I'm not very happy with this chapter. Mainly because I needed something about Stans doing something before they will get to the Pawn Shop.

Either way, I used my old idea for songfic (that can still happen!). Check song: "Shlof shoin main jankele". And if you find the Engilish translation of lyrics (with all five verses, remember), you will understand why Stans remember these specific parts of this song.

Also - there's my little headcanon about Ford's parting with his parents, but I will reveal it fully in later chapters.

Review, please!

Chapter 2

Stanley and Stanford Pines were sitting in the cabin of "Stan O'War II" and thinking. They've just ended the conversation with Dipper and Mabel, who informed them that their childhood house is haunted by the ghosts of their parents and that their mother wanted to see them before she will cross over. Upon hearing the news, Stan instantly objected to the idea. Ford didn't blame him.

But Ford told the kids that he and Stan have to think it through and they will call them later. The gruncles told their great niblings 'bye' and disconnected. Now they were sitting in silence, thinking about what they've just heard.

Finally Ford looked at Stan.

"We have to go there, Stanley. I mean, it's only three days to New Jersey's shore anyway. It's not such a big deal to get there."

His brother also turned to him and he seemed annoyed.

"Oh, yeah? Why should we?"

"Because Ma needs us, Stanley. She needs to see us, so her ghost can cross over and rest in peace."

"Let me remind you that Pa is also there. And last time we've seen each other, I wasn't supposed to come back until I make a fortune."

Ford recalled that day… or rather night. Whenever he was thinking about it after his brother sacrificed his memory to defeat Bill, he felt sadness. Back then he was furious and devastated by the sheer implication that Stan could betray him so much. Now, he felt sad and guilty. And he perfectly understood why Stanley didn't want to go to place where their father was.

"It's not that I don't care for Ma." He said with sad expression. "It's just that after all the things between me and Pa, I will only make him angry. If you go alone, there is a chance that you will manage to help both of them."

Ford only smiled wryly.

"Believe me, Stanley, you're not the only one not welcome in our parents' house."

This sentence surprised Stan. He looked at his brother.

"What do you mean?"

Another cheerless smile on Ford's face. This one was more melancholic than anything else. And then Ford's expression became sad, as he remembered how his own parting with their father turned out. He could still hear his old man's screams…

The scientist turned to his brother.

"Never mind all that, Stanley." Ford said. "Look, I don't want to go there either, but Dipper and Mabel said, Ma wants to see us both. Not just me, not just you, but both of us. She needs closure, and she won't get it, if we don't come to see her one last time. Besides," He looked at the view outside the window. "we need closure too."

"No, we won't." Stan replied. "I'm perfectly fine living my closure-less life, away from our sorry excuse of a father."

Ford sighed and gave Stan resigned look, before he turned to window once more.

"I will take care of Pa." He said, glancing at his brother from the corner of the eye. "You will spend some time with Ma and I will check what's Pa's unfinished business that's keeping him on this Earth. How about that, Stan?"

For a moment Stan didn't respond. He was only observing Ford with intense look on his face. Ford was also staring at him. Their eyes made a connection and Ford could see how Stan's expression changed from stubbornness, through resignation to finally concern.

"Alright." He said and stood up from his seat. "But I'm only doing it for Ma. And we can always change places if Pa will be too much to bear for you."

Ford smiled, especially after hearing the last statement. It was very nice that Stanley was caring for him. However, Ford already decided to keep Pa as far away from his brother and niblings as possible. The scientist could handle one angry ghost on his own.

And so they've called their great niece and nephew and told them about their decision. All four of them agreed to meet in three days at noon in front of the pawn shop. Two old men still felt anxious about upcoming event. So anxious that they could hardly sleep, even though the night was calm and machines detected no anomalies in area they were going through.

In the middle of the night Stan realized that all attempts in falling asleep would be futile, so he opened his eyes and just stared at the space in front of him. Then, in the calm silence of the darkness he heard a soft sound of humming. He knew this melody from somewhere. It was melancholic, but sounded strangely homey. His mind was connecting it with the nights like this one, but he didn't remember where he has heard it before.

He sat up and looked at the opened door. A dark, familiar figure was standing at the stern and observing the vast, black water spreading before them. It was Ford and he was the one, who was humming the strangely familiar melody.

Stan stood up and joined his side. Ford stopped humming and looked at his brother.

"I know this tune." Stan said. "But I don't know from where."

Ford smiled to his own thoughts and gazed at the ocean.

"How about that?" And he sang quietly:

A yingele, vos lernen vet gemoro,

Ot shteyt der tate, kvelt un hert zikh tsu,

A yingele vos vakst a talmid khokhem

Lozt gantse nekht der mamen nisht tsuru?

Stan was listening to Ford's singing. He couldn't make out the meaning behind the words, but it was bringing him a sad, yet warm feeling. He knew that if it wasn't for the effects of memory gun, he would probably remember the song immediately. In his current state it required a little more effort.

Seeing that his brother is at loss, Ford turned to him and explained:

"Ma was singing us this song every night."

