Kol enters the staff parking lot, glancing around every few minutes. Elijah's keys weigh heavily in his sweatshirt pocket. Who knew his dad would need so many? Really, he only required the one to the Lincoln MKZ, but there was no way he'd get the key off fast enough. As it was, he had to fake needing a nap in his dad's office to even get it.

He promised he'd meet up with Tate and Evan at the creek once he finished his Bio quiz. He would've risked skipping then, but Mr. Franklin would've snitched in his weekly report. This way, he'll will be back by the end of his lunch period. His dad will never know he stole the car.

Kol finds many rules stupid, but perhaps the worst is not being able to get his license. Before the arrangement initially started, Nik was reaching both him and Rebekah to drive. As soon as it became clear what Kol needed, Elijah forbade him from driving. 4 years of begging later and nothing has changed.

If memory serves correct, it's really not that hard. His dad is overreacting. It's nothing new.

Kol unlocks the door and climbs into the driver's seat and starts the ignition. He puts it into gear and backs up out of the spot. Kol spins the wheel quickly to avoid hitting the BMW behind him. He eases up on the gas and pulls out of the lot, making sure to check both ways before getting into the street.

"So far, so good," he mutters to himself.

By memory, he heads in the direction of the lake. It's a straight shoot, so he only has to brake once for the stop sign. Kol grins. What was his dad so worried about? He's doing great! Maybe he can find a way to bring it back up again. Marcel's allowed to drive, why can't he?

Kol's phone buzzes in his pocket. He fishes it out and glances at the screen. A text from his mom.

Mama: Movie night?

One hand still on the wheel and a foot on the gas to guide him along, Kol begins typing a reply.

A blaring honk snaps him out of it, his phone calling to the floor. Kol looks up just in time to see a truck speeding towards him. He's on the wrong side.

With vampiric reflex, Kol spins the wheel and tries to get back in the right one. The car careens off the road, flipping over. The glass crashes upon impact, flying back into Kol's face. He screams, pressing on the brake, but the car keeps flipping. The airbag deploys, Kol quickly popping it up when his fangs hit it.

Eventually, it stops, colliding straight with a tree. Blood is slowly healing on his face, glass still caught in it. The door won't open. Kol busts open the window and crawls out, once again getting cut by glass. He stumbles backwards, taking a look at the car.

It's rightside up again. The windshield is busted, glass everywhere. The front fender is smashed like a can.

He's seen enough movies to know it's totaled.

He totaled a car.

His dad's car.

Kol's body shakes, his lip trembling. The glass still pierces his skin. He's lucky none got him in the chest. His eyes can't leave the vehicle. Elijah just bought it a few weeks ago. He was so happy. Almost as much as he was to get that Mercedes carriage over a hundred years ago.

He's going to be upset.

He's going to be pissed.

Kol has messed up a lot over the past 4 years. His father forgave him for all of it. But none of his misdeeds compare to this. Even when he nearly burned down his room, all that had to be replaced were the curtains. $250 at the most.

This car was $42, 500. Elijah paid cash.

"Are you alright?!"

Kol whips around. A tall, burly man heads for him, wearing a baseball hat and flannel. Worry written in his dark eyes.

The man opens his mouth to speak then looks at the car. He takes in the busted windshield, the completely ruined front. The popped airbag. His eyes slowly return to Kol, widening. Kol touches his face and feels the glass still there, but there's no blood.

In spite of his racing heart, Kol manages to steady his breath. He takes a step forward, grabbing the man by the shoulder and looking him dead in the eye.

"Get back in your truck and drive away. You saw nothing."

The man nods, repeating what he was told before heading back for his vehicle. Once he's out of sight, Kol allows his breathing to pick back up. He has to get out of here. Go far, far, far away.

Kol vamps down the road, unsure of his destination.

Elijah jumps out of Hayley's car before she can even park. He gasps at the sight of his car, marked off behind yellow caution tape. Hayley flashes behind him, blinking rapidly. When he got the call that his car had been stolen and totaled, he wasn't sure what to expect.

Not his near $50,000 car smashed like a soda can, that's for sure.

