2/3 (next chapter is an AN btw, so don't get your hopes up too much lol)

Warning: Talk of Mistreatment/Abuse. Spanking of a Minor.

Chapter 72

Marcel's face burned with embarrassment as Klaus absentmindedly slipped his finger into the waistband of his sweatpants, giving the elastic a slight tug to make sure they fit properly without cutting into his waist. Kol stood in the living room with them only a few feet away and although his friend had seen him and Klaus in more intimate situations than Klaus simply checking his pants size, the immaturity of it all made him wish he could disappear.

Kol saw Klaus's paternal gesture from the corner of his eye but he pretended not to. He was embarrassed enough himself that his sisters decided to buy half a dozen pairs of sweatpants in only one size: Marcel's size, and he could barely keep them on his waist.

He remembered the days when Marcel used to look up to him and now the little tyke was a jock and had muscles in places Kol barely had enough fat to fill out. He was only grateful that he was still older and therefore stronger than Klaus's Marcellus so even though he looked weaker, he was still the strongest.

Klaus sighed as he removed his hand from Marcel's waistband. "I know that I should be satisfied that they fit but I can't help but be put a little ill at ease knowing my sister knows your body so well she can guess your size."

Marcel gave an uncomfortable smirk. "I'm sure she just went through my drawers and found a pair of my sweats as a reference."

Klaus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am still trying to accept that you two are mature beings in an...adult relationship. But I would still prefer to not have the image of my sister rooting through your drawers in my mind, thank you."

"Those aren't the drawers of his you should be worried about her rooting through," said Kol with a mischievous grin.

Niklaus cut his eyes up at his brother. With a wave of his finger, he beckoned his brother over to his side.

Kol gulped, sucking his lip between his teeth as he scooted across the floor to Klaus. He didn't expect to get in trouble for his joke. Unlike Elijah, Klaus was usually pretty good at taking a joke. But then again, not about Marcel.

Kol closed his eyes as he stood in front of his brother, waiting anxiously for a strike of admonishment.

He tensed as he felt Klaus's fingers slide into his waistband and he waited for the moment his pants would hit the ground and he would get a bare bottomed spanking.

But then there was a second tug pulling outward, not downward.

He opened his eyes to see Klaus staring contemplatively at his waist. "They're a little big," he stated matter-of-factly.

Kol immediately pulled his waist away from Klaus, angry at his brother for pointing it out.

"They're fine," he said, pulling the pants drawstrings tighter. "See."

Shaking his head, Marcel said, "You don't wanna tie them that tight, man. It's gonna get uncomfortable."

Kol rolled his eyes and mockingly repeated Marcel in a high pitched tone.

"It doesn't matter how tight you tie them," Klaus said as the cabin door opened and Elijah and Finn entered. "They're about to come off anyway." He said nothing else as he nodded for them to follow him out the door.

"Wh-where are we going?" Marcel muttered to Kol as they slowly moved to follow.

Kol moved tensely at his side. "To pick a switch."

Just as he opened the cabin door, Klaus paused at the sound of his name coming from the kitchen.

Elijah came out of the kitchen removing the wrapping of a small band-aid while Finn waited for him by the sofa. He made quick work of bandaging his brother's sore thumb before turning back to Niklaus and saying, "I'd like to speak to Kol first if you don't mind."

Klaus glanced back at his little brother, noting the look of confusion that rested on his face. Kol was just as unsure of what Elijah wanted to talk to him about as Klaus was.

"Fine," said Klaus, pulling the door open wide as he motioned for Marcel to continue out. "I suppose I can coach Marcellus through his first time choosing the perfect implement myself."

Marcel hesitated at Klaus's proposal but Klaus's lingering glower left no room for argument.

Turning back to his brothers once more, Klaus was surprised to see Elijah nudging Finn towards them.

Finn looked back at Elijah with wide, fearful eyes.

