Chapter 10: Chocolate

Thanks to Alya and Miss Bustier, the whole class had won a new Valentine's Day tradition. And just like their tradition of swapping Valentine's Day cards with friendship messages between them all, this new one, would also promote friendship and camaraderie amongst everyone. It did not take much for most of the class to decide who they were going to offer chocolates to. But some were having doubts about it, not knowing who would be the lucky person that they would offer chocolates to.

One of the class members who was having this problem, was Sabrina. While heading home, Sabrina was thinking if she was going to buy chocolates or make them, with the help of her mom. But more importantly, she was thinking on who she was going to offer those very same chocolates. Miss Bustier said that they could offer them to anyone they wanted to, while highlighting the fact that it did not have to be a lover; it could be a friend or someone who was special to them. She knew that she was not going to give them to any lover, because she did not have boyfriend or liked anyone. With everything that had been going on in her life, Sabrina did not have the time or the patience to think of such things, Plus, she felt there was no one she knew, who was good boyfriend material. But when it came to friends and people she cared for, and who were special for her, she had numerous ones, from where to choose. But who could she choose? That was the main question in her head, right then.

"Kiddo, what's going on? You haven't spoken a single word, since we left school." -Mika asked Sabrina, snapping her back to reality. Usually, when walking home, she would talk to him about anything that came to her mind, but on that day, she was as silent as mouse.

"Uh… sorry, Mika. I was just thinking." -Sabrina told him.

"About what?" -Mika asked her, curious.

"Nothing really." -Sabrina quickly answered him.

"Nothing really, huh? Sabrina, how many times do I have to tell you that I know you, better than you know yourself." -Mika told her. –"There's something bugging, isn't it? And don't try to pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. I'm too old to fall for that trick." -he told her.

Upon hearing Mika talking like that, the redhead could not help but to giggle a little. Just like all the kwamis, Mika could tell when something was wrong with its holder, and like always, she was not the best at keeping secrets from him, even if she wanted to.

"I… I was just thinking about who am I going to offer some chocolates to, on Valentine's Day." -Sabrina answered him, as she stopped in front of a crosswalk, waiting for the right moment to cross it. –"I don't know who am I going to offer them." -she said, as she looked to both sides, and started to cross to the other side of the road.

"Well, you don't have a boyfriend, so that's out of the question." -Mika stated the obvious. –"That means, you can give chocolate to one of your friends… hey, why don't you give chocolates to your teacher?" -he suggested her.

"To Miss Bustier?!" -Sabrina exclaimed.

"Yeah, her. I mean, she's always there for you and everyone else in your class. She's nice and you and the others are always saying that she should win the "Best Teacher of the Year" award, every year. So, why not give her a box of chocolates? I'm sure she would like it… that is, if she doesn't suffer from diabetes. Do you know if she does? Because if she does, then, forget what I said." -Mika told her.

The idea was not half bad, and Sabrina knew that Miss Bustier was not diabetic, nor was allergic to chocolate, because every year, during her birthday, she would always bring a chocolate cake to share with the whole class. In fact, the idea of giving chocolates to Miss Bustier was quite good. Bu then, she remembered that she might not be the only one having that idea. Everyone in class loved Miss Bustier, and she would not be surprised if one, or more of her friends, wanted to offer her a box of chocolates.

"Maybe not. I mean, I think it would be cool to offer Miss Bustier some chocolates, but I'm sure some of the others will have that idea as well. I don't want to look like the girl who had the same idea as the others." -Sabrina said, even though, deep inside, she felt like that excuse was a very lousy one. Deep inside, she really did not know who she truly wanted to give chocolates to.

"Well, then, just pick one of your friends. I'm sure all of them deserve chocolates. After all, you guys are all like family." -the wolf kwami said.

What Mika said was true and was resonating in Sabrina's mind. Ever since they had become the holders of the miraculouses, that she and the rest of her friends had grown incredibly close. Even those she never thought would be more than mere school colleagues, had become people she would put her life on their hands, so it was hard for her to just pick one. All that thinking was beginning to give her a headache; for a moment, just a single moment, she wished she was still only friends with Chloe. And then, it hit her. She knew just who she was going to offer a box of chocolates to.

