"Where is Marcellus?" Klaus boomed, kicking a chair into dust in Marcel's now vacant room.
"Brother, I ask for your calm. You are scaring the children. Quite frankly, you are scaring me," Elijah said gently pulling Klaus from the room.
"Elijah, if he went back there to New Orleans, he could be dead already. If he's not, he's going to wish he's dead when I get a hold of him. I told him no!" Klaus was shouting again.
"Come, Niklaus, let me fix you a drink and we shall work out a plan to find him," Elijah said tightly.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Tyler ran up to them and asked.
"Oh, Tyler, your naughty older brother ran off in the night. We're not sure where," Klaus said heavily.
"Marcel? Oh jeez, he was supposed to teach us more martial arts today," Tyler said disappointed.
"So he didn't mention any plans to abscond to you, Son?" Klaus asked Tyler.
"No, of course not, if 'abscond' means take off," Tyler said.
Klaus looked at Elijah, "When did you say you engaged that tutor?"
"Dad, we don't need a tutor, we have school. And video games and tv are kinda educational. I saw something online about that yesterday. No lie," Tyler rambled.
"Young man, I hope when I come in to inspect that room, it is spotless. I also want all your clothes folded and neatly put in the drawers. All I've heard all day were music and video games. 8 pm, I'll be in to check," Elijah declared.
"Yes, Uncle Elijah. We'll get it done. Promise," Tyler said scampering off.
"If not, you know what will happen," Elijah called after him.
"We'll end up sleeping on our stomachs, yes, we know," Tyler replied cheekily.
"Brother, thank you for your attention to them. I know you have been extra patient with them this week. You have also taken on the burdens of this vast house and no staff," Klaus admitted.
"I starting reading a modern book on the teenage brain. We need to know where their limits are and be there to support them, among other things. As to the lack of staff, I think it will help them all develop a sense of responsibility and pride. How's it going downstairs," Elijah inquired.
"I thought maybe I had a break though today with Finn, but I honestly believe he is 'bloody daft', as Kol says," Klaus informed him.
"Any progress with Mother?" Elijah asked hopefully.
"None, if they weren't so dangerous, I'd suggest we drop them both off at an asylum," Klaus exclaimed.
"Not sure they call them that anymore. Shall we have a word with Kol? He's been awfully quiet and well-behaved today," Elijah noted.
"Indeed, can't hurt to ask," Klaus conceded.
Kol was watching over Rebekah as Marcel had asked. He even talked to her aloud, like they used to, in the days before Marcel. Sometimes he thought he remembered their human days more vividly than some of the vampire years. Was it a blessing or a curse to remember them playing in the meadow together in the sun? To recall covering Henrik in flowers except for his face when he was a babe. Mother laughed and hugged them to her skirts in delight when she saw. She had stopped laughing much when Father was around and he grew more brutal. Was that woman in Nik's dungeon really her? They had feared their father, but they all adored their mother. That was something they all had in common when they were human, even with Finn.
"Bex, come back to us and I won't make fun of you for buying that ludicrous underwear. We have all these bloody chores now because the second housekeeper got burnt alive into a pile of ashes. I'll do your wash and hell, even scrub your loo if you come back...The lads asked about you. They came in here and stood around the bed looking scared. I don't know if you can hear me, Bex, but I'm scared. Marcel left. He's looking for a cure for you and he said he won't come back til he finds it. I know I used to kid you, but he loves you more than anything," Kol finished sadly.
"Kol, why didn't you tell us?" Elijah said in a deadly calm.
"I promised him I wouldn't," Kol said without turning.
"Little Brother, I've been worried sick," Klaus said quietly out of respect for Rebekah.
"I'm sorry, Nik. He said he was going and you couldn't stop him," Kol went on quietly.
"Kol," Elijah said.
"Well, Bex, it's been nice knowing ya. Light a candle for me and my arse when you wake up," Kol muttered.
"Go to your room and wait for us in the corner," Klaus said sternly.
"No, I'm not getting a hiding because Marcel runs away. Find him and slipper him some," Kol said vamping away.
