I have been working on this chapter for over a month now and I'm so sorry lol, I just moved (again, but for the last time for a long time, thank god) so I haven't had a lot of time to write and I'm so sorry.

Chapter 64

Staring down at Kol as he tried to hide his face against his big brother's shoulder, Niklaus felt a tug at his heart that he usually only felt when holding Marcel. It was almost as if just holding him somehow reminded Niklaus that Kol was his younger brother, a fact that he undoubtedly knew, but in his own selfishness, rarely gave credence.

As Kol's crying slowly tapered off, Klaus stood him in front of the stump he sat on, steeling his feelings to stare into his brother's shimmering eyes.

"What have we learned, brother?" Klaus asked.

Easing his hands into the back of swimsuit to straighten it and hide the shame of his red cheeks, Kol muttered, "T-to not try to kill Finn anymore."

"Why is that?"

His eyes darting to the hard ground, Kol muttered, "Because he's supposed to be an ally."

"And our brother," Klaus quickly added.

Kol sighed. "And our brother."

Kol's somber brown eyes called to Niklaus. He wrapped his arms around Kol's narrow shoulders and Kol's eyes widened with shock, unsure of what to do next. The last time his brother hugged him this much he was still trying to make amends for losing control while punishing him.

Though he'd hate to admit it, even to himself, Kol didn't feel as though Klaus needed to be so remorseful this time. As much as he hated being spanked, Klaus wasn't overly harsh to him this time and Kol felt his punishment was fair, all things considered.

He wouldn't say any of that to Niklaus, though. If his brother wanted to coddle him like he did Marcel for the first time in a thousand years, Kol was going to open his arms and whole-heartedly accept.

Kol relaxed into Klaus's hold, leaning his damp head against his brother's shoulder as he hugged him.

"I promise I won't hurt the little demon anymore," Kol mumbled lowly, hoping no one else heard the weakness in his voice.

Klaus's voice was firm as he pulled Kol from his hold. "You'd better not." He gave the seat of Kol's swimsuit light tap, propelling him towards the fire. "Go warm up some more. I will see if I can go catch a deer for supper."

As Klaus walked over to his bow and quiver sitting against a tree with his things, Marcel hurried over to the antique rifle packed away with his things. He held it out in his hands, eyeing the letters 'MM' engraved in its gold-plated receiver. Klaus had given him the rifle on his first hunting trip and Marcel couldn't bear to part with it in over two hundred years. For two centuries he kept it hidden away in the Compound so none of his vampires or enemies could ever find it. He never had a reason to use it as a vampire, but he could never bring himself to let it go.

"I'm going with you," Marcel stated as he quickly slid his swim trunks off and replaced them with a pair of cargo pants that were just as tight as the pants he wore on the trip but gave him extra pockets to store his ammo. He decided to leave his underwear off to give himself more space between his sore behind and any fabric and make his pants a bit looser. Still, the soft cotton might as well had been iron wool against his aching behind. He made the silent decision to start buying 'relax fit' pants from now on, just for such occasions.

Finn stood from his spot in the fire, hurrying over to the rifle Elijah brought for him. He'd never used a gun before, he wasn't even really sure how they worked, but he was still nervous about being around Kol, even with Elijah around. Klaus was only a few yards away when Kol tried to drag him under the lake. So he decided that if his choices were staying at the camp and risk being 'accidentally' killed by Kol or going into the woods with Klaus, Klaus was the safer choice.

A small part of him was still afraid of trusting Niklaus since they were once enemies attempting to kill each other. But so far, Niklaus had been the nicest of his three brothers since their arrival.

Finn set the rifle against the stump and dug through his bag in search of the camouflage pants Freya packed for him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Klaus asked.

Finn paused as he pulled the folded pants out of the bag, looking up to his brother with uncertainty in his eyes.

His eyes shifted to the others. Kol sat by the fire with teary eyes and a shit-eating grin as if hoping Finn had done something to get in trouble. Oh, how he relished the thought of watching the brother that hexed him being turned over Klaus or Elijah's knee.

