Thanks again for all the feedback - it is always motivating! This should just about wrap up the re-telling of Cat and Mouse (1x18). Hope you enjoy!
CHAPTER SEVEN
Nick watched her go, not quite certain what had just happened. It would be easy for him to just blame it on the spell that was still affecting both of them, but he knew that wouldn't be completely truthful. While the kiss they had just shared did feed his desire for her, it also tapped into something much deeper, based on some need within him to protect her.
Unfortunately, this was not the time to examine these things. He needed to talk with Monroe, make a plan, and meet with a murderous agent of the Verrat. Once he had dealt with that, maybe he would get fifteen minutes before the next crisis erupted to work out his relationship issues with Adalind. The first issue being that he even had a relationship with Adalind. The problem was, he was starting to come to the unsettling conclusion that he just might like her - and that scared the hell out of him.
He turned and went to the backroom to talk to Monroe, and caught a glimpse of Adalind out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting next to Ian, talking to him quietly and applying the healing potion to where he had been shot.
"So, what's the plan?" Monroe's eager question drew his attention away from Adalind for the moment, and Nick forced himself to focus on the problem at hand.
"I'm going to meet this guy, convince him we're allies and lead him into a trap," Nick quickly outlined his plan to Monroe, who nodded in agreement.
"It could work," Monroe said thoughtfully, "I'm assuming I'm coming as backup?"
Nick nodded, "Adalind, Rosalee and Ian can stay here. There's no reason that Waltz should know anything about this shop, right?"
"Right, I don't know how he could," Monroe replied with a shrug.
"Good, good…" Nick replied, a bit distracted. His gaze had wandered back to Adalind, who was smiling down at Ian. His eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the smile that Ian returned, his eyes lighting up as he talked to her. He was envious of the easy manner they had with each other, no history to hold Ian back from accepting Adalind at face value. The desire that was still eating at him had become almost bearable, but as he watched her across the room, a fresh wave hit him and he found himself walking towards her, leaving a puzzled Monroe behind him.
Adalind turned to him as he walked up, her smile fading a bit as she looked at him.
"Everything okay?" Adalind asked him, her brow furrowing.
Nick realized that he had started to frown, and he shook his head, summoning a small smile of his own.
"I just wanted to see how your healing potion was working," Nick made up the excuse quickly, and Adalind looked down at Ian with satisfaction.
"The wound is already closing," Adalind replied with pride.
"And the pain is considerably less than what it was," Ian added, his appreciative gaze still on Adalind, "she's quite good." Adalind turned her smile back to Ian, and Nick had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.
"You must have given him a double dose of the pain killer," Nick responded with an arch look in her direction. She glared back at him, but there was still a hint of a smile.
"You're hilarious," Adalind said before turning back to Ian, "I'm glad it's helping."
"She definitely has her talents," Nick admitted, only half sarcastic. It was clear that Adalind was well versed with potions, and if she kept directing those talents towards helping others, Nick was willing to give credit where credit was due.
A sudden buzzing had Adalind pulling her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans, quickly reading the displayed text.
"Looks like the passport is ready," Adalind slipped the phone back into her pocket and reached for her jacket. Nick put a hand on her arm, and she looked at him expectantly.
"Where are you going?" Nick asked, his voice gruffer than he intended.
"I have to meet with my contact to pick up the papers for Ian," Adalind answered slowly, clearly unsure of his tone, "They drove up from Olympia and I have to go to my usual pick up to get them. Should only take me a half hour or so."
"Do you really think you should be going alone?" Nick was growing more and more agitated, and he wasn't even sure why.
"I think it will be okay," Adalind said shrugging off his hand and putting on her coat, "I mean, I'm not going anywhere Sean would be looking for me, so what's the harm."
"The harm?" Nick responded, incredulously, "you're going to meet someone who deals in forgeries, and you no longer have the advantage of being a hexenbiest."
"Well, he doesn't know that," Adalind said with a smirk, then continued in a more serious tone. "Look, I've worked with these guys before, they know me, they have no reason not to trust me, and no reason not to think I couldn't take them all out if I wanted to. And to be honest, I probably still could, they're just a bunch of Seelenguts. It will be fine."
Nick blew out a sigh and nodded, knowing that he didn't really have an argument.
"I do need a car, though, so I guess I'll ask Rosalee if I can borrow hers," Adalind gave him a reassuring smile and walked out of the backroom, presumably in search of Rosalee.
Nick watched her go, and then turned back to Ian, who was watching him with a knowing look.
"For two people who claim to hate each other, you certainly seem to care a lot about what happens to each other," Ian observed.
