What if McGucket continued hosting the annual ball at his new mansion? Letting the whole town in as well as any famous travelers or celebrities? And of course, he invites his old friend Ford as well.

Ford is super nervous, because he hasn’t been to a dance in ages. I mean, there was that time in the portal where he was hiding out from Bill in that dimension where dance is how you communicated, so he had to learn the whole new body language in order to fit in, but he hardly thought that would be useful for this event.

He tries to back out of it all week, but Mabel convinces him to go for the family time they can spend together. Ford tries pointing out how much time they spend together already, but Mabel is relentless so, finally Ford agrees.

Stanley tried to lend him one of his suits for the occasion, but the cut was too broad for his shoulders, so Ford ended up shopping for his own suit, and covering up his neck tattoo with makeup Mabel lent him.

Sharply dressed and standing awkwardly in the ballroom, Ford poured himself some punch and took a sip. He couldn’t help thinking about the dancing dimension. He saw a couple of kids from the town doing moves that would have created a feud back in that world. Fiddleford was strumming his banjo in time to the music. The way he tapped his foot would’ve been the equivalent of saying “the flowers are lovely this time of year”. Ford smiled at that thought.

Suddenly Mabel came screeching over to him. “Grunkle Ford! I love this song, you have to come out and dance with us!”

Ford straightened his collar nervously and looked around the room. “Um, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for me to dance, Mabel. I…I’m a little rusty.”

“Nonsense, Grunkle Ford! You’ll be fine!! Just do your best and I’ll be right there if you need any help.” With that, Mabel pushed him onto the dance floor. Ford could have easily not let Mabel drag him over, he far outweighed her. But he couldn’t stand to see the disappointment in her eyes.

“Mabel, what do you want me to do?” Ford had trouble focusing on anything.

“Do? Just dance Grunkle Ford! How hard could it be?” Mabel started pushing her fists in beat to the music. Ford stood there and stared at his own hands for a moment. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking at him. You’re being silly, he told himself. No one is going to be watching one old man out of the crowd. Why am I so embarrassed?

“Grunkle Ford, don’t just stand there all night, get moving!” Dipper said as he jogged by so he could join Wendy and her group of friends at the dance.

At this, Ford blushed slightly. He was still nervous to go out on the dance floor. Even though it was ridiculous, he felt as if everyone were staring at him. He looked around and saw a set of eyes locked onto his. Mabel gestured impatiently at the dance floor, slightly bouncing. With a sigh Ford turned around, thankful he was on the side far from the DJ station where Soos was mixing the sounds up and the speakers throwing sound into the room. Just on the edge of the dance floor, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

In his mind’s eye, he saw the beings of the dancing planet again. He remembered the casual way they moved from side to side, the way every bend of their leg and limbs construed a different meaning. His scientific mind had picked up the base of the language quickly, but the nuances, the slight shift in hand positioning and the way a head needed to be angled had taken more time to learn. Remembering all he learned there, Ford started to move.

One arm lifted above his head, the other snapping in rhythm to the music, he suddenly jumped and came down, hands clasping together as he landed. He swayed from side to side. Without opening his eyes he completed the dance that signaled ‘I am not afraid. I am confident. I am here.’ His movements were precise, but fluid. Without ever opening his eyes, he spun and bounced, recreating the language of a nation from a dimension no one will ever know.

When he opened his eyes again, his heart was pounding from all of the movement. He couldn’t see Mabel anymore. But he could see a ring of people nearby staring at him. Ford felt heat creep up his neck. Looking further around for Mabel, he realized that his earlier fear had come true; everyone at the party was looking his direction.

From years of being looked at like a freak, Ford was surprised that it still hurt to be the oddity, the one gawked at. Looking down at his hands, he clenched his fists and looked up again. No one was going to make him feel like a freak tonight.

Just as he was about to say something defiant to the onlookers, he heard the quick running of feet and saw the twins running up to him.

“Grunkle Ford! Where did you learn to MOVE like that? That was amazing!!” Mabel gushed.

“Great uncle Ford! How…I mean, that was so cool, you were like *whoosh-sway-whoosh* with your hands and you jumped and it was like! I mean, you were so..cool! Can you show me how to do that?” Dipper stumbled over his words, but the excitement and admiration was clear in his tone.

