Marinette had never felt so empty in her life before. The bluenette had only moments ago called her parents to inform them she'd be flying back to England to hopefully come back home, also in hopes that she'd find a suitable job to sustain her for the time being while she was in search for a new apartment.

But when she had spoken to her parents, they were furious with her decision and were very disappointed. They demanded to know why she was suddenly leaving her job as a police officer after she had worked so very hard for such a position, to simply just come back home. Marinette listened sadly as her parents pretty much bashed her for becoming such a quitter.

"First you quit being a surgeon, next you're giving up being a police officer!" Her mother wailed from the other line, and each word pained Marinette to hear. She could clearly feel the disappointment in her mother's voice, and it bothered her greatly.

She really was a disappointment.

"What is it this time that's making you quit, Marinette?" Her father demanded to know. "Is it another man you're letting creep under your skin?"

"It's about time you grew a backbone!" She heard her mother add from behind her father's booming voice, and Marinette almost shed tears of her own as she listened to her mother's faint cries and frustrated wails.

"There's no man, papa." Marinette almost dreaded lying to her parents, but at this point, telling the truth would do no good for any of them. "I just....I miss home, and you guys, and I could still be a police officer in England....."

"You were so excited to be flying to Paris France when you were called," her father interrupted her by an inch, "Why would you all of a sudden have concern for missing us and your true home?"

Marinette frowned sadly, "I've always missed you guys and home. Why would you think-?"

"This is merely only the third time you have called us since you've been away, Marinette." Sabine whimpered, practically cutting off her husband and interrupting her own daughter.

Her father cleared his throat, as if an attempt to try and clear the tension. "Just come home when you can, Marinette. We'll be awaiting for your arrival."

An uneasy feeling passed its way through Marinette's gut, and she almost hesitated to answer her own father. Something about the way he had just spoken that last sentence bothered her for some odd reason. It almost sounded insincere.

But, despise her uneasiness, a smile soon found its way to her lips. It had been quite a while since Marinette smiled, and actually had a reason to. "Thank you, papa."

"Of course, my dear." Came his reply, and Marinette's smile only grew at the sound of the sincerity in his voice this time around.

After exchanging goodbyes with both of her parents, Marinette ended the call reluctantly. She hated lying to her parents, and worse, she hated feeling like a disappointment to them. To them, their daughter only seemed to be a weak woman who couldn't even stick with one job. Their daughter couldn't seem to stick with a true, honest, man who could truly love her either.

And Marinette was for certain she had found that man before.

But not anymore.

As she waited for her flight to be called, Marinette had taken a seat in the chairs available for waiting passengers. With only one carry on bag and the rest of her luggage sent on the belts long ago, Marinette dreadfully plugged in her earbuds to drown out the world.

The music from her phone found its way to drown out the sounds of loud chattering from other people. Soon, the only sounds Marinette could hear were the lyrics of her favorite song blasting through her eardrums. Maybe this was the sort of comfort she needed, that sort of comfort she had been looking for. Maybe music really was the cure to all of your problems.

But even after almost four minutes had passed, and the song had finished, Marinette had been brought back to reality once again. The good thing about music though was that any song that took you away from your troubles, could take you away from reality all over again. All you had to do was replay the song over and over again. There was really no limit for how many times you wanted to leave the real world.

And Marinette did just that.

She was sure she had replayed the same song at least six times before she felt a hand to her shoulder. Marinette really had no time to panic, for the song had distracted her from doing so. Instead, she calmly cocked her head to the side to meet the perosn's gaze, only to find, she wasn't expecting to meet a pair of vibrant, green, eyes.

Pulling her earbuds slowly from her ears, Marinette stared up at him confusingly. "Chat Noir?"

Not only was she greatly surprised to see him, but he was even more surprised to see him in a such a public place. Chat Noir was a criminal, yet here he was in the middle of the airport!

Marinette's eyes darted to her sides, only to find eyes already focusing on the criminal dressed in a black cat suit. Many people began to stare; some began to murmur, and Marinette was beginning to grow anxious for the man she was beginning to love.

Marinette turned back to look at him, only to find him shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He still didn't dare to utter a single word, and he didn't seem to mind all the eyes focusing on him. Marinette watched him fidget, and the confusion only grew as she cocked an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" Then she added a little more quietly, "You shouldn't even be out in the open like this! You'll be arrested!"

Ignoring her concerns and the stares from others, he sighed unpleasantly, "I have a message I'm supposed to.....deliver to you."

Her heart dropped at the news. Of course Chat Noir hadn't come to make peace with her and apologize for his words. He'd come to deliver some absurd message to her that was probably not even important, and risk being arrested as a side note.

Her eyes dropped and moved away from his own. Focused more solemnly to her lap, she replied, "If this is a message to try and get me to come back to the police station to work, you might as well save your breath." She shook her head. "I'm not coming back."

Chat Noir shook his head violently, his anxiousness rising. "No...no it's not that!"

Marinette's head snapped up to send him a reprimanding look. "Keep it down. We're in the airport, not a stadium."

Chat Noir ignored her scolding, "I have a message from a man...." He paused, his ears dropping as his memories flooded back into place. "You were right about falling into that trap. I was a fool."

Well, Marinette had to agree Chat Noir was a fool. But telling him this wouldn't solve any problems, so she held her tongue. At least he had acknowledged it, and that was good enough....for now.

Marinette didn't meet his eyes quite yet, "If you had fallen into a trap, I'm sure that certain person would not have just set you free."

"That is why I am here with his message," Chat Noir tried to explain, "It was the only way he'd set me free."

At this, Marinette's eyes snapped up to his in a heartbeat. Chat Noir didn't phase as he studied the determined look now spread across her entire face. "What does the message say?" She almost demands to know, and at this, Chat Noir smiles wearily.

He clears his throat, and Marinette could sense the hesitation before even spoke a word. "Marinette D-Dupain-Cheng," his shaky voice took a gulp of fear, "You will meet me at t-the barber shop on twenty-third street at exactly four pm. You will bring no weapons, no backup, and no friends....."

Marinette eyes narrowed angrily as she listened to Chat's shaky words. Who would dare think that they could command her to do whatever they pleased? Marinette did not take orders from anyone. "If you do not show, or break any of the rules that have been given......" Chat paused, and when Marinette met his sorrowful eyes, she could've sworn a tear had leaked to run down his mask. "Y-You w-w-will be......m-m-murdered as easily as the most famous jewel of Paris has been stolen, and C-Chat Noir will b-b-burn along with you."

At these dreadful news, Marinette stood violently from her seat. "Who dared to say such a thing?" And when she was met with silence, she cried — despite the many eyes now focused on her. "Who said it, Chat Noir?!"

But because he was not allowed to say anything more, Chat Noir simply shrugged his shoulders. His answer however frustrated Marinette, and he watched her pitifully as she pulled at her pigtails in frustration.

Although deep down, he had seen a glimpse of the man. Through the dark, he had the opportunity to see the man for only a second. Yet, a second was all that he needed. Chat Noir now knew exactly who the criminal was. He had recognized the man in a heartbeat.

And he couldn't even tell the police.

__________________________

Golly my schedule (here and irl) was seriously thrown off because of Black Friday. I would've updated yesterday, but I slept all day from stayin up all night Thursday night xD

I'm such a looney

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Thanks!
-Dippy