It was so unfair!

Marinette knew instantly that this was her punishment for giving into temptation. That the moment Adrien's lips were just about to brush against hers people would rush past them screaming hysterically. Marinette jerked her head back, causing Adrien's hands to fall away from her face, just in time as one particularly loud, hysterical, woman screamed right in their ear.

"AKUMA!"

Her own instincts screaming at her, Marinette half turned ready to run into battle when Adrien gripped her hips and tugged her back against him tightly. The Akuma's eyes immediately clamped down on them and instantly her clownish face contorted furiously.

"YOU!" she screeched.

Marinette gasped as Adrien's grip turned vice-like.

She would have bruises tomorrow from this. Not that she minded the thought of Adrien leaving his fingerprints all over her made her very being shiver in pleasure.

"Stay close, Princess," Adrien murmured in her ear. Which caused Marinette to actually shiver as the skin of her earlobe tingled from the brushing sensation of Adrien's breath. "I'll protect you but you got to stay close to me."

"What do you think you're doing?!" the Akuma hissed viciously. "I made you your perfect match and it isn't him!"

Marinette simultaneously blushed and bristled at that.

It wasn't that the idea of Chat Noir being her perfect match was a bad one - not a bad one at all to the point that Marinette's heart skipped a beat at the mere thought and she had to quickly put a lid on it before she became a stammering mess - but the idea of someone dictating who she should be with really irritated her.

"Go back to your perfect match!" the Akuma snarled as she reached behind for an arrow, "or feel the flames of my righteous passion."

Seriously?

SERIOUSLY?!

What the hell was it with the Akuma's and melodramatic, cheesy, rhetoric? Did Hawk Moth draw all of his influence from tacky seventies shows or something?

Marinette squeaked as she felt Adrien's hands tighten on her hips as he held her even closer. She didn't even think that they could get any closer than this as she felt every muscle in his legs twitch against hers.

"No way," Adrien growled, "I'm not letting her go!"

"Mpfl!"

The Akuma let out a strangled scream as she pulled out a red tipped arrow and, without a single second of hesitation, aimed and fired at the pair of them. "Look out!" Adrien cried out as he suddenly threw himself and Marinette onto the ground.

They rolled over a couple times until Marinette ended up sprawled out on Adrien's chest. The arrow hit the tree behind him and immediately burst into flames.

WHAT THE HELL?!

How did an Akuma go from making people fall in love to setting things on fire?!

This is my fault! Marinette thought in dismay as she scrambled to get onto her feet. Her face was flushed as she got to feel exactly how firm and strong Adrien's chest actually was in her attempt to get up (it was very firm and strong. It rivalled Chat Noir's in terms of being well built) but she pushed every stupid lustful thought out of her mind as she focused on the problem at hand. If I had gotten away sooner and not let myself get distracted, then the Akuma wouldn't have gotten this powerful!

Marinette didn't have time to laminate over this though as the Akuma aimed another arrow at her. Adrien snatched her hand up and hauled her out of the way in just the nick of time. "RUN!" he yelled as he dragged her towards the nearest exit of the park.

Marinette's feet obeyed as they sped up.

They just about made it when Marinette more or less sensed the arrow fly towards them. She ducked to the side, her hand ripped out of Adrien's, and for a moment everything slowed down. It was like that time when the Gamer had attacked them or just after Anti-Bug was defeated and Chat Noir ran past her as their eyes met, the whole world almost went to a standstill as Adrien tried to reach out for her.

And then the world fast-forward as Marinette landed on the ground with a loud, resounding, THUMP!

She leaped back on her feet as she heard the Akuma screech after her and immediately dived into the bushes.

She was virtually alone.

For the first time in over twenty four hours she was finally alone.

She didn't waste a single second of it.

"Tiki!" she cried out desperately before anything could change. "Transform me!"

The magic rolled over her as Marinette felt her body move with the transformation sequence like it always had done so before. For the first time since….well the first time, Marinette could actually feel the magic tingled against her skin as the black spotted red suit covered her. Once she was finally transformed, Ladybug burst out of the bushes just as the Akuma aimed another arrow at some innocent make-up artists – Marinette forgotten as someone new accidentally caught the eye of the rampaging matchmaker - and flung out her yoyo in time to cause the arrow to bounce off and hit a tree.

"Oh no you don't!" Ladybug called out loudly. "You've made your last match!"

Later she'll curl up in shame of the terrible wordplay and grumble about how Chat Noir has infected her with his cheesiness but for now, as the Akuma turned her furious glare in Ladybug's direction, she patted herself on a job well done in getting the Akuma's attention.

A glowing, purple, outline of a butterfly appeared on the Akuma's face. "Ladybug!" Hawk Moth and the Akuma hissed in unison. "At last I have your attention"

And with that a series of different arrows were fired in Ladybug's direction. Ladybug managed to dodge each and every one of them with a series of back flips but then she suddenly collided into a tree and an arrow was just about to hit her face when –

The welcome sight of Chat's baton blocked her view as the arrow bounced off.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug cried out, relieved.

