The sun was especially bright in the sky, and was making the top of Adrien's favorite table shimmer like water in the sunlight. The reflective light bounced from the uneven glass surface and onto the ceiling of the cafe, where it dispersed into hundreds of little colored spots. Adrien was sitting at his table, with his headphones in, his hood up, feet on a chair, and focusing intently on the comic book he was reading to take a break from studying. As usual, he was sitting in the perfect spot for the sunlight to strike him, and shoot through his hair, turning it that soft golden color. Somehow he was always in the direct line of the sun. The light from the table reflected up onto his face, making tiny flecks of color dance across the skin of his cheeks. It made him seem all the more enchanting than he already was.

Marinette shook her head, and pulled it from the clouds. She had caught herself staring more than once today. Once more she tore her gaze away from the handsome man, telling herself that it was rude to stare. It had been an incredibly slow day at the bakery, with barely any customers and no new orders to fill or prepare. She had cleaned the display cases twice, making the glass shine and letting the sweets inside look even more tantalizing. She had organized all of the recipe books and had already finished all of her daily store chores and it was barely lunchtime. She was going to lose her mind. Where were the days of three wedding cake orders to fill and a batch of cookies to frost in one day? When were they going to get an order for a custom birthday cake, or have to craft a macaron Eiffel Tower again? She sighed. Not today, that's for sure. She was stuck watching Adrien tap his foot to his music and flick his green eyes from page to page of his book.

She sighed, forcing herself to find something to do besides stare at Adrien. He was going to catch on eventually. She wiped down the counter for the thousandth time that day, and heard the door chime. She brightened, and threw the rag under the counter, and turned to the door.

"Welcome to the Boulangerie Patisserie, what can we make for you today?" She beamed at the customer. She blinked, and her smile faltered. The very beautiful customer.

The girl seemed to be a little lost in thought, and looked around the bakery for a moment. She was wearing white pants and a pink and black striped shirt with designer sandal heels and a large sun hat. Her long blonde hair had the perfect amount of volume and curl, and it sat neatly beneath her hat. She didn't not seem like the kind of person that would frequent a bakery. Marinette raised an eyebrow, she didn't seem like the kind of person that even knew what a bakery was. She was so slim. Marinette felt a small pang of jealousy, and reached up to touch the ends of her long, unruly hair. The beautiful woman seemed to identify Marinette as a person she could talk to, and she came up to the counter, leaning her slim body and perfectly manicured hands on the counter. Marinette leaned back a little.

"I, uh," she frowned, and pursed her lips, "I am in searching for, I mean, looking for? Is that how you say it? Looking for Adrien? Adrien Agreste?"

Marinette felt herself frown in concentration. This girl was American. Her accent was thick as cream cheese, but she got the message across. Marinette spoke very little english, and found herself very flustered by this woman asking for Adrien, so she decided instead to point to the handsome blonde man sitting directly in the sunlight. The blonde woman turned, and a large smile spread across her face. She turned back to Marinette for a moment, flashing her a perfect smile.

"Oh, Merci!" She turned back away and rushed to Adrien's table.

Marinette watched with an uneasy feeling in her stomach as she was suddenly teleported back seven years to the time when she and Adrien were in the same school class together. To a time when she thought they could someday get married and have a hamster and three kids, and when the thought of even talking to him made her nervous. Back to a time of fashion design daydreams, and her first transformation into Ladybug. A time when she and Alya were together more than they weren't together, and when her room was filled with Adrien's face and magazine clippings. To a time when Chloe Bourgeois had made her life harder by always being in the way and making things more complicated. Marinette sucked in a breath, this girl reminded her of Chloe. She hadn't thought of Chloe since the blonde had announced that she was moving to some tropical island to be the heiress of a new branch of her father's hotel chain.

Marinette chided herself. Chloe was a spoiled, selfish girl but she was gone. Long gone. Marinette had forgiven Chloe for the trouble she had caused a long time ago. This new girl had caused no trouble for her so far, it was unfair of her to compare them, even if they did seem eerily similar. This girl seemed nicer, but it was her laser-targeted attention on Adrien that had struck that old chord in her chest. Marinette took a deep breath, and picked up the rag that she had thrown earlier, and returned to her task of cleaning the spotless counter.

The semi-familiar sound of English tickled her ears and she looked up to see Adrien talking in the choppy language to the beautiful woman. She frowned.

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Adrien felt as someone sat down at his table, and decided not to pay attention to them unless it was really important. He was not in the mood to be bothered. He was sitting in the perfect spot of sunlight, he was taking a break from studying, and he could feel Marinette buzzing around the bakery. He didn't want to talk to anyone. If he ignored them long enough, surely they would go away. Or they would sit there until they were done with their treat and leave again. He could pretend he couldn't hear them with his headphones in. Yes. That's what he would do.

He continued to read his comic, a well-drawn fan made comic about Chat Noir and Ladybug that he'd bought at the last town market. So far it wasn't very realistic, and the pages were clearly stapled together by hand, but the relationship between the two main heroes gave him hope for his own love life. Not to mention Chat Noir was very heroic. An accurate representation. He turned the page to see Ladybug holding her yo-yo high above her head, and watched as two perfectly manicured hands put themselves over the pictures and pushed the book down to the table. He looked up, pulling a headphone from his ear, annoyed.

