A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Spitfire47
Disclaimer: don't own Grimm.
"They don't exist."
Nick's jaw literally dropped. "Seriously?" he wondered.
Monroe nodded and walked over with two beers in his hand. He handed one to Nick who took it, but still had a shocked expression on his face.
"What you're describing is something of supposed fiction," Monroe explained, sitting down on the couch, taking a sip of beer before he continued. "Now, I've been hearing rumours of a new type of creature in town, it's a small group but the things I've heard about them are amazing. But, then again, some wesen like to get the community buzzed for a few weeks then it all dies down."
Nick fumbled around in his jacket until he found what he was looking for. He passed the encased porcupine quill to Monroe who opened it and placed the quill in his hand. Monroe twisted his face to the side and gave a sharp cry, which quickly turned into a growl as his whole face changed. The Blutbad took a few sniffs at the quill and then growled. Monroe changed face again.
"What is it?" Nick asked.
Monroe changed back and darkness seemed to cast over his face. Nick could immediately tell that Monroe didn't like what he smelled. "Smells like a Stachelschwein," Monroe answered examining the quill. "A porcupine, but there is something odd about the scent."
"What does it smell like?"
"Earthy, yet, with a hint of sunflower seed and something else I've never smelled."
Nick leaned in. "Can you describe it?"
Monroe made a face as he tried to concentrate. "It's like…something burnt, yet fresh…I can't really think of anything…"
Nick sighed and then took the quill back and placed it in the vial.
"I've noticed that they are sharper than normal quills," Nick added, looking at the quill through the glass then pondered. "A Stachelschwein wesen, would it be common to hear of them?"
Monroe leaned in. "Nick you have to understand that Stachelschwein were thought to be of fictitious beliefs; they were used in stories to keep kids in bed at night and they were scary as hell. Sort of like the stories of your ancestors, the Grimms, except…darker and wesen-like. Anyway what I'm saying is that they would be like Anthropophagi; thought to be real and written about but never seen."
"What sort of stories were there?"
Monroe sighed. "A long time ago my mother would tell me one particular story of Stachelschweins, the story starts off with Stachelschwein being violent and extremely dangerous. Notorious for massacres and Stachelschwein would even eat their kills. In the end some Wesen decided to ban together to get rid of the Stachelschwein. Some versions it's that they went into hiding, other versions say that they were killed into extinction. It's hard to say what happened to them, some Wesen thought that they were fiction while others believed that they still exist and are out for revenge against the Wesen."
Nick got up and thanked the Blutbad for his help. As he was ready to go outside he heard something, he turned back to see Monroe already up on his feet his body posed to strike whatever threat that was near. Nick went for his gun that was holstered at his hip, ready to shoot if necessary. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Both Grimm and Blutbad jumped, Monroe shifted accidentally, causing him to yelp in surprise. Nick opened the door once Monroe got his Wesen form under control and there stood Rosealee with a jar of flower-like plants in her hand.
"Hi," she said, then noticed Nick with his hand near his gun she frowned. Nick sensed her nervousness and he immediately apologized.
"We thought it was someone else," Monroe added, backing up Nick, "an intruder."
Rosealee relaxed and nodded. Nick moved so she could enter.
"I brought you the Klettenlabkraut you wanted," Rosealee said holding out the jar to Monroe, who smiled and thanked her while accepting the jar.
"What is Klettenlab…wait, what?" Nick asked looking at the jar with much uncertainty.
Rosealee gave a small smile. "Klettenlabkraut, it's a small common weed that grows mostly everywhere. It's best known for vitamin C and other herbalist effects."
Nick nodded and then waved to Monroe, thanking him for his help once more before heading out.
Outside, Nick was about to get into his vehicle when a sound caught his attention. He straightened and looked over at Monroe's house, noticing that the blinds were closed Nick turned back just in time to see a few leaves fluttered down from the trees. A sharp alto sound whooshed through the air. Nick went for his gun. The sound happened again and again, growing louder. Nick unbuckled his holster and then took out his gun. Then there was an eerie silence that lingered in the air. All of a sudden, glass exploded with such for that it knocked Nick to the ground. Glass scraped across the Grimm's face and bare hands. Nick tried to get up but pain shot up his leg as glass dug deep into his skin. There was a loud roar and Nick turned to see Monroe out on the front porch, completely shifted. The Blutbad snarled and let out another loud roar that scared the attacker off as leaves fell from the trees like the first frost in the opposite direction. Nick grabbed the edge of his vehicle for support and then propped himself up as Rosealee came towards him, shifted so that her senses would be heightened to warn her if the creature came back.
