Title – When Everything's Made To Be Broken
Sequel To – But Your Daddy Left You
Author – Moonbeam
Summary – Elly's got herself a date, and perhaps a boyfriend, however Nick isn't particularly supportive and everyone seems kind of surprised. Then someone from Elly's past comes back and everything gets even more complicated. Girl!Monroe story. Sequel to 'But Your Daddy Left You'.
Warnings – Spoilers for season 2, I am setting this after s02e05 – The Good Shepherd but I've seen more so... And of course genderswap.
Rating – Teen (PG-13) there will be a sequel to this which will not be teen rated but I'm keeping the rating on this low.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything, but oh the fun that could be had if I did.
Author's Notes – Song title from 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls because it just seems right.
This occurs after s02e05 – The Good Shepherd and involves some of the information from s02e06 – Over My Dead Body.
There are so many things I adore about season two, I am just loving almost everything. So I might have fiddle with some things but I'm not changing Nick's mum (so pleased she was 'good' in the show but I enjoyed writing her 'evil').

When Everything's Made To Be Broken
by Moonbeam

/ / / Hank and Wu \ \ \

Nick knocked on Elly's door a bag of her favourite fruit pastries from the bakery near the precinct behind his back in thanks for an especially good rescue the night before.

"You look nice," Nick said when Elly answered the door.

"I have a date, what do you need?"

"I just came by for a chat, nothing Grimm related." Nick looked at her she was wearing jeans like normal but her top was not at all checkered and she was wearing makeup. "A date?"

"Yeah, that guy I told you about meeting at the grocery store."

"Oh hey, Nick," Rosalee said coming out from behind Elly. "Okay, Elly. I'm off call me later and tell me how it went."

Nick watched Rosalee leave.

"Nick, do you need something?" Nick looked back at her and shook his head slowly. "I'll see you another time then? He's picking me up in a few minutes."

Nick nodded and stepped back allowing Elly to close the door behind him while he walked to his car and drove away.

Ten minutes later Nick walked into Hank's favourite pub to find his partner and Sargent Wu at the bar. He settled down next to them and ordered a whiskey.

"I thought you said you had plans," Wu said adding his own drink to Nick's order, apparently the last person there got to get the next round.

Nick shrugged and threw back his drink letting it burn the whole way down.

Wu and Hank looked at one another over Nick's head and took small sips of their own drinks as he ordered a second glass. The bartender put it down in front of him with a warning look and Nick sipped at his drink this time.

"So," Wu said slowly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Nick said and took a sip. "Nothing should be wrong."

Hank and Wu looked at one another over Nick's head again and Wu shrugged.

"But," Nick continued. "I'm kind of annoyed."

"About?"

"Elly's on a date."

"I see," Wu said. "And you're surprised you're not happy about this?"

Nick nodded.

"So that's why Rosalee went over to see her tonight."

"She was getting Elly ready for her date," Nick said into his drink. "Elly looked really excited."

"I'm glad," Hank said and both Wu and Nick looked at him. "I mean, I'm glad she's happy about her date not that you're upset about it."

"I'm hitting the head," Nick said throwing back the last of his drink. "Get me another one."

"He has no idea," Wu said. "You'd think a detective would be more aware of what is going on."

Hank shrugged. "Elly's just as bad."

"He needs to fix it," Wu said. "She is too good a cook to let her go." Hank looked at him and Wu shrugged. "Your turn to buy."

Hank nodded and gestured to the barmaid who came over to take their order.

"Your friend is going through his drinks quickly," she said.

"The woman he is in love with is going on a date and he hasn't realised he's in love with her yet," Hank explained.

"Double," she said with a smile. "I get it."

Hank smiled at her and Wu sighed. "You've already got a girlfriend, stop flirting with everyone else."

Hank smirked at Wu. "I can flirt, it's fun."

"Plus," the barmaid said. "I'm gay so it wouldn't matter if you were the one flirting."

"Oh well," Wu said standing and smiling at her. "I'll be back in a moment."

Nick passed Wu on the way back to their spot at the bar.

"I should be happy for Elly," Nick said sipping at his drink. "So I am going to be happy for her."

"Or," Hank said. "You could admit that you have feelings for Elly and go back there, tell her and see if she doesn't go out with you instead."