"Excuse me, how can I-?" He stopped and swallowed hard, "Robyn?" His heartbeat thundered in his ears for a moment before he felt his heart speed up, anxiously. What was she doing here?

The blonde girl relaxed, and shot him a dazzling smile, "Adrien, I'm so glad I finally found you. I've been looking everywhere." she let out an exasperated breath. She paused for a moment, and cocked her head to the side with an accusatory smile, "What on earth are you reading?"

Adrien pulled out his other headphone, "A comic book?" He laughed uneasily, and shoved the handmade thing into his pack. He tucked his headphones into his pocket, and sat up straight in his chair, "I admit I'm surprised to see you here. How did you find me?"

Robyn blushed, "Well I'm not super proud of myself but I talked to Nathalie, and after I begged her she gave me the number of your old publicist, Chyna. Nathalie figured she probably knew best where you were. And I told Chyna that I desperately needed to get ahold of you, and she told me she didn't really know where you were, but that you had asked her a few months ago to keep an eye out for you in a police report."

Adrien cringed, he should have sworn Chyna to secrecy as a last favor to him. Though, legally speaking she didn't work for him anymore, and that information was open to the public. He kicked himself. He should have been more careful. He stopped. He didn't need to be more careful. He had known the day would come when his past would catch up to him. He should have been more prepared. His chest felt heavy.

"How did you find me in a bakery from a police report?" He laughed, trying to play it off. If Robyn had found him it was extremely likely that his father had also found him. His heart hammered. He pushed down his immediate sense of dread, and focused on being civil with Robyn.

Robyn brightened, "Let me tell you how smart I am. I went to the precinct downtown and asked about you, and do you know what happened? They told me that you were a police officer in training, and that you had asked to be left out of the report of new hires. Of course they couldn't leave you out. I figured that was the report that you had asked Chyna to keep an eye out for. Anyway, after I got over the shock of you leaving behind a perfect life to be a police officer, I asked if they knew where you lived. And this super chatty officer went on and on about you and pretty girls but eventually confessed that he didn't know your address, or that if he did have your address he wasn't allowed to give it to me. But that didn't stop me. No, no. I used my super skills to get him to tell me that you were living here in the city somewhere, and that you spent a lot of your free time as this bakery. So I searched up the address and took a cab straight here. Straight here. Aren't you proud of me?" She giggled.

Adrien raised an eyebrow, feeling a little uneasy as he asked, "So you stalked me?"

Robyn laughed and waved a hand at him, "When you say it like that it sounds so horrible." she got a solemn look in her eyes and looked at him, "Adrien I was worried about you, and you didn't ever tell anyone where you went. You just," she huffed, "You just disappeared."

Adrien sighed, feeling less uneasy and more than a little annoyed now, "Yes, Robyn. That was the goal. You shouldn't have come looking for me."

Robyn sat back in the chair, and played with her fingers nervously, "I wasn't sure what else to do. I needed to talk to you. Adrien I," She bit her lip, "I miss you."

Adrien felt his chest tighten, and a sense of betrayal and anger settle over his ribs. She was wearing her charming face. Pretty eyes with glittering eyeshadow and perfectly pink lips. She was sitting with her hands close to her, and her eyes looking up at him innocently. He knew better. She thought that he could be tricked by her charm. She should know better, too.

She leaned forward, an earnest look on her face, "I know I said some horrible things. I know that I wasn't the best girlfriend. I admit to using your father to get under your skin a little because I know that you two don't get along very well, and that was so wrong of me, Adge."

A memory tickled his mind at the strange yet familiar nickname. He folded his arms across his chest, and looked to the sunny window, "Robyn, you have been trying to defame me on social media for months. That's not missing me."

Robyn sighed, "I was hoping that you would fight for me. I was hoping to get your attention in any way I could. But all of your accounts were inactive. It's like you died, and I looked like one of those crazy ex-girlfriends from television."

Adrien sighed, "I am not a model anymore, Robyn, and that's what I wanted. I don't need social media accounts or followers or fans."

Robyn leaned further over the table, "And you know what? I don't think that's what you wanted. I think that if you'd made it to our trip to California before this mental breakdown you're having, you would have been able to unwind enough to see that you were just so stressed out by everything. After a break you would have been recharged and ready to take your rightful place in the world of fashion again. I mean, don't you miss it? The life of a model, Adge. Being showered with gifts and attention from adoring fans and the life of luxury? Surely you don't actually like living like a common police officer." she scoffed with a smile, "No one to wait on you or to pick up your coffee for you."

Adrien shrugged, taking a little pride in the fact that his answers didn't match her expectations, "I actually don't mind it."

"You can't mean that." She laughed, "You've been away for too long. If you come back with me, and we work it out, I'm sure you'll remember how much you loved it. You've just forgotten how much you really left behind. Me. Your father. Your whole life and the legacy your parents left behind for you. I miss you. Your dad misses you."

Adrien shot her a look. If he hadn't picked up in that she was trying to charm him into something before, he knew now. His father didn't miss him.

"You're having a life crisis. If you come back we can work it out. You don't even have to come back with me. I'll give you time to think about it. But I'll be waiting for you. I love you, Adrien and I want you back in my life. My life has been empty without you. If you'll forgive me, I'll forget about this whole mess. Your father will let you back into the company. We can go back to the way everything used to be. It will be like this little adventure never even happened." She smiled.

