"Why? Why do you bring this on yourself when you yourself have the power to make it stop?"
The female Fuchsbau chained before him writhed in pain. Blood covered her face, flowing freely from numerous cuts on her face. By the looks of her, her lower leg was also shattered in several places. Under other circumstances, her capacity for pain would be quite admirable. When The Young Lord was attempting extract information…Heavens, it could be quite galling. As if it wasn't humiliating enough that he had been completely oblivious to the fact that his former mistress had been an active participant in the Resistance, Mother and his sister Alexandra would never let him live that down, the Fuchsbau bitch had succeeded in steeling Father's key and fleeing to the United States. And if the pregnancy test recovered from her room was to be believed, she was with his child!
One of The Young Lord's guards delivered a swift punch to the prisoner's chest; ribs had certainly broken. "I'll ask you once again. WHERE did Arabella go?"
The prisoner spit blood and tried to force herself to her feet. She definitely had something to say; that much was clear. "Bidh cron duine…cho mòr ri beinn…mun lèir dha…fhèin e! You…will look forever…and never…cough…find her!"
This was growing tiresome. If this foolish twit didn't want to make things easy, he would be more than happy to oblige her. The Royals' network of contacts spanned the entire globe. All agents knew to be on the lookout for a Fuchsbau arriving from Scotland. Father would cut his tongue out before admitting that the Fuchsbau was in possession of one of the four keys but it would only be a matter of time before the key was once again in their possession…and Arabella would RUE the day she dared cross them. The Young Lord vacated his chair and waived to his bodyguards as he left. The prisoner let out a blood curdling scream as The Young Lord shut the door behind him. You know, sometimes it was indeed a great pleasure having Mauvais Dentes protecting your family.
Cecil, his personal assistant, immediately approached him upon coming out of the dungeon. "My Lord, your travel arrangements have been finalized. You depart from Glasgow International Airport tomorrow afternoon for Philadelphia PA. Your father's agents will be waiting for you as you disembark."
"Thank you Cecil," The Young Lord smiled and marched straight for the decanter of 1822 Cognac. "What's my excuse for this little holiday?"
"My people have enrolled you in a charity golf tournament in Erie Pennsylvania," Cecil continued. "Our records show that Arabella has distant relatives in Pennsylvania. It should be a beneficial place to start looking."
"Splendid; I've been itching for an excuse to visit a green," The Young Lord swallowed a mouthful of the fine liquor and smiled. The Good Lord bless his ancestors for inventing such a wonderful pastime. When he set foot on the green, he was in his own little world. "Thank you Cecil. I'll return to my quarters for the night."
"Of course Milord," Cecil called to his departing employer's back. "Pleasant dreams."
The young Lord sighed as he entered his sleeping chamber and began donning his silk nightclothes. It had been so long since he had visited the Colonies. This should prove to be quite pleasant. Though admittedly, ANY time away from his miserable shrew of a wife was enjoyable. Had it not been for the enormous wealth her family had brought to the coffers, he would much rather have slapped her and be done with it.
"Arabella…wherever you are; I pray you enjoy what remains of your miserable life. For not long from now, the wrath of House Killigan will put an end to you and the mongrel you now carry!"
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"Happy Birthday dear Kiiiiiim; Happy Birthday to you!"
Kim took a deep breath and blew out her candles. She'd awoken to her 16th birthday in a very cheery mood. It was a misty spring morning, the trees decked out with budding green leaves. Newly 16 year old Kim ran downstairs and was greeted by the delicious aroma of…Oooooooh, that's gotta be Mom's Sausage Gravy and Biscuits! That had been Kim's birthday breakfast of choice since she was six years old. The Possible family shared in the delicious meal and was quickly joined by Ronald Stoppable and Tara Lutz, Kim's two school pals. Tara had recently come into possession of her first car and was all too happy to drive her best friends to school. And of course, both friends just couldn't resist the wafting aroma of Mrs. Dr. P's homemade biscuits.
School had gone well. It was a birthday present in and of itself that the group's new friend Monique was starting to come out of her shell. Kim couldn't think of a better person to care for someone who'd had as hard a life as Monique than her Aunt Amy. Monique presented Kim with a batch of cookies that Aunt Amy had helped her make as a birthday gift, which Kim found to be delicious. After school, Tara dropped Kim off and her parents and brothers were getting ready to take Kim out for her birthday dinner. They swung by the store to pick up Aunt Amy and Monique…and Kim was greeted by a deafening surprise as all of her friends and family seemed to burst out from every nook and cranny.
"Thank you all so much," Kim gushed, smiling so much that her cheeks were beginning to hurt. "I…I still can't believe you set all of this up. Uh…oh heck; enough chitchat. Let's have some cake."
A round of laughter went through the room as Anne and Amy began slicing up and handing out pieces of cake to all around. While that was going on, Kim was handed what seemed to be an unending stream of gifts. She'd especially liked the photo cube Tara had made of their class field trip to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. That had been a very fun trip, looking back on it. New outfits, CDs, movies, and the like formed a pile on the table next to the guest of honor.
