Marinette was at the balcony of her house, constantly checking her phone. "Marinette, this is quite a special day for you!" Tikki said, twirling around in happiness.

"Yes, Tikki! It sure is," Marinette said, not really paying attention to her. "Hm, still no call..."

"There's a ritual we kwamis perform on a day like this."

"Oh really? That's nice." Marinette still wasn't really paying attention.

"But I don't know if you humans would like it. I wonder if you guys even give each other presents on your birthday."

That got Marinette's attention. "Oh really, Tikki? You got me a birthday present?"

"A kwami specialty."

"Oh, that so awesome! What is it?"

The little kwami did a little dance before she spat something into Marinette's hands. "Miraculous birthday, Marinette!"

Marinette looked at the object. It looked like a red and black yin-yang symbol. She grimaced and flicked the saliva off it.

Tikki looked disappointed. "Oh no, you don't like it, do you?"

"Yes! Yes, I love it! It's amazing. It's a, uhhh, what is it?"

"A Kwagatama. A great symbol of friendship among us kwamis. We take a hair from our Miraculous holder and join it to the hairs of all the former Miraculous holders. And with them we grow a magic resin for a few months and-" She stopped talking when she realized Marinette wasn't even paying attention. Instead, she was focusing on her phone. "I know you don't wanna tell me because you don't want to hurt my feelings but it's obvious you don't like it."

Marinette was shocked to hear that. "I'm sorry, Tikki! I-I really love your gift. It's just that Alya should already have called me by now. We're supposed to be taking her little sister to the 'dentist'," she air quoted that word. "At four o'clock today."

The little kwami tilted her head in confusion. "Do you humans always celebrate your birthday by going to the dentist?"

"No, of course not, Tikki. It's a secret code! They're actually throwing me a surprise birthday party!" Marinette said with glee.

"But how can it be a surprise if you know about it?"

"The thing about surprises is you know about it but pretend you don't so you won't spoil it for the people who are organising it!"

"What about the dentist?" Tikki asked, still confused.

"It's a fake-out! See, Alya's gonna pretend to take me to the dentist, but she'll really be taking me to my surprise party!"

"What if you're wrong?" Tikki asked as she and Marinette went back into the latter's room.

"Impossible. All the signs are there, Tikki. Juleka totally jumped when I caught her holding a bicycle pump."

"Perhaps Juleka has a bicycle!" Tikki suggested.

Marinette shook her head. "No, Tikki! Obviously she was planning to use the pump to blow up balloons! A surprise birthday party always has balloons! Also, yesterday I caught Nino listening to my favourite song!"

"Perhaps it's his favorite song, too!"

"Are you kidding? He hates it! He has no reason to listen to it unless he's making a playlist for my surprise party! Elementary." Tikki gave Marinette a skeptical look. Okay. Why was Alya having a secret convo with Adrien, huh? He said, loudly mind you, that he was friends with a good 'dentist' and gave her 'his' number! Which means... He's going to be there!"

"Or it means Alya is taking her sisters to see Adrien's dentist!"

Marinette grew tired of the little kwami's skepticism. "Fine, you know what? There's one no-fail way to find out if there's a surprise party in the making." She placed Tikki into her bag and crept into the bakery where she found her parents preparing something. "Watch their faces." She said loudly, "Mom! Dad! Do you know anything about Alya planning a surprise party for my birthday?"

Her parents froze. Tom tossed whatever they were working on into the garbage can and slammed the lid close. "Uh, oh, uh... Party? Uh, what party? Uh, which Alya, again?"

Sabine whispered, "You're overdoing it, honey." She said out loud. "We're talking about Marinette's best friend Alya!"

"Alya! Of course, Alya! We haven't seen her in years!" Tom chuckled nervously, while Sabine groaned.

"See? Parents always know when there's a surprise party in the works," Marinette whispered to Tikki. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. She said out loud, "And now, on the other side of this door, check out who's coming to get me! Just in time for the party! It's-" Who she found on the other side of the door was not what she was expecting. "Grandma?"

That got her parents attention. "Mom?" said Tom.

