A/n: Originally posted 5-11-18

I must thank the incredible reviewers of this story. Because you were guests, I couldn't reply to you, but please know that my heart was filled with joy reading your kind words and your theories. The fact that you put so much thought into your review touches me, and I hope it reflects how much thought I have put into this story. :) Ilysm. Now enjoy Chapter 2!

edit: after some excellent reviews, I have elaborated more on the relationship so far between Ladybug and Cat Noir and tweaked the scenes around the Timebreaker incident a bit to make Ladybug more in-character. As you'll see, CN and LB have now been working together for a few months. I realized in hindsight that that amount of time must have elapsed because I said last chapter that Luka was going on tour "in a few months". So, I'm thinking that was around Feb or so and it is now May. Thanks for bearing with me - this story is taking a lot of thought, and I am hoping to get better with time and with the constructive criticism you give. Onto the story!

.:Chapter 2 - Intrigue:.

"Luka, I already told you I can't go," Alya said sadly into the speaker. She was chatting on her cellphone while walking to her rented office space. The Ladyblog was doing well, and traffic had gone up exponentially since the Stoneheart incident, but it would still take quite a bit more to make a living off of the ad revenue. "I have to go to this release tonight. Gotta pay the bills somehow," she added. One of the most popular tech companies was releasing their new phone in a few weeks, and a by-invitation-only reveal party was being held tonight.

"Oh, and I'm sure the fact that this is the most hyped tech event of the year is just an added bonus," Luka drawled.

"I am excited for the event. But I'd skip it in a heartbeat if I could. I really wish you the best, but you'll have to get someone else to distract Marinette for the plan to work."

"It just doesn't feel right, her best friend not being there."

"If you had given me more notice-"

"Look, I'm sorry," he interrupted. "I didn't know at the time that the original date wouldn't work. We've had a lot going on, ok? Good luck with the party."

The other end went dead. Alya stowed her phone and quickened her pace, thinking, Wow, he must be stressing. That was as terse as I've ever heard him.

A few minutes later, Luka was still slightly flushed from embarrassment. His long frame was jammed onto a tiny nook of the tour bus. They hadn't known what else to do with this awkward extra space except to make it a dual-purpose storage and lounging area. It was just a bit too short to be comfortable, with cabinets underneath and a shelf overhead. His shoulders and head were crammed into one end, and his feet were propped against the other.

Or possibly, he was flushed from his anticipation of the evening ahead. His heart wouldn't stop racing. Tonight would be monumentous. If everything went to plan, it would one of the most important nights of his life.

He had realized belatedly that Fashion Week corresponded with the last leg of the tour, conflicting with the night of their Paris homecoming concert. He knew Marinette would give an arm and a leg to go to the concert, but he also knew it was impossible. Fashion Week was just too hectic for the designer, and going to see the show would only add to her stress load.

Thus, he had scrambled to pitch a special Farewell concert to his bandmates and manager. Two concerts in Paris, one tour, the farewell and homecoming concerts bookending the journey. The rest of the band had heartily agreed, much to their manager's dismay, who had rushed off, cursing, to put the event together.

Normally, it wouldn't matter this much that Marinette couldn't attend the Paris concert. There was still a whole other tour of concerts to see. But, as she probably couldn't travel until further notice, he was anxious to make this work. He thought he had heard their lead singer, Rose, speculating that Marinette might be pregnant, but he ignored the rumor for now. He could address it if it gained momentum. Meanwhile, he used Rose's fondness for romance to help fuel the fire that was propelling the band forward on the idea.

Because he was going to propose. Tonight.

"Looks pretty busy today," Marinette, observed, eyeing the scene through her Ladybug mask. She suddenly thought that other people besides Luka might see the mask and willed it off, peeling it away for the moment. No one seemed to notice her - the tour bus was a beehive of activity: tangles of wires, instruments, and limbs, as Luka's bandmates prepared to practice. She could hear the bass player tuning his guitar.

Luckily, Luka had videocalled right after she had transformed, but before she had left the house. Even though she left her cellphone at home during superheroing, she had heard it just in time and snatched it up when she saw who was calling. She had decided to steal a few minutes catching up with him before her morning rounds. What really killed her was that they were in the same city and yet it was as if the musicians were on tour already, because they had practiced late into the night and stayed at a hotel afterwards to ease into their early morning departure.

