Marinette sat with her hand on her producing stomach. She was four months along, she barely looked pregnant, but she didn't care, she couldn't wait. Looking through a photo album of the last eight years. She sighed had they really been here for eight years? Paris was still in her mind; she wondered how her family was, if the heroes ever beat hawkmoth, who had replaced them, was Adrien okay, and did he ever find new love? But yet when she looked at these photos of the life she and Nino had built, she couldn't imagine anything else. She looked at the gold ring that sat on her finger. The gold chain sat empty but she never took it off. Nino walked in the front door. Dotty where are you?

In living room love. He claimed his spot next to her. Looked at the page she was looking at. His finger landing on what Mari knew was his favourite photo from their wedding day... The only photo she hadn't worn her earrings and he hand warn his bracelet. 

***

They had waited almost a year before tying the knot. In that year Henery and Alice had gotten married. Nino and Mari had taken the chance to see how weddings worked on Dou Luna. They got married at harvest time which had become their favourite time year. Mari's tea-length dress had been beautiful and of course, she'd designed it herself. It fit her to a tea. She'd made the top to be form fitting and the skirt was several layers of tulle that flowed elegantly as she walked. But about two weeks before the wedding She had a breakdown. "Ninny, why did our bruises never heal? I know they don't hurt anymore but..." 

"But?" He softly prompted. 

"But, we are about to get married and we will have these purple bruises in our photos. I know it's silly but Alice and I were looking at hers today and seeing our scars in their photos made me feel self conscious."

"Oh, Mare..." He hugged her close, "I guess the earing we found you and band I use only kinda hide them, huh? But you wanna know something?" She nodded, he gently placed his thumbs on her ears. "I love these 'scars', they remind me of brave, strong, beautiful smart women I know you are. The girl who was Ladybug, who saved me countless times, the girl I loved first." He kissed her softly. 

"Oh, Nino." she took his hand in hers, her figures gently stroking his wrist, "You were so brave then, so quick thinking. You took hits for me, you defended our team, our friends. You were a shield with and without a mask. I was so grateful to count you as my best friend. And I can't wait to call you mine." She kissed him. 

On their wedding day, they slipped away, for a special photo. Down at their favourite spot, Nino took her earing off and she untied his band. With his hands holding her face, the photographer took a photo of both bruises in focus, the kiss almost looked like a second thought. 

***

She took his hand. "I love you." She turned the page as he kissed her cheek. 

"I love you too." His hand found hers on top of her stomach and set his on top of hers. "Oh look it's our honeymoon."

"I was so grateful Maryweather suggest we take two weeks and spend time in both the mountain range and at the beach." 

"I know I like the beach better, your bathing suit was smoking hot." He teased watching her blush. 

"Oh hush!" She hid her face in his chest. "I'll never let Alice talk me into stuff like that again." 

"No, I definitely think you should." He winked, "Maybe I should let her pick your outfit for our maternity shoot." 

"Alright next page!" Her face was too red to have this conversation. They flipped through pages, saw balls and parties that they had attended and hosted. They looked at birthdays and anniversarie. "Oh no! Do you remember this night?" 

"How could I forget! It was your 24th birthday, and even though we'd already celebrated I wanted to do something special for you. I was gonna bake you a cake." 

***

The kitchen was a mess and Nino only two more hours till Mari got home. The cake was in the oven. It didn't look right. But he hoped it would look better once it was cooked. He should have had one of the farm wives come over to help... or one of the kids... This was why the kitchen was Mari's domain, he had two left-hands in the kitchen. But she had made him a beautiful cake on his birthday he wanted to at least try to return the favour... He figured a simple sheet cake would be easy enough... 

50 minutes later he went to pull his cake out, and smoke puffed out of the oven. His pink cake was now black and not even smooth, it had risen in one place and concaved on the other. He couldn't even take it out off the pan... He looked over at the chocolate icing he had made and had worked so hard on, it was no good now. 

He sighed and went to cleaning the kitchen, the least he could do was make sure Mari came home to a clean kitchen. Hey love? I just finished up at work, I'm gonna pick up something from the Diner for dinner is that okay?

Sure love, Pick your favourites, Mrs birthday girl. He knew she couldn't hear how he was feeling but it didn't change that he tried to hide how he felt. Once the kitchen was clean he slipped to the floor. He had failed his wife. He couldn't treat his wife to a cake for her birthday. 