Adrien's defensive anger melted away, and was replaced by only a strange empty sadness. There was no reasoning with Robyn. There never had been and never would be. She was here to get her way, and there was no way for Adrien to give her that. She would be heartbroken, but he had already made up his mind.

She looked at him with pleading eyes, "Adrien, we were together for two years. That can't mean nothing to you now. We shared so much and we went through some of the hardest times of our lives. I love you, and I know that you love me. Somewhere in all of this, this whole crazy mess, I believe that."

Adrien smiled, and grabbed Robyn's hands, "I do love you. But not in the way that you want me to. You are dear to me, but I can't give you my heart."

Robyn looked at him with her eyes that said she was going to tease him until she got her way. He felt his heart break for her.

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Marinette watched them with more and more guilty embarrassment as the gorgeous American girl fawned over Adrien, and Adrien carried on a conversation with her in what Marinette could only guess was flawless English. She felt her heart tighten the way it used to when she really thought about how unreachable Adrien was. He was a genius in physics and mathematics, a multi-millionaire, and a famous actor and model. He spoke at least four languages including Chinese and English, and he was heart stoppingly handsome. He was the only son of the most world-famous fashion designer since Gucci and Louboutin. He was more than perfect. He was the most popular model in France, and probably several other countries as well. It made sense that people would come looking for him eventually. She couldn't keep him in her small world forever.

Marinette shrunk back and leaned on the back counter, folding her arms across her chest, feeling smaller and smaller by the moment. She watched them, feeling her sadness and inadequacies start to bloom and take root inside her heart. It hadn't taken her very long to put two and two together. This beautiful girl was Adrien's ex-girlfriend, Robyn Handen. Marinette had met her before as a model, but had forgotten her quick enough. She watched as all of Robyn's body language said that she was attracted to Adrien. She wondered briefly if she was that obvious, and was even more embarrassed by her girlish ways. She watched painfully as Adrien's body language echoed Robyn's. They were drawn to each other. Marinette felt her jealousy burn through her chest and up to her eyes, threatening to spill out her eyes. She blinked away the urge to cry. No need to get so worked up over a girl fawning over Adrien. No need to think about that they looked so good together.

Adrien took Robyn's hands in his and Marinette forced herself to leave. She commanded her feet to walk her back to the main sink, in the depths of the kitchen where she would be far from the beautiful girl who had obviously won Adrien's heart once, and was back to take it again. She didn't want to watch Adrien flirt with another girl. It seemed to hurt more than it should. Adrien was her friend, and she should be happy for him. Robyn had been his girlfriend for more than two years. She probably wanted him back. According to the rumors, they had been on track to be married. Marinette's heart sank.

Marinette sighed, feeling herself frown deeper. And why wouldn't she come back for Adrien? Adrien was wonderful. He was funny and handsome and kind and devoted. He was intelligent and respectful and witty and attentive. And he was so very out of her league. She sat on the stool in the kitchen, listening to the dull hum of the dishwasher that she was running for the third time. At least all of the bakery's dishes would be clean. Her parent's would be thrilled to come back to a clean bakery.

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Robyn smiled at him, "Adrien, don't tease me like that. I know that you have feelings for me. Just admit that you missed me."

Adrien sighed, "Robyn I don't love you like that anymore. I don't want to be a model. I'm not coming back to my father's dungeon and I'm not going to give up the life I have now. I'm sorry. I think that you should leave." He told her directly.

Robyn blinked, and Adrien watched as her anger boiled, "Don't do this to me again Adrien. I have looked all over France for you, so that I could tell you that I'm sorry and that I want you to come back. Don't push me away again." She almost threatened.

Adrien stood, and held out his hand, "I'll walk you out."

Robyn looked defeated, "Alright." she took his hand, and let him lead her to the door. He pushed it open and the door chime sounded inside the bakery. She looked up at him.

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Marinette heard the door chime, and sighed. If that was a customer, she would need to help them. Her slowly breaking heart wouldn't matter to a customer. She steeled her resolve and walked out to the bakery. She didn't even get the word 'welcome' past her throat before her whole world stopped spinning.

She told herself it shouldn't matter. She told herself she had no right to be jealous or heartbroken. She told herself that she should be happy for him. But as she watched Adrien kissing the lovely model on the sidewalk outside, she felt her heart give up. She may be Lady Luck with her superhero mask on, but when she was just Marinette, she would never find the love she so desperately craved.

Her mind raced through all of the times in the last few months that Adrien had seemed so nice with her, and chided herself for thinking he was anything more than that. Nice. She was a fool. A stupid, lovesick, lonely fool.

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Robyn grabbed Adrien by the jaw, and pulled his face to hers. Adrien felt his skin start to crawl as Robyn pressed her lips to his. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back, making sure he was out of her reach. He frowned, feeling a little attacked.

"See?" Robyn hummed, "You can still feel it can't you?"

Adrien frowned deeper, "No. I can't." he huffed, and wiped her lipstick off his mouth and face, "How many times do I have to say it? I don't have feelings like that for you anymore. In fact, I love someone else, so I would appreciate if you would keep your hands and lips to yourself." Adrien felt an arrow of worry shoot through his heart, hoping that said someone else hadn't seen what had just happened.

Robyn blinked, "Some-someone else?"

Adrien sighed, "Yes, Robyn. Someone else. She's beautiful, kind, talented and supports my efforts and ambitions. She doesn't use my fears and insecurities against me, and she doesn't care about my name or my father or my money."

