Notes:

Hello everyone. I have to apologize for taking this long to update... With last semester my inspiration went down for this one.

This chapter might be somewhat slow, as the name says, it's preparing everything that's coming.

You might have noticed that these last events all had been occuring during one week, spring break. All I'm gonna say is that this story will finish on Sunday. How many chapters are left? I don't really know, but we're near the end.

Thank you for bearing with me!

After changing to dry clothes, Alya dropped on her bed right next to Nino. She was so happy that Chat Noir was a fan of the Ladyblog that she forgot her ongoing (Carapace) investigation. "Could you even imagine it?" Alya was dreamily staring at her roof. "Chat Noir is a fan and Ladybug was proud of me!"

"Well, you did something to help them out… Even if it is from the web." Nino added some mischief to his comment. He was well aware of Alya's intentions to find out who the heroes are. A content smile formed on his lips, when he motioned to strike her hair. "You keep investigating anyway, you just don't let them know, right?"

Alya rolled her eyes and changed her position to see her boyfriend right next to her. "Well, it is important that no one else knows." She sat up and looked down at Nino with a knowing look. "If I know, I won't publish it. And… I would help them out when someone gets a lead."

This time was Nino's time to roll his eyes. "Just cuddle with me! It's raining cats and dogs and I would like to have a normal cuddly day with my girlfriend, is that too much to ask?" He placed his arms around her, supporting his head on her thighs. "How about a movie then?"

"Ok, ok… But let me bring some hot cocoa."

Alya left the room for a moment and Nino kept thinking…He must talk to Plagg… Alya is getting way too close… Maybe tomorrow, if Adrien leaves the room, he might have the privacy to talk to him.

"Hey Alya?" Nino called for the girl. "Do you have post-its or something around here?"

"Check in my pencil box, I must have some in there!"

After fidgeting and writing some words down, he placed the note in his wallet and went back to the warm blanket that was waiting for them.

Alya arrived with a tray with a couple of cups and some cookies. "Did you choose a movie yet?"

"Hum…" Nino jumped to help the girl with the tray. "Not really, I picked it up last time, so I was waiting for you."

Alya sat on the bed and took her side of the blanket. "Ok, just don't complain about it…" She took the keyboard next to her and searched for the first Superman movie. "I just wanted to see Louis Lane being a reporter." She gave Nino a cheeky smile.

"Not that I would complain, Christopher Reeve's superman is one of the best after all."

After saying good night to Nino, Alya went back to her room. She took her phone to review the Ladyblog updates. Her surprise was to find, not notifications from the Ladyblog, but 10 unread messages sent by her sole and only best friend Marinette.

"Ok, here we go…" She took a blanket and put on some music before opening the messages.

[Marinette]: OMG Alya!
[Marinette]: Adrien is on his way!
[Marinette]: OMG Alya!
[Marinette]: Adrien just left!
[Marinette]: He invited me to an event this Saturday.
[Marinette]: what am I gonna wear?
[Marinette]: he said he'll send something over
[Marinette]: I don't know…
[Marinette]: I won't go… what if I embarrass him...
[Marinette]: I'm gonna trip against Chloé… I'm sure…

Alya just blurted out laughing. She could imagine her friend sulking under her covers, staring at her phone, just waiting for a response… If that last message was sent like 10 minutes ago, she must be waiting for a reply for sure.

[Alya]: you're not dead, are you?

[Marinette]: Alya!

[Alya]: ok ok
[Alya]: so tell me cuz I got nothing out of that storm you threw at me

[Marinette]: well, Adrien came by this afternoon…
[Marinette]: it was wonderful :)
[Marinette]: we studied and talked
[Marinette]: he even helped me to babysit Manon.

[Alya]: ok… so… why are you mopping then?

[Marinette]: Alya! He invited me to the event this Saturday!
[Marinette]: the one Chloé's been unbearable with?

[Alya]: oh, so it is real?

[Marinette]: Yes… it is real…
[Marinette]: and Adrien invited me to go with him…
[Marinette]: and he said that I should not worry
[Marinette]: and also that he has my measurements…
[Marinette]: what am I gonna do?

[Alya]: you and I will go shopping tomorrow!
[Alya]: that is what we're gonna do!

[Marinette]: Hum I won't change your mind, right?
[Marinette]: ok… I'll shut up and go to sleep…

After all this fuss about the bal, Alya went back to her special notebook. "Now, where was I?" She opened the page that she showed Nino this morning, right before the akuma attack. Every day she gets closer to their identities; she can feel it in her gut. She wished that she could have her kwami with her, too bad that Trixxy won't say a thing about the identities either…

Marinette from her side, decided to do a little research herself. "Let's see…'Spring bal à Paris' should do it, right Tikki?"

Her kwami just floated in front of the screen with a cookie. "What are you doing again?"

With a breath and a shrug Marinette complained about something… "Oh Tikki, sorry… The event that Adrien invited me. It's a charity event placed by the Major of Paris to gather funding for… let's see… this year it seems that it's for children with cancer…"

Tikki floated a bit and frowned when something came up to her mind. "Will there be any of the children?"

Marinette frowned too; she wasn't really sure. "I guess I can ask Adrien, I didn't think about it either."

"It would be nice to have at least a couple of kids to show up so that the donations can have a face." Tikki smiled at Marinette. "So, tell me, why are you pouting about?" That big grin in her face told Marinette that Tikki was about to tease her… "Don't you want to go to the dance with your prince charming?"

"Oh Tikki!" Marinette hid her pounding ears behind her hands. "Stop teasing me! You know better than anyone that I don't really fit in those places…"

"I don't think that's true Marinette. And I don't think Adrien thinks that either." Tikki placed her small paw on the girl's shoulder. "And I am sure that the surprise dress is going to be amazing."

