Chapter 112

"I really wish Nick had a Plan B," Monroe said as we followed Nick to Adalind's place. "Well, even a Plan A would be nice." I was driving this time and Monroe was looking over the spell books.

"When the rush hits, you just follow it."

"Yeah, but you don't just run in on a Hexenbiest all willy-nilly." Monroe shook his head. "And that you even tried to trick one… I'm still not sure what to make of that."

"Hey, the tricking part was my Plan B," I reasoned. Actually I was quite proud of my idea. I took the time to formulate a plan while I was flooded with recklessness. My gut had told me to just go and confront her, so maybe I could control it. Well, some of it. Perhaps the concentration potion had helped, too.

"Renée," he sighed out my name. "She could've killed you, or cursed you, or threw some other malediction your way. She still could…" Those last words fell out flat off his tongue. He was right, he usually was. This might not be over.

"Let's hope Nick can take care of her, so that doesn't happen."

As we continued to drive, I tried to ignore the Toyota in front of me and the silhouette of Nick in the driver's seat. I wanted him close, holding me. I quickly tried to block it out before Monroe knew what I was thinking. These feelings had to stop. I hummed Erik Hassle's 'Bitter End.'

"Whatever it takes to break this spell.
I've got to get out
Of this hell.
I can't get over you.
Could you please give me forgiveness,
And wash my sin away…"

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

I parked behind Nick and the four of us were quickly out of our cars. I grabbed the book with Hank's Zaubertrank before I closed my door, holding it close to my chest. Nick led the way in a brisk pace to Adalind's condo with Monroe right on his heels.

"What if they're, like, in the middle of... you know? I mean, this could get kinda awkward. And Hank is one thing, but the Hexenbiest… You don't want to get them riled up, man. It could get ugly, fast." Monroe's words were falling on deaf ears as Nick moved forward. Rosalee and I stayed behind them.

"I'm bringing her down," was Nick's only reply.

"Look, I'm not saying I'm against it, but, you know, that's gonna be a pretty hard thing for a cop to explain. You know, dead body and all."

Monroe was trying to evoke a little sense into Nick, but Nick was having a reckless woge of his own right now. It was coursing through his veins and that was all he needed. I knew the feeling well.

"And what about your partner, dude?" Monroe continued. "What's he gonna think when you gun down the woman he's in love with?"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Nick paused for a brief moment to look at Monroe as we went up the stairs. "I'm listening."

"Well, if you'd let me think for a second," Monroe replied while gesturing with his hands in frustration. He looked almost surprised that Detective Sexy was asking. "No, I don't," he surmised.

The door to Adalind's condo was standing partially open and we took it as an invitation to go inside.

"Hank?" Nick called out as we stepped into the Bitch Witch's living room. "Hank, it's Nick!" he called again and we followed him into one of the rooms in the back.

The door was closed, and Nick drew out his gun as he opened it quickly. We were in a stylish model bedroom, decorated similar to the rest of Adalind's place. Adalind was nowhere to be found. Detective Swagger was lying shirtless in bed, eyes closed with the covers all tucked around him. Was he asleep or something worse? Above his head were butterflies in frames like the ones in her non-lived-in living room. More dead butterflies. She was beyond evil.

Rosalee rushed to Hank's side.

"Is he okay?" I asked as I crossed the room and leaned over Rosalee.

"Are we too late?" Nick asked from behind us.

Rosalee turned to us after checking for a pulse. "He's still alive."

Nick went to the other side of the bed. "But why is he unconscious?"

Rosalee slowly lifted Hank's eyelid, revealing a deep red iris. It reminded me of Monroe's eyes when he was emotional.

"Oh, my God!" She jerked back with a gasp. "She altered the Zaubertrank." Rosalee grabbed the book from my hands. "Hank is still alive, but the antidote… It's useless now." Rosalee sounded panicked as she hurriedly turned the pages of the book.

"But it worked on Wu," Monroe argued.

Rosalee jerked her head up. "He didn't have sex with her."

"Oh, God." Monroe looked at me and then to Nick. "That always complicates things, doesn't it?" Thank goodness Nick and I hadn't gone all the way. I was kind of partial to my green eyes.

Nick shook Hank vigorously. "Hey, come on, Hank! Wake up, man!" he yelled out, trying to get a response from Detective Swagger.

