Sorry for the late update! I just realized I had a big plot hole in the story, so I had to go back and fix it. Also, remember when I said there will be 4 chapters and an maybe an epilogue? I lied. There will be 5 chapters plus an epilogue.
Thank you so much for the reviews! And now, without further ado, here's Chapter 4! Enjoy!
Marinette was slumped on her bed, just like so many times before, but this time there was a difference. Tikki wasn't there. Marinette missed her kwami's sweet voice and encouraging words.
Just then, a tapping sound came from the window. Marinette was just about to heave herself from her bed to see what it is when something phased through the glass into her room.
She was only slightly startled, because all her emotions seemed to have been dulled significantly since last night. She sat up and stared at the thing.
It was entirely black, so black that it looked like it was tinted purple, and resembled a tiny floating kitten.
"A... kitten?" she said, her brain still processing the moment.
"A kwami, actually," said the creature in a gravelly little voice. "The name's Plagg. Nice to meet you."
"Um... hi...?" said Marinette. "Nice to meet you too. Are you , uh, bringing a message from Master Fu or something?"
"No," said Plagg. "I'm bringing you something else." He waved his paws, showing Marinette what was in them.
"My earrings!" exclaimed Marinette, shocked. "How—"
"I'm the kwami of Chat Noir," said Plagg. "And since he never ordered me not to, I was able to steal them and bring it to you. Put them on, Ladybug."
Marinette took the earring from him with a trembling hand, and put them on her ears. A red burst of light swirled out from her earrings. A moment later, Tikki was there, smiling.
"Hey Sugar Cube!" greeted Plagg.
"I told you not to call me that!" said Tikki happily. "But thanks for bringing me back!"
Tikki floated over to hug Marinette's cheek. Then, she turned and hugged Plagg too.
"Thanks, Stinky Sock," Tikki said. Plagg froze in midair and mumbled what sounded like "Abwmhyw".
Marinette couldn't help but smile.
"Wouldn't your owner—Chat Noir—be mad though?" she asked Plagg when the kwamis broke apart. "Would you... get punished?"
"Don't worry about it," said Plagg. "My owner isn't evil or cruel."
"He is evil," said Marinette sadly. "He betrayed me and our promise and he took my earrings. I wouldn't have them now if it weren't for you, Plagg."
"He's not," Plagg insisted. "He didn't want to betray you, and he almost destroyed himself doing it. He's heartbroken; he only did it as a last resort. He had to, he knew he had to, but in the end, he didn't stop me from giving the earrings back to you."
"He knows that you took them?" Marinette asked, bewildered.
"He knows," Plagg answered. "He was pretending to be asleep, but I could tell he was considering whether to stop me or not."
"And he didn't..." whispered Marinette.
"No, he didn't try to stop me. And trust me, the reason that Adr—Chat Noir wanted the Miraculous... he was desperate for it. It must've taken him a lot to let it go."
Marinette's eyes welled up in tears.
"I'm so sorry..." she sniffled.
"Oh, Marinette, don't cry," said Tikki, patting her owner's forehead comfortingly.
"I hate him," said Marinette. "I hate him for betraying me. And now I feel sorry for him."
She buried her face in her hands. "And on top of all that... I still love him." She made an involuntary choking sound from the back of her throat. "That's the worst part. I still love him. I wish I didn't."
"Oh, Marinette," said Tikki, placing her paws on her owner's cheeks. "It's going to be okay. And don't you see? Chat Noir obviously still cares for you. A lot. Or he wouldn't have allowed for Plagg to bring your Miraculous back!"
Marinette wiped off her wet face with the backs of her hands. "I guess... you're right, Tikki. Thanks."
"Really sorry to interrupt," said Plagg. "But I really have to go now. Chat Noir will be missing me."
"Oh, sorry for keeping you," said Marinette. "And thank you so much for bringing my earrings back. I don't know how to thank you."
"A bit of cheese will do," Plagg grinned. "Being serious is hungry work."
"Plagg!" Tikki crossed her tiny arms. "You were doing so well."
"What can I say?" Plagg snickered. "Cheese is my life."
"Of course you can have cheese," said Marinette. "What kind?"
"Do you have Camembert?!" Plagg twirled in the air. "I love Camembert!"
"Sure," said Marinette. "I'll get you some." She opened the trapdoor and climbed down the stairs, making her way into the bakery.
Meanwhile, the two kwamis are left alone.
They stared at each other for a while.
Finally Tikki spoke: "I haven't seen you in a while—"
"Almost a century," Plagg interrupted.
"—so how've things been?" she finished.
"I'm doing okay, I guess," replied Plagg, shrugging. "I mean, my owner is a super villain, but he's never mistreated me. Things could be worse. "Like... like Nooroo," he sighed sadly. "He's got it bad."
"What is it?" Tikki asked, concerned. "What happened to Nooroo?"
