"Laissez les bon temps rouler"
-Cajun expression meaning "let the good times roll"
Pairing: no spanking in this chapter/references
Sunday, December 26, 2010
On Route to New Orleans
Marcel thought about what Father Kieran had said. There were reports that wolves were disappearing from the bayou. This was causing the remaining packs to turn on each other. To make matters worse, Diego called and said two new night walkers, who were recently turned, were missing.
Marcel's number one priority was to keep peace between all the factions in New Orleans right now. You had the nine covens of witches, his Orphan Annie vampires, as he called them, the various remaining werewolf packs, and the surly humans. Each faction had their own internal issues and pressures. Leadership was as tricky with supernaturals as it was with humans, maybe more so.
Marcel's vampires depended on him to keep them safe, but he also need them to obey so he could keep them safe. Each faction had clear geographical boundaries of where they could and could not go in the fine city of New Orleans. Marcel's vamps had the majority of French Quarter, the wolves had the bayou and the docks, witches had the cauldron, and the humans had the rest.
But right now, Marcel had his own internal problems. His adopted daughter, the former French Quarter Harvest Witch, that he had tried to save from her people, was now glaring at him. They were flying back from Mystic Falls, Virginia to New Orleans, Louisiana on a private jet. Being an immortal vampire, and the adopted son of Original vampire, Niklaus Mikaelson had its perks. One was an almost unlimited income stream. The private jets were nice, but also a security measure to throw off the thousand years of enemies Klaus had racked up before he settled down to be an adopted dad to six kids in Mystic Falls.
Marcel smiled to himself to think that his Papa was getting married to Father K.'s beautiful niece, Cami. He wished them the kind of happiness that he had found with his beloved, Rebekah.
"What are you smiling at, handsome?" Rebekah purred softly.
"You. Miss iPad. Lady, we are lucky we got out of Mystic Falls before Elijah gets that Apple Store bill," Marcel laughed.
"Stop. I only put like eight of the 15 iPads on his bill. I put the rest on yours," Rebekah squealed as Marcel went to grab her around the waist.
Marcel didn't care about the money, he would make more. But Elijah was tight and tried to keep the extended family on a reasonable budget. That was not easy when they were used to living like kings, or better.
"Who buys 15 iPads for their entire family? But they were a hit! You know how to celebrate, my little Christmas elf," Marcel whispered as he kissed her on the nose.
Davina made gagging noises and turned her iPod music up louder.
"Um, should we even let her have that thing after what she did yesterday?" Marcel mused.
"Probably not. But I can't deal with the attitude right now. Freya is heated about her doing another spell on Kol. Look what she slipped in my purse," Rebekah said opening it to show him.
Marcel smirked, "She didn't. She donated one of her precious wooden spoons to us. God, she must think we are sucking as parents. So what are we going to do with her?"
Davina had used her magic again to entice her lover Kol to spend time with her against his will although they were taking a break until she was done with high school.
"We? I thought you were going to put her over your knee as soon as what got back. Isn't that what you told her?" Rebekah pressed him.
Marcel exhaled, "Maybe she is too old for a spanking? I just don't want her resenting me for treating her like a kid. It's 2010 now, not 1820 like when I was growing up. Things change and we can't treat her like we were treated, right? I mean she was warned not to use her magic like that, but I don't think she meant any harm. How about we ground her for the rest of her break? No electronic, no parties, no cell phone, she can study and hang out with us?"
"Oh, you are a sadist? That is worse, but fine. You tell her," Rebekah said skeptically.
"Look, if she acts up while she's grounded, I'll use Freya's spoon on her butt myself, okay?" Marcel promised.
"Okay, fine. You're gone half the time, but I'll deal with a cranky, love sick, grounded hormonal Harvest witch by myself," Rebekah said sarcastically.
"I love you, Rebekah Mikaelson," Marcel said kissing her again.
"You better, Marcel Gerald, my King of New Orleans," Rebekah laughed.
"Then, you are my queen," Marcel replied.
"And our princess is pissed," Rebekah smiled, as Marcel looked and saw Davina glaring at them.
