Hey everyone! I'd like to honestly and sincerely thank all of you who have reviewed, favorited, followed, and have read this story up until now. Your feedback and positivity made this one of the best projects I've ever worked on, and I really felt like I grew as a writer during these last few months. There was so much time and dedication put into Miraculous Dupont, and I never would have made it this far without SunshineMLB and JuliaFC. They constantly pushed my limits and were a genuine driving force that made me want to write at my absolute best for all of you guys. I will never be able to thank you both enough for everything you have done for me, or for helping to make my little gem shine. Thank you. Thank you all so, so much for being with me until the end.

You guys know the drill, I don't own the characters, just the plot. Let's dim the lights and pull back curtains one last time. Enjoy!^-^

New Beginnings

Adrien had a firm grip on Marinette's hand as they stood in Master Fu's office. Emilie had come back to Campus with them, to finally return the peacock miraculous back to where it belonged. Master Fu had been thrilled to see her, and listened intently as she told him the full story of what really happened.

It was well into the morning now as her story reached its end. Master Fu sighing heavily as he sat back in his chair, "All this time, I'm so sorry Emilie."

"It's not your fault Master. I should have come to you with it the second I began to suspect it. I just wanted to be absolutely sure before,"

"You don't have to explain yourself Emile. I don't doubt that your intentions were anything but pure." Master Fu told her quickly, glancing over at Adrien and Marinette who had been silent this whole time.

Emilie smiled briefly, asking concerned, "And, my husband is here, right?"

Master Fu nodded, "He is, currently under guard, but it is more for his safety at this point."

"I'd like to see him." Emilie said as she stood, Adrien reminding her, "You know what he's done all this time."

Emilie smiled over at her Kitten, who she had to admit was no longer a Kitten in any way, "I do, but he was being influenced by a tainted Miraculous my Sunshine. I want to hear his side of the story before we take those memories from him."

Adrien and Marinette's eyes widened in shock, Marinette asking first, "You are going to take the memories from him?"

Emilie nodded, "I had always planned to, to rid him of that tainted magic."

Master Fu added it heavily, "It will be a little harder though, given how long he was infected and how much of his life was influenced by it."

"He deserves to rot." Adrien snapped, Marinette's hand tightening around his.

"That's not your decision to make Adrien, great Black Cat or not."

Adrien looked over at Gorilla, still shocked to hear him actually speaking again. The tenor of his voice was deep, but kind, almost exactly as Adrien had always imagined it would be if the Gorilla could speak.

Adrien signed to him automatically, something he would NEVER say out loud in front of Marinette or his mother.

Gorilla barked out a laugh, "I don't disagree with you kid."

Adrien smirked and Emilie frowned, "I'm going to take it, that wasn't a very nice response."

Gorilla controlled his laughter and told her with a small smile, "What we talked about on the way here, isn't even a fraction of what needs to be talked about little bird."

"What do you mean?" She asked instantly.

"It's nothing Ma-ma, honest." Adrien said quickly, shooting a hard glare at Gorilla.

Emilie frowned, "Adrien."

Adrien shifted on his feet, and Marinette rubbed his arm in an attempt to help calm his nerves. He didn't know how he'd managed so long without her.

"Tell her Kitty." Marinette whispered sadly.

Adrien's heart clenched. This was the farthest thing he wanted to talk about with his Mother right now, not so soon after he'd just gotten her back. He could barely hold her gaze as he told her the truth about the past few years, about how his father had used the Akuma's, and used him as both Adrien and Chat Noir in order to hurt Marinette. He told her how cold Gabriel had become, and how he kept him at a distance from the moment he came back from the trip to Tibet seemingly without her. The more he explained, the more her face fell, until she was slowly sinking back into the chair.

Marinette started adding pieces here and there, explaining about what happened with Lila during lycee, and how Gabriel had urged her to separate them. She even explained about the power seal, and how he had reinforced the seal to draw the power out of her so that he would be strong enough to take the Miraculous from Chat Noir.

Emilie asked with a shaking voice, "Does he know you are Chat Noir?"

Adrien nodded, "He does, but it didn't change anything. He still acted the same way towards me. I don't even care anymore. I'm used to him being that way with me, and,"

"It's unacceptable." Emilie said angrily, "Wait until I…"

Emilie looked back at Master Fu, her green eyes blazing in subdued fury, "I want to see my husband."

Master Fu looked over at her concerned, "Maybe you should wait a few minutes, give yourself time to calm down and,"

"How do you expect me to be calm after hearing a story like that? After listening to what my son has had to endure, what my future daughter-in-law had to endure,"

"I simply think that you should take a minute to,"

"I don't need a minute. I need to see my husband before I DON'T want to see him." Emilie explained, hardly able to contain the undercurrent of anger lacing her usually kind voice.