"Yep, even though we're on the road, we're preparing for our concert on Sunday."

"I thought you didn't have to be in Orléans until tomorrow - it's such a short drive, you shouldn't have to leave the day before." Marinette was attempting not to whine.

"I know, I know." He tried to appease her, smiling at her expression. "At least you and I made up for some lost time yesterday before I left," he whispered, winking at her conspiratorially.

She blushed but couldn't help smiling at his goofy grin.

"I just wanted to see what you were up to today, though," he continued. "And tell you that I loooove you."

"I lo-"

Beep beep!

She was cruelly interrupted by a message from Cat Noir on her yo-yo. An urgent text - 'At Lycée Françoise Dupont. Need help ASAP!'

Cat must have already been on the scene and known that she was due for patrol, to text her and not call. Or, maybe he was hiding and didn't want to give his location away. Or, he was trapped!

"Oh shit, Luka- I'm so sorry, I'll call you right back after we take care of this akuma. Loveyousomuchbyeeee!" She blew her boyfriend a kiss and hung up.

Wow, she thought as she donned her mask and raced to join her partner-in-crimefighting. Apparently high school is a major breeding ground for negative emotions.

Thankfully, Cat Noir was not, in fact, captured. He been hiding and assessing the situation. Joining him covertly, the two schemed on how to get the villain's rollerblade off of her left foot. Cat had seen the akuma land on her this time, which was something neither of them had witnessed before now. Ladybug had to check her racing thoughts, wondering for the first time how old Cat Noir really was. Could he be a high-school student?

"What was the transformation like?" She asked with interest.

He made a face. "Weird, kind of creepy. A purple-black darkness overtook her from where the akuma landed. She had some sort of exchange with Hawk Moth, I think, and then she transformed. She agreed to help him, Bug," he continued animatedly. "I wonder if the victim has to give consent in order to be evilized. We might have a chance to work against Hawk Moth if they do have a choice."

As he mused, Cat Noir framed his face with a hand, looking off intently into the distance. His yellow-green eyes glittered. He looked so beautiful and sultry in that moment that it hit her like a ton of bricks how attractive he actually was. Ladybug's heart skipped a beat, but she willed herself to focus, ignoring the realization.

"So, do you have a plan like usual, M'Lady?" He had been deferring to her seniority as a superhero the past couple of months - and she thought it more than that. He recognized her ability to think under pressure, and she appreciated the fledgling superhero letting her take the lead. Even though Cat acted egotistical and self-absorbed, she could see that it was just a charade. She knew the effect of suiting up could exaggerate one's personality and make it easier to act larger-than-life, so in general she liked to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"You know I do!"

Somehow, in the middle of the fray, Ladybug was compromised and Cat Noir sprang in front of Timebreaker's reaching hand. He put himself directly between them, shielding his Lady from harm, wrapping his limbs around her in a most intimate manner she would have protested if she had the time. Cat clung to her as if trying to use her body as an anchor to hold onto this world. The last thing he did before Timebreaker's touch was to press a warm kiss into Ladybug's face. The gesture was both shy and passionate at the same time.

It all happened so suddenly. She barely had time to register what he was doing before he had faded away into nothing. As she touched her cheek where his lips had been a moment before, Ladybug's face drained of color.

The past few months flashed before her eyes. The akuma assault had been relentless, and the thought of handling it alone filled her with despair. It was strange how quickly you could get used to sharing the work. Cat had showed up dutifully, every time, and handled situations as best he could even though he was green as grass. He always did everything she ever asked of him and more - besides nixing the cringy puns and flirty banter. Ladybug was impressed with his genuinely kind streak, showing a softness for children and other civilians alike. She actually felt jealous of how fast his progression, too - he was a fast learner.

He always especially seemed to know the akumatized victims if they were students of this school, or their parents or teachers. She had come to the conclusion about a month ago that he probably either attended the school or worked here. He looked rather large for a high-school student, so she had assumed he might be a younger teacher, substitute or student teacher. Either way, even if he was younger than her, he had shouldered his new responsibility with grace, carrying the burden in a way that she wasn't sure she could have done if she was younger. In the quiet moments of their time together - not that there were many - she could sense that he wasn't a stranger to pain, and that the bluster was a great way to hide it.

But now, the thought of him being gone forever opened up a strange blank space in her mind. She refused to accept that he wasn't coming back.

