Hello, my lovely readers. We're going to see some more Freya and Stefan in this chapter and their uneasy alliance. On with the show…

Chapter 5: Set Up

Freya Mikaelson led the way through the French Quarter. Yes, Stefan had been here before, years ago, but things had changed, at least on the surface. The long legged blonde opened the door to a place called Rousseau's. Stefan did not remember coming to this bar when he visited. Maybe he did. Lexi would remember, she remembered everything when Stefan decided to blind himself to something painful. But Lexi was gone—for good this time—and it still hurt like hell.

Blinking, Stefan found himself standing in the doorway while Freya eyed him, eerily quiet and still for a human. Her eyes pierced his like she could read his mind. His aura. Maybe. There was a touch of concern but impatience outweighed it. Her fingers curled around the door handle, turning whiter as she waited on him.

"Are you coming?"

"Yes."

Stefan followed his…he had yet to reach a decision of who she was to him. Friend? Acquaintance? Jailer? Something else? His eyes passed over the crowd in the bar. Young. Tourists, for the most part. Couple of regulars. You could tell from the way they relaxed into their seats, not ready to leave, not sure whether they wanted to and where to go after they did.

"Klaus!" a young blonde woman called to him. She looked exasperated as she waved to him from the bar.

Stefan smirked with Klaus' mouth. He figured that's how Klaus would greet this woman, not really knowing their status yet. He would watch how she behaved toward him and go from there. "Cami," he replied. "What is this I hear about the death rate rising in our fair city?"

Freya rolled her eyes and looked away. Cami's gaze flicked to Freya. She looked confused. Stefan wondered if Klaus tended to come here by himself to meet with Cami or if Cami didn't like Freya. Freya was not helping as she took a seat on a stool and examined the bottles behind the counter.

"Yeah," Cami replied. "Freya, do you sense something off?" she asked, her wide eyes moving to Freya who smirked.

"Isn't there always something 'off' here?" Freya inquired.

Cami nodded. "Yes. There is. But this… I don't know. I guess it could just be some kind of serial killer got loss and decided to make our town into his personal playground."

"And we've decided that killer is a man?" Freya's eyebrows rose, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Cami seemed frustrated. "I don't know. Hell, it could be anything. Male. Female."

"Mountain lion," Stefan suggested, earning a dark look from Cami, her green eyes boring into his.

"Klaus, this isn't funny. People are dying," Cami snapped, her voice low as she leaned over the counter.

"Aren't they always," Stefan retorted. "Come. Have lunch with us. I assume that you have yet to rest your feet. You look tired." His comments made Cami's cheeks flush for a moment before she pinned him with another look. She kind of reminded him of Elena when she was still human and his heart gave a tug. Elena, trapped in her own mind until they got her out or Bonnie died. It made him sick. None of them should have to deal with this.

"Klaus, are you okay?" Cami asked, her hand coming down on top of his, holding it while he refocused on her. Hand holding. She at least thought there was something more between her and Klaus than pure friendship. Stefan had no idea how to respond. He didn't want to hurt her feelings but he didn't know her.

"I am simply preoccupied at the moment," Stefan told Cami, patting her hand with his free one and then sliding the other free. Her eyes darkened for a moment before she smiled.

"Yes. Don't I know what that's like." Cami let out a light laugh and Stefan wondered how many times she did that a day to cover up her feelings. She came from behind the bar as Freya got up and Stefan followed the two women to a window seat. Cami took a seat across from Stefan and Freya. Her eyes moved to the street.

Stefan shifted in his seat, looking to Freya, still trying to figure out what she wanted to happen here. Were they supposed to be using Cami for something? Was she just another pawn in one of the Mikaelson family's games? If so, he pitied her and would happily tell Freya that he would take no part in what would inevitably get Cami killed.

"Why are you doing amateur detective work, Cami?" Freya asked, her eyes penetrating Cami's. If Freya were a vampire, Stefan would assume she was trying to compel the human but she wasn't. Perhaps this was more mental warfare.

"I'm…I don't know, to be honest." Cami smiled, her eyes moving over the table. "I made a new friend, a Detective Kenney, and he's trying to solve this on his own. I'm afraid that if it turns out to be some of the people we know, he'll get himself hurt or worse." Cami shook her head, her eyes clouding over and this time it was Stefan who reached for her hand.

"I can speak to him. Find out what he knows. If he's closing in on something he cannot handle; I will stop him," Stefan promised her.

Cami smiled and Stefan felt like this was a genuine smile, one filled with gratitude and relief. He got the sense this was not the first time that she had seen Klaus do something good. Maybe he had changed. A little.

Freya smiled. "Shall we order?" she inquired and Cami seemed to remember she was there. Her head moved, eyes on Freya.

"Yes. I think I could eat. As long as I don't have to think about mutilated corpses which kind of kills my desire to consume anything, really." Cami said as a waitress came over to take their orders.

