Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

Suis-moi je te fuis, fuis-moi je te suis

"Follow me and I'll flee, flee me and I'll follow"

A French saying.

"Look at this!"

The atmosphere of Ms Bustier's class had lifted bit by bit after many days of hard remorse, rising with the excitement Alya brought with her good news.

Alya proudly showed her blog to her friends from her phone. They were outside the school after the school day was done.

"Paris is going crazy for us! Everyone loves us!"

"Well, almost everyone." Alix deadpanned when she saw a few nasty reviews.

Alya glanced at her phone and grimaced. "I'll make a post about what they're hating. This time, I won't ignore it!"

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked.

"I am not ignoring the bad reviews anymore. I thought if I ignore them, it wouldn't bother me. But all it did was bite me in the butt when I least expected. Now I acknowledge them, and my blog is getting better!"

"But what about Aria?" Mylene asked.

"Yeah, that video of you helping her and her singing made both our reputations skyrocketed. You even got some marriage proposals."

Mylene squeaked, blushed and hugged Ivan's arm.

"At least we got Ladybug's respect." Ivan commented.

"But I wonder why she was so mean to us." Sabrina inquired. "Yes, she didn't want us there because Chat made the decision for her but there was something else. Like she didn't want any change to her duo dynamic."

"My grandma hates change." Marc said. "The slightest change in her routine can turn her into a manic. One time, my dad and my uncles changed her favourite yellow bedsheets for blue ones they got at a sale, and she nearly killed them with a pot."

"She's not mad about you being…" Kim said, trailing off.

"Binary? No. She likes routine in her daily life, not bigotry."

"Maybe something happened to Ladybug while she was a citizen." Nathaniel thought out loud. "She looked betrayed when Chat gave us the Miraculous without her consent."

"A betrayal?" Sabrina wondered. "What can be so big to make her so angry? Her boyfriend was cheating on her with her half-sister?"

"There's a wide number of reasons why." Max said. "We just don't know which one. The probability is too high to guess."

Suddenly, Kagami seethed.

Luka looked to where she was glaring, and he frowned. "Red alert. Red alert. Incoming villain."

Lila was walking over their way, swaying her hips, and swinging her hair.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned.

Alya narrowed her eyes but answered nonetheless. "The new superheroes."

"I can't believe it! It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is…"

"She's just gonna lie." Alix deadpanned.

"After the punishments and humiliation, she might have learnt her lesson." Rose hoped. "Give her the benefit of the doubt."

"But what's even more amazing is I'm Rena Rouge! Recruiting the new heroes was all my idea!"

…

…

…

…

…

"Told you."

…

…

…

…

…

The gang burst out laughing at Lila. Except for Alya who just growled.

"Get over yourself, Lie-la!"

"Yeah, and I'm dating the Queen of Sheba's fifth husband!"

"I'm giving physics tutoring to Amelia Earhart!"

"You're nothing but a big fat liar with a big fat butt!" Manon exclaimed, which made everyone laugh harder and louder, even Alya.

Lila gasped and then frowned at the little girl. Then she also sniffed.

"You guys stink." She said and turned around, walking away.

Luka took a whiff. "She's not wrong."

"We do not stink!" Kagami hotly protested.

"I meant literally, not figuratively."

Kagami blushed, embarrassed at herself for reacting too quickly at the boy who was strumming her heartstrings.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Lila is telling the truth." Alix said, also sniffing. "Something smells…fishy."

Everyone sniffed. True enough, there was a strange scent coming from…

"Mylene?"

Everyone stared at the girl, including her boyfriend who stepped away from her side.

"Mullo." She said with a flat face.

With that said, everyone rushed to the room they have all their most important life events. Ms Bustier's classroom. Mylene stretched her jacket's pocket out and out flew Mullo, eating a piece of fish.

"Mullo only eats fish!" Mylene cried in horror. "He's a mouse and he eats fish! And of all fish, tuna is his favourite!"

"The smellier, the better." Mullo simply said before bobbing down the last of his stinky fish.

Mylene's friends were both sympathetic and disgusted to her new blight.

"Ewww!"

