Author's Note: And here we are – the last chapter. Longer than all of the others and the longest wait for it too. This has been a wonderful experience. I've had just the best time writing this story. I may have already started the sequel (you guys wanted a sequel, right?) Thank you, for all your time and thoughtful responses, for joining me on this adventure. I hope you enjoy the final chapter. Thank you again!

Chapter Thirteen: The Wings of the Butterfly

"Chat . . . Um, Adrien?" Ladybug began, after the kiss, after the long hug that followed. There was still some hesitancy in her voice, and Chat Noir could feel her shivering against him.

"Chat," he said, decisively, encouraging. Even though now they knew, he felt they should keep each identity separate. Ladybug could not get used to calling Chat Noir by his other name, not if they were going to continue being superheroes of Paris. And Chat definitely wanted to continue being a superhero. "I'm Chat Noir right now." And it was so wonderful he didn't think he ever wanted to stop. But he knew he had to. The snow was still falling; they were extremely exposed to the weather on top of the Eiffel Tower, and from the way his lady curled into him for warmth and comfort, he could tell that ladybugs were not as resilient to the cold as cats were. It was time to go down, put in his claws for a while. Be with Marinette as Adrien and play spot the difference now that everything about them had changed. If she continued to be willing. This would be a new experience for them, but he thought, judging from how she'd responded to his question and kiss, that it would be a good one.

"Right," she agreed readily. "We shouldn't mix up the names. So Chat . . . can you tell me what happened?"

"Let's find somewhere warm first," he said, shifting away from her but keeping her hand, intending to lead her down from the tower. "Then we'll talk."

She looked at a loss for a moment, trying to think of somewhere private, her expression so very Marinette that Adrien wondered, again, how he could have missed that it was her for so long.

"Where?" She asked innocently. He knew as well as she did that they would be swarmed if they were at ground level. Ladybug and Chat Noir could not go out for a coffee and expect to have an uninterrupted private conversation, but that wasn't what he had in mind.

"I was thinking your place?" He suggested. "Or mine?" Personally, he hoped it would be hers. The thought of her cozy room with the scents of the bakery drifting up seemed soft and inviting to him right now. His house, while it was getting better, wasn't somewhere he wanted to take her yet. Especially since her most recent memories of the place were not the best.

"I think my parents might have something to say if they find Chat Noir suddenly in my room," Ladybug said, and Chat laughed.

"No doubt," he agreed. "But you're the only one going in through the balcony. I'm going to pick up my school bag and come over the conventional way. What do you think?" He tugged her gently toward the edge of the platform, ready to go, but she didn't move. If anything she pressed closer, snuggling tight, and Chat felt a little prick of pain that he'd made her worry so much.

"I know it's silly," she explained, but he already thought he understood. "I just really don't want you out of my sight, even for a few minutes. I don't want you to leave." It was such an endearing thing to say. Chat cupped her face in his hand, touching foreheads with her and closing his eyes. His heart melted just that much more, pouring into her. He didn't think he had anything left of himself that he hadn't given her already, but he imagined he'd be consistently surprised as they navigated this new place in their relationship.

"It's not silly," he reassured, kissing her cheek tenderly. "But if we stay up here any longer we'll be part of the architecture until spring thaw. Come on." He picked her up, relishing momentarily how easy the Miraculous made the action, then taking another moment to just enjoy the feel of her in his arms. How many times had it been the other way around? For the past while, it had been Marinette with her arms around him, it had been Marinette bowing her head over his, catching his gaze, speaking words of peace and encouragement. How nice it was to switch places, to give back the comfort. To have the girl he loved accept him at last. To have time to tell her about it.

He set her down, letting his grin get the better of his face. He tied the sky-blue scarf around her neck a little more securely and took out his baton. She watched him all the while, not smiling, still half expecting him to not really be there. "Race you?" He challenged, and triumphed when she finally smirked, one hand finding her hip. That's better, he thought. There's my lady.

"You could try," she told him, Ladybug's sass and charm returning to her at his invitation, filling his heart to the brim as he eased into how they were. He felt like he was walking into a familiar place that had been newly renovated, that he needed to pace the perimeter, look in all the corners, see what was new and what was not, an exciting exploration.

Ladybug threw out her yo-yo, leading the way, and he let her have the head start just so he could watch the perfect crimson arc of her split through the gloom of the clouds. Then with both hands on his baton, he took a flying dive after her. They traveled together across Paris more like a game of leap frog than a race. Ladybug would rush ahead but then suddenly stop and pause, checking behind her, making sure that he was still there, that he was keeping up, letting him move past her before taking off again. Back and forth, her ahead, then him, all the way to where Chat landed in a crouch in the new snow of the school roof with Ladybug a few seconds behind him across the street on her own balcony. Where they stood, staring at each other, separated by the falling snowflakes. Go inside, my lady, he gestured, wanting to make sure that she was secure. Her eyes didn't leave his face. He motioned again for her to go in. She crossed her arms, not blinking, and he realized that she wasn't going to move until he did.

"Count of three," he told her, emotional, waiting for her to nod. He held up a finger, pressing his palm forward so she would be sure to see. "One, two, and three." He pivoted, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder to make sure she'd done the same. If they kept checking, they'd be standing on their respective roofs forever. She won't go in until you do, he reminded himself. You're going to be with her in a minute, faster if you don't check.

So he didn't look back. He slipped through the emergency exit door and down to where he'd left his bag, pulling his claws in as he ran down the stairs, hardly taking a moment to check on Plagg as the spirit grabbed onto his shirt and held on for the ride.

"Why are we running?" Plagg asked, frightened. "Did something happen? Adrien, is everything all right?"

Adrien slowed only slightly to snag the handle of his bag from the floor, draping it over his head as part of the same motion. Everything he wanted was across the street.

"Adrien?" Plagg squeaked again, his voice now shrill with fear. Adrien paused, reaching for his kwami, realizing that he needed to reassure him before he did anything else. Plagg came willingly into his hands, allowing Adrien to hold him at eye level, the way he'd seen Valerie speak to him before, wanting Plagg to see his face. See for sure that there was nothing wrong, no reason to worry anymore.

"It's better than all right," Adrien said, hearing his voice almost tremble. "We're going to Marinette's right now. She knows who I am, and she's . . . I think she's happy about it."

"But you," Plagg insisted, peering into Adrien's eyes. "How was it? Chat Noir?" Adrien felt his heart squeeze tight for a moment at Plagg's concern. And he was concerned, afraid that transforming had damaged him somehow. Like it had the last time.

"It's great to be back," Adrien answered, not hiding his jubilance about sprinting through the snowstorm. "We're ok, Plagg," he soothed. "You and me. Really." The kwami exhaled deeply, pacified, and Adrien released him so he could pull open his jacket, watching as Plagg smiled slightly, more in relief than anything else, and took the suggestion to curl against his heart. Adrien waited until Plagg was snuggled in close and still before dashing out the door and into the bakery.

The bell jangled alarmingly as he entered, pulling him up short as he realized he was still rushing around like Chat instead of making a good impression as Adrien. Marinette's parents had no idea what was going on. He needed to slow down.

"My goodness," Marinette's mother gasped as he turned around from making sure the door closed properly. "Can I help you?"

The bakery was warm and smelled lovely. Mrs. Cheng stood at the cash register with her fingers around a brown paper bag, in the middle of handing it to an older woman. Both of them stood frozen, surprised at his abrupt arrival. Plagg gave him a small pinch.

"Sorry," he apologized. "The wind caught the door."

Mrs. Cheng completed the paper bag hand off to her customer, and Adrien waited, patient only on the outside, holding the door for the woman as she left the bakery and securing it closed again behind her. By this time, Marinette's dad had arrived from somewhere in the back, bearing a tray of fresh croissants. Adrien noticed that he was alone with Marinette's parents, completely unprepared for having to speak with them.

