A/N: Dear everyone, apologies for updating a bit late. Thank you for all your support and reviews, they have been so encouraging and motivating! So... the next chapter may take some while because of this... *cough cough* morning sickness I have *cough cough blush*, but the good news is it won't last forever, so I'm waiting for my productivity back :D Meanwhile, enjoy the third chapter!

Chapter 3

Adrien looked nervously around the room. He hadn't been there for quite some time. The large cabinet with bamboo drawings was still there, behind the enormous potted plant. Out the balcony ledge, red pelargoniums were enjoying the sun. He remembered pelargoniums, Ladybug always used to say she had her balcony filled with pelargoniums in all colors and pot sizes...

Fu coughed slightly.

"Finally! Master! Um… I'm here."

"Yes, that I can see."

"Of course." 'How stupid can I get? Does time-travelling make you stupid?' "So, um, you see, I have a problem. I'm not quite… myself. I mean I am, but… how do I put this? I don't have neither Plagg, nor the Miraculous with me, because… I gave them to you… two years ago? If that makes any sense?" Adrien laughed nervously.

"Well, surprisingly, it does."

Fu smiled.

"Well, then, I suppose you could… explain… all of this? Some of it, at least?"

"First, have a seat and some tea", Fu offered.

As Adrien quietly sipped the tea, Master Fu started his story.

"Seven years ago you became Chat Noir for the first time. Five years ago your high school experience ended. Three years ago you had to abandon being Chat Noir and left the country."

Adrien nodded and listened closely.

"Seven years ago, a girl your age became Ladybug. Five years ago, she was forced to switch high school and gradually lost touch with her friends. Three years ago, her partner Chat Noir retired suddenly without notice. The girl behind the mask was left alone. That girl was still alone and, at the age of 21, she had deep regrets. Her desire to right her regrets, along with a - fairly tasteful, I should say - and magical tea of mine rewinded time, and thus we have gone five years back. The only ones aware of this time rewind are you, Ladybug and myself. Along with the god kwamis, naturally."

"But what do I have to do with this? Couldn't I have stayed in the future or something? I mean not that I regret it, no, sir, I'm just… really intrigued."

"When a Miraculous yielder turns back time in this particular way, his Miraculous pair is returned along with him. As you and Ladybug hold the pair of Creation and Destruction Miraculouses, you're the only ones aware of this rewind. Along with myself, of course. I resumed to accompanying you a couple of years back."

"But, sir, I still don't understand. I don't have my ring anymore, nor my kwami. Why was it possible for me to travel back?"

"Once you're a Chosen, you're a Chosen for life. Let's look for an analogy: after a president of a country completes his term, people still address him 'Mr. President', correct?"

"Yes…"

"It's similar. You're a Miraculous yielder for life. It's your entire being that says so, despite the absence of your Miraculous."

"I see. Some of it makes sense, I suppose. So… Ladybug turned time because she wanted to change some… things?" Adrien asked hopefully.

"Indeed. Significant things, I should say. That's why I encouraged her desires through my… rather unexpected gift."

"Well, then, this should be pretty interesting, Master Fu. One more question: when do we go back to the future? Or… do we get to stay here for good?"

"That all depends on Ladybug for now. The rule given to her was to have no regrets. She might attempt to right some wrongs, and perhaps… some things will change. Future will come naturally when there are no regrets left and when people actually start living in the present", Fu smiled.

"That's… deep", Adrien frowned. "And a bit confusing. But I suppose we'll clear this up as time… goes?"

"Most definitely, young man."

"Then, Master Fu, thank you for your guidance."

"Chat Noir."

"Yes, sir?"

Fu pressed the button of the gramophone and a secret shelf appeared. He took the wooden box that held the Miraculous of Destruction and handed it to Adrien.

"Don't forget this."

"I..." Adrien swallowed some tears. "Of course, sir. Thank you, sir. See you again soon, Master."

As he got out of the salon, Adrien didn't waste a single moment out of costume. It was his happiest evening patrol ever. He took his time to salute each rooftop of Paris and inhale the Parisian air full of perfumes, smells of pastries, trees, smoke and rain.

He jumped in through the open window of his bedroom and released Plagg.

"My precious Camembert, how I have missed thee!" Plagg lamented while flying all over Adrien's room.

"Believe it or not, I missed you too, Plagg. Leaving home was awful. It never got better after that", Adrien sighed.

