Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. I only own my ideas and plot.
AN: I've only seen a few episodes a few years ago, when I was babysitting my nieces. And this has been bouncing around my head ever since.
"My head is so full. I can't study anymore." Marinette moaned tiredly, stretching in her computer chair.
"Get some sleep." Tikki said softly. "You won't be able to pass the test, if you fall asleep during it."
Climbing up to her bed and under her covers, she snuggled up for as much sleep as she can get. It seemed as if Marinette had just closed her eyes when there was a soft thump above her. Followed by three quick knocks on her skylight.
Marinette's eyes snapped open. Any other time she would be happy to see Chat Noir. But not tonight. She just spent the last five hours studying, which was interrupted by an akuma. She has her science finals in the morning!
And to top it all off, her hyper active, fun loving, flirty partner has come calling at… 3:48 am…
…Okay, now Marinette is officially ticked off.
Mari briefly considered ignoring Chat, but he would just persist for who knows how long. Pressing her face into her pillow, she grumbled for a moment, before pushing herself up and letting the cat in.
Chat swung himself in, avoiding landing on her bed. "Good evening, Princess."
Mari looked up at his smiling and pleased face, from where she sat.
"Hello Chat." Marinette said, with the last ounce of politeness she had left in reserves. "Any reason you decided to drop in?"
"Yes there is." said Chat, bouncing excitedly on his toes. He suddenly squatted down low, so that they were eye level, and said, "I have a question."
Sighing, Marinette decided to go along with it, so that she could go back to sleep. She said, "What is it?"
Chat then stood up, took a deep breath, and said "Do you know da wae?"
Marinette looked deadpanned at Chat as he scrunched his face upwards. After a beat of silence of Mari not responding, Chat's face fell.
"Ah, come on!" Chat pouted. "Ladybug would've liked it!"
Marinette sat there staring at him in incredulity for a moment.
'Did he just? - That was. - That meme is so old. - How far behind is this boy?' All these thoughts and more ran through Mari's head.
She knew she shouldn't. She knew that it was against the rules. But it was four in the morning, and she was exhausted. And not thinking clearly.
Without breaking eye contact with Chat Noir, Marinette calmly said, "Spots on."
Chat Noir looked confused for all of half a second, until Marinette was surrounded in a bright pink light. Standing as the suit materialized, until the mask went on covering up the dark circles under her eyes, belying just how tired she really is.
Chat didn't know what to feel. On one hand, Ladybug just revealed her identity to him. But on the other, and going by the look on her face, she was not happy.
Ordinarily, Chat would happily gaze into his lady's eyes as she looked at him. This usually only happened in his dreams. But now? Now he can only sweat drop.
The bed was giving her an extra boost in height, so they were eye level with each other. Chat started to lean toward the skylight window to make his escape. But Ladybug must have seen this. Because her hand shot out, blocking Chat's escape.
Ladybug leaned toward him. Chat backed up a step, his back pressed into the wall. As Ladybug's bell blue, and highly irritated eyes bore into his.
"Did you just say," Ladybug said, in a deathly quiet whisper. Making Chat flatten himself against the wall even further. "That I would like a dead meme?"
"Uh…"
"And, did you really think that now would be the best time to come over and tell me this?"
"Um..."
"Chat, it's four in the morning. I'm tired. I have finals in the morning. And, to top it off, I'm probably only going to get, maybe a couple hours of sleep. If I were to fall asleep right now."
"...Wait, we have finals tomorrow?! In what subjects?!" Chat asked in a panic. Before diving for the skylight, pulling himself up, and then throwing himself off the balcony. Pole vaulting to the next roof.
Mari stood frozen in shock after hearing what Chat said, before darting after him.
Throwing her yo-yo out, and swinging to another building as she chased after her partner, Marinette couldn't help but think in the back of her mind in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Tikki, "This is a bad idea. Go home."
But she didn't. She couldn't. Marinette had to know.
"Chat!" Ladybug called out. Trying to get him to slow down, to stop. "Chat! Stop!"
But he didn't. He was in such a state of blind panic, that he didn't notice Ladybug chasing after him. He didn't hear her calling out to him.
Chat jumped down to his window sill, and dove into the open window. Closing it behind him. Leaping over his coffee table, and dropping his transformation, he immediately scrambled for his backpack. And began studying.
Across the street on the roof of the building, Ladybug stood yo-yo in hand, mouth hanging open in shock. It took her a few seconds to collect herself, but once she did, she turned around and went back to bed in a daze.
Half hoping that everything would make sense in the morning. Half hoping that she'll wake up and find that it was all just a dream.
