Beauty and the Cat

If You Marry Me?

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a long time!!!  I know you all must hate me but I've been so busy with school and everything. So this is an update dedicated to everyone who kept asking me to update!

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No one's P.O.V

Marinette is walking through the snow looking around. "Papa?" She asked. The cold air was biting at her cheeks as she pulled her cloak tighter around her. She saw a figure face down in the snowbank and rushed over. She helped him up as they walked together to their cottage.

Max was shivering in the cold snow. He wanted to move but Kim had told him not to move until Marinette was to come back. He shivered until he saw a figure. He tried his best to remain still as he saw Marinette and her father pass by him. He smiled. "Oh, they're back," He said he rushed back to the tavern where Kim would be.

Marinette helped her father on the bed as he slowly gained consciousness. He blinked a couple of times in order for everything to become clear. He looked at Marinette as she took his hand in her own.

"Marinette?" He asked as Marinette blinked away tears. She was beyond happy that her father was alive and well.

"It's all right, Papa. I'm home," Marinette soothed as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Tom looked at his daughter as he gripped her hand tightly.

"I thought I'd never see you again," He said as he sighed. Marinette let the tears fall as she hugged her father.

"I missed you so much," Marinette said as she hugged her father tighter.

"But the beast.  How did you escape?" He asked as Marinette pulled back from her hug. She shook her head.

"I didn't escape, Papa.  He let me go," She said as Tom looked at her in disbelief. He shook his head.

"That horrible beast?" He asked as Marinette smiled softly.

"But he's different, now.  He's changed somehow," Marinette said something warming in her chest. She thought back to how the Chat Noir changed from that insensitive person to who he was now. She didn't think of him as a beast. She thought of him as a person.

Tom instantly saw the love in her eyes and sighed. He knew that look from anywhere. Her mother would always look at him like that and him as well. It was something amazing to feel and now his daughter felt the same for another.

There was rustling in the room and both Tom and Marinette turned to face her knapsack. There was something moving inside. The flap opened and they watched as both the magic mirror and Tikki rolled out.

"Hi!" Tikki exclaimed excitedly as Marinette rose an eyebrow at the little tea cup.

"Oh, a stowaway," Marinette said as she walked over to Tikki and picked her up in her hands.

"Why, hello there, little fella.  Didn't think I'd ever see you again," Tom said as he looked at Tikki. Tikki giggled as Tom smiled at her.

"Marinette, why'd you go away? Don't you like us anymore?" She asked as Marinette looked at the teacup sadly.

"Oh, Tikki.  Of course I do.  It's just that--," Marinette stopped as soon as there was a knock on the door. Marinette gave Tikki over to her father and cautiously walked over to the door. She opened it to reveal André Bourgeois.

"May I help you?" Marinette asked as sweetly as she could in order to fool him. It seemed to have worked as André smiled sickly at Marinette.

"I've come to collect your father," He said moving aside to show her the wagon to which she was to bring Tom in. Marinette's eyes widened as she shook her head.

"My father?" She asked much to her disbelief. Her father wasn't crazy!

"Don't worry, mademoiselle.  We'll take good care of him," André as Marinette scoffed at him.

"My father's not crazy," She replied as she saw the angry crowd of townspeople behind André.

"He was raving like a lunatic. We all heard him, didn't we!" Max shouted as the crown of townspeople shouted in agreement. Marinette looked at them shocked that they would have done this.

"No, I won't let you!" Marinette shouted as she tried to block the way between her father and the townspeople.

"Marinette?" Tom asked as he made his way to the door. Marinette tried to look at her father pleadingly as Max spoke up again.

"Ah, Tom.  Tell us again, old man, just how big was the beast?" He asked as Tom thought for a bit.

"Well, he was...that is...enormous. I'd say at least eight, no more like ten feet," Tom said as the townspeople began to laugh again. They all thought that he was crazy.

"Well, you don't get much crazier than that," Max said as Kim secretly made his way over to Marinette who was trying not to cry.

"It's true, I tell you!" Tom shouted as the townspeople again didn't believe them. Tom looked at his daughter for help but she didn't know how to help him.

"Take him away!" Max ordered as some of the security that André brought with him picked up Tom and started to drag him into the wagon. Marinette's eyes widened as she tried to get to her father.

"Let go of me!" Tom shouted as he struggled to get out of their grip. He tried to return to his daughter's side but it was futile. They had a strong grip on him.

"No, you can't do this!" Marinette shouted as she took hold of André's arm but he easily shook her off.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor Marinette.  It's a shame about your father," Kim said as he stood next to Marinette trying to look as innocent as possible. Marinette turned to him with tears streaming down her face.

"You know he's not crazy, Kim," Marinette said matter of factly as Kim rubbed his chin trying to look deep in thought.

"I might be able to clear up this little misunderstanding, if..." He trailed off as Marinette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She didn't know what he wanted.

"If what?" Marinette asked as Kim smirked.

"If you marry me," Kim said as Marinette backed away from him. She never wanted to marry Kim. She wanted to be with her father and Chat.

"What?" She asked trying to see if she heard wrong.

"One little word, Belle.  That's all it takes," Kim said as Marinette realized that this was all his doing. He was the one who wanted to throw her father in the asylum!

"Never!" Marinette exclaimed as Kim made a dark face.

"Have it your way," Kim said as he turned away walking away. He was trying to play her little game, believing that Marinette would run after her any minute. Tom looked at his daughter through the bars.

"Marinette?" He asked as Marinette rushed back inside to get something important. When she ran back outside, she was carrying the magic mirror.

"My father's not crazy and I can prove it!" Marinette exclaimed as she looked at the mirror. She took a deep breath as she commanded it. "Show me the beast!" She exclaimed as the mirror glowed a green light before showing the picture of Chat Noir. He was roaring into the night as the people of the town grew afraid.