The mission to stop the travelers had largely been a failure. In fairness, Damon Salvatore's call for help had arrived too late. The travelers had all their pieces in place before anyone in Mystic Falls noticed anything was amiss. Klaus had to admire the simplicity of Markos' plan. The coven's leader had barred the doors and windows of the warehouse and then pumped it full of a poisonous gas. Only a handful of travelers had been left with gas masks to continue the spell. They had been feeding doppelganger blood into a cauldron when Klaus and Elijah arrived.

The Originals had stopped the spell by killing the travelers. Klaus was pleased to find the doppelgangers alive. Katherine was of no use to him but Tom would prove useful. He fully intended to sire more hybrids but it would be different this time. For starters, Klaus would only turn werewolves that were willing to serve him. He couldn't afford to have another mutiny on his hands. Fortunately, there were several werewolf packs in Louisiana that might be amenable to becoming hybrids. Moreover, Klaus planned to scour his own bloodline first. Why shouldn't his own kin rise above common werewolves?

After stopping the spell, Elijah and Rebekah went about opening doors and windows. Slowly the poison started to leave the building. Once the poison dissipated, Cary's pack took guard duty with Rebekah for the dead travelers. Klaus didn't want to give the truly dedicated the opportunity to kill themselves for a second time if they managed to cross over. He knew from Damon that other traveler covens were assisting Markos. The Bennett and Gemini witches on the Other Side were tracking down those covens and relaying the information to their living descendants. Witches all over the world were being given marching orders.

Now Klaus paced in front of the silent warehouse in his wolf form. His dark fur was stained with the blood of travelers. He wanted to be in Mystic Falls ripping the throat out of his mother's foul sister. The story Finn had painted of the woman was grim. Klaus couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around Freya being alive...somewhere. Elijah was eager to find their sister but Klaus had doubts. They had no idea how warped their sister might have become under Dahlia's influence. What guarantee did Klaus have that Freya wouldn't pick up where Dahlia left off?

"Niklaus…"

The wolf stopped pacing outside the warehouse when he heard the soft melodic voice calling his name. It was a voice he knew well and had cherished once upon a time. However, he hadn't heard that voice outside of his own memories for several hundred years. He looked over his shoulder and felt his fur stand on end at the sight of what was surely an apparition.

Drusilla smiled sweetly at her brother. "Hello, Niklaus. It has been too long."

A young Bennett vampire/witch hybrid watched Klaus suspiciously. He had rushed Drusilla over to the warehouse because a car wouldn't have been fast enough. However, he did not relish being in the presence of the original hybrid. He was slow to believe Ansel's praise of his son. Donovan was one of his descendents that had been summoned to Mystic Falls as a possible back up body. He had not been eager to be possessed by the progenitor of his line but Bennett witches were dutiful.

Klaus stalked over to the woman and sniffed her cautiously. Her scent was as familiar as her voice was. There was no doubt in the hybrid's mind that this was woman was his younger half-sister. However, she hardly looked the part. Drusilla had lived well beyond the years that any human could hope. She had used her magic to keep her body from becoming frail. Nevertheless, the years had carved deep lines into her beautiful face.

He had a million questions that he wanted to ask her. However, at the top of the list was the reason for her presence now. Klaus was smart enough to deduce that she had crossed over from the Other Side. Yet was incapable of asking her anything in his current state. Instead, he pressed his nose into her hand and then trotted away.

Elijah remained in stunned silence as he stared at Drusilla. He hadn't thought that they would ever meet again. He had saw her last perhaps a few years before she died. "It is good to see you, Drusilla."

She laughed softly at the vampire's ruffled appearance. His designer suit had certainly seen better days. She said, "It is good to see you as well, Elijah."

Klaus howled from his position behind the building.

Drusilla's lips twitched in amusement. She said, "It seems that our brother is as impatient as he ever was. I shouldn't keep him waiting any longer. Come along, Donovan."