!
Two weeks later, and these two were still avoiding each other. Or, well, Marinette was avoiding Adrien. Adrien took to the end of finals, before he came bounding in with hearts in his eyes. Literally. Adrien burst into the classroom on Monday morning with two dozen pink roses, a soppy grin, a heart full of love. And the best goofiest, and most importantly newest meme that he spent all weekend working on.
Marinette looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights.
Needless to say, it didn't go as Adrien had hoped.
Now, two weeks after the first incident, on the last official day of school before they are free forever from highschool, they sat in the classroom with theirs and everyone's parents. Because the principal thought that it would be "fun", and "stress relieving", if all of the seniors and had their parents come to their classroom and do what the school is calling a "Roast and Boast".
Going in alphabetical order.
Adrien and his dad went first. Or… he and Nathalie went first. It was so impersonal, and dry… and Adrien looked so uncomfortable up there… Marinette wanted to cry for him. Wanted to run up there and hug him.
Next was Chloe. Standing up there with her was her butler. Marinette wasn't the only one who thought that neither one of them understood the assignment.
After that train wreck was Ivan, then Alya, and Juleka. All too soon, it was Marinette's turn.
Fidgeting between her parents - neither of them could pass up the opportunity to both tease and brag about their daughter - Marinette was extremely nervous about what her mom and dad were going to say. Especially when they had both refused to tell her what they were going to say, and do.
"So, to begin our Roast and Boast," Sabine began ominously, a smile playing at the corners of mouth. "We've brought a video we'd like to show all of you."
"What?!" Marinette said, going bug eyed. All the color drained from her face. "No. No, no no no no no no nooooo…"
Miss Bustier tapped some keys on her computer, and in short order, the video that Tom and Sabine had provided began to play.
!
A little girl with dark hair and a boy with light blonde hair, both about five years old, sat playing in a living room. Talking and laughing, and having a good time.
The doorbell rings suddenly.
"Can you get that?" Sabine asked, as she continued to record the two children.
"'Course. Be right back sweetheart."
As the kids continue to play, you can hear Tom's conversation in the background.
The door opens, "Oh, hello. Here for Adrien?"
There's a muffled response that sounds decidedly female.
"Come on in." He then chuckles as two sets of footsteps approach the living room. "He and Marinette are getting along really well. Sabine and I have already talked about it, and Adrien is welcome here anytime."
Adrien's head looked at the doorway as he noticed who was here. A tall woman with long blonde hair, and emerald green eyes. Infact, she looked remarkably like Adrien.
"Mama!" Adrien jumped up, grabbed Marinette by her hand, and proceeded to drag her over to Emilie.
"Mama! Mama!" Adrien said, all smiles and bouncing on his toes. Excited to show off to his mom, "Look it! This is Mari! She's my new friend! She's smart! And fun! And pretty! And, and some day, I'm gonna marry her!"
Tom, who had just picked up his coffee and drank half the mug, then sprayed it all over his furniture. Hacking a cough, and with tears in his eyes, he had to excuse himself to the kitchen for some water.
"Not gonna happen." Marinette said. Arms crossed, in an effort to hide the blush crawling up her neck.
Adrien, smile still in place, said, "If I grow taller than you, like, like this," Adrien held his hand above Marinette's head as high as he could. "Will you marry me then?"
"Uh-huh." Marinette said, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "We'll just see about that. Won't we Shorty?"
!
Marinette hid her face in her hands to both hide the blushing, and to hide from the gigging and Chloe's screeching. But then it stopped. The room went deathly silent. Daring to peek through her fingers, Marinette watched with wide eyes as Adrien stood from his chair and walked over to her. Until they were standing side by side.
Marinette looked out of the corner of her eye, as Adrien brought his hand up to the top of his head. Then slowly, bring it down to be level with the top of her head. He was a good full head and a half taller than her, so it was agonizing to watch him bring his hand very slowly down.
Adrien then leaned down so their faces were next to each other and said, "Do you see me now?"
Marinette turned her head slightly so she could get a better look at his face. And what she saw broke her heart. Adrien was giving her a sad half smile that reached his eyes.
Instantly, Marinette's mind went into overdrive. Trying to think of a way to fix it. To erase the sadness. Because "Adrien", and "Sad", do not belong in the same sentence. Not in Marinette's mind.
Quickly, before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered so only he could hear, "I see you, Kitty."
Pulling away, Marinette's face went from tomato red, to dangerously close to her suit's color. She did quite enjoy the look of surprise on Adrien's face though, she had to admit.
