Someone Like You (Cat Noir)

by OMGThePotatoQueen

Lucie Shepherd Moves to Paris with her mother from America. Their she meets Marinette and friends as well as the cites super heroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir. When she finds herself constantly in the middle of all the action, Lucie has to do her best to avoid being caught in a love triangle that would make anyone's head hurt.

63. Chapter 60 Across Time and Sapce

I finally took the time to go through the episodes of season 4 and do a breakdown of what order I plan to put them in and why. I am hoping that it will eventually make writing easier. With that being said I now know the order of events that will lead up to the final and I am both excited and nervous because you never know how people will feel about an ending, ya know?

Also, I feel like I should mention this to help avoid confusion. As mentioned in the previous chapter, Ladybug and Chat noir are hiding in their civilian forms as Marinette and Adrien to avoid drawing too much attention. Normally I switch from referring to their hero and civilian names depending on which form they are in but in this case that won't be so.

Their thought and dialogue will be written addressing them by their civilian names when they are apart but when they are together, it will change back to their hero names. The reason for this is just to keep the friendly reminder that although they are still in civilian form, Adrien and Marinette don't know each others identities due to their "disguises" so from their perspectives, Marinette isn't talking to Adrien, she is talking to Chat and Adrien isn't talking to Marinette, he is talking to Ladybug. Understand? I hope so.

This chapter itself, took me a long time because as I mentioned, I went off episode with it and it took me a bit to really find a way to piece it together in a way that made sense. I tried hard to avoid plot holes but in all honesty if there isn't a few plot holes is it even Miraculous? I hope you enjoy!

OoOoOoOoO

Things get bad for all of us, almost continually, and what we do under the constant stress reveals who/what we are.

The next morning, Adrien awoke almost confused. For just a moment, he had forgotten the previous day's events and wondered how he ended up in a spare room rather than his own. Realization flooded over him as he woke more and the memory of the previous day crashed back into the front of his mind. Right. This wasn't his home. Quickly dressing, Adrien gathered his things and went for the nearby window only to hear the muffled voice of Nathalie in the distance calling his name, or he supposed...her name. Curious as that cat he was, Adrien peeked out the door and into the hall spotting Nathalie at the other end of it knocking on what would be his bedroom.

"Adrian, your father is already at the table. Are you almost ready?" The door opened and Adrian smiled at her father's assistant.

"Now I am." She answered, closing the door behind her before heading with Nathalie down the hall towards the stairway.

Against his better judgment, Adrien found himself slowly creeping down the hall after them. He couldn't help himself. He wanted to know if his father was different in this world. He didn't know what he would do with the information, but he needed it. Much like his own home, the walls in this Agreste house had many memorabilia of his mother on the walls. The large portrait of him and his father that hung in the main hall was replaced with that of his father and female counterpart. This seemed like another prime example of how this universe's Adrian differed from himself.

He remembered the day that portrait was taken. It was not long after his mother was pronounced dead. The grief had made it impossible for Adrien to fake a smile for even a moment. The female version of himself seemed to be better at holding in her outward emotions, much like their father. Like the eldest Agreste, Adrian looked more serious than sad as far as facial features go. Determined might even be a better description for the way she held her chin up. The tightness of her jaw seemed to indicate that she had been clenching. Unlike his slouched posture, hers stood upright as if she was taking a photo for military duty.

But her eyes...That is where he could truly see himself. Some say that the eyes and the window of the soul, perhaps in this scenario, that expression seemed most accurate. Even with all their outward differences, the pain they both held in their eyes at the loss of their mother was what showed just how much they were the same.

"Are you well, father?" Adrien heard his female version ask, and tiptoed down the steps toward the dining room. He peeked, to get a glimpse of this father. All in all, he looked the same as he always did. His hair was still in its slick back fashion, his suit was still its cream and red color combination.

"I'm fine, Adrian."

"Are you?" Adrian asked again with a raised brow. "Because Nathalie tells me-"

"Nathalie is my assistant, not my keeper." Gabriel shot back.

"We're just looking out for you father," Adrian replies calmly, earning a sigh from her father.

"I know...I know...I think I'll spend some time in the garden today. Get some fresh air...some sunlight."

Adrian placed her hand on top of her father's, giving it a light squeeze while offering a small smile.

"Sounds like a good plan." Picking up her phone with her free hand, Adrian glances at the time. "Looks like I got to head out. I'll see you later alright?" She says standing from the table. "Try and stay out of trouble." She tells her father, reaching for a croissant from across the table and planting a small kiss on her father's forehead.

Gabriel let out a scoff-like laugh and shook his head. "I'll do my best."

Adrien quickly ducked back toward the stairway and hid behind one of the large potted plants as Adrian came out of the room and headed for the door. After the door closed behind her, Adrien took one last peek at Gabriel who now continued to eat his breakfast while scrolling through his tablet. Just looking at him, his father seemed exactly the same, but just from hearing the small bit of conversation between him and Adrian, it was evident that there was in fact something different about this version of Gabriel Agreste. Adrien just wasn't entirely sure why.

Deciding he needed to get back to his and Ladybug's rendezvous point, Adrien quickly made his way up the stairs and to his bedroom, transforming, and slipping out the window.

OoOoOoOOoOo

Adrien ended up waiting for Ladybug for almost twenty minutes before she showed up at the park. His brown knitted together as she approached with her fists pushing down her hoodie as she speed walked toward him.

"Everything alright M'lady?" He asked as Ladybug hooked their arms and brought them over to a nearby bench.

"Everything is fine. Getting here was just a bigger challenge than I anticipated." And it was true. Sabrina had been glued to her hip when the morning came and Marinette had struggled to shake her once they arrived at the school. With the excuse that she had forgotten something important at home, Marinette could escape her newfound BFF before anyone could take real note of her at school.

"Right, well, hey listen! I've got some new information. This place does in fact have a Chat Noir. Or at least...sorta. But-"

"Chat Noir is a woman." Ladybug finished. Chat pouted.

"You already know."

"Yes, and I also know that whoever that woman is, she is no Chat Noir. Apparently, she is known for breaking and entering antique and Jewelry shops."

"She's a cat burglar?" Chat asked.

"That's what I said, but it seems she isn't stealing anything. A least not yet. Sabrina thinks she is looking for something."

"Sabrina? That's who you were with last night!? What happened to keeping a low profile?!"

"I didn't have a lot of options! I thought about Master Fu but when I went to his place someone else lived there. I don't know where to find him, or if he is even in Paris. I was hoping he would have some insight on what to do. Maybe this places Ladybug could help or maybe he could lend me another miraculous to get us out of here."

Chat sighs. "There is no Ladybug."

"What?"

"Felidae. That is what the female Chat Noir goes by. I talked to her. She doesn't have a partner. There is no Ladybug. As far as she knows, there is no Fu either."

"You talked to her? Chat why would you...?!" Ladybug took a breath. "Forget it. Okay, you talked to her. How did she get her miraculous if there is no Ladybug or Fu?"

"She said her dad gave it to her." Ladybug crossed her arms.

"Her dad huh? I wonder who her dad is." Chat gave Ladybug a guilty smile.

"I kinda...know the answer to that too."

"How? Did you catch her transforming?"

"Yes, but there is more."

Ladybug gave Chat an annoyed look from behind her sunglasses. Of course, there was more.

"We shared our identities."

"YOU WHAT?!"

Chat winced at Ladybug's tone. "I didn't have a choice! She caught me following her and forced my hand, literally."

Ladybug groaned and leaned over, resting her arms on her legs while holding her head in her hands. "And then what?"

"Then she went back into her own civilian form and we talked."

"She just revealed herself to you. Just like that?" Ladybug asked baffled.

Chat shrugged. "She didn't seem all that concerned about me knowing. Maybe because she knows mine too, maybe she just didn't see me as a threat. She gave me back my miraculous and she left."

"Did she say where she was going?" If Chat had not been wearing sunglasses and a hood, Ladybug probably would have seen his face turn pink.

"She was going to see Lucy."

"Lucy? Why would she-" Ladybug paused and at that moment Chat knew she was putting the pieces together. "No," Ladybug said looking at him. "No...no no no no. No way! You're telling me that...!" Chat watched as Ladybug seemed to have a mini psychotic break over the information she had just been given.

"I know, I too was taken by surprise by it all." Chat spoke. "But listen. I think we could use her help."

"Her help? With what? Finding Nexus?"