Her brothers finally got the sound system up and running, allowing the younger set to get moving on the dance floor. The parents were long past the age where they would take part but seemed to have just as much fun watching the kids make fools of themselves. Kim and Tara had gotten into their "routine" set to the song The Hamster Dance. Ron looked to be going epileptic to Cotton-Eyed Joe by Rednex.
By and by, the night began to die down and the guests began heading home. After returning home, Kim luxuriated on the living room sofa, taking stock of what a wonderful birthday she'd hand. She'd snagged a baggie of biscuits leftover from breakfast and popped in the copy of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters one of her classmates had gotten her. Man, these movies took on a whole new meaning once you found out that a lot of these things actually were real. It was hilarious how the witches actually looked more likeFuchsteufelwild, a Goblin-like Wesen she'd read about. Tomorrow was Saturday so she was looking forward to just vegging out in front of the TV for the night.
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"We have new information for you," The Hundjaeger handed Lord Duff a dossier as the limousine sped from the airport towards the hotel. "There's a Grimm in the region. One of our agents detected one Nicholas Burkhardt and company arriving at Erie International Airport."
"Burkhardt? As in Nicholas Burkhardt who mailed the two Reaper heads back to Germany just to prove a point?" Duff cackled, thumbing through the pages. At LAST; a worthy adversary to challenge! Hardly anyone in Europe hadn't heard of his exploits. And now he was here, far away from his bastard mongrel protector Sean Renard! This was shaping up to be a most enjoyable experience. Rumors abounded that Burkhardt was in possession of one of the three missing keys. If Duff and his men were to succeed in relieving him of that burden…ohhhhhh, this was shaping up to be an enjoyable experience INDEED! "What is he doing in Erie?"
"Not Erie sir, Middleton. He and three others appear to be visiting relatives of his in a neighboring town," The Hundjaeger corrected. "We believe there's a Resistance cell operating in the region and the visit may be a cover to mask their smuggling the Fuchsbau to Portland."
Hmmmm; smuggling Gordon to Portland? Renard DID have that whole city virtually in his pocket. Renard had been known to be a tentative ally of the Resistance. If indeed the bitch proved to be pregnant, he'd likely have a soft spot for her. Though how the man's father could ever find a Hexenbeast attractive was a mystery that frankly Duff didn't think should EVER be solved. Fully woged, there was just something about a Fuchsbau that drew Duff's eye; a Hexenbeast on the other hand? He'd go to his wife before he was THAT desperate. Anyway, they would have to move quickly if they were to head off the transfer.
That reminded Duff of the relatives. Astounding as it was in a Grimm, Burkhardt was known as a man of great compassion. Smokescreen or no, if he really were visiting relatives in the area, then they could be used against him, especially if they were children. He'd have to have them put under surveillance. "What do we know about the relatives?"
"Drs. James and Anne Possible," the Hundjaeger continued. "James Possible is a noted rocket scientist at Aero Star Group and Anne Possible, his first cousin once removed, is the Medical Examiner for the Middleton Police Department. They have a girl, Kimberly, and twin boys, James Junior and Timothy."
"Alright, isn't there a pair of Nucklavee, a brother and sister, out of Detroit who specialize in abductions without a lot of fuss?" He nodded. "Have them here by tomorrow afternoon."
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"It's her birthday Nick! I don't know what Aunt Marie taught you growing up but who shows up without a birthday present? Even when it's a situation like this!"
Nick Burkhardt considered himself to be a nice and considerate guy. He liked to think that Juliette would certainly agree with that. But when Rosalee's Resistance contacts had contacted her, and Nick's mom had managed to also get word, his first instinct had been to get Juliette, Monroe, and Rosalee on a plane to Western PA. Ever since he'd discovered he had a Grimm relative, and a Grimm who thought about Wesen the way he did to boot, on the other side of the country, they'd been exchanging letters periodically but he'd been itching for a chance to go for a visit. The news that one of the keys had been stolen from the Royals and might be making an appearance in New England had been icing on the cake, not leaving room for much else. Alright, he may have dropped the ball when it came to getting a birthday gift for her daughter who had turned 17 the previous day. After all, they WERE family. But the entire plane ride out, Nick had been forced to listen to Monroe's criticism of not having a present for the birthday girl, Nick's second cousin Kim. What was it with Monroe, holidays, and birthdays? Just to shut him up, Nick made a beeline for a mall next to the Pittsburg Airport. Anne's daughter had just turned 17 so Nick didn't have a very good idea of where to start. Thankfully Rosalee and Juliette spotted a store specializing in exotic statues and the group settled on a nice ceramic dragon.
Nick grunted in frustration. Hadn't they settled this already? "It IS a nice gesture Nick," Juliette hinted. Well, THAT was all he needed.
Monroe was never going to let him forget this, was he? He stepped up on the porch and rang the doorbell. The group was greeted by a bathrobe clad man in his late 30s or early 40s, dark hair flecked with bits of grey. This had to be Jim, Anne's rocket scientist husband. He looked a little off guard at just having discovered four strange people standing on his doorstep.
