"This wasnt how it was supposed to happen! I was supposed to get the miraculous! I was supposed to win!" Chrysalis yelled.

Her words right as Chat Noir swiped the Butterfly miraculous off of her.

She transformed revealing her short brown hair. Her butterfly themed costume vanished as her civilian form appeared, still restrained by Ladybug. Cerise sat restrained and enraged.

"Its over. Its FINALLY over!" Ladybug exclaimed. She felt like a massive weight on her shoulders had finally been lifted.

"No! All my planning, EVERYTHING! I...." Cerise's words were blocked by an apple that Rena Rouge shoved to her face.

"Yea, its probably for the best that you shut up. Let Ladybug have her moment." The fox heroine commented.

The other heroes were cheering at the victory. The final climactic battle for Paris was done. All of Paris was free of the butterfly villainess.

Caprikid created a rope to tie up Cerise so Ladybug could summon her lucky charm.

Ladybug created a Mega phone, Rena Rogue used her flute as video cam that was uploading live to the ladyblog. This was a big moment.

"People of Paris! The nightmare is over! We have captured Chrysalis! We have saved Paris from suffering under the Akuma! We have won!"

All of paris was cheering, all of the heroes were shouting for joy, all but one.

The team had gathered together to do a team fist bump.

"Pound it!" The Miraculers exclaimed loudly and proudly.

Afterward that, Rena Rouge turned off the feed. Miss Hound, Vesperia, Caprikid and Roosterbold watched Cerise closely as they handed her over to the authorities.

"Cant believe its over." Rena Rouge said as she approached Ladybug.

"It feels like a dream." Ladybug said with relief. "But there are still a few more things to do. Like put the butterfly miraculous away."

Ladybug took a second and realized, she wasnt holding it.

"Wait... where is the butterfly miraculous?" Ladybug asked.

Rena Rouge Frozed.

"You dont have it?"

Both girls felt their smiles fade, when Carapace jumped in, putting his arm around Rena Rouge.

"So whose hosting the Celebration party?" Carapace asked. "Cause I was thinking..."

"Carapace, do you know where the Butterfly miraculous is?" Ladybug interrupted.

"I think Chat noir was the one to swipe it off her." He responded.

Ladybug felt her worry dissipate.

"Oh thank goodness, I should get that from him."

Ladybug looked around and noticed that the black cat hero was no longer in the area.

"Chat noir?" She called out. Wondering where that silly cat could have gone.

"Maybe he needed a bathroom break." Carapace suggested.

"I think I should call him.

______________________________________________________________

Chat noir headed home, The moment his hands held the Butterfly miraculous, he felt something echo in his mind. It was so powerful it compelled him to rush home.

After he made it to his room through the window. He transformed back into his civilian form. His cat kwami appearing beside him.

"Not in the mood to party?" Plagg asked. "I was hoping that we could stay and see the cheese... Adrien?"

Adrien was walking out of his room like he was in a trance. He entered his father's bed room, he moved to the corner of the room and peeled back the carpet. It was there that he found a box. He opened the box.

Plagg was watching with concern.

"Adrien? Is everything okay?"

Adrien stopped.

"My parents are dead Plagg. But they wont be for long."

Adrien opened the letter, it was written to him by his father.

He began reading it.

"Adrien, what are you saying."

The blond boy didnt look up as he kept reading, but responded to his friend.

"My father was Monarch because my mother used a broken peacock miraculous to create me. I am a sentimonster."

Plagg shuddered, how did adrien know this?

"You knew? But how?"

Adrien finished reading the letter. He put it in his pocket and took the few contents of the box and put it in his pocket.

"My father told me. He told me sometime before his death." He answered emotionless.

"When? How? Why did you never say anything?"

Adrien looked at his kwami.

"He put a command in my amok, one that I was instructed to forget everything about until a specific criteria was met."

Plagg felt a chill.

"What criteria?"

