"She looked into the window, and then peeped through the keyhole; seeing nobody in the house, she lifted the latch."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I slowly wake up to see Dr. Rose approaching my bed. She checks my vitals before noticing I'm awake.
"Ahh, Miss Burkhardt, you're awake. You've made your bruised ribs slightly worse, and your minor concussion became a major concussion. You will not be out in the field for awhile, I will clear you when I deem you well enough. For now Miss Burkhardt get some rest."
"Dr. Rose, my brother, was attacked in Marie's room. Are they both okay?" I ask.
"Your aunt is not stable as of yet. Your brother is getting checked by another doctor. I'll have him see you when he's done." Dr. Rose says calmly before leaving the room. The door opens before Dr. Rose can shut it and I watch Captain Renard walk into my room.
"Captain." I greet them quietly.
"Angela, How are you?" The captain questions looking at me.
"I apparently made the bruising on my ribs worse and made my concussion from minor to major concussion. I'm currently confined to this room for now. But I'll get better."
"Good, because as of this moment you're not to come in for the rest of the week. Get rest and heal." The captain says sternly before turning to leave.
"Thank you." I mutter as the captain shuts the door behind him. I lean back in bed before turning to glance out the window. For several minutes I do nothing but stare out of the window.
"Angela." My brother softly calls from the doorway. I turn to see that while I was thinking, Hank and Nick came into my room.
"Hey Nick, Hank. How are you?" I greet them both.
"I heard that your ribs are bruised worse than they were, and have a slightly worse concussion." Nick says, stepping forward.
"I'll be fine, Nick." I say softly.
"You better be fine, Angela, you had us worried there for a minute." Hank says, stepping forward to give me some flowers.
"Aww Hank, you didn't need to get me flowers, I'm not that hurt." I say.
"Hey Angela, you're like my little sister, I have to get you something." He says before placing the vase and flowers on my bedside table.
"Thanks Hank." I smile, reaching out and hugging him before he can step back.
"You're welcome." Hanks smiles softly.
"I'm going to get the woman who did this. We have the tapes at the precinct." Nick assures me before gently hugging me.
"Yeah, we should get going and watch those." Hanks says walking out.
"Angela, the captain has cops guarding you and Marie." Nick says before shutting my door and leaving me in silence. I fall asleep before 10:00 that night. I'm woken several random times throughout the night.
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I wake in the morning at 7:45 a.m. Shortly around noon Dr. Rose comes in and checks on me.
"Afternoon Miss Burkhardt, your aunt is awake and wishes to see you. Your brother is coming to visit her now." She says before helping me up and escorting me to a hallway to wait for Nick, Nick joins us a few minutes later.
"She's very weak, but I realize you may not have much time. I'll be right outside. Dr. Rose says letting Nick help me to Marie's bedside.
Nick and I stand next to Marie before Nick gently leans down to Marie. I lean down on the other side of the bed as we hold Marie's hands.
"We were afraid we'd lost you." Nick says.
"Not yet."
"You're all we have left. I don't want this to happen." Nick says softly.
"I know. But you'll be alright if you have each other." She says softly.
"I don't feel like I'm gonna be alright. I'm still trying to make sense of everything. If you hadn't been here I would have lost my mind. And I'm not sure I haven't." Nick rants softly.
"Don't doubt yourself." Marie scolds softly.
"We've already seen so much." I mutter softly glancing over at Nick.
"And you'll see more. You both have a responsibility that you cannot ignore."
"I couldn't ignore it, even if I tried it." Nick says.
"We won't ignore it, we'll do our best to help." I say softly.
"You have to hunt down the bad ones. Just like your ancestors did. There's a reason that you're a cop, both of you, you have an ability and you must use it, no matter what happens to me." Marie says.
"I'll go get a doctor."
"No." Marie states firmly.
"The reapers followed me here. That means there could be more."
"How many are there?" Nick questions.
"Nobody knows. They're a secret organization dedicated to killing us."
