2/2

Chapter 69

Flashback:

Marcel stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, struggling to undo the tie around his neck. He'd managed to tie it into a proper knot...just not the one proper for ties. His new grey suit was immaculate, perfectly tailored to his body, and spotless. It was the first suit he'd ever worn but he could tell it cost a lot of money so he wanted to make sure he looked fine in it for the dance.

Niklaus had invited prominent witches and werewolf royalty from all across New Orleans to come to pay homage to the newest addition to the Mikaelson family. Marcel heard the servants' whispers that the invitations were more obligatory than voluntary. Any faction who dared turn down the opportunity to come to meet Klaus's son with gifts would find themselves an enemy of the Mikaelsons. This meant, Marcel understood, that there would be dozens of people in their home. Perhaps even hundreds even. So he had to be the absolute ideal heir to the Mikaelson Kingdom. And he was already failing at tying a simple knot.

A light knock on the open door drew Marcel's eyes to Niklaus standing in the doorway.

"My," Klaus sang with a wide smile. "Aren't you the most handsome boy in all the Quarter? Except..." Klaus walked over to Marcel, making quick work of undoing the monstrous knot with lithe fingers. Turning Marcel to the mirror, he stood behind the boy and slowly showed him how to properly tie his tie. "There. Now, sheer perfection."

As the words fell from his mouth, Klaus watched as Marcel's head dropped, his face despondent face showing something other than the proud face of a boy who is having an entire party thrown in his favor.

"Marcellus," Klaus eased down to one knee, turning Marcel around to look at him as he said, "What's wrong, my son?"

Timidly biting his lip, Marcel mumbled, "Wh-what if...no one likes me? What if...they don't think I'm good enough."

Cupping Marcel's chin in his hand so that the boy was looking him in the eyes, Klaus said, "They will like you. You are my son."

"B-but not really."

"Yes, really," Klaus quickly corrected. "I have come to learn over the years, Marcellus, that when it comes to family, ties of blood mean nothing. It is the ties of the heart that makes us one. Everything I have and everything I am will be passed on to you. You are the most important boy in the entire world. Never let anyone make you believe any differently."

Marcel nodded, his spirits slightly lightened by Klaus's words. Turning back to the mirror, he examined his tie, perfectly knotted at his throat.

"Do you think I'll eva learn to tie a tie as good as you?"

"Of course," Klaus stood and brushed his hands across Marcel's shoulders, straightening his suit jacket a bit more. "Just as you're learning to read, and the épée, to ride, and what it means to be a proper Mikaelson, you will learn to tie a tie."

Staring at Klaus through the mirror, Marcel muttered, "But...what if I can't? What if I neva learn to read or ride or to tie a tie...or to be a proper Mikaelson. Will...will you give me back to the governor? 'Cause...I'ma...disappointment?"

"You could never be a disappointment, Marcellus." Klaus leaned down to Marcel's head and placed a soft kiss against it. "You are perfect, my son. Just the way you are. Any changes to you will be welcomed but I will love you forever even if you stay just as you are. And from this day to forever, you will always be a proper Mikaelson. There is no giving you back. You are my son. This is your home, we are your family. Always-"

"And forever." Marcel wiped away a straying tear and then shined his big brown eyes up at his father with growing pride.

Patting his back, Klaus gave a broad smile of his own as he guided Marcel out of the room.

"Now come, my little warrior. Let's introduce New Orleans to their future King."

End Flashback

Josh was shivering behind the wheel of the car when he finally pulled in front of Marcel's cabin. He couldn't believe he'd told Klaus everything he just did. He was too disgusted with himself to even look back at Kol. He knew Marcel wouldn't kill him for confessing under compulsion, but he wouldn't have blamed him if he did.

"Well then," Klaus smiled as he opened the car door and slid out, waiting patiently for Kol to do the same. "It was very pleasant riding with you, Josh. You gave me quite a lot to ponder tonight. You two do try to make it to the Treme in one piece tonight. The wolves seem to be a bit heated that they lost sight of their Princess and are apparently in a bloodthirsty mood. You'd hate to get caught in the middle of it."

