A/N: Wedding planning….stress, got me plenty sick. So while I'm sick in bed, I'm going to edit this chapter before I go onto some of the one-shots and post them. Then work on Of Gods and Heroes while I'm sick in bed. Enjoy everyone.

Take My Hand

Chapter 2

She knew that his green eyes could stare right through to her soul. A shiver ran down her spine as the light from outside reflected off of his eyes and made them seem like they were glowing in the dark. She could only stare at him with her mouth hung open, while her heart was pounding in her chest it threatened to break through her rib cage. She swallowed a lump caught in her throat, but it only came back when he walked towards her and stood beside her bed, and placed his hands on the bed beside her, and leaned over her.

He didn't say anything to her, he just stared at her. She felt so scared right now. Marinette had no idea what he was there to do. Images of him came to mind of him coming here, intending to kill her. She instinctively pulled the blankets up around her, as if it were a shield. That made him chuckle, though he didn't say anything else to her. What he did do was pull the blankets back off of her body. She yelped in surprise and used her uninjured arm to cover herself up. She was only wearing a hospital gown with what she suspected was only panties underneath, and she felt instantly naked in front of the unpredictable Akuma.

He points to the sling finally and speaks up. "So, what's the damage?"

She shook her head. "I-I don't know," she answered. "It's all a blur."

He pushed himself up from leaning on the bed and walked to the edge of the bed, where her patient papers were located on a clipboard. She reached over to turn on the bedside lamp so he could read easier, but she saw him shake his head. "I can read just fine in the dark."

Marinette had forgotten that her partner could see in the dark. They honestly didn't talk about it much, and he never brought it up. He flipped through the pages and put the clipboard back down. "Well, says here, minor bruising, dislocated shoulder, and a possible concussion." He was grinning at her. "Good. I was a little concerned."

"Concerned about me?" she asked. Her eyes widened for a moment and her cheeks burned red.

"Don't flatter yourself, princess," he laughed at her. "I was concerned that you actually did know my identity, but clearly that bump to the head has made you crazy."

Marinette was instantly insulted because of his words. She wanted to challenge him, but she knew that this was neither the time nor the place to do it. She frowned and glared at him. Normally this would get Chat Noir to pretend to be hurt and begin to flirt with her to lighten the mood. This wasn't Chat Noir anymore, though. He smirked at her. "Did I hurt the princess's feelings?"

She clutched her nightgown tightly in her hands and tried to think of something she could say to wipe that smirk off of his lips that wouldn't get her killed.

"Fine, I'm crazy," she stated. She snatched the blankets from him and brought it up over herself, covering her body from his view. "Anything else I can do for you?"

He was leaning over the bed again, and he was smirking at her. "I did hurt your feelings!" He said it like it was some sort of huge accomplishment. And it made her heart hurt. This wasn't the Adrien she knew or the Chat Noir. He was cruel and went out of his way to hurt her feelings. And that wasn't good because it was going to make her snap.

"I don't know why you even bothered to come, besides to mock me," she stated. "But you can leave now."

"I'm a cat, I come and go as I please," he stated. "And right now it pleases me that pathetic little Marinette was bluffing, especially to save her classmates life. It's not like half of them even like you."

"I wasn't bluffing!" she finally snapped.

He was leaning close to her face. So close she could feel his hot breath on her face. In a normal situation she'd be blushing like a mad woman and hiding under her blanket, but she had enough of this cat. And she was going to put him in his place.

"Prove it," he chuckled. "Who am I?"

Marinette had no idea if telling him the truth would get her killed or not. Perhaps telling him a false name would be the best route of action. Everything was a calculated chess game, except she didn't know the rules. A smirk crossed her lips and she leaned in closer to him. She could see his green eyes dancing, waiting for what she supposed he thought was going to be a great source of amusement. She leaned into his ear and ever so softly whispered. "You're Adrien Agreste."

He drew away as if he had been burned. Those green eyes were now wide, and his face fell into an appearance of shock. "H-how?!"

She tried to look at him with a serious expression. "I told you, I know you."

He was stuck, frozen in his place. She pulled back the blankets and climbed out of the bed and approached him. She stopped in front of him. "I know I came across as scared of you every day in class, but it was really just because I've had such a crush on you. I know I'm not your ideal girl, and I know I will never be someone you'd even consider, but I know the person you really are. You aren't this," she stated motioning to him. "You're a hero. A great one at that. This is beneath you."

