Adrien sat tapping his pen on his desk as he read over his calculus homework, board to tears. Sure the work was easy, but it was far from stimulating and he wanted to move on to the more practical stuff. Sir Isaac Newton might have said that every action has an opposite and equal reaction, but right now the only action Adrien wanted to take was to tell Newton he could shove his theory where the sun doesn't shine. How would he like them apples? He chuckled to himself. Newton, apples… he looked over to Plagg snoozing in a cheese coma. Nah, he wouldn't find it funny.
Adrien pushed himself away from his desk and spun around towards the window. Lycèe was going to be the death of him with the amount of homework they were being shovelled. Between school, modeling, fencing and fighting akumas, time was not his friend. Looking out, the moon was high, and he didn't feel like going to bed just yet. He had itchy feet and a need for fresh air blowing through his hair. Calculus could wait until tomorrow.
Standing up, Adrien poked Plagg curled up around a half eaten wheel of camembert. "Come on Plagg, it's our night for patrol, remember?"
"Sorry, Plagg is asleep right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you."
Adrien chuckled. "Nice try." He said, picking the little Kwami of Destruction up.
"Aww, come on kid, it's cold out. Ladybug wouldn't notice if we just, you know, skipped patrol."
Adrien shook his head. "It's not about whether she would notice or not Plagg, it's about me giving my word to fulfil my duty and actually doing it. You wouldn't want me going against my word would you?"
Plagg huffed and rolled his eyes. "She's hardly spoken to you for days, on either side of the mask."
"We're both trying to study for the Baccalaureate. I don't blame her for that. Anyway, she's not obligated to talk to me. We're just partners right?" His voice dropped off as he sat back down in his chair and turned towards his computer.
"But you'll still go anyway, even in the freezing cold." Plagg said disparagingly. "You and your sense of Noblesse Oblige."
"My what?"
Plagg floated up closer to his face. "Noblesse Oblige. You feel your noble obligations extend beyond just your entitlement and require that people in your position should also fulfill a social responsibility."
Adrien raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm hardly a noble Plagg."
"Maybe not these days, but if you had been around a few hundred years ago, then you definitely would have been. You know, you remind me a lot of a Musketeer holder I had once."
That caught Adrien's interest. "You were with a Musketeer?"
"Not just any old Musketeer." Plagg said proudly. "He was the son of a Count and Captain of the King's Guard." Adrien looked at him surprised. "What? Kaalki didn't get all the nobles you know. His name was Louis. Like you he had a good heart and was very generous to those less fortunate than himself."
Adrien sat back in his chair and listened as his Kwami told him of some of the escapades of his Musketeer holder. Plagg didn't often open up about his past holders, but it made Adrien feel a sense of pride to be a small part of the legacy of Chat Noirs as Plagg darted around him, mimicking sword fights.
"Did he, you know, get to be with his Ladybug?"
Plagg rolled his eyes. "I should have known you would ask that, but yes, he did. They had four or five kittens if I remember. All boys. Some of them went on to be Musketeers too."
Adrien spun around in his chair and looked back out his window. For years he had dreamed that maybe someday, somehow, Ladybug would change how she felt about him. That dream all but evaporated a week ago when he accidentally found out that Ladybug was in fact one of his best friends, and a girl he recently realised he had a huge crush on - Marinette.
He hadn't meant to discover her identity when she happened to detransform in the same alley he was about to, and it had been really difficult not to rush up to her at school the next day and declare his undying love, but he couldn't. Ladybug had always said there was another boy, and now that he knew Ladybug was Marinette it was obvious who she meant… Luka. It hurt, but Luka was his friend and he would want his Lady to be happy, even if it wasn't with him.
"We'll, Noblesse Oblige or not, we still need to get this patrol done. Come on Plagg, claws out."
~~~~~
Marinette slammed her head down on her desk. This calculus was doing her head in. Why she thought doing science in her senior year was a good idea was beyond her. Oh that's right, she did it because Adrien was doing it and she figured she could spend more classes with him. If only she had known then what she knew now. She let out a sigh. "Tikki, why am I like this?" She mumbled into her desk.
"Like what Marinette?" Her Kwami asked.
Marinette lifted her head. "That I thought it would be a good idea to take a class that I didn't need and struggle with so I could spend more time with Adrien."
"Because you said it would give you the perfect opportunity to ask him for help with homework."
Marinette threw her hands up into the air with a groan. "That was before I found out he was Chat Noir." She said, spinning around in her desk chair. "I can't ask Chat to help me with my homework."
"Why not?" Tikki asked, sounding genuinely perplexed. Marinette's face dropped and she slowly turned back towards her desk.
Tikki sat down next to Marinette's textbook. "Why don't you leave this for tonight then and give it a fresh eye tomorrow." Tikki suggested. Marinette nodded, closing the book.
"Sounds like a good idea. I might go make some hot chocolate. Want a cookie?"
"Have I ever said no to your cookies?" Tikki laughed.
Marinette made her hot drink and pulled on her warm coat before heading up through her trap door onto her balcony. She needed some fresh air. It was quite late now, too late to be going out for a run she decided. Besides, Chat would most likely have finished his patrol by now and gone home. Just as well, she figured. While she had managed to stop stuttering around Adrien now, she still couldn't stop being, well, Marinette. It helped when they were suited up, she could hide behind her mask and pretend she didn't know, but face to face at school had been much more difficult. Picturing him in cat ears only made her heart race faster. For the sake of his identity though, she tried to pretend everything was normal.
Marinette sipped her drink and watched as plumes of white air formed in front of her mouth. It was just as well that he didn't know about her, she thought. It had been almost two months since Marinette saw Adrien transform behind the lockers at school. At first she thought her eyes had deceived her. Her mind just couldn't add together that Adrien could have been her crazy, flirty partner. Sitting beside him in science without having a complete meltdown had been near impossible, but she also realised now that not much of her lessons had been sinking in either judging by the way she was struggling with her homework tonight.
