10 years later
Marinette was helping her parents set up the bakery for Christmas by decorating the mini tree they had in the corner.
"Don't forget the cookies sweetie," her mother said coming over with some gingerbread men.
"Why? Dad's just going to take them off and eat all of them." Marinette said smirking as a 'Oi!' came from her father who was in the kitchen called out.
"Well you're not any better Marinette," Tom, her father, said coming out "Who was it who nibbled on all the Halloween cookies ay?"
"I was testing them to see if they were alright to give to the kids." Marinette said eyes wide and innocent.
Just then the doorbell rang and Marinette went to answer it.
"Grandma?" she said surprised, hugging her.
"Mom?"
"Gina?"
"Hello everyone," she said hugging everybody "I've come to celebrate Christmas with you."
"Oh where have you been this time?" Marinette asked excited "I want to hear all about it."
"Well, let's see..." Gina said thinking "I met an emperor. I sailed on a yacht. I had my first rickshaw ride. And I hiked the Great Wall of China."
"Mom, please, Marinette's head is already so full she's starting to lower her grades in school. Your stories won't help." Tom said carefully decorating a gingerbread house roof.
"Now Tom, Marinette deserves to have some fun in her life, not just school." Gina said waving off her son's words.
Tom was about to say something else when the bell to the shop chimed saying they had customers.
Marinette went back to the shop to help her mother as Gina went to put her bags in the guest room upstairs.
A few hours later the last customer was gone and the shop was closed.
After dinner Gina was telling Marinette another of her stories.
"And then he bowed and asked be to dance," she said sighing gently.
"Did you?" Marinette asked amazed.
"I couldn't say 'No' to the king," Gina said smiling "So I curtsied and let him lead me onto the dance floor, being very careful where I placed my feet. I believe I did step on his feet a few times but he didn't act as though he cared."
"You must have felt like a princess," Marinette said in wonder "I wish I could have been there."
Looking around to check they were alone Gina whispered "Maybe next time you can come with me."
"Really?" Marinette asked swelling up with excitement but then deflated it as she remembered something. "Mama and Papa would never allow it though. Well at least not until I'm done with school."
"Well I don't suppose they will say no to these," Gina said going to get a couple of presents handing them both to Marinette.
The first was a golden locket in the shape of a ladybug with tiny diamond studs as its spots.
The second was an old fashioned nutcracker in the form of a blonde boy who was dressed up as a cat, with the tail as the thing you used to move the jaw to crack the nuts.
"They're wonderful," Marinette smiled hugging her grandmother "Thank you Nona!"
"Now be careful with him Marinette," Gina said patting Marinette's head "He might look strange, but inside beats the heart of a prince."
Marinette wasn't sure if she believed this story but said that she would look after him.
o0o
That night, Marinette fell asleep on the sofa in the living room hugging her new nutcracker.
"We should move her to her room," Tom whispered going to move her.
"And wake her up from a wonderful dream?" Sabine said stopping him "No let her sleep dear. Gina's right Tom, Marinette's not a child anymore, she deserves a chance to follow her dreams."
"She needs to start doing better at school," Tom said going to switch off a light "How else does she expect to get anywhere in the world?"
"You mean you want her to leave us?" Sabine asked smirking a little to Tom's blank look.
"That's not what I meant," he said sighing, seeing a clock on the wall "Come on lets head up to bed."
Placing a blanket over Marinette, Sabine gently moved the nutcracker to the table so Marinette wouldn't get hurt during the night, and then left the room.
Neither of them noticing a twinkle in the nutcracker's eye as they left.