Hi again! Just a short AN to say that this fic is based off another fic called "Unexpected Surprises" by Totally Lucky that I absolutely fell in love with. I Had this idea for if the fic was to go a little differently and Totally Lucky gave me permission to write this fic! You will need to have read Unexpected Surprises to understand what happens so if you haven't then GO AND READ IT NOW! IT'S SO AWESOME! I cried so hard at one part and reread it over and over until I've practically got the whole thing memorized and I guess it shows in the fact that I'm technically writing a fanfiction about a fanfiction XD
If you read it a while ago then to refresh your memory I'll just give a brief description. After a night spent together, Ladybug and Chat Noir have a huge argument which leads to Chat/Adrien leaving the country. In the original fic, Adrien returns 6 years later to find that Marinette was LB and now has a 5 year old daughter called Emma who is the spitting image of his mother when she was that age. This fic is basically a different version of how the story unfolds.
Anyways, All credit goes to Totally Lucky for writing the original fic and again thank you so much for letting me publish this!
I do not own Miraculous LB & CN and Unexpected Surprises and all it's OC's belong to Totally Lucky, The original theme for this story is also theirs.
Adrien stepped off the plane at exactly 8pm. The heat in New York was stifling and it took him several breaths to get used to the stifling air. The sun blazed down on him relentlessly and a sheen of sweat was already starting to form across his skin. He took one glance back at the plain that, wondering if running off on a whim in a haze of mixed emotions and a sleepless night was really a good idea but then he remembered her words. Her words which had turned his whole world upside down and destroyed the happy future he had held so dearly, leaving only a grey haze in it's path.
"I wish I had never met you..."
He tried to swallow the lump in his throat and hold himself together as he was whisked through customs as he had been doing for the past who knows how many hours. Sleep had at this point became a distant memory, it had been 36 hours since he had risen from the best night of his life and 27 hours since his whole world had came crumbling to it's knees and he hadn't slept. He didn't want to. He couldn't bare the thought of reliving that moment even if he know he couldn't stay awake for the rest of his life. Through his exhausted mind, he noticed a smartly dressed man with silvery hair slicked back tidily holding a plaque with his name written across the front and waved.
"Adrien Agreste?" He said smoothly. Adrien nodded and the man smiled. "Welcome to New York Monsieur Agreste, Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Mark Hamilton, Your father hired me to be your personal translator, English tutor and personal assistant until you are able to adjust here on your own." Mark bowed ever so slightly and raised a hand which Adrien shook politely and lifted an arm to scratch the back of his head.
"Um, No need to be so formal, Just call me Adrien. My father didn't mention anything about this." Mark raised a brow ever so slightly as if confused by his response but smiled, thankful he didn't have to navigate to the apartment his father had bought for him less than a few hours ago on what little English he spoke.
"But of course Mons-Adrien, May I take your cases? The car is waiting outside."
"I'm okay." Mark bowed again and began leading the way out into the front of the airport. People bustled past but Adrien could barely register anything. The walk was silent as the assistant lead the way in silence to a sleep black Cadillac and opened the boot and began loading his suitcase into. Adrien protested to the borderline elderly man lifting his case - which barely had anything in it since he had tossed only the essentials in a rush for a flight that was booked three hours before departure - before opening the passenger seat for him to slide into. The drive to the apartment was awkward, Mark made several attempts at starting conversations, telling him about his schedule and asking how his flight was but the blonde barely answered if at all and stared unseeingly out the window. They reached a large luxury building that looked more like a fancy hotel than an apartment complex and he was ushered up to his new living space. The apartment was what he had became used to, lavishly furnished and decorated but cold and impersonal, not the faintest bit welcoming. His father had bought this apartment for him and it occurred to the blonde that his father wasn't expecting him to return to Paris any time soon - or want him to. Mr Hamilton escorted him to his room and gave him a sympathetic smile he thought Adrien wouldn't see and stood tidily at the door while he took in his new bedroom.
"I trust it was a long trip, Please make yourself at home. Your interview at the agency will be tomorrow at 2pm so take your time to rest. If you need me for anything, just call," With that he offered a phone Adrien took, looking to see only one number saved in it. "If you need someone to talk to then also, please call me, I live down the hall." He gave another bow and Adrien forced an appreciative smile as he left, slightly annoyed at himself for being so readable. He dropped his suitcase and let himself fall onto the double bed sheeted with Egyptian cotton, his body finally giving into exhaustion. Finally alone and with nothing to distract him, he curled up into a fetal position, fingers pulling one of the pillows to his chest and burying his face into it, not even Plagg with him anymore to keep him company.
