Chapter 22

~Adrien's POV~

Other than acting, my favorite part of this movie project was watching Nino's recent work of the filmed scenes with the rest of the class. He had just told us he finished putting together the last few scenes we filmed, and we all decided to watch them before we filmed Marinette's next scene.

The soundtrack Nino put in the background played just before I saw the fire station door open, revealing an engine outside (Nino had already been inside to film) momentarily until I walked through the door with Ambrose in my arms, Ivan following me.

"Morning." He said with a smile.

I glanced over my shoulder and replied with, "Hey."

Ivan walked at a faster pace than me, quickly reaching my left side as he repeated my, "hey" though he held it out longer before petting the cat. "I'm glad to see you're still around."

"Yeah…" I said, looking down at Ambrose as Ivan scratched his cheek with a finger. "Not for much longer. I'm taking him to get adopted tomorrow."

"Oh, that's a shame." Ivan replied with a disappointed tone, lowering his hand to his side as we walked next to each other.

I looked up at Ivan and smiled sadly. "It is actually. I really kind of like the little guy."

I looked down and smiled at Ambrose as I pet his side as Ivan looked at me. "Why don't you just keep him then?"

I let out a small sigh as I looked up from the cat and Ivan and I both looked forward. "Blair isn't too fond of him."

Ivan looked at me again when I answered and made an I-should-have-guessed look. "Blair, huh?" He paused as he looked around then looked at me again before he pet Ambrose behind the ear. "Well, you do what you want, but me, I don't trust a woman who doesn't like cats."

I hummed quietly in acknowledgment as Ivan walked away, and I turned my direction away from Ambrose and looked down slightly with a small smile as if I had some idea.

The scene cut to show Chloe and I, Ambrose in my arms, outside of "Zachary's house" walking to that blue truck that we were using as Zachary's.

"So put him in the back of the truck." Chloe told me, using a tone that would normally tell someone not to argue with her.

"No." I said as I stopped walking and looked at the truck as she continued towards it, though I continued walking after a second and looked at Chloe again. "I would never do that. He can ride in the front with us."

Chloe turned and looked at me with a look of disbelief, but I ignored it. "But you have to hold him, please."

"Hold him?" She echoed as if the thought completely disgusted her and she thought I was kidding. "Me?"

"Yeah." I answered as if it were no big deal, which it wasn't, and opened the passenger door of the truck for her. "To make sure he's safe. He's not really used to the cat carrier."

Chloe gave me a half-amused smile as if she was still hoping I was joking, then looked at Ambrose. "I'm beginning to think you don't want to get rid of that cat."

"He deserves a better owner than me." I replied as I pet Ambrose's back then handed him to her. "Someone who's around more and can hang out with him."

There was a meow as Chloe's disgusted face was shown while she held the cat away from her. "My father will find him a new home." She said as she reluctantly held the cat closer to her and looked down at him. "I am really glad we're doing this." I watched with a small sad smile as she got into the truck and I closed the door for her.

The scene changed again to show the inside of the mayor's hotel that hand been transformed into the pet supply store once again. Marinette was checking something on a shelf, a clipboard and pencil in hand. Alya was near her, seeming to have just put something on the shelf, though she took a step back and walked towards Marinette slowly with an annoyed expression as she looked at something past Marinette.

"Look what the cat dragged in for you on your birthday." Alya said bitterly as she crossed her arms. Marinette turned to look in the same direction, a look of curiosity and surprise on her face. "The Blair-witch project."

The camera switched angles and showed a very annoyed looking Chloe holding Ambrose away from her by his middle while walking through the front of the "store". She turned several times as if she were looking for something.

"Oh no, what is she doing here?" A worried Marinette voiced over the view of Chloe. "She never comes here."

The camera switched back to the other two girls after showing Chloe looking in their direction. Marinette looked very uncomfortable and Alya looked smug with her, "Maybe she needs to be declawed" comment.

Marinette struggled to smile in amusement while still looking uneasy as she handed the clipboard and pencil to Alya. Alya turned and walked away while looking at the clipboard as Chloe approached Marinette with quick steps.

"You work here, right?" Chloe asked as she held Ambrose towards Marinette, an uncomfortable look on her face as well.

"Yes, Blair, I've worked here for three years." Marinette responded with a small, awkward smile. "You think my name is Lynn."

"I remember." Chloe said before pulling a disgusted face as she handed the cat over to Marinette, shaking her hands as if trying to get any leftover cat hair off of her. "You have to help me get rid of this cat."

"Oh, what a sweet cat. Hi…" Marinette cooed to him quietly as she carefully held him in her arms before trailing off to look at his collar. "Ambrose." She said with a tone of recognition.

"You know its name?" Chloe asked with an annoyed tone.

Marinette looked from Ambrose to Chloe with a surprised look and hesitated before answering. "It says it right here on his collar."

Marinette looked lost in thought for a moment before the camera switched to Chloe's angle again and I could see myself walking through the door in the background. "It belongs to my boyfriend. We have to get rid of it right away."

