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Out of either of them, Nick was the shameless romantic. Since he figured out he was didn’t just love Adalind but was in too deep to deny he was in love with the blonde, he was figuring out every fine detail from the proposal to the honeymoon destination.It all counted on her saying yes and in her usual style, she made him work for it. The first attempt was botch. He was merely gauging the waters and mentioned marriage (a word he didn’t mean to drop), which perked her up in a split second. She was half asleep and momentarily surprised, accounting for the cute expression of confusion on her face Nick found very endearing. She, in turn, was met by his beguiled face and realized he never intended to it slip so soon, and suddenly surprise turned to mirth – which meant trouble for him.“Pillow talk doesn’t count as a proper proposal,” she hummed, retiring back to sleep – back turned to him, so he didn’t see her expression shift from amusement to pure giddiness.“But you’d say yes, wouldn’t you?” he probed, turning on his shoulder so he could (attempt to) figure her feelings. She pulled the covers higher, to her nose, and nuzzled deeper into the bed. “Adalind,” he gently shook her shoulder. “Adalind…” he was one decibel short of pleading. “I know you aren’t asleep,” he stated warmly.“It’s 1 AM,” she grumbled, curling into the blanket until it consumed her.“This conversation isn’t over,” he asserted, following suit. He sung his arm over her torso, pulling her closer. “We’re already awake, so we should at least try to talk about it,” he murmured into the nook of her neck.“Your proposal sucks,” she whined (playfully).“I haven’t – I didn’t yet!” He exclaimed in panic. “You spoiled the surprise,” he groaned, collapsing into his pillow.“You dropped the word, not me!” she laughed, emerging from her makeshift cover.“You’d say yes, wouldn’t you?” he asked again, softer.“Don’t ask me just because you think it’s what’s expected,” she exasperated.“I’m not,” he insisted.“Okay – how’d you ask me,” she sat up, brow raised. The blanket folded into rolls upon her lap and her hair fell forward, reflecting some stay moonlight. Nick was momentarily dazed.“You can’t just put me on the spot like that,” Nick stammered.“You’ve been planning this for some time, I know you enough to know that,” she did her best to hide her amusement. “What are some major points?”“I – Adalind, you’re not going to help me practice your proposal,” he pointed.“If you want me to say yes…” she teased.“Nope,” he popped the ‘p’.“Okay, are you asking because you truly want to commit to this,” she pointed to herself, “or because all of this,” she broadly gestured to their fortified abode.“I’m asking because I love you, and you love me, and we love Kelly, and Diana, and it’d be nice to make it official,” he sighed. “As much as I like to call you my girlfriend,”“Or baby mama,” she chuckled.“Mother of my child,” he corrected. “I’d very much love to introduce you as my wife.”She almost swooned. She fixed her eyes sternly onto his.“In second grade, Andrew McClean asked me to marry him after writing a list of all the things he liked about me,” Adalind announced. Nick stared in surprise. “I said I’d think about it,” she fidgeted, “then he moved to Australia the next semester.”“You want me to write a list?” He asked incredulously.“No,” she chuckled, “but I want you to ask for the right reasons. Not because it seems like the logical next step. I don’t want to force you into this,” she shook her head, “because you feel obligated.”“I don’t!” Nick assured, sitting upright as she reclined back. “Adalind, please, listen. How about – we’re bound in so many ways and have a past like nobody else,” he fumbled with his words. “I don’t share that with anyone else and I can’t imagine being with someone who…I had no intention to bring Juliette into this but I’m making a point, and I need you to look me in the eyes when I say this,” he ordered.She sighed and leaned forward, not expecting him to take hold of her hands.“I was never going to work with someone outside of this… crazy world of ours. That became painfully real with Juliette. She was normal but not my kind of normal. I never thought I’d achieve normal again when my aunt Marie dumped the whole ‘you’re a Grimm’ into my lap. You get it, more than anyone else, and finally, out of this craziness, I can come home to some sort of stability because you’re here, you’re more than familiar, you’re the person I can count on, and I don’t know how I’d keep my wits end without you. I get to be my genuine self, Grimm and all, and I will never take you for granted, ever.”“What about me?” She tilted her head.“Huh?” he was gob smacked.“I hear a lot about you,” she spun her finger his way, “but what do I get out of the deal?”“Please tell me your joking,” his brows furrowed.“Nope,” she smiled. “You know me better than anyone. You know where my loyalties lie. Thick-and-thin. I love you, too.” She laid a delicate hand on his stubbled cheek, leaning forward as if aiming for a kiss, but stopped short. “If your pitching a proposal to me, what’s in it for me? I’m never been the white-wearing type.” The scrunch of her nose did him in.“You’re horrible,” he groaned.“Well, that’s not winning me over,” she trembled with laughter.“You’re horrible, and a tease, and you drive me crazy,” he cut her off with a kiss.“Better,” she mused, encircling her arms around his neck.“You’re always up for a fight,” he continued as he flattened her against the bed. She tried to take advantage of the situation, using her leg to push him aside so she’d be the one straddling him, but he wouldn’t budge. “You have to be come out on top, all the time,” he persisted, smiling into her shoulder.“I’m naturally competitive, it’s a hard habit to kill,” she laughed heartily, arching slightly.“You’re tiny,” he instigated.“Below average,” she retorted.“Every time I offer to help, you insist on climbing the counter or grabbing the nearest chair. I can help!” He took the opportunity to tunnel his arm in the small space she offered between her arch and the sheets.“You’ll use the opportunity to rub it in my face,” she contradicted. “You’ll never pass on the chance to remark on my lack of height.”“You look breakable,” their noses skimmed.“But you know I’m not,” she grinned.“I definitely know that,” he perused lower, finding her sensitive spot above the collar bone. Her breath hitched.“Don’t bite me,” she slapped his back.His face contorted slightly at the comment. “Hard habit to kill,” he mimicked her words, nipping lightly at her bare flesh.