Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from Grimm, although I do take ownership over the new characters J
A/N: Let's see how April Delaney is going to get used to being back in Portland after being on the other side of Death's Door for so long.
Chapter 14
Noah watched April working alongside Quinn in their lab class. He was curious to know what she had gone through on the other side of Death's Door up until he had arrived.
"Noah?" His lab partner, Megan, elbowed him gently in this side, disturbing an old bruise that still felt tender.
"Ow!" Noah squeaked, turning to look at Megan. "Careful..."
She flashed an apologetic look before dropping her head back to her textbook. "Sorry, I didn't think. I was just waiting for you to add the catalyst." Megan adjusted her lab goggles, worried that they were leaving a red mark on the bridge of her nose.
"It's alright, you do it. I know lab work is what you want to do in college and university. Go ahead."
Megan's green eyes lit up and she smiled, flashing two adorable little dimples at Noah.
Noah's gaze was drawn away to April again, watching her laugh at something Quinn said.
"Hey- earth to Noah? The ark's leaving," Megan said cheerfully, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "So, what do you say?"
Unaware of the question, Noah replied, "I don't know, I'm not sure." Deep down, he started to dread her next question might be 'it's a yes or no answer...'
-o-
Upon leaving the lab class to go home, Hannah caught up to Noah by his locker where she aggressively slammed the door shut. Startled, Noah held his breath to half a reaction.
"How could you do that?"
"Do what, Han?" Noah stammered, opening his locker again. "I've done nothing wrong."
"Oh god - you're, oh I can't believe you sometimes!" Hannah covered her mouth with one hand and ran the other hand through her wavy hair. Lowering her voice, she leant close to her brother. "Megan Peters asked you to take her to the Fall Ball and you said 'I don't know, I'm not sure.' How? Why? What?!"
"Oh... Han, I didn't know that is what she asked! If I had known, I would have never said that ever."
"Perhaps you could focus on making it up to her rather than flashing doe eyes at April."
Noah scoffed loudly. "I am not making doe eyes at April!"
The passing students were curious to know what the discussion was about, which encourage the two Monroe teens to take the discussion outside where their third sibling met them.
Hannah smiled, feeling an idea begin to brew in her mind. "If you aren't fluttering your eyelashes at her, then why don't you go to the Fall Ball with Megan - you might actually enjoy it. And you owe her for all the work she has done on your presentations. Quinn told me how much you came across as blagging it. So Megan deserves it."
"Maybe I will." Noah was set upon by his fellow sports teammates. "Woah- guys, guys…"
One of his mates ruffled his dark hair as he acknowledged Hannah and Quinn's presence.. "You know how to get around, Monroe… Who's next on the old reject list?"
Noah shook them off him. "Come on guys, it's not like that-"
Hannah rolled her eyes. "Oh stop it, Noah. You've been dying to play the field since Stacey Watson trapped you in a relationship… So if that's not the case, then prove me wrong. Prove us all wrong." In her peripheral vision, she noticed Megan striding quickly over to her bike with a helmet tucked under her arm. "Well? Megan's right there."
"Yeah, invite her to that party tonight at Wheeler's."
Determined to prove them wrong, Noah darted towards Megan in the hopes of getting to her before she cycled off into the distance. They watched as Megan tried to push her bike away, attempting to ignore Noah.
"You two should come to Wheeler's party too. Bring a few friends," one of the guys jibed, elbowing Hannah in the side.
-o-
At the party, everyone was crowded in the garden, dancing to the playlist that was echoing from inside the house. Hannah had made sure that Kelly, April and Quinn were all in attendance – along with a couple of her other girly friends who would be dying to be invited to one of the jocks' parties. The four were sticking to the outskirts of the party and occupying the white plastic garden furniture, revelling in the atmosphere.
Noah joined them and had a look of confusion on his face. When his sisters questioned it, he laughed. "I just saw Nina Brown getting off with Paulson…"
Hannah cupped a hand over her mouth in shock. "But they're dating other people – aren't they?"
"Well not for much longer if someone tells."
