In the previous Chapter, the doctor looks at Chat and says,  "That is really something for your girlfriend to decide."    The doctor leaves the room.  Chat thinks, wait!  The doctor thinks I am her boyfriend! ...

  Now, in the current Chapter, Chat paces the  floor to the room.  Marinette notices and wonders what is he up to now?   Chat looks at her and smiles. He blushes just a little as well.

   "Marinette, did you notice how the doctor thought we were dating?"  Chat says.

 "What?  Where on earth did he get that idea?"  Marinette says.

"I have no idea, what so ever!" Chat says.

"Oh,I see." Marinette says.

    Marinette's POV:  Chat is a great guy!  He is a great friend even!  I still don't see him as being my type.  Wait, that is not quite right!  I like him.  I really like him.  There is no way someone as amazing as him could ever like me.  I mean, why should he?  I am just a silly girl who listens to whatever he mother says to do no matter what.  Only, lately my mother has gotten out of control.  It is her fault, I fainted right?   I mean thanks to her I am malnourished, and dehyrated as the doctor put it.  Not only on this, but how can I go back home to the abuse?  I am not sure I should, nor that I can.  I am also, not sure I can just go to Chat's either.  I mean what will people say?   It is not as though we are dating.  The very idea is plan laughable. 

  Chat' s  POV:  As I look at Marinette, my princess, I wonder what  it is she thinks about?  Does she ever think about me?  If so, in what way?  I mean does she even care for me in the way the doctor implies?   For that matter, does she like me at all?   I may be just a great friend to this girl !  I am her first friend as she has made sure to tell me as much on the few other times I have seen her.   I still wonder why her mother was so cruel to her!  I do not know my mother, so I can not say rather she is kind, or not.  I  can not say if she is the time to care for someone as a real mother should.   I do know my father tried his best to be there for me and he even saw to it that I always plenty enough to eat and drink. There is was never a time I ever went without a meal, or water.  I can not imagine all that Marinette must have gone through over the years before I met her.  Let alone ever since her mother locked her away in her room in the attempt to keep her away from the public view and from me.  I do believe that was her real intent.   I do not think she meant any real harm towards her health.  Other than of the course, the slap marks which she put there after she confronted my princess after a day on the town together.  I feel somehow, as I am am fault for this part of her mother's mistrust in her and her anger towards her.  I am not sure why I feel so responsible for this.  I just know that is the way I feel about it.  I also, know that I cherish the time we spend together rather she does or not.

      Nathalie comes to the hospital and barges right into the room where Chat sits in the chair beside the bed Marinette sits in at the moment.  She looks at them and thinks, what is the meaning of all this?  She thinks, I do believe if   Mr Agreste were here he would approve of whoever this blue haired girl is that seems to have taken an interest in his son, Chat Noir. For that matter, I do believe Chat is smitten with her as well.  She smiles.  She does not say a word as she takes  a seat on a bench near the window in the room. 

     "Nathalie, what brings you here?"  Chat says.

    " I came to see for myself if what the news said was true, or not. " Nathalie says.

  " Well, as you can see she is not doing that well," Chat says.

  "Yes, well I am sure she is in good hands,"  Nathalie replies.

 "Who, who are you?"  Marinette ask.

" Oh,I am Nathalie Sanceour, close friend to Chat's father, Gabriel, and servant to Chat now that his father has passed away," Nathalie responds.

" It is nice to meet you, Nathalie. Chat has said nice things about you."  Marinette says.

"Yes, well I am glad to hear that then!" Nathalie says.

" There is just one thing I do not get, why did Chat not tell me about you?"  Nathalie says.

 "I told him not to tell anyone about our friendship because I was worried my mother would not give her approval,"  Marinette says.

 "She is right.  Only her mother didn't approve when she found out by accident that I had befriended, Marinette."  Chat says.

 "Marinette, are you related to the late Tom Dupain-Cheng?"  Nathalie ask.

 "Yes, I am.  He was my father." Marinette says.

"Wow, then you must know how the papers went on and on for many weeks about the untimely death of Tom Dupain-Cheng.  It also described how no one could understand how someone could do that to him!   He was a good friends with Chat's father, Gabriel when they were young,"  Nathalie says.

"Actually, I had no idea as he died when I just a baby," Marinette says.

