Chapter Text
“But I have so many questions” Dipper exclaims.
“Fine, Dipper, we can go down there. I do want to know more about Grunkle Ford,” Mabel concedes, “and I need to hug him to get his sweater size!” With the decision finally made, the twins nodded at each other and snuck out of their room. They were about to head down the stairs to learn more about their new Grunkle when they heard Grunkle Stan talking to Ford. They could almost make out what they were saying.
“I think they are joking about something” Dipper whispers to Mabel.
“I think they are making up!” Mabel whisper-yells.
“-but when the summer’s over, you give me my house back! You give me my name back! And this mystery shack junk is over forever…” Mabel and Dipper gasped at the shouted words and quietly headed back to their room.
“He can’t kick Grunkle Stan out! Or close down the shack!” Mabel says, eyes welling up with tears “...can he?” Mabel hugged her knees as tears started to slip down her face. She wondered where her Grunkle would go. She wasn’t stupid she knew that fake IDs, being banned in almost all states, and failed businesses don’t leave you in a good spot.
“I don’t know…I guess he technically owns the house” Dipper says while glaring at all the notes he made on who the author could be. He had looked up to this man all summer and now Dipper finds out that he is not only willing to kick out his own twin but also take away his only source of income.
“But Grunkle Stan is his twin!” Mabel cried as Dipper crawled into her bed to hug her. “Promise we won’t get all stupid like that Dipper” she sniffes.
“We won't” Dipper nods decisively “and we won't let Grunkle Ford kick Stan out either. We just need some good sleep and then we will make a plan tomorrow” Dipper says as they try to get comfortable together in the small bed, they both know that they won’t be able to sleep very well tonight.
~~~~~~
The next morning the twins wake up with deep bags under their eyes and walk downstairs, mentally preparing to face their new Grunkle at the kitchen table eating breakfast. To their relief, they only see Stan standing at the stove cooking Stancakes.
“Hey, Dipper” Stan starts then stops as he turns to fully face his great nephew, “I know you want to talk to Ford and ask his a bunch of nerd questions” he pauses again, then continues, ”but you probably won’t see him for a bit, he’s down in his lab and I don’t want you going down there and that goes for you too, Mabel. Some of that stuff is extremely dangerous” Stan looks down at Mabel and Dipper prepared to be met with arguing and is surprised when they only answer with an almost… relieved? sounding, “Sure, Grunkle Stan” and grab their breakfast and start eating.
“So, since you two are not going to integrate Ford today, what are you going to do?” Stan asks suspiciously.
“Probably hang out with Wendy and Soos” Dipper answers as Mabel nods along. Stan still doesn’t trust them to not sneak down to see Ford but he figures he’ll just tell Wendy and Soos to not let them go down there. After yesterday, Stan knows for sure that Soos would do anything to protect those kids.
“Ok, but just know I will find out if you go into the basement and I will gound the both of ya!” Stan yells as the kids head back up to their room to get dressed. He turns back around only to see one pitifully burnt pancake waiting for him and he sighs, “Come on Stan just get through this one day at a time” he thinks as he goes to talk to Soos before opening the Shack.
~~~~~~
Later the twins wait until their Grunkle is leading a tour of the shack to tell Wendy and Soos what they overheard last night. They walked over to where Soos was sweeping in front of the counter where Wendy was sitting on her phone. Mabel sat down on a chair beside the counter and Dipper started to pace around.
As they were walking up, Wendy looked up form her phone and asked, “Whats up?”
“Grunkle Ford said that he would kick Grunkle Stan out and close down the Mystery Shack!” Mabel said while she was hugging Waddles.
“He can’t do that, right?” Wendy asks, “He can’t just close down the shack, me and Soos will be out of a job, not to mention Stan has nowhere to go.”
“Yeah, doods! He can’t just kick Mr. Pines out” Soos said.
“We have to stop this” Dipper exclaimed, “that's why we need a plan.”
“But what can we do? Neither of them will listen to any of us.” Wendy responded. All of them went quiet as they tried to think of a plan.