[ Content Warnings: mentions of abuse and violence. ]
'I'm not going back this time. I don't care what he does, or what he says.'
'Isn't that what you said last time?' Juliette asked quietly.
'I know, but I didn't walk out last time either.' Alicia replied.
'Sorry, we're late.' Nick announced as he walked through the restaurant door with Briar and sat down at the table across from Alicia. Briar took the chair beside Alicia and smiled at her.
'You, uh, you want some wine?' Alicia offered, only to have the pair both decline.
'How are you today?' Nick questioned.
'I'm good!' Alicia replied, smiling. 'No thanks to you three. It sort of feels like we're back in the dorm. Except for Nick, of course.'
'Aw, I wish you'd been there.' Juliette said, squeezing Nick's hand affectionately under the table.
'If only, some of the men she was with,' Alicia added, looking sideways at Briar who smiled uncomfortably. They had nothing against Juliette's past partners, they just didn't really care for romantic talk -- on account of their gray-asexuality.
'Hey, woah!' Juliette interrupted, before Alicia could say anything else. 'You need to behave yourself.'
'Maybe it's time I go to the 'little girls room.' Alicia remarked.
'I think that's a good idea.' Juliette replied, voice strained. Alicia then shuffled past Briar and walked away to the bathroom.
'Thanks for coming' by, I know things are crazed at work.' Juliette said, turning to Nick. Nick looked both ways before looking back at Juliette and Briar. 'I have something to tell you about Alicia.'
'What is it? Is it Joe? Is he here?' Juliette questioned.
'No, no.' Nick said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. 'Your friend is a wesen.'
'What?' Juliette exclaimed.
'Yeah, we saw her when she got to our house. You were in the other room and she got upset.'
'We were room-mates for three years.' Juliette said.
'Yeah, but it's not like you knew I was a hexenbiest back then either.' Briar added.
'What kind of wesen is she? Is she dangerous?' Juliette asked.
'No, I don't think so. I didn't get a good look at her, but I'd guess something along the lines of a fuchsbau.'
'Like Rosalee? That's a relief.' Juliette murmured.
'Look, she's your friend. She can stay with us as long as she wants. But if she finds out that I'm a grimm, or that Briar's a hexenbiest, who knows what could happen. She could freak out; she could run back to Joe.' Nick said.
'So, what do we do now?' Juliette questioned.
'Nothing. Just act natural.' Nick replied, turning back to face the way he was originally. Alicia then came back to the table and sat down, causing Juliette to awkwardly shrug.
'What?' Alicia asked.
++
'Hey, what time did you get in last night?' Juliette asked, as Nick walked past her into the kitchen.
'Oh, late.' Nick replied, grabbing his coffee cup from the bench. 'I didn't want to wake you.'
'I wish you had.' Juliette said, nervously fiddling with her hands. 'I, uh, I told Alicia that I knew.'
'Uh, that she was wesen?' Nick exclaimed.
'Yeah....' Juliette replied.
'Well, how did she take that?'
'So badly....' Juliette sighed. 'But I talked to Rosalee and she said to just be patient. Alicia's just not comfortable coming out yet.'
'Coming out..?" Nick exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.
Briar (who'd just entered the kitchen from where they'd been sitting at the table) quietly covered their mouth to keep themselves from laughing.
'Juliette, honey, I don't think that was the right choice of words.' Briar said.
'Ugh, you know what I mean.' Juliette replied. 'So, I just decided to let things unfold naturally.'
'Okay.' Nick replied, before acknowledging Alicia's presence and pushing himself, Briar and Juliette into a more 'natural' standing position.
'Morning!' Juliette and Nick said in unison. Behind them Briar placed a hand over their face and sighed. This wasn't going to go well.
'Good morning.' Alicia said, breezing past them to open the cupboards. 'I think I've found an apartment, so I should be out of your hair.'
'Oh, that's great!' Nick said, exuberantly.
'So, I just wanted to thank you all.' Alicia said. 'For everything that you've done. You've been there for me, and you've all been really good friends...so...I owe you a lot.'
'Ugh, this is ridiculous.' Juliette sighed. Next to her both Nick and Briar tried to get her to stop. 'No, I know what she is. I know what she is, she knows what she is!'
'Oh my god, you are not doing this again.' Alicia groaned.
'No, I'm just saying that you don't have to pretend with us. We know a lot of wesen.'
'Juliette.' Alicia replied, voice stony. 'You don't know what you're talking about.'
'No, I do know what I'm talking about! Briar's a hexenbiest, and Nick is a grimm!' Juliette declared.
Both Briar's and Nick's shoulders dropped as all hope of salvaging the conversation went out the window. Alicia's demeanour changed and she woged fully.
'No, no..' Alicia blubbered. 'No, no...'
'Nick, is she?' Juliette asked.
'Alicia, we're not....' 'No, wait, don't...please!' Juliette and Nick's voices overlapped as they tried to calm her down.
'No!' Alicia cried, rushing for the door.
'I've got her!' Nick yelled, running out of the kitchen after her. Briar followed after him, also feeling like they had to clarify things.
'It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm the same Nick you've always known.'
However Nick was cut off by the arrival of Joe. He barged in, knocking both Briar and Nick to the ground - heading for a frantic Alicia. Well, this wasn't good.
++
'Hey, are you all right?' Nick asked, helping Briar up from where they'd been knocked over. The pair of them hadn't been unconscious for long.
'Yeah, I'm fine. But someone else definitely is not.' Briar replied, pointing to the kitchen. 'I hope that it's Joe.'
'Hey! Put your hands up!' Nick yelled, pointing his gun at Joe (who was cowering on the floor, surrounded by everything Alicia and Juliette had used as weapons.)
'Oh God, a Grimm! Please don't kill me!' Joe pleaded.
'Well, I don't think it's me that you have to worry about.' Nick replied, walking into the kitchen and handcuffing him.
'I just wanted her back, I didn't want to hurt her.' Joe said.
'Yeah you did, you sick son of a bitch!' Juliette yelled. Joe was then picked up off the floor and herded past Alicia and Briar. Briar stepped out of the way to let Alicia say her final goodbyes.
'We are done. I never want to see you again.' Alicia stated.
'And if she ever does see you again-' Nick threatened, pushing him away.
'No, I swear. She'll never see me again.' Joe mumbled, resigned to his fate. When she could no longer see her abuser Alicia breathed out in relief.
'Thank you.' Alicia said.
Briar then slipped away from the pair of them and left them to have their quiet moment.
++
'You'll keep in touch with her, right?' Briar asked, lying on Juliette. They had the television on in the background, and Juliette was absentmindedly playing with Briar's hair.
'Of course I will.' Juliette replied.
'Good.' Briar said. 'I'm sure she'll be happy away from Joe.'
'Yeah, me too.' Juliette said, closing her eyes. I can't wait to hear about what the life she's created for herself.'
[ Author's Note ]
Happy October!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
[ Word Count: 1230 ]
[ Written: 28th September 2022 - 2nd October 2022 / Published: 3rd October 2022 ]