Much later on that evening, some more revelations were about to take place.

Night had fully fallen, and the warm September evening air had started to cool as Alya was enjoying a nighttime walk along the Seine with Nino. They were sharing a ice cream and just… Talking. Nothing big or grand, and honestly? It was one of Alya's favorite pastimes. She loved just hanging out with her boyfriend. They didn't have to spend a lot of money or go do something exotic. Instead, she appreciated that she could talk with him endlessly, and that he always listened, no matter what.

"Seriously?" Nino asked, laughing.

"Swear to God. Dad about passed out when he got the news. At least this time it's not twins."

"Dude," Nino said. "Your parents just can't stop, can they?"

Alys shrugged. "As long as they're cool with it, I guess? I mean, I'm not sure who they think will be babysitting for them when I head off to University, but hey. That's on them."

"Man," Nino said, smiling. "That must be so cool to be that in love."

They found themselves along a bridge overlooking the Seine. In the distance, they could see the Eifel Tower, yellow and beautiful against the night sky.

Alya nudged him. "I'm pretty sure you have to do something a bit more than just love each other to keep having kids."

"You know what I mean," Nino said, blushing. "I just think it's really sweet that your parents are still so into each other."

"Ahem."

Both teens jumped and turned around to see…

"Ladybug?" Nino asked, confused.

Alya smirked. "Hey stranger."

"Hey," Gina said. Her Ladybug costume was admittedly different than her mother's. The colors were inverted, she was sporting a nice pair of black, functional boots, and it was topped off by a slick red jacket. Her green eyes, brighter than normal behind her mask due to the magic, shined in the evening lights that dotted the bridge. She was perched on the railing across from them and grinning.

Nino moved in front of Alya protectively. "Are you… Ladybug, were you akumatized? What's going on?"

Alya put her hand on Nino's shoulder. "Relax, sweetie. I think," she eyed the messy brown hair and the jacket. Memories of a girl's night at the Eifel Tower just a couple weeks prior came drifting back to her. "You're the reserve Ladybug, right?"

"Good memory," Gina said as she hopped down. "Please to meet you, UnnnnNino." She looked around to confirm they were alone before she took out her yoyo and opened it. "Soooooo," she said. "Are you two free tonight?"

Alya and Nino looked at each other and shrugged. "Um, yeah? Why?" Alya asked.

Gina took two small boxes out of her yoyo. "Oh, no reason."

"No way," Nino said, his eyes wide. He looked to Ladybug and asked, "What's the emergency?"

She tossed each of them their respective miraculous. "No emergency, but, um, why don't the two of you get changed and meet me at the, um, the spot?"

"The spot?" Nino asked, confused.

Gina looked to Alya. "The, um, the pizza beam?"

Alya raised an eyebrow. "You mean the beam on the Eifel Tower we like to hang out on?"

Gina shrugged. "I realized I don't really have a spot, per say. So yes? And, um, give me 30 minutes?"

Alya took her pendant out of its box and put it around her neck. "Why 30 minutes?"

"I've got another stop or two to make," Ladybug said. "See you there?"

"You can count on us, Ladybug," Nino said with a bit more enthusiasm than Gina was ready for.

"Right," Gina said, still smiling. "Thanks. Um, bug out?"

And with that, she thew her line and shot off into the night.

"Dude," Nino said, watching her go. "There's two of them?"

Alya smiled as she watched her leave. "Kind of, She's her future daughter."

Nino stared. "That was Marinette's future daughter?"

Alya nudged him. Nino rubbed his side and smiled nervously.

"Right," Nino said. "That was Ladybug's future daughter? Cool."

When Alya and Nino arrived, they found that they were not alone. Already waiting were Ryuko and Queen Bee, who were engaged in a game of cards. Chloé looked up from their game just as Kagami laid out her hand.

"Gin!" Kagami said with a satisfied smirk.

