Kim's head was throbbing worse than she'd ever experienced before. She…she needed a couple of Tylenol and FAST! She cracked her eyes and…crap! Her current predicament came rushing back to her. She was on a jet headed for France, temporarily a prisoner of the psychopathic Grimm Adrianna Lynne. The last thing Kim remembered was approaching that black SUV and then…the bitch must have clubbed her over the head before she got into the car; awfully primitive in Kim's opinion. A tranc dart filled with a few CCs of Hellebore extract would've done just as well and eliminated the need for the cuffs that…she was now feeling how they'd dug into her wrists at some point during the journey.

Her wrists hurt…but thinking of the handcuffs instantly made Kim realize that by some lucky turn of events her hands were free. What the heck were they thinking? Sure Kim was trapped in an enclosed space where they could watch her but…should she feel insulted? Unless…no; she could still feel the kantas snuggly secured to her body. Okay…these people were either taking false sense of security to ridiculous proportions or…or Lynne was severely underestimating Kim's fighting ability. If she was lucky, it would be the latter and she could make a break for it when they landed.

Kim hauled herself up to a seated position and fully took in her surroundings. The cabin was spacious and looked pretty ritzy. There were a handful of soldier types moving around…and the eyes of Lynne leveled squarely at her. The slightly older woman immediately rose to her feet and marched over. That look in her eye…this…this was likely going to hurt. Kim braced herself in time to receive the slap across the face.

"I…said…come…alone," She annunciated each syllable as if trying to hit Kim once again with every word. "You dare…DARE…to try to lie to me?"

"If you recall," Kim shot back, trying to ignore the stinging in her cheek. "You said come to Middleton Commons alone. What my friends or the Middleton Police Department might have overheard and what they might have chosen to do with the information is NOT of my word. So this is me with a clear conscience and in the right. Is there any Tylenol on this flight or do I have to wait till I land?"

The woman was still shockingly easy to manipulate. At least Kim had that little victory for now. She half expected to be slapped again. "You can suffer for now."

Lynne had her arm in a sling; that…that was VERY good news. Lynne was really the only one who concerned her about escaping but if she was handicapped? Maybe her situation wasn't so bad after all. Assuming the extra guards were ordinary humans…right now she needed to focus on her blitz out. When they first exited the plane, that would be her best opportunity; she'd take out any guards near her, duck under the plane, and be off to the races afterwards. That still left her in a foreign city with seriously few resources…but at least she'd be free and could contact Mom.

"Attention," A voice came over the speaker. "We'll be landing in Marseilles in ten minutes."

Ten minutes? She had no idea that they were over land already. Thankfully her captor had left Kim he knapsack she'd had when taken. Now…to discretely see if any of her little surprises had remained hidden. They'd swiped her cell phone and taken the other dagger she'd left for them to find rolled up in one of her shirts, no surprise there. Apparently there WAS a limit to their arrogance and stupidity. She still had the two changes of clothes packed. Feeling around the lining, she hoped to still find…YES! They hadn't found her passport! If the passport still remained then that would mean…jackpot; maybe her resources weren't so limited after all. The 500 euros she'd grabbed from Mom's emergency supply was still sewn in opposite the passport. Utterly ruthless and sadistic and her captor haid failed to see something Kim had actually ripped off from an old John Archer 000-7 spy movie? Feeling far more content with her situation, Kim synched up her pack and buckled into her seat for the landing.

With a THUMP and a BUMP, the plane touched down. Kim's eyes were immediately riveted to the window, getting a panoramic view of the airfield. She could do this. She'd make her break and head straight for that fuel truck opposite from the hanger the plane was heading for, leap over the fence, and she could just make out the cityscape half a mile from the fence. She could get into the city and disappear. All she needed was the right opening. She had the kanta between her shoulder blades, the one on the inside of her left arm near the pit, and the one just under her right breast. She'd go for the left arm and the breast.

"On your feet," Lynne barked, tossing a jacket to Kim. "The car will be here any minute."

Kim willingly pulled on the jacket and her knapsack after that. Lynne took her place at the head of the line with Kim sandwiched between the three guards, one in front and two behind. Alright…the moment they hit the staircase, Kim would strike. Kanta under the left arm strikes the one in front. Use the motion to draw the one under the breast to take out the one behind. The bodies would slow down Lynne and the remaining guard behind her long enough for Kim to jump. The door was approaching. She had to be fast; this all depended on timing. She'd make her move in five…she gazed down the small staircase…four…stepping out, she felt a warm breeze as she took one last look at the airport bathed in twilight…three…she'd make a break for the fuel truck and just keep running…two…there was a black sedan approaching the, probably their ride…ONE!

