Sean soon learned that Nick worked more hours than he gave him credit for. He noticed it more since they were sharing a bed as Nick came and went at odd hours. Not that Sean himself wasn't woken by his phone at strange times. Nick would just groan and roll over in the bed as Sean would slip from the room, if needed. Nick didn't ask what the calls were about and Sean didn't ask when Nick came home smelling of dirt, blood or strangely something else that Sean couldn't put his finger on, not that he really wanted to know what it was and had just pointed Nick towards the bathroom.

When it came to work, the rules changed slightly and Sean found himself pulled further into the type of work that Nick would get himself into. Kelly Burkhardt seemed to have disappeared for now but Sean knew that wouldn't last. He was aware that Nick was in contact with her but he stayed out of that. He found himself more concerned, not that he would admit it, about Adalind and his cousin. Viktor in some ways was worse than Eric, while his brother had always had a jealous focus on him. Viktor was a 'family man' and that worried him.

"So," Nick announced as he walked into the apartment and dropped his laptop bag on the kitchen bench. "What is it about Royals?"

"In which way?" Sean asked from his place on the lounge.

"Well," Nick stated as he came over towards him. "You have all these powerful Wesen and the Verrat-"

"Who work for the Royal families."

"-But they are working for humans, right?" Nick finished. "Royal blood but humans?"

"As far as I am aware," Sean replied.

Nick seemed to think that over, the mind of a police officer milling over the information.

"However," Sean added. "You mentioned seeing something in my brother."

"Yes," Nick mused and looked at him.

"Do you see that in me?" Sean asked in interest.

"No," Nick answered but then looked unsure. "Maybe…it's hard to tell with you."

"Due to my Zauberbiest blood?"

"Possibly."

"Do you think there is more to it?"

"I don't know."

"Well," Sean drawled. "This conversation was enlightening."

Nick snorted and gave him a grin.

"So why do people follow the Royals?" Nick repeated.

"Power, money, standing, tradition." Sean said with a shrug. "The normal reasons that people are corrupted and turned."

Nick huffed before he turned and flopped down beside Sean and the other man curled his arm around his shoulders. Nick wiggled into his embrace and Sean took a guilty second to pull him tight and take in his scent.

"They want to rule the world," Sean grumbled and Nick snorted.

"Of course," Nick drawled.

"They," Sean stated. "However, could do it."

Nick tensed in his arms.

"They would have to stop fighting themselves first," Sean went on. "But they have done it before, once they have built alliances and borders."

"And that's what the resistance is trying to break up?" Nick questioned.

"Yes," Sean whispered as he sniffed Nick's hair. "If they are too busy fighting themselves they can't turn on the rest of the world."

They fell into silence as Nick rested his head against his chest and Sean just took in the feeling of the man in his arms. So close to that dangerous presence that a Grimm gave off as he held him. He wasn't sure if he should mention his concern over Adalind and the baby, Nick was aware of the child but did he want to bring that into their relationship, as new as it was, at the moment. Adalind still had a while to go in her pregnancy and yet the reports he'd been getting were concerning to say the least.

He leaned further back on the lounge as Nick shifted to lay a leg over his, he let that go for now. He was sure that he would have time to broach the subject with Nick before the baby was born. He still hadn't received confirmation that the child was his, but at the same time he knew, even if his mind hadn't accepted it yet.

xXx

Nick woke with a start but wasn't sure what had woken him. He laid still with Sean's arm over him and his soft breathing on the back of his neck. Their legs were tangled together as they lay there and he focused on his hearing. He could hear the soft sounds of the city outside but the apartment was quiet. After a few minutes, he slowly relaxed back into Sean's embrace, then the man shifted slightly and he was awake again.

He tensed all over again when Sean tightened his hold on him in his sleep. That's when he heard a slight 'tink, tink' sound. He gently untangled himself from the other man and Sean rolled away in his sleep and curled up away from him. Nick slipped out of the bed and padded on silent feet out of the room. He crouched slightly as he walked and tried to pick up on any noise. The apartment was dark around him but Sean liked to keep the curtains open which let in enough light for him to see.