Marinette tensed up to the comment. True! She didn't have anything proper for a gala, her last formal dress was from when she was like 10 and did not fit anymore. The dress she was finishing up was a spring dress to wear on Sunday's picnic, it wouldn't fit a gala either.

"Do you think he will send me a dress?" The girl ended up gasping for some air. But… is that why he got her measurements?

The red kwami hugged her holder's cheeks. "I do think so Marinette, he has showed you that he cares too."

Marinette lowered her gaze and changed her demeanor… "Then… why do I see Chat's smile every time that he smiles at me Tikki?"

She hasn't thought about this, Chat's visit last night, the heart to heart at the Eiffel Tower with Ladybug… Why was she feeling like this? She felt so disappointed when he told her that he has a friend, a lady friend to be more accurate. She should be thrilled that Chat would stop flirting and chasing her… Especially now that Adrien is so interested in her. Chat even stopped visiting Marinette… Did she want Chat Noir to keep reaching her balcony? Is that why she clenched on him last night? How would she explain that if Adrien becomes her boyfriend? Will Adrien become her boyfriend? Why was she seeing Chat Noir in Adrien? Yes, he was more at ease and even started flirting a bit, very Chat Noir stlye, but this was Adrien, the boy of her dreams… Why was she identifying someone else in him?

"I don't understand why I feel so torn Tikki, is this normal?" Marinette hugged herself waiting for an answer, but there was none… "Tikki?"

The little kwami was trying to keep it cool. Marinette didn't know why, but she did… She couldn't say anything, regretting so many secrets that she's not allowed to share… "I'm sorry Marinette… I don't know what to say… You know very well that you must keep that distance with Chat Noir, whether it is with or without the mask… Imagine if Chat decides to look for you as Marinette? That would put you and your parents in a very dangerous spot…"

The girl looked at Tikki with unshed tears, she blinked them away, took a deep breath and tried to compose herself… "You're right Tikki, I might be getting the wrong idea, besides, I have shopping to do with Alya tomorrow. I'll try to get some sleep. Good night Tikki."

"Good night Marinette." The red kwami flew to the window where she stared outside for a moment. She was surprised of herself, of what she was thinking, and she knew how much he was going to laugh at her… She didn't let him say anything about this during the day… It was a mistake, she needed to talk to Plagg…

Adrien was on cloud 9. When he arrived at the mansion, he stormed to Nathalie's office, gave her Marinette's measurements and requested at least 5 dresses to pick one tomorrow, then narrowed to the girl's measurements, to be sent on Saturday to her house when ready, before the gala.

Nathalie hadn't seen Adrien so happy since before his mother disappeared. She wanted him to smile like this more often. She agreed to his terms and presented the information to Gabriel too. Miss Dupaing-Cheng was part of the "approved" friends that the teen was allowed to frequent. She did a mental note to ask Adrien about their 'relationship status' as he might need to have a press conference if this girl was indeed more than just a friend.

Adrien arrived at his room and dropped his things on the couch. He asked Marinette out to the gala. He chuckled when he imagined Chloé's face when he arrives with Marinette as his escort on Saturday. He wished he could take a picture of her. That girl could be one his friends, but he knew very well that she was not fond of his princess. "That's gonna be something to remember.'"

He needed to talk to someone about the whole thing, he felt he was going to burst open or something if he remained alone and silent in his room… Not that Plagg helped much…

[Adrien]: Hey pote!
[Adrien]: at home already?

[Nino]: Hey pote!
[Nino]: nice timing!

[Adrien]: I just got home too…

[Nino]: Nice princess chatting then?

[Adrien]: I invited her to this Saturday's thing

[Nino]: what thing?
[Nino]: the one that Chloé's been clinging on you?

[Adrien]: Yeap!
[Adrien]: that one!

[Nino]: LOL!
[Nino]: I can see her face when you enter the place with Marinette!
[Nino]: I would pay to see her face!

[Adrien]: you're evil! Lol!
[Adrien]: you coming tomorrow?

[Nino]: you bet!
[Nino]: tell Plagg I have something for him!
[Nino]: ttl pote!

[Adrien]: night!

"Hey Plagg! Nino says he's got something for you!" Adrien dropped his phone on the bed, following right next to it. "At last!" He stretched out and looked at Plagg. "I invited her Plagg!" His voice so excited that Plagg couldn't hold his smirk. "I'll ask Nino tomorrow to help me choose the dress I'll send her for Saturday."

"Well, as long as there's cheese, I don't care if she dresses like a mouse." He floated with a piece of brie right on top of Adrien. "Thinking it twice, she can bring cheese while dressed as cheese, I would care then!"

"Augh Plagg!" Adrien complained disgusted. "Why does it have to be cheese with you, always?"

Changing his position right in front of his holder, Plagg took a deep breath. "Hey kid! Have you talked to Ladybug since that last akuma? There's something that's been bothering me…"

Adrien sat up straight, the mention of Ladybug is not what he expected from his kwami. "Well, since that meeting we had after the roots akuma? No… Not really… Why?"

"Well, you mentioned that she blurted out crying after you apologized, right?" Plagg took his hand to his chin, thinking.

"Uhm… yes, she did." Adrien was not sure where his kwami was going. "I think that being hurt during the akuma attack had something to do with her acting strange. Why?"

Plagg stared out of the window, looking at the calm sky. He remembered how there is always calm after the storm… And if this continues, he really hopes that the storm won't be as bad this time… "Nah… never mind, you're probably right."

"Ok…" Adrien shrugged his companion's attitude and went to bed. "Good night Plagg!"

"Yeah… yeah…" Plagg dismissed what he had in mind with another bite of cheese. So stubborn... "Need to talk to the Sugarcube then… And the turtle kid too…" He mumbled in between bites.