A/N:
Warning-long author's note ahead! (sorrynotsorry).
Well, this is it! Thank you to everyone who hung with me on the crazy journey that was this story. Your reviews and follows and encouragement meant the world, and kept me going when I was stuck or losing motivation. This chapter is for you!
And a special thanks to WolfStar4, Gabi2305, Lostinarwop, mi guard, D Squirrel, HipsterMaybe, The Writer Es, Random Person, Livia, Grimmster Girl, TheRedPenofDoom87, and MoondustWolf for reviewing every chapter or at least multiple chapters. Thanks so much for your continued encouragement and support! And sorry that I couldn't thank every reader individually, but each and every review was read and appreciated!
So, this story will purposefully be left a little open-ended (think of it as a season finale in that respect, what will happen next?! Use your imagination!), with room for a sequel, however I don't know when or even if I'll ever get around to writing it, so if anyone wants to tackle a sequel to this story, feel free! You have my full permission and encouragement.
I probably won't be writing another multi-chaptered story right away, but I am throwing around the idea of a series of Nick-centric one-shots featuring hurt/comfort, angst, a little humor and fluff thrown in, and the canon bromances/romances of the show (I have some half-written ones done already). That being said, if any of you have any requests or prompts that you'd like to see, feel free to PM me or leave it in a review, and I'll try my best to fill it! (Nick whump, angst, and friendship fuzzies are my strong point). Please, ask away!
Also, probably should have been doing this for the whole story but….I don't own them. That's all NBC. Otherwise, THIS would have been the finale. That finale though….
Enjoy this last chappy!
~TheFictionalMe~
Epilogue
The early morning rays were filtering in through the window when Nick awoke with a start, blinking to clear the sleep from his eyes in the dim light of the bedroom. He smiled as he stretched out in bed, turning over to face Juliette, only to find that her side of the covers were cold and empty.
"Juliette?" he called out as he sat up slowly, grateful that the motion that recently would have taken all of his effort was reduced to a dull ache now, a distant reminder of being shot so many weeks ago.
"In here!" he heard her voice float in from the bathroom, and he slowly climbed out of bed and made his way towards the closed door.
He could hear the warm water of the shower running as he got closer, and he quickly turned the handle and stepped into the room. Juliette was still dressed in her favorite pink silk robe, leaning into the shower and carefully adjusting the water temperature.
"Want some company?" he asked hoarsely, and Juliette whirled around to see him standing in the doorway. He leaned casually against the door frame and smiled at her, his hair still mussed from sleep.
She broke into a small smile at the sight of him standing there, a reflection of the way he normally would while she was getting ready in the morning. "Maybe," she smirked, walking purposefully towards him and slowly untying the belt of her robe. Nick swallowed thickly as she stopped in front him, reaching out and running her hands up and down his firm chest. "But we have to start getting ready soon. We have a wedding to get to."
Nick pulled her firmly up against him, gripping her slim waist and giving her a boyish grin. "Yea, I know. But we can spare five minutes…" he trailed off, his breath hot and warm in her ear before he began kissing his way slowly down her neck.
Juliette chuckled, trying without success to hold off his advances. "It's never just five minutes with you."
Nick pulled back and raised his eyebrows at her. "You've never complained about that before."
Juliette smirked at him again, laying a firm kiss on his lips before pulling reluctantly away from his grasp and heading back towards the shower. "It's only a problem when we're going to be late. Monroe and Rosalee need us there early."
Nick sighed, giving her a look of exaggerated dejection. "Alright, alright."
"But you know," Juliette smiled slyly back at him over her shoulder, "I was always good at multi-tasking." With that, she dropped the robe carelessly to the floor and motioned with her head at the shower.
Nick eagerly scrambled after her, hastily ripping his shirt off over his head at her invitation. He came up behind her as she turned around to face him, wiggling her eyebrows in amusement as he approached.
She moved to pull him in to the shower behind her, but then suddenly paused, frowning deeply as she looked back at him again.
