If you asked Adrien or Marinette how much time they spent in that courtroom, they wouldn't have an answer.

The truth was several days. They were testifying against Bianca Furtoli and Edward Savage. Every other employee under them would also face the judge, but to spare the victims, Adrien and Marinette's presence was only required for the first two.

How can justice be served for such terrible atrocities? Where does one even start? This had been the hot debate on the news and talk shows for many weeks following the incident.

But now, it was time to face whatever punishment the court thought suited them. This meant dredging up everything, footage, testimonies, and extremely painful memories.

On that gloomy gray March day, Marinette and Adrien may as well have been back in their dungeon. As it was, they sat at a table in the front of the courtroom, while the voices of the spectators washed over them. Their families and Alya, Nino, and Chloe sat behind them, as a wall of solitude, and a source of comfort.

The Palais de Justice was a beautiful historic building, the gothic fortress where Marie Antoinette met her end. A truly monumental chamber to hold the biggest trial in recent Parisian history. And since it was such a huge trial, the State of France decided to move the trial straight up to the Cour de Cassation, the Supreme Court. Marinette glanced around the room, letting her attention wander over the gold plated rococo filigree scrawled along the walls and ceiling. There was so much to take in, she could get lost in it. She wished she could.

They were flanked on either side, a lawyer next to Marinette, and Adrien's bodyguard on the outside by Adrien. Police officers stood in every corner.

It was a picture of order and safety. Nothing bad could happen.

Marinette repeated this to herself, even as the hulking, orange suited form of Edward Savauge was led in, four officers connected to him with handcuffs. Though he was clearly outnumbered, he still looked like he could take all of the officers binding him. Strong and smart, a deadly combination.

The Judges entered, nine in total. With one man to preside over them as the president. A rotund man with large jowls and a long pointed nose. His eyes were dark, inset, and held no mercy. This was a man that would decide the future of all those that had harmed Marinette and Adrien:

Magistrate Severin Madeesi.

As Edward approached the bench, the courtroom grew dark. Dark as night. Just like the night in the alley way when it all began.

The walls were washed into shipping containers. Bright lights shone forward, casting Edward's inhuman shadow on the wall.

Judge Madeesi stood where that young man had stood before he was gunned down. But this man was unafraid, stoic, and serious.

"This is a criminal case brought by the City of Paris charging the defendant, Edward Savauge, with act of assisting in the kidnap and torture of Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The City claims that Savauge, with an impulsive intent to cause harm, enlisted the help of several men to subdue and torture a minor and young adult. While initially cleared of involvement, new evidence has come to light and the case is to be reviewed."

The judge looked up, the headlights from the vehicle turning his glasses white. "Mr. Savauge, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

This was the moment. The men around Savauge withdrew their guns, aiming them at the judge.

"Nothing personal kid."

"RUN!" Marinette screamed. "DON'T SHOOT!"

—

She hadn't even lasted five minutes in the courtroom. Marinette sat outside in the hall, head resting on her knees as she breathed hard. Sabine and Emilie sat on either side of her, just rubbing her arms and offering her comfort.

"It wasn't really like that." Marinette muttered. "There was nothing to be afraid of…but it felt so real…"

"It was real to you." Sabine said. "And that just goes to show how much pain he caused."

"I'm so weak…"

"No, you're not." Sabine squeezed her arm. "After what they did to you, you're still here. That's profound."

"I ran away."

Sabine coaxed her head up, to look her in the eye. "Not when it counted, you didn't. The reason he got off last time was because you weren't there to testify. Ladybug, you take your time to gather strength. And when you're ready, you march into that courtroom, and you tell the Judge exactly what he did. Things he said or threats, whatever you can remember."

"What if it doesn't make a difference?"

"It will. I promise, it will."

Marinette rubbed her hands together, her skin cold and clammy, and her fingers trembling. A red, black spotted hand grabbed hers tightly, and squeezed.

Fearful, Marinette raised her eyes to look at Ladybug. The vision just smiled at her, "I'm with you. I was there. You just let me do the talking."

