Epic, A Grimm story by BymagaJones 15/?
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Nick stared at Monroe, confused. He’d come downstairs, happily envisioning a night’s walk with his best friend only to find Monroe on his hands and knees, gasping like he couldn’t catch his breath. The next thing he knew, he was crouched beside the Blutbad, unsure of what he could do to help. And now Monroe sat there, goofy smile on his face. “You woged?”
“No, I’m not there yet. But - ” Monroe’s brow furrowed as he tried to explain himself, something that Nick tried not to consider adorable “ - I felt it inside. The wolf. I felt him in here.” He pressed a fist against his stomach.” He gave a little chuckle, again not adorable, Nick reminded himself. “I’m coming back. I can feel it.” He stretched out his hand. “I don’t know about the nails…”
Nick grasped the shaking hand. “They’ll come back too, just in their own time.”
Monroe’s eyebrows lifted as he smiled. “Now you’re an expert?”
Nick held out his own hands, wiggling his fingers. “I get a mani every week. Can’t you tell?”
Monroe snorted, holding onto the bottles in his shirt pockets as he slowly rose to his feet. “I can’t believe these didn’t fall out.”
“You’re more graceful that I gave you credit for,” Nick teased as he returned to the living room for his beers. Choosing to forego the pockets in his jeans this time in favor of the ones in his jacket and shirt, he returned to Monroe’s side, noting his friend’s straightened posture and happy eyes. Monroe’s goofy grin was infectious, and Nick found himself sending one right back as they walked down the deck stairs and headed toward the fence.
Monroe popped open a beer and handed it to Nick. “Drink up.”
Pulling out one of his own, he handed it to Monroe. “Right back at’cha.” He was prepared for the confused look Monroe shot him. “You really didn’t think I was planning on peeing on nine acres all by myself, did you?”
“But - ” Monroe started.
Nick didn’t give him a chance to continue. “Even if I could drink the copious amount of liquid to enable me to mark that much territory, I’m not the only one who lives here.”
“It’s your -”
“No, it’s our,” Nick said calmly, taking a sip and walking past a frowning Monroe. “Now how does this work? Do I have to just start and walk backwards as I pee or what?”
Monroe rolled his eyes. “Did you ever own a dog?”
Nick grinned, shaking his head. “Aunt Marie wasn’t really fond of pets.”
“I guess that’s not a surprise,” Monroe conceded. “You don’t have to mark every inch, just here and there so your scent covers the area.”
“Can we take turns, or do we need to mix our scents?”
“I can’t talk you out of this?”
Nick ignored Monroe’s plaintive tone and continued to stare at Monroe until the Blutbad sighed and took a sip of beer.
A few hours later, bladders and bottles emptied, they staggered up the deck stairs, leaning on each other for support. Monroe was wiping tears out of his eyes as he continued to laugh as Nick finished his story about an altercation with a visiting Seelengut who’d accidentally gotten separated from the tour group.
“It’s not funny,” Nick said, the smile in his voice belaying his words. “You can’t imagine the bruises those hooves leave.”
“So it was basically a drive-by hoofing?” Monroe leaned against the side of the house as Nick dug in his pocket for the house keys.
Nick shook his head, a corner of his mouth raised. He opened the door, heading straight for the living room.
“Hey, you know that out of everyone, I’m the last to tell you that they aren’t dangerous,” Monroe reminded him, dropping the empty bottles into the recycling bin in the kitchen. “Did you end up having to make an arrest?”
“It finally got through that I was just trying to help, and by the time everything settled, the tour group was back.”
“Let me guess; you ended up being a big hero, saving the poor sheep from being lost forever.” Monroe collapsed beside Nick, leaning against his shoulder.
“I did get some pie,” Nick admitted, enjoying the warmth spreading through his body.
“So what was his name? The bruising Seelengut?”
A brief pause before, “Susanna.”
Monroe’s laughter carried throughout the house.
Two days later, Monroe and Nick finally had Wu and Hank over for dinner.
“I wasn’t sure what kind of wine to bring, so I just brought beer,” Hank said with a grin when Nick opened the door. The former partners looked each other over, grinning as they realized that except for Hank’s jacket, they’d dressed exactly alike - blue jeans, blue button-down shirts under dark blazers.
“Thanks, man,” Nick said, grabbing the beer and leading Hank inside. He took Hank’s coat and hung it on the coat rack Monroe had waxed poetic about finding the day before.
“Wow,” Hank said, whistling at the living room. “This looks fantastic.”
“Thanks to Wu,” Monroe shouted from the kitchen. “He’s a fantastic decorator.”
“Who knew?” Hank said quietly to Nick, no surprise in his voice but a smile on his lips.
“I certainly didn’t,” Monroe chirped as he scuttled around the kitchen, unaware of the look between Hank and Nick.
He heard that? Hank’s look asked.
Nick’s return look said, Yep. Looks like he’s getting his mojo back.
You didn’t tell me he’d lost it. Hank’s look chided Nick.
Not my story to tell, Nick’s face said.
Fair enough, Hank shrugged.
“You two doing that partners reading each other’s minds thing again?” Monroe asked, walking into the room with two spoons.
“Ex partners,” Nick reminded him.