Sadly, or not, depending on how you look at it, she didn't get to enjoy it longer. For Adrien, not wanting a repeat of the last two weeks, the last five - 13 - years, one hand behind her head, and the other on her waist, pulled her in and kissed her. Kissed her in front of their entire class, and all of their parents. Adrien couldn't help but smile - even more - into the kiss, when Marinette kissed him back, and threw her arms around neck.
Adrien wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up so he didn't have to bend down, to the sound of the class going absolutely berserk.
"Yeah! Adrien! My man!" Nino cheered.
"Finally!" The usually quiet Ivan, wasn't so quiet as he shouted.
"And I got the whole thing on camera!" Alya crowed.
Nathalie hid a forlorn smile.
Tom made to say something, when Sabine stepped in.
"Don't you dare." She whispered to her husband. "We had a deal."
Sighing, Tom slipped his wife ten euros.
Clearing his throat as everyone quieted down, and his daughter and Adrien separated. Tom said, "Now for the 'Boasting' half of this, Sabine and I have asked someone to come and help us with this.
"He should be here any min-"
Bang!
"Marineeeeetteeeee!" Jagged Stone bounced into the room, and then glomped onto Marinette and Adrien.
"Jagged?" Marinette said. "What are you doing here?"
"Your parents asked me. And your mom had just texted Penny telling her that you and Adrien are finally together!"
"What?"
"Yeah! This means that I win the Pot! Yes!" Jagged fist pumped "Rock n' Roll!"
"You're betting on our love life?" Marinette said, her jaw dropping. "Who else is betting on our lives?!"
Every head swiveled around as Nathalie dug in her purse sighing, "Why couldn't you two have waited until after graduation?"
Nathalie then pulled out her checkbook and wrote Jagged a check. Placing it in his awaiting hand, as he grinned smugly.
"Two days." Nathalie sighed. "All the two of you had to do was wait two days."
Mari and Adrien stood completely stunned as they watched their classmates and their parents grumble and hand Jagged Stone cash and checks.
Jagged then handed the money to Penny, before turning back to the class looking the most serious any of them had ever seen him, "Now, for the real reason that I came here."
Jagged paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath, spinning on his heel and dramatically pointing at Mari, "This girl," he then pointed up to the sky, "is amazing!" He turned again to point at the room, "And I shall prove it to you all!"
Jagged then proceeded to gush about Marinette. Going over the first time he met her, and all the times she helped him.
Marinette slowly buried her face further and further into Adrien's chest to hide from the embarrassing moment. Or at least she tried to. Because Adrien joined in, along with her parents.
Soon it turns into everyone taking turns to gush about her, and Tiki knows that she and Marinette have said it before, but for real now. She is concerned about Marinette's face ever returning to its natural color.
As everything is winding down, and Mylene and her parents is about to stand up, Rose raises her hand, "So Mr. Stone"
Jagged jumped at being called Mr.
"Are you going to stay for when it's Lila's turn?" Rose asked innocently.
"Excuse me?" Jagged said. No one seemed to notice a vein begin to throb on his forehead.
Lila on the other hand was sliding down in her seat, and wondering if she could slip out of the class unnoticed.
"Lila. Lila Rossi." Nathaniel said.
"She saved your kitten from a runaway airplane a few years ago." Kim said, hurt on Lila's behalf.
Jagged looked at them all. All traces of humor and good-will gone. "Where is this, Lila Rossi?"
Every hand in the class pointed at Lila as she tried to sneak past Marinette's parents. Only to receive a cold and chilling glare from Sabine.
Chilling still, was Tom filling the door frame, as he stared down at her, like a club bouncer. Making escape impossible.
"So," Jagged spoke slowly. Pronouncing each word carefully, so as not to be misunderstood. "You're the little bitch who has been tormenting, and making my niece's life hell."
"Niece?!" Lila shrieked in outrage. That was followed by the rest of the class in shock.
"Yes." Jagged said, as if it was old news. "Niece. Her grandparents adopted me two years ago. So, niece."
Jagged then slowly walked closer to Lila saying, "I don't much appreciate you tormenting. Bullying. Threatening, my niece. And I most certainly don't appreciate you accusing Mari with horrible, untrue acts, and getting her expelled. Not to mention the text messages."
The color in Lila's face went from bright red in anger and embarrassment from having her lies exposed. To all of the color draining from her face, as she looked to her mother, who already didn't look happy with her.
