Adalind shivered a little at the coldness of the slight wind that breezed by but she felt oblivious to everything going on for a moment.

She also felt a little dumb because, for a very long lingering second, she thought he may be looking at her lips.

And for some reason, she wished he was.

He probably did but was just staring at them because he rubbed his thumb over the blood trickling down from the split in it.

Nick coughed a little more but then took a sudden inhale like he was snapping out of a trance. "Alright, let's go." He moved to stand and she placed her hand on his shoulder caringly. Like a helping touch.

Nick didn't know what that urge was but he decided it probably was just a natural feeling to want to kiss a beautiful woman.

He was calling her beautiful now?

But he pushed those thoughts aside, he needed to get her to safety first. Which is nowhere here in Vienna but the point is still the goal.

Also wasn't too pleased that it was taking him a little more effort just to stand but he appreciated her caring hand on him.

He nodded at her to let her know he could manage. "Theirs probably more on the way so we won't have too long to get out of sight." He coughed some more blood and spat out the disgusting taste of it.

He wished he could manage it better because he didn't want Adalind to be too worried & because he didn't want her trying to slow down for him.

A liability he refused to be even though he knows she probably wouldn't view it that way.

Adalind watched him limp to one of the many bodies of the dead and pulled a phone out of one of their pockets. "Damn it" He said as he flipped it on.

"What's going on?" She asked but she was more focused on his injuries again. The sliced open hand one he had wasn't really bleeding which surprised her but his leg wound re-opened along with the one on his shoulder.

Was she surprised? No. Not with everything they've been having to do up to this point but she didn't know whether it was the resiliency of a Grimm or just Nick's pure will that kept him going. Not just strong, but this strong.

She watched him now throw the phone he had and go to another body. "Trying to find a phone that doesn't have a passcode." He said as he pulled another one out but said another expletive as he had the same result as the last one he checked.

Adalind did have another question though. "The last time Meisner brought me here though, Sebastien gave up the location. So I don't think it's safe and secure." She didn't know where they were going to go but she wanted somewhere she could have him close and take care of him.

She was wanting to have him close now?

Adalind knows she was enjoying the hand holding and the huddling up close to him but longing for it in a way now? That was unexpected.

She furrowed her brows at her own thought on that one and was glad he wasn't looking as she shook her head to clear her mind of that thought.

He limped over to another body now and his frustration with not finding one yet was evident "Sebastien?" He questioned first though.

"Old friend of Sean's"

"If he's an old friend of Renard I'm going to assume he's dead then." He said as he had a look of triumph as it appears he has found one. Shoving it into his pocket now. His search for something else continued though.

"Yeah but I guess it was more of a sacrifice kind of." Adalind said a little lowly. She was hoping this wasn't a terrible case of Déjà vu at this point. It was eerily beginning to feel like it. Scarily so.

She just hopes there is no sacrificing this time. Especially with who she was in this forest with right now.

Nick now picked up a gun from one of the bodies to go along with the one he dropped. Putting one in the back of his pants and holding on to the other. "As for why I asked you to lead us here" He had to budge the ax out of the guy's head it was still in and he made an 'ugh' face and noise as he did.

"I know we won't be safe or secure there but we just need a little more time. Also, that way we aren't too far out." She now watched him take the coat off of the one's neck he snapped.

Adalind had to ask now as she watched him take the shirt off of the guy too. "Okay, what the hell are you doing?" It was so random how many different things she watched him do she almost laughed if it wasn't for the current circumstances.

"Problem-solving." He flashed her a quick smile.

"Nick" She said unamused.

"What?" He said nonchalantly. He knew she wouldn't be amused. Now removing the shirt off of the one she hit with a log.

"Well unless you all of a sudden had the urge to see a bunch of half-naked guys and I mean god knows we've all had that but"

Nick's brows furrowed and his face grew a strong look of befuddlement at the last part of her statement. "What?"

Adalind didn't mean to say that last part out loud. "Huh?" she shook her head at her thoughts. "Shut up." Nick was still perplexed but she continued. "What's your idea with all this I mean." She finally said.

He walked toward her with the coat in hand as he threw the couple of shirts over his shoulder and placed the gun in his hand in the back of his pants as well. "Like the coat?" She asked first.

"This is for you." He said as he held it open for her arms to accept. "It's going to start snowing again soon." Adalind wondered if he could tell she was getting cold or was it just because it felt cold in general. She had a jacket but the wind was small but slicing through it so the snow would have made it worse.

She held Diana a little closer against her right shoulder as she held her left arm out for him to slide it on. Then switched Diana over to her left so he could slide it on her right arm.

The little interaction felt so sweet.

