A/N: Sorry for the late update. Work and wedding planning. Ark! Nine days to go!

Take My Hand

Chapter 5

Nino led Marinette as far away from the chaos as humanly possible. They had met up with Alya, and she helped Nino drag the still hysterical Marinette to a safe location. She had been crying uncontrollably since Nino had grabbed her amidst the collapse of the Eiffel Tower. Nino's house was closer than anyone else's, and his parents were out of town. It was the perfect place to hide Marinette for now.

They slipped into the apartment without being seen by anyone, and Nino locked the door behind him, and the three fell where they stood. Nino had slid down against his apartment front door. Alya fell into an armchair, and Marinette fell to her knees and was crying uncontrollably near the entrance way. Alya glanced over at her best friend with sympathy. She had never seen Marinette so upset before. She had been trying to hold her own emotions back from what she had just witnessed. Nino looked pretty broken up too.

Alya always had to be the reasonable one. And given this tragic circumstances, she felt that she still had to be the strong one. She forced herself to her feet and walked over to Marinette, and she took a seat on the floor beside her. She brought Marinette into a strong embrace and held her. For the first time in a long while, Alya felt all that strength she pretended to have, leave her, and she began to cry with Marinette.

"I-It's okay," Alya told Marinette. "It's alright to cry. We're all upset."

Marinette began to struggle against Alya, "You don't understand!"

"Talk to me," Alya cried. "Make me understand!"

Marinette successfully pushed Alya off of her and she hugged her own arms around herself as she continued to cry. Marinette's whole body fell to the ground, and she had curled herself up into a ball. Nino who was freely crying now, crawled over to the two girls and placed a comforting hand on the hysterical girl's shoulders.

"Marinette," he whispered. A few of his own tears fell down onto Marinette. "You did everything you could. No one's blaming you."

"But it's all my fault!" Marinette cried through her hysterical tears. "He's dead because of me! He killed himself because I'm so damn worthless!"

Nino grabbed her and lifted her up. Despite his small frame and her dead weight, he lifted her up and forced her to face him there on the ground. Though he was forceful with her, he was gentle as he held her there. He lightly petted her, trying to comfort her. Alya watched him as he did this. Surprised that he was able to comfort her, especially through his own pain. "Marinette, listen to me," he told her. To Alya's surprise, she opened her eyes. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks were red. Tears still fell, but she was focused on him. Nino brushed a piece of hair out of her face, but he was staring at her seriously. "I saw him. He saved you. He told you to run. You did. He stayed. He chose that. You didn't."

"B-b-but-"

Nino silenced her. "No! Adrien chose to stay. I asked you to save my friend. And as far as I'm concerned, you did. Adrien saved you. Not that Chat Blanc. In those last moments, he was himself!"

Alya nodded and agreed with Nino. "Marinette, he was back his old self. You saved him."

Alya knew that wasn't what Marinette wanted to hear right now, but it was all Alya could offer. She had no idea why Chat Blanc had chosen to stay behind, but she knew that the Chat Blanc who had tried to kill Marinette, had saved her after he tried to kill her. That told her that at least part of Adrien had been in the possessed villain.

Marinette sniffled. She was still looking at her two friends. "I could have s-saved him. I-I tried b-b-but the police officers grabbed me."

Alya frowned. "There was nothing you could have done!"

"I could have saved him!" Marinette insisted. She now pushed Nino away and scrambled to her feet. "You have no idea about anything!"

Alya glared at Marinette and snapped at her. "Then why don't you tell us!"

"Because I can't!"

"Why?!"

Marinette held her head as more tears began to fall down her cheeks. She seemed to be struggling with something and Alya had no idea what it was that she was struggling with. She knew that her friend was inconsolable regarding the death of the boy she loved, but this was something else entirely. Marinette had clearly been holding onto some large secret and she didn't want to share it.

