Miraculously Winx

Chapter 4

Marinette couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was following her. All day she felt eyes on her but she could never find out where it was coming from. She also couldn't help but think about the dream she had about the Princess. She hadn't had a dream about that part of her life in so long.

She had spent the day surrounded by people. Even after her classes were over, she spent time with people working at Agreste with her. She wondered if it was stress from working and school along with the new move seeing as she was helping Nathalie who took the title of CEO until Adrien could finish college.

While she didn't need to, Nathalie helped in the defeat of Hawkmoth and had been a mother figure to Adrien all these years. They weren't able to find a cure for Nathalie yet and sometimes Marinette wondered if she was doing this out of guilt for not finding a cure.

Nathalie followed Gabriel due to blind love and Marinette knew if it was Adrien, she probably would've done the same thing. "Marinette," Nathalie called from behind the desk. Marinette looked up.

"Yes, Nathalie?" Marinette asked. "Go home. You're completely out of it," Nathalie said. "I'm fine, Nathalie. Just a little tired," Marinette said, shifting her papers. "Marinette, you're more useful when you are well rested. Take a break, you deserve one after all these years of fighting," Nathalie said.

Marinette looked at the time. 5:05. Alya would be back at 5:30 unless she got a new scoop. "Thanks, Nathalie. I'll see you tomorrow," Marinette said, putting the papers back into their folders, into her bag, and then taking her jacket.

"Oh and Marinette?" Nathalie called. "Yeah?"

"Tell Adrien I said hi," Nathalie smiled. Marinette grinned and nodded her head.

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Marinette's shoulder tensed as she felt something tap her shoulder. She completely disregarded her fruit salad as she stood up, pushing the chair behind her in the process. She quickly got out her phone as she paced out.

"Adrien, call me. Something's wrong," Marinette said. Once she got onto the sidewalk, she ran, faster than she ever had before, faster than she thought we wings could once take her.

She stopped in the park, catching her breath when her phone rang. "Adrien, thank god," Marinette sighed in relief. "What's wrong? Your message sounded urgent," Adrien asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm in the park, by your apartment. I don't know. Something touched my shoulder, like a full-on tap and I felt like I was being watched all day. Still do," Marinette explained.

"Listen Mari. We don't know if this is one of my father's haters. You know how it was when it first got released. Go inside the apartment. Nino should be back from the club. Lock the door and I'll be back as soon as possible," Adrien explained.

"Okay," Marinette said as she walked to the crosswalk. "And Mari?" Adrien's voice said.

"Yeah?"

"Be safe," Adrien said. "I will," she said as she hung up. She quickly rushed to the apartment, heading to the twelfth floor. "Nino! It's me, Marinette! Open up!"

She could hear the quick scuffling of movement from behind the door before the lock disengaged and revealed Nino. Marinette walked, pushing through Nino. "Please lock the door," Marinette said, it wasn't a question.

"What happened?" Nino asked, heading towards the kitchen and getting her a glass of water as she sat down on the couch.

"I don't know. I felt like I was being followed all day and part of yesterday. I was at the cafe a few blocks away and I felt something full tap my shoulder. I got freaked out, called Adrien and he told me to come here," Marinette explained.

"A tap? Mari, are you sure it wasn't something like one of those tree nuts hitting your shoulder?" Nino asked, handing her the liquid-filled cup.

"This felt different. It felt familiar, like a presence. I don't know if it's another person trying to attack me because of Gabriel. It felt familiar like I knew who it was. I know I sound crazy but I lost a lot of friends after Gabriel's identity was revealed because I was linked to Adrien. I don't know," Marinette said, sipping the cup.

"I understand. You were worried, after everything you and my bro have been through, you have every right to be," Nino said, rubbing her shoulder.

"I was going to call you later, to thank you for the help with the mix. I don't know how you do it Mari but you are so talented when it comes to music as much as you are sewing. I would've never thought to put that song in the mix but it blended in so perfectly," Nino said.

"It's a family thing I guess. Music was my mother's favorite thing in the world," Marinette smiled as she played with her late mother's necklace.

"Was? What happened?" Nino asked. Marinette realized she had meant her real mother, not Sabine. "After my mom's sister died, she stopped being as... connected. Not to say she doesn't like music, just felt off," Marinette clarified.

"I didn't know you had an aunt," Nino said. "Yeah, she was the best," Marinette said. A knock on the window made them both jump. Chat Noir was on his balcony.

Marinette ran to open the door as he transformed. "Thank god," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you okay?" Adrien asked as he examined her.

"Just shaken," Marinette said. A knock on the door turned their attention. Marinette hid behind Adrien. "Who is it?" Nino called out. "It's Alya? Did Mari make it here?"

Nino looked through the peephole. "She's safe," Nino said as he opened the door. "I'm being paranoid. I didn't take my anxiety meds today," Marinette said. "Mari, you weren't feeling safe. There's nothing to feel bad about," Adrien said.

"I just wanna go back to the apartment," Marinette said. "Good idea. You probably just need a nice bath and movie and some sleep," Alya said. "I'll go with you guys," Adrien said. "Me too," Nino said.

"What? You don't think we can handle ourselves?" Alya's eyebrow raised.

"No, it's just I feel better knowing we were there too," Nino said.

"Let's go," Marinette said.

Looking back, Marinette wished they had just waited a few minutes later to leave. Maybe they wouldn't have been on that block and they wouldn't have seen those terrible, terrible monsters.

Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have confronted her past.