" Now that you mention it, I do recall the papers said he was survived by a wife, Sabine and a young  six month old baby, a girl."  Nathalie says.

 "Yes, well that would definitely be me." Marinette says.

"Wow, this is great!  This means you and Chat are rather close in age." Nathalie says.

 "Yes, I am aware of  this fact."  Marinette says.

 "She is so special to me." Chat says

"What was that you said?"  Marinete ask.

"I could tell you two meant a great deal to one another," Nathalie says.

"What?  You must be mistaken.  Chat and I are only friends." Marinette says.

"Only, well that is a shame." Nathalie says.

"Oh, and why is this?" Marinette replies

"Oh, nothing that concerns you, I am sure." Nathalie says, and walks away.

 Chat's POV:  I think Nathalie's behavior towards Marinette is rather odd. She is usually way more friendly than this.  What on earth could have caused her to act this way?  Is she ill?   Oh, I do hope not.  I  notice after Natalie leaves that Marinette is rather quiet.   Is she hurt by something Nathalie told her.  If so, what could it be?  Marinette drinks a few sips of water.  She looks sad.  I wish I knew what brought about the sadness.  Could it be the news Nathalie shared with her about Tom's past?  How is that Natalie knew all this time that my father and Marinette's  were best friends, but failed to tell me?  I think this strange, since Nathalie kept on teasing me with happy I have been lately.  I mean it.  I have been rather happy despite my sadness about my father because of her. It is because of Marinette!   I am sure of this. What else could it be?  I  feel as though I have known Marinette for ever and not just for a few days.  I   love her, so much!  I must wait before I tell her.  I don't want to scare her away, or have her think I have gone made.  I  am far from it.  I have never been so sure about something in my entire life.   Nathalie must sense that I love Marinette as she brought up the closeness of our ages.  If  I did not know any better Nathalie was keeping something from me.  What could it be?

Marinette's POV:  Chat just sits nearby and stares at me. What could it all mean?  He seems to be lost in thought about something.  He appears to be in deep thought for that matter.  Is it something this servant, this Nathalie mentioned while she was here?   What could it be anyway?   I do wonder, how Chat's father and my own were best friends without my ever knowing?  Is it because my father died long before Chat's father passed away that my mother has the attitude she does towards Chat?   If so, then why?  Why is she this way?  Does she blame Gabriel Agreste for the death of my father?  Why the very idea is rather ridiculous!  Ridiculous indeed!  There is no way a best friend would betray his other best friend in that way!  Besides, Chat's father himself was only recently murdered. 

Chat's POV:  Does Sabine hold a grudge of some sort towards my family?  Does she hate my father?  If she does, then what reason could she possibly have for this?  My father is dead for crying out loud!  No one seems to know, not even the police who could have the time, the motive or the means to kill my father in such a brutal way.  Yet, the evidence speaks for itself that he was murdered doesn't it?   Marinette's father too was murdered years ago as Nathalie just implied by what she said.   What ever could this mean?  Does this mean that someone close to him took his life?  There is no way, my father even as odd as he was after the death of my mother, would ever take the life of another human being. I mean, there is no way he would ever murder someone, is there?  No!  No way!  The very idea is just plain insane! There is no way he would have!  Not even for a hug sum of money!  My father was to honest a man to have done something, so low as to kill his best friend.  Wasn't he?

Marinette's POV:  Poor, Chat!  He must be greatly hurt!  His own father brutally murdered in his own home!  How positively dreadful!  I do believe Nathalie knows about it and more about the death of the father than she tells us.  What is it she hides from us?  Is there someone she protects in all this?  If so, then who?  Who is she protects?  Why would she protect such a person?  A person who is so dangerous that there is no telling where he or she will strike next.  

Marinette's flash back...

    Marinette is two years old. She is at the lunch table with her mother. She notices her mother looks lost in thought. She dare not bother her.  She waits until she finishes her lunch.  Now she is ready, ready to ask about her father.  What ever could have happened to him? She wonders.

   "Mommy?  Mommy?"   Marinette asks.

  "Yes, dear?" Sabine says.

 "Mommy, where is daddy?" Marinette asks.

 "Why would need to know about such a thing?" Sabine asks.

" I miss him." Marinette says.

"I miss him too, " Sabine says.

"Where is he?" Marinette says.

