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Monroe parked his car out front of the Portland PD station and grabbed the tote bag off the passenger seat before climbing out. It was nearing Nick's usual lunchbreak, and since Monroe was well aware that the Grimm had practically been living on greasy takeout and vending machine snacks for the past two weeks, he decided to come surprise him with a healthy homemade meal.
The Portland PD had been working nonstop the last couple of weeks to figure out the identity of the city's newest serial killer on the loose (which for once wasn't Wesen related), leaving the department scrambling for anything that could potentially lead them to their killer. Nick was basically living at the precinct at this point, only ever going back to his or Monroe's place to shower or get a couple measly hours of sleep (usually only at the behest of the captain or Monroe himself). The word 'stressed' didn't even come close to describing Nick's state of being the longer this case dragged on, and Monroe worried that Nick was going to reach a breaking point if he didn't slow down long enough to actually get some proper food and rest soon. And Monroe could tell that that breaking point was fast approaching.
Nick wasn't as subtle as he liked to believe he was when it came to hiding the signs of his regression. In the few nights Monroe had seen Nick this week, he's caught his boyfriend sucking his thumb in his sleep and staring longingly into his nursery more than once; not to mention the several times he's almost referred to Monroe as 'daddy.' Every instinct in the Blutbad screamed at him to swaddle Nick in every blanket he owned and keep him holed away in his home until the Grimm no longer looked like he was going to lose consciousness at any second. He resisted, though, knowing that doing so would just result in Monroe being put in the proverbial doghouse for the foreseeable future as soon as Nick was aged back up. So, Monroe just kept doing what he could for Nick as his partner without straying too far into caregiver territory. Which had not been easy, to say the least.
Monroe walked through the precinct doors and made his way to the bullpen. He gave a smile and wave as he passed by Hank on his way towards Nick's desk. He frowned, however, when he found it empty. Scanning his eyes around the room, Monroe couldn't see Nick anywhere. A stab of worry hit him, but he forced himself to take a calming breath and walked back over to Hank's desk.
"Hey, Hank?"
The detective looked away from his computer screen and up at Monroe.
"What's up, man?"
"Do you know where Nick is? I thought I'd surprise him with some homemade lunch today, but he's not at his desk."
"He's not?" Hank stood up and looked over across the bullpen at the other detective's desk, brow furrowing slightly when he saw the empty space as well. "That's weird, he should have been back by now."
"Back from where? A lead?" Hope briefly flashed across Monroe's face at the prospect of a potential break in the case.
Hank shook his head. "No, the bathroom. I saw him rush off in that direction about ten minutes ago."
The man's response replaced all traces of hope with a mix of panic and dread, heart sinking to the pit of the Blutbad's stomach. He kept it all from showing on his face, however, and swallowed thickly before replying.
"Ah, well, I'm sure he's fine. Probably all that junk he's been eating finally getting the better of him!" Monroe forced a chuckle that he opened was convincingly light-hearted enough for the detective not to question. "I better go check on him, though. Just in case he really doesn't feel well from his, uh, stomach."
Monroe thrusted the blue tote bag at Hank.
"Mind holding onto this for a minute?"
"Oh, yeah, sure thing," Hank replied, accepting the bag from the Blutbad.
"Thanks, man."
It took all of Monroe's self-control not to take off towards the bathrooms in a dead sprint. Instead, he forced his legs to move at a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow. When he finally reached the men's bathroom, he wasted no time pushing open the door and stepping inside–where he was immediately greeted by the quiet, heartbreaking sobs and sniffles of his most definitely regressed partner that echoed from the handicapped stall.
On the bright side, the urinals and other stalls were free of people, so they at least had a semblance of privacy for the time being. Monroe just hoped it stayed that way until he could get Nick out of here.
Before Monroe made a move towards the stall, he softened his voice and let Nick know he was here so the regressed man wouldn't be any more scared than he probably already was.
"Nicky, pumpkin? It's daddy."
"D–da-da?"
A small, choked up voice responded to him.
"Yeah, pumpkin, it's dada."
Monroe quickly made his way over to the stall. The door was locked, but with just enough Blutbad strength, he easily broke the lock and carefully pushed it open and stepped in.