"Whatever," Chloé muttered. She noticed at the look on Kagami's face. "Yeah, yeah, good game. So," she turned to the new arrivals. "You were asked to come, too?"

Alya nodded. "She found us while we were out walking."

"She came to my house," Kagami said, standing. "I won't lie, I was more than a little alarmed."

"Me too," Nino said, smiling. "I mean, I'd seen her on the Ladyblog, but never in person. How come her costume looks so much better than regular Ladybug's?"

"Maybe it's a time travel thing?" Alya said, thinking about it.

"Maybe she just has better fashion sense than her mother," Chloé said. She smirked. "I mean, seriously. You'd think Du…" She looked at the others. "…Our Ladybug would at least come up with something a bit more dynamic. You know. All things considered. Other Ladybug at least has a jacket."

"What is it with you and the jackets?" Alya asked.

Chloé crossed her arms and looked away. A slight blush filled her cheeks. "The jackets are cool."

"Then why don't you have one?" Kagami asked.

"Please," Chloé smirked. She flipped her hair. "I look fabulous just the way I am. What's-her-name is just copying better Miraculous users, like Mamabug, or Capricorn, or Cheshire."

"My name," Gina said as she swung up to join them, "is Ladybug, Queen Bee. I'd expect one of the most famous miraculous users to at least remember me." She had a drink holder in her other hand with five steaming beverages precariously balanced together.

Chloé stared at her for a moment, her arms still crossed. "Well, you're right of course, I am…Wait. Did you just try to butter me up?"

Gina shrugged. "I dunno. Did it work?"

Chloé tilted her hand back and forth. "Eh? A little?"

"Here," Gina said. She did her best to remove the fifth crammed drink. "Tssss! Hothothot, um, Rena Rouge?"

"Thanks," Alya said, taking the drink. "Cocoa?"

Gina nodded. "I would have done coffee, but I didn't know how much caffeine you all wanted this late at night. Um, here you are."

She handed the remaining beverages out. Chloé stared for a moment, but then accepted it. It was hard to tell if she murmured thank you or not.

Gina looked to the others with the last drink in her hand. "Okay, all we're missing is…"

"Gooooooood evening, everybody!"

Gina sighed. "Chat."

Chat Noir dropped in beside Ladybug, a huge smile plastered across his face. "Everyone," he said, nodding. "Bugaboo," he said, his arm starting to slink around Gina. A second before making contact, his brain registered who she was and he froze, his eyes wide. "Oh," he said, surprised. "Um, when I got your text, I, um, I didn't realize it was, uh, you. Uh… Hey."

He carefully, and slowly, retracted his arm and scooted away.

"Good kitty," Gina said. She handed him a cocoa.

Chat looked around, concerned. "Um, where's, um… Dang." His ears drooped.

"You okay there, alley cat?" Chloé asked.

Chat nodded. "I just… I've had a lot go on today, and something really good happened tonight! And I wanted to tell, um…" He glanced to Gina. "I'm good."

Gina cringed, her guilt temporarily taking over. "Sorry. Um, yeah. It's just me tonight." She eyed him. "So, it went well?"

Chat's eyes went huge as he grinned and hopped up and down. "IT WENT WELLLLLLLL!" He only stopped when he got hot cocoa on his hands. "Gaah! Um, yes. It went well. Thank you again for your help, um, in getting us together."

"Least I could do," Gina said, blushing slightly.

Alya's eyes went wide. "Did... Did you hook up with Ladybug?"

Chat shook his head. "No, no... We're just friends."

Alya stared.

Nino raised his hand. "Does this have to do with Ladybug not being here?"

"No," Chat said.

"Yes," Gina said, realizing her mistake a second too late.

They looked at each other.

"Yes?" Chat said.

"No!" Gina said.

Chat frowned. "I'm lost. What am I supposed to lead with?"

"God," Gina said, rubbing her temples. "This is what she leaves me to work with."

Chloé raised an eyebrow. "On that note, why are you here, little miss reserve?"