Master Fu sighed, asking calmly even though his eyes were still full of concern, "Chat Noir, Ladybug, would you mind escorting her?"

They nodded, calling their transformations. Gorilla pushed off from the wall where he was leaning, opening the door and letting them out first before following after Emilie.

Emilie watched the silent exchange between the two holders in front of her, the way Ladybug's eyes roamed over Chat Noir's face, and the way he gave her the subtlest of smiles as he squeezed her hand without either of them uttering a word. It made her smile, to see how close the two had become.

Gorilla nudged her arm, telling her softly as she slowed down, "Never thought we'd see that in our lifetime huh?"

"No, but I'm not surprised." She asked him, knowing he would tell her the truth, "Did he really treat Adrien,"

"Yeah." Gorilla muttered sadly, cutting her off. "He used to get really bad panic attacks, and has a terrible fear of being trapped alone. It's gotten better but, if he's caught off guard, you'll see it."

"My poor kitten." She mumbled under her breath as she stared at Chat Noir's retreating back, angry at her husband for causing so much turmoil in his life.

"That girl," Gorilla motioned to Ladybug, "She was the key to all the locks Gabriel had him wrapped in. Adrien wouldn't admit how important she was to him, not even to himself. While he was in lycee, he was adamant that she was just a friend, but I knew she had to mean more to him than that. He was drawn to her kindness, her warmth. The day I saw him walk past her without so much as a glance, I knew something was wrong."

"Poor little bug." Emilie whispered, pain filling her heart for everything Marinette had gone through, "To be so isolated, to be pushed down over and over, and for such a long time, it shows how strong she is. She could have easily succumbed to that kind of pressure, and still here she is, standing tall."

"I knew she would." Gorilla said confidently, "From what I knew of her back then, I had always thought that she was exactly the kind of person Adrien needed." He smirked, "Turns out I was right, as usual."

Emilie rolled her eyes, but smiled at the familiar tease. Chelonian loved being right, and unfortunately for her, he was right far too often. He suddenly cleared his throat and she stopped walking, asking concerned, "Are you alright?"

He nodded, coughing a little harder, "Talking too much I think."

"There's a surprise." She quipped sarcastically, seeing him stand taller in proud defiance, "But really, if something is wrong,"

"I'll be fine, little bird." He insisted softly, gently putting his large hand on top of her head with a small smile, "It's going to take some getting used to. Chat Noir," he called out, seeing that they had gone further down the hall without them.

The great black cat and his lady stopped, looking back and waiting for them to catch up. Gorilla instantly began signing again, Chat Noir nodding after a minute, "Oh, yeah no that's fine. I can translate. You probably shouldn't be trying to talk too much at first anyways. Sorry Ma-ma, I didn't realize,"

"It's alright Sunshine, no harm done." She reassured him, cupping his cheek gently as his eyes brightened in joy.

They made their way to the room guarded by Zodiacs, Chat Noir's tail flipping back and forth nervously, "Viperion, Ryuko, Carapace, Rena Rouge, any change?"

"Captain. No, he's not speaking to anyone now that the Master left the room." Viper told him instantly, taking a step towards them.

Carapace asked instantly, "What about you my man?"

"I'm okay, great actually." Chat Noir said, sounding as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Rena rolled her eyes, saying it teasingly, "Yes, you have your Ladybug, we know."

Chat Noir chuckled, "True, but not exactly what I meant at the moment."

Ryuko asked confused, "What did you mean then?"

He moved to the side, introducing each of them in turn before introducing her, "Guys, this is my mother, Emilie."

The four holder's faces instantly fell into varying degrees of shock before Rena said it excitedly, "You're okay! Oh thank Kwami's!"

"That's awesome dude." Carapace exclaimed, bumping fists with Chat before telling her, "I'm glad you're back with us Mama Cat."

"It's good to see you well." Ryuko said with a rare softness.

"How are you feeling? Are you well enough to be up?" Viperion asked her concerned.

"Oh, I'm fine, don't worry. A little tired, but I've been sleeping long enough. I'm sure Chat Noir will fill you all in with the details later." Emilie told them with a bright smile, watching Carapace nudge Chat's arm, "He better."

"I will, I will, but later." Chat said, pushing Cap away from him. Viper sighed heavily at the exchange, hoping they wouldn't start another outright shoving match that ended up with them going at it one-on-one in the narrow hallway.

"Oh don't worry, we'll hold you to it." Rena promised, putting her arm through Ladybug's who smiled at her before responding, "We aren't going to leave you guys out."

"I should hope not." Ryuko said crossly, getting a nervous shuffling from Ladybug in response.