"With finding Fu." Chat corrected. "I've been thinking about it. If Nexus isn't going to come to us, maybe we can go to him. But we would need the help of other Miraculous to do that."

"The horse!" Ladybug beamed only to bring her fingers to her chin in thought. "But it might be more complicated than that. Kaakli can open portals anywhere in the world, but across a universe?"

"Not alone, but in theory, time and space move together in a weird flux so maybe if we used the horse and bunny miraculous together...?"

"It's a long shot but honestly, I don't have a better idea. We've already been gone from home way too long. But wait, doesn't Lucy have the bunny miraculous?"

"I'm not sure," Chat muttered. "Lucy was given the miraculous by her father after he passed away. If that is still the case then it's a probability."

"But if he is still alive, he might still have it." Ladybug noted.

"Or neither of them could have it. Gabriel Agreste was in possession of the Cat Miraculous. Some things are the same here, but a lot of things are different. We won't know till we know."

"Looks like we need to have a little recon on Lucy."

"Might be simpler than that. After all, I now have a contact." Chat spoke proudly, posing with his hands on his hips.

"A contact? Really? What are you, a government agent?"

"Super spy, Chat Noir!" He bellowed, making finger guns, pointing them in random directions. Ladybug sighed.

"Wow. Okay, but are you sure we can trust Adrian...or Felidae, or whatever? Apparently, that cat has a reputation, and it's not the superhero kind."

"I don't know if we can trust her if I'm honest M'lady. But what I do know is that she hasn't given me a reason not to yet and we don't have a lot of options. If you want, try your Lucky charm again. Maybe it can give us some insight."

Ladybug gives a nod. "Let's give it a go." The pair wander over to a more secluded area of the part before Marinette calls for Tikki to transform her and she quietly summons her Lucky Charm. In her hand fluttered a singular card. The pair eyed it carefully, taking in its gold accents against the back background. Ladybug slipped it over, revealing a back cat in front of some sort of a circle with symbols neither hero was familiar with. At the bottom, in bold shiny letters read "Wheel of fortune".

"Is that...a tarot card?" Chat asked out loud.

"It looks like it." Ladybug answered flipping it around with her fingers. "Do you know anything about tarot?"

"Not really. Lucy has a few decks of Tarot. When I asked about it she told me she didn't really play around with them much. Said she collected them for the art. You?"

"Not even a little." Ladybug countered before her eyes seemed to light p in recognition. "But I know someone who does."

"Great, let's go!"

"Actually kitty. This one I have to do solo. It's someone I know as well...myself."

"Right...well, okay, while you do that I will try to get that information on Lucy from Adrian."

"Chat, we don't know if we can trust her yet remember?" Ladybug said, waving the card.

"Your really going to let a tarot card decide your judgment on a stranger?" Chat asked with a raised brow.

"Normally? No." Ladybug responded. "But my Lucy Charm gave it for a reason."

"Alright. I'll be discreet. You said it yourself, we have been here too long. We can't waste any more time."

"Fine, your right." Ladybug agreed. "Just be careful and keep me updated."

"Ditto M'lady."

OoOoOoOoO

Marinette hid behind a nearby tree as she eyed her destination. Her palms began to sweat as nervousness built up inside her chest. Tikki flew to her owner's shoulder, seeming to share Marinette's uncertainty.

"I don't know about this Marinette." Tikki cautioned. "We haven't observed your other self much at all."

"I know Tikki." Marinette agreed. "But we managed to fool Sabrina, so...how hard could it be to fool someone else?"

"This isn't just someone else though! It's Luka." Marinette let out a sigh.

"I have to try Tikki. I tried looking up the information on my phone but I need better insight if I'm going to make a solid plan. Luka is the only one I know who has ever even mentioned anything about Tarot cards, and that is only because of his mom. I have to hope he can help, or maybe even his mom can."

With what courage she could muster, Marinette made her way up to the small bridge that connected the house to land, calling out to ask if anyone was home.

"Marinette! Luka didn't mention you stopping by." Marinette jumped as Jagged Stone greeted her. He looked different from how she was used to seeing him. More casual perhaps was the best way to put it as she took in his leather jacket and a tight-fit black t-shirt under with a pair of very dark purple jeans and black ankle boots. With a nervous laugh, she gave a small wave.

"Uh, heh, y-yeah. This was a spontaneous visit. I wanted to ask Luka something. Is he home?"

"Yeah, he should be down in his room. Planning on staying long? Anarki is getting lunch ready, I can have her set an extra place."

Marinette smiles but waves dismissively. "No no, that's alright. I shouldn't be long at all!" Quickly she makes her way past the rock star and down the steps to the lower deck in search of Luka. She didn't have to go far, for as his father had said, he was in his room, casually strumming away at his guitar. Noticing her presence, Luka smiled while also knitting his brows together.

"Marinette? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"Ah! Yes, right! I'm on my lunch break and I wanted to come over and ask you something."

"Oh, must have been important if you didn't just want to make a phone call. Not that I'm not happy to see you of course. What can I help you with?" He asked, patting a seat beside him on his bed. Marinette smiled awkwardly and took a seat beside Luka, trying her best to keep her distance without being too weird.

"Right...I uh, have this project that I am working on and I wanted to know if you could help." Marinette pulled out the picture of the tarot card she had taken with her phone and showed it to Luka. "I thought I remembered you mentioning knowing about Tarots and was wondering if you could tell me what it means."

Luka took her phone for a moment, looked over the card, and then handed the phone back. "It's a wheel of fortune card. In the most general meaning, it's a card of change. Focusing on things we cannot control."

Marinette frowned a little at his broad description. "I think I need a more specific answer." This made Luka chuckle lightly.

"Tarot cards are meant to help guide people during times of uncertainty, and what a card means depends on the question being asked. Even then, it's mostly about perspective."

"Alright, let's say I wanted to know if I could trust someone or not, and I pulled this card. What would it mean?" Marinette asked, trying to get as direct of an answer as she could.

Luka let out a deep breath and tilted his head from side to side. "Depends on who you ask. Some people think specific cards represent yes or no answers, while others believe that it depends on the direction of the card."

"What do you believe?" Marinette insisted only for Luka to offer her a small smile while placing his hand on top of her own.

"I believe you should trust yourself."

"Luka..." Marinette groaned at his unhelpful response.

"I'm serious Marinette." He went on. "Tarot cards are fun, but I have never relied on anything but my own intuition when it has come to trusting someone new. Do you trust me Marinette?"

Marinette looked at him and felt her heart grow heavy. After all, they had had this conversation before.

"Of course I trust you."

"Why?" She blinked at him. "What secrets have you given me that I have proven my trustworthiness?"

"I...well...I mean you..." She stuttered. "It's not that you did anything to prove it specifically. You've just never given me a reason not to I guess."

"Exactly." Luka agreed. "And has the person you are so hesitant to trust given you a reason not to?"

"Well...no, I guess not," Marinette answered, shifting in her seat. Luka didn't understand. This wasn't trying to find out if she could trust someone with her secret fear of the dark. There was risk involved.

"Then maybe you should give them the benefit of the doubt." Still seeing the clear uncertainty on Marinette, Luka took her face in his hands. Marinette's face flushed at the contacts. They hadn't been this close in a while. "Nothing is certain. Some things simply don't turn out the way we hope they will, but that's life. If we focus too hard on the bad things that could happen, we miss out on the possible good." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and Marinette was hit with all the reasons she missed him all at once.

As they pulled away from one another, and Luka released his hold on her face, Marinette let out a small sigh.

"Follow my instincts." She repeated. "What if my instincts tell me not to trust them?"

"Then don't," Luka replied simply. "So long as your doing so on your own personal judgment and not an outside source, especially a tarot card."

"I'm afraid I might make a terrible mistake," Marinette admitted, biting her lip. Luka gave a shrug.

"Then you make a mistake. And you will know better next time." He told her. "And you can just race over to my place and I'll help you feel better. After all, I like to believe that's one of my natural abilities."

Marinette smiled at him while the heartache ate away at her. "It is."

"Ahoy children!" Luka's mother shouted as she ascended down the steps. "I come bearing food." She stepped inside the bedroom and smiled upon spotting her son's girlfriend. "Hello, Marinette. Jagged mentioned you might be down here."

Marinette stood abruptly from her spot beside Luka. "Hello! I was actually just leaving!"

"Oh? Alright well if you want I made some extra-" Anarka paused momentarily and her eyes cast downwards, noticing the picture of the shiny tarot card on Marinette's phone screen. "I didn't know you dabbled in fortune telling Marinette."

