Chapter Text
The kids just celebrated their birthday party. It is a raucous affair full of noise, balloons, and far too much cake and sparkles, courtesy of none other than Mabel Pines. Half the town practically came to celebrate and was surprised to see two ‘Stanford Pines’ under the same roof. After the air is cleared, Dipper and Mabel somehow get into a friendly, if not slightly competitive, spat over who could open their presents first. Stan and Ford are mostly content to watch from the sidelines, quietly proud of their family’s bond.
But now, the party is over. The decorations are coming down, and the leftover cake is being picked at by the various townspeople. Ford sits on the couch on the pouch, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. The sun is dipping low, casting a warm, amber glow over everything.
In the quiet moments that follow, Ford finds himself reflecting on everything that has happened since his return. He finally has a family again, and a brother to call home. Together, they have navigated the usual madness of the town, and though there have been some bumps along the way, things are beginning to fall into a rhythm.
And yet, there is one thing Ford hasn’t done, something that had been on his mind all summer long, but took a backseat to the more pressing matters. Now, with the kids leaving, Ford realizes that he has one last thing he needs to do before the summer is over. Ford stands up, brushing the crumbs of cake from his lap. Stan isn’t the only criminal in this family, and trying to outsmart a fellow lawbreaker is easier said than done. But somehow, Ford manages to buy a boat with the money Stan had saved all those years working at the Mystery Shack. And this boat is named appropriately… the Stan-O’-War II.
Ford keeps his plans a secret from his brother, figures it would be more fun that way, to surprise him. But what he doesn’t anticipate is that Stan, ever the perceptive one, begins to suspect something was off. Stan notices the quiet late-night conversations Ford’s been having with himself in the study. He makes a mental note about the odd, secretive air Ford seems to carry around while everyone is preparing for the niblings' birthday party. At first, Stan figures it is nothing, just Ford being Ford. But as days pass and Ford starts spending more time away from the kids, running errands, making mysterious phone calls, Stan’s suspicion grows. It isn’t until the party ends that Stan finally has enough.
“Alright, buddy,” Stan says, walking out on the porch to block Ford’s path to the door. “Spill it. You’re up to something.”
Ford looks startled for a moment, before quickly recovering. “What do you mean?”
Stan crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve been acting weird lately. You were barely there when the kids were planning what kind of cake they’d have at their party. Dipper seems to think you’ve found a new anomaly, but I know that look. You’re hiding something.”
Ford blinks. “Stan, I—”
“Come on, Ford. You know I can tell when you’re lying. Call it twinepathy, or whatever. Did… Did you change your mind about keeping the shack open?”
Ford’s heart sinks. He thought he was being subtle, but now it seems he inadvertently gave his brother the wrong impression. The thought of Stan worrying about losing such an integral part of himself makes Ford’s chest tighten.
“No, Stan, it’s nothing like that.” Ford shakes his head.
Stan eyes his brother suspiciously. “Then what is it?
Ford hesitates. There’s no point in continuing to keep it a secret now. “I think I might be too old to investigate new anomalies alone.”
“Yeah, you got Dipper for that—“ Stan rolls eyes.
“On a boat? I don’t think so.” Ford raises an eyebrow at his brother.
Stan blinks. The frown on his face shifts into a look of confusion. “Wait… a boat?”
“You might want to check your bank statements.” Ford winks. “Don’t worry, I didn’t leave you ready to file for bankruptcy.”
Stan stares at Ford for a long moment, processing. Then, a grin slowly spreads across his face. “Are you saying you need someone to help you sail around the world in the adventure of a lifetime?”
“I don’t just want someone to come with me, Stanley,” He smiles, reaching for a photo hidden right by his heart, “I want it to be you. Will you give me a second chance?”
“You think we’ll find treasure? And babes?” Stan clutches the photo of them on the original Stan-O’-War like it’s a lifeline.
Ford chuckles. “I’d say there’s a high probability! But… What should we do with the Mystery Shack? I know it’s important to you…”
“I think I know just what we need.”
And just like that, the Mystery Shack is under new management. As the sun sets on the last days of summer, Ford glances around at the belongings he’s packed for the trip out at sea, satisfied with the amount he’s bringing. When he heads to the bathroom to get ready for bed, he notices the wrinkles around his mouth have started to look more sunken in. He grins at the sight, knowing the whole reason he’s developing more wrinkles in that area, rather than his forehead, is because he has more reasons to smile now. Gone are the scowling, tired eyes, now Ford can barely recall a time where he isn’t laughing until his lungs burn. His days will be spent exploring strange new anomalies with his brother; he considers it the best years of his life. Ford feels, for the first time in a long while, that everything might actually be…okay.