Marinette

With Tikki hiding in Marinette's purse, they walked out into the busy streets of Paris. The journey would have been reasonably quick on the Metro but she preferred to walk. She needed to talk to Connor and clear her head after all these revelations. Something occurred to her.

'Erm Where's Plagg?' she asked Connor.

Connor looked slightly embarrassed and padded the sporran in-front of his kilt. Marinette put her hand over her mouth, trying not to giggle. Connor rolled his eyes, sighing at the same time.

'Is he Ok in there?' She said, trying to stop laughing and failing.

'There's cheese, haggis and whiskey in there,' he replied. 'He's in heaven.'

'Whiskey?'

'Trust me. He'll be fine with that!'

The made their way past groups of tourists in the small streets and started to head towards Notre-Dame.

'So, Questions?'

'Yeah, When, why and who?' She blurted out.

She saw her Uncle smile.

'Well, about ten to twelve years ago the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous appeared in Edinburgh and Glasgow.' Connor explained.

'I don't remember that,' said Marinette, knowing that her father would have said something about it as she grew up.

Connor sighed yet again. 'Do you want me to explain this story or not?'

Marinette felt the heat in face as she flushed in embarrassment.

'Sorry,' she mumbled.

'As I was saying,' Connor said testily. 'The missing miraculous turned up in Scotland and Master Fu chose me as Cat Noir. I would have been about sixteen then.'

'What did Peacock and Butterfly want?' asked Marinette.

'Oh, the usual,' explained Connor. 'Money and Power.'

'If you were Cat Noir?'

'Yes, I was paired with a Ladybug.' Connor said. 'For two years we battled the Peacock and the Butterfly and let me tell you; it was hard. They were different then yours.'

'What do you mean?'

'You're Hawkmoth just seems to want the miraculous,' observed Connor. 'Ours wanted us dead and to cause as much chaos as possible.'

'Oh,' Marinette said. 'I always assumed people want the Miraculous because of the ability to use a ….'

'Ah yes, the wish that can change reality.' Connor said. 'They didn't know about it. I fought next to my Lady and it was glorious. She was glorious.'

Her Uncle looked flushed, as if he was embarrassed to admit these feelings. He continued.

'We worked together so well, we could anticipate each other's reactions. We would act as one. I know we discovered each other's identities. She was my friend, my partner and more. It was scary, there were plenty of close calls but we won.' Connor shrugged.

'Well, except once,' He paused, as if bracing himself. 'One day they got us. It was a choice of either dying and letting them win or using the wish. So we combined the miraculous to make the wish.'

'Oh No!' Marinette looked shocked.

'We wished that the Butterfly and the Peacock had never been found.'

'I guess it worked?'

'Yeah it worked. I guess the miraculous were to be returned to Tibet or where ever they had been lost,' Connor looked straight into Marinette's eyes. 'But you know there is a price that has to be paid?'

Marinette nodded.

'Master Fu said so,' she confirmed.

'The price was that time was reset,' Connor said sadly. 'The last two years never happened in the way I remembered, replaced by something else. Ladybug or Cat Noir were never needed.'

'I can remember both times,' he continued. 'But unlike this miraculous ring…'

He held up his hand to show Marinette his ring.

'Ladybug has disappeared from my mind. This ring it the only thing I have that tells me it was all real.'

'Oh, Connor, I'm sorry.' Marinette suddenly realised what he had lost. 'Did she even exist?'

'I don't know. She must have existed in this new time but we never met, or if we did, we didn't recognise each other. Only Plagg and Master Fu seem to remember what happened but like Tikki, they can't remember who Ladybug was either.' Connor sighed yet again. 'It's all very timey-whimey.'

Marinette just felt confused. Connor must have caught the expression and smiled.

'Sorry,' he said. 'Guess that's a British thing.'

'Can you remember anything about her?' Mainette asked.

'I remember she had brilliant green eyes and copper red hair. I can remember her presence but everything else just feels out of reach. Trying to remember is like catching smoke, you can see vague shapes but they disintegrate when you touch them.'

'Is that why you've never…' Marinette flushed. 'I've heard my Dad talk about the fact you've never had someone else.'

Connor glanced to the sky for a second. 'After finding and losing your perfect match, nothing else comes close. Bit like you and your Cat Noir really.'

'What do you mean?' Marinette sounded indignant. 'I don't feel that way about Cat Noir? He's a flirt, makes bad jokes and ….'

'Oh,' Connor realised. 'You don't know who he is.'

'No! I don't ... Hang on,' she said, feeling curiosity creep into her mind. 'You must know who Cat Noir is!'

'If you don't know, I'm not getting involved,' Connor said firmly. 'Secret Identities and all that.'

'I suppose,' she mumbled but feeling slightly disappointed.

'But I want you to remember this,' Connor said, looking at her seriously. 'The Ladybug and the Cat are the Yin and Yang of the Miraculous. They are complete opposites and opposites attract. The flirting and bad jokes sounds typical for a cat noir to me but I'm betting you've seen something deeper in him.'

Marinette remembered conversations with Cat Noir on her rooftop, of candlelit rendezvous and roses. She couldn't help herself from blushing.

'Ah, through so.' Connor observed with a knowing smile.

They had walked until they reached the banks of the Seine and turned downstream towards the bakery and the Cathedral.

'I'll walk you to the Bakery,' he said. 'Then I've got to drop off Plagg and I'll have to find the Agreste's boy's bodyguard.'

'Why?'

'Well, he did save my life back at the stadium, as well as your young man.' Connor smirked at Marinette's embarrassment. 'Least I can do is thank the man who stopped me being crushed to death.'

They walked in silence for a little while.

'You never going to be Lion Noir again?' Marinette asked.

Connor shook his head.

'As much as I love this crazy kitten,' Connor patted the sporran where Plagg was hidden. 'It hurts too much without my Ladybug. If Tikki or Master Fu can't remember her, then I've lost her forever.'

Her Uncle seemed to slump at that moment. The tall man seemed to shrink. He turned away, looking out over the river and rubbing at his eyes. He paused then straightened up and took a huge breath. His swagger seemed to be back and they started to walk off again. It wasn't long before the Bakery came into view.

'Uncle Connor?' Marinette asked hesitantly. 'Can I call you from time to time about this stuff?'

Connor grimaced and then reluctantly said, 'You have my email but I don't think you'll need to. I feel you're a going to be a great Ladybug.'

Marinette smiled, gave Connor a hug and was about to run into the Bakery, when Connor stopped her for a second

'Actually, not a great Ladybug,' Connor said. 'You're probably going to be the best!'