Chapter 14: Mopeds, Sketchbooks and Hamsters

The Hôtel de Ville, standing on the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville – Esplanade de la Libération in the 4th arrondissement was one of Paris' crown jewels when it came to landmarks. The south wing was originally constructed by Francis I beginning in 1535 until 1551, while the north wing was built by Henry IV and Louis XIII between 1605 and 1628. It was burned by the Paris Commune, along with all the city archives that it contained, during the Semaine Sanglante, the Commune's final days, in May 1871. The outside was rebuilt following the original design, but larger, between 1874 and 1882, while the inside was considerably modified, to reflect the opulence of French architecture at the time. Since 1357, it has been the headquarters of the municipality of Paris, serving multiple functions, housing the local government council. And since 1977 it housed the Mayors of Paris and their cabinets, serving as a venue for large receptions.

And inside the mayor's office, the clock on top of the mayor's desk indicated it was thirty past twelve. André had woken up early and gone to the office, to review some issues regarding the agreement he was about to sign, before doing so. Hours seemed to slip through, as he read the documents. He had read and re-read those documents more times than he could remember by then. And yet, there was something about them that was bugging him. He did not know why. There was nothing in the agreement that felt like a downside or a drawback to the city. Still, his gut was telling him otherwise.

"Everything seems alright, and we had two legal teams checking for any inconsistencies. So why do I have the feeling that if I sign this, it'll come back to haunt me and my administration?" -André thought to himself. –"Stop this, André! This is a good thing. It'll help the police to find and arrest that maniac. And by doing it so, it'll make Paris a safer place for everyone. A safer place for your daughter and for your wife… oh, Audrey; despite all your flaws, I wish you were here with me, now." -he sighed.

André missed Audrey. He knew she would return home, once her treatment ended. But knowing that only made it harder for him not to feel bad about it. Still, he placed those thoughts aside, and focused on what was important then. Feeling he had a duty to protect all the inhabitants of Paris, he decided to ignore his gut and told himself that signing those papers was the right thing to do. It was then that he was startled by the ringtone of the intercom on his desk. His secretary was calling him.

"The prime minister has arrived, sir. And he's accompanied by another gentleman."

"Oh, yes… I was expecting them. Send them in, please." -André told her.

A few seconds later, the door opened and the two men entered the office. André quickly recognized the prime minister. But the other man was a total mystery. He had never seen him before. His first thought was that he was one of his cabinet assistants, but he could not be more wrong about that assumption.

"Good day, André!" -the prime-minister greeted the mayor.

"Good day." -André greeted him back.

"I see that you're still looking at those legal documents, regarding the deal."-the prime-minister said.

"There's nothing wrong with rechecking things one more time, as they say." -André declared, as he placed the documents down and shook the prime-minister's hand.

"I must say that I agree with you. One can never be too careful with the things he signs these days." -the prime minister agreed. –"But today, we don't have to be careful. We're about to make History. So, allow me to introduce you to the man whose company will help us catch that psycho Hawk Moth. This is Aldéric Meunier, the CEO of Hedyloidea Enterprises." -the prime minister said, as he introduced him.

Aldéric was a man in his late thirties, though he looked older. He had pale skin, pointed face, with pale blond hair which reached his shoulders, and cold pale grey eyes. He was wearing a charcoal business outfit over a white shirt, and black brogue shoes. On the lapel, he wore a purple handkerchief.

"A pleasure to meet you, mayor Bourgeois." -Aldéric smiled lightly, as he shook hands with the mayor.

"The pleasure is all mine." -André politely smiled back.

"Believe me when I say that the pleasure is entirely mine." -Aldéric assured him. –"Myself, and the board of Hedyloidea Enterprises are the ones who have to thank you and your administration for speeding up the paperwork, so the development of our new industrial complex can begin."

"Well, I'm just happy to lend a help, and by doing it, making sure that this city and our country become a safer place for everyone." -Aldéric declared.

"That's how we Franch do things." -the prime-minister declared in joyous tone. –"But before we talk about business and sign papers, what do you say we have some lunch?"

"Yes. Absolutely." -André said.