"Miss Gina?" Sabine asked.

Despite the silver hair and wrinkles under her eyes, the years had been kind to Marinette's grandmother. She had the energy and strength of a woman in her prime and her biker clothes showed she liked things extreme. "Marinetta! You're so tall for your age! Did you get my letter from Patagonia?" she asked in an Italian accent.

Marinette gave her a hug and walked her into the bakery. "Yes! And the ones from Australia, Bali, and Estonia, too! Did you really get chased by a bear?!"

"Yes. But we wound up good friends in the end." Gina held up a picture of herself and the bear eating salmon together.

Tom whispered to her, "Mom. It's her birthday, remember?"

"Why do you think I'm here?" The elderly biker reached into the helmet under her arm and handed her granddaughter a package. "Happy birthday, my little fairy! My Inuit friend knitted it especially for your tenth birthday!"

"Uh, she's fourteen."

Gina was visibly startled to hear that. "My. How time flies."

Marinette opened the present, and what was inside was not what she was expecting. It was a t-shirt with an owl on it that was far too small for Marinette to wear.

Gina brushed it off. "That's okay. I'll ask my friend to make another one."

"No! No, it's awesome! I can make this work. It's perfect, Grandma. Thank you."

Gina snapped her fingers. "Your Nona has also brought you your favourite candy!" She handed her a tin box with a picture of La Befana the Christmas witch on it. "You still love them don't you?"

"Yes, yes of course..." In a pig's eye, thought Marinette.

"And that's not all, my fairy!" Gina put a helmet on Marinette's head. "We'll have a wonderful day, you and I! Just like the last time. We'll go to the merry-go-round and to the zoo, then-!"

"Uh, Mom?" Tom said. "Can I have a word, Mom? Uh, just the two of us."

Gina put her hands on her hips. "What, Tom? That I don't know my Marinetta anymore because I'm always traveling?"

"No, Mom! It's just-"

"You think she doesn't want to spend time with her Nona, is that it?"

Marinette waved her hands defensively. "No! Of course I want to spend time with you! Uh, besides, it's not four o'clock yet."

"There. You see? Come on, let's go, Marinetta! We're going to have a ball!" And with that, the older woman grabbed Marinette by the hand and they rode off on the former's motorcycle.

The two of them had a grand time on their motorcycle tour across Paris. They occasionally stopped at places Marinette used to go to like the merry-go-round and the Paris Zoo. Emphasis on "used to". And the whole time, Marinette pretended to eat those candies from the tin box, even though she actually hated them.

They came to the Pont des Arts where Gina stopped to get some gelato ice cream. Marinette sat on a bench, still checking the phone. "It's four o'clock. Maybe you were right. I jumped to conclusions, and there really is no surprise party." She pretended to eat another candy, then spat it back into the tin.

"How come you don't tell your grandmother you don't like this candy?" Tikki asked.

"I don't want to hurt her feelings. We don't get to see each other very often."

Meanwhile, at the Place des Vosges...

"Hurry up with those streamers, Rudi!" Rudi struggled to hang the streamers on the lamp posts.

"Remind me why this party has to be perfect?" he grumbled. He and his classmates had been called together by Alya to start a surprise party for a certain special girl. Max and Adrien were in charge of the food, Nino was the DJ, Ivan and Mylene were in charge of setting up the tables, Rudi and Rose were in charge of the decorations, and Nathaniel, Juleka and Kim were in charge of the balloons and Alya was the party planner.

The only ones not there were Chloe and Sabrina. For obvious reasons, they were not invited. Or rather, they didn't want to come.

"Because Marinette expects the best of us," Rose said. "Now hurry up! Alya's making the call!"

Alya nodded and dialed Marinette's number and put the phone near her ear. "Hello? Marinette? Sorry, I'm running late. Can you meet me at the park? We'll, uh-" The sound of Kim accidentally popping one of the balloons distracted her for a minute. "-jam straight from there to the uh, dentist!"