Nick peered up at him with puffy, red eyes and tear-stained cheeks from where he sat leaning up against the wall on the floor. And just like Monroe had expected there to be, there was a visible wet patch on the front of his pants.
"Da-da." Nick raised his arms and made grabby hands at Monroe.
"Oh, my poor baby."
Monroe crouched down and pulled the pup into his arms.
Nick instantly burrowed his wet face into the crook of Monroe's neck, his fingers tangling in both the Blutbad's flannel button up and jacket.
"Did you have an accident on your way to the potty, pup?"
Nick just emitted a wordless whine and stuffed part of Monroe's shirt collar in his mouth for an extra dose of comfort.
"Are you feeling too little to talk, sweet boy? That's okay. Daddy always knows just what his baby needs. And right now, that's a diaper and jammies, some num-nums, and a long overdue nap."
But first, he needed to figure out how he was going to get Nick out of the station without anybody seeing him regressed, especially since Monroe was positive that he was going to have to carry the pup out because of how young he currently was.
After a brief moment of serious brainstorming, Monroe remembered there was one person in the precinct who would hopefully be able to help with just that.
Keeping one hand secured around Nick, Monroe reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cellphone. The pup let out a soft whimper at the movement, but Monroe just gently shushed him and nuzzled the top of his head to reassure him he wasn't going anywhere.
"Just gonna call your Uncle Sean, liebling. That's all."
Captain Sean Renard was the only other person who knew about Nick's regression. Other than Monroe, Nick had never actually planned on letting anyone else know, let alone his boss. Renard finding out had been entirely accidental and unexpected; all thanks to a Wesen takedown that went sideways and that almost ended with Nick being suffocated by the bastard, which had unsurprisingly sent him into his headspace the moment the danger was clear. Had it not been for Renard showing up when he did... well, Monroe didn't like to think about that and was just grateful that the captain was there in the first place. While Nick had been utterly mortified after the fact when he'd aged back up, his anxieties had quickly been put to rest when Renard himself reassured him that this wouldn't change how the captain saw or treated him.
It hadn't taken long after that for Captain Renard to become Uncle Sean to Nick when he was small.
The line only rang for a solid four seconds before the captain picked up.
"Monroe, what can I do for you?"
"Hey, cap. I, uh... I'm gonna need your help getting Nick out of the station without anyone taking notice."
Monroe quickly explained the situation to the other man, who instantly reassured him that he would take care of it.
"Oh, and if you could also grab the roasted chickpea and avocado salad that I left with Hank, that would be great."
"Roasted... chickpeas and avocado salad?"
Monroe could practically hear the grimace in the captain's voice.
"Hey! I'll have you know that that is one of my best dishes, thank you very much! And if you don't believe me, then ask Nick yourself when he's aged back up. I guarantee you he'll agree."
The man on the other end breathed out an amused chuckle.
"Yes, I'll be sure to do that."
Monroe's eyes narrowed at the wall in front of him. "That sounded suspiciously like sarcasm, your highness."
"Give me five minutes and I'll have everything taken care of."
With that, Renard ended the call.
"That guy, I swear," Monroe muttered to himself, before turning his attention back to the little boy in his arms. "You love daddy's food, huh, baby? Yeah, of course you do," he cooed sweetly, pressing his lips to the top of the pup's head.
Once the allotted five minutes passed, Monroe helped Nick get to his feet. Nick whined at being separated from Monroe's direct contact and tried to wiggle his way back into the Blutbad's arms.
"Just a second, Nicky. I know, I know."
Monroe quickly pulled off his jacket and tied it around Nick's waist, then scooped the little boy back up. He hated to leave Nick in urine-soaked pants and underwear, especially considering how long he'd already spent in them, but with there not being any spares in the station or in either of their cars, he didn't really have much of a choice.
Nick immediately shoved his face back into Monroe's neck, arms and legs wrapping around him like a baby koala.
"Okay, pup, let's go."
Monroe opened the bathroom door and cautiously stuck his head out to survey the hall outside. Officers and detectives walked past the door, but none of them seemed to even take notice–nor did they notice when Monroe stepped out with Nick. It was as if the two of them were completely see through.
Spotting Renard standing at the end of the hallway that led to the station's entrance, Monroe began to make his way towards the other man. The captain's usually stoic expression instantly melted into something soft and sympathetic when his gaze landed on Nick's trembling, clingy form.
