Chapter 11 - Gifted

AN – This is the next to last chapter guys! The final one has been written and will be posted on Wednesday. My apologies for the various delays this summer – I typically am pretty good at sticking to a schedule!

DISCLAIMER: No rights whatsoever at Grimm ownership!

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"Uh oh." A few more sniffs for confirmation and then Monroe continued. "There are others. I can't get a clear read but they all went toward that cabin."

The sound of gun fire had Nick sprinting ahead of the others as he opened his own senses and prepared for battle.

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Entering the cabin first, there was no time for Nick to process the scene logically but his senses and instincts kicked in easily as he was attacked. With only a few strikes he took down both Wesen and turned to kneel by Truble. She was unconscious but he couldn't see any obvious signs of injury. When his ears picked up sounds of arrival, Nick pivoted quickly, but then froze when he saw both Juliette and Monroe enter the cabin.

Juliette saw both men on the ground as well as Truble and she tensed even more as she resisted the need to woge. It was still unreal for her at times just how much her life had changed. However, surreal the scene before her though it somehow felt right to be standing by Nick instead of being in the background. As she focused on the Grimm, she watched as he tilted his head slightly before he turned toward the back of the cabin.

"Nick?" There was some urgency in Hank's voice as he called out to his partner. He was stationed in the back of the cabin and had left Wu and Rosalee in the front.

"It's clear." Nick answered and knew his partner would enter soon. Returning his focus to Truble, he saw that her eyes had started to flutter.

Slowly coming awake, Truble's eyes found Nick first and she breathed a sigh of relief even as she also felt guilt. Things had gotten out of control and she had known for a while that she had gotten in over her head. "Nick, I'm sorry."

"Are you okay Truble? What happened?" Nick helped the girl sit up as she continued to blink and put a hand to her head. He was hoping that she would finally share whatever had been bothering her for weeks.

Trying to get her bearings, Truble turned away from Nick to glance around her room. Seeing the Wesen on the floor she nodded with approval but her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Juliette. "Juliette?"

Seeing the girl's shock, Juliette knew that Nick hadn't told the other Grimm about her. She wasn't sure what she thought about that decision but she couldn't worry about it now. "Truble, are you okay?"

"What are you doing here? What's going on?" Truble knew that Nick and the others had thought that the hexenbeist was alive but she hadn't really believed that. Seeing the woman was like seeing a ghost.

"It's a long story." Juliette was unwilling to answer Truble. She didn't blame the girl for the choice to kill her in order to protect Nick but there was an instinctive need to lash out. Only with extreme effort did she not woge.

Nick glanced between the women before he spoke in a gruff tone. "We don't have time for this. Truble, was Adalind here?"

"I don't know. I didn't know what the job was. I got the call-" Truble began.

"Job? What kind of job?" Hank interrupted. They had all remained silent and wary watching the pair of Grimms and the hexenbeist. Considering what had happened the last time all three had been together, it seemed smart to stay out of their way. However, as it looked like there would be no explosion he wanted to focus on the task at hand.

Truble gained her feet with Nick's help and again glanced around the room. She smiled slightly at the others but carefully avoided Juliette's gaze. "Yeah, job. I wanted to tell you but you had problems of your own and I thought I could handle it..." Truble's voice trailed off uncomfortably. Her gaze landed on Juliette briefly before again glancing around the room.

"Handle what?" Nick asked in a hard voice. He had known something was up but he hadn't pushed and now he wished that he had.

It took a moment for Truble to answer but she did meet Nick's eyes as she spoke. "Agent Chavez. She's had me doing some work for her - picking up some Wesen that she said the law couldn't stop. I didn't kill any of them, just handed them over to her."

"Agent Chavez? As in the FBI agent who investigated the Captain's near death experience?" Wu asked for clarification.

Hank spoke before Trubel could answer. "Is she out here too? Is she a Steng..."

"Steinadler." Nick and Juliette supplied the correct word at the same time.

Trubel nodded as she answered. "Yes, she said they have been trying to do more to stop dangerous Wesen." Pausing slightly, she knew it was time to tell Nick everything. She took a deep breath and then plunged ahead.

"I followed her a few times and finally found the warehouse she was using. All the Wesen I had captured were there and others too. There was one tied down to a machine, a Folterseele. A guy with glasses and a ponytail put a hand on her shoulder and when she woged, he did too. They looked exactly alike but only for a moment. Something wasn't right but I couldn't get closer. I tried to go back but then Chavez called with this job."

"What happened when you got here?" It was again Hank who asked the question as he exchanged a look with Nick. It was obvious to both that Crosley had been the main that Truble had seen.

"Chavez said we were trying to capture a hexenbeist who had been traced here. There was no one here but she watched out the window for a few moments and then took a call." Truble frowned slightly and rubbed her head as she continued. "I think one of the Drang-zorn knocked me out after that. The next thing I remember is you."

Nick nodded to Truble but then turned to the others. "It's got to be Crosley. Maybe he's experimenting on the Wesen? If he could channel Camilla's power then maybe he's trying to channel others too?"

Rosalee spoke up immediately. "I found some of Freddy's notes on the Council and there was a report of a chameleon-like Wesen. It could appear like other Wesen but he didn't say that it could use their power. If Crosley is a half Royal, half chameleon then his powers could work differently. What Wesen did you capture for Chavez?"

"Why is that important?" Hank asked with a frown. "Don't we need to see if we can track Chavez first?"

Monroe stepped in to answer for Rosalee. "If we can determine what powers he may have then we'll be better prepared to take him on."