"Yes, uh, yes! Awesome! 'To the dentist!' Totally!" Marinette hung up the phone. It was then she realized her grandmother was right there, holding two gelatos. "Oh! Uh- I'm so sorry, Grandma. I have to go to the dentist with Alya-"

"Surely you're not going to the dentist on your birthday? I still have to take you to see the trains at Gare de Lyon Station!"

Marinette tried to keep up with the excuse. "Well, it's because Alya actually has sisters who are twins and well, because there are two of them, Alya needs my help." Gina gave her a skeptic look. She face palmed. "Wait, what am I saying?" Might as well come clean. "That's all a fake-out. You know what I think, Grandma, is that Alya might be throwing me a surprise birthday party-"

Gina held up her hand to stop her. "I get it, my fairy. Don't worry about me. Run along now and go meet your friend."

"Go on. I'll hold on to all of this. We'll catch up with each other later."

Marinette hugged Gina tightly. "Oh, thank you! You really are the best grandma in the world!" And with that, Marinette took off to find her friend, leaving her grandmother all alone with the gelatos and the tin box of candy.

Back at the bakery, Tom was putting the finishing touches on the birthday cake when he heard the sound of an engine. Sabine cried out, "Tom, that's the motorcycle! They're coming back! Marinette can't see the cake!"

Panicking, Tom looked for a way to hide the cake. Without thinking, he stuffed it in the garbage can again.

Sabine met Gina when she came inside. She saw her daughter was missing. "Uh, where's Marinette?"

"Tom was right. She's too old now to spend time with her Nona..."

"What? No, no! Tom never said that."

The older woman shook her head and made a sad smile. "That's sweet of you, Sabine. But it's not a big deal. That's life. I'll be up in the apartment if you need me."

Sabine sighed before returning to the kitchen to find Tom looking glumly at the wrecked cake. "You should go and speak to your mother, she's u-" It was then she saw the cake. "Oh no, the cake!"

"I know, and it's almost time for the party!"

"Okay, I can help you. We can manage, and we'll take Gina to the party with us!"

The Dupein-Changs fist bumped.

In the guest bedroom, Gina set down the helmets as well as the gifts she had planned to give to Marinette. She sat down on the bed and opened the tin box of candies. Her eyes widened to find it still full. Marinette hadn't eaten a single one. She broke down sobbing.

The circular window to Hawk Moth's lair opened and butterflies swarmed around him. "What could be more powerful than a grandmother deserted by her own granddaughter? Perfect fodder for disappointment and misunderstanding!" He grabbed one of the butterflies and turned it from white to purple. "Fly away, my little Akuma and evilize her ailing heart!"

The Akuma entered Marinette's house and absorbed itself into the candy box. Gina's face went blank and a baritone voice rang in her mind. "Befana, I am Hawk Moth. I'm restoring your matriarchal power as grandmother. You will use these candies to reward the deserving and punish the ungrateful. As for my reward, you will bring me the Miraculous of those pesky little kids, Ladybug and Chat Noir as well as the Mask of Loki!"

"You're right, Hawk Moth. The time has come to teach them all a lesson." Purple smoke enveloped her.

Tom and Sabine had finally put the finishing touches to the cake for the third time now. They were proud with their work. Again. "Good job, partner! We'd better get going, the party awaits us!"

"Oh, wait, we've gotta tell mom."

Suddenly, someone resembling a green-skinned, red-haired witch on a winged bike burst into the kitchen. Tom gasped when he realized he was looking at his own mother.

"Not this time. Don't tell your mama what to do."

"Mom!" He backed off, accidentally knocking the cake into the garbage. Again.

Befana cackled maniacally and fired a pop gun at her own son, turning him into coal. "Do you know what naughty boys get? COAL!" Then she turned to Sabine, who was trying to run away. "You have nothing to fear, my fairy. You've always been good to me." She adjusted the gun, then fired at her. Instead of turning her into coal, she turned her into a fairy with white wings and a blank face mask. "Tell me, Marinette isn't at the dentist, is she?"

"No, mistress," droned Sabine.

"Then take me to her!"

Alya later led a blindfolded Marinette to the Place des Vosges and when they were in the center of the park, she took off the blindfolded. Marinette smiled widely when everyone shouted "Surprise!" Especially Adrien.

Among the gifts she received, Marinette got a new book from Mylene, a new music CD from Nino, a perfume bottle from Rose (she made sure to keep it far away from Rudi) and a handheld mirror from Juleka. And then it was Adrien's turn to give her a gift.

"Happy birthday, Marinette," he said, handing her a ring box.

Marinette blushed, too stunned to move.

"Open it," whispered Alya.

Before Marinette could take the gift, the sound of a motorcycle made everyone look up. It looked like a punk version of the Wicked Witch of the West flying on a motorcycle was heading straight for them. She was singing to the tune of La Donna è Mobile, "La Befana comes at night, on her shaky broom in flight. She gives candy to those who are dandy."

"Grandma?!" exclaimed Marinette.

"You lied to your grandmother, Marinetta," Befana scolded her.

"No, I- I didn't know Alya was throwing a surprise party for me."

"She's for real, ma'am," Alya defended her.

Befana scoffed. "And all those candies you pretended to eat?"

"I'm sorry, Grandma. It's just that I didn't want to upset you."

"I'm not your Grandma anymore. From now on, I am only La Befana! And I'm going to punish you for all those lies!" She pointed the gun at Marinette who ducked as soon as she fired and hit Mylene instead, turning her into coal.

"NO!" cried Marinette. She tried to run away only to be blocked by her brainwashed mother.

"It's rude to leave while La Befana's still speaking to you."

Adrien ducked behind a tree and let Plagg out of his pocket, who whined, "We didn't even enjoy the buffet!"

"Party's over. Plagg, CLAWS OUT!" In a flash of black, Adrien turned into Chat Noir.

"Yo, Marinette!" Rudi called out. "You didn't tell us your grandmother was sexy!"

Befana and Marinette froze. "Excuse me?!"

"Seriously! Those curves, that figure! Those thighs! The years have definitely been good to her!"

Befana's cheeks blushed. "You think me beautiful, little boy?"

"All the heavenly angels must envy your beauty," Rudi flattered her.

Marinette gagged. Befana giggled behind her hand. "What a fine fairy you'll make be the rest of you as sweet as your tongue!"

Rudi's eyes widened a little. "Uh oh."

Before he could get shot, someone blocked the attack. Chat Noir stood between Befana and Rudi. "Hey, I never knew grandmas could be so nasty."

"You would look wonderful in white, my pretty kitty."

Befana fired her gun and Chat Noir dodged it, but barely. "Eh, not convinced. I'm much more into black- makes my eyes stand out, don't you think?" Befana fired her gun again, forcing him to dodge and retreat to the rooftops.

"Take care of this annoying pussy cat!" Befana ordered Sabine, who chased after him.

Meanwhile, Rudi ducked under a table and dug into his bag for the Mask. "Guess it's time to party."

Ooh, I love parties!

"Then you'll love this one. And there's a pretty woman here too."

Ew. I didn't know you liked golden oldies.

"Shut up. I happen to find older women attractive. Especially someone like Befana. I bet she looks more attractive when she's restored."

Please, just put me on before I get sick.

"Your loss. IT'S SHOW TIME!"

Marinette ran as Befana fired at her, trying to turn her into coal. "You're not getting away unpunished, Marinetta!" Marinette tripped and dropped the present from Adrien. She tried to reach for it, only for Befana to turn it into coal. "You don't deserve any of these presents, you spoiled brat! Now to give you what you deserve!" She pointed the gun at Marinette and pulled the trigger, but all she heard was a click. Grunting in annoyance, she reached for her tin box and dumped its contents into the gun's chamber. "You'll get what's coming to you."

Marinette hid under one of the tables. "This isn't how I envisioned my birthday party..."

Suddenly, the table turned into coal. "You need to transform!" said Tikki.

Marinette hid under another table. "Do you lie only to me?" Befana asked.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette called out.

"I'm a little busy!" Chat Noir replied as he battled Sabine.

"Or do you lie to your friends as well?" Befana continued.

Alya and the others watched as Marinette backed away from the witch. "We've got to help her!" She grabbed a stack of plates and tossed them at Befana before she could fire her gun at Marinette. "Marinette is not a liar!"