"I know! I'll give a box of chocolates to Chloe! Or better yet, I'll make a box of chocolates for her!" -Sabrina exclaimed in a tone, that the people that were passing by her, thought that she had discovered gunpowder, or solved an unsolvable equation.

"To Chloe?" -Mika raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, to her." -Sabrina smiled. –"She's both my best-friend and she's one of the people I look up to." -she declared with a proud smile on her face.

"You look up to her?" -Mika asked her, not understanding why would that be. –"I mean, I know that you and Chloe were pretty close, even before you got the miraculouses, but I don't see how she can be someone you look up to. From what she herself has said, more than once, she was not someone you wanted to be friends with." -he said.

And it was true. Sabrina and Chloe were quite close. But he was also right, when he said that for years, Chloe had not been a person that anyone in their right mind would be friends with. Still, unlike Sabrina, Mika had not seen what Chloe had been through, and did not see just how low she had to sink, before realizing she had reached the bottom of the well, and that only if she changed, would she be able to get out of it.

"Oh, Mika… if only you had seen what I did, you would understand why I look up to her." -Sabrina told him. –"I don't like to brag about this, because there's nothing to brag about, but I stood by Chloe's side, when she was the worst kind of person you can possibly imagine. I'm not saying she was worse than Hawk Moth, but she was still pretty awful. And there were times where I asked myself, why I was still friends with her, I admit it. A part of me just wanted to tell her that I did not want to be friends with her anymore, while the other part kept telling that if I did such a thing, I would be even worse than she was. " -she sighed. Mika could tell that what she was saying was not something easy for her to say.

"Then… why did you stay friends with her?" -Mika asked her.

"Because that Chloe… the Chloe that was the meanest girl I've ever seen in my life, was not the Chloe I knew, when I first met her. When I first met her, she was… she was a lot like she is now. She was nice, she was kind and she was generous to everyone." -Sabrina told him. –"And I think that I stood by her side, even when she was the nastiest bitch there is, because deep down, I still believed that the Chloe I knew still existed under that fake persona that she created… and I was right. She was still there. She just needed to find the right reasons to come back. I don't know if you ever experienced this, but… to see someone you know sink so low, only to realize that what she has been doing is beyond awful, and see her rise up from all that and become the person she was destined to be from the very start… that's something amazing, and I was lucky to have seen that with Chloe." -she said. –"For those reasons, and many more, I look up to her. She's a terrific person, who went through a lot, and in the end, she managed to find the strength to become the best version of herself, even if she believes that she still has a lot make it up for, after treating so many people the way she did."

The wolf kwami heard every last word that came out Sabrina's mouth and saw that she truly respected and cared for the heiress. But he did not need to listen to the words that she spoke. All he had to do was to see the way Sabrina's eyes shimmered, when she talked about the way Chloe had managed to turn herself around. That, and the sweetness in her voice. Just from hearing her talk, Mika was sure that every word that came out of her mouth, whatever they were, they were honest and true.

"Well, then, give her some chocolates. If you think she deserves them, then, who am I to say it otherwise. After all, you know her way better than I do… better than any kwami in fact, minus Pollen, of course." -Mika added.

"I will… but should I make them, or should I buy them? I don't know, Mika. I mean, I know who I'm going to offer them to. But now, I don't know if I should make them, or if I should just buy them. Chloe's a little bit picky with her chocolates." -Sabrina admitted.

"Can't you decide that, when we get home? I'm hungry!" -Mika told her. –"Come on, Sabrina, stop thinking about those things and pick up the pace, I'm begging you!" -he said, as he heard his stomach grumble.

"Alright, alright, I'll walk a little faster, you little glutton." -Sabrina said, as she speeded up a little. –"You know you're starting to eat a lot. If you continue to eat the way you're eating, you'll become a very fat kwami, you know that?" -she giggled, while imagining a pudgy Mika.

"Sorry, kiddo, but that's not going to happen. Us, kwamis, have a unique metabolism that doesn't allow us to gain a single pound." -Mika told her

But Sabrina was not the only one who was having a little problem with the chocolate offering. Rose was also having a problem with it, though hers was a little bit different. She knew exactly who she was going to give it to; Juleka. The problem was that Juleka was not a very big fan of chocolate, and Rose did not know what to do about it. She tried to find a solution to that dilemma, while getting ready to go to her ballet lessons.

