A/N: for those who chose not to read the last chapter, here is a short bridge. Marinette was hurt and something very bad almost happened...

Alya offered Marinette a ride home with her and Nino but Marinette refused. "Don't be silly Alya, I live almost round the corner, its not even a 5 minute walk"

Marinette giggled and swayed a little. She had over done it on the drink after what had happened. She reassured Nino who decided to make a move before Alya threw up in the car. Marinette turned to walk the well known path home.

She heard footsteps behind her. When she turned to look no one was there. The hairs on the back of her neck went up, her innate senses told her there was danger. She couldn't transform. She was certainly in no state to be Lady Bug right now. Hoping she had imagined it she carried on walking. Sure enough the footsteps started up again. She decided to speed up. The footsteps sped up to. The footsteps sped quicker then hers and just as she was passing an alley between two buildings a hand grabbed her arm and swung her into the darkness.

"Marinette, princess, are you OK?" his concern as he looked at her. She broke down. She howled as he held her close. "how did you find me?" she was clinging to him so tight, practically climbing up him to find a source of comfort.

"I- I'd gone home, I was almost asleep. Tikki came... she told me you were in trouble" he held her closer as she sobbed.

"for now princess lets just get you home" as he jumped the rooftops back to her house she saw the flashing of blue lights around the alleyway. Chat had obviously called the police to take the perpetrator away. She really wasn't far from her home and Chat put her down on the doorstep in next to no time at all. She looked around and unsteadily unlocked her front door. Missing the warmth of being in Chats arms already and beginning to shake uncontrollably again.

"Chat... how did you know where I live?" he looked guilty of something but dismissed it.

"that doesn't matter, all that matters is your safe." he helped her into the house and helped her onto the couch.

"Please don't leave yet." he looked at her with caring eyes and a caring smile. "no princess, not until you want me too" he kissed her hand and placed her on the couch with a blanket draped over her shoulders. He moseyed around the house until she heard the familiar sound of water running in the bath.

"oh crap, Mari, where's Louis? " he suddenly jumped up looking from room to room.

"He's at my parents for the night." Her heart warmed as she realised he really did care for their son, even if she had never allowed them to meet.

The thoughts and emotions tumbled through her head like a washing machine on fast spin. She ran to the bathroom and emptied her stomach into the toilet.

Not too long later she was relaxing in the bath with Chat Noir sitting on the other side of the room divider talking. Not wanting to invade her privacy more than it already had been that night.

"did he-did he -" Chat tried to speak the words but couldn't form them, Marinette shook her head

"no, you saved me, just in time" she heard his breath of relief from the other side

"I should have been there sooner, I'm sorry princess, I knew when I got home something was off, as soon as I saw Tikki I-" he heard the rush of bath water as Marinette sat up quickly.

"Tikki! Tikki came to you!? Where is she, is she ok!?"

"Yeah, I said earlier but I suppose you were in too much shock to take it in. She's ok, she wanted to come in and see you but I told her to rest. Kwamis aren't used to flying around too far without their chosens near or transformed"

"why didn't you transform. Your safety trumps secret Identity any day" He continued

"Id had too much to drink, besides my secret identity means everything to me now I have Louis"

He wanted to reach out to her and hold her but after her ordeal tonight he decided it best not "bug-a-boo, please don't be so reckless, I couldn't cope if anything happened to you" he placed his forehead against his arms leaning forward in his sitting position letting his arms rest against his knees.

"Chat...I - I need to ask you something?" She ached all over. The cuts were stinging but the lavender in the bath was helping to sooth them. The pain reminded her, She had been through too much pain over the years. She just wanted it to stop.

"Chatton, why did you leave?" her question was answered with silence.

She slowly got out the bath and wrapped a towel around herself. She looked behind the divider and Chat was there, curled into himself in a sitting position, silently sobbing.

"kitty! Its OK" She knelt towards his sitting place on the floor, she smoothed his hair, much longer now from when they were teens and he fell into her arms "its OK kitty, honestly, we've lost enough time. We need to sort through this and pick up the pieces we left behind, I don't know how this is going to work but your my Chat Noir and my partner and there is nothing we cant do together" Her emotions for Chat welled up and she knew that whatever was there between her and Adrien didn't matter. It was nothing compared to her feelings for Chat.

A few minutes passed with Chat sobbing. He felt selfish and scared. Here she had just been through a nightmare and she was consoling him. What if she rejected him? Too many thoughts in too little time made his head ache and his fathers words haunted his mind 'Composure' when Chat found his breath. He closed his eyes, leant back out of Marinettes arms and just breathed the words. "Plagg, claws in"

a burst of green light left Marinette kneeling on the floor, wearing nothing but a towel in front of none other than Adrien Agreste. Plagg saw the situation and decided to pass on the pleasantries. Marinette just nodded silently to him and he nodded back in mutual agreement on what to do and he phased through the wall to curl up with Tikki. She silently took a moment to compose herself whilst he spoke softly the words he never wanted to say.

"he was my father. I let us down, how did I not see it? When I found out, I just couldn't bare to face you as...well..me... how could you possibly accept me? The son of a terrorist." silent tears drew down his cheeks. "of course I didn't know it was you. If id have known then it would have been different. If id have stayed, I would have known. I was an idiot. I'm sorry, for everything. If you want me to leave and never return, I will."

Marinette brought her hand to his cheek and wiped his tears away. It was a moment full of love and compassion. More than he ever felt he deserved but he closed his eyes and relished in the moment. She kissed his forehead and kissed his cheeks.

"Kitty, oh kitty..."she suddenly started giggling.

He looked at her incredulously, "what's so funny?"

she broke down almost into hysterics, laughing so much it hurt her stomach and tears filled her eyes. "oh kitty, don't you see? I rebuked your affection because of you and you rebuked mine because of me. We rejected each other because we loved each other. And on top of all that I've unintentionally lied to about 1000 people."

he smiled, finding the small silver lining in what had been a huge dark cloud shrouding him for over 5 years. "what do you mean, lied?"

she straightened up and slowly stopped her laughing until she was serious once more. "Louis. He is your son, he IS the secret love child of Adrien Agreste" she tried to be serious but the last part coming out in giggles

Marinette kissed his cheek again letting her confident Ladybug side show. He reached across and kissed her lips gently and not moving away he whispered "I must be the luckiest Cat in the world"

He pulled her towards him kissing her deeply and never wanting to let go. Here he had been wasting 5 years doing things which suddenly seemed menial compared to Marinette who had been raising their son.

"I am so sorry." he pleaded breaking away from the kiss.

She stroked his hair planting kisses over his face, "its OK, kitty, I understand now. We cant change the past, but we have each other now" she pulled him back into the kiss.