Power Paradox

Part 2

Chapter 12

-Where we left off:

Harry gave the man a winning smile, calling the other chair to himself. It was time to have a serious discussion. He chanced a look towards the grimm as he sat, ignoring the tightening in his stomach. The man's blue eyes were fixed accusingly on his own. "This wasn't my first plan you know, not even my second one." Harry defended himself half heartedly. "It's time to give up some secrets too, Nick."

-Now

January 14, into the night

"I can't just… It's not like…" Every excuse dies on the grimm's tongue before he finishes it. He sinks back into his hospital bed, sighing tiredly before a giving Harry with a mulish look. "This wasn't your decision to make for me." Nick grumbles.

Hank interrupts Harry's retort. "Look Nick, just because I told you a secret doesn't mean I expect one back. But." He angles himself towards Harry, leaning back in his chair with returned confidence. "If anyone is giving up the goods right now, it's magic man over here. What was that little trick just now? What the hell does it have to do with Nick or Stark for that matter?"

The grimm wilts in his bed a little but still pays close attention to Harry's response. Harry can't blame him, he's familiar with the feeling. Keeping secrets from people you care about, even if it's for their own good, can become a heavy burden to bare. In the end though, those secrets always find a way to come out; one way or another.

"Under better circumstances, I would have kept my nose out of it." Harry answers honestly. "I know it seems a bit high handed of me to force some truths from Nick. However, you are forcing our hand by refusing to heed your partner's warnings."

There's a knock, the three men in the room turn in sync to see Monroe frozen in the doorway. "Oh look, Hank is here too. Nick, Harry, what's up?" The tension in the room is palpable.

"Really Nick? The clock guy is visiting you in the hospital now? I thought you barely knew the guy." Hank's frustration with Nick's lies is plain as day.

"Nick, this is why you need to tell Hank the truth. Your partnership and friendship will fall apart if you don't. If you want to keep being a cop, your partner has to know what the risks of working with you are. Monroe can help with the seeing is believing part." Harry turns to the blutbad with a silent plea. He really hopes Monroe will agree. Harry's second face isn't exactly suited for such a task.

"Excuse me?" Monroe asks incredulously. There's a crack in his voice and he looks between the other men in the room, much like a deer caught in the headlights. He shakes his head vigorously then glares at Harry. "This is your idea, you do it!"

Nick perks up, a smarmy grin on his face. "Yeah, Harry. This was all your idea in the first place."

"C'mon magic man, time to get the show started." Hank chirps in, arms crossed on his chest expectantly.

"That's not a good idea. Monroe really would be the best choice given the situation." Harry insists, rising from his seat. Once he's clear of his chair he slides it over towards Monroe. Everyone startles again at Harry's telekinesis, especially the blutbad who is seeing it for the first time.

"Oh my god…" Monroe gapes, clutching a large leather case to himself. After a few moments of hesitation, he takes the offered chair with a shaky hand. "Nick, while I'm fully not confident that I should, you know, go first. Harry really shouldn't be Hank's first woge…" The older man sits once he's set the mysterious case down at his side.

"Besides." Harry adds quickly, very thankful the other wesen has recognized what his ability means and hadn't run for the hills. "Monroe has established a measure of trust with Nick that I haven't. Also, I'd rather not get shot at." He says the last part with a nervous chuckle. While he'd made it sound like an attempt at levity; Harry is genuinely worried that Hank would try to shoot him. "At the very least, my woge is liable to cause a scene that would garner unwanted attention."

"I have no idea what any of you are talking about but if somebody doesn't start explaining what's going on, right now, I'm leaving. I have somewhere to be." Hank stands from his chair in one sharp move then goes to stand at the end of Nick's bed. The two muggles lock glares for a few tense moments. The grimm's posture shifts first, his shoulders sag a little.

"I'm a grimm." Nick's voice sounds soft, wary. Vulnerable.

Harry sees the insecurity in the younger man's eyes, the fear that Hank won't believe. Harry gives Nick an encouraging nod, he would make sure Hank believed before he walked out of this room.

"A what now?" Hank asks, suspicion clear in his stiff body language.

"A grimm. Like the Grimm brothers fairy tales." Nick looks up, resignation in his voice. He tells his partner everything, from the moment he first began seeing wesen, his aunt's attack and subsequent murder by the reapers. All the wesen cases the two men have come across are laid out with Monroe occasionally offering some extra insight.

Harry stays quiet, captivated by the conversation. Though it does sometimes sound more like a confession than anything else.

At first, Hank's expression is naturally disbelieving, resentful sometimes. He probably thinks he's being played or that Nick has lost his mind. When Nick gets to what had happened with the reinigen boy who'd decided to play pied piper; Harry can see the metaphorical lights go on in detective Griffin's face. It's the only time Harry thinks Hank might actually ask a question. In the end though, Hank stays quiet the whole time, listening intently to every detail.

Once Nick is finished, he takes a deep breath trying to stiffle a yawn. "I know it all sounds crazy, I'm still learning about all this stuff too but please, Hank, you have to believe me."

