AN: I finally finished this story and am too excited to upload it to stick to the once a week update (not that I was really sticking to it anyway). Please enjoy these last four chapters. (and a couple of deleted chapters, too) 3

Her Miraculous had already begun beeping, and her transformation was almost up. The Peacock and Butterfly had been restored to the miracle box. The threat was finally gone, and there was now no longer a reason to hide her identity from Cat Noir. The scene had been solemn at the Agreste mansion, but she didn't want that to take away from the moment she and Cat Noir earned. She didn't want to—no she wouldn't—feel guilty for enjoying the prize their victory allowed them to have.

Her miraculous beeped a second time, and she looked over to Cat Noir who whispered something to Meg, and felt a blush run across her face. She didn't know why she felt nervous all of a sudden. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, saying with his eyes what she was already thinking. Or maybe it was because she hadn't realized how intimate it felt to share a secret that she'd never shared with anyone else, and to receive the same secret in return. So she was thankful when Meg and Master Fu excused themselves from the room.

Another beep.

Cat Noir grabbed her hands and her heart began pounding.

"Ladybug, these past couple of days have been so hard for me, and in a moment you'll understand why. So before that happens I just want to say thank you for always being there for me. And for what you did for me today. I don't know when I'll see you again, so I need you to know—"

The final beeping interrupted his words and he pulled her in for a kiss. She felt the difference in this kiss from the one before. It was full of anguish that she didn't understand and his words worried her.

Their transformations dropped and they stood there holding each other, foreheads together and eyes still closed. Cat Noir said she would understand in a moment, and she braced herself to find out what it was. Whatever it was she could handle it, and she'd help him any way she could.

"Ready?" he asked her, and she nodded in response.

They straightened up and slowly they both opened their eyes.

Marinette felt her heart skip a beat.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked, his lips turning a small involuntary smile.

"Adrien?" she begun to smile, amazed by the boy in front of her, but her smile twisted into horror as she realized what this meant. "Adrien, oh my gosh."

He gave a heart-wrenching attempt at a smile and left. She called after him, but he didn't turn around. She wanted to chase after him, but her feet were glued to the ground.

Marinette's head began spinning as things slowly came into focus.

The great cost that Master Fu mentioned a moment ago. He'd been talking directly to Cat Noir and Marinette missed it. That's why Meg offered to get Adrien out of the house. She was covering for him. His embrace on the roof after she asked him not to call the police. The reason he didn't seem worried last night about possibly putting Adrien in danger. HE WAS ADRIEN. And he just had to defeat HIS father, knowing what was at stake.

And when they met with Meg the night before and she explained to Ladybug who Hawk Moth was, he had to stand there and pretend to not know anything. He had to act like he wasn't affected by any of it. The reason Adrien was so readily willing to help and hand over the Peacock. Adrien was Cat Noir.

This entire time.

Marinette felt guilty all over again. She couldn't possibly be happy with this victory knowing what it cost Adrien. What it cost Cat Noir, her partner and so much more.

She hadn't heard Meg and Master Fu reenter the room, but she felt Meg's hands on her shoulders as she lowered her into a chair. Marinette looked at her in disbelief.

"You knew this whole time…why did you let him…why didn't you tell me?! How could you…I could've…" Marinette was shaking and she couldn't focus. Meg knew the whole time that Adrien would have to face his father, and she let it happen. Didn't she know what that must've done to him?

"You know I couldn't tell you, Marinette." Meg said softly.

Marinette looked at Master Fu and read the solemn look on his face. He hadn't known either, and that was a relief. It was a strange coincidence though, that he chose Adrien of all people to become Cat Noir when his father was Hawk Moth.

She looked again at Meg and knew she didn't deserve her anger, but felt it all the same. Meg hadn't seen the look on Adrien's face a moment ago; she couldn't understand the pain she put him through.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she seethed.

"Me?! I didn't do anything."

