A/N: Gravity Falls is trending again. This headcanon came to me when rewatching the show. It's mostly fun but gets a little angsty at the end. Also, I have Stan not fully recovered from having his memory wiped. Some things are still foggy for him. I think in canon it took like a few days (maybe weeks?) for him to fully recover? Can't remember.
Peace is here. Bill is gone, Ford hopes. And Stan's memory remains… foggy. He knows the important things: his brother, the twins, all the people who love him. That's what counts. That's what matters. They spend the year sailing Stan O' War II around the world, exploring like they wanted to as children and creating new memories to fill that hole. But, occasionally, something unlocks within him—he punches a giant squid and suddenly he recalls Carla McCorkle left him for Thistle Downe. He laughs about it, wonders how he forgot. His memories, it seems, will return in time. He just needs triggers.
But… does this also mean Bill too will one day return? Ford tries to live in the moment with his brother instead of dwelling on what he does not know.
They make their way back to Gravity Falls to spend the summer again with Dipper and Mabel, along with everyone else. The kids are older, teenagers now. And Ford and Stan have a few more scars and a little more aching bones. But they all sit together now around the kitchen table like no time has passed at all.
"Why did you agree to have us stay with you last summer anyway?" asks Dipper as Ford dishes his plate with a second helping of eggs.
Stan picks some ear wax out of his ear, then flicks it to the floor. "Oh, who knows? Probably needed some extra hands at the shop."
Soos took his Abuelita on a seven day couple's cruise—his girlfriend refused to go with him—because he wanted to mimic the adventures Ford and Stan have been on. They mostly run the business now with Stan butting in only half of the time. The beloved mystery Shack is closed until their return.
"Or… maybe you just like us," says Mabel.
He lifts his newspaper to hide his smile. Ford dishes his own plate, then finds a seat between Mabel and Stan.
Stan scratches himself, reading a newspaper headline aloud: "Beloved Mayor of Huntress Rock, Hester Katz, marries today blah blah blah…" He tries to move on, but something is nagging at him to stay. "Hey, wait a minute. Hester Katz… Hester Katz—why does that name sound so familiar?"
"Do you think you might have known her?" Ford says, trying to help him unlock yet another forgotten memory.
Stan contemplates for a moment. "Dated her back in the day, I think." He studies the black and white image of a pudgy woman with dark hair and dark eyes standing before Huntress Rock's town hall. "Yeah, now I remember." And he hums, his expression turning sour. "I gave our grocery money to a lady of the night. Things went south pretty quick after that. She moved a few towns over and became mayor just to spite me."
"She became another town's mayor to… spite you?" questions Dipper in a tone suggesting he doesn't fully believe him.
"Ooh! What's a lady of the night? Sounds mysterious," says Mabel, turning to her Grunkle Ford for answers.
He clears his throat, quickly moving on. "You're unlocking another memory, Stanley. What else can you tell us?" He glances at the kids. "But, uh… maybe keep it PG."
Stan scratches his chin in thought for a moment before his eyes go wide. Blinking, he stands abruptly and flees to his room. His family follows. They find him rummaging through his messy closet, tossing junk over his shoulder to quicken the search. He finds a music box in the very back and opens it: a battered ballerina pops up and begins slowly spinning to the sound of a soft lullaby. "I can't believe I forgot her," he says softly, stroking the box, "of all people."
Dipper scratches his head. "All this fuss over a music box? I don't get it."
"It's not just about the music box, Dipper." Mabel's eyes sparkle at the sight of the dancing ballerina, following its every move. "It's about Grunkle Stan's one true love. The one who got away, our future Graunty Hester"—she gasps—"oh no! She's getting married today to some punk who isn't Stan. We have to stop it."
Her brother scrunches his face. "Seriously?"
Ford watches on as Stan closes the box and rushes out of the room without clarifying. His brother is not the romantic type. Or, at least, Ford never thought he was.
Stan reappears moments later, jiggling his car keys. "C'mon, kids," he says, "let's crash a wedding."
Mabel cheers. Dipper shrugs. Only Ford seems to hesitate. Stan marches out of his room confidently, but hurries back before anyone can follow. "But first I need to put on my pants." He tosses the keys to Mabel. "Start up the car, would ya?"