Knowing Adrien was Chat didn't make the idea of confessing her feelings any easier either. After all, she had rejected Chat so many times, why would he believe her now? She would feel like such a hypocrite. Besides, Chat had always had Ladybug on a pedestal, would he really feel the same way once he found out that his precious Ladybug was just his friend Marinette?
Marinette topped up her drink from her thermos. Maybe after she finished this cup she might go for a run after all before going to bed.
A few blocks away, Chat had made an unusual turn from his normal patrol route. He had spotted a young waitress making her way home from the end of her late shift and Chat decided to watch from a distance to make sure she got home alright. He smiled to himself as he did. Plagg was probably right about the Noblesse Oblige thing, he really couldn't help making sure people were okay. Once the girl was safe in her apartment, Chat noticed he was close to Marinette's house and could see her out on her balcony. Normally he wouldn't come past her way on patrol, but he was concerned that she was out on her balcony at this hour and in the cold.
Marinette saw Chat approach in the distance and realised he was coming straight for her. She sucked in a long breath and let it out slowly as he came closer, landing in her balcony railing. It's just Chat, she told herself. Forget that it's Adrien under that mask. "Hello Chat, what brings me this honour of a late night visit from the Prince of Paris." She said jokingly. Keep it light and fun, she thought.
Chat burst out laughing. "Only if that makes you my Princess then Marinette." He could say that, he thought. She doesn't know I know she's Ladybug otherwise she would probably transform and throw me off the balcony.
"Wouldn't that be Ladybug?" She teased. Chat shook his head.
"No? She would be the Queen and I would be her humble knight." He said, jumping off the railing and giving a low bow.
"Oh, you wouldn't be the King?"
His eyes saddened a little. "No, she has someone else she wants for her King." He said, leaning against the railing.
You. She wanted to say, but she still couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.
"So what has you out on this cold night?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Calculus." She replied, her loathing for the subject evident in her voice. "I'm struggling to understand anything and I'm about to yeet my text book into the Seine."
"I could help you with it." Chat offered since he knew she was working through the same chapter she was. "This humble alley cat happens to be a wizard at calculus."
"I don't doubt that somehow, but it's okay. I really don't want to look at it anymore tonight." She replied, sitting down on her deck chair. She patted the space next to her for him to sit down. As he did, Adrien made a mental note to help Marinette with her homework tomorrow at school.
Marinette let out a sigh. "Have you ever wondered what your future might be like?"
Chat nodded. "Sometimes." He said. "Not necessarily career goals as such, but there's things I want out of life. Like a home and a family."
Marinette nodded, looking down into her hot chocolate mug. "That's what I mean. I always wanted to be a designer, that hasn't changed, but I also want to get married and I imagined that my future husband and I would have a nice house, three kids, a cat or a dog, or maybe a hamster." She shook her head. "But the guy I like, I'm not so sure he wants any of that with me."
Chat listened to her and tried to conceal his surprise. He found it hard to believe that Luka wouldn't be interested in those things, unless he preferred life on a boat? A cold shiver ran through him as the breeze picked up.
"I'm sorry I can't invite you in." Marinette said. "My parents go to bed early because they have to be up early. Here, have some of this to warm you up."
Marinette held up her hot chocolate to him. Chat wrapped his clawed fingers around the mug and took a sip. The hot liquid ran down his throat and warmed up his insides. It tasted sweet and velvety. It tasted like home. Sitting here with Marinette felt like home.
"You know, that dream of yours with the house and the kids, sounds pretty good to me." Chat said, handing the mug back to her. "I like hamsters too."
She gave him a soft smile. Adrien wants those things too, she thought. If she had her mask on, maybe she would have felt brave enough to tell him.
"Do you… um… have names? For the kids?" He asked.
He was pretty sure he could see her blushing under the fairy lights. "Yeah, I always liked Louis, Emma and Hugo."
"Louis?" Chat asked.
"Is there something wrong with that?" Marinette asked a little defensively. Chat put his hands up in front of him.
"No, not at all. It's just my Kwami was telling me a story tonight about a past holder of his, a Musketeer named Louis. What were the odds?"
Marinette relaxed her shoulders and smiled. "Oh, yeah. What are the odds?" She said, drinking some more of her hot chocolate. She couldn't help thinking about the fact his lips had just been there on the cup. The wind picked up again and she pulled her coat tighter around her.
"I should let you get back inside." Chat said, standing up and stretching his arms. "You know, if that guy you like doesn't want your dream, then it's really his loss. You're an amazing person Marinette. Any guy would be proud to be with you." He leaned down, picking up her hand and placing a soft kiss on the back of it before leaping away.
~~~~~
Bunnyx stood in her burrow and watched the scene unfold, tapping her finger on her chin. Something was off. There had been a change in the timeline, but she wasn't sure what was wrong just yet. Adrien and Marinette both know each other's identities, but are still not admitting that fact to each other. Why are they doing that? They shouldn't still be doing that!
Watching the interaction, Bunnyx knew this wasn't how she remembered this scenario playing out the last time. The conversation was similar, but they were both transformed at the time and she was pretty sure Ladybug had revealed she knew Chat's identity that night, and confirmed her own, something she didn't do now.
Maybe it wouldn't matter, Bunnyx reasoned. After all, they were still the same two idiots no matter which side of their infernal square they were on, and at the end of the day they were in love with each other. Still, Bunnyx knew better than anyone that even the smallest change in the timeline could have major consequences in the future. When you are the keeper of time you walk a fine line on whether to interfere or not. Had Chat not stopped to watch that girl walk home, he wouldn't have passed the bakery meaning Marinette would have transformed and the two of them would have met up both suited up.
