Adrien woke up the next morning with a great resolve to fix things. But not like he had in the past, not tricks or manipulation. He made breakfast for him and Mari and waited for her to come down the hall. "Morning," he spoke softly. 

"Morning." She didn't look up at him. 

"I think, I have a solution. Or at least an option for you." he waited to see if she would lookup. She just stared at her food. "I thought you might like to get away for a few days, you know to think through some things? But seeing as we are 'newly married' the public would find it strange if you just left without me, so I thought I would send you to this design seminar, expect you wouldn't have to go.  I would just put you up in the same hotel. So the public would assume that's why you were there."

"Adrien they would still find it strange if I went without you. You run a fashion company now. The public doesn't know that your father still controls everything. They think it's all you." She spoke a touch sharply. 

"Oh..." he sighed and ate his food.

"I want to go visit the God and Goddess." She finally looked at him. "Both of us." She stood, "No more of this you solving our problems. We are a team, yes realizing that the guy I thought was saving me form a bad guy was also the bad guy sucks. But..." she took a deep breath. "I don't need a hero anymore, I need a partner. Together we can be the heroes in our own story." Her smile was faint, not quite real, but he knew she meant it. She reached out her hand to him. 

"I am sorry Marinette. I should have told you sooner. I was just scared that I was going to lose you if I didn't always have some leverage on you." He pulled her into a hug. 

"It's how you were raised, I understand that. But maybe the God and Goddess will have some advice on what to do after all these gifts are pretty rare. maybe they can help us figure out who to take back some control we've lost." She slipped out for his arms, "Let's go get changed and see if we can use Nino or Ayla's car. I don't want the press assuming anything."

"Good Idea." He followed her lead. 

"Oh! We should also get some Macaroons and Camembert. I did some research last night and I those are their favourite snacks." 

"What a strange choice..." He muttered. 

About an hour later they were in the car on the road to the small temple just outside the city. With to small baskets sitting in the back seat. "The cheese smells nasty." Adrien rolled down his window. 

"It's Plags favourite." Mari shrugged as she drove.

Twenty minutes later, they were almost at the top of the hill. "Do you think they know we're coming? " Adrien asked. 

"I'm not sure how much they know and see." Mari shrugged hoping Adrien would take her hints she wasn't in the mood for talking. Her mind was still full of everything she learned. Why had Adrien used Chat, this persona he created for his freedom from his father's plans, to manipulate her into his father's plans.  She couldn't help herself from questioning how real was his love, how long had he been manipulating her, when had he stopped. Then she wondered what she had actually been his first for. Sure, he had been his first official girlfriend but how any girls had he kissed, held close, whispered sweet nothings too. Did she really want to know? Could she afford not to know?

Adrien caught on that she didn't want to talk. But he did. He needed to know they were going to be okay. She spoke like things were going to get better but her distance from him and her silence made him worried. Her mind was still full, he could feel it coming off of her.  She had walls back up. But she still loved him, he could tell that, and she wasn't mad, but she was reserved. He wanted her to hold his hand, and laugh and joke. But he deserved this. He tricked her, lied to her. She knew Chats as a player. Did he dare tell her how many girls he led on? 

Suddenly Marinette stopped. "Okay, it's going to drive us both crazy. So just tell me." 

"Every female model I worked with after I turned 15, I took out on a date at least once." 

"How many did you kiss that wasn't in front of a camera for a shoot." 

 "Um, I never kissed any of them for any photoshoot, other then cheek and hand kisses, any kiss was staged at my father's request." 

"Okay, so how many did you kiss as Chat on those dates..." She hated that she even had to ask. 

"I can't remember... Less than half of them." He looked away.  "It was a taste of freedom and no one knew I was Chat. So I didn't think of what would happen when I found my soulmate. Because I didn't think anyone would know." 

"Okay. Did you do anything else with them?" 

"I made out with a few of my favourites." Mari gave him a look, "Okay that was a poor choice of words but a small number of them. But otherwise nothing."

"Okay, well it's not all that different than what I did with Luka. Other you did it with a lot more girls. But I can't hold it against you. it was just jarring to find out I hadn't been dating the guy I thought. And that I married the player of Paris." She said with a sad laugh. 

"I really should have told you Mare. I am sorry I kept my past from you. After all, I knew all about you and Luka." He opened his arms offering her a hug. Mari smiled at him and returned the hug. 

"Adrien, I still love you. I just feel a bit confused. I have several questions. And I'm not sure who to ask them too. So I'm hoping by talking to Tiki I can get some clarity."

"Maybe Plag can help me too." As he let her go, he grasped her hand. "Please?" She nodded and they finished the walk up the hill. When they walked into the temple, Plag and Tiki stood there waiting. 

"You know normally when couples come to see us they have a baby in their arms." Plag teased. "Oh wait! Is that delish Camembert I smell? Come with me boy, lets chat." 

As the boys left, Marinette lifted up her basket, "I brought Macaroons." Tiki laughed and gestured to her room. 

"So tell me Marinette, what can I help you with?" Her warm eyes just made Mari feel like she could spill her soul. 

"I learned yesterday that Adrien tricked me early in our relationship, and I know he's not the same person, but I just feel... feel oh I don't know!"

"Like you got the rug ribbed out from under you?" 

"Ya! Exactly!" Mari sighed feeling relieved.

"But that's not the problem is it?" Mari nodded, "You're worried about your gift that you never feel real freedom? Whether it's by Adrian or by his dad."

"Ya, I realize I'm the one with the obedience gift, but Adrien's father played him, told love was manipulation, and he doesn't know how to tell his father no, and when he tries his father always has the upper hand." 

"And if Adrien never finds freedom you'll never find yours because you'll never want to follow him."   Tiki voiced what Mari new was true. 

"Ya... Because it's not his dream." Tiki placed her hand on Mari's and they continued to talk. 

Meanwhile with the boys. 

"Plag, I've screwed up." 

"I know. But you can't change what you've done, you can only change what you do now. So your father was stone cold and tried to make you like him, but your not him. So why are you following him?" 

"Because I don't know how to break his control." Adrien looked at his hands. Feeling pathetic. 

"You have a reporter friend, don't you? She and her husband should be able to help you research how to find your way out." 

Adrien shrugged. "Father always has a plan."

"So you're a manipulator, be the one he trained you to be and outplay him. And then do what I know you want to do." Adrien looked at him, he knew Plag was right. He just needed to do something. 

The couple left the temple hand in hand feeling better. Mari noticed Adrien had a new determination in his eyes and she resolved to follow him wherever that took them next.