“Technicalities,” Hank said, turning to Monroe. “I brought beer.” He sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re making, but it smells good in here.”
“Thanks! Try this and tell me what you think.” Monroe held a spoon at each man’s mouth.
“Umm,” Nick said, trying to come up with an excuse not to try the greenish creamy looking mixture in front of him.
“I’m the guest, so I think I’ll just wait until you’ve ironed out the bugs,” Hank said.
Rolling his eyes, Monroe said, “It’s not going to make you sick. Just tell me if it needs a little kick.”
“But - ” Nick opened his mouth to form an excuse but found it filled when Monroe simply shoved in the spoon.
“Wow,” Hank said, surprised. “That was kind of unfai -”
Monroe shoved the other spoon into Hank’s mouth.
Nick swallowed, realizing that the mixture was actually quite good. He looked over to Hank, who seemed to be feeling the same way. “Not bad,” he admitted.
“Not bad my ass. That was really good,” Hank said with a smile.
“Great!” Monroe beamed, collecting the spoons in one hand so he could grab the six-pack with his free hand. “I’ll go put these in the fridge.”
Nick grabbed two bottles before Monroe left and tilted his head toward the sofa, and they ambled over, Nick flopping on the couch as Hank walked around the room. “Monroe says that we need a few more things in here.”
“You have a large screen TV and surround sound. What else do you need?”
“I have no idea,” Nick shrugged.
“Maybe a Blu-ray player, or is he gonna get one of those shelves for figurines and stuff?”
“I’m a little afraid to ask,” Nick admitted.
“You don’t seem to mind, though,” Hank said under the clanging of pots and pans.
Nick smiled, enjoying the feel of having a home again and people he loved around him. “I really don’t. It seems to make him happy -”
“ - and if it’ll keep him around, even better,” Hank finished.
Nick held up his bottle in response, and Hank gently knocked against it with his own.
Monroe bustled back into the room with more of the mixture in a large bowl with a platter filled with at least three different types of crackers and chips. He paused at the sound of the doorbell, quickly placing the dishes on the coffee table beside the four saucers and napkins he’d put there earlier. “I’ll get it. Help yourselves to the dip.”
“He seems to be settling in well,” Hank said as Monroe enthusiastically greeted Wu.
Nick’s eyes roved over Monroe’s flannel shirt - grey/blue this time, enjoying the pull of it over Monroe’s shoulders.
The Blutbad had worried over his wardrobe earlier. “I only bought a few flannel shirts and Henleys. I knew we were going to be entertaining; why didn’t I get a blazer?”
“Relax,” Nick had told him, opening his arms to his sides to show off his long-sleeved t-shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. “I’m going for casual, and I’m sure Hank and Wu will do the same.” He didn’t mention the quick chat they’d had at a crime scene earlier that day.
Monroe’s eyes had traveled over Nick like a starving man in front of a delicacy, and Nick’s heart began to pound a little faster. Without realizing it, he’d stepped forward, the urge to get closer to Monroe undeniable.
Hank’s ringing the doorbell had ended the moment, but Nick still felt the warmth of Monroe’s appreciative inspection down to his toes.
Hank cleared his voice, jerking Nick back into the present, and Nick turned to him, words he’d planned on saying forgotten. Hank grinned.
“What?”
“Nothin’,” Hank said quickly, still smiling as he dipped a chip and popped it into his mouth.
“Look at these gorgeous flowers Detective Wu brought!” Monroe smiled brightly as he led Wu into the room.
“Drew please,” Wu said, grinning. He’d dressed up a little for the evening, more than he’d told them earlier, wearing a dark blazer over a turtleneck and dark blue jeans and seemed immune to Nick’s glare. “Hey, guys.” He immediately focused on the food. “That looks good. Scootch over.” He inserted himself on the sofa between Nick and Hank, immediately grabbing a cracker, loading it with dip, and popping it into his mouth. “Mmmm!” He chewed for a moment, swallowed. “Is this the same recipe you e-mailed to me?”
“I tweaked it a bit here and there, but yeah,” Monroe said, ducking his head a little.
“You two’ve been e-mailing each other recipes?” Hank asked, laughing. “Wu, you have too much time on your hands.”
Suddenly Nick didn’t find it very funny. Rationally, he knew that the more attachments Monroe made the tougher he’d find it to leave. But he hadn’t been prepared for the tightness in his chest at the idea of Monroe bonding with someone else. He blinked, realizing that Monroe was looking at him, the smile slowly sliding off his face as he held the vase protectively in front of him.
“Let me jut go put these in water,” Monroe muttered, heading for the kitchen.
“Real slick there,” Hank said, knowing look on his face.
“See, mine didn’t taste anything like this,” Wu complained, completely oblivious.
Monroe returned with a beer for Wu and instructions to chat among themselves while he finished with the final touches for dinner.
After a few seconds, Nick rose with the excuse of grabbing more beers, leaving Wu with his mouth full and Hank asking how he was going to have space for dinner if he kept inhaling the appetizer. He leaned against the wall, watching Monroe pull a large dish out of the oven, oversized oven mitts hampering his movements. Monroe moved with ease, his shoulders relaxed, a small smile on his face. He finally noticed Nick. “Everything okay out there?”