"Well, as you know, he's in the ownership of Hawkmoth, who's the father of my Chat Noir. And the old man, he's not exactly sympathetic. I've asked my master to request that his father stop treating Nooroo like garbage, but the man barely even talks to his own son, not to say listen to his requests. So now the only thing I can do is sneak Nooroo some food during the night, sometimes keep him company for a few minutes at most."
Tikki had her paws over her mouth. "Nooroo..." she whispered. "He doesn't deserve this."
"Yeah, I know," said Plagg, ears drooping.
"Can't you just tell us who Hawkmoth is?" Tikki pleaded just as Marinette's head popped back into the room ("Plagg, I have your cheese!").
Plagg flew over to Marinette and took the napkin bundle from her with a quick "Thank you."
He floated to the window silently, then turned around and said dejectedly, "You know I can't, Tikki. My master forbids it and I cannot disobey. And even if I could, I would never betray my master. Unless he told me to tell you, I can't."
"But it's Hawkmoth," Tikki argued.
"Hawkmoth is not my master, Tikki," he said, tail brushing against the window glass, ready to phase through and go. "Chat Noir is. And even though he's technically a villain, he's not like his father. He deserves better."
"Alright," Tikki sighed. "Well, it's time for you to go. Bye, Plagg."
"Bye Tikki. I'll miss you."
And then he was gone, a speck of black in the distance against a blue, blue sky.
Tikki flew to the window slowly and gazed after him.
"I'll miss you too," she whispered sadly.
When he saw the black spot in the distance, Adrien hurried to his bed and pretended to be asleep. A few seconds later, Plagg popped through the window and landed on Adrien's pillow, by his face.
"Stop pretending, kid," said Plagg. "I know you're not sleeping, and I know that you know."
"Okay, fine," said Adrien, sitting up.
"You didn't stop me," said Plagg.
"I—"
"That means," Plagg interrupted. "That you've given up on bringing back your mother?"
Adrien hesitated. "I—" He took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, I've given up."
"Why?" asked Plagg.
"She's dead," said Adrien, voice cracking. "She's dead. We can't bring her back. To do so would be something unnatural and... not right. She wouldn't want us to do that. She's dead."
Adrien was breathing heavily. He ran a hand through his hair and took a wobbly breath. "She's dead."
"She is," said Plagg. "And did you know that, in order for your mother to be brought back, someone else must be exchanged?"
"What?" Adrien swiveled towards Plagg.
"In order for the universe to remain balanced, the resurrection of a dead person via Miraculous Wish means another has to be sacrificed." Plagg looked Adrien steadily in the eyes.
"My father knows this?" he asked.
"He does," said Plagg. "And he was planning for it to be Ladybug."
"What?" Adrien shook his head. "No, my father isn't like this. He would never..."
"He would," said Plagg.
Adrien put his head in his hands.
"I can't... I can't let him do this." He scrambled out of his bed over to the window, and grabbed the remote to open one of the glass panels.
"I have to warn Ladybug," he muttered frantically. "I have to help her stop him. Plagg, claws out!"
Plagg smiled as he got sucked into the ring.
Marinette was leaning on her balcony railing, watching the sunset.
"I'm so happy to have you back," she told Tikki. "I don't know what I would do without you."
"I'm happy to be back too, Marinette," said Tikki, finishing her cookie.
Marinette smiled and twisted to get another cookie from her purse when out of nowhere, a black blur smashed into her, knocking her down.
"Ow," she moaned, her head throbbing. She opened her eyes to see Chat Noir on top of her. Her heart fluttered at the proximity for just a split second when she realized the situation.
She screamed and slapped him across the face.
"Get off of me!" she shrieked.
"Sorry," he said quickly, getting up. He offered his hand to help her up, but she smacked it away and got up herself.
"What do you want?" she demanded. "How do you even know where I live?"
"I just wanted to apologize," he said, rubbing his neck.
"You literally stole my life from me," she said. "Until your kwami gave it back. You don't deserve Plagg."
"I don't, I really don't," he said, nodding. "But I have something important to tell you." He stepped closer.
"Nope," said Marinette, putting out her hands. "Not any closer. I suppose you want to take my earrings again, don't you? Well, this time I'm not unconscious."
She placed her hands protectively over her earlobes.
"No!" said Chat Noir desperately. "I wanted to tell you that I want to side with you! Against Hawkmoth! I'll help you, I'll be your partner or sidekick or whatever you want me to be. Please give me a chance."
"A partner or a sidekick?" said Marinette incredulously. "Last time I thought we were friends, or—or even..." She trailed off. "You betrayed me and took my Miraculous while I was asleep. Why are you even here?"
"Because I just found out that if Hawkmoth gets the Miraculous then you're gonna die!"
Marinette froze. "What?"
