Too Long
Marinette squinted at her notes, Emma was sleeping curled up on the sofa next to her. Adrien and Nino were outside trying to fix the car. Felix clambered onto the sofa, the old cat dropping down in between Marinette and Emma. Glancing up at the urn on the mantel piece, Marinette felt a pang of grief over the loss of Bridgette.
"Are you okay?" Asked Alya, walking in carrying a sleeping Isaac.
"Yeah, Emma had another nightmare." Was Marinette's tired response.
"Kagami's sleeping, she accidentally tore her stitches again." Said Alya, carefully lowering herself onto the sofa, "Luka's gone to the shops, since we're suddenly out of milk."
Marinette sighed through her nose, carefully adjusting herself so she didn't wake Emma, "Alya, I know what he and the other guys are doing."
"I know, it just," Alya exhaled sharply, "With Redman and Macintyre out and Jones escaping, we're worried about you."
Marinette breathed slowly, "Alya, you know perfectly well that I can take care of myself. If Jones comes here, it'll be the last place he ever sees."
Marinette patted her leg, a 12–13-inch dagger sheathed and hidden away as a safety measure. She had accidentally conjured it shortly before Louis was born. Marinette glanced down at Emma, she had her father's hair and eyes and was nearly four years old, her twin brother, Hugo, had very much taken to being a 'big boy', but he always came back to one of his parents when he'd been hurt.
Marinette had three children by Adrien, one by Nino and another two by Luka, while Alya and Kagami had one by each of them. Kagami was recovering from a c-section after shattering her pelvis in an accident that confined her to a wheelchair.
Adrien walked in, a black mark on his face. Marinette looked at him and started giggling.
"Louis and Marcus are helping us do an oil change." Said Adrien, grabbing a glass and filling it with water, "Since some idiot put coolant in instead of oil."
"Aren't you that idiot?" Asked Alya, getting Adrien to stick his tongue out at her.
Alya reciprocated, before Isaac whined and started kicking his legs out. Alya sighed, before carefully adjusting him so he'd fall back asleep. Hugo toddled into the room, dragging his blanket behind him, he then clambered up onto the sofa and curled up on his mother's other side. Adrien smiled softly at the twins, reaching out to stroke their heads, only for Marinette and grab his wrist.
"Wash your hands."
Adrien glanced at his palms, and wince at how dirty his hands were.
"I'll go finish with the car."
Marinette gave a small snort, before going back to her work.
TL
Luka smiled as he watched Thomas and Yoko putting items in the trolly. Yoko put in sweets, while Thomas put in fruits.
"Papa, can we get one of those?" Asked Yoko, pointing towards a man with a cardboard box sitting next to him.
Luka looked over and frowned, "Koko, what's he selling?"
"Puppies!"
"He's selling glorified rats." Said Thomas, glaring at the box.
"What makes you say that?" Asked Luka, as a snout appeared over the top of the box, "Is this something to do with Bridgette?"
"No."
Thomas responded too quickly for it to be the truth. Both Thomas and Louis had been close to Bridgette when they were little and had been devastated when the old dog died.
"Thomas." Luka said in a warning tone.
"Okay, fine, I don't see the point in having a stupid dog if it's gonna die." Snapped Thomas, with Luka getting reproachful looks from other shoppers.
"Tom, I know that you're still upset about Bridgette," Started Luka, gently, "but it's a part of life, sometimes the best way to deal with it is to fill the hole left by a pet is to get another one."
"Or three." Mutter Thomas, finally alerting Luka to the fact that Yoko had gone over to the man and was holding three of the puppies.
"Oh no." said Luka, before rushing over to Yoko, who'd made it back into the store with the three puppies.
"He said they were free!" Said Yoko, gleefully.
"Oh, I'm dead." Muttered Luka, as Yoko put the puppies into the trolly.
"Papa, can we call them Fred?"
TL
Adrien looked up as he heard someone coming up the drive, he looked behind him and froze at the sight of a defeated Luka with Yoko and Thomas holding three puppies of different breeds.
"Marinette's going to kill you." Said Adrien, as Louis and Marcus look around him.
"Yoko's named them Fred." Said Thomas, helpfully.
"I hate to break it to you, but two of them are girls." Stated Louis, pointing at them.
Yoko quickly hurried inside with one of the puppies. There was a moment of silence, before a bark was heard, followed by a baby wailing.
"Luka!" Came Marinette and Alya's voices, getting a snort from Adrien.
"After you." Said Adrien, gesturing for Luka to enter the house.
TL
Ethan haphazardly pulled at the security tags on the clothes he stole. As soon as he could get the police off his tail, he would be free to find the miserable little chi-
Ethan didn't get a chance to finish that thought, as a white gloved hand punched him in the back of the head with enough force to knock him out.
Bunnyx glared down at Ethan, before dragging him to the door and throwing him out onto the street. The heroine detransformed, pulled out her phone and called the police.
TL
Mickey tried not to squirm under the combined glare of Kagami and Adrien. He'd thought Kagami wouldn't be intimidating because she was in a wheelchair, he didn't expect how wrong he'd been.
