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Jul 17, 2020

Chapter Two Is DONE! AS AM I WITH THIS THING. IF Y’ALL DON’T LIKE THE ABRUBT ENDING, I DON’T CARE. I DON’T NORMALLY SAY THIS, BUT THIS MAY BE THE FIRST CHAPTER THAT I HATE. IT FEELS TOO DRAWN OUT AND IT GOT ME IRRITATED SO I MAY HATE THIS CHAPTER. NOBODY’S FAULT, JUST MINE. Tag List: @bccfggffbgv, @new-account-sam-christy-456(Feel free to ask to be removed or added.)

(Flashback.)

Hunter packed her backpack as she was asked in her last letter from Stanley, despite confusion as to why she was asked to do so. Hunter paused as she heard something hit the window. Hunter walked over to the windowsill, opening the window and looking around for the source of the sound and eventually spotting Stanley. “Stan…!” Hunter called quietly.

“Heya Tiny…! Ya did what I asked…?” Stan asked quietly. Hunter held her backpack up so he could see. “Great work, Tiny…!” Stan grinned. Hunter tossed the bag down, Stan catching the bag while Hunter climbed down. Hunter rolled down, landing on her feet in a clearing near Stan.

“So, what’d ya wanna meet up for…?!” Hunter asked, getting up.

“Well, I got kicked out yesterday, so I gotta find a place to live, and I wanted to see if ya wanted to join me…!” Stan grinned.

“But why…?!” Hunter asked.

“Hunter, you and I have known each other for a while now and I’ve gotten a glimpse at your uh...Home life.” Stan started. Hunter winced.

“I….I’m fine here, St-Stan….! I just...Keep getting on their bad side…!” Hunter excused. Stan was aghast at what Hunter was saying.

“What…?! How can you SAY that…?!?” Stan hissed. Hunter broke eye contact. “Hunter, they are NOT nice people…! You deserve better…!” Stan scolded.

“I...I-I-I-I-I….” Hunter stammered.

“How many times have they hurt ya and locked ya in the basement…?!” Stan asked, voice turning dead serious. Hunter fell silent. “Well…?! I’m listening…!” Stan chuffed.

“....Too many times to count…” Hunter whined.

“Exactly. That’s a problem.” Stan frowned.

“Where’ll we go…?!” Hunter asked, worried.

“Across the country…? I dunno yet…! We’ll just wing it…!” Stan smiled. Hunter felt a feeling of worry weigh her shoulders down. “Don’t worry…! We can get as far away from here as possible…!” Stan grinned.

“What about Fordy…? Is he gonna be coming…?” Hunter asked.

Stan froze, thinking for a moment. Does he say the truth about how Ford is gonna be going to college and leaving them behind, or tell a small lie that he’d be with them at some point in time? “St-Stan…?” Hunter peeped.

“Yeah, um, he’ll uh...Meet us there...We have a meetup place...It’s uh...Quite far away…” Stan lied for the safety of Hunter getting away from her family.

“O-Oh…! Okay…!” Hunter smiled, trusting Stan fully.

Stan winced, faking a smile that Hunter didn’t see as such. She saw it as his typical “Everything’s okay!” smile. “Yeah, we’ll...We’ll meet him at the meetup…!” Stan grinned weakly.

“Oki doki..!” Hunter beamed. “Where is it?” Hunter asked.

Stan thought on his feet, making up a name on the spot. “Uh...Gravity Falls…!” Stan said.

“Wait...If we’re going, what about Mo-” Hunter started.

“HUNTER MARY INKWELL, WHERE DID YOU GO, YOU LITTLE SHIT?!?” Chip yelled. Hunter yelped, shaking violently.

“Hunter, get in the car.” Stan said.

“What..?” Hunter peeped.

“GET IN THE CAR, I AM NOT GETTING ARRESTED ON BEHALF OF YOU RUNNING AWAY!” Stan snapped, shoving Hunter in the backseat of the car with her backpack. Hunter yelped, sitting upright and hurrying to put her seatbelt on. Stan hurried to turn the car on, failing a few times. “Come on…” Stan grumbled.

Chip ran out, looking around for Hunter and eventually spotting Stan. “HEY!!!” Chip snapped.

Stan slammed his foot on the gas, speeding off. “Hold on, Tiny!!” Stan called.

Hunter sat in the back, shaking violently as they drove off, panic attack in full force. “A-A-A-Are we gonna be okay…?!?” Hunter wheezed.

“Hold on, little buddy…!!” Stan called back.

“U-Um, St-St-St-St-St-Stan….?! I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I think we need to speed it up a bit…!” Hunter whined.

Stan turned around, seeing Hunter’s parents getting into their car, panic setting in.

“OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT!!!!!!” Stan panicked.

Stan drove through back alleys, hurrying to get onto the freeway and lose Hunter’s parents.

(Present day.)

Hunter sat down on the couch, talking with Stan, falling silent as Glitch walked in.

“Oh. ya have someone over.” Glitch said tiredly.

“Yeah, he’s an old friend!” Hunter explained.

“Why’s there a living corpse on our couch?” Glitch asked, Stan gasping in offense.

“This is Stan, he’s……...my brother, so please treat him with respect.” Hunter said.

“Whoa, who’s this?” Stan asked.

“Oh, this is Glitch, I adopted him. He’s my adopted son.” Hunter explained.

“You? Adopt a kid? Hah! Funny joke!” Stan laughed.

“Not a joke, bud.” Hunter said.

“Oh.” Stan said.

“Yeah, he’s a handful.” Hunter shrugged.

“Why doncha come over for dinner tomorrow? Meet up at the shack, catch up, ya know! Like friends do!” Stan suggested.

“Really?” Hunter asked, unsure.

“Yeah! You can come by about...5:00 and just chill out! You can bring Glitch if you want to!” Stan said.

“Well, okay! Sounds good!” Hunter grinned.

“Great! See ya then!” Stan said.

Hunter saw Stan out, closing and locking the door behind him.

“You’re heading out to the shack later tomorrow?” Glitch asked.

“Yeah, we haven’t seen each other in years, Glitch. We have stuff to catch up on!” Hunter said.

“Really?” Glitch asked, raising an eyebrow. “Y-Yeah…” Hunter stuttered.

“All of the stuff?” Glitch asked.

“W-Well, except for what I’ve been doing the past few days, we have a bunch to catch up on…!” Hunter stammered. “H-He doesn’t need to know that…! He doesn’t need more trouble in his life….!” Hunter stammered, breaking eye contact.

“He’ll find out someday.” Glitch said.

“When he does, I’m sure he’ll understand.” Hunter said shortly.

(Flashback.)

Hunter walked home from the store with a fresh batch of Ink, stopping when she heard sobbing, trying to ignore it, but the closer she got to home, the louder it got. The sobbing eventually starting to drive her crazy, she started looking around for the source, finding a young child in a cardboard box in the middle of the rain near Hunter’s apartment. Feeling bad, Hunter took him in, thinking it’d just be until the morning. Hunter put him in some of her spare clothes, looking at the kid, then at her phone which had 911 on speed dial, looking between the two before turning her phone off with a heavy sigh.