The young man rolled his eyes skyward. They really didn't have time for the siblings to exchange pleasantries. Dahlia was barely restrained. Moreover, he didn't want to think about how many previously dead supernatural people were walking around freely. This was an unmitigated disaster.

Elijah followed Drusilla around the building. They found Niklaus leaning against the brick building shamelessly. The older vampire took off his ruined suit jacket and offered it to his brother. "There is a lady of the highest order present, brother. Cover yourself…"

The woman chuckled softly. "Niklaus is only trying to shock me...as he tried to shock my sweet little Bonnie not long ago."

He sent his younger brother an unimpressed look. "Niklaus…"

Klaus shrugged carelessly and accepted the jacket from Elijah, He said, "My niece is a werewolf. She must learn to become comfortable with nudity. I was doing her a favor."

Drusilla waved her hand dismissively. She drawled, "I am no blushing maiden, Elijah. Besides, I saw everything Niklaus had to offer long ago. It's still not very impressive."

Klaus barked out a laugh. He was pleased to see that death hadn't dulled his half-sister's tongue. He enveloped her into a hug and then pulled back to look into her mismatched eyes. "Why are you here, Dru?"

"It's a long story involving my least favorite ancestor. However, the important bit is that Dahlia is too dangerous to remain the anchor. We have found a replacement...our father, Ansel. However, Qetsiyah intends to use blood magic to fortify the tethering spell. If all goes well, no one will ever be able to replicate what the travelers have done. She needs a pint of blood from you, Niklaus…"

The Original Hybrid frowned in response. His blood was priceless and he had never parted with more than a few ounces at a time. Moreover, blood in the hands of a powerful witch was a dangerous proposition. His concerns were multiplied because Qetsiyah was a man-hating ancient witch. He didn't imagine that she had a favorable opinion of vampires or hybrids either.

Dru sensed Niklaus' reticence. She had expected as much when Qetsiyah proposed her solution. She said, "If makes you feel any better...my mother and I will be the ones to perform the spell. No one really trusts Qetsiyah's intentions. She has a habit of not being completely honest."

The Original Hybrid perked up at the mention of his half-siblings' mother. He asked, "Ayanna crossed over, too."

She nodded. "We had to do something to help Bonnie…"

Some emotion briefly passed over his face. "What is wrong with Bonnie?"

The emotion had been quick but Drusilla knew that Niklaus was concerned. She suppressed a knowing smile because of his well-known stubbornness. They didn't have the time to argue about his affection for Bonnie. "She has been trying to keep Dahlia desiccated but it is a taxing endeavor. She is burning through her magic rapidly. Her mate is feeding her his blood to keep her standing. The alternative is to allow Dahlia to break free from the spell. I'm sure that you can agree...that is not an alternative any of us could live with."

Klaus scowled at the mention of his aunt. He'd never met the woman before but he would very much enjoy killing her. He said, "You can have my blood but not Qetsiyah. I do not know her, and I do not trust her."

"No one with any good sense trusts, Qetsiyah. However, she is the only one with the knowledge that we need. The spell used by the Gemini Coven leaves a lot to be desired. We're also going to need blood from an original vampire…"

Elijah wasn't as well-versed in blood magic as Kol and Klaus were. However, using blood from ancient creatures would give any spell an amazing boost. It was also a dangerous prospect if the witch couldn't be trusted. He nodded and said, "I'm at your service, Drusilla."

"Thank you, Elijah." Then she looked at the warehouse. "Is everything in hand here?" Because there isn't much time to waste...we need to get to Mystic Falls now."

Klaus nodded. "Rebekah and my pack are capable of keeping the travelers in line if they suddenly resurrect themselves."

