It honestly never dawned on him how insane this plan truly was.
Adalind explained to him what exactly he had to do for it to work & it all sounded simple. Sounded simple yet is a part of something so much more complicated. He watched the witch-like hat Adalind set upon the cauldron grow into its full pointy-tipped form. Green-like smoke somewhat pulsing out of the top of it.
Man, this really was about to get crazy now.
It didn't take long to get here, but it sure was a lot to get here. He remembered how a couple of days ago Adalind spoke about how it be easier if he just told her the full plan, which it would have been but the trust thing was hard to come by. Still is, but like he realized earlier, whatever bad she has done. That isn't her goal no longer & he started wondering if it ever was even when she was doing them.
She made a lot of her decisions in trying to earn approval, manipulated, or out of fear. Having Diana may have been the best thing that could have happened to her & he couldn't help but think that it probably will be a good thing for him as well.
In terms of now, she has all of her loyalties to her daughter now & only seeking self-approval now according to her saying she desires to be a better person. Which she could be lying, but the detective in him & his gut was telling him she wasn't.
He really hopes she wasn't because it would be a good thing for him to not have to watch over his & his friend's backs for her next move all the time.
The hug from her surprised him though. He felt a little stuck.
Like if he did, is that considered cheating? Then again, he full-on kissed her before & didn't have many guilty thoughts about it, so why should he now? Or why does it feel like he should this time? Because it felt a little intimate maybe?
He paused on that thought for a moment. Nah, not intimate, that's just ridiculous he ridiculed himself.
It just was surprising.
"Okay. It's time. You ready?" He heard her say.
He looked at the hat once again. "Yeah, just strange, green smoke that is puffing out of the tip of a magical hat, that is sitting on top of a boiling cauldron containing a potion that will turn me into another person to help me save your very magical daughter." He poked fun humorlessly. "Typical Friday"
"Well thank Grimm it's Friday so Saint Nick can save the day" She teased back. They both could tell it was some apprehensive feelings about what they were about to attempt to do, very soon.
He gave her a small nervous smile but walked up to the hat now. Taking a deep breath before he did this. "Okay." He said more to himself for encouragement. Time to get Diana back he thought in his mind.
He stepped forward towards the hat now. "Remember, take two deep puffs for two seconds each. Then take one more puff for three seconds." Adalind said as she saw him getting ready to turn himself into Renard. She hopes the hesitancy in her voice wasn't evident in saying that.
She can't believe she just said that in general actually, but this is his master plan.
He placed his hands on each side of the hat. Preparing to inhale now. Nick leaned his head down slowly but was about to breathe in his first puff of it. "Wait!" Adalind exclaimed out of nowhere. Not causing him to jump but making him snap his head toward her a little.
He widened his eyes. "What?" He said through a breath.
"Tell me what the plan is here one more time like earlier." Adalind knows he just told her but this was about to happen. Like really about to happen. She also wants to ask some more questions this time because she kind of went with it the last time he explained it.
He backed up a bit from the hat so he wasn't standing over it but looked at her. "Okay, so we got to get into the castle, to know where Diana is." He started. Stating the obvious before he got into detail. She nodded her head.
"But I can't go in as me because well you know..."
"They will imprison then later kill you. Yes, I know." Adalind finished for him.
"Exactly. But Renard..."
"The bastard son of a bitch" Adalind stated at the mention of his name.
"Very true." He said with approval. "He can go in there though."
"But how? The royals want information from you then they would kill you. They just want him dead." Adalind said back to him.
"Yes, but that was when he was useless to them. He has a few things going for him now that we are going to take advantage of."
"Like?" Adalind drew the word out as she spoke it.
"For one, even though I don't think they like it, he is the father of Diana."
Adalind let out a scoff. "I don't even think I like it" She rolled her eyes. "But true, sadly." She gave him a face as if she was saying 'good point'
"Two..." Nick hesitated for a moment. "Since they made a deal for him to give her away, they have come to some sort of truce enough to be in the same room as each other." He heard a hitch in her breathing when he said that but she relented another nod.
"Now these aren't the best of reasons or solid enough to stand on but luckily we don't have to last with them. Just enough to get Diana & get out of there."
