After Chat Blanc's successful operation, Marinette was ganged up and rushed to the nearest hospital. She refused and begged to stay with her cat until he wakes up, even tried to convince them that she was okay.

No one believed her.

Not even Adrien.

"If not for the fear of receiving a punch like what you've threatened to the medic back there, I might've brought you to the ER first." the model explained. "We all love Chat Blanc as much as you do, but your health is our first priority."

So the girl was left with no choice but to accept her fate and let herself be placed under 24-hour observation.

Fortunately, all of her test results were negative.

She went back to the animal clinic the next day together with her parents, and when she saw the feline's condition, she couldn't help but cry.

Two of Chat Blanc's legs were fractured, same with his rib cage, but his internal organs were completely safe. Since the blood clot in his head was minor, the only procedure that Dr. Moshe performed was bone grafting.

"It's a miracle he survived." the veterinarian told them while caressing the sedated cat's body. "Chat Blanc is not only a hero but also a real fighter."

Marinette couldn't help but agree.

When she asked for the bill, she was surprised that everything was fully paid by someone named Mme. Violette.

It was later found out that Mme. Violette was the mother of the child she rescued from the accident.

"You have no idea how thankful I am when you saved my Leonard, Miss Dupain-Cheng." the mother said when she visited the bakery.

She was around mid-thirties, with curly blond locks that were tucked inside the bolero, and a Gabriel corporate dress that screams power.

"I was inside the boutique for less than three minutes, and too preoccupied to notice that my son went out." Mme. Violette sniffled as she relayed her story. "The event made a great impact on our family. Not only my husband accused me of negligence, Leonard developed a phobia towards running vehicles. He can't cross the street without making a tantrum, and he has this night terrors about the accident. He's also timid to play with his friends now."

"I understand your frustrations as a mother." Sabine reached her hand then gave it a tight squeeze. "Like you, we almost lost our only child. But the most important thing is that they're alive and well. I know it's difficult, but we must learn to move on from the past in order to face the present."

"Our home is always open if you need some help," Tom added.

The woman looked at the parents, and then to their daughter as she wept. "I don't know how to express my utmost gratitude, especially to you Miss...Marinette, right?"

"It's the thought that counts, Mme. Violette." the pig-tailed girl smiled. "You paying for my cat's medical expenses is more than enough."

"Oh Marinette, no amount can compensate your bravery. You saved my son's life!"

She shook her head. "If not for Chat Blanc, I might not be here talking with you right now."

Before their visitor left, Marinette went upstairs to check her cat and his newfound friend.

She poked her head from the door and called "Leonard?"

Her heart melted at the sight of a young boy petting her bedridden cat with his gentle hands.

Leonard was almost the same age and height as Manon, only with a ginger hair and lighter skin tone.

"Your Maman is about to leave," she informed him.

The boy stood up promptly and approached her with a smile. He was still clutching a plastic bag full of cat foods.

"For Kitty Blanc!" he chirped, shoving the items into her hands.

Marinette accepted the bag with gratitude then knelt down to ruffle his tousled hair.

She was taken aback when he suddenly embraced her tightly and whispered: "Thank you, Miss Hero."

She laughed at the irony.

Returning a similar gesture, she asked: "Did you also thanked Kitty Blanc?"

"Uh - hum!"

"Then, you're welcome."

Marinette waved her goodbyes to the mother and child from the second-floor window as they left the premise.

Chat Blanc kept purring after she finished stocking the canned foods in the compartment. She learned that cats do that sometimes to heal themselves, so hearing his purrs appeased her mind.

Then the doorbell rang.

Opening the door, she was immediately greeted by her three friends.

"How are you doing, Girl?" the brunette asked as she placed a paper bag of fresh bread on the counter.

"Still under recuperation and house arrest," she answered nonchalantly. "My bruises are almost healed now, and I can carry some heavy objects just fine."

"It's not our fault why you were banned to go outside, dude." the DJ grinned then walked towards Chat Blanc. "What's up, buddy? And why do you have a cone in your head?"

"To prevent him from licking his wounds and cause another infection."

Adrien mused at the appearance. "Cat cone-trol himself, huh?"

The two groaned in unison.

"That's horrible, dude." his best friend scowled. "It should be illegal."

"But it's - "

"One more pun, Sunny Boy. One more pun and you're out with croissants."

The model's mouth quivered but decided not to drive Alya further or his well-being would be at stake. It wasn't a question how dangerous the Ladyblogger could be.

Clearing his throat, Adrien shifted his attention to their host instead.

"How's your day, Marinette?" he asked.

After a few stammers and mixed-up phrases, the girl was able to tell them about Mme. Violette and Leonard.

The quartet was sitting on the floor as they discussed school. Since Marinette was forced to have a medical absence for few days, her friends took some lecture notes down on her behalf. They also have her assignment papers to be submitted once she returned to class.

They were so busy eating and bantering jokes to notice how Chat Blanc struggled to get up and waddle towards them.

Silence overpowered the room as they froze and eyed when the white cat managed to walk on all fours.

They didn't expect that he would climb and nestle on Adrien's lap.

"Dude," Nino whispered loudly, pointing at the feline. "He's - he's finally befriending you!"

"I know!" the model gasped excitedly with the same hushed tone.

"Don't move, Adrien! Let me take a picture!" Alya hissed. "To commemorate your friendship!"

Marinette saw how his green eyes shimmered when her cat brushed his tail on his leg. He even smiled proudly as their friends snapped a picture.

A minute later, Chat Blanc stood up then wobbled back to his bed.

Heartbroken and confused, Adrien tried to reach him but the cat raised his tail straight then looked at the blond with a threatening growl.

So he retracted his hand dejectedly.

