A/n: Why do I have a feeling I'm gonna regret uploading this? Okay so recently I've been writing a story and I havn't been uploading the chapters because I want them to all be pre written so I can just upload them when they are perfected and so my readers don't have to wait so long for new chapters. This story is not being pre written but I really wanted to start this story, and since this one follows a plot unlike my last ladybug story chapters will take longer, this is also due to the SAT's coming up and myself recently getting a job. I'm gonna stop talking now. Please enjoy.
"I'm starting to wish I brought a hat with me," Marinette sighed as she made her way home from school.
It was winter in Paris and now that the Christmas season was over all that remained of the holidays was the bitter frigidness and the blank blankets of snow that had children of all ages captivated with smiles of wonder and awe gracing their features. Marinette was no exception.
Although one could argue that due to her now being 16 she was no longer a "kid" however despite her age she was still a kid at heart and while some her age would rather the winter just go away she couldn't help to look on the bright side and embrace the cold with a smile. Still...a little extra warmth would be nice...she was really starting to wish she'd had bought that hat.
Marinette twirled around to take in the scenery. The clouds were depositing a new blanket of snow upon the city and since Marinette had gotten out of school later than usual she was all alone in her very own winter wonderland. She took note of how the snow fell so delicately onto the already snow covered ground and how most snow frosted the tree branches that had icicles hanging from them. Icicles that were so clear they looked more like water that was frozen in time as though someone took a picture right before said water poured down. Marinette smiled as the frosty inspiration however her smile went away once a cold gust of winter made her shiver and caused her scarf to fly off her shoulders were it had been limply laying.
"My scarf!" She exclaimed as she ran after it and into the alleyway it had been blown into.
Before she could go any further she stopped. A feeling of anxiety and anxiousness swept over her. One part of her wanted to rush in there and get her scarf but another part of her felt to scared to do so. Dark, abandoned alleyways, as cliched as they sound aren't places that are usually trouble free. However she had to get that scarf back, it wasn't even for her it was for her friend Alia. Alia had been complaining that she needed a new scarf since her old one was starting to fall apart so Marinette took it upon herself to make one for Alia. One that'd last a really long time. However the day she decided to wear it to school to test its durability it decided to blow into a dank, dingy alleyway where god knows what lurked.
'Still, I did spend a long time working on that scarf...and it's not like I'll be staying for a while…' The teen thought to herself.
"Come on Marinette, you can do this. You'll be just be in, then out, you can do this."
Marinette set one foot in front of her into the alleyway. Then another, then another.
'Yeah this isn't so bad,' She thought to herself as her worrisome demnior melted away and confidence took hold. However that confidence melted away too when she heard a noise.
She let out a screamed and got into a defensive position only to find a old tin soup can had been knocked over. Her head whipping up and to the left suddenly. She swore she had faintly heard was sounded like….snickering?
Marinette shook her head. It was probably just her imagination. The tin can must have made her paranoid. Yeah that was it.
This time in a somewhat faster pace, Marinette sped-walked over to her scarf and picked it up before holding it away in disgust. It was all wet and covered in grime. Good think she was wearing black mittens so they wouldn't stain.
Suddenly there was a loud clatter followed by a pitiful and annoyed, "Meow!"
Marinette spun around and saw a black cat trapped under and metal pole that had fallen. She let out a gasp and rushed over to her the poor thing. As carefully as she could she lifted the pole and extended her hand to help the cat out. However once her hand got too close the cat let out a hiss and bat her hand away.
"Kitty, I'm just trying to help you. I promise I won't hurt you."
The cat looked into Marinettes blue bell eyes with its piercing green eyes. Wait- green? Didn't black cats usually have yellow eyes? Marinette didn't have long to ponder this as the cat warily laid down its claw, however it kept a firm glare on the girl at all times.
Marinette, carefully and slowly, slid the black cat out from under the pole. Once done the cat leap up onto a garbage can, creating some distance between the future fashion designer and the dark feline. The two stared at eachother for what seemed like an eternity before the cat let out a pain filled before and toppled over.
"Oh no, you must be hurt!" Marinette exclaimed. She rushed over and went to pick the feline up but once again it hissed at her and attempted to get up, only to find that it simply couldn't.
