Revenge is a Dish Best Served Hot

Cold Realities

Nicole pov

Briar spent the two hours talking while Nicole held the baby. She had an uninterrupted meal and it was clear it was the first one since the baby was born if the glares sent to Axel were any indication. Briar was loud and animated as she spoke about life back in her hometown. Nicole mainly kept quiet and listened to her friend talk. She didn't mind as it was clear Briar needed an adult female to talk to. Nicole just enjoyed playing with the sweet baby girl.

Axel stood behind Briar watching her intently with the baby. It was a little annoying and insulting. Nicole knew how to change diapers before she could walk to school by herself. While Nicole hadn't wanted to take care of a baby ever again, she couldn't deny that Aurora was a sweet bundle of giggles and smiles that lit up the room.

“She’s such a happy baby,” Nicole said softly as Briar took a break to eat her food.

“Yes we are really lucky,” Briar responded.

“I know I am,” Axel said as he gave Briar a kiss which prompted a blush from her friend. Nicole couldn't fight the rush of jealousy that reached the surface. Why couldn't she have that? Didn’t she deserve it?

Nicole looked to her best friend and realized that Briar did deserve it after everything and hoped that one day the love Axel had for Briar would find her. Nicole just couldn't wait for Grimm any longer.

Grimm and the other members of the MC sat two tables away, having their own meal and conversation. Nicole did not look their way other than to watch them settle in. She only got to spend a few precious hours with her goddaughter and she wasn't going to waste them.

“So what about you? How’s the program treating you? I’ve barely gotten a text from you since you moved?” Briar asked after she ordered dessert.

“It’s been exhausting and frustrating,” she responded as Aurora grabbed onto her hair.

“Well, do you think you know what you want to do?” Briar asked.

“I think I’m going to stay in the ER.”

“That’s dangerous,” Axel cut in before Briar could respond.

“No more than living in a feuding biker town,” Nicole raised an eyebrow at Axel who conceded her point.

“What about any man?” Briar asked as she raised her voice looking to Grimm. Nicole laughed.

“I barely have time to do laundry let alone have a relationship, but hopefully soon,” Nicole responded honestly and she could tell Briar was stumped. Briar probably wanted a little revenge like she convinced her. Right now Nicole didn’t have it in her. Nicole just wanted to finish her school and have a nice meal with her friend.

…

Nicole wasn’t home in her apartment for five seconds when a heavy knock at the door sounded. Grimm. Nicole opened the door and revealed it to be the man who haunted her dreams.

“Hey,” Grimm said lowly as she didn’t greet him. “Can I come in?” Nicole nodded and moved to let the giant into her new home. Grimm looked around at her apartment and Nicole couldn’t help but check out the man that still held her heart in a vice grip. He looked the same, tall, handsome, covered in tattoos. Everything she knew shouldn't be in her heart. He just couldn’t leave it no matter what she did.

“Why are you here?” Nicole asked as she needed a distraction. Grimm finally faced her.

“What? No hello? Or how have you been?” Grimm asked in his deep baritone voice.

“No.” She said shortly, “Why are you here Grimm?” Nicole thought she might have seen a flicker of unease pass through his eyes but pushed on.

“I just wanted to see how you have been?” No that isn't why he was here, Nicole put her hands on her hips.

“I’m fine, if that’s all then-“

“I’m sorry,” Grimm said in a voice so low that she almost missed it. Nicole didn’t acknowledge the apology she just nodded and held back her tears. She wouldn’t cry in front of him, not again. She couldn’t show weakness.

“I know you are finishing your degree but you are coming back right?” Grimm asked in a voice she had never heard before, almost pleading.

“I don’t think so,” she responded in a small voice with her eyes closed.

“Why not?”

“When’s my birthday Grimm?” She asked and for the first time, Nicole looked at him.

“Uhh-“

“What’s my favorite color, favorite food? Do you know anything about me?” Nicole asked. Her voice never rose above a whisper but his did in response to her questions.

“That’s not fair! You don’t know any of those things about me!” Nicole chuckled, but not with mirth, just with heartbreak.

“June 9th, red, and a medium rare prime rib with a loaded baked potato,” Nicole said in a firm voice and continued. “You sleep with three pillows like a psychopath, only take cream in your coffee no sugar, you would never admit it but you love rom coms, your favorite time to ride is the morning, you like to see the sunrise. A start to a new day.” Nicole finished and despite her vow to never cry in front of this man again, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Grimm reached for her, but she pulled away and turned her back. “Despite your harsh view on life you still believe in hope, but…” she trailed off.

“But what?”

“Please leave and don’t come back, let me build a life without you. Rebuild what you broke, what you never saw, never valued.” Grimm stood there a second before walking the distance to her front door. He reached for the door handle and paused.

“I know it's not worth much, but I'm sorry.” Nicole didn't respond, she couldn't as she was too busy choking down tears. Nicole heard him open the door and shut it.

“No Grimm, your half-assed apology isn't worth anything.”

Grimm pov

Her words haunted him more than her eyes. It was a close call though. Grimm found himself in another bar drinking, trying to forget. This time instead of trying to forget his mother, he needed to forget Nicole’s words.

“You love rom-coms though you will never admit it.” Grimm drank a little more as more of her words washed over him.

“You like to see the sunrise. The start of a new day.” It was true, he did. Grimm didn't have much left, the one thing he had left was hope. The hope that a new day wouldn't be haunted by memories. That day hasn't come. Or he missed it. Grimm knew the second his president walked into the bar, he just didn’t acknowledge him. Reaper sat down next to him and ordered a drink. The two men who have been through hell and back just sat drinking a beer. Axel finally broke the silence.

“You ready to admit it?”

“What?”

“You lost her,” Axel’s words crushed him. “You had a good woman and you lost her. You slept with other women, led her on for years, and finally lost her.”

“Ax-“

“No!” Reaper was firm. “We all have the same shitty childhood, we all have suffered and seen what we shouldn’t have Grimm. The difference is when I met my sweetness I knew she could heal me.” Reaper took a drink and let the words sink in. “I let her heal me and Nicole could have been that for you, you chose to run. You have to deal with that now, what you lost.”

“If I can’t?” Grimm asked after a moment of silence.

“Then you can’t be in the club.” The words were a physical blow.

“You have become a danger to me and the club brother. I love you, you are family but I have other family to protect and you are reckless.” Reaper took a drink and Grimm couldn’t protest anything his president said as he was right. Grimm had been a mess since Nicole left, drinking all hours of the day.

“You have the week, get hammered, sleep with whomever, but you have to check back in and fly right or you are done.” Reaper finished his beer and left the bar. Grimm was left with the realities of his shitty decisions and the consequences he now had to deal with.

“Another one?” The bartender asked as he finished his drink.

“Yeah, another.”