Bunnyx swiped another window forward in time. It was breakfast time in Paris on a sunny Saturday morning. Adrien was putting on his glasses to read the morning paper. Eighteen year old Louis was arguing with his sixteen year old sister Emma over which of Jagged Stone's retro albums was considered the most classic. Marinette walked in with thirteen year old Hugo behind her, carrying a tray of croissants.
"Stop your arguing now." Marinette said, placing the plates down. "Louis, tie your hair back to eat your breakfast."
Louis grumbled, taking a hair tie off Emma's wrist and pulling back his thick blond locks, his green tipped fringe falling back into his eyes before he tucked it behind his ears.
"Eat up kids because we're meeting up with the Lahiffe's and the Couffaine's at the Fête des Tuileries today, remember."
"Yeah, and I'm sure Emma wants to see one particular Lahiffe." Louis teased, poking his elbow into his sister's ribs. "Maybe we can put you both in the Ghost train together so you can cuddle up to him - oh Nick, please protect me, I'm so scared." He mimicked, making Hugo laugh.
Emma folded her arms and gave her brother an angry pout. "I don't know what you're talking about Louis. Nick and I are just friends." She didn't see her parents share a knowing look. "And I don't suppose you were planning on taking a certain Melody Couffaine on the Ferris Wheel, casually putting an arm around her shoulder and going mwah, mwah, mwah." She said, slinging an arm over Hugo and making kissing noises with Hugo trying to push her away. Louis's face turned bright red.
"Shut up." He said, squirming in his seat. "I'm going to tell her okay. Don't push me."
"Now, now kids." Adrien said, folding up his paper. "You know all you really need is a good dose of Andre's ice cream. Isn't that right m'lady?" He threw his wife a flirty wink across the table making her blush slightly. He loved that after all this time he could still make her do that.
Bunnyx felt something rumble within her burrow and paused the screen. Andre's ice cream…that was the key. No matter what else happens, it was when the two of them went and got the ice cream together that they shared their first kiss and confessed their feelings. As long as that happens, everything else should be okay, at least Bunnyx hoped so.
~~~~~
Adrien persuaded his bodyguard to swing past a coffee shop on the way to school. He had kept Marinette up late talking last night, and he knew his Lady didn't do mornings well, especially as the weather cooled. Buying two tall latte's (with a triple shot for her) Adrien soon made his way into class.
Sure enough, Marinette was practically passed out at their desk. Thankfully it was early enough that the teacher hadn't arrived yet. Adrien couldn't help smiling at how peaceful she looked, even though the position she was in must have been uncomfortable.
"Marinette." He said softly.
"Five more minutes Kitty." Came her sleepy reply. Adrien froze. Kitty? Did that mean that she knew? And if she knew, did that also mean that she knew that he knew?
Adrien shook his head. No, she couldn't have known that he knew, but last night she must have known, which means she knew how he felt and…
"Adrien?" He heard her say. He looked back at her to find her eyes more open and her brain more aware. "Did you buy me a coffee?"
"Oh, yeah." He said, placing it down in front of her and rubbing the back of his neck. "I figured you might have stayed up late working on that calculus homework last night."
Marinette let out a low grumble. "Don't talk to me about that cursed homework." She took a long sip of the coffee. "This is exactly what I needed. Thank you."
"You're welcome m'lad…Marinette." Whoops, he almost called her by the wrong name! He carefully looked beside him, but Marinette didn't seem to be reacting, continuing to sip on her coffee. Phew, she seemed to have missed it.
"Can you mind my coffee for a minute Adrien. I…um…I need to…um…go to the bathroom."
"Oh, okay." Adrien said, taking the coffee. "Everything okay?"
"Of course." Marinette said with a too wide grin. "I just really have to pee." She called out as she ran out of the classroom.
Racing into the bathroom, Marinette closed the cubicle and looked at Tikki. "This is a disaster." Marinette declared.
"What's wrong Marinette?"
"Adrien knows. I know that he knows and what's worse is that I'm pretty sure he knows that I know he knows!"
Tikki blinked at her for a moment and shook her head. "Say that again?"
Marinette groaned. "Tikki, I'm pretty sure I called Adrien Kitty when he woke me up before and now he went to call me m'lady, and only one person calls me that."
"This isn't a bad thing Marinette. Now you can tell him you know."
"What?" Marinette screeched. "If he knows, why didn't he tell me he knew? I told him last night about my dreams of our future life together and he didn't say anything!"
Tikki gave Marinette a patient smile. "You never said who you were talking about and Chat did say he liked your dream."
Marinette sat down on the toilet seat. Tikki did have a point. "Okay." She said more calmly. "What do you suggest?"
"Ask him to help you with your calculus, then you can invite him for Andre's ice cream after as a thank you."
Marinette swallowed thickly. Okay this was a big step. It was one thing to have found out Chat's identity, but it was another to admit it out loud, and declare that said person was the same guy you had been rejecting for himself. Oh why was this such a mess.
Marientte stood up with a determined nod. "Okay, I'm going to do it." She declared.
"That's the way Marinette. Show him the Ladybug that you are." Tikki cheered on.
Marinette made her way back to class just before the bell rang. She gave Adrien a sweet smile as he passed her coffee back to her, their fingers briefly touching. She didn't know that his heart had skipped a beat just as hers did.
As the teacher prepared for class, Marinette leaned closer to Adrien. "Are you busy this afternoon at all?"
Adrien turned his head to look at her and his mouth ran dry at how close she was to him. Cookies, oh Lord she smelled of cookies. "Actually, my photoshoot got cancelled. Why?"
"I wouldn't mind some help with that calculus." She said sweetly. "Perhaps I could bribe you with some ice cream after."
Adrien thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest. "Okay." He said, sounding hoarser than he had intended, but he was rescued by the teacher starting class.
~~~~~
"I'm going to tell her." Adrien told Nino as he packed up his locker for the day.