…TWANG…

…TWANG…

…THUNK…

…THUNK…

"RUN KIM!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

She…she had to keep a clear head, for Kim's sake if not for her own. This…this was…was her worst nightmare come to life. Anne could remember the first time she'd held little Kimmie, her and James' little miracle. In that one moment, she'd known what it meant to love someone so utterly unconditionally that…Anne just didn't know how to describe it. And at the same moment, she'd promised Kim that her mother would never let her down, that she would ALWAYS be there to protect her daughter from all the monsters out there. All of the things that go "bump" in the night, Anne would be there to bump them back, not just for Kim but for all her children…and she…and she…failed. She failed to keep her daughter safe, to protect her from the worst monster imaginable.

"Anne?"

Anne blinked out of her inner turmoil and turned to face Mack. Anne had completely forgotten that they were watching the interrogation of one of the hired guns left behind. It had initially taken every ounce of her will power not to barge into the room and beat the answers she wanted out of their prisoner. But as time dragged on, Anne felt more and more like she was being dragged again and again through a meat grinder.

"I…I haven't even…told James yet," Kim sighed, taking a deep breath. "How…how do I tell my husband that…how do I tell Kim's friends that I failed to…?"

"Look at me Anne," Anne felt Mack's hands grab her head and make her face the seasoned police officer. "This is NOT your fault. You didn't LET any of this happen. Believe me…and the goose egg on my head when I say that we are going to get Kim back. If it is the last thing I do, if it kicks me off the force, I will get Kim back. Now…when the Ende Der Zeiten called Kim, she said something about taking her to "the Order". You're…well…let's call it the expert on our perpetrator. What exactly is that?"

"The…the Ordo Purificationis…Order of Purification," She breathed. She…she could focus on the case at hand! "It's the ruling body of the Ende Der Zeitens in the 17th Century, right about the time of our Civil War."

"Okay, so…so they're wannabes? Trying to restore…those people…to their former prominence? I checked with the FAA and the Lear Jet's flight plan was for Marseilles. What do we know about this Grimm? This Captain you brought with you said her name was Adrianna Lynne?"

"A woman of supreme ruthlessness," Sean confirmed, entering the room. "Sean Renard," He offered a handshake to Mack. "A pleasure Detective Brody."

Mack looked sideways at Anne and took the handshake after Anne nodded her approval.

"Anyhow, I took the liberty of contacting an old friend from Interpol," Sean handed the pair a dossier of papers. "Adrianna Therese Lynne, age 26, born in York but grew up moving between Yorkshire and Paris. Parents are Count Andrew Lynne, a minor English Nobleman, and Claire DuFontaine heiress to a big fashion empire. Lynne holds dual English and French citizenship and the family name comes up as one of interest in nearly two dozen murders spanning three continents over the past twenty years."

"Which one of the parents is a Grimm?" Anne gazed at the photo of the one who took her daughter.

"Anne," Mack squawked in surprise, looking between her and Sean. "What are you…"

"He's Nick's Captain," Anne quickly explained. "You remember, my 'cousin' from out in Oregon?"

"Well in answer to your question Anne, it's her father," Sean replied, leaning against the table. "But that's the most interesting thing though, likely the source of the family's bitter hatred for half-breeds and Wesen/Human relationships. Shortly after Adrianna was born, a Hexenbiest had managed to slip him a potion and…bed him."

Even in her distressed state, Anne's jaw dropped. The act of actually slipping him the potion was shocking enough but if she actually managed to…that…that DID explain a lot, even more so if the man was an Ende Der Zeiten.

"So she slipped him a mickey; what's so significant about that?" Mack asked.

Sean nodded to Anne and she took his cue. "Well Mack…every Grimm knows that a Hexenbiest's powers can be neutralized by injecting them with…well…the blood of a Grimm. But the danger of that is that it is a two way street. A Hexenbiest or Zauerbiest can in turn neutralize a Grimm's ability to recognize Wesen by…having sex with him or her."

"Oh…I suppose that's motive enough. So…if I may Captain, what's your connection to this whole thing?"