"Juliette, what's…" Nick started to ask, looking at her in concern, as he slowly followed her gaze to where it was now focused on his bare chest.
Right on the distinct star-shaped scar near his heart.
She reached up and gingerly fingered the healed wound, a battle scar that he would always bear from his close encounter with death. She finally met his worried gaze, biting her lower lip.
"Are you ok?" he asked softly, moving her hand away from his chest and gently kissing her finger tips.
"Now that you are," she replied quietly, steadily holding his gaze, "I will be."
With that, she grabbed his hand firmly and pulled him into the shower behind her. She wrapped herself tightly around him, kissing him deeply with every ounce of her heart and soul under the hot spray of the water, which Nick readily returned as he reassured her without a doubt that he was very much alive.
And this, he thought, her healing touch, is all he really needed to make him feel whole again.
The ceremony was beautiful.
Monroe and Rosalee had kept true to themselves this time, and organized a small outdoor wedding deep in the heart of Portland's forest, near a secluded lake, which suited them much better than the church wedding. This time, only family and a few close friends (all of whom Monroe had made sure knew Nick was a Grimm and were ok with it) were invited, making it a much smaller and more intimate affair overall.
It was perfect.
"Ok, well, by the power invested in me by the great state of Oregon," Bud chirped happily from his place at the front of the altar, (since it just so happened that he was also an ordained minister thanks to some online certificate), "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!" He smiled brightly as he looked up at the happy bride and groom. "Well, what are you waiting for? Kiss her already!"
The crowd laughed at that as Monroe pulled Rosalee to him, grinning from ear to ear, before swinging her around to lean backwards for a dramatic kiss. Everyone stood, clapping and cheering loudly as Monroe and Rosalee turned back to the crowd, raising their joined hands up in triumph.
They were finally married.
Nick laughed, shaking his head at Monroe and clapping whole-heartedly from his place next to the bride and groom under a beautiful canopy of azaleas, which was set next to the amazing backdrop of the crystal clear mountain lake. He smiled across the altar at Juliette as she looked on admiringly at the happy newlyweds.
As the wedding recessional began, Juliette looped her arm through Nick's as they followed Monroe and Rosalee back down the aisle, smiling and nodding their heads at the guests who were still cheering and clapping heartily for the new couple. Hank and DeEtta followed suit behind them, as the bridal party weaved their way through the audience, down the grassy aisle littered beautifully with flower petals, and towards the large white reception tent set up nearby.
"I'm so happy for them," Juliette leaned in to say quietly as they approached the tent.
"Me too," Nick nodded in agreement, squeezing her hand gently as it rested on his arm. "They really deserve this."
"They do," Juliette agreed, beaming over at him as she brushed a strand of her elegantly curled hair over her bare shoulder, and Nick thought that she had never looked more beautiful. "I'm glad they finally got their fairy tale ending."
Nick raised his eyebrows at that, smiling ruefully back at her. "Considering that we now know that fairy tales are real, let's just hope that theirs is the happy kind."
Juliette nodded at his words, before looking back at him resolutely. "It will be." She paused, giving him a small smile as she squeezed his arm. "And ours too."
Nick looked back at her, feeling strangely reassured by the determination in her voice, and even knowing the crazy and unpredictable world they lived in, he really wanted to believe that. Juliette deserved that much, more than that even, and he'd do whatever it took to make that happen.
He leaned over to kiss her gently on the cheek, whispering softly in her ear.
"I'll make sure of it."
"And now for a speech from the best man, Nick Burkhardt!"
Nick took a deep breath and smiled apprehensively at the guests as he stood up, straightening his suit jacket and nodding in thanks to Bud as he enthusiastically handed him the microphone.
"Knock 'em dead, Nick!" Bud began, and then his expression changed to one of horror as he realized what he'd said and how it must sound, especially after the events of the first wedding.
"Oh man, I didn't mean to say that. That sounded terrible! I didn't mean anything by it, especially with what happened before...oh geez, this is awful! And you're also a Grimm, and not that you'd ever do something like that, but I really should of thought about my choice of words, because you'd never actually knock any Wesen dead, at least not the ones here..."