One of the officers breaks away from the scene, walking over. "This is a closed scene."

Elijah whips out his wallet and flips it open to show his license. "That's my car."

"Ah, Mr. Mikaelson, my apologies. I'm Officer Blakely. As I said on the phone, someone driving by phoned us."

"Where's the person who did this?!"

"We didn't recover it." He scratches at his beard. "It makes no sense. Whoever crashed it shouldn't have survived. The airbag was popped as well. Not to mention the blood…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Elijah notes his wife discreetly sniffing the scene. She pauses, eyes widening. Elijah tilts his head. Hayley points to the car. To the officer, it appears like she's showing her husband the blood. Elijah allows his vampiric senses to take over. The pool of blood staining the passenger door has a familiar smell.

His son's.

"We're doing everything we can to find who did this," Officer Blakely continues. "The perpetrator was stupid enough to leave his phone behind. We have it right now."

Elijah spots another officer holding a plastic bag. While Hayley handles Blakely, he vamps over, grabbing the shoulder of the other. He watches as his eyes gloss over.

"You'll forget about this phone. Call your superiors and tell them you've sent the perpetrator to the morgue. He's a John Doe, dead on arrival. Submit the claim to the insurance company."

The bag is dropped into Elijah's hand. The officer repeats the orders, heading for his car. Elijah walks back to his wife. Blakely is gone.

"I gave him the same story I heard you telling the other one," Hayley mutters.

Elijah nods. He finally allows panic to take over him. His voice stays low. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. I…I can only make out his blood."

Hayley's voice breaks, a sob escaping her lips. Elijah wraps an arm around her, pulling her close.

"What if he's seriously hurt?" Hayley asks, tears burning in her eyes. "What…what if his healing doesn't work?"

"It will," Elijah assures her. "He's probably hiding somewhere, terrified."

The thought alone is enough to bring tears to Elijah's own eyes. He blinks them away.

"Where did they find his phone? Did you ask?"

"By the brakes." Hayley's fingers tremble. "They…they think he was texting and driving."

Elijah stares at the phone in the plastic bag. The screen is smashed, the LED bleeding. There's no way to tell.

"I told Blakely to call a tow company," Hayley whispers.

"Let's go find our boy then."

No one is home when Kol arrives. He won't need long. Once up in his room, he grabs his Gucci duffel and begins tossing random items in it. A pile of briefs, some sweat sets, a pair of jeans he barely wears because they itch. Two shoes that don't even match. His eyes dart around, trying to find the two things he cares about.

Kol nearly drags the duvet down as he grabs his blankie, followed by the tiny wolf plush that Hayley gave him a few weeks ago. He shoves them inside the bag. Next is his special pillow.

It won't fit. In hindsight, it would if he folded some things. Kol doesn't have the time. He tosses out some of the briefs, making it fit. The zipper gets stuck.

Downstairs, the front door opens.

"Fuck it," he mutters.

New clothes can be bought. Ripping the pillow from the bag, he races for the window. It sticks. Kol furrows his brows, trying again. He grunts in frustration before dropping to the floor. As two sets of footsteps rush into the room, he clings the pillow to his chest, burying his head in it.

The smell of his daddy's cologne in the case mixes with his mama's perfume as she kneels in front of him. Tears stream down his face as his breathing picks up again. His chin tilts up. No matter how hard he tries to pull away, he's forced to face her panicked, worried hazel eyes.

"Oh my baby," she whispers. "Elijah, get the tweezers."

Kol fights against her as his dad disappears into his en-suite. "Let me go."

"No," Hayley's voice is firm, matter of fact.

Elijah returns quickly. Kol refuses to look at him. Hayley uses the sharp tool to pull out each shard of glass. He hisses in pain, but it quickly goes away. Kol whimpers. It should last longer. He shouldn't be getting away with this.

Hayley eventually drops the tweezers and pushes the pillow to the side, pulling up his torn t-shirt. She inspects his chest where the bruises are healing. He realizes the shock must have protected him from the pain. The smell of Hayley's tears allows more of his own to come.