Nino climbed to his feet, and had gotten Marinette a box of tissues, and had given her a few sheets. She grabbed them and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Alya still didn't back down. She always knew that Marinette had secrets she didn't want to share, but this had gotten out of control now. "Marinette, you can tell us anything. You know that."

She looked defeated. "It's my fault that he got possessed by an Akuma…okay!"

She fell on the couch that was nearby and was staring at the ceiling. She still looked like she had a lot more to share, though Alya doubted she'd come out with it, so she decided to just process what she had decided to share.

"How is it your fault? People get possessed when something traumatic happens to them," Alya explained. "Did you do something to him?"

She glanced at Nino, who was staring down at Marinette. He seemed to have something else on his mind completely. He took a seat beside Marinette. "You love him, don't you?"

Marinette looked at him like he had been joking. "You know I'm crazy for him."

"Before this…whole thing, did you know he was Chat Noir?" Nino asked.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Alya asked confused.

"I didn't," Marinette answered for Nino.

Nino looked at Alya. "Before I lost contact with Adrien, I was talking to him about…well, girls. He told me there was a girl he liked, and he was meeting with her shortly. He said he was going to confess his feelings to her that night. Was that you?"

Marinette leaned over and cupped her face in her hands and she nodded. She was crying again. Alya was floored. 'Marinette, how did you know Chat Noir?' Alya took a seat on the other side of Marinette, and placed a comforting hand on her back and began to rub her back in comfort. They remained there in silence for a while longer, the apartment just being filled with the sound of Marinette's tears.

It felt like hours to Alya, but she was sure it was no more than ten or fifteen minutes. Finally, Marinette looked up from her hands and whispered. "He tried to confess to me. I didn't know who he really was…it went badly. We both communicated badly…it was a disaster…I hurt him. A lot. I didn't mean too…I swear I didn't. I went home…and he got possessed."

Alya brought Marinette into another hug, this one, Marinette returned. "You didn't know. It's okay. You couldn't have known."

Marinette began to cry again, but she remained more composed. "I could have, though. He always wanted me to know, and I always told him no."

Alya was surprised to hear this. Marinette had seen him on multiple occasions it sounded like. For a long time. And it sounded like he had strong feelings for Marinette. Alya found that strange. Her and Paris had had all been so sure that he had been in love with Ladybug.

Suddenly something crossed Alya's mind. If people who were possessed by Akuma's usually targeted the ones who angered them, to begin with, why was Chat Blanc hunting down Ladybug and not Marinette? This confused her.

"If I had just stopped being so insecure about what everyone thought about me, he'd still be here," Marinette cried. "I was always so scared of what he would think about me if he knew."

'Knew what?' Alya thought. She was even more confused now. Marinette seemed to be rambling to herself now, rather than talking to them or confessing her secrets. She was just letting it all out.

"Who am I kidding, he would have been disappointed."

It was Nino seemed to figure it out first. Alya heard him take a sharp breath of air, and then his mouth hung open. Alya wasn't entirely sure what it was that he figured out. She desperately tried to put the pieces all together.

Suddenly man things came to mind.

Ladybug hadn't been around since Chat Blanc had been.

Marinette was in the classroom when Chat Blanc attacked.

Ladybug hadn't shown up.

Marinette confronted him at the tower.

Ladybug hadn't shown up.

More memories crossed Alya's mind.

Ladybug had dropped a textbook from their school and was in their grade.

Marinette claimed to have lost her textbook.

When the Pharaoh attacked, Marinette disappeared.

Ladybug had shown up.

When Pharaoh was defeated, Ladybug disappeared.

Marinette reappeared.

When Stormy weather attacked, Marinette went for help.

Ladybug magically showed up.

There were hundreds of other instances where Alya remembered very clearly that Marinette and Ladybug were never together, always separate. One disappeared and the other showed up. Alya looked up at Nino, who sent her a look, asking her if she had figured it out. With her mouth hung open in shock, she lightly nodded.

Her best friend was Ladybug.

