A/N: Whoa, I actually ship a straight ship for once?! (Just kidding, I ship plenty of straight ships) Anyways, I feel like there's not enough Nick/Juliette fics out there. Probably because the ship is canon, but still, I just want to read something cutesy with them. Like, you know, something that might happen between them offscreen or whatever. That being said, this is something more related to the plot. In which case:
Spoilers for Season 4! This includes the newest episode (Marechaussee).
With that out of the way, enjoy!
It's after the fear and panic leave his body that Nick realizes something is wrong here. A Manticore wouldn't accidentally sting itself, would it? Especially one as highly skilled as this one. Juliette had said he missed, but that just doesn't make sense. He's noticed her acting strangely before. Namely, the incident yesterday, when she'd claimed she hit her head with the pepper grinder. Nick had passed it off as Juliette being clumsy at the time, but now he's not so sure. There's been something off about her ever since Monroe was taken by the Wesenrein.
After the body gets taken away, Nick and Juliette go to work cleaning up the house. He's lost count of how many times his home has been destroyed by a Wesen after him and part of him feels bad that he's now dragged his girlfriend into this strange life of his. Things were so much easier before Aunt Marie told him the truth of his ancestors.
But there's no going back now and honestly, he really doesn't want to. He likes having his powers. Being able to see the truth has helped him solve a lot of cases that may have stumped him otherwise. And being a Grimm does have its perks. The enhanced senses, for one. It's nice knowing that he doesn't have to just rely on his sight to get his job done, but his other senses as well.
The heightened intuition that comes from being a Grimm is also nice, but it's that intuition that tells him something is going on with Juliette. Something more than what she's been telling him.
It's a day or so after the Manticore attacked Juliette that they're lying in bed together, him finally summoning the courage to ask her what's been going on.
"I'm fine, Nick," she says, tracing a senseless pattern on his chest. She looks up at him and smiles reassuringly. "Really."
He wants to believe her. He does. But the look in her eyes, the one that tells him no, she's not fine, urges him to press the subject, even though they both would clearly rather not. It's been proven that keeping secrets between them can only result in bad things. He thinks of Juliette in a coma, of her waking and having no memory of him. He doesn't want to go through anything like that again.
"You know you can tell me anything," he says, squeezing her gently.
She doesn't say anything, but she does look away from him, instead staring at a random spot on the wall.
"Not anything," she mumbles, barely audible.
"Hey," he says. "That's not true. I love you and I can handle whatever it is that's bothering you."
She just shakes her head.
"Nick, there's some things you're really better off not knowing. Especially as a Grimm."
"Juliette-"
"Please," she says. "I can't do this. Not right now."
The look she gives him is a pleading one and underneath it, there's fear. It's unsettling. He knows that they've been through a lot these past few years, but he has no idea what could have happened to make her look at him like he might hurt her. Even the thought of it makes his chest ache and he desperately wants to know what's troubling her so he can help.
But if she truly doesn't want to say just yet, he isn't going to push her. Instead, he nods and kisses her forehead.
"Okay," he murmurs. The look she gives him is grateful and she rests her head on his chest again, closing her eyes and falling asleep. Nick watches her for a little longer, wishing that he knew what was going on so he could help her.
Juliette comes home from work one day looking stressed and angry. Nick knows that look. It's happened a few unfortunate times in her line of work as a vet and he wishes he could do something about it, if only to take away that look of helpless anger on her face.
"I can't believe it. This poor dog shows clear signs of neglect and she even flinched when I was trying to check on her. I don't get it. Why get a pet if you're just going to hurt it?" she says, sighing angrily as she tosses her keys onto the counter.
"I'm sorry, honey," he says. "Do you want me to look into it?"
"You should," she says. "But the only thing they'd get is a fine or a few months in jail. Who's to say they won't do it again when they get out?"
"Well, I'll see what I can do," he replies, stepping closer to hug her.
"It's just so stupid. People are horrible sometimes," she says, that angry look returning. Nick's not sure if his eyes are playing tricks on him or not, but he swears he sees her skin shift. She brushes off his attempt to comfort her and instead storms into the living room. He hears a crash a second or two later and when he walks into the room, sees a picture frame on the floor, the glass cracked.
"You okay?" he asks.
"Fine," she snaps. "I just knocked it down."
He looks at the spot where it had been hanging, a good couple of inches above her head.
"How?"
"I just did!"
Nick knows that he's not seeing things this time when Juliette's skin turns wrinkled like that of a corpse. He's seen it more times than he cares to admit and while he can't say he's an expert at reading a Hexenbiest's expression while woged, he is an expert at reading Juliette. The shrunken eyes seem to widen in what he thinks is fear and the ugly jaw hangs open, showing off jagged teeth.
"J-Juliette?" he says hesitantly, taking a cautious step towards her.
"Leave me alone!" she exclaims, shoving Nick backwards with her powers. He stumbles and falls onto the couch, watching as she retreats upstairs. In the few seconds it takes him to process what just happened, he hears a door being slammed shut and the lock sliding into place.
He follows her a minute later, finding her locked in their bedroom. He thinks he can hear her crying on the other side. Nick raises a hand to the door and knocks gently.
"Juliette? It's me. Open the door, honey. Please," he says.
The crying stops, but he doesn't hear her move in any way towards the door. He remembers the fear he'd seen in her eyes and realizes that she must have seen what all other Wesen see when they look at him. A monster. The creature of their nightmares that their parents and grandparents had warned them about.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he says. "You know that. I could never hurt you. I just want to know what happened. Did someone do this to you?"
He doesn't say it, but they both know who the someone is that could've done this. Nick wants to find Adalind and make her pay for all she's put them through, but now, he thinks that Juliette's probably going to be the one to do it.
"I-I don't know. I think it was Captain Renard's mom. This happened after I became Adalind so we could get your powers back," Juliette finally says, catching him by surprise. He hears a sob catch in her throat and he hates that he can't be in there to comfort her. "I don't know what to do, Nick. Henrietta says that I'm stuck like this."
"Who's Henrietta?" he asks.
"Another Hexenbiest. Captain Renard told me about her. He thought she could help."
Nick sighs and leans his head against the door. They just can't catch a break, can they? He hears her get up and move to the door, the lock clicking and he stands back in time for her to open it. She's back to normal now, but there are tears streaming down her face. His heart lurches at the sight and he pulls her close, running a hand through her hair.
"It's okay, honey. We'll find a way to fix this," he assures her.
"But what if we can't? What if I'm stuck like this forever?" she mumbles into his shirt.
"Then we'll deal with it," he says.
"You're not going to leave?" she asks, looking up at him curiously. "Even though you know what I am?"
"Of course not," he says. "It'll take a lot more than this to scare me away."
Juliette's shoulders slump in relief and she hugs him tightly. They stand in the doorway together for a while before they finally separate. He kisses her softly for a moment and then smiles down at her.
"I love you," he says.
She smiles back, taking his face in her hands and leaning up to kiss him again.
"I love you too."