A/N: AHHHHH! ALMOST DONE!

Two minutes and five seconds left, one scene, and two more chapters.

Chapter 48

~Adrien's POV~

I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of asking Alya for help earlier. Now that she had come to me, declaring that she would help me, it seemed that it was the most obvious thing in the world. In reality, I should have gone to her the moment I first messed up.

It wasn't just Alya's support that was giving me faith that the relationship I had with Marinette could be saved and even build into something more than a friendship, but Marinette herself was starting to give me hope. At school she didn't completely ignore me like she had been for the past couple days.

It was very obvious to me that she hadn't listened to that voicemail message that I left for her. If she had I was sure that she'd try to talk to me about it. This meant that she wasn't aware that I love her yet.

And now I don't entirely know how I feel about knowing that there's a few other voice messages I left after that first. Not at once, of course, since two others were each about an hour apart, and the others were this morning, also with time between them.

Of course she would know that I've left the messages. Either she has listened to them all but doesn't care what I've said, or she hasn't. Either way I'm sure that she thinks I'm completely obsessed with talking to her. Which is not a lie, actually.

I let out a sigh as I looked at myself in a mirror in the fire station changing area where the firemen would suit up, not just because of my thoughts, but also because of the suit Alya was making me put on. "Is this really necessary?"

Alya was trying to contain her giggles as she looked at me, but was failing. It made me scowl at her since she had been the one to write me this way in the first place. "Come on, Adrien!" She said. "It's Christmas!"

"I know that, but really." I said, pointing down to the red fat belly torso suit, that was more like a vest, I had recently put on. "You just did this to embarrass me."

"Maybe I did." Alya snickered before offering me the red Santa coat. "Here, put this on. It will help."

I grumbled complaints to myself as I put on the red coat over the fat-vest and zipped it up. It completely covered any traces of my artificial fat so that I now looked like Santa Clause without the hat and beard. Though I looked towards Alya again and saw her offering me the full-blown white Santa wig and red hat. I sighed again and took it from her, sending another scowl her way.

"Thank goodness Marinette isn't here to see me like this." I mumbled, though I knew Alya heard me.

"Speaking of the girl we both love so dearly…" She trailed off. I knew her choice of words was primarily meant to tease me because she seemed over the moon with happiness to learn that I had in fact fallen for her best friend. "We need to discuss what you need to do to fix things with her."

"I left voicemail messaged, but I doubt she's listened to any of them." I admitted, though I was not about to admit to her what exactly I said in them.

"I doubt she would." Alya agreed, seemingly lost in thought. "She's decided she wants to try and get over you."

I looked at her in alarm. "What?"

Alya just waved her hand dismissively. "She says that, but I know she doesn't really want to, nor do I think she will. I don't completely understand what she sees in you, but you somehow make her really happy."

"Not right at the moment apparently." I said to myself before rolling my eyes at Alya's words. "And gee, thanks, Alya."

"Hey, it's not me you want to be interested in you anyway." Alya pointed out. "Marinette is. And despite what she might say, and how she's been acting lately, she's still interested. I'm sure that she misses you."

"She has an odd way of showing it." I commented with a frown as I started to sort out the hairs of the white wig, preparing to put it on for the scene.

"Give her a break, Agreste." Alya told me firmly. "She's wanted you to notice her longer than you could imagine. You've been getting her hopes up throughout filming this movie, and you completely crushed them. Again."

I looked at Alya and realized, once again, that I made such a huge, terrible mistake by lying to her about the kiss. "What should I do?"

"Marinette's a practical girl for the most part." She said. "She doesn't mind if someone goes over the top for her, but she prefers things that aren't as extreme. All you need to really do is find an opportunity for her to allow you to talk to her, and just apologize. A heartfelt apology would be all it takes for her to realize how much you regret pushing her away."

"That's it?" I asked, a little confused and surprised by the simplicity of her words.

"It's much easier said than done, Adrien." Alya told me. "I don't know what it will take for you to get that chance to really apologize. All I can really say now is don't screw it up when the time comes."

I watched the recently recorded and easily edited clips that made up the scene I just recorded with Nino and Alya. The only thing missing was the background music and sound effects that Nino would add later. First it showed me, fully dressed as Santa Claus, walking down the hallway of the fire station to the garage. As soon as I opened the door, kids were saying "Santa!" excitedly.

I smiled slightly to myself as I remembered talking to each of the kids as if I really were Santa Claus, even if that wasn't part of the scene. I saw myself waving at the kids with a "Ho, ho, ho," and a couple "Merry Christmases". That clip of me dressed as Santa ended just after I sat on the "Santa chair" and put the first kid on my lap. Max, Kim, and Ivan were all smiling as well, each dressed in the firemen uniforms and wearing an elf hat.

Then, I was shown sitting at the end of a long table in the conference room, leaned back in my chair. I still wore the red Santa suit, but the hat and wig were on my lap. Ambrose was laying on the table in front of me on top of a newspaper.

"Well, we blew it, Ambrose." I said with a heavy side while the camera still showed the back of me. "We let them get away."

"Okay, I blew it." I corrected as I looked at Ambrose. "This is the worst Christmas ever…"

Ambrose looked up at me with his wide, green eyes. "Well, what do you want me to do?" I asked. "If I knew where she was, I would go get her."

Ambrose stood up and started pawing at the newspaper. It took a while to get him to do it, but we finally got the footage. I looked at him curiously before I took the paper carefully from under his paws and looked at the part he was pawing at. There was a picture of a kid with a dog, both wearing Santa hats, with the article titled "Pet Rescue Adoption Christmas Day in Place des Vosges."