Marcel had to fight the curl of his lip as he waited for Klaus to tell Finn to stay put. He wasn't angry at Finn about wanting to tag along but, while he was swimming, he'd formulated a plan to make being caught with his phone work to his advantage. While they were out hunting, he was going to tell Klaus that he was worried about Lora. He was going to tell him that she'd recently started dating someone and that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself from feeding on them. He'd brought his phone in order for her to call and talk to him whenever she felt the 'urge' resurfacing. He was sure Klaus would agree to give him his phone back with no problem then. Then, it would only take one panicked phone call for him to believe Lora was in danger of losing herself and Klaus and Elijah would let him leave the trip early.

If Finn went with them, Marcel feared Klaus's attention would be focused more on making sure the newly-young Mikaelson wasn't stumbling around the forest with a loaded weapon than it would be listening to him.

Finn's eyes fell lastly to Klaus. He narrowed his gaze as Klaus stared down his nose at him. Although he agreed to it temporarily, it still irked a part of him to be looked down on by his 'younger' siblings.

"I wanted to go too," Finn stated finally.

Klaus beckoned him over with a finger. Finn shuffled over to Klaus and froze as Klaus sat his heavy hand on his head. Klaus gave Finn's damp hair a tussle and shook his head no.

"Your hair's still not dry. Sit by the fire and wait a little while longer."

Finn pulled his head from Klaus's hand, glaring up at him. "It'll dry once I start moving." He insisted firmly. "I want to go with you. It's supposed to be a hunting trip."

Klaus's eyes narrowed, his face hardening. Finn swallowed his bravery as his brother bent over to stare into his eyes. "You will do as I say and go sit by the fire or I shall find other ways to help 'warm' you."

Tears of frustration welled in Finn's eyes as he stomped away back to the fire. He hated his childish body for being so susceptible to over-emotional displays.

"You should stay too, Marcellus," said Klaus as he rose back to a standing position. "I can see the drip of water behind your ear from here. While your healing is nullified, it is best for the three of you to take every precaution against sickness. A common cold could be the end of you."

"C'mon, Klaus," Marcel whined, sliding the strap of his rifle over his shoulder. "I'll be fine. I know my body."

"I said 'no', Marcellus."

"But, Klaus-"

"That was twice, Marcellus." Marcel cringed at the sound of Elijah's voice coming from across the camp. "How many times must he repeat himself to you?"

Marcel knew that was a trick question. The answer was 'none'.

Afraid of receiving any more smacks, Marcel quickly set his rifle back down on the ground and drug his feet over to the fire, his face hard as he thought of a new plan.

He sat on his knees beside Kol and watched with frustration as Klaus disappeared into the forest.

Kol could see the cogs working in Marcel's brain and hoped to take his mind off of whatever he was planning before he did anything to get himself in trouble.

"What happened to those sweatpants you're always bragging about?" he asked, subtly reminding Marcel of his sore behind.

Marcel rolled his eyes at Kol's taunting. "I didn't pack any. Didn't think I'd need them. I was only spanked once on the last hunting trip, remember. Besides, I didn't think they'd take our healing this time."

"There's a lot different now than it was last time."

Flashback:

Marcel held the cursed dagger in his hands, staring down at it's beautiful blade as if it were trying to speak to him. He peeked around the wide tree standing between him and the campsite and wondered how long his restroom break could last before Elijah or Niklaus started to notice him missing.

Taking a chance, he slowly made his way further into the forest, not willing to risk being seen with the blade and have Niklaus take it from him again.

Once he was sure he was far enough away so that no one could hear him, he pointed his blade at a tree and said, "Alright, let's see what you can do."

He sliced the dagger across the tree bark, breaking it off with almost no effort. It cut through wood as smoothly as it would butter. He'd never had a blade that was so small and yet so powerful. But as he cut into the tree again, he wondered when the 'blood lust' would take over. So far, he didn't feel any different.

"You've gone quite a long way for jus'a potty break."