Hunter got down to his height. “Hey kid. You’re gonna stay here a while.” Hunter said.

“O-Okay…!” He nodded.

(Timeskip)

Hunter walked up to the Mystery Shack, taking a deep breath before walking up and knocking on the door. “No need to be nervous…It’s just Stan…” Hunter sighed.

“You’re not any good at this, are you?” Glitch sighed.

“Shut up, Glitch!” Hunter snapped, upset at being called out. Hunter fell silent as the door opened.

“Oh my gosh! It’s you!” Mabel beamed.

“Oh! It’s….Dabel!....Right?” Hunter asked.

Mabel laughed. “It’s Mabel, silly!” Mabel corrected.

“Right, sorry…” Hunter apologized sadly.

Before they walked in the door, Glitch grabbed Hunter by the shoulder. “Hold up, take a deep breath, your feelings are valid, but you need to breathe. Remember to breathe, and don’t panic.” Glitch said. Hunter nodded.

“Oh! Hunter! Ya made it!” Stan grinned.

“Yep…! Sup bro…?” Hunter asked nervously.

“Why so nervous, Tiny?” Stan asked, worried.

“Oh, no reason, Stan, just...Typical nerves, ya know…?” Hunter squeaked.

Stan noticed Glitch, thinking something over for a second. “Hey, kid; go over to the gift shop, pick something out!” Stan offered.

“Really?” Glitch asked.

“Yep! Go ahead, whatever ya like! A friend of Hunter’s is a friend of mine!” Stan smiled.

Glitch shrugged, heading off to go look around.

“So, Hunter, how’d you come across him? Ya have a one-night stand?” Stan asked quietly.

“What?!? No!! I ADOPTED him!!” Hunter retched.

“Ooooh! Oopsie!” Stan winced.

“Yeah, it’s okay though.” Hunter smiled weakly.

“Well, how’d ya find him? Adoption center?” Stan asked seriously.

“Rainy day. He was in a cardboard box.” Hunter frowned.

“Oof...That’s rough…” Stan chuffed.

“Surprise High Five Time!!” Mabel cheered. Hunter yelped in surprise at the sudden hand being raised in her direction, flinching away and dripping slightly.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mabel, sweety, we don’t do that with Hunter here, okay?” Stan said gently.

“Why? Something wrong?” Mabel asked, confused.

“Well, Mabel, sweety, Hunter uh….Grew up around some...Not-so-good people and uh...She doesn’t like surprise contact, ya know..?” Stan asked.

“Why?” Mabel asked, still confused.

“Well...You know how some people are nice and others are not so nice..?” Stan asked.

“What?!?” Mabel gasped.

“I know, I know, but some people are just plain bad to be around, and Hunter was in that situation and I helped get her out.” Stan explained.

“Awww! How heroic!” Mabel cooed.

“With her parents on my tail, too.” Stan said.

“Ohmigosh!” Mabel gasped.

“I remember how angry her mom sounded. She sounded ready to commit WAR CRIMES.” Stan grimaced.

“Oh no…” Mabel frowned.

“Yeah…’oh no’ is right…” Stan grimaced.

“Did everything turn out okay?” Mabel asked.

“Sorta….” Stan winced.

“Look, Mabel, just...Please...No surprise High Fives for Hunter, alright?” Stan asked gently.

“Hmm...Okay!” Mabel nodded.

“Thanks, sweety…” Stan smiled softly.

“Sorry I scared you, Hunter, I had no idea…!” Mabel apologized.

“I-I-It’s fine…! You didn’t know..!” Hunter said, shaking it off.

“Okay!” Mabel smiled, skipping off to go find Glitch.

(With Glitch)

Glitch looked around, finding a Game Over beanie, putting it on. “This is mine now.” Glitch said.

“He seems really tall….Maybe I can just…” Mabel said, hugging Glitch’s leg.

“Oh! Hello…!” Glitch said awkwardly.

“Hello! I’m Mabel! I seem to have lost my name, can I have yours?” Mabel winked.

“You...Just said it.” Glitch chuckled. “If ya wanna do pickup lines correctly, ya gotta say this: Are your parents Bakers because they sure made you a cutie pie~" Glitch smiled.

Mabel’s eyes sparkled like diamonds in amazement. “Of course….I’ve been blind this whole time…!” Mabel gasped.

“Heh…” Glitch chuckled.

Dipper walked in, freezing at hearing the pickup lines.

“Dip-Dip! Glitch is teaching me pickup lines!” Mabel grinned.

“Oh really?” Dipper asked.

“Yeah, do you have 11 protons? Because you are sodium fine~!” Glitch winked. Dipper’s face went tomato red as he rushed off to the room with Stan and Hunter in it.

(With Stan and Hunter)

“Whoa, what’s with your face bein’ so red, sport?” Stan asked.

“Everything fine’s!” Dipper blurted. Hunter thought for a moment.

“Ah. Glitch.” Hunter said.

“Whozamawhanow?” Stan asked, confused.

“Glitch has a tendency to flirt with people.” Hunter explained.

“Oh.” Stan said.

“It like’s he wanted to mess with me..!” Dipper spluttered.

“He tends to do that.” Hunter shrugged.

“Oh, so he’s a casanova?” Stan asked.

“Basically, yeah.” Hunter said.

“Oh, okay!” Stan nodded.

“Yeah…” Hunter said, trailing off and dripping slightly.

“You alright man? You seem to be dripping a bit.” Dipper asked skeptically.

“Wait what?!” Hunter yelped, noticing she was dripping.

Glitch leaned in, noticing Hunter having a freakout. “Okay, we’re heading out for a walk.” Glitch said, putting Hunter’s hood up and taking her outside. Hunter went with Glitch, trying not to drip much.

“Thanks Glitch…” Hunter thanked, sighing in relief.

“No problem, are you okay?” Glitch asked.

“Yeah, I-I-I’m fine…!” Hunter said.

“Ya sure? You were REALLY freaking out in there.” Glitch said.

“I…...Just typical parental flashbacks, Glitch...Nothing out of the ordinary..” Hunter frowned.

“Hunter, it’s okay to move on.” Glitch said.

“I know, but…” Hunter trailed off.

“You’re too forgiving for your own good…” Glitch grimaced.

“I know, but Dad was never that bad…! It was mostly Mom…!” Hunter defended.

“Hunter, being indifferent is not any better!” Glitch objected.

“I-It’s fine, Glitch, I-I-I-I forgive him..!” Hunter said.

“Hunter…” Glitch winced.

“I’m fine now…!” Hunter said.

“Ya sure?” Glitch asked.

“.......Yeah.” Hunter nodded.

Hunter walked inside again, sitting back down where she was earlier. “Everything okay, Tiny?” Stan asked.

“Yeah, I-I-I-I-I’m fine, Stan, sorry I worried ya…” Hunter apologized.

“Ya sure, Tiny….?” Stan asked.

Hunter nodded, still dripping a little bit, worrying Stan slightly.

“Well...If ya say so…” Stan sighed.

