work_inprogress | Is it gone, tell me what went wrong / 'Cause baby I'm not that strong

Lydia didn't need to hear the trip in his heart that said he was lying because the uncertainty in his tone and the way he avoided eye contact was enough for her. So she crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow, waiting patiently. "That's only part of it."

"Okay." Allison watched Klaus go ahead of them before glancing at her Dad and then moving to follow the hybrid.

It was Stiles who said something though as they walked into the loft. "We think we know where to find my Dad and Scott's mom."

Scott had said they'd tell people, but Isaac didn't want to do that without him, especially when he'd left and maybe they weren't anything anymore, because, well, his new pack probably would be happy to kill Isaac.

But Lydia was kind of scary when she was determined, and so he tried to think of something to say and came out with, "What's going on with you and Peter?"

Hayley turned when Klaus came back in and he gave her a nod, crossing to stand next to Elijah, who arched an eyebrow at him. Klaus shrugged.

Peter glanced at Stiles, then Chris, then back to Stiles as it occurred to him, and he nodded slowly. "The Nemeton?"

Lydia should have expected that and she lifted her chin, almost defiantly, before answering after a couple heartbeats. "We're involved." She pursed her lips slightly. "So?"

The mention of the Nemeton had an effect on one person in the room. The mention of it had every muscle in Derek's body tensing as he looked sharply at Peter and then to Stiles. He was already on edge from Jennifer talking about it, about how she had been sustained because of the tree that had sparked to life after the sacrifice of a virgin. Clenching his jaw, he tried to act as neutral as possible. "Are you sure?"

Stiles instantly felt bad for bringing it up, recalling Peter's story, but it was too important to ignore. With a quietly apologetic glance, he nodded.

"It's a source of power." Allison didn't know the significgance to the werewolf standing across the room and so she answered. "Plus...it's on the currents, isn't it?" She glanced at her Dad for confirmation.

Isaac opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, closed his mouth. Frowned. Started to think of something else. Thought about the shirt Peter was wearing. Gave up.

"Okay." He ran a hand through his hair. "I guess...so are me and Scott." He looked up at her, eyes wide. "You can't tell Allison. I mean, we're not trying to hide, but...it's new and..." He shrugged. "Please don't tell."

"It is," Chris confirmed. He didn't know Derek's story, but he remembered the blood on the tree. He didn't say anything about that, though.

Peter looked back at Derek for a moment, noting his tension and his gaze fell. "It makes sense."

Elijah was a bit uncomfortable, glancing at Klaus who gave him a wry smile. Druids...had never really been their biggest fans, and not as easily swayed as witches, as it turned out. But they'd still help. "I take it you all know where this place is?" Elijah asked, looking around the room.

Lydia didn't like to hide things from Allison but this was certainly wasn't one of the things that was really any of her business and it certainly wasn't her place to spill the beans. That and she was just trying to wrap her mind around the idea of Scott and Isaac being together. Which wasn't all that hard from Isaac's side...

"Fine." She shrugged flippantly before pointing. "Grab some blankets. I'll make the bed." And that seemed to be that.

"I do." Derek replied. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd never forget that place. He was silent for a moment before glancing over at Peter. "Can you stay here and watch over Cora?"

Isaac breathed a sigh of relief, though the tightness in his chest didn't really go away. Still, that was more because of Scott being gone anyway. With a little nod, he did as she said, turning into the closet and getting her blankets. "Okay."

Peter frowned sharply, even if he knew that he likely would just be a hindrance. He could try and front, but he knew he was near done, muscles trembling a little.

Plus...Derek probably did not need him there at that place. The frown faded and he nodded slightly, gaze slipping away from his nephew. "Of course."

Elijah and Hayley watched the interplay, with Hayley frowning a bit at the tension she didn't understand.

"It's probably best to go in teams," Elijah suggested, strategy taking over. "If she's busy fending off one team, the other can slip in, possibly with a third for backup of anyone who gets in trouble. This kind of magic...Yes, she wanted protection from the Alpha pack tonight, but if we're going into her place of power, we need to be prepared."

Lydia made sure the bed was made before straightening to look at Isaac again. "What's going on in the other room?"

Truthfully Derek wasn't even thinking about Peter being in that 'place' but more because he could see how close to collapsing he was. That and he wasn't too comfortable with leaving Cora alone yet, even with Hayley and Lydia there. He needed someone in the family to watch her.

"Agreed." Allison nodded her head, looking at her Dad. "Klaus and I will be one team." Because she didn't trust him alone with her Dad and vice versa.

"I'll take the third team." Stiles didn't really want to get involved in the fight. Not again.