"Should I hold the Butterfly miraculous in my hand, I will take over as my father and attain the ladybug and cat miraculous in order to wish my parents back to life. It will be my main objective, and nothing will stop me from completing it. It was his fail-safe."

"Adrien, you hold your rings now, you can cancel the order!"

"I cant undo it, the order made it so I cant."

"Hand me your rings! I will cancel the order for you."

"No."

"No?"

"Its my main objective, I will not forfeit my purpose. My father made sure if I ever had attained my own amok, I would never desire to stray from this order."

Adrien's words were emotionless, like a robot with a directive, he would not stop until his parents were alive again.

"I am going to get. Ladybug, she can..."

"Stay."

Plagg stopped moving. The kwami can not disobey their holders. He can not move as Adrien moved to him.

"You will tell no one of this until this is over." Adrien commanded.

Plagg could swear that he could feel the monarch's presence with his holder's words. Adrien was still in there, but he was still being held Captive by his father.

"Plagg, Nooro, Unify!"

The butterfly and Cat miraculous merged. Chat noir's green coloring was replaced with purple. His blond hair changed to Silver.

His claws now sharper with silver tipped claws. His staff and the Butterfly cane merged to create a scepter. His leather outfit shifted to become more like a black suit similar to that of Hawkmoth, yet still containing his chat noir flair.

The truth is out about Marinette's predicament, and to everyone's surprise, Chloe calls Ladybug:

"I need a favor."

"Chat... Adrien... I ... I didn't know! I would have told you... I'm sorry. I ... I didn't mean it to end up like this.... I just wanted to protect you."

"You know... you know the worst part? It's not- It's not my dad being Hawkmoth. It's not my life being a lie. It's not being a toy made to please someone else. It's not feeling like I failed him for all these months. It's not that you lied to cover everything up for him. It's not that I don't believe you. It's not that I think you meant to hurt me. It's not that I think you are lying to me."

He looked back at her, two luminous green eyes and a shadow against the setting sun.

“I wish I could kiss you”, she whispers into his ear. He looks up, surprised, and stops petting her back. There’s an angry snort from her, so he continues.

“You can”, he says quietly. “If you want.”

“No,” she says, sadness in her voice. “I want to, so much. But you’re in love with me.”

“Is that a problem?”

His breath hitches as she ponders the question.

“Usually not”, she answers finally. “It’s nice, actually. You’re good at it. But me, I’m, well…”

“In love with someone else”, he finishes for her. She nods.

“So if I kiss you, that would be a promise I can’t keep”, she whispers, as she runs her hands through his hair. “You deserve better kisses than I can give you. A shame, too, I really like kissing you.”

She goes back to humming contently, as her words burn in his mind. Finally, he turns to her.

“What if… I just grab you and kiss you? You don’t do anything, you just let it happen? We get our kiss, and you don’t get any of the guilt.”

She opens her eyes, and looks at him, his lips, just centimetres from hers. Her breath intermingles with his, and it would be so easy, just a little twist of the head.

“Sorry, kitty cat”, she says finally. “It doesn’t work like that. Especially not when you announce it. Thanks for trying, though. I appreciate it. We should be making out on these rooftops. That’s what they’re here for.”

He wonders about this for a second. So if he hadn’t asked, if he just–no, forget that. He’ll always ask for permission first. Besides, she’s sleepy and loopy, and she doesn’t know what she’s saying, not really.

The rain cascading from his hair made her giggle. Carefree, youthful, reckless—everything that had been stripped from her by the weight of earrings and a magical box. But here, with him, she was allowed to be that again. For just these moments, she could simply… be.

‘Poor Kitty Cat in the rain,’ her voice dripped with teasing warmth. Her fingers tangled in his damp hair, her touch lingering as their eyes met, his gaze full of unspoken questions. It was a look she had seen before, but this time, she knew the answer.

Him.

He was the answer to the question that had haunted her for so long.