"That's…kind of a long story Mack," Whatever his reasons may have been, Sean had elected to confide in her…but while she was still wary of him, she could appreciate his need for a degree of anonymity. "He's filled me in and let's just leave it at that he's involved and…could be a help."

Sean's cell phone chimed and interrupted the tension. Excusing himself to take the call, Anne and Mack were once again alone. Mack was on edge and Anne didn't need to be a Grimm to know it. Could she smell the fact that Sean was a Zauerbiest? "The Witching Community" as Anne liked to call them was always an unusual situation, especially when around other Wesen. Most other Wesen, even the tougher ones, were often intimidated by them if not downright scared of them.

"Anne…SOMETHING is off about that guy. Are you absolutely sure that he's on the level?"

"He's part of the Laufer. Mack…he's got his own agenda but…he wants to help. He was the only reason I didn't have to make a six hour drive across the state."

"Yes, you're good at reading people but…"

Sean reentered a short time later. "I just got word from Marseilles. Someone was waiting for the plane when it landed. Witnesses say that your daughter…"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

…TWANG…TWANG…

…THUNK…THUNK…

Like a rattlesnake striking at a mouse, the kanta shot out of its sheath and into the guard's exposed neck. The blade wasn't really suited to a slashing motion but…at Mom's suggestion, Kim had been experimenting with coating her weapons in various powders and mixtures for an added effect. This particular kanta was coated in powdered hellebore, fast acting, and thankfully dropped the guard like a sack of flour. With the majority of her captors down and the help of some unknown savoir, Kim needed no further encouragement. She grabbed the railing and pulled off a spectacular flip. If only Coach Spitzer could've seen that!

She hit the ground and without breaking stride, took off running for the opposite side of the airport. Cries and shouts erupted in her wake, some of them less than complimentary by her guess but it didn't matter. Adrianna was right behind her. She HAD to be…unless that mystery person had managed to slow her down at all but that couldn't be for long. The truck was fast approaching and…Kim leapt onto the hood of the truck…she climbed onto the fuel tank…and with a running leap, Kim sailed over the chain linked fence! She felt like…like she was flying and…oh…right; Kim COULDN'T fly…and that ground was fast approaching…was that a rose bush? This was…yeah this was DEFINITELY going to hurt.

...CRUNCH…

…Ouch…

…POKE…

…Rose Bush…

…THUMP…

…Pain…

…WHAM…

…More Pain…

Who…the heck…puts rose bushes around an airport? No time to lodge a complaint right now; got to keep moving. The moment Kim succeeded in righting herself, she sprinted towards the city, towards crowds that she could hide in. She didn't stop. Turn left…turn right…another right…another right…turn left. Turning at random for what seemed like hours, eventually the exhaustion caught up with her and Kim had to stop and catch her breath. Her pace slowed to a walk and looked around for a place to take stock of her situation. The airport was thankfully out of sight; still no way of knowing how far ahead of Lynne she was. First…first priority was finding a place to stay. What kind of neighborhood was she in? A few cafes and boutiques…no hotels that she could see though; the neighborhood looked nice enough, kind of touristy.

Walking down the sidewalk, Kim spotted an alley that doubled back behind a few of the stores. One way in, one way out; if Mom were here, she'd say it was a tactical gem. And frankly…Kim needed to sit down or her legs were going to give out from under her. Heaving a sigh, she collapsed on a nearby park bench, finally having a chance to breath. Glancing at her watch…had it really only been half an hour? She felt like she'd been running all day. Shucking off her knapsack and the jacket, Kim used part of her t-shirt to mop her sweaty brow. She was tired, scratched…and not just a little hungry now that she thought about it. She should break out a few Euros and see if there was anywhere worth eating at around here. Maybe someone could point her in the direction of a hotel.

"Qu-avons-nous tai?"

Kim's eyes shot open and darted to the interlopers. For a split second, Kim had thought that she'd been found but…a little ironic but…she was actually RELIEVED to see only run of the mill muggers with knives. An inconvenience to be sure but, even with the way Kim was feeling, it was nothing she couldn't handle.

"You guys are definitely going to look back on this as a low point in your careers," Kim sighed as she hefted herself up to a standing position.

"Ooooh, Chaton a des griffes."