Harry can't quite see the look Nick is giving Hank but he suspects it must be some serious puppy dog eyes given the darker man's reaction. Hank is staring back, hesitant. He looks like a man who wants to believe but can't.

A cough comes from Monroe garnering everyone's attention. "Well, I guess it's my turn now."

Hank straightens, turning his full attention towards the blutbad. "This better be the real deal."

Harry snorts despite himself, it earns him withering glares from everyone present. "Perhaps you should give your gun to your partner?" If he has to resort to magic, Harry will make sure no one gets hurt. Still, it would be better if the night didn't end in a round of obliviates...

"I think I'd feel a lot more comfortable about this if Hank didn't have a gun, actually. I don't want to get shot either." The blutbad stands, nervously straightening his cardigan.

"Hank, I promise this isn't a trick. Everything I've told you is the truth. Let us prove it to you." Nick pleads with his hand extended for Hank, waiting for the man to hand over his gun. It takes a few tense seconds but eventually Hank gives his pistol to Nick with a begrudging grumble.

"Alright. Now. Hank I need you to remember that I'm still me ok." Monroe starts tentatively. He backs away to put more space between himself and the kerhseite before he sits back down. An obvious effort to appear as non-threatening as possible. "I'm still the same clock nerd who helped you with your case this morning. , You've been in my house, you had coffee in my kitchen. I'm just a regular dude. Most of the time." The blutbad chances a look towards the grimm, who gives him a grateful nod in return.

Monroe takes a fortifying breath before beginning a countdown. "One. Two." Another deep breath. "Three."

Hank's response to his first woge isn't as bad as it could have gone. The large man lets out a half strangled yelp as he stumbles backwards. The only reason he doesn't fall on his arse is the fact that he catches himself on Nick's hospital bed. His eyes are big as saucers as he stands back up, mouth agape. He's visibly shaken but he's already steadying his breathing.

Hank is dealing with the experience rather well, in Harry's personal opinion. Good preparation always helped. Harry desperately holds back his inappropriate snicker.

Monroe remains calm in his seat, again looking like a nerdy lumberjack. "It's ok. See, still me. Just, with a little extra." The man says awkwardly and brushes a hand through his brown curls.

Hank considers Monroe, his breath still coming out shaky here and there. "You all saw that right?" He turns to Nick with something like awe after getting confirming nods from his partner and Harry. "You see this stuff all the time?"

"Since September, yeah." Nick admits. "But I see them even when they don't wanna be seen."

"Uh." Hank stays silent, adjusting to his new world view probably. He looks at Monroe with open curiosity rather than fear. "Does it hurt?"

Harry smiles and relaxes a bit, it reminds him of Hermione when she'd seen him the first time. He thinks it's as good a reaction as one can get. It means Hank is capable of compassion towards the... unusual. "It does, but you get used to it." Harry answers casually.

"So you're one of these wesen too? Is that how you did the…" Hank points towards the chairs, searching for the right words.

"It's telekinesis. Not magic." Harry answers, paying close attention to Nick's reaction. There isn't any instant recognition that he can see. "Not a common ability, even among wesen." He adds; not wanting to give the impression that all wesen could go tossing furniture about with their minds.

Monroe snorts loudly. "No shit." He gives Harry an exaggerated eye roll. The blutbad is no doubt referring to the fact that Harry had used said ability without needing to woge first. Thankfully he doesn't say anything else about it.

"So what are you then?" Nick probes, jumping at the opportunity to interrogate Harry again.

Harry shakes his head. "Sorry, not on the first date. Monroe's already figured it out, maybe you can ask him once we've dealt with Stark."

The mention of Stark is enough to get everyone back on track and most importantly away from Harry's second nature.

"So you really weren't exaggerating when you called Stark a monster." Hank asks Nick seriously. There's a hint of guilt in the man's tone.

"Normally, I'd find that offensive but in this case that's really accurate." Monroe answers, bringing the large leather case with him. "Stark is what we call a siegbarste."

"He's basically an ogre." Harry adds as he joins the group now gathered around Nick. Monroe hands the grimm the mysterious large brown leather case.

"No shit?" Hank asks with raised eyebrows.

"No shit." Nick deadpans. "It's why we need this to stop him." Nick opens the case to reveal what Harry thinks is an antique elephant gun with some serious modifications.

Hank whistles then gives Monroe an impressed look. "Damn, where the hell did you get that?"

Harry shares the man's admiration for the triple barreled shotgun. He doesn't have a need for guns very often but there's no doubt in his mind that that thing will stop even a siegbarste in his tracks.

"It's a family heirloom actually." Nick says with an oddly fond smile. He runs a hand over it carefully. "You got the siegbarste gift, right?" The grimm looks up to Monroe.

"You have siegbarste gift?" Harry asks, very surprised. He only knows of its rarity because Severus had once given him a long lecture on the hardships of harvesting the ingredients when Harry had nearly knocked a jar of the stuff over during his sixth year. "That's..."