"Juleka will never admit it, but she's not a big fan of chocolate." -Rose thought to herself, as she placed her ballet slippers inside her gym bag, along with her leg warmers. –"I know she likes chocolate cake, but I've never seen her eating any kind of chocolates that weren't M&Ms…" -she continued to muse about it.

Already on the street, she kept thinking about that problem that was bugging her, while thinking that Juleka would pick her up later, like she did, whenever she had the time. And she knew that they would either go for a walk, before she accompanied her home, or they would stop at a café or some pastry shop and have a little snack, just to have an excuse to be together a little bit more.

"I know that she's going to either buy me those chocolate bonbons that I love so much, or she will try to make some that will taste like strawberries." -Rose thought to herself. –"Knowing that, I have to make or find something that she'll like… I mean, I know that she will love any kind of chocolates I give her, because it will be a present from me. But I want her to love it, because she will enjoy it, and not just because I gave it to her. What am I going to do?" -she kept thinking, while trying to come up with a solution.

Rose knew it was silly to think that coming to a solution that problem she was having, was more important than anything else. But silly or not, she wanted to come up with a solution to it. She wanted to find the perfect chocolates to offer Juleka on Valentine's Day. She wanted her to truly enjoy them. And more importantly, she wanted to see her beautiful smile when she bit the first one and realized how good it was. In sum, she wanted her to see her truly happy. Just thinking about it, made Rose believe that no matter her age, she would never stop being a hopeless romantic. In her mind, there was something about romance that made life ever so much better.

She was a couple of blocks from the ballet academy, when there was something that caught her attention, forcing her to stop walking. Her kwami, Flint, who was inside the gym bag noticed that Rose had stopped and wondered what was going on. He had learned to count the number of steps it took her to get from her house to the ballet academy. And even counting the bus, he noticed that she was nowhere near it. Peeking his head from inside the gym bag, he looked at Rose, who looked like she was mesmerized.

"Rose? Rose, what are you doing?! You'll be late for your ballet lesson!" -Flint warned her.

Rose ignored Flint, as her eye and her attention had been captured by something that was to her left; a candy store. But this one did not look like just any ordinary candy shop. This one looked like old candy stores that you would see in old postcards, with its pink and white striped awning, and beautiful window shop. She made her way to the ballet academy through that street, three times a week, and she had never noticed it before. And she only noticed it this time, because there were a few people coming out from it, carrying a few boxes of chocolates; as well as a sign on the window saying "Valentine's Homemade Chocolates, Half-Price". Looking inside, she saw that the store looked incredibly well-stocked. She had to get to her ballet lesson, but she figured that noticing that store for the first time ever was a sign that she ought to enter it and see what they had in sale.

"Rose! Rose, wake up! Earth to Rose!" -Flint exclaimed, trying to get her attention. –"What are you doing?! Come on, pick up the pace!" -he told her. –"If you arrive late, your teacher is going to yell at you for running late."

"W-What? Don't you worry, I still have a couple of minutes to spare." -Rose told him, as she checked the time. –"I just want to check one thing." -she said, as she walked to the shop's door.

When she entered the store, this one looked even more fantastic than from the outside. The walls were covered with countless shelves, and in them, you could see every kind of sweets one can imagine. There were creamy chunks of nougat, delicious pink and blue squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-coloured toffees; hundreds of lollipops of every shape, size and colour; glass jars, both big and small, filled with jawbreakers, salt-water taffy, gummy bears, liquorice straws, and bubble gums; boxes of Pocky from numerous flavours, as well as Pez dispensers, among other things. But, the true stars of that candy store were the chocolates. From candy bars to bonbons, there was a little something for everyone. Unlike that happened with the other candy, the chocolates, all of them wrapped in beautiful wrappers of every colour one can imagine, were all kept in showcases, which could only be opened from behind. Looking around, Rose quickly recognized some of the brands, including her favourite, Carambar, while there were others she had never seen or heard about. Surrounded by all those sweets, Rose felt like she was either in Candy Wonderland. And if what her eyes were seeing was not enough to tempt her to buy everything that was in that store, then the delicious sugary-scent in the air, would do it. Still, she tried to focus on what had led her to enter that candy store. The only in the store, other than herself was the shop girl, who was standing behind the counter. She was a young woman, probably in her late twenties, with brown hair and matching eyes, and a shy smile on her face. She was wearing a pink and white 20's waitress inspired outfit.

