HEY GUYS! Thanks to everyone who liked, followed, and reviewed so quickly! Like I said last time, I'm excited to go on this journey with y'all! And if there's any ideas y'all may have to help the story along, feel free to send me a DM! This story is very flexible and ALWAYS in flux. Some inspiration from other people excited about this story would be greatly appreciated!

This chapter takes place mostly in the past. So YES, you've SEEN this episode before, but not necessarily from this Point of View.

ENJOY!

Tom yawned as he stumbled into the kitchen to prepare a pot of coffee before starting his morning prep in the bakery.

He and Sabine stayed up later than usual discussing everything that the children had shared with them. They had suspected that something was happening with Marinette for several months now; they thought it best to let her be until she came to them for help. Tom wondered, though, if that had been the right call. Their daughter, their only child, held so much responsibility on her shoulders… and she was only 14! If only they had realized what was going on sooner, they could have helped relieve that weight. Sabine had cried herself to sleep, thinking of all the hardships Ladybug and Chat Noir had experienced over the past year and a half.

Tom sighed. There was still much Marinette needed to explain.

"Mr. Dupain?" A groggy voice came from the couch. Tom raised his head to see Adrien rubbing his eyes.

"Didn't mean to wake you, son." Tom whispered. "It's still early. Go back to sleep."

Adrien ran a hand through his mass of bedhead. "Actually… there was something I wanted to ask you. Do you have time to talk before heading down to the bakery?" Tom looked at the clock above the stove.

"I've got some time." He sat on the couch next to Adrien's pallet setup. The boy straightened his sleep top. Tom noticed Adrien's leg shaking. "Everything alright?"

"Well, sir-"

Tom waved him off. "Come now, Adrien. I've told you that you can call me Tom."

Adrien chuckled, fiddling with his ring. "Well, Tom, I know that Marinette and I have only been dating for less than six months…" The nerves left his voice. "But I've loved your daughter since the first day we met. I know she talked about our first day with our Miraculous, but let me share how I fell for her…"

Adrien smiled as he walked across his staff, extended high above the streets between two buildings. He held his arms out for balance. "I'm starting to get the hang of this…" His newly heightened sense of hearing caught the sound of a scream- a scream growing louder as a red blur hurtled towards him. The boy yelped as the blur collided with him, knocking him off his staff. Before they hit the ground, the two were entwined by a… yo-yo string?

As he swung back and forth, Adrien got a better look at the red blur. It was a girl! A pretty cute girl, if he were being honest. He grinned as her face flushed being so close to his. "Well, hey there! Nice of you to drop in."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose!" She frowned, flicking her wrist. The cord around their waists retracted, allowing both of them to right themselves.

Adrien checked his new cat ears to see if they were still in place. Funny - all that movement hadn't dislodged them. "You must be the partner my kwami told me about. I'm…" He paused, knowing that this was a big moment - choosing his superhero name! He thought of the suit that had appeared after he called his transformation. " Chat Noir. Yeah! Chat Noir. And you?" He looked up at his staff still extended over the road. Red Suit Girl frowned as she tried to dislodge her yo-yo still wrapped around it.

"I'm Ma… err… Mar… uh... " She gave one last tug on her yo-yo. It hurtled down with Chat's staff in tow. He scowled as the two whacked him on the head. He tried to hide his pain, knowing that it was just an accident. "Madly Clumsy." The girl massaged the bridge of her nose. "I'm so clumsy."

Chat Noir grinned, picking up his staff before extending his hand. "No sweat, clumsy girl. I'm learning the ropes too." Clumsy Girl smiled back, taking Chat's hand to shake. Chat had a feeling that they were going to be great friends.

xXx

Chat flipped around the stadium, trying to avoid Stoneheart's attacks. He struck the giant with his staff. Unfortunately, Chat's attack caused the Akuma to grow. He frantically looked around the area for Clumsy Girl.

"Where ARE you, partner?" He hollered. Chat flipped back, avoiding the soccer goal Stoneheart had thrown at him. Time seemed to slow as he saw the direction it was heading - straight for that girl crouching near the entrance! On instinct, he threw his staff. It extended across the entrance, preventing the net from crushing the girl. He let himself relax for one moment too long.

