Sean paused when he picked up the scent of the Blutbad on Nick and he tensed. It was a strong scent and took his attention away from the bruising on the left side of his detective's face and the black eye. He leaned back on his desk as Hank and Nick gave their reports. Nick looked distracted as Hank gave the report quickly. He would have their full report tomorrow but he'd wanted the details now.
"Anything you want to add, Nick?" Sean questioned and the man started and locked eyes with him. "Were we dealing with normal criminals?"
"No," Nick answered, his voice raw. "You didn't see them?"
"No," Sean answered with a frown.
"Ah," Nick stuttered and both Sean and Hank looked at him. "They were Löwen."
"That would explain the strength," Hank added. "And how he got the upper hand on you."
"Thanks," Nick drawled.
Sean quirked a smile before he could stop himself as Nick glared at his partner.
"Right," Sean announced, breaking into the stand-off. "Have your reports ready tomorrow, dismissed."
When Sean stood up, he got a nose full of the scent around Nick and he had to pull back on his nature quickly. Nick paused and their eyes locked as Hank stepped towards the office door.
"Sir?" Nick questioned with a frown and Hank paused in the doorway as he looked back.
Sean stood up straighter as he grabbed a hold of himself, he couldn't afford to let his nature slip around the other man.
"Yes?" Sean questioned and Nick looked him over.
"Nothing," Nick answered and didn't turn his back on him as they left the office.
Sean wandered around his desk and took his seat. He picked up the first file off the pile but that scent that he'd picked up off Nick stayed with him.
xXx
Nick ducked the fist thrown at him and skipped to the side as a growl sounded on the air. Nick slipped around his attacker and lashed out with his elbow. Monroe stumbled forward as he hit him in the back. He followed that up with a kick to the back of the man's knee and Monroe went down. Nick tried to push his advantage but Monroe rolled over quickly, hooked his feet around his left ankle and twisted.
Nick went down with a grunt as Monroe landed on him with a loud growl. Nick brought up an elbow but had his hands grabbed quickly and pinned as Monroe pushed him down. He froze when he looked up into a dark furry face and red eyes. That deep growl sending a shiver down his spine as he froze. Monroe ducked his head forward and Nick tensed completely as he felt the wolf's breath on his exposed neck. He didn't say or move as Monroe sniffed his neck.
He felt fear flood through him and everything in him screamed at him to fight but he overrode that. He trusted Monroe but the fear flooding him now, pushed on his own nature. Slowly Monroe pulled back and released him before he jumped to his feet. Nick let him compose himself as he slowly sat back up. Monroe paced a few steps away and Nick just watched him carefully. The wolf man paced up and down a few more times as he grabbed a hold of himself.
"Sorry," Monroe offered as he stepped back towards him and held his hand out.
"No problems," Nick replied and let Monroe pull him to his feet. "Should we call it a day?"
Monroe nodded sharply then grinned.
"Rosalee is coming around tonight," Monroe exclaimed. "I have a new recipe to try as well."
"Did you want me to crash somewhere else?" Nick offered as they gathered up their gear.
"Nah, man." Monroe said with a grin. "You're almost like family now!"
Monroe swung an arm around his shoulders and if the Blutbad tilted his head closer to sniff him, Nick didn't take it personally.
xXx
"Nick," Sean called from his office door. "Can I talk to you a minute?"
Nick paused before shutting the office door and Sean waved him to the other chair as he settled behind his desk. He could tell that the man was tense as he sat on the edge of his seat.
"My brother is here," Sean admitted, he found it hard to say the words but he had to place his trust in the Grimm. "I want you to be careful."
"What?" Nick yelped. "How long has he been here? Is he like you?"
"Not long," Sean answered. "No, he isn't like me."
"But he is a Royal?" Nick pressed as he sat forward in his seat.
"Yes," Sean answered and opened up his desk drawer and pulled out a file.
He placed the file onto his desk, in front of the detective, and Nick snagged it up in interest. His eyes widened as he looked at the photo and his eyes flicked up to Sean.
"Half-brother," Sean clarified.
"Did you know," Nick said slowly. "That I can see if someone is Wesen from film?"
Sean jolted at his words and sat forward in his chair.
