A/N: Thanks again to MerlynPyndragon and her awesome work on betaing this story :)! And thanks everyone who's reading this.

"Don't you think he's taking this a bit too well?" Monroe glanced back over his shoulder, still worried, still half broken, half angry. The lack of sleep was written on his face, making his skin pale and pulling his eyes back into the skull.

Juliette's heart was breaking only looking at her friend now. This was too close, way too close for Monroe. First his friend, now his love. She was wondering how the Wesen inside him was still held back.

But it wasn't Monroe who was worried about himself. No, the Blutbad glanced again back while he waited untill the coffee was ready.

Wu was sitting at the side of Rosalee, watching over her. He filled in for Monroe so the Blutbad could take a needed break. It had been hard work to pry him from Rosalee's side.

Juliette shrugged. "I don't know. It is Wu. He's a little weird himself," she answered.

Monroe turned around to her. "Really? Think about how long it took you to accept the truth. You had to lose your memory and gain it back the very hard way, just in case you forgot about that."

"I never will." Again she glanced over to the back room, frowning.

Wu was sitting there beside the divan, looking a little bored but definitely doing his job correctly. It was true, he took the truth a little too easily, but Juliette was sure there was an explanation for this. Wu was a good guy, he was experienced and had been through a lot of weird things throughout his life. Maybe that was the answer.

Monroe sighed, picking up the pot and pouring coffee into two mugs. "You are fine with tea? I mean ..." He swung the pot and looked to Juliette.

"I'm fine with tea, thanks," she answered. "And I tend to believe that my way of learning the truth maybe wasn't the easiest but the most useful one. So, why do you think so?"

Monroe took a sip and licked his lips before he put the mug back on the counter. "I don't know. I don't buy this explanation completely. Maybe there were some Kehrseiten with the ability to see over the centuries. But I doubt that any one of them had a long life after he or she saw. The only reason why the Grimm survived was their ability to fight."

Juliette shrugged again. "I don't know. All I've found at the trailer was a note from Nick about inheriting the abilities. He wrote that male Grimm usually awaken later in their lifes, while females start early."

"Maybe to produce more Grimm?" Monroe suggested, but sighed. "Juliette, what if we never find him again? Do you really think you should give birth to this child?"

Juliette looked at him very seriously and nodded. "Especially because we don't know if we will ever see him again. This is my duty."

"But what if this child turns out to be a Grimm? Do you think you are ready to give Grimm lessons? Practical training?" Monroe sighed. "Did you find something about your condition in the books?"

Juliette frowned. "Why?" she asked.

"Because you have changed since you told us about your condition," Monroe said. "Seriously, there's something different about you. It looks like you have better hearing now, you are definitely more cold blooded now. And your reactions are pretty fast. Do you know by whom I saw that the last time?"

"I'm pregnant, not a Grimm!" Juliette said.

Monroe pulled a face. "That's what you say ..."

But ... was this true?

Juliette remembered her uncle Norman who suddenly disappeared when she was a kid. He looked the same way Nick did sometimes. Haunted and ready for the last, desperate fight. Sometimes he came to the house of her parents when Juliette was a child. And it was more than one time that he was all bruised up, messy and wounded. Sometimes she thought Norman was the reason why she finally became a veterinarian.

Suddenly Juliette shivered and rubbed her arms.

"What about Nick's father?" she asked.

Monroe swallowed his coffee before he asked: "What about him?"
Juliette shrugged. "Nick never mentioned him. He never told much about his family at all. But about his father, nothing."

"I don't know either," Monroe told her. "He never mentioned him after he told me about his death. Why you are asking?"

Juliette shook her head. "Don't know. Somebody mentioned that Nick is a such a powerful Grimm. So I thought, maybe it's because he's Grimm from both sides."

"Hm ..." Monroe took another sip. "Interesting idea."

"Is that possible?" Juliette asked.

"Most Wesen end up with partners of their own kin, so ... why not Grimm?" Monroe shrugged. "But honestly, I don't know."

