Alya couldn't quite pinpoint the moment that she first learned the true identity of Ladybug. It had been some time ago and it had come along so slowly that it had almost seemed mundane at the time. It was almost like learning a new concept in Math class that you suddenly realize you already know all of the steps to from previous lessons; just connecting old knowledge in a way that you hadn't thought of before.

She hadn't run to Marinette for answers, even though she had desperately wanted them, and she definitely hadn't posted anything to the Ladyblog. She had felt hurt that her friend didn't think she could be trusted, but she believed that the dark haired girl must have a reason.

"Mari, why do you think Ladybug hides who she really is?" she had asked while they were studying one day.

"I think she doesn't want her family and friends to get hurt because of her," the other girl had answered. "I can't imagine something bad happening to you because of me, after all. Ladybug is just a normal girl under her mask, with a life just like ours."

Marinette had not hesitated or had to think about it. She had answered naturally, as if it was something that she often thought about, despite the fact that she wasn't outwardly a very big fan of the superhero. Perhaps that had been the final confirmation that Alya had needed to be sure that her best friend was, in fact, Ladybug.

Alya understood Marinette's need to protect those around her. The girl was selfless beyond belief, even with those who she did not like. She had often seen her friend stand up for others that she was not connected to, so she could only imagine what it must be like for her to think that she might be putting those that she loves in danger.

After finding out, she started to study the heroine in a new way.

Previously, she had noticed things about Ladybug that most people would have missed, like face expressions or things that the superhero seemed to be extra fond of, but now she also noticed the way that Marinette's life bled into Ladybug's life.

She noticed the silent war that Ladybug seemed to be at with herself any time Chloé needed to be saved. She noticed the way that Ladybug flinched any time she recognized the person who had been akumatized. She even noticed the way that Ladybug seemed to react to Adrien Agreste, something that the model seemed to miss as much as when she was just Marinette.

She also noticed Chat Noir a little more.

Here was someone who was clearly head over heels for her best friend, but Marinette didn't notice because she was too focused on her crush on Adrien to even understand when someone else genuinely liked her. The way that that cat followed her around was impressively loyal. He protected Ladybug fiercely and Alya found herself trading in her previously 'Team Adrien' attitude for a significantly more 'Team Chat' tone.

She found herself wondering if Marinette knew who Chat Noir was in real life. She had to, didn't she? No two people could be that in sync and that well acquainted without knowing their real identities, could they?

But wouldn't her real name have slipped from his lips a time or two if they knew? And Alya had watched them close enough over the past year to know that it never had. So perhaps they were oblivious. Perhaps Alya knew more than even Ladybug's partner.

Definitely more than Hawkmoth, she reasoned with herself frequently when her worry over her best friend grew. If Hawkmoth knew Ladybug's true identity, Marinette would not be able to live the relatively calm life that she did live.

Still, Alya found herself questioning it every time another one of their classmates was akumatized. Why their class in particular, if it was not to get to Ladybug, after all?

One person who she had not even considered to know the truth had been Marinette's mom. What kind of a mother would knowing let their child risk her life like Ladybug did every day?

So when Sabine Cheng pretended not to notice when her daughter disappeared during an akuma fight near their bakery, Alya was shocked.

"Marinette must be in the shower," Sabine obviously but calmly lied when she noticed Alya duck into the bakery for cover while Ladybug and Chat Noir fought the new villain on the street right outside. "If you wait, I'm sure she will be down after all of this akuma business is over."

The woman pointedly did not look out of the window. She counted the pastries in the display case, adjusted the cash register, just anything to keep her from seeing her daughter outside putting her life in danger.

"You know?" Alya asked in surprise.

Sabine rolled her eyes but nodded.

"Of course I know," she responded. "I've known since that whole business with the animal man. How could a mother not recognize her child when she's looking her right in the eye?"

A moment passed between them while the teenager registered when she was saying.

"Then why don't you stop her?" Alya wondered after a pause.

"Same reason as you, I suppose," the mother mused. "She's my whole world and I won't pretend to be excited about this, but this is bigger than me. I would love to be selfish and lock her in her room forever, but how could I live with myself knowing that other mothers would lose their children when mine could have saved them?"

The young reporter was impressed. Selflessness was clearly a trait that ran in the family.

"I'm still trying to deal with it," Alya admitted. "It keeps me up at night. I don't think she knows why I'm so happy to see her at school every morning."

Sabine smiled a little, but it was somewhat sad.

"There's nothing we can do but be proud of her," Mrs. Cheng replied. "And hope that she comes home safe."

Alya nodded and watched outside as Ladybug used lucky charm and Cat Noir ran a distraction so that the girl could have time to figure out what to do with a tennis racket. While Sabine couldn't look at the fight, the girl couldn't take her eyes off of it until the moment of relief where the two heroes shared a fist bump. The two shared a moment of discussion before taking off in different directions.

No more than two minutes later, Marinette was coming down the stairs and smiled in surprise at her best friend standing there.

"Hey, Alya!" she greeted. "Mom, Alya and I are going to go upstairs to my room, okay?"

Sabine nodded and held out a plate of cookies that she had prepared when she was trying to keep busy. She smiled too fondly at a girl who was just asking to hang out with her friend.

"Take these, sweetheart," she said. "Love you."

Marinette's tired face brightened.

"Love you, too, Mom," she responded, completely oblivious as to her mother and best friend's knowledge. "Come on, Alya. I've got to show you the new designs I've made."

"Coming, girl," Alya replied, following too much of a smile.

Someday, she would tell her friend that she knew. She could ask her all of the questions that she had about her life as a superhero. She would find out the extent of her relationship with Chat Noir and how she got her powers. But not today.

Today, there was no reason for anything to change.