Stan was grinning ear-to-ear as the bus approached. It barely had time to stop before two thirteen-year-olds nearly hit the door trying to get out. "Grunkle Stan!"

"Kids!" They nearly knocked Stan over with the force of their hug. Nothing like the awkward and hesitant distant-relative greeting he got just a year ago. Has it really been a whole year?

"I can't believe you two knuckleheads are coming around to annoy me for a whole 'nother summer." The joy in Stan's voice suggested he was anything but annoyed by their presence.

"I can't believe we have to deal with your grumpy self all over again." Dipper's tone held nothing but fondness for the old man.

"Where's Grunkle Ford?" Mabel was disappointed to see their other Grunkle hadn't come to greet them.

"Poindexter went to buy you presents," Stan remembered all the times his brother dragged him from store to store looking for the perfect presents every birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Christmas (Oh god, Christmas was the worst. It always ended with Stan's forehead being raw from banging his head against the wall). Sixer was going to kick himself for missing the kids' arrival.

"He didn't have to do that. Getting to be with Grunkle Ford all summer is present enough," said Mabel.

Stan made a note to rub it in Ford's face that Stan was right. The kids wouldn't care about getting presents. They would be happy just to see him. Ford still wasn't quite used to the idea that he had a family that enjoyed his company. But Stan couldn't be too hard on him, it had been a hard concept for him to grasp as well.

As they made their way to the Mystery Shack, the kids unloaded everything interesting that happened to them the last nine months from Mabel winning first prize at her school's art show to Dipper founding a paranormal club and his new friends thinking he's the coolest. Stan, of course, had heard all this from the letters, emails, and phone calls they barraged him with while they were away, but Stan liked seeing them beam with pride at recalling their accomplishments.

"Ah, just as odd and tacky as I remember," Dipper said as they walked through the familiar front door.

"Yeah, but with a little bit of Soos' weirdness too." Mabel was pleased that the attractions held more bright and colorful oddities like fairies, unicorns (well, maybe not so much the unicorns), and elves rather than just the creepy stuff Stan liked. "I can't wait to see Soos. I haven't seen him since the wedding."

"How are we all gonna fit in the house now that they live here?" Dipper knew they wouldn't be enough bedrooms once Soos and Melody (and Abuelita, who had, of course, tagged along) came back from their honeymoon.

"You're staying in the attic again," Stan said as he led them towards said attic.

"Where are you and Grunkle Ford gonna sleep?" Mabel asked.

"Wait for it." Stan opened the attic door to reveal two bunk beds. "We'll be rooming with you punks this summer. I hope you don't mind-"

"This is amazing! It'll be like a sleepover! But all summer!" Mabel let out a squee. "I call top bunk!"

"I don't think Mabel minds." Dipper chuckled as his sister threw all her stuffed animals onto the top bunk.

"What about you, short stack? This okay with you?"

"Just promise to always have a shirt on, and we're good." Dipper playfully nudged his side.

"You two unpack. I got someone waiting for me downstairs."

That "someone" was really Stan's chair that he had waited months to see again. He sat down. The chair hugged his butt exactly how he remembered.

Stan took a sip of his Pitt Cola when he heard the front door open behind him. "Your presents better be amazing for making those kids wait, Sixer."

Stan then heard an all-too-familiar sound of a gun clicking behind him. He stood up and turned around to see the person holding the gun was also horribly familiar. "Rico?"

"Thought you could hide in some hick town, Stan?"

"After thirty years? Yeah, kinda."

"I don't forgive debts, Stan. Not ever."

"Alright, Rico, don't get your panties in a bunch. I'll pay you back." Stan felt guilty since it was technically Soos' money. Wait, now he feels guilty for ripping off Soos? Those kids really rubbed off on him.

"Get the money now." Rico grabbed Stan's collar and pressed the gun to his head. He passed the stairs on the way to the safe.

"Grunkle Stan! Can you come help us with something?" Mabel yelled from upstairs.

"Wait upstairs, pumpkin. I'll be up in a minute." Stan's heart beat against his chest. Now Rico knew the kids were with him.

"Are they gonna be a problem?"

"No, I'll give you the money, and you'll be gone before-" Stan's heart nearly stopped when he heard small footsteps racing down the stairs.

"Grunkle Stan, I need you to…" Mabel stopped halfway down the stairs before letting out a terrified scream.

"Mabel, what's wrong?" Dipper ran downstairs to see why his sister screamed. He nearly screamed himself when he also saw his uncle being held at gunpoint.

"Go upstairs, kids. I can handle this." Stan was trying to keep a calm façade to hide the panic.

"No, you two are coming with us." Rico pointed his gun at them and motioned for them to join Stan. They went to cling on to either side of him.

"Come on, Rico, let them go."

"I'll let them go when I get my money."

Stan led all of them to the safe. He went to press the…

Oh no…what was the code?

Of all the memories Stan struggled to retain, the code to the safe was not one of them. It belonged to Soos now anyway, and he didn't think their lives would depend on it.

