Author's note:When the two Choés are in the same scene, one is always written with italics for speech and the other not. Which one is which is not consistant throughout the story, just throughout the scene.

Marinette sipped her tea in the midday sun. It was crisp today and the herbal blend helped still some of the thoughts buzzing in her head. The cafe was bustling, customers coming and going with a regularity that made keeping tabs on everyone hard.

She'd arrived fifteen minutes early, planning to stake out a good vantage point but wound up settled nearly in the middle, unable to look in every direction at once. Rena Rouge was nearby, hopefully with eyes on Marinette but waiting for a signal to move. Time was ticking over to noon.

Marinette had to keep pulling her thoughts back from Cat, Adrien, and the blend that was happening between the two of them in her mind. It rewrote everything going back between them. Little memories shifted and cast in a new light. Marinette followed the paths where they took her in ever encroaching daydreams while watching a little blue Kwamii snack on a digestive.

Marinette jolted so hard she spilled her tea. She scrambled for her napkin while trying to become suddenly inconspicuous. She only succeeded by virtue of tourists' general absorption in their own lives.

Marinette peered, then covered her face with a hand, trying to peer through her fingers without being too obvious. It was a kwamii no mistaking it. The little blue spirit sat by the hand of, well Marinette could guess now even from the back. A young woman dressed in a slim creme jacket with a wide brimmed hat perched far back that hid all but the fringe of her long surprisingly lighter blond hair.

The Kwamii, Dusuu, seemed oblivious to being seen. He was intent on the cracker, and nodding up to some unheard words between bites. Now and then the woman, Chloé, would lift her hand and rub Dusuu's head with a fingertip.

Signal Rena? No not yet. Anonymity was her friend again in this. A child or two seemed to notice the strangeness, but their parents were content to be unobservant and blissfully so. Ladybug? No again, not in a crowd. It was down to Marinette, but she couldn't just watch like she'd hoped. Marinette straightened her clothes, brushed at a wet tea-spot on her cuff, and took another steadying breath. This could all go so poorly.

Marinette moved up to Chloé's table, approaching from the right side. She crouched down, trying to pretend she wasn't fully aware of who was sitting beside her,"I've never seen something like this before." she said curiously,"Is it some kind of bird?"

Dusuu didn't startle or panic at being caught out. He just smiled around his cookie dreamily at her and spread his tail feathers. Marinette glanced up at Chloé. She had her signature sunglasses on for once, though the rest of her outfit was completely changed. Her hair was in a half-ponytail with far more body to it than before, and had gone from golden to platinum blond. That jacket was more of a slim-fit zippered tunic over a black turtleneck. She wore ankle length divided skirts, and a white glove on one hand, the other glove resting on the table beside a small pyramid of cappuccino cups.

"His name is Dusuu." Chloé didn't turn her head,"Is that you Du-Pain-Chang?"

Marinette frowned,"Chloé? What're you doing here? You look so different." trying to play the innocent bystander wasn't easy. There was too much at stake here. Even in repose Chloé was a threat.

"Having tea. It is you, isn't it Du-Pain-Chag?"

Marinette frowned, what game was this?,"Yes Chloé, it's me. It hasn't been that long." Marinette considered trying to scoop up Dusuu, but that wouldn't work if he didn't want to be picked up.

Chloé reached up, taking off her glasses as she spoke and turning to face Marinette,"You'll have to excuse me. Ever since Ladybug sicced her American auntie on me, my vision hasn't been what it was." With her glasses off one blue eye and one white looked back at Marinette, a clear thin scar trailed right through the sightless orb on the side Marinette had approached from.

Marinette cringed reflexively, it was with genuine confusion,"What-?" slipped out and she momentarily forgot her plans.

Chloé grinned one of her old too wide grins,"It doesn't matter, come have a seat. I'm enjoying myself." she gestured to her boneyard of Caffeine destruction,"I'm afraid I'm out of crackers for Dusuu though, you'll have to order more if you wish to feed him any. Though the little scamp has had more than his own weight at this point." Chloé gave Dusuu an incongruously affectionate look before sticking her tongue out at him, a gesture the kwamii returned.