Stoneheart's massive fist wrapped around the smaller boy. Chat struggled as the fist tightened. Gasping, his vision began growing dark. He heard someone shout before Stoneheart fell backward, himself being flung onto the ground. He choked, breathing in fresh air. Chat shakily stood to his feet. Once his vision cleared , the only spots he was seeing were on Clumsy Girl's red and black suit.

"Sorry it took so long, Chat Noir," She grimaced. He waved her off.

"It's cool, Wonderbug." Chat had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time this girl would save his life. He grinned, settling into a fighting stance. "Now let's go kick his rocky behind!"

xXx

Adrien plastered a smile on his face as he signed several autographs walking to his first class with Chloe. He normally hated signing autographs, but the boy figured he might as well gain some goodwill with his schoolmates on his first day. Adrien allowed his face to relax slightly as Chloe bounded into the classroom ahead of him.

"This is YOUR seat, Adrikins." Chloe crooned. "I saved it for you, right in front of me!"

"Thanks, Chloe." Adrien set down his bag, turning to introduce himself to his seatmate. "Uh, hi! I'm Adrien." He held out his hand to the boy next to him. He inwardly panicked as the red-capped boy looked at him skeptically. Oh no! Did I say something wrong? How do normal people introduce themselves? Adrien racked his brains for something else to say.

"You're friends with Chloe, then, huh?" The boy nodded at something happening behind Adrien. He turned to see Chloe supervising Sabrina doing something to the neighboring set of seats. Was that gum?

"Hey! What's that all about, Chlo?" Adrien stood, unsure of whether or not to confront his oldest friend about something that was clearly a form of bullying.

Chloe sniffed. "The brats that sat here yesterday need a little… attitude adjustment. I'm just commanding a bit of respect, that's all."

"You think that's really necessary?" Adrien pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket to poke at the gum in the seat. Maybe he could discreetly remove the gum?

"You've got A LOT to learn about school culture, Adrikins," Chloe giggled as she moved back to her seat. "Just watch the master." Adrien was just about to grab a bulk of the gum with his handkerchief when he heard a loud gasp.

"HEY! What're you doing?"

Adrien spun around, his handkerchief falling and revealing the gum in the seat. He gulped as a furious, pretty, blue-haired girl stomped over to him and glared. "Uh… I…" He stammered. His eyes narrowed as Chloe and Sabrina began to laugh - loudly. The girl in front of him sighed.

"Okay. I get it." She mockingly applauded them. "Good job you three. Very funny." Adrien took a step back, shaking his head.

"No! You've got it all wrong! I was trying to take… the gum…off…" He trailed off, distracted by the fierce fire in the girl's eyes.

"Uh huh…" She swiped the handkerchief from the floor to drape it over the gum. She sat down, refusing to look at him any longer.

Adrien shuffled back to his seat, completely dejected. "Some first day of school," He muttered. He glanced at the girl to his right. There was something vaguely familiar about how she stood up to him…

The boy next to him nudged his elbow. "Hey, why didn't you tell Marinette and Alya the gum was Chloe's idea?"

Adrien's spirits lifted slightly at knowing the girl's name now. "Well, I've known Chloe since forever. I can't just throw her under the bus," He sighed. "She's pretty much my only friend." He glanced up to find a hand extended to him.

"I'm Nino. It's time to help you make some new friends."

xXx

Chat Noir sighed as he once again found himself in the fist of a Stoneheart. The Akuma hadn't been purified, so the original Stoneheart had multiplied. He had a sneaking suspicion that all of the Minionhearts were taking their prisoners to the original. Suddenly, he heard a voice that sent his spirits soaring.

"CHAT NOIR! Extend your staff!"

Ladybug must have used a bit of her luck, for Chat's staff fell through the very slight opening in Stoneheart's fist and into his hand. He broke free of the giant's hold, only to find himself hanging upside down via yo-yo. The perpetrator sat atop the light pole he was now staring at wrong-side up.

"Sorry I was late." She apologized.

