Author's Note: This storyline will assume Alya knows that Marinette is Ladybug but will not follow canon past that. In this storyline, Gabriel and Felix did not make a deal, Felix didn't give the ring back to Gabriel, and Gabriel does not have most of the miraculouses.

As with the other chapters, this chapter has not been polished. I wrote it as fully as I could during a plane ride in between visiting clients for work. I'll polish it up at a later date, but wanted to get you all the next chapter!

I bring to you…the backstory of how Future Bug and Chaos Chat got into this mess! This one is REALLY rough…and will likely be split into a couple of chapters…but I have enough written to bring you up to speed so I can continue the present day storyline :)

– Chapter 5 –

–Generalized POV–

Adrien remembered the moment it started. The moment when his entire world came to an end. He thought it was strange, the look that Marinette gave him before hastily turning away. Gabriel (as he refused to call that man his father at this point) had both the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses. His shock over the sudden reveal was quickly set aside as Luka and Kagami tossed the snake and the dragon to Marinette and Adrien. Mari had transformed and immediately started the timer on the bracelet.

Adrien knew she had probably used Second Chance many times from that last look she gave him. Suddenly, she grabbed his arm and ran toward Gabriel, who was in the midst of wishing his wife back to life. Adrien remembered being tossed into Gabriel just as he finished making the wish. He remember hitting the overwhelming cloud of magic that had formed around the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses as the wish was being formed. He remembered the faintly registering a clanking sound, as though a piece of metal had fallen to the ground. He had closed his eyes and braced for whatever the impact would be. Screams resounded throughout the area as he felt the incredible magic press past him and over, he assumed, to his mother's body. He opened his eyes to see his mother's form begin to sit up. Then, his whole world ended to the tune of the words being yelled and screamed by his teammates and friends. Marinette.

Desperately searching the direction she had thrown him from, he saw her body lying motionless on the ground. He felt a brush against his own body as Gabriel ran past him to reunite with his wife. Adrien called off his dragon transformation. At some point, he found himself hastily grabbing Marinette's lifeless form out of Luka's hold. He remembered screaming, crying, and shaking her body. He remembered kissing her, stroking her hair, and begging her to wake up. At some point he remembered the team trying to convince him to put Marinette's body into the chamber that his mother had been in. He remembered calling for Plagg but realizing he no longer had his ring. The last piece of that day he remembered was fighting his friends with everything he had in a desperate effort to keep Marinette in his arms. After that, the world around him went dark.

When he awoke, he found his mother asleep next to his bed. Her cheeks were tear stained but her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft. A part of him considered being happy that his mother was alive. That part of him was short lived at the memory of the expense. He stated around the room, noting all of the needs that his body was desperate to receive from him, but he wasn't interested in eating, drinking, or moving in the slightest from the spot he woke up in. If she was cursed to be frozen to one spot, he would join her. If not in proximity, then in condition.

After days of Adrien being unresponsive to anyone, even his beloved mother, Alya contacted SuHan to beg him for help to bring Marinette back from her coma. She brought SuHan in to visit with Adrien, hoping the presence of the Grand Guardian would bring Adrien to his senses. Adrien failed to acknowledge SuHan just as he did every other person.

SuHan refused to assist with Marinette, as it would be going against the Guardian of the Miracle Box's decision. Seeing that Adrien was in no state to become the next Guardian, SuHan warned that he would be back to get the Miracle Box and find a new Guardian for it.

Eventually, Felix came to spend his time in the mansion with his cousin, talking one-sidedly to a non-responsive Adrien. He told Adrien all that he could remember about what happened the time he pretended to be Adrien and messed with his friends. He told Adrien the story of the rings that belong to their family and the magical powers they possess. Felix told him about how Gabriel had hunted him down in London and tried to threaten him to give the ring he stole back. After all, these particular rings granted incredible advantages to their holders. The Ring of Influence created an undeniable sense to those around its holder that they must see the individual as a leader worthy of being followed. The Ring of Infinite Possibilities, on the other hand, granted the holder great opportunities for situations to swing in their favor. The rings alone held very little power for the holders they were worn by, but the two holders had a deep bond to each other, the rings powers were incredible.

Felix told Adrien that he didn't know which ring he had at first, but it became clear that it was the Ring of Infinite Possibilities when he found so many ways to avoid Gabriel in both London and Paris.

Gabriel, on the other hand, ended up taking the other ring from his wife, leaving him with the Ring of Influence. Felix was certain Gabriel used the ring's power against Adrien and against anyone who may have suspected he was Shadow Moth. With Nooroo's power and the ring of Influence, he tried to override Felix's own self control, but Felix had already initiated the ring of Infinity (infinite possibilities) which allowed him many options to refuse that influence/control.

Felix assured Adrien that he wouldn't use the ring's power on him, even if his own mother demanded him to. He told Adrien that he deserves his own freedom. Felix's heartfelt admission inspired Tikki and Plagg to come out of hiding, explain about Ladybug and Chat Noir, and explain SuHan's desire to come and take the Miracle Box away. Felix looked back to his cousin in determination, telling Adrien that, if Adrien wants him to, he will use the power of Infinite Possibilities to open up options for SuHan not to take the box.