"You don't really think we are just going to walk in & walk out just like that?" Adalind vexed. The plan sounded underwhelming in her opinion. Well underwhelming considering what they had to do to get here.
"There are other things taking place that we won't get into right now." Nick stated reassuringly. She wasn't sure if some of that was still struggling with fully trusting her thing or some things that simply would take too long but man somebody had to have faith & trust fully eventually. So why not give hers to him who has been fully invested in this?
She knows firsthand how his plans can cause some real damage to the adversary.
She shook her head & Nick could see the doubt creeping in but he ignored it. She would be fine after they get Diana back. He told himself, even more, this morning that no matter what happened, no matter what it took, he will get her back.
As he told her the previous night, this plan is without a question going to hell. But he just hopes that the end won't have to justify too many means to get there.
He took a step forward again now. Ready to take his puffs. "Three right?"
"Yes" She took a deep, nervous breath but Nick didn't this time. He was locked in now.
He began to lower his mouth to take the puffs. Time to turn into this 'selfish bastard' was on his mind right now. He began to inhale.
"Wait!" Adalind said a little louder than the last time & causing him to jump back once again to look at her. She closed her eyes as if she was apologizing that way. Nick took a breath in slight frustration once again.
"Yes?" He asked. Giving her a humorless smile & a slight glare.
"How do you know they aren't just going to kill me? I'm not exactly on their favorites list, especially since I ran away with Diana." He lost the glare & gained a more consoling stare now.
"Believe it or not. I think they need you." Her brows furrowed at that & she tilted her head in a questioning form. "From what I've seen, she is extremely powerful, but she only seems to not...uh, show it off, when she is around you. Not as much." He added on to the end. Remembering how she shook his whole house, bent some of the silverware, crack some of the mirrors & picture frames along with creating illusions of herself.
Now when Adalind heard his explanation on that, she had far more understanding & faith in that because he truly may be right.
"Another reason why she need's to be with me." Adalind said aloud but more so to herself.
He nodded at her statement. "Also won't be too weird for you to be there because your just an angry mother who wants her kid back & forced Sean or soon to be" He pointed at himself. "Me. Forced me to take you along for an emergency meeting because you desperately want to see & be a part of your child's life & he or shall I say I, wants to as well." He finished & she didn't say anything but she had to agree, that part did make sense to her.
"Good point." She said sadly.
Nick balled up his lips & nodded his head. "Right." Nick said but was shifting his focus on finally inhaling this damn thing now. He stepped forward...once again. He then looked at Adalind, widening his eyes & pointing his right index finger at the hat. She nodded her head, letting him know she wasn't going to interrupt this time.
"Okay." He said through a breath. Now putting his fingers on the witch hat. Ready to finally do this. He leaned his head down but before he did, he looked at her one more time to make sure she wasn't going to interrupt still. She held out her hands, signaling 'have at it'.
He leaned down.
"Wait wait!" She called out once again.
"For the love of god Adalind What?!" He placed his hands on his hips, glaring at her a little more intense this time. She had to admit, she probably be annoyed this time too.
"Take off your clothes." She said it quickly but also like she knew it was going to sound weird. he looked at her like she belonged in a crazy person asylum.
"Excuse me?"
"You & Sean aren't exactly the same body type" Her voice had implication in it. "He's bigger than you height wise so your clothes aren't exactly going to fit." She informed, the strangeness of this convo getting to her as well.
"That actually would explain why I was told to take this." He said as he walked back to his suitcase, pulling out a very nice suit. Adalind looked at it for a moment. Then her brows furrowed in disbelief.
"Is that Sean's suit?!" She questioned incredulously.
"Yeah." He said simply.
"And just how the hell did you get-" She stopped herself mid-sentence. "Let me guess, another one of those things that you will tell me about later?" She mocked rhetorically.
"See you catch on faster & faster" He began taking off of his clothes now, the jacket he wore coming off with ease as he stripped off his shirt while stepping out of his shoes. He was now shirtless as he undid his pants button & unzipped them, stepping out of them now. Now only in his black socks & a pair of loose briefs that were of the same dark black color.
