Author's note – I am glad I succeed to write a new chapter before Beltáine Bonfire time. In Czechia it is evening and night from April 30 to May 1, when you could see everywhere girls in witch costumes, rather, than during Halloween. So enjoy your Beltáine time…
Chapter 4 – Camp Burkhardt
Together with Adalind, Monroe and Rosalee they decided to make 'new' portion of Force du Sang, 'the strength of one's blood' potion. It was mainly Nick's idea:
"I'm not paranoid, but better to be armed and not need it, than be sorry for not having weapon in time."
Adalind agreed and Monroe nodded on Nick's explanation and Rosalee prepared the rest of necessary ingredients. After both Adalind and Monroe woged and with Nick they all three connected their hands over earthen casserole. Rosalee refused to stab all three hands together, but thankfully Trubel had not so high level of empathizing…
"Nick, have you knew, it will heal in so short moment?" asked Adalind.
"Why didn't you say a word?" asked Monroe.
"I wanted to surprise you," smirked Nick. "I know more than you so seldom…"
Once the potion was finished, they divided it into aliquots in small earthen vials.
"We can use it as caustic hand-grenades," said Trubel with a little bit sadistic smile.
"How long could it stay active?" asked Monroe pragmatically.
"I think, it will work till you will believe to work," said Diana with her ringing voice.
Several vials obtained Trubel with Josh, rest was placed on strategic spots in both Adalind's and Nick's as well as Rosalee's and Monroe's homes, in trailer and in spice shop and even in drawer of Nick's desk in precinct and in Adalind office too. Harrison Berman and staff members were naturally not informed…
XXXXXXX
United Nick & Adalind and Trubel & Josh wedding was short and silent. Few invited – dominantly wesen – guests knew, Nick and Trubels are Grimms and Adalind is Hexenbiest, so woge followed by dark black Grimm's eyes did not shock anybody.
Bored Diana stole all four rings and made them rotate for a few moments around both couples, but Adalind's frowning made her to say: "Sorry mum!" and return rings, each to proper ring finger.
Wedding celebration was cancelled, once Wu obtained report of double murder with suspicious circumstances.
"Maybe this time it's not wesen," said Hank.
"Five bucks for it?" asked Wu.
Hank reasonably did not answer, so he was not five dollars shorter…
XXXXXXX
6 years later…
Kelly was listening behind the door. Mum and dad wanted to dispute results without him. It was not so unusual, however more often it was in attempt to think over, how to penalize his and/or Diana's pranks…
"So?" asked Adalind.
"According examination, he has in his retina the same aberrant type of cone cells, as I have. So he will very probably be a Grimm one day. He has no Hexenbiest birthmarks on the underside of his tongue, but I've never tested Renard for having it, so I have no idea, whether it's also mark of Zauberbiest and as you remember, we never tested even Diana."
"We do know, what Diana is," mum almost growled.
"In fact not," objected dad. "It always seemed to us to be so obvious, so we never spent time trying to find more."
"What are they solving?" asked Diana on his back.
"Whether you're Hexenbiest or some higher grade and whether I'm a Grimm or Zauberbiest, both of them or none of them."
"You are a Grimm, that's obvious," snorted Diana. "I think, your Zauberbiest potential was like 'consumed' by Grimm talent. And I AM something special."
Diana's eyes became purple and she telekinetically opened door:
"I'm bored. You should ask me first next time. Kelly is just a Grimm. His Zauberbiest potential only enhanced his Grimm powers, so he'll be a Grimm in younger age."
Diana dropped her bombshell and laughed, seeing elongated faces of adults.
Nick and Adalind looked on each other and simultaneously rolled their eyes…
"I'm sorry he's not a Zauerbiest too," said Nick.
"Why?" asked Adalind.
"Telekinesis could be helpful in fight and as an Grimm he WILL be in a lot of fights," explained Nick. "Adalind, I would wish to ask you…"
"To show him, WHAT am I, right?" said Adalind. "Fine, darling, mum will show you something, my face will be different, but it's still me."
"Does it pain?" asked Kelly same way, as his sister few years ago.
"In fact no," answered Adalind and did small woge. "This is named woge, now I do small version."