"Uh…can I help you folks?" His blue eyes darted rom person to person.
"Hi…uh…I'm Nick Burkhardt. We're looking for Anne?"
"NICK?" A female voice shouted from inside the house. Nick instantly recognized Anne's red hair as she came running for the door and hugged him. "I can't believe it! What are you doing here?"
"Well, it's kind of a long story," Nick smiled, returning the hug. "Sorry to just spring this on you but…"
"Oh, where are my manors?" Anne turned to her husband. "Jim, this is Nick Burkhardt, my cousin from Portland. And…this has to be his lovely fiancée Juliette Silverton soon to be Burkhardt. Please, all of you come in. We just finished breakfast."
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"Are you kidding me?" After a round of family introductions and coffee, Nick had hinted that they had something important to discuss. Jim had planned on taking the boys into town for the day so Wesen and Grimms had the house to themselves. Anne was anxious for Nick to fill her in on the situation in Portland. HE was the one who sent the Reaper heads to Mannheim? He'd actually found and saved a pregnant Glühenvolk? Sean Renard though; THAT was intriguing. Anne hadn't had any experience with that particular line of Royals but anyone who had the balls to try to bring down ANY Royal line was aces in her book.
Which brought them to the main reason for Nick's visit; someone had ACTUALLY stolen one of the seven keys from the Royals? And from the House of KILLIGAN? The Wesen Resistance had indicated that the heir, Duff, had been fooling around with a Fuchsbau and when presented with an opening to swipe the key, she jumped at it and skedaddled out of Scotland on the first available flight stateside. As luck would have it, the Fuchsbau in question, Arabella Gordon, had a Balam mother, a Jaguar-like Wesen who were fiercely loyal to their family. It was rare but always a pleasure to see a successful relationship between two Wesen species. That would prove beneficial for Arabella since Balam were more than a challenge for even a Grimm, especially if they fought in a group.
"I wear one of the keys around my neck," Nick lifted a chord from under his shirt and revealed one of the seven keys. So the rumors were true! Nick really did have one of the keys. "There are still two keys unaccounted for but if we can recover THIS one…"
Anne couldn't wait to see the look on Nick's face! She began pulling out the proper sequence of books on the far wall and the compartment shot out, revealing the small container that Anne had guarded for so many years. Gasps escaped her guests as Anne displayed her key.
"I…I did NOT see that coming," Monroe looked as if someone had just cold cocked him on the head. You'd have thought that Anne was holding the Holy Grail the way his eyes were riveted to the object.
"How…long have you been guarding it?" Nick asked.
"Since before Kim was born," Anne patted her daughter on the back. Anne was about to explain when the key came into her possession when she heard the phone ring upstairs. Kim had been wanting to pump Nick for stories about Portland so Anne left them in the work room and headed upstairs. This was turning out to be a wonderful day. Knowing that there were other Grimms out there like her, it really made her feel hope for the future of Grimms and Wesen alike. And speaking of Wesen, the caller ID revealed that it was Amy calling from the store.
"Hey Amy; whatcha need?"
"Annie…I need you to get to the store as soon as possible. Something's come up in the fox department."
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Arabella Gordon was sitting in her kitchen! Arabella FREAKING Gordon, the Schatten Fuchs herself, was in her kitchen drinking tea. The Shadow Fox had been singularly responsible for escaping from the Verrat no less than a dozen times. She'd successfully stolen over 6 million Euros from a Royal's Swiss Bank account and used it to build new identities for an entire Resistance faction. This woman was a LEGEND! Amy had never been prone to gushing but if she had been less controlled, she'd be giggling right now.
Her report on her last mission was one for the history books though! Annie HAD to know about this! That…that key was one of the singularly most important objects to come into their grasp in recent memory. Supposedly a distant relation of Anne's was already in possession of one key and another was unaccounted for. Four of the keys were in the possession of the Royals…and now three! Amy…Amy had freaking goose bumps! This was a once in a lifetime moment!
"Are you sure we can trust this Grimm?" Her sister Gabriella inquired. So much like Balam; so unbelievably protective of her family. Being a police sergeant in the Erie PD also likely played a part. Amy couldn't really blame her for being a little wary. When it came to Grimms, Balam were incredibly cautious, never associating with them unless they absolutely had to.
"Believe me," Amy assured her. "She's been my closest friend for almost 20 years. I'm the Godmother of her three kids. Her daughter's recently come into her abilities and we've been training her for the better part of a year. If there is anyone we can trust to help us with this."
Gabriella was going a little stir crazy and elected to check the perimeter, leaving the two Fuchsbau to themselves. Amy had topped off her guest's tea when Monique ducked into the kitchen. She looked from Amy to Arabella, convinced that something important was going on. The poor dear; being able to feel a room had to have been a product of her abusive Skalengeck guardians. Amy motioned the teenager into the kitchen and to take a seat.
