Marinette looked at her pale grey skin and greasy hair in the mirror. She had one hour until Alya came to drag her out of the apartment and to the New Year's party Kim and Ondine were throwing in their new apartment. She pulled down on her cheeks, her lips pursing as she checked out the right and left side of her face, she looked terrible. There were no other words for it.

She'd been working herself to the bone over the past week, wanting to fill the empty void Chat had left her with when he'd returned home. He'd wanted to stay. He'd begged her to let him stay, but she knew he had already missed enough being here over Christmas. It wasn't fair to take him for New Years as well, not when he was going to be coming home to her soon enough. They were merely weeks away from his homecoming and she really couldn't wait.

Christmas had been wonderful, even if she spent the night with her head down Luka's toilet, and she never got a chance to give Chat Noir his extra special gift that night. He didn't complain in the slightest at receiving it the next morning.

Her energy seemed to have been fluctuating a lot, wavering between being recharged to the max and dragging her sorry ass across the floor; and knowing she was going to have to be awake for majority of the day she'd giving herself the day off (positives of working for herself) and spent it watching reruns of 'Friends' in bed. Yet, she still felt completely drained.

"Marinette, don't you think you should see a doctor or something? Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look good."

Sighing, Marinette looked in the mirror again, Tikki floating alongside her, her face laced with worry.

"I'm just stressed," she uttered, moving over towards her shower, "it's everything with work, and helping at the bakery. Then there's Chat's impending move, and keeping our identities secret. Not forgetting to add that Gabriel's about to go for retrial."

Stripping herself down, she stepped under the warm sprays of water as they battered against her body, her eyes closing voluntarily, yet involuntary staying that way.

"Marinette?"

The feeling was so nice she didn't want to move. The warmth of the water, the gentle hit of the spray on her bare body, her heavy eyelids closed.

"Marinette?"

She felt her breath steadying, the long drawn out exhales and comfortable feeling.

"Marinette?" A sharp pain hit her arm, her eyes dragging open and trying to focus on what had just attacked her, only to come face-to-face with her Kwami.

"Sorry, Tikki."

She continued to wash up, hair, body... a quick shave, before stepping out the shower into the cold confines of the bathroom. Luckily, the cool air woke her up a little and she managed to manoeuvre herself around enough to get her hair dried and styled before moving onto her make up, coating her face with as much concealer and foundation as possible, anything to give her a little bit of colour and a little bit of life.

She grabbed her straighteners running them through her hair before heading back into the bedroom and finding her dress for the evening. Alya told her she needed to dress up, her response being 'why?' After all, her husband wasn't there so what was the point? To be honest, she was tempted to stick on her Chat Noir onesie and go out in that. It was warm and fluffy, and comfortable. Instead she was going to be freezing her ass off in a little black dress that she knew would draw more attention than she'd want.

Alya had promised she'd look after her, that no one would come onto her or get too close, Luka agreeing to be her bodyguard just in case. But she didn't want a bodyguard, or her friends protecting her. She wanted to snuggle up on the sofa with her husband by her side counting down to their first New Year together, making out and then going to bed. Now that was a perfect evening.

Slipping on the black dress she wandered over to the mirror turning side to side as she looked at her reflection.

Makeup - she didn't look grey anymore so that was a good sign. Also the huge black rings around her eyes were covered really well, she'd give herself a seven out of ten.

Hair - straight and down. Styled good enough.

Dress - oh my!

Her hands wandered over her body as she looked in the mirror. The dress didn't quite fit the way it had when she made it, just another issue with not wearing her onesie.

"Remind me to tell Chat no more malted milk balls. I'll be the size of a house at this rate."

Marinette looked at the small paunch at her lower stomach, one made from the fine luxuries her husband kept bringing her and from her lack of superheroing over the past few weeks. But it needed to stop... either that or she needed to join a gym, not that she had the time or energy.

Feeling even more down about herself, she opened the wardrobe and grabbed out her calf length knitted black cardigan, at least one thing she was wearing could be comfortable tonight. She checked the alarm clock again, ten minutes until Alya turned up and the night began, she really wasn't in the mood.

•••••

Adrien observed his apartment, boxes piled on top of each other, clothes in suitcases and furniture ready to be collected.

"You all done kiddo?" Plagg hovered over him with Kaalki, both examining the lack of a living room he used to call his home.