One day, Peter might figure that out, but he was still feeling guilty enough from retelling the story that it was hitting with the exhaustion.

"Um...they figured out that Ms. Blake is probably holding Scott's mom and Stiles's dad at something called a Nemeton?" Isaac didn't know what that was. "And they're deciding who's going after them..." He moved to the door. "We should go back down."

He hit the stairs, coming down and jumping the last few lightly. "I'm going."

Elijah studied who was left and nodded at Isaac. "All right. You're with me and Derek. Stiles, is it? You go with Christopher. When we get them out, you get them away, all right? Weapons backup will help to distract her, but we don't want her recapturing them, so get them and go. Don't wait for us."

Hand to hand with magic, he figured supernaturals had a better chance, and Klaus would be back up enough for the girl, but he glanced at them. "You two take the opposite side from the three of us. We'll coordinate a timed strike to pull her out."

He glanced at Chris, then Derek. "Does that work for you?"

Lydia felt a stab of worry that Peter would go with the others when they went to find Scott's mom and the Sheriff, so she was quick on Isaac's heels, her own heels clicking against the stairs as she looked for Peter to see where he was.

Allison glanced over at Isaac as he appeared, nodding her head as Elijah told him to join him and Derek which suited Allison just fine. As did having Stiles go with her Dad who would definitely figure out a way to get into the cellar to find the missing parents.

Derek listened before nodding his head. "Works for me."

Lydia tried not to look too relieved to hear that Peter wasn't included.

"All right." Elijah nodded. "I don't think she realized who Niklaus and I were, so we have that on our side. One of you who knows where we're going, give Niklaus and Allison directions. We need to approach from different directions, and it will be easier to do so from the start."

Peter reached for a notepad. "I'll draw you a map."

Klaus sent him a smile. "Thanks."

Hayley worried at her lower lip, fingers clinging a little to Derek's. "Is there some...warding spell or something to help against her?"

Elijah shook his head a bit, not negating but dismissing idea. "If we had time to look it up, perhaps, but we haven't exactly got a witch on hand, and if the Druid you do have knew anything, surely he would have used it already?"

"Mistletoe." Stiles blinked as he suddenly looked up at them. "Deaton gave Scott powdered mistletoe. He threw some of it on Miss Blake and it seemed to...slow her down." He glanced around at everyone. "It also showed her true face, so maybe it kind of screwed her up for a second or two. If we have enough of it..."

"That's a good idea." Allison nodded. "But where are we going to get it?"

"I don't know. Lydia, did your scream bother her?" Stiles glanced over at the redhead who blinked a bit at being put on the spot.

"No." Her eyes darted to the vampires as she shifted a bit closer to Peter. "And i really don't think it works that way." She wasn't sure she could scream like that on will. At lest now with the same effect.

"Lydia's not going anywhere," Peter said. Not angry, not snapping, but simply matter-of-fact. "She shouldn't even be out of bed." And the angry bruise darkening around her throat made him want to kill things whenever he saw it. "Clearly her scream didn't stop Ms. Blake from attempting to kill her earlier tonight, so I doubt it would do much now except incapacitate us."

Elijah gave the girl another look, but he'd heard the scream, too, knew what he'd heard. "They're right." He glanced at Stiles with sympathy. "It doesn't work that way. If we could get the mistletoe, it might help, but I don't want to risk poisoning the wolves by accident. With all of us, I think we've got enough of an advantage. While stopping her for good is clearly something we want to do, our priority is saving your father and Ms. McCall. The five of us should be able to slow her down enough for that."

Klaus snorted. "Please, Elijah. The only reason we didn't kill her at the hospital was because we needed her alive to find the sheriff. Once we've done that..." He shrugged, his smile sharp. "I'm hungry."

The firm way Peter said she wasn't going anywhere should have made Lydia bristle in annoyance but she didn't. It was honestly kind of nice to be with someone who wanted to protect her and she smiled just a bit, moving to his side finally as she reached for his hand. "I'll stay here with the others."

Stiles made a bit of a face but he just nodded as Elijah reassured him that they could all handle the Darach. He still wasn't so sure but he hadn't seen the vampires in action either. "Okay."

Allison was going to say something then but Cora's voice cut through again from where she was now sitting up on the table. "Do it." She told Klaus before looking at the rest of them. "Stop her before she can kill anyone else."

"She does need to be stopped." Allison added then with a nod, keeping her features neutral before glancing at Peter. "We just need the map and then we'll get going."

Peter squeezed Lydia's hand, then let go solely to finish the map and hold it out for Allison. He didn't trust his legs to stand, honestly.

