"Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford, hurry up!"

"Yeah, we found the perfect spot right over here!"

Ford couldn't help but laugh at his niece and nephew's enthusiasm, even as the sun beat down heavily on his back. Something about the energy they were radiating was absolutely infectious, and as he watched them scurry a good ten feet ahead of him and Stan, chattering and laughing about the day to come, nostalgia stirred within him.

"They remind me of when we were children," he said, and from next to him Stan chuckled, causing the two lawn chairs tucked under his arms to bob up and down.

"Heh, yeah. We were always a hundred feet ahead of Mom and Dad wherever we went, 'cept for whenever Ma dragged us to buy new clothes," he remarked. "That woman could stay standin' in one aisle for years before deciding to go onto the next one, I tell ya."

Ford could feel his chest swell. "Yes…so I suppose you're starting to remember more things from our childhood?"

"Sure am," Stan said. "Some things are still a bit foggy, but the memories are really startin' to come back to me now."

"That's astounding, Stanley!"

"Guys!"

"Ah, we're comin', we're comin', just slow it down a bit!" Stan yelled up to the twins. "Let us old men take our time, eh?"

When Stan had suggested visiting the Gravity Falls Lake for a day of fresh air and relaxation the day before, it hadn't taken much for the whole family to whoop in agreement. Ford had been a bit wary at first (and to be truthful, he still was—it had been quite a while since he had visited the lake), but Dipper and Mabel had managed to soften him up enough for him to finally give his full consent. After all, with monsters and demons and destruction no longer plaguing the town, the idea had never sounded so tempting.

Ford shifted the cooler in his hand—yes, a cooler—to stare down at himself. His usual attire of a thick turtleneck, trench coat, and boots had been traded in today for a more breathable outfit consisting of a pair of swimming trunks and a white polo shirt. Of all the old clothes in his closet, he'd managed to scavenge both of them out of a box in the very back, and the fact that they still fit him was remarkable in itself. The only new thing he was wearing, however, were the sandals on his feet, something Stan had bought for him in the wake of Weirdmageddon for this very occasion.

"It's been such a long time since I've visited the lake," he remarked, "and it's the oddest feeling having my arms and legs exposed…are you sure I look alright, Stanley?"

Stan snorted. "You look fine, Poindexter. A little pale, but you're fine. Some sun's really gonna do you good. Think it's gonna do all of us some good, actually."

By the time they reached the top of the small incline leading to the lake, Ford was already marveling at the amount of people gathered on the shore. All along the lakeside people were set up, some lounging in chairs, some laying back on towels, and others splashing about in the water. It wasn't a surprise; the day was scorching, and since Weirdmageddon had ended nearly a week before many were trying to find familiarity, find normalcy in places that had been considered home for years. The lake was no exception. It was the sense of peace nature brought with it that so many were thriving off of.

And Ford could understand that, after all that he had been through in the last week.

As he and Stan drew closer, many turned to stare at them. From under the glare of sunglasses, from next to friends. It wasn't in judgement, however; it was in kindness. Since the apocalypse's end the entire Pines family had been hailed as heroes for what they had done to defeat Bill Cipher, especially Stan for the bold sacrifice he had made in order to get rid of the demon for good. Their gratefulness extended outward in the form of care packages left on the Mystery Shack's front step, from casseroles to gift baskets to simple letters of thanks, and their appreciation continued to show in the way they greeted Ford and Stan as they drew closer.

"Hey there, Mr. Pines'!"

"Hello!"

"How are those memories doing, Mr. Pines?"

"Doin' pretty good, thanks," Stan said, knocking on his head as they walked past. "Now, where did those two…?"

"Over here, guys!" Mabel shouted. The duo turned to find the twins in an empty spot a little ways from the water, waving and gesturing to it so that they could see. They wasted no time in rushing over and depositing their supplies on the dirt ground, and while Ford went about setting up the area, Stan beamed at them.

"Good spot-pickin', kids!" he declared, reaching down to give an affectionate noogie to each twin. "Couldn't have found a better one myself!"

"Well we are kind of the best," Mabel said as she smoothed down her hair, shrugging casually. Then she quickly added in a smug tone, "but I found it though."

Dipper frowned and shoved her shoulder, making her stumble a bit. "Hey, don't take all the credit, we both found it!"

"Alright, that's enough of that," Stan said loudly, silencing them. "Help my brother and I set up, won't you? You two can bicker all you want when you're away from us, in the water."

Ford finished setting up the last items—the chairs—and shook his head. "I don't think that will be necessary. Most everything is ready, so I suppose you children can go ahead and—"

"Wait a minute. Not so fast," Stan cut in sharply. He kneeled down to grab the large tote bag they had brought with them, unzipping it and peering inside. "You knuckleheads got everything you need? Towels, goggles?"

"Check!" Dipper said.

"Double check!" Mabel mirrored.

Ford watched silently as the three went through their little checklist, smiling a bit at his brother's obvious hovering. Then Stan pulled a bottle of something out of the bag, and it was hard for him not to notice the way Dipper's face fell at the sight of it.

