Note:

My precious, precious readers. I am so, so sorry it's taken this long for an update. I keep trying to get on a normal, regular updating schedule, and the universe keeps conspiring against my efforts. Plus, from this point forward, the story veers even more away from the actual plot of the show/comic, and this chapter was fairly difficult to write because I have these new plot points, etc., but also want to keep the story true to the heart of it-the characters. Hopefully, I've accomplished that. Please, please tell me what you think. I know part of this chapter is kind of info-dump-esque, but it was necessary. The next chapter should be up in a day or two (cross your fingers).

I also can't tell y'all enough how awesome it is when I read the comments for this story. I love, love, LOVE how much people like it, and that they can't wait for more. It makes me happy, and motivates me to keep writing it, so please, leave a comment, favorite, follow-and not just on this one story-that goes for all your fave stories on here. Show support for your fellow writers and fandom enthusiasts.

Anyway, here you are. Have a chapter. Enjoy. And I'll see you all again real soon.

Previously, on Lost and Broken...

"He is resting now; that is all. He should wake up soon. The rest, though, is a more troubling matter." He turned to Tikki and Plagg. "It seems he has become bonded with the Miraculous." Tikki gasped, and Plagg's jaw dropped.

Marinette looked back and forth between them. "What? What does that mean?"

"It means," Master Fu said slowly. "That this boy is very special, and in great danger."

Now...

Marinette's heart sank. "Wh-what exactly does that mean? Bonding to the Miraculous?"

Tikki hovered in front of her, tiny face grim. "It's very rare, and extremely dangerous, both to the holder and to the Kwami guarding it. And it usually only ever happens to the holders of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous, for the same reasons the keepers chose these holders."

"Strength, kindness, a sense of duty to restore the balance of light and dark, creation and destruction, luck and misfortune." Master Fu went on, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I still don't understand!" Marinette burst out, her panic beginning to seep into her voice.

"Marinette, how do you think we Kwami became bonded to our Miraculous?" Tikki said quietly. Marinette's eyes widened, her jaw flopping open as she realized some of the implications of this. "We wanted to make the world a better place, so we took our powers and created the Miraculous to magnify our abilities, and we used them for many eons. Over time, we became so attached to the charms that we could not bear to be separated, and eventually merged with them. Now, we can only use our abilities when there is a holder to wield them."

"That still doesn't explain what is happening to Adrien." She continued.

Plagg continued the explanation, his eyes still firmly on his charge. "Sometimes, our holders are filled with the same righteous purpose and passion that we Kwami were in the beginning, and that resonates so powerfully with the Miraculous that a bond is formed. But humans are more fickle than any other beast; that purpose becomes tainted, and the bond is broken, usually with deadly consequences." He finally turned to Marinette. "The holder dies. Usually self-destructing and taking out a lot of other people."

Marinette pressed a hand over her mouth, blinking away tears. "Is there anything we can do to stop it?" She asked after a moment.

Master Fu nodded slowly. "In a way. The bond, once created, must not be severed. Adrien's fate is sealed, forever one with the Black Cat Miraculous. He will eventually become like Plagg, bound within it. Not for many, many years to come." He added hastily at Marinette's horrified expression. "As Tikki said, it took the Kwami eons to merge with their charms. Most likely, this will extend his life as he absorbs some of the residual energy, and it won't complete until the natural end of his life. The issue is, we have to make sure he is not swayed by the evil events that have recently taken place. His confusion and pain is what has been causing the outbursts. The part of him already bonded to the Miraculous is trying to take control from Plagg, but is not ready to sustain that level of power. He needs to be reminded of why he put on the mask in the first place, and why he kept it on."

"That's not a difficult question to answer." Marinette spoke up instantly. "He put the mask on because it was a way to express himself and fly free, but he kept it because we were really making a difference. Everything was black and white for once—or black and red, I guess."

"I was finally in a place I could be my best self—helping people, bringing them fun and joy and peace." Adrien sat up on the couch, grunting at the effort, and Marinette rushed to his side, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead and hovering like a mother hen. He waved her off with a half-smile. "I'm fine, Bugaboo. Seriously."

