Author's Note: I'm sorry, guys. I'm still alive and working on this. More at the end if you want to read it. Enjoy!

There were only a few things Marinette was frightened of. As the door shut and Ace lead her down a slightly sloping path, her breath hitched. The darkness was impenetrable. If Ace hadn't been pulling her along, she would have frozen, reliving all the nightmares she's had at night.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ace asked as she pressed herself against him.

"N-no. Is there a light anywhere?"

"Just up ahead," he said gently. His voice was eerily familiar, but Marinette couldn't hold the thought as something touched her head.

She held on to Ace and squealed as a blinding light came on. "Sorry. I forgot I had the sheet up to keep out drafts."

Blinking her vision back to normal, Marinette was surprised to see herself in what looked like an apartment.

"You are probably thirsty, huh? I'll grab you some water, then we can check the Ladyblog to see if Ladybug has gotten here yet."

Marinette looked around as he walked over to a rather large refrigerator in the kitchen area and grabbed a water bottle. There was a full size bed pushed back against the back right corner, and a small dining room set near the entryway. It even had a small office/living room hybrid. Everything was a light green. A naked bulb hung from the ceiling, providing ample light.

In fact, the light and the sheet covering the doorway were the only things that made it seem like it was underground. The rest looked like it could have come directly from a fashion magazine.

"Wow. How did you get all this down here?"

"Very carefully." He laughed, handing her the water. "Actually, most of it was assembled here. But do you know how hard it was to pull a full sized bed through that hallway? And get it into here from the platform? I managed, but still."

"Sounds like tough work." She giggled, opening the water and taking a sip. Ace smiled at her, then walked over to his computer.

"Let's check the Ladyblog. You may be able to leave if Ladybug already stopped Scarab."

Marinette kept quiet, walking over and peering over his shoulder. There were lots of sightings of Scarab – although the people of Paris didn't know she wasn't Ladybug – but no sign of either of the duo.

"They must be laying low, planning something together." Ace said, looking back at her.

"Maybe…" Marinette said, doubt clear in her voice.

"Hey, why don't we actually talk like we were going to? The couch is rather comfortable and I can make a mean omelet. As long as you like cheddar and bacon, that is."

She chuckled, throwing another look at the monitor but let him pull her away. Somehow, she was going to have to get out of there and go fight Scarab. The trick would be finding a way to leave without arousing suspension or giving up her identity.

Ace walked over to the stove and turned it on. "Electric stove too? That must have been expensive."

"A little. But I had a pretty high paying job back when I bought this stuff. I'd been planning on moving out of my father's house for a while. Then the couple that lives in the house above us let me move in here and even lets me mooch off their utilities and internet. After I got another job I began paying them and…"

"You're doing the rambling thing. I thought we agreed last time that was my thing." Marinette teased as he began cooking.

He laughed, visibly relaxing. "I know. I guess I'm just a little nervous. You're the first person I've brought down here."

She smiled and sat down. Time slipped away from Marinette as they talked and ate. She felt light and happy as they laughed together.

Ace was fun to be with, as much as Chat. He wasn't quite as goofy, but still knew how to make her laugh. He'd been there for her when she'd needed him most. Hell, he was the one she ran to when Alya was busy.

Finally, Marinette admitted it to herself. She liked him. It was confusing, especially since she had feelings for two other boys, but she couldn't deny it.

"So, should we see if anything's changed?" Ace asked, waving towards the computer. She nodded, walking over as he did the dishes.

When she refreshed the page, she was stunned. Message after message asked about Chat, and why he hasn't shown up. A few comments were about her, asking if she was safe since Ladybug seemed so frantic and Chat was missing.

This was bad. When she checked the time, she realized she'd been there for almost four hours.

"Well, this is bad. Neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir have shown up. Well, I'm going to guess that's Scarab and not Ladybug, but I guess it could be her."

"It's probably not her. I should go get some grub if we're going to be here for an extended period of time."

"No. You're now a target. You can't leave."

Ace raised his eyebrows. "She told us they only want you. I'm free to do as I please."

"And yet you are the only one who may know where I am. No, you're not safe at all."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. That doesn't change the fact I don't have anything to eat. I'll just sneak out and –"

"No. If you're go, I'm going too."