"There, there", Plagg patted him. "Maybe Ladybug's regrets will save the day this time, whad'ya say?"

"You have never been this optimistic, Plagg."

"You know, eternal sleep isn't that fun. They don't have Camembert."

"Aha, there it was. The missing link in your reasoning."

"Don't you go all adult on me, boy. You are a mere blink in the eye compared to my multi-millennials!"

"Aha! But a blink of the eye loved by Ladybug enough for her to bring me back!"

"You're getting drunk on water."

"Wait… oh, man! I'm not the legal age anymore!"

"See, I told you it will bite you eventually."

"I may have to cut back from four wheels of Camembert to one, my pocket money isn't what it used to be now that I'm sixteen again, y'know?"

"Adrien, you know I was joking."

"Of course. Camembert is a serious business. You would never gamble on that."

"I liked you better when you were all sweet and shy and sixteen for the first time."

Adrien smirked and patted his kwami.

"I won't be doing this again any time soon, but, Plagg… it's really good to have you back."

"Fine, fine, then you never mention this either", Plagg said and flew to Adrien's cheek to give him a tiny hug. Adrien smiled and enjoyed his kwami's affection.

"It's gonna take me some time to get used to smelling like Camembert again, you know?"

"You're a good fellow Adrien, and your generosity will lead you a long way. Now, off to the kitchen, lad!"

Camembert was, definitely, much more tasteful than eternity, Plagg thought while munching on his third wheel of cheese.

That evening, Marinette lied awake in bed.

"Maybe I should plan everything, so I won't forget what I have to do?"

She got up and took a blank notebook, pencils and a ruler.

"Let's be organized about this. First of all, principal Damocles trouble".

As she was writing, the tip of her tongue sticked out, as it did when she focused really hard. The ideas started to flow and she scribbled rapidly.

Damocles' scandal: ideas & possible outcomes

Make it public? If I leak info to the press, an investigation will start – the scandal breakes sooner – NOT GOOD

Convince Damocles to return the money and to turn himself in or resign – HE'S NOT GONNA LISTEN (Maybe if I go as Ladybug?)

Take compromising photo and blackmailing him into surrendering – TOO CHLOE-LIKE

Threaten Damocles using Chat Noir's Cataclysm. – THAT MIGHT WORK. CONS: TAINTING OUR SUPERHERO IMAGE & GETTING CHAT TO COLLABORATE ON THIS

"Argh, this is not going anywhere!"

"Marinette, maybe you should do some research before brainstorming for more ideas?" Tikki suggested. "It surely isn't the first time in history something like this happens. You might get some ideas from older cases. You know, study like the detectives in movies", she winked.

"Tikki, that's a great idea! Then, I'll put this aside for a bit. And now…" she bit her lip, "on to the fluff!" she smiled to herself.

She started a new page.

Things to do with/for my friends

Spend time with Alya. Ask Alya about babysitting tips. Have many night overs.

Ask Nino for cool CD's and compilations. Organize a party and make him DJ it.

Loosen up around Adrien. Maybe flirt a bit? Return the umbrella. Allow myself to feel the butterflies. Have no regrets.

Dare both Kim and Alix for a race. Play Ultimate Mecha Strike III with Max. Go shopping with Rose and Juleka. Buy some really nice rock albums for Mylene and Ivan. Hang out with everyone and make lots of photos and videos.

Design something for Chloe.

"Okay, maybe I'm being way too generous about this…"

Design something matched for Chloe and Sabrina.

"If I'm doing it, I might as well go all out, right?" she laughed.

Tell… Chat Noir… how much he means to me.

"Say, Marinette, why do they all sound like goodbyes to me?" Tikki asked, flying around.

"Well, what if I can't change anything about the principal's scandal? I should do everything properly in case it turns out… just like before" she sighed. "Except it won't be just as before because I won't be having regrets then" she said, smiling.

"Oh, Marinette, it's so mature of you…"

"Yea, well, that's a twenty-year-old mind captive in a teenage body for you!" they both giggled.

Soon, they called it a night. Marinette was tossing and turning in her bed struggling to fall asleep, as Tikki patted her gently to easen her worries.

Back on her desk, the notebook closed, leaving only the cover open. On the first page, centered, in calligraphic characters, it wrote:

The 'No regrets' Notebook. By Marinette Dupain-Cheng.