Family Ties Chapter Thirty-One
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AN – Just to say, this story will be finished. I know my updates have become a bit more sporadic lately and I do apologise for that, work is insane right now, but this is my escape and I will keep writing. All your reviews and comments mean so much and I wouldn't just abandon this. I won't make any other promises, especially in regards to certain characters, but this story will be finished. Plus, we're almost there folks and I hope you've liked it. But not quite finished yet, so hang on, it's about to get a bit bumpy …
I do not own any characters or stories from the tv show Grimm. Some dialogue is lifted from various episodes in Season 3 and Season 4. No infringement or copyright is intended. It's all for fun, no profit being made here.
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Previously …
-G-
"I have an update for you," Sean says as the other man gets into his car. "My daughter is safe, and well away from my family but they are putting a lot of pressure on me to produce results. As such, I am putting plans into place so we can re-arrange the situation and get a better outcome, as well as better access to my child. Provisions must be made and as such I need you to gather some supplies, so we can be ready to move once I have Diana and Adalind." They are both looking forward but at the mention of the two names his bearded companion turns to him.
"Adalind? She is well? Her-Your daughter too?" He cocks his head to study the other man.
"That's the second time you've asked after Adalind, rather than the situation in general," he points out with an arched look. "Something you want to tell me Meisner?" There is no change of expression so Sean cannot quite tell what the resistance leader is thinking.
"I helped get her out from under the royals and was there when she gave birth, not an experience I will ever forget," the other man replies. "As such, yes, I am curious to both their well-beings." Sean nods at that at, understanding it was probably a time of fairly heightened emotions and so, something that would stick in the mind.
"Well, they are both doing ok, from what I can tell, even as Adalind keeps a slight distance. But we will need her to come with us, as Diana is extremely attached to her. She is just as involved, so given the choice, I believe she will come quietly if she understands the benefits to keeping her daughter safe."
"And the current situation is not adaptable?" Meisner asks and Sean immediately shakes his head.
"My daughter is not with me, where she should be," he states. "And, right now, there are too many others involved that means we cannot guarantee we will have the say that is needed. My daughter is in danger from my family, and I know more about that situation, and what they are capable of, then anybody else, so she needs to be with me."
"I've been keeping tabs on as many as I can," Meisner points out. "But more Verrat arrived yesterday and I can't keep eyes on them all the time, as well as the others you've asked me to."
"Keep your focus on my family," Sean instructs. "I have others who are helping with the rest, and you know the movements of the royals better so stay on them. If this goes as I have planned, then we only have a few more days before we will be in position, so then can move Diana and Adalind. I can give my family notice, maybe some misdirection, and we can retreat to regroup and build back stronger." He can picture it now, but has to focus on these first, next initial steps. Getting ahead won't be of any help, he has to stay focused and spin this the right way.
"Alright, I'll keep you updated," Meisner agrees but with a frown then slips out of the car. He waits a few more moments before driving off, knowing that this is the path to secure his daughter and then, possibly, a much brighter future.
-G-
And now ….
-G-
Driving towards the Spice Shop leaves him feeling unsettled and unsure. Nick really didn't like leaving like that, with what was happening today as well as Diana still recovering from the binding and them still having questions about it's after effects and how it went down. That it was his blood that seemed to bind the potion together, when it should have been just the blood of the parents, the biological contributors as it were, was still an unknown factor. And Adalind hadn't wanted to ask Diana to do any magic, which would help prove how successful the action had been, until she was feeling more herself and less drowsy. He also thought she might have been afraid, which was completely understandable, as when Diana did next do magic, or any kind of connection was formed, they would know if their attempts at the binding had worked or not. If they found out it hadn't, well, Nick knew they would have a lot to discuss.
But right now, he can't stay thinking of that, or of them, even though that's where he wants to be. But he can't not be there for Monroe and Rosalee, and if this event is worse than last time then he really needs to be focused to help his friends. No one wants a repeat of how things escalated last time.
Arriving at the shop, the blind is still drawn on the door and it looks almost as if no one is inside. The window has been fixed but he can tell by looking at it, which one is new. He scans the road and sees no familiar cars so guesses he's the first to arrive and quickly knocks on the door.
Monroe peers out at him before unlocking the door and ushering him inside. Rosalee stands in the door way to the side room, arms clasped around her waist and looking shell shocked and sick. Nick moves to her side and cups her shoulder as Monroe locks the door behind them.
"Hey," he greets softly. "You alright?"
"No," she replies succinctly, little emotion in her voice, or maybe too many, and he nods in understanding. "Monroe will show you, I can't …" She shakes her head and Nick offers a squeeze in comfort before turning to his friend. They share a look and Monroe wordlessly leads him to the back door and outside. Nick blanches as his eyes take it in, as well as the smell hitting his nose.
It's not like before at all. Then, the body was strung up with little obvious blood splatter. Now, it's a completely different scene. There's more than one fox, that is obvious, and they have been mutilated, the space outside the shop covered in blood and body parts and fur, in what wouldn't be amiss in a horror film.
