If a Pine Tree Falls in a Forest...

The One Left Behind

Stanley, or Stanford for the past few decades, Pines was not having a good summer.

He should have known better than to take in his grand niece and nephew for the summer. Gravity Falls was not built for travelers. But how could he deny their parents? It was the first time they'd spoken for so many years, and a chance to rekindle the dying flame of a relationship with the little family he had left.

So he'd agreed.

And what a mistake that was.

Given, it wasn't all bad. Fishing, getting rid of that leech Gideon, even just waking up to the sound of Dipper's conspiracies and Mabel's latest crush had become the type of familiar Stan had never thought he'd experience. Never thought he needed.

And yet...

The secrets. Things that hadn't been bothered in thirty years. Things that shouldn't have been bothered again, Dipper!

Stan should have said, "No, send them to summer camp." Should have explained from day one that Gravity Falls was different, and dangerous. If he had, then maybe, just maybe...

But it was too late.

Maybe the people that had gathered in the Mystery Shack since the sky was ripped open thought otherwise. But they didn't know.

Didn't know of Dipper's aggressive obsession with the supernatural, or at least, didn't take it seriously. Didn't know of the insecurities he holds deep within him. Didn't know of the pain he'd been through. The pain Stan could have stopped, long before it had begun.

But he hadn't.

And so, Stanley Pines sat in his recliner, staring at the dark television screen, as if it held the answers as to what went wrong. When it happened. If it could be fixed.

One thing was for certain; no matter what happened, everyone would be changed. No one would, no one could remain the same after this. He only hoped that his family's hearts remained both beating and intact by the end.

But years of gambling taught him the odds of that happening. Spoke of the deck being stacked by a dream demon who didn't play fair.

A/n: Hi guys! I am so sorry it took me so long to update this story! Life has been very hectic as of late, and I didn't want to publish something I wasn't happy with. Hope you forgive me!

And thank you all for the love and support this story has garnered! Your comments and votes mean more to me that I could ever put into words, so all I can say is thank you so much. I love you guys!