Chapter 67

The phone ringing near my ear woke me up with a start.

"Hey, Hun. Sorry to wake you, but Nick called. He needs me to be a bodyguard tonight, so I'm spending the night at someone's place… Just to keep watch."

"Bodyguard? That doesn't sound good. Is it safe?" which when my drawl came out sounded like 'That dudden sound gud. Izit safe?'

"Yeah, I mean, it's just a precautionary thing."

"Okay. If Nick needs your help, do what you got to do." Of course it sounded like, 'If Nick needs yer halp, do whutcha godda do.'

Monroe laughed. "I'll let you get back to sleep, my Southern Belle."

"Hush," I replied, but I really said, 'Hursh.'

"Maybe we can grab breakfast with the bunnies in the morning or something."

"Breakfast sounds good."

"Well, goodnight," he said, and I hung up.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

The next morning I woke up refreshed. Surprisingly, I'd slept well last night after everything that had happened. It was a quarter after seven. Wow, that was a new record for me to wake up on my own this early. I took a shower, and considering the craziness yesterday, I was in excellent spirits. I hummed Lesley Gore's 'Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows' as I lathered up. Yeah, I was in a great mood. I was still humming as I dried off and walked back into my bedroom.

"Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows, huh?" Pete said behind me, and I let out a shriek.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" I yelled, gripping my towel tight around me.

"I made coffee," Pete said with a grin. "Thought you might like a cup." He held a white coffee mug in my direction.

"How about you go in the other room and let me get dressed!" I exclaimed, pointing to the door. Pete laughed and walked out, singing the song I was humming.

Holy crap! He really didn't need to be here. I quickly got dressed and went out to the living room. Chloe was still asleep where we had left her. I moved to the kitchen, where Pete was cooking up a storm.

"Ah, you're dressed now, good. Coffee?" he asked.

"Sure, but let's not go into my bedroom without knocking first, okay?"

"Yeah, sorry." He grinned back at me. Oh, he was just so sorry. "The color on the walls reminds me of your bedroom back home," he said, winking. I just shook my head at him, pointing to the living room where Chloe was still on the couch.

"Last night…" I said. "That can't happen again."

"I know, Née. We were having a moment there, and while you were hugging me I just fell into old memories of holding you like that."

"We can't make new memories."

Pete nodded gravely. "I know." He passed me a cup of coffee, and I took a sip. He'd used the coffee pot instead of the French press, but I drank it regardless.

"Thanks," I said. "And thanks for making breakfast."

Pete smiled. "Chloe isn't the only Haas who's good in a kitchen."

"Yeah, I remember," I replied and bit back my grin.

Monroe would probably call me in an hour or so, since he knew I didn't get up early. Freddy's murder was back in my brain again. I called Nick to see if there was any news on the Skalengecks. I really wanted to know if they had been caught yet.

"Burkhardt," Nick said when he answered the phone.

"Hey, Nick. It's Renée."

"Renée. What's going on?"

"I just wanted to know if you had any leads on Freddy's murderers yet."

"I can't tell you much since it's police business," he replied in a serious tone.

"Well, I'm kind of invested, don't ya think? I just wanna know if they're off the streets for my own piece of mind." There, that was the best excuse I could come up with.

"They came back to the spice shop last night. Freddy's sister was there and fortunately she got out of there. But Monroe stayed with her last night. I thought he said he was going to call and let you know?"

Freddy's sister, huh? Monroe didn't mention the bodyguard work was for a female Fuchsbau. Interesting to know.

"Yeah, he called, but I was asleep, so I didn't really get what he was saying."

"They're headed to that spice shop now. He called literally two minutes ago. I asked him to stay with her since she was insistent on going back there this morning. I think she wants to get things packed up with the shop so she can go home to Seattle."

"Thanks for the info, Nick."

"Are you okay with your ex thing? Has he arrived yet? Monroe filled me in on the details."

"No, he hasn't shown his face, but from what I can gather he won't be here until later this afternoon. I might need to keep you on speed dial if Jack gets out of hand. Can I do that?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Hopefully you won't have to call me, though."

"I really hope so."

"Hold on a second," Nick said as he began talking to someone in the background. "Actually we just got a lead, and we're headed out right now. Don't worry, Freddy's killers will get what they deserve. I gotta go." And he hung up.

I called Monroe.

"Hey, you're up early today," he said with surprise.

"Yeah, so how did the bodyguard work go last night?" I asked nonchalantly.

"I'm kinda still doing it. Nick wanted me to keep an eye on his person of interest this morning. Can we, uh, postpone breakfast?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Pete is actually cooking this morning. That's kind of why I called actually." It wasn't, but he didn't have to know that.

"Oh. Well, that's good then. I'll give you a call later on today."

Still no mention of the female Fuchsbau. I shook my head. At least Nick had kept me in the loop. But I trusted Monroe. If he didn't want to mention it, then I wasn't going to worry.

"Sure, hope things go well," I replied with a smile in my voice and we hung up.

"Breakfast is ready!" Pete called out from the kitchen.

Chloe was stirring on the couch. "Oh, my head!" she whined as she tried to sit up.

"One too many screwdrivers last night?" I asked with a smile.

She held her forehead. "I need drugs and coffee, like, right now!"

"Let me see what I can find. Hey, Pete, we need a coffee over here, stat!" I yelled out.

"Don't… yell…" Chloe moaned.

"Sorry!" I said in a hushed tone.

"Was Monroe here last night?" she asked.

"Yeah, he was for a little while." I tried not to grin. "You don't remember?"

"Oh, okay. I thought I dreamed it."

I laughed. "No, you didn't dream it. You were quite nice to him, though. Maybe I need to keep you drunk around him more often."

Chloe scowled at me, and then held her head again.

I went to my medicine cabinet and found a bottle of aspirin. I took the bottle to Chloe, and Pete had already gotten her a cup of coffee.

"I'm officially too old to drink like that." She sighed, popping two pills into her mouth.

"Nah, you're not too old," I replied. "You just don't need to down them so quickly."

"So, Monroe didn't spend the night?"

I forced a smile. "Nah. And this morning he's at a spice shop, protecting a female Fuchsbau."

"Oh, boy…" Chloe let her head tip back on the couch. She had a direct link to my brain, and my smile wasn't fooling her for a minute.

"No, it's fine. He just didn't mention that she's a Fuchsbau, and I had to find out from Nick."

"It's Marian Rabosa all over again." Chloe sighed then took a sip of coffee.

I flinched at the mention of her name. "Oh, don't even go there. I don't want to think about it."

"But you already are. That's why you look like someone punched you in the face. But if I recall, you punched Marian pretty hard in hers."

Marian Rabosa could've had any guy in school, but she enjoyed mine. She was a true vixen, no doubt. I'd lost three boyfriends to her from freshman to junior year. Junior year I got my first detention and almost messed up being valedictorian the next year because of Marian. I punched her hard in the face once I found out my boyfriend of three months, who had dumped me the day before junior prom, was going with her instead. It was the only in-school fight I'd ever had, and consequently the first fight I'd ever had that wasn't due to protecting someone. This one was my own anger spilling forth.

My dad had to come to the school and talk them out of suspending me. Detention was a mild punishment considering what I'd done. Marian had to get a nose job, and she missed two weeks of school for the surgery. Yeah, I had a bad experience with female Fuchsbaus. I didn't want history to repeat itself.

"I'm an adult and Monroe is an adult, and I'm not going to think about it," I said firmly.

"Hey guys, breakfast is getting cold over here," Pete called out to us as he poked his sandy-haired head back into the living room.

"Think you can eat something?" I asked Chloe.

"Yeah, I think I can get something down me."

We sat around the dining room table. This was the most people I'd had at this table before. It was nice. Pete had made a pretty good breakfast.

"I just went vegetarian, Née, but I didn't see anything like bacon or sausage or anything to make extra for you."

"No, it's fine. I'm trying to go vegetarian too, actually."

"Really?" Pete replied with a surprised look.

"Yeah, Monroe is already that way and, well, it's better for both of us," I replied while shaking my head. I had friends that were part of my favorite meals. It felt a little creepy when I started thinking about it.

Pete raised his glass. "Well, welcome to the club!"

Midway through breakfast, Chloe's ears perked up. "Someone's on your porch."

"There is?" Good hearing would be such a great talent to have. I got up and went to my front door. I repressed a sigh once I opened it.

"Oh, hi!" said Basket Man Bud nervously. He had my porch light in his hands. Wires were all over the place. "I was going to fix this without having to disturb you… Umm, but I guess I disturbed you anyway. I'm really sorry."

Chloe poked her head out from behind me. "What's he doing?"

"Oh, I'm just fixing this porch light. I like to fix things and…" he stammered as his beaver features came out.

Chloe stepped out on the porch, doing a courtesy woge in return.