She closed her eyes, her breath hitching as she leaned in. Her lips brushed his softly, whispering, ‘I’m ready.’

Without hesitation, she crashed her lips against his, a spark of uncertainty flickering in her chest, but somehow, it felt like everything she had been waiting for. She followed her heart, her hand cradling his face as the other twined with his. He held her, steady and tender, moving with her in perfect sync—an unspoken dance of passion and love.

The storm roared above them, but it paled in comparison to the wild thunderstorm that raged in her chest.

Chloe was vexed, she was not making the progress with Juleka she'd hoped to. Getting into Roses good graces was easy enough, as was sending her off to dither away her time with Ali, leaving Juleka to Chloe.

But the dark haired maiden always had somewhere to be if Chloe started angling for a real date!

It was almost discouraging enough to send her back to pining after Ladybug... But those crimson eyes flashed in her memory and a shiver ran down her spine.

Chloe wanted to see that again; to be the subject of that intense devotion. She couldn't imagine anything more attractive.

& it seemed fate was finally on her side today, because when Chloe passed Juleka by she saw, and more recognized, the app the girl was using.

"Is that Style Queens, Beautify Yourself APP?" She asked, leaning on Juleka's side to peak at her phone.

The girl didn't pull away. Progress!

"It is," Juleka hummed absently, seemingly caught between two different choices of lace.

Chloe could sympathize.

"It makes sense you'd be interested in fashion, I was never much for the gothic-techwear aesthetic before you, but your outfits have always had a strong sense of style."

She dared a peak and saw a slight flush on Juleka's cheeks before her crimson eyes steeled into what Chloe believed to be suspicion.

Fortunately, Rose had her uses.

"Juleka's always been interested in fashion, as much as she loved playing music with the band. She even wants to be a model!"

'Really now~'

A whole new avenue just opened up to Chloe, a whole new arena, a hunting ground where a tigress like herself could stalk their prey. No longer crammed in between confined school walls filled with soft children.

"You know, there is a little event for youthful fashionistas coming soon, I could get you tickets."

Juleka's stare was now more intense than ever, and Chloe just wanted to drink it up even as the girls expression flickered between nervousness, intense suspicion and obvious longing.

'Look at me like that, look at me like that. Look at me like that!'

"I'd like that, but-"

"But nothing," Rose interrupted, "Juleka this could be huge for you, or maybe nothing, I don't actually know anything about fashion."

'Obviously,' Chloe bit her tongue until she tasted copper, forcing the words down and drowning out the echo of her mothers voice, just this once.

Chloe rolled her shoulders and regrettably slipped away from Juleka's taller frame, hand over her heart. That was apparently a sign of sincerity, right?

"I fortunately know a great deal, and can assure that it would be a boon. What's more, Adrien will be in our company in case you fear me doing anything devious. If nothing else, it will be a look into the world you're seeking to join, no?"

Juleka's head tilted to the side, long bangs falling aside to reveal both eyes and Chloe was rooted to the floor. Finally she spoke, "All right, I'll attend... Thank you Chloe."

'I won? Of course I won. I won!'

She blurred forward and managed to score a kiss on the cheek before bouncing back on her feet.

"Exceptional darling, I promise you shan't regret it! I'll make all the arrangements!"

--

To Juleka it seemed like the day of the event had come up on her like a speeding train.

Dressed in ungodly expensive clothes purchased by Chloe, she was riding in a limo. Yeah that was a thing that was happening. For some reason.

Rose's absence was felt mightily at her side. The other girl had some kind of Achu related event to go to, leaving Juleka with two other blondes in her stead.

Adrien looked relaxed if a little strange to her... Not on guard, not even that different, just subtly uncanny to what she'd come to expect from him, even the smile felt slightly unreal.

Chloe, much to Juleka's surprise wasn't hanging off her arm. In fact, the girl had pointedly sat on the opposite side of the limo to her and Adrien. Instead, she was with Nathalie and both were prodding intensely at phone and tablet alike, concentration evident on their features.

