Chapter Six
Chapter Six
There was a pounding on her door. She didn’t answer it, didn’t go to look to see who it was. It didn’t matter who it was, it was no one good. She knew that without a shadow of a doubt because right now she didn’t have a friend in the world. There was not one person in the god-forsaken world who would want to talk to her right now, that she would want to talk to. She ignored the increasing insistence of the knocking. She wondered if she could call the cops. It might help, but it might not. Nick had influence and so did Sean. Even if she called the cops it would be easy enough for Sean to intervene, say that Adalind had been causing trouble and she was lying, no matter what she said. The knocking stopped. There was a sound, and she knew what was coming. She grabbed her cellphone off the table and began to dial as the door opened. She moved back holding one hand up to her intruder while the call went through.
“Do you think that’s going to make a difference?” His smile was twisted and unkind while he reached for her. She stumbled back, and he followed her, grabbed the phone from her hand and held it up to his ear listening to the voice on the other side.
“This is Burkhardt; I was in the area when I saw something happening. I’ve got it covered; I’ll call if I need backup.” With that he hung up the phone and threw it down on the counter. It was just them now.
“What do you want from me?” Her voice was desperate; she didn’t try to hide her fear. There was no point. But she didn’t understand why he was here. He had already taken everything from her. She had nothing left.
He took a step closer to her, and she took a step back. She backed away until she felt the wall at her back. He stalked towards her slowly; everything about him spoke to the predator that she now understood he was. She had thought she was in control, she had thought she could manipulate him and play him. But now she understood she had never been in control. He was her natural enemy, and all she had done was make him hate more than he had before. She had played with forces she couldn’t control and now it was her turn to pay. Her hand slid back along the counter trying to feel for a knife or something to defend herself with. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
“I want to know what you did to me.” He spoke slowly, leaning in. “Tell me what you did.”
“You know what I did. And what does it matter now, Rosalee fixed you. It’s over now, why won’t you just leave me alone?”
“Not that. What did you do me since then? There’s something wrong with me, and you have to be the cause. You need to fix me. Now.”
She shook her head in denial to his words and to the whole situation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything to you. I couldn’t do anything to you. I don’t have my powers anymore, you made sure of that. If there’s something wrong with you then it has nothing to do with me.”
“No. It has to be you. It’s like before, I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re in my head, in my dreams. I can’t get rid of you. It’s like you’re there all the time. I can’t look at anyone else; all I can think of is you.”
Her eyes widened at that. Is that what this was about? She felt a small thrill in the pit of his stomach, something deep that had been growing in her since she first saw Nick. Something she had desperately wanted to deny. It couldn’t be real, what she felt, it couldn’t be real. But if Nick felt it too she might be able to use it to her advantage.
“Maybe… Maybe it’s not me. Maybe it’s not obsession or spells. Maybe it’s something else. Nick, I think it might be love.” It was a stretch, and she held her breath for a beat while she waited for an answer. She saw surprise then suspicion pass over his features.
“This isn’t love. Do you even know what love is?” His voice was sharp. She had betrayed him. It struck her with an unexpected force. She had put him under her spell, manipulated and twisted him. But somewhere in there the spark of something deep and real had been ignited. And when he found out what she had done it had been a betrayal. She thought of the way she felt about Sean. That hadn’t been love, it had been something deep and intense, but never love. But he was wrong; she did understand what love was. It had taken her a long time to understand, but she finally knew.
Her free hand went to her stomach in an unconsciously protective gesture. “Yes, I think I do.” His eyes narrowed, and she wondered if he thought she was playing him again. “Nick, tell me what you want me to do. Tell me how to fix this.”
“Tell me the truth, that’s all I want.” There was an impossibly deep hurt in his voice when he spoke to her. She hated herself for causing him that pain and in that moment she would have done anything to take it away.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. That’s the truth. I didn’t do anything to you, not since you took away my powers, I can’t. You are the only person who has ever been good to me and I ruined all of that. If I could take it back I would. Please, Nick, I’m sorry.” She wanted to pretend she was playing him still. She wanted to believe she was telling him what he wanted to know to keep herself safe. But everything had been taken away from her, and for the first time she was beyond games or lies. Nick had seen a side of her she had never let anyone see before. It might already be too late to salvage anything between them, but all her deceits had been stripped away and perhaps for the first time she was being honest. She reached her free hand up towards him but hesitated a moment before reaching out to press her palm against his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch and for a moment she could feel the weight of everything she could have had with him. But then the moment was gone, and he pulled away.