Adalind observed boy, but shook her head.
"He's not yet active."
"Fine, but we'll better prepare him in advance," nodded Nick. "Show him big woge, please."
Adalind did it, saying:
"This is an Hexenbiest, darling."
Kelly observed her face with interest and with no fear at all:
"That's how I always imagined the witch should look like, not just your shining eyes, sis," he turned to Diana. "This is much more cool…"
"OK," tamed his enthusiasm dad. "Tomorrow we'll go to spice shop to say hallo to Monroe and Rosalee and to ask for their woge. I'll call them to warn them."
Nick smiled a bit and opened one closet in kitchen. He pulled big old-looking book and scetch-block from there:
"From today you have to learn something, Kelly. There are truths you will know and you will be never allowed to tell anybody, whom me or mum would not authorize in advance. Part of it you could find in this book and in other books our family wrote. Try, whether you are able to draw such kind of drawings and read this book. It must never leave this house. You will also learn to practice some martial arts and how to fight in global. Later you will find, there are a lot of people, who want you dead and you should be prepared for it. Our mission is to protect unknowing and to hunt down those, who decided to abuse their own special powers. Your personal mission starts just today…"
XXXXXXX
7 years after wedding…
Adalind's ending in office remained noiselessly, she anyway continued in cooperation as external advisor. Harrison Berman decided to retire, saying he's too old and tired to risk collision with Adalind…
Nick did during those years only one killing for Berman's contract, cashed to Adalind, naturally. Ironically, it was a case, he would anyway have to solve a Grimm way. Target was Bertrand Fitzroy, Schakal and contract-killer. His specialty was killing victims in woge such a way, like being attacked accidentally by roaming dog. Fitzroy killed important witness in one Berman's case and Nick was unable to find evidence to prove it. Nick anyway confronted Fitzroy in pension room as Grimm and being attacked, he defenestrated Schakal (threw him out of window). Fitzroy did not learn to fly in time and landing with resilience is usually considered to be unhealthy mode…
For common surprise from Fitzroy's death was accused one of his contract owners, who decided to testify in exchange for dismissing charges…
8 years after wedding…
Nick and Kelly jogged through park together. Nick observed older lady being attacked by teenage girl and her purse was robbed.
Nick made gesticulation in family code meaning 'cover your face and follow me'.
Adult Grimm observed surroundings, there was nobody, who looked like robber's backup.
Nick caught her and knocked her down. Robber girl woged and chattered:
"Grimm!"
"Your hands, Klaustreich!" Nick said it silently, but robber heard and showed her hands far from body and opened.
Nick quickly examined her, but she had no weapon and seemed also no other stolen things. So he fingerprinted her and sent it to Wu.
"Hi Nick," ringed Wu in less, than two minutes. "Alicia Kagavia. Low grade criminal records, trivial thefts and shop-liftings, no radar on her. Would you need backup?"
"If yes, I'll call you in few minutes."
Nick observed, eldering lady came to them. He showed her his badge and offered purse:
"Will you agree to press charges against her?" asked.
"I have my purse back and I have nothing broken. I have better things to do, than just sitting in courthouse," refused older lady and moved away.
"So what, will you let me go?" asked suddenly impudent girl.
"Not so quickly," said Nick. "My son needs to learn drawing."
Kelly pulled his writing pad and started draw her in unwoged stage.
"Now woge!" ordered Nick, observing, Kelly made drawing surprisingly well for his age. "Big woge!"
Klaustreich looked surprised, but obeyed order.
"Fine," said Nick few minutes later. "Now remember, we know your name, we have picture of your woge. Time for you to change place or occupation…"
XXXXXXX
10 years after wedding…
"Dad, how much longer?" asked Kelly.
They came through forest, yesterday morning they started forty six miles from this place and only food were army food bars. Well and two eastern cottontail rabbits, shot yesterday during day and roasted on evening fire. Kelly had on his back heavy rucksack with bivouac for wild-camping and squirrel rifle. He felt really tired and vision of tasty dinner made by his mum was only reason he hadn't drop everything and refuse to continue.