"No," Sean remarked. "However, that would be a useful talent. Film as in moving film or photos?"
"Video."
Nick rubbed his temple slightly as he read through the file on Eric Renard. Sean sat tensely, knowing that Nick was now aware of Sean's connection to the family and also family ties. Nick took his time with the file before placing it on his desk and looking him over with eyes that saw more than Sean wanted him to see.
"I have been seeing more than I should," Nick confessed and Sean frowned.
"In which way?" Sean questioned.
"I can see what you are," Nick added and Sean tensed. "The same with other Wesen."
"Your Aunt's books-"
"Do not mention this," Nick cut in. "They all say that a person has to woge and that's when they see me and I can see them."
"You can see this now?"
Nick's eyes grew distant for a second before snapping back into focus and he nodded. Sean shivered at that, it was bad enough that Grimms could pick up on them. What Nick was saying upped his concern, to be picked up without knowing, brought fear to him.
"My mother got into contact with me," Nick went on and Sean tensed even more. "I asked her and she replied that she only sees Wesen when they slip into a woge."
Sean relaxed slightly but still felt tense then he quickly logged into his computer as a thought came to him.
"Come here," Sean ordered as he quickly brought up a video of his brother and another royal.
Sean's fingers paused briefly as Nick stepped closer and he got a whiff of his scent as well as the Blutbad's. Something in him growled at that as Nick let a hand rest on his desk and Sean ran the video of his brother without sound on. He glanced at the Grimm as his eyes locked on the screen and couldn't pick up anything different about him. He gave off that slight sense of danger but he always had.
Nick then started badly and brought both hands down on his desk as his eyes locked on the screen. His body brushing Sean's slightly as he focused completely on the computer.
"Play that again," Nick ordered, his voice hoarse.
Sean quickly typed away on the keyboard and filled the screen with the video as he leaned back in his chair. Nick's eyes were locked on the image on the screen as Eric turned and looked towards the camera, Nick shivered.
"I thought they were human?" Nick asked and turned to look at him then pulled back when he realised how close he was to his boss.
"They should be," Sean answered. "But I always believed there was something else there?"
"Their eyes are gold," Nick stated and he leaned his hands the desk as he looked at the screen. "Nothing else changes, just their eyes burn gold."
Sean replayed the video and watched Nick as he watched it.
"Who is the other man?" Nick asked. "He's a Royal as well."
"A distant cousin," Sean answered then paused as his phone rang and he tensed when he looked at the screen. "My brother."
"Do you want me to leave?"
"No," Sean answered quickly as he placed the phone on the table.
Nick listened to the conversation in interest as Sean watched him. When he ended the call the two men lapsed into silence.
"Do not allow yourself to be alone," Sean warned. "Everyone in Portland is in danger as long as my brother is here."
Nick just leaned back on the edge of Sean's desk and he felt like their roles had been reversed but he found he didn't seem to mind. The Blutbad scent around the other man however was a different story as it tickled his nose while Nick tapped his table in thought.
"May I ask a personal question?" Sean broached and Nick nodded. "Did you sell your house?"
Nick blew out a breath and stood up, he paced a few steps before stilling again.
"Yes," Nick answered. "Good price as well, I should be able to find somewhere to buy or rent soon. I'm sure Monroe and Rosalee will be happy with that."
Nick paused and looked at him and Sean got the feeling that the other man had said more than he'd intended to.
"Stay safe," Sean offered and Nick frowned.
"And you," Nick returned before slipping from the office.
Sean looked back at the video of his bother and froze it. He felt hatred run through him at the sight of the man and he would take delight when he was no longer a problem for him.
xXx
Nick panted harshly as he ran, he'd lost the others while they'd been running and the zombies closed in around him. He knew that he was being herded and he hoped that meant that the others were getting away. He lashed out as another man tried to grab him and yelled out as he kicked back another zombie, struggling to break free. A woman suddenly latched onto his arm, her teeth bitting deeply into his skin and he yelled out in pain. He smashed his gun into the side of the woman's head.
He winced as the woman was dislodged and kicked out at another attacker. Two more men closed in on him and he braced himself. Suddenly another man jumped down from a shipping container with a growl in his throat. The man landed close to him and lashed out at the first zombie that he could reach. Nick quickly fell into step with Sean Renard, not even blinking an eye at his morphed features as they pushed back against the zombies around them. His back to the other man's and trusting Sean to not stick a knife into him.
