raihane ch, I see your comments, and I do not think it's gonna happen on the camping trip but I will definitely try to fit it into the story before I end it.
Also, really loving the reviews, yall make me cry sometimes lol
Chapter 78
Marcel stayed in the shower for much longer than he needed to in order to avoid Klaus and as soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his waist and body still damp from the humidity in the bathroom, he found his father waiting for him in what was now, Marcel had determined, his favorite chair in the cabin.
As soon as Klaus opened his mouth to speak, Marcel said, "Don't make me say anything, Klaus."
Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You know what Kol and Finn's little spat was about?"
Marcel nodded his head against his will. "But...I don't want to talk about it."
Klaus nodded with understanding. "That means Kol started it."
Marcel bit his lip, knowing that anything else he said would only further implicate Kol. He still wasn't of the mind that his relationship with Kol was as strong as it was a century ago but if it was a choice between Kol and Finn, he'd choose Kol every day of the week. He was sure Kol was only joking about getting Finn into trouble as always but Finn had overreacted. As always. Still, he was afraid Klaus and Elijah might take that as enough of a reason to punish Kol alongside Finn and he didn't want to be the reason for it.
Crossing one leg over the other, Klaus leaned back in his chair and said, "Did one of you talk Finn into spying on us?"
"Y-yes." Marcel closed his eyes and resigned to his fate.
"To what end?"
"We...wanted to know what you two were being so secretive about."
"And, judging by the lack of outrage in your voice, I suspect the fight broke out before either of you were able to find out."
Marcel opened his eyes, realizing that Klaus was right.
Klaus shook his head and tutted. "This is why teenagers should not run kingdoms. Far too short-sighted."
"Klaus-"
"Enough," Klaus held a hand up to silence Marcel before he could argue. Then, rising to his feet, he said, "Grab your sleeping bag. The others are waiting for us downstairs."
-M-
Marcel was not surprised to see Kol and Finn sitting on opposite ends of the sofa as he walked downstairs to the living room, Klaus leading the way while carrying both of their sleeping bags, one under each arm. Anxiety plagued him though. He was grateful that Klaus didn't spank him for his part in the events at the lake while he was naked and wet from his shower but he knew by the pout on Kol's face and the unshed tears swimming in Finn's eyes that the three of them were in for a night as long as their morning.
He stiffened as he made it to the bottom of the staircase to see the hairbrush sitting on the end table beside Elijah.
"Sit," Klaus ordered as he threw their sleeping bags in the corner with the others.
Marcel tucked himself into the couch between Kol and Finn. He and Finn were both in their pajamas but Kol was in a new pair of sweatpants that were just as baggy as the last.
"So," Elijah started from the armchair. "Who would like to go first?"
The three young vampires stayed silent, all refusing to look either Elijah or Klaus in the eyes.
"Perhaps," Marcel cringed at the sound of Klaus's voice, sure he knew what his father would say. "We should just ask Marcellus."
Marcel looked up to Klaus with pleading eyes. His instinct was telling him to deny knowing anything about what had gone on between Kol and Finn but he knew he couldn't. If he even tried, he would be spanked for sure and he did not want to endure another paddling with that dreaded brush.
Falling victim to the pain in his son's eyes, Klaus immediately turned his attention from him to Kol. The dark bruises around Kol's neck sickened him.
With a sigh, Klaus bit into his wrist and walked over to Kol, saying, "Here."
"Are you serious?" Kol asked, finally looking up to Klaus with hope in his eyes.
"Hurry before I change my mind," Klaus growled.
Kol didn't waste a second to drink from his brother's wrist, ecstatic for the relief the miracle blood would bring to his sore throat and aching posterior. His throat healed first but as soon as he started to feel the soothing tingle of his bottom healing, Klaus pulled his wrist away.
"That's enough."
Klaus lifted Kol's chin with one hand and ran his fingers against his throat with the other. He was satisfied when Kol didn't pull away in pain, confirming that his soreness lifted with the dark coloration.
"Now that that's out of the way," Klaus pinched Kol's chin between his fingers, keeping his brother's sight focused on him. "Do you want to tell us what happened out there?"
With a pout, Kol said, "He tried to kill me, that's what."
"And you did nothing to provoke him?"
