"Have you seen Rin around?"

The question made Marinette glance in the direction of the inquirer with an instantly concerned glare cast towards Adrien and the one who'd asked her where abouts, only the person who had asked made Rin shake her head in confusion.

Chloe was asking about Rin?!

"She's off sick today," Adrien replied as casually as he could muster. He couldn't very well tell anyone that she was at home debriefing one of her subordinates on the current situation with the akumas and her concerns regarding the recent change during the akuma attacks.

Chloe didn't seem convinced as she put her hands on her hips before asking, "sick? With what? The Flu? Are you sure?"

"Why do you care? It isn't like you two are particularly close or anything," Adrien returned.

"I—" Chloe began to answer but then stopped herself thinking back to the prior night.

Chloe received the sushi from the staff member before heading towards the elevator when the sound of someone sobbing rather loudly made her turn her head. She had anticipated seeing Marinette there and had been prepared to say, 'I told you. He's my Adrikins.' Yet it wasn't Marinette she noticed, but Rin, she looked as if her legs had given out from under her and was in a crumpled heap crying on the sidewalk.

Chloe bit her lip slightly before racing outside, but once outside was at a loss for words. So instead of speaking she sat next to Rin, gently placing a hand on her shoulder and stretching out the box of sushi as an offering.

"Home sick?"

Rin shook her head 'no' as she gulped in gasps of air. "It's alright. Just take it slow," Chloe coaxed. Why was she doing this? Why was she being so nice? The thought of her, Chloe Bourgeois, the Mayor's daughter crouched down in the middle of the street where anyone could see her was absolutely insane, yet here she was. Why?

Then it dawned on her, because when her mother had died and her father had briefly turned to drink to drown his own sorrows, she had wanted nothing more than for someone to hold her and comfort her. By the time her father had sobered up, Chloe had grown resentful and untrusting of others, it was easier to keep everyone at arm's length than to chance that kind of hurt again.

Chloe gave in and fully sat down on the side walk next to the shaken girl after a few minutes, Chloe watched Rin calm enough to breathe normally.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Rin bit her lip as she played with the pink woven bracelet on her wrist.

"I miss him," Rin began.

She wiped her eyes as she looked to the sky before she continued, "I thought being here, being away from all of my memories would make things easier… but I can't say that it is. I regret so much. I wish I had told him."

"What would you have told him?"

Rin bit her lip again as she took a steadying breath before replying, "I'd tell him that ever since I can remember, he was always with me. When we were kids playing by a river, I nearly fell in. I can't swim, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back towards him. We fell onto the grass and I landed on him… that was the first time he called me his Lady, it made me blush. I'd tell him that his smile is always enough to soothe me into talking, his laugh brings light into my world, and I'd tell him that I hope we spend the rest of our lives by each other's side."

Chloe blinked slowly, her mouth was open in surprise at the revelation. Rin had lost someone she didn't just love, she was in love with him.

"It kills me to see two people I know making the same mistake that I did. To watch them care so deeply for each other but they don't tell each other. God, I was stupid... it's eating me alive that they're being as stupid as I was! They're my friends. I want to save them from the same pain I'm going through," she growled in frustration.

Chloe suddenly realized who Rin might be referring to and bit her lip a little before replying, "I sort of have a different issue, actually. There's a boy I've known since I was a little girl—I barely have one memory where I didn't know him or interact with him somehow. When my mom died, my Dad—was caught up with his own grief. She was really the glue that held us all together. So when she died—part of us died with her. This boy I know? He was the one person to try and make me smile, even half way after she passed. I think that's when I started crushing on him but I'm starting to realize it was maybe just a deep appreciation? I don't know. I don't get the butterflies in my stomach or anything like that. I'm not nervous around him. I just—don't think anyone can really care about me more than he does. I'm scared of losing that. So I cling to him. Maybe that's the wrong thing to do? I don't know. I wish I had an older sister at least. Boys are confusing."

This confession made Rin chuckle as she dried her eyes with her hands. Chloe held out a napkin, offering it to Rin.

"Thanks," Rin replied as she accepted the napkin and gently wiped her eyes.

"Come on inside and freshen up. You kind of look like weird raccoon right now," Chloe offered.

Rin almost burst out laughing at this but was quick to nod her head in agreement.

