Chapter 10: Apologies & Apple Tarts

Chat winced at her comment. He knew why she'd said something so out of character for herself. She was trying to get him to crack a smile- laugh- unwind. But he was wound tight.

"Yeah...why I'm here…" He rocked on his heels. "Listen, Marinette-"

"Whoa, my real name? This must be serious." Mari smiled teasingly. It kind of irked him. Not because he was trying to be serious and she was deliberately provoking him, but because she was never this open with him in civilian form. Adrien would kill to be this open with her- she was one of his most precious friends after all.

"Marinette, can we be serious for a moment? Please?" he stressed.

She blinked her wide blue eyes at him slowly. "Okay," she finally said. "Come in."

They made their way into her room, and Chat resisted the urge to relax in the warmth of her house. "First, here." He shoved her purse out toward her. Her eye widened even more, almost taking over her face.

"Chat, you found my purse? Thank you!" She grabbed the purse and beamed at him.

Actually, Alya had found it and given it to him- well, his alter ego Adrien- specifically to return to Mari.

Chat winced. "Yeah… but Marinette… I'm so sorry that I locked you in the elevator."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I heard… Ladybug had to save you from the elevator after I trapped you there. Desole, Marinette." Chat hung his head. "I was supposed to put you in a place you'd feel safe, not where you'd have a panic attack."

A gentle hand touched his cheek and Chat raised his eyes to meet the concerned eyes of his classmate and friend. "Chat, you didn't put me in danger… I just didn't like that I was stuck in the elevator when I still had valuable information to give to you and Ladybug."

Chat frowned. "But M'Lady said you were angry."

Mari winced. "Maybe she misinterpreted my frustration as anger? The bottom line is, Chat, I'm okay." She smiled an assuring smile at the leather clad hero.

"You sure?" Chat pressed on.

She giggled, a sound that made Chat's shoulders relax. "I'm fine, silly Chat. I may not be a leather clad superhero, but I'm fairly capable of running really fast."

Chat smirked, letting himself relax completely. "I know; are you sure you don't want to join us on patrol?"

Mari gave a nervous laugh. "No way, I'd like to think my super speed can only be used in times of great need to disappear from a situation."

"Worth a shot. I know you'd make an amazing costume."

Mari smirked, a twinkle in her eye. "Of course. Something totally original."

They talked for a long while afterwards, and he even convinced her to let him play Ultimate Mecha Strike III. He still lost to her- soundly. She even taunted him a bit as he was leaving for the night. It was nearing midnight. "You sure you're not a real black cat. I'm trouncing you so bad right now, " she laughed after her fifth consecutive win.

Chat pouted. "Princess, it's only natural your knight would concede victory to one so fair." When Mari gave him a funny look, he sighed. "Fine, I'm just off my game. I bet you tomorrow I'll be way better."

That made both of them stop short or their slow progression across her balcony and look at each other. "You… want to come over tomorrow?" Mari asked.

Chat mentally cursed himself. "I mean, maybe not tomorrow… Maybe the day after- I patrol with Ladybug tomorrow so I don't want to cut it too close… Would you let me?"

Mari blinked rapidly. "Of course, sure. We're friends aren't we?" She looked confused, as if the fact that they were friends was something commonly known.

Chat perked up. "We are. We totally are!"

"Okay, then I'll see you the day after tomorrow then." she confirmed. "Nine o'clock?"

"Nine o'clock." Chat left feeling lighter than air. He was practically floating. Plagg moaned and complained at him when they skulked back into his room later, but he ignored the gripey kwami.

"You humans are so weird. First, you were practically depressed over the girl being mad at you, and now you're skipping through the air because she told Chat Noir you were friends." the kitty kwami groused.

"Shut up, Plagg." Adrien groaned at the menace that fate had bestowed upon him.

"I'm just saying you are a very emotional species as a whole." Plagg continued.

"Let me enjoy this for one minute."

"I didn't talk on the way back home." pointed out the strange creature.

"You couldn't talk on the way back." Adrien corrected his partner.

"Semantics. I think you need more cheese in your diet." Plagg scoffed.

"There's more cheese for you in the mini fridge if you leave me alone." Adrien told his nosey friend.

"Finally!" Plagg zoomed off for the cheese.

XXX

At school the day that Chat was going to come over, Mari brought at white bakery box in for lunch. She even mustered up the courage invite Adrien- well, she'd had Nino invite Adrien to lunch again. They were all in the school yard when they saw Chloe pass by with Sabrina, with Chloe being quick to dismiss the lot of them, and blow a kiss to Adrien as he joined them.

Eli was all apologies to the entire gang. "Seriously, I'm so sorry I put you guys in such an awkward situation. Promise, I'll be less forceful in the future."

Nino, Mari, and Adrien were quick to forgive the male designer, but Alya teased him mercilessly a while longer.

"But it was so cool how Ladybug and Chat Noir were right there in the thick of it!" Nino awed.

Alya was beaming. "Right? I mean, I got so much exclusive footage; the news channel begged me to give them some."