"Is there something you're looking for?" Mr. Dupain asked him, standing still next to his wife, not bothering to set the tray down, his expression professionally confused, as if he knew that he should probably recognize Adrien, but he wasn't entirely certain.

"I'm a friend of Marinette's - Adrien," he introduced himself, not knowing if they remembered him or not. He'd only met them once before, but he could see recognition on Mrs. Cheng's face. It encouraged him a little. He bowed slightly. "I hadn't heard from her since yesterday's akuma attack, and I got worried. Can I see her? Is she home?"

They exchanged heavy glances with each other, some secret communication with their expressions alone. Mr. Dupain finally put down the tray. Adrien felt his hand go to the back of his neck as he waited. He hadn't thought that there would be any hesitation at this point. Where was Marinette? He hadn't anticipated going through a gatekeeper like this. They were worried; he could see, but not necessarily about him. He thought back to all his unanswered text messages last night. Apparently he wasn't the only person Marinette hadn't been speaking to.

"She . . . " he started but paused as they both turned sharply to stare at him. "We'd made plans to go out this evening, but I wanted to check with her to see if that's something she still wanted to do." Another secret glance, this one softer. Mrs. Cheng wore a slight smile as she looked at her husband. Adrien thought he caught a tiny nod.

"Hello, Adrien," he heard Marinette greet him as she peeked out from behind her father, and suddenly she was the only person in the room. Beautiful with or without her spots, especially right now as she arrived to confirm his presence at the bakery, that he hadn't come without good reason.

"Marinette," he said, surprised at his own voice. Surprised to hear that he sounded as though he truly hadn't seen her for days, hadn't just been kissing her on top of the Eiffel tower. "I was worried about you," he told her, honestly. She blushed as her dad put his arm around her, almost disappearing into his side. "Could we talk?"

When she nodded, invisible restraining lines snapped all over the room. Her parents almost imperceptibly shifted, becoming more welcoming when they realized that Adrien's company was something that Marinette wanted. He could detect a bit of relief in her mom's face, as if she hoped he could give Marinette something that they hadn't been able to. He hoped he could too. Marinette looked unsure as she stretched out her hand for his, reminding him of the tower, how he'd found her on her knees with her back to him. How she had reached out just like this, needing him to touch her, waiting for him to come, not sure if she could believe unless he did.

He crossed the bakery without any hesitation, taking the offered hand, kissing the top of it for good measure, letting her parents see that he was here for her, that he was going to take care of her. That he always would.

"We'll be upstairs," Marinette said to her family, and though her mom nodded them off without a word, her face was too open for Adrien not to see that she was happy about this. It looked nice, he decided. Parental affection mixed with worry and optimism. He hoped he could see that kind of expression on his own mother someday soon. He watched Mrs. Cheng's face over his shoulder, smiling at her, even as he followed Marinette, still holding her hand, through the back of the bakery and up the stairs to her room.

Adrien had always liked the feel of Marinette's room, though he'd only been here once before this. He liked the height of it, the warm wooden beams angled from the ceiling. Liked how to get in he had to come up the stairs through a trapdoor in the floor, then there were even more stairs that led up to her bed and above that, still higher, one more trapdoor to the balcony. It gave him the feeling of being in a treehouse or a secret fort. And it was covered with stuff, not cluttered, just full of all the trappings of the things Marinette loved. Dazzling paper buntings, photos, scattered CDs, the remnants of a craft project on the desk, a beautiful array of discovery that would never have been permitted in Adrien's own bedroom. In each direction, there was color and comfort. And at this particular second, there was Marinette herself standing in the center with her arms folded, looking bizarrely nervous, lovely, and forcefully casual.

"I love your room," Adrien told her unashamedly, trying to break through to where they could start talking the way he knew she wanted to talk. Why did she look so nervous? The worst part was already over. They'd already shared their secrets, shared a kiss. "What's up?" He checked her. "Everything ok?"

She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders lifting in a shrug. Adrien watched her, puzzled, trying to figure out what her posture meant.

"I'm just," Marinette began, taking a deep breath, "I'm still trying to catch up. I can't believe you're him. This whole time. The things I said to you." He felt laughter swell out his chest but didn't dare give in to it, at least not yet. He'd had more time to process her dual identity, and more privacy while he did it. She was still going through it in her head, trying to bring to light any memory of a chance she could have figured it out. He went to her, resting a hand on her shoulder but lifting it almost immediately when she flinched.

"Sorry," he said reflexively, not sure what he should be sorry for. He'd put his hand on her shoulder so many times; now it was going to be weird? She shook her head.

"No, it's not you," she explained. "I guess I'm . . . this is so lame . . .but it's still easier for me to talk to Chat."

"I can take out the claws again if it'll make you feel better?" Adrien offered, not in the least bit upset about being Chat Noir, especially if talking to Chat made her more comfortable. It was Chat she had missed, after all. Though he had thought that they had made good progress in their civilian life, exchanging whole sentences, talking to each other on the phone. Still, if she preferred Chat to Adrien right now, he was all too happy to comply.

"Really?" Interjected a sarcastic voice from Adrien's pocket. Adrien could almost hear Plagg rolling his eyes at the teenaged exchange going on in front of him. While Adrien didn't mind transforming, Plagg might have a stronger preference not to.

"This is my kwami," Adrien half explained, half introduced, pulling open his jacket to invite Plagg to join them as an actual participant in the conversation. "May I present Plagg," he gestured to the spirit of destruction who now hovered between them. Marinette's eyes brightened as she lowered her hands from her face.

"I sort of met him before," she said. "When I brought Master Fu to heal him, but Valerie was holding him and he was covered in a little blanket so I couldn't really see . . . Oh, you're so cute!" She gushed, almost like she couldn't help it. Adrien couldn't blame her. It seemed an instinctual response to look at these miniature gods and not see anything but cute and cuddly. "And so inconspicuous! You could just be a normal kitten!"

"Kwami of destruction," Plagg reminded her, but not harshly. "Nice to see you again, Ladybug. Adrien has gone on and on and –"

"Plagg," Adrien warned, feeling a blush creep into his cheeks. Though his embarrassment seemed to be helping ease Marinette. She smiled at him warmly.

"And ON about you," Plagg finished anyway, and Adrien found himself secretly grateful for his interruption, however selfish his motivation may have been. It was sweet to see Marinette blushing too.

"Really?" She asked Adrien, looking up at him from under her eyelashes, reminding Adrien that he'd really like to kiss her again. Soon.

"Yeah," Adrien confessed as they shared smiles, his answer pleasing her. "Well, about Ladybug. I didn't know you very well without your spots. That was my mistake for not noticing." Her blush deepened enough that he thought he'd better change the subject. "So where's . . your kwami?" Adrien asked, looking around for any sign of one. Now that Plagg was out, he wouldn't mind meeting the spirit responsible for Ladybug's power.

"Being a good little secret," Plagg answered for them both. "Hiding under a pillow, I imagine."

"Plagg!" Came an indignant screech from up in the bed loft. Marinette looked slightly worried while Adrien hid a smile behind his hand. So much for being secret.

"He found out on his own, Tikki," Marinette spoke to the ceiling. "I promise I didn't tell him anything!"

"It's forbidden," Tikki's disembodied voice sounded again, high-pitched but somehow rounded around the vowels, as if French were not a language Tikki had been speaking long. Adrien exchanged a look with Plagg, who had a rather different accent, and wondered momentarily what language had been their first. How old they really could be.

"It's forbidden for them to reveal their identities to outsiders," Plagg clarified. "To reveal their identities to each other isn't banned. . . just discouraged. Come out, Tikki; there's no sense hiding now. I mean, we can hear you."

"Discouraged?" Marinette repeated, her head tilting curiously, this information as new to her as it was to Adrien. "Why?" Plagg looked again to Adrien, his expression closing with hidden information. Something he didn't want Adrien to know.

