This will be 2 chapters in one.
I lay in bed awake, the nightmares preventing me from sleeping. By now, everyone had fallen back asleep. All except me. I shook the duvet off me and got out of bed.
"I. Am. Ladybug."
Lila's face didn't even flinch. She just laughed.
"I knew it," she said bitterly before fading out of view. I went limp and let my head fall to the table.
"Why did you do that?" asked Chloe.
"I-I don't know," was all I could muster out.
"Now it will be easier for her to... y'know... kill you. You shouldn't have done that Marinette. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous," said Chloe with a sigh. She grabbed ahold of my hand and led me back upstairs.
I crashed down onto my bed.
"Oh my god. Is she okay?" asked Alya, coming from her bed.
"She is for now. Lady Butterfly showed up," answered Chloe, sitting down on her bed.
"And?" asked Alya, glaring daggers at Chloe.
"Pushy," Chloe mumbled.
"Sorry if I'm worrying about my best friend. And I wouldn't expect you to care since you hated her all of the time you two have known each other," snapped Alya, enveloping me in a hug.
"She told Lila that she was Ladybug," snapped Chloe.
"Marinette? Why?" asked Alya softly. I simply shrugged.
"I think we need to let her sleep. She'll have a clear mind in the morning," snapped Chloe, getting back in her bed. Alya hesitated before agreeing and going back into bed. I, however, continued to stay awake.
Why did I do it? What was the purpose of me doing that? Now it'll be easier for her to kill me. What was I thinking?!
"Tikki, spots on," I whispered.
Light enveloped my figure as my suit began to appear and cover my clothes. I used my hand to make the light add my mask and then touched my hair and it was in a high ponytail. The light faded and I was left in my costume.
I opened the window, jumped onto it and without warning, fell out of it. I let out a screech before grabbing my yo-yo and swinging it so that it wrapped around the chimney of a house. Once it was secured, I pulled tighter and swung, my foot skimming the road as I did so.
"I haven't been out for a while," I said, releasing a sigh of relief as I landed on the roof. I reeled my yo-yo back in and attached it back to my waist. I glanced towards the mansion in front of me to see no lights on. Somehow, I had disturbed no one from their slumber.
I walked towards the roof of another house and jumped down onto it.
Without realising, I had made my way home. Not the mansion on the outskirts of Paris, but the small bakery that I once remembered to be my home. I quietly jumped and landed on where my bed was supposed to be but instead kept falling until I hit the floor. I landed with a BANG, probably alerting the people who owned this place that I was here. But I didn't care.
I looked around my empty room and remembered the good times I had had here. I pressed my hand against the wall lightly, remembering the posters of Adrien that used to hang from them. I found the trapdoor and opened it up. I climbed down and saw the kitchen and living room of my house.
Nothing was there. Just a few boxes. The people who lived here after me had moved out, and by the looks of things, the others were moving in. Only one piece of furniture was present in the room and that was the red sofa, of which a young child sat staring at me wide-eyed.
I realised this and began to blush in embarrassment.
"Just doing a routine check," I lied. The young child looked back at me in awe, not moving a muscle. It was creepy but intense. After a few peaceful moments of silence, the young child pointed at me.
"Y-you're Ladybug," she said with a toothy grin. I nodded slowly before the child got up and stood in front of me.
I hadn't realised how young she was until she stood up in front of me. She looked 5, 6 at best.
"Why are you in my home?" she asked.
"Well, this once used to be my home," I answered, ruffling her hair. "What's your name youngling?"
"I'm Emma," she answered.
I smiled at little Emma.
"Where are your parents Emma?" I asked.
"Unpacking downstairs in the shop. They told me to go to sleep," answered Emma, holding her arms out to me. I picked her up and placed her on the sofa. She lay down and snuggled up to the blanket.
"Perhaps you should fall asleep? It is probably way past your bed time after all," I said with a chuckle, remembering how late it was. Or how early it was.
"I was sleeping," she pointed out.
I remembered my rude entrance and rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
"Sorry," I mumbled. I had an idea and smirked. "Lucky charm!"
I threw my yo-yo in the air and it returned to me with a ladybug doll that I had made when I was younger.
"Maybe this will help you fall asleep?" I suggested, handing it to Emma.
"Thank you so much," she said, taking it from me and cradling it with her arms. "I will love and take good care of her."
"I hope so. I made one like this and gave it to a girl who said the same thing," I said with a wink.
I turned to go back to the stairs that led to my old room before she stopped me.
"Who was she?" Emma asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
"A girl called Manon. It was the last time I saw her," I answered sadly, before running into my old room, onto the balcony and jumping off of it, swinging my yo-yo to grab something and pull my along my way.
"What do you mean this is the last time I'll see you? Marinette, I want to stay with you!"
I looked down at the 9 year old girl before me. She knew this would be the last time she'd see me. And I knew too.
