Like I explained last time, this chapter starts with Adrien when Marinette left.

Sorry this is a day late. I'm not going to use excuses but admit that I spoke to my friend and forgot. But it won't happen again, hopefully. If it does just know that I will update on the Saturday after.

Anyway I'll let you guys enjoy the chapter...

As Chloe began to latch around Adrien's neck, purring and pining for every piece of his undivided attention, Adrien tried to find an escape plan. Marinette has long-since done a runner and he was desperate to find her and talk to her, he had made a breakthrough tonight, they finally spoke to each other!

"Chloe! Why the hell did you do that?" Adrien growled, giving her the dirtiest look he could manage.

Chloe laughed," That trash needed to understand that she isn't allowed to speak to someone of our status Adrikinns, come on you know that,"

She flashed her fake eyelashes and proceeded to hug him more. God he hated Chloe, despite being childhood friends. She could be really fussy and needy when no one needed it. On top of all that, the blonde claimed that he was hers, here! Adrien likes to think of himself as more than some property for her disposal.

As the blonde brat infront of him continued to speak nonsense, Adrien slowly managed to pry himself away- much to the girl's dismay. He thanked the lords as she didn't question him when he claimed he had to speak to his father. It made him feel the tiniest bit of sympathy though, the girl was a bit gullible when it came to him.

The cold night air held a bitter chill, though it didn't bother him. Walking towards an alleyway, Adrien opened his jacket and allowed Plagg to fly out. Smirking, the Black kwami looked at him in a way that screamed I-know-something-you-don't. Plagg had seen plenty of other chosens who had acted this way when around Ladybug, more of the time however unaware of her identity.

"What's so funny?" Adrien questioned, looking his kwami in the face.

"Nothing, just say the words," Plagg replied bitterly.

"Plagg claws out!" Adrien exclaimed.

A mix of black and green energy wrapped around him as a suit slowly cling onto his body. The leather burnt his skin, but it was the kind of burn that sent exhilarating sparks throughout his body. As he absorbed the energy, his eyes became an intoxicating green colour, the pupils turning more cat-like by the second. This was his freedom from model life.

Once the transformation finished, Chat Noir used his baton to scale the wall of the building he was between. The view from the top was breathtaking to say the least. But he didn't have time to look at that, no, he was here to find Marinette.

Using his cat senses, Chat followed a bunch of buildings in hopes that this was the right scent. Though not many other people smelt of a bakery and strawberries.

His attention soon fell onto a girl sitting on the pavement, her head between her knees. This couldn't be Marinette though, the hair was too short. There were bruises over her body as well!

The girl on the ground slowly lifted her head, not enough for her facial features to be recognised Chat noticed. She reached for the fallen extensions on the wet concrete, mumbling some self-deprecating words. As she fastened them into her hair, she allowed her head to lay back on the side of the building. Chat's has dropped, it was Marinette!

He jumped down into the alleyway, contemplating turning off his transformation. No, Chat Noir needed to be the one to talk to her about this. Adrien wouldn't of been able to find her after this long. So the hero slowly walked towards her, using his stealth so he didn't alarm her too much.

"Princess?" He asked, capturing her attention.

Mari looked up, fear entering all of her features and freezing her in place. The hero just looked at her expectantly, waiting for some form of explanation. She couldn't tell him, no she just couldn't. That wasn't the problem however, the problem was how much did he saw. This could ruin everything.

Turning away, Marinette tried to cover up her bruised arms but of course they were too thin to. She felt tears well in her eyes as she struggled to cover what the hero had already seen. This was going to be the reason for her death, killed by her father for letting a superhero discover her pain. She'd really done it this time.

"Hey don't cry, please," Chat begged, sitting down next to her," Why don't you start from the beginning and tell me why you have so many bruises,"

Mari wiped her eyes and looked at him. Realisation hit her, she wasn't going to be able to get out of this without telling him something. As well as that, she didn't even trust him, he might take her vulnerable state and do something horrible. No, she shook her head, Ladybug knew Chat so Mari knew Chat, simple. He had also saved her from getting raped, maybe he was trustable- again he was a superhero!

"I...I can't," Mari stumbled sadly," It'll hurt me even more if you knew,"

Chat felt his stomach drop," You know I won't tell anyone,"

"It's more than that," She explained through silent tears," It takes more than a few meetings for me to tell you my life story,"

What Mari didn't know was how much her words had an effect on Chat. He kept rethinking the way she said life story, the bruises were her life? The obvious pain a scheduled thing? It made his heart flutter and drop, feelings he couldn't comprehend warmed him. A sudden desire to protect the ravenette overcame him, he would do anything for her.

"Okay I understand," Chat said," But I will visit you daily until you trust me enough to tell you," He assured, she nodded- not really believing he would.

The cat hero picked her up bridal style, carrying her petite frame like it was a feather, delicately. He asked her where she lived, she told him the bakery- though of course Adrien knew this but Chat didn't. A balcony at the top of her bedroom was where she asked to be placed, he did so.

"Goodnight princess," Chat mumbled, bowing.

Marinette laughed, pushing his nose playfully," Goodnight Kitty,"

Oh how Kitty made his heart swell!

The hero sped off through the streets and buildings back to the party, his mind never leaving the image of sweet Marinette. How his heart swelled!

Back with Mari however, the feelings were less happy. She knew someday she would tell Chat what is going on, but when that day was she had no clue. It wasn't as easy as saying 'my dad abuses me'- no, there was so much more. Then the superhero would tell her to tell someone.

That's the problem people don't get, it's the lack of evidence. Even if Marinette stood at the top of the Eiffel Tower and shouted for the world to hear, Tom would still win. There was always some excuse about her bruises, the number one perpetrator being her clumsiness. Everyone believed it without a second thought, even her own grandmother.

That's why she wouldn't win, there would be a lack of evidence. No one other than her mother had seen something happen- and that woman wouldn't dare speak out of line. So the monster would leave with a not-guilty charge and beat his daughter to near death the night of his release.

The messed up system that she couldn't prove.

So her plan was set to leave when she was eighteen; with her mother. That is if Sabine wanted to come. At first they would most likely be homeless or couch-surfing. Just until Mari made enough money so they could leave Paris for good, leaving all the past and evil behind them.

A loud crash from downstairs bought her out of her deep thoughts. Marinette crept down the stairs, trying to quickly get out of the dress and put on her normal clothes. Just as the door to her room burst open, she shoved the dress under the bed. Her Ill-fitting nightgown was now on her body. The hair extensions were dumped on the floor and the makeup washed off using the bucket of water from the leak in the roof. She settled on her bed, trying to look innocent as she read a book from school.

Tom stared at her, anger fuelling his eyes. They were red. Mari shook in worry. Instead of coming straight over to her, the monster banged on the wall in fury. Confused, the girl tilted her head, putting the book down on the mattress she called a bed.

"Father what's wrong?" She questioned, it was the wrong thing to do.

Red eyes faced her, a new level of rage Mari hadn't seen. He stepped closer, seething and taking harsh breaths. A bottle of alcohol was in his hand, empty. The girl sighed, remembering the Akuma attack today. That's what this was about. Preparing herself for the worst, Mari clenched her face together.

"You're mother left," He growled bitterly.

So it happened. I'd been planning this for a few chapters. It's just that now seemed most fitting. Mari's feelings about this, and her father's use of rage, will be shown next chapter.

Question of the chapter, how do you think Mari feels about her mothe leaving?

Also yes there will be Marichat in upcoming chapters- don't worry! Also this is kind of like a reverse crush AU but Mari will be torn between Chat and Adrien from the very start.

Anyway until next Friday, goodbye!