Chapter 16: Generosity and Kindness

The charity auction had been a success. Through it, the France's Children Cancer Fund managed to amass more than 3.4 million euros, not counting the remaining donations from numerous guests. One could say that it had been a very profitable evening for the charity fund, and that the money would be put to good use. But it had not just been the fund managers, who could say they had a very good night. Those who had acquired one or numerous original photos in the auction, felt like they had scored the deal of a lifetime. Among those were Adrien, who acquired four photos, and Chloe who acquired twenty-six photos. True to her word, she had bought most of them, so she could present them to her friends. As her father paid for them, by writing a check, he once again felt that Chloe had gone overboard with it, but said nothing, because he was happy to see her smiling. All of the photos she had acquired were the ones she had deemed the most beautiful, and Chloe had an eye for those things, so she was sure they were all going to love them.

"I hope they all like them… what am I saying?! Of course, they're going to love them! I handpicked them myself, and I have great taste! After all, I am a Bourgeois and all Bourgeois have great taste!" -Chloe mused to herself. –"Oh, stop that, Chloe. If Sabrina was here, she would be telling you not to brag about it like that." -she thought, before letting a couple of giggles.

"Why are you giggling, honey?" -André asked his daughter.

"Oh, nothing, daddy. I was just thinking of a joke Adrien told me earlier." -Chloe said.

"And what joke was that?" -a voice asked, surprising her. It was Adrien.

"Oh, you know the one that you told me, while we were in the buffet." -Chloe lied, hoping that Adrien would go along with it.

"Oh, that one. Yeah, it was a funny joke, I'll give you that." -Adrien said, going along with it. –"I just came here to tell you that I'm heading home. Nathalie already paid for the photos, and is over there, calling Gorilla to come and pick us up, along with the photos I bought." -he said, as he looked at the number of framed photos Chloe had acquired. –"You bought enough photos to open your own gallery. Jean is going to need a little help carrying them."

"I admit that I went a little overboard tonight." -Chloe told him. –"But it was all for a good cause, and I'm only going to keep a few of them. The others are going to love these little gifts."

"Little gifts, honey?" -André asked Chloe, puzzled. –"What are you talking about?" -he asked.

"Oh, yes, I didn't mention it, but I bought some of these to offer to my friends." -Chloe told her father. –"They love Ladybug and the rest of the heroes as much as I do, but they can't afford things as beautiful as these. So, I bought a few of them, and I'm going to present one photo to each of my friends at school." -she smiled.

"A regular Santa Claus, I'd say." -Adrien joked. –"Does that mean, one of those is for me? Can I have it now, Santa?" -he asked Chloe, while continuing to joke.

"No, sorry. You'll have to wait until tomorrow, like everyone else." -Chloe told him, with an impish smile on her face.

"Fine, I think I can wait a few more hours." -Adrien sighed. -"Also, I didn't expect to see a bidding war between you and Kagami." -he said. –"She really gave you a run for your money."

"She did. But in the end, I was the winner, and that's all that matters." -Chloe said, triumphantly. –"I was not going to let her take away the most beautiful photo of this auction." -she said, while already thinking of where she was going to hang her Queen Bee photo. –"The living room would be a nice place, but I think I'll hang in my bedroom. That way, I'll be able to look at it, whenever I wake up."

"I can see why you wanted it for yourself. It's really pretty." -Adrien said, as he whispered something to her ear. –"Also, I knew you would never allow anyone to take it, not when you stroke such a badass pose in it." -he said, making her giggle.

"I admit it. I look pretty badass in it." -Chloe whispered to him. –"Bu you also look pretty handsome on that one with Marinette, which I also wanted to acquire." -she whispered.

"Thanks. For both the compliment, and for letting me keep it." -Adrien whispered back at her.

"My pleasure, Adrikins." -Chloe said, winking her eye at him, as an impish smile showed up on her face.

And in the morning, making good on her promise, Chloe showed each of her friends, what she had bought them. She did not take the photos with her to school, but instead photographed them and showed to each of her friends the photo she had bought for each of them, promising to send them to their homes later. Like always, they all told her that she did not have to buy them anything, but she said it was nothing. Once more, she proved that she had changed for the better and that her friends would probably never get entirely used to it. She also revealed that she had bought one for Miss Bustier, as well, who was not expecting it.

