A/N: People returning from the dead, a man in a top hat showing up all over the place, what is happening in Portland?
By the time Lorelei got home, she had received a phone call from Nick, asking to meet at the trailer for some help researching a wesen who may be involved in their case. Lorelei had gotten back into her car and headed that way, stopping to coffee for him and Hank as sort of the peace offering. "I come bearing coffee." Lorelei announced as she entered the trailer.
"Thanks Lore." Hank said, taking his from her.
"Should you even be drinking coffee?" Nick asked as Lorelei handed him his coffee.
"I can. In moderation. But mine is a hot chocolate." She said, taking a seat at the table. She looked at Hank. "I suppose Nick filled you in?"
Hank nodded. "He did. Uh, congratulations, I guess. How far along?"
"Thanks. And thirteen weeks, according to the doctor."
"And it's really the captains?"
Lorelei sighed. "Yes, it is." Nick scoffed and Lorelei looked at him. "Do you want to see the ultrasound pic of your niece or nephew?" Nick glanced at her, his expression changing a little. Lorelei pulled the picture from her purse and handed it to him.
As he looked at the picture, his expression changed more. "So, I'm gonna be an uncle." He commented, a small smile on his face even though Lorelei could see he was trying to stop it.
Lorelei smiled. "Yes, you are going to be an uncle. Whether you like it or not. Now, what are we doing here?"
The two detectives started filling her in on the case, the man in the top hat, and people rising from the dead. It took a while, but they were finally able to find something, after a few hours. Pausing only to go out a grab something for a late lunch.
"I had followed the vodou priest to Bois Caiman, Alligator Woods, near Cap-Francais." Nick read from the book he'd found the information in. "Hired by the crown, I was to determine if the priest was wesen. The priests name, Dutty Boukman, translated as the Book Man, and given to him because he had taught slaves to read. As Boukman presided over the vodou ceremony, one of the slave women started dancing, knife in her hand." Nick looked a little confused. "I found her movements exotic and alluring, until she slit the throat of a black pig and gave the blood to those around her, who all swore to rise and to fight to kill – do you have any extra ketchup?" He said, pausing to direct the question towards Hank.
Hank handed one over. "Last one. We should just keep a bottle in here."
"Then I'd need a refrigerator. And where am I going to put that?"
"You don't have to put ketchup in the refrigerator!"
"No! You two are not starting that debate again." Hank told them firmly, before he picked up the reading. "He was referred to as the Baron, with several names attached to him. He is the head of the Guede Family of Loa, one of the vodou deities who accept those who have died to the realm of the dead. Later I was to witness him wake a man who appeared to be lifeless and who was about to be buried. When I finally found the courage to confront him, I found that I was dealing with a Cracher-Mortel, whose spit can induce a death like trance." Hank paused as he turned the page, the including a drawing of a Cracher-Mortel spitting on a man. "But I was forced to retreat unable to dispatch the Baron."
"So, the Cracher-Mortel makes zombies." Lorelei commented, glancing at the men.
"Seems like it." Hank replied, as Nick's phone rang.
It was Monroe, asking Nick to come to the spice shop. Lorelei realised she hadn't told Nick about Juliette seeing the others woge. Maybe she would let the others explain it.
On the way to the spice shop, they stopped into the precinct to fill Sean in what was happening. He looked surprised when Lorelei walked into his office with Nick and Hank. "Is everything alright?" He asked, looking concerned. Lorelei looked at the other men, leaving it up to them.
"We think we're dealing with a cracher-mortel." Hank told him, once they explained the situation. "Who has the ability to induce a vodou-like trance."
Sean sighed and looked at Nick. "More of your books?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah."
Sean sat back in his chair, looking at Hank. "You're getting pretty comfortable with all this." He commented.
"Yeah, I wouldn't call it comfortable."
Nick intervened. "We're trying to get an I.D. on him, but so far no go."
"Now, why would he pick up two apparent strangers, drug them, and then put them in an unoccupied house?" Sean asked.
Nick looked mystified. "There's something we're not seeing."
"If the same thing happens to her as Mulpus. Is she going to start losing it?"
"Probably." Lorelei replied faintly, although her mind was thinking about why would the cracher-mortel put two people under his influence into a house together.
"I'll ask her when we find her."
"All right. Keep me posted." Sean said, before looking at Lorelei. "I hope you don't plan on getting too involved in this. Especially in your condition."
Lorelei sighed. "Nope. Just helping with research. Cross my heart."
