Chapter 117

The nightmares had me tossing and turning most of the night. I was fighting ghost Hexenbiests with Nick, who then proposed, and I was trying to get out of the wedding by eating hot peppers. It seemed the stupid dreams hadn't worked their way out of my system yet.

When I awoke the next morning I touched my teeth to my tongue. It was fine now, thank goodness. I glanced at the clock. Six o'clock. I had an early meeting at seven-thirty and I was already exhausted. I sang aloud as I showered while I thought of Monroe.

"Here I am at six o'clock in the morning,
Still thinking about you.
It's still hard, at six o'clock in the morning,
To sleep without you.
And I know that it might,
Seem too late for love.
All I know,
I need you now.
More than words can say,
I need you now…"

I'd missed Monroe so much last night. Hopefully tonight we'd talk and things would be all right. I went to work and resumed the guise of my normal life.

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

By evening Monroe hadn't called. I held the phone in my hands. Should I call him? No… I called my BFF instead.

Chloe listened quietly as I told her everything like I'd promised I would, from the Bitch Witch and the Zaubertranks to the multiple antidotes and Mr. Royal Pain. I left nothing out.

"So you're telling me you were in a room full of Hexenbiests? Dammit, Renée," she sighed. "It's amazing they didn't tear you limb from limb. You sure know how to pick 'em," she chided. "You're gonna have to come up with a better screening process."

"Yeah." I folded my legs under me on the couch. "Ice cold hands and less than genuine personalities are dead giveaways."

"I'll say. Well, unless they use a potion to cover it up."

"At least I've learned my lesson."

"Let's hope so. Renée, they could've done so much more than a Zaubertrank. You know that, right?"

"Well, whoever this Royal is, he makes all the decisions. I'm just glad the worst is over with."

"No, it's not. You may have removed one of the Hexenbiest's powers, but there are still four other Hexenbiests vying for revenge on their sister."

"As long as they think their Zaubertrank worked, then I'll be safe."

"Well, if this guy is watching you two, it's gonna be pretty obvious that you both aren't an item."

"It's not like Monroe is hanging around, so…"

"Monroe will be back. Just give him some space and let him take time to process it all. You know I tried to tell you to stop this bullshit," she reminded me.

"I was under a Zaubertrank. No one could've told me to stop."

"You wouldn't have listened even if it hadn't been a Zaubertrank," she laughed.

"No, I wouldn't have done it all if it wasn't for that damn bitch of a Hexenbiest." I grabbed the pillow off the couch, holding it tight. "What if he doesn't call?"

"He'll come back. That guy is crazy about you, or maybe just crazy. One or the other. Either way, he'll come back."

"Thanks." I replied bitterly. Chloe wasn't always the sweetest with her pep talks. For someone who was counselor, there was usually an edge to her advice. Maybe that worked for her high schoolers, but it wasn't what I needed right now.

"I meant crazy in a good way," she added almost as an afterthought. "Anyway, what I mean is it's obvious that he loves you. He knows this Zaubertrank wasn't something you willingly did to yourself."

"It's more than just the Zaubertrank. I hold things back from him and running off to Nick in the ruins didn't help things either," I groaned.

"Yeah, that was pretty stupid, in more ways than one," Chloe agreed with a scowl. "It's like this… You either trust him or you don't. He needs you to be open and honest with him, kind of the way I need you to be with me," she said while clicking her teeth. "He's not Jack. You don't have to hide it all from him."

"I've never been in a relationship where I didn't have to hide everything."

"So now you're in one where you can be yourself for once. That's a good thing, right?"

"I guess, but it's just hard to get out of that mode."

"Well, you're gonna have to figure it out and quick. I hate to cut this short, but I've got people waiting on me to come back from my beer run."

"You and Thor gonna celebrate your last night with a few bottles?"

"Thor? Nah. I let him go."

"Really? I figured you'd stay with him until you left."

"Thor isn't a guy you keep. He's like renting an ocean-side view. It's beautiful to look at, makes you feel happy while you're there, but in the end you know some other tramp is gonna have it booked the week after you're gone."

