Changes ~ Klaus Mikaelson **

31: O trabalho em equipe faz o sonho funcionar

O trabalho em equipe faz o sonho funcionar: Team work makes the dream work

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Mad Crow Diner, Appalachian Mountains

"...If you find him, don't hesitate," Klaus said over the phone. "Hope's down for the count. She fell asleep as soon as Carlos started the car. I doubt she'll miss either of us over the next few days. Surprisingly, Carlos is a good babysitter. So which of these Kingmaker offices should we hit up first? There's ten of them. What," I asked him.

"Lucien has revealed his true nature. He's taken Freya. Now it seems her rescue depends on Elijah working with my ever-reliable brother Finn," Klaus said. "Oh. And you wanna go back to New Orleans to head up the hunt. Fine. You should go. I'm sticking with Kingmaker though. Lucien's working very hard to cover up the wolf kidnappings and I wanna know why," I said, getting ready to leave. I tried not to sound disappointed.

"No. The wolves, Freya's abduction, it can't all be a coincidence. We'll let my brothers pursue the obvious path. You and I will pursue this one. No doubt all roads lead to the same treacherous bastard," Klaus smiled as he picked a location. I smiled also. That means we get to spend the day together.

Lexvile, TN

"Does he just build these from a kit or something? That's the exact same for the last five offices. Same windows, same plants..."

"And inside the same generic abstract art, the same compellable receptionist," Klaus said. "But are you sure you wouldn't be better off with your brothers? I can do the leg work," I asked unsurely. "And split up the team now? Just when I'm discovering your carpool karaoke skills. I think not," he smiled and I laughed. "No, Lucien is playing a game here. Each unassuming little office building we search, the more sure I am of it. We keep going. Together. Even if we have to scour a hundred of these poxy places."

We walked in and it was all the same. "Ah, hello, Luv. We're here for a spot of search and potentially destruction. Do tell, where are the areas off-limits to the general staff," Klaus compelled the receptionist. "You just wait right here. And I'll have someone out here to help you with your inquiry," the lady said with a sly smile.

With one push of a button, the light went out and flashed right. Heavily armed men came out. "Freeze. Right there. Hold still," they said.  Red lasers pointed at our chest. "Let me see your hands, right now," they yelled.

"Shall we," I asked. "Ladies first," Klaus smirked. They started shooting at me and I had to dodge the bullets while killing them. Blood splattered across my face as I killed them quickly and creatively. Soon Klaus joined me. Grunts, screams, and gunshots filled the room under the red lights.

The last man left. I drank his blood for some fuel. By the time we were done the room was filled with blood and dead men. I dropped his body and licked my lips and dusted off my hands.

On the other side of the room, Klaus had just grabbed a key card from one of the employees. He chuckled at me and waited at the door. When I got to him and took his thumb and wiped my bottom lip. "Good girl," he praised, tucking my hair behind my ear. I gave him a toothy smile as he used the key card to open the door.

In the room were people connected tubes. But not just any people, wolves. "They're all wolves," I said. I walked up to one and tried to take the machine off of his face but he jumped up causing me to gasp. "Klaus, they're still alive," I told him. "This one's a vampire," he said, holding a tarp. "What the hell is Lucien up to here," Klaus asked. We let some of them go.

Klaus took the mask off of one of the bodies. "Help me with this one," Klaus said. I helped him get the guy onto a chair. I bit into my wrist to give him my blood. "No vampire blood," he said. "It's okay. The other drank. I'm a tribrid. Go on. Go on," I said. He drank my blood without further protest.

"He needed their venom. Lucien's cure for werewolf bites. He harvested the venom he needed then reverse-engineered a vaccine. Clever stuff," Klaus said, opening the fridge and grabbing a vial of the vaccine. "And her? The dead vampire," I asked. "It was the wolf venom that killed her. Just Lucien, testing his cure."

"Why does he need to test out something he knows already works?"

Our investigation was interrupted by a phone call. Klaus spoke quickly then turned to me when it ended. "Freya's safe," Klaus said. "What about the others," I asked. "Finn's in a bad way. Some kind of werewolf bite. Elijah thinks I should return home and heal him, ease his pain," Klaus said. "Y-you should go," I said sadly.

"No. Finn can purge it himself, he's earned the agony. Besides, you know how much I love burning things to the ground," Klaus smiled. "Klaus, when you said that you wanted to work together for our relationship and Hope's sake. I wanted to see what that looked like, and now I do. I appreciate you helping me rescue the wolves but if there is any chance of making Finn an ally, you should take it. Go," I said.

"I'd go if you didn't seem so sad. And, quite frankly I don't want to."

"Klaus leaves. I'll send these wolves home and burn the place down," I said, pushing him out. He turned around before he reached the door and pulled me into him to kiss me. I let the kiss remain sweet and short before pushing him out.

...

I ended up getting a call that they needed me now since Klaus's blood isn't working to heal the bite. Luckily I was already on my way. And I had some news of my own.

When I got there I wasted no time in giving Finn my blood. But it didn't work. He was dying from Lucien's bite and neither Klaus's nor my blood worked. Freya sobbed against his body as it veined up. I held Klaus's hand as he looked down at the body.

We ended up burning him and having the ashes. I let the siblings have their moment to have a mini funeral for their brother. Afterward, we met in the parlor.

"Klaus and I found Lucien's R&D lab full of werewolves. He is harvesting venom but not to find a cure. He's trying to create a more lethal strain," I explained. "Well, that must be what he added to the spell to make him whatever the hell he is now. He kept boasting about having something that would make him better than an Original," Freya said.

"Klaus is descended from one of the seven original wolf bloodlines, I'm descended from another. Lucien's venom? Is derived from all the seven packs," I explained. "Giving him a bite that not even we can cure," Klaus added. "There were two vials of serum and he only drank one. Maybe it's because the spell will wear off eventually and he'll need another dose," Freya predicted.

"Or enough for two."

"Aurora," I growled.

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