I wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful comments this story has been receiving. I've been having a bit of a rough time lately, but reading the comments has really helped me cheer up. Thank you so much for the support!


Marinette woke up the next morning feeling exhausted. She and Chat Noir had snuck out of the palace right before the sunrise. Both of them had only gotten three hours of sleep if that. Chat Noir could sleep the rest of the day away, but if Marinette stayed in bed much longer, her parents might become suspicious. She definitely didn't want them to discover she had snuck out of the house even if she had good reason.

Trying to open her eyes, Marinette groaned and threw off her covers. "It's going to be a long day," she thought, sitting up. She stretched her arms and yawned, still trying to shake herself awake. "It'll be fine," Marinette told herself. "Besides, there's someplace I need to visit today and Tikki and I need to investigate Prince Adrien's disappearance. The world can't be put on hold because of a little sleep."

Marinette headed towards her closet, tiptoeing around Chat Noir who was sleeping on the floor. He looked so peaceful despite his quiet snoring. Marinette resisted the urge to scoop him up and give him a thousand hugs. She was incredibly happy to have him back. For a week, she had stared at the empty space on the floor wondering if it would ever be filled again. But there her kitty was, sleeping soundly, as if he had never left.

And sitting besides him was the old spellbook from Prince Adrien's bedroom. Tikk insisted they bring it back with them. She was positive it held the key to Prince Adrien's disappearance. Now if only they could find the lock. Aside from the spellbook, Marinette had no clue how to find a missing prince despite her promise to the king. Her increasing worries about Prince Adrien's safety were beginning to stress her out which was precisely why she would be taking a day trip. She needed some time to clear her thoughts.

"Marinette, are you awake already?" Tikki moaned as she heard Marinette shuffle around the bedroom. "It's so early!"

"It's already 9:00, Tikki, but we had a late night. You can sleep in a little longer, but I have someplace I need to go today."

"Wherever you go, I'm coming with!" Tikki exclaimed, suddenly filled with energy. She flew out of bed and over to Marinette, who was changing out of her nightgown. "Where are we going? Does it have to do with Prince Adrien?" From Marinette's change in expression, Tikki guessed she was probably correct.

Marinette sighed and said, "Somehow you can always read my mind. I wanted to visit his grave today though I suppose it isn't really a grave anymore, is it? I thought it might help give me some peace of mind and offer a place to think." She slipped into her pink dress and had Tikki help her button the back. Marinette was planning to leave immediately after she changed and grabbed some breakfast downstairs.

"Should we wake Chat Noir?" Tikki asked, flying over to the black cat and hovering above his face. She poked his tummy, but garnered no response. His chest rose and fell in steady breaths as he slept soundly. Tikki started to giggle. "He must really be tired!"

"We should let him be. Look at him... he's exhausted," Marinette smiled, though that wasn't her only reason for wanting Chat Noir to stay at home.

"But he was so glad to see you again yesterday! I doubt he'd be happy if we left him behind."

"That's true, but..." Marinette trailed off. She didn't know how keen Chat Noir would be on visiting Prince Adrien's grave. The black cat didn't seem to much care for the prince once he realized that he was the reason behind her broken heart. In Chat Noir's mind, they were rivals and he was the one losing the battle. And even though Chat Noir had nobly offered to help find him, Marinette had a feeling it was only to make her happy.

Tikki frowned at Marinette, pressuring the girl into making the right choice. "Fine," Marinette sighed, kneeling down besides Chat Noir. "I'll ask him if he wants to go." She began to stroke his fur and rub behind his ears. It was easier to wake him up like this than by yelling in his face. "Chat Noir... wake up... Chat..."

"Meow?" Chat Noir's eyes immediately opened at the sound of his lady, but he looked bewildered. He hadn't been expecting a wake-up call.

"Time to get up, sleepyhead!" Marinette patted his stomach and laughed. Chat Noir always had the funniest expressions. "Tikki and I are going out for a bit. Do you want to come?"

Chat Noir quickly nodded and happily meowed.

"We're going to visit Prince Adrien's grave. Are you sure you still want to come?"

Chat Noir's joyful expression vanished. "Prince Adrien?" he grumpily thought before feeling awfully guilty. "It's wrong of me to be jealous of him. He's the one Marinette loves and I can't begrudge him for that until I meet him in person. If I deem him unworthy of her love though, I'll kick his butt, but until then, I'll grin and bear it. He means the world to my lady and if I can give him back to her, I will."