Nick wasn't sure what to say, so he said nothing.
%%%%%
Edgar Waltz was pleased with the way things were going. While the local contact for illegal papers for wesen hadn't yet panned out, he felt a sense of optimism that there was a Grimm working in Portland. The Grimm would be very useful in finding Harmon and resolving the issue to Waltz's satisfaction.
He looked down at his watch and noted that he still had time before his meeting with the Grimm. Enough time to visit the local contact for illegal papers and find out where else Ian Harmon may have turned for help in Portland.
A mauzhertz named Reginald owned a small camera and photo shop that was known for its expert forgeries - and for assisting members of the Resistance. Waltz had already threatened him once, and was quite sure that Reginald was telling the truth when he had said that no one had come to him looking for a fake passport, but perhaps he had more information regarding others in Portland that would harbor a resistance fighter.
Waltz walked into the shop and Reginald looked up at him, fear immediately evident in his eyes as he woged into his mouse-like wesen form.
"I'm not going to kill you," Waltz sighed as he moved towards the man, "I just want to know who else Ian Harmon might have turned to for help. Who else is active in your network?"
"I don't really….what I mean is…," Reginald sputtered, and Waltz sighed again.
"This is quite embarrassing for you," Waltz said with a shake of his head," But if you would like your family to live, I suggest you come up with a name or two that I can look into. I have grown bored of waiting for Harmon to show up on his own."
"My contact was Freddie Calvert," Reginald responded, wiping the sweat off his brow, "but he was killed a few months ago."
"Where did he do his business?" Waltz asked, his mind turning over the possibility that Harmon would still go to this Freddie Calvert's place of business if he was unaware of his death.
"The Exotic Spice and Tea Shop, on Fulton Street," Reginald answered, then added quickly, "But I haven't heard of anyone going there for help since Freddy died. I think it would likely be a dead end."
"Well, there is only one way to find out, now isn't there," Waltz answered with a cruel smile, "and if I hear that you gave the new owner any kind of warning, expect to find your family dead before the night is over."
Reginald merely nodded as Waltz took his leave, once again on the hunt.
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Adalind tried to hide her smile as Nick walked her to Rosalee's car. While his protective nature could sometimes feel constricting, she had to admit that it felt nice to have someone worry about her.
As she dropped her hand towards the lock on the car door, Nicks two hand came up next to her, effectively pinning her against the car. Her breath quickened slightly as she turned around to look at him, his face only inches from hers. The last light of the day cast a shadow over his face, giving it a sharp, almost dangerous look. Adalind's heart raced at the sight.
They had both been working on keeping their desire in check all day, and frankly, it was exhausting, but as they stood in the parking lot, they felt the familiar energy arch between them.
"I want to kiss you," Nick said, his voice harsh with the pent up desire.
"Nobody's stopping you," Adalind met his mouth with her own, opening under the assault of tongue and teeth. HIs hands slipped up under her jacket and sweater, hot on her skin.
He pulled his head away from hers just enough so that their breath mingled.
"God you feel good," he whispered against her mouth, and Adalind gave a throaty laugh.
"Imagine how good I would feel without all these clothes on," she replied seductively.
"I've been trying very hard all day NOT to think of that," Nick responded, his knee nudging her legs apart and settling between her thighs causing a pressure that was bordering on unbearable.
Adalind leaned back against the car, closing her eyes, her lips parting slightly as she allowed herself to enjoy the delicious pressure of his body on hers for another moment. She opened her eyes to find his gaze on her face, his eyes alight with passion.
"We are not doing this on a car….or in a car," she said with more conviction than she actually felt, "are we?"
Nick gave a short, humorless laugh then rested his forehead against hers, "No, we aren't. When we finally do this, we're doing it right."
"I like the sound of that," Adalind smiled, "and when will that be?"
"Soon," Nick responded as he pushed away from her, then reached behind her to open the car door for her, "very soon."
She couldn't resist grabbing his jacket and pulling her to him for one last lingering kiss. When she let him go, she smiled up at him.
"Is that a threat, or a promise?," she laughed.
"Both," he responded with a sly smile.
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Edgar Waltz watched through narrowed eyes as the Grimm walked out of the very spice shop that he had been observing. At first he had thought that perhaps the Grimm had also tracked Harmon to this shop, but the relaxed nature with which he exited the shop and escorted the petite blond to the parking lot didn't seem to indicate a man that was there on official business.
This suspicion was confirmed as he continued to watch as the Grimm pulled the woman into his arms and kissed her. Waltz averted his eyes from the vulgar display and tried to puzzle together why the Grimm was here, at a wesen shop known for helping resistance members. Was it possible that the Grimm was working with the wesen of Portland. Waltz's mind boggled at the thought of a Grimm working with wesen, but he supposed times were changing.
