#Stan and Angie somehow manage to catch an equal number of fish

[thelastspeecher]

For the Stay-at-home Stan au, how about Stan and Angie take their kids to Gravity Falls for the weekend to visit Ford, Fids, and Tate. Ford and Fids could take them around town and show them how it's like there, maybe even do some fishing or camping if possible (with Ford being a bit on control to protect the family from potential anomalies). Basically just a prompt for a mini vacation for Stan and Angie's family :)

Here you go, Anon.  Warning: Major fluff and sappiness ahead.

              Ford idly scrawled onto a page ofhis research journal.  Normally, he satin his study when writing up research, but right now he was sitting at thekitchen table.  It was quiet, the onlynoise coming from Fiddleford, who hummed as he did the dishes.  Tate was in the front yard, weeding thegarden, per Fiddleford’s request.  Thepeace was shattered by the front door slamming open.

              “Hey!” a deep, gravelly voiceshouted.  “Get back here!”

              “No!” another, higher-pitched,voice responded.  The first voice groanedloudly.  Ford and Fiddleford looked ateach other curiously.

              “That sounded like-” Fordstarted.  He was cut off by a childrunning into the kitchen and promptly crashing into the door leading to theback porch.  Ford closed hisjournal.  “That door opens inwards, Emily.”  Emily, who had bounced off the closed door toland on the ground, nodded.

              “Yeah.  I can tell now.”

              “What was that noise?” the voicefrom earlier called.  Fiddleford driedhis hands on a dishtowel.

              “Yer daughter ran into a closeddoor,” Fiddleford answered.  The owner ofthe voice – Stan – appeared in the kitchen doorway.

              “Em.  You gotta slow down sometimes,” Stan said,exasperated.  Ford snorted.

              “That’s amusing, coming fromyou.”

              “Yeah, yeah,” Stan muttered.  “Shut up.” Emily grinned up at Stan from where she was still sprawled on the floor.

              “Ooh, you said a naughty word,”she sang.  Stan rolled his eyes.

              “Get off the ground.”

              “No.”  Emily laid down.  She spread out her arms and legs.  “I’m comfortable here.”

              “Is that right?” Fiddleford askedgood-naturedly.

              “Yep.  The floor is my home now,” Emily chirped.  Stan rubbed his forehead.

              “…Whatever.  Just- don’t set anything on fire, okay?”

              “No promises,” Emily saidhappily.  Stan grumbled wordlessly andleft the kitchen.  Emily looked over atFord and Fiddleford.  “He’s just grumpy‘cause he drove a long time.”

              “Yes, the trip from San Diego toGravity Falls is a long one,” Ford said. He frowned.  “A trip that I didn’trealize you two were taking.”

              “Oh, it’s not just us,” Emilysaid.  “Ma ‘n all my siblin’s ‘re here,too.”  Fiddleford set down the bowl hehad been drying.

              “…All of ya?” Fiddlefordasked.  Emily nodded.  “Wh- why weren’t we told ‘bout this?”  Emily propped herself up on one elbow.

              “Uh, I thought ya were.”  She raised her voice.  “Dad?”

              “Yeah?” Stan grunted in response.

              “Ya called Uncle Fidds ‘n Ford totell ‘em we were visitin’, right?”

              “No.  Your mom did.”

              “I heard the word ‘mom’,” a newvoice shouted.  Angie poked her head intothe kitchen.  “Am I bein’ summoned by oneof my children?”

              “Yeah.”  Emily sat up and crossed her legs.  “You called Uncle Fidds ‘n Ford and told ‘emwe were comin’ over, right?”

              “No,” Angie said.  “Yer father did.”  Emily grinned.  “What?”

              “You both thought the othercalled us,” Ford said.  Angie blinked.

              “…Oh.”

              “How did this happen?  None of you thought to call ahead when youleft?” Ford asked.  Angie turnedpink.  “…You thought Stan did that.”

              “And I s’ppose Stan thought I didthat,” Angie added.  She rubbed herface.  “Ugh.  Sorry.”

              “It’s fine,” Ford said, fightinga smile.  Angie frowned at him.

              “Are ya amused by this?”

              “It’s such a cliché.  I didn’t think it was something that actuallyhappened,” Ford said.  “Let alone withyou.  You’re typically very level-headedand organized.”  Angie bristled.  She put her hands on her hips.

              “The zoo just got a new batch ofpoison dart frogs what need careful attention, and Stan just started up a newjob.  Add to that our four children, andI think ya can understand why we might be a bit more scatter-brained than twoself-employed folk with one very well-behaved son.”

              “Angie, Ford was just teasin’ya,” Fiddleford said reassuringly.