Emilie watched the exchange between the six holders, seeing how close this particular group was. It looked like her kitten had managed to make more friends after all, and she couldn't be happier.

But, there was one thing preventing the smile from staying on her face. As much as she would have enjoyed watching them banter back and forth for hours, she needed to talk to her husband, "Chat Noir?" She said, instantly getting his attention, "Hawkmoth?"

Chat stiffened slightly but nodded, "Right. M'lady will you wait for me here?"

Ladybug instantly nodded, "Of course."

Gorilla signed to Adrien who told her, "Gorilla said he'll wait out here too if you want."

Emilie touched Gorilla's arm, "Thank you." He nodded before stepping back.

Chat Noir opened the door and let her walk in first, knowing he needed to keep his anger down this time. He gave one last look at his lady, burning her loving smile into his mind before shutting the door quietly behind him.

Gabriel's voice, for the first time that Adrien had ever heard it, shook as he whispered her name, "Emilie."

He watched his mother walk up to the side of the bed in silence, his father saying it relieved, "You're okay. You're really okay."

"I am, thanks to my son and his lady." She said simply, her hand moving so fast he almost missed it. The resounding echo of her hand whipping across his father's face had Adrien's eyes widening in shock. Gabriel looked stunned, unmoving as the angry red mark instantly showed up on his cheek.

She had slapped him. She had really slapped him.

Emilie's eyes brimmed with tears as she scolded him, "I can't believe you Gabriel, treating Adrien the way you did. Using him, your son, OUR son, all in order to hurt the girl who did nothing but bring happiness into his life after you all but shoved him in a corner to rot all alone,"

"That is not what happened." Gabriel snapped, holding her strong green gaze as he put a hand to his tender cheek.

"Don't you dare sit here and try to deny it." Emilie said evenly as she motioned over to Chat Noir, "Adrien and Marinette told me everything," her voice started to get louder with every word, "including your nonchalant attitude about his reaction to finding out that you had been LYING to him all this time about what happened to me! That you had become the very villain he had been trying to stop,"

"I was trying to get you back!" Gabriel quickly matched her tone, trying to defend himself, "I didn't care what I had to do, as long as it meant bringing you out of that coma!"

"Even at the cost of your son's happiness!?" She screamed, her eyes tense green stones, "That will never be okay! I would have rather died than be the reason you've been tormenting our son for the past six years!"

Taking a deep breath with her eyes closed, she tried to stop yelling, her voice taking on a slightly calmer tone, "Look, I know you were heavily influenced by that tainted Miraculous, but you are one of the most stubborn men I have ever known. You aren't going to sit here and try to tell me that you didn't manage to have some level of control over it."

Gabriel stayed quiet, and Adrien knew it had to be true. His voice rang with anger as he asked firmly, "You consciously used me to hurt Marinette all this time, didn't you?"

"I wanted our family to be whole again." Gabriel stated, barely glancing up at his son before looking back at his wife who was still seething in place. "Whatever that Guardian did to me, it helped me realize that what I had done was wrong, but it's far too late to take back those actions. The fact is that they happened."

He admitted it bitterly, "And yes, I had managed to gain some level of control over the Miraculous, so that it responded to my demands and not my emotions, but even that came later, once I became more desperate to have you returned to us."

"You have no idea what it means to be desperate." Chat Noir promised roughly, holding Gabriel's steel gaze, "I had to hold her for almost an entire night as she cried out her broken heart after you set me up to hurt her, not able to say or do anything to make her feel better. I was forced to watch helplessly, surrounded by Akuma's who were ready to kill me, as one of them nearly pushed her off of the Eiffel Tower. You had me trapped in that clear cage where I could watch you torture my Lady without being able to do a damn thing about it." His breath came out in heavy pants, his fists shaking in an effort to control himself, " If it wasn't for the fact that Ladybug and I had the power to wake Ma-ma up, if my Lady had been truly lost trying to stop you, I would have made sure that you understood what it really means to be desperate. Then I'd let you rot and leave you to suffer, and not lose a minute of sleep over it."

"Adrien." Emilie chided evenly, his name alone was enough to make her point extremely clear.

He took a deep breath, nodding to her, "Sorry Ma-ma." She gave him a small smile and he looked back at Gabriel, hating that it was the truth, "Fortunately for you, the outcome of your fate isn't being left to me."

"What, fate, does your great Master have for me then?" Gabriel questioned, smoothing the front of his shirt lazily.

"Oh, the Master didn't make this decision." Emilie retorted, her voice taking on a slight edge, "I did."

Gabriel actually looked more relaxed at the thought, "And what did you decide?"