Ford was taken aback. “You kids really liked it?”

“Liked it?!” the twins echoed in unison.

“You were AMAZING, Grunkle Ford!”

“You were so cool!”

“Thank you, Mabel, Dipper. But then why is everybody staring at me?”

“I can answer that one, poindexter,” a gravelly voice came from behind Ford. Turning around he saw his twin, Stanley, coming towards them. He looked like he was fighting a smile.

“HEY, isn’t this supposed to be a party? GET DANCING! SOOS, the old man isn’t paying you to slack off!” Stanley yelled at the guests in his angriest, gruffest tones. Everybody quickly went back to who they were with, and Soos (with a yelled ‘Sorry, dudes!’) resumed DJing the next track.

“Stanley, you said you had an explanation for the staring?” Ford questioned, trying to keep his tone light.

“Look, nerd, you may not realize this, but you looked pretty slick a minute ago. Where’d ya learn to dance like that? I sure as heck know you couldn’t do that at the prom. If you had, we wouldn’t have left with punch stains on dad’s old suits.” Stan punched Ford on the shoulder playfully.

Laughing at the memory, Ford looked at Stanley and was suddenly struck again with how grateful he was to be back with his brother.

“If I remember right, we wouldn’t have left with those stains if you hadn’t given me the same line you used on her friend the month before.” Stan and Ford grinned at the memory.

“No, seriously Sixer, how’d you learn to dance like that? I mean, you got nothing on MY moves, but you managed to keep the beat alright.” Stanley waited for the real answer this time.

“Yeah, was it from the portal?” asked Dipper, looking ready to take notes on his hand about more portal stories.

“Did you meet a princess in the portal who taught you how to dance?” Mabel wondered aloud.

“Yes, Dipper, and no, Mabel. There was one world I visited in the portal while on the run from Triangle Face that communicated entirely through what we would call dance. Literally, every movement of their bodies was a form of their language. They had a fluidity of form that made me clumsy to their communication system when I first arrived, but I picked it up as best I could. In time, I could “speak”,” at this, Ford used air quotes, “their language fairly well. I stayed there for some time, and learned quite a bit about their culture and reason for movement. I won’t bore you with the details now–” Stan mumbled ‘good!’ under his breath while Dipper looked disappointed, “but suffice it to say that everything I learned about dancing, I learned from them.”

“You didn’t answer the most important question yet, Grunkle Ford!” Mabel exclaimed, twirling to emphasize her point.

Ford scratched his chin. “I’m sorry, dear, what question was that?”

Mabel rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. “Will you show us how you did that?”

Ford laughed and let himself be dragged back onto the dance floor. Dipper followed while Stan stood laughing on the sideline. Together he took them step by step through a dance that Ford remembered stood for family, togetherness, and contentment. When he had first learned and understood the meaning of this dance, it had made him sad. It required at least one partner for it to be complete. He had never performed it until now. He had never had a reason to.

Once the twins were settled with the dance, putting their own silly twists into it, Ford walked back to where Stanley was standing, still smiling at the kids.

“You know, Stanley. I’m glad I came tonight. Thanks for sticking up for me back there.”

Stanley looked at his brother. “Stanford, I will always be there for ya. No question. No one stares dumbfounded at my brother but me.” He grinned, and Ford couldn’t help but laugh.

“Seriously, Stanley. I…I wouldn’t know what to do with myself anymore if I didn’t have you guys. I..well, you know, I–” Ford was cut off by Stan grabbing his arm and dragging him over to the kids.

“Shut up and dance, nerd.”

And they did. Together, as a family. Stanley trying to embarrass the kids with his old moves, Mabel swirling and spinning, Dipper pointing at the sky and singing along to the music, and Ford, forgetting the regimented moves he’d learned from the portal, and just swaying in time to the beat, grinning from ear to ear, surrounded by his family.

His nerves were gone. He had never felt more relaxed. Why was he so worried over a dance? Knowing he had his family to fall back on, he couldn’t imagine ever being that keyed up again.

They danced all night and he didn’t look back at the crowd once.