I set my pool bag down in one of the many private changing areas and Plagg makes his appearance.

"I'm going to have to break it to you because I'm the only one who can, this is totally insane! Jumping into freezing water first thing in the morning when we can be peacefully eating cheese," I smirk at my kwami's typical behavior and upset the swim bag which I had filled with Camembert earlier in the morning.

Plagg dives right into the bag, "I take back everything I said, everything is great," he says, throwing a piece of the smelly cheese into his mouth and then another.

I remove my clothes and set them beside my bag. I had to wear my swim outfit underneath my regular clothes being that my pool bag is filled with cheese.

Stepping up onto the diving platform, I look towards Bob Roth in a signal that I'm ready. I don't know exactly what ad I'm filming for, they all seem to blend together, but I do know my task.

I stand observant as Mr. Roth talks to my father and then Mr. Ramier. I can't hear what either of the men are saying so I go over the stunt in my head. On his call I'm supposed to do a double front tuck into the pool.

Mr. Roth picks up the tablet with my father displayed on it as he yells, action! Mr. Ramier blows the bird whistle and it seems as though the birds follow me as I execute the dive perfectly into the water. With little warm up it was hard to do but I know the first take of anything is never good enough for my father. I don't think I have filmed an ad with less than 5 takes of any scene.

I shiver as I get out of the pool, Plagg wasn't wrong, the pool did seem especially cold this morning. Walking over to Bob Roth and Mr. Ramier, I can hear my father speaking.

"We've got magical Paris and eternal Paris but we're missing romantic Paris... A red rose, I want one of these doves to bring a rose in mid-flight to my son. He'll take it in between his teeth right before he enters the water. That will be perfect."

One of Mr. Ramier's birds flies over to his open case and grabs a rose when he uses the bird call once again, the bird lands on his shoulder as Mr. Ramier says, "you can count on Edgar, no animal is more obedient than this sweet little pigeon."

"Dove!" Mr. Roth is quick to protest, of course he was lying to my father, "they're doves!"

"Hang on," I try to speak up, "I'm allergic to pigeons. If they get too close, I'll-"

Bob is quick to cut me off as well, "nothing will happen because they're doves!"

"I'll give you thirty minutes to set this all up," my father says before the tablet screen goes black signaling he has ended the call.

"You heard the man, Ramier" Bob Roth glares at him, "you better not let me down."

Feeling bad, but knowing there is not much I can do, I walk back around and climb the steps that lead back to the diving platform.

"Action!" Mr. Roth shouts and I raise my arms in preparation.

As suspected when the pigeon comes close with the rose, I end up sneezing. This scares the pigeons and I'm unable to execute any sort of dive.

My head quickly resurfaces and I hear Bob Roth scolding Mr. Ramier.

"Your pigeon isn't up for the job! He's not supposed to come back with the rose!"

"The sneeze frightened him," Mr. Ramier tries to defend the bird.

"I told you I'm allergic to pigeons," I say as I climb out and onto the pool deck but end up sneezing again with all the pigeons around.

"Here, for your allergy to the doves," Mr. Roth snarls as he hands me a nose plug.

I accept it, knowing there isn't much of a way around this. They are uncomfortably tight but I suppose that makes them practical for backstrokers.

Back on the diving platform again, I hear the bird call and glance at the pigeons flying up around me. I jump and am about to grab the rose from the bird when something catches my eye. I swear I think I see Marinette holding a Kagami who is clearly struggling to get out of her grasp. I forget all about the stunt until I smack against the water.

"This can not be happening!" Bob Roth's voice is frustrated and loud, "how complicated is it to deliver a rose in mid-flight to a model in mid-dive?"

"It's my fault," I say, vouching once again for the accident, "I thought I saw one of my friends from school."

"Well, I don't see anyone, except for a stupid bird that's incapable of doing what it's been asked to do and that's going to get banned from all of Paris, if it continues to ruin the rehearsals for my commercial!" Mr. Roth is in Mr. Ramier's face as he continues shouting.

I make my way back up the stairs to the diving platform once more. Marinette and Kagami cross my mind as I step onto the platform but I know it must've been a trick of my mind. The pool is closed with Gorilla guarding the door, there is no way they could have gotten in.