"Exactly! You didn't DO anything! You magically showed up with all of the answers, but you couldn't prevent Adrien from having to go through with fighting his father! You 'just know' all these secrets, but you couldn't 'just know' a way to help Adrien?"

"I DID help Adrien! I didn't let him go in there and have to find out who his father was in some horrific death match. He knew and was prepared."

"How do you prepare for something like that?!"

"Girls please calm down!" Master Fu said stepping between them.

They stopped and looked at him and back at each other, the tension cracking, but only barely. Marinette caught a glimpse of Tikki and Wayzz in the corner with frightened looks on their faces. Tikki had never seen Marinette so angry before, and truthfully Marinette didn't think she ever had been that angry before.

But she wasn't angry for herself; she was hurt for Adrien, and she needed to go make sure he was okay.

She started for the door, but Master Fu stopped her.

"He chose to leave alone, Marinette. Allow him the space he needs."

She knew he was right; he always was. She sunk back into her chair, still shaking, and tried to fight the tears that began to fall.

Marinette trudged up the stairs to her room after unconvincingly telling her parents that everything was okay when they asked why it looked as though she'd been crying all afternoon. The truth was that everything was not okay, and she had been crying all afternoon.

She beat herself up over and over, placing herself into Adrien/Cat Noir's shoes. They boy that she loved twice over had gone through so much in these past couple of days: finding out that his mother was within reach and that his father was trying to bring her back; finding out that his father was the villain in the story and having to choose between having both of his parents or having none; making the right decision, knowing the cost. Any one of those things would have been hard enough for Marinette to handle, but Adrien had to handle all of it at once. And he had to do it alone.

At least he had Meg, a voice in her head reminded her, and she winced at it remembering the way she yelled at her that afternoon. Marinette knew she was being too harsh on her, and that just added to the weight of everything she was feeling. In truth, she was glad that Adrien at least had Meg to talk to and support him when she could not.

Marinette sighed a deep sigh as she slipped into her bed and under the covers. She felt useless and guilty, curled up in her bed, but what else was there that she could be doing? She wanted to talk to Adrien and be there for him, but she knew he needed his space. But she also knew how miserable she felt this afternoon just imagining having to go through all of the things that Adrien actually had to go through, and she knew it was no comparison. And while he might have had Meg to hold his hand earlier, he was alone now.

She slipped out her phone and wrestled over what to say that wasn't too overbearing while letting him know she cared. She decided on four simple words.

[MARINETTE] I'm here for you.

It might have been a selfish thing to do, seeing as it wasn't exactly giving him space. But she needed him to know that he didn't have to go through this alone.

She stared at her screen hoping to see a reply bubble, but all she saw was the inside of her eyelids as exhaustion took her over and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Marinette woke the next morning to a gloomy, grey sky and no reply from Adrien.

He wasn't in class either.

Or at his fencing lessons.

Marinette thought of stopping by his house to check in on him, but decided that would not have been the best idea. Not only had she agreed to let him breathe, but she also had no idea what she would find. Had Adrien decided to tell his father that he was Cat Noir, now that his father was powerless? Did his father know that Adrien knew he was Hawk Moth? She couldn't be sure, so it was better to stay away until further notice.

But even when she got into bed that night, she still hadn't gotten any messages from Adrien. She typed out another message on her phone, but decided better of it instead. He would reply when he was ready.

Another day went by and Adrien hadn't been seen or heard from.

And another.

Marinette sent him another text to check in on him, and that text also went unanswered.

Two more days passed and she called. His phone went to voicemail, and she left a message letting him know that she was still there for him. She wasn't sure if she was being selfish by texting and calling him, but she didn't know what else to do.

"Marinette, it hasn't even been a full week yet." Meg said when Marinette hung up after leaving her message.

They were in Marinette's room and she was pacing about while Meg sat on the chaise.

Marinette tried to apologize for her outburst when she saw Meg at school the day after it happened, but Meg said there was nothing to apologize for; it was a rough time, emotionally, and she knew that. It had been nice for Marinette, having Meg to lean on that week.