Qetsiyah's dark eyes roamed the massive channeling circle the witches had formed around the cemetery. Nearly every Bennett and Gemini witch present was sitting on the ground and holding the hand of person beside them. Most were weak from trying to restrain Dahlia for so long. However, merging their power in this way acted as a signal boost. The air surrounding the cemetery was so thick with magic that it reeked of ozone. Foreboding rain clouds had already begun to form over head and lightning streaked across the sky. Qetsiyah hadn't felt so much power in a very long time. In a word, it was intoxicating.

She had taken over the three-ring circus after Drusilla departed. She knew the witches would be unable to hold Dahlia for much long if they continued their folly. Qetsiyah and several witches drew ancient symbols on every headstone in the cemetery. Then she instructed everyone form the largest channeling circle they could. The ritual she had them using was something this world hadn't seen in a couple thousand years. However, only something so old and potent would be capable of restraining Dahlia and the veil. Few people trusted her, but everyone could agree that she was the most knowledgeable witch among them. Their cautious acceptance of her leadership had been rewarded. Dahlia was fully desiccated once more, but it couldn't last forever.

Qetsiyah walked over to the cauldron that was just starting to bubble. They had collected blood from a Bennett witch, a werewolf, a doppelganger, and a hybrid. She had also added some of her own blood to the brew. They only need blood from Klaus and one of his siblings to complete the ritual. Aside from the creation of the immortality spell, this would be some of the most powerful magic that Qetsiyah had ever done. However, it was necessary to protect the Other Side and this world. Both realms had come too close to apocalyptic disaster for her liking. The ancient witch loved chaos but only if it was controlled.

Satisfied with the brew's progress, she sought out Bonnie. The girl's mate had swept her away as soon as Qetsiyah said it was safe to release her hold on Dahlia. She had little use for men but at least the hybrid doted on Bonnie. She was certain that the pair would sire children that would be a credit to the Bennett name.

Qetsiyah spotted the couple lingering near the Salvatore mausoleum. She wrinkled her nose in distaste but made her way over to them. She raised an eyebrow at Bonnie. The girl was cooing softly at a large crow.

Tyler leaned against the stone wall with a small smirk on his face. There were few times that Bonnie was more joyful than when she was interacting with animals. He had jokingly called her Snow White in the past but it wasn't an inaccurate description. Animals that should have shied away from her because of her werewolf nature still flocked to her. Bonnie theorized that her witch side helped to obscure her predator status.

Qetsiyah cleared her throat. She nodded her head at the bird. "This one has magic in him."

Russell tilted its head to get a better look at Qetsiyah before returning to pecking at Bonnie's free flowing curls.

The ancient witch's smile grew wider after the crow had studied her with too intelligent eyes. "Who does he belong to?"

Bonnie smiled and lightly shooed Russell off her shoulder. "I don't know that an animal like Russell can truly belong to anyone. He has merely chosen a companion for a time."

The crow took flight and landed in a tree not far away from them. His dark eyes were trained on Bonnie from his perch.

Qetsiyah followed the bird's flight and chuckled at Bonnie's answer. "It has to belong to a vampire...of that much I am sure. Is it the one that looks like my Silas? He seems the sensitive sort…"

Bonnie shouldn't have been surprised that Qetsiyah was so knowledgeable. She had spent thousands of years on the Other Side just watching the world change and grow. "No, it isn't Stefan."

"It can't be the little blonde girl. She's much too young to have developed such an ability. Bonding with a creature takes a certain level of maturity," she mused aloud. Then she smiled. "Oh, the other brother...he's easy on the eyes."

Bonnie made a displeased face. It was enough that Damon and Elodie were friends with benefits. She could definitely do without the titillated look on Qetsiyah's face. Fortunately, startled shrieks from a few witches interrupted the unsettling conversation.

She looked around the ancient witch and shook her head at the massive wolf barreling into the cemetery. Bonnie knew immediately that it was Klaus. If she didn't recognize him by sight, the strange itch in the back of her mind certainly alerted her.

Moments later, three blurred figures sped into the cemetery and came to an abrupt stop.

