This is it, the final chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Epilogue

"Do you see him approaching?"

"Not yet."

Nick lies half reclined on one of the examination tables in A&E. A doctor was there earlier, taking a first look, before re-wrapping the wound and starting him on painkillers, anti-inflammatories and fluids to compensate for blood loss.

Monroe has informed the doc of the heavily edited basics – they were out in the woods with the Captain when Nick got attacked, they couldn't do first aid until roughly 4 hours later, and so on – and he is now hovering around while they wait for someone to actually treat Nick's injuries.

"Is he here, yet?"

"Nope." Their local Grimm may be groggy as hell drugged with painkillers as he is but he is far from out of the game. For the last 15 minutes he has repeatedly asked after Renard and Monroe has the feeling that he won't let go and relax before the man has arrived.

"Do you see him now?"

"No, Nick, I do not. But he will get here after he's finished with whatever police things he has to do!"

He is beginning to get the tiniest bit exasperated.

"How do you know?... That he'll come, that is..."

Nick tries valiantly to keep his eyes open, sits up a bit more even, hunching over, to keep alert.

Jep, definitely resisting the effect of painkillers... stubborn idiot!

"Because a certain thick-headed Detective has asked him to and, honestly, at the moment you could ask him to do a somersault through a fiery hoop and he would do it!"

With that he steps right up to his friend's bed and – going practically nose to nose with him – growls lowly:

"And now listen, buddy! I know that you are using your Grimm powers to fight off the effects of those pain meds they have you hooked onto and that stops right now. If your Captain sees you like this, believe me, he'll tear you a new one, so be a good little Grimm and quit resisting them!"

"But I need to..."

"No, Nick, you don't. You are torn up pretty badly and you have been through some shit that would have had others drop unconscious long ago and, you know, we want you to get better not worse."

Nick gives a huff of slight protest but at Monroe's firm pushing gives in and closes his eyes while leaning back against the pillows.

"There's a good boy."

"So funny." Sarcasm is still heavy no matter how slurred the actual words are.

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

Finally Renard arrives in A&E, spotting them and stepping over immediately. Seeing him now no one would have guessed that the man has a few broken ribs to content with. Zauberbiester are durable to say the least and Renard is a true master of hiding what he doesn't want to be seen.

"How are things?"

"Still waiting for them to take him in for treatment. They already did a first assessment, though, and about 5 minutes ago he actually dropped from whatever they gave him."

They both hear a heavy exhale of breath and see their Grimm slump just a bit further into the mattress. Royal and blutbad exchange a glance that speaks volumes. Renard pinches the bridge of his nose – the only sign that he is less relaxed than he lets on - before asking quietly:

"Let me take a guess: Nick resisted his pain meds until about 5 minutes ago?"

"You got it, dud... Captain."

"And that exhale we just heard means that he's waited for my arrival before succumbing to sleep completely?"

"Jup. That's my guess, anyway."

Renard shakes his head mildly, looking down on his Grimm with something between irritation and great fondness.

"Umm. I'm afraid they cut open your sweatshirt. Thought it was easier to just cut it off instead of having him get out of it, apparently."

The Captain gives an untypical shrug.

"It was ruined, anyway, when it got snagged by the dagger earlier."

"Oh, man. We do come across some crazy stuff, don't we?"

Sean inclines his head, in complete agreement with the other man, before getting back to business:

"You should heed out now. Take a cab to however close you need to get, I will reimburse you for your expanses later."

"Thanks, but I think I'll manage. I might not look the part..."

Sean is silently amused at the blutbad's self-ironic tone while he looks himself and his rather interesting attire up and down.

"... But I am off well enough."

"Very well, I will see you later, most likely."

Monroe throws a last glance at his sleeping friend before, inclining his head in farewell, he turns and heads for the wide doors.

Only when Sean is alone with Nick he does allow himself a moment of weakness and gingerly lowers himself into the lone chair next to the examination couch. He'll just wait for someone to come by... and in the meantime keep a careful eye on his impossible Grimm.

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

Nick comes awake slowly, languidly. For once he is absolutely pain free, most likely thanks to the IV-drip he's hooked onto. After the last 24 hours – or what he assumes to be that span of time – this is a truly great feeling. He's no longer at A&E but in a single bed room and it is dark outside. A glance to his right confirms his suspicion about having received treatment already: His right arm is thickly bandaged and strapped to his torso by a standard issue medical sling.

When the door opens and no other than Captain Renard steps into the room Nick is not surprised. He has – be it unconsciously or knowing – already taken up the man's near silent footsteps from outside and recognized them as belonging to him.

"Nick. Good to see you awake."

His own tired smile is mirrored by a pleasantly surprised one from Sean. Nick follows his every movement when his tall 'biest steps over and sits down in the visitor's chair gracefully. A knowing quirk shows on the Grimm delectable lips.

