AN: Wedding planning sucks. Elope. Just do it. Seriously I might just Write a ML fanfic when its all done and over with just about the horrors of wedding planning. Anyway, here's a new chapter because Of Gods and Heroes just isn't happening…again.

Take My Hand

Chapter 4

Marinette held a list of items that her mother, Sabine, had written for her to get. A few days had passed any anyone had seen Chat Blanc, and she was no different. Her sling removed had been finally removed, but her arms was still a tiny bit sore when she moved it a certain way. With no sightings of Chat Blanc, the city almost seemed at peace, despite everyone still being on edge. Plagg had insisted that Adrien was still out there, and was just keeping a low profile. So Marinette did the same, and tried to act normal. So when her mother gave her the list, she agreed and took the money her mother gave her, and headed out. She wore simple jeans with sneakers, with a tank top with a hoodie over top. Her usual purse over her shoulder, with Tikki hidden inside.

She was actually thankful for the distraction. While Chat Blanc was keeping his distance from the public, the public hadn't viewed it as a break from the villain. They had been talking for days about Ladybug and her whereabouts. Many people had been talking non-stop about Ladybug abandoning them. This broke Marinette's heart. She hadn't forgotten them. In fact, she was thinking of their safety every single day. She was reminded of it several times in fact.

Several classmates sent her texts and messages on social media asking if she had seen Chat Blanc and had helped him and if that was why he hadn't been seen. Marinette lied and said that she hadn't seen him since the incident in the classroom. Even Alya was sending her messages and asking her. Thought she was on speaking terms with her best friend again, Alya still knew that she was obviously hiding something. Marinette cursed her friend's great skills of deduction.

So while she was walking to the shop to pick up the supplies from her mother, her cell phone rang. She looked at it and saw that it was Alya. She saw nothing abnormal about this and picked up the phone. "Hello?" she asked as she answered the call.

"Marinette! You need to get to the Eiffel Tower right away!" Alya cried.

She seemed confused. "Why? What's wrong?"

She realized there was a ton of commotion in the background, and it was loud. She heard Alya shouting into the phone to be heard. "It's Chat Blanc, he's on the tower! He's threatening to destroy it unless Ladybug shows up. Now I know you said you don't know anything, but we both know that's a lie. If you ever needed to act now, it would be now!"

"H-he's on the tower, right now?" she gasped.

"Get over here now!" Alya hung up, and Marinette put her phone away, and ducked into an alleyway. She hid behind a dumpster and opened her purse. Tikki flew out, and looked at Marinette with worried eyes. She had no idea what she was supposed to do. If there was that many people around, the police had probably blocked the whole area off. And she couldn't just sneak in as Ladybug. Someone would see her, and in turn Chat Blanc would notice her. She'd be dead in seconds.

Tikki frowned as she looked at Marinette's worried eyes. "I know you can figure something out."

Marinette didn't know if she could figure this one out or not. It wasn't like she hadn't tried to figure such things out. This wasn't just any regular akuma. This was Adrien. This was her partner. This was the man she was absolutely crazy in love with. She tried to think of a way to reason with him. Nothing came to mind. If he was really threatening to destroy the Eiffel Tower, then he was desperate to draw Ladybug out into the open. This was no longer just trying to convince him to change back, this was trying to convince him to not hurt anyone while trying to free him. This was a bigger task.

"You're just a pathetic school girl who has a crush. And I hate you, probably more than Ladybug."

Remembering those words stung. Even though she knew it was the Akuma talking, and had outside influences affecting his words and actions. Sure Plagg told her that Adrien had actually wanted to kiss her, but that didn't mean much to her right now. That would all go out the window if she ended up revealing herself to him. Even if by some miracle she had gotten him to fall for her, just at the sight of her as Ladybug, all affections would be gone and he would be ripping her to pieces.

"I need to contact him!" she told Tikki. She took out her cellphone again, and went into her contacts and pressed on his name and brought the phone up to her ear. She prayed and prayed that he would pick up, but it went right to voice mail. Marinette almost threw her phone on the ground in complete frustration. She didn't know what to do.