Hunter sighed in relief, sinking down in her chair. Hunter jumped as she was pulled out of her thoughts by a dripping sound.

“Wait...Black dripping liquid….” Dipper hummed.

Hunter gulped nervously. “I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I gotta go…!” Hunter squeaked, hurrying up and running out the front door, leaving Inky footsteps behind her. Dipper crouched down, touching a footprint and realizing what it was.

“Grunkle Stan…?! What did the news report say was stolen…?!” Dipper asked, panic filling his voice.

“Uh...Ink and machine parts, why?” Stan asked, scratching his head in confusion.

“.......We’ve found our culprit.” Dipper said, getting up.

“What?!?” Stan gasped.

“Hunter?!” Mabel gasped.

“It all adds up; she shows up when the thefts start up, she gets nervous around people, her footsteps are Inky, the facts all add up!!” Dipper explained.

“No, nuh uh, I REFUSE to believe it’s true!!!” Stan objected.

“It only makes sense, Grunkle Stan!!” Dipper said.

“No, I KNOW Hunter, she would NEVER steal!!” Stan objected.

“How many years has it been since you last saw each other, Grunkle Stan?!” Dipper asked.

“That doesn’t matter!! I GREW UP with her, Dipper!! I THINK I know her!!” Stan defended.

“Stan, it’s been YEARS!!” Dipper objected.

“So what?!” Stan asked.

“LEMME GO, GLITCH!!!” Hunter yelped from outside, getting everyone to run outside to find Glitch holding Hunter back.

“Hunter, calm down.” Glitch sighed.

“NO, LEMME GO!!!!” Hunter whined, struggling to escape his grip.

“Hunter, please just calm down…!!” Glitch snapped.

“NO, I’M HAVING A MELTDOWN AND I NEED TO GET HOME, GLITCH!!!” Hunter begged.

“Why, is it because you’re DRIPPING INK EVERYWHERE AND YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT DRAWING SUSPICION TO YOUR CONDITION?!” Glitch snapped.

“What?!?” Everyone gasped in unison.

“Guys, you-you CAN’T believe him…!!!! He-He’s a-He’s a demon-he’s lying!!!!” Hunter squeaked.

“MOM!!!!” Glitch snapped.

“YOU LET SOMETHING OUT, I LET SOMETHING OUT!!” Hunter snapped.

“WHAT I SAID DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING BAD OTHER THAN A MENTION OF YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION!!” Glitch piped up.

“Glitch is a demon...THAT’S what’s causing Hunter to steal the Ink and machine parts!” Dipper said, snapping his fingers in an ‘ah-ha’ moment.

“No!!! I don’t CARE about Ink!!” Glitch piped up. “Or machinery or any crap like that!! I’m a dimensional traveller!!” Glitch added.

“Yeah, right!!!” Dipper snapped.

“I don’t!!!” Glitch defended.

“He’s right, Hunter would NEVER steal ANYTHING.” Stan denied.

“Uh, g-guys…?” Hunter peeped quietly.

“What purpose would I have for Ink and crap like that?!?” Glitch snapped.

“I….I dunno! Somethin….malicious?” Dipper suggested.

“............Invalid hypothesis, Dip-Dip.” Glitch sighed.

“G-Guys, p-please calm down…!” Hunter whimpered.

“Hunter, get behind me.” Stan said, pulling Hunter behind him.

“Wait, Stan, no!” Hunter yelped, getting tugged behind him.

“Wait, let’s just calm down, I’m not gonna hurt you!” Glitch stammered.

“How do we know that, Wiseguy?” Stan asked, narrowing his eyes in skepticism.

“If I wanted to hurt you or Hunter, I woulda done so by now!” Glitch explained shakily.

“I don’t believe that.” Stan frowned.

“Hunter, come on-” Glitch started before Stan stepped back, pulling Hunter back with him.

“You stay the hell away from her.” Stan scowled. Glitch looked at Hunter, eyes begging for her to step in. Her face visibly darkened and she slowly shook her head no sadly. “Now get outta here before I throw ya out.” Stan threatened. Glitch opened his mouth to say something, but just as quickly closed it, leaving the shack’s area. Hunter dripped nervously, slouching slightly in worry and exhaustion.

“You okay, Tiny?” Stan asked, looking back at Hunter.

“Y……….Yeah, Stan-Stan, I’m……..I’ll be okay….” Hunter breathed. Stan felt worry for a second at Hunter’s sudden loss of energy, clapping a hand to her shoulder, ignoring that he squished it slightly.

“Ya sure?” Stan asked gently.

“I…...Yeah, just….Scared I hurt his feelings…” Hunter fretted.

“It’s alright, Tiny. Like ya said; he’s a demon. Demons don’t have any hearts.” Stan assured.

“I……….Yeah…..You’re…...Probably right…” Hunter conceded. Stan took the twins back inside while Hunter sat outside a little bit longer, eventually settling on a hill closeby to watch the sunset.

(Timeskip to sunset)

Hunter put her hands behind her back, palms facing down, propping herself up as she watched the sun set, washing the skies with beautiful shades of orange, yellow, pink, and purple. Hunter was startled out of her thoughts by footsteps on the grass behind her. “Wh-Who’s there?” Hunter demanded, turning around recognizing a familiar face.

“Heya, Tiny, did I spook ya?” Stan asked, gently padding over. Hunter breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar gruff voice.

“Stan...I...You scared me there…” Hunter sighed. Stan slowly made his way to Hunter’s side, sitting down next to her.

“You doin’ okay? Ya need to talk about anything?” Stan asked.

“Why would I…? I’m fine…” Hunter admitted, looking to the side and breaking eye contact.

Stan tilted his head, eyebrows furrowing in concern. “Hunter, you’re doin’ that thing ya do when somethin’s troublin’ ya. What happened? Was it because of earlier?” Stan asked, worried. Hunter didn’t answer, gently picking at the grass by her feet anxiously. “Was it that fight from earlier?” Stan repeated. Hunter still didn’t respond. Stan sighed, thinking of how to get Hunter to talk.

“Tiny….” Stan sighed. Hunter pulled her knees to her chest, mouth forming a frown of discomfort. “Tiny, look, I understand it’s hard to open up to others about some things, but I’m here to listen if ya need it.” Stan suggested.

Still dead silence from Hunter. “Well, I gave it my best….” Stan sighed, going to get up. “Guess that Demon made ya feel like ya can’t trust your own-” Stan started.

“He’s not a bad guy, ya know, Stanley…” Hunter mumbled. Stan perked up, looking down at Hunter.

“What was that? Ya know we’ve talked about your mumbling.” Stan asked gently.

“He’s not a bad guy, Stanley…! We have a symbiotic relationship…!” Hunter blurted out, eyes tearing up, shining like diamonds in the moonlight.

“Whoa...Tiny, are….Are you okay…?” Stan asked, worried. Hunter sniffled, rubbing her eyes with her hoodie sleeve.

“I just don’t know what to do….! I try my best, but I just never feel good enough…!” Hunter hiccuped, shoulders sagging, showing just how exhausted she was. Stan winced, slowly walking over to her, hands outstretched.