"Somebody needs to teach you a lesson!" Befana said as she turned Alya to coal.

Kim lunged at her to grab the gun, only to be turned to coal as well. "That will teach you to steal candy!"

Rose jumped in front of Befana and blocked her. "Don't touch Marinette! She's only the nicest person in the world!"

"That's very disrespectful, to speak up without permission! But then again, it's quite noble of you to stick up for your friends. Okay. I shall make you a fairy." She fired the gun at Rose, but instead of turning her into coal, she turned her into an angel-like fairy with white wings and a white mask. "You are going to help me discipline your friend."

Marinette hid behind the DJ's stage and whispered, "Tikki, SPO-"

Before she could get the chance to transform, Sabine landed behind her and Chat Noir jumped down to her. "Sorry I kept you waiting. We need to find you a better hiding place." He gave her a wink and took her by the hand. "Shall we?" Holding her tight, he whisked her away on his staff.

"Marinetta is getting away with the kitty! Catch them!"

Before the witch's two fairies could follow them, Marinette's remaining friends caught them in the birthday banners. "Marinette is cool, so don't touch her." said Juleka.

Max shouted at Befana, "We won't let you hurt Marinette!"

The witch let out an offended sound. "Is that how you speak to your elders? How rude." She fired her gun at the remainders of Marinette's friends, turning them all into coal and freeing the fairies. "Maybe this will teach you to keep quiet."

"You must be a real cool girl if your friends are protecting you like that," Chat Noir said as he carried Marinette in his arms. "So why's your grandma flipping out?"

"I think she wanted me to spend more time with her."

Chat Noir brought her to the Eiffel Tower and set her down at the viewing deck. "Don't worry. I promise to get your real grandma back safe. Oh, and happy birthday, Marinette."

"Thank you, Chat Noir."

Chat Noir took off, leaving her alone. She took Tikki out of her bag. "Now's the time to save my nona. Tikki, SPOTS ON!" In a flash of black and red, she transformed into Ladybug.

Meanwhile, Befana was in pursuit, turning people into either coal or her fairies, depending on how bad or good she viewed them. She sang, "La Befana comes at night, on her shaky broom in flight. She gives out candy to those who are dandy. And only gives coal to brats with no soul." Suddenly, something shot her down and destroyed the bike.

She looked up to see the Big Head Killer looming over her. "Big Head comes to unexpectedly," he sang. "Fighting witches till they're melty."

Ladybug and Chat Noir landed next to him and the latter scolded him, "Leave her alone! She may be Akumatized but she's still somebody's grandmother!"

"A very sexy grandmother," Big Head purred.

Ladybug gagged. Chat Noir gave him a weird look. "Why?"

"What? I have a thing for older women. She'd probably be a lot more sexier if she didn't look like the Wicked Witch of the West after a drunken one night stand."

Befana let out a screech. "WHAT?! Fairies, punish the rude one with the green head!" The fairies charged, only to be caught in a giant butterfly net Big Head took out of his pocket. "My fairies!"

Big Head shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, if it floats and has wings, a butterfly net will catch it!"

"Never mind him," Hawk Moth said in Befana's mind. "Bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous!"

"Say the magic word!" Befana sang.

She could practically hear Hawk Moth being taken aback and saying reluctantly, "Please."

"Thank you, Hawk Moth!" She pointed to Chat Noir. "What have you done with Marinetta, thief?"

Chat Noir shrugged his shoulders. "I forgetta."

"So, how do we beat her?" Big Head asked. "Dump a bucket of water on her?"

Ladybug whacked him upside the head. "We're trying to find the Akuma, not melt her!"

"What does the villainous cat burglar do when he feels threatened?" Befana eyed the Eiffel Tower. "He climbs!" She ran for her bike, only to stop when Big Head jumped onto the wreck.

"Ah, ah, ha, my twitchy witchy girl! You ain't getting back up on your broom stick! Of course, I wouldn't mind you riding mine."

Oh, mein Gott! Why did I say that?