Ford takes the keys away from her as they reach the car. She pouts only for a moment before sliding into the back seat with her brother. Stan appears now clothed. "All right. I got my pants. Anything else I'm missing?"
"Stan," says Ford gently, "are you certain the best thing to do here is to crash this woman's wedding?"
"Yep!" Stan says confidently, entering the car without a second thought. He hands the music box over to Mabel for safe keeping before revving the engine. Mabel again cheers as the window rolls down. "Relax. It'll be fine." He urges his brother into the car. "Trust me."
If this will help Stan regain his memory, then it's for the best. Reluctantly, he complies and they speed off. Regret fills him.
A Welcome to Huntress Rock sign greets them half an hour later. It sits atop a mountain. Behind it is the town coming into form the closer they get. Storm clouds hover around it. "I'm coming, sweetie." Stan hits the gas and continues on.
He drives into the town with a fury as the rain starts to fall. His destination, it seems, is the large blue house at the highest peak of the mountain. Parked cars surround them as they enter the area. Carelessly, Stan swerves into a parked limo with 'Just Married' written on its back window. Mabel squeals in excitement as they all exit.
Ford halts at the sight of a sign, celebrating the union of Hester and someone named Reggie. The kids and Stan all happily ignore it. "Uh, Stan, perhaps we shouldn't—"
"Take your shoes off at the door, kids," instructs Stan, already entering the house. "She's kinda anal about this stuff."
They leave their shoes by the door and follow the sound of the person officiating the wedding. "We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two lives…" Something inside Ford twists. Why did he allow this?
They enter the parlor which is transformed to be the wedding venue. Bride and groom stand at the altar hand in hand. The room is crowded with people, silently watching on as the wedding continues. "These two separate people have chosen this special time—"
"On behalf of my Grunkle Stan, I object!" declares Mabel. All eyes turn to her as Stan approaches. Ford's stomach aches.
"Hester, you old hag," he greets the bride cheerfully. "How the H-E-double hockey sticks are ya? And Reggie! You finally put a ring on it. Took ya long enough. Congrats, you two."
Hester grimaces. "Stan."
He breaks the facade fast, scratching the back of his neck. "Look, I'm sorry to barge in like this but… Stacey's here, right?" He searches the audience. "C'mon, princess, I know you're here. You wouldn't miss your mom's wedding."
And an exasperated young woman from the front row stands. She has mom's face and dad's tired eyes. Stan visibly perks at the sight of her. "What are you doing here, dad?"
Mabel gasps. Dipper's mouth opens in shock. Ford isn't sure what to think.
"Of course. It all makes perfect sense now," says Mabel. She bites her cheek, trying to comprehend. "Actually, no. No, it does not." She walks up to the woman, Ford's alleged niece. His head is spinning. Stan never mentioned anything about having a daughter. "Why didn't you tell us we have a grousin?"
"Uh, Mabel, I think she's just our cousin," says Dipper, scratching his head. "Like, our second cousin… or something."
Mabel considers his words. "I like grousin better." She shakes Stacey's hand. "Hi, I'm Mabel. Your new favorite relative. Over there is my brother Dipper. He's pretty cool too."
Ford approaches, revealing himself to the crowd. He grabs his brother's shoulder. "Perhaps you can have this discussion later, Stanley," he suggests, "when there isn't a wedding to sabotage."
"Wait, did he just call you… Stanley?" Stacey does a double take, looking from Ford to Stan in confusion. "What's going on? Who is this?"
"This is, uh, Stanford—the real Stanford, that is. My twin brother… your uncle."
"Of course you took the identity of your secret twin brother," Hester scoffs from the altar, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes at his predictability.
"Hey, nobody asked for your commentary, Hes, so can it!" Stan tells her, before turning back to their daughter. "Look, honey, I forgot about you, okay? I took the easy way out—instead of being the dad you deserved, I chose to forget everything after you cut ties. I thought… maybe if I left you alone, you'd turn out okay. You'd end up mayor like your mom instead of like your deadbeat old man. But then I actually forgot about you… Like, forgot forgot. " He knocks on his head for emphasis. "Got my mind zapped by a memory gun to destroy an evil triangle thing called Bill invading my brain."