At the same time, at the Place des Vosges, Marinette's birthday party was starting, with the arrival of the first guests. Marinette's family, along with the Couffaine siblings had done a pretty good job getting things ready for it. The garden was the perfect place for a birthday party on such a beautiful day. The only thing that could make it absolutely perfect, was if they had been able to have the whole garden just for themselves. But that was impossible. For that to happen, one would need to have the right kind of connections with powerful people, and no one in the Dupain-Cheng family had them. Still, that did not prevent Tom from feeling like they had done everything in their power to give Marinette a party she would never forget.

"Wait until Marinette sees this." -Tom thought to himself, when he noticed his mother arriving. –"Looks like mom has arrived." -he told Rolland, as Gina entered the square riding Marinette's new moped, which was now sporting a pink bow.

"And about time, too. Leaving us to do the hard work, and then, showing up when there's nothing else to do." -Rolland commented, with his usual grumpy voice.

Gina heard her husband's remark, as she parked the moped. Usually, she would respond in kind, but this time, she decided to ignore it, not wanting to start a fight and ruin the festivities, just before their granddaughter arrived.

"Oh, you boys had everything under control." -Gina said, as she removed her helmet. –"Besides, I needed to make sure that everything was alright with the moped, before I give it to Marinette." -she declared. –"I can already imagine her face, when she sees it. And if I know her, she'll want to take it for a ride, around the square, just to try it."

"You know Sabine's not going to let her ride it, before she gets her license." -Tom pointed out.

"Sure, she will." -Gina assured her son. –"I'll make sure of it." -she smiled. –"But I don't want Marinette to see the moped, just yet. Help me hide it, behind those bushes."

And as they did it, the first of the guests arrived, Kim. And he was accompanied by his swimming partner, Ondine, just like he had told the others. At the same time, another member of the Miraculous gang arrived, Alix. And just like Kim, she was accompanied. But unlike him, her plus one was anything but romantic. By her side, she had her brother Jalil, who had tagged along.

"You could've just dropped me here. You didn't have to come with me." -Alix told her brother. –"I'm sure you've got a lot of research to do."

"It's okay. I decided to take the day off. Plus, you're not the only one whose friends with the birthday girl. I also know Marinette. And, it's been a while since I've eaten some of those delicious macarons her parents make." -Jalil declared.

"You're just like mom. You can't resist eating sweets, even when you shouldn't." -Alix commented. –"Then you say you need to lose weight." -she scoffed.

Before Jalil could come up with a proper comeback Alix spotted Kim arriving, accompanied by a girl, who was wearing an aqua cropped tank top with a dolphin printed on the centre, aqua tights under a pink skirt, and white tennis shoes. Remembering he had told her he was bringing the girl he had swimming lessons with, Ondine, she figured that had to be her. Determined to find out if it was her, she walked to them.

"Hey! Aren't you going to introduce me to your plus one?" -Alix asked him.

"Oh, hey! Right… Ondine, this is Alix. Alix, this is Ondine." -Kim said, as he introduced them.

The way Kim said those words, it almost felt awkward for both him and Alix. It reminded them of the numerous scenes they had watched on TV, where the show or movie's main character brings the boyfriend or the girlfriend home to introduce them to the family, and the most embarrassing things happen.

"Huh… hey, there!" -Alix smiled awkwardly, while also waving her hand, as Jalil joined them. –"Oh, and this is my brother, Jalil." -she introduced them.

"How do you do?" -Jalil greeted Ondine with a smile.

"Hello. Nice meeting you both." -Ondine smiled back. –"You know, Kim talks a lot about you." -she told Alix.

"Does he?" -Alix asked, as her gaze turned to Kim. –"I hope they were all good things… or at the very least, the least bad ones." -she said.

"Oh, no. He never says anything bad about you. If anything, he's always saying just how great you are." -Ondine told her. –"He's such a sweet talker." -she said.

"That I am." -Kim declared, with the cockiest smile one could imagine.