She had never had the bad luck to suffer a heart attack, but she imagined it might be something like this - heart beating but not able to breathe, a dull ache in the chest, and pins and needles in the limbs. She felt like she was having an out-of body experience as her eyes teared up, trying to keep the villain in focus.

"Awww, you silly little bug, did you looove your kitty cat?" Timebreaker sneered at her. "I got nine whole minutes from him! Must have been his nine lives…" the villain laughed to herself and started to speed off.

The girl - that bitch - was escaping! She was shaking all over, but Ladybug was going to be damned if the girl who had essentially killed her partner would be getting away. A panic ran through her that if she didn't catch the girl and stop her, he would be gone forever.

That's not going to happen!

As Timebreaker and Ladybug emerged into the past, Ladybug was slightly disoriented. She could see a group of students cheering two friends on who were racing each other. Then, a stopwatch was shattered by none other than Chloé. The girl on the rollerblades turned on her classmates and sped off, crying. Timebreaker raced to join her - the girl must be her past-self!

Which would mean Cat Noir should be showing up any minute… even though in the future timeline she had left, he must have noticed the akuma and texted her, she might have disrupted events here. She hoped that he was still around in this timeline, and would realize that something was amiss.

She was poised on the railing prominently, willing whoever past-Cat was to notice her. "Ladybug!" The other students cried, twirling around to take pictures and fawn over their idol.

"Students, there is going to be an akuma attack shortly," Ladybug instructed calmly. "Please quickly and carefully exit the area. Find shelter. Cat Noir and I are here to protect you."

As the crowd dispersed, Cat met her expectations, strolling over to her, looking confused but happy to see her as ever.

"Ladybug? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you, but what's going on? Your patrol is clear on the other side of town today and I don't see any-"

"Cat Noir," Ladybug breathed. She covered her mouth with a hand, haunted eyes clouding over with tears.

Wow, I never dreamed of the day I'd feel so emotional about this silly kitty, she thought. But the sacrifice had touched her in a way nothing else in her life had so far. Someone had actually died for her. It was almost too much to bear. It was her job to do that, dammit. It had been her task to protect this city longer than his, and he had thrown his life away almost carelessly. But maybe not as recklessly as she thought. He must have known she needed to survive in order to purify the akuma.

"Hello there, my Lady," he purred, unsure what was happening, but pleased. "Quite the reception you're giving me today. I wish you were always so happy to see me."

"Oh, shut up, Kitty," she commanded, closing the gap between them and crushing him to her. They had never hugged before, and she usually never had any desire to, but seeing him resurrected touched a chord in her. Cat Noir's body was rigid at first in surprise, but he relaxed.

His eyes were wide as if he couldn't believe his good luck. Ladybug was usually the lucky one. Steadily, as if afraid he would spook her and ruin the moment, he wrapped his own limbs around her. His expression, when she looked up at him from the vantage point of his chest, was half ecstatic and half worried.

"Ladybug - what happened to you?" He asked with concern, rubbing circles into her back and shoulders protectively. She self-consciously grabbed his wrists to still his hands and moved his arms off of her again.

"I- you-... you sacrificed yourself for me," her voice broke, holding his arms awkwardly, unsure what to do, regretting the outburst of emotion.

"What? I'm right here. But you know I would do that instantly."

Her eyes stung. "I- yes, yes I do. Now I do."

Ladybug's grip fell from his left arm as he reached to tug one of her hair ribbons playfully. "Of course I would," he reaffirmed. "I lo-"

"AHH!"

A bloodcurdling scream shook the air as the pair were harshly jolted back to the present - erm, past. Ladybug sprang back from him as if he were a hot iron. "Shit!" she yelled, leaping into action. "Text Ladybug, tell her to join us and it's urgent. Please!"

"Um, Bug? You're right here…"

"TRUST me!"

Cat Noir's eyes looked like they were going to escape his skull. Himself and the two Ladybugs were squaring off against the two Timebreakers. He whipped his head back and forth between the two Ladybugs, not sure what was going on. "Holy-"

"If you take this someplace sexual, I swear I'll-" the future Ladybug threatened.

"TWO Ladybugs?! I'm in HEAVEN!"