 Mari walked in the door, "Nino! I'm Hom... Woah, what happened in here?" She saw the pan with a black clump in it. She heard a sigh from behind the island. "Nino?" She walked around to see her husband sitting on the floor, she placed the food on the island and sat with him. 

"I tried to bake you a cake. And well... ya..." He looked away. He felt a kiss on his cheek and heard a giggle. 

Ninny look at me. He did, "Thank you. That is very sweet of you to try." 

"I made a good chocolate frosting though." He smiled. 

"Oh! I bought strawberries yesterday! We can have those with the frosting for dessert!" 

"Saved me again eh?" Nino kissed his wife and then they got up and celebrated her birthday. 

***

"Still one of my favourite birthdays!" Mari smiled at Nino. Nino blushed, he'd never tried to make a cake again. 

"Let's just turn the page." He laughed. They flipped through three more years of parties and dances even a baby shower for Alice and Henery. "Oh look it's our first dance class we taught!" That page was followed by several more pages of class photos.

"I'm glad the studio let us teach a "for fun" class." Mari could help but smile at the faces of their students. 

"Ya... I'm glad we do that, I'll miss it when you can't come with me." He smiled and kissed her cheek. 

"You could go dancing without me." She giggled. 

Nino gasped, "Never! I will only dance with you!" He said in a silly voice. 

"Right Luv..." She tried to talk between giggles. She turned the page, "Oh!"

"It's the note you gave when you told me you were expecting." He held it as it would break. It was such a delicate moment in their relationship. 

***

Mari sat in the doctor's office, rereading the paper over and over again. "You're sure?" 

"The test doesn't lie ma'am. Congratulations." 

"I'm going to have a baby." She whispered it. How am I going to tell Shelly?

She walked to the train station, the doctor she liked best worked in the mountain range, so Maryweather was going to pick her up when the train got to the farming district.  As she walked, she rested her hand on her stomach. There was a life growing there. She at this moment was a mom. Suddenly her heart ached for her mother. She would love to ask her questions. 

She sat on the train and cried softly, holding her stomach, then she remembered her notebook was in her bag. So while she sat on the train, she wrote Nino a note. 

As the train pulled into the farming district she pulled herself together, she needed Maryweather to no suspect anything. "Hello dear! How was your appointment?" Maryweather helped her up into the carriage. 

"It was great, I am so glad you recommended him. He was very helpful." She smiled to herself, her hand wonders to her stomach again. 

"I'm glad, are you and Nino still coming to supper tonight?" Maryweather adds as they ride into the farm.

"Um, no actually, something came up." Maryweather smiled softly and said nothing more. She pulled into the stable and Mari headed to her house. 

Nino would be home in a few hours still, so she rewrote her note on nicer paper, and put it and the papers from the doctor in an envelope. She set the table with a nice table cloth and a candle. She set the envelope in front of the candle and started on a simple supper. 

Hey Dotty, I just pulled into the farm, I just have to change then we can head over to the main house for supper. 

Sounds great Shelly, I'm in the bedroom, there's a note for you on the table. Mari slipped into their room to change. 

Nino walked into the house, "Mar, what's with the table set up? Aren't we having dinner with Ed and Mary?" When she didn't answer, he picked up the note, his name was written across the front in her lovely writing. In it, he found a lovely handwritten note. 

My Dearest Nino, 
In another world, we were in love with others,
then we were pulled into this and found love in each other's arms.
Today we are one, husband and wife. 
I love you so much and am so proud of you. 
Our lives couldn't feel more complete.
But maybe you wouldn't mind if we added one more person 
to our little family to make it even more complete?

Nino looked back at the envelope saw the other papers and pulled them out... He dropped them. He turned to see Mari, his wife, the mother of his child standing there, in one of the few crop tops she made to sleep in and low rise skirt. "Mar..." He hugged her. 

"Your gonna be a dad, Nino and an amazing one at that." Her voice broke. 

"Oh Mar, I miss them too." He let his own tears fall. 

***

"I figured if I kept the note I could put it in the baby's photo album." She looked up her eyes wet from the tears that threatened to fall. His eyes looked like tears threatened to fall too. She closed the book, "I think we've had enough memories for one night." She stood and took his hand. And pulled him up. She pulled him down to meet her lips, and as his hand found their way around her waist and hers around his neck, they swayed. Slowly the kiss turned into a dance. She knew that even though they were away from their families they would be okay. They had each other and that was enough.