Her hair was the colour of sunflowers and it cascaded down her tanned shoulders, rolling to a stop where her white dress looped around her shoulders. Well it used to anyway. Now she'd had it chopped off, so it rolled to stop at the base of her neck, just above the hook for her pearl necklace. It didn't really matter how her hair looked, it was hidden under a jet-black floppy hat that was wider than her shoulders, and still somehow elegant.
Chole admired that.
Her mother was beautiful. Even in a silly hat. Chole, in her little yellow and black dress that puffed into a tutu at the bottom, skipped along the path. Her fairy wings bounced as she went. Chole came to a stop at the toy shop, as always. She gazed up at the display in the window, eyes shining, joyful and painless.
Innocent.
Ignorant.
Chole raced back and latched onto her mothers gloved hand.

"Mama, look, look!"

"Chole dear don't touch, you'll get me dirty!" Her mother huffed.

Her voice was not unkind, but impatient. She had, after all, told her daughter a million times not to just grab at her like that. Especially when she was wearing white. Chole didn't care.

She put her hands on her hips and said, in the stubborn toddler voice she rarely used but would soon master, "Mummy, today I am in charge. Today I am The Bee Queen, and I can touch anything!"

Her mother took a long time to reply. When she did, it was still impatient, and uncaring, and a kind of sigh that brushed off Chole's point.

"Yes dear. Whatever you say dear."

Chole beamed. Her mother had made her queen today as a joke, and she was finding her feet being in charge. She enjoyed it. It meant her mother had to spend time with her, instead of bailing at the last minute to leave her with the servants again.

"Mama, look!" Chole repeated, her voice bright and excited again.

"At what dear?" Her mother sighed.

"At that!"

Chole's hand smudged the crystal-clear glass as she pointed to the teddy sat so elegantly a top the display. Her mother said nothing. Chole turned her head and realised she was phoning someone again. Chole's shoulders deflated and her face fell. She was supposed to be in charge today.

"CHOLE!"

Chole turned her head to see a young boy with a wild mop of blonde hair bounding towards her in a neat white shirt and a waist coat made specifically for him. His emerald green eyes gleamed at her as he panted, finally at her side.

"Hello Adrien!" Chole smiled.

"I'm shopping with my mother!" Adrien beamed, "what are you doing?!"

Chole took a step back to show off her dress and wings. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the bee queen!"

Adrien tilted his head. His puffed cheeks were red from running, and his mouth was a small bewildered circle.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"That means I'M in charge!" Chole raised her chin smugly.

She glanced up at her mother who was still on the phone and hadn't even paused to glance at the strange boy who had come running to talk to her daughter. Adrien's mother came running after him. Now she arrived, puffing and out of breath, and holding her sky-blue hat down so it wouldn't blow away. Mrs Adrien's mom was beautiful too, Chole though. Her green eyes sparkled like her smile, and her blonde hair was permanently smooth, and that neat blue summer dress she was wearing was lovely. Of course, she wasn't as beautiful as her mother. No, no, Chole's mother was the most beautiful and wonderful woman on Earth.

"Adrikins," his mother panted, "don't run off like that, you scared me half to death!"

She laid a hand on his shoulder to pull him against her in case he tried to run again.

"I wanted to talk to Chole mama!" Adrien countered.

"You can't just run off though. It's not safe."

"Sorry Mama. I won't do it again."

"Good boy."

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. He pulled a face and wiped it off with his arm. His mother chuckled a warm, velvety chuckle. Chole felt a pang of... she didn't know what. Whatever it was, it went away when Adrien's mother flashed her a smile.

"Hello Chole, how are you?" She asked, kindly.

"Fine. I want that!" Chole declared, pointing at the bear.

Adrien and his mother turned to look at the bear. Adrien looked up at his mother, with wonder in his voice and explained, "Chole's queen of bees today!"

"The Bee Queen!" Chole corrected sharply, with a pout.

Adrien reeled back, surprised to be wrong. "Oh."

"Well that's wonderful! What does it mean, your majesty?" Adrien's mother smiled.

Chole beamed at her. She was treating the Bee Queen the way she deserved.

"It means I'm in charge, so I'm defiantly getting that!" She explained.

"Awesome!" Adrien breathed.

Chole beamed at him. "Do you want to be my knight?"

"Yeah!" Adrien gasped as if she offered him the world. Then he paused, and frowned, "what does a knight do?"

"He, um, the Knight..." Chole frowned too. She wasn't entirely sure.

Fortunately, Adrien's mother knew. She laid a hand on her son's shoulder, and explained, with this magical tone in her voice, "the knights protect the Queen. They're the strongest, bravest, handsomest people in the kingdom, and they get to marry the princess!"