Marinette nodded her head, and climbed to shaky legs. Ladybug took hold of both of her wrists and walked her back into the courtroom, like a puppet.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, are you ready to continue?" Asked the judge.

"Yes, your honor."

Ladybug led her back up front, and had her sit in her chair next to Adrien, Ladybug's hands pressing into her shoulders to keep her seated.

How many hours passed that way? Frozen in her seat as the prosecution rehashed the crimes and evidence from the first trial. The fingerprints from the guns, the body outline on the ground, the car left at the crime scene. Everything that should have stacked against Savauge, but only didn't because of his influence and loopholes.

"And now, Miss Dupain-Cheng," addressed Judge Madeesi. "Thank you for willing to testify."

"Please address me as Ladybug," she squeaked out, with no authority.

Judge Madeesi gave her a strange look, then corrected, "Alright, Miss Ladybug. The floor is yours."

Marinette felt Ladybug's hands hook under her armpits and raise her up out of the seat, then she walked forward to the bench.

The headlights were so bright, and Edward Savauge's silhouette was so huge…she started crying.

But Ladybug started to talk, to answer for her. "It was an average nightly patrol for Chat and I. We had separated. I went to the docks, and he had gone to Barbes Boulevard. When I arrived at the docks, I saw a bright light being shone down an alleyway of shipping containers. A young man stood in the light, like an interrogation."

"Can you remember the young man?"

"He was called Charles. And he owed Mr. Savauge a lot of money."

"Did you know it was Mr. Savauge when you arrived?"

"Not until I listened into the conversation. Charles called him Eddy, and then Mr. Savauge."

"What else did Charles say?"

Marinette sobbed, just replaying that moment where she watched him die over and over, but Ladybug spoke calmly. "He begged for his life, begged for more time. Mr. Savauge suggested he work off his debt as a prostitute. Charles refused, stating that he had a girl. Then Mr. Savauge said he knew that Charles had a life insurance policy, and that he was worth more dead than alive."

Despite Ladybug holding her up under her arms, Marinette had to brace herself on the railing of the bench.

"And then what happened?" Asked Judge Madeesi, softly.

"He told his men to open fire, and I jumped in front of Charles, my yo-yo creating a shield."

"What prompted you to get involved?"

"I knew I was going to talk to him at some point, because he had said he knew who Hawkmoth was. When he told his men to open fire, I knew I had to intervene. I would have, regardless of his knowledge."

"And did he ever tell you?"

"He said it was a figure of speech. That he knew everything, even Hawkmoth's identity, even though he didn't."

"Would you be able to explain the circumstances surrounding Charles Exavier's death?"

"I was protecting him, behind my yo-yo shield. He told me to cover him…and he darted out from behind. I saw him get shot. He didn't even scream."

"And then?"

"They kept firing at me, until Chat arrived for backup, and took out the thugs from behind. Once they stopped firing, I was able to subdue Savauge with my Yo-yo and call the police."

"Did Savauge say anything to you at this time?"

"He told me his name, said that he was very powerful and if I tried to do anything to him, I'd suffer instead. He said if I agreed to let him go, he'd leave me alone. But I refused and he said we were enemies instead. He was silent then, until the police came."

Judge Madeesi made some notes as he listened to her testimony, and then asked, "there was an instance, after you freed yourself from capture that you were akumatized and went after Savauge yourself in revenge. Do you remember anything about this exchange?"

Ladybug's strong arms disappeared from under her arms, and she slid to her knees, crying.

Judge Madeesi waited patiently. "Take the time you need to collect yourself. Your testimony is crucial to this trial."

Different hands, black and splattered with blood, wrapped around her torso and heaved her to her feet.

"You're a soldier, stand or die."

The judge gave her another concerned look. "Is that something he said to you?"

"Lady Lacrima." Marinette whimpered out. "Her name is Lady Lacrima. She's speaking for me. My akuma."

Judge Madeesi folded his hands in front of his face. "Go on."