"Noooo," he whined. "I didn't do anything." His eyes darted back to Klaus as if he expected the Hybrid to vouch for him. "You said I'd only get switched if I lied."

"You're not getting switched," Elijah quickly corrected him. "I just want you to accompany them for a bit while I speak to Kol alone."

Kol's body tensed just as Finn's relaxed. Reassured by his noble brother's promise, Finn followed Klaus and Marcel out of cabin without another word.

Kol steeled his trembling body as Elijah walked over to the armchair by the fire, not uttering a word to him before taking his seat.

Elijah looked up to his brother's fretful eyes and said, "Relax, Kol. You're not in trouble."

Kol gave a practiced scoff as if he didn't care whether he was or not...although he did very much care.

"Freya's worried about you." Elijah continued. "She said you were 'in a mood' after your tête-à-tête."

Kol's jaw tightened. "Wouldn't call it a tête-à-tête. Barely even spoke to me." he muttered too low for Elijah to hear.

"What was that?"

Kol paused, not sure if he should repeat himself to accept that his siblings would never truly understand him. Not like they understood each other. Not like they understood Marcel.

"Nothing," he said. "Nothing you'd care about."

Elijah sighed. "Kol, this trip can hardly be beneficial to any of us if we aren't all trying to make it work. You have to try to make it work."

"Make it work, Kol," Kol repeated mockingly. "Be better, Kol. Change, Kol! Why is it always me who has to try? When have any of you ever tried to 'make it work' with me."

"I am trying right now," Elijah crossed one leg over the other, his eyes focused on Kol's. "I want you to meet me halfway."

"No you don't! You don't even want me around, none of you do. You look annoyed by me right now!"

Elijah quirked an eyebrow at his brother's raised tone but he didn't admonish him for it. Kol was angry for a reason and it was important that they get to the bottom of it and they wouldn't be able to do that if Elijah spent the entire conversation policing his tone.

"I'm sorry," said Elijah, forcing his face to relax. "I didn't mean to look annoyed by you. I'm simply trying to get to the bottom of your anger."

"Why? It's not like you care."

"I do care, brother. I care a great deal. That's why we're here."

"I'm here as a punching bag for you and Klaus to take your anger out on. Neither of you want me here. None of you want me here."

Confused, Elijah said, "It was your idea to come on this trip."

"Not here here. I mean..." Kol quickly shut his mouth before he was able to let his feelings escape. He shook his head and turned his back on Elijah, resigning to the fact that he'd be forever misunderstood.

Elijah rose from his chair, hurt in his eyes. He knew his brother was in pain but he didn't know why. "I'm trying to understand, Kol. Help me understand. Tell me what's wrong."

"This trip was Marcel's idea."

The unexpected turn of the conversation surprised Elijah, but he listened anyway.

"This...would've never been my idea. I've always hated these hunting trips. I hate hunting and I hate sleeping outdoors and I hate...I hate these trips. But you caught us, me and Marcellus, when we were talking 'bout that pig farmer and Marcel thought it'd be funny to say we were talking about a hunting trip. Because this is all fun to him. Stuff like this has always been a game to him because he doesn't think that you or Klaus would ever truly hurt him. Not like you do me."

"Kol-" As Elijah stepped forward, Kol stepped away, turning to his brother with tears in his eyes.

"These trips are HELL for me, Elijah. You and Niklaus, you used to chase me through the woods, thrashing me for every mistake, every accidental over-feeding of some pathetic human, every angry outburst...but it's different now, isn't it. Because of Marcellus. Because you two are capable of showing kindness and forgiveness when it comes to Marcellus but never when it comes to dear ol' Kol! And...I hate you for it. I hate you and I hate Niklaus and I hate Freya because she's just like you. She pretends to want me around because I'm her blood but really she couldn't care less if I disappeared today and never came back. None of you would."

Elijah took another step forward and Kol backed away until his back was against the wall. Tears streamed from his tight, angry eyes and he'd given up on trying to stop them.