Chat Noir looked up and Ladybug was taken aback at the intensively furious expression on his face. His beautiful eyes were practically glowing with rage as they flickered across the park. "Marinette!" he said tightly. "Where is she?! I need to keep her safe."

Ladybug's traitorous heart did its own little backflip at that.

"Sh-sh-she's safe!" she managed to stammer out. "I promise."

Chat Noir shook his head as his eyes continued to flick back and forth, desperate from some scrap of Marinette. "I need to see her myself," Chat Noir said stubbornly, "I am her knight. It's my duty to keep her protected from the likes of this Akuma."

Oh good grief!

She was never going to get anything done if Chat Noir was too busy looking for….well her. Yet she could hardly tell him the truth either. That would be a billion times worse with an Akuma, and Hawk Moth, blatantly eavesdropping while attacking them.

"You can keep her safe by defeating this Akuma!" Ladybug shouted. "Now Chat, please-"

She didn't even get to finish her sentence before the Akuma started a volley of new attacks. Ladybug was forced into the defensive as the Akuma focused all of her attentions on her. She dodged, ducked, evaded, and blocked everything that was thrown at her while Chat Noir was being utterly useless as he just stood there.

"MARINETTE!" he bellowed out fearfully. "MARINETTE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

After the eighteenth near hit with an arrow, Ladybug quite frankly lost her temper. She used her yoyo to wrench out the nearest bin and with all her strength threw it at the Akuma (it landed perfectly in the Akuma's stomach and sent the nightmarish cupid sprawling across the grass, winded) before she stormed over to Chat Noir and grabbed him by the cheeks. Her gloved hands prevented her from feeling his skin but she imagined, judging by his tan, that it was warm and inviting as the rest of him.

"Chat Noir!" she growled. "Focus!"

"I can't!" he whispered. "I need to be by her side. I need to protect her. I need to-"

"The best way you can protect Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Ladybug said firmly, "is to go out there and help me defeat the Akuma. No more Akuma means no more danger to Marinette."

Chat Noir's eyes widened with realisation as he took in what Ladybug said.

"Just think," Ladybug added tantalisingly for good measure, "how impressive Marinette will think you are if you heroically vanquish the Akuma for her."

Her words hit her mark as Chat Noir's face lit up radiantly at that.

She tried to ignore how that made her heart flutter.

And she definitely didn't acknowledge the thrilling sensation that rippled down her spine at the sight of the determined steely glint that entered his beautiful eyes.

"Let's do this!" he hissed.

She grinned and nodded back before the pair of them instantly fell into their usual battle stances. It all happened rapidly as they dodged, blocked, evaded, and had their own attacks just as easily prevented. Ladybug didn't think at all as she tried her hardest to get the Akuma disarmed so they could at least fight without having to dodge flaming arrows riddled with love enchantments.

"Ladybug!" Chat cried out. "The Akuma's necklace!"

Her blue eyes instantly zoomed in on the thin chain draped round the Akuma's neck. It had what looked like half of a heart dangling on the end of it and was poisonously purple. A best friend locket, she realised, and it was possessed by the Akuma.

"You're right!" she called back as she threw her yoyo in the air. "Lucky Charm!"

A book landed in her arms.

It was red with black spots, like all of her Lucky Charms were, but it looked like one of those old leather-bound books you find in stuffy nineteenth century libraries. There was golden calligraphy sprawled out on the cover reading one word – Emma!

"A book?!" Ladybug yelped. "What do I do with this?!"

She didn't get her answer as an arrow suddenly shot right at her face.

With a squeal, she ducked, rolled over, and dived behind the nearest tree. Chat joined her not long after and the pair virtually plastered themselves against the tree trunk as a cascade of arrows flew past them.

"What's the Lucky Charm?" Chat asked.

"Some book!" Ladybug panted out. "I don't know what I'm meant to do with it!"

"Let me see it."

Ladybug handed the book over without hesitation and Chat stared down at it with a slight puzzled frown before something clicked inside him and his face lit up with realisation. "It's Emma!" he cried out delighted. "You know," he grinned at Ladybug's clueless expression, "the Jane Austen novel."

Ladybug remained bewildered she had absolutely no idea what a nineteenth century novel by some English writer that she would never be able to get through ever had to do with the Akuma.

"You lost me, Kitty," Ladybug said.

"It's a love story about a matchmaker," Chat explained, "she's terrible at it but everything works out and she ends up marrying her best friend, Mr Knightly."

"That's great, Kitty," Ladybug said frustrated, "but what does it have to do with the…." She trailed off as an idea came into her mind. The Lucky Charm didn't offer her physical aid this time round but it had given her a new insight of the Akuma's mind-set. "I have an idea!" she beamed. "Follow my lead."

"Always," Chat murmured.

With a deep breath, Ladybug leaped out from the safety of the tree and into the Akuma's view.

The Akuma snarled as she lifted up her bow to take aim at Ladybug but before she set loose another arrow, Ladybug bowed down at the Akuma.

