Author's note: Hey guys, this has been spinning in my mind for awhile so I couldn't resist. Your thoughts would be appreciative and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me. I don't bite lol.

Disclaimer: Don't own Miraculous Ladybug or Chat Noir. If I did, well, Chat Noir would be my christmas present under the tree.

Prologue:

Dear Mother,

You always told me that the heroes were good as gold and villains were black as night. Does it make me a bad person that I prefer villains over the heroes? Does it make me a bad person that I see a hint of gold in every villain's heart? Does it make me a bad person that I do bad things for the goodness of my heart?

Am I a bad person for loving someone oh so wrong before I found him to be oh so right for me?

Mommy, I know you're not proud. Mommy, I know you think that every Mother knows best for their child. Mommy, I know you don't want a rotten apple, but a ripe one.

I'm not a rotten apple… I'm an apple made of gold.

My Kitty knows it too.

Warm regards,

Your daughter-Marinette Du-Cheng

Chapter one:

I walked briskly throughout the streets of Paris. I passed by various, open-window stores before a particular one stopped me dead in my tracks. I saw a beautiful, red dress that glittered itself in the stall. I put a tentative gloved hand against the window and found myself enraptured by the dress. I wasn't fantasizing about wearing the dress, oh no, I fantasized about being the maker of that captivating dress. Whoever made it was quite an artistry. The fabric, the texture, the color all made up as pure perfection.

I wonder how much it is? My eyes lingered to the price before they widened like teacups. The price was so out of my league that it wasn't even worth naming on how much digits I saw on the price sign.

I sighed in complete hopelessness. What was I even thinking? I'm in the ritzy part of Paris, so I should have known it would be way out of my reach. I even forgot I was in this neck of the woods. Speaking of which, I still have to deliver this fruit cake to Miss Tikki before it gets too dark out. I tightened my coat, that was made by yours truly, before I did the arduous task of sprinting in the snow without falling.

XOX

By the time I got to Miss Tikki craft store, it was dark out and I couldn't feel my toes anymore. Luckily, I didn't fall once, and I couldn't be happier. I saw Miss Tikki behind a wooden desk, polishing something metal that looked almost like a… gun. Oh my gosh, when in the hell did Miss Tikki start selling guns?!

"Miss Tikki?" I addressed meekly to her to make my presence known. She finally noticed my presence and grants me with a bright smile.

"Hello, Mari! It's good to see you darling, how are you?" She cooed affectionately.

I hesitantly make my way over to her before I slowly point at the gun she was holding.

"Why do you have a gun?" Way to go, Marinette, great way to state the obvious.

I was not expecting to hear a hearty laugh from her. She started to giggle like crazy before she put the gun away from my line of vision.

"Oh, I've been getting quite paranoid, you know. What with the Akuma Mafia out prowling the streets a lot recently, better to be safe than sorry." I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, but I saw a hint of mirth gleaming in her eyes for a second.

I must be delusional.

"You're right, the Akuma Mafia are dangerous," I said to her while being lost in thought.

The Akuma Mafia. Even the name of them sends a bile taste to my mouth. I almost wish I could wipe the name clean with a bar of soap from my tongue. However, I knew the Akuma Mafia would forever be uncleaned, no matter how much soap and water they use to wipe the blood off their tainted hands.

They stole. They cheat. They lie. And they even kill.

I almost choked on my saliva when the word kill glittered in my wandering mind. I never understood why it was even necessary for them to cause such a ruckus in our city? I almost thought they would have died out by now because it has almost been like five or six years when their name became known on the streets of Paris. They started out small, but then they spread out like wildfire. They were a mere rumor whispered among the streets before they became something you would never dare to make up about for a simple tease. One person in Akuma Mafia that had his own title was Chat Noir. And no one, I really mean no one, uttered his name out loud at all.

"Is that my fruit cake, sweetie?" I heard Miss Tikki inquire, which snapped me out of my perturbed thoughts.

"Aww, yes, here you go," I handed her the fruit cake and she exchanged it by giving me her debt that was way more than necessary.

"Miss Tikki, this is totally not necessary!" I exclaim frantically while trying to hand her money back, but she was having none of it.

"No Marinette, think of it as a huge tip for always going out your way and being a great friend to me. I know your family business is not doing well, it's the least I can do." She explained to me with a smile I was always familiar with.

"You know, huh?" I asked her timidly.

Tikki nodded.