"Bud!" Nick finally cut him off with raised hand, before offering a reassuring smile to the flustered Eisbiber. "It's ok, no harm done."
"Really, you mean that?" Bud replied nervously, still looking distraught. "Gee, Nick, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said it."
"Really, it's fine. I promise," Nick's smile grew wider, and he was relieved to find that at least the microphone had been turned off for their entire exchange. "But, uh, I sort of have a speech to give now."
"Oh, right!" Bud replied quickly, slowly backing away from the bridal party table. "Uh, good luck! It'll be great."
Nick just nodded at him in thanks, before slowly turning the microphone back on and bravely facing the wedding guests. They were seated at several small circular tables, under the soft glow of the multiple lanterns strung across the top of the tent, giving the whole reception a very mystical and romantic feel.
Nick cleared his throat nervously as he began. "Hi. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Nick Burkhardt. And I just want to welcome you all here and say that on behalf of Monroe and Rosalee, we're so glad that you could all be here to share this special day with them."
He received mostly friendly smiles and a few questioning stares from the guests who were still a little leery of his Grimm status, but so far the entire crowd seemed to be engaged and calmly listening to his speech. He breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders relaxing a little in the knowledge that this time, the wedding was actually going as planned.
"It probably comes as no surprise," Nick smiled wryly at the guests as he continued, "that Monroe and I aren't the most conventional of friends. There are those who would say that we shouldn't be friends at all. In fact, our friendship got off to a pretty rocky start," he turned to look down at Monroe sitting next to him at the bridal party table. Monroe nodded his head in agreement, chuckling slightly at the memory of their first meeting. Being accused of kidnapping hadn't been the best way to start things out, but it was certainly memorable.
"But, despite our differences," Nick turned back to look out at the guests, "it turned out to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. We just didn't know it yet." This elicited some quiet laughter from the crowd, and Nick let out another sigh of relief. So far, so good.
"Once we got past that, I quickly learned that Monroe is the type of guy you can depend on, no matter what, and I can always count on him. He's a great friend to have. As for me, Monroe would say that I've made his life more...interesting," Nick paused to allow for some more chuckles from the crowd, "and probably a little complicated at times. Ok, really complicated at times. I definitely owe him a gift basket or two. And to that, I have to say," Nick gestured at Rosalee who was beaming up at him as he spoke, "look at Rosalee, man. You're welcome."
He turned to look directly at Rosalee. "And to Rosalee, I'm sorry that I didn't introduce you to any of the guys in my department instead."
The whole crowd laughed again, and Monroe just shook his head in mock irritation as Rosalee patted his arm, laughing at Nick's jibe. Nick smiled at them and the wedding guests again, before his speech took on a more serious tone.
"As you all know," he continued, his voice becoming quieter and more solemn, "the last wedding did not go exactly as planned." There were several slow nods and sad smiles to acknowledge this, a serious reminder of what almost wasn't. He caught sight of Juliette, sitting at Rosalee's other side, and she smiled sadly at him.
He turned back out towards the guests. "I'm just grateful that I'm still able to stand up here today," he paused to motion with his hand at them, "with Monroe and Rosalee, to be here with them on the most important day of their lives."
Nick took a deep breath before continuing. "Despite what happened, Monroe and Rosalee never lost sight of what was important: their love and commitment to each other. So we gather here today, in the face of all the adversity and the evil in this world, to say that love truly prevails in the end. And I can think of no better example of the power of that kind of love than the two people sitting at this table." He gestured again at his friends, Monroe smiling gratefully up at him and Rosalee blinking back tears at his words.
"So with that, I'd like to make a toast," Nick raised his glass, as the rest of the entire reception did the same. "To Monroe and Rosalee. Congratulations, and may you have a long and happy life together!" The entire crowd broke out into hearty applause and a few whistles as Monroe and Rosalee both stood to hug him.
