"Miraculous Mister Bug!" Mister Bug cleansed the akuma and watched anxiously as the ladybugs set about cleaning up Paris. Swiping a finger across his lips, he pulled it back to examine it and sighed in relief.

"No blood." He whispered to himself, thinking back to their kiss. His thoughts were interrupted by the shouts of the reporters

"Chat Noi- I mean, Mister Bug! What happened to Ladybug? Can you tell us of her condition?"

"Mister Bug!" Another shouted. "Why have you taken on the ladybug suit? Is ladybug really injured?"

"Mister Bug!" A third waved in his face. "Can you tell us if Ladybug will be returning?"

But even with all the shouting, Mister Bug had eyes for only one reporter, the one currently crumpled on the sidewalk, weeping openly into her boyfriend's arms.

She knows.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug.

And Alya knows.

As if hearing his thoughts, Alya's head snapped to him. She looked him over, their eyes meeting, and she frowned, eyebrows scrunching in thought.

"I'm sorry." He mouthed, unsure how to comfort her otherwise. She nodded, as if understanding, and Chat Noir flung himself up to the rooftops, vaulting away from them and toward his lady, mind racing. He couldn't answer their questions because, to be honest, he wasn't sure. Would his ladybugs fix damage from when she was fighting as ladybug? Could they heal injuries that deep? Could they..bring someone back to life? He shook his head as he landed on the rooftop above where he'd left her. She couldn't have died. She just couldn't. It was impossible. Dropping down into the alley, he felt his heart sink when Marinette was still laying right where he left her, eyes closed and still. The blood was gone but she was pale..so deathly pale.

"Plagg?" He whispered, his heartbeat pounding so loudly in his ears that it blocked out the beeping of his miraculous.

"I'm here kid." Plagg flew up to be face to face with Mister Bug, his ears droopy and tail swishing lightly behind him. "She's alive, just sleeping." Plagg confirmed, causing Mister Bug to let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Gasping for another, he began to cry. "Oh, kid." Plagg cuddled into his chosen's cheek as Mister Bug collapsed on the dirt, his body wracked with sobs.

"Plagg, I-" Mister Bug choked as the final beep of his miraculous sounded.

"I know, kitten. I know." Plagg tried his best to comfort his boy, still feeling unwell himself. It never got better, watching his charges die. Even when he'd done it millions of times over the years. Even if the mini bug wasn't necessarily his to look after, she mattered to Tikki, so she mattered to him.

"Did she..was she..?" Mister Bug was forced to detransform as his time ran out and Tikki landed on his shoulder, exhausted.

"Marinette?" She whispered, looking to her chosen.

"She's just sleeping it off." Plagg assured, his eyes downcast. "Your ladybugs brought her back."

"Will she be okay?" Adrien asked, rubbing the moisture from his eyes.

"Dying and being brought back is no joke." Plagg shook his little head, glancing back at Marinette. "She's strong. She'll be alright with time."

"I should get her home. Her parents-" He stopped suddenly. Her parents had no idea who she was. If Marinette had died and not come back..they would have never known what happened to their daughter. "Alya, will be worried about her. Plagg, Claws out!" Chat Noir stood, took a deep breath, and then helped Tikki into Marinette's purse. "I'll carry you both home. I wish I could stay, but I should be getting picked up from my fencing lesson any minute now."

"I understand Chat Noir. I'll tell Marinette that you wanted to stay, but couldn't. She'll appreciate it."

"Thank you, Tikki." He gently rubbed the kwami's head and sighed as she disappeared into the bag. "Come on, bug. You've had a long day." He bent down to Marinette and hoisted her up into his arms, tucking her head against his shoulder and making sure he had a good grip before taking off towards the patisserie. As he carried her for the first time since she'd been stabbed, the image of her in his arms kept running through his head. Seeing her covered in her own blood and holding onto him because her life depended on it..

"Thank kwami." He murmured when he found her trapdoor to be unlocked. Slinking in as gracefully as he could with her nearly lifeless in his arms, he lay her carefully against her pillows and tucked her in. For the first time since he'd come back to the alley, she moved. Watching as she stretched then curled into her covers, Chat Noir let out a grateful sigh. She was going to be okay.

"Chat?" She murmured sleepily, reaching out for him with one hand.