"He died.  It happened when you were a baby," Sabine says.

"what?  Died, how?"  Marinette says.

" Someone killed him!  They kiled him!" Sabine says.

"what?" Marinette asks.

"He was murdered!" Sabine says.

"M-Murdered?"  Marinette's jaw drops and she cries.

"Yes, murdered." Sabine says.

"Wh-who?"  Marinette says.

"No one really knows, but I suspect it was someone close to him." Sabine says.

"Oh!" Marinette says.

"He has many business associates who owed him a lot of money." Sabine says.

" Any of them could have taken his life." Sabine says.

"Oh, Mommy!  I sorry about what happened to daddy!" Marinette says.

"Dear child, it is not your fault!" Sabine says.

...End of Marinette's  flashback.

       Marinette  looks at Chat. She has tears in her eyes.  

"Marinette?  Marinette?" Chat says.

"Y-yes?" Marinette says.

"Why are you crying?" Chat ask.

"Oh, I had a flashback to the past." Marinette says.

 "Mind telling me about it?" Chat ask.

 "Chat, it was about when I was two years old. I asked about my father and my mother..." She sobs

"Your Mother, what?" Chat says.

"My mother said she believed a business associate who owed him money killed him!" Marinette says.

"Shh, shh!" Chat says, and hugs her.

"Thanks, Chat!" Marinette says.

"Sure, anything for a friend!" Chat says.

Chat's  Flashback...

Chat is six years old and stands  in the kitchen.  He hears his parents argue.

"Gabriel, how could you?  How could you do this?"  Emilie says.

"Emilie, I do believe it is my duty to do what is best for our family!" Gabriel says.

 "Gabriel, you can't do this to him!  To Adrien!"  Emilie yells!

"It is for his own good!"  Gabriel yells back!

"For his own good?  How could it be for his own good to have his own father be ashamed of him?" Emilie yells!

"I am not ashamed of him!  I  just don't want people to laugh him because of all the scars!"  Gabriel yells.

"Scars?  You can't say this!  His scars are their because of the fire he almost died in three years ago!" Emilie yells

" Oh, yeah!  Then what about your scars?"  Gabriel says

"What about them?"  Emilie yells

" Why do keep your hands covered all the time?  Why do you try to conceal your face with makeup and wears scarfs in public to hide your neck?"  Gabriel yells

"That is different and you know it!"  Emilie yells

 " I  do not see, how it is!  You are ashamed of your own scars and yet you tell me I can't go get help for our son!" Gabriel yells

"Oh, help?  Help, is that what you call it?"  Emilie yells

"Why, yes!  What else would I call it?"  Gabriel yells back

"Mommy, Daddy?  Are you okay?  I heard yelling, and got scared." Adrien says.

"Everything, is just fine, sweetie! " Emilie says and kisses her son on his cheek.

  Satisfied with this, Adrien goes back to his room, climbs in his bed and falls asleep.

    Two days later, Adrien wakes up and discovers his mother is gone!  She is nowwhere in sight! Where could she have gone?   Why didn't she take him with her?

  "Daddy, where is mommy?"  Adrien says.

  "Adrien, she is gone!" Gabriel says as the tears come.

"What?" Adrien says.

"She is dead. She died in her sleep last night. The doctor says she had a weak heart and it finally gave out!" Gabriel reaches out and hugs his son.

Adrien cries and hugs his father back.

One week later, Adrien and Gabriel go to see some old friend, named Master Fu. He gives something to Gabriel.  Gabriel gives to Adrien.  After this, no one sees or hears from Adrien ever again!  Gabriel claims his son, Adrien is dead. He claims that he died from a broken heart after what happened to his mother.  He says, Chat Noir, the boy in the cat suit is the little boy he adopted since the death of his Adrien. He asks for privacy.

...End of flashback...

   Chat wonders, who on earth is Adrien?  Why does this name seem so familiar?  What happened to Emilie, his mother?  Why did his father say he was adopted?  He does not recall any adoption papers in the mansion being found after his mother's death, nor after the death of his father.  He supposes he will have to ask Nathalie all about it.  The entire thing appears to be a mystery of sorts! 

   "Chat, chat?"  Marinette says.

 "Yes, Mari?"  Chat says.

  "You seem to have spaced out for a bit there.  Are you alright?"  Marinette says.

