Summary: Nick is recovering in the hospital as Sean's world feels like it's crumbling round him, on top of that Hank is determined to get himself killed because of his guilty conscious.

Notes:

Príomhsprioc – Main Target (Irish)

Pain and Punishment

Renard sat in despair and pain as the silence of the waiting room was deafening and the small room suffocating. He played with his family ring as a way to distract himself as everything within felt broken, the biest within him howled out in pain. He barely registered the echoes of footsteps approaching him, the small group rounded the corner the sound of Rosalee's surprise was what made him look up. Renard was a broken man dressed in black sweatpants and a grey vest top, both of which were covered in Nick's blood.

Moving to his side Rosalee wrapped her arm's round Renard followed by Serena, this was the final straw for him as Renard broke down. Both women comforted him as the others kept guard over their broken Prince, Frank and Bud turned up some time later having received word; they joined the others just as the doctor approached them. The group parted as he asked for Sean who stood slowly.

"Mr Renard?" he asked as Sean nodded weakly.

"I'm Mr Burkhardt's doctor he's out of surgery now, he had several broken ribs one of them punctured his lung. He's ok now, but his injuries will mean he's going to be heavily medicated for now. He's got a dislocated shoulder and wrist; we had to plate his knee and pin his leg too. He's got a fractured skull and was lucky not to lose his eye, we are keeping him in until we are happy with his recovery. For now, you are free to see him though please only a few at a time"

"Thank you doctor" answered Serena as her and Frank handled the medical side as Rosalee and Monroe escorted him into the room.

Sean almost collapsed as they entered and he saw his mate for the first time, he was a mess of bandages, tubes and wires. Though able to breathe on his own still he was a frightful mess with the mask over his face, reaching for his marked wrist as he always did Sean had to stop when he realised it was now bound in bandages. He instead took his other hand and held on to it for dear life, Rosalee held on to his free hand allowing him the small feeling of being supported.

Meanwhile back at the Pd news was just spreading of what had gone down at the Captain's home, Commissioner Everlin Hartford was a twenty-year veteran of the force and one of the few people who could actually say they'd seen Renard rise through the ranks, she'd been his Captain as he'd risen from uniform to Detective and on to replace her when she'd moved on to Commissioner. So, when she'd received word about what had happen, she took it upon herself to speak for him when he could not, standing in front of all those under Renard's command she addressed them before the rumours became to much.

"As you have probably heard by now, at 9:47 this evening their was a call to a domestic residence, that residence turned out to be the home Captain Sean Renard shared with his Fiancé Nicholas Burkhardt. The Captain himself is physically fine but his Fiancé Nicholas is not, he was rushed to the emergency room having sustained serious if not life-threatening injuries. We have it under great authority that the perpetrator of all this was none other than Oleg Stark, the escaped assassin who's after one of our own. So as of now as it stands all officers not currently working a case are working this now, until further notice this is the only case being worked in Portland.

Captain Abrahams from the cold case unit will be covering for Captain Renard, until it is that he is able to return to work. For now, our thoughts and prayers are with him and his Fiancé, who we all hope will make a full and speedy recovery. Thank you" with that she dismissed them before heading into Renard's office followed by another.

In the background Hank stood there a look of anger and guilt washed over him as Wu stood behind him.

"Yeah, it's believed he saw you both together at the car and he followed Nick home looking for a way to get to you, he just wasn't expecting the Captain to be there too" said Karl as Hank shuffled and fidgeted.

"And the Captain?" Hank asked

"He's ok, almost catatonic from what Meachem and Pogue said. What they could get out of him was he was upstairs when it happened, he came down and found his Fiancé dam near beaten to a pulp, Stark booked it once he realised that they weren't alone, Captain's gotta be fucked up seeing that. Hope his Fiancé pulls through" Karl sighed as Hank agreed.

"The bastard" growled Hank as he grabbed his coat and went to heads out until Captain Hartford stopped him.

"I'm going to see Nick" growled Hank who was done with all this

"Renard is with his Fiancé, for now they don't need Pd members bothering them" she said cooly making Hank's anger grow.

"Nick is not just the Captain's Fiancé he is family, and no one not you and not Stark are going to get in my way. Now if you don't mind, I have a friend to support" with that Hank barged passed her and took off followed by Wu.

Sean was alone in the silence of the room; the sound of the heart monitor was the only break in the silence but it was a welcome one to him. As long as he could hear that he knew Nick was still with him. The nurse's had been full of sympathy when they had found out Nick was his Fiancé, they'd brought him a blanket while he tried to rest within the chair. He was in and out of sleep given that his adrenaline had finally worn off and he was feeling the after affect of the fight, his body ached and his head pounded.

