The World Needs More Grimm

Chapter 17

Trubel visits Nick

Trubel arrives at Nick Burkhardt's'. It is 10:33 am on Monday March 2nd 2020.

The flight to Portland took almost 6 ½ hours, and Trubel gained 4 hours due to the time difference.

It is revealed Nick still lives at the loft.

The elevator door slides up, and Trubel walks in. She sees Nick standing near the kitchen. He turns to face her. "Hey. Thanks for seeing me on such short notice." She says to him casually.

Nick looks at her as she walks straight to his kitchen, and sits down on one of his barstools, facing him. "Glad I could take time off to be home." He replies.

"Nick, Oscar Torres is in the wind again. You need to be very careful. His agenda hasn't changed. Watch your back, always." She warns him.

"Alright Trubel. Do you think he's here, in Portland?" Nick asks.

Trubel shakes her head. "No, I don't. We believe he's still somewhere on the East Coast." She informs him.

Nick is puzzled. "Ok. Then-what's the urgency in us meeting?" He asks.

Trubel lets out a big sigh. "Can I get something to drink?" She asks.

Nick immediately senses something isn't right. "Sure." He replies.

To his surprise, Trubel opens his fridge and grabs a beer. "You know I don't usually drink but I need to make an exception." She walks over with her beer and sits down on the barstool again, facing him.

Nick slightly smiles at her. "That bad?" He asks.

Trubel shakes her head slowly. "I'm not sure. Maybe." She responds.

Nick quickly lets out a nervous laugh. "This should be interesting." He responds.

Trubel opens the beer and takes a sip. "Nick, you should probably sit down for this one." She warns him.

Nick sits down across from her so they can talk face-to-face.

"Do you remember Josh Porter, Rolek Porter's son?" Trubel asks.

"Yes, I do." Nick answers, speaking slowly.

Trubel forces a smile. "Guess what? He became a Grimm, and he's working with HW in New York City." She reveals, taking another sip of her beer.

Nick is delighted. "That's great news! When did he become a Grimm?" He asks.

Her eyes go dark. "March 24th 2017." Trubel responds, speaking slowly.

Nick is shocked. "What? Seriously?" He asks, pointedly.

"Nick he doesn't know. I didn't tell him ANYTHING." Trubel reassures him.

Nick ponders a moment. "Don't you think maybe he should be told? I mean, after all, he's a Grimm now. Don't forget that it was his dad who gave me the second key." He says.

Trubel sighs. "Yeah, I've thought about it." She hesitates a moment. "I'm thinking he should only be told about you and Monroe finding the cloth and stick in Germany. But the story with the staff—I don't think I can share that with him." She says.

Nick looks at her curiously. "Do you want to tell me why?" He asks her.

Trubel sighs. "I'm having a real hard time with this right now." Her voice cracks slightly.

Nick looks at her straight in the eye. "Tell me what's going on and how I can help." He says, softly.

After a long pause, Trubel takes another sip of her beer. She then clears her throat and begins. "A few days ago we got a hit where Oscar Torres was. On the way to Maine, our plane crashed in a forest in Vermont. Nick, I was really hurt. I could have been dead. Fortunately, Josh wasn't injured. Of course, he had no idea what had happened to me." She reveals.

Nick is relieved. "Because of the stick piece you wear to keep you safe." He says.

"Yes." Trubel nods. "Just before the plane crash, I was really angry with him, because he broke a promise he made to me in 2015. I was supposed to be the first person he called if he became a Grimm." She explains.

"And you were angry because he never called you?" Nick asks.

"Yes, but there's more. I felt uneasy about the date as well as hurt I wasn't in his life in 2017, to teach him things when he was a new Grimm." Trubel explains, taking another sip of her beer.

Now Nick understands the scenario. "I see." He tells her.

Trubel continues on. "While we were waiting to be rescued, we collected wood together to make a fire. I guess he had enough of dealing with my anger." She lowers her voice. "Nick, he told me that he fell in love with me in 2015, and the thought of watching me die in the plane crash was too much for him because he still loves me." She reveals, still in a state of disbelief.

Nick looks at her curiously. "What? He told you that he fell in love with you in 2015?" He asks her, speaking slowly.

Trubel nods. "Yep. Not those exact words, but close." She tells him.

Nick ponders a moment. "I guess I'm surprised." He says, finally.

"Not as surprised as I was." Trubel adds.

Nick ponders more. "So—" He stops and hesitates a moment, searching for the right words.

Trubel is anxious. "What?" She says, almost afraid to hear what he will ask her next.

Nick looks at her curiously with a slight smile. Finally he speaks. "Do you want to tell me what happened between the two of you while you were in Philadelphia?" He asks her, attempting to keep a straight face.

Trubel shakes her head. "Nothing. We became close friends but that was it. At least that's what I thought." She replies honestly.

Nick smiles widely this time. "You didn't-"

Trubel suddenly cuts him off. "Of course not!" She replies, slightly defensive.

Nick moves on. "When you were leaving, he didn't tell you anything?" He asks.

Now Trubel is frustrated. "I don't remember Nick! I was so worried after I got that call from Monroe I guess I wasn't paying Josh much attention by then." She ponders a moment. "He was so—moody, negative—almost insecure the last few days I was there, I just wanted to leave him alone." She reveals.

Nick snaps to attention. "What did you just say?" He asks.

Trubel looks at Nick straight in the eye. "He was moody. Negative. Insecure." She explains.

Nick ponders. "He was insecure?" He repeats for clarification.

Trubel nods. "Yes, he was." She says.

Nick now lowers his voice. "Trubel, that should have been your first clue. That he was in love with you." He explains.

Trubel is shocked. "What? Really?" She asks.

"Yes. He probably didn't know how to deal with the fact that you were leaving." Nick explains.

Trubel sighs deeply. "I had no idea Nick. I'm not one to pick up on subtle clues from a guy, especially if it's about me. It still doesn't change the fact that he DIDN'T say anything then." She tells him.

"Honestly, he SHOULD have. Or, at least come after you when you left." Nick says, agreeing with her.

Trubel lets out a nervous laugh. "Funny you should mention that. Because I asked him why he didn't come after me. You know what he said? I wasn't a Grimm, and you were. I couldn't compete with that and I didn't want to interfere with your place in the universe." She attempts to repeat Josh's' words after the plane crash.

Nick is intrigued. "Really? That's an insightful answer." He tells her.

Trubel nods. "I know." She takes another sip of her beer.

Nick ponders a moment. "You ARE sure it's him, right? I mean, you've tested him, his memories—just to be sure he's not an imposter?" He asks, curious.

Trubel nods. "Yes, I've tested him Nick. I have NO DOUBT it's him. He knows things only Josh could know." She explains.

"That's good, because we wouldn't want to reveal the existence of the stick to an imposter." Nick ponders a moment. "Trubel, I think there might be something else—that he's not telling you. Another reason why he didn't keep his promise." He tells her.

Trubel is puzzled. "What do you mean?" She asks.

Nick sighs, searching for the right words. "Well, a man in love—a man who CLAIMS he's in love with somebody just wouldn't decide to break a promise like that, unless there's other circumstances. Perhaps he's waiting for the right time to tell you about it." He explains.

Trubel nods. "Alright. I think I understand." She replies.

Nick looks at her curiously again. "So, what are you going to do?" He asks, pointedly.

Trubel instantly feels under pressure. She stands up & paces around his kitchen. "I'm not sure." She finally replies.

"Are you thinking-you have feelings one way or the other about Josh?" Nick asks, gently.

Trubel hesitates. "I guess I don't know how I feel yet." She tells him.

Nick nods. "That's understandable." He replies.

"What I do know is, things in my past really complicate this." Trubel says, lowering her voice.

"Do you want to talk about that?" Nick asks softly.

Trubel sits down again and finishes her beer. "Nick I haven't told ANYONE what I'm about to tell you." She warns him.

Nick smiles slightly. "Well, being a cop helps in the confidentiality area." He jokes.

Trubel nods. "It goes back to Black Claw days and Conrad Bonaparte." She warns him.

Nick is actually surprised. "Oh no, really? Not a good time for any of us. Except Renard." He says.

"Yeah." Trubel lets out a deep sigh. "Nick, as the war with Black Claw was escalating, I realized I had developed feelings for Meisner." She says, lowering her voice.

Nick immediately softens up. "I'm sorry Trubel, I didn't know." He says, apologetically.

Trubel looks at him. "I wish I could specifically say what it was, but to this day I'm not sure. Was I in love with him? I don't think so, but it might have been the beginning. I've asked myself if it was because we were under so much stress that it was just my heart and mind trying to escape it all? Possibly. It could have been only physical attraction, but I just don't know." She reveals.

"Does it really matter what it was? You know you had feelings for him, that's most important." He says, supportively.

Trubel sighs. "It's just that—I hate unresolved things in life like this." She explains.

"Because you want closure?" Nick asks, speaking slowly.

Trubel nods. "Yes, I do."

Nick smiles briefly as he imagines Trubel & Meisner as a couple. "You know, I always liked the man. I see why you had feelings for him." He tells her.

Trubel ponders, remembering. "After he died, I secretly grieved. I keep asking myself why." She reveals.

"Trubel, did he know? That you had feelings for him, whatever they were?" Nick asks softly.

Trubel looks at him. "No. At least I don't think he did." She replies.

Nick looks at her. "Maybe—figuring out when these feelings first started could pinpoint what they were and hopefully give you some closure. If that's what you really want?" He needs to be sure.

Trubel nods. "Yes, I do." She says without hesitation.

"Alright. Was there a specific event you can remember, that happened to cause you to start having feelings for him?" Nick asks.

Trubel shakes her head. "No, I've thought about that too. It wasn't anything he did. I just noticed one day, that he was hot-" She lets out a nervous laugh. "-and I was attracted to him." She explains.

"Do you remember when, specifically in 2016 this was?" Nick asks.

Trubel ponders a moment. "It was-after Dixon's assassination and when I returned from Santiago, Chile." She recalls.

"Alright, and you said the war with Black Claw was escalating?" Nick asks.

Trubel nods. "Yes."

"And if I remember correctly, Dixon was assassinated while Monroe & I were in Germany, right?" Nick asks.

Trubel nods. "Correct."

Nick has a thought. "Was this before or after the mayoral election that Renard won because of Black Claw?" He asks.

Trubel ponders. "Maybe the day of the election or- She hesitates a moment. "-the day before." She finally says.

"Alright. That narrows it down more." Nick replies.

Trubel remembers something. "I think it was after Renard tried to recruit you over to Black Claw." She says.

Nick scoffs. "I remember that."

Trubel ponders again, deeply this time. "You know Nick-" She pauses, then looks at him intently. "-I remember coming over here to talk to you that night." She finally says.

Nick looks at her. Her demeanor has changed. "About what?" He asks.

"Nick, that was the night you first showed me the stick." She says as she continues looking at him intently.

Trubel immediately FLASHBACKS to when Nick showed her the stick for the first time, in 2016:

Nick stares at the stick and the cloth on the table, then looks at Trubel. "It's not just a stick." He tells her, speaking slowly.

"Um, it looks like just a stick. Does it do anything?" Trubel asks.

"I think, it saved Monroe's life." Nick responds.

Trubel is surprised. "What! How?" She asks.

Nick is almost at a loss for words. "He was bitten on his arm. It was infected. He had blood poisoning, he started passing out and this-was in my hand, and I grabbed him and he just—the wound healed. It completely disappeared." He attempts to explain.

Trubel looks at him intently. "Are we sure that this piece of wood did that?" She asks.

"No, we're not sure of anything, but one of the words on this cloth translates to miracle." He reveals.

"Oh, wow, miracle, Ok." Trubel reaches for the stick and holds it with both hands to examine it closely. "Looks like it broke off of something." She tells him.

"Yeah, but off of what? Some of the other words translate to dangerous, threatening, hazardous, or perilous." Nick reveals.

Trubel throws the stick back on the table. "What's the dangerous, hazardous, perilous part?" She asks, nervously.

Nick looks at her. "We're not sure." He responds.

Trubel wants to know more. "Ok. If it has the power to heal, what else can it do?" She asks.

Her question reverberates in her mind. "If it has the power to heal, what else can it do?"

Again for a third time. "If it has the power to heal, what else can it do?"

The Flashback ends.

Nick nods. "Yes, that night I brought out the stick to show you. Are you remembering something else?" He asks.

Trubel is alarmed as a slow realization comes over her. "Nick, I think my feelings for Meisner started right after I touched the stick for the first time." She reveals, anxiously.

Nick is puzzled again. "What? Really?" He asks, confused.

Trubel is lost in thought for a moment. She notices him looking at her curiously. "Yes." She finally says with conviction.

Nick continues to be confused with her statement. "Trubel, this does not make sense. Remember, the stick has healing properties only. It can't make the person who touches it, fall in love or develop feelings for someone." He tells her factually.

Trubel is floored as she realizes the implications of what they just discovered. She suddenly stands up, as if preparing to run. "Nick, THIS IS my answer. OMG, I don't know WHY I didn't see it before!" She says, raising her voice.

Trubel has INTENSE FLASHBACKS:

First, to the night when Eve almost died from shards of glass after being attacked by Conrad Bonaparte, but was healed by the stick when Nick brought it out to save her life.

Second, while they were alone in the tunnel together, Eve told Trubel that she could FEEL-A LOT.

Third, when they were all together in his loft, EVE asked Nick what he did to her when he healed her. Nick showed Eve the stick for the first time and as she grabbed it, Trubel, who is standing right behind both of them pointedly says:

I wouldn't touch that if I were you.

Her Intense Flashback ends.

"What are you remembering Trubel?" Nick asks intently, lowering his voice.

Trubel, still standing facing him, lets out a deep sigh. "Nick, remember when Eve was healed by the stick after being attacked by Bonaparte?" She asks, anxiously.

Nick nods. "Yes. She woged and had a seizure." He explains.

Trubel nods. "Right. Remember what she said afterwards?" She asks.

"She was-confused. She asked me what was happening to her." Nick says, remembering.

"Yes. She told me later that she could FEEL. A LOT." Trubel looks directly at him.

Nick ponders deeply. "It was almost like Juliette was back. Except for the evil side." He reveals.

"They broke her at HW Nick. I'm not sure you remember that." She pauses, then looks directly at him. "She was healed by the stick-emotionally-from what they did to her. Consider also what happened to her with the death-grip." Trubel reminds him.

Nick nods, remembering. "Oh yes, the death-grip. The pure-soul thing Monroe & Rosalee talked about after it happened." He acknowledges.

"Her soul was cleansed by the stick." Trubel adds.

"Trubel, I don't get the connection you are trying to make. How is this your answer?" Nick asks, still confused.

Trubel, still standing, looks him directly in the eyes. "Nick, I have no doubt now, the stick—the staff can heal someone from mental illness, depression, substance abuse—all types of emotional disorders. Maybe not instantly, but start them on the road to recovery. Give them a sense of normalcy to work through everything." She explains matter-of-factly.

Nick ponders what Trubel just told him. "Alright. That does make sense, considering what happened to Eve." He says.

Trubel pauses for a long moment to allow what Nick just acknowledged as the truth about Eve to sink in. She clears her throat as she looks right at him. "It can also heal—and start someone on the road to recovery if they were traumatized-sexually." She says matter-of-factly, barely above a whisper.

Nick is completely floored. He's at a loss for words. "NO." Is all he can say.

Her eyes begin to water up. "Nick, I didn't want you to know." Trubel says, fighting back tears.

Nick can't help it. He jumps up and briefly hugs her. "I'm so sorry Trubel." He says, barely above a whisper.

Trubel is still facing him. She looks at him with surrendering eyes. "For so many years I just didn't care, you know? I'm a Grimm. Those feelings never existed for me." She tells Nick softly.

Nick nods. "Until you touched the stick." He ponders more. "You didn't feel anything externally like Eve did because she's a Hexenbiest. But once you touched it, the stick immediately started doing its work on the inside. I understand now." He replies, barely above a whisper.

"Me too." Trubel replies somberly.

"I'm sure, because of everything happening with Josh right now-you don't want to talk about it. But—and I mean this, I'm always here for you when you do." Nick tells her softly.

Trubel nods. "Thanks Nick." She replies, sincerely appreciative.

"Don't forget about Monroe and Rosalee also. Especially Rosalee. Girl talk." Nick tells her gently.

Trubel nods. She ponders for just a moment, then looks at Nick. "Well, one thing I know for sure, my feelings for Meisner WERE REAL." She says as she lets out a nervous laugh.

"I'm glad you have your answer Trubel." Nick tells her softly.

Trubel starts tearing up a second time as the full realization of everything sinks in. "Wow. I'm going to need some time to think about this, you know?" She finally tells Nick.

"Yes, it's a lot to absorb. I understand." Nick replies.

"It explains so much though." Trubel continues to ponder.

Suddenly, Nick looks directly at her. "Hey! I have a thought." He says as his face lights up.

Trubel looks at him. "What is it?" She asks.

"Do you have ANY clue if Meisner had feelings for you?" Nick asks her.

Trubel shakes her head. "No clue." She answers.

"Well, maybe for closure you should try to find out." He tells her, excitedly.

"How?" Trubel asks.

Nick smiles slightly. "If anybody would know, it's Eve." He finally says.

Trubel sighs. "I should have known you were going to say that."

END OF CHAPTER 17