"Really rare! I know right! I swear, when Nick told me he had some, I thought he'd gone loopy from his meds." Monroe jumps in with excitement before giving Hank a detailed explanation of what siegbarste gift is and how it will work on Stark.

Detective Griffin eyes the gun with papable want.

"If you insist on going after Stark, then I insist you take this with you." Nick pushes the case towards his partner.

Harry is witness to another silent debate, he exchanges a shrug with Monroe. The blutbad looks relieved to have the attention away from himself. Harry feels much the same.

"Okay." Hank finally answers and reaches for the case with determination. "Thank you Nick."

"I think I should go along with Hank." Harry offers. "Monroe can keep Nick company and I'll make sure nothing goes horribly wrong." He gives the grimm a conspiratorial grin.

"I got this handled." Hank states defensively. He's quickly shut down by Nick though.

"C'mon Hank, it won't hurt to have another pair of hands to deal with something like Stark. Please." Nick insists.

Hank deflates, unable to rebuck Nick's logic or his pleading eyes. "Fine, but I'm taking the shot." The man adds firmly.

"Fine with me detective." Harry holds his hands up. "Your lead." He lets Hank walk past him before turning to the others. He digs around in his jacket for his wallet. He pulls out his card then hands to Nick. "I'll keep your partner safe. Here's my card in case something comes up before we get back."

Nick takes the offered card with some scepticism but then nods with a grateful smile. "Thanks Harry."

Harry smiles back, ignoring the little squirm in his stomach… Burkhardt is really handsome when he smiles. "We'll be back as soon as we're done."

He follows after Hank quickly, he wouldn't leave it pass the man to try to ditch him. Renewed excitement courses through Harry, he grins widely as he catches up to the man just as the lift doors are closing. He's never gone up against a siegbarste before. "So, what's your plan exactly?"

"There's a quarry, remote enough that no one will hear the boom this thing will make." Hank lifts the gun case a bit. "You got your own wheels?"

"Got a motorcycle in the parking lot." Harry catches on quickly. "I can follow you at a distance, see if Stark takes the bait."

Hank agrees, pleased that Harry isn't fighting him for control. "Can you throw Stark around like you did that chair?"

Harry considers the question briefly as the lift doors open. It's not because he can't do that, he can, in several different ways too. The catch being that he isn't keen on using a lot of those methods. "I could."

Hank pauses mid step. "Really?" He looks at Harry up and down a few times trying to calculate something.

"I'd have to woge though." Harry continues towards the hospital doors without pausing.

Hank jogs up to Harry. "Is it really that bad?" The man asks curiously.

"Yup." Harry answers plainly. "Think night of the living dead…"

Hank pulls a face, his nose wrinkling. "Sorry. That's though."

Harry shrugs, he isn't offended by the muggle's reaction. "Don't worry about it detective. Just don't shoot me with that thing if I have to intervene." He chuckles darkly as he spots his motorbike. "That's mine there. I'll hang back as far as can. I'll work on flanking Stark while his attention is focused on you." He pats Hank on the shoulder, casually placing a basic tracking charm on the man. Just in case.

Hank nods with little shiver, mistaking Harry's magic for a chill in the night air. He points towards a dark blue Charger a few rows over. "My ride is over there. Don't interfere unless I call you though. This is my fight. I don't want Stark to hurt anyone else. Ever." Hank stares Harry down seriously.

Harry agrees with a placating tone. "I understand that this is something you need to do and I'll respect that as long as your life isn't in immediate danger. Besides, I'm just a P.I. Hank, it's not like I can arrest the guy."

They parted ways in silence. Harry shakes his head while he gets on his bike. It's an odd feeling to have a relative stranger insist on taking the risks rather than expecting Harry to do it. It's nice, refreshing, in an odd sort of way.

Nick watches the still unknown wesen follow after Hank with no small amount of trepidation. "You think I did the right thing?" He asks Monroe, the older man is still staring at the door.

"I think so." Monroe turns back, hesitant. "It's not like we had a lot of other options."

"Yeah. I guess. Hank will be ok." Nick says it more to reassure himself than anything else. "So… About Harry?" He needs to think about something other than Hank walking into danger without Nick there to watch his back.

Monroe huffs, mildly irritated. "Really man?" Nick tries not to laugh at the man's childish tone and posture.

"What? He said you could tell me." He's so incredibly curious about this one. Nick has been racking his brain since Harry made the chairs move without even touching them. Going over the books in his head, desperately trying to remember anything that could fit the bill. He's still clueless on the matter though and it vexes him deeply.

Monroe gives in after a short stare off. "Fine. Geez, really not gonna let this one go are you?" When Nick shakes his head no with a grin, the blutbad throws his hands up in the air. "Harry is a zauberbiest. At least I'm pretty sure, never actually met one before."

Nick frowns at the name, rolling it around in his mind a bit. "That sounds a lot like hexenbiest?"

The question hadn't really meant to come out so he's surprised when Monroe answers him. "That's because a zauberbiest is the male version of a hexenbiest."