"I know, I know," Marinette replied, "he needs space. But I'm worried about him, Meg."

"He also needs time, Marinette. I know you've done a lot of imagining about 'what he must be going through.' But that's just it. You've been imagining it. He's been living it. He'll come around when he's ready. We just need to be patient."

"But what if one week turns into eleven years and I'm just left waiting As Time Goes On?"

Meg gave her a look.

Marinette plopped down onto the floor and leaned her head back on the chaise next to Meg, letting out a large groan as she did. She pulled up a picture of Adrien on her phone and stared at the boy she was missing.

"You're right. I still haven't wrapped my head around the fact that his father was Hawk Moth, so of course I can understand if he hasn't either." She sighed, and swiped to the next photo.

It was the grainy photo of her and Cat Noir sharing their first kiss together, and she appreciated the paparazzi for once. All week Marinette had been so stricken with Adrien's situation that she hadn't really given much thought to the whole Adrien/Cat Noir/identity thing.

"Have you had a chance to wrap your head around that?" Meg asked pointing to the photo.

Marinette blushed and covered her face with her hands, letting out another groan.

"Not really. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner."

"Hindsight is 20/20."

"All those times Cat Noir flirted with me, and I turned him down…and the whole time he was the reason I was turning him down. Could you imagine if I'd known he was Adrien and he was in love with me the whole time? Paris would be a wreck."

""Hey M'Lady." "H-hi Cat No-noir." Stutter, stutter, trip, fall." Meg laughed and dodged the pillow Marinette threw at her.

"Ugh! And every time I got tongue tied in front of Adrien, he was really just silly old Cat Noir! With his lame puns, and pick up lines, and perfect hair, and sparkling eyes."

"I'm sorry which one are you talking about now?"

"MEG!" Marinette laughed and playfully shoved her.

She was starting to feel a little better than she had for most of the week. It was still so crazy that Adrien and Cat Noir, two people that to her seemed so different, were really the same person. That was going to take some getting used to.

"Can I ask you a question?" Marinette asked Meg.

"Go for it."

"Why did you tell me to let go of my feelings for Adrien when you knew he was Cat Noir? You had me believe he loved some other girl." She thought of the day Meg told her that Adrien was already in love with someone and let out a sigh.

"Sorry about that. The thing is…" she paused to gather her thoughts, "Adrien doesn't really get to be himself most of the time because he has an image to upkeep. And you're always too nervous around him anyway to really get to know him. When he's Cat Noir he doesn't have to worry about how he makes his father look, because nobody knows who he is. So he's the most relaxed version of himself. And I just…"

She paused again looking for the right words.

"I wanted you to know how you felt about that side of him, before knowing it was him—If that makes sense. I didn't want you to only like Cat Noir because he just happened to be Adrien. You needed to admit to yourself that the Cat got under your skin. Because if you really 'weren't in love with Cat Noir' like you kept saying" she rolled her eyes in a teasing manner, "then were you really in love with Adrien?

Marinette opened her mouth to protest, but closed it. That made sense.

"Perhaps if I hadn't been so shy around Adrien this whole time, I would've had the chance to see more of his playful side. Who would've guessed under all of that 'cool' disposition, he was really just a big adorable dork?"

"You mean he's a-dork-able?"

Their laughter was interrupted by a soft thud on the roof.

The girls exchanged glances, and Meg announced that she'd be downstairs.

Marinette scrambled to her feet and up the ladder to her bed. She opened the hatch to her balcony and was met with a pair of green, cat eyes.

"Cat No—Adrien." she fumbled, not really sure how to address him anymore.

"Hey M'Lady. Care to take in a stray?"

AN: Little shout out to As Time Goes On, a Fic I'm reading by an Author I really like on AO3, TiggerTink08. They defeat HM and Adrien leaves Paris for 11 years without telling Marinette he's Cat Noir (how she didnt figure it out when they both vanished and reappeared at the same time, IDK, but it's still amahzing). The whole gang is involved and it's about 10 chapters in. Go check it out, it's so good!