“You’re a smartass,” she accused.“So are you,” he humored.“I’m still not persuaded. What’s in it for me?” she returned to the original topic shamelessly.“Protection,” he listed. He rested his chest on her chest, drawing circled on her back. “Unconditional love.”“If that’s what your offering, let’s just adopt a Pitbull.”He rolled his eyes. “Mind-blowing sex?”“I won’t stoke your ego – or anything else tonight,” she amended quickly. “Yes, you’re quite capable in many, many categories, but sex isn’t everything.”He huffed but tightened his hold, enjoying the feel of her against him. “Mental stimulation. I’m one of the few people who can keep up with you,” he boasted. “Not many can say that.”She bit her bottom lip briefly, then spoke. “I will attest you are very intelligent, and crafty, and once upon a time, you were the bane of my existence – and sometimes I think you still are,” she grinned.“You can’t live with me, can’t live without me, right?” he mused.“I think I figured out the whole living situation just fine,” she teased, running her fingers through his hair. “Comfortable enough?”“Yes,” he replied cheekily. She laughed delightfully, flashing him her iconic smile that made him wonder how long she’d been hiding it. “Please marry me,” he asked softer than ever, eyes matching his tone.She sighed. “I really, really want to…” she bit her lip impatiently, “but I’m going to need a little more. Nothing theatrical but borderline Hallmark. With a lot of personal details! And I’d like to have a photograph where I’m not in a tank top that has seen better days and hair that’s not a mess,” she smiled.“Done and done!” he promised excitedly, propping on his elbows.“I haven’t said yes yet!” she laughed, amused by his surge of energy.“But you want to,” he smiled.“Yes,” she shook, consumed by mirth. “Yes, I do.”“Save those words for the alter,” he countered.“Nick – what – you,” she stammered, mouth agape. “You… sly son-of-a, no! You did not just say that! I can’t believe you did!” she slapped his arm, stunned speechless. He was unphased, leaning forward to capture her lips with his. She hummed in protest, but her fight was weak, and she succumbed quickly, pulling him closer with her interlocked arm.“You have to wake up early tomorrow,” she whispered hoarsely.“To work out,” he replied while descending her neck. His hand got a good grip of her knee. “You do just good of a job wearing me out,” he added.Just when he thought he had her, she surprised him by kicking him back onto his side with her leg, and she climbed comfortable on top of him. She kept him down with two hands firmly pressed against his chest.“If you think you’re going to get your way,” he addressed slowly, while reaching out his hands, “you are sadly mistaken.”She let out an uncharacteristic squeak when his arm curled around her waist, hoisting her up while he himself set upright, and then simultaneously spun them into their previous position. This time, however, he pressed most of his weigh to keep her down and locked her legs around his hips.“I hate you,” she moaned.“You won’t for long,” he replied lowly.Words were soon lost as they found a new rhythm. Six weeks later, Adalind was growing impatient… and suspicious.Until Nick beckoned her up on the roof, where she discovered he had decorated the view with lanterns strewn about.“This is nice, really nice,” she complimented, “and you’re dressed up. I lost the memo somewhere.”“Thank you,” Nick smiled. “You look fine – no, great, you look great – as usual. Did I mention you always look well put together?”“Even in yoga pants and a sweater?” she laughed.“Yes,” he insisted.“I don’t even have shoes,” she pointed.“Even better, I’ll do the same,” he kicked off his.“It’s the middle of March,” she gasped. “You’ll freeze your toes.”“We have socks,” he grinned.“If you insist,” she chimed, following his lead when he directed her to a spot already dressed in a warm blanket. “So… what’s the plan?”“You know a lot about astrology,” Nick stated. “I know next to nothing. It’s a starry night, not a cloud anywhere to be seen. So, I thought we could pick out a few. You show off your knowledge and I’ll listen.”“Alright,” she eased onto the blanket beside him. He looped an arm behind her head, using the other to offer a drink via mason jar.“Lemonade?”“Spiked?”“Always,” she grinned. The spent a while looking over basic astrology when Nick teetered to another topic.“I like this. I like spending time with you – and not just with the kids, but just you, too” Nick stated affectionately.“I wish we have more time to spare,” she reciprocated. “Our jobs are so demanding and then outside work, is more work – wesen business never sleeps. I want more moments like this when we can wind down and just… breathe. I wish I didn’t spend all the time I did fighting with you, if I meant missing out on something like this.”Nick curled closer to her, kissing her temple.“That’s in the past now,” he murmured. “Even though we were at odds, I admired your tenacity. I admired a lot of things, but I wouldn’t admit it then.”“Like what,” she fished, curious.“Your intelligence,” Nick listed. “You’re crazy smart and resourceful. Your confidence was attractive, too.”“So were you, smart, I mean, and attractive but don’t let it go to your ego, it’s big enough,” she swatted at his spare hand.“What else?” he fished, grinning.“Okay, hypothetically,” she played along, “your compassion. How easy it is for you to do the right thing even when you feel it contradicts everything you knew. Or, the way you don’t wince whenever I or anyone else woged – like nothing can scare you. Or your backbone, like how you aren’t going to let anyone push you around, especially Renard, and that, well, if that didn’t win me over, I don’t know what would. You have a way of sticking to your principles and damned be anyone else. You aren’t going to be bullied into something you don’t want to do, and you have no problem sticking up for those who aren’t as confident.”“You, too,” Nick replied.“Huh?” She made that same expression of confusion that Nick adored. “What? Oh no, I was the perfect pawn,” she shook her head adamantly. “My mother’s, Sean’s… I was the opposite of a backbone.”“I disagree,” Nick challenged. “See, everyone else had you do their bidding because they knew you were the most capable, and they didn’t see you are a valuable resource because they were too blinded by their narcissism. Without you, look where they ended. You are the piece that glues everything together. Whichever way you go, that’s they way I’d bet. You don’t make it easy for people, never have, and I mean that in a good way. You don’t let them walk over you and when you have your mind set, the deed is good as done. You’re smart, Adalind, but more than that, you have a determination like no other. There’s nothing you can’t and won’t do for the people you love, and I respect that quality more now than I did then.”