The precinct was busy as ever but Nick sensed something very different when he finally entered the big crowded room, heading over to his desk. Something was weird but he couldn't name it. Maybe the eyes, watching him, maybe there were more people around then usual. Maybe it was the fact that the shutters of the Captain's office were closed.

That was confusing and something Nick had never seen before, so he frowned when he'd noticed this.

As far as he knew Renard was on vacation. Wu told him about that the Captain was gone one day after he broke with Juliette. Something had happened but neither, not Juliette and seriously not the Captain, was talking about it.

Anyway, Nick decided, this was not his business. He only had to investigate the disappearing of this young woman. Whatever his boss was after or not, especially with Juliette, was not his problem anymore.

He told himself …

Unfortunately his heart was dumb and still full of pain. It simply didn't get what he told himself like a mantra: Not his business – but he still loved Juliette! Not his business – but he wanted her back! Not his business – and he wished to hurt Renard the same way the captain had hurt him, playing him for a while now.

Nick turned around to his desk, hung his jacket over the back of his chair before he finally took a seat.

It felt strange to work on his own and he found himself looking at Hank's empty chair feeling sad.

When he was done with the duty today he would go to the hospital and look after Hank he decided. Monroe would understand, this was important for Nick. Hank still was his partner, and he still was a sort of friend. Maybe a better friend now with knowing about Wesen and Grimm and some of the other stuff. Nick only wished he'd told Hank about what Adalind was before they fought in the park in spring …

Adalind!

Nick suddenly was aware that he didn't know where she was. Still in costudy? He hoped so. Otherwise he was sure she would give him a hard time, trying to play tricks on him. With or without Hexenbiest, Adalind was dangerous and he should be better prepared, just in case she would come free.

One thing he wasn't sure about. As long as Renard was here Adalind would stay in costudy, but whoever was his fill-in could set her free. Definetely not the best idea as long as Nick didn't had a plan what to do with her. He only wanted to know if his guess was true and Renard was the Royal in Portland. Well, it also would be nice to learn about why any Royal was after the key and why this Royal knew that he had it.

Nick was sure Aunt Marie never met Renard, and that was the point in his theory he simply couldn't understand. If Renard knew about the key, who told him? And why? His Mom had told him the Royals had given the keys to the Grimm, so why those Royal now want them back? And why not simply asking? Why this whole playing-tricks-until-you-are-sick-game?

He had talked about this with Monroe now several nights before Rosalee's daily call but they never found an answer or explanation for what was going on. The best way to solve this problem would have been to face Renard. But Monroe didn't let Nick out of his house and finally Renard was gone. Nick wasn't sure if he should wish forever or of a return …

He started his computer hoping for some first early reports when he heard a female voice calling: "Are you Detective Burkhardt?"

Nick moved around looking at a woman, standing beside the open door to the Captain's office and began to nod. "Yes, I am."

The woman waved him. "Come in, please", she ordered and entered the office.

Nick frowned but stood up.

Who was this? He'd never seen her before he was sure. The fill-in for the Captain?

Possible he decided when he opened the door again. Looking back at his desk he there saw Wu, who had just arrived, pulling faces into his direction. Nick shrugged and entered the office.

"Please, close the door", the female voice of the stranger ordered again.

Nick did and turned around – to freeze in the middle of the movement for a second when he saw Bruckner sitting on one of the two chairs on this side of the working desk. The woman stood there, her arms folded , leaning against the top of the desk and looking at him.

"Detective Burkhardt, this is Detective Bruckner", she introduced the Hundjäger a second time while Nick was more interested in learning more about her.

Bruckner gnawled and bit his teeth but didn't say anything.

The woman raised one eyebrow looking again at Nick.

"Ah, I see you two already know each other", she said and stood up. Offering Nick her right hand she finally introduced herself: "Lieutenant Monica LeFleur. I'm the fill-in for Captain Renard. Usually fifth precinct."

Nick shook her hand and put a half smile on his lips. "Glad to meet you", he said.

She nodded and turned to the third chair on the other side of the table. "Would you please take a seat", she said, before she sat down herself.

Nick looked again at Bruckner, shrugged finally and sat down, falting his hand in his lap he looked up at the Lieutenant.

"Gentlemen, I'm glad to meet you two", LeFleur said, looking from on to the other. "To keep a long story short, I just got a call from the mayor."

Nick blinkened. "Why?" he asked.

"Because there are plenty abductions all over Portland", she answered. "And unfortunately one of this victims is the Godchild of our mayor. You can imagine he wants his Godchild back."

Nick nodded. Bruckner at his side blew some air through his nose.

"We now have one dozen cases of disappeared persons", he explained. "And now the mayor wants something? What about the other eleven victims?"

"Well, he wants them all back too – as healthy as we can manage that", LeFleur said.

Nick leaned forward, watching her with some interest. "A dozen?" he asked.

Man, he really wasn't around here for a long time! And Monroe, good old buddy, didn't even let him read the newspaper during the last week. No wonder he wasn't up to date. He could imagine Monroe telling Wu not to give too bad news to him, the Grimm with the broken heart.

"What else the mayor wants? Should we grab some stars from the sky?" Bruckner said. "And why this … meeting with this one here?"