A trickle of something, shock or fear or anger or a combination of all those emotions, goes down Nick's spine and he shoots a look at Monroe.
"The letter is inside," the Blutbad says quietly, eyes fixed on a part of the wall that isn't marred by any of the brutality of the scene in front of them. "It says 'we hope you like this look as soon it'll be the two of you'."
"Monroe …"
"I just want to gut them. I could tear them apart with my bare hands. Who the hell do they think they are? Who does this?" Monroe stutters out, clear rage in his voice but also despair.
"No one who is in the right," Nick replies before indicating for them to go back inside. They don't need to stand out here. His friend does not need to see any more than he already has and Nick can feel his own emotions shifting the longer they stand there. Flashes of anger, sadness and uncertainty. "Did you contact Kaufman?" He asks as they move.
"We were unable to get through so left a message," Monroe replies, locking the door behind them and quickly going to Rosalee's side. They grip each other tightly and Nick sees the play of feelings on their faces. They all jump at the knock on the door, sounding very loud in the current quiet space. Nick motions to himself in query and Rosalee nods so he goes to open the door, letting the two of them stay next to each other as he checks who is on the other side before letting in the familiar faces.
Hank and Wu enter quickly, with files and a laptop, and Nick quietly updates them, as well as showing them outside the back of the shop. Both are appalled and offer their apologies, as well as assurances to do everything they can to help, as they re-enter the shop.
"I brought what we've gathered so far, as well as any updated notes from your case file and also the footage from the cameras we set up. I haven't had time to put it through facial rec, with the amount of footage we've taken so far hence the laptop, but we can start with the time frame of this happening and see if either of you two recognise these guys then go from there." Wu explains as he sets what he's carrying down on the counter. Both Monroe and Rosalee nod and they all shift so they can gather round the screen and see as Wu quickly sets up the right time frame. Nick glances over everyone and feels another run of emotion, draught-like and leaving behind the stronger sensation of uncertainty.
"Right, here we are," Wu states as he brings the images to a stop, cutting and snipping the video so they can see two different men on screen. They are both in dark clothing and well covered but at the moment Wu has captured their faces are clearly visible. "Do we recognise either of these people?"
"No," Rosalee says softly after studying the images for a moment. Monroe leans forward to look more closely but then pulls away shaking his head.
"Not familiar to me either," he admits and Wu sighs as Nick shakes his head.
"Alright then, we have that answer so let me start the search for any-" They all jump when a loud banging comes from the front door. Nick spins, pulling his gun as Hank also pivots round and Monroe shifts so his body covers Rosalee. With a glance, Nick moves forward with Hank at his shoulder as Wu steps in between them and the Wesen couple. The loud banging comes again, now slightly more recognisable as knocking, and Nick slowly raises the blind to peer out.
"It's Bud," he says with a sigh and then opens the door to let the Eisbiber in.
"Oh, Nick, am I glad to see you! And Monroe and Rosalee, good, good, ah, and Hank and Wu, you're here too, that's good."
"Bud, everything ok?" Nick asks as he holsters his weapon.
"No, I heard and I had to come tell you right away, so I came here thinking this was most likely where you would be, given the time and everything, but I uh, don't mean to be rude by just stopping by, it's just I heard some talk and thought, well, that you should know right away."
"Talk about what?" Nick asks and Bud shudders before leaning forward and whispering his answer.
"Wesenrein." The word has weight to it, especially with them and in this room, and it settles over them as they all share a look.
"What have you heard?" Nick asks in the ensuing silence and Bud looks around them all, taking in their worried faces and gulping.
"Well," he starts, eyes flickering all around with his nervous energy. "Hey, I know that guy!" Bud bursts out loudly and everyone turns to stare as he points to the images still on the laptop, sitting on the counter. "I mean, not know him, know him, you know, but I know him as in, he's a face you don't forget, like yeah, uh, I mean, a friend had a run in with him, well, not him per say but who he works for, cause of money, you know, those kind of back-handed things and-"
"Bud," Nick interrupts, trying to keep his voice level, even as frustration mounts. "Who is he? And what have you heard?"
"Oh, I don't know his name! I just, ugh, I know he's an enforcer, like he collects when debts aren't paid, kind of thing, he works for the half royal, the one that runs that ring scene, yeah, him." The background feeling of discomfort and dread that he's felt since leaving them flares up and Nick can suddenly see the whole picture. It's like pieces of a puzzle literally click into place inside his mind.
"It's a set up," he mutters and everyone's attention shifts onto him. "I've been set up. Renard did all of this. He had the details from the case files, that's why everything has followed such a similar pattern, just like before, and he had me talking to him, letting him know when to put things in place."
"Nick, what are you talking about?" Monroe looks worried for him now but Rosalee gasps.
"You're with us," she blurts out. "And they've gone to do the blessing, with him."
He's looking at Rosalee but sudden awareness floods him, like déjà vu but stronger, so much so, and all the trickles and flashes of feeling he's had since he left converge on him. It's mixed up, all together too much, but mainly, in focus, the feeling of danger, absolute danger and fear, panic and the need to run, and he knows these feelings are not his own. They're from Adalind.