He looked down at his watch and noticed that it was coming close to time for him to meet with the Grimm at Union Station. If he waited until the Grimm left, he could sneak into the shop and see for himself what was happening, and if Ian Harmon was indeed inside.
%%%%%
Nick took a slow walk back into the shop, trying to calm his raging libido before he had to talk to anyone. He supposed he had made some sort of decision when he had walked Adalind to the car and told her that he wanted to kiss her. It had been building since he had come to the shop and had seen how she was working to help Rosalee and Ian. He had accepted that some things in his life were out of his control, and one of those things was how he felt about Adalind. And he was starting to like her. She was funny, and smart...and she understood what his life had become and who he was now. And giving into the spell that was keeping them so intertwined didn't seem so daunting now.
He heaved a sigh and then opened the door, and Monroe and Rosalee both looked up at him expectantly.
"Everything okay with Adalind," Rosalee asked him, her smile a little too wide for his liking.
"Yes, everything is fine, she should be back soon," Nick said to her, then he turned to Monroe, "maybe we should get going, get there a little early to stake the place." Nick needed to get out of the shop and away from Rosalee and her questioning eyes.
"Sure, let's get going," Monroe answered quickly. He grabbed his jacket and walked over to Rosalee putting a hand on her arm, "We'll be back soon, and hopefully this will all be over."
"Be careful," Rosalee gave him a hug, her eyes worried. She turned to Nick, "you, too. Thank you for helping Ian."
Nick shrugged, "just doing my job...as a cop….or a Grimm. Not really sure anymore."
"Well, either way, thanks," Rosalee smiled at him, then added, "take care of my guy."
"Will do," he responded, and they headed out the door.
The night air had chilled in the few minutes since he had been outside with Adalind, but he supposed that was just as likely the energy between them as much of as the weather. But there was something else, too, something that he couldn't quite put a finger on. His eyes did a quick sweep of their surroundings, but he could find nothing out of place. The niggling feeling wouldn't leave him, though, as he walked to the car and got in. He just hoped it wasn't an indication of something yet to come.
%%%%%
Waltz watched as the Grimm left with another man. They stepped out of the shop, and the taller man turned and locked the door to the shop behind them. So, the Grimm knew the owner of the establishment, or at the very least, someone who worked at the shop. The Grimm stopped, and looked around and for a moment, and Waltz was afraid for a moment that he had been spotted, but the two men turned and walked to a car and left. Waltz waited several minutes to be sure they were gone, then got out of his vehicle and walked to the door. The shop's sign indicated that they were closed, but the lights were on and he could see movement within.
He walked along the side and back of the building, but the windows all had curtains that kept Waltz from seeing anything, or anyone, inside. He felt frustration build inside him as he weighed his options - meet the Grimm and see where that led him, or search the premises and hope that Harmon was hiding inside.
It seemed too much of a coincidence, finding the Grimm here, consorting with the very people that may be hiding Harmon. His instincts told him that his prey was inside. The question remained, though - did they leave him alone?
%%%%%
Adalind's meet with her contact went smoothly, as she knew it would. The men she met with had no reason to even consider the possibility that she was no longer a hexenbiest, so they took the cash payment that she offered and scurried off with little more than a half muttered 'thanks.'
She wondered if she should call Nick and let him know that everything had gone okay, and that she was fine. He had seemed so concerned when she left, and then there was that kiss…..she sighed, and decided against it. Things were so complicated, and the last thing she wanted to do was to assume too much, too soon. Not to mention that she didn't want to distract him from his meeting with Waltz. He would need all his wits about him when dealing with a hundjager.
Adalind was about to turn into the parking lot of the spice shop when she noticed a man walking to the front of the shop. Immediately suspicious, she chose instead to keep driving, pulling the car over a block away and turning off the lights. She turned around and looked out the back window, trying to catch a glimpse of the man. While she knew she was probably being paranoid, Adalind had been around long enough to be wary of anything that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The shop was closed for the day, and the man didn't make a move for the front of the store, but instead moved toward the back.
Adalind slipped out of the car, and silently closed the door, creeping down the block in the shadows in case the man reappeared. Adalind peeked around the corner to the back of the shop, spying the man examining the lock of the back door. Her heart racing, Adalind tried to decide what to do first. She didn't have Rosalee's number to warn her, and she couldn't call the police - they were already looking for Ian, and if she was wrong, then she could land Ian in jail. That left one option - Nick. She quietly walked back to the street and pulled out her phone. It only rang twice before she heard his voice.
