Long Lost | Once Upon a Time (EDITING)

XII. New York City Serenade

One Year Ago...

A wave of magic washed over the realms as the original Dark Curse was reversed, bringing everyone in Storybrooke back to the Fairy Tale Land. The group that previously stood at the town line was brought to the Enchanted Forest, among several other Storybrooke citizens. When the fog finally faded, they were met with the familiar sight of trees surrounding them. After the curse had been undone, almost everyone brought back that were in the original Dark Curse had returned to what they wore the day the curse had been cast, making it appear as if no time had passed. The couple standing in front of the group stared at them all warily when suddenly, the woman recognized Snow and called out her name before asking what happened.

Snow's eyes met the two with a look of grief. "We're back." She said sadly, a reminder to them all of what they had lost just moments ago, and for Emma and Henry to not even remember their time with them was disheartening to say the least. They had managed to stop Pan's curse, so why did it still feel like they lost? However, the familiar sight of Prince Philip and Princess Aurora brought comfort to the woman, as she quickly took to catching up with the princess while also meeting Philip for the first time, much like a majority of the group were. David joined the conversation and stood at his wife's side, whereas Grace, Hook, and Regina stood off towards the side where they could listen in on the conversation but not necessarily partake in it.

After finding out from Snow that their castle had been destroyed in the first curse, Philip and Aurora informed them that Regina's castle still stands, and so they all agreed that they would go to the former queen's castle together. Philip allowed them to take several horses, to which the group appreciated greatly. Grace stood by her parents while David loaded his horse with supplies, when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her head to see Hook loading his horse as well, not an odd sight to see, except for the fact that he was loading a fairly large amount onto his horse--much more than he would need if he were just going to the kingdom like the rest of them.

Grace narrowed her eyes suspiciously, as she knew Hook would only be loading so much if he had a different destination in mind. She decided she'd walk over to the man and question him herself, and so she quickly did with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. He must've heard Grace coming, as he turned to face her while securing the straps along the horse's body. "That's a lot of supplies for going to the queen's castle. Where are you really going?" She asked, not beating around the bush with him.

He merely sighed before he stopped loading up his horse and turned to face the girl fully. "You always were a smart lass. Actually, I'm going to look for my ship. She's out there somewhere, I know it." He said truthfully.

Grace looked back at her parents for a moment before turning to face the pirate. "I'm guessing there's no chance I can come with you?" She asked, shocking the man.

He chuckled and gave the girl a sad smile. "As much as I'd like that too, you need to stay here with your family." He said to her, knowing that her parents want nothing more than to get to know their daughter, and they deserved that time with her.

"But you're my family, Hook..." Grace said quietly, and in that moment, Hook gazed at the girl proudly.

"I know, and I always will be, but you need to give your parents a chance." He told her, "That's all they want, to be able to finally get to know their daughter. So go show them what they missed out on." As hard as it was for Hook to say it, he knew Grace needed to hear those words. Luckily, the teen didn't argue with the pirate any longer and instead gave him a hug.

He quickly returned the gesture. "Goodbye, Hook." Grace said as they parted, Hook mounting his horse soon after.

David, catching the end of the exchange, approached the two with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, you're leaving? Why?" He asked Hook, looking up at the man on the horse.