As Adrien got ready to meet Plagg for his lessons, he couldn't help but replay the events from the night before over and over in his mind. He had snuck out of the castle and joined a group of rebels who, in his mind, were six very brave individuals. They were willing to fight for what they believed in regardless if it would get them in trouble or not. Not only that, but they were doing something he had never had the courage to do. They were going against his father's rules. They hadn't done much at the meeting except discuss the problems that were occurring in the kingdom and express their dislike for the king. Before departing, Ladybug explained that they met every day except Sundays because it was considered a day of rest in the kingdom. (Adrien, being the prince however, never got to enjoy that day of rest because his father believed he needed to focus on his studies for when he became king.) She also told him that at the next meeting they would fill him in on the plan their group was working on.

I can't wait until tomorrow night, Adrien thought as he played with the corner of his textbook. "Adrien, are you day dreaming again? You need to focus on your studies or you'll have us both in trouble with your father," Plagg scolded. "Sorry Plagg," Adrien mumbled as he straightened up in his seat. The rest of the day dragged on as Adrien tried desperately to focus on his studies. However, his mind kept wandering back to the woods and the group he had joined. His teachers tried desperately to keep him focused but found it to be almost impossible without constant reminders.

Finally, the day ended and Adrien could retire to his room. He laid out his night clothes and then decided to walk out on his balcony to get some air before going to bed. As Adrien leaned against the balcony he watched the trees sway with the evening breeze. Adrien released a sigh. He knew he needed to go to bed so with a reluctant last look at the tree line Adrien began to make his way back into his room. He was just about to shut the door when a flash of red caught his eye. Adrien turned around to see Ladybug disappearing into the woods. We're not meeting tonight, where is she going? Adrien wondered as he watched the last flash of red disappear amongst the trees. He knew something wasn't right, so without hesitation he put on his Chat Noir costume and slipped into the passageways that would allow him to escape into the night.

Adrien made his way out of the passageways easily and quickly made his way down to the woods. As he ran through the woods, Adrien's mind jumped from one conclusion to the next as he wondered why Ladybug was out on a Sunday night. I must find out what's going on. Something isn't right. Adrien thought as he raced towards the hideout. Finally, he made his way into the tunnel and quickly made his way through. As Adrien rounded the familiar bend in the cave that lend to the exit he saw something he had never expected. There, sitting on one of the logs in the clearing, was Ladybug and she was crying. Adrien's heart swelled with a mix of emotions as he took in the scene before him. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to find Ladybug, their leader, crying in the clearing. In that moment, he knew he had to help her in any way he could. Something had clearly upset her and he was going to find out what.

Adrien slowly made his way into the clearing and sat on the boulder next to Ladybug. "Hey, are you ok?" Adrien asked softly. Ladybug's head immediately shot up and for the first time their eyes met. He could tell she had been crying for some time by the streaks that lined her cheeks. "Wha...What are you doing here Chat Noir?" Ladybug asked doing her best to wipe away the tears in her eyes. "I saw you heading towards the woods," Adrien explained. "I knew we weren't supposed to meet tonight, but I knew if you were heading for the woods something must be wrong. So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you crying?" Ladybug stared into Chat Noir's concerned eyes unsure of what to say. She couldn't remember the last time somebody cared about her besides her parents. Sure, she had her friends but they only ever met as the Miraculous Six since she was locked in a house doing chores all day. Why does he care? He doesn't even know me! However, he could have let me sit here alone, yet he followed me. What do I do? Ladybug's thoughts raced through her mind as she desperately tried to find a way to answer Chat Noir.

"I...I can't answer you without revealing clues to who I am under the mask." Ladybug said softly. Adrien took a moment to look at the girl in front of him and realized she wasn't just sad, she was broken. She looked like her whole world had been turned upside down. Adrien did the only thing he could think of to try and comfort her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. As he did so Ladybug's eyes grew wide and she quickly jumped up and backed away from him. Adrien's eyes followed her as she moved away. He looked at the expression on her face and his heart sunk. She looked terrified and her whole body was shaking as she continued to back away. Adrien stood up and began to walk towards her speaking softly. "Ladybug, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to help. Please, come sit ba..." "No." Ladybug said continuing to back away. "Just stay away from me. I don't like being touched. I...I've got to go. Goodbye, Chat Noir." With that, Ladybug disappeared into the tunnel. Adrien immediately went after her, but it was to no avail. When he got to the end of the tunnel she was long gone.