Mari laughed nervously at their animated chatter. She really felt uncomfortable discussing herself- well, her alter ego- with others. Instead she presented the white box. "Um, s-so well...C-Colette sent these for everyone." she said, cursing that Alya had seen fit to arrange their seating so that Adrien was next to her.

"Oh yeah. It was cool of you to get her a job at your parents bakery, Marinette." Nino remembered. "Right, Adrien?"

"Totally." the blond model smiled.

She blushed and shrugged. "My parents were l-looking for extra help; besides, it's only part time until she figures out what she wants to do next."

Colette had mentioned traveling to study more culinary styles when they had left the Grande Paris the other day.

She opened the box to unveil the sweet-smelling, fresh-baked-this-morning apple tarts. There were eight of them, glazed with a caramel-looking sauce and topped with thin slices of baked apples. "These look delicious!" Eli said, taking one from the box delicately. Once everyone had a tart, they bit into it and moaned in unison. "They taste like apple-heaven…" Eli groaned around his second bite, which was much-MUCH- larger than the second.

"This is the best apple tart I've ever tasted! No offense to your mother's, Marinette." remarked Alya.

"None taken. Now I know why these were so hard to keep in shop yesterday. Her tarts are blowing up the store." Mari informed them absently.

"Well, we have three more left…" Alya noted, peering into the still open box.

"I'll take them off your hands, you know, since model boy can't eat too many." Nino grinned, jeering at his best friend.

"Hey, I want another one too, Nino." Adrien laughed.

"A-actually-' Mari spoke up, wringing her hands. "Two of these are for Chloe and Sabrina…"

"What?!" Alya and Eli screeched, drawing looks.

"Colette felt really bad about giving us all such a scare the other day…" Mari conveyed, giving a wince of sympathy for the young chef.

Ayla huffed. "She wasn't at fault though. That was all jerk face and his stupid brother, with a guest appearance from Chloe the Brat- no offense Adrien but she is a brat."

"Still, after watching the footage on the Ladyblog, she felt really, really bad. Besides, she's really opening up right now. You can all come see her at the bakery, if you want."

"I totally want to see. Kind of feel bad I made her feel bad, but I'm glad she's better now." Alya replied. "The Dupain-Cheng touch really is something that has to be shared."

"Dude, I'll go wherever there's more tarts." Nino agreed.

"Luckily I'm free today." Adrien smiled.

Eli grimaced as he checked his phone. "I'm not… I've got errands to run for my mom."

"Oh, okay, maybe next time?" Mari shrugged.

Lunch went by without an incident, and Adrien safely delivered the tarts to Chloe and Sabrina. Sabrina genuinely said it was delicious, but Chloe was stiff-lipped about it, sniffing at it like it would bite her. But Mari overheard her in the hallway after their last class ordering her butler to buy a dozen from the bakery.

XXX

It was packed at the bakery, a line from the door to the counter. Everyone loved the food here. Colette beamed as she made change for a purchase.

"Colette," Sabine, Marinette's mother and co-owner of the bakery alongside with her husband."Switch with Tom and help Jolie in the back. We need more of you amazing tarts."

"Okay, Mrs. Cheng." Colette answered.

"It's Sabine, dear."

Colette smiled and made her way to the back. Jolie, another part time worker the Dupain-Cheng's had hired for the sudden burst in business, greeted her.

"Hey Collie!" Jolie beamed.

Colette couldn't help but smile back. "Hey, Jolie."

"So which tasty flavors will it be this time? Strawberry? Cherry? Oh, maybe make a fresh triple fruit layer tart?" Jolie fantasized aloud.

"Maybe some more apple tarts, and a batch of cherry ones." Colette set to work in tandem with the aspiring business student.

Together they made a few dozen of each to satisfy the rush, and soon Colette was switched again, this time with Sabine so she could make her savory treats for the lunch crowd.

It seemed like Tom made the sweet treats, while Sabine made the savory lunch time favorites. It was a partnership that filled Colette with envy and reminiscence. It reminded her so much of her aunt and her mother's seamless working routine. Barely a word could pass between the two sisters yet their small cafe would never feel empty or shockingly silent.

After her mother had passed, Colette's aunt had tried her best to hold on and keep their small dream alive. She'd passed on recipes and beliefs to Colette that had withstood years of regimented cooking classes and rules of restaurant etiquette. Of course the young chef had conformed to the mold, but one day in the Dupain-Cheng bakery and she found herself echoing the light and excited footsteps of her aunt and mother. She felt like a true chef under the employment of the bakery couple.

She touched her necklace pendant, tucked into her pant's pockets, a smile touching her lips. "I think I finally understand, Aunt Celine…" she murmured quietly to herself as she retrieved the three spinach puffs for the customer in front of her. "This is culinary greatness…"

The door's overhead bell jangled again and Colette smiled at the sight of Marinette and her friends coming in.

"I'm back, Maman! Hi, Colette!" Mari smiled.

"Welcome back, Mari!"

XXX

AK: And so it ends. Look forward to my next one. It's going to be more mature (probably rated T). I'm thinking something deeper with Eli and his mother. This story morphed from Eli's akuma story to more or an intro story to Eli's character. Will he be a foil for Chat Noir, or Adrien? What does his akuma form look like? These are questions I am slowly developing the answers to.