"Tikki, Chat Blanc has the same abilities as Chat Noir, could I be able to contact him through his staff maybe?"

Marinette was so hopefully, and it broke Tikki's heart to shake her head. "That power is connected through Plagg and I. While Chat Blanc has the same abilities as Chat Noir…it's like that Akuma that made himself a copy of Chat Noir…it's just for show."

Marinette was afraid of that. She sank to the ground. She knew she should have been running towards the grand landmark trying to save the man she loved, but she felt hopeless as Marinette. He was right, she was just a pathetic little school girl with a crush.

Her phone started to ring again, and she looked at her screen. To her surprise, it wasn't Alya. It was Nino. She picked up the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"M-Marinette are you on the way to the Eiffel Tower?" Nino asked her. He sounded out of breath, like he was running and talking at the same time.

"I'm heading over now," she lied.

"Good," he told her. "Alya told me that she was sure that Chat Blanc was Adrien. That you knew something. I'm not like Alya, I won't push, but if you really know something, I beg of you to do something to help him."

Marinette had no words. She was highly doubting herself right now. There was no way that she could do anything just as herself. She was just a normal high school student. She wasn't even in her hero form. She couldn't possibly do anything.

"I believe in you," Nino stated.

His words brought her back to reality. He believed in her. Why though? Why did he have so much faith in her?

"I know how you feel about Adrien. I have since our visit to the zoo," he stated. "Adrien's always been a lonely guy. He serves someone who will love him no matter what. Please, Marinette, save my best friend."

Marinette swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She then slowly rose to her feet. "O-okay…but I'm going to need your help getting past the police that they have probably taped off."

"I got you there," Nino stated. "Meet me and Alya by the Champ du Mars entrance closest to the tower."

"Give me ten minutes, I'll be there," she stated, hanging up the phone. She put the phone away and looked at Tikki who was looking at her with a proud expression. Marinette felt a little embarrassed about this, but she tried to not let it show. Now wasn't the time. Marinette opened her purse and Tikki jumped inside. Marinette dashed out of the alleyway, and out to the main street. She began to run in the direction of the park.

She knew that she was nobody as herself. She was just a normal girl. She wasn't anything special. And that was okay. She couldn't let that bother her. Right now what she needed was to do was to help whoever she could. Alya hadn't said if anyone was on that tower with Chat Blanc. For all she knew, he had others trapped on the tower. She couldn't let that happen. She knew that sweet, kind Adrien would never forgive himself. She just had to reach him. She had to put a stop to this as soon as possible. She had to free him and free the city from this nightmare.

She rounded the corner and she saw the tower in the distance. While nothing seemed out of the ordinary from one glance, she could hear the police sirens going off in all directions. She looked ahead and saw the police lights, and the crowds up ahead. She ran closer, and began to call out to Alya. She heard her name being called, and she searched through the crowds. She saw Alya jump up in the air and tried to get Marinette's attention. She rushed over and Alya grabbed her and pointed to the top observation deck. She squinted her eyes, and she saw something white moving up against the brown tower.

"Has he done anything yet?" Marinette asked.

"No," Alya stated. "He called the police from the emergency phone up there, and said unless Ladybug showed up he would destroy the tower."

"I-is anyone up there?" she asked. She feared there being hostages that she wouldn't be able to save stuck up there. To her relieve, Alya shook her head. Nino showed up then, carrying his large book bag. Alya and Marinette looked at him.

"You said you'd be here twenty minutes ago!" Alya scolded.

He removed his book bag. "I called Marinette, and then I had to stop to get a proper distraction."

"Distraction?" Alya asked.

Nino unzipped and opened the bag to show them what this distraction was. Both girls gasped when they saw that it a large firework. Nino quickly zipped it back up and looked around to make sure that no one noticed the very much so illegal item. "Are you crazy?!" Alya cried, thought her voice was hardly above a whisper.