“Just came in to get more beers,” Nick said easily.
Monroe frowned. “I bought a nice Zinfandel that’ll go really nicely with dinner, but maybe they’d prefer the beer.”
Nick shrugged. “We’ll give ‘em the option. I’ll try the Zinfandel, though,” he said, earning himself a grin that made him a little warm. “You need any help?”
“I forgot to put down a second trivet.” Monroe’s eyes focused on the metal stand on the counter. “Can you bring it along with Detec-Drew’s flowers?”
Nick grabbed the items, inspecting the trivet curiously as he trailed after Monroe, sniffing the air. “Hank was right; it does smell really good.”
“I decided to go with hearty instead of fancy,” Monroe said, waiting until Nick had placed the trivet before putting down the blue casserole dish beside a white dish. “I made shepherd’s pie, with and without meat, with a few additional ingredients.” He took the vase and adjusted it in the middle of the table, sliding it around until he was satisfied with its placement. Standing back, he observed the room.
“What’s wrong?” Nick could tell that Monroe wasn’t happy, but everything looked fine to him.
“I don’t like the table.” Monroe sighed. “But there’s nothing I can do about it right now.”
Granted, Nick couldn’t see much of it underneath the dark brown tablecloth, but it looked fine to him. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s not right for the house,” Monroe muttered before turning away. “Can you get the guys while I go grab those beers?”
“Sure,” Nick said, uncertain about how to react to the table but happy that Monroe didn’t seem to expect a response from him about it. He leaned into the living room to find Hank holding the mostly empty dish of crackers away from Wu, who seemed ready to climb over his partner to reach it. Shaking his head and chuckling, he said, “dinner’s ready,” and left them to detangle themselves.
Of course Monroe had place cards, Nick thought with a smile as he sat across from Hank. Wu sat to his left, leaving Monroe closest to the kitchen. Monroe returned with two beers, but to his obvious pleasure, everyone decided on trying the wine. Nick poured as Monroe explained, “I made shepherd’s pie. The blue dish contains lamb; the white is vegetarian. I figured the pie had enough vegetables that none of you would be upset if we didn’t have a salad with it -” He smiled at Hank and Wu emphatically shook their heads in agreement. “Nick, if you wouldn’t mind.”
It only took Nick a second to realize that Monroe wanted him to start moving the food around the table. Grabbing the blue dish, he scooped up a generous amount and passed it to Wu. He then took the white and added a little more, passing that one along as well and earning him another smile from Monroe. Wu and Hank also took a little of the vegetarian, Hank grinning at Nick. He smiled at Wu and I too, you know.
Nick stared, unimpressed, at Hank. I didn’t see you pouring the wine.
Hank took a deliberate sip and said, “this is really good.”
“It’s a 2000 Clos LaChance Twin Rivers Vineyard Zinfandel,” Monroe explained. “I find that it goes really well with shepherd’s pie.”
“It totally does,” Wu chimed in. He looked around, frowning. “The table doesn’t really go with the room like I thought it would.”
“I know, right?” Monroe said, obviously delighted that Wu agreed with him. “I was just telling Nick that I don’t like it.”
“That’s my fault,” Wu said to Nick. “I was sure it was perfect.”
Hank peeked underneath the table, then sat up and looked at the top. “What’s wrong with it?”
Nick’s eyes widened as he gave a subtle shrug.
“It doesn’t work. I don’t like its size,” Monroe explained.
Wu nodded. “It doesn’t fit in here.”
“We only had forty eight hours to return it. I should’ve tried out the room earlier.” Monroe turned an apologetic frown to Nick.
As much as he hated the bonding Monroe and Wu seemed to be doing, Nick turned to Wu for help. The table looked fine to him. Sure, it felt a little small, only seating four, but he figured it he and Monroe would eat most of the time in the living room in front of the TV.
“I still have Danita’s number; I’ll give her a call in the morning, see what I can work out,” Wu promised.
“Thanks,” Monroe said, pleased.
Wu waved a hand. “She should be giving me a commission considering all of the business I’ve turned her way lately.”
Once again, Nick felt the tendrils of jealousy and didn’t like the feeling one bit. He hadn’t been prepared for it and wasn’t sure how to react.
“There’re a couple of places that’ll custom make a table for you if you can’t find anything you like,” Hank chimed in, smiling smugly as Nick glared at him.
Monroe seemed to sense some tension, because he thanked Hank and changed the subject. “I’ve been wondering.” He turned to Nick. “You and Hank use each other’s first names, but you still call Drew, ‘Wu’.”
“Well, yeah,” Nick said, distracted as he took a bite. “Monroe, this is absolutely fantastic!”
“Thanks!” Monroe beamed. “So when do you start calling him Drew?”
“What do you mean?” Hank asked, scooping up another large forkful and shoving it into his mouth.
“I’m guessing he was Wu because he was a sergeant and you two were detectives. But now he’s a detective too, so shouldn’t everyone be calling him Drew?”
Nick frowned, looking at Hank, who was also looking a little thoughtful. “I never really thought about it.”
Monroe turned to Hank. “Did they ever just call you ‘Griffin’?”