Adrien pulled a face, "marry a princess?! Yuck!"

"Well I don't have a princess, so you have to just be strong and brave and fight people to protect me and my bees instead," Chole countered.

Adrien hummed thoughtfully for a moment, and then shrugged, "ok then."

Chole beamed brightly. She raised her wand high, and declared, "I knight you-"

But before she could bring her wand down to land on Adrien's shoulder, her mother took her wrist. Adrien frowned as Chole gasped.

Her mother stuffed her phone into her hand bag and said, "we have to get home. Quickly now dear."

Disappointed, and being dragged away, Chole said, "Oh, bye then Adrien."

Equally disappointed, Adrien muttered, "bye."

Chole turned to face the direction she was being dragged. She had to walk at double pace to keep up with her mother's long strides.

"But what about my bear mama?"

"What bear?"

"The bear in the window, I want the bear!"

"Oh we'll send a butler or someone to get it, hurry up dear, we have to get home quickly!"

Chole couldn't go much faster, but she tried because her mother asked her to.
Before the front door even shut Chole's mother was done with her. She walked away, up the stairs, before Chole had a chance to get through the door. Suddenly she was alone in the hotel lobby again.

"Oh, Jean-Claude, deal with her, will you?" Her father said, before vanishing into another room.

"Yes sir," Jean-Claude stated.

The butler wandered over to Chole, and bowed his head to her. "Good afternoon little honey bee-"

Chole, hurt that her mother had walked away, frustrated she couldn't make her listen, and jealous she didn't have a mother like Adrien, snapped. She stamped her foot ready for a tantrum, and screamed.

"IM. THE. BEE QUEEN!"

The poor butler had to bear the brunt of the tantrum because no one else would. He ushered her into her bedroom, where she sat, surrounded by expensive and exquisite toys, screaming for one teddy in a shop window.

"I will find you this teddy, miss, but you have to stop crying. They will not let me leave if you are still crying," he explained, calmly.

"I DONT KNOW HOW!" Chole howled.

So Jean-Claude had to gather her up in his arms, and rock her back and forth as she sobbed into his shoulder. Jean-Claude had a soft spot for Chole. His boss may have been her father, but he felt he was her papa. When she finally cried herself to sleep, he laid her on her bed, and stroked her hair gently, so it didn't fall over her blotchy red face. he whipped away the snot and tear streaks with his pocket hanky. Her mother would have been furious at how dirty she was. Chole didn't need that right now. she needed sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Bee Queen."

Chole sat on her mother's bed watching her fold her dresses up and lay them in her suitcase. She kept wandering over to her walk-in wardrobe, and bringing back more clothes. Wherever she was going, it was going to be for a long time.

Impatiently, her mother tutted, "Later Chole."

"But why can't you tell me where?!"

"Because I am your mother, so I don't have to."

"But-"

"Chole will you please just get out?!" Her mother finally snapped.

Chole reeled back, visibly hurt. She hung her head as she slunk off of the bed, and dragged her feet out of the room. When she got the door, her mother sighed.

"Chole, wait."

She turned, hopefully. Her mother didn't even glance her way.

"Shut the door behind you."

Chole's shoulders sagged again. She bowed her head, and shut the door. Miserably, she dragged her feet down the stairs, to find her father. He glanced up at her as she approached, and then back down, without registering the unhappy face she was pulling.

"Ah, Chole, a gift came for you," he said.

Chole looked confused but delighted at him, "a gift? For me? Where?"

"Just give me a second."

Chole hopped excitedly in one spot. "Where?! Where?! Where?!"

"Just a second!" Her father repeated, sharply.

Chole stopped jumping. Everyone was so snappy today. Her father finished whatever he was doing, and wandered over to the table by the door. From the wicker basket where the mail was left, he drew a teddy bear. It was yellow with a white muzzle, a black nose, and black and white stripes over his belly. Just like it had been in the shop. Chole gasped.
Her mother had listened!
Her mother had remembered!
Her mother did care!
Chole gathered the bear into her arms and squeezed it with all the force her toddler arms could squeeze with. Jean-Claude smiled to himself when he saw the innocent joy on her face.

"What would you like to name, Misure Cuddle bear?" He asked.

"Mr Cuddly!" Chole beamed back.

Jean-Claude smiled and nodded, "Welcome, Mr Cuddly. Would you like some cookies? They are in the kitchen. This way."

