Chapter 5

Marinette was released later that week after the doctors were sure there wasn't anything else they could test for. She had come home to flowers, balloons, and a party. Adrien was pretty sure half of Paris was crammed in the bakery celebrating her health. Adrien watched from a distance, sitting near the window.

He had turned his father in the previous day. He had told them where to find the safe, the lair, and what the brooch looked like. His father had been arrested within minutes and Adrien had nowhere to go now. Marinette's parents promised he could live with them until they got word from his aunt, but he felt like a burden living in their house on their couch.

His mom was still in the hospital, and the doctors weren't sure what they could do to help her. Marinette promised she would see if there was anything she could do as the guardian and was reading the grimoire every night to look for a solution.

The worst part about any of this was the fact that he would eventually have to give up Chat Noir all over again. He was probably going to be shipped off to London, and he couldn't take Plagg or the ring with him. He looked down at the band on his finger, twisting it sadly.

"Adrien?"

Adrien looked up at Marinette, trying to force a smile. She obviously didn't buy it and slipped onto the chair across from him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm ruining your party."

"No, you're not," Marinette assured. "Everyone understands. I want to know how you're doing."

"I've been better," Adrien admitted, staring down at the table. He couldn't bring himself to look into Marinette's eyes.

"I'll bet," she agreed. "It's a crazy world we've got ourselves stuck in, isn't it?"

"I don't want to leave Paris," Adrien confessed, his eyes filling with tears. "But I don't see how I can stay. Your parents can't keep providing for me, but I don't want to move to London."

Marinette's face twisted, the way it always did when she was trying to figure out how to use her lucky charm. Adrien pinched his brows together.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"Tikki and I were talking," Marinette started. "The wishes threw off a lot of things, and Tikki has an idea of how to fix it. Completely this time."

Adrien sat up. "What? How?"

"I never threw up my lucky charm after the battle with your father," Marinette explained. "So technically, I haven't fixed the damages of his yet."

Adrien's eyes grew wide. "You could set it all back," he realized. "Because you were involved in that battle and never got the chance to fix it."

"Since everything was a result of that battle and it was all your father, I think it would work," Marinette explained. She still looked hesitant about it, though.

"What's wrong?"

"It will fix everything," Marinette repeated. "So we might not remember any of this. I'm not sure what it will do, but we might forget we shared our identities, and that your father is Hawkmoth. Basically, we'd be starting from square one all over again."

Adrien realized why she was hesitant to do it, and he slumped in his chair. He would forget all about Marinette being Ladybug and the fact that his mom was alive. He would go back to being oblivious about his father's identity. But he'd be able to keep living in Paris. He'd have a wonderful partner and a best friend, and he wouldn't move to Paris. He would continue to try to take on Hawkmoth and keep Paris safe. He set his jaw and looked to Marinette with a determined expression.

"Let's do it."

ooo

There was something fitting about Marinette standing under Adrien's umbrella as they looked at the Eiffel Tower. It was pouring rain, and Marinette extended the umbrella to him so they could both huddle beneath it. It was just like any other day after defeating an akuma, except this time there were no more akumas to defeat.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Adrien asked, looking over at Marinette as she studied her yoyo thoughtfully. He knew she was trying to decide when to call for her lucky charm. "We caught Hawkmoth and fixed everything my father did."

"Not everything," Marinette corrected. "It didn't go back in the past and undo his wish, it just reversed it. That akuma he sent out still hurt people and destroyed parts of Paris. I was still in a coma for a few months, and you…" she trailed off, her expression becoming sad. "You're going to be sent to London to live with your aunt."

"Still," Adrien said, thinking it all through in his mind. "Paris could fix everything eventually. They did after New York, remember? Alya and Nino can get you all caught up with everything you missed at school, and you can finally be at peace. I know how stressed being the guardian made you when Hawkmoth was still around. With my father in prison, you could go back to having a normal life. Don't worry about me. I'll be all right in London. I'm sure my aunt will visit Paris loads to see my mom and we can write to each other."

"My life will never be normal," Marinette said, giving him a sympathetic look. "I knew that the second I pulled the earrings back out of Alya's bag and tried again. It was a decision I made when I decided to be Ladybug. Besides, can I be a little selfish and say I would rather talk to you face to face as Chat or Adrien without actually knowing you're the same person than to write to you knowing you are?"

