Dipper tried to make it look like he wasn't packing to leave. He threw out his clothes, keeping some of them scattered on the ground, like they usually were. He also tried to begin to trust Stan and forgive Mabel. He knew he probably was overthinking this whole situation. They were family to him. To be honest, deep down, Dipper loved his hilariously crazy family.

That night, Stan came up to say goodnight to Dipper and Mabel and tuck them in, which was the first time he had ever done that. He approached Mabel in her bed first. Dipper listened in on his conversation with Mabel. Mabel was trying to get comfortable with her pet pig, Waddles. Stan kneeled down next to Mabel's bed with a frown on his face. The girl felt incredibly upset for her Grunkle. He was just doing what he thought was right. She knew he wasn't trying to hurt anybody.

"Goodnight, kiddo." He began. Stan gave her a half smile. "I'm sorry about what happened. I really am. I should have told you - "

Mabel stopped him right in his tracks. She sat up on her mattress and reached up to wrap her little arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. Stan was caught off guard. "It's okay, Grunkle Stan. You don't need to say anything. I trust you. And I know you didn't mean to hurt us."

Dipper watched the two of them together. He sort of hated Mabel's close bond with Stan. Though Stan and Dipper did have a bond too, they didn't bond the same way. Mabel and Stan were able to come close because of their sense of humor and childishness.

Unlike Dipper, Mabel held onto a spark of hope and love that she couldn't let go of. She believed in Stan when no one else did. Dipper was more cautious of who to have faith in. Stan used to be someone who he thought he could trust. But everything changed after that night. He was deep in thought when the man in the red fez came to his bedside, too. Dipper didn't even make eye contact with him. He was too disgusted to even look at him.

"Dipper," he said. "Look at me."

Stan's face was stern but his voice stayed soft and caring. Dipper did as he was told. His eyebrows raised at the sight of Dipper's cold, hard, and dead eyes on his. They made the old man go stiff. Those were his twin brother's eyes when his brother had went totally mad. It had been thirty long years since he had seen a face that held such an angered, agitated soul. 

Realizing he was staring at Stan with lifeless eyes, Dipper softened. Stan didn't deserve this. The poor boy suddenly felt guilty. "Please...come back to me...it kills me to see you this way..." Dipper opened his mouth to respond but then closed it. "I know today was...a bit harsh..." Now it was Dipper's turn to speak.

"I...I'll try to forgive you..." He said, smiling. Stan smiled back.

"Thanks, kid. You rest now, okay?" Then tired, dragging footsteps and the squeaking of the door shutting. After that, a closed door.

It was harder than ever to sleep that night. Well, for Dipper. Mabel was curled up with Waddles, who was snorting, fast asleep. She was wiped out from the day that brought troubles and tears. But Dipper just couldn't get his mind off of anything.

Was it right to forgive Stan for what he did? Was his whole summer a lie? If Stan wasn't his great uncle, who was? And where was he? What happened to him? Was he still alive?

As other questions brought even more questions, Dipper found himself missing another hour of sleep. 

Did the old man say at one point that he had a...brother? Was the portal supposed to bring someone else, instead of two teenage kids? If so, who was this person? A being of a stronger, darker and more powerful force? All of the possibilities made the boy's head pound.

Star and Marco slept in the living room that night. Star fought Marco for the single couch and won. Her head hung off the edge of the couch and drool was dripping from her gaping mouth. Marco lay on the flat and rugged floor, next to her.

They slept soundly, clearly not traumatized by any intense events. Star had earlier tried to help Stan get his brother back, but realized that she had accidentally left her dimensional scissors at Marco's house. Stan told them it was probably for the best, since he didn't want to immediately try again when his niece and nephew were already stressed out enough.

Star and Marco also ended up sleeping over because of it too. How else were they supposed to get back to their home when they couldn't even conjure up a portal?

Plus, on top of that, Stan's portal was broken and destroyed again. Star and Marco really ended up keeping their promise about not leaving, since they had no choice to.

Marco tossed to his left in his sleeping bag and almost suffocated in Star's long drooping hair from her head hanging over the couch's edge. Hopefully, the morning wouldn't bring too much awkwardness about the Pines' new guests and the fight between everyone.