"C'mon Manon. We can't disturb Princess... Marinette any longer," said Nadia, practically dragging Manon from my arms.
"No!" wailed Manon. "I want to stay here!"
"Manon. I can no longer babysit you. With me living here, it's harder for your mother to reach me," I said, crouching down to her level.
"Then move back to where you were!" begged Manon, giving me the puppy-dog eyes as she pulled away from her mother.
"I can't do that. It was hard enough for my parents to let me come back to Paris," I said sadly, ruffling her hair.
Manon managed to escape from her mother's hold on her and she wrapped her arms around me.
"But I won't see you again!" she wailed.
"I know. But as long as you remember me, then I'm sure fate will bring us back together again," I said, booping her nose.
"But I want you to keep babysitting me!" protested Manon.
I stood back up and went into one of my art drawers. I pulled out the Ladybug doll I had made a while back and handed it to her.
"This is the last doll I have. Can you take good care of her for me?" I said.
"I will love and take good care of her," said Manon, hugging the doll.
"Come on Manon," snapped Nadia.
Manon wrapped her arms around me once more and I wrapped mine around her as we shared a hug. Manon and Nadia left before I sank down onto the floor.
Thinking about her made tears well in my eyes. She would be twelve, maybe thirteen now. And I miss her everyday.
I found myself at the Eiffel Tower and lay on the cold hard metal. I watched as the sun began to rise, symbolising a new day.
The warm sun rose into the sky, making the sky blush a beautiful pink. The moon faded away like a distant memory. The birds began to sing their song and start their day. Their singing was harmonious and they all worked together to make it peaceful and beautiful. I thought how lucky I was to see this up close.
I let out a loud yawn, startling not myself as I did. I stood up and dusted myself off and then looked down at my costume. I hadn't really had a good look at it. Since I'm 18 now, I have unlocked my adult powers of not having to detransform after using my lucky charm. With this, my transformation changed and so did the costume.
My costume was fairly the same except that from my waist to my neck (on my sides) was black and elasticated. Everything else about my costume was the same. Oh, and my hair was in a high ponytail. I admired my costume for a minute before heading back to the Agreste mansion.
I jumped from the Eiffel Tower and let myself fall until I was practically touching the floor before swinging my yo-yo to wrap around a chimney and swinging to that rooftop. I felt my heart pound with excitement as I did. I continued swinging until I was back. I jumped onto the window before mumbling my detransformation words.
A pink light surrounded my figure before my costume evaporated with the light. Tikki appeared from my earrings and she gave me a smile.
"The doll won't disappear. The doll will remain with Emma," whispered Tikki, as if knowing I was about to ask. I mouthed a thank you to her before putting on a jacket. I wrapped it around me and held it close, trying to get some warmth from it. Tikki flew into one of the pockets and I slipped downstairs.
"This is why you fell asleep in class," whispered Tikki. I turned at her before making my way to the kitchen.
I found Natalie down there in her pyjamas. When she saw me, she looked at me startled.
"Ms. Marinette. I am so sorry. It won't ever-"
"Why are you apologising Natalie?" I asked.
"Well this isn't my house and I'm just an assistant..."
"Natalie," I interrupted with a frown.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"Natalie, you live here. You don't have to apologise for getting comfortable before work starts," I said with a chuckle, taking a seat next to her. "And frankly, I don't live here either."
This made her smile. She looked pretty with emotions. I had never seen her smile before, to anyone. Not a genuine smile anyway.
"Thank you, Marinette," she said with a smile.
"So why are you up early anyway?" I asked.
"I enjoy watching the sun rise. I had never had a chance to do so when Mr Agreste lived here, but Adrien allows me to make myself at home here. Like I was when Mrs Agreste lived here," explained Natalie, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
"Well, make sure you are always comfortable. I'd hate if you hated being here," I said with a smile.
"Why are you up?" she asked, her smile fading. I blinked a tear back before explaining everything.
"So he haunts you in your nightmares?" repeated Natalie. I nodded in embarrassment.
"It's silly, I know. But I only have PTSD because I-"
"It's not silly. He does the same to me," she mumbled.
"Why?" I asked, letting out a startled gasp.
"I loved him. With all my heart. And I have nightmares of him rejecting me every night. And then last night, I had a nightmare of him... k-k-going too far in a battle between Adrien... I mean Chat Noir and him," she explained.
I pulled her into a tight embrace, which of course surprised her.
"I would never let him get to you," I promised, even though I knew he was gone.
"You mean her, right?" she corrected. I thought back to Lady Butterfly.
"Right," I said, letting go of Natalie and nodding. She excused herself and stood up. She went to leave but I grabbed hold of her wrist. She looked back at me.
"You're a mother figure to Adrien. He loves you more than you know," I said with a smile. I could see tears form in her eyes as she whispered a 'thank you' before going to her room.