"You really shouldn't have bought me this, Chloe." -Miss Bustier declared, as she looked at the photo the blonde had bought her, on the iPad. It was a photo of the whole Miraculous Team. –"It's beautiful, but you shouldn't have." -she said.

"Of course, I had, Miss Bustier. You're the best teacher in the world." -Chloe smiled. –"And it's my way to make it up for all the times I forgot to bring you a present on your birthday, as well as for all the times that I behaved like a spoiled brat." -she declared.

Most of the times, teachers are not supposed to show affection for their students, because it is considered unprofessional, and it is not the kind of behaviour one must expect from a teacher. But Miss Bustier was one of those teachers that ignored that rule, and did not care if hugging her students was considered wrong. She believed that teachers, like everyone else, were human and ought to be allowed to show emotion in front of their students. Hugging Chloe, she thanked her for the lovely gift.

"That was incredibly generous of you. You didn't have to do this, Chloe, but I would be lying if I didn't say I'm really happy you did it, because it shows just how much you care about others." -Miss Bustier whispered to her ear. –"More and more, you're growing into a beautiful young woman, with a noble heart and soul, and I couldn't be more proud of you." -she said.

"Thank you." -Chloe whispered back at her teacher, while shedding a tear.

It was a warming scene that one; the kind of scene that just melts a person's heart and the whole class saw it. Miss Bustier proved once more why she was the best teacher in that school. Still, after that scene, things went back to normal, as the whole class took their places and Miss Bustier told them to take out their Math books, saying they had a lot of work until recess time. But like it happened so many times, time flew by, and before they noticed, it was recess time.

"You're not coming, Marinette?" -Rose asked her, as she and Juleka were about to step outside the door, with the rest of the class.

"Not yet. I have to show something to Miss Bustier." -Marinette answered her.

"Alright. See you in a bit." -Rose smiled, as she left.

"You know where to find us, milady." -Adrien said, winking at her.

"You bet I do, silly kitty." -Marinette winked back at her boyfriend, who smiled.

When the last of them exit the classroom, Marinette closed the door, locked it and pulled down the blinds. She and Miss Bustier were going to need a little bit of privacy, since she had finished Nebula's jacket, and she wanted to see if it was up to her taste. Marinette was a bit nervous, wondering what Miss Bustier's reaction to the finished jacket would be? She had shown her photos of it, as she worked on it, but she had yet to see the finalized product. She had done her best, and she was hoping her best had been enough, for she did not want to disappoint her teacher. Grabbing the backpack, where she had put the jacket on, she waited for Miss Bustier to finish something she was working on.

"Just give me a minute to finish this, Marinette." -Miss Bustier asked her, as she went through some files in her iPad.

"Take your time, Miss Bustier." -Marinette said, as she placed her backpack on the floor. –"Can't wait for her to see the jacket. I hope she likes it." -she thought, as her eyes roamed the classroom, ending on Chloe and Sabrina's desk. This led her to think about the heiress, and what she had done that morning. –"That Chloe… no matter how many times we tell her she doesn't need to do it, to prove her friendship towards us, she insists on spoiling us rotten with expensive gifts. She must have spent a fortune on those photos. We could've bought their prints later at a cheaper price, but she insisted on us having an original each, and the one she bought for me is actually super pretty. I look really well on that photo."

"What are you musing about?" -Miss Bustier asked Marinette, after noticing she looked rather lost in her thoughts.

"Oh, I was just thinking of how generous Chloe was to us all." -Marinette answered her. –"And I was also thinking that she went a little overboard this time. Not that she can't afford it, of course, but you know what I mean." -she said. –"Still, it was very nice of her to give us something so beautiful, not to mention expensive. She didn't have to, but she did it, anyways."

"It was a very nice gesture on her part, indeed." -Miss Bustier said. –"And I don't mean that because the photos must have been quite expensive. I mean that she did it, because she wanted to, from the bottom of her heart." -she stated.