“I never saw it that way,” Adalind mulled over. “I thought I was the manipulator turned manipulated, like a vicious cycle.”“Yet, here you are, head held high,” Nick smiled. “You’re a survivor, Adalind, and you should give yourself more credit. You’ve done questionable things in the past, so have I, and one thing we have in common is that we did it because we thought were justified. You’re a good mother and a trusted partner, and even though your mother wouldn’t say, you’re were a good daughter, too.”“That’s… really sweet of you,” Adalind mumbled, feeling her throat constrict uncomfortably. She leaned against him, enjoying the smell of his jacket, and the texture upon her cheek.“We spent so much of our lives hating each other,” Nick spoke, “and I want to compensate as much time as we have left to get it right.”“You’re the only man in my life that, in an odd way, never let me down. Even when we were at each other’s throats, you never disappointed me. Surprised me, maybe, but you didn’t disappoint me. I hate how we got here, minus Kelly, but,” she looked up, “I don’t regret getting to this point. I like what we have. A lot. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”“I’m glad we agree,” he chimed. She felt him dig in his pocket and her heart stopped, knowing exactly what he was searching for. “I would get on one knee but your kind of laying on it,” Nick laughed.“Just ask the damn question,” she demanded urgently, propping both hands on his face. She was now straddling him, blue eyes boring into green ones.“You haven’t even heard my speech yet!” Nick countered.“You have a speech?” She gasped. “After all that?”“That was spontaneous,” Nick chuckled. “This isn’t.” He prepared a breath and continued.“Adalind Schade, you are the bane of my existence because I can’t live without you, either as foe, friend, or lover. You haunt me every waking second and yet, I can’t wait to come home to you. You’re refreshing and full of surprises. I’ll never tire of your stories and I always blown away by what you can do when you put your mind to it. Half of which still kind of scares me, but I’ll always have a healthy respect for your abilities, because very few people can do what you do, and Diana is going to need your wisdom almost as much as I do. I love you and how generous you are with your time, your gifts, and your knowledge. You are a wonderful mother and like every other ridiculous competition we indulge in, I’m going wonder who the favorite parent will be, but I can’t find any room to complain because I know both he and Diana are going to have the best kind of parents. The ones who will protect them at any cost, spoil them with stories and unconditional love, and best of all, show them two people can figure it out and love each other, thick and thin. They’re going to be raised by two ridiculous competitive people, stubborn by nature, but loyal to a fault and fiercely protective, and in return, I’m sure they’ll take after our sarcasm, outwit us any chance they can, and break every rule in the book. There’s going to be a lot for us to work on as the kids get older but just like everything else, we’ll come out on top – and by we – I mean you, because you always get your way, as much as I hate to admit it. But in all seriousness, we’ll make due, and we’ll figure it out, because we always do, and when we figure it out together, there’s nothing in our way. I love you and nothing is going to change that.”“You forgot something,” she replied urgently.“What?” Nick asked in panic.“The question! You knocked everything else out of park, but you forgot the question! Ask me the question, Nick Burkhardt, before I say yes, or you’ll never get to say you actually asked me.”He let out a huge sigh of relief.“Adalind, would you marry me?”“Yes, yes, a million times over, yes,” she replied enthusiastically, kissing him in between words. Their embrace was interrupted by a sudden flash and Adalind turned to find Rosalee holding a camera, grinning widely at the surprise couple.“Nick said you wanted a picture,” Rosalee squealed. “Are congratulations in order?”“With the ring, Rosalee,” Adalind waved her ringless finger, laughing into Nick’s shoulder.“We hadn’t had time,” Nick (attempted to) gesture between them but with little space, he opted to gesture to the space around them.Adalind examined the blue velvet box and popped it open, eyes wide at its content.“Would you like to do the honors?” she asked.“I would, thank you,” Nick beamed.“Good thing I got my nails done last week,” she joked as he exchanged the ring from its packaging to her finger. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” She held his face in her hands once more, kissing him until she felt her lips would be blue.Snap.“That was the best one,” Rosalee announced.“Are you going to be our personal photographer for the rest of the night?” Adalind chuckled.“Yes,” Rosalee chirped.“Thank you, Rosalee,” Adalind replied genuinely. “I’m sure it’s perfect and I can’t thank you enough, but you might want to exit while you can, because what I have planned next isn’t camera-friendly.”Rosalee turned a few hues red and bid the couple a wave and an exuberant “congratulations!”, following by two strong-armed hugs. She scurried back to the door squealing, no doubt ready to bombard Monroe with the news.“Are there more downstairs?” Adalind probed.“Maybe,” Nick grimaced.“Estimate?”“Monroe and Rosalee, the triplets… Hank and Wu… Maybe Trubel, Josh… Eve… Bud, and his wife, Phoebe… less than ten, minus the kids?”“I’m not even mad,” she shook her head, grinning happily.“I’m glad,” he kissed her once more. “Are you still against white?”“The dress is taking up a quarter of the budget,” she swung her arm around his neck, mumbling against his lips.“So long we have an open bar,” Nick negotiated.“Deal,” she agreed contently.“Tropics or Europe?”“Europe,” she nodded.“France?”“Do you speak any French?” she laughed.“No,” he murmured.“It’s overrated,” she shrugged. “I think you’d really like London. Have you been?”“No,” he answered.“You’d love it. Lots of history. Brutal history. Lots of Grimm history. Did you know Anne Boleyn was a Hexenbiest?”“No!”“Yes!”
“Oh, we’re so going to London.”
