Author's Note: Hi everyone! Listen, I am so sorry for being MIA. I just got so busy with the end of the school year happening that I didn't have time to write. I've been getting up most days at like four and going to work and coming home super late at night. I promise I haven't forgotten anything (my one shot requests, I'm looking at you all!). I'm updating chapters and writing like a mad woman. I'm going to get caught up as soon as possible. Heads up though, I go to a JROTC camp next week so updates won't be a thing then. I'll be free for about a month after that though. Enjoy!

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Paris was a magical thing. Despite having lived there for over a year, Alya found that the sight at night made her feel breathless and awed. Something about the mask though made it even more so. Maybe it was the air rushing over her exposed skin. Maybe it was the way her hair traveled in waves behind her. Maybe it was the thrill of jumping from roof to roof. Maybe it was getting the chance to do all of this as she searched for Miss Translate. Lady Fox stopped eventually on one of the slanted roofs, panting heavily, her warm colored eyes searching the horizon again, only catching sight of three different figures approaching her. All were her clones.

As they gathered around, each shook her head. No luck. Miss Translate was nowhere to be found.

Lady Fox sighed, "Thanks ladies," and waved a hand, causing the three illusions to disappear into nothing. She turned towards the tower. Getting there only took a few seconds and as she landed on one of the cross beams, she found that she wasn't the first there.

Standing about the middle was Emerald. He had his arms crossed, the usually glowing green shield put away, and his brow was furrowed heavily. There was no need for words. His search had been just as useless as hers had been but her chest tightened; Adrien was his best friend, of course out of the two of them, he was hurting the most with worry. She secured her flute to her back and walked up to him. He didn't move to acknowledge her footsteps. He still didn't move as she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head onto his back. Eventually he did. He sighed, resting his hands over the tops of hers, anger churning his stomach.

"Any luck," he asked. Lady Fox leaned her head back.

"No." He swore, tearing from her grip and walking up to the cross beam. He clenched his fist and without warning, he punched the metal, a soft ringing echoing out from the spot. She watched. Now it was her turn for her brow to furrow. When he calmed, he turned to speak to her. "We've got to find her Fox. Adrien's been out of school for three days. He's missing modeling gigs. We're not going to be able to keep faking an illness."

"We'll find her," she assured, moving closer. She stared up at him now. In one year, Nino had grown quite a bit. When they'd first met, he stood roughly a few inches above her but now, he nearly towered over her. A breeze blew between them but it did nothing to cool the heat radiating off either one of them; she swallowed hard and her face flushed a bit.

Marinette hadn't lied to her.

The Eiffel Tower was certainly the most romantic place in all of Paris.

Emerald sighed again. He reached up gently to cup the side of her face, running his thumb back and forth over her cheek. She closed her eyes happily. "I'm worried Al," he admitted.

"I know babe," she assured. "But we're going to find her. Hawkmoth can't keep her hidden forever. Especially if she wants to get the creation and destruction miraculous."

"True but what if her hiding is her way of getting them? If we can't purify her akuma then Adrien- Chat- is left without the ability to transform. What if she ends up taking all of us out one by one?"

"Master Fu wouldn't let that happen. You know that."

"Fox…."

"Hey, we wouldn't be heroes if we couldn't handle something like this. We are all going to be alright. I promise. As your partner and girlfriend."

He kissed the top of her head. "Thanks." He paused. Sheepishly, he glanced around, his face turning a bit bright at whatever was on his mind; he pondered briefly on how to ask her a silly, simple question. Eventually he cleared his throat, "Fox, do you want to... Do you want to hang out here for a bit? I don't want to go home just yet especially feeling like this." She smiled at him, grabbing a hand to lead him over to the joining spot of the two cross beams. They sat with their backs to it, her head leaning on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, breathing in the scent of her shampoo, which smelled of oranges and flowers and wildness. They fell silent. Wind rushed over them, whistling in the night as the cloudy sky allowed some stars to blink down at them; she made a note to remind herself to tell Mari to bring an umbrella to school in the morning since the weather looked as if it would turn at any moment. "Adrien wasn't lying," he noted. Fox turned her head enough to eye him, a twinkle in his eyes, as he finished with, "The Tower really is the most romantic spot in all of Paris." She rolled her own.

"Funny thing. Marinette told me the same thing."

"Think they were trying to get something to happen?"

"Yeah, us cuddling on the Tower." They both chuckled. "Mission achieved."

"Hmmm maybe not just that." She raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

He shifted just enough so that they were now facing each other even more. A slow smile came across his lips. "Think about our two friends. There's really only one reason they'd both mention how romantic the Tower is." Her smile started to mimic his. She leaned in closer until their noses touched and their breaths mingled in the space between them.
"Then we shouldn't disappoint them," she breathed.

He closed the distance. Their lips touched gently together, both of them eventually shifting so that they could be more comfortable as they let their hands run over each other. Eventually they stopped, hers cupping the back of his head, and his on either side of her face. They savored the brief moment. They didn't rush. Together, they slowly opened their lips, allowing, and asking for exploration of each other, their tongues teasing the lines before they pulled apart to breathe properly. Emerald smiled down at her. Leaning his head down on hers, he panted, "I love you."

She kissed his nose. "I love you too. Shall we head home?" She stood, holding out a hand for him. He took it and stood, still facing her. "Don't worry about Marinette. I'll stop by on my way home and let her know." He kissed her cheek.

"Thanks babe. Be safe going home. See you tomorrow."

"Night," she whispered. Emerald took off in the opposite direction and she watched him go for a second before she too took off, heading to the Dupain-Cheng bakery rooftop balcony.

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Marinette let a soft growl escape from her lips.

Lady Fox frowned at her. She was worried about her friend. Of course she was. Of course Marinette was worried too; it was her boyfriend and long-term superhero partner who currently was incapacitated in one of the worst ways possible. The half-Asian ran a hand through her wet hair. She'd just come from the shower when Alya had knocked on the balcony entrance. Marinette stood over her desk where a map of Paris laid open and, just as she had the last several nights, she made a couple of little red x's on the places they'd already checked.

Half of Paris was already marked.

She sat her marker down as both the hero and her own kwami stared up at her with concern. She sighed before turning to them both. "Thanks Fox. I know you and Emerald did everything you could." She stood from the lounge and went to hug the girl. Marinette sniffled. "Sorry."

"Mari, you've got nothing to worry about. Adrien's going to be alright."

"It's not that," she whispered. "What if I keep messing up? Alya… I've been so careless and everyone's suffering because of it."

"Nonsense," the hero chided, holding her friend out at arm's length, "I won't let you believe that Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien knew what he was doing. You knew what you were doing. Promise." She winked. "Besides, you wouldn't be Marinette without a mistake every now and then. Just like I wouldn't be Alya without the Ladyblog or Nino without his music or Adrien without his modeling."

Marinette swatted her shoulder. "Jerk. Why do you guys get your hobbies and I get being clumsy?"

"Because I love you and I need you to smile as you seeth at me." A smile broke out on the crying girl's face as she wiped away her tears. Tikki sighed happily. Something caught her attention and she quickly went to the door to Mari's room as the two girls continued to talk; a quick look revealed that her mother was coming up and a hastened warning, a jump and a bye, and a quick dive into bed, helped to make their cover for the night, and into the morning.

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Maria panted.

Everything hurt.

Hawkmoth wasn't there.

She couldn't hear him.

She'd tried.

A shock of purple electrified her body and she gasped, collapsing on a nearby wall. A faint butterfly mask appeared on her face.

God she was pathetic.

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

A scream caught in her throat.

When the electricity died, she waited a second before pushing up off the wall.

She staggered.

With a soft whimper, she made her way down the dark streets of Paris and into the blooming darkness.