Made of This

-G-

Summary – Nick Burkhardt has been a Grimm for three years and life doesn't seem to be getting any easier. Then a glance at a beautiful blonde leads to a meeting that sets his life on a different, more hopeful path.

AU take on Nick's Grimm story and the relationship between a Grimm and a Hexenbiest.

-G-

AN – This came about from reading some comments on another story and got me thinking how I've written the magical connection route of Nick and Adalind, and have several more in the works, but what if I tried the more normal route? What if Nick met Adalind already knowing he was a Grimm and so could recognise what she was? What if he was at a stage where he knew the kind of Grimm he wanted to be but was still struggling with building a life around that? What if Adalind was a Hexenbiest, yes, but also a single mom with a not great ex that she shares a daughter with and is in a new city, that also happens to have a Grimm there, and they are both a little uncertain in their worlds? How would their relationship build from there? And so, I started writing this. It's gonna be a slow build, and I've chopped and changed the original show's timeline to suit this new storyline that's in my head, so be prepared for some differences, but I hope you stick with it and see where it takes us. Also, I'm writing this in a different tense than my usual, just to give myself a challenge and make sure I know which story I'm working on, lol, so please be gentle with me.

Disclaimer – I do not own any characters or stories from the show Grimm. No copyright or infringement intended. It's all for fun, no profit being made here.

Title and song quotes come from the lyrics of Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams'. If you don't know that song you don't belong in this fandom (I joke, but still …)

-G-

Everybody is looking for something …

-G-

"Do we really have time for this?" I ask with a deliberate look at my watch, making my partner in the driving seat next to me chuckle dryly.

"We're meeting the new captain today, so if I'm going to be in a good mood and be able to smile politely then we need to stop for coffee," Hank replies with his own pointed look, making me laugh. Morning meetings can be a bitch, a necessary evil in any workplace, but they are especially so when having to attend after coming off an all-nighter that happened when you caught a double homicide and spent the previous late-night hours chasing down leads and suspects. His partner does have a point, and making a good first impression with the man about to be in charge of them for the foreseeable future is always a good idea.

"Let's make it quick then," I comment and Hank agrees. Pulling up to the outside of one of his favourite coffee shops Hank groans when he sees no available parking spaces.

"I'll run in and grab the drinks," I say and quickly confirm to get his usual before jumping out so Hank can circle while I order. Luckily the queue is small and moves quickly so our drinks are ordered and made, hot in my hands, by the time I spy Hank driving into a spot that's just opened up curb side. I'm at the door when a blonde tries to enter so I hold it for her with a smile.

"Thank you," she murmurs glancing at me quickly and then away before looking back again. A smile lights up her face then as we lock eyes and I feel my own grow in reaction. She is gorgeous and I keep my eyes on her as she walks through the door, can't help but dip my eyes down over the suit that skims her body and leads to impressive looking heels, before looking back up to follow her as she moves forward into the shop, so I see when she glances back at me. She's still smiling, possibly blushing now as well, but then her face ripples, a strange wave of movement, and shifts completely. Gone is the beautiful woman I was just looking at and in her place is something else entirely. Her skin is peeling, revealing sinew and bone, grey in colour, with her lips pulled back from dark, sharpened teeth and her eyes are totally white, seemingly with an inner glow.

Hexenbiest.

Hot liquid sloshes onto my hands as I jolt at the same time as she jumps, both of us now wearing shocked faces as we stare at each other. She's gone pale, looking like she's seen a ghost, as I can't help but blink to see if it was a trick of the light, or if I really did just see a Hexenbiest in Hank's favourite coffee shop.

"Nick!" Hank calls loudly and I look towards him, seeing him motion to hurry, before glancing back but the blonde has disappeared. I strain my head, scanning the space of the coffee shop, but have to give up as Hank calls my name again. Striding quickly towards the car I shake my head and consider that I might need the coffee more than Hank, if the recent late night made me see such strange visions. Maybe I'd been studying the books too much. Such Wesen are rare, and seeing one in a coffee shop, of all places …

"Everything alright?" Hank asks as I slide into the car, putting our drinks into the centre console.

"Yeah, yeah just thought I saw something," I mutter, looking back again but seeing nothing out of the ordinary and no indication to involve Hank in what I might have seen. "Let's get to the precinct." Hank nods and smoothly pulls out into traffic, taking us towards the station as we talk about the case from the night before as well as what little we've heard about our new captain.

