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“Hey, Ford, wanna hear a joke? It’s a good one!”
“Hmm?” Ford looked up from the kitchen table, hand pausing in its near constant scribbling in the newest addition to his journals. He smiled at Stan’s back as he stood making breakfast, humming quietly as he worked and filled the room with the warm smells of frying food. The kids would be down soon, full of boundless energy and endless questions and just like that another day would start.
Things were finally, slowly getting back to normal.
No…better than normal.
Weirdmaggedon was over, Bill had been vanquished.
And slowly but surely his brother was returning to him.
He smiled to himself as he thought about that. What he wouldn’t give to go back in time and heal the wounds a little sooner. But at least, after everything, it seemed some deity up there had finally decided the old Pines Twins needed a break in their run of misfortune and saw fit to let Stan regain his memories against all the odds.
Or perhaps, he should thank Stanley’s reckless stubbornness or perhaps his pure determination for that particular miracle. That seemed more prudent, the more he thought about those kinds of things.
It was all just so Stanley to defy the odds.
“Sure, go on then.”
“Hmm?”
Ford frowned at the response, eyes now locked onto Stan instead of just skimming, mind sharpening to the here and now instead of the general haze it had been in before. A sudden flutter of unease fizzled through him. Something’s wrong. “The joke, Stan? You said you had a joke.”
“Oh. Uhh, uhm…I forgot it?”
Ford froze, ice crackling down his spine as Stan turned to him sheepishly, hand going behind his neck in an awkward apologetic gesture. He gulped passed the sudden panic that threatened to choke him, passed the abrupt lurching feeling as if the world had fallen out from under him and the building speed of his heart thudding against his rib cage.
Was Stan forgetting things again?
Was he always going to struggle with memories – big and small?
No. No, please –
Please
don’t start forgetting again now. I can’t lose you again so soon.
You’re not even completely back yet, that’s not fair!
“T-that’s OK, don’t worry about it.” Ford managed to stammer out, even as his mind and body threatened rebellion against the lies slipping through his teeth, a reassuring smile for his twin gluing itself to his face that he hoped looked at least halfway decent.
He shook his head, taking a deep breath and made sure his smile did look more genuine.
Whatever happened, it wasn’t Stan’s fault. He couldn’t blame him if his mind deteriorated again, he just had to be there with him. “Honestly, Stan. Just tell me it when you remember, OK?”
Stan tutted, shaking his head as he turned back to his work, arms raising with his irritated words. “Will do. But, damn, I mean-”
Ford waited, watching Stan struggle through the words with bated breath. He knew he might need to let out some steam, some anger at his own memories failing him once again. It had happened on more than one occasion and by now he had learnt that it was better to let Stan let it all out before comforting him. Interruptions and gentle shushing only served to frustrate him further if he hadn’t got all the words out- something else other than his mind stopping him in his tracks.
“I swear if my memory was any worse, I could plan my own surprise party!”
Silence met his words, Ford’s mind short-circuiting at the sudden turn in the conversation he had not been expecting. He blinked owlishly as his brother went back to frying, unperturbed- or so he thought at first.
His eyes narrowed as he took in shaking shoulders and barely contained laughter. A strangled appalled sound escaped him.
Was that a jo- are you kidding me, right now?
“Are you serious- did you just- Stan.”
“I did ask if you wanted to hear a joke, Ford.”
“Stan. Oh you- you knucklehead!” Ford took a shaky breath in, putting his head in his hands as he groaned, fizzling rage and draining relief swirling in one heady mix that left him mumbling all kinds of half thought out things into his hands where no one else could hear them. “Don’t do that to me!”
“Do what to you?”
“Scare me like that, you-”
“Language.”
“I hadn’t even said anything yet!” Ford snapped, thrown off course again by Stan who gave him a feral grin over his shoulder from where he stood. “Don’t change the subject! You can’t just joke about things like that, Stan!”
“Sure I can! It’s my memory that stopped working like it should. Pretty sure I’m allowed to talk about it however I please.”
“Stan.” Ford couldn’t help the aghast word leaving him. It was less of a name and more of a simple cry of horror.
Though given the circumstances, he was pretty sure that was fairly accurate as he stared at his twin in abject astonishment, his blatant disregard for the seriousness of the situation making it hard for him to formulate a response.
Stan hummed in the background, bobbing along to the unknown beat as if nothing had happened.
As if he hadn’t just joked about the sobering reality they had been pushing passed these last few weeks.