Kol yanked his chin out of Klaus's grip. "Why do you always assume I did something? You caught the little bugger with his hands around my throat but still think me the criminal."
Klaus turned back to Elijah. His elder brother was just as unsure of what to make of the scene.
"Tell you what," said Elijah as he rose from his chair and stood beside Niklaus. "We will give the two of you three seconds to come forward with the truth or...Niklaus will ask Marcel what happened."
Elijah started to count slowly, taking long pauses before each number. Kol's knee bounced with anxiety. He knew he would be in trouble when the truth came out regardless so he refused to give his brothers the satisfaction of having him confess without them having to do a bit of work on their own.
Finn's eyes focused on the switch lying on the fireplace mantle as Elijah said the number 'two'. He knew he would get what Kol had gotten earlier for lying to Klaus and Elijah about spying on them but he wasn't sure if he could take it.
"H-he started it," Finn sputtered before Elijah could say 'three'. "He...he tricked me."
"You tricked yourself," Kol scoffed. Then, turning to Niklaus, he said, "The little demon lied to you, y'know. Marcellus and I were curious about what the two of you were scribbling about in your little sketch pad so we sent him over to scope things out for us. He lied to you about being a spy. I say switch him. With the thick end of the stick. Matter of fact," Kol stood to his feet. "He deserves a branch. I'll go get it."
"Sit down," Klaus bit before his excited little brother could run outside to fetch a more sinister implement for Finn's punishment.
Looking over at Finn, unmoved by the tears that finally fell down Finn's cheeks, Kol slid back into his spot on the sofa.
Klaus sighed at Finn's tears. Then, dropping down to one knee in front of him, he took Finn by the chin and said, "Why did you lie to us? We gave you a chance to tell the truth."
"I thought..."
Finn wrestled with the truth in his head. He knew Kol and Marcel were probably going to judge him for it but after Kol's treachery, he decided to stop caring about what they thought. It was Elijah and Niklaus that he was afraid would reject his honesty.
"I only did it because they thought my plan to sneak around the tree and spy on you was stupid and I thought that...if I did it and it worked...they would stop treating me the way they do."
"So it was your plan to spy on us?"
Finn sucked his lip between his teeth and nodded 'yes'.
"And now you're in trouble," said Elijah.
Finn popped his lip out of his mouth and stared up at Elijah with fearful eyes. "Am I...a-are you going to..." his voice dropped just above a whisper as he said, "Switch me?"
"You lied to us," Klaus responded calmly, drawing Finn's attention back to him. "And not only that. You tried to kill Kol."
"He-he tricked me!"
"Please, explain to us how he tricked you," Elijah demanded. "When you said it was your idea to spy on us."
Finn started chewing on his bottom lip again, too sorrowful to speak.
Klaus sighed as he released Finn's chin and stood before the three young vampires. He was afraid to look back at Elijah because he knew his brother would see the weakness in his eyes as he always did. He couldn't switch Finn even if the boy deserved it. He was still reeling over switching his son and the way Marcel kept his eyes focused on the ground, afraid to look up in fear that Klaus would ask him a question that he would have to answer truthfully made his stomach tighten. These tearful, frightened Mikaelsons were becoming too much for him. He knew he wouldn't be able to spank any of them again for the rest of the weekend. Elijah was always so much better at disciplining doleful Mikaelsons than he ever was.
"The three of you have certainly made this evening exciting," said Elijah as he finally stood from his chair. A shiver went down Finn's spine as Elijah made the slow stride over to the fireplace and picked the switch from its mantle. "Niklaus," Marcel cringed as he heard his Uncle's steps approaching the sofa. "Do you think you can handle dinner with Kol and Marcel or should they wait in here with us?"
Marcel finally looked up from his feet at Elijah's question.
Klaus nodded. "They should be helpful." And then he gave Elijah's shoulder a sight squeeze before nodding for the two of them to follow him.
Marcel looked woefully down at Finn as he stood, his heart giving at the sight of the tearful boy's quivering lip.
"Is he really going to switch him?" Marcel whispered to Kol as they entered the kitchen. He could just barely hear Elijah begin lecturing Finn.
