Two days and nights have pass, since Phoenix has slipped into her magically induced coma. Klaus is sitting in his art room, the delicate strokes of his brushes as he captures the perfect image when his enhanced hearing and smell picks up the stench and sound of another person. One particular person to be specific.
"Hello Marcellus" Klaus draws out pausing his painting before gently lying the brush down and grabbing the thin, one to outline in black ink.
"No more running Klaus. This is my city and I am not running away from it anymore" Marcel states firmly.
"Watch your tongue Marcellus" Klaus states.
"Why don't you just kill me" Marcel barks.
Klaus stands up and looks at the man that he once saw as his son-brother-friend and now he only sees him as he who has betrayed him and attacked his family.
"I do wish death upon you, but not at the hands of my family. Despite your faults and death wish you have exposed to my family, Rebekah is still my little sister whom I love. Killing you will destroy her and make her fleet away from our family, I will not lose another sibling because of my enemies" Klaus says.
"Now I'm an enemy. What happened to family" Marcel asks?
"You didn't want to be apart of this family! Countless times you have stated that this is not a family that you wish to be apart of, so why would I go out of my way to claim an disrespectful, ungrateful imbecile who doesn't understand the truly meaning of family" Klaus snarls.
"I don't understand family? Davina was my family, she was mine to protect and I failed her" Marcel shouts pointing at his chest with ferocity.
"Yes and she was Kol's lover. I am truly sorry for the fault my family played in her demise, but she was the only way to save my siblings and for that I do not apologize for. You can despise my family all you want but it will not change the fact that she is gone" Klaus barks.
"So she was just collateral damage" Marcel voice booms in the room.
"Do watch your tongue or you won't live enough to see it ripped from your mouth. I am not going to dispute with you my family's decision or talk anymore to you because as you claimed, you are no longer a Mikaelson. You, Marcellus Gerard are what your real father always said you would be. You are alone" Klaus punctuates his last three words perfectly with strength to prove his point to Marcel.
He watches as all of the anger seeps away from Marcel's feature and instead are replaced with hurt and pain, Klaus promised he would never leave him. He sees Klaus set down his paint brush before heading towards the doorway and he instantly feels all the pain and regret he has caused come down on him.
"You promised you would never leave me" Marcel whispers before he can stop himself and Klaus freezes in the doorway looking at his protégé.
"When I was ten, you promised that I would never be alone again and will always have you. You may be a lot of things Klaus, but you were always a man of your word" Marcel speaks as he feels tears building up in his eyes.
Klaus slowly walks over to his ex-friend, the man he once saw as family and a lone tear roll down his pale skin as well before he rests a hand on Marcel's shoulder.
"I am a man of my word. I have never left you, you chose to go against my family and betray me. In doing so, you chose to leave me" Klaus says before removing his hand and walking out of the room ignoring the frail cry he hears from Marcel.
-X-
Later that night, Klaus is sitting beside Phoenix on their bed. Her hands resting on her stomach and his resting on hers, he can finally touch her without being thrown across the room.
"I need you to awaken Phoenix, I don't think I can do this on my own. I have Elijah and my entire family and my baby girl Hope, but without by my side. I feel as alone as ever. Marcel brought up the promise I made centuries ago to never leave him, he reminded me once of the boy I have raised and loved" Klaus says running his thumb along her skin.
"You are my last sired, you are apart of me. I need you here by my side to be my conscience. You always saw the good in me, even when the world made me out to be dark, cruel and narcissistic. You are the other half of me that is missing, may you return safely to me" he says softly before slowly bending down and pressing his lips against hers.
"Wow. I didn't know that she was still sired to you" he hears and looks up to see Marcel in the doorway.
"What are you doing here? This is a private moment between Phoenix and I" Klaus says standing up and walking over towards Marcel.
"You were right Klaus. Alright is that what you wanted to here. You were right, I was apart of your family. I was blinded by the power and anger that I betrayed the sacred bond that we had formed" Marcel says.
"Yes and you believe an apology will fix all the damage that has caused, Phoenix losing our child. Hope growing up without a father, not having a home and always on the run" Klaus growls feeling his hybrid eyes threaten to rise to the surface.
"I believe it's the first step. You and Elijah have always forgave each other, why aren't I offered the same privileges as him" Marcel growls.
Klaus hand comes up around his neck and slams him into the wall, annoyance and anger on his face.
"Stop comparing yourself to Elijah. You will never be him" Klaus snaps and he can see Marcel eyes drop down with defeat.
"Elijah is my brother and he always will be, family outweighs any petty argument, discretion or fights amongst enemies. But you Marcel, you I saw as my son. I created you in my image, made you the man you are and you still betrayed me" Klaus says and releases Marcel before turning his back to him.
"I'm sorry Klaus. I am begging you to forgive me, is that what you want. Me on my knees" Marcel asks and goes to drop to his knees only for a firm hand to rest on his shoulder from behind and keeping him still.
"Niklaus please. We can hear him begging from our room, let Marcel maintain some of his dignity. Remember how broken you were, when you actually believed I had killed him. How you spent the entire night with Hope pledging she will never grow up like Marcel" Elijah states.
"I am aware of what I told and how I was. That was before he tried to kill you and Kol and poisoned Freya" Klaus states.
"Niklaus what type of father do you want to be? You are a wonderful father to Hope, I will admit that. But right now you are portraying a trait of Mikal's, no forgiveness" Elijah says.
"I am not that man. I will never put fear in Hope, I won't be the monster she is afraid of" Klaus states firmly.
"Then show her right now that you are capable of forgiving Marcel, show her that you aren't your father" Elijah says and walks over to his brother standing beside looks at Elijah before turning to Marcel.
"You will be allowed to live here with our family, follow my rules. If I see or hear as much as a rumor that you are plotting against my family, I will remove your heart myself" Klaus states.
"I understand" Marcel states nodding as a smug look appears on his face.
"Well I am exhausted. Marcel let's leave Niklaus and go to sleep" Elijah says.
Once they leave, Klaus closes his room door before climbing in bed beside Phoenix. He doesn't notice the slight twitch in her fingers or the streak of red that appears in her hair.