"You mean Grimms?" I ask softly.
"There are more like us?" Nick questions quickly.
"Yes. But I don't have contact with them."
"What about the things we've been seeing? How many more of those are there?"
"There are more in the books than I've ever seen. You must not let the trailer be found. They don't know it exists. I hope I haven't done more harm than good by coming to you." Marie says before she gasps for air and the machines starts beeping.
"Let her rest. You can come back later." Dr. Rose says before leading us out of the room.
"Nick, I'm going to sign out. Dr. Rose gave me permission to leave the hospital. I just am stuck on desk duty for a week. I am not allowed back to work for the rest of the week so if you need help, call me. I can do research at the trailer and look at these books finally." I say before leaving the area to sign out myself.
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My phone rings at 6:03 a.m. On Wednesday morning. I answer my cell phone as I stand at the stove making me some oatmeal.
"Burkhardt." I say answering my cell.
"Angela, do you wanna see the trailer?" Nick questions.
"Yeah, where's Juliette?" I ask.
"She went to work early. She's operating on a bulldog at 7:00."
"I'll be over in 35 minutes, I'm going to eat and then I'll be over." I answer.
"Okay come to the trailer." Nick says before hanging up without a goodbye. Sighing, I set my phone down gently before turning off the stove. I reach up and grab my bowl from the cupboards and pour my oatmeal in the bowl.
I slowly sit down on the dining table and eat my oatmeal. After several minutes of eating I'm finished with my oatmeal. I set my bowl in the sink before heading to my door making sure to grab a sweater and my purse. I walk down to the parking lot, I open my blue 2010 Ford Mustang. Sliding into the driver's seat I check to make sure I have my phone and notebook before starting my car and heading to Nick's.
Nick's house is only 22 minutes from my apartment, so I pull onto Nick's street. I park my car out front before climbing out and walking to Marie's trailer. I walk into the trailer to see Nick walking towards a cabinet.
"Hey Nick. I'm here." I say as Nick swiftly turns around to see me.
"Dammit, Angela you scared the hell out of me." Nick exclaims panicked.
"Sorry. So this is the trailer and those are all the books." I say looking at a nearby shelf full of books.
"Yeah, those are all the books." He says. Nick opens a cabinet at the back of the trailer, he looks around before grabbing a bear-like claw item before showing it to me.
"I saw one of these at a house that was broken into." Nick says.
"What am I supposed to do about it? I'm not suppose to work for another four days." I say before stepping up and looking at the item.
"Well that Blutbad seems to like you so I was thinking maybe you can get him to help me." He says smiling at me.
"I'll try." I say sighing before walking to the car.
"Thank you." He says, calling out to me before following me to my car.
I pull up outside of Monroe's house, I shut off my car as Nick races up to knock on his door. I follow slowly behind him as Monroe opens the door.
"We need to talk." Nick states firmly.
"Not at 6:30 in the morning we don't." He says before trying to close his door.
Nick pushes through Monroe's door, before I slowly follow after him.
"This is important." Nick says walking through the door.
"Oh, well, come on in, then. Have a cup of coffee. Bagel? Cream cheese?" He asks sarcastically.
"I'm sorry Monroe, Nick gets something in his head and he has to do it, so I thought I'd run interference." I say.
"First I wanna thank you for helping me out with the kidnapping." Nick says.
"A gift basket would've been nice. How long is this gonna take? I'm right in the middle of my Pilates, man." Monroe states.
"Nick and I were wondering if you ever seen one of these?" I ask motioning for Nick to hand over the bag. Nick hands Monroe the bag, Monroe reaches in and grabs the item by one of the claws.
"Not up close, thank god." Monroe says before bringing it up to his face and sniffing at it.
"I think Jagerbars use these for disemboweling. Now I'm hungry." Monroe says before handing the claw and paper bag back to Nick.