“Tiny, what happened to ya…? You were fine, back when we were kids, but now look at you….You look like a corpse shambling about town, trying to find a job…!” Stan worried. Hunter sniffled, trying to not break down into tears, worrying Stan to the point of no return. She’d NEVER shown her emotions THIS freely before.

“I’ve made so many mistakes, Stan-Stan…! I can’t ever take those mistakes back…!” Hunter shivered, starting to tremble slightly as emotions started to take hold of her reasoning, suffocating the reasoning part of her brain slowly but surely.

“We all have, Tiny…! I-I’m sure people have forgiven ya for those mistakes…!” Stan assured, grinning slightly. Stan was caught by surprise as Hunter fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands.

“They say they have, but I know they’re talking about me behind my back, Stan-Stan…!! Even when they assure me over and over, I still know I don’t deserve forgiveness…!” Hunter wept, choking on tears and air. Stan swiftly slid over, pulling Hunter into a tight hug.

“Hunter Mary Inkwell, you stop that nonsense talk this INSTANT. You are one of the most wonderful people I have EVER met! Don’t you EVER doubt that for ONE SECOND.” Stan scolded softly.

“But I-” Hunter started.

“No, you don’t get to say ‘but’ this time. You’re a FANTASTIC person who deserves the world and more! You are NOT a bad person! You are NOT stupid, worthless, inconsiderate, wasteful, or otherwise bad! You are a source of joy for me, the twins, even other people!” Stan said.

“But I don’t have any purpose…!” Hunter sobbed.

“So? Laze about! Do what you’ve always wanted to do! Go on an adventure, go around the world, go monster hunting, heck, you could even probably become an animator! I don’t care! You are FAR from worthless! You are WORTHWHILE! I don’t care what voice in your head says you’re not, or what some random Joe says you are, you are a WONDERFUL piece of work! Sure, ya have cracks, dents, and scratches, but guess what! That adds CHARACTER to ya!! Those who say otherwise? Answer to ME. Stanley Pines, High School Boxing champ of FOUR YEARS.” Stan announced.

Hunter fell silent, mouth agape in awe at the assurance from Stanley and face stained with tear streaks that glistened in the moonlight. “Stan-Stan…” Hunter gasped.

“We may not be family by blood, but I consider you my little sister. If anyone-and I mean ANYONE-gives you trouble, send em my way.” Stan said.

“I…..I don’t know what to say…” Hunter chuckled sadly, rubbing the tears away, despite more falling down.

“Tiny?” Stan asked, worried.

“I….Oof...Now ya have me feeling all sentimental…” Hunter chuckled sadly.

“And ya know the best part, Tiny?” Stan asked, crouching down to her height, sparking a feeling of familiarity deep within Hunter’s body.

“What?” Hunter asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“This time, out of all times, out of all times of my life,” Stan started, taking a deep breath and making eye contact with Hunter. “I’m not lying.” Stan finished, eyes glimmering with determination. Hunter gawked in awe, not having heard this tone of voice from the taller adult before. Stan’s eyebrows quirked in concern. “Uh, Tiny…?” Stan asked, getting Hunter to gwomp in confusion. Stan pointed at Hunter’s face, pointing out a bit of ink dripping. “Are ya supposed to do that?” Stan asked.

Hunter panicked. She pulled her hoodie hood up higher, hoping to hide her face better from the moonlight. “I-I gotta go, Stan, see ya tomorrow…!” Hunter blurted out, hurrying up and hurrying off.

“Tiny, wait!” Stan called, following her before losing her in the dark forest. “....Are you okay…?” Stan asked nobody as he stopped in the dark forest.

Stan grimaced, worry for his technical little sister now worsened. “What’s going on, Tiny…?” Stan muttered to himself, walking back to the shack.

(At the Mystery Shack.)

Stan walked in the door, closing and locking the door as he got inside, sighing as the events of the day stewed over in his head.

“Grunkle Stan?” Dipper asked, rubbing his eye as he walked downstairs. “Everything *yawwwn* Okay?” Dipper asked, yawning.

“Me? What about you? You should be asleep!” Stan scolded. Dipper shrugged tiredly.

“Couldn’t. What were you doing out so late?” Dipper asked, yawning tiredly.

“I...Went out to try to find Hunter...Make sure she’s okay, ya know?” Stan explained. Dipper nodded, giving a tired ‘mhm’ as he did so.

“Didja find her?” Dipper asked.

“Yeah…” Stan faltered.

“Why’d ya falter? Ya found her, didn’t ya?” Dipper asked.

Stan shook it off. Dipper doesn’t need to know yet. “Never mind, Sport. Ya need to be getting to bed; it’s past your bedtime, Kiddo.” Stan assured. Dipper frowned in disappointment before realizing he wouldn’t win if he fought it.

“But what about Hunter?” Dipper asked as the two walked upstairs.

“Let me worry about her, kiddo. Have a good night, alright?” Stan asked, walking to his door. Dipper nodded, going back to bed. Stan sighed, walking into his room and sitting down, looking at the photo from his pocket. “I’m sure she’s still there somewhere…” Stan sighed, putting the photo down and going to bed, opening his window slightly, just in case.

(With Hunter.)

Hunter ran through the empty streets of Gravity Falls, making sure she was being as careful as possible. No need to get caught. Hunter carefully slipped through a garage door, searching for the supplies she needed.

She snuck through a hanger full of beams, crosswires, gears, and other mechanical devices: perfect. Exactly what she needed. Hunter looked around, picking out five fifteen tooth gears, ten twenty tooth gears, a couple spokes, a couple tubes, a couple robotic arms, and four gearbox power connecters. Satisfied with her haul, Hunter put the items in her backpack, padding them so that they didn’t make any clattering noises. Hunter returned the items home before heading back out to a laboratory, stealing a couple barrels of the special Ink she always required. As a test, however, Hunter grabbed one barrel of a different kind of Ink that would, hopefully, help prevent her dripping so often.

Hunter hurried home, hiding everything from her outing in her basement, not daring to look at the now empty pit under her invention. She knew it was down there-it HAD to be, but she didn’t want to chance seeing it.

Just thinking about it made her stomach bubble with regret and guilt. She felt as though her legs and arms would give out on her, feeling as though they were weighed down by cinder blocks, gritting her teeth in a grimace.

It happened so quickly-it happened so swiftly-it happened because she lost her temper. She would never let Stan down in this place. She didn’t want the incident to repeat itself-she wouldn’t ALLOW the incident to repeat itself, even if it meant keeping visitors away.

Frowning, Hunter left her basement, closing and locking the door. Hunter retreated to her room, going into her bucket and going to sleep for the night. She thought over telling Stan about her plan, but ultimately decided against it; her relationship with him was already rocky due to the events thirty years ago, why make it worse? Hunter drifted off to sleep, humming an old lullaby to herself from her childhood.

“It’s okay, Tiny, you’re safe here with me. Here with us is your safe space, your parents can’t find you here. No need to cry, I’ll be right here. Right by your side, always staying near. There ain’t no call to worry, so please don’t cry or fret, a couple year’s difference won’t change you, no matter how long it is.” Hunter hummed to herself.