Nick lets out a yell as he slams his fist down on the counter next to him, the laptop clattering, as emotions threaten to overwhelm him, both what he can sense from her as well as his own in reaction, causing the others to jump.
"We have to go! NOW!"
-G-
"Mama," Diana whimpers as they keep running through the cemetery. "Not good, mama."
"Just hang on, honey," Adalind murmurs back, as she clutches her tight, trying to keep her voice calm. "I know it doesn't feel great but we have to stay together and we have to keep moving." She can't think of anything else right now. What Diana is sensing, how she's doing that if her powers have truly been affected by the binding, what could come next for her daughter and her abilities, as important as all that is, she has to just focus on them getting away. Everything else has to wait, at least until they are back to the safety of the loft and once more hidden away.
"Fence up ahead," Kelly states, panting with their rush but voice still clear. "There's a gap, see that tree trunk, it's on the right side and we can get through there." She can see it and angles herself to that direction, even as she casts out her own senses to their surroundings and beyond, as much as she can.
"Kelly, we're being watched," she breathes out, unable to pinpoint the exact place, or the presences behind it, but knowing the feeling.
"I know," the Grimm admits. "We're penned in here, once we're out of this cemetery we have a better chance of losing them as it'll be less predictable about where we'll go. Just, keep up with me and keep moving."
Adalind tucks her head down and does just that. Kelly moves a stride ahead, head swivelling as she scans the area around them. Another 20 yards of running and then they're there, Kelly ducking down to check it's clear the other side before encouraging Adalind and Diana through the gap. She holds her daughter close as they go through, not wanting any of the jagged edges of the wire fence to catch either of them. Diana whimpers at the quick change in position before they're back up and Kelly is once more beside them and prompting to once more move quickly.
"We're going left, down Carpenter Lane, then we'll take a right and get onto one of the industrial parks where we can get a car and then get further away." She instructs and Adalind nods. "We'll need to slow down a little once there so we don't make it obvious what we're doing."
"Alright, can we-ah!" A man jumps out at her and Adalind spins, throwing a hand up to blast him away as she moves to keep Diana further away. Two more bodies jump over the fence and Kelly greets one with a knife to his throat as the other ducks down. He brings his gun up, though it looks different from ones she's seen before, and fires it at Kelly. A tipped dart shoots at the Grimm, then another, one hitting her before Adalind pushes out, forcing the next projectile off course and into the side of another body that appears behind them. Kelly pulls out the dart and shakes her head, as if clearing it, then drops the shaft to the floor as she stares at Adalind and Diana.
"Kelly, there's more!" Adalind cries as several new individuals appear both in front and behind them. These are different though, dressed in smarter suits and moving in a co-ordinated method. "They're Verrat!" Her words spur Kelly into movement but she can see something is wrong. The Grimm is slower and seems less sure in her moves and is quickly tackled to the ground. Adalind cries out and Kelly surges up, twisting away as she fights to get back to Adalind's side. Several of them Woge, faces morphing into the familiar sight of Hundjagers, and Adalind feels her own face shift as she snarls and directs her power to push them away from the Grimm. Kelly kills one and knocks another out but then gets dogpiled by four more and goes down.
"Nana Kelly!" Diana cries out. "No!" Adalind can feel the shift, sees her daughter's eyes glow purple and a wave of magic pours out of her, directed at those attacking them. But it's weaker than before and Diana slumps in her arms even as the Verrat affected get back up again. Adalind spins, trying to clear a path so they can run and trying to get closer to Kelly, whilst also keeping a tight grip on Diana's now almost dead weight body, but she instead moves herself into their path and falls as she tries to duck an attack and her Woges retracts. A body throws itself over her legs to stop her getting back up again and she sees Kelly struggling with the sheer number of people around her. More seems to appear and then she hears the noise of an engine.
"No!" She struggles but she can't fight them and then she clings as they try to pull Diana from her arms. "NO!"
"Leave it," a voice instructs and Adalind twists to see who is talking now. "Use what the bastard prince provided and knock them out. We can separate them later. And then handle the Grimm." She Woges and screeches, as loud and powerfully as she can, and several bodies blast back, knocking into others, but more still scramble closer and she feels the prick as a dart is jabbed into the back of her neck. Her Woges falls away as another punctures her shoulder and the world goes hazy around as she struggles to lock her arms around her daughter.
-G-
Nick barely puts the cruiser into park before he's thrown open the door and is running, knowing roughly where he's going from his mother's research intel and information from Renard. All through the drive his senses have been going haywire, swinging from one to the next and bringing him to a level of anxiety he's never felt before. He thought they'd feel closer, now that he's here, but they feel even further away and dread feel heavy and leaden in his stomach. As he moves, he can hear the captain's voice, growing louder as he moves closer, sounding brash and harsh, but also panicked as he barks out orders. Rounding the corner, Nick sees one unmoving body on the ground with the captain on one knee next to it, his phone at his ear.