Her voice was firm, as though she was scolding a child, "We are stripping you of your memories of everything relating to the Miraculous." His eyes widened and as he opened his mouth to speak, her eyes narrowed as though she was daring him to speak out against her, "From the moment you accidentally came upon the Miraculous in the safe, until now. The elixir is being created as we speak."

"That is ten years of my life." He declared angrily, "You would take all of that time away from me, simply because I was willing to do anything to make our family whole again?"

"You'll keep the memories of everything non-miraculous related." Emilie clarified, "Everything you've done with Gabriel, everything you did to Adrien, to Marinette, but anything you did in relation to the miraculous, your time as Hawkmoth, the akuma's, we can't let you have those memories. You are a prime example of why Miraculous have to be hidden from the world."

"Maybe if that magic was spread into the world instead of hidden, it wouldn't have to stay hidden at all." Gabriel stated, but Chat was ready.

"You'll never understand." Chat Noir sighed heavily, "What we have, we were born with it inside of us. It's ingrained into our very soul, our very being," a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stared at his claws, "but everyone has it, that innate ability to use magic in some way. It's in the person who understands that sometimes we all need a second chance and in the one who understands that everyone deserves to be shielded. It's in the person who understands that sometimes the illusion of what we want, isn't what we need, and in the one who understands that a sting goes so much deeper than the surface."

He looked up, seeing the shock on his father's face as he put a hand to his chest, "It's in the person, who understands the price of destruction, and in the one who makes her own luck."

He closed his eyes, silently detranforming. He opened his eyes to see Plagg floating in front of him, and he smiled at the destructive little kwami who had become his best friend, "But it's the ability to manifest that magic as a physical force, to bond and create a tie with the Miraculous and the kwami who is the primal source of that magic; that's what separates holders from everyone else. They are those rare few whose hearts have been ignited and who have the ability to change the world through their understanding and in-born gifts. Just like everyone else, they do spread magic into the world, touching the hearts of those that need them. Sometimes it's in a single word, sometimes in a single act of kindness. And that's what you'll never understand."

He looked back at his father, his voice ringing with truth, "Magic isn't hidden. It's the invisible threads that bind us when two hearts connect. Those hearts connect with another, and then another, until it flows from person to person without end. And... even though we can't see it, we feel it, and know that it's there."

Plagg smiled at him softly before sitting on his shoulder. Adrien looked at his mother, his smile widening shyly at how proud she looked as he said it, "That's what makes it magic."

The room stayed perfectly silent. His father for the first time in years, was actually looking at him as though he was just now truly seeing him.

His Mother told him softly with a smile, "You couldn't be more right my Sunshine." He smiled at her and she asked gently, "Would you mind letting me have a moment with your Father, alone?"

He hesitated, not wanting to let her out of his sight again so soon out of fear that she'd somehow disappear again. She walked up to him, hugging him tightly, "I'm not going anywhere. There is nothing to be afraid of."

He wanted to kick himself for not realizing it before. The peacock holders were empathetic to the emotions of others. She could probably read his emotions like an open book.

"This won't take long. I promise." She whispered gently.

He nodded, "Okay. I'm not going far." He promised, heading out of the room with a heavy sigh as the door closed behind him.

Ladybug rushed up to him instantly, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her closer, telling her quietly, "I'm alright bug."

"You did good Kitten." Plagg told him, hovering between him and Ladybug.

Adrien looked over, seeing that only Viperion and Carapace were still there. "Where'd Ryuko and Rena go?"

Viperion sighed, "Blanc came looking for you after he finished talking to Master Fu, but didn't want to stand here and wait so the girl's went to open the door to let him out. He said if you needed him, he'd be on the roof."

Carapace asked him concerned, "How'd the talk with your parentals go?"

"A little surprising, but not unexpected." Adrien glanced back at the door, "They are going to talk alone, and I trust my Mom so, we'll see where it goes from here. All I can do now is wait."

…

He felt a soft tap on his shoulder and looked up, seeing Chat Noir-Adrien holding out a cup of coffee to him. He took it in silence, lifting it in thanks as Adrien sat down next to him. They sipped on their coffee, their feet dangling over the roof's edge as they stared out into the hustle of afternoon Paris. The ambient sounds of a normal day settled over them, as though yesterday never happened.

"Bug said you've been up here for a while." Adrien finally stated.

He shrugged, "You were dealing with your father. I know the holders don't really want me inside, so... here I am." He took another sip before asking, "How'd that go?"

"He's agreed to take the elixir without a fight. I think he's getting off too easy but, I'm leaving it up to my Mom. All we can do from here is move forward." Adrien said, trying to sound more confident about that than he felt.

Felix hummed, "Forward. You make it sound so easy."

"It's not." Adrien responded, getting a smirk from Felix before asking, "Have you thought about it anymore?"