"Stay away from me," he growled through gritted teeth. "I said I hate you. I hate you. I hate you!"

Elijah continued walking across the room until his arms were around Kol's body, pulling his little brother into a tight hug, muffling his promises of hate against his stiff shoulder.

A sob broke through Kol's body, ending his painful tirade.

"Why can't you just...love me," he muttered into Elijah's cotton shirt. "Like you love Marcel. Like Freya loves Finn. What's...what's wrong with me?"

"I'm sorry," Elijah whispered into Kol's ear as he ran his hand calmingly through his brother's hair. "I do love you, little brother. We all love you. But I'm sorry that we haven't shown it in the way you deserve. I am so sorry, little brother."

The silence in the room was inundated by Kol's uncontrolled sobs. He didn't stop until he heard the cabin door open again.

Klaus wasn't surprised to find Kol in tears on their return. He didn't know what Elijah wanted to talk to their brother about but he knew by his Kol's current attitude that it would end in tears. What he was surprised to see were the tears in Elijah's eyes.

Kol pulled himself out of Elijah's hold, forcefully wiping his tears away as he turned to face the others.

His heart dropped at the sight of the long, supple switch in Klaus's hand. The base was about as thick around as his pinky finger and it tapered off at the end to a wispy, pencil-lead thick tip.

"Look at me," Elijah grabbed Kol's chin and forced him to focus on him instead of Klaus. "You lied to us and you kept secrets that could have gotten you and Marcel hurt...or worse. But...you're in no condition to handle this right now."

Kol's eyes lit up. He glanced over to the others to see their reaction. Klaus simply watched them with confusion and suspected whatever conversation they'd had was deeper than he thought. So he trusted Elijah's judgement. If he thought Kol couldn't handle being punished at the moment, it had to be for a good reason. Marcel's eyes were wide with jealousy but Finn stared at him with nothing but abject anger. He suspected his younger brother either lied or deceived his way out of punishment like he did everything else and it wasn't fair.

"Why doesn't he get punished," Finn asserted.

"Because I said so," Elijah answered flatly. Then, speaking again to Kol, he said, "Find a corner to wait in. I'll call you when we're done."

Kol nodded as he hurried away to the nearest corner, grateful that he wasn't going to feel the lash of the switch just yet.

"It's not fair," Finn muttered. "All I did was throw a damn sleeping bag. He almost got Klaus's kid killed and all he gets is a time out."

Elijah didn't bother to address Finn just yet as he walked over to the staircase. The others watched as he silently left the room and disappeared upstairs. A few moments later, he reappeared at the top of the staircase with Hope's brush in hand.

"I'd intended to simply give you a few smacks over my knee with my unaided hand," said Elijah, measuring the weight of the brush against his palm as he descended the stairs. "But you seem to be teetering on the edge of a tantrum. So let's get to the bottom of that, shall we."

"N-no." Finn's hands flew back to cover his bottom. "I-I'm sorry, Elijah. I'll stop."

As Elijah sat on the sofa, Niklaus placed a hand on Finn's shoulder and guided him over. The boy dug the heels of his boots into the wooden floor, stopping Klaus from taking him any further.

Klaus moved between Finn and Elijah, staring down into the small teenager's eyes. "Is this your limit?" he asked seriously. "Is this as far as the ties of family will take you?"

Finn wiped the straying tear from his eye. "I-I'm afraid."

"So am I," said Klaus. "I'm afraid of what you will do...who you will hurt if you let your temper get out of control around my daughter or her friends. I need to know that you understand that your actions have consequences, Finn. And I need to know that you will accept those consequences when they're just. Do you believe the brush is unjust?"

Finn's lip trembled as he looked past Klaus to Elijah, the dreadful brush resting on his knees.

Dropping his chin, Finn slowly shook his head no.

"I-it's going to hurt," he muttered.

"It is," Klaus reaffirmed. Then, pressing his hand against Finn's cheek, he guided his brother's eyes back up to his. "But we will be here to comfort you after. And you will be forgiven. All you have to do, brother, is submit."

