Always Find You

Chapter 12 - "No Amount of Sorry's"

When Adrien's lawyer gets to the police station the next day, he's released on the fact they only have circumstantial evidence.

"Thanks, Pierre, I couldn't stand another night in that little cell," Adrien says as he walks to the car waiting out front.

"You're welcome. They're not legally able to keep you overnight in the first place, so I'll file a complaint on it tomorrow."
The two say goodbye and part ways as the sun begins to set behind the city.

Adrien is excited to finally return home; he misses it, having not been there since the morning of "the incident."

'Although,' He thinks, 'I've finally got some free time on my hands.'

Instead of heading home, he has the driver take a detour back towards Marinette's house. Maybe he can explain himself to her parents.

~ ~ ~

After revealing her secret, everything goes downhill: Hawk Moth won't stop interrogating about the location of her Miraculous. Telling the truth, "I don't know" only earns her more beatings.

It's beginning to get harder for Marinette to breathe. A few good hits have landed right by her airways, and her skin is looking more like a big bruise than anything. She would kill to have Tikki back, along with the suit that's saved her from injury so many times.
She lays on the floor, clutching the blanket tightly around her cold body. Although she doesn't know for sure, Marinette would guess that she barely looks like herself anymore: her skin is paler than usual, bruises line her stomach and back, she can feel dried blood on her lips and in her tousled hair, and the light which is always in her eyes seems to have faded.
For the first time, everything feels hopeless. The four walls seem to be closing in as the sensation of being trapped overwhelms her.

"If I'm gonna die," she mumbles to herself, "I'm not gonna do it without a fight."

She tears three strips of fabric from the blanket, braiding them tightly together to make a cord about 3 feet long. Marinette wraps both ends tightly around her hands and stands at the wall by the door. Now, to wait.

~ ~ ~

The Dupain-Cheng's bakery has been closed since Marinette disappeared; only police officers and close family friends have been allowed into the doors the past couple of days.
Besides the large closed sign hanging in the window, you wouldn't be able to tell a difference. No police tape, no commotion, just the normal street traffic, completely oblivious to the grief inside.

Adrien debates whether he should actually continue on his mission. The threshold doesn't look terribly welcoming, but, regardless, he makes up his mind to explain himself, no matter what. He peers into the windows, but they're too tinted to make anything out. Instead, he goes around to the stairs and walks up to the apartment door. His hand hesitates, refusing to hit the door.
'Come on, you idiot, just knock,' He thinks to himself, 'This can't possibly be worse than anything else that's happened today.'
His knuckles still stop an inch from the wood.
Just when he's about to berate himself again, the door opens to a red-eyed Mrs. Cheng. She jumps a little bit at the figure in the doorway.

Before she can say anything, Adrien speaks solemnly, "Hi, Mrs. Cheng, I wanted to see how you're doing."

"We're... we're managing. I was about to bring some more evidence to the police station, which is..." She hesitates, eyeing the boy, "Where I thought you were."

"Oh," He casts his eyes to the floor, "I was there a couple of nights. They didn't keep me, though."

She only shifts nervously in reply.

"Mrs. Cheng, I-I didn't do what they're saying I did, I want you to know that."

"Oh of course not, dear. They just need to question everyone." Her tone of voice doesn't sound very convincing.

"I'd never hurt your daughter," he continues, "And even though it's pretty worthless coming from me, I'm sorry."

For the first time, Sabine makes eye contact with him, "No amount of sorry's can bring her back, Adrien."
The use of his name stings in the worst kind of way. He sees tears start to well up in her eyes before she silently closes the door once again.