"Yuck!"

"Gross!"

"Revolting!"

Chloé got out her compact bottle of Eau de toilette and sprayed mists of its sweetness. "Ew! Don't come near me!"

Pollen was equally as revolted as Chloe. "He's the reason why perfume was invented! His holder made it to cover up the smell!"

"Ah, Tapputi…" Mullo mused fondly.

Orikko groaned, nearly fainting. "I have forgotten how revolting your taste is."

"Itssssssssss worsssssssssse than Plagg'ssssssssss ssssssssssthinky chesssssssssssssse." Sass gasped, his mouth open and fork tongue hanging out.

"The last time we were locked in the Miracle Box until you summoned us, Mullo brought in a tin of anchovies from his last holder!" Barkk yelped, covering her little nose.

"The Miracle Box stunk of dead fish for weeks!" Longg shrieked.

"I had to take 3 showers last night to get rid of the smell of fish before getting smelly again and I have to wear tons of perfume now!" Mylene exclaimed.

"That explains your smell." Luka teased.

Mylene huffed. "Being a hero stinks!"

Despite her anger, her pun made everyone laugh, even herself. But then Marc noticed one important person wasn't laughing along.

A particular pun-lover.

"Where's Adrien?"

Everyone looked around, finding Adrien sitting in the back with Juleka. They were huddled close against each other, whispering together, and looking closely at a blue sheet of paper.

"What are you two up to?" Nino asked, he and Luka walking up to the secretive two.

Adrien jumped up and covered the blue sheet with his hands. "Nothing!"

Luka reached over and took the sheet very easily away from a flustered Adrien. He unfurled it and deadpanned when he saw what was on the paper.

"Are you serious?"

Luka turned it around for all to see. Drew and written in white pencil was sketches of ideas to get into a palace.

Or, if you know Adrien well enough…

"You two are planning a sequel to Mission Impossible just to see Mairnette and Vanessa in their boarding school!" Nino exclaimed.

"I just want to see her!" Adrien pleaded. "I want to make sure she's okay."

"Kid, I'm sure she's fine." Plagg assured causally, hovering over his chosen's shoulder. "She got that best friend with her, the feisty one with the cheesy last name. Vanessa Camembert."

"It's Camberwell, not Camembert."

"Sounds cheesy to me." Alya muttered. "Even Plagg knows her name."

"How could I not? Adrien has been talking to me about Pigtails and her new school as if I'm his free therapist."

"And Juleka is no different about Va-nes-sa." Roarr purred.

Juleka was lost in her little world, lost in a fantasy she created from her love and hope. She imagined herself as her confident Tigress persona in a 17th century French attire for a nobleman, running out of a burning building with Vanessa holding her hand, the British girl wearing a nun's habit. Once out of the convent, Juleka and Vanessa danced in a lively waltz, the former singing as she battled angry men, dancing with her sword behind her back.

"Juleka?" Vanessa asked, pulling Juleka in. "Juleka…Juleka…"

The two girls pursed their lips, coming closer and closer…

"JUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Roaar bellowed so powerful, it almost deafened Juleka and definitely made her fall off her seat.

"Daydreaming about Vanessa again?" Luka teased.

Juleka stared up the ceiling with hearts in her eyes. "The possibility of our love is endless…"

Alya groaned.

Nathaniel snatched the paper from Luka's hands, glanced at it and stared at Adrien. "What are you two thinking? If you two are planning to sneak into Olympe, you're gonna get yourselves beheaded!"

"You're not scared of them, are you?" Alix teased.

"Yes!" Kim piped honestly.

"Terrified!" Max exclaimed.

Big Ivan actually quivered. "Have you seen that school? It's practically Buckingham Palace!"

"I won't be surprised if they have a dungeon!" Marc bursted out.

"They probably host their parties at the Palace of Versailles!" Mylene theorised.

"They don't do parties, they probably hold balls!" Rose said, excited at the idea of Olympe being a real fairytale school for princesses.

"I told you we need to be more discreet." Juleka called out to Adrien while she stayed still on the ground. "I suggest we form a dance team to enter a competition since Vanessa is in it."