(Timeskip to the morning.)

Hunter got up, forming into a full human again and stepping out of her bucket, getting ready for the day. Hunter walked downstairs, confused when she didn’t see Glitch anywhere downstairs. Maybe he just needed some space after yesterday. That was fine, Hunter understood, sometimes, she needed space from herself too. Hunter winced, gently holding her wrist. She knew the scars had been healed for years now, but it still stung sometimes, usually when she thought bad things about herself. She shook it off.

Hunter got herself a granola bar for breakfast, as she hadn’t been feeling all that hungry that morning. She knew if she told Stanley, he’d flip, but that’s why she WOULDN’T tell him. She knew how he and….She knew how he was about self care and stuff like that. He got scary when he heard Hunter hadn’t self cared that day, so she’d resulted to either lying to him, or not telling him at all. Sure, both options were horrible, but telling him the truth would hurt her worse, as she felt she inconvenienced Stanley most of the time.

Hunter checked the clock, knowing that she had to return to the Shack at around noon-time, as she promised. Hunter went down to her basement, grabbing some of the new Ink and injecting some of it into her body, which had hurt as much as a pillow hitting her in the face, as she’d been used to needle pains due to having to give herself more stability. “It’s for the greater good, Hunter…” Hunter assured herself.

Hunter headed back upstairs, getting her bag and getting ready to head out. Taking a deep breath, she started her way back to the Mystery Shack, shaking off any and all worries she had: Stan was her technical brother, he wouldn’t judge her too harshly, that wasn’t how he worked!

He wouldn’t judge her. He wouldn’t judge her. He WOULDN’T. JUDGE. HER. So why was she hesitating? She found herself stopped just outside the entrance to the Mystery Shack’s area of land, breath caught in her throat. She was so shaky. She was so shaky, she was losing her sight, she was losing her sense of touch, what was going on?! Hunter eventually mustered up the strength to take one step back.

Then another.

Suddenly, she was in a full-on sprint away, out of control of her legs. She tried to stop, by GOD she TRIED to stop, but she couldn’t.

She COULDN’T. STOP. RUNNING. Hunter started freaking out, losing grip on staying calm, eventually coming to a stop in a small cave just a while away from the Mystery Shack. She stayed inside the cave, collecting her thoughts.

“God, I thought I was over this...I thought I grew up...I thought I wasn’t a coward anymore…!” Hunter scolded herself. Hunter beat herself up, starting to space out as she did so.

Eventually, Hunter was snapped back to reality as she suddenly got a heat flash. Hunter swiftly panicked, checking her backpack, swearing under her breath as she noticed a lack of some form of sugar inside. “Damn...That’s not good…” Hunter swore. Hunter’s vision soon started blurring and eventually getting covered with black spots. Hunter slowly got up, collapsing against a wall soon after, panicking as she knew she had no way to contact anyone for help.

(Timeskip a few hours.)

“-un-er?” A voice called, barely discernible. Hunter didn’t move.

“H-n-er?!” They called again, panic lacing their voice.

“T-ny, co-e on!!!! W--e -p!!” A different voice, gruffer than the first, called. Hunter slowly stirred, barely able to open her eyes.

“Ow…” Hunter winced at the sudden light level shift.

“Is she gonna be okay, Grunkle Stan!?” Mabel asked, fear lacing her voice.

“Mabel, it’ll be okay, calm down.” Stan hushed. “Tiny, can ya move your hand for me? I need to gauge how bad the crash is.” Stan requested.

Hunter barely moved her hand half an inch, worrying Stan immensely.

“Okay, it’s bad.” Stan announced.

“What does she need?” Dipper asked.

“Something with sugar that’s not energy intensive to get into her system. Like...Liquid sugar, some form of Honey, I dunno-” Stan started.

“Sugar cubes!” Mabel grinned. Stan was starstruck.

“....Yes, actually.” Stan nodded. Mabel hopped over, giving the sugar cubes to Hunter. Hunter slowly downed the cubes one by one, slowly returning to normal.

“How long have I been out?” Hunter asked, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

“I dunno, when’d ya head out?” Stan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Around like...what, 11:30?” Hunter said, confused.

“You’ve been out for about four hours, maybe.” Stan said, wobbling a hand as he estimated the time.

“FOUR-” Hunter started.

“Calm down, preserve your energy.” Stan said.

“Four HOURS?” Hunter gasped.

“Yep. We came out lookin’ for ya because ya didn’t show up when ya said you would.” Dipper said.

“Oh my….I’m so sorry…” Hunter said, facepalming.

“What’d I tell ya?” Stan reminded, Hunter’s face heating up.

“Stan-Stan, not in front of the kids…!” Hunter groaned.

“What did I tell you?” He repeated.

“Keep something in my bag in case of a blood sugar crash…!” Hunter wheezed.

“And what DIDN’T ya do?” Stan asked.

“Keep something in my bag in case of a blood sugar crash…!” Hunter groaned.

“I know it seems like I narc on ya, but it’s because I care. You’re my favorite little sister in the world, I don’t wanna lose that.” Stan smiled.

“I know…!” Hunter smiled back shyly.

“It sure seems like ya keep forgetting that! I’ll keep remindin’ ya however I can!” Stan promised.

“But what if others are present…?” Hunter winced.

“So?! I’d announce to the world how much I love my little sister! I’d scream it as loud as I can!” Stan joked.

“Please...Don’t…” Hunter said, face getting more flustered, still visible despite her hoodie hood still being on.

“Come on, you’re blushing~!” Stan grinned, nudging Hunter gently.

“Because you’re embarrassing!” Hunter wheezed.

“Darn right I am! That’s sorta my right, as a big brother!” Stan said proudly.

“Oh my Jupiter, you’re SUCH a dork…!” Hunter groaned.

“Not just any dork~! I’m your dork!” Stan grinned.

“OH MY GOD, STAN, I AM GOING TO DIE OF OVERHEATING, SHUT UP!!” Hunter wheezed.

“Are ya gonna take better care of yourself?” Stan asked.

“Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine! If it gets ya to stop!” Hunter wheezed.

“Thank you! Little sissy~!” Stan teased.

“I AM GOING TO SMACK YOU.” Hunter growled.

“What~? Wouldja rather I say-” Stan started.

“DON’T YOU DARE.” Hunter threatened.

“Moist~?” Stan said, dragging out the word.

Hunter stood up swiftly, despite how bad of an idea it probably was, and started walking away. “NOPE. I AM NOT DEALING WITH THIS.” Hunter snapped.

“I….I don’t know that word, and I ALREADY HATE IT.” Dipper grimaced.

“She hates it! She and…” Stan trailed off, smile slowly fading.

“Grunkle Stan?” Dipper asked.

“...A good friend of ours!” Stan picked back up, smile returning.

“Really?” Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, he beat me with a book for sayin’ it once!” Stan laughed.

“I may do the same.” Dipper frowned, nose wrinkling slightly in disgust.

“What? Moist?” Mabel asked.

“Don’t.” Dipper warned.