Things happened incredibly fast. One of the thugs, a black guy a few years older than Kim, had made an attempt to get behind her and Kim was prepared for something of that nature. But what none of the three had been prepared for had been the unrelenting force that descended from the sky. In the blink of an eye, a black clad figure landed behind the two thugs. Lashing out with a pair of police issue batons, both of the thugs collapsed into an unconscious heap.

"She wasn't wrong. Definitely a low point for you two."

Who…who was this? Kim stood frozen in her fighting stance, her two remaining kantas locked in a death grip, and taking in the sight before her. It was a woman, most definitely. She was clad in black…but not like Lynn. Her attire was…functional but also stylish enough to blend into almost any crowd. The hood she was wearing obscured her face but Kim could still make out that she wasn't wearing a mask. She couldn't be sure but…this wasn't an Ende Der Zeiten. But…the way this woman moved…this woman…was she a Grimm too?

"Who…who are you?" Kim breathed, not moving from her fighting stance.

With a swift motion that Kim couldn't help but envy, she collapsed the batons, folded them into her jeacked, and drew what Kim instantly recognized as an empty doppalarmburst. This was the person who helped her escape the airport?

"Grab your bag," She coolly replied. "Leave the jacket. There's a boutique up the street where we can get you a new one."

Her tone didn't really brook any nonsense ad Kim, after swiping the thugs' knives, found herself scurrying behind the mystery woman. She led Kim to the opposite end of the street that Kim had left. Parked outside the beam of one of the streetlights was a motorcycle. Kim wasn't that familiar with them but the thing still looked pretty high end, Ducati plastered across the side.

"I've got a hotel room a few miles from here," She climbed onto the bike and motioned for Kim to climb on behind her. "How about we get you cleaned up?"

Kim halted for a moment. This…this was all moving kind of fast. She'd escaped one hostile Grimm and was about to climb onto a motorcycle with one that was a complete stranger? Under other circumstances, this might not be viewed as a wise move. But…she didn't know what it was. Adrianna Lynne…you could just SMELL the crazy on her. But this woman…she was skilled…but Kim couldn't detect any hostility or danger from her. Quite to the contrary, Kim could almost feel…it was like she had a connection to this woman.

Lynne wouldn't have the imagination to pull off something like this and certainly not so quick after you made your break, Kim thought to herself. If she wanted you dead, you'd be dead by now.

She'd be on guard…but Kim took the offered helmet and climbed on the bike.

"Hold on tight Kimmie."

How does she know my name?

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The pair journeyed through the French Mediterranean city for a little more than twenty minutes until the mystery woman pulled them into the parking lot of the Vieux Hotel. Climbing off the bike, Kim quickly fell into line behind her rescuer and followed her into the main lobby. Nothing incredibly fancy…but it looked comfortable enough, kind of like a decent chain hotel back home. Her rescuer cheerily voiced a few words to the front desk attendant and then led Kim to the elevators, leaving the two alone.

Who was this woman? Throughout the journey, the woman had been acting very…well…friendly, like Kim was just up for a visit and her rescuer's only job was to show her a good time. The whole trip over, she filled Kim in on all the beauty spots and history of the area they were passing by, was always checking if she was comfortable or needed anything. But the whole time, the woman either had her bike helmet on or her face hidden by that stupid black hood. Kim didn't even know what she looked like…and they were alone in the elevator together.

"So…I just realized that I never…never thanked you for…you know…saving my life," Kim offered, trying her best to be discreet about staring. "I…I don't know if I would've gotten away if you hadn't done…what you did."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short kiddo," The woman replied. "I saw how you used those kantas. You're still young but you've already got more skill with a blade than many others I know, far better than I was at your age. And when you made the dash for the fuel truck I'd placed…"

"YOU put it there?" Crap; that was rude, interrupting her like that. "Oops; sorry for interrupting."

"Don't worry about it," The doors opened and she gestured for Kim to follow. Not wanting to forget her manners for a second time, Kim fell into line and thanked her rescuer as she held open the door to her hotel room. "Your Mom's smart. I knew that if you were even half as skilled as she was at your age, you'd have factored that in within seconds and act accordingly."

"You knew my Mom?"

"Yeah…I did," Wait...did she sound…regretful? So she and Mom might have been in a fight or had a history? "We knew each other and…then I…I drastically screwed things up. I screwed them up big time. Now," She smiled and gestured to the far bed. "Enough about the past; let's get those nasty cuts taken care of."

