Chapter 29; The Plot Thickens

Sean smiled and patted Adrien on the back. "Like your father you have excellent taste."

"I hope that's all I have in common with him." Adrien muttered, his voice low so that only Marinette could hear him.

She took his hand and they headed for the bakery.

"Tom! They're here!" Sabine cried when she saw them walk into the bakery. Tossing the towel she had been wiping her hands with onto the counter she came around and wrapped them both in a hug.

Sean smiled softly at the reunion as the two youngsters returned the embrace. He realized that the woman had seen him as she startled.

"Oh!" Sabine gasped softly. "May I help you sir?"

"No need, ma'am." Sean replied. "I'm just enjoying the reunion."

"Sabine, this is Sean O'Hanlin." Adrien said, introducing him. "He's the head on my father's security team. He's the one responsible for getting Marinette back safely."

"Well you did your part, lad." Sean said. "Keeping your head, and passing on the information to me when the kidnapper called. Then keeping your cool when you faced him with your lady being held at gunpoint."

"Gunpoint?!" Tom gasped, putting a hand on Marinette's shoulder and pulling her toward him.

Sean shuffled his feet for a moment. "I'd like to say that everything was under control, but to be honest it was touch and go there for a moment." he said.

"But Adrien handled it perfectly." Marinette gushed. "He held the kidnapper's attention while Mr. O'Hanlin's team sprung their trap for him."

Sean smiled softly at Marinette's obvious pride and love for Adrien. "That he did, lass." he said. "Now if you will excuse me, I've got some things to discuss with the police." he added then went outside.

Tom let his daughter go and turned to Adrien. "Thank you, son for taking care of her." he said. "Now I know that you didn't play a role in apprehending that. . .person, but you kept your head and put things in motion that ended with her safe return." he added quickly seeing Adrien was going to protest.

"I only did what was necessary." Adrien said. "Sean and his team are trained professionals, and I'm not."

"Mari!" Alya cried when she came through the door.

"Alya!" Marinette cried, smiling broadly as she trotted over to wrap her best friend in a hug.

"Don't you scare us like that again, you hear girl?"

"It. . .it's not like I had much choice." Marinette replied.

Adrien didn't miss the hitch or tone of Marinette's voice. "Why don't you take Alya up to your room, and talk while I give Sabine a hand fixing our breakfast." He smiled inwardly when Alya seemed to catch on.

"Yeah, girl, you gotta tell me all about Adrien dashing to your rescue." the redhead said as she took Marinette's arm and lead her to the back of the bakery and up the stairs.

Adrien watched them go and sighed with relief. "Good," he said under his breath. "Alya will be able to talk her down better than I could."

"And I'm proud that you recognize that." Sabine said putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Sean commented before that I've had training on how to react to being abducted, or dealing with my father being abducted." Adrien said. "She's had neither and has been putting on a strong face for my benefit." he paused and looked up toward the ceiling. "I'm not foolish enough to believe that she'll let her guard, facade, whatever, down with me. Alya stands a better chance at that, and she needs to let that out." he turned his head when he felt Tom put a hand on his other shoulder.

"I've told you that I trust you to protect her." he said softly. "I'm very glad to see that I'm justified in that. Even when she's not in physical danger you put her needs ahead of your own."

"You don't understand." Adrien said. "On the way here I had my breakdown. We passed the bench where she was taken." he explained. "And she related how it happened, and all I could see in my mind was it happening, and it hit me how easily I could have lost her." he looked over as Sabine gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"If you're past it, then why are you trembling?" she asked softly. She watched as he looked from her, to Tom, then back to her, his eyes wide.

"I'm. . .I'm. . .fine." he stammered, then shook his head knowing it sounded hollow even to himself.

"It's okay, sweetie, we're here for you." Sabine soothed. She watched, concerned as he moved a few steps away.

"How can you stand to look at me?" he asked. "You count on me to keep her safe, and look what happened! That bastard captured her, and threatened her life if I didn't pay him! All because she's my girlfriend!" he ran his fingers through his hair ending by wiping his hand over his face. "God, what fool I was, thinking I could have a normal life, and I had to go and drag Mari into it, putting her in danger."

There was a loud ping from a timer by the bakery ovens, and Tom announced that he'd take care of it.

Sabine moved over to him putting both hands on his shoulders. "Adrien, she loves you, and has for a long time." She said softly. "Now that you have found each other I can't think of anything that would make her leave you."

