Marinette couldn't keep her feet steady as she sat anxiously on the bench outside the New York Police Department station, watching the crowd of people that stood in front of a giant broadcasting screen replaying Cat Noir's leap of death and Ladybug staring down at him, face pale and hands trembling. And if she was being honest with herself, her hands were still trembling.

"Calm down, Marinette. People are looking at you..."

"I don't care..." Marinette bit her thumb-nail and stared down at the pavement, ignoring Tikki's remark, "I can't believe what I just saw... Was that...? No... It couldn't have been..."

"Well, he looked like the real Cat Noir, that's for sure..."

"No, Tikki, I can tell that that wasn't Adrien. My Adrien is different from that..." Marinette yanked at her pigtails, "gah! I need to find Adrien..." She yanked out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, rapidly tapping the screen as soon as her eyes fell on Adrien's. She paced hastily back and forth as she waited, to no avail.

"Maybe he doesn't have his phone?"

"No, no, no..." Marinette groaned, "I can't even reach him..."

"You looking for me?"

Startled, Marinette jumped, but an arm soon caught her from clumsily falling over into a trash can, "oh, thank goodness... Thanks so much... Oh. It's you again."

"Of course."

"Are you stalking me or something?"

"You're an observant girl. But yes. I have 24-hour surveillance on you."

Marinette immediately looked around, "you've got to be kidding me..."

Clair Raven shrugged as he set an arm around her shoulders, "so, what are you tripping over your own feet for?"

She shoved him away, "how could you be so calm?! Didn't you see what just happened to Cat Noir?!"

"Launching himself off the building just like that? Mhm, such a shame. Suicide seems to be occurring among teens his age, hm?" Clair shook his head pitifully, "from the rejection of his family, or perhaps the feeling of loneliness?"

Suicide... Could it really have been... Marinette shook her head, "it couldn't have been... He had his mother, me, his sister... Melodie..."

"Mm, his sister, right? But what happened?" He tilted his head and smirked, "and you, too? But why aren't you with him?"

"W-we got separated... I don't really know what happened, it was mostly a blur..."

"Mhm? That's not really a strong excuse, now, is it?"

"Shut up..." Marinette rolled her eyes at him, "you really make my blood boil..."

"Oh, goodie." Clair skipped around her childishly, once again, "you know, you seem to me like a lost child wandering through the streets of New York. Even an old bum could see that."

"Yeah? I'm the child, because I'm the one skipping around like one."

Clair laughed, "you're so funny! How about I treat you to dinner?"

"How about no?"

"How about..." Clair stopped in front of her and leaned in closer, "I'll collect whatever information about your little boo I can scrape from the bottom of your already-empty barrel, hm?"

"Uh..."

He stood back up and shrugged, "but it seems you really don't like me. So I'll just get going, now. I have way too many clients recently, what made me think I could ever make a spot for such a busy girl like yourself? I apologize. I'll be on my way--"

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

Clair turned, his eyes watching hers expectantly.

"Mm..." Marinette pursed her lips and tapped her already growling stomach, "fine. I'll take you up on your offer."

"Yes! Thank you!" Clair held out his hand to her, "this is your repayment to me for checking into the library under my name."

"What?" Marinette blinked a few times, then groaned, remembering what she'd said the other day.

"Sorry, Clair. I really owe you one for this."

"Ah, so you remember!" Clair clapped, "wonderful! Now, let's get going! I just made a reservation before meeting you here!"

"Already? What if I declined?"

"Then I would have a lovely candlelight dinner by myself."

Marinette laughed as she stood up and started off with him, "oh yeah? Must be nicer than dinner with me."

"Oh no. You're certainly worth a good evening."

"Gee, what an honor..."

"But it really is!" Clair grinned as he slipped his hand behind her back, "so this way, maybe over there at Dequis, the fanciest French cuisine you could find in New York, I assure you."

"Sure."

"Wonderful!" He opened the door for her as she walked in, "and I'll tell you some things I picked up on your little Adrien Agreste."

_______________________________

"This is the place?"

"Uh-huh. You like it?"

Adrien glanced around the hotel room, "y-yeah, it's huge, but it's so expensive. Are you sure you can afford this? I offered to pay, but..."

"No, no. It's all on me, tonight." Marinette smiled as she set her purse down onto the floor next to the double bed.

"Ah..." Adrien blinked a few times, "there's only one bed. Did you forget to request two beds?"

"Well." She moved over to stand in front of him as her hands met chest, "we could share a bed, can't we?"

"Whoa, wait..." Adrien took a step back, "n-no, I don't think..."

"Aw, come on, don't be such a party pooper." Marinette moved closer to him until his back hit the wall, "why are you so scared of me all of a sudden? Don't you love me?"

"I-I do, but..." He stared into her blue eyes. Almost too blue.

"But." Marinette pouted her bottom lip and leaned against him, "don't you want to go all the way with me?"

"N-no!" He set his hands on her shoulders, "no, Marinette! I... I don't think..."

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"Yeah, kind of!"

"But I want you to be comfortable with me! I thought you always were!"

"I know, I thought so too..." Adrien moved closer to the door of the room, "I need to get out of here..."

"No!"

With the flick of her wrist, the deadbolt of the door was covered by what looked like a thin film of darkness.

"Wh-what the..." Adrien stared back up at her, "y-you're not..."

"Of course I am." She wrapped her arms around him as he leaned against the door, "don't I look like her?"

"Y-you sure do, but..." he swallowed hard, "oh geez... Wh-what are you..."

"Sh... Don't talk..."

"Marinette, stop!"

"Adrien, you know you want this..."

The words dripped from her lips as they made their way onto his. Soon, she was kissing down his jaw and undoing his shirt.

"Marinette." He tried to push her off, but he suddenly felt something holding him down. He glanced down at his wrists and saw they were being held down by dark shadows, "wh-what the..."

"You go nowhere."

Those words... Adrien stared at her in horror. That's what I heard... Before blacking out...

Later that night, there was a loud explosion coming from that very hotel, and a dark figure stood on the roof, looking down at the street below.

"Come join me soon, Cat Noir."