Chapter 53

Flashback:

Marcel struggled to close his eyes as he laid in the cot in the quiet bunker. It was the first moment of peace he'd got in days and he still couldn't force himself to sleep. It may have been peaceful where he and his men were, but there was still a war going on not even a hundred miles away. To make sure his men stayed alive, he stayed up for days on his own, keeping the enemy at bay with is vampire abilities while they slept. He wished he could tell them about his powers because then he could help fight in the daylight but he was afraid of their reaction. If there was one thing he learned from his father, it was to never trust a human with his secret unless he was confident they had a connection to the supernatural world...and even then that trust should be placed with a grain of salt. Vampire hunters were rare but they were out there. Marcel knew it. But he didn't want to believe one of his guys was a hunter and even if they were, certainly they trusted him enough to not turn on him.

Just as Marcel's eyes closed, he thought he heard a noise in the dark.

He shot up straight, his eyes quickly scanning the empty bunker.

"Dammit, Marcel," he groaned to himself as he laid back down. "You need to get some sleep. You're losing your mind."

"I'd say."

The sound of the familiar voice in the dark brought Marcel back to an upright position.

A truck drove past the window behind Marcel, its light shining through the bunker and illuminating Klaus's figure leaning against the wall across from him.

"You're starting to talk to yourself. That's never a good sign."

"What do you want, Klaus," Marcel suddenly stood up, his face creased with anger.

Klaus sighed and walked closer to his irritable son. "You're always so ornery when you're tired." Klaus looked around the metal bunker. A muddy tarp covered the dirt floor, a line of stiff uniform cots rested against the collapsible metal walls. Certainly not the future he'd ever envisioned for his son. "Participating in this human war can't be good for your sleep pattern."

"For the last time, Klaus, I'm not going home until we win the war. Stop coming here!"

Klaus cut his eyes at Marcel and spat, "I will never stop coming for you. As long as you are out here away from your family, I will come for you and I will do everything I can to convince you to come home, Marcellus. Let these people fight their own wars. They don't even..."

Klaus opened his mouth and shut it in the same breath. It hurt him to even think it.

"These people don't even respect you. They give you subpar equipment and have you sleeping in hovels, separated by the color of your skin...as if the color of one's skin could ever mark the true value of a soldier's merit. You deserve better than this Marcellus. You are not meant to live in such foul holdings."

"I endure what I have to to protect my people."

"We are your people Marcellus!"

Marcel's suddenly relaxed. He could see the pain hidden in Klaus's eyes.

Taking slow steps over to his father, he said, "I get it. You've been trying to shield me from this my entire life, showing me a world where all people are judged by their acts and beliefs, that's all. But that's not the world that they live in. What I'm doing now is going to help change their world. If I turn my back on them now...I can't turn my back on them, Klaus. When I make a name for myself, when we are remembered by all of the world for our bravery now, when we and receive awards by the President himself, like other war heroes, they will know that people like me are worth a hell of a lot more than what they give us credit for. I'm going to help change their world and make the name Marcel Gerard known for more than just being Klaus Mikaelson's son."

Klaus's eyes began to water with frustration. He understood why Marcel was doing what he was doing but that didn't matter to him. He'd seen the world change countless times. People were enslaved, babies starved, nations died of pestilence. He grew a tough skin when it came to human problems a long time ago. In the hundreds of years of him watching humans suffer, the only constant in his heart was his desire to keep his family safe.

"You are a lot braver than I am," Klaus said. "You always have been. The moment I leave you, I am filled with panic for what might happen and yet you carry on in this war every day as if...you're not vulnerable."

"I know my men will do what they have to to win this war so we can all get back home alive."

"Your men are weaker than you," Klaus bit. "I could slaughter the lot of them right now if I wanted."

"Klaus!"

"But I won't," Klaus quickly calmed Marcel's fears. "Because...perhaps they will actually protect you from human foes. But know this," Klaus placed his hand on Marcel's cheek, softly caressing his son's face once more. "I will never stop coming for you, Marcellus. Despite what you call yourself, you are a Mikaelson and you belong with your family. Always and forever."

As quickly as he appeared, Klaus was gone. Marcel laid back in his cot, a calming sigh shuddering through his body as his eyes closed without any more resistance from him. He knew Klaus was still nearby, watching, guarding him least for the night, and he could sleep with a modicum of peace knowing his men were protected.

End Flashback

Marcel dragged his feet to brunch, already dreading having to sit on the hard wooden dining tables for an entire meal but skipping meals because of a punishment was not an option for any Mikaelson.