Quite immediately she felt warmer too. She gave him a smile of gratitude and satisfaction at the warmth. "Thank you." She said sweetly as Nick looked her up and down in a tone of approval.

"The shirts though?" She asked next.

He held one up. "This is so we can fold it or cut it so we can give Diana more warmth." Adalind couldn't help the buzz her chest felt at how he thinks of Diana's well-being a lot.

More than she can say of her actual father despite whatever he allows himself to believe he does for Diana. "And the other?"

"This is so I don't have to keep wearing a shirt that the cleanest spot isn't one with blood on it." He said as he held that one up in his other hand and she gave an understanding nod to that.

"The phone?"

He put the shirt in his left hand back on his shoulder and pulled the phone out. "This is so we can call a certain someone hopefully and see how much longer we have to holdout. Also so he knows the area we are at." He took a breath. "And maybe Rosalee will know a way to slow down poison with snow and tree bark." He said jokingly.

Adalind wished she could be entertained by it but her worry was far too great for that.

Reminded her that the veins had grown to show more on his neck a little and his skin looked even more sickly.

He put the phone back in his pocket now "And I think the extra gun is pretty self-explanatory." Nick said and Adalind had something pop into her mind.

"Maybe we should get you something to rewrap your wounds?"

He shook his head. "No point. They aren't bleeding too bad and I can manage. Other priorities." Adalind didn't like that explanation but she knew it was no point in arguing. He made up his mind already. "And that's all thanks to you that they aren't as bad as they should be so thank you. Guess you were right about me being lucky to have you." He said kindly.

She was glad he had turned around because she couldn't help a blushing smile that plastered itself on her face. Also knowing he was referring to her comment she said all the way back before they first entered Frau Pech's house a few days ago.

"And when did you even think of all this?" The thought just popped into her mind because you would think he had plotted this for maybe an hour or so.

He limped back so he could pick up the ax. "Just coming up with it as we go." He said simply and she had an enamoring smile grow on her lips. Nick picked it up now and begin limping back toward her. "Lead the way." He said as he pulled out one of the guns with his free hand.

Adalind found it pretty stimulating how in a matter of minutes or maybe even seconds how he just thought up all of that on the fly. To still be that focused despite everything his body has gone through and all the countless things his mind could understandably be thinking of.

It was like he had an answer or solution for every little thing.

There goes that sexy feeling again and she bit her lip as she watched him walk ahead a little.


Renard felt himself shiver awake.

He wasn't sure if it was just a reaction or if it was a shaken feeling at being punched to incapacitation again.

His mouth must have been hanging open the whole time because there was a small pool of blood in front of him and there was a dangling spit of blood out of the corner of his mouth.

Renard gasped after the grunt of trying to move his face a little. He may have permanent brain damage at this point. First Burkhardt's mother slamming his skull into his counter and kicking his head like a ball.

Then Burkhardt bashed it against the cell wall a few days later.

Now being repeatedly beaten in it.

The room was empty and disturbingly quiet. All you could hear was a slow but steady drip-dropping which probably was just someone else's blood from who knows when leaking somewhere.

His reality started sinking in though.

No Viktor.

He was waking up.

And most importantly, his waking up meant he was still alive so he hadn't caught Nick yet. Then again, he could have caught him but be too busy torturing him right now but Renard highly doubts it.

One thing he has learned about Burkhardt is he is stubborn to death and even more to giving anything up.

If all went right for Renard though, Burkhardt escapes with Adalind and Diana & then ends up back in Portland. Renard didn't know where the keys were but that didn't matter, all he needed was to get Viktor to the trailer then he would be in the clear for the rest of his plan.

It may even be easier because he didn't expect Viktor to be so strung out.

Now of course when Burkhardt finds out about his plan to get him to the trailer by then it'll already be too late and Nick will have to handle it.

Renard almost chuckled to himself. Sometimes he came up with this stuff too easily.


The cabin was exactly how Adalind expected it to be.

It was ransacked.

Not too damaged or anything like that but you could tell since the last time she had to run from here with Meisner that it had been searched as much as you possibly could search the small place.

Déjà vu was really starting to set in as she stepped into it though.

Nick held the door open for her as she stepped in and it was a little darker in there since there was no fire lit but it was still daylight outside so it wasn't really a problem.

She stepped in but kind of waited to see what Nick planned to do. He put the gun back in his pants and leaned the ax against the wall.

It didn't take him long to get adjusted to the place either because he took notice of one of the blankets that were on the floor and picked one up. Placing both shirts on the table as he walked by to go grab one of the blankets.

He placed it on the table and looked at Adalind.

"Didn't want her laying on wood." He said courteously.

