Chapter 12

"Pound it!" Marinette laughed brightly as the five friends thrust their fists into the circle in celebration of their victory. It was like someone had lit a candle, or set off fireworks, and they hadn't realized how dark it had gotten until the light reminded them. The light was brilliant now. "Come on," She giggled. "Let's go before our timers run out. Chat and I may have our secrets loose, but you have yours to keep now, Honey," She nodded to the blond girl in the black and yellow dress, "Vixen," nodding to the woman with the wild red hair, "Shield," shifting her nod to the man in green and gold.

"Up and away?" Vixen grinned. She had been waiting to use that line since training, day one.

"Again, catchphrase already taken. But yes, let's up and—" Ladybug had begun to swing her yoyo up towards a light pole, trying to pull herself up towards the rooftops where she usually escaped, but her words cut off with a pained gasp, and she stumbled, falling to one knee and clutching at her chest.

"Ladybug!" Chat cried out as he knelt next to her.

"I'm—It's fine, Chat, I just—" She bit down a groan of pain. She cursed in her head. She hadn't been ready for this much action.

Chat Noir swept her up into his arms. "You three go. Rendezvous at the training camp when we can." They nodded and dashed off. Vixen left several shadow copies of herself as she ran, each chasing after a different direction. Shield swung the shield off his back and threw it on the ground, leaping onto it and riding it through the streets like a skateboard. Honey, on the other hand, grew a pair of paper-thin, translucent wings and sped into the sky, leaving a trail of glittering dust behind.

As soon as they were out of sight, as the crowds began to converge on their spot in the park, Marinette was engulfed in a red glow as her transformation faded, much faster than normal. Tiki rolled onto her Holder's stomach with a huff, shaking her head before flitting up in front of Chat Noir's face. "She's weak, but not hurt any worse. We were right, she shouldn't have been out here." She said.

Chat growled with frustration and worry. "I told you, Bugaboo, we had this. The four of us could have taken care of her, and—"

Marinette pushed out of his arms, despite his tight hold on her, until he relented and helped her onto her feet. "I told you," she growled back, "That I wasn't going to just sit around while you risked your life in a fight you couldn't win. Besides, if you had defeated her without me, which, I concede, you probably could have, how were you going to reverse all that damage. Oh, wait, I'm the only one who can." She winced and rubbed at her chest again, looking around and noticing for the first time the people around them.

"Ladybug…ladybug?...Ladybug!" Voices began filtering through, until they were chanting. "You're dead!" One said. "You're supposed to be dead." "Where have you been?" "Thank you, Ladybug!" "We've been so afraid." "You let us be afraid." "How could you do this to us?"

Marinette began to back away as they came closer. She had only see a handful of people in the last six and a half weeks. The crowd forming was massive and loud. And she knew how hurt and angry most of them must feel because of their ruse—because of her. She stumbled, falling backwards, arms pinwheeling in a failed attempt to balance herself. Her suit brought her back to her usual strength, but she had been bedridden most of the last two months, and the suit was gone. She struck the ground hard, jarring every wound. She cried out and curled on her side, clutching at where the pain radiated from the three scars crisscrossing her torso.

"Marinette!" Tiki and Chat shouted together as the latter lunged and knelt next to her.

"Come on, give her some space!" Chat shouted. "Plagg, claws in!" He didn't pay any attention to the green glow as his own transformation fell away, reaching out a hand to Marinette's forehead. She was burning up. "Why don't you ever listen," He groaned. "You're still too weak for this kind of exertion. We told you to give it a few more weeks, but you had to go and play hero."

"You needed me," She whimpered, eyes squeezed shut.

"I know," he sighed, reaching down for the walkie talkie holstered to his thigh. "Dispatch, this is Alpha Two, requesting aid for Alpha One, officially returned to duty."

