His first reaction to the sight of his Grimm drenched, almost frozen, lips blue, and his back a mass of blood and torn clothes had been to hunt down whoever had done this. It was a split-second roar of emotions that had probably manifested in flash of golden eyes, judging by Monroe's look.

Then he slammed all his control down on that notion and proceeded to handle the emergency with the calm, steady professionalism that was a trademark of Captain Sean Renard.

Only that he wasn't here as the captain of his precinct. He was here as the mate of an injured, unconscious Grimm who was in a bad shape and needed medical attention. The fact that Monroe was there as well had him drawn between snarling at the other creature and accepting his help.

In the end Renard had to use every ounce of control to function normally, to not push Monroe away. Especially since the other man held Nick close to him, wrapped in two blankets, trying to get him warm in Nick's SUV. The heater was blasting away, making the inside hot and uncomfortable, but it was what Nick needed.

Monroe's expression had been one of calm competency, completely non-threatening, telling the creature in Renard that no one was taking his mate from him.

Getting the Grimm to the hospital hadn't been an option. Too many questions. But there was always a contingency plan and there was always someone he could call. Being the Guardian of Portland meant a lot of connections and a lot of people who would discretely give him what he needed.

He had needed a doctor who knew about creature poison.

He had found her in Dr. Kati Carronn.

Dr. Carronn was a creature herself, an elegant, pale woman who happened to be a schwanensee. She had given Monroe and Renard one calculating look, especially Monroe, then had turned her concentration on her patient. She had worked quickly, silently, cleaning wounds and bandaging them, then telling Renard to keep Nick warm and give him the painkillers she would leave for him.

The three long slash marks across Nick's back weren't bad, but he had received a dose of poison from what she suspected was a waran, and the wounds on his hand were from the same wesen. It looked like whoever had pushed Nick into the water had also grabbed him and pulled him out again.

Carronn's blue eyes were knowing when she looked at the regnant. She knew who she had treated, but there had been no hesitation, no judgment.

Inclining her head, the doctor had gathered her things, had left what Renard might need, and then she had been gone.

Monroe had been a silent watcher, his face reflecting his feelings. He was looking at his best friend with an almost helpless expression.

"You need anything?" he finally asked.

Renard shook his head. "Thank you," he said silently.

"If you do… anything… anything at all… call."

"I will."

Monroe nodded, then headed for the door. He cast one last look at the Grimm, then at Renard, and finally left. The regnant knew he would be getting text messages in the next hours, asking how Nick was doing.

And he would answer every single one of them.

x x x

Renard had expected his Grimm to fall for the fever and poison, but he hadn't expected him to wake in complete disorientation. He hadn't expected Nick to fight him.

Then again, a Grimm was a predator, just like him, and he would have done the same.

So Sean Renard did the only thing he could: fight back.

Wild, gray eyes looked at him without seeing anything.

"Nick, it's me!" he whispered harshly and was rewarded with a blow to the chest.

While it smarted, it hurt his partner more than him. Renard caught the other hand and twisted Nick around so he was resting with his back against the taller man's chest. His arms were crossed in front of his own chest, immobilizing him somewhat.

Nick threw his head back and it crashed into Renard's face. With hiss he tightened his hold and heard Nick groan in pain. It pained him just the same to inflict harm on the already abused hand, but he had to quiet him down.

"Nick, it's me, Sean," he murmured into his partner's ear. "You are safe. Calm down. It's okay. You are safe." He repeated it over and over again.

Suddenly the body in his arms grew limp. The adrenalin that had sustained him deserted him without warning.

"Sean?" Nick whispered, sounding weak and broken.

Renard smiled and allowed himself to slide down the wall, cradling Nick in his hold. "Yes, it's me. You're safe."

"Safe?"

"Yes."

He held Nick tightly, feeling the lean body tremble uncontrollably. He rested his chin on the dark head and continued to softly reassure his partner that he was safe now, that everything was going to be okay.

Going by instinct he let his wings unfurl and wrapped them around Nick, a warm, living cocoon. There was a soft sigh and the last tension flowed out of the younger man.

"What are you doing here?" Nick whispered. His eyes were closed, he was a limp weight.

He smiled. "Getting beat up by my mate."

A dry chuckle escaped him. Blurry eyes fell on his face. He knew he had a split lip from Nick's blow. His Grimm could pack quite a punch even when weak and exhausted, but he was secure now.

"Thank you," his partner breathed.

Renard protectively curled the wings closer, feeling the tremors increase. After some time, Nick quieted down, his ragged breathing still a bit uneven. They simply sat together for a while.

