TITLE: This Isn't Everything You Are

The regnant is based on his first appearance in Drifting in Shadows, Waiting for the Storm

AUTHOR: Macx

PAIRING: Nick/Monroe (established relationship), Nick&Renard

RATING: strong R

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belongs to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)

FEEDBACK: Loved

In response to this prompt: Renard never cared much about anything else other than keeping his city and its people safe, but he seemed to make an exception for Nick. The problem: he doesn't find it a problem.

Title shamelessly lifted from Snow Patrol

Chasing unknown creatures all over town wasn't one of Nick Burckhardt's favorite past times, but a Grimm had to do what a Grimm had to do. This particular one was rather nasty, leaving a pile of bodies in its wake, and not even Monroe had been able to pinpoint just what it might be. Nick had hit the books, but a few glimpses of a distorted face, snarling and spitting at him, hadn't been enough. There were too many of its like in the books.

So he had followed his instincts and the evidence, which had led him halfway across Portland already. Hank had been busy piecing together what they already had, sketching out a profile of their killer, who seemed to be after something in particular, but neither man had been able to figure it out.

Only when Nick had discovered that all the murdered people – some of which they couldn't be sure were dead since they had just up and disappeared – were of the creature community had the Grimm in him taken this rather personal.

Someone was picking off creatures. And it wasn't a Grimm.

Looking around what had been a warehouse once and now was nothing more than a dilapidated ruin, Nick let his senses adjust, let the Grimm take over. He had gotten a lot better at being a Grimm. He was falling in tune with this other side of him, with the power that resided inside him and which even Monroe respected immensely. There was this expression in the blutbad's face whenever Nick turned more Grimm than cop, a mixture between fear and respect, and something else. It was something close to admiration, maybe even arousal, but definitely reflecting a thrill.

Hand resting on his gun, Nick surveyed the area.

Nothing moved.

Nothing was visible.

But he sensed something.

Walking toward the building, the Grimm was on high alert. While he was aware of the creature close by, he couldn't sense anything else.

"Who are you?" he asked as he stopped and looked around again.

A low rumble could be heard. "This doesn't concern you, Grimm."

Nick's mouth set into a thin line. "You've killed five people. It does concern me as an officer of the law!"

Another rumble. "It is outside your law."

"I doubt it. Who are you? Why did you kill them?" he demanded.

The door to the warehouse creaked and Nick discovered it was open, moving slightly in the draft that came from the sea.

"To draw him out."

Him. Not Nick. Not the Grimm. But who?

"Leave, Grimm. I'm actually doing you a favor. I'm doing the whole fucking world a favor!"

Nick frowned, not the least bit inclined to leave. "You killed five innocent people, two more have disappeared. I'm not about to turn around and leave. Who are you?"

"Your mistake." The voice was suddenly very close and Nick whirled around, but there was no one. "I don't hunt Grimms. I have to make an exception for you."

"Flattered as I might be, you really don't have to," Nick replied, the flippancy barely masking his tension.

"You aren't the enemy, Grimm. He is."

"Who are you talking about?"

Something moved.

There was a chuckle.

Another movement in the shadows. Fast. Through the partially open door.

Nick wasn't fast enough in turn to react and he was thrown through the warehouse doors and landed on the dusty, oily ground. Winded, he rolled around, trying to gain air for his lungs, stop the ringing in his head.

He grabbed his gun, standing on shaky legs, scanning the semi-dark interior.

"You really think you can stop me with that, Grimm?" the voice mocked. "You haven't read your lore!"

"I'm not here as a Grimm!" Nick replied, voice firmer than he felt.

"You will always be a Grimm. Good for me he thinks you're so fucking important that I can use you as bait!"

Nick's mind raced. Who the hell was this creature talking about? Aside from Monroe, no one fit the bill. And his partner didn't even know he was here, nor did Nick get any sense of connection between the murderer and Monroe.

This was… something different.

And the world around him exploded into bright orange flames and dark clouds of smoke. Nick felt himself lifted off his feet and flung away. He connected with something hard but pliable and the wind was knocked out of him again. He heard a loud ringing and shook his head. Dizzy, smoke drifting all around him, he groaned softly as he felt a twinge of pain from his left arm. He gritted his teeth and managed to get to his feet, though swaying badly.