Befana let out a growl. "You think I'm a witch now?!" Black smoke started to envelop her. Ladybug gasped as she watched Befana transform into a classical witch with a long, black coat and pointed hat and her bike transformed into broom and her popgun turned into a cauldron. The broom flew out from under Big Head's feet and into Befana's waiting arms. "Now, Marinetta, let me show you how witchy I can be!" She cackled as she flew toward the Eiffel Tower.

Big Head rubbed the back of his head. "NOW can we use the bucket of water?"

"Come on," said Chat Noir. "We have to beat her before she turns Marinette into a toad!"

"Where are you, Marinetta? Befana has a special treat for you!" Befana called out as she flew around the Eiffel Tower. She suddenly felt the broom shift in weight. She turned around to see Chat Noir sitting on the broom.

"What's a witch without a black cat?"

"No pets allowed!" Befana spun the broom, shaking him off. He flew and fell onto the viewing deck where he met Ladybug and Big Head. Befana cackled as she reached into a cauldron and picked up some white candies. "What a sweet Ladybug you are. You'll make a perfect fairy!"

She tossed the candies at the heroes, who rolled out of the way. "Sorry, not interested," said Ladybug.

"You can't turn down a gift, you rude little imp! You don't deserve candy! YOU DESERVE COAL!" Befana tossed black candy at her, but Big Head took out a large fan and blew it back at her. The witch gasped and dodged them.

"Did you see that?" Chat Noir asked. "She dodged them!"

"Looks like even Befana can't touch those candies," said Ladybug. "That cauldron must be where the Akuma is!"

"So, what are we waiting for?" Big Head asked.

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug twirled her yo-yo and its magic created... "A tuba?"

"I didn't know you could play," said Chat Noir.

"I don't. But I better start practicing!"

"It doesn't matter how good you get, I will still find that Marinetta yet!" shouted Befana as she tossed more candies at the heroes, who jumped out of the way in time.

Suddenly, Big Head did something he never thought he'd do before: his own vision. It highlighted three things: the tuba, the elevator cable and Befana's cauldron. "Wait! I got an idea!" He snatched the tuba from Ladybug.

"Hey, what are you doing!" she exclaimed.

"Improvising! And you should too! Chat Noir use cataclysm on the elevator cable when I give the signal!" And with that, he took off running.

"Improvising?" Chat Noir asked, totally confused. "What did he mean by that?"

Ladybug looked back at the elevator, then at Befana who was charging right at them. She ran up to the witch with her hands up. "Okay, you win!" She gave a wink at Chat Noir.

"You're right, I did lie," said Chat Noir. "Your granddaughter is here."

"It's not too late to tell the truth, right?" Ladybug asked innocently.

The witch gently landed onto the viewing deck, arms folded. "I don't believe you."

"I'll take you to her myself," Chat Noir said.

"You'll come with us," Befana pointed to Ladybug, keeping one hand in her cauldron.

Chat Noir led Befana to the elevator and opened the door. "What is the meaning of this?! She isn't here!"

Chat Noir shrugged his shoulders. "Guess I'm a pathological liar?"

Befana was about to turn him into coal when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She turned and...

BLAAAAARRRRPPP!

A blast from the tuba sent her flying into the elevator. Big Head slammed the tuba over her head. "Now, Chat Noir!"

"CATACLYSM!" He used Cataclysm to snap the cables and sending the elevator plummeting.

"Now, Ladybug!"

Ladybug caught the elevator with her yo-yo and opened the emergency hatch. Befana was still struggling to get out. Ladybug saw this as her chance to snap the cauldron in two and release the purple butterfly. "No more evildoing for you, little Akuma! Time to de-evilize!" She captured the Akuma in her yo-yo. "Gotcha!" She presses the button at the top of her yo-yo and releases the purified Akuma. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." She tossed the tuba into the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" The tuba exploded into a wave of black and red spots that restored everything and turned Befana back into Gina, who looked around in confusion.

"Hey, I was right," Big Head said seductively. "You are sexier when you're not Akumatized."

Gina made a look of disgust. "What?"

POW!