"I don't know it." Stan didn't need to look at Rico to know he was enraged.

"What?"

"I have memory problems now and-" Stan was hit hard in the face by the butt of the gun.

"Grunkle Stan!" Dipper and Mabel ran forward to help their uncle but were forced to stop when Rico pointed his gun at them.

"You brats stay out of this."

"Please, he's telling the truth," said Dipper.

"Yeah, our town was taken over by an evil triangle named Bill-"

"Uh, Mabel…" Dipper didn't think this was helping, but Mabel didn't catch on.

"Grunkle Stan let Bill go into his mind so he could use the memory gun to erase him-"

"I said shut up!" Rico aimed his gun at the kids.

"Rico, stop. This is between you and me. Leave them out of this."

"You care about these kids so much?" Rico grabbed Mabel and held her in front of him. "Open the safe."

"I can't. I told you, I-"

Rico fired his gun. Mabel cried out at the bullet that was shot towards the ground just a few inches away from her head. She became hysterical and tried to pull away.

"The next one will go into her brain, Stan!"

"No, please! Just give me some time! I'll remember!" At least Stan hoped he would.

"You have till the count of five." Rico pressed his gun to Mabel's head. She let out a frightened gasp. "One."

"Rico, for god's sake, she's a little girl!" Stan wasn't bothering to hide his panic now.

"Two."

"Please don't," Mabel pleaded.

"Three."

"Grunkle Stan, stop him!" Dipper screeched.

"I don't know. I swear to god, I don't." Stan racked his damaged mind to remember this stupid code before Mabel gets her head blown off.

"Four."

"Rico, just give me time. I'll get your money. I'll get you anything you want. Just don't hurt her, please."

"Five."

Unbeknownst to the danger his family was in, Ford arrived home after hours of picking the perfect present for the kids. For Dipper, he got the complete series of Ghost Harassers on DVD. Ford found their techniques rather amateurish, but Dipper seemed to enjoy it. For Mabel, he bought enough yarn for Mabel and him to knit at least six sweaters. He couldn't wait to show her how much his knitting has improved. He opened the front door.

"Stan, Dipper, Mabel, sorry I missed…" Ford stood dumbfounded at the scene before him. A man he didn't recognize was holding a gun to his niece's head. Ford dropped everything and reached for his own gun only to remember he didn't have it. Stan finally convinced him he didn't need to have it on him 24/7. Right now, they both wish he hadn't listened as Rico fired his gun at Ford.

"Grunkle Ford!" Mabel pushed the gun off target so that it missed her uncle.

Rico, now enraged, pointed his gun back at Mabel. But his arm was grabbed by Dipper, who used the distraction to sneak up on Rico. He bit Rico's hand making him drop his gun. He yelled in pain and smacked Dipper causing him to crash into the wall.

Rico pulled out a knife and advanced on Dipper. Both Stan and Ford rushed forward, but only Stan was close enough. He threw himself in between Dipper and Rico and was stabbed in the shoulder.

Ford's shock lasted about two seconds before he saw nothing but red. Ford's hands launched at Rico's neck and pinned him against the wall. He barely registered his fist connecting with Rico's face nor the blood that was splattering all over his hands. He didn't even stop when Rico lost consciousness. All his intellect, strategizing, and rationalizing was stomped out by primal instinct driven by only one thought.

This man had hurt his brother. And he was going to pay.

Stan placed his hand over his throbbing shoulder. The blood soaked between his fingers. He refocused his vision and was stunned to see his normally calm, collected brother pommeling Rico like a wild animal. "Ford, stop!"

At the sound of Stan's voice, Ford went from a ferocious beast to a deer in the headlights. For some reason, that look unnerved Stan more.

"If you kill him, I ain't bailing you out of jail." Stan tried to add some levity. Judging by the serious and worried expressions his family was giving him, he must have been doing a terrible job.

Ford practically leaped across the room to reach his brother. He pressed his hand on Stan's wound. Something Stan did not appreciate.

"Ow! Geez, Ford."

"Mabel, call 911. Dipper, get first aid supplies."

The kids didn't move. They were both in a state of shock.

"DO IT! NOW!" Ford was oblivious to their distress. He was too preoccupied with his wounded brother. The kids took off to follow Ford's instructions.

"Ford, calm down. I'm fine. He barely nicked me."

"You should lie down." Of course, Ford wasn't listening to him.

"I'm not laying on the floor. It doesn't even hurt that bad."

"It doesn't? Oh my god, you're going into shock. Just stay calm. Stay calm! STAY CALM, STANLEY!" He cringed as Ford screamed in his ear. Seeing Stan close his eyes only made Ford panic more. "Stanley, open your eyes! Don't go to sleep!"

"Ford, I'm not-"

"Here, Grunkle Ford." Dipper appeared with the first aid kit. "Stay with us, Grunkle Stan."

"I'm not going-"

"I called the police." He was once again cut off, this time by Mabel. "Hang on, Grunkle Stan."