Qetsiyah eyed Klaus with a covetous gleam in her eyes. What she wouldn't give to add the Original Hybrid to her little menagerie. She was already salivating at the prospect of making Dahlia and Esther her playthings on the Other Side. Silas screams had grown boring fairly fast. Sadly, she believed Klaus would be more useful here. He would help protect her bloodline from their own sacrificial nature. Klaus' irreverent ways had already began to rub off on Lucy.

Lucy made her way over to Klaus as he began to shift.

Klaus straightened to his full height and looked around the cemetery. He could practically taste the magic in the air. He looked at Lucy and asked, "Are you well?"

She gave a quick nod of her head. "We need to talk after we've extracted the pint of blood from you."

"About?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Your brothers have crossed over…" she murmured as quiet as possible. She knew the witches wouldn't be pleased to know that two more Originals were among them. Fortunately, they had wisely retreated to the Mikaelson Mansion. Lest anyone get the idea to send them back to the Other Side where they belonged.

Klaus was pleased to hear that Kol was among the quasi-living once more. However, the same could not be said about Finn. Truthfully, Klaus had left his brooding eldest brother daggered for so much time that he hardly knew him. His most recent memory was of Finn assisting Esther in her insane plan to kill them all.

Elijah was close enough to overhear the exchange between the two mates. He directed a pointed look at his younger brother. Elijah knew how Niklaus felt about Finn. However, they needed to talk as a family before doing anything rash-like killing him. He knew that would be Niklaus' first suggestion.

Lucy noted the silent conversation between the brothers. She said, "Come with me. I'll draw the blood from you. We shouldn't keep Qetsiyah waiting any longer than necessary. Everyone is eager for her to return to the Other Side."

Elijah said, "I will join you two shortly. I just need to make a call..."

Klaus followed Lucy to a small portable table where medical supplies were waiting. "What has she done?"

Lucy didn't bother cleaning Klaus' arm. It wasn't as if anything could make him sick. She opened a transfusion kit, stolen from the hospital, and found a vein in his arm. "She hasn't done anything...other than antagonising people. Qetsiyah just has a way of pissing off everyone. She is pretentious and boastful. I think Bonnie is the only person that seems unfazed by her antics."

Klaus watched his blood fill the bag. He asked, "Has there been any news of my parents?"

She nodded and said, "The witches on the Other Side have imprisoned them and Markos. The general consensus is to banish them to the void. However, Qetsiyah has other ideas…"

He lifted an eyebrow at his mate's tone of voice. "Such as…"

"Eternal torture," she replied.

Klaus was taken aback by Lucy's straightforward answer. He looked around her to find Qetsiyah in the crowd.

"She's twisted to say the very least about my most esteemed ancestor. She has taken a personal affront to your mother and aunt. She thinks they have become...too big for their britches," she explained.

He snorted because that definitely described Esther. He didn't know enough about Dahlia to apply the same description to her. "And her interest in Mikael?"

"She hates men," Lucy added with a wolfish grin. "Qetsiyah advised me to have another couple children with you before finding a way to kill you. She advised Bonnie to do the same with Tyler."

Klaus huffed out an amused laugh. However, he studied Lucy's face as if looking for something.

She rolled her eyes and said, "I already hexed. I'm not interested in killing you."

"That's not the bit I was interested in, love," he said with a grin.

"Oh," Lucy uttered softly. "Let's stop your deranged aunt from trying to kidnap the daughter we have before we discuss that…"

Klaus' grin widened, "But it is something that requires discussion?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I should have jabbed you harder with the needle when I had the chance."

He answered Lucy with a lingering kiss.

Elijah cleared his throat. "Excuse me."

Lucy backed away from Klaus in embarrassment. She shot an acid look at him and then looked at Elijah. "Can you roll up your sleeve for me?"

He did as asked for Lucy and watched as she opened another transfusion kit. Elijah marveled at how quickly she located a vein to tap.

She explained, "The two of you are the last donors. The other blood is already bubbling away. We can end this soon."