The camera switched again to show Marinette's surprised and nervous expression at seeing me over Chloe's shoulder, and she moved to the side slightly as if to look at me better.

"You take it!" Chloe said, and the camera showed her shocked face as if surprised with herself for coming up with a great idea, though she was blurred as the camera focused on me in the background looking at something on a rack. Chloe gasped and smiled. "Actually, if you do, I'll have my father give you all the cat food and kitty litter you'll ever need."

Marinette's face was shown for a couple seconds as Chloe spoke, showing that she was clearly not listening to a thing she said as she focused on me. Wow, she really is good at acting as if I'm the only other person in the room and I have all her attention.

"Umm." Was all she got out as Chloe quickly walked around her, and Marinette turned with the camera angle to see her greet the mayor himself, wearing a Santa hat.

"Hi Daddy!" She said happily, and he replied with "Hi, sweetie" as they exchanged a hug.

"Sorry, are you following me?" I heard myself say as the camera switched angles once again to show me approaching Marinette again. Marinette froze for a second before letting out an awkward breath as I came to a stop in front of her, grinning.

"Actually…" She broke off with an awkward chuckle. "I work here. So… technically you're following me."

"So how's school?" I asked with an interested smile.

"Umm… I-It's- err…" Marinette said awkwardly as she looked down for a moment before she looked up at me again. "Finals now… So… Really busy… Studying… You know."

"It's all settled." Chloe's voice was heard in the background, and I visibly swallowed and looked down, as if bracing myself to deal with her again. "Lynn is going to take the cat."

Marinette and I were now both facing Chloe, a look of surprise on Marinette's face and a small smile on mine.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Marinette said with an apologetic expression as I turned my head to look at her, now standing next to her. "I-I can't. My apartment building doesn't take cats."

Chloe shook her head with annoyance. "Fine." She said as she let out a sigh. "We'll give it to a shelter." She shrugged unapologetically.

"No." Marinette and I both said at the same time with panicked expressions on both of our faces. Chloe looked exasperated for a second before the camera showed Ambrose pawing in Chloe's direction with a playful sounding meow.

"Did you just see that?" Chloe asked with a hurt expression. "It has to go! It's dangerous!"

"He was just playing." Marinette said as the two of us smiled at Chloe with amusement.

"He wasn't trying to hurt you, Blair." I added as I looked at the cat, Marinette looking at me and chuckling slightly in agreement.

"You call that vicious swipe it just took at me 'playful'?" She asked with an annoyed look.

Marinette and I were still smiling at her in amusement. "It wasn't a 'vicious swipe', it was a playful gesture." Marinette said in a tone as if she were educating Chloe.

"Excuse me." Chloe said sarcastically as she crossed her arms at Marinette mockingly. "What do you think you are, a cat-whisperer?"

"Cats are like people." Marinette said, losing her amused smile completely. "They can sense when they're not wanted."

Chloe kept her smug appearance as she looked from Marinette to me. "We're leaving." She then walked forward, pushing herself between Marinette and I, calling for her "Daddy" with a whiny tone.

"Oh." I said as we turned, standing next to each other again, and watched Chloe approach the mayor. "I guess we're leaving."

"Sorry, I didn't know she was so…" Marinette apologized, though she was trying to find the right word.

"Psychotic?" I offered.

"Sensitive." Marinette corrected before we looked at each other, sharing an amused smile, before quickly looking away again and towards Chloe.

"She'll be alright." I said, and we watched as the mayor look disappointed before turning and walking away from Chloe. She had her hands on her hips, sending Marinette and I a smug smile. "Let's go!" She called over to me in a sweet tone as if what happened a few seconds ago hadn't happened.

"Right, well…" I said as I took a step away from Marinette in Chloe's direction but turned and held my arms open to her.

"Oh, yeah…" Marinette said as she handed Ambrose over to me.

"Thank you." I said to her quietly as I held the cat against my chest. "Oh, by the way, my name is Zachary. In case you continue to stalk me."

"Well, err…" Marinette said awkwardly. "Marilee. In case you continue to stalk me."

I let out a breath of amusement and she chuckled nervously to herself before I turned, muttering "Come on, Buddy, let's go" to Ambrose, leaving an awkward Marinette behind as I walked to Chloe.

Alya was shown behind Marinette with the clipboard and pencil, looking over before she walked over slowly, shaking her head with a disgusted look towards Chloe. The camera showed me walking with Chloe to the excite, Chloe moving an arm behind my lower waist before turning and giving the two girls a look over her shoulder.

"That woman is such a—"

"Marilee."

They looked over to see that it had been the mayor to cut Alya off, and he looked as though he had bad news as he took his Santa hat off of his head. "Can you come to the office?"

He gave Marinette a smile though before he turned and walked off, leaving Alya and Marinette with excited expressions. "Called into the boss's office." Alya commented. "Do you think he knows it's your birthday?"

"Well, I got a raise last year on my birthday so…" Marinette said before they looked at each other with grins. Marinette clicked her tongue and crossed her fingers, and Alya did the same with a wink as Marinette walked off.