"Being a holder?" Felix asked without looking at him. "Yeah, but, I meant what I said before. I'm not like the rest of you." He motioned to the white suit he was still in, a clear distinction between the real holder of Destruction and the akuma copy.

"Ladybug seems to think so." Adrien said simply, leaning back on his hands, "And so do I."

"Because you are both blind, naive idiots." Felix retorted with a straight face.

Adrien laughed, unbothered by the insult, "Maybe a little."

Felix rolled his eyes to himself, holding in his smile. He tried to change the subject, "How much longer until the akuma gets pulled?"

Adrien frowned, "Probably before we leave from here. Purified or not, Chat Blanc isn't who you are anymore."

"But it is. It's what I've always been. I don't like change." Felix stressed.

"I don't see it as change." Adrien started, "You are just, being true to yourself."

"My true self is an asshole Adrien." Felix said with a smirk.

"I'm not denying that Felix." Adrien added, smirking back. "But, that's not all you are. I understand now why Marinette defended you to me before." He hesitated slightly before saying it softly, "She told me about what happened in lycee."

Felix looked away, "Did she?"

"You protected her from Lila when no one else would, and you're the reason she was able to fight back the way she did. You were her only friend, her one lifeline to not feeling so alone." He said it seriously, "Thank you for that. I'll never be able to repay you for it."

"You don't have to." He sighed, "I did try to stop Lila you know, with the cookies." Felix admitted. "Yes, I wanted Marinette to be akumatized so that Hawkmoth would take his leash off of me, but I did care about her. Taking all of her friends from her was cruel, especially all at once and especially you, knowing how she felt,"

"You knew?" Adrien asked, a little shocked.

"Everyone knew you idiot, except you." He motioned down to the alley behind them, "Ask the fox, the turtle, hell even the snake. Her feelings for you weren't a secret, but you were so focused on finding Ladybug," he glared out into the city, "it pissed me off that you didn't see what you had at your fingertips, if you had just paid a little bit of attention. That's why I let Volpina go through with it. You didn't deserve her."

"No, and I still don't." Adrien lamented, "But I'll spend the rest of my life making up for it."

"Good. Because if you hurt her again, I'll kick your ass." Felix threatened.

Adrien smiled, "It won't come to that, and if I ever do, you can be the first in line." He held out his fist, Felix rolling his eyes before bumping him with his own, "Idiot."

"We both know I'd be the idiot who'd win that fight though." Adrien mused.

Felix scoffed, "In your dreams."

"Chat Noir?"

They both turned to see Ladybug standing on the other side of the roof, "Emilie's done talking to your Father, and she's asking for you."

"Is she okay?" Adrien asked, quickly getting to his feet, Felix standing too.

"I think she honestly just needs to rest. Master Fu said the elixir will take the rest of the day and night to finish, but will be ready in the morning." She explained.

Chat Noir took her hand and kissed her forehead. She smiled at him before looking at Felix, "Have you decided yet?"

Felix gave her a small smile, "Not yet."

She pouted slightly but nodded, "Oh, okay."

He raised an eyebrow, thinking she would say more but she was surprisingly silent. They jumped down from the roof back into the alley. Ladybug opened the door to campus and they didn't have to go far from the entrance to find Emilie and Gorilla waiting for them with Master Fu.

As Blanc approached, Master Fu asked him, "Ready to have your akuma removed?"

"Not particularly." He blatantly admitted, watching Adrien hug his mother before kissing the side of her head, "But might as well."

Master Fu lifted a hand and placed it on his chest, a swirl of magic moving inside of him. Just as it began to tighten, the pure akuma flew out of his ring before disappearing all together.

The white of his suit began to change, back into the outfit he had taken from Adrien's closet. He ran a hand through his hair once, slicking it back to contain what he knew would end up a wild mess like Adrien's.

Emilie laughed, "Posing as Adrien again?"

Felix lifted a hand in surrender, "Wasn't my idea this time aunt Emilie. Aid asked me to."

Emilie looked at Adrien who told her, "I'll explain later."

She nodded with a small yawn, and Chat Noir told her, "I should probably get you home."

"Don't worry about me darling. I'll be okay." She promised.

Gorilla signed to Chat Noir who nodded, "Fair point. You haven't been awake for twelve hours yet. You need to take it slow."

Ladybug nodded, "The last thing we want is for you to collapse on us."

Emilie smiled at their worried faces and conceded, "Okay, let's head home, but maybe we can pick up lunch on the way. None of us have eaten today."

Master Fu nodded, "That is a good idea. Once the elixir is ready I will let you know. Until then, all of you try to get some rest."

Everyone consented and Ladybug closed her eyes suddenly, "Spots off."

