Welcome back, friends!

This section was super fun to visualize, and one of my favorites to go back and read again. It was also cool to write a sequence with just Cat Noir and no 'supervillain'...anyway! I'll stop spoiling. ;) Hope you enjoy it!

Marinette squinted as she stared up at the Notre Dame cathedral. "Okay, where should we hide this one? Just by the front doors?"

"I was thinking by the Rose Window," Adrien suggested, pointing to the large circular window along the side of the old cathedral. His hand jerked up to pull his jacket closer around him, but Marinette didn't notice. He quickly began striding around toward the other set of doors.

"Good thinking," Marinette said, following him around the side of Notre Dame.

"How about you wait here?" Adrien suggested, glancing over his shoulder. "Look for the next bus off the Isle."

"O-Okay," Marinette agreed, confused. "Are you sure? This is busy place. We might, I dunno, get separated..." She trailed off.

"We'll be fine," Adrien assured her. "I'm just, uh, trying to save time." Adrien smiled. "I'll be right back!" He waved and disappeared around the corner of the old building.

Tikki popped open Marinette's small purse. "How're things going, Marinette?"

"Great!" Marinette grinned. "I still can't believe I'm on a date with Adrien!"

Tikki giggled. "I told you he liked you!"

Marinette laughed. "Would you be offended if I said I never believed you until now?"

Tikki winked. "Not a bit."

"Excuse me!" A small voice said politely. Marinette jumped and turned around, snapping her purse closed. A young child stood before her, his hands outstretched.

"Aw, you poor thing," Marinette murmured sympathetically, bending down to put her hand on his shoulder. "Let me-"

Suddenly, she felt the strap of her purse fall from around her shoulder. She started, jerking around. A scraggly old man stood behind her, the strap of her purse clutched in his dirty palm.

"Hey! That's mine!" Marinette snapped angrily, a wave of fear washing over her.

The old man smirked a toothless grin and bolted off into the crowd.
"Stop! Thief!" Marinette yelled, chasing after him.

"Oh Tikki," she whispered, pushing through a school tour group. "I'll get you back!"

Adrien pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket as he disappeared around the corner of Notre Dame.

"All right, Plagg, you can come out now," Adrien said, holding open his jacket.

"Yes! Finally!" Plagg took a deep breath, zooming around Adrien's head. "I can breathe again!"

"Only for a second," Adrien warned, slipping the clue in a crack adjacent to the doors. "I can't leave Marinette alone for too long. She's right about Notre Dame."

"Fine." Plagg sniffed. "Just as long as you give me some cheese."

Marinette's voice rang out over the crowds. "Hey! That's mine!"

"Uh oh." Adrien swung around. "I knew I shouldn't have left her alone!"

"Stop! Thief!" Marinette yelled.

"Come on, Plagg! We've got to help!" Adrien pushed his ring further down his finger and slipped behind a pear tree near the doors. He blinked, his hand on the trunk. "Were there always this many pear trees around Notre Dame?"

"Adrien..." Plagg zoomed into Adrien's shoulder, catching him off balance. "You were going to transform?"

"Oh! Plagg, claws out!"

There was a flash of light and Cat Noir leapt out of the bushes. He pushed his way into the crowd, looking for Marinette's gray jacket.

"This is all my fault," Cat Noir murmured, scanning the crowd anxiously.

An old man suddenly pushed into him and knocked him off his feet.

"Hey!" Cat Noir yelped, rolling to regain his footing. "Watch where you're going!"

The old man pulled his newsboy cap down over his eyes, ignoring the black superhero, and pushed on toward Sainte Chapelle.

"Stop him!" A familiar voice cried, and Cat Noir saw Marinette go racing past.

"Wait!" Cat Noir scrambled to his feet, grabbing Marinette's wrist. "Let me help you!"

Marinette rounded on him, her eyes flashing angrily. Then they widened, and her jaw dropped. "Cat Noir!"

Cat Noir winked and bowed, releasing her hand. "Cat got your tongue?"