“Yeah,” Hank said, “but I don’t remember exactly when they started calling me Hank instead. It had to have been after I’d made detective…”
Monroe turned to Nick, who said, “Same here.” He’d never really thought about it before, but he looked at Wu and couldn’t imagine ever calling the man, ‘Drew’, uniform or no.
Wu laughed. “I wouldn’t think I’d answer if either of them tried that. I’m used to Wu, at least as far as these schmoes are concerned.”
“You could introduce yourself as Drew to the new cops,” Monroe suggested.
“Newbies get to call me, ‘Detective Wu,” Wu said pertly. He blinked. “I almost forgot. I ran into your short order cook a few hours ago.” He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Monroe.
Automatically taking the paper, Monroe frowned, asking, “When did I get a short order cook?”
“The kid from the diner,” Wu said. “The apples and onions guy dating the waitress.” He looked at Hank. “We went to this diner for lunch the day we bought the furniture, and it turns out that Monroe had been working a little love magic on the coworkers.”
“Brenda and Tony,” Monroe reminded Nick.
“Wow,” Nick said, sitting back as he remembered that Brenda had been trying to catch Monroe’s eye when they’d eaten there. He found that he liked the idea of Brenda and Tony together. He watched Monroe unfold the paper and stare at it. “What does it say?”
“Evidently his dad wants me to give him a call,” Monroe said, brow furrowed.
“Probably wants to thank you for cutting down on the potential poisoning lawsuits,” Wu said, licking his fork. “Hey, I like these forks.”
Monroe brightened. “I thought they had a nice balance.”
Wu waved it in the air in front of him. “They really do. I like the tines, too.”
“I was trying to decide between…”
Hank looked at Nick, mouthing, “Tines?”
Nick just shook his head. Seriously. Don’t ask.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Hank said, not sounding sorry at all, “but does the note say what the guy wants to talk to you about?”
“No, it just asks that I call him and that he works late so I can call up to midnight if it’s convenient.”
The rest of dinner passed quickly, without any awkward moments when they mentioned events that’d happened in the last few years. Nick had been a little worried about that, but he figured it was something they were going to have to deal with at some point anyway. Might as well do it with friends.
They took dessert outside on the patio, Monroe bringing out a warmed apple pie with their choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. They sat in the coolness, enjoying the dessert in relative silence.
The detectives had to work the next day, so after a quick tour of the basement (Wu to Monroe: “Obviously, this is our next project after we fix that dining room table.” Hank to Nick: “If you want this as your man-cave, you need to get on it before those two find the perfect table and move on to this room.”), Hank and Wu thanked Nick and Monroe for the dinner and departed.
“I thought that went well,” Monroe said as he cleaned the dishes before handing them to Nick.
“It was fun,” Nick agreed, loading the dishwasher. “And your food was a success.”
“No leftovers,” Monroe said, tilting the empty white casserole dish. “Not even the vegetarian.”
The door rang, and Nick immediately tensed, looking at a stilled Monroe. “I’m sure it’s probably Hank or Wu, realizing that they forgot something.”
Monroe nodded, whispering. “You have your gun, though, right?”
“Not on me,” Nick said, holding out his arms. He turned toward the door.
“Nick!” Monroe whispered.
Nick turned around to find Monroe holding out a large black skillet. He must’ve given Monroe a look, because Monroe said, “Hey, it’s better than nothing. Just be careful, because I’ve started seasoning it.”
Nick rolled his eyes and grabbed the skillet, adjusting his grip once he realized how heavy it was. He revised his sarcastic opinion of Monroe’s choice and peered through the peephole, relaxing once he saw Barry’s eyeball looking back at him.
He unlocked and opened the door. “Hey, Barry.”
“Nick! Guess who just got home!” He stepped aside, and Roddy stepped up, smiling.
“Hey!” Nick reached out and gave the Reinigen a one-armed hug. “How’s college treating you?”
“It’s going really good,” Roddy said. “I thought I’d come say hi to Monroe unless, you know, it’s a bad time.”
“No! Come on in.” Nick stepped back and let the two through. “He’s in the kitchen.”
Barry led the way, nodding as they passed through the living room. “That sofa looks way more comfortable than the floor.”
“Monroe’s been busy,” Nick agreed.
Roddy had just escaped from Monroe’s hearty hug when Nick heard another knock on the door.
“That’s probably the rest of them,” Roddy said, opening up the refrigerator and sticking his head inside.
Nick’s eyes immediately met Monroe’s and they smiled at each other before Nick turned and opened the door for the rest of the kids. He waved at Holly’s mom as she pulled away.
“Hey, Nick!” Hanson bumped fists with Nick as he and Gracie slipped past. Holly grinned, pulled behind Gracie as they held hands.
He returned to the kitchen after locking the door to find the place filled with noise and movement. Barry was telling Monroe about college while continuing to stand between Monroe and the dishwasher, while Roddy complained that all he saw were fruits and vegetables and there had to be pizza or chips or something edible somewhere in the kitchen. Hanson was drinking orange juice from the container - obviously behind an oblivious Monroe’s back - and Grace sat on the counter beside him, waiting her turn. Holly slowly sidled toward Monroe, sniffing and looking a little confused.
Nick just leaned against the wall, smiling at his strange little family.
