A/N: Thank you, anniecall, the first follower of this story! :) This chapter goes out to you! Please review, follow, and favorite!
Will nodded and smiled, then turned back around to continue through the diner that was packed to its limit. He spotted Granny behind the counter, bustling back and forth. She was really going to hate him.
He noticed an empty seat at the counter and took it. The man next to him, with a clean-shaven face and slicked back blonde hair, gave him an odd glance. His attire was business-like, and Will thought he remembered him working at the hospital.
"Will? Is that you?"
He turned to see Granny peering at him over her glasses. Putting on the most charming smile he could manage, he nodded. "In the flesh."
"Do you know how long I've had to keep your room?" she exclaimed. "No one's asked for it, but still! You left all your things, took my keys, and never said a word to anyone!" Her eyebrows scrunched together in concern, and she lowered her voice. "I was worried about you."
Granny? Worried about him? "I'm touched, really I am, but I also really need to get my things so I can get back to Wo- my home," he amended quickly. He didn't want anyone knowing where he was going, in case prying eyes got curious and decided they wanted to tag along. He knew there were dangerous people in Storybrooke; people who would love to get their hands on Wonderland. And he wasn't about to let that happen, not now that he and Ana were finally settled as the Red King and Queen.
She held out her hand. "My keys."
Will sat up and dug in his pockets, drawing out a set of keys and setting them in Granny's palm.
"You have no idea how long it took me to find duplicates of some of those," she muttered, her anxiety immediately replaced with disapproval.
"Will!" Ruby grinned at him, coming from the kitchen, and he couldn't help but note her change in appearance. No more crop tops and miniskirts? What had happened to Storybrooke?
Her grin faded into a frown under his examination. "You haven't been here since the curse broke, have you?"
He gripped the counter and leaned forward. "The curse? Broken?"
Granny and Ruby both nodded, the latter rolling her eyes. "And we were put under another one after that."
"Not to mention terrorized by Regina's mother," Granny added.
"And a wicked witch."
"And I thought I'd been through some stuff," Will muttered. "So what's the new threat?"
Granny shrugged as Ruby was summoned by another customer. "Nothing yet, thank God, and I hope it stays that way! A crisis is bad for my business."
"Speaking of your business…" Will dangled his old room key from his fingers.
"Yes, go ahead. Are you going to need help carrying anything?"
"Nah, I don't want the big stuff, just a few small things. I'll manage." He winked. "Thank you, Granny."
She huffed, rolled her eyes, and went back to work. Will smiled to himself, having expected an ultimatum from Granny. Still, he couldn't believe that Storybrooke had been through so much trouble, maybe even as much as Wonderland had. After going through that adventure, he felt for the citizens of the town. It couldn't have been easy, and no doubt people were lost, maybe even more than once like Anastasia.
He went out the back of the diner and walked the short distance to the hotel. A bell jingled as he pushed open the front door, but no one was at the front desk. He went up the stairs regardless, and opened up his old apartment with his key.
Everything was a mess, just like he had left it. The hole in the wall on the other side of the apartment was open, however; the previous resting place of the heart which now beat inside his chest. He found a grocery bag easy enough and shoved the few things he cared about into it after rummaging around for a little while. Tying the bag up, he slung it over his shoulder, took one last good look of the apartment, and left.