This was actually getting intriguing. This woman saved Kim's life and…she apparently knew Mom and had a lot of regrets about the way they parted terms. Kim plopped down on the bed and accidentally thumped her foot on the bedside stand. She reached over and picked up the picture she'd knocked over and…what? Kim had seen this photo before…in her and Mom's room and…she whirled around to face the woman no longer wearing her hood. She looked to be in her mid-sixties, still in great shape though. Red hair flecked with gray adorned her face down to her shoulder…but looking into those eyes, those shimmering green eyes that Kim herself and Mom shared, she saw…

"G…Grandma Kessler?"

"H…hi Kimmie; you…my God, you're so grown up I can't believe it."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Kim's gotten away?"

Sean's report had been like a jolt to Anne's system. Her daughter had actually gotten away within moments of the plane landing in Marseilles! Kim had actually done it! She was alone in a city of one and a half million people but…she was free of the Ende Der Zeitens for the moment. Right when things were looking their darkest, within the blink of an eye, things had actually seemed hopeful. After the initial shock wore off, everyone agreed that Amy's shop was the best place to relocate to and plan the group's next move. As it turned out, James was already there, looking for his wife and daughter, so after a whirlwind explanation to bring her husband into the fold, Anne had been able to give them the good news.

"My source is reliable," Sean assured Amy as he took the offered coffee cup. "As it was relayed to me, Lynne's jet touched down and it seems that there was an unexpected welcoming party. The unknown attacker took out two of Lynne's guards, giving your daughter the chance to escape. The most interesting thing though is the weapon that was used. It's unconfirmed but…reports indicate that it was a Doppalarmbrust, meaning that she was rescued by another Grimm."

"Excuse me?" Sean had…definitely neglected to mention that detail. Another Grimm had been the one to help Kim? Incredibly convenient…and almost too convenient; if Anne were…an Ende Der Zeiten…as much as that thought made her want to vomit…were they tricky enough to pull a Trojan Horse on Kimmie? And would Kimmie be smart enough to recognize it? "Did she…did Kim go with them?"

"No," Sean replied. "She climbed over the fence and made a dash into the city. That's where we lost track of her."

"Then we've got to get to France," Amy gasped, looking from Sean to Anne. "I have business contacts over there so it won't look out of place!"

Amy shot out of her seat towards the door but was quickly stopped by Mack, who had remained quiet throughout most of the conversation. Anne wanted to get her daughter back more than anything but…if these Ende Der Zeiten Grimms really were trying to resurrect the Ordo Purificationis, Anne's developing "Merry Band" needed a plan. The Lynnes were playing with fire and if both sides weren't careful, this could spark another Great Conflict. But risk or no, Anne WOULD get Kim back…and in doing so, see to it that the Lynnes would NEVER pose a threat to anyone again.

"Amy…it's not that simple," Mack guided her back to her seat. "This has implications that go far beyond Wesen and Grimm or whatever effects it has with Grimms. To the outside world Andrew Lynne is British nobility. This…if this goes badly, Captain Renard and I are law enforcement that would be WAY outside our jurisdiction. Now you and the Captain are Laufer so…you're used to that. But we need to have a plan."

"All due respect Mack, at present, all we're doing right now is finding Kim," Anne replied, fixing her friend with a determined stare. "If and when the Lynnes make a move for us…British nobility or no, this goes WAY beyond Wesen and Human. Damn it; this was ended at Zusmarshausen in 1648. The Peace of Westphalia…NO Grimm was ever supposed to have to die by another's blade." Every Grimm in the years that followed knew that story. That war, at least for Grimms, was the darkest of the dark times. But her ancestor Lennart Torstenson had stood alongside The Lion of the North proudly and kept fighting even after King Gustav had been assassinated. And now…now Kim was being forced to pick up where their ancestors had left off? "Our last war decimated half of Europe but…they started this war the moment they took my daughter."

"I'll contact one of my dealer contacts and set up a meeting," Amy offered.

"I have a Laufer contact that specializes in recoveries of this nature," Sean added. "He can be in Marseilles by the time we land."

There were several phone calls to make, leaving Anne and James alone together. "Annie…I've never claimed to understand this part of your life. I…I can't believe I'm going to say this but…should we try to contact Barbara? I mean, last you heard she was in Morocco, a short distance from Southern France."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

God bless you Kimmie. Maybe I trained you right after all, Anne thought to herself as she threw supplies into a duffle; her and Kim's doppalarmbrusts, her Kanabo, anything she would need for this. Mack had still been severely conflicted about their course of action but…they were heading out within a few hours.