"Oh, so you're a…" Bud looked up at Chloe, then at me, then back to Chloe. "And you're here with the…?"

"Her name is Renée," Chloe replied, and then turned back to me mouthing the words, 'Does he know about you?'

I nodded slowly. I hadn't mentioned the Eisbiber debacle. That one I'd forgotten about.

Chloe turned back to Bud. "We're in the middle of breakfast. Are you going to be here long?"

Bud stammered again, "I'm just here… Umm… to fix the light. I won't be long, I promise."

I walked forward. "I appreciate it, but I told you already you didn't have to do this."

"No, I want to. I'm just really sorry I interrupted your breakfast."

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" I asked.

His eyes widened at me like I'd offered him a bottle of poison. "No… Uhh… I mean, no thank you. I'll be finished with this in just ten minutes, I swear."

"Okay. Just knock on the door when you're done."

"Sure, sure, sure. I can do that." Bud did a little bow again, and I refrained from shaking my head.

Chloe and I went back inside and I shut the door.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about?" Chloe hissed as we walked back to the dining room table.

I shared the story of revealing myself to Sandra, the Price-Tag Lady stalking me, and Bud the Basket Man with his late night dessert peace offering. Thank goodness Eisbiber didn't have super hearing like my rabbit friends did.

"Great, so you told a Nussesser your secret, and she's blabbing it all over town?" Chloe chided in her mothering tone, trying to keep her voice down. "You know how Nussesser are; they can't keep a secret to save their lives."

"I thought this one was different." I sighed as I ate a forkful of omelet. "I've talked to her since then, and she won't be telling anyone else."

"Right, until the next time it happens," she scoffed. "Dammit, Renée."

"Hey, at least you got some free maintenance out of it," chimed in Pete.

"Yeah, but I don't want Wesen thinking they owe me things, so I won't cut off their heads. That guy out there is scared to even speak to me without stammering."

"You want me to talk to him?" asked Pete.

I shook my head. "No. He'll be gone soon. Hopefully he'll feel he's done what he needs to do, and that's the last I'll see of him."

As we finished with breakfast, a knock came from my front door. Bud must have been finished, too. Wonderful. Pete followed me to the door while Chloe went to take a shower.

"Okay, it should be fixed," said Bud as I opened the door. He eyed Pete behind me and had another woge. The clicking of teeth by my ear indicated Pete had reciprocated.

"Two Karnickelhöhles?" Bud seemed puzzled, like I was collecting them.

Pete walked forward and held out his hand. "Pete Haas," he said with a grin. "And you must be Bud, right?"

"Yeah," Bud replied shakily, taking Pete's hand after a moment. "Bud Wurstner."

Oh, crap. Pete was going to talk to him whether I wanted him to or not. This time I openly shook my head.

"Thanks for fixing Renée's porch light. Let's test it out, what do you say, buddy?"

Bud slowly nodded as Pete leaned in the doorway and switched on the light. It came on without a hitch, glowing vibrantly.

I smiled up at the light. "Hey, that looks good."

My eyes met Bud's, and he gave me a half-smile and another small bow. He really needed to stop that. It was creeping me out.

"Bud, come on in a moment. Have a cup of coffee with us. I insist!" Pete smiled brightly at Bud, who had seemed to relax a bit.

"Yeah, well, just one cup, sure. Thanks!"

Pete ushered the Eisbiber inside as I closed the door behind us. What the heck was Pete going to do now?

He poured Bud a cup of coffee and refilled his mug as I hovered between the living room and the dining room. Finally I sat down in the chair beside Pete.

Pete began chatting up Bud like one of his patrons at Phoenix Hill Tavern. Pete was good at small talk. He could get anyone to open up, and he always saw the good in people. I'd always liked that about him. The Eisbiber finally seemed completely relaxed as he drank his coffee.

"So, Louisville. Wow, that's a distance!" Bud commented after Pete had told him this was his first time in Portland.

"That's where Renée is from, too," Pete replied with a warm smile. "My sister and I have been friends with her for a really long time."

"Are you and Nick, related?" asked Bud eagerly.

"Distantly," I replied with a grin. "Very distantly."

"Oh. Well, I hope that he doesn't have to see us anymore. I want you to know I've talked to everyone who knows, and they aren't going to bother either one of you again, I swear. We really don't want you guys upset with us." He shuddered as he said the words.