Suddenly the sick feeling grew within his stomach forcing him to get up and race to the bathroom, throwing up. The meal he'd enjoyed with his mate only hours ago were now just another victim of the shock stemming from the attack, cooling his face within the water he tried to pull himself together as he left the room and return to Nick. He was taken back when he entered Nick's room to find Hank stood in the doorway.

"Captain" Hank could barely croak out at the sight of Nick within the bed, Renard didn't have it in him to argue as he waved his hand at him.

"Drop the Captain Hank, I'm too spent to argue. Doctor's said he's lucky to be alive, apparently my presence was the reason why I still have him here with me" Renard sighed as he defeatedly sat back in his chair as he retook Nick's hand within his.

"I never intended for this to happen, for Nick to be caught in the middle" Hank sighed as the feeling of guilt was eating him up.

"I don't blame you Hank, I asked Nick to watch out for you. If it was anyone's fault it was mine" Sean sighed sadly, Hank could see the same guilt in Sean's eyes that was eating him up inside.

Hank moved from the doorway and walked over to where Sean was sat, putting his arm round his Captain he watched as the man once again broke down. As he comforted the older man they missed the slight movement from Nick within the bed, the sudden tightness on his fingers brought Sean's attention to the bed. Weak but opened eye Nick was watching the two men, Sean was on his feet quicky as he moved onto the bed to greet his mate.

"Nicky" he choaked out through his tears

"I'm sorry Mon coeur, I should never have put you in that position. I swore to protect you…." Nick silenced Sean with his barely injured hand while still holding his.

"It's…it's not your fault" he croaked out as Hank passed Sean a drink.

"I was supposed to protect you Mon coeur, If I can't protect the one, I share my soul with how can I protect my people" Renard barely whispered as he clung to Nick's hand like his life depended on it.

"No one could have stopped him" Nick wheezed as Hank came forward.

"We have to Nick, to much is at stake…." Hank spoke up as he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself when Nick stopped him.

"You don't get it Hank, while he was attacking me, he woged..."

"He's Wesen?" Hank asked gobsmacked as Renard looked at him too, Nick nodded weakly.

"Stark is a Siegbarste, an ogre. Nothing not even I can stop him, dealing with one is a one-way trip to an early grave. The Grimm's I grew up with spoke of a way to deal with them but it was so rare they doubted it would work, not to mention getting it into a wesen that feels no pain and who's skin was thicker then leather" Nick worked himself up so much he started coughing, Renard reacted and tried to calm him down.

"Nick I…..."

"No Hank, best thing for you to do is to keep out of his way. He saw Sean he knows he's marked now; you have to wait him out" Nick pleaded as Hank grabbed his coat and left.

"Sean stop him, he's angry and feeling guilty. Stark will kill him" Nick was frantic breaking Renard's heart as he calmed Nick down.

Pulling out his cell phone Renard he began making calls, he knew Hank well and he knew he didn't

have much time. As the phone connected, he cast a look at Nick who had his eyes closed before swapping from English to Russian.

"If you know how to contact Stark, and know what's in your best interest I'd set up a meeting" he growled as the line connected, the silence on the other side was deafening

/It will be done, but know this their kind have little patience for Royal blood/

"And I have little patience for those who threaten my Canton and those around me" with that Renard hung up swiftly and in anger causing him to woge suddenly before flipping back.

The air on the streets of Portland was thick with fear and unrest, curtain's twitched as the motorbike glided through the mostly abandoned streets. Rumours of the fallen Grimm had spread far and wide, this was what had led to the atmosphere of fear with the Wesen community. A few may revel within this new but they were few and far between enough to stay within the shadows for now.

Rosalee checked out her living room window for the millionth time, as she paced the floor. They had felt guilty leaving Sean alone at the hospital but they knew the fallout from this was going to be big. Monroe was not any better, he'd been trying to work on his clock for most of the night but he couldn't concentrate as he check his phone every five minutes for updates. In the end he gave up and walked over pulling Rosalee close as he attempted to reassure her while reassuring himself.

Meanwhile at the hospital a figure dressed fully in black pulled up outside, hidden in the shadows but close enough to get a great view of the main entrance. Dismounting the figure was about to remove their helmet and head in as Hank shot out of the entrance, this made the figure stop and pulling out their cell they scrolled through their messages. An image of Hank flashed up with the words

Príomhsprioc

underneath in bold writing. As he angry opened his door and got in before taking off, the stranger Jumped back onto their bike they followed behind him.

Inside Sean looked out over the darkened City beyond the window, with a sigh. Inside him he was barely holding back the angry beist clawing to get out and tear Stark to pieces, it was one thing to disgrace him and insult his rule by killing with in his Canton, it was another to go after someone under his command that he considered family but Stark had pushed all that aside and dared to enter his home and go after his mate. This was an insult beyond what Sean could ignore nor did he want to, his beloved Nicky maybe a Grimm but in this he was an innocent and Stark was going to pay.

