Marinette shielded her eyes from the sun as walked down the street. She really missed having her hat. As she approached Fu's door, Marinette was startled by the sound of her name being called from across the street. Turning she saw the beaming smile of Rose as she ran across the road, her pixie blonde hair bouncing as she ran.

"Rose? I didn't expect to see you here." Marinette said, taking in Rose's bright pink bell bottom pants and frilly white midriff top.

"I was coming to see you." Rose explained, bouncing around like the excitable puppy she was. "Juleka has been raving about your new house and I just knew I had to come out to see it. I was just stopping off in town to buy a bottle of wine to bring with me." She held up her tie dye shopping bag as proof.

Marinette couldn't help feeling a little suspicious. Rose couldn't lie to save herself and Juleka was hardly the kind of person to rave about an old house. Still, Rose was her friend and she was always happy to see her.

"That's lovely of you." Marinette smiled. "Well I'm done here in town if you want…"

"Weren't you heading in there?" Rose asked, pointing at the window of Fu's store. Before Marinette had a chance to answer, Rose suddenly pressed both her palms to the window and squished her nose to the glass with a gasp. "Oh! Look at that adorable piggy bank."

Whizzing past Marinette, Rose rushed into the store, the little bell above announcing their entry. Reluctantly, Marinette followed her friend in. She had really wanted to talk to Wang Fu alone, but she knew there would be no getting away from Rose now.

Almost right on cue, Fu walked out from the back room with his hands behind his back and a pleasant smile on his face. "Hello Marinette. It is nice to make your acquaintance again."

"Hello Mr Fu." She replied a little flustered as Rose called her name again.

"Isn't he the most adorable thing Mari?" Rose squealed, hugging the porcelain piggy bank to her cheek. It was pink and covered in hand painted flowers. Yep, it definitely was Rose all over. "Oh, look over here." Pretty soon Rose was completely distracted by all the nic nacks in the store.

"Did you get to speak with Ms Bustier?" Fu asked Marinette, stroking his grey beard.

"Yes, just now actually. She told me about Nathaniel and what happened to the previous owner of the house." Fu nodded his head as she spoke, that all too knowing look once again in his eyes. Marinette chewed on her lip momentarily and held out the watch in her hand to him. "I found this in a vintage dress in my attic. It doesn't appear to work properly and I thought maybe you could take a look at it."

Fu took the watch in his hand as Rose continued to prattle in the back of the store about some unicorn plushie she just found. Fu opened the watch, inspecting the detailed engravings inside before giving it back to Marinette.

"The watch appears to be in complete working order, but I believe you were already aware of that." He said with a pointed look towards her.

Marinette almost felt all her breath exit from her body. Did that mean Fu knew what the watch could do?

"Did it belong to Kagami or Adrien?"

Rose suddenly popped her head around the corner of a bookshelf. "Who's Adrien and Kagami?"

"Oh, Ms Bustier up at Town Hall said the previous owner of the house was Adrien Agreste. His fiancée Kagami was killed in an accident before their wedding and later Adrien was killed under shady circumstances."

"How very tragic." Rose exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest. "No wonder your house is haunted."

Marinette's mouth dropped open. "But I never said that!" Marinette then rolled her eyes to find Tose once again distracted. It was hardly worth arguing with her when there was clearly shopping to be done.

She turned back to Mr Fu who held the watch back out to her. "The watch is yours now, Miss Marinette. Take good care of it." Fu continued. "A treasure so rare is not easily replaced."

She wanted to ask him more, like what he knew about Adrien because she was sure he knew something, but Rose had come back to the front of the shop, her arms full of all sorts of bits and bobs that she had gathered. "Mari, you really should look around. This place is a regular treasure trove." She declared, laying her collection on the counter.

Fu carefully wrapped each item and placed them in a box. Typically, Rose was several Francs short so Marinette covered the rest so Rose wouldn't have to choose what to put back.

"Enjoy your purchases young Miss." Fu said, handing Rose her parcel and holding the door for her. Marinette stopped before leaving, turning back to him while Rose made her way to her car.

"Mr Fu, I don't understand how…" She began to ask, but Fu held a hand up to her.

"The watch has chosen you." He said, his countenance wise. "You have a connection now to that time, and only you can find the answers to the questions you have."

Marinette looked at the watch in her hand. The house, the dress, the painting at town hall… somehow they all connected back to her, like fate had brought her to this point. She didn't understand how or why, but deep down in her heart she knew she had to find out.