"Sure you don't want a bagel? I'm gonna French press some coffee, too. Guatemalan Highlands. Craft-Roasted. Very robust." Monroe asks.
"I'll take a cup of coffee and sure I'll take a bagel." I say before Nick can say anything.
"What do you know about Jagerbars?" Nick asks quickly.
"What am I, your personal Grimmopedia?" Monroe asks.
"No you're a Blutbad, and I'm assuming that Blutbad know about jagerbaden." Nick asks, as I chuckle at the way jagerbaden sound.
"It's just Jagerbars." Monroe states.
"You see them like we see them, right?" Nick asks.
"Yes."
"Nick is trying to say that we want to be able to handle ourselves but we need to know a little bit more information about Jagerbars and what we're dealing with. So can you please help us?" I ask.
"Okay, right there. Don't even compare the two. We don't rummage like they do. How'd you run across a Jagerbar anyway?" Monroe asks.
"Look, I'm working on a case and I saw a kid turn into one." Nick says.
"Where did you get the claw?"
"No, our aunt had it."
"Oh, right, her again. Aunt Marie, right? Yeah. I couldn't sleep the last two nights thinking good old Aunt Marie was going to cut off my head and stick it on a lamp post. That's how my great grandma ended up, you know." Monroe says opening the refrigerator to grab some items I wasn't really paying attention to.
"Hey, she's still in the hospital." Nick firmly says.
"Oh, sorry. Umm they use those claws in the Roh-Hatz." Monroe states before turning to the counter.
"Roh-Hatz?" Nick questions.
"It's like a Bar Mitzvah for bears, you know. A Jäger Bar Mitzvah. It's a very physical thing. A lot of pounding of chests and like, wailing. But who wails anymore? Supposed to connect with the primitive beast in all of us. And believe me. I do mean all of us." He says pouring three cups of coffee and handing one to Nick and I. I take a drink of the coffee and lean against the shelves watching my brother talk about the Jagerbars.
"So what do they do?" Nick asks.
"It's all about the chase."
"Wait, what chase?" I question leaning forward.
"The Roh-Hatz, you know. Caveman mumbo jumbo. Let's get some beers and barbecue and be stupid. I mean I like to camp as much as the next guy, you know, maybe once a year. You want plain or onion?" Monroe asks.
"I gotta go." Nick says setting down the coffee cup without even taking one sip.
"Oh, well. Thanks for stopping by." Monroe says watching Nick walk towards the door.
"Nick, take my car back to your house and do what you have to, but I'm staying here." I say tossing my keys to Nick in the doorway before walking back into the kitchen.
"I'll take an onion." I tell Monroe.
"You're staying?" He questions tilting his head.
"I can leave if you want me too." I state shifting restlessly from foot to foot.
"No, no I wouldn't dream of making you leave. I was just thinking you'd join your brother on his case."
"Ahh, well I'm meant to be on leave for my injuries so I'm not to return till Monday which is two days away. So I'd thought since Nick obviously just barges in that I'd might as well try to make up for Nick's rudeness." I say accepting the bagel from Monroe.
"You were injured?"
"Oh yeah, I bruised a few ribs and I have a concussion, my aunt was attacked at Nick's house and then later on, I made my injuries worse when I was attacked in her hospital room. So the Captain and the Doctor both ordered me to take the week off and get rest. Seeing as I don't really have any friends outside of work and that Nick is harassing you about all of this Grimm stuff. That I would get to know you and help you deal with my brother. Besides I trust you and both Nick and I are new to this whole Grimm thing so I'd thought that you'd help us, and Nick isn't the best at seeking help. He demands it more and isn't very polite about it all. So Monroe I wanted to say the coffee and the bagel are delicious. And thanks for dealing with Nick, he can be quite the persistent person when looking for answers he wants. I have a notebook that I'm working on filling with information on the people we meet. Can you maybe tell me a little about Jagerbars." I say pulling my notebook out of my purse.
"Of course, I can." He motions me to his couches.