Chole munched on the cookies, sitting on the highest stall to get to the table, with Mr Cuddly by her side. She was surprised that they weren't as warm as usual. Usually the cook baked them fresh. The idea that these were actually from some little bakery across didn't enter her mind. In fact, she thought of nothing but the cookies, until she heard a strange, but not unfamiliar thudding from the lobby. Someone was lugging their suitcase downstairs themselves, rather than tip the bellhop again. Chole wandered out, cookie in one hand, Mr Cuddly in the other, to see who. She recognised the beautiful woman in the black and white dress instantly. But why wouldn't she use the bellhops?

"Mama?"

Her mother groaned inwardly, and didn't bother to look up at her daughter. Chole stepped forward. Cookie crumbs fell from her pink skirt, and onto the floor. Her mother rolled her eyes.

"You're always dirty Chole."

"Where are you going?" Chole asked.

"Away," her mother stated.

"Can I come?"

"Not this time dear."

"When will you be back?"

Her mother adjusted the way her floppy black hat sat on her head. She had to be the picture of elegance, as had come to be expected from her. Chole watched, waiting for an answer that wouldn't come.

"Mama when will you come home?" She asked again.

Her mother took the handle of her suitcase delicately, and opened the door with her free hand.

"Be a good girl Chole. Try to, anyway."

Chole wandered to the door, dragging Mr Cuddly beside her. Chole picked him up and hugged him to her chest as she stood on the doorstep and watched.
She watched her mother hand her bag to a taxi driver, who opened the door of the car for her before putting it in the boot. She watched her mother open her compact mirror and adjust her lipstick. She watched the driver close the door on her mother. She watched him climb into the front seat. She watched her mother drive into the distance, and out of sight.
She watched her mother vanish forever.
And she never said goodbye.

Chole was laying face down in her pillow, still miserable, even though she was out of tears now. It'd been a month since they decided she was officially never coming back. Chole had known it from two weeks in, when the phone still hadn't rung. Since then she had stayed locked up in her room, refusing to leave. Now Adrien was here, she still didn't move.
Adrien was not sure how to navigate this situation. Usually Chole was the happy one. She was full of the joys of life, as all children are, and she would lead the games that they would play, and he'd gladly go along with any of them. He didn't much like a few, like playing fashion model. That felt too much like what his father made him do at week ends, and that was boring and often ended up with him in tears. Now Chole was sad and he didn't have any social interactions to let him know what to do.

"Do you wanna play Bee Queen? I'll be your knight," he offered.

"No," Chole said, glumly, into her pillow.

"Do you wanna play pirates? I'm good at pirates," Adrien grinned.

He was good at pirates. Swinging through the air was fun, and balancing along the stick they used for the plank was tricky, but worth it when you made it to the end. Or funny to fall off of. There was no downside to pirates. Except that Chole didn't want to play it.

"Well what do you want to play?" Adrien sighed.

"Nothing! Just go away!" Chole huffed.

Adrien frowned. He didn't like seeing Chole like this. She was his friend, his only friend, and everything he saw said friends helped each other through this sort of thing. He was determined to make her smile.

"Chole, look, I drew you a picture!"

Chole turned her head to see what he had spent the last ten minutes working on. It was a picture them. She had a bee hovering beside her, and he had a cat sitting on his head, and there was a rainbow above them. It was a crude image, but she understood what it meant.

"Thanks. I like the bee," she sniffed.

Adrien beamed, "I know. Cats are my favourite and bees are yours."

She sat up to take the picture from him. Mr Cuddly fell onto the floor as she moved. Adrien looked down as he fell. He grinned in recognition and picked it up.

"Hey you got the bear!"

Chole snatched the bear back from him. "His name is Mr Cuddly."

Adrien looked surprised at how vicious she was about it. She had never been harsh with him before. He tilted his head.

"I just wanna see," he whined.

Chole's glare fluctuated. She didn't really want to share, but he seemed so upset that she wouldn't. She scowled, looking away from him, and pushed Mr Cuddly into Adrien's chest.

"Fine!" She huffed.

Adrien lit up as he took the bear from her. He held it up in front of him, like his mother did to him, and put on his best silly voice.

"I'm Mr Cuddly, and I love Chole, but I LOVE Adrien more!" He teased.

Chole scowled at him. "He wouldn't say that!"

Adrien lowered the bear, defeated. "Then what would he say?"

Chole took the bear back and put on the best mockery of the silly voice Adrien had given. "My name is Mr Cuddly, and I like warm hugs."

Adrien beamed. "I'll hug you Mr Cuddly!"

Adrien, being a relatively boorish boy when he was allowed to be, misjudged the speed, strength, size and distance of the teddy, threw his arms around chole too, and accidentally tackled her to the floor.

"GET OFF! GET OFF ADRIEN GET OFF!" Chole squealed.

Adrien giggled as he stood up, and dusted himself down. Chole fixed her hair and scowled at him.

