Chapter 2! Gotta say, Nick is an idiot that he waits until close to the end of the third season to bother to find out how Wesen know he's the boogeyman and freak out. I'd want to know if I could do something to delay or lessen that reaction.

Okay, this went way faster than planned, but hopefully it seems natural. One thing led to another, so hopefully the progression is logical and believable.

(-)

"So, what was Chris talking about with my eyes?"

It was a strange question. "Well, he saw them."

"Of course he saw them; we were making eye-contact."

I wasn't sure if I was hearing this correctly, but I had a suspicion what he was asking. "Do you seriously not know how we can tell you're a Grimm?"

A glance over showed sheepish embarrassment. "Well, I've been meaning to ask Monroe and Rosalee and never got around to it."

"Are you an idiot?" I hadn't meant to say that. "That's incredibly important information!" When he said nothing, I said, "Until now I thought you were competent, and perhaps even clever. Now I'm not so sure."

"Hey!" Then he sighed, unable to defend allowing his ignorance on this matter. "What is it about my eyes?"

"When we Woge, they turn black. Well, more like lightless portals with no end to them. We see ourselves, our true natures as Wesen, reflected there. Most of us find it highly unnerving and upsetting, and it's why Chris feared you even if he didn't know what a Grimm is." It was still hard to believe he would be so foolish as to not ask that question long before now.

There was silence for a moment, and I could see in my peripheral vision that he was watching me closely as I drove. "What?"

"You said most Wesen find it unnerving and upsetting. Do you?" There was almost a knowing tone to his voice, like he could tell I enjoyed it.

"You don't unnerve me, Grimm," was all I said.

"That explains why you can make eye contact when most others won't. Even Monroe and Rosalee won't make the kind of prolonged eye contact you do." He said it matter-of-factly, but it made me nervous he would catch on to the…strangeness between us.

"I'm not afraid to stare down another predator." It was the best excuse I could think of.

Another short silence before he said, "You don't look challenging. You look…curious."

Damn. Luckily, we were at the police station. And now I had an excuse to turn the questions on him. "Why did Hank seem troubled about your boss in particular noticing my presence? I would think any of your coworkers would raise troublesome questions." When he didn't answer immediately, I asked, "Is he Wesen?"

Nick just smirked. "You are good at avoiding talking about things you don't want to." So was he. He opened the door and said, "I'll see you later today, Alexander."

"Not if I don't want you to," I said, the response automatic.

He laughed. "But I'll know you're there. And maybe we can get a drink or something."

My heart did not start beating faster. With only a smirk for a farewell, he got out and closed the door, leaving me to watch him go inside the station. Shaking myself out of my reverie, I left, determined to research his boss.

(-)

It only took a phone call to update De Groot (editing out my involvement) and mention that Nick's boss might be Wesen to find out that the Council had contact with a Royal in Portland. De Groot thought it was likely Nick's boss, given the nature of the relationships between Grimms and Royals. Why they hadn't told me that before sending me here wasn't answered. But when I hung up, I was suddenly depressed. It took me a moment to realize why.

Nick was working for a Royal. Like so many of his kind, he was contributing to the oppressive regime that had no interest in the well-being of Wesen. It was unbelievable, and a bit sickening. Other Council members would probably call me a fool, but I thought he was better than the rest of the Grimms, not content to be a puppet for anyone.

When he got home (and, yes, when I got to his house as well), he said, "Want to come in for a beer?"

I emerged from my hiding place, and, no, I did not want a beer. I was still feeling resentful that he was more of a traditional Grimm than I thought. But duty demanded that I take the opportunity to collect intelligence, so I accepted his invitation to his home.

It didn't take him long to catch onto my mood. "What's wrong?" He offered me a bottle, which I took.

"You're working for the Royal Family." It slipped out of me, a bitter accusation, before I could help it.

He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Are you insane?! They've tried to kill me a few times, sending a Mauvais-Dentes and a Nuckelavee from Vienna. Not to mention starting a zombie rampage with a Cracher Mortel and trying to kidnap me!"

I didn't think he meant to give me all that information, but I was suddenly soaring at the confirmation of my original assumptions: Nick wasn't content to be anyone's pawn. "A Cracher Mortel? Really? Those are all but extinct."