"Really?" Nick stiffens with dread. Adalind comes to mind immediately and his fists curl in anger. He needs to call Hank back now.

"Hey, before you get all judgy just remember not all of us are the same." Monroe is looking down at Nick with his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. The older man reading him like a book.

Nick steps on his temper. His friend is right. It'd be pretty crappy of Nick to not give Harry a chance because of Adalind. He reminds himself of what he's observed about the man so far. "Right. Sorry."

Monroe shrugs him off, satisfied with Nick's apology. "Can you imagine if Harry had actually agreed to woge for Hank?"

"Yeah, that would have definitely been the wrong way to go." Nick chuckles despite himself, flinching a little at the pull in his ribs.

"Get some rest Nick. I'll wake you up if anything happens." Monroe insists before he starts to actually tuck Nick into his bed.

Nick doesn't fight it, he's too exhausted. Hank would be fine. He had to be.

"Stop! You are under arrest! Place your hands behind your head, face down on the ground." Hank's deep voice resonates through the quarry, his feet are planted firm with the triple barrel aimed at Stark.

Harry watches from his spot behind Hank's car with his own pistol drawn and fixed on the side Stark's head. The ogre is strolling down the gravel path towards Hank thankfully unaware of Harry's presence.

"Really like the place you picked. Lot of fond memories here." The siegbarste baits the detective rather than complying.

"Shut up and get down! Do you hear me?" Hank growls, the man's anger is heavy in his voice.

Harry silently begs for Hank to just take the shot. They both know Stark can't be allowed to walk out of here.

"Oh, man. You owe me five years." Stark edges out in anticipation.

When the wesen is finally close enough for Hank to see his face, he goes into a full woge. If the detective hadn't been prepared, that scare tactic probably would have worked, instead Hank doesn't budge.

"I'm gonna say this one last time... Get down on the ground!" Hank shouts one last time. It makes no difference to Stark who continues his advance with predatory confidence.

Just as Harry is about to shout for Hank to take the shot, a loud boom rings through the quarry. Harry stands up from behind the car to run out and join Hank.

When Harry reaches Hank, Oleg Stark is standing still in full woge, looking down at his chest with confusion. "How?" The ogre gurgles then promptly falls down face first with a signigicant thud.

Harry turns to check on Hank. "You ok mate?" He puts his gun back in his holster.

The detective takes a shaky breath while lowering the shotgun. "That. That."

"That was an ogre. Congratulations detective. Stark won't hurt anyone else." Harry smiles thinking the man is most assuredly the Gryffindor type.

Hank looks down at the body and Harry can see the relief in the muggle's wide shoulders. "I should call it in." The man says in a daze then he hands Harry the shotgun. He digs out his phone, still staring down at Stark's body. "This is detective Griffin, I wanna report a shooting."

Jan.15 2012 sunrise

Harry sits his chair, keeping his vigil over the grimm as the man sleeps. He smiles at the man's occational incoherent mumbles. The sun is just starting to rise, lighting the room up in orange pink glows. He fights back a yawn, he hasn't slept in nearly 24 hours.

He'd headed back to the hospital shortly after Hank had gotten off his phone. They'd come up with a simple story; Hank had gotten driven off the road by Stark and forced to make a stand in the quarry. During his attempt to stall for time, Hank had heard a shot from somewhere unseen and had hit the deck. The mystery shot struck Stark dead. Hank had seen no one else and had called in the incident when he was sure no other shots would come. Case closed. Harry was never there.

Harry had taken Nick's family hairloom back with him. There would be no way of tracing the casings to something like this, no one would ever find the weapon either. Nothing would ever come back to Nick or Hank. The case would remain a mystery to the police. Not that they would look all that hard given what Stark had done.

Monroe had been relieved to see Harry to say the least. The two had exchanged quiet words as the grimm slept, choosing to let the man get some much needed rest. Once Monroe was fully up to date, he'd said his goodbyes with the shotgun case in hand. The blutbad would return the gun back to its rightful place before going home. "By the way." Monroe whispered from the doorway, getting Harry's attention back. "Nick knows what you are now." He hadn't appeared as concerned as Harry had expected.

Harry had considered the matter briefly. "I'm assuming he took it well if you're willing to leave him in my care."

Monroe had made a bit of a face. "It took him a little reminding that we're not all stereotypes, you know." He hesitated. "So far, you haven't given me or Nick a reason to mistrust you. You took care of Hank and you brought back Nick's stuff when you could have just walked away with it." Monroe had cleared his throat lightly before taking a peak at Nick's still sleeping form. "Nick's a good guy, and I think he could use people like us in his life. Friends?"

Harry had contained his surprise to see Monroe woge as he extended his hand. A true offer of friendship on the blutbad's part. All he had to do to accept was woge back. He had smiled warily before letting his woge take over.

"Woah!" Monroe startled quietly, their woges retracting at the same time. "Damn, that's intense." He chuckled nervously.

Harry shared the other man's chuckle. "You get used to it. Glad you took so well really." He added honestly.