Josh gulped but nodded as he pulled out of the yard, refusing to make eye contact with Marcel on his way out.

"What did you say to him?" Marcel asked as Niklaus walked towards the cabin steps.

Klaus's answer was a silent glare.

"Everyone in the cabin," Elijah ordered firmly. "There's a lot to get to before the night is over."

-M-

Hope and Sebastian stood teary-eyed before Klaus and Elijah as they took turns lecturing them about running out into the night without the wolves, the others standing around the room lacing them with harsh glares of their own.

"Your mother was beside herself with worry," Elijah bit. "She thought you'd been kidnapped."

"And you very nearly were," Klaus added. "Or worse. How many times must we remind you, being a tribrid does not make you invincible."

Sniffling back tears, Hope answered, "I-I thought they were leading us to you. I-I wasn't trying to f-find trouble this time, dad. H-honest."

Elijah saw the moment Klaus's face softened, his walls falling at the girl's sorrowful speech.

"You are not allowed to leave the city without your parents' permission," Elijah stated before his brother could give in. "And certainly not without your guards. Anything could happen to you."

Hope hated how much harder it was to get her Uncle to forgive her than her father.

She looked over to her brother, her big eyes pleading for his help.

Marcel let out a solemn sigh before, to Elijah's surprise, stepping forward.

"She's right," he said. "If tonight was anybody's fault, it was mine."

"We're well aware of your participation in tonight's events," Klaus growled. "And we will discuss it later. Hope...should have known better."

Hope gave Marcel a soft, half-smile to indicate her appreciation of his attempt.

Strolling back over to Kol leaning against the fireplace mantle, Marcel whispered, "He's madder than I thought he'd be."

Kol kept his eyes on his older brothers, waiting for them to light into Hope and Sebastian again before he whispered back, "He ought to be after what Josh told him."

"What did Josh tell him?" Marcel's eyebrows rose with his anxiety. Surely his friend wouldn't betray him to Klaus of all people.

Noting the panic in his voice, Kol said, "It wasn't his fault. Klaus compelled him. Made him answer every question he asked truthfully. By the end of the ride, I was sure he was going to rip Josh's head off then and there. We're lucky Hope is here or he just might've."

Marcel's stomach clenched with nervousness. "Wh-what exactly did Josh tell him?"

"Everything about you the that Tyler bloke. How you've been secretly communicating with him for the past week and using Josh as a middle man to set everything up."

"Kol!" The boom of Klaus's voice froze Marcel and Kol. "You seem to have quite a bit to say about this evening. Would you care to weigh in on your niece's actions this evening?"

Kol buried his fear and replaced it with an air of disappointment as he stared down at Hope. "Nothing more to say if you ask me. Your foolishness could've gotten you killed tonight, sweetheart. You act impulsively like you could possibly know the answer to everything. Like you're the most powerful being on the planet and no one can stop you. Well, I have news for you, sweetie. You're not immortal and you're not all-powerful. You're too young and vulnerable to run off out of the city chasing after vampires you barely know."

Hope hung her head, her shoulders folding into her chest as the weight of everyone's anger and disappointment set in on her at once.

Glancing back at his son, Klaus said, "My sentiments exactly."

Marcel swallowed the lump in his throat, darting his eyes away from Klaus's gaze.

"I think she has heard all that she needs to hear for now, brother," Elijah stated as he walked over to the armchair near the staircase. "Let's bring this night to an end so that we may start fresh again in the morning. Hope, upstairs, second door on the right, you will find my pack sitting at the foot of the bed. In the uppermost pocket, you will find your mother's hairbrush. Bring it down."

Hope and Sebastian suddenly started to squirm in place, neither of them making a move for the staircase.

On their way to the cabin, Elijah had called his father to inform him of what Sebastian had been up to and Russell Dupeaux promptly gave Elijah permission to punish him how he saw fit and promised that he will match his punishment the next day when Hayley brought them home.

