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Beau and the Beetle	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 3721 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Prologue: Alya
- 2-Adrien
- 3-Felix
- 4-Bridgette
- 5-Adrien
- 6-Sabine
- 7-Bridgette
- 8-Alya
- 9-Adrien
- 10-Felix
- 11-Sabine
- 12-Bridgette
- 13-Alya
- 14-Felix
- 15-Adrien
- 16-Alya
- 17-Felix
- 18-Bridgette
- 19-Adrien
- 20-Sabine
- 21-Felix
- 22-Alya
- 23-Bridgette
- 24-Adrien
- 25-Sabine
- 26-Adrien
- 27-Felix
- 28-Alya
- 29-Bridgette
- 30-Adrien
- 31-Sabine
- 32-Bridgette
- 33-Felix
- 34-Alya
- 35-Adrien
- 36-Felix
- 37-Sabine
- 38-Bridgette
- 39-Adrien
- 40-Felix
- 41-Adrien
- 42-Felix
- 43-Adrien
- 44-Adrien
- 45-Adrien
- 46-Epilogue
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Sabine shoved the worktable back into place just as Bridgette entered the bakery.
‘Hello?’ she called, as the bell jingled with the swinging of the door.
‘Back here, Sweetie,’ Sabine replied.
Bridgette stopped in the kitchen doorway, taking in Sabine’s sweaty brow, and the scuff marks on the floor. ‘What happened?’
Sabine shrugged and gestured to a broom standing in a corner. ‘Oh, you know. Cleaning. If you don’t stay on top of it, flour will find its way all through the building.’
Bridgette chuckled as she set her bag on the floor. ‘I see.’
‘How was school, is it getting any easier?’ Sabine went on, eager to change the subject.
‘Today was a little better, actually. A boy began speaking to me yesterday, and with his help, more people spoke to me today.’
Curiosity piqued, Sabine raised her brows. ‘A boy?’
‘Not like that,’ Bridgette denied, though her cheeks turned a light pink.
Sabine hummed, thoughtfully. ‘But one day, perhaps?’
‘If so, it’ll be a very long time from now.’
Resting her elbows on the table, Sabine leaned closer. ‘So, what’s his name? Tell me all about him.’
Bridgette informed her that the boy’s name was Adrien, and that he was a nice person. She described him in sketchy detail, after their mere few hours of acquaintance, but she made it clear there was no romantic interest. Not yet, anyway.
‘What of your other classmates? Have you gotten to know any of them yet?’ Sabine was interested, despite her light teasing.
‘Well,’ she hedged, ‘I’ve not really spoken to many people. The rest of them seem nice enough, though. I think they just need a little more time. Adrien said much the same thing.’
Sabine nodded her understanding, glad that Bridgette was making progress.
‘How were things here, today?’ Bridgette asked.
‘Busy,’ sighed Sabine. ‘Tom is just out making a delivery, but he’ll be back soon.’
‘To Monsieur Fu? Is he still unwell?’
Sabine sighed again. ‘Monsieur Fu is very old, and not as mobile as he once was. I don’t think he’s accepted that fact yet, though.’
‘Sounds like Grandfather Wang,’ Bridgette laughed.
Fu had been a loyal customer ever since the shop had opened. He’d been a surrogate grandfather to Marinette, and loved her dearly. He’d been distraught at the news of her disappearance, the incident aging him terribly. He’d mourned almost as bitterly as Sabine had. He was a charming old gentleman, and Sabine was fond of him. It saddened her to think that he could pass away soon.
It used to be Marinette’s job to make deliveries to their homebound customers. It was how she and Fu had gotten so close. She would sit and take tea with him, listening to his stories as he reminisced about his native land. Some days, Marinette was gone for hours, the time spent with Fu as he rambled.
These days, Sabine and Tom took turns to visit him, to make sure he was eating and healthy.