"You're right, Miss Bustier." -Marinette agreed with her teacher. –"Forgive me for saying this, but sometimes I still think that I've stepped into the Twilight Zone, where Chloe is no longer the spoiled brat she used to be." -she joked.

"I understand what you're saying, Marinette. Chloe's behaviour changed quite a bit… in fact, do you remember what I once told you about Chloe?" -Miss Bustier asked Marinette, while this one opened her backpack.

"That she did have a heart, but that she didn't know how to use it, and that it was up to the Marinettes of this world to teach her how to use it?" -Marinette answered her. –"Was that it?" -she asked.

"Exactly. And I guess it's safe to say that the Marinettes of this world must have taught her to do so, because she's not like she used to be. And that makes me very happy." -Miss Bustier told her. –"In all my years as a teacher, Chloe and her spoiled behaviour were certainly one of my toughest challenges yet, because she was quite stubborn and she believed that she was better than everyone else, even though it was clear the reason she was like that, was not entirely hers." -she said, as she placed down her iPad. –"Seeing her grow and mature into the kind, friendly and generous young woman she is now, it's like seeing a caterpillar turn into a beautiful butterfly."

"It must be nice to see your kindness and your sympathy towards Chloe paying off, Miss Bustier." -Marinette smiled.

"It is. But I can't take all the credit for it." -Miss Bustier told her. –"No doubt that you and the rest of the class, somehow did most of the work." -she said. –"The truth is, sometimes all we need is someone to believe in us, as well as someone who's willing to listen to us, and to be there for us, to encourage us to do our best and be our best. And that is what has happened with Chloe. By doing what we did, we have given her the tools and the purpose for her to change and grow."

As she heard those words, Marinette had to agree with her teacher. She never thought that she would one day see the heiress turn into the kind of person she was now. It was true that because she was given a miraculous, and a new set of responsibilities were given to her, she was coerced to change her attitude towards her and to see the world differently. But at the same time, Marinette also believed that the fact they had all decided to give her a second chance at friendship, had cemented Chloe's resolve to become a better person.

"But she was not the only that grew and changed." -Marinette thought to herself. –"We too changed, along with her. Chloe was a bully, but in retrospective, we weren't better than she was, because we never thought of the possibility that she did what she did, because she was hurt and needed someone to be there for her, without judging her. On that point, Sabrina was the best of us all, because she never gave up on Chloe, even if that meant putting up with her tantrums and sometimes being her errand girl, instead of her best-friend." -she thought. –"I guess that just proves that none of us is completely good, nor completely bad. And that even your worst enemy, can one day become your best friend… unless, of course you're Hawk Moth. That guy will never change, because he's pure evil."

"Marinette? Marinette? Marinette, are you listening?" -Miss Bustier called her out.

"Oh, s-sorry. I was lost in my thoughts." -Marinette said, smiling nervously at Miss Bustier. –"You were saying?" -she asked.

"I was asking if you were going to give me the chance to try on the finished jacket, before recess ends, or not?" -Miss Bustier asked her, always smiling at her.

"Oh, yes. One moment, please." -Marinette told her teacher, as she finally removed the bag where the jacket was, from inside her backpack. –"Here it is. I hope this is to your liking." -she smiled nervously.

As she put it on, Miss Bustier looked at the jacket, taking notice of the smallest detail in it. And she was baffled with what Marinette had accomplished. The jacket looked exactly like the one Nebula used in the movies. The only thing left on it were the small props that she he had been working on, and which she would add later on. Still, even without those props, the jacket looked fantastic.

"You did a fantastic work, Marinette." -Miss Bustier praised her, as she admired her own reflection on the window. –"I must admit that even if I had wanted to, I wouldn't have been able to create such a beautiful jacket." -she continued to praise her.

"Thank you, Miss Bustier. But I'm quite sure that you would've been able to do it." -Marinette said. –"I mean, you did all those fantastic cosplay outfits by yourself. So, we both know that you would've been able to do an even better job than I did." -she said, sincerely.

"Don't be so modest, Marinette. You are a very talented seamstress. And in many ways far better than I will ever be." -Miss Bustier said, as she examined the details. –"This looks perfect. And I'm sure the judges from the cosplay contest will be impressed with it too." -she smiled.