He had finally done it, He had succeeded in making everyone happy. He was out of the way so Ladybug could be happy and have the life he had envisioned himself with her with the other man she loved. He would no longer have to be a burden to his father by merely inhabiting the same household so he could go on with his work without having to direct him. He really had managed to make everyone he cared for happy, the only cost was any happiness he had envisioned for himself. It was in that moment, that realisation that the careful self control he had preserved up until that moment finally broke. All the grief, loss and loneliness he had kept under lock and key hit him like a tidal wave of such velocity his entire body shook violently and he wept into his pillow until early hours of the morning when the nightmares began.
Marinette was becoming desperate, she had almost all but given up on her search for Chat when she stood looking at him on top of a non-descript building somewhere near her old school. Standing right in front of her was a familiar black clad boy, ears and bell in place. She had chased him across half the rooftops of Paris before he finally stopped and turned around, her stomach had dropped. looking back at her with recognition in his eyes from under his messy bangs. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
"Who are you?" She asked, balling her shaking hands into fist and holding them behind her back. The boy chuckled, swinging his tail around in one hand, clearly oblivious to her almost threatening tone.
"I'm the new Chat Noir, I've actually been-"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE NEW CHAT NOIR?" She yelled, making the smaller boy jump in surprise. Confusion and something akin to fear flashed across his face as Ladybug jumped at him, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "How did you get the miraculous? Where is the old Chat?" The questions flooded her mind and her grip on the young boy was crushing but he tried not to flinch.
"I found the ring on my windowsill this morning and Plagg said I was the new chosen-"
"What happened to the old chat? Please I need to know!" She cut him off again, angry and confused tears threatening to spill over as her control started to slip. The new Chat broke away from her grasp and stepped back, looking down and running his hand through his hair in an ever so 'Chat' way.
"I don't know, Plagg just said he had to give up his miraculous because he couldn't be Chat anymore,"
"What do you mean he couldn't be Chat anymore?"
"Hay I don't know! I only know what Plagg told me!" The brunette flung his arms in the air in frustration, "I don't know what happened between you two but he's gone and now I'm here, what do you WANT me to say?" Marinette stood there silently, observing him as he studied her up and down, furrowing his brows in agitation. His words repeated themselves in her head like a broken record and she sank to her knees, Her legs shaking to much to keep her standing. She covered her face in her hands, hiding the shame and hurt and resentment towards herself as it all spilled over and salty tears trailed down her cheeks. After an awkward silence passed only broken by her hiccups and sobs until Marinette felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked up to see concerned blue eyes.
"I don't know what happened between you but I'll ask Plagg if he knows what happened to the old Chat Noir, I guess since I'm your new partner it's my duty to help, Cats Honour," He gave a cheshire grin, his childish features bright and his eyes sympathetic. She nodded slowly, accepting his hand and let him pull her to her feet, awkwardly since he was a head shorter than her. His ring beeped and he startled. "I don't have long, meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower tomorrow, I'll speak to Plagg and tell you what he knows." She nodded, forcing a smile and watched him dart off. She couldn't help but notice how his movements where awkward and he stumbled occasionally, his inexperience clear in his movements. Sadness rose in her once again and she turned tail and made her way to her home, being a little more careful than she usually would. Now she was faced with another question, something that had been bothering her for a few weeks and she had finally worked up the courage to buy the little blue stick that would confirm or deny her frightening suspicion. Less than twenty minutes later, she sat with her hand clasped over her mouth staring at the tiny digital screen that read 'pregnant - 6 weeks', once again her overly active emotions leaving her in a crying, trembling mess. After a long time of sitting on the toilet lid, she eventually calmed to the point where she could form a coherent though.
"Marinette?" Her Kwami finally spoke after a long silence, moving away after having been sat on her shoulder silently since getting back. Marinette looked at her as she flew in front of her, her tiny little face covered in regret.
"What is it Tikki?" The Kwami shuffled in midair, looking anywhere by Marinettes eyes.
"Um, because there is a new Chat, There also has to be a new Ladybug..." The Kwami's large eyes looked up apologetically finally meeting hers. "I can't stay much longer, I have to go."
"NO!" Marinette caught the Kwami gently in her eyes, holding her to her chest. "No please don't leave me, I...I can't take it if anyone else leaves me." She hunched over the little red creature who snuggled into her chest, pearl like tears glazing her jewel like eyes. "Why do you have to go?"