When it was over, and she was restored to the correct time (time travel was definitely something she never wanted to experience again), Ladybug announced her intentions to depart as soon as possible. Cat deflated like a popped balloon, but he dutifully stayed behind to comfort the dazed Alix. Ladybug appreciated the extra help he always provided, especially with the seemingly-exponential increase in akuma activity over the past few months since the Stoneheart's incident. As much as she was glad to see this timeline's Cat again in one piece, she had promised Luka she'd call him back if she could. She quickened her pace.

Her hopes were dashed upon seeing a vivid red head of hair as she neared her own rooftop. Nathaniel! He was almost to her doorstep. What was he doing at her house so early on a Friday? She hastened to get inside and detransform before he noticed she wasn't home.

"Marinette! Um, hi." Nathaniel's voice was strained, and as she watched, his mouth twisted into a grimace. She had opened the door the instant before he got the chance to knock, and he was awkwardly caught with his fist halfway to the wooden panels.

"Heeeeeyyy, Nate! I was just, ah. Going to get the ma-il!" she finished lamely. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. The realization crashed down on her that it was 10:00, too early for the mail to arrive. She blushed but held her ground, mentally kicking herself. I could have said literally anything else, but no, the perfectly normal occurrence of me opening my front door now has to look suspicious because of my stupid excuse, she thought peevishly.

"Ah... okay. I was just heading over at Luka's request," he forged ahead through the uncomfortableness, using his fingers to comb his hair back from his face and tuck some long strands behind one ear. "He wanted to see if you need anything and also asked me to take you grocery shopping." They all knew that if Marinette didn't have Luka around to feed, she would regress from the 'eat well' mindset into 'graze and stay alive'. As a result, Nathan was often tasked with checking up on her - not that he minded, she thought - so the pair spending more time together when Luka was out of town was definitely normal.

She released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Okay," Marinette said, smiling tentatively at him. Tightness in her face and upper body loosened. She thought she saw Nathan relax in turn. "Let's walk down a few streets - I think they might have the new summer produce out!"

After they had killed some time shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables - her eyes had lit up like the sunrise breaking through the clouds, he thought, at the simple pleasures of strolling the open-air market a few blocks from her place - Nathan had to think of a reason to get Marinette to their destination.

Luka had filled him in on the last-minute change of plans hurriedly. Though the band didn't have much time to get a venue ready, the situation was surprisingly playing to their favor. Their manager had managed to create a lot of social media buzz around the "pop-up" concert, and their agent was marketing it as a bonus for fans who followed them on certain platforms. Nathan knew the only reason Marinette hadn't caught on yet was she had been on a mysterious errand this morning - Luka wouldn't tell him what - and now Nathan had kept her too busy to check her phone. She was a good friend, and didn't often idly scroll her phone when she had company. That was what Luka and Nathaniel were banking on.

The rock band was going to be staging the event at an open-air amphitheater downtown that overlooked the Seine. It was part of a public park, so that made the cost of renting fairly low, and it fit in with the whole spur-of-the-moment theme.

Now all Nathan had to do was get here there without her expecting anything. And he thought he had the perfect cover.

"Hey Mari, after this do you wanna go check out that new art supply store downtown?"

She paused from swinging her reusable grocery bag back and forth. She actually stopped in her tracks, so that he had to backpedal to keep level with her, after making sure they weren't impeding any other pedestrians. Marinette, pretty cutely, he had to admit, had a habit of not paying attention to her surroundings.

"Do I? YES!" She shouted with glee, running the rest of the way back to the house.

When the food was put up, they made their way to the art store. He experimented in more artistic mediums than her, but they had both used their artistic passions to fuel their careers. They had first bonded over the subject many years ago, in high school, when she had noticed him sketching a comic book strip.

Thankfully, the shop was within walking distance… and was nestled in a corner directly across from the band's location. Hopefully I'll get here there without too much trouble, Nate thought.

A/n: Sorry, this chapter was going to include the proposal, but it was getting too long, hehe. I have a lot of scenes planned but they end up taking more space than I think. Maybe I'm just too wordy, lol.

I love time travel as an element in stories, and something that always bothered me about the Timebreaker episode was that the two timelines ended up going differently. I couldn't really escape it with my version either, but I suppose there are always going to be paradoxes with time travel, so we can assume that Ladybug's miraculous fixes any paradoxes in time when it fixes everything else, haha.

As a last note I want to remark on the "Lycée Françoise Dupont". Since I have obviously set Adrien in high school, in this universe the Françoise Dupont has a high school on the same campus as the middle school in the show.