BREATHING BLUE
Chapter Two
~ Pain Breaks Us ~
Summary: "It's like being locked in a cage that's unlocked. I can get out, but I've trapped myself. It's like suffocating but you're still breathing. It's not a way to live, it's a way to die." Traumatic events have led to Marinette going down a dark path, but with help coming from unexpected places, is it too late to bring her back into the light?
Author's Note: I just want to say a massive thank you for the positive feedback the first chapter received. I was not expecting such a well received response at the beginning, so thanks a lot for that. Just letting you know in advance, my updates may be a little spaced out these next few weeks, but I'll try to keep as frequent as I can.
Featured Review: Polywena ~ Interesting start. Hope this will keep an interesting plot and keep me curious.
Response ~ Thank you so much, the first chapter is always the most dreaded for me, it's what draws people in, so for you to say it was interesting really clears my worries. I hope I keep you interested too, and I hope you enjoy the following chapter!
Previously: "Marinette! Stop!" Chloe yelled, running over to the young woman as fast as she could. The shock of hearing the blonde's voice caused Marinette to jolt in surprise, causing her foot to slip. In mere seconds she'd fallen off the bridge and crashed into the icy waters below, screaming as she descended.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Looking down at the bakery key resting in her hand, Chloe let out a soft sigh. A small feeling of guilt was spreading through her body, if only Marinette's parents knew the real reason why she'd offered to go back an overnight back for the bluenette. While she did want to help, she also didn't want them discovering the orange haired woman rummaging around their home. Speaking of which, it would probably be a good idea to let Sabrina know she was coming. Pulling out her phone, Chloe dialled her friend's number and waited for her to answer. It only took a few rings before she heard Sabrina's voice on the other end.
"Hey Chloe, I was just about to call. I've found the diary, but there's no sign of the key anywhere. I could use a bit of help searching for it." Sabrina stated.
"No problem, I'm on my way to sort out an overnight bag for Marinette. Her parents gave me the key so I'll let myself in. I'm about five minutes away." Chloe explained.
"Are you going to tell me what happened? I mean, while you're not biting each other's heads off any more, it's not like you are Marinette are joined at the hip. Why are you doing this?" Sabrina asked. There was a short pause before Chloe let out a hesitant sigh.
It wasn't her story to tell, but Sabrina was one of her closest friends and she was helping her on blind faith, breaking her own morals to assist Chloe in her time of need.
"I'll tell you what I can when I get there, but it remains between us." Then without saying another word, she hung up and slipped her phone back into her pocket. Turning around the corner, she could see the bakery just at the end of the street. However, she soon spotted the familiar outline of Adrien Agreste's limo approaching from the distance, pulling to a stop just outside the bakery. When he got out from the car, Chloe could see he was holding a small package in his hands, wrapped up in red and green wrapping paper. He was probably dropping off Marinette's Christmas present. If he knocked on the door, Sabrina might think it was actually Chloe. Although she'd told her friend she'd let herself in, Sabrina would most likely go down to check anyway, and if Adrien spotted her then it wouldn't look good, especially if the house was completely empty and locked. It would raise the question of how she got in, and why she was there on her own. Not knowing what else to do, Chloe rushed over to the limo as fast as she could, calling out to her blonde haired former crush.
"Adrien! I thought that was you! What are you doing here?" Chloe asked, pulling him into a tight but quick hug, being mindful of the gift he was carrying in his arms.
"Hey Chloe. I was just dropping off a present for Marinette. I was actually meant to do it early today, but Felix arrived turned up unexpectedly and we've been spending most of the morning catching up. This is the first time he's actually come around to spend Christmas with us since...well, you know. But what brings you here Chloe? Dropping off a present too?" Adrien asked, his cheerful tone turning more and more bleak the further his explanation went. Smiling sadly at him, Chloe placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it softly with her thumb. But it was in that moment she'd realised fate was a cruel and twisted bitch.
If Felix had been a minute later, Adrien would have been able to leave in the morning to drop Marinette's present off. It's highly likely he would have caught her before she left to go to the bridge. One minute was all it took for Marinette to have the chance to die.
