Long Lost | Once Upon a Time (REWRITING)

Chapter Twenty-Five: The New Neverland

Thunder rumbled throughout the air as they prepared to land the Jolly Roger. The trip had been longer than expected and Grace ended up staying up all night, the worry not yet leaving her mind until she knew they were in safer waters--or skies. The sun had risen hours ago, it now resting far up in the sky above them all. At this point, she could faintly see the familiar buildings of Storybrooke as she looked out past the ship's railing.

Grace gripped onto the wood tighter as the rumbling grew louder and it appeared as if they were now encountering some turbulence. She looked out towards the clouds, though she didn't see any lightning which calmed her nerves just a tad. It was only then that she realized it hadn't been thunder at all; it was the sound of Hook's ship breaking through the barrier surrounding the town. The invisible layer parted as they passed through, the ship now sailing down fast towards the docks.

It made a less than graceful landing in the ocean, causing water to splash up all around them. Grace mentally scolded herself for standing so close to the edge, as her clothes were now dampened from the impact. She looked back down towards her figure to analyze the damage, only now looking over the same clothes she'd donned for the past week or so. They were filthy, what with dirt spattered across the fine material, and they were now wet, thanks to their elegant landing. She shook her arms in disgust as she pushed her hair out of her face. First thing she determined she was doing when they get to the apartment is showering.

Finally, she stepped away from the railing and promptly followed everyone else off the ship, only now seeing the crowd of people that lurked below them. Practically all of the residents of Storybrooke stood on the docks, ready to greet them when they were to step down from the ship. The cheers immediately started upon seeing Henry step out, him pausing as he looked out, seeming to take everything in once more.

"Yes! They're back!" Grace heard someone yell over the applauds, causing her to roll her eyes. She couldn't will herself to feel delighted by the crowd's excitement for seeing the group, due to the lack of energy coursing through her body. Now that she was thinking about it, she might not make that shower when she gets back, seeing as how she was having a hard enough time just keeping her eyes open.

Eventually, they all made it from the ship and onto the wooden docks, Grace wobbling on her feet as she adjusted to steady grounds once more. She was hardly given the time to do so however, as she was quickly engulfed in a hug by numerous people, reminding Grace of her parents and Emma when they were back on the ship. Again, she couldn't breathe as practically all of Storybrooke huddled around them all, forming one large hug.

It was her worst nightmare.

Finally, she was released as everyone seemed to move onto her parents and Emma. Though not before coddling Henry, of course. They all acted like he would be taken away again and Grace honestly didn't blame them. There was still this uneasy feeling she had yet to shake, though she said nothing of it. Instead, she internally hoped that sleep would fix it and everything would all go back to normal. Well, back to about as normal as this town usually gets, what with dwarfs, fairies, and werewolves running around.

Somehow, she found herself back with her family, Snow beaming as her eyes caught onto her own. She instinctively wrapped her arm around Grace and pulled her daughter in for a side hug before snaking her arm around David as well. She didn't question all the affection she was getting, as she was now used to the feeling of having a family--her family, meaning she's grown used to the feeling of enduring so many hugs. Even if they had all seen each other less than ten minutes ago, her mother still felt the need to embrace Grace. It must've been because of the tenderness environment around them all, as she'd learned through the time spent with Snow that she is easily moved by her surroundings.