Monroe hugged Nick so tightly that he couldn't breathe.
"That was a great speech man," Monroe patted Nick on the shoulder as he came to stand next to him on the edge of the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the open tent, watching Rosalee and Juliette and several other ladies dancing to a fast-paced pop song that they had no hopes of trying to keep up with.
Nick nodded, taking a sip of his beer and looking back over at Monroe. "Thanks. I'm just glad I finally got to give it."
A thankful smile crossed Monroe's face as he looked over at him knowingly. "Me too."
"Anyways," Nick mused, looking around at all the guests milling happily under the soft glow of the tent, "I have to say, this is a great wedding. Congratulations."
"Thanks," Monroe smiled brightly at him, his eyes scanning the dance floor and falling lovingly on his beautiful bride, laughing at something her sister said as they spun around the floor, the exquisite layers of her new wedding dress flowing in circles around her.
"Wow," Monroe breathed with a tone of wonderment, "I'm so lucky. How'd I convince her to marry me?"
Nick laughed, shaking his head at him. "I'm not sure, but I wouldn't question it too much."
"Oh trust me, I'm not," Monroe raised his eyebrows in amusement as he turned back to him. "And I know we've only been married for a couple of hours, but I can already tell you it's the greatest thing in the world."
Nick smiled at him, before turning back out to the dance floor, watching Juliette as she moved gracefully to the music and feeling his heart skip a beat as he looked at her. "Hopefully I'll find out soon for myself."
Monroe turned to look back at him in surprise. "Really man? Are you finally going to ask Juliette?"
Nick gave him a questioning look. "You say that as though I haven't already tried twice before."
Monroe chuckled at that. "That's true, but we've still wondered what's taken you guys so long."
"We? Who's we?" Nick asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, me, Rosalee, Hank, Bud, the general public..." Monroe shrugged, unable to hide the grin creeping across his face. "Juliette loves you and she has stuck around through the craziness that is your life. You need to hold on to her."
"Believe me, I know that, and I still can't figure out why she has stayed with me through all of this," Nick sighed, smiling ruefully. "I don't deserve her."
Monroe patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Yea you do. You two deserve the kind of happiness that me and Rosalee have."
Nick nodded slowly, contemplating Monroe's words. "There's nothing that I want more than that."
"So what's the hold-up?" Monroe questioned, looking at him curiously.
"Well, it's not for lack of trying," Nick shook his head, "but, I don't know, the timing hasn't been right…"
"And?" Monroe encouraged him, sensing his hesitation.
Nick sighed deeply. "And sometimes, I think she would be better off without me."
"C'mon Nick," Monroe reassured him, "if Juliette wanted out of this, and this life," he gestured at the two of them, "then she would have left a long time ago. You know that."
"Yea," Nick replied seriously, glancing back over at Monroe, "but with me, she'll never have the chance at a normal life."
Monroe was silent for a long moment, before he finally shrugged nonchalantly. "And tell me, what's so great about a normal life?"
Nick looked back at him, a small smile slowly spreading across his face. Monroe's words were exactly what he had needed to hear. "Thanks Monroe."
"Well, that's what I'm here for," he grinned at him, "to be your voice of reason, because we all know how much you need that."
Nick narrowed his eyes at him, but he was still smiling. "Only because it's your wedding, I'm not going to respond to that."
"I'll take it," Monroe laughed, before squeezing his shoulder again, giving him a meaningful look. "Good luck."
"Yea," Nick nodded, his eyes wandering back out to the dance floor as the song changed again. "You too," he added, gesturing at Rosalee, who was waving frantically for Monroe to join her on the dance floor.
"Oh boy," Monroe muttered as a small look of terror crossed his face, but he was smiling when Rosalee finally took his hand and yanked him out on the dance floor, despite his half-hearted protests.
Nick chuckled at them, and then braced himself for Juliette to do the same when he noticed a tall and familiar figure standing off to the left side of the tent. He motioned to Juliette that he would be right back, and slowly moved through the crowd until he reached his destination.