"Huh? Oh! No, haha, this is nothing. I just wasn't sure what to make of it but Luka has been plenty helpful."

"Well, I hope he warned ya then! The Wheel is a tricky card and a friendly reminder of the lack of control we have in many situations. In most cases, anything having to do with that card will not be as we expect."

Marinette let out a nervous laugh as she awkwardly shifted away from Luka and his mother, backing towards the door.

"Right. Unexpected occurrence and uncontrollable outcomes. It's all been very insightful while simultaneously unhelpful. Listen, it was great seeing you, I'll make sure to do so again soon I'm sure! I have to go now!" She spat before jogging up the steps to the main deck.

"Marinette wait!" Luka called out, catching up before she could make it all the way off the boat. She sighed at the exit before turning around and forcing a smile.

"What's up?"

"I could ask the same thing." Luka countered. "Is something wrong? You seem...off."

Marinette shook her head. "No, of course not. Everything is fine."

"Marinette," Luka spoke with a knowing tone. "You do know by now that I can tell when something is bothering you right? Talk to me. I'll help you with whatever it is to the best of my ability." Marinette's smile faded at his words as his hand found her cheek, making it impossible not to fall into the warmth that was Luka.

"Nothing is wrong Luka," She stated softly. "I promise. I'm overthinking. A natural ability of mine." Luka offered her a soft smile which she returned.

"Alright. I'll choose to believe you. But you know where to find me if something changes. I love you. Your problems are my problems and we will solve them together."

Swallowing the hard lump in her throat, Marinette did everything she could to remain at ease. "I love you too." She let out. "We'll talk soon."

Luka took in his girlfriend for a moment before she pulled away from him and exited the boat house, power walking her way up the street until she was out of view. Her words were honest. He could tell that much. But there was something about how she looked back at him. It was like she was never going to see him again.

A buzz from the phone in his pocket took his attention. Pulling it out, Luka saw it was a text from Marinette. Opening it, his brows knitted together in confusion.

"Wanna get lunch with me?"

OoOoOoOOoO

Elsewhere, Adrian had taken her girlfriend to a cafe near the school for their own lunch when she spotted her male counterpart trying to blend in a few tables away from them. She supposed if he wasn't wearing an outfit that so blatantly expressed his desire to go unnoticed, perhaps she actually wouldn't have. Annoyance bubbled lightly inside Adrian as she narrowed her eyes at the boy who tried to subtly signal her that he wished to speak. Bringing her attention to Lucy, who was skimming the menu like she wasn't going to order the exact same thing always did at that location, Adrian placed her hand over hers briefly.

"I need to make a call. I'll be right back." Lucy gave a small smile and nodded, waving Adrian off absentmindedly before looking back down at the menu in front of her. Adrien got up and followed as she passed, rounding the corner outside the cafe into a small ally.

"You kind of annoying you know that?" Adrian spoke, crossing her arms as she leaned against the brick wall behind her.

"You know we are pretty much the same person right?" Adrien reminded her, mirroring Adrian's current stance against the opposite wall.

"Then you know I am a terribly busy person and I don't much care for my quality time to be interrupted."

Adrien pursed his lips a moment before nodding. "Alright. Yeah. I know that. But listen this is important." He said, kicking off the wall. "Ladybug and I think we know how to get back to our own universe, but we need your help."

"My help with what exactly?" The female Agreste Asked with a raise of her brow.

"Before I get into that," Adrien paused. "I have to make sure I can trust you."

"If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?" Adrian countered with a small smirk.

"Normally, I would probably agree, but if I don't make sure, then Ladybug will never let me hear the end of it."

"So you are the sidekick."

"What?! No, that's not...!"

Adrian lets out a small laugh. "I'm just pulling your whiskers. My lone Cat ways aside, I do know how a partnership works."

The male Agreste huffed slightly before letting out his own chuckle and shaking his head. "Okay, okay, enough jokes. Can I trust you?"

"Of course, you can. You know my secret after all."

"I don't think that's enough," Adrien replied grimly. "Answer me this: word on the street is-"

"Oh, this will be good."

"Is that you have quite the breaking and entering wrap sheet."

"I've popped in a few places unannounced I suppose," Adrian responded casually.

"But you never take anything." Adrien went on.

"Well, I'm not a Cat Burgler. That would be far too cliche."

"So what are you looking for?"

Adrien watched as his female counterpart seemed to mule over her options on how to answer his questions or if she even should. Her jaw clicked and she breathed in a deep nose breath before exhaling it slowly.

"Who. Who am I looking for, is the right question, not what." Adrian claimed.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Apparently, a man who goes by Master Fu." Adrien's eyes widened at the admission.

"Wha-what? I thought you had never heard of him!"

"I hadn't" Adrian went on. "Until you came, I was going in blind, hoping that something would stick out to me with no luck. Perhaps now that will change."

"But...what do you want with Fu?" Adrien sputtered, fearing he had already said too much to his female self.

"For answers. My mother was the one that found the miraculous. This shiny ring just so happened to be sold at a high-end jeweler a few years back that no longer exists today. When she discovered what it really was, she was determined to find out more. Plagg told her what he could, but I think even he was a little worried about sharing too much. She got so engrossed in trying to unravel the secrets of the miraculous and what they could do to change the world and in the end, it killed her. I need to find the man with the answers. It couldn't all be for nothing. Call it clarity...or peace of mind."

"Okay," Adrien spoke. "I can trust you."

"How do you know I'm not lying?" Adrian asked, a crooked smile forming on her face. Adrien was unfazed as his expression remained serious.

"Because I would never lie about my mother."

"What is it you need?" Adrian asked.

"In my world, Lucy's father died and passed down a pocket watch to her. I didn't notice it around her neck here. Is her father still alive?"

Adrian shook her head. "No, he's dead here too. She has the watch. She doesn't keep it on her person though. Why?"

"It's a miraculous," Adrien answered, making his female self raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, I'll be damned."

"My Lucy didn't know it was a miraculous until a series of events that will take me too long to explain occurred and revealed it as such. Given the difference in our worlds, I think it's possible your Lucy might still be in the dark about that."

"Well, we'll just have to bring it to light then."

"What? You just want to tell her? Won't she wonder how you know about it?" Adrian rolled her eyes at the question.

"I swear it's like you think I'm new at this double life thing. I've got it covered. But you, need to get out of that get up." She informed him, gesturing to his outfit. "You look like you're about to mug me."

"This my disguise! It's so Ladybug and I can keep our identities a secret from one another while also blending in."

"Is Ladybug here?"

"No, she's off doing her own-"

"Then you don't need to hide from her. You'll "Blend in" a lot better without looking like someone the police might be looking for." Adrien bit the inside of his cheek while he internally debated. He supposed while Ladybug was off taking care of her Lucky Charm that it wasn't totally necessary for him to keep on his disguise. After all. How would he be recognized? As far as this world was concerned. he is actually a she. Adrien removed his hoodie and slipped off his glasses, placing them in his pocket.

"Alright. What's your plan?" He asked as Adrian spun on her heel and made her way back to the restaurant entrance.

"Just follow my lead." Was all she gave as he scurried after her back over to the table where Lucy awaited her. "I'm back." Adrian greeted, retaking her seat. "And look who I found?"

Adrien froze as Lucy's eyes locked on his and a small look of surprise danced over her features.

"Oh!? Hey Felix, what are you doing here?"

"He dropped in for a visit with some important news." His female version answered for him. She patted the chair on the outer side of the table between the two of them. "Have a seat Felix. Lucy doesn't bite."

"Usually," Lucy spoke with a grin toward her girlfriend who only winked at her. Adrien could feel his eye twitch at the comment as he took his seat.

"Anyway," Adrian went on. "You know I've been looking into my mother's death." To this Lucy's smile dropped as she gave a small nod. "Felix has been helping me and we might have a new lead, but I need your help."

"Of course. What can I do?"

"I need your father's pocket watch."

"My father's watch? Why?"

"It's a miraculous," Adrien answered, gaining Lucy's eyes for a moment before she shifted them back to Adrian.

"Like the kind your mother was researching?" Lucy asks, leaning in slightly, earning a nod from across the table. "How do you figure my dad's watch is one?"

"Felix has some contacts he has been connecting with and your dad's name came up." Adrian lied smoothly. "It's all still just a theory of course. We won't know until we look at it."

Lucy tapped the tip of her finger on the tabletop several times before finally agreeing. "Fine. But it's at my house. Looks like we aren't going back to school."

