Marinette had a big heart.

It was one of the many things that Tom loved about his daughter. That she had a big heart made to love fully, completely, and with all of her being.

Marinette was made to love people.

And so, of course, being an only child with parents who were busy – no matter how much they tried to make time for her it would never be enough – Marinette was always going to look for other people to give that love to.

She used to find pets.

Injured pigeons, bedraggled cats, and the odd stray dog would suddenly find themselves coaxed into Marinette's gentle hands and snuck into the bakery through the back door. She would then hide them in her bedroom and sneak them bits of her dinner as she tried to nurse them, clean them, groom them, and pet them.

There had been one time too many where he had found Marinette – aged six, seven, eight, and nine – trying to hide a purring cat, or a cooing pigeon, or a tail-wagging dog under the covers of her bed when he went to tuck her in at night.

It had always ended the same.

Marinette's big pout and tearful, wide, eyes ignored as he and Sabine firmly put their foot down and sent the stray animal away to a new home. They would then sit her down and explain to her how they couldn't have pets because it would be against the health codes for the bakery and how it wouldn't be fair for a dog, or a cat, or a pigeon to be stuck in a tiny little flat when they needed the freedom to run about and come and go wherever they please.

Marinette would give in, and say she understood, and cry about it for a couple days before she finally accepted the loss and moved on…

…until the next time she brought in another wounded animal to take care of.

When she got older her strays turned into people.

Mylene would spend nights sharing Marinette's bed during the worst, final, days of her parents' marriage. The small, cubby, blonde would snuffle in Marinette's arms as Marinette comforted her. Alix used to hobble into the bakery for much needed medical care that she didn't want her parents to know. Nino, Kim, and Max always seemed to need feeding, Ivan was always welcome to sit quietly on their sofa when he needed peace, Rose and Juleka were welcome any time, and Alya might as well live here.

And lately, much to their amusement as Marinette scrambled to hide her posters, Adrien had also taken to haunting Marinette's room. A stray well and truly in need of Marinette's loving touch.

So Tom was very much used to Marinette bringing home strays.

But this.

THIS!

This really took the cake!

(Pun fully intended as Tom had dropped the cupcake he had been bringing up to celebrate Marinette's passing grade on her physics test onto the floor in his horror and shock.)

"Dad!" Marinette yelped. "Mum! I can explain!"

"No," Tom said flatly, "you're not keeping him. You know the rules Marinette, no pets allowed," he pointed at the stray lounging on Marinette's bed, "especially that one!"

Marinette flushed bright pink at that but she hadn't moved from where she had been sitting and much to Tom's everlasting infuriation the large, black, cat just laid there lazily on her bed. His big, green, eyes far too innocent to be trustworthy.

"It's not like that!" Marinette protested as she wrung her hands nervously. "I can explain!"

"No means no, Marinette!"

"But-"

"Marinette," Sabine interrupted calmly, "you can explain all you like in great detail but first," her voice took a no-arguments stern tone as she crossed her arms, "please stop straddling Chat Noir before your father has a heart attack."