As he passed by Kol's bedroom, he happened to glance inside and saw Kol standing in front of his mirror attempting to adjust his slacks in any way to relieve the pressure from his behind. Nothing worked.

Feeling a twinge of sympathy towards him for being part of the reason Kol was in such tremendous pain, Marcel pushed the door open and walked in.

"Those aren't gonna work," Marcel stated plainly.

"What are you talking about," Kol asked, blushing at being caught.

"Those pants, they're not going to work today. Not if you're in half as much pain as I'm in." Marcel walked over to Kol's dresser and began opening and closing drawers, looking for one thing in particular.

"What are you doing," Kol demanded in shock at Marcel searching through his belongings. "Stop touching my things and get the bloody hell out of my room."

Marcel stood up and stared at Kol's open drawers in disappointment.

"All of this," he said gesturing to Kol's clothes. "And not one pair of sweatpants."

Kol's face scrunched with disbelief. "What need what I ever have for sweatpants? I don't do things that require me to 'sweat' like some kinda troglodyte."

"Well, if you were smarter, you'd know sweatpants come in handy on days like today."

Kol looked down to Marcel's legs and noticed how comfortable he looked in his sweatpants hanging low on his waist, barely touching his sore behind.

"Clever," he muttered. "You got any more of those?"

Marcel cut his eyes at Kol, unsure if he wanted to be so generous, but he knew Davina would want him to help him if he could.

"C'mon," Marcel said walking back to his bedroom, Kol quickly on his tail. "You're lucky Davina likes you or else I'd let you suffer."

"Gee, thanks." Kol droned. "You're lucky Klaus likes you or I wouldn't have asked so nicely."

Marcel stopped walking and turned irritatedly to Kol. "Can you ever just be grateful?"

Kol bit his tongue before he retorted with another smart comment. He wasn't trying to intentionally rile Marcel, sarcasm was just his natural state but his burning behind reminding him of the consequences of letting his attitude get the best of him.

"Kol. Marcellus."

Marcel and Kol turned at the sound of Klaus's voice coming down the hall. Klaus strolled slowly towards them, a serious look on his face but concern in his eyes.

"Elijah sent me to fetch you two," Klaus calmly stated, as if he wasn't aware of the worry on his own face. "Brunch is starting and you know how he is about punctuality. You'd better hurry on down lest you'd like to add a few more swats to an already aching posterior."

Kol groaned at Klaus's half-hearted taunting. His envious glare grew colder as he watched Klaus's hand wrap gently behind Marcel's head, pulling his forehead down enough for Klaus to plant a loving kiss.

"How are you doing," Klaus softly asked Marcel.

Marcel's cheeks took a hint of red, slightly embarrassed by Klaus displaying a paternal gesture in front of Kol. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure," Klaus insisted. "Because if you'd rather sit out brunch, I will talk to Elijah and-"

Marcel glanced towards Kol and saw the look of disgust in his eyes. He assumed it was simply Kol judging him, as he did in his childhood, for letting Klaus coddle him so much but truly, Kol envied every kind touch his brother bestowed upon Marcel - loving displays of kindness he hadn't dispensed to Kol since they were children.

"I said I'm fine, Klaus." Marcel pulled away from Klaus, his cheeks growing even redder at Klaus's constant coddling.

Klaus wasn't fazed by Marcel's reaction. Ever since he first encountering Kol's influence, Marcel hated being babied in front of him.

"We'll be down in a minute," Kol bit, marching back towards Marcel's room. "We don't need you shepherding us to the dining room."

Klaus's demeanor made an almost visible change from a kindly parent to an annoyed older brother. "Perhaps I should do so anyway. Just in case you get lost on the way."

Klaus's brotherly teasing irritated Kol but Marcel could tell there was something more on his father's mind. Whenever one of them was running late to a meal, Elijah usually came and found them himself so he could administer immediate chastisement, verbal or physical. He knew Klaus must've volunteered to find them but he wasn't sure why. Until they passed by Hope's bedroom and Klaus looked woefully inside.

"Hope downstairs," Marcel asked.

Klaus let out a heavy groan. "Yes. And she's still angry. Hasn't said a word to me since she and Hayley returned. She gets that from you, y'know."

Marcel chuckled as he thought back on the weeks he stopped speaking to Klaus in anger.

"Can you blame her," Kol spoke from ahead. "You make endless promises to change and yet you're still the same vindictive, controlling, selfish man you always were." Kol stopped in front of Marcel's bedroom and waited for Marcel to lead them in. "No offense."