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“Absolutely not,” Adalind shook her head adamantly.Nick was exasperated but not deterred.The couple walked down the sidewalk, Adalind hooking her gloved hand around his arm, and his hand warmly snug in his coat’s pocket.“They just lowered the price,” he pleaded.“It’s too… open!” she exclaimed, assessing the craftsman cottage. “Look at those windows – they are huge! You can see everything! We’d be so exposed.” She grimaced. “And the color is atrocious – it’s purple.”“Paint is easily fixable and I’m sure we can find a decent quote for a couple guys to give it a fresh coat. White, red, you name it.”“White is bland,” Adalind retorted, “and red is just… meh. Blue, maybe, but not too dark or else it looks gothic.”“Maybe?” his lips curled upwards.“Not for this house though,” Adalind popped his optimistic bubble.“Okay but you’re open to the idea,” Nick hummed, finding himself smiling.“Not really,” she countered. “I like fome. It’s safe. It’s familiar. The garage is huge and there is plenty of room to renovate on the lower level. And the tunnels! Where else will you find that? There are so many uses to just throw away. Nick, we aren’t the white-picket-fence couple next door. We’re the creepy Adams family living in the dilapidated mansion up the hill people.”“We are not,” he laughed.“Hi, Mrs. Smith! My name is Adalind, the friendly Hexenbiest next door; this my daughter, Diana. She’ll occasionally levitate stuff, including her brother, but don’t fret, it’s just growing pains; and my husband, who’s a detective… and a Grimm… so if something is happening next door, don’t bother calling the police – he has it handled.” Adalind pitched in a mocking tone, then returned to her normal voice. “Yeah, that won’t set alarm bells in the slightest.”“Halloween would be really fun though,” Nick humored.She slapped his chest with her free hand. “You sound just like Monroe. You two are horrible.”“By the way, can he borrow your cauldron again? You haven’t used it in ages and he has this really great set up this year. It’d be the center of it all and he promises to return it in mint condition. You barely use it, ever, and it’s mainly for sentimental reasons, right?”“I used it last Tuesday to conjure the paralytic you asked me for,” Adalind retorted.“Okay, but you can use a regular pot, too,” Nick argued.“I’m not mixing deadly concoctions with our children’s food, Nick,” she chuckled.“Please,” Nick begged.“Why are you asking me, and not him?” Adalind squinted her eyes.“He’s scared you’ll say no,” Nick wavered.“So he thinks using you as the middle man might win me over,” Adalind analyzed. “Rosalee has one! Why not borrow hers?” she questioned.“She needs it for the shop and it’s tiny compared to yours,” Nick answered.“I need mine for your countless ventures,” she pointed.“I think I can survive without a cauldron for a week,” Nick clicked his tongue.“You won’t survive a week without me helping you, and I need the cauldron to brew up most of your last-minute saves,” she argued.“You can use a regular pot,” Nick repeated.“I’m not poisoning our children so Monroe can have a Halloween prop,” she finalized, “and to be blunt, I’m disappointed you’d prioritize Monroe’s theatrics over our children’s well-being.”“That is the biggest stretch if I ever heard one in my life,” Nick boasted a hearty laugh. “If I need a last minute brew to save my behind, we can always borrow Rosalee’s shop where she has all the ingredients and all the tools necessary. She gave you a key!”“She doesn’t have my books,” Adalind disputed.“You can bring them!” Nick shook his head. “Is it always this difficult with you?” He didn’t ponder for a second to answer his own question. “Of course, it is.” he mused mirthfully.“I refused to let a family heirloom with significant historical value be belittled to nothing more than a childish plaything for a forty-something-year-old who is way too invested in a silly holiday made for kids!” Adalind admonished.“You’re overthinking, Adalind,” Nick chuckled. “Come on, do it for the kids.”“Why don’t I also put on a giant pointed hat with a buckle on it and ride a broomstick across the neighborhood, too?”“That’d be a sight for sore eyes,” Nick teased. “I’m sure Diana would happily participate.”“I’m sure she would and you will not encourage her,” she slapped his arm. “Not you, not Monroe, and if I even get an inkling she might even entertain the idea, there will be hell to pay. I don’t make a mockery of Grimms. Do not make a mockery of us. Historically, we have been devalued to nothing more than an old hag with too many animals or oversexed siren whose sole purpose is to sabotage men. Like our whole purpose revolves around failing to adhere to the patriarchy’s approval. Stop smirking at me, Nick. This is serious.”“You get so riled up about this,” Nick observed, amused by her reaction. “I genuinely like when you get passionate about your history. If it makes you feel any better, whenever I think about the model witch, I think of Sabrina, the teenage witch, who, if we do this right, will be Diana in a few years. Bear with me. When I think of poster Hexenbiest, I think of you.”“You don’t think of a suburban housewife with two kids and a law degree, typically,” she rolled her eyes.“There is nothing suburban nor housewife about you,” Nick chortled. “You are an uptown girl to a T and I’m not embarrassed that you easily make more than me,” he supplied.“And yet, here we are, walking through this random neighborhood outside Portland, looking for a house because you want quote unquote ‘normal’ for our kids – which, I’m not sure if you noticed, our kids are not normal. Diana levitates people and has taken up transfiguration and teleportation – which by itself is already testing the limits. On top of that, Kelly is stronger than any other kid in his class, and that’s probably an indication he’s probably going to take after you, and if we move next door to let’s say, a wesen, that’s going to cause a lot of problems.”“Luckily, we’re touring fifteen minutes away from Monroe’s neighborhood, and we’re pretty familiar on this side of town,” Nick countered. “I’m not the monster next door. I’m Portland’s friendly Grimm. Bud has done a pretty good job of cementing that image to half of the city. By now, people are pretty familiar with Kelly and Diana, too, and have accepted them just as they accepted us. It’s not like we’re terrorizing the neighborhood with our mere presence,” he shrugged.“Okay, what about someone who’s not wesen? How’d they explain this,” she gestured to her face without woging, “or Diana’s unique eyes? Or Kelly’s fixation with medieval weaponry – or yours? Or, let’s make a case Mrs. Smith comes across Diana sporadically starting a fire, or levitating an object. Next thing we know, we have a case of Carrie on our hands!”