"I appreciate it," Adrian stated and Adrien went to rise from his seat.

"Going somewhere?" Lucy asked with a raised brow. Adrien paused before looking to his female counterpart who also remained in her seat.

"Uh...are we not going to get-"

"Oh Felix," Lucy cooed. "If you thought I was going to go on this little adventure without eating first you are sadly mistaken. You do not want to see me hangry."

"You really don't" Adrian agreed, handing him a menu. "Order up Cous', and don't worry, I've got the bill."

Adrien gave a tight-lipped smile before skimming the menu in front of him.

OoOoOoOOoOo

Adrien was immediately interested in everything that was Lucy's room when they stepped inside it. Almost everything about it was familiar to him, but there were in fact some obvious differences. In his world, Lucy was a curator of organized chaos. Her room was never something he would call messy per se, so much as cluttered...lived in. Her bedroom, in comparison to the few others he had been in, was on the smaller side. The issue with that being that Lucy was by no means a minimalist. She likes stuff. Nothing fancy usually, but there was an abundance of knick-knacks, books, tiny plants, etc placed around her room. If anyone who was unfamiliar with the space was ever sent into Lucy's room to retrieve something, they most likely wouldn't know where to even begin to find the said thing. Lucy herself, even sometimes forgot, but in general, she knew exactly where to find whatever it was she needed.

This Lucy was seemingly more organized than the one he was familiar with. It wasn't so much a lack of items but how they were placed that made the main difference. Everything was very neat, drawers had labels on them, and there was no "Clirdy" chair near her closet. A term Adrien had learned from Lucy that was reserved for clothes that although already worn, was not dirty enough to not be worn again before being washed. There was also a lack of art supplies laying about. Adrien felt it safe to assume this Lucy still did in fact paint, as he could clearly see the tiny plastic drawers she had placed on her desk that were labeled paint brushes, watercolors, acrylics, and whatnot. But she obviously didn't keep anything she was working on out, and Adrien couldn't help but notice the lack of easel that normally stood folded in the back corner of the room.

He wanted to ask about it, but with his current role as Felix, Adrien wasn't sure that would be the best idea. He didn't know the nature of Felix's relationship with the two women he was with. Although it did seem closer than the one he had with his own cousin, there wasn't enough to go on. Adrien's eyes fixed themselves on the body-length mirror that was familiar to him. However, the photos that stuck were placed around it were foreign to him. There weren't nearly as many as his Lucy kept, but the ones that were there happened to mostly be her and Adrian. None of which were replicas of photos his Lucy had of him and her. This version of himself and Lucy...their lives were completely different from that of the one he knew.

"Did you ever tell me how you two met?" Adrien found himself asking as Lucy pulled out a small box from her drawer. The two girls looked at one another as if telepathically asking each other the same thing.

"I don't think so. But I don't think you ever asked so..." Lucy answered with a small shrug.

"We met at school," Adrian added causally. "Why?" The blonde boy gave an awkward shrug before scratching the back of his neck, suddenly feeling weird for even asking.

"I don't know. Just figured you guys might have had some quirky first meeting that lead to the domino effect that is your now blooming relationship. Like...maybe...you were at a photo shoot," He said gesturing to Adrian. "and the photographer wanted to change up the tempo so he picked a random girl at the park," he then moved his gesture to Lucy. "and basically threw her at you. And maybe she was super confused about the whole thing and just wanted to get out of there but then-"

Adrien pauses remembering there are no akumas here. "But then the photographer has a better idea and swaps her out with a child and you couldn't help but be a little disappointed because the girl had some of the most beautiful eyes you ever saw and you never got a chance to find out her name..." He spoke, trailing off as the memory played in his head before he shook himself back into reality.

"But then wow! Small world, the girl ends up going to your school and you become fast friends and without even noticing it at first you are in love and now...now you're looking at me like I am crazy." Adrien stops as he takes in the two girls' raised brow expressions.

"Not crazy..." Lucy assures. "Just..."

"Specific." Adrian finishes. "Your theoretical story was very specific. Weirdly so."

"Maybe you should take up writing!" Lucy adds with some enthusiasm. "You're very detailed in your storytelling. That might be fun for you." Adrian rolled her eyes.

"You would think so."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Lucy asked with a laugh.

"Meaning that half the books you own are romance novels that start out exactly like that! Two people meet, they have some kind of connection only to be separated by some series of events leaving them to think they probably will never see each other again, only what do you know, by sheer coincidence they are now placed in a setting that makes them see one another consistent where they can now fall in love!" Adrian argued.

"It's supposed to show tests of fate!"

"There is no such thing as fate!" Both women grinned and laughed at their petty argument. "And the other half of the books are two people that hate each other only for another series of events to suddenly make them see eye to eye and realize "Oh wOw, we have SooOoOoOoO much in common." And then they fall in love."

"It's romantic!"

"It's cliche is what it is. And completely unrealistic."

"Are you joking right now?! That's exactly our story!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, back up," Adrien spoke up. "You two had an enemies-to-lovers story?!"

"Well, not exactly-" Lucy began only for Adrien to cut her off.

"We were partnered for a project in class. She wanted to be friends, but I didn't, but eventually, she wore me down." Adrian explained simply.

"You are the worst storyteller!" Lucy criticized, shoving the small box into Adrian's chest while pushing her out of the way and making her way closer to the male in the room. "Set the scene!" She exclaimed. "Adrian Agreste, formally homeschooled for the majority of her life only now to be forced to join gen pop by her father."

"Your father made you go to public school?!" Adrien asked, earning an eye roll and nod from his female counterpart.

"She's a loner." Lucy continues. "Doesn't really talk to anyone, her childhood best friend now a stranger and most people are low-key a little intimidated by her tall and mysterious, super hot vibe."

"Oh my god." Adrian groans, bringing her palm to her face.

"Then, in comes me. The new girl in town. Most people are pretty friendly but the next thing I know, it's Chem class and we need to find partners. Everyone is pairing up when I notice the brooding blonde hasn't moved from her seat. So what do I do? I go right on over. I take a seat right next to her, stick my hand out, and say, howdy partner." She tells, sticking her hand out in reenactment. "And you know what this bitch does?" She asks, sticking her thumb back to gesture to the blonde behind her. Adrien shakes his head no.

"This heifer looks me up and down and went, no." Adrien's eyebrows shot up and looked past Lucy to see Adrian with her lips against her knuckles in a tight smile as she get her eyes on the floor. "And I looked at her and I said excuse me?" Lucy continued. "And she looked at me again and in the thickest french accent she could muster, told me "No English.". So you know what I did?"

"What did you do?" Adrien asked, a grin forming on his lips.

"I replied in french using the most American accent I could muster. Letting her know that it was ok. I knew french. And then I continued to talk like that the entire class."

"I thought you were the most annoying person on the planet," Adrian added.

"But then you guys had fun on the projects and became friends." Adrian scoffed at her male counterparts' assumption.

"No."

"No?"

Lucy shook her head and chuckled. "No. After the project was over she couldn't get away from me fast enough. But I'm persistent."

"She stalked me."

"I did not stalk you! I simply made a point to interact with you more often. She really did think I was the most annoying person in the world."

"You are the most annoying person in the world." Adrian corrected. Lucy turned her head and smiled over her shoulder.

"And yet you love me anyway." To that, Adrian smiled, making the male version of her smile too.

"So you won her over."

"Sorta," Lucy answered. "Slowly, she tolerated my presence I little more. I think she just started to accept that I wasn't going anywhere. That is...until my dad died." The room grew a little colder at her words as her smile faltered. "When that happened I pulled away a lot. From everyone really."

"As it turns out, as annoying as Lucy was or is, she did in fact grow on me." Adrian went on. "Overnight she shelled over and I almost couldn't see her anymore. And then I missed her. Parental death in almost any scene is the perfect "we have so much in common" scenario. I hated seeing the person she was becoming because that person looked exactly like me."

Adrien's soul ached at his counterpart's words. "I miss the person I was before my mother died."

Lucy rested her head against Adrian's shoulder as she moved to stand beside her. "It was too late for me. I had already built up this persona of detachment and distance that I no longer knew how to be anything else but Lucy..." Adrian trailed, slipping her hand into the Lucys, intertwining their fingers. "Lucy is just as her name describes. She is light. My light. And I couldn't let her burn herself out."

