Author's note: This chapter isn't my favorite but it's DONE. It's a little on the long side. I got myself in a plot hole and had to dig myself out. I would like to dedicate this chapter to LilyTheNinjaGirl who's sweet comments gave me the boost I need to get this one out. Thank you, not only to Lily but to everyone who has read or reviewed. Ya'll make writing that much more fun 3

Someone that's not in my Country

Hey there, Journal. I'm trying to write in you but Chat is currently being a VERY OBNOXIOUS AND NOSY LITTLE TURD. STOP IT, CHAT! YOU SAID I COULD WRITE IN PEACE. Ugh, I give up. I'll try again after this DEMONIC CAT LEAVES ME ALONE.

Hi I'm Marinette and I think Chat is amazing & purr-fect & gr

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I just kicked Chat out of my room. I may or may not have threatened to spade him after he took you and started FREAKIN' WRITING IN YOU. Journal, was that too harsh? Don't care. I don't know why I thought I could write in you with that nosy cat in the room. Before I tell you about that experience, let me tell you about the crazy stuff that happened before.

So this morning, I called Alya to tell her I wouldn't be coming to school. I felt better but I still had a low grade fever. The slight head ache and nausea I felt upon waking up wasn't enough to keep me from working on designs in my room but I knew I would have to get in touch with Chat about patrol. I didn't need him stressing over Ladybug not showing up.

As you can imagine, this was tricky. I couldn't tell him that I (Ladybug) was sick. The cat might be dense but he isn't that dense. He could very well put to and to together. I mean, I could just imagine his thought process. Let me show you:

Hmmm, that's weird. My lady gets sick right at the same time as my princess…

Hope I'm not spreading some disease. Haha, who am I kitt-ing? The only disease I have is the disease of purr-fection. (several bad puns later). You know, my lady and Marinette sure do look alike too. And they're sick at the same time…Wait a minute…

END SCENE

Okay, maybe that was a little harsh of a characterization. What can I say; I'm mean when I'm sick. Not to mention, I ramble. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, telling Chat I couldn't make it to patrol.

I told him it was a family problem and I couldn't make it. I tried to hide the hoarseness of my voice with some honey tea before the call. It must have worked because he didn't seem to notice. He took it pretty well. I was relieved that I didn't have to worry about getting out of the house at all. Still, I felt bad for being untruthful to my partner.

To ease my conscience about lying to Chat, I decided to take care of an actual family problem I had been avoiding: emailing Uncle Wang. Well, I guess he's actually my great uncle but that just sounds a bit stuffy. I reluctantly sat down at my desk and began the email I had been putting off for three days.

It's not that I don't enjoy talking to my uncle and getting to know him. I really do. It's just that I have such a hard time writing in Chinese. And guess what! It was my bright idea that I practice my Chinese and he practice his French through these letters. Everyone says that writing comes first when learning a new language. Then comes reading and speaking. Uncle has improved a lot but I don't feel like I'm getting much better. He says I am but he might just be being nice.

Alya says I should get Adrien to teach me which is ridiculous. I can barely talk to him in my native tongue! How am I supposed to pull off Chinese? I was half-way through my letter when mom called up that I had company. Looking at my computer's clock, I saw that school had let out a while ago. I had been working on the email for two whole hours! Saving my progress, I decided to take a break and hang out with Alya. I deserved it.

It wasn't Alya who came up to my room. It wasn't Alya who saw me in pink pajamas dotted with glittery tiaras (I know, very mature. Such class). It wasn't Alya who saw me with bags under my eyes and snot in my nose. It was Adrien Agreste.

He looked like the sun as he climbed up through my door. I was internally screaming at the horror of Adrien seeing me in such a state. At least I had taken a shower. Still, I felt super embarrassed and shocked. So much in fact that I didn't even hear what he was saying to me.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" came my squeaky voice. He was looking at me like he was expecting a response. I noticed for the first time he held a small plastic container in his hands. He laughed (like an angel) at my confused tone.

"I said, I hope I'm not bothering you. Alya said you weren't feeling well, so I thought I'd stop by and give you some soup. You know, because soup is what ill people eat and…" he was scratching the back of his head and he walked toward me. He sat the bowl on my desk and continued, "Don't worry, I didn't make it. It's from a café so it's safe."

I laughed weakly and tried to make my lips form words. They refused and stayed in a stupid little smile against my will. Adrien leaned over my shoulder and saw the email. (It wasn't as irritating as when Chat did it but I still felt uncomfortable with him reading it.)

"Oh, you're writing a letter to your uncle?" he asked, leaning in closer. I was thankful for my sickly parlor. It made my blush look like normal flush. I nodded to his question and shifted in my desk seat.

"Sorry, I guess I'm being nosy," he backed up. I had to pull myself together. Adrien was being so nice and I was just sitting there, not saying a word.

"N-no, no, you're fine, I mean, it's okay. Soup for the thanks. What? I mean, thanks for the soup! That was very thoughtful," I mentally clapped myself on the back. That wasn't so bad. It wasn't good but it wasn't my worst.