Despite forcing himself to think those things, Chat Noir still felt uneasy. The pain of jealousy was gnawing at him and it was hard to overcome. The mere mention of Prince Adrien's name upset him, but he had made a promise to not only Marinette, but the king of Paris. He would somehow bring Prince Adrien home and whatever happened after that was out of his paws.

There was a green flash of light and Chat Noir transformed into his human form. "I'll go," he said, putting on a fake smile. "We should get going before it gets too hot out."

"Really?" Marinette exclaimed joyfully. Chat Noir's reaction was the opposite of what she expected. Maybe all the tension was in her head. Chat Noir didn't seem spiteful in any way which relieved Marinette. Secretly, she hoped that Chat Noir and Prince Adrien could become friends. They were similar in many ways. In her imagination, they got along great once all the romantic drama was out of the way.

Chat Noir nodded. "Of course, princess. Shouldn't I meet my lady's prince charming?" He managed to choke out that last sentence.

"Thank you, Chat! That means so much to hear you say that. I thought you might still be upset after that confession, but I'm happy to see you're okay. But don't push yourself! If this makes you unhappy in the slightest, please tell me. Like I said before, partners before boys." She held out her pinky finger and said, "And that's a promise."

Chat Noir grinned and hooked his pinky finger around hers. "Thanks, Marinette." Her words made him feel better and the gross feeling in his stomach began to subside.

"Great!" Marinette stood up and grabbed her purse off the chair. "Let's head out. It's not far so you can put on the cloak if you want, Chat. There usually aren't many people around so nobody should notice you." She tossed him the cloak and Chat Noir promptly put it on.

They met each other outside the house. Marinette had left through the front of the bakery and Chat Noir had snuck out through the balcony. After rendezvousing at the side of the bakery, they headed towards their destination.

Prince Adrien's grave was situated in the center of a large garden. It was far enough away from the heart of the city for there to be peace and quiet. People rarely came out in this direction unless they were paying their respects. Very few came to experience the beauty of the gardens. The flowers didn't exist to please the public. They were there to honor Prince Adrien who often wandered through the palace gardens when he was alive.

"We're here," Marinette announced as she and Chat Noir came upon an iron gate that wrapped around the entire garden. The gate was unlocked and she carefully pushed the door open, its squeak echoing through the air. There was nobody around but the three of them. Not even as much as a gardener.

"Isn't this a bit overkill?" Chat Noir thought as he observed the garden. "There are enough flowers here to decorate all of Paris. Talk about eccentric..."

Noticing Chat Noir eyeing the flowers, Marinette bent over and picked a white rose, careful not to cut herself on the thorns. "Aren't they beautiful?" she smiled, sparkles in her eyes. "I've always loved gardens. There's something so peaceful about them. I don't think I'd ever get bored of all the flowers."

Marinette smelled the rose, then handed it over to Chat Noir. "Smell it! It's wonderful!"

"What an honor to receive a flower from the most beautiful flower of them all," Chat Noir grinned as he accepted the rose. Marinette violently blushed and tried to cover her face with her sleeves. "Don't be so shy," Chat Noir laughed, pulling her arms down. "We're not playing hide and seek."

"Chat, you're getting really close..."

"Feeling flustered? Are the tides starting to turn in my favor?"

"N-no!" Marinette stammered, her blush becoming even worse. "I've just become a little more conscious of these things since you left, that's all. Please don't get your hopes up."

"After his confession, how does he expect me to treat him when he pulls a move like that?" Marinette internally groaned. "And he's good at it too. What girl's heart wouldn't flutter at least a tiny bit after hearing something like that?"

"I'm only kidding," Chat Noir smiled although he really wasn't joking. "We're here to visit your prince anyways. Wouldn't it be disgraceful of me to push my feelings any further in his presence?"

"Prince Adrien wouldn't mind. He was kind like that..." Marinette softly smiled as she imagined Prince Adrien laughing in front of her. Even after meeting only once, she could still vividly picture him standing before her. She imagined them together, laughing like fools, as they fell into a bed of flowers, the petals scattering under their weight.