Hannah caught sight of another pair locked together and gasped loudly. "Something's going on here, and I can't even blame it on brownies because there haven't been any here." She squeezed Kelly's hand. "You can feel something, can't you?"
"Faintly…"
"Kristoff?"
"No… This one's different." Kelly stood up and surveyed the garden.
April laughed at him. "Oh come on Kelly- no one's out to get me anymore. The Sentinel Group are not going to get me this time, because this time I'm ready." She paused, sighing for a moment. "But I may not be here much longer."
"Why?" Quinn exclaimed, turning to the other girl. "You can't leave, you've only come back."
"Well me and my mom are going to have to leave Portland to get away from Kristoff. He won't stop until he has what I stole from the other side of Death's Door. Even if Mom were to divorce him, it wouldn't change anything. All I can say is at least the Delaneys have skipped town and I can become a Myers again. I'll be filing the papers soon."
"But you can't leave Portland. It's your home." Quinn looked about, helplessly trying to find someone who might agree with her. "You guys don't think so?" She stood up and went to leave.
Hannah ushered the others to join her. "Come on, we should all stick together."
Kelly whispered something to Hannah and then added to the rest of the group, "I'll catch you guys up, right?"
Minus Kelly, they walked back into the house where they bumped into Wheeler – the host of the party – stumbling down the stairs. When he managed to focus on them, he swayed about. "You can't leave!" He was then distracted by the doorbell ringing. "Welcome!" Wheeler shrieked, ushering Megan into the house.
Someone came tearing down the stairs and one by one, each of the teens were pricked by something sharp in the back. Each one caught a glimpse of another, falling under a deep spell. Kelly bumped into a young woman who was coming out of the house. He gave her a pitiful apology and then saw Hannah throwing herself at him with a severe affection.
"Kelly!" Hannah squealed in delight. "I'm so glad you're here!"
"Hannah- did you accidentally have some alcohol or what?" Kelly laughed, but then h e noticed that the others seemed to be entranced with one another. "What is going on?"
"I'm just showing my boyfriend how much I care about him!"
Kelly allowed Hannah to squeal and giggle about her emotions before deciding it would be a good time to get the Monroes and April home safely. Unfortunately, just as they were leaving, a police car pulled up outside the house. "Oh boy… Come on guys, quickly now," he said, herding them like he was a shepherd.
"Kelly?"
"Diana?" Kelly turned to see his older half-sister watching him. "What are you doing here?"
Diana frowned at the group who seemed to be trying to garner the attention of someone who was not in the group. April and Noah were insisting that they go back into the house – April wanted party more, whilst Noah was suddenly besotted by Megan. "What's up with these guys?"
"Nothing…" Kelly smiled, trying to move everyone on.
Diana was blatantly unconvinced. "Well at least let me drop you kids home?"
"You've not got enough room in your car anyway…"
"Kel- I'm pretty sure that you've already lost one of your clan. April's decided to go back to the party which is .about to be shut down by the way."
Kelly reluctantly gave in and had to help Noah and Quinn get into the back of Diana's car. "Before you ask, I have no idea why they're acting this way."
"Hmm… Well hopefully a good night's sleep will sort it right out."
-o-
A good night's sleep did not do the trick. The next morning, Kelly awoke to a bombardment of texts from Hannah declarations of her strong feelings. Whilst it was heartwarming, it didn't feel altogether genuine. The way the others were behaving was incredibly bizarre to say the least.
There was a knock at Kelly's bedroom door, Adalind was attempting to get her son moving so that he would be on time. "Kelly – it's getting late!"
"I know…" Kelly groaned, before heading downstairs and bumping into his dad at the table.
"Morning Kelly- are you okay? You look as though something's bothering you." Nick set his phone down on the table. "Talk to me, kiddo."
"It's- oh I can't make anything of it. I sensed something yesterday at the party that I had never experienced before. A sensation that made me think that there was some kind of Wesen creature nearby."
"Oh really? Well you should trust your instincts, Kel, there probably was something there."
Kelly wasn't sure whether to just come out and say it. "But is it possible for a Wesen to make someone expressed deeper emotions or love?"
