To Butterfly: Hopefully they will at some point.
To yellow 14: I'm not going to lie; I laughed way longer than I probably should have at that! Developing their relationship to be so much healthier was a definite goal when I started this universe (particularly with "Bugs"); in this story their dynamic serves as a good foil for Lila and Nadine.
To armadas: Thanks for that continuity catch; I just fixed it! Writing Chloe and Sabrina together with a healthy relationship is so much fun. I know there are a lot of people who focus on the relationship as it is/was in canon, but I love the idea of letting them grow.
Lila seethed as she stalked up the lycée steps. Where did that bitch get off implying that Lila couldn't find a boy to kiss her? She could have almost anyone she wanted! The only reason Adrien had abandoned her was because that prissy prudish hero Ladybug had interfered! And then that good-for-nothing Vindictive Bitch had gotten her claws into him and wouldn't let go. Not that Lila exactly wanted Pretty Boy Agreste anymore. Still, she would gain so much satisfaction from hogtying Ladybug in her own yo-yo and then stringing her up from the Eiffel Tower with her top one of these days. Maybe she could do the same with Pretty Boy and the Vindictive Bitch while she was at it. That the Queen Bitch would be joining them was already a foregone conclusion.
"What was that all about?" Nadine wondered, giving Lila a confused look.
Lila shook her head and shrugged. "I'm not sure."
"It's too bad you and Chloe couldn't be friends," Mireille commented. "You have so much in common."
Lila stifled an amused snort. You have no idea. "That's all I've ever wanted is to be friends," she said instead, folding her arms and frowning. "But Chloe has just never liked me!"
Nadine hummed. "It's not your fault that Chloe decided not to like you. I'm sure she's just jealous of how much your mutual friend really trusts you now!"
It was only with a herculean effort that Lila schooled her features to avoid a reaction. What if Mireille really was one of the Heroes of Paris looked too closely? She had to nip this in the bud. Lila quickly shook her head. "I have no idea what you mean!"
Mireille cocked her head and stared at them. "Well, maybe if you and Chloe gave it another shot you might be able to get along," she suggested. She glanced at her watch and turned toward the lockers. "I need to pick up my books for Literature, so I'll see you two later!"
Nadine waved as she walked away, but Lila immediately grabbed Nadine's arm and pulled her into a deserted classroom. "What was that about?" she demanded, eyes flaring with anger.
"What–" Nadine yelped before Lila cut her off.
"You know what I mean!" she seethed.
Nadine stared at her in confusion. "You mean with Ladybug?" she asked. "But you haven't exactly made much of a secret of your friendship with her."
"Not that," Lila corrected icily. "The way you talked about it. What if Mireille had made the same connection you did? What would have happened then?"
"Maybe then she could have joined us, too!" Nadine suggested. "How awesome would that have been?" She furrowed her brows. "Wouldn't it be awesome to have more help?"
"Only if it's the right help," Lila told her, an angry edge to her voice. "What if Mireille was that miraculous user with Chloe two nights ago?"
Nadine shook her head slowly, not taking her eyes off Lila. "It didn't look like her."
"Maybe not," Lila acknowledged. "But all the same, we don't know who's on Night Bat's side. It could be anyone! Everyone is a suspect! So you can't tell anyone that we're actually working with Ladybug."
"But–but you told everyone you're Ladybug's best friend," Nadine pointed out. "Why can't I?"
Because you'll mess it up. "Because Ladybug gave me permission to say that much. But you can't say anything about her trusting me with a miraculous – or even suggest it," Lila warned her. "If you do that, Ladybug will know she can't trust you, and then you'll never get to meet her!"
"Okay…" Nadine agreed slowly, frowning. "But that still doesn't explain why Chloe hates you so much."
Lila shrugged. "I haven't a clue why Chloe wouldn't like me," she replied, her lip quivering with barely-restrained tears. "But whatever the reason, that must have rubbed off on Sabrina." That was a thought to consider: could Sabrina be a hero? Her association with Chloe would suggest it as a possibility, but somehow Lila couldn't see her having the right disposition or personality to be one of the Heroes of Paris. But…
Nadine scoffed. "But you're a hero!"