Finn sucked his lip between his teeth and shut his eyes tightly as if deciding on what he'd rather do.

"O-Okay." He opened his eyes and looked past Klaus to Elijah. "B-But I am sorry, brother. I-I promise to behave from now on. Please d-don't...s-spank me hard."

Elijah couldn't help but smirk at his brother's request. "It will be just as hard as I believe it should be."

Finn groaned at the promise but still, without Klaus's assistance, he scooted his feet across the floorboards to stand in front of Elijah.

He sniffled back tears as Elijah undid the button of his pants and pulled them down to his knees along with his underwear, baring his bottom to the room. In the next second, he was over Elijah's knee and begging for a quick end as soon as the first slap of the brush landed. The boy reached out to the nearest accent pillow, pulling it into his face to muffle his childish screams.

"I'm sorrrry," Finn cried as the sharp slap of the brush turned his bottom from pale white to dull pink in a matter of seconds.

"I know, brother," said Elijah as he landed another sharp smack against the curve of Finn's cheeks. "And I'm sorry too. Sorry that I wasn't keeping a closer eye on you at camp. But I aim to rectify that from now on. For the rest of the trip," Elijah moved his aim lower, slapping Finn's sit-spots with enough force to cause the boy to kick and scream. "You will stay close to me or Niklaus. Whenever you're feeling jealous," Another heavy spank to his upper thighs. "You will tell us. Whenever you're feeling left out, you will tell us. We cannot begin to fix the rift between this family if you are keeping your pain a secret. We need to know when you're hurting if we are to help."

Elijah worked his way from Finn's thighs back up to the curve of his bottom. Finn's pillow was soaked with tears by the end of it. Elijah didn't stop his rhythmic beating against the boy's round drums until his small bottom was a bright red.

All of Finn's struggling and wild kicks had shimmied his pants down to his feet. He's lost a boot on one foot and a pants leg on the other but he didn't care. He only cared about his throbbing behind.

"Do you understand me, Finn?"

He nodded against his pillow, a ragged sob escaping his lips.

Elijah slapped the brush across both cheeks at once, eliciting a high pitched screech from the tearful boy. "Verbal answer, Finn," he demanded.

"Yeeess," Finn said through ragged sobs. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You will try harder to keep your temper in check."

"Yesss!"

"And you will let us know when you're feeling inadequate or left out."

"Yesss,"

"Good." Elijah sat the brush to the side, examining his work on Finn's behind a little longer. He'd stopped the spanking long before any real damage was done. His brother could withstand a lot more, though he'd hope it wouldn't come to that.

Finn allowed Elijah to lift him back to his feet. His face was covered in tears as he stood in front of him. A bulb of snot threatened to drip from his nose but his constant sniffling kept it at bay. He wanted to rub some of the ache from his burning bottom but he knew it would only incur him another smack and the thought only made him cry harder.

"Now, you have a choice to make," Elijah softly lectured. "You can stand in the corner until Marcel's punishment is over and then you will have a nap until lunch. Or...you can sit in the armchair with me and I will hold you until you fall asleep."

Finn stared at Elijah as if he almost didn't believe his brother had really just offered to hold him. His first instinct was to say no, because it was obviously a trick. What if they all started laughing and mocked him for giving in to such childish whims.

But then again, his brothers hadn't tried tricked him so far on this trip. Everything Klaus and Elijah said they were going to do, they did. And if they wanted to laugh at him and mock his vulnerabilities, they would've done so while he was face up over Elijah's lap.

"Th-the second one," he finally said in a soft whisper as if he'd hoped no one else would hear. "Th-the...holding."

"Okay," Elijah nodded. Then he bent over and began untying the one boot the boy still had on his foot and helped him ease out of it before sliding his pants off and helping him right his underwear. Elijah carefully folded Finn's discarded pants and held them in one arm as he lifted Finn in the other.

