Grimm: From Some Other Beginning's End (Renard/Juliette PG)
Title: From Some Other Beginning's End
Author: Shealynn88
Characters: Renard/Juliette, Nick/Juliette
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1050 words
Spoilers: 2x2
Summary: There's no Nick-shaped hole in her life, waiting to be filled; there's just...nothing
Not a sound was to be heard, nothing moved except for the clocks, but when they too ran down, they stopped, and time stopped with them. Not even the faintest rustle was to be heard, only the wind whistling round the turrets, not a single voice, only the cry of birds.
- Sleeping Beauty
Juliette grips her bag tightly as she walks through the double doors. She has to do this. She has to get to the bottom of all of this.
“Juliette, isn't it?”
She turns. “Oh, hi. Yes.” She shakes his offered hand awkwardly. “Captain Renard.”
“Please, call me Sean.” His handshake is firm and he's watching her intently.
She mouths the syllable of his name, only realizing it when he smiles in response. She feels her face flush red and turns away self-consciously to scan the open layout of the offices.
He releases her hand and turns slightly to follow her gaze. “Nick is out on a call, but I can call him back if you need me to.”
She shakes her head adamantly before she remembers herself. She forces her voice into something nonchalant. “Oh, no, that's all right. Actually, I...I was just here to...umm...” She's not sure how to explain that she's just searching for clues. For his desk, maybe, or for Hank.
The last person she wants to talk to right now is Nick.
“You're still having trouble...?” he points to his head and gestures vaguely. His eyebrows are drawn low in concern and he's completely intent on her - shoulders slightly curved, leaning forward - as if he's shielding her from some great storm. As if she's the only thing in the room that matters.
She glances away again, licking her lips nervously.
“Yeah,” she says with a shrug. “I still can't really remember...”
“I'm sorry to hear that.” His fingers curl around her arm in sympathy. “Nick is a great guy. One of my best detectives. And he loves you very much.”
Juliette takes a deep breath. That's exactly what scares her. Worries her. Makes her anxious and sad and in a constant state of sorry. It's very clear that he loves her and wants her back...but she doesn't know him, and, worse, she doesn't miss him. There's no Nick-shaped hole in her life, waiting to be filled; there's just...nothing. She feels complete and whole without him, and it's the worst part of this whole mess. Knowing that he's this perfect guy who loves her and that she's supposed to feel the same...
“Yeah, I know,” she says finally. “I just...” she laughs a little bit, and it comes out shaky and small. “Can we...talk about something else?”
“Of course,” he nods and points to the corner office. “Why don't you come sit down for a minute. Can I get you some coffee?”
She nods gratefully, glad to have some breathing room. He feels overwhelming and...complicated. Right now, she needs to figure out this thing with Nick. There's no room for her to feel like...this.
She heads for the office, and the Captain - Sean, she reminds herself - meets her at the door with two mugs of coffee. He gestures for her to go ahead and then follows her inside, setting her mug down on one side of the desk before he moves around to the other side.
“I'm sorry,” he says. “I meant to ask you - how are you doing? Are you back to work?”
She smiles, grateful for the change of subject. “Yes, I'm back part time. Just office visits for now, but I hope to be back in surgery next week - I just want to get my schedule back, you know? I want to feel like that part of my life, at least, is back to normal.”
“You're a veterinarian?”
“Yes.” She's surprised that she expected him to know that - as if they've met more than once or twice before this - and then she's surprised that he does know. “Am I water cooler gossip around here?” she jokes half-heartedly.
He smiles and her stomach flutters. “No, not at all. I just...I like to know all the members of our family here.” The wave of his hand encompasses the entire building. “Even the distant ones.”
She nods and smiles weakly as the reality of the conversation settles in. It all goes back to Nick. “Of course, right. I'm...” she gestures at the door. “I'm gonna go. I'm so sorry to have taken your time, I know you have much more important things to do...” She grabs her bag and jumps up, embarrassed. She waves at him as he gets up to escort her out. “Oh, no, really, I'm fine. I just...I shouldn't have come and...and bothered you, I really am sorry.”
He reaches her before she can walk away, and his light touch roots her to the floor. “Juliette.” She's never heard her name sound like that. There's some sort of accent under it, some emphasis that no one else uses. Her throat feels suddenly tight. “Please,” he says kindly, oblivious to her reaction. “You're no bother.” He hands her a business card. “Call anytime, for anything. I'm here if you need me.”
She's knows it's only because he sees her as Nick's, but it feels intimate. Her pulse pounds in her ears like the ocean, and she pastes on another smile to hide it. “Thank you, Captain...Sean.” She pulls away carefully, backing out the door. “I...appreciate your time.”
She starts to breathe again once she hits the sidewalk, and her world feels suddenly tilted. It's the worst time in the world for her to feel like this...and probably the worst person to feel it for.
She shoves it all aside. One thing at a time. And right now, that thing has to be Nick.
Sean takes a sip of coffee and watches Juliette stumble out the front door. He very carefully doesn't think about the way her hand felt in his, or her shy smile, or the way her eyes widened when he touched her. His job is to get her back with Nick - he didn't go through Hell to get himself a bedmate. This was all for the Plan: all to keep Nick here, under his rule.
But the thought comes, unbidden:
Sleeping Beauty didn't live happily ever after with a peasant. No, it was the Prince that brought her back from sleep and won her heart...
