A/N: Still not the last chapter simply because I'm a horrible author and a terrible filthy liar.

Enjoy!

Sorry for any grammatical errors.


It was indeed the ungodly hours of the morning.

Marinette barely had any sleep. She knew her wedding day was only nearing close and despite her being so happy that it was finally happening, she couldn't shake the nervousness of wanting the day to go according to plan.

She thought about fixating herself on coffee and perhaps some caffeinated tea until the ceremony was over and even then she couldn't promise herself sleep afterwards.

Marinette often reflected on her relationship with Adrien. She couldn't help but to pinpoint every sticky situation that life put them through. It started with her unplanned pregnancy with Louis and the issues they suffered from there.

There was an issue with her lack of communication where she allowed Nathan to worm his way between them, which she knew was entirely her fault, then there was Lila who couldn't let go of Adrien, which ultimately led to the death she couldn't remember and Adrien suffered through and then there was Felix, who had a vendetta against Adrien for being who he was and ultimately killed him which Marinette couldn't forget.

She wondered if they could ever raise their children normally. Marinette knew Adrien had trouble sleeping, and in fact she'd often wake up in the middle of the night to find that he was wandering around the house or simply laying down until the sun came up.

So when Marinette woke up to find that Adrien wasn't in bed, she wasn't the least surprised.

But once he ushered her to get out of bed and leave their children behind so that he could show her something that was meant to be a wedding present, she was a little more than reluctant.

Marinette yawned, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. She sunk more so into the passenger seat of the car. The sun had barely made its peak but Marinette was more than ready to go.

It was actually quite nice that they got to drive on their own this time around. It was a nice gesture that Adrien's bodyguard drove them when they needed it, but there was a pleasurable sense of freedom and privacy whenever Adrien got to drive.

She hadn't the slightest idea where Adrien was taking her, but she couldn't keep her mind off the children they left sleeping at home.

"We're bad parents..." Marinette sighed, bringing the paper cup to her lips to take a languid sip. "We left our babies alone."

Adrien chuckled, slowly turning a corner. His green eyes remained fixated on the dark road ahead of them. A smirk tugged at his lips the moment Marinette spoke.

"We didn't leave them alone." Adrien refuted respectfully. "We left them with Plagg and Tikki. They're in good hands."

"We left them with two very small creatures who aren't from anything this earth created. For all we know, they could be toys." Marinette whined, sinking into her seat with a grimace. "We basically left them alone to sleep."

Adrien shook his head, leaving one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand moving over to find hers in the dark beside him.

"They may be small creatures, but they are wiser than the both of us combined. I'd say they have the experience, its especially because they've been watching over hundreds of heroes and watched them grow over the years of being the sole source of energy. They helped keep Paris safe over the years. I'm sure they can watch the children while we are out. Plus, they're magic. I think theyll be safe." Adrien explained, allowing the soft music to envelop them completely.

Marinette sighed, unable to help herself. She continued to reflect back to the trauma they both endured by losing each other. It was a given that she learned to appreciate him better and she knew he never took the time he spent with their family for granted, but she often wondered if it would somehow affect the way they parented their children.

It left her second guessing her role as Ladybug.

Especially if that meant that their children would grow without parents, or even worse; that they'd be raised by parents who were too traumatized to raise them the way they deserved.

Marinette glanced down, pressing her lips together as she fumbled with the warm cup of coffee between her palms.

"Do you think that we should retire from our roles outside of being parents?" Marinette questioned, immediately feeling guilty for even bringing up the subject. She knew she was entrusted with a duty to protect Paris, and she loved protecting her city, but there were things in her life that were far more important to protect and that had been the two little ones she left at home to sleep with their Kwamis.

Adrien furrowed his brow, quickly glancing back between the road and Marinette who seemed anxious beside him.

"You mean, our roles as the bug and cat team?" Adrien mused, his brow perking as he could just barely see the sun on the other side. "Absolutely not. Being Chat Noir was a huge turning point in my life." He explained softly, slowing down on a road to make a turn.

Marinette frowned, glancing down at the cup between her palms.

"I mean, it goes without saying that it changed my life too." She elucidated, keeping her eyes off of him as they passed her parents' bakery. "But I often wonder if it's too traumatic. We've both seen things happen to each of us that's pretty fucked up. You have nightmares and sometimes I catch myself thinking about you falling apart. We throw ourselves into danger protecting one another that I feel like we dont think about the consequences. I don't want us too mentally fucked up to raise or properly love our children." Marinette glanced up at him, a solemn expression on her face. "Or worse, that there will be a point where we can't save each other and our children grow up without us."

Adrien switched the gear, stilling the car in park, the moment he pulled over towards the curb of an unfamiliar neighborhood.

