Marinette and Adrien had both been fully expecting a storm of hate mail following his father unfortunate statement to the media. Gabriel had apologized for his mistake afterward, but that didn't change the fact that Adrien Agreste was now officially off the market, and his fanbase couldn't possibly be happy about that. Right?

What they had not expected, though, was the incredible amount of mail they had received to congratulate them. To praise them, well mostly Marinette, for finding the courage within herself to stand up to her aggressor. Sexual abuse victims from all over Paris were writing to the young woman to share their heartbreaking stories with her, wish her good luck or even heartfully thank her for giving their cause a very welcomed visibility and raising awareness about the ever so important matter of consent. They also had received an awful lot of donations for the charity organization Gabriel had chosen to endorse through their upcoming teen collection. The positive response was overall overwhelming, and Adrien's father impromptu and involuntary publicity stunt had turned out to bear way fewer negative consequences that they had initially feared.

Alya, Nino, and her parents had been a little bit over the top at first, constantly apologizing for not having known, for not having supported her correctly through the hardship she had faced on her own. A lot of talking and reassurance from both parties eventually subdued the lingering guilt. With her secrets out of the way, at last, she felt like the walls she had built around her heart were slowly falling apart, allowing herself to let the people she loved in. Allowing herself to be herself with them again, without lies getting between them just like she was with Adrien.

Even so, Marinette was truly exhausted. The stress of the trial and its aftermaths had taken quite its toll on her. She had really tried to hide just how much she felt weak and tired from him, but her level of exhaustion soon got to the point where Adrien forcibly locked her out of their office, refusing to let her in before she had gone home to take at least a nap. Knowing her boyfriend's by then legendary stubbornness when it came to her and her wellbeing, she had simply laughed at his antics and walked back to her apartment, welcoming the impromptu free afternoon. She was ahead of her schedule anyway, all the mock-ups having been sent to production the day before, so it wouldn't affect the fashion show negatively. And, Adrien was right, after all, she could use a nap. The young woman had barely been sleeping at all for the past month, obstinately refusing to postpone their collection because of her lawsuit against Nathanael even if it meant working longer hours, and obviously losing precious hours of sleep worrying about the trial itself.

Humming softly to herself, Marinette reached her apartment building and gathered her mail before heading for the stairs. Absentmindedly, she went through the pile of bills and colorful publicities before a small odd-looking envelope caught her attention. It was light, probably containing a single sheet, and covered with a neat handwriting. The expeditor address was at the Santé prison.

The prison where Nathanael was currently incarcerated.

Her heart leaping in her throat, she opened her apartment door and dropped the rest of the mail on her kitchen table. Part of her thought that she should wait for Adrien to open it, another part briefly considered throwing it in the garbage without reading it. But she couldn't bring herself to do either. Shaky fingers ripped the envelope open, and she unfolded which turned out to be a short letter:
Marinette,
I just wanted you to know that you did the right thing.
I'll never be able to tell you how much sorry I am about hurting you. I was blinded by my jealousy, even if I always knew from the start that you weren't meant for me. Your heart always had belonged to him, I shouldn't ever have gotten between you two. Being intoxicated doesn't excuse my actions that night in any way. You have lived with that burden way too long, being the only one who knew the awful truth.
I know nothing I say or do will erase what I did to you. I hurt you in an unspeakable manner and made you think you were anything short from the amazing and loving girl you always were and still are.
I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I don't deserve it.
I just want you to know that I fully accept my punishment and won't try to get out on parole in three years. I destroyed your life, it's only fair that I give up five years of mine in exchange.
I truly hope you'll find happiness with Adrien, you deserve it more than anyone that I know.
Sorry. About everything.
Nate

By the end of the hastily scribbled note, tears were rolling down her cheeks freely. When she had seen the envelope at first, she had expected a letter telling her how much he hated her for ruining his life, for putting him behind bars before he got to finally marry his long-term fiancée. This, or begging desperately for her forgiveness, trying to convince her that he wasn't aware of his actions that night and hadn't intended on hurting her.

She never thought he would graciously accept his sentence, and accept the full responsibility of what he had done.

Suddenly feeling dizzy, Marinette pulled a chair and sat down, willing herself to breathe evenly. Adrien wouldn't come and look for her for at least another hour, and she wasn't too keen on going through a panic attack on her own. After all, she tried to reason herself, she had nothing to worry about. The trial was over. Nathanael was paying for what he had done to her, and apparently, he was even eager to do so.