Could that be the answer? Could that be the reason why Nick was kidnapped and lost? Was his genetic material strong enough to make her pregnant even though it shouldn't happen?

"Nick is one of the last Grimm," Monroe explained. "That doesn't make it easier, you know? Most of the remaining Grimm are still working for the Royals, and the few trying to live their own like Nick are hunted in Europe. It was only a matter of time until the Royal became interested in Nick." He sighed. "After Nick told me about the captain and that he's half Royal, I thought the seven houses would accept Nick as sort of Renard property. Looks like I was wrong."

"Not after what Sean told me about his brother," Juliette knew. "Eric Renard was and is always jealous about everything Sean is doing or holding. I think, if he was the one who gave the order, it was only a sort of revenge."

Monroe looked deep into his mug. "You know that I could be guilty too, right?" he finally asked.

"No?"

Monroe sighed again. "I was the one who came up with the idea of sending the heads of the two Reapers back to Germany," he finally said. "Just in case you know about what I'm talking here."

"Bud told me." Juliette smiled, but this smile was dry and humourless.

In this moment a deep growling came from the back room, followed by the loud noise of metal hitting the ground and Wu's voice, yelling, "Help needed back here!"

Monroe's head snapped up, his eyes were glowing red from the Blutbad inside him.

"Rosi!"

The opposite to his usual a littte chunky moves, he jumped over the counter and ran to the back room, Juliette on his heels.

A loud, unarticulated yell was followed by the sound of breaking glass.

"Oh my! Rosi! Stop, sweetheart, stop!" Monroe stopped himself on the doorstep. Waving his hands, he tried to get Rosalee's attention.

Juliette slipped under his arm, through into the back room and rushed over to the table with the ingedients. She had already poured the antidot into the giant syringe and wanted to get it now.

Rosalee was awake and in full zombie-mood. With a deep snarl she tried to follow Juliette to the table. The divan jumped a little as she threw herself over it .

Now Juliette was more than grateful that Monroe had stored Nick's handcuffs and fixed Rosalee to the divan while she was unconscious. Rosalee was definitely strong, especially now that she started to woge into her Fuchsbau form.

"Wu!" Juliette yelled after she first didn't see him.

"I'm here!" came the moaning answer from the opposite site of the room. Slowly Wu's head came into sight, and Juliette noticed that the table and the armchair were lying there upside down.

"Rosi, it's me! Monroe," the Blutbad said with soft voice and a smile in his face. "Look at me, my love, and remember. Please remember, Rosi. I need you!"

Rosalee looked from Juliette back to the door where Monroe was still standing. With another deep growl she hunkered down, eyeing Monroe.
Juliette took the injector and turned around.

What now? Rosalee had turned the back to her but for the best shot she needed her front.

Suddenly Juliette realized that this wasn't the smartest idea she'd ever had in her life. She was the only one who could give the injection. But this never meant she would be out of danger.

Why did she react this way?

Wu crawled out of the debris of the furniture. "What do you need, Juliette?" he yelled over the noises of Rosalee.

Juliette stared at the injector, then at the Fuchsbau. Now Rosalee was fully woged, with that cute face but big reddened eyes.

"I need you to distract her and hold her down so I can give her a shot in the belly!" Juliete answered.

Wu's eyes widened. "Like ... seriously?"

"Yes, man, seriously." Monroe looked again at the zombie-Fuchsbau, then he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Juliette." His voice was so low now, it was hard to understand what he wanted to say.

Maybe it was something in the sound of her voice, maybe it was something else, Juliette would never know. Rosalee turned around to her again, lips lifted to show her perfect white and very sharp teeth. Hands curled into claws, she tried to come closer, and Juliette automatically took a step back. Something was lying on the ground, something that made her stumble. Both arms pinwheeling, she tried to keep her balance but stumbled again, feeling that she would lose this fight.

Rosalee screamed, loud and light and aggressive. But her screaming couldn't cover the loud "ping!" when the chain between the cuffs broke.