"Adalind," his voice held a quiet intensity when he said her name, "is everything ok?"
"I don't think so," Adalind was afraid to raise her voice more than a whisper, "I just got back from meeting with my contact and there is a man here and it looks like he is trying to break into the spice shop. I don't have Rosalee's number to warn her…."
"Go back to the car, now," Nick's voice brook no opposition, "we'll make contact with Rosalee, but I don't want you anywhere near that building."
"I can't let Rosalee face this alone," Adalind replied incredulously, "and we know Ian will be of no help in his condition. I need to go in and help her!"
"I know you want to help, Adalind," Nick said sympathetically, "But you aren't a hexenbiest anymore."
Adalind felt her blood boil, "I am not worthless just because I'm not a hexenbiest anymore."
She hung up the phone and walked purposefully to the front door.
%%%%%
"Shit," Nick said as he hung up the phone. Waltz hadn't shown for their meet and he had a terrible suspicion that he was the man that Adalind saw outside the shop. How did Waltz get a step ahead of them? He ran to the car where Monroe was waiting.
"We gotta go," Nick said, jumping in and starting the car, "Adalind called. I think Waltz is trying to break into the shop."
Monroe's eyes went wide, "Rosalee is there…."
"You need to call her," Nick replied urgently, "warn her they're in danger."
Monroe nodded and placed the call as Nick maneuvered quickly through the light traffic, determined to make it to the shop in time to avert disaster.
%%%%%
Adalind walked to the front door and knocked, hoping to draw Rosalee from the back room. Rosalee was expecting her return, so there was no reason she wouldn't open the door for her. Her assumption proved correct as she heard the lock turn in the door and Rosalee swung the door open with a smile.
"Hey, glad you got back…" Adalind cut Rosalee off with a finger to her lips, then pulled her into a hug.
"There is someone sneaking around at your backdoor," Adalind whispered in Rosalee's ear, "Is Ian strong enough to move?"
Rosalee stiffened slightly at her words, but the pulled away and nodded. The two women walked to the backroom where Ian was sitting.
At their worried looks, he stood, "What is it?"
"You and Rosalee need to go," Adalind replied, handing Rosalee the envelope containing the new papers she had just picked up, "there is someone trying to get in here. I'll stay here and stall him as long as I can."
"I can't let you do that," Ian replied with a shake of his head, "I won't leave you alone with him."
"Nick and Monroe are on there way back," Adalind reassured him, "but if you stay, you'll die, and you need Rosalee to help you. My potion was good, but not that good. Now you two seriously need to get out of here - now!"
Rosalee gave her one last uncertain look before helping Ian to the front door. Adalind took a quick look out the door, making sure the coast was clear, before tossing the car keys to Rosalee and shooing them out the door. She quickly locked the door behind them and walked into the backroom. She just had time to clean up the bed that Ian had been lying on when the back door started to slowly open. Adalind took a deep breath and tried to put an unaffected look on her face.
"I'm sorry, sir," Adalind displayed her best fake smile as the man came through the door, "customers usually come in through the front door, and unfortunately we're closed."
"My apologies," the man answered, his german accent further convincing Adalind of his identity, "but unfortunately, I am going to need your assistance in a somewhat...delicate situation."
He turned from her slightly, locking the door. Adalind felt her heart race, but she maintained her same posture as he took two steps towards her before stopping, noting his surroundings. Adalind watched as he flipped the blankets on the cot that Ian had recently vacated, sniffing the surrounding air, a predatory look entering his eyes.
"It seems a friend of mine was recently here," the man said with a smile. He pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Adalind, "where is Ian Harmon."
Adalind kept her expression carefully blank as she met the eyes of the man pointing the gun at her.
"You must be Edgar Waltz," Adalind responded, forcing a smile on her face, "I've heard so much about you."
The man's face registered surprise for only a moment before he nodded slowly.
"The Grimm?" Waltz asked, and it was Adalind's turn to be surprised, "I saw the two of you earlier, outside."
Adalind glanced down at her watch, "And shouldn't you be meeting with him right now? He doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"While I do hate to be rude, I received information that Ian Harmon may be hidden in this very shop and felt that a visit was in order. Imagine my surprise to find the Grimm here, in a wesen apothecary known to assist those in the Resistance. I started to wonder if I was being played."
"Perhaps you also heard that the owner of this particular apothecary was murdered," Adalind replied smoothly, her slide back to lying and manipulation easier than she would have liked, "Now who do you think did that? What better way for the Grimm to strike fear in the heart of the local wesen community than killing their apothecary."