"She only has that expression when she's thinking of him," Chat Noir sighed, his heart sinking. "He's not even here and he's already defeated me. At what point do I give up?" Chat Noir paused for a moment and then shook his head. "Who am I kidding? I'll never be able to give her up."

"We're almost there!" Marinette grabbed Chat Noir's arm and pulled him along the brick walkway that led to the center of the garden. She seemed oddly giddy while he was dreading the moment. They reached the center and then stopped, both staring up in awe at what stood their.

It was a statue of Prince Adrien. It was like the one from the memorial service a few months prior, but even more majestic. It was like looking at the real thing if the real thing was made of stone. The statue's figure was carved in all the right places, capturing Prince Adrien's natural athleticness. Its face looked so human, Marinette thought it might start speaking to her. She could feel the same energy Prince Adrien had radiate from the statue. The sculpture must have been the best money could buy.

And at the base of a statue was a golden plate with the words, "Here lies our beloved Prince Adrien. May he bless the otherworld as much as he blessed ours."

Chat Noir instantly felt inferior the moment he saw the statue. "Just who was this prince?" he groaned. "He must've been a god! How could I ever compare to him? Maybe coming here was a mistake. I suddenly feel less inclined to help find him."

"Hey, Chat?"

"What is it, Princess?"

"Could you please give me a minute? Alone with Prince Adrien, I mean. I hope that doesn't sound to weird, but I-"

"Say no more," Chat Noir nodded, holding a claw up to Marinette's lips. "Take all the time you need. I'll be over there." Marinette smiled, grateful that her kitty was so understanding. It was taking all of Chat Noir's willpower not to break down and cry in frustration.

"So much for partners over boys," Chat Noir thought as he wandered over to another patch of flowers. He kicked a lump of dirt angrily and sunk down to his knees. "I can't let this jealousy get the best of me. I promised Marinette. I promised myself, but it's so damn hard to push it all away. I should be grateful just to be by her side again, but I'm too greedy. Why does he have to exist? Why can't it just be me?"

Meanwhile, Marinette had taken a seat at the base of Prince Adrien's statue. She ran her hand across the golden plaque. It was cold like ice, a grim reminder that not matter how lifelike the statue was, it wasn't the real thing.

"Don't worry," Marinette thought as she looked up at the statue's face. "If you're out there somewhere, Chat Noir and I will find you. I won't let you be alone any longer. I know how that feels. When you first disappeared, I felt so lost. I couldn't stop crying. My heart was broken in more ways than one. All it took was one smile from you for my life to change and that one smile has haunted me since that day. I never thought I'd recover."

"But then I met Chat Noir and Tikki. You'd probably never be able to guess, but now I'm a magician that's in charge of protecting all of Paris. You wouldn't believe me unless I showed you, I know. How could a clumsy girl like me be a hero? I wouldn't be a very good one without Tikki. She taught me everything I know. And what's a hero without her partner? Chat Noir is the reason I keep moving forward. To me, he's..."

"He's special. I can't really put it into words. He's my partner and my best friend. I could trust him with anything. Even though we've had our disagreements, I know he'll always be there for me. I almost lost him once and it was like when I lost you. I don't know what I would've done if he hadn't come back. Maybe I would've given up for good once I defeated Hawk Moth. What's the point in moving on without my kitty?"

"I think you two would be best friends. He has your sense of humor and your smile. If I didn't think he was jealous, I'd introduce the two of you immediately. But don't blame him for that. I'm the one at fault. I know about his feelings, but I can't seem to stop them. He knows I love you, but I wish he understood how much I love him too. I love you both, just in different ways. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't met you first, would I have fallen in love with Chat Noir?"

"That's not how things happened though. So when I see you again, I'll... I'll... I'll really confess this time! I won't miss this opportunity. I know you won't return my feelings, but I need to let you know. That's a promise and I've been making a lot of those recently, but I'll really hold myself to it. Adrien, I love you so please come back safely. That's all I need."

Marinette stood up, brushing the dirt off her dress. She opened up her purse and found Tikki fast asleep. The poor kwami had only made it five minutes before she fell back asleep. With a giggle, Marinette closed her purse, not wanting to accidentally wake Tikki up.