"I don't care, get this done!" He barks and then looks up to see Nick's approach. His face flickers with something, some emotion, but Nick doesn't slow to consider what the captain might be feeling.
"Nic-"
"Where are they?!" He shouts and he sees the captain end the call and shutter his face. He holds his hands up as Nick rounds a headstone.
"Now, Ni-" The conciliatory tone is like a match to a flame and Nick let's his anger take over. He doesn't need to hear any more, he knows what's happened.
"You set them up!" Nick roars as he reaches where the half-royal stands and ploughs his fist into the captain's face, stumbling himself slightly as his pace changes on impact. He takes in that the body is Henrietta, looking unharmed other than the fact that she's unconscious, he can see the rise of her chest as she breathes along with what looks like darts next to her on the ground, and pivots back to the captain. His superior had wobbled but didn't go down and Nick grabs hold of his suit lapel to hold him steady for another hit. Vaguely behind him he can hear the footsteps of the others catching up but he doesn't take his focus away from the man in front of him, who struggles against his hold but Nick keeps his grip firm. His Grimm-ness means he's stronger than a normal man, probably the same as the captain as a half-Zauberbiest, but right now it's anger that's feeding his strength and it's focused on the man in front of him, who he's not going to let go off easily.
"Nick!" Hank calls then arrives by his side and grapples with him, trying to insert himself between his two colleagues, but Nick just shrugs him off, his anger still too strong, and holds onto the captain's collar.
"It wasn't-" the other man starts to say but Nick just hits him again, his fist coming away bloody. The captain growls and Woges and Nick lashes out again, this time with a one two move, causing the captain to fall down.
"NICK!" Several voices shout but he ignores them all.
"You bastard!" Nick winds back again but Hank finally manages to pull him away and they tussle for a moment while Renard gets a hand out to support himself. Rolling to his knees he spits out blood then looks up at them, his Woge retracted.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this!" He states sharply. "I was getting them away from you, not making them go on the run! Alone! I didn't intend to be in the situation of practically giving them to my family!"
"Away from me?" Nick splutters and Hank uses his distraction to push him back a few steps. "Away from being safe?!"
"She is my daughter! Mine! I should be the one in control here!" Nick surges forward again and feels Hank throw his full body weight at him to prevent another attack on their superior. The cold skitters through him and he lets it, ready to sink into that space and show the captain what he's really capable of.
"Nick, don't!" Rosalee cries from her place next to a still unconscious Henrietta. She and Monroe are there next to the older Wesen, though Monroe looks ready to jump in and help Nick if its needed. "We need to focus on finding them!" She's looking right at him and he has to take several deep breaths as he acknowledges she's right. This isn't the time to let emotion, or rather lack of it, rile him into unnecessary action, much as he might feel the captain deserves it. He has to stay sharp so he can find them and get them to safety. That's what matters.
"This isn't about control!" He snaps back as the flush of ice in his veins recedes, slightly. "It's about keeping them safe! That's my family too." Not just his mother but two others who have become incredibly important to him, who he wants to be family.
"Captain, tell us what happened," Hank prompts, tone somewhat neutral, though he stays between Nick and Renard in a ready to intervene stance. "What was your plan and how did it go wrong and end up like this?"
"Simply divide and conquer," the taller man admits as he stands. "You would be busy protecting your friends from threats against them, as well as get pulled into the wider Wesen community, meanwhile I would have the opportunity to move Diana and Adalind to a secure location of my choosing where we could discuss how to move forward without any other outside influences. Your mother and Henrietta were simply to be darted with a sedative and would wake up, unharmed yet none the wiser."
"You son of a," Monroe growls out, eyes flashing red. "You set up this round of Wesenrein harassment as a distraction?" Rosalee recoils, horror and pain flickering over her face, and they all stare at the other man who doesn't flinch.
"It got the job done," he admits, almost carelessly, "But we can't concentrate on that, right now we have to-" And then it's Monroe surging forward, Woging as he goes for the jugular. Hank pivots, going from guarding Nick to trying to stop Monroe and Nick takes the opportunity to join in, even as the captain Woges in reaction, meeting the lunge forward from the Blutbad, and swinging Monroe around but then leaving himself open to Nick's attack, which sends him to his knees again.
"Stop! Monroe, Nick, please!" Rosalee shouts and it makes them both pause. "We don't have time for this!" She's right, again, and Nick tries to shakes off his anger so he can focus.
"I got a message to one of my men who is loyal," Renard bites out. "Meisner is following their trail and will inform me of their location, where we can get them back and away from my family." Nick frowns at that, knowing they've seen pictures of that man but that also Adalind had mentioned him before too.
"You said your family had left town," Hank observes. "Was that another lie?"
"No, I believed they had. They tricked me too."
"Which wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't been running your own operation behind all our backs." Nick snarls.
"Meisner will come through, he always does. In the meantime-"
"No!" Nick states with vehemence. "We're not following your orders; we may have a common goal but that does not mean we're on the same side here. We wanted this to work, for Diana's sake but you just proved where your daughter lies in your list of priorities. You find anything out, you share that information with us, otherwise stay the hell out of my way."