“Someone is having early-set dementia,” Nick toyed.“You are not going to psychologically terrorize our neighbors into thinking they’re crazy,” she admonished.“You would!” he laughed.“That’s…. unfair,” she growled.“How?” Nick argued.“It comes natural to me, to protect my identity. I could easily whip up something as a truce that would conveniently wipe their memory, but that’s manipulative and I’m not trying to go down that route,” she pointed. “Normal shouldn’t have to be a chore for us. I like the normalcy we have now, in our humble abode miles away from any prying neighbors.”“I don’t want to alienate Kelly or Diana,” Nick countered. “They should be adjusted to both sides of society – wesen and non-wesen alike. My aunt did her best with me and your mom acclimated you to her best abilities, too. Our kids deserve the same chance.”“You’re different. You’re a Grimm. You’re supposed to be the medium between our kind and theirs,” she gestured broadly. “That’s why we only see your eyes, no one else.”“So is Kelly,” Nick disputed. “Meaning,” Nick emphasized, “it’s his role in the inevitable future to be some sort of middle man between the two worlds. He needs the interaction and exposure. He’s not going to get it cooped up where we’re at now. Diana’s a Hexenbiest, just like you. You were raised not hidden away but in the middle of a metropolitan population, where wesen and people mingled every day. Diana deserves the same upbringing.”“You’re wrong about that,” she argued softly. “I grew up hiding this,” she pointed to her face, “and pretending to be something I’m not for the sake of keeping image. My mother would have had an aneurysm if I went out in broad public woging freely! It was solely behind doors when I got to be truly free with who and what I was. Diana doesn’t know that control. We can allow her to be free and expressive without limitations in the comfort of the loft, without peering eyes.”“Maybe we should consider… teaching her a little control,” Nick pitched. “She’s not going to be under our watch all the time. She should learn a little restraint, for her own safety.”Adalind pursed her lips, unable to argue with his logic.“You’re an idealist, Adalind,” Nick accused warmly.“What? No, I’m a pessimist,” she denied.“You have the best intentions at heart,” Nick soothed, “but sometimes, we have to step out of our comfort zone and adjust to the realities we don’t like.”“Realities I don’t like,” she corrected. “You’re all about this fantasy.”“Down to the ballpark two blocks from here,” Nick smiled. “Look at it this way. Monroe and Rosalee are minutes away. Kelly and Diana have friends to play with, people we see every day, within walking distance and in plain view. They’ll attend the same school district as the triplets, one of the top ten rated in the city. I double checked. We’re cutting our commute in half. There’s plenty of shops within a ten minute drive. There is a lot of convenience here.”“And we’re making a lot of sacrifices for those measly conveniences. No privacy, no skyline, HOA fees, and no handy tunnel to hide the kids if things go south. There’s so much exposure here and we’ll have to change our routine to make sure our kids don’t out themselves to some poor unsuspecting person, and then we’ll find ourselves in the hot water.”“Kelly can be a kid. Diana can have sleepovers and the swing set she’s been begging for. You can have a fresh canvas to decorate, bigger than ever. I can have at least the bare minimum of normalcy and feel like I’m not failing as a parent by denying our kids the idyllic childhood setting. You know what I like – big backyard, extra storage, a porch – front or back, preferably the front. You like sitting outside with coffee and tending to your garden. At least with a house like one of these you’d get a larger plot. I like running in the morning and they have plenty of trails here. We’re going to have to integrate our children into society one way or another. Better early than late,” he pressed, squeezing her hand.“Hardwood floor is a must,” she narrowed her eyes. “Kelly is messy and Diana is unpredictable. Carpet won’t survive a year.”“Bud knows a guy,” Nick smiled.“Discount?”“I’m sure it won’t break the bank,” he shrugged.“An office, please, before I lose my mind. I need a room with organization and single purpose. The kitchen table is not adequate anymore. And a mudroom. If I find one more shoe print trekked halfway through the floor, I’m going to scream – and then we’ll have to pay a fortune to replace all those windows.”“I agree – an office would be nice,” Nick felt his lips curve higher. “And I can see the value of a mudroom.“Unfinished basement, too,” she added.“I mean – yeah, that was the plan – but what’s your reasoning?” he curiously asked.“Trap doors,” she joked.“Absolutely,” he agreed heartily.“Seriously though, something in case someone comes after them, so they can hide, like a safe room or something.” Adalind sighed. “I know you’re going to install the best security you can get your hands on but it would calm my nerves a little better knowing they could find an easy escape. While I’m tentative about you teaching Kelly to fire a gun, at least give him the option to hide before he’s shoved in the face of danger. With an unfinished basement, we can put or cut just about anything in there. I’m thinking maybe a fake door, or a hidden cellar?”“One-hundred percent, we’re on the same page,” he nodded.“Speaking of guns – same rules would apply. Out of reach in the garage and locked away in a safe in the bedroom closet only. I don’t want to come home to find one of them hurt or dead because they accidentally shot themselves. The only exception is your service weapon and that has its spot with you and in the dresser drawer when your three feet away.”“Okay,” Nick nodded.“Why are you being so agreeable?”“If it means convincing you to part from fome, I won’t even object to you getting a cat, like the chatty Siamese you were swooning over at the pet store adoption event when Kelly was buying treats for the classroom Guinea pig.”“Really?” she ended in high pitch.“Yes,” he begrudgingly obliged.“Like Sansa?”“Who’s Sansa?”“The Siamese you just mentioned! She’s still up for adoption. It’s fate.”He groaned. “Yes, like Sansa, but only if you agree to move out here.”“With an office, mudroom, and hardwood floors,” Adalind confirmed.“And an unfinished basement, too,” Nick cemented.“And what about Diana? She wants one.”