At some point Juleka had started biting her lip, the pain was a distraction but just as she felt the skin breaking she wrenched her jaw open.

"Something wrong?" Nathalie's cold stare levelled at Juleka, leaving her wanted to disappear behind her hair.

"Just, nervous..."

"Don't be darling, you're exceptional," Chloe purred. "Put an exceptional person where they are meant to be and they shine without effort."

For his part Adrien added, "I get being nervous, but you're in good company and well styled. You'll fit in better there than I will," he motioned to his very casual, boyish war. Barely a step above what he usually wore save the strong but subtle trim and longer sleeves.

"Your appeal," Nathalie began, "Is in your boyish charm. Suits and more flashy wear are for special occasions."

Adrien rolled his eyes fondly, "This stuff tends to go over my head, so its helpful to have Nathalie remind me." There was something teasing in his tone.

Feeling a little more at ease, Juleka un-clenched her muscles, and leaned back just a little more. "I just want to make sure I act right and not just dress right."

"Well there's your problem," Chloe dropped her phone and looked thoughtful. "Appearance, manner, behavior, they're all the same, everything is a performance. For campaigning daddy plays affable cars salesmen & family man for the public, then with his peers-"

Nathalie coughed, firmly.

Chloe just huffed and pressed on, "Take me for example, Chloe the Mayors daughter is different to Chloe the hotelier, and to Chloe the student."

That raised a lot of questions in Juleka's mind, not helped by Adrien nodding.

"Yeah, its all about almost being another person. You aren't you when performing, you're Juleka, the up and coming model. You have your own role to play, a persona that goes beyond the clothes you're wearing but that at the same time is them. Hold to that and you'll do fine."

Swallowing, she toyed with one of the rings Chloe had purchased for her ensemble for this event.

"So then is it all smoke and mirrors?" Would people even see her?

"Close," Chloe purred, something glinting in her hand and reflecting light across the limo.

The blonde leaned forward and grasped Juleka's hand and gravely intoned, "Its all in the style."

When Juleka returned home, she had been intent on collapsing on her bed and tuning out the world for awhile. It had gone well, better than she had ever expected, but that didn't men she wasn't exhausted.

However, there were too many questions left buzzing in her brain for her to stop quite yet. Crimson eyes darted to the array of cards and twin packaged sitting on her desk.

'I have no idea what to do with this,' she was excited, and nervous, replaying the days events in her head from a new angle.

During the event, Juleka had been surprised that Chloe didn't stay close; which was not to say she was totally absent.

The blonde had been blurring in an out like a busy little bee and not passing up the odd chance for a flirty finger trailing along Juleka's skin.

But most of Juleka's time was spent with Adrien; not quite on his arm, but not quite not on it either. Like she was a peer and someone of equal importance in the fashion world. All while Chloe & Nathalie weaved around them like human shrapnel in tornadoes.

At the time, Juleka didn't think much of it.

But now, cards given to Chloe were given to her, emails were pinging on her phone and when she arrived home, Juleka found two different enticement packages had been delivered by two separate modelling studios.

She still wanted to scream in joy and panic.

Instead, she had called Adrien.

"Two already? Wow, I know those names, you really turned heads today Juleka, congratulations!"

"Is it," She swallowed. "Was it me though, or because I was with you, or Chloe, I mean her father-"

"I can stop you there, being around me is only so so helpful, if it made peoples careers Chloe would still be in modelling. As for her father, nope, he has near zero pull in these circles, and Chloe's not going to risk throwing around his name when it won't help. Or worse, use Style Queens name without Audrey giving her the greenlight."

"I see, sorry... She seemed to be very... Active..."

Adrien chuckled, "She was just acting as your buffer, which she's done for me plenty of times. It may have helped create an air of mystique, that you were already someone notable, but that's all, the rest was you."