"Look what you've done! You've made me all dirty now!"

Adrien frowned. She never cared about dirt before. "Sorry. It'll come off."

"You're so annoying Adrien!" Chole huffed.

She turned her back and folded her arms sulkily. Adrien frowned. He was only trying to help. He felt a ball in his throat. Chole, his only friend, was annoyed with him. That was more upsetting than anything else he could think off.

"I'll just go then," he muttered.

Chole gasped and turned around. He was heading for the door. He was going to walk out and leave too.

"No!" She cried, and raced to slam herself against the door so he couldn't go. "You have to stay!"

"But you said-"

"I didn't mean it! You're not annoying! You're my best friend!" She insisted.

Adrien gave her a hesitant look, and muttered, "you mean it?"

Chole straightened up, and very seriously, held out her hand, with her pinkie finger curled.

"Pinkie promise!" She declared. Adrien looked confused. She elaborated. "You curl your pinkie around mine."

Adrien, still hesitantly, did as she said. She beamed as their pinkies locked. She threw her arms around him, desperately, and he hugged her back, just as desperate. They were too young to understand why they needed each other so much, but old enough to realise they did.

In his ear, she whispered, "Best friends for life. promise me?"

Adrien nodded. "I promise. We'll always be friends. Forever."

Sabine and Tom watched, sympathetically, unable to pull their gaze away from the boy standing on his doorstep beside his father. Tom held Marinette's hand a little tighter when he saw how distant Gabriel was being from Adrien. Poor thing. The boy couldn't have been any older than Marinette. Tom couldn't imagine losing Sabine, but he knew it would bring him closer to Marinette if anything. Sabine must have read his mind because she reached for his hand, as if to assure him she wasn't going anywhere.

"Dad, you're hurting my hand," Marinette said.

Tom let go, but shuffled closer so he could still feel that she was close. She adjusted her red bow with the black spots that was holding back her fringe and tugged her mums hand.

"C'mon, we have to get to our appointment!"

"Calm down Mari, your hair won't grow longer just because you stood here for two minutes," Sabine said, firmly.

"I'm sorry he's lost whoever he lost, but this bow is the only thing keeping the hair out of my eyes, and stopping me from being blind, and it's very childish!" Marinette whined.

"He lost his mother," Tom said.

Marinette looked from Sabine to Adrien in alarm and the realisation of the pain he was in began to sink in.

"Oh..."

"But you're right. We have an appointment to keep. Let's go," Tom said.

Adrien gulped as he watched a mother and father ushering their daughter down the street again. The girl seemed to be in charge of them. She and her father were especially close. He felt a pang of jealously. His own father was a whole step away from him. There was no chance of even accidental touching between them. He had no reassurance from his father. It was as if his mother had taken his father with her.

That hurt more than anything.

Suddenly he felt a hand slip into his, gently. He glanced over. Chole stood beside him, with genuine empathy in her face. So far that was the only empathy he'd been given without pity. That was enough to make the ball in his throat ache. She stayed by his side the entire time, until finally he could shut the door on the police and the paparazzi and the reporters, and just be alone in his room.
Alone, with the only friend he had.
She sat on the sofa, and he collapsed beside her. All the pain he was pushing back down into his stomach bubbled away for a while, because a tsunami of exhaustion swept them aside. There a silence between them. One of complete understanding, and for the first time all week, one free of pity.

"It sounds dumb to ask how you're doing," Chole muttered.

It was dumb. She knew how he was doing. She'd been there. But because she'd been there, he felt safe opening up to her.

"It hurts..."

His voice was dull and croaky in the silence of the bedroom. He'd said practically nothing all day and his throat still ached from holding it all in. Chole's voice was stronger, but still quiet.

"I know. But it gets better."

"When does it stop?" Adrien sniffed.

Chole reached out and laid her hand on top of his, gently. Her eyes brimmed with tears of her own, but she could control it now. Her voice didn't even shake.

"I'll let you know when I find out."

This was a hard day for her too. She wasn't entirely sure at what point (or how) she figured out that it was Adrien's mother that had brought her the bear and not her own, but since then she had seen her as the perfect replacement. Now she'd lost her too.
At least when her mother left she still had her father to spoil her, and her butler who was more like a dad than a butler, not that she'd ever admit that. Adrien's father had grown colder and more distant if that were possible. Natalie and the bodyguard were his mother and father figures now and one didn't talk much and the other was mechanical when she did.
She was all Adrien had.
And she was going to stick with him until the pain eased up enough for him to go on alone, because that's what he had done for her all those years ago. Even though she was hurting too she hid it, to help him first.
Because that's what friends did.
Because they were friends.
Best friends.

Forever.