"Sounds a lot like a Cupiditas – I'll send you the pages from the book for you to check on in school?"
"But if it is that, I'll have to kill the Cupiditas to break the entrancement, right?"
"Unfortunately so…" Nick replied as his son excused himself and grabbed his school bag from beside the front door.
On his way to school, Kelly was scrolling over the photos that Nick had sent him about the Cupiditas, but something didn't match up. Until Kelly encountered the Wesen, there was no way of knowing what the creature really was. If it was a Cupiditas, then Diana was going to be his best ally. He just needed to figure out who it was. Whether they were someone who was a part of the school, or someone who shouldn't have even been there. He decided that it would be worth talking things over with Wheeler and seeing what he had to say, although when he bumped into the thick set jock, Wheeler was more interested in discussing Hannah.
"Look Wheeler, I don't suppose you noticed anyone who shouldn't have been at yours last night."
"Not really, but like- one of my sister's friends was there. She's pretty weird. Why?"
"No reason…"
"You fancy her, don't you?"
"No!" Kelly exclaimed.
"Ah- sad times, because like, I totally have a thing for Hannah Monroe right now, and I get that you two are together- but you can't stop us…"
"What's the friend's name?"
"Fleur… or something like that- she's French or something…" Wheeler pushed Kelly aside when he spotted Hannah striding past. "Hannah? Hannah!"
-o-
Kelly orchestrated a whole meet up between the suspected Cupiditas and those affected by her. It transpired that Noah was now infatuated with Megan and was howling her name from the window of Diana's apartment whilst Quinn fawned after April silently, although April was fixated on Wheeler who was absorbed by Hannah glued to Kelly. It was a complete mess trying to promote peace in the apartment that Diana lived in.
With Clay, who was now hidden away in her room just in case. No one knew about him living with her, and she was too defensive to address it anyway.
Diana quickly arrived with Fleur in tow, cuffed hands behind her back. The younger party was screaming for an explanation. "It's all going to be find – we just want a chat with you, that's all."
"But I haven't done anything wrong." Fleur tripped towards the teens in the main room. "You were all at the party, how was it?" she asked, unable to stop herself from laughing. "It was very fun for me."
Kelly nodded. "Well I'm sure it would be for a Cupiditas."
"Cupiditas!" Fleur spat angrily. "They are a disgusting Wesen. Do not even begin to compare me to them!" she shrieked before allowing the woging process to take over.
Her skin shifted to a porcelain colour, almost shiny in appearance, but it was the blackened pupils that expanded to cover the surface of her eyes that made Kelly flinch.
"Back away Kelly, there's no way of knowing how the toxin is transferred – let alone what she is." Diana was concerned and remained calm, but holding back her own abilities in case this Wesen posed a threat to the teens. "Okay Wesen, what are you?"
"I am and Erosmium…" Fleur grinned maniacally, flashing her sharp and jagged teeth at Kelly, hissing at the Grimm teen.
A click startled the Erosmium who whipper around to see Diana pointing her gun.
"Now I will only ask you once to release them from the enchantment you've put them under. Why don't you save us all a bit of time?" Diana said calmly.
Suddenly, the door to the apartment was smashed into and Peter the Siegbarste burst in, tossing the coat stand aside, sending it clattering into Diana. Kristoff followed quickly behind with Aurelia.
"Oh man!" Kristoff boomed, snarling through his sabre teeth. "Are you in for a treat now!? April, darling- it's time for you to come home!" He swung a clawed hand through the air, catching Kelly who crashed into the wall, collapsing in a heap.
April screamed, hiding behind a dazed Wheeler. "You can't take me. Don't let them take me Wheeler!"
Diana pushed the coat stand off her, holding up her gun and flinching when Aurelia blew fire in her direction. Staggering backwards, Diana swiped her arm through the air, sending a chair into Peter's back. The chair disintegrated on the Siegbarste's back as he lifted April off the ground.
"Let's clear out!" Kristoff barked angrily.
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = A slightly shorter chapter this time – with an added mini time skip, but what are they going to do now Kristoff has kidnapped April? With the Erosmius having its fun, how are they going to solve this one...?