"I'm glad you like it so much, Miss Bustier." -Marinette said, as she started to blush like a red tomato.

"Like it, no. Love it, yes." -Miss Bustier told her, making Marinette blush even harder. –"Your attention to detail, is fantastic, Marinette. That is one of the qualities of a great cosplayer." -she said. –"In fact, I wonder why you haven't tried to become a cosplayer yourself? With your skills, I think you would make a terrific cosplayer."

"I don't know, Miss Bustier. I am kind of shy." -Marinette said, with her face redder than before. –"And truth be told, I don't have much time on my hands. Between school, babysitting, working on fashion commissions and helping out my parents at the bakery, my schedule is pretty much full." -she admitted. –"Not to mention that I'm also a superheroine. If it wasn't for the boost of energy Tikki and her miraculous give me, I would look like a zombie, all the time."

Inside Marinette's backpack, Tikki was trying her best not to start laughing about how red Marinette's face was. The little scarlet kwami had gotten used to seeing the girl blush for everything little thing, but sometimes, she would still be surprised by how red the girl's face could get, when people praised her or her work.

"That Marinette… she looks just like a tomato. If Miss Bustier keeps praising her like that, I'm sure she'll blush so hard that it's going to take her the rest of the day for the blood in her cheeks to disappear." -Tikki chuckled to herself.

"I understand. But if one day you decide to give it a try, and I'd be happy to show you the ropes." -Miss Bustier said. –"And unlike me, you wouldn't have to worry about keeping your identity a secret." -she said, with a sad voice.

Upon hearing her say that, the blue-haired girl once again remembered that like her and the rest of the class, Miss Bustier was also keeping a secret that she could not tell a soul. More and more, Marinette sympathized with her teacher, knowing quite well what it was to have a secret that she could not tell anyone. The only difference between them was that if Miss Bustier's secret was revealed, her career as a teacher at that school would end, and that if Marinette's secret was revealed, her life would end, and quite possibly the world. But as different as the secrets were, both teacher and student had good reasons not to keep their secrets a secret.

"I still say that it's not fair you having to hide you are a cosplayer, Miss Bustier." -Marinette said.

"You're right, it's not fair. But things are as they are. And if I want to continue to work in this school, and teach you and your classmates, that is the price I'll have to pay." -Miss Bustier said. –"But it's one price that I'm happy to pay, because you and your classmates are the best students a teacher like me could ask for." -she smiled

"And you're the best teacher we could've asked for, Miss Bustier. I know we're always saying that, but it's the truth. We're very lucky in having you in our lives." -Marinette declared, with a smile on her face. –"Oh, and this was going to be a surprise, but I think the others won't mind if I tell you this." -she said. –"I want you to know. that you'll be having the whole class cheering for you at the convention." -Marinette said.

"Really?" -Miss Bustier asked her, surprised.

"Yes. We decided to attend the convention, and we're going to cheer for you." -Marinette said. –"We're still thinking of what the cheer will be, but rest assured that it's going to be unique." -she declared.

"I'm sure it will. But you didn't have to go, Marinette." -Miss Bustier said.

"You may be right about that. But we want to." -Marinette said. –"You're always there for us. So, this time, we want to be there for you." -she told her. –"We want to be there and applaud you, when you step into the stage, and when you win that competition. And even if you don't win, we still want to be there to cheer on for you. Because that's what people do, for those they care and love. And we care and love you a lot, Miss Bustier, with all our heart."

On that day, Caline Bustier had already showed affection for one of her students, in a way that most teachers are not encouraged to. And after that heart-warming speech, she once again broke protocol and hugged Marinette, as tightly as she could, while also shedding a tear.

And while Marinette talked to Miss Bustier, in the school's playground, Max and the others talked to one another regarding the little problem that had been bugging them for the past week. Max had told Kim, when he arrived what had happened the night before, at his place. But he had not been able to tell the others what happened yet. Gathering in a circle, near one of the corners of the playground, the whole class, minus Marinette, listened to what Max had to say.

"And that's pretty much how it happened." -Max said.

