"AND even now, the words of Ecclesiasticus are ringing in my ears, they're saying vengeance as a lion shall lie in wait for them." Vincent gave his peace as they all looked over at Davina's tomb.

Davina's funeral was underway and there were very little attendees when compared to the funeral Will Kenney and Elijah Mikaelson had organized for Cami. Elijah thought it best to hold a parade for the fallen vampire as a way to play off her murder. The rumor on the street was the Cami died in the woods, eaten by bears and left behind to rot. However, some people knew different. The vampires knew differently.

Josh paused for a second then licked his lips and stepped forward. "A while ago, forever ago, I told Davina a story about my first boyfriend but what I didn't tell her was that I had never shared that story with anyone else. She was like a sister and a best friend and I loved her. I wish th... uh..." he trailed off, unable to finish his story, and looked down at his feet, sobbing lightly.

Vincent looked towards Kol expectantly, as though waiting for him to say something. Kol opened his mouth to speak but shook his head, grief written all over his face. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"Words aren't any good, the Mikaelsons need to answer for this. I'm gonna make them answer." Marcel stepped up to speak, promising the crowd the vengeance the young witch deserved. He placed his hand on Davina's tomb stone and whispered softly. "I promise."

The crowd started to disperse and Marcel caught a familiar figure standing several feet off into the distance. He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets before walking toward them. "You hated Davina." He remarked knowingly, giving a reason for his confusion as to why they were there.

"Yeah..." Ingrid replied dully with a nod of her head. She stood before him in an all black pantsuit with a black blazer and her tiny baby bump barely peaking through the material. "But she was important to you and she was important to Kol. And you two are important to me." She explained sternly with a minuscule smile. "I wanted to let you know I care but I was trying to give you your space. So I'm just here to give my condolences and I'll leave."

"I know why you're angry and I do not blame you in the slightest. I understand you hate me and you don't trust me and... I don't blame you for that either." She said softly with tears welding in her dark brown eyes. "I love you, Marcellus. Even if you hate me... even if I have to love you from afar... I will. Just tell me what you want and I'll do it. You want me to never speak to you again? Okay..." She agreed as her lip quivered. "You never want to see me again? Okay. Whatever it is, I'll accept it. But at the end of the day, I will still love you because you're my son and I want what's best for you."

Marcel choked back tears and looked away from her, trying to keep his composure. He cleared his throat and glanced at her with a stern glare. "You have to understanding that this... this can't go without justice."

Ingrid immediately nodded her head in agreement. "I know. And I don't blame you for that either. I've been racking my brain for a justifiable punishment but no matter what... it doesn't... feel like enough." She remarked with a shake of her head and furrowed eyebrows.

"Can you look me in the eye and swear to me that you had no hand in this?" Marcel snapped furiously, pointing a finger at himself.

Ingrid walked toward him so they were merely inches apart and stared directly into his eyes. "I had absolutely no part in this. Niklaus and I told Elijah to find another way and he disobeyed."

Marcel wouldn't lie. He felt a sense of relief wash over him and he let out the faintest of sighs. However, his rage was still enough to cloud his senses and he backed away from her. "You're still his family and you'll protect him no matter what. Which means you'll only get in my way."

"I am his family in name only." Ingrid rejected with a shake of her head and an angry scowl. "Elijah has done enough and he needs to be put in his place."

Marcel opened his mouth to respond but Kol came storming toward them with a furious glare and walked straight toward Ingrid. "What are you doing here?"

Marcel grabbed Kol's arm, trying to get him to back away from the pregnant hybrid. Ingrid caught this act and smiled warmly at him while holding a hand up. "It's okay, Marcellus."

Kol dangerously close to Ingrid and jabbed in finger in accusation at her. "You let the love of my life die!"

Ingrid pushed his hand out of her face and gave him a stern look. "No."

"You wanted Davina dead and--" Kol began with another accusation but cut off abruptly.

"If I truly wanted Davina dead, she would have been dead and I wouldn't have needed Elijah or Freya to do it." Ingrid argued in a pointed manner and raised an eyebrow.

Kol made a face of realization, backing off slightly. She was right. If Ingrid wanted Davina dead, she would have simply killed the witch herself with her own hands.

"Kol, I know." She mused with a sympathetic face. "I'm sorry this happened. I truly am. You have every right to be angry. But you need to be angry at the right people. I had nothing to do with this. Niklaus had nothing to do with this." She defending her husband earning a scoff and an eye roll from her brother-in-law. "We didn't! Listen to me. I make no excuses but you need to know the truth."

