(1/2)

Chapter 85

Marcel relaxed on the sofa in Klaus's studio, staring blankly at one of his father's unfinished paintings leaning against the wall. His behind stopped hurting before they left the drawing-room but his ego was still bruised.

A light rapping on the door drew his mind from his shame. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion at the sound.

"Come in," he answered, not sure who would be knocking on Klaus's studio door.

The door crept slowly open and a bushel of brown curls popped through the crack. Marcel shined a smile at the boy smiling back at him.

As soon as his eyes met his daddy's, Oliver darted into the room and leaped into Marcel's arms.

"Daddy," he screamed joyously, hugging Marcel as tightly as his little arms could squeeze. "Mommy said you were in here." Pulling his head up to look into Marcel's eyes, he said, "I know Unc'a Klaus doesn't like me to come in here but-"

"It's okay, sweetheart," Marcel quickly interrupted, hugging the boy against his shoulder and placing a kiss on the top of his head. "I'll deal with your Uncle Klaus. Thank you for finding me. I...needed a hug today."

"You're welcome, daddy."

Marcel hugged Oliver for as long as the boy would allow him and then he put the boy back on the floor and listened as he recounted his weekend adventures with Izzy, Hope, and Sebastian.

Halfway through the story of how he helped Rebekah make blueberry pancakes the morning before, Marcel spotted a figure standing in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at Klaus as Klaus glared at them.

"Little Oliver," Klaus said as he sauntered further into the room, glancing around the room as if looking for something in particular. "I thought we agreed you would stay out of my studio after you..." Klaus's eyes fell upon Oliver. "Decided a priceless, 100-year-old portrait could do with a fresh varnishing by means of your sticky hands and what looked to amount to half a bottle of maple syrup."

Oliver pouted as he remembered the day over a week ago when Klaus came into the studio to see him admiring his painting but forgetting he'd had syrup on his hands. Klaus had to send the painting off to an art restorer in California to get cleaned and Oliver was banished from his studio ever since.

"He was coming to see me," Marcel stated firmly. "He is always allowed to see me when he likes, wherever I am."

Klaus's gaze moved up to Marcel as he said, "Are you petitioning to be banned from my studio as well, Marcellus?"

Marcel held his arms out to his sides. "Do what you feel you gotta do, Klaus."

Klaus's jaw tightened in frustration. They both knew he wouldn't resend Marcel's invitation to come to his studio whenever he wanted.

Taking a step to the side, Klaus said, "Oliver, I believe breakfast is waiting for you and you know how your Uncle Elijah gets when you're late to meals."

Poking his lip out in frustration, Oliver looked up to Marcel for guidance.

With a sigh, Marcel knelt down to the boy. "Go on to breakfast, buddy. I'll be down in a minute."

"Will you sit by me?"

"Of course." Marcel gave the boy's head another kiss before giving his back a light tap, propelling him towards the door. Oliver glared at Klaus as he marched out of the room past him.

Klaus let out a sigh as he closed the door behind Oliver. "Between you and Rebekah, whatever attitude that boy acquires will be insufferable."

Marcel flopped back down on the sofa cushions, staring up at the ceiling. "Aren't grandfathers supposed to spoil their grandchildren? Not antagonize them."

"I would have no problem spoiling him if I didn't feel the boy was so intent on destroying centuries worth of priceless artwork."

"He's four, Klaus."

Marcel's eyes drifted over to see Klaus now standing over him.

"I am well aware of how old he is," Klaus groaned. He tapped Marcel's feet with enough strength to knock them off of his sofa. "And he is his father's son."

Marcel groaned as he sat up straight, staring irritably at Klaus.

"I spoiled you, y'know," Klaus continued. "I don't regret it. You deserved a life of peace and happiness and I was intent on giving it to you no matter the cost. But that cost...was nearly my life."

"Klaus-"

Klaus held up a hand to silence Marcel. "I am not trying to rehash old fights, Marcellus. I simply see a pattern reoccurring and I am here to let you know, right now, I will not let it continue."

"So, you're saying it was perfectly fine - necessary, even - for you to spoil me as a child. But I cannot do the same with my own son?"