Elijah caught him near his bedroom,"Go to your room right now and pull down your pants and wait in the corner." Elijah was growling in a low voice so the boys wouldn't hear them.
"'lijah, please," Kol whined.
"Kol, I am not going to argue with you. Room, pants, corner, now," Elijah said restraining himself from spanking him again. He tried to recall what his teenage brain book said about a brain that has been 17 for 900 years. He was pretty sure that section was blank.
"Fine. I'm going but I'm not going to like it," Kol snapped, stomping his foot before turning on his heel and going to his room.
"And don't slam it," Elijah said to himself as the door slammed shut.
Marcel was nervous. He didn't really seem to get along well with witches in general, unlike Kol. Now he was going into the scariest witch prison in New Orleans. Kol had begged him to help his friends, but the Regent had warned him to go to the attic only. What a mess. And the thing with the little girl? He was to make arrangements to get her out as soon as he could. She was in some kind of witch safe house.
"Okay, Rebekah, this one's for you," Marcel said going past the creepy doll head on the fence and opening the gate. It swung open easily.
He went up the walkway and up to the front door. He heard chanting and saw Madame la Rue at the gate while her eyes rolled back in her head. What if she trapped him in here? Why was he trusting this lady?
He opened the front door and it swung open with a creak.
"Hello," Marcel called, not seeing anyone at first.
He walked into what looked like a sitting room and found groups of people in grubby clothes playing cribbage. No one seemed to notice him.
Marcel walked on looking for the stairs. It smelled stuffy in here, musty. Just a heavy scent of violets or something sweet.
Going up the stairs, he could hear old music and it sounded like dancing on the second floor. He went up to the third floor and that was when he saw Astrid. She looked at him as if he were a ghost.
"Marcellus Mikaelson?" Marcel hadn't started using Gerald after he got back from WW1.
"Astrid? Is that you?" Marcel said looking at her brown eyes and coffee colored skin.
"Yes, how many years has it been? We lose time in here," Astrid smiled sadly.
"About 100 I'm afraid," Marcel said.
"Have you come to get me out?" Astrid asked hopefully.
A big man wearing suspenders and a straw hat tackled Marcel from behind.
"It's time for your pills," the man said as he started dragging Marcel into a bedroom.
"Nah, man, I'm not a patient," Marcel said trying to vamp away. His vampire powers seemed negated. The man quickly chained Marcel tightly to the bed.
"Yes," he said to Astrid, lying about his intentions to get himself out of trouble.
"Now Mr. Thomas, you go do your other rounds. You already gave this patient his pills today," Astrid smiled at the man.
"Come on," Astrid said unchaining Marcel.
"Wait, I have to get something," Marcel said leading her upstairs.
"We're not allowed up there," Astrid said looking around worriedly.
"Trust me, it's the way out," Marcel lied again, feeling awful.
In the only room at the top, Marcel saw a glass coffin.
"What the hell is this?" he muttered to himself.
He wiped off the top and saw a beautiful blond girl.
Astrid followed him and said, "You're not here to get me, you liar. You are here to get her. Thomas! Your patient needs his pills!"
"No, please. Don't, Astrid," Marcel pleaded. He put Astrid in a headlock until she passed out cold. He laid her carefully on the ground.
Marcel then tried to open the coffin but it was sealed shut. Hadn't the seer said to "take her" with him?
Marcel kicked the glass and smashed a panel by her feet. He then was able to smash around enough to wedge it open. It seemed like it had been shut a long time. He picked up the girl and hefted her over his shoulder. Without his vampire strength, it was a struggle.
Marcel descended the stairs praying no one would stop him. No one did until he ran smack into Mary Alice Clair.
"Long time, no see, Marcel. How's my old friend, Kol?" Mary Alice quipped as if he had just seen her yesterday.
"Great. Look, we're trying to get you out. Give us some time," Marcel whispered.
"Get out? Why would I would to leave? I run this cottage now. Why don't you put that body over here and we can have a nice long talk?" Mary Alice said politely.
Marcel looked at her and realized she was insane. He rammed his hip into her knocking her to the side and ran for the door with the blond over his shoulder. He threw open the door and without looking back, fell onto the porch. He immediately got his strength back and managed to not drop the woman. She seemed to wake up at that very moment.