"He-" Marinette stopped herself and took a deep breath. In and out. This cat seemed very wary of humans or at least wary of her. It didn't trust her right now as it was. The last thing she needed was to lose her temper and to make it trust her even less. She looked back at the cat to dance both defiance and what she could only describe as slight amusement dancing in it eyes. Could cats even feel amusement? Well whatever, she could just look it up once she got home. Right now she had a bigger issue to deal with right now.
"Kitty, I just want to help. Something's wrong and I can't figure out what's wrong and fix it unless you let me take a look at you."
Once she finished that sentence Marinette felt kind of silly, 'Look at me talking to this cat like it's an actual person. It probably can't even understand what I'm-'
Before she could finish that sentence the cat let out a meow. It was looking at Marinette expectantly as if saying, "What are you waiting for?'
Abandoning her last thought the teen smiled sweetly and took a look at the feline in front of her.
"Now let's see if we can figure out what's going on."
The cat's eyes darted towards one of its hind legs then back to Marinette. She took it as a sign that there was something wrong with the leg. With an outstretched hand Marinette gingerly touched the leg. The cat leg out a hiss of pain.
"I think there's something wrong with your leg," Marinette took out her phone and checked the time. It was too late to take the little guy to a vet, all vet offices were closed by now. Leaving the little guy out here on the streets was not a option either. In his current condition he probably wouldn't survive a night.
"Well kitty,it's looks like you'll be staying with me tonight," Marinette said with a soft smile.
The cat, as expected, didn't seem to happy about this and again tried to get up, only to fall over.
"Hey stop that! If you keep trying to get up you might make your leg worse!" Marinette cried out in worry
The cat stopped it's struggled and glared at the teen. Marinette wrapped the soiled baby blue scarf around the cat's leg in a make shift cast. It probably wasn't best to use the scarf that had been in the grime in an alleyway as a makeshift cast but she didn't want to risk jostling the cat too hard and breaking its leg even more than it already was and at the moment it was the best she had.
She carefully lifted the cat into her arms and cradled it against her chest like one would a newborn baby. The cat let out a grumble and shifted slightly in her hold to get in a more comfortable position. Marinette let out a small giggle.
"Don't worry, it's only for tonight. Tomorrow I'll take you to a vet and see what she can do about that broken leg."
The walk to her house was a silent one. The cat didn't make a sound. It didn't take long to reach her house. Only about 10 minutes. Marinette smiled and let out a pleasent sigh as the smell of cookies, bread and other baked goods wafted into her nostrils.
"Maman? Papa?" Marinette called out.
"Marinette your home,"Sabine said as she carried in a box containing baking supplies.
"Hi maman. Where's papa?" Marinette asked.
"He's out a delivery. The Leroy's just got married today and he had to run out to deliver their wedding cake."
"In this kind of weather?" Marinette asked.
"Well you only get married once dear," Sabine mentioned as she started to unpack the box.
Marinette shrugged and was about to go upstairs when she remembered the furry friend she had found.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Maman guess what, I-" Marinette stopped when she saw the look in the cat's eyes. It looked panicked like it was begging her not to tell her parents about him.
"What is it dear?" Sabine asked as she continued to unpack the box, her back towards Marinette.
Usually Marinette would tell her parents about something like this. She had never brought a stray, injured animal home before but with something like this they had the right to know. The look that cat gave her though. It held such desperation and sorrow, she couldn't just ignore it.
"Marinette, ss everything alright?" Sabine asked, ceasing her unpacking to face her daughter, slight worry marring her features.
"Oh um, everything's just fine maman. Just wanted to say I love ya," Marinette said in an awkward yet cheery manner.
"I love you too sweetie," Sabine replied.
"Right well, I'm gonna go upstairs. Love ya bye!" Marinette said before running upstairs.
Sabine chuckled and rolled her eyes. Ah, kids these days.
When Marinette reached her room she gently laid the kitty down on her couch.
"Now you stay here while I go get some bandages and something for you to eat."
Marinette jogged into the bathroom and looked under the sink.
"Let's see, bandages, bandages, bandages. Ah ha! Here they are!"
Marinette pulled out a roll of unused bandages. She placed it on the sink and went into the kitchen and grabbed a small bowl. She walked back into the bathroom and filled it with warm water and grabbed a dry washcloth and towel. She then walked into her kitchen and opened up the fridge.
