Author's Note: Hey everyone, FM here! Sorry to those who were looking forward to more papa cat and baby bug interactions; HiddenEye and I needed to move the plot along so please accept this update where we introduce the new Chat Noir :)

Second Chances

Chapter 5

"No need to suit up; we're focusing on technique, not strength. Now, show me your best defensive stance."

Adrien continued to train Emma over the next few months, teaching her how to fight properly and defend herself. Her Miraculous would amplify her physical abilities and supply the force behind every punch, the power behind every kick; all she needed to do was learn how to throw a good one.

Although he hadn't transformed since the night they sparred, he was still able to keep up with his daughter during light bouts. Adrien had a bo staff lying around the house, and while it couldn't change lengths like his baton did, it was more than enough to help him hold his own against Ladybug's yoyo.

"Don't just throw it around hoping it'll hit something. Your weapon isn't just an object, it's an extension of your own body."

They went through a multitude of strategies, discussing what ifs and backup tactics. Not every scenario could be predicted or prepared for, but Emma still found herself diligently poring over past battles on the Ladyblog and bugging (ha!) her father for stories during his active career as Chat Noir. She even thought about coming up with code words and hand signals for communication, but Adrien gently turned down the idea, saying it was unnecessary.

"After all, you and Chat Noir will be so in sync that you can tell what the other is thinking just by looking at them," he explained, not meeting her eyes.

Some part of Emma noticed that he referred to Chat Noir and not himself, and the niggling feeling at the back of her mind only grew stronger. She hadn't seen Chat Noir for a long time now, and she was beginning to suspect he was hiding something from her. But then Adrien whipped out his staff and told her to get ready, and Emma let the thought go as she turned her attention to the next exercise.

"Tuck your chin in, roll diagonally across your back, use the momentum to stand up and run. Remember, if you're ever caught in an attack as a civilian, you need to get away quickly and transform."

"Hey Tikki, do you know where Plagg is? I haven't seen him in a while," Emma asked one night, sitting at her desk scrolling through comments on the Ladyblog.

It was easy to forget that the black kwami was part of their mismatched little family. He had practically watched her grow up after all, having lived in the same house as her all her life. Of course he had kept himself hidden until the fateful day her father had revealed his alter ego, and after that he would often be seen hovering near Adrien, napping in his pocket, or burying himself in camembert (she'd always wondered why her father bought that stuff when he was always complaining about the smell).

Tikki looked hesitant. "He's… been busy lately."

"Where else? Lazy glutton's probably stuffing himself with cheese again. Don't worry about him, let's just get back to practice."

"Oh you know what he's like, always disappearing whenever I need him. Did I ever tell you about the time he got his head stuck in a bracelet?"

Emma frowned. She could recognize a deflection when she heard one, not unlike the excuses her father had been coming up with when asked about his absent kwami. Why were they so reluctant to give her a straight answer? Was Plagg doing something dangerous and afraid of dragging her into it? What if he was tracking down Hawk Moth and got himself captured?

"You know what? I feel like stretching my legs," the blonde suddenly said, standing up from her chair. "What say we go out for a spin?"

The red kwami nodded eagerly, swallowing her last mouthful of cookies before flying towards Emma's earrings.

"Tikki, spots on!"

A full moon smiled down on Ladybug as she swung from rooftop to rooftop, making sure to stay under the cover of shadows to avoid attracting any curious onlookers. She was on a hunt, keeping an eye out for a certain black cat under the guise of practicing her jumps and landings, and she couldn't afford to have any distractions.

About two hours into her search, she decided to take a break and catch her breath. Resting against a chimney, she found herself atop of one of the buildings surrounding the Eiffel Tower. It was her goal to scale the national monument once she had fully mastered her yoyo, and she took a moment to bask in the warm glow of the shimmering lights, admiring the view of the magnificent structure.

"Ladybug!"

Crap, she'd been spotted.

Emma's first instinct was to flee, but the voice was too close. It sounded as though the speaker was right behind her, and there was a muffled thump as someone landed on the roof a few feet away. She turned around with a grimace, bracing herself for one of her mother's fans. Instead, she came face to face with a black cat –

Plagg?

– but not quite the one she was looking for.

Chat Noir stood before her, a distinctively feminine figure clad in a familiar black costume. She was half a head taller than Emma, with maroon highlights on her shaggy dark hair which had been cropped short just past her ears. Grinning widely, she held out her hand. "Wow, it's really you! I can't believe it – you're really fast, you know? If you hadn't stopped here I don't think I would have caught up with you!"

Something shiny on her ring finger gleamed in the moonlight, and Emma felt as though she had been punched in the gut. Her stomach churned as all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place: Plagg disappearing, her father no longer transforming, the missing ring on his finger –

How could she have been so blind?

Adrien was a professional model; he was used to fooling people with his smiles, putting up a façade even when he was in pain... He would assure her that nothing was wrong whenever she noticed the sad look he gave her as Ladybug, and she had been so stupid to believe him. Just how long had he been suffering in silence, hurting so badly that he couldn't see any other way out than to surrender his Miraculous?

It was her fault, it just had to be. He always told her how much she looked like her mother, and even though she missed her, she never knew her. But her father did; he loved Marinette with all his heart throughout the years he'd spent with her. Her death had hit him the hardest, and while he never blamed his daughter for her passing, the agony of seeing her follow in her mother's footsteps must have been too much to bear.

