Crap. She was going to be late for her date with Nathaniel!

Dinner with her parents had lasted longer than she had expected - she had been sucked into the joyful conversations they'd shared, and ended up losing track of time. This was her favorite part of dining with her family though, being able to laugh with her Maman and Papa and pretending that everything was okay, that everything was still normal.

But now she was running behind schedule.

She paused. Hold that thought - if she was purposefully late, would Nathaniel get the signal that she wasn't interested?

But if she did that, she would feel guilty. She was the type of girl who hated being late and causing others trouble. Maybe agreeing to this date wasn't such a good idea after all...

Then again, she had already agreed to it. She couldn't bear to stand Nathaniel up. He was such a sweet and thoughtful classmate, and she couldn't do that to him.

Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen as she informed her parents that she was going to Notre Dame to meet a friend, and then she was on her way.

It didn't take Marinette long to walk the short length to the famous cathedral, being careful to avoid crashing into crowds of excited tourists along the way. That was the beauty of her family's bakery, conveniently locating close to both her school and the beautiful Notre Dame. She made her way to the right bank of La Seine, the place she had promised to meet Nathaniel.

"Hi, Marinette!"

She heard an excited voice call her name from somewhere nearby. She looked around, searching for the source of the voice, and her mouth dropped at the sight in front of her. Nathaniel, wearing a grey collared shirt and purple dress pants, was standing on board a small boat parked by a dock along the scenic river. As soon as he spotted her, he waved happily to her to catch her attention. She stared at the scene in front of her in shock, then rubbed her eyes and stared again. She didn't think he'd go this far just for their first date!

Marinette hesitantly stepped toward him, still in awe of the boat. "Wow," she exclaimed in wonder as he took her hand like a gentleman and helped her onto the boat.

"W-What do you think?" Nathaniel asked, fiddling with his fingers nervously as he waited for her response.

"This is...this is...breathtaking," she said, struggling to find the right words to describe it. She spun in a circle to take in the entire view. "You did all this for me?"

He nodded. "That's how much I like you, Marinette. And don't worry, this is nothing. I borrowed the boat from my uncle who runs a boating business," he explained, gesturing at the boat.

"Still, I think it's pretty amazing!" Marinette insisted. The boat gently bobbed up and down in the water as a cool wind blew around them.

"Let me give you a tour!" Nathaniel offered eagerly. He tugged at the rope that tied the boat to the dock, and soon they were sailing down La Saine.

Marinette followed him as he showed her around the boat, which included a small cabin that held a small, cozy living room. Nathaniel had set up two blue beach chairs in the front deck so they could enjoy the scenery together. The bow of the boat was even adorned with a round lamp that shone as bright as the moon. She had to admit that it was quite romantic.

The boat drifted lazily down the Seine. Marinette and Nathaniel settled down in the chairs, gazing at the gorgeous views on the shore as they passed by. "I'm glad you came," Nathaniel said after a few moments of silence. "You didn't show up at seven, and I thought you weren't going to come."

"I'm sorry I was late," Marinette apologized. "I was trying to figure out what to wear, and then I had dinner with my parents..." She had also been deciding if she should've come at all, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

He blinked at her. "Well, I think you look nice," Nathaniel complimented her shyly.

"Thank you," she responded with a small smile. She couldn't help but feel that somehow, his words didn't have the same affect on her as Adrien's had earlier that afternoon.

She took a deep breath and turned to him. She'd made up her mind to tell him the truth and turn him down, but she didn't want him to feel sad because of her. "Nathaniel, listen - " She began hesitantly, but before she could continue, a shrill laugh sounded from ahead. They both jerked up to see a dark figure balancing on the railing of the bridge that the boat was currently passing under.

"I've finally found you, little girl. So you're his woman, aren't you?" the figure sneered, crackling with laughter as he jumped onto the deck. The boat rocked back and forth violently from his sudden landing.

Marinette almost fell over from the sudden movement, but she managed to maintain her balance just in time. Her eyes stretched wide, and she could only stare at the figure in horror. The man was wearing dark-colored pants, bright red boots, and a black-and-white striped shirt, completing his outfit with a mask that hid his face. She didn't think she had seen him before, but she had a sickening feeling he was working with Hawk Moth to kidnap her.

She knew she had had a bad feeling about going on the date that night...oh, why was this happening to her now of all times?

The man pulled out a knife and started slowly advancing on her and Nathaniel, who was too scared to react. Marinette glanced between them, and then finally came to a decision. She couldn't get Nathaniel involved in her personal problems. This criminal was after her, and Nathaniel was just an innocent bystander. If Nathaniel was involved, who knew what Hawk Moth would do to him? She wasn't going to wait around to find out.

"Nathaniel, I'm sorry for this," she apologized. With a loud cry, she rushed toward him, her actions surprising both him and the criminal. Using her momentum, she pushed him towards the railing. He was still so shocked that he didn't protest as she threw her arm around him, forcing him over the railing and into the chilly water below.

Nathaniel let out a gasp as his body came in contact with the water, and quickly came back to his senses. He began to tread water to stay afloat.