He was still silent and unmoved. Her hand reached out towards him. "Please, even if you never speak to me again or give me the time of day again. Go back to being Adrien." Her hand was facing up, her palm out flat. She smiled at him. "You don't need to face this alone. We can deal with this together. Adrien, please, take my hand."

He finally reacted. He took a step back away from her. He looked frightened by her and her words. The fact that she actually knew who he was clearly causing him anxiety. She continued to hold her hand out to him, but he backed up against the window. It was open, probably the way he had climbed back in. He shook his head at her. "I'm not that pathetic idiot anymore."

"You're not pathetic!" she cried. "You never were!"

He began to climb out of the window. He was clutching his head in one of his hands, and she saw Hawkmoth's symbol reveal itself across his face. "I just want Ladybug dead! Marinette, please stay away from me!"

He leaped out of the window and was gone. She ran to the window and watched him leave and run along the rooftops until she couldn't see him anymore. Once he was gone, Tikki emerged from Marinette's purse that was hung up in the closet. She looked at Marinette with sad eyes but joined Marinette by the window.

"I think you're getting to him," Tikki explained, thought her voice was low and sad.

Marinette nodded lightly but she seemed unsure. "It's so hard. Just when I'm getting through to him, Hawkmoth cuts in and takes control. What if we can't get him back? How far will he go to find Ladybug?"

Tikki shook her head. "Marinette, I honestly, just don't know."

Marinette nodded, knowing that she would have to just accept the situation for what it was. She looked at Tikki and gave her an assuring smile. "I'm not about to give up."

Tikki glowed with happiness hearing this. "That's why you're my Ladybug!"

8 8 8

Marinette was glad the next day when her parents picked her up, and she had been released by the doctors. There was no concussion, just a bruised skull, and a very sore shoulder. She had been asked a million questions by her parents over what had happened and what she was trying to do. Marinette honestly didn't have an answer. She just knew that she was trying to help her classmates, all of them. She made an excuse about her being class president and having to protect the students.

Marinette could tell that her parents were heavily conflicted about this answer. On one hand, she was standing up for herself. Her fellow man when they couldn't protect themselves, but she had almost been killed by in their mind a psychotic on the loose. She couldn't blame them. She was their only daughter.

When she got home, her mother told her to go upstairs and rest, while she made her a healthy lunch. Marinette went upstairs, and let Tikki out of her purse, and both went to her bed and peeked underneath. There was Plagg, who still looked utterly exhausted, though when he saw Marinette he smiled. "I don't know what you did, but you're cracking through that shell of his. I can feel it. You're confusing him, in a really good way."

"I-I am?" Marinette asked. "How?"

"He questioned himself a couple of times. Enough that Hawkmoth stepped in," Plagg explained to her. "He's wondering about you. The girl, which he's admitted he never really noticed before. Not romantically, but as a friend. He see's someone he might be able to trust."

Tikki gasped. "That's fantastic news, Marinette!"

Marinette nodded and pulled out a piece of cheese she had snatched from the kitchen that on her way up. She gave it to Plagg who ate it gladly. He hadn't eaten since she left the day before, and he looked starved. "I'll give you more when my mom comes up," she stated.

He looked at her. "You don't need to give me cheese always. I prefer it…but I'll eat anything right now."

Tikki gasped. "B-but you love cheese!"

"I do, but Marinette has gone above and beyond for me. And, teasing my Chat Noir's about my love of cheese has…lost its luster. Any vegetable or piece of a sandwich will do," Plagg explained.

"Will do," Marinette stated. She stood to her feet and took a seat on her bed. Tikki stayed under the bed with Plagg, probably to take a nap as she hadn't slept much either. Marinette was about to take a nap when her phone started to buzz. She picked it up when she realized that it was Alya.

"What the hell were you thinking yesterday!?" Alya cried into the phone before Marinette could greet her.

Marinette pulled the phone away from her ear. She sighed. "I was concerned for my friend and classmates wellbeing. Something in me just snapped into action."

"Not only that! Since when have you been in love with Chat Noir?" Alya cried. "You tell me everything. When did that happen? And do you have any idea what happened to him? Or why Ladybug was nowhere to be seen."

Marinette sat up in her bed, and looked around the room, trying to figure out something she could say to her best friend. She wanted to tell her she had to do what she did, but she had no explanation that she could offer without revealing herself, or Chat Noir himself.