She took his hand then and placed it over her stomach, for a moment she thought he was going to pull away again, but she placed her hand over his. “Nick, I’m pregnant. And it’s yours. I know it wasn’t what either of us planned to happen, but I want this child. And I want you. Please, forgive me, if not for my sake, for the sake of our child.”
He no longer looked angry, he just looked empty.
“If you’re lying…”
“I’m not I swear.”
He was studying her carefully and for a moment she thought he might just leave, leave her alone with her pain and her guilt.
“Why should I trust you? Even without your powers you can still do damage to me, to those I care about.” She hated that she was no longer a part of the latter category.
The fear that had started ebb away began to creep back in.
“What are you going to do?” She tried to keep her voice steady but she could hear the way it shook.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t think straight when it comes to you.” He looked lost and in that moment she could see the Nick she loved. He wanted to do the right thing, he just didn’t know what it was.
He looked down at the place where their hands had joined. There were connected now, in a way that neither of them had ever expected.
“If you believe nothing else, believe in this.” She wasn’t sure he would even believe her, but the anger was gone, leaving only pain behind. She hated seeing her Grimm like this and she hated herself for being the one who caused that pain.
She reached her hand up again and cradled his cheek, this time he didn’t pull away from her touch. “I know I hurt you, but I can make it better. Stop fighting against what you know you want. I can give you what you want. I can make the pain go away.” She leaned up, slowly, hesitantly; she still wasn’t sure how he would react. But he was still and made no move to stop her. She closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. He grabbed her arm and for a moment she thought he intended to push her away. Instead he pulled her in crushing their lips together in a painful kiss. He pulled her body hard against his and she went willingly. He wasn’t gentle and she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
There was a pounding on her door. She didn’t answer it, didn’t go to look to see who it was. It didn’t matter who it was, it was no one good. She knew that without a shadow of a doubt because right now she didn’t have a friend in the world. There was not one person in the god-forsaken world who would want to talk to her right now, that she would want to talk to. She ignored the increasing insistence of the knocking. She wondered if she could call the cops. It might help, but it might not. Nick had influence and so did Sean. Even if she called the cops it would be easy enough for Sean to intervene, say that Adalind had been causing trouble and she was lying, no matter what she said. The knocking stopped. There was a sound, and she knew what was coming. She grabbed her cellphone off the table and began to dial as the door opened. She moved back holding one hand up to her intruder while the call went through.
“Do you think that’s going to make a difference?” His smile was twisted and unkind while he reached for her. She stumbled back, and he followed her, grabbed the phone from her hand and held it up to his ear listening to the voice on the other side.
“This is Burkhardt; I was in the area when I saw something happening. I’ve got it covered; I’ll call if I need backup.” With that he hung up the phone and threw it down on the counter. It was just them now.
“What do you want from me?” Her voice was desperate; she didn’t try to hide her fear. There was no point. But she didn’t understand why he was here. He had already taken everything from her. She had nothing left.
He took a step closer to her, and she took a step back. She backed away until she felt the wall at her back. He stalked towards her slowly; everything about him spoke to the predator that she now understood he was. She had thought she was in control, she had thought she could manipulate him and play him. But now she understood she had never been in control. He was her natural enemy, and all she had done was make him hate more than he had before. She had played with forces she couldn’t control and now it was her turn to pay. Her hand slid back along the counter trying to feel for a knife or something to defend herself with. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
“I want to know what you did to me.” He spoke slowly, leaning in. “Tell me what you did.”
“You know what I did. And what does it matter now, Rosalee fixed you. It’s over now, why won’t you just leave me alone?”
“Not that. What did you do me since then? There’s something wrong with me, and you have to be the cause. You need to fix me. Now.”
