Chapter 2: A Casual Saturday

The day woke up with the sky bright and blue, with nothing but then Sun and a couple of clouds that covered it momentarily. Nobody in Paris could have asked for better weather in that glorious Saturday morning. It was the kind of weather that invited people to leave their homes and enjoy the day outside, in one of the many gardens that Paris had to offer. But the weather did not make much of a difference to Nathaniel, who on that morning was going to meet Marc at the "Dungeon of the Geek" comic book store. The two had agreed the day before, to meet there so they could talk about comic books, and so Nathaniel could show Marc his latest sketches of his comic book.

When he got there, the place was packing. He did not know, but that was usual for a Saturday morning. There were at least twelve people inside the store. Most of them were boys or men, but there were also a few girls. As soon as he walked in, he was greeted by Gerard, the owner, who was once again wearing one of his trademarked t-shirts. Telling him that he had come to meet Marc, Gerard told him that he had not arrived yet, but that he had called and asked him to reserve their usual table. Sitting at it, Nathaniel ordered a chocolate milkshake, and while waiting for Marc to arrive, he continued to work on some sketches that he had started working on the previous afternoon. Due to the adrenaline from the fight against the Akuma, energy was something he did not lack to draw and he made good use of it, once he got home.

"These look really good… I personally love this one here with Ivan with the Ox miraculous." -Nathaniel thought to himself. –"But maybe the horns are not big enough…" -he thought, as he drew the horns on his head a little bigger.

"Still working on that Miraculous Team webcomic of yours, huh?" -Gerard asked, as he arrived with the chocolate milkshake Nathaniel had ordered.

"Yeah." -Nathaniel answered him. –"Never thought that creating this webcomic would be so much work." -he said. –"It's really working me to the bone."

"Well, good things take time and effort." -Gerard said, as he placed the chocolate milkshake on the table. –"What's the name of that one?" -he asked Nathaniel.

"This one? I still haven't thought of one." -Nathaniel admitted. –"I've been so focused on sketching it, that I haven't thought of a name for it." -he said.

"Well, if you're accepting suggestions, this one here clearly screams a mythological name. Maybe something like Minotaur, or even Minotaurox." -Gerard suggested him.

"That last one is a great name." -Nathaniel said. –"Do you mind if I use it?" -he asked him.

"Be my guest. I'm happy to know that I helped someone today." -Gerard said, as Nathaniel scribbled the name "Minotaurox" on the side of the sketch, when he noticed Marc arriving. –"Ah, there you are! What kept you?" -he asked him.

"Had to help my mom, before getting here." -Marc said. –"Sorry, I'm late." -he apologized to Nathaniel.

"It's okay. I arrived only five minutes ago. Oh, and if you want to know, Gerard here just helped me picking the name for one of the heroes in my comic." -Nathaniel said, as Marc sat down.

"Really? You have to show it to me." –Marc said, before turning to –"Could you get me a hot chocolate and one of those raspberry muffins you always have?. I skipped breakfast this morning." -he admitted.

"One hot chocolate and one raspberry muffin, coming up. Let me just help that couple of there with their purchases, that I'll bring you're your breakfast, okay?" -Gerard told him.

"Take your time." -Marc said, as Gerard left. –"So, what's this name he came up for your new hero?" -he asked Nathaniel, wanting to know about it.

Quickly, the two boys started to talk, with Nathaniel showing Marc what he had been working on. As always, Marc was impressed by Nathaniel's skills, which left nothing to chance. Marc just could not decide which of the sketches he was shown, was the best. They all looked amazing. And like always, it did not take long for their conversation to spin in the direction of the second thing they liked to talk about most: the latest triumph from the Miraculous Team. Because when he got home, he immediately began to draw, and continued to do it during the rest of the day, he had not checked the videos from the battle.

"That was incredible. Have you watched any of the videos they posted online of the battle?" -Marc asked Nathaniel.

"Actually, no. I got so caught up on my drawings, that I haven't been able to watch them." -Nathaniel said. –"Why? What happened during the battle?" -he asked Marc, pretending he did not know a thing about it.

"You should have seen the way Ladybug and Panda Roux combined their powers to take down the Akuma. I mean, it was brilliant." -Marc said. –"I mean, the other heroes also did great, but those two, were incredible." -he stated. –"Once you have the time, check it out."

"Looks like it was a great battle." -Nathaniel said. –"And a dangerous one too. I was almost crushed by the Akuma, twice." -he thought to himself.