Nick felt the look of Bruckners eyes on his neck. Probably the Hundjäger was searching the best place to bit his throat … ?

"The mayor insisted to put all the cases together. Not one abduction was in the same district than the others. So, for now there are a lot of precincts working on probably only one case. The mayor wants all of this cases in one precinct – the third", LeFleur explained. "And you two are here because the mayor wants the best to work on this case. As I've said, he wants his Godchild back."

"The best?" Nick and Bruckner asked with one voice.

The female Lieutenant smirked. "The best investigators in Portland. Detective Bruckner, I know you just moved over from Chicago but your rate is great. Not to mention Detective Burkhardt, who's probably the best profiler in Oregon State. The mayor wants you two to team up."

"No chance!" Bruckner told her without hesitation. "I'm not teaming up with a … with some schoolboy like this." He nodded in Nick's direction.

"I already have a partner", the Grimm said.

"A partner who is still in the hospital after some intruders beat the hell out of him in his own residence", LeFleur said and shook her head. "It's not a choice, guys. The mayor wants, the superintendent is with him. I'm only the messenger here." Now it was her who was leaning forward, fixing both men's eyes. "But I swear to you: If you fail you can give back your badges – both of you! Do you understand?"

Nick nodded. "I don't have a problem working together with another one", he answered. Not the complete truth but close enough. Working together with a Hundjäger would be difficult but on the other hand he could watch after this Hundjäger as long as they were together.

"I'm not working together with someone like him!" Bruckner said again.

"I'm sorry but you WILL!" LeFleur said with a very clear and cold voice.

Nick lifted his eyebrows. He was impressed.

Bruckner gnawled again. "This is my case!" he said.

"It's our case now", Nick said. "We should try to work together, don't you think?"

"I'm not!" Bruckner jumped to his feet, still gnawling, looking at LeFleur. "You want my badge? You can have it!"

"Calm down, Detective!" She ordered but Bruckner walked straight out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

Nick looked after him, again with raised eyebrows.

What the hell was driving this man? Was he nuts?

"Well, maybe he will calm down", LeFleur sighed. "Would you please … ?" She smiled at Nick.

"Sure", he said, standing up again ready to leave the office.

"Probably you should start with the files", LeFleur insisted. "I'm sure Bruckner will come back when he calmed down."

Nick wasn't but he nodded before he left the office.

Monika LeFleur watched the Grimm returning to his desk and smiled, when she pulled her cellphone out of the pocket, dailing a number.

She waited until she heard a "Qui?" before she said: "The game has just begun."

"Be careful!" the voice on the phone said. "He'd done a lot of damage so far."

"I know and I will", LeFleur answered. "And the other one won't be a problem?"

"Bruckner? No one would give a damn when he would lose his head. His own kind thinks of him as a traitor", the voice answered.

The smile grew into a cold grin. "Good to know … Maybe the Grimm will cut off his head soon, we'll see."

"First … the key!"

"Will do." LeFleur ended the call, putting the cellphone back in the pocket.

Stupid Adalind Schade! She should have known better. She only was the bait, the real game was hers, Monica LeFleu's …

Monroe felt bad when he entered the attic and sighed.

What he was supposed to do, he asked himself.

Well, he wanted to help his friends – both of them. When this help would mean that he had to move the rest of Nick's stuff out of Juliette's house, he would do this. But Nick was hurt enough und probably he wouldn't understand – heck, he, Monroe, couldn't understand why Juliette wasn't able to move the rest of the stuff onto her attic when she didn't want it around!

Nick was the better friend in this relationship. Juliette Monroe only barely knew, mostly he'd learned about her because Nick told him. He only could say that he liked them both together as a couple and that he felt also bad because of his own relationship with Rosalee while Nick's heart was broken.

True, Juliette's obsession for Renard wasn't completely natural, and also true, this situation the three had stocked in for some months now had to end. Nick finally made the move, broke up with Juliette and moved out – only with a small bag full of clothes. All the rest still was at Juliettes – well, after Nick drove over several times to get the most of his stuff out of the house it shouldn't be too much.

So the attic had become a little messy with all the boxes and bags Nick just brought here and put it somewhere on the ground. Only the bag he'd used several times for his clothes was empty, the most of his clothes now in that coffer at the end of the bed. Nick also had put his shirts on a bar he'd somehow fixed between two walls. Wait a minute … wasn't that the stick of his broom Nick now used as clothes rail?

Monroe shook his head and sighed again.

Okay, he could buy another stick or another broom. This wasn't the problem. But looking around to all these boxes and bags made him sad.

So, what he was going to do here? Monroe asked himself, putting his hands on his hips.

He wanted to get the rest of Nick's stuff out of Juliette's house. And he already knew Nick now had the key to Juliette's separeted, just to be on the safe side. He hadn't had it on his keyring anymore. As far as Monroe knew this key should be here somewhere.

But where?

Monroe felt bad.

He really didn't want to get involve to this but … what other chance he had? Juliette wouldn't give in and he wasn't sure if he should tell Nick. So the best idea was to get the stuff out of the house on his own. Seriously, looking at the attic now Monroe was sure Nick wouldn't see any difference.

Man, this guy should move in, Monroe decided, jumping into the next challenge.

But first … where Nick would hide a key … ?