"Yes, I mean I will be!  I too had a flashback, it is something I will need to discuss with Nathalie later."  Chat says.

"Oh, okay! " Marinette says.

"Marinette, do you hate me?"  Chat says.

"No!" Marinette says.

"Then, why were you so upset the doctor thought we were dating?  Why were you so quick to tell Nathalie we are just friends?" Chat says.

Marinette's POV:  I can tell Chat is hurt. He gives me a look as if I wounded him. Why?  What is it that troubles him?  I don't understand what the big deal is anyway!   I only said what I did because it is true!  We are just friends!  Friends!  F-r-i-e-n-d-s!  There is nothing more to us than that right?   I mean how could there be?   Chat does not see me that way, right?  I am not sure how I feel about him to be honest.  So, why the look of  a cat who was refused his bowl of milk, his cat nip, or his can of tuna?  

"Chat, we don't date.  The truth is we are friends and that is all we ever will be!  Got it?"  Marinette says.

"Yes, I  got it!" Chat says.

"Good! " Marinette says.

"Good! " Chat says.  He gives her a fake smile.

      Finally, the time comes for Marinette to leave the hospital. She signs all the paperwork. She walks out the door and leaves. She walks home. She discovers no one is there and enters it anyway.  Once inside, she cleans out the refrigerator, the microwave and the rest of the kitchen. Then she goes up stairs, takes a shower, dries off and puts on a fresh set of clothes. She goes outside through the window and uses the hammer she found in the garage to remove all the nails from the boards around the trap door.  She returns to the room through the trap door.  She smiles. She writes in her journal. This times she decides to write more than usual.  It has been awhile since she last wrote anything in it.

 Dear Journal,

    I am back home now !  It sure is good to be back!  It may take awhile to get used to being here on my own.  The nice thing is though now I can fix all my own meals and pick my own bed time. For that matter, I can come and go as I please!  I have freedom. Freedom at last, and it feels ever so nice.  My mother, I found out is in prison.  I can't say I miss her as she never was that great to me. Let's face it, she used me and abused me. I am glad to have her gone!  I know that probably sounds like a horrid thing to say.  Just the same, I mean it. 

    As for Chat, he and I still remain friends.  It sure is great to have him as  a friend, as I obviously had few friends in life. He is kind, and he did my save my life you know.  I wish I had someone to share the details of my life with on a daily basis. Well, at least I have Chat, right?  He is more than I could ever ask for!  He makes me smile, laugh and sometimes even cry!  I could not ask for a better friend than him, nor do I want too!

   Chat seems okay with our being just friends, but I wonder how long it will last?  I mean he does always give me a look of sadness.  He seems to be hurt.  What happened?  Is it because of the flashback he had to his past a week ago while visiting me in the hospital, or there more to it than that?  If so, what could it be anyway?

 _Marinette Dupain-Cheng

   Marinette finishes the journal entry, closes the journal and out of habit returns it to the hiding spot.  She takes a nap. When she gets up, she fixes herself a sandwich, some chips and a glass of milk. She goes and sits in a chair out on her balcony. She eats her supper as she looks at the clouds. She thinks, why have never noticed the shapes of these clouds before?  She imagines the first cloud to be a mother who holds her baby gently in her arms, the second cloud to be a father who kisses his dear daughter good night, and finally the next cloud is a prince about to slay the dragon to protect his precious princess.  She giggles.  She and her imagination.  

   Chat shows up at her balcony unannounced. He seems a bit different somehow.  He smiles at her.  He appears to have given this a lot of thought.  A  lot of thought indeed.

  "Hi, princess!  I want you to know, that my visits will not be as often!" Chat says.

"Oh, and why is this?"  Marinette says.

" I have met someone." Chat says

"Oh, I see." Marinette says.

"She is really great!  I wish you could meet her!" Chat says

"Oh, is she your girlfriend?"  Marinette says.

"Yes, you could say that," Chat says.

"Oh, well I am happy for you, Chat!'' Marinette says.

"Well, see ya!" Chat leaves.

    Marinette watches him go and wonders, who on earth his girlfriend could be!  She thought he had no others in his life as friends.  Who on earth could she be?  Does she treat him well?

    An entire month goes by and Marinette hears nothing from Chat. He does not visit at all.  He must be on his date, with her!  Marinette thinks.