"And it was. I've seen videos from all the Akuma battles, and it's hard to choose which was the best battle so far." -Marc said. –"I know I shouldn't talk about that, as if we were talking about a television series or a cartoon series, because usually people do get hurt and the city is temporarily destroyed, but it's so hard not to geek out a little bit." -he admitted.

"I get you. I mean, we live in a city where superheroes are always saving the day. We're supposed to geek out a little bit, from time to time." -Nathaniel said. –"By the way, have you ever seen one of the heroes up-close, or met one of them in person?" -he asked him.

"No. Still haven't had the chance. Have you?" -Marc asked him.

"Well… I was near Chat Noir, a couple of months ago." -Nathaniel said. –"It was during that Akuma attack, on Paris Fashion Week." -he said. –"I was invited by my friend Adrien, along with the rest of my class to attend it, and we all ended up in the middle of the action, when the Akuma showed up."

"Oh, I remember that one!" -Marc said. –"You're really lucky in having met him. It was such a cool battle. I can't believe that Panda Roux was able to create that hedge maze in a flash." -he declared.

It had been a cool battle. Dangerous, yet cool at the same time. It was the second time Nathaniel and his friends saved the town from an Akuma, and the pressure was quite big. Not only did they have to fend off against Haute Couture, but they also had to make sure that Adrien's dad, and his biggest rival, Amelie Dufayel would not end up dead. In the end, they saved the day, and still had the opportunity to walk on the runway, while wearing Gabriel Agreste's newest collection.

"Yeah, I remember seeing the hedge maze he created at a distance, and it's crazy how he managed to create it out of the blue like that." -Nathaniel told him.

"Sorry, if I always get so hyped, when I talk about Panda Roux. But it's hard for me not to do it." -Marc admitted.

"It's okay. I get it. He's your favourite miraculous hero." -Nathaniel told him, before sipping his milkshake.

"Yeah, he really is." -Marc chuckled. –"I mean, there's something about him… I can't really describe it, but it's something that makes him unique." -he said. –"He's got the most awesome power ever. If I was given the power to draw and bring to life anything I wanted, I don't know if I would use it that wisely."

"Don't tell me you would use it for something evil?" Nathaniel asked him. –"You don't look like the type that would use superpowers to rob a bank or an armoured car, or even hurt people."

"Well, not evil, of course. But… maybe I would use it for a couple of things that are a little bit more selfish." -Marc said. –"Don't ask me what now, because I can't seem to decide what exactly I would do with it. But it would be something that's not truly altruistic." -he admitted.

Hearing him say that, Nathaniel could not help but to smile. Marc did not know, but one of the things that Nathaniel loved in people, was when they spoke sincerely. And it was that kind of sincerity that he liked to hear coming out from people's mouths.

"I see. Well, I think that perhaps even the heroes don't use their powers in the most altruistic ways, all the time." -Nathaniel said. –"I mean, they're probably humans, just like us. And like us, from time to time, they must also use their powers for something else, other than defending us from Hawk Moth's Akumas." -he said, knowing fully well that to be a fact, when he himself had used his powers for a couple of small pranks.

"Have I ever told you that you have a way with words?" -Marc asked him, after he finished talking about the Miraculous Heroes.

"Only as many times, as you told me that I'm a wiz with the pencils." -Nathaniel said.

"Then, I'm telling it to you again." -Marc said. –"I don't know how you do it, but you do. You manage to take something so basic, and then you give it a twist that it needs, to become incredible." -he declared. –"And that makes you a really great writer."

"Not as good as you. I've read a couple of your things, and they're also great." –Nathaniel told him.

"Don't be modest. Your stuff is great, and I can't wait to see you drawing the first chapters of this comic." -Marc said.

While Nathaniel and Marc continued to talk, at the Le Grand Paris, a very special event was taking place. On the hotel's roof, Chloe was fulfilling the promise she had made to Sabrina, by giving her a private violin concert. But Sabrina was not the only participating in that special event. The girls' kwamis, Pollen and Mika were also there, enjoying the beautiful music that Chloe was playing. The scenario could not be more perfect, as Chloe liked to say. Standing next to the swimming pool, Chloe was playing the violin for Sabrina, Pollen and Mika, who were all sitting on a lounger, under a parasol. The blonde was playing Rossini's William Tell Overture, filling the air with music. As they listened to her, Sabrina and the kwamis felt like they were being transported into another world, thanks to the sweet melody produced by the violin. As she finished, she was presented with a round of applauses from Sabrina, Pollen and Mika.