"I-" Marinette rose and took the offered seat, trying to regain momentum. At least this way if she leaned in she could block off more sight lines to Dusuu for the general public. "I didn't think you'd be wanting to have tea with me of all people Chloé."

Chloé brushed at her skirts, crossing one leg over the other at the knee and revealing low cut riding boots in the process,"I've got to have tea with SOMEbody don't I? It's not like I get back here often, and you're somebody even if only barely." The smile never left Chloé's face, but there was an odd light in her blue eye, as if reason had fled long ago.

"What're you doing back?" Marinette figured conversation was good, calm insanity was still calm,"After everything that happened…"

"Well, first of all." Chloé picked up one of her many cups, lifted it to her lips and seemed surprised to find it empty. She set it down with a shake of her head,"I'm here to find my lost cat. Have you seen him by any chance? Black, green-eyes, about five and a half feet tall?" As Chloé spoke Dusuu drifted up from sitting, floating along the surface of the table towards Marinette's purse, a curious look in his little black-within-blue eyes. Marinette shrank back slightly.

"Umm, that's a big cat Chloé. I am pretty sure I would have remembered if I'd seen one that big." Marinette shifted further back as Dusuu floated to the latch on her purse.

"Dusuu!" Chloé scolded,"Behave now. Marinette's a fragile girl, you're scaring her." Dusuu obediently drifted back, receiving some conciliatory pets before floating up into the shadows at the nape of Chloé's neck under her hair. Those two dark eyes still peered out at Marinette's purse.

Chloé leaned in,"I'm also here looking for that horrid Yellowjacket pretending to be a bee." she explained,"I expect I'll have to pry her out of Ladybug and THAT will be a chore." Chloé leaned back in her chair and gestured in frustration,"I was done with Ladybug last time. I don't feel like having to deal with her again."

Marinette relaxed slightly with Dusuu's retreat. He wasn't easy for people to spot now. Something about Chloé's words confused her though… more than normal,"you're done with Ladybug? I thought you hated her." Marinette bit her tongue on so many words. The urge to defend herself, to defend Vesperia, was so high but that would get her nowhere fast.

"Oh I do!" Chloé laughed,"I do. But I got my revenge, she was top of the list and now she's off until she starts something else." Chloé grinned,"you should have seen her face! Oh, the tears and anger. She tried to garrotte me, you know." Chloé gestured across her neck,"A little seaside strangulation among friends." She looked so completely satisfied. Marinette felt her anger rising.

Chloé continued on in oblivious delight,"I got my own back, and now we're done. There are more on the list. You're on the list too you know Marinette. Ladybug stopped me from bombing your parent's bakery. I'll think up something new, but don't you fret, you're pretty far down." Chloé reached out and patted Marinette's hand. Chloé's hand felt cold to the touch.

It was too much to take in, but then when was Chloé ever not? Focus. She wanted Vesperia. How to turn this into something that wouldn't get people hurt. Marinette couldn't. Wait. Could she? The same trick wouldn't work twice but maybe the same tool,"I could help, maybe? Then you wouldn't need revenge right?" might as well try to deflect that too. She didn't want her parents at risk.

Chloé's eyes narrowed. She picked up her glove and tugged it on before reaching up to her shoulder and petting Dusuu again,"I'm listening."

Marinette felt the gears in her head smoking; they were working so fast,"Well… I don't know Vesperia personally, but she's a hero right? You could probably call her out somewhere and then you and her could meet there. You wouldn't need to blow anything up to get Ladybug's attention at all. You know Alya's my friend and she runs the Ladyblog. I could post it for you. Problem solved!"

Chloé leaned in closer, her one good eye still boring into Marinette,"You're being surprisingly helpful Du-Pain-Chang. Why?"