"Tell who what?" Nino asked, confused.
Adrien closed his locker and turned to Nino with a wide grin. "I'm going to tell Marinette I love her."
Nino almost dropped the books he was holding. "Dude, no way! You finally realised what the rest of us have known forever."
"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in." The blond joked with a playful shove. "After we work on our homework she wants to get ice cream."
"Andre's…" Nino said with finger guns pointed at Adrien.
"You know it Bro." Adrien grinned, picking up his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. "Wish me luck."
"Dude, trust me, you don't need luck." Nino called after him.
Adrien found Marinette waiting for him on the stairs of the school and the two walked together, chatting casually until they reached the bakery. Marinette pushed open the main door, the bell jingling above their heads. Tom and Sabine were busy serving customers and didn't immediately notice them enter.
Marinette went to the counter and took a few croissants. "Hi mum, hi dad, Adrien and I are just going up to my room to work on some homework." She quickly grabbed said blond by the wrist and dragged him out towards her room before her parents could say something embarrassing.
"Do I get one of those?" Adrien pointed to the croissants in Marinette's hand when they were finally up in her room.
"Oh, yes, of course." She stuttered, handing him one of the flaky pastries. Adrien couldn't help smiling to himself.
"So…calculus?" He prompted at Marinette's lost look. She nodded, pulling her text book out of her bag.
"You know, maybe this is just a waste of time." Marinette said, sitting down in her desk chair.
"Don't say that." Adrien frowned.
"It's true." Marinette whined. "I'm never going to pass this semester. Maybe I should withdraw and just cut my losses."
"Well I can't let that happen." Adrien declared, spinning her in her chair to face him and crouching down in front of her. "You can do anything that you set your mind to Marinette. I know that for a fact. And I know that we can get you through this. Now open up your book and show me what you're not understanding."
"Everything." She said dramatically and Adrien gave her a soft smile.
"Then let's start at question one."
A bit over an hour, and several math puns later, Adrien and Marinette got through the homework. She may not be about to get all A grades like Adrien, but she was a lot more confident about passing the course now.
"I don't know how to thank you Adrien." She gushed. "I was so sure I would fail."
"Well I'm pretty sure you promised me ice cream." He said with a cheeky grin making Marinette laugh.
"Indeed I did." Marinette agreed. "Maybe we could even find where Andre is hiding?" Just then, Marinette's phone rang. "Why don't you look up for some clues while I get this." She said, answering the phone.
"Hello? Oh hi Luka, hold on." She covered the mouthpiece. "I'll just be a minute." She said to Adrien before making her way up to her loft. "Are you there? …No, you're right…no of course I didn't forget the date…"
Adrien's heart sank. Of course, Marinette had always been in love with Luka and by the sounds of it they must have been planning to go on a date. It made sense because that was the person she wanted to share her dreams with, not him, not her annoying partner Chat Noir. Marinette was beautiful, talented and amazing. He could never hope to be good enough for her.
A few minutes later, Marinette came back down from her loft with a folder under her arm. "Sorry about that." She said, placing the folder next to her sewing machine. "Did you find Andre?"
Adrien fiddled with the phone in his hand. "He…um…he's kind of on the other side of the city by the looks. Nathalie will probably ring soon so would it be okay if we got ice cream at the cafe down the road instead?"
"Oh." She said, trying to hide her disappointment. "That's fine." She plastered on a fake smile, leading the way out from the house.
Neither of them said much as they walked down the street. Marinette silently kicked herself for suggesting they find Andre and his love birds ice cream. Clearly she had scared him off. Just because Adrien was Chat Noir didn't mean he was happy about the fact she was Ladybug. She should have known she would never have lived up to the Agreste standards.
~~~~~
Bunnyx fell to the floor of her burrow as another violet vibration rippled through the ground. Something was wrong, very wrong and there was now a major rift in the timeline. Scrambling to her feet she shifted through the timelines to Adrien and Marinette walking in the opposite direction to where Andre was. "No, no, no!" She cried out, banging her fist against the window. "What are you two doing? You were supposed to go to Andre and share a damn ice cream and admit your feelings!"
Bunnyx dashed across her burrow and flicked through another window. Adrien and Marinette were spreading out a large picnic blanket. Alya and Nino were there with their son Nick and Luka and Kagami with their daughter Melody. Of course the three Agreste children were there too, setting up the picnic on the lawns of the fairground by the lake. Hugo had a football and was kicking it around with Emma and Nick while Louis offered to re-tie Melody's shoelaces for her. Luka strummed a song on his guitar while the other adults set up the lunch.
Bunnyx let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. So far so good, but still the rumblings continue, ever more present. She moved back to the other window. Adrien and Marinette were waiting at the traffic lights. Adrien was joking and Marinette was laughing. Maybe it would be alright?
Moments later there was a loud crash. Adrien and Marinette both subconsciously jumped up into a defensive stance at the sound.
"Akuma alert" A random person yelled, and the other pedestrians started running for cover.
In the street a woman in what looked to be a distorted wedding gown loomed in the air, a glowing green cocoon encasing her. "I am Heartbreaker. I was left at the altar and now I will take my revenge on the men of Paris. I have sealed myself within a cocoon of protection and I will turn every male in Paris into loving pets. Animals will always love you, animals will never abandon you."
"Quick Marinette. I need to get you somewhere safe." Adrien said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her down the street.
Heartbreaker held out her hand, firing her lightening barbs at every male she saw and transforming them into a household pet. Cats, dogs, birds, guinea pigs… the streets of Paris were soon being taken over by animals.
"I don't think I'm the one that needs protecting." Marinette pointed out. "And that cocoon she's in looks impenetrable."
"I'm sure Chat Noir will make short work of it." He said with a serious look on his face.