"You can come in sweetie. Want some tea?" Amy offered, gesturing towards the pot. "It's green tea, your favorite."
"Please and thank you," Monique replied, taking the offered cup.
"Arabella, this is Monique," Amy reached over for Monique's hand. "The only teenager who can actually bear to live with a dork like me."
The two exchanged greetings and Monique took her tea back to her room. She was making progress in the 7 months that she'd lived here but she still felt a little uneasy around people she hadn't met before. Arabella seemed very accepting; for a seasoned infiltrator like her, Amy was amazed at how truly down to earth she was, more like they were friends talking in a coffee shop than fellow agents waiting for assistance.
"She's a lovely girl. How did she come under your care?"
"It's kind of a long story. Anne and her daughter had discovered a Skalengeck family pushing narcotics. They'd adopted the poor Luisant-Pêcheur and had been abusing her. Kim got her out and a friend of mine in Child Services set up the adoption without any questions. Despite her ordeal, she's one of the kindest young women I've ever met. I'd do anything to keep her safe."
Strange; Arabella looked almost longing at Amy's words. She began rubbing her hands over…wait…was she…?
"Uhhhh…forgive me Arabella…but…are…are you…pregnant?"
"I…I found out shortly before I fled Scotland," Her eyes seemed permanently focused on her stomach. "Please…Gabriella doesn't know; NONE of my Balam relatives know."
"Arabella…this REALLY complicates things," Amy gulped. Forget the key; a bastard offspring of a Royal line? Here in Middleton? And half-Wesen? "Does…does the father know?"
Amy had never been so grateful for an interruption in her life. Anne burst into the kitchen through the door to the store, flanked by a man and a young woman. She instantly recognized the other woman as another Fuchsbau. The man…bore a slight resemblance to Nick, especially around the eyes and facial structure. Anne wouldn't have brought anyone here she didn't trust so Amy felt secure going full woge to greet Anne's new Fuchsbau friend.
"Uh Amy, meet Rosalee Calvert and Nick Burkhardt, a relative of mine." Eyebrows rose at the mention of Nick. When you killed two Reapers and sent the heads back to their headquarters in Germany, you really developed a reputation. "What's…"
"Arabella Gordon?" Rosalee gasped.
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"I wonder whose car that is," Tara inquired, examining the sedan parked in the Possible driveway.
Ron, Tara, and Kim had a longstanding Saturday tradition of a lunchtime movie and then off to the batting cages. On the docket for today was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Ron really had to laugh at the complete 180 Kim had done since finding out that she was a Grimm. Before, Ron would've had to beg and plead with his best friend for the better part of a week to get her to sit down and watch a movie like that. Now…heck, Kim leapt at the chance.
Tara stepped up and rang the doorbell. No answer? That…that wasn't like Kim; usually her friend was a total Janie-on-the-Spot. This was getting weird; Ron couldn't even hear anyone inside and his Mannschaft Falke hearing meant that when he concentrated, he could hear a car backfiring on the other side of town. Wait…scratch that; he could make out voices on the other side of the house. One of them…one of them was definitely a woman but no one Ron recognized. She seemed to be humming something to herself. Ron pulled the hide-a-key from under the mat and let them in, listening for that voice again. He was sure it wasn't coming from anywhere in the house; that left the backyard. The sliding door to the patio had been left open…and the bottom fell out of Ron's stomach. Forget the woman who had been humming! Blutbad! Kim was circling with a fully woged Blutbad! Tara was going to scream! Ron immediately swung around to cover her mouth.
"Tara, you've got to call her mom! I'll go help her but you HAVE to get help!"
Tara ran off in another direction as Ron went full woge. He'd need every bit of speed. The young Mannschaft Falke took off running, becoming nothing but a blur moving through the house. Ron burst through the door and down the hill towards his endangered friend. Both seemed to turn towards the blur and the Blutbad didn't even see the blow to the chest coming, knocking him to his feet.
"Ron?" Kim gasped.
The blur came to a stop between Kim and the Blutbad, Ron ready to head off any attack by the wolf-man. "RUN KIM! I'll hold him off!"
"Ron, stop!" Kim cried, wrapping her arms around her friend in an attempt to hold him back. "It's okay. He's a friend; he's not going to hurt me!" The Blutbad took on a human appearance again, looking deeply confused at what was happening. The guy looked to be a little younger than the Drs. Possible, a mop of curly dark hair, and a little stubble on his face. "Ron, meet Monroe. He came with one of my relatives from Portland. He's a vegan. And that's Juliette up on the porch."
"You…you're not attacking her?" Ron stuttered, trying to get a handle on the situation.
"Of course not," Monroe grunted, hauling himself to his feet, sizing up the Mannschaft Falke before him. Bird Boy wouldn't be able to go round for round with a Blutbad but Monroe sure had to admire the kid's courage. There wasn't much a Falke wouldn't do for a friend. "We came with her cousin Nick. They had to run out to Kim's Aunt."
Oh…uh…Ron had best get a hold of Tara before Mrs. Dr. P came flying in with guns blazing.