"Ah," I laughed. "Good analogy."

"Monroe isn't like Thor, Renée. He's a good guy and worth keeping."

"Thanks, Chloe." In a backwards way, that was Chloe's compliment. Of course, she didn't know about our role playing games, the domination, the ropes, or the crazy scare tactics, either. Some things were best not sharing. "So who are you drinking with?" I asked.

"Just a group of vacationers I'm partying with tonight."

I laughed. "Make sure the ones you're running to get beer for are old enough to drink it."

"Hey, I work for the school system. I'm not letting anyone underage drink. It goes against my educational code of ethics. Now if they have a fake ID, then I can't be held responsible."

"Tell the cops that before they haul you off to jail."

"I'll be fine," she chuckled. "Try to be safe for me and I'll see you in a little over a week, right?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I miss you so much."

"You too, girl."

I set my phone down beside me on the couch and made my way to the bedroom. I needed yoga and some Rocky Road.

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

Nightfall came and I'd had two bowls of ice cream, drizzled with tears. If only I'd bought some a week ago, I could've thrown out those damn tarts and saved myself some heartache. Honestly, I should've never taken the tarts to begin with. But even if I hadn't gone to the party at all, Nick would've still had his apple pie, and then it would've been a one-sided mess. I shook my head. There was just no good solution with woulda, coulda, and shoulda.

I tossed the empty bowl on the coffee table and crossed my arms as I leaned back on the couch. My eyes met my cell phone, willing it to ring. It set there as quiet as a mouse. No… No, I wouldn't sit here and wait. I got up, showered, and then dressed. I would just go to him… run to him. Hold him and tell him I loved him.

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

Bob Segar's smooth voice played loudly in my car as I drove toward Monroe's.

"I think I've found the real love.
Genuine and true.
I think it's really come my way today.
I think it's really you…"

As I turned on to Monroe's street my heart sank. His VW wasn't there. I parked my Malibu and sat a moment. Maybe he'd gone on a late night run to the store. I'd just wait here until he returned.

A half an hour soon turned into an hour, then two. Well, the stores didn't stay open this late. I pulled out my phone and called him. The trilling continued until his voicemail picked up. I ended the call. Where the hell was he? Maybe he was in trouble. Horrid thoughts of Hexenbiests seeking revenge flashed through my mind.

I called Nick.

"Uh, hi." The uncomfortable response came through the phone as Nick answered.

"Hey. I'm sorry to call, but I'm worried about Monroe. He's not at home, and I haven't heard from him, and…"

"He's fine," Nick said, cutting me off. "He's with me."

"With you?" They'd made up already? Wow…

"Yeah, we're just talking things out."

"Are you at the trailer? Can I come over? I need to see him."

Nick sighed. "Now's not a good time," he simply replied. "But you don't have to worry. He's fine, and we're good."

"Well, let me talk to him at least. Why didn't he answer his phone?"

"Renée, it's just not a good time right now," Nick replied a bit more adamantly. "Just trust me on this one."

Dammit to hell!

"Fine, okay," I said as calmly as I could. "As long as he's safe then that's fine." I hung up before Nick could reply.

My head fell back against the car seat. Monroe hated me. That was it. My heart ached as I reached for my chest. He could've just answered and told me himself. My recklessness said to just drive over to the trailer and confront him. Even if he hated me, I still needed to tell him that I loved him. I didn't care if Nick heard me profess my love. I shook my head. No. I'd respect his wishes. With a heavy sigh, I drove home.

A/N: So... It looks like Monroe and Nick are making up, but it still leaves Renée on her own.

Edit: I've written another Monroe's POV chapter for this called After the Zaubertrank was Dispelled. It's in the "Monroe's Story" fan-fic if you wanna read what Monroe and Nick talked about. There might be a few spoilers if you read it right after this chapter, so if you want to remain spoiler-free, finish this story, then go back and read the chapter. (:

Stopping here for today. Last 3 chapters tomorrow before Grimm airs. My gosh, I can't believe this story is drawing to a close...

Comments/thoughts encouraged. Thanks for continuing to read, and as always... STAY TUNED! (: