A/N: And again thank you so much for the follows, favorites and reviews. You guys really rock! And, also again, a very special BIG thanks to Merlyn Pyndragon for betaing and helping me especially during this chapter.

Warning! Torture-chapter! If you cannot stand it, you should only read the first scene!


Adalind just was in the middle of her breakfast when there was a knock at the door to her suite. Frowning, she looked up from her French toast after a second knock made sure that whoever wanted attention and entry to this room. The only problem was ... she didn't know what to suspect. She expected nothing, no delivery, no guest.

The third bout of knocking she decided to find out who wanted to come in and stood up. She supposed that she had move too fast or that her circulation was still sleepy, for she suddenly felt a little dizzy and thought she heard the strange voice inside her head for a moment.

Shaking it off, she went to the door and made sure the chain was still in place before she opened the door a little to behold a man on the other side of it.

This man was a stranger to her, she'd never seen him before. But she also wasn't sure if she would have noticed him IF they ever met before. He seemed so normal to her. An average guy in an average suit with average haircut and average shoes.

No, very likely she'd never met him before.

"Do you live here?" he asked with widened eyes.

Adalind hesitated for a moment, eyeing the unexpected stranger on the doormat before she finally made her decision. She unhooked the chain and opened the door completely. "What can I do for you?" she asked tentatively.

The stranger looked at her and took then a deep breath before he asked, "Do you know a woman called Pech?" he asked.

Adalind didn't even blink. She leaned into the door frame, not moving a muscle and watching the stranger.

Frau Pech ... Damn! Why she didn't she ever think about that someone would show up for her?

The stranger seemed to feel uncomfortable. He took a short look over his shoulder, shrugged and seemed not to know where to put his hands.

"Maybe I'm at the wrong room. I'm sorry for disturbing you," he finally said.

Somehow he was cute, Adalind decided, when he turned around. Cute and definitely not a threat.

"Yes," she answered after he turned around to leave her alone. "I know her."

He stopped in the middle of the movement.

Adalind opened the door a little more. "Is she missing? I haven't seen her for a couple of weeks now. I was a little worried and tried to find out about her fate," she lied to the stranger.

The man turned around again, looking at her. "No," he answered with a nervous smile.

Adalind frowned.

"Ahm, I'm not a relative or anything. I only ... Frau Pech gave some information to me," he explained, returning to her door. "A very important information, to be true. And very dangerous for the one mentioned in this information."

Adalind studied his face again.

She wasn't sure, but he could be a Wesen. She was still able to see Wesen, and during the past few weeks this ability stabilized and seemed to get stronger. Maybe because of the Royal she was carrying. But this guy was a mystery. He seemed to be a Wesen but she couldn't make out what kind he was.

He now also gazed at her and frowned. "Well, maybe I'm wrong, but is there a possibility that it was you Frau Pech mentioned?" he asked. "If so, I'm here to warn you and also make you an offer. I'm working with an interested party and – well, mayby I'm wrong."

Adalind took a deep breath. She felt she should trust this guy. He meant well with what he could offer to her, the little voice told her.

Damn! Couldn"t this thing inside her shut up?

"You're not." These words were out before she thought them through. "Come in."

When he smiled, he was cute and no longer average, she noticed when he hesitantly entered her suite. She closed the door behind him and led him into her living room.

"Do you want coffee?" she asked, showing him one of the armchairs where he could take a seat.

He looked at her, a little confused. "Coffee? Ahm, isn't coffee supposed to be one of those things a pregnant woman should avoid?" His eyes widened again after he realized what he just said, his cheeks reddening.

Cute!

"Well, I reduced my intake, but I'm not giving it up," Adalind answered with a smile, fetching another cup and pouring some coffee into it before sitting down herself again. Leaning back, she continued to study him.

He was still nervous, now trying to hide his face behind the precious China cup as he looked around with seeming fascination.

"So, you are working with one of the interested parties for my child," Adalind began the conversation.

He nearly spat out the coffee he just drank. Putting the cup back on the table, he fought the coughing fit before he finally nodded.