Monroe had given Harry an understanding nod. "I get it man. Gimme a call later this week and we'll grab a beer."

"I'd like that. Thank you. Have a safe ride home Monroe." Harry had waved a little awkwardly, he didn't make friends very easily.

"G'night Harry. Have fun watching over sleeping beauty." Monroe chortled as he walked away.

Harry had gone to sit in one of the chairs still by the Grimm's bed. The next few hours he spent in quiet thought and wonder at the night's events.

Jan 15 early morning

Nick woke up feeling like he'd been hit by a truck, a truck that had then backed up and gone over him again for good measure. Memories from the previous day and night came rushing back. He sat up with a jolt, eyes blinded by sudden bright light, followed instantly by a loud groan and a lot of regret.

"Easy there! Everything fine." The accented voice was vaguely familiar. There was a gentle guiding hand on his good shoulder pushing him back into his bed. "Do you need me to call for the nurse?"

Nick cracks his eyes open, slowly this time. "Harry? Where's Hank?" The morning sun is shining brightly through the window, he'd slept the whole night. "Don't call the nurse! Why didn't anyone wake me?" The grimm grouses between blinks.

"Hank is safe, probably at home, comfortably sleeping in his bed." Harry assures Nick with a tired smile.

Nick frowns, seeing the dark circles under the wesen's eyes. "When's the last time you slept?"

"A while, I'll be fine. Just wanted to let you know how things went before I left." The tall man adjusts his glasses, his bright green eyes rimmed red from lack of sleep. Harry goes on to relay how things had gone with the now dead Stark, he's straightforward with no embellishments. "You've got a good partner. Now that he knows what's going on, you'll be able to work together properly again. Give Monroe a break from all the hero work." Harry chuckles, he yawns and stretches out slowly.

It makes Nick smile wide with relief. He hadn't been happy about being forced to tell Hank the truth at first but he was glad about now. He was grateful that Harry had also stuck around to make sure Nick didn't end up having to do a psych eval. He'd stayed with Hank as promised too.

"You're not going to make me tell anyone else are you?" He says with a teasing tone even though he's rather serious about the subject. He's not mad about it anymore but he's determined that any other secret revelations will be on his terms only.

Harry shakes his head no. Nick sees a quick flash of guilt there but he doesn't get the hear what the man had been about to say. He startles when he hears Juliette's voice, he hadn't even heard her walk in. "Tell who what?" Nick's stomach drops and his tongue feels stuck in his mouth as he turns to look at her.

Juliette is standing there stiffly, paper bag in one hand while the other is resting on her hip. She's got one eyebrow raised, her face full of suspicion as she glares between Nick and Harry.

Harry snorts, apparently unphased. "Your boyfriend is scared of clowns, talks in his sleep too." He chuckles casually.

"Hey!" Nick squawks but he's being completely ignored right now.

He cannot believe it. Harry stands there, bold as brass, lies, and Juliette relaxes with a huff then a laugh. "At least he doesn't snore."

Harry laughs in return, like everything is totally normal. "Had a boyfriend like that once, nearly shoved him out of bed a few times it was so bad. It didn't last, obviously."

Nick nearly chokes, he's got no idea what to do with this information. It makes his stomach twist in old familiar ways as he studies Harry and Juliette make fun at his expense.

Juliette laughs again, doesn't bat an eye at Harry's casual mention of a boyfriend as she walks towards Nick. "Well thanks for not shoving mine out of bed for keeping you up." She plants a light kiss on a bruise free spot of Nick's forehead. "I brought breakfast, spare you the hospital food." She turns to Harry. "There's enough for you too if you'd like?"

Nick looks up at Juliette. He ignores the guilty knot forming in his throat and pushes down thoughts of aunt's warning. He isn't ready yet to think about this right now.

"That's very kind of you but no thank you. I've got to get going, gotta give my report to your captain before I can crash. It was nice meeting you both, if you ever need a PI, detective, you've got my card." Harry looks so tired Nick doesn't blame him for wanting to leave as soon as he could. It had been a long night for everyone. He can't help feeling a little disappointed though.

"It was nice to meet you too mister Black. Thanks again for looking over Nick." Juliette extends a hand towards Harry.

"Just Harry is fine. It was probably one of the easiest jobs I've ever had." Harry shrugs, running a nervous hand through his hair. He looks over to Nick after he's shaken Juliette's hand. "See you around Nick."

Nick reached his good arm out to shake Harry's hand. "You too Harry." He watches Harry leave wondering if he'll ever see the wesen again. He gets a poke in his stomach as soon as the man is out of sight.

"Since when are you afraid of clowns?" Juliette looks down at Nick with a smirk that turns a bit sad. "Having weird dreams about your aunt stabbing you again?"

Nick sighs, mostly in relief. He just wants to have a normal day right now. "Yeah… I didn't know what to say, so I just said the first thing that popped in my head." The lie comes out too easily and Nick hates himself a little bit more.