Marinette buried her face into Adrien's chest even more. Though, this time she was trying to hide her whole body in his for an entirely different reason. Adrien looked down at Mari, and then at Lila. He was slowly coming to realize just how much of an idiot he's been. As pieces put themselves together, and he in horror, realized all the signs were there ever since Lila showed up.
"Oh yes I saw messages. Telling Marinette that nobody wants her? Telling her that nobody loves her? That we'd all be better off without her? That she might as well jump off the Eiffel Tower, or into the Sine? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Adrien felt even worse. He could feel Marinette shaking against him. He kicked himself even more as he saw just what Lila was doing and saying to his Lady. He hugged her closer, half to comfort her. Half to prevent himself from walking over to Lila and Cataclysm her.
"You know, around Marinette's Birthday, for whatever reason you started to dig at her, hard. I had gone over to Tom and Sabine's to visit. When I went to check on Mari…
Flashback
Sabine and Tom were working on getting Mari's dinner ready, when the front door burst open. And in came Jagged, doing the electric slide.
"I'm back!" Jagged sang.
"Hello Jagged." The Dupain-Cheng's called.
"Hello sister dearest." Jagged hugged Sabine.
"Hello beloved brother." Jagged wrapped his arm around Tom the best he could in a one arm hug.
Jagged bound up the stairs, knocking twice on Mari's trapdoor, before throwing it open. "Hello most rock and roll nie-"
Jagged took in the scene before, and for two heart beats he was frozen. Frozen in fear. Then he pushed past it, and was running toward Mari. Falling to his knees, he put his hands right into the blood as he wrapped his hand around Marinette's small wrist to try to stem the flow.
"Tom! Sabine!" Jagged screamed desperately.
Thundering footsteps were pounded up the stairs, before two very worried parents burst into the bedroom.
"What?! What is-"
"Oh my-"
"Sabine, ambulance!" Jagged ordered. "Tom, first aid kit!"
They jumped into action. Sabine pulled out her phone, while Tom ran to Mari's bathroom where she kept a well stocked first aid kit.
Soon after, though it felt like an eternity, the EMT's came racing in.
!
Marinette slowly blinked her eyes open, feeling lethargic she looked up as the feeling of someone brushing her hair and pulling it into a ponytail. Turning her head to her left, Mari was met with her mom's tear stained face.
"Hey sweetheart." Sabine said softly.
"Hm, Mom?" Mari mumbled, confused. "Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital. You gave us all a scare."
"...What happened?" Mari swallowed past her dry throat.
Sabine held up a cup of water with a straw. Mari took a few sips, thankful for the cool water running down her throat. Sabine placed the cup back down, before turning back to her bed ridden and injured daughter, and answering her question.
"You…" Sabine took a shaky breath, as she brushed her fingers over the bandage wrapped around Mari's left wrist. "You tried to kill yourself."
Marinette looked down at the bandage, as it slowly came back to her.
"What were you thinking, Marinette?"
Mari looked back at her mom, and noticed through her lethargic addled mind, just how red her eyes were from crying as another tear rolled down her cheek.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Sabine's voice cracked on the last word.
"If you were hurting this much, you could have told us." Tom spoke softly, with a tone that belied just how hurt and angry he really was.
"I didn't mean to." Marinette said timidly.
"Didn't mean to - what?" asked Jagged, leaning next to the door. "Didn't mean to scare all of us half to death. Didn't mean to - what?"
Jagged didn't look at all like his normal self. His clothes were all wrinkly, his hair was in disarray. In a word, he was a mess.
"Please Marinette." Sabine pleaded. "Why?"
"I wasn't trying to kill myself!" Marinette said.
"Then what were you doing?" Tom finally looked up from his shoes, and at his daughter. Where Marinette was able to see, even from where she lay, that her father's eyes were red rimmed too.
"It's just," Marinette struggled to tell her family this. She doesn't want them to think that she is weak. She doesn't want them to see the shame she had been constantly fighting with.
Marinette took a steadying breath and began, "It's just that, when things get to be too much. When I'm stressed out, I…"
Marinette couldn't seem to get the last part out. She stopped, swallowed thickly, and continued, "I… I cut myself."
Sabine, Tom and Jagged were heartbroken but stayed quiet, seeing that Marinette wasn't finished.
"And, this time, I accidentally cut too deep. I promise I wasn't trying to kill myself."
"Why didn't you try to stop it, once it had started?" Jagged asked, remembering that there wasn't anything near her to soak up the blood when he showed up.
Marinette shrugged, staring down at her hands.
"Does it have anything to do with this?" Jagged held up Marinette's phone.
"You went through my phone?!"