Seeing them, Alix felt a mix of both apprehension and nervous energy. But she could not quite identify why. She had never felt like that before, while around anyone, including Kim. Still, she assumed she was just nervous of being introduced to Ondine, and being Kim's closest friend after all, she wanted to make a good impression. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

"Who'd have thought you could take your head out of sports long enough to actually ask a girl out, huh?!" -Alix asked in a teasing voice. Inside however she was kind of weirdly uncomfortable.

Kim on the other hand looked like he was just waiting for permission to start gushing all over the place about Ondine and was oblivious to any inner turmoil on Alix. Needless to say, this was not the first time this happened, and it would not be the last.

"Oh, don't even get me started. She's the sweetest, and we have so much in common! And just look at her! She's gorgeous and funny and laughs at my jokes! So yeah of course I had to ask Ondine to be my plus one!" -Kim beamed like an absolute dork while saying this.

Alix's face twitched for a brief second, barely noticeable, by his answer. Except for her brother, who knew her and raised an eyebrow. As for Ondine, she looked back at Kim with amusement and also fondness.

"Oh, stop it. You're making me blush." -Ondine chuckled softly.

"I'm just stating the truth." -Kim said.

"Is he like this, with anyone else?" -Ondine asked Alix.

"Not that I know of." -Alix answered her, while rolling her eyes.

"It took him a while to get it that I liked him, while we were talking on our breaks from swim practice. But I'm really happy he finally asked me out." -Ondine admitted, with a cheerful voice. –"Oh, I hope Marinette likes my little gift. It's not much, but I hope she likes this little token." -she said.

"Of course, she will, Ondine! Mari's a freaking great gal. She'll be happy you thought of her! You could have just shown up and she would still have loved that alone! No worries." –Kim said, as he puts his arm around her, reassuring her.

Alix nodded along but her eyes could not help but stare and focus on Kim's arm around Ondine. Jalil chuckled to himself. His little sister could be so blunt and honest with most things, but she still lacked the emotional maturity and guts in others, especially when it came to her feelings. Feeling like he could help her out in that situation, he decided to intervene.

"You don't have to worry. I'm sure Marinette will be delighted you got her a present, no matter the size or value." -Jalil declared.

"Y-Yeah girl, no sweat. Mari's super chill. No worries there." -Alix said. –"Huh… so… it's nice to finally talk to a fellow sports girl." -she declared, trying to make conversation.

Alix awkwardly held out her hand for a first bump to Ondine. She did not understand why she felt awkward like that. It was just Kim's date, so why was she acting like that? Her brother on the other hand, watched this play out with a knowing look on his face.

"Likewise! I've been so excited to talk to you. And I've always liked meeting other athlete girls like myself." -Ondine giggled, happily fist bumping Alix.

Alix smiled and laughed. But she could feel this nervous lump in her stomach. Looking at Ondine, Alix saw that she was really sweet like Kim had said. She was also tall, unlike her. She looked strong and elegant at the same time, which Alix felt was a winning combination. Alix did not tend to compare herself to others, especially other girls. But she could not help to think that she wished she was a bit taller, or to have this natural charm that Ondine had to her. It felt strange for her to feel that, to say the least.

"What am I thinking? Since when do I wish I could be taller, or be charmer?!" -Alix thought to herself. –"It's not like me to have these thoughts." -she thought, while trying to put said thoughts in her head aside.

"So, since the birthday girl hasn't showed up yet, how about we go place the gifts on the gift table and check out what goodies they have for us to eat?" -Kim suggested to the group.

"You can get all charming when you want, but you still think with nothing but your stomach, when the subject is food." -Alix pointed out.

"There's nothing wrong about that." -Kim told her, as he grabbed Ondine's hand and the both started to head into the gift table's direction to place the gifts. –"And by the way, Alix, I bet my present will be better than yours! Wanna see who can race to the gist table faster?" he asked, with a cocky and teasing tone.

Before Alix gave him an answer, Kim began to bounce on the heels of his sneakers, ready to bolt. Like always, he was determined to prove he was faster than Alix. But this did not happen, as Alix slapped his arm.

"Hold it, you absolute monkey! This is Marinette's birthday party. Behave yourself for once!" -Alix chuckled. –"What if you trip and fall and topple the cake or something, dumb-dumb?!" -she teased him light-heartedly, with Kim fake-gasping in return.