"Or what?" The captain scorns, getting to his feet once more and looking around their gathered group. Rosalee supporting a still knocked-out Henrietta but with a hand on Monroe while Hank still keeps his guard position between his superior and his partner. "What will you do?" Nick feels the ice in his veins crackle and lets it build, using the energy there to duck and spin around Hank before throwing one, specifically aimed punch, the power in his blood and body weight behind the throw combining, and watches as the captain falls from the impact.
"Nick!" Hank leans over to check but it's clear the half-royal is unconscious.
"Leave him," Nick instructs. "He can wake just like he wanted them to." Hank stares at him for that but Nick closes his eyes and breathes deep. This time he doesn't want the cold flush but the spark, the magic he feels around Adalind. He thinks of their connection, that energy and warmth and then tries to open up his senses. He can find her, find them. Like he did with Monroe but now maybe even more urgent.
"I can scent them," Monroe suddenly states with a deep inhale and Nick opens his eyes to look at his friend. "They were here then they went that way." He points and Nick sets off in the direction indicated.
"Hank, Rosalee, stay here and make sure Henrietta is ok. Monroe and I will follow the trail and contact you with what we find," he barks out and then sets into a jog as Monroe moves beside him. They both run as the Blutbad follows his instincts, and his nose, until they have woven their way through the cemetery and made it to a fence.
"They went through here," Monroe says and Nick nods, pointing to the gap in the fence and then ducking through it. Monroe inhales again, tilting his head this way and that as he breathes. "They were followed." He sets off in a fast walk, head swivelling as he takes in what his senses tell him.
"Wait," Nick says as he catches sight of a body lying in the shrubbery to the side of the road. Monroe stops as Nick slowly moves forward and checks for any vitals.
"Dead," he reports to Monroe before stilling over the wound that obviously killed him. "This is one of my mother's knives." He pulls it out and then looks around the area they're in. Theres few indications of any activity, no scuffle or drag marks, but then a few yards away from the body is another of the darts that he saw by Henrietta's still form. Monroe continues to sniff as Nick dips down to inspect the cartridge left behind.
"There's no scent of either of them further than here," Monroe states and Nick nods.
"They probably ran after they were attacked with Renard. My mother had multiple escape routes planned just in case. When they got here something stopped them from going any further, they possibly were darted and then moved into vehicles to get them away quickly." As he speaks, and the scenario runs through his mind, he can feel his anger grow again. "It's just-" He stops when he realises he can no longer feel Adalind's emotions. They've been running in the background now, him not always realising they were even from her, but now he can't feel anything.
He closes his eyes again and tries to just feel but there's nothing, except the spark. The hum of magic, that connection that flows between them, that's still there and so he has to hope that she is just unconscious, that she's been darted as indicated and it's knocked her out, and this empty space where her feelings have been is that, and nothing more.
"Nick?" Monroe asks quietly.
"I'm going to try to sense where she is," he says. "And then we're going to go after them. Get the others sorted and meet at the trailer. We're going to need weapons for this."
-G-
"Ah, Nick," Monroe says hesitantly as he drives round another corner, tyres squealing slightly. "We don't really want to get arrested right now."
"I can talk my way out of it," Nick mutters as he fights the urge to speed up even more. They're almost out on the back road, where he can definitely go faster. Time is everything right now, he knows statistics in situations like this better than most, so following the speed limit really isn't his priority right now. They need to get to the trailer, get an arsenal together than get back on the road, as fast as they possibly can.
"We also don't want to crash," Monroe states as the cruiser jerks when Nick increases its speed.
"We're not going to crash," he replies, voice tight. "Just be ready to get out to open the gate." He turns on to the right road and speeds up again as he mentally picks out what he wants and thinks of items they might need. If the Verrat are involved, that means most likely Hundjagers, so they need to act fast on that front as well; that Wesen are accomplished trackers and it's literally in their name that they're hunters. If they were the ones that followed and caught Adalind, Diana and his mother then time really wasn't their friend.
He turns a little sharper onto the track road, that leads to the trailer, at that thought. He needs to be ready for who, or what, may be in between him and the others. And the more he knows the less time they will stay there.
"Nick," Monroe says slowly as the gate, already wide open, comes into view and Nick sees it at the same time.
"Someone's here," he states, anger flickering through him at the thought of someone here, now. Knowing he can't quiet the noise of the engine, which may have already been heard, so he just speeds up instead. Monroe grabs hold of the dashboard in front of him but Nick doesn't spare him another glance, spinning the wheel so he comes to a stop diagonally in front of the trailer.
He slides out of the car, drawing his gun as he approaches the lit-up trailer. Monroe whispers his name but Nick just goes forward, straining to hear any movement from inside. There's the sound of paper turning, as well as a steady heartbeat, and calm breaths in and out. He takes that all in as he moves closer. It seems that whoever is in the trailer isn't that bothered about being found in it. Glancing back at Monroe, who has settled into position at his shoulder, he nods and then swings the door open and points his gun at the individual inside.
