I'll be honest, some episodes I never found them catchy and thus the chapters will be slightly shorter. Or I'll totally go off the rail, or combine some. That's something for future Dean to decide.

Marinette knew the news were always going to cover as many attacks as possible, but the one of today wasn't that terror inducing.

Ok, vanishing an important landscape of the entire country was horrifying for many but nothing had happened in the end. The worst so far was that she was missing science class which was way worse than a vanishing tower for a few hours.

She peeked out of the subway stairs as she went back to street level and back to school when she heard a sneeze coming out from her pocket.

"Tikki!" she gasped "you don't look well."

Did kwamis get sick? Marinette's mind started to whirl in full speed. What was she going to do?

"I know about a healer, I'll tell you where to go," Tikki was shivering in her purse. Ok that did make a little sense, maybe there was a kwami expert. But Marinette's nerves got the best of her, thinking that maybe he would get suspicious and ask around and what if he started to ask about kwamis and figured out she was Ladybug? What if he started to ask questions?

Speaking of,

"Oh no, my teacher is going to question why I'm late again" she peered down at her purse. This was important but also keeping her identity secret. She would do it right after class, if word got to her parents she was skipping class it would be way worse later.

"Tikki, can I take you to the healer right after school?"

Tikki gave her a small reassuring nod and Marinette felt bad for making her endure the…cold she had got but balancing priorities was something Marinette was slowly getting used to even after all this time as a super hero.

It didn't help that she tripped right as she opened the lab door, falling right in front of Ms. Mendeleiv's desk.

"Ah Marinette, what excuse do you have for us this time?" the teacher peered over the desk at her, Marinette pulling herself up from the floor with embarrassment written on her face "accidentally locked yourself in the bathroom again?"

Marinette hated creating excuses on the spot. Lying was never a good thing and it was a struggle to come up with something as she babbled about a dog she did not have.

The sudden aroma of perfume invaded their nostrils, the teacher moving past Marinette to the back of the classroom where Rose was spraying some on an envelope. Marinette took the opportunity to slid into her seat, noticing Adrien wasn't there either. Lucky cat, he could pull off a shoot or something as excuse. So much for their week agreement.

"Watch what happens when you play around with flammable substances in a chemistry lab," Ms. Mendeleiv called back their attention as she sprayed perfume on a vase to cover a Bunsen burner, only for it to lit up and create a small explosion inside the vase.

"Just to make sure you all remember that, I'll be quizzing you tomorrow on lab safety, again."

Marinette groaned in her desk.

The class went on and even if she was lucky it was the last, she couldn't help but to tap her fingers while she waited for the bell to ring.

"Woah, what's the hurry?" Alya held her back at the stairs "something wrong?"

"Ah? No, it's just-"Marinette smiled, glancing to a side to see Adrien running up to the school "oh, I should give Adrien today's notes, we don't want his dad scolding him for getting behind, right?"

"Ever so considerate Marinete" Alya smiled "go on then."

Marinette gave her a thumbs up and went down the stairs, checking on her purse fast to see how Tikki was holding up.

"Ok, I'm taking you to the healer now," she mumbled into her purse, not realizing where she was walking until her feet tripped on a student's bag, sending her flying the last steps towards the asphalt…

Only to be caught right in the arms of Adrien.

"You ok? Nothing broken?"

"Yeah" she stood up, dusting her pants off "I'm in a sort of hurry," she could tell Adrien about Tikki suddenly sick, but Nino was there and he was pointing at Adrien back to school, no wonder to help him catch up with notes. Ah, she'd have to tell him at night "don't worry about it."

"Alright," Adrien smiled and went with Nino back inside. He had totally missed the last class and had to catch up fast unless he wanted his father finding out about his sudden ditching.

"So," he asked Nino once he had retrieved the chemistry notes "did I miss anything interesting?"

"The usual of sorts" Nino shrugged "Marinette arriving late, Ms. Mendeleiv sending a student to the principal and oh yeah, we have a quiz on lab safety tomorrow."

"Again?" Adrien winced "who set something on fire this time?"

Nino laughed "no one dude, but Rose was with a bottle of perfume and you know how the teacher is."

"I mean, it is a flammable thing" Adrien slung his bag "but I should get going and catch up with these."

"No sweat Adrien, text you later!"

