Bastard son of King Frederick Renard. Half-Zauberbiest son of Elizabeth Lascelles.
Calculating and often self-serving. Member of the Laufer. Speaks French, German,
Russian, and Latin. Charismatic and intelligent. A natural leader. A good police
Captain. Protected 'his' Grimm more times than anyone really knows.
All of these are facts that are known about Sean Renard, but what isn't known is that the
stoic Royal-Zauberbiest finds himself in love with one Detective/Grimm named Nick
Burkhardt. Follow their interactions through a year as Sean finally decides the possible
reward of love is worth the risk.
Chapter One: January…
"You and I go hard at each other like we're going to war."
Sean closes the blinds of his office and locks his door before turning to face his visitor. This is not a conversation he wants his subordinates to overhear, especially Detective Burkhardt. "So you just expected him to come out and admit he's got the key? What happened to my explicit instructions for handling this matter with discretion, Adalind?"
Adalind rolls her eyes in typical overly-dramatic Adalind fashion from her perch on the arm of his black leather couch. "It didn't hurt to ask him, Sean."
"It does not help Nick's growing level of suspicion either, Adalind." Sean says with a sigh. How is he ever going to convince the newly minted Grimm to side with him against the Royal side of his family?
Adalind watches as Sean sits heavily in the plush leather chair behind his desk with a coquettish smile gracing her lips. "You know… My contact inside the house of Kronenberg tells me that Nick is really proving himself to your family... What with killing the Mauvais Dentes and the Nuckelavee. He's turning quite a few heads."
"Well, then maybe they should stop testing him. And…they are family in name only. I make no claim to them, otherwise." Sean growls out.
"Aw, do you feel your little Grimm slipping away?" Adalind smooths an invisible wrinkle out of her house of Givenchy black pencil skirt.
"He's not my Grimm, Adalind."
"Not yet, but you'd like him to be." Adalind winks. She would have to be blind to miss Sean's growing attraction to the young Detective. When she senses that his temper with her is reaching a boiling point, she decides it is time for a change of topic. "Oh, just in case you are interested, when Nick's dear Aunt Marie came to town she was towing a trailer full of all kinds of fun Grimmly things."
"Well, where is it?" Sean asks impatiently.
"I'm not sure other than that Nick did not sell it after his Aunt's death. Wouldn't you just think that would be a great place to hide a key?"
"Adalind, I need you to find this trailer."
Adalind sighs and pulls out her phone. A quick search gives her the information she needs. "There are ten storage yards in Portland, Sean. Surely you don't expect me to traipse through all of them in search of this trailer? Don't you have minions for that kind of grunt work? It might be under the name Burkhardt, unless, of course, he paid cash. Either way it is not going to be a quick search."
Sean opens his computer. After some typing and clicking, he turns the laptop around for Adalind to see. "This should make your search go quicker. While I do have other operatives, this is a sensitive matter that I am entrusting you with. The trailer is a 1963 Airstream Global Trotter, registered to Marie Kessler with Montana license plates."
"How much time do I have?"
"As little as possible. Find it, Adalind."
Sean sits in his darkened office late on a Friday night attempting to sort out where his Grimm Detective might have hidden the damn key. His search of Aunt Marie's trailer had not produced the key. His patience rapidly dwindles as his fear of his Royal family obtaining the key increases. He knows Nick is smart enough to not hide the key in his apartment or at the home of one of his friends.
A scheduled inspection of his detective's lockers the previous day allowed Sean to cross that hiding place off his list of possible locations Nick is hiding the key. The same result came from Adalind's late night visits to Rosalee's Spice Shop and the veterinary clinic Nick's roommate, Juliette, owned.
As Sean sits looking out his office window his eyes fall on Nick's desk. While it is highly improbable that Nick would leave such a vauluable key unattended in his unlocked desk; Sean cannot leave any stone unturned in his search for the key. He has to keep his Royal family from finding it. He knows that as long as Nick has the key in his possession he is in danger. The amount of blood his and the other Royal families have shed in six hundred years to gain four of the seven keys assures Sean that he must protect the new Grimm from the fate many others have faced.
Sean walks out of his office and looks around. The third shift detectives must be out on cases because the room is empty and quiet. A few quick steps bring him to Nick's desk. He methodically searches through each drawer. As Sean searches the final drawer, he lets out a low gasp of surprise. There in the back of the center drawer is one the keys that are a treasure so powerful that if possessed by any of the seven Royal families would allow them world domination, its gold tarnished after so many centuries. Sean reverently picks up the item and admires it before placing it in the inner pocket of his suit coat. He retreats to his office for his overcoat and briefcase before making his way to his vehicle.