Lila smiled – hearing someone say that so earnestly would never get old – then gasped, staring at Nadine wide-eyed. "Maybe that's what it is! She knows and now she's jealous because I have a miraculous! But… Ladybug couldn't have told her… No one's supposed to know!" She narrowed her eyes at Nadine in fear. "Did she hear it from you? You're the only other person who knows!"
Nadine gasped. "I already told you!" she yelped, shaking her head insistently. "Of course not! She would never hear it from me!" she promised, shaking her head adamantly.
"If she did hear it from you, everyone would be at risk!" Lila warned.
"She wouldn't!" Nadine promised, her lip quivering.
"Good… that's good," Lila told her, taking a slow breath. She placed a hand on Nadine's shoulder and squeezing. Nadine winced. "Remember, you can't tell anyone – and I mean anyone – about any of this, but especially about the other night. People's lives could be at stake!"
"What about Philippe?" she asked, a troubled look in her eyes. "I–I tell him everything."
Lila shook her head, her lips falling down into a frown. Opportunity. It wasn't that she disliked Nadine's boyfriend, per se, but… "Absolutely not. When I say no one, I mean no one! What if Philippe decided he was done with you and wanted to hurt you?"
"He would never!"
Lila arched an eyebrow. "Never?" Seeing Nadine's face fall she shrugged. "Well, maybe not. But still, there's always the possibility…"
Nadine scrunched up her mouth anxiously. "But…"
"I'm just trying to protect you," Lila told her.
"I… I guess…" She sighed heavily but nodded. "But it's just… I'm not good at lying."
"Well, you'd better figure out how," Lila warned her. "Because if the wrong people find out about me or about you, then we'll be in danger, my mother will be in danger, your family will be in danger – even Philippe could be in danger!"
Nadine's eyes widened. "I promise, I won't say a word to anyone!" she yelped.
Lila relaxed, wrapping an arm around Nadine and pulling her in close. "Good. That's good. And maybe Chloe doesn't know yet. But all the same, she definitely isn't taking the loss of her miraculous very well."
"That must be why she was trying to stop us the other night," Nadine agreed, frowning. She brightened. "Still, it was so much fun going on patrol with you!"
"I am very glad you were there!" Lila assured her, truthfully. If Nadine hadn't been there to keep Sent-Bee occupied, what might have happened? She probably wouldn't have escaped with Andretti if she'd had to fight the Heroes two against one. La Gymnaste had certainly proven her value.
"Especially since that other miraculous user appeared," continued Nadine. She frowned. "I didn't get a good look at her. Who was that? Was she someone you've fought before?"
"I really don't know," Lila answered, shaking her head. "I didn't recognize her, either, and I've met every villain with a miraculous in Paris! She must be someone new, with a new miraculous that Night Bat found somewhere." She sighed dramatically. "Ladybug will be so disappointed to find out that Chloe must have joined Night Bat's team. She had hoped that Chloe would take the loss of her miraculous a little better, that she would try to become a better person. But I guess that was too much to hope for someone like Chloe Bourgeois."
"That's so sad!" Nadine's face fell. "What can we do about it?"
Lila put her finger on her chin in thought. "It really is too bad that Chloe went over," she admitted, giving Nadine a sidelong glance. "I mean, she could say anything to Night Bat. She could even lead Night Bat straight to us!"
"But if she could lead Night Bat to us," Nadine pointed out, "couldn't she also lead us to Night Bat?"
Lila smiled excitedly. "Exactly! Why didn't I think of that? Ladybug would be so thrilled if you could watch Chloe and find out where she goes and who she meets! That might break this wide open!"
"Would that be enough for me to meet Ladybug?"
"Maybe," Lila agreed. "It would definitely help. But Ladybug still wants me to test you a little more and take you on a few more missions first before we can really bring you on board."
"I can't wait!" Nadine enthused as she raced out of the room to go to her next class.
"Don't worry," Lila muttered to herself as she left to find her own class. "I will have further use for you."
AN: This is the end of "A Bees' Life." The next story up is "Guys' Day Out," but I have a few new "Life and Times" and "Fridge" one-shots first. Nadine/La Gymnaste will show up again…