What made it worse was that Elijah had video-called him, forcing him to look into his father's angry eyes as his voice boomed over the car speakerphone so they could all hear it. She already knew he got spanked, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing when Russell barked, "You're lucky I don't drive out there tonight and spank your bare behind in front of your friend!"

"No," Hope whined, sliding her hands into the back pockets of her pants. "Pleeassee, Uncle Elijah! We're sorry. We won't do it again. I promise!"

Staring calmly at his niece, Elijah said, "Now, Hope. If I am forced to retrieve it myself, things will be worse for you."

Hope bit her bottom lip and hung her head as she dragged her feet towards the stairs.

Watching Sebastian standing in awkward anticipation, Elijah said, "You may go with her."

Sebastian hurried to Hope's heels. He was in no rush to get their punishment started but standing in front of Elijah waiting for the start of it was worse than going to retrieve the implement themselves.

Finn had been standing at the base of the staircase since they'd entered the cabin. As much as he preferred hiding out in his room than in the dark corner of the staircase, Elijah and Klaus made it clear on the ride to find Hope and Sebastian that none of them were to leave their sight again for the rest of the weekend. He just wanted to do whatever he could to stay out of Hope and Sebastian's sight. In spite of them getting themself in trouble, the two teens treated him like he'd been the one to drag them to Baton Rouge.

Even on the ride to the cabin, Hope treated him like he had the plague - snapping at him whenever he dared let his knee touch hers in the back seat and threatening to turn him into a toad if he breathed near her again. He couldn't wait to get out of the car and out of the girl's sight again.

But now he'd managed to get back in her sight as he trudged her way to the staircase. The hateful glare she managed to lace him with made his skin crawl. He wanted to move away from the staircase but he didn't want anyone to think he was afraid of her, or worse, that he hated her as much as she apparently hated him.

But Niklaus noticed the tension that traveled up Finn's spine the moment Hope's glare locked on him.

Once halfway up the staircase, Sebastian whispered to Hope, "Why does he even have the brush in the first place?"

Looking back down at Finn, still refusing to make eye contact with the girl, Hope said, "Probably to use on him whenever he starts in on his boring ramblings."

Finn knew he was going to regret listening in on their conversation the moment he did it and he fought the cringe that threatened his face at her words.

Once Hope and Sebastian were at the top of the staircase, Finn's thumbnail shot up to his teeth. He chewed it to the quick as he stared nervously at the ground. He was so deep in thought, he didn't notice Klaus approaching and jumped when his brother placed a hand on his shoulder.

Niklaus stared down at him with kind eyes, reassuring him that he had nothing to be afraid of as he said, "You look as if you've got something on your mind, brother."

Glancing cautiously back at the staircase as if he was afraid Hope and Sebastian would come stumbling down them any minute, Finn muttered, "I-I know I deserve to be punished for ruining supper at camp b-but please don't do it tonight. I-I'm sorry, brother, truly I am. P-please d-don't...don't thrash me in front of them. I'll behave for the rest of the trip and I promise I won't make you have to thrash me again j-just...please..."

Klaus crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. He and Elijah had already made up their minds to hold off on punishing Finn, Kol, and Marcel until Hope and Sebastian left...in spite of how much he thought they all deserved it, especially Marcel and Kol.

"Though I still very much expect you to behave for the rest of the trip regardless," Klaus started. "Elijah and I have decided on waiting until the children are gone before punishing the rest of you.

Finn fought the feeling of relief threatening to bring a smile to his face.

The sigh of relief that blew from Marcel's lips, however, was too loud for Klaus's liking.

"Satisfied, are we?" Klaus growled, stepping over to Marcel, causing the man to stand straight at attention. "Little Marcy was able to collude with his father's enemies behind his back and stave off punishment."

"Klaus, that's not what I was doing. I was luring the pig farmer into a trap to kill him and get the Mystic Falls brats back so they can disappear out of our lives forever."

