Chloe walked down by the river again, looking for Luka. He had texted her saying that he had set up a speaker by the river walk and gotten a permit to play on the street. She had offered to help jump start his career when she heard but he had softly refused, determined to make his own way.

There weren't many people on the walk, the crisp and chilled air closer to ice by the river. Her breath turned to clouds with each puff she let out and she kept her hands stuffed in her pockets. A small crowd of people were gathered a ways in front of her, familiar music bursting through.

Chloe walked up, watching Luka's show. His guitar work was excellent and his voice, though far from smooth, was full of texture that broke through the cold air. As she got closer Chole noticed Marinette standing nearby, obviously there for support but staring intently down at her phone. Chloe raised an eyebrow and walked up next to her.

"He's good huh." She said.

Marinette jumped, taking a step back. "Wha- Chloe? Why are you here?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, "What are you so jumpy? Anyways, Luka invited me to come and listen."

Marinette recomposed herself, shoving her phone into her pocket. "He invited you?"

"You sound so surprised but it's obvious that he would, after all this was my idea."

"Really." Marinette said unimpressed, shifting her weight so she was leaning heavy on one foot.

"Well not this cheap street performance thing," Chloe said fluttering her hand dismissively, "but pursuing his own goal while you deal with your, uh, things."

Marinette narrowed her eyes, making her voice low. "You mean my being-"

"Not here," Chloe said interrupting her and glancing around, "I'm being watched."

Marinette barked out a laugh. "Really? By who?"

"Hawkmoth."

"Uh-huh." Marinette rolled her eyes, "and why exactly would he be watching you?"

"Because of what I was six years ago." Chloe drew her brow so a small wrinkle appeared above her nose. "He's waiting for me to slip up again, to ruin someone's life or something."

Marinette's expression smoothed over and she pressed her lips together so they turned white. "What you were? Chloe, you're holding my secret over my head and flirting with my boyfriend. I'm going to have to side with Hawkmoth on this one."

Chloe's voice became low, her hands balled into fists inside her pockets. "You're wrong." She said, holding her chin up, "I have spent the last six years reflecting on what I was. On how everything went wrong. I realized I had to change myself if I wanted to become a person I could be proud of. And I did it. I did it Dupain-Cheng, and I won't let you or anyone else say otherwise."

Marinette leaned back on her heels. "So you regret what you did?"

"I recognize what I did was wrong."

"But do you regret it?"

Chloe met her gaze, a burning fire sparking behind her eyes. "I won't abandon my past self, Marinette. A Bourgeois never regrets."

Marinette narrowed her eyes. "Then you are exactly the same brat who left Paris all those years ago."

The music stopped accompanied by a smattering of applause from the crowd. Spare change was thrown into Luka's guitar case and he turned to Marinette, raising his eyebrows when her saw that Chloe was there too.

"Did you guys like my set?" He asked smiling, setting his guitar down.

The girls didn't break eye contact.

"If you think that Marinette," Chloe said, clicking her heel on the pavement, "then you aren't as good a judge as I thought you were." She turned to Luka and gave him a soft smile. "The music was really good Luka, thanks for inviting me. I'm serious about my offer to sponsor you going pro, give me a call if you change you mind." She turned on her heels and stalked away, cheeks burning and eyes stinging. Marinette was wrong. Hawkmoth was wrong. She straightened her back, keeping her chin high. She would prove them wrong.

Luka and Marinette watched her walk off.

Luka sighed, scratching the back of his head. His fingers were cold and stiff, red with cold. "You could try to get along with her better," Luka said, "she's not actually all that bad."

"Please," Marinette said, irritated, "do you even remember everything I told you about her? She's the devil incarnate!"

"Marinette, chill," Luka said, taking a step back from her, "that was years ago. None of her actions thus far have given me any reason to believe that she's the same person she was back then."

"Easy for you to say," Marinette snapped, crossing her arms, "she's offering to sponsor your whole career. If you knew what she was really like, what she has really done-"

"Marinette, stop." Luka said, uncharacteristically firm. He looked her in the eyes, stilling her swirling emotions. "I know what she's done, I was one of the victims. That day where she let herself get akumatized I was one of the hero's whose identity was outed, remember? She used me to fight against Ladybug and Chat Noir, used me to fight against your friends who were also outed. I've never gotten to use my powers since because everyone knows who I was, but I still remember what they were. Do you?"

Marinette looked down, biting her lip. "Second chance."

He tilted her chin back up to look at him and nodded. "Second chance. I can't have that power anymore, but I can still take it as a lesson. Everyone deserves a second chance Marinette, especially if they've shown that they're willing to change."

She swallowed, eyes burning. "I can't have this conversation right now Luka," She stepped away, "I have to go, I have work to do."

He ran a hand through his hair as she turned away. "Did you at least like the songs? I wrote the first one for you."

She gave him a half smile, trying her best to leave on a positive note. "They were really good. I love your music Luka. I'll see you tomorrow."

Luka smiled softly back. "It's been a while since our last real date, I'm looking forward to it."