#in which Pa McGucket loves his grandkids but wishes they weren't so reckless and destructive

[thelastspeecher]

for the freeform prompts maybe with your Reverse Stanley mcgucket au Stan getting to reunite with the rest of the Mcgucket family after just coming back from the portal. please and thank you (and I love you blog :) )

               Stan tried to calm hisnerves.  Angie looked at him, clearlytorn between amusement and concern.

               “Darlin’?” Angie saidquietly.  

               “Yeah?” Stan responded.

               “Are ya nervous?”

               “Would ya laugh if I said Iwas?”

               “Oh, no, honey, not at all,”Angie said.  Danny leaned forward in herseat to put a hand on Stan’s shoulder.

               “Dad, we get it.  You still get weird around a lotta noise,”Danny said.

               “And McGuckets make lots ofnoise,” Daisy added.  

               “Hon, we can call it off if yawant,” Angie said.  Stan shook his head.

               “No.  I know your folks think of me as theirown.  I don’t wanna be rude to ‘em.”

               “They would understand,” Angiesaid firmly.  Stan glanced out thewindow.  His heart ached at the sight ofthe white farmhouse, orchard, barn, and pasture he’d spent years tendingto.  

               “We’re already here,” Stanpointed out.

               “We can leave.  Say the word.”

               “No.  I- I wanna see your folks.”

               “Are ya sure?” Angie asked.

               “Yeah.  I’m sure.”

               “Okay.”  Angie parked the car.  She turned around.  “Kidlets, we’re here!”  Daisy let out a low whoop.  Emmett yawned widely and opened hiseyes.  Emory didn’t move.  “Daisy, wake up yer lil brother, would ya.”

               “On it,” Daisy said.  She opened her mouth.

               “Without yellin’.  We’re in a car, junebug.”

               “Fine,” Daisy grumbled.  She pulled on Emory’s caramel-coloredcurls.  Emory mumbled something, butdidn’t wake up.  “He’s not gonna wanna wakeup, Ma.”

               “Figure it out,” Angie said,getting out of the car.  Daisygroaned.  Stan got out.  He shoved his hand in his pocket and surveyedthe farm.  Angie walked over to him.  With a small sigh, she put her head on hisshoulder.  “Ya look like yer deep inthought.”

               “Nah.  Not really.”

               “Holy- they’re here!”  A shout rang from the house.  Angie and Stan looked over.  Harper was standing on the porch, beaming.  “Ya look more bear than man, Stanley.”  Stan grinned.

               “Your hair’s grayer than theSeattle sky,” Stan retorted.  Harperchuckled.  The front door opened, and twoother McGuckets exited.  Violynn, herbright red hair faded with age, smiled fondly, as did Basstian, who stilltowered over his older siblings.  

               “Come on in, Stan, you’ve gotsome nieces and nephews what missed ya,” Violynn called.  Daisy exited the car and began to head towardthe barn.

               “Whoa, there, missy, where areya goin’?” Angie asked.  

               “Emory still won’t wake up.  I’m gonna grab a chicken and put it on hishead,” Daisy replied.  

               “No, no ya won’t,” Stan saidquickly.  “Just plug his nose until hewakes up.”  Stan grinned at Angie.  “That’s what I do with your ma.”  Angie rolled her eyes, but planted a smallkiss on his cheek anyways.

               “Let’s go inside.”

----- 

               Stan listened to Mason,Violynn’s youngest child and only son, talk excitedly about the classes he wasenrolled in for the fall.  

               “I can’t believe you’re incollege, kiddo,” Stan said, shaking his head.

               “Almost done with my bachelor’sin vocal performance, actually,” Mason said proudly.  

               “Geez. The last time I saw ya,you weren’t even a teenager.”

               “Have ya talked to Layla yet?”

               “No.  Why?”

               “She and her partner areexpectin’.”

               “Really?”

               “Yup.  Layla’s ‘bout eight months along already.”

               “Wow.”

