"Come on, we've got to go see Marinette." Adrien stomped around his bedroom, kicking off his shoes and changing into his pajamas. As Plagg flew to his cheese stash, Tikki watched Adrien closely.

"Adrien, your father said you have a fitting and a shoot. Shouldn't we wait until after those?" She began, flitting towards the boy.

"He's a jerk. I'm done doing what he asks. Plagg, claws out."

"Adrien," Tikki tried again, voice filled with worry. "It's not okay how he treats you, but you also can't risk your identity."

Chat Noir stood on the edge of Adrien's bedroom windows, eyes focused on the city around him, but mind still reeling from the events of the day.

"It's not about me right now, Tikki. We have to help Marinette. You coming or not?"

"Right behind you." Tikki answered as Chat Noir dropped from the window, vaulting across rooftops towards the bakery. He landed on Marinette's balcony with a small thud and knocked on the trapdoor as quietly as he could manage. Within moments Marinette peeked through the opening and motioned him inside, disappearing back into the room herself. Dropping down, Chat found Marinette at her desk, leaning over a notebook and writing lazily as the latest Jagged Stone single played softly in the background. She almost looked relaxed, happy, but Chat could tell by the tenseness of her shoulders that she was anything but.

"M'lady," He began as he took a step closer. "I was-"

"Don't call me that. I'm not Ladybug anymore."

"Princess then." Chat acquiesced. "I'm here to return your miraculous."

"MY miraculous are all tucked away in the miracle box. If you mean you plan on giving me one of your miraculous, then I'm afraid you'll be out of luck. I don't want the ladybug miraculous back. Either keep it or find it a new holder. Ladybug is not my problem anymore."

"Marinette," Chat sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm worried. This isn't like you. Don't you remember that day after Stone Heart? Your vowed to protect Paris. And now you're leaving it just like that?" At Marinette's silence, Chat continued. "You promised, Princess. Why are you breaking it now?"

"I just am, okay?" Marinette huffed, slamming her pencil down on her desk and standing up from her chair in one swift movement. "Nothing I said before now matters. Nothing."

"Not even when you said you loved me?"

The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think them through and now, seeing her face with her eyes wide open, eyebrows raised and mouth open in shock, he wished so desperately to take them back. Until she took a breath and murmured back to him.

"No. No. That still matters." Marinette swallowed against the sand in her throat as Chat Noir leaned in close, eyes meeting hers.

"What about when we kissed? Does that still matter?" He reached out, hands encircling her waist and bringing her close.

"Yes. Of course it does, Chat. Of course."

"What about Buttercup?" He whispered, lips inches from hers as he reached down to gently stroke the side of her face.

"He's history to me."

"Are you sure?" Chat watched her closely, looking for any sign of indecision in her eyes. Had she really been in love with him, or was it a side affect of thinking she was going to die?

"I have been for weeks." She admitted, biting her lip. "When I thought I was dying…I wanted to confess before I lost the chance. I wasn't sure Tikki could bring me back."

"But you seemed so confident."

"Just for you, Kitty." Her lips met his and Chat smiled into the kiss and gently, mindful of his claws, raised both hands to cup her face.

"I love you too, Marinette."

"Not just because I was Ladybug?" She looked up at him and he laughed, shaking his head.

"Are you kidding? When you detransformed, when I saw who you were..when I merged both sides of you into one..I've- Princess, I've never loved anyone more, not even Ladybug." Chat realized how weird that must sound to Marinette, not knowing he was Adrien. How could he explain it to her when all her experiences with him as Chat were either as Ladybug or Multimouse? Or that time with Nathaniel..or the time when she was in that bubble..The more he thought about it the more he realized that he should have known exactly who Ladybug was from the start. Though on the other hand, the more he thought about it the more confused he became. "When you were Multimouse…was that?"

"A clever use of Mirage to throw you off my identity? Yes." Marinette giggled. "Turns out I didn't need it, since you didn't even know why your kwami was at my school, but I was convinced we went to school together. I thought you'd figure me out."

"About that," Chat started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Now that I know who you are do you.."

"Not yet." Marinette smiled and he sighed, a frown already beginning to form. "Kitty, don't pout." Marinette giggled and rolled her eyes. "I said yet. I need time to process everything that's happened. But I do want to know. Soon."

"I can wait." Chat hurried to vow, ears peeking up immediately.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. Now, as much as I enjoy having you here, I have school in the morning. You should go."

"Before I go..take Tikki back. Please. She misses you."

"I don't want her back." Marinette's smile dropped and Chat recoiled at the look on her face.

"Marinette, how can you say that? She's your kwami. She's been talking about you all day. She wants to come home."

"I don't want to be Ladybug anymore, Chat. Never again."

"If you're scared or hurting or-"

"I'm not scared! Just go, okay? I know you can handle the akumas for now. And if you need them, I'll get you some of the other miraculous for the temporary holders. You know where to find me."

"I can't do it without you, M'lady."

"You don't get a choice in this."

"Like most things in my life." Chat grumbled and Marinette raised an eyebrow, trying to decipher the true meaning behind those words.

"Chat, I-"

"If you won't take Tikki back, I guess we'll move on to Plan B."

"What's Plan B?" Marinette asked as Chat turned away from her and fled out to the balcony. Marinette followed, watching as Chat made his way to the next roof over.

"Wait! What's Plan B?"

~•••••~

"Adrien? What's Plan B?" Tikki asked as Adrien paced back and forth across his bedroom floor.

"Whatever he's thinking, must be bad. He rarely paces." Plagg mused around a wedge of Camembert. "He looks almost like…" Plagg's eyes widened. "Kid, you better not be thinking what I'm thinking you're thinking!"

"What is he thinking?" Tikki cried as Adrien began to mumble.

As he paced, all Adrien could think about was what Marinette had said.

"If you plan on giving me one of your miraculous, then I'm afraid you'll be out of luck. I don't want the ladybug miraculous back." He repeated, looking at Plagg.

"No." Plagg argued, crossing his tiny arms. "No way."

"What is going on!" Tikki exclaimed, tired of being left out. "What is Plan B?"

"She said she didn't want to be ladybug anymore. She never said anything about Lady Noire."

"You want Plagg to replace me as Marinette's kwami?" Tikki whimpered, almost on her way to another bout of tears.

"Only temporarily!" Adrien hurried to comfort the tiny god. "Plagg had a certain way of nagging you until you do what he wants. With Plagg around, Marinette will be begging to switch back."

"This is a stupid idea." Plagg rolled his eyes and started to float away.

"You know.." Tikki smiled sweetly, floating after Plagg. "Marinette does live about the best bakery in Paris."

"So? What's that gotta do with me?" Plagg pouted, turning his back on his kwami friend.

"Well just this morning alone, Marinette's dad made at least ten trays of cheese danishes. I mean, there was just so much cheese, one could hardly find some good cookies to eat." Tikki giggled as Plagg groaned and grabbed a piece of Camembert for the road.

"I know what you're doing and I'm in."