“What’s wrong, Dip-Dip? Don’t like moist~?” Mabel teased.

“We are siblings, I can LEGALLY throw you.” Dipper warned.

“Okay you two, calm down.” Stan laughed.

The group started heading back to the Mystery Shack, finding Hunter waiting on the front porch.

“Ya didn’t go inside?” Stan asked, confused.

“I found it rude to go inside without asking.” Hunter shrugged.

“Nonsense! Ya practically live here, even if ya don’t ACTUALLY!” Stan grinned.

“Yeah, I know, just typical manners I learned as a….Kid..” Hunter said, voice faltering slightly.

“You okay, man? Your voice faltered.” Dipper asked skeptically.

“Yeah, we don’t talk about that.” Stan said, stepping in before the twins asked too many questions.

“I-It’s fine, Stan, I-I don’t mind, they’re just c-curious..!” Hunter assured, waving her hands around.

“Hunter, no, you don’t seem comfortable with talking about it yet, so ya don’t HAVE to talk about it.” Stan assured.

“Stan, come on, bud, it-it’s fine..!” Hunter said, smiling shakily.

Stan quirked an eyebrow in concern. “I know that smile, Hunter. I know that means that you’re uncomfortable.” Stan said.

“It-It’s fine, Stan, I-I promise..!” Hunter said, shaking slightly.

“Hunter, ya need to work on your assertiveness. Ya can BARELY bring yourself to say no to people.” Stan sighed.

“I COULD say no to someone!” Hunter defended.

“Oh? Go ahead. Show me.” Stan said.

“W-Wait, what?” Hunter asked nervously.

“Tell me no.” Stan elaborated.

“I….You’re my brother, I can’t say that to you!” Hunter said.

“Pretend I’m someone ya hate. Pretend I’m your mom.” Stan said.

Hunter shrank down, backing against a wall, shielding her face.

“Wait, that was a poor choice…” Stan groaned, facepalming.

“I-I-I-I-I-I’m sorry…!” Hunter whimpered, shaking slightly.

“Hunter, calm down, it’s okay, you’re here, you’re alive, you’re safe, you’re with me, you’re not there anymore.” Stan assured, sitting next to Hunter, but not touching her until she gave him the go-ahead.

Hunter winced as Stan sat next to her, but regained comfort as she recognized him. As she looked to him on her left, she could have sworn she got thrown back into junior year of High School, but she shook herself back to current day, not willing to linger on the past.

“You okay, Tiny?” Stan asked. Hunter nodded, slowly leaning in to give Stan a hug, Stan hugging back only when she gave him the okay.

“.....Am I-” Hunter started.

“Do I need to give ya the same pep talk I did last night?” Stan asked.

“......Am I at fault for what happened back at home…?” Hunter asked.

“No. Your mom was like a Demon; no heart, all barbs.” Stan assured, not noticing the wince from Hunter.

“I...But I tended to be a bad kid...I-I snuck out…!” Hunter objected.

“Because she never let ya go outside.” Stan objected.

“But-” Hunter started.

“The only thing you’re at fault for, Tiny, is being a wonderful person. You’re such an innocent person, you’d never do ANYTHING wrong without reasoning.” Stan said. “You’re one of the most innocent people I’ve EVER known. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me for not doing something sooner.” Stan said.

“No!!” Hunter snapped, dripping slightly, surprising Stan.

“Whoa.” Stan winced.

“You’re not at fault, I am for not following and meeting their expectations! If I’d just tried harder, I woulda been fine most nights! If I just TRIED, I woulda been fine! If I’d just put in EFFORT, I woulda been okay!” Hunter freaked out.

“Tiny-” Stan started.

“If I’d JUST LISTENED, I woulda been fine! If I wasn’t such a DUMB, STUPID, SELFISH KID, I WOULDA BEEN-” Hunter started.

“HUNTER, CALM DOWN.” Stan said, gently grabbing Hunter to snap her out of it.

“But-” Hunter started.

“No buts. You. Are. A. GOOD. PERSON.” Stan stressed heavily. “JUST because that GLITCH Demon showed up and made ya doubt yourself doesn’t mean jack diddly SQUAT.” Stan frowned.

Hunter froze at the mention of Glitch being bad, defense mode activating. “H-He’s not bad…!” Hunter defended.

“Let’s think here; I see ya after thirty years after ya make a deal with a Demon and ya see to have a worse mental state than when we last met, he said something CLEARLY bad to upset you to tell everyone he’s a Demon, you two have an unHEALTHY connection as he calls it, but nah, he’s a pure, sweet, innocent Angel.” Stan grumbled.

“He’s only thirteen..!” Hunter whimpered.

“.................................Well hot belgian waffles.” Stan winced.

“Yeah.” Hunter frowned. “Then again, maybe he didn’t come home because he needs space...Maybe he doesn’t...Like me anymore...I don’t blame him…” Hunter whimpered, hugging her knees to her chest. Hunter winced slightly, trying to shake it off. “I’m fine, just….A headache…” Hunter assured, mostly to herself.

“Maybe ya need a break, take a day off of….Whatever job ya have…?” Stan guessed.

“I….Don’t HAVE a job.” Hunter winced. “......Not anymore, at least…” Hunter added quietly, hiding her hands in her pockets.

“Well, we could always use an extra employee here, if ya want!” Stan offered.

“I…..Maybe...I don’t wanna take up valuable space…” Hunter trailed off.

“Ya won’t, trust me!” Stan grinned.

“Ya sure…?” Hunter asked sheepishly.

“Come on, Tiny~! Would I lie to you~?” Stan grinned. Hunter grew an unamused look on her face.

“Ya don’t want me to answer that, Stanford.” Hunter frowned.

“....................Alright, fine, I get it, but I ain’t lying! My offer still stans this time!” Stan grinned.

“.....................Really?” Hunter asked.

“What? I thought the pun was charming!” Stan defended.

“Oh, you are SO lucky you are my brother…!” Hunter sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Ya thought it was PUNamusing?” Stan grinned.

“STOP.” Hunter warned.

“Come on, you’re smiling~!” Stan grinned, nudging Hunter’s side gently.

“Just because I AM, doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.” Hunter said.

Stan laughed, Dipper and Mabel joining him soon after. “Okay, fine, they’re amusing.” Hunter sighed heavily.

“Awww~! I thought I’d get A LITTLE more than THAT~!” Stan teased.

“DO NOT PUSH YOUR LUCK, STANFORD FILBRICK PINES.” Hunter warned.

Stan fell silent immediately. “That’s what I thought.” Hunter smirked.

“........Yikes….” Dipper winced.

“............I must be in big trouble, if you’re using my full name.” Stan winced.

“Don’t test me.” Hunter teased.

Stan finally realized it was a joke, thinking his options over. “Hmm...How about this, ya get inside before I say ‘it’~!” Stan grinned.

“YOU WOULDN’T.” Hunter gasped, faking offense.

“What~? Mo-” Stan started. Hunter darted inside, door slamming shut behind her, causing everyone to break out laughing.

“Awww~! Ya didn’t give me a chance to say it~!” Stan teased.

