Hello, my lovely readers. I'm sorry about how long it's been since there was a new chapter. Writer's block has been plaguing me for a long time now. On with the show…
Chapter 3: The Stranger in My House
Freya Mikaelson was still adjusting to life with her siblings. Now everything felt wrong for her with the arrival of this stranger in her brother's body. Although she knew she should feel some amount of relief due to Klaus' surprising absence, she was worried about what this meant and who had cast this spell. Or was it a spell?
Stepping gingerly down the stairs and into the living quarters where Elijah sat, with a large book splayed across his lap, Freya thought of what to say. "Freya," Elijah addressed her without looking up, flicking a page with his index finger.
"Elijah," Freya greeted her younger brother warmly. Sitting across from him, she pondered how he would take the news of Klaus' disappearance. However, Elijah seemed more preoccupied with other matters at the moment.
"I've been reading up on the curse that mother used on Niklaus and I think I might have found a way to release Hayley. It's a loophole…" Elijah trailed off when he looked up and Freya realized that he had stopped talking. "Is everything alright, sister?" he asked, his expression contorting in concern.
Choosing her words carefully, Freya parted her lips to speak when someone else appeared in the room, well, two people. "I think she's hungry," Stefan Salvatore uttered from the doorway, bouncing Hope on his hip who let out a cry of frustration.
Elijah's eyes moved toward his brother with a look of sheer contempt. "Brother, you might note that Hope is your responsibility given her mother's current predicament."
Stefan did something that made Freya groan inwardly. "I'm sorry, Elijah. I'll take of it," he said sincerely before leaving the room.
For a moment there was dead silence before Elijah looked to Freya and then back to where "Niklaus" had been standing. Opening her mouth to say something, Freya found she would be talking to empty air. "Elijah," she groaned, getting to her feet and hurrying toward the kitchen.
"Who are you?" Elijah was growling while Hope wailed in the background.
"I'm Klaus, your brother. Get the bloody hell off of me," Stefan tried, shoving Elijah away, sending Elijah crashing into the opposite wall.
"What is going on in here?" Freya demanded when Elijah got to his feet, his fangs showing while Hope whimpered in her highchair. "Stop this this instant."
"Not until he tells us who he is and where Klaus is," Elijah snarled, diving toward Stefan when Freya held up a hand and dropped the vampire to the floor, holding him there.
"Nice," Stefan said, smirking down at Elijah and looking a little too much like Klaus for comfort.
Elijah's eyes flicked to Freya. "Did you have something to do with this treachery, Freya," he demanded, pushing himself to his feet but not trying to attack Stefan.
"No. I did not do this," Freya related.
Elijah straightened his tie before pointing an accusatory finger at Stefan once again. "I will give you one more chance to answer my question. Who are you?"
Stefan looked to Freya who nodded. "I'm Stefan Salvatore," he told Elijah. These few words seemed to be a burden lifted as his posture relaxed and he even smiled. "I'm as much in the dark as you about how I got here or what the hell is going on."
Brows furrowing, Elijah stood silently for several moments before he replied. "We must be under attack again. But by who?"
"We've got some new enemies in Mystic Falls who are powerful enough to do this. But it doesn't make sense that they would choose to put me into Klaus' body. As far as I know Klaus has nothing to do with our new problems." Stefan told them.
Elijah let out a mirthless chuckle. "Our enemies are many. And Niklaus', over the years, are countless. There is no way to tell if the new threat to your town could not be seeking vengeance for some long forgotten wrong on my brother's part."
"Elijah, aren't you jumping to conclusions?" Freya asked gently. She knew how difficult it was for Elijah when Hayley was trapped in wolf form. He felt helpless. If there were anything she could do to change the situation, she would do it in a heartbeat, but to continually attack their brother was not the answer.
Scoffing, Elijah placed a hand in his pocket, shifting his weight. "You really choose to side with Klaus at a time like this?"
"I am not choosing a side," Freya snapped, her eyes narrowing at her brother.
"Like Switzerland," Stefan commented, finding a jar of baby food and opening it. Sniffing it, his nose wrinkled. "What is that stuff?" he asked with a look of disgust.
"Stewed carrots," Elijah retorted. "Freya, perhaps we should take advantage of Klaus' absence to correct some of his wrongs." he suggested to which Freya nodded assent while Stefan found a jar of peaches.
"Look what I found," Stefan cooed to Hope who clapped when he brought her the jar with a spoon. "Smells a lot better than that other stuff, doesn't it?" he asked, sitting down in front of the baby and making helicopter noises as he fed her.
"Dear God, he'll lessen her intelligence at this rate," Elijah muttered.
Freya couldn't help but smile at how naturally Stefan acted with Hope. It was a shame he was a vampire condemned to a fate in which he would never have a child of his own. "We should hope that he has other talents that might rub off on her during his stay. Maybe a little compassion. Something that can be sorely lacking in this family," Freya uttered. When she did not hear Elijah reply she noted his absence.