"Nick, it's not gonna work." Rosalee stopped him. "He can't... It's like he's in a coma, but it's not physical, it's mental. It's… It's like his brain is locked," she explained while shaking her head.

Nick pointed to Hank. "Well, there's gotta be a way to fix this."

"Possibly, if she used her own blood."

"What difference does that make?" Nick asked.

"The only way you can break a blood Zaubertrank is by killing the Hexenbiest whose blood is in it." Rosalee looked gravely at Nick as she spoke.

"Kill her?" I repeated. I turned to Monroe, who was stroking his bearded chin. The red glint in his eyes seemed agreeable to that idea.

Nick's cell phone interrupted all our thoughts.

"Well, I won't have a problem with that," Nick replied as he stood, pulling out his phone. "Burkhardt," he answered. His eyes widened as he listened. "Adalind." Nick put the phone on speaker.

"I just wanted to invite you over to my place for a little dessert." Adalind's fiendish voice came through his phone and filled the room.

"I'm already there."

"Then you found Hank. Good. Still sleeping peacefully, I hope?"

"Where are you?"

"This is the way it's gonna go, Nick. Hank will be dead by morning, unless I get the key your Aunt gave you. I'm sure your girlfriend has already told you all about that, though," she laughed and I had to hold my tongue not to say anything. "So you'd better bring that key to the Bremen Ruins as soon as you can. I've got a very busy schedule, and I can't wait all night. It's really very easy, Nick. The key or Hank."

Nick hung up the phone without responding to the Bitch Witch.

"What's the Bremen Ruins?" I asked.

"It's a place in Forest Park," Nick replied with recklessness boiling from him. "And that's where I'm going to kill her."

"Nick, you can't kill her," Rosalee urged.

"Oh, yeah, I can," he retorted, walking toward the bedroom door.

"No, it's not like that. If you shoot her, she'll be dead, but that won't bring your partner back." Rosalee was following Nick back to the living room as she spoke. Monroe and I were right behind her. "The only way you can break the hold she has on Hank is with the blood of a Grimm."

This stopped Nick and he turned quickly.

"With your blood," Rosalee continued. "She has to ingest it. This will destroy the Hexenbiest."

"So, she has to drink my blood?" Nick looked half disgusted, half confused.

"It won't take much; just half a milliliter in her system should be enough." Rosalee was reading from the book in her hands as she spoke.

"Milliliters?" Nick ran his hand through his hair. "What… How am I supposed to measure it out?"

Rosalee shook her head. "It isn't very much."

"Does that work on all Wesen?" Nick asked.

"No," Monroe said. "I mean, it's… Uhh…" He looked at me, which only made it worse.

"Hexenbiests are well aware what the blood of a Grimm will do to them," Rosalee told Nick. "I'm not sure the best way for you to get your blood into her."

"I'll figure it out when I get there." Nick turned back to leave. "If I have to force it down her throat, I will."

"Please be careful!" I begged. While Adalind was under orders not to harm us, she may act on instinct if Nick was going to try to kill her.

"I'll be all right, I promise." Nick stepped forward to reach for me, but Monroe moved in between us. "I'll return soon." He cast off the quick reply before leaving.

I wanted desperately to go with him or at least hold him in my arms before he went off to fight. Monroe pulled me toward him, and I held him instead.

"Nick will be fine," he said with a tone that didn't sound like he believed it. He patted my back and let me go quickly. "Let's go back to Hank."

We went back to the bedroom, but I was beside myself with worry. My own woge of recklessness was bitching at me to leave. I wanted to fight by Nick's side. If he couldn't get the blood inside her, I could. I had Grimm blood in my veins as well.

"I need to find a restroom," I said. "I'll be back." They nodded and I closed the bedroom door behind me. Walking quickly, I passed up the bathroom and slipped out the front door.

A/N: Again staying with the Grimm story, except we get a bit more about Grimm blood and what Nick needs to do to kill Adalind.

Oh no... Renée is sneaking out. Wonder where she's going, huh?

We'll stop there. There's only 8 chapters to go. Wow! So tomorrow I'll post 5 more and Tuesday I'll post the last three *hopefully* a few hours before Grimm airs that night.

Comments appreciated. Thanks as always for reading, and STAY TUNED! (: