The next morning, Emma woke up to the sound of her alarm: the constant sound dragging her away from her dreams and into the waking world. Turning it off, she made her way into the kitchen, setting a kettle of water on the stove before grabbing a bagel for breakfast. Pouring the steaming water into a mug, Emma placed a teabag in the water to steep and headed back to her room. Sitting on her bed, Emma looked at the content of her open wardrobe; something simple yet elegant? Or a casual-comfortable attire? She chewed on the piece of bread, thinking of what first impression she wanted to show her fellow competitors – and most importantly – Marinette.

Her heart raced at the thought of meeting her idol, causing her breathing to accelerate. Emma tried to calm herself by taking a few deep breaths before turning to the tea. The warmth eased her and a memory surfaced to the front of her mind, one that she welcomed with a smile.

It was cold. The snow swirled outside the window in the dark sky. A small amount of frost formed on the glass, making a delicate pattern that slowly spread. Luis wanted to outside to play in the snow, but their parents said that he could play in the morning; it was too dark and the snow was still falling. He made it his mission to go outside after hearing that, dragging Emma along. When their parents were in the living room, they slipped out the back door; boots and jackets on and flashlights in hand.

Walking a bit away from the house, they made their way close to the small forest near them, hugging the tree line. The snow had stopped and Emma stared at the sky in amazement. The sky had never looked more beautiful than right now, with its full moon and stars casting a soft glow. Emma felt something cold hit her cheek and turned to find Luis tossing a snowball up and down carelessly; daring her to make a move. Soon the two were firing at each other left and right, laughing the whole time.

Flopping onto the snow, breath short and faces flushed, they both laid there as Luis pointed out the constellations. Emma listened to his comforting voice, gazing at the sky to find the ones he 'missed'. They had got in trouble afterward, but it was worth it.

Emma cleared her throat, batting the memory gently away before getting dressed. She wore a pair of shorts with a red flannel wrapped around the waist and a black gypsy styled shirt. Her hair was in two braids, with a dark gray beanie completing her outfit. Emma grabbed her bag and started heading towards the door but stopped when she heard a soft snore coming from the bag. She opened it to the sight of a sleeping Plagg…and an empty cheese box. Picking him up, Emma was unsure of what to do.

"Plagg? Hey Plagg, wake up." She gently pet him in hopes that it worked.

"Quit petting me like a housecat…and let be sleep for another hundred years." Plagg yawned, his eyes opened for a moment before shutting again.

"I'm guessing the only way to wake you up is with cheese, right?" Emma teased her Kwami as she placed him back into her bag. No answer came out of her bag and Emma left it at that before opening her door to try and wake up her cousins.

Arriving at the building address that was given to her, Emma dragged a sleepy Zoe inside; and was star stuck at everything around her. A small catwalk claimed the back of the building, the spotlights off and the backstage curtain open to reveal makeup stations and dressing rooms for the models. Seats surrounded the catwalk and a staircase to the right lead to the second floor above. The other competitors were scattered across the room, in groups or by themselves, the buzz of excitement filled the room. Emma herself was shaking with it, causing Zoe to grab her arm and lead her to the stage, where they sat and rested a bit.

"Why did I let you bring me here?" Zoe complained, taking a sip of the coffee she brought with her.

"Because you love me," Emma jumped onto the stage and swung her black sneakers, "And if I remember, you 'volunteered' as soon as I mentioned that it lasted the whole day and who stayed would miss their classes."

Zoe gave her a playful glare and took another sip of her coffee, sighing when nothing met her lips. "I'm going to throw this away, stay here."Zoe crushed the paper cup and went on the search for a trash can. Emma took out her sketch pad and a pencil, marking a few sketches and finishing incomplete ideas. She sensed someone approaching and was surprised to see Adrien.

"So we meet again, petit chaton," Adrien greeted with a teasing smile.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked, closing her sketch pad and setting it next to her, happy to see Adrien again.

"I was asked to coach a few of the newer models," Adrien explained and reached for something in his pocket. "I was actually hoping to run into you, you seemed to have forgotten something," He held out Emma's phone and Emma face-palmed in her own disbelief.

"I can't believe I did something so dunce." She said, accepting the phone and put in her pocket.

"So, what do you think of Paris?" Adrien leaned on the stage, crossing his arms.

Emma looked at the chandelier above them, thinking of yesterday's events. "I think-" She began, but changed her mind. "I love Paris, I even made a new friend. Though when we first met, it wasn't the best situation." Emma blushed as she remembered, letting out a nervous chuckle.

Adrien gave her a knowing smile, thinking back to his first accouter with Marinette. Before long, the others around the room turned to the stage; whispering and getting closer. They looked and stiffened in surprise to see Marinette behind them, August at her side and a younger boy holding his hand. Marinette spoke to the younger boy, looked at August and the two boys walked off the stage, taking a seat near the front row. Adrien helped Emma off and they sat in the seats near them, Emma waving her cousin over before Marinette spoke. Mari herself wore simple black jeans and a lacy pink top, her hair was shorter than when Adrien last saw her.

"Congratulations, everyone! It's so nice to see how far you've gotten and I can't wait to see how you improve." Marinette looked around the room at all the contestants. "You made it to the top 20! It may be a bit of a late notice but I have discussed it with my associates and they agree that there will be two winners."

The whole room exploded; the chance of winning had just doubled! Many were excited but others looked around worried, why had this only come up now? Emma looked at Marinette in disbelief, unsure of what to think.

Waiting for the noise and contestants to calm down, Marinette wore a nervous smile, shuffling uncomfortably. Adrien stood up and let out a sharp whistle, causing everyone to turn their attention back towards the stage. Seeing Adrien, Marinette's expression became neutral and when their eyes met she only gave him an acknowledged nod before continuing.

"Every week you will be given a different challenge… and a new partner. You will need to be able to work well with others so this will be testing your ability to cooperate and use your individual talents, as well as expose you to other styles." Marinette pulled out a piece of paper and read it over. "The next theme is…. 'Inspired by Nature'! We have chosen your partner based on style and experience, and no worries, every pairing was considered with care."

Marinette got off the stage, handing slips of paper to each of the contestants, making her way around but taking a wide path around Adrien and Emma. Looking at Adrien, Emma wondered what had happened between them to cause her to suddenly change and even avoid him.

"Hey, Adrien?" She started to ask but stopped when the little boy from before came up, smiling and holding her slip of paper up to her. The boy had the same blackish-blue hair as her and bright blue eyes, his smile lighting up his face. "Oh? Uh, t-thank you!"

The boy ran to his mother and Marinette picked him up, she turned away and walked to the backstage, August following right behind her.

"I should have known she still hasn't forgiven me." Adrien sighed.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, looking back towards where the fashion designer walked away.

"It's a long story that happened a long time ago, I tried making amends, but it seems we're still not on speaking terms." He said, waving it off and smiled. "You should focus on the competition! I need to get back to the models, see you soon."

Emma looked worried as Adrien walked away, but was unsure of what to do. Clenching her hand in frustration, a soft crinkle came from her closed fist. She opened her hand and turned the slip of paper over to reveal her partner's name; Alice Newfier.

Silver: Hope you guys are enjoying the story! Here are some answers to questions in the reviews;

How did Marinette end up naming her son August?

August; Do you know the famous French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir? Me neither, but I was told my dad was the one who named me after him, though.

How are Emma's adoptive parents related to Alya?

Emma; My mom is Aunt Alya's younger sister! It's hard to tell them apart, huh? I was confused for a while when I first met them too.

How long have Mari and Nath been together?

August; For as long as they have had me for I guess? Maybe longer.

And the fact that he likes Zoe is probably going to provide our main love line.

August/Zoe; WHAT?!

Where did Emma live before she was adopted?

Emma; I was in a few foster homes before I met the Garners. I never really seemed to fit in with others but Luis made me happy and we became quick friends.

Silver: If I didn't answer a few questions they may be answered in the story later on. Hope you have a wonderful day (or night ^ . , . ^)!