Juliette holds his hands in her own trying to offer comfort, a sad frown on her face. "You should eat before it gets cold. I'll go see the nurse about when you can come home." She presses her lips lightly against his own, it feels more of a peck really.

Nick sits helplessly in his hospital bed, watching Juliette walk away. It feels too much like a sign of things to come. What the hell was he going to do.

Jan. 15 riverside hotel, morning

Harry notices his uncle's presence before he rounds the corner that leads to his room. He groans quietly, he'd been hoping to just go right to sleep and deal with Sean's inevitable ire later. Much later.

"Why didn't you call me?" Sean questions just as Harry reaches his room door without even saying good morning. Definitely cross with Harry then.

Harry gives a careless shrug as his answer while he fiddles with the keycard. "You didn't call me about your little plan either." He really doesn't care that he sounds like a flippant teenager. Harry's right and Sean knows it. "Besides, aren't we supposed to not actually know each other? I told you to let me do this my way. You aren't actually my boss here."

When his uncle growls at Harry in warning, he faces the taller man with a warning growl of his own. Sean backs down, only slightly. "Harry. I need to know what really happened with Stark."

"Can't I just send you a text about it after I've had some sleep." Harry practically falls through the door when it finally opens. He makes his way to the living room without bothering to close the door behind him. He starts to strip out of his suit as he walks towards his room.

"Harry…" Sean sounds exasperated with his nephew but he doesn't seem as irritated has he'd been a few moments ago. "Just give me the highlights and I'll let you get some rest."

Harry flops down onto the overly firm mattress. "Fiiinnnneeee. But I'm not moving from this spot." He flips himself over onto his back to see Sean leaning into the doorframe waiting for him to continue. "First off, Hank knows Nick is a grimm now."

January 20th late friday evening

Harry is drinking tea on his balcony watching the skyline turn black; a habit he's gotten into since arriving in Portland. It's been a few days since his first meeting with the grimm and the siegbartse's death. Things have been quiet since then. Harry spent most of those days actually trying to act like he's on vacation. He's terribly bored already. Perhaps he should call Monore, see about having that drink.

When his phone rings, Harry hopes it might actually be Monroe. It's not a number he recognises however. He answers with a slight frown. "Hullo?"

"Harry? Um this is Nick… Burkhardt." The grimm stutters out quietly, like he's whispering.

Harry heartbeat picks up at the unexpected surprise. "Nick, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you could help with something more ummm." There's a pause. It seems the detective can't speak freely at the moment.

"Say no more, I get it. Tell me what you can and I'll see if I can help." Harry is practically giddy. He really wasn't expecting the grimm to come to him for help this soon.

Harry settles with his cup in one as he leans against the cool brick. As Nick lays out his story, Harry has to repress his groan. He's got some idea of why people could be watching Nick's house. He shares the man's concern over Juliette too; the fact that she's trying to get involved is a recipe for disaster.

"I've got the name from the plate Juliette got. I was hoping since you're a P.I. on top of knowing about this stuff that you could look into this for me. I really want to keep Juliette away from this but I also need to find out who's watching my house and why." Nick lets out a frustrated huff.

"I'm pretty sure it's just some curious wesens. I was hired by someone in the community over simple rumours, it's not far fetched that some wesen are taking matters in their own hands. I'll check out the name you've got, make some inquiries in the morning. Anything else?" Harry finnish jotting his notes. He doesn't recognise the name but he has a feeling he knows exactly who's behind this. Bud was going to get an earful.

"No, I just want to know who's watching my house and why." The grimm sounds like he wants to say more but the line remains quiet.

Harry can't help trying to draw the conversation out. "Did you want me to issue some warnings?" He's going to do it anyway but he wants to know what Nick will say.

"I… I was going to that myself." Nick says carefully. "I just need to know if my suspicions are true first."

Harry smirks and lets it come through in his tone. "Wearing many hats gets a bit troublesome doesn't it detective. If this is a wesen matter, I'll ask that you refrain from chopping heads off unless it's truly necessary."

There's groan from Nick. "I'm not a monster." He states defensively.

Harry sighs. "I know that Nick. But remember that for a lot of wesen you are essential our boogeyman. Scared people do things they wouldn't normally do. As a cop, you know that. Get some rest, I'll call once I know what's going on with your peeping toms."

"Alright. Thanks Harry. I owe you one." Nick offers before hanging up.

Harry makes his way back inside to turn on his laptop. He's got a bit of research to do before he calls Bud.

Jan. 21 saturday afternoon.

Harry parks his motorbike a few houses before the address Nick had given him last night. His call with Bud this morning had confirmed his doubts, John Oblinger was one of the friends Bud had shared his grimm story with. The eisbeiber was apologitic but unfortunally, the word was out now.

Just as Harry stepped off and was about to make his way to the Oblinger residence, he spots a somewhat familiar figure standing across from his destination. Was that Juliette? Merlin, what the hell did she think she was doing there. She wasn't even hiding or anything, just standing like creep watching a family playing in their front yard.

Harry watches with mixed feelings of horror and amusement when she's spotted by the eisbiber mother. He shakes his head sadly as the frightened mother herds her children inside quickly. Moments later Juliette takes off on her bicycle, thankfully she goes in the opposite direction from Harry.

He decides against going to the Oblinger's home right now. The mother will be on high alert for a while and Harry's presence will only cause her further distress. Maybe he'll offer to go along with Nick if the grimm decides he needs to make personal appearance.

Harry's phone rings just as he's about to put his helmet back on. "Hello?"

"Hey Harry, it's Monroe. Could you come to my house?" The blutbad sound off.

"What's wrong." Harry sits on his bike to start the engine.

"It's better if I tell you when you get here." Monroe's breath itches in a way that tells Harry the man is hurt.

"I'll be there in less than fifteen minutes." Harry hangs up quickly, slams on his helmet then takes off to Monroe's. He's become familiar enough with the city that he knows a few shortcuts. If he speeds a little, well, maybe he can call in that favor Nick mentioned if he gets caught.

It takes Harry ten minutes to get to Monroe's house, he parks his bike right in front and runs towards the door while taking his helmet off. He bangs on the door, worry clawing at his stomach when he smells blood in the air. "Monroe!"

"C'mon in!" Monroe's hoarse voice calls from inside.

Harry rushes in, "Monroe?" He follows the scent of blood to the kitchen. The blutbad is hunched over the sink. When he turns to face Harry, he's holding a light blue ice pouch over his face. "Bloody hell! What the fuck happened to you?" Harry marches forward to inspect the man's injuries.

"I got jumped by a bunch of wesen, at least a couple other blutbaden. Didn't get a good look before I passed out." Monroe hobbles past Harry. He makes a good show of being alright but he doesn't fool Harry's senses that easily; the smell of pain is acrid in the air.

Harry growls heavily, outrage simmering just below the first. "Fucking cowards. Why?" He's barely able to string the words together as he woges.

Monroe is too set on his slow painful march towards his sofa to notice the change in Harry. He points to a piece of paper on the coffee table, Harry recognises the reapers' scythe drawn on it.

"Word is getting around that I'm helping a grimm out. Guess some folks have a problem with that." He says before flopping back into the sofa with a groan. He startles a little when he turns to look at Harry. "Dude, chill. I'll be ok."

"Do you know who they were?" Harry shakes his woge away and stamps down on his temper. He hasn't felt these kinds of urges in a long time, it takes longer to get under control than he'd like to admit. He sits across from Monroe, waiting for an answer.

"No, they just left me a lovely message on my car on top of kicking the crap outta me." Monroe breaths through his nose, he's obviously in a fair amount of pain. "I called Nick but he's on a case, said he'd drop by later."

Harry frowns. "You're not gonna let those pricks get to you, are you?" He'd been under the impression that Monroe had decided to foster his relationship with the grimm.

"Fuck no!" Monroe winces after he shifts around. "I ain't scared of those punks. But Nick needs to know there might be reapers heading his way. And since you seem to want to stick around too, well. Now you know."

Harry nods in agreement. He looks at Monroe's bruises and cuts, the way he moves tells him the blutbad is probably covered in them from head to toe. "I might not be able to get those sons of bitches but I can at least do something about your pain." He can't use magic without raising suspicion; zauberbiest aren't exactly known for their healing abilities. Plus he's always been a bit shite with healing spells and he wasn't actually sure how they would work on a non magical wesen. "There's a shop in town, for wesen. I could get you some proper remedies."

Monroe looks a bit surprised at the offer but the gratitude is plain as day. "I know what shop your talking about. That would be really awesome man. I almost didn't make it home…"

"I'll be right back." Harry rushes up and out.

The spice shop is roughly twenty minutes away from Monroe's. Harry's thankful that the shop is empty when he walks in.

"Ah, mister Black. What brings you in today?" Freddy Calvert greets Harry amicably.

"I need some bruise salves and pain killers for a blutbad." Harry says after a bit of consideration.

Freddy gives him an odd look. "For a blutbad?" The shopkeeper is perplexed at the request.

Harry sighs then leans onto the counter. "He's a friend, got beat up pretty bad by some pieces of... He's in a pretty way, I'll take whatever you think will help. Money isn't important." He raises a meaningful eyebrow. In situations like this, Harry feels it's easier to speak with his purse rather than his temper.

"Must be a pretty good friend." Freddy remarks while walking over to a large bookshelf. "How bad is it?" The older fuchsbau pulls a well used tome down, on his way back to the counter he stops to grab various vials.

"Bruises from head to toe, probably a concussion since he says he passed out for a bit." Harry takes a moment to settle himself, he's getting worked up just thinking about it. " A few cuts here and there too. I don't think there's any internal damage but I'm not sure…"

Freddy nods along as he looks through his book. He starts mixing the powders in a large pestel. "It won't take long to get everything mixed together. Maybe fifteen minutes. Would you like some tea while you wait?" The man offers and points towards a side room on his right. "Perhaps some chamomile." He suggests not so subtly.