"One other thing Rin, this conversation never happened," Chloe added as she headed back into the Grande Paris Hotel. Rin smiled a bit as she winked to Master Fu across the street.

Later up in Chloe's hotel room after a warm shower, Rin stepped out and was surprised to find her clothes in a dry cleaning bag.

"I called the dry cleaning service while you were in, nothing feels more grimy than walking around in dirty clothes when you're clean," Chloe explained.

She seemed to lose her confidence a bit before indicating a room service cart, "I had them prepare a few traditional Japanese dishes. I know you say that you're not homesick, but I figured some familiar comforts might help?"

Rin was almost tongue tied as she towel dried her hair and wore a white hotel bathrobe as she stood in the main room of Chloe's suite before finding her voice, "Thank you… that was very thoughtful, Chloe."

Chloe gave a small shrug.

"You're lucky, to know both of your parents," Rin offered.

Chloe's eyes widened a bit as she replied, "You don't know who your dad is?"

Rin shook her head 'no', as she looked out the hotel window, overlooking the city she slowly began to tell a story she hadn't yet told anyone being mindful to change the time frame to suit a human instead of a soul reaper.

Tenatively she began to explain, "I didn't say that exactly. I know him and I don't. I know things about him. I know that he knows about my brother, my sister and myself. I know some of the ways I remind my mother of him—she always did call me her beautiful child. Not that Tomoya and Sora aren't beautiful to her as well, but I'm apparently the beautiful female version of my father. I'm sure there's differences between him and I, aside from the obvious…

"You have a brother and sister? I guess they're back in Japan? You must miss them," Chloe blurted.

Rin nodded in agreement, "But I have the highest grades of my siblings. That's why I was able to come here, to Paris. I know most dream of being an exchange student in America, but I've always been different. I was drawn to Paris."

Chloe gave a gentle smile and nodded, "It's alright for a city."

She looked to Rin, "So Tomoya and Sora have the same Dad as you?"

Rin gave an amused smile before revealing, "I'd hope so! We're a set of triplets."

Chloe gave a slight giggle at the statement, realizing how strange it would be for triplets to have different fathers.

"Thank you, Chloe. Really—I—I trust Adrien a lot, and Marinette –but—I just needed to get away for a bit, kind of clear my head," Rin spoke.

Chloe shrugged, "Even the worst of us aren't bad all the time. I won't say anything if you don't." She looked to Rin as she stated the last part, indicating how serious she was.

"Deal," Rin agreed the two girls shared a gaze and a friendly smile before Rin looked out over Paris again.

'Mamoru, I wish you were here to see it. It's beautiful,' Rin thought to herself.

Chloe noticed the melancholy look Rin was once again gaining and decided to distract her with a question, "Have you ever done Karaoke?"

"I just wondered," Chloe stated before heading over to her seat.

Adrien quirked a brow at her, 'Yeah, and I'm a mouse.'

~~~~ At Master Fu's shop~~~~

"You are certain these weilders are worthy?"

"They are," Rin affirmed, "But equally important, they're Adrien's friends. When the time comes, he'll need all of them there for him."

"You know who Hawkmoth is, I don't know how many friends someone would need to survive that kind of shock," Wayzz offered.

Rin nodded, "And even that may not be enough—but I'll give him every chance I can, provide as much padding as I can for when that blow comes."

Master Fu nodded and seemed in thought before asking, "And what of you? Who will be there for you if you suffer an unsuspected surprise?"

Rin gave a hearty laugh as she looked at Master Fu, "Are you joking? I'm a soldier. I handle myself."

"Rin, even the strongest warrior knows when to seek help," Master Fu advised.

Rin thought about it for a moment before nodding in agreement, "You're right. It's foolish to fight a battle on your own. But the truth is the there's only ever been a handful of people I trust to get me through rough scenarios—and none of them are in this world. So it's me against it all. Wish me luck and ladybugs, you gotta know I need them."

She gave a playful wink before heading off with the miraculous jewellery boxes concealed within her clothes.

"More so than you know," Master Fu stated to a seemingly empty room. He heard footsteps from the other room as someone else entered the main room of the studio.

"I am surprised she did not sense you. She's usually quite sensitive to such things. You must be highly skilled as you told me when you arrived," Master Fu spoke to his guest.

The guest remained silent only offering a small nod.