"Now then," Chloe's grandmother said bringing her gold rimmed china to her lips, "why don't you tell me what happened."

Chloe looked down at her own mug of hot chocolate, fingers rubbing the side in an attempt to seek comfort from its warmth. She opened her mouth to start but shameful tears immediately sprang to her eyes and her lips began to tremble. She shut her mouth again, biting her lower lip in an attempt to keep them still.

Her grandmother sighed and sat back in her plush velvet chair, watching her grand-daughter with weary understanding. "I won't rush you," she said bringing her cup back down to its matching china counterpart, "tell the tale on your own time."

After a moment Choe was ready. She threw her head back and finished what was left of her hot chocolate in one gulp, wiping her mouth uncaringly on her sleeve. She set the mug down on the rich wooden coffee table between her and her grandmother and sat up primly, lower lip stiff and hands firmly planted in her lap.

"It was Hawkmoth." She started.

"That supervillain they're always reporting about back in Paris?"

"Duh. Do you people out here in the boonies not get akumatized or something?"

"No one has ever been akumatized outside of Paris dear, it's safe to say that his powers are limited."

"Pshh," Chloe said raising her chin, "then he's not all that powerful after all."

"You're getting sidetracked dear."

"Right." Chloe became more somber again, clenching her fingers in her lap. "He, well, he offered me the chance to join up with him. I took him up on his offer. It was dumb, I know, but I was desperate!"

She looked at her grandmother but saw no reaction, on an indifferent sipping of tea. Chloe sat back ever so slightly, her shoulders starting to relax. This wasn't her school, no one would judge her here.

"I was desperate," she repeated. "All I wanted to do was prove myself, to prove that I was a great person. To prove that I could match Ladybug, that my classmates were wrong about me. I wanted to prove that I was a good person. I had done so much, tried so hard. So hard,"

She thought back to the time she had refused Hawkmoth, suffering through unclear thoughts and a splitting headache to tell him no. To prove she was one of the good guys, one of the heroes. She sniffed, eyes burning with the effort it took to hold back her tears.

"I tried so hard grandmere. I did everything a hero should do. But it wasn't enough. Nothing was ever enough. Not for her, that perfect Ladybug." A couple of angry tears had slipped out. Chloe quickly wiped them away and forced herself to keep her head up, refusing to relinquish her pride. "When the time came and Ladybug needed me she chose someone else, who could only do half the job I could. Even after I tried so hard she didn't believe in me. It was then I realized that she had given up on me completely. She would never give me my bee miraculous back. A-and then Mayura appeared. She and Hawkmoth offered me everything I ever wanted, all the power I needed. But I would have to give up my dream of being a hero." Suddenly Chloe burst out crying, words just barely discernable through her tears. "Oh, grandmere! I did it! I gave up on my dream, I gave up on myself! No one had expected anything from me from the beginning, least of all Ladybug. As soon as I realized that I-I-I just didn't care anymore! More than prove that I was worthy I just needed the power, my Pollen, my bee miraculous. And Hawkmoth offered it all to me."

"So you fell for his words." Her grandmother said calmly, finishing off her tea.

"It was ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! I know, I know! And I've never regretted anything so much in my entire life because I failed, because I proved Ladybug right. Because I still think that I was justified but I know not even Sabrina will agree with me. And now Ladybug has no use for me and Hawkmoth has no use for me and no one has any use for me not even my parents and I will never be of use to anyone even though I'm me!"

The grand lady stood up and sat next to her distraught grandchild, hugging her and stroking her hair. "Ah, ah, ma belle. I have use for you. Your parents have use for you. Even if we didn't it wouldn't matter because you are our dear Chloe who exists so we can love you. Don't waste your life in regret ma belle, don't leave your Bourgeois pride behind and don't let it be torn own. Hold your head high and be exactly who you want to be. Ma belle, you were born to be loved."

"I know grandmere," Chloe said, clinging to her grandmothers chest, "but I don't feel it right now. I don't feel anything but shame, and anger, and resentment."

"I know Chloe, ma belle, I know. But it will pass. I promise, it will pass."

"It was my fault this time grandmere, how can I ever get away from this?"

Her grandmother continued to stroke her hair calmly, looking out her wide windows with unseen wistful eyes. She stayed silent, unable to answer Chloe's question, unable to give her the answer she knew she was looking for. Some mistakes would follow a person for the rest of their lives. It would be cruel to tell Chloe otherwise, no matter how much she wished it were true.