Chat returned his staff to it's clasp on his hip before crossing his arms. "Mi'Lady, have I ever told you that you turn my world upside down?" He winked, seeing her smile.

"Oh, you're quite the jokester, aren't you?" Both of their heads whipped up as the Stoneheart minions crept closer. "Looks like your comedic timing could use some work. We gotta get out of here!"

The two heroes rushed to the base of the Eiffel Tower just in time to see the original Stoneheart chuck Chloe from the tallest platform. Ladybug didn't hesitate to launch herself forward to catch the girl. Chat inwardly sighed, grateful that his oldest friend hadn't ended up as a smudge on the sidewalk.

As soon as Chloe was clear, the police officer in charge gave the command to attack. Chat flinched, but felt a presence standing in front of him. He opened his eyes to see Ladybug facing the police, her hands outstretched.

"No! Please don't attack! You know it'll only make things worse!" She pleaded.

"I have a new plan, unlike you!" He sneered. "Now move aside and let the professionals work. You've already failed once!"

Chat's heart broke as he saw Ladybug's shoulders slump. She turned to him, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall.

"He's right, you know…" She whispered. He stepped closer. "If I had captured Stoneheart's Akuma the first time around like I was supposed to, none of this would have happened! Maybe Tikki was wrong, I'm not supposed to be Ladybug…"

"No!" Chat closed the space between them, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This guy doesn't know what he's talking about. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't be here." He nodded at Chloe embracing her father. His heart constricted for a moment before turning back to the girl in front of him. "Without us, the people of Paris won't make it. Trust me when I say that you were BORN to be Ladybug."

"How do you know?" Her eyes glistened.

"Call it a gut instinct." He grinned.

They spun as a giant mass of purple butterflies fluttered to form a face. "People of Paris," The face bellowed. "I am Hawkmoth! Ladybug and Chat Noir, I demand you hand over your earrings and ring at once! You've done enough damage to these innocent people!"

Chat growled, but felt a hand on his shoulder holding him back. Ladybug gave him a reassuring smile before turning to face Hawkmoth, a fierce look settling in.

"Nice try, Hawkmoth; but we know who the bad guy really is! No matter how long it takes, we will track you down and YOU will hand us YOUR Miraculous!" With a fierce war cry, Ladybug launched herself towards the swarm of akumas. Chat could barely see her yo-yo it was whipping around so fast. Once they had all been contained, the heroine released all of the purified butterflies into the sky. Even from several stories below, Chat heard every word of her speech to the people of Paris.

"Parisians, we make you this promise: No matter who wants to harm you, Ladybug and Chat Noir will do everything in our power to keep you safe!"

Chat stood stock still as everyone else cheered. He lifted a gloved hand to rapidly beating heart. "Whoever she is beneath the mask," He whispered. "... I love that girl…"

xXx

Adrien was still riding the high of his first (second?) successful superhero mission. His love for Ladybug grew as they had freed Ivan from the Akuma's hold, seeing how quickly she had thought to use her lucky charm. Her wit, her grace, her confidence… it had only been a day, but BOY did he have it bad! NOTHING could bring him down from his cloud of happiness!

He almost skipped into the classroom. Adrien lit up as he saw that Marinette and her friend Alya were now sitting behind him. Finally! A chance to start over! He stepped closer, lifting his hand to wave. Before he could even utter a 'Hello', Marinette huffed and turned away. It was obvious she was still upset about the gum incident. Adrien sighed, sliding into his seat.

"Dude, you wanna make friends right?" Nino asked. Adrien nodded. "Well, go talk to Marinette. Tell her what really happened with the gum."

"But what should I say?" Adrien fiddled with his new ring.

Nino grinned, nudging his friend's shoulder. "Just be yourself."

By the time school let out, an unexpected thunderstorm had moved in. Adrien walked behind Marinette on the way out. SHe had practically run from the classroom, only to be hampered by the rain. She must not have brought an umbrella with her. He thought to himself. He passed her just as she lowered her hand from feeling the rain drops.