Marcel spun around to see Kol leaning against another tree, his arms crossed over his chest, and an evil grin across his face.

"Must be more than jus'a piss."

"Kol," Marcel immediately hid the blade behind his back, his eyes wide with shame. He was hoping he could sneak the blade back in Kol's chest before he noticed it was going. "What are you doing out here?"

"Your dear ol' Poppa asked me to come check on ya." Kol pushed himself off of the tree and walked closer to Marcel. "Guess he wanted to make sure you didn't run into any wild animals that would cause you to be out here for as long as you've been. But I see it's not wild animals that have captured your attention, is it."

Marcel could tell by the way Kol eyed the arm he had hidden behind his back that he'd been caught. With a sigh, he brought the blade back into view.

"I just...wanted to try it. Poppa and Uncle Elijah can be so stubborn sometimes. Just because I'm not as old as the rest of you, doesn't mean I'm some...kid that needs to be protected all the time."

A spark in his eye, Kol said, "Oh yeah. Prove it. Show me what that blade can do."

Marcel looked down at the dagger in his hand. "It...it doesn't work. I tried it out, but I don't feel any different."

"Of course it won't work on a tree, idiot," Kol scoffed. "You need a moving target. Give it a whirl on me."

Marcel's eyes widened, a lump growing in his throat at the thought of attacking Kol.

"Ar-are you sure? What if I hurt you?"

"I'll heal," Kol insisted, taking a step closer. "The blade is only spelled to give the user a supernatural bloodlust. Otherwise, it's a normal blade. It won't put me to sleep or anything, if that's what you're afraid of."

Marcel swallowed the lump in his throat. That's exactly what he was afraid of.

"Besides," Kol continued, narrowing his body into a defensive posture to give Marcel less area to target. "It's not like a pampered, Daddy's Boy like you could ever touch me with that thing anyways."

With Kol's reassurance that he wouldn't 'die' from the blade, Marce tightened his hand around the grip of the dagger and proceeded to take and offensive stance.

"Okay," he smiled. "Let's see if you're really as fast as you claim to be."

Marcel lunged at Kol with the dagger aimed at his ribcage. Kol saw the attack coming from the moment Marcel moved his feet and easily side stepped the boy's slow movement. But Marcel expected as much. He knew Kol's speed outmatched his so he planned to make up for his lack of speed with his intelligence.

As Kol dodged Marcel's blade, Marcel spun around aiming his elbow at Kol's unprotected back. Kol was a bit shocked by the boy's quick thinking but his speed was still quicker than Marcel's and he was able to turn around before Marcel's elbow made contact with his back and catch it in his hand.

The wide smile growing on Marcel's face caused Kol stomach to drop. His friend's eyes suddenly grew darker, almost black, as he swung the cursed dagger back around aiming for Kol's throat. Kol had to push Marcel away from him in order to keep the dagger from swiping across his neck.

"Careful, mate," Kol huffed. "You're aiming for the vital bits. You don't wanna kill me, do ya?"

The smile on Marcel's face disappeared, his eyebrows cresting deeply over his eyes as he peered at Kol. Kol stared into Marcel's eyes looking for any sign of the friend he once knew but all he saw was darkness.

"A-alright," Kol stepped closer to Marcel, his hand outstretched for the dagger. "Think we've played with this thing enough. Give it back to me and I'll put it back where it belongs."

As soon as Kol was close enough, Marcel lunged for him again. Kol stifled a screech as the dagger plunged into the palm of his outstreched hand. Marcel moved to pull the dagger back out but Kol clasped his impaled hand around the guard of the dagger.

Frustration growing at not being able to complete his task, Marcel began to pull furiously at the dagger but he was no match for the Original's strength.

Afraid of Marcel hurting himself or actually managing to make the dagger move and slice his hand up more, Kol wrapped his other arm around Marcel, keeping the angry, possessed teen's arms pinned tightly to his sides as he tried to maneuver the dagger away from him.

"Give me the blade, Marcellus," Kol plead, the pain shooting through his hand bringing tears to his eyes.