"How dare you! I'm the epitome of grace!" Kim shot back, with a slightly mocking posh accent, while making what he believed were elegant poses.

Alix raised her eyebrow at both Ondine and Jalil as the both were laughing at their antics.

"Yeah, right. More like the epitome of a bull inside a China shop." -Alix shot at him, while raising an eyebrow.

Both Jalil and Ondine burst out laughing at Alix's remark and Kim's affronted stare. You could see that Kim did not like Alix comparing him to a bull in a China shop.

"She's got you there! You may be great in the water but... in land, graceful is not what I'd call you, Kim." -Ondine teased him affectionately, while grabbed his arm.

"I can be graceful!... Sometimes." -Kim pouts.

"Yeah… in your dreams!" -Alix scoffed. –"Anyway, come on. Let's go and see what they got to eat, before your stomach starts complaining." -she joked, as she took the lead with her brother, with Ondine and Kim behind them.

Alix could not help but glance back from time to time on this short walk. Kim was acting different with Ondine. She had never seen this side of him before. He was being sweet and considerate. He was holding her hand and including her in things. And the question that was going through her mind "Why couldn't he be like that with me?"

"Ok, WHAT am I thinking?! Of course, Kim is different with Ondine, he likes her! For him to act like that with me, I'd have to be his girlfriend! No way I want that!" -Alic thought to herself, her thoughts practically screaming inside her head.

While Alix dabbled in her thoughts, Jalil wondered if he should pull his sister aside for a second and talk to her. The face of realization Alix had told him they might need a sibling talk. Maybe he could signal her to go to a more private corner of the party a bit later. Or maybe he could signal her right then, and have that talk. Deciding it would be best, once Alix placed her gift on the gift table, he signalled her to follow him.

"What?" -Alix asked, when Jalil finally stopped.

"Hope you don't mind, but I need to ask you if you're alright." -Jalil declared.

"Of course, I'm alright! Why wouldn't I be?!" -Alix exclaimed.

"Well, for starters, I guess you didn't want your boyfriend to know that you're jealous of his plus one-" -Jalil told her.

"Kim's not my boyfriend, Jalil!" -Alix told him, gritting her teeth, as if feeling insulted by that remark.

"That's not what I saw." -Jalil said, this time with a teasing voice. –"What I saw was my little sister, who was clearly bothered by the fact that her boyfriend brought another girl with him to the party." -he said.

"He's not my boyfriend!" -Alix told her brother, this time hammering the words.

"Well, if he's not, then why are you acting like that, Alix?" -Jalil asked her. –"Why are you showing that you're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous of Ondine or how Kim is acting around her?!" -Alix exclaimed, clearly upset.

"Maybe, because you actually like him?" -Jalil answered her.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer!" -Alix said, upset. –"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check out the party. And I would like if you stopped with these crazy ideas of yours. I don't like Kim!" -she warned him, as she left.

Her brother could not have had a point in what he was saying. The whole idea was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous as Chloe would say. There was no way Jalil could be right. Her and Kim? They were the bestest of friends, partners who had each other's back when fighting Akumas, rivals in sports and absolute gremlins to each other.

"The idea of me and Kim… it's absolutely insane!" -Alix thought to herself. –"He's my best friend, and I'm happy that he has found someone like Ondine! So… why do I feel like… oh, stop it! What you need is something to take your mind out of those stupid thoughts." -she thought, as she looked at the table where the refreshments were. –"I need something sugary and cold. That's it."

And while Alix looked for something icy to drink, on the stage, Luka and Juleka were tuning the instruments, when the rest of the band arrived. They were all classmates of Luka, and while they had been playing together for more than a year and half, they had already changed the band's name, more times than they could remember. They had been the Quantum Leapers, King Thunder, the Dark Cobras. And right then, they were the Blue Cyclones. It seemed like they could not agree on the name. And that was just one of the two things that were a constant when it came to them. The second was that their lead singer was always late, and Juleka was going to point it out to her brother.

