Chapter 5

Monroe's pov

So many aromas whizzing by at such intense speeds. Hundreds. Thousands. Too many to count; all undetectable by the human nose. However, we only need one. We only need Juliette's. The variations of smells seem to never end as they slowly blend together, making it all of the more difficult. In a way they all seem the same yet they are so different.

'I don't know how much longer I can do this,' I thought.

We were still driving, still looking, although now we were in the more quiet part of town. This was the seventh time we must have taken this path as well as countless others. Rosalee was still beside me, her sleepy eyes scanning the road ahead as Nick continued to follow. The need for sleep kept pulling me under for a few glorious seconds of unconsciousness only to be awakened by Rosalee. She looked even worse that I yet she still managed to stay focused.

"I can't do this," I abruptly stated as I pulled my head from the window.

"What do you mean? We have to keep looking," she said quickly as she watched me pull my phone from my pocket.

"Look at us. We're both too tired and in no condition to keep searching. I know that you want to find Juliette but there's no way that we could even get to her if we somehow did find her tonight without getting some sleep first."

I flipped through the brightly lit phone until I found Nick's number in my contacts. It was quiet until he picked up on the other end.

"Monroe! Did you find Juliette's scent?" Nick's voice asked anxiously.

"Yah, about that. Look, Nick, we all really care and desperately want to find Juliette but we won't be able to help her unless we get some sleep."

The phone was quiet for a moment as he thought about my explanation. I could hear his soft and exhausted breathing; most likely from all of the searching and worrying he's done.

"Alright, I understand. Thank Rosalee for me. I really appreciate it. You guys were a lot of help tonight. You go home and sleep, I'm going to keep looking."

"No way, man. You need your sleep probably even more than Rosalee and I combined," I reasoned.

"It's okay. I can handle it. I am detective, don't forget. Besides, Juliette needs me," he stated.

"Nick, you need to listen to me. I know Juliette needs you but what good can you do for her when you're half asleep? If anything, do it for Juliette."

I looked in the rearview mirror to see Nick with his phone pressed up against his ear, his eyes darting from his side window to his windshield. His eyes screamed exhausted, but his body showed complete terror as well as utter nervousness.

"Come on Nick. Go home, get some rest and I promise you we will start first thing tomorrow. Don't worry, it'll be sunrise before you know it," I said.

And with that I hung up the phone and embraced the silence that came with the night. With the side window still being open I took a good whiff of the open air and listened to the crickets sing their song as we passed them by. Soon we'd all be fast asleep and ready to start a new day. Tomorrow would be better, I could feel it.

Nick's pov

We had been driving for hours without any sign of Juliette. With every passing moment the glorious images of Monroe's booming voice echoing through the tiny phone saying that he had picked up her scent and that she would be returning home safely passed through my mind. And now I sit in my car driving home alone after being lectured by one of best friends about the need for sleep. Alone. I truly despise that word. It brings back the memories that I deeply wish to forget but never will. Everything is so quiet. So when I stop in front of my house I slowly pull the keys from the ignition, taking a second to glance around at all of the other dark and incredibly still houses. Mine still remains lit from my earlier speedy departure. I grasp the golden knob once I climb the porch steps, the cold material seeping through the palm of hand.

I gently swing open the door to find the house slightly different from when I had left. The sound of footsteps from the upstairs fills my ears. They slowly grow closer as I instinctively pull my gun and aim it at the landing. A pair of feet begin to appear and when the person reaches the bottom they freeze. Our eyes connect instantly. Pure shock is plastered across their face as they speak.

"Nicky, what are you doing?"

I drop my gun back into its holster as I start to head for the stairs as I see my mom staring cautiously at me.

"Sorry Mom. I forgot you were here," I said as I slid past her to continue up to the second floor.

"It's alright, now what happened at the hospital?" she asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now. Maybe some other time. Listen, I'm kind of tired so I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I said sleepily as I entered the room and watched my mother's face disappear as I closed my bedroom door.

I placed my phone and gun on the dresser just as I did every night when I got home. The room was completely dark allowing me the need to turn on the light. Everything came to life as I got changed into sweats and a t- shirt. Everything looked the same, except for the bed. It used to appear full and cozy. Now it looked empty and alone. I undid the covers and climbed in. The chill of the sheets cooled my already freezing body. I pulled up the blankets and rolled to my side, squeezing the fabric between my fingers.

My eyes coasted to the empty side of the bed where Juliette would always sleep. I could almost picture her in my arms, us keeping each other warm and just because we loved the closeness. I could practically feel her next to me, but she wasn't. I could smell her against the sheets but that was it. Soon she would be home safe and sound again where nothing could ever hurt her. And with that I closed my eyes hoping that sleep would be kind enough to claim me.

...

Creek. Creek.

My eyes bolted open to see my clock reading 2:23 am. The sheets were no longer cold as I heard the small creaking noises continue. I pressed my hands against the bed to push myself up. Rubbing my eyes I slowly re- opened them to look around. My body quickly jolted as none other than Adalind's face came into view at the foot of my bed.

"Resting well?" she asked me, her hands placed firmly behind her back.

"Where is she?" I yelled, bolting out of the bed and rapidly landing on my feet.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she taunted, her voice filled with malice.

"What have you done with her?" I questioned viciously.

"Let's just say time is not on your side anymore," she said as she slowly started backing away.

I began to follow her every move, preparing myself for any kind of trick that she might throw my way. One thing was for sure, she wasn't leaving until I got some answers.

"I only did what I had to do. And now, I'm getting even," she stated simply with a devious smile, now turning on her heel to leave.

"UGH!" I screamed as I lunged forward, ready to tackle her to the ground.

My hands extended quickly only to meet nothing but air as I quickly landed in a heap on the floor. The realization hit me immediately. No human could just disappear like that. Now I just had to face the fact that Adalind was gone, because she wasn't ever here to begin with…

Hey everyone! That was chapter 5! Poor Nick, hopefully he finds Juliette soon. Feel free to comment, I love hearing what you guys have to say. Everytime I read them they put me on cloud 9 for the rest of the day and make me all of the more excited to post the next chapter! I'm just going to say that I don't own this show mainly because I see everyone post that in their stories. Anyway, thanks for reading and who else is excited that Grimm returns the 13th!? I am! Thanks again and chapter 6 should be up soon!