Kol backs up a bit, his head hitting the wall. Hayley tries to pick him up, but he pushes her hands away.

"I…I…"

A sorry seems so pathetic. A sorry is what you give when you accidentally break a vase.

He did so much worse.

Kol hears Elijah's heart racing in his chest. His father drops to his knees. Elijah's strength doesn't allow for Kol to push him away. He pulls his son into his chest, kissing his head over and over. Kol whimpers.

"Do you know how terrified I was when I smelt your blood?!" Elijah exclaims, his voice filled with worry rather than anger. "I thought you could be dead!"

"I'm…I'm…I'm…"

Elijah doesn't let him speak. "You have done many stupid things, but this may be the worst."

Kol expels a tiny sob. Elijah keeps a tight grip on him, pulling him back a bit. Tears fall down his face, frowning.

"Running from the scene! You could've had glass in your heart!"

Kol frowns, sniffling. "That…that's what you care about?"

"You could've died, Kol! Do you not understand that?! I don't know when you are going to stop doing these reckless things that put your life in danger!" Elijah's voice shakes. "I cannot lose you! I will not lose you!"

Kol's lip quivers. "I…I would think you'd want me dead. I…I destroyed your car."

"I can get another car! I cannot get another you!"

Elijah practically crushes him against his chest. Kol begins to sob, drowning his dad's shirt in tears. Elijah holds onto him for dear life, pressing a million kisses to the top of his head.

"I…I'm sorry, Daddy," he wails. "I'm so sorry!"

"You are me and your mama's entire world," Elijah whispers, his voice broken. "You can't...you can't do these things! You can't text and drive! You can't steal cars! You can't put your life in danger!"

Kol's body shakes. His dad sounds so firm…yet, so broken.

Kol sees Hayley's arms trying to take him but Elijah doesn't let her take him. She sighs, embracing the two.

The family remains connected for at least a half hour. Kol's voice is hoarse, his eyes sore and dropping by the end. Elijah stands up, holding him in a cradle position. Hayley places a hand on her husband's bicep.

"We have a lot to talk about," she says, softly. "But I think we need to take a nap first."

Kol shuts his eyes, not willing to get up. Elijah snatches up the pillow and carries his son to the bed. Hayley follows behind, laying next to him. Kol hugs his pillow close, while staying snuggled up next to his dad. His red, heavy eyes lull him to sleep.

The sun is lower in the sky when Kol opens his eyes a few hours later. He tries to sit up, but finds himself in that same cradle position as early. Elijah rests against the pillows, staring down at him. Kol rubs his eyes. Hayley gives him a small smile.

"Better?"

Kol nods. "Yeah." He looks up at his dad. Elijah's face is a little puffy, still some worry in his eyes. "Dad…I…I know words are never going to be enough…"

Elijah sighs, settling Kol on his lap so he can sit up completely. "Your safety is what I worry about the most. What you did, Kol, it could have been so bad."

"I know."

"Do you? Because there is so much that could've gone wrong. Why did you take the car in the first place?"

"I wanted to meet up with some friends."

Hayley speaks up. "Which friends?"

"Um…Tate…and Evan."

She raises a brow. A bit of disappointment seeps into her voice. "The ones we told you not to hang out with?"

Kol sighs. "I didn't think it was a big deal. They're nice to me."

"Every time you get in trouble, they're attached to the situation."

"Well, this time, it wasn't their fault. They told me to meet up with them somewhere, but I think they assumed I'd walk."

"And just where were you going?"

Kol gnaws on his lip. "The creek…"

"So," Elijah says, shaking his head. "You not only stole a car, but you were going somewhere you told you were never allowed to."

"It's not a bad place, Dad."

"There's underage drinking, smoking, not to mention it's out so deep, you could get lost."

Kol lets out an involuntary whine. "I'm not a baby. I could find my way back."

"You don't have to like the rules, Kol, but they exist for a reason." Elijah runs his fingers through his hair. "Let's move onto driving without a license. You had 3 lessons, 4 years ago."

"It didn't seem that hard. And I was doing well!" Kol argues. "But then…"

"You texted while driving." Kol ducks his head. "Even if you had a license, that wouldn't be okay."