“A cat? No – one cat only. It’s a family pet, not everyone gets their own. Please. If we get one cat, Kelly will start asking for a dog – again – and I think he just might win this battle because he’s persistent. And not just any dog, a Shiba-something, which apparently are really hard to acquire. That’s too much. One cat, maybe one dog but I’m really pushing the envelope by giving this inch. Then it’ll turn into a mile. Then that mile turns into a daily regiment, and the whole time it’ll be me with the dog, and cleaning up after it, and using a lint roller to get hair off my clothes. At least with a cat, they clean up after themselves, and can use the bathroom without any human assistance.”“Fine, one cat – for now.”“And it stays out of the bedroom and off the counter,” Nick ordered.“A cat doesn’t abide by rules,” Adalind smirked.“It’ll abide by mine,” Nick persisted.“You’re going to love her. She’s the sweetest thing,” Adalind swooned. “And so smart.”“Why are you more excited about a cat than an actual house?” Nick furrowed his brows.“I’ve been hinting for years and you’ve been stingy,” she poked.“Can you at least feign excitement for the change of scenery?” Nick pleaded.“Oh, I’m excited all right. Just so you know – the color schemes? All me. Your input will be considered but knowing you, from the get go, browns and greys are out. No more contemporary. I’m finally going to give this place a little more life and bit more brightness,” she pinched her fingers together until a small gap remained between her thumb and index.“What about natural lighting?”“Mute if it means covered up the windows so the neighbors don’t see our children acting like the supernatural heathens they are,” Adalind countered. “I’m thinking country classic,” she mused.“You’re not really the country classic type,” Nick hummed.“Glossy white countertops, black accent, with a wood trim and natural color backlash. Instead of cabinets, built in shelving to make it seem more open and less cluttered. Large white basin sink, clear glass lighting, and for a final finish, an elongated island for optimal presentation.”“Practical in theory, not in practice,” he chuckled, leading her along with a gentle hand on her back. “How about we buy the house first, and then worry about the expensive renovations. I’m not sure if you noticed, the market is kind of peaking, and you’re paying a lot more for less because of location alone.”“Bud knows a guy,” Adalind smiled sweetly.“We don’t even know what house we’re going to get, and given your reaction, it’s not the purple one.”“We’ll look around and I’ll ask my broker friends if they’d be willing to lend a hand. In turn, you go ask Bud about my hardwood floors and white kitchen.”“Deal,” Nick nodded, leaning down for kiss. “Thank you for being agreeable.”“Thanks for the cat,” she giggled. He groaned, much to her amusement, and she spiraled into full blown laughter.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Picture of Young Kelly:
Nick wouldn’t admit aloud but he held his breath for the longest time, not sure if he was ready to raise a Zauberbiest if by chance Kelly inherited his mother’s wesen nature. There was no doubt he loved the boy fiercely and nothing would compromise the bond between father and son. If he could grow to love Adalind and Diana for what they were, looking past what they could do without reacting, then he was certain he could adapt to another supernatural being. For the meantime, as Kelly grew, Nick limited his anxieties to raising a kid who – to no fault of his own – was in the middle of constant danger and uncertainty.He wasn’t alone. Adalind already had her hands full with one powerful Hexenbiest who had the potential to do so much more with each passing day. Adalind wasn’t sure how she could handle another. She had to anticipate everything which didn’t help her nervous nature.If Kelly is neither Grimm nor Zauberbiest, well, that scenario frightened Adalind immensely – who would protect Kelly if neither Nick or she could? He would be helpless and physically disadvantaged. They could give him all the knowledge in the world and it would do little if he was up against a wesen armed with teeth, claws, strength, speed, and who knows what else! If he was a Zauberbiest, even with Nick’s influence, could he overcome the natural predisposition to seek power like Sean? It was a tough instinct to fight and even Adalind had her trials surpassing her own basic urges, with a few lapses here and there. Diana, to her own credit, wasn’t like her father in that aspect, but much like Adalind in the way she took up gifts and used them liberally. Her natural curiosity was easier to manage when considering the girl’s people-pleasing (abet, selective) disposition.If Kelly was a Grimm – and she desperately hoped so – the idea was foreign and unnerving. Nick was supportive and with his experience, surely raising a young Grimm shouldn’t be too much of a hardship. (She wouldn’t have a clue what to do if she was on her own!) But that meant more exposure, and possibly dangerous confrontations, where Kelly would have no other alternative but to defend himself. While they did their best to raise him in a loving, accepting atmosphere between wesen-and-non-wesen alike, Adalind wasn’t naïve. The world they lived in extended much farther than the confines of their safe little abode, or even the changing social climate of Portland, and Grimms were still very much feared and persecuted as threats.The latter unsettled her so much. The idea he’d succumb to a terrible fate would prompt her to kiss Kelly longer each time she tucked him to bed, a reassurance to both she and the child he was loved and cherished.He was such a happy, expressive little boy. He couldn’t do anyone harm. He was a gentle soul with so much glee in his eyes. He couldn’t so much as draw a scythe. He just wanted to draw pictures of his favorite animals (foxes and puppies) and wear his father’s hoodies as capes around the house. It became an obsession as the suspense hung over her head. She’d check under his tongue every night, pretending she was just checking he brushed his teeth. She’d woge to see if his eyes reflected black. He neither bore the mark or eyes, completely unaware his mother had changed faces in first place.A Grimm and a Hexenbiest bearing a human – oh, the irony!Nick was confident Kelly was a late bloomer. Nick insisted he himself was in the dark until his twenties. Give it time, he appeased, because there were so many more pressing things to worry about. Adalind wanted to be soothed but the idea of waiting until Kelly’s adolescence to which destiny