A/N I hadn't expected so many of you to have an interest in this story. I use a lot of my own experience with depression and anxiety to convey Marinette's feelings and let me tell you, it brings a lot of relief just writing things out like that. So, for any of you experiencing any difficulties it might help you to give it a shot! I will always keep a warning of anxiety/depression triggers, I know how easy it can be to start a hurricane of negative emotions.

Chapter 2

Everything was dark, she was so confused she sat up but collapsed onto her back again. It was soft, her eyes started adjusting and she realized she was in her room, in her bed. She groaned and brought her hand to her head feeling a damp cloth laying over her forehead. She'd guessed it was cold once, but her skin had warmed it now.

She heard voices coming from downstairs but her head was still swimming, they sounded so far away. She closed her eyes again and submitted to the darkness of her mind again. The next time she opened her eyes it was light, sun was shining through her windows. She wasn't really feeling better, but she did feel like she could move again. She sat up successfully this time and looked around. How'd she get up here?

"Tikki" Marinette whispered, her voice was dry and scratchy.

"Oh Marinette how are you feeling?" Tikki appeared beside her sounding worried.

"What happened Tikki? I was at school and I'm so confused" Marinette rest her head in her hands, her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults as her mind tried connecting the dots of what she could remember.

"Hawkmoth tried akumatizing you, but you purified it." Tikki spoke softly and slowly. "It's happened before but it's pretty uncommon for a ladybug to be able to purify an akuma outside of her suit. It's really dangerous Marinette"

"I purified an akuma? As Marinette?" She asked weakly feeling the need to lay back down.

"You passed out in the yard at school. Chat saw you on the grass and brought you home. He was so worried. Alya nearly had a fit too. You were out for a long time Marinette. Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Tikki had been worried about her chosen. Marientte had been struggling the past month or two and Tikki tried talking her into slowing down but Marinette was burning herself out from both ends.

"I'm just tired Tikki, I probably slept too long" Marinette pushed her legs over the side of her bed and made to stand up.

"Marinette I really think you should just stay in bed for a while. I know you want to keep up with everything but please. You deserve a break too" Tikki begged. "Plus that Akuma took a lot out of you, you don't understand what's happened to you"

There was a thud from Marinette's balcony. It was the middle of the day, why would Chat Noir be visiting her now?

"he's been coming by every chance he gets to check on you. I think you really scared him." Tikki explained. "talk to him" with that Tikki hid and Marinette's balcony door opened.

"Marinette?" She'd never heard his voice so soft.

"I'm wake chat" She whispered back. It only took him a minute to be in her room and beside on her bed.

"Are you feeling okay? You should really lay back down Mari. Take it easy" He said putting a hand on her shoulder and another on her forehead. "I think you have a fever still, let me get you another damp rag" She took his arm as he made to get up.

"I'm okay Chat, I'm really sorry I don't really know what happened" Her voice was a whisper again, but he sat back down.

"It was such a blur, Alya was freaking out. I just happened to be around. You were burning up, I was going to take you to the hospital but I thought your parents would be better" Chat's shoulders slumped and he stared at his hands folded in his lap. "Your mom says you haven't been yourself lately. What's going on?" He sounded worried and it reflected in his eyes as he looked at her.

"It's really nothing" Marinette started and she sighed. "I've just been stressed out lately. Too many things going at once" she admitted looking away from him trying to find something more interesting.

"Please, take a break Marinette" He put his hand on her shoulder again. "Whatever it is you have going on, it isn't worth getting sick over" Wrong choice of words.

"You don't even know me." Her voice was ice and her eyes on fire. "People depend on me! People need me!" She stood in front of him now. Chat hadn't expected this reaction.

"If something happens to you Marinette you won't be able to do anything for anyone" He kept his cool, he'd never seen Marinette act like this before.

"I don't have anything left to give up." She was cracking. "Chloe was right" She muttered it under her breath but Chat heard her.

'What could cause someone like Marinette to give up on herself like this' Chat wanted to understand, to help he but he didn't know what he could do that would make a difference.