Stefan got the opportunity to examine Cami while she ate. She was pretty. Human. His type not so long ago. And the gaps began to fill when he caught Freya watching him watching Cami. He inclined his head while Cami ate, oblivious to the staring contest between the vampire and the witch. Freya's eyes seemed to be daring Stefan to say what was on his mind but he knew better.

"I've got to get back to work but we'll talk," Cami got to her feet and Stefan could hear a question in her words.

"Of course, love," Stefan said, smiling up at Cami the way he figured that Klaus might. She seemed to buy it, at least for now.

"That went well," Freya said quietly, taking a sip of her tea.

Stefan turned to glare at her. "Yeah. It went really well. Do you mind explaining why you're trying to set me up with Klaus' girlfriend?" he snapped.

"Girlfriend?" Freya gave Stefan an amused look that felt patronizing and held that typical Mikaelson smugness that made Stefan want to break the table in half. "Oh, Stefan, do you think that Klaus would endanger his human by allowing himself to get that deeply involved with her? And you claimed to be his friend."

Rolling his eyes, Stefan leaned back in his seat. "I said we were friends when I was having a rough patch. I never said we were BFFs with friendship bracelets who wrote letters every two weeks."

Freya chuckled. "Oh, I think that I hit a sore spot. Did my brother wrong you, Mr. Salvatore?" she asked, leaning closer.

"You know your brother pretty well by now, right, Freya, you tell me?" Stefan waited for Freya to make up her mind.

After a moment, Freya sat back. "Yes. I suspect he did. But that is who he is and all the more reason that you should help right his wrongs."

"Let me get this right: you want me to right the wrongs of a man who wronged me? Is there some kind of logic in this argument?" Stefan smirked at Freya. He didn't like how much he was beginning to feel more and more like Klaus. It was like there were remnants of Klaus in his body: his feelings, his memories, his indomitable will. Getting out of Klaus' body as soon as possible would be what was best for everyone. If Freya couldn't see that, she was crazy as Klaus was.

"Stefan, you strike me as a good person. Well, as good as a vampire can be. I think that if you and I work together, we can do many things to change Niklaus' relationships with his family, his friends and his enemies. Think of the possibilities."

Shaking his head, Stefan tried not to raise his voice. "Freya, you don't seem to understand. I have my own sins to atone for. I can't spend the rest of eternity making up for Klaus' and that is what you would be asking me to do because that is how long it would take to right his wrongs."

Freya closed her eyes. "Stefan, I cannot force you to help me. But I can make it hard for you if you don't." Her eyes became cold and Stefan knew that she was dangerous. How dangerous? That he did not know and did not want to find out anytime soon.

"Fine. We'll keep at this. For a while. But if any of my people come looking for me, if you hurt them, I will retaliate." Again, he sounded and felt more like Klaus. Seeing Freya's jaw tighten, he thought she sensed it, too.

"We have a deal. For now." Freya got to her feet and walked toward the door.

Stefan kept his head down. He had no idea if Klaus would have said good-bye to Cami but he did not feel like playing Klaus anymore. He wanted to be at home with Damon, listening to Caroline bicker with his brother. He wanted to go to sleep and pretend that this was one big fat nightmare.

On the street, Stefan found Freya peering around them. "What's going on?" he asked her.

"Someone was watching us," Freya told him.

Using Klaus' enhanced sight, Stefan looked around before he spotted a man watching them from down the crowded street. His feet carried him in that direction, pushing past people, determined to grab the man before he slipped through his fingers. Part of this instinct came from Klaus but part of it was the predator that lay within.

Freya's heels clicked away on the cement. Her breath came out in little puffs while she struggled to keep up with his swifter gait. He would slow down but the man turned a corner, into an alleyway and Stefan had to stop him. Every part of him said to stop the man even if he had to tear off a leg to do so. The wolf and the vampire within wanted to rip the man apart.

The man had jumped onto a fire escape, moving far too quickly. Not a man, a vampire. Not as old as Stefan, not nearly as quick either. Leaping forward, Stefan felt Klaus' feet touch the top of the building as the younger vampire's hand came up to pull himself over. Stefan moved forward. He caught the vampire by the arm. "Going down?" he inquired with a smile before yanking the vampire's other hand off the fire escape and tossing him down the side of building. There was a satisfying crunch as his bones broke.

Leaping back down, Stefan grabbed the vampire by the throat, holding him up in front of Klaus' face. "Who are you and why were you following us?" he asked the vampire who squirmed in his grasp and whined in pain.

"My arm! My arm, it's all wrong, man; it hurts. It's trying to heal all wrong." The vampire began to cry and Freya came to stand beside Stefan.

"If you don't tell us what you were doing, I will make you feel pain you've never felt before," she promised the vampire. Her lips curved into a smile that made Stefan feel disquieted by its lack of humanity. She used pain to aid in her ability to make others suffer.

"Okay. Okay," the young vampire moaned. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you whatever you want to know —" and then his throat exploded and blood ran down Klaus' fingers where Stefan had been holding him.