"I-I know t-that I have n-no right to explain myself-" Adrien cut him off, "You admitting to abducting, beating, raping and planning on killing Marinette, practically cheered Ethan on with killing Lila and only went along with the deal because you didn't want to go to prison."
"B-but, you know how Ethan was."
"Yeah, but we also know how you were," Growled Kagami, "you weren't afraid of him, you always made a point of telling him how he should be afraid of you. What makes us sick about you isn't that you claimed Ethan scared you, it's that you did all those things because you wanted to and wanted to duck out of the consequences."
"T-there's n-no proof in that."
"Sam saw you eying Marinette a week before the attack," Said Adrien, his tone flat, "say what you will about Sam, he's observant, so he knows what look is being given and what that look means. Sam was only wrong in the fact that you weren't dumb enough to go through with it."
Mickey resembled a gold fish as Adrien and Kagami started to leave.
"The restraining order still stands, Redman," Said Adrien, coldly, "if you get within 100 feet of Marinette or her children, they wouldn't even be able to find your body."
Mickey swallowed, watching the two leave, terrified out of his own mind.
TL
"Ethan Jones has been recaptured." Said Marinette, frowning at the paper, "How long had he been free?"
"A week." Responded Luka, carefully brushing Yoko's hair.
"Apparently a Ms. Kubdel found him and called it in."
"Amazing."
"Almost as if someone told her to look for him."
"Marinette," Sighed Luka, "Why do you find it so hard to believe that your friends and family actually love you?"
"I know you guys love me." Defended Marinette, frowning.
"I meant outside of this household," Gestured Luka, "Marinette, I heard Juleka say that you were the glue that keeps everyone together. I just don't understand why you think you're so unlovable."
Marinette looked down, while Yoko stared up at her Papa and Maman.
"Yoko, why don't you go play with Becka and Chris?" Suggested Luka, getting a nod from the girl.
Once Yoko was out of earshot, Luka turned back to Marinette, "Is this to do with three of those buys getting out."
Marinette's eyes were still on her lap, making Luka sigh again. Without saying another word, Luka gently pulled Marinette closer to him, "They can't hurt you and they can't hurt the kids. You know Chloé's already seen to that."
Marinette released a shuddery breath into Luka's shoulder, "It's not that."
Luka frowned, "Then what is it?"
"One day, I'm going to have to tell them a-and I just know it's going to change how they see me," Cried Marinette, "How their mother is a-"
"Don't finish that sentence." Interrupted Luka, "You know as well as the rest of us that you're not a slut or a whore or any other derogatory name under the sun. You're Marinette, you're a victim, you're a survivor, you're a Celestial Guardian and you're the mother to twelve beautiful children."
Marinette swallowed, "But I still see it, Luka. I'm in that room and I'm stuck and I can't move a-a-and I'm too pathetic and useless to do anything."
"You know that's not true," Said Alya, from the doorway, "Yoko told me that Papa and Maman are upset."
"Marinette's nightmares have come back." Said Luka, as Alya moved further into the room.
"Mari, why didn't you say anything?" Asked Alya, perching next to them.
"There've been more important things going on." Muttered Marinette, before Alya gently grabbed her chin and kissed her.
Marinette froze for a second, before attempting to deepen the kiss.
"Oh," Murmured Alya, against Marinette's lips, "Luka, be a dear and close the door, I think Mari wants to feel good."
Luka nodded and quickly shut the door.
TL
Adrien looked at the sheet of paper in front of him, "How the hell did they confuse Physics with Biology?"
Nino looked up from his laptop, "Similar area?"
Adrien gave Nino a flat look, "Since when did human blood make a blue flame?"
Nino stared at Adrien, before saying, "I take it back, your students are dumb."
"We still need to ask Caline and Michael is they're coming over tonight." Said Adrien, changing the subject.
"Should we ask if they're bringing their kids?"
"I would've assumed that was a given, although, I don't think Michelle would like it if we asked her mother instead of her." Muttered Adrien, pushing his glasses up his face, "I hear that D'Argencourt had a stroke in his cell a couple days ago."
"Really?" Inquired Nino, quirking an eyebrow, "How'd you hear that?"
"Because Chloé was bitching about how it appeared that the Guards killed him." Stated Adrien, casually.
"Wait, he's dead?"
"From what I heard."
TL
"Madames et Monsieurs, College Francois Dupont, in collaboration with Rose Heart Academy and the Jeanne D'Arc School for Gifted Individuals, are proud to present Miraculous Ladybug, the untold tale of Ladybug and her Partner Chat Noir," Read Thomas, looking at the sheet of paper in his hands, "apologies for the late start, but Ian's come down with the flu and his understudy was late."
Gabriel saw Marinette wince, while two more of his grandchildren wandered around the stage. Nathalie shifted in her seat, Lianne was directing the performance.
Thomas looked up, "Several artistic liberties have been taken."
Then the hall went dark, and the curtain was raised.