"CHRISTINA!" Shaggy yelled dropping to the ground beside her, "Wake up, come on, wake up,"
he shook her by the shoulders and only stopped when he was pulled away by Duncan and Clawdeen.
"That's not going to help her," Clawdeen reasoned, "Let's get her to the nurse,"
Shaggy carried her, having horrible flashbacks to the last time Christina was like this. When Drew had put her in the hospital and she nearly died.
Please, please, don't be dying on me, Christy, I love you.
Ever After High didn't have one nurse. They had a small army of tiny nurse fairies. All of which couldn't figure out what was going on with Christina. Like nothing, they had ever seen before as the group was told.
"What do we do now?" Shaggy asked impatiently, worriedly clinging to the still unconscious Christina.
"First let's get her somewhere safe," Clawdeen declared.
"Where?"
Clawdeen smiled.
…...
They brought her downstairs, straight to Bigs even though he was teaching a class. Upon seeing Christina he dismissed, barking out an assignment no one was going to do before ushering the group out. They traveled at once to Hood Hollow, only getting there so quickly via well. Bursting into Red's home without warning. Although distressed at the sight of Christina, Red kept her wits about her ordering them to set her on the couch.
"She's feverish," Red observed, "I've never seen her sick, what happened?"
"We don't know," Shaggy said, "She just fell,"
Clawdeen and Duncan shared a look, "We might," Clawdeen declared.
"Killer of the Dead, poison," Duncan continued.
"She's...dying," Shaggy croaked, fearfully.
He grabbed Christina's hand tightly.
"No, Christina's only half-vampire, she won't die, she's going to be sick for a while though,"
"When will she like, wake up?"
"Hard to say"
"Let her rest," Red ordered.
Shaggy stayed right by her side, he wasn't going to leave her not for all the food in the world. She finally began to stir an hour later just as they were managing to force some food into Shaggy who was too concerned for Christina to eat a single bite. He didn't even budge when Scooby offered him the very last Scooby Snack.
Christina's eyes opened, glazed with exhaustion and fever. How did she get here? Why was she here? Head pounding and limbs shaking she struggled to push herself upright only to fall onto her back as a wave of nausea hit her making the room spin. She shut her eyes, begging it to stop
"Christina, you're awake!" Shaggy cried with relief, grabbing a hold of her hand.
"What happened?"
"You fainted, you're like, sick,"
"That's impossible, I've never been sick remember?" she coughed.
"Like, you are now,"
"How?" Christina demanded.
Shaggy wasn't about to tell her and risk a panic attack.
"Christy, what did you do last night?" he questioned.
She rolled her eyes at the absurd question, "I helped you search the office remember? You ate all the peanut brittle while I searched the files?"
"Like, what about after? Did you like, have a nightmare and take a walk?"
"No,"
"How about when we were leaving the office? Do you remember anything?"
"I hit my knee on the shelf, you were already out the door,"
"Did anything shake?"
"One of Grimm's knick-knacks fell, but I caught it,"
"What was it?"
"The skull, I put it right back, why are you asking me all these questions?"
"Don't worry about it, Christina," he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Get some rest, okay?"
Christina looked like she wanted to object but she kept quiet. Once she had drifted into a fever-ridden sleep Shaggy rushed into the kitchen to tell the others who all agreed it was suspicious but it was also way too early in their investigation to point the finger solely at Grimm. Deciding to continue with their investigation they ask Red if she knew anything more about Alissa and Radu's relationship.
"Anything you tell us could help," Clawdeen urged.
"They were both utterly devoted to Christina-"
"I sense a 'but' coming," Duncan interjected.
"It's nothing awful I assure you,"
The group waited.
"Alissa wanted to give Christina a sibling or two, she doesn't know."
"And Radu?"
"Was all for it there were some, however, that weren't as thrilled-"
"Grimm?"
"Yes, he paid a visit once while I was there,"
"What happened?"
…...
Alissa was none-too-pleased to see Milton Grimm on her doorstep. She let him in with a groan.
"I wasn't aware you had company," Milton observed, nodding to where Red sat on the couch.
"That's because you didn't tell me you were coming now, why are you here?"
"I was in the area and decided to pay a visit. Where is your uh, husband?"
"On a flight, now I assume you came here to meet my child?"
"If I could,"
"Butterfly, could you come here please?" Alissa called.
Grimm watched as a tiny fairy two maybe three toddled down the hall. At least she looked like a fairy. Oh, the relief! He smiled at the child only for her to run and hide behind her mother.
"This is my daughter, Christina," Alissa smiled, sitting down beside her friend on the couch, "She turned two last week"
"Mommy, am I in trouble?" Christina asked softly.