"Ah, it was nothing. You are always being so thoughtful of others, it was the least I could do," he gave me a smile so big, his eyes squinted. My heart exploded. A moment passed before I could regain partial function of my brain and remember my manners.

"Please, sit down," I said, without stuttering. Ten points to Marinette.

"Thanks. I hope I'm not interrupting your writing…" he said as he plopped down on my futon.

"No, well, you did but I needed a break. It's slow work," Twenty points.

"Maybe I could lend a hand?" he tilted his head to the side in a cat like way. It reminded me of Chat.

"Th-thank you but that wouldn't help me learn much," I couldn't believe it. I just turned Adrien Agreste down. Really, I would die if he saw how horrible I was at Chinese.

"Ah, I see. Maybe I could help you with that some time? Learning I mean. It could be fuuuuun," he said the last part in a sing song voice. I felt myself relax at his playfulness. Again, I was reminded of my kitty-cat. Chat has infected my brain. I need a vaccination or something.

"Maybe we could… Hey, I thought today was the Little Red Bug concert. Weren't you, Alya, and Nino all going to that?" Fifty points to Miss. Dupain-Cheng. Little Red Bug is a local bad on the rise. Their music totally has that Jagged Stone edge with an Indie twist. Most of their songs are Ladybug or Chat Noir themed. I feel a little narcissistic listening to them, actually.

Anyway, I knew Nino, Alya, and Adrien had been looking forward to going all week. I wouldn't have minded going myself but tickets weren't exactly cheap. I couldn't ask my parents for that amount of money, just to see a band. You see, we're not poor but the bakery doesn't exactly rake in the dough, pun intended. I just told them that I had too much work to do to go to the concert. I think Alya knows the truth but she loves me enough to hide it.

"Oh, Nino and Alya went," Adrien said as he began toying with Mr. Sparkle Butt, "Alya wanted to ditch it to go check on you but I convinced her to go when I told her I was coming. I've seen them so many times, I didn't really feel like going again," he said it offhandedly but I felt a stab of guilt. Also I tasted a tiny bit of jealousy. I had only seen Little Red Bug once and that was when they opened for Jagged Stone (I only get to see him because he lets me into all his concerts for free. He's a little leather clad angel).

"You didn't have to do that, Adrien. I feel bad…"

"Don't. I wanted to do it. You're always doing for others; making cookies, saying nice things… You know and yeah," he seemed a bit embarrassed and his cheeks were a dusty pink.

"Thank you," I managed to say. I couldn't help but stare at his hands as he picked at my stuffed cat. His fingers were so thin. I remembered the conversation I had with Chat the night before.

"Speaking of cookies," I said, getting bravery from my concern for this boy, "You should get some from the bakery. On the house, yeah?" One thousand points over here, thank you.

"Oh, I couldn't just take them, Marinette," the way he said my name. I die.

"Oh, yes, you could. Call it a down payment for you helping me with my Chinese. Or the very least, it can be a trade for the soup." Stutter? What stutter? I am a conversation goddess.

"But Marinette.."

"Don't argue with me, Adrien. I'm sick, remember?" I said the last part with a thick pout. Adrien looked surprised at first, and then he broke out in laughter. I did the same. I don't know where my confidence came from. It almost felt as comfortable as talking to Chat Noir.

"Okay, okay, you win. I can hardly turn down the best cookies in all of Paris anyway," he got up, stretching. It was his way of saying he needed to go, I could tell.

"I'll tell the P.U.s you said that," I mentally slapped myself. Why did I bring that up? He's gonna think I'm an idiot.

"The P.U.s?" his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Oh, sorry. It stands for parental units. Something Alya and I made up. It's silly."

Adrien chuckled and shook his head. In the most polite way, he looked at his watch and said he had to be going. As soon as Natalie heard he wasn't going to the concert, she started adjusting his schedule. Adrien said he barely got free to come see me.

"Thank you for everything, Adrien."

"It was nothing, Pr-provider of cookies," he winced at his words. I cocked my head to the side and smiled at his discomfort.

"Provider of cookies?" Adrien's face was as red as my Ladybug suit. Talking about food must make him embarrassed or something. How cute.

"Yeah…" he looked dumbfounded. It felt like we had traded places. He was the one having trouble speaking. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me feel just a wee bit triumphant.

"I like it," I said, leading him downstairs. I made sure he got his cookies and waved him goodbye. It had been wonderful to see him but I felt exhausted as I made my way back up to my room.

Tikki flew out from her perch and I gave her some cookies I snatched from the bakery. She munched on them happily, commenting on Adrien's visit. Normally, I would love to gush with her, but all I could think about was taking a nap. My headache had been steadily getting worse and without Adien's perfect face to distract me, it was hard not to notice it. I decided to finish my email later.

I had been asleep for an hour when Chat arrived. The rude feline didn't even bother knocking. To top it off, instead of waking me like a normal person, he thumped my nose.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he sang obnoxiously. I groaned and rolled over, pulling the quilt over my head.

"Aww, come on, Princess. Do you need a little kiss to break the spell?" That had me jolting up. The bad cat had the nerve to laugh.