"But are you sure there aren't any other lenses or devices that can do what that lens did?" -Alix asked Max. –"I know you well enough to know that you don't leave things to chance but…" -she said.

"Positive. Ari, Pin and I searched the whole laboratory, and we left no stone unturned." -Max said. –"Oh, and by the way, Mylene, I know I already thanked you for this, but thanks again for lending me Pin for a couple of hours." -he thanked her.

"My pleasure. Besides, Pin didn't mind, did you, Pin?" -Mylene asked the deer kwami, who was hiding inside the left pocket of her jacket.

"Not at all. It was my pleasure." -Pin chirped happily.

Even after Max assured them all that everything was controlled, some of them still had doubts about it, and he could not blame them for it. And it was not just his friends who had doubts. The kwamis were also a little nervous about all that.

"Don't worry. I talked to the master, and everything is under control." -Max said. –"He has a plan." -he stated. –"Believe me, there's no need for you all to worry. The worst part is over, which was to find out if other than that lens, that was able to capture a kwami's image, and we now know there isn't anything."

"Indeed. Let us remember, Master Fu has never failed us, and he will not fail us now." -Ari said.

"Okay, bro, I believe you." -Kim said. –"It's just that… the idea of someone finding out about our kwamis, scares me. It was bad enough losing Imp for a couple of days to the Collector. Imagine what would happen if people found out about them thanks to that lens? They would be easy prey, and sooner or later, Hawk Moth would be able to find where they are." -he said.

"You're such a softy." -Imp joked, from inside Kim's shirt pocket.

"I am not!" –Kim protested, not liking what his kwami had told him.

"Keep it down!" -Max told him in a hushed voice. –"It's not just us who are here in the playground, remember?" -he reminded him, while pointing out to the students that were passing by them.

"Max's right. The last thing we need is everyone's eyes on us, while we're discussing something like this." -Nino said.

"Sorry… but you know what I think about this issue." -Kim said, whispering the last part.

"And I've told you. Everything is under control." -Max reassured him. –"You don't have to worry about anything. Neither you, not anyone else." -he said. –"Like I said before, I spoke to Master Fu, and he's working on something."

"Indeed. And you all know that Master Fu always keeps his end of the bargain." -Ari said.

"That is true." -Wayzz spoke, from underneath Nino's cap, where he was hiding.

"He hasn't failed us, so far." -Mika said.

"Exactly. So, relax, and leaving everything to him. He knows what he's doing." -Max said. –"To not think about all this, do what I do. Worry about this weekend, instead" -he said. –"This weekend, we'll be attending Japan Expo, and it's going to be fantastic."

"Now, that I can do." -Adrien said, with a relaxed voice.

"Yeah, you're right." -Kim agreed. –"In an event like that, we're sure to have some real fun." -he said.

"It's best to think of something else, when you can't do anything, regarding an issue that is out of your hands." -Rose chuckled. –"And Kim's right, we're sure to have fun there. Thinking about it, will make us feel better." -she chirped.

"But there's still one issue that we haven't discussed." -Mylene said. –"We still haven't come up with a cheer." -she stated.

"Mylene's right. We still haven't come up with one." -Juleka said.

"Then, let's start throwing ideas and see if any of them stick." -Ivan said. –"Between all of us, we're sure to come up with a good one." -he said.

"Care to help us on that department, turtle boy?" -Alya asked Nino, with a mischievous smile on her face. –"You're the music expert, so you know all kinds of lyrics like no other." -she said. –"Do you know any lyrics

"As a matter of fact, I think I do, foxy fox." -Nino smiled.

"Then, lay it on us, Nino." -Nathaniel said.

Laughs filled the air of Marinette's bedroom, as she babysat Manon, with a little help from Tikki. When she arrived from school, Manon had already arrived, and like she had anticipated, the little girl arrived complaining that she had done nothing fun at school, and practically demanded that Marinette played with her. Smiling at her, Marinette asked the little girl what she wanted to play, and Manon answered her that she wanted Marinette to put on a play for her, using the puppets she had made of the Miraculous Team. Pulling them out of the trunk where she kept them, Marinette, along with Tikki, quickly put on a show for Manon.