"So I've been told by your little friend, Joshua." Klaus's blue eyes burned into Marcel as if he was contemplating compelling him. "Although, I know that you're clever enough to hide any ulterior motives from even your closest friend to protect him from the consequences of acting against me. So I wonder if Josh did in fact tell me everything I needed to know."

"If you don't believe me, Klaus, then compel me and find out for yourself."

"Well, if you insist."

Marcel stood in shock as Klaus suddenly brought him into his gaze. He didn't actually expect Klaus to take him up on his offer.

Klaus contemplated just taking Marcel's word for it, but as he remembered the confidence in his son's face at the dinner table as he looked him in the eyes and lied to him, anger burned in his gut hotter than it had been in the months since Marcel's return to their family.

"For the rest of this weekend, you will not lie to me again. In fact, if you even find yourself considering it, you will bring me Hope's hairbrush and confess to me and I will decide if it is a mistake worth forgiving or if you deserve half a dozen smacks for even contemplating deceit against me again."

"Klaus!" Marcel exclaimed in disbelief. He felt Klaus's compelled order was far too harsh all things considered. As Klaus pulled away, breaking his compulsion, Marcel continued, "This isn't fair. I'm the only one who has to do this. Kol and Finn-"

"Kol and Finn did not look me in the eyes and lie to my face."

Niklaus," Elijah's call drew Klaus's attention to him nodding up at the staircase where Hope and Sebastian stood side by side on the top step, the wide, hardbacked brush in the girl's hand.

"We-we're really sorry," she whined on last time taking slow methodical steps downstairs.

Niklaus motioned for her to follow him over to the sofa. He sat on the middle cushion, waiting patiently as he continued the slow trek to him.

"Really sorry, daddy." She held the brush up to her chest, hugging it tightly as if afraid to hand it over. She paid no attention to Finn still hiding in the corner or Marcel pouting by the fireplace. Her eyes were set firmly on Niklaus. "Really, really, really sorry."

Niklaus ignored her pleas, pointing to the corner between the staircase and the fireplace. "Sebastian, stand over there and wait your turn. Nose to the wall."

Sebastian was in even less of a hurry to obey than Hope. As he dragged his feet over to the corner, however, he caught a glimpse of Elijah's deathly glare that sped him up without a word.

As Hope finally took her spot in front of Niklaus, she muttered her last words, "I-I'll never leave the city again without yours and mommy's permission or without my guards again. I-I promise, daddy."

Niklaus ignored the tug of his heart that pulled whenever Hope referred to him and Hayley as 'mommy' and 'daddy'. Most of the time she just called them 'mom' and 'dad'. It was only when she was in trouble or on the verge of it, that she fell into such sweet and innocent talk because she knew it weakened him considerably.

Still, he wrapped his hand around the handle of the brush, giving it a light tug and pulling it out of her hand. "Good. Keep that in mind for the next few minutes."

Hope was stupefied to find herself face down over his lap, her legs pinned between his. Niklaus laid the brush on the cushion beside him for a brief moment as he bared Hope's behind. The girl squirmed and whined as he laid the cold back of the brush against her bare cheeks but the cool sensation only lasted for a second.

Klaus worked rhythmically across her behind, covering every inch in light pink splotches before going over it again and again, turning her bottom from pink to cherry red in a matter of minutes.

Marcel stared down at the dead logs in the fireplace, unable to watch as his sister's tears broke through her body behind every slap. Her broken pleas tearing at his heart. But Elijah and Kol remained stoic, both of them understanding that Hope's punishment was more than well deserved.

"Dadddddy!" Niklaus paused mid-swat just as Hope reached back to cover her behind. He swiftly pinned her arm against her lower back and loosened the pressure of his knees keeping her in place so he could get a clear view of her upper thighs.

"Do. Not. Reach. Back. Again." He punctuated each word with a firm swat on her upper thighs, causing the girl to scream out between each one.

"I'm sooooorrrrryy! Dadddddyyy!"

Hope's sobs finally broke Klaus as she fell limp on his legs. He brought her spanking to an end, covering her red bottom with her undies before lifting her onto his lap and pulling her into a hug.