Bunnyx pressed her palms against each side of the window. The timeline was still wrong. In the last series of events Adrien and Marinette were on the other side of town looking for Andre's ice cream and placing them behind the akuma. Now they are trapped in the akuma's path, and un-transformed!
Adrien pulled Marinette behind an upturned car. "I think the akuma is in that glowing pendant around her neck." Marinette said. Adrien nodded his head.
"I'm going to make a distraction." He said. "You make a run for it while she's looking the other way."
"No Adrien." She exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "She's targeting males, I'm the one who should be making the distraction and protecting you."
"We don't have time to argue this." He said, looking her square in the eyes. There was a beat in time, a silent question and an answer passing between them. They both knew, there was no point trying to hide it anymore.
"We could transform." Marinette eventually said, something heavy hung in the air between them.
"She saw us hiding here." Adrien gently reminded her. "I won't let you compromise your identity for me."
"Adrien." She said, trying to stall him, trying to make him stay. "I…"
"You don't have to say it." He whispered. He leaned across and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Don't worry about me." He said, gently running the back of his finger down her cheek. "You just do what you have to do, m'lady."
Marinette barely had a chance to react to the name when Adrien suddenly darted out from their hiding spot. "Hey Miss Lonely Hearts, I think you missed me." He called out.
Heartbreaker whirled around, firing her darts in his direction as he ducked and rolled. "Adrien no! Look out!" Marinette screamed, but it was too late. One of Heartbreaker's arrows hit Adrien in the back before he could take cover and in his place was a left behind a fluffy black cat.
"No." Marinette choked as she ran out and picked up the cat with bright emerald eyes. "How could you?" She growled at Heartbreaker.
"Be grateful." The akuma said coldly. "This way he can never hurt you."
"That wasn't your choice to make." Marinette yelled angrily, but Heartbreaker simply turned away from her to seek her next victim.
The black cat snuggled into Marinette's neck as she ran back towards the bakery. Her parents were nowhere to be seen, but she couldn't look for them now. Racing up to her room she sat the cat down on the chaise.
"Adrien?" She said, holding the cat's face to look at her. "Adrien? Can you hear me?"
"Meow." Was the only reply, the cat rubbing its head against her chin.
"Oh no." Tikki said, joining her holder. "This isn't good."
"I know it isn't good Tikki." Marinette said, holding the cat up and looking him all over. "I'm going to have to give the Cat Miraculous to someone else."
"That's going to be a problem."
Marinette put the cat down and looked at her Kwami. "What do you mean?"
"I mean Plagg is trapped in there." Tikki said with a worried look. "Unless you can purify the akuma and release the Miraculous Ladybugs, Plagg is going to be trapped in that cat for the rest of its life."
"What!" Marinette exclaimed. "Has this happened before?"
Tikki nodded her head slowly. "At least once that I know of, to Wayzz specifically. It took 125 years to get that Miraculous back, but cats don't live as long as turtles so it would mean maybe 10-15 years."
Marinette gasped. "And Adrien?"
The look in Tikki's eyes was the answer Marinette needed. "Oh god." She cried. "I've to ring Alya."
~~~~~
Bunnyx was in a panic. The timeline was in tatters. While the akuma was still being engaged, there was a chance to get back on track, but if the fight ends before the Miraculous Ladybug cure is thrown then it's game over.
The rabbit hero moved to another window, swiping ahead to the future of this timeline as it stands now Ladybug calls on several heroes to fight Heartbreaker, but none of them can get past the cocoon the akuma victim is protected in. Without Cataclysm, they have no way to defeat her. Ladybug can't use her lucky charm and while she is forced to have to recharge her Kwami, Hawk Moth tires of the fight and revokes the akuma.
As time passes, Gabriel gives up the search for his missing son and Hawk Moth disappears. Marinette lives on her own with her black cat, Adrien. Her friends think she's lost her mind a little, naming the cat after her missing crush. Only Alya knows the truth. Many years later, the two of them alone bury the cat, Plagg now freed and joining Tikki in the Miracle Box until the day a new Ladybug and Chat Noir will be appointed.
"Not on my watch!" Bunnyx growled, swiping back to the sunny lunchtime picnic. She zooms in. Adrien doesn't look well. Marinette suggests he must have eaten too much lunch and should lay down on the rug and take a nap. Louis soon returns with Melody who doesn't seem well either.
"It's started." Bunnyx whispers and the burrow shakes once more. "There's no way she can defeat this akuma without a cataclysm, two to be precise. One for the cocoon and one for the necklace. There is only one way she can defeat this akuma now and fix the timeline."
Opening the burrow, Bunnyx stepped through to where Adrien was rapidly losing conscience on Marinette's lap, Alya and Nino watching on with concern. Marinette looked up and met Bunnyx's worried gaze. "I thought you might come." She said looking over to where Louis sat with Melody, Luka and Kagami. The young Couffaine girl had already lost consciousness.
"There has been a rift in the timeline." Bunnyx informed them. "That day you and Adrien got Andre's ice cream, remember."
"Our first kiss." Marinette said, gently stroking her fingers through Adrien's hair. "He likes telling that story to the children."
"Marinette, if we don't fix this, there won't be any children." Bunnyx said with urgency. "In the current timeline, Adrien has been hit by Heartbreaker."
"What?" She gasped. "But, we were transformed."
"Not this time. I'm not 100% certain what changed, but you weren't at Andre's when the akuma hit. Now Adrien is a cat, a real cat, and if things don't get fixed quickly, Hugo will go first, then Emma, then Louis and finally Adrien."
"What about Melody?" Louis asked. "Why is she being affected?"
"Because your parents getting together led to Luka and Kagami getting together." Bunnyx replied, holding her head like this should have been obvious. "If your father stays a cat, Melody never exists."
"What do you need, Bunnyx?" Marinette asked. She was keeping a cool exterior, but underneath that she was terrified. She trusted Alix though, which is why she had made her the hero of the last chance.