Marinette rolled her eyes, then pointed toward Sainte Chapelle, where the thief had disappeared. "Cat Noir, I can't lose that bag! It has...it has the most valuable thing I own..." Marinette's voice quavered, and her gaze dropped down to her feet. "Will you help me?"

"I'm always down for helping damsels in distress." Cat Noir grinned, leaning in closer to Marinette. On an impulse, he cupped his hand on her chin lifted her gaze to his. "Don't worry, Marinette. I'll get your purse back."

Marinette blinked, staring into his bright green eyes. "You-your eyes. They remind me of someone..."

Cat Noir staggered back, a shaft of anxiety entering his chest. "Heh, well, I-I better get going. I'll meet you over by Sainte Chapelle, okay?" He extended his stick, preparing to vault up onto the roof of Notre Dame.

"Oh no, Adrien must be worried sick," Marinette groaned, glancing back at the tall Rose Window. "I'd better go and tell him what's happened."

"Uh oh," Cat Noir muttered, flying up onto the roof. "I'd better make a side trip first." He raced along the roof of the cathedral, dropping into the bushes by the Rose Window.

"Adrien!" He heard Marinette's voice call out. "Adrien, are you there?"

Cat Noir tapped his ring, transforming back into Adrien.

"Marinette?" He called, pushing out of the bushes. "Are you okay?"

"Adrien!" Marinette gasped, tripping on the sidewalk and falling into Adrien.

"Whoa there," He laughed, catching her and lifting her to her feet. "What happened?"
"I've been robbed," Marinette panted. "Someone stole my purse."

"Oh no!" Adrien gasped, acting surprised and letting his hands drop to his sides.

"But Cat Noir is getting it back," Marinette added. "He said to meet him in front of Sainte Chapelle."

"You go ahead," Adrien urged, an idea coming to him. "I'll call the police and get some back-up."

"But-" Marinette protested, reaching out to him.

"Go! There's no time!" Adrien backed toward Notre Dame. "You've got to help Cat Noir get it back! I'll get the police here!" He swung around and darted into the cathedral.

He waited until Marinette's footsteps receded and quickly transformed back into Cat Noir. He burst out the front door and bounded up onto a lamp post.

"Come on, you can't be too far," He murmured, scanning the street for Marinette. He spotted her and dropped down in front of her.

"Turns out I could use your help," He admitted, holding out a hand. Marinette jumped at his sudden appearance. "Care to tag along?"

Marinette didn't answer and grabbed his hand.

"Okay then." Cat Noir slipped his arm around her waist and clicked open his staff. They shot upward, and Marinette cried out, tightening her grip around Cat Noir's neck.

"Don't worry, this cat won't bite." Cat Noir squeezed her gently. Marinette grimaced and held on tighter.

"Now then, where's your thief?" Cat Noir narrowed his eyes, scanning the streets in between the two cathedrals. "He can't have gotten too far."

"There!" Marinette pointed out a figure running along Pont Neuf. He had a dark newsboy cap and his hands were clutching something in front of him.

"Perfect." Cat Noir turned and grinned at Marinette. "Hold on!" He pushed off his stick and leapt into the air. Quickly, he retracted his staff and re-extended it in front of them, vaulting toward the bridge.

"Ugh, I've always hated this," Marinette muttered, burying her face in Cat Noir's shoulder.

"Always?" Cat Noir said, planting his staff on the roof of the state police building. He then retracted his staff and hopped softly onto the shingles, slipping away from Marinette. Cat Noir grabbed Marinette's hand and they raced across the roof. "I think I would've remembered meeting you more than just the couple times."

"Oh!" Marinette gulped, stumbling on the shingles. Cat Noir caught her and hauled to back to her feet. "I, uh, used to pole vault in school. For sports!"

"It's fun, huh?" Cat Noir winked as he extended his staff and wrapped his arm around Marinette once more.

"Exhilarating," Marinette agreed, wincing as they flew up once again.