"So you got your ribs seen to and actually took the pain medication they gave you?"

Something intense but benign flashes through Renard's green eyes, cracking his neutral facade momentarily, and he smirks.

"Observant as always, Detective. I see there is not much getting past you."

In affirmation of his statement he even undoes a single button of his new and pristine dress shirt so that his Grimm can see the fresh bandages there.

"What can I say, Grimm healing abilities and a whole lot of pain meds do make for a much clearer head."

"Apropos medication and powers, Monroe told me that you once again ignored the needs of your body and used Grimm resilience to resist the drugs they gave you?"

Nick totally ignores the hint of steel in the man's tone and that protective, displeased flash in his eyes – or at least he tries to.

"Monroe really does need to get his priorities straight and he is still a mother-hen."

Sean for his part tries to blend out how utterly delicious his Grimm looks when his expression turns just this side of pouting and goes for a more neutral but no less important matter:

"Your blutbad friend was worried and had due cause to be. The same goes for me, which you would know, if you remembered our earlier conversation by your car."

Nick heaves a sigh.

"Okay, okay, I'll promise I'll take better care next time... but..."

"But?" Sean waits patiently for his beloved to end whatever battle he fights within. Deep down he has known what he wants for a long time, but it took their excursion into the woods to openly recognize what he his subconsciousness has know for quite a while now. Leaning back he seems to be an epitome of calm while in reality he knows that what Nick tries to tell him now could take them a big step forward in whatever their feelings for each other may be called.

Stormy grey eyes seek out his own, stay there, unwavering... captivating. It reminds Sean of earlier when Nick has still been under Twilight's influence and yet has held his gaze to show him that he still had a will of his own.

Oh, my strong, beautiful brat...

"I needed to know... that you would come... that you were safe and on your way back to being sound again..."

A nearly indiscernible waver shakes his voice. He looks away then, afraid that his strong, independent 'biest will laugh at him for his petty concerns and insecurities. A large warm hand closes around his left wrist and squeezes gently.

"I know that. And I am aware that you have waited for me before going under completely." Nick's head whips up, mouth opening for words of denial, but the deep, wholly unexpected emotion on Sean's usually coolly set features make him snap his mouth shut again.

"You see, we both need a bit of reassurance of the other's well-being from time to time... in order to keep from going insane."

Nick likes this, ... likes it extremely well, especially in face of Sean's own admission. He cocks his head to the side, a relieved smile coming to his lips.

"We are right a pair, aren't we?... Oh, apropos pair, did the fingerprint match Veering's?"

"You do have a way of changing the subject. Which reminds me that once you are out of hospital we will have a talk about self preservation. But back to your initial question for now: Yes, it did match. They are pressing charges as we speak."

There's satisfaction there and it goes way beyond the mere contentment of arresting a criminal. For a moment Nick can see the dangerous 'biest, the powerful Royal within the man, desiring to crush and punish, and it settles something deep inside him. He is aware that with this man there always will be danger, there will always be challenge but he also knows that there is an urge to protect and nurture inside them both – an urge so strong that it sometimes is overwhelming.

Sean Renard, the Royal Bastard and half-zauberbiest, is no one to take on lightly, no one to back down from a fight, but Nick is strong and matches him step by step. For all their differences they are equals, they are made to balance each other out, good sides and bad, which they both possess.

"Good." His Captain must see some of his thoughts in him for his own responding smile is knowing and there's just a hint of darkness in there.

"He will never be able to hurt anyone else... not as a hexenbann at least and not as long as law has any say in it."

There's silence in the wake of this, both following their own train of thoughts, but it is a companionable one.

Nick for his part remembers the last 24 hours in great detail – the bad aspects, the painful ones and the good, the mind blowing moments when Sean showed him that he is so much more than a zauberbiest, a Prince or even his Captain...

… the caring...

… the love...

At this thought he breaks the silence:

"There was something I meant to ask much earlier but did not get around to doing."

"And what would that be?"

"Mon gamin, what does that mean?"

That barely there smirk, that amused glint in his eyes.

"Brat."

"Hey, I was only asking, you know?"

A huffed laugh now, gentle, teasing, not mocking in the least. The darkness from earlier has vanished out of those captivating eyes, leaving a warmth and affection that makes Nick's breath catch in his throat.

"You misunderstood me. Mon gamin, it means my brat."

At first this gets him a dirty look but soon Nick cannot help himself and a wide grin steals upon him. He shakes his head, laughing quietly. When he locks eyes with Sean in the end, it is the Captain's turn to swallow thickly in face what is presented to him.

In that single unwavering gaze there is so much more than he would ever have expected...

"Your brat, indeed. … If you want to, that is. And if we can work it all out."

They both know there's quite a lot to work through, actually, but this is a start...

… Their start, maybe.

The End

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

This has been my first multi-chaptered Grimm baby, so yeah, I am most curious what you think.