"Obviously you're not." She breathed. She turned to Master Fu. "Is there anything else we need to know?"

He considered for a moment. "Only that bonding with a Miraculous does not have to be a bad thing. A true bond with a human holder has never happened before; however, you two have impressed me at every turn. Perhaps with you two, we will avoid disaster."

"Us…two?" She said quietly.

Master Fu arched a brow. "Have you not noticed anything strange recently about your Miraculous? Maybe it is more subtle than Mr. Agreste's transformation—feeling more comfortable in the suit than out of it, or an extra spark of energy, or even developing some quirks of a ladybug?"

Tikki frowned. "You have been clinging to warmth; the cold makes you grumpy and tired. And you've been flying through the streets a little more easily, like you're not putting in as much effort."

Marinette's eyes were beginning to hurt from remaining so wide-opened. "Are you saying that the more we bond with the Miraculous, the more like our name sakes we will become? I'll be more like a ladybug; Adrien will be more feline? What else can we expect?"

"Previous holders have gained extra abilities, or have experienced changes in the suits or transformations themselves." Tikki supplied. "The transformations slowly lengthened. I knew one of the Black Cat holders developed the ability to actually shift into a cat." She frowned sadly. "We do not know the extent of the changes, though, because there has never been a fully successful merge since we Kwami."

There was a long moment of silence. Then, haltingly, Marinette continued. "you said the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous holders were more unstable than others…. does that…will that…how will that affect this?"

Tikki and Plagg shared a look before the former answered. "Unstable may not have been the best word there. Maybe…passionate. But that's not right either. Those two holders—you two—were chose because of your firm, passionate beliefs in the truth of good vs evil, and the ultimate triumph of good, and you were both willing to do whatever it takes to assure it. It's why you both jumped right into the suits, and why you stayed in them. Even though you tried to find a replacement," Till I spoke a bit more quickly, cutting off Marinette. "You realized that you were a part of that fight, despite your fears. You are both brave and fierce and loyal, and you truly care about what happens to the rest of your city, to the rest of the world. That is what Ladybug and Chat Noir stand for. But," her voice lowered again, until it was almost a whisper, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. "The same passion that makes you heroes can be turned against you, hardening your heart. Imagine a Ladybug becoming disenchanted with the world and turning evil." Marinette shuddered. "Exactly. That is what we meant by 'unstable.' You two are more easily swayed by an event.

Marinette looked worriedly at Adrien. "I will not be swayed." He swore. In a somber voice, he intoned, "Invictus maneo."

"I remain unvanquished." Marinette translated softly. She was silent, contemplative for a long moment. Her bluebell eyes seemed to be searching his for something, like they were seeing inside him, like she was looking through him. Then, she stood, turning to Master Fu and the Kwamii. Surprising everyone, she placed a fist over her heart and bowed at the waist. "Morituri te salutant." Her words seemed inhumanly loud in the room. The words fell like a death knell. And it was. Everything they were, everything they used to be or used to hope to be, was gone. In that moment, Marinette was saying that, no matter what, she would follow the path before her. She would fight for all that was good and just until the end of her life—and beyond, given the new development. She was pledging an eternity of service for the greater good.

Adrien pulled himself to his feet and copied her deep bow. "We who are about to die, salute you." His words had the same effect, solidifying their pact, creating something…something powerful and inexplicable, something altogether binding. When the pair rose again, a new light in their eyes, neither knew how to break the serious mood that had fallen like a heavy blanket over them. Finally, Adrien chuckled, then bent over again laughing. Marinette couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips at the sight as she gave him a questioning look. " 'And we shall call you, the Fellowship of the Miraculous.' " He said between gasps of hysterical mirth.

Marinette giggled. "Oh my god, Adrien, you are such a dork!" The tension shattered. He smirked, then pounced towards her, fingers tickling her sides, making her gasp and cringe, trying to escape as her body shook with laughter.