However shooting from squirrel rifle was funny – dad found one by one two eastern cottontail rabbits and ordered him to shot them. Daddy had with himself his gun and his own scout rifle, but he said, using caliber 308 Winchester for rabbit is exaggerated. Nick had hunter license, but he used it only scarcely, well, they have deer or something similar two three times a year. He better used hunter license to explain, why he has rifle with a riflescope with himself. Skinning rabbits was much less funny, but dad did it one case and refuse his order to do it with a second rabbit was impossible.
"You'll have David Crockett's hat," promised Nick, depositing rabbit pelts into his rucksack. "And you must learn not to fear touch dead bodies."
Nick also deposited viscera of both rabbits into plastic bag:
"Mum could use it for spells," explained.
Rabbit meat was a bit stiff, but after army MRE bars (Meal Ready to Eat) it was tasty…
Finally they observed both Adalind and Diana concerning fire and cauldron. They both looked exactly as what they were – mother and daughter witches. When Kelly wanted to run to them, Nick held him:
"You must first make sure, nobody is observing you or them. How did Monroe teach you?"
Kelly nodded and first reconnoitered surroundings by eyes. Once finding nothing, he used binoculars.
"Nothing suspect," said.
"Nothing suspect," agreed Nick. "Let's go for dinner."
When they came into camp perimeter, Diana turned to them and smiled:
"As I foretold, you are here and dinner is ready."
Nick passed to Adalind plastic bag:
"Maybe for some spells…"
Adalind raised her left eyebrow:
"Really romantic, rabbit viscera, no roses, no aquilegia," she half-smiled.
But she accepted that bag and placed it into fridge box.
"I promised Kelly his Davy Crockett's hat," 'confessed' Nick.
"OK," nodded Diana. "Give me that pelts."
After some complicated gesticulation both rabbit pelts changed colors, looking now like raccoon and formed itself into a bit unshapely hat.
The gumbo in cauldron was really tasty…
XXXXXXX
11 years after wedding…
Fencing instructor with stave tested Kelly's defense. All attempts to attack were blocked by efficient movements, Kelly even several times tried to attack instructor with his own wooden sword, made to be as heavy, as normal sword should be.
Instructor was satisfied, but kept unconcerned tone of voice:
"OK, Kelly, you can take away that blindfold from your eyes."
XXXXXXX
13 years after wedding…
Nick with Bart, Monroe's father observed kids in forest.
Kelly with Felix stayed back to back, both with paintball guns ready to use. Frederick helped Máiréad, the only girl from Rosalee's and Monroe's triplets, to draw Kelly's and Felix's level.
"What do you think," asked grandfather of triplets, observing them. "Will Kelly one day marry Máiréad?"
Girl obtained her name after one Rosalee's Irish aunt. Both boys obtained names after deceased members of family.
Nick checked his own paintball gun and shrugged his shoulder:
"I have no idea."
"It's possible, but not probable," answered Diana, appearing likewise from 'nowhere'. "They spent too much time together."
"And where is problem?" asked grandma Alice.
"In Westermarck effect," answered girl. "They were so often together in young age, so they accept each other more like brother and sister, rather than potential partner. And Kelly could be under influence of Oedipus complex to look rather for an Hexenbiest as partner or he could marry one of Trubel's daughters. They will probably be Grimms and Kelly's descendants with any of them too."
"So, let's see, who is better," said Bart with strange smile and woged. "Old Guard, or New Kids on the block…"
He bended and howled. Monroe from northern side howled back and DeEtta was heard from west side. Now it was only a game, but one day…
"It's a strange feeling to know, my grandchildren will help to Grimm and I even assist as instructor," shrugged his shoulders Bart.
"I guess, you remembered, what happened in Philadelphia?" said Nick.
Bart frowned, but nodded.