Entry with links to each chapter
Chapter 15
Nick stared at Monroe, confused. He’d come downstairs, happily envisioning a night’s walk with his best friend only to find Monroe on his hands and knees, gasping like he couldn’t catch his breath. The next thing he knew, he was crouched beside the Blutbad, unsure of what he could do to help. And now Monroe sat there, goofy smile on his face. “You woged?”
“No, I’m not there yet. But - ” Monroe’s brow furrowed as he tried to explain himself, something that Nick tried not to consider adorable “ - I felt it inside. The wolf. I felt him in here.” He pressed a fist against his stomach.” He gave a little chuckle, again not adorable, Nick reminded himself. “I’m coming back. I can feel it.” He stretched out his hand. “I don’t know about the nails…”
Nick grasped the shaking hand. “They’ll come back too, just in their own time.”
Monroe’s eyebrows lifted as he smiled. “Now you’re an expert?”
Nick held out his own hands, wiggling his fingers. “I get a mani every week. Can’t you tell?”
Monroe snorted, holding onto the bottles in his shirt pockets as he slowly rose to his feet. “I can’t believe these didn’t fall out.”
“You’re more graceful that I gave you credit for,” Nick teased as he returned to the living room for his beers. Choosing to forego the pockets in his jeans this time in favor of the ones in his jacket and shirt, he returned to Monroe’s side, noting his friend’s straightened posture and happy eyes. Monroe’s goofy grin was infectious, and Nick found himself sending one right back as they walked down the deck stairs and headed toward the fence.
Monroe popped open a beer and handed it to Nick. “Drink up.”
Pulling out one of his own, he handed it to Monroe. “Right back at’cha.” He was prepared for the confused look Monroe shot him. “You really didn’t think I was planning on peeing on nine acres all by myself, did you?”
“But - ” Monroe started.
Nick didn’t give him a chance to continue. “Even if I could drink the copious amount of liquid to enable me to mark that much territory, I’m not the only one who lives here.”
“It’s your -”
“No, it’s our,” Nick said calmly, taking a sip and walking past a frowning Monroe. “Now how does this work? Do I have to just start and walk backwards as I pee or what?”
Monroe rolled his eyes. “Did you ever own a dog?”
Nick grinned, shaking his head. “Aunt Marie wasn’t really fond of pets.”
“I guess that’s not a surprise,” Monroe conceded. “You don’t have to mark every inch, just here and there so your scent covers the area.”
“Can we take turns, or do we need to mix our scents?”
“I can’t talk you out of this?”
Nick ignored Monroe’s plaintive tone and continued to stare at Monroe until the Blutbad sighed and took a sip of beer.
A few hours later, bladders and bottles emptied, they staggered up the deck stairs, leaning on each other for support. Monroe was wiping tears out of his eyes as he continued to laugh as Nick finished his story about an altercation with a visiting Seelengut who’d accidentally gotten separated from the tour group.
“It’s not funny,” Nick said, the smile in his voice belaying his words. “You can’t imagine the bruises those hooves leave.”
“So it was basically a drive-by hoofing?” Monroe leaned against the side of the house as Nick dug in his pocket for the house keys.
Nick shook his head, a corner of his mouth raised. He opened the door, heading straight for the living room.
“Hey, you know that out of everyone, I’m the last to tell you that they aren’t dangerous,” Monroe reminded him, dropping the empty bottles into the recycling bin in the kitchen. “Did you end up having to make an arrest?”
“It finally got through that I was just trying to help, and by the time everything settled, the tour group was back.”
“Let me guess; you ended up being a big hero, saving the poor sheep from being lost forever.” Monroe collapsed beside Nick, leaning against his shoulder.
“I did get some pie,” Nick admitted, enjoying the warmth spreading through his body.
“So what was his name? The bruising Seelengut?”
A brief pause before, “Susanna.”
Monroe’s laughter carried throughout the house.
Two days later, Monroe and Nick finally had Wu and Hank over for dinner.
“I wasn’t sure what kind of wine to bring, so I just brought beer,” Hank said with a grin when Nick opened the door. The former partners looked each other over, grinning as they realized that except for Hank’s jacket, they’d dressed exactly alike - blue jeans, blue button-down shirts under dark blazers.
“Thanks, man,” Nick said, grabbing the beer and leading Hank inside. He took Hank’s coat and hung it on the coat rack Monroe had waxed poetic about finding the day before.
“Wow,” Hank said, whistling at the living room. “This looks fantastic.”
“Thanks to Wu,” Monroe shouted from the kitchen. “He’s a fantastic decorator.”
“Who knew?” Hank said quietly to Nick, no surprise in his voice but a smile on his lips.
“I certainly didn’t,” Monroe chirped as he scuttled around the kitchen, unaware of the look between Hank and Nick.
He heard that? Hank’s look asked.
Nick’s return look said, Yep. Looks like he’s getting his mojo back.
You didn’t tell me he’d lost it. Hank’s look chided Nick.
Not my story to tell, Nick’s face said.
Fair enough, Hank shrugged.
“You two doing that partners reading each other’s minds thing again?” Monroe asked, walking into the room with two spoons.
“Ex partners,” Nick reminded him.