"Shit," Marcel said. He went back to his business papers and read through the proposals from the leaders of each faction on the table. Yes, his princess was only one of his issues today.
Father Kieran repeated the words he had said a thousand times, "who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell..." Did he believe them anymore?
The missing vampires were found this morning at St. Anne's. As part of some sick joke, they had been crucified and left to burn in the morning sunlight that poured in through the stained glass windows.
Marie, the cleaning lady, who had been compelled more times that Father K. could count had found the bodies. Father K. called Diego and had him come compel Marie and get the ashes.
"Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace," Father Kieran repeated. Peace, ha, that seemed like a joke in New Orleans. This city was on the brink of war.
"Uncle Kieran, let me help you," Sean said after mass.
"Where's the alter boys?" Kieran asked numbly.
"I dismissed them. Let me help you today, like I used to," Sean smiled.
"You're a good boy, Sean," Kieran said sincerely to his nephew.
"The vampires? This morning? Do we know who did that?" Sean asked carefully removing his uncle's stole from his neck. He held it up to Kieran's lips so he could kiss it and then carefully folded it.
"I'm assuming the witches, probably French Quarter, but I don't know. I blame Marcel. He should have been here, keeping his crew in line. Instead he's off in Mystic Falls with his daddy. Oh Sean, what are we going to do?" Kieran exclaimed.
Sean's twin sister Camille just got exchanged to Klaus Mikaelson, an Original vampire, and the most evil being alive according to Kieran.
"She loves him, Uncle. I can hear it in her voice. It sounds like he changed," Sean pleaded.
"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Jeremiah 13:23," Kieran replied.
Sean retorted, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7."
Kieran finally smiled and clapped his nephew on the back.
"I taught you too well, my boy. You're right. It's in God's hands. I must trust Him to keep your sister safe. I must also trust in our factions to hold our alliances strong, although someone is aiming to tear them and our fair city apart," Kieran said, taking off his cossack and getting into his street clothes.
Grant us peace, Kieran repeated to himself.
Mikaelson Compound
French Quarter
Kitchen
"So I'm grounded? The rest of the holiday break?" Davina spat. They were sitting at the round kitchen table drinking tea. Marcel made himself drink vervain so he couldn't be compelled. Witches, like Davina, could not be compelled at all.
"Yes, young lady, and you should be happy that's it. You were warned no more fooling around with you magic like that, correct?" Marcel lectured.
Davina had no choice but to nod. She had been warned, but she just didn't want the short time she had with Kol to be wasted. And she didn't think she'd get caught.
"Anything you want to say for yourself?" Marcel prompted taking a sip.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have messed around with the cufflinks," Davina admitted as a faint blush reached her cheeks.
"D., honey, we all screw up. I know being grounded means you can't use your new Christmas presents, but I think it's better than the alternative," Marcel stated.
"The alternative?" Davina asked slowly.
Marcel took out the wooden spoon that Freya had slipped in Rebekah's bag and put it on the counter.
"Aunt Freya sent a little gift for you in case you misbehave during your grounding, got it? We're going to leave that spoon right here as a little reminder," Marcel presented.
Davina groaned, "Oh my god! Dad, no one else my age has to worry about getting beaten with kitchen utensils!"
"Davina, you know everyone of your cousins has had a taste of Klaus' paddle. Would you rather we go with that?" Marcel demanded.
"No! But they are boys! And Penny doesn't get spanked and she's like 12 or something," Davina argued.
"Honey, Penny's mother just passed and she's been through a real bad experience. Quite frankly, I think she's long overdue for a little spanking, but she's not my responsibility. You are. If you don't want to get the spoon applied to your bare butt, then all you need to do is behave yourself and check your attitude," Marcel reminded her.
"My attitude?" Davina said in disbelief.
"The disrespect, the talking back, cursing, and fibbing is where you get yourself in a little hot water. Hey, I get it, I know you are at that age. Try going through your teenage years with Uncle Elijah on your back. I spent like two years in the corner with a bar of soap in my mouth and a sore behind for sassing him and rolling my eyes, think like 1826 to 1828, roughly," Marcel recalled.
