You & me... Neverland (SWANQUEEN)

Chapter 11

Grumpy is not a good lookout. He moans, as expected, during the entire watch, and his bad temper gets even worse due to the nerves. For this reason he has ended up being the dwarf that does the watches with no partner. The other six have assured that. The watch is five hours long, three if it is night time, but looking at the horizon in case a sail appears destroys his patience, and, on top of that, he does not know how to kill the time. At first he would fish, but after two or three watches even that bores him to death.

It is stupid to look at the sea and not seeing anything. Observing how the clouds come and go, how one or another fish comes out of the water showing off with a fancy jump, how waves come, break on the shore and go away continuously... How that wave is slightly bigger than the rest. And the fishes stop jumping and start running away. And the shape of that cloud far away looks like a sail. And now it looks like two. Wait, that is not a cloud. Those are two real sails. Behind them, the shape of a ship. That is a ship! It's the Rolly Roger!

They are coming home! Henry and the rest have come back!

And on his watch. Screw those that didn't want to share the watch with him!

Grumpy runs to the center of the town as fast as his tiny legs allow him. He doesn't stop shouting during his whole small marathon, and from the harbour to the council, no-one ignores the dwarf's screams: They are coming home... THEY ARE COMING HOME! In less than 20 minutes the entire Storybrooke town knows that their heroes are crossing the sea that takes them to the harbour that takes them home.

Henry plays "Who is who" at the gunwale since they have spotted the whole town gathered on the dock waiting for them. Hook keeps saying that the harbour is not going to sustain all that weight, but everyone knows he is just joking. Even the pirate looks excited at the sight of all the Storybrook habitants' reception. And Henry is truly enjoying identifying every one of them from the distance. Seven little men wait on the first row...

"The dwarfs!"

And just behind them, without letting away a bit of her place,

"Belle! And on her side there is Red!"

Henry shouts with excitement and a shiver runs through Rumpelstiltskin's back,

"And over there I can see... Doctor Whale? No, wait, it's Granny..." David bursts out laughing and his son steals Hook's telescope. "No, it's not Doctor Whale."

And it goes on. It goes on until the joyful cries can be heard, until everyone can differentiate Archie, and Geppetto, and little Pinoccio, Cinderella or the Blue Fairy, until the boat enters the harbour and the scene gets filled of kisses and hugs.

Rumpel! For the man there is not another sound apart from Belle's voice. He stumbles down the old ramp and hugs the girl making her fly in circles. For one second he is not that coward father, nor Mr. Gold, even less the dark being afraid of love. He is, plainly, a man in love. When Belle's feet touch the ground, her lips are already kissing Rumpel's, and that becomes the true welcome home. He doesn't need anything else.

"I was so scared... but you are all right... you are all OK..." She stutters among tears.

"Better than that Belle..." Rumpel gets to the side to let the rest on the crew come down and Storybrooke witnesses how their heroes land on the ground with Henry and...

"Neal!?" When everyone gets silent, Red's shout is heard by everyone.

"Surprise!" he jokes, shaking his arms. "Really, everyone thought I was dead?"

"Just a bit..." answers Red, "but you are alive!" she cries and she jumps on Neal's neck. Every neighbour on the town follows the example. The dwarfs squash Snowhite, and when David pretends to protest, the seven men smash him too. Archie lets his umbrella go to hug Emma, and Rumpel has more than enough with Belle. Even the Blue Fairy goes to congratulate Hook on his wise decision to come back and, Emma swears she even winks at him. Henry, on the other hand, is the favourite one. Granny hugs him with all her love and a few seconds later Geppetto in tossing his hair and big Tiny is taking him in his arms. And the little one laughs happily with all the attention and love.