Adalind studied the image in front of her now. Seeing some goosebumps on him in some areas, made her think about the snowfall that is happening outside right now. She loved how his chest looked strong & toned but not cliché like a model's chest. Her eyes peered down to his abs that looked chiseled but tuff if that made sense.
Her eyes then peered down some more to his other lower region. She knows she shouldn't but she couldn't help it for some reason. Her eyebrow popped up in amusement at the sight as well. Oh, Juliette you lucky girl." She humored in her head.
Her eyes slowly crept back up to his previously studied abs, to his chest up to that jawline she loves so much. All the way up until she met his eyes which she realized were glaring at her along with a very firm frown on his lips.
"Eyes up here." He said to her, holding two fingers up at her & pointing to his eyes. Now walking to finally inhale from the hat. She watched as he took his first breath. He gave a little shake of his head after the first one like he thought that it be worse than what it was.
Now taking his second breath. She saw the look grow in his eyes on that one, like he knows it was about to go time after the last inhaling of it.
Which he now took.
Her eyes widened in anticipation now. Yet nothing happened.
He squinted his eyes, probably wondering like her when the change would happen. "Did you make it right?" He questioned but un-accusingly.
"Without question." She said as she looked back down at the book on her bed. She knows she did but it should have started by now. "Do you feel any different?" She asked but still flipped the page front & back as she read the ingredients & amounts required. Checking off everything she was sure she did right.
"Not really?" She noticed how he said it as more of a question but she was trying to focus now. Because this was apparently supposed to help her get her daughter back & this spell was fucking up everything.
"What the fuck" Adalind said though, frustration growing rather fast at this.
Nick at first was pissed at the fact this wasn't working. Most likely because he was a Grimm. All of a sudden though, he felt his head get this weird cloudy feeling in it. He shut his eyes to try & remove the foggy-like experience going on in his skull but then his knees felt weak.
Started feeling like he needed to focus on standing upright.
He felt his feet teeter though. Wobbling now like he was trying to balance on a beam but with no luck. Then he felt this huge feeling in his stomach like he was gutted & punched in it by a golf club & he collapsed backward.
He never felt something so strange before in his life. Not a good strange at all either. He felt like the flesh under his face was rippling while his bone structure everywhere was either shrinking in some areas or stretching in others. Like he was being pulled apart yet smashed in as well.
The pain made him roll around on the floor even though he tried not to. Maybe not roll, but he was on all fours, trying his best to what? He for a moment opened his eyes & saw feet approaching him, making him remember Adalind was there.
He felt like he now was taller but sadly this escalating pain still wasn't over but it was subsiding in some areas.
All of a sudden.
He felt himself just collapse on the floor completely as the throbbing aches & pains just stopped abruptly. He could hear himself breathing rather hard yet it didn't sound like him. Now he noticed how he doesn't hear the sounds he use to. He usually could hear pretty well what was going on outside but not it felt scarce.
He looked up & saw the colors of the hotel room, but it felt like he could see them in depth as he use to.
He then looked down at his hands because they felt odd, except it wasn't his hands.
He sat up now but didn't stand. Adalind was in front of his face now, but even now he doesn't see her how he usually sees her. He can't even really explain it but when he has his eyes, he loved it way better how he could see her. Yet his eyes or not his eyes, he knows her enraged or disgusted look & for some reason she had it on pretty strong right now. Along with some confusion.
Oh wait, because the spell worked.
He felt his hands over his chest & started realizing his breathing began to settle. Yet his mind was racing because this was so odd. He looked down & his feet were further away from him than they usually are, bigger as well.
This felt a little gross actually.
He felt his hands on his face & it was smooth, no stubble. He looked down at his injured hand now as he removed it from his face. But the gauze bandages fell off, didn't matter either because the wound was gone.
He looked up now at Adalind who looked like she had the same facial expression but with more worry in it but with more confusion also. "How...How do you feel?" She asked but her voice was steely a good bit but with confusion mixed in it as well. Also with some sincerity, he was sure.
Nick looked at her with those wide eyes of Renard & she could see Nick in his face & his expressions. It just was Sean's face-exuding them & it was pissing her off because it was him & because she knows she can't be pissed at this Sean, which made her even more pissed.
