Check Mate

Chapter 8

Marinette was released from her parents' tight embrace by Allegra's surprised squawk.

"Your parents own the Tom and Sabine Patisserie?!"

Right. For a moment there she'd forgotten she brought her friends(were they friends yet?) with her to give them thank you pastries.

She reluctantly took a step back from her parents and turned to the group and gave a proud nod, "Since before I was born. Papa has been baking since he was a kid, and Maman comes from a long line of good cooks. Together, they're unstoppable in the kitchen."

Her papa laughed, "Thank you sweet heart, but what are you doing here? Don't you have that concert tonight?"

Marinette heard the underlying message loud and clear. Why are you here when Lila is still making you a target?

She stifled a sigh, and plastered a smile on her face, "That's why we all got ready early. I wanted to bring my new friends here for some of your pastries if that's okay. We have two hours before the concert, and we were going to meet Chloe at the park."

If anyone noticed the tension between the family, they didn't say anything, and Sabine, ever the subtle one, spoke up, "Why don't I show your friends upstairs while you and your father get some snacks? Then we can close up shop early and catch up a bit."

Her parents shared a look, conveying some sort of message, and her papa nodded, "That sounds like a plan to me."

Her friends (she knew they were friends now because they hadn't denied it) all followed her Mama upstairs, chatting with each other and she and her papa worked in silence for a few moments, bagging up various treats for them.

Tom was the first to cautiously break the silence, "Cupcake, you know we miss you, but don't you think it's a bit risky to be here right now? Chloe keeps us up to date about the situation at your old school and it's not looking too good."

"I know." Marinette replied simply, squashing any rising feelings as they came.

"We just want to keep you safe sweetie. That's why we decided on a dorm in the first place. To keep you away from them." He nearly spat out the last word. He was obviously still angry with her old classmates, not that she could really blame him.

Still...

"Staying away from them is also keeping me away from you. It's keeping you away from me too. And it's keeping Chloe away, and it's keeping Sabrina away. I don't like it Papa. I miss you all too much." Marinette admitted, clenching her hand around the empty tongs she had in her hands.

"What about your new friends? They seem nice." He asked, gently prodding for clues as to what was going through her head.

"It's only been two weeks Papa. I mean, yeah they seem different than everyone at Dupont, but they had seemed nice in the beginning too. I really thought it would take a lot more than a few lies to turn out like this." She huffed, gesturing her hands vaguely as if it explained everything.

Her papa wrapped her in a side hug, "I know. This is a lot to go through, and it should never have happened. But we only want what's best for you, and right now, even though it's hard, you need distance from here until either it all dies down or something is done about the situation at Dupont. I don't want you to be hurt again," he looked down at her, his eyes shining with unshed tears. She felt bad for making him worry like this, and she leaned into the hug he provided. He grabbed her chin and tilted her head up to examine her face, then tapped the corner of her left eye, "Do they know?"

She turned her head away, her own hand touching the scar she had been covering up with makeup, "No. I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell them. I'm not sure if I ever will tell them."