Author: Shealynn88
Characters: Renard/Juliette, Nick/Juliette
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1050 words
Spoilers: 2x2
Summary: There's no Nick-shaped hole in her life, waiting to be filled; there's just...nothing
Not a sound was to be heard, nothing moved except for the clocks, but when they too ran down, they stopped, and time stopped with them. Not even the faintest rustle was to be heard, only the wind whistling round the turrets, not a single voice, only the cry of birds.
- Sleeping Beauty
Juliette grips her bag tightly as she walks through the double doors. She has to do this. She has to get to the bottom of all of this.
“Juliette, isn't it?”
She turns. “Oh, hi. Yes.” She shakes his offered hand awkwardly. “Captain Renard.”
“Please, call me Sean.” His handshake is firm and he's watching her intently.
She mouths the syllable of his name, only realizing it when he smiles in response. She feels her face flush red and turns away self-consciously to scan the open layout of the offices.
He releases her hand and turns slightly to follow her gaze. “Nick is out on a call, but I can call him back if you need me to.”
She shakes her head adamantly before she remembers herself. She forces her voice into something nonchalant. “Oh, no, that's all right. Actually, I...I was just here to...umm...” She's not sure how to explain that she's just searching for clues. For his desk, maybe, or for Hank.
The last person she wants to talk to right now is Nick.
“You're still having trouble...?” he points to his head and gestures vaguely. His eyebrows are drawn low in concern and he's completely intent on her - shoulders slightly curved, leaning forward - as if he's shielding her from some great storm. As if she's the only thing in the room that matters.
She glances away again, licking her lips nervously.
“Yeah,” she says with a shrug. “I still can't really remember...”
“I'm sorry to hear that.” His fingers curl around her arm in sympathy. “Nick is a great guy. One of my best detectives. And he loves you very much.”
Juliette takes a deep breath. That's exactly what scares her. Worries her. Makes her anxious and sad and in a constant state of sorry. It's very clear that he loves her and wants her back...but she doesn't know him, and, worse, she doesn't miss him. There's no Nick-shaped hole in her life, waiting to be filled; there's just...nothing. She feels complete and whole without him, and it's the worst part of this whole mess. Knowing that he's this perfect guy who loves her and that she's supposed to feel the same...
“Yeah, I know,” she says finally. “I just...” she laughs a little bit, and it comes out shaky and small. “Can we...talk about something else?”
“Of course,” he nods and points to the corner office. “Why don't you come sit down for a minute. Can I get you some coffee?”
She nods gratefully, glad to have some breathing room. He feels overwhelming and...complicated. Right now, she needs to figure out this thing with Nick. There's no room for her to feel like...this.
She heads for the office, and the Captain - Sean, she reminds herself - meets her at the door with two mugs of coffee. He gestures for her to go ahead and then follows her inside, setting her mug down on one side of the desk before he moves around to the other side.
“I'm sorry,” he says. “I meant to ask you - how are you doing? Are you back to work?”
She smiles, grateful for the change of subject. “Yes, I'm back part time. Just office visits for now, but I hope to be back in surgery next week - I just want to get my schedule back, you know? I want to feel like that part of my life, at least, is back to normal.”
“You're a veterinarian?”
“Yes.” She's surprised that she expected him to know that - as if they've met more than once or twice before this - and then she's surprised that he does know. “Am I water cooler gossip around here?” she jokes half-heartedly.
He smiles and her stomach flutters. “No, not at all. I just...I like to know all the members of our family here.” The wave of his hand encompasses the entire building. “Even the distant ones.”
She nods and smiles weakly as the reality of the conversation settles in. It all goes back to Nick. “Of course, right. I'm...” she gestures at the door. “I'm gonna go. I'm so sorry to have taken your time, I know you have much more important things to do...” She grabs her bag and jumps up, embarrassed. She waves at him as he gets up to escort her out. “Oh, no, really, I'm fine. I just...I shouldn't have come and...and bothered you, I really am sorry.”
He reaches her before she can walk away, and his light touch roots her to the floor. “Juliette.” She's never heard her name sound like that. There's some sort of accent under it, some emphasis that no one else uses. Her throat feels suddenly tight. “Please,” he says kindly, oblivious to her reaction. “You're no bother.” He hands her a business card. “Call anytime, for anything. I'm here if you need me.”
She's knows it's only because he sees her as Nick's, but it feels intimate. Her pulse pounds in her ears like the ocean, and she pastes on another smile to hide it. “Thank you, Captain...Sean.” She pulls away carefully, backing out the door. “I...appreciate your time.”
She starts to breathe again once she hits the sidewalk, and her world feels suddenly tilted. It's the worst time in the world for her to feel like this...and probably the worst person to feel it for.
She shoves it all aside. One thing at a time. And right now, that thing has to be Nick.
Sean takes a sip of coffee and watches Juliette stumble out the front door. He very carefully doesn't think about the way her hand felt in his, or her shy smile, or the way her eyes widened when he touched her. His job is to get her back with Nick - he didn't go through Hell to get himself a bedmate. This was all for the Plan: all to keep Nick here, under his rule.
But the thought comes, unbidden:
Sleeping Beauty didn't live happily ever after with a peasant. No, it was the Prince that brought her back from sleep and won her heart...