He choked back a shocked laugh, more of a high pitch noise than anything, shaking his head as he stared at his brother, unable to really comprehend it all.
God, Stan, why do you always do this?
You always make light of rough situations in the worst possible way.
“B-bro- Come on, that- even you’ve got to say that was bad taste.”
“Nah.” Stan finally turned to him, a cheeky look on his face as he turned the heat off, He rolled his eyes at Ford’s still unappreciative expression. “Oh, come on Ford! Don’t make me feel guilty or something!” Stan leant forward, glancing around furtively. “Though, I guess I have heard that a clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory – And what do you know? My conscience is not at all clear!” He tapped his head with a wry bark, waiting patiently for the fallout.
As it was, it was everything he had hoped for.
Another strangled noise left Ford before the hysterical bubble of laughter took hold.
He put his head in his hands, shaking his head as his body was wracked with the notion.
In all honesty, he didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry, but it was laughter that had taken the forefront with Stan’s prodding.
So Stan- So god damn Stan!
His mind couldn’t even get passed the short mantra, the truth chiming behind it through the dark humour like a bright light to sweep away the horror of his words. His brother was well and truly back with him, bad tasteless humour and all.
God, Stan, why do you always do this?
The relief made him want to cry, the switch well and truly flicked. It was the first time since he had put his finger on the trigger that hope swelled and burst through the dam that he had hidden it behind. So scared, so ready to face the fear that his brother would never fully come back and yet now it was so abundantly clear.
Please, never stop doing this.
Never stop surprising me.
But instead of tears, he just found himself laughing harder, his brain rerouting his emotions into a swirl of giddiness.
He’s back. He did it. He said he would.
Please. Please keep keeping your promises.
“F-Ford? You are laughing, right?” There were shuffling footsteps as Stan came to stand by him. “It was all just some fun, you know?”
“Y-yeah I know, you knucklehead.” Ford propped his head on his palm, glancing up at Stan as he took a deep breath and rubbed at his eyes. “I think I needed that.”
“Heh, good, I thought so.” Stan gave his shoulder a punch before grasping it tightly, a solid link to ground Ford with him and let him know he was there. He coughed awkwardly a moment later, giving his shoulder a squeeze before giving him a wobbly smile. “I’m glad you laughed.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?” Ford waited patiently as Stan looked ready to leave it there, face marred with hesitation and doubt at whatever he wanted to say next.
“Well, you’ve kind of been treating me like I’m glass or something whenever memory things come up. Wanted to remind you that you acting…not yourself, doesn’t actually help all that much. Thought being my brash self about the whole ordeal might loosen you up a bit.”
“Oh…” Ford blinked, nodding as he took the words to heart. He shook his head at the notion. Trust Stan to be weirded out by their careful approach to him. “Heh, well thanks.”
“Thanks? Thanks for what?”
“For reminding me how you act in bad situations.” Ford wrapped an arm around his brother’s waist, glad to have him back and letting himself take comfort in that fact to ground him. Stan patted him on the back, an awkward sibling motion that almost set him off laughing again.
Maybe the world really was returning to normal for them.
“Oh. You needed that reminder, did you? Did you forget?”
Ford tried not to grin as Stan prodded at him, rolling his eyes at the mocking tone before he glanced up at him. “Guess I did. It’s obvious in hindsight that I should have realised I’d get some abysmal jokes once you had the chance.”
“Oi, these are great jokes, how dare you.” Stan pulled himself away from Ford, ignoring the petulant grumble he got in response as he almost dislodged Ford from his chair.
“If you say so.” Ford snorted, sitting himself upright again with a shake.
“Guess I am a bit rusty in the memory department.” Stan tapped at his head before nudging him with his elbow. “Oh well, I’ll have to remember some better ones as time goes on, wont I?”
Ford grinned back, unable to stop it from winding across his face any longer as he rubbed his shoulder where Stan had hit it. “Yeah, I guess you’ll just have to, won’t you?”
“Oh? Is that a challenge I hear?”
“I guess it is. You caught me by surprise this time. Your frankly terrible jokes won’t get me again.”
“You are so on, Poindexter, just you wait and see. I’ll have you laughing in no time.”
Ford hummed disbelievingly, trying to quell the wide grin that threatened to spread across his face as Stan grumbled at him and went back to work. He glanced up when he was sure Stan wasn’t looking, a much softer smile blossoming on his face as he heard the twins finally stirring above them.
I’ll wait and see what you come up with, Stan. But either way, it sounds like a win-win situation to me.
Either way you’re back where you belong.