Tikki flew out of the earrings, going straight to Marinette's shoulder tiredly. Marinette reached up to take off the earrings and he instantly stopped her, "What are you doing?"

"Returning the Miraculous. It's not mine yet." She muttered sadly.

Master Fu chuckled, "Marinette, that Miraculous has been without a holder long enough, don't you think?"

"But, Ceremony," she tried, stopping when Master Fu shook his head.

"You and Tikki completed a small Ceremony when you used the rune circle to amplify and connect your magic. The first time you said 'Spots On', you fully connected with Tikki and the Miraculous and became its true holder. Chat Noir said that all of the Zodiac's acknowledged you as Ladybug after the fight with Hawkmoth. That is the second half of Ceremony, and since the moment you walked back onto Campus, Ladybug is who you became. You have no reason to return it, not until the next Ladybug presents herself."

Marinette smiled brightly and Chat Noir put his arm around her waist, "Good thing you live in a bakery bug, otherwise Tikki would never survive."

Tikki flew up and looked at her with excited eyes, "You live in a bakery!? That sounds amazing!"

"You'll love it Tikki." Chat Noir said happily, "Cakes and cookies, and the best chocolate croissants you've ever eaten."

"You are just biased, you glutton." Marinette muttered.

Emilie looked worried, "Tell me you don't still have that insatiable sweet tooth Adrien."

"Oh it's worse," Felix added in quickly, "much worse."

Gorilla said it softly, "To the extent of two dozen chocolate croissants in one sitting."

Master Fu looked impressed, "Wow, two dozen chocolate croissants in one sitting, really? Where do you put it all, Chat Noir?"

"Hey!" Chat Noir said defensively, staring at Gorilla, "That was supposed to be a secret!"

Emilie put her head in her hand, and Chat tried to defend himself, "I have a high metabolism!"

Marinette poked his toned stomach with a giggle, "No wonder you work out so much, you have to so that you can burn off all the calories from all those croissants."

Chat Noir flushed but said it sternly, "Okay, okay, enough fun at my expense." Emilie, Marinette and Tikki laughed, Gorilla and Felix exchanging knowing smirks, while Master Fu smiled.

"Where did you want to go get something to eat Ma-ma? Your choice." Chat Noir asked, dropping his transformation with a quick, 'Claws In'.

Emilie's smile softened, "I heard about this really nice little cafe down the street from my house. Maybe we can stop there."

Adrien beamed, instantly knowing what she meant, "You did promise we'd go when you got back."

She nodded, "I did."

Adrien took Marinette's hand, Plagg asking instantly, "Do they have camembert there?"

Tikki shook dramatically on Marinette's shoulder, letting a soft sound of disgust as she whispered it in her ear and making her smile, "Gross."

"They have a cheese plate." Adrien said expectantly, rolling his eyes.

"Off you go then." Master Fu told them, "Enjoy the rest of your day."

The group made their way outside and to the car, Felix telling them as Emilie and Marinette got in the back seat, "I'm not hungry so I think I'll pass. I'll meet you guys back at the mansion later."

"Are you sure?" Adrien asked as he hesitated outside the car door.

"Yes. Honestly I, need time to think." Felix explained. "Enjoy your lunch."

Everyone nodded, bidding him goodbye. He watched the car disappear down the road, the weight of the past few days pushing the heavy sigh out of his chest. He turned to walk in the opposite direction, knowing he just wanted to walk aimlessly for a while. He barely took his first step when something slammed into him with a loud squeal, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey watch where you are going!" He snapped, feeling the weight of another body firmly pinning him down.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!"

Green eyes met sparkling blue. Long, pinned back dark hair was split down the middle like pigtails cascading over her petite shoulders onto his chest. Her entire face took on a rouge hue, and he instantly felt bad at her discomfort.

Wait, why was he feeling bad? She was the one who had knocked him over.

She quickly scrambled off of him, standing nervously and holding out her dainty hand to help him up. He put his hand in hers and stood, trying to edge the annoyance out of his voice, "In a hurry are you?"

Her blush deepened, "I, uh, well you see…"

He raised an eyebrow at her in silence, watching as she shifted her weight on her feet, fidgeting with ends of her black jacket. He didn't understand why he was making her so nervous.

...the gears in his mind began to turn at such an errant thought. Why the hell was he suddenly so sure of her… emotions… the miraculous. The Butterfly Miraculous was one of the two tied to emotion, according to the Guardian. It was how Hawkmoth was able to pinpoint those he wanted to turn into his Akuma's. He'd always thought the Hawkmoth could only sense negative emotion, but what if that wasn't the case? What if he was able to feel all of them?

If he was really feeling this girl's emotions right now, could that mean that he really was meant to be one of them?