"Shh, shh, shh, little wolf," he whispered against her head as she cried against his chest. "It's all over now."

Hope wiggled on his lap in a vain attempt to find a non-sore spot of her bottom to rest on but it was no use. Even her thighs were burning.

She mumbled another apology against his chest as he lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the corner beside Marcel.

Setting her on her feet, he said, "Stand here. Do not move until I tell you to. Do I make myself clear young lady?"

She nodded with hitched sobs.

"What will happen if you disobey me again?"

She shrugged.

"Take a guess."

Hope knew she knew what would happen if she disobeyed but she didn't want to say. Not with Sebastian standing just across from her. Then she remembered the other teenager in the room who'd seen her entire punishment and was now possibly reveling in her misery.

She couldn't help but peek over her shoulder at Finn.

The young Original's eyes unconsciously darted to the ground at the burn of her teary-eyed glare.

Niklaus landed a quick smack to Hope's underwear-clad bottom with the brush, causing the girl to jump and cover her bottom with both hands.

Without missing a beat, Niklaus moved her hands to the side and gave her dull-red sit spots two more smacks. She screamed after each one, new tears trailing down her face.

"Do not turn around again," Klaus stated firmly.

"Yes, sir!"

"What'll happen if you do?"

Choking back sobs, Hope answered, "I-I'll g-get spanked."

"Correct. Do not disappoint me, little wolf."

As Klaus walked away from Hope, Marcel moved closer to her, allowing her to lean against his arm as she cried. He couldn't hold her without both of them getting in trouble, but there was no rule against being a shoulder to cry on.

Elijah sighed at the sight but didn't interrupt them.

Sebastian nearly lept from his skin as Niklaus tapped his finger against the boy's shoulder. He was hesitant to peep over his shoulder in fear that he'd receive one of the smacks he heard Hope get.

With a nod of his head, Niklaus motioned for the boy to follow him over to the sofa.

Following on shaky legs, Sebastian said, "I-I'd just like to note that I-I'm not a Tribrid. I-I break a lot easier than wh-what you're probably used to M-Mister Mikaelson."

Niklaus sat gracefully on the sofa, his eyes falling to Marcel standing next to Hope in the corner. "I can assure you, I've spanked non-Tribrids before. You have nothing to fear."

"I-I'd like to respectfully disagree."

Klaus smirked as he turned his attention back to Sebastian, now just about halfway across the living room. "Disagreement noted. Now hurry along. This night has dragged on long enough and I would like to get you two to bed as soon as possible."

Klaus's urging did little to speed Sebastian up but the boy made it to him eventually. And the moment he was in arm's reach, Klaus threw him over his lap.

Since the boy was wearing tights and, judging by the outline, or lack thereof, no underwear, Klaus didn't think it necessary to bare him. He slapped the brush down against Sebastian's bottom with the same, eased power he used on Hope, allowing the weight of the brush to do most of the work. Still, the boy was in tears only moments later.

Sebastian didn't know what to plead to an Original to make him bring the spanking to an end. He'd heard horror stories about their family when he'd first moved to town. The locals warned him about getting close to Hope Mikaelson because she may have been a New Orleans witch, but she was a Mikaeons first and Mikaelsons were notorious for killing anyone who wasn't a Mikaelson.

As he squirmed and kicked on Niklaus Mikaelson's lap, his bottom burning from pain and his face burning from embarrassment, he vaguely wondered if anyone actually knew the Mikaelsons he knew.

Once he was sure that the boy's behind was sufficiently peppered, Niklaus set him up on his feet, twisting his hips so that Sebastian's tearful face was staring down at him as he lectured.

"You are not my son, so I cannot rightly tell you how to behave or what to do when you are off on your own. But when you are with my daughter, I expect you to always be on your best behavior. And if you discover her on the brink of making a dangerously stupid mistake, I expect you to tell us immediately. If you cannot abide by these rules, then your friendship with my daughter may find itself waned to an abrupt end. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Dupeaux?"