Trubel reported, her web of wesen informants found horrible place with several scorched bodies. Even two of them were kidnapped a day later and faced to tribunal of Wesenrein fanatics. Thankfully Trubel with help of her informants was able to locate place and together with Josh they picked off members of that tribunal, as well as their coworkers, using sniper rifles against villains…
Trubel confiscated all papers and memory media on crime scene, but left there all bodies. With wesen informants they only removed traces after saved hostages and routed police to find the place by anonymous calling. Philadelphia Police did not recognize strange symbolism, with exception of wesen cops off course, but they were able to join death tribunal members with case of burnings to death…
Nick strongly doubted, whether Philadelphia Police will be capable to solve this case one day…
"Even worse," said Bart after short silence. "Own idiots, killing people because of chosen partners or because of friends. If this is the only, what Grimms do, it would be a good job."
Rosalee together with her mother Gloria Calvert and Adalind refused to take part in this battle-game and ostensibly prepared big tent with couchettes and marked by big Red Cross.
Diana on other hand used her abilities to be almost ubiquitous and acted as umpire in game.
Bart, together with his wife Alice, was eliminated first. Bart only wordlessly looked on several colored dots on his chest and abdomen, showing how careless he became and shook his head. They stood up on Kelly's back, but Grimm boy was able to jump aside and shoot them both with paintball gun.
Monroe together with DeEtta circled around and made kids to waste some ammo. Finally Monroe made mistake and being shot to his leg, he withdrew the battleground. DeEtta made similar mistake just few minutes later. Opposite to Monroe she lied, pretending being really wound. Frederick, who came to check her, was attacked and Diana declared him as eliminated.
Felix together with Kelly eliminated triumphant DeEtta, but Nick with his experience was too good and they finally agreed on draw, as Nick did not allow any of remaining three kids to find position to hit him and Kelly with Felix and Máiréad did not let him to find position to hit any of them. In moment of agreement there was not more, then three rounds in any of paintball gun…
XXXXXXX
16 years after wedding…
"Adalind," woke Nick his wife. "Come to see something."
On monitor of computer they observed Kelly with unknown girl entering his room. For a short moment girl woged.
"Have you seen it?" asked Adalind. "What was she?"
"I'm not sure," shrugged Nick his shoulders. "I haven't seen the face and recognized just fur, I guess, she could be Fuchsau, Klaustreich or something such…"
"It's almost morning," said Adalind, seeing on clock ten past five morning. "We could wake them up and find out, what to expect."
She used her Skeleton Key and opened door locked from inside. Nick shook his son's shoulder, Adalind slightly touched girl's hand.
Frightened girl woged into Klaustreich. Adalind showed her face of Hexenbiest.
"Time for breakfast," said witch. "Kelly, show your guest, where the bathroom is."
There are several kinds of silence. Silence in kitchen was kind known as Embarrassed Silence…
"So, you, excuse me, I overheard your name," said Nick, looking on girl. "How do you know Kelly?"
"Dona," whispered girl softly. "We met on Francine party."
Francine Dalgliesh was Kelly's schoolmate and Kelly suspected her to be an wesen. Maybe rightfully. He accepted invitation, as many others schoolmates and tried to find, what is she? Dona, whom he did never suspect, woged to Klaustreich, but Francine did never woge before him and according Dona's words, he is known to be a Grimm…
"Hannah said, Grimms have longer…" girl made strange gesticulation, what made Kelly's face to turn red. "I've said them, Kelly's a Grimm, so they told me to pick him up…"
"You got entangled with a Grimm, could be dangerous," said Nick, observing girl's face. "Are you ready for such a risk?"
"It was just one night!" said Dona and woged for a moment. "And it in fact wasn't SO long, as Hannah thought."
That was really something, what Kelly did not need to hear, it came to him, what is written in Grimm books about Klaustreichs, they are usually idiots…
When they finally finished with breakfast, Kelly escorted Dona out of house.
After opening garden gate he grabbed her forearm:
"What are they?" Kelly instinctively pressed harder.
"Easy, I don't want to have bruise," Dona started to mock Kelly. "Find it yourself, after all, you are a Grimm and son of detective…"
She became more serious:
"For beginner you were not so bad, but even as Grimm you are boring good guy, so do not call me."
When she turned her back to him, Kelly smiled. In fact, he forgot to ask for her phone number.
He returned to kitchen to hear:
"Time for your survival test," said his father. "After having sex it's easiest to be killed…"
TO BE CONTINUED…
IN MAY…