"Bravo!" -Sabrina said, while clapping her hands. –"That was beautiful, Chloe." -she said.

"Thank you." -Chloe said. –"But playing Rossini all the time is getting a little too boring." -she said. –"I need to learn something, so I can play it for you."

"You only know that piece?" -Sabrina asked her.

"I learned a few more pieces, but this is the only one I remember by heart." -Chloe answered her.

"Maybe you could play one of the others for us?" -Sabrina asked her.

"I don't think so." -Chloe said. –"I don't want to ruin what's been a nearly perfect performance." -she said.

"Come on, Chloe." -Sabrina begged her.

"Forget it, Sabrina. She's even afraid to look for the musical sheets for the others she learned, because she fears that when she plays them, they will come out awful." -Pollen told her.

"Really? I don't believe it. The Chloe Bourgeois I know, would never be afraid of such a thing." -Sabrina said. –"She would prove that she would not be afraid of failing, by playing those musical sheets, no matter what." -she told Pollen. –"Or am I wrong, Chloe? Are you afraid?"

Ever since they started dating two weeks before, Sabrina had revealed a more skittish side to Chloe, which the heiress did not know she had. And this skittish side, made her say things that she had never said or done before, when in Chloe's presence. One of such things was to dare her to do things. Chloe herself felt it was a bit odd, because she was not used to seeing Sabrina behaving like that. But she did not dislike it, and kind of enjoyed it. On top of that, she was happy that her best-friend, now girlfriend, was showing her a side she did not she had.

"So, are you telling me that you're afraid of failing? Is Pollen telling me the truth?" -Sabrina asked her, teasing her.

"Oh, I know what you're doing, Sabrina. And you know what? I accept the challenge!" -Chloe said, as she walked towards her and handed her the violin and its bow, before grabbing the tablet she had brought with her. –"Let me see… where can I find them?" -she asked out loud, while connecting to the net. –"No… no… no… definitely not… ha! Here it is… I'll show you that I, Chloe Bourgeois am not afraid of anything, by playing the pieces I don't know by heart."

"I'm sure you will, my sweet bumblebee." -Sabrina smiled at her, while calling her by the nickname she had given her.

"You've got to find a better nickname for me, my little she-wolf." -Chloe smirked at Sabrina.

"Then, so do you." -Sabrina smirked back at her. –"I think you can find a better nickname for me, than little she-wolf." -she said, still smirking.

But the nicknames were not the only thing the girls still had to figure out. Their relationship had changed, and yet, it remained the same. They were still best-friends, but now, they were also girlfriends. And they did not want to admit to each other, all of that was a bit awkward. Still, like every other teenager, they were experimenting and seeing how things between them evolved. When they were out in public, they behaved like they always did. But when they were alone, or with their friends, they allowed themselves to behave more like girlfriends, than like best-friends. And it was at those moments, that they truly felt like themselves. It was a bit of a shock for their friends, when the two told them they were dating, especially because none of them had ever given any indication they would be into girls. Still, they quickly accepted the fact and were happy for them, promising to keep their relationship a secret, just like they did with Rose and Juleka. They still had a long way to go, when it came to their new relationship, but they both believed that as long as they stuck by each other, that everything would be okay.

Focusing, Chloe tried her best to make the violin's bow to touch the chords ever so gently, but it was not easy. Looking at the musical sheets, the blonde was doing her best not to miss a single note. Unfortunately, unlike with what happened when playing William Tell Overture, Chloe's performance was not perfect. Still, that did not stop her from playing until the end. And when she finished, she was once more greeted with another round of applauses.

"Bravo, once again!" -Sabrina applauded Chloe.

"It was quite good." -Pollen applauded her as well.

"Not bad. I mean, there were a couple of parts that you failed, but overall, you did good." -Mika told her.

"Thank you, all. But it's true. I really need to work on these." –Chloe admitted, as she sat down, next to Sabrina, while placing her violin next to her.

"When are you starting your violin lessons?" -Sabrina asked her.

"Next week." -Chloe said. –"Daddy has finally found me a new teacher." -she told her.

"Really?" -Sabrina asked. –"Who is he? A famous violinist or composer?" -she asked, knowing that Chloe's family had the money to hire the best.