Adrien smiled and waved goodbye, making his way to the entrance where the Gorilla was already waiting for him. He fiddled with his phone on the way back, humming as he checked for any new messages.

"Honey, honey, nearly kills me" he sang as he checked out the usual reminders from Nathalie about his schedule, the few memes Nino had sent and the thread of messages he had with Marinette.

[Sun. 23:59]

Buginette: Ok but it is not implied in the movie Bill is her father

Catdrien: Genetics!

Buginette: Adrien, they are actors, besides! They all became her father :D

Catdrien: But I really wanted to know ^ↀᴥↀ

Buginette: You know what they said, curiosity killed the chat~

Catdrien: But satisfaction brought it back! (ฅ'ω'ฅ)

Buginette: Hm, we can watch the sequel if you want, for now I am going to bed, Night night!

Adrien smiled to his phone. That had been a good movie night. He made a beeline to his room to get done with catching up. He could probably convince Marinette to sneak by and play some videogames too.

Adrien sat down and turned on the tv to have background noise, working on the notes without another hitch until the news started to broadcast. Oh yeah, he remembered as he piled up the papers, the prince from Achu was going to be in town.

He was about to turn off the tv when his phone buzzed.

[Mon. 16:45]

Buginette: AÑGDHSH ｡･ﾟﾟ･(д)･ﾟﾟ･｡

Adrien stared at the screen.

Catdrien: Everything alright?

Buginette: No! Chloe got a hold of Tikki and I'm trying to get her back

Adrien looked at the tv where there was a live broadcast of the prince shaking hands with Chloe, who had just given him a plush toy and…

Oh, Adrien's eyes widened in realization. That was definitely not a plush toy.

But how did Chloe get a hold of her in the first place?

Catdrien: I'm sure if you tell the prince he will give her back to you?

Buginette: He's surrounded by the media, the mayor and Chloe, how am I going to do that?

He looked at the tv again, only to be even more confused at the sudden change in people.

"What is going on there?" he leaned forward in his seat, only to find an akuma right there, with green skin and pink hair, holding out what looked like a sci-fi kind of laser gun. Oh this was bad, very bad. He had to transform and catch up with Ladybug… who was unable to transform at the moment.

"Oh shoot, Plagg!" he looked around for the small kwami "let's go Plagg!"

"I'm still chewing!" he heard him moan from the waste basket but he was not going to waste time on this one, especially if Ladybug was compromised.

"Claws out!" he called his transformation and jumped out of the window and towards the hotel. Maybe he could help sneak out Tikki from the prince's pocket as he moved them to safety, that would give Marinette time to transform and purify the akuma.

He arrived just in time to see said prince with Chloe and who had to be the prince's assistant backing away from the akuma.

As well as a hideous stench so hard it made his eyes water.

Chat focused on throwing her away as far as he could. If her objective was the prince, then the right thing to do was to take him somewhere safe. He made sure they went down his baton just like firefighters do and took a quick glance around, but he didn't find sight of Marinette nor Tikki.

Chat jumped down and tagged along to the car the prince had arrived in, the assistant pushing the pedal to accelerate away from the place. Chat dared to take a peek behind on the passenger seat but there was no sight of the kwami on prince Ali's persona. Not to mention, the stench was getting unbearable he was glad the PR opened the windows to get some fresh air.

Part of him knew he had to get out of the vehicle and chase after the akuma, but he also needed to stall for time so Ladybug could show up.

A stumble above them made him look up to see the akuma already on their toes, and the windows didn't close in time to avoid her attack. Chat covered his nose and tried to kick himself out of his seat, but holding his breath and fighting an akuma proved to be too much, his nostrils burning from need of oxygen.

'I'm sorry Marinette' he thought right as the purple perfume invaded his nose, his mind going foggy and blank.

]x[

Marinette was so hoping the miraculous cure would put the scooter back where she had found it but this was an emergency. She caught sight of Chat handling himself fine against Princess Fragrance but they were a team. Sure, he was the shield but Marinette liked it better when they worked together.

She saw the car wreck and felt her pulse raising more. Her panic of not finding Tikki plus not being able to help Chat with this villain was starting to get the best of her.

"Tikki?" she called in the car, looking at each seat, the front and back, tears welling up when she found the small kwami underneath the driver's seat "oh I was so worried, we need to get you help!"

