AN: This is the end of "Running out of Time." However, the main continuity story will pick up tomorrow with "An Adrienette Anthology," the first chapter of which takes place a couple hours after this Epilogue.
To GuenZhenXuan2020: Unfortunately not. The double Miraculous Ladybug repairs a lot of the damage, but not everything gets a magical fix; I'm not even sure if Portugal was restored by it! This Epilogue will confirm it, but all those who died (Marinette, Ivan, Alya and Nino, Alix, Mylène, Kim, Adrien himself…) are still dead.
To The Keeper of Worlds: As you wish!
Present Day
Chloe tapped her foot impatiently, staring at the café's front door. Beside her, Alya was still wringing her hand nervously and pacing, taking five steps in one direction, pivoting on her heel, and retracing her steps in the opposite direction.
"If you keep that up, you're going to wear a path in the cement," Chloe told her, not taking her eyes off the café entrance.
Alya stopped and turned to glare at her. "They've been in there a really long time," she muttered. "If this goes wrong, I'm blaming you."
"Maybe it's been so long because they're talking?" Chloe said hopefully. "Maybe talking a long time is a good thing…"
"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this to them, Chlo."
"Oh, come on, we both know they've been miserable this week," Chloe retorted, turning to face her. "A blind woman could tell they were miserable this week!"
"Well, yeah, but–"
"And we want them to be happy, don't we?"
"Of course, but–"
"And we know they are perfect for each other."
"Yes, but–"
"So we needed to make them sit down and work it out together."
"Chloe!"
She blinked. "What?"
"I-I think it worked." Alya nodded over at the café. Chloe turned to follow where she was looking, and saw Adrien walking out with his arm around Marinette's back, holding her to himself tightly. Marinette, for her part, had her arms around his chest and was leaning her head on his shoulder as though she was afraid he would disappear.
Chloe's jaw dropped on seeing them looking so… comfortable. So familiar. The last time she'd seen them, they could barely look at – let alone speak to – each other! "How-how long were they in there?"
Alya didn't respond for a moment; Chloe glanced over to see a similar expression on her face to the one that she'd worn. Alya slapped her cheek and checked her phone. She blinked at it in confusion before she smacked it against her palm several times and checked it again. She looked up at Chloe in surprise. "It was only five minutes!"
"So then what–"
Chloe cut off as Adrien and Marinette crossed the street and approached them.
"Hi, girls!" Marinette called out, smiling brightly.
"Um, hi," Chloe answered. She and Alya stood stock still next to each other, eyes wide. "So, um, how are you?"
Marinette looked up at Adrien, who grinned at her and said, "Fantastic!"
"And it's all thanks to you," Marinette added, giving Chloe a teasing smirk.
"You're… welcome?" Chloe replied, nonplussed. She gave them a suspicious look. "But what happened in there?"
"We took your advice," Adrien answered, winking at her. "We talked a lot. We suited up and went a few rounds. We even did some other things." Marinette elbowed him in the ribs and blushed.
"You did all of that? In five minutes?" Alya wondered. Her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.
"What can I say?" Adrien joked. "We work fast!"
"We're going back to my house for dinner," Marinette told them, squeezing Adrien tight. "We'll see you in school tomorrow!"
"Thanks for everything, Chloe!" Adrien added over his shoulder. "All of this is thanks to you!"
Chloe and Alya stared after them as they strolled down the street together. They turned at the next corner and disappeared from view, but the two girls continued to stare after them.
Finally, Chloe turned to Alya and said, "See? I told you it would work!"
Twenty Years in the Future
Chloe and Ana stood together beneath the Miraculously-restored Arc du Triomphe, looking at a small memorial to all the heroes killed by Cat Bug Noir etched into the base of one of the pillars – a list that had become considerably longer with the addition of those murdered in the decade-long Purge and killed in the final battle. Chloe knelt and traced the names. So many friends, all dead at the hand of her oldest and best friend. Her finger finally came to rest over those of "Nino Lahiffe" and "Alya Lahiffe."
"You would be so proud of your daughter, guys," Chloe whispered, fighting back the tears she'd held in for 12 years, tears that finally threatened to fall. "I tried to keep her safe as best I could, but she's so like you: always running into the thick of things, trying to help others. She's turned into a wonderful young woman, just the hero we always dreamed she would be. I'll still watch out for her and help her as best I can, of course. But I hope – wherever you are – you are happy and know how much we still love you and miss you."
Chloe stood up and stepped back from the memorial, wiping her eyes with a sleeve as she did so. She wrapped an arm around Ana and squeezed tight. Ana put her own arms around Chloe and hugged her back.
"Are you alright?" Chloe asked, looking down at the reddish-brown hair affectionately.
"I guess," Ana whispered. "I'm still relieved that we won, but now it's finally sinking in just how much work we have left to do. The responsibility: it's – it's overwhelming."
"You can do it." Chloe planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry for not seeing how strong you are sooner. But I am so very proud of the hero you've become."
Ana looked up at her, blinked back her tears, and smiled. "Thanks. Now come on, Mom. We've got a partner to find and a world to fix!"
To answer the question before it's asked, I have no definite plans to write stories set in this alternate future any time soon. I have ideas for what happens next, as well as some events from the Purge, but I'm going to focus more on the "Prime Universe" for the foreseeable future. However, that's not to say that Ana (either as Miracle Girl or as "Ladybug 2039" alongside a new "Cat Noir 2039") couldn't visit the "Prime Universe" at some point in the future. If you like the alternate-future characters or want to see more of the "2039 Universe," let me know in a review!