"No. But while you were unconscious you got some… shall we say, interesting, texts."
As they spoke her phone dinged again.
"You have no right to read those!" Marinette said in a panic. Making to get out of bed, but Sabine pushes her back down.
"You stay in bed, until the doctors say you can get up." Sabine said sternly.
"This Lila Rossi sounds like a bitch." Jagged asked, scrolling through the text conversation.
"It's not as bad as it looks." Marinette mumbled.
"No, I really think it is." Jagged commented. "Like here, oh wow. Does she kiss her mother with that mouth? Because if so, ew, ek."
Locking the phone, and handing it to Marinette. Who clutched it tightly to her. Jagged then asked, "How long has this been going on?
"Marinette? How long has this girl been bullying you?" Tom asked.
"How long have you been cutting yourself?" Sabine asked.
Marinette looked down at her lap, and shrugged her shoulders.
"Cupcake, you can tell us." Tom said. It pained him to know that his daughter was in pain and he hadn't known, and didn't do anything to help.
"It's just me, your dad, and your uncle. You can tell us anything. You know that, don't you?" Sabine prodded gently.
Suddenly, all the stress that Marinette has been under for the last few years came crashing down. And she broke into heart wrenching sobs. As she slowly told them everything.
End Flashback
"When I went to check on Mari…" Jagged swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Mari had resorted to cutting herself. Because of you. She almost died in my arms."
All the blood drained from Adrien's face. The only thing keeping him standing was the shaking girl in his arms. And then, he got angry.
Jagged stood silently, as he attempted to control his emotions. Before turning to his assistant.
"Penny, do you have them?"
Penny reached into her briefcase, and pulled out a stack of documents. Handing them to Jagged, who then turned back to Lila and handed them to her saying, "You have been served."
"What?!"
"I am suing you for lies and slander." Penny handed Jagged another stack of papers as Lila stared dumbly at the official court documents.
Jagged placed the second stack of pages on top of the first, "I am also suing you on behalf of my niece, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. For lies, slander, defamation, and emotional distress."
Penny handed Jagged one more thing. A single piece of paper. Which he then lightly placed on top of the pile.
"What is that?"
"That is a restraining order. You cannot come within 100 meters of the Dupain-Chengs or their bakery."
Lila looked up dumbfounded, to see Jagged Stone staring at her, with a smug, angry smirk.
Penny leaned forward and whispered in Jagged ear. "Yes, thank you for reminding me." Jagged turned to Tom, who stepped out of the doorway, and waved in the two Federal Agents who were standing behind him.
"Lila Rossi?"
"Yes?"
"Agent Bernard, this is my partner Agent Martin, I'm going to have to ask you to come with us." They said, pulling out their badges and showing them their credentials before putting them away.
"What? Why?"
"It's come to our attention that you may have ran out onto a runway strip, while a plane was taking off. This is highly dangerous and illegal, no matter your reason."
Agent Bernard pulled the stack of pages out of Lila's limp grip, while Agent Martin handcuffed her.
The sound of the handcuffs tightening, seemed to snap Lila out of it.
"Mother! Help me!" Lila cried, as she struggled.
Clara Rossi just grabbed the stack of documents, and followed Lila and the agents out.
!
Ten Years Later
Ladybug sat high above Paris, at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Leaning her head against the leather covered shoulder next to her. Smiling at the twinkling lights.
"What are you smiling at?" Chat asked.
"Just, remembering." Ladybug sighed, her smile never disappearing.
"About what?"
"How we got together."
"That day was a rollercoaster of emotions."
Ladybug shook her head.
"What?"
"I don't mean the whole day."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Let me give you a hint." Marinette then lifted her head off of her husband's shoulder, and turned so her whole body was facing his. Then grabbed the ever present bell on his collar, and yanked him down for a kiss.
"Mm, now I remember."
"I can't believe that my younger self had waited four years before that again."
"Let's not wait ever again." Chat leaned down, to press another kiss to her lips.
Ladybug pressed her finger to Chat's lips, as he pouted.
"There is a reason that we came here, you know."
Chat Noir sighed, "We've been here for over an hour, and nothing. The city is quiet. So why don't we-"
"Kitty." Marinette said sternly.
Chat went back to pouting.
"But seriously. There is a reason. And no I don't mean patrol." Marinette said, a slight nervous quiver in her voice.
Chat turned his full attention to his wife. Concerned, "What is it?"
Marinette breathed deeply, mustered up the courage, and said, "I'm Pregnant."
Adrien's face broke into the biggest smiles Mari has ever seen.
THE END