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Tara's frantic phone call had been a welcome comedic relief from their current situation but attitudes were quickly turned back to the case at hand. Not only had Arabella Gordon stolen a key from a Royal family…she was carrying the illegitimate child of a Royal; that made it almost a certainty that agents of the Royal family were either on their way here or were here already. And for better or worse, Anne Possible was caught up in it. She'd dealt with the House of Killigan before but had thankfully managed to remain anonymous. But some…some of the things she had witnessed their agents doing were still enough to turn her stomach. What if…what if this time it was a Royal themselves coming? That would mean Mauvais Dentes. That would mean Hundjaegers, all out in force. Anne couldn't explain it; she just had an incredibly bad feeling about this.
Anne's first course of action was to get Jim and the boys out. They were already in town and Jim had known better than to ask questions in a situation like this. She had to get the boys as far from here as possible. Jim had elected to head to his brother's place out in Montana. When Anne got herself mixed up in hairy situations, Slim's horse ranch was always a good standby. And Kim…too many Wesen in town knew what Kim was. All she would do is serve as a lightning rod. No…no, the safest place for Kim was right at her mother's side. While Anne would've kept her daughter as far from anything to do with the Royals as possible if she had the choice, it was a fool's errand.
All parties involved had agreed that the safest place for the key was in Anne's possession. Her side of the family had managed to keep their key secret for centuries. But that still left them with the problem of what to do with Arabella.
"Well, I've got to think that if anyone can understand her predicament it would be Captain Renard," Nick mused. "There, it would be more trouble than it's worth to get her, even if she had the key. I can't say for sure that they wouldn't try but…"
Gabriella burst into the kitchen, interrupting the planning session. "We've got serious trouble. I just got word from a contact in TSA. Lord Duff Killigan himself was tagged entering Philadelphia this morning and then Erie a few hours later."
This was too much of a coincidence for it to be chance. Jim and the boys…"That means that the airports are all being watched?"
"Rest easy; I sent two cousins on their flight. Friends will be waiting for them when they land in Great Falls. If Killigan is going to make a move on them, he's going to have one hell of a fight on his hands!"
"Uh…thanks," When it came to Grimms, Balam could be tricky. This woman was awfully helpful awfully fast.
The surprise on Anne's face must have been obvious. "I contacted a friend about your cousin," Gabriella turned to face Nick. "Valentina Espinosa sends her best and assures me that I can trust him. And if I can trust him, common sense dictates that I can trust you. I assure you, if you're willing to risk your life for my baby sister, it's an honor and a pleasure."
Having a family of Balams on her side was certainly a step in the right direction. But that still left the question of how to take care of Killigan and get Arabella out safely. As long as he was here, Northwestern Pennsylvania was effectively sealed off from the rest of the world; no way in or out without the Verrat knowing you had left. If this went on long enough, sooner or later the Verrat would have them tied up. That was just how they operated. But as Anne saw it, at least for the moment, she and her group had the upper hand. They had the key. And if this Royal was anything like the rest, that was the principle target. Arabella Gordon was just the icing on the cake for Killigan. That meant that they could keep Arabella in relative safety and use the key as bait.
Anne's inner planning was interrupted by the chime from Nick's cell phone; it turned out to be Juliette. "Hey Juliette; what's wrong?"
"Nick, we're in trouble. Monroe smelled a pair of Nucklavee skulking around the house. I'm…I'm pretty sure they're following us."
"Are you okay?"
Everyone had gotten into the rental car and gotten out of the neighborhood before the Nucklavee could make a move. It usually behooved one to be cautious around Nucklavee. They were renowned trackers and didn't stop until they obtained their target. And if they were lurking around the Possible house, at the same time a Royal was in the region? Killigan would likely be trying to obtain some leverage. But one thing was for sure; the others couldn't come to the shop.
"Did Kim get out with anything?" Anne asked, reentering the kitchen with a spare kanabo from the weapons stash she kept at the shop.
"Juliette said Kim managed to grab a pair of curved knives. Unfortunately that's it."
Good; Kim had at least managed to grab her Kukris. If Kim and the others couldn't drive directly to the shop, then they would need someplace isolated to eliminate their tails. If Anne and Nick could set up a trap, this could be done in minutes; but where should they go? The Park? No…no, the day use beach at the State Park! The facility was open for at least another two weeks. It was isolated and provided great cover. All they had to do was get there.
"Nick, have Kim direct her to the State Park day use beach," Anne suggested. "You and I will meet them there!"
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Alright, Nucklavees; what had Kim read about them in the books? They were a horse type Wesen of Scottish origin. Supposedly excellent trackers, there isn't much they wouldn't do to complete a task, rather dying than failing. They wouldn't harm an innocent bystander so that was good news, provided that they could find out who was the target before they were actually taken. Decently strong in full woge, it was enough to make Kim more than a little nervous with the prospect of having to fight off two and make her regret not being able to grab a kanabo before they piled into the car.