"We have our own rules we have to live by, if one of our chosen give back their miraculous and another one is chosen, the other has to find a new chosen to. I'm sorry Marinette, I really don't want to leave you like this but I have t-"
"One more day!" Marinette gripped Tikki to her even closer, ever so careful not to crush her tiny little body. "Please, just give me one more day so I can say goodbye properly. I can't face everything without you right now." She couldn't bare the thought of losing her partner but if she had no choice, she needed a chance to say goodbye properly, her heart couldn't take another disappearance. Her Chat hadn't been seen since the night she broke his heart and days later, she had found out that Adrien had up and left for a job in the states without a word, if anyone else abandoned her like that she would surely shatter. The Kwami stayed silent for a long time before flying up to her cheek and hugging her.
"Okay, I'll stay until tomorrow so you can see Chat again." Marinette smiled through her tears, uttering words of thanks over and over again and finally unlocked the bathroom door. She had a lot to do and she needed to do it while she still had Tikki for support so she pushed all her worries, all her uncertainty to the back of her mind and made her way downstairs, the first hurdle being to break the news to her parents.
The next day swept by far to quickly for Marinette's liking as her time as Ladybug ticked down to zero in the blink of an eye. She barely slept, trying to figure out what to do with the time she had left. College was the furthest thing from her mind and she didn't even bother to call in sick the next morning. The exchange with her parents had gone much smoother than she could have hoped, they didn't press on who the father was and they just held her, promising that they would support her no matter what her decision was. That part hadn't really sunk in until late that night and she lay pondering what she should do, Tikki snuggled close to her stomach the whole time. Should she keep it? Could she do it? Was it fair to raise a child when she technically didn't know who the father was? Her questions and uncertainty where all put to rest when a small revelation formed in her wrecked mind. She or He was Chats, it was a piece of Chat she could keep with her forever and she didn't want to face his look of hurt and disappointment if she ever found him and told him she had been pregnant with his child. Not keeping the baby was like admitting she had given up on seeing him again.
The next day she spent almost the entire day transformed, carrying a rather large stash of cookies with her so she didn't have to wait long between transformations. She felt guilty as it took Tikki longer and longer to recover, not used to being pushed so far but Tikki reassured her she was fine, her own expression guilty. After scoping as much of Paris as she possibly could, she sat at the top of the Eiffel Tower untransformed, hidden from view and watched the streets as the sun slowly set, longing for a certain blonde clad in black to emerge. When her watch buzzed at 6pm, she transformed as she saw a clumsy brunette raising towards her from below on his baton. He approached her nervously and her hopes wilted.
"I'm sorry about yesterday, I've...I've had a rough couple of days."
"No need to apologise," He gave her a smile but it didn't quite hide his nerves. "So I spoke to Plagg..." He trailed off and his shoulders sagged, "Plagg couldn't tell me anything, He said he isn't allowed to tell anyone who his chosen are. The only thing he could tell me was that he was that he had to give up his miraculous because it has to stay in Paris and he was very upset about it...I'm sorry." The brunette looked down on the pedestrians below, his back to her. Marinette swallowed. Her only lead a dead end. Chat had left the country and she had no possible way of chasing him, to tell him how much she regretted her words and how sorry she was, to try and tell him how what she had wanted to say was that she loved him just as much as she loved Adrien. She had yet to manage to bury her feelings for Adrien but she was working on it, He had also left. He had never reciprocated her feelings and the time for her to give up was long overdue, to give her love to someone who did but by the time she had finally realised it, he was long gone.
"Thank you. Don't be sorry." She sighed heavily and forced a smile, unable to contain the single tear that escaped. "Thank you, I'm sure you'll make a great partner to Ladybug." With that she jumped down from the ledge she was sitting on, catching her yo yo onto a beam and made her way down. The motion made nausea swept over her and she hunched over at the base of the tower dry heaving as she hadn't been able to stomach food since the day before. A civilian stopped, coming over and asking if she was okay but she quickly ran away, not wanting to face anyone or linger long enough for pictures in her state to be plastered all over the internet. She still had one thing left to do before she had to give up her miraculous and the day was quickly drawing to an end. She finally found herself outside a modern apartment block, lights flickering merrily from within and she swung up to the window ledge, trying to open the window and finding it locked so she knocked. A confused Alya eventually came and drew the curtains and she froze in shock which quickly gave way for excitement as she unlatched the bedroom window, opening it wide for her to awkwardly climb in.
"Ladybug! What are you doing her? How did you know where I lived? Wait one moment, I need my phone. Nino! Ladybug is here!" She was practically dancing up and down and ran back into the living room followed by Marinette who couldn't help but laugh at her childish excitement. Nino turned around from the couch in surprise and his eyes widened. She smiled and gave an awkward wave and tried to stop Alya as she hurried back over to her, her phone in hand.
