Pocket Elf sat a fan-shaped leaf, listening for Marinette and Cat Noir to walk by. She needed to warn them about the poison ivy, but there was no sign of the two friends yet. The green filtered sunlight flooded down through the trees, her hat acting like a umbrella from the rivulets of water falling from the jaded green leaves above. The sun worked its magic on the little elf, and she was soon asleep.
"Cat, you know there's no catnip in the forest!" Marinette laughed as Cat bounded along the path on all fours. Marinette giggled as his tail swished back and forth and Cat gave a happy trill. They had been taking early morning walks, sitting on their favorite rock soaking up the morning sunlight and the sweet morning bird chorus.
"Which way?" Marinette said, looking right and left as the path forked into two different directions. One path led to home, the other led to a small stream and the toll bridge watched by a grumpy troll.
"Let's take a shortcut, Princess!" Cat meowed, and sprang into the pile of leaves just off the path, making a crunching sound. "Wouldn't the path be better? I don't think its a good idea to stray off the path….." "Where's your sense of adventure?" Cat asked her, and with a sigh, Marinette followed him.
There was only the sounds of their feet crunching through the carpet of leaves, squirrels chattering and an occasional hoot of an owl who had not yet put on his night cap.
"Look, up ahead!" Cat shaded his eyes as green shoots poked through the dirt, beckoning to him. "Its catnip!" Marinette gasped as she saw the leaves of a plant and immediately she knew it wasn't catnip.
"Kitty, wait! Leaves of three, leave them be!" But it was to late, as Cat rolled on his back happily.
Marinette peeked through her fingers, wondering how long it would take for the itching to begin. At last, Cat sprang up, and gave her a funny look. "Princess, I think…." he said, but then Cat dropped down to the ground and begin scratching at his neck with one black paw, gold bell dinging like crazy. "If that wasn't catnip, what was it?" "Kitty, that was poison ivy!" Marinette cried. Cat groaned and rolled into the leaves. "We need to get home so I can find something for the itchies."
By the time they got to Marinette's cabin, poor Cat was blotchy from the ivy and itching. "Come on, sit down in the tub!" Marinette pointed to the tub, and was surprised when Cat plopped down on the floor, scratching again. "I don't want a bath, Princess!" "Your not going to have one! Now get in the tub!" Cat pouted but climbed into the gleaming white tub. He watched as Marinette rummaged her cabinet and pulled out a pink bottle of lotion.
"I'm not taking medicine!" Cat said, crossing his arms across his muscular chest. "Its for your skin, Kitty!" Marinette said, carefully sliding down the zipper.
A sweet smell filled the small bathroom and Marinette slathered Cat in the pink cream. Cat wasn't sure he liked the smell, but the medicine was soothing and cool against his itchy skin. "Now, you stay in the tub while it dries," Marinette said, scrubbing her hands in the small sink. "I'll make you some breakfast, but whatever you do, stay in the tub!" "Yes, Princess," Cat sighed.
Shutting the bathroom door behind her, Marinette could hear his dinging bell again. Her Pocket Elf ran in trying to catch her breath. "Marinette, I am so sorry! I meant to warn you about the nettle, but I fell asleep in the sun!"
"Don't worry, I put coalmine lotion on him and I'm going to make breakfast." As Marinette was stirring the oatmeal she heard Cat call, "Can I come out now?" "Yes!"
A pink and blotchy Cat comes out the bathroom, looking a bit sheepish. "I should listen to you more often," he says, as he sits down at the table. "And how many times do I have to tell you that?" I grin and kiss the top of his non-itchy head.
Little by little, the itches settle down for Cat which was good for Marinette, because she was started to go bonkers listening to him itch.
She found him by the footbridge one morning, slashing his feet back and forth. The morning was cool and misty, and Marinette could hear the birds cooing in the trees.
"Hey, how's my favorite fur ball this morning?" she asked, sitting down beside him, and sliding her feet into the crystal clear water. "Thoughtful," he said. "Oh? What's on your mind?" "My mother and father," Cat said, gazing out into the forest.
Though she and Cat were best friends, he didn't talk about his family much, changing the subject whenever she brought it up. "Things weren't working out with Father, and so I moved out and I haven't talked to him since," Cat told her, laying her head on her shoulder. Marinette knew how he felt, her parents had left to go traveling once she turned eighteen, the country life being to quiet for them.
Shy Marinette liked the country, the trees surrounding her cabin giving her comfort, and listening to the birds singing in the trees gave her peace. She was lucky to have a best friend like Cat, who she could tell her secrets too, and vice versa.
"Do you ever wonder what they're doing right now?" Marinette asked. "Last I knew, Father was running his fashion empire and had no time for me. When Mother disappeared, it changed him, Marinette. He became a different man, changed by grief."
"If there was one way to see him, just see if he was happy, I'd do it," Cat said. Marinette nodded. Her parents had given her two gifts that she used everyday. Kindness towards others, and the gift of sewing.
If she ever saw her parents again, she would tell them thank you. But it was impossible to look into the past or the future, wasn't it?