Ladybug sent the cartoon killer flying with a whack from her yo-yo. "Don't touch her, you pervert!"

Hawk Moth growled with vengeance as the circular window closed. "Ladybug, Chat Noir, Big Head... you've escaped punishment yet again! I won't sugarcoat the truth, and next time I will destroy you and have your Miraculous and the Mask of Loki!"

Everyone was back at the Place des Vosges, having a good time. It was even better now that Gina was invited. She was currently flirting with the ice cream vendor she met at the Pont des Arts. "So, how about you, André? Do you have anyone in particular to share your ice cream with these days?"

"Well, actually, I have yet to find the perfect blend of flavours."

Marinette suddenly appeared and hugged her grandmother from behind. "Hi, Grandma!"

"My sweetie, what did you do with that tee shirt?"

Marinette gestured to the purse she made from the very little tee shirt. "I fixed it up, grandma. I've been sewing ever since the last time you came to visit."

Gina wiped a tear from her eye and said to her, "You're so grown up, Marinette. You know what? There'll be no more merry-go-rounds or zoos. For your next birthday, I'll take you on one of my trips!"

Marinette hugged her again. "Thank you, Grandma! But you know, it doesn't matter where you take me. With you, it's always unforgettable." She ran to meet with her friends and have some cake.

And then she met the one person she wanted to meet the most. Adrien smiled at her and held up his present. "You never got a chance to open it with all that was going on." Marinette opened the present and gasped to find a handmade bracelet inside. "I always carry the lucky charm you gave me with me wherever I go, and I think it works pretty well. So... I figured it was my turn to make one for you."

Marinette turned into a blubbering mess for a minute there. "You're so wonderful... Oh, uh- it's wonderful, what a charm! Uh... luck charm! I-I'll wear the charm um, with luck! Basically, um... thank you."

Later, Marinette sat in a tree, admiring the gift given to her by the boy she loved. "Do you realize? He made it specially for me, with his own hands." She sighed dreamily. "Oh, Adrien..."

Little TIkki was still a little miffed over what happened early that morning though. "Yeah, well, it's kind of a weird gift if you ask me."

"Heh, no weirder than yours, Tikki." Marinette said, giving the little kwami a wink.

Tikki was about to tell Marinette off when she saw she was wearing the Kwagatama as a necklace. "But that doesn't mean they're not both precious to me," Marinette said warmly.

"So you really did like the gift, then!"

"Of course I do," Marinette said, giving her Kwami a quick kiss. "The most important thing about a present, Tikki, is the person who's giving it."

Later that evening, the party had drawn to a close and the Duepein-Cheng family was in the bakery, eating the last bits of cake the kids hadn't eaten yet.

"It was so nice to see you again, Grandma," Marinette said, giving Gina a hug.

"Same here, Marinetta. I promise, the next time I give you a sweater, I will be sure to find one your size."

The doorbell suddenly rang and a card slid under the door. Tom looked out, but couldn't find anyone. "Hmm, that's weird." He looked down to see the card. "Huh. It's a birthday card for you, Marinette."

"Really? Who's it from?" she asked as she took it from it. "Huh. No name." She opened it and saw nothing in it except a drawing of a handprint with a ladybug in the center. She immediately felt intimidated by it. "What is this?"

"Marinetta, what is..." Gina suddenly let out a gasp. "La Mano Nera!" She took the card, shredded it and tossed it into the sink.

"Mom? What is it?" Tom asked, concerned.

"La Mano Nera! The Black Hand! It's an old gang symbol from my country! Someone threatened my granddaughter!"

Everyone gasped.

"Who would threaten my daughter?" Tom asked, holding Marinette close.

"I don't know," Sabine said. "This isn't funny at all!"

Marinette suddenly had a shrewd idea who sent her the card. A certain scarred man working with the Mayor.

"My nona and parents think it's someone's sick idea of a joke," Marinette said to Tikki later that night. "But we both know who sent it."

"But why would Walter send you that card?"

"I don't know. But I know he's saying something about the Miraculous. But what..." Marinette shuddered. "You know, I don't want to find out."

Across the street, Walter watched the bakery before walking off.