"Because of what happened with the Chosen of the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous," Tikki said, at last floating reluctantly down from the bed loft to join them. Adrien fought against his own instinctual urge to coo at her. Spotted, red, and sweet just as he'd expected her to be. As soon as she caught sight of Plagg, she seemed to lose her sense of place, lose her train of thought. Adrien closed his mouth around the question he'd meant to ask as he watched them look at each other. Tikki's eyes misted over, obviously unprepared for what she would feel to reunite with another kwami. Or maybe just this particular kwami.

"If you really have to," Plagg answered something she hadn't asked in words, but Adrien could detect a slight pleasure in his tone. Whatever he'd just agreed to didn't truly bother him as much as his statement might imply. Tikki flew at him, looking more like a kitten than Plagg did as she pounced, grabbing him so hard that they did a couple somersaults in the air. Adrien stepped out of their way so he could touch Marinette again, slipping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing a little. She leaned into him this time, and he guided her backward to the pink futon, sitting down with her there as they watched the kwamis for another minute.

"Tikki," Marinette called gently just as they looked as though they were going to begin a game of tag or something. The spotted spirit paused, turning to her Chosen as if she'd forgotten she was there, forgotten that she was upset at being found out. "Sorry," Marinette apologized, "but could you maybe explain about the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous and why that would mean Adrien and I had to keep our secret from each other?" When she said his name, he felt a little current of something warm beat out hard from his heart, distracting him from Marinette's rather serious question. She didn't say it often, his name, especially like that. He couldn't wait for her to do it again.

"Well, I don't know everything," Tikki prefaced, slowly leaving the air to come sit on the futon with them. Plagg settled on Adrien's shoulder, also warm and sort of tingling with energy, listening. "But from what I understand, the whole reason there was a Chosen for the Peacock Miraculous was because Valerie's secret was discovered and she begged for it to be so. But it ended very badly with the kwamis and the Chosen disappearing. Until recently that is, but even though now we know where Valerie and Nooroo are, the other Chosen and the Peacock Miraculous are still missing. It all could have been prevented if the secret had been kept."

"You're talking about my mother," Adrien offered, accepting surprised looks from almost everyone. He couldn't see Plagg but he guessed his face was pretty stoic. He already knew this part of the story. "She had the Peacock Miraculous. She and Valerie were best friends . . . are best friends."

"Your mom!" Marinette exclaimed. "For real?"

"It's true," Adrien said. "But I don't agree that what happened had anything to do with them knowing about each other. Everything that we do, we need to trust each other completely. How are we supposed to do that and keep secrets? And for us, I mean Marinette and me, it's not the same. Neither one of us asked for the other to be a Chosen, that happened without our opinion. I think it can only strengthen us now that we know." He looked at Marinette. "We could train together – like you wanted with Valerie, so we could make an even better team."

Tikki considered him very carefully, the huge eyes in her tiny face kind but concerned. "How did you find out?" She asked him, which caused Marinette to nod, amazingly keeping eye contact with him, intent on this answer.

"That's right," Marinette chimed in. "How'd you figure it out? And how'd you know about the prism yesterday? And what about Hawkmoth? You couldn't have known about that. And I still don't understand about Christmas Eve – I only found where you were because of the cataclysm. But I don't understand what made you –"

Adrien put two fingers against her lips, surprising himself that he would ever do anything to stop her from talking to him. But there were too many questions, all out of order. Plus he had some he wanted to ask her. They probably should think about taking turns.

"Maybe we should start at Christmas Eve," he said, taking both her hands in his. They sat on the futon, turned towards each other, foreheads touching, faces down, looking at their interlocked fingers. Plagg stayed on his shoulder. Tikki sat at attention on Marinette's crossed leg. And Adrien began telling her his side of what happened.

It was so difficult to start, confessing how he'd transformed against Plagg's wishes, how he'd meant to burn down the Christmas tree in the courtyard. How he'd felt so abandoned, sick, and lonely. Marinette shifted one hand to curl it around his neck, her fingers gently stroking.

"I hope you are never in that place again," she said, soberly, and Adrien could hear the promise in it. She would never abandon him. She would always be there so he wouldn't feel lonely. If she had known before, if he had thought to reach out to her, it wouldn't have happened.

"But Valerie's right," Adrien amended, brightening his tone. "Sometimes horrible things lead to somewhere amazing."

"Valerie told you that?" Marinette asked, a hardness to her words, and Adrien felt Plagg flinch a little. He didn't like it when people talked about Valerie that way, and neither did Adrien. They didn't have the whole picture. They just didn't understand. So he explained about Valerie – about her history with his parents, the rainbow, the storm, about her scars, about why she'd made the choices that led her to misuse his Miraculous. About why his father had misused hers. How it was all behind them now, everything restored to its proper place. Almost.

"How can you just . . . why are you ok with this?" Marinette questioned him, withdrawing just a little. "After what they did to us . . to you. They almost killed you. You're ok with just letting all that go?" Adrien had to think a little about what she was asking since it hadn't occurred to him before. It seemed weird to him to stay angry with his dad . . . it had never entered his mind to be mad at Valerie. They both made him more sorry and sad than anything. And he knew they would have a hard enough time forgiving themselves. They didn't need him holding a grudge.

"I really am," he answered. "I know my dad's not perfect. He's made a lot of mistakes, but he can't hurt anyone as Hawkmoth anymore, and it wasn't his intention to hurt anyone in the first place. Valerie either. But giving them forgiveness is more for me because I don't want to live in that world anymore, and I don't have to. I like this new place better – with a father who shows up at dinner and doesn't sneak off to send out akumas. I like Nathalie sitting at breakfast with me and talking. I like knowing about Valerie and having her back in our lives. And I absolutely love that I can be here with you, my lady, without our masks and with all the time in the world to talk about anything we want. So yes, I am ok with letting it all go. I want my heart open to what's coming. What about you?"

"You're right," Marinette agreed after a moment of silence, and Adrien could actually hear the weight of her anger dropping from her. "And if you're ok, then I am too."

"Good," Adrien replied, content.

"And you are ok, right?" Marinette asked, suddenly concerned. "I know you're still recovering, and after yesterday– "

"That's another fantastic thing," Adrien inserted, excited to give her this good news. "Marinette, you have no idea, do you? It's the best part!" He squeezed her hand. "Yesterday – your Miraculous Charm. You healed us, Marinette – Valerie and me. Completely."

"What . . does that mean?" Marinette asked, confused.

"Valerie's scars are gone. She has her eye and her fingers back; she doesn't need the cane anymore. You made her new again. You're amazing!"

"And you?" She checked, still worried, the memory of seeing him on the floor yesterday shining in her eyes.

"Better than new," he gushed. "Everything that happened to me yesterday and all the rest of it too."

"The rest of it, but . . . how does that work? I used the Miraculous Charm on you before when you were turned into a cat and it didn't heal you," Marinette mused, and Adrien couldn't think of an answer for that.

"The charm isn't for healing," Tikki cut in. "It's for restoring damage done by battle – in this case, the akumas. I'm the kwami of creation, not healing. The first time, the charm just undid the transformation caused by the akuma. There was no physical damage done, so it left you the way you were. The second time," she paused a second, obviously not wanting Marinette to remember how bad it had been. "The second time, the akuma caused wounds, so when the charm started, it restored your body back to perfect. Created it new again. For Valerie too."

"So that means . . . you're really ok now?" Marinette asked hopefully. "No more panic attacks?"

"No," Adrien said, relieved. "It's all over. I'm fine."

"I'm so glad," Marinette said, sounding close to tears. "It was so hard watching you sometimes when I could tell you were seeing things. Harder when you couldn't breathe. I didn't know what to do to help you. And the way you would look at me . . . like you didn't know me."