"I understand the concerns you have, especially now that you're a mother. A few years before it may have been different and I admit that I often find myself jumping in the line of fire to keep you safe, but that's only because I know your worth and your strength. I can't understand why you doubt yourself, but I never doubt you for a second. You always find a way to fix things and it always works out in the end. The times I enjoy are with you and our children and if it weren't for me being chose to fit this role, I would have had the courage to leave my home and go to school..."

Marinette felt her heart sinking into her chest as she recalled their first awkward encounter.

"I would have never met you. I would have never met Ladybug, and we wouldn't have our children. Our alter egos brought us where we are today." Adrien whispered, his hand moving towards hers.

Marinette blushed, her lips pressing together as Adrien laced his fingers into hers.

She had felt guilty. Perhaps he was right. She couldn't imagine what her life would be had she not been chosen to be Ladybug. In fact, it was nearly impossible to imagine her life without Adrien or her children.

"They don't chose just anyone for this job." Adrien murmured, bringing her hand up towards his lips to press a gentle kiss to the back of it. "I'm sure we wouldn't be where we are if we weren't able to handle and rectify these situations. Plus, we'd lose Tikki and Plagg. They've become part of our family."

Marinette placed her coffee cup into the cup holder with a grimace.

He was right.

He was absolutely right. There had been some bumps and bruises along the way, but she had been absolutely with her life. She was with the love of her life, she had two beautiful children with him, whom she loved with every fiber of her being. She was eternally grateful for Tikki all throughout her adolescence and her young adult life. She was the voice of reason, and despite giving Marinette her powers to save France, Tikki was one of her closest friends.

Marinette was never alone when it came to Tikki and she remembered how much of a help she had become when she was pregnant and afraid for the very first time.

She couldn't imagine losing Tikki. It broke her heart.

"I think you're right." Marinette breathed, her heart thumping wildly inside of her chest. "I guess I didn't think about all of the other things. I tend to overthink things and let my insecurities get the best of me."

Marinette shivered, recalling the memory of Chat's hand on her shoulder the very first time she doubted herself as the right fit for Ladybug.

"It's alright, my lady." Adrien murmured, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her cheek. "I understand. I know we are a team and I get that it feels like a huge weight on your shoulders, but I'm here to share some of it. Plus, I think I kinda enjoy our son looking at us as real heroes, in and out of parenting. He looks up to us."

Marinette chuckled, biting her lip as she could tell that Adrien felt privileged to be someone that his first son looked up to him. She wouldn't ask him to give up that right.

She glanced around, her brow perking as it dawned on her that the car had stopped moving. She had no idea where she was and what Adrien had in mind, but she hoped it wasnt too jarring or time consuming. Their wedding was in a couple of hours.

"S-so what was so important that you had to drag me here at four in the morning?" She asked, quickly glancing back at him.

Adrien smiled, his hand growing tighter around hers as he shifted in his seat to face her better.

"You see, when I was younger and up until my mother disappeared, all she could talk about was opening up a small boutique shop in this neighborhood. She thought it was the perfect location because there's a shoe store next door and down the street is the bakery that your parents own. My father was often busy with his own endeavours, but my mother was always hungry to start her own." Adrien paused, glancing down at their hands as Marinette watched him inquisitively.

"Then...meeting you, I knew that you were going the same route. You have experience by working the show under Audrey Bourgeois and you have quite a bit of your designs featured in some of my father's project which I was honored to model for."

Marinette pressed her lips together, her heart racing within her chest as she had a hunch as to where he was going with this.

"So, I thought that maybe if I'd pull a few strings..." Adrien continued, his eyes moving over towards the space behind her head. "And maybe help you start your very own. I know I retired modeling from my dad, but I thought it would be fun to start modeling for you instead."

Marinette widened her eyes, a loud gasp emitting from her chest as she nearly toppled over in her seat.

"What?! No way- you didn't!" She stuttered, her hands squeezing around his tightly.

"Oh my God, Adrien-"

Adrien gently released her hands, digging into his pockets awkwardly as he phished out a set of keys. He reached over, shutting off the engine of the car before glancing back at her with a wide smile.

"You want to check it out?" He asked, opening the door beside him. Adrien had every intention on walking over to the other side and opening the door for her, but unfortunately for him, Marinette had nearly toppled out of the car in a rush.

Marinette slammed the door behind her, her heart racing as her blue eyes took in the appearance of the small pink shop at the corner. She could almost picture where she wanted everything to go.

"Oh my God Adrien! I can't believe you actually bought me a boutique shop! I don't even know what to say!" She exclaimed, the young woman standing in the middle of the street with her slippers.

Adrien grinned, moving beside her before he placed his arms across her shoulder. He leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek before subtly pulling away.

"Do you want to go inside? Just to see what it looks like? I thought maybe after our honeymoon we could come back and start cleaning it up and setting things around how you'd like. I know you love to decorate." Adrien asked in a sweet murmur the Male continuing to press kisses to her cheeks.

Marinette bounced on her toes, barely hanging on to Adrien as he offered to let her inside.

While on her usual birthdays she'd recieved books, sweets and cards she would have never imagined she'd ever recieve something this big.

It went without saying that since she met Tikki and Adrien she had never been so spoiled in her entire life. Granted, she lived a good life at home with her parents but this was entirely different. Tikki often gifted her with magic charms for her birthday but all her gifts meant something huge to her.

She bit her lip, her heart racing as Adrien barely had the door open before Marinette pushed him aside and squeezed into the tiny space beside him.

Marinette was totally enamoured by the light fixtures, she loved the glass counters the marble glossy floors, the pale pink walls and the wide windows up front.

It was all happening so fast, yet Marinette could already see it coming together.

A family owned business where she could design her own clothes, stitch them and put them out for the locals to enjoy. She'd be able to work with her husband and hopefully with hard work and dedication she would be able to start her own chain of clothing brands.

She couldn't have asked for a better start.

Marinette grinned, her heart refusing to slow down inside of her chest. She gently ran her fingers across the smooth tops and she glanced back at him.

"Adrien, I don't know what to say. Thank you so much." She breathed. "Words can't even begin to describe how happy and thankful I am."

Adrien kept his eyes on her with a warm smile, he kept his hands in his pockets, allowing his wife to be, to have a look at her new business area.

"You had to show me this before our wedding?" Marinette asked, giggling softly as she approached him and softly wrapped her arms around him. "I'm going to be antsy during the entire ceremony and honeymoon."

Adrien snorted, snaking his arm around her waist and tugging her closer. He leaned forward, kissing her lips softly.

"I thought I'd give you something to look forward to after the wedding. That's saying that you've agreed to wake up to my ugly face for the rest of your life."

Marinette chuckled, a soft hum emanating from her throat as she kissed his lips in return.

"Mmm. You say that like it's a bad thing." She whimpered, her hand reaching up to cup his face.

Adrien laughed softly, kissing her once more.

"I mean...it could be. You know how stubborn I am. Ladybug must have wanted to slap Chat Noir every now and again."

Marinette giggled, subtly pulling away and patting her pyjama pants for her phone.

"I love Chat Noir. It seems like he's become quite legit too~" she teased, her voice trailing off as she came up empty.

"Ugh. I forgot my phone in my car. I need take pics for Alya, she'd never believe what just happened!"

Adrien released her, his green eyes lifting up towards the light fixtures on the ceiling.

"You go do that. I'm going to mess around with the lights. I wonder if they look fancier with the lights on. This place has been collecting dust, so the panes may need to be cleaned up a bit. You're free to take as many photos as you want."

Marinette squealed excitedly. She kissed his cheek one last time before she left him behind to clean the lights. She exited the front door, the warm breeze blowing through her dark hair.

She carefully crossed the street, her eyes lifting towards their car parked on the other side when she spotted an older woman standing on the other side of the narrow street.

The woman squinted, her brown eyes fixated on the windows on the upper floors of the shop Marinette was soon to own.

She remained still like a statue, her eyes soon widening. It was almost as if she saw a ghost.

Marinette paused, her hand curling around the door handle as she was almost deciding against asking why this strange woman was simply standing there, watching through the windows.

"Excuse me?" Marinette asked timidly, releasing the door handle and drawing the attention of the older woman immediately. "Is there an issue?"

The woman blinked, a small blush caressing down her cheeks before she averted her gaze to Marinette who stood awkwardly by their car.

"N-No. It's just strange. This building has been empty for years. It's a strange change of pace to see it actually lived in." The woman spoke, offering Marinette a small smile.

"I own the shoe shop next door..." she explained. "In all the years I've ran my store I've always heard rumors about the woman in the window."

Marinette furrowed her brow, her heart squeezing in her chest as confusion swept over her.

"The woman in the window?" Marinette mused, her eyes flickering back to the dusty windows of her shop.

The woman nodded.

"Yeah, many of the neighborhood citizens claimed to have seen a woman sitting in the window. They say that she once ran a jewelry store before she passed away suddenly from an unknown illness. So, still unable to cross on to the other side, she remains in this building in hopes to continue her dreams of selling and designing jewelry. " she explained, her eyes moving back towards the window. "I never thought I'd actually see it myself."

Marinette blinked, feeling completely dumbfounded and unsure of how to feel about what she had just heard.

"Oh..." she breathed, her blue eyes remaining on the ground, even as the woman moved away.

She sighed, feeling completely defeated.

Not only was she going to have to worry about her biggest fashion competitors both Gabriel and Audrey, now she had the possiblity of opening a business in a haunted shop with neighborhood notoriety.