Sucking his lip between his teeth to keep it from trembling, Sebastian nodded his agreement while roughly wiping the tears from his face. "Y-yes sir, Mr. Mikaelson, s-sir."

"Good." Niklaus gave Sebastian's hip a light tap, pushing him in the direction of the staircase. "Go upstairs, find an empty room, and get to bed."

Sebastian did not hesitate to bolt towards the stairs, giving Hope a solemn glance on his way up.

As Niklaus called her name, Hope stiffened to a straight line, pressing her nose against the wall as if to prove she hadn't disobeyed him.

"Come here, sweetheart."

Hope turned slowly to see the dreaded brush now sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the room, out of reach and out of use.

As Klaus held his arms out to her, she righted her pants and darted to them, burying her face in his shoulder as he held her, still fighting back sobs.

"It's okay, little wolf," he comforted her. "Daddy's got you."

As Klaus cuddled Hope, Elijah nodded for the rest of them to follow him upstairs. He walked them each to their bedrooms, ordering them to stay put for the rest of the night.

"I will be making frequent visits throughout the night," he said as the four of them stood outside of Finn's bedroom, the first they'd come to. "If I catch you out of your beds for any reason, it will be added to your list of grievances for tomorrow."

"Even if we're just getting blood?" Kol asked sarcastically, knowing Elijah wouldn't dare spank him for it when Hope and Sebastian could possibly witness it.

Cutting his eyes at Kol, Elijah said, "You tempt fate, little brother. The children won't be around for long and you still have two days alone with me."

Kol frowned at the unspoken threat but remained silent as Elijah proceeded to guide him to his room, watching as he stripped down to his underwear and slipped into bed before doing the same for Marcel. Unlike Kol, Marcel brought a pair of thick pajamas to switch into for the cold nights outside but since they were in the warmth of the cabin, he decided on sleeping only in the pants as usual.

As Marcel laid in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to relax into sleep as his mind reminded him of Klaus's compulsion.

He was wide awake as his door crept open, expecting to see Elijah's stern face peeping in.

He sat up straight as Klaus entered the room.

"Lie down," Klaus instructed as he strolled slowly across the room to the armchair sitting beside a small bookshelf with a reading lamp on top. Crossing his legs, Klaus turned on the reading lamp and searched through the assortment of books until he found one that suited him. Then he sat back in the chair and opened the book, reading it without another word to Marcel.

Confused, Marcel said, "So...you're just going to sit there reading?"

"Well, I can't possibly watch you the entire night," Klaus said matter of factly. "I'm just here in case any more unscrupulous fancies cross your mind in the middle of the night." Peering up from his book, Klaus asked plainly, "You're not currently planning any acts of deception, are you?"

Marcel's face contorted into a furious frown as Klaus's compulsion moved him to answer, "No."

"Good. Then I suggest you go to bed before your idle mind begins to conjure any up. Though, just in case, the hairbrush is back in Elijah's pack should you think I need it any time tonight."

"That isn't funny," Marcel growled.

"It wasn't mean to be a joke." Closing his book, Klaus peered through the dark until he caught Marcel's eyes. "You looked me in the eyes and blatantly, shamelessly, lied to me. After everything, it was just that easy for you."

Marcel hung his head, giving over to the shame he was fighting all night. "I knew you wouldn't understand. I knew if I told you the truth and you found out Josh and Lora helped me, you'd kill them. Even now, I bet you're thinking of ways to torture them."

"Nonsense," Klaus returned to his book. "I have moved beyond the torturous murderer I once was. Why would I sully my hands with killing two baby vamps when the wolves would do it for fun."

Marcel's head shot up in an instant. "Klaus, you wouldn't-"

"I very well would," Klaus slammed his book shut at the rise of Marcel's voice. "But consider your friends lucky that I'm not. And the only reason I'm not is that they've earned the right to their lives tonight by fighting for my daughter's safety. But this is the last time I will warn you, Marcellus. If you lie to me again and I find out that Joshua Rosza is in the middle of it, I will let the wolves have their way with him."