"Mabel, sweetie, I'm-"

"Take deep breaths, Stan."

"Stop moving, Stanley. Keep still."

"Don't go into the light, Grunkle Stan."

"ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!" This finally shut his family up. "It looks worse than it is. I'm fine, I swear."

Ford was about to protest until he examined the wound. He didn't look at it closely, too distracted with stopping the bleeding. It wasn't as deep as he originally thought. He may have overreacted just a little.

"Just get the suture, Ford. You can patch this up no problem."

Ford waited for his hands to stop shaking before grabbing a suture from the first aid kit and tending Stan's wound.

"You saved me, Grunkle Stan. He could have killed you." Dipper gave a guilty look to Stan's bloody shoulder.

"Don't worry, kid. Your Grunkle Stan doesn't hurt easily." Stan ruffled Dipper's hair. "Isn't that right, Mabel?"

But Mabel was listening. She wasn't even looking at them. She was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees, and staring at the knocked-out Rico.

"Mabel?" Dipper went over to his sister and put his hands on her shoulders. She was shaking.

Now that the danger had passed, Mabel's brush with death weighed down on her. She couldn't stop feeling the cold metal pressed against the back of her head. She couldn't stop hearing Rico counting down the final seconds of her life. She thought her uncle helplessly begging for her life would be the last thing she ever saw and heard.

"Dipper, bring your sister over here," said Stan. Dipper helped Mabel up and brought her to their uncle. Stan pulled his arm around Mabel and rubbed her back. "You okay, pumpkin?"

"Y-yeah, I'm okay now, Grunkle Stan," Mabel said even though she was still trembling.

"Dipper, why don't you take Mabel to go rest on the couch while I finish with Stan?" Ford felt guilty for not noticing her distress when he was panicking over Stan's injury.

"Come on, Mabel." Dipper held her arm and led her to the living room so she can lay on the couch. She was still shivering a little so Dipper grabbed a blanket and put it over her.

"Thanks, bro-bro."

While Dipper tended to Mabel in the living room, Ford tended to his own twin. "Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor, Stanley?"

"Come on, Ford. We've been patching each other up for the past year."

"You were never stabbed on the Stan O' War," Ford said as he put in the last stitch.

"I've been stabbed before. They were much worse than this."

"You…you have?"

Stan was taken aback by how horrified Ford sounded. He realized he never told Ford about the ten years before the portal incident. Memories from those days had filtered back to him the last few months. Memories he hadn't been eager to share.

"Look, uh, don't worry about it. I don't even feel anything in that shoulder anymore." Oh no, Stan brought up the shoulder. The shoulder that was accidently burned in their fight. It always bothered Ford whenever he saw it. He had stopped wearing tank tops just to make sure Ford didn't see it anymore.

Ford cleaned away the excess blood around the wound. The red washed away to reveal the source of Ford's shame: the brand he left on his brother. The reminder of that single incident was bad enough, but it was more than that. The brand served as a symbol of all the pain Ford had caused Stan: abandoning him to the streets, ignoring him for ten years, and treating him like garbage after he spent thirty years bringing him back.

"Ford, it was a long time ago."

For the first time, Ford touched the scar. The dead skin felt rough under his fingers. He remembered Stan's agonized scream mixing with the hiss his skin made as it burned.

"It was just as much my fault as it was yours. If anything, I had it coming," said Stan.

"Don't you ever say that. You didn't deserve that. You don't deserve a brother like me."

"You're right, I don't. But not for the reason you think." Stan turned around and smiled.

"I'm sorry you got hurt, Stanley." Ford stood up and extended his hand to Stan.

"Don't worry about it, Sixer. It doesn't hurt anymore." Stan took his hand and Ford helped him to his feet.

"Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford…" Dipper came into the room followed closely behind by Mabel, who was still wrapped in a blanket. "Blubs and Durland are here."

"Those two are gonna be the ones in charge of Rico?" Stan facepalmed.

"Are they the only police officers in town?" Ford asked.

"Naw, there's…" Stan tried to think of any other cops in the GFPD. There had to be more, right?

Blubs and Durland came bumbling in excited to make a real arrest for a change. Rico still had not regained consciousness so they had to carry him out to the police car, but not without hitting his head on every wall and piece of furniture.

"Aw geez, Rico will be out before sundown." Stan groaned.

"He will?" Mabel's voice quivered. "What if he comes back?"

"If he's smart, he'll leave town and never bother us again." Stan put his hand on Mabel's shoulder. "Don't worry, pumpkin. Nothing's gonna happen to you kids. Not on our watch. Have we ever let you down before?"

"No, never." Mabel smiled and hugged Stan.

"Don't worry, Mabel. We have nothing to worry about. Stan and Ford will protect us." Dipper joined in the hug.

"Dipper's right. I'll be sure to set up some minor security measures just in case." As Ford joined in on the group hug, he was already making plans to create a drone that would vaporize Rico if he came within thirty yards of the shack.