Finn fell into Elijah's shoulder as the man circled his arm under his aching bottom and lifted him into his hold, carrying the tearful boy over to the armchair. He sat the folded pants on the back of the chair and sat down with Finn in his lap.

Finn stiffened in his brother's arms at first, still sure that it was all a trick, that at any moment Elijah would do or say something cruel to prove it, but the moment never came. Elijah placed a gentle hand against his back, easing Finn's hitched sobs with a calming circular motion until his brother finally relaxed, sinking deeply into Elijah's hold just as he'd hoped.

Niklaus turned to Marcel, the switch gripped losely in his hand, and said, "Are you ready?"

Marcel hesitated to answer. He was hoping Kol would go first so he could watch and know what to expect but now he was going in blindly.

Klaus could see the hesitation on his son's face. He placed a hand on Marcel's shoulder and asked in a voice too low for the others to hear, "Are you afraid?"

Marcel nodded 'yes' before his compulsion could force im to answer out loud.

"It's okay." Klaus held the switch out to Marcel's hand, urging him to take it. Curious, Marcel took it.

He was supposed to be the one to pick his switch but once they were out in the forest, Klaus's heart gave out to the look of worry in his son's eyes and decided to pick it himself. He knew the act of picking one's own implement could be rough and he didn't want to put his son through any undue stress. Marcel hadn't touched the thing at all since Klaus picked it and stripped all the green leaves and twigs from it's frame. Now that he held it, weighty on one end, swift and light on the other, he felt he knew exactly what it would feel like.

"It is going to hurt," Klaus stated firmly. He cupped his hand under Marcel's jaw and forced his sight from the switch up to his eyes. "As it is supposed to. You put your life in danger and you lied to my face." Marcel's jaw tense and his eyes fell back down to the floor in shame. "You keep asking for my trust and yet every move you make in my absence says the complete opposite. That you don't need my trust because you will act how you see fit without it."

"I said I was sorry," Marcel grumbled.

"Yes, I'm sure you think that now." Klaus took the switch from Marcel as he released his jaw and pointed down to the sofa. "Bare yourself in lie face down."

Marcels' face turned bright red at the order.

If it were Kol, Klaus would have had him bend over the back of the sofa or, if they were in the woods, over a log or tree stump, but he since it was his son's first time with the switch, Klaus didn't think Marcel would be able to stay in position long enough to take a full switching and he wasn't going to force him to try.

"K-Klaus..." Marcel wanted to beg his father to reconsider but his pride wouldn't let him.

"Now, Marcellus," Klaus ordered. "Do not make me repeat myself."

Marcel shot a cautionary glance over to Elijah. His eyes were focused down on Finn drifting to sleep in his arms, but Marcel knew his uncle's attention was probably split with his punishment as well and if he heard Klaus repeat himself, he'd be in for another spanking as soon as this one was done.

With trembling hands, he pulled his sweatpants down to his knees, his boxers immediately following.

He hesitated to lie on the sofa, knowing as soon as he was down, the punishment would start.

Klaus stared pleadingly at his son. He didn't want to punish him any more than he had to so he hoped Marcel would just obey.

With tears already in his eyes, Marcel laid face down on the sofa, grabbing another of the accent pillows to bury his face in in preparation for the first strike.

Klaus waited until Marcel had stopped squirming on the sofa, rocking his hips back in forth in anxious preparation of the first strike, before he rested the tip of the switch against the curve of Marcel's bottom.

"Do not get up," Klaus ordered him. "Stay in position. I know how many licks you're going to get but I'm not going to tell you because that's not what I want you to focus on. I want you to focus on the lies you told me this weekend. How easy it was for you to deceive me all this time. And I want you to remember that the switching you're about to receive now is inconsequential in comparison to the trust you've irrevocable damage you've done to my trust."

Marcel wrapped his arms tighter around the pillow.

He took a deep breath as soon as the switch lifted from his skin but all of the mental preparation in the world didn't prepare him for the bite of the first strike.