"Hey, look who's here, bug. It's Uncle Sean!" Monroe said next to Nick's ear in an over exaggerated whisper.
That managed to get the pup to turn and peek his head out of hiding in Renard's direction.
"Hi there, buddy." Renard gave Nick a warm smile and a little wave when the boy met his gaze.
A faint smile quirked the boy's lips, briefly letting one hand go from Monroe's flannel to silently wave back at the older man.
"So, I'm assuming you used some kind of Hexenbiest spell to make us... what, invisible to everyone?"
"Yes and no," Renard replied, returning his gaze to Monroe. "It's a combination of an illusion and amnesia spell. It makes it so we appear invisible to everyone in the vicinity of the spell and simultaneously makes it so memories of our existence are temporarily erased from their minds."
"Gotta admit, that's pretty impressive. How long does it last?"
"It should last for about twenty-five minutes. It can normally last a good thirty, but because I made sure it also surrounded the outside of the precinct as well, that shortened the timeframe some."
"Well, we'd better get going before it wears off, then." Monroe shifted Nick's weight to his right arm so he could grab the tote bag from the captain. "Say bye-bye to Uncle Sean, baby."
"Bye-bye," Nick softly mumbled, before yawning and promptly nuzzling back into Monroe's neck.
Renard reached out and ran his hand through Nick's hair. "Bye-bye, my little rogue Grimm."
"Thank you, by the way. You always manage to come through. We really appreciate it, Sean." Monroe shot the other man a grateful smile.
"Of course, Monroe. No thanks is necessary, really," Renard replied, returning the Blutbad's smile. "Now, get my nephew home and give him what he needs."
"You know I always do."
With one final look of gratitude aimed at the captain, Monroe turned on his heel and headed off towards the double doors.
Just like how no one inside the precinct saw them, neither did anyone outside either. Monroe was easily able to walk to the car without needing to worry about exposing Nick to the judgmental stares he knew his pup would otherwise receive. However, getting Nick to let go of him and actually let Monroe buckle him into the backseat ended up being a far more difficult task.
It took Monroe a total of fifteen minutes to get Nick to let go of him, then another four just to get him buckled in. Which was immediately followed by Nick bursting into tears and repeating 'dada' over and over in the most heart-wrenching voice imaginable. Fortunately, though, Monroe managed to get the pup to calm down fairly quickly by putting on the pink noise playlist he'd made for whenever Nick was upset or couldn't sleep.
After only a couple of minutes, Nick's tears came to a stop, and before long he was drifting off to sleep; head cradled against the seatbelt with three of his fingers shoved in his mouth. Monroe normally wouldn't allow Nick to suck on his fingers, but he would allow it just this once since he didn't have any substitutes on him. After today, though, Monroe was definitely going to need to start carrying both pacifiers and extra clothes for the little boy in case of emergencies like this.
Once Monroe was absolutely certain that Nick wouldn't wake up, he turned the car on and pulled out into the road.
Thankfully, Monroe's place was only about ten minutes away from the station, so it wasn't long before he was pulling into his driveway. Nick was still out cold by the time they arrived, even once Monroe gathered him back up in his arms, Nick didn't even twitch at being moved. A testament to just how exhausted the poor pup was.
Monroe immediately carried Nick inside and upstairs to the nursery, not wanting the little boy to spend another minute in his wet things. He untied the jacket from around Nick's waist and tossed it into the dark brown whicker hamper behind the door, then laid him down on the white changing table and began to strip him down. Monroe winced at the reddish pink that colored the skin of his pup's inner thighs, genitals, and backside. He pulled out the aloe vera coated wipes and very gently wiped the urine from Nick's skin.
Once all traces of urine had been removed, Monroe applied the homemade aloe and coconut oil rash cream that his own mother used to use on him as a pup to the irritated flesh. He then added liberal amount of talcum powder before getting Nick strapped into a diaper and a royal blue, short-sleeved onesie covered in polar bear faces on front and back. By the end of it all, Nick was still in a deep sleep; not even stirring when Monroe had replaced his fingers for a pacifier in-between getting him undressed.
As much as Monroe didn't want to disturb the pup's much needed slumber, he still needed to get something in his neglected belly. So, after grabbing the teddy bear quilted baby blanket that Nick almost always gravitated towards when regressed, and the play mat from the closet, Monroe returned downstairs.