The bullpen is busier than usual but that's no surprise, as those on shift settle down at their desks while the others called in for the meeting linger while they wait for this special briefing to start. He and Hank make their way through the groupings of other officers to their desks, logging into their computers to check for any communication about their enquiries and closure of the case from the night before as the time for the meeting approaches.

There's an upswell of noise from the entrance and bodies gather as several people enter the room, two of whom are recognisable while the third is a completely new face. He towers above those around him, dressed smartly in an expensive suit and wearing a polite, if slightly detached, smile as he greets those in his immediate vicinity.

"Here we go," Hank mutters and we both stand.

"South precinct," a voice calls out and the general chatter in the room fades. "I'd like to introduce you to your new captain, new to us but already a well-established and decorated officer, this is Captain Sean Renard." Polite applause rings out and one of the tallest men I have ever seen steps forward to nod to those closest to him, whilst scanning the rest of the room, making eye contact here and there.

"Thank you, thank you," he calls out. "It's an honour to be assigned here and to be joining such a wonderful community, as well as such an accomplished police force. I will take the responsibility of being your captain seriously, I will lead you and will work alongside you to help in all manners, so that we can be as efficient and helpful to the community we serve as we can be. We will be a model of good practise, communication and maturity in all situations that we face, whilst protecting those that need it and ensuring justice for all." Hank and I share a look as a slight murmur goes around at the formal speech. This will be a very different captain than our previous one, if his talking style is any indication. "I look forward to getting to know you all as I settle in, so as such I will take this opportunity to invite you all to an open day being hosted by our community ties team, so civilians can get to know us, as well as give us all a chance to socialise and meet each other. Please bring your significant others, family members, they'll be activities for all ages and the event is planned for all day, so everyone has a chance to attend, with the ability to stay all day or pop in and out. Details will be emailed out but I really hope to see as many of you there as possible. Now, let's all have a good day." He gives a gracious smile and nod, his head turning as he scans over all those present, before being directed into the room, set just off the bullpen that will be his office.

"Interesting," Hank mutters just as Sergeant Wu joins them as other officers begin to disperse. "Think that means changes are coming or just a grand speech to start him off?"

"Only time will tell," I answer, looking towards the glass fronted room. "The community day is a nice touch, though."

"Hey, if we get some free cake from Angela on the CT team, then I'm all for it," Wu states and I nod as Hank hums. Her cakes are legendary.

"You got something for us?" I ask and he nods, quickly giving details of our newest case. It sends us back out almost immediately and we settle into our usual positions, Hank behind the wheel and I in the front passenger seat, giving directions as he starts to drive.

"So, what was it?" Hank asks and I glance at him. "From before, you got that look on your face. The one that says you'll be heading to the trailer after work tonight." He shoots me a pointed look and I shrug, unable to deny I had those exact plans, but also feeling glad I no longer have to hide them from my partner.

We'd been together as a team for about a year when my aunt had come to town, dropping two bombshells on me. That she was dying, from incurable cancer, and that I was a Grimm. The first had been devastating, my aunt being the only family I had left, and the second, alarming, as I'd never heard the term until she'd said it. Of course, then I found out a family history that had been hidden from me, because my parents hadn't died in an accident, as I'd grown up believing, but had been murdered, targeted because my mother was a Grimm and my father a researcher, and my aunt had secreted me away from everything that linked me to the world to keep me safe.

The adjustment had been intense, learning everything I could from the trailer my aunt had maintained with books, artifacts and weapons, some modern and some years old, all that held a story and significance for a Grimm, whilst still trying to keep my 'normal' life as it was, from before, at the same time as she died from her cancer. I'd just moved in with my girlfriend, of several years at that point, and had no idea, and no support, in how to meet this monumental change to my life or the devastation of losing my last living family member.

Then I'd met Monroe, a Blutbad who'd wearily agreed to help me on my first police case where I was knowingly dealing with Wesen, and that had slowly built into one of the strongest friendships in my life. I'd met several other Wesen through cases and could now include them in my list of friends as well, even better that the Fuchsbau who's brother's murder I'd helped solve, Rosalee, had sought her own relationship with Monroe and the two were now engaged.

