Love Beyond Time and Space

The Best Friend

Marinette walked into the boulangerie, ignoring the chatter of her father with the customers and pointed as she walked straight to the back door. The boulangerie had always been busy, but this was insane. Word must have gotten around about the girl who had bagged Adrien Agreste and tied him into a lifelong commitment with a child. To be fair, she would have hated her too.

"Carry on upstairs, love. Your mother's up there with Emma," her father shouted over to her.

Marinette watched as he wiped an arm across his sweat laced forehead, then turned back to the customers. He was run off his feet and she couldn't help but feel guilty. If her mother wasn't looking after Emma, she would be down here to help with the crowds too.

"Hey, Mr Dupain, where would you like these brioches?"

Nino came wandering in from the back of the store, almost taking Marinette out as he carried a tray of brioche in his hands. A white apron was looped around his neck and little chocolate splatter marks made her think he'd been wearing it a while.

"Nino?" she gasped. Her friend smiled back at her.

"Oh, hey M. We came over to see you, and Mr D looked like he could use an extra pair of hands."

We?

Oh, no! Dear Lord no! We could only mean one thing and she wasn't sure if she could handle the other part of the 'we' right now.

"Cool," she squeaked out before pounding up the staircase, 2 steps at a time, and in the direction of her parents' apartment.

Out of breath, she pulled herself up the last couple of steps only to be greeted by loud squealing coming through the walls.

Straightening herself up, Marinette held her back rigid and prepared for a roasting. A deep breath and...

One...she stepped forwards.

Two...she raised her hand.

Three... her hand gripping the handle, and she pushed the door open, stepping cautiously inside.

Emma came barrelling forwards and crashing into her legs the screams of Maman accompanied her unsteady speed.

Unfortunately, Marinette had once again decked herself out in heels and from the force of Emma's trip, she found herself crashing backwards and onto her bottom, Emma landing on top.

"Maman!!" the tiny girl shrieked excitedly. "Ant Awia."

The toddler scrambled to stand, pushing herself up adorably with her hands on the floor and her feet either side, before propelling herself back into the depths of the apartment.

Ant Awia?

That meant her gut instance was right. On the other side of this wall, in the apartment she was about to face her biggest challenge yet. Alya.

Bracing herself, her moment of composure was well and truly gone. She stood and took a few more steps into the apartment where her best friend was currently bouncing her child on her hip.

"Alya. Hi. I was meant to call you yesterday but things have gotten a little..."

"A little what, Marinette? I'm rather intrigued about how you're going to finish that sentence." The raised eyebrow wasn't angry or annoyed, it was more interesting and curious. There was no doubt in Marinette's mind that her friend was fully on board with this.

Never really understanding what it meant by feeling herself pale, the mystery was solved right in that moment. With a sigh and a rub of her forehead, Marinette perched herself onto a bar stool at the counter in her parent's kitchen area, her eyes searching out her mother's for any indication of what to do.