"Nick," Monroe said, rushing over. "Oh, man…"
"I'm all right," Nick groaned as he tried to pull himself up but slumped back down to the ground.
"We have to get him to a hospital," Monroe said.
Rosealee examined the wound and then finally agreed realizing that there was nothing unusual about the wound.
"We'll take my car." Rosealee said quickly.
Monroe rounded Nick and helped pull him up, opening up the passenger door and gently set Nick inside. Rosealee moved around the van and got into the back while Monroe took the front driver's seat.
At the hospital, it didn't take long for Nick to be seen and stitched up. While he was being fixed up, Monroe decided to go back to his house and see if he could catch the scent of the creature that had attacked his friend. Monroe looked around to see that he was alone and then shifted his head and sniffed. He inhaled deeply and almost coughed on what he smelled. It was definitely Stachelschwein, yet it was a stronger smell that made Monroe have to shift back into human to cough properly. He searched the area and found five quills, two embedded into the hood of Nick's car and three lying in a spill of glass on the front seat. Monroe knew a wesen who could easily fix up Nick's car as long as they got rid of the Grimm scent and replaced it. Once he'd collected the five quills, Monroe shifted and ran all the way back to the hospital.
Nick was still in with the doctor and Rosealee was sitting in the waiting room when Monroe barged in. He was slightly out of breath and he looked wiped. Rosealee immediately got up and walked over.
"Are you all right?" Rosealee asked concerned.
"I haven't run wild in a long time," Monroe whispered in a reply as the humans were eyeing the two.
Rosealee smelled the excitement and adrenaline that came off Monroe in waves.
"How's Nick doing?" Monroe asked, now standing straight and serious.
"He's fine," Rosealee reassured. "Ten stitches and he'll be good."
Monroe still didn't like the idea of his friend being attacked but he knew that Nick would want to know who.
"What's the story?"
"He was attacked by a street thug and we realized that he was a police officer and brought him in. Did you…," Rosealee stopped. Monroe nodded and the two walked to the farthest corner of the waiting room as possible.
"It's definitely a Stachelschwein," Monroe said and then revealed the five quills that he literally wove into the inside of his vest.
Rosealee was ready to reply when the door to the examination room opened and Nick came out, he was limping slightly but was okay. He had gauze around his left hand and a few butterfly bandages on his face.
"He needs to stay off his leg for a few days," the doctor informed, "and here's a prescription for some pain killers and anti-inflammatories." The doctor passed Nick the prescription paper
"Thank you," Rosealee said and Nick did the same before the three walked out of the hospital.
In Rosealee's car, Nick had a hard time sitting, yet he managed the ride back to his house. Standing on the front porch was Juliette who was in a big wooly sweater with her arms folded across her chest. As soon as she saw Rosealee's car she rushed over.
"Nick," she said as soon as she saw him and kissed him. "Oh my God, what happened?"
"Attacked by a stupid street thug," Nick mumbled. It was a pathetic story but it worked. Juliette turned to the two Wesen that were standing behind Nick and thanked them.
"You're the private investigator aren't you?" Juliette said recognizing Monroe. "The one who helps Nick, right?"
"Yeah," Monroe said remembering the lie he had told her during the time up at the mines.
"Thank you so much."
"No problem."
"Is this your girlfriend?"
The question made everyone stop. Rosealee and Monroe glanced sideways at each other and then Rosealee spoke out.
"We're just friends."
That snapped Monroe out his daze and he nodded. Realizing that she possibly had hit a nerve, Juliette only nodded going along with it.
"Well, let's get you inside; I called Hank and the Captain telling them that you would be out of commission for the rest of the week."
"Julie-."
The fierce female cut him off. "It's just four days, Nick, you can bear it."
Rosealee and Monroe took their cue to leave and they said good-bye to the couple before climbing back into the car.