He could have pulled his hand from the blade at any moment but he knew if he did Marcel would simply stab it into him again. He thought the dagger would be fun, that it would make his friend a better fighter by giving him the desire to draw his opponents' blood but the Marcel he held in his arms now was not the Marcel he knew. He wasn't sure if his friend was even still in there. His heart clenched with fear that the possessed being he held even knew who he was.

"Please, mate," Kol brought his lips to Marcel's ear, the tears on his cheek dripping onto Marcel's neck. "Just let it go. "

It seemed like the more Marcel struggled against Kol's hold, the more possessed by the blade's dark magic he became - screaming and yelping like a wounded animal - until finally, Kol closed his eyes and wrapped his hand around the blade, sacrificing his hand as he twisted the knife from Marcel's grip. The dagger carved a hole in the center of Kol's hand as he twisted it and he lost the battle of wills to stay silent, screaming as the dagger fell to the dirt ground between them.

Marcel's screams became inhuman as the blade left his hold. Kol's heart pounded as he stared into Marcel's black eyes, waiting for his extended black pupils to retract and his friend's soft brown eyes returned.

Tears burning in his eyes, Kol continued to hold Marcel until he stopped thrashing about like a possessed man and laid limply in his arms.

Marcel's eyes widened as he stared straight ahead at the tree in front of him, still tucked safely away in Kol's hold. He remembered everything he did. He didn't want to keep fighting towards the end but for some reason, he couldn't stop himself. It was like he was a helpless conductor watching as his runaway train lead him into the side of a mountain.

Marcel's eyes dropped down to Kol's hand lying lip at his side, blood dripping down his fingers into the grass.

"I-I'm sorry," he muttered, leaning his head down against Kol's shoulder as tears began down his cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Kol said calmly. "I asked for it."

"B-but y-your hand," Marcel squeezed Kol tighter.

"What, this?" With a chuckle, Kol lifted his mutilated hand in front of his own eyes. Marcel closed his eyes and turned away, unable to give the mangled flesh another glance. "This is nothing. I've been through worse, lad. Trust me."

"But...I wanted to...it made me want to-to..." Marcel shook his head, unwilling to accept Kol's forgiveness. If Kol only knew what that blade made Marcel want to do to him, he would never forgive him. "I'm so sorry, Kol."

Marcel simply repeated the phrase against Kol's shoulder as he cried. Kol was his best friend, the only one of the Mikaelsons who understood his need to be wild and free at times, and he butchered his hand playing with a blade he wasn't even supposed to have. He hated himself for not just listening to his father.

Kol's ears perked up at the sound of leaves rustling nearby. Before he could warn Marcel, Niklaus came into sight.

Klaus stared at the sight in front of him in awe. He'd come looking for his son only to find him and Kol standing beside a puddle of blood. For a moment, the world stopped spinning around him. Marcel crying next to a pool of blood with Kol's arms around him was a scene from his worst nightmares.

"It's not what it looks like," Kol peeped, knowing exactly what must have been going through his brother's mind. "That's all mine." Kol held his hand up to Klaus revealing the slightly healed hole still in the middle of his palm. "It's all mine. Marcellus is perfectly safe. We had a little...mishap."

As if fear had dulled his senses, at Kol's confession, Klaus sniffed the air to find all the blood surrounding them was indeed Kol's. As he examined the scene further, he saw a shimmer of metal in the grass not far from them. Going to examine the source of the shine, he found the mystical dagger. He furrowed his brow, recognizing the dagger as the weapon he told Kol to destroy the day before.

Cutting his eyes at Kol, he growled, "I thought I told you to get rid of that vile thing."

Marcel leaned away from Kol's shoulder to see Niklaus holding the dagger in his hand. His heartbeat pounded uncontrollably against his chest.

"No!" He prided Kol's arm from his body and ran over to Niklaus, knocking the blade from his hand in a panicked frenzy neither Original saw coming.