Adalind couldn't tell if she was tired physically or mentally just drained from everything she has constantly had to go through these past few weeks. His aiding her and kindness have made it bearable and actually quite manageable.

"I would help you but..." Holding up his bloodied hand. "Definitely don't want to get blood on her." He shifted uncomfortably as he lowered his hand. "And I don't really know how to change a diaper..." Nick knows they weren't changing a diaper but if he couldn't even change a diaper then he for sure wasn't going to figure out how to safely and neatly wrap a shirt around Diana.

Adalind's laugh was so tittering it sounded like a hum to his ears as she walked to stand on his side. "I'm sure you'll learn how to change her diaper one day." Nick's movements stilled and he felt awkward because of how that sounded.

At first, Adalind didn't notice what she said as she placed Diana down.

She saw his motions still then she realized what she said sounded a little suggestive of something else. "Oh I...I, I don't even...I don't even know why I said that." She cleared her throat to try and change the subject. "You should take off your clothes!" Her words came a little too high-pitched.

Oh god, why did you follow up with that out of all things?

She looked horrified at her slip-ups and he shifted more awkwardly. He doesn't even know why he was acting like this, but it was kind of the same feeling he got when he wanted to kiss her earlier.

"I meant..." Adalind said it hard and like she was trying to regain her composure. "You should change your shirt now." He nodded his head as if he was saying 'oh right right'

He gladly moved to do just that, taking off his jacket as Adalind begin working on wrapping Diana who appeared to enjoy what she was about to do. She must have been getting colder and Adalind was thrilled they got to it before she started crying.

She wished she could make it where Diana never had anything to cry about.

Nick was going to simply just take the bloody, ripped, and smutty shirt off normally. But the damn thing was so torn apart that he just gave it a hard pull and it ripped right off.

Adalind looked up from Diana at the sight and she bit her lip at him ripping his shirt off. 'Oh boy'

That didn't last long though as she saw how rough it was beginning to look on his body from the poison.

His skin was an even lighter shade of pale but still not close to how Stefania looked when she was dying but still it wasn't good. The blood that sadly was very evident in many places of his body was no longer red anymore and was black.

His veins showed more and more throughout his torso and chest. They were heavily darkened in a deep shade of black by the miniature stab wound Stefania's blade left on him. Thank god she didn't manage to penetrate him with anything more than the tip of the blade.

He had a day or maybe a day and a half at the most.

She didn't know much about whatever it was but Rosalee did and they needed to hurry up & get him to her before it was too late.

Nick in obvious discomfort slid the shirt onto his arms then brought it up over his head. Making noises that displayed his discomfort as well. "You okay?" She asked but then she realized how dumb that question was so she modified it. "Besides everything already...are you okay?"

Nick gave a shake of his head. "All things considered...I guess it truly could be worse. Well, at this current moment at least." He gave her a reassuring expression.

Again she wishes that wasn't the case but she'll have to accept it for now as she went back to finding a way to wrap the shirt around Diana.

Nick put his jacket back on and limped his way closer to the ax again. He let out a huff.

Now pulling the phone out and dialing Rosalee first. Well, the Spice Shop.

Nick wondered if it be a while or shortly before she answered but then he remembered it was only maybe an hour or an hour-n-half since Adalind had to call her to help him not die. So knowing Rosalee and Monroe like he has been blessed enough to do so, they probably were anxiously waiting by the phone.

Or slow down his death however you wanted to word it. It sometimes bothered him how okay he is with the coldness of his world. Not bother, but moreso surprised how he managed to get used to it despite having absolutely no idea about it until only a couple of years ago. He finished putting in the number of the Spice Shop as well.

Yet ever since it happened.

Never has he ever been closer to death but felt more alive. Take in a world he doesn't and probably will never fully know or understand, yet he feels like he has never understood or known himself better than he has right now.

A smile crept onto his lips watching Adalind play with Diana to make her laugh as he finally hit call on the phone and put it to his ear.

Nick was quite sure the phone didn't even get a chance to ring before it was answered. "Spice and Tea" Monroe's voice came through the other side of the phone.

"Monroe it's me." Nick went to go look outside for a moment to make sure everything was still clear but he could feel the opposition coming in the distance. They didn't have long.

"Nick!" His voice came out like a relieved hiss. He heard him call Rosalee over in the distance of the call. He heard a rustling sound so he was sure they were probably cheek to cheek right now with the phone between them so they both could hear. "We thought you were a dead man." Monroe exclaimed as Nick stopped looking out.

Nick let out a breath as Adalind gave him a look when she finished wrapping up Diana. "How are you? Adalind just sort of hung up earlier." Rosalee didn't sound accusing at all but Nick was sure they probably weren't going to be as lenient with thinking she had nothing to do with any weirdness that ensues since they haven't been around her like he has been.