"I didn't take you for much of a wedding crasher," Nick said as he came to a stop next to the man leaning casually against one of the pillars holding up the tent, blending well into the shadows.
"Typically, I'm not," Renard replied nonchalantly as he looked back at Nick, "but this was too good an opportunity to pass up."
Nick nodded slowly at him, as they both scanned around the reception, making sure no one could overhear their conversation. "But you didn't come here for the open bar."
"Regrettably, no," Renard replied, taking one last sip of his nearly empty scotch, "although that is an added bonus."
"Should we take this outside?" Nick asked, gesturing towards the outside of the tent. Renard nodded silently in agreement, and both men slipped silently out of the tent and into the warm night air.
They moved closer to the lake, and once they were far enough away from any curious eavesdroppers, Nick paused and turned to look at Renard seriously. "So what's going on?"
"I found her."
Nick's eyes widened in realization at his words. "Adalind? Where is she?"
"In Germany, for now," Renard responded, "a little ways outside Munich, but she won't be there for long."
"And is she alone?" Nick asked, trying to keep his growing anger in check. Just the mention of her name, after what she had inadvertently done to him and tried to do to Monroe, made his blood boil.
"No, she isn't," Renard replied calmly, but Nick could sense that he was having difficulty staying neutral about her as well, no matter what connection they might have had over their child.
"So, does that mean your brother is really alive?" Nick asked him, waiting for the confirmation that Eric Renard had somehow survived and put this whole mess into motion.
"Unfortunately," Renard gritted his teeth involuntarily, "I believe that Eric's still around, and that he's with Adalind, like we thought. I don't know how she found him, or if he found her, but I'm positive that she came to him with her master plan to set up the hit on Monroe and turn us against each other. It sounds exactly like something Eric would approve of, but naturally, not wanting to get his hands dirty, he had Adalind do the grunt work for him by setting up the details and hiring the assassins."
"And by turning us against each other, then they would both get what they wanted," Nick replied, unconsciously clenching his fists at his sides, before taking a deep breath to rein in his rising fury at this knowledge.
Renard gave him a dangerous look. "Yes. With one or both of us out of the way, Adalind would have her revenge for losing her child, and Eric would have his revenge for me constantly getting in his way…and keeping the key away from him."
Nick smiled grimly at his words. "I suppose I didn't make any friends when I kept the key out of reach either."
Renard nodded at that. "Or when you inadvertently ruined his plans after the Cracher-Mortel incident. After that mess, I think Eric realized that we weren't so easily dealt with, and in hopes of getting the key, he made this one last attempt under the guise of being dead."
He frowned darkly, looking back at Nick. "Now there's only one way I can make sure that he and Adalind don't get away with this."
Nick furrowed his brows at him. "And what's that?"
"I'm going back to Europe."
Nick paused at his words, looking at him skeptically. "You're going back? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Renard scoffed, shaking his head. "No. But I really don't have any other choice if I want to end this once and for all."
"But I thought you had someone over there working on this," Nick inquired warily, "so that you didn't have to."
Renard sighed, looking over at Nick. "I do. But this particular associate wasn't able to follow through before when I had a…message for Eric, and I'm not sure that I can rely on him anymore. Besides, I think Adalind may have inadvertently swayed his loyalties when he helped get her and the baby out of Vienna."
Nick raised his eyebrows at this. "You don't trust him."
"I don't trust anyone," Renard replied coolly, "not really."
"Do you trust me?" Nick asked, studying him carefully as he replied.
"More than I trust my associate," Renard held his gaze steadily as he responded.
"Fair enough," Nick nodded at that. "So who is this associate of yours, anyways?"
"That doesn't matter," Renard shook his head. "The less you know, the better."
"No," Nick shook his head firmly, "if you want my help on this, I need to know what's going on, and what we're dealing with here."
"What difference does it make?" Renard looked at him doubtfully. "You won't know him anyways."