Before Niklaus could respond to Marcel's sudden strange behavior, Marcel wrapped his arms around Klaus's abdomen, his tears returning anew.

"D-don't touch it," he sobbed. "I-it turns a person into a monster. P-please...don't ever touch it, poppa. Please."

Wrapping his arms softly around his son's shuddering body, Niklaus said, "It's okay, Marcellus. I'm never going to let anything happen to you. And no amount of dark magic in the world could ever make me hurt you."

"P-promise me," Marcel stated more as a command than a question. "Promise me you won't ever let that thing..." Marcel squeezed Niklaus harder as the memories of his lost control flooded his mind.

Niklaus brushed his hand along the side of Marcel's head, his heart tearing apart as fear shuddered through his son's body. He was supposed to protect him from this sort of fear. "I won't ever let anything take over my mind and want to hurt you, Marcellus," he whispered against the top of Marcel's head. "I'm sorry that I wasn't here to protect you from the blade's dark magic, Marcellus. It won't ever happen again."

End Flashback

Kol leaned over on his side, attempting to keep as much weight off of his burning behind as possible. He glanced over at Finn standing as far away from Kol as he could while still staying close enough to the fire to feel it's heat.

Rolling his eyes, Kol said, "Would you just sit down. It's not like I'm going to throw you in."

"You might," Finn bit.

Marcel managed a chuckle as the tips of Kol's ears turned red with his growing irritation. "He's right."

"I'm not going to throw him in," Kol insisted. "Sit down before you get in more trouble. Or at least move closer. You look like you can barely feel the heat all the way over there."

"Since when do you care about my well being?"

"Since not caring ended with me having a sore arse for the rest of the trip."

"Language, brother," Elijah said from his stump far from them, a book in his hands but his ears apparently focused in on them.

Kol grunted and turned his attention away from Finn, "Fine, stay over there and freeze to death. That just means we get to go home and end this hellish pain early."

Finn grumbled to himself as he made his way slowly over to the fire. His brothers were right. He didn't realize how cold he still was until the heat of the fire rolled across his chilled skin.

He lowered himself to his knees while keeping a wary eye on Kol, stretching his hands out to the fire. Water still dripped from random strands of his hair but he was afraid to lean his head any closer to it and risk Kol tossing him into the open flame.

"Stop staring at me like that," Kol grunted, watching Finn as he watched him. "If I wanted to throw you in, I would've done it by now."

"Stop teasing him," Marcel insisted, stretching out by the fire behind his old friend. Resting his elbow on the ground, Marcel rested his head against the ball of his fest and stared into the blue sky. Maybe I could get Klaus away from Elijah later tonight. I could ask him to take a walk to the lake with me.

"You're no fun," Kol groaned as he turned around to see Marcel cloud gazing. With an impish glint in his eyes, he knocked Marcel's arm away from his heavy chin, causing him to fall face-first to the ground. Marcel's quick reflexes kicked in and he caught himself just as his sharp nose was about to collide with the firm forest floor.

Kol cut his eyes across the campsite to Elijah - still diligently reading his book - before he allowed himself to laugh at Marcel's near misfortune.

"Careful," Kol teased. "Wouldn't wanna mess up that gorgeous face of yours or my sister may lose interest."

Rising back into a sitting position, Marcel smirked. "You're pretty cocky for a guy sitting next to an open fire without his magic healing abilities."

Kol narrowed his eyes at Marcel, almost daring him to push him into the fire.

Just as he suspected, Marcel simply laid down on his back, securing his head upon his interwoven fingers, as he stared back into the canopy above him, still trying to think of a plan.

"It's no wonder no one trusts you."

Finn quiet voice brought Kol's attention to him, still more than six feet away from him.

"What was that?" Kol growled though he'd heard his brother clearly.

"I said, it's no wonder no one trusts you. Marcel is your ally and yet you saw a moment to betray him and you took it for your own amusement."

Marcel glanced away from the clouds at the mention of his name, now curious about what the two Originals were saying.

