Dear Bugaboo

Secrets

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Marinette made it home after a long day of school. She entered through the bakery door to be greeted by her father at the counter. She raised an eyebrow, wondering where her mother was. She usually was the one running the counter.

   "Welcome back, sweetheart! How was your day at school?" He asked, handing her a croissant to snack on. Marinette gladly took the pastry and took a bite out of it, humming in delight. Nothing like her father's magic baking skills to cheer her up after a long day at school.

   "Thanks, papa. School wasn't bad," she answered, smiling then asked, "Where's mama?"

   "She went to get something in the apartment but she's definitely taking her time. Could you go see what she's doing in case she needs help?" Tom asked his daughter.

   "Yep!" The bluenette chirped, placing a kiss on her father's cheek. Tom patted Marinette's head before she made her way up the stairs. Halfway up, she found Tikki sitting in a corner of the floor playing with her dolls.

   "Hey, Tikki. What are you doing here?" Marinette questioned her cousin. Tikki looked up at the bluenette before saying, "Mama and Aunt Sabine are fighting again."

Marinette was taken back by the little girl's reason. Her mother and aunt? Fighting? Again?! What were they fighting about that seemed to happen more than just once? The bluenette looked up the last case of stairs to climb to the apartment. She couldn't hear any yelling or anything violent.

"Tikki probably meant they were having an argument," Marinette thought still a bit worried for her aunt and mother.

"I'll go check it out," Marinette told her cousin. Then she reached out a hand and offered, "Want to come with me?"

Tikki shook her head, "No, I'm going to stay here and play Ultimate Dolly Supermodel Wars!"

Marinette giggled at her cousin's antics before heading up the staircase. She was curious about what her Aunt Celine and mom could be talking about that drove Tikki out of the apartment. Her heartbeat picked up when hearing her mother yell.

Marinette flinched, never ever hearing her mother yell before. Sabine was always a calm and collected woman (though she had some crazy fighting skills). The young designer was beyond shocked before hesitatingly leaning her ear against the door to hear in.

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"You know she can't know, Celine!" Sabine shouted, harshly. Celine had once again brought up the secret topic about Marinette.

"So, what? Are you going to tell her on your death bed? Is she going to find something around the house that gives it away? Is she ever going to know the truth?" Celine argued back, "You can't keep this secret away from her. She needs to know, Sabine!"

   "It's for the better that Marinette doesn't know," Sabine huffed, crossing her arms, "and that's final."

   "Don't you feel the slightest bit of guilt keeping this away from her? I understand that S-"

   "That name will not be spoken under my roof...ever," Sabine hissed, cutting off Celine. The two women stared at each other, one in disbelief while the other was glaring daggers. The air was so thick that it would take a saw to cut through.