Klaus gave a knowing smirk. "Exactly."

Marcel sat back, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "And...why not?"

"Because, when you grew up and decided what you had wasn't enough, when you decided you wanted the world, the person you had to go through to get it, was me. When little Oliver grows up and becomes a victim to his greed, the person he'll have to go through to get what he wants will be you." Klaus leaned forward, closer to Marcel's face. "I spoiled you, Marcellus. I gave you the world, my world. Our world. But it wasn't enough. I paid for it. But I will let this city, and everyone in it, burn before I ever let you feel that pain."

Klaus stood back as Marcel rose to his feet. "Are you...threatening a four-year-old?" he growled, his brows furrowed in a tight knot.

"I am promising to put an end to the man the four-year-old may grow up to be. The way I see it, there is one of two paths. Either, he grows up a normal boy with normal rules, boundaries, and structure. He activates his curse and joins Hayley's pack, pledges his loyalty to this family like everyone else. Perhaps he even marries a nice wolf or witch and lives happily ever after. Or..."

Marcel's fist clenched at his side as the word 'or' drug lowly from Klaus's throat.

"He follows in his dear ol' dad's footsteps. In which case, I will have to...put the little pup down before he does anything to cause you harm."

"Stop trying to protect me," Marcel growled. "Especially from imaginary scenarios conjured by your anxiety-induced paranoia."

"In a thousand years, I could count on one hand the number of times by 'anxiety-induced paranoia' has been wrong."

"Well mark the day, Klaus. In twenty years, you will have to lift another finger because I know Oliver will not turn on me. And you are his grandfather so change the attitude."

Klaus shook his head with a look of exhaustion on his face. "So pushy these days. 'Don't spank Davina', 'Don't threaten to kill Oliver if he ever turns on me'. You are intent on changing the sort of man I am for the sake of these children."

"I am," Marcel stated conclusively. "You changed your ways before, Klaus. For me. And then again for Hope. You changed and if you wanted to, you could change again."

Klaus ran his hand over his hair. With a heavy sigh, he said, "I can...promise not to spank your wards and...I will be kinder to Oliver-"

"To them both," Marcel corrected.

Klaus's jaw tightened as he imagined how hard it was going to be being nice to Davina with as much hate the girl harbored towards him. "You expect me to be some 'candy-totting' doddering old fool of a grandfather, Marcellus, when that is just not who I am."

"I expect you to treat them as family, nothing more."

"And how do you expect me to do that when I cannot actually 'treat' them like family?"

"You're a smart man, Klaus. Figure it out."

Frustrated with the dead-end conversation, Klaus walked towards the door and said, "Come down for breakfast."

Lying back on the sofa, Marcel said, "I'm not hungry."

"You haven't been hungry in quite a long time, Marcellus, but you will come down to breakfast anyway to insert a bit of normalcy into the lives of these stray pups you lot insist on bringing into this family."

Klaus waited by the door for Marcel to move but he never did.

"Marcellus," he said warningly.

"I'm not ready to see her," Marcel said plainly.

Klaus walked closer to the sofa. "Davina?"

Folding his right arm over his face, Marcel said, "You should've seen the way she looked at me, Klaus."

"No worse than any of the deadly glares she's given me over the years I'm sure."

"And that's the problem, Klaus." Marcel sat up and stared back down at the painting across from him, unable to look at Klaus as he remembered Davina's hate. "I...I am supposed to be her...backbone. But how can I expect her to let me guide her when...I'm not even allowed to make decisions regarding my own life?"

With a sigh, Klaus sat down beside Marcel. "Perhaps I can help." He placed a hand on Marcel's temple and said, "This may be a bit hard to witness. But..."

Flashback:

Klaus paced Elijah's study, a bottle of bourbon in his hand as his brother sat at the desk waiting patiently for his younger brother to calm down. The Grandfather Clock in the corner gonged three times, indicating the late hour to the entire house.

"He is furious with the state of affairs in the human faction, Elijah. The older he gets, the braver he becomes and the braver he comes, the more I fear he will try to confront one of those beasts himself."