"Trubel," Nick sighs as he re-holsters his weapon and steps in as she stands from the desk, feeling relief wash over him at seeing her there. Not only is the trailer not compromised, but he now has more people on his side, right by him. And that is something he definitely needs right now. He steps forward to hug her as Monroe joins them inside.
"Nick," she greets. "I was wondering when you would get here."
"How long have you been here?" He asks as she pulls back and then steps around him to greet Monroe similarly. The Blutbad gives her a grin as he wraps his arms around her and Trubel's face is momentarily squished up against him.
"Not long," she replies when she's free. "I went by your house first, to see if you were there, not actually inside, but it was just Juliette and some guy. And some really nosy neighbours. So, I came here."
"Good call," Nick says. "We'll fill you in on the way but right now we have to pack up as many weapons as we can carry then get moving." He passes her to pull open the weapons cupboard and sees Monroe glance fondly at the case holding the Siegbarste Gewehr, before he shifts it to pull out the Kanabo, Vambrace and Labrys. Trubel watches him and shoots a look to Monroe who tilts his head before stepping forward to help carry the collection to the car.
"And we know where we're going?" She asks and both men share a glance.
"I can sense the direction Adalind is in," Nick states, getting a raised eyebrow from the younger Grimm. "We'll use that to narrow in on where they've been taken."
"You can-" she starts to ask but Nick shakes his head as he interrupts. Time is passing and he can feel it, like a scraping of nails, as it rachets up his worry of all that could be happening while he's not there for them.
"We can talk in the car. Right now, we need to get back on the road."
"What's the plan?" Trubel asks as she grabs the three bladed knife as Nick moves towards the trailer door.
"Get Adalind, Diana and my mom back," he states, voice absolute. He's not thinking of any other options.
"And what do we do with anyone that tries to stop that from happening?" Nick glances between the two of them then picks up the Kanabo.
"Kill them."
-G-
Adalind wakes with a gasp, the cold air around her hitting as it also becomes clear that she is alone.
"Diana? Kelly? Diana?!" She calls as she stands, spinning around to take in the room, though stopping quickly as dizziness hits at the movement. It looks to be a guestroom, bare apart from the essentials of bed, dresser and chair, and stripped of anything else. The window shows an expansive outside area, with a garden stretching further than she can see but offering no clue as to where she is. She tries the window, both physically and magically, but it is sealed shut in both ways. Then she stretches out her senses and can feel others around her, as well as the warmth of her daughter, but further away than she's ever been before. She must be somewhere in this building too which means Adalind has to get out of this room and find her.
Walking slowly, making sure the vertigo doesn't come back, she crosses to the only door in the room and tries the handle. It's locked which she knew it would be but had hoped that it wouldn't be the case. Standing, she cocks her head and presses against the door surface, listening to see if she can hear anything can the other side. She also stretches out her senses again, to check if anything is in the immediate area outside. It's all a little fuzzy and she remembers the two pricking sensations, the sight of the darts and concludes she must have been knocked unconscious with some form of sedative. It might still be in her system, which may impair her, but she can't wait. She has to find Diana and Kelly and get them away from here.
Taking a deep breath, she feels the ripple of her Woge and then concentrates on the door. She can't just blast it; she doesn't want to cause alarm or gain attention until she has no other choice. So, she focuses on the surface and thinks of it moving into itself, shrinking, and creating space in the edges around. Slowly, slowly she pushes her power out and the door closes in, and space forms between the edges of the door and the doorframe. Another minute and there's enough of a gap for the locking mechanism to click out and the door swings free. Adalind catches it before it can make any noise then slowly peers out into the hallway beyond.
It's empty, another stroke of luck, and she eases her way out and then closes the door again. She debates restoring the door, seeing pros and cons to either action, before deciding to do enough that it would seem to be closed from afar. It takes a few more minutes, which makes her nervous and panicky, but when it's done, she feels a bit better about it being less obvious it's been meddled with.
Then she casts out her senses again, searching for that warmth, for the spark and love and magic of her daughter. Adalind can tell she's nearby, but can't quite discern the exact direction, so she just starts walking, keeping to the side of the hallway as she moves and forcing herself to go slow. She pauses as she feels something else familiar, closer than Diana, the cooling presence of Kelly. Tilting her head she considers what to do before deciding that getting Kelly will only be a positive, so she swings in that direction and creeps down the hall to where she can sense the Grimm is.
Two turns and a hallway over she has to pull up and wait as she can feel another person outside the room she thinks Kelly is inside. Just as she's thinking what she can do, that won't attract too much attention, she hears a disgruntled muttering and then the sound of footsteps walking away. Peering round the corner, she sees an unguarded but otherwise heavily fortified door and thinks this must be it. Scanning the area, she can feel the other presence moving away and the pleasant cool feeling that Kelly has always felt like. It's reassurance and confidence and safety, and everything she wants to feel right now.
Concentrating on the door, and the multiple locks, she spends the next few moments magically making her way through each system before finally the door shifts open.
