Chapter Text
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It's been over 40+ years since somebody's ever said the name 'Ashley' around Stanley Filbrick Pines. But he'd never expect to hear that name from his great-niece and nephew. It all started a little bit ago...
"So, how's our older brother treatin' you gremlins?" Stan couldn't help but smirk their entire Skype call. He loved Shermie, but he was never the 'interesting' type. "Ugh, he was so borrrinng!" Mabel slammed her head onto the table. "He kept telling us old timey stories and some of them began with 'Back in the day...' He's so old!" Dipper patted his sister's head and chuckled.
"Yeah, now we know someone older than you two dinosaurs." Stan scoffed and put a hand to his chest, pretending to be offended.
"Well, there are actually a lot of people older than us. Besides we're not 'old', we're just experienced." Ford said matter-o-factly. Mabel lifted her head up with a puzzled look on her face.
"Oh yeah! He kept talking about his little sister named Ashley, how come we haven't met our only Grauntie!?" Mabel and Dipper looked at the laptop screen with pursed lips. The older twins glanced at each other and Stan waved his hand. "'Cause she's not around anymore." He said bluntly.
"She's dead!?" Mabel practically shrieked. "Uh, technically." Ford tapped his fingers on the table. "How can someone be technically dead?" Dipper questioned. "Because she's not Ashley anymore." Ford said nervously as Stan looked away.
"Did she turn into a woodland pixie and fly off to be with her own kind after a tearful goodbye with you two and grandpa Shermie!?" Mabel gasped,
"AM I RELATED TO A WOODLAND PIXIE!?" Stan dragged a hand over his face and sighed. "I'm Ashley." Was all he said. "What? But your name's Stanley..." Dipper said, confusion clear as day.
"So there was a part of our story we never told you two...."
.....
"Ashley? Ashley where are you?" Ford called out, hands cupped over his mouth. He opened the door to the shared bedroom and found his sister on the floor, curled into herself. "Ashley- what's wrong!?" He ran over and knelt by her side. "I don't wanna be Ashley." She said as she wiped her eyes. "Whaddya mean? That's your name." Ashley turned to face Ford. "No! I don't want my name to be Ashley. I don't wanna be Shermie's little sister, or ma and pa's daughter, or your twin sister! I-I don't wanna be a girl." Ford knew many things, he knew why dinosaurs are extinct, he knew why people didn't just start floating off the ground, he even knew the entire body system and could name all of them off the top of his head. But what he didn't know was what his sister...brother? Meant. But, he knew if they switched roles he would've wanted to be supported.
"Well I guess we have to start picking out names...How about...Stanley?" Ford jokingly suggested. Ashley- no. Stanley smiled. "I like it, I like it a lot."
.....
"Oh my gosh..." Mabel whispered. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh mY GOSH!!!" Mabel screamed. Dipper just stared at them with his mouth open, possibly catching bugs in there. "Yeah, it's a big story." Stan said and leaned closer to Ford, in fear of what his family was going to say. "You're...You're just like Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, a giant smile filled with braces across her face. "What?" The older twins said in unison.
"Dipper was born a girl too! He knows exactly how you feel, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel made sure to put extra emphasis on the words Grunkle and Stan. "Well, he might've had more supportive parents." Stan muttered as Ford put a hand on his shoulder.
"I can't wait for you guys to come in a few days! You've got to tell Grandpa Shermie all about it!" .....
"Well....They took that better than expected, huh?" Ford questioned his brother as he took the canned foods out for their dinner. "Yeah..." Stan mumbled as he dug his face deeper into his folder arms.
"Hey what's wrong?" Ford walked over and gently put his hand on his twin's shoulder. "I dunno, what if Shermie doesn't accept it? What if he kicks me out? I..." Stan inhaled deeply, ignoring the hitch in his breath.
"I don't wanna be kicked out again." He finally finished. "Whoah, hey now." Ford wrapped his arms around Stan. "I will never let anyone kick you out of this family again, okay?"
Stan nodded and took his head out of his arms. "I'm just, worried, ya know?" Ford smiled and patted his brother on the back. "I'm worried too, you're legally dead and I'm not even supposed to be here."
Stan gave Ford a light smile and finally un-hunched his back. Ford headed back to the small kitchen they shared and continued making dinner.
"Besides, you've got me. And now you've got Mabel and Dipper. They'd never allow him to kick you out."
Stan smiled and looked at a few pictures on their wall. "Hey, when do we dock in Gravity Falls anyways?"
Ford rolled his eyes and smirked. "We dock tomorrow, now calm down you giant sappy family man. You can hug them all you want when we get off the boat."
Normally Stan would defend himself (or, his manliness) but today, just today, he'll have to admit, he does truly miss his family.
Speaking of family, as if on cue, the Skype call tone started ringing out. Ford walked over the the laptop and then shoved it to Stan. The name read "Soos the Handyman of the Apocalypse". Stan smiled and immediately pressed the green accept button.
"Hey Soos, didja burn down the place yet?" Stan joked. Soos laughed and shook his head. "Nope, but I've got super big news, dude!" Stan tapped his chin. "You finally beat my record of lies per second?"
"No, even better!" Soos replied with his usual gidy smile. "Well, what could be better than that?" Stan joked. "Melody and I are getting married! And the wedding is during the week you and the tiny dudes are visiting!" Stan's eyes lit up, usually he played being interested for Soos' sake but now he was generally happy, he was going to be a father-in-law and eventually a grandpa- er...grunkle, to Soos' kids.
"Well, dang! Congrats Soos!" Stan smiled. "Congratulations for your engagement." Ford leaned in so his face was visible.
Stan spaced out while Ford and Soos were talking about something or another.
Well, he thought.
At least if Shermie doesn't accept me, I still have a whole other family waiting for me.