"But you did help me," Adrien protested. "Not just with your charm, but every time I needed you since I came back to school. It wasn't easy. It was scary and painful, but I wouldn't change it. If it hadn't happened, I don't know how long it would have taken me to realize how wonderful you are, Marinette. You know, I'd see Ladybug when I looked at you – almost every single time. Her mask on your face. And then when Ladybug visited me in my room, her eyes were yours. That's how I figured out who you were. Your eyes stay the same. But I wasn't absolutely sure until after the cat akuma attack. When I hugged you, I could smell my shampoo in your hair."

"That's how you knew?!" Marinette squeaked. "Shampoo?"

"Well, not just any shampoo," Adrien teased, hearing Chat in his tone. "It's super fancy, Swiss-imported shampoo that my dad gets from a private distributor. For models only."

Marinette and Tikki exchanged a guilty look. If Adrien weren't holding her hands, he imagined she might smack her forehead for not thinking of that. She did groan, bowing her head low, making him laugh. He cupped her chin to bring her face up to his, kissing her lips quick and light.

"I'm so happy it was you," he told her.

"Me too," she said. "That you're Chat I mean."

They spoke more about it, all the times they had narrowly missed exposing their superhero side to each other by accident, the ridiculous lies they'd told each other to hide what they were actually doing, until they were laughing so hard they almost fell off the futon. They talked about their classmates, how Alya hadn't figured out yet who Marinette was, how Nino was too pure to even speculate, and –

"Oh, and Chloe!" Adrien almost shouted as he suddenly realized.

"Ugh," Marinette responded, rolling her eyes a little. "Yeah, and Chloe."

"She's completely in love with you! You are an angel for not taking advantage of that."

"Glad someone finally noticed the effort," Marinette replied, the way Ladybug would if she were speaking to Chat. "But I do sometimes use Ladybug to persuade her to behave."

"I do that sometimes too. Maybe between the two of us, we can make a kind thoughtful member of society out of her."

"If we could do that, there would be nothing that could ever stop us!"

They talked as the snow fell outside, as the sun started its early descent. At some point, Marinette's mom brought up a tea tray with hot chocolate and croissants on it, drawn by their laughter. Later, her dad came to ask if Adrien would like to stay for dinner.

"No, sir, I can't," Adrien declined politely. "I've already confirmed dinner plans with my father."

"Well, you're always welcome," Tom Dupain extended the invitation, watching his daughter, reading her happiness in her posture before disappearing again through the trapdoor.

"Your parents are sweet," Adrien told her, watching him go. "By the way, my dad did say you could come have dinner with us if you wanted. I think Valerie might be there too."

Marinette sobered, her eyes startled and wide at the idea. "Um," she began, and Adrien knew she wasn't going to say yes. "I'm not sure if dinner with Hawkmoth and Zephyr is a good idea for me," she excused herself. Adrien almost told her again that his dad wasn't Hawkmoth anymore, but he understood what she meant.

"I understand," he told her, not offended. "Maybe some other time."

She nodded, her face twisting as she thought of another question. "Does he know? About you?"

"No," Adrien answered quickly. "I don't see any need to tell him either. Valerie knows, though."

"About me too?" Marinette checked, slightly worried now.

"She knows your first name," Adrien confessed. "But she doesn't know who you are."

"What do you think will happen?" Marinette asked. "With Valerie and Nooroo? Tikki and Plagg? You and me?"

"I don't have those answers, but Valerie did say that Master Fu intends for her to keep Nooroo, and that he wants us to keep our kwamis too. I think she spent the day talking with my dad about finding Mom. I'm pretty sure now that she's healed and has Nooroo back that she's going to start looking for her. At least, I hope she will. I'd go with her if she asked me."

"You . . . you would?" Marinette said, the effort of keeping her voice neutral about it resonating around the question.

"As for you and me," Adrien went on, changing the subject without answering. He didn't want to speculate too much on going off with Valerie on a quest to find his mom. That was too slippery of a plan to think about long. He had no idea where to start. He'd have to get his father's permission, which was a long shot from the start. He couldn't abandon Gabriel. He couldn't leave Marinette. While his heart was willing, he knew his responsibilities in Paris would keep him from chasing after Valerie. He'd just have to trust in her. Unless she did indeed ask him to go. "For you and me," he repeated, struggling to catch his train of thought again. "I'm going to go have dinner with my father, but then I'd like to come pick you up for the stadium singing if you wanted to go with me."

"I'd love to," Marinette said, her face open and honest, like this might actually be a dream come true for her.

"Who should come get you? Me or Chat Noir?" He asked her, giving her the option of how they wanted to be seen tonight.

"Adrien," she answered without hesitation. "Please."

"Of course, my lady." He kissed her again, gathering his backpack and coat. He poked Plagg gently from where he sat close with Tikki on the futon, almost asleep. "Come on, Plagg," he said. "We need to get going." As his kwami settled inside his pocket, he lost himself in Marinette's eyes one more time. "I'll see you soon," he promised. She nodded, smiling.

It was harder than he thought leaving her bedroom. Partly because he wasn't ready to leave her yet, but mostly because her parents were waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs with full hands and grateful expressions. Tom handed him a small box of assorted macarons. Sabine took his shoulders like she was only barely keeping herself from hugging him.

"We heard her laughing," she said. "Thank you for visiting and cheering her up." They repeated that several times before allowing him out the door where his driver was waiting for him. He settled into the back seat, content, clutching the bakery bag, staring out the window to the lights he knew were Marinette's lights, already wanting to be back upstairs with her.

The peace of his afternoon followed him home; his heart so full of happiness that he practically pounced on Nathalie first thing when he stepped through the front door.

"Adrien, what?" She startled, clumsily returning his embrace for a second before pulling him back to study him at arms' length.

"Just a really good day, Nathalie," he told her, then took a turn being surprised when she smiled and bent down to hug him unexpectedly. "And it's not even over yet."

"Good," she whispered. "God knows you deserve one." She smiled at him fondly as she let him go, reaching for his coat so she could hang it up. He handed it to her along with the box of macarons Marinette's dad had given him.

"Is Valerie still here?" Adrien asked her before she turned to go.

"No," Nathalie answered, which made Adrien follow her instead of going to the dining room. "She left over an hour ago."

"Oh," Adrien said, slightly disappointed. "Did she say anything? Is she coming back? What did they talk about? They didn't fight or anything, right?"

"Sorry, Adrien, those are all questions for your father," Nathalie told him. "Though they seemed perfectly polite when he walked her to the door." Of course they seemed polite. They always seemed polite, it was the bite behind the smile that Adrien was looking for. "He's waiting for you in the dining room," she informed him, pointing with her chin as she closed the closet, indicating that he should go ahead of her. He nodded, understanding, and headed that direction.

"Welcome home, Adrien," Gabriel greeted from the head of the table where he sat with his elbows just lightly resting on the arms of his chair, his fingers steepled against his lips. When Adrien stepped through the doorway, Gabriel stood, waiting for Adrien to come to the table so they could sit down at the same time. He saw that there were two empty places beside them.

"I take it your friend isn't coming after all?" Gabriel asked him. He shook his head, looking at the elaborately folded napkins decorating the plates.

"And Valerie left too?" Adrien said, suddenly seeing exhaustion in his dad's face.

"I did invite her to stay," Gabriel replied, gesturing rather defensively at the table settings, as if he wanted to make it clear that he was minding his manners where Valerie was concerned. "She said she had something else to take care of, but no," he answered before Adrien could ask. "She didn't tell me what it was."

"Are you all right, Father?" Adrien asked instead.

"Yes, of course. Though talking with Valerie can be mentally draining." Adrien kept his smile to himself at that statement. He wondered how much Valerie had done on purpose and how much was just due to their natural personalities clashing with each other.

"What did you talk about?"