"How did I get home?" Nick murmured, surprising Renard who had thought him to be asleep.

The regnant shifted his wings a little while still keeping it a warm cocoon.

"I received a call from Monroe. He got a message from someone who used your phone. Monroe found you in your car, unconscious, and kept you warm. He called me."

"I'm not in a hospital."

"No." Renard caressed his mate.

"You got connections," Nick remarked with a sleepy tone to his voice.

He smiled. "Yes." And that was all he would say to that. "Monroe will probably chew your ear off because you didn't call him for this one before it got out of hand."

Nick twisted his head a little to look into the golden-rimmed green eyes of his partner. "It's not his job."

"He's your friend. He said he chose this voluntarily. Saying no is an option and he would tell you if he didn't think himself capable of helping, and of taking care of himself."

"I endangered him in the past. I don't want him to die because of me."

Renard leaned down, burying his face briefly in the unruly, dark hair. "And I don't want you to die because you refused to accept help from friends. Nick. You're not alone."

He tightened his wings again and Nick reached out to run a caress over the warm, leathery appendages. Renard shivered a little at the intimate caress along one bony finger.

Nick wrapped an arm around his partner's middle, resting his head back against the broad chest. He was tired and worn.

Renard's fingers played through the longish strands of dark hair.

"Okay," the Grimm finally said.

The regnant smiled a little. "Still cold?" Renard queried.

"Freezing," his mate confessed.

Falling into a lake did that to a human body.

"Y're warm," Nick mumbled, sighing contentedly.

Renard chuckled, still carding his fingers through Nick's hair. Having Nick plastered against him wasn't bad at all. It actually calmed his more primal nature in the face of the creature that had attacked and harmed him.

"How about a bed?"

"Sounds wonderful."

But he didn't move. Just the thought had Nick exhausted.

"Want me to carry you?"

The teasing had Nick groan in protest. "I'm not the girl!" But he was still hanging on to Renard, face mashed into the shirt.

Renard leaned down and placed a kiss on the tousled head. "Never said that. Think you can coordinate enough to get back into the bedroom?"

Nick mumbled something unintelligible, but he made an effort and together with Renard's help he managed to stand. Strong fingers buried in his multiple layers of clothes, half dragging, half supporting him as they walked the short distance. The regnant was careful not to come in contact with the bandage-covered injuries, something that had him angry at the creature because it had hurt Nick, and angry at himself that he couldn't protect him.

Nick gave him a half-lidded look in the elevator. "Stop it."

"Hm?"

"Beating yourself up over this."

"I'm not!"

"Right." He yawned. "You are."

Renard kept him from sliding down the wall, chuckling. "I better get you to bed, Grimm. You're dead on your feet."

"You fall into a lake and freeze, then we talk." Nick winced when his back made too much contact with the wall.

"Not high on my list."

"Knowing you, you wouldn't even feel it," Nick muttered.

He chuckled. "Probably."

Renard managed to get the other man onto the bed and under the covers. Nick was already more or less asleep.

"You got work?" Nick slurred.

"I can stay here."

"Watch me sleep?"

"There's worse."

"Not goin' 'nywhere."

Renard smiled and leaned down, kissing the dry lips. "No, you're not. And neither am I."

It got him a mumble, then Nick was dead to the world.

Renard stayed. There was nothing more important than his mate right now.

x x x x x

Monroe called an hour into his silent vigil at Nick's bedside. Renard had settled next to the deeply asleep Grimm, a book he had meant to read on his lap, and a bottle of water close by. Nick hadn't really moved in that hour, but still he had managed to inch as close to the regnant as possible, and Renard found one hand straying to caress the soft hair involuntarily.

The screen of his cell lit up, all sounds off, and he grabbed the device, smiling slightly as he read the text.

'He's fine,' he sent back. 'Asleep.'

Monroe sounded relieved even though it was only a text reply and the regnant smiled more. Acceptance of Monroe as Nick's best friend and reluctant mentor, as well as his sidekick on various cases, had come easily. He had known about the blutbad right from the start and while he had watched the developing friendship with eagle eyes, there had never been any concerns on his side as to Monroe's loyalties. He knew he could really rely on the other man to protect Nick – if Nick let him.

Not like this time.

Renard had already stretched out his considerable feelers to find the one who had done this. The hexenbiester were hunting them down. Adalind had updated him several times, giving him a good idea just what had happened and why, and while his human side understood the necessity to protect family, the primal side wanted blood.

tbc...