"After that, we were...something...until we were even something more. And now...well, now we are here." Lucy finished and Adrien's mind felt like it was going a thousand miles an hour with more questions. Questions it probably wouldn't be wise to ask. Like how Adrian drew the line and what to tell and not tell Lucy as far as miraculous go. Lucy clearly knew about Adirans mother and her research, but from what he has gathered, Lucy is unaware of the miraculous in Adrian's possession. If she does know about it, perhaps she doesn't think that Adrian actually uses it.

Somehow, seeing these two together, hearing their story, and knowing that even with it all, Adrian still manages to keep being Felidae without it affecting their relationship gives Adrien hope that perhaps he can have the same thing. Maybe, everything was simpler than he thought.

"Anyway, that's the watch," Lucy stated, gesturing to the small box in Adrian's hand. "I hope it helps you find the answers you're looking for."

"Wait, you're just going to give it to us? Just like that?" Adrien blurted.

"Well, yeah? Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I?" Lucy asked confused.

"I...well, I mean, it's your dad's watch. It must be important to you...and it's a miraculous." Lucy gave a small smile.

"Are you planning on smashing it or something?"

"No, of course not."

"Then I have nothing to worry about. I trust Adrian, and if she trusts you, then I will too."

OoOoOoOo

(It's been 3 months and 7,800 words and I'm still only maybe halfway through this chapter. I really hope you guys are liking this and found it worth the wait lol)

They had left Lucy behind after getting the watch from her. She didn't seem to mind, as Adrian would keep her updated on their progress. Once a few blocks away, Adrian pulled out her phone, quickly dialing a number.

"Who are you calling?"

"The real Felix." Before Adrien could question further, his female version spoke through the phone.

"Hey, it's me. I need a favor." A pause. "Hilarious as always cousin, really, comedy is your calling." Another pause. "I need you to look into the name Fu- hold on." She stops and looks at Adrien, "Do you know his first name?"

Adrien hesitates making his female counterpart roll her hand at him, gesturing him to spit it out. "Wang." He finally answered to which she repeated into the phone.

"Try anything in the past 30 years, see what pops and send me the info." Another pause. "Remember what we talked about." Adrien eyed her curiously. "I'll be waiting." With that, she hung up the phone and gave her attention to him.

"Hopefully something useful with come up with that name."

"What if it doesn't?"

"Then we are back to grasping at straws." As they head down the street Adrien couldn't help but cave the itch he had regarding This version of himself and her relationship with Felix.

"Are you and Felix close?" He asked, as they rounded the corner and headed into the park.

"We...have an understanding." Adrian described. "I told you, dead parents have a way of making for good common ground in almost any situation."

"I can't say my Felix would see it that way."

"Don't get along?" Adrian inquired as they took a seat on a nearby park bench.

"Last time we spoke he pretend to be me and tried to turn all my friends against me."

Adrien wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting from the information he gave, but laughter was not it. Still, Adrian let out a hearty laugh, as if he had just told her a joke.

"Ha...wow, yeah, that doesn't really surprise me. Felix is a crafty little shit when he wants to be."

"I didn't find it very funny."

Adrian gave a smirk. "Of course, you didn't. Felix is a big boy, if he gives you crap just give it right back."

"I don't want to give him crap, I just want us to get along like we did when we were kids," Adrien admitted halfheartedly, earning a sigh from the girl beside him.

"Good luck with that."

"You say that like it's a lost cause. You're friends with your Felix, why can't I be friends with mine?!"

"Are you hard at hearing?" Adrian asked, turning her body towards his while looking at him dumbfounded. "I am not friends with Felix. I told you, we have an understanding. An agreement to stay out of each other's way and if I scratch his back, he will scratch mine and that's it. Felix is incapable of being close, with anyone, other than maybe his mother. His father made sure of it."

"His father?"

"Yeah, his father. The man was a hardass till the moment he died. Or is your martial uncle the sweet type?"

Adrien cleared his throat under her narrow stare. "I...I don't know I guess. I only met him a few times when I was younger. He didn't always visit when Felix and his mom did. I never really knew..." How could he not know?

Noticing the guilty look on the boy's face, Adrian's eyes softened. "Well, it doesn't matter. Everybody's got problems. Felix is just...competitive."

"That I do know," Adrien spoke.

"Hm...yeah, well, the monopoly he thinks he has on pain gets old pretty quick. If you haven't learned that yet, you will."

"And your dad?"

There it was. The biggest question that had been on his mind since he saw them together in the dining room. Seeing his father was different but not understanding why or how. Is he better here? Or worse?

"What about him?"

"Isn't he a hardass too?"

Adrian smiled. "He...was. My father, I assume like your father, was never a happy-go-lucky man. But, he was...different before mother passed. We both were. After, he...I don't know. He grew distant and yet at the same time overprotective. He shut us both into the house like he thought the world was out to get us while at the same time going along as though everything was fine. As if he was fine, and as if I was. But I wasn't. He just went through the motions and the problem is he got so good at it that I actually believed him."

Adrien thought about his own father and compared it to the man the girl beside him described. In a sense, it sounded almost the same. Adrien's dad did in fact go about his days as if nothing was wrong. He locked them both away and played it off as if that was how it always had been.

"It put a strain on our relationship, to say the least. One day, I blew up on him. We had this huge fight. I don't know about you but up until that point, I had never risen my voice to my father before, not like this. I screamed at him. I screamed and I cried and I expressed everything that was going on inside me and how I felt like he didn't care about any of it...And then I watched him crumble." She explained while Adrien knitted his brows together, a prominent form on his face.

"This man, who all my life seemed like he was made of steel and stone just crumbled in front of my very eyes. And of course, I felt like the worst person in the entire world because of it." Adrian wiped away a stray tear that managed to escape her now red eyes as sniffed.

"But things got better...after...right?" Adrien asked, and the blonde girl gave a small nod.

"Yeah, sorta. Sometimes I wish I could go back and have that argument all over again. Go about it differently but I think the bigger part of me knows it always had to be that way. He couldn't hear me before. I needed to make him hear me. He stopped pretending after that. Around me at least. I tried to convince him to take some time off, and let himself grieve properly but he wouldn't have it. Said his work is the only thing that can distract him. He needs something to focus on so that he doesn't focus on the loss and in all honesty, I get that. Then he made me go to school."

"See that's where we differ. I'm the one that wanted to go to school."

"Really? Why?"

It was Adrien's turn to look dumbfounded. "Because I didn't want to be a shut-in like my dad. I was lonely and I wanted friends. Weren't you lonely?"

Adrian let out another small laugh as she licked her lips and nodded. "You know, it's funny. Your reason for wanting to go to school is exactly why my father pushed it. So I wouldn't be a shut-in like him. I didn't agree at first. I had already cut ties with a few people my age that I had considered friends. There didn't seem like a point. But what father says, usually goes one way or another, and off to school I went. At first, it was as pointless as I had expected but of course then-"

"Then you met Lucy." Adrien finished with a smile.

"And then I met Lucy. And I was a total bitch to her and yet she still kept sticking around." Adrian reminisced. "She kept sticking around and when I asked what her deal was, do you know what she said?"

"What?" Adrien asked lightly.

"She said, "Listen, all I know is I saw a grumpy-looking girl in need of a partner and I decided I wanted to be her friend." I asked her why and she looked at me with that smile of hers and as if it was the simplest thing in the world answered "Because it looked like she needed one." Adrian bit her lips as she shook her head while tilting it downward. "Turns out she was right, and sometimes I wish I could have known it sooner."

"That's adorable." Adrien poked, earning a laugh and elbow jab from the girl.

"Shut up." She chuckled. "By the way, that story that you told. The one with the photographer. Is that how you met your Lucy?"

A blush dusted Adrien's cheeks as he nodded and smiled bashfully.

"Adorable."

Adrian's phone gave off a notification ding and a moment later Adrien was being shown a photo.

"That our guy?" The blonde female asked and Adrien had no trouble recognizing the man in the phot as Fu.

"That's him." Turning off the screen, Adrian stood and shoved her phone back into her pocket.

"According to what could be dug up, he does in fact live in the area. Suit up and meet me near the address with you Ladybug. Hopefully, I can get my answers and you can get home."

Adrien nodded, getting the address from her before running off to go transform and get in touch with Ladybug. Finally, they would be getting home.

OoOoOoOoOo We are so close to the end that I can taste it.

When Chat did get in touch with Ladybug he had her meet him at their spot in the park. She was agitated, that much he knew. Apparently, she had been trying to get ahold of him for over an hour.

