Marinette was very nervous as she snuggled on the couch with Zoe. They were tucked up in Zoe's room at the hotel. She had finished Adrien and Kagami's costumes and despite only having ten days to go, Zoe was making her take a creative break. Marinette swooned as she remembered the look in her girlfriend's eye as she tugged her onto the couch. She had plenty of day 15time to finish, that was not what was making her nervous.

Zoe kissed her gently. "Is it Chloe? I know she makes you uneasy. If you want, we can take this to your place."

Marinette briefly kissed her back. "Yes, that is partly it. I guess I'm worried she will bust in here and tell us off and then call me ridiculous, utterly ridiculous."

Zoe giggled and Marinette pulled her in closer. "That would hardly be the first time, though."

"I guess that is true at least. I promise I won't make a habit of this, but just for today, do you mind if we go back to my place?"

Zoe untangled herself and got up. "Not at all, though I will need to change and pack an overnight bag. However, mark my words, Mari. You are still on creative break, until I deem you rested enough to continue. If you violate my taboo, I might just have to tickle you."

Marinette blushed. "Please, not that! I wish Alya hadn't told you how ticklish I was."

She moved to fill the warm spot left by Zoe. The moment the bathroom door closed on Zoe, she heard a nervous laugh from the door. Marinette sat up quickly and saw Chloe standing there. She was dressed in jean shorts that showed off her long, slender, bare legs. Her feet were also bare and Marinette could see the anklet monitor on the left side. Chloe had a loose top on and her hair was for once allowed to flow freely. Marinette could not help comparing her to Zoe in that moment. They really were sisters.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Dupain-Cheng. But when I heard you were here, I knew we needed to talk."

Marinette considered the girl in front of her. Yes, there was a difference in the blonde heiress that had not been there before. A shadow in her eyes. What Audrey had done to Chloe had reduced her quite a bit.

"Zoe told me about what happened in New York. I am sorry you had to go through with that. No one deserves a parent to turn on them, not even you."

Chloe gave a faint smile before it vanished. "Thank you, I don't know what came over Mommy. I haven't told her or dad what lead up to that yet. I want to tell you though, if you will hear me out. I know I don't deserve your sympathy or support, but you have always fixed everything for us in the past. Maybe you can help me get some clarity now."

Marinette pondered this. "Alright. I'll hear you out Chloe. But I want to make this clear, I am not doing this for your sake. I'm doing this for Zoe's. My girlfriend," She put emphasis on the word girlfriend. "Wants a sister that loves her. A sister that doesn't treat her like dirt. Therefore, if I can help her achieve that, I will do so every time. However, please do not think that means we're friends or something."

Chloe nodded. "I understand. Thank you, for supporting Zoe. I know even considering helping me will not be easy for you. Hell, I made it uneasy for you. Yesterday morning, I caused the attack on New York by Heart Changer. I ordered a latte at a coffee shop and the barista messed up my order. I roasted her alive for that. Well, her super powered girlfriend was in the room when I did. She told me just what a nasty piece of work I was."

Marinette gasped. "Did she use her powers on you?"

Chloe nodded. "She did. She told me my issue was I lacked humility. Then she touched my chest. All my life, I have always believed I was superior to everyone else. Mommy drilled that in my head five times a day or more. I never doubted that I was royalty and everyone else were peasants to amuse myself with. Suddenly, that knowledge was gone. I knew, beyond a doubt, that I'm no better than the smallest child playing in the parks. I crumpled to the ground and cried, all of my securities stripped away. I could understand everything I did was wrong. So, so, wrong. I mean, I was already hurting from losing Sabrina."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "You refer to when you betrayed Sabrina to Lila and then committed High Treason on Paris and tried to get Ladybug and Chat Noir exposed?"

Chloe nodded her head gloomily. "Yes. I nuked my life out of some petty need to be the best. To be in command. Now, all I see is a spoiled brat that needed to be kicked to the curb."

Marinette sighed; she needed to offer the olive branch. It killed her to do it, but it was for Zoe. "You're a victim, Chloe. Of both your mother's awful worldview and that person's super powers. Change of this nature should be brought about naturally, through a legitimate desire to be better. It should not be forced on someone."

Chloe smiled again. "Well, be that as it may, I can see now that I needed humbling. I was headed to rock bottom anyways; I suspect she just sped up the process. Well, with this new worldview in mind, when I heard about the conditions of my return to Paris, I told Mommy I wanted to go home. That I wanted to face the music of my actions. She told me that I had failed her for the final time. She, well she told me some things that would be happening to me, and I am so glad when Ladybug arrived when she did. The thoughts about what my fate would have been scares me."

Marinette rose to her feet. "You've got a long way to go, Chloe. Paris may forget what you did, but we will not. You're gonna have to work hard to earn any sort of trust. I would start by selling off your expensive clothing and making a donation to the needy. Do it publically, so that way people can see you are sincere."

Chloe nodded. "Thank you, Marinette. I don't deserve that advice. But I'll take it. Please be good to my sister, lord knows I have not been. She looked so happy with you there on the couch."

Chloe turned to go and Marinette stopped her. She had to know. "Chloe, why did you do it? The bullying? The harassment? Why me?"

Chloe turned back, tears in her eyes. "You had everything I wanted. A mother who remembers your name and loves you, with no conditions. A happy home that's warm and inviting. The ability to love your preferred gender without your homophobic mother locking you in the closet until you said you liked boys."

Marinette blinked. "How long did you know, that I liked girls?"

Chloe gave one final smile. "Don't you remember? We kissed that one time in the park. Right before my mother locked me in the closet for two weeks. During that time, I came to blame you for my imprisonment. I wanted to make you as miserable as I was. I'm so sorry for that Marinette."

The blonde heiress left, leaving Marinette with her thoughts. She had forgotten, that one fleeting kiss back in the years before the bullying started. Marinette laid her head down on the couch, overcome with hatred for Audrey. She felt a cool hand run through her hair. She looked up to see Zoe smiling down at her.

"Did you hear all that?" Marinette asked.

"Yes, I figured you two needed to talk it out. I still remember, Chloe calling me excited that she had kissed a girl. She then never called me again about it. I never knew Mom locked her in the closet as punishment. I'm so proud of you, giving her a chance to start to better herself. I expected you to take the olive branch and burn it in front of her."

Marinette snuggled into Zoe's arms. "How could I? When she was being so sincere for the first time in years. I'll see the course on this, I kind of have to now. After all," She pulled Zoe down so they were laying together on the couch once more. "She's family now. I love you so much, Zoe Lee."

Zoe giggled and kissed her gently. "I love you too, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Chloe has two sisters now, whether she is ready for them or not."

The couple didn't end up returning to Marinette's home. They went and pulled Chloe back upstairs to watch movies. Particularly lesbian romance movies. Chloe called them ridiculous, utterly ridiculous but the malice of those words were gone. Chloe might never regain that old sense of importance. But she had two women in her corner from that day onward.

Next time: Lila's revenge.