"Who are you Mr Fu?" She asked. His eyes looked at her softly.

"Just a traveler like you Marinette, seeking truth."

"Marinette." Rose called from the car across the street. "Are you coming?"

"I'll come back and see you again." Marinette promised, shaking Mr Fu's hand.

"I'm sure we will see each other again, from time to time." He replied cryptically.

Marinette waved to Fu and headed across to Rose and her car, a cute little powder blue VW. They've traveled a little along the road before Rose's curiosity got the better of her.

"So who was this artist you mentioned in the shop? Is this the same person as Adrien?"

"No, the artist's name was Nathaniel." Marinette took out the picture of Plagg and showed Rose.

"Oh, a black cat. How interesting. And what happened to him?"

"Well, Ms Bustier said when Adrien was killed, or murdered might be more correct, Nathaniel faded into obscurity."

"I knew it!" Rose exclaimed. Marinette stared at her with wide eyes and Rose just giggled. "Sorry, but a murdered owner can only mean one thing. That house is haunted."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I don't think so, Rose."

"Of course it is." The blonde insisted. "And I've come all prepared with a Ouija board to find out."

"A what now?"

"A Ouija board. We can set it up with my crystals and light some candles…"

"Rose…"

"… and we can have a séance and find out what happened."

"Absolutely not!" Marinette said in alarm. "I am not going to invite some weird arse spirit into my house."

"It's not like that Marinette." Rose said way to cheerfully for Marinette's liking.

"I read about those things. You can't control something like that. What if some evil spawn of Satan decides my house is a great place to harvest souls or something!" Marinette then pointed to the upcoming turn for Rose to take them up to the house.

Once she parked the car, Rose turned to Marinette and grabbed her arm. "Mari, I am sure this is why you have been having these strange dreams. The restless soul of this house is trying to reach out because it was ripped from its life too soon."

Marinette was about to rebut how illogical that sounded when something about what Rose had said struck her. "Hold up, I never said anything about strange dreams to Juleka when she was here."

Rose looked at her like a deer stuck in headlights. "You didn't."

"No, I didn't." Marinette said suspiciously. "Did Luka send you here?"

Rose was biting her bottom lip nervously before opening the door and getting out of the car. Marinette huffed and got out of her side of the car. "Rose." She prodded, looking at her over the car. "I know when you're hiding something."

The little blonde looked away from her. "Ugh, yes kind of." Rose relented. "Juleka and I were talking about you and Luka told me about the dreams you had and asked for my opinion." Marinette threw her hands in the air.

"Seriously!" she said exasperated.

"Don't be mad at Luka." Rose said in an attempt to smooth things over. "He's just worried about you."

"He thinks I'm crazy doesn't he?" Marinette scowled, folding her arms. Rose let out a sigh, taking her overnight bag out of her backseat.

"No, he doesn't think you're crazy." Rose tried to reassure her. "Like I said he's just worried about you so I offered to come and see you and maybe have a bit of girl time."

Marinette couldn't really be mad at Rose. It was just like her to want to come and try to help out in some way if she thought Marinette needed it. She might be a little scatter brained, but her heart was in the right place. Marinette did feel a little cranky at Luka though. It hurt that he didn't believe her and was making her feel like what she had seen was just some kind of delusion.

Later, Marinette and Rose opened the bottle of wine she had bought and sat in front of the lit fireplace. There was a distinct chill in the air now.

"So do you want to tell me about it?" Rose asked. She didn't need to elaborate. Marinette knew what Rose wanted to talk about.

Marinette wasn't sure if she should confide too much in Rose. She had been part of Kitty Section for years, before Marinette had even met any of them, but then again Rose had always been accepting of the paranormal and had even studied tarot reading. She had heard that Rose had even done a séance once with Juleka and Ivan's girlfriend Mylène and they all swore she called up the spirit of Janis Joplin!

"Don't try pulling your psychology stuff with me." Marinette chuckled, feeling like she might have drunk a little too much. "Just because you got a degree in it doesn't mean you can diagnose me."

"It's true, I only did it to learn more about the human mind. I firmly believe that Psychology and Psychic ability are invariably linked and that understanding one helps me to understand the other better." Rose admitted. "But I also learned a few things." She put her own glass down and reached out to grab Marinette's hand. "I know this week must be hard for you with the anniversary of your parents death coming up."

