Adrien was a nervous wreck. His applications were mostly done—Sabine and Tom had helped him edit his essays—but he still had meetings with some teachers trying to get recommendation letters. Mme. Masson had showed up one other time trying to trip Marinette up but she flawlessly stuck to the story. He found it interesting that someone who hated liars so much was so good at it but supposed she had to be, secret identity and all.

"Dude, you'll be fine," Nino encouraged as he fidgeted madly on the way to a meeting with his teacher. "You're one of the smartest people in our class."

"But I missed so much school, what if they fault me for that?"

"You did well on the dozen or so makeup tests, didn't you?"

Adrien nodded. All that time spent studying on random rooftops had really paid off, but still…

"You'll be fine!" Nino continued. "They'd be crazy not to help you out. That's what teachers are for!"

Adrien took a deep breath. Okay. He could do this. Marinette had already given him a pep talk before he left for school. She was in bed with the flu and he'd insisted she stay down even though she still wanted to go in to support him. "You're right. I've got this. See you later."

"Later dude!" Nino gave him a fist bump before walking in the direction of his last class.

"Monsieur Agreste, come in," Monsieur Bernard said and Adrien felt his anxiety increase as he sat down in a chair across from the teacher's desk.

"Thank you for meeting with me, sir."

The teacher shuffled through a pile of papers on his desk. "I can see here that your test scores are excellent and I know you do always participate in class…when you're here."

Adrien's knuckles went white from gripping the edge of his chair. "Please sir, there were extenuating circumstances. I kept up on my work while I was gone and aced all of the makeup tests since I got back. I've done all the extra credit I've been offered!" He took a deep breath before continuing. "You know what happened to my father. I don't want my entire future destroyed because of him."

"You have done well in all of the upper level physics courses you've taken from me," the teacher mused. "You have promise. It would be a shame for that to go to waste because of your 'extenuating circumstances.' I'll write the letter—"

"Oh thank you sir!"

"—on the condition that you do an extra credit project to make up for the two-month-long project you missed while you were gone. I'll give you the rubric. I expect it to be turned in in three weeks. If you don't meet that deadline, I will call everywhere you applied and rescind my recommendation, understood?"

Adrien nodded vigorously. "Oh yes, thank you so much sir! I'll start on it right away!"

Monsieur Bernard smiled. "I knew I could count on you. Good luck with your applications, Monsieur Agreste. I'll get that letter to you after class tomorrow."

After thanking the teacher profusely yet again, Adrien backed out of the room and let out a small whoop. He already had the letter from M. D'Argencourt so he had met the requirement! He couldn't wait to tell Marinette.

After school he practically skipped back to the apartment. "Marinette! Marinette I did it! I got both my letters!"

She looked up from the couch and made a brave attempt at a smile. "That's great!" she croaked. "I knew you could do it!"

"I have a pretty big project to do but who cares? I can actually go to university!" He always liked physics anyway. It wouldn't be a big deal.

"I knew you had a bright future ahead of you," Marinette coughed.

He gazed at her in adoration. "Thanks to you."

He couldn't tell since she was already feverish but she might have blushed. He settled in on the couch next to her and kissed her cheek.

"You're going to get sick," she warned.

"It's worth it."

She smiled and shook her head before wincing. "Ugh. My head is killing me."

He jumped up. "I'll go get you some more medicine, Princess!"

"You're the best," she said feebly.

Adrien smirked, unable to resist teasing her. "I thought I was the worst."

"Adrieeeeeen," she moaned. "There's a time and a place."

"I think our apartment is the perfect place to tease you."

"Not when I'm sick, it isn't," she protested before dissolving into another coughing fit.

"You two are nauseating," Plagg piped up. "Once you get her medicine, give me some cheese."

"Good to see you too, Plagg," Marinette choked out a laugh between coughs.

"Don't mind him, he's always been like this," Tikki said. "I'm glad you're taking such good care of my chosen, Adrien."

He gave the red kwami a pat on the head as he came back into the living room with Marinette's medicine and a glass of water. "It's my purr-leasure."

Tikki giggled and Marinette groaned. "Just give me the medicine."

He complied. "So cranky, my lady."

"You'd be cranky too if you felt like this."

"Touché." He fluffed up her pillows and gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead. "You sleep. I'm going to work on some homework."

"Don't you have to go to work?"

"Not for another hour," he explained. "Apparently things have been slow today."

"I guess if I had to be sick today was the day for it," she rasped before taking a long drink.

"You didn't miss much at school either. I'll catch you up once I get home from work, okay? Sleep," he commanded gently.

"Yes, your highness."

"I thought that was you?" Adrien said flirtatiously.

"Give it a rest," Plagg moaned. "Please."

"Come on, Plagg, you should be used to it by now!" his chosen protested. "It's been months."

"I'm never going to get used to that," he sniffed disdainfully.

"Let the girl sleep," Tikki chided.

"Play me in foosball and I'll stop complaining."

Tikki just smiled as she followed her counterpart into the sewing room. Adrien had rescued it a week ago when he started selling off things in the mansion.

Aside from Marinette's sleepy sniffles and the quiet clinks of the foosball table in action, the apartment was quiet so Adrien was able to make good progress on his project before it was time to go to work. Marinette was still dead to the world so he gently caressed her cheek before slipping quietly out the door.

"Is Marinette feeling any better?" Tom asked when Adrien walked in.

"Not really," he sighed. "She was asleep when I left though so hopefully that helps."

"Poor girl works too hard," Tom sighed. "She's been running around like a chicken with its head cut off since she got into ESMOD, trying to make sure everything is ready even though she doesn't start for months."

Adrien chuckled. "Believe me, I know. She's been designing like crazy, wanting to be ahead before she even starts."

His first batch of bread was barely in the oven when he heard a horribly familiar voice. "Mrs. Cheng, I need to speak with your daughter again."

"Marinette is sick, she's probably still asleep," Sabine said firmly.

"I'm afraid this cannot wait. I insist," Mme. Masson said as she strode into the back of the bakery.

"What are you doing?" Tom demanded. "You can't just come back here."

"Actually I can," she said with a sneer. "I have reason to believe Marinette Dupain-Cheng lied to me about knowing Monsieur Agreste's whereabouts when he was missing."

Adrien's stomach twisted. She knew! Where had she gotten her information? Oh no. Marinette wasn't here. If this woman bullied her way upstairs she'd find an empty bed and be even more suspicious. He ducked behind a counter and desperately sent Marinette a text. She needed to be over here in less than five minutes.

He didn't receive a response and his panic grew. He played indignant. "You can't just barge in on someone with the flu and upset their sleep to show your power."

Mme. Masson's twisted little smile made Adrien want to toss her off the roof but what could he do? He couldn't stall her forever. She started making her way up the stairs and he exchanged a nervous glance with Tom. Neither of them could do anything without actually grabbing the woman and hauling her down the stairs. That would get them in more trouble.

Both of them followed her up, dreading what she would find and wondering how on earth they could explain Marinette not being there.

"What do you want, you cow?" Marinette said scratchily. "I was sleeping."

Tom and Adrien stood there open-mouthed, thankfully behind Masson so she couldn't see their surprise that Marinette was actually there. How had she gotten there in time? Emotions churned within him. He was relieved she was there, terrified of what she might give away while off her head on medicine, and trying really hard not to laugh at the fact she called Masson a cow.

"I have some more questions for you," Masson said in an offended tone. Adrien's urge to laugh grew.

"I've answered too many questions," Marinette slurred. "This is harassment. Get out of my room."

Tom spoke up. "Madame Masson, this is highly inappropriate and unless you have a warrant—since you are not a police officer I doubt you do—I suggest you leave my home before I escort you from the premises."

Masson looked as though she had been slapped. Apparently her authority had never been questioned to this degree before. "Well, I never."

"You never what?" Adrien demanded, his patience finally snapping. "Expected someone you've been intimidating to push back? You disgust me. Here you are, bothering these innocent people who just happened to employ a former runaway who is now a legal adult. What jurisdiction do you even have? Is this just a personal vendetta because I happened to escape you? What authority do you actually have to be here? You can't do anything to me and if you don't leave my employers alone I'll sue you for harassment personally."

"You don't have a lawyer," Masson said shakily. It was the only response she could give. She was in shock.

"My father had a whole team of them," Adrien said angrily, hands clenched into fists. He had been longing to give this woman a piece of his mind for weeks. It took Marinette and Tom snapping back to give him the courage. He may have been raised to be polite but sometimes politeness just didn't do the trick. "I'm sure I still have their numbers somewhere."

"I'm just doing my job."

"No, you're pushing farther than you're supposed to," he corrected. "I am an adult and it's time for you to let this go. Leave."

She gave him an apprehensive look before scurrying down the stairs.

Tom let out a low whistle. "Wow, son. I wouldn't have seen that one coming. You really socked it to her."

Adrien blushed, suddenly embarrassed at his outburst. "Well, it's worth it if she leaves us alone now, right?"

Tom clapped a gigantic hand on his shoulder. "I guess we'll see."

"Izzeladygone?" Marinette mumbled. "Tired."

"How did you get here so fast?" Adrien asked.

Tikki popped up from behind the bed. "She transformed. I saw your text and Plagg and I had to wake her up. Honestly, it's a miracle she didn't smash into the side of a building somewhere. She's pretty out of it."

His heart swelled. Even sick, his lady was looking out for him. "You're amazing, Marinette."

"Yeahyeah lemme sleep."

Adrien kissed her forehead and pulled the covers up to her chin before heading back downstairs with Tom to work.

"You two never would have gotten away with this if you hadn't been superheroes," the big man said, shaking his head in disbelief. "That was a close one."

"Too close," Adrien said with a shudder. "Way too close."