When a liar gets you left behind

Chapter Forty-One: Broken Trust and Plans

S A B I N E

[ The night the class arrive home from the trip to Gotham]

"Miss Bustier, may I have a moment to speak with you—privately, if you would," Sabine asked in the most controlled tone she could muster, her breathing heavy and unmatched as she tried her best to calm herself.

The teacher in question turned around in surprise, having not been aware of the woman's presence.

Quickly noting that this was, in fact, a student's mother, she cleared her throat and nodded her head.

She told the class, which was still seated in the bus, that she would be back in a moment.

She and Sabine day on a nearby bench, one of the two had a stiff serious posture, while the other was more relaxed.

Sabine, the more direct and more to the point of the two, spoke first.

"Is Marinette on that bus?" Sabine asked Miss Bustier in a simple short-cut tone, indicating that this was a yes or no question.

The teacher beside her stiffened, as if personally offended by this outrageous question. "Yes, of course."

Sabine allowed herself one single delicacy: the allowance of anger.

But Sabine did not waste her treat to herself. She used it as a sharp and precise knife, using its rasor-sharp edge slowly.

"She is?" she asked in a thoughtful sort of way, putting a finger to her chin. "Then let's go find her."

Something her in mindful tone must have sent a warning to the female beside her, because suddenly, her bright cheerful eyes were growing cold and unwelcoming.

"Yes, let us do that," she agreed in a professional voice, not letting anything slip past her.

Both of the tense women worked their way through the bus, searching eagerly for her head full of black tassels.

It took two full head counts for the acceptance to seep into the teacher.

Sabine enjoyed watching the little crease of worry form between the two of her eyebrows as she searched the bus for her daughter.

Finally, the tall slender woman turned to Sabine, her eyes clouded and dark.

"It seems she isn't here."

Sabine allowed herself one more undoing: a smirk for her victory.

"Do you know where my daughter is?" she asked bluntly, her voice softly fierce, not raising over a small whisper.

The timid teacher opened her mouth to reply, but sputtered and slowly closed her mouth. Then, with her eyes frantically looking around, she finally answered. "She is either in the airport, on a different plane, or still in. . ."

"Yes?" Sabine asked, not at all feeling sympathy for the teacher.

She wanted her to admit it.

"Or she could still be in Gotham," the teacher finished, her face flushing as she looked down at her students, probably making sure she had not missed any more of them.

"So you're not certain of where she is?" Sabine asked again.

Miss Bustier looked down before softly replying. "No."

"You were supposed to keep her safe," Sabine said finally, her voice breaking with emotion as her composure slipped fof a moment.

"I trusted you to keep her safe," she repeated, her voice dripping with a sad anger. ". . . and you failed me."