Marinette stared at Rose before looking down into her glass. "You think I'm imagining things because I'm still traumatised by their death. Even after all this time?"

Rose shrugged her shoulder a little. "I'm just saying that the brain can play tricks on people sometimes when they are stressed."

Marinette frowned. "This isn't just seeing things Rose, but smell and touch…I saw a whole man I've never even met before. I can't just imagine that kind of stuff."

Marinette saw sadness and concern flit through Rose's eyes. "You didn't just make it up because Luka won't commit, did you?"

"What? No." Marinette snapped back, annoyed, then she let out a frustrated sigh. "It's not Luka who won't set the date. I know I'm as much to blame for that as he is, but this has nothing to do with me and Luka. I'm hardly going to invent some random guy to make Luka jealous or force him to set a date I can't even do myself."

Marinette cringed a little. She hadn't really meant to say that out loud, even if she knew that avoiding setting a date was really more on her than him.

Rose looked at her thoughtfully. "It would make sense though. When your dad died Luka kind of did fill that father figure void for you. He was a bit older, calmer, and someone who was reliable, and he loves you. But he's not here as much now and maybe in your mind you're trying to find another figure to replace him or…"

Marinette put her glass next to Rose's. "Look, I appreciate what you're doing, but this has nothing to do with my relationship with Luka. Surely you can understand that there are things in life that can't be easily explained. Why can't you at least be a little open minded? I mean, you did that séance right?"

Rose suddenly looked really uncomfortable and wrapped an arm around herself. "Ahhh… about that… the truth is, Juleka told me later that she was manipulating the Ouija board because she wanted to scare Mylène. We didn't really call up a spirit at all."

Somehow Marinette wasn't surprised. "Okay, well aside from that you believe in all that crystal stuff and paranormal activity. I mean you read tarot cards and all that and went on that ghost tour of the Tower of London."

"I believe in ghosts, yes. It's expressly plausible that the soul can be left behind for some purpose. But time travel, Marinette? You're talking about moving through a different dimension. I just can't see how that could be possible."

Marinette stood up with a sigh and poked at the fireplace. "I can't explain it, Rose." Marinette said, sounding resigned to not being believed again. "Somehow I've formed a connection to that time and I need to know the answers. Maybe… maybe there is some way that I can save him."

"Him?"

"Adrien Agreste. Ms Bustier said he was shot dead, but no one really knows what happened."

Rose pondered over what Marinette had said. "Okay, I'm not convinced that you magically found a mystical key to time travel, however I won't rule out the prospect that a spirit of the past, this tortured soul ripped from its earthy body, has somehow made contact with you on a subconscious level. Perhaps you enter some kind of trance state when these episodes occur, watching through a window the events of the past because the victim needs the closure of their death being vindicated and the true perpetrator brought to justice." Rose finished her passionate speech with a hand over her heart.

Yes, like that was much more plausible, Marinette mused to herself. She decided not to say anything though since Rose seemed to have believed her on at least some level.

Rose then took out a deck of playing cards as well as a collection of crystal stones. She then handed the deck to Marinette. "Shuffle the deck, then place three cards face down. I'm going to give you a reading."

Marinette hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure that's a good idea? The last time you gave me a reading you said I would be taking a trip to a large building and I ended up in the hospital with appendicitis."

Rose gave her an indignant look. "I was seventeen then, cut me a little slack. Besides, the cards never lie."

Taking the deck, Marinette gave them a short shuffle before she placed down the three cards. Rose turned over the first card revealing a Queen of Spades. "You're turned yourself up." Rose observed before turning the next card, Two of Spades. "You are going to have to make a hard decision, one that won't just change your life, but will have a profound effect on another's close to you." Marinette could see worry in Rose's eyes as she reached out to turn over the last card, 8 of Diamonds. "You'll be taking a journey to somewhere far away and there will be much happiness for you when you do." Rose then looked up at her hopefully. "Perhaps you'll go with Luka on tour after all."