"Dork? I'll show you, dork." He growled in her ear. She felt a shiver run down her spine that had nothing to do with tickling and everything to do with his hands on her body and that growl in his throat. She ignored it, tickling his sides right back, until they fell into a heap on the floor, gasping and calling out for mercy. Adrien sat back against the front of the couch, pulling Marinette into his arms, so that she sat back against his chest between his legs. Her arms rested over his around her waist, and she closed her eyes blissfully. They suddenly realized that at some point Master Fu and Wayzz had left, and that the other Kwamii were hidden in their den across the room. They were alone.

They enjoyed their bubble of soft peace for a minute, Marinette looking up at Adrien tenderly, Adrien staring off into the distance. "Are you really okay, minou?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Adrien met her eyes and blinked, long and slow, like a real cat. "I think…" He started. "I think I am." He was silent for a second, and Marinette let him piece his thoughts together. "That first moment when…when I saw him, lying there—that first moment when I realized he was…gone. Dead." He forced the word out. "It was just like my mother leaving all over again. It was more…I was alone."

"You are not alone." Marinette said automatically, reaching up to cup his cheek, her thumb rubbing his skin gently.

Adrien leaned into her hand. "I know, love. But that was what it felt like. But my father…he has been gone since she left. He died that day, and this was just…the final death throes, I guess. And, yeah, I'm still angry—at him for leaving and for being evil, at the akuma taking over Queen Bee—but mostly at myself. Logically, I know I could never have caught him. We couldn't have done anything to save him. But I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. We should have gone after Queen Bee that day. Because of me…that poor girl has been trapped in her own body for that much longer."

"Hey, none of that. You and I both chose to go after Hawk Moth. Together. As a team. Because we couldn't let anyone—even our arch nemesis—just die like that without attempting to rescue them." Her voice was firm. "We did everything we could have done. Period. Bad things just…sometimes bad things just happen."

Adrien gave her a wry smile. "How did I not recognize you sooner?" Marinette blinked at his sudden change of subject. "In or out of the mask, you always knew—know—exactly what to say to fix me." She smiled back, and their lips met in a tender kiss. "Come on," He broke away. "I can hear your stomach growling." She scrunched her nose and nodded in agreement, and they made their way to the kitchen. "Fajitas?" He asked.

"Delicious." Was her answer. Without missing a beat, she went to the fridge to get the chicken, peppers, and avocado, while he went to the pantry to grab an onion, tortillas, and the spices they would need. The chili flakes tumbled from his grip, and he turned, kicking the glass bottle back into the air with the heel of his foot. Marinette easily caught it, spinning it with a flourish before setting it on the counter and grabbing a skillet. They continued to move like they had been in that kitchen together for years, despite having used it only twice, and having never been in any kitchen together before. Ingredients were flying. They were ducking under each other's arms fluidly, gracefully maneuvering around the small space as they prepared dinner.

When they had the table set out, steaming plates full of veggies and meat, they held out their fists. "Pound it!" Their voices rang out, both grinning as they tucked into the food.

"Yay for teamwork!" Marinette almost moaned as she sank her teeth into a third fajita. They were the best she'd ever had outside of Mexico. Adrien could only nod in agreement as he matched her tortilla for tortilla.

They had planned to make sopaipillas, but after dinner, they were so full that they decided to save that for another time, cleaning the dishes and starting the dishwasher.

Static brought Marinette back to the present, her eyes snapping open, realizing she had dozed off curled against Adrien in a mini-food-coma. "Alpha One, do you read?"

She extricated herself from his arms and grabbed the walkie. "This is Alpha One," She answered, stifling a yawn.

"Is there anything to report on Alpha Two?" The voice sounded generally worried.

Marinette blinked. "Alpha Two is awake and recuperating. Alpha Team will be ready to return to duty tomorrow." She hesitated. Did they need to know any specifics? Would there be another outburst like that morning? She decided to keep some of their secrets just that—secret.

"Good." The voice sighed in relief. Before it shut off, she could hear a couple cheers in the background. "Do you need anything else from the department?"

"We're good, dispatch. We were about to call it a night. If anything happens, don't hesitate to call us."

"Understood. Over and out, Alpha Team."

"Over and out, dispatch." She yawned again, setting the device back down.