“Technicalities,” Hank said, turning to Monroe. “I brought beer.” He sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re making, but it smells good in here.”
“Thanks! Try this and tell me what you think.” Monroe held a spoon at each man’s mouth.
“Umm,” Nick said, trying to come up with an excuse not to try the greenish creamy looking mixture in front of him.
“I’m the guest, so I think I’ll just wait until you’ve ironed out the bugs,” Hank said.
Rolling his eyes, Monroe said, “It’s not going to make you sick. Just tell me if it needs a little kick.”
“But - ” Nick opened his mouth to form an excuse but found it filled when Monroe simply shoved in the spoon.
“Wow,” Hank said, surprised. “That was kind of unfai -”
Monroe shoved the other spoon into Hank’s mouth.
Nick swallowed, realizing that the mixture was actually quite good. He looked over to Hank, who seemed to be feeling the same way. “Not bad,” he admitted.
“Not bad my ass. That was really good,” Hank said with a smile.
“Great!” Monroe beamed, collecting the spoons in one hand so he could grab the six-pack with his free hand. “I’ll go put these in the fridge.”
Nick grabbed two bottles before Monroe left and tilted his head toward the sofa, and they ambled over, Nick flopping on the couch as Hank walked around the room. “Monroe says that we need a few more things in here.”
“You have a large screen TV and surround sound. What else do you need?”
“I have no idea,” Nick shrugged.
“Maybe a Blu-ray player, or is he gonna get one of those shelves for figurines and stuff?”
“I’m a little afraid to ask,” Nick admitted.
“You don’t seem to mind, though,” Hank said under the clanging of pots and pans.
Nick smiled, enjoying the feel of having a home again and people he loved around him. “I really don’t. It seems to make him happy -”
“ - and if it’ll keep him around, even better,” Hank finished.
Nick held up his bottle in response, and Hank gently knocked against it with his own.
Monroe bustled back into the room with more of the mixture in a large bowl with a platter filled with at least three different types of crackers and chips. He paused at the sound of the doorbell, quickly placing the dishes on the coffee table beside the four saucers and napkins he’d put there earlier. “I’ll get it. Help yourselves to the dip.”
“He seems to be settling in well,” Hank said as Monroe enthusiastically greeted Wu.
Nick’s eyes roved over Monroe’s flannel shirt - grey/blue this time, enjoying the pull of it over Monroe’s shoulders.
The Blutbad had worried over his wardrobe earlier. “I only bought a few flannel shirts and Henleys. I knew we were going to be entertaining; why didn’t I get a blazer?”
“Relax,” Nick had told him, opening his arms to his sides to show off his long-sleeved t-shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. “I’m going for casual, and I’m sure Hank and Wu will do the same.” He didn’t mention the quick chat they’d had at a crime scene earlier that day.
Monroe’s eyes had traveled over Nick like a starving man in front of a delicacy, and Nick’s heart began to pound a little faster. Without realizing it, he’d stepped forward, the urge to get closer to Monroe undeniable.
Hank’s ringing the doorbell had ended the moment, but Nick still felt the warmth of Monroe’s appreciative inspection down to his toes.
Hank cleared his voice, jerking Nick back into the present, and Nick turned to him, words he’d planned on saying forgotten. Hank grinned.
“What?”
“Nothin’,” Hank said quickly, still smiling as he dipped a chip and popped it into his mouth.
“Look at these gorgeous flowers Detective Wu brought!” Monroe smiled brightly as he led Wu into the room.
“Drew please,” Wu said, grinning. He’d dressed up a little for the evening, more than he’d told them earlier, wearing a dark blazer over a turtleneck and dark blue jeans and seemed immune to Nick’s glare. “Hey, guys.” He immediately focused on the food. “That looks good. Scootch over.” He inserted himself on the sofa between Nick and Hank, immediately grabbing a cracker, loading it with dip, and popping it into his mouth. “Mmmm!” He chewed for a moment, swallowed. “Is this the same recipe you e-mailed to me?”
“I tweaked it a bit here and there, but yeah,” Monroe said, ducking his head a little.
“You two’ve been e-mailing each other recipes?” Hank asked, laughing. “Wu, you have too much time on your hands.”
Suddenly Nick didn’t find it very funny. Rationally, he knew that the more attachments Monroe made the tougher he’d find it to leave. But he hadn’t been prepared for the tightness in his chest at the idea of Monroe bonding with someone else. He blinked, realizing that Monroe was looking at him, the smile slowly sliding off his face as he held the vase protectively in front of him.
“Let me jut go put these in water,” Monroe muttered, heading for the kitchen.
“Real slick there,” Hank said, knowing look on his face.
“See, mine didn’t taste anything like this,” Wu complained, completely oblivious.
Monroe returned with a beer for Wu and instructions to chat among themselves while he finished with the final touches for dinner.
After a few seconds, Nick rose with the excuse of grabbing more beers, leaving Wu with his mouth full and Hank asking how he was going to have space for dinner if he kept inhaling the appetizer. He leaned against the wall, watching Monroe pull a large dish out of the oven, oversized oven mitts hampering his movements. Monroe moved with ease, his shoulders relaxed, a small smile on his face. He finally noticed Nick. “Everything okay out there?”
