I do not own Grimm. I do own Ian, though.
Ian wasn't really used to being welcomed into places. When he decided to get away from the Renard family, and stop being one of their various hitmen, he knew he had to leave Europe. North America seemed like a safe place, and he knew that most of the family avoided going specifically to the United States. In consequence, he threw a dart close to the western coast of the country, and found a city that could provide him some sense of normalcy. The weather was nice, apparently.
He knew that they were trained to not feel, but Ian didn't stop feeling just because he willed his feelings away. His mother had tried to escape, and she was killed in front of him. As an example. His father took care of him to the best of his abilities, which weren't much to begin with. As a result of his mother wanting him to have kids and being able to take care of them, Ian became independent rather quickly.
He was able to cook his own meals, clean up after himself and his father, all while he still was training to be a killing machine. Perhaps it was the love his mother showed that he really never forgot how to be gentle, or perhaps it was just his nature (he scoffed at himself), but when he was sure he could deal with possible problems on his own if he decided to quit, he did. They hadn't been happy, but the guards that had been called had been no match for him. He didn't quite regret those kills. Some of them had tortured him.
Portland seemed a good place to start over. No one knew him or what he had done, and the entire Wesen community there was ignorant of the association his actions had to his name. Of course they could know his actions, but they didn't know his face or name. The city wasn't the safest in the country, perhaps, but it seemed safe enough for him, so he didn't feel the need to check for any information about it, besides seeing a property he could buy to live.
He had ended up living in a quiet neighborhood. He was glad for it, to be honest. It made his control over his Wesen side easier. If he never Woged, no one would know he was a Mauvais Dentes, and the chances of him being feared were less. He had taken up writing while traveling through enough countries to disappear from the Renard family's radar, and he had published a few stories, mostly based in his own experiences, just presented as if they were fiction. They did well, so he was paid well.
He was pretty much a hermit in Portland. He went grocery shopping, took care of his garden, cleaned his house, cooked for himself if he felt like it, and kept writing. Unfortunately, he had way too many stories to be written, so he never ran out of material. Cooking for one was harder to do, so he sometimes ended up writing with a cup of instant macaroni and cheese and several snacks. Easy things to divide into portions.
He was surprised when one of his neighbors, the one he assumed lived with his boyfriend and he thought they were really good together, dropped a baby off with him.
"Hi. I don't know if you know me, or Monroe, but I'm Nick. Monroe and I are your neighbors. I just… he's asleep, and he's had a tough week, would it be too much to ask you to watch him for the day?"
Yeah, that was the weirdest first interaction so far in his life. The baby was really cute, to be honest, and didn't seem like much of a troublemaker, so he accepted with a smile. How pathetic could he be that this baby was the first proper socialization he'd had in months? Maybe he could befriend Nick and Monroe… and if they were a couple, he could maybe even ask them to introduce him to someone.
He was surprised to know that they hadn't been together until after the baby arrived. The baby's name was Aiden, and they had adopted him because he had been dropped off at their doorstep. When he had them over for dinner, it seemed too good to be true. He was making friends, laughing, like any other person could do. Until Nick asked, and everything came back, and he couldn't help but Woge. And their reactions. Oh, fuck.
Ian felt defeated. He would have to move to Canada, perhaps? Or just another city? No, maybe Canada. Maybe Nick would find out about him, and being a righteous Grimm, would slice his head off. Monroe was reformed, true, but he seemed terribly protective of Nick, and they now had Aiden, so he wouldn't put it past the Blutbad to actually maim him.
He knew they felt a bit of pity for him. He didn't like that, but it couldn't be helped. Apparently, they were empathetic enough to try and understand his situation. When they mentioned Sean Renard, though, he truly hesitated in staying. Having a royal, even if only half of one, nearby, especially from that family, could only spell trouble for him, right?
Though Monroe said Nick assured him that Sean was different. He had heard about the bastard son of the king, but he never had paid much attention. His duties began and ended with killing missions, after all, so he never saw any need to know more than that. Maybe it was too narrow-minded, but he wasn't exactly bred to have normal interactions with others. Meeting him usually meant the others would meet their ancestors. Quickly, if he was in a mood, and slowly if he needed information or had absolutely no rush.