"I was beginning to think I was going to have to go on a hunt for you!" Ladybug scolded, her hands firmly placed on her hips. "Were you able to get Lucy's watch?"

"Sure did, but to add to the victory we also found Fu!" Chat exclaimed.

"What?! How?" Chat gave a nervous smile.

"The details aren't important, we found him and that's what matters. We are going to meet Felidae there. Where you able to figure out what your Lucky Charm meant?"

Ladybug blinked at him. "I...don't know...maybe? I'm sorry, she is meeting us at Fu's? How much did you tell her Chat?"

"Don't worry, we can trust her. The whole reason she has been breaking into places was to try and find a clue that would lead to Fu. Her mother's death revolves around a miraculous. She just wants answers."

"She just wants...Chat..." Ladybug could feel her frustration bubbling. "Chat, her mother's death revolves around a miraculous and you thought it was a good idea to send her to the guardian of them?! Does that not raise any red flags for you?!"

In retrospect, Chat knew Ladybug had a point, and had it been anyone else, yes. Yes, it would have. But it wasn't just anyone. This wasn't some random person, it was...him, well, a version of him at least. He would never do anything to harm Fu. Why would this version of him be any different? Fu carried the answers that she was looking for. He could offer her the closure that she needed to move on from her mother's death. Why would he think for even a moment that she would want to hurt him? But he couldn't rationalize it that way to Ladybug.

"I see where you're coming from M'lady. I do. But Felidae has been nothing but helpful the entire time I have spent with her. I truly believe she has no bad intentions."

Ladybug sighed and shook her head. "I guess it doesn't matter now. We have no choice but to trust her. Let's just head out before-" Chat eyes Ladybug as she seemed to freeze suddenly in front of him.

"Before...?"

"Chat?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that...Nexus over there feeding pigeons?" Chat's head snapped around to look behind him, his eyes wide to see just what Ladybug had described. There, maybe 30 yards away, completely unbothered by the strange looks he was being given due to his appearance, stood Nexus feeding a small group of pigeons.

"What uh...what do you suppose we do about that?"

"I mean...we have to take him back with us...I thought it was gonna be a whole thing where we searched time and space to find him but this is...convenient?" Ladybug answered thoughtfully.

"So, do we attack him...or?"

"He doesn't look to be doing anything evil. Feels kinda wrong to just attack him at random."

"Should we go meet up with Felidae first?"

"He might not be here when we get back."

"Then, I guess... let's go...talk to him?" Chat suggested with uncertainty.

"Yeah... let's uh... let's try that..." Ladybug agreed and the pair slowly made their way over to the akumatized villain. Upon first approach, Nexus didn't acknowledge the pair, and when Chat went to clear his throat in order to get the villain's attention, the man simply replied: It's Makeup.

"Nexus." Ladybug finally spoke making his eyes shift to her with a raised brow.

"Ladybug?"

It was then that the pair realized they were not in their hero form, still attempting to remain incognito to those around them. Ladybug let out a nervous laugh.

"Right, um yes. It's us."

"Hm...okay then." He said, before turning back to his birds. Ladybug and Chat shared a glance, uncertain on how to proceed.

"Whatcha...whatcha doin' there bud?" Chat finally asked, to which Nexus replied.

"Feeding the birds."

"Why? Ladybug inquired.

"They looked hungry."

"So...are you going to try and take our miraculous or...?" Chat asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Did you ever figure out anything from your Lucky Charm?" Ladybug blinked.

"My Lucky...no. Not exactly. It lead us to you...or well this worlds you, and you said it belonged to your after but he's-"

"Dead." Nexus finished. "Yeah, I know. I don't think the Lucky Charm was for you. I think it was for me."

"What do you mean?" Ladybug asked.

"My father died and I wasn't there. This version of me and him weren't on good terms and he died with bad blood between us. I couldn't even prove him wrong. I'm still at that school looking for the existence of another world while everyone I care about carries on in the one I act like doesn't exist at all. Do you want to know what the worst part is?" Nexus asked, turning his attention back to the two teens who watched him expectantly.

"The cycle never seems to break," He continued. "In every universe that I visited it was the same." His jaw clenched tightly as he gazed down at the eating birds. "Do you think that fate is real? That our path is somehow constructed for us and no matter what we do, as much as we think we are making all our own choices, we are still simply following the yellow brick road that leads us...every version of us, to the same place?"

Nexus took his wrist in his other hand, brushing his thumb over the computer attached to him in thought. Going to the dimensions he had, he felt as though he were failing in practically every area of his life. Lately, happiness seemed as distant and unattainable to him as space travel. He hadn't always felt this way. There had been a long period of time during which he remembered being very happy. But things change. People change. Change was one of the inevitable laws of nature, exacting its toll on people's lives. Mistakes are made, regrets form and all that was left were repercussions that made something as simple as rising from the bed seem almost laborious.

"No." Ladybug answered firmly. "I refuse to believe that. You got to see multiple versions of yourself in your life as it is now, but I got to see just one of mine and I can tell you with my whole heart that nothing is constant. The future is what we make it. If you don't like where you are now, then change it. Change you. Even if every version of you is stuck in a rut right now, the future is yet to be decided. Choose a better path."

Nexus hummed in response before picking his head up and offering a small smile. "I think you might be right Ladybug. It's time to go home."

"Wait!" Chat spoke up. "That's it? What about HawkMoth? Isn't he screaming at you to get our Miraculous?"

"The Hawkmoth that akumatized me doesn't exist in this world it seems. So no, as a matter of fact, he's not. His power does not reach through space, even if the Akuma itself is still attached to me. I did, however, run into him in several other universes I visited in my travels. As well as meet several other you two. Even got to figure out your identities."

To that Ladybug and Chat Noir tensed, making Nexus chuckle. "Don't worry. Once we return home and you de-akumatize me, I won't remember."

"If you're not angry anymore, then how is the Akuma still attached to you?" Ladybug questioned, trying to understand.

"Because I am still angry." Nexus explained. "But this time, only at myself. Ans the only way to rectify that feeling, is to make changes back in the world I belong. Back where we belong."

Ladybug smiled. "Then let's get back where we belong."

"What about Felidae?" Chat asked. "She's waiting for us."

"Felidae..." Nexus repeated in thought.

"You've met her?" Chat inquired curiously.

"A few times in passing. But this one...she doesn't have a Ladybug variant partner..."

"No, she acquired her miraculous through a...less traditional means I guess." Ladybug answered, though his words didn't quite sound like a question. "Is that a problem?"

"Shouldn't be." Nexus answered. "Solo Felidae's tend to have a slightly different agenda than ones with partners, or even that of Chat Noirs from what I could tell. I never really looked much into it as it wasn't my objective but from what I found in passing they typically are on the lookout for the same thing."

"The Guardian of the Miraculous." Chat answered, earning a nod from the ex-villain.

"As far as I could tell, it was always a bunch of dead ends for them. I mean, like you said Ladybug, the future is uncertain so maybe they do eventually but who knows really?"

"She said she wanted answers because her mother's death revolved around the miraculous." Chat spoke.

"But what happens after she gets those answers? More importantly, what happens if she doesn't like them?" Ladybug added.

"Well, if all else fails, at least we have this." Chat shows Ladybug the packet watch he carried in his possession.

"Hopefully it won't come to that."

OoOoOoOoOoo

Felidae climbed through the window of the 4th-floor apartment that was last addressed to Wang Fu. Upon entry all was quiet. The living room was simple and clean. A single light blue sofa was positioned toward the center of the room with an oval-shaped coffee table in front of it. A few feet further rested a small flat screen Tv. On the right, there was a corridor that seemed to lead toward the kitchen as well as a hallway that she assumed would bring her to a bathroom and bedroom. She stepped slowly, toward the kitchen, scanning and listening for another party to make itself known when a voice caught her by surprise.

"You know, it's impolite to break into another person's living space." Spinning around, Felidae was face to face with a short, elderly Asian man whose face matched the image she had been sent by her cousin.

"Wang Fu." She spoke to which the man tilted his head.

"It appears you know my name. I am sorry to say I am not familiar with yours."

"My name is Adrian Agreste." She spoke, not bothering to hide her identity from the man. "I have been searching for you for a very long time."

"And now you have found me. So tell me, Miss Agreste, how may I help you?"