That Escalade had been four cars back since they left the house. That had to be them. It was a Saturday so city traffic was reasonably heavy. Unfortunately that didn't leave Kim's party much room to lose their tail. Being stuck in the car, Monroe decided to fill Kim in on a few of the details of why exactly Nick and the gang were in Middleton. These two were likely working for the Royals and were here to grab either Kim or Juliette. Unfortunately there was no way to know who.
Juliette's phone chimed from the front seat and since she was the one driving, Monroe picked it up. "Hey Nick; it's Monroe. What've you got?" Monroe nodded along like they were explaining a plan to him. Eventually he clicked off the cell phone. "They want to set up a trap for the Nucklavee at Middleton State Park, the day-use beach. How far is it Kim?"
Kim took a quick look around at their environment. "Uh…take a left on Wayne Street and it should be thirty minutes."
"That…that may be a little tricky," Juliette groaned. "We need gas."
MAN; when it rained, it poured. If memory served, there was a gas station just up the road. The sedan pulled to a stop and Monroe got out to pump the gas. Kim meanwhile had her eyes glued on the SUV behind them. The vehicle had come to a stop a few yards short of the gas station. The windows were tinted, making it impossible to tell what was going on inside. Her finger crept down to one of her kukris, tracing the brass cap on the hilt. If they were coming for her or coming for Juliette, Kim promised herself that she would go down fighting. Lay on Macduff; and damned be he that first cries "hold".
"I've gotta say Juliette, I've only been dealing with this stuff for a little less than a year," Kim whispered, chancing a glance back at the front seat. "But you seem to be dealing with this extremely well."
"Heh, believe me Kim, I've had worse than this," Juliette gave a weak laugh. "I've survived being attacked by a Siegbarste. I've had all of my memories of Nick completely erased by a Hexenbeast's spell. I've had to fight off a horde of zombies. This…I guess when you sit down and look, it isn't all that big."
Wow…impressive; and Juliette wasn't even a Grimm.
The two Nucklavee still remained in the SUV. None of this made any sense! Were they just going to follow the sedan to the ends of the Earth, HOPING for a chance to grab them? They were supposed to be very stealthy and logical but this was bordering on slapdash. Granted that she was only 17, but if Kim were on the other side of this equation, she'd have made a move right now, when they were essentially trapped until they filled the gas tank. There were relatively few if any people around. Monroe was currently inside paying for the gas. They had the perfect opening to grab either Kim or Juliette. Something about this just really seemed wrong.
Monroe stepped out of the convenience store and almost in the blink of an eye, that "something wrong" managed to materialize. He halted in his tracks, his nose twitching as if sniffing the air. Without warning, a man leapt from the shadows, attempting to club Monroe over the head with a nightstick. Luck was on his side as he dodged the blow and went full woge, fangs bared and ready for a fight. Upon seeing a Blutbad before him, the attacker shifted to a full grown Nucklavee ready for a brawl. As Kim watched the pair circle each other, she couldn't help but marvel at how one of the Nucklavee had managed to escape from the SUV without her knowing. She'd had her eyes on the vehicle the whole time and…a squealing of tires jerked her attention back towards the vehicle in question. It began speeding directly towards the gas station and what Kim had a sinking feeling was their car. Juliette had arrived at the same conclusion and shouted for Kim to get out. Both women managed to extricate themselves and leap free just as the SUV rear ended the sedan, throwing it out into the street. Kim stumbled into a fighting stance as best she could and drew her kukris, ready for anything. A female Nucklavee slid out of the SUV, which had miraculously remained undented, and looked directly at Kim. So SHE was the target.
"Let's dance, you and I," Kim puffed, flipping a kukri flat on her forearm.
Evidently the Nucklavee hadn't been expecting that their target was in fact a Grimm. For a moment, her eyes got as big as saucers. It was only a moment though as the creature charged, hoof like hands ready to do serious damage. She brought her fists up and attempted to deliver a left jab, clanging against the cold carbon steel of Kim's blade. Using her Aikido training, Kim managed to shift her opponent and gain an opening to deliver a slash with her free blade. A small streak of red appeared across her target's torso but didn't seem to seriously slow her down. Back and forth, the pair traded blows. Kim gained a whole new respect for whatever poor schmuck got into a fight with a Nucklavee; those hoof hands were just as hard as the books said they would be. But the Nucklavee must have been taken more off guard by Kim's little secret than the teenaged Grimm had first surmised. Her opponent was slowing down and the fight was very noticeably beginning to shift in her favor. The Nucklavee was thrown backwards against the SUV and with a great effort, Kim brought her blade down flat against her opponent's head, knocking her cold and forcing her to shift back to a normal human.
Kim now had her first chance to glance at Monroe's own fight. His opponent was laying face first on the ground and Monroe was sporting a monster goose egg on his forehead and a torn sweater. He'd de-woged but was still panting, trying to regain his composure.