"H-He saved me a while back," Marinette answered. "And sometimes, he'd visit me. Check up on me…it just happened." It wasn't completely a lie. When Evillustrator was on the loose, Chat Noir did come to get her and tried to protect her. Who's to say he didn't visit her from time to time after that.

"What about Adrien? You've had a crush on him forever. Are you in love with both of them?"

Marinette frowned at the personal questions that she just couldn't answer honestly. She had to lie again. "Adrien doesn't even know I exist. And I doubt he would even give me the time of day."

Alya normally would have lectured her on self-confidence, but Alya seemed more concerned about the Akumaized Hero that was terrorizing the city. "Well, what happened to Chat Noir? How did he turn out this way? You seem to know something," Alya stated. It wasn't a remark and sounded like an accusation. She bit her bottom lip and tried to think of what she could say.

"I think it has to do with Ladybug," Marinette stated. "Last weekend he told me that he was going to tell her that he loved her. I honestly never got the impression they liked each other. Maybe it didn't go as planned. Maybe something really bad happened."

There was silence, and then Alya gasped. "What if Ladybug is really hurt somewhere and that's why she isn't showing up! I've got to go look for her!"

'Oh, god no, don't do that!' Marinette screamed internally. If she snooped around Chat Blanc to try and get answers, she was sure that something awful could happen to her. She doubted that Alya could get anything out of Chat Blanc. And she was so sure it would set him off. "I don't think that's very safe."

"I can't just sit around, Marinette," Alya stated. "We need to find Ladybug and help her. She's the only one who can help him. I'm going to go out and look for clues at their usual hangouts. You stay out of danger. I know you'd be the stupid one to run into him again. Don't get yourself killed!"

Alya hung up on Marinette and she cursed under her breath. "This entire damn thing is my fault."

8 8 8

Adrien landed on top of Notre Dame and entered inside. He had just returned from the hospital, and it was late. Around four in the morning to be exact. He felt exhausted as he found a musty old pew that was kept in the bell tower. It was hard and uncomfortable and broken on one end, but he didn't seem to care as he collapsed on it.

He felt like all his energy was gone now. He had been up since eleven yesterday morning and had only slept four hours in that time. He had been searching endlessly for Ladybug and Plagg. Both had disappeared without a trace and it was frustrating him to no end. No matter how much destruction he caused or people he terrified, Ladybug didn't reappear. This both angered him and surprised him. He thought he knew her after these two years. He didn't it seemed.

Hawkmoth had finally decided to leave him be. He supposed so Hawkmoth himself could get some rest. While at the hospital he could hear Marinette's words, and he could hear them affecting him. Bringing peace of mind to him. She made him feel safe. Like there was another way. Then Hawkmoth would begin to speak to him again, and it would straighten him out.

He had no friends. He had no one he could trust. He needed revenge, and the pathetic little princess was getting in his way of that. Yet as Hawkmoth reminded him of this, he once again conflicted. So very conflicted. There was this other girl in front of him, who actually did love him. She was always so sweet and kind in class, yet always seemed so uncomfortable around him. He always assumed it was because she was intimidated by him and his fame. He never got to experience that kindness.

And that confession.

He could see the desperateness in her confession. She had wanted to get that out in the open. Though he doubted if she was serious about her confession. And then the hospital visit. She had kept staring at his green eyes. He mocked her, secretly hoping that she had been lying so he could get that confession out of his head. She knew, though. She knew who he really was under this mask. Only someone that had really been watching him for a long time from afar could possibly know that.

This only made the situation worse. Much, much worse. Hawkmoth had told him that this girl was trying to destroy his plans for revenge, and he agreed. She kind of was. If he changed back, he would never get back at Ladybug, the woman he wanted dead.

And yet, Ladybug was far from his thoughts right now. There were only two things on his mind right now. The way she stood up for her classmates, and protected them, confessing herself to him. And then her in the hospital reaching for him. It was much too much. Her gentle ways had almost convinced him to give up his mission.

He hated her. He hated the influence she had over him. He didn't know her. He didn't like her. He wanted nothing to do with her. And he hated the effect she had on him.

Yet, he wanted to see her again.

A/N: That's it for now everyone. I hope you enjoyed either rereading it or enjoyed it if your reading for the first time. Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all you Canadians out there!