Full disclosure: this fanfic does not account for last scene in season finale. I'm taking many liberties with the plot here – I may go back and write stories that lead up to this one shot I dreamed up following last season, but in order for this idea to exist on paper, please imagine the following:
Nick is still grieving over both Juliette and his mother; however, he finds comfort in focusing his energy on taking care of Adalind, and his child-to-be. He cannot live in his old house – too many bad memories – so he decides to rent a three-bedroom house temporarily. He invites Adalind to live with him while they are figuring everything out. They have separate rooms and plan to set the third up as a nursery. Adalind is happy to accept Nick's invitation, as she has nowhere else to go and looks forward to the help Nick can provide once the baby comes. She is about seven months pregnant (I didn't do the math based on the show timeline, so a total guess). She and Nick have been living together for almost two months and have been growing closer as friends as they are spending lots of time together – watching TV, having dinner, going to doctor's appointments, etc. I fully believe the producers and writers of the show will explore a romantic relationship between these two characters next season, which I, for one, am happy about!
Let this story begin – hope you enjoy it…
Nick was a light sleeper and practically bolted out of bed when he heard glass shattering. His panic quickly subsided when the noise was immediately followed by Adalind's voice saying, "Dammit!" There was some type of trouble brewing – but no imminent danger. Still, Nick pulled on a t-shirt in addition to the long, thin PJ bottoms he was already wearing and made his way down the hall to see what was going on.
He found Adalind crouched on the kitchen floor picking up pieces of glass. Only the light over the stove, which Adalind must have switched on in lieu of the full overhead lights, dimly lighted the kitchen. She looked up as she heard him come into the room. "You okay?" Nick asked. "Yes," she replied apologetically. "Sorry I woke you up. I'm just trying to pick up some of these pieces so I can move to get the broom." It was then Nick noticed her bare feet and realized she was not able to move for fear of cutting them. "Let me help," Nick chimed in quickly. He flipped on the overheard light so they could see what they were doing and retrieved the broom and dustpan from its spot beside the refrigerator. As he swept up around her, she stood to her feet, revealing her full pregnant belly. She was wearing a light purple nightgown with a gray robe loosely tied around her. Her long blonde hair was down, wavy and fell around her shoulders.
Nick would be lying to himself if he didn't admit how beautiful she was. And, the fact that his child was inside her belly made her all the more attractive. It was hard for him to admit, but he couldn't deny that he cared about Adalind. He wasn't sure what that meant, but it was true all the same. They had caused each other tremendous heartache – but here they were getting ready to have a baby together. She was different now that the hexenbiest side of her was suppressed. She was by no stretch perfect, but Nick had realized that she could be sweet, and she was funny, and at the end of the day, she really wanted to be a good mom. She was still so sad about not getting Diana back, and he still hoped to be able to reunite them at some point. For now, they were focusing on staying safe and getting through this pregnancy. They wanted the same thing – a happy, healthy baby boy.
When Nick had swept up enough of the glass for her to move, Adalind stepped out of the area where the shattered glass had been and wiped what was in her hands into the trashcan. Nick followed suit with was in the dustpan, and pretty soon, the floor was clean again. "There," Nick said. "All better." Adalind burst into tears, looking down at the floor, at his words. He was a bit surprised, but not completely. Her pregnancy hormones caused her to experience a wide range of emotions at both understandable and odd times, which he had seen play out several times over the past few months – she had cried most recently in a baby store when they were shopping for furniture for the nursery, which hadn't surprised him, but she had also cried earlier in the month when she burnt some popcorn, an action that normally would not lead to tears.