Hank stands in the doorway to the breakroom, unnoticed by his Captain. He took a night shift from Detective Ollie when she said she had an out-of-town art show that her paintings were being featured at. He was about to cross the doorway when the movement of the Captain at his and Nick's desk caught his eye. He stares in shock as the Captain begins searching through Nick's desk. He knows he needs to contact Nick when he sees a gold object being removed and placed in the Captain's pocket. He has no idea what their Captain has been taken, but he doubts Nick will be happy when he finds out.
"My Aunt insisted that I guard that key with my life and not lose it. Why the hell did I think it would be safe here in my desk, mere feet from his office. Leaving it where the Captain could steal it goes against what I promised her. Why the hell did he want it anyway? I don't care what it takes, I have to get…" Nick stops his self-recriminating rant mid-sentence in his reply to Hank when his cell phone rings. Looking at the display, he sees it is the man they have just been talking about. "Captain." He answers in a cold monotone.
"Nick, I think we should talk." Sean replies with more calm than he is actually feeling. He has become a master of masking his thoughts and feelings after years spent with his Royal "family".
Nick rolls his eyes, barely holding back an irritated sigh from escaping his lips. He has no desire to see his Captain, but he needs to get Aunt Marie's key back. "Where?" he barks out impatiently.
Sean pauses monetarily; surprised that the Grimm is open to meeting him. "Somewhere we won't be disturbed."
"Name it." Nick replies, his tone just shy of insubordinate.
"I will text you an address where we can meet."
"Yes, sir." Despite his mounting anger and frustration, the response comes naturally to Nick after years spent first as a patrol officer and now as a detective.
The drive to the outskirts of Portland takes Nick to a location that is rather familiar. One he had last visited almost two years ago during his first case after coming into his Grimm heritage. He steps out of his SUV and takes a few moments to look around. The cabin is now in a state of disrepair, but the memories of the Blutbad Postman shot in the front yard springs to mind as he sees a porcelain figurine lying on the ground where it fell when the Wesen hit the ground. He looks up as his Grimm hearing lets him know that the Captain is approaching in his black Tahoe.
"This is an…interesting…choice." Nick says as Sean exits his vehicle and closes the distance between them.
"There is a reason for that. We have a lot to talk about, Nick."
"Let's start with this…" Nick says as he closes the short distance between himself and his Captain. He takes a swing that connects soundly with Sean's cheek.
A short, yet forceful, brawl ensues until Sean pushes Nick back in an effort to get him to stop fighting. "Nick, we don't have to do it this way!"
Nick lands another punch. "Yeah, we do."
"You... Just listen to me." On the receiving end of a kick to the stomach, Sean woges.
Nick stares at his Captain in shock. He…he was one of them. How could he not have known? "How long have you known about me?" Nick asks once he finds his voice again.
"Ever since your Aunt Marie came to see you."
Nick's shock turns back to anger. "You tried to kill her!" He spits out vehemently.
Sean shakes his head. He needs to get Nick to understand. "It was never about her. It was always about the key."
Nick takes a step closer, his anger growing. "You took the my key."
"You don't understand how important this is." Sean needs to make him understand. This is about so much more than Nick can possibly know. His Aunt had only a short time to explain before she passed.
Nick laughs, but it holds no humor. "I have a pretty good idea." He takes a step closer, ready to resume brawling in the dirt with this man he thought he could trust with his life.
Sean takes a step back as he pulls the key from his pocket and thrusts it out. "Nick! I brought the key. Here. I'm giving it back to you. It's why I called you here. I've known about that key far longer than you have."
"So…knowing of the key's existence longer than me makes it acceptable for you to steal it from my desk?" Nick's voice has a tone of rebellion and his grey eyes are cold steal.
Sean growls in frustration. "You can kill me, but this won't end. Or I could kill you, but this still won't end. There is a reason I asked you to come here. I know how you and Hank found that kidnapped girl that was brought here. I know what that postman was. I knew what Adalind tried to do to your Aunt. That was not what I instructed her to do. If any of the Royal families get that key, we're both dead. So unless you and I can figure out a way to resolve our differences, they will win, Nick. The Royal families. It's a lot bigger than you and me. And we're gonna have to deal with this one way or another."
Nick, again, stares in disbelief at his Captain. He is not ready to trust this man. Not after he knew about Aunt Marie and about their Grimm heritage. Not after he hid his Wesen side. "Yeah, well…I guess you're gonna have to prove that."
"Yeah, well, if I knew how, I would…."
*To be continued…*
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Grimm or any of the amazing characters from this world.
The title of this fanfic and the lyrics are from Maroon 5's One More Night.
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