"Kelly?" She whispers as she slowly enters the room. It's even more barren inside than where she was, only a bed, with the room stripped of anything that could be used as a weapon. She moves quickly to where Kelly is slumped over the bed and it becomes clear as Adalind moves closer that the older woman has not been treated well. Her face is bruised and they way she is laid out is as if someone has just dumped her with no care.
"Kelly, it's me," she says again as she leans over her and reaches out to touch her. "It's-" Kelly's eyes fly open and she surges up to grip Adalind's outstretched hand, twisting so Adalind is suddenly in the more vulnerable position. "Kelly, it's Adalind!" She's released almost immediately and turns to see Kelly staring at her.
"Adalind?" She nods and then Kelly is surging forward again, this time with a hug before she pulls back to grip her shoulders and stare intently at her. "Are you ok? Where's Diana?"
"Diana's here, I don't know where but I can sense her. I was trying to follow what I could feel when I came across you." She explains quickly. "Some things are a bit fuzzy, but otherwise I'm ok. How do you feel?" Kelly pulls back and stares in her eyes for a moment before grimacing.
"Pissed off," she admits. "Let's go find Diana and then get the hell out of here." Adalind nods and they quickly leave the room, pausing to let her scan and give them a direction to go in before making their way down hallways and corridors, trying different doors and ducking into spaces to avoid getting caught. She explains about the mix of magic and physical locks she encountered so far, musing that someone went to a lot of effort to secure this place. She shudders at the thought of why.
They come across one room where several people are gathered and have to tiptoe past so they can continue in the direction Adalind can sense Diana is in. Words catch her attention and she pulls Kelly to the side so they can both hear what's being said.
"The child remains asleep," the voice reports. "But we have now dressed her in appropriate attire for her meeting with the king." Adalind bites her tongue to stop any sound of the anger and distress she feels and Kelly grips her arm tightly, probably to stop any movement. They share a look and Kelly motions for them to drop back and they take the other turn. More doors line this corridor and Adalind scans them quickly until she finally feels what she wants and has been seeking.
"End door," she whispers to Kelly. "Two more inside with her but I can sense they're not close, maybe in a different room?" The Grimm nods and they both creep nearer. This entrance is fancier, comprised of two doors instead of just one and looking as if it leads to a much bigger space. Kelly nods towards them and Adalind pauses to concentrate, just on the lock, and thinks of it shifting, spinning in its mechanism and unlocking.
The click is audible and Kelly moves instantly, sliding one door open enough for her to peer inside then only slightly more for them both to be able to slip inside. She nods Adalind towards the door again and Adalind flips the lock closed as Kelly creeps through the space, moving slowly but surely, only stopping when she gets to an archway that leads into the next room. Adalind catches up to her as she pauses and they can both hear murmurs of conversation from just around the corner. Kelly holds up her hands and motions and mouths to Adalind instructions before counting down with her fingers, Adalind taking a deep breath, and then they move.
Kelly goes low as she darts around the corner as Adalind stays high, raising her hands and using her power to create beams of light and aiming them at the two men who stand either side of the next door.
"What-" Kelly tackles them both down, quickly and efficiently knocking them out. Adalind hurries forward, placing a hand on the door to check with a scan of her ability, before turning the handle. Pushing the door open she glances all over the room before zeroing in on the bed where she can see her daughter.
"Diana," she murmurs before rushing forward. Her blonde hair is spread over the pillow and she's not under the covers but just on the bedspread, now dressed in a dress, tights and some cropped jacket. "Diana?" Touching her is reassuring, she's not hot with fever, or any other indication of illness, and she can feel the connection from Diana recognising her presence, even in sleep.
"Is she ok?" Kelly asks as she comes to Adalind's side.
"I think she's just asleep," Adalind murmurs. "I can't sense any distress from her, other than the heaviness of sleep."
"They really did change her," Kelly mutters, in clear disproval, before shifting. "Can you carry her? We need to keep moving." She nods and strokes Diana's hair before sliding her arms under her and lifting her up. Kelly leads the way and they quickly exit the suite, trying to leave it as it appeared before, even with the dead bodies stuffed in the corner. She keeps them moving, round corners and down stairs, stopping every now and then to get Adalind to scan their immediate surrounds, before driving them on. Diana remains asleep and Adalind juggles her weight, trying to keep her head supported as they hurry.
A shout goes up above them, followed by several loud bangs and door slams and Kelly swears next to her.
"They know," she mutters. "We have to get to an exit and soon."
"Maybe it would be better if you took her and I-" Adalind starts, hating the idea as well as thinking it might be the best thing to do. They won't expect it from her, from them, especially Adalind giving her child to a Grimm and then separating from them. But that might be what saves them all.
"No," Kelly interrupts. "We stay together and we all get out."
"Remember your promise," Adalind murmurs but Kelly just hustles her to move faster once more.
They round another corner and bump into a man and woman, both in suits, and Kelly dives forward as Adalind steps to the side. In a surprise move the woman jumps back, away from them, but then raises a radio to her mouth.