A shadow moved through the smoke, eyes glowing bright orange.

"Yes, you might just be the one to draw him out, Grimm. Going by his past actions to protect you."

What? he thought fuzzily. Who? Monroe?

A face pushed into his blurry sight; hideous and barely human. A sneer was plastered onto the scaly lips.

"No, not the blutbad. I'm not interested in him."

So he had blurted that one out loud.

Long, scaly fingers wrapped around Nick's neck, squeezing. He coughed, desperately clawing at the vice-like grip.

"Oh yes, he might just come for you."

And then the Grimm was flung away and connected with the wall. Nick had one last thought of 'What the fuck?' and then darkness claimed him.

x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x

Being what he was, being born into a position of incredible power and a rather long life, had never been a problem for Renard. He had never wondered what it would be like to be different. He had never questioned the secrecy of his existence in the creature community, nor the unquestioning loyalty of such creatures as the hexenbiester. He accepted it.

His kind was rare and lived under different guises, barely revealing themselves to others of the same origin. Procreation was just as rare since their lifespans were so long. In all his time on this earth he had yet to meet another regnant he might find attractive to bear his offspring.

He had claimed a territory, though, and he had been in Portland and the vicinity for close to one hundred years. He didn't try to rise above mid-level positions to keep from attracting too much attention from the human world, and he still missed Paris, his place of birth. He had very fond memories of it.

It could have been his to claim, but he had come to the new world. He had stayed. It might have been the best decision ever.

Regnants were one of the few creatures a Grimm couldn't detect, even when they lost their cool, which was almost unheard of. His abilities were beyond what a Grimm could imagine, though there had been incidents in the past when it had happened, when the façade had slipped and the true nature had pushed through.

Thankfully only with companions.

Renard had never given his counterpart more than a fleeting thought. In Europe he had thought he might find him or her, but that had been a foolish dream. He had been young and still kind of idealistic. In America he hadn't wasted a moment on it – until Nick Burckhardt.

The Grimm had come onto his radar immediately, strongly, and he had known. He had simply known and he had taken every measure to keep him safe.

His counterpart.

His equal.

A strong Grimm in the making.

Now some misguided creature with thoughts of grandeur had taken the young detective, using him as bait, and while Renard wanted to laugh at it, he didn't. Nick's life was no laughing matter. Nick's life meant the death of the fool who had taken him.

He found him easily enough, despite the lack of a soul bond between them. Still lacking, soon there, he knew. The more time they spent around each other, with every waking moment the Grimm grew into his powers, things were interwoven more and more. Their lives would be inseparable, their souls entwined.

It was only a matter of time.

x x x x x x x x

Renard ran a gentle caress over one pale cheek, taking in the lax features, the cuts covered in dried blood, the bruises that stood out starkly against the unharmed skin. Nick lay crumbled on the dirty concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse, like a puppet with cut strings, and there was the unmistakable scent of pain around him.

Anger bubbled through Renard.

The audacity! To harm someone under his protection!

It was rare for him to feel such strong emotions, such negativity. He had himself under such tight control, nothing came even close to make him lose control.

Until now.

Because of Nick.

Claws sprouted, oh so careful as they drew gentle lines over the fragile human skin.

The Grimm wasn't moving. In a way Renard was thankful that Nick was still unconscious. It gave him the freedom to be what he truly was, to tear the enemy apart and make him pay for his crimes.

Of course the regnant had noticed the death of the five innocent creatures, none a predator, none dangerous, none aggressive or hostile or involved in anything illegal. They had been pawns in this game, chosen by the other to lure him out. But he was a regnant and he had lived long enough not to fall for the game. Only when the Grimm had become involved had he moved.

Maybe Nick was his weak spot.

He smiled, amused at the thought, looking at the pale man.

For the first time in a very long life he might have something like a weak spot. It was a curious feeling.

Actually, it was a good feeling, considering who had made him experience it.

Checking the Grimm's pulse, the regnant reassured himself that the other wasn't in the immediate danger of dying, though he would need medical help.

It had to wait.

He had a killer to deal with.

tbc!