"Guess he doesn't find my feeding a baby as entertaining as you do," Stefan joked. "Got any more of this stuff. I think she wants more," he peered inside the empty jar as Hope hummed to herself.
"Yes, we have plenty where that came from," Freya replied, opening a cabinet door and pulling out another jar.
"What do you think Elijah has in mind?" Stefan questioned Freya when she took a seat across from him, taking Hope's empty hand in her own.
"I don't know what you mean," Freya told him. She was still not sure how much she could trust him. All that she did know was that the secret of who he really was must not get out otherwise she and her entire family would be in danger.
Stefan glanced in Freya's direction and she had the impression that he understood more than he was letting on. Feeling her lips twist into a frown, she looked him in the eye, tilting her head to the side and watching him intently.
"I don't know Elijah nearly as well as I know Klaus, but I do know that using me to 'right Klaus' wrongs' is not a position I want to be in. Don't get me wrong. I would love to help. But I'm not sure that Klaus won't kill me once he gets his body back. And I have family and friends who need me right now," Stefan said quietly as he fed the baby.
Sitting back in her seat, Freya folded her arms over her chest. "I would love to be able to help you return to your own body, Stefan. The problem is that we are in danger in this town. Niklaus has made many new enemies and right now we are all vulnerable."
Brows furrowing, Stefan turned his whole body to face Freya. "So you're telling me that I have to just play along for as long as it's convenient for you and your family?"
"Yes, Stefan. That is exactly what we are asking you to do. Look at this child, our family's hope' as Elijah so fondly calls her, if our enemies were to know of our vulnerability, of your vulnerability, they would come for us all." Freya stopped speaking and looked away from Stefan. She knew she sounded far too much like Klaus but if being kind would not do the trick, then instilling fear would have to.
"You're using a baby against me?" Stefan did not sound shocked but he did sound disappointed. "No need for a DNA test; you're definitely a Mikaelson."
Freya watched Stefan get to her brother's feet and head out of the room. "Where are you going, Stefan?" she called, not bothering to get up and follow him.
"Outside. I need some fresh air. This house is stifling," Stefan snapped back.
Shaking her head, Freya let him go without a word. Mr. Salvatore would not be going very far if she had anything to say about it. Her head dipped forward as she started to chant, closing the gates of the compound while she saw Stefan approach them in her mind's eye. Lips tilting upward with a satisfied smirk, Freya sat back, waiting for the frustrated vampire to return.
"Now I can't even go for a walk?" Stefan demanded, mere seconds later. His footsteps rang throughout the kitchen as he entered causing Freya to look up at him, the picture of tranquility.
"Yes. It's necessary that you do not leave unless Elijah or I are with you, in case you run into someone else who might figure out you're not who you're supposed to be." Freya waited for an outburst of rage that would overtake their brother if he were in this situation. However, Stefan shocked her by sitting back down with a heavy sigh.
"Fine. What can I do until you deem it safe for me to leave the house on my own?" Stefan asked, his brows furrowing.
"You can babysit while I continue to try to lift the curse that Klaus has placed on that child's mother. I'll be upstairs if you need me for anything," Freya intoned. She glanced at Stefan who nodded without a word. She had a feeling that he was up to something. "Before I leave I want you to give me Niklaus' phone."
"Why? Can't you just hex it so I can't call anyone? I might call and have a pizza delivered," Stefan muttered under his breath.
Chuckling, Freya held out her hand. "In case he calls. He might have information that allows me to switch you back before anyone else finds out who you are," she told the vampire who looked up at her.
"What if he doesn't know anything more than I do? Or what if someone else has killed him? Then you'll never get your brother back," Stefan suggested, retrieving Klaus' phone and holding it out to Freya. "I think it might be better if you went ahead and called him, just to see how things are going."
"Nice try, Stefan," Freya retorted, taking the phone and pocketing it. "But I think that if Klaus were dead I would know because you would be as well."
"Good point." Stefan relented grudgingly. "Have fun with your anti-werewolf hexing."
"I will," Freya called over her shoulder on her way out of the room. In fact she did want to call Niklaus to make sure that he had not gotten himself into any trouble but she knew he was intelligent enough to free himself. Or so she hoped. Sighing, Freya walked up the stairs and into her room, closing the door with a flick of her wrist.
Taking a seat on her bed, Freya thought about Elijah's words. Using Stefan's presence in New Orleans could allow them to right many wrongs that Klaus had committed lately in their family's name. As long as no one knew what would be the harm in allowing this spell to stay intact. All Freya would have to do was make it look as if she were working on a way to fix it. A Niklaus free New Orleans, Freya mused. Interesting. But could they really rely on Stefan to keep their secrets? Why would he? He had no vested interest in their welfare. Unless she made one.
But who or what would it take for Stefan to begin to care about keeping this charade going? Thinking about it for a sometime, Freya's thoughts were interrupted when Klaus' phone began to ring. "I hadn't thought of that one," Freya said aloud, smiling. Cami O'Connell's name lit up on the screen. A little human might make all the difference. Or not. Who's to say what Stefan Salvatore's taste in women was.