"Lets see, what do cats eat again? Chicken, fish and milk I think."
To her dismay there was no poultry or fish in the fridge. There was however a carton of milk. Perfect. She grabbed the milk and a bowl and poured the creamy white liquid into the that was done she put the milk back in the fridge and headed over back to her room. Making sure she was careful not to spill any. She opened the door to her room to see that cat where she had left him.
"Here you go kitty," She said setting the bowl in front of the cat and on the couch.
The cat looked at Marinette, then the bowl, then back at Marinette again.
Marinette sighed, "I know it's not much but it's all I have right now."
The cat sniffed the milk then glared at Marinette as if she had poisoned it.
"Fine then don't drink it," Marinette huffed while crossing her arms.
"I have to go and get the medical supplies I left in the bathroom. I'll be back in a bit."
After gathering all her supplies Marinette made her way back to her room. She had to admit despite being so adorable and beautiful the cat sure was a brat or at least acted like one. Had it belonged to someone who spoiled it before being left out on the streets?
When she reached her room she saw the cat laying of her bed and the bowl of milk she had left for said cat, empty.
'Guess he really was hungry,' Marinette thought as she removed the bowl and sat on the couch next to the cat.
The cat flinched and went to move only to remember once again that he couldn't.
Marinette dipped the washcloth into the she had filled with warm water and squeezed it while looking the cat in the eyes.
"Now, I'm going to unwrap your leg. Once I do I'll dab it with this washcloth to clean in best I can. When that's over I'm going to dry your leg and wrap it in some bandages, okay?"
The cat's answer was it turning its head away. Marinette took that as a yes and got work. It didn't take long before she was finished.
"All done," She declared.
The cat looked back and her and she smiled sweetly, "Tomorrow at lunch time I'll take you to the vets to see what she or he can do for you."
Marinette took out her phone and checked the time.
"It's 6:00, geez I can't believe I got detention today for something I didn't even do. I guess its not all that bad. After all if I hadn't gotten detention I probably wouldn't have met you kitty. Oh that reminds me I have to find something to call you."
The cats eternal glare intensified. Marinette rolled her eyes. This kitty cat she picked up seemed to have an attitude problem.
"Don't worry I won't make it anything too stupid. Right now though I'm really tired so I'll come up with one for you tomorrow."
"Marinette! Dinners ready!" Marinette heard her mother call.
"Coming Maman," Marinette called back, "I'll be back in a little bit kitty," Marinette said before heading downstairs.
Once she was gone the cat looked out the window from his position on the bed. There was no moon tonight. Great, just great. The cat let out an annoyed meow. This was gonna be a long night.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs she saw her father had returned.
"Papa your home."
"Hey honey. How was school?" Her father Tom asked as they all sat down at the dinner table.
"It could have gone better," Marinette grumbled. Today Chloe, the school bully, had been picking on this kid named Nathaniel. Apparently he had a crush on Marinette so Chloe decided to make fun of the poor kid for it and when Marinette saw this and stood up for Nathaniel Chloe decided to go running to the principal and told him that Marinette had been bullying her and even though Chloe had little evidence and Marinette had Alya and Natheniel on her side she still got detention since Chloe's father is the mayor of Paris and therefore apparently has the right to terrorize everyone around her.
Tom and Sabine exchanged a worried look. Usually Marinette was so positive however lately she's been going through a rough time and unfortuentky there was nothing they could do to help her.
"Well, tomorrows another day," Tom said with a goofy smile.
"Yeah I guess your right," Marinette replied, a fake smile marring her features.
After dinner Marinette headed back up stairs to check on the kitty. To her surprise she found him asleep on her couch right where she left him. She smiled and decided to get ready for bed. After taking a shower, brushing her hair and teeth and changing into her pajama's she climbed up the ladder that led to her bed and laid down.
"Goodnight Chaton."
A/n: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my story and make sure you review. The more reviews I get the faster I'll be able to get these chapters out….hopefully, if all goes well in life but for me that rarely happens. Also I know it's not winter but where I am we just had a big snow storm so it sure feels like winter. Also if I have any errors let me know and I'll go in and fix them...starting to think I should probably get a beta reader... anyways see ya!