Page 33 of Prickly as a Porcupine

Paige beamed at her.“It’s finally over.Except…”

Ariel felt her stomach drop.This was the bad news she had feared.Maybe they decided she wasn’t being honest enough about her plan to catch Grimm.Letting the hippos loose was probably a bad idea, and all of it was going to add up to her being locked up again.Or worse.

“I think you need to keep up your Survivors of Grimm Club in addition to weekly therapy.”Ariel stared at her dumbly, thinking she heard Paige wrong.When Ariel continued to give the classic deer-in-the-headlights look, Paige continued, “Look at how much progress you’ve made since starting it!”A look of pride brightened Paige’s face.

Ariel stood straighter, glad someone was recognizing her progress.Some days it felt like Joline was the only one who believed in her.Especially since she was really putting the work in now.Jennifer was right.She’d only been doing the bare minimum before.“I plan to.”She glanced around, wondering where the club members were.She wanted to congratulate them all on helping to put Grimm where he belonged: Behind bars.

As if understanding what Ariel was looking for, Agent Park explained, “Some of them are in the hospital wing.With minor injuries only.I bet they’d really want to see you.”Even the agent smiled at her.An actual agent was happy with her.That was different.

Ariel reached over to grab Joline’s hand.She laced her fingers through hers.“I guess we’ll go check up on them.”She gave Joline’s hand a gentle squeeze.Happiness swelled in her chest.She was so happy Joline took a risk and decided to be her friend.Ariel didn’t know where she’d be if Joline hadn’t invited her to eat with her the day they met.

Joline winced as the antiseptic was applied to her cuts.It stung and burned at the same time.She reassured herself that the pain meant the antiseptic was doing its work.That didn’t mean she had to like it.Ariel held her hand the whole time, giving it a reassuring squeeze when she jumped from the initial sting.

“Sorry,” the nurse apologized.“I’m almost done.”

Joline decided that since they finally had a moment, she could ask what had been on her mind the other day.“Why had you been avoiding your brother?”

Ariel winced slightly as if the thought was painful.“It sounds dumb now, but I think I was avoiding him because I wasn’t ready for the truth.”

“What truth?”

“That Grimm was the bad guy.”Ariel’s brow furrowed.“I should have talked to Anson the second they let me.Maybe I would have learned that lesson sooner.”

Joline brushed some of Ariel’s hair out of her face before cupping her cheek.“You weren’t ready to talk to him then.But you are now.”Ariel gave a nod before beaming a grin up at Joline.

As if catching wind of Ariel being in the hospital wing, members from the club started crowding around the door to the examination room.Their excited chatter filtered into the room in waves.Their excitement was infectious.Joline smiled despite the sting of the cleaning solution.

“I think your fans can’t wait to talk to you.”Joline gave Ariel’s hand a squeeze.

“Why me?”One of her auburn eyebrows raised in confusion.She didn’t seem to know she had a fan club.

“You helped them bring down the monster of their nightmares.After everything Grimm took from them—and you—you gave them their lives back.”

“But...”Ariel turned to look at Simon and Arty as they talked rapidly to each other in the hall.Siman was smiling ear to ear.Even Arty’s beak appeared to give a grin, though it was always hard to tell what expression his beak was emoting.“They don’t have their lives back.They’re still a mashup of animal parts.”

Joline put a finger on Ariel’s jaw, pulling her face to look back at her.“That doesn’t matter.They don’t have to worry about Grimm.Ever again.Regardless of what they look like, they can move on.And they really connected with each other to reach a common goal.You gave that to them.”

“I did, didn’t I?”Ariel’s face brightened with pride.She looked so beautiful when she smiled.

Joline leaned in, giving Ariel a kiss.Joline’s body hummed with pleasure.“What do you say to finishing up the party we started?”

Ariel grinned ear to ear.“I doubt the agents would let us back on the obstacle course with it being an active crime scene and all.”She gave a chuckle.Joline smiled back.

“I’m sure Huggie will have us covered.”Joline knew no one loved throwing a party more than Huggie.And they all had a great reason to celebrate.

19

In seemingly minutes, Huggie transformed the cafeteria.While it was just about dinner time, the staff of WANC didn’t seem to mind.Brightly colored balloons and streamers decorated the doorways and walls.With what helpful supplies Huggie could find in the cafeteria cooler, she threw together a refreshing punch.Slices of oranges and lemons floated on the surface like life preservers.Huggie even pulled out the chocolate fountain and created a dessert table with an assortment of cheese and fruit.She was currently in the kitchen baking a few cakes for the occasion.They all decided that Grimm finally being apprehended was reason for the whole campus to celebrate.

Even Ariel couldn’t help but smile.

“How does it feel to be responsible for nabbing the man who’d been escaping FUC for years?”Anson asked before putting his arm around the waist of ASS Agent Nari Lee.Ariel had missed so much while working for Grimm, it felt like she’d never catch up.It was great to see her brother happy, and dare she say it, relaxed.Nari helped to center him.Ariel was pleased; if one good thing could come out of Grimm, it was Anson working with Nari and later finding love.

In fact, Ariel assumed she wouldn’t have met Joline if it weren’t for Grimm.She hated to admit that.Even to herself.

Gabby walked over with Lyla.The only thing in the cafeteria that was brighter than Huggie’s decorations was Lyla’s pink hair.Ariel beamed at them.She’d thought Gabby would never forgive her for her past.She was glad she was wrong.“W-we make a g-g-good…team,” Gabby said, squinting her eyes as she concentrated on speaking.Her blue eyes seemed even brighter with her eyes being lined with black, winged liner.

Ariel nodded.“We did a good thing today.You probably saved our asses.”Ariel still couldn’t believe Gabby divebombed Grimm.