"I need Louis to come with me. Perhaps Emma and Hugo should too."
Marinette nodded. "Go with Bunnyx children. Do as she says."
Louis passed Melody into the arms of her parents and softly kissed her on the forehead. Nick jumped up and gave Emma a hug, which she pretended not to be interested in while Hugo hugged their mother before all three Agreste children followed Bunnyx into the burrow.
"Wow, it's bigger on the inside." Emma exclaimed.
"Where are we going, Aunt Alix?" Hugo asked as he looked wide eyed at all the windows in the burrow.
"Hugo, remember what mum said, no real names while transformed." Louis chided his younger brother.
"It's alright." Bunnyx said. "This is still quite new to all of you but your parents have been training you for this. Louis, you are going to have to fill in for your father today."
Louis rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous twitch Bunnyx recognised he had inherited from Adrien.
"I…I don't think…I'm not sure I'm ready."
Bunnyx placed her hands on both his arms. "Louis, you can do this. Your future depends on it."
The young man nodded his head. Bunnyx then opened a portal onto a rooftop. The air was much cooler than where they had left and Emma commented that it felt more like Autumn.
"It would be." Hugo agreed. "Remember when dad tells the story of Andre's ice cream, he said he took off his overshirt to wrap it around mum's shoulders."
"Is that mum?" Louis asked, pointing to another rooftop. Ladybug was standing with Rena Furtive while holding a black cat.
"What did that idiot kid get himself into this time?" Plagg huffed from Louis' shirt.
"Protecting his Ladybug, remember." Tikki said, poking her head out of Emma's bag. Emma looked horrified.
"You mean, that cat is dad?!"
"I can't keep up with these timelines." The cat Kwami whined.
"Oh dear, this is not good." Wayzz said, shaking his head on Hugo's shoulder.
~~~~~
"Alya, I don't know what to do." Marinette exclaimed to her best friend. Alya had come as soon as Marinette had called her. Her own dad had already been transformed into a bull dog and she was still trying to get hold of Nino. She had listened dumbfounded to the fact that sunshine child Adrien was in fact Chat Noir, who right now was a fluffy black cat in Marinette's arms.
"I'm going to have to get as much of the team together as we can find, but without Chat's cataclysm, I don't know how we are going to do this." Marinette paced back and forth across her bedroom floor with Kitty Adrien propped up on her shoulder.
"Where's the Miraculous?" Alya asked, looking over the cat.
"Trapped somewhere along with Plagg. Tikki said only when the animal dies will they be released."
"Well you can't very well fight as Ladybug while carrying a cat around." Alya pointed out. "So maybe leave him here in your room while we get the team together."
Marinette nodded, placing Kitty Adrien down and calling on her transformation. Alya also transformed into Rena Furtive. Ladybug took out her yo-yo and started making phone calls.
While Rena and Ladybug were busy trying to find team members, neither of them saw Kitty Adrien exploring around Marinette's bedroom, sniffing at her sewing box. A small head with rounded ears popped its head out.
"You're cute." The mouse Kwami said. "Where did you come from?"
"Meow." Kitty Adrien said, reaching out a paw to try to swipe the small creature.
"Hey, don't do that". Mullo squeaked, but that only got the cat's interest more. Mullo zipped out of their hiding spot, only to be pounced on by the black cat.
"I can't get hold of anyone." Ladybug complained before a blur of black raced past her. "Oh no!" She exclaimed as she watched the cat chase Mullo up to her loft. "Adrien, no." She called, but Mullo raced out of her skylight, with Adrien following closely behind.
Ladybug and Rena scrambled up onto the balcony, frantically looking around.
"There they are!" Rena pointed, the black cat streaking over the rooftops chasing it's prize.
The two heroes scrambled over the rooftop, trying to corner the cat, but he was too quick for them. Eventually Rena made a desperate leap, getting a hand to Kitty Adrien's back foot and earning herself a hiss for the trouble. Ladybug picked up the cat, holding him tightly to her.
"Mullo, go back to the Miracle Box and stay hidden." She ordered the Kwami, who wasted no time racing back.
"Now what?" Rena asked, puffing with her hands on her knees. Heartbreaker was still on the loose, and they were no closer to a solution.
"I might be able to offer an idea."
The two heroes turned at the familiar voice. "Bunnyx?" Ladybug asked. "Why are you here?"
"I'm the hero of the last chance aren't I?" She said with a cocky grin. "And I bring you a lifeline to solve this akuma and get the timeline back on track."
"The timeline?" Rena asked.
Bunnyx nodded. "Your future family depends on it Ladybug, yours too Rena." She added, pointing down to what appeared to be a turtle slowly making its way up the street.
"Nino?" She gasped.
Bunny nodded. "All the other male members of the team are already caught. Your only chance to defeat this akuma is cataclysm."
"But how?" Ladybug asked, holding up Kitty Adrien. "The Kwami is trapped."
"In this timeline, yes." Bunnyx acknowledged. "But not in others." She then turned and indicated to someone across the street.
Ladybug and Rena Furtive watched in amazement as three heroes leapt across from another building. Bunnyx placed her hand on the shoulder of who appeared to be the black cat holder.
"Ladybug, this is Cat Walker. He has been well trained by Chat Noir in the future and is old enough to use his cataclysm twice without the need to detransform. You are going to need it to defeat Heartbreaker. In the meantime…" She reached out and took the cat out of Ladybug's hold and passed him to the young turtle hero. "Make sure he doesn't get away."
The young hero nodded. "Shelter." He said, encasing himself in with the cat.
"What can I do?" The young Ladybug asked.
"What here for now, just in case." Bunnyx said. "And keep an eye on your brother." The young girl pouted and folded her arms.
"Brother?" Ladybug queried. "Are you all siblings?"