"Calm down, Niklaus," said Elijah, sitting stiffly in his chair. He wanted to relax and display some semblance of courage to Klaus as a way to reassure him that Marcel would be fine but over the past few years, he'd begun to fear the same himself. Marcellus was much easier to control when he'd first arrived but now he was nearing nineteen years old and feeling more independent by the day.

"How do you expect me to calm down," Klaus barked, pausing in his stride to lace Elijah with a sharp glare. "He...he asked me to go into the city today with a lady friend. Just the two of them. He's getting too old to have his poppa on his heels and felt they required 'privacy' and so Kol would have to be out of sight as well. What could I do but tell him 'no'. And now he won't speak to me, furious that I refuse to give me more freedom when that very freedom could be what kills him."

Klaus slammed the bottle down on Elijah's desk, his eyes shimmering with anger and worry.

"I am pushing him away, Elijah. What is to happen then? When he runs away because he can no longer stand being under the control of his father?"

"He will not run away." Elijah sat jack in his chair, his voice careful and low. "Because he knows, if he does, I will find him and bring him back here myself."

"Oh, yes!" Klaus suddenly threw the bottle across the room, smashing it against the wall. "That's exactly what will convince him of his family's love. Stern Uncle Elijah thrashing him like a naughty child up past bedtime all because he demands to be treated like a man."

The room was silent as Klaus took a few deep breaths to clear his head.

"We could change this city, y'know," Klaus finally said. "You and I. We could...make this city better for him. Safer. Then he could go whenever he wanted and I wouldn't be constantly on edge whenever he's out of my sight for more than an hour." Turning his watery gaze back to Elijah, he said, "We can give him the life he deserves."

Elijah sighed, dropping his sight to the desk as he said, "I have always been willing to do whatever it takes to bring you peace, brother. If you want to go to war with the human faction, I will lead the charge. But...remember what happened the last time we changed the social norms of a single city before the rest of the world was ready to follow along. Mikael came straight to us." Bringing his eyes back up to Klaus, he continued, "I will fight Mikael by your side as well. But...the real question is, are you willing to put Marcellus in danger when could go on living out the rest of his mortal life perfectly safe as things are now."

Klaus's fists clenched at his sides as his heart shattered at the thought. "He knows my power, Elijah. He knows I can exact change if I so chose."

Elijah gave a slight nod, understanding Klaus's dilemma. "So, brother...what's it going to be?"

A tear slipped down Klaus's cheek. "We can't bring Mikael here. I can't put Marcellus in danger."

End Flashback

"I made a decision back then," said Klaus as he retracted his touch for Marcel's forehead. "And I don't regret it. Because I knew it was my duty to keep you safe, even if it hurt."

Marcel's jaw tightened at the news. "Is that why...you and Elijah left to spend that year in Washington? To push Lincoln to start the war?"

Niklaus nodded solemnly. "As long as Mikael was out there and posed a threat against you, we had to be strategic about how we moved. As much as I wanted to slaughter anyone who dared think himself above you, I couldn't." Turning kind eyes to Marcel, Klaus continued, "Discovering our fathers are not the infallible, unmovable rocks we built them up to be in our heads is a tough, Marcellus. But we all discover it someday. You discovered it the day I let Mikael run me out of New Orleans. Davina is finding out now. But as a Mikaelson,"

Klaus placed his hand on the back of Marcel's neck.

"You have to make sure that you maintain control. I do not know Davina as well as you but, I know teenagers. Show an ounce of weakness and they will pounce like lions on an injured gazelle."

"And what if I push her away," Marcel asked, rising to his feet and pacing anxiously. "She knows she doesn't have to be here. She could go back to Josh or...find her own place. Maybe even leave the city altogether. Then what? I...I know that she's going to want to move away eventually but...I don't want her to do it because she hates me, Klaus. I want her to know that...no matter what, she'll always have a place to come back to. But...the way she looked at me last night, I don't know if she ever wants to see me again."

Klaus's hand against his back paused Marcel's pacing. His eyes shimmered as he looked into Klaus's.

"She is a Mikaelson, isn't she?" Klaus asked.