"Your lead singer is late… again." -Juleka said, as she checked the time on her cell phone.

"She'll be here." -Luka said, as the rest of the band got on stage.

"That's what you said nearly thirty minutes ago." -Juleka told him. From the rest of the band, she was the one who was supposed to arrive first. –"And if she doesn't show up, you'll either have to find another lead singer in the next few minutes, or you'll have to sing the songs yourself." -she declared.

"The way you're saying it, it's like you're telling me that I can't sing, little sis." -Luka smirked at her.

"I'm not saying you can't sing. But there are better singers than you out there." -Juleka smirked back at him, as he jumped from the stage, landing in front of her.

"Is that your way to tell me that your girlfriend sings better than I do?" -Luka whispered at her, not wanting the rest of the band to hear it.

"Maybe." -Juleka whispered back. –"You know Rose's not only a pretty face. She's got a great voice."

"Yeah, but I don't think she's got what it takes to sing what we compose." -Luka said. –"We're pretty hardcore."

"If you'd give her a chance, she'd put Aggretsuko to shame." –Juleka told him, with a proud smile on her face. –"And I'm not just saying that because I'm dating her." -she whispered at her brother.

"Duly noted." -Luka declared, when his cell phone rang, signalling a new text. -"Got a text from her. She's saying she's getting out of the underground now, and we'll be here in two minutes."

"Guess you won't need to sing today, after all." -Juleka joked, which earned her a joking grin from Luka.

Guests continued to arrive. And among them were Manon and her mother, Nadja Chamack. Nadja did not know if she was going to be able to attend Marinette's birthday, due to her busy schedule. But Manon begged her to go the party so much, she was forced to find a way to attend it. That meant switching schedules with a couple of colleagues, as well as asking a favour or two. In the end, all that mattered to Nadja was that Manon was happy. She loved her only daughter more than anything else in the world. Even if sometimes she acted less than perfect; just like then, when she had to prevent her from attacking the sweets' table.

"No, Manon. You can't have any sweets just yet." -Nadja told her daughter.

"But I wanna!" -Manon cried, feeling her mother was being unfair.

"I told you already. You can't have any sweets. You had lunch a little while ago, and if you eat sweets now, you'll get a tummy ache." -Nadja explained, trying to reason with her. –"Why don't I get you some juice, instead?" -she suggested.

"But I don't want juice! I want chocolates!" -Manon cried again. –"I wanna a chocolate bar or a candy bar!"

"Young lady! If you don't behave yourself, we'll go home, right this instant! And then, you won't get the chance to give Marinette her gift, when she arrives." -Nadja warned her daughter.

Hearing her mother's threat, little Manon quickly calmed down, knowing that if Nadja wanted, she would grab her and go home that instant. She did not want her to take her home and ground her. Apologizing to Nadja, Manon asked her mother if she could have a soda, and Nadja told her yes. With a soda in hand, Manon looked around to see if she recognized anyone she knew, when she saw Mylene arriving.

"Mylene!" -Manon exclaimed, as she ran towards her.

"Hey, there, Manon." -Mylene said, as she knelt down and gave her a hug. –"It's so good to see you, sweetie." -she told her.

"I'm happy to see you too, Mylene." -Manon giggled. –"Where's Ivan?" -she asked her, noticing he was not with her.

"Oh, he's still on his way. He was finishing wrapping his present for Marinette." -Mylene told her. –"By the way, what did you get Marinette, Manon?" -she asked the little girl, curious about the little gift she was holding in her hands. –"I got her a t-shirt. I made it myself; you know?"

"I got her a new sketchbook. My mommy helped me choose it, just for Marinette." -Manon smiled, as she showed Mylene the gift, which was wrapped in blue wrapping paper, with a white bow.

"She's going to love it, Manon." -Mylene smiled back at her.

"Can I play with Pin, while Marinette doesn't arrive?" -Manon asked Mylene.

"Of course." -Mylene smiled. –"If she's in the mood, that is." -she said, as she checked the deer kwami hiding on her pocket, who right then was just finishing eating a peanut. -Feel like playing with Manon for a bit?"

