The Princess and Her Cat

Five

When I woke the next morning he was gone. I knew he would be. But I had hoped that he would be there, his transformation long gone and his arms around my waist. But instead I woke with a cold bed and enough nightmares to last a lifetime.

Sitting up in bed, I glanced at the clock. 9:03, it read, the red, blinking lights taunting me to get up and live life. The closest thing I could come up with was taking a shower. I walked to the bathroom, tile cold beneath my feet. Shedding my pajamas, I flipped on the shower and stepped inside, the warm water washing away the dirt and memories of the past week. The scars stung on my stomach, but I ignored them, focusing instead on the sound of the water streaming down on me.

When I got out, I looked at myself for the first time since being kidnapped. I was far too skinny. I could count my ribs. The words carved across my abdomen shone an angry red, spitting back at me words that I already knew I was. I was unclean. I was trapped. I was worthless. And most of all I was alone. As I stared, the mirror began to tilt and blur in my vision, distorting my body worse then it already was. Escaping my throat, a sob echoed through the empty bathroom, a shaky hand coming to my mouth. I was shaking like a leaf in the winter wind, hanging on for dear life. That's what I was doing. I was hanging on for my life.

Images kept flashing through my head. Pain shot through my veins again. Slowly, I sunk to the floor, welcoming the cool tile beneath my skin. Tears and ragged gasps for air were the only sounds I heard, the air chilling my skin and sending goosebumps up my arms. In that moment I wanted to die. I wanted to forget everything, Adrien, Ladybug, Chat, being kidnapped, the scars, the pain, the panic. I wanted it all to stop. I could grab the sleeping pills. Just take all of them at once. Then I'd fall asleep, never to rise again.

I could just leave.

My tears slowed and then dried, my hair dried around my face, the water droplets that had clung to me had gone. Still I lay there, pondering death.

Would he welcome me with open arms? Would he care if I had scars proclaiming my utter uselessness? Would he turn me away?

Would anyone miss me? Who would become the new Ladybug? Would Chat fall for this one too?

Chat. What would he do? Would he clutch my lifeless body and curse fate? Would he care at all?

Questions. So many questions, very few answers. No answers, actually.

I don't know how long it was before my parents told me that they were going on a delivery, that they would be back the following morning. I yelled my goodbyes, but didn't move from my spot on the floor.

I might have fallen asleep.

Because before long I heard a rapping on my trap-door. I didn't answer.

"Marinette?" Chat called. I didn't move. "Marinette?!" Louder this time. More desperate this time. Loud cursing came from the other room in addition to more shouting for my name.

I didn't answer. I didn't move. I didn't want him to see me like this. I didn't want him to see me at all. I was a burden.

Knocking on the door. Jiggling the knob. "Marinette?!?" he called frantically. "Marinette, please open the door," he begged.

Standing, I grabbed the towel off the floor and wrapped it around myself. Shakily, I took the bottle of sleeping pills and glass of water off the table. "Why should I?" I retorted, unscrewing the lid.

"I'm here, Princess. Please." More pounding on the door.

I shook out what I estimated to be fifteen pills into my hand. "No, Chat."

The pills were halfway to my mouth when Chat yelled, using the power of his Miraculous to destroy the door. The pills were on my lips when he grabbed my wrist and knocked them from my hand, sending them spilling on the floor.

"How could you?!" I shrieked, hands raised to smack him, hurt him, anything to show him how much I hurt. He grabbed both of my wrists, the timer on his Miraculous beginning to wear off.

"Marinette. Stay with me, please."

"Why should I?!" I screamed, tears falling in my cheeks. "You don't need me! I'm nothing to you," I protested, beginning to shake. "I'm a burden. Why don't you let me be? You won't miss me!"

"Yes I will, Marinette! I'd miss you more than anything. Why do you think I come here everyday?"

"Because you feel like you need to!" I yelled. Another beep sounded on his Miraculous. As it did, he pulled me into his arms, my small form shaking in his grip. Sobs escaped my mouth before I could stop them.

"I don't come here out of necessity. I come here because I want to. I want to know you're safe. I want to see your eyes, your beautiful, beautiful eyes light up even just a little bit. I want to be there for when you're broken, and when you're whole again. I want to be the one who puts you back together." Another beep.

"Why?" I whispered, almost scared of the answer.

"Because I've known you for two years. Because you're my best friend.Because there's nothing more that I want than to watch you be happy." Another beep. One more and he would turn back into a normal person.

"Chat, you need to go. Your timer--"

"I don't care. I'm not leaving you until your parents get home."

"But Chat--"

"No. I'm not leaving."

The last beep sounded.