"I am so sorry, I'm a disaster!" Marinette sprung onto her feet only to misjudge her step and begin to wobble on the skates again.

As Marinette's arms and legs mirrored those of Bambi on ice, Alix pushed herself from the ground and stood up, holding the girl's waist and steadying her. "Wow! Marinette I had no idea you were so bad at this." The pink haired girl couldn't help but laugh. Marinette skating was slowly becoming one of the funniest things she'd ever seen.

Of Paris

"If you think this is funny, you should see me ice skate!" The two girls burst out laughing, and Alix carefully moved away allowing Marinette to balance herself.

"That's it! Think about your centre of gravity. You need to make sure your weight is in the middle or else you'll go caput again."

Marinette laughed, looking down at her feet as she moved. One, then the next, then the next … she was doing it. She was actually doing it!

She cheered to herself causing Alix to follow along in the momentous occasion, skating behind Marinette with her arms ready to catch her. "Keep going Mari, you're doing amazing!"

Marinette began to pick up speed and realised the thrill of the wind through her hair was similar to what she found as Ladybug flying over and between the buildings of Paris. The freedom, the hope, the thrill … it was all there!

"This is awesome!" She shouted out, turning her head back to face Alix.

"Look where you're going, Marinette!"

Marinette quickly turned her head back to face in front of her when she was met by a brick wall. As she lay dazed on the floor once more, she wasn't quite sure what had just happened. One thing that did become clear though was that she hadn't hit a wall, it was actually Kim's chest.

"Geez, Dupain-Cheng, are you sure you should be doing this?" He stretched a hand out, offering support to Marinette. She slid her tiny hand into his monstrosity of one and allowed him to heave her off the floor.

"Alix is teaching me how to skate."

"Is that a fact?" Kim said, looking over to Alix and wiggling his eyebrows. Marinette's eyebrows flurried together as she turned to look at her friend.

Alix's face had turned a light shade of pink and Marinette wondered how much brighter it would have to get to match her hair. She'd never seen Alix look so diffident. The girl radiated confidence, and this bashful look was everything but normal on her.

"Well, I'm quite sure skating doesn't mean sitting on your ass." Kim laughed, bending over and starting to stretch out his quads. If his get up was anything to go by he'd obviously been out running, in usual Kim fashion.

"She's a great teacher," Marinette cut in, dragging Kim's attention from Alix and back onto herself.

"Oh really?" Kim crossed his arms over his chest and Marinette swore she could see the cogs turning in his head. "How about this then? You have one month to train her, Alix," his attention was fully back on the shorter girl, "and then I race her."

"What-" Marinette's mouth gaped open as she looked at Kim unable to comprehend what he was thinking, when Alix answered for her.

"You're on!"

"What? Marinette screeched this time, and Alix moved her way forwards to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Mari, I swear I won't let you down."

She could see the truth in her friend's words, but that didn't stop Marinette from panicking about what Alix had just nominated her for.

She could not skate, and due to her inability to walk most of the time, she didn't think she ever would. She looked between Alix and Kim, finally settling on the shorter of the two and suddenly she felt reassured. Alix believed in her, and a wave of warmth came over her that she'd only ever felt with Chat Noir. A wave of belief, and support, though this was different. There was something else there and she couldn't help but wonder about what it was.

"What's the deal then? What do I get when you lose?" Alix moved forward bringing her face to upper stomach with Kim, the look of sheer determination in her face. He bent his knees to stare at her, bringing them nose to nose.

"When I ," Kim started, "you will be my slave for a week. You will be at my beck and call, and finally admit that I am better than you."

They remained still for a few moments before Alix burst out laughing, pushing Kim back with enough force to almost knock him onto the floor.

"Yeah, okay. Well, in that case if I win,"

"Actually," Marinette interrupted, "I think you'll find I'll be the one that's winning."

"Marinette, please, I've got this."

"Alix," she grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her so they were face to face. "I can't do this. You've seen me."

"Marinette, I believe in you. You can do this, and I will make sure you win. We'll train, it'll take your mind off things, off him." Marinette nodded, Alix was right. Perhaps this would be good for her, a reason to stop thinking about Adrien and to move on with her life. To fill her days with something other than Adrien Agreste.

"Okay." Marinette said.

"Okay." Alix smiled, turning her attention back to Kim. "And when I win, you aren't allowed to go to the gym for two weeks."

"You wouldn't?" Kim's face dropped in sheer annoyance.

"Oh, I would."

The two girls laughed as they skated away, both young and free, in the support of each other. Marinette felt her heart beginning to piece itself back together, maybe not in the same way as before but into something new and unknown.