Marinette only gave her a strained polite smile in return.

~~~~~

The next morning Marinette tried to not look too anxious for Rose to leave. She had spent most of the night thinking about what Ms Bustier had told her. If the mayor at the time insisted that he wasn't the one who killed Adrien in a duel, then who shot him and why? She also needed to find out who this mystery woman was that Aunt Lily had told Ms Bustier was living there with him. Perhaps she held a clue.

Waving Rose goodbye with an assurance she was just fine and yes, she would place the amethyst crystals next to her bed and hang the dream catcher Rose had bought at Fu's shop for her, Marinette raced up the stairs to the attic.

Since the cream lace dress had gotten Adrien's attention at the lake, Marinette decided to wear it again to go and see him. After doing up the buttons, she checked herself in the mirror. It had to be more than a coincidence that she looked so much like the girl in the painting. Marinette's heart then started to race in her chest. Was she really going to talk to him, actually talk to a person from the past? Before she could lose her nerve, Marinette opened the watch and was instantaneously transported back in time.

Looking around it dawned on Marinette that maybe she should have gone outside first so she wouldn't accidentally startle the artist had he been there. Thankfully for Marinette, it appeared the house was empty.

Carefully making her way down the stairs, she came across the piano she had seen Adrien playing the other night. She noticed a photo frame on top, and curiously got the better of her. Picking up the frame, there was a sepia photograph of a couple, a woman with a taller man wearing glasses. The man's features were kind of hard, but the woman seemed much softer. Putting the picture back down, Marinette heard a noise outside and slipped out through the kitchen door. Walking her way back around the porch, she saw him riding up to the house on the same horse he had with him the other day at the lake.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette called out "hello". Adrien pulled up his horse, fixing his eyes towards the woman at the other end of the path.

"Kagami!" He called out, jumping down and running toward her.

"Wait, please." Marinette said, holding up her hands. "I'll stay and talk to you if you stop yelling out at me."

Adrien slowed down, taken aback by the reaction. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he eyed the woman looking at him from the porch. "You're not Kagami." He stated with a frown.

"No, I'm not." She replied, swallowing thickly with nerves. "My name is Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Marinette?" Adrien pondered out loud before shaking his head a little. He then looked back at her, his eyebrows still furrowed. "Can I ask you where you got that dress from?"

Marinette looked down over herself. She couldn't very well tell him she had found it in the attic. "Oh, um… it was a gift." She flubbed. Adrien looked away from her and rubbed the back of his neck.

"So… I guess you were the person I saw the other day down at the lake? And the other night looking through the window?"

Marinette nodded her head and Adrien let out a relieved chuckle. "I thought I was going mad." He admitted, running his fingers through his hair. Marinette was almost felt mesmerised watching him. "You see, Kagami had a dress just like that and from a distance…"

Adrien looked up at her where Marinette was standing on the porch, his emerald eyes focused on her blue. "No, I can see now you're not Kagami. She had hazel eyes and you…" His ability to form words suddenly failed him. There was something about her, almost familar, even though he knew they had never really met before.

"I'm sorry." Marinette said awkwardly, trying to fill the silence.

"Why should you be sorry?" Adrien asked.

"Because I'm not Kagami."

He then smiled at her in a way Marinette didn't think anyone had ever smiled at her before, so soft and full of sunshine. "Don't be sorry for that. I'm not."

The horse let out a whinny and they both turned to look as it stamped its foot and shook its head. "I think she's hungry. Would you… like to come with me down to the stables?"

Adrien grabbed the reins and Marinette walked down the stairs, reaching out to stroke the horse's head. "She's beautiful. Is she yours?"

"She was my mother's." He said with a soft smile as they began to walk. "Her name is Mayura. She's the mother of one of our best racers, Flarmidable. Have you heard of Akuma Stables?" Marinette shook her head.

"I've only just recently moved here from Paris." She said innocently. Well it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Ah, well it was my father's company anyway with his business partner Tomoe Tsurugi. That's Kagami's mother." There was a flit of sadness pass his eyes before he continued. "After my father died, most of the business went to the Tsurugi's. I just keep a few horses here now. My cousin, Félix, races Flairmidable in London." He then stopped and waved to someone in the distance. "Hey Nino!"

A young man in glasses wearing a peaky cap jogged up to them and took Mayura's bridle. Adrien shook the man's hand warmly and then turned to Marinette.

"May I introduce the best horse trainer in Paris, Nino Lahiffe. Nino, this is a new neighbour of ours, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Nino held out his hand to her. "Nice to meet you, Marinette. That beautiful woman over there is my wife Alya."