"Right," Gina said. She looked around and took a deep breath.

'It's cool,' she thought. 'They're just the living legends that helped raise you. No pressure. We're cool. Totally cool. Just don't fuck up.'

"So," Gina said. "Some of you know me, some of you don't. That's okay. I'm Ladybug, but not, um, your Ladybug? As you know. Of course you know that. Right. I'm the reserve Ladybug."

She grinned at them.

'Don'tfuckupdon'tfuckupdon'tfuckup.'

She grinned harder.

Chloé chuckled at Gina's nervousness. "Aww, look everyone. We get Babybug tonight! Did you come by just to say hello? That's so cute! How's mommy?"

"Jesus Chloé," Alya snorted. "What crawled up your butt and died?"

Kagami frowned and crossed her arms. "That was out of line, even for you."

So, a quick aside.

Chloé has been trying. Honestly! She really has. She's been better at school, she raises her hand now, she makes a point to remember people's names, you know. All that normal person stuff that normal people do, she's been actively applying, and she's gotten really good at it!

But.

Chloé was still Chloé at the end of the day, and there was just something almost magical for her bitch persona about seeing a new kid trying to step up and assume authority.

"What?" Chloé asked with mock innocence all over her face. "The new girl wants to show up and say she's in charge, and you all just roll over for it? What's wrong with you?"

Gina glared. "Yeah, mom told me you might act like this."

"Oh?" Chloé asked, amused. "What else did she tell you?"

Gina took out her yoyo. "She said if you did, I might need to make you listen to me."

"Oh really?" Chloé asked, her voice slightly more serious. "You think you're up to it? Seriously, Babybug, why should we listen to you? You're not our leader. If anything, I have more authority than you."

Ladybug closed her eyes and mentally composed herself. 'God, it's like the first day of school all over again,' she thought.

"Look, I respect you a lot, Aunt Chloé, and I think you're kinda awesome, but I was also told that if you gave me shit tonight, mom would look the other way if I kicked your ass up and down Champ de Mars."

"Oh shit," Alya said. She tensed up as Kagami took a defensive stance.

"Ladies, please," Chat Noir said, stepping between them. "Chloé, I can vouch for, um, future Ladybug. I've seen her in action, and she's the read deal. Maybe we should listen to her?"

The group went dead quiet, all eyes on Chloé.

"You think you're woman enough?" Chloé asked, ignoring Chat completely. "You really think you could take me on?"

Gina nodded. She locked eyes with Chloé. "You know why I got stuck with this tonight?"

"Do tell."

She shoved Chat aside and took a step towards Chloé. "This afternoon in my time, I broke a lunch tray across a girl's face because she poured a carton of milk on your son's head. He was too much of a gentleman to do anything about it, so I did. Now, instead of being out with my friends, I'm grounded and stuck with the night shift, and suspended, again, for 'anger issues'. Again. So yeah, you wanna go right now?" She tilted her head, audibly cracking her neck. "I'm down."

Chloé stared. "…I have a son?"

Gina nodded. "Yep. And he's my best friend, and way too polite for his own good. Takes after one of you, I guess."

Chloé bit her lip, her attitude almost instantly changing. "Um… Who, um… Who is, um, who's his, uh, dad? Mom?" Her voice went small. "Who's his other mom?"

Gina sighed. She leaned in and whispered something in Chloé's ear.

Everyone let out a collective sigh as Chloé visibly relaxed. Gina stepped back. "We cool?"

Chloé nodded and wiped at her eyes. "For now," she sniffed. "Okay, cool. She's Ladybug, alright." Chloé said, her cheeks bright pink. "Continue. I just, I need to…" She stopped and put her hand over her eyes. "Can, um, can you all give me a minute?"

The group nodded. Chloé stepped away and ducked behind a beam.

"You think she's okay?" Chat asked.

