The Tube of Toothpaste
Written by: JuliaFC
Language Betas: Khanofallorcs, Agrestebug, Silver Wolf and LizzyBeth
Concept Betas: Etoile-Lead-Sama, Malauu_Ladynoir, Rosehealer02 and Genxha
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
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Part 2: Sabine's story
When she returned to the square, unsurprisingly, Adrien was gone. She smiled to herself and went back to the boulangerie, the happy face of her husband greeting her as soon as she stepped in.
"Oh, Sabine, you're back, my love; you were gone much longer than you said you'd be." There was no reproach in his voice, only a little concern.
"I'm sorry, dear, I had to go back to buy more toothpaste." She started putting the shopping away and her husband looked at her with an amused gleam in his green eyes.
"Oh, I'd never have thought the day would come that you'd forget to buy something the first time around," he joked, and she smiled.
"I didn't forget. Just…I had to give my first tube away." She saw him looking at her quizzically. "Don't ask," she urged. "I promised not to tell."
Tom nodded and carried on with his work. She knew he wouldn't insist anymore, as he was perfectly aware that she would never give details if she had promised to stay quiet.
"Is Marinette still upstairs in her bedroom?" she inquired a little bit later.
Tom nodded. "Yes. I think she managed to sleep last night, but she's still very reckless. Not that she'd tell me what's going on; she's even better than you at keeping secrets. But the dark marks under her eyes seem to have decreased, so I assume the worst is over."
"I'll go upstairs to put the soap and toothpaste away, and check on her." Sabine gave a kiss on the cheek to her husband and proceeded towards the stairs to the apartment.
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After Sabine had put the shopping away in the small bathroom of the upstairs apartment, she walked quietly towards the trapdoor that separated her from Marinette. Marinette who, for some reason, seemed to be deep in conversation with someone.
Who was answering back.
Sabine scratched her head. Maybe her daughter had again turned on the computer and was playing YouTube videos trying to rehearse ways to talk to Adrien? It couldn't be; the voice was definitely interacting with her. Was Marinette talking to Alya on the phone? Mh, no, the voice was too high pitched and shrill, it hardly sounded human at all. More like the chirp of a small bird.
"But what if he decides to give up his Miraculous again, Tikki?" Sabine heard Marinette say. Or rather, groan. Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she hadn't slept much last night. Didn't Tom mention the fact that the dark marks under her eyes had improved? So why did she sound so tired?
Wait. Did she say, 'Miraculous'? Weren't those the objects that Papillombre was trying to steal from Ladybug and Chat Noir? Why was Marinette talking about things like that?
"I don't think he'll ever do that again. But we'll cross that bridge when and if it happens, Marinette," said the little high pitched voice that Sabine couldn't recognise.
"I can't lose him. Especially not now," came Marinette's muffled voice from upstairs. "You know I have never been able to do it without him. And now…I can't. I physically cannot do it without him, without his support…" What followed broke Sabine's heart. Because her beautiful little girl, her strong and confident little girl, was sobbing.
Sabine couldn't wait any longer. Whoever Marinette was talking to, whatever Marinette was talking about, she couldn't stay there and do nothing while her daughter cried.
"Marinette?" she said, knocking gently at the trapdoor. "Are you alright?"
She heard Marinette whispering 'hide!', which Sabine didn't like too much, but she would inquire about it later. Eventually, she heard Marinette's voice say, "Come in!" and she opened the trapdoor, popping her head through.
A first glance at her daughter confirmed what Tom had said earlier: Marinette still looked dishevelled and stressed out, but not as much as she did a couple of days beforehand. The dark marks under her eyes had decreased considerably. Sabine sighed and went up the few stairs that separated her from her daughter's room, closing the trapdoor behind her. She approached Marinette's dresser, opened her drawer and grabbed her hairbrush. Then she proceeded to walk straight behind Marinette and started undoing her pigtails.
"What are you doing, Maman?" protested Marinette when a more stubborn knot forced Sabine to pull at her hair a little more strongly.