Marcel nodded. To him, there was no doubt but he wondered how much of a Mikaelson Davina felt.

"Then she will always come back to her family. But she needs to know her place in it, Marcel. You have kept her on the fringes of this family for too long. She will never be okay with the way things are done around here if she isn't treated the same as every other Mikaelson."

"What are you saying, Klaus?"

"To be perfectly frank: I've always thought the little witch could do with a few nights sleeping on her stomach. Perhaps she'd stop putting herself in danger so often and making moves without telling you."

"How am I supposed to discipline her when she looks at me...the way she looks at me?"

Cupping his hands around Marcel's cheeks, Klaus said, "I don't know, Marcellus. Keeping a family this large and powerful under control requires order. As Davina lives in this household, she is your responsibility. If she gets out of control due to your failures," Klaus made sure not to waver his gaze as he said, "I will give you the thrashing you refuse to give her."

Marcel's eyes shimmered with fear. A hundred arguments ran through his mind but before he could get a single one out, he heard the steady gait of Elijah against the floorboards before he knocked on the studio door.

Elijah opened the door with a stern look on his face. "Breakfast is getting cold."

Moving a hand down to Marcel's shoulder to guide him out of the studio, Klaus said, "We were just on our way, Elijah. Marcellus and I were just discussing how to handle one of the tiny loose threads on the growing tapestry of our family."

Marcel was too trapped in thought over Klaus's promise to acknowledge Elijah's irritation.

-M-

"I don't want to go to school," Finn groaned as Freya attempted to prick his finger with a sharp pin for his daily diagnostic test. They'd absconded to her workshop after the family meeting and now that it was just the two of them, he couldn't help but protest the new arrangement. "I'm not a child."

"We needed someone to watch over the kids whenever Marcel can't. I suggested you because you will be able to blend seamlessly in all of Hope's classes."

Finn flinched as the needle went in his finger.

"You suggested me?" He asked in surprise as she held his bleeding finger over the parchment. "You know how much that girl hates me."

"Nik promised she would be on her best behavior."

Finn pouted but didn't argue about it anymore. The girl always promised to behave in front of his siblings but whenever they were alone it seemed as if she took unparalleled joy in making him miserable.

As his vitals spread out across the enchanted parchment, Finn asked, "Who will give me my diagnostic tests while I'm at school? Are you coming too?"

Freya gave a solemn sigh. "Unfortunately, I can't. With Elijah off working at the school and Klaus being...Klaus, I'm needed here."

"Elijah is working at the school?" Finn repeated, eyes wide with shock.

Freya glanced back at him, embarassed that she'd let the secret slip. Elijah didn't want Finn or the girls to know he would be working at the boarding school because he didn't want any of them to start begging him for special treatment before the semester even began.

"Oh pooh," she sighed. "I let the cat out of the bag. Oh well, since you already know, yes, Elijah will be acting as Director of the school. It was a part of our agreement with Caroline. She wanted to bring in some of her own teachers and so Elijah agreed with the caveat that he act as Director. But," Satisfied with Finn's vital signs, Freya folded up the parchment and put it away before reaching for his hand and guiding him out of the room. "In terms of your daily diagnostic test, I already have anything figured out. Vincent has agreed to teach 'Magical History of New Orleans'. It took a lot of pleading and the trading of some unique artifacts, but he's agreed to perform your diagnostic spell every morning and send me the results. So just meet him in his classroom before breakfast every day and you'll be fine."

"What about the evenings?"

"Don't worry, brother," she smiled down at him. "I'm working on a schedule. Between Vincent, Elijah, and Marcel, we will continue to make sure that your vitals are taken twice a day. Everything is going to be fine."

Finn did not feel as though anything would be fine. He spent a weekend without his sister and felt out of place and targeted the entire time. He could only imagine what a year at boarding school would feel like.

The rest of the family were already in the dining room when Freya and Finn entered.

Hope slid into the seat between Davina and Izzy, hoping the two of them didn't hate her as much as she feared they did.

"I'm sorry I told mom you left home last night," she whispered to them, her soft voice too low for the adults to hear.

