Not Alone: A Miraculous Ladybug Story

Chapter 33

Ladybug's adrenaline was still pumping. To be completely honest, she was expecting a fight when she released her transformation. Chloé had said some deeply hurtful things to her in the past. Most were just comments that would get a rise out of her, and knowing her personality a little better now, Ladybug could appreciate more that it was just Chloé's brutal honesty and disregard for dishonest social filters; however, there was more than one instance when Chloé had deliberately insulted Marinette's parents and her economic status. No, her parents weren't swimming in cash, but the were honest and hard-working people. Her father and mother bought the storefront shortly after they married and had managed to create a bakery that had become a staple in the neighborhood and was now very successful. She was proud of them, and anyone who insulted them and made them out to be less than they were would have to answer to her.

Needless to say, Chloé's attitude had surprised her; so, she accepted her apology and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She definitely didn't trust her yet, but maybe even Chloé could change and grow up. She'd seen a different side to her this morning, more open without the usual mask of indifference she wore, and Ladybug had also noticed how clever she was. It was something that, subconsciously, she had to have known. No one can make their insults hit their mark with such acuity like Chloé did without an observant eye and a canny intelligence about human behavior and interaction.

If nothing else, at least this morning's events cemented in her mind that Chloé was the right person for the civilization miraculous. Using the truth to her benefit was her forte.

Chloé was holding onto Ladybug with a strength that surprised her, and she slowed as the alley they were aiming for came into view. Dropping gently into the shadows, she gently disentangled Chloé.

"Um, we're here." Chloé opened her eyes and blinked.

"I'm not sure if that was terrifying or exhilarating."

"You'll get used to it," Ladybug chuckled lightly, enjoying more than she cared to admit the unguarded version of Chloé.

"Will I?" Chloé asked, a intelligent light flaring in her eye. Ladybug just ignored her and released her transformation, trying not to give anything away in case her hunch was wrong.

"Here you go, Tikki." She gave her kwami a few cookies and let her rest in her purse. Once securely away, she turned to Chloé.

"Okay, let's go." Chloé followed without comment.

"What was that red bug?" She asked when they entered the stairwell to the older walk-up.

"Tikki? She's my kwami. She gives me my powers. She's...well, she's basically an ancient god."

"Kwami?" Chloé furrowed her brow. "I thought you said the miraculous gave you your power."

"It's more like a conduit for Tikki to give me her power."

Chloé nodded and continued to follow her, but her face still looked pensive. Marinette realized that she was trying not to be offensive and thinking very carefully about her questions. She smiled.

"You can ask me anything about it, Chloé. It's confusing and foreign and even Adrien and I don't understand everything about it yet." Then she stopped outside Master Fu's door and turned to Chloé. "Look, I don't want you to be afraid to offend me. I expect you to be rude sometimes. It's who you are. You're blunt and believe the truth is more important that protecting people's feelings. I can respect that. All I ask is that you stop trying to deliberately get a rise out of me. We both know you can make me angry if you want to. How about we try to tackle the challenge of being friends?"

Chloé smirked. "I do love a challenge."

"Well, then I brought you to the right place." Marinette turned, and knocked on the bamboo door in front of them. Master Fu opened the door, and she bowed with Chloé following suit.

Please let this work, she prayed as they followed Master Fu through the door.

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Adrien woke to a pounding on the door. He noticed the sun shining in the windows from a much higher angle than it usually was when he woke for the day and rolled over to check the clock. It was noon. They'd slept for nearly twelve hours and he was still tired.

He looked to the couch and Nino was still soundly asleep, so he rolled out of bed and padded to the door where the knocking was getting more insistent. He opened the door to a frazzled Alya with an impressive nest of curly bed head.

"Where's Mari?" She stood on her tiptoes and tried to peer around him in the room. He opened the door wider and allowed her in. Nino had started to get up. His Alya-radar must have gone off, Adrien thought with a smirk. Then her words sank in.

"Wait, what? What do you mean 'Where's Mari'? She's not with you?" If he wasn't awake before, that did it. With everything going on with his mom, and maybe some paranoia as they got closer to truth of the whole story with this Germain guy, he was immediately alarmed.

"She wasn't there when I woke up," Alya shook her head. "All her stuff is gone and the bed next to me was cold, so she must have been gone for a while. I thought maybe she came to see you..."

Adrien was half listening to Alya as she spoke. He ran to the bathroom and threw on some jeans. Then, when Alya trailed off, he rushed out the door and down the hall to the guest room. She definitely was gone, but he checked everywhere anyway before running down the stairs.

His mind was going to places his logical brain was telling him were ridiculous. She was smart, she was strong, and she wasn't reckless. It's more likely she went home to get something or for a walk or... a million other things, but all he could think was what if she was in danger? Why would she leave without telling anyone? Even a text?

He was whipping through the foyer when he practically ran into his dad.

"Papa!" he shouted, and a smile flickered on Gabriel's face hearing his son call him that again, but then he saw the frantic look on Adrien's face.

"What's wrong?" He too was on the immediate alert.

"It's Marinette. She's gone and she didn't tell us where she was going. Did you see her? You don't think--"

Before he could finish that thought, Marinette walked in through the front door.

"Mari!" Adrien rushed her and enveloped her in an immediate hug.

"Kitty, what-" then she seemed to realize his reaction. "Oh. Oh Adrien, I'm sorry. I thought I'd be back before any of you woke. It just took a bit longer than I anticipated."

He pulled back and looked at her, his heart resuming a normal tempo now that she was physically in front of him.

"No, I know I overreacted, but you're fin. I just could help thinking--wait, what took longer?" He finally looked up from her and saw a paler-than-usual Chloé standing behind her.

"Oh, Chlo! Hey!" He rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Wait, Bugaboo, did you...?"

"Yeah," Marinete shifted her feet nervously, "So there are some things I should catch you up on." She glanced back at Chloé and the two seemed to share a conspiratorial grin. What is going on? Am I really awake right now?

"Marinette? Chloé?" He asked perplexed, but Marinette stayed silent and Chloé just stepped up and put a hand on her hip.

"You can call me Queen Bee."