I sit on his couch as he tells me everything again as I write it all down. I spend an hour talking about Jagerbars, before we start to talk about what he does when not helping Nick and I.
"I should get going, my brother will most likely need help." I say standing up and heading towards the door.
"Angela, thanks for talking to me about other things besides everything Grimm related."
"You're welcome. Besides I liked spending this time getting to know you and feeling semi-normal while dealing with seeing things many others can't see." I say gently hugging Monroe. He stiffens a little as I hug him, I pull back quickly.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't thinking. I just..."
"Whoa, whoa. Relax, it's okay." He assures before gently hugging me back.
"I should really get going." I say blushing before running out the door and down the street towards Nick's house.
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I run for several minutes before my ribs begin to throb, I slow down and hunch over holding my ribs and breathing through my nose. Softly breathing in and out trying to help soothe my aching muscles and throbbing rib cage. I slowly stand up straight, looking around the area. I pull out my phone noticing I'm still several miles from Nick's house. I dial the captain's office phone before waiting and praying he won't be too upset.
The captain answers the phone on the fourth ring.
"Hello."
"Hey Captain. I was wondering if you're willing to pick me up at the park closest to Hildebrand Road? I gave my car to Nick and told him to leave when I was staying and talking to a friend." I say softly.
"I'll be on my way. I should be there in 10 to 15 minutes." He says, sighing. I can almost see his frown and the disappointment shining in his eyes.
"Thanks Captain."
"I would also like to hear why you are up and moving as much as you are and why you insisted on giving Nick your car." He responds before uttering a goodbye and hanging up.
I close my eyes as I realize that not only have I probably gained more desk duty, I've probably earned myself a speech from the captain. Sighing heavily before softly finding a bench and carefully walking over and sitting down and trying not to irritate my ribcage.
I pull out my phone and send a quick message to Nick.
Nick, called captain for a ride. Text me if you gain any more information on Jagerbars. If you need any help call me, I'm good at talking to people who won't be able to do any 'field' work. But I know you have difficulty talking to people without demanding answers, so research and possible interviews I can help with. Love you bro.
-Angela
I hit send and lean back against the bench waiting for Captain Renard to pull up. I gently close my eyes listening to the leaves blowing in the wind and the chirping of birds in nearby trees. For several minutes I sit there and bask in the sun, I hear a car door shut several feet away from the bench. I slowly pull my eyes open to see Captain Renard walking briskly over to me.
I lean up and begin standing up, I hiss in pain as my ribs throb angrily. The captain hurriedly rushes to my side and help me stand properly while taking some weight off my side.
"Thanks." I whimper softly.
"You should be more careful. What if I decided to make you stay out here and learn from the choice you made, you'd be in more pain then you already are." He says frowning down at me. Captain Renard helps me into the passenger seat, before gently closing my door. He gets into the drivers seat while I carefully pull on my seatbelt.
"Sorry, Captain. It's just that Nick needed my help talking to my friend, and I know how Nick can be sometimes and would rather help ease any tension that might come about, then deal with any fights or arguments. Nick needed to leave and we only took my car so I let Nick use it to get wherever he went." I hurriedly tried to explain everything.
"Deep breaths, Angela. You're going to strain yourself and make your ribs hurt more if you keep speaking so fast." He says gently while calmly putting a hand on my shoulder. I take several deep breaths before softly smiling at him.
"Thanks." I whisper.
"You're welcome. You can call me Sean when we're not at work." He says before turning and starting the car.
"OK, Sean." I smile softly, liking the idea of calling him Sean outside of work. My phone beeps with a text message alert.
Hey, I'm at the hospital talking to Marie. She says traditional jagerbars do the Roh-Hatz which is a rite of passage from boy to man, they do it at sunset. It's a chase that leads to death. Love you too sis.
-Nick
After reading the text message I sigh softly, turning my head to look out the window as Sean drives me home. As Sean pulls up to my apartment, I softly smile at him.