Davina barely heard the girl as her focus was on Marcel sitting across the table more than anywhere but once she realized that Hope was speaking to her, she gave a curt wave and said, "Don't worry about it, kid. We're not mad."

Hope turned wide eyes to Izzy, wondering if she felt the same. The older girl glared at her, obviously irritated that she tattled, but then her sight drifted over to Elijah. As irritated as Izzy was at Hope, a part of her was grateful. If Elijah hadn't found her when he did, who knows where she'd be right now.

"Yeah, whatever," Izzy groaned. "Just remind me to never trust you with a secret again."

Hope's face went red at Izzy's cold response.

"Alright," Niklaus's voice rung out amongst the chatter of Mikaelsons. "Now that we're all here, I suppose there's no better time to make this announcement. In a few weeks, the New Orleans branch of Caroline's new school will open for the new semester. Hope and Izzy," he paused as if buying a bit more time before he had to face his daughter's angry outburst. "The two of you have been enrolled and will be starting classes on September 1."

"What?!" Hope jumped to her feet, slamming her hands down against the table. "That's not fair! I never agreed to go to your stupid girlfriend's stupid school!"

"Hope," Hayley's voice rose warningly.

Hope threw herself back into her chair, afraid to test her mother but still fuming. "It's not fair," she repeated. "I thought it was my choice."

"We are your parents," Hayley continued. "We would love it if you agreed with our decision but in the end, it is ultimately up to us to do what is best for you. You are a tribrid. It will be better for you to be in a school where you can learn to use your powers safely."

"But I like my old school," she pouted. "I have friends there. What about Sebastian?"

"I spoke with the Dupeauxs' about it yesterday. Sebastian will be attending as well."

Hope folded her arms over her chest, mumbling to herself about how she was going to hate every minute of being in that school.

"Don't worry," said Marcel, shining a comforting smile at his little sister. "I'll be there too, teaching a special course." He winked at her as he said, "I'll protect you from big bad Caroline's attempts at befriending you."

"I don't understand," Izzy said, turning tense eyes to Elijah. "I thought...I thought you wanted us here. Now you're sending us to a boarding school?"

Elijah could see the pain in the girl's eyes and it nearly broke him. "The school will be just across the river. You will still be able to come home on weekends and holidays. And, soon enough you'll be getting your driver's license and you'll be able to drive back and forth whenever you like."

Izzy rolled her eyes and said, "How am I supposed to afford a car if you won't let me have a job?"

"We'll buy you a car," Elijah stated plainly as if it was an already established fact.

Wide-eyed, Izzy said, "I...I can't let you buy me a car. How am I supposed to pay you back without a job?"

"We're family, Izzy," Hayley stated. "You don't ever have to pay us back. We do what we do for you because we care about you."

"But..." Izzy's gaze fell to the variety of breakfast foods covering the table. Life with the Mikaelsons was like a dream she feared she'd suddenly wake up from to find herself back in her mother's quiet house, alone with a four-year-old brother to take care of. It was all too good to be true. "I should...do something. I can't just...take a car from you without doing anything to earn it."

Sitting straighter in his chair, Elijah said, "How about...you agree to do your best in all of your classes and stay out of trouble at school and...we will consider that payment enough."

Izzy looked up to Elijah and shrugged her acceptance and he smiled knowing how hard it was for the girl to accept handouts.

"Am I going to school too?" Oliver peeped up, remnants of his strawberry jam cover toast dusting the corners of his mouth.

Marcel grabbed a napkin and quickly cleaned the boy's face before Elijah could say anything. "You're not quite big enough for school yet, bud," he said solemnly.

"But I wanna be with you and Izzy," the boy whined.

"You'll see us on the weekends. And mommy will be lonely here without you."

"I don't care," Oliver suddenly kicked his feet against the bottom of the table, causing the silverware on top to dance. "I wanna go to school with you and Izzy!"

Marcel lifted the boy from his seat and cuddled him on his lap before Klaus or Elijah could even think to scold him for his tantrum. "Tell you what," Marcel's eyes met Rebekah's and the two of them smiled as if reading each other's minds. "Every Thursday, you and mommy can come have dinner with me at the school and then you can spend the night with me and we will come back home together on Friday after my class is over."