Robyn swatted at him, and glared, "That can't be true, you love me!"

Adrien folded his arms, "I do not love you like that. I am not coming back. I don't want to come back. I like my life here, and I have someone who loves me as I am. I'm sorry Robyn." He sighed, "Goodbye." He turned and walked back into the bakery.

As the door chimed above him, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Marinette must have been in the back, and hadn't seen Robyn kissing him. He swiped his hand across his mouth again, making a face.

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"I can't even believe it." Robyn sobbed, "I came all this way. And he didn't even consider my feelings, or my offer! He can't actually be happy as a police officer. He's too handsome, and his father is too famous. How does that even make sense? I can't believe this." She wiped her eyes. There was a rag in her hand, a handkerchief, that was now covered in her makeup and black mascara. She looked down at her designer shoes, and remembered the day that Adrien had bought them for her.

She felt her heart tighten. And now he loved someone else? They were supposed to be getting married. She had accidentally seen Adrien looking for ring stores in California on his phone before they left for Fashion Week, she'd been almost giddy. She had packed all of her most adorable clothes, ready to be proposed to, and then he'd broken up with her. She had thought that if she gave him space he would come back to her. When he didn't come back, she'd tracked him down. And this was what she got? She had been loyal and faithful, and he loved someone else. Adrien was supposed to be her husband, and ticket to fashion success. She growled to herself, and pulled out her compact mirror and wiped the smudged makeup off of her face as best she could. She would find this new love of Adrien's and show her what love really was. She looked into her mirror and watched as a halo of pink light surrounded her eyes.

My Dear Robyn, your broken heart breaks mine.

"What?" Robyn blinked, and touched her face.

Surely, you have heard of the work I do in Paris. My name is La Papillon, and I help heartbroken girls like you get the happy endings they deserve.

Robyn brightened, kind of liking the way the butterfly shaped halo tinked her face a lovely shade of pink, "Really? You could help me get him back?"

My sweet girl, I can give you the power to get him back and keep him. I just need one favor from you in return.

She felt her skin getting warm, and there was a kind of anticipation building in her chest. She could feel it. She would have Adrien back, and she would find that little homewrecker and make her watch as she and Adrien lived happily ever after. She smiled, "Anything."

I need the miraculous stones from Paris's favorite cat and bug. Can you get those for me? His voice was smooth and soft.

Robyn hummed, and slammed her mirror shut, "Leave it to me, Darling."

Power bubbled across Robyn's skin, and when she stood up and looked at herself in the reflection of the building's windows she laughed with giddy joy. She smiled and grabbed the fabric of her solid white dress, "Robyn is dead. I have become Bridezilla, and I'm taking Paris by storm." She laughed, and spun in a circle, shedding glitter across the sidewalk.

She hummed, and waved her hand, making a bouquet appear in her hands, "And what is a bride without her groom?"

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As soon as Adrien thought that he was in the clear with Marinette, the front door of the bakery opened again, and his hair on his arms stood up. He turned around, and saw a bride, holding a large bouquet of flowers in one hand.

She beamed at him, "Oh there you are, my handsome groom."

Adrien felt his blood run chill, "I think you are confusing me with someone else. I- I'm not engaged to be married."

"Oh no," she tilted her hand forward, and the bouquet started to grow in his direction, "You are definitely the man I am going to marry."

Adrien jumped behind the counter, and backed towards the kitchen, "Right, of course, I just forgot my tuxedo upstairs." He laughed nervously, and dashed out the back door.

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Marinette was leaning over the counter, telling herself it was silly to cry over a boy that she hadn't cared about for years, and had developed a crush for again. He was a man now, and he was allowed to make his own choices. Maybe he wasn't really going to give up being a model. He was plenty handsome. Her heart clenched in her chest. He was going to go back to being unreachable. She sighed, maybe he had never been within her reach. She laughed to herself, sadly, and felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. She was always too late. Too late to get Adrien the first time. Too late to return Chat Noir's feelings. And now she was too late to win Adrien's heart, since he was already in love with that beautiful american girl.

She sat up just in time to see Adrien dash through the kitchen and out the back door. Marinette raised an eyebrow, her sorrows forgotten for a moment. She stood up as the door swung shut, "Adrien?"

A woman in a huge white dress leaned in the archway between the kitchen and the bakery, "Did you see Adrien come this way?"

Marinette looked at the woman for a moment, and then suspiciously asked, "Why?"

The girl looked at a nonexistent watch on her wrist and rolled her eyes, "It's our wedding day, and I can't find him." She hummed, and set her hand on her hip, "If you don't know where he is, do you know where his girlfriend is? She and I need to have a little chat."

Marinette sighed, "You just missed her, she was out on the front walk there about five minutes ago. If you go now you can probably catch her."

"Thanks." the woman smiled and swished her hips and flipped her perfect blonde hair and she made her way back out into the cafe and out the front door. Marinette watched as the strange woman looked both ways before striding towards the park. Her question processed in Marinette's mind. As did the familiar curl of her perfect blonde hair.

"Married!?" Marinette shrieked.

Tikki jumped out of her apron pocket, "Marinette, please. Don't shout. We can talk about broken hearts later. Are you so distracted by Adrien that you didn't notice that was an akuma that just walked out of here?"