Anne had grown up on the legends of her Swedish ancestors but…never in her life would Anne have ever thought she would end up contemplating invoking the rite of Krieger-Tanz. Once that was declared…there was only one inevitable conclusion. And if Adrianna Lynne HAD discovered Kim and Ron's relationship…the only way to ensure her family's safety was the Krieger-Tanz.

But then Anne found Kim's note! Kim had enough foresight to come home and establish a plan. Sure enough, 500 Euros was missing from her emergency cash supply. According to the note, both the cash and Kim's passport were sewn into the lining of the knapsack. Furthermore, Kim had powdered her new kantas in hellebore root. That…that was utterly brilliant. Kim had managed to come up with a better plan in an hour than most could do in a week.

She's a Kessler…and a Torstenson, Anne though as she synched up the duffle. And she'll have to be if we're going to make it out.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Billions of people in this half of the world and Kim Possible just happens to stumble on the one who also happens to be her Grandmother? Even more bizarre, the same woman just happens to save her life? Good Grief; her head felt like it was a spinning top. This was someone who Kim had literally never met in her life and…forget about bandaging her cuts. More than anything, Kim felt like she REALLY needed Tylenol right now.

"I…I expect this must be a…a terrible shock," Grandma Kessler breathed, remaining stock still. "After all…the last time I saw you…gosh, you were only a few days old."

How…how should she respond? For as long as Kim could remember, Grandma Kessler had been essentially a figure in a story. To an 8 year old Kim, she'd been about as real as the Little Mermaid or Cinderella. As a teenager AND a Grimm…Kim had been privy to the rocky relationship Mom had with her and…kind of why she had it…but now she was standing face to face with the woman herself.

"Uh…yes, you could say that," Kim stuttered. Where…where the heck did she begin? "How…exactly did you find me?"

"Well…that's kind of a long story," She replied. "But I really should see to those cuts."

The mention of the cuts reminded Kim of exactly how much they stung. Taking the woman's advice, Kim shucked off her ripped and blood stained top and lay down on the bed. She heard a rustling as…did she call her "Grandma"…as she broke out the medical supplies they'd bought. Kim had picked up a little medical knowledge from being around Mom and even lying on her stomach, she could tell that the woman knew what she was doing. But a million questions were running through Kim's head at the same time. Where had Grandma been? What exactly was it that Grandma had done to make Mom cut her off for so long? And…did Kim dare tell her about Ron?

"So…I believe your first question was how I found you so fast?" Wow…was Kim that obvious, even lying face down on a bed? "Well, it wasn't really that difficult. I'd been monitoring the Lynnes, the family of the girl that took you, for a few weeks and I caught Adrianna's report back to the family that she was bringing you back instead of going after the mark they'd been hired for. Their family has a private hanger at the airport so I knew right where you'd be."

"But you…," Kim hissed a little as the iodine was applied to a particularly bad cut. "It was like you knew right where to find me afterward."

"THAT was really something nifty if I do say so myself," She replied. "Whatever you may think about Adrianna, the one who took you, her father is pretty sneaky. They had a tracking dart in the jacket. The moment I was clear, I used this little gizmo," She put what looked like a big smartphone down in front of Kim. "A child prodigy friend of mine, a kid by the name of Wade, whipped it up for me. I was able to hijack the signal and keep an eye on you while sending the party crashers about eight miles in the other direction. There now," She patted Kim's back. "All stitched up good as new. I think I've got a clean shirt somewhere around here." She began rooting through one of the chest of drawers. "There we go," A simple white shirt landed in front of Kim.

"So…do I call you Grandma or…I don't even know your name."

"I…" Her breath seemed to catch in her throat for a moment. "Sorry, I…I just never expected to have someone call me…that. I'd like it very much if you'd call me…Grandma."

This…was getting stranger by the moment. This woman…she wasn't at all like Kim had expected. She practically exuded…well…affection, compassion. Only a few days ago, Mom had said that Grandma Kessler had a serious problem with Wesen. A drastically far cry from an Ende Der Zeiten but a problem nonetheless. Kim expected some kind of Grimm GI Jane or something like that. More than that…Kim couldn't quite put her finger on it but there was something else quite different than what she expected.