"That is damn good to hear, Alpha Two. Assistance inbound." There was a static crackle before the cops that had been paralyzed previously began pushing through the crowd, creating a bubble of protection around them. A few minutes later a pair of EMTs were led in, loading Marinette onto a stretcher. Adrien followed, diligently giving them all the information on her condition that he could, as he had been one of her primary caregivers the last six weeks.

Marinette's parents and their three friends met them at the hospital, along with dozens of reporters with microphones and cameras aimed towards the back of the ambulance as it opened. Adrien didn't protest when they insisted he stay behind until they knew her condition.

"Is she okay? What's wrong? Did her wounds open up again?" Alya shot of one after the other, loud enough that the other citizens waiting to hear news could hear.

"She'll be fine," Adrien answered soothingly, returning the bear hug she encased him with. "She just overextended herself. Like I said this morning, she just needs more time to heal. She died, remember." He also made sure his voice was loud enough everyone around could hear.

Alya shuddered. "I remember. That's…not going to happen again, is it?"

Adrien lowered his gaze, his blond hair sweeping down dramatically over his eyes.

"C'mon, kid! You gotta wake up!" Adrien pushed the fluttering figure out of his face. "Kid, stop, seriously, wake up already! Something's wrong with Marinette!" Adrien's eyes snapped open, seeing a worried Plagg in front of his face. He shot out of bed and raced into the other bedroom. Sure enough, Marinette was convulsing, eyes rolled back in her head, the blankets tossed across the room.

"Master Fu!" Adrien shouted as loudly as he could, rushing to her side. He pulled the tray of first aid supplies away from the bed so she wouldn't hit it and made sure she wouldn't fall off the bed. "Master Fu! I don't know what I'm doing in here!"

The man in question rushed through the door, took one look at her, and cursed in Mandarin. Then, just as suddenly as the convulsions started, they stopped. Adrien had a brief moment of relief before he heard the long drone of the heart monitor. It could have been tracking his own pulse; his heart froze, and he looked towards their mentor.

Alya, Nino, and Chloe burst into the room in their pajamas as Adrien began compressions, trying to restart her heart. One of the wounds opened, or maybe two, maybe all three, blood slicking his hands, but he didn't hesitate to continue the motions, Master Fu pumping air into her lungs through a mask. A full minute of silence except for the hum of the lights, that single dull note from the machine, and Adrien counting under his breath. Finally, there was a blip, and then another, as her heart started beating on his own. Alya collapsed to her knees on the ground, sobbing into her hands. Adrien fell back into the chair by her bed. It had been a week. They had thought the danger was passed. That she would be fine. He glanced down at his blood-soaked hands. It had felt like his whole world was slipping away, and—

Adrien shook his head, clearing away the memory. It wasn't the time. At last, he turned to the reporters, facing them head on, stepping forward. He clasped his hands behind his back, ready for the onslaught. "I want to start by apologizing. Marinette and I led all of you—all of Paris—in a deception that caused much grief and pain, and for that we are sorry. However, the circumstances had deemed our ruse necessary not only in order to stop the threat hanging over our city, but also for our own safety." Questions were thrown at him, but he spoke over the cacophony, meeting gaze after gaze with determination. "We did not enjoy this trick, but it had to be done." They quieted once more to let him speak. "You saw on camera the aftermath of our battle with Queen Bee at Le Grand Paris hotel. You saw our fall, and you saw her bleeding out on the sidewalk. Allow me to explain what happened further. Ladybug was injured gravely. According to the doctors who stabilized her at the hospital, there is no reason she should have survived her wounds. This left us in a delicate position. She would take many weeks to heal, and many more to be back in fighting shape. Until then, we could not defeat Queen Bee. But we could not leave her at the villain's mercy, when she had already proven herself a deadly opponent. Our intention was not to make you suffer. It was to keep her safe. In truth, most of this was my idea, as she was unconscious for much of the decision making." He kept his face even as he smoothly lied. He had never been a fan of this plan, but he wanted to make sure the blame did not get put on her shoulders alone. "We had not anticipated bringing Ladybug into the field again so soon, but Queen Bee called us out, and we had to respond. The two of us, along with our new allies who made their debut today as well, have defeated Queen Bee, the final akuma, the final piece of the dark legacy of Hawk Moth." He bowed his head for a moment, his tale complete.