The alert from his phone didn't faze him as he picked it up and read the message, walking over he kissed Nick upon his head making him look up.

"Sean?" Nick croaked out weakly from under the mask

"Rest love, I'll be back soon" Renard soothed as Nick settled back down, pulling the blanket over him he exited the room and after instructing the uniforms outside the door he headed off into the night.

The stranger's bike came to a halt outside a quarry on the edge of town, they didn't understand why Hank had led them to such a remote location. Every part of them was screaming this was a bad idea, that the guy was going to get himself killed. Watching on from the shadows they watched Hank throw his badge into his car and pull out a shotgun, they watched as Hank attempted to turn the terrain to his advantage but fail and in the end, they watched him sit his ass down in the middle of the dirt and wait for death to come find him.

The stranger shook their head, this wasn't a last stand, a going out guns blazing. This was a broken man wracked with guilt looking for a way out and hoping to take a killer with him. That wasn't going to happen, because this man ment something to Nick. By all the gods in the heavens above and the demons of the hells below, the stranger was not going to let the Grimm down and cost him one of his closest friends.

Moving silently through the broken stones and overgrown brush the stranger found themselves the perfect spot, out of sight and with a direct line of sight on Hank. Settling down they began their work, first they assembled a large rifle gun before pulling out a strange jar of orange liquid, dipping three bullets within it they loaded up the gun and lay in wait. For it was only a matter of time before the hunter would become the hunted.

But as one hunter waited another roused the prey from it's hiding place and set the great hunt in motion.

Renard would have found a dark irony in the meeting place being under a bridge given what Stark was, but it was lost in the air of anger and vengeance seething within him. This was not a bout niceties or treaties tonight, so go was the attire of the Captain and the prince, it its place was the hunter. Dressed in dark jean, heavy boots and his black vest top, his prized blades sat out in the open for all to see as his usually concealed marking danced and shift over his skin like living works of art, his usually emerald eyes had taken on an almost eerie golden glow as he approached the Freidenreden's location.

Placing down his family's crest and then his own upon the floor he drew his blades and settled them within the centre, a dark smirk formed over his hansom features as Renard chuckled darkly at the uselessness of removing his blade when he could just as easily kill with his gifts.

"STARK?" he yelled out into the darkness

"STARK? I HAVEN'T GOT ALL NIGHT" Renard snapped his patience already deadly thin and wearing more so thinner with every second.

Fighting back his inner beist as it clawed at him to be realised, to feed upon the flesh and tased the blood of the one who'd wronged him, who'd dare lay a hand on his beloved. Stark was suddenly there, a hulking mountain of man and meat. Renard took a sick pleasure to see him holding his arm slightly, while his face was a mess of injures, he'd managed to inflicted on the walking mountain of a man during the fight at his home.

"Neither do I" growled Stark as he approached

"You dared to enter my Caton without permission, then dared to killed three people in my city, before entering my personal domain and raised you hand in malice toward my choice mate. One of these crimes alone would earn you punishment but all three, you have made an enemy of me here tonight. This truce is the only thing keeping me from enacting justice in blood, you know what I am beyond my title. Half breed or not I'm strong enough to make you remember crossing me for a very long time, this is my Canton and here the Verrat cannot protect you" Renard hissed at him, his finger aching the tear into his flesh.

"THE VARRAT NEVER PROTECTED ME, I protected them" yelled Stark as he growled at Renard.

"Just give me the cop and no one else gets hurt, if you'd done that to begin with you little pet wouldn't have gotten hurt….well maybe not by me anyway" Stark mocked Renard who's every fibre was screaming at him to kill.

"You know what I want anything that happen after this is on you, but should you stop maybe you should ask who's realy pulling the strings here" laughed Stark as he looked a Renard, his blades and they back to Renard before leaving.

As much as he wanted to chase after him, Renard didn't. Getting his hand dirty now would only hurt him in the long run, for now he had been away from his mate too long and need to return to Nick's side before his absence was felt. Turning on his heels he picked up his blade slipping them back into place he took all evidence he was there and head back to the hospital, his emotional state stopped him from senses or seeing the other figure in the darkness as the Reaper's face shone with dark glee at Renard's suffering.

The night was getting colder and the result of staying in one place for so long was starting to wear on the stranger, but they dare not faulter from their mission. They could see Hank fading in and out of exhaustion as the adrenalin and spite was starting to wear off now, it was only stubborn pride now and guilt keeping fixed in place. The sound of an approaching vehicle brought the stranger on to high alert, the truck came to a stop blocking the entrance. Stark got out with a smirk on his face as Hank stood up shotgun ready.

