Update on the hiatus situation in the author notes down below:

(:)

Leave Out All the Rest

-Linkin Park

Adrien checked the address that Master Fu had given him last time the old man had replaced his Chinese tutor, linked with the instructions 'To come by whenever he felt like it'. Unfortunately, that wasn't often because of his busy schedule.

But he had found time, because, right now, Adrien was worried about his Ladybug. The bags that pulled on her eyes were quite worrying, and the tension that sat in her shoulders was all too common for his liking. Secretly Chat Noir or not, he was her boyfriend, and he deserved to know what was going on. She had mentioned that she wanted Chat Noir to know, first, and since he was…well, now he double deserved to know. (If he hadn't actually been Chat Noir, he would have respected her wishes and waited his turn. But he was, and, well… he was furiously worried.)

He glanced up at the building as it came into view, biting the inside of his cheek. "It's the triangle building to the left." He told the Gorilla, who pulled into the lane closest to the building's outdoor sidewalk.

The car rolled to a stop, and the Gorilla pulled out his phone to text Adrien as the boy clambered out of the fancy vehicle. Adrien checked his phone, nodding. "One hour until you pick me up for the photoshoot? Sounds good. Thanks!"

The Gorilla nodded, watching as Adrien shut the door behind him, a gentle smile on the giant's face.

Adrien turned toward the building, marveling at the automatic door that opened before him. He passed the receptionist as she filed through a few piles of paperwork, the woman barely glancing up. Her face lit with surprise, either from seeing the infamous model enter the inn or from the realization that she had never seen him before, but she didn't comment. He advanced into the hallways beyond, looking back and forth until he spotted the staircase. He glanced at the room number again, making note to head up to the third floor. He advanced up the stairs, glancing up and marveling at how high they went. Luckily he only would have to advance a short distance before reaching his destination, but he could only imagine how hard it was for those poor people who lived at the very top…

This place surely needed an elevator.

He opened the door leading to the inn's third floor tenants' rooms, humming thoughtfully to himself. He carefully evaluated which way led the way to the mentioned room, only thirteen doors to the left. He knocked, hoping that the old man was home. If not, he did not know when he could next come to visit the elder.

He waited a minute, raising his hand to knock again, when the door opened, revealing a silver-haired woman with green eyes. She blinked at him in alarm, then tossed the door wide open. She grabbed his arm and yanked him into the room, closing the door safely behind him.

She turned to look at him with the most endearing expression, as if she was peering into his soul. (She was almost familiar. A former Akuma victim, maybe?) It was…strange. But not in a bad way, but in a way that made him feel calm within. Somehow, he knew she could be trusted.

"Adrien Agreste, if I am not mistaken?" She said, gently, one eyebrow cocked.

"Yes, Ma'am."

She scaled him up and down. "Fu chose well when he selected you to be Chat Noir. You're nice and fit."

"You know my identity?" He startled, staring at her in shock. "A-are you a friend of his?"

"Oh, yes, indeed!" She nodded excitedly. "Much more, if we were just given a bit more time." Her smile fell. "But, I suppose, the universe is cruel."

"Do you know where he is?" Adrien asked, ignoring the ominous warning in her voice. "I want to talk to him."

"He is…" She ducked her head, frowning down at her feet.

Adrien's heart began to beat faster, and a feeling of horror folded down over him.

"…No longer with us." The woman sighed, glancing around the room sorrowfully. "I'm Marianne, his former partner."

"Oh." Adrien said, shoulders dropping. Dead. Just like his mother and uncle. Master Fu was almost like a grandfather to him, and now he, too, was gone. "I'm…sorry." Donotcrydonotcrydonotcry-

Marianne looked up at him with the strangest look on her face. "You're taking this much better than the girl did."

Adrien's head snapped up, and he stared at her. "Ladybug?"

"Yes, that's her super hero name." Marianne agreed. "I think her real name was… Etta? No, it started with an 'M'… Mary? Megan?"

"Don't tell me!" Adrien insisted, waving his hands. Inside, his heart pounded away, the startle of the woman he loved's name almost being revealed to him. But at the same time, he was disappointed. He didn't know a Mary or Megan… "We don't know each other's identities yet!"

Marianne tsked. "Shame. I always told Master Fu that was a stupid rule."

"Believe me, I agree that it is." He agreed. "I want to know her identity, but she doesn't want me to, so I respect her wishes."

Marianne regarded him. "I see that it's not just your agility that Master Fu liked. Your personality is also a good fit for the relationship you must have with Ladybug."

"Thank you." Adrien bowed respectfully. "But, um…you were talking about Ladybug's reaction to Master Fu's…uh…passing?"

"Ah, right." Marianne nodded. "Yes, she was quite dejected about it. She was there, you know, when he died. It must have shaken her up pretty bad, because…oh, the poor girl. Already a Guardian…such a big role."

"Wait, Guardian? Like Master Fu was?" Adrien asked, surprise rooted deep in his chest. "So soon? When did he die?"

"Indeed. About a week ago." Marianne said, waving her hand. "Unfortunate. I would gladly have taken the role but…I do not have the correct qualities to be a good Guardian. And I figure you are similar to me in that regard. The world is so full of untrusted people that…I'm afraid that Ladybug was the only option."

"What are the qualities?"

"I'm not sure." Marianne shrugged. "All I know is that I don't have them. Not many do." She turned away from him to begin loading some things in a cardboard box, sighing. "I miss Fu. If he were here, I would slap him over the head for leaving me with cleaning up all of his old things."

"I can help with that, ma'am." Adrien volunteered, stooping down beside her to load a mixer into the box labeled kitchen supplies.

They worked in compatible silence for a while, before Adrien decided to speak again. "Uh…so you and Master Fu… were you two…uh…"

"In love? Yes. We never said it out loud, but it was well known that once all danger was taken care of, well…it was a done deal." Marianne smiled ruefully, nudging her face away so that Adrien couldn't see it. "Fu always acted like it was futile to hope, though. Always trying to tell me…but I never wanted him to." She sniffed quietly. "And now, I suppose, it's too late."

"I'm sorry, Mme. Marianne." Adrien apologized, feeling guilty already for asking.

"Not your fault." Marianne said gently, patting his leg. "It's quite aright, really." She thought for a moment. "When you go, good child, I think we should exchange phone numbers to stay in contact. I quite enjoy your company."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Adrien nodded, heart swelling that she actually wanted to stay and talk. "That means a lot."

"Don't mention it." Marianne insisted, waving her hand.

Quietly, they both resumed packing.

(:)

Megan is a reference to a future AU OC I made for Lukanette's children.

Mary is a nod to the common nickname fans give Marinette. 'Mari'. Etta is also a nod to the nickname 'Nette' that people dub her.

Bridgette almost made it into the joke, too, but I decided that was too blaringly obvious. (The 1% of people who don't know Bridgette are probably so confused. LOL)

(:)

Okay, ATP is not back from hiatus yet.

This was just a prewritten chapter that I had ready to go even when it went on hiatus.

I just thought I should update you all. I'm still not back into the ML groove, much less ready to start writing After the Plague again. I don't plan on abandoning it. It may take a year, or two, but I will continue writing it. AND EVEN IF I DO DITCH IT I have another prewritten chapter to post before I abandon it, so as long as it isn't posted, there's hope, guys. I know it's been over a year, and I'm sorry for that, but if you're still reading ATP even after all this time, then I'll be blown away.

Thanks for your patience, I'll try to continue writing ATP again later on. :)