Trying to Start Over

Chapter 2

"And/

All of a sudden I felt/

Really tired.

Like the world had drained me/

For everything that/

I had

"

No POV

"So what you're telling me is that I have a godfather that I have never met, but my dad knew him? And I never met him because he moved to France to start his bakery, and married the woman of his dreams? But because of this we haven't heard from his since?" Icy blue eyes stared at his gray-haired, former arch-enemy, the teen hero rattling off questions.

"Yes to all of those. His name is Tom Dupain, and he will be your new guardian…once he comes to pick you up." He muttered the last part under his breath, but continued after receiving a harsh look from Danny.

"He received your father's punctuality… or vice-versa." *Sigh* He rubbed the bridge of his nose, remembering all the embarrassing times that had been caused by Jack and Tom causing mischief. Danny gave a small, rather fake, laugh.

"I can almost imagine Dad doing that back then." After saying this, the ravenette became very somber. Then the two grew quiet, and merely stared at the diner table, waiting for the waitress to bring their check. Soon, the woman came over, almost dropping it when the two halfa's heads swiveled towards her in sync. Quickly, they paid the bill, almost flying out the door, both anxious to get out of the awkward situation.

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Setting: Paris, France

No POV

"Thank you again Adrien, for walking me back home." (AN: Just, pretend Marinette is stuttering, it doesn't look right to me when I type it) Marinette said, or rather, stuttered, to her extremely oblivious crush. A 'your welcome' and a large smile was his reply, causing the bluenette to blush and swoon (the former on the inside, of course). Then, with identical panicked expressions on their faces, both teens turned as they heard an angry roar reverberate throughout Paris.

"Where is Chloe Bourgeois? She must pay for how she has wronged us!"*

"Sorry Marinette, I really have to go." The teen model told his friend, just as the door swung open, revealing the baker himself, Tom Dupain.

"Ah Adrien, how nice to see you again." He told the boy, who was still in shock from when the door slammed open.

"Come in, come in." The lithe form of the baker's wife, Sabine Cheng, darted around Tom's massive form, pulling the two teens inside.

"Why don't you go up to Marinette's room?" She asked, smiling.

"Maman, what are you doing?" Marinette furiously whispered to Sabine, once they were both inside the bakery. She just gave her daughter a small look, unknowingly identical to the one Danny had given Vlad earlier that day.

"Your room is a mess." She announced, her voice echoing through the walls of her home. "Go clean it up." Marinette's expression did a full 360 as she beamed at her mother, before running upstairs to her room. She then pulled every picture of Adrien she had on her walls down, throwing them into her small garbage can.

"Marinette?" When the bluenette heard her kwami's voice, she turned to the small floating creature, her eyes wide.

"Tikki! You have to hide!"

"Wha-? Marinette, what's going on?" The kwami asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Adrien is coming up here, and he doesn't know about you, or me being-" She was cut off by the sound of her mother's voice.

"Marinette? Is your room ready yet?"

"Um… One more minute Maman!" Marinette turned to her kwami.

"Tikki, you have to hide!"

"Alright, I'm going Marinette. No need to be so pushy." The pink creature said, as she nestled herself back in the pink and white dotted diary case, and closed the lid. Marinette had built an exact copy of her diary case, making it so her kwami could sleep comfortably sleep in it and open it from the inside.

She had also made it so no one could interrupt Tikki's sleep, or find out Marinette's secret. She then put the case in one of her higher shelves, and called down to her mother.

"Maman! Everything is good up here! You can send him up now." As if on a trigger, when Adrien walked into the room, another yell was heard from the akumatized villain.

"Tell me mere citizens, and I shall leave you in peace. Where is Chloe Bourgeois?" This yell was much louder than the first, and it shook the very foundation of the building. In the process, many things were knocked out of the shelves, including Tikki's remodeled diary case.

It clattered to the ground, drawing the attention of both people in the room, which quickly grew quiet. Adrien, being the closest, and extremely chivalrous, reached down to pick it up, as Marinette lunged for it. Their heads collided, causing Adrien to let go of the box, and grab both sides of his head.

This allowed Marinette to reach down, and pick it up, cradling it to her chest. Then, she looked down at her blond-haired crush, and gasped, kneeling down next to him.

"Oh my gosh, Adrien! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" He slightly chuckled at her antics.

"Yeah Marinette, I'm fine. Just a little bump." As she helped him up, a small black shape fell from his shirt pocket, landing on the floor.

"Why you- if you drop me, then at least have some camembert on… you." It shot into the air, before stopping its rant when it saw Marinette's confused face, and Adrien's panicked one.

"Well, Adrien. Who's this?" The little black kwami purred out, while looking at the shocked and confused bluenette.

"Plagg? What are you doing?" Adrien yelled at his kwami, disturbed by his actions. He wasn't usually this open around strangers, especially when he saw them face-to-face!

"I can smell Tikki all over you. Where is she?" The little black cat kwami asked, looking around the room. Marinette startled.

"You know Tikki?" As her wide blue eyes zeroed in on the cat kwami, Adrien's green ones snapped to her.

"Who's Tikki?" He asked, gaining a scoff from his kwami.

"Only my partner in crime when recruiting Miraculous holders like you, and the kwami of Ladybug." Adrien's emerald eyes looked up, shocked.

"You mean…" He stared at Marinette, as she blushed and lowered the case to the ground, knocking on it softly.

"Tikki, its time to wake up." There was no response from her kwami. Both pairs of green eyes turned to her, seemingly waiting for something to fly out of the box. *Sigh* Marinette held up one of her fingers.

""Wait for just one minute. I'll be right back. And Plagg, was it?" The cat kwami nodded. "I'll get you some camembert." He quickly flew, and hugged her cheek, praising her for not being like his holder. She picked him up around his waist, and dropped him in his holder's waiting hands, giving the kwami a small smile.

"So," Adrien started once Marinette had temporarily left the room. "you're telling me that Marinette is Ladybug?" The kwami nodded, purring in delight at the thought of 'yummy camembert'. The previously mentioned bluenette soon returned, carrying a small tray of fresh cookies, croissants, and a wheel of camembert.

"Your lucky." She told the black cat kwami as he started to devour the cheese. "My parents ordered this wheel because a client asked for it, but once it actually came in, the client found out it wasn't the cheese they thought it was. She said it was 'too smelly'." Marinette wrinkled her nose. "And I see why."

The kwami started to protest, but was muffled by the cheese in his mouth, and Marinette completely ignored him, leaning down to waft a cookie in front of the key hole. Soon enough, the diary case opened, and a pink blur flew out, grabbing the cookie, and nibbling on it in air. She soon finished the cookie, then realizing that there was another kwami in the room.

"Plagg. Why do I have a feeling that this was all your fault?" She scolded, her small pink paw waving through the air. He shrugged, and she then turned to Adrien, who was still gaping at his realization.

"You must be Adrien, I've heard a lot about you from-" Tikki was cut off, first by Marinette shushing her, and secondly by yet another yell from the akuma.

"Just tell where the little Bourgeois girl is! All I want to do is have a little *cackle* fun!" The two teen superheroes looked at each other, mentally deciding to continue their conversation after they defeated this akuma.

"Plagg Tikki Claws out! Spots on!"

AN: * The akuma has three personalities: one (the first) is army general-ish, the second is the cold and critical one, and the third is the insane one. The general one will always be in bold, the cold and critical one will always be in italics, and the insane one will always be in both.

Thanks for reading,

~WhiteRosePhoenix