Sirens began blaring as Middleton PD cars began arriving on scene. During the altercation, the gas station attendant had seen what was going on and had dialed 911. Most of the police officers recognized Kim as the ME's daughter and a few of them had to do a double-take at what the teenager had managed to do to defend herself. She'd managed to stash her kukris before they were spotted and went with the story that she'd managed to get a hold of her attacker's nightstick during the fight. A short time later, Anne, Nick, and Rosalee arrived on scene. Still having her cell phone, Juliette had managed to get a hold of the trio while the fight was occurring and got them down here."
Anne leapt out of the car and made a bee line for her daughter, embracing her in a hug. "THANK GOD," She gasped, squeezing her daughter as tightly as she could. Sometimes it could be a real pain having an MD for a Mom; Anne kept fretting over and checking all of her daughter's wounds like she was made of glass. "When we got the call…I…I didn't know…"
"Mom," Kim struggled to get free. "MOM; I'm okay!"
There was nothing for it. Kim just had to endure until Anne was satisfied that her daughter had escaped with only minor cuts and bruises. Based on the stories Anne had told Kim, it fell far short of any of the souvenirs Anne carried on her body. Rosalee looked to be in a similar tizzy over Monroe except that he seemed to be eating this up.
"Ma'am," One of the uniformed police stepped up and interrupted Anne's examination. He briefly woged and proved himself to be a Balam, likely one of Gabriella's contacts. "A mutual friend of ours informed to mention this to you. We ran their prints and they match at least a dozen other abduction cases around the Great Lakes. As soon as you're able, she'd like you to meet her at the place where you last met."
KPKPKPKPKPKPKP
How? HOW could they fail to grab the target? The pair had a reputation for recovery that was impressive even for Nucklavee! And they had been taken down by a Blutbad and a fucking TEENAGER?! It was sheer luck that he'd thought to only pay them half of the $500000 price tag in advance and the rest upon delivery. Now…now it was all but a sure thing that Nicholas Burkhardt knew what had happened. It was known that the House of Kronenberg was already wary of him and that was saying something. What the hell was he supposed to do now?
"Sir…we think we've found her."
At least that was something; the Grimm could wait for now. "Where?"
"Our agents think they have tracked her to a local antique store owned by another Fuchsbau," Cecil described, handing his Lord another dossier. "There's rumored to be a Resistance presence in Middleton and logic would dictate that Arabella Gordon would seek out her own kind."
"Excellent," There would be no mistakes this time! "Gather my guards and the best agents in the area. I'll lead them myself!"
KPKPKPKPKPKPKP
The SUVS came to a calm stop outside the shop, not wanting to alert anyone inside. Along with Duff's own guards, Cecil had been able to bring together about eight Hundjaeger Verrat agents. It WOULD end tonight! Duff was rapidly beginning to detest his surroundings. When he finally got his hands on that Fuchsbau bitch that had dragged him from his rightful place, she would rue the day her mother brought her into this world. That bastard in her womb was a bit of a question. Half-Fuchsbau or not, it was still a potential heir. Father had produced more than a few; he'd converse with Father on the best course of action.
"The Fuchsbau must be taken alive," Duff muttered to the agents. "She has something of great value to the Royal Families. The others…I leave to you!"
The Hundjaeger formed a perimeter around Duff and began moving towards the building. The store itself looked vacant but the house attached to the back looked to be occupied. The store owner was said to live there with a Luisant-Pêcheur that she had taken in. Hmmm, he tended to frequent the embrace of a Fuchsbau but if she wasn't that unattractive, Duff might consider dabbling in the "fruits" of the sea. But first and foremost, he had to put an end to Arabella.
The Hundjaeger directly in front of him stopped short, holding up his hand for the others to halt. His nostrils were flaring, indicating that he'd caught a scent. "Sir…BALA…"
Before he could finish his sentence, a black shafted arrow sprouted from his head, blood spurting out in all directions.
KPKPKPKPKPKPKP
Thank goodness Mom had talked Kim into equipping a night scope on her Doppelarmbrust. It was pitch black out and through her scope, she could make out the targets as clear as day. The Hundjaeger she'd targeted dropped like a sack of potatoes and she cocked another arrow into the chamber. It was her and Mom's responsibility to eliminate the guns. By her count, there were maybe five attackers actually armed with guns, at least that she could see.
"The two guards," Mom whispered. "I've got left; you get the right."
Kim zeroed in her target; the entire group was still coming to terms with their first loss, making both of the guards stationary targets. Her target began turning from side to side with sub-machine gun drawn, looking for targets in any direction. She had to time this right…and…TWANG! The arrow flew through the air and hammered into the man's chest, right where the heart should be. Through her scope, Kim could see the other guard dropping and Royal ducking for cover. The last two quickly fell and Gabriella and her comrades quickly descended upon them like a wave of death and carnage. Kim…she was developing a strong constitution but…she likely didn't want to witness this.