With all these new bonds forming, and frankly weird situations I was getting involved in, it wasn't long before Hank was questioning all the things happening around me and when a case revealed his goddaughter was Wesen, and about to be used in a horrendous and hideous ritual, it was time the truth came out. He'd dealt with a lot, being my partner, but having Hank in the know made my life easier, and our work went a lot smoother, especially when Wesen was involved. It had also strengthened our partnership and we were one of the best detective teams our precinct had.

"I'm not sure," I admit slowly, thinking through all the options that I know but coming back to my initial reaction. "I think I may have seen a Hexenbiest."

"A what?"

"Hexenbiest," I state again. "From what I remember, they're some of the most powerful Wesen, having abilities like telekinesis, pyrokinetic and the capability of making Zaubertranke, which are potions that can be used to do a variety of acts, but typically used to bewitch others. I'll have to read up on them more, just in case."

"That sounds intense," Hank replies. "And you're sure that's what you saw?"

"It's not a Woge you'll forget," I comment, before giving him a brief description of what I saw and what the books had previously said. "They're basically like a walking corpse but they're human form is often exceedingly attractive." He makes the final turn and we come to a stop, seeing the flashing lights of the uniform's cars ahead, as well as the tape mapping the entrance of our crime scene out.

"Well, was it?" His partner asks with a small grin and a raised eyebrow, his meaning obvious, as we both release our seatbelts. I think back to the moments at the door, blonde hair blowing in the slight breeze and a wide, gorgeous smile on a lit up, beautiful face.

"Yeah, she was," I say and get a huff of laughter from my partner before we're shifting out of the car and walking towards our newest crime scene, both of us slipping into detective mode, knowing the Grimm research will have to wait, for now.

-G-

It's a clear, bright day and the park is teeming with people, some gathered around various tables set up and others standing in small groups, or settled onto picnic blankets on the ground. It looks like most of the precinct has come and I'm greeted by many colleagues as I make my way through the throng of people to find the captain. Technically, Hank and I are on duty, along with Wu, but we're making the effort to show our faces, and for Wu to get his cake, before we head back to the precinct, and work.

So far, I've only had two interactions with our new captain and both had gone well, though the short, routine meetings didn't give much of a basis for knowing the man any further than saying he was good at listening and then giving orders. Still, he had been fairly insistent on everyone being involved today and there were worse ways to get a police force on your side then plying them with cake and activities for their families for a day.

A flash of blonde hair catches my eye and I turn to see a woman, standing not far from me, dressed in smart yet practical clothes and laughing at something Sergeant Franco's wife is saying. She's beautiful, and familiar, and I stare, watching as she easily chats with the other woman, before her face clicks in my memory. I'm moving towards her without thinking about it, or considering how it might look, and so catch her face as she registers my approach. She blanches, throwing a quick look around, before almost squaring her shoulders and meeting my eyes once more. It is her, the Hexenbiest from a few days ago.

"Nick!" Franco greets me with a smile. "You made it!"

"Yeah, still on call though, but captain seemed pretty insistent we all show up," I reply with a smile and pause, leaving a good, but not impolite, distance between me and her. I really don't want to create a scene and if I've learned anything from my time as a Grimm so far, it's that Wesen can react in a multitude of ways when they find out a Grimm is present. "It's good to see you again, Molly."

"Oh, you too!" Franco's wife beams at me. "Where are Hank and Drew? You three are usually thick as thieves."

"Oh, they're here too," I reply, my smile turning into a grin. "I think they made a beeline for the cake stand."

"Of course they did," she smiles at me before it drops slightly. "I do want to say, I'm sorry to hear of you and Juliette separating. She seemed like such a lovely girl, and was always so helpful at our potlucks." I can feel my own smile freeze a little at the mention of my ex but force myself to relax.

"Thank you," I say and for some reason, my eyes flick towards the blonde who's still standing in our loosely formed group. "These things just happen." What happened was a lot more than that, but no one here needed to know that.

"Well, we're here if you need anything," Molly states, placing a hand briefly on my shoulder before spotting someone over it and pulling Franco away with her to greet them. Leaving me alone with the Hexenbiest.

"Hello," I offer, staying still and keeping my body relaxed, hands by my sides but clearly visible, trying to appear as non-threatening as I can.

