Marcy

Repercussions

Warning: Spanking of a Minor 

Chapter 20

Marcel woke in his bed to the smell of freshly cooked bacon. Klaus's blood had healed him of his wolf bite and of his perpetual exhaustion and he slept only for a couple of hours before waking fully refreshed and nightmare-free for the first time in days. When he woke to see his father sitting in the chair by his bed eating breakfast, he smiled. His smile broadened at the sight of Hope fast asleep at the foot of his bed. She fought her father tooth and nail for the right to stay and wait for Marcel to wake up but half an hour after she won the argument she fell asleep.

"Good morning," Klaus smiled back at the boy. He held the plate closer to Marcel and said, "Bacon?"

Marcel took a crispy strip and sat up to talk to Klaus.

"You really had me scared this morning," Klaus admitted. "When we couldn't find you, I was afraid...something terrible had happened."

"Sorry, poppa. We were just...trying to have some fun. We didn't expect to be attacked."

Niklaus smirked. "Most attacks are done in surprise," Then his mood suddenly became dour. "But when we say you shouldn't leave the Compound without us, you shouldn't leave the Compound without us. If that seal had broken last night without Freya around to help you...we could have lost you."

Marcel remembered the phantom that followed him last night and the horrible things he was saying about Klaus. He couldn't believe it. Even now Klaus seemed so sincere in his love for him. He didn't want to believe the man could ever hate him.

Staring down at Hope's sleeping figure, Marcel muttered, "Poppa...did Uncle Elijah...ever try to kill me?"

Klaus blanched. "What would make you ask that?"

"I had a dream that he did. I've been having these horrible nightmares that I couldn't tell you about because I thought they were just bad dreams and I had to deal with them on my own but I don't think they were just dreams. Poppa...I dreamed you hated me."

"That was certainly a dream, Marcellus," Klaus grunted. "I have never and I will NEVER hate you. You are my son."

"But not really. Not like Hope is your daughter. I'm just a boy you took in, not your real son."

Niklaus put the plate of food on Marcel's nightstand and climbed into bed beside the boy. He wrapped his arms around Marcel and held him close against his chest. Marcel couldn't help the tears that started down his face and Klaus was unashamed of his own watery eyes.

"Family is not determined by blood, Marcel. Family is those that you love, those that you fight for, and those who fight for you."

"But you didn't fight for me," Marcel cried. "You let him pull my heart out. You left me alone in that cold river. You abandoned me. You banished me."

Klaus listened brokenheartedly to his son's words. He knew. Niklaus was filled with contempt for himself. His son suddenly knew the egregious acts his family committed against him and all he could say in return was, "I'm so sorry, Marcellus. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Marcel's tears were heavy enough to speckle his sheets. "You were supposed to protect me always, but you didn't...because I'm not your son."

Klaus lifted Marcel's head so the boy was staring into his tearful green eyes. "Don't you ever think that again. I am your father, your poppa. I made a mistake, an appalling mistake, but I am so sorry, Marcellus."

"He said I was broken," Marcel mumbled. "The man in my nightmares, the 'me' from before. I think he's right. When I was little Momma was the only person who cared for me. Then she died and for a long time, nobody cared about me. Until I met you. But I...can't stop thinking about the time when I was alone. The time when nobody cared. The time...when my own father...despised me. I don't ever want to go back to that time, poppa. Please, don't...don't ever stop loving me again."