Freya's eyes widened. Stefan felt his whole body become alert, looking for the threat and instinctively pushing Freya behind him. Another figure took off but Stefan had seen a crossbow that the figure held in his/her arms. "Well, it's official. There's a new threat in town," Freya sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear, not looking pleased.

"One of Klaus' old friends, come to call?" Stefan figured that it was Klaus they were after since it was Klaus and Freya who the vampire had been spying on.

Freya nodded. "Most likely. We'll have to tell Elijah."

"Right," Stefan followed her out of the alleyway and they headed back to the compound. Now more than ever, he wanted to talk to Klaus. Maybe Freya would let him since Klaus would be the only one who might know what the hell was going on.

When they entered the compound Elijah stood in the middle of the courtyard with a crying Hope in his arms. Vampires littered the area like rag dolls. "Elijah, what happened?" Freya asked him, her eyes wide.

Stefan made his way over to take Hope but Elijah gave him a look. "She wants me," Stefan said, watching Hope trying to get to him.

Elijah relented, offering him the baby. "We were attacked. These," he waved a disgusted hand. "Children came in. I did not bother to ask them who they were or why they were here. My first instinct was to stop them from hurting her." His gaze moved to Hope. "I failed her mother. I will not fail her as well."

"Elijah," Freya's eyes softened. "You did not fail Hayley. You did what you could to protect her. It is Niklaus and Niklaus alone who made the decision to trap her as he did."

Elijah nodded. His eyes flitted to Stefan who held Hope. The child played with one of her father's necklaces while Stefan bounced her around, trying to keep her calm. "Perhaps. I do blame Niklaus for Hayley's predicament but if I had not allowed her to leave. If I had gone with her…"

"Elijah, you can't change what has happened." Freya placed a hand on Elijah's arm.

"You can only change the future," Stefan offered and the siblings looked back at him.

"I have yet to ask you who it is you are," Elijah retorted. "In my haste to deal with matters outside of this house, I left that detail unchecked."

Looking at Freya, Stefan watched her nod before turning back to Elijah. "I'm Stefan."

"Stefan Salvatore?" Elijah looked more confused. Stefan nodded. "That does not make sense. Who would ever want to switch the two of you? Does this have something to do with your time in the '20s together? Perhaps a common enemy that you incurred the wrath of during your short travels?"

"Not that I know of. Rebekah would know better than I would. My memories about that time are still vague." Stefan continued rocking Hope. He didn't tell them that he did not want to revisit that time in his past. Every time he thought of his life as Ripper Stefan; he felt sick. It was better to leave it to Rebekah to do the remembering for both of them. Safer.

"Rebekah? What does Rebekah have to do with this?" Freya questioned Stefan.

He probably should have told her about his time with Rebekah but hadn't thought it was their most pressing issue at the time. "About that… Full disclosure. I used to date your sister," Stefan waited for Freya to react but she didn't flinch.

"Yes, that would make sense in our family's twisted history, would it not?" Freya moved toward the house.

"Where are you going, sister?" Elijah called after her.

"I am going to try to contact Rebekah, see what she can tell me of her travels," Freya called back before disappearing. Stefan could still hear her in the house, making her way up to her room.

"Rebekah's traveling?" Stefan asked Elijah. He wondered what else he should know if he had to pretend to be Klaus for an indefinite amount of time.

"Yes." Elijah did not offer further details when someone came into the compound with a look of fury.

"Where the hell is she, Klaus?" the man thundered, coming toward Klaus with a look of rage.

"Where is who?" Elijah demanded, moving between Stefan and the larger man.

"He damn well knows who I'm talking about? What in hell is the matter with you? Hasn't she been through enough? Losing Kol? Being thrust into the role as Regent? She's got enough but you just had to kidnap her! What are you trying to make her do? Make a damned dagger to use on Hayley so you can box her up? Or is it me this time? Want to put me in your damned basement like the rest of the family? You'll have to kill me first!"

"Calm yourself, Marcellus," Elijah said, moving to grab Marcellus by the arm.

"Don't you touch me! I'm not kidding, Elijah! He's going to tell me what he did with Davina," Marcellus snarled.

Stefan heard Hope scream at the sound of Davina's name. Her tears ran furiously down her cheeks, hands pressing to her hot face. "Gone!" the baby wailed.

"What did she say?" Marcellus cried out, staring at Davina.

"Gone!" Hope cried out again. "Gone. Gone. Gone!" she cried miserably, burying her face into her father's shoulder.

"See, I told you he took her!" Marcellus accused, pointing a finger at Stefan.

Elijah shook his head. "Marcel. It is not possible that Klaus could have taken Davina."

"Oh, and how is that?" Marcel snapped, folding his arms over his chest.

"Because this is not Klaus. This is Stefan Salvatore," Elijah waved in Stefan's direction who nodded at Marcel.

Marcel just stared at him. "What?"

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Answers to guest reviews:

Thank you/merci to all nine of my guest reviewers, nina19, guest, bluearrow, guest, guest, flashgirl, sirenna, guest and guest. I hope that all of you enjoy the update.

Peace,

Jessica