"Why not just punish me? Why do you always have to drag my guys into it?"

"You drag them into this, Marcellus, not me. All you have to do is to stop lying and stop conspiring against me and your friends will remain safe."

"I'm sorry, Klaus. I wasn't conspiring against you, I was doing it for us. To get those Mystic Falls vamps back to Virginia where they belong."

"If you thought what you were doing was right, why didn't you simply tell me?"

"Because you never listen to anything I have to say anymore!" Marcel bellowed to his own surprise. He wanted to say 'Because I didn't think it was serious enough to involve you' but the truth spilled out of him with the magic of compulsion. Continuing his honest rant, he said, "I ran New Orleans for a century without you but you still treat me like I'm not ready to sit with you at the table when it comes to making decisions for our city."

"Because you're not," Klaus barked back. "You're still impulsive and when provoked, you lash out like a child. Like you did when you cursed the wolves in the bayou and stopped the witches from doing magic. Instead of making the city safer, you created enemies on every side."

"I didn't need witches and wolves as my allies then because I had an army of vampires."

"An army of young, stupid vampires that my siblings and I trounced in a night. With our return to the city comes the return of our enemies as well, Marcellus. And we are a very old family with very old enemies. Your baby vamps may be a sufficient deterrent against humans and the occasional backwater wolfpack, but anyone strong enough to consider themselves an enemy of this family and live long enough to tell the tale will not be so easily defeated. My siblings and I will survive, we always have. But you and Hope are still vulnerable. As long as we have the wolves and witches as our allies, we have an entire city that will be willing to take up arms to protect my children and I know the thought of you needing protection irks you to no end but it's true, Marcellus. As long as I'm alive, powerful enemies will continue to come after me and the people I love. That is why I have decided to change, to create more allies and less enemies so that you and Hope can remain safe. But...as long as I'm here, my current foes will keep coming. So the question becomes, Marcellus...do you still want to be with your family knowing that this is the way it will have to be - you always under our protection?"

Marcel's eyes dropped to the bed and he bit his lip attempting to keep his mouth close but the truth forced its way out regardless. "Y-yes."

"Good," Klaus opened his book and quietly returned to his reading. Through his peripheral vision, he noticed Marcel still sitting up in bed in deep contemplation. "Go to sleep, Marcellus," he stated firmly. "Do not make me ask again."

Marcel flopped back on his array of fluffy pillows, his brows still furrowed with thought.

An army of baby-vamps is still better than no vamps at all, he thought to himself. It's not like I haven't dealt with older vampires before. Maybe not ones as old as that pig farmer but I have faith in my guys. If I was put in charge of selecting the new recruits, we would have an army of baby-vamps that could rival any 800-year-old pig-shit swindler. Klaus would never go for it though. He'd think I'm being too cocky. Besides, he tends to hate any vampire that's not family. I should just...do it but be very discrete about it. I could turn people outside of New Orleans so the wolves don't find out. And then I'll keep them on-call in case we need them for another invasion. Then Klaus will see how beneficial-

Marcel's eyes widened as his body suddenly started moving upon its own volition, forcing him out of bed. Niklaus looked up from his book a bit confused by Marcel's sudden desire to get up until he saw the look of uncertainty written across his son's face. The last thing Marcel saw before leaving the room was the hard scowl on Klaus's face illuminated by the reading lamp.

Marcel marched down the hall to Elijah's room. The Original was in bed with a book of his own but laid it to the side as his door suddenly opened and Marcel marched in. He opened his mouth to question Marcel for his brazen rudeness when he noticed him marching over to the pack at the end of the bed and retrieving the hairbrush from inside.

Elijah softly tutted and returned to his book as Marcel marched back out.

Marcel struggled against his compulsion to no avail as he finally stood in front of Niklaus with the brush in hand.

"I..." he snapped his mouth shut to keep himself from telling Klaus the truth but he couldn't help himself. "I...plan to make new vampires...outside of New Orleans so...you'd never find out until we needed them."