"Hey," He frowned when she turned away from him again. He sighed, opening his umbrella. "I just wanted you to know that I was trying to get the gum OFF your seat. What Chloe did wasn't cool. I've never been to school before. Never really had any friends. All of this… it's new to me." Adrien saw the flash of grey as his car pulled in front of the school. He would survive the few seconds in the rain, but he didn't know how far Marinette had to walk. So, he held out his umbrella for her to take.

He smiled softly as he could see her thinking. She startled as a clap of thunder sounded in the distance. She hesitantly reached out to take it from him. Adrien continued smiling, letting her take her time. His eyes went wide, however, when the umbrella chose to to close directly over Marinette's head. The boy tried to stifle his laughter, but utterly failed. His heart soared when he heard her join in. She's got a really pretty laugh…

Once he regained his composure, Adrien turned to head down the stairs. "See you tomorrow, Marinette." He waved. He heard a stammered goodbye from Marinette. He smiled again. I'm lucky to have her as a friend…

xXx

"It sounds like you fell in love with Ladybug first," Tom rubbed his moustache.

Adrien nodded, conceding the point. "Yeah, I'll admit that Ladybug burned brightest for me in the beginning. It wasn't until the Volpina incident that I really strove to find out who Ladybug was. By that time, I'd gotten to know Marinette a bit more. She was always really awkward around me, but she was sweet. I could see how loyal she was to her friends and even a little bit of Ladybug in her when she would stand up to Chloe." Both men chuckled, knowing how many times that had happened before Chloe turned her life around. "But when I found out that Marinette was Ladybug, I was SO happy that one of my best friends was the partner I trusted with my life." Adrien rubbed his neck sheepishly. "...did Marinette happen to tell you about the roses someone had left on her balcony?"

Tom grinned knowingly. "No… but Sabine 'found' them cleaning one day while Marinette was at school. I'm guessing that was you as Chat Noir?" The boy nodded.

"Sir, I love your daughter. And I know that we're WAY too young to get married," He held up his hand at Tom's protests. "Please, let me say my thing first. I've been thinking about it most of the night. I know we're too young to get married, but I also know that there's not going to be anyone else out there for me - no one but her. With your permission, I'd like to give her a promise ring." The blond gulped at Tom's squinted gaze. "...just… something to show her how much I love her and that I intend to propose to her someday. I want to be able to provide for her, so sometime after University…" He sighed. "Things are about to get crazy for me - for Paris. I can't do this without her…" Adrien slumped against the couch, exhausted from telling his story and pleading his case.

The baker leaned forward, resting an arm on his leg. He paused before he spoke, thinking over his words. "This is nothing against you, Adrien. It's just a father thinking into the future with his daughter in mind. What if you give Marinette this ring and she changes her mind before you graduate?"

"Then I let her go."

Tom was surprised by how fast Adrien had answered. "Just like that? You'd let her go without a fight?"

Adrien rubbed his forehead. "Oh, I would fight for her, for sure. And we'll always be partners. But if Marinette one day decided that I don't make her happy anymore, I'd let her go. All I want to do is to make her happy. But… I know that we were meant for each other… As Ladybug and Chat Noir, we're literally two halves of a whole…" The boy fiddled with his ring again. Tom noticed that it had become a nervous habit.

"Let me talk things over with Sabine. It really is a sweet thought, Adrien. From the times you've been over and seeing how you treat Marinette, I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend for my daughter." Tom's voice wavered. "I can also never thank you enough for taking care of her as Chat Noir. As a father, I can never thank you enough."

Adrien grinned. "I think we both know that Marinette can take care of herself. We watch each other's backs."

Tom chuckled in agreement. He took a sip of his coffee, grimacing at the now chilled liquid. "Do you happen to know what's next for you and your father?"

"I talked about it with Marinette a bit last night," Adrien pulled the blankets around himself, becoming sleepy once more. "I'll probably call our family lawyer and my aunt to see what steps need to be taken."

The baker made sure the blinds in the living room were shut tight before any sunlight began streaming in. "Remember that you are welcome here for as long as you need, son. Try to get a few more hours sleep. You've got a long day ahead of you."

HOW WAS THIS CHAPTER EVEN LONGER THAN THE LAST ONE?

Until next time... STAY CREATIVE!