She looked back towards Mom…and spotted only an abandoned crossbow. She had to be down there. Mom had driven home how important it was for them to get the Royal alive. And she'd made it abundantly clear that if Kim even set FOOT on the street, she'd be grounded for a year. She looked back into her scope and began scanning the carnage, looking for Mom. If she couldn't fight on the ground, she could at least cover Mom from the roof. The Balam were obviously making short work of the Hundjaeger but Kim could still see a few fallen Balam in the vicinity of the Royal, some Scottish nobleman if Kim remembered correctly. THERE; there was Mom, kanabo drawn and swinging away. Nothing…NOTHING could stand in Mom's way…OH GOD! Kim's blood froze in her veins. In the middle of the fight, the Royal had grabbed one of the guns his guards had dropped and now had it pointed directly Mom. She had to be quick; she had to be accurate. Thank God it was a windless night. She kept the crosshairs centered on the weapon, or at least the man's arms…and loosed an arrow. Time seemed to crawl by frame by frame. But in the last second, events moved at double time. Her shot had been dead on, sending the gun clattering along the street and giving Mom the opening to sweep the Royal's legs out from under him, pinning him to the ground with her kanabo.
She looked to be saying something to the Royal. Kim would have to ask Mom what it was when she got the chance.
KPKPKPKPKPKPKP
She'd have to remember raise her daughter's allowance. That was one HELL of a shot! The Royal looked dumbstruck as the MP5 skittered across the street. Taking that opening, Anne swept her kanabo downward, knocking the legs out from under him. He plummeted to the ground with a grunt and turned dagger eyes on her. It was a credit to his determination that he kept that demon stare even as Anne lowered the kanabo to his head.
"Believe me milord; the last thing I want to do is insult a nobleman of your stature," Anne whispered. "Though rest assured, it IS on my list!"
"Well put Cousin," Nick congratulated as he stepped up, lowering a sabre from Anne's weapons cache. One by one, a circle of Balam began to form around the fallen Royal, staring at him as if they were ready to tear into him. "Funny thing about Balam; they're prone to very rash and impulsive decisions. And when some poor schmuck is dumb enough to target a member of their family?"
"FAMILY?"
"Oh, didn't Arabella tell you? Her mother was a Balam. Yeah, when a schmuck targets a member of a Balam's family, they're all set to pursue him to the ends of the earth," Nick continued. "You know, I've never really known what happens when they actually CATCH that person. When I think about it, I'm probably a lot better off NOT knowing."
Had Anne been of lesser control, she'd have been cackling with laughter. Bless his heart, Nick was playing the role of the badass to perfection. It had already been decided that Gabriella and the Resistance would take possession of Lord Duff and smuggle him out of the country and leak a trail for the Royals to follow. It would draw their eye away from Middleton at least and allow them to get Arabella to Portland. The House of Killigan MIGHT MAKE a move to recover her but they'd be too busy tracking Lord Duff through Africa to make any more than a token effort, one which Nick and Captain Renard would be able to spot and easily fend off.
"Gabriella, I think this petulant little son is yours," Anne drew the tip of her kanabo along the Royal's torso. "We all have families that we'd like to get back to and I'm getting bored."
KPKPKPKPKPKPKP
"I…I can't begin to thank you for what you've done."
On the news that Lord Killigan had been taken into custody, Arabella had cried with joy, tears streaming down her eyes like a flood. She was free; after three years of wearing a mask and two months of running, Arabella was free of the demons that haunted her. And…and she could dedicate her life to the child growing inside her. Not only would SHE be free of the Killigans, her child would grow up free of their influence and corruption. She had quickly begun formulating a prospective plan for her situation upon arriving in Portland. Nick Burkhardt had already promised the support of his Captain Renard, a half-royal himself, and…anyone looking at her could see she was bubbling over with excitement.
And so all found themselves at Erie International Airport. Anne and Kim waited at the gate as their party's luggage was loaded. Anne looked back at the following days and, despite the "intervention" of the House of Killigan, Anne was overjoyed at finally getting to meet her cousin face to face. As one final act of security, Nick and the gang would be riding on the same flight and would drive her to Renard as soon as they landed.
"No thanks need," Anne assured and then turned to embrace her cousin. "And YOU! Don't either of you ever be strangers. I wanna see all FOUR of you back here for Thanksgiving next month."
Final goodbyes were given, friends made their way towards the plane, and mother and daughter retreated to the massive bay windows looking over the runway. For as long as Anne could remember, it was a family tradition that you always watched friends and family take off. As the 747 lifted off into the air, Anne sighed and put her arm around her daughter. "Well…as far as impromptu family reunions go, I've had a lot worse."
"Heh, I'm not sure I even want to know about those," Kim laughed and led her mother towards the exit. "I can only imagine what Aunt Amy's are like."
"HAH," Anne cackled, mussing up her daughter's red locks. "Ask her about the time she brought me home sophomore year of college and her Great Aunt tried to strangle her husband. We walked in the front door and…"
Author's Notes:
Well, it's my first time incorporating Nick and actual Grimm characters but I think it works pretty well and I hope you do too. It's definitely something I'm interested in continuing in later stories.
Once again, Grimm and all associated characters are the copyrighted property of NBC and the intellectual property of Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, and Jim Kouf. They are used without permission but for purely non-profit entertainment purposes.
