If Nick had any doubts about his Grimm awakening, they quickly disappeared as he finished his workday. He encountered no less than two reptilian Wesen thugs waiting for processing back at the precinct and spotted a rodent-like child playing on the sidewalk as he drove home. Of the three, only one of the reptilian Wesen noticed he was a Grimm. Thankfully, the Wesen only shrank into himself instead of causing a scene. It would have been a bit awkward to try and play off a perp suddenly going into hysterics at the mere sight of a lone detective. Nick had no doubt that word of a Grimm in Portland would eventually start to spread, but the anonymity for the time being would be useful to adjust to his new sight and how it'd affect those he talked to.
Nick thought to himself as he neared his home. 'I should probably refresh myself with the books in Aunt Marie's trailer.' Now that he could see Wesen for what they were when they woged, it would be a good idea for him to get an idea on what he was dealing with and their behaviors. It had been a few years since he went over the collection of Grimm knowledge after all, and the majority of his pre-Grimm training involved physical conditioning and tracking.
The old paint factory Nick called home eventually came into view, a faint glow from one of the upper windows being the only indicator that it was occupied. 'Marie and Farley must be here already, but it never hurts to be careful,' he thought as he pulled into the carport below his loft. As Nick exited his vehicle, he slowly put a hand on his gun and scanned the area. The place was eerily quiet and relatively dark. The silence made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Nick stalked slowly in the direction of the elevator to his loft, a slight movement in his peripheries causing him to pause in anticipation. In the darkness, he could barely make out the shape of what looked like a familiar trailer and a figure slowly approaching from behind it.
"It's been awhile Nick," his uncle Farley stated as he slowly revealed himself.
A small amount of relief seemed to fill Nick at knowing he wasn't wrong to assume that it was his aunt and uncle awaiting him inside. "Farley," Nick responded, taking his hand off his gun and approaching the older man. Giving him a hug, he continued. "It's good to see you."
Farley sighed; whether it was in agreement or not was unclear, as the next words out of his mouth attested. "Wish we could have come under better circumstances."
Nick took a step back and gave his uncle a look over. He looked roughly the same as when Nick had last seen him, though there were a few more gray hairs and what appeared to be a few bags under his eyes. "You said you guys needed to see me, so I'm assuming something important has come up. Where's Marie?"
"She's resting upstairs in your loft," Farley's voice started to waver. "It's been a rough year, Nick. The cancer came back with a vengeance, and the doctors didn't think she'd make it through the end of last month. She doesn't have much time left."
"Shit," Nick grimaced. His aunt had been diagnosed shortly after he entered the academy. Last he heard about it, she was on the mend after he made detective. Apparently, her good fortune wasn't to last. "How's she taking it?"
"Better than most would in this situation, that's for sure. She's a fighter," Farley sighed again. "But she's getting tired. We both are. As the most recent months have gone by, we seem to be getting into more and more Wesen conflicts. It's like they smell blood in the water and they're all fighting for the chance to be the one to put your aunt down for good. Not to mention that most days Marie barely has enough energy to cross the room than take down a Hundjäger."
"I'm so sorry Farley." His aunt was most likely wanting to give him her last goodbyes while she still had the chance. It breaks his heart to think of either Marie and Farley passing as they were the only family Nick had left. "I wish there was something I could do."
"So do I," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Some days I feel like I'm fighting for every second I have left with her." Shaking his head again, Farley started to head towards the elevator. "But enough of that. We should head up. If she's awake, she'd probably be wondering what's taking us so long."
Nick nodded absentmindedly in agreement and followed the man into the elevator. The ride up was silent as the two thought of the one woman that tied them together. The clunking sound as the elevator stopped announced the arrival to Nick's loft. Pulling up the elevator grate, they both entered the relatively sparse living space. Looking towards the kitchen area, Nick could see his aunt leaning against the counter, frailer looking than he remembered and head clean shaven. Most likely hearing their arrival, Marie turned to face them and started to approach.
"Nick," Marie said softly. As she locked eyes with him, Nick watched in fascination as her eyes briefly became two abysses before returning to normal. It felt like two predators acknowledging each other. A small smile crept onto his aunt's face. "I see your Grimm has finally awakened. That's good."
Raising a brow at the statement, Farley woged. His hawk eyes scanned Nick briefly before turning back to normal. "So you did."
"Yeah, it happened earlier today." Nick approached his aunt and gave her a light hug, worried slightly that he might hurt her accidentally.
Disengaging from her nephew's embrace, Marie nodded. "That'll make this easier. Let us all sit down, there's much to discuss."
With that, the trio made their way over to Nick's couch. Nick sat across from his aunt as Farley took a seat beside her. Farley put an arm around Marie and gently pulled her closer to himself in silent comfort. Once the three of them were comfortable, Marie began to go over the reason for her visit. She was giving him the trailer filled with their ancestors' Grimm knowledge. With the amount of time she has left being uncertain, she needed to make sure it made its way into his hands. Thankfully Nick's Grimm awoke so he'll be able to utilize the full extent of their heritage. If it hadn't, Nick was to keep it all safe until he either had a descendant whose Grimm awoke or came across another Grimm. The information the books held were invaluable to Grimms and should be in use.
"There's something else," Marie said, pausing before slowly reaching beneath her shirt and pulling out a small ornate block on a chain. Unfolding the block to reveal a small key, she placed it into Nick's hands. "It's now your turn to safeguard this."
Tracing the small designs on the key, Nick looked towards his aunt. "What is it?" Why would he need to keep a key safe and what does it go to?
"What do you remember about the Royals?" His aunt questioned instead of answering.
Nick furrowed his brows slightly as he thought back to what he read in his late teens. "The seven royal families employed Grimm centuries ago to allow themselves to be the governing force over Wesen society before their influence started to fracture. They are relatively human, though I remember there being some annotations in some of the books suggesting that they conspired with different Wesen to have magic infused into their blood for unknown reasons which has led to complications with their children and their psychology. Grimm eventually broke away from them and they've been struggling to control Wesen ever since. But what do the Royals have to do with this key?"
Marie nodded briefly. "During the sacking of Constantinople, the seven governing knights of the Royals found something. Whatever these seven Grimm found was deemed too dangerous to be in any one person's hands, especially the Royals. They broke ties and hid this treasure or weapon away. Seven keys were made to create a map showing the treasure's location. Together, they unlocked whatever it is. Each knight took a key and split off to keep them separate. The keys have been passed down throughout the generations to be kept safely hidden away." A dark look crossed Marie's face. "Guard it with your life and let no one know of it. Much blood has been shed for the knowledge of the keys and their locations. The Royals know of them and have searched tirelessly for them throughout the years. There's no telling what they wouldn't do to get their hands on them or what could happen if they acquire them all."
'So much trouble over such a little thing.' Nick stared at the small key and slowly folded it close. He placed the chain around his neck and tucked it below his shirt to be hidden from view. A heavy burden to bear to be sure, but he knew he could handle it. "Alright."