"Maybe they are now. I didn't appreciate being spit on and kidnapped. Baron Samedi is dead now." He said it with a bitter satisfaction, although his face was more troubled than pleased.

Nick had been affected by the Cracher Mortel? "How did you deal with his victims? How did you recover?"

"Rosalee and…Juliette came up with the cure. They made gas bombs for the masses of zombies, and I got the antidote in a shot…twice."

"Twice?" Two doses of spit would have killed him.

He sighed. "As a Grimm, I react differently to Wesen abilities. I woke up quicker than he expected, was stronger than the others, and entirely out of his control. He thought a second dose would fix that. It didn't."

I was speechless. He was just telling me all these things, regardless of my assignment to spy on him. And the information that Grimms responded differently to our abilities and magic was long-suspected, but now confirmed.

Nick seemed to realize what he had just said. We were in his kitchen, and he had been leaning back against his counter, but now he groaned and stood up fully. "I shouldn't have told you all of that. Damn, Monroe is right to call me crazy. But…" Those grey eyes came up to meet mine and they had my heart racing. "I can't help but trust you. My instincts are overruling my common sense." He groaned again. "And now the Wesen Council is going to know all of that. I'm an idiot."

Something came out of my mouth that I never expected to say: "The Council doesn't have to know everything."

That seemed to startle him. "Really? Isn't it your duty to tell them everything you learn?"

That stung a little; what I was thinking was definitely against my orders and could quite likely get me killed. But the way he spoke to me so easily, so unguarded…I wanted to be worthy of his trust. "I…think you deserve to operate in your own city without a lot of interference from us. If that means editing out some information, so be it."

"I believe you," Nick said, though his tone was one of disbelief. "For whatever reason, I believe you."

This illogical and nearly instant connection we both shared…it really did seem like a Mating Bond. But Grimms were not Wesen. Of course, if Grimms responded differently to our biological and magical phenomenon, maybe it wasn't impossible.

"Why did you think I was working for the Royal Family?" Nick asked.

"Ah, after our conversation about your boss, I made some inquiries and discovered that there was a Royal in Portland. Given the nature of relationships between Royals and Grimms, it made sense that your mysterious boss was the Royal."

Nick drained his bottle and said, "I am not working for Renard. At least, not in the sense other than him being my literal boss at my human job. But when it comes to Wesen matters, no one controls me." He sighed and said, "I work with him on some things, but only on my terms. And I still don't fully trust him."

Before I could say anything to that, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen before he answered it. "Hey, Monroe." A pause. "Not busy, just at my house having a beer with Alexander." While I couldn't hear the words on the other end, I could certainly hear the raised volume. "No, I did not get hit on the head today."

I chuckled a little. I still didn't take offense at the Blutbad's suspicion; it was entirely understandable. The fact that Nick didn't share it was simply more good fortune than I'd thought to have.

"Can he come too?" Nick asked, and my attention was fully on him again. "Come on, it's not like he doesn't know where you live." A pause. "It wasn't meant to be reassuring, just a reminder." A pause. "Okay, we'll be over in a few."

When he hung up, he said, "Want to come to dinner at Monroe and Rosalee's? I think they want to talk about Chris and Alli."

"If I'm actually welcome," I said. "Monroe didn't seem happy at the idea of you inviting me in for a beer, let alone inviting me to his house."

"He was reluctant, but I think he realizes I trust you. And given that we had an unconventional start to our relationship, he has a bit more understanding of my…unusual instincts."

"Then I'd be pleased to accept the invitation." Even if Monroe hadn't invited me voluntarily, Nick made me feel welcome. He'd welcomed me into his life without my asking for it and certainly without my deserving it.

We drove separately to Monroe's house, and as we stood on the porch, Nick knocked, and I smelled the food coming from inside. It smelled good, although the predator part of me was displeased when I realized there would be no meat. Still, it was a small price to pay to be included in these people's lives.

The Blutbad opened the door, looking between the two of us. "Come on in," he said, although he was watching me carefully.

Nick led me through the living room to a small dining table while Monroe circled around the other way. The places were set, and I saw Rosalee bringing in a covered dish. "Thank you for inviting me to dinner," I said. Good manners were important.