"Marinette needs to slip past the police, she can't do that without them leaving the area, even if just for a few minutes," Nino explained. "She can get through to him. You know it just as much as I do."

"You're going to get arrested," Alya warned him.

"So?" Nino stated. "It's either I get in trouble trying, or I do nothing, and something awful happens to my best friend. You'd do the same for Marinette."

Alya turned and looked at Marinette, her expression was sad, and Marinette knew that Nino was right. Alya would do the same for Marinette. Alya brought her best friend in for a hug, and she squeezed her tightly. "Marinette, you've loved Adrien for so long…if there is anyone who can free him from this…it's you." Marinette felt Alya pull away as she looked back at Nino. "I'll go with you. Someone has to have your back too."

Nino thanked Alya, but then looked at Marinette. "Do your best."

The two disappeared into the park, leaving Marinette in the crowd by herself. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do once she got inside the police line. She could get to the base of the tower, and what? Scream up? Get his attention. If he did somehow manage to hear her, why would be actually come down to see her?

She tightened her grip on her purse strap and waited for Nino and Alya's distraction. She waited for what seemed like forever. And right there, in the mid-afternoon, the loud sound of exploding fireworks began to go off. Everyone in the crowd turned, looking for the source. Marinette used this chance to slide in through the crowds, and headed to the front. It was fairly easy. Then she saw a few officers rush past the crowds, and when she made it to the front, she saw that the officers had stupidly all left the police tape. Marinette was standing right at the police tape. She tightened her hand into a fist and took in a deep breath. She quickly ducked down and slipped under the tape. Once under, she took off running.

She could hear the gasps as people noticed her on the other side of the tape. She heard police calling out to her, having noticed her. She heard them threatening to fire, but she didn't listen, she still ran. She began darting side to side, making herself a harder target just in case they decided to follow through with their threat.

She heard them call out to her on a megaphone. And to her surprise she heard a shot go off. Looking back she saw an officer who had raised his pistol to the sky and had fired off a shot to get her attention. "Young lady! It's dangerous, you must turn back."

She bite her tongue, and turned back to face the tower. She was closer now and could see that the police had gotten Chat Blanc's attention for her. She took off running in the direction of the monument again. She called out to him. "Chat! Chat! It's me! Marinette!"

She reached the base of the tower, just in time to see him climbing down the tower, stopping just at the last steel edge that was attached to the columns of the tower. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. She knew he couldn't make out her features from there. "Chat Blanc! Please!" she pleaded.

She turned back to look. The police were staying away, and she was glad for that. She looked back up at him, just in time to see him leaping down in front of her. He was glaring at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to prevent you from making a huge mistake," she told him.

He stepped closer to her, but it was far from a friendly move, it was threatening. He was standing over her, and looked like he was ready to strike at her. She tried to remain firm and in control. "The only mistake here was me not ripping your throat out at that school. Stop butting into my business. I don't see why you even care."

Marinette knew he was going to probably dish out some harsh words to her, but nothing could actually prepare her for his harsh tone. "You know why."

He grabbed her by the collar of her hoodie and pulled her towards him. "Because your stupid and you have a death wish."

She grasped his hand that was gripping her with both hands. She lightly shook her head at him. She tried to send him a kind smile. Not cocky, or sweet, just her natural smile. "Because you're not this person."

He lightly tossed her away from him, and she was free from his grip. "Listen here you stupid girl. I hate you. I hate you with such a burning passion that I don't know what would please me more. Keeping you alive and proving to you just how much I hate you. Or just killing you now."

She knew he was angry and he was in a lot of pain. It broke her heart. This was all her fault. He was an Akuma now because of her. She felt the corner of her eyes sting. She felt hopeless at this moment. Plagg and Tikki's plan was pointless. He was never going to listen to her. "That's alright," she stated. It came out sounding a lot more emotional than she wanted it to. "You're allowed to hate me."

