Chapter Three - Check The Grin

Thank you guys for all the positive reviews! I'm super excited to keep writing this, so I'm really hoping you guys like it!

themagicalmarissa : Thank you! I thought it would be super fun to dump Teague in that situation, and then give Mina a look at what Jared went through.

Silver blade : I'm glad you liked it! And you're welcome! Thank you for reviewing and reading this story!

booknerd00 : Haha, yes, it will be very hard for Mina to adjust. I'm super excited to write that. As for Storm, I'm really excited about him as a character. It's going to be all sorts of fun. Also, I'm glad someone caught that Ever being missing is kind of big if everyone else is here. Hehe. I would love to hear any suspicions on what's going on with her not being around...

Evx : Indeed it is! I'm super excited to write about him this chapter.

Guest 2 : Thank you! I'm glad you are excited!

Now, let's meet this mysterious Storm Mina - and I - mentioned. I guarantee that it'll be fun!


Mina's POV


I walk up to the motel door, glancing around cautiously. The circumstances aren't exactly ideal right now. It's dark because it's late, and that doesn't bode well with my situation.

"Going so soon, Mina?" The slick voice rings out as the man talking grabs my wrist, tugging me backwards.

Just what I was afraid of. I should've been more focused. I should've sensed that he was coming! But I was so distracted by Teague's arrival that I wasn't paying attention.

"Let go of me." I hiss the words at the man holding my wrists, trying to wrench away.

"Oh, but Mina, wouldn't you rather just come with me?"

"Let. Go." I spit the words this time.

"Your brother misses you. He wants to be free of the book."

"Let go of me. Now!" The mention of my brother does the opposite of what he wants. He wants me to be weak. He wants me to submit. But that just riles me up even more. I'm angry. Angrier than I've been in a long time. The only comfort of being in Limbo was that this idiot couldn't stop by and bother me when I was there. But, now that I'm out, he can drop in unexpectedly on me. "Go back to your fiancee!"

"Now why would I want to do that?" His words drop to a frightening whisper. "I may be engaged now, Mina, but that makes no difference. I can call it off at anytime. I don't want her. I want you."

"Well, I don't want you!" I stubbornly shake my head with finality.

"Are you sure you haven't changed your answer? Are you sure that you don't want to be free of your bonds? Be free of caring for the Grimms? Be free of that awful book and being a servant to it? Be free of having to go to Limbo?"

"I haven't changed my mind." I try to calm down slightly. Losing my temper won't help. He always leaves - eventually - when I say no.

He turns me around so that I'm looking him in the face. I feel like I was just looking at this guy. Well, a younger version. The only difference is the eyes. These aren't blue eyes that recognize me for who I was in real life. These are gray eyes that recognize me for who I was in this life.

"Positive?"

"I am positive that my mind is unchanged." My voice is still firm.

"Whatever you say, Princess Wilhelmina." Jared leaves the words hanging in the air as he disappears.

My wrists burn from his touch, and I rub them for a few moments before regaining my thought process. I hated the Story. I hated the Jared that this universe contained. It wasn't Jared. It was a horrid man that - in my mind - was even worse than Teague. Of course, Teague didn't seem so bad to me anymore...Not since I'd gone back in time in my reality.

Finally, I knock on the door. "Storm, let me in!"

The door pops open a little, and a green eyes peers through the crack. "Hmph. It's midnight. What do you possibly want?"

I can't tell if he's teasing me or if he's just tired. "Storm, you let me in this instant!"

His eye nearly pops out of his head. "Wilhelmina?"

"Are you seriously calling me that?" I whine.

A small glimpse of his cocky grin can be seen through the crack of the door. "Hm, it seems you are back, Mina."

"Just let me in, you idiot! It's cold out here!"

Chuckling, he opens the door, and I step inside. My eyes immidietly look over Storm, to make sure he's alright. His shaggy, dirty blonde hair is the same as ever, with his bangs slightly in his eyes. He's wearing a purple t-shirt and jeans, and he's barefoot. He seems in absolutely fine condition. As for his motel room? Well, it's the mess it's always been. Magazines all over the place mixed with trash with the TV turned on. The room definitely looks bigger than an average hotel room. In fact, it looks bigger than it did the last time I was here. Did Storm seriously expand it again?

"Well? Sit down, Mina." He gestures to a slightly torn couch.

I shake my head. "Geez, how many times have you torn this couch?"

His grin widens. "Hm, I think this time would be bazillion and one."

"Yes, that sounds a bit right." Shaking my head yet again, I summon up some Fae magic and sew it back up. "Try to take better care of it this time, okay?"