One of the things Marinette had learned, when it came to entertaining Manon, was that she was not very picky with the puppet shows she put up for her. As long as the puppets did something funny, Manon would love it. Marinette had lost count of how many stories she had told her with those puppets Manon had begged her to make, when she found out she was Ladybug. Sometimes she would tell the same story, but Manon did not mind. She loved to see the puppets moving and doing funny things. And when the story ended, Manon would clap enthusiastically, begging for another story.

"He fell again! Make him fall again, Marinette!" -Manon exclaimed, between chuckles.

"Don't you think that Chat Noir fell on his face one too many times already, Manon?" -Marinette asked her, while holding Chat's puppet in her left hand. –"If he continues to fall, he'll never save me… I mean, Ladybug." -she chuckled.

"Again! One more time!" -Manon begged her.

"Okay, one more time, then." -Marinette giggled. –"Fear not, milady! I will save… ouch! I fell again… this is definitely not my day." -she said, mimicking Chat's voice, which made Manon laugh even harder than before.

"I guess I'll just have to save myself from this ugly Akuma." -Tikki said, while moving Ladybug's puppet. –"Take that, you ugly Akuma!" -she exclaimed, as she moved the doll to kick the teddy bear that was posing as the Akuma.

Manon loved those little plays Marinette put on for her, because she knew just what she liked to see the puppets doing. And on top of it, Marinette had a natural talent to mimicry the voices of all the heroes. When they finished the latest play, Manon decided to reward Marinette and Tiki with something special. Picking her backpack, she took out some candy her mother had given her earlier to share with her friends at school, but that she ended saving for herself. Giving one to Tikki, the little kwami grabbed it and started to eat it.

"Do you want one too, Marinette?" -Manon asked the blue-haired girl, as she offered her the sweet treat.

"Oh, yes. That's very generous of you." -Marinette thanked her, as she took the candy.

"Generous? What is that?" -Manon asked her, not understanding the word.

"Oh, generous means being kind, which is what you're being, right now." -Marinette said. –"You're sharing your candy with Tikki and I, and that is something that people who are kind and generous do."

"Then, it's a good thing." -Manon giggled.

"A very good thing, yes." -Marinette smiled

"Do you want us to put on another show for you, Manon?" -Tikki asked the little one, while licking the candy. She too was enjoying playing with the puppets.

"Yes, please!" -Manon answered her, as she clapped her hands in excitement.

"But before we do, can we take a little break, Manon?" -Marinette asked her. –"If I keep imitating so many voices, without drinking a sip of water, I'll run out of voice." -she said. –"I'll just go and get a glass of water. Do you also want one?"

"No, thank you, I'm good." -Tikki said.

"I want one, Marinette." -Manon said, as she grabbed Flamingo and Corbeau Noire's puppets. –"Next, I want you to use the two of them to fight evil!" -she chuckled.

"Okay. I'll be right back." -Marinette said.

As she went down the stairs, making her way towards the kitchen, she got a text from Adrien, telling her that he was about to leaving fencing training, and asking her if she needed any help babysitting Manon, that he could try and persuade Gorilla to stop by her place. Reading it again, Marinette giggled.

"Everything is fine. Manon has Tikki and I putting on a puppet show for her. It's sweet of you wanting to help out, but I can handle Manon, on my own. But the next time I have to babysit her, I'll ask you if you want to help out. Talk to you later, over Skype, my silly kitty. Lots of kisses." -Marinette quickly texted him back.

Sending the text, Marinette sighed, as she thought that it was sweet of Adrien to ask her, if she needed help with Manon. She knew he knew that she was more than capable to handle the little spider-monkey, but it was still sweet of him to ask her. And it was times like those, when she thanked whatever God there was, for the fact of having such a caring and loving boyfriend.

Grabbing two glasses of water, she made her way back to her bedroom, knowing that even with Tikki keeping an eye on her, Manon was known for having too much energy for her own good, which resulted in her not being able to stand still for long. As she climbed the stairs, she was expected to hear Manon's steps, as she jumped around the place like a kangaroo, with Tikki begging her to stand still. But to her surprise, she did not hear anything. And when she opened the trapdoor, she saw why she did not hear a thing. Manon was still where she had left her, talking to Tikki, while holding Grizzly Bear and Rena Rouge's puppets.