The cold blue of his father's eyes stared hard into Adrien as they sat still together at the table, their food still untouched in front of them. Adrien rather wished he had some excuse to go to his father, put his head on his knee, but now that there was nothing physically wrong with him, he felt that he really shouldn't expect to be so affectionate with Gabriel anymore.

"We talked about your mother," Gabriel finally offered, making an effort to unfold his napkin, covering his lap with it. Adrien copied him, willing him to say more without his having to ask him pointed questions. "Where she might be now."

"Does she have an idea?" Adrien asked, his voice brimming with hope.

"I'd rather not go into that now," Gabriel said. "It's too soon to speculate."

Adrien looked at his plate, not sure how to proceed now that he knew his father didn't want to talk about anything he'd discussed with Valerie. So they ate, quietly, slowly, Adrien glancing up from time to time to look at Gabriel, wondering what he was thinking. At the end of the meal, Nathalie appeared with the box of macarons, setting them down gently on the table between them without a word. Adrien smiled in spite of himself when he saw them, remembering that he would be going back to the bakery soon to pick up Marinette.

"You're going back out?" Gabriel asked, monitoring Adrien's reaction to the cookies.

"Yes," Adrien answered, taking one of the perfectly smooth and fluffy treats from the box. "We're going to the stadium for a singing party."

"It's rather dark and cold for an outdoor event like this, isn't it?" Gabriel asked, and Adrien worried that he might be gearing up to withdraw his permission.

"It's an ongoing thing; this is just the first night. It's part of the service assignment."

"Yes, you mentioned that before, but I'm missing how this is service."

Adrien hesitated. "Well," he began gently. "It's supposed to bring people together and make them happy because . . . the whole service project is an effort to make Paris a happier, safer place. I think it's going to work amazingly well." Gabriel dropped his fork where it clattered loudly on his plate. Adrien wished he hadn't said anything. He didn't know it would cause such a strong reaction. He didn't know that Gabriel would pick up on what he hadn't said. They were trying to make Paris happier because happy people don't get akumatized.

"Adrien," Gabriel said, his eyes on the dropped fork. "I can't imagine what you must think of me."

"Don't," Adrien said rather sharply, surprising himself. But he didn't want to talk about this. He wanted the darkness of the past to stop bleeding into his future. He wanted it to stay where it belonged. "I think you're my father, sitting here eating dinner with me, and I really like that you made time to do that. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me; I know a lot of it was really hard for you. And I think that in the end, you did the right thing, and that's all I care about. Everyone makes mistakes, even Agrestes, but they only stay mistakes if you choose not to fix them."

"Perhaps," Gabriel said softly, as if he were speaking around a lump in his throat. "Perhaps Valerie's influence on you wasn't all bad." Adrien allowed himself to smile, just a little, with a touch of sass in it.

"I love you, Dad," Adrien said, amazed that they didn't ever say this in their house. He watched his father close up tightly, his inner protocol demanding that he not get overly emotional. He wondered if he would ever get to hear him say it back.

"Come with me," Gabriel said, standing up and leaving his napkin next to his plate. Adrien followed him quietly, afraid that if he said anything else it would ruin whatever was going on. He kept his eyes on his father's shoulders, straight and strong, as Gabriel led him to his bedroom, a place Adrien had not visited in a long time. Though when he entered, the arrangement of the furniture and the color of the bedspread sparked memories of sitting cross-legged in the center of the mattress in his pajamas, watching Emilie putting on makeup or perfume for an evening out. He remembered the glow of the vanity lights as she applied her eyeshadow, the scent of her pleasant in the air. Gabriel hadn't changed a single thing. Her brush still sat on the vanity. The book she'd been reading rested undisturbed on the stand beside her pillow along with a pair of earrings she'd forgotten to remove before getting under the covers. Everything ready for her to walk back into the room as if she'd never been gone.

Adrien stood transfixed just inside the door while Gabriel went to the closet. He was equal parts worried and fascinated by being invited here. Maybe now that Gabriel was no longer Hawkmoth, he didn't have any more secrets he needed to guard. Maybe his life was just going to be one constant surprise now.

"In here," Gabriel called from the closet, jolting Adrien into motion. He went inside, slightly disturbed to see his father rummaging through the contents, knocked even more off balance when he realized that this was Emilie's closet. Her gowns, suits, and blouses hanging like shadows on both sides of the wall, her bags and shoes sort of organized in random spaces. Several boxes. One sat open at Gabriel's feet, the words "for Valerie" upside down to Adrien's view. It was empty except for what looked like dry crumbled rose petals strewn around the bottom.

"There," Gabriel muttered, pulling free from a stack of sheets an old, faded, quilt. He let it fall from its folds as he tugged it from the shelf – a simple design of colored triangles fashioned into stars. "This is your mother's quilt from school," he explained when Adrien looked at it, confused. "We ate picnics on it by the river and stayed warm under it the night I asked her to marry me. She laid it out to read under trees in the summer and kept it on her bed through the winters and when you were born I brought it with us to the hospital. Take it with you tonight."

"I . . can't take this," Adrien denied even as his father handed it to him. It was surprisingly heavy and soft in the manner that only old, well-loved, oft-washed fabric can be. Soft to the point where it was almost shabby, yet too full of good memories to ever look truly old or worn out.

"Some things are meant to be used," Gabriel countered. "She would want you to take it. Keep your . . . friend warm."

"Do you want to come with us?" Adrien heard himself offer as he rolled the blanket around his arm, not really folding it but needing to bundle it somehow in order to carry it. He knew it was a ridiculous thing to say. His father had likely rescheduled several meetings already in order to talk with Valerie. Not to mention how Gabriel hardly ever left the house if he could help it. The idea of him venturing out into the snowy evening to sing with a bunch of teenagers almost made Adrien laugh. But when he looked at his father, he could tell that the invitation meant something to him, even though he was going to decline it.

"I'm afraid I can't tonight," Gabriel smoothly answered. "But you said this was ongoing, so perhaps another time."

Adrien stared at his father, shocked at the response. He almost sounded like he truly did want to go, like he might actually plan for it in the future. He felt his mouth open, but his cell phone rang, disturbing the moment. He didn't answer it, not ready to leave this place his father had finally let him in to.

"Go," Gabriel commanded, closing up again. "Your friends are waiting for you."

"Thanks, Dad," Adrien said, slowly backing out of the closet, still not sure he wanted to go yet. His text alert chimed, and he turned away from Gabriel, who was staring into the empty box on the floor.

The text had come from Nino, but Adrien didn't read it. He simply pressed the button that would dial his friend's number, reaching the landing on the stairs by the time he picked up.

"Adrien, hey," Nino answered. "You good to go tonight?" So many layers within that question. Nino was checking boundaries with those few words, the parameters of their friendship, the limits on Gabriel's permission, the status of Adrien's health. Adrien wondered if he always put such nuances in his questions or if he were just paying more attention lately.

"Yeah, I'll meet you there," he said. "I need to pick up Marinette first."

"You sure about that?" Nino asked. "I heard from Alya that she wasn't coming."

"Last I spoke to her she'd changed her mind," Adrien answered, and could almost hear Nino shrug.

"Well, if anyone could convince her, it'd be you. See you there, bud."

"Soon," Adrien said before returning the phone to his pocket. He was clumsily trying to refold the blanket when Nathalie met him in the entryway, his coat and scarf in hand again.

"Where did you get this?" She asked him as she traded the blanket for his winter clothes.

"Dad told me to take it," Adrien justified, still feeling slightly guilty about it, like he was doing something wrong by bringing it out of the house. Nathalie's expression opened as she took two corners of the blanket, shaking it into perfect folds, reminding Adrien of Valerie in the hotel basement as she also folded sheets and towels.

"That's very special," Nathalie told him, meaning both the blanket and Gabriel's offering to let Adrien use it. "He loves you very much, Adrien. I hope you know that."

"I do," Adrien replied, seriously, also hearing in Nathalie's words that in her way, she loved him too.