"Yes, I do," he answered. "And I fear I don't have good news for you."

Adalind frowned and lifted her chin. "Why?" she asked, feeling her heartbeat speed up. She knew it! Eric's behaviour the last time he showed up here was too weird not to indicate something. Surely he knew about her pregnant! Did he also knew about her trying to restore her powers?

"There are several parties interested in you not giving birth to your child," the guy explained. "The one I'm working with is. We would pay you for the child and we would also take care of you while you carry the child. But this could become a little tricky."

If he and his party was able to find her, others could do so, too, Adalind realized. Stefania could turn out as a boomerang for her, as the queen of the gypsies had refused to give her a guard. Stefania always told her the contract would be enough to keep her safe. But what if it wasn't?

He looked at her, still awaiting her answer.

Adalind didn't know what to say.

She thought she had planned it all when she came up with this ploy. Starting with putting her cat under the spell for Juliette, Adalind had devised everything. And usually there wouldn't have been a problem. According to her plan, she and Eric should be married now and she safe under his protection. But after he disappeared for a little more than two months, her perfect plan crashed and she now feared that he would find out too early about her state, and also about what she really had in mind with starting this relationship with him.

She had played with fire and now she was about to get burned. She had to hide herself, at least until she gave birth to the Royal and would be able to restore her Hexenbiest. After that, she wouldn't be so helpless anymore.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding a little worried at her extended silence.

Adalind took a deep breath and nodded. "You only gave me a lot to think about," she answered with a smile. "So, your party will take care of me until I give birth? I think I don't have to mention that I already have a party giving that protection to me."

He looked surprised at her. "Really? I didn't know," he said. "But I fear that probably won't help you. My client would make sure that you survive, maybe even bring you out of the country to do so. He's stationed in North America. I assume your origins, too?"

Adalind nodded. "But I feel comfortable here," she said.

"Feeling comfortable isn't necessarily the same as safe," he said.

With that, he was right, unfortunately. As much as she loved to be here in Europe, her time was very limited as long as she was pregnant. And if there were really the other Royal families after her child, it was too dangerous to stay any longer.

Unfortunately she was in the centre of Eric's might now. It wouldn't be easy to leave Vienna if she would decided to do so. Maybe returning to the US would be better now, at least until she gave birth. She could tell Eric she had some important business with the lecacy of her mother. Once across the ocean, she could go anywhere - New York, Chicago, La or Seattle. Portland though familiar, would probably be a little too tricky too now with Sean and Nick being pissed at her.

She nodded. "That's true."

He pulled a little card out of his jacket and put it on the table. "If you accept our offer, you can give me a call," he said, getting to his feet. "For now I fear I have to leave."

Adalind took the card. There only was a number on it, no name, no address. She looked up to him. "And to whom I would speak then?" she asked.

A nervous smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "Christian. That's all you have to know," he answered and turned around to leave the suite.

Christian ...

Adalind watched him leaving, playing with the card in her hand.

Could this be her way out of this dead end?


So far, this day had turned out as another good one, Eric decided while he took the stairs to his special playground up in one of the towers of his castle. Even the knowledge that his father was still sick and was unlikely to make it was a little highlight for him. After all with a little luck, he wouldn't need to fulfil his plan completely. It could be a little dangerous to let his shiny new toy loose before he had tamed it.

The Baron still informed him about any development in Portland. Anything could happen there, but so far nothing about the Grimm-Gang had been reported, apart from one meeting at the precinct Sean stood for. Well, probably only a talk about what was going to happen now, with the Grimm being missing for so long. What was a little interesting was a rumour the Baron told him about: this Blutbad roommate was about to marry a Fuchsbau. Interesting mixture, and Eric really was curious to what this would lead to, especially because the soon-to-be bride was that Fuchsbau, another member of the Grimm-Gang. Calvert was a very well known name over here in Europe and Eric couldn't await to learn more about what her family would have to say to this marriage.