"No, you're not in trouble, Butterfly", Alissa reassured her. "This is Professor Grimm, Headmaster of Ever After High, where I went to school. Go say hello."
"Okay", Christina replied. She walked over to the man and held out her hand, smiling sweetly. "Hello, I'm Christina."
"Well hello, little..one?", he started to reply warmly when he noticed something strange and gasped slightly. "W-what a lovely smile you have, my dear."
"Thank you, sir. Mommy says I have Daddy's smile."
"I...see", he looked pointedly at Alissa, who smirked victoriously, as did Red.
The door opened at that moment and Radu stepped inside. Christina lit up like a Christmas tree while Alissa smiled wickedly. Her fear of the stranger was forgotten as Christina ran into her father's waiting arms.
"Daddy," she giggled.
Milton was frozen. Watching the exchange between dad and daughter with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Did you mind Mommy while I was gone?" Radu asked his daughter.
"Yes, Sir," she nodded,
"She did" Alissa nodded, standing to properly greet her husband with a kiss, "How was your flight?"
"Vonderful" Radu replied before turning to his daughter, " and, look what I found on my way home," He held out a single pink rose all the thorns cut off for Christina's safety.
"Thank you, Daddy," she smiled, gently taking the gift.
"Go put it in your vase, Butterfly, Mommy and Daddy have to talk,"
Christina skipped down the hall before turning to ask if Aunt Red would play with her.
"In a bit, Christina, run along now," Red gently replied.
The adults waited until Christina's door had shut to continue their conversation.
"She has fangs,"
"Yes, she does," Alissa nodded.
"Does-does she drink blood too?"
"No, she is appalled by the idea,"
"You need to have a pure fae child," Grimm declared.
"I refuse to be disloyal to my husband," Alissa snapped, sitting back on the couch where Radu soon joined her, "In fact, we're trying to have another child."
"You can't!"
"Why not?"
"It's bad enough there's a vampire in Ever After! You can't contaminant your line any further! Why it could destroy-"
"That's quite enough out of you!" Alissa snapped, fire burning in her eyes, "I will NOT allow you to come into my home, insult my husband, my child and try to run my life. You may be the Headmaster at the school but that's where your power ends, my child, my CHILDREN will have the freedom to choose and I will support them whether they follow their 'destiny' or not! Now, get out!"
Grimm took his leave with an indigent huff.
…...
"Radu passed on before they could have any more children, Alissa was heartbroken. She always wanted another child but even after Radu's death she felt like she'd be betraying him,"
"We understand," Duncan politely nodded.
Shaggy stood to check on Christina. Finding her still asleep but in distress, another nightmare.
…...
Run.
Run.
Run.
Blindly through the darkness, stumbling over roots and logs but she had to get away from him. He was following her, taunting her.
"You can't run forever, Princess,"
Faster and faster even though her legs burned and her heart beat so fast it would explode out of her chest. She fell rolling down a hill only to splash in the mud at the bottom. Clawing her away across the ground it was hard to get to her feet harder still to run.
"I see you"
Run.
Run.
Run.
Straight into a moon-filled clearing.
Where her mother's corpse lay, stab wound still bleeding.
…...
"Christina, it's okay, sweetheart," Shaggy whispered when Christina bolted upright, grabbing her head in her hands as he wrapped his arms around her.
"No, no, no, it's not okay, I'm not okay," she cried tearfully, "He, he had me paralyzed, his plaything forced to obey him-"
"Christina-"
"I couldn't even control my voice-"
"Oh, Christy,"
"P-please, p-please don't leave me,"
"I won't not now, not ever,"
…...
Meanwhile, Grimm sat worriedly in his office remembering deeds past.
They couldn't find out.
…...
Van Hellscream was sitting at the desk in his study, working on his plan to get Monster High shut down when the crystal skull on a far shelf began to glow! It had thus far resisted his every effort to make it work for him.
"N-n-nnnnnoooo!", the skull rasped as it floated over to the desk. "Don't...want...to help...this hunter-scum! Aaauuugh!"
"Hello?", a different voice called from the skull. "Is anyone there? I am seeking the monster hunter Van Hellscream."
"I am Van Hellscream", the hunter replied, intrigued. "Who are you, to contact by so unorthodox and means?"
"Who I am is of no concern. The important thing is that I can give you another chance to kill the vampire that escaped you through a mirror nearly 4 years ago."
"Radu!", Van Hellscream growled. "You have my attention."
"Excellent!", the voice 'smirked'. "In one week, I will arrange for a mirror-portal to bring you to my realm, then return you home when the job is done. I will give you the details when you arrive, and I can compensate you with pixie-dust and other... items that are rare in your realm. Agreed?"
"I'll be ready."