Adrien laughed and looked down at his hands. He would miss his ring and Plagg if he were to go to London. He would have to leave the miraculous with Marinette to keep them out of the wrong hands.

"I think you've earned the right to be a little selfish," he admitted, smiling down at the ring. He was glad he wouldn't have to say goodbye to Plagg, but the thought of saying goodbye to Marinette hurt just as badly. Not that he wouldn't see her again after this, but he knew it wouldn't be the same. He wouldn't really know Marinette once everything reverted back. He would once again be too busy obsessing over Ladybug to realize she sat behind him in school every day and made him presents for his birthday and Christmas.

"Let me know when you're ready," Marinette whispered, fiddling with the string of her yoyo.

Adrien sighed and looked out across Paris. It was the same Paris he had always known, but it was so much different now. There were parts that were destroyed from the very last Akuma, and the whole city was drenched. His father was in prison, his mom was in a coma, and he was alone. A squeeze on his hand made him realize the last thought wasn't entirely true. He wasn't alone; he had Marinette and her parents. He had Nino and Alya, and even Chloe. He had Plagg and his other classmates.

"I'm ready," he said, at last, giving Marinette a sad smile. She returned it before handing him the umbrella and stepping out into the rain. She threw the yoyo up in the air, just like she had countless times.

Adrien watched as the red and black spotted object fell from the sky and Marinette caught it easily. He laughed at it and turned to show Adrien. It was a rose, just like the hundreds Adrien used to bring to Marinette before he figured out that she was Marinette.

"Want to count it down?" she asked, getting ready to throw it.

"Three, two…" he started. Marinette tensed, raising her hand, and Adrien squeezed his eyes shut. "Wait."

"What-"

Adrien let the Gabriel umbrella fall to the ground as he pulled Marinette close, pressing his lips against hers. She was stiff at first, probably shocked by his sudden kiss, but then she relaxed and kissed him back.

Adrien pulled back, looking down at her apologetically. "I wanted to do that before you let the rose go," he admitted.

Marinette smiled at him, her cheeks flushed. "I'm glad you did," she giggled.

"I'm ready now," Adrien whispered. Marinette looked down at the rose in her hand as if she had forgotten it was there at all. She swallowed and took a deep breath.

"All right, then. Miraculous Ladybug!"

The ladybugs emerged from the rose, scattering in the sky and swarming Paris. Adrien grabbed at Marinette's hand and she squeezed it as they met eyes.

"Back to saving the world," she said, winking at him.

"Just you and me."

Adrien was confused. He was standing on the tower just across from the Eiffel tower like he often did with Ladybug, but he didn't remember how he got there. Ladybug looked just as confused and turned to look out across Paris.

"What happened?" she blurted, at last, looking around them for some sort of hint.

"Maybe it was Oblivio again," Adrien suggested, also just as confused.

"But wouldn't Alya and Nino be up here with us?"

She was right, as always, but Adrien didn't have any other explanation. He took a step back away from the edge of the roof and stepped on something behind him. Glancing down, he realized it was an umbrella.

"Where did this come from?" he muttered, bending to pick it up. Ladybug looked over as well and her eyes lit up.

"Oh, that's mine," she said, grabbing it from him quickly, but not before Adrien could catch sight of a small silver G on the bottom of the handle.

"A Gabriel umbrella, M'lady? You must have good taste. I happen to have an in at Gabriel. Now that I know you fancy it, maybe I could up my game from roses to merchandise from there."

He gave her a teasing grin, but Ladybug just rolled her eyes at him like she always did.

"I don't own anything Gabriel except for this," she said. "It was a gift."

Her cheeks were pink and Adrien rolled his eyes. "Who gives an umbrella as a gift? At least roses are considered romantic."

"You're ridiculous, Kitty."

Adrien might have responded to that, but beeping cut him off. He was used to it, of course, but it still didn't fail to bother him.

"I must have used my lucky charm," Ladybug said, reaching up to touch the earrings. "I'll have to go before I detransform."

Adrien thought about complaining that he barely got to spend any time with her today, but he supposed he couldn't be upset since he couldn't actually remember the akuma attack.

"Pound it, Kitty," Ladybug said, extending her fist toward him.

Adrien looked at the ended fist with a smile. It was their own little thing and he found he looked forward to it. Pounding it with Ladybug meant they had won once again. They were an unstoppable team, no matter what Hawkmoth threw at them. He extended his own fist toward her, bumping her fist lightly.

"Pound it, M'Lady."