"Sure." -Pin smiled back at Mylene, as this one grabbed her and handed her over to Manon.

"Remember, handle her gently." -Mylene warned the little girl.

"Okay." -Manon giggled.

The traffic was crazy. The limousine driven by Gorilla had not moved for the past 10 minutes, and it did not look like that was going to change, anytime soon. Inside it, Adrien looked at the time on his cell phone and wondered why the traffic was so slow. By his side was Kagami, who he had gone to pick up, before they headed to Marinette's party. Unlike Adrien, who could not wait to get to the party, Kagami was feeling a bit unease, which was strange for her. She was wondering if it had been a good idea to accept Adrien's invitation, and could not help but to express her feelings to him.

"Are you sure it is okay for me to come?"-Kagami asked Adrien.

"We've been through this, Kagami. Marinette said she'd love to have you there." -Adrien assured her.

"I will take your word for it." -Kagami smiled mildly at Adrien. –"I hope she likes my present. I didn't have the time to buy her anything I feel she would like." -she admitted.

"I'm sure she will love it." -Adrien said, doing his best to reassure her. –"Marinette isn't the kind of girl who has any kind of expectations when it comes to presents. She'll be happy just with the fact that you showed up." -he said.

Adrien knew that though she was a girl who had a competitive nature, Kagami also had a timider side to her, which she only showed, when in the presence of some people. Adrien was one of those people. She had been taught to display strength and fierceness, but deep down, like most people, she was more than just what she appeared to be. And right then, she was wondering if the gift she was going to give Marinette would be something she would like.

"But what did you get her? You still haven't told me." -Adrien asked her.

"I… I got her some Japanese stationery." -Kagami admitted, as she looked down at the package that was sitting on her lap. –"I was thinking of giving her some omiyage, but since I don't know her tastes that well, I figured the stationery would be safer." -she said.

"Uh, what's an omiyage?" -Adrien asked her, not knowing what she was talking about.

"It's a Japanese tradition of travellers bringing gifts back from their destination to friends, family, and colleagues. Sort of like souvenirs, but they're mostly sweets, like candy, cake, or cookies." -Kagami explained to him.

"I see. Well, Marinette has a pretty sweet tooth. I'm sure she would've loved any sweets you would've given her." -Adrien assured her.

"I shall take your word for it." -Kagami smiled kindly. –"And what about you? You haven't told me what you got her either." -she said, as she looked at the large package that was sitting next to him.

"Oh, it's something really special." -Adrien said. –"It's a hamster."

(Flashback)

When it came to buying Marinette's birthday gift, Adrien had to think really hard on what to get her. He wanted it to be special, just like the first gift he had given her, when they start dating. It took him a while, but eventually he found the one thing he believed Marinette was going to love. He had bought her a pet. A hamster.

And the first one to find out about it was his aunt, Amelie. Ever since she had gotten out of the hospital, she had been staying in the Agreste Manor, recovering from her injuries. At first, she would remain in bed, but as days went by, she began to walk around the bedroom, doing her best to not feel cooped up. Adrien would visit her in her bedroom, every day when he arrived home, to tell her how his day had been, and to spend a little time with her. On that day, it was no different. The only difference was what he was carrying in his hands. When asking him what it was, Adrien showed it to Amelie, telling her that he had bought it for Marinette.

"I'm quite sure she'll love it, Adrien." -Amelie told him.

"I really hope so. I've heard her saying a few times that she would like to have a hamster." -Adrien smiled, as he looked at the brown furry little creature.

"Well, then, I think you're going to grant her that wish." –Amelie smiled back at her nephew.

"That's all I want, aunt Amelie. I want to find a way to grant Marinette every wish she has." -Adrien declared, as he looked at the hamster in its cage. –"Not just because I love her, but because she deserves to have any wish she has come true." -he smiled.

"You're sounding just like your mom, right about now. She too wished she could fulfil every wish someone she loved and cared about had." -Amelie acknowledged.

Adrien loved to be compared to his mother. He knew it was a childish thing to do, but he loved it, because it made him feel she was still with him. And when it was Amelie saying such things to him, it touched Adrien's heart even harder.