"Hello, miss, can you walk? We need to go!" Marcel said walking down the path. He saw the faces of the trapped witches at the windows of the cottage looking out. If there was ever a hell for Marcel, it would be that place.
Making it out the gate, Marcel put the woman down and introduced himself.
The blond held out her hand and said, "Hello, my name is Freya. Freya Mikaelson."
Kol was beyond furious. He was worried about Rebekah and the fact that she might not wake up. He was disturbed that a lady who may or may not be their mother wanted to kill them. Marcel ran away, why would he get punished because of something Marcel did. He went to his room and kicked off his shoes. He started to take off his pants. Instead he ended up smashing half the stuff in his room with a hockey stick. Just as he was about to smash the mirror to his dresser, Klaus and Elijah bust in.
"If I'm going to get trounced anyway, I might as well do something to deserve it," Kol provoked.
"Kol," Elijah started as Kol cut him off.
"Just do it, beat me, Elijah. You too, Nik. Use a stick, board, hammer, whatever and take out all your bloody frustration. Please spare me the talk. I really can't take much more talk. You're furious with Marcel, but at least he's doing something. At least, he's trying to save her!" Kol blurted and kicked a hole in the wall.
Elijah went to grab him and Klaus laid a hand on him to let Kol go. Kol threw the covers off the bed and smashed his lamp with a pillow. After he wore himself out, he crumbled to the floor with his head in his hands.
"Save her! I can't do it. If I were a witch again, I could, but as a vampire, I'm useless," Kol said now sobbing.
Klaus vamped over and knelt in front of Kol and put his arms around him as he tried to shrug him off.
"It's going to be okay. You're not useless as a vampire. Maybe you were right about you shouldn't get punished because Marcel ran off. I might have been angry and frustrated and taking it out on you," Klaus admitted.
Elijah said, "We all miss her and we're all scared. But we have to keep it together for those boys out there, okay? Kol, we make mistakes, too. Maybe we should have all split up to find a cure. Or gone with Marcel to protect him? I do not know," Elijah stated helplessly.
"But I do know that we have to live with the consequences of our actions," Klaus smiled.
Elijah hugged Kol and said, "I have to inspect the boys' bedroom soon. Come get me if you need me."
Klaus looked at the mess and broken glass and said, "Get your pajamas and tooth brush, you can take your bath and sleep in my room tonight."
"Am I getting..." Kol asked afraid to hear the answer.
Klaus wanted to just let it go, but he recalled how Elijah told him that made Kol feel unloved and unattended to.
"A spanking? You're going to get two if you don't hurry up. Now move, mister," Klaus said swatting his bottom to hurry him along.
"Ah, Nik. I was going to go sit with Rebekah later," Kol mentioned gathering up his supplied.
"Well, you can do that tomorrow on a sore, red behind after you had a good night's sleep," Klaus promised.
Kol whined all the way to Klaus's room. Klaus drew him a bath with lot of bubbles and warned him to make it quick. When Kol was dawdling, Klaus went in to remind him to hurry up.
"Nik, give me a minute. You are rushing me!," Kol sassed.
Klaus had had enough. He vamped over to grab a white, fluffy towel off the counter. He pulled Kol up out of the huge marble tub and turned him to the side to administer a few crisp swats.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Klaus noticed that each spank left a handprint on Kol's backside.
"When was the last time you fed, Kol?" Klaus demanded.
"I don't remember. A couple of days? Just leave it alone, Nik," Kol demanded rubbing the areas where Klaus had smacked him.
"Finish now, Kol," Klaus warned for the last time.
Kol huffed and finally rinsed his hair and washed his body.
"Nik, can you get me some blood, I'm hungry," Kol whined.
"After your spanking, we'll see," Klaus said draining the tub and wrapping Kol in the fluffy towel.
"Screw that, I don't need a spanking tonight," Kol stomped splashing Klaus and getting water all over the floor.
"That's it," Klaus said, picking up the solid wooden bath brush. He said down on the closed toilet seat, lay the brush on the bath, and flipped Kol over his knees. Kol's hands were supporting him and his legs were free over the bath area. Klaus picked up the bath brush and brought the round circle flat end down on Kol's backside.
