Gotham (Maribat)

Chapter one

Sabine walked back down to the bakery, sorrow heavy in her heart. She couldn't understand why someone would do this, why her friends had done this. 

And all because she was, supposedly, "bullying" someone. Not even a true bully should be treated like that. And nobody had done anything to help her. 

Sabine could still hear the choaked sobs from the living room, what had Marinette ever done to deserve this? 

Nothing.

It was as simple as that, she had done nothing. All she had done was speak up, try to help others from following their doom. And this was the thanks she got! A fractured wrist, black eye, and a cracked rib to add to it. And the way Marinette had looked ashamed to have let this happen, it made sabine sick.

"Maman?" Marinette quivered out, shaking slightly. Sabine looked up at her daughter, bloodied up and broken, it almost made her stream. But Marinette had said one thing she shouldn't have said, the thing that made Sabine cry, "I'm sorry," like it was her fault. In that moment, Sabine had called her husband, a frantic look on his face as he rushed her up the stairs, dropping her in the bathroom and calling for a doctor. 

However, with Marinette crying her eyes out in a bundle of her sheets, neither adult knew exactly what to do. Their kid was hurt, the only kid they had, was hurt, and they couldn't help. It was already too late, the damage was done, and now they had to take action. 

"We need to get her out of that school," Tom stated, firmly. Sabine let out a sigh, her eyes not quite reaching her husband. 

"Obviously," She spoke, "If we keep her there it'll only get worse." Anger and venom spoke through her words, finally being able to voice her anger without worrying her daughter. Tom let out a sigh, "And we should probably get someone to help, a therapist." It was a valid point, Sabine knew. 

"She needs to get out of that school, the city, hell maybe the state," Sabine shouted, fury deep in her eyes. "Ladybug or not, she needs more than we might be able to give." 

Tom's head pulled up, his eyes wide with surprise. "Sabine, I'm mad too, and I can see where you're coming from, but you need to calm down and think about things." Tom tried, however, his wife didn't seem to be in the mood to talk rationally. 

Sabine swiveled around, knocking a vase over as she moved. "Calm down?" She breathed, breath ragged, "Calm down! After what just happened?! Compared to what I could do, I'm acting perfectly fine!" Sabine yelled loudly, waving her arms around in hopes of emphasizing her point. 

Tom simply sat back. Looking at his wife, a small smile crept up his face. Maybe right now wasn't the best moment to be looking at her as if she was his world, seeing her as she once, and still is. A deviant, a woman who could, quite honestly, kick his ass just by blinking. And it almost pissed him off that Marinette had similar attributes, but instead he was proud. Proud that she was a protector, proud that she never took 'no' as an answer. He was proud that she was his daughter. 

"well then, what do you suppose we do?"