Adrien's arms snaked around her middle, his chest pressing warmth into her back and his chin resting on her head. She could feel the soft silk of his pajama bottoms brushing against her bare legs. They had already changed into their nightclothes before sitting on the couch and reminiscing. "You said it, Milady. Let's call it a night."

She nodded sleepily, then reconsidered. "I'm actually not tired. Or, at least, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep if we tried to go now." Adrien nodded in agreement. "How about we go watch something for a while and just relax?"

"That sounds amazing." He said, voice tinged in relief. He wasn't the slightest bit tired. In fact, he was very nearly on the verge of completely freaking out over the newest developments in his secret life.

They decided on Firefly—since the full series, including the unaired episodes, as well as the movie, were sitting on the shelf, and since it was a favorite of both of them (Seriously, it was a western. In space – the final frontier – still a frontier – with Nathan Fillion, nerd god, playing the anti-hero, Malcolm Reynolds, former Rebel soldier turned underdog con-man thief when the rebellion lost—what was there not to love?). It was also something both of them had seen enough that it could play as background music to their churning thoughts.

After a while, "So, what do you think will really happen to us?" Adrien asked after a while. They were reclined on the couch, Marinette's fingers tracing patterns on his chest while he stroked his fingers through her hair. Time was inching along, and they knew they should probably head off to bed soon, but their brains just wouldn't slow down. "I mean, I know they said that the changes would probably be subtle and would take a while to manifest, but, am I supposed to expect, oh, I don't know, fur and claws? A real tail? Glowing eyes? I've noticed a few things already, and looking back now, maybe a few more odd habits make more sense." He trailed off.

Marinette didn't seem surprised; her thoughts had been spinning around those same questions. "Well, like Tikki said, I have been reacting to cold temperatures oddly. And swinging myself around has been a lot easier. Sometimes, I swear, it feels like I'm flying."

"Maybe one day, you'll just sprout wings and fly away," he replied a little wistfully.

"Not without my kitty." She smiled, rubbing her face into the crook of his neck affectionately. After a moment, she felt a rumble vibrating under her cheek and froze for a moment, looking up at him in bewilderment. Adrien realized what had happened and blushed bright red, the sound cutting off. "Were you purring?" She asked, a grim forming.

"I-I-It's not—" He stuttered.

She placed a finger over his lips to shut him up, lifting herself up some to place herself more firmly into his embrace. "It's adorable." She said, then cocked her head. "Do it again."

"Nooo," he whined. "It's embarrassing, just like when I start growling. That started a few months ago, too."

Marinette's grin grew wider, and she moved her hand from his chest, sliding it up and behind his head, twining her fingers in his hair. "Actually, I didn't want to say it earlier in front of the others, but that growl is…kinda hot. Sexy, eve."

His Adrien-esque smile faded into a Chat Noir grin as he caught up with her words. "So, Milady likes it when her kitty growls at her?" He asked in a husky voice, pulling her fully on top of him. Putting his lips against her ear, he let a growl flow from his throat, so in tuned with her from years of watching her reactions in their various partnerships both as Chat Noir and Adrien that he could almost feel the hairs stick up on the back of her neck as goosebumps rose on her flesh. His lips trailed down her neck, biting with teeth that felt slightly sharper than normal, licking and sucking and marking her skin. His hands slid down her back to cup her firm buttocks.

Marinette giggled against his lips breathlessly. "It's late, minou." She said, feeling him shiver at the nickname. She arched her brow.

"Say it again." He said, voice low and husky, almost that growl that made her melt into a puddle. One hand snaked back up to twist in her hair, which had grown out in the last year or so, until it curled to the middle of her back.

Marinette placed her lips at Adrien's ear, close enough for their skin to touch, just barely. "Minou," she breathed. "My kitty."

Adrien groaned, then made her gasp as he suddenly leapt up, pulling her up with him. His hands cupped her butt, her legs wrapping around his waist, her arms around his neck. "You're right. It's time for bed, Milady." He growled. Marinette didn't hesitate to agree, kissing him fiercely, turning lights off as they made their way back to his bedroom.