Marinette huffed, immediately frustrated, "Yes, Tikki, I am so wrapped up in my own selfish drama that I effectively lead the akuma away from Adrien." She sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm just. I'm not sure what I am right now."

Tikki, "An emotional roller coaster."

"That may be true," Marinette admitted, "But Adrien is gonna be in real trouble if that Akuma finds him. I don't know why, but that Akuma is Robyn Handen."

Tikki smirked, "She got akumatized to get married. That's dedication."

"Ha. Ha." Marinette faked a laugh, "Let's go before she finds who she's looking for. Tikki, spots on."

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Adrien dashed out into the small space behind the bakery and immediately back up the stairs to the Dupain-Cheng household. He threw open the front door, and slammed it shut again, leaning back on the door.

"What?" He yelled.

Plagg drifted lazily from the pocket of Adrien's shirt, and whined, "I'm not helping you with this. This is your fault."

"Plagg," He hissed, "This is not my fault. That akuma is Robyn. Wearing a wedding dress! And she's looking for me!" He groaned.

Plagg floated close to Adrien, "Weren't you going to ask her to marry you? Well, now is your chance." He huffed.

Adrien frowned at Plagg, and then beamed, "She's looking for Adrien, not Chat Noir. Plagg! Claws Out!"

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Ladybug jumped out from behind the counter of the cafe and dashed out the door. Her twin ponytails swished around her shoulders as she came to a fast stop. She looked both ways, hoping to catch a clue as to which way Bridezilla had gone. Much to her dismay, there was glitter and flower petals in all directions. Ladybug thought in a brief moment of irony that all Bridezilla needed to have a wedding now, was a groom and a cake. Both of which could be found inside the bakery. Ladybug shook off her glum feelings of self-pity and snapped her wings open. She zipped up to the balcony of her bedroom, and stood on the railing, looking for the akuma.

As she gazed down the street towards the Eiffel tower, she noticed something strange. Couples all along the street were dressed in wedding gowns and tuxedos. She snapped her wings open again and flew down to the first couple.

The woman was wearing a dress and the man a suit, and they were linked together arm in arm, and yelling at one another.

"I'm married!" The man hollered and pulled at the woman's arm.

The woman's face turned red with anger and she pulled the man back, "And I'm not into men. This is just as uncomfortable for me as it is for you."

Ladybug smiled and waved a hand, "Bonjour, may I help you?"

The man jumped forward, pulling the woman behind him, "Get this blasted thing off of me, and get this woman away from me! I'm a married man!" He huffed, clearly flustered.

The woman frowned, and looked at Ladybug with a disapproving grimace, "This lady in a wedding dress came by, and twisted us together with some flowers. Then, next thing I know, I'm in a wedding dress and this guy's in a tuxedo, and she's telling us to cherish our time together while it lasts."

Ladybug sighed, and reached for their arms, "May I?"

"Please!" They chimed, holding out their linked arms.

Ladybug looked to where the crooks of their arms were set together, and couldn't find anything that was keeping them that way. She frowned, this was going to have to be one of those 'wait until we defeat the akuma and everything goes back to normal' problems. She smiled sheepishly at the couple, and twisted her hair around her gloved hands, "I'm sorry. I don't see a way to unlink you right at this moment. If I can find Bridezilla, I can undo what she's done. But until I can catch her I can't unstick you."

The man groaned.

The woman pointed with her free hand, and huffed, "She went that way. And be quick about it. I have a yoga class to get to."

Lady smiled, "Quick as I can." She snapped her wings open, and shot down the street in the direction the woman had pointed. She passed several other couples who were dressed in wedding attire. As she zipped past them, she noticed that they were no longer paired by men and women, but by any two people that happened to be standing next to one another. Children were linked to parents, and friends were linked to friends. Patrons were linked to store owners. Ladybug groaned. Bridezilla had come unglued faster than she'd ever seen an akuma come unglued. Ladybug followed the trail of people that were stuck together and rounded the corner to see a tall, blonde, model figured girl swishing her bouquet like a magic wand at people as she passed. All the while she screamed about cherishing time while they had it.

Ladybug flew up above her, and landed on a tall building to watch as Bridezilla rampaged through the streets, sticking people together to be married. Or, at least to cherish their time together while they could. She landed softly on the ledge of the building, and crouched down, thinking about the best way to handle this. She heard the faint tinkling of a bell, and a smile spread across her face.

"Mon ami, Chat Noir. How nice of you to show up." She laughed.

Chat Noir wiggled his ears at her, and a sly smirk pulled his lip above his teeth, "My Lady, I may be a bit late, but I lose all track of time when I think about spending time with you."

Ladybug laughed, "No time for cheesy pick up lines right now, Chatton. We have a real doozy on our hands today. Let me introduce you to Bridezilla. She is linking people together and telling them to cherish their time together. What do you think that means?"

Chat Noir put his hand on his chin, and crouched down next to Ladybug, "I think it means we should elope, leave Paris to defend itself and live happily ever after."

"Chat Noir." Ladybug huffed.

He laughed, "Alright alright. Do we know who she is, or why she got akumatized?"

Ladybug frowned, "Her name is Robyn Handen, she's a famous american model that was dating Adrien Agreste for a while. I recognized her from the fashion magazine on the stands last month. Apparently Gabriel Agreste basically adopted her." Ladybug shrugged trying to play it off that she didn't know, but her heart constricted in her chest.

"Robyn?" Chat Noir seemed genuinely surprised.