They began peppering him with more questions, but just then, the doctor came out again. He along with Marinette's parents pulled away, letting the others deal with the press. Alya for sure knew how to work the system.

"How is she?" Adrien asked in a soft, calm voice.

"She is well." The doctor answered. She was young, maybe 30 years old, with long red hair and bright green eyes, wearing black scrubs with tiny green cat eyes all over them. He half-smiled. "Her wounds are still closed and healing properly. She didn't strain or pull anything, and she isn't injured further. She is simply weak from lack of exercise over the past several weeks, and slightly dehydrated. We're recommending she stay on full bedrest for another few days, at least, maybe a week if she is still feeling pain when she moves. After that, she can begin to walk around some, and we can give her a list of small exercises she can do to regain some strength." She gave Adrien a stern look. "I don't recommend she pick any fights or go swinging off buildings any time soon." He held up his hands in surrender. "But she should make a full recovery, if she's careful. Bring her back in two weeks for a follow up, and we should be able to set her up with a physical therapist to get her back into shape."

"We can take care of that part," Adrien said, crossing his arms in thought. "We've done it before. However, not on this scale…Would it be too much to ask for the two of us to meet with one of the physical therapists, today even, to figure out what would be best? That would give us time to work it in with our normal routines and to adjust it to her strength sets." He met the doctor's unamused gaze, one of her eyebrows cocked. "Apologies, miss. I don't mean to step on your toes. We aren't used to having…actual advice in these matters." He scratched behind his head and gave her one of his model smiles. "We've been under the radar for a long time, and…at least for right now…we would like to keep it that way."

She glanced back towards the press, where hospital security was pushing them out of the lobby. "I understand. Again, I don't recommend starting anything until after a follow-up in two weeks." He nodded assuringly. "And I don't think I need to warn you of the dangers of jumping into things too quickly; her current condition is the result of that."

"Can't agree with you more. We tried to hold her back today, but short of handcuffing her to the couch, we couldn't keep her away." That finally got a wry smile out of her.

"Alright, come on, she's asking for you." The three of them followed her through the doors and down a couple of hallways.

"Hey, Bugaboo," Adrien said as he sat at the edge of her bed. "How are you feeling?" He rubbed the back of her right hand, and she smiled at him, eyes sleepily half-closed.

"'M feelin' greeeat." She slurred. He cocked an eyebrow. "Gave me some med'cine. Makes me all tingly."

"Just a mild painkiller and some antibiotics." The doctor said as she checked one of the machines, nodding.

"Ah," he said with a grin. "Milady's all doped up, huh?"

Marinette turned to him. "Fluffy kitty." She mused aloud, reaching up to pat his head, making everyone in the room laugh. Gently, she tugged at his arm, until he stretched out next to her. She turned onto her side, despite the disapproving glare from the doctor, and laid her head on his chest. "Purr for me, kitty. I like when you purr." Adrien blushed beet red, hiding his face in her hair, as Marinette's mother and father laughed and walked out of the room, satisfied that their daughter was in good hands.

Adrien was about to respond when he noticed that her breathing had evened out and her body had relaxed; she had fallen asleep on his chest. "Are you keeping her much longer?" He asked.

"We don't need to. She's been remarkably well looked-after despite not receiving hospital treatment after the initial injury. As long as you agree to comply with our recommendations for rest and recovery, we can get her signed out, and, as she already gave consent, release her to your care." The doctor handed him a clipboard. "Follow me; keep up, fluffy kitty." She had a laughing sparkle in her eye as she led him away to the nurse's station to fill out the necessary paperwork.