"Please, I have something important to show you. Since you've been following my every move since I became Ladybug." She shuffled awkwardly under Alya's excited gaze, her eyes burning with anticipation. "Um, Can we have some privacy?" She glanced sideways at Nino who observed, lifting an eyebrow in confusion. Alya put a hand on her hip and gave him the sweetest look she could.
"Honey could you go and get us a takeout? I fancy pizza. Please?" Her tone was sweet but she gave him a face that could only be read as 'I'll make it worth your while later,' and he jumped, grabbing his headphones and jacket and only stopping to give her a quick peck on the cheek. Once the door was shut behind him, Alya turned to look at Ladybug, finally seeing the tension in her small frame, The uncertainty in her eyes reminded of Marinette, how she would look the same when she had something she wanted to say but didn't want to say it.
"Is something wrong LB? Why did you come to visit me? And how do you know Nino's name?" More questions formed as genuine concern came for her idol as she saw how much of a mess the girl was. There where streaks down her face and her eyes where swollen and bloodshot, Her usually confident posture was sagging and she was breathing heavily like she had ran a marathon or two. The superhero glanced around the room nervously before she slowly met here eyes and they glazed over, her jaw tightening.
"I'm sorry I never told you, please don't freak out," She said in a course whisper, there was a flash of light which made the apprentice journalist lift an arm to cover her eyes and she squinted, freezing when the light dissipated and there stood Marinette, a small red creature dropping into her hands and she stood silent, waiting for her reaction.
"Mari...Marinette? It was you all this time?" The raven haired nodded slowly, her eyes fixated on something on the floor. A number of emotions washed over her and Marinette saw every one of them, her stomach twisting uncomfortably as she watched from her peripherals. Shock, confusion, embarrassment, betrayal, understanding happiness and then curiosity. "Okay so I understand why you would keep it from me but why now?" Of all the questions that Marinette could have expected she hadn't expected that. She finally lifted her gaze to her friends warm smile and suddenly found herself in her arms crying - yet again - unable to find words. How could she have even though Alya would leave her for keeping this big a secret from her? she had every right to lose it and kick her out but this was Alya, her best friend, the only person she could trust to just understand her without needing to explain herself and she couldn't be more grateful for being lucky enough to have a friend like her. Alya guided her to the now free sofa and allowed Marinette to collapse, her head and arms on her lap as she soaked her jeans. They stayed like that for a long time, Alya cooing words of comfort while Marinette really let go, she stealthily took her phone and texted Nino telling him to get an extra pizza and adding cake and ice cream to the order and asking him to take as much time as he could. She sat running her hands through her friends dishevelled hair, burning with questions but not wanting to pester the distressed girl as she figured out why Marinette had been so down lately, more that she would have expected from Adrien leaving. When she eventually settled down she moved and sat on the couch, legs crossed and curled in on herself while Alya made cocoa.
"Marinette, I have to go." Tikki flew up to face level with her chosen, Marinette nodded shakily and fumbled to take her earrings off.
"Who are you talking to?" Alya called before returning with two mugs piled high with whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate sauce, or Diabetes in a mug as Marinette liked to call it. The bluenette inclined at the small red creature that hovered in front of her.
"This is Tikki, She is how I transform into Ladybug." Tikki waved at her with a small smile and Alya eeped, placing a mug down on the coffee table and holding her hand out so the Kwami could land on it.
"She's adorable!" She squeeked, stroking Tikki's head with her index finger. "You'e been hiding this little babe from me all this time? I'm hurt. You know how much I love cute things." Marinette chuckled, her mood lightening a little before going down again.
"I can't be Ladybug anymore, There's a new Chat now and there needs to be a new Ladybug to. I can't be her anymore anyway." She took her other earring off and swept Tikki into her cupped hands from Alya's palm, nuzzling her cheek against Tikki's and smiling sadly. "Thanks Tikki, for everything, I'll miss you." She kissed the Kwami's tiny cheek gently and gave her one last hug. Tikki smiled at he, the earrings in her tiny hands looking huge.
"Take care of yourself Marinette, You've been my favourite chosen so far, I'll never forget you." The kwami turned to the bespectacled journalist and gave her what would have been a hard stare if she wasn't so cute. "You make sure she looks after herself." Alya looked surprised but raised a hand, standing straight in an almost military fashion.
"Ladybloggers honour." Tikki nodded with a smile and vanished in a sparkling cloud of red and black, leaving Alya and Marinette alone.