The memories came back like a tide wave and flooded Stan's mind all at once. Him and Ford lying in their bunk bed. Their mother's quiet, yet hearable voice. The lyrics itself that seemed sorrowful, even though neither one of the twins understood the words. Especially one part was really prominent in Stan's mind:

A yingele, vos vakst a talmid khokhem,

Un a geniter sokher oykh tsuglaykh,

A yingele, a kluger khosen bokhur,

Zol Ugn azoy nas vi in a taykh?

"You know," Ford came back to staring at the water. "I kept singing it in the portal. Generally when I was stranded in some hellhole and I was losing hope."

Another wave of memories.

"Funny you're saying that, Poindexter." Stan smiled. "Because I was singing it, when I was on the run after dad threw me out."

For a moment Ford was only observing his brother in silence. Then he rested his hand on Stan's shoulder and patted him. After few seconds Stan did the same.

"Do you think she's tired?" He broke the silence. "You know, of being a ghost for so long?"

"Oh, she's spending her afterlife with our father, Stanley. She must be." Ford replied.

It was weird to once again walk through these streets after all those years. First their got to the shore of Glass Shred Beach and both brothers couldn't stop thinking how it barely changed since their childhood times (well… the fast food stand was gone and there was more trash at the coast… but overall, everything stayed the same). The feeling remained when Stanley and Stanford moved to the New Jersey itself. Suddenly they were remembering various details – who was living where, what kind of business was there once, but now seemed to be no more; with whom they were going to school…

There was some kind of sadness in these memories. Stan and Ford left forty years ago, in not-so-pleasant circumstances, and this was the first time they were finally visiting their hometown. The closer they were to their destination, the more anxious they felt. So much stuff could turn out wrong…

And finally they've found the pawn shop. They both felt creeps going down their spines as they were looking at their old home.

"Well," Ford spoke first. "it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Yeah, it's not spooky at all." Stan said.

"I mean, it's only a pawn shop. And we fought a sorcerer, a spider-human and demon from Nightmare Realm. We can handle two ghosts."

"It will be piece of cake."

They still felt nervous. And didn't want to go inside.

"I mean," Ford started. "it's not like one of these ghosts is our estranged father."

"Who was never impressed by us…" Stan added.

"Never showed us any affection…"

"Threw me out…"

"And, well… generally seemed to not like us very much."

"Ford," Stan turned to his brother with expression of misery. "I really don't want to go there."

"Don't worry, Stanley." Ford shot him a reassuring smile and suddenly Stan felt six fingers holding his hand. But then Ford's smile weakened a little as he said: "I will take care of Pa."

"Gruncle Stan! Gruncle Ford!"

Happy voices of Dipper and Mabel took Stanley and Stanford back to reality. Old men turned to their niblings and greeted them with open arms. Soon both pairs of twins hugged each other. And suddenly Stan and Ford realized that they weren't facing their father alone. Dipper and Mabel were going to help them and if there was anything Stans learned during that fateful summer of 2012, was that with these two kids almost everything seemed possible.

Once they broke the embrace, Dipper and Mabel looked at their great uncles.

"So," Dipper started. "are you ready?"

Stanley and Stanford looked at each other and then on the kids, before smiling to them and nodding simultaneously.

"I think, we are, Dipper." Ford said for both himself and his brother.

"Well then," Mabel's face beamed. "let's go." And she and her twin ran inside the house.

There was no return. Either Stan and Ford enter the pawn shop or leave kids alone with Filbrick. And so the two old men slowly walked towards their childhood home. Ford opened the front door and let himself and Stan in.

It struck them how empty the ground floor was. Before they came here, their memory was bringing to their minds an image of glass-cases filled with watches, antique clocks, rings, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry. For some strange reason, against all common sense, Stanley and Stanford expected to find the same items their father was taking the pledge of. Even while looking through the large window outside, their brains couldn't take out the image of the past pawn shop. And now their childhood house really looked like nobody was living there for all those years.

But they didn't have much time to ponder upon this, because Mabel called:

"Great grandma! Great grandpa! They're here!"

A cold breeze flew through the room and suddenly Stan and Ford saw her. She appeared at the stairs. She looked older, but they could recognize her features on her wrinkled face. They thought, they won't see their mother ever again. They thought that they've lost their chance to ever see her again, once Ford was trapped in the portal and Stan was kicked out. But there she was. And both brothers felt that they were crying.

Stella Pines was staring at her sons with tears in her eyes and mixed expression of happiness and disbelieve. She even gave a small chuckle, as she started to walk towards Stan and Ford. They were looking at her too, feeling that their hearts were pounding like crazy as she was approaching them. Finally, when she stopped right in front of them, she reached her hands towards their faces and whispered:

"My beautiful boys…"

Her right hand rested on Ford's cheek, while the left one – on Stan's. Her hands were, obviously, cold, but it didn't bothered Stanley and Stanford all that much. They both were just staring at the face that belonged to their mother; not caring that tears were streaming down their cheeks.

"Mom…" They said it simultaneously.

Something broke inside both brothers and they instantly embraced their mother. Stanford expected that their hands will go through her body, but she seemed oddly corporal. So he and Stanley were hugging her.

"It's about time, you knuckleheads." A harsh, familiar voice called after them.

Stella and her sons broke the embrace and turned to the staircase. Filbrick Pines was standing there with his arms crossed.

"Hello, Pa." Stan and Ford said almost at the same time.