"W-What was that for, Marinette?" he demanded, almost choking on a mouthful of river water before spitting it out. "What's going on? Who's that guy and why is he after us?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated sadly. She wished she could tell him the truth, she truly did. But some secrets were better left untold, even if it meant the death of her. "He's not after us. He's after me, not you. So please get away from here while you can. I-I'll hold him off." She had no idea how she was going to do that, but she had to try.

Before Nathaniel could open his mouth to protest, the man stepped closer to Marinette with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the pain. But just as the man was about to attack, a third figure let out a feral growl and sprang from the rooftop of the nearest four-story building, landing skillfully in front of her. Her eyes snapped open in time to see him use an extended baton to ease his landing. His movements were swift and nimble, almost catlike. Even in the dark, Marinette could tell that this newcomer was a force to be reckoned with.

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at him. Could it be? No...it couldn't...

"Chat Noir," she whispered, feeling as though if she spoke his name out loud, the spell would break and she would wake up from a dream - no it would be more like a dreadful nightmare. She didn't think she would see him again after he'd left her on her balcony. But now, he was standing in front of her and protecting her, even after he'd tried to break off all contact with her.

And now she understood why. With her connection to him, it wasn't a surprise that Hawk Moth would send his underlings after her. He had pushed her away to protect her. Her heart ached. Now that she knew this fact, she was falling even more for him, if that was possible. There was no way she could forget him now...

"Hello, Evillustrator," Chat Noir greeted the man with a mock bow. So that was his name, Marinette realized with a jolt. It wasn't a surprise he would be acquainted with other criminals. Now that she thought about it, the name did suit the criminal. As she squinted at him, she noticed that the blade he held in his outstretched hand appeared to be a pen knife, a pen with an especially sharp tip attached to one end. She shuddered as she imagined it piercing into her body.

"You know my name," Evillustrator responded with mild surprise.

Chat Noir smirked at the criminal. "Of course I do. I've heard your name whispered within criminal circles around here. You're one of Hawk Moth's favorites, aren't you?" When the other man didn't reply, he continued, "Isn't he getting a little low?" Chat Noir taunted, a Cheshire grin spreading across his lips as he spoke. "Attacking an innocent girl like this?"

Evillustrator glared back. "What Master does is none of your business, Chat Noir. But now that you're here, that confirms that she's your woman, isn't she?"

Chat Noir glanced at Marinette with an unreadable expression and barked a laugh. "Her, my woman? Absolutely not!"

Marinette flinched. His denial hurt more than stab wounds. It was as if he didn't care about her at all...She felt as though her heart was shattering into a thousand pieces. "I was just passing by and felt like sending Hawk Moth a little message."

"Oh, and what's that?" Evillustrator asked, interested by this turn of events.

"Tell him that this girl has nothing to do with me. So you can run back to your little boss and leave her alone," Chat Noir growled, his voice void of all emotions. He didn't even look at Marinette as he spoke, making it hurt even more. "Is my message clear?"

The other man smirked, twirling the blade with his fingers. "Well, if she's not, you wouldn't care what I do to her, would you?" He approached Marinette slowly, almost painfully.

Marinette paled at what Evillustrator was suggesting. But, then again, she almost wished that he would attack her, so she would no longer feel the pain from Chat Noir's rejection. She covered her ears, not ready to hear his reply. If he said that he didn't care what the man did, she didn't know what she would do...

Before he could answer, a third voice interrupted them. "Y-You might not care, but I do!"

The three turned around in surprise at the sound of the new voice. Nathaniel had managed to climb back on board amidst the chaos, shivering and completely drenched. But despite his appearance, he stood firm, his furious blue eyes glaring at the criminals. Marinette was touched. Before now, she had only seen him as her shy classmate. She couldn't believe that he would risk his life for her by climbing back onto the boat.

Chat Noir let out a whistle. "You have guts, boy. I'll give you that much. But you just messed up my plans, you know? And I hate when people get in the way..." He tutted in disapproval, then danced a few steps back to where Nathaniel and Marinette stood. In one swift movement, he used one hand to hoist Nathaniel into the air by his shirt collar and pulled Marinette towards him with the other as though they weighed nothing. Marinette's cheeks flushed as her hands brushed against the leather of his black suit, but she tried her best to not get distracted by their proximity. Instead, she opened her mouth and started to protest, but one cold glare from the infamous thief made her clamp her mouth shut. "So why don't you two lovebirds run along and leave this to the experts?"

With those words, he leapt onto the shore and unceremoniously dropped the two onto the ground. "You guys get out of here. I'll hold him off," he ordered, not giving them a chance to protest. For just a moment, his eyes flickered towards Marinette, her heart pounding at the intense fire burning in his gaze. But all too soon, the moment was broken as he quickly turned back to face the criminal with his baton ready.

"Let's get out of here, Marinette!" Nathaniel said urgently, taking Chat Noir's advice to heart. He jumped into action and started dragging her away from the battle.

Marinette tried to stand her ground. She couldn't bear to leave when she had finally gotten a chance to see Chat Noir again, but Nathaniel refused to listen and pulled her along with him as he ran. She shot one last desperate glance at the cat burglar before they turned the corner, and the two criminals disappeared from view.

