Chapter Text
Stanley and Stanford were young when it happened. But neither of them could ever forget it.
The night their Mother took them away.
Father was out of town for "personal buisness" that night, leaving the house eerily quiet. Both boys had gone to bed just like usual. Tucked into their bunks and fast asleep.
That's when their Mother snuck in and roused them quickly from their beds.
"Wake up, honey." She had urged. Pratically whispering despite there being no one else in the house. She already had her coat on and a scarf tied over her hair and under her chin.
"Ma? What's going on?" Stan had muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Why do you look like that?"
"Cause we're gonna go on a little trip." Ma Pines said.
"But it's in the middle of the night." Stanford added from the top bunk, still trying to find his glasses.
"I got us some bus tickets. But the greyhoud gets in real early." Ma said. "So we better get moving. I already packed you both the essentials, put anything else you want your backpacks. Try to keep it light."
Stanley and his brother started moving around the room. Changing into street clothes and trying to decided what to take with them. It felt like they were both reeling with question, but the biggest was,
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to visit some of my old friends." Ma had said, "From back when I was still a traveling psychic."
"Wait!" Stanford realized. "Shouldn't we wait for Dad to get back?"
"Dad?" She fussed with her jacket, not looking directly at either of her sons. "Boys? ... Your Father isn't coming with us."
"We're leaving without him?"
"Yes." She said, sounding firmer. "Now hurry up! We can't be late!"
The boys moved much faster after that. Stanford hurried to grab one of his favorite books on stars, plus a few textbooks he still hadn't finished. And Stanley grabbed his comics and his trusty boxing gloves.
When they were finally set, Ma had them both put on their coat. Then they all grabbed their bags and hurried off into the night.
It was strange walking down the streets of Glass Shard Beach so late at night. The streets were entirely abandoned. Wandering through the dark at the witching hour.
As they got closer to the Greyhound Bus station, they began to see a few more people milling about. Sure enough there was a bus pulling up, ready to take them away from New Jersey.
And if any of the other passengers found it odd that a woman and her younge sons were hurrying onto a bus in the dead of night, none of them said anything.
When they finally handed off their tickets and took their seats, Stan and Ford couldn't help but look around, trying to take it all in.
They wanted to ask their mother so many more questions. Where were they going? How long would they be gone? Why wasn't Dad coming to? But in the end they both ended up nodding off as the bus finally departed.
And as the greyhound bus finally began pulling away from the station, away from Glass Shard Beach, Caryn finally heaved a sigh of relief and let herself relax.
Getting out had been the hardest part.
Now they just needed to regroup with her old troupe.
She knew the transition wouldn't be easy for them, especially not for her boys. But she couldn't stand to see them broken by their father any more. She had to get them out. She couldn't promise them much, but she could at least promise them a better life.
They eventually ended up in Florida, where several traveling circuses stayed during the off-season. One of the smaller groups was known as the "Fortissimo Family Circus".
There, Stanley and Stanford were astounded by jugglers and contortionists, tight-rope walkers and knife-swallowers, and all sorts of other performers and side-show acts. All who seemed to fondly know their mother from her days when she was traveling with them. Really reading people's fortunes. Performing for entire audiences.
The most amazing thing though was when one day, the leader of the circus asked if the boys would want to join them.
"Word is you're mother's gonna be joining us on this next tour." Mr. Forte said. "You seem like two plucky youngsters, what do you think of joining our troupe?"
Stanford immedietly hid his hands, grimacing. "I wouldn't be a performing freak, would I? Or a clown?"
"No, no," Mr. Forte said. "But we could always use some fresh-faces on the trapeze and tumbling."
Stan's eyes lit up. "Ooh ooh! I'm rough and tumbling!"
"That's one yes." Mr. Forte said with an approving nod. "Is there a second?"
Stanford looked between his brother and his Mom and his own hands. He could admit he'd been having a nice time here so far. These people were kind, much nicer than Father or the other kids at school had been. He still felt he didn't quite fit-in with the others but at least they didn't actively exclude him, or tell him what a freak he looked like.
But still, he couldn't help but get a nervous feeling in his stomach. It was one thing to visit the circus. But to join full-time? Once they did that then they would have officially run-away and joined a circus.
"If we're traveling all the time, where will we go to school?"
"You'll be homeschooled with all our other children, of course." Mr. Forte replied. "My neice, Twinkles the Clown, actually has a degree in english and makes an excellent teacher."
"Come on, Ford!" Stan urgered, eyes wide with excitement. "This could be our big chance!"
Stanford, looked between his mother and his brother. Stan seemed so thrilled here. And it felt like the first time his Ma was smiling. Genuinly smiling. They were happy, and safe, and nobody was here was making them feel small.
He could deal with some road-trips and side-shows if it meant they could be happy.
"Ok." Stanford finally said. "I'm in."
And with that, both twins gave Mr. Forte a firm handshake. Five and six fingers.
"Alright boys," Mr. Forte grinned. "Welcome to the Fortissimo Family Circus!"