He paused when he heard the sound again and it led him to Sean's office. Nick palmed one of the knives that Sean kept around the apartment as he slipped closer to the open door. He crouched down beside the doorway and took a quick glance inside before pulling back. He hadn't seen anyone, but that didn't mean anything in his line of work. He tried to hear anything else, but came up empty.

He took a chance when he heard the noise again and rushed into the room. A growl sound on the air before someone crashed into him. He grunted as he hit the floor hard and lost the knife as a black furry head and large teeth were inches from his face. His hands came up to the man's neck. They struggled as Nick tried to get the upper hand and the man tried to both hit him and struggle out of his hold. It was a dirty fight as fists and claws landed and Nick regretted not dressing. The Wesen's claws just sliced easily into his exposed skin, leaving stinging marks in their wake. Nick slammed a knee up into the man's stomach and the Wesen tumbled away with a growl. Nick jumped to his feet, his knife on the ground between them.

They both looked at it briefly before Nick jumped forward. The Wesen was faster and slammed into him. Nick yelped as he was pushed back into the wall and the breath was knocked out of him as his back and head hit hard. The man wrapped a clawed hand around his neck as his other grabbed one of his wrists and pinned him. Nick lashed out with his spare hand but the man just grunted with the blows. He expected those claws to rip into his throat but the man seemed more determined in strangling him then slicing him open.

"Grimm," The man growled as he bared his teeth, inches away from his face.

"Police!" Sean shouted. "Drop him!"

The man tightened his hold on his neck and Nick saw stars as his throat was closed off. He tried not to panic as he smashed his fist into the Wesen's side again and again but he was losing strength as his air was cut off.

"I will shoot! Let him go and step back!"

The Wesen leaned in close as Nick could feel his vision dimming and his struggles grew weak. He felt like the mouse that the cat was playing with before they went in for the kill. He reached up and grabbed the man's wrist as his legs gave out under him and his vision tunnelled.

Bang!

Nick was falling, which he only worked out when his body hit the cold concrete floor. He gasped in breaths and could feel a weight on him.

"Nick!"

He gulped in breaths as he felt a hand on his shoulder and Sean's voice talking softly from beside him. His throat burned as he sucked in as much air that he could, feeling light headed and dizzy. Slowly he became aware of Sean crouched before him with his hand on his shoulder and looking pale. The man was naked as he knelt there with his phone in his hand as he spoke to someone.

"Nick?" Sean questioned as he hung up. "Paramedics are on their way. What happened?"

Nick tried to talk but it just came out as a cough that raked his body. He then noticed the blood; his eyes took in the mess of the room and the man's body laid out on the polished concrete floor. At some point, Sean must have turned the light on.

"Verrat?" Nick gasped.

"I believe so," Sean answered. "I'll get you some clothes."

Sean stood up and carefully stepped out of the room as Nick panted. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position against the wall and looked down at the claw marks on his stomach and chest. They were going to be hard to explain but didn't look as deep as he thought they would. He looked up sharply when Sean returned fully dressed and holding out a pair of jeans and a shirt. Nick struggled into them as Sean knelt down beside the man that he'd killed. He carefully uncurled the man's hand to reveal the tattoo on his palm.

"You would think that they would hide that better," Nick whispered, his voice hoarse.

"This opens more doors for them then closes," Sean stated as he looked over at him in concern. "Alright?"

Nick nodded and grimaced as he used the wall to get to his feet. He stumbled on his first step as the blood rushed to his head. Sean suddenly appeared next to him as he grabbed his arm to steady him. Nick leaned back into the wall as Sean pushed his shirt up and checked the claw marks.

"Not too deep," Sean remarked. "Did you hear him?"

Nick nodded and Sean carefully guided him out of the room. Nick eased himself down onto one of the seats at the bench in the kitchen, just as a knock sounded at the front door.

"Stay here," Sean ordered before walking off.