What they didn't realize was that Felix's mother, Amelie, was coming up with her own thoughts on solutions to what was troubling her sister and nephew. Amelie used NooRoo to transform and akumatize Marinette's coma form, turning Marinette into Rebirth and allowing her the power to bring herself out of the comatose state.

When Marinette woke up, she seemed to have lost her memories but she was still quite sweet and quite determined. Amelie, Emelie, and Gabriel chose not to speak of the means used to bring her back. They took Marinette to the Miracle Box as a test and she was able to get it to respond to her.

Satisfied with the result, they told Adrien and Felix that they were able to use a magical remedy to restore Marinette and that she was safely back at home but didn't quite remember everything.

Adrien, needing to see for himself, snuck out of his room as Mister Bug, leaving a frantic Plagg behind. Plagg told Felix that Adrien had left and asked him to don the Black Cat miraculous because he and Tikki didn't feel quite right about the situation.

Felix, worried that his use of the ring's power had turned out wrong, follows Plagg's command and transformed into Chaos Chat.

He followed to find his cousin detransformed and hugging Marinette for dear life. He could sense Plagg's discomfort and he had some of his own. He saw Marinette and Adrien talking and decided to stay on the rooftop balcony and observe.

Adrien was filled with relief to see Marinette moving around, but was also filled with sadness that she didn't remember much. What she did remember seemed to be more like a story when she recounted it. In hindsight, that made a lot of sense, since she had found her own journal and read through it, and had watched the Ladyblog to learn about the battles.

As Adrien continued to visit Marinette, Felix continued to watch them from the sidelines. He and Plagg and Tikki compared notes and were all still quite concerned. Tikki mentioned that this Marinette seemed to be able to remember everything she's been told in excruciating detail since the time she woke up...but other than being sweet and determined, and very fond of Adrien, she didn't have any of Marinette's mannerisms.

SuHan was convinced, though, that this was Marinette and was willing to give her time to recover and remain the Guardian. He told Adrien that when Adrien feels she is ready, he should give the Ladybug miraculous back to her. Until then, Adrien should keep it and his cousin (who SuHan pointed out was spying on them as Chaos Chat) should keep hold of the black cat so they remain with separate holders in order to maintain balance.

Adrien talked to Felix and Tikki and Plagg. They told him about their concerns but he disagreed and said that Marinette just needed more time.

After a couple of weeks, Marinette asked Adrien if he felt like she was ready to have Tikki back and to become "his Ladybug" again. He smiled and said that though he may call her "M'Lady" she has always said she doesn't feel that way about him (as Marinette or as Ladybug).

Marinette disagreed and shared her diary with him. After a bit of back and forth, Adrien agreed to take it and read it to "understand what he really means to her".

Clarity struck him as he read through the diary. All that Tikki and Plagg and Felix had said swirled in his mind. They were right, she seemed to only be using information she'd learned, not truly remembering feelings she'd had.

Adrien went to find Alix to ask her to show him and Felix the time that Marinette was revived. They saw what happened and attempted to stop it, but Rebirth-Mari had followed them with an illusion on herself to make herself invisible. She had many miraculouses on...the horse, the bee, the fox, the turtle... thankfully not Duusuu or Nooroo.

In a panic, she stole Alix's miraculous and jumped back through a time portal. Before leaving, she told Adrien that she'll do better to become his Marinette again, and then they can be together.

Alix tells the boys that Rebirth-Mari may have taken the fluff from their timeline, but in this timeline Alix probably still has fluff. The Alix from this time trades places with future Alix and helps the guys find Rebirth-Mari in time. She's gone back to when they first received Miraculouses.

Both fluffs being active in the same timeline for too long causes time destabilization. Rebirth agrees to give fluff back in order to stabilize the timeline, stating that she doesn't need to time jump anymore and asking Adrien to go back to their time and wait for her, promising she will make herself more to his liking.

Adrien, Alix, and Felix have a plan to make sure this timeline isn't disrupted while they somehow get Rebirth-Mari deakumatized. Alix lends them the other Fluff, and goes back to her own time and sends future her back to her own time.

The Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous must both be active at the same time in order to keep balance. As Adrien and Felix, Adrien is the more creative one and Felix the more chaotic. Due to this, Adrien will remain Mister Bug (or Future Bug for the sake of not messing up the current time if people should get a glimpse of him) and Felix will be Chaos Chat.

Adrien and Felix go and get younger Marinette and Adrien, shortly before they would have had an accidental reveal in their timeline. They ask them to come with them to the past to help protect the timeline. Adrien and Felix will figure out how to work with the anomaly, Marinette and Adrien will watch their younger selves and the world around them to be sure no changes happen.

They are surprised to see Alix from their time joining them once they get the kids settled. Alix explains that she's there to keep watch of things at nighttime with Fluff and they will work with their younger selves during the day.

Alix says the only paths to working this out and preserving the timelines seem to be a really long road of building relationships with Rebirth-Mari. She also notes that heartbreak is inevitable for all involved.