Hayley scoots closer to them. "Leaving the scene was extremely stupid. What if some of the glass had ended up in your heart?"

"I would've felt it," he mumbles.

"What if you didn't? What if something else was wrong? Not to mention how terrified we were coming across the scene."

"And we're lucky the police aren't on vervain," Elijah adds. "I don't know how we would've been able to explain how a human survived a crash."

Kol folds his arms over his chest. "They wouldn't have tied it to me."

"They found your phone."

Kol swallows, easing his stance. He pats his pockets and confirms, it's gone.

"Where…"

Elijah shakes his head. "It's completely destroyed. We compelled the police to think they already caught the guy. Luckily, the car is covered by insurance."

"That's good. You'll be able to get the same one."

"I don't care about the car, Kol. Even if it wasn't insured, stuff like that can be replaced." He grips his chin. "Your mama and I cannot get another you. Do you realize how terrified we were when we smelt your blood? Then when we couldn't find you?"

Hayley nods. "Why did you take off in the first place?" She glances at the still packed duffel. "Why were you trying to run away?"

Kol frowns. "I…I was scared. I thought you wouldn't want me anymore. I mean, I've screwed up before but not like this. It…It's too much to forgive."

"Kol, you are our son. Our little boy. There is nothing you could do that could make us not love you."

Elijah keeps his face in his hands. "I need you to get it through your head that our love is unconditional. Being a parent, a good parent, means loving your child no matter what."

Kol sniffles. "You're angry with me."

"Disappointed," Elijah corrects. "Worried. Terrified. I will not let you out of my sight for at least a year." Kol would smile if his father didn't sound so sincere. "But, that's no matter. You can try to run away, but I will always bring you home.

"We both will," Hayley says, rubbing Kol's arm. "We love you."

"More than anything, my little prince."

A few of Kol's tears hit Elijah's large hands.

"I love you too." He glances at his mom. "Both of you."

Kol curls back into his daddy, allowing a few more tears to fall. Elijah rubs his back.

"How much trouble am I in?"

Hayley chuckles. "Oh, Lovebug…more than you realize."

Kol frowns, holding his arms out to her. She takes him and adjusts him so he fits on her lap. Elijah still keeps a hold on him by stroking his hair.

"You're grounded for a month," Hayley says. "No electronics. No going out. We're getting you a new iPhone eventually, but for now, we're giving you one of those phones that only allow you to communicate with the family."

"You'll also write a 10-page paper on the dangers of driving without a license as well as texting and driving," Elijah adds. "You have an early bedtime for the duration of your grounding. You and Matt aren't going to the football game on Friday either." Kol's lips form a pout. Somehow, that seems like the worst punishment.

"While insurance is covering the car, had you been caught, you would've been given a ticket." Elijah pulls away to consult his phone. "I had Rebekah look into it. It's $500 for a first-time offense. That will be deducted from your allowance weekly."

Kol sighs. "I guess that's fair." He looks between them. "Do I even have to ask about the other part?"

"Nope."

He reaches down to the floor and picks up the paddle. Kol shudders, while also realizing that's not as bad as it could be. Hayley convinced Elijah to remove the belt as a tool not long after they got married. She found it too much. Combined with Elijah's refusal to switch him, the paddle has become the worst of the tools. Thick, with holes on each side. The family's crest in the middle that will in no doubt be imprinted on his behind.

Kol reluctantly nods. "How many?"

"15." The young boy's eyes about bug out of his head. "If you were a human, I wouldn't go so far. However, I know that it will get through to you this way."

"Your father will handle your spanking," Hayley says. "I'll draw you a bath for after you're done."

Elijah adjusts himself so he's sitting on the edge of the bed. Hayley unbuttons Kol's jeans and pulls them down, followed by his boxers. She lays Kol over his knee and kisses her son's head.

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Mama," he mumbles.

Kol grabs the pillow and holds it tight. Elijah wastes no time starting off by smacking his bottom with his hand. At first, it doesn't hurt so much, but his dad is quick to pick up the pace.

