That Damn Purrfect Kidnapper

Chapter Thirty-Six

After dinner, Laurie had insisted that she should help clean up while Tammy and the men went into the other room. I finished drying up the last of the dishes, putting them away where she had told me to. After that, Laurie needed to get some laundry done, denying my request to help.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind-"

"NO! No...sorry I think I need some time to process things alone" my mouth formed into an 'o' taking a step back.

"That's Alright then, if you need someone you know who to turn to" the woman just smiled back sadly.

"Thank you dear" I nodded my head then had proceeded out of the kitchen. I found Adrien, playing with Tammy. I turned, finding Mark in the corner of the room, looking like he was in a deep conversation with someone on the phone. I just stared at him. For some reason I did. Then his gaze had met mine, staring right back at me. He frowned even more, his eyes keeping that cold glare. Then Tammy's voice.

"Marinette! Adrien said that Tu es...uh... magnifique et tu devrais v-venir" I looked at both of them and the girl looked at him for approval on her rugged French. He smiled nodding at her. She then squealed, her hands clasping together. I chuckled, grinning a bit and walked over.

"Hey Tammy why don't you go play with your jouets. I need to talk to Mari real quick"

"Oh..um...okie dokie!" She jumped up, out of his lap, then running back upstairs. Adrien sighed in content, leaning back against the chair. He then looked at me again, moving over and patting the seat next to him. I sat down, his arm going across my shoulders. I leaned my head on his chest, making him hum in satisfaction.

"What do you think Mark is talking about?"

"He's probably telling the rest of the family" his other free hand then came, pushing away the strand of hair in my face. My eyes closed as I took in a deep breathe.

"You know what I've noticed?"

"What's that?"

"How great you are with kids. Maybe your just good with her but she adores you" he chuckled lowly.

"Yea..I've always thought of settling down you know. But that would just end up bad"  my eyes opened, tilting my head. He played with the ring on his finger.

"How so?" He shrugged, adjusting himself so that both of his hands were In front of him, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Its either I get my kid killed or I turn them into a killer. I don't want to drag them into that, I don't want another me running around the streets of Paris"

"You don't have to turn them into a killer..you have a soft spot way down in there Adrien. I'm sure you will make him strong, and brave. A little girl would take your good looks and self esteem" he raised a brow.

"So you do admit to me having good looks?" I rolled my eyes, playfully slapping at his chest. He laughed softly.

"Cats got jokes doesn't he?"

"A paw-full" he drawled out his word. He then smirked when he saw me get up, rolling my eyes.

"You have got to be kitten me" his brows raised in amusement.

"Good one"

"Oh I try" then his mood suddenly slumped. He leaned back against the chair, his arms going limp, his whole body going limp. "Chat?" 

"I'm sorry..just everything is feeling so surreal"

"What do you mean?" I sat next to him again, staring at him worryingly.

"We are here, cracking jokes smiling. In the house where they just suffered a lost. Some woman is trying to track us down and we are here. Smiling" he then stared right back at me, his face back to its emotionless gaze. It scared me. Seeing him this way. The way he was when I met him. The man who was supposed to kill me.

"Sometimes in times like these you need to smile. Makes things better in the end" I thought maybe a twitch of joyful emotion would come out of him. But instead the opposite. He frowned, his eyes showing the millions of thoughts that ran through his mind. I couldn't really tell what he was thinking off. "I can't help you when you don't tell me what's going on up there" I motioned to my head.

"Everyone around me...just seems to die" his gaze went back to the open nothingness of the living room. Gazing off. "My mother...my best friend...others who I called friend..my father"

"Wait but your father is alive"

"Outside. But he's dying on the inside. He's sick Mari. He told me so. The day after we got out of prison. He called when you were asleep"

"How sick?"

"Too sick" he shuddered. It was silent for a while. I bit my lip, leaning back Into the couch.

"Well your statement from before is wrong" he glanced at me again, curious at my answer. "You still have me...you still have Tammy, Mark, Laurie, your dad is still around, Lila-" his eyes went wide, finally some other emotions.

"Lila" He repeated.

~
Adrien

The sudden realization hit me. One of our last conversations we had together before I left. I didn't talk to her about Nathaniel. I didn't tell her anything about it. I told her I had killed the man who had took Mari. Not who it was. And how did she know he was the leader? The Miraculous's has been tracking The Akumas movements but we still hadn't figured out who was the main boss. They were all to spread out, not a pattern of who met with each other.

We kept our tabs, we kept them up but we didn't figure it out. So how would she know? The pieces of the puzzle started to click together. Everything she has said, her reaction to Kim, her face. The words she said after.

"Marinette I need you to tell me who was on the viewing room when you were captured" her expression broke me, as her mood suddenly dropped and the air grew tense.