"Have a good time tonight," Nathalie said, handing back Emilie's quilt, now much more portable.

"Thank you, Nathalie," Adrien said, hugging the quilt to his chest and opening his door to the winter night.

BB

Marinette dug through the contents of her dresser, tugging out sleeves of sweaters and collars of shirts and not quite returning them properly as she dismissed wearing them. She heard herself making weird noises as she searched, little screeches and groans, and she wondered what on earth she was actually doing.

"Maybe you should have gone to the stadium as Ladybug," Tikki offered helpfully. "Then you wouldn't have had to choose an outfit." Marinette paused momentarily to give her kwami a playful glare.

"But then you wouldn't get to see Plagg," she teased, turning back to the drawer and shrieking with triumph as she pulled free her snuggliest pink sweater, holding it up to herself and checking its look in her mirror. Perfect. "Can you believe it, Tikki? It was Adrien this whole time!" She went on without giving her the chance to answer. "They're so different, though. Like, completely different."

"So are you," Tikki informed her. "Ladybug brings out your protectiveness and your leadership skills. It's not something that she has that you don't, but it's more obvious when you have your spots on. I think it's the same for him. Chat's just another part of his true personality."

"You're saying that you think Adrien is a pun-loving show off?"

"And you love it," Tikki laughed. "But no, that's not exactly it. I'm saying that Adrien has to be polite and keep his reputation up all the time, but when he's Chat he gets to be less formal and play a little. There is a freedom to that life that he doesn't have in his other."

"That makes sense," Marinette agreed as she finished getting dressed. "There, what do you think?"

"Marinette!" Sabine's voice came through the floor. "Adrien is here."

"I think you look great, Marinette," Tikki complimented. "Now let's go meet Adrien."

She did her best to control her excitement and not race down the stairs to the front door, and she sort of managed it, though she missed the next to last step and had to clutch to the railing to avoid falling in a heap. Her stumble made both her mother and Adrien gasp and reach out to her, though they were too far away to actually help. She felt her cheeks go red and hot, but reminded herself that she'd done far more embarrassing things in front of Adrien. And he was still looking at her like she was made of light. The way Chat looked at Ladybug. For him, it seemed there was no difference. It made it rather difficult to maintain eye contact with him.

"You look wonderful," Adrien told her, smiling, looking like the perfect gentleman as he stood near the door, the scarf she'd knit him knotted around his neck and a faded quilt tucked over his arm, held tight against his body.

"Thanks," she said, trying hard not to stutter as her father came up behind her from the kitchen with a small basket.

"Here you go, sweetheart," he offered it to her. "Hot cider, cups, and I baked some sweet potatoes and wrapped them for you to put in your pockets to keep your hands warm. You can eat them later on when they cool a bit."

"You're the best, Dad," Marinette told him, standing on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek as she took the basket from his hands.

"Have a good time, dears," Sabine instructed, shifting to stand by her husband to allow Marinette to go to Adrien's side.

"I'll bring her home around ten," Adrien promised Marinette's parents, reaching for her. She shifted the basket to free her hand, and allowed Adrien to lead her out her door, down her stairs, and onto the sidewalk outside. They paused here for a few moments for several important things. The first was for Adrien to kiss her, swiftly and affectionately and out of sight of her parents. The next was to allow the kwamis to snuggle together in the warmth of the basket, making room for them by pulling out a few foil-wrapped sweet potato pieces to tuck into their coat pockets. Then they were on their way again, walking to the stadium, Adrien holding out his arm for her to hold on to in case she hit a slippery spot in the sidewalk.

"So," Marinette began as they made their way. "What are we going to tell everyone?" She watched Adrien from the corner of her vision, not turning her head to look at him directly. He had his head bowed against the wind, a soft smile just lifting his lips. He looked extremely at ease. Seeing him that way made her own nerves less jittery. She gave his arm a little hug.

"We don't have to tell them anything," Adrien answered, and now that Marinette was listening close for it, she could hear the slight undertone of Chat Noir's defiance in what he said. "But if it's ok with you, I'm rather looking forward to introducing my girlfriend to everyone."

Marinette felt her body shut off and had to force herself to keep walking. He said it! Actually said it. Her spirit was shivering; it felt weird and wonderful.

"We . . . we could say that," she heard herself agree, sort of breathlessly. "But what about Chloe?" she amended in disgust, knowing that this would be a particularly hard obstacle. This time she really did pause, wondering what would happen when Chloe saw her with Adrien. What she might do or say. What Marinette might say back that she could regret later.

"Don't worry about Chloe," Adrien said, rather firmly, stopping with her on the sidewalk, the stadium entrance very close. There were people walking past them on either side as they stood there, headed in, almost time to start. "I'll talk to her if I need to. Ok?"

"Ok," Marinette murmured, feeling protected, but in a tender, non-smothering sort of way.

"Hey, Adrien! There you are," Nino called as he joined them, one arm raised in greeting and the other holding tight to Alya's mittened hand. Marinette looked at her friend, turning a little shy when Alya grinned like a fox when she saw her.

"Here you are, indeed," Alya practically purred. "Glad to see you changed your mind, Marinette."

"Well, sure," Marinette sputtered. "Rose and Juleka worked hard putting this together, right?"

"Come on," Alya took charge, looping arms with Marinette so she could keep hold of Adrien and her basket. "Let's go in and find a spot before it starts. Looks like there's going to be a larger crowd than expected." Walking four abreast, completely happy, carefree teenagers, they entered the stadium.

Marinette had expected most of her classmates to show up. The usual bunch. She was unprepared for a turn out like this. Juleka had set up an actual stage on one side of the field. They had a few lights on, but not many, giving the set up an otherworldly glow with the snow still falling a little around them, giving movement to the spotlights. Their classmates were there, but so were many of their parents, teachers, and random members of the community. A couple hundred people all together. Juleka stood in shock looking out at so many faces below her, but Rose seemed nonplussed as she picked up the microphone to get things started.

Standing close to Adrien, Marinette tried to take it all in as she listened to Rose's sweet voice explaining what they were doing and why. She looked at all the people who had come out in the snowstorm to sing together, to be united against the threat of akumas. She wasn't the only one who had thought to bring a flask of hot chocolate or mulled wine. There was a man with a cart of baked apples, handing them out, someone else with bags of popcorn. There were so many different colored hats and scarves. Dozens of blankets were being shaken open to drape around couples. As she stared, Adrien curled his arms over her, cuddling them both under his quilt, looking as though he'd just gotten everything he'd ever wanted. She curled her shoulder blades against his chest, leaning back into him slightly, savoring the familiar strength of Chat Noir behind her. He bent forward to kiss her cheek.

And even though they made no effort to keep anything secret, even though they were standing there so obvious to the world, no one seemed at all surprised. No one asked them to explain anything. "Wondered how long it would take you," Kim called as he walked past them to get closer to the stage. There were others; voices that Marinette couldn't identify in the shadowed crowd gathering all around them, passing them, shifting in ebbs and flows. "About time." "You guys are too adorable!" "Finally."

"Oh really," Alya pretended to groan as Marinette looked over to her questioningly. "You guys are made for each other. Everyone could see it but you. The only couple I've ever seen that was as clueless as you two is Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Adrien began to laugh, the rumble of it comfortable against Marinette's back. Alya smiled at them as if she were personally responsible for getting them together. "I'm happy for you," she said to Marinette just before the music started.

The first stadium singing event kicked off to great success. They did songs from Clara Nightingale, Jagged Stone, and somehow they all plummeted into the rabbit hole of a Disney sing-along. The blankets quickly became unnecessary as the field turned into a dance floor – no one able to keep still as the beat of the music compelled them, heating the entire arena. Adrien carefully folded his quilt, zipped it into his coat before leaving both next to Marinette's basket, Nino on guard, and then practically carried Marinette around the field in a fast-paced made-up foxtrot to Toy Story's You've Got a Friend in Me, receiving several rounds of applause for their performance.