My father is back on the tablet, I can't hear what any of them are saying until Mr. Roth screams action once more. Mr. Ramier with his bird call makes the pigeons fly up towards me once again. I know I have to clear my head, my father is watching. Before I have the opportunity to jump I think I hear something behind me. I turn my head slightly and she stumbles into me and we both end up flying off the diving platform.

"Marinette?" I gasp, maybe I had seen her before.

Then there is a splash as we fall into the water.

"Marinette, what on earth are you doing here?" I ask her as we climb out of the pool.

"Oh, me? I just came here to do a few laps and wind you up- I mean, unwind, how 'bout you?"

"Well, we're in rehearsal for a commercial," I explained to her, "the pool is supposed to be closed."

"Oh, closed! That's why there was nobody at the front desk!" she exclaims, "oh boy, I wouldn't want to kiss you- keep you, keep you from your job, so I'll be on my way," she giggles as she stands but trips into a few crates.

I would go after her but I know better, my father wouldn't like it. I have to finish the commercial. I didn't think it could happen, it always felt like a fantasy when people described affection. There was a sense of lightness though as if I was floating on air. It was like we were in a meadow surrounded by bubbles and she looked adorable in her pink swimsuit. Then, the bubbles popped with the harsh slap of reality.

"You're fired!" Bob Roth yells, "Now get out!" he points toward the door.

Mr. Ramier drops his head as he goes to leave. All he wanted was a place in Paris for his pigeons.

"Mr.Ramier," I try to reach after him.

"I failed," he says, solemnly.

Bob was explaining a new plan, or maybe he wasn't, I couldn't listen too well with my mind distracted by other things. A flock of pigeons flying into the pool gets both of our attention. I try to run away, it's clear from the black feathers, that these aren't normal pigeons.

"Mr. Pigeon," I gasp, Mr. Ramier must be akumatized again. I have to go find Plagg so I can transform. I'm so close, I almost think I can make it until I sneeze. This causes me to trip and I stumble into the wall. The last thing I see before I become a pigeon myself is Ladybug. I know she'll save me, save Paris, she always does. I just hope she can do it without Chat Noir this time.

~~~~~~~~~

"Happy to see you again, Adrien," Plagg greets me now that I'm no longer a bird, "so, still allergic to pigeons?"

I sneeze as a feather lands on my shoulder, "just as always, Plagg."

I notice as Ladybug lands beside Mr. Ramier, I can't hear what they are saying from where I am but Rena Rogue appears too. She has paper in her hands but I'm unable to tell what they are.

Ladybug's suit changes its pattern and she hands something to Mr. Ramier. I can't tell what it is but it's clear they are all happy.

"We'll never be Paris' villains again!" He cheers as the pigeons follow him to leave the pool.

"That girl is truly miraculous," I swoon.

My mind goes back to Marinette, was she alright? It was most likely with her around the pool that she had been transformed into a pigeon, so she should be unharmed, at least, I hope so.

I changed back into my normal clothes. It seems as if Mr. Roth didn't want to continue the commercial after the incident.

Walking out of the pool, I see Marinette standing, under the black umbrella, the one I gave her. If nothing else I'm just happy to know she is alright. I strike up a conversation, if only to distract myself from imagining her in the pink swimsuit once again.

"Wow, you've had it all this time?" I ask her.

"Oh yeah, it's just sorry- I mean sorry, you're right this is your embrace- I mean umbrella you let me kiss- keep, keep, I can finally gaze- give it back," she tries to extend the umbrella to me.

"You're going to need it to get through all this," I say, pushing it back towards her.

"That's true."

My bodyguard pulls up with the car, I don't want my time with her to end.

"Or maybe we could drop you off?" I suggest.

Marinette nods and stands beside me to shelter us both from the rain. She ends up accidentally closing the umbrella and I laugh as I remember the first time I had given her the umbrella and she did a similar thing.

"We've got an umbrella, why don't we use it?" Marinette suggests now, "we could walk home, what do you say?"

My gut reaction is to say yes, I would love to walk home with Marinette, I know better than that. Glancing up and seeing Gorilla still waiting is a reminder of that.

"I... I have Chinese class, you know how demanding my father is, but see you tomorrow at school."

"Yes, see you tomorrow, Adrien," Marinette agrees.

I run to the car and turn back to Marinette and hit my head as I try to enter the car. We both laugh a little bit, she's so pretty when she laughs. She gives me a small wave as I actually enter the car this time.

I exhale as I enter the guard, yeah, she's pretty miraculous too.