"Good afternoon." -Rose said, as she stopped in front of the counter.

"Good afternoon, miss. How may I help you?" -the shop girl said, as Rose noticed the name on her lapel, Edith.

"I… I saw the sign on the window, and I was wondering if…" -Rose said.

"Oh, yes, our Home-Made chocolates. They are quite famous." -Edith told her. –"I suppose you'll be wanting a box?" -she asked Rose.

"Yes, well… It's just that, the person I'm going to offer the chocolates to, let's just say she's not very fond of chocolate. She likes it, but it's not something that she's really fond of, you know?" -Rose explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, does it have to be chocolates? Can't it be something else? I'm only asking, because there are always other options; options that your friend might like better." -Edith declared. –"I suppose these will be for a good friend of yours?" -she asked.

Upon saying that last sentence, Rose blushed a little, and did not know how to answer it. She had no problem saying she was a dating another girl, but at the same time, she did not know how would Edith react if she told her that.

"Yes, she's a very good friend. In fact, she's my best friend." -Rose declared, though deep in her heart, she wanted to say that Juleka was more than just her best friend. She was her girlfriend. –"And yes, it has to be chocolates. We're going to swap them in class. It's part of a new tradition that our teacher has decided to start." -she said.

"Well, if she's not a very big fan of chocolate, it might be a little tricky to get the right kind for her." -Edith said. –"But, our store prides itself on having a little bit of everything for everyone. I'm sure we'll be able to find the right chocolates for her." -she pointed out. –"They say that a person's personality matches the kind of chocolate they like. So, if I may ask, how is your friend's personality?"

"She's very romantic… a little bit like me, but different, you know?" –Rose giggled, just thinking of how different she and Juleka were from one another, and how they managed to get along so well. If they would stand side by side, no one would ever say that the two of them were friends, let alone girlfriends, because of how different they looked.

"Different how?" -Edith asked.

And for the next minute, Rose told Edith just how Juleka was, hoping to give the shop girl an idea of the kind of girl she was, and with it, the perfect kind of chocolate for her.

"From what you're telling me, she is someone that would perhaps enjoy dark chocolate. Most people that aren't big fans of chocolate, usually don't like milk chocolate or white chocolate, because of its sweetness. But, as you know, dark chocolate is bitter, so she might like it." -Edith said. –"But, she also sounds to me like someone who would like gumdrops and other kinds of candy, like liquorice straws." -she said.

"Yes, she does." -Rose said. Ever since she met Juleka, that she had seen her eating liquorice more times than she could remember. She had never asked her about it, but now that she thought about it, that was probably her favourite candy. –"What kind of a girlfriend am I, that doesn't even remember what her favourite candy is? A bad one, that's who. I should know these things, and not just because Juleka's my girlfriend, but because she's my best friend as well… I will have to ask her about these things later." -she thought to herself. –"But I don't suppose you have any chocolates that taste like liquorice, do you?"

"No, we don't. But there is a way to have the two combined." -Edith declared. –"We can always make chocolates with liquorice centre." -she said.

"You can do that?" -Rose asked, thinking that was the answer to her dilemma. She believed that by combining the two, Juleka would love it.

"Of course. But it will take two days to be made, and they will be a little more expensive than the ones that are already made." -Edith warned Rose.

"That won't be a problem." -Rose said. She could wait two days for the chocolates, and when it came to money, she had already bought Juleka's Valentine gift, and the rest of the money she had been saving for it, and did not spend, would certainly cover those one of a kind chocolates.

"Well, if that's the case, how many chocolates would you want, and what kind of liquorice would you like for their centre?" -Edith asked Rose, as she took out a writing pad to write the order.