Kol's lip rose in a snarl. "You speak of amusement as if you'd ever been entertained, sodding bore."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, I'm a bore. Not like I haven't heard that before. I know it is beyond your limited intellectual capacity but do try to be more original in your insults, brother, or it is you who risks becoming the bore."

"Say that to my face, you little bottom feeder." Kol was to his feet before he knew it.

His interest growing, Marcel sat up, curiously watching Kol and Finn and silently hoping a fight didn't break out. With the intensity with which the Originals fought, he knew if the two of them were to start a bout, someone would be gravely injured and they would have to end the trip early. He needed to find a way to leave before the others if his plan to meet up with Klaus's sirelings was to work.

"Kol," Elijah's voice shot across the campsite causing a shiver to shoot through Kol's body.

He turned slowly to Elijah as if almost forgetting his big brother was still there watching them.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Folding his arms over his chest, Kol pouted as he eased himself back to the ground. "Nothing," he grunted.

Elijah glared at him a bit longer. He'd been listening to his brothers' conversation as he read though he didn't plan to interrupt them unless they were on the verge of a fight. He was not surprised to find out that Kol was the first to jump to his feet.

"I will warn the three of you only once," Elijah said, his eyes meeting Kol's, Marcel's, and Finn's consecutively. "Any fighting this weekend will undoubtedly end with a trip over my knee. Is that clear?"

Their faces all turned bright red as they muttered a varied sequence of 'Yes Elijah'.

Satisfied, Elijah returned to his book, his ears still focused on the three young vampires by the fire.

Marcel could feel the tension radiating from Kol and Finn as they met each other's furrowed brown eyes. He couldn't tell which one was angrier but he knew the look in Kol's eyes. It was one of murderous desires. He'd witnessed the look many times in two hundred years and each time ended worst than the last.

Marcel eased his way between teh two, safely blocking Kol's sight from Finn.

"Y'know, it's getting pretty boring just sitting around here," Marcel started, attempting to draw Kol's mind away from anger. "Why don't we see if we can convince Elijah into going back to the lake."

Kol's eyebrows rose in confusion. "You're almost dry and you want to go back to the lake?"

Marcel shrugged. "We're missing out on hunting today anyway. Might as well spend the last few hours of sunlight having some fun, right?"

A small smile crept across Kols' face. "He's never going to go for it. He probably thinks I'm going to try to drown Finn again."

"Are you?"

Kol folded his arm and stared contemplatively at the fire as if he was actually considering what his answer would be.

Then, turning back to Marcel, he said confidently, "Most likely not. The temporary satisfaction I get from nearly drowning the bugger isn't worth the pain of being over my brother's knee again."

Marcel nodded before adding, "Plus, since you already promised not to try to kill him again, they may just give you the switch for lying."

Kol's jaw tightened as he thought about the pain of being switched. He hadn't even considered that. "Fine. I certainly wouldn't try to kill the twerp again but it doesn't matter because Elijah's still not going to let us go back."

Marcel's eyes shot to Elijah, hopeful. He knew Elijah was listening to them even though he was pretending to be focused on the book in his hands.

"Can we, Elijah?" Marcel asked.

Elijah looked at the three of them sitting around the fire, Finn standing far away from Kol, Kol lying on his side next to Marcel, and Marcel kneeling with big hopeful eyes that almost made him look like the innocent boy they'd all fallen in love with again.

"Bold of you to make such a request," said Elijah. "Considering the last murder attempt was less than twenty minutes ago."

Kol's face flushed with shame. "I...I won't do it this time, I swear."

Elijah closed his book and curved a finger at Kol, motioning for his little brother to come to him.

Kol's mouth went dry and he chanced a curt glance at Marcel as he rose to his feet. He wasn't sure what Elijah had in mind but he feared it would be a series of warning smacks to 'encourage' him to behave if they went to the lake and he would blame Marcel for every smack he got if it happened.

As Kol stood in front of him, Elijah sat his book on the raised root of the tree stump he sat on and stared at his brother's sulky face.