"You're a genius, Ambrose." I said with a growing smile of excitement. I quickly put down the paper as I stood and immediately turned towards the door, zipping down the Santa suit as I quickly walked away, and revealed that stupid fat belly suit Alya made me wear. Though I had hardly anytime to feel mad or embarrassed at her for it again, because I knew this was it.

We were about to go and film the very last scene of this movie. I'd see Marinette again. We would talk, and I would tell her all the things I loved about her. Well, Zachary would be telling her all the things he loved about Marilee.

I was suddenly very anxious again and I looked at Alya. "Are you sure we have to go and do this scene now?"

"Adrien, the sooner we finish filming this last scene, the sooner we can put together this whole movie." Alya told me.

"But, Alya, Marinette and I…" I didn't want to say the words. Alya slowly nodded to show me that she understood my biggest concern.

"I know." She told me then offered a small encouraging smile that I could see was more forced than genuine. "You'll be fine."

"Alya, what if she won't give me a chance to talk to her before or after the scene?" I asked after a moment. I could feel my stomach sinking with more and more nervousness.

"Well, you know what Zachary is supposed to say to Marilee." Alya said. "When you say those lines, try to make it seem like you aren't just saying it for the lines. Try and get Marinette to really think they're for her."

"And if that doesn't work?" I questioned anxiously.

"Then there's one more thing I can think of that will help her let you in again." Alya said thoughtfully and a slow smile stretched across her face. "I'm positive it will work. But we'll call it our Plan B."

~Marinette's POV~

"And this little guy is very good with kids." I said with a warm smile as I handed a small black puppy to a little girl who ran off to go show her mother.

For this scene, we had all the volunteers of the animal shelter come by with pets. This movie was sponsoring the sale of their animals since they had agreed to let us use two of their cats in the production. We also had a lot of people in the park come around the gazebo where we were set up to see what we were doing. The vast majority had agreed to be extras in return for the chance to buy a new family pet for Christmas.

Suddenly the sound of a fire engine's horn and siren blared through the noises of animals and people in the park. I stood slowly and turned, seeing a firetruck driving by and pulling to a stop near the park. My head tilted slightly with realization as if I was just realizing who it was.

I walked down the gazebo steps, hand dragging lightly on the rail, and watched as Adrien climbed out, though I knew he hadn't really driven the truck. He instantly smiled and ran towards me as I kept walking in his direction. Though instead of saying my line, I suddenly stopped walking as intense anxiety filled me.

I noticed his eyes narrow slightly in confusion before I turned to the side where Alya and Nino were filming the scene. At my look of panic, Alya called "cut!" then quickly rushed forward, grabbing me by the arm, and pulled me away from the boys.

"Alya, I can't do it!" I whisper-shouted to her with a panicked tone. "I can't!"

"Marinette, calm down." Alya said, trying to calm me down, but it wasn't working. "This is the last scene! We're almost done!"

"Alya." I repeated her name. "I can't kiss Adrien."

"That's because things are too tense between you two." She sighed. "Will you please just talk to him?"

I looked toward the firetruck where the boys had gone to redo the take. He glanced towards me and our eyes met briefly before I quickly looked towards Alya and shook my head. "No, I can't do that either."

"Why not?" Alya asked gently, though I could tell she really, really wanted me to. I didn't answer as I stared down at my feet.

"I'm sorry." Was all I said as an answer. "I know that there needs to be that ending kiss." I paused and slowly looked up at her. "Let's try it again."

"But the kiss?" Alya asked quietly.

I shook my head and smiled sadly. "It's for the movie."

Alya let out a long sigh before she slowly nodded. "Okay. Let's get this scene going again."

Together we walked back to the cameras to see that Adrien and Nino had stepped towards the firetruck where Adrien would be when he started this part again. They seemed deep in some sort of conversation, so I took the chance to take a sip of the hot chocolate I took with me out here to the scene. It was rather cold out today, especially since I was cooped up in the toasty bakery while I waited for Alya's call to tell me she was heading to the park.

A minute later I noticed Nino coming back over to where Alya and I were waiting near the camera. "Ready?"

I nodded and set my cup down near the camera. I took a few steps to where I'd start the seen then took a deep breath to clear my thoughts.

It's the last scene. Just get through it. This is the last time I have to do this.

It was going well for almost a full minute until he took me by my hands and looked into my eyes with what looked like a very genuine smile. "You are the smartest and most beautiful woman I have ever met."

This hurts…

"And I love that you know the right shade of white, I love that you know how to install a stove and cook dinner, that you love animals, and I love that you know how to buy a Christmas tree."

He was smiling so brightly as if he really meant every word. But he didn't. He couldn't. This wasn't Adrien telling me what he loved about me, it was Adrien pretending to be Zachary telling Marilee all the things he loved about her.

When did I start crying?

"And I love that you believe in love, and…" He paused and took in a breath as if he were nervous to saw the next line. "Made me believe. And I know you want to finish school, and start your practice before you find love, but sometimes it finds you when you weren't even looking."

Adrien let go of my hands, still smiling as he slowly stepped backwards. "And I want to jump in front of you and stop you in your tracks." He turned away and started towards the fire engine while I was supposed to say another line, but I just watched him go and shook my head slowly.

"I can't do this." I said as a tear ran down my cheek. I made no effort to stop it or brush it away. Instead, I turned away from Adrien and started to quickly head to my house that was across the street from the park.