"We don't have time" Tikki's voice was quieter, her body trembling in her hands "you need to transform, I'll be ok…"

"No, I'm not making that same mistake, I'm taking you to the healer now" she stood up and walked in the direction Tikki said, her hands clutching tight the kwami towards what seemed to be a massage parlor. Or a tea shop. Marinette didn't have time to ponder that kind of thing.

The old man didn't ask much questions as he worked on what seemed to be meditation and working with energy. She couldn't help but to remember her mother, even if it wasn't the same way she practices meditating.

"What type of cat do you say?"

Marinette flinched, her smile freezing in her face as she babbled on something to cover up that small lie.

Lying was definitely not her thing, she sighed as the old man smiled and went back to work.

"Unusual" he just said behind a smile "we are finished; your cat's health has been restored."

Marinette glanced at Tikki, smiling as the kwami looked way better than when they had arrived.

"Oh thank you, thank you so much sir!" she smiled as she held Tikki close and dashed to the door since there still was an akuma on the loose.

Marinette made sure to be as far as possible, looking down at Tikki as soon as the coast was clear.

"Oh Tikki I'm so sorry, you were so sick and I don't know what I'd do without you,"

"You wouldn't be Ladybug for once" the kwami smiled.

"I mean more than that" Marinette smiled back "you are just more than my kwami, you're a close friend."

Tikki nuzzled her cheek, but then turned serious "oh! The Ponts des Artes! That's where they are headed! Chat was also there!"

"What? Is he ok? Was he…"

"There's no time to lose Marinette!" Tikki squished her nose.

"Right, Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug made her way towards the bridge, her nose itching from the peg she stuck on it but it was necessary to avoid the same fate as Chat. She had to save him from the brainwashing Princess Fragrance did on him so reaching the bridge to see them all gathered there was not an easy sight for her.

Taking out of commission Chloe and the other two civilians was easy. It was Chat who she didn't want to fight.

"Snap out of it Chat Noir!" she tried to call out to him "it's me! Ladybug!"

"Give me your miraculous!" Chat sang at her.

Any other day, under any other circumstance, she would have taken the opportunity to record it. Too bad today was not that day. Also a shame because from what she remembered, that cat could pull 'Dancing Queen' without a problem.

Ladybug sparred Chat, fighting his attacks while trying not to punch him too hard, when she saw the giant pink cloud of perfume covering the sky.

"Uh, better do something before this whole thing blows up in my face," her eyes widened, a lightbulb turning inside her mind. Of course! Perfume was flammable! And didn't the mayor say there was going to be a big firework show for him?

After this she better passed that quiz.

Ladybug taunted Chat against the bridge lamppost, teasing him until he extended the baton at her, perfect chance for her to land on the boat and trample him with her.

"Cataclysm!" Chat sang again and honestly, Ladybug winced, that was so not Chat's tone at all, but it was what she wanted him to do as she sidestepped and tripped him, causing the destructive magic to hit the operation box that set off the fireworks. Ladybug smiled as the cloud dissipated above them and mumbled an apology to Chat as she pushed him to the river. She had to hurry and chase after Princess Fragrance to stop her from possessing more people.

Ladybug managed to break the object and purify the akuma, satisfied to see the cure working its way around.

She didn't stay to see what Rose talked about with the prince, her mind preoccupied with Chat as she swung back to the bridge and find him squatted near a tree, drying himself off the river water.

"Ladybug!" Chat rushed to her and pulled her into a tight hug "are you alright? Did you find the akuma?"

"I did" she smiled in the hug "I'm so glad to see you're alright."

"I'm…" he glanced down "I got compromised, I'm sorry."

"Hey," she squeezed his shoulders, turning his attention back to her "you didn't intend for it to happen, and you managed on your own too!"

"Yeah but, let's not make that a habit" he winced "it's way more difficult that way."

"That's why we're partners" she smiled just as her earring beeped "oh, right."

"Meet up later?" Chat extended his baton, his ring also beeping.

"Of course" Ladybug gave him another smile "so I can tell you how bad you sing when you try to reach bass range!"

Chat felt his cheeks flush.

I've been feeling way too alienated from everyone right now this is something I'm starting to struggle to do because my brain is filling up with bad intrusive sorta dark thoughts. So I'll try to work on that too.