She was safe.

She was safe.

She repeated the words over and over again, like a mantra.

Nathanael's note was still laying on the table, taunting her. Quickly reaching a decision, Marinette jumped up and grabbed it hastily, tossing it in the trash without a second glance. A sudden and sharp pain on her finger startled her, and she looked down, sighing deeply as she noticed she had managed to give herself a papercut in the process. A single drop of blood was already pearling on her skin, irritating her further. She wouldn't call Adrien over something so petty, but texting Chat Noir had always worked wonders to lift her spirits up. Yes, focusing on that would help her calm down. Smiling fondly as she remembered of their epic texting conversations, she pulled her phone from her pocket.
[Princess-Bug] I'm hurt! A mean paper sheet attacked my finger, there are casualties!
The young designer made her way to the bathroom, rummaging through the cupboard in search of a band aid as she heard the usual chime.
[Chaton] Aww. Poor thing. Want me to come and kiss it better? (Also, why are you still up love? Get to bed right this minute my lady)
She giggled to herself as she resumed her quest for something to stop the bleeding. Pushing her bath salt container aside to see what was behind it, Marinette's bluebell eyes fell on a small familiar cardboard box.

Her whole world suddenly came to a stop.

Tampons.

Her heart beating furiously in her chest, she desperately tried to recall the last time she had needed them. Dread slowly filled her gut as she realized it went back to before Adrien, seeing as she had been basically living at his place for the last two months or so and hadn't needed to buy some at all. True, it wasn't that unusual for her to skip periods altogether every now and then, even more when she was stressed out, but roughly ten weeks was a bit far fetched.

The young lady had never felt the need to track her periods considering the lack of action in that department for the better part of her adulthood.

Nor had she ever considered taking a birth control pill. What's the use when the very idea of a sexual encounter more than likely triggers anxiety attacks?

But she and Adrien had been careful, right? They had used a condom every time they got intimate, they both meticulously saw to it.

Well, almost every time.

That first night, after his heartfelt confession in the rain, considering the mess of emotions they both had been and the way the night had unfolded, she was fairly certain they had skipped that crucial step now that she really thought of it.

Her papercut long forgotten, Marinette grabbed her purse and hurried down the stairs, rushing into the first pharmacy that crossed her path. She could feel her phone buzz a few times in her pocket, Adrien probably worrying about her uncharacteristic lack of response to his last SMS, but she couldn't bring herself to check, even less answer him. As it was, she was barely able to hold herself together. The young designer paid for the pregnancy test shaking so much the clerk had to help her insert her card in the reader.

She needed to know.

The next ten minutes or so were all a blur to her. The blackette faintly recalled going back to her apartment, opening the small packaging and following the instructions on the box. Two minutes that felt like an unbearable eternity later, she flipped the test back up, her blue irises zeroing instantly on the two pink lines in the small plastic window.

It made sense after all. She was getting tired so much more easily as of lately, and in retrospect she did was a lot more emotional than usual even if she had pinned it as an unavoidable side-effect of her everlasting exhaustion and the aftermaths of Nathanael's trial.

Marinette knew she had to tell Adrien, and she needed him desperately by that point.
[Chaton] Bug? Did you fell asleep already?
[Chaton] Either that or you're ignoring me so I would think you did. Clever girl.
[Chaton] Ring me if you need anything. Love you princess 3
Fear putting her in a near catatonic state, she managed to type back:
[Princess-Bug] Adrien come at mine ASAP
[Princess-Bug] Please hurry

He must have already been on his way home, because barely five minutes later her apartment door was swung open as he rushed in, his green eyes instantly finding her. In three long strides he scooped her up in his arms, hugging her tightly, kissing her forehead with an infinite tenderness:
"Mari? What's wrong princess?"
Marinette felt herself cling to his shirt as she sobbed softly into his chest. She was way beyond terrified. She heard him speak against, his worry evident:
"Marinette? Talk to me please, what happened? I'm right here, you're safe love."

Pulling away from him slightly, blue eyes found questioning green, and the young lady gulped audibly. Panic taking hold of her, she braced herself for his inevitable rejection as she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear:
"Adrien, I'm pregnant."