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“It says ‘personal reasons’. May I ask what they are? I’m sure there is a good explanation for this sudden decision, but I would very much like to hear it.”
“There is a perfectly good explanation, sir. But I’m afraid I cannot give it to you until you accept my resignation.”
“I was hoping that if I hear it, I’ll be able to find a way to change your mind.”
Nick shakes his head.
“Just sign the papers, Captain. I promise you there’s nothing you can do. If you’re worried if I’d still be there as a Grimm or—“
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Sean knows Nick would never stop doing what he’s doing – both for the city and for his family. He’d never question that. “You’re a good detective, Nick, and a great loss to this department.”
“I’m sure there’s nothing, apart from the obvious, that Hank and other detectives cannot do without me. And as for the obvious – you can still hire me as a consultant. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere and not I’m still a Grimm.”
“And there’s nothing I can say that can keep you from doing this?”
“No, sir.”
Renard gives him a long look and then reaches for a pen. He signs the papers and hands them to Nick.
“Can I have my explanation now?”
“I’ll—have these processed now, if you don’t mind. We’ll… talk. Later.”
Nick all but flees the office, and Renard realizes that Nick is nervous about this ‘later’ much more than he was about his resignation. There can be more than one possible reason for that, but Sean lets himself hope.
***
It all started slowly – or suddenly, if one doesn’t see the signs. Sean did. It started with Diana’s return; Sean and Adalind got their daughter back, but she wasn’t exactly their daughter, in the eyes of the law.
“Apparently, my mother had all the paperwork to establish that Diana was really her daughter,” Nick explained. “Legally, I am Diana’s brother. It’s going to be very easy for me to become her legal guardian, unless someone challenges my claim. I—need to know what you think about it.” He didn’t say, “I want to know if you’re going to cause trouble,” but Sean was sure that was implied.
“What about Adalind?” Sean hadn’t yet made up his own mind, but knew he wasn’t the one making decisions here.
“There’s no way we’ll be able to explain everything – Adalind wasn’t even pregnant at the time of Diana’s recorded birth, considering Diana aged faster for a while. Adalind thinks that legally, it will be easier to adopt Diana as my partner than to try proving she’s actually her mother.”
“So, you two are getting married?” Sean didn’t like the idea.
“We’re considering a domestic partnership,” Nick said. “It’s good enough for adoption, but—“
Nick looked like he was struggling to find the words. He obviously didn’t like the idea of this marriage any more than Sean did.
“What do you think would be best for the children?” Renard asked, leaving the topic of the marriage nobody wanted. “I—would like to be a part of my daughter’s life. But if you and Adalind think I should stay away—” He was lying. He wouldn’t stay away. He’d put up a good image of trying, but he’d find a way to still be in his daughter’s life.
“I don’t think it’s good for Diana to never know her father, no. Adalind and I discussed the possibility of you suing for guardianship as Diana’s father, and then…” Marrying Adalind, he didn’t say. Sean didn’t like that idea, either. “Finding a way to help Adalind establish her parental rights,” Nick offered diplomatically. “But—“
“There’s a chance I’m not genetically Diana’s father.” This chance was still giving Sean nightmares. She’s his daughter, in everything—everything but, probably, blood. “So, we might end up with a lot of effort for nothing. And besides, Kelly needs you right now, as close as possible. There’s no reason to drag him into this if it can be avoided.”
Nick nodded with visible gratitude.
“I’ll need to consult a lawyer about this,” Sean said slowly. “It’s possible that I might want to attempt establishing paternity once you and Adalind have adopted her. I—wouldn’t dream of opposing either of you, but I do want to be a part of Diana’s life, and I want a chance to be there for her if something happens to you.”
That was obviously a though that’d never occurred to Nick. Now that it did, he looked frightened; he definitely hated the idea of not living long enough to see the children grow up.
“That’s something I can’t argue with. You should discuss this with Adalind, though. Dinner’s at seven, will you join us?”
He did.
***
He probably should have expected Diana to take over his life. He did—he welcomed it, on fact. What he did not expect (but should have, as well) was Diana now being a package deal.
It all started with a train set Monroe gave Diana for Christmas. The girl was very fast to discover that the railroad was too big for the apartment Nick and Adalind shared, and, after a disastrous evening when Adalind stumbled on a train—things went downhill from there—the train set was moved to Diana's previously unused room in Sean's house.
Very shortly, the railroad was followed by a Diana-sized doll (a gift from Hank) and the doll's considerable handmade dowry (courtesy of Budd's spouse). Then there was Kelly's sky-blue bear, at least twice as big as the boy himself, and a whole collection of remote controlled cars and helicopters that Nick kept buying despite the fact that either child had yet to show any interest in remote controlled models.
As a result of Diana's room now effectively becoming a playroom for both kids, it wasn't long until she started begging Sean to spend weekends with him (Sean did not flatter himself by believing she was actually there for the questionable pleasure of her father's company), and in the end it was Sean himself who suggesting taking Kelly along with them, giving Nick some much needed personal space — which Nick appreciated, of course, and used - most of the time. Other times, he'd join Sean and the kids for Sunday dinner, and they all, including Adalind, when her work allowed, would end up playing together on Sunday evenings. It wasn't nearly as boring as one could expect.
Once Adalind’s career took off – that was bound to happen, she’d always been a good lawyer – Nick and Sean were, more often than not, left to take care of the kids without her; she was a good mother: caring and accepting; much better than one would expect knowing what Sean knew about her own childhood, but Sean’s position allowed him to make some time for himself and Nick to spend with the children; Adalind’s didn’t.
***
"Things have been getting a little too complicated between the two of us lately," Nick said, and he still looks more terrified than he does at the face of any real danger. Sean hates this look on Nick’s face, he needs it to go away, now.
"The job, the Wessen, your family, my family, the children... It’s too much. It's much harder than I imagined it would be. Sometimes you and I have different vision of what's good for our children—don't you see? I just said 'our children'. For all intents and purposes, we're raising children together. You, and I, and—and Adalind. And then we come to the precinct and you give me orders. And then we go back home, or to your place, and I need to argue with you over the damned chocolates. And every time, it's—I'm about to yell at my boss for giving our child candy before dinner.
“And then—you told me to leave that case because you thought Wu needed the practice, not because you wanted me to be home for dinner, and that's what I did, but how was I supposed to tell, if the day before that you spared me the paperwork for that exact reason? I can argue with you when it's over family matters and cannot when it's work. And then there's Grimm stuff, and that's neither work nor family on a good day and both on a bad one, and that's... Really unhealthy for all of us."
"So, you're resigning because you want to be able to yell at me at all times?" He isn’t serious. Mostly. He can see Nick appreciates his attempt at making this less awkward, but it definitely isn’t nearly enough to make Nick relax, even a little.
"Yes," he says, seriously. "I did it so that I could yell at you. And disobey you without the yelling. And not call you 'sir' at the dinner table. And tell you how good of a father you are. And also do this."
***
Nick is aware that even though he’s no longer risking their careers, their family (their family!) is still at risk—but it has been at risk, anyway, with all the tension gathering up between the two of them. The takes a step—the step is much shorter, he notices, than the distance between a boss and an employee should be—and kisses Renard carefully on the lips.