"Child sighted with others, west wing corridor-" Adalind blasts her back and summons the radio to her, listening as it crackles with confirmation others are on the way.
"Move!" Kelly instructs, gathering several items from the body she just dispatched, before following as Adalind starts to run down the hallway. She can hear footsteps, thumps and bangs, and tries to scan but quickly reels her senses in as the feedback is too much.
"Kelly, there's a lot of Verrat heading towards us!" She calls out and hears the Grimm's growl in response. They swing round and hurry down steps before taking a right and rushing down the side corridor that puts them back on ground level. Shouts come from behind them and then they're rushing through what could be a library or study. She checks but quickly senses that the windows here are warded too. They reach the other side and enter another room, which seems to be some kind of storage before the door in front of them opens and a tall, intimidating man blocks their way. Adalind skids to a stop as she stares at him, something in his stature somewhat familiar, as Kelly pauses at her side and she feels others crowd into the room behind them as well.
"Mama," a small voice whimpers and she looks down to see Diana blinking up at her.
"I've got you, honey," she whispers back and squeezes her closer.
"I see you're all awake," the man states as he steps closer. "You really should have stayed in your rooms. We provided adequate lodgings, given the circumstances."
"We're not staying," Kelly snaps back, strangely making the man laugh.
"I have always wanted to have some time with a Grimm," he says, with a smirk. "To see if they really are worth all the fuss."
"You won't be fussing about anything if that happens," Kelly growls back and he just laughs.
"Oh, I highly doubt that. I am Prince Kenneth Alun Goderich Bowes-Lyon, I am here by direct command of the king and I get results. The king's granddaughter must be reunited with her proper family."
"You're not talking about family!" Adalind snarls. "You're talking about position and power and prestige."
"Well, that is the family," Kenneth replies. "And the child will join us and take her rightful place."
"Over my dead body," Kelly barks out and pulls weapons from her side, the action getting a smile and laugh from the man in front of them.
"That can be arranged," he states smugly and nods to the crowd rapidly gathering in the entrances on either side of them.
They're trapped and Adalind feels the panic build as she can't see a clear way out. Kelly grips her knife in her hand and stands at an angle in front of them, ready to fight and protect them.
"You cannot win this," Kenneth states, standing across the room with the multiple members of Verrat positioning themselves between them. "Just give us the child and you can live." He smirks as he says that and Adalind sees it for the lie it is.
"No!" Diana suddenly shouts, young voice small but strong and loud, her eyes abruptly bright purple and a magical shockwave is sent through the room. It affects everyone in front of them. Bodies are lifted in the air and the ceiling and walls splinter with cracks. Adalind takes the moment of surprise in the room, as well as pushing her own emotions down, to press a slumped over Diana into Kelly's arms and Woges.
"Go!" She commands and uses her own power to pull apart the spidery crack on wall behind them, making it wide enough for a woman and small child to squeeze through. Kelly moves instantly, taking Diana through the gap and then looking back at her with a fierce look. Adalind nods, knowing Kelly has read her intent, then seals the wall, cutting off Diana's breathy cry of her name as well as the ability of those re-grouping in the room to closely follow. She concentrates on sealing all the entrances, knowing everything she pours into this will buy Kelly and Diana more time.
"You'll regret that," Kenneth snarls and directs those around him to attack. She screeches, using the noise to amplify her power as force against them, as she also concentrates on securing the strength of the walls, even as she twists to block the physical attacks coming her way. Kelly will get Diana away and that's all that matters.
Everything dissolves into flashes of what's happening around her, members of the Verrat Woging and attacking, other's physically battering the walls around them, her blocking as best as she could and using her powers to aid her, some bodies falling but most then getting back up and too many more surrounding her. She can sense danger, feel it collecting, like a dark cloud hovering over her, and she, herself, still fighting to stay in the light. There's a tingle of something, some magic that seems to call for and want her attention, but she can't focus inward enough to answer.
She cries out as pain erupts in her leg, throwing her off balance and causing her to fall from the impact of a bullet in her calf. She can't concentrate quick enough to block and another bullet hits her shoulder and her Woges falls away. Now, bodies swarm all around her but surprisingly, none make a decisive move to attack or subdue. Most put their attention into breaking out of the room, and she can hear as they become successful, though most still linger.
"Follow the Grimm and get that child!" Kenneth orders as he approaches her, it becoming clear that they were all waiting on his orders. His eyes gleam with some crazed inner light and he flicks his hand in an act of indication to those around them, all of them splitting up, with some disappearing and others following the motion to take a, surprising, pace back. Kenneth glances down at her before deliberately moving forward, stepping on her arm and causing her to cry out as it stretches the wound in her shoulder. "I'll deal with the mother." He crouches down and she sees a sick smile spread over his face, hears bangs and sees flashes, and feels more impacts on her body, more aches. Adalind tries to summon any of her power, or respond to the tickle of magic still tugging at her senses, but her world goes hazy from the pain and she sinks into darkness.
-G-
AN – Another cliffhanger … sorry! Except, not sorry. Let me know what you think!