Sabine’s uncle was Bridgette’s grandfather. Wang was the only member of their family who supported Sabine’s, and her cousin’s, move out of the country. He had even loaned them both money so they could start a new life in this strange country.
As a result, he was disowned by the rest of the family, and branded a traitor. He’d then moved to France to join his tiny family, but since he was already a global success as a chef, he was able to make a name for himself quickly. Now, he owned a small chain of highly successful restaurants, and had become a wealthy man in his own right.
Sabine had never forgotten his generosity, and kept in regular contact with him. Wang, too, had been deeply affected by Marinette’s disappearance, and had funded many of the search parties sent out to find her. Whenever Wang sent a cheque, Sabine choked down her guilt, put the money in the bank, and thanked him profusely.
The rear door opened with a creak, then closed with a firm thud.
‘That must be Tom,’ Sabine declared, glad to be drawn from her own mind.
Just as she predicted, Tom came lumbering in, his bulk filling the doorframe.
‘Good afternoon, ladies. Did you have a nice day?’
Sabine noted with relief that Tom’s hands were empty, but his pocket bulged.
‘Yes, it was fine,’ she replied. ‘I take it Fu is well?’
Tom nodded. ‘He’s pretty spry for a fellow pushing a hundred.’
Bridgette’s eyes widened. ‘He’s really that old? I never would’ve guessed.’
‘He says it’s all the tea and tai chi,’ Tom confided in a conspiratorial, if loud, whisper.
Bridgette had begun to run some of the local deliveries in recent days, to help her become acquainted with the area. Fu was only a few blocks away, and an ideal place for her to go. She’d only made a couple of runs so far, and Fu had mentioned to Sabine that she was shy at first, but warmed up quickly.
His acceptance of Bridgette was such a contrast to the school students, that Sabine feared she may have inadvertently raised Bridgette’s expectations. Fu also had an unfair advantage over the children. Sabine had informed him beforehand of Bridgette’s arrival, and she’s explained at length why she was coming.
To his credit, Fu had taken the development in stride. He’d lost his own family somewhere along the way, and understood her need for familial contact, and assistance in the shop.
‘What about you, Bridgette?’ Tom turned to her. ‘Have a good day?’
As Bridgette told him all about her day, Sabine fetched the neglected broom to continue sweeping, only half listening to the conversation.
Once the flour was cleared, she went back to the front of the store in anticipation of the afternoon rush. People filed in, purchased their goods, and departed in an orderly fashion. No one shoved or jostled their way to the front, as it was well known that anyone who behaved rudely was summarily dismissed to the back of the line.
The hours passed quickly, and operations ran smoothly. Everything was so much easier with Bridgette helping. Sabine idly wondered if she and Tom should look into hiring more kitchen staff. She would bring it up later, and see what he thought. Tom was a proud man, and would take some convincing. Like all the men in her life, he was stubborn and refused to accept his limitations.
Finally, they closed the shop, and retired for the evening. They sat at the kitchen counter in the apartment to share a simple repast, then she and Tom headed to bed, leaving Bridgette to her own devices.
Bridgette had confided she felt weird left alone upstairs, but understood their need to sleep early. A baker’s day began at four in the morning, so she and Tom were in bed by eight-thirty every night.
Sabine told her to take advantage of the quiet, and do her homework or work on a hobby. As long as she kept noise to a minimum, she had free rein.
In the weeks since, Sabine found she had to studiously avoid thinking of Bridgette in Marinette’s room. Instead, she closed her eyes, and pretended the soft treading drifting through the floorboards was Marinette, returned to them at last. It was almost like she’d never left.
Taking a deep breath, Sabine brought her emotions under control, and brought up the possibility of hiring extra help. Tom, predictably, denied the need for additional support. Rather than argue, Sabine simply agreed, and shrugged it off as a suggestion before rolling over and trying to get to sleep. It was a long time coming, as usual.
- 10
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- 12
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Beau and the Beetle