Ian slumped into his bed, exhausted from the evening, yet unable to sleep. He remembered his mother, and his father, and the vague names of his other family members, and he cried for the first time since his mother died.
He wished he had contacted Elaine. Maybe he would be in charge of his precious second nephew now. He knew it was useless to think about it. They wouldn't contact other family members to defect and escape. Not everyone was unhappy with that lifestyle. It let them sate their bloodlust and get rewarded for it.
Ian shuddered, as sobs started to rock his body. He finally fell asleep.
The Sunday after that dinner was pretty uneventful. Well… he tended to his garden when he was sure Nick and Monroe were asleep, and, as soon as there was a sign that they were awake, he locked himself in the house. He couldn't focus on writing, so he did the only thing he was used to do without thinking, to relax: train. It wasn't a normal training, like a jog, of course. His weapons were still in the basement. It had been a mess after an hour of constant hitting, running, smashing, and so on. He felt relaxed after the familiarity of the exercise. It was the routine he was most familiar with. More than the peaceful and uneventful routine he had made for months now.
He noticed Monroe and Nick leaving at some point, and then came back with lots of baby things. He smiled softly. They were going to be great parents, he was sure of that. He felt the urge to help them, but decided against it, and went to read something instead. He didn't want to make them uncomfortable.
His Monday was probably as uneventful as his life had been so far, save from that weekend. As usual, Nick left for work, and Monroe stayed, and Aiden stayed with him. Ian felt he could go out to tend to his garden peacefully, even if he did rip out the bad plants with some more fierceness than usual. What the fuck had he done to not deserve some peace? It wasn't as if he had wanted to be an assassin!
Fine, Ian, you will be fine, breathe.
A soft babble stopped his thoughts. Monroe was there, with Aiden.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?"
"No" Ian muttered, standing, taking a step back, "About Saturday… I'm sorry I freaked you guys out"
"It was mutual, I think. Uh… I just… Aiden seemed to like your cookies, do you happen to have some more? Nick took the rest for work today" Monroe said, "And I'm actually ahead of schedule, so maybe we can talk a bit?"
"Sure, why not?" Ian sighed, and went to get two cookies, one for Monroe, and one for Aiden, who started drooling all over the cookie.
"You thought we were together before Aiden came, right?"
"Yeah. You two seemed like a couple, a nice one, all settled down, with a routine, having dinner together. I don't go out much, as I told you before, so I'm pretty aware of how everyone around here comes and goes… especially the ones living beside me" Ian shrugged, "Anyway, you two just fit together, I guess. Sorry about the assumptions"
"No, we're together, so it's not like it was false. Apparently, we were together without even realizing it" Monroe chuckled, "Would you like to hold him?" Ian looked at him, slightly surprised, but nodded, and carefully took Aiden in his arms. The little boy babbled happily while still trying to munch on his cookie. A cookie that would soon lose its shape to become a wet blob at this rate, Ian was sure. He did see some similarities to Elaine. He had met her briefly when they were starting their teens. She was older than him, and had a boyfriend in the ranks of the other royal family. The looks were there if you knew where and what to look for. He just hoped she made it out alive. Most probable thing was that her boyfriend hadn't made it that far, if he had also shared Elaine's ideas of quitting.
"He's really calm" Ian mentioned.
"Luckily, he doesn't cry too loud, even when he wants to be fed or changed" Monroe smiled fondly at the baby.
"He'll cry when he's teething. Or at least if you don't give him something he likes to chew"
"Like what?"
"Well…" Ian hesitated, "I don't have kids. And my experiences aren't what you would call nice, so… maybe… it would be easier to get a balm to soothe the gum aches he will get" then again, he mused, bones didn't seem like a bad idea, but it wasn't normal for kids to be munching on them while in public… normal public.