"Compete against Olympe?" Chloe gasped. "We wouldn't get to the first round with them!"

Adrien rubbed his chin in thought. "Then I suppose I could convince them to let me in. Just call me Adrienne! I need a wig and a corset!"

"You need to get your brain checked." Chloe retorted.

Nino smacked his forehead. "Dude, your only talent is looking good on a billboard. And Juleka, sorry, but you don't have any talents."

Juleka didn't snap at his comment as she was back to daydreaming about Vanessa. On her back. On the ground.

"I can fence!"

"Those girls will slash you into ribbons. Kagami has more chance of getting in there than you."

"I can play the piano!"

"They'll crush your fingers."

"I can speak Mandarin!"

"Man, you're dead-in if you go in there!"

"Nice pun."

"Thanks."

"Perhaps I could use Voyage to teleport you to Olympe." Max suggested to help his friend.

"Absolutely not!" Kaalki cried, zipping out of Max's shirt pocket, and slapping his cheek. To the boy, it was just a mere tap. "The Miraculous isn't a toy! It is not to be used for personal gain! Honestly! My holder can design a complex computer game but has no common sense."

"Hey!"

"How about we build a catapult to conquer Olympe and Adrien and Juleka takes the girls as a war prize?" Xuppu shouted. All he got was stares. "What? That's how Edward got the castle he wanted."

His cocky holder came up with an answer of his own. "Boys, boys, boys. You're going at this all wrong. What Adrien and Juleka needs to do is upstage Mairnette and Vanessa. They're girls in the most competitive school for girls in the country. They need to get competitive to get their attention." Kim swung an arm around Adrien's shoulders. "Right, buddy?"

But even a desperate Adrien was capable of a panic attack. "Just because I'm a fashion designer's son during mean I am one too! I can't even hold a needle without pricking my finger! I can't sew!"

"Men!" Sabrina exclaimed, throwing her hands out as she was unimpressed by the boys' talk of competition to win a girl's heart. "Why is everything a competition?"

Kim spoke for every guy in general. "We're guys. We are taught to be strong and fight for what we want."

"Us girls have the same teachings." Kagami retorted, intimidating Kim with her practice sword.

Nino stepped in, preventing a fight breaking out. "Well, guys, to be fair, you must remember what the ancients said about the art of love. Once you have secured the battlefield, you must then massacre the enemy!"

His friends paused and thought over his clumsy words. His attempted words of wisdom don't make any sense.

Nino got embarrassed. "Or was that the art of war? Sorry. That was the art of war."

"Why are you quoting about would-be love and war?" Sabrina asked.

"Wayzz taught me."

"Every holder that had that was involved in war shared the same principles." Wayzz confessed, peeking out from Nino's hat.

"You have principals?" Manon questioned innocently. "You go to school too?"

"No, Manon." Chloe chided, sounding like a teacher correcting a student. "Principles are spelt P-R-I-N-C-I-P-L-E-S. A principle is a kind of rule that guides you."

Manon nodded in understanding. Thanks to Pollen's guidance, Chloe was unafraid to show off how smart she really was.

"I think that was very wise of you you, babe." Alya complimented and she kissed her boyfriend's cheek.

"Adrien, just talk to her." Nathaniel advised.

Adrien groaned in exasperation. "How can I when she's never around? She's more sheltered than me now!"

"You're Chat Noir, the slick tomcat!" Kim blurted out. "You can just sneak in whenever you want. Your suit is black. You can blend in when it's dark and see Marinette without anyone knowing you're even there."

A grin that could rival the Grinch grew on Adrien's perfectly sculpted face.

"Great idea!"

"No, wait!" Everyone except for Kim cried.

Too late. Adrien zoomed off like the Road Runner out of the classroom, literally leaving behind a trail of smoke.

Instead of Alix, Max slapped Kim on the back of his head. "Nice going, Kim! Look what you made him do!"

"Now I want to see her as a superhero!" Alya exclaimed, inspired.

"Alya, don't!" Nino cried.

"…Couldn't he just send her a letter?" Marc piped up finally.

Alix shook her head. "Nah! Marinette will rip it up as soon she reads his name."

"Does Adrien finally realise he's in love with Marinette or he still thinks she's just a friend?" Luka asked.

"Uh…"

"Unbelievable." Kagami deadpanned.

After a long day of lessons and designing, Marinette stared out of her balcony. Night was falling. The sky was half orange and half navy. The sun had left, and the stars lit brightly.

It wasn't her rooftop from home, but it was a good view.

"How can you kill someone in a locked room without getting in or out?"

In the background, Vanessa was lounging back in her comfy bed, watching her favourite TV show, Death in Paradise. She never looked like more than of a pampered princess living in the lap of luxury than she did now, although her pyjamas contrast with that image. A thick black jumper with slouchy wide collar sipping off one shoulder and a grey tiger on front, and dark-pink shorts.

Tikki floated over Marinette's shoulder. "Marinette?"

"I can't stop thinking about Chat." Marinette said, eyes locked on the scenery.

"I thought you two talked it out."

"We did. I keep thinking about him, that's all. And I'm just still frustrated by his little mess."

Vanessa overheard and paused her show to add in her retort. "You're mad at him for making rash decisions and keeping secrets from you, his partner? Look who's talking, Miss Hypocrite."

Marinette tore her gaze from the sky as she turned around, shooting her best friend a little pout. "Well, how would you feel if your partner keeps so many secrets from you?"

"I'll be mad, sure. But I will want to talk to them and tell how I feel. Now I'm gonna watch my show." Vanessa unpaused her show and grinned, totally focused on the TV. "I love this show! This is like a game of cluedo!"

"I hate cluedo. I always ruin it by babbling where I am."

"Shh! I'm getting to the best part. Detective Goodman is about to uncover the murderer. Everything is so confusing, it's so good! And that Camille is hot…"

Marinette turned away in thought.

"Vanessa has a point." Tikki said softly. "You cannot blame Chat for keeping secrets if you would do the same, and you should talk to him more. Not just to compliment him or insult him, I mean really talk to him."

Marinette knew her little goddess was right. She needed a heart to heart with him. But their time together was restricted and talking it out would mean revealing their secret identities, something she was adamant on preventing.

Oh, what can she do?

Meanwhile, as the sky darkened, a streak of black moved across rooftops, doing one big jump from a billboard, and then landing perfectly in the alleyway across Olympe.

In the darkness, Chat Noir grinned. "Gotta hand it to Kim, he's right."

Like Kim said, his black leather suit made him invisible in the night-time. It helped him go unnoticed as he snuck into Olympe to see one of its princesses.

On the pathway in front of the grand school, Chat Noir looked up. Out of all the balconies, this one had its doors open, lighting pouring out from the side and a girl with blue hair staring out.

It was Marinette.

She hadn't changed into her pajamas yet. Her outfit of the day was a dress as black as his suit, but much more elegant and stunning. It was off the shoulders with short sleeves and hilted at the waist. The skirt was full and flared out like a ballerina's tutu. Her signature pink flowers were stitched at the waist and spread out at in a descending trail down the side in a clustering pile at the bottom hem. A black ribbon choker tied loosely around her neck, adding class.

The dress was obviously a new creation for a class (which she got full marks for).

He gazed lovingly up at her from down below. His poor advice did work. Marinette did take the high road. She took it to the highest room in the tallest tower.

He could not help himself from leaping up, scale the wall, and perched on the balcony's railing, right in front of Marinette. She screamed, jumping back. Chat stayed perched on the railing, unfazed by the scream. He didn't notice Tikki, the red kwami diving into Marinette's basket of wool.

"Chat?" Marinette gasped.

Chat smiled nervously and gave a weak wave. "…hi?"

Marinette sprung forward and pulled him inside, right before the other balconies opened and the other girls popped their heads out.

"What the heck was that?"

"Was someone getting murdered?"

"Marinette, was that you?"

"Sorry! I screamed when I saw the dead body."

The girls have her blank looks.

"Vanessa's watching Death in Paradise again."

"Oh, right."

"Didn't she watch it all already?"

"She's watching it again. It's her favourite show."