Nick shrugged, giving him an unwavering look. "Let's just call it an exercise in trust."
Renard put a hand to his chin thoughtfully at Nick's words. "Meisner. His name is Meisner. He's with the Resistance." He raised his eyebrows at Nick. "How was that?"
"That's a start," Nick replied, a smirk creeping up at the edges of his mouth. "Now, what do you want me to do?"
"I want you to come with me."
Nick paused, blinking in surprise as he looked back at Renard. "Come with you? To Europe?"
Renard nodded slowly in confirmation. "Yes."
"Seriously?" Nick looked at him dubiously. "I don't know if that's a good idea."
"I know what I'm asking of you," Renard replied, looking at him seriously, "but this is as much your fight as mine. We can't let Eric and Adalind get away with what they've done. Besides, they'll just try again if we don't do something now."
"But still, what point are you trying to make by taking a Grimm back home with you?" Nick asked disbelievingly. "Won't that make things even more complicated if I go over there too?"
"It will, but there's too much at stake here," Renard replied frostily, "and more importantly, I thought that this time I would give my brother my regards myself."
He paused, looking at Nick before adding, "So, here bars the question: do you trust me?"
Nick waited for a moment before replying, scrambling to gather his scattered thoughts. "Well, I trust that you know what you're doing."
"But?" Renard encouraged him, sensing that he wasn't quite finished.
"But," Nick sighed, running a hand roughly over his face, "I don't think I should go with you. It would draw too much attention, especially if you want to…see your brother."
"I understand that," Renard nodded at him, "but I need your help on this one, Nick. There's no way I can do this alone. I need someone with me that I can count on over there."
"And you think you can count on me more than this Meisner?" Nick questioned again, looking at Renard skeptically. Their relationship had always been a precarious one, but Renard had looked out for him more than once, protected him even, and now it might be time for him to return the favor.
Renard raised an eyebrow at him. "You could say that." He paused, before adding, "Besides, Eric and Adalind put out a hit on Monroe, and almost killed you instead…are you really going to let them get away with that?"
No. No way in hell.
"Ok," Nick sighed reluctantly in agreement, "ok. I'll go. But if you're asking me to do something off the books…"
"It will be off the books," Renard cut him off, "but it's not what you think."
"Then what do you need me to do exactly?" Nick asked him, silently relieved that Renard wasn't asking him to be a mercenary. As much as he wanted Adalind gone for good, and Eric to pay for what he'd done…he wasn't sure the human part of his conscious could deal with that. He was further relieved to know that he still had that part of his conscious intact at all. Walking the line between Grimm, cop, and human was a slippery slope, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to balance.
"I need you to have my back over there," Renard responded, "in case things get hairy once we find them. Which they will. Especially when the rest of my family finds out I'm in town."
"Won't they suspect you right away if Eric…disappears again?" Nick asked, still trying to figure out Renard's plan.
"No. He's been trying to stay off the radar, so I doubt they even know he's still alive to begin with," Renard shrugged, "so that shouldn't be a problem. However, once they find out I'm back, and they will, I can't promise what will take place, or that you won't have to do something a little…unorthodox. But what I'm asking is that you stand up next to me, no matter what happens with Eric, or my family. Can you do that?"
Nick's eyes widened at his words, as he realized just how much trust and faith that Renard was putting in him by asking him to go to Europe with him. It spoke volumes about Renard's value of his allegiance and his skills, and Nick knew that this could be a turning point for Grimms and Royals alike if he and Renard faced down his family together.
They could change everything. They could change history.
"Ok," Nick nodded in understanding, fully realizing the new weight now being placed on his shoulders, "I'm in."
"You're sure about this?" Renard asked him again, studying him closely.
Nick squared his shoulders and faced Renard directly. "Let's go show Eric what a bastard you can really be."
Renard was unable to suppress a smirk at that. "I thought you might feel that way."
Nick nodded in agreement with him, before pausing and looking back at the Captain. "So," he asked, "then what are you going to do about Adalind?"