"I don't need your permission to hat-"

"That won't change the fact that I love you, and I only want to see you happy," she told him. She spread her arms out. "If my death will really make you happy, then kill me. If it will turn you back to Adrien, then by all means, do whatever you want to me."

It was another gamble, but she knew that the chances of it actually doing anything this time around was very slim. In fact, she was betting on him killing her right then and there. He grabbed her by the waist, suddenly and it made her yelp in surprise. Before she knew it, he was leaping up onto the tower once again, taking her with him. He stopped half way up to the observation deck, dropping her off onto one of the steel beams. She gasped and grabbed into the edge of side of another beam that was going vertically up the tower.

The wind hit her, and she realized just how dangerous it was for her right now. One strong breeze she could fall to her death. She glanced over at Chat Blanc who was on the beam above her, and he had a sick grin on his face. "I'm taking you up on that offer. Who knows, maybe your death will finally bring that bitch, Ladybug, out."

Marinette tightened her grasp on the tower and shook her head at him. "It won't. If she was going to show up, she would have already."

He shrugged. "Oh well." Marinette knew she could transform and save herself. From falling anyway. She was a dead girl standing the moment he saw her. At least she knew that Hawkmoth wouldn't get either of the miraculous if something were to happen to her. He didn't know to look for them from her. "I'm just going to sit tight, and wait for you to go splat! That will be fun!" Another powerful breeze picked up and Marinette cried out as she nearly lost her grip. He was laughing harder now. "How does it feel to know you're going to die by the hands of the guy you claim to love so much? I bet you assumed I'd just fall all over myself for you too."

She looked up at him when the powerful breeze. "I never expected you to return my feelings. I always knew you'd never feel that way about me," Marinette continued.

He was greatly amused by her words. "And why is that?"

She held a serious and stern expression on his face. "Because you love her. Admit it, you want to see Ladybug. Not just kill her. You miss her."

She saw something flash in his green eyes, and she knew that she was perhaps getting on the right track, even if just a little. "And that's alright. You really love her. It's the same for me. It's the same reason I keep coming to see you."

He hissed at her. "No! I hate her! I want to kill her!"

"I know she must have hurt you real bad," Marinette continued. "I'm sure she regrets that more than anything. You two were so close. I'm sure she worried about you."

He suddenly covered his head, and pressed against either side of his head. It was like there was a pressure going on in his head. He hissed in pain. Then Hawkmoth's symbol appeared over his face. Marinette panicked. "Don't listen to him! His speaks lies. Everyone is so worried about you. Listen to me!"

He opened one eye to look at her, and she tried to use this moment to get him to really listen to her. "Sometimes things just don't work out. That's alright. And it's alright to be upset about it, but you can't just turn against life itself just because things didn't work out the way you planned. You have so many people who care about you. Nino! He's your best friend. He's so worried about you. Chloe, she is especially worried about you. Alya too! All of our classmates. They care about you so much."

"S-Stop it!" he begged. She couldn't tell if it was Hawkmoth's continued whispers in his head, or if he was begging her to be silent. She was going to back down now though. She knew deep down that Adrien was counting on her.

"You're a great hero. I know everyone forgets about Chat Noir in comparison to Ladybug. She may not love you the way you wish, but she does care. I know because in interviews she has always corrected people. They call you her sidekick, and she always corrected them. She called you her partner. You complete each other."

Another breeze picked up, and this time, it made Marinette lose her footing. She slipped and fell. She manages to grab the edge of the beam she had just been standing on. She gasped, and looked up, and found Chat Blanc staring down at her. Hawkmoth's symbol was gone, but he didn't seem very concerned with her current position. In fact he seemed to be taking great pleasure in it. Marinette felt her morality catching up with her. The corners of her eyes burned and she knew that she was going to die today. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she wanted to plead with him to save her life, but she knew he would never. She was going to die.