Alya sat down the bucket of feed she was carrying, wiping her hands on her apron and extending her hand. "Welcome to our little town. I hope we get to see each other more often."

Nino tugged on Mayura and took her down to her stall. Marinette looked in on the other horses while Alya tipped the feed into the trough. There were two more horses in the stable. "The feisty Appaloosa there is Kaalki." Adrien pointed out. Kaalki whinnied and stomped about. "He'll go join Flarmidable soon. He's anxious to stretch his legs I think. And the quiet chestnut mare down the end is Tikki. She doesn't race, but she's one of Mayura's offspring, so I keep her for sentimental reasons."

Marinette walked up to Tikki who nudged her with her snout and Marinette stroked her head and mane. Adrien stepped up beside her and patted the other side of Tikki's head. "Do you ride?" He asked. Marinette shook her head.

"I always wanted to learn, but there wasn't much of a reason to while living in the city."

"I guess not." Adrien agreed. "So have you always lived in Paris with your family?"

Marinette hesitated and Adrien started to panic. "I'm sorry, you don't know me and it's not really my business."

"No, it's alright." Marinette reassured him softly. "I did live there with my parents. They owned a bakery, one of the best. A few years ago they were killed in an accident while on holiday. I was supposed to have been there with them, but was sick at the time, so I wasn't there. I guess I had a bit of a case of survivor's guilt because if I had been there, I might have died too. I miss them everyday, and yet I know nothing I can do can change what happens to them. I can only live the best life I can for them."

Marinette gave him a watery smile before focusing back on Tikki. Adrien wasn't sure how to respond to her. He didn't like seeing the tears that had formed in her eyes. Kagami wasn't one to express herself so openly, not even with him, and yet he had known her most of his life. Here was a girl he had just met, and yet she opened up her heart to him. Taking out an apple and a pocket knife from his satchel bag, Adrien cut off some of the apple and handed it to Marinette. "Would you like to give it to her?"

Marinette took the Apple and went to hold it up when Adrien took her hand. "Wait, she'll accidentally nibble your fingers. Here, like this."

Gently, Adrien flattened out her hand and Marinette felt her heart pounding in her chest at his touch. Her eyes found his warm emerald ones smiling at her and she started to feel lost in them before something warm and wet drew her attention back to her hand. Tikki ate up the apple and then nuzzled Marinette's face, her soft velvety nose tickling her and making her giggle.

"I think she likes you." Adrien said, amused at the two of them. "If you'd like, I'd be happy to teach you to ride. Tikki's quite gentle and perfect for a learner."

Marinette could feel her face start to blush under his soft gaze. She looked back at Tikki and caught in her eye the engagement ring on her finger. Flustered, she dropped her hand away. What was she doing here like this? Being this close to him she couldn't avoid seeing how very handsome Adrien was, but more than that, there was a genuine kindness to him, the sort of kindness that gives and doesn't ask anything in return and it was doing things to her heart and she wasn't intending to happen.

"I…um… I should really go." Marinette said, taking a few steps back. She couldn't breath and she could see the worry on his face. "It's getting late and I have to back get, I mean get back because there is a stove and food and dinner making and I um…"

Marinette could practically feel her face burning as she turned and fled out of the stable.

"Marinette." She heard Adrien call after her, but she didn't look back. Racing past Nino and Alya she disappeared amongst the trees near the sables and opened the watch, transporting back to 1975.

In the distance she heard a truck roll by on the main road, beeping its horn and she realised it was already quite late. Dusting herself off, she picked up her dress and headed back to the house. Once she had taken the dress off and had a hot shower she sat on the end of her bed wrapped in her towel and her wet hair hanging around her shoulders.

Marinette's eyes rested on her dresser and the picture of her and Luka she kept there. The photo was taken a few days after they had announced their engagement and Luka's mother, Anarka, had thrown them a party to celebrate. Picking it up, she ran her fingers over Luka's face, with his arm around her, his clear blue eyes smiling at the camera. She felt a prang in her chest, a guilty prang. Putting the picture back down, Marinette shook her head. She hadn't done anything wrong to feel guilty about and she felt like a perfect idiot for running away from Adrien the way she did. He was just being nice to her.

She stood at the window, looking out over the field of flowers, and a furrow formed across her brow. Nice… why would anyone want to kill someone who was so nice and kind. Was there something about Adrien that he was hiding? A dark side maybe? It didn't make sense.

One thing Marinette did know was that she was determined to find the answers and that meant pushing aside whatever this strange feeling was and going back.