“Just came in to get more beers,” Nick said easily.
Monroe frowned. “I bought a nice Zinfandel that’ll go really nicely with dinner, but maybe they’d prefer the beer.”
Nick shrugged. “We’ll give ‘em the option. I’ll try the Zinfandel, though,” he said, earning himself a grin that made him a little warm. “You need any help?”
“I forgot to put down a second trivet.” Monroe’s eyes focused on the metal stand on the counter. “Can you bring it along with Detec-Drew’s flowers?”
Nick grabbed the items, inspecting the trivet curiously as he trailed after Monroe, sniffing the air. “Hank was right; it does smell really good.”
“I decided to go with hearty instead of fancy,” Monroe said, waiting until Nick had placed the trivet before putting down the blue casserole dish beside a white dish. “I made shepherd’s pie, with and without meat, with a few additional ingredients.” He took the vase and adjusted it in the middle of the table, sliding it around until he was satisfied with its placement. Standing back, he observed the room.
“What’s wrong?” Nick could tell that Monroe wasn’t happy, but everything looked fine to him.
“I don’t like the table.” Monroe sighed. “But there’s nothing I can do about it right now.”
Granted, Nick couldn’t see much of it underneath the dark brown tablecloth, but it looked fine to him. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s not right for the house,” Monroe muttered before turning away. “Can you get the guys while I go grab those beers?”
“Sure,” Nick said, uncertain about how to react to the table but happy that Monroe didn’t seem to expect a response from him about it. He leaned into the living room to find Hank holding the mostly empty dish of crackers away from Wu, who seemed ready to climb over his partner to reach it. Shaking his head and chuckling, he said, “dinner’s ready,” and left them to detangle themselves.
Of course Monroe had place cards, Nick thought with a smile as he sat across from Hank. Wu sat to his left, leaving Monroe closest to the kitchen. Monroe returned with two beers, but to his obvious pleasure, everyone decided on trying the wine. Nick poured as Monroe explained, “I made shepherd’s pie. The blue dish contains lamb; the white is vegetarian. I figured the pie had enough vegetables that none of you would be upset if we didn’t have a salad with it -” He smiled at Hank and Wu emphatically shook their heads in agreement. “Nick, if you wouldn’t mind.”
It only took Nick a second to realize that Monroe wanted him to start moving the food around the table. Grabbing the blue dish, he scooped up a generous amount and passed it to Wu. He then took the white and added a little more, passing that one along as well and earning him another smile from Monroe. Wu and Hank also took a little of the vegetarian, Hank grinning at Nick. He smiled at Wu and I too, you know.
Nick stared, unimpressed, at Hank. I didn’t see you pouring the wine.
Hank took a deliberate sip and said, “this is really good.”
“It’s a 2000 Clos LaChance Twin Rivers Vineyard Zinfandel,” Monroe explained. “I find that it goes really well with shepherd’s pie.”
“It totally does,” Wu chimed in. He looked around, frowning. “The table doesn’t really go with the room like I thought it would.”
“I know, right?” Monroe said, obviously delighted that Wu agreed with him. “I was just telling Nick that I don’t like it.”
“That’s my fault,” Wu said to Nick. “I was sure it was perfect.”
Hank peeked underneath the table, then sat up and looked at the top. “What’s wrong with it?”
Nick’s eyes widened as he gave a subtle shrug.
“It doesn’t work. I don’t like its size,” Monroe explained.
Wu nodded. “It doesn’t fit in here.”
“We only had forty eight hours to return it. I should’ve tried out the room earlier.” Monroe turned an apologetic frown to Nick.
As much as he hated the bonding Monroe and Wu seemed to be doing, Nick turned to Wu for help. The table looked fine to him. Sure, it felt a little small, only seating four, but he figured it he and Monroe would eat most of the time in the living room in front of the TV.
“I still have Danita’s number; I’ll give her a call in the morning, see what I can work out,” Wu promised.
“Thanks,” Monroe said, pleased.
Wu waved a hand. “She should be giving me a commission considering all of the business I’ve turned her way lately.”
Once again, Nick felt the tendrils of jealousy and didn’t like the feeling one bit. He hadn’t been prepared for it and wasn’t sure how to react.
“There’re a couple of places that’ll custom make a table for you if you can’t find anything you like,” Hank chimed in, smiling smugly as Nick glared at him.
Monroe seemed to sense some tension, because he thanked Hank and changed the subject. “I’ve been wondering.” He turned to Nick. “You and Hank use each other’s first names, but you still call Drew, ‘Wu’.”
“Well, yeah,” Nick said, distracted as he took a bite. “Monroe, this is absolutely fantastic!”
“Thanks!” Monroe beamed. “So when do you start calling him Drew?”
“What do you mean?” Hank asked, scooping up another large forkful and shoving it into his mouth.
“I’m guessing he was Wu because he was a sergeant and you two were detectives. But now he’s a detective too, so shouldn’t everyone be calling him Drew?”
Nick frowned, looking at Hank, who was also looking a little thoughtful. “I never really thought about it.”
Monroe turned to Hank. “Did they ever just call you ‘Griffin’?”
