Running From Him... For You

10.

T E N

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Marinette sat behind the counter of Tikki's bakery, a frown plastered on her face. After she received that call from her father the night before, she had been restless.

Her father told her not to return to France and that he would keep her updated about what was going on with her mother. Based on the information she got, Nathaniel did a number on her mother - he broke three ribs, her nose, bruised her cheek bones and damaged her right eye beyond repair. She even got a concussion and has yet to wake up.

She couldn't help but to take blame for what happened. Had she not left Nathaniel, her parents would not be getting hurt and she wouldn't have to be looking over her shoulder every five seconds. Yes, she was afraid when she was with him - enveloped in a bubble of fear, to be specific - but it was ten times scary knowing that there was a possibility of him finding out where she was.

In times like this, she was glad he didn't have his father around him anymore. That man, Nathan Kurtzberg, was terrifying. He was even more terrifying than Nathaniel. It was like Nathaniel was a shell of a man when Nathan was around. Not only that, Nathan had way more links and power than Nathaniel, so he would be able to find her in no time while ruining her parents and Tikki in the process.

'I should go back,' She thought, running a hand over her face. 'I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me. First my mother, next it'll be Dad then Tikki.'

She knew she shouldn't be having thoughts like this, but she couldn't help it. She was scared...so so scared.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" She heard a tiny, yet cute voice, breaking away from her wandering thoughts. She looked down and saw a little girl standing in front of the counter.

"How can I help you, honey?" Marinette forced a smile to her face.

"Um...I would like a stwawbewwy (strawberry) cupcake, pwease (please)," The little girl spoke cutely, causing Marinette's heart to swell up with joy.

"Coming right up," The blunette quickly packaged the cupcake, throwing in a complimentary cookie because the little girl was too cute. She then took the money and sent the little girl off. She watched with a smile as the girl scurried back to her mother.

Unconsciously, her hand went to her still flat stomach. Remembering that she was pregnant with Nathaniel's baby left a bad taste in her mouth, but she didn't have the strength to abort the baby. She had thought about it, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She could still feel the stiff, cold flesh of her last baby on her fingertips and she couldn't bear the thought of losing another baby - whether it was Nathaniel's baby or not.

Resting her cheek on her right palm, her disguised blue eyes watched as the two waitresses moved around the bakery. They were absent the day before, along with the baker that was currently in the kitchen with Tikki. Why they were all absent on one day? Marinette had no idea.

The bakery was getting busy since it was almost lunch time. She was to be at her other job today, but due to the incident that took place the day before - where she fainted - Tikki and Adrien forced her to take a week off from that job.

Adrien...

The blond had found out her true identity. She wasn't 'Miranda'...she was Marinette. He surprised her. She knew he was curious about why she was all the way in America when the last time he saw her she was in France with her husband, but he hadn't asked any questions. She found that incredibly weird.