"The phone died." Nick said simply and nonchalantly. "Are you guys alright? What's been going on there?"

He heard Monroe scoff. "I mean we're fine, I think we should be more worried about you." He and Rosalee completed that sentiment. When Adalind called us and showed us what kind of shape you were in..."

"You didn't look too good dude." Monroe finished and Nick admire their chemistry but focused.

"Yeah, I know. I was wondering if there was a way to slow it down more. Stopping it altogether would be nice too." He said and Rosalee begin ranting off different plants and potions he's never even heard of in his life so for sure none you would find in a mostly empty cabin in a forest.

He wasn't even sure he could repeat some of the things she said. "Okay, I'm going to take that as no." Nick said after a pause. The concern he heard or could feel through the phone raised exponentially to that.

"Are you guys on the way back?" Rosalee asked as if she was just trying to hear any positive out of all of this.

Nick looked out again. That feeling was getting stronger. "That's the plan."

Monroe's breath almost caught. "So that means you got Adalind's child back!"

"Diana." Nick said as Adalind picked up Diana to hold her close again.

"What?" Monroe questioned. Confusion was evident in his tone. Parallel to him talking, Nick walked toward Adalind to give Diana a look over after she managed to find a way to wrap her up in the shirt. For some reason, Nick felt like Diana looked a little older or bigger for a baby that was just born not too long ago. Wasn't even a month but he chalked it up to his paranoia and fatigue.

"The child's name is Diana." Nick said to clear that up for Monroe. He placed a nurturing hand on Diana then put it on Adalind's shoulder with a squeeze.

Walking over to the door once again to look out. Oh, they were coming alright.

"That's a lovely name." Rosalee said kindly.

"And to answer your other question" He went to look out again, he could hear numerous footsteps approaching now. "Yes, Adalind and Diana are with me."

Nick brought his shoulder up to cup the phone to his ear as he pulled out his gun to make sure it was loaded. He knew his strength was waning and this was the whole point of conserving the use of the bullets. "Get ready." He told Adalind.

Rosalee and Monroe shared a look. "Nick, what's happening?" Monroe asked.

Nick shoved the clip back in "We are about to have company." Adalind had put Diana in a more comfortable place to hold her on her shoulder but almost more protective. "I have to go." He was about to hang up but Rosalee's voice caught him before he did.

"Wait! Do you want us to tell Juliette anything?" Nick almost bellowed out in hysteria at that. But he remembered Monroe and Rosalee have no idea about Juliette's transgressions.

He still couldn't help the scoff that escaped him though. "Definitely not. Don't tell her anything." It came out with some venom. Monroe and Rosalee's faces both had a strange look grow on them out of bewilderment at his tone. They were going to ask if something happened but he hung up to fast before they could.

He limped quickly over to Adalind to hand her the phone and her face appeared antsy but alert. "I'm going to hold them off, you call Meisner." He directed.

She took the phone and put it in the same hand that she was holding Diana. Nick turned to head toward the door, ax in hand but Adalind reached out her free hand to catch his.

They both froze in their steps as their hands were clasped together. Both turned their gaze south to look at it.

It was freezing outside and in the cabin, yet they both were wonderfully surprised and soothed by the warmth of their hands together. "Be careful." She said in a voice so beautifully sweet that Nick didn't even know she was capable of making it.

Her eyes returned to looking up at him but his remained on their hands for a few more seconds longer before he returned her gaze.

He gave her a sincere nod.

Adalind had this dark desire in her stomach screaming to press her lips against his for some reason. Her feelings were really beginning to drive her crazy. She felt pregnant again with all the urges.

He walked to the door and she still knew she could keep her inner promise she made about doing whatever it took to get him home alive. She just needed to make the call and then go help him the best she could.

Adalind knew it would have to be quick though.

She watched over him and his breathing was beginning to labor more. If she already caught her breath a while ago, he out of all people should have by now but he hasn't. His skin looks more scaly and pale with a sweat that seems to never leave.

She was quite sure bags were growing under his eyes.

Those disturbing blackened veins darkened and deepened even more. A hurt feeling seeped over her chest because it was like she was watching him slowly deteriorate before her eyes.

Then she began hearing the sound of loud footsteps and growling.

Probably sounds he already heard minutes ago.

Here we go...


AN: Another chapter will be on the way very shortly in the coming days.

This one would have came way faster but I got caught up binging a show called "The Order".

Sidenote: Anybody got any Christmas plans? Or Hanukkah? Hope everyone has been well and enjoying this time of the year!

Thank you for all of the reviews! I read & enjoy them all every time!