She smiled, and I was glad she seemed less suspicious than her lover. "Of course, we're glad to have you. You were there today, right? Chris mentioned you."

"Yes, I helped a bit."

Nick scoffed as Monroe brought in a side dish. "We probably wouldn't have saved her if he hadn't been there. I didn't know anything about Klaustreich territory disputes."

"Still, a Klaustreich adopting a Mausherz?" Monroe said. Rosalee had retreated to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine.

"We were surprised too," Nick said.

"They were freaking heartwarming, man! Never thought it was possible, never even thought to think about it possibly being possible, but they make a great little family," Monroe said.

Rosalee smiled warmly as she poured the wine. "Alli was so sweet and curious. She found the shop fascinating and wanted to learn more about being an apothecary, so I told her I'd think about apprenticing her."

"How did they take learning about Wesen?" Nick asked. Monroe and Rosalee were seated now, so the Grimm wasted no time in serving himself.

"Well, you can't learn it all in one sitting," Monroe said. "Chris said he'd stop by on the weekend when his job allows to learn more."

The Fuchsbau looked almost motherly as she said, "Alli will probably come over a lot after school. She doesn't feel safe at home now if her dad isn't there, and she wants to help around the shop."

These people…Nick sent two lost souls to get some basic education on how the world works, and these Wesen had taken them into the fold as if they always belonged there. It was almost humbling when I considered that they had allowed me in their home as well. I couldn't help but think that these were exactly the kind of people the Wesen Council should protect the most. Wesen who cared about everyone in their community, who wanted everyone to have a place.

But Nick was right; if they hadn't informed us of the Grausen and we found out, they probably would have sent me to kill them. Knowing them now, I could only think what a loss it would be for all the Wesen in Portland, not to mention to Nick.

And I might never have met Nick if they hadn't called, except perhaps if he confronted me to protect or avenge his friends. There was no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't win against a grief-stricken and enraged Nick. I could only imagine his skin draining of color and him unleashing that strength and indifference to pain on me.

"What are you thinking about?" Nick asked, pushing the serving spoon towards me.

I started putting food on my plate. "You. How you looked when you fought Krampus."

Monroe started, then said, "I forget how long he's been hanging around."

"What did I look like?" Nick asked.

"Your skin drained of color and you got stronger. You didn't seem phased by his attacks."

"Oh, Dead Face. I don't always realize when that happens." It was so matter-of-fact that it was almost ridiculous.

"Dead Face?"

"That's what Hank calls it. Remember that Cracher Mortel I told you about?"

Before I could reply, Monroe said, "You told him what?!"

Even Rosalee said, "Nick!"

The Grimm only looked slightly sheepish. "It just slipped out." He looked over at me, and I realized he wanted me to be the one to tell them of my promise. It probably did look better if he didn't say it first.

"I agreed that the Council doesn't need to know everything," I said. "Portland is clearly a good place for Wesen to be with Nick around, and I'd rather not have one of the other Council members getting ideas to the contrary. If they don't know everything about him, they'll be less likely to move against him."

Both Wesen were staring at me, but Rosalee looked more shocked than Monroe. "Alexander…if they find out you're conspiring to protect and assist a Grimm…"

"I'd be kicked off the Council immediately, and would likely be sentenced to death, yes." I was trying not to think about it since there was no other way to protect Nick. My life had been turned upside-down by the little Grimm, but already I was enjoying it more. I'd spent most of it doing my duty, devoting all my time to my job. But this job…I glanced at the Grimm. This job was very different.

"What?!" Nick dropped his fork and stared at me in alarm. "You didn't tell me that!"

I shrugged. "It is what it is; telling you makes no difference."

"You'd really risk that for Nick?" Monroe asked, eyes studying me intently.

That gaze made me uncomfortable, especially since I saw Nick giving me a similar one in my peripheral vision. "I can only do what I think is right, and Nick's death would be an enormous waste of potential benefits for Portland. I won't contribute to that."

"Why not quit then?" Nick asked suddenly. As we all looked at him, he said, "If you aren't on the Council, working with me isn't treason or whatever; you're just another Wesen doing what you want with your life. Like Monroe or Rosalee."

"Except if he quits because of you, they can do the whole 'sentenced to death' thing anyway," Monroe said.