"What were your experiences?" Monroe asked, "If you don't mind me asking"
"Well… I usually munched on bones. They could be human or animal or… Wesen" he knew Monroe tensed and felt uncomfortable with that revelation, but he had asked, "They worked" he added, and then just blew a raspberry at Aiden, who patted his cheek with his slobbered little hands while offering a bit of his cookie blob.
"I assume you didn't have much choice?"
Ian shrugged. Monroe wasn't sure what to do. Ian didn't seem too eager to share his personal experiences, even if he did write about them. He would have to buy the books at some point, just to, at least, catch a glimpse of Ian's mind.
Monroe did end up buying the three books (bestsellers) written by Ian Girault. And reading them. He didn't find much about Ian's mind in there. It was, truth be told, a compelling reading. The way Ian presented it was fascinating, enrapturing. But it didn't hold details. How had Ignat become the ruthless killer? How had he been raised? What kind of thoughts led him to act?
He knew Ignat was just another name for Ian himself. And he wasn't sure Ian's last name was truly Girault, but it had a ring to it. Which meant that if he couldn't know those things about Ignat, he wouldn't be able to know those same things about Ian.
Ian, for his part, continued his hermit habits, even though after two weeks he began feeling comfortable enough (again) to not actively avoid contact with Nick and Monroe. The couple did notice his hesitance, but still gave him his space, for which he was endlessly grateful. He still babysat Aiden from time to time, especially when Monroe had to go aid Nick with a case and other Wesen. Ian didn't mind. Aiden was still his blood, however indirectly it may be.
Even with that, though, half of his mind was still browsing through properties for sale in Vancouver. He had heard Canadians were really nice people, and that city was still the most apart from Europe he could think of. A small town could, maybe, provide even more distance between and a lot less chance of being found by the Renard family (if they dared to look for him)… but staying anonymous in a small town was harder. Usually people knew each other, and newcomers were noticeable. He had experienced that before. He hated missions in small towns.
The vague thought of moving to Vancouver eventually left his mind, and he was able to settle again into the peaceful routine, only he did go to the basement to let some steam off from time to time. The less he felt the urge to Woge, and Woged, the better. He truly did not want to scare anyone away.
However, he knew that with Sean Renard in Portland, he would have to, at least, inform him of his presence and that he really didn't want to cause trouble. For the first time, he walked to the house next to his, and knocked. Monroe seemed surprised to see him.
"Ian, everything okay?"
"Yes. I, uh… I was wondering, if I have to ask for some audience with Nick's boss, uh, Sean Renard, was his name, right? To, you know, make sure that he's okay with me staying in Portland, or if he will want some kind of… payment if I wish to stay" Ian didn't want to go into details of the kind of payment he could offer. He knew Monroe was aware, partly, of the concept in which he used the word.
"I think you could head now to the precinct and just ask to talk to him. If Nick is there, he will take you to the captain's office himself. If not, I think Wu would be amenable to do that if Nick asked. So… just go… and see him, I guess? So, you'll stay?"
"Most probably. I was thinking Vancouver, but, well, I feel like I will just keep running away over and over, and that maybe staying here could provide some stability and peace. It kind of feels nice to have someone not run away from me, even if they know what I am" Ian shrugged, "Thanks, Monroe, I'll head to the precinct. You have the address?"
"Sure"
Ian hesitated. Taxi, or driving? His car was really nice, but he hadn't been driving for months now, and he really didn't want to crash. Then again, if he took a taxi, he probably would have to hold some kind of inane conversation with the driver.
Driving rules surely didn't change much from country to country, right?
Okay, so maybe he had been driving a bit slower than his usual, but he didn't get honked at, at least, and he didn't crash, and, most importantly, he arrived at his desired destination on his first try. It seemed it would be a good day. He was trying to ignore the little voice inside his head that chirped the kind of favors he would have to do to get his much desired stability and peace.
He went up as a visitor, and, as Monroe said, Nick took him to Sean Renard's office. He stayed.
"Ian, right?" Sean greeted, "I'm Sean Renard" Ian just shook his hand, glancing uncertainly at Nick. It put him on edge, having a Grimm and a royal (half-royal, he reminded himself) in the same room, and not having some kind of weapon to defend himself. With his training, he knew his possible lines of action, and his face did not show any of his inner turmoil. That didn't mean he didn't have said turmoil, "Nick talked to me about you. I understand you moved in a couple of months ago?"