They laughed. They ate the sweet potatoes and drank the cider. They shouted to each other above the songs that they didn't know. The cuddled together for the songs they did. Somehow Alya and Marinette ended up with their arms around each other's waists belting out How Far I'll Go at the top of their voices, and Marinette was certain that there had never been a better evening in her entire life.

Until it ended.

"Adrien? Dude, take it easy." She didn't know how she heard Nino over the song, but somehow his voice pierced through and she suddenly felt the cold again. She pulled from Alya, turning to look behind her to find Adrien on one knee, his hands pressed against his chest. All of her internal mechanism seized up, reversing, her mind clouding with questions. He'd said he was healed. Surely he hadn't lied to her? But then why was he on the ground?

"Marinette!" Nino called to her, but she was already coming, Alya right behind her. She went to her knees in front of Adrien, taking his shoulders in her hands as Nino covered him with his blanket again.

"What happened?" Marinette asked them both, frightened.

"He just went down," Nino answered. "Really sudden."

"You're going to be ok," Marinette assured him.

"I think it's the crowd," Nino speculated as he leaned over them. "It was too much for him; he overdid it."

"Adrien? Can you breathe?" Marinette asked him gently. He looked at her, hard, an interesting edge to the expression. Not like before. This was a new look. He was trying to get her to understand something urgent. "Can you stand up?"

He let her pull him upright, hands still at his chest. "Marinette," he said through his teeth, still staring at her, his message not coming through to her.

"Should we leave?" She asked him, and he nodded. Nino held onto Adrien protectively while Marinette bent to retrieve her basket.

"Girl, I got that," Alya told her, picking it up before she could. "You go ahead."

"Thanks, Alya," Marinette said. "Just let me grab my phone." She ducked her hand into the basket, feeling two kwamis wriggle up her coat sleeve as she pretended to look for the phone she knew was already in her pocket.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Nino asked, his face worried, trying to be polite in not directly stating that there would be no way Marinette could prevent Adrien from falling and hurting himself if his knees were to give out on him as they walked away.

"That's ok," Adrien declined, looking at the ground.

"You guys stay," Marinette added. "I'll call you if something happens. We'll be fine."

Nino leaned in close to murmur something encouraging into Adrien's ear while Alya gave Marinette a proud nod. Then she slipped her arm around Adrien's waist as he leaned in to her slightly and led him out of the noise and movement of the stadium, out onto the dark snowy sidewalk where the sound was muffled by snowflakes.

The second they were alone, Plagg shot out from her sleeve and cannoned over to Adrien. "What happened?" He asked, almost frantic. "What's wrong? Adrien?" Marinette was surprised to see that the kwami might be even more concerned than she was.

"I'm so sorry, Plagg," Adrien apologized. "Marinette, stop. It's ok."

"What?" Marinette asked, pulling away so she could study him. It was hard to hear over Plagg's shrill squeaks.

"You said you were fine!" The spirit was almost shrieking. "I should have never agreed –"

"Plagg, calm down," Adrien pleaded. "I am fine. Look." He opened his hands and a white butterfly fluttered up from them. Marinette took a deep breath, realizing what had happened.

"So you're ok?" She checked, just to be absolutely certain. "That whole thing was just . . . "

"An excuse to leave with you," Adrien confirmed, looking guilty. "Something I won't be doing again, but I didn't want anyone to see the butterfly and that was the only thing I could think of. I didn't mean to make you worry. Plagg?" The kwami hovered, shocked, glaring, and speechless. "Plagg, I'm sorry."

"Don't you ever do that again," he sulked, turning his face away. Marinette decided, looking at them both, that she wasn't going to add any lecture to the situation. Watching Plagg get so worked up over it was actually helping her keep calm.

"I'm glad you're ok," she said, feeling rather tired. "What does it mean?" She went on to ask, looking at the butterfly, which was also hovering, higher than Plagg, waiting as if it wanted them to follow it.

"It's from Valerie," Adrien said, as if that would be obvious. "I think she wants us to go to her. Something's going on." Marinette wasn't sure about doing that. She was feeling rather annoyed about the disturbance to her date, about being yanked from complete bliss to total fear and now this weird place where she had no idea what was going on. But Adrien watched the butterfly so intently that she was sure this was important to him.

"All right," Marinette agreed. Adrien pulled her into the shadows, looking around to make sure they were alone.

"Plagg," he said. "Can we transform?"

Marinette watched them, completely confused, wondering if she were doing something wrong by never asking Tikki's permission before starting her own transformation. The kwami of creation was out of hiding now too, also watching. But she did exchange a wondering glance with Marinette, showing her that this was not actually a normal situation, this was something special for Adrien and Plagg.

"What are you asking me for?" Plagg replied tensely.

"Tikki," Marinette said quietly. "Spots on." For a few seconds, Plagg and Adrien's attention was drawn to her. Plagg looked rather mournful, while Adrien watched completely fascinated as she transformed into Ladybug right in front of him. Even though the sequence was meant to cover her identity, somehow, having him watch her felt rather intimate. "I'm ready," she told them, hoping that might somehow help them get to a point where they could agree.

"Plagg," Adrien asked again.

"You don't need my permission," Plagg replied.

"Yes, I do," Adrien said, uncompromising.

Ladybug tried not to fidget as she watched them staring at each other, though it was an uncomfortable standoff. She could see wishes and pain, so much regret, and she feared that what was evident to an outsider like her was only the suggestion of how deep their feelings went, what their separation and Adrien's illness had done to them. She realized how special a thing it had been for Chat Noir to meet her earlier that day if this is where they were, if transformations had become so difficult for them. Her hand lifted to break into their wordless conversation, to offer to carry Adrien so he wouldn't have to transform.

"All right," Plagg relented, both of their shoulders suddenly falling as though they had dropped the rope in a mental tug-of-war. "If you're sure, then I trust you, Adrien."

"Thank you," Adrien said, all of his genuine purity laid out in the words along with the promise that he would never give Plagg reason not to. "Claws out."

Ladybug felt relieved and wonderous as she watched the kwami's power cover Adrien in shadows. Even though he'd told her who he was, even though she'd just watched him interact with his kwami, there was something magical in seeing the boy she loved become her other beloved. Chat Noir looked at his hands before lifting his head to look at her, his open-mouthed gratitude shifting to a grin. Her Cheshire Chat.

"I really missed you," Ladybug said, again, reaching over and flicking the bell at his throat.

"I wasn't actually gone," Chat reminded her, but she shook her head. That may be technically true, and there may be no way she would ever get him to understand exactly how much she needed him in both his identities, but in her soul there would always be a difference. "After you, my lady?" He offered, gesturing to where the butterfly waited for them, another snowflake in the night.

They set off, keeping pace with each other, keeping the butterfly ahead of them. It seemed to be leading them to Le Grand Paris hotel, but when they dropped to the courtyard, it skimmed to the side, off to a ground level apartment.

"Back where I started," Chat said softly as they stood together watching it go. Ladybug took his hand.

"But not alone," she told him, which made him rest his forehead against her shoulder for a second, the way he had when she walked him home as Adrien yesterday morning. When she didn't know who he was, when she didn't know that the reason he held his hand clenched so tightly was because he was carrying his newly retrieved Miraculous. She kissed the top of his head right before he straightened.

He led her by the hand to the apartment door, hesitating just slightly before knocking. Ladybug sort of remembered this place. She remembered the broken kiosk outside that had drawn her attention from the air, remembered Valerie shaking her cane so she would come down and talk to her. Remembered standing here at the door as Valerie told her that she would need to close her eyes before going in.

The door now opened wide, light and Valerie's shadow pouring out onto them. "Oh good," she said, standing out of the way so they could come in. "I'm glad you made it in time."