Oliver's eyes continued to water as he thought about being without his daddy for almost a week when he could barely go a weekend, but still, he nodded against his chest because going to a boarding school did sound scary so he wasn't sure if he would want to be there the entire week anyway.

"And...since we're on the subject," Marcel continued. His eyes drifted cautiously across the table to Davina. "I also think that you should go to the school as well."

Davian's eyes widened in shock.

"Davina?" Kol asked with a chuckle. "C'mon mate. I know you get a bit overprotective about her but this is a little much, isn't it? I mean, just because you have to be there doesn't mean she does."

"I don't think she should go because I'm being overprotective," Marcel growled. "She was sixteen when she had to drop out of school because of witch business. I think she should go back and get her degree if she plans to go to college."

"Maybe she doesn't want to go to college."

"Maybe both of you should stop trying to make decisions about my life without asking me," Davina barked.

The table went completely silent as the girl forced herself to calm down.

"Marcel...I have been thinking about going back to school but if I do, it won't be to a school where you're a professor and Klaus's girlfriend is the Dean."

"Caroline's school is the safest place for you to be."

"I don't care. I'm not going."

Klaus released a loud, exasperated sigh from his end of the table. "Oh, to be a young parent."

Marcel scowled at the subtle insult.

"I don't believe anyone asked you anything, Klaus." Davina bit before Marcel could respond.

Klaus's eyes narrowed at her outburst but as much as his palm itched to take her to ask, he knew he couldn't.

It took every ounce of restraint Marcel had to keep him from smiling. He couldn't find it in himself to scold her for it.

"As I was saying," Marcel continued. "Davina, whether you like it or not, you are a part of this family now which means Klaus's enemies are your enemies. And Klaus has a lot of enemies."

"I don't doubt that," she muttered, lacing Klaus with another cold glare.

Marcel continued as if she said nothing. "Until we can be sure that all threats against this family are minimized, I want you to stay where I can protect you and right now, that means you have to go to Caroline's school."

Irritated by the implication that he couldn't protect Davina himself, Kol barked, "She doesn't need your protection. She has me."

Marcel's jaw tightened. "Protecting her is not your job."

"It's not yours either," Davina bit. "I can protect myself."

"This is not up for discussion," Marcel bit conclusively. "You're going to the school if I have to drag you there."

Davina slammed her hands on the table as she leaped to her feet. "I am not going anywhere and you cannot make me do a goddamn thing."

Marcel stared with wide, shocked eyes at Davina's proclamation. He'd never seen her react that way before. He didn't even know she had it in her.

The entire room was silent for moments after Davina's outburst but she kept her eyes focused on Marcel, waiting for his reaction. Her eyes held a daring glint in them.

Marcel scowled at her, obviously angry at her response, but he didn't want to scold her in front of everyone, so he said nothing.

Davina relaxed into the deafening silence.

"Excuse me, everyone," she said cordially. "Turns out I'm not very hungry."

Kol couldn't help but smile as Davina threw her napkin into her empty plate and swiftly lift the dining room.

"She said a bad word," Oliver muttered in the quiet.

"Yes," said Klaus. "She certainly had quite the little outburst. Didn't she?"

Marcel looked away from the door where Davina had vanished to see Klaus glaring across at him.

With a nod of his head, Klaus motioned for Marcel to follow him as he calmly placed his napkin in his plate and left the dining room.

Marcel hesitated to stand. He didn't know what Klaus wanted him for but he had a feeling he knew what it was going to be about.

The reviews on the last chapter were wonderful! Thanks so much for the support. And I know I was a bit harsh on Marcel in the last chap, lol, but I needed to write a spanking scene to get myself back in the writing mood after such a long break. Don't worry, little Marcy is getting used to being naked over his poppa's knee in front of his family so it wasn't that traumatic for him. (Now...being smacked naked in front of other people...that's something we'll have to explore soon *wink*)

The next chapter is an AN and does contain spoilers for the rest of the story so skip if you don't like spoilers (I love spoiling plots so I couldn't help myself)