"Fifteen, and could the centre be filled with red liquorice?" -Rose asked, remembering that whenever Juleka ate liquorice, it was always red liquorice.

"Absolutely." –Edith said. –"And in which name will the order be in?" -she asked Rose.

"Rose Lavillant. And I'll be paying for it upfront." -Rose said. –"Oh, and since we're at it, I'll be taking some chocolate bars with me, right now. I'll have three Carambars, a matcha Kit-Kat and… do you have any cherry flavoured lollipops? If you do, I'll take two of them, for a very good friend of mine who loves cherries." -she said, knowing Flint was listening.

When she got home, the first thing Marinette did, after leaving her backpack with her school books in her bedroom, was to go down into the living room and look for a chocolate recipe in one of the many recipe books that had belonged to his dad's side of the family, and had been handed down over the generations. In them, there where hundreds of recipes, and she was hoping that one of those hundreds of recipes would be the one she was looking for. Sitting at the table, she opened up the first and began to read it. Because Marinette was so busy with that search of hers, Tikki decided to help herself to some cookies, making her way to the kitchen. Stopping in front of the counter where the cookies were, the ladybug kwami had to make a choice, which seemed easy, but to her, who was incredibly hungry and was a sucker for all kinds of cookies, was incredibly hard.

"Let's see, chocolate chips, raisins or macadamia nuts? Tough choice… which one should I pick for my afternoon snack?" -Tikki thought to herself, as she looked at the three glass jars, each containing a different kind of cookies inside them. All of them looked delicious, and the more she looked at them, the harder it was to decide. –"Maybe I'll take one of each. That way I won't feel like I betrayed any of them." -she giggled, as she flew over to the first and unscrewed the lid, taking out the cookie.

While this happened, Marinette's eyes were glued to the pages of one of the recipe books. She was sure she had seen a recipe for chocolate bonbons that belonged to her great-grandmother in one of those pages, but right then, she could not find it. She remembered it vaguely, but not enough to know it by heart. If she attempted to make it, it could end up being a disaster, and she wanted it to be perfect… Perfect, a word that she had been using more than she should. Marinette knew that perfection was something impossible to obtain. But her stubbornness, mixed with a very large dosage of determination, made her believe that perfection could be obtained, if she just struggled enough to get it. Flipping through the pages, she found numerous recipes that contained chocolate as its main ingredient, but none of them were the one she was looking for. Closing that recipe book, she grabbed another and began flipping the pages, hoping that the recipe she was looking for was in that one.

"I know it's around here… come on, where is it?!" -Marinette mused to herself, while trying not to get frustrated.

Tikki, who had just finished eating the three cookies she had taken from the glass jars, decided to check on Marinette. Usually, when looking for something, Marinette tended to make a lot of noise, but on that afternoon, she was as quiet as a mouse.

"Marinette?" -Tikki called her. –"Marinette?!"

"Not now, Tikki. I'm this close to finding the recipe I'm looking for. Once I find it, you and me, we can both get started on it." -Marinette said, without taking her eyes from the recipe book.

"Marinette…" -Tikki said, when she was interrupted by Marinette, who did not even allow her to finish the sentence.

"I've got to find this chocolate recipe that's so good, when Adrien bites the first one, he'll say "This is the best chocolate I've ever tasted, Marinette". I can already see the whole scene in my head, Tikki. But it won't work, if I don't find that recipe that I'm looking for." -Marinette said, without taking her eyes from the books, once again.

"Marinette… whatever chocolates you make for him, I'm sure Adrien will like them. If your macarons are so delicious, I'm sure your chocolates will be as well. You don't have to worry about it." -Tikki told her.

"Chocolates and macarons are totally different things, Tikki. I can't risk messing this up!" -Marinette said with a sharp voice, as she threw the recipe book she was reading aside, only to pick up the following one.

Hearing her say those words, Tikki knew that Marinette's nerves were getting the best of her and that she needed to calm herself down a little bit. But like always, that would be easier said than done, especially because when Marinette became like this, she allowed her stubbornness to cloud her judgement and her good will. Luckily, Tikki knew just how to make her snap from it.