Ladybug hummed, "Yeah, I thought she and Adrien broke up a while back. It seems strange that she would be so upset about it now, and not when it happened."

Chat Noir looked down at the street below him, watching as Bridezilla hooked people together as she made her way to the Eiffel Tower. He frowned, somewhere inside him he knew that the breakup hadn't really been real for Robyn until today, so it made perfect sense to him that Robyn was now akumatized. But he couldn't tell Ladybug that without jeopardizing his secret identity, which she had adamantly demanded they not reveal to one another. Instead he stood up and straightened out, stretching in an oddly feline way.

"Has she said anything else?" He asked.

Ladybug thought for a moment, "Earlier I ran into some people that said she was looking for Adrien. But I haven't seen him. And I don't think it would be a good idea to let her find him."

Chat Noir looked uncomfortable for a moment, "I agree." Then he slid his eyes in Ladybug's direction and winked, "Think she'll have me instead?"

Ladybug grinned, "Why I think she would you clever kitty. You might be late for the ceremony," She unfolded her wings and fluttered them, "Need a ride."

Chat Noir twirled his staff and held it up with both hands, "To the Eiffel, please."

Ladybug buzzed up and picked him up with ease, "My pleasure."

She sped towards the tower, hoping that if they were just fast enough they could block her path and keep her from attacking anyone else. With a bit of luck, they arrived in enough time to block her off. Ladybug let go of the staff and Chat Noir landed gracefully in front of her. Ladybug zipped behind her, blocking her from going forward or back.

Her large white dress was still pristinely white when she approached Chat Noir, and she grinned at him, "Oh how perfect. I was hoping you would get me a wedding present. I really want your miraculous stones, and to find Adrien."

Chat Noir sauntered towards her, "I'm sorry to inform you that Adrien isn't here. But what about me? I think you and I could be purrfect together." He purred.

Bridezilla huffed, "A common kitty like you can only dream of being as wonderful as Adrien Agreste. The only thing I want from you is your miraculous. Where is it?" She growled.

Chat Noir laughed, "I thought that was common knowledge. It's my ring." He pointed to his finger, where the black ring blended in with his black gloves.

Ladybug smiled, catching Chat Noir's idea, and looked at Bridezilla's hands, hoping to see a ring there. It would be the obvious place for an akuma to hide. Much to her surprise and frustration, Bridezilla was wearing no rings. Ladybug was also harboring a small fear for Adrien. She had seen him run out of the bakery, but hadn't seen him since. She hoped that he was somewhere safe.

Bridezilla scoffed, "That won't do. I don't want a ring from you, I want a ring from Adrien." She almost whined, "Where is he? Tell me."

Ladybug looked again for anything that could hold an akuma, and her eyes settled on the shoes on her feet. They were still the dainty sandals that she had worn in the bakery earlier that day. She raised an eyebrow, normally the akuma had horrible outfits. It was strange that she would keep the shoes. She beamed.

"Excuse me." Ladybug hummed.

Bridezilla spun around, scowling, "What?"

"Sorry to distract you," Ladybug held up her hands, "I just wanted to tell you that I love your shoes, where did you get them?"

Bridezilla softened, "Aren't they just lovely? My dearest Adrien bought them for me. Don't they match this dress just perfectly?" She spun in a circle, making glitter spread across the walkway. But she was definitely still wearing the shoes she had been wearing this morning.

Chat Noir shot Ladybug a look. She nodded.

Chat Noir hummed, "I know the store where those were purchased. If Adrien truly loved you, I think he would go to that store don't you? I can take you there."

Bridezilla beamed, "Really? I get so turned around here. I would love some directions. And once we find Adrien, I'll have him take your miraculous and give it to me. Oh," she squealed, "It's perfect."

Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air and called for her Lucky Charm. And just as she'd expected a jar of rubber cement fell into her hands. She twisted the cap open and threw it towards Bridezilla's feet. The gooey substance spilled all over her shoes, and when she walked forward, the shoe stuck in the cement, and Bridezilla toppled forward. Chat Noir extended his staff and lifted the shoe from the goo and threw it to his beloved Ladybug. She caught it, and slammed it down her knee, breaking the heel off. A small black butterfly fluttered out of the broken shoe.

"Alright Cinderella, the clock strikes midnight, and it's time to go home." She twirled her yo-yo and caught the akuma. She released it with a sad smile, and tossed the jar from the rubber cement, "Isn't that miraculous?"

A red wash spread across the city, and the dresses and tuxedos vanished, leaving a confused Robyn Handen in the place of Bridezilla. As usual, people picked themselves up and continued on with their normal lives. Ladybug felt her heart constrict again, seeing Robyn kneeling on the sidewalk. Ladybug frowned, and lied through her teeth.

"I'm about to detransform. Bye, Chatton." She turned and took off before he could reply.

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Chat Noir watched as Ladybug flew back towards the main part of the city, and glanced back at Robyn. He leaned down and helped her stand.

"If you have someone you can call, you should call them." He smiled, and turned away. He had to get back to the bakery and check on Marinette. Surely she wasn't okay. Robyn had come back into the bakery before he had run out, and Marinette was still there. He ran a little faster. As he rounded the last corner, he let go of his transformation, and burst into the bakery.

"Marinette!" he called.