              “Hmph.”

              “Hang on,” Emilyinterrupted.  “How come ya described Tateas ‘well-behaved’ but ya didn’t give any of yer own kids adjectives?”

              “I specified that Tate waswell-behaved to emphasize that you and yer siblin’s very much ain’t.”

              “Okay, maybe I’m not well-behaved,” Emily said, “but Emmett ‘n Danny are.”  Angie raised an eyebrow.

              “Compared to yer cousin?”

              “Would you wanna raise someonewho always does what they’re told?” Emily shot back.  A small smile quirked the corner of Angie’smouth.  She shook her head.

              “Lord, honey, ya test me ev’ryday.”

              “I know.”

              “Go help yer siblin’s unload thecar.”

              “Yep!”  Emily jumped to her feet and ran out of thekitchen.  A few seconds later, there wasa crash.  “I’m okay!”  Ford and Fiddleford looked at Angie.

              “If she broke somethin’, we’llreplace it,” Angie said.

              “I should check that,” Ford said,getting up.  “It sounded like glass hadbroken.”

              “Yeah, she broke a bottle!” Stanshouted.  Ford grimaced.

              “Oh, dear.  I hope it wasn’t my bottle of magicalsaliva.”

              “Well, go check it,” Fiddlefordsaid.  Ford nodded and exited thekitchen.  Fiddleford smiled cheekily atAngie.  “You and yer husband courtchaos.”

              “Strong words comin’ from someonewhat literally started a cult,” Angiesaid.  Fiddleford rolled his eyes.  “Sorry, by the way, about the confusion.  Now that we’ve got our four wild children, wetry to let people know in advance if we’ll be visitin’.  But since we’ve got those four wildchildren…”  Angie smiled ruefully.  “Things tend to slip through the cracks.”

              “I know, Angie.  I ain’t upset about it.  I always love seein’ yer kidlets.  Might be a bit crowded in the house while yerall here, though,” Fiddleford said. Angie leaned against the wall.

              “Sounds to me like that means weshould spend as much time outside as possible,” she replied.  She grinned. “Does Tate still like to go fishin’?”

—– 

              “Say cheese!” Angie called.  Stan looked over at his wife.  While his back was turned, Emily splashed himwith water, completely soaking through his shirt.  His head whipped around to glare at Emily.

              “Em!” Stan growled.  Emily grinned cheekily at him.

              “Hey, you walked into the lake,you gotta be prepared fer the consequences!” she chirped.  Stan glowered at her.

              “You told me to come out here.”

              “It’s called a trick, old man,”Emily said with a wink.  Stan looked atEmily for a few moments, trying to decide whether to be impressed with hertrickery or upset.  He finally trudgedback silently to the shore, where Angie was standing with her camera.  Angie chuckled.

              “She really got ya wet, darlin’.”

              “Your daughter’s hell on wheels.”

              “She’s yer daughter, too.”  Angie stood on her tiptoes to give Stan apeck on the cheek.  “I got a picture ofthat exact moment she splashed ya, by the way.”

              “Great,” Stan grunted.  Angie kissed him again.

              “Aw, don’t be such asourpuss.  We’re here to enjoy qualitytime with our fam’ly, not get grumpy ‘bout the misbehavior of our admittedlydifficult children.  And ya got to admit,that’s somethin’ you woulda done yourself.”

              “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”  Stan sighed. He put an arm around Angie’s shoulders. “I thought the point of us all drivin’ out to the lake was so we couldgo fishin’ together.  But here we are,standin’ on the shore, not fishing.”

              “Stanford and Fiddleford’s boatis too small.”  Angie poked at Stan’schest.  “We’re takin’ turns.  I explained that already.”

              “I was distracted.  Daisy and Tate were doin’ somethin’…unsavorywith the lures,” Stan said.  He looked atAngie.  “Think our kids are a badinfluence?”  Angie leaned against himwith a contemplative expression.

              “Hmm.  Sometimes.”

              “Good.”  Angie looked up at him curiously.  “I don’t want my kids to be goody two shoes.”

              “Stan…”

              “Hey, you knew that when yamarried me,” Stan said.  “Pretty sure itwas in my vows somewhere.”  Angielaughed.  The sound of a boat motor graduallycame closer.  “Seems like we’re gonna getour turn to catch a shit ton of fish.”

              “I don’t care how many fish we catch.  I just care that we spend some quality timetogether as a fam’ly,” Angie said sweetly.

              “Sounds like someone who knows theycan’t catch more than me.”               “Oh, you want to go, Pines?”Angie said, her tone challenging.  Stangrinned.

              “You know I do, McGucket.”