"Knew that would work," he chuckled as he walked over to my computer desk chair. He plopped down and started spinning like an adorable little idiot. I decided to let the last comment slide.

"You know, you really should knock. What if my parents had been up here? What if I had been getting dressed?" I grumbled. He stopped spinning with my last sentence and had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Mari. It won't happen again," his voice was sincere. I had thought he would go with a flirt but he took the high road. Ten points to Chat.

"Thanks. So what's up with you, Kitty?" I threw my legs over the side of the futon and began combing my messy hair with my hands. It was still a little wet from my late shower and I enjoyed the coolness in my fingers.

"Nothing really. You're the highlight of my day, Princess," he sent me wink from behind his mask. I snorted and rolled my eyes. Still, I couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Well, I'm sure you did more than I have. How was Ladybug today?" This was a dangerous game. I'm not a very good actress, but I don't think Chat noticed. He let out a heavy sigh and did a slow spin in my desk chair.

"Unfortunately, my lady couldn't make it today for personal reasons. Patrol was absolutely dismal. But how was your day?"

"It was pretty nice, actually. Adrien, came by. Isn't that weird? You know, because we were just talking about him. I gave him some cookies. Which reminds me…" I reached under the futon and pulled out a box of cookies I made for Chat. Half of them looked like little black cats and the other half were decorated like Ladybugs. I really need to stop stealing cookies from the shop. Still, I made these the other day before I got sick. They were fixing to go bad anyway.

"Oh, darling, you shouldn't have!" he exclaimed as he picked up a Ladybug cookie and examined it. His green eyes were alight and his smile was purely Chat.

"Don't mention it," I looked away, suddenly shy. This is weird.

Before I knew it, Chat had crossed the room and pulled me in a big hug. I was so shocked, I did nothing but sit there.

"Marinette, you are awesome, you know that?" he patted my back and pulled away like nothing had happened. I was still dumbfounded as he strolled back to the other side of the room. The black clad hero leaned over my desk to examine my computer monitor. I had to stop myself from checking out his tail end. Marinette, you are such a perv, geez.

"Is this Chinese?" he asked. It took a minute for my brain to catch up with his words.

"Uhh, yeah. It's a letter to my Uncle Wang," I said, getting up and walking toward the cat. Chat moved out of my way as I sat down at the desk chair.

"He doesn't live around here?" he leaned over my shoulder. I doubt he could read anything I wrote but it still made me feel ill at ease.

"No, he lives in China. Chat, not to be a whiner but it kind of makes me want to punch people in the throat when they hover like that." He leaned back immediately. I thought I saw a small blush under his mask but it's hard to tell.

"Oh, my bad, sorry," he smiled embarrassed, "Uhh, that's cool you're writing to him in his language. Not everyone would take the time. You must really love him," he observed as he leaned against the edge of the desk.

"Yeah, he's really cool. I've only met him once but it was pretty memorable. You were there. Remember the Kung Food akuma?" Chat nodded.

"That was him. Only in France for a day and he gets targeted by Hawk Moth. Pretty crazy. Anyway, after that, I've tried to stay in touch with him and work on my Chinese. He's writes to me in French so we both learn a lot. The only downside is that it takes me forever to figure out my emails," I began typing as I said it. My letter was mostly done. I just had the last few closing sentences which were pretty much the same for every email.

"I got you. Is there no one to help you?" his voice was strange. I wondered if I was boring him but as I glanced up at his face, I saw it was full of interest.

"Funny you should say that. Adrien offered to help me today," I said as I typed the last line and pressed send, not even bothering to proof read. Uncle would forgive any mistakes. I had mentioned I was not feeling well so maybe he could blame it on that.

"Are you going to let him?" his voice was guarded. Was my Chaton jealous? I turned off my computer and turned fully to face him.

"I'm not sure yet," I tried to come off as disinterested but I don't think I pulled it off.

"Why not?" he almost sounded offended. What was up with this crazy cat?

"Adrien is a very busy boy. I don't want to waste his time."

"Well, I doubt he would have offered if he didn't want to, Princess." Why was Chat being so persistent? Or should I say purr-sistent? Oh my gosh, did I really just think that?

"I don't know. He might have just been being nice. Anyway, I couldn't pay him for tutoring. Not to mention, he would see how horrendous my Chinese is," I leaned over Chat to get my journal. It was more to have something to distract myself.

"For starters, he's got a rich designer dad and a good paying job. He would be a dirty word if he took your money. Secondly, if you were perfect in Chinese, you wouldn't need any help. Duh."

"I'll think about it," I sighed in defeat, "Will you let me write for a bit or would that be rude?" Chat gave me the okay and I opened my journal (you). As soon as I started to write, I knew it wouldn't work. Like I said before; Mistake. Chat didn't lean over my shoulder but I could definitely feel his eyes on the pages. It wasn't until I started calling him out via very big, angry word that he grabbed my pen and journal. He got in about half a sentence before I had to resort to violence and threats of worse violence.

I think you're all caught up now, Journal. I'm going to hit the hay now. Night-Night3