"No. He's a music teacher from the Conservatoire Nationale de Musique et Danse de Paris." -Chloe said. –"According to daddy, he's one of the best music teachers in France. But he didn't tell me his name." -she said.

"Well, I'm sure you're going to learn a lot from him, and that he's going to like teaching you. You've got everything in you to be a great student." -Sabrina said.

After she said those words, there was a odd silence between Chloe and Sabrina, and Sabrina noticed there was something wrong with her girlfriend. And it was not because of the silence, it was because of the way her eyes looked. Over the years, she had learned to read Chloe's emotions and feelings, just by looking into her eyes. And right then, she could see that there was something wrong with her. So, she did not hesitate in asking the question that anyone would ask in those circumstances.

"What's wrong, Chloe?" -Sabrina asked Chloe.

"What do you mean?" -Chloe asked her.

"I know that look in your eyes. You have it, every time you're thinking of something that's bothering you. And it usually is something bad." -Sabrina told her. –"So, tell me, what's wrong, Chloe? You were so cheerful a couple of seconds ago." -she said, wondering why she was like that.

"It's nothing… I was just… I was just thinking about the possibility that I might still be broken." -Chloe sighed.

"Broken?! When have you been broken? What do you mean? Where did that came from? Why would you think that?" -Sabrina asked her, bombarding her with questions. She did not want to, but her concern for Chloe's well-being was stronger than her.

"Well, because I… I was just thinking about what you said, about my new violin teacher going to like teaching me, and then… well, I don't know how, but the whole thing reminded me that I was once a horrible person. I treated people like trash, I only cared about myself, I made others feel like they didn't even deserve to be in the same room… I tried to be just like my mother, and…" -Chloe said, as a tear ran down her face. –"I couldn't be nice or friendly towards anyone, without being my nasty old self. All because I needed to feel like I was important, and that I was the centre of attention… because deep inside, I knew that nobody really cared about me, or even loved me, except maybe you and my dad…" -she said, as a few more tears rolled down her cheeks. –"And if that doesn't make me someone who's broken, then I don't know what it does."

"That doesn't make you a broken person, Chloe." -Sabrina said, trying to reassure her that that was not the case.

"Yes, it does, Sabrina." -Chloe told her, as she continued to cry. –"Tell me, what do you call someone who's nasty, hateful, snobbish and who believes she's better than anyone else, all because in reality, she's the loneliest, and most unloved person in the world?" -she asked her.

"I call that person, someone who has a heart that was broken one too many times, who needs a hug, a friend who truly cares about its well-being and is willing to listen to every bullcrap, tell it that it's bullcrap and listen some more, without complaining about it." -Sabrina smiled at Chloe, as she placed her hands over the sides of the blonde's face, gently caressing it. –"I believe that you're many things, Chloe, but broken isn't one of them. And even if you were broken, it wouldn't matter to me. Broken things can be mended. That's the beauty of it. And for quite some time, you've started on your path to not be the way you were once. You, yourself have decided to be better." -she told her, with a smile on her face. –"So, if you're going to ask me again, if I think you're broken, no, I don't think you're broken. You're just like everyone else… you're human, and just like all humans, you did things you're not proud of, but have managed to get over it, and find the strength to be better."

Sabrina's words warmed Chloe's heart, who could not help but to burst into tears. And unlike the previous tears, these were out of happiness. Hugging her, she allowed herself to rest her head on Sabrina's left shoulder, as she gently rocked her. Sabrina had lost count of how many times she had done this, but she did not mind. All that mattered to her, was knowing that the girl she had fell in love with was happy.

"I take it you needed to hear that?" -Sabrina said, as she continued to rock Chloe in her arms.

"More than you can imagine, Sabrina." -Chloe sniffed.

"Then, don't worry. I'll always be here to tell you these speeches, when you need any kind of reassurance." -Sabrina promised her. –"I give you my word, as your best-friend, your partner and your girlfriend." -she said, whispering to her ear.

They remained like that for a few more minutes, until Chloe finally stopped crying. Looking at her, Sabrina saw that once more, her tears had made her smudge her make-up. But even with her make-up smudged, and her eyes all red from that much crying, the redhead told herself that Chloe looked beautiful. Placing a small peck on her lips, Sabrina made Chloe smile once again. Their kwamis, who watched the whole thing, felt that once more, the girls saw in each other, the perfect girlfriend, who they know, would never let the other one down.