Klaus's hand tightened around the book on his lap. "Still with the vampires," he growled. "And were you planning to involve your little friends Joshua and Lora in on this plan?"

A tear slipped down Marcel's cheek at the vague threat. "N-no."

Niklaus eyed Marcel a bit longer, the dubious look in his eyes making it seem as if he was wondering if Marcel hadn't managed to break his compulsion for that instance to protect his friends.

"I-I swear, Klaus," Marcel continued, his heart pounding in fear that at any moment Klaus would send a message to Hayley, telling her to send her wolves on the hunt of Josh and Lora.

With a sigh, Klaus held out his hand for the brush but Marcel didn't move. "Give it to me," he ordered.

Marcel's lips tightened into a firm pout and he muttered, "I didn't do anything but think about it."

"Would you have acted on it if I hadn't compelled you to tell me?"

Again, against his will, Marcel answered, "Yes."

"And even now, in spite of being caught, are you still considering it?"

Marcel's jaw clenched in an attempt to keep himself from speaking but it was no use. "Yes."

"Then you deserve this. Now hand it here."

Marcel remained stoic, refusing to hand over the brush.

Setting his book back on the shelf, Klaus used his supernatural speed to snatch the brush from MArcel's hands and toss him over his lap in the same instance.

Marcel struggled against Klaus as he held him down with one hand and used the other to yank his pajamas and briefs down to his ankles.

The six slaps Klaus landed against Marcel's behind were harder than any he'd received all day. Freya had yet to reactivate her spell so he'd started healing shortly after the sixth one landed but that didn't stop the tears from surfacing.

"New Orleans does not need any more vampires," Klaus stated, still putting pressure against the small of Marcel's back to keep him in place. "We have our family. That's the only vampire army we need."

"But Klaus, if you'd just let me explain-"

Six more harsh slaps across his bottom caused Marcel to whine and bury his face into his arm to keep himself from screaming out.

"Baby vamps are wild and bloodthirsty. I am trying to make this city safer for Hope and we can't do that if there's a dead body washing up every night because one of your vampires took their feedings too far."

But I could control them, Marcel wanted to scream but the fear of another six smacks kept him from saying anything.

"Have I made myself clear," Klaus barked.

Marcel lifted his head from the bend of his arm and nodded his agreement.

"Are you still going to turn vampires behind my back?"

Say no. He begged his lips to comply with his mind but instead, they answered, "Y-yes."

Klaus layered Marcel's behind with more spanks that he cared to count. He was sobbing by the end of it and suffocating his pleas for an end into the bend of his arm.

When Klaus finally stopped, he said, "I could do this all night, Marcellus, and I very well will if you do not give me the answer I want to hear. Are you going to turn any more vampires without my permission?"

"No," Marcel wailed, the disobedience sufficiently beat out of him.

His heavy cries turned into ragged sobs as Klaus set the brush on the bookshelf and eased Marcel's pants back over his bottom. He whined as the heavy cotton rested against his tender bottom, wishing his supernatural healing would work quicker.

He tried to rise to his feet but found himself pulled back on to Klaus's lap, this time in the sitting position as his father ran his hand down his back and held him as if he were still that 4'6 boy he used to spoil with affection.

"I'm not foolish enough to not understand the benefit of having more vampires in the Quarter," Klaus finally said after a long moment of the two of them simply soaking in each other's affection. "But we have enough on our plates to worry about than to bog ourselves down with more problems."

"But I could-" A sharp slap to his thigh silenced Marcel in an instance.

"You will do nothing until you learn to stop lying to me."

Marcel wrapped his arms around Klaus's neck, burying his face against his shoulder as Klaus proceeded to rub away the sting from his thigh.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," Marcel mumbled through tears.

Klaus silenced him with a series of shushes before saying, "Not yet, sweetheart. You'll be plenty sorry come morning."

The promise awakened a new flood of tears from Marcel that soaked Klaus's shirt and lulled Marcel into a dreamless sleep.


lol 69