A Friend (Stanford Pines x Reader)

The Author of the Journals

A/N: Hello, everyone! Before we get into the story, I just wanted to very quickly say thank you. When I first started writing this story, I didn't expect it to receive such a reaction. Every read, vote, and comment absolutely makes my day. I'm so grateful and can't thank you all enough. I've been planning out this chapter ever since I began writing the book, so let's get into it. :D

Light pulsed through the activated portal, just as it was programmed to. The radioactive waste simmered and bubbled violently in their canisters. It was risky, bringing all that waste down without being caught, but Stan managed to pull it off. Now that you had what you needed, you were closer than ever in your endeavor to bring Ford home from the multiverse. Everything was going according to plan.

Admittedly, part of it didn't feel real. At any moment, you could open your eyes, and you would be thirty years younger, sleeping on your bed with the space vacant beside you. No. You shook your head. You came this far. Nothing could stop you now. 

"Come on, come on. Should be just enough to finish the job," Stan wiped his forehead, leaving a trail of waste residue behind, though he barely seemed to notice it. "Can't be too careful with this stuff."

"Yeah," you nodded wryly. "Radioactive waste is the only thing strong enough to keep this thing working, though. We'll just have to make do." The security lights and sirens went off, casting the room into a bright red. "Don't you think the kids are gonna wake up?" you asked. Stan waved a hand dismissively, the extra finger in his glove flying forward as he did so. "Nah. Have you met 'em? Those kids could sleep through just about anythin'. Listen, Y/N, you don't have to worry so much. Nothin' can stop us now."

Simultaneously, you and Stan turned your heads to face the control panel once again. The countdown started. Your eyes widened. In eighteen hours, he would be here. In eighteen hours, you would be together again. Stan bent over the journal for the millionth time that hour, tracing his finger along the words as he read them aloud. "Warning... blah, blah, blah, extreme usage could result in minor gravity anomalies," he narrowed his eyes and slammed the book shut. "Can it, poindexter! We've come this far. We're not givin' up now!"

You stepped behind him and pulled open a small compartment in the desk, revealing a red button. You pressed it, causing the portal to spin as it began to shine brighter and brighter with each passing second. The sounds drilled into your ears, holding you between the past and the present. Your clothing began to billow wildly around your frame. Small items like pens and pencils began to hover in the air, Stan's fez slowly following suit. 

"It's gonna be a bumpy ride, but it will all be worth it," Stan said with confidence as everything settled back down. He handed you a watch before taking one of his own, synchronizing them both with the countdown on the control panel. "Just eighteen more hours."

"It... it doesn't even feel real," you remarked. "The time is so short, but it's going to take forever to pass by." 

Stan offered you a sympathetic smile and squeezed your arm. He seldom initiated physical contact, but when he did, it was typically to reassure you. He never overstepped any boundaries, which you were immensely grateful for. "We're almost there. It will all have been worth it, I swear." He straightened his posture. "Go on, Y/N. Get some sleep. The time will pass by quicker,"

You scoffed. "Right, like I'll be able to sleep when the very frame of my bed is floating in the air."

Stan laughed and shook his head. "Nah, don't worry. Everyone in this town's an idiot anyway. Tell 'em it's an earth quake or something. What could possibly go wrong?"

Well, as it turns out, quite a lot could have gone wrong within the span of eighteen hours. You and Stan both decided that it would be best to stay at the shack today, but it wouldn't be open for business. You sipped on your can of pitt cola as you watched the twins pelt one another with water balloons. "Remember when we were that age?" you mused. Stan nodded and raised his can. "This are what Saturdays are for. Doing dumb things forever!" The twins peered over their pile of water balloons with huge grins. "Doing dumb things forever!" they shouted as they jumped onto it. The balloons exploded, water sprayed everywhere, getting your shoes and legs wet. You and Stan laughed, jumping back to dodge the water.