               “It’s- it’s really good to seeya again, Uncle Stan,” Mason said quietly. Stan smiled at his nephew.

               “It’s good to see you too.”

               “So, what happened while youwere gone?” Mason asked.  Staninstinctively tensed.  The room, whichhad been filled with amicable chatter, suddenly became silent.

               “Mason,” Violynn hissed.  

               “What?  It’s a valid question,” Mason saiddefensively.  “I mean, he was gone fertwelve years.  Then he shows up outta theblue with scars and missin’ an arm. Clearly somethin’ happened tohim.”

               “Mason, quit talkin’ ‘fore yadig yourself a hole deep enough to be yer grave,” Pa McGucket rumbled, sittingup straight in his armchair, where he had been dozing.  Stan felt someone sit next to him on thecouch.

               “Stanley, are you all right?” MaMcGucket asked gently, putting a careful hand on his shoulder.  Stan nodded.

               “Yeah, I- I’m fine,” Stan chokedout.  He glanced around the room.  “Where’s-”

               “Emmett had a bit of a nervousfit, so Angie took him to the guest room to calm down,” Lute answered.  “Poor kid ticked off our most irritable steerwhile he was playin’ by the pasture.”

               “I can go get her,” Harper said,starting to get up from his chair.  Stanshook his head, suddenly painfully aware of how he was the center of attention.

               Andnot in a good way.  In a “if we don’ttake care of him, he’ll break” kinda way. God, I’m so sick of bein’ treated like this.

               “I’m fine,” Stan saidfirmly.  He took a steadying breath.  “Mason, what happened to me is a long story.”

               “Stanley, ya don’t need toanswer his question,” Violynn interjected. She glared at her son.  “He knowsbetter ‘n to bring up painful memories.”

               “No, really, I- I should talkabout it,” Stan said.  He idly scratchedthe stumpy end of his right arm.

               “Only in a specific situation,”Michelle, Basstian’s wife, intervened.  “Andin a controlled environment.”

               …Ohyeah, she’s a shrink, isn’t she?

               “This seems as good a time asany,” Stan insisted.  Michelle pursed herlips.  “And it’s not like it’s the firsttime I’ve told the story.”

               Ipracticed it twenty times to make sure all the bullshit in it would hold up.

               “If you’re sure…” Michellestarted slowly.  Stan nodded.  

               “I am.  But, uh, Mason, go grab your Aunt Angie,would ya?” Stan said.  “Y’know, moralsupport or whatever.”  Mason nodded andran off.  Basstian cleared his throat.

               “‘Fore that troublemaker getsback with the troublemaker ya married,” Basstian said, “Stan, I feel I shouldaddress the elephant in the room.  Whyhaven’t ya gotten yourself a prosthetic yet?”

               “Oh, for this?” Stan said,waving what remained of his right arm.  “I’vebeen back like, a month.  Fidds and Dannyjust moved onto the prototype phase. They brought some of their stuff here, so they could keep workin’ on it.  I think they’re in the front yard right now.”

               “Yer havin’ yer daughter andbrother-in-law build ya a prosthetic arm?” Harper asked.  

               “Well, yeah.  For one thing, it’s free.  For another, they’re the only people whowould be willing to make me an arm that can launch missiles.”

               “Yer jokin’,” Harper saidflatly.  There was a loud crash fromoutside.

               “Uncle Fidds!  Get the fire extinguisher!” Danny shouted.  Stan raised an eyebrow at Harper.  

               “…Yer not jokin’,” Harperamended.  Pa McGucket got up from hisarmchair.  

               “Better go see what sort ofdamage the grandkids did to the property this time.”

#in which Pa McGucket loves his grandkids but wishes they weren't so reckless and destructive #also I named Mason before we knew Dipper's real name so #(and thank you!) #Reverse Portal Stanley McGucket AU #McGucket Family #Stanley Pines #Angie McGucket #ficlet #my writing #ask #Anonymous