"Fitting end Detective, where this all began" laughed Stark but before Hank could react, he woged and charged Hank.

The hit connected and hard, Hank was sent flying as he was parted from his shotgun. The stranger winced as Hank landed and they counted at least a few broken ribs from the sound. Hank was trying even manging to get a few shot off with his gun and shot gun, but given what Stark was nothing was slowing him. Once again Hank ended up on his back but this time Stark had the upper hand as he picked up a chunk of rock, holding above his head he intended to bring it down on Hank. This was the shot, from the shadows the stranger only had one chance, taking aim they fired. The sound echoed making Hank jump until Stark fell at his side dead. Getting to his feet he looked round but he could see no one, on instinct he pulled out his cell and called it in.

Councillor Jackson was sat in his study when they news came in, his laptop was muted but the news flashing over the screen was still gleeful for him. Aloïs Lubatti was sat on the other side of his desk alongside Sal Butrell with a dark smile on his face.

"Stark may have failed in his own mission but ours succeeded, the chaos had been sowed. Our dear Prince's Canton is crumbling, his beloved Grimm is badly injured and his position as the Captain of his Pd is in jeopardy. Now is the time for us to strike and send a message to him and his people about loyalty" laughed Aloïs Lubatti as he and Councillor Jackson shared a whisky celebration.

Hank sat in Renard's office alongside Captain Hartford and Renard, both Captain's had the look of thunder on their faces but Renard also looked broken. Captain Hartford was sat in his chair while Renard was sat on the edge of the desk, it was unnerving given that he was not dressed like anything he'd see Renard dressed in all the years he'd known him.

"Your lucky to be alive pulling a stunt like that Detective" Captain Hartford said sternly as she lent on the desk hands clasped in front of her.

"I should have your badge" she added but Hank didn't care

"If you want it, you can have it" he sighed as he found he couldn't make eye contact with Sean, Hartford could go to hell for all he cared but Renard was the important one to him. It was him Hank fear letting down.

"We'd rather have you alive and wearing it" she faulted as it was apparent to her that she held no loyalty from these men, they were Renard's detectives through and through.

It had been him and his partner wronged and they had respond in kind, in a way she could respect Hank for this, but in other's he could have caused more damage to the other man if it had gone wrong.

"Don't get me wrong Hank" Renard finally spoke up, he never directly looked at him but Hank could feel he was pissed but whether it was at him or Stark was another thing.

"I wanted Stark dead just as much as anyone, more so but I want willing to put another person in the line of fire" Renard sighed as Hank finally looked up.

"Fine, I get it" Hank sighed defeatedly as he didn't see anger in his face, hell he didn't even see the Captain looking at him. Instead, he saw his friend looking back and the pain in his eyes told a thousand story's making Hank's guilt return.

"You're a dam good detective Hank, and a hell of a friend but we are all better off working together. Nicky would kill us both if we got injured because we were too busy fighting each other instead of working together" Sean sighed as Hank finally got what he was saying and nodded at him, he finally realised Sean was carrying as much guilt about all this as he was.

Meanwhile back at the hospital Nick mind was filled with nightmares as it replayed the events leading up to his hospitalization, jerking awake he called out for Sean but soon realised he was alone in the dark of the room. He remembered Sean kissing him before leaving some time ago something about Hank getting into it with Stark his mind was still fuzzy because of the drugs but not fuzzy enough.

"You can come out of the shadow, I'm alone not stupid" Nick sighed in frustration as the leather clad stranger appeared from the shadows case in hand.

"So, I have you to thank for saving my friend?" Nick asked as the stranger nodded.

"Did Meisner send you?" he asked and once again the stranger nodded.

"So are we going to spend all night playing twenty question, because I don't know how long I have until my mate returns" Nick asked in frustration as the stranger let out a laugh before removing their helmet.

"I'm just messing with you Nicky; not like I get to do that much. Dam when Meisner said Stark had done a number on you I didn't think it would be like this, always figured no one could bring you down" said the young woman who's previously been clad all in black.

"Yeah, well Trubs when you play tag with a Siegbarste, then you'll understand but for now thanks. I needed help and you came through for me" said Nick warmly as the young woman took his hand.

"Anything for my favourite cousin" joked Trouble

"I'm your only cousin for now" laughed Nick as Trouble swatted him

"Now get out of here before someone see you, stay close I'll be in contact" with thank Trouble nodded, gave Nick a peck on the cheek and took off into the shadow avoid all while Nick waited for Sean to return. He just hoped that all this hadn't damaged the Wesen of Portland's opinion of him or Sean to badly.