"A-Adrien, no matter what happens, I don't hate you. My only regret is that I wish-"

"CATCSYLSM!" He had raised his hand and pressed it to the tower. His ultimate attack, began to eat away and destroy the tower. Marinette's eyes widened, freezing her mid-sentence. He jumped down to the beam she was on and stepped toward her. He stood directly over her. He used the heel of his white boot to lightly press on her fingers that were clutching on for dear life.

"…I wish I had the courage to tell you my feeling sooner," she finished. It was barely above a whisper. And Marinette's tear stained face looked up at him. He was grinning. Even as the tower beams began to fall around them. Marinette knew things were pointless. She looked down at the fall that awaited her. She tightly closed her eyes said her final words to the man she loved. "Adrien, I'm sorry I hurt you." Then she let go of the beam.

She began to fall. She felt the powerful wind surround her and it blew her hair in all directions. She had opened her eyes as her hair tickled her eye lids. She prayed that she felt little pain and it would be over quick.

God, how could she have been so stupid? How could she actually think for a moment that pathetic Marinette Dupain-Cheng could save Adrien as herself? She was the cause of all his pain. Perhaps she deserved this? She held in her breath and waited for it to end, and ultimately the pain.

Then it felt something. It was the sensation of someone grabbing her hand. She opened her eyes, releasing the tears she had been holding back. She saw him. Chat Blanc had taken hold of her. Once he had her hand, he pulled her to him. His he was falling with her. His other hand was holding his staff, and he was spinning it around as fast as he could. "W-what are you doing?" she gasped.

He said nothing, but she quickly realized that like her yo-yo, it was slowing them down. They slowed down enough that they landed with only a slight drop. Marinette did land on her side and felt enough pain that she was sure she would be bruised in the morning. The same with Adrien. He had released her upon their fall. She scrambled to her feet, and he did the same. Both turned to the famed tower, and looked as its brown support beams were crumbling around them. "Run!" he told her.

He turned with her, and was running alongside her. She had a million questions over what had just happened, and why he was suddenly saved her. Especially after what had just happened on the tower. She didn't question this for now. The tower was collapsing around them, and they needed to get out of its crash zone. "Keep running!" she heard him yell.

And she did. She was running back to the area where the crowd was earlier. They were scattering mostly now, shocked at what had just happened. She kept on running, but then she noticed something. Or, a lack of something. She froze and turned back. She gasped. Chat Blanc was just standing there several hundred yards away, staring at her, with a sad and defeated look on his face. She shook her head. 'No,' her mind screamed. 'Don't!'

She turned back to run back towards him. "No! Adrien! No! Don't do this!" She realized instantly that he had decided to save her, but only at the price of his life. He was going to kill himself to free himself. "Please!"

The tower beams were falling around him, and dust from around the area was coating everything in a thick dusty mist around him. He didn't move, and that look remained on his face. He was quickly disappearing into the dust.

"Tikki! Trans-"

She was cut off as someone grabbing her. She began to fight against them. She watched in horror as a beam came right at him, and just as the dust made him disappear, the beam came down and fell with an ear shattering clatter. Her eyes went wide. "NOOOOO!"

Someone else grabbed her, and she tried to fight them. She realized quickly that it was two police officers, who she knew were just trying to save her. She didn't care. She needed to get to him. He needed her. "Please let me go! I have to get to him!"

"Miss, it's not safe!"

"I don't care! He needs me!"

They overpowered the distraught girl. And Marinette was pulled back to safety, where she watched as the rest of the tower came down, and coated the area in dust. Marinette's eyes went wide. The police released her to shield their eyes, but someone else grabbed her, and she realized that it was Nino, who had his face covered with his shirt. She ran with him, escaping. Though her eyes still looked in the direction of the destruction, hoping and praying that he would emerge.

But he didn't.

A/N: Seriously, my favorite chapter in the whole series. Still love it! Took out some of the swearing as some were offended by Chat Blanc's F-bomb. Changed a few things like Marinette's little hope speeches. They were a little out of hand in the original. Added details and such.

Now back to wedding planning and clean. Until next time!