But her rage bubbled at the sight of Renard. She didn't know whether to slap him as hard as he could or help Nick out because that's who this really was.
"This is so weird." Nick said & Adalind's face scrunched up at the sound of his voice. Hell, Nick even balked at the sound when it came out.
Adalind looked over his face like she was scanning it & Sean...Nick was looking at her with this face that epitomized how much he was weirded out by this right now. "It's just so odd." Adalind said out loud but not really to him even though she was scanning her eyes over his face right now. "The face of the man who has hurt me time & time again but is really the man who I've tried to hurt time & time again." She then looked him in his eyes & it was strange to Adalind. She felt like she could see Nick stare at her in them.
Which if she did, that stare would have been endearing if it was him. But it wasn't, well it was. God, this was so confusing.
She offered to help him stand but he waved her off. Standing slowly, not even out of pain or anything. Probably just the strangeness of the situation wearing down on his shoulders.
"I guess...should get dressed." He said after a gulp.
Adalind backed away as he went to put on the suit he somehow took from Sean. She did however humor herself with a thought that just appeared in her mind. "On the bright side, those boxer briefs have a lot more room in them now after the change." He turned to her but didn't give her the typical Nick glare. More like a bewildering look. She knows it was kid-ish but anyway to insult Sean right now even if it wasn't him in the room with her right now, she had to do.
Her soul is hurting because of this man & she starting to realize it was long before he just gave her daughter away.
He finished up changing into the suit now. It was one of Sean's more simple ones. Just a simple dark grey but Nick wasn't wearing the tie or the pocket square that goes along with it. It was funny how even though he looked like Sean, he still did things the way Nick would & she could see him because of that.
"How does it look?" He asked her as he placed his hands on his hips the way he usually does. She was about to say it looked like Sean until she realized what she said. He still did things the way Nick would & she could see him because of that. Which isn't good at all for what they plan to accomplish.
"Awful." She said, shaking her head & Nick gave her a questioning face. "You look like him but you aren't acting like him."
"Come again?"
"Like your hands on your hips." She said & he looked down at them, wondering what the issue was. "Okay, just imagine you are better than everybody & like you are just the biggest draw in the room." She said & he looked awkward at first but he followed it the best he could.
He straightened up his back so he could stand as tall as he could. It almost fit but it just wasn't there yet. "Your face...ehh" She made a disgusted kind of sound. "Look more arrogant." He squinted at her but gave it a try. Straitening out his neck more & doing a look on his face that almost made her twitch in anger because he was getting close to looking like him.
"I have an idea." She said all of a sudden.
"What?" As soon as he spoke her right hand revved back & smacked him across the face as hard as she could. She even stood on her tippy toes to do so. The smack probably would have rung his Grimm ears had he been himself. Nick grabbed onto his face where a small reddening of a hand print was fading away already but he looked at her with offense & for sure some indignation & anger at that.
"What the hell was that for!" He barked & that time he sounded like Sean. She shook her head in a yes movement.
"There we go, keep your face like that but tone down a little, with the arrogant bastard look & you'll be fine." The way she said it so plainly & calmly annoyed Nick, even more, a little.
"You couldn't have just said that!" He hissed at her but his anger lessened.
"Well, it wouldn't have been natural!" She said dryly.
"Oh really?! What part of this is natural anyway!" He exclaimed at her.
"Excuse me, I'm just only making sure you don't get recognized & end up as a dead, fake Zauberbiest or a Zauber-Grimm or Grimm-berbiest!" She spat back but made an awkward face at the last part she said.
He scowled at her. "If you ever do. Anything! Like that again, you'll regret it!" He hissed at her with venom. Pointing his finger in her face aggressively.
"Oh, what exactly are you going to do huh?! You gave my child uh-way..." She started trailing off what she said when she saw him begin to smirk & she could see Nick in that smirk as well.
"How did I do?" He asked her.
She turned her head to the side a little, taken aback for a moment. "You learn fast." She said simply but feeling a little embarrassed for falling for it. A little amazement as well.
"Tell me everything you know about Sean & the Royals on the drive there. Let's go." He said to her & he walked to the door & held it open for her. She let out a deep, stress-filled breath. Stepping forward & walking past him now.