Ace sighed, sitting on the couch. "Well, that's not going to happen. We're just going to have to sit here and hope they get here."

"Ladybug won't come. I know that for a fact. She will never come and save me." Marinette sighed, half to herself.

She must have sounded upset, because Ace walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. "That's not true. Even if you two have been fighting, she's not the kind of person who would leave you to the wolves."

With a small sigh, she turned towards him. Her phone ringing silenced them both as she pulled it out. Thinking quick, she answered before showing Ace who was calling.

"First off, that was dirty. You made me tell your parents? Second, that can't be you, since you answered and she's swinging down the street. Are you okay?" Alya asked, worry clear in her voice.

"I'm fine, Chat. Just worried about the two of you. I'm staying with a friend for now."

Ace gave her a funny look as she ducked away, trying to get far enough away that he couldn't hear.

"Why Chat? Why couldn't you pretend I was Ladybug?" she whined.

"Yes, I can meet you in a little bit. Where?"

"Well, the not-you is around the Eiffel Tower right now. Next she's supposed to go to the bakery, if she's following the pattern she has been for the last couple of hours. I'll make sure to tell them that isn't you."

"I can do that. Should I bring a friend? Scarab, the name of the anti-Ladybug, saw him with me. He's pretty safe where he is, but I don't know if you guys want to chance keeping two people safe."

"Probably not a good idea. I don't know what you are up to girl, but stay safe."

"Will do. Meet you there," she said, hanging up the phone.

Ace was watching her with a look of shock and a little bit of betrayal on his face. She proceeded cautiously with the rest of her quickly thought out plan, not quite sure what she did wrong.

"That was Chat. I need to go help the duo lay a trap for Scarab, since their attempts have failed so far."

"You're lying, but I must admit it was rather convincing. No wonder Hawkmoth is trying so hard to infect you. How much of what I know of you is a lie?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not lying. I have to get out of here. I don't have time for games." She grabbed her purse and stood up, but Ace blocked her path.

"Even if you've been lying, I can't let you go. It's my job to protect you."

"No it isn't. I can protect myself. Now please, move. I don't want to hurt you."

"I heard Alya's voice. I know it wasn't Chat."

Marinette sat heavily back on the chair, deflating a little. "No, it wasn't Chat. But that doesn't mean I can stay here. I have to go."

"Just be patient. Ladybug will come."

"No! Ladybug won't. You don't understand. You can't understand. But I have to go. It was a mistake coming here, and I'm so sorry about that. I didn't mean it that way, but it's true. There are circumstances I can't talk about. I should have gone somewhere where Chat could have found me. I should have gone somewhere where they could have trapped Scarab. I should have –"

Ace shook his head, coming over and wiping the tears from her face. "It's okay, Princess. I won't let Scarab hurt anyone."

Marinette looked up at him, eyes wide. Something tugged at the back of her mind until it exploded. "Chat?"

Ace smiled a little sadly, nodding. "I'm sorry; I know you didn't want me to show myself. But I couldn't let you beat yourself up anymore. You do that too much, Mari."

She gaped at him as Plagg came out and bowed to her. "Hello! Nice to finally meet you, Marinette. Now I don't have to listen to him talk about you constantly."

Ace went red while Marinette laughed, still half in disbelief. Now that she was looking, he had the same body shape and was the right size. "But the hair? Do you change it to blond whenever he transforms?" she asked Plagg.

"No, that's a wig. It goes in a pocket while we are fighting."

Ace smiled and took it off, letting his hair down. It fell haphazardly and all of the sudden, he looked exactly like Chat.

"Now THAT was a transformation," she giggled. "No wonder you have a wig. There's no way I would have missed you."

He laughed, shaking his head. "So, now do you trust me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Marinette shook slightly as she brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "Y-yeah. But you had my trust before, and that's not really the issue here."

Ace kneeled down next to the chair so he could look up at her. "It's okay. I know it's a lot to take in. But we are still… whatever you want us to be. I'm not going to pressure or guilt you into doing anything you don't want to do."

"You see, this is why I wanted to let you know my identity." He gently took her hand and kissed it. "I've fallen in love with you, Marinette."

Marinette felt tears on her cheeks as she fell into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't believe-"

Marinette bit off her words as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"Can't believe what, Princess?"