"Well, it must be nice having your brother around for Christmas at the very least. Funny story, I dropped my present off for Marinette yesterday, but when I was giving Sabrina her present today I realised I'd accidentally mixed the two up. I was in town at the time, so I called to see if I'd be able to give Marinette the right present, but Mr. Dupain told me they were out and they won't be back for a few hours." Chloe explained, telling a small white lie. She hadn't exactly got Marinette a gift, she'd sent a card to the family to be polite. Now she was going to have to get one just in case Adrien asked the bluenette what Chloe had got for her. Then there was the part about her parents being out. That was true, she just hadn't gone into details about why.
"Good thing I ran into you then Chloe, I probably would have waited outside in the cold for a few minutes waiting for them to come to the door. I'll stop by again later this evening. But since you're here, I might as well give you your present now." Adrien chuckled, going back to the limo and opening the door. Reaching in, he put Marinette's present back down on one of the seats before picking up a slightly smaller present. It fit in the palm of his hand, and he passed it over to Chloe with a glowing grin, muttering shyly about how he hoped she'd like it.
"Wow, thanks Adrien. That's very sweet of you. I haven't got your present on me, but I'll be sure to drop it off later today. Well, I have to run, Daddy is waiting for me. I'll see you later." Chloe smiled, giving him a quick hug before walking off past the bakery. She waited before she heard the car turn around the corner before she quickly spun back around and unlocked the bakery door, rushing inside. The warmth and the smell of various treats was a welcomed sensation. She hated lying to Adrien, but it wasn't like she could tell him the full truth.
"Chloe, what happened? You told me you'd be here in five minutes. It's been fifteen." Sabrina's voice called before the young woman appeared from the stairs.
"Sorry, Adrien was trying to drop off a gift for Marinette and ended up giving me mine instead. Any luck finding the key?" Chloe inquired, offering Sabrina a genuine apologetic smile.
"Actually yes, I was looking in all the wrong places. Normally people keep a diary separate from it's key to stop people having instant access to it, so I assumed Marinette had done the same. But after looking everywhere, and I mean everywhere, I'd had no luck. Turns out there's a secret compartment in the back of the box, almost seamless against the rest of the material. But there's a small hole cut into it, just wide enough for a bent paper clip to reach into a pull out a secret drawer. Inside that was the key. She's quite clever that one." Sabrina explained.
"You're the best Sabrina! I owe you one." Chloe exclaimed joyfully before hugging her friend.
"Yeah yeah, we'll add it to the list. Now, are you going to tell me what's going on or not? Is Marinette alright?" Sabrina asked, a genuine look of concern covering her face.
"Come on, I'll explain while I'm packing her a bag." Chloe instructed, heading up the stairs with Sabrina following shortly behind. After finding a small duffel bag, Chloe started searching through the bluenette's drawers for everything she'd need.
"After I left you to go back home and make Adrien's gift, I was crossing the Pont Des Arts bridge, Marinette had climbed up onto the railing wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a vest top. She was bleeding, her skin was so pale, she looked really ill. And then I saw her lift one foot, it looked like she was going to jump, so I called to her and tried running over to stop her. The shock of hearing me, it caused her to slip off the bridge and fall into the Seine. I managed to pull her out of the water, but there was so much blood. She's now in hospital, in a critical condition. And it's all my fault." Chloe explained, tears forming in her eyes. If she hadn't called out to Marinette so loudly, maybe if she'd just approached slowly she would have been able to convince her to come down from the railing. She could have saved her the right way. It was then she felt Sabrina hug her, which shocked her in all honesty as she hadn't even noticed her friend approach. But she dropped the bag and hugged her back with equal enthusiasm.