"You want me to promise that every time. Have I ever been able to do that?"

"No."

"Exactly."

With a roll of my eyes, I sit down, and he sits beside me. He grabs the remote from the coffee table in front of us - how he knew it was there, I have no idea - and quickly turns off the TV before turning to look at me.

"Alright, what's the newest Grimm like?" He asks, tilting his head back a little as he leans back on the couch, his eyes never leaving me. It's like they're fastened on almost.

"He's a pretty big idiot." I sigh. Teague was an idiot. An extremely likeable idiot.

"So he'll die quickly?" Storm raises an eyebrow.

"He was supposed to die today."

"He was...Supposed to die today?" Now he's a little confused. "What? How long has he had the Grimorie, Mina?"

"Teague only just got it today."

"His name is Teague? How do you know?" Storm lifts his eyebrow even higher, and I have to stifle my snort. "Wait a minute. Mina, you aren't saying..."

Woops. The cat's out of the bag. I just admitted to interfering in the situation on Day One. "Yes. I saved his life."

He groans, banging his head on the couch. "Mina, you know you aren't supposed to interfere when they first get the Grimorie. That's your code."

"Well, I don't care. He called out for help, and I answered."

"No wonder you said he was an idiot. Well, he'll die soon enough then. It's a shame, actually. I was looking forward to getting to see you again. I guess we'll have to wait awhile."

"That's just it though, Storm. I don't think I want this specific Grimm to die. Not yet."

"What?" He looks appalled. "Mina, he has to die eventually!"

"But-"

"No buts. You have to accept that he'll die. I thought we'd gotten past this stage by now." He was right. We had gotten the stage of me hanging onto the hop that the current Grimm would survive. But...Now...I wasn't sure that the current Grimm should die. No, he couldn't die. He has to survive. Teague was the only one who remembered besides me.

"Can we just stop this discussion?"

With a sigh, Storm begrudgingly nods. "Right. Where are you having to go next?"

"School."

"You have to go to a school? Which one?" Excitement lights up in his eyes.

"Storm, do you honestly expect me to tell you which one?" It's my turn to cock an eyebrow and smirk a little.

"Uh...Yes?"

"How about...No?"

"Yes?"

"No?"

"Yes?"

"No?"

Storm groans. "Why not, Mina?"

"Because you are a storm enigma, Storm. Do you honestly think that's the best idea to bring to a school?"

He pouts. "It would be fine!"

"Storm, you are so argumentative that you would create a storm on the first day and probably end up destroying the school." One well known fact about storm enigmas was that they had lots of trouble keeping their tempers under control, and when their tempers flared, so did their abilities. "I am not risking that."

Storm pouts even harder. "Finnnneeee."

I chuckle. "Don't worry. I'll give you updates every day."

"Don't go doing anything I wouldn't."

"Uh, I think I won't follow that advice." I shoot him a grin, which he returns.

"Fine. Just, be careful, 'kay? And don't be stupid."

I nod. "Also, are you sure that this motel is totally safe?"

"Completely. Why?" He looks a bit concerned at my concern.

"Oh, no reason. I was just checking."

"Mina, stop being a worrywart." He chuckles, all concern forgotten. Sometimes I wish I was relaxed and layed-back as Storm was.

"Nope. Then you'd get into trouble."

"I already get into the trouble without your patronizing behaviors. In fact, your behavior gets me into even more trouble."

"It does not!"

He responds with a punch in the arm, which I swiftly return. After a bit of roughhousing, we both settle down, chuckling. This why I enjoy Storm's company. He's the best friend that everyone could hope for. Of course, Nan was that friend too...I push away that pain. I hadn't felt that pain in a long time. Now that Teague was here and remembering, all my barriers were collapsing and the pain was resurfacing.

"You know, if you have school tomorrow, you should probably go..." Storm looks sad to admit it.

"Yes, I think I should. Bye, Storm."

"See ya. Don't crash your motorcycle, okay?"

"No promises." I wink, stepping back out into the night air and shutting the motel door behind me. Even with my leather jacket on, it's cold. I hurry over to my motorcycle - not just because of the cold - and hurry off to my own apartment.


Hehe, this is going to be so much fun. Haha, I shouldn't be getting such a kick out of this story. Actually, now that I think about, it's probably normal for me to like this so much. I'm pretty proud of this story, so I'm glad you guys are liking it!

Now, if you read this and liked it, please review! I will only update when there are three reviews! Also, I'd love to hear any suspicions that you guys have about this story, so if you have any, let me know! I probably won't give away whether you are right or wrong though. ;)

~ Dagger