They broke through the mass and Sean grabbed his arm and pulled. Nick stumbled after the Captain, his tan coat standing out as they ran. Sean pulled up around a corner of a shipping container and Nick could tell that he was trying to get control of himself.
"My brother is here," Sean panted and looked up at him, his face back to normal. "Help is on the way but I believe that he is after you."
"Me?" Nick gasped. "Why?"
"I don't know," Sean answered. "Could be that you are a Grimm or your connection to me-"
Sean was cut off as a zombie tumbled around the corner and they were off running again. Nick stumbled on a step, when he spotted the Baron standing on top of a shipping container, but Sean just grabbed his arm and tugged him along with strength that surprised him.
"It's a trap!" Sean hissed. "Keep going!"
Sean let him go as they ran, Nick turned around a corner then stumbled as he felt something splash over his face. He yelled out in pain as he grabbed his face and dropped to his knees. He felt hands grab him then a feral growl before everything disappeared in a burst of pain.
xXx
Sean jumped forward and smashed his knife into the Baron's chest without thought or care. He growled, his whole nature on show as he twisted the blade and the creature squeaked and tried to spit. Sean smashed his other fist into the Baron's head. The man's head snapped back as he tumbled to the ground. Sean's knife slipped loose from the man before he was on the creature again and slitting his throat. He grimaced as blood splashed across his face and clothes.
He panted harshly as he glanced over to Nick, laying sprawled out on the ground. Completely out and looking dead and he cursed loudly. He wiped his sleeve over his face before standing quickly and rushed over to the other man. He felt his heart thudding in his chest as he looked down at the Grimm before reaching down. He gathered Nick up and carefully swung him over his shoulder. He grunted under the added weight but just gritted his teeth. He could hear sirens on the air now as he staggered away.
He sighed in relief when he managed to get back to his car. He carefully laid Nick out in the backseat before he looked at his slack face, in all aspects looking dead and he shivered. He felt something in him pushing at him to seek out his brother and get his revenge but one look at Nick had him moving around the car and slipping into the driver's seat. What he did now was more important. He could deal with his brother later.
xXx
Monroe sighed in relief as the police flooded the area and Hank yelled up to them. He grabbed Rosalee in a tight hug and just took in her scent. They had made it and yet Nick was still out there. They quickly climbed down as the police yelled out and started to push the zombies into a shipping container.
"Where's Nick!" Hank demanded the moment that they were down.
"I don't know," Monroe answered, looking around. "He got separated from us."
Hank cursed then pulled out his phone when it rang.
"Griffin," Hank snapped then the tension eased off. "Yes, sir…Yes, I have them…Right. We'll be there as quickly as possible."
Hank seemed to sang in relief.
"The Captain has him," Hank told them and the two Wesens tensed. "He's sending me his address. Nick's been poisoned."
"Give me your phone," Rosalee demanded and Hank handed it over in surprise.
Rosalee rang the last number on the phone.
"Yes?" Renard answered.
"He may not react the same way as the others," Rosalee said quickly and silence answered her before she heard cursing. "He may be more violent or may not be under for as long."
"Right," Renard answered and she could hear a car being pulled over and a loud horn. "Hold on."
Rosalee could hear the phone being placed down, shuffling and then something clicking into place. The phone was picked up again.
"I've sent Hank the address," Renard said quickly. "I'll try to secure him as much as I can. Do you have any more of the antidote?"
"No," Rosalee answered. "But I can make up more."
"Get here as soon as you can," Renard answered and hung up.
Rosalee looked at the address on Hank's phone and texted it to Monroe before handing the phone to Hank.
"Dodson!" Hank yelled out and a uniformed officer looked over. "I need you to take these two to where they need to go."
"Yes, sir." The man answered and looked relieved that he could leave the chaos around them.