"Marinette… stop!" -Tikki shouted at Marinette, as she placed herself on top of the recipe book, staring at the blue-haired teen with a serious look on her face. –"I know you want to find this recipe, but ignoring me like that, as well as my advices won't help you." -she said, as her face changed into the caring look Marinette knew so well. –"Whatever you make Adrien, he'll love it; you think that the perfect recipe for chocolates will allow you to make the best chocolates he has ever tasted, but that doesn't mean that another recipe won't produce the same outcome. As long as you make them with your heart, they will come out delicious, and he'll tell you that."

Once more, Marinette's stubbornness and persistence got the best of her, and she needed to hear Tikki's words of wisdom, to understand that what she was doing was not healthy, and that ignoring the scarlet kwami, when she was trying to help, was not something she should do. Sighing, she wondered how could she have allowed herself to do that to Tikki, when she was just trying to help.

"Thanks, Tikki." -Marinette said quietly. –"I… I don't even know what I was thinking about." -she admitted, clearly ashamed of her behaviour towards her kwami.

"You were thinking solely with your heart, that's what it was." -Tikki smiled at her. –"Usually, that's not a bad thing, because your heart is in the right place. But sometimes, you need to also use your brain, to balance things." -she said. –"Now, why don't you tell me what's the recipe you are looking for, and let me help you? Between the two of us, we can find it twice as faster."

"Okay. We're looking for a recipe that's similar to this one here." -Marinette said, as she pointed to a page on the recipe book, where a recipe had been written with one of the most beautiful calligraphies Tikki has ever seen.

Helping Marinette, Tikki also began to check the recipe books, hoping to find the recipe Marinette so desperately needed.

"Sorry, Marinette, but I don't think the recipe you are looking for is here." -Tikki sighed, as she flipped the last page of the book she was looking into.

"Then, there's only one thing left to do." -Marinette said with a serious voice.

"What's that?" -Tikki asked her, wondering what could she be thinking about.

"I'm going to call grandma Gina and ask her for some help with this." -Marinette said, as she pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket. –"If there's one person who can help me with this, it's her. She has the memory of an elephant, and if the recipe that I'm looking for isn't in the recipe books anymore, it will be inside her head." -she said. –"I just hope she picks up."

"It depends. Where is she now?" -Tikki asked Marinette. Ever since she retired, Grandma Gina spent most of her time travelling around the world, never staying still for a moment, claiming that life was too short to not take advantage of it.

"Last time I checked; she was still in Argentina." -Marinette said, having received a text message from her, saying that she had arrived to Buenos Aires and that she was going to stay in a friend's house. –"So, if it's 3 in the afternoon here, then in, Argentina is… 11 in the morning. Grandma Gina must be looking for a place to have an early lunch, like she always does." -she said, as she dialled up her grandmother's cell number. –"Come on, grandma, pick up, please… grandma Gina?!"

"Marinette, sweetie! What a nice surprise!" -Gina said. –"How are things in Paris?" -she asked her.

"Everything's great, grandma." -Marinette told her. –"So, how is the trip in Argentina going?" -she asked.

"It's been fantastic, Marinette! You should have seen what I already saw, with your own eyes, sweetie. I knew this was one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but I never expected it to be this beautiful." -Gina told her granddaughter, who was hearing the commotion that was on the street she was in. –"I wish I could convince your grandfather to come with me on these adventures. He doesn't even imagine what he's losing, by staying home." -she said. Unlike her, her husband Roland was not someone who enjoyed travelling, preferring to stay home, organizing one of his many collections.

"I wish I was there with you. It sounds like you're in a party." -Marinette told her.

"Not a party, but you're close. I'm near one of the local markets and there's some sort of festival happening." -Gina said, as she looked over her shoulder and saw the commotion that had settled in front of the local market she was talking about. –"But something tells me that you didn't just call me to ask me how I'm doing, am I right?" -she playfully asked her.

"What makes you say that? Can't a girl just want to hear the voice of her favourite grandmother and ask her how she's doing?" -Marinette asked her in a playful tone.

"Oh, that's sweet of you, Marinette, but saying that I'm your favourite grandmother, makes it sound like you don't like your grandmother on your mom's side of the family, and I know that you love her, as much as you love me." -Gina told her. –"Plus, I know you… when you call me, when I'm on a trip, it's because you need my help with something. So, tell me, what can grandma Gina help you with?" -she asked Marinette with a kind voice.

