The bright light temporarily blinds me, and when the light fades way, Marinette is gone. "Where did you take her? Where did you take my lady?" I yell at the man I used to call my father. He throws back his head and laughs, the evilness bouncing off the walls. "You honestly think I would tell you, Adrien? How about you help me make the wish to bring back your mother!" "Father, she-" "You really are trapped in your Princess's web of lies. She can create, can't she? So, if I have the suit then I'll be able to make the cure." Father stalks towards me and leans forward, so close I can smell his breath like sour milk. "Otherwise I'll use your precious as bait until you tell me the cure. Or maybe you'd like to join her and never see Paris again!"

I look over at Mother, sleeping so peacefully. I do believe there's a cure, but making the wish isn't it. I send a silent promise that I will bring her back when the time is right. "I'm ready to face the darkness, but how can it be dark when love shines so bright?"

I'm tossed into a cell, hitting something hard. "Ow-" a familiar voice starts to say, but I cover her mouth with my hand. Gabriel stares at us. "We could have been a power trio, the three of us. Don't think your getting your earrings back, Ladybug." "Your making a grave mistake, Gabriel. But your right about one thing, I will always be Ladybug."

A chilling draft seems to pass over us, and Gabriel leaves. Marinette grasps my hand in the darkness. "Let's look on the bright side. At least we're together." "Yes, but with no powers and no key, will be trapped down here forever." "I have faith in Argos, and remember we're clever too." Her hands are so cold. "Here cup your hands like this," I tell her, then begin to blow warm air into the them. "I'm trying to be brave, Adrien. But I'm scared." "I know, I'm scared too. Have you gotten any food down here?" "A cup of water and some bread. It wasn't all that bad. In fact, it should be coming shortly."

Marinette lays her head on my shoulder, and I put my arm around her. Its so quiet down here in the darkness that I can hear her heart beating faintly. I can hear footsteps lightly treading down the passageway.

"Stay back," I look up to see a girl about our age place food and our cups of water at the doorway. Her face is elfin and her eyes look kind. "Enjoy the bread," she whispers then her footsteps fade.

"Stay here, I'll bring over the food." I can eat later, its important that Marinette keeps up her strength. Marinette makes a motion to take the bread, but her hand just flops at her side. "I'm to tired, Adrien." "Hang on, I have an idea. Open your mouth." She does she's told, and she bites off a bit of bread. Slowly, bite by bite the bread disappeared and I raise the water cup to her lips.

I eat slowly when the time comes, for who knows when we will get more bread. Though when I bite down on my hunk, a shred of paper flutters out. Marinette has her eyes closed, so I read the paper silently.

"We're working to free you, but for now, you must build up your strength." I smile and slip the paper into my pocket.

"Adrien?" "Right here, my love," I reach out and grasp her cold hand in the darkness, and she gives it a little squeeze. "Can we cuddle before we go to sleep?" "That's what lovers do, don't they? Lie down, I'm going to try to make a blanket out of my shirt." "Love, as much as I like seeing you shirtless, your going to need that shirt." I chuckle, shrugging out of my shirt. "Looks like you still have some of your spunk and sass, Bugaboo." "Spunk and sass, sounds like a fun recipe, Kitty."

I lay my shirt over her, and here her sigh. "Come on, snuggle up." I hold her in my arms, and she finds my lips, fusing them to mine as if she doesn't want to let go. "He's getting stronger, Kitty. That Cat Blanc was a perfect copy, and who knows what else he's capable of." I'm about to answer, but then she lets out a small cry. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

In the dim light, she points to her tummy. "Take off your shirt, you might be bleeding." Marinette whips it off, and sure enough there's a long claw mark across her tummy. I growl softly under my breath at the man who did this. Left untreated, it could get infected….

Breathe, Adrien. Breathe. Is there a water source nearby that you could at least clean it? Oh, my water cup! I tear a tiny piece of cloth from my shirt, and swish it in the water, careful not to spill. "This might hurt a bit," I warn her, as I begin to clean the wound.