Renard's eyes narrowed at the mention of her name. "You let me handle her."
"No argument here," Nick scoffed in reply.
"When we get over there, I'll need your help tracking her and Eric down," Renard continued coolly, "Meisner has an idea of their location, unless it's a trap and we're just walking into it. But, once we find them…"
"Right," Nick replied in understanding, "I'll be there for whatever you need me to do, especially if we're being set up."
Renard raised his eyebrows at him in confirmation, before a dark look crossed his features, his calm façade slowly slipping away. "They will both pay for what they've done. You just watch my back. I'll take care of the rest."
"There you are," Nick heard Juliette's voice as she walked up to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him from behind as he stood at the water's edge, looking thoughtfully out at the moon rising over the lake. "I thought maybe you were avoiding the garter toss."
"Hi," he smiled, turning around and pulling her up against his side, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be gone so long."
"That's ok," Juliette smiled at him, nestling her head on his shoulder as they looked out at the calmly lapping waves. "You only missed the Chicken Dance. Besides, I wanted to give you guys some time to talk."
"Yea," Nick nodded, sighing deeply, "thanks." He knew she would worry when he told her that he was going to Europe with Renard, but he also had to give her more credit for how understanding she was when it came to all things Grimm-related. Monroe was right: she would have left a long time ago if she couldn't handle this life anymore, and he desperately hoped that that day wouldn't come.
"Is everything ok?" Juliette questioned with concern, looking up at him under the pale moonlight.
Nick turned to face her, kissing her forehead gently before wrapping his arms around her tightly and breathing deeply into her hair. "Yea, everything will be." He paused, letting out a long breath.
"He found them."
Juliette pulled back to look up at him in surprise. "Renard found Adalind? And his brother?"
Nick nodded, smiling grimly at her. "More or less. They're in Germany for now, near Munich somewhere."
"Wow," Juliette breathed, her brow furrowing in a mixture of anger and relief. "So now what?"
"So now," Nick looked at her hesitantly, "Renard needs my help to find them."
"He wants you to go to Germany?"
"Yes."
Juliette was silent for a long moment, before stepping away from his embrace and walking closer to the water's edge.
"Juliette?" Nick prodded gently after he had given her a few minutes to process everything, coming over to stand at her shoulder. He wanted to touch her but hesitated, afraid that this might finally be the moment when she walked away.
"It's going to be dangerous, isn't it?" she finally asked, still not turning to look at him, her voice steady and quiet.
"Yea, it will be," he answered honestly, because he would never keep things from her again, "but I promise you that I'll be careful."
Juliette nodded again, finally turning to look over at him, her brow furrowed in deep thought. "Is this really what you need to do?"
"It is," Nick replied earnestly, reaching over then to squeeze one of her hands. "I wouldn't be going unless this was really important. Besides, we can't let Eric and Adalind get another chance to come after us."
"Oh, I know," Juliette replied vehemently, raising her eyebrows at him, before finally letting out a long sigh.
"Ok."
"Wait, you're ok with this?" Nick asked, unable to hide the incredulity in his voice. He had really expected her to be more upset, to try and talk him out of it, to convince him to stay, especially since he had nearly died just mere weeks ago. She had been fiercely protective of him since then, and Nick finally understood how she must feel when he hovered over her.
Juliette shrugged at that. "Not really, but I understand it." She turned to face him directly. "So when do we leave?"
"Uh, what?" Nick asked in confusion at her words. "We?"
"Yes, we," Juliette told him firmly, stepping closer to him once again. "If you think I'm just going to be ok with you going over there on your own, then you're sorely mistaken, Nick." She reached up and hooked an arm behind his neck, cupping his cheek gently with her other hand as she looked up at him in determination. "I'm not staying at home anymore."
"I know why you're worried," Nick responded, leaning into her touch, "but I'll be with Renard, and besides, it's too dangerous for you to come."
Juliette shook her head at him. "No, don't start that. If it's too dangerous, then all the more reason to have me there to help you. Besides," she paused, raising her eyebrows at him, "you'll be watching Renard's back. Who will be watching yours?"
