His Midnight Shadow

Chapter Seventeen

Ella sat alone in the dimly lit train station watching the many trains load and unload but soon got bored of the repetitive action and let her mind finally wander. Though it ended up in a dark place she wished it hadn't, the distorted memory she dreamt of the night before. She fiddled with the medallion of the pear necklace her father gave to her in the original memory and not the one her dreams distorted.

She squeezed it holding it close to her heart and shut her eyes tight blocking anything from escaping, "Ella!"

Ella opened her eyes and blinked away the forming tears, "Felix! You're finally here!"

He laughed pulling her into a hug, "Yes, I know. I'm sorry it took me forever. These damn trains, but I rather die before flying," Ella looked at him confused before laughing along with him. "So what's our first stop, baby cousin."

"I hate it when you call me that," Ella smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Nothing stops me Ella," Felix announced.

"You're right, but I was thinking we can go to Tom and Sabine's. It's around brunch time and they have pretty great things," Ella suggested.

Felix shook his finger and head, " Mhmhmh... Are you sure your, father, would allow you to go to this bakery? Doesn't affect your diet right?"

"Oh, shut up. Do you really think I care about what he says," Ella paused looking at the ground. "Especially now."

"What do you mean especially now?" Felix questioned in a more serious tone but continued to be sweet.

"He's just becoming more aggressive but also secretive. Just keeping to himself a lot more, barely or even at all spending time with Adrien or I, then when he does spend time with me, it's not like it used to be," Ella spoke, her body slowly tensing with each word.

"How aggressive? My father's type of aggressive?" Felix asked as his tone heightened and he became a little more fidgety but it didn't help when Ella didn't respond. "Ella. Is he hurting you?"

Ella looked at her cousin who looked more panicked than he has ever before then quickly looked away from him letting out a sigh, "Not... physically."

The building tension in his body soon began to slow down and relax which relaxed Ella as well, she didn't wanna dump all this on her cousin, especially not in his first thirty minutes here, "Though don't let too much of what that old pan says to you hurt you because remember smart, brave, and powerful. You'll be out of there in no time and you can leave Paris, come live with me and go to the university. Get away from all these monsters."

Ella closed her eyes imagining it all, "That sounds like a dream. Although what should I do about him being more secretive, you know he's been shutting himself out more recently but now he doesn't leave the house at all and rarely even his office. I've been sneaking around a little bit but-"

"You've been what?" Felix asked furrowing his eyebrows. "Ella, I don't think that's a smart idea, especially if he's already being aggressive. It might just make things worse, make him more angry. I know you're curious about it all but if he's already keeping it so private on top of what he normally keeps hidden, I would just let it go. You don't want to be caught up in something that doesn't involve you now."

Ella breathed in a harsh breath looking away from her cousin then looked back with a smile that didn't quite reach her boiling eyes, "Okay, I understand. Thanks."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a serene smile even when worry coated his mind, "Really Ella, believe me on this one."

She only nodded and the rest of the walk was in silence until they made it to the bakery. Felix walked ahead of Ella opening the door for her and her gratitude was soon replaced with disbelief as she saw Marinette working at the cashier of the bakery although she didn't notice Ella. So she didn't pay much mind the the bluenette either and went straight for the pastries, though Felix was there before she was even able to make it a few steps into the bakery making her laugh which caught Marinette's attention.