"Honestly, I just moved to Paris a few days ago. I have no idea where I am, and I have no idea how to get back to my apartment." The highly flustered girl admitted, covering her face with her hands.

He said it tersly, walking past her, "Yeah well, good luck with that."

His foot came to a jarring halt when he felt the sudden fall of emotions behind him. Her overwhelming sadness put a sharp stabbing pain in his gut. Was this how Hawkmoth felt with every negative emotion he tracked? Or was this a possible side-effect for being the one to cause them?

He didn't know, but this pain was too intense and he groaned, turning back around and telling her irritated, "Look, I don't know where you live, but I do know where they sell what passes for a decent cup of coffee. Stop feeling sorry for yourself for being clueless, and maybe I'll consider helping you."

Her face instantly lit up, "Really?"

"Don't make me regret this decision." He said still annoyed, feeling the pain begin to subside as she walked up to him with a happy skip in her step.

He began walking without her, but she quickly caught up and walked at his side. This wasn't how he'd planned to spend his afternoon.

Though, one thing had come out of meeting this girl he supposed. His decision was becoming increasingly clearer, and for the first time in a long time, he actually felt a bit optimistic at the prospect. Yes there were rules the holders had to follow, but none of them acted as though they were afraid of the Guardian. He'd seen first hand as an Akuma, and just this afternoon again up close, how close Adrien seemed to be with the other holders. Even Marinette, in the short time that she had been with them, had regained those lost friendships quite easily. Maybe… maybe this was a change that he needed. How had Adrien phrased it? Being true to himself?

Maybe this was the chance to see just how true to himself he could be.

Ugh, what was wrong with him? One day around these holders and they were already sticking their optimism in his head. Or, maybe it was the optimism radiating out of the girl walking next to him.

He glanced to the side, hearing the dark haired girl humming to herself. "For someone who's lost, you're awfully happy." He commented, holding back his scowl.

She smiled up at him, "Maybe I'm not lost. Maybe I was exactly where I needed to be when I needed to be there. I mean, I met you didn't I?" He stopped, staring at her in mild surprise as her smile brightened, her head tilting to the side as she said it, "It's a subtle thing, a chance meeting, but maybe it could be more than chance, don't you think?"

Something about her words echoed inside of him, until he remembered why they sounded so familiar. It was nearly identical to what Nooroo had said to him before. He'd unknowingly been the tie that brought Ladybug and Chat Noir together, could this… be a similar case? Could meeting this girl be something more than chance?

If he'd gotten in the car and gone with everyone, he wouldn't be here now.

"Maybe." He muttered a little softer, watching her nose crinkle as she smiled more.

He felt himself smiling and she said it surprised, "Oh! So you do smile!"

He instantly frowned and she giggled, "Aw, that didn't last very long. You are more handsome when you smile, you know."

"That's your opinion." He stated flatly, ignoring the way his heart began to beat just a little faster. He wasn't going to let some random girl he just met affect him this way. He knew he was handsome. Sharing a face with his cousin didn't come without consequence, like the hoard of Adrien's fans in London who chased after him occasionally, thinking HE was HIM. No, there was no reason to let her off-hand comment cause any sort of reaction in him.

They finally made it to the coffee shop, placing their order and sitting at a tall cocktail table towards the back once they had their drinks. He tried to pry information out of her for hours, hoping to even begin pinpointing the location of her home. She wasn't much help, not knowing which of the many famous landmarks in Paris she lived near.

Finally, though he felt like an idiot for not having thought of it sooner, he asked quickly, "Don't you have something on your phone that could have your address on it?"

He watched her face flush, "I, uh," she let out a nervous chuckle that instantly irritated him, "I may have, sort of, left my phone… at home."

"A lot of good it's doing you there." He said dejected as he sat back, his finger quickly tapping against the rim of his cup in order to stifle the need to run his hand through his hair in aggravation.

He sat up as the new idea popped into his head. He pulled out his phone and told her hard, "Give me your number."

She did instantly, though asked sounding unsure, "Why do you need it? I don't have my phone on me."

He smirked as he looked up the number, using a modified version of 'Find My Phone' to see where it would lead. In seconds, the modified program pinged the phone, and he held his screen up for her to see, "And there, we have your home address."

She squealed, fidgeting excitedly in her seat before jumping down and throwing her arms around his middle, "Thank you so much!"

He stiffened, prying her hands from around him, "Thank me by letting go. Immediately."

She instantly dropped her hands, chuckling that same nervous sound from before, "Oh, um, sorry."

His phone let out a short ring and he opened the message quickly, seeing Adrien asking if he was okay. He sighed and responded a quick yes, another text from Adrien coming straight through. 'Gorilla said he'd pick you up from wherever you are, it looks like it's going to rain.'