"Go," Hank ordered as he rushed to his own car.
xXx
Sean settled Nick on bed and quickly clipped the handcuffs into place around the metal bars of the headboard of the bed. He had double cuffed the man but was unsure if that would hold under Grimm strength. He shivered at the coldness of the man's skin and glazed eyes. He gently slipped his eyelids down to give him an illusion of sleep before using a cloth to wipe down his face. He'd placed a cloth between the cuffs and Nick's skin and he hoped that would help stop the cuffs from cutting into his skin if he tried to pull out of them. At this point, he wasn't sure what was going to happen, and Rosalee's warning had him on edge.
He tried not to take deep breaths as the smell of the man was making his nose twitch. He could pick up Nick's natural scent but it was overwhelmed by other smells that had anger running through him. He stood back and looked down at Nick on the bed then tensed as the cuffs suddenly rattled. When he settled again Sean stepped forward and placed his fingers at his throat but there was nothing there. He started badly when his phone rang.
"Renard."
"I'm at your front door," Hank told him over the phone. "Security let me pass."
"I'll be there in a minute," Sean replied and hung up.
Sean stepped back and took care to close and lock the bedroom door. He hurried through his apartment and opened the door for Hank. The man stepped into the hallway and looked around in interest.
"Monroe and Rosalee will be here when they can," Hank reported. "I have Dodson with them."
Sean nodded and strolled back towards the bedroom that Nick was in. He unlocked the door and they slipped in. The room was fully contained with no windows and with solid brick walls surrounding it. Hank went to walk forward but Sean grabbed his arm to stop him.
"I wouldn't," Sean warned. "He rattled the cuffs before. He could be waking up."
Hank stepped back and just looked his partner and friend over.
"Looks like he was bitten," Hank remarked.
"Yes," Sean agreed. "A few times. I'm sure he'll be hurting after this is all done."
"I don't think that he'll be the only one," Hank remarked. "Did you want to have a shower?"
Sean started and looked at Hank, the man was looking him over and Sean quirked a smile.
"If he breaks through those," Sean remarked. "I'm sure that I'll look worse than I am now."
Hank barked a laugh and clapped a hand to his shoulder and Sean started at the move.
"I think you might be right," Hank stated.
xXx
Monroe looked over at the police officer as he wandered around the shop, picking up items at random as Rosalee worked.
"Do you have enough of everything?" Monroe questioned.
"Yes," Rosalee answered.
Monroe shifted from foot to foot, on edge as his Blutbad nature pushed at him. His concern for his friend overriding everything and it surprised him. He had come to care for Nick and saw him as part of his family. They weren't just Blutbad and Grimm, they were friends. He tensed as the officer picked up another item and knew that his other nature was showing.
"Monroe!" Rosalee hissed and Monroe looked over at her innocently.
"What?"
xXx
Sean tensed as the cuffs rattled and slowly pushed away from the wall that he'd been leaning on as Hank stepped back towards the door. The cuffs rattled louder as Nick started to come around with a soft growl. Red, blood shot eyes flicked open and Sean growled in warning. Those eyes locked onto him and he could see none of Nick that he knew, looking at him. It was a feral look in his eyes and face and it pulled on his wild nature as he stepped closer. Nick shifted on the bed and pulled on the cuffs on his wrists. Using his whole weight to pull on the metal links as he crouched there.
"Sir?" Hank called. "He's going to hurt himself."
"Or us," Sean added as Nick growled and grabbed the metal bars of the bed instead and started pulling. "Wait outside."
"No," Hank said flatly.
Sean didn't order him again, he knew it wasn't worth it as he stepped closer. Those red eyes flicked to him and an animal growl sounded on the air. The sound raised the hair on the back of his neck and sent a shiver down his spine.
"Nick," Sean tried as Nick pulled at the metal bars. "Just settle down, we don't want to hurt you."
Nick gave up on the bars and turned to him. He shivered at that inhuman look and the way that the metal bars had already been bent out of shape. He knew they were very well secured and welded into place. He also knew in that moment that the other man would be able to get free of the cuffs, it was just a matter of time. He stepped closer as those red eyes locked on him. Nick kept pulling on the cuffs but he seemed to have the man's attention at least.
He could see the blood trailing down Nick's arms as the cuffs cut into his skin, through the cloth he'd placed there and he grimaced at the sight. He stood out of Nick's reach and watched him carefully.
"You are safe," Sean cooed, his tone soft as if speaking to a wild animal. "Just settle down."