It was going to be a long night.

xXx

Hank looked over to his partner being seen to by a paramedic before his eyes strayed to his Captain and knew that this incident was going to kick up the rumour mill. Not that there were many people in the department that didn't know about Nick couch surfing since Juliette had had her accident. But, he was sure that the fact that Nick was sleeping at the Captain's apartment would stir something up. Police could be nosy and yet they stuck by their own and he knew a few colleges that felt for Nick and his situation. Holding a relationship in their line of work was hard enough and he should know, with the number of ex-wives he had.

"Hey, man." Hank greeted Nick, once the paramedic had walked away. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Nick answered, his voice rough and the bruises already coming up on his throat. "Do we know anything more?"

"Not yet," Hank answered as Nick slowly pulled his shirt back on, over the bandages. "The Captain has already filled them in on the story."

Nick nodded and didn't cover up the wince when he shifted, the man had taken a beating.

"Did you get a good look at him?" Hank asked.

"No," Nick answered. "Something furry but not the normal Verrat, more cat like."

Hank snorted at that answer as the Captain walked over to them. They all looked over when the stretcher with the dead man was wheeled out. Another one for the morgue.

"He was doing something on my computer," Sean told them softly. "That must have been what woke you up, Nick?"

"I heard a tapping," Nick whispered. "But he wasn't over near your computer."

Wu walked over and gave them a once over.

"Anything else, sir?" Wu asked.

"No," Sean answered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Forensics shouldn't be much longer," Wu commented. "Did you want a car to stay outside?"

"Not right outside," Sean answered. "Get them to pull up a couple of streets away. I'll call them if there is anything else tonight. Start running his fingerprints and see if you get a hit."

"Yes, sir." Wu said and walked off.

"Hank," Sean stated, turning to the man. "Why don't you help Nick back to his room?"

"Yes, sir." Hank answered quickly, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. "Come on, partner. I'll even tuck you in."

Nick groaned as he pulled himself to his feet and Hank stayed close to his side but he got his feet under him without help. He nicked the bottle of water off the table before they walked down the hallway. Hank looked around in interest as they made their way further back into the apartment. Nick led them into a tasteful room, the bed was a mess of blankets and Nick's bag was on the floor. If Hank didn't know better, he would say that Nick was staying in this room.

Nick eased himself down onto the bed and Hank gave him a look.

"What?" Nick asked.

"From the sounds of it," Hank said mildly. "And the look of you, that was a close one."

"He was strong," Nick remarked. "Very strong and caught me by surprise. Do you know how he got in?"

"We think…and this is only a guess, so far. That he climbed up from the outside."

"He climbed up."

"He climbed up."

Just the thought was mind boggling, they were on the sixteenth floor.

"From the bottom up?" Nick uttered in disbelief and Hank shrugged.

"The only thing we have found is that the lock on the balcony door was jimmied open and the apartments below this one, don't have balconies," Hank told him. "If he came in that way, he climbed up."

"That is…"

"Concerning," Hank finished for him. "Since it's all glass windows."

"I saw fur," Nick remarked. "So, he wasn't a spider Wesen."

Hank shivered at the thought.

"Get some sleep, Nick." Hank advised. "I'm sure that you'll be stuck at your desk with paperwork tomorrow."

"Yeah," Nick grumbled with a grimace. "I'm not looking forward to that."

xXx

Sean could feel anger coursing through him as he watched the last of his men leave the apartment. Just the thought that someone had broken in, and he hadn't heard it, caused anger to bolt through him but for Nick to almost be killed…his thoughts blanked out at that and he was happy that he was alone as his inner nature showed itself as he woged. He was pissed. His men had picked up on his mood and were quick to do their work and get out.

"Captain."

All but one as Sean got his temper under control and turned to Hank. The dark man looked him over carefully before stepping closer.

"Nick's asleep," Hank reported. "I think the medics gave him something for the pain."

Sean nodded sharply.

"Did you want me to stay?" Hank offered.

"No," Sean answered, his voice back under control. "But be careful. I have a car sitting on your house as well."

"That's some nice overtime," Hank said with a whistle and a grin. "You're going to be well liked."

Sean let his tense muscles unwind as he opened his front door for Hank and the man got the idea.

"Good night, Hank."

"Night, sir."