  Marinette's POV:  Okay, I admit it!  I am jealous of whoever this girl is that Chat dates.  I wish it were me!  What?   Where did this come from? Where did this jealousy come from anyway?  I am the one who insisted we just be friends.  Chat agreed to this and has found himself a girlfriend with someone else.  Why can't I just be happy for him?  It is because I love him that is why!  Wait, what ?  I  love Chat!  How?  How could I love him?  The very thought makes me blush and cry all at the same time.  How could I have fallen for him when he has obviously moved onto to someone new?

   Meanwhile, in his mansion, Chat is sad.  He thought it would make it easier on him if he lied and told Marinette he had a girlfriend.  He did not feel better.  If anything, truth be told he was more miserable than ever!  He missed his princess!  He loved her!  He wished they could be together, but she made it clear it was not to be!  She said as much herself,  "Chat we are only friends, and that is all we will ever be.  Got it?"   He remembers her statement as if it were only yesterday, she had said this.  He wishes he could find someone to help him move on from her.  He just has no ideas as to how to go about doing such a thing. He sighs as he looks at the heirloom again. He puts the ring back in the box and returns the box to the safe. He whispers as he locks the safe back, "Sorry, father! Sorry, I let you down!  There will never be anyone to pass the ring down too because their will never be anyone to love me!"  Chat cries.

 Nathalie notices Chat is rather upset.  "Chat whatever has happened?"  Nathalie says.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Chat says.

"It is that blue haired girl, Marinette isn't it ? " Nathalie says.

"I rather not talk about her." Chat says.

 " Sir, you know your father as the best friend to her father would never had done anything to harm him in anyway." Nathalie says

 "Yes, I know," Chat says.

  "What else do you know about all this?"  Chat says.

"Now that you mention it before your father died, I did hear a voice I did not recognize in his office."  Nathalie says

"What?" Chat says

"He was in a meeting with someone, and it seems the voice I heard was the woman in the meeting with him.  I figured it was probably someone who worked with him," Nathalie says.

Chat thinks, could it be? Could it be the woman, Nathalie heard talking with my father is the one who murdered him?  Who could she be?  If she did kill him, how with no one being alarmed?  How did he not cry out as she stabbed him?  Did she knock him unconscious with some kind of drug, first and then murder him as he slept?  Why would she do such a thing?

Chat's imagination went wild at this sudden news that his father had some kind of meeting prior to his death. He could not help, but wonder what the meeting was all about.  He wondered who met him, for how long and was his father still alive when whoever it was left the house?  

   Chat's POV:  Let's say my father was alive when whoever met him left. Then, that means someone else came in later and killed him.  Otherwise, if he was already dead when they left than they murdered him in cold blooded murder!  Neither option helps, in the one the killer is never seen by anyone at all, or heard.  In the other, the murderer is heard, but whose knows if anyone other than my father actually saw this person.

    Back to the apartment complex, above the old bakery, where Marinette Dupain-Cheng lives on her own...

   Marinette sighs. She thinks everything between her and Chat Noir is ruined now.  How did this happen?  It must be my fault.  I am the one who shoved him away.  No wonder,he moved on to someone else.  I hope whoever she is makes him happy as I never could!  She cries and cries. She is sad, heartbroken and feels as if all in her world is in  pieces.  She feels as if she might fall apart!  She is not really sure what to think, what to do, or how to react to the whole situation. She is not really sure of anything!  She just sits down on the edge of her bed and weeps tears of sorrow like she has not done, since the time she first found out her best friend died.  

      Flashback to her childhood pet...

    Crabbie was her very first pet. He was a hermit crab.  One day he quit eating and drinking his water.  He quit moving. He quit everything.  Crabbie had gotten ill, and he did not make it. Her beloved pet had died.   Marinette found him cold and lifeless in the bottom of his cage. She was terrified and saddened.  This was the first time she could remember loosing something she was close too.

   End of flashback...