"All right, coming in hot," Cat Noir warned as they neared the bridge. Marinette shifted her arms and nodded.

Cat Noir leapt into the air and landed lightly on a lamppost.

"You have a thing for lamp posts, don't you?" Marinette commented as Cat Noir clicked his staff down to reach the ground.

"What can I say? We cats love to be above the world." Cat Noir held out his long staff. "Care to dismount?"

She obliged, grabbing the staff and wrapping her legs around it. She slid down to the ground with a sigh of relief. Cat Noir then retracted his staff and bounded off the lamp post, rolling to break his fall.

"Be back in a flash!" He winked and raced up to the bridge. The convict was running toward him, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips as he stared down at Marinette's purse.

"Wait!" Marinette cried, running after him. "He's not alone!"

Cat Noir glared at the thief, clicking open his staff. "You know, they say that a black cat is bad luck."

The thief jerked to a stop, staring at Cat Noir.

"In your case, I'd say that's no exception." Cat Noir quickly clicked open his staff and shot it toward the old man. It caught him in the gut and he staggered back, wheezing.

"Cat Noir, behind you!" Marinette cried, running toward the fight.

Cat Noir's ears twitched and he suddenly ducked. A switchblade flashed above his head, clattering to the ground several feet in front of him.

"Careful now, someone could get hurt." Cat Noir spun around, lashing out his with claws.

The little boy cried out, backing away. Cat Noir withheld his strike, blinking in surprise at the small child.

"He's getting away!" Marinette yelled, running after the ragged old man.

Cat Noir spun back, dashing after Marinette.

"No sweat!" He said, his staff lifting him over her head. "I got this! You take care of that kid!"

Marinette turned and raced back to the knife-throwing child.

"It's okay," she called out gently. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

Cat Noir scampered up another lamp post and leapt into the air, the criminal locked in his sights. He turned a quick flip and landed right behind the escaping convict.

"And I'll take that..." Cat Noir extended his staff out and caught the strap of Marinette's small pink purse with the tip.

The criminal stopped as he felt the purse slip away from him. "Hey!"

"Sorry, I don't think this belongs to you." Cat Noir retracted his staff and grabbed the bag. Then he swung his stick, knocking the man into the Seine.

"Serves you right," Cat Noir muttered.

"Cat Noir!" Marinette ran closer, her eyes shining. "Thank you!"

"Not a problem," Cat Noir winked, handing the bag back to its owner. "What's in there that's so valuable, anyway?"

Marinette started. "Uh, nothing. Just, you know, my wallet and stuff."

Cat Noir raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. "Well, I got to go keep saving the world! Have a great night at prom!" He winked and saluted, then bounded off on his stick.

"I wonder what she does keep in there," he murmured, glancing behind his shoulder at Marinette. She had something cupped in her hands and wore an expression of relief.

Cat Noir turned around and yelped, narrowly avoiding a power line.

"I'd better watch where I'm going..." He muttered, heading back over to Notre Dame.

He dropped down into the orchard by the Rose Window and quickly transformed back into Adrien. Plagg flashed into existence and perched on Adrien's shoulder.

"Wasn't there only one pear tree the first time?" Plagg narrowed his small green eyes.

"Not now, Plagg," Adrien slipped his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Marinette's number. "I've got to make sure Marinette is okay."

"Be careful," Plagg warned. "Don't give anything away."

"I got this." Adrien dialed her number and started running toward the Pont Neuf. "Marinette! Are you okay?"

"Just fine!" Marinette laughed over the phone. "Cat Noir got my bag back! I'm just headed back over to Sainte Chapelle! Want to meet there?"

"Sure! Is everything all right then?" Adrien glanced down at his watch. It was almost 11:30.

"Everything is just great." Marinette replied. "Cat Noir really saved the day this time. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Be careful!" Adrien said, anxiously. "Don't lose that bag again!"

Marinette laughed. "I'll be fine! Bye!"

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts so far, this has been a blast for me to write and make it all come together. :)