"Thank you!" she called out. "For finding me my perfect match."

The Akuma paused. "What?" she whispered.

"Thank you," Ladybug repeated, "you have found me my perfect match. I am so happy and it's all because of you."

The Akuma blinked. "It is?" she murmured softly.

The purple glowing outline of a butterfly appeared round her face. Hawk Moth was probably trying to tell the Akuma it was a trick but the Akuma shook her head dumbly as she continued to stare at Ladybug hopefully.

"Yes," Ladybug replied confidently as she stepped closer towards the Akuma, "you found me the perfect match. Your spells woke up our feelings for one another and we've never been happier."

"I did it?" the Akuma said happily. "I made a good match. I was right?"

"You were right," Ladybug agreed demurely, "you're the greatest matchmaker there ever was."

"Yes," the Akuma said smugly, "I am, aren't I?"

"A regular Emma," Ladybug said dryly, "and you helped me find my own Mr Knightly."

"Oh!" Akuma squealed. "I'm so happy for you!" she lunged forward and pulled Ladybug into a bone-crunching hug. "You're so lucky!"

Yes, Ladybug thought to herself, I am!

She moved quickly as she took advantage of her close proximity to the Akuma, Ladybug reached out and ripped the necklace off. "Now Chat!" she yelled as she whirled round and threw the necklace at Chat Noir.

Chat caught it without hesitation. "Cataclysm!" he cried out and the necklace turned into ash within his palm as a purple butterfly shot up in the sky desperate for its own freedom.

"Oh no, you don't!" Ladybug snapped. Without a single moment's hesitation she threw out her yoyo again which opened up and captured the butterfly with ease. "No more evil doing for you little Akuma. Time to de-evilize." Her compact opened up released a pure, white, butterfly to freedom. "Bye, bye, little butterfly" she called out sweetly as she waved after it. She then tossed her yoyo up in the air one last time. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

There was a glorious burst of reddish pink light as a cluster of ladybugs raced across Paris to repair the damage caused by the Akuma. The park was once more beautiful and green while love-struck people suddenly halted to a stop and blinked bewilderedly around their surroundings, and Chat….

Well, Chat Noir suddenly turned stark white as his normal senses caught up with his memories of the past day.

Ladybug swallowed as she quickly turned around.

She didn't want to see how much he regretted the last day.

Instead she turned her attention to the girl that had been Akumatised. The girl wasn't much older than Ladybug and she looked utterly drained as she sank onto the floor. There were dark shadows under her eyes as her exhaustion was apparent. Being Akumatised for so long with no sleep, no food, and no respite from the voice in her head, had obviously taken its toll on her.

Ladybug's stomach twisted itself in knots from the guilt.

This was her fault.

She should have gotten away sooner.

"Oh!" the girl sobbed as her eyes welled up with tears. "Oh! Oh! Oh what have I done?!"

"Hey," Ladybug crouched down by the victim's side, "it's okay!" she said as soothingly as possible as she wrapped an arm round the crying girl, "it's not your fault! You were possessed. You couldn't-"

"I ruined my best friend's life!" the girl wailed. "That was before I was Akumatised!"

And was probably the reason why she had been Akumatised too, Ladybug realised with a grimace.

"Shh!" Ladybug murmured comfortingly. "Shh! Shh! It'll be okay eventually. Whatever it is, I'm sure your best friend will forgive you in the end."

After all, if Alya had attempted to match make her and it ended badly she would forgive Alya...after some sulking.

She can't imagine ever staying mad with Alya for too long no matter what.

And best friends were far more important than boys.

Even boys as perfect as Adrien.

It took some time but eventually Ladybug got the Akuma victim to calm down enough to turn her over to the Police. They got the girl wrapped into a shock blanket in no time and into a car to take her back home to her parents.

Her parents!

Ladybug's heart twanged with sympathy at the thought of the agony and worry this girl's parents must have gone through in the last day.

She was then accosted by reporters who all shoved their microphones and cameras right under nose as they demanded over and over and over again why it had taken so long for her to fight the Akuma.

"I'm sorry," she managed to choke out, "but I was, err, out of town, and it took me some time to get back. I promise though," she said firmly, "that I won't ever let it happen again."

No matter what, she was never going to let another person suffer for this long in the future. She'll do whatever it takes to get away as quickly as possible in order to transform and resolve Hawk Moth's latest attack.

She then managed to escape the never-ending questions and stumbled out into freedom. She lifted up her fist, ready for her customary fist bump with Chat Noir (because he has always waited patiently by her side to fulfil their little tradition before they went their separate ways), only to discover that he had already disappeared long ago….

He hadn't even said goodbye.

He just went.

Her fist was left hanging uselessly in her the air….

Oh Kitty! She thought dismayed as she let her fist flop miserably to her side. What exactly is going through your head right now?!

She gnawed her bottom lip nervously as she wasn't entirely sure she ever wanted the answer to that question.

How were they going to get past this one?