HAT: Let's just get this going.
Disclaimer: I only own the OCs and plot... Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch! ONWARD, AOSHIMA!
It's a tense eight minutes driving back to the Shack, but Stanley- quite frankly- doesn't care. He just wants everyone to stop focusing on him and put the focus back on the kids- where their time and energy should lie. They need help more than he does because they're young and can't deal with everything like he can.
"Never show weakness."
That's something he's lived by for as long as he could possibly remember. Emotions- despite how deeply he's always felt them- are something that he shoves aside as much as possible because this is a sign of weakness.
As they pull up to the house Stanley puts the car in park and turns off the car. "Don't look at them any different than you did before and don't let them know I told you about their situation or how I ran out of the hospital. As far as they need to know, I got off with a clean bill of health. Got it?"
Stanford nods slowly.
Without hesitation Stanley gets out of the car and walks towards his home of thirty years. The door's thrown open and both brunettes stand there in shock at first, staring at their great uncle like he's a ghost. It pains him to see them like this after thinking he was going to die.
Stanley grins. "The one and only! C'mere ya knuckleheads!" The two immediately break into a run towards him and he kneels down as quickly as his body will allow and prepares himself in time to be barreled into by two twelve year olds. He hugs them to himself and kisses each of their heads out of need to be reassuring to them by the wetness he feels seeping through the suit onto both of his shoulders. "It's okay, I'm right here, kids."
"D-don't scare me like that ever again!" Mabel shouts, hitting his chest fairly solidly.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, I won't," he assures.
Dipper sniffles. "Y-you're such an ass..."
Without hesitation Stanley glares at his fowl-mouthed brother. At least Stanley curbs his cussing, Stanford doesn't care. Still, Stanley lets this slide with a goodnatured chuckle and ruffles the boy's hair. After a few minutes of hugging, Stanley's body can't take the strain anymore and he stands up and takes both of them by their hands. They don't seem ready to be out of contact with him quite yet. Losing their mother and grunkle in the same year would kill them- that's why he's determined not to die for years to come.
"C'mon, let's get some hot chocolate and s'mores and then watch whatever movie you wanna watch. Sound good?"
They don't answer, but he leads them inside with as much pep as he can put into himself so that he can ease their nerves even if it's just a little bit. No one can say he doesn't love these kids- not one person that's ever seen him interact with them. Everything he's ever done this entire summer- whether it seemed like it or not- was for their benefit. Being hard on Dipper meant toughening him up so that the world won't beat him down and being gentle on Mabel is so that her spirit won't be crushed thinking that no one's ever on her side. Everything was for their benefit.
The entire night is spent on his recliner with the twins cuddled against him while watching mindless television. Stanford ended up going down to his lab- as expected- and so that left them alone the entire night.
Even after they fall asleep Stanford is reluctant to remove them even if he's in his suit. Just so he won't end up too hot he takes off his jacket and unbuttons the top three buttons of his shirt and then relaxes after draping his jacket over them. He takes off Dipper's hat after a thought and then drifts off.
...
"Bye Grunkle Stan! We're going monster hunting with Great Uncle 'Ford!" Mabel calls.
"Be safe!" He calls as he walks away to start scamming tourists.
"We will!" Dipper calls back.
-Multiple Hours Later-
They'd been gone all day and it's way past dinner time. They're usually back by that time and this worries him so much that his old nervous habits begin to resurface. He starts glancing at the clock ever few seconds and pacing the room- like most would- but the small things that come with it are his pinkies twitching and biting his top lip and tapping his thigh.
He also called the police to get them to search around eight-thirty while he checked the woods near the Shack for about two hours.
There's a knock on the door and he runs to the door to see the sherif and deputy standing there with looks of sympathy on their faces- Officer Blubbs impressively accomplishing this feat with his large sunglasses on.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Pines..."
...
Stanley jerks awake and blinks rapidly to get the tears out of his eyes and he glances down at the sleeping children in the safety of his arms. It's then that he decides that he can no longer trust his brother with his charges. These dreams are too real to be anything other than a premonition and until they're back home in Piedmont Stanford's going to be nowhere near the twins.
It takes a long time for him to go to sleep. He keeps waking up at the slightest noise and thinks that it's Stanford trying to take the kids out and lead them to their deaths by going on a monster hunt. When sleep does come it's not easy; the sleep he does get are filled with the images of his bloodied niece and nephew.
HAT: Fairly short, but the BS shall be kicked up a notch- especially after-
Wendy: Don't do it! *tackles HAT*
HAT: Ouuuch... get off of me, your knee's in my appendix!
Wendy: Oh, sorry, dude.
HAT: *gets up and glares* You people have got to learn to tackle people so that it's less painful.
Wendy: Sorry... um, review guys while I go get HAT her last ice cream before she cuts back on her sweets.
HAT: *hugs Wendy* Thank you... thank you so much!
Wendy: *pats her back* There, there.