"I do not want to have to raise my voice at you even once while we're at the lake," Elijah stated. "If you seem like you're getting too rowdy, I will make you get out of the water and come sit beside me until you calm down. Do I make myself clear?"

Kol squeezed his arms tightly around his body as he grumbled, "Are you going to lecture Finn and Marcel like this too?"

Elijah crossed his right leg over his left knee and rested his interlocked hands over his right knee. "Not like this, but I do have my own rules for the two of them as well. Would it bother you if I didn't?"

"Yes," Kol bit. "I'm not the only one who makes trouble."

"Perhaps not, but you're certainly the most adept."

Without thinking, Kol gave the rock embedded in the ground under his foot a kick, pulling up some of the loose dirt around it as he did. The rock flew over Elijah's left foot but the dirt landed directly on his pristine brown boots.

Heat shot down Kol's neck as Elijah glared down at the specks of dirt on his boot.

With a heavy sigh, Elijah said, "I will have a hard enough time keeping Finn's temper in check this weekend. I need you and Marcel to focus on controlling your own. Is that too much to ask, brother? To go an entire weekend without a second murder attempt?"

Kol blushed as he stared away from Elijah, though grateful that his brother didn't decide to thrash him for dirtying his boots. "I said I promise not to kill him again."

Elijah stood, placing his hand on Kol's cheek as he encouraged his little brother to look him in the eyes.

Kol was a bit shocked by the gentleness he saw in Elijah's eyes. He was sure his brother would return his spite with irritation at he often did when he was being so deliberately obstinate but there was a kindness in Elijah's stare that almost made him want to be more obedient if only to have the opportunity to see it more often. Almost.

Elijah left Kol and walked around the campfire to where Finn sat, ordering him to stand as he approached.

Finn lept to his feet, prepare to mutter through a series of 'Yes Elijah's in order to bring the lecture to a quick end.

Then, to his dismay, Elijah wrapped his wide palm around Finn's upper arm and turned him to the side. Finn stiffened after each of the three heavy-handed smacks, yelping at the last as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Turning Finn back to him, Elijah said, "The insults end now. You are intentionally trying to rile him and if I catch you doing it again you will get more than a few swats."

Finn cupped his stinging cheek in one hand as he fought the tears pricking his eyes. He whined as Elijah pulled his hand away from his aching behind.

"Though attempting to alleviate your pain under current circumstances is futile," Elijah landed another stinging smack to Finn's behind causing the boy to dance on the tips of his toes, twisting his hips away from Elijah's hand to avoid another smack. "It wouldn't do for you to start bad habits this weekend."

"Okaaay," Finn screeched, losing the fight against the tears in his eyes as he struggled to resist the urge to rub his bottom.

Marcel tensed as Elijah turned his attention to him. He didn't think he'd done anything to earn Elijah's ire but as the weekend was going so far, he wasn't so sure.

Elijah stood in front of Marcel, motioning for him to stand up.

Looking to Kol for reassurance, Marcel eased to his feet. He folded his hands behind his back just above his behind, prepared to block any swats Elijah thought about conjuring up.

"Of the three of you, you are the one I worry least about," Elijah started mundanely. "Though you had a rough start, you seem to be very much willing to make this weekend work and I do appreciate the effort."

Marcel blushed at Elijah's compliment. That, he hadn't expected.

Placing his hand on Marcel's shoulder, Elijah said, "Continue doing your best to not allow these two to drag you into their nonsense."

Marcel shot a worried glance over to Kol. He could see the jealously growing in his friend's eyes. He was the only person who knew what he planned for the weekend and Marcel knew from experience that when Kol got jealous, he planned malicious ways to make the object of his jealousy suffer. He just hoped he wasn't going to interfere with his plans to do so.

"Y-yes, Elijah." Marcel muttered.

"Good." Elijah tapped his hand against Marcel's shoulder and said, "Well, get your trunks back on. We will go back to the lake until Klaus returns." Glaring over his shoulder as his brothers, he added, "Unless someone gives us reason to return sooner."