Alice had gotten used to the feeling of the ocean rocking the ship under her feet, even if she still struggled to navigate walking. More often than not, Alice would take her sketchbook and pens to the bow of the ship and spend hours there. 

She'd draw anything that stayed in her path long enough for her to get a good look at it. Albatross landed on the railings as she sketched and swaddled in her thick coat, her hands gloved to avoid smudges she didn't want on the paper. If she was feeling adventurous, she'd sketch the landscape, trying to mimic the beautiful curves of the waves with her pen.

Despite the fear and anxiety that water and the ocean caused her, it was beautiful.

"Mind if I join you, Dove?" Ford's voice sounded from being her and Alice turned to find him with a cup of tea in his hands. She smiled, shifting to make room next to her.

"Please do," She said, her hands stilling over her sketchbook.

Ford sat next to her, careful not to jostle her or disrupt the book in her lap. Carefully, he handed her the cup of tea, the warm liquid swirling in the cup as he settled back, his shoulder brushing against hers.

"Thank you," Alice smiled, carefully setting down her pencil as she adjusted the cup in her hands. Chamomile filled her nose as she took a sip, relishing in the warmth.

"Have you been out here all morning?" He asked, a soft smile crossing his face.

"Only for an hour or so," Alice confessed, holding the cup close to her chest and letting the warmth settle into her bones. "I like the peace before Stan wakes up."

Ford chuckled, his arm gently settling around her shoulders and he pulled her to his side.

"Ah, yes, the peace before my twin's morning enthusiasm," He teased, a lopsided smile crossing his face.

"There are more birds in the morning too," Alice sighed, resting her head on the curve of his shoulder. Her eyes returned to the sun rising over the waterline, sending a glimmer of warm orange over the sparkling ocean. "More opportunity for ethical studies in the morning."

Ford's arm tightened around her shoulders, his chin coming to rest on the top of her head.

"Mmm, yes, the golden hour is quite favorable for bird watching," He agreed, his free hand casually gesturing out to the water. "Have you spotted anything interesting this morning?"

"Nothing more than the average gull," Alice smiled, unresisting to his pull. "I'm hoping when we get farther out we are found by Wandering Albatross. I would love to have some closer observation during the early nesting season."

"Wandering Albatross are truly fascinating creatures," He mused, his hand rubbing her arm through her coat sleeve. "I would love to observe their nesting behaviors. Perhaps we'll be fortunate enough to stumble upon their path."

"It's adorable how invested you are in my work," Alice chuckled, lifting her cup to take another sip. 

"What can I say? I find your career absolutely riveting," Ford chuckled, a slight tease in his voice. "Plus, it's an added bonus to see how excited you get when talking about it. Your passion is contagious."

"I'm glad you think so," Alice chuckled, straightening and setting her cup on the ground next to her. "I'm quite enthralled with birds, after all."

Hands flickering over her pens and sketchbook, Alice brought the mass of papers back to her lap, flipping open the cover. Detailed pictures of birds graced the pages, all sketches done by Alice to a scientific level of detail. Gulls with curious eyes, small finch with open mouths stuck in their morning songs, and the sharp eyes of an eagle stared back at her as she flicked through the pages.

"My God, these are incredible," Ford muttered, reaching out and stalling her pages as a soaring falcon appeared. 

"I don't think they're as good as yours," Alice chuckled, carefully angling the page and tearing the falcon's page from the book. She neatly folded the torn corners inward and passed the page to him. "Here."

"It's incredible," Ford breathed, his voice filled with admiration as he took the page from her hand. "I've never seen such a sketch so detailed and lifelike. You've truly captured the essence of the hawk, its eyes, its beak... It's breathtaking."

Alice giggled, shaking her head slightly, "He's actually a Peregrine Falcon."

Ford's eyes widened in surprise, a smile tugging at his lips as he considered the page in his hand.

"A Peregrine Falcon," He repeated, still in awe. "Well, consider me corrected. It's even more impressive that you were able to capture the speed and grace of the Falcon in a single sketch. You truly have a gift, Dove."

Alice felt her face heat, and she turned her attention back to her sketchbook, her fingers trailing over the pages. The praise was almost too much under Ford's detailed gaze, but Alice relished in it.

"You can browse through if you'd like," Alice offered, holding the open sketchbook out to him. Ford lit up at her offer, his fingers gingerly taking the book from her hands and his thumbing through the pages, his eyes eagerly taking in the sketches.

"These are truly remarkable," He breathed, his voice filled with awe as he took in the pages. "Each one is as detailed and lifeline as the last. Your talent never ceases to amaze me, Dove."

Alice watched as he flicked through the pages until she saw one she hadn't realized was in the book. Fluttering under his fingers like faint memories, were sketches of Gravity Falls. The main streets, buildings, and faces. Detailed sketches of Dipper and Mabel, one or two scenes she'd pulled from her memory, and detailed sketches of Ford flashed over the pages.

"Oh," Alice started, her hands itching to remove the book from Ford's grasp. "I must have grabbed the wrong sketchbook..."

Ford's eyes widened, emotions spiraling beneath the surface as he took in the sketches. He closed the book, his eyes darting her hers as a mixture of surprise, confusion, and something else crossed his expression.

"How long have you had these?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Alice hesitated. 

She felt her face heat, sure that her face was red as he regarded the sketchbook in his hands

"I started sketching them a little after summer when you and Stan started sailing and the kids went home."

He looked up from the closed book, his gaze filled with surprise. His hand reached out, gently cupping her cheek as he stared at her. For a moment, a flicker of anxiety piqued in Alice, her mouth suddenly dry as his thumb brushed over her cheek.

"Why didn't you say anything," He asked, his voice soft and gentle.

"I-" She started, her tongue darting over her dry lips as she spoke. "I didn't think about them... I missed you while you were gone, and I took the frustration out on the pages... And the twins. I missed them too."

Ford's expression softened, the surprise morphing into something tender. His thumb brushed over her cheek, tracing small, soothing circles against her skin. His gaze turned back to the book, and he opened it again, gently flipping through the sketch of himself.

"You really missed me that much?" He asked, his voice filled with awe and surprise.

"How could I not?" Alice asked, her hand resting on his arm as he leafed through the pages. "I met the most remarkable man and got to know his family. What was there not to miss?"

He shut the sketchbook, setting it aside gently, and turned to face her. His hands reached up, capturing her face in his warm hands. The intense awe and surprise in his eyes took Alice's breath away as he stared at her.

"I missed you too, you know," He said softly, his voice filled with raw honesty.

Alice leaned into his touch, closing her eyes and savoring the feeling of his warmth despite the cool morning air. She smiled, her flush returning with a vengeance as she met his gaze.

She didn't have the words to describe how much she'd missed him. Ford pulled her closer, his hands holding her face as if she were the most precious thing in the world. She could feel his forehead against hers, his shakey exhale leaving him.

"I missed you so much," He whispered, his voice filled with subtle desperation.

"I'm here," Alice promised, her gloved hands reaching up and cupping his jaw. Her thumbs ran over his cheeks, a tangle of limbs, crossed in her vision. "I'm not letting you go again."

A sharp inhale escaped him as her fingers moved over his face. He opened his eyes as if taking in the sight of her before he gently pulled her closer. His lips met hers, soft and warm in the morning air. Alice leaned into him, her hands gently angling his head to hers as she kissed him.

It was soft with intimacy, the sweetness in his kiss was one that Alice would gladly take with her until the day she died. His thumb swept over her cheek, like he was committing a map of her face to memory, her lips the final details in his path.

At that moment, she couldn't focus on anything except the feeling of his lips against hers and the scent of paper.