Ignoring the ring phone, Freya got to her feet and began to pace. This would not be easy. Cami had been Niklaus' therapist for a while now and she knew things that Freya had yet to know about her brother. How could he fool her? Would he fool her? Should Freya use someone else? Would Cami interfere with their plans and try to return Klaus to his rightful body? There were far too many unknown elements but it would give them some idea of how well Stefan could play at being Klaus. And they would run into each other eventually…
Making a decision, Freya got to her feet and waved her door open. Stefan had left the kitchen and was now in the living quarters, watching Hope playing with her wooden ornaments that she cherished. "Hey," he greeted Freya. "Come up with anything?"
"No. But a friend of Klaus' called. I think you should invite her to lunch. Don't worry. You won't be alone. I'll come with you. But we need to see if she'll detect the difference between you and Niklaus. If she does, you'll have to compel her to forget before she tells someone else." Freya knew from the look on Stefan's face that he was hoping for different news.
"Great. Anything else you'd like me to do? Host the annual Christmas party? Take some family portraits? Go kill someone? That last part, that would be very Klaus like and we wouldn't want him to not be himself." Stefan's tone was bitter as he righted a toy that Hope had knocked over, a knight on a horse.
"You don't have to kill anyone. If anyone needs to be killed Elijah can do it. And if he can't, I can, and that includes anyone from your little town that might cause a problem," Freya stated, her eyes narrowing at the vampire who looked up at her.
"Is that a threat?" Stefan demanded, getting to his feet.
Hope let out a whine and knocked the knight over again. "Hope, what is the matter?" Freya cried, looking at the child who was on the edge of tears.
"Maybe she doesn't like people threatening each other. I'd be surprised considering who her father is but you never know, maybe the sadism skips a generation in your family. Then again, I did meet your dad and I would say that's not very likely—" Stefan's borrowed mouth stopped making insults and the body occupied went flying across the room to crash into a wall.
Freya could feel her entire body shaking;her lips were twisted and her hands were balled at her sides. Tears of rage coursed down her cheeks. No, Stefan Salvatore was not Klaus Mikaelson but they seemed to share a cruel streak. Wiping away the tears, Freya glared as Stefan got to Klaus' feet. "Are you quite done?" she demanded coolly.
"You didn't have to throw me across the room," Stefan grunted, running a hand through Klaus' curls.
"No, I didn't. Nor did I," Freya retorted, glaring back.
"Then who did that?" Stefan waved an arm around the room. "I don't see any other witches here…" he trailed off when he spotted Hope, staring up at him, her eyes red rimmed and wet.
Freya's eyes landed on the child who was the only other being who could have stopped this argument with magic. "I see that she's coming into her powers nicely."
"Great. Now I have to worry about being flung around by a two year old. What next?" Stefan shook his head when Klaus' phone began to ring again. "Oh, yeah, that," he rolled his eyes while Freya checked to see who was calling this time. "Is that the friend you mentioned before calling?"
"Yes. She's usually not this persistent unless there's trouble," Freya answered, frowning.
Stefan sighed and then gestured for Freya to hand him the phone. "Let's get this over with." He took the phone and placed it to his ear. "Hello, love, what seems to be the problem?"
Watching Stefan's expressions on Klaus' face might have been comical during another occasion but not when Freya was left out of the conversation. "I have no idea. Perhaps we could meet for lunch and you could tell me all about it then? Right. I will see you then." Hanging up, Stefan turned to Freya. "She said that there were some dead bodies showing up around the quarter. Men whose throats had been slashed. She thought it was Klaus and I can say that unless I'm killing people in my sleep, he's not the culprit."
"Wonderful. What New Orleans needs now is another homicidal maniac on the loose. Just when we got rid of one," Freya said absently. "I will call Elijah and try to get him back to care for Hope before we meet with Cami."
"Yeah. That should be fun. Anything that I should know about this Cami person before we meet her?" Stefan asked.
Thinking about what to tell Stefan, Freya decided to go with the obvious. "She's been Klaus' therapist for close to two years now. Klaus thinks of her as a close friend, perhaps something more than that but who really knows what he feels about anything. Klaus keeps his feelings so deeply buried it's hard to tell."
"And how does she feel about him?" Stefan asked.
"You can figure it out when you meet her," Freya said, losing patience with this conversation. "I need to get dressed." Leaving the room, Freya told herself repeatedly that this was a good idea and failed miserably at convincing herself.
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Answers to guest reviews:
Zera; Thank you!
Guest: Thank you!
Guest: I enjoy exploring different pairings and when I saw a challenge about Freya and Stefan, somehow it made sense to me.
Guest: Finally I did.
Guest: Freya and Stef did have an interesting scene in the crossover event and I can say I wouldn't have minded seeing more of them on screen.
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Peace,
J