"Yes"
Sean obviously expected him to elaborate, but Ian wouldn't give away anything that wasn't explicitly requested… not yet, at least.
"And you worked for my father's family?" the police captain asked.
"Yes"
"Why did you decide to quit?"
"Does it really matter?" Ian could sense his own tension rising, and the Woge was threatening to make an appearance. Really, he hadn't pictured this to be such an interrogation, but he guessed he should have expected it to be. Royal and Grimm things aside, both of the men in the room with him were police officers.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. I thought all the Mauvais Dentes remaining were loyal to the royal families. In case you want to stay here, I would like to know if there is a risk of you turning your back on us. I realize we are not exactly allies at the moment, but if you are willing to defect one side, maybe you will not mind turning the other side in to the others. Am I being clear enough?"
"You're pretty much asking if I would sell you all to my former employers" Ian summarized, and he relaxed a bit, "Some of us are loyal to the royals because we have no other choice. I was born into the service, and my education consisted of the jobs they wanted me to do. Others are loyal because they like getting to hunt for tasty food and even get paid for it, to be honest, but we are barely reproducing by now, and our kind are starting to hesitate to even enter a business relationship, and some of us are defecting. Of course, some are more successful than others, as you can see"
"Aiden is his cousin's son" Nick provided. Sean seemed surprised, "She escaped with the help of her husband, though he didn't make it"
Ian pursed his lips. So Sergei hadn't made it. He actually liked the guy, which didn't happen often. They could get territorial.
"Look, I just want to leave all that behind. I understand it can be a hard concept to grasp, but… well, retirement from that life seemed like a nice thing to do" Ian looked Sean in the eye, "When Nick and Monroe mentioned you, I truly considered leaving. Really, staying close to a royal, half or not, is not something I had wanted for my peaceful retirement. But they said you weren't like them"
"Are you familiar with Eric?"
Ian Woged.
"In what sense?" he tried calming down, but the memories weren't helping.
"Did you often do jobs for him?"
Ian nodded, and tried calming down again. His eyes stayed golden instead of pale blue, but his face wasn't furry anymore. Sean hadn't flinched, even though Nick had tensed a bit. Ian closed his eyes.
"What jobs?"
"The usual"
"I'm afraid you will have to elaborate" Ian sighed, "My jobs were… diverse"
"Nick, would you please leave us alone?" Sean looked at the Grimm, who hesitated, but nodded.
"I'll be outside if you need anything" Ian opened his eyes to see the Grimm leave for his desk, and he then turned to see Sean, who was now observing him. Ian noticed the differences between Sean and Eric. By far, Sean was more handsome, and more built, and probably also stronger than his half-brother. It didn't stop him from still being aware that they were still related, but he knew that at a physical level he would not have issues. Meaning, seeing Sean would not necessarily trigger any bad memories.
"Are you asking what kind of jobs I would do in exchange for staying?"
"Yes, and no. I would like to think maybe you could help us if we get into a difficult situation, but only if you are truly willing. However, I am curious… what kind of jobs did you hold?"
"Killing, mostly, hunting people down. Training newbies, getting rid of traitors. Your brother… half-brother, sorry, did have another set of interests as well as my strength and killing prowess. He thought I was a nice bed-warmer" Ian bit his lower lip, and flinched when he heard Sean's growl.
"He…"
"Raped me. Yes" Ian closed his eyes again. He felt nauseous just remembering the pleasure that wracked his body, and the disgust with himself for responding to Eric and his actions.
"Sorry"
"You weren't the one doing it"
"I brought it up, and it obviously makes you uncomfortable at best" Sean sighed, "I do not expect sexual favors, Ian. The only help would be for your strength, if you will, and only if you are willing to help us. You are in my territory now, so I can provide protection for you"
Ian opened his eyes, and stared at Sean, looking for something that could tell him that the captain was lying or was hiding something. He was good at that. But Sean was honest. Ian relaxed, and then let his breath out, a slow smile growing in his lips.