"I hope so," Kol answered definitively. "Little bugger deserves it and more for trying to kill me. I wouldn't even mind if Elijah thrashed him through the night. It'd be like a soothing lullaby to lull me to sleep."
Kol yelped as Niklaus pinched his ear, pulling his younger brother closer to him as he growled, "Enough. This family has enough enemies. We do not need to fight amongst ourselves. The three of you need to find common ground before we return home or the next person to attempt familicide at this cabin will be me. Do I make myself clear?"
Kol rolled his eyes at his brother's idle threat but mutter, "Okay, okay," just to end his torment.
Once free, he prepared to make a clever quip in return when he stilled at the sound of the switch cutting through the air and meeting bare skin followed by an awful, earsplitting howl coming from the other room.
Marcel stood a bit shocked as Klaus took him by the hand and guided him away from the door and across the room to the fridge. "Let's start dinner," Klaus muttered as they walked.
Marcel relaxed as Klaus drug him along, unexpectantly relieved at his father's typical overprotectiveness.
"Kol, set the table."
Kol couldn't help but listen to Finn's punishment as he preceded to set the table. As he was lining the forks beside the plates, he noticed Klaus and Marcel were busy by the stove and decided to use the moment to his advantage and snuck over to the kitchen door.
He cracked the swing door and watched as Elijah held Finn's hand to keep him in striking distance as the boy danced around the open space in the living room, twisting and turning his body away from the switch but Elijah, thanks to his thousand years of experience with Kol and Rebekah and supernatural prowess, was an expert at hitting his target.
Kol expected to be entertained at the sight, he lived for the day he'd see Finn punished and humiliated. The sight of his brother in such harsh tears, pleading for an end to his thrashing, reminded him more of himself than he'd ever expected.
"Kol," Niklaus said, snapping Kol from the door. Kol moseyed from the door back to the dinner table, trying his best to now ignore the sounds coming out of the other room.
Finn stood in front of Elijah, his pants around his ankles and his hands running down the backside of his underwear as he attempted to rub away his soreness.
Elijah stood with his arms crossed over his chest, the switch still clasped in his hand as he stared down at his brother. He too felt sorry for Finn but he'd learned centuries ago to ignore the sorrow he felt at his siblings' tears until a more appropriate time. He looked forward to the days he would spend locked in Hayley's embrace after the weekend was over. After spending the weekend as the bad guy, he would need to spend at least twice as many days being comforted himself.
"Why did you lie, Finn," Elijah asked, shaking his head despondently.
Finn sniffled back tears and answered, "B-Because..." Finn looked over to the kitchen door, hoping neither Kol nor Marcel was close enough to hear him. "Because...I didn't want them to think...I tattled. L-Like Rebekah."
Elijah brought his fingers up to his temple and massaged the ache that grew at the realization that, much like every other Mikaelson, Finn's only wish was to be accepted into their family but the boy was too stubborn to realize it.
"You do not lie to us to impress Kol and Marcel."
"I wasn't trying to impress them," Finn bit. "I just...I..."
"It doesn't matter what you were trying to do. You do not lie to us. Ever. Do I make myself clear?"
Finn nodded solemnly. He finally relaxed as he watched Elijah walked the switch back over to the fireplace but then his heart began to race when Elijah took his seat back in the armchair, the brush only a reach away.
"Come here," Elijah said sternly.
Finn's lip quivered as he cried, "Noooo, I'm sorry. D-don't paddle me. I-I promise I won't lie to you again."
"I'm not going to paddle you," Elijah sighed. "Now come here."
Finn drug his feet across the room, his hands still placed firmly over his backside, protecting it from any unexpected swats. Elijah didn't scold him for rubbing this time because he knew the switch was not an easy implement to bear. When the boy jumped from his place over the arm of the chair for the third time, Elijah gave up on making him stay in position and simply continued his thrashing the way he used to do Kol the first dozen times his little brother had to take a switching.
Once Finn was in front of him, Elijah placed his hands on the boy's waist and said, "How many times have we warned you to watch your temper?"
"You don't know what it's like," Finn whined. "K-Kol is...cruel and...spiteful and-"
"And so are you. You both go back and forth with this childish cruelty and I have had enough. You will go into that kitchen right now and you will apologize to Kol for your attempt on his life...again. And you will mean it. Or I will drag you back out here and thrash you until I believe you mean it, do I make myself clear?"