"I won't lie. Our family---" She started, glancing between the two men in front of her. "---sucks and fucked this up. We did this. I did this." She took some of the blame for the disaster that has been unleashed. "I killed Hayley and Camille out of nothing but pure spite. I helped add to the list of enemies coming after us. I did that. I deserve to pay for my actions. We all do." Ingrid said with a small shrug of her shoulders. "Elijah will pay--"

"By what? Daggering him and stuffing him in a coffin for a couple decades?" Kol questioned incredulously with another scoff. "You know that doesn't work!"

"No. That would be far too easy. Hardly a punishment at all." Ingrid answered simply and shook her head. "But I can't exactly kill him either. I... I feel it is best that I allow you two to come up with what justice you think is well deserved. I'll stay out of your way." She assured them with a small smile then glanced at the tomb, catching Vincent's furious glare. Turning back toward her family, she nodded her head in understanding. "Well, I'm smart enough to know when I'm not wanted." She commented with a flat lipped expression before walking toward Kol and wrapping her arms around his torso in a well-mannered hug.

Kol was enraged beyond belief but when she hugged him, he felt some of his anger ease as comfort and sadness replaced it. He hesitantly wrapped his arms back around her, accepting her gesture. Resting his chin on her head, he closed his eyes. Sometimes he felt as though Ingrid was the only one who genuinely cared for him and he didn't want to be mad at her. However, he found that it was hard to separate her from Klaus' shadow.

She closed her eyes as well and whispered softly. "I am sorry." She expressed her condolences and squeezed him ever so slightly before pulling away and walking toward Marcel. Ingrid made eye contact with the younger vampire and frowned slightly.

Marcel shifted on his feet and looked down at the pavement under his feet. He cleared his throat in an attempt to bury his tears and looked up at her. "I need space. I can't..."

"It's okay." Ingrid reassured him with an understanding smile. "I understand."

She then quickly reached out and hugged him tightly, tighter than she ever had before. This was her farewell hug. Never knowing when the next time she would be allowed to hold him close again. She buried her head in his chest and pushed back the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.

Marcel returned the embrace, wanting nothing more than to let this moment last forever. He loved Ingrid, she was the mother he never had, but her loyalty to the Mikaelsons made matters difficult. So Marcel knew it was better to let her go. He wouldn't be able to make their family pay without hurting her and that was something he never wanted to do.

Ingrid sniffled quietly and backed away, her hands along the lengths of his arms until they were palm to palm with his hands. Her fingertips gently grazed his and she felt a tear escape the corner of her eye. "I love you, Marcellus." She said emotionally then stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him tenderly on the forehead.

Marcel closed his eyed and held onto her hands, squeezing them tightly. "I love you, ma." He responded affectionately, pulling away from her touch and staring at her meaningfully. "Goodbye... Ingrid."

"Goodbye, sweetheart." She whispered sadly, her hands slipping out of his as she walked away from them.

Marcel watched her leave with a heartbroken expression on his face until she disappeared from his eyeline. He gritted his teeth together as tears fell down his cheeks. Kol looked at him with a frown and awkwardly placed a hand on his shoulder.

Ingrid returned home to the compound to find nothing but suffocating silence. She walked up the stairs and down the hall toward Hope's play room. She walked past Klaus, who looked at her in confusion and worry, and scooped up the toddler from the floor. "Hi, baby." She greeted her daughter with the best smile she could and stroked Hope's cheeks. Peppering Hope's forehead with kisses, the female hybrid sobbed softly into her hair.

Klaus stood up from his seat on the couch and walked toward them, pulling Ingrid close to him and rubbing her back soothingly. "I'll fix this."

"No." Ingrid rejected with a shake of her head, her voice cracking harshly. "We need to respect Marcellus' wishes and it's best to leave him be." She advised sternly and glanced up at him through tears. "You raged about not listening to me a few days ago so, please... just listen to me. Leave it."

Klaus could tell how serious she was about the subject and reluctantly nodded his head. He kissed her gently on the temple and smoothed out her hair. "Okay." He agreed in a hushed whispered. "Do you want comfort or do you want time?"

"Time." She answered dully and rubbed the back of Hope's head.

"Alright, my love. Call me if you need anything." He offered affectionately and kissed her temple again. Once she nodded in agreement, he spared one last look at his wife before walking out of the room, giving her the time and space she needed.

Ingrid swayed back and forth on her feet, lulling Hope to sleep, as she cried over the rejection from her son. She hummed a melody between hiccups and soaked in that moment with the toddler. She walked through the door connecting the playroom to the nursery and approached the crib. Placing a longing kiss on the top of her head, Ingrid whispered quietly. "I love you, Hope. I will be better." Shs promised strongly, slowly placing Hope down on the mattress in the crib. "Whatever it takes."

Ingrid left the nursery to hear shouting in Klaus' study. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she rushed toward it and walked into the room. Klaus and Elijah immediately turned toward her with wide terrified eyes. She glanced at them in concern as Klaus walked toward her. He grabbed ahold of her hand in his and prepared to give her the news, his voice trembling with each word. "I am so sorry, my love... Marcellus is dead."