Another tidbit of information that Eric wasn't likely to ignore was that one of the other families had claimed a small village not far from one of the mines the Renards still owned. Eric would make sure that this only was a coincidence and no attempt to steal his property.

Talking about his property, he couldn't await to work a little on his newest one. The Portland-Grimm still surprised him with his stubborn resilience and naivety. Nick Burkhardt was definitely worth all the effort Eric had placed in capturing him, bringing him to Europe, and now, in taming him. His cleverness was intriguing. His instincts were deeper and finer than everything Eric thought possible, even for a Grimm. And the fact that the Baron, after spitting him once in the face, was needed a second time to calm him down before they could put him on the plane and bring him here ... Yes, Nick Burkhardt wasworth all this effort.

Eric ascended the last steps and walked down the hallway.

Nick, as clever as he was about some things, still hadn't figured out that he could beat both his guards, Hans and Franz, with his intelligence and maybe even with his physical strength if he had his full power. His refusal to eat what they had initially given him kept him weak, and Eric relented because he was really worried about his new toy. Comparing the paralysed Grimm of Portland to the prisoner he was now, there was a huge difference. Nick, naturally lean and sinewy, had lost some weight. That was what Eric knew and he'd hoped his new Grimm wouldn't think twice about food as long as he could fill his stomach. Here he was wrong about Nick. Maybe because of stubbornness, maybe because of instinct, Nick refused to eat. In all honesty, Eric couldn't blame him - he himself would never eat the mush Franz had cooked together with the Hexenbiest Eric had under his command.

Well, at least his plan worked. Nick ate the prepared sandwich last night. With that, it wouldn't be that big of a problem anymore to keep him under control. It would only need one or two lessons more to teach before the Grimm fell for the spell and followed Eric. And as long as the spell wasn't working, Eric would have fun with his new Grimm in another way.

When he entered the chamber, he could hear Franz and Hans mocking their kinsman as usual. To piss off Nick was another way of finally making him accept his new place in this world. And, as dumb as those two cousins were, they were pretty good in making others angry. And Nick, helpless and all on his own with no one around to hold back the negative feelings, would finally snap, given time. That was the moment Eric was waiting so patiently for.

There were methods to use to bring Nick to the edge, mocking and making fun was one of those. Another would have been the mush, or better, its foul ingedients: Wesenblood and -meat. Grimmblood had an effect on some Wesen, same for Wesenblood for Grimm. And half rotten Wesenflesh did its best, too.

And then there was that special ingredient Nick ate just last night without knowing. Something that made Eric very comfortable about his future plans.

So far, his moves in this game of power - restoring the old family influence and taking back the keys that led to whatever was taken from his family in the 13th century - were going perfect. First he limited the sources of Sean, as he and his partnership with the Resistance was very well known by Eric. Next move was not only to get the new Grimm, but also finding a way to stabilize his powers. Something that his good old Hundjaeger bodyguard Lukas did perfectly, first with distracting Sean from the real target and then, after letting Lukas loose in Paris, in killing two of Eric's rivals. The other two keys Eric wanted so badly besides the one from Nick – well, this plan still was active and would hopefully lead to another success.

Eric had planned the most of his moves over the years, since he took over his position as the right hand of his father from his mother, after she was killed – another nice memory Eric didn't want to miss. Nick's awakening had been a surprise, but a pleasant one after he showed the first time his skills against the Reapers. But this Grimm was also dangerous for Eric's plans, as Nick was trying a different approach from his ancestors and was successful in it. Eric needed the old way of life, Wesen fearing Grimm, not Wesen befriending Grimm. On the other hand, it was amusing to learn how this special Grimm learned from his natural enemies, finally ending up in the attic of a Blutbad residence.

Eric walked down to the source of the voices and the laughing, and finally stopped to watch the scene for a moment, before anyone noticed him.

Nick was once more chained to one of the pillars. His "new" shirt was opened at the front, exposing his chest. Hans and Franz stood outside his reach, arguing with him about some Grimm things.