       Marinette feel asleep.  In her dreams, she sees Chat. He sees her. They do not say a word to one another.  Chat just walks away as if she is not even there.  She tries to call out to him, but he ignores her.  Marinette cries. She sees Chat walk up to some girl with shiny, golden locks and a blue dress.  She sees him give the girl a hug followed by a kiss on the cheek. This mysterious girl laughs, kisses him and blushes. Chat kisses the blonde on her mouth!  He seems to enjoy it.  Marinette cries. She runs away because she can not believe Chat did this to her!  How could he?   How could he just cheat on her with that other girl?  Didn't what they have matter?  Did she matter?  She was hurt beyond repair and felt broken.  Broken inside, as if  all her world as she knew it were no longer a reality.  She was broken because her Chat loves someone else!  He loves a girl, any one who is not her and she loves him.  Only, it is to late to tell him!  To late indeed.

      Meanwhile with Chat, he is asleep now in the mansion.  He has a dream that is rather unsual as well.  In his dream, he sees Marinette, but she just walks away.  She has her arms around another man.  She appears to be happy with whoever he happens to be and Chat is jealous.  He can't believe his eyes!  How could she just go out and date someone else, after she made it clear she wanted no more than friendship with him?  How could she?   Does she not know how much she means to him?  He walks away sad, heartbroken and unsure what to do. He figures she is happy with this other guy.  What more could I possibly do?  What more could I possibly say? 

      Nathalie's POV:  Goodness, Chat sure is upset!  I wish I knew what to do to help!  What is there though?   He refuses to talk about Marinette!  He even told me, "Don't talk about her!"  Hmm, I wonder why?  Would could have happened between them that put him in such a state as this?  Did she hurt his feelings?   Did she break his heart?   She thinks, perhaps there may something I can do to help him!  She thinks, maybe just maybe I could help him to see how important Marinette is to him!   Maybe, I can get them together, so he can be happy at last!

     Nathalie goes to bed not really sure how if ever she will be able to help Chat. She goes to sleep soon as well.  In Nathalie's dream, Chat and Marinette are having  a fight.  Chat, just leave me alone!  I don't want to hear it.  You cheated on me and it is as simple as that, so go!  Be with her!  You know that is what you really want anyway!  Marinette looks sad, her cheeks soaked with tears and Chat just looks at her as if she has lost her mind.   "Marinette, look you got it all wrong!" Chat says.  "How could I have anything wrong?  You are the one who kissed her, the curly haired blonde and you know you enjoyed it." Marinette says.  "Marinette,look I didn't kiss her. She is the one who kissed me and I tried to push her away. In fact, when she stopped kissing me I told her I already had a girl. She was furious. She walked off mad, and she threw a rock at me."  Chat says.  "Chat my poor, dear!  Are you okay?" Marinette says.  "Yes, I am fine. Please, Marinette, don't break up with me!"  Chat pleads with her.  "Fine, I will stay with you, but don't ever let alone girl kiss you again!  When I say never, I mean never!  Got it?"  Marinette says.  "Yes, Thank you so much, princess!" Chat says. He kisses her.  Nathalie is so glad that Chat and Marinette made up.   She thinks, what a relief, Marichat is still good!  She is happy.  Very happy for the both of them.

the end of Chapter 6...

Here is the preview to the next chapter, Chapter 7  Nathalie Steps In!

Nathalie wakes up and shakes her head. Goodness, I really must get them too clueless goof balls together soon!  She wakes Chat up and tells him  "The pancakes are ready!"

 Chat gets ready for the day. He bare touches the pancakes.  He is sad.  No heartbroken. To heartbroken to eat and nothing no nothing will help. Not pancakes, not coffee, not a reminder of how very proud his father was of him, nothing.   

  Nathalie smiles.    " Don't worry, Chat I will have you feline better in no time!" Nathalie says. She laughs at the funny face Chat gives her in response to her random cat pun.

   End of preview...

    In the meantime here is something special for all of my readers.

     The  Pitiful Kitten

      by Summer Cheng

"There once was pitiful kitten,

  He felt smitten,

 With a girl,

who was full;

  of life

and made 

him feel as if

everything were right!

Why she even teased,

Him when she said,

 "My knight in shinning armor,

  How I knew,

  you just had to be,

Mew-it to be,

 As far

as the eye,

can see,

I love you

and you love me!

The kitten,

was so very happy,

 he turned into

a handsome prince,

and the girl

was so surprised,

she couldn't believe

her eyes!"

* I hope you enjoyed this poem that I included here for you all!

-Summer Cheng

Look, at this cute kitten photo I found for you all, at www.clker.com

 Isn't it just adorable?