"I have a few birdies that always give me the loop of stuff. Don't peg me as a gossiper, instead, peg me more as an observer," She says mysteriously.

She quickly kisses me on the cheek. "Things will get better soon because that is how life works. When you go up in life, you must come down eventually," I know that Miss Tikki was around in her late 30s or early 40s, but it amazed me how wise she was sometimes. She must be an old soul. A very old soul. I added exasperatedly.

"It's getting late, you better get going, and please be careful," I waved her a quick goodbye, but before I walked out in the frigid cold she halted me.

"Marinette!" She exclaimed and I stared back at her confusingly

"I've been low on making outfits, I don't suppose you can make some for me, and bring your outfits here by next week. Don't worry, I'll be paying you and I'll make sure you'll be recognized for your designs." Miss Tikki was such a sweet woman!

I quickly ran to hug the living daylights out of her and said a lot of my thank yous before I literally skipped out the door. It was now snowing hard outside and I frankly didn't give a damn.

XOX

Miss Tikki sighed as she stared at the door. She felt so bad for the girl and her family. Things were quite tough, especially when it's around the holidays. She adored that Marinette girl. She was such a sweetheart and she sometimes wished the bluenette had more confidence in herself. She needed a push. A push she wasn't sure of, but a push in the right direction or even the wrong direction.

"Damn, you still look good by playing an innocent citizen," She heard a flirty tone that made her want to gag herself.

She quickly grabbed the gun that was fully loaded at a familiar, smirking face. She glared when she met her former partner and ex-lover-Plagg.

"What are you doing here, Plagg?" She asked the said man through clenched teeth.

"Can a guy visit his favorite girl?" He asked in mock hurt before he caught her in a smothering hug.

"I am not your girl... Yuck, you reek of smelly cheese, get off of me!" She pushed him off of her with vigorous force

"Me-Ouch, that hurt, Tikki," He said in a blubbery tone.

"Please leave those cat puns, to Chat Noir, if you please," She said with a heavy eye-roll.

"What, I was once known as Chat Noir too, until I gave him that notorious title to him," Plagg whined childishly.

"Anyways, how is Chat doing by the way?" Tikki inquired to him in heavy curiosity. It's been awhile since she's been at the Akuma Mansion. She would never admit to anyone, but Chat Noir was her favorite out of the bunch. Besides Plagg, but she would rather gag herself than admit that out loud.

"The kid, he's doing okay. His old man or I should say our boss, has been pushing him a lot recently," Plagg's voice became a lot quieter.

"What do you mean, Plagg?"

"The poor kid has been scared shitless with his inner demons and his haunting nightmares. I'm so afraid the kid will lose himself to the madness and I think that is what the boss is aiming for." Tikki hesitantly wrapped her arms around him. She felt his body shaking from anger or sadness. She couldn't tell.

"Shh, it's okay, Plagg. Will figure this out, okay. You are my Clyde and I'm your Bonnie. So together, we're both invincible," She put her head at the crook of his neck and felt herself surrender to the familiar comfort he gave to her.

"I did miss you Plagg..." She admitted with a heavy sigh.

He murmured in her shirt for his response.

"By the way, who was that gal who came out of your store earlier?" Well, that was a 180 turn of conversation.

She broke away from him. "A good friend of mine, such a sweetheart. Poor thing, her family has been struggling financially," Tikki began to reflect how she could secretly put money in their income for their bakery business.

"She did look like a sweetheart. A sweetheart for my dear old Chat Noir," Plagg's eyes glittered with mischievousness.

Tikki's entire body ran cold. "Plagg, no, she will not get involve with us,"

"Why not, she might be a good addition to the Mafia," Plagg responded while smirking at her.

"You leave her alone, do you understand me!" She began to shake him like a mad woman.

He put his hands up in surrender. "Be careful who you get attached to, my sweet Tikki. Our Boss knows everything, especially your affairs on who you talk to." He strolled his way to leave.

"Have fun playing the role as a perfect citizen, but don't forget this vacation of yours won't last longer," He opened the door and tried not to pay attention to the hurtful words she threw at him like daggers.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you Plagg!" Plagg slammed the door behind him.

He put his gloved hand out to touch a beautiful snowflake that descended down on the palm of his hand. He missed Tikki. He missed his Tikki. He felt nothing without his Tikki. If dragging that bluenette into the Mafia, he would do it in a heartbeat. Somehow, deep down, he had a feeling that the bluenette might be the key to help Chat Noir's demons.

~Thoughts and Thanks for reading~