“I WILL LOCK THIS DOOR.” Hunter warned.

“I will break down said door.” Stan added.

“I will go hide in the corner until needed.” Hunter said.

“No, you will not!” Stan said, going to stop Hunter.

(Timeskip to next day)

Hunter got up, wincing as she felt a slight stinging pain. She shook it off, working through the pain to start getting ready for the day.

Hunter got herself a granola bar, stuffing her backpack with the typical blood sugar control snacks, not wanting to have another crash later.

“Okay...It’ll be fine...Glitch, I’m leaving…!” Hunter called, only getting silence as a response. “R….Right...He’s….Not here…” Hunter frowned. Hunter grabbed her bag, starting to walk to the Shack.

As she started walking, she tried ignoring anything bad that came to mind. Already getting ONE lecture from Stan was enough for a week, let alone THREE in one day. “It’s okay...He’s family...He won’t bite…” Hunter reassured herself, falling onto her face.

“..............Son of a-” Hunter started.

(At the Mystery Shack.)

Stan jumped as his phone rang, answering. “Yello?” Stan said.

“So…..Stan-Stan…? Can ya….Sorta kinda come pick me up…? I….Sorta kinda maybe fell over from pain...I can’t walk….at least, long distances..” Hunter winced.

“I think so, yeah, where are ya?” Stan asked.

“On the sidewalk of Maple drive......” Hunter sighed, defeatedly.

“Really? Ya made it halfway! Congrats! That’s further than yesterday!” Stan grinned, only to gain defeated sobs in response. “Oh-kay, not good timing…” Stan winced. “Okay, I’ll come get ya, don’t move.” Stan said.

“NOT LIKE I CAN, YA LITTLE-” Hunter started.

“I mean stay where you are!” Stan said, quickly hanging up.

“Kids, I’m heading out to help Hunter get to work!” Stan called.

“Huh? What’s the matter?” Dipper asked, worried.

“Hunter’s havin’ a bit of pain-I’m assuming it’s a girl thing, so I’m just leavin’ it at that.” Stan said.

“Oh no!! I’ll get the ibuprofen and heat pads ready!! The hot coco too!” Mabel said.

“Don’t burn yourself! Wait...How did you know what I mean-” Stan started.

“I’m a girl and Mom deals with it all the time!” Mabel called from the kitchen. “So does Wendy!” Mabel added.

“Okay, well, I’m going, don’t burn the house down while I’m gone.” Stan said.

“I can’t promise anything~!” Mabel sang.

“I’ll make sure she won’t.” Dipper said.

“Thanks.” Stan said, heading out.

(With Hunter.)

Hunter sat upright, wincing as she did so, so that people were able to pass by without much trouble.

“Are...you okay…?” Candy asked.

“I’m fine...Just typical pains…” Hunter winced.

“Oof...I didn’t bring my Ibuprofen with me…” Candy apologized.

“It’s fine, I’ve been through worse…” Hunter assured.

“What, did you get into a car accident or something?” Candy asked.

“...I think...Maybe it was just a dream...Who knows…” Hunter shrugged.

“Well, I’m gonna go meet up with my friends, hope to see you later, and hope you feel better!” Candy smiled.

Hunter smiled back, perking up slightly as Stan pulled up. Candy waved, smiling. “Hi Stan!” Candy greeted. “Is Mabel still hanging out today?” Candy asked.

“I’m sure she will be, yeah.” Stan nodded. Hunter groaned, attempting to stand up. Stan hurried over, catching her as she was about to fall over. “Okay, you’re not allowed to move anywhere without someone with you today. If you try to do so, I will be very disappointed in you.” Stan said.

Hunter nodded, not having enough energy to fight him on the matter.

(In the car.)

“.....Stan-Stan…? Is it normal to hear static…?” Hunter asked.

“No….? I don’t think it is…!” Stan worried.

“Huh….I wonder what’s wrong…” Hunter frowned, worried.

“I-I’m sure you’re fine! It’s probably just….that, and Glitch’ll probably be back soon and he can tell us what’s going on!” Stan assured.

“......He’s normally never been gone this long...Was it something I said…? Was I too harsh…?” Hunter frowned, dripping slightly.

Stan winced, worrying slightly. “I…….I’m sure nothing’s wrong..! It probably just took a bit more time is all…!” Stan assured.

“But usually he’s back in an hour…! And usually static doesn’t sound this loud, usually it’s not this bad…! Usually it’s only when Glitch takes a shower…!” Hunter whimpered.

“What would happen if he touched water? Like, fully got into a pool or lake? Like, submerged in the water?” Stan asked.

“He would most likely be in pain...Why…?” Hunter asked.

“........Does said pain affect you too?” Stan asked.

“Not usually...But then again, he does dilute his water...I dunno what happens when he touches pure water…” Hunter shrugged tiredly. “Plus, I don’t think he can swim...So if he jumped into a lake of sorts, he wouldn’t be able to come up…” Hunter added.

“..............HECK.” Stan winced.

“Stan-Stan…? Is everything okay..?” Hunter asked, worried.

“Oh, yeah, everything’s okay, just...Tell me if the static gets worse, okay?” Stan asked. “Or, ya know, the pain, too.” Stan added. Hunter nodded.

“10-4, Bro-Bro…” Hunter nodded tiredly.

Stan thought over the potential places that Glitch could be, not being happy or satisfied with any of them.

“.......Wait, he headed towards the woods..” Hunter said. “So….” Hunter said. Stan pulled up to the Shack, helping Hunter get inside.

“I got some Ibuprofen and a heated blanket!” Mabel said, helping out however she could.

“I’ll be fine, so long as I don’t….Walk long distances…!” Hunter assured.

“Nonsense! Now, I have an important question: Shapes or Pillows?” Mabel asked.

“............Shapes…?” Hunter said, confused.

“Great! I can getcha that! Shapes it is!” Mabel said, skipping into the kitchen.

“Wait, why did you ask?” Hunter called.

“Hold on a sec!” Mabel called.

Stan backed out of the room before Hunter could say anything, washing his hands clean of the whole ordeal. “Whipped cream, yes or no?!” Mabel called.

“Uh….Yes?” Hunter called back.

“Sweet! My kinda gal!!” Mabel grinned, walking into the room with two mugs of hot cocoa.

(With Stan.)

Stan looked through the woods, looking all over for Glitch, hoping he was okay and just hanging out somewhere. As he started heading towards the lake, a loud splash caught his attention, heart dropping pretty much onto the ground.

“Oh, that better not be him…!” Stan worried.

(With Hunter.)

Hunter yelped, shoving her hands over her ears in an attempt to shut out the static, dropping the hot chocolate onto the ground in front of her. “Hunter? What’s wrong?!” Mabel worried.

Dipper rushed downstairs, holding the hat Glitch had, clearly worried. “Mabel, is everything okay?!” Dipper asked, clearly panicking.

“Something’s wrong with Hunter, I-I don’t know what’s going on…!” Mabel worried.

“Wait...Hunter said she had a connection with Glitch...Doesn’t that mean that she feels what Glitch is feeling…?!” Dipper worried.