"Awww, Grunkle Stan, do we have to?" he complained.

"Of course you have to," Stan said, voice stern. "What, you think I'm gonna let you run out there into that scorching sun with nothing to protect ya? You know the rules. You gotta put on sunscreen before you get in the water."

"But—"

"Not buts. Coat up or you don't swim."

Dipper looked helplessly to Ford.

"I'm afraid you should, my boy," he said, expression sympathetic. "The sun's ultraviolet rays are very harmful to your skin—in just ten minutes you can find yourself burnt to a crisp, especially in these harsh temperatures."

Mabel nodded. "Grunkle Ford is right. I can handle it though, Grunkle Stan," she said, taking the bottle from his hands and using it to point to her brother. "Dipper just doesn't care about his skin like I do."

"I just think it's a waste of time!" he retorted, stomping his foot. "And I don't like the way it feels on my skin, it's really slimy and cold, and—"

"You say that now, but you're gonna regret it later when you're beet red and peelin' like an orange," Stan cut in. "You know you get sunburn worse than your sister, so just put it on, kid. Or do you want me to do it for you?"

Ford could only laugh as Dipper's face lit up a bright scarlet. "No! Uh, I mean I can do it myself! I'm not a little kid!" He snatched the bottle from his sister's hands, popped it open, and squeezed a generous glob into his hand before spreading it onto his arms. "See?"

Within minutes the two were prepped and ready for swimming, every exposed limb lathered in sunscreen right down to their noses, courtesy of Stanley Pines. Ford joined him in waving them off, and when they were out of earshot, he shuffled over to his twin.

"I can't believe I nearly forgot about that," he said, chuckling as he sat down in one of the lawn chairs. "I suppose when you're trapped between dimensions you aren't exactly worrying about applying sunblock—I wasn't aware that Dipper had such a bad reputation with it."

"The kid's just impatient," Stan said as he sunk down into his own chair. "He claims he doesn't enjoy the feeling, but truth is he's reckless and hardly thinks twice about his wellbeing before diving into things. You don't even know how many times he's walked in from being outside all day covered head to toe in dirt and scrapes because he wasn't more careful before going out."

"Heh…he reminds me of you when you were younger. And me too, I suppose," Ford chuckled.

"Ya got that right." Stan leaned over to peek into their cooler and soon withdrew two sodas, throwing one to him. Ford caught it with ease and immediately cracked it open, murmuring his appreciative thanks before taking a long swig. The next few seconds were silent as they both drank, and then Stan broke the spell with a long sigh.

"Ahhhh, isn't this great, Ford?" he said, voice brimming with bliss. He gestured all around himself, can swinging along with him in his hand. "We're heroes, the town loves us, it's a beautiful day…what else could anyone ask for?"

Ford smiled. "Yes, you certainly picked a nice day to come out here. But, ah…" He paused, scratching the side of his head. "What do we do now?"

"I'll tell ya what we're gonna do," Stan said as he set down his soda. In seconds he was leaning back, shucking his sandals off into the dirt. "We're gonna kick back and relax."

Relax…huh. When Ford scoured his brain, he was surprised to find that he couldn't remember the last time he had visited, well, anywhere for the sole reason of just doing…nothing. Nearly his whole life he'd been wrapped up in his research, always on the go whenever science and the supernatural called out to him. He had never really thought about letting himself just…stop everything and wind down, and last week had meant nothing because during that time there had been no way for him to even begin to relax.

"Okay…" He slid off his own sandals and laid back in a similar manner to his brother. "…Like this, Stanley?"

"C'mon, Poindexter, you look stiff as a board! Turn off your noisy brain for one second and just focus on letting…yourself…unwind…" Stan said as he closed his own eyes, his voice taking on an unusually light tone. "Like me."

With a deep breath, Ford closed his eyes, willing the tension in his body to release itself. It wasn't an easy battle. Parts of him were still worked up over recent events, and there were other parts of him, still, that wouldn't quiet down no matter how hard he tried making them.

He attempted to focus on his senses instead. On the feeling of the warm sun on his legs, on the smell of lake water and sunblock, on the sound of people chattering around him.

Gradually, his breathing began to slow.

"Now you're gettin' it," Stan was saying, but Ford could hardly hear him. Muscles he hadn't even known were tightened started to uncoil under the relaxing sway of the breeze, and his mind, clouded with the allure of warmth and nature, was starting to feel hazy. He had honestly never felt more at peace, something that predated his portal days, even predated the weeks right before the incident. It was a foreign feeling, but one he could certainly get used to.

Ford felt so at peace, in fact, that in seconds he felt himself beginning to drift off. He allowed the sensation to take over him, the only thought flitting through his mind being of sun and water.

A/N: Hello guys! Coming at you with a surprisingly lighthearted fic involving the Pines. This is not a one-shot, so don't be mistaken. I plan for it to be three chapters long, and since most of it is already written I'll be updating weekly, so follow for all that! Hope you have a good July 4th for anyone who celebrates it!