Alya wasn't sure how she was supposed to process this information. She placed a hand on her friend's hand for starters. Marinette looked at her, her eyes were even redder and her face was blotchy with red. "Marinette, you haven't stopped looking out for the city, have you? Even from the shadows you've been trying to protect us all."

Marinette's eyes went wide. It had dawned on her that Alya had figured it out. Alya sent her a smile. "How could anyone be disappointed in that?"

Marinette looked at Nino, who gave her an approved thumbs up. "You saved both Alya and me from the possession. That's got to count for something."

Marinette's eyes were suddenly drawn to her purse that was still around her shoulder. The bag opened with a click and both teenagers looked down at the little creature that was peeking up at them. "They're right Marinette! You've done everything for the sake of everyone in Paris, not just Chat Noir!"

"What the hell is that?!" Nino cried, jumping from the couch.

Alya was frozen and was in shock at what she was seeing. Marinette reached into the purse and lifted the little creature out. She sniffled and held the creature out to be seen. "This is Tikki. She's what lets me transform."

Nino began to look at the little creature more closely. "Whoaaaa! So does, like Adrien have one?" He quickly realised what he said, and frowned. "I mean, did he?"

Marinette frowned and her hands dropped down to her lap. Tikki went with her, but she floated back up. She turned to Nino. "Plagg gave Chat Noir his powers. He's safely hidden away in Marinette's room."

Alya had a million questions, but she knew that Marinette wasn't exactly in the right mindset. She placed her arm around Marinette. "Marinette, you're parents are going to start worrying. The tower collapsing has got to be airing all over the world by now."

Marinette nodded and placed Tikki back in her purse. "I better get home." She stood but turned to look at Alya. "I don't want to be alone…can you come home with me?"

Alya forced herself a smile. "You didn't need to ask."

Alya turned back to Nino. "I'll keep you up to date…are you going to be alright?"

Nino nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I will be. Just…get Marinette home, okay."

Alya could tell that he was holding himself back at this point. He was clearly in a lot of pain himself, but he was trying to be strong. Especially with all this new information that was processing through his head right now. Alya brought him into a tight embrace. He returned it, squeezing more tightly than he ever had before. It made her want to cry all over again. They were all hurting, but they both had to be strong for Marinette. She had suffered the most. She had held such a heavy weight on her shoulders for so long. Alya released Nino and turned back to Marinette. "Are you ready?"

She nodded.

So they departed.

8 8 8

When Marinette returned home, her parents both grabbed her. She was covered in dust. It was obvious that she had been at or near ground zero. She embraced her parents. Though when she was released her mouth dropped to her knees and looked at Marinette with such saddened eyes. She had clearly been crying. "Marinette, what were you thinking?"

Of course, they'd recognise her on TV. She was their only child. Of course, they'd recognise her. She hugged her mother again. "I'm sorry mom. I had to try and save him."

"That's not your job!" Sabine cried.

Marinette felt a sting of pain. "It is my job. It's always been my job."

Alya stepped in and placed a comforting hand on Marinette's shoulder. Sabine had gone silent. Tom was staring at his daughter. "Marinette…"

Marinette looked at Alya, and then back to her father. "Not that it matters anymore. My partner is dead."

Marinette turned from her parents and began to walk back to her bedroom. Alya quickly tried to catch up with her best friend. They had left her parents behind, Marinette climbed the stairs in silence. Only when they returned to the bedroom did Marinette even make a sound. She ripped off her dirty hoodie and threw it to the ground in frustration.

She turned to Alya. "I need your help with something, right now."

"Of course," Alya stated. "Anything."

Marinette let a few stray tears fall down her cheeks. "I need you to help me take down every picture of Adrien in here. It's too painful to even think about him, let alone look at him."

Alya nodded sadly. "Of course."

Both girls spread out throughout the room and began to remove the many pictures of the boy model from her room. When Marinette climbed to her bed, to remove the only picture up there, she stopped long enough, to peek under her bed, checking on Plagg. Tikki appeared beside her, and they looked at him. Sound asleep in the bed. Tikki frowned. "He's really weak."