"I'll call the Captain and see if—" Wu's comment was interrupted by the sound of a scream and gunfire.

Without a word, Nick bolted out the door with the others following. He ran through the forest as he opened his senses. The rush of heat and then chill no longer felt alien but he still noticed the feelings, reveled in them. His senses of sight and sound were immediately heightened and he veered to the right. Despite the rush of adrenaline, his heart rate and breathing were slow and steady as he sprinted through the woods. It didn't take long for him to locate the pack of Schakal.

Their attention was focused away from Nick and he quickly knocked out the two closest before turning on the other four. Their growls echoed loudly in Nick's ears but it took little effort for him to take down three of them. The smell of old blood angered Nick as he remembered the attempted kidnappings and when the last Schakal tried to stab him with a knife Nick used the weapon on the Wesen.

Pausing only for a moment to see the Wesen scattered on the ground at his feet, Nick again ran through the woods. New sounds and scents called to him and he was certain the Captain and Adalind were close by. As he approached the clearing, he stopped though as he saw not just them but many others. The child was there as was the man Nick remembered was called Meisner.

Adalind and Diana stood just behind the men and and it was Agent Chavez who held the gun. A half circle of Wesen stood behind her, all had woged and Nick recognized several of the creatures but others were unfamiliar. He felt his own blood rush in his ears and for a moment the sound drowned out his senses. Heat battled the cold inside him and Nick felt his heart race. The sensations were almost overwhelming and he struggled for control.

"Nick?"

The faint sound of his name had Nick spinning but there was no threat. Behind him stood Monroe and Juliette - both had woged and both were staring at him curiously. It took a moment but Nick regained his equilibrium and gave them a nod before he spoke.

"The others—"

"Hank and Rosalee are coming. Wu is staying with Truble." Juliette advised as she stared hard at Nick. His face was ghostly pale but there was a flush high on his cheekbones. For a moment his eyes had been glassy and she had felt instinctive need to protect herself. It was because of him that she had woged, not the threat the others represented. Juliette couldn't be sure but she thought that Monroe had felt the same.

"Good. Let's see if we can surprise Chavez and block them in then." Nick's voice was calm. The others had his back and it felt good not to be alone. As he turned back toward the clearing, he could hear the faint sounds of conversation but even with his heightened hearing he couldn't make out the words.

The trio approached quickly but without the camouflage of trees the Wesen behind Chavez turned to see them. It was obvious someone told the FBI agent as the woman turned slightly to keep an eye on both groups as she spoke.

"This party is getting a little crowded." Chavez was calm as she looked past Nick, Monroe, and Juliette. "This does not concern any of you. Dr. Crosley would like to meet the child. She's in no danger from us as she in from the Royals. We can do this the easy way or the hard way Ms. Shade."

Adalind tightened her grip on Diana's hand as they continued to stand just behind both Meisner and Sean. She was pale but her expression revealed not just her fear but her anger. Her daughter was her primary concern but with a glance she saw the child was smiling. Adalind then glanced up at Sean but his focus remained on the woman with the gun.

When Adalind didn't immediately reply Chavez spoke again. "There really will be a new world order soon and you'll realize just how pivotal this moment could have been for you." She took aim at the Captain as the Wesen supporting her moved out on all sides to attack.

Nick and his friends ran forward just as Renard dove out of the way and Meisner pushed Adalind back. Chavez fired more rounds as she tried to make her way to Diana. Sean moved to intercept her with gun fire of his own but he came under attack from behind. Nick and Monroe tried to reach Chavez but her Wesen guards provided fierce protection.

Renard was forced to put away his weapon as friends mixed with enemies. Only Chavez continued to fire her gun as she was less concerned with potential casualities. Chaos reigned as the opposing forces battled for survival.

Time suddenly slowed for Nick - all the details of the battle became crystal clear to him. He saw Monroe tackle a Schinderdiv and knock the warthog-like creature knock out before he stood up, howled, and turned to take on another attacker. Juliette turned a Dickfellig's horn on an approaching Lowen causing the pair to fight each other. Turning slightly, Nick saw Hank step in front of Rosalee and fire his gun at a charging Hundjager. Rosalee then protected Hank's back as another Schackal appeared from the forest.

In that quiet moment, Nick felt heat explode inside his body as his senses kicked into overdrive. He could smell the blood spilled by many, the sounds of growls and strikes blended to the rushed beats of thudding hearts, the feeling of his own breath and heartbeat echoed through him before a flash of light caught his attention. Juliette screamed his name just as Nick turned to face the raised barrel of Agent Chavez's gun as she fired at him.

Suddenly several things happened in that instant. Trubel jumped in front of him and Juliette flung an arm out and screamed an inhuman howl of outrage. Nick and Truble fell to the ground hard but Chavez wasted no more time on them as she pivoted to face Juliette.

Juliette wanted to see Nick but the Lowen had returned and had just grabbed her even as Chavez's gun started pointing her way. While she had learned how to handle her hexenbeist gifts, she knew she couldn't block both attacks.

This time it was Nick calling Juliette's name and the hexenbeist threw back the Lowen and turned to face Chavez. Expecting to be shot, Juliette was shocked to find the agent suspended in midair. Her gun was pointed uselessly toward the sky and her expression was one of surprise mixed with fear. The battle fell silent and all stared at the sight.

Glancing around, Juliette saw Adalind standing next to Diana at the edge of the forest. The child's eyes were glowing but she still smiled at Juliette. As she continued to smile, Chavez went flying through the air and into the forest.