"Right here Bug." He took her hand and she smiled, then frowned.

"I died." She whispered it quietly, like it was a secret, and Chat Noir bit his lip to keep from breaking into tears again.

"Yeah. I'm-" Sorry? Was that the right word? No. Sorry wasn't a big enough word for describing how much he regretted not seeing the akuma's plan sooner. "I'm an idiot. I should have seen what he was going to do. I should have taken the hit, I should-"

"You always take the hit." She squeezed his hand and Chat glanced up at her face.

"Can you open your eyes?" He asked quickly, not really even thinking the words before they were leaving his mouth.

"Huh?" She hummed in response and he was suddenly very, very nervous.

"B-before you died..you had your eyes closed. I just-"

"Chaton." Marinette sighed, opening her eyes slowly. She blinked against the light and Chat smiled, letting out a breath of air.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I saw it a moment too late. I didn't have time to jump out of the way."

"It's okay. You're alright now. The akumas gone." And it was surprisingly easy, he remembered, thinking back to when he had returned to the fight. Had Shadowmoth been holding back? Surely not. Adrien must have been so angry and upset that it translated to fighting better for his lady's sake. There was no way Shadowmoth would ever regret harming one of them; he'd done it a hundred times or more before without a care in the world.

"Do you still have my earrings?"

"Oh yeah, here-" He began to reach for his ears but she stopped him, her hand back on his.

"Don't. Keep them."

"What? No." He sat back suddenly, eyes locked with hers. "You can't mean that."

"I do." She sat up slowly, face screwing up in pain.

"You're still hurt!" Chat reached for her, planning to look for injuries, but she shooed him away.

"I'm fine. Just- sore." She huffed as she lay back against the pillows. "I meant what I said. I want you to keep the earrings."

"Marinette!" Tikki scolded. "You are my chosen! I will not leave you!"

"You'll do what I say, won't you? You have to." Marinette protested, arms crossing in defiance. Tikki gasped and flew backwards in shock.

"Marinette, you wouldn't control Tikki. You definitely don't mean that." Chat Noir reached out to comfort the tiny god and Marinette took a quick look at her kwami before nodding.

"You're right. I wouldn't. But I'm done with my miraculous. I still want you to keep it and..and Tikki." Marinette looked away from her kwami and bit her lip.

"Marinette, I can't take the ladybug and the black cat together. It's too dangerous. You of all people should know that."

"Then give it to someone else. A new ladybug." Marinette refused to look at him, even as he scooted across the bed to be closer to her.

"Marinette, what's bringing this on? Are you afraid-"

"No!" Marinette yelled, pushing him away from her body. "I just don't want to do this anymore, okay? I'm done. I can't do it anymore."

"Mari, if I leave you here without Tikki, you'll be unprotected. I can't do that to you."

"I won't be unprotected. I'm the guardian, remember? I have a whole box full of kwami to take care of. And even if I didn't, nobody knows I'm Ladybug. I'd be like every other citizen of Paris."

"So Alya doesn't know then?" Chat asked, one eyebrow raised. "Could have fooled me."

"How did you know about Alya?" Marinette suddenly shot straight up, but winced in pain and slowly slunk back down to the pillows.

"I saw her. After the fight today." He decided to leave out the part about Nino spilling their identities. Surely she didn't need that stress at the moment, and it wasn't like Nino had told just anyone. He'd told Chat Noir…kinda. "She looked terrible. After knowing who you were I kind of put it together."

"I should call her." Marinette reached for her purse and dug out her phone, sending Alya a quick 'I'm home' text. "Knowing Alya she'll be here in fifteen minutes or less. You should leave."

"Marinette, please, take your earrings back."

"No." She turned to look at Tikki one more time before looking away. "I renounce you Tikki."

"Marinette!" Tikki whimpered and Chat Noir hurried to grab the kwami, cradling her to his chest.

"Please." Marinette begged. "Just leave. I..I want to be alone." Marinette bowed her head and Chat Noir nodded, holding Tikki tight as he disappeared through the trap door. "I'll be back to check on you later..if that's alright." He called down, mind still racing from everything that had happened.

"Um..sure." Came Marinette's answer, just before she slammed the trap door shut, effectively ending anymore potential conversation.

The click of a lock ended her time as Ladybug.