Hello, Sapphire checking in! Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed! RebekMiraculous, thanks for loving my story! Your review really motivated me. One thing I meant to mention last chapter but forgot to is that this story has many things about foster care. I do not know how the system works in France. This is completely based on the system in the US. If this is inaccurate, I apologize that it is, but changing it will ruin the plot I have for the story. If this bothers you, I'm sorry. Also, I've decided that this is post Season 3, so it will contain spoilers from now on. Marinette is the Guardian, and she decided to give the Miraculous holders their Miraculous permanently (including Chloe and Kagami), so they will show up more frequently from here on out.

Helping Hand

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When Adrien got up the next morning, his body protested any and all movement. He let out a low moan.

"Adrien, please run away from here. He could kill you next time," Plagg begged him.

"He threatened to target my friends. I can't let Nino and Marinette get hurt by him," Adrian protested.

"But look at yourself! You can barely move! How are you supposed to fight as Chat Noir if you have bruised ribs?" Plagg protested. "Besides, I think that the two of them are capable of defending themselves."

"I'll talk to Celine and see what she has to say," Adrian promised. "She'll probably be able to help me."
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"Marinette, do you know where Adrian is?" Celine asked her when she got to school.

"Um, I think that his car pulled up, if that's what you're asking," Marinette replied.

A smile broke out over Celine's face. "Great! I've been wanting to ask him something!"

Marinette narrowed her eyes. "You don't like him, do you?" she asked.

"Um, I wanted to ask if he had a twin sister go missing. I don't plan on stealing him from you," Celine reassured her. "He looks way too much like me for me to comfortably date him, anyways. And I'm also asexual, so I wouldn't be interested anyways."

Marinette's face was bright red. "We aren't dating, but I'd like us to be," she muttered.

"It's slightly obvious. I think that everyone knows you like him except him," Alya chirped up from behind them, Nino beside her.

"Speaking of 'him,' I'm gonna go find him," Celine said and walked away.

She went to the classroom and saw Adrian at his desk, preparing his things for the day.

"Hey, Adrian! I've got a couple things I'd like to ask you if you'll come with me," Celine called over to him.

"Okay, I wanted to ask you something as well," Adrian replied and moved to follow her.

Celine led him to the locker room and double checked to make sure that the two of them were alone. Then she dropped the bombshell.

"You need to talk with my social worker, don't you," she stated.

"How did you know? I was just about to ask that," Adrian replied.

Celine smiled sadly. "You showed the signs of an abused child. I should know. I was the one hiding the bruises a few years ago."

"My father has threatened to go after Marinette and Nino if I tell anyone. That's why I hid this. But I'm so tired of hiding my pain. Can you help me get away from him?" Adrian asked her.

"That's what I took you here for. I was thinking, since we look enough alike, maybe we could get away with changing places long enough to fool your bodyguard and that stiff lady that works for your father. Then I can gather evidence that your father is abusing you without you being in danger of getting hurt worse than you already are," Celine offered.

Adrian frowned. "I don't like the idea of you getting hurt in my place," he protested. "And what about your hair?"

Celine raised an eyebrow. "One, I think if you can survive years of your father abusing you, I can survive a day. I'm also fully capable of defending myself. Two, I can hide my hair under a hat. It's November. It's reasonable to wear one."

"What about your voice?" Adrian pointed out. "It's too feminine to be mine."

"I just won't talk. It can't be that hard," Celine replied.

"Fine. But I still don't like the idea of you risking yourself for me," Adrian finally gave in.

"Good." Celine moved to leave the locker room. "Anything to help one of Paris' heroes, after all," she said with a wink, leaving behind a shell-shocked Adrian.

OooOOOOooo

As the school day came to a close, Adrian and Celine met in the locker room once again.

"Once everyone has left, we'll face back-to-back and switch our clothes," Celine informed Adrian.

"I'm not giving you my ring," Adrian told her.

"I'm not expecting you to. Just the clothes. I can hide my right hand, it won't be that hard," Celine informed him.

Once everyone had emptied out of the locker room, they carried out their plan. Celine led Adrian to her car, pretending to be following Adrian. She waved goodbye to her friends and left to get in Adrian's car.

No one talked to Celine for the duration of the car ride, and that was completely fine with her. She wasn't about to talk to them, either.

They pulled up to Adrian's home, and damn! Celine had assumed that Adrian's father was rich because their car was expensive, but the place was a mansion! Every single sibling of hers could have their own room in that place, and she had 9!

Celine was escorted into the house. An angry Gabriel Agreste was standing on a huge staircase waiting for her.

"You're 20 minutes later than you normally are. Are you so willing to displease me after last night? You know I can hurt your friends, Adrian, and I will hurt you. You will be on time or the beating I will give you right now will be given to your little girlfriend, Marinette. Who knows? Maybe I can find someone who is willing to hurt her worse than a few punches? And I won't leave out your best friend, Nino, either. I can arrange for him to get hit by a car if you continue to defy me," Adrian's father snarled.

Celine's blood boiled. This is what Adrian had been going through? No wonder he took so long to tell anyone about the abuse. Gabriel Agreste obviously had money and was perfectly capable of carrying out the threats he imposed on his friends.

Gabriel grabbed Celine's arm and dragged her to what she assumed was Adrian's room. She felt herself get shoved to the ground and had a flashback to when this had been a daily thing for her.

"You little bitch! You are such a failure! No one will ever love a child like you!"

Suddenly a voice snarled from the window of Adrian's room, "Get your filthy hands off her!"
Chat Noir stood there, brimming with absolute fury.

"Her? My son is a boy," Gabriel stated, but complied to let Celine go.

"You are the worst parent I have ever met," Celine stated, and saw Gabriel's face transform in shock. "You couldn't even tell that I'm not your son. And the things you threatened to do to Adrian's friends? That was absolutely sick!"

"Madeline?" Gabriel Agreste whispered.

"So is that what my birthname is? Hello, Father. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but it's really not."

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