Chapter 1 Taken

Nick POV: It was hard to believe it had been a week since that last attack and he couldn't have been more pleased, except for the occasional normal homicide. That just seemed wrong, to term a homicide normal, but none were Wesen related or a result of the uprising. It would seem after two defeats, the "Occultatum Libera" were regrouping.

Life with a reemerging Hexenbiest was enough to keep him on his toes. Like this morning, while he was getting ready for work and Adalind was changing Kelly on the bed. He was taking a final look in the dresser mirror and suddenly the wipes, which Adalind must have forgotten, flew off the dresser over to her hand. Nick looked at her through the mirror and she had a sneaking smile. "Could you warn a guy before you do that?" He acted quite put off, but she wasn't buying it and chuckled.

He had noticed a change in her demeanor, yet it wasn't a negative thing. Instead of worrying so much, like when she was completely reliant on him, she seemed more feisty and her sense of humor had taken a wicked turn. Maybe it was being loved that had brought out these changes, because she seemed more confident. He liked to think that he made her blossom, but some of it was probably her other nature coming out. It all added up to him enjoying her company even more, at least so far. Everything was still new and he worried at times about behaviors like he had seen in Juliette as she had turned. At those times he had to remind himself, Adalind knew how to handle her Hexenbiest self, and he had faith in her.

His friends still didn't know, but he suspected Rosalee had figured it out. She was just too perceptive at times. Nick liked to keep things to himself, but with Rosalee he never seemed to be able to. Now Adalind, she was bursting to tell everyone, which he thought was adorable, but he wasn't ready yet. The two of them as a couple, could be a lot to swallow. Trubel would be alarmed, well maybe not that alarmed. She had been watching the two of them closely while she stayed there. Nick had thought, at the time, she was wary of Adalind, but now that he had some time to contemplate it, she had been watching them both. Who knows, maybe everyone had seen that he was in love with Adalind before he knew it himself. Still, he wasn't ready to say anyhthing and he could tell Adalind was hurt at first when he asked her not to, but she understood it probably wouldn't be accepted well by some. Then of course, and he credited this to her Hexenbiest, she wanted to shock everyone by planting a huge sloppy kiss on him just to see their reaction. The witch in her was truly incorrigible. He chuckled to himself.

The next thought was not so funny, though. If Juliette had just told him from the beginning and let him share her burden, like Adalind had, maybe she wouldn't have gone off the deep end. He shook his head. No, that was not right. She did share, perhaps a little too forcefully, by trying to make him face her while she was Woged, but he hadn't acted as he should have either. At her point of vulnerability, he had rejected the change in her. Now that Juliette was gone, he knew that he could never make amends.

When agreeing to meet Meisner, Nick had told him he would reconsider joining HW or Hadrian's Wall. Meisner, as a further peace offering, had gone into detail about Eve's reconditioning. Nick shuddered when he thought about it. Chavez had told Meisner they were playing with fire and Nick had to agree with her when he heard the stories. Agents had been torn in half and ink pens driven through the skulls of those nearby, before they cast a containment spell to limit her abilities. No, that was not Juliette. With things at work being slow, he had way too much time to think. Just then, Hank and Wu brought in a perp making Nick thankful there something else to do.

Adalind POV: Okay, being a mom was hard work, but having her powers did help. She smiled again thinking how she had caught Nick off guard that morning with the wipes. She had to give him credit, though. A Hexenbiest couldn't be easy to live with, but he was perfect for the job. He was just perfect, period. There she went, melting on the inside, again. Her mother would have ripped her a new one for being that soft, but she couldn't give a flip. Her mother had preferred guys like Sean and she could keep them for all Adalind cared. Wow, she was being rather witchy, Adalind admitted to herself with chagrin.

Looking down at Kelly, she said, "You, little man, are the reason I'm not worse, you and your daddy." Her baby talk could annoy herself at times, but she couldn't stop. Kelly smiled big and giggled when she held him up and spun him around. A sobering thought put a damper on her mood just then. She never did have an opportunity to spend time like this with Diana. At least she wasn't with the Royals, but Adalind didn't know if where she happened to be was any better. What was this organization, Meisner was a part of, using her for? Meisner! He was not nearly as forthcoming as he could have been. After their history, she never would have thought it would come to this. He had been wonderful in Europe, and she thought she could trust him for anything. Unfortunately that wasn't true. Even Trubel had kept secrets from Nick, because of this organization.

Just then her phone rang and it was Rosalee. "Adalind, do you know if Monroe is with Nick?" She sounded a little alarmed.

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard from Nick this afternoon. What's wrong, Rosalee?" If something happened to Monroe, Nick would be torn up, and Adalind really rather liked the guy herself.

"I don't know, but I can't get a hold of him. Xavier finally came clean about a part of that plot last week to trap Nick by those in the uprising. You know when Juli, I mean Eve, showed up. He said they kept asking him if he knew Monroe and showing Xavier a picture of him. Now this!" Rosalee was getting a bit hysterical.

"Rosalee, listen. I'll call Nick and Hank if necessary to get some info. Do you want me to come over?" Getting out would be good because she was restless, plus she wanted to be there for her. Rosalee was the closest thing she had to a best friend.

"Let's get a hold of Nick, first." Rosalee was near tears, she could hear. "I didn't have any luck, but I didn't have Hank's number."

"Don't worry Rosalee. I'll call you back as soon as I've gotten a hold of them, okay?" What would she do if Nick was missing? She would be raising some hell, that's what she would be doing. Her heart went out to the other woman. When she hung up, she tried Nick first with no luck. Then she tried Hank.

"Hello," Hank seemed annoyed.

"Sorry to call Hank, but do you know where Nick is? Rosalee and I have both tried his phone," she explained.

"He's in an interrogation. Something... wrong?" Hank was sure surprised to get her call, she could tell.

"Rosalee says she can't find Monroe!"