"Future Rewoven" Book 3 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy |COMPLETED|

Chpt 30: Worries and Ribbons.

"Is Marinette here?" Adrien asked Tom, who was ringing customers up in the bakery. It felt like forever since they met everyone in the park that morning as he and Marinette had been separately running around since then and Adrien had been worrying. He couldn't help it!

"I've checked upstairs and couldn't find her," Adrien added. He couldn't quash the nervousness he now felt about letting her out of his sight. How could he when someone possibly tried to push her into traffic, and then someone went through her purse, and then maybe the villain was tracking her now, too?! Though he knew it was impractical to accompany her everywhere, it didn't mean that he didn't wish he could stay by her side at all times. And now he really needed to assure himself that she was okay. He was starting to feel a little panicky- where was she? 

Tom handed a customer a box of macarons and said "I think she was headed to the Metro station. She probably told me where she was going, but it's been so busy, I could only concentrate on the customers." He thanked the customer and focused his attention on Adrien. "Is something wrong?" asked Tom, suddenly concerned.

"No," said Adrien, trying to smile, "I just was hoping to go to a movie together this afternoon as I realized I had the afternoon free. See you tonight, but maybe not until after dinner!" He headed out of the bakery and hurried toward the Metro station.

I'll need at least a yard of ribbon and a variety of buttons, thought Marinette as she waited on the Metro platform for the train that would take her to a shop that specialized in vintage ribbon and buttons. She had decided that her chaise could use a few cute pillows, which she had already made, but when she finished them she thought they would look even better with some ribbon and buttons as decoration. Make that at least two yards, just to be safe. She added the change to her mental list. She pulled the swatch of pillow fabric out of her pocket to look at it again, visualizing some ideas for the pillow. She heard the rumble that indicated that train was approaching and thought she better put the swatch back in her pocket so she wouldn't lose it. She was just removing her hand from her pocket when she felt two hands on her back and then she started toppling off of the platform, right where the train was about to stop.

"Marinette!" cried Adrien as he raced down the stairs to the platform after witnessing a hooded someone forcefully pushing her. He pushed his way through the crowd of people, grabbed hold of Marinette's hand, and yanked her back onto the platform seconds before the train came to a stop right in front of them.  He really wanted to go after who had done this but a quick scan of the crowd didn't reveal the hooded figure and Marinette's immediate safety was more important.

"A . . . Adrien?" Marinette said, shaken by what had just happened and still holding tightly to Adrien's hand. "What . . . ?" But, she couldn't even finish the question.

The doors to the train opened right in front of them and Adrien led her in and guided her to a free seat. He sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders and they sat in silence for a few moments as the train pulled away from the station.

"I'm not even sure what happened!" Marinette managed to say.

"I saw the whole thing," said Adrien grimly. "Someone pushed you. I couldn't tell if it was a man or woman as they had a hood pulled over their head and they were facing away from me. But, now we know that someone is targeting you on purpose."

"But, why?! I mean, while the other accident might have just injured me this could have killed me!" she said, shocked by what she was saying. Who would want to kill me?! Marinette started to shake.

"We're going to figure this out," said Adrien, though he had no idea where to begin, other than what Marinette had said the other day about his father. But, why would his father need to kill Marinette to keep them apart? Who else would even have a motive for trying to hurt her? There was Marinette's and Tikki's idea that someone had learned she was Ladybug and these pushing 'accidents' were related to them trying to get her Miraculous, but he and Plagg discounted that theory. Harming her and running away would get them no closer to her Miraculous.  He finally noticed that she was shaking. He moved closer to her, pulled her right to his side, and started lightly rubbing her arm.

"It's going to be okay. We've unraveled tough mysteries together before. We can do this, but I will need that smart brain of your's to help me," he said, trying to distract her.

"Okay," Marinette said in a small voice. "But, I think my brain needs to have a little recovery time before we tackle it."

He smiled down at her. "Well, where were you on your way to anyway? We could still go there if it would help you relax."

"That little vintage shop we've been to before. The one that has ribbons, buttons, lace, remnants, all those bins of stuff that I love to sift through. I thought I could find something to decorate my new pillows."

Adrien remembered that shop. He'd waited over an hour for her while she had poked into every corner of the place. "Ah, well that shop's chair and I have a great relationship! It'll be good to see it again. It's been too long," he joked as he absent-mindedly stroked one of her pigtails.

"Ha, ha!" she replied sarcastically, knowing full well that he hadn't exactly enjoyed that outing, though he had been very patient with her.

Adrien actually thought the shop sounded perfect as he could sit and watch over Marinette wherever she went, as the shop was very small, but also try to come up with a plan to keep her safe and figure out what they should do next.

They rode in silence for a few stops before Marinette said quietly "Do you think this person is after me or . . . the other me?" she asked, wondering again whether someone had found out that she was Ladybug and was going after her when she wasn't in her superhero form.

"I don't know," replied Adrien. "I can't figure out a motive for attacking either of your selves."

Marinette nodded in agreement and looked out the window, noticing that the stop they needed was next.

"We don't have to tell my parents about this, do we? They'll probably want to get the police involved and, well . . . the police may not be able to help, since we can't tell them everything they might need to know. And, the police may get in the way of what we need to do. Plus, my parents will probably never let me out of the house again for my entire life!" she said, not feeling that she was really exaggerating with that statement.

"No. I think you're right, your parents and the police don't need to know," said Adrien, trying not to feel guilty about keeping her parents in the dark about something so important. However, Marinette was right, her parents couldn't help and the police may not be able to, either.

Marinette could see the station they needed. She stood up, bracing herself on the seat as the train started to slow and she and Adrien headed out of the train hand in hand.

When they entered the shop a few minutes later he searched the shop for his chair, noticing it had been moved into a different corner. He walked over and sat down and watched Marinette flit between all of the different bins and baskets, keeping a few things that she thought might work out to the side. After the pile of things got too big for her, she scooped everything up and headed over to Adrien, where she deposited the items on his lap to hold for her. He raised his eyebrows at her and she gave him a little smile and went back to searching the bins.

Eventually, Marinette was ready to checkout. Adrien got out his phone while Marinette chatted to the woman at the cash register.  It only took her forty-five minutes from start to checkout. A new record! he thought to himself with a small chuckle. She walked over to him carrying a bag of her new treasures.

"Ready?" she asked him as she took his hand.

"Ready," he said, allowing her to pull him to his feet. And he was ready, at least to implement the first part of his plan.