To everyone else, Marinette simply shifted her shoulders, before she began her tale in gruesome detail and tongue dripping with venom. "He knew we were coming for him. He packed his flat with cannon fodder. Some of them weren't even armed. Just bodies to tear through and waste our time before we could get to him. He should have been punished for his crimes, but he wasn't. He was just living it up in his fancy penthouse. I decided to play with him. He had a record sitting out by the player, called Una Furtiva Lacrima. I put it on, to scare him, to let him know I was there. And when I found him, he was sitting in a study, drinking wine and smoking a cigar." She snarled. "He spoke with confidence and joked, but I could smell his fear. It smelled like rotting garbage. He was a liar, and it filled up to his neck with deceit. He tried to barter with me. He tried to offer me whatever I wanted in exchange for his life. He said no one had ever beaten him, or gotten as far as we had. He had never served prison time since he was young. He bragged. I don't know if he was trying to intimidate me, or flatter me. But it didn't work."

"You killed him," stated the judge, knowing the very public aftermath of that interaction.

"Marinette wouldn't, she's too weak. And Ladybug's too good. But I…Grimalkin and I have no qualms. We did what no one else in this city had the guts to do. And if you don't put him away, I'll come for you next."

Marinette wretched free from the hands holding her. "She doesn't mean that! I'm not that person! I don't want to hurt anyone! Please!" She cupped a hand over her mouth.

"That's all the questions I have for you, Miss Dupain-Cheng. You can sit back down."

Marinette took shaky steps back to her chair, before collapsing into it. Adrien was there immediately, combing through her hair and kissing her cheek.

"I don't know what happened…" She whispered.

"Trauma." He answered for her.

"Edward Savauge," Judge Madeesi spoke. "You will return at a later date for your sentencing. The validity of Miss Dupain-Cheng's testimony must be checked, and then we will reach a decision."

—

Bianca Furtoli, the most hated woman in the world, laid face down in a cell. Any day now, she would be facing the judge and forced to confess to everything.

But today, she laid on her cot, cheeks itchy from the constant tears. Sleep evaded her, as every time she closed her eyes, she felt the heat licking at her bones. Hell was around the corner.

"Furtoli, do you have any family you want to reach out too?"

"I have no family." Not anymore. No biological family left alive, and none of her previously trusted friends could she even bear to look at. No, she was alone now.

Regardless, there was a woman sitting in a metal chair just outside her cell. A notepad resting on her crossed legs as she bounced her leg. She looked completely unbothered to be sitting in front of Salo.

"What do you want?" Bianca asked.

"My name is Bonnie. I'm a court ordered psychologist. I'm here to determine if you are sane to face trial."

"I'm sane, and I'm aware. I'm a monster who has done horrible things. My moral compass was broken, and now I must face the consequences of my actions."

Bonnie gave her a considerate look. "Doesn't quite sound like the ramblings of an insane woman. The officers made it sound like you had gone off the deep end."

"On the contrary, I think this is the most sane I've been in my whole life." She rolled over to lay on her back and look at the ceiling. "Or perhaps I'm only aware of the world happening around me, and my place in the machine."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"I thought…before, before I died and went to hell…I thought that I was the center of everything. I know people are intrinsically selfish, but…I thought I was the only real person. I thought I was in control, and I could do whatever I wanted, once I figured out how to get around the rules."

"When did you first decide this?"

"I was born in Sicily, to a rather poor family. My grandmother was a devout catholic, and my mother tried. My father was an abusive bastard. He did whatever he wanted to me and my brothers, and my mother didn't do anything to stop it."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"I thought it was unfair…for a while. Until I learned that I didn't have to take it. I ran away. I was in control of my own life, and decided to do what I wanted. I stole a car, robbed a few houses…it was fine. I married early, still in high school. He was a good kid, probably the only man I ever really loved."

Bonnie's pen flew across her page, trying to take this all in.

"Don't get me wrong, I loved Edward…but only for his power. The control he subjected over people was…thrilling. I had never met anyone that felt the same way about it as I did."

"You liked to control people?" Bonnie asked, as if she didn't know that this patient had kidnapped and tortured two children for over a month.

