The akuma victim – a woman who'd had her heart broken one too many times – was more dangerous than both Ladybug and Chat Noir had originally anticipated. They had already faced an akuma victim who had suffered from similar negative feelings and things hadn't gone according to plan, so they had both been extra careful when they arrived. But there was an obvious difference between Dislocouer and their current foe; whilst Dislocouer simply wanted no one to feel love, Mme. Havisham, as she called herself, wanted more. She wanted people to feel the same pain she had felt, only on a physical level.

She attacked with barbed spears, the blade on the end modelled to look like a broken heart, and always aimed for her target's chest. Surprisingly serious for once, Chat had remarked that it was miraculous nobody had been seriously injured yet (well, maybe not completely seriously if he could still crack puns, but certainly more serious than usual). Before Ladybug could agree however, a spear sped straight towards her and it was only because Chat tackled her to the ground that it missed.

At that, Paris' famous duo agreed wordlessly then that Mme. Havisham had to be stopped as soon as possible, both taking off in an attempt to get her away from civilians. She followed, of course; her ragged wedding dress that looked like it had come from a Victorian novel trailing along behind her and her wild green eyes rolling around in her skull, barely keeping track of them.

For more than an hour they fought the crazed akuma victim, managing only to avoid the spears but not actually get close enough to locate where the akuma was residing. As another volley of spears rained down on them, Ladybug dragged Chat back into an alley for a tactical retreat.

"We can't keep fighting like this, Chat," Her voice was low and breathy, her chest heaving from the effort of extended heroism, "I haven't even been able to figure out where the akuma is, let alone use my lucky charm! At this rate we'll be too exhausted to fight her."

Chat sighed shallowly, also struggling to regulate his breathing. He brought a clawed glove up to his face and tried to push away the strands of blond hair that had got stuck to his sweat covered brow. "If I can buy you some time, maybe even get you a clear look at her, would you be able to activate lucky charm?"

Ignoring her discomfort and the protest of her lungs, Ladybug let out a long sigh. "I'm not letting you go out alone, Chat."

"But if she's not following one of us then she'll just go after civilians."

He took her hand, cradling it softly in his own, much larger, ones. Her blue eyes flicked up to him, catching his green ones and conveying all of the turmoil and guilt she felt. He smiled softly and squeezed her hand.

"I know you, Ladybug; I know that you would rather put your own life on the line for the safety of Paris' civilians. But, evidently, my Lady does not know me because I would much rather die than see her get hurt.

Ladybug's breath hitched at the sincerity in his voice, at the raw honesty that swam around in his eyes. He hadn't stopped smiling, but it had shifted slightly, becoming apologetic, almost as if he was apologising for caring for her so much.

At his words she steeled herself and nodded. "Don't get hurt, stupid cat."

He tugged her hand up to his mouth and for once she didn't stop him from kissing her knuckles. "I'll be fine as long as you don't leave me waiting too long, My Lady."

But, of course, Chat Noir had never had a lot of good luck.

He had taken no more than a few steps forward when a whistle permeated the air. Ladybug's head snapped to the alley entrance to see Mme. Havisham grinning with uncontrollable glee. She turned back to Chat in an instant, mouth open to call out a warning but was stopped by the sickening sound of leather and flesh being torn. His green eyes widened and bulged and his mouth dropped open with an almost inaudible gasp. Seemingly all energy he had left with the impact, his body dropping like a sack to the dirty floor faster than Ladybug could grab him.

She leapt towards him, dimly aware of his transformation coming undone, and reached for the spear. She quickly thought better of it and instead cradled his head. Trying to get it would only make it worse. She could beat the akuma, get him to hospital and save him still, right? Of course she could, she reasoned: she was Ladybug and Ladybug always saved the day.

His transformation finally ended and she let out a small gasp at the pained green eyes she thought she knew so well.

"Adrien?"

The skin around the edge of his eyes crinkled but she couldn't tell if he was wincing or aiming for a smile to comfort her. "So my Lady knows my name," He coughed suddenly, the spear in his chest shaking widely and droplets of blood staining his lower lip, "That's pawsitively made my day."

She wanted to smack him; a pun now of all times? Instead she just repeated his name, her voice cracking halfway through. She should be more shocked about this realisation, but his present state eclipsed anything she might have felt if things were different. She was vaguely aware of a small cat-like creature slamming itself against a ring she had never before noticed on his finger, but was more concerned that his eyelids had just closed on his green eyes and his breathing had become shallower.

"My Lady, please forgive me," His voice was so quiet and she instinctively leant down to hear him better, "This stupid cat was unable to do as you told him to."

She tried to shuffle closer to him, to comfort him, but her knee slipped in a puddle of blood she hadn't been aware was forming. A puddle of his blood, of Chat and Adrien's blood. She slipped forward, only just angling her body to avoid pushing the spear in further. Her hand came to land on his neck. There was no pulse beneath her fingers.

Ladybug choked on a sob and brought a hand to her mouth as tears she had no control of streamed down her face and mingled with the blood on the ground. Just because there was no pulse, it didn't mean he was dead... She could still get him to hospital and he'd live and she'd reveal herself to him. They could still get married and have three kids and a dog, and a hamster. She loved hamsters, almost as much as she'd come to love black cats. That could all still happen... right?

She couldn't recall when she had started crying his name.

"Adrien! Adrien! Chat! Chat! Chat Noir you have to wake up! You have to!"

There was a whistling noise, the same as the one that had felled her partner. The part of her brain that was concerned with keeping her alive made her stand up, but the part that cared about keeping Chat, no, Adrien alive made her reach for him. She desperately scrabbled to get a grip on the boy's clothes, to drag him away from the danger and the puddle of blood. The whistling grew louder and she let out a scream of frustration. Paris could crumble for all she cared. She had to get him out, she had to get him out, she had to-

And then Marinette Dupain-Cheng's heart shattered.

oO-0-Oo

This was for another prompt on tumblr. The akuma victim's name isn't technically based on Havisham from Great Expectation, but rather the poem by Carol Ann Duffy about her.

Sorry if the plot seems a little rushed but I hope it's still enjoyable ^_^''