Juliette, still overbalanced, looked up to see the zombiefied Fuchsbau coming for her, only a split second before Rosalee crashed into her. Juliette tried to push Rosalee backwards but instead she pushed the injector into the body of the zombiefied Fuchsbau. With a groan Rosalee crushed into the three giant needles and collapsed above Juliette. The three chambers with antidote were injected into Rosalee's body and she herself fell to the side and lied still, once more unconscious.

"Rosi!" Monroe was the first to her side. Falling down to his knees, he only had eyes for Rosalee. Carefully he pulled the injector out of her and let it fall to the ground. Whispering and mumbling, he held her close, silently crying.

Juliette gasped and stared at her two friends, still lying on her back beside the table with the ingredients. Then, she didn't know why, she lifted her eyes to the skylight. For a moment she exchanged a look with a pair of cold, dark eyes before the dark-skinned face with the tophat vanished and left only the cloudy sky above Portland.

He was here! The Cracher-Mortel was here!

There was no place to hide, Juliette realized. No one would be safe anymore. As long as this Wesen was alive.

"Are you alright?" Wu, finally free and coming over to her, asked.

It was time, Juliette decided. Time to end this before it got completely out of their hands.

Looking at Wu, she tried a smile and nodded. "I need a shower," she said.

"I'm sure we will find one for you." Wu reached out to her, helping her back on her feet again. Worried, he looked to Monroe and Rosalee. "What about them?"

Juliette shook her head. "Rosalee will be fine when she will awakens. Let's go and leave them alone."

"Portland PD, open up!" Hank knocked hard at the door, surely hard enough to be heard. But nothing happened after his order.

Sean leaned on the wall next to the motel door, waiting, his arms folded in front of his chest. He glanced back over his shoulder to Constance, who was standing there, nervously kneading her hands, a tremurlous look in her eyes.

"Remy Vaurrier, open up! This is the Portland Police!" Hank ordered a second time.

"He will never open up this door," Constance whispered.

Sean moved his head again but kept his mouth shut.

It was hard enough to learn where Remy Vaurrier stayed, he really didn't want to screw everything up right now. The Vaurriers were perfect burglars, and they were known for this so-called ability. It was hard enough to agree not to go after Remy Vaurrier, if he could help them with the other problem.

Royals in Portland and he didn't know about it? That was not a good thing, and would most unlikely end up in a mess. It meant trouble, and trouble was right now the last thing Sean needed.

"Open up, man! Now while there's still time. We can help you," Hank suggested, but still there was no response.

"Should I try?" Constance asked.

Sean watched Hank, ignoring the woman behind his back who started to beg him into calling her brother.

Maybe the best bet they had. So he didn't want to get rid of it while they were so close. If there was another way to lure Remy Vaurrier out of the motel room, they had to take a chance. Especially after learning about other Royals in his city.

Did they come with Eric when he was here to abduct Nick? Were they hired or working on their own?

Sean tried his best to ignore the loops his thoughts made.

But maybe this was the wrong thing from the very beginning?

Sean shivered.

"Nothing," Hank told him after the third time he knocked at the door.

"Captain Renard, I really think I should try," Constance told him again.

Sean sighed.

"Sir?" Hank asked. "I don't think anybody is at home."

Sean nodded.

"That's impossible! He's wounded and I told him to stay in bed!" Constance told them.

"Maybe he didn't listen to you?" Hank suggested.

Sean stood up, and stepped aside. With a gesture he made the way free for Constance to go to the door. "Be my guest."

She looked at him, suspiciously, and hesitated.

"You wanted to talk him out of the room, now it's up to you to prove worth," Sean said.

"And you are not going to arrest him, just like we talked about?" she wanted to make clear.

Dear sweet Jesus! Sean sighed.

"And you are sure you are on our side? This looks like a game of time for me, not like you would actually try to get into the room and your brother," Hank said.

"I am not playing on time!" Constance snapped and stalked, sending angry looks to Hank, over to the door.