"Renée isn't like the kind we've heard about growing up," said Pete in my defense. "You don't have to be afraid of her. But I'm sure she'd agree that it's not a good idea that the Wesen community know about her. Others probably wouldn't take too kindly that there are Grimms living here, and I don't want to see her get hurt." Pete gave Bud a knowing look as the Eisbiber nodded quickly.

"Right, right, right. No, I understand." Bud turned toward me and mimed zipping his lip. "I'm not telling another soul."

"Thank you for fixing my porch light," I said with a smile. "That thing hasn't worked since I moved here."

Bud beamed at me this time and pulled out a card from his pocket. "Well, if you ever need repairs, don't hesitate to call. I'll give you a fair price, and I do honest work. I'm especially good at refrigerators, as you see there on the card." He gestured as he passed the business card to me. "See? Wurstner's Refrigerator Repair. That's my shop. Same day service."

I smiled. "Great, thanks again."

Bud had another cup of coffee as he and Pete chatted about sports while I tidied up the living room. Apparently Bud was a big Oregon Beavers fan. I held back laughing at the irony.

"Thanks for your hospitality, Miss Davenport," said Bud as he stood up to leave. "It is Miss, right?"

I nodded. "But you can just call me Renée."

"Okay. Well, thank you again, uh, Renée," he stammered my name out. "Please call if you need me for anything."

I walked him to the door and as I closed it, I turned to Pete.

"Ya see?" Pete said with a grin. "I knew he'd be fine after I talked to him."

I shook my head. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone could you?"

"But now he's not afraid of you. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes, but…"

"Now you've got yourself a repairman. And you know Eisbiber are hard workers."

I sighed. "Thanks so much, Pete." I kept the sarcasm to a minimum.

"Just helping out." He shot me another grin.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Chloe had emerged from upstairs and seemed to be feeling much better. I glanced at my watch. There was a Jack countdown ticking away, and we still had no idea how to convince him that he was imagining things. I wasn't sure what to do next.

"So, you wanna go give Mr. Wolf-face and his new foxy lady friend a surprise visit?" Chloe asked with a devious grin.

I held on to my smile. "No, I trust him, Chloe."

"Right…" she condescendingly replied.

"I really do!"

"And what did he say when you smelled like Fuchsbau?" she reminded me.

"Uh, well it's different when you can smell it, I'm sure," I said.

Monroe was none too happy that night I came home from yoga smelling like Mr. Foxy Loxy. But nothing had happened, just as I was sure nothing was happening with that no good, vixen of a … I paused my thoughts and let the calm wash over me. Why did Chloe have to bring it up again?

"Call him back. Let him know you know," Chloe chided. "And put him on speaker phone 'cause I wanna hear."

"I won't put him on speakerphone." I smirked. "But I will call him."

"It's fine. I don't need the speaker phone." She smirked back in reply as her ears elongated.

"Don't," I warned quickly.

Chloe retracted and grinned. "Fine, but you take all the fun out of it."

I dialed Monroe again.

"Hey, how are you?" Monroe asked.

"Good. Everything okay with your person of interest?" I asked with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Yeah, still with them. It's going fine," Monroe answered without hesitation.

"Wait a minute… Do I smell something? Hang on." I exaggerated sniffing the air. "Are you out with a… Fuchsbau?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

"How'd you…? Nick told you, didn't he?" I imagined his scowl on the other side of the phone.

"No, your sense of smell is rubbing off on me," I persisted, and I sniffed again. "I'm getting a female..." I sniffed some more. "From Seattle?"

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny."

"You could've just told me," I said.

"Well, it sounded bad to say I was spending the night at a strange woman's place."

"No, it sounded worse finding out you were spending the night at a strange woman's place from someone else." I shook my head even though he couldn't see it.

"Yeah, umm… Okay, that does sound worse," Monroe admitted. "Sorry about that."

"I won't keep you, but I really did call to make sure you were okay," I said, but that really wasn't why I'd called.

"Yeah, I'm doing great, don't worry. I'll call you later."

"You're just itching to know what she looks like," said Chloe, grinning wide as I put my phone in my pocket.

"No…" But I really did.

"Hey Pete, let's get ready," Chloe called out to her brother while smiling at me. "We've got a spice shop to go visit." That direct link to my brain gave her all the info she wanted.

I just shook my head. "Let me put on some makeup first, okay?"

A/N: So Bud did some maintenance work and seems a bit more relaxed after his talk with Pete.

Going to the spice shop in the next chapter. Last one today. Enjoy! (: