Welcome Back | Gravity Falls

1. Long Time, No See

A/N: Last warning: trauma ahead. please stop if this is triggering you, I don't want to harm anyone with my stupid vent fanfic.

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"Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to..."
*squeak*
Charlie gripped her arms a little tighter and raised the volume.
"...strawberry fields..."
*squeak*
She chucked the pillow behind her head at the wall and got off her bed, cursing under her breath. She threw on a pair of sneakers and walked downstairs as fast as she could, trying to block out the sounds coming from Scott's—her father's—room.
"...nothing is real..."
*knock knock*
Someone with a heavy fist was knocking on the front door. Charlie ran to the bathroom and threw on some concealer over her right cheek and put on a beanie so it would cover the cut on her forehead.
She opened the front door and was surprised to find-
"Stan, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Charlotte? Wow, it's been so long, look at how big you got!" Stanley replied, opening his arms wide for a hug. Stan's hugs were always nice. A little tight, but they always made Charlie feel safe. And yet every single muscle in her body tensed up as he hugged her.
She stepped out onto the small porch and shut the door, saying, "Now's not exactly the best time, Sco-my father's kinda...busy so he won't be able to talk."
"Oh uh that's okay kiddo, my brother and I were just on our way back from a little trip on the Atlantic. I thought we'd stop by since we were passing your house," Stanley explained.
"The Arctic ocean Stanley, not the Atlantic" a voice from the car chimed in.
Stan mumbled a quick "same thing" and rolled his eyes as the voice's owner joined him on the porch. The two grinned at each other, and Charlie took note of how strikingly similar they looked.
"Oh, I don't believe we've met," the other man continued. "I'm Ford, Stanley's twin brother." Ford reached out his hand for the girl to shake it. She accepted, surprised at how large his hand felt. She looked down and realized that it was because he had an extra finger on each hand. Woah, cool.
     She had forgotten to roll her sleeves back down before coming outside, and now Ford was staring at the very obvious bruises along her arm. Shit. Charlie quickly pulled her hand away and held her arms behind her back, speaking before he could ask questions, "So, how come I never knew Stan had a twin brother?"
     "Oh...I used to live pretty far away so I couldn't really visit anyone," Ford replied, giving a quick nervous glance at his brother.
     "...How have things been lately?" Stanley hesitantly asked.
     Charlie caught on to what he was referring to. "Dad took it pretty hard at first...but we're getting there," she replied, immediately feeling guilty for lying to him. But it wasn't like she could just come out and say "Ever since Mom died, Scott has been going out to bars and getting drunk nearly every night, bringing girls over, and taking all of his anger out on me."
     "That's good...well if you two ever need anything, I know I live across the country, but you can call anytime," Stan replied and gave her a small smile.
     "Thanks. Oh um...listen I have to go, it was nice to see you!" Charlie quickly shut the door as she heard Scott make his way downstairs. She did not want them to see him like this.
     "Charlotte! Heheh, I didn't know you were still awake. Hope you didn't...hear anything," her father said, a dopey smile on his face.
     "It's a little late for that."
     "What did you just say to me?" he growled, immediately losing his cheerful demeanor. Charlie hadn't meant to actually say that out loud, but there was no way she could smooth this one over now.
     He stepped towards his daughter, shouting, "Don't f*cking backtalk me!"
     Charlie made a run for the stairs, hoping she could just stay in her room until he calmed down.
     Stupid move.
     Before she could even make it to the first step, Scott grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. He slapped Charlie in the face and lifted her up by her neck, cursing and yelling in her face. He started squeezing a little tighter, making it harder to breathe. She kicked out at him as hard as she could, beginning to feel lightheaded.
     Bam!
     His hands suddenly released and Charlie fell to her knees as Scott collapsed onto the floor. As she gasped for air, she looked up to find Stan holding a fire extinguisher over her now unconscious father.
     "Wh-how-" Charlie's voice rasped as she tried to process what just happened.
     "Kid, you alright?" Stan asked. His usual goofy grin was replaced by a dead serious look that unsettled her.
     "I...yeah, I'm okay...how'd you-"
     "We heard yelling and saw what was going on...come on, before he wakes back up."

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A/N: The song at the beginning is Strawberry Fields by The Beatles. Also if you're reading this story ummmmmmmm I hope you're doing okay, please reach out to someone if you're not doing well, you matter and you deserve help when you need it. Now go drink some water and take a couple healthy deep breathes.