Marcy

Happy New Year

Chapter 12

Hope stood in front of the store mirror holding a little black dress in front of her. It was a little longer on her than on her Aunt Rebekah but she was sure she could pull it off, that is, if she was brave enough to leave the store with it.

She and Rebekah were out shopping for an outfit to wear to the secret New Year's Eve party the Tremé witches were throwing. She was invited by a friend but Niklaus wouldn't let her go unless she took a security detail with her. He had yet to explain to her the seriousness of the threats posted against their family and he didn't want her to feel afraid so he slyly talked her into agreeing to go to the party with Rebekah. Since Rebekah was so young at heart, the girl agreed with hardly an argument.

"How about this one," Rebekah brought her a white sequin dress.

It was far less revealing than the black dress as the girl held it up to her body in the mirror.

"There you are. All covered up. Nothing ol' mum and dad can say bad about this one."

"I don't know. This one's cute but," Hope held the black dress back up in the mirror. "This one matches Sebastian's tux."

"Sebastian," Rebekah mocked. "You two've been spending a lot of time together. Are things getting...serious?"

"It's not like that, Aunty," she laughed. "He's just a friend. Honest."

"Okay, okay, fine. Whatever you say. Go try on...the black one."

"Really?" Hope's eyes lit with delight.

"Really. I'll deal with your parents should they find out but let's try to get this between the two of us. Hope and Aunty Bex's little secret."

Hope jumped into Rebekah's arms, hugging her tight, before running off to the dressing room to change.

-M-

Marcel stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard watching with envy the werewolves sparing beneath him.

He hadn't sparred against anyone in weeks. The last fight he'd been in was with Kol but that could hardly be called a fight. He spent all of his time doing chores and the one day a week he got off he spent locked away in his room trying to avoid Hope, Kol, and Klaus's dreaded werewolf lackeys.

"Something on your mind?" Marcel jumped at Klaus's lilted voice behind him.

"Just taking a break to watch them spar." He answered tensely.

Klaus nodded. "You've got twenty minutes and then you get back to work. Understood?"

The sound of a man's body being thrown through a banister diverted Marcel's attention back to the fighting going on below.

"Seems every time I fix something around here those mangy wolves break it again."

"And it's your job to fix it again."

Marcel sighed, silently reminding himself that he agreed to this.

As Niklaus started to walk away, he called out, "Wait. There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Klaus turned around and gave the nervous man his full attention.

"It's about...my men."

"Your men?"

"Yes, I've been thinking, and...you already have the wolves living here, a few more bodies can't make that much of a difference."

"You want your men to live here? In my home?"