“Yeah,” Hank said, “but I don’t remember exactly when they started calling me Hank instead. It had to have been after I’d made detective…”
Monroe turned to Nick, who said, “Same here.” He’d never really thought about it before, but he looked at Wu and couldn’t imagine ever calling the man, ‘Drew’, uniform or no.
Wu laughed. “I wouldn’t think I’d answer if either of them tried that. I’m used to Wu, at least as far as these schmoes are concerned.”
“You could introduce yourself as Drew to the new cops,” Monroe suggested.
“Newbies get to call me, ‘Detective Wu,” Wu said pertly. He blinked. “I almost forgot. I ran into your short order cook a few hours ago.” He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Monroe.
Automatically taking the paper, Monroe frowned, asking, “When did I get a short order cook?”
“The kid from the diner,” Wu said. “The apples and onions guy dating the waitress.” He looked at Hank. “We went to this diner for lunch the day we bought the furniture, and it turns out that Monroe had been working a little love magic on the coworkers.”
“Brenda and Tony,” Monroe reminded Nick.
“Wow,” Nick said, sitting back as he remembered that Brenda had been trying to catch Monroe’s eye when they’d eaten there. He found that he liked the idea of Brenda and Tony together. He watched Monroe unfold the paper and stare at it. “What does it say?”
“Evidently his dad wants me to give him a call,” Monroe said, brow furrowed.
“Probably wants to thank you for cutting down on the potential poisoning lawsuits,” Wu said, licking his fork. “Hey, I like these forks.”
Monroe brightened. “I thought they had a nice balance.”
Wu waved it in the air in front of him. “They really do. I like the tines, too.”
“I was trying to decide between…”
Hank looked at Nick, mouthing, “Tines?”
Nick just shook his head. Seriously. Don’t ask.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Hank said, not sounding sorry at all, “but does the note say what the guy wants to talk to you about?”
“No, it just asks that I call him and that he works late so I can call up to midnight if it’s convenient.”
The rest of dinner passed quickly, without any awkward moments when they mentioned events that’d happened in the last few years. Nick had been a little worried about that, but he figured it was something they were going to have to deal with at some point anyway. Might as well do it with friends.
They took dessert outside on the patio, Monroe bringing out a warmed apple pie with their choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. They sat in the coolness, enjoying the dessert in relative silence.
The detectives had to work the next day, so after a quick tour of the basement (Wu to Monroe: “Obviously, this is our next project after we fix that dining room table.” Hank to Nick: “If you want this as your man-cave, you need to get on it before those two find the perfect table and move on to this room.”), Hank and Wu thanked Nick and Monroe for the dinner and departed.
“I thought that went well,” Monroe said as he cleaned the dishes before handing them to Nick.
“It was fun,” Nick agreed, loading the dishwasher. “And your food was a success.”
“No leftovers,” Monroe said, tilting the empty white casserole dish. “Not even the vegetarian.”
The door rang, and Nick immediately tensed, looking at a stilled Monroe. “I’m sure it’s probably Hank or Wu, realizing that they forgot something.”
Monroe nodded, whispering. “You have your gun, though, right?”
“Not on me,” Nick said, holding out his arms. He turned toward the door.
“Nick!” Monroe whispered.
Nick turned around to find Monroe holding out a large black skillet. He must’ve given Monroe a look, because Monroe said, “Hey, it’s better than nothing. Just be careful, because I’ve started seasoning it.”
Nick rolled his eyes and grabbed the skillet, adjusting his grip once he realized how heavy it was. He revised his sarcastic opinion of Monroe’s choice and peered through the peephole, relaxing once he saw Barry’s eyeball looking back at him.
He unlocked and opened the door. “Hey, Barry.”
“Nick! Guess who just got home!” He stepped aside, and Roddy stepped up, smiling.
“Hey!” Nick reached out and gave the Reinigen a one-armed hug. “How’s college treating you?”
“It’s going really good,” Roddy said. “I thought I’d come say hi to Monroe unless, you know, it’s a bad time.”
“No! Come on in.” Nick stepped back and let the two through. “He’s in the kitchen.”
Barry led the way, nodding as they passed through the living room. “That sofa looks way more comfortable than the floor.”
“Monroe’s been busy,” Nick agreed.
Roddy had just escaped from Monroe’s hearty hug when Nick heard another knock on the door.
“That’s probably the rest of them,” Roddy said, opening up the refrigerator and sticking his head inside.
Nick’s eyes immediately met Monroe’s and they smiled at each other before Nick turned and opened the door for the rest of the kids. He waved at Holly’s mom as she pulled away.
“Hey, Nick!” Hanson bumped fists with Nick as he and Gracie slipped past. Holly grinned, pulled behind Gracie as they held hands.
He returned to the kitchen after locking the door to find the place filled with noise and movement. Barry was telling Monroe about college while continuing to stand between Monroe and the dishwasher, while Roddy complained that all he saw were fruits and vegetables and there had to be pizza or chips or something edible somewhere in the kitchen. Hanson was drinking orange juice from the container - obviously behind an oblivious Monroe’s back - and Grace sat on the counter beside him, waiting her turn. Holly slowly sidled toward Monroe, sniffing and looking a little confused.
Nick just leaned against the wall, smiling at his strange little family.
Entry with links to each chapter