"I think so, maybe I can get Nino or Alya their Miraculous and they can help move the stuff through the portal. Super'd up I reckon we could get it all to Paris in half a day."

"How are you going to explain that to your manager? You know the guys hanging around here like a bad smell." Plagg replied in his usual tactful way.

"I don't really care anymore, I just want to get home, and finally it's worked in my favour and I can surprise my beautiful wife tonight that her husband is back home for good."

"Poor woman's going to have a heart attack."

Adrien laughed, moving around the room and boxing the last of his remains, the little momentum's of his time in the USA, his time healing from the wounds inflicted on him from his father. He was quite sure they wouldn't have healed so well if he'd stayed in France and he was also quite sure he wouldn't be in this position with Ladybug if he hadn't left.

Ladybug?

Marinette?

He still wasn't certain, but the thought lingered there like a good smell, because if Ladybug was Marinette his wildest dream would actually come true.

They say you can read a person's soul through their eyes and he was quite sure he could read them both loud and clear, because they were the same! He couldn't deny he felt mental doing it. Pushing his deepest desires onto something he had no clue about, but the warmth it spread through him to think she was his best friend in more than one way just made him unbearably happy.

But there was still the chance she wasn't Marinette, and to be honest he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He had said, from day one, that it didn't matter who was behind the mask but now a seed was planted in his head it mattered – a lot.

He was one more smushy thought away from belting out Michael Bublé's 'Home' at the top of his lungs...he was coming back home after all.

"Getting all mushy again over there? You're doing that weird stare thing."

Adrien shook his head, freeing himself from his thoughts of what ifs and maybes. He was happy, Ladybug made him happy, why should it matter if she was or wasn't Marinette?

Because he wanted her to be Marinette, so badly.

He cursed his thoughts, ashamed of himself for thinking about another woman whilst married. It was as bad as cheating, and he resented himself for it. She deserved more than a half arsed husband.

"Just thinking," he sighed out, continuing with his packing. A couple of VIP certificates, a couple of photographs of him and the team, and his diploma from Stanford. Hopefully once he was back with Ladybug, this betraying thoughts of Marinette would pass, because when he was Ladybug, Marinette rarely entered his thoughts.

"About?" Kaalki prompted, obviously they were in a nosey mood today.

"Just about moving back to Paris," he sighed, technically that wasn't a lie, "I never thought I'd see the day I returned."

"It'll be worth it, Kitten, I promise." Plagg smiled at Adrien, before returning to his own job of packing up his cheese. Obviously his little companion had forgotten Paris had a rather large selection of its own non plastic cheese. "I know what you're thinking," Plagg commented from within a drawer, "and stop it."

Adrien laughed to himself, grabbing the tape and closing the box tightly. That was just about everything.

"So what's the plan?" Kaalki asked, making sure they had all their supplies ready too.

"I believe she's out tonight with some friends to let in the New Year, so I'm going to teleport in and kit the apartment out in roses and candles, and when she returns home tell her that she's now got me there for good. It's going to be romantic and wonderful, then she'll cry and hug me and maybe...you know."

"Nobody wants to know, you just tell us!" Plagg announced, returning back to the other two.

Adrien's phone started to vibrate on the kitchen table, the face of his best friend hauntingly staring back at him. He picked up checking the time and seeing it was almost 6pm, meaning it was getting closer to midnight back in Paris, time seemed to have gotten away from him whilst he was packing, and thinking of Marinette.

"Hey man," Adrien said, opening the phone screen and looking directly into the eyes of Nino, Alya and Marinette, a very white washed Marinette. It wasn't like she was ever tanned, but she was ridiculously pale, almost ghostly.

"Hi, we just wanted to give you a call and wish you a Happy New Year." Nino said, only for it to be followed by yells of Happy New Year from the girls either side of his best friend.

"Happy New Year to you too. It looks crazy there."

"Yeah, it is! Kim's just started a game of beer pong, and he and Alix are going at it." Nino turned the camera rather unsteadily to face the table where Alix had just nailed a perfect bounce straight into Kim's cup, the room erupting into a cheer followed by chants of 'down it'.

Nino turned the camera back to face him and the girls. He looked again between his friends, keeping a steady conversation with them both as he focused on Marinette. Her eyes were dim and her demeanour said she was everything but okay, had no one noticed this. It had never been mentioned in conversation. She attempted to smile at him, but it went no further than her lips, her eyes void of any emotion.