"Well if you pick a spot not near people then no one gets hurt, well you might, but no innocent bystanders. Maybe nothing gets blown up, including a certain bakery. Mostly I just want this to all end so that we can go back to living in peace." Marinette rambled her way through, shifting and poking her fingers together as she spoke, trying to sell timidity. Chloé loved intimidating people.

Chloé tapped her sunglasses against her lips in thought, and leaned back,"That does sound like you Du-Pain-Chang." she clapped her hands suddenly,"okay, we have a deal. You keep up your end and your parents and their bakery are off limits for anything I plan, sound good?" she stuck out her hand.

That wasn't a full pardon, but it was probably as good as she was going to get, and Marinette intended to be sure Chloé didn't roam free to tick off her or anyone else on the list. For the moment though she reached out and shook Chloé's hand.

"Well, THAT is a relief." Chloé's voice came from directly behind Marinette. She spun around in her seat just at Chloé's identical twin in looks and dress leaned over her shoulder to address the seated one,"You know we only had five minutes left?" She dropped what very clearly looked like a bomb on the table, scattering the cups. The timer was blinking fixed at 5:02

Seated Chloé waved a hand dismissively,"Plenty of time. I was enjoying our little chat."

"I suppose so. Though if you weren't, I'm pretty sure we could have just stolen this one and skipped the bomb altogether to get Ladybug's attention." the standing Chloé tugged lightly on one of Marinette's pigtails.

Marinette was letting them talk. She was hemmed in. She quickly scanned the rooftops for… there. She caught a flash of orange. She wasn't alone. The Chloés' were chattering about visiting the Eiffel Tower, Marinette was completely forgotten until she spoke up,"When should I post the meeting for?"

"Midnight."

"Pick wherever you like. I'll read the post too. I like surprises."

"No, I hate surprises. But we've got one of our own."

"Ah! You're right."

They were at it again. Marinette scooted out of her chair. She remained hunched until she had scooted several steps away then she straightened and bolted from the cafe.

She dashed into a darkened entryway and with a flash MArinette became Ladybug. She popped open her yo-yo,"Rena Rouge. Do you still have eyes on them?"

"I do Ladybug." the whispered reply came,"They're just leaving the cafe now. Do you want me to follow them?"

Ladybug ignored the question, there was something more pressing,"Is there anything left behind on the table, or around it?"

A pause then,"No. If you mean that bomb looking thing, they took that with them. Give me a little credit, Miss bug. I wouldn't overlook THAT playing backup."

Ladybug smiled at the communicator, the words were true, it was just hard to let go.

Rena's voice came through again,"So are we going after them?"

"No." Ladybug confirmed her earlier decision,"We let them go for now. This isn't the place, and we're not in force."

"What happened down there?"

Ladybug ran through events in her head again. "I think I saved Paris a lot of trouble, but I might have made more for Vesperia. We'll coordinate on the timing once I can get in touch with her and Cat Noir."

"No one else?" Rena sounded skeptical.

"Too many and someone might end up vulnerable. We know she's not above kidnapping or stealing Miraculouses. Are you willing to trade one of her for Nino?"

"Don't even joke about that."

"Going for a midnight walk?" Adrikat's lounging outline formed on the tree branch before color filled in. He was clad in his full noirsuit once more, though the helm opened to reveal his dazzlingly wide grin. Lit by moonlight his green eyes were a rich deep emerald.

Chloé paused and looked up. Her eye focused slowly on Adrikat and when it did she huffed, hands on hips,"Kitty! You've been gone far too long! Get down here right this minute." She was still clad in her traveling clothes. The whole ensemble coupled with her washed out features made her look like a girl lifted out of an impressionist painting.

Adrikat dropped to the ground and prowled over to her, slipping into a crouch that earned him an immediate hand in the hair, Chloé's fingers brushing through his blond locks in a familiar pet. He grinned up at her,"I'm an outdoor cat, you've always known that. Apt to wander now and then."

"Psh." Chloé's fingers curled into his hair and she yanked, the move was expected and he came quickly to his feet. Her arms slipped around his waist,"I missed you, and I won't even begin about me. You'd best be good to both of us."