"Aww, it's like your one-time truce." Nino sighed as they observed how the feline returned to his bed casually to sleep. "Maybe that's his thank-you gesture for saving his Master?"

"It's okay, sunshine." Alya patted his back. "I'll send you the pictures."

"Okay." was his glum reply.

Marinette received the same forwarded pictures from the brunette with an attached note 'Isn't he adorably cute?'

Her favorite was Adrien in his uncanny smiles with a relaxed cat between his legs. Both emerald irises were looking blissfully on the camera, and that moment she realized that she has a thing for green-eyed beings.

If only Chat Noir was included in the picture...

Shaking her head, she saved the image and used it as her phone's wallpaper.

It was dusk when her friends decided to go home.

While Adrien has a curfew at seven, Alya was expected to babysit her siblings and Nino got a last-minute errand to buy condiments for dinner. They really have no choice but to reject their golden opportunity to taste Dupain-Cheng's Eurasian cuisine.

"Next time then," Marinette assured them as they bid goodbyes.

Once her friends left, she climbed into her room to deposit her homework. She was planning to deal with it after dinner but decided to skim the contents for her to know which subject she should prioritize first.

"Oh no."

"What is it?" Tikki asked and observed how her charger rummaged the binds.

"I - I can't find pages six and seven of my Trigonometry assignment," she replied, dumping all the papers on her desk. "I've got Physics, History, English...okay, I finally found the page six, but page seven is still missing!"

"Maybe it got mixed up?"

"I thought that at first, but I...I'ts not. Urgh!" she bewailed. "There's no page seven on my Trigo!"

"Is page seven that important?"

Marinette wasn't sure if her kwami knows mathematical concepts. "You see, there's an illustrated graph here on the last part of page six, and I will never know its purpose without the explanation - which I believe is located on page seven. Also, there are multiple choices on page eight that don't make any sense."

"Oh. So a single sheet can make your entire assignment go wrong?"

Her charger nodded profusely while slumping on her chair.

"Why don't you text Alya, maybe she wasn't aware she has it?" the red kwami suggested.

"It's okay if it's Alya." the girl groaned. "But it's Adrien. He's the one who collected these notes."

Tikki gave a low whistle. "Such a sweet boy."

"I know right?" her charger sighed dreamily for a moment before she snapped. "Oh my God, does Adrien has my number?"

"I don't see that as a problem Marinette, given that you still have Adrien's number. You can just text him on the missing page."

"That's the problem, Tiki!" she blurted out. "Adrien doesn't know I have his number!"

The kwami remained her stony gaze on her bluebell hues.

"What if I texted him then he'll me how I got his number?" the girl went on while gesticulating. "What if he doesn't have the missing page? What if there's no page seven on my Trigonometry assignment in the first place? What if he'll be offended, that despite his efforts I'm still ungrateful with a gall to question his kindness? What if he'll find my queries insulting? What if he'll realize I'm not a good friend for him? What if - "

"You're overreacting again." Tikki chuckled as she flew near her face. "Adrien is your friend. A simple question won't hurt."

Marinette gripped her phone like it was a time bomb. Before she could compose her message, Sabine called her downstairs for dinner.

"This can wait." she murmured, leaving the phone on top of her table then went to the dining area.

After cleaning the tables and fed Chat Blanc, she headed back to her room and found the missing seventh page of her Trigonometry assignment pressed underneath her phone.

"So it's here all along?!" she was shocked beyond belief. "And I've been searching for this enough to overturn the entire room!"

"Maybe you misplaced it?" Tikki hummed playfully.

"Maybe...but I'm sure this was not here before we went downstairs. I've checked everything on my desk thoroughly."

"How could that be?" the kwami smirked. "Maybe Chat found it and delivered it to you?"

The girl snorted indignantly then walked towards the white cat that was purring incessantly on her chaise. His purrs increased its volume when she began to scratch his chin.

"If that's the case, then this Chat deserves a kitty treat." she chuckled then looked at her unbolted window. "Hey, Tikki?"

"Hmm?" the kwami turned her head on her chosen while munching a cookie.

"Let's go and visit my other Chat."

.

.

.

.

Ladybug found her partner sitting on one of Notre Dame's flying buttresses with a Cheshire grin.

"A penny for your thoughts, Kitty?" the heroine landed then sat beside him after securing her yo-yo.

Chat Noir shook his head. "Ah, nothing LB. I just recalled something a-meow-sing that occurred to my civilian's self today."

"Oh?"

That was new.

Normally her partner was lethargic whenever he mentioned his unmasked side.

"Mind to share a humor?" the heroine asked.

"Uh, remember that classmate of mine I mentioned before? The one that calls her cat as Chat?"

She nodded.

"You see, her cat was holding grudges on me since Day One, just like his..." he trailed off. "Okay, nevermind. Anyways. To make the story short, the said grumpy cat allowed me to pet him today!"

"Wow. Congratulations." Ladybug deadpanned on his giddiness. "And here I thought you're a clowder's favorite."

"I a-paw-logize fur not meow-ting your ex-paw-ctations, Buginette." the black-clad hero sighed dramatically. "Your trust nya-fur failed to sur-purr-ise me."

She crossed her arms in a huff. "Thanks for ruining my night, Chat."

"So claw-ful, my Lady." he pouted, which earned him another eye roll. "Here's a serious question - how are you faring with your family member?"

She told him that one of her family members was hurt and needed medical attention, and as the caretaker, she had to skip some night patrols.

Chat Blanc was considered to be part of her family, so technically she didn't lie to her partner.

She omitted the information about her injuries or else she would never hear the end of it.

"He's getting better."

The relief was evident on his face. "That's good to know."

Before they spread out to cover their assigned patrol routes, Ladybug caught a glimpse of her partner staring blankly at Gottlib Street.

Specifically, at Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie.