So...I finished this chapter faster than I expected too. I guess y'all could say I'm re-obsessed with Swapped. Anyway, welcome to another Swapped Saturday...though I completely forgot I was updating until now so it's a lot later than I had planned.

Anyway, I started planning out a sort of timeline for Swapped and determined that it would be very difficult for me to include every Miraculous episode into this fanfic, so, that being said, I would love if you guys let me know what episodes you'd love to see in here! Any and all suggestions are welcomed as I've become a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of episodes.

Thank y'all again for your support & encouragement! Review responses will be posted at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

Edited: June 9, 2021

Chapter Eight

Adrien Agreste

Adrien had finally found his way out of the maze of hallways and back into the lobby when he heard Sabrina's scream. Instinctively, he ran towards the sound, stepping into the hotel's courtyard and glancing up just in time to catch the redhead. Her glasses had fallen off her face and crashed into the pavement, but those would be fixed when Beetlebug's clean up crew put the city back in order. The important thing was that Sabrina was unharmed.

"My glasses," Sabrina whimpered.

"They broke," Adrien said, nudging the mangled glasses aside with his foot. "I'm sorry. I'll get you a new pair when this is all over."

Sabrina nodded and buried her face in his neck as he carried her back into the hotel lobby. He set her gently on the ground behind the check-in counter.

"Stay here and be quiet. I don't want you getting hurt."

Sabrina nodded and curled into a ball. Adrien straightened and walked back outside. He paused on the steps, his gaze flitting along the rooftops in an attempt to locate his rouge partner.

Where is she?

And then, just before Adrien stepped out from his hiding spot, Chat Noire rounded the corner.

"Oh, Beetlebug," she purred. "Come out, come out wherever you are."

Shifting slightly, Adrien managed to discreetly toss out his yo-yo. The string wrapped around Chat's leg, catching her attention. She paused, following the string with her eyes until her gaze landed on him.

"There you are," she said, not at all concerned. "Ready to give up your Miraculous?"

"You wish," Adrien replied. Setting his jaw in determination, Adrien dashed out from his hiding spot, leapt over the nearest lamppost, and yanked the string of his yo-yo. Chat was dragged towards him and flipped upside down, her hair hanging in a raven sheet behind her head. Adrien tightened his hold on the yo-yo's string and stepped forward, lips puckered. Chat Noire's eyes widened, and she began squirming, dodging each and every one of his attempted kisses until Adrien was finally forced to release her so he could use his yo-yo to deflect Dark Cupid's arrows.

Chat Noire stood to her feet and glared at Dark Cupid. "Took you long enough," she growled. "That dolt almost kissed me."

Dark Cupid grimaced and shook his head, which only caused Chat Noire to roll her eyes and turn her attention back to Adrien.

"You know what? I've always wanted to know what would happen if I used my Cataclysm on a person." She reached up and grasped the cloud of dark energy, tightening her fist as she lunged towards Adrien. The blond ducked behind the closest tree long enough to summon his Lucky Charm. A sticky, heart-shaped caramel apple dropped into his palm. Peering around the trunk, Adrien scanned the area, a plan formulating in his mind.

Sliding out from behind the tree, Adrien waved the caramel apple tauntingly in the air. "Look what I've got for you."

Chat Noire narrowed her eyes. "First, you try to kiss me, and now you're giving us a heart-shaped apple? I know I'm pretty hot, but this is just pathetic."

Dark Cupid notched another arrow and aimed at Adrien, nodding at Chat. The raven began chasing Adrien once again, her sparkling, destructive hand outstretched in front of her. Gritting his teeth, Adrien stopped, spun around, and slipped under Chat's outstretched hand, tugging on her tail and knocking her off balance long enough for Adrien to clamber up the fountain and chuck the candy apple at Dark Cupid's head.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

The moment Beetlebug landed back on the ground was the moment Marinette made her move. Time was running out, and anyone could see Beetlebug was winning. Their only hope was to disintegrate him and take his ring.

Lunging forward, Marinette knocked Beetlebug to the ground, making sure the hand holding her Cataclysm was suspended in the air as she rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips. She wanted to see his face when she touched him.

"Looks like this is the end, Bugger," she purred, smirking down at him.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Beetlebug replied. His hands were on the sides of her head before she could react, pulling her down, down, down, closer and closer to his puckered lips.

And when their lips touched, the cold hatred in her gut disintegrated, and a warm, fluttering sensation swept in to take its place. Marinette closed her eyes, her lips turning up in a soft smile.

And then Beetlebug shoved her away, scooped her up, and chucked her at Dark Cupid, who was still trying to get the stickiness of the candy apple off his hands. Her fingertips brushed the bow, turning it into black dust, and her body knocked Dark Cupid to the ground. The heroine managed to pop back onto her feet and snatch the brooch from Dark Cupid's shirt, tossing it to Beetlebug.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Seigneur."

"Hmm, it's not really my style. Maybe try something a little less dark next time."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're going to be like that." She sauntered over to him, slapped the brooch from his hand, and stomped on it. The akuma fluttered out from the wreckage.

After capturing and purifying the akuma, Beetlebug retrieved the candy apple from the ground and tossed it into the air. His ladybug clean up crew swept through the streets, fixing everything Dark Cupid had destroyed.

"Pound it!"

Beetlebug's ring beeped twice. "Guess that's my cue to leave." He turned, hesitated, and then turned back to face Marinette. "Hey, do you...remember anything?"

Marinette shook her head. "The last thing I remember is jumping in front of you, and then it's all black until you shoved me off you." She paused, then bit her lip. "Why? Did I...say something crazy?"

"No, not really." Two more beeps sounded from Beetlebug's ring, followed by two beeps from Marinette's earrings. They exchanged sheepish smiles, then turned and dashed away in opposite directions. Marinette slipped into the nearest alleyway, tucked Plagg into her purse, and twirled her hair up into a messy bun. She was closer to the Dupain-Cheng mansion than the Agreste bakery, and she knew her mother must be worried sick, so she pulled out her phone, sent a hasty text to Alya, and headed home.

Adrien Agreste

Alya and Nino were waiting in the bakery alongside Emilie and Gabriel when Adrien stepped through the door. All four turned towards him when the bell jangled, relief flooding their faces when they spotted him.

"Adrien!" Emilie exclaimed, rushing towards her son and enveloping him in a hug. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"We were worried sick," Gabriel added.

"I'm sorry. I was looking for Nino, and then got stuck down by the Seine, and then I couldn't find Marinette—" His eyes widened. "Where is Marinette?"

"She texted me a few minutes ago. She had to go home," Alya replied.

"What about her school stuff?" Adrien asked, motioning to the backpack Marinette had abandoned behind the countertop.

"I'll drop it over to her on my way home," Alya said, lifting her bag onto one shoulder and Marinette's bag on the other. "See you tomorrow!"

"I better go too," Nino said after Alya had stepped outside. He gave Adrien a parting fist-bump, nodded at Emilie and Gabriel, and left.

Gabriel wrapped his son in another hug, then guided Adrien and Emilie up the stairs to their apartment.

"Dinner is already completely ready," Emilie said as Gabriel opened the door for them. "You know how your father gets when he's stressed, so there's a bit too much food waiting for us."

That was the understatement of the year. The kitchen was piled with dishes holding every assortment of Italian cuisine. Spaghetti noodles sat in a strainer in the sink. Platefuls of arancini, saltimbocca, torrone, tiramisu, and cannolis littered the countertop. Two pots sat cooking on the stove, one holding spaghetti sauce and the other holding a bean and vegetable soup.

"You could feed a whole army with this," Adrien said, turning to his father, who merely shrugged.

"Cooking was the only thing that took my mind off of how worried I was about you...so I went a bit overboard."

"We're going to be eating leftovers for weeks," Emilie said with a laugh, wrapping her arm around her husband's waist. "No more cooking for you until all of this is gone."

"Yes, ma'am," Gabriel replied with a grin. He pressed a kiss to Emilie's cheek, then grabbed a plate and began loading it with food.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Three crisp raps echoed through Marinette's bedroom.

"Come in," she called, turning in her desk chair to face the bedroom door as Nathalie pushed it open. She stepped inside, Marinette's schoolbag dangling from her hand.

"Your friend Alya dropped this over," Nathalie said, walking over and setting the bag on the ground beside Marinette's desk. "She said you left it at Adrien's."

"Oh, yes, thank you."

Nathalie bowed her head respectfully towards Marinette. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Your mother's meeting is running late, so she won't be there. Would you like your dinner brought up here instead?"

Marinette nodded. "That would be preferable. Thank you, Nathalie."

"You're very welcome, Marinette. I'll have Gregory bring up your meal when it's ready." With that, Nathalie turned and left the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Ten minutes later, another knock came from the hall. Marinette stood and opened the door, smiling brightly. Gregory stood with a platter balanced on one hand and a pitcher in the other, his white chef's hat askew on his head.

"Thank you, Gregory," Marinette said, motioning for him to come in. "You can set everything on my desk."

Gregory nodded and walked carefully over to the desk and placed both the tray and the pitcher gently on the wooden surface. He then reached up and straightened his hat, flashed Marinette a smile, and disappeared back into the hallway.

Gregory had never been much of a talker, but he's lived in the mansion for as long as Marinette could remember. In the beginning, he was much like Nathalie, serving her father as loyally as Nathalie did her mother, but when Tom ran off, Gregory was promoted to serve in the kitchen, cooking their every meal the way Tom used to.

"Did he bring me any Camembert?" Plagg asked, flying out from his hiding spot behind the computer monitor. Marinette lifted the lid of the smaller platter, revealing the smelly cheese Plagg adored, and grimaced when the fumes floated up. A soft moan of delight escaped Plagg's lips as he dove at the cheese, gobbling the whole platter up within minutes. Marinette shook her head and lifted the lid on the larger platter, her stomach growling as the sweet aroma of her father's famous orange chicken filled the room. The chicken sat on a bed of white rice, though the rice had an orange tinge due to the orange chicken's sauce. A pile of broccoli, cabbage, and spinach sat in the corner. Two chopsticks sat on a napkin to the left of her plate, and her cup sat in the right-hand corner of the tray, filled with ice and freshly-squeezed lemon juice, alongside a bowlful of sugar. The pitcher Gregory had placed on her desk was filled with cold water. Marinette had all the ingredients she needed for a glass of sweet, homemade French lemonade.

Smiling, Marinette flipped on the television hanging on her wall. The movie she had watched a thousand times was already in her DVD player. The soft, classical music filled the room as the opening scene began. The black-and-white images of various household items faded away as the camera focused on the man seated at the kitchen table. His chair was turned slightly towards the left so he could easily cross his legs. An opened newspaper was held in his hands, blocking his torso and face from the camera's view. His voice carried across the room as he called to his wife, who was somewhere off-screen. She called back, and her response made him lower the newspaper, revealing his face to the audience.

This was the only way she could see her father and hear his voice. The Tom Dupain-Cheng on screen was quite a bit younger than the man she remembered, though that was expected considering this movie had been released a good three years before her parents even started dating and five years before Marinette's birth.

Marinette lifted a piece of chicken to her mouth as she watched her father clomp up the stairwell to meet his wife, tears pricking her eyes. She had tried searching for Tom for years, looking up every variant of his name she could think of, but he must have run off to America and changed his name entirely. There was no record of him after his last acting gig, which had taken place three weeks after Marinette's fourth birthday, two days before his disappearance.

Shaking her head, Marinette took a sip of her lemonade and focused back on the screen, studying her father's face. She had his nose and his dimples. They shared the same raven hair, though his eyes were chocolate brown and hers were blue.

"Hey, kid? You okay?"

Marinette whirled around, laughing and wiping her eyes when she saw Plagg floating beside her.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay."

Plagg settled on her shoulder, his gaze wandering to the screen. "Maybe you should watch something that doesn't make you cry."

Marinette picked up her remote and changed the channel. Photos and videos and Beetlebug flooded the screen. Plagg rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't an invitation for you to drool over Bug Boy," he muttered, flying off her shoulder and back into the mini-fridge to find more cheese. Marinette laughed and settled back in her chair, lifting slice of cabbage to her mouth.

I wish I knew who was under that mask…

Review Responses:

LaViolaViolaRosa, thank you so much!! I saw your review like thirty minutes after you had posted it, and it made my whole day!!

XxSlytherinDemigodxX, I know your review was posted on Chapter One, but I just HAD to answer it because it made me LAUGH. Gabriel Agreste is a totally different person in this AU, which is kind of obvious from the beginning, but oh my GOSH, it's insane to write him as a loving, affectionate father who isn't afraid of messes and loves to cook. It's such a contrast to his canon mannerisms and demeanor, and I absolutely love it.

Potato, thank you so much!! It's always so encouraging to receive reviews like yours!!