Klaus looked to Marcel wide-eyed, unsure what part of his brother's statement he wasn't to take offense on. Marcel simply smirked and shrugged as he led Kol over to his dresser and opened a drawer with an array of sweatpants.

Kol picked a pair of grey ones and immediately began to change out of his tight-fitting slacks and into the loose, comfortable sweats.

"Never thought I'd see that day," Klaus shook his head as he watched Kol relax with comfort. "My little brother wearing exercise attire. You two plan on going for a jog after brunch?"

"Hell would have to freeze over first," Kol grunted. "But if you knew the pain we were in, you'd understand why I'd have to stoop so low."

Klaus walked over and wrapped an arm around Kol's shoulder as he stared at himself in the mirror. "You'll be okay, little brother. You've been through worse."

Kol opened his mouth to curse Klaus's existence when an alarm rang throughout the entire Compound. Panicked, Klaus, Marcel, and Kol sped down to the dining room.

The other Mikaelsons all stood at attention around the table.

"It's my barrier alarm," Freya announced. "A vampire is trying to get into the city. Actually, the way the alarm is going haywire, I'd say there's probably a few of them."

Klaus nodded to his siblings, a signal they all knew well.

"Davina, stay here with Hope," Marcel ordered.

Klaus's eyes narrowed at Marcel. He wanted to tell him to stay with Hope as well just in case their foes were more powerful than anticipated but the determined look on Marcel's face said he was coming with them whether Klaus liked it or not. It was his city too after all.

Marcel made eye contact with Klaus for only a brief moment. He recognized the fear in his father's eyes, it was the same fear he had whenever he thought Marcel was about to do something dangerous, a lot he saw countless times when he was first turned. Knowing how Klaus could be in times like that, Marcel sped out of the kitchen before Klaus could do or say anything to try to make him stay. Following his lead, Rebekah and Hayley sped after him.

Klaus looked to Elijah and his eyes said all Elijah needed. He would allow Marcel to join them since he was so determined that Klaus was sure nothing he said would've changed his mind, but if their foe turned out to be someone stronger than Marcel could handle, like Mikael, he wasn't going to hesitate to rush Marcel to safety and he needed Elijah to do whatever he had to to keep the villain at bay until he was sure Marcel was safe. The slight nod of Elijah's head was his unmitigated agreement.

-M-

Kol's car came to a screeching halt at the invisible borderline of New Orleans. Freya sat in the passenger seat holding a map of the city in her hand, enchanted black ink highlighted the spot where the vampires tried to enter the city, where they were now parked, but there was no one in sight. Finn leaned over the back seat to peer out the window in search of a vampire hidden in the woods. Klaus had 'convinced' him to come along to help protect their city and family from invaders but deep down Finn knew that he just didn't want to leave him alone with Hope. He wanted to come anyway. He wasn't going to let Freya face a foe without him by her side to help fight.

Kol stepped out of the car just as the other cars came pulling to a halt - Klaus, Elijah, and Hayley in Hayley's car and Marcel and Rebekah in Marcel's.

"Where are they," Klaus asked, stepping out of the car before it even came to a complete stop.

Freya opened her door and said, "They have to be around here somewhere. This is where my spell said they tried to enter."

Suddenly, Klaus got a whiff of something in the air - or someone, rather.

"Come out," he yelled to a dense bunch of trees. "I know you're there."

As if she'd been called by her own name, Caroline came from behind the trees, her hands up in surrender. "Should've known I couldn't hide from that Hybrid nose of yours."

Marcel's lip curled at her flirtatious joking.

"Y'know, if you were trying to get back to Mystic Falls, you could've just asked," he bit. "Unless, of course, it wasn't you trying to break through the barrier."

Caroline is silent. Her eyes unintentionally dart momentarily to the trees outside the barrier. The Mikaelsons all notice her mistake.

Elijah nodded to Freya and with a few muttered words, she dropped the barrier around the city. Then, quicker than Caroline could warn them, Elijah and Niklaus were within the woods. Their hands were around the hidden figures within seconds.

When Klaus stared into the eyes of Stefan Salvator, his grip weakened in shock.

"You," Klaus muttered, dropping his hands to his side. "What are you doing here?"

Stefan's eyes narrowed, an intense glare gracing his face. Before he could answer, Elijah appeared in the opening, his hand around Tyler Lockwood arm.