"What did you do to make her stand so still?" -Marinette asked Tikki, as she handed Manon the glass of water.

"Nothing really. I was just telling Manon that we're going to Japan Expo, this weekend." -Tikki said.

"Can you take me with you?" -Manon asked Marinette, before taking a sip from the glass.

"I wish I could, Manon, but I only have one ticket." -Marinette answered her. –"Besides, I remember that you're going with your mom and your dad to your grandparents' house this weekend." -she said. –"I'm sure you're going to have lots of fun there."

When she said that, Manon smiled at her, but Marinette noticed there was something wrong with it. Having babysat Manon more times than she could remember, and seeing her as a little sister, Marinette had learned to read little Manon well enough, to know when there was something wrong. The smile she had given her, was the smile she made when she was disappointed or sad about something. But she knew what to do in cases like that. Closing in on her, Marinette caressed Manon's hair and smiled at her.

"Come on, Manon, don't be sad." -Marinette told her. –"Now that Tikki has told you about it, I know you also wanted to go. But even if I could take you, I wouldn't be able to. It wouldn't be fair for your grandparents, who are expecting to see you." -she said. –"You told me once that you loved to play with your grandpa, and that you also loved to go for walks with your grandam. And you know what? If you love to do those things, then I'm certain that they also love to do them with you. And if you don't go visit them, they will be sad. You don't want them to be sad, do you?"

"No." -Manon said, waving her head.

"Then, I want you to promise me that you're going to go to your grandparents, and you're going to have lots of fun with them. And if you do, I'll bring you something from Japan Expo, what do you say?" -Marinette asked her.

"Yeah!" -Manon exclaimed, this time with her usual smile.

"Okay. Then, what do you want me to bring you, from Japan Expo?" -Marinette asked her. –"Whatever you want, I'll bring you. Just don't ask me to bring you an elephant or something that big, because I don't think they have it on sale." -she said, joking.

"Candy! Candy!" -Marinette chuckled. –"Bring me some candy!" -she told Marinette.

"That I can do." -Marinette smiled.

"You promise?" -Manon asked her.

"I promise, Manon." –Marinette answered her.

When she said that, Manon extended her arm, as if she wanted to shake Marinette's hand, and she wondered why she was doing that. But before she could ask her, Manon explained it to her.

"In school, they taught us that if you promise something, you must shake hands." -Manon said with a serious face. –"If we shake hands, you have to promise not to forget." -she said. –"It's what grown-ups do, when they make a deal or a promise"

"Oh, I see. And you want to do just like grown-ups do, huh?" -Marinette chuckled. –"Very well, let's shake hands like grown-ups." -she said, as she shook hands with Manon. –"I promise that I will bring you some candy that I see there."

"Okay. And remember, you can't break that promise." -Manon said, with a serious voice.

"I won't. And I promise that as both Marinette and Ladybug, and you know very well that when Ladybug makes a promise, she fulfils it." -Marinette smiled at the little girl. –"Also, Tikki won't let me forget, will you?" -she asked the scarlet kwami.

"I promise I won't let you forget, trust me." -Tikki told her. –"We're going to get you the sweetest, bestest candy we can find there for you, Manon." -she promised Manon, who smiled at her.

My depression has paid me a little visit, over the last three days, and it made it hard for me to complete this chapter. The last 24 hours alone were spent trying to come up with a title for this chapter, which proved to be hard, because I couldn't find one that sounded good or at the very least, acceptable. I had to re-read the whole chapter thrice, until I came up with it. And in the end, I have to admit that I like it, though at first, I felt it was not good enough. Still, now that I think about it, the whole chapter is about what generosity and kindness towards others, so it applies to it.

Also, next chapter, we're going to a cosplay convention! That's right, the real fun starts on the following chapter. What do you think we're going to find at japan Expo? I can tell you this, I've been anxious to write these following chapters, and hopefully my depression won't stop me from doing it, or at least, I'm hoping that happens. After years of attending conventions of the kind, it's finally time to put to good use what I saw there, and what I learned there. :)

As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions to improve this and following sequel.