A/N: And now for Marinette's POV!

*Edited 11/25/19*

CHAPTER 2: Soulmate Pie

"Ugh, Tikki, why is physics so hard?"

Marinette leaned back in her desk chair, her hand coming up to rub at her eyes.

"Don't worry, Marinette! I'm sure you'll get it done on time!" Tikki sat off to the side on her desk, munching away at a plate of cookies Marinette had put there 30 minutes earlier.

"Yeah," Marinette sighed, agreeing with her kwami. If she wasn't so distracted, she knew she could get this homework done.

It had been there all day. The same spark she associated with Adrien whenever they touched. And, more recently, Chat Noir- though she was still a bit unsure about how she felt about that. But now she was feeling the warmth even when she wasn't touching either of them. Was it finally happening? Was she going to transform and finally find her soulmate?

She blew out a raspberry, discouraged, and leaned back up in her chair to look down at her tablet again. She knew the chances of her finding her soulmate were even less than normal due to her miraculous, so she couldn't allow herself to get her hopes up. She had already fantasized way too much over Adrien being her soulmate anyway.

The warmth inside her suddenly flared up, and she gasped, putting a hand over her heart.

"Marinette?" the kwami inquired, concerned.

"Tikki! I- I felt…" She trailed off, unsure how to explain it. She allowed herself to hope a little bit more than normal, because certainly she wouldn't be experiencing this if-

The heat abruptly exploded inside her again. She hunched over her body, grunting in pain. With her senses all turned inward as she changed, she was unable to see Tikki's look of concern shift into a delighted smile.

When Marinette became aware again, everything in her room was huge. Taking a moment to adjust, she realized she could no longer see the top of her desk, and that she remained in her chair. What… happened?

"Marinette!" A giant Tikki cried, flying down from the desk. "You finally found your soulmate!" She excitedly bobbed up and down in the air in front of Marinette, her body huge in comparison.

If Marinette were still human, her eyes would have grown wide. But instead, she felt a shiver go through her body and a heard a buzzing noise from behind her. Everything suddenly clicked. I- I'm a ladybug!

Allowing her newly given instincts to guide her, Marinette opened her wings fully and lifted off from her chair. Giddy, but unable to cry out in her excitement, she instead performed many loop-de-loops around her room, Tikki's laughter spurring her on.

I found my soulmate!

"Mama!" Marinette ran down the steps of the school to her mother, only to cling to her at the waist.

Sabine laughed at her 6-year-old. "Hi, sweetie! How was school today?"

"Okay, I guess," Marinette mumbled, letting go of her mother.

Sabine reached down to take Marinette's hand as they started to walk back home to their new bakery. "Just okay?" she inquired. "Why was your day just okay, sweetheart?"

"Most of my day was good, but at second recess my friend Rose lied to me and everyone made fun of me." Marinette eyes shined with unshed tears.

Sabine hated to see her daughter sad, but remained calm and crouched down to Marinette's level. "What did she lie about?"

"She said her mom can turn into a bird- uh, a dove- whenever she wanted! I thought we were playing pretend, but then Rose said she was telling the truth, but she wasn't and that's why I'm sad." Marinette sniffed, and looked up tearfully at her mother. "And then when I said she was lying, the other kids made fun of me for not knowing! But they're all wrong!" Her free hand fisted up and she banged it against her leg.

"Oh, Marinette," Sabine smiled sweetly at her daughter, knowing immediately that she and Tom needed to have a very important conversation with their daughter soon. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get home and get us some cookies. You need some cheering up. Then we'll talk more about this and what you should do about it, okay?"

Marinette merely nodded, a few tears finally breaking free down her face. Sabine quickly but lovingly wiped her eyes, and then kissed her nose playfully.

"I promise everything will be alright, honey-muffin," Sabine vowed, standing up again. "Now, let's go home."

When they got to the bakery, Sabine sent Marinette up to her room with two chocolate chip cookies. Pulling aside her husband after the last person in line had walked away with their purchase, Sabine quietly informed him about their situation and the conversation they needed to have with their daughter that night.

Dinner came fast, and soon the Dupain-Cheng family sat companionably around the table. The table was filled with much chatter as Marinette and Tom discussed a new game recently released called Ultimate Mecha Strike. Sabine waited patiently, smiling fondly at her husband and daughter.

When a lull in the conversation happened, Sabine decided to interject. "Sweetie, you know how you told me earlier about your friend lying to you today?"

Marinette frowned at the mention of it, but nodded. Sabine briefly glanced at Tom before continuing, seeing that he was allowing her to take the lead on this one.

"Well, I know you were really upset that she lied, and I am so proud of you for valuing the truth, honey. But you need to know that Rose wasn't lying, sweetheart."

Marinette gasped, feeling betrayed. "Yes she did! She said her mom could turn into a bird!"

"Marinette," Tom cut in, "some people can transform into animals. I promise you, it's the truth."

"But…" Tears came unwillingly to Marinette's eyes as she struggled to understand. "Papa, can you turn into an animal? Mama?"

"No, honey, your father and I can't turn into animals. But, your grandma and grandpa Cheng can, into a tiger and a frog. Many other people can turn into animals too, sweetie, including Rose's parents."

Marinette was silent for a moment as she processed this information, coming to accept that both Rose and her parents were not lying. She was still upset at the situation, but her desire to understand overcame her inclination to throw a tantrum.