Davina laughed at the image.
"Oh, is that funny, missy? Well, Kol used to make fun of me and throw marbles and crap at me and I'll turn out of the corner and I'd get another hiding," Marcel shared shaking his head.
"No, he didn't," Davina said laughing harder.
"Yes, he did! He laughed about that for about fifty years. Elijah did not play around, especially if I hadn't done my lessons, but that is another story. Now, we good?" Marcel said.
Davina nodded and let Marcel come over and put his arms around her.
"We love you and we don't want you becoming a wicked witch. Now, I gotta go. One of our new baby vamps is coming over later. He seems like a nice guy, loyal. I'll bring him to say hi," Marcel offered.
"Let me guess, he's gay?" Davina added.
"Yeah, he is. But that's not why I'm bringing him around. He's young and new to the city, he could use a friend," Marcel smiled.
"What's his name?" Davina asked finishing her tea.
"I think it's Josh. Yeah, his name is Josh," Marcel said.
"Cool," Davina said.
"Oh, and I'll take your cell phone, if you don't mind," Marcel said holding out his hand. Davina slipped her phone out of her pocket and handed it over. She was tempted to argue, but Freya's wooden spoon was right on the counter.
Louisiana Bayou
25 miles southwest of New Orleans
Leif had been running for miles. He didn't know how the hell he ended up in this swamp.
Leif had been a regular college student until that bar fight. After hearing the other guys neck snap, it was over. His old life was dead. He had left the college town he was living in, though he hadn't been attending much college anyway, and gone on the run.
Two days later he turned. Right on the side of the highway. His bones started snapping. He didn't know what was happening. The pain was incredible and he'd probably have chosen death if he knew how bad it was, but he had fought it. It was long and when he finally had snapped all 209 bones, he ran.
And he woke up here, in this hot, muggy swamp. Something was chasing him. He couldn't run much longer. He was tired and thirsty.
Leif was ready for this nightmare to be over. He collapsed in the mud and passed out.
Eve found the naked boy a few moments later. She was the only Crescent who hadn't triggered her curse. They looked to her to look after them and their affairs while they were wolves. Then, on the one night a month, when every other pack turned wolf, the Crescents became human again. This was all thanks to the vampire King Marcel Gerald. Eve was a peaceful woman, but even she sometimes imagined the things she would do to that tyrant. Getting a witch to curse them? For what? Business he knew nothing about. All he had done was made the Guerrera's stronger. Witches were to be the guardians of nature, not the bitches of the vamps. Eve didn't like thinking so harshly, but her people were downtrodden.
This boy weren't one of their own. She dragged him to the cabin and tried to pour some water on him. She sat him up and fed him some clear broth. She let him sleep and covered him with an old quilt. As he sleep, she tended to his wounds and the many bug bites that covered his body.
At nightfall, he woke up.
"Son, son, my name is Eve. Do ya know where ya are?" Eve said shaking him a little to keep him awake.
"No, ma'am. Some swamp," Leif answered, closing his eyes.
Eve shook him again, "What's your name? Where's your pack?"
"Leif, but I don't have no one else. I was adopted and I woke up here," Leif croaked.
"It's alright now. Drink this. You're in the Bayou now. Yes, sir, we take care of our own in Louisiana. That's right," Eve muttered, but Leif had passed out again. Eve heard a noise. She went outside.
There were two more forms crawling outside. More wolves? Coming to her bayou. They were all torn up, too. As if they had come from a long distance. What was happening? Eve tended to them the best that she could and then found more. None of them had the mark of their Crescent pack. That was okay, nowadays that was nothing but a curse. In the times before these wars, the packs would unite to defend themselves from outsiders.
It seemed something or someone was calling the wolves home. Maybe the Crescents would have a chance to take back the city. It had been a long time since they had an army, but the more that showed up, the stronger they would become. But Eve was even triggered. These wolves would need a strong leader. They would need an alpha among alphas.
"Where ever you are, come now, we need you," Eve whispered looking around at all the wolves around her. It was time.