A no portal au where Stan ends up going to gravity falls pre betrayal. He’s on the run, he’s tired but he manages to get enough money to get a hotel, food, and enough gas to hopefully make it to Canada. (Why Canada? It’s far away from Mexico and even farther from Colombia which is what he needs at the moment)
Unfortunately it’s not long before ford and him end up meeting and goes as expected.
Ford lashes out, suspecting that Stan is there only to ask him for a favor or sabotage his research. Stan wants to tell ford the truth but he ends up lying saying the just there for a pit stop to go over to Canada for a business meeting. Not exactly a lie, but definitely leaving out that he’s running from the cartels. And the fact that he’s homeless and very much NOT going to Canada for a business meeting.
Now by this time ford has already made a deal with bill and bill KNOWS Stan is a liability in his plans. So what does bill do? Tell ford he needs to go out into the woods for a very specific kind of material that will aide ford with his research, but he’ll need help in order to retrieve it. He tells him to invite Stan over for a few days, have him help. Have him redeem himself.
Ford is skeptical but his muse seemed very confident that ford would need to bring Stanley. He catches Stan at the store later that evening and like he was told invites Stan over.
Stan is ecstatic! He’s thinking maybe this could be a chance to make things right with his twin before he leaves. Maybe if things go right ford could even let him stay a little longer.
But when do things ever go right? They go on the hunt for this object that’s being held behind a waterfall, guarded and hidden deep within the cave. They get there but something goes wrong.
A warning to not steal, one that Stan was not aware about causes the item to be lost and release a monster that now hunts the twins until they reach the forest again.
Ford screams at Stanley, pacing around angrily “WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO STEAL?! ARE YOU STUPID?! WERE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?!” Stanford sighs angrily, “I shouldn’t have expected anything less from you, first you sabotage my science project and now my work-“
Stan stares at him this look of defeat on his face showing momentarily before being replaced by something more neutral.
“It was a mistake to have invited you along,” Stan winces, “when we get back you can pack your stuff and leave before you break something else.” Ford turns around and begins to walk away leaving Stan shocked, hurt.
“Six- Stanford! Please listen-“ Stan runs up to him, the shock wearing off forcing himself to be forcefully relaxed and calm, grabbing onto his twin’s shoulder, “Look we can try again tomorrow- maybe tonight! Maybe ya got some cool gadgets or something that we can-“
Ford slaps Stan’s hand off of him, “WILL YOU STOP SUFFOCATING ME?!”
Stan’s eyes become glossier, his showman persona finally falling off, his voice tiny, “you think I’m suffocating?”
Ford finally meets Stan’s eyes, his anger morphing into regret as he fully takes in his brothers expression, something that pine men were told never to show; vulnerability.
“Stan I-“ Ford begins to reach out before stopping, a cracking sound in the background.
He turns in time to see the creature lunge at him, to see as Stanley pushes him out of the way and receives the blow.
The one that was meant for him.
He hits the ground, watching as the creature begins to mull his brother. He gasps at the violent scene, frozen in shock for a few seconds before snapping back to his senses. He springs into action, grabbing a rock sharp enough to stab through its heart.
Blood is everywhere; on his hands, on his tench coat, and pooling beneath his brother.
He doesn’t know how; but they make it to the hospital.