"Hello," she says back quietly after a moment.

"Look, I'm just going to come out and say it. You're a Hexenbiest and I'm a Grimm and I'm not looking to hurt you, or hunt you down after, or any of the other traditional Grimm ways, alright?" I spit out quickly and watch as she pales.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she states and takes a step back.

"Look-"

"Mommy!" A voice interrupts and her head whips to the side as a small blonde girl runs to her before barrelling into her side. "Mommy, look what Daddy got me!" She holds up a small bracelet, made from multicoloured beads and grins up at the woman who is, presumably, her mother. She flashes a now terrified look at me and quickly gathers her daughter up into her arms, angling her away from me as she takes more steps back, putting distance between us as she holds her close.

"That's lovely honey, but we really-"

"Diana!" A new voice calls, halting the blonde in her movements, and I recognise the deep baritone as belonging to my new boss. Sure enough, captain Renard strides into view and he gets the same grin from the small blonde as she bestowed on her mother. "I told you to wait for me. Oh, Nick, glad to see you made it." The older blonde is shooting some kind of look at my captain but, with her angling her body away from me, it's hard to tell what it is. There's some form of attempted communication either way.

"It was nice of you to arrange today, sir," I reply and he waves the acknowledgement of his rank away.

"Happy to do it," he states before pointing to the two blondes by his side, even as he receives a significant side eye from the older one. "Let me introduce you to my daughter, Diana, and her mother, Adalind. Princess, this is Nick, he works with me at the police station, he's a detective." The captain is throwing his own look now, towards the woman I now know is called Adalind, and if I had to guess, I'd say it almost looks like a combination of a command and a warning.

"Hello!" The little girl beams at me, all young girl enthusiasm and charm, and for a moment it seems her eyes glow purple. I blink and the colour is gone but when my eyes shift to her mother, she looks even paler than before.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you," I reply with a smile and get a giggle in return before her mother angles her further away from me.

"Sean, will you take Diana to get some food?" The blonde asks quickly, shifting towards him, and Diana instantly puts her arms out towards her father. "I'm just going to run to the ladies, I'll be back soon."

"Alright, come here, princess. I'm glad you made it, Nick, try and get some cake before it's all gone." I nod and watch as the father and daughter retreat before shifting to look at the mother. Adalind. She huffs, her face cycling through a range of emotions before glancing to the side, ensuring there's a good distance between us and the two who just left before she meets my eyes. More emotions pass and I try to emanate calm and composed, even as I feel my curiosity pique. This isn't going at all how I thought it might and I can't help but keep looking at the woman in front of me. There's just something about her … and I can't deny I'm speculative about what a Hexenbiest is actually like, having not met one before. Looking at the people still gathered around, she sighs before tilting her head, a clear signal to follow her, and I trail after her as she weaves her way through the crowd. We reach a semi private area and she spins, opening her mouth, her face partially rippling with a Woge, but I cut her off.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I state, as firmly as I can, and see the shock flitter across her face as it settles, her Woge fading away. "I'm not that type of Grimm."

"But you are a Grimm," she replies, her tone defiant, and I nod.

"I am," I confirm, "But I was a cop long before I knew about that part of my heritage and so believe in justice and following the law. I don't believe in just attacking someone because of who, or what, they are."

"That sounds almost objective …" she trails off and just stares at me, her face flickering with emotion, anxiety present but also inquisitiveness and some daring, as she scans my face. "But you're a Grimm."

"And you're a Hexenbiest, along with your daughter," I say and her body jolts, fear quickly replacing the bold from moments ago.

"Please, she's done nothing! She's a child and-"

"No, I didn't mean it like that! I'm not going to hurt either of you!" I quickly over-talk her, raising my hands in an attempt at a sign of peace but she still takes several steps away from me. "Please, let's just ... just talk, ok? I don't think either of us wants a scene here, alright?" She nods slowly, eyeing my every move and I bring my hands down to rest on my hips as I try to look as non-threatening as possible. "I'm Detective Nick Burkhardt, I work at south central precinct." I start, trying to pull her back into the more normal side of life. "Your partner, captain Renard, is my new boss."

"Adalind Schade," she replies after a moment of silence and I take note of the different last name than the captain. "I'm a lawyer, I just moved here so Diana could be close to her father, who I co-parent with after we split up, when he got this new placement."