Nick was completely still and silent for a moment and then he laughed. "I'm not in love with Elly."

"You really are."

"No."

"Yes," Hank said. "You are and everyone knows."

"What are we talking about?" Wu asked when he came back from the bathroom.

"Nick being in love with Elly," Hank said before Nick could stop him.

"Oh yeah, you are crazy for her."

Nick stared at Wu. "I am not in love with Elly."

Wu rolled his eyes. "For a detective you really are quite stupid."

Nick glared but turned around to order another whiskey ignoring both of his colleagues. He sipped at the drink and they all sat in silent. When Nick took the last sip he turned to them, his eyes curious. "Why do you think I'm in love with Elly?"

"Nick, when you first talked about Monroe I thought it was a guy, and I thought you were going to come out to me at some point. Then I realised who you were talking about, the woman from the little girl case. Then she kept coming up and then Juliette left and she brings baked goods to the precinct and she keeps spare clothes at your house."

"And you keep some at hers," Wu pointed out.

"Plus," Hank said again. "She brings us cake."

"You mentioned that already," Nick pointed out.

"But it's very good cake," Wu said. "Deserves two mentions and if you stuff this up and she stops bringing us cake you will have the entire precinct mad at you."

Nick laughed. "I can't stuff up our friendship. She's…she's my best friend."

"And you're in love with her," Hank said.

Nick drank the last of his whiskey. "I'm going home. I'll see you both next week."

Wu and Hank watched him walk out of the bar.

"Do you think he's going to work it out?" Wu asked.

Hank shrugged. "He's working against a lot of denial but he's a smart guy."

Hank stood up and slid his jacket back on.

"You off?"

"I have a girl I should be getting back to," Hank said with a smirk. "See you Monday."

"Bye," Wu said nodding at Hank as he walked out. "How am I the one left alone?"

"I would suggest," the barmaid said coming back. "Going and talking to the redhead at the end of the bar." Wu looked over and the woman smiled shyly. "Just saying."

Wu saluted the barmaid and went down to the end of the bar.

Nick made it to his car when he realised he'd had too much to drink. He swore and made sure the car was locked before he started walking home. He stopped in at a Chinese place on the way and ate vegetarian spring rolls as he walked.

Hank and Wu were obviously just seeing what they wanted, Nick thought as he dished out the rest of the food onto a plate. He took it into the lounge room and sat down. He turned on the movie he'd been watching last night and settled down to finish it.

Then he realised that he'd bought garlic tofu and stared down at his plate. He hated tofu – a lot. He only bought it because of Elly, in fact he looked down at his plate and realised that only one thing on the whole plate had meat in it.

He was immovable on Szechuan beef.

Everything else was vegetables and noddles and the things he bought when they were together. When it was just him he bought meat but he hadn't. Nick put his plate down and then picked it back up. It was silly, Hank and Wu were wrong and he had just ordered from habit…in fact, he was going to call them and order a couple more dishes. Something with meat. He reached for the phone and then shook his head. That was even sillier, he had enough food for…two, already. But that made sense because he was at Elly's all the time to work on Grimm things and to discuss their lives and just to hang out because they were friends and that was all they were. He often ordered enough for two and this meant he didn't have to cook tomorrow. That was obviously why he'd ordered so much, there was plenty here for leftovers tomorrow.

Nick reached for his weird, imported, German beer and studiously didn't think about when he'd stopped buying generic and American.

He watched his show and ate his food and didn't think about the fact that Elly had been the one to tape this movie on his machine.

They were best friends and that was it, that was all there was and they didn't need to justify themselves to anyone. Of course he listened to her, she was his best friend and she knew more about him than anyone did. She would know what movies would interest him and he never paid much attention, just watched whatever was on most of the time because he could never find the guide.

Nick went to bed after the movie finished and looked at the green sheets that Elly had helped him pick out after Juliette left. Juliette who'd left because she thought there was something going one with him and Elly.

Nick swore and shook his head, they were just incapable of understanding the relationship that Nick and Elly had because Juliette didn't know about him being a Grimm…and neither did Wu and Hank was all loved up with Rosalee so he would see love everywhere. Nick shook his head and had a hot shower and went to bed.

He hoped Elly was having a fun time, he did and they were wrong.

/ / / TBC \ \ \