"How?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

"People turn into animals when they find their soulmate, honey." At Marinette's puzzled expression, Sabine asked, "Do you know what a soulmate is?"

Marinette shook her head. "Some of my friends that made fun of me today said the word, but I don't know what it is."

"Think of it like this," Tom interjected. His two hands came forward as he gestured a circle. "When one person is soulmates with another, they are like two halves of the same pie. They make the pie complete, since each person is the other's perfect half. They are meant to be together."

Marinette only nodded in response, sensing more to the explanation.

Tom continued. "But even though a person's soulmate is the other half of their pie, that doesn't mean that they can't also be happy with someone else. Pie goes well with ice cream, right? Your mother and I are like that; we aren't soulmates, but we still go well together."

Tom reached over to his wife to give her hand a squeeze. As they gave each other a loving look, this allowed Marinette to think upon their words.

"I think ice cream and pie tastes better than pie with more pie," she resolutely declared, taking her parents by surprise. They couldn't help but laugh. Trust a baker's daughter to think with her stomach.

"Of course, sweetheart." Sabine took a bite of her dinner. "Do you have any more questions about soulmates?"

Marinette indicated that she did, and the rapid-fire questions begun.

"Do I have a soulmate?"

"Yes, you do, honey-muffin."

"Really? When will I meet them?"

"We don't know. You might meet them tomorrow or ten years from now. Or not at all, which is alright, like we said earlier."

"What animal will I turn into?"

"Nobody knows that until they touch their soulmate, Mari-bear."

"So, when I touch my soulmate, I'll change into an animal right away?"

"Not necessarily. There is always a delay. It could be a few minutes, or a whole day before you transform."

"Oh. Then how will I know who they are?"

Sabine jumped in to answer this one. "Your grandmother always told me that when she first touched her soulmate- your grandfather- it was like a shock went through her body. Other people say it's like a sudden warm fuzzy feeling. You'll know when you feel that, and your transformation into an animal will only confirm it."

"So, it's like how I feel when I get hugs from you?"

Tom and Sabine didn't exactly know, but they nodded anyway.

"This is so cool! Will I always feel like that when I touch my soulmate?"

"Honestly, we don't know honey, since we've never met our soulmates. But I would assume so, as that is what love often feels like."

Tom and Sabine chuckled at Marinette's overjoyed smile, and the rest of dinner continued on as Marinette's hyperactive imagination led her to envision what it would be like to become certain animals. Then the discussion moved on to what her soulmate would be like and what animal she wanted him to turn into.

"I'm going to touch everyone at school tomorrow!" she declared at the end of dinner.

Tom and Sabine shared a look. They had forgotten that as a child, she was still learning boundaries. "Oh sweetie, I know you want to find your soulmate, but you can't just go around touching everyone. People don't like that; you still have to ask for permission to touch them."

Marinette looked absolutely devastated at that. "But-!"

Tom held up a hand. "No buts, missy. It will happen when it happens. Fate has a funny way of doing that."

"That's not fair!" Marinette pouted in her seat, crossing her arms.

"We don't always get what we want right away, Marinette. Finding your soulmate will require patience."

"I don't want to wait," Marinette complained.

Sabine glanced at her husband, hoping her would help her to nip this in the bud. He indicated he would handle it, and Sabine rose to collect the dishes.

"I'll give you a cookie if you promise me you will respect your classmates' boundaries at school," he told his daughter, firmly. "That means no touching without asking permission first."

Marinette, while ecstatic about receiving a third cookie that day, remained distressed over not being able to find her soulmate faster. "Fine," she retorted, slouching in her seat even more.

"You didn't prooomise!" Tom sing-songed, switching from a serious to playful demeanor.

Marinette scowled at him, an expression Tom found hilariously cute. She couldn't fool him. "Fine! I promise!"

"Oh, I don't know if I can believe you! I think I'll have to tickle it out of you!"

Marinette gasped as her father lunged for her and hurried out of her seat.

"No!"

"I'm gonna get you!"

And that was all it took for Tom to get Marinette to smile again. He chased her around the kitchen and the living room for a bit, Sabine dodging them as she cleaned up. Marinette squealed when her father eventually captured her in his arms, unable to contain her laughter when his hands rested at her waist, threatening to tickle her.

"Papa! Papa, I promise! Don't tickle me! I promise!"

Tom chuckled, and let her go, only to have Marinette stick out her tongue at him. He childishly stuck his out at her in return.

"Do I get my cookie now?" she asked, turning her version of the puppy dog eyes onto him.

"Of course, Mari." Tom got her a cookie from a tub in one of the cupboards and gave it to her. But before she could start eating it, he bent down to teasingly give her a big sloppy wet kiss on her forehead, and she squealed again, trying to squirm away from him.

After eating her cookie, Sabine helped Marinette with the simple addition homework she had, while Tom did the dishes. After that was done, Tom played a few video games with his daughter. The night quickly came to a close, with Sabine tucking her daughter in and wishing her goodnight.

As the mother came down the steps back into the living room, a thought struck her.

"How did you come up with that soulmate metaphor?" she asked, sitting down on the couch next to her husband.

Tom looked up from his book in surprise. "It's the one my mom used when she explained soulmates to me," Tom admitted, putting down his book to tug her close and kiss her lovingly.

Sabine laughed from both his words and his affection. "It certainly has that Dupain flare to it," she joked, referencing the meaning of his family name.

"Exactly!"

They shared another kiss, thankful that even though they had not met their soulmates, they had each other, and that's what counted.