he was damned to was beyond unnerving. She kept her fingers crossed Kelly would take after his father, much like he did when it came to everything else. His talent for art; his quick-wit and easy demeanor; that damn-near identical smile of his; all of which could be traced back to Nick.After his toddler years, the boy’s characteristic blonde hair vastly darkened to the same hue as Nick’s, much to everyone’s pleasure because it just another fond reminder the kid was a spitting image of Nick. If there was any doubt about paternity (and luckily there was none), it went out the window upon Kelly’s fourth birthday. A photo of the day was framed on the fireplace mantle, next to an old keepsake Nick found of himself in his mother’s long-forgotten chest. The two photos of each boy were impossible to distinguish.If he took after all those things, what’s to say he wouldn’t take about his father’s Grimm-ness?Not to say they didn’t prepare him for any of the three outcomes. They introduced him to the books as early as he could comprehend images. He would know what an Eisbiber was; Blutbad, Fuchsbau, Klaustreich, just to name a few. They started slow, but he was observant, and had remarkable memory.It was Nick’s idea to introduce Kelly to woging – to get him comfortable with faces, both on and off the page. Adalind was hesitant but couldn’t argue with his logic. Better to introduce him with someone familiar. Better if it was someone who he identifies as his protector. So, on one uneventful night, both parents put the boy to bed, and rehearsed the speech they had scrambled to put together.
Remember the faces in the book… Just like we practiced… We’re the same people; Mommy is still Mommy; Monroe is still Monroe… If you’re scared, cover your eyes, and it’ll go away, okay?... Nothing is going to hurt you. I’m here and so is Dad, okay?...
Nick squeezed her hand and she squeezed Kelly’s. She took a deep breath and woged, wondering how nightmarish she looked to the young boy. His eyes – more blue than green – were wide but not with fright. The mask of a corpse would petrify grown men but not Kelly. He was startled initially but didn’t steer away. He looked intrigued.She reverted to her previous self, smiling. “See? Just me,” she spoke warmly.“Just like movies!” Kelly beamed.“Just like the movies!” she repeated happily.You did such a good job, Nick praised Kelly with a hug. I’m so proud of you.Nick turned to Adalind, tender eyed. The unspoken words were clear: we’re going to be okay.Adalind wasn’t present when Nick repeated the same motion with Monroe, but she was told Kelly was a champ and not the least bit scared. Same with Rosalee, whom he even hugged while she woged. Apparently (and she fully believed) Bud was more scared than Kelly when he woged, upon Nick’s request.At seven, it became very clear Kelly would be introvert. He would be a beacon of energy for family and friends but with strangers? He clammed up quick. Diana was always confident and open, abet, subject to a strong RBF (credited to her mother), so she wasn’t as averse to interacting outside the known circle; a stark contrast to Kelly who would mold himself to the nearest parent and avoid conversation like the plague. Neither Adalind nor Nick could figure out how that came to be – Adalind wasn’t the least bit shy and Nick was a natural extrovert, never one to advert his eyes in any situation.When Kelly’s true nature was exposed, no one was around to see it.Kelly had accidentally run into a Ungeziefer Greifer at the grocery store. Upon impact, the disgruntled wesen woged and snarled, and startling the unknowing Kelly. “I’m sorry, mister,” he mumbled nervously. Kelly stumbled backwards, dropping the box of cereal clumsily, and booked it to his mother who was on the other side. When she had turned to see what the ruckus was about, she found a half-full cart weirdly abandoned and the wesen (un-woged) hauling it to the nearest exit. When asked about it, Kelly shrugged and kept oddly silent.“I didn’t see his kind before,” Kelly would say later. “I wasn’t sure if he was the nice kind.”The second time it happened, Kelly was with his father and Monroe. Kelly was occupying himself by the door, fidgeting with his school book.“One more minute, kid,” Monroe assured. “I promise!” He flashed a smile.“Okay,” Kelly nodded, meeting his eyes.It happened quickly. Monroe’s eyes twitched, and then his face contorted. The woge was painfully prolonged, much to Monroe’s discomfort, and when released, he was met with two set of black eyes.He let out a curse, stepping back. Nick’s confusion hiked, and he anxiously shifted his eyes from his son to his friend, begging for an explanation.“I’m sorry!” Kelly apologized. “I didn’t mean it!”“You did that?” Monroe probed slowly, connecting the dots.“I think?” Kelly swallowed.“It happened before?” Monroe stepped forward tentatively.Kelly nodded.“What?!” Both men erupted simultaneously.Nick rushed forward, getting down on one knee so he’d be at eye level.“Why didn’t you tell me sooner, kid?” Nick asked softly. He placed a reassuring hand on Kelly’s shoulder. Kelly was more soothed by the growing smile on his father’s face.“Because I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone I could,” Kelly pouted. “You and mom said it was dangerous.”Nick bowed his head, laughing, and then faced Kelly with warm eyes. “You can tell me, Kelly,” he patted his cheek. “Remember, it’s our secret. We don’t keep secrets from each other. How long have you been able to see them?”Kelly shifted, pondering. “A while,” he mumbled.“How long is a while?” Monroe asked, leaning over.“When it last snowed?” he shrugged. “I don’t know.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, casting his eyes downward.“You kept this for two months?” Nick asked incredulously.“Are you mad?” Kelly looked up wearily.“No! Not at all, Bud!” Nick boasted, hugging him dearly. “I’m happy, Kelly. I’m so happy. You did nothing wrong.”“Congrats…?” Monroe announced awkwardly.“He’s a Grimm!” Nick looked up at Monroe, beaming.“He’s a Grimm? He’s a Grimm!” Monroe joined in enthusiasm.“I have to call Adalind!” Nick scurried upwards, making a reach for his phone.Rosalee came home minutes later to find Monroe staring intently at Kelly. When notified of her return, Monroe beckoned her on the couch quickly, and asked her to take his place from across Kelly.“Look at her,” he instructed, “and do the same thing you did to me.”“Won’t it hurt?” Kelly asked worriedly.“Will it?” Rosalee seconded with uncertainty.“No, no,” Monroe shook his head. “Just… make eye contact.”