"I know this is a little on short notice, but do you want to have lunch with me?" -Chloe asked her. –"We could then watch a movie, while we snuggle together." -she suggested.

"I didn't know you were the kind of girl who liked to snuggle." -Sabrina told her.

"And I don't know if I am. But I'm willing to try and see if I am the kind of girl, who likes to snuggle." -Chloe smiled. –"I'm trying to figure out this relationship. Like you, I was never in one." -she said, looking her in the eyes, before kissing her on the lips.

"And so far, what do you think?" -Sabrina asked her.

"I think that this relationship might actually work." -Chloe said. –"But even if it turns out we realize it's not working, remember what we promised each other."

"That whatever happened, we would remain the best of friends?" -Sabrina said. –"I remember. But like you said it yourself, I want to believe that this will work out." -she said

"Could you girls get a room or something?!" -a voice interrupted them; a voice that belonged to Mika, the wolf kwami. –"I can't believe I'm going to say this to you, kiddo, but like Flint is always saying to Rose, I don't need to see you kissing your girlfriend." -he said.

"Mika, don't be like that." -Pollen told him. –"Can't you just be happy for them and let them enjoy each other's company, the way they see fit?" -she asked him.

"Of course, I can. But I wouldn't be true to myself, if I didn't tell them to kiss and cuddle like that, only when they're alone." -Mika said.

Mika's words made Sabrina chuckle. Rose would like, from time to time, to brag that she had the funniest kwami. But Sabrina believed that Mika was just as funny, if not even funnier than Flint was.

"Only you, Mika." -Sabrina chuckled. –"Only you would come up with an answer like that." -she told him. –"But maybe he's right; you know? Maybe we should only do this, when we're alone. What if someone comes here?"

"That won't happen. I told Jean to lock the access to the roof, so, no one will come here and disturb us." -Chloe said, as she gently ran her fingers through the redhead's hair. –"We're all alone here… well, us and out kwamis." -she smiled at them. –"But what I'm trying to say is, that we can kiss all we want, that no one will see us."

"As tempting as that is, Chloe, I'd rather save some kisses, for dessert." -Sabrina said.

"Okay, I can save a couple of those for later." -Chloe said, before kissing her again. –"Come on, let's go to my suite. We still have a good hour before lunch. How about we see if I'm really the kind of girl who likes to snuggle, or not?" -she asked her, as she grabbed her violin and her tablet, and got up.

"Okay. If you insist in finding that out, lead the way." -Sabrina said, as she got up, with the kwamis following them. –"And I think I have the perfect movie, for us to watch, while see if you like to snuggle." -she said. –"Since you have Disney Plus, and you've been playing William Tell Overture, I think it's only fair that I make you watch the Lone Ranger."

"The Lone Ranger?" -Chloe asked her.

"Yes, The Lone Ranger, the movie with Johnny Depp." -Sabrina answered her.

"Never saw it. And let me remind you, that I'm not a super big geek like you are. The only things I'm able to memorize by heart are fashion designers and things related to them." -Chloe declared. –"What does that Lone Ranger have to do with the piece I've been playing?" -she asked her, curious.

"Well, first it's a movie with cowboys and Indians. And second, the main theme from the Lone Ranger is the William Tell Overture, which you know by heart." -Sabrina answered her. –"But if you're not into cowboys, we could always watching something else, like John Carter of Mars. I really liked that one too, even if most people think that it wasn't that good." -she admitted.

"John Carter of Mars? Never heard of it either." -Chloe said.

"Let me ask you one thing, Chloe. What kind of movies do you know?" -Sabrina asked her.

"Other than those I've seen in the theatre, just romantic comedies. Those, and animated movies." -Chloe admitted.

"Oh, then, this is going to be a fun afternoon, with me turning you into a geek." -Sabrina joked, as the two entered the elevator.

"Keep dreaming, Sabrina." -Chloe joked back.

After Alya finished having lunch, her mom asked if she wanted to come with her and the twins for a walk. But she said she had some homework she wanted to finish as quickly as possible, and that was staying home. With her dad at work, and Nora out on one of her infamous training sessions, she was left home alone. Just her and her kwami, Trixx. And she was fine with it. She enjoyed Trixx's company, because although the little fox kwami loved a good chat, she also knew how to stay quiet. And quiet was just what Alya needed to finish the homework Miss Bustier had assigned her and the rest of the class. Minutes went by, and before she knew it, a whole hour had gone by.

