A/N: I hope everyone (who celebrates it) had a happy Thanksgiving. My muse woke me up at 1:30 this morning to write this, so there are probably sleepy mistakes that I apologize for. Last night my mother and I were debating whether or not Adalind was trying to seduce Nick with the clothing incidents in the last episode. I think that if she had been, we would have seen a close-up of her face and a small smile to show it was deliberate. Anyway, it was that debate that spawned this.
Nick got home late. It had been a very long day working on a gruesome case and though it had been closed, the Grimm had had to act in an official capacity to remove a threat. He should have told Hank 'No' when he recommended they should unwind at a bar before heading home. He should have stuck with the one beer he had originally agreed upon and stayed away from the whiskey... but of course Jack Daniels was the happy hour special of the day.
Nick could hear Kelly's piercing cries as he got out of his car and winced. Was it too much to hope that the baby had only recently started crying and Adalind hadn't been dealing with it long? Yes, it was.
Adalind was yelling at him from the second he stepped through door. Where had he been? Why hadn't he called or at least sent her a text? Had he changed his mind about her and Kelly?
She held the squalling baby close as she ranted and Kelly finally quieted and looked up at Adalind as if intrigued by watching her lose her temper.
She had baby vomit on her clothes, her hair was a mess, dark bags were under her red rimmed eyes, and she was limping slightly. A burnt smell lingered in the air and he looked over to see a large pot in the sink that had the remnants of what was supposed to have been dinner, too burnt to eat.
They had been living in the refurbished paint factory for almost three weeks now, tip toeing around each other, never raising their voices and always been considerate of each other's space and needs. That was quite an accomplishment for two people who were at one time practically sworn mortal enemies.
Nick should have been apologetic and sympathetic, but seeing Adalind let loose and air her worries and grievances made him long to do the same... or maybe it was just the whiskey.
When she finally finished her tirade, he began his. Nick wasn't actually yelling, but his voice was definitely raising in decibel as he listed more and more of the things that had been bothering him ending with the main one...
"And I keep waiting for the day I come home and see your hexenbiest in control again! Sometimes I feel like it's already back from the way you keep trying to seduce me, borrowing my shirts and leaving your lingerie everywhere!"
Adalind flushed and glared down at the floor. A few seconds of quiet passed, then Kelly started crying again. Nick felt better at having that worry out and was actually going to apologize because while he was worried about the hexenbiest's return, he knew that the clothing issues were his own hang-ups and that anger was more from guilt over his reaction than anything else.
Before he could speak, Adalind gently but firmly pushed the baby into Nick's arms.
"Bottle is in the warmer," she muttered at him then turned and headed for the bedroom. She re-emerged a few minutes later with an armful of her own clothes and went into the bathroom. The shower turned on and a moment later he could hear her muffled sobs as she cried.
He felt like an ass.
Adalind tried her best to cry as softly as possible as she stood under the warm spray of the shower. She had been regretting her outburst when Nick got home from the moment she opened her mouth. Still, she had been alone with the baby for almost twelve hours, expecting Nick home at least three hours sooner. The thought of Nick coming home to help and give her a few moments relief was all that got her through a very trying and lonely day.
The idea of her hexenbiest powers returning had been on her mind a lot lately too, but she was pretty sure that it hadn't started yet.
She paused in her tearful contemplations and attempted to move a shampoo bottle with her mind. It didn't even shake. Nope, no hexenbiest powers yet. It was embarrassing to consider, but it was really due to forgetfulness that she left laundry, not just lingerie, lying around a lot. Adalind had plenty of clothes, but she was loathe to sacrifice her precious free moments during Kelly's naps to do laundry. Besides, Adalind liked wearing Nick's shirts. They always smelled like him and she could close her eyes and imagine he was holding her...
They still shared a bed every night, but there was no holding or touching that wasn't accidental. She craved it... but was she actively trying to seduce him? If so, it was subconscious on her part. It was important to Adalind that she not do anything that could be misconstrued as manipulation. She wanted something real with Nick. She didn't want to play games or waste time second-guessing. Adalind wanted the love they felt for their child to grow and include each other with nothing sinister to taint it. It would take a while, but Adalind was willing to wait and put the effort in. The only real enemy to her plans was her hexenbiest, but with Rosalee's help she was hopeful they could find something to stop it again.
Adalind thought again about Nick's seduction accusation and felt a small smile twitch her lips. If nothing else that proved that he wasn't completely indifferent to her physically and that she did have a chance with him. That's the way she had to look at this... their first fight. Now it was time to let it go, and move beyond it.
When she emerged from the bathroom sometime later she felt almost human again. She was sure to gather all of her old clothes and throw them into a make-shift hamper before returning to the kitchen to see if she could find something edible.
She was pleasantly surprised to see Nick setting two sandwiches on the table, while Kelly contentedly cooed and played with a rattle in his carrier.
They ate in silence that was actually more comfortable than she would have thought after that fight. Several times they both looked at each other expectantly before looking away or taking a bite.
Soon the dishes were done, laundry was in the washing machine, and Kelly had been bathed and was sleeping soundly in his crib.
Adalind smiled down at him. As tired and stressed out as he made her that day she felt the her love for him grow. She resisted the urge to kiss his forehead, not wanting to risk waking him, and slid into bed.
Adalind faced the wall like she always did and listened as Nick double checked locks and turned out lights. He hovered in the doorway and for a moment, Adalind was afraid that he would sleep in that tiny twin bed he had originally intended to be his bed. But then he sighed and came into the room. She felt the bed dip as he sat, and closed her eyes, content that he was near.
"Adalind?"
She opened her eyes again and looked over her shoulder at him surprised to see that he was sitting up and leaning back against the headboard.
"I'd like to talk for a minute before we go to sleep if that okay with you," he said when he had her attention.
She sighed, but nodded and sat up to lean against the headboard beside him.
Neither spoke for a moment. Then Adalind started and couldn't seem to stop.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Nick. You've never promised to call or text, but you've made a habit of it these past few weeks and when you didn't today I got worried. I'm sorry about the laundry- I swear I'm not doing it on purpose and I'll try to keep up with it better. As far as the hexenbiest thing, it hasn't started yet and you should know that Rosalee is helping me research a way to keep-
"I had to kill a hexenbiest today."
Silence descended again at his confession and Adalind stiffened. Nick sighed.
"She killed... murdered three babies for spell ingredients."
Adalind swallowed, trying not to throw up.
"I tried to reason with her. I tried to find a shred of remorse... but she swore she would do it again once she got away. She said she could smell the infant on me and that the baby of Grimm would be..." he couldn't finish.
Adalind started to shake. She felt tears slip from her eyes and looked over at Kelly's crib, icy fear gripping her heart.
Nick's arms went around her, finally holding her the way she had been imagining for so long, but she barely noticed.
"Adalind! It's okay, Kelly's okay. I killed the hexenbiest, she's dead she can't hurt us, I promise," he insisted.
"W-what about me?" Adalind asked, voice barely more than a whisper.
"What? What do you mean?" He prompted gently.
"What about me when my hexenbiest comes back? What if I-"
"No, Adalind, look at me!"
Nick was holding her head in his hands and turned so that she could meet his eyes.
"You aren't like that. You never were. Even before everything happened, and you were just some pretty lawyer who freaked me out when you woged."
"But Nick, the things I did to you, to Juliette..."
"You were acting out of desperation to get Diana back. I didn't understand then, Adalind. But now that I have Kelly... I don't know what I would do if someone took him from me, but you can bet it would be violent," he swore.
Adalind smiled through her tears and he pulled her to him in a tight hug.
"If you can love Diana as a hexenbiest then you can love Kelly as one as well. Maybe we'll find something to stop it from returning, but even if we don't, I know you, Adalind. Hexenbiest or human, you will do anything to keep our child safe, and that's enough for me."
Adalind drifted off to sleep a few minutes later wrapped tightly in Nick's arms with a smile on her face.
A/N: It's done! Now maybe my muse will let me sleep.
I'm glad so many people seem to be enjoying these ficlets. As long I'm inspired, I will continue to write them. I have a Christmas one in the works that may get a bit steamier than usual... we'll see. ;D