"You mustn't know too much about the future, remember?" Bunnyx reminded her. Ladybug gave Bunnyx a confused look. Why would she give a Miraculous each to three siblings? And so young too.
"Alright. Cat Walker is it? We need to defeat this akuma and set things right. Lucky Charm."
In her hands landed a small hand mirror. She looked around, but couldn't see what it's use was just yet. "Alright, we are going to need to get closer. Get your earpiece Cat Walker and you too Rena. I need you to follow from a distance and be ready just in case. Cat Walker, come with me." She tucked the lucky charm onto her side and swung out her yo-yo.
The young man didn't speak, but nodded his head and followed Ladybug across the rooftops, leaving Bunnyx with his brother and sister. Ladybug had to muse a little at Cat Walker's choice of costume. It was quite different from Chat Noir's, almost princely like.
"Do you like fairytales?" She asked him. He seemed startled by the question.
"I guess." He replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Your costume." She replied. "It looks like something from a fairytale. Even the way you have your hair."
"Oh." Cat Walker exclaimed. "My mum always called me her little Prince when I was growing up. I guess it kind of rubbed off. Also dad always told us stories about past Cat holders, Musketeers and stuff."
Ladybug could feel her heart racing in her ears. "And your name, Cat Walker?"
Louis looked a little embarrassed. "That was dad's idea too. He never could resist a good pun." Ladybug watched on speachless as Cat Walker extended his baton and leaped ahead of her to where Heartbreaker was still causing destruction. " Hey Miss Heart Break, looking for someone?"
The akuma swung around and frowned. "You're a pesky little cat aren't you? How would you like to play on all fours?"
Ladybug knew she should have been figuring out her lucky charm, but she found herself mesmerised watching Cat Walker fight against the barbs that Heartbreaker was throwing. Every movement, every step, every pun even sounded just like her Chat…like Adrien. Bunnyx had said Cat Walker was trained by Chat Noir, but there was something achingly familiar about him. The turn of his head, a flick of his hair down to the way he fought the akuma.
"We could use that lucky charm of yours Ladybug." Cat Walker called out. Oh right, they still had an akuma to defeat. Ladybug took out her mirror and looked around. She had an idea.
"Rena, can you hear me?" She said into her earpiece.
"Loud and clear."
"I think it's time we confused this akuma."
"I'm on it."
A few moments later, an illusion of Chat Noir bounded over the rooftops and landed next to Cat Walker.
"But I thought…" Cat Walker looked over to Ladybug who was shaking her head and whispering no into his earpiece. Ah! It must be Aunt Alya, he thought.
"Which one of you has the real Miraculous?" Heartbreaker demanded.
"I guess you're just going to have to find out." Cat Walker taunted, leaping one way while the illusion of Chat Noir lept the other. The now clearly confused akuma went for the obvious and followed the illusion of Chat Noir.
"Cat Walker, cataclysm that cocoon while she is distracted."
"Cataclysm." The cat hero called, slamming his hand into the cocoon, shattering it to pieces.
The akuma screamed, swiping at the illusion of Chat Noir, causing it to evaporate into thin air. Ladybug jumped in front of her and angled the mirror so the light from the sun shone straight into her eyes.
"The necklace, now!" She yelled out.
"Cataclysm." Cat Walker repeated, touching the necklace with a finger, shattering it and allowing the akuma to fly free. Ladybug caught the butterfly in her yo-yo, purifying it and releasing it into the air.
"Miraculous Ladybug."
A flurry flashed over the city and the menagerie of animals once again turning back into the men of Paris. Rena Furtive dropped down into an alleyway to detransform before rushing out to hug her clearly disoriented boyfriend. Ladybug knew she should have gone to take care of the akuma victim, but there was only one person on her mind right now.
Racing back over the rooftops, Ladybug had all but forgotten Cat Walker behind her, her eyes fixed on a mop of blond hair ahead of her on a rooftop talking to Bunnyx and the other two young heroes.
"Adrien." She called out. He had barely had time to turn around before the red clad heroine crashed into him, almost sending the two of them to the ground.
"Woah, m'lady are you alright?" Adrien asked, confused. Ladybug practically cried at the nickname.
"I thought you were going to be a cat forever." She mumbled into his chest. Adrien let out a laugh.
"I'll always be your cat, Bugaboo." He said softly.
Ladybug whacked him playfully on the chest and he kissed her on top of her head. She looked up at him and into his emerald eyes and for a moment the rest of the world faded into oblivion as she became lost in those mesmerising eyes. The beeping of a Miraculous suddenly pulled Ladybug's attention. Reluctantly letting go of Adrien, it was the young turtle hero who was running out of time.
"Don't mind him." The young Ladybug said. "He's still just a baby."
The turtle hero looked offended. "Speak for yourself Emma. You're still on a timer too until you turn eighteen."
"Well at least I'll turn eighteen before you Hugo."
Cat Walker slapped a hand to his forehead. "Names you two! Remember what mum said about using names when transformed."
"Oh keep your ears on Louis. It's not like they're strangers standing there." She said, indicating to where Ladybug and Adrien were standing, mouths open.
"Okay you three." Bunnyx intervened. "I think it's about time I get you back to your own timeline before the future Ladybug strings me up by my tail for revealing too much." She then looked back at Adrien and Ladybug. "I have a feeling you two have a few things you need to talk about." She said with a wink before pushing Louis, Emma and Hugo into her burrow, the entry disappearing behind her.
Ladybug and Adrien stood together on the rooftop, trying to process what they had just seen and heard. Below them a familiar voice sang out as Andre pushed his ice cream cart along the road.
Adrien reached out and took Ladybug by the hand, bringing her eyes back to him. "Do you, maybe want to get that ice cream still?"
Ladybug's eyes softened and she gave him a smile. "I'd like that." She said. She wrapped an arm around him and lowered them down into the alleyway. "Spots off." She said, and Adrien watched in amazement as Ladybug vanished and Marinette was left in her place.