The audience mumbles in confusion. Stacey's eyebrows narrow in disbelief.
"It's… kind of a long story," says Dipper.
"I'm surprised none of you heard about it on the news or somewhere," says Mabel. "You live right next door. All of Gravity Falls was in flames for, like, a few days."
"I guess what I'm trying to say here is I know sorry doesn't cut it but I am… sorry. You're the best part of me, princess, and I never should have forgotten you."
Mabel, knowing her role in all this, hands Stacey the battered music box. She simply holds it, stunned by her father's bold confession. And silence now plagues the room.
Stan clears his throat, succumbing to the awkwardness. He's never been good with timing. "Anyway, that's all I came here to say." He turns his attention back onto the bride and groom. "Eh, sorry about all this, Hes—Reggie. You know me, always needing to one up you two. I will do this again."
He leaves with Dipper at his side. Mabel follows, saluting the groom as she leaves. "Good luck, Reggie."
And Ford stands alone now stuck in an awkward staring contest with a bunch of strangers, who might possibly be his family now. He nods his apology, then rushes out to catch up with the others.
The rain moves on to Gravity Falls and is a full fledged storm by the time they reach home. After some pestering, the kids finally run off to Wendy's to watch scary movies with the other teenagers. Stan watches the rain on his porch couch some hours later, a pack of beers accompanying him. Lightning flashes, illuminating the darkened sky. He ignores Ford as he sits down beside him.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He gulps down the rest of the can, then crushes it with his hand and throws it out into his yard. Thunder rumbles. He opens another can, rinse and repeat. "I'm not looking to have some after school special here, Ford." The silence is unbearable; he can't stand the pity. "Eh, just forget about it, okay?" And he nearly laughs at the irony. "It's my own fault. I've never been good about these things." He sips his beer, misery consuming him. "That grocery money I mentioned earlier was for baby formula and diapers. I sacrificed my kid's well being for thirty seconds of pleasure."
"If I had known…" He stops, eyeing his brother. "Thirty seconds, huh?"
He's drunk and oversharing. Stan tosses his brother a beer of his own to even the playing field. "It had been a while!"
"It's a wonder we made it out of New Jersey alive," says Ford, "given how dad treated us." He opens his beer, sips it thoughtfully. "How dad treated you."
"Yeah, well…"
They listen to the rain for a while. The thunder shakes the shack. They drink their beer, unfazed. It's Ford who breaks the silence: "So, this happened after… everything?"
His brother nods. "I can't believe I actually forgot her."
"You had your memory wiped."
Stan drinks.
"She stopped coming here after she turned twelve—same age as Dipper and Mabel when they first arrived," Stan continues after a few minutes. "She use to pester me a lot. About where I was sneaking off to at night—wondering what I was up to, why I was always lying..." The rain calms slightly but the wind still blows hard. Lightning strikes. "I never budged and that, I think, is what set her off. She finally had enough one day. I said one too many lies, so she packed all of her things and made Reggie come get her." He sighs. "She refused to come back after that. And I just… let it happen."
A car he doesn't recognize pulls up. Soos isn't back yet, so they'll have to turn whoever it is away. Stan, in a less drunken state, might think to scam them. But a drunk Stan will definitely yap like an old man to get them off his lawn.
"What was the significance of the music box?" asks his brother.
Another beer empty, he throws it out into the yard with the others and grabs another as lightning strikes somewhere off in the distance. "Swiped it from some antique shop a while back. She loved it. Spent hours dancing to the music." He drinks. "Didn't take it with her when she left, though. And I haven't really heard it play since. Thought she might like it back."
The car door opens. Surprise fills him when he sees it's Stacey who exits. He straightens, sobering up at the very sight of her. Ford stands as she approaches—her eyes linger on him for a moment before settling on Stan. Thunder booms behind her. "Um, I think maybe we should talk."
He nods, but neither of them make any effort to start. She stands in the rain and Stan stares at her from the couch. Ford eventually makes some excuse to go inside. She takes his spot on the couch. He tosses her the last beer.
He'll tell her everything, he decides.
A/N: Stan in this au (headcanon?) named his kid after Stan. Her name is Stacey Ford and she always resented her dad for giving her a guy's middle name.
Thanks so much for reading. Feel free to give feedback, if ya want.