"Well, keep it down. I have training in the morning."

"We all have training in the morning, Swanhilde. Not just you."

Marinette fake-giggled.

"Sorry again. Goodnight."

She ducked back into her room, shut the doors to her balcony and turned around with a surprised expression at the unexpected arrival.

"Chat! What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to see you again." Chat admitted bashfully, twiddling his thumbs.

"Are you crazy?! You can't come in here! This isn't like my home! This school has maximum security! If my matron finds you, she'll bury you under the patio!"

"Fear not, Princess!" Chat puffed his chest out arrogantly. "Stealth is my middle name!"

"Then that means you changed your first name from 'Do-Not-Have-Any' to Chat?" Mairnette retorted sassily with her arms folded over her chest.

He burst out laughing. God, how he loved it when sweet Marinette gets feisty. She wasn't like that with Adrien or anyone else, not even Alya anymore since the poisonous toad called Lila Rossi stormed into their lives.

She was a lot like Ladybug before their relationship took a turn.

"I missed you."

"What are talking about?"

"I miss talking to you."

"We don't talk much."

Vanessa was oblivious to them, her violet eyes still glued to the TV, watching the events of the episode play out as they had a heartfelt conversation.

"You're not at the school or your home anymore. I always thought you would be right there when I needed you. I took you for granted. I'm ashamed for that."

Marinette swore her own heart was touched by his words. "Chat…"

"Bonjour!"

Chat Noir and Marinette (not Vanessa still) jolted apart and turned around. Of all people in animal based super suits, it was the one based on a fox.

"Good evening, miss Dup-WHOA!"

The vixen came in so fast toward the doors, she crashed into Chat, dropping the bouquet of pink flowers. Rena AND Chat Noir fell to the ground, limbs tangled and Marinette staring confusedly down at them.

"Al-Rena!" Chat hissed, touching noses with her. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" Rena Rouge hissed back through clenched teeth. "To see Marinette!"

"I was here first! You're the last person she wants to see!"

"She doesn't know it's me-me!"

Marinette did know it was her-her. "Rena Rouge? What are you doing here?"

Rena Rouge sprung up at her call. "Just here to visit my favourite civilian." Then she looked around for the bouquet she dropped. "Where's the flowers?"

Marinette pushed aside her anger and playfully smirked. "Are you talking about me or-"

"Will you belt up please? I'm trying to watch Death in Paradise!"

Having enough of the backstage talking, Vanessa paused her show, threw off her purple bedsheets imported from Spain, got out of her comfortable bed, and stalked towards her best friend with an angry scowl.

"Marinette, I'm an easy-going gal, but I have some rules too. One of them is that no one disturbs me when I watch my show! Ever! So, qui-"

Vanessa stopped ranting midway when's he finally noticed the superheroes standing in her shared bedroom.

More importantly, a superheroine was in her bedroom.

A foxy one.

Her foxy crush.

"Marinette. Rena Rouge in our room."

"Yeah. She's here to visit her 'favourite civilian.'"

Vanessa made the biggest grin she ever made. "Well, she's my favourite superhero."

"What?" Rena Rouge uttered, not liking where this was going.

She especially didn't like how Vanessa was strolling toward her slowly, batting her pretty eyes in a manner too suggestive for her liking.

"Oh...hello, hello, foxy…" Vanessa purred.

"Huh?"

Chat Noir snickered.

"You look much prettier in person than on a screen."

"Thank you?"

"Say, do you want to watch my favourite show with me?

"Why?"

"Because I want to snuggle up against you."

"…why?"

"Because I like you, silly! I think you're gorgeous and smart, and I just love foxes."

"…Like as in you idolize me?"

"Like as in I have the biggest crush on you!"

Rena Rouge's mind broke down like her computer.

Mon dieu...

Marinette and Chat Noir burst out laughing. Marinette found the scene totally ironic.

Most people would love to have a girl like Vanessa after them. She was beautiful, intelligent, rich, and kind. Overall, Vanessa Jane Diana Camberwell was the ideal girlfriend. The perfect girl.

But not to Rena Rouge AKA Alya Césaire who only saw Vanessa as the annoying brat of a mayor who stole her best friend (after she lost her in the first place.)

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three bangs knocked on the girls' door, followed by Valérie's voice.

"MARINETTE! VANESSA!"

"Uh oh. It's Ms Duchemin." Marinette panicked and turned to Chat Noir. "You need to go. Now!"

"But I-'

The doorknob started rattling and twisting. "GIRLS!"

"Go!"

She pushed him away, him bumping into Rena Rouge, and then she ran to the door. Vanessa grabbed the superheroes by the arms and pulled them out the balcony.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." Vanessa quoted, winking at Rena Rouge.

And then she pushed the heroes off balcony, knowing they can hide with their superhero abilities, just as Valérie barged in.

"I told you two before! Keep the TV and/or music volume at the approved limit after 8 o'clock!"

"Sorry, Ms Duchemin! I accidentally screamed when I saw the dead body on the screen!" Vanessa covered up.

"Vanessa, you need to watch something else other than crime dramas!"

"She watches it for the female detectives." Marinette explained.

"…I'm a simp for beautiful women, sue me."

"You particularly like women in orange." Marinette teased.

Valérie groaned and walked out of the room. "I should've rejoined the army. That way, I'll get less of a headache…"

Once she was gone, Marinette and Vanessa released a breath of relief.

So did Chat Noir and Rena Rouge who were hiding underneath the girls' balcony.

"I can't believe this is happening to me." Rena Rouge freaked out. "I came for Marinette, not Vanessa! Anyone but her!"

"I think ms Camberwell is brave to admit her feelings like that." Chat Noir teased with admiration for the gay girl. "A lot of gay people aren't forward with their feelings like that."

"I am not homophobic! I'm Vanessa-phobic! Look, I hate to say this, but we saw Marinette and we should leave. Let's get out of here before Vanessa decides to propose!"

"Let me say goodnight to Marinette first!"

"No, Chat!"

Too late.

Chat Noir had already scaled the wall and was perched on the balcony railing like the cat he was.

"Mari-baby, the cat is back." Vanessa poked her friend's shoulder, grinning.

Marinette jumped around. "Chat! What did I say? Go before someone sees you and turns you into a leather coat!"

"I just want to say I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Chat gulped, realising he couldn't reveal his identity.

"I heard about what happened to you at Françoise Dupont…" He said quietly.

Marinette heard him as though he shouted at her. She started to breath heavily, choking on oncoming tears. The would cut by the betrayal was still fresh. Vanessa put her arms around the bluette, hugging her in a cage of warmth and protection.

Chat wanted to hug Marinette too, but second guessing of fear froze him.

After a moment, Marinette finally spoke, her voice shaking.

"What happened here…my friends…the people I trusted…they hurt me so much. I can't stay there any longer. I can't pretend everything is okay when it's not. Every time I look at my ex-friends or even think about them, I wanna wring their necks for wringing mine. I felt like I was hanging on a noose in the school yard, and everyone was laughing and whispering. I helped everyone but no one helped me when I needed it. They only listened to the girl who ruined my life. I said I forgiven them, but…I wouldn't trust them again. The thing is…I want to trust them again. I want my friends back. Even when they hurt me. But I can't be around people who broke me. I need to think about me for a change. I'm happy here."

Up close and behind the scenes of Marinette's strong facade she usually put in for him, Chat finally saw how broken she was.

He realised she needed time to repair.

And time away from him, Adrien.

"I'm glad you are. If you're happy, I'm happy." He said.

He reached out, gently grasping her hand and laid a light kiss on it.

"Goodnight…Princess."

He turned and leapt off the balcony, disappearing into the night, followed by an orange blurb. Vanessa stared into the night's sky in awe while Marinette stared at her hand, stunned.

Vanessa broke the silence by asking a question. "…Are you sure he doesn't know who you are under the mask?"

Marinette blinked and shook her head vigorously. "No way. And I know who Rena Rouge is and I'm surprised she's even here."

She turned around, about to go and change out of her dress when she glanced to the floor, knelt down, and picked up the discarded bouquet Rena Rouge brought along.