Hunter whimpered as she heard Glitch’s thoughts, curling in on herself.

“Hunter, is everything okay…?!” Dipper asked.

“I shoulda gone after him…! I shoulda talked to him-I-I-I shouldn’t have said anything…!!” Hunter whimpered.

“Hunter, it’s okay, calm down…!” Mabel begged.

“I shoulda gone after him…!!” Hunter panicked, dripping slightly.

“Hunter, it’s-” Mabel started, putting a hand on her shoulder, feeling it sink in slightly. “O….kay…?” Mabel trailed off, pulling her hand back. “What in the world….?” Mabel gasped.

“Oh my….” Dipper said.

(With Stan.)

Stan looked around, noticing a pile of clothes. Well. THAT’S concerning.

“Oh no...Isn’t that….Glitch’s...Jacket…?” Stan winced, going to look down at the lake.

As panic took over, Stan went in after Glitch, pulling him up to the surface, struggling slightly due to the weight. Stan eventually made it back to the surface, setting Glitch down and laying on his backside.

“Oh, Hunter owes me for this.” Stan panted. Stan slowly got up, grabbing some spare clothes from the back of the car, getting Glitch out of his wet clothes and into some fresh ones, including the beanie he took back from him.

(With Hunter.)

Hunter started fidgeting, almost hurting herself half the time, as panic started settling in. “Is Glitch okay..?! What’s going on…?! Why’d the pain suddenly lessen…!?” Hunter panicked.

“I-It’s okay, Hunter, calm down…!” Mabel urged carefully.

“Nobody cares, nobody cares, nobody cares….!” Hunter panicked.

“What…?! That’s ridiculous! We c-” Mabel started.

“He thinks nobody cares…!! He’s in pain, I can’t do anything about it…! I can’t stop it…!” Hunter hiccuped.

“Wait, who…?!” Dipper asked, concerned.

“Who do you think….?! The ONE person I was supposed to keep safe…!! I put his life in danger…! I’m gonna lose ANOTHER family member….!!” Hunter whined.

“It-It’s okay, Hunter…!” Mabel assured.

“NO, IT’S NOT OKAY!!! I WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM SAFE!! HE WOULDA BEEN SAFE IF I DIDN’T BLOW UP AT HIM FOR DOING NOTHING WRONG!! IF I DIDN’T TELL YOU WHAT HE WAS, EVERYTHING WOULD BE OKAY!! BUT I DID BECAUSE I PANICKED BECAUSE I DIDN’T PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT HE SAID!!!” Hunter snapped, dripping worse.

The front door opened, Stan walking in holding Glitch. “I’m home, and VERY tired!” Stan called. Dipper quickly cleared off a space to put Glitch down on. “So...He needs medical help…” Stan said. Mabel nodded, running off to grab bandages.

“Can I do anything…?” Hunter asked.

“No, you, sit, now.” Stan said.

“But I-” Hunter started.

“SIT.” Stan growled.

“C-Can I at least sit by him…?” Hunter asked timidly.

Stan moved Glitch closer to Hunter. “If I see you move from this spot, I am grounding you so hard, it may stretch beyond the summer.” Stan warned. Hunter nodded, hugging Glitch gently.

Mabel rushed downstairs with the medical supplies, falling halfway down, rushing over. “I’m okay!” Mabel assured.

“Just hand me the bandages.” Dipper said. Mabel handed them over.

(Timeskip)

Glitch slowly woke up, noticing Hunter passed out nearby in a very familiar living room in the Pines family household. “Oh no…” Glitch panicked, falling off of where he was sitting.

Hunter slowly woke up, rubbing the leftover sleep from her eyes. Glitch hid behind a chair, shaking and trying not to cry. Hunter winced, not wanting to do anything. “St-Stan-Stan…?” Hunter called.

“What?” Stan called back.

“H-He’s up…!” Hunter called back.

“Is he okay?” Stan asked.

“He looks kinda traumatized…” Hunter whimpered. Stan walked in.

“Okay, where is he?” Stan asked, Dipper and Mabel close behind.

“Behind the chair…” Hunter said, pointing at the chair.

Stan walked closer, stopping when Glitch backed into a corner in a panic. “Hey, it’s okay, I ain’t gonna hurtcha, okay?” Stan said gently.

“But you said-” Glitch started.

“I know what I said, but I regret saying it. It was said in the heat of the moment. I wasn’t in the right for saying that. I had no right to say that about a thirteen year old.” Stan winced, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Glitch whimpered, clearly on the verge of a panic attack. Stan thought something over, settling on something. “Okay kid, lemme let ya in on a secret that I have with Hunter, when she gets like this, we do a little breathing exercise to calm down, would you wanna do that?” Stan asked gently.

Glitch whimpered, unsure of if he should trust him. “....I’m sorry I snapped at you. We haven’t had good encounters with other Demons-not saying that you’re like them! We’re just...Wary, nowadays.” Stan said.

“I’m not full demon…” Glitch said.

“I...I know, but there’s still that Demon part and...We just don’t wanna get hurt again, ya know…?” Stan smiled crookedly.

“I dunno…” Glitch said.

“It’s fine, it won’t hurt, I promise! Scout’s honor!” Stan promised, holding his hand over his heart.

“I don’t like promises…” Glitch said. “They usually end up broken..” Glitch added.

“Not mine, kiddo. My promises are the most genuine thing this side of Oregan!” Stan assured.

(Timeskip.)

After Glitch calmed down, Hunter snuck home, repairing the Ink Machine in the basement. As she wrapped up, she felt her phone vibrate and she went to answer it.

“Hello? Yeah, what’s up, Stan-Stan?” Hunter asked. Hunter nodded as he explained. “How much? Yeah, I can-no, I can help with that. No, ya don’t need to tell me. Midnight? Alright. See ya then, bye.” Hunter said, hanging up. Hunter took a deep breath, getting everything together and ready for midnight.

(Elsewhere.)

Agent Trigger checked a screen, jumping in surprise as he spotted something on it. “Agent Powers, sir, we have a sighting!!” Agent Trigger called. Agent Powers walked over, looking at the screen.

“What did you find, Agent Trigger?” Agent Powers asked.

“We found the culprits for the thefts, sir!!” Trigger said.

“Really? Who?” Powers asked. Trigger pointed at the screen, showing two people; Hunter and- “Stanford Pines. Bingo.” Powers smirked.

“What should we do, sir?” Trigger asked, awaiting orders.

“Well, Agent Trigger, we do the smart thing.” Powers said.

“What’s that?” Trigger asked, confused.

“We call in Special Ops.” Powers ordered.

“Sir, yes sir!!” Trigger said, standing up and saluting.

#My Writing #My Art #Stanley Pines #Dipper Pines #Mabel Pines #Agent Trigger #Agent Powers #young fiddleford #Stanford Pines #Filbrick Pines #Ma Pines #Gravity Falls Oc #My Oc #Hunter Inkwell #Chip Inkwell #Henry Inkwell #Not My Oc #Glitch #Ask To tag #Tw: Abuse Mention

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