Nick sighed, smiling ruefully at her, and reaching up to grab her hand, squeezing it firmly. "You do have a point."
She grinned in victory up at him. "I know."
"But Juliette," his face fell as he looked at her seriously, "if things get bad over there…"
"Yea," she sighed at him, tossing a strand of long auburn hair over her shoulder, "I'll stay out of the way. I'll come home even….but not without you. No more trying to be the hero, remember?"
Nick laughed at that. "Somehow, I keep forgetting." He hesitated, looking back at her. "Ok, so we're doing this? You're really going with me?"
"Yes," Juliette told him resolutely, squeezing his hand again in reassurance. "And I'm sure Hank, and even Monroe and Rosalee will want to come too, after the honeymoon at least. There's no way we are going to lose you now. You're stuck with us." She paused then, a dark look crossing her face. "Besides, I'd like to give Adalind a piece of my mind after what she's done to us."
"We all do," Nick raised his eyebrows in agreement. "Monroe would come just for that."
"So it's settled then," Juliette looked at him in determination. "We're going to Europe."
"Ok then," he smiled at her again, shaking his head in astonishment. He knew there was no way he could change her mind once it was made up, and it was somehow reassuring to know that she would be with him through this next venture, and that she supported him, no matter what this crazy life threw at them.
He pulled her closer to him. "You're amazing, you know that?"
She winked at him in response. "Don't forget smart, funny, and perfect."
"Oh," Nick gave her a devious grin, quickly tightening his grip around her waist, "getting cocky are we?"
Juliette's face quickly turned to one of panic. "Nick…"
She let out an undignified yelp as Nick pulled her up into his arms, quickly spinning her around, before effortlessly throwing her over his shoulder.
"Nick, what are you doing?" she demanded, as he walked closer to the water, holding her squirming form firmly on his shoulder as she flailed upside down against his back, flinging one of her stilettos into the sand as she struggled.
"Oh, nothing," he replied nonchalantly as he reached the water's edge, "it just looked like you need to cool down."
"Nicholas Burkhardt, I swear to God if you throw me in that lake!..." Juliette squealed, frantically trying to worm her way out of his grasp, and Nick struggled a little to hold on to her. "Put me down!"
"Alright, alright," Nick chuckled, stepping back a little ways from the water and setting her back down in the sand before he dropped her. "I won't."
"That wasn't funny," Juliette playfully swatted his shoulder as she struggled to fix her tousled hair, but she was smiling at him as she said it. "Now, where's my shoe?"
"Ah, right here," Nick quickly located the fallen heel nearby, and went to retrieve it for her. "I got it."
Juliette raised her eyebrows at him, before delicately holding out her bare foot for him to place the heel back on. He grinned at her, obliging and kneeling down on the sand to place her foot back in the shoe.
Juliette laughed, shaking her head as she looked down at him, wiggling her perfectly manicured toes back into the lost shoe. "What am I going to do with you?"
Nick paused at that, still kneeling down in front of her, before slowly reaching into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulling out her engagement ring.
"Well…you could marry me."
"Oh my God," Juliette breathed in disbelief, putting a hand to her mouth, "Nick..."
She was completely taken by surprise as he gently took her other hand, eyes wide and an incredulous smile crossing her face as she looked down at him. He looked back up at her, holding out the ring that he had wanted to give her for far too long, as it sparkled beautifully under the soft glow of the moonlight.
"Juliette," Nick began, his voice slightly shaking and full of emotion, "you are the most amazing woman I've ever met. And I know how much our lives have changed…because of me, and what I am…but you've stood by me through it all. At the end of the day, you keep me grounded, you keep me human…and I can't ever thank you enough for that. I love you more than I could ever possibly hope to tell you, but I'm hoping you'll give me the rest of our lives to try. Juliette, will you be my wife?"
The way she kissed him after he slipped the ring on her finger gave him all the answer he needed to know.
End