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Ladybug landed in the back alley of the bakery and dropped her transformation. Tikki flew straight to Marinette's apron pocket, and Marinette sulked into the bakery and sat behind the front counter. She put her face in her hands and cried.

Robyn obviously still had feelings for Adrien, and Adrien must have at least brought up that he had plans to marry her or else she wouldn't have turned into an akumatized bride. Marinette wiped her eyes with her apron and tried to come to terms with the fact that Adrien might stay just a friend forever. She was obviously bad at judging relationships, after Chat Noir and Andrew, she was certain she couldn't trust her own judgment anymore. She felt her heart tighten as the front door of the bakery slammed open and Adrien's voice called through the small space.

"Marinette!" his voice sounded worried, "Marinette, are you here?"

Marinette's eyes popped open, and she wiped at her eyes. She swallowed, and replied in a cracking voice, "I'm here."

She heard as Adrien ran the length of the bakery cafe and skidded around the counter, falling to his knees as he did so, and looked at Marinette. He frowned, "Are you alright? You didn't get caught by the akuma did you? You're not hurt?"

Marinette laughed a little, "No. She didn't get me." She sighed.

"What's wrong?" He frowned.

Marinette sniffled, "She must have really loved you." She looked up at Adrien with a sad smile, "I mean she turned into an akuma over you."

Adrien sighed, slumping down to sit on the floor, "I'm afraid that's my fault. She came here to try to convince me to go back to my old life. She wanted me to go back with her to my father's house and resume my life as a model and heir to the Agreste Company name. I told her no, and that I didn't really care for her in that way anymore. She must have taken it pretty hard."

Marinette looked surprised, "But I saw you kissing her outside."

Adrien paled, and looked at Marinette with a mild sense of horror, "You did?"

Marinette blushed, and looked away, "I didn't mean to. I just heard the door chime, and I came out in case it was a customer."

Adrien sighed, "You don't know Robyn, so you can't possibly know this. But she will do anything to get her way, and she thought that if she kissed me, that I would fall for her again. She kissed me hoping that I would fall under some spell, and when I didn't she was upset. I'm sorry if you misunderstood. It's over between us." Adrien felt his heart stutter. He wasn't confessing his feelings to Marinette but to come so close made him more nervous than he wanted to admit. He would have to be careful of what he said.

Marinette processed that information for a moment, and tried to think back to the moment that she had seen them outside the bakery, trying to remember if Adrien could be telling the truth. Her mind couldn't form a clear picture. It was all blurred by her sadness and sense of rejection. So instead of letting him off the hook, she asked another question, "Were you really going to marry her?" She looked at her shoes.

"At one point I wanted to." Adrien sighed.

Marinette looked at him for a moment and then looked away again. She'd asked for it. She crossed her ankles and sniffled again, "Oh."

Adrien huffed, "But after I realized what was really happening, I lost all romantic interest in her. And I've found that having my heart open to other possibilities is quite freeing." He smiled, and mentally kicked himself for coming so close again.

Marinette felt something tick inside her chest, but ignored it. She relaxed a little bit, and wiped at her eyes again, "I'm sorry I'm crying. I just." she sighed, realizing that she was about to say that she was jealous, that she wanted to be with him, that she cared for him. Her words caught in her throat and she went for the next best truth she could manage, "I can't imagine loving someone so much that I get akumatized over it." She felt the sting of the missed opportunity to tell Adrien how she really felt about him. It was too late now.

Adrien nodded, and moved next to her, behind the counter, with their shoulders touching. He sighed again, "It wasn't love. I don't think that Robyn ever loved me. It was anger that turned her into an akuma. It was a tantrum."

Marinette looked at him, confused, "How can that be?"

Adrien tucked up his knees, and rested his wrists there, "I met Robyn while I was in America for a minor acting role in a television show. She was a new model trying to make her name in Hollywood, and I was a popular foreign actor who could accurately play the part of a french tourist. We spent lots of time together, and after a few days, we discovered that we had a lot in common. She was a rising star, and I understood her complicated life of auditions and restricted diets. We were fast friends. She made me feel better about my poor social skills. She made me feel," he paused, "normal."

Marinette frowned, "Sounds like a perfect match. You two are certainly beautiful together." She twisted her hair around her fingers.

"Everyone else seemed to think so. But I never quite cared about that until she started to talk about it. Even then, I didn't really think about it. Besides, looking good together isn't everything, since we obviously didn't end up together in the long run." Adrien smiled at Marinette.

A small smile tugged at her mouth, "I guess that's true. But what happened?" She asked with a solemn curiosity.

"Well," Adrien shrugged, "I had never really been in love before, and so I thought that I had probably found it. Robyn was talented, beautiful, headstrong, and my father adored her. I'd found a girl that fit perfectly into my life, and so I just stayed with her. We took turns travelling back and forth to see one another, and eventually she got hired with a French company, and she moved here. It was great. She was affectionate and showered me with gifts and was always making sure I was okay. It was charming."

Marinette raised an eyebrow, "She seemed a little possessive to me."

"Oh she is. Don't be mistaken, she has to be in control or it's not going to happen. It's her way or no way. I didn't see it at first. But spending more time together brought out a side of Robyn I'd never known before." Adrien held out his hands, "But I still didn't see it."

Marinette didn't feel like she could chide him. She had also fallen prey to the charms of an attractive and manipulative person. If anything, she felt her heart ache for Adrien and for his misled heartbreak that must have led him to eventually break up with Robyn.

