shop, an overly bright smile crossing his face as he tried to pretend he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night. "Ah, good morning," he greet them, pushing himself (swaying and staggering slightly) up off the floor. "I just wanted to make sure the basement was secure. I know most of the people of this town have their own homes to repair but there are experiments and pieces of equipment down there that could be dangerous."

"What a great idea!" Mabel proclaimed, jumping in without leaving any opening for Dipper. "You're so thoughtful! And since you've work all night, I think you're earned yourself a nap!" She paused, turning slightly towards the living room and put a hand to her ear, gasping. "I can hear the mattress! It's calling you! Foooord, come take a naaaap. You have to go nap!"

"Oh, well, I thought I'd sit with Stanley-" Ford started.

With narrowed eyes, Mabel reached forward and grabbed Ford's trenchcoat, determinedly trying to pull him towards the living room. "He's still sleeping. And you should be too!"

Before Mabel could make much progress, however, there was a knock on the door to the gift shop. Turning, the twins and Ford watched as Soos poked his head through the broken door, a wide grin on his face. "Hey, dudes," he beamed. Withdrawing, he straightened and opened the door properly, stepping through to join them. "Great news! Seeing how all you Pines saved Gravity Falls from Bill, Mayor Cutebiker declared that the Mystery Shack would be the first place that got fixed. So everyone's comin' over!"

True to Soos's words, a small crowd was gathering in the grass field Stan used as a parking lot. Manly Dan was roaring orders to the other lumberjacks about how they were going to go about fixing the Shack while Wendy directed traffic.

"They can't be here," Ford exclaimed in dismay, worry etching new lines across his face. "Stanley's mind is still fragile. All those people, construction work - the stress alone could significantly hamper his recovery."

Rubbing his chin, Dipper watched as several large trucks, laden with construction equipment and building supplies, appeared on the road. "Hey!" he suddenly exclaimed, snapping his fingers in excitement. "What about the basement? I mean, it's kind of creepy but Grunkle Stan did spend thirty years down there. It could be familiar enough to help with his memories. And it'd get him away from all the reconstruction."

"Is there a space down there that isn't the creepy portal room?" Mabel asked, looking up at Ford with some anxiety.

"Yes, my private parlor should work fine. I don't think Stanley's ever been in it but the ambiance is, er, similar. Although, there are somethings I should put away first ..."

Dipper made a face, suddenly remembering the tapestries, glass pyramids, and sketches of Bill that littered the parlor. "I'll help you clear that stuff out," he offered. "We can stick it all on the lowest level for now. And while we're doing that, Mabel and Soos can move all our stuff."

For once, a Pines family plan went off without a hitch. Soos and Ford shifted the mattress and a few larger pieces down while Dipper and Mabel gathered up all the private belongs they could find, staging them outside the secret entrance for the others to move.

After everything and everyone had been moved, the reconstruction of the Shack began. While Soos and Wendy guided the repair work, the two sets of Pines twins relaxed in the study, going through scrapbooks, photographs, and sharing stories with Stan.

It works. Mostly.

The niblings, of course, come easiest to him, in part because of how thoroughly Mabel has documented their summer but primarily because of how much they mean to him.

Glass Shard Beach, Pines Pawn Shop, and Ma's psychic hotline are the next memories to return, in part inspired by the old home movies Ford had kept tucked away in the back of his desk. The old reel-to-reel tapes, smelling faintly of vinegar, click and rattle as the film flies through the projector late into the night. And as the soundless films play, Ford quietly recounts the challenges and adventures that made up their childhood.

By the time the next day has rolled around, as the reconstruction overhead begins to wind down, Stan's memory has made an inspiring recovery. And as much as Ford is relieved and happy and thankful that Stanley won't be forced to forever pay for his mistakes, a small, nasty voice inside him whispers about holes and gaps and Bill.

A silent war soon breaks out within the Author, one part begging him to just be thankful that he hasn't lost Stanley the way he thought he had while the other whispers on and on about how convenient his twin's recovery is.

Finally, the war threatening to explode out into the open, Ford made a quiet, hurried excuse to Stan and Dipper as they work through the scrapbook again, and fled the study.