Juleka looked at the collection of card, the list of emails and twin packages. "I'll have to thank her, and... Maybe ask her what to do with all this."

"Probably a good call, I won't be of much help; I only deal with the Agreste and Style Queen brands usually. Chloe's more keyed into the movers and shakers everywhere and plenty inclined to scent blood in the water, or sort the bigger fish from the parasites as she might say."

"I'll keep that in mind and call her, and thank you for today."

"No problem, we're friends and hey, you've been a good influence on Chloe this last couple of weeks. Its been... Nice."

Which was the other reason she called, probably the real reason she called. Forcing the words out, Juleka was proud she didn't stammer, "Chloe knows I can't date her over this, right?"

"She knows," Adrien said without missing a beat. "That won't stop her flirting but she knows the difference between Paramore and agent. So don't worry about her trying to hold this over you, it wouldn't... Fit with how things work. She's already tethered her name to you and mine. She won't toss that aside over a date one way or the other."

Juleka mentally filed 'all' of that away for future reference in her increasingly large 'Chloe' file and nodded, only to herself.

"I see... That helps, given history I don't know what to expect."

"I can tell you this much, once Chloe decides she likes someone she digs in her claws and doesn't let go. She can handle a millions rejections & bounce back like nothing happened because attempt one million & one is sure to work, and if it doesn't then surely the next."

"I... I don't get it."

There was an odd tone to Adrien's hum as he answered, "We're used to fighting to be seen, something you can relate to. So she won't take a no personally, if she did, she'd be a quitter and nothings less exceptional than a quitter."

Juleka's Chloe file was going to need extra storage space.

"Oh- sorry I have to go, maybe we can do a shoot together down the line, later Juleka!"

"B-" He'd hung up before she could finish speaking and Juleka stared at her phone, and then back at her dream laid out in front of her.

Then she dialed Chloe.

It wasn't until after a long conversation about not tying herself to any one company, which companies to scuttle and which to eek close, followed by dinner with her family that Juleka realized something.

This is a gift to @sweetgaleria, for the ML Secret Santa Exchange 2024. I'm sorry I'm so late to posting, but hopefully it is worth it! Happy Holidays! Hope you enjoy! Here's a snippet of it but you can go read the rest on ao3.

Marinette was in deep concentration working on a dress when she received a text from Chat Noir on the app of her phone she had linked to her yoyo. 

"Do you have my sad hoody? I need my sad hoody." 

As she read that message, she worried.

“Yes I do, is everything okay?”

Marinette saw the dots appear on her screen, stop and then reappear. She waited patiently, hoping Chat would open up and say whatever was going on. After a few moments, a text finally arrived.

“Can you meet me on our usual spot in a few minutes?” 

“Of course Chaton.” 

Marinette wasted no time, grabbed the hoodie, transformed and headed out of her skylight. 

To admit that the previous day (and all of the planning that led up to it) had utterly exhausted Felix would also be an admission of weakness, so he didn't. He just woke up the next morning as normal, sleepily yet suredly preparing himself for breakfast. Though, perhaps it was more of the former.

“Good morning, Felix.”

The boy spun around violently.

The voice was too familiar to be a stranger’s, yet too strange to be familiar. The person it belonged to was tall, blonde, and sitting in the exact seat Felix always sat at for breakfast. Felix already hated him.

“Who in the living hell are you?!”

Amelie set down her forkful of omelet to scoff.

“Felix! Now that is no way to speak to your older brother. He hasn’t even been with us for a day yet.”

“It’s alright, Mum,” the stranger (who Felix knew was very much not her son) assured her. “He’s probably just in shock.”

“I demand an answer!” Felix slammed down a hand on the kitchen table, looking the infiltrator dead in the eyes. “What are you and what have you done to my mother?”

The stranger exchanged mildly disappointed glances with Amelie.

“Well, I’m your older brother, for starters,” Aurele stated. “And I’m catching up with our mother now that I’ve finally returned from Belgium. That’s all this is.”