Rosalee sighed, and when I looked at her, the Fuchsbau had a serious expression. "They've been lying to you, Alexander. I think you know that. They don't respect you the way they should, and they don't treat you like an equal, do they?"

My chest felt tight. She had just spoken grievances I'd held onto for years. "They don't."

"Then you have every reason to leave right there. And you joined the Council because you want to protect the Wesen community, right? You don't have to do it internationally; you could do it right here in Portland." She made it sound so easy and sensible.

"I'll think about it." Already my life was turned upside-down, but this would be more. This would be making that reversal the new normal. Quitting the Council and staying in Portland near Nick would be like learning to walk on the ceiling.

We all ate for a few minutes before Nick said, "You would have a place here. It isn't like you'd start over with nothing."

I fought down a shiver at the implication. I wouldn't start over with nothing; I'd start over with him. And when it was put like that, there was nothing to think about. There I was belittled and unappreciated. Here I was welcomed and valued. By Nick. Oh, I was in over my head and there was no resurfacing. I would happily drown in those black eyes.

Deciding to quit the Council was calming me. I couldn't announce my decision, of course, because it came right on the heels of Nick's reassurance.

Rosalee saved me from having to respond. "If you do decide to quit, call me first. I have a feeling De Groot will be very displeased about losing the Council's Pflichttreue and might call for additional information. We should tell the same story. Which would mostly be the truth: I mentioned what my father told me about your kind of Wesen being in service to the Council, not part of it, and you wouldn't accept being treated that way."

"What is he supposed to say about why he was talking to you in the first place?" Monroe asked. "I don't think he was supposed to make contact; the idea of sending a guy like him is to watch without anyone knowing."

"I'll simply say he caught onto my presence," I said. "I'll tell them that Portland's Grimm is far more clever and capable than any of us anticipated." Then I smirked at Nick. "I won't mention that he never bothered to ask how Wesen can tell he's a Grimm as it greatly detracts from that statement."

The Grimm scowled at me as Monroe said, "Wait, Nick, you didn't know?!"

"Seriously?" Rosalee asked.

Before they could continue scolding and Nick could look anymore annoyed with me, I added, "I also haven't mentioned that the Grimm has hearing superior to that of most Wesen."

All three grew silent and looked at me. "You've been keeping details from the Council all along," Rosalee said.

"How did you figure it out?" Nick asked.

I shrugged. "It was unlikely that you noticed me following you because you saw me, and when I was growling subvocally in the shop, neither of them realized anything, but you knew I was upset. It just made sense."

There was another silence besides the sounds of eating until Rosalee said, "We should probably all exchange numbers with Alexander, just in case. If the Council does decide to do something, it's safest if he can communicate with the rest of us."

It was startling to realize she was referring to them defending me from potential harm. A Fuchsbau wanted to keep me safe. And…I'd never had that. Sure, I might technically be backed by the Council, but out in the field, I was alone. I'd never had a team. I'd never really had friends.

"You're all talking like he's already decided to leave," Monroe said. "He hasn't made that decision yet."

"I like it here in Portland," I said, determinedly not looking at Nick. "And I refuse to be a servant to anyone."

"We're all equals here," Nick said. He pulled out his phone. "Hit me."

He declared that as if it was obvious. As if a Grimm befriending his prey was the natural order of things. It was still difficult to wrap my head around Nick. He seemed too good to be true. But I knew if I reached over to touch him that he would be there: solid, warm, and very real. Of course, I knew better than to try, and kept my hands to myself.

(-)

That night I had a brief conversation with Rosalie after I got back to my motel room, and then I called De Groot. "What have you got to report?"

"I'm resigning from the Wesen Council, effective immediately. My formal resignation should be in your inbox by now."

There was a short, stunned silence. "You can't be serious."

"I am. It has come to my attention that my family, my species, has always been servants to the Council. And despite supposedly being a member of the Council, I am clearly treated as nothing more than a servant." It felt so good to finally say it.

"That is ridiculous; you are a full member of the Council."

"Then why am I the only one sent out to do the dirty work? Why does no one else go out into the field? I've been lied to and used by the Council, but not anymore."

There was another pause. "Who is filling your head with these lies? Did the Grimm tell you all that?"