"Oh yes," Said Bianca, with nostalgia. "It started with my husband. My first husband, Joe. I loved to dominate him in bed. He didn't like it, but I'd tie him up and bang his brains out. Even when he was asleep."

"You are aware that having sex with someone, even your spouse, without permission is rape?"

"Yes, I know. He complained about it a lot. So I started seeing other men, and dominating them. I got good at it. I got paid for it. Then when Joe got a disease from me, he told me to get lost. I wasn't about to take that from him…so I stabbed him, right in the eye."

"Did you kill him?"

"No. Not at that time. He had to wear an eye patch for the rest of his life. He also joined the police and tried to do everything in his power to arrest me. I killed him a little over a month ago, when he got a little too close to finding me." She rolled onto her side, making eye contact with Bonnie. "Listen to me. I sound like a gleeful little child. I can see on your face that you're disgusted with me. I should be disgusted. But I'm not. It was fun."

"You're talking about Detective Bertony, right? Joseph Bertony? I wasn't expecting you to confess to his murder."

"I'm not hiding things anymore. Whatever anyone wants to know, I'll tell. You're here to help me, right?"

"I'm here to gauge whether you're fit to stand trial. If you aren't, you'll be transferred to a psych ward."

Bianca shook her head. "That won't work for me. I have to go to jail. I have to pay my debt to society. I have to…" She clenched her eyes shut as a heat wave took over her body. "I have to right my wrongs before I die."

"That's a lot of work."

"But you'll help me sort it out, right? You'll tell me what to do?"

Bonnie flipped over another page in her notebook. "I'll try, at least." Taking a deep breath, she plowed on. "So, was Joseph your first murder then?"

"No, not hardly." Bianca scoffed. "That honor falls to my father."

"You killed your father?"

"And my mother. He was barely human, and he treated me like dirt. He had to go. And my mother never stopped him, so she had to go too."

"Dare I ask how you did this?"

"Arson. I burned my old house down. I got my brothers out at least. They went to go live with Nonna, and I bolted all the doors and windows shut…and then burned the whole thing to the ground." She let her lips turn into a sick smile. "They're still burning to this day. And I don't care."

Bonnie concealed her nausea well, and changed the subject. "When did you meet Mr. Savauge?"

"He was a client of my personal business."

"Your dominatrix business?"

"Yep. He was a regular. One day, he asked if I was as good as causing pain for pain as I was at pain for pleasure. I said I wasn't sure, but I'd love to try. It felt like my real calling. Torturing people for kicks? I didn't usually have to capture them myself."

"And you never felt any empathy? Remorse?"

"Not a bit."

"Not even now? After your trip to hell?"

Bianca slammed her eyes shut, the hot flash taking her swiftly. She could feel the maggots gnawing at her skin and she rubbed her arms to rid the sensation. "I'm not sure what this feeling is. It's unfamiliar to me. I feel sick, and nauseous. But more when I remember what I saw, rather than what I did to them."

"What would you say to them? If they were standing here?"

Bianca twisted in her cot, feeling uncomfortable and ill. "I'd say sorry."

"Because you really are sorry?"

Bianca laid face down on the cot again, hiding her face for a moment, before peering out to answer. "I remember some nights, when I was a child, and my father would hurt me…the pain, the fear, the unfairness…I think that's probably how they felt."

"That's empathy." Bonnie assured. "Trying to feel what someone else feels. That's a good thing. Psychopaths don't usually feel that way."

"Then there's hope for me?"

"Quite possibly."

In her notebook, Bonnie wrote one more note. Able to stand trial, but unfit for society. My recommendation, life without parole.

—

After the recess, the court reconvened. With assurances from their family and friends, Marinette and Adrien were ready to take on the second part of the trial.

After what their lawyer, M. Mercier, had said about his meeting with Salo's lawyer, it was likely that the trial was going to be short. Salo had taken a plea deal, and all they had to do was show up.

Marinette was cautious. Yes, there was undeniable evidence this time. There wasn't a person in Paris that didn't know what she had done. But this woman was slippery and had wiggled free from punishment this far. Would this finally stick?