The pink flowers were azaleas. The azalea was her favourite flower and the inspiration for her signature floral logo.

She remembered…

"So, you don't even like Rena Rouge and in return, she gives you flowers?" Vanessa complained, pouting with jealousy. "I proclaimed my love for her and what did I get? Nothing!"

Marinette just stared at the flowers. For the first time in months, a small smile graced upon her face.

"I can't believe she would do this…"

The person who hurt her badly had given her an olive branch. Or in this case, a flower branch.

In the past, Alya could only see the big picture, like Marinette's crush on Adrien and Lila's phoney lies. But other than that, the disgraced blogger barely remembered the little things, whereas Marinette knew her favourite film, song, book, animal, clothes brand, shampoo brand, even her favourite snack!

(Which, by the way, were Snickers.)

Tikki emerged from her hiding spot and hovered over marionettes shoulder. "Marinette, I think the only reason you don't like your new teammates is that it's no longer just you and Chat Noir. Your superhero life was the only thing that wasn't changed by Lila. That's why you exploded at Vanessa when she became Ladybird in your absence."

Marinette sighed. "You're right. My life changed so much, good and bad. It scared me so much, I lashed out to those who only tried to help me." She faced Vanessa. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

Vanessa shrugged. "No biggie, princess."

Marinette giggled. Vanessa was too laidback. "It's gonna take a long time for me to heal from this."

"Let's start by putting you in your special silk pyjamas and watch 9-1-1, starring Angela Bassett!"

"…You really are a simp."

Vanessa blushed bright red, the colour clashing with her purple scheme, and then smacked Marinette on the arm.

"Ow! Don't hit me! I'm already in pain!"

"You'll get over it."

Usually, Alya loved a good joke. But not when she was the subject.

"HA HA!"

"Oh, this is good!"

"I haven't laughed this hard since Joey got that turkey stuck on his head!"

"My stomach is bursting!"

All her friends were laughing at her. Even her kwami and boyfriend and his kwami!

"It's not funny!" She shouted, her face hotter than Ladybug's suit.

"It is quite amusing." Wayzz confessed.

"Amusing?" Trixx countered. "Its HILARIOUS!"

"Trixx, you're supposed to be on my side!" Alya snapped.

"I'm sorry, babe, but it is!" Nino admitted.

"The girl you hate likes you!" Ivan gawked.

"Talk about a love triangle!" Nathaniel proclaimed.

"More like a love square." Alix smirked. "Alya hates Vanessa, Vanessa hates her right back, Rena Rouge hates Vanessa and Vanessa has the hots for her! Ha!"

Only Juleka was as unhappy as Alya at the moment. But her feelings were of jealousy and vengeance. "You traitor…You know of my feelings for Vanessa, and you stole her from me before I even utter a word to her…Kagami, can I borrow your saber, please? I need it for a duel."

Alya quickly held her hands up to appease the goth girl. "Calm down, Juleka! Vanessa doesn't even like me! She only likes my superhero side, the girl who's always perfect! It's nothing but a stupid celebrity crush! Me and her are never gonna happen! Never! Because A, I'm straight. B, I have a boyfriend. C, the only interest I have in Vanessa Jane Diana Camberwell is the interest of her jumping right into a volcano!"

"At least it's not Lila with a crush on you." Marc remarked.

"After the stunts she pulled, no one would even blink I toss her into a volcano!"

"Don't worry, Alya. If you don't want Vanessa to like you, just tell her who you are, the backstabbing ex best friend of her best friend!" Chloe snarked.

"Shut up, Bourgeois!"

"Make me, Cesaire!"

While everyone else was either laughing or fighting or scowling, Adrien was lost in a dreamworld where he donned a dress and a wig, gazing up at the massive, golden gates. Then the gates opened, Olympe girls in medical costumes on the inside.

Straight ahead was Marinette in her marvellous pink princess gown, the light shining on her, a halo for an angel.

"Adrien?" Marinette said, her voice breathlessly as she stared at him, her eyes twinkling like stars.

Adrien grinned like the fool he was and dashed towards her, his wig flying off his head at the sheer speed he was going.

"Adrien…" Marinette called again, her arms wide open.

He practically jumped, almost in her embrace…

"ADRIEN!"

Adrien's green eyes blinked, snapping him out of his fantasy. In reality, he was hugging Luka. The former quickly let go of the stunned guitarist and fell on the ground.

But rather than help him, Luka asked him a question.

"So, how your plan work? Did you talk to Mairnette?"

Adrien peeled his face off the dirty floor as he stood up.

"Yeah." He spoke.

"Well?" Kagami probed. She, Luka and their kwamis were looking at Adrien with anticipation. "How did it go?"

Adrien gave it a moment before speaking. "I think it's best to avoid Marinette."

Both Luka and Kagami were surprised.

"What happened to your plans to see her at dance completions, fashion shows?" Kagami questioned. "You were so determined to see her again, and now, when you finally got a chance to redo your mistakes, you decide to avoid her? What did I tell you about hesitating?"

"I thought you wanted her to come back." Luka simply asked.

"I do! I really do. I want things to go back to the way they were." Adrien vividly remembered her tears, her cries, her heartfelt feelings. It broke his heart to see her like that. "But my dream is her nightmare. I can't force myself on her when she doesn't want me. If I do that, she will break down for good. You guys didn't see her last night. She's obviously hurt and needs time to recover. She's really happy there, and…I don't want to keep breaking her heart.

It was a hard decision to make but anything to help the girl he treasured so much yet utterly broke.

"But, Adrien, if you avoid her, you're putting yourself at risk of losing her!" Kagami protested. "You need to engage! Fight for her! God damnit, quit hesitating, you fool!"

"But that will only scare her off." Luka interrupted. "I agree with Adrien. Give her a break. Don't attack her. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. You'll get a second chance in winning her when the time is right, dude."

"Thanks, Luka."

"But if Adrien loves Marinette, he must fight for her love!" Kagami insisted.

Adrien blinked, a faint hint of a blush burning in his cheeks.

"Love? No, no, no! Marinette is just a friend."

Once on opposing sides, Kagami and Luka both agreed on one thing.

Adrien was unbelievably dense.

"Oh my God!" Kagami groaned, throwing her head back.

"Seriously?" Luka slapped his forehead, also groaning.

"See what I have to put up with?" Plagg remarked.

"My condolences." Longg offered.

"Love doessssssssss blind the eyessssssssss and dull the mind." Sass recited.

Eau de toilette is a very popular perfume with a light scent. It literally means 'toliet water.'

Mullo's holder, Tapputi, is the world's first recorded chemist and the creator of perfume, from 1200s BC Babylonian Mesopotamia.

Juleka's daydream is based on Julie D'Aubigny, a French opera singer and swordswoman from the 17th century. A woman more outrageous than Olympe de Gouges. She crossdressed, flirted with both men and women, and burned down a convent just to elope with a nun. She had to be pardoned by the King of France twice.

"If you two are planning to sneak into Olympe, you're gonna get yourselves beheaded!" is a reference to how Olympe's namesake was beheaded. Olympe de Gouges put to death by the guillotine for advocating for equal rights between men and women in revolutionary France.

The Edward Xuppu was referring to was Edward I, used a catapult to claim a Scottish castle. The catapult was the world's biggest catapult, christened 'War Wolf' by Edward I.

Nino's clumsy speech about love that was really about war is a direct quote from Vanessa's favourite TV show, Death In Paradise.

The line mentioning Marinette taking the high road to the highest room in the tallest tower is a reference to Shrek.

The scene at Olympe is based on a scene from Gnomeo and Juliet. I love that movie.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." Is a quote from the Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet.

A guy named Joey who had a turkey on his head? Did anyone get the friends reference?

Adrien's daydream is based on The Princess, a narrative poem written by Alfred Tennyson in 1847. It's about a heroic princess who forswears the world of men and found a women's university where men are forbidden to enter. The prince to whom she was betrothed in infancy enters the university, disguised as a woman in order to see her. The poem was also adapted by composers Gilbert and Sullivan into a comic opera named Princess Ida.