"My father wants the Miraculous to gain a wish," explained Chat Noir. "And he's going to wish that my mother is back from the dead. And to keep the universe balanced, one other person needs to be sacrificed. Hawkmoth is planning for it to be you."
"You were doing all this to bring your mother back?" Marinette blinked.
"Yeah." Chat Noir looked away sadly. "I miss her a lot."
He turned back to look her in the eyes. "But I've given up on that now. I'm on your side."
"And why is that?"
"Because as much as I miss my mother, I can't lose you, Ladybug."
Marinette took a tentative step closer to him. "Why?" she asked, looking up at him, her heart pounding.
Chat Noir didn't answer, just reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin silver circle. The jewels on the bracelet glistened in the evening light. He held out the bracelet, silently asking for forgiveness.
Marinette wanted to stay mad at him, if only for her pride. Surely her will was stronger than this? But she couldn't deny that her heart still yearned for him. She couldn't make the anger stay. She succumbed to those electric green eyes.
Without a word, Marinette took the bracelet with trembling hands and slid it on her wrist. She looked up and Chat leaned down hesitantly to place a soft butterfly kiss on the corner of her lips.
"You ask why can't I lose you?" he murmured a centimeter from her skin. "Because I'm in love with you, Ladybug."
He drew back and shook his head. "I tried to forget about you, I tried to not love you, but I just can't! I can't stop this." He took a deep breath and continued. "Falling in love with you might destroy my old life completely, but now I realize that I am willing. You could remake my old life into something ten times better, just by being in it."
Marinette stepped back and blinked a few times to clear her head. Her heart was beating abnormally fast and she took a deep breath to try to calm down, then gave Chat a glowing smile.
"I would be honored to remake your life, Chat," she said, eyes shining. She opened her arms, and after a stunned pause, Chat Noir fell into them, wrapping his arms around her back.
The two embraced, both savoring the sensation of being with each other. After a long moment, they broke apart.
"Thank you, m'Lady," whispered Chat.
"My real name is Marinette," she told him.
"Marinette." Chat tested the name on his lips.
"And you? What's your name?" Marinette asked.
Chat Noir smiled. "Plagg, claws out." A green flash of light traveled down his body, revealing...
"Adrien Agreste?" Marinette squeaked. "The famous cinnamon roll model?"
"Yeah," he said, chuckling. "Wait—" He frowned. "What did you call me? A cinnamon what?"
Plagg laughed and flew down to join a smiling Tikki.
Marinette just shook her head and turned away to see their kwamis greeting each other happily.
Adrien kissed Marinette's cheek, and she blushed heavily.
"Shouldn't you be heading back?" she pointed out. "It's getting late." She gestured at the setting sun.
"Getting rid of me so quickly, are you?" Adrien grinned.
Marinette blushed more before shaking her head frantically. "N-no, of course not—"
She was stopped by a kiss on the lips. She melted into the kiss, abandoning all thought. She could feel Adrien's fingers playing with her pigtails and his heart beating under her hand.
The kiss ended all too soon when Adrien pulled away.
"See ya, Princess," he smirked, planting a last kiss on her forehead, then climbed onto the railing. "Plagg?"
Plagg gave Tikki one last hug and nodded.
"Plagg, claws out."
Chat Noir jumped from the balcony and was off, flying through the air, just as the last embers of the sun sank under the horizon.
"Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste?" Marinette shrieked, pacing the room.
"Seems like it," Tikki said, chomping her cookie. "Why, do you know him?"
"I do, but not really."
Tikki stared at her.
"He's a famous model who works for his father's fashion company. His father is my idol, Gabriel Agreste, A-list fashion designer!"
"Wait." Tikki put down her cookie slowly. "Who did you say was his father?"
"Gabriel Agreste, why?"
"Didn't Chat Noir say that his father was Hawkmoth?"
Marinette nodded slowly. "So that means..." Her eyes widened. "No..."
"I'm sorry, Marinette," said Tikki. "Your idol is Hawkmoth."
"What." Marinette shoved her face into a pillow and groaned loudly.
"Marinette, calm down," said Tikki.
After a few minutes, Marinette sat up.
"When did my life get so weird?" She sighed. "So what's our next plan?" she asked, breathing a little heavily. "Bust into Gabriel Agreste's mansion?"
"Now that we have the help of Chat Noir, that shouldn't be that hard," said Tikki. "We need to get his Miraculous."
"Shouldn't we call the police?" Marinette asked. "Now that we have his identity..."
"No," said Tikki. "Normal police officers are no match against the power of a Miraculous. That's why we have superheroes to defend Paris instead of the police. We can only call them to arrest Mr. Agreste when we've gotten his Miraculous."
"It's up to me, then," Marinette said, then smiled and added, "Me and Chat Noir."
I know Plagg is a little OOC in this, but really, I think he's capable of being serious when the time calls for it. Thank you so much for reading, please leave a review (I love reviews), and see you next time!