"I can't believe I fell for you twice, you stupid goofball."

Marinette felt something inside her snap as she cried. After a few minutes, she sat up and wiped at her tears.

"Somehow, we'll make this work Mari. I promise."

She couldn't help but giggle. At herself, at the situation, at the fact that he didn't even know he was holding Ladybug hostage.

"Don't worry, I don't doubt you'll have my back. At all. But we still need to figure out how to stop the akumas and ultimately Hawkmoth."

Ace shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that. That's not a job for civilians."

"Technically you are a civilian. I mean, the city doesn't pay you for your efforts and you aren't in any government program." She teased.

"True, but I have a kwamii and magic powers and you don't, so you don't really get a say in this."

Marinette laughed until she couldn't breathe. Finally she doubled over, catching Ace's bewildered look. "I don't get it. Did I say something punny?"

"Oh, silly kitty. It's just funny how we fell for the same people twice. Each. So does that make our love multiplied or squared?" She asked, opening her purse for Tikki.

At that moment, she wished she had a camera. Ace's face was priceless.

"L-Ladybug?!" He squeaked, then blushed bright red. "I-I-I"

Marinette giggled and blushed slightly, leaning back to look at him. "Yes, kitty? Or are you still my knight in shining armor?"

His eyes were wide, roaming her face. Finally he sighed, laughed shakily, and put his head on her shoulder.

"Thank God. I was so worried I was going to hurt one of you. I knew Ladybug was starting to see me, but by that time I'd found you. And you seemed to like me. And I like you back. I-"

"Shhh. It's okay. I understand." Marinette said, hugging him gently. "Trust me. I understand. When you told Ladybug you found someone else, I was jealous."

Ace laughed softly as she blushed brighter and ran a hand through his hair. "That is hilarious. We've been dancing around each other for the longest, haven't we?"

"But let's not forget why you guys had to reveal in the first place. Scarab is still out there and we need to figure out how to protect you. It's still dangerous, especially since if one of you is caught, both identities are compromised." Tikki spoke up.

"Or we could just eat cheese and wait until they go away." Plagg spoke up from somewhere in the kitchen. Tikki sighed and floated over in that direction.

"You know, she's right. Scarab is biding her time and not actively hurting people. We should sit down and strategize about this and what it means. Does Hawkmoth know I'm Ladybug?"

"That would make the most sense, but then again he's never had anyone defy him before. That means you are strong willed enough to go after the Miraculous without being stupid. Although that may have tipped him off. We really don't have enough information to figure it out."

Marinette's phone rang again and she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Marinette? Where are you?" Alya asked, sounding extremely worried.

"I decided it's too risky to come out tonight. I'm pretty sure Scarab is a trap, so I'm going to stay here with Chat and figure out a strategy." Ace helped her to her feet and they went and sat on the couch.

"You're with Chat? Okay. I was worried something happened when you didn't show."

"I know. I'm sorry I'm going to have to postpone the question session with Tikki. And leave you to deal with my parents. Did they take it hard?"

"A little. They didn't like the fact you were sneaking out of the house at night."

Marinette grimaced. "Yeah, I know. But if anyone had known who we were before…"

"You don't have to explain it to me. I understand. But your parents just want the best for you. Give them a little bit of time and maybe a call to say you're still alive."

"I will Alya. You're the best, girl."

"You know it. And the longer you wait on the session, the more questions I get to ask. Just FYI. Bye!"

Marinette laughed and hung up, dropping her head back on Ace's shoulder. "That is going to be a nightmare."

"I didn't know you revealed to Alya. That could have been a bad mew-ve."

"She didn't know until recently. I kept it hidden for years before Tikki convinced me to tell. But with all that's going on now, it's probably a good thing we have eyes on the outside. Plus, she would never reveal who I am."

Marinette thought for a moment. "She may be used to find me, but the akuma wouldn't know I'm Ladybug. They would use her to draw Marinette out. That's why I told her, to let her have a heads up. Marinette couldn't come save her. Ladybug would."

"Makes sense, I guess. But wasn't she trying to figure out our identities and broadcast them over the internet?"

"She was, but she realized it would put us in danger. So now she wants to keep a record for the next Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"If you trust her not to say anything, I will. But that still leaves a bind. What are we going to do?"