Marinette and Nathaniel ran and ran, weaving between different streets to get as far away from the scene as they could. They didn't stop running until Nathaniel finally skidded to a halt in a back alley. "W-we should be safe here," he gasped between breaths.

Marinette scanned their surroundings warily, not relaxing until she saw that the man really wasn't coming after them. She nodded her agreement. "T-Thank goodness!"

"What was that all about?" Nathaniel asked after taking a moment to catch his breath. "That guy was Chat Noir, wasn't he? Isn't he that awful criminal? I can't believe he saved us!"

Marinette couldn't believe it either. Chat Noir had protected her - not just her, but Nathaniel, too, someone he had no reason to help. Even though he was a cunning thief, he was more selfless than anyone else she knew. Besides, she didn't think she would ever see him again. Yet, he had been there to stop the criminal from hurting her, even though he had denied her to being his woman. Why would he go this far for her if he wasn't interested in her? And why was he sending her mixed signals, anyway? The stupid cat...

She felt tears of frustration pool in her eyes.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled when she realized that Nathaniel was still waiting for her answer. "I know right? I can't believe C-Chat Noir helped us!" she pretended to be as surprised as Nathaniel.

"Why was that other guy after you? And what's this about Hawk Moth?" Nathaniel continued curiously. "Something doesn't add up..."

"I-I have no idea. I don't know what they were talking about either," she added, lying through gritted teeth. Even now, she lying to her friend to protect Chat Noir. She really had it bad for him, didn't she? "C-Can you not tell anyone else about this?" she begged through pleading eyes.

Nathaniel looked puzzled. "Why not? We should be telling the police, right? Hey, isn't Sabrina's dad a part of the police force? Maybe we can tell him!"

If they involved the police, Hawk Moth might become even more desperate to kidnap her, and perhaps go even as far as hurting Nathaniel for being a witness in the case. She couldn't do that to the budding artist. "It'll be alright. I-I'll handle this." she said vaguely, neither confirming nor denying his suggestion. Perhaps he'd believe that she would go to the police, and wouldn't pursue the matter further himself. "Just promise me that you won't tell anyone else what happened, okay?"

"If you say so, Marinette. But still, that was so cool! I got to see Chat Noir with my own eyes!" Nathaniel said, his eyes shining excitedly. He had completely forgotten about his wet clothes in his excitement. Marinette had never seen Nathaniel this talkative before. She wondered if it was the adrenaline rush that caused it.

"Sure..." she mumbled distractedly, her thoughts still on the thief. Chat Noir...was he okay? Did he get hurt in the battle? What was happening? She longed to go back and check on him, to make sure that he was safe with her own eyes.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the night, making them both look up in an attempt to locate its source. Now that Marinette listened more intently, she could make out a third sound, one of wood striking the stone pavement almost in conjunction with the footsteps. Tap. Tap. Tap.

It sounded as though the person were using a cane to walk.

Marinette's mouth dropped open as a newcomer slowly approached them. If that night's events had been surprising, this was even more so. Because this third man wasn't a stranger...She recognized him, and recognized him well.

"M-Mr. Fu!?"

The older man, wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, smiled kindly at her in greeting. "I knew I would find you here, Miss Dupain-Cheng."

Nathaniel stared between them, his brows furrowed in confusion. "You know each other?"

"Long story," Marinette dismissed Nathaniel's question. "Mr. Fu, what are you doing here?"

"Just passing along a message from a friend," he said mysteriously, his words making Nathaniel look even more confused. But Marinette had a feeling she knew who he was talking about. So they really did know each other after all..."He says not to worry about him, and that he'll be fine. And...to never expect to see him again."

"No," Marinette whispered, her shoulders dropping in disappointment. Chat Noir...was he really gone from her life this time? Why was he going so far to avoid her? Why was he doing this?

Mr. Fu's gaze was gentle, as though he could feel her pain. "I'm sorry, but I can't say any more."

She nodded. "T-Thank you. For telling me. At least now I can rest easy, knowing that he's safe." She took a few steps away from the two men. "I-I'm sorry. Can you leave me alone for now? I'll be fine. Nathaniel, you make sure to get home safely, too."

Her voice cracked.

"Marinette - " Nathaniel began, but she shook her head.

"Don't!" Unable to take it anymore, she broke into a run to get away from Nathaniel and Mr. Fu. Only once she was a safe distance away and after making sure that there was no one else around, did she let the tears fall.

A/N: Thank you so, so much for the reviews! I'm so glad to hear that you all loved the last chapter and are enjoying where the story is going! Here is the much awaited date, hope it was worth the wait! :)

Shout out to those who guessed the Evillustrator vibes in this chapter! (It was one of my favorite episodes, so I had to include it here.)

(I'm sorry for making Marinette suffer so much, poor girl. But things should be picking up and I promise there will be more fluff in future chapters! Hohoho)

Hope everyone stay safe and take care of yourself in these rough times!

Next chapter preview - Marinette keeps trying to move on, but can't forget her feelings for her thief. She gets a surprise from a certain model.