He peered out of the window, seeing the dark clouds that had begun to form. There was no way he wanted to walk all the way back to the mansion in the rain. The girls apartment was just opposite of the park in front of Dupain-Cheng bakery. The walk from here to there would be easy enough, and they might even beat the rain, but he'd never make it to the mansion before the rain given how quickly the sky was darkening.

'He can pick me up from TS Bakery. I'll be there soon.'

He looked up at the girl, still standing awkwardly in front of him. He put his phone in his pocket and stood, "Let's get you home before the rain."

He started walking and just as before, she followed him instantly. His pace quickened as they approached the bakery, sprinkles of rain already beginning to fall. He was happy to see the familiar black car already parked there waiting.

The girl told him happily, "Oh, I know where I am! I remember seeing this bakery from my window!"

He nodded, "Your apartment should be just across the park there. That direction." He pointed out the right way.

Her voice was nothing short of sincere, "Thank you for this. I know you didn't have to help me."

"Just don't make it a habit." He half-teased. She shook her head with a smile, asking curiously as she eyed the unmoving car waiting for him, "You have a driver?"

"Of sorts." He said noncommittally. He DID have a driver in London, but technically the Gorilla wasn't his driver. He was Adrien's.

"I guess this is goodbye then. I've taken up enough of your time as it is." She said looking guilty.

"Another habit to avoid." He said with a smirk, watching her eyes sparkle before turning to leave.

He approached the car, Gorilla rolling down the window as the light rain began.

"What?" He asked. Gorilla handed him an umbrella and he said it confused, "I'm getting in, I don't need it."

Gorilla raised an eyebrow at him before glancing over at the girl, seeing her standing under the bakery's awning, longingly eyeing her apartment across the park.

He practically snatched the obnoxious red umbrella with a scowl, ignoring the smirk on the Gorilla's face. He got it open just as the rain really began to fall.

He approached her, letting out a heavy sigh, "Here."

She looked over at him surprised as he held the umbrella in her direction, "Oh, no I couldn't. Don't you need it? I mean, I know your driver is right there but,"

"I insist." He pressed gently, holding her eyes as she stood unmoving, a distinct blush starting on her cheeks as a clap of thunder echoed around them.

"Well, go on, take it." He persisted, his slightly harder tone snapping her out of her daze. She reached up and took the umbrella, smiling shyly, "Thank you again. You're my hero."

She took a few steps into the pouring rain, a pleasant warmth spreading through him at her words, bringing a small smile to his face. He wasn't meant to be a hero, and somehow he ended up being one anyways. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

She suddenly turned back to face him, "My name is Bridgette, by the way."

He gave her a real smile, shaking his head as he realized that he'd spent the entire afternoon with the girl without ever giving her his name either, "Felix."

She beamed, her nose crinkling the way it had before, "See you around Felix."

She disappeared into the park and he said it under his breath to himself, "I daresay you will."

He walked out from under the awning, feeling the rain pelt down on his shoulders for the few seconds it took to get into the car. He brushed the rain off of him as the Gorilla took off, saying it lightly, "She was pretty."

"A nuisance." He corrected, though couldn't deny his claim. The Gorilla chuckled but didn't say anything else.

As he walked into the foyer in the mansion, laughter echoed through the once silent halls. He immediately moved towards the sound, finding a small group of people in the far living room that he knew hadn't been used in years.

He stood at the entrance, feeling the joy coming from them all. The whole scene was a sight to behold. Kwami's of varying colors floated around the room, not straying far from the holder they were no doubt tied to. A dark haired japanese girl was sitting on the floor up against the long couch, next to a guy with blue streaks in his hair, both of them with quiet smiles on their faces. On the floor across from them was a girl with auburn hair and glasses, clutching her side as she laughed with the boy wearing a red hat. He saw the blonde-haired heiress staring at her nails, perched at the end of the couch near his aunt Emilie, neither of them able to hide the smirks on their faces.

Adrien looked extremely flustered sitting on the floor near his Mother, but was still smiling as he put his arm around Marinette's waist when she leaned into him. Her hands were covering her mouth as she tried to muffle her laughter.

He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms across his chest with a smile to himself as his resolve solidified. He wanted to try. He wanted to try to see what taking the path to being a holder would bring.

And with a little luck, maybe it would bring a new beginning.

Thanks for reading! As always feel free to leave a comment or review if you want. I'd love to know any and ALL of your final thoughts!

This may be the end of this story, but be on the look out for more from AgresteBug! And who knows, maybe there is another little gem to be found in this AU, along the lines of, a sequel? Guess you'll have to wait and see!

Lots of Love to all and Melty Camembert Hearts!^-^

Au Revoir for now!