"Thanks for the ride, Sean." I say before pulling open my door. Sean quickly shuts off his car before quickly heading over to help me out of his SUV. He helps me to my apartment door before glancing down at me, he looks deep in thought before clearing his throat and turning to look at my door.
"Well, you're safe at home now. I should be going back to the station and you should head to bed and heal before I add more days off and add even more desk duty to your time."
"Yeah I will. Thanks for coming to get me and driving me home, and helping me to my door. It means a lot to me and I will rest. See you at work, Sean." I say softly before quickly unlocking my door and rushing into my apartment. I shut the door quickly, I lean against the door trying to calm my unsteady heartbeat.
I sigh softly wondering what is causing my heart to beat so fast and why it feels like I fell out of a plane.
-
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I grab my notebook with all the information on all of the creatures I know the names of and turn to the page for jagerbars. I jot down the information Marie told Nick about jagerbars, I also note off to the side to add in pictures of the creatures. I grab a small post it note and write the first draft before slapping it on the cover. I plan on writing all this down in a better notebook and adding in more description. I've seen a snake-like creature and a wolf like one. Apparently Nick saw a bear like one, plus Hulda the troll-like guy. I'm assuming there are more of them with different versions of the snake-like creatures, because there are different types of snakes, maybe these creatures are the same way so I plan on adding in reptilian creatures and felines, if there are any. And other categories to make finding out more about them easier, but also making this all more organized so I can just flip to a certain category and look up information quicker. I don't want to spend forever at Marie's trailer looking through all her books.
I sigh gently, putting my book aside, I grab a slip of paper and jot it down to grab extra jars and canisters to split up some of the jars and canisters with items in it so I can have a set. I slowly walk around my apartment looking for a place to stash all these items in case of an emergency, I might not always be able to count on Nick to be there with the trailer. Especially if he does go through with proposing to Juliette, I don't know if he'll tell her about all this so it might seem odd if I'm constantly over at their house asking about the trailer. Plus if I get a boyfriend, I'd probably have to make up an excuse for being at my brother's house all the time and pouring over books that have strange drawings in them. He'd totally think I'm insane, I'd best find a house, I can make a secret room to store all my items in.
I sit back down on my couch before grabbing the slip of paper.
Extra jars and canisters
Blank books and pens
Organizational boxes and bins
Cabinets and chests
Find a house
Plan on building secret room in said house
Figure out how to make sure the secret room is lockable and hard to find.
I fold the paper up and shove it in my notebook, before sighing, and sending a text to Nick.
Nick, you know those jars and things in the trailer? Do you mind if I put some in my own personal jars and canisters in case I ever need them. I'm thinking of doing that to all the items in the trailer making sure I have a double of it somewhere else in case of an emergency and you're not around to help.
-Angela
Good idea. Make another set of the items there. Just let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.
-Nick
I am most likely going to do it now. Because I'm off for two days and I have time to do it now.
-Angela
K
-Nick
I sigh gently before heading to my door and grabbing my sweater. I dial Nick's number as I walk down the stairs, as Nick answers the phone I make it to the main door.
"Nick, Can you come pick me up at my apartment and drop me off at the store so I can grab some items?"
"Yeah sure. But drop me off back home before you go to the store. I'm going to take my jeep and head to the station. Hank called and said he found some information on the case." Nick says quickly.
"That I can do. When can you be here?"
"I'm in the car now and should be there in 10 minutes."
"Alright I'll be waiting. See you soon."
"OK, see you soon." Nick responds by hanging up.