"Then why didn't he just have me meet him here?" Waltz expression was still a bit disbelieving, and Adalind gave a sly smile.
"You called him, remember," she gave a dismissive shrug, "If you had just gone to meet with him, this would all be over by now."
He took several step towards her, only stopping when they were nearly toe to toe, but Adalind held her ground, looking up at him questioningly.
"And what part do you play in all this," his words were hushed, but cold. Adalind tried to stifle a shiver as his gaze ran up and down her length, then seemed to breath in her scent, "I sense that you are something, but at the same time...nothing."
Adalind bristled, but kept the cool smile on her face, "Oh, I'm definitely something."
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Nick couldn't believe that Adalind had stayed behind in that building. By the time he and Monroe had reached the spice shop, they found Rosalee helping Ian into her car. They quickly explained that Adalind had stayed behind to give them a chance to get away. Nick took off as soon as the words were out of Rosalee's mouth, calling over his shoulder for them to stay put until they heard from him.
He unlocked the front door and soundlessly crept inside the shop. He heard voices from the back room and moved to the doorway, taking in the scene before him. Waltz was standing close to Adalind, too close, but she seemed to be holding her own. The only sign of her agitation were her fists at her side, flexing slowly. Waltz had a gun in his hand, but it wasn't pointed at anything in particular.
Nick stepped into the doorway, his gun leveled at Waltz. Waltz immediately turned Adalind around, pulling her back against him and placing the gun against her side. Nick felt a white hot rage starting to build inside, but he kept his face impassive as he continued to start down Waltz.
"If you want Ian, I suggest you let her go," Nick's voice was deceptively calm, dripping with ice, his eyes never leaving Waltz.
"Now, now," Waltz replied with a cold smile, "I was just having a little fun with your pet. As soon as you bring Ian to me, I will let her go. It's very easy."
Nick met Adalind's eyes, and she gave him a small smile, then a wink. Before he knew exactly what was happening, Adalind lifted her booted foot, and slammed her heel into the top of Waltz's foot. Waltz's shouted in surprise, and Adalind used the distraction, and the accompanying relaxation of Waltz's grip, to drop all her weight down, landing on her back before flipping over quickly and slamming her other foot into his kneecap. Waltz howled in pain and woged, dropping his gun. The sheer unexpected nature of her attack had both men momentarily stunned. Waltz recovered first, reaching for Adalind with a growl, but Nick levelled his gun back on Waltz.
"Go ahead," Nick said with no small amount of menace, "give me a reason to kill you."
Waltz backed down, taking a step back from Adalind, his breathing heavy, his eyes practically spitting fire. Adalind kicked the gun close to Nick before walking over and standing next to him.
"That was a risky move you pulled there," Nick's tone was admonishing, but there was a hint of admiration in his voice, "how did you know to do that?"
"I may not have the strength of a hexenbiest," Adalind replied, a bit smug, "but I still know how to fight like one."
Nick gave an amused snort before turning his attention back to Waltz, "get down on the floor," he commanded Waltz, who grudgingly complied.
The front door to the shop came flying open, Monroe rushing in, Rosalee and Ian right behind him.
"We heard a struggle…." Monroe called as he walked in. He spotted Waltz on the floor, "Oh, I guess you have it all under control."
Ian walked over and picked up Waltz's gun, pointing it at Waltz on the floor.
"It's over," Nick told him.
"No, it's not," Ian replied, "they'll send others after me, after all of us."
"Hey, put the gun down," Nick looked at the other man.
"I can't," Ian said slowly, "if he's dead, they will still send others after me,"
He took one final look at Waltz, and pulled the trigger, "but at least this way, your friends will be safe. No one will ever know that any of you helped me."
They all stared down at Waltz's lifeless body, overwhelmed at the turn of the events.
Ian handed the gun to Nick, "sometimes it's hard to know what the right thing is."
"Sometimes it's not," Nick responded, incredulous. He took the gun from Ian's hand and shook his head.
"He killed Waltz to protect us, Nick," Rosalee said in a pleading voice.
Nick looked around him, trying to process the situation. Making a decision he turned to Monroe.
"Get rid of the body," Nick said in a commanding tone, then looked at Rosalee, "You get Ian to the bus station. I want him gone."
"I don't understand," Ian said, "what are you doing?"
"Saving my friends," Nick replied angrily, "if you go to trial, they'll be dead. Go with Rosalee. And don't come back."
Nick grabbed Adalind's arm and pulled her towards the door.
"Where are we going?" Adalind asked with a bit of trepidation.
He gave her a long, lingering look, "Home."