"It's Paris." Her voice was so soft yet so strong. Nino almost didn't hear her. 

"What do we do?" He squeezed her hand tightly. 

"What do we want to do?" Mari looked around her. 

"That's your home isn't it?" Edwards's voice broke the silence. 

"You two should go home, raise your baby with your families," Maryweather spoke softly. 

What about Adrien and Alya? Mari looked at him with panic.

He took a deep breath, he knew he had to be strong for his wife, We can only hope it's been at least seven years there. 

What about... Mari's hand went to her stomach. 

Alice knelt next to Mari, "You've been the best friend I could ask for Mari, but I think you need to risk it, you have to believe your baby will be fine." Alice hugged Mari, "I'll miss you though." Nino watched as Maryweather joined in on the hug. The men he'd grown to love shared a group hug. 

They were gonna go home. They waved goodbye to Dou Luna and stepped through the portal.

***

A white light engulfed them, and they were back in Paris, standing on the rink where they had been taken from so many years ago, if he remembered right they had left Paris in the late evening, and it was now mid-morning. The first thing Nino heard was Mari's sop, he looked over to her, and saw why she was crying, they were teenagers again. Her baby was gone, his baby was gone...

Shelly, we we're... Wait he could still hear her? This was about to be a problem. He didn't have time to answer though, they were wrapped in a group hug. 

"Thank Kwaimi it worked!" Adrien's voice filled his ears. 

"Your both okay!" Alya's voice followed. 

Adrien and Alya pulled them to close them and kissed their partners. Both Nino and Mari were stunned. Master Fu cleared his throat, "Kids give them some room, they did just come back, from who knows where." 

Is Mari's hand still sitting on her stomach, "What? How?" 

Adrien took her hands in his, "Oh my lady you would have been proud! Alya and I used your Miraculous and saved the day, and after the Ladybugs didn't bring you two back, we decided to use the wish to bring you back because Paris needs her Ladybug." 

"Can we have our Mirculaus back?" Nino was numb, he needed Wayz back and looking at Mari she felt the same. 

"Oh yes!" Alya handed them back their jewelry. 

It was the first time they'd both looked down, Nino was back in the clothes he'd turn to rags years ago. And what made him the saddest was the loss of their wedding rings, he'd worked so hard on them and they were gone. So were the many beautiful clothes Mari had made. His old clothes didn't feel right. Would that fade in time? With his bracelet back on, it was like Wayz saw everything that had happened to him, in the last "several hours". Wayz gave his young holder a hug. Tiki did the same. At least they had someone else to talk to. Master Fu gave them a look as if he understood too. 

"Look, I'd love to hear more of this story, later, but right now I want my mom, this whole thing has been a lot, can we go home?" Mari looked up at Adrien, Nino fought the urge to go and hold her, he was Alya's boyfriend again, not Mari's husband. 

"That's actually wise, we told your parents Adrien had managed to get permission for a sleepover, so going home is wise and you two probably need some space, so let's get together on Sunday?" Alya smiled and took Nino's hand, "Let me walk you home?" He could only nod. 

Meet me at Arc de Triomphe tonight Mari walked away with Adrien. 

***

Mari kissed Adirens cheek and walked into her house, and collapsed onto the floor crying. Tom and Sabine came running from the bakery. "Marinette what's the matter!" Sabine held her close.

"Did something at your sleepover sweetheart?" Tom placed a hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head. All the old smells of home hit her, the love of her parents overwhelmed her. All the things she'd never thought she'd see again were in front of her again. She looked up at them, "You'll never believe me." She curled into herself. She wanted Nino, she wanted to mourn the loss of their child. 

Tom and Sabine shared a look of their daughter, "Tell you what, we'll close the bakery early and you can tell us everything upstairs." Sabine smiled at her.

Marinette nodded. She stood tall and shared a small smile with her parents and headed up to their living room. She didn't sit rather she looked at everything, how could it be? She'd been gone for eight years. "Tiki?" it was almost odd to have the Kawimi back at her side. 

"Yes, Marinette?" The small Kwami looked at her from her purse.

"You know what happened to me don't you?" Mari didn't look down.

"Oh, Marinette." The kawimi wanted to fly out and be with her holder, but her parents came up, so the kawimi hid back.

The family sat together. Marinette took a deep breath, "I've been gone for eight years. So was Nino, we went to this place called Dou Luna..." Mari told them the whole story, mostly. She left out the soulnames part because that one barely made sense to her. She also left out the Miraculous wish and said it must have been some fluke, "And mom, I was pregnant before I left, Nino and I were gonna be parents."

"Oh baby..." Sabine held her daughter, "How far along?" 

