Guys, thankyou so much for all the favourites and follows from the last chapter! This really means a lot to me, and it had put me in first place for this comp! Flicka7 had posted the first two chapters of her entry, so just search Miraculous Ladybug Competition and it should come up. Anyway, I'm going to let you read the next chapter now :)

Identity isn't everything

Chapter 2

"Ladybug!" I cried, running towards the akumatised victim. "Let her go!"

Cajolester just looked at me, a slight smile curving her lips. "Never! Do you think your words will persuade me?" I looked over at M'Lady and saw her squirm and shout into the gag. I quickly ran over to her and untied her gag and her ropes. "Go ahead! Untie her, it won't make a difference."

"Idiot Chat! Why did you come here!" She looked less angry and more like she was afraid. "Now she has the both of us under her thumb!"

"But you told me to come!"

"Under her influence! She cajoled me to call you and get you here. I'm sorry Chat." M'Lady hung her head, defeated and guilty I suppose.

"Don't feel bad; I would've come for you whether or not you told me to come. It's just a matter of when. I will always come find you, M'Lady, you should know that by now." I finally got the last of the rope off of her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stepped out of the ropes and shook herself to get the blood flowing to her limbs again. "Thank you," she breathed out.

I just smiled in response as I squeezed her shoulder. "What do we do?" I asked her, holding my baton ready.

"I don't know…" she said, her tone trailing off. "I haven't figured it out yet."

"I know what you will do!" Cajolester cut in. "Ladybug will tackle Chat Noir and get me his Miraculous!"

"Oh no, not again." I winced as M'lady landed atop of me, knocking the air out of my chest. She swiped for my ring but I quickly put my hand under my back, putting all my weight onto it.

"Chat!" she whispered while still trying to grab my ring. Her knees were on either side of me and her hands curved into claws as her swipes became more desperate, a stark contrast to her calm voice. "Her power only lasts for a minute or two, so get ready when mine wears off." I nodded and hid my pain as she clawed at my back, trying to get to the ring.

"I'm so sorry Chat…" she whispered, grimacing.

"No, it's fine," I replied with as much reassurance as I can, trying to hide the pain from her. I knew what it was like to have no control. I smiled as I started to feel Lady's arms move on her own accord again.

"Now!" she shouted as I grabbed her waist and pushed her onto her feet, me following not far behind. "I just need a little more time!"

"I'll try and hold her off!"

"Oh but you won't," Cajolester crooned. "How about this time, Chat Noir will fight Ladybug!" the akumatised victim screamed.

"No… Again!" I sighed as my body seized up. Lady looked at me with her blue eyes wide as I aimed a punch for her head and I winced as it made contact. "Sorry M'lady…" I tried to gain control of my own limbs again.

"All good," she said with a grin, but I could see it was causing her pain. I swung my baton around but this time she was ready, ducking under me as she sprinted to her abandoned blindfold and tied it around my eyes.

"Sorry Chat," she mumbled, her voice soft as I made blind swings around the place, hoping I won't make contact as my hands mercifully swung through air.

"Now's the time M'Lady!"

"Lucky Charm!" I almost sighed in relief as I heard Ladybug's voice, and my muscles came back under my control. I whipped off my blindfold and walked up to Ladybug.

"Better think quick M'lady!" I told her as she thought of ways to use what she was given. I saw that Cajolester was about to talk. "Like as in right now kind of quick!" I extended by baton, ready to attack.

"Quick! Put these in." I looked down at her small hands holding one of mine and felt something drop into them. I looked down and smiled, 'Earplugs! Of coarse!' If we can't hear her predictions, we won't know the future, so we can't carry it out! I quickly put them in and faced Ladybug. She motioned to the hair clip that was hanging on a chain around her neck. "The akuma!" She mouthed, knowing I couldn't hear her. I nodded as we walked towards her, me swinging my baton as I watched M'lady creep up behind her. I dodged as she lunged at me and smiled at her as she realised what we were doing. I snatched her hair clip on the end of my pole and flicked it towards Ladybug. She smiled at me as she snapped it in half and caught the akuma, reversing all the effects of the Cajolester.

"What…?" Alya said, still on the floor from when the akuma was set free.