Nick snarled as his eyes darted to Hank and pulled harder on the cuffs. Sean stepped to the side to block his view of the other man. Those red eyes locked on him again as he lips curled back from his teeth. A growl deep in his throat, Sean answered it with one of his own and Nick paused.
Something seemed to flicker in the other man's eyes and Sean growled again. Then Nick grabbed one of the bars of the bed and pulled harshly with all of his weight. The metal snapped with a loud crack and one of his cuffs slipped lose. Sean quickly stepped back as the Grimm reached for him with a yell. Sean could hear cursing behind him and hoped that Hank stayed back.
"Hank," Sean warned. "Get out, you will have to answer the door when the others get here."
He felt the tension in his shoulders ease as he heard the door open and close. One more person out of harm's way.
"Nick!" Sean said sharply.
If the man heard him, he didn't react as he went back to trying to get loose and Sean knew it was just a matter of time. With another loud crack, Nick pulled himself free and Sean braced himself. The strength it would take to break through the metal bars had him on edge. Nick twisted around and crouched on the bed and stared at him. Sean panted slightly as he stood in just his dress pants and shirt and waited. Both predators eyeing each other off.
Nick moved first.
Sean twisted to the side with inhuman speed as Nick shot forward with a yell. The room was mostly bare, except the bed and side tables. Sean quickly ducked down and grabbed Nick's leg, as he passed him, and pulled. The man hit the ground hard but recovered quickly as he lashed out with his other foot, clipping Sean in the side. He grabbed that foot and twisted and Nick yelped and he went down again. Sean was on him quickly and trying to grab for his wild hands.
Nick yelled out and brought a knee up into Sean's stomach and he grunted as he grabbed a hold of one of Nick's wrists. The two men tangled on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand. The strength of the Grimm on par with his own as Sean called on his wilder nature to try and contain the man below him. He pulled back quickly as Nick threw a punch towards him, the handcuffs flicked up and missed him by an inch. He grabbed Nick's shirt and jerked him forward. He slammed Nick back onto the hard ground with a growl, stunning the man.
He quickly straddled the man's waist as he grabbed for his wrists. Nick tried to buck him off and Sean used his taller and heavier frame to keep him down but it was a struggle. He managed to finally pin both of the man's wrists down as Nick struggled under him. He grunted as one of the man's knees hit his back and he shifted further down his body to pin his thighs down as Nick growled under him. Sean's blood drippled down his face as he panted harshly. He blinked to get it out of his eyes as it splashed onto Nick below him.
Nick suddenly stopped struggling while Sean panted and didn't release his hold. He knew that he would be bruising the man's skin but didn't slacken his hold as he looked down and locked eyes with Nick. He didn't relax as he gasped in breaths until Nick suddenly bucked his hips up and groaned. Sean froze as he smelt a new scent on the air. The feeling of the hardness of the steel handcuffs in contrast to the slick feeling of Nick's blood as he held his wrists down.
"Nick," Sean gasped.
Red tinted eyes focused on him before the man tilted his head to the side and made an odd keening sound that went to other parts of Sean. He roughly pushed down on that part of him and growled low in his throat. Nick struggled in his hands but wasn't trying to break out of his hold as he twisted slightly and arched his back.
"Nick!" Sean yelped as the man bucked up.
With a growl, Sean quickly flipped the man before he could react. Nick grunted as he lay flat on his stomach and Sean quickly twisted his wrists behind his back. The man under him yelled out and started to struggle against him again. Before Sean could hold himself back, he leaned down and growled low in his throat. He then bit down hard on Nick's shoulder where it met his neck as he pushed him down.
Nick stilled under him and went completely boneless and Sean pulled back. He panted harshly as he held Nick's wrists and tried not to think about what he'd just done. Nick had gone completely still as Sean quickly slipped a key from his pocket and locked the cuffs together before the man gathered his wits again. He sat up while he straddled the man's thighs and tried to get his breathing under control. A knock on the door startled him.
"Come in," Sean called.
Monroe came in first in full Blutbad mode then slipped back to human as he spotted him. His eyes were wide as he looked at him and stepped out of the way for the others.