Finally, the doors opened and a woman was escorted in. Not the woman they had remembered. There was no leather, no red hair, no sunglasses. Instead, there was an orange jumpsuit, and black hair, cut shoulder length and matted into a dirty mess. The look on her face was haunted, and exhausted.

Like Edward Savauge, she was escorted in with four men, but they were practically dragging her.

"This is a criminal case brought by the City of Paris charging the defendant, Bianca Furtoli, with act of malicious and premeditated kidnap and torture, and murder of several individuals, including minors. The City claims that Furtoli, with an impulsive intent to cause harm, enlisted the help of several men to subdue and torture individuals under the pretense of debt or revenge. While she had several accomplices, most worked under threat or for hire, while Furtoli was in complete control of the operation."

Marinette couldn't tear her eyes away from Salo. She looked completely different. She shook in her hand cuffs, and looked incredibly small.

"Miss Bianca Furtoli, in the case of Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste, how do you plead?"

"Guilty!" The plea vomited from her mouth.

"In the case of Adrianne Bisset, how do you plead?"

"Guilty!"

"In the case of Marcel Weaver, how do you plead?"

"Guilty!"

On and on, judge Madeesi listed off victims of Salo's brutal tortures and murders. Every single one, she pleaded guilty to. No insanity pleas, nothing. She owned up to every single one.

"I have papers here from a psychologist who conducted a rudimentary evaluation to see if you were fit to stand trial. I have her sentencing recommendation. After reviewing the tapes that you yourself posted on the internet, speaking with your lawyer, and for the well being of your surviving victims, I see no point in pushing back your sentencing for a later date."

Bianca trembled and put her face in her hands.

"Therefore, I sentence you, Bianca Furtoli, to serve 48 life sentences back to back, one for each of your victims, with no chance for parole. You will be taken from here, and escorted to a high security Prison outside of Paris, where you shall remain for the rest of your days."

Marinette never thought she'd witness someone weeping tears of joy after being sentenced to life in prison, but she never really considered Salo sane in the first place.

She was being urged away from the bench. "Wait!" Called Salo. "I need to talk to them before I go!"

"Who?"

"Marinette and Adrien. Please."

Judge Madeesi looked skeptical, but waved her on.

And then Salo looked at them, her eyes full of emotions too wild to decipher. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "There's nothing I can say to fix this. There's nothing I can do to help. But because of you, I can start living the way I should. Thank you."

I hate you. I'll kill you. I hope you rot. These were all sentences that ran through both Adrien and Marinette's minds as Salo wrapped up her apology.

Adrien looked away.

Marinette just shook her head. "I will never forgive you."

—

Later that evening, after celebratory cupcakes, Adrien and Marinette retired early to their room, despite the company that still remained in the bakery.

"You've had a long day," Sabine cooed. "Don't feel obligated to stay and talk."

"Thanks mom," Marinette yawned. "I'm kind of done with today anyway. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetie."

Up in their room, Marinette stretched and went to her pajama drawer.

"Are you actually tired?" Asked Adrien.

"A little, I thought I'd stay up and watch some youtube. Why?"

"Can I take you somewhere?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can Chat Noir take you somewhere?"

"A surprise?"

"A good one."

"Okay then." She smiled at him. Together, they climbed up to her balcony and transformed.

"Follow me, we're going to make a few stops first, and uh…just bear with me."

"Okay?" She chuckled.

He led her across rooftops, some familiar for patrol, some only traversed every once in a while.

His first stop was out back of a grocer, by the dumpster.

"Romantic?" Ladybug chuckled.

"I said bear with me!" He laughed back. Then he started digging through the garbage.

"What are you looking for?"

"Bottles, glass…breakables."

"Okay…" She assisted him in his treasure hunt, pilfering through the bags to pull out some empty jars and glass bottles. He had a bag with him, and put them in it.

"Where to next?" She asked.

"I think we need more stuff." And he leapt back up to the roofs.

They stopped at several more places like that, gathering breakables.

"What are we doing with all this?"