"And you have no idea how much that means to me." Adrien said. "But what gives me the right to expose her to what happened earlier? I'd never forgive myself if she got hurt or worse because of me."

"Which is why she, and I know that you will do everything in your power to keep her safe." Sabine assured him. "Now lets go and get working on that breakfast."

Alya closed the trapdoor behind her as she followed Marinette up to her room. She was almost knocked over as her best friend wrapped her in a hug.

"Alya!" Marinette cried as she hugged her friend. "Thank God you're here."

Alya returned the hug, hoping to pass on feelings of safety and comfort. "Easy, girl, I've gotcha. You're home and your safe." she soothed, then continued to try to calm her down as he felt her trembling in her arms.

After a few moments Marinette's breathing evened out and the trembling stopped. With a steadying breath she pulled out of the hug and looked at the redhead directly.

"M, you okay now?"

"Sort of." Marinette replied. "Until I think of it again. My approaching the bench, watching him stand as if he wanted to ask directions or something, then seeing the gun and it pointed at me."

Alya watched as Marinette paced a few steps in front of her, her arms wrapped around herself.

"I didn't even think of resisting." she went on. "Some hero I am. How can I think of protecting Paris when I can't even protect myself?"

"Because you're Ladybug." Alya replied simply. "You care, you help others, and you want to stop Hawk Moth."

"But what if I let everyone down? What if when I face Hawk Moth I'm not up to it?"

"Then Chat Noir and I will back you up." Alya said and stepped over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Nobody expects you to face him alone. Chat and Rena will be there to help. You know this."

"I. . .I've never felt so. . .so helpless." Marinette said. "I knew that if I didn't do what he said that he would shoot me, then Adrien refused to give him the money and told him that he didn't negotiate with people like him."

"Then five laser sights focused first on his gun, then his head." Alya added. "He realized that if he didn't let you go that he wouldn't leave that warehouse alive, so he didn't move while you went to Adrien."

Marinette looked at her best friend in disbelief. "You were there?"

Alya nodded. "Adrien called me and asked me to be a sneaky fox and only take action if the guy bolted, with or without you. He knew and trusted the abilities of those people. Trusted them with your life." she paused for a moment then added. "And that trust was well founded. I watched the rifle squad get into position and for the time before you were brought in I lost track of them until the lattice of laser sight beams showed up. Marinette, I saw them as they got ready. Adrien was right if that. . .animal hurt you in any way, well let's just say things would have gotten messy."

"And if that happened, Adrien trusted them to keep me safe." Marinette said softly.

"Like I said we've got your back." Alya said.

Both girls looked, as the hinges on the trapdoor creaked as it opened and Sabine's head and shoulders rose up.

"Are you two ready for breakfast?" she asked.

"Yes, Maman, we'll be down in a moment." Marinette replied.

Sabine nodded then went back down, letting the trapdoor close.

"This is why I first chose you for a miraculous." Marinette said, then gave her best friend another hug. "Along with my trust in you, is my knowing that you will care for me and support me."

Alya smiled brightly at her. "Hey that's what besties are for."

The two girls went downstairs and when they entered the kitchen/dining area Marinette sniffed appreciatively at the sweet scent of cooking fruit.

"Mmmmmm, crepes with fruit filling." Marinette said, and had to swallow to keep from drooling.

"Well I should know your favorites." Sabine teased with a smile.

"But you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble." Marinette protested.

"Hey, all I did was make the crepes, Adrien made the fillings." Sabine said with a laugh. "So, it's buffet style, everyone gets their own." she added.

"And guests first." Marinette added, earning a proud look from her mother.

"Ladies first." Adrien added ushering Alya to the table.

Soon the three young adults were joined by Sabine and Tom, enjoying the meal, each taking a crepe and spooning some of the fillings on it then rolling it up.

"Did I get the blueberry filling right, Marinette?" Adrien asked.

Having been caught having just taken a bite, she nodded, chewing quickly then swallowing. "Yes. It's perfect." she replied. "So is the lemon." she added.

"I'll say." Alya put in around a mouthful.

"Son, you can help my wife out in the kitchen anytime you want." Tom said with a laugh, then glanced over at Marinette. "Hang onto this one, baby, he's a fast learner and becoming a fair cook."