"He tried to kill me first." Finn's arms flung loosely at his sides as he tried his best not to throw a tantrum.
"And he was punished for it. Rather thoroughly if I recall. If you would rather have just as thorough a spanking rather than apologize, that can be arranged."
Finn was silent a moment as if he was actually contemplating his choices.
"Finn," Elijah growled.
The boy stomped his feet together and said, "Fine...I'll apologize. But..." Finn's voice fell softly. "You have to thrash him if he teases me for it."
"I will thrash him if he's cruel," Elijah sighed as he reached down to straighten Finn's pajamas. "But Kol is naturally mischievous. We have simply learned to live with it. I only correct him when he takes his games too far. You will have to learn to contend with his playfulness as well if you want to live with a modicum of peace in this family."
Finn pouted as Elijah righted his pants and stood, holding his hand out for Finn to take. The boy hesitated at first, not yet used to Elijah's subtly affectionate gestures, but he took it anyway.
Marcel leaned back against the counter, watching the kitchen timer tick away the minutes before the potpie in the oven was reheated enough to eat as he tried to distract himself from his own sore bottom and Finn's punishment going on in the next room.
"Klaus," he called, a lilt of realization in his voice. "What were you and Elijah writing about?"
Klaus leaned back in his dining chair, a chilled glass of blood in his hands. "Nothing you should concern yourself with."
Marcel looked across the kitchen to Kol leaning against another counter, both of them too sore to sit at the table with Klaus just yet. Kol looked just as suspicious about Klaus's response as he did.
"I have a theory," Marcel continued, obviously the bravest of the two. "That is has something to do with Caroline and her friends."
Niklaus took a long, contemplative sip from his glass, his eyes focused on his son, the young vampire staring him down with an unwavering glare. "Perhaps you're right. I suppose you'll have to wait to find out with everyone else."
"Klaus-"
"Enough, Marcellus." Klaus sighed and rose to his feet. Marcel kept his father's eyes as Klaus marched over to him. "You claim that you do not want another spanking and yet you continue to push me. Whatever Elijah and I were discussing is of no concern to you and I will not hear any more about it. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah. Perfectly." The bite in Marcel's tone told Klaus that it was only by means of his compulsion that Marcel answered in the affirmative and that the young vampire wouldn't give up in his search for answers.
Logic told him to confront Marcel and to nip his attitude in the bud as soon as possible but he knew his son. He wouldn't be easily persuaded to give up on something when he felt he was in the right and the argument would inevitably end one way. And Klaus didn't have the stomach for it.
The kitchen timer went off just as Finn and Elijah entered the kitchen. Kol sneered at the sight of the two of them hand-in-hand.
"And here I thought Marcellus was the sensitive one of the family," Kol mocked.
Marcel blushed as he remembered the way Klaus pulled him away from the door so that he wouldn't hear Finn's punishment so clearly. He wanted to respond but he felt defending himself would make him seem more sensitive than just letting the teasing slide.
"Kol," Elijah growled as he guided Finn across the room to their brother. "Enough. This is a serious matter. Finn has something he would like to say to you."
Finn couldn't pull his eyes up from the tile as Elijah released his hand and stepped aside so that the two brothers were standing in front of each other.
Finn muttered his apology so low, none of them could understand it even with their vampire abilities.
"Speak up, Finn," Elijah urged encouragingly.
Finn kicked the heel of his foot against the floor and said, loud and clear, "I said, I'm sorry I tried to strangle you."
Kol rolled his eyes. "You're only apologizing because Elijah made you."
Finn finally looked up to his brother, his anger hidden behind a pout. "You tried to kill me and I tried to kill you. We're even."
"Even? Need I remind you that you did actually kill me?"
"When are you ever going to stop bringing that up?"
"Never, you little shit. You killed me!"
Klaus stepped away from the hot potpie he'd just sat on the counter to break the two of them up before a brawl could break out but Elijah stopped him. He was a bit confused at first until he realized, like Elijah obviously already did, that there was more pain in Kol and Finn's eyes than anger.
"I said I was sorry."