Sean shut the door carefully after the detective and made sure it was locked before walking back towards Nick's room. He stepped into the room and looked down at the man sprawled out on his back with his arm over his stomach. He had bruises coming up on his face already and he could see the white of the bandages on his arm and shoulder. He felt that anger course back through him at the sight of the bruises as he sat on the side of the bed.

He hadn't heard anything until Nick cried out and by then he had just the right presence of mind to grab his gun before bolting down the hallway. Sean sighed and pushed that thought aside as he gently brushed a lock of Nick's hair away from his face before pulling the blanket up to cover him. He had to find out if the man had found anything, not that it matter now that he was dead. But there could have been more than one since the Verrat were like vermin, there was never just one.

xXx

Nick woke feeling stiff and sore as he rolled over and wiggled to the side of the bed. He took a moment as he sat there before stumbling over to the bathroom. He let the hot water run as he unwound the bandages before stepping into the shower and washing himself down. He braced his arms on the wall as he let the warm water ease the tense muscles in his back and glanced at the claw marks on his chest and stomach. He was lucky in a way that he didn't need stitches as he finished up and stepped out of the shower.

He found a healing balm on the sink with a note from Sean, telling him that he would see him at work when he felt well enough to come in. He smiled at the curving letters before uncapping the jar and smearing it over the cuts that he could reach before stepping back into his room to dress. By the time that he walked into the kitchen, he was feeling more human as he made up breakfast. At ten in the morning, he knew that Sean had already left for the day and would, no doubt, be breathing down someone's neck at the station. He found no other note from Sean as he picked up his work bag and headed out.

He walked out of the lift to see his favourite security guard on the front desk. The man gave him a look over as a sneer curved up his face.

"Morning, detective." Phillip Bolin greeted. "Your police buddies had people complaining last night."

"What a shame," Nick muttered.

"Yes," Bolin sneered. "They didn't like their peaceful sleep interrupted."

"I'll be sure to pass your message on to my Captain," Nick told him with a glare. "He'll be happy to know about your complaint after a man was able to enter his apartment without his ID being sighted at the door, last night."

Bolin just smirked at him but knew he hadn't won that round then his eyes trailed down to the bruising and slight cuts on Nick's neck.

"Sorry to hear that you had trouble," Bolin remarked blandly. "Should I inform the rest of the tenants that they may experience 'trouble'?"

"No," Nick snapped and walked out the front doors to find his car.

By the time that he made it to the station he was not in a good mood.

"Whoa," Hank greeted and held his hands up. "That's one hell of a glare and you haven't even seen your desk yet."

Nick just groaned and slumped in the chair at his desk. He just stared at the paperwork and the computer without moving.

"I would suggest turning the computer on first," Hank remarked from his desk, then leaned over and pressed the button. "I'll help you with the first step."

Nick just cursed at him in answer and Hank gave him a grin. Hank decided that coffee might be a better idea than tormenting him and wandered off. Nick just sighed and stared at his computer as it started up. By the time that Nick had entered his report on what had happened last night, he was ready to eat and dose himself with more coffee. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes then felt someone close to him. He started and flinched to the side, just to see Sean beside him.

"Not the reaction I was hoping for," Sean intoned and as he stood there with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.

"You startled me," Nick gasped.

"Not surprising after last night," Sean said easily. "How does lunch sound?"

"Better than more paperwork," Nick answered with a groan.

Sean stood back as Nick pulled himself to his feet with a grimace of stiffness and he was sure he'd be having more pain killers with his food. They ignored any looks thrown their way as they walked out of the station and took the Captain's car to a diner. Nick looked around in interest of why Sean had chosen this place until he saw the waitress. He couldn't help but stare at the woman as she worked, he hadn't seen her kind of Wesen before.

"The man that attacked you," Sean questioned. "Did he look like her?"

"I don't know," Nick replied and quickly looked away as the woman glanced over at them. "He had dark fur, like her, but I'm not sure on the features. Not the normal Verrat."

Sean gave him a nod and looked at the menu but Nick could tell that something was bothering the other man.

"Okay," Nick stated. "Spit it out."