Monroe unfolded the mat and laid it on the living room floor. He then gently lowered Nick down onto the mesh padding, laying the baby blanket over the baby Grimm's chest. With his baby settled for the moment, Monroe made his way to the kitchen.
The Blutbad grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl, an avocado from the fridge, and the hemp seeds from the cupboard of seeds and seasonings. He chopped the banana up into bite sized pieces and put them into a plastic divider bowl, then cut up the avocado and rolled the slices in the hemp seeds, adding them to the other side of the bowl along with a fork. He then pulled down Nick's favorite Captain America bottle and filled it with some cool water.
Making his way back into the living room, Monroe set the bowl and bottle down on the coffee table so he could pick Nick up. Monroe maneuvered the two of them around on the couch until Nick was half propped up on his lap with his head resting against the Blutbad's shoulder.
"Wakey, wakey, hübscher," Monroe cooed into the little boy's ear, beginning to gently but firmly rub along his back. "It's time for num-nums. Come on, wake up, muffin."
Nick's eyes gradually fluttered open, a fussy whine escaping from behind his pacifier as he came to. He peered up at Monroe with sad, tired eyes, looking just seconds away from bursting into tears for the third time that day.
"Oh, I know, I know. My poor pup's so sleepy." Monroe hand moving from his back to the side of Nick's face, thumb caressing his sleep warm cheek as he started to jiggle his legs in order to lightly bounce the baby Grimm on his lap. "But I can't let you sleep on an empty tummy, sunshine. Daddies aren't allowed to let their babies go hungry."
Once Nick no longer looked close to tears, Monroe picked up the blue bowl and placed it down next to himself on the couch cushion. He then looped his pinky finger through the pup's soother and pulled it out, immediately picking up the fork and spearing a piece of the yellow fruit and bringing it to Nick's lips before he even had the chance to protest.
Nick just mouthed at banana for a moment, tasting it before eventually taking it into his mouth and chewing it. The sweet taste seemed to have him perking up in an instant.
"Yeah, there you go, Nicky! Such a good boy," Monroe praised him as soon as he swallowed the fruit and opened his mouth for more.
Monroe gladly fed the pup another banana piece, before then offering him one of the avocado slices–which he just as easily accepted. Monroe continued to utter praise and encouragement as he fed Nick the rest of his snack.
The moment Nick finished all of the banana and avocado, Monroe switched the fork in his hand for the bottle. Nick latched on immediately and exhaled a content sigh through his nose when the first drag of cool liquid hit his mouth.
"My sweet pup. What am I going to do with you, huh?" Monroe kept his voice low and soothing as he spoke, gazing down at Nick with a somber smile. "You always push yourself to the limit for work without any regard for your physical or mental well-being. Even though you've got so many people who love you and who you can always go to for help. I really wish you would remember that more often, bubba."
Nick just sleepily peered his eyes around the room and fiddled with his blanket as he continued to drink, too little to comprehend a single word that Monroe was saying.
"Well, that's something to discuss more later when you're big again." Monroe blew out a soft, quiet breath and pressed a long kiss to Nick's forehead. "And daddy will make sure he gets through that beautiful, stubborn head of yours, so you never have to go through anything like today ever again. That's a promise."
Once all of the water had been drained, Monroe replaced the nipple of the bottle for the pacifier once more. Nick immediately began to suckle sluggishly on the soother, curling a fist around his blanket and bringing it to rub against his cheek, hardly able to keep his eyes open now that his belly was finally full.
"Alright, sunshine, now you can finish your nap."
Monroe shifted Nick until he was properly cradled in the Blutbad's arms. He tucked Nick's head underneath his chin and started to hum a random melody, left hand sliding into his hair to gently stroke the dark strands between his fingers. It took less than a minute for the pup's breathing to slow and even back out in sleep.
Glancing over at one of his clocks, Monroe decided he could let Nick sleep for the next hour without needing to worry about the pup not sleeping when bedtime rolled around. Monroe knew he should probably use the free hour he had while Nick slept to get a bit more work done on those clock repairs he still had, but he couldn't quite bring himself to be apart from his baby Grimm just yet.
Besides, even in sleep, his pup deserved all of the extra coddling and love Manroe had to give.