He looks down at the light tremor in his hands. "Yeah. Tea would be great. Thank you."

"Have a seat mister Black." Freddy smiles and guides Harry towards a cozy daybed. "Blutbaden are tough, your friend will be alright." The fuchsbau tries to reassure him with a pat on the shoulder.

Harry nods and blows out a long breath. He didn't have a lot of friends but the few he did have he'd always been fiercely protective of. While Monroe hadn't been a friend for very long; in truth they didn't know each other all that well yet but that didn't really matter to him. There was a connection, an understanding that Harry didn't get from most people who knew what he was. The idea that those who'd hurt Monroe would get away with it didn't sit well with him at all. The urge to go out and seek revenge was almost overwhelming.

"Here you go, should help you relax a bit." Freddy's calm voice startled Harry out of his dark thoughts.

He took the dainty teacup with a sheepish smile. "Thank you." The smell of chamomile and lavender drifted up from the warm cup, the soft scent already going to work at soothing Harry's nerves. He'd get to the bottom of it once Monroe was taken care of.

Jan. 21 evening

Nick pulls up to Monroe's house with a frown. There was a motorcycle parked right out front. His first thought goes to Angelina Lasser, that woman was trouble he didn't need right now. What the hell did Monroe see in her anyway…

He knocks on the door, hoping that he's wrong and Monroe just happens to have a lot of friends who own motorcycles. When the door swings open, it isn't Monroe or Angelina on the other side. "Harry?"

"Hey Nick, c'mon in. Monroe's just resting on the couch." Harry greets Nick with a warm smile but the grimm can see tension in the wesen posture.

"Everything ok?" Nick walks in past Harry who looks outside carefully before closing the door. His breath leaves him when he sees Monroe laid up on the couch. "What the hell happened to you?"

Monroe actually chuckles. "Harry said pretty much the same thing."

"I'll get us some beers." Harry says while walking through the living room to the kitchen.

Nick sits down on one of the chairs across from the sofa. Soon after he's got a cold beer in hand while Monroe's tell him about how his gig had turned out to be an ambush. As he's told about about the attack, his heart sinks further and further. He knows what has to be done. He looks between Monroe and Harry, sad that he won't see these people again. "I won't ask for your help anymore."

"Hey none of that!" Monroe growls a little as he sits up. "I've never really been one for the status quo anyway. So screw those guys, no one tells me who I can or can't be friends with." The blutbad pins him with a serious look.

Nick knows he should insist that his way is better. Nobody should be getting hurt because of him. Still, Monroe's clearly made up his mind about it.

"Damn right!" Harry adds from where he's leaning on the fireplace mantle. The man takes a long draw of his bottle then he sits on the couch next to Monroe. "You need any help from either of us, you ask."

There's a little part of Nick that feels guilty. It's small though and he really does enjoy Monroe's company and insight. He doesn't know Harry very well but he wants to change that too. Nick gives in, maybe a bit too easily but he can't help it. He doesn't want to give up the few good things that have come from becoming a grimm. He smiles, taking another sip from one of Monroe's fancy draft beers. "I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say Nick. It's what friends do." Harry smiles and brings his bottle forward for a toast. "To unlikely friendships." The wesen grins before giving Nick a playful wink.

"That I can definitely get behind." Monroe raises his own bottle.

Nick joins in with a laugh. Their bottles clink together. "By the way, what's that smell?" He hadn't really noticed it at first but as time went on Nick couldn't really ignore it anymore. It's oddly pungent but it doesn't smell bad, it doesn't smell very good either.

Monroe grumbles with fake misery as he leans carefully back into the couch. "Harry got me bruise salve from a specialty shop. If you think it smells bad for you, just be thankful you don't actually have it on you."

Nick tries not to laugh but the chuckle comes out any way. The rest of the evening goes by quietly. He sits in Monroe's cozy living room nursing his one beer and making idle chit chat. They never really even talk about the case Nick just finished.

When he goes home that night, Nick feels happier than he has been in months. Yet, as he pulls away from Monroe's house, waving goodbye to Harry -who's going to stay with the blutbad until he's healed, it's with a bittersweet smile.

Author's Note

And the plot advances! Here we have the conclusion to "game ogre" and of "of mice and man". Next chapter will cover "organ grinder" and perhaps "tarantella" too. Also Hank knows what's going on much earlier and is spared all the ptsd crap that he suffers in the show. I'll be doing something similar with Wu, that guy deserved much better. And if folks didn't notice, there's some light attraction between Nick and Harry, which means I'll be updating the tags soon to Harry/Nick. *I wanna make it clear that I wont be crapping on Juliette, season 1 has several occasions where she considers calling it quits with Nick and she struggles with jealousy often. I've got a good idea of when that will happen (about 2 chapters from now) so things wont start going forward with Nick and Harry until Nick and Juliette split up. No cheaters here. But fear not, it wont drag on forever for them to get together, because they're grown ass adults. As for other pairings I'm still undecided so I'll take request under consideration. Thank you all so much for the favs,follows, and comments, it's some great author fuel ;)