She shook her head in denial to his words and to the whole situation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything to you. I couldn’t do anything to you. I don’t have my powers anymore, you made sure of that. If there’s something wrong with you then it has nothing to do with me.”
“No. It has to be you. It’s like before, I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re in my head, in my dreams. I can’t get rid of you. It’s like you’re there all the time. I can’t look at anyone else; all I can think of is you.”
Her eyes widened at that. Is that what this was about? She felt a small thrill in the pit of his stomach, something deep that had been growing in her since she first saw Nick. Something she had desperately wanted to deny. It couldn’t be real, what she felt, it couldn’t be real. But if Nick felt it too she might be able to use it to her advantage.
“Maybe… Maybe it’s not me. Maybe it’s not obsession or spells. Maybe it’s something else. Nick, I think it might be love.” It was a stretch, and she held her breath for a beat while she waited for an answer. She saw surprise then suspicion pass over his features.
“This isn’t love. Do you even know what love is?” His voice was sharp. She had betrayed him. It struck her with an unexpected force. She had put him under her spell, manipulated and twisted him. But somewhere in there the spark of something deep and real had been ignited. And when he found out what she had done it had been a betrayal. She thought of the way she felt about Sean. That hadn’t been love, it had been something deep and intense, but never love. But he was wrong; she did understand what love was. It had taken her a long time to understand, but she finally knew.
Her free hand went to her stomach in an unconsciously protective gesture. “Yes, I think I do.” His eyes narrowed, and she wondered if he thought she was playing him again. “Nick, tell me what you want me to do. Tell me how to fix this.”
“Tell me the truth, that’s all I want.” There was an impossibly deep hurt in his voice when he spoke to her. She hated herself for causing him that pain and in that moment she would have done anything to take it away.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. That’s the truth. I didn’t do anything to you, not since you took away my powers, I can’t. You are the only person who has ever been good to me and I ruined all of that. If I could take it back I would. Please, Nick, I’m sorry.” She wanted to pretend she was playing him still. She wanted to believe she was telling him what he wanted to know to keep herself safe. But everything had been taken away from her, and for the first time she was beyond games or lies. Nick had seen a side of her she had never let anyone see before. It might already be too late to salvage anything between them, but all her deceits had been stripped away and perhaps for the first time she was being honest. She reached her free hand up towards him but hesitated a moment before reaching out to press her palm against his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch and for a moment she could feel the weight of everything she could have had with him. But then the moment was gone, and he pulled away.
She took his hand then and placed it over her stomach, for a moment she thought he was going to pull away again, but she placed her hand over his. “Nick, I’m pregnant. And it’s yours. I know it wasn’t what either of us planned to happen, but I want this child. And I want you. Please, forgive me, if not for my sake, for the sake of our child.”
He no longer looked angry, he just looked empty.
“If you’re lying…”
“I’m not I swear.”
He was studying her carefully and for a moment she thought he might just leave, leave her alone with her pain and her guilt.
“Why should I trust you? Even without your powers you can still do damage to me, to those I care about.” She hated that she was no longer a part of the latter category.
The fear that had started ebb away began to creep back in.
“What are you going to do?” She tried to keep her voice steady but she could hear the way it shook.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t think straight when it comes to you.” He looked lost and in that moment she could see the Nick she loved. He wanted to do the right thing, he just didn’t know what it was.
He looked down at the place where their hands had joined. There were connected now, in a way that neither of them had ever expected.
“If you believe nothing else, believe in this.” She wasn’t sure he would even believe her, but the anger was gone, leaving only pain behind. She hated seeing her Grimm like this and she hated herself for being the one who caused that pain.
She reached her hand up again and cradled his cheek, this time he didn’t pull away from her touch. “I know I hurt you, but I can make it better. Stop fighting against what you know you want. I can give you what you want. I can make the pain go away.” She leaned up, slowly, hesitantly; she still wasn’t sure how he would react. But he was still and made no move to stop her. She closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. He grabbed her arm and for a moment she thought he intended to push her away. Instead he pulled her in crushing their lips together in a painful kiss. He pulled her body hard against his and she went willingly. He wasn’t gentle and she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.