I laughed. "How could he tell me anything about you? No, it was the comment of a former Council member that at least one Pflichsttreue serves the Council at any given time. So it's time to find another one."

"What former member?"

He was wearing on my nerves. "You can't convince me to stay and talking to you is tiresome. Goodbye." And I hung up.

It was like I had been carrying a boulder and it had just dropped to the floor. I was free. No more grisly assignments. No more orders. I could do as I pleased. Long-term I would need to find another job, but my bank account could keep me going indefinitely.

But the first thing I wanted to do was call Nick. "Hey, Alexander, didn't expect you to call so soon."

"I quit." Even just saying it felt liberating.

"Congratulations. How does freedom feel?"

I sighed. "Incredible. I'm not sure what to do with myself, honestly."

I heard the smile in the Grimm's voice as he said, "There goes your excuse to follow me around."

My stomach lurched a bit. I hadn't thought of that. Now I had no reason to be involved with Nick. But my panic was short-lived when he added, "Guess we'll just have to actually be friendly and hang out together. Speaking of, we should celebrate tomorrow night."

"Celebrate?"

"Your freedom. We could have everybody over to eat at my house. Granted it'll likely be take out, but-"

"I could cook." It seemed the least I could do for these people, the ones who had accepted me into their lives despite having every reason to despise me.

"Really?"

"Yes. I could bring all the ingredients. I would only need the use of your kitchen." It had been a long time since I cooked a proper meal. The idea was refreshing.

"That sounds great!" Then he hummed thoughtfully. "I work a bit later tomorrow. I'll have to leave you the spare key above the doorframe so you can get in and start cooking."

I was glad he couldn't see what was no doubt a stupefied expression on my face. "You're going to give me access to your house? Just like that?"

Nick chuckled. "I already trusted you; now I have even more reason to. And if I can't be there to let you in so you have enough time to cook, it just makes sense."

All the thoughts and feelings I'd been pushing aside in the name of professionalism were coming back, and they wouldn't be ignored now. The trust Nick had in me warmed me all the way through, and I wanted to share that warmth with him. But we'd just become friends; it was too early to start touching…tasting…pressing him into a wall and-

"Hey, you still there?"

As an assassin, I had thought myself above blushing. But it was just another thing Nick brought out of me that no one else could. "Yes, I'm here. Just planning what to make. How many am I cooking for?"

"Well, there's me, Hank, Monroe, and Rosalee…do you think Chris and Alli would like to come? Especially since they're new to Portland, they don't seem to have any friends besides us."

I huffed softly in amusement. "They also thought they were freaks who would be rejected as soon as those they were close to saw what they were."

"All the more reason to show them they're perfectly normal."

Now I couldn't help but laugh a little. "The benign Klaustreich and his Mausherz daughter going to eat dinner at a Grimm's house with a Blutbad, Fuchsbau, Pflichttreue, and Kehrseite-Schlich-Kennen. Simply the picture of normality."

The Grimm laughed too, but he said, "Hey, everything in life is relative. Normal is just the middle of the mess."

So true. This new normal with Nick was already very strange, but I supposed in time relativity would kick in. "Well, then by all means, let's invite people who are normal just like us."

"'Us', huh? I like the sound of that. Sounds like you belong already." His tone was almost…fond. It made me want to kiss him.

This had been out of my control from the start, but it was only getting worse. The more that happened, the more I was convinced that this was somehow a Mating Bond. But even if Grimms reacted differently than Kehrseite to Wesen phenomenon, they were still human. So maybe this was an out-of-control attraction to a brave, noble, kind, handsome-oh, someone stop me, I was starting to sound like a teenage girl.

Whatever the cause, I was deeply interested in and drawn to Portland's resident Grimm. But even if he trusted me, maybe especially because he trusted me, I needed to be careful. Nick was special. If I wanted him, I needed to make a plan. I needed to go slow.

(-)

This hit warp speed, but I hope it was still good. Once Alexander realized that the Council and his job had been the main things keeping him from being part of Nick's group, the sudden lack of that obstacle would have him letting loose all the things he was holding back. But I have a plan on when I want them to get together, so I need to slow that bit down. Wish me luck. XD

As always, I'd love to hear what you thought about this. Also as always, I don't require reviews to post updates. They do help, though.