"Now, call it a Grandma's instinct, but you look half-starved. I'll call room service and have something sent up. You and I can talk more over dinner and then it is straight to bed. So…you like Chinese?"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"So…you were a baby the last time I saw you. I'm dying to find out about what a woman my Granddaughter's become."

Grandma Kessler had ordered a load of Chinese food and it arrived quite quickly. As it turned out, both women had a weakness for Crab Rangoon and soon regretted not ordering more. Kim took the Sesame Chicken and Grandma Kessler turned her attention to the Vegetable Lo Main. And true to her promise, the conversation quickly was taken up again, this time with Kim being interrogated.

"Well…I…I'm 17 and a Junior in high school," Kim replied, swallowing a mouthful of chicken. "I'm on the cheerleading squad and in the Drama Club…not much more than that.

"Ha…that's the Lager in you thank Goodness," Grandma smiled, spearing her fork into box. "That's my maiden name," She replied, seeing Kim's confusion. "My sister, brother, and I practically lived in our high school auditorium. Your Great Aunt Sam and I were the leads in Antony and Cleopatra."

"Are you kidding?" Kim cracked a smile. "I was Cleopatra Sophomore year."

"Wow…what are the odds? So…do you have any plans for the future? I mean, you're gonna be graduating next year so…"

"Oh, I've known what I'm doing since I was thirteen," Kim assured. "I want to get my degree in Art History with a minor in business and take over Aunt Amy's antique business…oh! I…forgot that you…likely know her."

She heaved a great sigh and began staring into the take-out container. Was this a sore subject? Kim knew enough of the family history to know that Grandma hadn't taken very well to Mom and Aunt Amy being so close.

"Don't worry Kim," She finally spoke. "That's one of…MANY things that…well…I hope to apologize to your Mom about."

She…she wanted to…apologize to…

"Look Kim…this is a lot to get into right now. Tell you what; let's both get a good night's sleep. I'll call your mother and…and we'll sort all this out in the morning."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

This was without a doubt the most difficult thing she'd ever done. And Barbara Kessler had done some incredibly difficult things, both emotionally and physically. She'd taken on two Gelumcaedi by herself in the sewers of Copenhagen without breaking a sweat. The Geiers in Berlin hadn't even managed to blink before she'd put arrows between their eyes. She'd…she'd watched as the man she loved had…died a horrific death and…she'd raised her daughter on her own. And in doing that, she'd single handedly ensured that her daughter didn't want anything to do with her, that this was the first time in 17 years that she'd met her granddaughter, that she'd never even met her grandsons.

For nearly ten years, she'd tried to fool herself that Patrick's death had nothing to do with…with how she treated Anne. She'd deluded herself into believing that…that Patrick's beliefs had been a sign of weakness that had resulted in Barbara being a widow. Anne was so much like Patrick…every time Barbara looked at her daughter, that was all she could think about, about the swashbuckling hero who'd pulled her hide away from the fire, about the romantic charmer who'd proposed to her at sunset on the banks of Lake Michigan, of…of everything that she lost. But all of that, all it had brought her was isolation, was alienation from the only family she had left and the only piece of Patrick she had left.

WHY did it have to take her so long to see the error of her ways? She'd spent hours staring at Anne's home number, her work number, any form of communication, trying to work up the courage to press send, to reach out to her daughter. She…she just wanted to fall on her knees and beg her daughter's forgiveness, to give anything if…if only she could see her, to…to be…better. But...what if Anne said no? What if she wouldn't even talk to her?

Now…oh God; it was like an answered prayers. Not only had she been able to keep her granddaughter out of Lynne's claws…but as she looked at the slumbering teenager in the bed next to her, she knew that this had been the best day she'd had in years. Kim…her granddaughter was an actress, just like her. She was bright, funny…she was her mother…she was Patrick. But…this wasn't trying to reconnect with her daughter. The Lynnes had made a move against her family. The Peace of Westphalia…had been shattered.

As if they had a mind of their own, her fingers danced across the burner phone she'd purchased. The phone rang twice and the other line picked up.

"Yes?"

"Anne…its Mom; I…Kim's with me; she's safe…WE'RE safe from Lynne for now."

Author's Notes:

Hopefully it wasn't too obvious that Grandma Kessler was the surprise guest. The descendants of Torstenson are fast assembling. Make no mistake. This is not revenge. It's going to be a reckoning.