Adrikat cupped her chin between thumb and forefinger, the retractable claws of his suit flexing against her skin and his moonlight eyes holding hers,"I stayed didn't I? And now I've come back. I may not be purrfect, but you've got all that I am."

Chloé brought a hand up and gripped his wrist, withdrawing his touch, but she leaned in and brushed her cheek against the back of his hand,"Be good. I'll get jealous if I get too much of you to myself."

Adrikat rumbled and touched foreheads with Chloé,"Speaking of, where is our better third?"

Chloé closed her eyes briefly at the touch then opened them,"Oh, she's around. I think she'll be waiting for us up ahead!" Her voice went from soft to bubbly and she sidestepped around Adrikat, pulling him along by her suddenly iron grip on his wrist as she quick marched along the forest path.

Adrikat pawed the edge of her broad hat as he was pulled along, and when that failed to get her attention he quickened his step further and swept her up bodily into a bridal carry. She went from surprise to delight, falling against his chest as her hat fell off. Works every time. Adrikat grinned down at her,"Is there any way I can distract the both of you? A furpile beats pest control any day doesn't it?"

"Ooo, you brat." Chloé thumped him in the chest, but a smile to rival any Noirish grin painted her face,"Put me down right now before I say yes."

Adrikat could read the signs. He's pushed his luck as far as he dared. He stole a kiss for himself before setting her back on his feet and handing up her hat.

Chloé swatted him ineffectually with it, her flushed face standing out against the pale colors of her outfit,"You are dead set on turning me against myself aren't you?" she accused playfully.

Adrikat drew a finger against his lips, his smile a teasing little grin,"Not hardly. I can barely survive the two of you in sync, but you aren't the only two who can miss somebody."

She huffed again, straightened her clothes, and held her right hand out just slightly, fingers open at her side as she started down the path again,"That's where you went isn't it?" Her voice turned soft, suddenly timid,"You went to see *her* didn't you? I'm surprised you came back."

Adrikat fell into step beside her. He took that offered hand without comment, lacing his fingers with hers. He felt a tension in her grip that eased upon his touch. "I was always coming back, but yes. I saw both of them. I just had to wrap flesh and blood around my memories. You can't fight ghosts."

They walked hand in hand for a time, no words crossing between them. Adrikat worried a thousand ways to say what he felt. How to put it to words was coupled with divining how those words might be received,"I don't want to lose you."

"Oh kitty. None of us ever had me to begin with." She squeezed his hand,"But whatever's left, we stick together until it stops moving." She turned her blind eye to him and paired it with a sweet smile that nearly worked.

"We could all leave Paris. We were doing good in Ukraine. No bugs, no wasps, just us. Maybe with a bit more time we could find what's gone missing." he squeezed her hand again. This wasn't right. He needed to stop her, to look her in the eyes again, to convince her. But he could feel the currents in her touch. There was no checking her stride now, not without an explosion undoing all hope.

She swung her hand with his,"You should tell me that when we meet up later. I loved it there. You are so right that all this is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. There are just things I must do. Chloé would get revenge. If I don't then I'm not Chloé, and that's all I've got left."

Adrikat closed his eyes for a moment, that was the end of it. He understood her logic by now, and heaven help him it almost started to make sense. There was no stopping this,"So then, how can I help? She's going to bring backup you know. There's no way they'll let her come alone."

Her fingers untangled with his. She gave his hand one more squeeze,"Just be you Adrikat. That's always been enough for me, since we were little." After a pause,"I'm sorry I yelled at you in the theater."

The apology set his hair on end,"Just what are you planning?"

"One on one. Bee to Wasp. We'll find out who is the better Queen."

Adrikat looked over her outfit again out of the corner of his eye,"You are out there with weapons for the occasion then? There's nothing on you to dent a Miraculous holder."

Chloé turned her face to Adrikat, that smile was back, and the moon caught her eyes both blue and white,"No weapons." she announced proudly. Adrikat's heart sank.