And with that, Marinette quickly told her that she was looking for a special chocolate recipe, she knew was in one of the recipe books, and could not find it. She also added that it was important for her to get it, because she and her friends were all swapping chocolates on Valentine's Day. When Gina asked her if she remembered anything about the recipe, Marinette told her that the only thing she remembered was that it took rum and ginger.

"Oh, you must be talking about your great-great-great aunt Beatrice's cinnamon and ginger chocolate recipe. It's the only chocolate recipe in our family that has rum in it." -Gina said. –"Yes, I remember it very well. I think the reason the recipe is not in any of the books, is because your grandfather visited your parents, while you were in that holiday camp, and must have took it with him, for some kind of culinary project of his, and forgot to give it back. You know that he also likes to experiments and twists on old recipes, even if he will never admit it." -she giggled. –"But, you said you need it for Valentine's Day. Are you going to make some chocolates to a special someone? Is it for that handsome boy you are always taking about? What was his name? Alain… Albert… Alexandre… no, I think it was Andre…"

"It's Adrien, grandma Gina! And you know what his name is, don't pretend you don't. You're always telling me that we would make a cute couple!" -Marinette giggled, knowing her grandmother was just kidding with her. –"But, yes, I'm going to make some chocolates for him… in fact, I'm going to tell him that I love him." -she giggled nervously.

"You are?! Oh, sweetie, I'm so happy for you!" -Gina told her. –"You keep talking about him and how much you love him. I'm happy to hear that you've finally found the courage you need to tell him that." -she said. –"I'm sure that when you tell him that you love him, he will tell you that he also loves you."

"You think so?" -Marinette asked her with a hopeful voice. Deep down, she was truly hoping that would be the case.

"I do. Call it a grandmother's intuition… but, if you're going to tell him that and ask him to be your boyfriend, you're going to need something a little bigger than chocolates to dazzle him. You know what they say, the fastest way to a man's heart, is through his stomach." -Gina laughed of her own joke. –"I know, why don't you bake him a cake and use that chocolate recipe you were looking for, to make some ganache and place it on its centre? You can even decorate it with other little chocolates around it." -she suggested.

"Don't you think a cake is a little too big?" -Marinette asked her. She did not want to be the only one with a cake, when the whole class was swapping chocolates.

"It doesn't have to be a big cake, sweetie. It just needs to be a little bigger than a cinnamon roll." -Gina told her. –"And if you want to, I can give you the recipe of the perfect cake for the job, along with the recipe of your great-great aunt's cinnamon and ginger chocolate. It's a recipe I learned, when I visited Russia." -she said.

"That would be great, grandma… let me just get a pen…" -Marinette said, as she signalled Tikki to get her one. –"This plan will make it easier for me to get Adrien's heart. I'm so glad I called grandma Gina." -she thought to herself.

You guys can't even imagine just how much I cried, while writing the first third of this chapter... I don't know why, but there's something about Sabrina in my AU and the way she views Chloe that hits me right in the feelings, you know? Anyways, I also took this chapter to introduce one more character to this AU... Gina Dupain, Marinette's grandma (to tell you the truth, she will appear in a Christmas fic, that chronologically will take place before the Collector adventure, but for all intents and purposes, this is the first time I write her). It was such a blast to write her and have her helping Marinette, even if she's on the other side of the Atlantic. I've got to make sure that I find the time and the inpiration to use her more often, because she's such an amazing character, and it's a shame that the series doesn't use her more often.

Oh, and before I forget, this chapter is dedicated to my good friend, Fernanda Sousa, or Lomi-Hime, whose birthday was yesterday. If it was not for her, along with a couple of other people, who have been supporting this huge fan-project of mine, we would probably never had seen this Ladybug AU come to life the way is has.

On one last note, since I've had people asking me this over and over, I usually update the story every four days or so, but there might be times, when I manage to write faster and I will update earlier. Just keep your eyes peeled for updates. And if something happens, that will prevent me from updating, i will let you all know, before it happens, alright? Anyways, as always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or future ones, okay?