Chapter 16 Nick

Nick had not been sleeping. Maybe it was being alone in this big empty house, he thought. Trubel had left a few weeks ago to help her friend Josh in Philadelphia and there was no one but him. Then there was the fact that he had a Wesen ex-girlfriend that was spiraling out of control. That would put anyone on edge.

It was bad enough to come home about a month ago to a very slight scratching sound that alerted him, as he entered the house, to draw his sidearm. A Manticore had been waiting for him. This guy was a Wesen bounty hunter that had killed that fortune teller couple and now had a bounty out for Nick. Well even a Manticore was no match for a gun, Nick thought reflecting on how he had put two shots in the creature before it could strike. Then two weeks later, Nick came home to a disaster. It looked like a tornado had blown through the first floor of his house and he was at a total loss as to what could have caused it. He filed a claim with his home owners insurance the next morning and started cleaning up. That's when he found the boxes partially packed with things that must have been Juliette's. Nick started to look around with a more critical eye, picking out signs of a struggle. So Juliette hadn't been alone. Well whoever was responsible for all this, needed to control themselves. They were dangerous. Nick had a suspicion that Juliette may not be taking her change all that well.

For that reason, when she showed up at the spice shop a few days ago, Nick had insisted she be open and tell their friends. If Juliette was unstable, he wanted Monroe and Rosalee to know and not be taken by surprise. Nick had confided in Hank about Juliette's transformation, that very morning. Being his partner, Hank should know...

"Whoa, I can't believe it. Juliette's a Hexenbiest?! When did that happen?" Hank asked bewildered.

"It would seem sometime after I slept with her as Adalind and my Grimm powers returned," Nick admitted.

"I guess we really should have left well enough alone," Hank said shaking his head. "I'm so sorry for the part I played in that," Hank replied with absolute sincerity.

Nick took a breath of relief. It hadn't sat well that Hank and him were at odds. "Believe it or not, I'm not sorry," Nick responded, then continued, "Don't get me wrong, I'm sorry for Juliette and I, in no way, agree with your methods, but I wouldn't go back to not being a Grimm."

"It doesn't make life easy though, does it? But I think it makes life simpler. You know just who you're fighting now, and believe me Nick, there are plenty of different Wesen who would like to take you out," Hank emphasized.

"I'm starting to understand that," Nick replied and then explained the kind of damage he came home to that Juliette must have been responsible for. "She's coming unhinged, Hank, if that was any indication," Nick continued blowing out a big exhale. "I'm sorry I took all of our relationship from her when I lost my memory, but that's as far as I feel responsible. For everything else, she only has herself to blame," Nick stated.

"That's kind of harsh, Nick, after all you've been to each other," Hank replied.

Shoulders dropping with the burden of Hank's last statement, Nick looked him straight in the eyes. "If Juliette had loved me so much, why did she refuse my proposal in the first place and why did she blame me for so much, including the loss of my memory? No Hank, there must have been something lacking between us or our love would have survived. I have a feeling it was too one-sided. My side," Nick responded. "Now that my side is gone, her love wasn't enough to carry us."

Hank sat back with a slow nod of understanding, "I think you're probably right." Then leaning forward again, Hank inquired, "So who do you think Juliette was fighting?"

"Who is the one person Juliette would love to kill right now?" Nick suggested with one eyebrow cocked.

"Adalind," Hank concluded after a moment's deliberation. "But why was Adalind at your house? You think she's looking for her daughter?"

"I would almost bet my life on it," Nick responded with a shake of his head. He felt worse for what he had done to Adalind than what he had done to Juliette. Why? Nick asked himself. Then an idea came to him, "Just how well does the captain know Adalind? I mean you said he put her up to several attempts to get to me some time ago, right?"

"The captain knows her quite well although I don't think he's that proud of their acquaintance," Hank replied rather snidely. Nick took breath, rankled by Hank's comment about Adalind. Nick didn't even really know her. Why was he so defensive of Adalind? Did he feel responsible for the pain she must be going through at the loss of her child? Well he was responsible! Hank continued, "In fact, that baby of hers that your mother has in her protection, it's the captain's daughter."

He wasn't taking that news well for some reason, Nick realized as he pressed his lips into a thin line. His captain was an imposing guy, strong and well-built. Feeling threatened by these facts, Nick found he disliked Renard even more. What was wrong him, Nick wondered to himself unsure why he upset. Of one thing Nick was certain, whatever was between the two of them, Renard did not treat the mother of his child as he should. Nick remembered their conversation the day he found out about Adalind's return. Renard spoke of Adalind with a sneer of contempt. For some unknown reason, Nick clenched his fists till his knuckles were white...

I'm so glad Hank and I had that talk, was Nick's off-hand comment to himself as Hank was choking him. Hank was suffering from spirit possession. The Mishipeshu spirit according to Native American legend. As if that wasn't bad enough, Juliette was in jail for throttling some guys at a bar for no good reason. The conversation between Nick and Juliette, when he found out, had been surreal. Whoever that was in that cell, Nick could have sworn it was a different person. Juliette seemed drunk on power and even told Nick that he was safer while she was incarcerated. Nick's thoughts wavered through all that had happened in the last few months. Monroe being taken, Nick started seeing Wesen, Juliette became a Hexenbiest, but his mind ended on two enormous blue eyes framed with pale silky hair. Whoever said that your life flashes before you as you die was right, Nick observed as Hank continued to cut off his air. That hadn't taken long, he mused realizing there wasn't much for him to recall. Hank should have been no match for Nick with his Grimm strength. The only thing Nick could figure was the spirit lent Hank that strength. Just as Nick started seeing stars and knew he would pass out, one of the tribe's spiritual guides blew a powder into Hank's face. Hank stumbled back releasing Nick, then arched his whole body as Mishipeshu exited him and fled through the wall.

"Nick, what happened," Hank asked dazed and clearly unaware of what had just occurred.

"Mishipeshu borrowed you," Nick managed in between coughs and gulps of air, trying to refill his lungs.

"I saw it, Nick. I saw them murder Simon's father," Hank expressed with haunted eyes. So Simon did have something to do with the other two murders. A young Native American named Simon seemed to have just suffered the same spirit possession as Hank, and that spirit had been claiming vengeance for the murder of Simon's father by attempting to kill the three men involved. Mishipesu was no docile water spirit. The young man had no more control over his actions than Hank had when he tried to kill Nick a few seconds ago. This was another case that couldn't be explained officially.

Hank was still shaken, so Nick drove them home. Poor Hank, he had just relived that murder from the perspective of the man's five year old son. They were both raw with anger that they couldn't arrest the last man responsible, but a trial would only point to the grown son who was responsible for the deaths of the other two men involved in his father's murder. Albeit it was the spirit who actually perpetrated the murders. 'The Mishipeshu made me do it' wouldn't be a proper defense, Nick reasoned. Hank remained quiet and Nick didn't attempt conversation. There was enough swimming around in his brain as it was...

"I like this power and I know you do too," Juliette had said from her cell...

Nick gritted his teeth. She was completely gone and he felt he was the only one objective enough to see it. A determination, to keep her locked up, filled Nick as he remembered their last exchange...

"I'm not letting you out of here, if that's what you mean by rescue. It's safer for you in here," Nick told her.

"And safer for you," Juliette responded with a wicked smirk.