"In time?" Chat Noir repeated, moving easily inside. Ladybug followed him, releasing his hand so he could take Valerie into his arms, hugging her as tightly as he would his own mother. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, not jealous, just uneasy. She folded her arms as she surveyed her surroundings, amazed at how different it felt here even though nothing had changed.

The last time she'd been here, there had been a fire going. The room had smelled of spice and care and coziness. All of that was gone now. There was no fire. It felt smaller now, empty, like the soul of the place had left it. There was a book of poetry on the table, sitting on top of a hastily folded blouse. Next to that small pile was a picture of two young women with their arms around each other. The way Valerie and Emilie had looked once a long time ago.

Ladybug shifted her attention back to Valerie and Chat Noir, noticing for the first time that Nooroo was also there, floating alongside her Chosen. Valerie looked dressed for travel, her dark hair pulled back into a braid. Ladybug could see her restored face, see how she was still very like the girl in the picture, and yet there was a hardness to her now, the determined look of a warrior. Chat Noveau was quite evident in her movements and there were elements of Zephyr in the way she gestured as she spoke. Ladybug reminded herself, firmly, that Adrien had forgiven this woman, that he somehow still respected and loved her. That she had saved his life.

"We're leaving," Valerie was explaining. "As soon as possible."

"Leaving?" Chat asked. "Now? But where?"

"I'd rather not tell you," Valerie said, shaking her head. "Not yet. And yes, now. I've wasted enough time here in the shadows. I don't want to wait even a day longer." She put a tender hand on Chat's shoulder. "I need to know what happened." Ladybug looked at the photo on the table again, realizing that she meant Adrien's mother – her old partner.

"Ladybug," Valerie greeted, turning toward her and bowing. "I owe you everything – all of my sorrow, all of my joy. I apologize for what I said to you. You are a true superhero, resilient and strong. Thank you for your bravery, for using your power to save me. You've given me the most wonderful gift. A second chance. I can't thank you enough."

Her soul suddenly full, Ladybug looked at Valerie's face again, seeing her this time for what she was – a Chosen, a heroine whose quest was not finished. She saw in her the pain of missing her partner, of not knowing what had happened to her, of needing desperately to go and find out. Instead of answering, she took a step forward, walking into Valerie's arms and clinging to her, feeling their hearts beat together, realizing they were very much alike. She smelled like clean sheets and the winter wind, the fresh scent of a coming storm, and whatever Ladybug had thought of her before this moment melted as they held each other for the first and possibly last time. They stepped backward as new friends.

"Couldn't we come with you?" Chat Noir offered, his expression slightly desperate, not wanting to lose someone important to him again.

"No, Sunbeam," Valerie answered quickly. "There is still too much here that needs you."

Another knock at the door. This time Master Fu and Wayzz joined them. He carried a suitcase, making Ladybug suddenly fearful. He didn't mean to go too? What would she do without him here to guide her?

"Ah, hello Ladybug and Chat Noir," Master Fu greeted, setting down the case near the front door. "I'm glad made it. As Valerie has probably already mentioned, she and I will be leaving tonight. I'm unsure how long we will be gone. Ladybug, I name you Guardian in my place."

"Master, no!" Ladybug protested, holding out her hands as if she could physically prevent the passing of this responsibility. "I can't do that!"

"You have seen my secrets," Master Fu went on as if she had agreed. "And I have no doubt that you will keep them safe. You will have Chat Noir here to help you. I sense that you two are closer than you have been before, now that you have defeated Hawkmoth and found each other again." Ladybug felt Chat's hand on her shoulder, though she hadn't realized when he moved behind her, and reached up to lace their fingers together. Everything felt like it was racing away from her, too fast.

"I'll do my best," she said, trying to sound steady. Master Fu nodded and handed her a key. One she knew would open the door to his home, to where the other kwamis and Miraculous were hidden. The shrine she would now have to protect. It was surprisingly heavy for such a small thing.

"I know you will. Valerie? Nooroo? Are you ready?"

"Almost," Valerie answered for them both. "Take care of your father," she said to Chat, smirking a little. "He's an annoying, prideful stick in the mud, but someone should look after him. He needs you." Chat Noir nodded solemnly as she picked up the book from the table, tucking the picture inside and handing it to him. "Keep this," she instructed, both of them holding on to it. "Remember us how we were, ok?"

"That's not what someone says when they're planning to come back," Chat challenged her, his voice tight.

"I am coming back," Valerie assured.

"Do you promise?" Chat asked, holding the book and photograph between them as if it were something sacred, a symbol of the pact they were about to make. Valerie's eyes widened for a moment before she closed them completely, lowering her head.

"Sunbeam . . . you know that I –"

"Promise me, Valerie."

She looked at him, the pain of previous broken promises in her eyes. The undisguised fear of where she was going, the terror of what she might find, the dread of the fight she had in front of her. The thought that she was likely walking into the night and towards her own destruction. But she was going to do it, would do it over and over, for the chance, however small, that she could find Emilie.

"There are some things that are impossible to promise," she told Chat, her voice calm, resigned.

"And there are some things that are only possible because of a promise," Chat replied, equally calm. Nooroo flew to him as he spoke, cuddling against his chest for a few seconds before returning to Valerie, where she began wiping her tears. "Promise me," Chat requested a third time.

"Valerie," Nooroo encouraged. "You know he's right. There is a strength in it."

"I will come back," Valerie began, quietly at first but her voice gaining force and intensity as she went on, the power of her words like a spell of protection. "I will find Emilie, defeat Nicolae, restore the Peacock Miraculous, set everything right, and return. I . . . promise."

Chat grabbed her tight again, whispering something to her that Ladybug couldn't hear. And then, as if she couldn't stand it anymore, Valerie pulled away. In another moment, she and Master Fu had disappeared into the dark, leaving Ladybug and Chat Noir alone in the abandoned apartment. Ladybug felt unsettled and unsteady, so she curled herself around Chat Noir's arm.

"Come on," Chat Noir said, reaching over to rub her shoulder. "I told your parents I'd bring you home."

They backtracked through their evening, past the stadium where things were starting to wind down, gathering Adrien's blanket, leaving Marinette's basket, and finally stopping in the entryway to Marinette's house, dropping spots and claws, standing still once again at the bottom of her stairs.

"Will you be all right?" Marinette asked, wondering if there would ever be a happiness for them in the future that wouldn't be tainted somehow by a past ache. Wondering too if her happiness weren't just that much more precious to her because of the pain she went through to get it.

"Of course," Adrien assured, almost sounding like he meant it. "I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed softly. "Some crazy weekend, wasn't it?"

"You can say that again."

But she actually couldn't. Instead, she clasped her hands around his neck, hugging him close, calming as he hugged her back. Everything was changing all around them. Hawkmoth. Master Fu, Valerie and Nooroo. The hidden kwamis she was now responsible for. It felt as though Valerie really had been a storm, the first strike of lightning when she met her in the courtyard, and now the echo of thunder in the aftermath of her departure, leaving Marinette drenched and new.

"Whatever happens," she said. "We're together, right?"

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Adrien replied.

"You'll never have to find out."

He pulled back, holding her at arms length so he could see her face. There was hope in his eyes, kindness, affection. He held out his fist, making her smile as she recognized the gesture.

"Pound it," they said together, gently touching knuckles, the ritual of a battle won. Adrien kissed her good-night before bowing backward out her door. She waited until the latch closed before running up all the flights of stairs, calling a quick, "I'm home, give me a minute!" to her waiting parents, and leaping from her bed to the balcony just in time to see Chat Noir sprinting away across the rooftops on his way home.

And beyond that, for just a second, she thought she saw the shadow of wings against the moon. Zephyr – flying fast to somewhere unknown. The flap of the butterfly on its way to start another hurricane. The smallest actions initiating the greatest change.

"Good luck," Marinette whispered, a blessing and a wish.

The End