"It's not your fault Chloe. If you'd have done nothing Marinette and she was lifting her foot away from the railing, it's almost certain she would have jumped. If you'd have tried being a bit more cautious, she probably wouldn't have seen you until it was too late. The fact you went into those freezing waters and pulled her out, it was incredibly brave and saved her life. While it may not feel like it, there was nothing else that could be done. Now lets get this bag packed." The amount of comfort Chloe got from Sabrina's little speech was overwhelming. Wiping away her tears, she nodded and went into the bathroom to grab Marinette a toothbrush as well as the essential cleaning products. It wasn't much long later that the two were finished.
Bidding Sabrina farewell, Chloe made her way back to the hospital, carrying Marinette's duffel bag over her right shoulder and her own handbag over her left, which now contained both her gift from Adrien and Marinette's diary. That was something she'd have to read later on when she got back home. She felt like she'd got everything the bluenette needed, she'd even gone to a corner store to buy a few fashion magazines for her, hoping it would lift her spirits. She'd even found a nice little present there too. It pretty little necklace with a sterling silver ladybug charm which had tiny red quarts embedded inside it. The necklace itself came in a beautiful black gift box, which was tied with pink ribbons. For some reason, she thought Marinette would really like it. So after purchasing those items from the shop, she rushed back to the hospital, she'd already been keeping Marinette's parents waiting for long enough.
However, when she walked back into the waiting room, the couple were nowhere to be seen. Had something happened while she'd been gone? Had Marinette taken a turn for the worst? Did the doctor tell them it was best if they said their goodbyes? So many different scenarios were playing out in Chloe's mind, each one worst than the last. But when she saw Tom Dupain suddenly walk through the double doors into the waiting room with a calm look on his face, she felt a huge wave of relief flood over her. If something had happened, he would look distraught, there would be tears or he would be comforting his wife at the very least.
"Miss Bourgeois, thank you for getting a bag for Marinette. Sabine thought it would be a good idea to check if you were back, she was worried you'd fear the worst if you saw us both gone. Marinette's operation was a complete success. She's asleep for the moment, but we're allowed to wait with her. You're more than welcome to come in with us, after everything you've done for us." Tom explained, placing a large hand on her shoulder.
"I'm glad to hear it went well. Though I should really be getting back home, my Father's starting to worry. But, when Marinette wakes up, could you give her this?" Chloe asked, pulling out the small gift box containing the ladybug necklace from her bag and handed it to Tom.
"Of course. Thank you once again, we're forever in your debt." Tom smiled, pulling the blonde into a tight and emotional hug which Chloe returned almost instantly. Waving goodbye, she left the hospital and called her Father, asking for him to send a car to pick her up. In all honesty, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go to bed, but she still had to make Adrien's gift, then there was the matter of Marinette's diary.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Looking in the mirror, Allegra Agreste let out a soft sigh before looking to the ground. About ten minutes ago, she'd gotten a call from the police and immediately assumed something terrible had happened to her family. But when they'd informed her the were calling for professional reasons that fear instantly evaporated. However that calm feeling soon transformed into one of shock and nausea when they explained why they were calling. A young woman had tried to jump off the Pont Des Arts bridge, and was now in hospital recovering from some very serious injuries. There had been evidence of a struggle from blood collected under her fingernails, as well as signs of physical abuse. While they wanted to know what had happened to the girl, they wanted to handle it in a sensitive manner. So who better to call than Paris' best therapist? Feeling her husbands arms wrap around her from behind, she smiled slightly and turned her head to look back him, being greeted with a soft kiss on her lips.
"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked, gently stroking her hips with his thumbs.
"Even if I did, you can't. Doctor patient confidentiality. I'll be back in a few hours. Sorry Felix, I know this probably wasn't what you imagined when coming back to see your Father and Brother. I promised you I'd be there to support you, now I'm leaving." Allegra sighed.
"Hey, you don't need to be sorry at all. You became a therapist to help people who are suffering. No matter what day of the year it is, I'm never going to expect you to put me first in a situation like this, I can wait. I'll still be here when you get back, waiting with a nice cup of tea for you." He smiled, kissing her softly once again before leaving their room.