"She became obsessed with where I was and how I spent my time away from the photoshoots and filming. She wanted to know what posts on my social media accounts were about and why I hadn't ever talked about her." He pushed his hand through his hair, "And I thought that she was just very interested in me and my life."

"Adrien," Marinette frowned, "That sounds horrible."

Adrien laughed, "I didn't think it was horrible at the time. I'd grown up with my father who showed what little affection he had for me in the same way. It was easy to be with Robyn. She and my father got along, and I was used to reporting to someone. I thought I loved her. But, as I started to realize that I wasn't going to be a model forever, and that I didn't really want to run my father's company, I had to really consider my future and how I felt about all of that." Adrien turned to Marinette with a soft smile, "It was actually seeing you so happy to be following your dream of fashion design that made me think about what I really wanted."

"Really?" Marinette looked back, "because you seemed pretty content at the time."

"I never knew anything else. I hadn't ever thought that I could do anything else. But as I started to think about what I really wanted, and what I wanted to do with my life, it wasn't putting on expensive clothes for people to take pictures of me. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to help people. With my realization that I wanted to have a more fulfilling life, I realized Robyn's true intentions. As the son of the biggest name in fashion, if she was close to me then she was close to my father, and that could skyrocket her career."

"Oh," Marinette felt her heart break for Adrien. It always seemed to be about his family or his money. She had never thought that those things were important. They were nice. He was handsome, he had money, he was smart, and his father had her dream job. But it wasn't any of those things that warmed her heart. It was his kindness, his heart that drew her to him.

Adrien continued, "I saw her for what she really was, and while I still think she is a great person, and we could still be friends, I couldn't give my heart to someone who was so manipulative and self-centered. So I told her and my father goodbye and left my life behind. I packed up my favorite pair of jeans and my sneakers and I left. And I found a new life. A life that is filled with real friends and a real purpose. And I love it." He smiled, then frowned again.

"Robyn believed that I was just having a mental breakdown, and that if she batted her eyes at me, I would come back. She was very upset when I told her that I wasn't interested in her or modelling anymore. That's why she was akumatized."

Marinette felt her heartbreak lessen, realizing that Adrien was telling the truth. Adrien hadn't kissed Robyn, Robyn had kissed him, and he wasn't in love with her anymore. She had read the situation wrong. She sniffled and looked at Adrien.

"I know what that feels like." She laughed sadly.

"What?" Adrien blinked.

Marinette played with the edge of her apron, "As a fashion designer, I loved the challenge of creating new and interesting pieces. I wanted fashion to be accessible and affordable and fun. And my drive and talent got me noticed by the entire country. When I was approached by Square about an internship and eventual move to Head Designer, I took it. I loved the challenge and I loved the atmosphere. I thrived on the competition and the fast-paced creation of ideas. I was learning new things every minute and honing my skills. I was on the fast track to a successful and fruitful design career. And then, I met Andrew."

Adrien felt himself frown. He didn't like where this was going.

"Andrew was so nice, and he was so talented, and he made me feel like I was special and like so long as we were a team, we could do anything. He was funny and kind and he made the stress of fashion worth it. We were friends, we were partners, and we were good together."

Adrien scowled a little more, "Wait. Was Andrew that guy that came in here and you kicked him out?"

Marinette sighed, "That's him."

"What?" Adrien's voice got harsh and edgy.

Marinette smiled up at him, "I started to fall for him, and he seemed to be falling for me. What started as a professional friendship was slowly turning into an office romance. And we went to fashion week together, and I'd never felt so amazing. I had been given the chance to shine with a fashion show of my own, and Andrew and I had grown so close. But when we went back to the office, I overheard him talking to the higher-ups and he told them that he was basically just stringing me along so that he could make a profit off of my talent. By faking having feelings for me, he was ensuring that I stayed with his company. It was earth shattering."

Adrien glared at her, "Marinette that's horrible. You should have gotten him fired." Adrien felt his blood start to boil. If he had known that this Andrew had hurt Marinette so badly, he wouldn't have let Marinette fight with him all by herself. In fact, if Adrien had known that Andrew had been so horrible, he would have punched his face in.

Marinette laughed, "It seems so silly now, that I had feelings for him. But I realized that for the last year I had worked there, I was only designing things to impress people. I wasn't really enjoying it anymore. So, I packed up my office, and I quit. I left Andrew and all my years of hard work behind to come and learn the family business of baking and frosting cakes. And honestly, it's been pretty great." She smiled at him.

Adrien calmed down, and realized they had done the same thing, thrown away success and fame for happiness. He smiled, "Sometimes starting over is all you needed to realize you didn't need what you thought you wanted. Personally, I have never been happier to live a penniless existence and spend time with a girl who smells like bread."

Marinette smiled, her woes already fading, and the warmth of her adoration for Adrien growing again in her chest, "And I have never had more fun hanging out with a washed up model."

Adrien laughed, "I never thought I'd like being washed up."

Marinette laughed then, her sadness forgotten, and she looked at Adrien with a mischievous smile, "What do you say we close down the bakery for the day? We'll go up to the house and pop popcorn and watch scary movies. There won't be anyone in the store for the rest of the day, and I could use an afternoon of relaxation."

Adrien stood, and offered his hand to her, "I almost had to get married today. That was enough for me. I think scary movies and popcorn sounds like the perfect way to put this day behind us."