Alya shrugged. "She probably needs a second to recover from having someone stand up to her." She looked at Gina. "Nice job, new girl."

Meanwhile, Chloé took out her top and slid the side of it up. Quickly, she dialed and waited until Sabrina's voice came over the speaker.

"Chloé? What's up? How's patrol?"

"Hey. Um, Yeah. Everything's fine. I just, I love you so much. I just wanted to tell you that." She sniffed and wiped her nose. "You, um, you wanna go for a trip this weekend? Maybe Tokyo? We haven't done Tokyo."

"Chloé, are you okay? What's going on? Is it an akuma?"

"No! No, it's, it's nothing, I just..." She looked around to make sure no one was around her. "I was just reminded of how, um, how much I… I just want to treat you. If you want, that is."

"I'd… Gosh, I'd love to! Really? Tokyo?"

"Really," Chloé said, smiling. "Um, I should get going, but I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you."

"Awww!" Sabrina said. "You are so sweet! You're the best, Chloé. Hurry home, okay? I'm, um, I ordered a new outfit, and, well, I'd like to show it to you."

"Oh?"

Chloé's top pinged, notifying her of a text. Chloé looked at it and turned beet red.

"Come home soon," Sabrina said. "Love you!"

"Okayloveyoubye." She hung up her top and stepped out from behind the beam. She marched back to the group, her face still red as she shot a look at Gina. "Make this fast."

"Right." Gina said. She blushed from embarrassment as she looked around. "Sorry about that. And, um for the cursing. Anyway, um, the regular Ladybug is, um, she's been, um, she's not available, like, right now? And for the next few months?" Gina shrugged. "So, yeah. I'm filling in here and there. So, yeah." She shuffled in place. "Just letting you know? Also, um, you can keep those."

"Keep what?" Nino asked.

Gina gestured to the group. "Your miraculouses. They're yours now. Like, permanently."

Alya, Nino, and Kagami's eyes went wide. "What?" They all asked at once.

Chloé snorted. "Way to bury the lead, kid."

Chat paled. "What happened to my, um, our Ladybug?"

Gina eyed him for a moment.

'Really?'

She eyed him more.

'FUCKING REALLY?'

"She's got something cooking," Gina said. She put her hands in her pockets. "You know, things in the oven. The fire. Things in the fire. Um, Ladybug things."

Chat frowned. "Another secret mission? Geez. Um, how long this time?"

Gina flashed a nervous smile. "Um, a few months? Maybe longer?"

"You don't know?" Chloé asked. She raised an eyebrow at that. "I mean, shouldn't you? You're the time traveler, not us."

"Dude!" Gina said, exasperated.

"Oh, what?" Chloé asked defensively. "You know we all know. You were literally yeeted into a portal the last time we saw you. We all saw it!"

"I didn't see it," Nino said.

"He didn't see it!" Gina cried.

"You're really from the future?" Nino asked. "Dude."

"Told you," Alya said.

"Yes, I'm from… What's yeeted mean?"

Chloé stared. "It's, um… Seriously? They don't say that in the future?"

Gina shrugged.

"But, like, it's in so many memes! How can you not know that? Even if you're from, like, what? Thirty years in the future or wherever you come from?"

"It's not that far," Gina said. "Um, what's a meme?"

Chloé's eyes went wide. "It's… Oh, my God! The future is terrible!"

Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking.

In point of fact, Gina knew exactly what Chloé was talking about. Of course they have memes in the future, and yes, our girl knows what yeet means. She was also told by her mother before she came back to the past this time to never, on no uncertain terms, let Chloé know that anything she liked or referenced still existed.

When Gina asked if that was mean to do, Marinette looked her dead in the eyes and simply said, "Yes."

Despite her mixed feelings about messing with past-Chloé, Gina was still on the fence about being deliberately mean, so Marinette gave Gina fifty bucks.

Our hero is not above being bribed.