"How many days without brushing this hair, Marinette? I've said nothing for a while, but it's starting to upset me. You shouldn't let yourself go that much. It's bad for your health." She skilfully worked her way through her daughter's midnight black hair until again it became as soft as it usually was. Then she made her pigtails again and put away the brush. "Now, that's better." She smiled, admiring the result.
Marinette sighed. "Thank you, Maman. I'm sorry, I shouldn't let myself slip that much, but…I've had so many things on my plate recently and looking after myself has become almost unimportant."
"I'm sorry to hear this, Marinette. Nothing should be more important than looking after your basic needs. Maybe you should slow down on the orders you're taking from your website," commented Sabine. She sat down at the chaise longue and looked at her daughter with a frown of concern. Now that her hair was combed, she looked a little more similar to the Marinette she knew and loved, but she was still quite pale, and those bags under her eyes were so black.
"Oh, no, don't worry, Maman, it's not about the commissions…" said Marinette, putting her hands forward and waving them dismissively.
Sabine's frown deepened. "What is it then, dear? Is school too stressful for you?"
"No!" objected Marinette.
"Something about Adrien, then?" The way that Marinette gasped and blushed at the mere mention of the boy's name didn't go unnoticed by Sabine, who smiled softly—this was the Marinette she knew.
"No," said Marinette with a big sigh. "It's not about Adrien this time." She slouched her shoulders and hunched in her seat, a little pout curling down the corners of her lips.
"You know you can talk to me about anything," said Sabine, smiling warmly, her gaze trained on the face of her daughter.
She didn't need to tell her that she was there for her in case she needed her. She knew that Marinette was well aware of the fact. Yet, she could see the doubt in Marinette's frown and this caused a painful pang in her chest. Was her daughter keeping secrets from her? She had told the chirpy-voiced Tikki to hide after all. Her gaze left Marinette's face briefly as she thought that, to scan around the room and try to identify where this person Marinette was talking to had gone, but everything seemed to be in order. And Sabine hadn't heard the sound of any footsteps heading upstairs or things like that, so this Tikki person couldn't be hiding in the mezzanine or outside on the balcony.
As much as she would have liked to inquire about it, though, Sabine chose not to say anything. It was Marinette's life and her privacy; she wasn't going to invade that. Although it hurt her deeply that her daughter would keep secrets from her.
But while she was having this train of thought, Marinette sighed a couple of times, her hand ran to the nape of her neck as her gaze darted around. Then, she sighed once more and looked at Sabine, almost defeatedly.
"I know, Maman," she groaned, her hands reaching for the sides of her head. She was quiet for a moment that seemed to last forever.
"Why don't you come down and get something to eat?" asked Sabine, cupping a hand on the top of Marinette's left hand, which she had eventually dropped on her thigh. "Maybe eating something is going to make you feel better."
Marinette looked at her tiredly. Sabine cringed—when had her little girl gotten that exhausted, and why? But eventually, Marinette looked down and sighed.
"How did you know that Papa was 'the one', Maman?" she asked and Sabine was startled for a moment, flashing her eyebrows and blinking in surprise. Marinette had said it wasn't about Adrien. Adrien downstairs had said that Marinette had done nothing to him. So…why this question? Had she gotten a crush on a new boy?
She smiled softly at her. "You should know that: I loved spending time with him, there was always something to talk about; I was never tired of hearing the sound of his voice." She sighed, her gaze becoming distant as if she'd gotten lost in an old memory. "We worked so well together, people kept saying that we were in sync. Also, he made me laugh with his puns."
She was interrupted by the sound of Marinette's head banging against the chaise longue. Marinette banged her forehead against the chaise another couple of times, a low groan coming out of her throat. "You've always known that he was so perfect and that—"
But Sabine grabbed Marinette's hand and the girl fell silent as her gaze met with her mother's.