Ingrid let go of his hand and back away from him, frantically shaking her head in denial. "No. N--no." She laughed humorlessly and pointed a finger at him. "I don't like this game!" Tears glistened against the light and her bottom lip quivered. "No. No... no... That's--- that's impossible. I--I just saw him. Here---" She spoke quickly, pulling her phone out from her pocket and dialing Marcel's number completely from memory. "I'll just call him and he'll pick up like he always does. Simple." She listened to the line ring and nibbled on thumb nail while tapping her foot impatiently.

Klaus slowly approached her, trying to pull the phone away from her ear and get her attention. "Ingrid--"

"No!" She snapped harshly and yanked her arm out of his grip. The automated voice told her to leave a message and she hung up the phone. Her hands shook aggressively and her vision blurry as she redialed his number. "He's fine." She kept repeating to herself and waited for him to pick up again. "He's not... he's not answering." She said, terror taking over her body. "He's probably still mad at me. That's... that's okay." She tried to convince herself while hanging up the phone again. "He needs space and.... Yeah, he's just mad at me."

Elijah glanced at her in guilt and Klaus watched her with a face that could only be read as heart break. Her dark brown eyes shifted frantically side to side and she had began to chew through her fingernails, making herself bleed. He took another step toward her causing her to back away and hold a hand up in front of her. "Darling..." Klaus called out to her softly and she snapped her eyes toward him, crying involuntarily. "He's gone. I saw it... I am so sorry but he's gone."

Ingrid realized that he wasn't lying and it wasn't a sick joke. Her heart dropped into her stomach, her face curled up into a sob, and she began to hyperventilate. "N----no---No!! He can't be. I refuse to accept this. Marcellus cannot be--- NOO!!"

Klaus rushed toward her and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head against his upper arm and cried out loudly in pain. She gripped tightly onto the sleeves of his jacket while he held onto her tightly. "H---how?" She questioned in rage, pulling away to look up at him. "Who did this?! I want to know who fucking did this!!"

"No---" Klaus began to refuse to tell her, shaking his head, but was interrupted.

"I did." Elijah admitted guiltily, ready for the Ingrid Mikaelson sized rage that was about to explode. "I killed Marcellus."

Ingrid gaped at him in horror before sneering, enraged beyond absolute belief, and storming toward him at full speed. She punched him harshly across the face with all of her strength. Elijah fell to the ground, blood pouring from his busted lip. Instead of fighting back, he wiped away the blood and stood to his feet.

She glared coldly at him as the tears continously poured down her face in a never ending waterfall of grief. "You killed my son!" She bellowed at him, both furious and shocked. Ingrid then beat him repeatedly while shouting at him. "HOW DARE YOU!?"

Elijah stood in his spot, accepting her blows and doing nothing to stop her in the slightest. There was no trying to justify this to Ingrid and even if there was, she wouldn't bother to listen.

"YOU BASTARD!! YOU KILLED MY SON!" Ingrid continued to beat him until her sadness consumed her. She pounded her fists against his chest while yelling incoherently in between high-pitched sobs. "I--- you---" It soon became too much and she began to sink down to her knees. "I hate you."

Elijah grabbed her hands and slowly eased her to the floor. "Don't touch me!" She harshly yanked her hands out from his and pushed him away from her.

He crashed into the bookcase, breaking several shelves and bringing an avalanche of books down with him. He slumped down to the floor across from her and shot her an apologetic expression. "Ingrid---"

"GET OUT!!" She roared furiously, flashing her amber-gold eyes at him.

Elijah nodded his head curtly, pushing the books off of him and standing to his feet. He spared her one last glance as he walked past her toward the door. The sound of her voice speaking quietly stopped him from completely leaving. "Do not come back." She warned him sternly. "Because I will kill you."

He gulped in fear and straightened himself out before exiting the room without another word and leaving the compound entirely, no where to go and no one to run to.

Klaus fell down to the floor next to his wife and pulled her closely to his body as she wailed out, heartbroken. "Niklaus... I--- he's---"

"I know..." He rested his head on her shoulder and sobbed as well. The two mourning the loss of Marcel completely oblivious that he had been standing on the balcony outside, listening in.

Marcel rolled his head back and placed it against the brick of the exterior. He closed his tear filled eyes and took a deep breath, steadying his emotions. Hearing the sound of Ingrid bawling made his heart clench in his chest. He wanted to rush in there and assure it was alright but knew it wasn't the best choice. "I'm sorry, ma." He whispered, the words barely making any noise amongst the wind of the night air, and sped away, leaving her behind.

---
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-the1andonlytifftiff