He sucked air in through his teeth to keep himself from crying out but then the second lash landed right above the first. And then a third and he couldn't help himself anymore.

He pushed his behind to the back of the sofa, releasing a high pitched, childish groan as the burning strikes ached across his behind.

"Lie flat, Marcellus," said Klaus, forcing himself to remain stoic to his son's pain. He would have plenty of time to cuddle him and ease his sorrows after the spanking but for now, he had a lesson to teach.

Hitching back broken sobs, Marcel eased himself back down. As soon as his hips were flat, Klaus layed down two successive licks causing Marcel to scream out.

"No," Marcel suddenly turned around again, covering his aching bottom with trembling hands as tears broke from his watery eyes. "I-I can't...I can't. No more, Klaus...please."

Klaus's heart broke at the sight of his sobbing son, his knees to his chest and his hand tenderly caressing the red strikes lining his bottom. He knew he had to continue, but he didn't want to put his son through the heartache of staying in position anymore.

Marcel's eyes widened as Klaus grabbed both of his ankles in one hand and lifted them high into the air, lifting his bottom off the sofa so that only his back supported him.

"Remove you hands, Marcellus."

Marcel shook his head at the order.

Looking down at his red faced son, Klaus said, "If I have to compel you, I will. Remove your hands. Now."

Marcel choked back sobs as his hands slid slowly from his bottom.

Giving his son a slight nod of approval, Klaus said, "Squeeze the pillow if you must, but don't put your hands back again or we will start over."

Marcel gave a broken whine as he grabbed his pillow again, wrapping it in his arms and covering his face with it so no one would see his shame.

He released a muffled scream after each harsh lash across his quivering cheeks. He wiggled and twisted his hips from the strikes but in the position he was in, every strike Klaus swung landed right on course. He tried to kick his legs from his father's hold but the Original's hold was too strong.

Pulling the pillow away from his fast, Marcel squeezed it against his chest as he howled, "Klaus, please! I can't...take anymore."

Klaus stilled the switch mid-air to examine Marcel's behind. He'd held back much of his strength so none of the welts were thick or deep. His bottom was covered mostly in burning red lines and judging by his trembling legs, Klaus knew that Marcel was certainly on the brink of an understanding.

"I know you think you can't," said Klaus as he rested the switch back against Marcel's quivering cheeks. "But I know you can."

Marcel wailed with each new strike against his bottom. He didn't bother to cover his face with the pillow anymore because squeezing it against his chest was the only assurance he had to keep him from reaching back to cover his bottom again.

Klaus suppress the desire to give in to his son's heartbroken sobs. Until he cried, "Pleeeasse! I'm sorry, poppa!"

Niklaus paused the swing of the switch to look down into his son's tear drenched face. Marcel proceeded to bite his lip and shut his eyes to avoid Klaus's, embarrassment tinting his face as deep a red as his burning behind.

Klaus didn't bother to look back at Elijah. He knew what was going through his brother's mind right now and Klaus wasn't sure if Marcel had let the word slip by accident or if he'd said it to play on his father's sympathies, but either way, it had done his job to win him over. Marcel hadn't referred to him as his poppa in almost two hundred years but it was like a Kryptonite Klaud didn't even know he was weak again.

He examined Marcel's behind again. His licks so far had all been quick and light. Enough to leave a sting but still soft enough to ensure his son could make it through an entire thrashing with minimum welting. According to the original plan he'd mapped out in his head, Marcel still had a few dozen strikes to go...but he couldn't bring himself to go through with it now.

Taking a deep breath, Klaus said, "Five more. And then it's over."

Marcel brought the pillow back up to his face and nodded into it. All he had to do was suffer through five more, he knew he could do it.

Lifting the switch back into the air, Klaus made the split second decision to make the last five strikes harder than the rest, a warning to his errant son to never want to be put in this position again.