"Papa!" Marinette protested, and everyone laughed as Adrien and Marinette blushed.

While later, the meal was over and with Alya, Adrien, and Marinette helping Sabine, the kitchen was cleaned up and the dishes washed and put away.

Adrien turned from putting the last plate into the cupboard, and turned to talk to Marinette. He was surprised to see Sean O'Hanlin standing by the door.

"Lad, I've something to discuss with you and your lady." he said.

"Well come on in and have a seat." Adrien said. "This is Marinette's mother, Sabine, and her best friend, Alya. I'm pretty sure that Sabine should be here since Marinette's not eighteen yet, and I'm certain that she would want Alya here anyway."

Sean sighed, then took a seat. "Right then." he said. "Lass, your abductor has been turned over to the police, an Inspector D'Anjou, to be precise, and I've learned some things that, well, will change the standard protocol some."

"And that protocol is?" Marinette asked.

"Essentially we would be confined to our homes for the next twenty-four hours." Adrien replied.

"Quite right, lad, however, between what my team learned, and what I found out from Inspector D'Anjou, that's changed."

"Why do I think I'm not going to like this?" Sabine said softly.

"Well, it turns out that the one that took the lass, was hired to do just that." Sean said. "He was paid, and paid well to abduct her, and under no circumstance was any harm to come to her. He was supposed to get a detailed description of your earrings, lass, then let you go. The demand for the fifty thousand euros was completely his idea."

Marinette's hands went ot her ears. "My earrings? But why, they're just a simple set of black studs?"

"He didn't know, lass, but those were his instructions."

"I have noticed that you never take them off, sweetie." Sabine said.

"They were given to me by an old friend, and I was told they would bring me luck." Marinette said.

"Well, be that as it may, they have come up as something that someone has taken a great interest in, and has the resources and connections to pull this off."

"So what are the changes?" Adrien asked. "And don't even tell me that she's going to be abandoned and left to be a target."

"Perish the thought, lad." Sean said looking as if the suggestion was repugnant to him. "Fiona, Colleen, Ian!" he called and two women and a man entered the room. "Lad, I know you already know me, and Ian here," he went on. "Let me introduce you to Colleen Glencanon and Fiona Westmoreland."

"Shadows." Alya muttered.

"Absolutely correct, Miss." Sean said. From this moment until at least after the gala one of these two women will be with you at all times, lass." he explained. "They may look harmless enough, but I can assure you that they are fully trained security personnel, and will lay down their live to protect you, as Ian and I will you, lad."

"Mari, please." Adrien said softly, seeing that she was going to protest. "I'll breathe easier knowing you're in their care."

"As will I." Sabine said. "I may not personally know any of you, but from what I've heard, I don't doubt your skills, or that you will protect them."

"I thank you for your trust, madam." Sean said. "I can think of only two other men who would lay down their life for your daughter. One is downstairs, and the other is with us at this table."

Adrien blushed as Marinette hugged his upper arm. "So much for a quiet, romantic walk alone." he said softly.

"Sir." Nathalie said as she entered Gabriel's home office.

"Yes, Nathalie, what is it?"

"Mister O'Hanlin has set up security personnel to keep both Adrien and Marinette under constant surveillance at least until the gala."

"Hmmmmm, inconvenient." he said cupping his chin. He tapped at the keyboard of his computer and the facial recognition display came up. "Still only sixty two percent." he muttered, then looked up at his assistant. "Patience has never been my strong suit, but I will have to wait. Without further proof, I won't take direct action until I get a ninety five or percent or better."

"If I may ask, what has you suspecting her of being Ladybug?"

"When she was in here before the press conference, there was something about her defiance of me." Gabriel said. "But that could easily be the way she is, but it was when she left that got my attention."

"When she left?"

"Yes, Nooroo came out, uncalled for and appeared as though he was going to follow her, and he muttered a word. . . kwagatama."

"That sounds like something to do with kwamis." Nathalie said.

Gabriel nodded. "I went through the grimoire, and you are correct." he said. "The kwagatama is given to a miraculous holder by their kwami," he related. "It is a artifact that indicates a very close relationship between them, and lets other kwami know that the person wearing it has the respect and friendship of the kwami that makes it."

"Which means she's either Ladybug. . ." Nathalie began.

". . .or she's a close friend of Ladybug." Gabriel finished. "Either way she bears watching, and those earrings of hers may be more valuable than they appear."