"Tom wasn't perfect, Marinette. He was goofy and messy and all over the place. He used to say that I was the brains and he was in charge of the humour department." Sabine raised an eyebrow when she heard Marinette gasp loudly. "He's always loved to pun, and although his jokes were a little cringe-worthy, I loved his sense of humour. He was always a gentleman, always very respectful, always there for me when I needed him. And he loved making bread. His job was his life and he put his whole heart into everything that he did. He wore that massive heart of his on his sleeve. I know he would have died for me, had there been a need for it."
Marinette groaned again and Sabine took a moment to give her a good look. "Why are you asking me about your Papa, sweetheart?"
"Nothing important, it's just," started Marinette, "just…I wish it was as easy as you and Papa had it, Maman. Why are things so complicated nowadays?" Sabine raised another eyebrow as she looked at her daughter sceptically.
"Things weren't easy even then." Sabine looked down. "Have I ever told you why I decided to leave my family?"
Marinette shook her head. "I've always wanted to ask you about it, especially after going to Shanghai for Uncle Wang's birthday. He showed me an old family picture and told me that you changed your name, too."
Sabine nodded. "Yes, my name at the time was Xia Bing. I left home after graduating to come live in Paris. That's where I met your father and I started working at Rolland's boulangerie." Sabine's voice sounded full of past memories, her tone soft and thoughtful.
"He was an excellent baker, but was also funny and goofy. He made me laugh. At the start, I was teaching Chinese painting and passed in front of Rolland's boulangerie every day on my way to work. Soon, it became twice a day, because I would come back on my way home just to talk to Tom. Eventually, Rolland asked me if I wanted a part time job as a teller, and I accepted because I wanted to spend more time with your father."
She sighed. "We became inseparable. He taught me so much about the trade and eventually I started working longer hours at the bakery and changed my hours for my art classes so that it wouldn't interfere with my bakery job. But, you see," she said, her hand reaching for Marinette's and cupping it in between both hers, "my mother and father called in one day, unexpectedly, and told me I had to go back to Shanghai with them."
Marinette frowned. "Why?"
"Well," said Sabine with a big sigh. She took another sigh and closed her eyes before continuing, "I had just turned 24 at the time, and my parents were worried I would become a Sheng Nu."
"A...what now?" Marinette frowned again.
"A Sheng Nu, a spinster." Sabine smiled sadly at her daughter's frown. "It's a common belief in China that a woman should get married before she turns 27. If a woman doesn't get married before that age, she's seen as a leftover and not looked at well. My mother and father were concerned that, had I stayed in Paris longer, I wouldn't have had enough time to create a strong bond with the right man."
"What? You were an adult, Maman, why did they have the right to decide upon your life?"
Sabine's smile was a bit sad on her lips as she looked at Marinette fondly. "They were paying for my apartment, and for part of my living expenses, honey. Renting a place in Paris was expensive even then, and what I earned as an art teacher AND as a part time teller wasn't enough to make me independent. I had to follow their directions."
"Oh," said Marinette as realisation hit—her mother's situation had really been complicated too. "Did they try to...arrange a marriage for you?" asked Marinette, the grimace on her lips expressing all her outrage at the awful perspective.
Sabine smiled. "No. That practice was already illegal at the time." Then she cupped her hand on her daughter's cheek and stroked it gently. "But they did try to set me up! Oh yes, they did. They forced me on the first plane back to Shanghai that day, oblivious to my pleas, to my attempts to reason with them and assure them that I was okay as I was."
Sabine felt Marinette's hold on her hand grow stronger and smiled at her before continuing, "At the time, I still considered Tom a friend and hadn't yet realised that I was in love with him. He was my funny and goofy coworker. But some good things happened when my parents forced me to return to Shanghai."
"What happened?" asked Marinette, sounding fascinated by her mother's tale.
"Well, first of all, I realised how much I missed Tom." She smiled and her whole face took a melancholic expression as she focused her gaze on a distant spot in front of her.
"From the day I'd met him, we had never really been separated, so I had grown to take him for granted. But it was when I hadn't even been able to say goodbye and was left without him that I realised how important he was for me. He wasn't just a coworker. He was irreplaceable, and the void he left in my soul when we were so far away and I thought I'd never see him again was too painful to bear. It felt as if a vice grip had wrapped around my heart and was clamping it tight. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't think of anything else."
