Hey there little red riding hood

You sure are lookin' good

You're everything a big bad wolf could want

Chat peered over the edge of the roof in the direction of the school's costume party. Too bad Adrien had been forbidden to attend. Chat Noir, on the other hand, had no such restrictions, He smiled.

Someone, dressed all in red, was running from the building. At first he thought it was Ladybug, but there were some differences he spotted right away. Well there was the actual lack of spots to begin with, as well as a much more frilly aspect to the costume. The unknown person wore a full cape and hood made from a silky material with a golden pattern sewn into a red background draped over a full black skirt with a white petticoat peeking out of the bottom. The party goer had finally started to slow in the mad dash from the school and from the set of the runner's shoulders it was apparent that they were upset and possibly already crying.

Chat couldn't allow that; this might be Hawkmoth's next akuma victim if he didn't act fast.

He dropped down a ways in front of the potential victim, under a streetlight so he could be recognized. Still, there was a gasp as he was seen, and the potential akuma victim raised a basket in readiness to throw at the attacker. Putting on his cheesiest smile, Chat slowly winked and began to sing in his best -Bad American- accent.

"Hey there little red riding hood," he waved a hand.

"You sure are lookin' good," he winked again then waggled his eyebrows as he pointed at his astonished audience.

"You're everything that a big bad wolf could want," he got down on all fours and then let out a howl.

"Ch-ch-chat? Chat Noir?" a voice asked timidly.

"The one and only," the cat boy said as he rolled into a somersault and sprang to his feet, ending in a dashing pose.

"What are you doing here?" the voice asked a little husky from crying.

"Well, I saw a damsel in distress and came rushing to her aid," he said with a smile. It seemed to fade a little as he started to stammer. "You are a damsel aren't you? I mean, I know it's a costume party, and anyone could dress-up as Little Red Riding Hood, but you look like a, I mean your costume kind of implies a bit of femininity, or ah …" He stopped with an embarrassed flush on his face with eyes dropping to the pavement. A small giggle gave him the courage to look up.

Slim hands pushed the hood away from the face of…

"M-m-marinette?" it was Chat's turn to practically stutter out the name. "What's got you all upset?" he asked in a kind voice.

"I'm not upset," she said as she wiped at her eyes. "I've just decided to go home now. That's all."

Chat patted his suit and finally found what he was looking for in a side pocket. He took out the small white square and handed it over without saying a word. Marinette took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes and then blew her nose. It was not the petite sound Chat had expected, and he grinned at the girl as he waved for her to keep the used linen when she tried to return it. He kept smiling and simply waited for her to start talking.

"There's this classmate of mine," she finally began. "She's never really been a good friend to me," she looked down at the pavement with a frown, "and sometimes she can be quite rude." She looked back up at Chat's face and he nodded to let her know he was listening. "So I really should have expected it when she said what she did about my costume after she accidentally", Mari put finger quotations around the word, "spilled her drink all over the front of my shirt."

"Chole can be quite vicious in her choice of words," Chat replied sympathetically.

Mari nodded then stopped suddenly. "I never said it was Chloe." She gave Chat a questioning look.

"Princess," he said with a small sigh, "half the akuma I've dealt with are the direct, or indirect, product of Chloe's words," he gave her half a smile. "It really wasn't that difficult to figure out."

"Oh."

There was silence as each was wondering what to say next.

Tears were gathering at the corners of Mari's eyes, and Chat swore he saw a black and purple moth fluttering toward the girl.

No time to think, time to act!

Chat grabbed the girl's right arm and lifted it high in the air as he got her into a fireman's lift then sprinted down the street carrying her like a sack of flour. Rushing headlong for a few streets turning first to the left then to the right the frantic cat boy attempted to get away from the evil butterfly.

"Chat, stop!" Mari cried hitting his back with her free hand, the one holding the basket; he didn't seem to feel it or hear her. "Put me down you alley cat!" Still he ran on. "Unhand me you mangy cur, or so help me, I'll tell Ladybug!"

Chat stopped suddenly at the mention of his Lady's name. Carefully, he put Mari's feet on the sidewalk as he straightened up. Still holding her close, green eyes peering intently at the face in front of him, he tried to assess if his classmate had been taken over by the evil insect. There was a bit of red around her cheeks, her lips were pursed, and startled blue eyes searched his for some kind of understanding.

"No sign of a purple butterfly mask, so that's good, right?" he mumbled almost too low for her to hear. All of a sudden he noticed just how close he was standing to the flustered girl. He was still holding tightly to her arms, gazing into those blue eyes that reminded him of someone else, and he was just the perfect distance to lean in and kiss her, if he wanted. At that thought he jumped back as if a bucket of water had been thrown at him.

"I'm so sorry Princess!" he held up his hands in an attempt to apologize. "I was worried that since you were upset about what Chloe had done to your beautiful costume you might be the next akuma because of course you should be upset when someone disrespects the amazing work you did on this, and then there was a butterfly, I swear on my nine lives it was there, and so I just had to try and outrun it," the words came tumbling out without a pause for breath. "I am so very, very sorry!"

There was the beginnings of a laugh from the girl in front of him. "Silly kitty! I don't think you can actually outrun an akuma butterfly, though you gave it a good try." She patted his shoulder, and he seemed to relax a bit. "I'm upset with Chloe, but not enough to get akumatized," she gave him a genuine smile, and he fully relaxed.

Silence.

"So, um, you're on your way to grandma's house little girl?" Chat asked with raised brows.

"What?" Mari was confused and then laughed as she remembered her costume. "Ah, yes, stranger wearing black leather and kitty ears. I am taking food and wine to my sick grandmama that lives deep in the middle of the woods." She held up the battered basket.

"You need to be careful and stay on the path, for I hear there is a big bad wolf prowling these parts," Chat tried to put on a serious expression but actually failed.

"You are right, mysterious yet kind stranger, those are the very words my Maman said to me when she sent me into the woods."

"Perhaps I should accompany you to Granny's house," Chat said earnestly. "I'd hate for the big bad wolf to gobble you up."

"Why thank you, stranger who is probably a kind soul hidden by magic here to advance the plot," Mari smiled at Chat's stunned reaction to her words. "I would very much appreciate you joining me on my journey." As they turned and started walking toward Marinette's house she asked, "How do I know you aren't the big bad wolf, kitty boy?"

Chat spluttered indignantly. "Me?! A Wolf?" He raised the back of one hand to his forehead while the other clutched at his chest. "My lady you wound me. You're calling me a …" He put up his hands between them and turned his face away. "No that's too terrible a thing to say."

"Chat?"

"My lady you've just accused me of being a DOG!"

They both burst into laughter.

As they walked into the darkness Marinette noted, "You did howl just a few minutes ago."

"Touché."