Marinette didn't need to ask why. Plagg felt everything Adrien felt. He probably felt every bit of pain that Adrien felt. Marinette pushed herself back up to her feet. She didn't want to imagine it anymore. His body broken and bloody under the remains of the once grand tower. She ripped the picture of him off of the wall and ripped it up in frustration. She jumped back down and gathered the rest of the pictures. When she grabbed her computer chair and pushed it in front of Adrien's schedule that hung from the ceiling. She carefully removed it and then passed it to Alya. She held it, but she still held that mournful look on her face.

"Help me take it downstairs?" Marinette asked. Alya could only nod. They gathered the items, and they began to bring them downstairs. She was stopped by her mother on the way down. Sabine looked at her daughter with regretful eyes.

"I'm sorry," she told her daughter. "About your friend. You know we just worry about you."

Marinette nodded. "I'm sorry I snapped mom. I know you and dad are just worried about me. I'll explain everything when I can process everything…okay?"

Sabine nodded. "We're here whenever you need us. Do…you want me to get any snacks for you two?"

Marinette realised that it was almost dinner time, and she hadn't even eaten lunch. She lightly nodded. "Yeah, something to eat would be nice. Thanks, mom."

They two continued downstairs, and they reached the back dumpster, and they threw the items in the dumpster. Marinette nearly lost control when she closed the lid, but she fought back any more tears. She refused to cry about this anymore. She couldn't. Hawkmoth was still out there, and she needed to stop him. She clenched her fists. She was going to make him pay.

The two girls went back upstairs. Alya was trying her best to distract her best friend from the pain she was feeling, and so she dragged Marinette's lounger over to the computer, grabbed some pillows and blankets. They changed into some comfortable clothes, and they sat with the snacks her mother had brought up. Alya opened up Netflix and tried to find something suitable for them to watch. Marinette appreciated this, and together the two girls chose a stupid little cartoon from their childhood. Something sweet and innocent.

They did this together for hours. Even as the sound of sirens continued to fill the air, Marinette and Alya watched that stupid cartoon. Even as Alya fell asleep in that lounger, Marinette still watched. It was something to focus on that wouldn't bring her to tears. Hours passed. It was well after midnight. Nearly two in the morning.

Marinette climbed out of the lounger. She needed some fresh air. She slowly moved about her darkened bedroom and climbed up her ladder. She carefully unlocked her bedroom window above her bed, and she opened the window. She carefully pulled herself up on her balcony and climbed out. She walked towards her railing, for something for her to lean on. She knew her way, even in the darkness. So when she tripped over something, and she nearly dropped to the ground, she was surprised. She turned to try and see what it was. She couldn't see in the darkness. She pulled her phone out of her back pyjama pocket and used the flashlight feature. The little light was bright and lit up the entire balcony.

She saw white shoes. She gasped, and moved the flashlight up. She saw white leather, and then a face, covered with a white mask. Blonde hair, messy and covered in dust. She gasped, and dropped down to his side. "Adrien!" She grabbed him and picked him up into her arms. She reached for his neck, and pressed her hand to it, trying to feel for a pulse. Relieve fell over her as she felt that pulse. She lightly tried to shake him awake.

"Adrien! Come on! Adrien, wake up!" she stated. His eyes flinched, and he let out a low painful moan. She picked up her phone and pressed into her contacts. She called Alya. Though she was only a few feet away, she didn't want to start screaming and wake everyone up. She heard Alya pick up and was tired and groaning.

"What is it…where are you?"

"Alya, I need your help. I'm on the balcony."

"Why are you up there?" she asked, still half asleep.

"Alya, I need your help. He's alive."

There was silence and then Alya replied. "…Holy shit."

A/N: There you go. You can all get rid of your pitchforks now. As usual, thanks for all the amazing support. Especially for my dorky little fanfics. :D I'll try to update this weekend or next week. Again, I'm very busy with wedding planning.