Crack!
Kol screeched and his head popped up and his legs shot out. Klaus began to spank lightly all over Kol's wet rear end.
"You should know better than to misbehave in the bathtub. Honestly, Kol, you behaving like a small child. What is next, are we going to have to put you in nappies and pull ups? My word," Klaus said paddling him harder and turning his behind pink quickly.
"Nik, it stings *pop* like the *pop* devil. *pop* Ouch. *POP* Ouch. S-sorry," Kol yelled trying to rock his hips away from the sting of the brush.
"Young man, you were begging for me to paddle the sass out of you tonight so I don't want to hear it," Klaus lectured, now swatting Kol's sit spots. Kol was kicking and pounding on the floor. He wasn't crying but his face was red and the sting was terrible.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
"Stop it. Damn it, stop it," Kol yelled loudly.
"Who do you think it is in charge here? Hmm. You will stop getting paddled when I've decided you've been spanked enough. Not when a spoiled brat who trashes his room tells me," Klaus said swatting the center of each cheek firmly. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left.
Kol was trying to wiggle off of Klaus' lap, but Klaus just held him tighter with his left arm and pulled him in closer.
"Sorry, Nik. I'm sorry," Kol yelled out after his attempts to get loose fell through.
"About what? Kol, tell me what you are sorry about. I want to hear it," Klaus said cracking down the bath brush firmly.
"Not telling you about Marcel, trashing my room, and..." Kol started sobbing.
"About what, little Brother? Tell me," Klaus prompted.
"Not being about to save her," Kol cried.
"Kol, listen, that's not why you're getting this spanking. I couldn't save her, Elijah couldn't. We will find a cure. Believe that," Klaus said still using the brush, but quite lighter.
pop! Pop! Pop! POp!
Klaus put down the bath brush and grabbed some lotion on the counter. Since Kol hadn't few in a while, he wasn't healing and had some bruises form. Klaus rubbed some cream on his behind and thighs.
"What are you going to do to make this up?" Klaus asked bringing his bare hand down across both of Kol's sore cheeks.
Kol's legs shot out and he wailed and wriggled hard. The cream soaked in, but only seemed to intensify the pain of the spanking.
"Clean my room," Kol started. Swat! Swat! Swat!
"Yes, that's a start," Klaus said continuing the spanking.
"Come and talk before I freak out," Kol answered. Smack. Smack.
"And? Unless you want to get spanked all night long," Klaus prompted.
"Not blame myself," Kol choked out.
Those were the magic words. Klaus bring his large hand over Kol's stinging behind in one mighty crack.
"We spank you from time to time because we love and care about you. You know we give you many chances to improve before you end up with a red seat. I know this is really causing your backside to feel like it's ablaze because you haven't fed enough. That's not acceptable. You know you need to feel on a regular basis," Klaus reminded him smacking his entire behind and not leaving a spot unattended to.
WHACK!
Then, as Kol thrashed and begged for the spanking to stop, Klaus gave in and started rubbing his crimson and swollen behind gently. Kol seemed spent and exhausted. Klaus lifted him up to stand before him, he wrapped him in the towel and walked him to the bed. Kol tried to rub his sore backside, but was warned not to unless he wanted another good paddling. Like a child, Klaus dressed Kol. When Kol protested, Klaus spanked him twice on his tights. When Klaus pulled on Kol's briefs, he hissed and whined.
"I'm sure your bottom is very sore, that's what happens when you behave like a naughty brat," Klaus said sternly. Kol also whined when his soft cotton pajama bottoms were pulled up over his behind.
"Now, stop fussing, mister. You act like a child, you get treated like a child. Understand," Klaus asked, patting his behind.
"Yes, Nik," Kol said in a tired voice. Klaus put him in the bed and tucked him in with a kiss to his forehead. Klaus got on the other side of the bed and pulled Kol into his arms, Klaus bit into his own hand. From this wound, he fed Kol before he fell asleep peacefully.
"Love you, always and forever," Kol whispered.
"Me, too. Little Brother," Klaus answered.