Sean gave him a look that had Nick pausing and a blush came across his face. Sean gave him a smirk.

"I'll remember that for future reference," Sean remarked.

"You know what I mean," Nick snapped.

"I don't like how close these people are getting to us," Sean admitted.

"Were they after us, though," Nick commented. "Or after what you know?"

"That is the question," Sean agreed. "They still got too close."

Nick looked down at his coffee.

"What would you suggest then?" Nick asked.

Sean glanced around the diner as the waitress weaved through the tables and placed their meals down. Her name tag read 'Alice' as she gave them a nod and a smile. She drifted off and Nick got an image of a tail behind her and he quirked a smile.

"Something distracting?" Sean drawled.

"She has a tail," Nick uttered with a quirk to his lips. "What were we talking about?"

Sean snorted and gave him a look that sent a bolt through Nick and made him focus on him that little more.

"Our next move," Sean reminded him.

"Coffee," Nick replied and wiggled his cup.

Nick's eyes were drawn back to the woman as she smiled over at him as he held up the cup. He watched as that tail twitched behind her as she picked up the jug. She had dark fur on her face and slightly pointed ears, he was reminded of a black cat. More feline then what he'd seen from other cat like Wesens. With the pain killers he was on, he was finding it hard to focus as the woman's tail flicked behind her as she worked. He started to wonder how she would look if she was fully woged and what that tail would feel like.

"Nick," Sean said, breaking into his staring.

"What is she?" Nick asked. "A cat of some kind."

"Hybrid," Sean answered. "Similar to a Pflichttreue."

"Her fur is completely black though," Nick pointed out. "Pflichttreue are more leopard like with white or orange fur. She is more like a panther…ah."

"Yes," Sean answered as the woman stepped up next to their table and poured the coffee.

"Can I get you anything else?" Alice asked with a smile.

"No, thank you." Nick answered for them.

"The bill," Sean added. "When you are ready."

Alice's eyes flicked to Sean and Nick noticed the look of fear which she covered up with a smile. With effort, he pushed her Wesen image to the side and got a glimpse of straight black hair and slightly Asian features but with striking pale blue eyes. Those eyes bled over to her Wesen form.

"Yes, sir." Alice said quickly and walked away.

"They call them, 'night stalkers'." Sean explained. "They are born when one parent is Pflichttreue and the other…not."

"Are they stronger?" Nick asked. "The man last night was a lot stronger than other Wesen I've faced. Closer to that troll one."

Sean snorted at that and Nick waved his hand.

"I can't keep track of all these German names," Nick muttered. "Monroe just starts reeling them off and well…"

"Try remembering all the royal families and their connections," Sean grumbled.

"Too many cousins?"

"Something like that."

They fell into silence and Nick gave the waitress a smile and nod when she dropped the bill on the table. He was distracted by that tail again as she walked away on silent feet.

"Nick," Sean started to say then stopped.

"What?" Nick asked as he focused on the other man.

"Adalind," Sean broached, and Nick knew that he was waiting for his reaction. "I've been trying to get plans into place to get her out of Vienna."

"And her baby?"

"Yes," Sean agreed and Nick tried to read his expression but he was giving nothing away.

"Are you sure that it's yours?"

"It has royal blood," Sean replied as he leaned back in his chair. "There is a very good chance that it is mine, if it isn't, then it would be my nephew or niece."

"How far along is she?"

"Just over five months from what I can gather."

Nick fell silent at that as he looked the other man over. He'd gotten better at reading Sean's expressions but he was taking care to not give himself away.

"So, still a little while to go," Nick remarked.

"I'm not so sure," Sean replied. "Regardless if the baby is mine or my brother's, it still has Royal blood. It will be a very powerful tool, which my family would take full advantage of."

"This is out of my depth, Sean." Nick stated and Sean sighed and leaned his elbows on the table. "On this, I bow to your experience."

"Is that your way of saying that it's my family issue to deal with?" Sean questioned with a quirk to his lips.

"I have enough family problems," Nick muttered. "One that shot you."

"So, very much like my family then," Sean added and they shared a look.