Hand in Hand || Stanford x Reader

Chapter 23 • Ford

One week.  One week until Y/N would be six feet under.

I ran a hand trough my hair and adjusted my suit jacket.  I couldn't think about that, not today.  Today was the one day I would let myself forget.  Today was my wedding day, after all.

Soft piano music filled the chapel as the doors opened to reveal Y/N. Her simple white lace dress made her seem like an angel in the afternoon light. She slowly made her way down the aisle, giving me a dazzling smile from underneath her veil.  Still, it felt more like a funeral march than a wedding one. Her cancer was never far off in my mind.

Y/N carefully made her way beside me, and I could see she was trembling slightly. The minister, a stick-thin old man, cleared his throat. "Mawwige. Mawwige is what brings us togethah, today."

I raised my eyebrows at that line. It was a small service, only myself and Y/N were there. I wanted it to be personal, some time by ourselves before... before it happened.

I ignored the minister's rambling and turned to Y/N, who was still shaking and looking at the floor. "Are you okay?" I whispered.

Y/N slowly brought her head up, wincing subconsciously. Nowadays, every movement she made hurt, since the cancer had spread throughout her body. It had infected all of her, and I couldn't imagine all the agony she was going through. Painful to talk, move, even breathe. She covered it well enough for the sake of the others, but when we were alone, I could see the suffering in her e/c eyes. It was tearing her apart.

"Stanford... I want you to know, I'll understand if you want to drop out of this. You don't have to do this out of obligation. It's not fair for you to marry me when my death's just around the corner-"

"Listen to me, Y/N. I want you to stop thinking about what you think is fair for me. I've made my decision, and I don't regret it one bit. I chose you, Y/N." I gathered my courage and brought out the wedding ring. It was a beautiful thing, with a small diamond surrounded by two sapphires. "I choose you, Y/N, to be my wife from this day forward. For better or worse, in sickness and in health..."

She lifted her head to meet my eyes at the vow, and I saw she was fighting back tears. There were no healthy days left for her.

"Till death do us part." Even if that day comes sooner than it should.

The reverend turned to Y/N, who had finally stopped trembling. She held her head high, even though I could tell it hurt her. "Do you, Y/N, take this man to be your husband from this day forward, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Her eyes were misty but solemn, full of unshed tears. "I do."

"And you, Stanford?"

I looked deep into Y/N's eyes, and I saw all the conflicting emotions colliding.  She didn't want to put me through this, but it wasn't her choice.  She didn't have a choice, not anymore.  The one week left was showing, becoming more and more obvious each day.

"I d-"

CRASH!

Dipper sprinted into the church, eyes wide with terror. His iconic Pine Tree hat was missing, and his clothes were lined with thin gashes. "Grunkle Ford! Grauntie Y/N!"

This was bad. If Dipper's news was big enough he needed to crash a wedding, the situation was dire.

Y/N hurried down the altar to meet him, myself close on her heels. "What is it?!"

Dipper panted, desperately trying to catch his breath. "Mabel has the rift, and she's gone!"

Y/N's face paled. "What?! Where is she?"

"She said if she gave it to Blendin Blandin, he could create a time bubble, a place where time never moves forward. A place where your cancer wouldn't kill you."  He glanced down at the floor. "Mabel said this was the only way to save you.  She ran into the woods and I lost her there."

My heart stopped.  "You don't need the rift to create a time bubble.  That's not a time officer, that's Bill."

"Mabel's going to give Bill the rift, and it's all my fault! I have to find her!" Y/N tore off her veil and kicked off her shoes, dashing out of the chapel in her flowing white dress. 

"Y/N!"  Dipper and I ran after her, trying to catch up before she made it to the tree line. Y/N only made it halfway before she was forced to stop and cough into her hand. I quickly put an arm around her shoulders as the coughs made her whole body shudder. Before long, her coughing fit passed, leaving the edge of her pure white sleeves dotted with blood.

"Are you okay?! Talk to me, Y/N!"

"I'm as fine as I can be, Stanford, but you shouldn't be worried about me right now! Mabel's got-

BOOM!

A sonic boom swept over us, turning the entire sky a blood orange. A tear appeared in the sky, small at first, soon getting miles wide, opening into a galactic void.

Dipper's hand flew to his head, expecting his hat to be there.  "What's going on?! What is that?!"

"We're too late," Y/N whispered, as a glowing yellow triangle spilled into our world.  His maniacal laughter filled the entire forest as he rose into the sky.  "It's the end of the world."