A tear wormed its way out of Sabine's eye and she wiped it absentmindedly, her voice cracking slightly at the last words. She fell silent and sniffled a couple of times, trying to regain composure.
"That's when you realised that you loved him?" asked Marinette and Sabine smiled again at the emotions in her daughter's voice.
"That's when I started to realise it, yes. But then, my parents organised a xiāngqīn for me with a young man they had carefully selected."
"A…what?" asked Marinette.
Sabine pursed her lips. "A xiāngqīn, a 'blind date'. It's very common in China. They introduced me to Jun Li."
Marinette frowned. "Jun Li? You never told me about him before!"
"Ah," said Sabine as a light blush dusted her cheeks, her hand reaching for her heart. "He was so lovely, so charming, so…perfect. He was tall, and handsome, with long jet black hair and hazel eyes that gleamed beautifully when he looked at me. Always so elegant in his red and black Tangzhuang and black trousers, a real pleasure for the eye. We met a few times and he fascinated me with his knowledge and culture. He recited ancient poetry to me, he composed his own poems in my honour, he played gorgeous music for me with his Guqin…" She was so taken in her memory that she seemed to have lost track of the time and fell silent for a very long moment, until Marinette coughed politely.
"Uh, so…if this Jun Li was so perfect and charming, why didn't you stay in China and get married to him? You still sound fascinated by him now, Maman," said Marinette eventually, breaking the silence.
Sabine seemed to be waking up from a dream when she looked at her daughter again. "Jun Li was perfect, but he wasn't…him." She smiled fondly at her memory. "I did like him and after meeting him, it did get a little difficult for me to focus. You can see it even now, can't you?"
Marinette nodded and Sabine stroked her daughter's furrowed eyebrows before continuing, "But as much as he was perfect in every possible way, I found myself missing Tom terribly. You see…Jun Li wasn't one who understood humour. Once, it came natural to me to use one of Tom's puns and…he didn't even flinch. When I saw that, my heart cringed. Jun Li was perfect…but not for me."
Sabine pouted and slouched her shoulders, her hands resting on top of her thighs.
"What happened then, Maman?" Marinette urged her to continue.
"I rang Tom," said Sabine. "We had a short conversation, because it was very expensive to ring France from Shanghai, but he understood from my tone of voice that I wasn't happy."
Sabine chuckled. "You know your Papa. He's such an impulsive sweetheart. Only a couple of days later, I heard the doorbell ringing downstairs and next thing I knew, he stormed into my parents' house. I don't even know how he found it, since he doesn't speak a word of Mandarin, but…I was too happy to see him to care. He showed me a ring, went on one knee and asked me to marry him. And I accepted, to the big surprise of my mother and father. Tom likes to joke about it; he says that he abducted me and brought me back where I belonged."
Now Sabine's cheeks were much redder than before, and her smile was even fonder of the memory as she chuckled again, more quietly. "That's why I changed my name to Sabine."
Marinette blinked. Then blinked again. Then it dawned on her and joined her mother in her chuckle. "Because you had been abducted from your home for love?"
"Exactly," confirmed Sabine, and they both laughed.
To be Continued…
Author's Note:
Hello there! Here's chapter 2. I would like to highlight that Sabine's story is just my headcanon and it's not anywhere described in canon, but I hope you'll like it anyway :)
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in a comment. I really hope you liked it! I'm always open to a dialogue, I don't mind ANY type of feedback! To all of you who will write a review or a comment for this story, thank you so much! You always make my day! Especially this week, since I had a family loss last week and I'm hanging on to my little Miraculous world to keep my mind out of sorrow and keep my sanity.
As usual, if you read this and you're not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks). Also, I recently joined another wonderful server! Even this one is friendly and there's a lot of wonderful people to discuss Miraculous and fanfictions with, so…now you get two invites :D Miraculous Discordance /QwgKdUhJNJ (discord dot gg slash QwgKdUhJNJ ). I wait for you in one of these servers :D