"My mother's name is Emilie Agreste and over a decade ago she came across this ring." She stated, holding up her hand to show off the miraculous on her finger. "After coming to find out what it was she became fascinated by it and devoted her life to researching to find out more about its origins. Plagg was as helpful as he could be." She went on. "After all, he wanted her to be able to help him. He was weak, as the ring was damaged."

Fu listened to her story and as a whole remained passive. However, the mention of the damaged ring set a small from on his features.

"She came across an old book in her search. A book filled with codded information inside of it. Plagg admitted he was pretty clueless about any of what the book said but he did know that the answer to repairing the ring was inside it. Due to that, my mother did what she could through trial and error."

"She used the damaged miraculous." Fu dictated.

"Multiple times," Felidae answered. "She got sicker every time she put it on. I tried to get her to let it go. She was dying. But she wouldn't listen. She told me that the power this ring had, served a purpose. A purpose bigger than her, or me, or anyone. That its power combined with the others like it had the ability to make for a more remarkable world. By the time we had figured out the remedy to fix the ring, it was too late. I promised her it wouldn't be for nothing."

"I am terribly sorry for your loss Adrian." Fu sympathized.

"I don't need your pity guardian. I need your help." Fu's brows knitted together.

"My help with what?"

"What did you do when you realized the Cat miraculous was missing?"

"When I discovered the Cat miraculous had gone missing, I was worried it had fallen into the wrong hands. Hands that would use their power for the wrong reasons. It gives me great relief to find that it instead wound up with such a smart young woman. A smart young woman who was able to decipher the miraculous spellbook. A smart young woman who knows that the miraculous is not a toy." Fu answered, his voice calm, but there was a sternness behind it.

"Did you even try and look for it? Was it not something you thought important to find?" Felidae criticized. "Or is losing powerful relics a habit of yours? Did you lose the Ladybug Miraculous too?"

"I had hoped it would find its way back to me, and it would seem it has. As for the Ladybug Miraculous, you need not worry. It is safely stored away. As it shall stay."

"Thank you," Felidae said with a small smile.

"Whatever for?"

"For confirming that you do in fact have the Ladybug miraculous. I'm going to be needing it."

OoOoOoO

Chat, Ladybug, and Nexus landed on a nearby roof, spotting Felidae already inside talking to Master Fu.

"She was supposed to wait for us." Chat stated as they got a closer look through his staff.

"He doesn't appear to be in any distress." Ladybug noted. "But they both seem very tense."

"You should get in there." Nexus suggested. "I'm sure the guardian will feel more at ease with a Ladybug at his side."

"Hey! What about me?!" Chat argued, only for Nexus to make a gesture towards the female version of himself already in the room. "Alright, I mean I guess I get it, but I'm still going!"

"We both will," Ladybug added. "Nexus, you wait here. I don't want you stepping in unless completely necessary. We had a plan to get back without you, but we weren't sure it would work. Still aren't. If Felidae turns on us and destroys your Akuma."

"We might be stuck here." Nexus finished. "I understand." Leaving their newfound partner behind, Ladybug and Chat Noir head towards the apartment, jumping in through the open window.

"Well if it isn't more unannounced visitors." Fun commented, his eyes landing on the second Cat holder as well as Ladybug. "How is this possible...?"

"It's a little complicated Master!" Ladybug spoke. "But I assure you we mean no harm."

"You were supposed to wait for us." Chat scolded Felidae who didn't spare him a glance.

"You took too long, and by the looks of it, you have everything you need to get home without the help of the guardian, so how about you head on home now."

"Felidae, what is it you want with Master Fu?!" Ladybug questioned, making the other female smirk.

"She wants the Ladybug Miraculous," Fu answered calmly.

"W..what?!" Chat stuttered. "Why?!"

"You know why."

"Your mother..." Chat muttered in realization.

"I have already informed our dear friend here, that the Ladybug Miraculous will not work as she desires it to. Although its power is truly unmatched, it does not possess the ability to bring back the dead. Not after such extended time." Fu explained.

"If this is what you intended the whole time...why go through all this trouble? You knew I had a ladybug? Why didn't you ever try and just get me to take you to her?" Chat wondered aloud.

"And try to convince, trick, or fight the both of you in order to obtain the earings? Does that sound like less trouble than getting my hands on a pair of my own?"

"If you continue down the route it looks like your going to have to fight us anyway." Ladybug vowed, resulting in an eye-roll from Felidae.

"Give me the earrings." She demanded calmly. Fu, showed no fear as he remained firmly planted in his spot.

"I will do no such thing."

"Fine." Felidae sighed. "We'll do it the hard way."

Without missing a beat, Felidae elbowed Chat in the face and charged toward Fu, only to have Ladybug intercept and throw her yo-yo, snagging Felidae by the ankle and pulling her back towards her. Felidae used her free foot to kick at Ladybug and free herself from the yo-yos grip. Her goal wasn't to fight the other version or his partner. Her goal was to get to Fu. Her quick reflexes had her back on her feet and back on target in a matter of seconds. Fun stood not a yard away from her in a defensive stance as she charged toward him. As her hand reached out a sharp pain hit her side as Chat's staff stabbed and pushed her into a nearby wall.

"Ladybug, get Fu out of here! I'll handle Felidae!" Chat called out, running at his female counterpart. The pair threw hits at one another, but in a similar sense to his fight with Copy-Cat, many of the strikes deflected themselves.

"You know what they say," Felidae taunted. "When you fight yourself, you always lose."

Chat narrowed his eyes as he attempted another strike, holding her off just long enough for Ladybug to snag Fu and escape out the window. Felidae let out an agitated groan as she took hold of Chat's staff and used it to propel herself at Chat, knocking him to the ground.

"You know, I really expected more from you." Felidae sneered. "I thought you would understand where I was coming from."

"Sorry to disappoint you!" Chat snapped back throwing another hit at his female counterpart.

"She's our mother! How are we not seeing this the same!?" She remarked, dodging him.

"You heard fu! Ladybug can't bring people back from the dead, not after so much time has passed!" Felidae managed to take ahold of Chat's neck, hoisting him up against a nearby wall.

"You're such an idiot, you know that?!" She raged. "I know the Ladybug miraculous can't help me on its own. But it can help if combined with mine. Or did you not know that? Destruction and creation, life, and death. The Cat and Ladybug miraculous together have the ability to do just as I need."

"You...don't know...what your asking...for." Chat struggled, fighting against her tightened grip.

"I do actually..." Felidae's eyes seemed to burn into his own. "I want my mother back. Everything else can be exactly as it is. I just want her. I can make it so every version of us gets to be with her again. Don't you miss her? Don't you want her back again? Why are you fighting me on this? We are supposed to be on the same side..."

"I do..."Chat choked. "I miss...her...I want her...back too..."He struggles. "But not...at any cost..." He could feel the claws of her gloves digging into his neck at his words.

"Then I guess you didn't love her as much as I did." She retorted, and it broke Chat's heart. "Catacl-"

"Adrian!" The sound of a voice familiar to both Chat and Felidae rang into their ears. Felidae froze for a moment before whipping her head back to see Lucy standing beside Nexus with a look that held more anger than either had ever seen before from her.

"Lucy..." Felidae whispered in shock, but the shock only lasted a moment as she did her best to regain her composure. "Lucy...my light-"

"Don't even start with that," Lucy interjected. "Have you lost your fucking mind?!" To that question, Felidae's stare turned cold.

"I told you I was going to find answers. I told you I was going to-"

"Bullshit!" Lucy cursed. "You never said anything about finding a way to REWRITE THE UNIVERSE." She seethed. "So I will ask again. are you out of YOUR FUCKING MIND? You can't just do that Adrian! That's not how this works! That's not how any of this works! We don't get to just reconfigure all the bad things that happen to us!"

"What would you know about it?!" Felidae argued, tossing Chat to the side and stepping toward her girlfriend.

"I'm the keeper of a miraculous THAT USES TIME TRAVEL!"

"You...you knew that..." Felidae stuttered. A mix of betrayal and disbelief flew through her veins as she watched Lucy's angry expression falter slightly.

"Yeah. I found out a while back actually." Lucy admitted.

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"Look at what you're doing right now! Are you surprised that I felt it best to keep it from you?"

"You could save her Lu..." Felidae whimpered. "You could save my mom...your dad...why won't you save them!?"

"I told you. It doesn't work that way. It will never be that simple." Lucy professed. "Not with my miraculous...and not with yours and Ladybugs. Where there is death, there is always death."

"I can't let it go," Felidae confessed.