Sean smirked for a moment before he got serious again. But there was also a bitter taste on his tongue.

All seemed so perfect during the last year, since Nick brought Hank into the loop. The team was solving cases, Hank was Nick's backup and guard during the time when Juliette and Sean went through the effects of Adalind's spell. He seemed to take the real truth pretty well. But after he came back from his vacation to Hawaii everything seemed different, and it got worse the moment they had to realize that Nick wasn't in the United States anymore. Sean was really wondering what had bitten his lieutenant that Hank wanted this eagerly to put distance between himself and any Wesen.

Sean could understand that it had to be pretty hard for Hank to lose his partner in this way, the same for finding out about him, Sean, as half Wesen and half that kind of people who had abducted Nick.
But this was getting too serious right now, too close to Constance. The woman Hank had considered as his true love during the last weeks.

He really needed to talk to Hank, Sean realized. This was getting out of his hands if he couldn't find a way of stopping this fast growing hatred.

Constance now knocked at the door. "Remy? It's me. I only wanted to make sure you are fine. Are you?"

Nothing.

Again she knocked. "Remy, open up! Police are gone, it's safe now."

Sean raised his eyebrows. It seemed pretty easy for her to lie. Not that big a surprise but ... a surprise.

Still no sign of life from the other side of the door. And this made him nervous, as with every knock it was more possible that something happened in there – or that Remy Vaurrier was gone.

Constance took a step back, frowning, she looked at the still closed door. "I don't understand. Remy trusts me," she said, sounding truly confused.

"Are you sure?" Sean wanted to know.

Constance turned around to him and nodded. "He wouldn't refuse to open a door, even if it's to the police," she began to explain. "That's the way we were raised. It is easier to work with than against the police."

This statement was definitely interesting and unexecpted.

"Do you have a key?" he asked.

Constance stared at him for a moment, then she nodded.

"Open it up!" Sean ordered.

Constance looked at him for a moment, then she nodded again.

"Are you sure you can trust her, sir?" Hank wanted to know after he came over to his side.

"I know that she knows what she would have to expect if she would betray me," Sean answered, blinking when Constance took a look over her shoulder.

Seriously, he needed to talk with Hank. This was no situation anybody wanted to stick in.

Constance put a key in the lock and moved it. With a click the door sprang open.

Sean pulled his gun out of the holster and carefully shuffled Constance to the side. "I'll go in first," he whispered, taking one look over his shoulder to make sure Hank was following him.

With the barrel of the gun he pushed the door open and stepped into the dark room, trying to make no noise and act very carefully.

Something was wrong, he could feel it. The Wesen in him told him, the Royal in him told him, his own instinct verified it. Something was wrong ...

Sean took another step, turning around into the motel room.

Darn, it was as dark as the night in here!

"Clear!" Hank said behind him.

Sean looked over his shoulder to his detective. Hank stood by an opened door. A single line of light came from the inside of that room.

He took a deep breath and took another step.

The bed was empty, but the sheets bloody and deranged. And something was very, very wrong ...

Sean turned to the other closed door, probably the bathroom. He lowered his weapon to open the door - when it abruptly sprang open and hit him at the side of the head. And suddenly the world was all blurry and moving. A kick to his chest made him stumble backwards. He felt someone grabbed for his gun, heard a voice yell something before he completely lost his balance and the control over his legs.

Sean didn't feel how he fell down on his knees. But he felt something warm and wet running down the side of his head where the door had hit him.

Two thumbs, sounding as though from miles away, and another, a painful yell. The world was rotating for a little while.

Then Sean came back to consciousness again, way too slow for his own taste. He felt someone touch him, trying to lean him back and he realized he was kneeling on the ground right before the bed. And then he realized it was Constance, trying to help him.

"Whadappen'd?" Sean asked, still dizzy.

Tears shimmered on Constance's cheeks. "I think Hank just killed my brother," she answered, shivering.

And from the distance, Sean could hear the horns of police sirens moving in ...