SMACK!

SMACK!

SMACK!

SMACK!

"Ahhh," Kol whines.

"Why are you being spanked?" Elijah asks. The question is silly, they both know exactly why they're here, but it's procedure.

"I…" SMACK! SMACK! "Owww, I stole your c…car…!" SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! "Ouchie! Ow! Ow"

"What else?" Elijah paddles his right cheek. Kol yelps. "Kol Andreas…"

"Ahhh! Okay! Okay! I d…drove without a license…and…I…texted and drove!" Elijah delivers three quick swats to his sit spot. "I…ran from the crash!" Another smack to the top of his chubby bottom makes him honest. "Ouchie! D…Daddy…I…compelled someone."

Elijah pauses. "Pardon?"

"Someone, uh…they saw me…I compelled them so they would forget and not call the police."

Elijah is silent as he swats each cheek, then the sit spot. Tears well up in Kol's eyes.

"I appreciate your honesty," his father tells him. "But it won' t earn you any points."

Kol sucks back a deep breath. "I figured."

Elijah continues smacking his bottom, taking great care in each cheek, even getting Kol's thighs, despite the vampire managing not to kick. Kol bites down onto the pillowcase, gripping tightly. After what has to be 50 smacks, Elijah lets up. Kol's bottom burns something fierce and from a look in the full length mirror, it's already red. Elijah picks up the paddle and adjusts Kol so he can spank him efficiently with it, while still keeping him on his lap.

THWAP!

"Ouchie!"

THWAP!

THWAP!

The tears flood Kol's face as he finally begins to kick. "Owww! Owwwie! Daddy, I'm…I'm so sorry!"

"You…" THWAP! "Mean too much to me!" THWAP! THWAP! The paddle stings as it covers his whole bottom. "You will not put yourself in danger!"

Kol wails like a baby, pounding his fists. "I'm sorry …ahhh! No! No more!"

"We're nearly done."

"Dada!" Kol whines.

Elijah pauses for a moment. If not for the pain, Kol would be surprised with himself. He's never allowed himself to call his dad that, no matter how young he drops.

The rest of the smacks come quick. Kol yelps and sobs, repeating "Dada" over and over. He's limp by the time his dad lets up. Elijah pulls him up into his arms. Kol clings to his shirt. Elijah gently rubs his aching, deep red bottom, taking away a good amount of pain. Kol tries to wipe at his own face. Elijah tends to his face, having him blow when appropriate.

"There we go, it's all over," Elijah coos. "You're forgiven." Kol shakes his head. "Yes, yes, you are." He cuddles him close, fussing over his face. "Dada's here, my sweet little prince."

"Dada," Kol whimpers.

"Dada's here," Elijah repeats, dabbing away the little one's tears. "Oh, baby, I am so happy you're okay."

"No more 'panking?"

Elijah pets his hair. "No more."

"Not at night night?"

"Nope, no bedtime spankings," Elijah promises.

They cuddle for a few minutes more, Kol slowly calming down. Elijah rises to his feet and carries the young boy into the bathroom. The tub is full, with Kol's favorite lavender bubbles swimming about. He gives their baby to Hayley, allowing her to undress him while he takes care of himself. Hayley smiles.

"Is Daddy taking a bath with you?"

"Yes, he is," Elijah says, when Kol doesn't speak. He climbs into the tub and holds out his arms. Hayley hands him over. Kol yelps when his bare bottom hits his legs, but the warm, soothing bubbles help a bit. "Let's get you nice and clean. Then we'll dress in something comfortable."

"No jammie bottoms," Kol requests, rubbing at his eyes.

"That's fine. You won't have to go downstairs. We'll all lay in the big bed." He accepts the body wash and bath brush from Hayley. "Mama will feed you nummies so you won't have to have dinner."

Hayley nods, giving Kol a ducky washcloth to play with. "And Daddy will read you stories, would you like that, my little pup?"

Kol nods, holding the washcloth close. "Yes, Mama."

Elijah washes them both, attempting to get the grime of this horrible, horrible day off of them.

As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to leave prompts!