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I grabbed the last grocery bags filled with jars and canisters and other assortment of items and load them into my trunk, as my cell phone rings."Hello." I ask as I answer."I need your help. Gilda went to the house she robbed this morning with a gun she's planning on getting Rocky back one way or the other. I need you to run interference, you're calm during confrontations and I need help talking to Gilda and the family." I hear Nick ask quickly and slightly breathlessly."Alright give me the address and I'm on my way." I say softly, trying to calm my brother. After receiving the address I drove off in search of the home.I pull up just as Nick and Hank pull into the driveway, I turn off my car before walking over to Nick and Hank, who is telling the owners about Gilda.Hank walks around searching the premise as Nick warns the family this is very serious. I approach them as I notice the man's face shift into a bear, I softly gulp before looking down."I know what you are. You know who I am. So let's cut the crap." Nick says."You want to cut the crap? Okay, you're a Grimm. Both of you. You both are a danger to my family. And don't think either of you wearing a badge is gonna protect you." Frank says."This isn't about Nick nor myself, this is about the hunt." I say calmly looking into the mans eyes."What hunt?" Frank asks."The Roh-Hatz." I state."Nobody does that anymore." The man laughs."Yes, they do." Nick responds."When the sun goes down tonight, it's gonna be too late." I say calmly."Look, Barry and those two boys have got Rocky. And we don't have a lot of time. Come on, you're a lawyer. If they kill this innocent kid over this stupid hunt, their lives are over." Nick calmly states."Where are they?" Frank asks his wife."I told you." She states angrily."Where are they?" He asks again more firmly."Why don't you ask to see their warrant." She states before storming into the house."Oh, my god. I didn't realize." He says breathlessly, while setting down his suitcase."Sir, do you have any clue where they are? Nick will take you with him and make sure nothing happens to your son or those boys. We just want to help save their lives before they make a huge mistake. Please help us." I calmly ask while giving a small speech."Okay, we are taking my four wheeler. I think I might know where they'll be." He says before showing us to the four wheeler. I climb on back before Frank climbs in front of me, I hold onto him as Nick stands off to one side of the seat holding on.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nick and Frank hop off the four wheeler, I stay seated as Nick follows Frank down the trail. I sit back and carefully watch the forest around me. Suddenly growling can be heard, I quickly get up and follow the trail, I spot Frank, Barry and the two boys as Gilda and Rocky lay on the ground. I approach where my brother stands only to see Mrs. Rabe in a hole impaled on a few sticks.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I stand off the side as the paramedics load Diane into an ambulance and Barry into a squad car with the two other boys. Another squad car has Gilda and Rocky, I turn my head to see Nick walking towards me."Detectives, she wanted them to know their heritage. She never understood the danger of it. It isn't easy to give up your history. You haven't had to give up yours." Frank tells us."Yeah, it's been a lot of fun." Nick says before walking away."Frank, I understand wanting your children to know about their heritage. It could be more told through stories and such but not to the lengths your wife and son went to. I'm sorry about how this went down but I'm glad everyone is alive at the end of this." I state, walking away before hearing my brother talking to someone."Hello?" Nick says answering his phone, the person on the other end responds before Nick's eyes widen. Nick hangs up the phone and ushers me to our cars."What's going on, Nick?" I ask approaching my car."I asked Monroe to protect Marie after the captain pulled the guards from Marie's room. And Monroe said he has to leave if something goes wrong." Nick says quickly before getting into his car."I'll meet you there Nick." I say getting into my car and starting it up before leaving Rabe's driveway.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I follow Nick into the hospital and walk towards Marie's room."Stay here." Nick demands as he rushes forward to help Marie. I see the man that attacked Marie fall to the floor, I rush to Marie's side as she looks faint."Remember who you both are. Trust your instincts and nothing else." Marie gasps for air before dying in Nick's arms. I begin crying as everything becomes 10 times worse. I lost my aunt, I'm dealing with new abilities, and the only person left to completely understand me is also breaking apart.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nick, Juliette and I stand in front of Marie's grave. Nick puts the flowers down on her grave before whispering goodbye."We love you, Marie. Rest well." I whisper helping Nick stand and giving him a tight hug whilst crying into his shoulder."Are you both alright?" Juliette asks."No. But we will be." He says hugging me back gently. Juliette leads me and Nick out of the cemetery.