"I feel much better after visiting his grave," Marinette decided, her soul feeling lighter. "I've really cleared my thoughts and promised myself that I won't back down. I'm going to find Prince Adrien and when I do, I'm going to let him know how I feel!"

"Chat Noir!" Marinette called over to the black cat who was moping in a mess of poppies. "Are you ready to go? I'm headed towards the gate!"

"I'll be there in a sec, princess!" Chat Noir called back. Marinette nodded and then followed the walkway back to the garden's entrance, leaving Chat Noir alone.

Chat Noir stood up, not caring that he was covered in dirt and flower petals. He was about to chase after Marinette when he looked back at the statue. Something about the statue drew him in and Chat Noir moved a few steps closer to it. It was that familiar feeling he sometimes got when he saw Prince Adrien. He had felt it when he first saw Marinette's portraits of the prince. Chat Noir didn't know how to explain it. The feeling was almost... nostalgic.

But that feeling was easily combatted by the Chat Noir's jealousy. "Why you?" Chat Noir hissed as he banged his fist against the statue's base. "You've been missing for an entire year. Why does she still love you? Please... can't you give her up? Can't you let me have her? I've never asked for anything in my life and I'll never ask for anything again." Chat Noir didn't notice the few teardrops running down his cheek.

"She's my entire world. She's all I have while you have an entire kingdom. You could have any princess in the world so please don't steal mine away. I'd do anything just to have her look my way. I'd sacrifice anything. Is that wrong of me? Is it wrong to want my lady to truly be mine even though I know that isn't what would make her happy? A lousy partner I turned out to be... First, I abandon her, and now I'm trying to ruin her love."

Chat Noir looked to the statue for guidance, but was only met with the everlasting smile carved into Prince Adrien's lips. "Damn it all," Chat Noir muttered under his breath. "Why did I think talking to you would do any good? I won't go down without a fight, but if you hurt Marinette, you're gonna wish you had really died." Chat Noir kicked the statue for good measure, to make sure that wherever he was, Prince Adrien had understood his threat. Marinette was the last person Chat Noir wanted to get trapped in this web of affection.

After wiping away his tears, Chat Noir ran to the gate to join Marinette. She was picking flowers when he arrived. "Finally!" she moaned, placing the flowers in her purse. "I thought something had happened to you."

"Sorry, princess," Chat Noir bowed apologetically. "Didn't mean to worry. By the way, should you be picking those flowers? They are from what's basically a cemetery."

"I thought they'd look pretty in a vase. Don't you agree? We could set them by the window. That corner of the room could use some sprucing up."

"You're the designer. I'll trust your judgement. What kind of flowers did you grab anyways? It looks like you've stuffed an entire bouquet in there. Tikki must be suffocating underneath all that pollen."

"She'll be fine," Marinette giggled, reopening her purse to check her findings. "I'm pretty sure Tikki loves flowers. Now let's see what I've got in here. Some tulips, a few violets, a couple roses, and...what was this one again?" She held up a long-stemmed flower with purple petals and twirled it around in her hand before the name came back to her. "That's it!" she smiled. "It was catnip!"

Chat Noir immediately stepped backwards and shook his head. "Better put that one back," he warned. "Cats and catnip do not mix. That stuff is bad news."

"What do you mean?" Marinette slyly smiled as she waved the catnip dangerously close to Chat Noir's nose. "This stuff is completely harmless to humans, but I would be curious as to what it would do to a cat."

"Ha ha. Hilarious. Now seriously, put that stuff back! You wouldn't want this cat to accidentally blurt out all your secrets because he was high on catnip, would you?"

"Touche, sir cat." Marinette tossed the catnip onto the ground in defeat. "I like being the one to tease you. It's more fun this way around."

"You're extremely cheery all of a sudden," Chat Noir noticed, raising an eyebrow. Part of him thought it was because of Prince Adrien, but he quickly pushed that idea down. The mere thought made him sick to his stomach.

"After stopping Hawk Moth, it's only natural to feel a little excited. The hard part of our job is over. No more crazy akuma!" Marinette gave a cheer and instinctively grabbed Chat Noir's paw. "But we still have work to do. Tikki said we could look into that spellbook later today and neither of us have breakfast in our stomachs. Care to grab a bite to eat?"

"It would be an honor, my lady."


That statue of Adrien is oddly specific, huh... wonder if that'll show up again ;)