"Nice one Chat," Ladybug nodded towards me and I smiled back.

"Not so bad yourself M'Lady."

"Yeah yeah, you always say that." I followed her out of the building, I wasn't going to let her get away that easily.

"But it's true, and sorry about that punch before."

"Honestly, it's fine. I know it wasn't you doing that." At least she had forgiven him.

"Thanks." Our conversation ended when we saw a group of reporters dashing towards us. I heard Ladybug groan before picking me up by the collar and flew as up onto a nearby roof, out of sight from them.

"I feel like they never give me a break when I'm Ladybug, chasing us around. As soon as there is no danger though. Those reporters value their lives a bit more than is necessary."

"Well you won't be Ladybug much longer," I said titling my head towards her earrings.

"Yeah," she trailed off, cupping her right ear. "Well, good work out there. I'll see you soon," she gave me a brief tilt of her lips. "Bye Chat." And with that, she left, swinging on her yo-yo into the sunset until she was out of sight. As much as I wanted to follow her and find out who she really was I knew I couldn't. I knew that Ladybug didn't want me to know and I had to respect that, whether I liked it or not. Sighing, I jumped down from the roof, before turning back into Adrien.

"You really don't understand do you?" Plagg said, already relaxing on my shoulder.

"Understand what?" I knew that he was probably talking about something stupid, but I listened anyway. He could be talking about Ladybug.

"That Ladybug doesn't think of you that way." I dropped my head as I heard the words I had been ignoring ever since I met her.

"I know Plagg… It's just…"

"That you simply can't move on. You humans are so stupid. If you want it go get it right? No you have to think through every possibility first."

"You do-"

"I don't understand, yeah I know, you've said it before."

"Ugh! Plagg! Just stop already."

"I won't until you tell Ladybug that you-"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at my small kwami, who couldn't care less about my words.

"Don't come crying to me when…" the rest of his words were cut off as he flew into my jacket, completely out of sight.

"I should go find Father, he will be looking for me," I said to no one but myself. I walked out from behind the building and onto the street and headed over to the park, waiting for the verbal attack from Father.

Ô-Ô

Panting, I ran into the bakery, expecting Mum to scold me for not working at the counter.

"Marinette! Where have you been!" she said, just as I predicted.

"Sorry Mum, I was late back from the park."

"No! The akuma attack! We were so worried that you had been hurt!"

"I'm fine Mum," I groaned, heading upstairs to my room, "I have some work to do." I closed my trapdoor and let Tikki fly out of my purse.

"One of these days Marinette, you're going to have to speak to Chat."

"Why Tikki? It's not as if we don't work well as a team like this."

"It's not about that, can't you see you're breaking his heart?" I sighed and flopped onto my bed. "What do you mean?" I tried to detract from the question.

"Don't play dumb, Marinette; it's unbecoming," the kwami admonished uncharacteristically.

'Why did this have to be so difficult?' I thought with a heavy sight. "I know Tikki, but I love Adrien." I was saying it for Tikki as much as it was for myself. I doubt if she knew, since I have a hard time admitting it to myself, but now I'm not so sure anymore about it. Each day I found it harder and harder to decide between the two. Each day I'm noticing that my thoughts are drifting further and further away from Adrien and more to Chat and I'm horrified. 'I love Adrien,' I tried to reaffirm it to myself.

"I'm sure you do Marinette, but you need to at least get to know how Chat really feels about you." I didn't know where Tikki was going with this but it didn't sound like Tikki.

"But I do know, he makes it clear enough."

"No, Marinette. What he thinks of you without the mask." At those words I sat up straight, a look of shock on my face.

"What! I can't show him my identity; he will think that Ladybug is just a clumsy little girl." Oh. Now I know where this is going. And I'm not sure I like it.

"You keep doubting yourself because of it, just promise me that the next time you see him, just take the time to talk."

"I can't exactly just stop in the middle of an akuma attack and have a nice little chat can't I?" I couldn't stop my eyeroll.

"You know what I mean." Tikki responded with her own eyeroll. Anyone told her how alike we are?

"Ok! Ok, I'll talk to him." Sighing, I fell backwards again, looking at the poster of Adrien on the ceiling. Can you love two people?