"Hurry up before he starts fighting again," Sean snapped. "That's more than just Grimm strength that he has at the moment."
"Turn him over," Rosalee ordered.
Sean stumbled off Nick as Monroe and Hank grabbed his arms. Nick started fighting the moment that Sean's weight left him. Sean wiped away blood from his eyes as the two men managed to force Nick down on the bed on his back. They held his arms down as the man struggled and Sean quickly jumped forward to grab the man's legs as Nick yelled out. He strained against them and the three were having trouble holding him down.
"Rosalee!" Monroe yelled.
Rosalee quickly jumped forward and plunged the needles into Nick's stomach. Sean winced at the yelp of pain the man made. Nick's struggles started to ease but the men didn't release him as Rosalee stepped back with large eyes. They didn't let Nick go until his struggles eased off completely and he went limp. Sean rocked back on his heels and grimaced as he touched the side of his face. His fingers came away wet with blood and he wasn't looking forward to looking in the mirror.
"Right there, sir?" Hank asked with too much pleasure as Sean sat on his ass.
"You can deal with him if that didn't work," Sean snapped and Hank gave him a grin.
Monroe huffed and sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on Nick's chest. Sean tensed at the move and had to remind himself how close Nick was to the man. He was not going to look at his own actions or reactions to this situation until after he got a few hours of sleep and had a long shower.
"I can't feel a heartbeat," Monroe reported. "But that was the same with the others. How long do you think that he'll be under?"
"I'm not sure," Rosalee replied and looked around the room.
Sean then realised that these people were in his house as he looked at the damage they'd made. He slowly eased himself up with a wince of pain and the help of the bed and the others looked at him. He could tell from their expressions that he looked as bad as he felt.
"Feel free to use the kitchen and anywhere else," Sean told them as he took his weight off his left leg with a grimace. "I'm going to have a shower and find out what's happening at the shipping yard. We still need more of that antidote."
Rosalee started at that and quickly grabbed her bag.
"I'll go with you," Hank offered and Monroe looked torn.
"Stay here," Rosalee ordered and the Blutbad settled back on the bed. "I'll leave you another dose, just in case you need it."
Rosalee and Hank left and Monroe and Sean shared a look as a red tinge came to the man's eyes and Sean just nodded at him.
"Keep an eye on him," Sean ordered. "Call me if you need me."
Monroe nodded and Sean limped to his bathroom, feeling every bruise.
xXx
Monroe leaned back on the wall, next to Nick, and tried not to look at the twisted metal of the headboard and the stillness of the man beside him. It was off putting not to hear the soft beat of the man's heart, like one of his clocks or the soft snores that he was used to. He tried not to take in the smell of the man either and he had debated sitting somewhere else but that only left the floor.
The blood of both Renard and Nick spattered across the surface, stopped that train of thought quickly as he looked back over to the man beside him. Nick was going to be sore for a while as he took in the bruises on his skin and he was sure that the dirt covered even more. That was before he got to the redness of the bite marks on his arms and he didn't know where else. The way that Nick's arms were twisted under him, he knew that he would wake up with sore muscles but there was nothing that they could do about that either. They didn't want to roll him onto his side and run the chance that he could get the upper hand on them.
He sighed and bowed his head before looking up as Renard slipped back into the room. He'd had a shower and Monroe was happier that the soap smell took the edge off the other man's natural scent. Renard looked just as battered as Nick and he was sure that the Grimm had given as good as he got. Renard moved carefully and Monroe was sure it was for his benefit more than Renard's.
"The man that did this?" Monroe questioned and the Zauberbiest hazel eyes focused on him.
"Dead," Renard stated with a glint in his eyes.
"And the man that ordered it?" Monroe pressed.
"Will be dead soon," Renard answered and Monroe shivered at his tone of voice.
Renard stopped beside the bed and looked them over, his body language and face giving nothing away. This was a man that kept things close and yet as he looked at Nick, he saw his eyes flicker and a look of concern flash across his face. A crack in his mask that he was sure that Renard didn't know he'd given away.
"How much do you know?" Renard questioned and Monroe pulled back slightly.
"Everything," Monroe answered and Renard nodded.
"Did you want me to get you a chair?" Renard offered and Monroe gave him a smile.
"Yes, thanks."