"Thank you" it was soft, but it was clear, "Thank you"
"Will you need any help? Monetary, or…?"
"I have money from my books for now" Ian smiled a bit, "They sell well. And if the rest of your question was therapy, well… I'm over it now. I mean, the memories are there, and they aren't pleasant, of course, but I'm good enough to actually want to look for a nice guy to settle down with. Writing is a kind of therapy. Of course, my diaries aren't published, but having those… helps"
Sean stared at Ian for a good while. He had despised his brother (half-brother) before, but now… he felt the sudden and indescribable urge to actually go kill him with his bare hands. Ian seemed harmless, especially when he wasn't Woged, and God, he couldn't be much older than Nick. He didn't honestly understand his current feelings of protectiveness towards the younger Wesen, but he still acknowledged them to later think about them.
"If you need more help… you have Nick and Monroe, I guess, but I will also offer whatever services I can provide for you. Even if you only want money for groceries" Sean finally said, "I do not expect any sexual favors in return for anything, and, as I said before, your participation in our activities will only happen if you want. Though, I will admit… I do find you attractive"
Ian blushed.
"Thank you. You are quite handsome yourself" he replied, "And nothing like Eric, probably in the best way possible. This is my phone number. I only have mobile. It's not like I have so many friends that would need my landline, anyway. I'll keep in touch. And you probably already know where I live, if Nick has already talked to you about me. You can drop by if you want. If you warn me beforehand, I can even have some food for you too"
"I will keep that in mind" Sean smiled faintly, "Do you need a ride home? How did you arrive?"
"I drove here, Monroe gave me the address. I'm still pretty good at driving. I thought I was getting rusty with all the months I only spent time in my house"
"Surely you drive for grocery shopping?"
"Sometimes I took the bus, and then walked. Really, my tank is still full" Ian chuckled, "God, this felt good. I mean, it was awkward at first, but I feel like some weight was taken off my shoulders. Thank you again, Sean. I should get going, you probably have a lot of work to do"
Sean nodded, and Ian, after shaking his hand again, left the precinct, bidding Nick goodbye along the way.
The rest of his day was, oddly enough, brighter. He even baked cupcakes. He packed most of them for Nick and Monroe. He really only knew them, and they could find more mouths to feed them to than Ian himself. Monroe invited him to stay for dinner when he dropped the cupcakes off, and he accepted. Apparently, Monroe was cooking for more people, since Rosalee, Hank and Wu would come over as well.
Soon enough, Nick was entering their home, and greeted Monroe with a peck, and Ian with a short hug. Closely behind him, Rosalee entered the house, and then Hank and Wu.
"Oh, I saw you two at the precinct today. Sorry about not greeting you!"
"You didn't know us" Wu deadpanned. Ian shrugged.
"Still. A pleasure, I'm Ian"
"A pleasure, too. So, you're the Mauvais Dentes?" Ian tensed at Hank's question, and Nick face-palmed.
"Hank, really, you don't need to be so blunt, and he isn't here to kill us all" the Grimm sighed, slight exasperation in his voice. Ian relaxed a bit, and smiled softly.
"Yeah, I'm a Mauvais Dentes. Are all of you Grimm or Wesen, or…?"
"No. Hank and Wu are normal humans" Rosalee said, "I'm Fuchsbau"
"Oh. A pleasure" Ian shook her hand, unsure of her welcome.
"Hey, the captain asks if he can join us. Apparently, he also has some news" Hank said, "And I'm sorry, Ian, I probably shouldn't have asked… and not like that"
"It is okay" the younger Wesen shrugged, "It's still better than other welcome committees I've had, truth be told" his chuckle led the others to laugh a little with him, even if the statement was rather somber.
Sean Renard arrived at the house. Somehow, everyone fit into the table, and, somehow, Ian ended up sitting beside the captain.
"What kind of news do you have, boss?" Monroe had a half-teasing smirk, "Any consort in the near future?"
Ian helped Renard so he wouldn't choke on his drink.