Sean seemed happy with that answer. Lorelei and the two detectives left after that, heading towards the spice shop.
Not long after they arrived at the spice shop. Monroe, Rosalee, and Bud filled Nick in on what had gone down that afternoon. "What do you mean she knows?" Nick asked.
"It…It wasn't my idea." Bud said, quickly deflecting the blame.
"We did what you wanted me to do." Monroe told him. "When you brought Juliette over to my house that night.
Nick sighed, unsure of what to say. "So, you all-?" Hank asked.
"Woged. Yes, we did." Bud answered.
Rosalee stood up, moving around the counter. "I went first."
"And then I guess it was me, but not on purpose." Bud added.
"And then I did." Monroe said, finishing it up.
Nick crossed his arms. "Well, how did she take it?" He asked expectantly.
"Uh, not so good. She, uh, walked out." Bud told him.
Nick didn't look happy. "She walked out. Did someone get her? Is she ok?"
"Nick." Monroe said gently, approaching him. "She came back."
Nick looked around at them. "You're sure she's all right?"
Rosalee answered that one. "She came back because she wanted to. I think she was about as ready as a person could be."
"She took it better than Hank did, when I woged for him the first time." Monroe added.
Hank piped in. "Let me just say I didn't take it well the first, second, or third time." He admitted.
"That is true. By the fourth time, you managed to stay in your seat." Lorelei commented.
"The first time is always rough." Bud added. "I…I remember the first time my dad got really angry me, and I was just this little eisbiber…and…" He cut himself off when he saw everyone looking at him. "Nobody's interested."
"Nick." Monroe said. "Not everyone is able to make the transition from kehresite to kehrseite-schlich-kennen."
"Most people can't even say it."
"I'm sure you're going to talk about this at your dinner tonight." Rosalee told Nick. "But she didn't come here because she was scared. She came here because she wanted to know."
"Funny thing is, she thought you were wesen." Bud added with a slight laugh. "As if you could be."
Nick nodded; arms still crossed. "Well, at least I won't have to lie anymore."
"You can't change who you are Nick. "Lorelei said.
"And we don't want you to." Bud said earnestly.
"You've finally reached that point of no return man." Monroe said. "She's either going to accept you for who you are…"
"And for who we are." Bud added.
"Or she won't be able to." Rosalee finished.
"At least you'll know the truth, one way or the other." Hank told him.
Nick nodded. "Yeah. I guess this is the moment I've been waiting for."
"We all have." Lorelei said, looking around at the others.
Lorelei eventually made it back home. She fed the animals, had a shower and curled up on the couch, book hand and the tv on in the background. Not long after she sat down, there was a knock on the door. Grumbling a little, Lorelei got up, moving Daisy to another spot and padded over to the door. She peered through the peephole and felt her heart pick up a beat as she saw Sean standing outside. She quickly opened the door and let him in. "You know, I think you've earned back the privilege of using your own key." She told her with a smile.
He returned it. "Noted. Pizza?" He said, before holding up a pizza box.
"Perfect." She said, closing the door behind him. "And it feels like a eat in front of the tv kind of night."
Sean nodded and continued moving towards the living room. "Did you find anything else about the cracher-mortel?" he asked, setting the pizza on the coffee table.
"No." Lorelei said, as she joined him with some plates and napkins. "But there was a distraction. Juliette had Monroe, Rosalee, and Bud woge for her. So, they were kind of filling Nick in on that."
Sean looked surprised. "Really?"
Lorelei nodded, walking back to the kitchen to get some water for the both of them. "Yeah. I think she handled it pretty well. But now it's a case of seeing how she takes it all in."
"Hopefully for Nick, she's accepting." Sean remarked as Lorelei returned to his side.
"Hopefully." Lorelei sighed as she sat beside him.
After finishing dinner, they curled up together on the couch, watching tv. At one point however, Sean pulled away. "There is something I have to tell you."
Lorelei looked at him in confusion. "What is it?"
Sean sighed. "My brother is in Portland."
Lorelei's eyes widened. "He is? Why?"
Sean shrugged. "I don't know. He isn't exactly forthcoming with information, and my sources had no idea he was coming here. But I am worried that he may be here for you. And possibly Nick as well."
Lorelei bit her lip as she considered what he had said. "So, I should be careful. Watch my back."
Sean nodded. "Yes. And please try not to go anywhere alone."
Lorelei nodded. "I'll try not to." She promised him.
Sean leant forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That's all I ask."
A/N: And we are almost at the end of Season 2. One more chapter left.