"Okay, let's see… this one's done. Now, I just need to finish this report on the book we've been reading for French Literature, and write a 2-page report on photosynthesis and its benefits." -Alya sighed, as she put the Math book away.

"Maybe you should take a break. You've been working for an hour now." -Trixx said, as she floated above Alya's head, while munching on a cranberry.

"I know… but if I don't finish this now, I know I'll spend the rest of the weekend trying to do it." -Alya said. –"I just know it." -she declared. –"And I fear that if there's another Akuma attack soon, I'll have to go fight him, and I'll be too tired to finish this."

"I don't think Hawk Moth will try another attack this week. Marinette and the others had a bit of work with that last Akuma, but everything turned out okay." -Trixx said. –"I'm inclined to say that he and his goons will stand still for a few days." -she said.

"His attacks have increased, in both number and power Trixx. You know it, I know it, and anyone in Paris knows it. He's becoming more relentless in getting our miraculouses." -Alya told the fox kwami. –"I know that we've been doing great, but…"

"But you're afraid that one of these days, you won't be good enough to face something that he might throw at you, is that it?" -Trixx asked her.

"Exactly." -Alya said. –"I haven't even told this to Nino, or any of the others, including you, but sometimes, I get nightmares, where we lose against Hawk Moth, he destroys our miraculouses, and you and the other kwamis disappear, and then he finds out who we are and kills our families, before killing us…" -she sighed, while remembering the last nightmare she had. –"it's awful.

"Well, you would be foolish not to be afraid, Alya." -Trixx said, as she swallowed the rest of the cranberry. –"But let me tell you this. You and your friends are putting a crazy fight against that psychopath. You guys make an incredible team, and you're getting more powerful every day, Alya. And from all of my holders, you're the strongest of all." -she told Alya, with a smile, as she landed in front of her. –"And I'm being honest. I've had many holders, all of them very talented. But you, you're a wizard with the powers my miraculous grants you, Alya. And I know that no matter what, you'll always have someone to watch your back."

Smiling back at Trixx, Alya, petted her on the head. Like always, the fox kwami knew what to say to calm her down, as well as to ensure that nothing bad would happen. Alya had never been a nervous person, but over the course of the last months, nerves, stress and tension had become a usual thing in her life. Besides being a student and and an aspiring reporter, she was also a superheroine, and sometimes that had a bigger impact on her physical and mental health. Luckily, she had good friends, a caring family, a wonderful boyfriend, and the greatest kwami in the world, to help her unwind, when things became too much for her to handle.

"Thanks for the encouraging words, Trixx." -Alya said, when on the screen of her laptop, she saw that she was receiving a Skype call from Marinette. –"It's Marinette." -she said.

"Guess you'll be taking that break I was telling to take." -Trixx smiled at her.

"I guess I am, after all." -Alya said, as she answered the Skype call. –"Hey, girl!" -she greeted Marinette.

"Hey, Alya!" -Marinette greeted her. –"Hope I'm not interrupting anything." -she said.

"No, I was just talking to Trixx and trying to go through all this homework." -Alya declared. –"What about you? What are you up to?" -she asked the blue-haired girl.

And like that, the girls struck a conversation that went on for more than half hour, without the two of them realizing it. During that half hour, they talked about everything that had happened to them since they last saw each other in school, the day before.

"So, it was a success, huh?" -Alya asked her.

"Yes. It took nearly an hour, but my grandfather accepted Adrien as my boyfriend." -Marinette chuckled. –"You should have seen it, Alya. Adrien started talking to grandpa Rolland, about this old book he noticed was in one of the bookshelves, and in a matter of minutes he was telling him that he loved reading it, and how it made him wish he lived during the time the author wrote it… you have no idea just how impressed my grandfather was, when he told him that." -she declared. –"I'm telling you. Once he did that, Adrien conquered my grandfather's attention and affection."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, girl, I know." -Alya giggled.

"You know?!" -Marinette asked her, puzzled.

"Yes, I know just how amazing your boyfriend is. You keep telling me that, over and over, that I already know it by heart." -Alya joked, making them both laugh about it. –"But, seriously, I'm happy that he managed to win your grandpa's affection. I know the old man is a sweetheart, but he's also not an easy person." -she said. –"If only that would happen between Nino and my older sister."

"Nora still thinks Nino is no good for you?" -Marinette asked her.