"You know, I've known for about a week now you were Ladybug." He admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner."
"I've known for about 2 months." Marinette replied, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment. "I should have told you, I should have said something last night, but I guess I was just feeling confused."
"I understand Marinette. I should have said something last night too." He replied, taking her hand and walking them over to Andre.
"Adrien! Marinette! I am so happy to see you here together." The ice cream man said in delight.
"Oh, we are, we're not a…" Marinette flubbed, but Adrien gave her hand a squeeze and smiled at Andre.
"We would like an ice cream to share please."
"Of course you do. Strawberry like her lips and mint like his eyes. When love blooms at Andre's, it's never a surprise."
"Thanks Andre." Adrien said, taking the ice cream in one hand, and still holding Marinette's hand with the other. "Shall we sit over here?" He indicated with his head.
Marinette nodded and the two of them sat on a bench by the shores of the Seine. The sun was starting to lower in the sky and the horizon was splashed with gold and orange. Marinette shivered a little and Adrien slipped off his over shirt and draped it around her shoulders. They sat in a comfortable silence or a while, watching the sunset as they shared their ice cream.
"You must have been surprised, when you found out it was me." Marinette eventually said, taking a final spoonful of ice cream before giving Adrien the cone.
"Not really." Adrien replied between bites of the cone. "I mean, it was a surprise to find out your identity, I wasn't trying too I promise, but I wasn't surprised to know it was you. You've always been amazing Marinette and…" He turned his head away from her with a sigh. "I know you like someone else and that's okay, I understand." He then gave her a soft smile. "I just want you and Luka to be happy."
"Luka?" Marinette asked, confused. "But I'm not with Luka."
Adrien furrowed his eyebrows. "But I thought you were going on a date? Wasn't that what he was calling about?"
Marinette started to laugh. "Goodness no. Luka rang up to remind me of the date, not to go on a date. Kitty Section has a gig tomorrow night and I needed to fix a tear in Ivan's costume by then. Luka knows how forgetful I can be."
Something changed in the way Adrien was looking at her and she felt her heart begin to race. It was now or never. "The truth is, the boy I liked, the one I always turned Chat down for… it's you Adrien."
"Me?"
She nodded her head. "I didn't know how to tell you. I tried so many times, but always I would just end up tongue tied and looking like a fool. Don't worry though, I won't hold you to all the things you confessed to Ladybug or…"
The words were lost on her tongue as Adrien gently touched his fingers to her cheek, turning her eyes to his. "I meant every word." He said softly. "I always told you that I would love the girl behind the mask. If there had been one person in this whole world that I would have wanted Ladybug to be, it was you Marinette."
"Really?"
"Really." He confirmed, his hand cradling her face. "Because I love you, and I want that future you told me about with you, if you still want that with me."
He slid his thumb across her cheek, catching a stray tear as it began to fall.
"I love you too, my Kitty." She whispered, closing her eyes as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Do you think that Cat Walker, and the others, that maybe they were…?"
Adrien nodded his head. "I think they were."
"Whoa." She breathed, the realisation hitting her that in the future her dream would be her reality, their reality.
"So." He murmured. "Does that mean we might have a chance then?"
"More than just a chance Chaton." She replied, her hand on his chest feeling the vibration of his heart racing under her fingers.
"Then, can I kiss you?"
Marinette barely whispered a yes when his lips claimed hers and the world around them fell away.
~~~~~
Bunnyx smiled to herself as she watched through the window. Finally, everything was back to the way it should be. She moved to another window and wound it back to when she had dropped the Agreste children back to their parents.
"Melody." Louis called out, rushing over to where Luka and Kagami sat with their daughter. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine." The girl replied, clearly unaware of why Louis looked so panicked. "I think that last ride must have gotten to me. Maybe I might stick to something gentler."
"Would you like to come on the Ferris Wheel with me?" Louis asked, holding his hand out to her.
"I'd love to." Melody replied, taking his hand and letting him help her up. She stumbled slightly, Louis reaching out to steady her by the waist, the two teens sporting matching blushes.
Emma and Hugo started making kissing noises in the background, Louis shooting them both a death glare from under his green tipped fringe.
"Hey Emma, are you up for the ghost train, or are you still feeling chicken."
"Who are you calling chicken, Nick Lahiffe?" Emma sassed back. "Last one there has to buy the fairy floss." She laughed as Nick raced after her.
"Why do I have the feeling I missed something?" Adrien asked, looking up from where he'd had his head resting on his wife's lap.
"You just had a cat nap." She said, stroking his hair. Adrien screwed up his nose.
"I had a weird dream then. I think I was a cat, like a real cat and I was chasing a mouse over the rooftops of Paris."
Marinette gave a little laugh. "Well it wouldn't be the first time Kitty cat."
Adrien sat up beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and giving her a kiss on her temple. "You know if you ever want to get Mullo out for a run, I wouldn't complain." He said as he continued his kisses down to her shoulder.
"Only if you wear the Tiger." She teased.
"Meow." He growled, turning her face to his and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. A moment later, Hugo flopped down onto the picnic rug between them.
"Papa, can you tell me the story of Andre's ice cream again?" Hugo asked.
"Well you know they say that those who share Andre's ice cream will be in love forever." Adrien said, taking Marinette's hand in his and kissing the back of it. "And I for one wholeheartedly believe it."
Bunnyx closed the window with a satisfied smile. Opening the burrow, she stepped out into her cosy but somewhat chaotic one bedroom apartment. "Fluff, counter-clockwise." She said, her transformation dropping. The little rabbit Kwami looked around the room.
"Is it yesterday or tomorrow?" Fluff asked.
"We're right where we belong, Fluff." Alix said, handing the Kwami a piece of carrot. "Until the next time those two manage to make a mess of their timelines again."