Marcel screamed into the pillow as the first strike landed across both cheeks. He barely had time to adjust to the sudden power difference before the second lick landed. He lifted his hips higher into the air, the only direction he could move them thanks to Klaus's iron grip, but that only made his bottom a clearer target for the third and fourth licks as they struck rapidly against his so far forgotten sit spots. He went limp after the fifth one, held up only by the support of the sofa against his back and his father's hand around his ankle. Sobs that he could no longer hold back, ravaged through his body.

Niklaus threw the switch to the switch to the side and dropped Marcel's feet before he vamped onto the sofa, sitting at the edge as he pulled his broken son into his arms.

Marcel's aching bottom hung in the space between his father's knees, his legs resting on the sofa and Klaus hugging him as if afraid of losing him.

"It...hurts..." Marcel whined softly against Klaus's chest, choking back his haggard sobs.

"I know," said Klaus. He placed a gentle kiss against his son's head. "But consider yourself lucky that I did not move down to your thighs as Elijah will surely do to Kol."

Klaus stared across the room and watched as Kol bristled with the thought of getting the switch.

"But this method seems to be very effective in bringing you to heel, Marcellus. I know that your compulsion prevents you from fibbing to me any more this weekend, so from now on, in the days after we end this trip, if you lie to me, this is how you will be punished."

Marcel's entire body stiffened in Klaus's arms, his tearful eyes widening at the threat.

Klaus ran a gentle hand across Marcel's arm.

"I know it hurts," he repeated in a soft whisper against Marcel's ear. "But it hurts me more to not be able to trust my son. You have betrayed me so many times in the past, Marcellus. You have tortured me with magic, called Mikael upon me, taken me away from my siblings and my daughter, made vampires behind my back, plotted with my enemies..."

Every muscle in Marcel's body tensed at Klaus's words.

"And yet...I know that even if you were to come at me with the white oak stake in hand, I would be helpless to do what is necessary to stop you. I love you with everything that I am, Marcellus. And I want nothing more than to have the same stalwart trust I had with you a century ago. So if I have to take a switch to you every single time you lie to me so that you feel more comfortable telling me an uncomfortable truth than deceiving me, then I will."

Marcel was conflicted on whether he should embrace his father's love or be angry at his threat. Reading his son's stiff posture, Klaus made the decision for him, pulling Marcel tighter into his chest.

Marcel's ragged sobs calmed as Klaus rocked his body back and forth, softly uttering in his ear, "You're alright, son. I'm right here. I've got you."

"I-I'm sorry," Marcel finally mumbled. "That...I lied to you. I...won't do it again."

Klaus smirked. Marcel was compelled to tell the truth so, even though Klaus was almost certain it wasn't possible, it warmed his heart to know that his son honestly wanted to never lie to him again.

"I know, sweetheart."

Marcel blushed deeply at the familiar epithet and he didn't know what was more embarrassing - that he didn't immediately tell him to stop, or that a part of him never wanted him to.

He buried his face against Klaus's shoulder, his hitched breath finally alleviated by Klaus's gentle touch and the storm raging through his mind in fear of the switch chased away by his soft whispers of reassurance. He blinked and in the next moment, he was asleep.

Elijah stood from his chair, lifting Finn's sleeping body in his arms as he walked over to the sofa. Klaus simply opened and arm to incorporate their brother's body as Elijah sat the boy on the sofa next to him. Finn groaned in his sleep as his aching behind rested on the sofa and he squirmed until he'd sufficiently removed most of the weight from his bottom onto the shoulder leaning against Klaus.

Turning from Finn, Elijah looked back to Kol in the corner.

"Kol."

The call of his name sent a shiver down Kol's spine. He thought about not turning around at all as if he didn't hear Elijah call him but he didn't want to seem childish.

He peeked gingerly over his shoulder at his brothers. "Y-yeah, 'Lijah?"

Keeping his eyes warm so as to assure his brother that he was still on his side, Elijah said, "Would you like to tell Niklaus what we talked about?"