Baby steps - A TNS Fanfiction

We're going to New Yoooork!

Finn's house

"Daddy?" Grace appeared in the doorway of his room, where Finn had only just climbed into bed for the night. On instinct, he checked the clock. 22:34. That's late, and she's got school tomorrow!
"Bad dreams?" He tried, sitting up as she climbed onto his double bed. She nodded, curling up against him, trembling.
"Are you angry at me Daddy?" Finn was a little taken aback by the question.
"No, why would I be angry?" Her father wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap and holding her reassuringly.
"Because I took Mummy's bracelet and broke it." A single tear traced it's way down her cheek and splashed onto the duvet.

"Oh Grace, I'm not angry with you."
"But I'm angry with me!"
"But you don't need to be, accidents happen sweetheart. I'll tell you what, when we get back from New York, we'll look through some of Mummy's stuff, hm?" Grace flung her arms around his neck and hugged him, mumbling thank you so much into his shirt.

Although Finn was pleased that she was happy again, he couldn't help but wonder how she had found the bracelet in the first place. And how she knew it was Piper's.

Grace's flashback

"1...2...3...4.."

Grace dove under the big bed, wriggling her body like a worm to fit underneath. Downstairs, she could hear her Daddy counting, and her skin tingled with excitement. He would never find her here! A sharp corner caught her ankle, and the six year old drew her legs in hastily. What had caught her ankle was a plastic box, filled with strange items she hadn't seen before. Grace noticed a pretty string bracelet tucked inside, and prised it out with her small fingers. It slipped over her hand easily, but kept sliding back off again. The knot was tied fast, and the curious child decided to ask her father to see if he can make it fit. He always seemed to make wrong things right again.
"Daddy?"
"Found you!" Someone scooped her up from behind and swung her around in the air. "Daddy!!" She laughed and squealed, not noticing the bracelet fly off her wrist and hit the wall.

When he put her down again, Grace went to show him the bracelet, but to her horror it no longer there. Finn looked confused, until she tried to show him the box under the bed, to which he suggested they make some cookies before dance. The box left Grace's mind, until Poppy and her Mum dropped her home.

Daddy was on the phone, and looking upset.

"She found her Mum's stuff under the bed, I've had to move it again."

A pause as the person on the other end of the phone said something.

"I know I have to tell her - but I can't bring myself to talk abou-"

"Hello Grace's Daddy!" Poppy called as she came up behind Grace, who was hiding by the doorway. Finn smiled, but Grace ran straight to the bedroom to check for the box. It was gone. Mummy's stuff was gone. She felt like she was about to cry, until she saw the bracelet on the floor. The brown haired girl crawled over to it and slipped it on her wrist, just as her Daddy came through.

"Hey Gracie, do you want to go and grab a milkshake before dance?"

She nodded, and they left. But the bracelet was still on Grace's wrist, despite the fact that it kept sliding down.

The next day, at the airport

"New Yoooork, New Yoooork, We're going to New Yoooork!" Grace held his hand as she skipped alongside him, singing loudly with excitement. She was still in her school uniform, but Finn had made her wear a thin raincoat over the top to hide the crest. He didn't want any cameras catching her in it, or the reporters would probably be able to track him to his house. So far, he'd signed a lot of papers, and taken extra precautions. If any wry reporters appeared, they couldn't photograph him, not when he was with Grace. As well as this, he'd tried to keep his head down, but with a singing child alongside him, it was proving difficult to remain inconspicuous.
"Hey, Grace, why don't we see if we can count how many people who are wearing sunglasses in here? They might be spies, so we can't be too loud..."
Grace nodded eagerly, and pulled her pink raincoat up to her eyes and peered over the top. Her brown eyes flicked from side to side, and she appeared to be counting constantly, until they got on the plane.

"There's 3. Very, very suspicious..."

The captains announcement came on, and Finn only half listened to it. They were on a two seater, and Grace was by the window, happily entertaining herself with the pictures in the newspaper. She didn't appear to be that interested in the plane ride, although it was her first time on a plane.

Finn had been away before, but hadn't taken Grace with him. Those times, she had usually stayed with Karen, and once with Deborah. The brown haired child knew that she had a grandmother, an uncle and three aunties (yes, three: although she had some confusion over how Auntie Riley suddenly became her Aunt) as they usually sent Christmas presents. She seemed to assume that they lived away now, although Deborah was only a few streets away.

The plane started to move, and Grace instantly pressed her face against the glass, watching with amazement. All Finn could think about, however, was the fact that Piper was in New York. Riley had told him once, by mistake, that his former girlfriend now lived up there. But then again - New York was pretty big. The chances of actually seeing her couldn't be that high. Right?

Sorry for not updating! Also, I can never seem to remember when Grace's birthday is, hence her random aging in the flash backs. So I'm pretty sure it works out that she was born in July. Sorry if I confused anyone.

- Spring Xx