Tension was building up more than ever now but she felt a heavy sense of satisfaction because they finally were going to get her. She thinks she remained rather respectful & calm in the time it took to get to his moment.
She was done waiting now.
Nick stopped the car right before they were about to cross the bridge to the castle. "Why do I have a feeling we are being watched." He stated aloud.
"We probably are, but I don't know. Can we go now?" She asked slightly impatient. Nick couldn't fault her for it at all. He also had to give it to her, she remained pretty level-headed these past couple of days. He expected her to finally lose the patience she showed when they got to this point.
"We're about to don't worry. Just want to clear things up." He said to her & both Nick & Adalind still were bothered by him being Sean.
"It's funny to say, but if you were yourself like your actual self. I probably would be calmer right now." She said to him & for some reason, it gave Nick a feeling. A weird feeling but a good one at the words.
He took a moment to look at her, he could tell she was a little more frustrated from the fact they haven't driven forward yet. "Alright here's an overview of what's going to happen." He pulled out the burner phone he had been holding onto. "I'm going to have to call a friend of yours on this to let him know we are heading in so he can be ready." He said.
Adalind's frustration subsided for a moment into confusion at that. "Wait who?" She questioned, eyebrow arching up.
"Meisner."
Adalind found herself a little dumbfounded after that one. "How the hell do you know Meisner!?" She almost yelled that time. He gave her a pointed knowing look. "Ahh right right, another part you'll tell me about later." She said unamused. She will say, the more she learns about the different entries of this plan, she was warming up to it more & more for what little she did know. It was almost comical at this point though.
"That must have been one hell of a night." She said to him as he still held the phone in his hand.
He offered her a very small smile & she was very glad to see Nick in it than Sean's. "You will be amazed when I tell you." She returned a similar smile that he gave her.
"Viktor shall be amazed as well, Grimm." They both snapped their heads to look outside of the car & Nick didn't recognize the man at all. He was bald and was wearing a very smug look on his face.
"Something tells me this wasn't a part of the plan." He heard Adalind say as he continued to stare down the man.
"Something tells me you know who this man is." Nick answered back.
"Sadly." She said. "Marcus Rispoli, leader of the Verrat." Nick nodded his head & looked behind the car to see a few more Verrat coming up behind the car, some didn't have weapons but were Woged. Others did have rifles, which was the same for the three more that came in front of the car.
Nick thought Adalind would be mad or annoyed but she asked a question that he already was wondering. "How the hell did he know who you were?" She whispered low as she & Nick both raised their hands in surrender. Nick knew there be a fight to have, but not at this moment right here. Besides, that was a good question that he needed to quickly figure out.
"Get out of the car." Rispoli commanded them & Nick took a breath in frustration. He knew this plan was going to hell, pretty fast but this was way sooner than expected. They both stepped out of the car & Nick was still trying to process how did they already know who he was. That shouldn't have been possible.
Rispoli took the burner phone out of his hands & snapped it in front of him then threw it backwards off of the bridge. He nodded at one of the Verrat to search Adalind but then a voice that both of them recognize for certain came from a distance, walking up to them.
"Don't do that." The voice called out to the dismay of Adalind & the somewhat shocked but un-surprised ears of Nick. "Remember the agreement." He followed up from what he previously said. Rispoli didn't appear to like it but held his hand up to tell his Verrat soldier to stand down from touching her. Nick then started wondering if maybe he ended up getting screwed by her in the end but she looked genuinely confused as well.
As he approached them, Nick still didn't understand how could he possibly know what was happening here. It doesn't make sense.
"Burkhardt" He said as he finally was near him. Nick turned around, his face without question showing his annoyance at the bastard.
Nick let out a scoff as he stared eye to eye with his current 'twin' at this moment. "Renard."
AU: Not one of my best chapters I'm aware!
Sorry for the long wait though, life gets hard & crazy sometimes. But we are back. Thank you for all of the reviews on the story over this past week I believe it has been pretty much.
This is a slow-building romance I know haha. Some people complained about it in my private messages & I'm sorry but I'll do my best to make sure it's worth the wait I promise!
