#billendin

If it had been under any other circumstances, Stanley probably would have laughed at the timing of it. Right after Grauntie Mabel left the room ("you're so lucky to have your brother at your side") he'd gone to the walkie-talkie to tell Ford that they'd have to have their going-away party in the Mystery Shack, but it picked up a conversation on the other end instead. 

Stan listened to it dumbly, almost not believing it. Ford wouldn't say that- Ford wouldn't- he wouldn't... But it didn't change what he was hearing.

And he would; Stan had seen how he threw himself into monster hunting and studying and research and god knows that Stan had had to rescue his twin quite a bit this summer for it. Ford loved doing it.

And if that part was all Stan had heard, he would've found and asked Grunkle Dipper himself if he could stay here and learn too because even though he was the dumber, sweatier twin and certainly wasn't as qualified to do what Grunkle Dipper did as Ford was, he did want to do it. He wanted to stay here and help protect his bro and maybe it was dangerous but it was still fun, and there was something about Gravity Falls that was home like Jersey never really had been.

But.

Stan looped back through those two sentences in his head over and over. They were so casual and deliberate and Stan knew that he meant them. Ford didn't calculate his words to hurt. He didn't think Ford knew he was listening as he said them.

Real men don't cry, Pa said somewhere in the back of his mind, but there were tears in his eyes anyway.

When Ford came back, Stan asked him about it even though he knew the answer (because admitting it makes it that much more real).

"D-did you mean that, S-Sixer?" 

"Mean what?" Ford replied, confused. "Are you okay?"

Stan wiped his nose. He must look like a mess right now, he thought distantly. "W-what you said to Grunkle Dipper."

"Oh! Yeah," Ford answered. "This is my big break! You've seen Grunkle Dipper's journals- he's a master paranormal investigator, I bet the best in the world! And Gravity Falls- we've barely scratched the tip of the iceberg this summer. There's so much here, I bet you could spend your entire life looking and only see a tiny percentage about what this place has to offer! And it's so much better here than-"

Stanley grabs his backpack and runs. He's sobbing but he barely notices as he sprints down the stairs, through the shack and out the door, into the nearby woods.

He stays there, curled up in a ball and crying, for what feels like forever when he notices a hand on his shoulder, and when he looks up he sees it's Blendin.

"Oh, hey there, kid! You alright?"

"No," Stanley snivels. "Nothing's alright. Ford- Ford said- Ford's going to-"

Blendin interrupts him before he can finish the sentence. "Hmmmmm, I think I can help you there. See that bag? Inside it is something that's incredibly powerful, that'd give me the ability to freeze time and stop you and your brother from ever growing up and getting old! Nobody'll even notice."

"Really? W-What is it? Can you really do it? I thought Time Baby-"

"Of course! And I was getting to that. See, it's a weird-looking snowglobe; you'll know it when you see it. Hand that to me, and you'll get everything you've ever wanted," Blendin says. "Go on- look."

It's Ford's bag, and the snowglobe Blendin wants is right on the top. Stanley hesitates a moment, because it's Ford's and not his and he has no idea what it is...

"What has your brother ever done for you, though, eh?" Blendin queries, as if he'd read Stan's mind. He extends his hand, waiting to take what he's asked for. "Just give that to me, and all your troubles will be over. I bet you anything your brother won't even miss it!"

Stan doesn't think about it much longer before reluctantly handing the grinning time traveler in front of him the odd snowglobe.

Blendin smashes it under his foot and dramatically removes his goggles, showing Stanley his yellow, slitted eyes, eyes that Stan would recognize anywhere.

The sky is torn open and Stan suddenly goes limp. Bill forms a red bubble adorned with the fish around the boy, and, for good measure, covers it in chains.