"Eight months." She collapsed into her mom. Feeling her strength fill her. 

Her father's strong arms held them both. "Marinette, if you want we can go to the hospital and see if your body remembers being pregnant? You know put your mind at ease? I can make up some crazy story and be a demanding Father." 

"No Daddy," Mari giggled, "Everyone knows I'm Adrien's girlfriend, that would raise too many eyebrows." She passed, "Why do you believe me, it sounds crazy."

"You're our daughter, and we noticed as soon as you walked in you didn't act like you, yes you looked like you, but you carry yourself like a much older woman, you carry yourself with more confidence than you did yesterday." Sabine smiled softly. 

"And when your mother was pregnant she always had her hand on her stomach just like that." Tom pointed to her hand. 

Mari blushed, "I'll have to break that habit quick." 

"What are you two going to do?" Sabine took her hand and rubbed the back of it.

"We don't know, we haven't told them yet, we are gonna call tonight and sort it out. Because How could we explain it? Nino and I know have the mind of an adult, like a real adult... Do you mind if I go up to my room and rest? My head is spinning and I want to think through some stuff before Nino and I phone." She stood, giving each of her parents a kiss. 

"Of course sweetheart, your father and I were gonna go out tonight, is that okay?" Sabine took her hand one more time. 

"Of course Mama." Mari walked up to her room and fell into her chaise. 

Tiki flew out of her purse and laid on her chest, "I can answer your question." Mari lifted her head, "If we transform, I can tell you if your body remembers." 

"Oh. Maybe later? Why did I lose my baby?" 

Tiki smiled sadly, "Alya and Adrien wished for the you they knew, not the you who was there."

"So the price for their wish was Nino and I's life, but in a different way and we have to hold on to the memories..." Mari cried softly.  

Tiki, let her chosen cry, for a while, then shared the news with her, "I have something to tell you Marinette." Mari looked up, "Because your more grew up even if it's just in your mind, you and Nino will have new superhero outfits. Would you like to see yours?" 

"Tiki Spots on!" The warmth and safety of Tiki's magic-filled her. Ladybug's no longer looked like she was wearing an onesie, Mari walked towards her mirror. "Woah!" She was wearing a dress that reminded her of her dance costume she had designed back in Dou Luna. The main bodice of the dress was similar to a jumpsuit, it was a halter-top, with a sweetheart neckline, that black with three red strips, one down the back and on each of her sides. The jumpsuit ended just above her knees and looked deceptively like a skirt. She a simple pair of black boots that went to just above her ankle. At her waist sat her yoyo and a detachable skirt that kept her ladybug spots. It was both a skirt and blazer, kept closed by a single button. The skirt seemed to flow with her, like Chats tail, never getting in her way. When she undid the bottom the skirt came off, but the blazer stayed closed. Her mask stayed the same and her hair which had always turned back to pigtails now left her hair down and pulled a few strands out of her face with a bow that had long ribbons. "Spots off." 

Tiki looked at the girl sadly, Mari knew, there be time to celebrate the new costume later and learn about all the changes but for now, she cried. Morning the loss she had. 

Just dusk started settled over Paris, she and Nino met at the top of Arc de Triomphe out of sight of people. She stood and looked and Nino, He hadn't seen her yet, she took a second to take him in. Gone was his old Carapace costume. 

He stood tall, in with a hat that reminded her of the one that she had him, but it had a chainmail-like design coming down to cover his neck and a simple green mask that looked to still be attached to the hat. The outfit no longer looked like green spandex but like leather armour, he now had a breastplate and backplate that clasped in front with gold clasps, two pauldrons that joined in the front, his forearms were coved with to braces the handguards attached them. He had a hip belt that fits smoothly under his back and breastplate and two tassets attached to it. Deep green spandex coved his upper body under his armour while the armour was more of a natural green. His legs were coved with a material that reminded her of Chat Noirs suit only they looked more like metal, with a plate-like pattern that reminded her of drawings of knights. His boots came to the middle of the calf. His new shield was no longer a circle, It reminded her of the shields in a coat of arms.

But more than the new costume, she saw what she imagined her parents saw in her, a confidence that didn't belong to a young adult, but to a man who had gone through some things. She loved Nino, but she was a young adult again with a boyfriend who loved her and looked at her like she hung the moon. She knew she and Nino would always be bonded, but what were they going to do now? They'd been given a chance to live out the what if Adrien and Alya never came to our school storyline, could go back to their first loves? Like their love never existed? 

With these thoughts running through her head. Hey, Shelly you looking for me?

He turned to see her and his face lit up. Oh, Dotty...