I let out a sigh and run my hands through my hair. She is watching me right now, I could feel it. I looked around in fear before getting up. I let out a yawn and went into the fridge and poured myself a glass of milk. I took a sip from it and put it on the counter.
"Good morning m'lady," said a voice. I looked up and Adrien was right in front of my face. I jumped back in surprise and fell to the floor.
"Marinette! I am so sorry. I knew you weren't paying attention and I thought I'd scare you. I forgot how easily scared you get I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," he said, rambling on and on as he helped me up.
"It's o-Okay," I stammered, dusting myself off. "It's 5 in the morning. Why are you awake?"
"Why are you awake?" he asked.
"I never fell asleep," I said with a shrug.
"Marinette," he groaned. I went to grab my milk but he took it from me.
"Adrien," I groaned. "Give it back."
"You can have it back after you wake up," he said, holding it above my head so I couldn't reach.
"I am awake," I snapped.
"Now you are. Go to sleep," he insisted.
"I'm not tired," I said, before yawning. He raised an eyebrow and I cursed under my breath.
"No," I said, folding my arms. He opened the fridge and put my drink in there.
"You're a mean, mean person," I said through gritted teeth.
"Now now, you don't mean that," he said, booping my nose.
"Why are you awake?" I asked, putting a hand on my hip.
"Because I always get up at 5," he said with a shrug.
"You do?" I asked with a slight frown of confusion. He nodded and then pointed to the doorway.
"You can't tell me what to do," I said with a pout.
"I can drag you," he suggested, raising an eyebrow as if to challenge me. I gracefully accepted in courtesy by nodding my head. Then, I dumped my manners and spun around quickly saying,"Catch me if you can pussy cat."
I quickly said my transformation words before diving out of the window and swinging away. I could feel him right on my tail as I continued running over Paris. He may be fast, but I'm faster.
After about 20 minutes of a wild goose chase, I ran back to the Agreste mansion and let my costume fade into nothingness as I changed back to my civilian self. Chat Noir joined me and became Adrien again.
He tackled me into a hug and we both fell into fits of laughter.
"I'm awake now," I said with a wink.
"Damn," he muttered as I got myself free from him and went into the fridge. I took out my glass of milk and finished it.
"Good morning Adrien. Here is your schedule of today's events," said Natalie, coming from nowhere and handing him a tablet. He took it and sat down at the dining table. He nodded approvingly and then handed it back to her.
"Can you cancel my 10 to 5 meeting please?" he asked.
"Sir?" questioned Natalie, raising an eyebrow. Clearly, this must have been an important meeting because her reaction was quite shocked and speechless. "This is an important meeting about the upcoming fashion shows for the Agreste company."
"I realise that. But, I'm not really into... fashion. My area of expertise is modelling," he said with a sigh. I sat down next to him and he took my milk and finished it.
My jaw dropped at this as I smacked the back of his head.
"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing it as if I had smacked him with a belt.
"First of all, that was mine. Second of all, just because you're not into something, doesn't mean you can't do it. This is important and as the head of the Agreste fashion company, you are required to attend," I explained, crossing my arms and giving Natalie a thumbs up.
"I know, I know. That's what you're here for," he said with a nervous chuckle.
"Adrien, you can't use me as an-! Wait what?" I snapped.
"I don't really understand this and well since you're not going back to school for 2 years, I want you to be in charge of the Agreste company," he explained happily. I could see the excitement written all over his face.
"But I'm not an Agreste," I protested.
"One day, you will be. Not now, and maybe not for a few years but one day," he said with a smirk on his face.
Did I just get forced into an engagement that won't happen for a few years? Did Adrien suggest a marriage? Do I even have free will?
Thoughts raced through my mind as I went as red as Nathaniel's hair.
"So what do you say?" he asked.
"Yes?" I answered uneasily. "I... I look f-forward to... then."
"Not the engagement silly. Taking over the business. The first step, right?" he said with a laugh.
I was internally screaming inside.
"O-of course. I-it would b-be an h-honour," I said, stumbling over my words.
"Right. Ms Marinette you have a meeting at 10 to 5," said Natalie with a smirk as she left the room.
I stared off into the distance, my face still red. I heard Adrien chuckle.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" I asked, pointing at him. He wiggled my finger and said,"Maybe. But it was worth it to see that priceless look on your face."
"I'm glad my love life and you sad and soon to be alone life amuses you," I said through gritted teeth.
"Aw don't be like that," he whined.
"Fine," I huffed. "But you owe me a glass of milk."
"Really, you're still mad?" he asked. I turned my head away from him before he let out a defeated sigh.
"I'm sure you can defeat Lady Butterfly this way. By forcing her to make you a glass of milk," he said with a chuckle and got up from his seat. He poured me a glass of milk and then sat down next to me and placed it in front of me.
"Awe you're so sweet, you didn't have to," I said, acting all happy.
"I hate you," he said with a frown.
"Love you too," I said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before drinking my milk.