It was barely dawn in the city of Portland. Thin streaks of sunlight were just starting to permeate the grimy, dirt-encrusted windows of the paint factory turned apartment, illuminating the lingering dust particles that floated in the air. It seemed that no amount of hours spent cleaning, polishing, or rearranging could make this place fit to raise a newborn baby - but Adalind wasn't going to give up. If she had learned anything in the last few months, it was that anything had the ability to transform into something better. Or anyone.
It wasn't housecleaning that had her pacing the tiny gray kitchen this early, however. Adalind nervously drummed her fingers against the counter as she watched the coffee pot fill up, steam rising towards the high ceiling. She hadn't had a single drop but her skin crawled with jitters as if she'd drunk the whole thing. She glanced at Nick's bags at the elevator door for what felt like the hundredth time in the last twelve hours and the weight in her stomach leaped uncomfortably. Frustrated with herself, she growled softly and snatched the still-brewing pot, pouring the brown liquid into a tall thermos. His flight wasn't for a couple hours yet, but he was leaving early so that he could do some last-minute reading at the spice shop before he, Monroe, and Hank left for Europe later that morning.
Adalind hissed as the thermos overflowed and hot coffee splashed onto her fingers, spreading over the counter in a steaming puddle. She mopped up her careless mess quickly, not wanting Nick to walk in and see her so obviously flustered; it was embarrassing enough without having an audience.
To be honest (which she wouldn't admit to anyone but herself,) Adalind was afraid. Nick had told her all about the books and treasured artifacts Monroe's uncle had uncovered and brought to Portland, all the deep-rooted history of not only his own family, but of Grimms from every era dating back centuries, including the vast information on the Wesen world. It had been a phenomenal discovery and a huge relief to Nick, who had lost nearly everything in the trailer. The cherry on top was finding a slew of keys that finally pointed him in the direction of some unknown Grimm treasure, which he hoped to discover and solve the mystery once and for all.
Adalind knew how important this was to him - it had been evident just from the look on his face and the way he had talked about it, how his eyes had excitedly lit up like a little boy's. There was obviously no way he was going to pass this chance up and she wouldn't stop him, but it didn't make her feel any less worried to know that he was willingly walking right into the lion's den. All of the Royals would be looking for him as soon as his feet touched the ground, not to mention Black Claw. Monroe and Hank as his only backup would never be able to handle what horrors his enemies had in store. She would know - she had seen them for herself.
Adalind heard noises in the bedroom and her instincts had her heading towards her son before she'd had time to even process her thoughts. The motherly urges that had awoken with her first birth had only intensified with the second, and sometimes she wondered if her body was working overtime to make up for the absence of her daughter, taken so soon and still missing. She tried not to dwell on it too much, especially when Nick was home, but she would be lying if she said that bouts of panic and hysteria no longer plagued her in the long hours where it was just her and Kelly. She had to believe Diana was ok - there was no other alternative that her heart would accept.
Adalind paused by the door-frame, resting her hand on it lightly as she watched Nick bent over the crib. He was alternatively wiggling his finger in front of Kelly's face and scratching his round tummy in slow, even strokes. The baby cooed pleasantly and wriggled in his blankets. Adalind smiled as she saw Nick's face widen into a grin, whispering softly to his son. It was still a little strange for her to see this side of him; she was so used to the anger, the violence, the pure hatred in his black, soulless eyes whenever she had woged in front of him. To see him so tender had been startling at first, but with each passing day it became less of a transition and more of just "Nick."
Adalind backed out of the room as Nick kissed Kelly's soft head goodbye and busied herself with tidying up the already spotless kitchen. One could only organize an empty room so many times. She glanced up when he walked in, a cordial but sincere smile on his face.
"I made you some coffee." She said unnecessarily, handing him the container. He immediately took a deep gulp and then grimaced, making a face at the bitterness. Adalind winced apologetically. "I uh, I don't know how you take it. Sorry..."
Nick gave a half-smile, pulling open the door to the fridge. "A good dose of milk, and sometimes sugar, depending on how late a case kept me up the night before."
Adalind smiled, nodding to herself. "Got it."
"You?" Nick asked.
"Mocha creamer. Although I won't say no to caramel either."
Nick returned the carton back to the fridge and stirred the thermos with a spoon thoughtfully. "Noted." There was a beat of silence, and she found it agonizing. She began to rummage through the cabinets below, hoping to avoid any awkwardness.
"Do you want something to eat? I think we still have some eggs. I'll have to go to the store soon, although we should be fine until you get back if you'd rather us wait. Or maybe I can ask Rosalee to drop some things off - do you think she'd mind? I don't want to bother her, especially because I'm still not exactly sure where we are in the whole friendship phase. I mean, I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to kill me anymore but I don't think we're at the "braid your hair over margaritas" stage either -" She was babbling and she knew it, but she couldn't shut up. Her eyes had begun to sting with the imminence of his departure and she feared that if she didn't keep her mouth and her mind occupied, she would do something stupid, like cry.
Nick, damn him, was too perceptive for his own good. He put down the coffee and stood next to her crouched figure. She was pulling out pots and pans, looking for nothing in particular. "Adalind." He said patiently.
She sighed, not looking at him until she was sure she could speak without her voice giving her away. She rose slowly, wringing her hands together. "I'm sorry. It's nothing." She turned away from him, not wanting him to see her so vulnerable. He followed her though, and she tilted her eyes down so that all she saw were their feet.