"Really, Monroe, stop questioning his love life" Rosalee chided.
"I would be questioning it if he even had one!" Monroe protested. Ian laughed softly.
"At least do it when he's not at risk of choking. You okay there, Sean?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you" Ian couldn't help but think that Sean Renard really was something else. Eric would've probably have Monroe killed.
He rather liked the difference.
"So? What are the news?" Nick asked.
"My brother is one hitman short" Sean looked at Ian, who sighed, "Has been for a couple of months, apparently, but it only became common knowledge among his ranks as of yesterday. They, apparently, tried tracking him down" Ian snorted, "Yes, they were not successful. And said hitman is Ian"
"A pleasure meeting you" Ian sighed. This could get boring easily, "I'm not here to kill you all, as Nick so kindly told you earlier. Working for them sucks"
"That means that you're on our side now?" Hank asked. Ian shrugged.
"Sean was generous enough to not ask any favors in return for my stay in his territory, so, technically, I'm on no one's side, but I won't help people against you, if that's what worries you"
"Really diplomatic answer" Wu said, "Maybe too diplomatic"
Ian shrugged.
"On another note, said hitman is also thought of being in possession of three keys" Sean looked at Ian, who just smirked.
"It was like taking candy from babies. I traveled for months before coming to Portland. I had to do something with my free time" the European Wesen said.
"Let's see" Rosalee seemed eager. Ian's eyes went golden.
"We just met"
"But if you stay… we need to know we can trust you" Rosalee said.
"I'm unsure in what world or language that translates into 'you have to show us your keys'" Ian deadpanned, "I only trust four people in here, and one is currently sleeping in a crib upstairs"
Monroe sighed.
"At least tell us a bit about how you got them?"
"I had to do something with my free time. And I had enough resentment towards all the royals that I actually wanted to frustrate their plans. Of course, one is the key that the Renard family had. The other two are from another family" Ian said, "I will not give them to anyone… that really was not part of any plan or even part of the deal of me staying here" the youngest man looked at Sean, who just shrugged.
"As long as you do not abuse the power, I do not see the harm of you keeping them. Even if you come to possess the other three, Nick has the seventh" the captain replied, "I am curious, but I will respect your decision of not showing them until you feel comfortable enough to do so. That aside, the food was great, Monroe"
"Ian helped me cook, actually! He had this great ide of adding some paprika, and it really makes the flavor just… pop"
"So, you're a culinary master on the side?" Rosalee asked.
"Not a master, but I know my way around the kitchen. My diet is still, for the most part, single-serving macaroni and cheese cups. I think my mother would have a heart attack"
"Talking about your parents… are they still working for the Renard family?" Wu asked.
"My father is. He's too old to… well, escape. And my mother was killed when she tried to run away with me" Ian sighed, "Dinner was cool, thanks for the invitation, and a pleasure to meet you all, but I really need some sleep. Today was a rather emotional rollercoaster"
"Was it something I said?"
"Yes, Wu. Hank and you really are blunt, and I'm not in the mood" Ian deadpanned, "I'm not offended or anything, but it gets tiresome"
Both had the decency to blush at Ian's words, but the younger Wesen didn't mind them enough. He bid them all goodbye, and went to the door.
"Would you mind if I walked you home?"
"I live, literally, next door"
"Still, I feel responsible for you"
"How charming" Ian snorted, "Okay, but put your coat on. We don't need you catching a cold"
Sean rolled his eyes, but obliged, and both walked in silence to Ian's door. Ian opened, and then stared at the police captain.
"Goodnight, Ian. It was a real pleasure meeting you"
"Oddly enough, I can say the same thing. Goodnight, Sean" Ian hesitated, but was still bold enough to peck Sean's cheek, then going inside. Sean caressed the place he had kissed, wondering if this was the time he would definitely fall in love and settle down. It wasn't normal for him to be so… affected, by such a little gesture.
Ian cursed himself, but, in hindsight, he didn't regret it. He didn't think Sean would pursue him, what with his history and the Eric thing… and yet, he just took the chance, and enjoyed it. Maybe it could work?