"Well, well, well," Elijah tutted, strolling over to Stefan. "What do we have here? A little unauthorized Mystic Falls reunion in the bayou?"

"What the bloody hell," Klaus growled. "Are the two men I'd least like to see doing trying to break into my city."

Tyler's jaw tightened. He knew it was a mistake for him to come to New Orleans, not with Klaus back in the picture, but Stefan had coaxed him into it. Their friends needed them.

"We have to talk to your sister," Stefan stated.

"Rebekah," Klaus asked confused. As far as he knew, Rebekah hadn't been in contact with anyone from Mystic Falls since their family left.

Stefan cut his eyes through the line of trees at Freya. "No," he growled. "The other one."

-M-

"So your friends have been kidnapped and you somehow think it's my fault?"

Freya rested against the library desk as she spoke to Caroline, Tyler, and Stefan sitting on the sofa across from her. Elijah and Klaus stood by her side, both confused as to why they thought Damon and Bonnie's disappearance had anything to do with Freya.

Stefan reached into his pocket and pulled out an empty vial. A distinctive red dye stained the glass.

"Do you recognize this," Stefan asked.

Freya's eyes widened. She did recognize it. That was one of the vials she'd given Klaus's sirelings.

"Some vampires came through Mystic Falls a few days ago and they got into it with Tyler. He bit one of them. They drank this, assuming it was Klaus's blood, but it didn't work. He was dead the next day. They're holding Bonnie and Damon somewhere and they say they're not giving them back unless they get Klaus's actual blood."

Elijah turned to Freya. She'd already confessed to them what she'd done to get Mikael's sword and he knew her deceit would come back to bite them one day.

"I'd say I'm sorry for your loss," Klaus coldly started. "But, unfortunately, I couldn't care less. And because I can't, I'm not going to give my blood to my enemies so they can have a chance at surviving in battle longer."

Stefan lept to his feet, his face burning with anger. "My brother is missing because of your sister's lies! You owe us!"

"I owe you nothing," Klaus bellowed. He pushed himself away from the desk and took slow, careful steps to Stefan. "You Mystic Falls brats ceased being of any interest to me years ago. I suggest, if you want to save your friends, you do like countless others and find an alternate solution because I'm not it!"

"Klaus..."

Tyler's soft tone just barely broke through the raging blood pulsing through Klaus's ears. He looked down at the young Hybrid, his soft brown eyes staring down at the floorboards as if afraid look him in the eyes. The last time they met, Tyler was a different person. He was angry, vengeful, and hateful. He was willing to do things back then that, when he thought of now, turned his stomach. After what he tried to do to Hayley when she was pregnant with Klaus's child, he didn't blame Klaus for hating his guts. But now his friends were missing, the friends that helped restore his humanity, and it was his fault.

"Please...You have to help us."

"I don't have to do anything short of throwing you both back across my border. What, even, was your plan? To sneak into my city and siphon my blood while I slept?" Klaus's eyes became hard as another realization struck him. "Or perhaps you were thinking you'd go after my daughter again?"

Watching as Klaus anger grew, Caroline decided to intervene before she had to help pry Klaus's hands from around Tyler's neck.

"No one was going to do anything to Hope," she moved swiftly between Klaus and Stefan. "They asked me to help them get in so they could speak to you face to face. I wouldn't have let them do anything to hurt you or your family, Klaus. You know me better than that. But...Bonnie is my best friend, and she needs our help. I already lost Elena. Please, don't make me lose Bonnie too."

Caroline's gentle touch across his chest was like a calming balm being applied directly to his soul. Klaus's anger softened, but his heart remained resolute on one decision.

"I'm not giving my blood to anyone. But...since my family is, however remotely, partially responsible for your dilemma, I will offer a modicum of assistance." His eyes fell back down to Tyler, his eyes now looking hopefully up at his Hybrid sire. "And then I never want to see you," he cut his eyes to Stefan. "Or you, in my city, ever again. At least...not alive."


Guess who's alive bitches! Everyone lol! Except Elena! Sorry Elena fans but she's pretty much 98% of the reason I didn't like TVD so I don't really want her anywhere in this story lol. And when I say everyone, I mean, most of the main cast.

And sooo sorry for the super long wait, I have been making some moves in my personal life, hopefully they'll pan out well, and I haven't been able to write on this story in a while. But I'm coming back. This chapter isn't as long as I'm sure some of you were hoping the latest update would be after all this time but the next one will hopefully be longer. If not, at least it will be updated sooner than the two months this one has been on hiatus (two months, yikes!)