Marinette sits inside the dark car afraid to move. She is not sure why the jeep driver would have followed her home.  She thinks it odd since she does not recall who they are or anything. It is not like she owes them anything.  She feels herself shudder from fear. She wishes she were somewhere safe. 

         She hears a tapping noise outside the passenger side door. She looks over to see a tall figure there.  She gasps in surprise.  She can not believe her eyes. She tries to look away but hears the person speak.

         "Sweetheart, open the door now,"  The voice says.

         "No, Go away!"  Marinette blurts out.

         "Awe, Marinette do not be like this now.  I know we have spoken in years, but that is no reason to be sore at me,"  He replies.

        "I do not know you, so leave me and my daughter alone,"  She responds.

        
        Marinette's  POV:

        Marinette reaches into her glove box and pulls out a flashlight. She shines it towards the window of the other side of the front part of the car. She can see the man's face now. She notices his dark eyes, the funny hat he wears, and his necktie. She thinks it strange since she never met him that his presence should disturb her so much.

      "I will call the police,"  Marinette mouths in the hopes the man will just go away.  She does not want any trouble.  She just wants to go inside her house without his following her or Bethany.

       "Marinette, let me inside the car please,"  He says. 

      "Why should I?"  Marinette speaks louder than she intended too.

      "It is me, Oden,"  The man tells her.

       "Oden, I do not know anyone by that name,"  Marinette answers.

       " Do not be silly we used to be good together,"  He replies.

       "Sorry, but I do not remember you,"  She tells him.

       "Do not remember me, why darling, I am offended," Oden remarks.

           Marinette pulls out her phone to call the police as she told him she would because she does not trust this man.  She wishes he would just walk away or better yet, take his jeep back to wherever he came from and never bother her again.        

         Bethany's  POV:

         Bethany wakes up from all the commotion outside the car. She looks up and sees a man's outline reflected in her mother's flashlight. She is scared now too. She thinks that person better back away because Adrien is the one for mother.  Not this guy, but Adrien.

         "Mom, who is this guy?"  Bethany asks.

           Bethany notices her mom does not answer and hopes this means help is about to come to them soon. She does not know when she has been more afraid than she is right at this moment.

            "Hey, you scram!"  Bethany yells at Oden.

           "Listen, girlie, I just want to speak to your mother that is all," Oden says.

            "Girlie, that is not even my name.  I think you are just plain creepy, now go!"  Bethany yells at him.

            Oden's  POV:

              Oden can see both Marinette and Bethany are not too happy with him for following them home. He thought for sure they would be happy to see him after all this time.  However, it appears he was wrong since they both keep telling him to leave.  He can not help but wonder why neither of them trust him.

             "Marinette, Bethany, let me inside the vehicle," The man pleads with them both now.

             "No, go away!" Bethany screams.

            "Hey, you, I thought I told you to leave," Marinette yells at him.

             "Oh, darling, I only want to talk," Oden says.

    
      Marinette & Bethany's  POV:   

         Marinette dials the number for the police and starts to explain the situation to them.  She sure hopes they can send someone out here soon. She does not know how much she can keep him outside the car. She sighs a sigh of relief when she hears another vehicle pull up behind the jeep. She can sense it must be someone good, but then she screams when she realizes in the dark she can not tell who it is that just arrived.
     
        Bethany removes her seatbelt in case she needs to run for it. She also climbs onto the back floorboard and refuses to move from that position. She begins to shiver and has no idea if is from the cold or from fear.

         "Ah, ah, just go away, Oden!  Go away whoever else it is now," Marinette screams.

          "Yes, what mother says, go away!" Bethany screams! 

          "Marinette, Bethany, I just want to talk, honest," Oden says once again.


          Marinette and Bethany do not say another word to him.  They decide the yelling does no good anyway.  The two remain silent, yet frightened, and unsure how to respond to what takes place next.  The sound of broken glass is heard as a rock is thrown against the windshield and it breaks. Then, the front passenger door is broken as well. 

         Oden climbs inside and undoes Marinette's seatbelt.  He starts to pull Marinette out of the car, and she holds up her arms to shield herself. She does not know what will become of her but hopes if the police are not here yet that perhaps they can at least get here in time to rescue her daughter.

      "Step away from the woman,"  A voice shouts.  The owner of the voice punches Oden hard in the eye, then when the man does not let go of Marinette, he punches him in the check.  He even goes so far as to yell, "The police are on to you, you know, so give yourself up!"

       Bethany slowly lifts up the lock to one of the back doors. She opens it unsure what to find what she exits the car.  She decides it is a risk she has to take. She steps outside and begins to run. She bumps into someone's chest.

        "Ah! Please, do not hurt me!" Bethany screams.

        "Bethany, it is just me," A familiar voice says.

           Bethany smiles when she recognizes him.  "Mr. Adrien, it is only you," Bethany says.

             "Yes, it is me, and your mother is just fine too," He assures her.

          Adrien tries to hold onto Marinette's hands to calm her down. He can tell it was an awful ordeal she just went through.  He can feel her tense up and realizes she does not know it is him yet.

         "Marinette, Calm Down it is Just Me!" Adrien tells her.

      Marinette looks up into a pair of bright emerald green eyes and realizes it is help. It might not be the kind she was expecting, but it is help just the same.   

      "Adrien?" Marinette asks.

     "Yes, it is me, and do not worry, Bethany is okay," Adrien assures her.

     "What about Oden?"  Marinette asks.

    "Oden?  Oh, you mean the creep who dared to follow you, well the police have him in their custody now,"  Adrien says as the sirens stop.

       Marinette looks at Adrien in surprise she can not believe it.  Adrien came to her and Bethany's rescue. She can not understand how he was able to get here so fast. She knows he was not ever over at her new place before now.

     "How did you get here so fast?"  Marinette asks.     

    "I took a short cut," Adrien explains.

    "Is not Mr. Adrien, amazing, mother?"  Bethany asks.  She grins.

      "Yes, Bethany, he is kind, and a-amazing," Marinette says.

         Find out more in Chapter  8

-Summer out!