Chris was back to watching him warily, and had frowned a little at Klaus's comment--sending his daughter off with a vampire was bad enough. A hungry one...

Elijah seemed to read his thoughts, and amusement quirked his lips. "Do try to wait for the darach, Niklaus. Don't eat the huntress."

Klaus flashed him a grin, then bowed a bit in Cora's direction. "Consider it done."

Hayley rolled her eyes and rested her forehead on Derek's shoulder a moment. "Be careful, okay?" She looked to Elijah. "You get them all home."

Elijah gave her a half smile, before Klaus interjected, "Don't worry, little wolf. We won't let anything happen to your playmate."

It was Hayley's turn to move in a blur, faster than the eye could track, grabbing something heavy off of the table and hurling it at Klaus's head with enough force to probably have killed him if he were human. Or if he hadn't caught it. He tossed it back to her with a wink, and reached for Allison's elbow, tugging her toward the door. "Come on, huntress. Let's go kill your English teacher."

Derek remained silent as he seemed to ignore the whole exchange or maybe it was simply because his mind was somewhere else. Going back 'there' was something he had been working to avoid ever since that night and now that he knew it had helped get Jennifer to where she was now? Yes, he wasn't enjoying the idea.

Turning his head, he brushed a kiss against Hayley's forehead before drawing away to head for the door, nodding for Isaac to follow.

Allison had arched a brow at the mention of feeding on her and she shot Klays a dark look before glancing at her Dad. "Be safe." She murmured as Klaus pulled her out after she had grabbed the map from Peter.

Watching them all go, he looked at Chris. "Why does this feel like its such a bad idea?" He muttered.

Isaac stared at Hayley and swallowed, then followed Derek hurriedly. Elijah moved and kissed her cheek and gave her a sympathetic look--Klaus regularly tried his patience, too. "I'll bring him back safe, sweetheart. I promise." Then he followed the two wolves.

Chris shook his head at Stiles. "Because we're going off to face down a dark druid with a group of wolves and vampires who probably have their own agenda and absolutely nothing to gain from keeping us alive?" He made a face. "But let's go get your dad and Melissa. They can fight it out with the teacher."

Peter waited until they were all gone to finally let himself settle back on the sofa, closing his eyes. "Why does Derek not have a TV? How are those of us not inclined to constant brooding supposed to entertain ourselves here?"

Stiles stared at Chris as he explained exactly why this felt like it was going to go bad and then he nodded, moving to follow. "Let's just hope it works."

Lydia was quiet as Peter complained about the lack of a television, a faraway look in her eyes as she watched Stiles and Chris leave. She had the strongest urge to follow suddenly and that realization caused a shiver to run down her spine as she closed her eyes and forced herself to turn away. "You need to rest. Both of you." She looked at Cora as well.

Cora made a face but she wasn't going to argue as the vampire blood had helped but she still felt drained.

Allison led Klaus towards her car which Isaac had borrowed. "Here, you can take the map." She held it out to Klaus. "I'll drive."

Stepping outside, Derek looked over at Elijah. "Do you want to go on foot or do you want to take my car?"

Chris nodded and led the way down to his car. "We're going to get them back, Stiles."

Klaus arched an eyebrow at the huntress, but took the map. "Yes, let's give the person with no reference point for anything on it the map...."

Elijah tilted his head, studying Derek and Isaac. "I can get there faster on foot, but we need the others before we go in, so it doesn't really matter. If we get there first, I suppose we can do some scouting, though..."

"I just hope they're alive when we do." Stiles muttered hollowly.

Allison tried not to get exasperated as she turned to face Klaus. "What? Do you want to drive?"

Derek thought about it, glancing at Isaac before his eyes went red. "Let's run then."

Chris really hoped so, as well, and he reached out to squeeze the boy's shoulder before getting in the car. Working with the pack might not be his favorite thing ever, but Melissa and the sheriff were innocent, good people. Saving them was something he could get on board with, fully.

"I think that might be best," Klaus said, holding out the map back to her.

Isaac nodded, because running and not thinking sounded like a good idea right now.

Elijah waved a hand. "Lead the way. I'll be right behind you." He didn't know where they were going, after all, and that would also let him adjust his pace to theirs.

Derek nodded before taking off rather quickly with a growl. Maybe they weren't nearly as fast as the vampires but he'd been know to outrun cop cars during a chase and so he wasn't worried about being slow as they ran in the direction off the Nemeton.

Allison was passing over the keys when the three went flying by and she turned slightly to watch them speed by and then she was looking at Klaus. "I can't run that fast." She informed him.

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