"I know," Lucy replied, crossing her arms. "It's frowned upon for the person of the bunny miraculous to look into the future. It's such an ever-changing cosmic event that there is never one specific path to see. Only variations of what could be. I wanted to know that it would all work out for you. That you could have some peace, but there were so many paths." She spoke, her tone turning low and solemn. "But I love you so much..."

From the ground, Chat caught his breath and watched carefully the two women interact. For a brief moment, his eyes met Lucy's.

"I really hoped it wouldn't come to this." Before Felidae would react, Chat reached up and slapped his hand on her back.

"Cataclysm." Felidae fell to the ground in pain, her suit protecting her from real damage such contact would do had she been a civilian. While down, Lucy swiftly knelt down beside her and slipped the ring off her finger, causing her to detransform.

"Lucy..."Adrian spoke weakly, and Lucy's face contorted into one of pure anguish.

"I'm so sorry."

After hearing the sound of his ring beeping, Chat called out, "Claws in." not waiting for the timer to run out. He half expected Lucy to look at him surprised. Maybe thinking he was still Felix. But she didn't look surprised. Not even a little.

OoOoOooOooO

Soon, Chat reached out to Ladybug and informed her that Felidae was taken care of and that they had her miraculous. When She and Fu came back, Adrian sat on the floor against the wall with her head hung between her bent knees. Lucy stood beside him as he handed Fu the Cat miraculous.

"You did the right thing," Fu said, speaking to Lucy, who watched over Adrian from her spot.

"I know," Lucy said softly. "But that doesn't make this any easier."

"Such things rarely are. As humans, it takes a tremendous amount of courage and strength to choose what is right, over what is easy." Fu complimented. "It is knowing this, that makes me most certain that this remains in good hands." He then spoke, taking Lucy's hands and placing her father's pocket watch, the bunny miraculous, inside them. "Whoever was the one to gift it down to you, I am sure would be very proud."

Lucy offered a weak smile, wiping away a stray tear from her cheek. "Thank you. But...what about Adrian? What happens now?"

Fu lets out a gentle sigh as his gaze moves to the broken girl on his living room floor. "Adrian is in no position to keep hold of the Cat Miraculous. Her heart is in too much turmoil. Perhaps, one day, things will be different, but for now, it is best that the miraculous stays with me."

"What if she tries to locate you again?" Ladybug asks with slight worry. She knows your name, what you look like..."

"She has resources," Chat added quietly.

"Yes...there is that matter which to take care of." Fu breathed. "Plagg..." He called, and the kwami floated in front of him with a small frown. "It's time."

Plagg flew over to Adrian and placed himself against her hand. She raised her head to acknowledge him.

"I'm sorry Adrian." The tiny cat spoke. Adrian readjusted herself and shook her head no before leaning it back against the wall behind her.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I just miss her so much."

"I know, kiddo." Plagg sympathized. "For what it's worth, I miss her too."

Without another word, Plagg brought forth one of the few abilities he and the other kwamis shared, and without really noticing it, Adrian's mind went into a fog.

"What is he doing?" Lucy asked.

"It's an ability the miraculous has to protect itself," Chat spoke, being all too familiar with the look on Adrian's face. "Since Kwamis power the miraculous, I guess it's really their ability. He's making her forget."

"She is going to be very confused for a while," Fu explained. "Things will be missing. Eventually, her mind will fill the gaps on its own, but until then she will need you, Lucy. I hope you will be there to assist her."

"Of course, I will." Lucy pledged. "I love her."

OoOoOoOOo

Chat watched Lucy help Adrian into the car after Nathalie arrived. He wasn't sure exactly what explanation she had given, but he supposed it didn't matter. Ladybug stood a little away, talking to master Fu when Nexus approached him. The ex-villain said nothing at first, only watching Lucy as Chat was. It was only when Chat finally managed to turn away that Nexus bothered to start a conversation.

"I ran into a lot of Adrien Agreste's during my little universe crawl." He informed, and Chat watched him expectantly. "There were a lot of differences between them, but also a fair amount of consistencies. Do you want to know which one stood out the most?"

Chat raised his brows as Nexus opened his computer screen and displayed it before his eyes. Images of sorts flashed every few seconds across the screen. All of him. All of him and of Lucy. In some instances they were happy and in others, they were not but they were always together. Out of all the things that could possibly be in any given universe, Lucy was his constant.

"Gotta be somethin' special." Nexus then commented. "To have a love that echoes through time and space."

With that, he walked away, leaving Chat in his thoughts. His eyes found Lucy once again, who now stood alone, with her arms around herself. Before he knew what he was doing, Chat found himself making his way over to her. Her eyes reached him as he approached and with them, she let out a breathy, "Hey."

"Hi." Chat greeted back, somewhat awkwardly.

"So," She started. "You're-"

"An Adrien from another universe...? Yeah." Lucy gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

"Fancy."

"Are you gonna be okay?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. What's your reality like?" She then asked, throwing Chat off for a moment.

"It's...the same...and somehow completely different."

"Well I would imagine so," she grinned. "You're a guy after all."

Chat laughed and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah...that I am."

"It's funny, you even have some of the same mannerisms as her," Lucy commented. "She does that scratching thing when she's nervous too. I wonder what else you guys have in common."

Chat could feel himself flush at her analysis making her grin harder. "Do we know one another in your universe? Are we-wait! That story...the one you told at my apartment!" She exclaimed in sudden realization. "With the photographer! Is that your story?"

"Uh..heh, yeah..."

"That's adorable!" She squealed. "Friends to lovers is a classic."

"Right...I mean...we are kinda friends to...friends right now." Chat admitted and Lucy raised a brow.

"What about all that you became fast friends and next thing you know you're in love stuff you said?"

"I was being honest...I did fall in love." He explained. "I just...haven't told her that yet."

"You have to tell her!" Lucy gushed. "Why haven't you?!"

"It's...complicated, and I also have no idea if she feels the same way so I don't wanna-"

"I'm sure she feels the same way," Lucy assured and Chat let out a brushed off scoff.

"How could you..." He looks at Lucy who gives him a knowing stare. "Know...that...okay," He said, holding up his hands in defense. "Maybe..."

Lucy placed her hand on his arm and laughed and for just a moment Chat forgot himself. He looked down at Lucy, drowning in her dark seafoam green-colored eyes and just like that his words fell from his lips before his mind could rationalize it.

"I love you." He declared. "In every universe." (If you know you know)

Lucy didn't say anything, instead only continuing to smile up at him when Ladybug called his name. It was time to leave.

OoOOoOoO

Their original plan had been to just use Nexus's portal to get back to their home universe, but the point was then brought up that they had in fact been missing for a day and a half now, and explaining their absence to the people in their civilian lives would be pretty difficult. Fu had conducted that with Lucy's help, they could in fact use the bunny miraculous with the combination on the horse and open a portal back home that would leave them back only a moment after they had left making everyone none the wiser.

The next day Adrien tried to make the effort to remember the things his female variant had shared with him about her father when he didn't join him for breakfast. Adrien hoped that one day his father would in fact stop the facade that everything was fine, and he hoped that he wouldn't need to have a screaming match with him to do it. But for now, he would let it rest, and remember that everyone processes things differently and that perhaps his father was too scared to have that conversation yet either.

When he went to school, he greeted Lucy at her locker, walking with her to class. "I'm sure she feels the same way." Lucy's alternate self's words rang through his head every time she smiled in his direction. "You should tell her, why haven't you?" He had said it was complicated, and in a way it definitely was, but maybe, just maybe things weren't as complicated as they seemed.

Marinette sat in her seat and thought about the past few days and the events that had occurred. She thought about her tarot lucky charm and the meaning behind it. Unexpected occurrence and uncontrollable outcomes. Her eyes flickered down to Adrien who was carefully writing down the notes of their current lesson. He loved Lucy in this universe, and even as a girl, he or she loved Lucy in the next. Marinette felt that from the moment she realized her feelings for Adrien, if she just planned it well enough, then one-day things might not be so one-sided. Perhaps the card had nothing to do with Felidae, and instead had everything to do with herself. She needed to stop trying to control the outcomes of her relationships. It would only turn out differently than she planned.

But learning to let go and simply let things...happen. That was scarier than any Akuma ever could be.

Bitch its done. The chapter I mean. Only took me 3 months with just shy of 15,000 words. Please comment and vote and all that and let me know if you guys like it. I really love hearing your thoughts and I hope this was worth the wait! After this it will back to regular episodes I promise!

As always, I'll see you in the next chapter! Chow for now!