Marinette called her parents and told them she was spending the night with Chat. They weren't happy, but they understood. After hanging up with them, the duo spent the next couple of hours talking and coming up with ideas. Plagg and Tikki sat and talked quietly in a corner, probably catching up. Finally, Marinette yawned and Ace carried her to the bed.

"Good night, Princess. And don't worry, we will figure something out."

Marinette murmured something and rolled over, spooning into Ace. He laughed softly and snuggled into her. Both of them fell asleep within minutes. The day's adventure and shock finally caught up with them.

Tikki flew over and pulled the blanket up further for them. Neither one moved an inch. "It seems like they finally found each other."

"It took them enough time. Longer than any other pair." Plagg said as he prepared a dinner of cheese and sweets for the two of them.

"Well, Marinette is cautious. She knows the risks, and is more aware of them than any other Ladybug that has been chosen. Especially since she lost Adrien."

"Well, she will be happy to know she hasn't. But that revelation will have to come later. I'm not sure my boy is ready to talk yet. What happened hurt him. I thought we would lose him to the darkness for a while. I'm glad he was able to get out of that house."

"I won't ask for details. I can tell you are just as upset as he is. Let's just get through one thing at a time."

Plagg nodded as Tikki joined him on the counter. "Good idea." He was silent for a long moment, quietly nibbling on his cheese. "I don't think he will survive being away from her for too long. As it was, he saw her every two weeks. He'd make up excuses to see her in both his civilian and hero forms. She's the only thing keeping him sane at this point."

Tikki hugged him gently. "It will be okay. Now that they've revealed, they can train together and get stronger. Chat may be strong enough to learn Jinx, but I don't know yet. That will be hard on his psyche, and I wouldn't want to push him too far."

"No, not yet. He's too reliant on Ladybug. He has to first figure out himself."

"Okay. Then it's probably not a good idea to teach them anything else."

"No. Let them enjoy their time. With Marinette's support, he can begin healing. The big fight is coming up, but we still have time."

They finished their dinner together, talking about the last few hundred years. By the time they fell asleep, the two were caught up and talking strategy.

They didn't like the way things were playing out.

(Shift in scene because I can't figure out how to put a break here)

Meanwhile, Scarab had stopped roaming the street. She frowned as she looked out a circular window, unnerved by the butterflies fluttering around her.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to their presence."

"What are they?" she asked, turning around to see Hawkmoth walking up.

"Nothing but tools to me. And you didn't bring Marinette."

Scarab shook her head. "No, I didn't. She's probably found the duo by now. If I was Ladybug, I wouldn't let her be seen until I have a trap in place. Or until they are getting ready to take her out of the city."

"You incompetent-" He began, but Scarab held up a hand.

"I'm not incompetent. They beat us in a battle, but I can help you win the war. They will move her tomorrow night. We will attack then."

"You do not call the shots."

"You made me like Ladybug. I can think like her, at least kind of. You want to catch Marinette, you're going to need me. Why do you want that brat anyway?"

"There's something in her I want. She has a kind of natural power. And that power will bring down Ladybug. After that, Chat will be my pawn."

"You better be sure. If you kill Ladybug, he's coming after you."

"Oh, don't worry. I know how to shut him down."

"Really? How? I can help you plant the seeds in his mind if you'd like."

Hawkmoth thought, then shook his head. "The time isn't quite right. I haven't accumulated enough power. We'll leave it for now, but be careful out there tomorrow, Scarab. I won't tolerate another defeat."

"Okay, Hawkmoth."

Final Note: Well, this has been extremely hard to write. It kept coming out weird. I've honestly rewritten this ten times, getting about 1000 words before deciding it doesn't sound right at all. To make matters worse, depression hit and stole my creativity for a while. But I'm back. And can hopefully work out a schedule around school and everything else. I'm going for once a week or every two weeks. We'll have to see.

And I'm so, so sorry it took so long. Hopefully, it is worth it.

Also, I will be going back and fixing some more errors. I will warn you if anything changes.

Thank you all so much for your continued support. Even though it's been a while since I've updated, you guys keep spreading word and finding it. Even during my depression and numbness, you guys managed to put a genuine smile on my face. Thank you so much, everyone.