"So, yeah," Gina continued. "Since you all know this version of Paris better than me, and since I can't be around all the time, I need you to step up a bit and be heroes when I can't. That means that effective right now, you're all permanent holders." Gina looked hesitantly at each of them. "Um, questions?"

Every hand went up.

"Is Ladybug okay?" Alya asked. "Is this because of this afternoon?"

"What happened this afternoon?" Chat asked.

Alya stared at him. "…Seriously? Where were you all day?"

Chat shrugged. "I had to work. I even missed school for it."

"Do we have to give these back?" Nino asked.

"What do you mean you won't be around all the time?" Kagami asked, concerned. "Are you leaving, too?"

"So, when will Ladybug be back again?" Chat Noir asked. "Like, exactly?"

"Not that I care? But, this isn't everyone." Chloé looked at the group. "Granted, I can't stand Kim, but he is a holder." She started ticking off fingers. "And Max, Mylene, Ivan, Nathaniel, Rose, Juleka, oh! And Sabrina. Definitely Sabrina." She looked to Gina. "What about them?"

Alya balked. "Did you seriously just out the entire team?"

"Please," Chloé scoffed. "Like, once you know who a couple of us are, you can totally see the pattern. It's not like it's rocket science."

"But," Alya sputtered. "There's magic protecting us! Like, you shouldn't be able to do that!"

"You did it with me," Nino pointed out.

"That's different," Alya said. "You're my man. It was obvious."

"Please," Chloé said, laughing. "More like he probably slipped up and called you dude during a mission."

Alya and Nino both blushed but didn't comment.

"Also, what about Viperion?" Kagami asked.

The others looked at her as her cheeks turned pink.

"What?" She asked. "He's nice. To have around."

"I'm trying to pace this," Gina said. "I, um, look. I went with you all because you've held for the longest amount of time. You're the veterans, so you're up first. And I'm keeping Viperion and Bunnyx out of this unless we absolutely need them. They're, well, they're my break-glass heroes. Unless, like, you want someone else to take your places?"

They collectively shook their heads.

Gina said to Alya. "And yes, she's fine."

Alya nodded, relieved.

"And no, Carapace, you don't. At least, not until mo… Regular ladybug gets back." she said to Nino. She turned to Kagami. "I have school, and work, and, um, I don't live here? So, um, I have some daytime fill-ins." She looked to Chat. "Uh, seriously? Okay, wow. Um… Sometime after April 12th?"

Chloé raised an eyebrow. "That's awfully specific."

"Yes," Gina said. "Yes, it is."

Chat's eyes went huge. "That's seven months from now!"

Gina nodded. "That is seven months from now."

Chat's eyes went even wider. "That means…"

Gina stared. 'Come on. You can do it, dad.'

Chat pounded his hand with his fist. "It must be her most important secret mission yet!"

Gina closed her eyes and rubbed her face.

'Jesus Christ, he is so dumb.'

Alya raised her hand. "Um, excuse me, Ladybug Junior?"

Gina glared. "Excuse me, but I'm only a year younger than you."

Chat's eyebrow went up. "Really? But, um, I thought you were…"

"Dude," Gina said. "Time travel. It's been a bit longer for me than for you."

"I thought you were fourteen?"

Gina shook her head. "Sixteen. Been a helluva year."

"But… You were younger!" Chat sputtered. "Like, six months ago, you turned fourteen!"

"Dude, I have a life outside of this," Gina said, shrugging.

Chat glanced at her brown hair. "Huh. Yeah, I guess you do. I see the dye grew out. Too bad. You looked good as a blonde."

"Oh God, that. I hated the blonde," Gina said, her face scrunching. "I looked like one of Aunt Rose's kids, and Tulip is enough on her own. People thought we were sisters. I mean," Gina shrugged. "She's cool and all, and I dig hanging on the barge, but…"

"Hooooly shit," Alya said, grinning. "The barge? I knew those two would get married! WHO ELSE MARRIES WHO?"

