Chapter 48
We were making better time after we had passed Roseburg, and I was feeling more at ease. My only frustration was that I had to keep turning my music down so Nick could take advantage of the situation and ask Wesen questions.
"Yes, they have a third eye," Monroe's voice mounted with exasperation as he answered another question. "It comes out right in the center of their foreheads. Kinda like a triclops. Corrective lens must be a pain to get, come to think of it."
"Is it usable only when they woge? How do they see with it when...?"
"Dude," Monroe interrupted Nick's incessant questions. "How should I know how they see? Do I look like an ophthalmologist to you? Maybe you need to go find yourself one and, you know, ask them."
"I don't think you want to run into one though," I chuckled. "They'll try to take your head off if you're close enough." I grinned at Nick through my rearview. "Maybe Monroe's right… You ought to go hunt one down."
Nick's reflection glared back at me with stormy gray eyes. "Are you trying to get me killed?"
"Actually Monroe suggested you find one, so..."
"Hey, I only meant that, you know, I'm not privy to all the ins and outs of Wesen optics, man." Monroe defended himself. "I mean, I can't explain some of the things I can do, you know, let alone what everyone else is doing out there."
"I know what you meant, Monroe," Nick said. Those eyes of Nick's were still watching me in my rearview. He knew what I meant, too.
I was beginning to enjoy turning Nick's eyes gray. He brought out a mean streak in me something awful. I toned down my grin so as not to appear too evil. Nick went back to questioning Monroe while I focused on the road. I softly hummed to myself while trying to tune them out.
The further we drove the prettier the sky was looking. Oh, what I wouldn't give to see the sunshine! The mere thought brightened my mood. California was known for sunshine. Surely it would be nicer there. I envisioned a giant rain cloud over Portland like the one that used to follow Charlie Brown in the comic strip. Maybe Portland was cursed.
A half-dozen Wesen discussions later, we'd made it to Grants Pass. The mile marker signs were edging us closer to California. This would be my first time going there, and after everything that had happened in Portland recently, I was thrilled to leave for a while. I'd always enjoyed a good road trip. This one was definitely the strangest one I'd had company-wise, but I was accentuating the positive and eliminating the... Ahh, so that was the song I was humming earlier. I hummed it again more consciously.
"Hey, do you think we could make a stop?" Nick asked, bursting my happiness bubble. We'd stopped less than an hour ago. It wasn't even worth the effort to grumble anymore. "Maybe a restaurant? I'm getting tired of truck stops."
It had been a while since I'd eaten. Lunch actually sounded good. Nick's request wasn't unreasonable this time.
"Dude, my stomach is on E." Monroe mimed a fuel gauge meter with his index finger, moving from full to empty. "I could go for a stop, too."
A few obscure food choices came up on my GPS. The closest one was The Black Bear Diner on Northwest 6th Street. My GPS called out the exit in her robotic voice, and I turned my Malibu to follow.
I was hoping for a Route 66-esque metal diner, but this was nothing like that at all. The restaurant itself had a down-home look. Inside was a whole other story. It was like if Yogi Bear owned a Denny's. Bears of all kinds were displayed on the walls, on the menus, and even on the food.
The waitress seated us and Monroe made a face at the menu.
"You know, I'm not finding much of the vegetarian friendly fare on here." He frowned. "This place is a bit unbearable."
"Don't go bear-zerk or anything." I flashed him a grin. "What about the Summer Harvest salad?" I pointed at the description. "Look, it says 'You'll bearly be able to contain yourself.'" I laughed.
Nick rolled his eyes slightly, but didn't say anything.
I looked up from my menu. "Oh, come on, Nick. It's your turn."
"I find you both a bit em-bear-assing," he replied with a toothy grin.
"See, now that wasn't so hard."
Nick's grin faded as he looked past me. His eyes widened and his mouth slacked a bit. I gave a sideways glace to Monroe. He gave me a return look and a sigh. Oh, this must be the infamous Wesen face. I didn't turn around. Instead, I pulled my cell and texted Nick.
Can U pls stop gawking? What kind?
Nick's cell beeped, startling him. He looked down and then gave me a scowl. He typed on his phone. Mine beeped.
I don't know what it is.
I sighed and returned the text.
Can U describe?
Nick read and then texted back.
It has a lot of spikes… like a porcupine ?
I texted back.
Probably a Stangebär. They're harmless unless you agitate one.
Monroe was leaning over, and I showed him Nick's text. He nodded at Nick, who was back to staring.
I cleared my throat loudly. "So, what are you ordering?" I asked Nick.
He looked back to me. "Not sure yet."
"Well, why don't you focus on that instead of the patrons," I said through gritted teeth.
Just then our waitress came by with the same question. Monroe was still scouring for something within his diet, so she took my order. I decided on the Summer Harvest salad. Nick went for a Big Bear burger deluxe.
"So, what can I get you?" the waitress asked Monroe.
He sighed, replying, "I guess the Summer Harvest salad, too."
"Can we also get two sides of avocado?" I asked.
"Sure, we can add that," the waitress replied with a pleasant smile and walked off.
"Good idea on the avocado," Monroe said. "That will at least add some protein." He looked over at Nick. "Dude, you gotta stop."
I turned to Nick, who was staring again. "They have a right to eat in peace," I added.
"Sorry, it's just new to me."
"There will be plenty of time to look them up and learn all about them when you get back to the trailer."
Nick's eyes widened again. Great, did he spot another Wesen? A man hurried by us and Nick's eyes followed.
"What did you do?" Monroe asked in a whisper. "You ran him off?"
"I didn't do anything," Nick shot back.
A shriek behind us halted our questions.
"Someone stop him!" a woman yelled. "He just robbed us!"
Nick was up in an instant. I looked to the window. The man that had passed by us was getting into a car outside. My car. Holy Crap! I reached for my keys and pressed the alarm button. The sound blared loudly, shocking Mr. Pinhead before he could get very far. He had a woge as he shifted in a panic, holding his ears and jumping out of my car. He paused just enough for Nick to grab him around the chest and wrestle him to the ground. Monroe and I ran to the door.
"Oh, my God, Nick," I called out. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," he groaned as Mr. Pinhead struggled against his grip. "Just make sure someone has called the authorities."
I ducked back in, and the waitress assured me they had called 911. Nick kept the guy held down until the police came.
"Your lunches are on the house," the waitress told us. "Thank you so much!" she gushed at Nick and walked off.
Nick held his hands. The wait staff had scrambled to find some gauze. They thought he'd cut himself on the gravel, but the pin holes in both hands were clearly not anything gravel could have produced. I'd seen the quills of a Stangebär, but couldn't fathom the pain they would cause.
"Man, what you did back there… That was pretty intense." Monroe gave him an approving nod.
Nick shrugged. "That's what I'm trained to do."
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked Nick, pointing at the bandages.
He looked up, eyes blue and bright. "Yeah, this? It's nothing really. Good call on the car alarm though. The officer I talked to said this guy had been on their radar for a while. He'd robbed a couple of other restaurants and had hotwired a getaway car each time. A few moments longer and he would've been on the road before I could've done anything."
"I just reacted, you did the hard part."
His goofy, toothy grin emerged. "It was a… team effort."
Monroe put his arm around me. "This kind of you-know-what work is much safer for you."
Sure, easy for him to say. My recklessness was still sulking in the corner. The Grimm had done the hard part. I, on the other hand, had pushed a button. Whoopie-woo. Perhaps Nick was right, maybe that one action helped capture Mr. Pinhead. Still, standing on the sidelines wasn't my favorite place to be.
We ate quickly, mostly in silence. My cell rang, and I reached in my pocket. It was my mom. Crap, the one thing I'd forgotten. I was slipping.
"Hi, Sweetie. I didn't see you on the computer. I wanted to show you this new blouse I bought when I was out with Chloe today."
"Sorry, Mom. I'm not near the computer. I'm out of town actually."
"Out of town? Oh. Where?"
"Umm, we're headed to a park in California," I replied coolly.
"California, really? What are you doing all the way down there?"
"Uhh… camping?"
Nick's smug grin emerged as he laughed quietly. The heat crept up my cheeks. Yeah, I'd used his lame excuse. I shook my head at letting the Grimm get a laugh at my expense. I made small talk with mom and told her I would call her again on Monday since I probably wouldn't have cell reception in the woods.
"Be safe out there and watch out for wolves," Mom warned. "I've heard they're plentiful in California."
I glanced over at Monroe, who didn't seem to be eavesdropping. "There are a few in Oregon, too," I said while biting back my grin.
As I hung up the phone, the waitress returned with a slice of chocolate cake and set it in front of Nick. On the edge of the plate held a folded piece of paper. She grinned at Nick and walked off.
Nick lifted up the paper and smirked at the contents. "Apparently if I'm ever back in Grants Pass, I can get a date." he chuckled as he held up a phone number and a heart drawn over the 'i' in the name Cindy.
Monroe just shook his head. "Save the day, get the girl. All in a day's work, huh?"
"Not interested in the girl. But this cake… Now that's worth saving the day." He took a large, exaggerated bite and smirked.
Once lunch was over, I surveyed my car. The seat had a few holes. I scowled. That was going to be fun to repair. Some of the wires were sticking out from where Mr. Pinhead had tried to steal my car. Fortunately my Malibu was still drivable.
As we buckled up, Nick asked, "Do they have quills all over their body?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Monroe replied. "You're lucky he was distracted or he might have tried to shoot you with those quills of his. That's gives the right to bear arms a whole new meaning."
Nick groaned. "Oh, we're not back to the bear puns are we?"
"No, that one doesn't really work, given the context." Monroe lifted his eyebrows as he grinned. "But bear in mind, there are other puns I could make instead."
"So back to shooting quills…" Nick said.
"I'll tell you all about them once we get back on the interstate." Monroe turned to me. "Did you get enough to eat?"
"Oh, I'm fine. What about you?"
"That salad wasn't half bad, but I don't think I'll be visiting one of these joints again."
"You pick the next restaurant," I told Monroe. "This one wasn't the best choice."
"I won't bear a grudge," he replied with a grin. "But the free meal was a nice perk."
A/N: Nick saves the day and gets rewarded. LOL!