Felix Agreste, to anyone else would be a cold and distant man who put his job before everything else. He was very discrete and hardly ever went out in public. But to his wife, he was a big softie and compassionate to a fault. He would always put everyone else before himself, and if someone needed his help he'd be there in the blink of an eye. Those were traits he'd got from his Mother, but had adopted his Father's behaviour to be seen as tough. She had been the only one out of their friend group who had noticed the crack in his facade, the only one who had discovered him crying in the park. She'd visit him everyday after school, since he and Adrien were home schooled at that point. But after some relentless begging from the younger of the brothers, he had been able to attend regular school about a year later. At that point however, Felix had finished his education, being three years older than Adrien, and opted to go travelling the world. He associated it with the place his Mother was lost, so didn't want to be there longer than necessary. A week before he left for America, Felix proposed to her and asked her to come with him, to see the world together. She'd accepted instantly, and neither of them had gone back to Paris in two years, in fact their wedding had been held in Spain, so most of their guests had to fly out to be there, including Felix's Father and Brother. Adrien was now seventeen, nearing his eighteenth year of life and seemed to be dealing with the loss of his Mother healthily. Gabriel was a different manner. He had cut himself off from his son and the rest of the world. Something Allegra was deeply concerned about.
But that was a problem for another time. Right now she had to deal with this young woman clearly in desperate need of help. Something awful must have happened to cause her to take those kind of actions, and during the whole car ride to the hospital, Allegra tried to think of the best way to handle the situation. Upon her arrival, she was greeted by a tall slim police doctor, who bowed his head to her politely before escorting her to the room where the girl was resting. Outside that room, two people who she assumed were her parents were talking with a police officer, who was taking notes down on a small pad. Those poor people, having to deal with something so heartbreaking, and on Christmas Eve no less.
"She's awake right now, but please keep it brief for today Mrs. Agreste. She needs to rest." The doctor requested before opening the door and allowing her to walk inside the room.
Laying on the bed was a bluenette haired girl who looked the same age as Adrien, her bright bluebell eyes instantly locked with Allegra's own pale sky blue ones.
"Miss Dupain-Cheng? My name is Allegra. I'm a therapist and I've been asked to talk with you briefly today. But, before we start, I need to ask you a few quick questions. Do you remember what happened earlier today?" Allegra asked, sitting down on the chair besides the bed.
"Who asked you to come here?" Marinette asked, completely avoiding the question. The young woman was clearly in denial, but that was something Allegra would have to come back to.
"The police. They're worried about you. They found blood under your fingernails which was not a match to your own. You've also been covering bruises with make up, some of them are several months old while others only seem to have been caused from a few days ago." Allegra explained, keeping a calm tone at all times. She wanted Marinette to feel comfortable.
"They don't need to worry. I'm fine." Marinette stated coldly, looking away from the woman.
"Now most people may believe that, I'm sure you've grown well adept in hiding your pain. But I've been trained to see past people's masks Marinette. I can tell your hurting. I'm not here to judge you, I'm here to help. So please let me. I'm going to end things here for today, the doctor asked I keep it brief so you can rest, but I'm leaving my card with you. I hope you'll call me tomorrow so we can arrange an appointment." Allegra smiled, pulling out a card from her pocket before placing it down on the bedside table. When Marinette's only response was to roll over on her side so her back was facing Allegra, she took that as her queue to leave. But before departing from the room, she cast a quick look back at the bluenette, hoping and praying that she would let her in and help.
After telling both the doctor and the officer what had happened, Allegra left the hospital and climbed back into the Agreste limo, enduring a long and quiet journey back to the Manor. Her mind was running wild, wondering what on earth had happened to the young woman. Her job would be so much easier if people opened up at the click of a finger, but humans were far more susceptible to hiding their emotions behind many walls. It was her job to break down those walls. When she got back to the manor, she was surprised to see all three Agreste men sitting in the living room waiting for her, warming themselves in front of the fireplace. Gabriel was holding a glass of whisky in his hand, while Felix and Adrien were sporting a small glass of cider. On the table, as promised, was a steaming cup of tea waiting for her. Smiling softly, she sat down beside Felix and let out a content sigh when she felt his arm wrap around her.