"Well, that sounds like you're an amazing mother," I say, thinking of the statistics behind moving, and following someone, an ex-partner no less, just so their child doesn't lose contact with them. "I'm sorry to have given you a shock but it's nice to meet you, Adalind."

"A shock," she mutters before shaking her head. "This isn't the way I thought it would go, if I ever met a Grimm."

"Well, I'm not much for following the traditional method," I reply before grinning. "If I had, I would have had to have killed my best friend years ago, instead of getting to know him and now be helping to plan his wedding."

"He's a Blutbad," I add in at her questioning look and then grin wider as her eyes bug out a little. "Look, this is my home, where I live and work, where my friends are, and I'm not wanting to create any problems that would affect either one of those. It looks like we've both got ties here, so if we can agree to exist peacefully, then I don't think there'll be any cause for any problems. What do you say?"

"So, what, we just acknowledge each other and then go on our separate ways?" She asks, tone slightly derisive, and I give a nod.

"Exactly, no harm, no foul," I reply. She eyes me and I keep my face as open as possible.

"And my daughter …"

"Gets to grow up with both of her parents," I say firmly, thinking of my own up-bringing and not wanting to have such an impact on a small child's life, not without just cause. So far, all I've seen is that Adalind, and Diana, are Hexenbiest. There's no evidence of any wrong doing so I have no reason to take any action against them.

"Oh," comes her soft reply and she stares intently at me. "You mean that," she says next, after having studied my face.

"I do. I know what it's like to grow up without parents, I wouldn't choose to do that to a child, not if I had a say in the matter." My words are solemn but firm, truth shining through them. An awkward silence settles between us, as she looks at me and I try to convey through my face that I mean everything I say. Her blue eyes blink at me and she swallows.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she says quietly after another moment, obviously understanding my phrasing.

"Thank you, I hope this run in didn't ruin your day." I offer in return and she snorts gently.

"Oh, I've had far worse meetings than this," she declares with a small smile and I can feel my own lips twitch up at the glimmer of mirth on her face.

"As a lawyer, I can only imagine," I reply and she laughs, then looks surprised that she did.

"I'm sure you can, but now put being a Hexenbiest in that equation as well, and you might get a little closer."

"A Hexenbiest lawyer," I muse. "Might have to update the books with that one."

"So, Grimm books are real then?" She asks keenly and I can tell she's truly interested. "I've heard of them, of course, what Wesen hasn't, but never had confirmation that they actually existed."

"Well, only a Grimm could tell you that, so I can confirm that they are real. My ancestors were probably among the first to do profiling work, although I don't think they quite saw it that way." I say, tone turning introspective as the thought occurs to me.

"No, probably not," she agrees.

"If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them," I offer on impulse and watch her eyes widen.

"Is this actually happening? Or is this where you lull me into a false sense of security and then cut off my head?" She's back to eyeing me wearily, and even with that look on her face, I still think she's one of the most attractive women I've seen.

"Look, I know we just met, but I give you my word that I'm not out to get you or hurt you. Hopefully, as time goes by, you'll see and believe me. Other than your daughter's father being my boss, we really might not have a lot to do with each other. So, let's put this down to an interesting first meeting and be on our way." I say, with as much sincerity as I can. I really don't want to get into a fight here, or cause her any harm. From a late-night reading session, I know exactly how powerful Hexenbiests can be and I'm not entirely sure I want to have that aimed at me. Especially not at a picnic being thrown by my boss and attended by the majority of my colleagues. I don't need, or want, the kind of attention that would bring.

"Second," she mutters and I tilt my head. "This is technically our second meeting." I nod and can't help the quirk of my lips as I remember glancing a beautiful blonde in a doorway.

"Well, I hope if we have a third, it goes even smoother," I reply and she just stares. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Adalind." I offer a smile before backing away, keeping her in sight and watching as she watches me, before turning and walking off to find Hank. I can't help but glance back, seeing her still standing there, blonde hair moving gently in the breeze, and think she really is beautiful, but most likely nothing but trouble. She's a Hexenbiest, half terrified of me, and shares a daughter with my new boss. Definitely trouble, but hey, I can still look.

-G-

AN – Happy to hear your thoughts and just to say, this will probably be slow updating, as I'm working on several stories alongside each other.

-G-