“O-kay,” Rosalee settled.She felt her face pinch and fought the woge the best she could but to no avail. It held out longer than she expected, no matter how much she resisted. Kelly’s eyes – once blue, now black – stared back and she was finally freed from her woge when he blinked.“How?” Rosalee leapt up.“It’s like… he can conjure them! Whenever!” Monroe exclaimed.“I had no control,” Rosalee furrowed her brows. “I could only change back when he took his eyes off me.”“I know,” Monroe nodded slowly. “It’s… something else.”“Adalind,” Rosalee grumbled. “Her Hexenbiest must have altered something!”“Or the potion when she was pregnant,” Monroe pointed. “It could have done some extra juju on him when he was still, you know,” he made a gesture replicating a rounded belly over his own.“Did I do something bad?” Kelly interrupted softly.“No, no, sweetheart, no,” Rosalee soothed, kissing the crown of his head. “I’m very happy for you. You’re just like your dad.”“Look, his conception had all sorts of complications. It could have been anything, or all of them!” Monroe exasperated.“Did he just do this today?” Rosalee asked.“Nope, he’s been able to do this for two months but was scared to say anything,” Monroe replied.“Oh my…” Rosalee gaped. “That’s… What if… With us, we can… but with strangers…” she fumbled wildly with her words, falling into a silence as her eyes settled onto Kelly with genuine concern.“Rosalee, you’re here! Guess what?” Nick emerged from the kitchen giddily.“Kelly’s a Grimm?”Nick faltered for a second and then narrowed his eyes at Monroe.“Thanks for ruining the surprise,” he grumbled.“That’s great!” Rosalee smiled uneasily. “I’m genuinely happy for you both. We should probably talk about this thing, like how he can force a woge,” Rosalee scrunched her face. “You can see that might not go well for a lot of people.”“Yeah – not sure how we should go about that…” Nick rubbed the back of his neck.“Suppressant?” Monroe volunteered.“Absolutely not!” Nick growled immediately. “No. Not happening.”“Sorry, man!” Monroe apologized with hands up in the air. “I didn’t think that one through.”“It’s alright,” Nick understood with an easy smile. “We’ll figure something out,” Nick continued confidently. He held out a hand for Kelly to take. “Come on, Bud. We’re going home. Your mom wants to see you.”To say Nick was elated, was a severe understatement. He couldn’t let Kelly go, gloating the entire time. She could see both the excitement Nick felt at the reality of continuing the Grimm line, and the relief of not having to deal with a Zauberbiest and all the problems that would likely follow. Adalind was thankful, with the slight exception of knowing her son could put himself in a predicament by forcing the wrong person to woge upon accidental eye contact.“You weren’t scared?” Adalind asked her son, rubbing his back when he coiled into her embraced.“Sometimes,” he mumbled. “I like the ones from the book. I know them.”“Well, Kelly,” she sighed, “the books don’t always have the answers. Your dad learned most of what he knows on his own and unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers. You might have to wing it, sweetheart, and be okay with not knowing something yet. We’re still learning things every day, but I’ll tell you what, you’re a very smart boy, and you know way more than your Dad did when he an adult. If you have any questions, come to us first, because we might be able to help but if we don’t know, we’ll figure it out together, okay?”“Okay, mom,” he replied softly.“I love you,” she kissed his temple longer than she had before.“I love you, too,” he returned, followed by a yawn.He burrowed deeper under her chin, falling into even breaths until she realized he was asleep.When she parted with her son, so he could sleep comfortably on his own, she was met by Nick hovering by the doorway, grinning.“Happy?” she teased, patting his chest.“Relieved,” he exhaled.“He’s a Grimm… and with that, comes challenges, especially with being so young,” she frowned. “He’ll be an easy target.”“Not with me or you in between him and whoever is stupid enough to come after him,” Nick growled, stiffening his posture.“Agree,” she nodded, tangling her hand with his. “But,” she added, “we can’t always be there for him, like school, for instance. He’s going to need to prepare for those scenarios… or try to prevent them. I don’t want him to hide his identity forever but just enough to survive High School and then we can go from there.”“I understand,” he lowered his voice to a whisper.“We’ll still teach him everything we know,” she assured, meeting his eyes.The corners of his lips turned upwards.“We’re not cutting him off,” Adalind continued.“Not like me,” Nick hummed.“Yes, not like you but more like me and how I was brought up. My mother started when I was young. It was our life. It was who we were. She wasn’t ashamed of it and she made sure I wouldn’t be either. For once, I can agree with my mother on one thing, and that is it’s better to be integrate these things young so it’s easier for them to adjust. Kelly has no choice at this point.”Nick nodded, supportive.“Think you can do it?”“What – raise a Grimm?” Adalind turned, brow high. His eyes sparked with mirth. “Yeah,” he shrugged.“I have enough experience with one,” she poked his arm, “I think I can manage another,” she gestured to the sleeping boy with the same hand. “You’re helping me anyways!”He shuffled his steps. “I’m not even sure if I can do it,” his admitted. “I’m new at this.”“New at being a father or being a Grimm?” she squinted her eyes. “Both?” his face contorted into confusion. “I never raised another Grimm. I don’t know what to expect or where to start. Trubel… well, she was already grown. I just helped her find direction. Kelly is… Kelly is tiny and impressionable, and this is such an important age! I’m kind of clueless on where to begin.”“Kelly is… he’s a clean slate,” she smiled. “Kelly has a fresh set of eyes and we get to redefine what he sees or how he sees it. We can’t help how the world reacts to him, but we can help him prepare for all circumstances – good or bad.”“Did you rehearse that in the mirror?” Nick chuckled.“No,” she shook her head with a knowing smile. “Just intuition. Kelly has already made a couple leaps. What’s there to say there won’t be more to come?”“And the woging?” Nick asked. “Rosalee seemed concerned. She has a point.”“Oh, that’s just basic manners,” she grinned. “Nothing that can’t be fixed.”“I’m going to trust you on that,” Nick tugged on her arm. “Come on, let’s leave him be. The bed seems pretty inviting about this time of night, don’t you think?”