Eric studied his captive for a moment. Still he thought Nick was handsome, with his big blue eyes and straight teeth. Smaller than most Grimm, his physique concealed his real strength, a good characteristic for a bodyguard. Eric didn't like hulking, beefy men hanging around him, towering over him like bulls. Not that that would be a real problem, but he liked to get all of the attention. With someone like Nick on his side, he surely would.

"Good morning, my dear Grimm. I hope your day started as good as mine did so far," the Royal finally said, pleasantly.

Three heads moved around to him. Hans and Franz both bowed a little while Nick started to frown, glaring at him angrily.

"You are ready for your next lesson, I see. A good student, huh?" Eric asked, walking over to the little group.

"Not that I had a chance to decide on my own," Nick answered flatly.

Snarky! Eric liked that. True, sometimes those comments were really misplaced, but mostly he liked to be a little snarky himself.

"Oh, I only want to make sure you don't miss a lesson, my dear Grimm," he said, leaning next to his captive. He looked at him closely. "Ready when you are or are you prepared to give in?"

"I'm not working or killing for you if that is your question. Seriously, you can drown me as much as you liket. Lynch me. Skin me. Do whatever, but I'm not going to kill an innocent."

Eric nodded, thoughtful. "Well, I thought of something more ... enlightening this time. Water we already had, and I don't want to bore you to death."

He saw that glimpse, a little flash of fear only visible for a moment, in Nick's eyes. Then the young Grimm again took on his impassive, stony face.

Oh, this game was so amusing! Eric wished he really had the time to use the long way and tame his new toy the long way. It would be so fascinating to watch him slowly snap. But, unfortunately, this would take too long. Not for Eric's plans, but Sean was also clever and could eventually find a way to get his Grimm back before Eric had a chance to break him.

"Torture never gets the real answer," Nick told him. "No matter what you do to me, at least you will still lose."

Eric smiled. "It is always so interesting to talk to you, you know? Your point of view is so refreshingly new to me, no matter how often I've heard your arguments before."

Nick turned his head without any response.

Yes, this was alluring! Eric couldn't await to finally have this Grimm on his side. He was looking forward to their conversations then. Hopefully, Nick would keep one or two of his argumentative tendencies after he changed sides.

"Unfortunately, I don't have that much time today for another of our amusing games of wit," Eric told his captive, while Franz handed the stick over to him behind Nick's back. "So, ready when you are, my sweet Grimm."

"How anyone can be ready for getting tortured?"

Smart!

Nick's fingers entwined the chains so hard, hid knuckles went pale.

"I would say you are ready now." Eric pushed himself off the pillar and stood upright before his captive, showing the stick to him. "Do you know what this is? As far as as I know, it is mostly used in US." He pushed a button and a sparkle crackled at the pronged end of the stick.

Nick's face was pale, too. Instinctive, he pushed himself against the pillar, his eyes focused on the forked end pointed in his direction.

"I've heard it's called cattle prod," Eric continued. "Very effective for cattle but also for a bullheaded little Grimm like you. Whatcha think?" Again he pushed the button, narrowing the distance between the forked end of the stick and the ashen face of his captive.

"Do you really want to kill me so badly?" Nick asked. He was struggleing to keep his breathing steady.

Eric pulled a face. "Oh, come on. You are a healthy Grimm. You can stand this. And you will see, it will be enlightened for you, believe me." He blinked to Hans, who was leaning at the wall and awaiting for what was going to happen. Then he lowered the stick, frowning. "Or are you giving in and accepting my demand?"

"Never!" Nick snapped.

Eric shrugged. "All right then."

With that, he touched Nick's chest with the forked end of the cattle prod for a moment, watching the spasm his captive couldn't fight. The Grimm managed to withhold a yelp, but then he gasped, teeth bared defiantly.

"You know how to end this, right?" Eric asked after he lifted the prod again.

Nick looked at him, his body starting to shiver. The fear was now very visible in his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut. Sweat was breaking from his skin.

This was going to be a very interesting day, Eric decided when he again touched his cpative with the activated cattle prod, and he heard Nick scream for the first time.