"Surprise. I think you'll like it."

This time, he led her farther away from downtown, to a grittier part of the city. He stopped on a tall building that was butted up to another building pretty closely. There was a small alley in between, but looked too small for most people to even go down. He dropped his bag on the edge of the roof, looking down into the alley.

"Is this your surprise?"

"Yep." He grinned. "I used to come here when I was feeling really overwhelmed and trapped. I'd just come here and break shit. After, I'd just feel better."

"Isn't that littering?"

"Just try it, it's cathartic."

Ladybug took a glass bottle out of the bag, held it over the edge, and let it go.

She watched as it travelled down the several stories, growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the dark. Then it shattered, skittering across the ground with a burst of sound and flickering remnants.

"It was...kind of fun?" She hesitated.

Chat Noir took his own bottle, a brown beer bottle, and threw it down, the wind whistling past the opening before it hit a wall and bounced, hitting the other and shattering. The pieces clattered like rain down below.

At first, she didn't get it. It was littering, despite what he argued, and they were making a mess.

But then something clicked.

When Adrien found out about his mother, he trashed his room. Absolutely destroyed it. And then he felt better afterwards.

"I see." She said softly, as he broke his third bottle.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for sharing this with me. You know I love you, even at your weakest."

"Are you sure, My Lady?"

"Of course. Do you love me?"

"Yes." He said it so strongly, so surely, it should have dissuaded any need for arguing. But it didn't.

"Because you want to, or you have to?"

"Have to?"

"Yeah…everyone has kind of been forcing us to make our marriage official, which, I don't mind. I really don't…but I don't want to if you just think it's the proper thing to do."

"Marinette, we've talked about this before. I love you, for you. I always have. I'm marrying you because I want to. Yeah, it's earlier in life than we expected, but I think it's good for us. Why all the doubt all of a sudden?"

"I don't know…I just got a weird feeling. It must just be the anxiety."

"I know what to do."

"What?"

"To get you to believe me. To believe I'm all for this, all for us."

"And what's that?"

"Plagg, Claws in." A flash of green, and Adrien stood there. His smile smoothed into something softer, more meaningful. His hand came to caress her arm, down to her wrist, to hold her hand gently.

Then he got down on one knee.

"Adrien?" She breathed.

He couldn't even speak for a moment, just looking up at her, with her hand resting daintily in his.

He reached into his pocket.

"Oh my god."

The box in his other hand was small and white, and she didn't even look at the ring before she started sobbing.

"No, please don't cry," Adrien whispered with misty eyes.

"Happy tears!" She shouted. "I swear!" She rubbed her face as her whole body trembled with emotion. "Yes! Yes I will!"

"You'll marry me?"

"I was going to anyway!" She laughed.

Adrien stood, and opened the box so she could see it. "It's a Vintage Marquette cut. And a rose gold band. Since you like pink so much."

"It's beautiful," she breathed. "You didn't have to get me something fancy."

"I wanted to. You're my princess, and I want to spoil you." He flipped over her hand to expose the branded scar with 'Chat Noir' engraved into her skin. He lifted her hand to his face and kissed her palm. "I never wanted to lay claim to you like this. But what's done is done."

"At least we match."

"I don't mind it. In fact, I smile every time I see it. Because despite everything we went through, I have you."

Marinette held her tears back long enough for him to slip the ring on her finger, before she threw her arms around his neck. He squeezed her tightly to him, petting her hair and kissing her cheeks.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

As if divine providence, Marinette glanced up and saw, spectacularly, a shooting star. "A shooting star!"

"What? Really!?"

"Yes!"

"Quick, make a wish!"

She pulled away to look at him. "There's nothing else I want."

He squeezed her arms. "You get a free wish, woman! Make a wish!"

—

I had always planned for Adrien to propose at the end of this chapter. Little did I know that MY OWN BOYFRIEND WOULD PROPOSE WHILE I WAS WORKING ON IT!

The shooting star actually happened immediately after our proposal. It was so magical and borderline corny. I couldn't resist putting it in this chapter!