"Want to talk about it?" Felix offered, knowing that sometimes talking about her clients out loud helped her to understand them better and gain some clarity. She never went into too much detail however, to keep their identities protected, which he loved about her. Despite the fact she got so stressed about these clients, she still made sure she protected them.
"A girl tried jumping off the Pont Des Arts bridge today. She couldn't have been any older than Adrien, still in her final year of school. Yet she was riddled in bruises, some incredibly recent while others were many months old. She'd been hiding them with make up, and she insists she's fine, that she doesn't need help. But I can see the pain behind her eyes. I gave her my card, and I think I'll visit her after Christmas if she doesn't call, but I'm really hoping she does." Allegra sighed, resting her head on Felix's shoulder while the other two men in the room listened to her intently, both of them seeming very shocked by the story of this girl.
"The poor child. I'll have Natalie prepare a Christmas gift basket for her to take with you the next time you visit. Knowing that people care during times like this, it can make all the difference in the world." Gabriel stated after taking a sip of his whisky. Looking up at him in shock, Allegra realised he was exactly right. That's why she wouldn't open up, not just to protect her loved ones from pain, but because she thought they wouldn't help her if she did. The girl probably thought she was being a burden or causing them some form of trouble.
"If it's alright with you Allegra, I'd like to send some flowers too." Adrien added. Smiling at the young man, she nodded. He was such a sweet boy, always putting others first. Leaning back against her husband, Allegra let out a content sigh. She now knew how to approach Marinette.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Letting out a sigh of relief, Chloe collapsed onto her bed. It had been a very long day, draining her both physically and emotionally. She'd finally managed to get around to making Adrien's Christmas present and dropped it off as soon as she was done. When she got back home, both Sabrina and Kim had decided to pay her a surprise visit so they could give her their presents. Sabrina left after a few minutes, but Kim stayed for a bit longer. Chloe had actually been dating Kim for a couple of months now, and she'd been happily surprised when he proved himself to be quite the gentleman. He'd grown up a lot in two years. When he left, Chloe was finally alone and had time to relax. So after a nice long bubble bath, she got changed into her pyjamas and climbed into bed, pulling out Marinette's diary from her handbag.
Did she really want to read it? Did she really want to know what was happening in Marinette's life, the horrible events that led to the young woman wanting to kill herself? Hesitating for a moment, Chloe took a deep breath and opened the diary up, flicking through the pages. Most were just doodles and rough sketches of various designs Marinette was working on, then there were multiple pages of 'Mrs. Marinette Agreste' covering the paper. Chloe couldn't help but giggle, it seemed like Marinette was still in love with the blonde boy. Obsessed almost. It was looking like finding the diary had been a wasted effort, there was nothing to suggest what had happened to her. That was, until Chloe got to the last page, her breath hitching in her throat.
I'm not sure whose reading this, but if you are it means I'm dead.
If it's not asking you for too much, please tell my parents I'm sorry and that I wish I could have been the Daughter they wanted me to be. Tell Alya that despite what she thinks, none of this is her fault and there's no way she could have known. Tell Adrien that I love him, even though I never had enough courage to tell him myself, ever since that moment he handed me the umbrella after his first day at school, I've been head over heels for him.
If you want to know why I did what I did, I'm sorry but I won't be explaining that. If my family found out what happened to me, it would only break their hearts further. No one should be exposed to that kind of knowledge. I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for everything.
The lump in Chloe's throat only grew larger as she continued reading. Even in death, Marinette would put others before herself. She was protecting them, to save them from the pain she went through. Letting out a shaky breath, Chloe closed the diary and let the tears fall down her cheeks. What had happened to her that was so awful she wouldn't even write it down in a suicide note? Putting the diary back in her handbag she switched off her bedroom light and pulled the covers over her shoulders, resting her head on the pillow. She seriously doubted she'd be getting much sleep tonight, but she was going to make a personal visit to Marinette tomorrow. It was Christmas after all, and the bluenette needed to see that even old enemies could be a shoulder to lean on in times of despair.