"She had a saying, "If you have the power to fulfil and grant wishes, make sure to use it, because there's no better feeling that seeing people's happiness reflected on their eyes." -Amelie told Adrien. –"Not only she had the talent to see the best in everyone, she also had the talent and the will to make everyone around her feel special." -she sighed, allowing herself to remember her sister, before coming back to reality. –"But I digress. As always, I want to hear how your day went. Come on, tell your aunt everything, and don't leave any details out."

(End of Flashback)

"A hamster?" -Kagami asked, while rising an eyebrow at Adrien.

"Yes. Marinette told me that she dreams of having one." -Adrien declared.

"Mother and father have never allowed me to have any pets. They say that they're a distraction." –Kagami confessed. –"But if I could have one, there's one animal that I would love to have for a pet." -she said.

"And what would that animal be?" -Adrien asked her.

"A bearded dragon." -Kagami stated.

"A bearded dragon?" -Adrien said, surprised with her answer. –"Why a bearded dragon?" -he asked her.

"I find them incredibly beautiful and majestic." -Kagami said. –"Also, in the East, dragons are seen as wise and powerful beings, symbolizing courage, confidence and adventurousness, as well as representing success and ambition." -she added. –"And since it's impossible to have a real dragon for a pet, bearded dragons are a suitable substitute."

"I can see why you find them like that." -Adrien said. –"But to tell you the truth, I wouldn't get one for myself, if my dad allowed me to have a pet." -he admitted. –"I think I would go with something that has fur. Probably a cat."

"I think a cat would suit you as a pet." -Kagami agreed with him. –"You do have certain cat-like qualities."

"If only you knew just how many cat-like qualities I actually have." -Adrien thought to himself, as a sly grin appeared on his face. –"But I don't think I'll ever be able to own a cat, or any other pet. Not while I live under my dad's roof. He's not an animal person." -he said, as a thought came to his mind. –"For now, the closest thing I'll have for a cat is Plagg."

"It is quite the shame that neither our parents are willing to have a pet." -Kagami said, when Adrien's cell phone rang.

"It must be Nathalie or Nina. They told me they would text me, when my dad's meeting was over." -Adrien told her, as he checked the text. –"Meeting over. We're on our way. Be there in 20 minutes." -he read the text. –"Looks like my dad's going to attend Marinette's birthday, after all."

Hey, everyone! So, after nearly 6 months, I'm back with a new chapter. I must apologize to you all for taking this long to update this fic. I blame my huge writer's block, as well as my mental health, which although has been improving, it has been improving at a very slow pace. Still, I hope that from now on, things will go a little smoother.

I was going to post this two days ago, but I decided to post it only today, to give you all the time to watch the London Special and to talk about it. I did already, and although I liked a couple of things about it, I still say that we could've had this in the series, instead of a special; plus, the way they wrote Kagami for this special felt like they were writing Kagami in season 2... that team of writers just can't keep things straight (sigh).

Anyways, regarding this chapter, it was hard to write because I wanted to focus on some characters which I haven't written in a while, namely Jalil and Kagami (which might have made it harder for me to write the chapter, I admit). Plus, we finally see Ondine in my fics, and just how bothered Alix is with her and how Kim behaves in front of her. That part was fun to write, I admit, and I wouldn't have been able to write it, without the help of my friend TsunaSora, who helped me out with it. Thanks so much, sis.

The party is nearly starting. Marinette still hasn't showed up, but she's already on her way. On the following chapter we're going to see her reaction to it, and that's not all. A few more surprises are coming. And yes, although it's improbable that I will manage to finish this fic before season 6 begins, I'm going to try and do my best to write it as fast as possible. As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions for this and/or future sequels. :)

P.S. I must thank those of you, who have continued to PM me and asking me how I am. It's wonderful to know that there are so many of you who care about me and my well-being. I couldn't have asked for better readers. :)

P.P.S. I have something special that I commissoned to Giullia Adragna, the official artist responsible for the Italian Miraculous comics, that I want to show you, so be sure to check out my page on DA, during the next couple of days, because I think you're going to be quite surprised with it. :)