Gina paled. "Shit. I didn't say that." She eyed Alya. "And isn't it whom? Aren't you a reporter? Shouldn't you know that?"

Chat grinned. "Well, regardless? It still looked good, LB."

"It sucked!" Gina moaned. "I looked, ugh… I don't wanna think about it."

"It went with your swimsuit?" Chat offered.

Gina glared at him. "My swimsuit? What are you…? You mean that bikini? You… You were checking me out?"

Gina's hand drifted to her yoyo.

"No!" Chat said, his hands out in front of him. "I just, you were in it all day! Of course I noticed you but not, like, noticed-noticed you! And I notice color coordination and styles, and your skin tone along with the blonde hair and your body type went really well with the suit. That's all!"

"You are not helping things," Gina growled.

"You saw her in a bikini?" Chloé asked.

"Was it a lucky charm?" Kagami asked.

Alya snickered. "Sounds like it."

Kagami's eye twitched. She stared at Chat. "Oh. Are you… Hitting on her?"

Chat and Gina turned to Kagami. "NO," they both said at once. Gina turned slightly green as Chat scooted away from her.

"It was a compliment, that's all!" Chat said. He looked to Gina and cringed. "Please don't hit me."

"So, you saw her out of costume? Does that mean you know who she is?" Nino asked.

Gina sighed and took out her yoyo, ignoring Nino. "So anyways, yeah. Just keeping you up to date on what's going on. Um, if something happens, you all should be more than enough until either me or another fill-in bug can get there."

"Wait," Alya said. "Um, you have another fill-in? Who is it?"

Gina winked. "Like I said, I have a couple, actually. My daytime ones are, they're, um… They're people I trust. Or Ladybug trusts. Just please don't be weirded out of you see me or, you know, someone not-me helping you in fights?"

The group murmured as Gina cast her line. "So, yeah. Just, um, wanted to introduce myself and say hey, and let you know what was going on. Um, yeah." She gave her line a tug. "And with that, I have to go."

Chloé Leaned over and muttered to Kagami. "Is it me or does this feel like it all could have been in a text?"

Kagami glared at her. "You know how Ladybug feels about the group chat." She turned her attention back to Gina. "You can't stay?" She asked.

"School night," Gina said.

"Didn't you say you were suspended?" Nino asked.

Gina closed her eyes and grumbled. "That's worse. That just means I have to get up early and help at the… Um… At the family business. And it opens early. But yeah, I guess you're right? It's, um, not technically a school night?" She noticed the look on Kagami's face. "Um, did… Did you want me to? Stay, I mean?"

"We don't really know you that well," Kagami said. "And if we're going to be fighting alongside you, it would be nice to, well… I figured since we officially got to keep our powers, we might celebrate and do some team building? To get to know you better?"

Gina looked at the others. They all had similar looks, especially Chat Noir. Chloé was doing her best to look uninterested, but she was glancing at Gina.

'Do… Oh, my God. Do they want to play?' she thought, confused.

She thought on it for a second.

"Okay," she said. She looked out across the city. "You know what? Why not? So, um, there's an awesome late-night taco vendor that's usually about ten blocks thataway."

The group nodded.

"This is true," Chat said. He had even treated Gina one night to a late-night snack when she had last filled in over the summer.

"Okay, so… I guess I'm heading there. Your job is to stop me."

"And if we do?" Alya asked.

"Chat buys everyone a taco."

"Wait, what?" Chat Noir asked.

"And if you win?" Kagami asked.

Gina thought about it.

"Chat buys everyone a taco."

"Excuse me?" Chat Noir said, clearly annoyed. "I did not agree to this."

Gina responded by sticking out her tongue and leaping off the tower.

"She's getting away!" Alya cried out. She jumped after her. Laughing, Nino and Kagami followed.

"I like chicken in mine," Chloé told Chat as she cast her top and took off.

Chat drooped. "Fine, sure, whatever. I'll buy."