"Listen guys, I need to go. But Happy New Year and hopefully I'll see you soon." Closing down the call, he hit the phone against his hand. He was worried about her. Marinette was always brighter than life, and right now the brightness had gone; another similarity struck him to his mother, he made a mental note to get her to the doctors when he returned. Hopefully there was a specialist around that could take a look at her for him.

"Right," he announced, "it's a couple of minutes until midnight in Paris so let's get this show on the road." As excited as he was, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling hanging over his head. He'd deal with that tomorrow though, right now he needed to get home.

•••••

"Alya, I'm going to head home."

"It's only 10 minutes until midnight, girl."

"I'm just not feeling it tonight. I -" she sighed, looking longingly out the window.

"You miss him too much."

Marinette nodded her head, stretching up and reaching for her wedding ring attached to the necklace, bringing it out of her dress and pressing it to her lips.

"I can't see everyone kissing their loves, when my husband is halfway across the world. I'm sorry Alya, I know you worked hard to get me out the house."

Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette, taking her by surprise. "I understand, and to be honest you've lasted longer than I expected you too," she laughed, Marinette joining in with her first real smile of the evening. Even seeing Adrien didn't do anything for her, not when she wanted to be home and with her Kitty.

"I'll speak to you tomorrow?" Alya asked, Marinette pulling herself out of her friend's grip and heading towards the door.

"Of course."

Wandering into a close alleyway near the apartment building, she called her transformation and bounded through the night, waving and greeting those calling out to her as she made her way across the rooftops and to the privacy of her home.

She could hear the final countdown as her feet hit the balcony, her arms resting on the railing as she looked out over the beautiful city she both lived in and defended, the city of love...the city that was failing her now.

"City of love, my ass."

"Now there's a greeting."

Gasping she spun around, the wide smile of her partner and husband standing behind her.

The screams of 'Happy New Year' echoed around her, and all she could do was stand and stare. He was here, but he wasn't meant to be here.

"Aren't you going to kiss me? Isn't that how you welcome in the New Year?" he said, the smirk she adored so much taking over his face, his eyes glowing brighter than any of the fireworks in the sky.

"I thought you couldn't make it," she whispered, for some reason her emotions had kicked up a notch, and she could feel the tell tale signs of tears pressing behind her eyes and making her nose tingle.

"I thought you were at a party?"

"I didn't want to be there with all the couples, not when my husband was somewhere else."

His smile faltered a little, no longer reaching his eyes and she saw him search her face.

"You okay, Kitty?" she asked, his eyes resparking as he made his way closer.

"Yeah," he smiled, "everything's fine."

She began to move, meeting him in the centre of the balcony.

"You still haven't told me how you're here?"

"I live here," he said matter of factly.

"I know that, but I thought you were busy."

"I was." He positioned his hands on her hips as he pulled her closer into his body. "I was packing ready to return home."

"A bit eager aren't you?" She slid her arms up and around her neck, "you don't move for a month."

"Tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" she asked, her eyebrows twisting in curiosity mixed with confusion.

He moved his head closer to hers. "I am moving home tomorrow, technically it's now today." His breath hit her lips, her own catching in her throat.

"You're coming home?" she asked as though she'd dreamt it. Was this actually happening? Was she getting her husband? The tears she was holding slid from their confines and trailed down her cheeks. He was home, he was finally home.

"I am, I'm all yours beautiful."

She stretched up onto her toes feeling more alive than she had for the past couple of weeks. From now, there could only possibly be one way, and that way was up. The two of them together as always. Them against the world.

She drew him into her, the strength of her arms pulling him tighter to her chest. A blossoming of flowers finally reaching their incarnation, exploded as their lips pressed to each other; the complete bloom of a new year, a year in which they were together.

"Happy New Year Kitty."

"Happy New Year M'Lady."

The fireworks continued in the distance, along with the faint sound of Cara Nightingales newest release. Wrapped up in each other's arms, they swayed to the music, welcoming the new year together exactly as it should be; dancing and kissing. She looked into his eyes, the glimmer of love, respect and care shining back, and her lips smiled wide and proud. Never had she ever thought someone would look at her this way.

Chat Noir bent down once more, connecting his lips to hers as he pulled her in impossibly closer. Yes, regardless of what was to come, this year was going to be perfect.