"Ladybug?"

Emma snapped her head up, belatedly realizing she had been slowly backing away from her partner.

"Are you okay?" Chat dropped the offered hand, staring at her with a hint of disappointment. "Is it – Are you upset that I'm a girl?"

"What, no! Of course not!" she blurted out, surprising them both with the force behind her words. "I – I'm sorry, but I need to go."

"Wait!" Chat protested, reaching towards her as she turned to leave. "I just met you! How will I –"

"We can talk another time. Right now, there's something important I have to take care of."

Without waiting for a response, Emma threw her yoyo and stepped off the edge of the roof, disappearing into the darkened streets of Paris.

Having someone barge into his room in the dead of night and fling themselves onto his body was an excellent way to wake Adrien up; that is, if they wanted to receive a roundhouse kick to the ribs in the process. Luckily, half-asleep as he was, Adrien was able to recognize the messy curls of his daughter as she buried her face in his chest, trembling ever so slightly.

"Emma?" Instantly awake, he rubbed her back in concern. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Plagg's gone, isn't he?"

Adrien went still. He glanced up to see Tikki hovering at the door, an apologetic look on her face, and he nodded in understanding as she flew away to give them some privacy.

"I'm s-sorry!" Emma was sobbing, her tears soaking into his shirt. "I'm so sorry! I didn't m-mean to make you give up your ring!"

"Oh Emma," Adrien sighed, wrapping his arms around her. "It's not your fault, you hear me? It's mine; I'm not strong enough to fight with you –"

"But you love being Chat Noir! A-and I took that away from you!"

"I love you more," he insisted, pulling away to look her in the eye. His thumbs came up to brush away the tears spilling over her cheeks. "You need a partner who can support you and keep you safe."

It pained him to admit it, but it was true. As much as he wanted to personally ensure Emma's safety, he couldn't suppress the memories that flooded his mind every time they transformed together. Forcing it was only going to end badly, and it was in Emma's best interests that Plagg found another wielder. All he could do from that point on was to prepare her as well as he could and trust his successor to protect her in his place.

Emma was babbling now. "No dad, listen. I promise, I'm going to train as hard as I can so you won't have to worry about me." She clutched at his arms desperately as she rambled on. "I promise I'll come home every day, and – and I might have left the new Chat Noir hanging just now, but we'll be the best team you've ever seen! I'll make you proud –"

Adrien cut her off with a tight hug, crushing her against his chest. "You already have," he whispered tearfully, his voice cracking slightly as he fought against the lump in his throat.

The waterworks started anew, but Emma couldn't bring herself to care as she cried herself to sleep, cocooned safely in her father's warm arms.

"So, what do you think of the new Chat Noir?"

Emma spat out her water, accepting the offered tissue to wipe her mouth as her best friend giggled at her. "W-what?"

"Come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed that there's a new black cat in town!" Madeleine waggled her eyebrows excitedly.

The two were sitting together on the grass in an empty corner of the park, leaning against Madeleine's motorcycle as they waited for Adrien, Nino and Alya to arrive in the car with the picnic supplies. How the older girl convinced her parents to let her ride such a dangerous vehicle (Adrien's words, not hers) was anyone's guess, and it took Emma almost an hour to persuade her father to let her go ahead with her best friend.

"Ahaha, I haven't really checked the Ladyblog lately…" Emma forced a smile as she lied through her teeth. She had actually met up with her partner several times now, getting to know her better and scheduling patrols around the city. This Chat lacked the flirtatious nature her father had exuded with the mask, but she more than made up for it with her enthusiasm and endless stash of puns (oh god the puns. Was it a pre-requisite for Chat Noirs or something? She was going to throttle Plagg if she ever saw him again).

To her confusion, Madeleine laughed nervously. "Speaking of which, I think my mom's thinking of reporting on them again. She's been reorganizing the blog lately, adding new pages and – oh snap."

There was the sound of something ripping, and Emma looked over to see that Madeleine had accidentally torn another hole in the inner fabric of her motorcycle gloves. They were pretty old and worn out, having been a Christmas gift from her father the year she had bought her bike. Madeleine loved them so much that she wore them everywhere, and Emma was secretly planning to buy her a new pair when her birthday rolled around.

"Stop pulling at it!" Emma gently swatted Madeleine's hand away as her fingers tugged at the loose material. She had a nasty habit of playing with her gloves when she talked, which only made them wear out faster.

Before long, their parents arrived with the supplies and the picnic kicked off with a bang. Nino had brought his equipment and was setting up a mini DJ station at the side, a pop song already playing through the speakers. Emma and Alya had spread out the blankets and were mixing the drinks, adding little paper umbrellas to the plastic cups with a flourish. Madeleine helped Adrien to prepare the food, tossing salads and making sandwiches.

"Madeleine, help me shuck the corn, will you?" Adrien asked, handing her a paper bag.

"Sure thing, uncle Adrien!"

The blonde cringed slightly when she pulled her gloves off with her teeth and wiped her hands with a wet tissue. At least they were clean, more or less. Something shiny caught his eye as Madeleine's right hand reached into the bag, and Adrien's eyes widened at the sight of a very familiar silver ring.

Plagg, you little SHIT.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think :)