But Marinette is silent, watching me letting out a soft giggle now and then. I realize my fingers my fingers must be trailing along her stomach as I clean, and when I'm done, I rest my hand on her tummy.

"How about giving it a little kiss, you know, to make it feel better?" she asks. Softly, I begin to plant kisses on her belly, and Marinette groans, finding my hair with her fingers and ruffling it.

Eventually, we finally settle, me keeping Marinette cradled in my arms. Towards dawn, I hear the splashing sound and set Marinette down to go investigate the back corner of the cell.

Rainwater is coming in, but luckily it won't reach Marinette and I. But we are dirty and we should get clean…

"Marinette, wake up." "Hm?" "Rainwater's coming in, we can wash off some of this dirt." I start to pull at my clothes, and pile them on the floor. "Are you…" I can hear her voice raise an octave. "Yeah, but we've got no vanity down here. Marinette, shower with me."

I can hear the quiet rustle of clothes hitting the ground and I lead over to the water is still raining down. At least we can wash some of dirt away, and it refreshes us. "Betcha your wishing this was coffee, huh?" "Ooh, honey, why did you mention coffee?" "I may have a solution for that." She encircles her hands around my neck. "By all means, you may try." "Close your eyes."

I begin to make a path with my fingers over her soft skin, making a road map. I find all those little hidden places that only she and now I know about, and I occasionally give her a kiss. Even though we are in this dark prison, our love has not been extinguished but rather it shines. "Its getting a bit chilly." Pressing one more kiss to her lips, we find our clothes and dry off the best we can.

Even if there's a sliver of light in here, we are in darkness though even then, the days become a pattern. I make sure to ask the girl that brings the bread if she can get her hands on some herbs. She nods, and I break open my bread eagerly, looking for more hidden messages.

But there's nothing. Was I wrong? Or maybe this will just take longer then I thought. "You okay?" Marinette asks, after we've eaten our morning bread and water, and I lay my head across her lap. She plays with my hair, and I relax. "That feels nice, love." "Admit it, if you were Cat, you'd be purring right now." "Yes, but then you'd say, tone down the purrs." "You do have a loud purr though." I flop over on my back. "Isn't it better then snores?" She giggles and answers with a kiss.

I think a saying Master Fu taught me when we were both younger.

"Trees grow big and strong, but slowly and over time. Time to grow in wisdom and strength. Eventually, they pass on their knowledge to their seedlings. So, whenever you get impatient, think of the strong tree swaying in the wind." "Are you telling me this because cats climb trees, or that I'm impatient?" Master Fu laughs and winks. "What do you think, Adrien?"

Maybe its time Marinette and I got even closer, and maybe its time to propose? No, Adrien, wait till you have a ring. What if we don't get out of here? Doubts swirl around in my mind. "Marinette, I'm restless. Will you hum or sing for me?"

She does, and I go into a thinking stupor, just focusing on her voice. During our nightly rations, the girl hands me a heavy pack. "What's in here?" "You'll see. But I'll give you a hint, there not just leaves."

I stare after her confused. What did she mean by that? During the night, my tummy starts to feel funny and it gets worse and worse throughout the night.

Marinette finds in the morning, vomiting over the drain. "Go away, you don't need to see this," I tell her, then vomit again. "No, I'm staying right here. Oh, Adrien, you really are sick, aren't you?"

I'm starting to scared, usually after I throw up, I feel better. "What's in here?" Marinette asks, after she nearly trips over the pack. "Leaves, but I don't know what they're for."

I rest my hot cheek against the cool stone floor, hoping for sleep. "I hope they bring more water soon." Marinette puts her arms around me, and it makes me feel safe. But as the day goes on, I doze off and on.

The bread when it comes looks hot and fresh, but it looks so unappetizing to me. Though, when I take the tiniest bite another piece of paper flutters to the floor, and I slump into darkness before I can read the words.