"Hey," he said softly, truly trying to understand. He stepped closer to her and touched her arm gently. "It's just a glass," he said. "No big deal." He had noticed that she often walked on eggshells around him. She was still afraid of him at times, which he understood, but it hurt him at same time. He was worried she might think he was upset about her breaking a glass. "I know. It's not that," she responded raising her head to meet his eyes with her own, which were brimming with tears. "Then what?" he asked genuinely. Adalind paused, clearly hesitant to respond, but then blurted out. "I have a headache and my back is killing me, and I can't sleep. All I wanted was a simple glass of water, and I can't even do that right." Nick looked at her with wide eyes not knowing quite what to say. It must be so hard to have so little control over your own body. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "It's just the hormones talking. I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to bed." Nick ignored her. "Can you take something? Tylenol?" he asked. "Probably," Adalind said. "The doctor gave me a list of medications I could take, but I'm still worried. I don't want to do anything that will hurt the baby," she said the last sentence while touching her stomach. Nick softened even further. He was impressed by her commitment to their child. "I'm sorry you can't sleep," he said. "Why don't you go back to your room, and I'll bring you that glass of water." "Okay," she said smiling. Adalind had noted Nick's kindness toward her and was so grateful. Despite their past, she couldn't deny that Nick was a really good and caring person; she had known that for a long while.
Adalind made her way back to her bedroom. She was emerging from the restroom as Nick brought in her glass of water. He set it on her nightstand. "Thank you," she said as she walked toward the bed, picked up the water, and took a drink. Nick had decided in the kitchen that he might be able to help with more than just a glass of water, and he felt like it was his duty as her caregiver. "Can I try something else that might help?" he asked her. "Sure," she replied not quite sure what he had in mind. He sat down on the edge of her bed and patted the blanket encouraging her to sit in front of him. She did so, facing away from him. "Close your eyes," he said gently. Adalind did as he requested. Seconds later, she felt Nick gently place his fingers on either side of her head and begin rubbing her temples. She immediately felt relief and sighed loudly. It felt so good, and her whole body relaxed. "I got a lot of headaches as a teenager," Nick began quietly as he kept up his therapy. "I realize now it was because I was a Grimm, and my mind was changing to allow me to see Wesen. My Aunt- Marie used to do this for me, and I remember it helping so much."
Adalind knew she should say something back, but she was in heaven and having a hard time forming words. Finally, she managed, "This feels really good. Thank you." "You're welcome," he answered honestly and continued. After about five minutes, he dropped his hands to her shoulders and began rubbing those. "Hmmm," she muttered, and he could literally feel the tension melting away under his touch. He was glad he could help, and if he was being honest, there were worst things than touching her. He continued his massage rubbing his hands down her back firmly but gently. She allowed her head to fall forward in relaxation, and he knew he really was making a difference and helping her. In complete quiet, he massaged her back for about 15 minutes until he could feel she was really in a state of relaxation. He worked his hands back up to her shoulders, rubbed a few more times then finally, and truthfully a bit reluctantly, removed his hands. Adalind felt so much better, but when Nick lifted his hands from her, she felt sad. Though they had been getting closer recently, this act was the first one she felt was true, genuine affection, which he had initiated. "Feel better?" he finally asked, breaking the silence. "So much better," she responded and turned so she could look over her shoulder and smile at him. "That was really nice of you," she said. Nick smiled back sweetly. "Least I could do," he said back, and he meant it. She was carrying his child – no they hadn't planned on that – but it didn't make it less true. She was doing everything she could to take good care of herself and the baby, and giving her a massage was a simple way Nick could show he cared.
Nick stood up from the bed to allow Adalind to get under the covers. She slipped her robe off before she got back in, which made Nick's breath catch a bit. She was truly radiant. She climbed into bed, and he helped her pull up the covers and get settled. "Good night, Adalind," he said then surprising them both a little bent over and kissed her very gently on the forehead. It just felt right. "I hope you can get some sleep." "Good night, Nick," she replied, and reached out to quickly and gently squeeze his hand. Both were simple but meaningful gestures. They were working hard to look toward the future rather than dwell on the past, and they had committed to acting in the best interest of their child. Becoming friends – and perhaps more seemed like a natural progression. Nick smiled then left the room, turning off the light. Adalind slept well, thanks to Nick's acts of comfort.