"Yup. She still sees him as someone unworthy of me and my love. And she makes sure to remind me of it, every chance she gets. You should've heard her at breakfast today, " -Alya said. –"You know, sometimes, I just feel like telling Nino to challenge her to an arm-wrestling competition, so he can beat the crud out of her." -she sighed. –"And you know what? One of these days, I'll do just that. I'll tell him to challenge her. And when he defeats her, I'll be there with my cell phone to record her defeat, and have her admit that Nino isn't just a bag of bones, as she likes to call him."

Marinette knew that Alya and Nora's relationship was a little complicated, and was not surprised when she told her that. She knew they both love each other, but she also knew that Nora, being the oldest child in the Cesaire household, meant that from time to time, Alya and her got into a sibling fight, to see who was right and who was wrong. And the matter of Nora believing that Nino was not good enough for her younger sister, was one of those matters that made Alya lose patience with Nora.

"And do you really think that she would admit it?" -Marinette asked her, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Of course, not." -Alya sighed, confirming what Marinette already knew. –"She's too stubborn to even ponder that she might be wrong about him." -she said.

"I agree. The odds of you winning the lottery are higher, than the odds of your big sister ever admitting she was wrong about Nino." -Trixx told her. –"She's too stubborn to admit it, when she's wrong. Your mom's always saying that." -she added.

"If she knew that Nino and I can literally punch a hole through a concrete wall, she wouldn't be talking like that about him." -Alya declared. –"I know, it doesn't look like me talking, but she left me in a bit of a bad mood." -she said.

"I would say that I understand what you're saying, but I don't have any brothers or sisters. But I can tell you this." -Marinette said, trying to cheer her up. –"You can't let that get you down like that. It doesn't matter if your older sister doesn't like Nino. As long as your parents, and the twins like him, and I know they do, everything will be fine." -she said. –"And it's like you always tell me… sometimes you've got to hope for the best, and in this case, you need to hope that in time, Nora will see just how amazing Nino is."

"When did we change jobs? I'm usually the one who gives you good advices, and not the other way around." -Alya joked.

"Yes, you are. But this time, it was you who needed a little advice, so I did my job, as your best-friend and advised you." -Marinette told her.

Their conversation went on, as one would expect. The good thing about people being best-friends, is that they always manage to come up with more thing to talk about. And Alya and Marinette were no exception to the rule. Subject by subject, the girls loved to talk to one another. Unfortunately, time seemed like it had a mind of its own, and would go by a lot faster than it should. And when she noticed the time, Marinette panicked, as she forgot she had something she had to do.

"Oh, crud, I forgot I need to go to the fabric store!" -Marinette said, her voice revealing she was beginning to panic.

"Fabric store? I thought you had put all commissions on hold." -Alya commented.

"And I did. This isn't a commission. It's a birthday present." -Marinette told her, as she looked for her socks. –"Where did I put my socks?! Tikki, help me find them!" -she asked the scarlet kwami.

"Birthday present? For who? None of us is celebrating a birthday for another month." -Alya said.

"It's for Adrien." -Marinette answered her, as she Tikki showed up with a brand-new pair of socks. –"Thanks, Tikki." -she thanked her, as she put them on.

"But Adrien's birthday is only in November, remember? We're in April, girl." -Alya asked her.

"Yes, well, I had this idea for his birthday present and I really want to see if I can make it, before I forget it. I've even sketched it already, you know?" -Marinette said, as she slipped her foot into the tennis shoe, and hastily tried to tie the shoelaces of it.

"She spent most of this morning sketching it." -Tikki said.

"And what is it?" -Alya asked the little kwami, even though she could not see her in the camera.

"Can't tell you. Marinette did not let me see it, as she was sketching it." -Tikki answered her.

"Then, it must be something really special." -Trixx said.

"What is it, Marinette? Come on, girl, tell your best-friend what it is. You know that I hate when you keep things from me." -Alya asked her.

"I can't tell you. Not until I finish it, which I hope I will, until the end of the weekend, if I manage to finish all the homework Miss Bustier gave us." -Marinette said, as she finished tying her shoelaces. –"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go, Tikki." -she said, as she grabbed her purse and let the scarlet kwami enter it. –"Sorry, I have to leave you hanging, Alya, but this is really important. I'll talk to you later."

"It's okay. Have fun at the fabric store." -Alya told her, as Marinette ended the call. –"On, Marinette, you'll never change, girl." -she thought to herself, and checked the time. –"Whoa, it's later than I thought."

"So, you're going back to your homework?" -Trixx asked her.

"Not just yet." -Alya told her. –"Since, I'm already here, I might as well check out the Miraculous Blog." -she said.

"Alright. I'll be back in five minutes. I'm going to see if I fix myself a snack, before your mom comes back with those two little devils." –Trixx declared.

"Okay. Just try not to leave the kitchen a mess, okay?" -Alya asked her, as she opened the Miraculous Blog.

Alya did not like to admit it, but lately, she had neglected the Miraculous Blog, and if it was not for Max and Nino's help running it, the whole blog would be a mess. She had started that blog with the intention of being the one place on the net that would have the latest news regarding the Miraculous Team. But she never thought that it would become such a big thing. And it was times like those, that she wished she had more time to work on it. Still, she knew that would be hard, given her double-life. Checking the mail box, she saw that there were a few dozen new posts awaiting approval from one of the administrators. Going through them, she approved most of them, without thinking much about it. They were mostly just posts, with either fanart or photos. But one of the posts caught her attention.

"Hey, what's this?" -Alya asked herself, as she checked the post in question, she had received for approval.

The post seemingly belonged to a man named Jacques Malraux, asking if anyone knew of a way to contact the Miraculous Team, stating that he wished to contact them for a charitable cause. Usually, Alya would not care about such a post, and eliminate it on the spot. But the person in question had left his contact, a photo of his, along with an image of a card from a charitable organization. All this raised several questions, but the biggest one, was the question that was running inside Alya's mind, right then.

"Should I approve this post? I mean, I don't know. It could be just a fan trying to look for its 15 minutes of fame, or wanting to score autographs from us all… Or worse, it could be a trap from Hawk Moth. I don't know if or his cronies use the Internet… Max has already talked about that hypothesis, but we still need to see that happening. Still, there's alwaus that possibility. It wouldn't be hard for them to lure us into a trap. But what if this is the real deal? What if this person truly wants to contact us to help in some charitable cause?" -Alya thought to herself. –"And if it's true, then, whatever this guy needs, maybe we could help him… and with the post online, nobody would suspect of me or the guys, because behind our masks, we can be anyone… or any teenager that lives in Paris." -she thought. –"But before I authorize this post, I'm going to do what a good reporter always does. Check the facts and try to see if this isn't a trick or a trap. Whether I like to admit it, this whole thing got me curious… it's time for me to go full-reporter on this."

Hello, everyone. I'm so sorry this is taking longer than I wanted to, but my health hasn't helped, you know? Luckily, I'm already feeling a little better, and I hope to be at full health, maybe in one week. In the meantime, the new chapters might come at a slower pace. For this chapter, I decided to take things easy, and show some of our heroes on a typical Saturday morning and afternoon. A lot of people have been asking me for more NathanielxMarc, and well, I decided to begin the chapter with it, and you can expect a little more from this couple in this fic. And before anyone asks, yeah, Sabrina is a big fan of flopped Disney blockbusters, like the Lone Ranger and John Carter of Mars (I'm not a very big fan of those films, because the first one it was a bad experience from Gore Verbinski... he tried so hard to make that movie feel like a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, that it's just ridiculous. And it didn't help when they chose that actor for the Lone Ranger... bad choice. Also, Depp's Tonto is basically Jack Sparrow but with another make-up. And as for John Carter of Mars, I think that instead of a movie, they should have done it as a television series... on top of that, the marketing campaign was awful. They say they spent almost 100 million in advertisement, but I personally think that's a lie. Aside from a poster or two, I didn't see anything else advertising the movie when it came out. xD). And what could that post that Alya saw? We'll find out later, on chapter 3. :)

Also, yeah, Minotaurox is confirmed to be Ivan's superhero identity, which will appear on season 4. And I know a lot of people continue to send me PMs regarding Zoe, and what I'm going to do with her, and well, so people stop asking it (it's not that I don't want to answer you all, but I fear that with the number of PMs you send me, I might forget to answer one of you), I'll answer it here: I don't know yet, how I'm going to add her to this AU, but I'm studying every possible scenario. But I can tell you this, she will not be what she is in the series, regarding her identity (I'm not going to spoil you guys, especially, because most of you still have to wait for the series to come out in English).

As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or future fics from this AU. Until next time, I'll be seeing ya around. ;)