"Sorry doesn't erase the memory of me choking on my own blood or the pain of feeling my organs dying inside of me and...your apologies don't erase the fear that it could all happen again. The fear that one day you'll just decide that...we're not good enough for you and...you'll do it all again. To me or Davina, Marcel, Rebekah, Hope. Who's next on your list, brother? Huh? Who's love do you plan to deprive this family of next time?"
Finn didn't know when the tears started, but when they didn't he couldn't stop them. He tried to keep his face scrunched in anger but his watery eyes weakened his angry facade.
Dropping his chin down to his chest, Finn mumbled, "I...I'm sorry. I...I know that you don't care and...maybe you shouldn't. But I am sorry, brother. I...I spent nine hundred years in that coffin and...it was hell. Pure hell. I'd gotten the solitude I always thought that I wanted and I hated every damn century of it. And when I got out I...I just wanted to make the rest of you suffer as I'd suffered. And I didn't care how I did it. But...I should have. You...you are my little brother. The little Kol who...used to follow me to all of my secret hiding spots because...you didn't want me to be alone. No matter how much I wanted it...you thought...you used to say that you didn't want me to be sad and alone...when we could be sad together or happy together...as long as we were together." Finn let out a soft chuckle as he wiped his tears away. "I used to hate it when you found my hiding spots and I hated it more when you brought the rest of our brood. But...you were right. Even when I thought I hated you all...I was always happier when we were together."
Kol was shocked by Finn's confession. His whole life, Finn had only seemed to dread having him as a little brother. He hated having to take care of him whenever their mother was out and he hated it when Kol used to sneak into his things and find the pages of spells he hid from their father but...above all else, Finn was a Mikaelson. He never tattled to Mikael when his younger siblings were pestering him and there was more than one occasion that Kol knew of when Finn actually let Klaus hide in his hut when Mikael was on a tear. Back when they were human. Back when everything was easy. It was all so complicated now and Kol didn't know if he should trust the old memories of his brother.
Then Finn looked back up to him, his face covered in tears, all anger wiped from it.
"I'm sorry, little brother. There's nothing I can do but...say how sorry I am. I am so...so sorry."
Kol bit his lip and looked away from Finn, refusing to accept his brother's apology.
Finn fought the urge to fall into Elijah's hold as his brother draped his arm around his shoulders.
"Alright," Elijah cooed, brushing his hand over Finn's hair. "That was very good, brother. I am proud of you."
Finn allowed Elijah to guide him over to the table without another glance at Kol. He hated himself for allowing himself to be so vulnerable when Kol obviously didn't care.
Marcel slid in front of Kol as Niklaus followed Elijah over to the table carrying the heated potpie.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" He asked, feeling a bit emotional himself after seeing Finn break down.
Kol let out an annoyed growl and said, "How long did it take you to forgive Elijah for killing you?"
Marcel gritted his teeth at the resurfacing memory. "About a few years after I thought I'd killed him."
"Yeah, well, I'll need at least three times that long."
Marcel shook his head in exasperation. "We're not friends, y'know. You and me. We never have been friends." He said definitively.
Kol narrowed his eyes at Marcel's statement. He was sure that they were friends once. Marcel used to call him his best friend.
"I never realized it before our family came together again but, it's true," Marcel continued. "We're not friends. We're...brothers, Kol. See...the thing about friends is that when they grow apart, they tend to stop being friends. But brothers...they stay brothers, even when they grow apart. Klaus...will always be my father and Elijah will always be...Uncle Elijah. Rebekah will always be Rebekah. And you and me...we'll always be brothers. Just like you and Finn will always be brothers. Even when you think you hate him...you love him. It's the curse of brotherhood. It's the curse of being a Mikaelson."
Kol pushed himself off of the counter, his back teeth grinding in anger as he growled, "So you think I should just forgive him? Just like that? He sheds a few tears and apologizes and now he's forgiven?"
"No." Marcel sighed. "I don't think you should just forgive him. But I think you should try."
Marcel spun on his heels and left Kol to seeth in his anger. He knew the others could probably hear them from the table that sat not 10 feet away but he trusted that no one did. They all knew that whatever Marcel had to say to Kol was private, a thing that only the two of them would understand, and so they allowed them their privacy for the time being.
Did not have time to edit this, so sorry, hope it was still good.