Nick tried to meet her gaze. "It's only a few days," He said reassuringly. "Nothing's going to happen."
"Don't say that," Adalind replied, a little annoyed. "I don't need empty promises. I'm not an idiot - there's always a chance something is going to happen when you're involved." She looked at him then. "I just need you to promise me you'll be careful, and don't let your guard down for a second. You're entering Royals territory and believe me, they have home-field advantage."
Nick nodded, looking a little abashed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"I know." She replied softly. They were quiet for a few moments, nothing but the last sputters of the coffee maker to fill the space between them. She cleared her throat. "It's too bad you can't take some of those new weapons with you."
Nick smirked. "Somehow I think even a cop would have trouble getting them through airport security."
Adalind felt her mouth turn upwards. "Aw, come on - you've convinced a lot of people to believe some very weird things in order to cover up... even weirder things."
Nick patted his pistol holster. "I'm just gonna have to make due with the more traditional methods this time."
"No fun." Adalind smiled, feeling her body relax slightly, if only for a moment. Nick took a step towards her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. His freshly applied cologne took her breath away, and she could feel the heat of his fingers through her thin cotton shirt. She bit her lip, fighting the urge to run. It was a natural reaction after all this time and everything they'd been through, but lately it wasn't for fear of being killed that piqued her instincts.
"I'll be careful." Nick promised. "I'll call as often as I can, too."
Adalind raised one eyebrow. "Will you check in your location on Facebook?" Her tone was one of mock-seriousness.
Nick played along. "Hmm, that might be a little too easy for someone to track."
"Instagram? "Just reached the Black Forest, hashtag no filter?""
Nick hissed quietly, narrowing his eyes. "Not that great of a photographer."
"How about a tweet?"
At that, Nick laughed aloud. Adalind joined in, her cheeks flushing as his hands squeezed her lightly. She liked the sound of his laugh, deep and warm and somehow reminding her of honey. His eyes met hers and his laughter faded, transitioning into something darker and more intense than before. She'd seen this look on him before, she thought, as her eyes traveled down to his lips.
Adalind tore her gaze away, taking a step backwards so that they were no longer touching. She crossed her arms as if to hold herself together, and realized that was probably more true than she realized. "Oh! I almost forgot -" She went to get her purse and pulled out a white plastic bag. She hesitated before handing it to him, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I got you something. For the plane."
Nick reached into the bag and smiled as he pulled out a book of crossword puzzles. He flipped through the pages and looked at her with a question in his eyes. "How did you know?"
Adalind shrugged, still clearly embarrassed. "I'm not always asleep when you come to bed." She felt her temperature rise even more. "I saw that you had one by your nightstand, but you had finished all of them and... well, it's a long flight."
Nick unzipped his carry-on and tucked the paperback inside. When he stood back up, he walked slowly towards Adalind, as if afraid she would bolt at any sudden movements. Truth be told, she probably would have.
Before she could protest, he had enveloped her in a gentle hug. "Thank you." He said sincerely. Adalind felt her arms travel up his back as her body responded to his, as much as she willed it not to. He was so solid, like an oak tree or a grizzly bear. She knew first hand of his strength and his power, but there was a tenderness to Nick Burkhardt that she never would've dreamed being on the receiving end of. She wondered if he'd had similar revelations about her as well. She hoped so, desperately.
He withdrew from their embrace all too soon, and Adalind knew she was ridiculous to already miss him. Honestly, she was acting like a schoolgirl and she was thoroughly annoyed with herself for it. Big bad Hexenbeist indeed... She said to herself, mockingly.
He was still looking at her, his eyes both soft and intense at the same time. Somehow her hand ended up in his, although Adalind couldn't say who had reached for whom. She was very aware of how cold her fingers felt in contrast to his own. After another moment, Nick finally broke the connection, looking a little reluctant to do so.
"I'll call you when I land." He gave her one last look and turned to go. As he walked towards the elevator and picked up his two bags, Adalind felt a frenzied panic come over her. She took a step forward, then another, and before she knew it she was standing beside him again. Her face was set in resolve.
Wordlessly, she placed her palm on his cheek and turned his head. Before he could make a sound or she lost her nerve entirely, Adalind leaned forward and kissed him. She meant for it to be quick, almost friendly even. But the moment their eyes locked in the split second before the space between them closed, Adalind felt the slow burn in her veins ignite into a full-blown inferno.
It was a deeper kiss than their last one, which had been full of hesitation and caution. Now, however, Adalind had thrown caution to the wind. If this was the last time she ever saw him, she didn't want to have any regrets. Her feelings were still complex; she could only imagine what Nick had been experiencing these last few months, but she was perceptive enough to know that there was something between them that had only just begun to bloom - and Kelly could only attribute for so much of it.
She pulled away knowing in her heart that she had probably just made things worse for him. She looked up at him guiltily as they both caught their breath. "I... I shouldn't have done that... again..." Adalind said. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with cold fingers. "I keep making this more and more complicated, don't I?"
It was meant to be rhetorical, and she almost jumped out of her skin when she felt his fingers gently touch her cheek. He gave her a small smile, his eyes intent on hers. "Don't take this the wrong way, Adalind, but I don't think there's any way this thing could get more complicated."
She smiled sheepishly and chuckled, and he added, "But I guess that means things will only get clearer from here, in time."
Nodding, Adalind took a few steps away from him. "Bye, Nick."
He hit the button and the doors started to close. As he disappeared behind the thick steel doors and the elevator began to descend, Adalind prayed that their time had not yet run out.