By the time Chat saw the butterfly it was too late it landed on her shoulder. She collapsed to her knee's on the floor feeling the electrifying pain run through her. She gasped holding her chest in pain.

"Marinette" Char was crouched next to her his hands on her shoulders keeping her upright. Then in a second she was unconscious and a white butterfly flittered away.

"Oh no, not again" Tikki made herself known. "Chat catch that butterfly!" She commanded, he was in shocked but her did as she asked. He caught the butterfly in an empty glass that was on Marinette's night stand. "We need to take her to the guardian Chat, please!" Tikki cried and she curled herself on her chosen's chest. Tikki used the magic she could to help Marinette but the girls temperature was raging at the fire burning under her skin.

"Marinette…" Chat whispered he couldn't bring himself to pick her up, to touch her.

"She's ladybug I know it's a shock, but I need you to help her Chat. I can't do it" Tikki coached. "She needs you Adrien" Hearing his name helped him snap out of his daze.

"Marinette is Ladybug" He finally bent down and picked her up bridal style. "I don't know where the guardian is I need your help."

Tikki gave him direction and helped him navigate to a small district outside of Paris where the healer lived. He didn't bother to knock he banged the door open and hurried inside finding the old man who had given him his miraculous.

"What has happened?" The old man questioned. Tikki explained the first akuma incident anf Chat explained the second. The guardian kept his calm demeaner and rummaged through a chest at the side of his tea room. Chat saw him throwing different things into a mortar and pestle mixing and grinding them all together.

"This isn't good" He muttered reputedly thinking more aloud to himself than to anyone else in the room. "Wayz I need you to get me a roll of gauze from the hall closet" He called.

"Wayz?" Chat asked looking around.

"His Kwami" Tikki explained but she didn't leave her place on Marinette's chest.

"Do you have the butterfly with you?" Fu asked suddenly looking at Chat Noir.

"I left it in Marinette's room. I can get it" He offered and Fu nodded.

"We're going to need it if we want a chance to make her better. We need to tell her parents something, perhaps I will go speak to them myself. Go fetch the butterfly and bring it back to me quickly as you can" And Chat was gone.

"Master Fu, I'm worried" Tikki cried. Wayz brought the bandages Fu asked for but didn't make any comments, there was nothing to say. "I haven't seen one like her since Joan but the stress has her buzzing with anxiety. I've tried to talk to her into taking a break but she isn't having it, she's an admiral Ladybug but I'm so worried she's been burning to hot" Tikki wasn't referring to the girls fever either, Tikki tried to recall a time when a Ladybug with as much passion as Marientte made it to adulthood, but it just didn't happen that way. The bugs that worked the hardest always had the shortest lives and it broke Tikki's heart to think that Marinette could be among them.

"She is a strong young woman Tikki, the pain she's experiencing is just as much because she is Ladybug as it is because she is a teenager. We can get her through this" The master rubbed Tikki's head with his finger. "You did the right thing"

Hawkmoth watch as his Akuma flew to the girl. He recognized the burning anger coming off her, he loved it. She was furious! He recognized the person she was yelling at, it was Chat Noir.

What was he doing in the room of a teenage girl? It also bought Marinette respect, she was telling of half of Paris' superhero duo she had guts.

He laughed at the spectacle as the girl collapsed in agony following the poisoned touch of his akuma. He was even more pleased as the butterfly sprouted from the girl again. It amazed him that a simple child could reject him and yet still surrender herself to his power. Hawkmoth wasn't prepared for the little fairy that appeared in his vision or for his akuma to be captured denying it the opportunity to bring a piece of the girls soul back to him. He growled in anger as the vision faded.

"So Ladybug is just a little girl playing hero" It was going to be easier than he thought.

A/N: Woooo things are getting dark and will definitely be darker so prepare yourselves. I also wrote Hawkmother on mistake lol Im glad I caught that who would have thought one typo could change the whole tone of a character?

I hope y'all are liking the story so far!