"Dammit. I'm such an idiot," Adrien muttered as he headed back towards the castle. All I wanted to do was help and I scared her away. What did I do wrong? All I did was try to hug her and she flipped out... "Oh." The realization hit Adrien like a ton of bricks and he immediately felt like crap as Ladybug's words echoed in his mind:

"Just stay away from me. I don't like being touched..."

"She doesn't like being touched." Adrien said quietly to himself. "But why?" Then it hit him. There could only be one reason as to why she didn't like to be touched... she associated being touched with pain. He didn't know why or how, but outside the mask somebody was hurting Ladybug. The thought made Adrien feel sick to his stomach. Who could be so cruel as to hurt another person so bad that they became terrified of any type of human touch? Adrien didn't have the answer to that question but he made a silent vow that if he ever did find out he would make sure they were punished for their crime. With that thought in mind Adrien entered the castle and headed back to his room. That night, Adrien went to bed with Ladybug's terrified face stuck in his mind. He could only hope she would be all right and that tomorrow night she would forgive him.

The next day Adrien breezed through his lessons and quickly ate his dinner so he could return to his room. Once he got there he began to think about how he was going to apologize to Ladybug. Adrien knew that he could just walk up to her and apologize but he also knew that Ladybug would not want last night's events to be revealed to the other group members. She was their leader and she had a reputation to uphold. So, after pacing his room for about an hour he finally came up with an idea. He would write her a letter and slip it inside the satchel that ladybug always carried with her to the meetings. This way he could apologize without embarrassing her in front of everyone. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her again. So, with his apology carefully thought out in his head he began to write:

Dear Ladybug,

I want to apologize for what happened last night. It was wrong of me to try and touch you without permission. I only wished to comfort you in your time of need. I promise will never harm you and my intentions will always be pure. I did not want to hurt you any further by apologizing aloud in front of everyone and embarrassing you, so I hope this letter will suffice. Please forgive me and I hope we can continue to work together.

Forever yours,

                             Chat Noir

With his letter in hand Adrien slipped out into the night to meet the group. It did not take long before he was making his way through the tunnel to the meeting place. He sighed he in relief when he saw Ladybug was amongst the others. Adrien had been afraid that due to last night's events she may not come. He slipped the letter in to his pocket as he approached the group. "Oh good, Chat Noir you're here," Ladybug said. "Now we can tell you about our mission." Adrien stared at Ladybug with a mix of curiosity and confusion. Their mission? What mission? He took a deep breath before speaking. 'Of course, Ladybug, though I did not realize we had a mission." Ladybug lifted her gaze to meet Adrien's as she spoke. "Well, we do have a mission. Our mission is to overthrow the king and bring the light back to our kingdom. He has oppressed us too long and we can no longer stand it."

Overthrow the king!? This was much more than a group of rebel kids, it was a rebellion. A rebellion against his father, that he was now a part of. As Adrien cleared his thoughts he noticed the group was waiting for him to respond and he knew what he wanted to say. "I understand" he began, I will do whatever you need me to do to help with accomplishing this mission." Ladybug gave a small smile and nodded. "Good, glad we can count on you Chat Noir. Now let's get to practice. Queen Bee you're with me, Papillon you're with Volpina, and Le Paon you will take turns sparing with Jade Turtle and Chat Noir. "Understood," they all said in unison. With the groups assigned they spread out and began practicing. As Chat Noir followed Jade Turtle and Le Paon he took the letter out of his pocket and slipped it into Ladybug's satchel as he passed. Knowing the letter had been delivered would help him focus on his sword fighting while they practiced. "You and I will spar first Chat Noir," Le Paon stated as he took his stance. Chat Noir smiled as he got himself into position. "If that's what you want, let's begin." The boys took turns sparing each other and giving each other pointers. They would need all the advice and practice they could get to fight the royal guard.

As the moon rose to the center of the sky Ladybug called the meeting to an end. "Good practice everyone. I will see you all back here tomorrow night do not be late." With that the group departed, each person going their separate ways. Adrien quietly made his way into the castle and back to his room. He then changed into his pajamas and settled himself into bed. As the comfort of his bed relaxed him into sleep the last thought on Adrien's mind was that he hoped Ladybug would find his letter and accept his apology.