Marinette woke up later in the day as a normal Saturday would go. Well, a normal Saturday would be waking up to screaming and chaos, but this Saturday morning was old school normal. Awaking by the sun hitting your eyes instead of the screams filling your ears. Marinette got up and took a shower, getting dressed to take on her shift for the bakery. She wore some black tights and a dark green baggy sweater she found in her drawers. She tied her hair back into a bun to keep it away from the food, and headed downstairs. Tikki decided to stay upstairs and try coloring with a crayon the same size as herself.

Marinette ate a quick breakfast before tying an apron around her waist and taking over the cash register. The customers rolled in and out, none staying or lingering. It soon became mid day, and Marinette had sold a lot. But Sabine kept filling the cases with food.

She had her back turned when she heard the door bell chime. She turned, and saw Adrien walk towards her. He wore a long sleeve black shirt and an opened dark purple coat. It looked really stylish on him, and the purple brought out his eyes. But for some reason, when Marinette looked at him, she felt the butterflies but not the anxiety. He approached the cash register and pulled out his wallet.

"Hello Marinette. A croissant, two strawberry macaroons, and a cheese pastery, please." Adrien asked.

"No problem." Marinette said confidently. She pulled out a bag, and individually wrapped each item. She put the macaroons inside a box, and handed him both.

Adrien handed her the cash, and she placed it in the register.

"It looks like you have been keeping busy. The croissants are hot." He commented, noticing the heat radiating off the bag that he held.

"Yeah. We keep selling out, but as soon as we sell out of something, it's replaced." She told him. Adrien didn't look surprised, but in his mind, he was surprised. He definitely noticed that constant stuttering over the years, but now Marinette seemed totally normal. Exactly how she acts when she is around Chat or Alya.

"Did something good happen? You seem especially relaxed and happy." Adrien commented, giving a soft smile. Although the smile did not fail to give Marinette a slight blush.

"I had a wonder day yesterday, and a beautiful sleep. Thank you for asking." She replied politely, although the blush was evident.

"See you later Mari." He said. It felt like an arrow shot through Marinette's chest. Did he just say Mari?

"See you later Adrien." Marinette waved back. When he left the store, Marinette started to breathe again, not realizing she was holding her breath.

Sabine swung out of the kitchen and grinned at Marinette.

"He called you Mari, AND you didn't stutter. I'm so proud of you!" She hugged Marinette, which of course she loved. Her mother had always been super supportive of her obsessions. If it hadn't been for her mother, she'd have never gotten into fashion.

"Mama. I've got to tell you something." She spoke. Her mom was all ears.

"I think the reason I don't stutter anymore is because I found another guy that I really like." She confessed. Sabine nodded.

"Let me guess. Is it Chat Noir?" She guessed correctly. Marinette's eyes widened significantly, surprised that her mother knew.

"Don't seem surprised. I walked in to check on you, and I saw you talking to him in your room. I guess he climbed in through the window or hatch. And funnily enough, you were talking about different types of cheese." Sabine pulled from her memory. Marinette remembered that conversation. It was the year before. Chat had his old suit.

"You listened in!? How many conversations have you listened in on?" Marinette asked anxiously. She remembers some embarrassing things, and she hopes her mother didn't hear.

"Don't worry love. I trust Chat Noir. And after that, I didn't listen in on your conversations. And I won't. Just know that he's not allowed out of that suit, if you know what I'm saying." Her mother warned.

Marinette smacked her arm with a towel as Sabine laughed. "I would never." She says.

"Okay okay. I trust you. I'm going to go out for a little walk since it seems a bit slow. Call me if you need help." Sabine hung up her apron, and left the bakery. Marinette wonders everyday how her mother can end a shift with no food stains on her clothes.

Marinette tightened her bun, and waited on the rest of the customers that piled in.

A couple hours later of work, and Marinette was finished with her shift. Her father would take the one closer to closing, and Marinette got dressed. She carried her cushion, sketch book, and pencils with her, and walked out of the bakery.

She walked down the sidewalk, her boot heels clicking on the pavement, the cold nipping at her skin, and her purse bouncing against her leg. Inside was Tikki, who was eating a cookie at the moment.

Marinette found a place to sit on the steps, and set her cushion up. She used her legs as a table, and started to draw. She kind of lost herself in her art. She wasn't sure what she was drawing, but she knew it wasn't fashion since it wasn't in her ideas book. She took a moment, and looked at the picture.

The page showed a very realistic scene. There was a large grand piano, and Chat was sitting down, playing it. He wore a completely black tux with a black undershirt, but there were green threading all over it. The edges were lined in green. And on the piano was her as Ladybug. She wore a mermaid style long dress with a high leg slit, and a deep cut halter top. The dress was red with black polka dots. She realized that the only colors on the page were green and red. Everything else was pencil. She made a couple fixes here and there, and even colored in her and Chat's eyes. She smiled at her work. It did look very realistic and pretty. She wasn't sure where the inspiration came to her, but she wrote it down.

"Wouldn't it be cool to work as a piano player at a fancy bar with the elite class? Or to sing with a pianist?" She asked Tikki quietly. Thankfully the only people around her were farther away, and weren't paying attention.

"That would be really cool. But who would fight crime?" She asked.

"It's just a dream Tikki. I promise I won't leave you." She realized the day was darkening, so she headed home.

On her way home, she felt the presence of someone following her. There were only a couple of people walking around and a couple of buses and cars on the roads. But she knew someone was following her.

She turned a corner, and walked faster.

As she passed an alleyway, she felt two strong arms pull her into the alley, and towards the back.

Marinette tried to kick back, but the person covered her mouth and restrained her.

Once they reached the end of the alley where no one could see or hear, the person let go, and Marinette confronted them.

"Who are you!?" She ordered. The person with the black hood pulled it down, and revealed their face. It looked oddly familiar.

"I was the temporary Ladybug. You remember me." She says. Now that she points it out, everything makes sense. The hair, the eyes, the strong arms.

"Why did you take me here?" She asked.

"There has been a new development in Hawkmoth's case. We have information. When is the soonest time you can come to the dojo to see Master Fu?" She asked quickly and quietly.

"Tomorrow morning. I would be grounded if I left now. Is it extremely urgent?" Marinette asked worried.

"Not at the moment. But there is some time management that is needed. We will inform Chat to come to the dojo as well, and Master Fu will explain to you both what is happening." The woman told her quickly, not wasting any moments.

"Make sure Chat shows up in his suit. Tell him to show up in his suit. I will as well. We don't know each others identities, and I want to keep it that way." Marinette told her, although it sort of pained her to say it.

She nodded skeptically, but agreed. "I'll tell him to wear the suit. Tomorrow morning, meet me at the Eiffel Tower and I'll take escort you there. You have no idea what eyes are around." And with that, the woman vanished.

Marinette walked out of the alley, and continued home.

She headed upstairs and got changed. Tikki flew out of her bag wanting to talk.

"I knew Master Fu was planning something. Last time I went, he told me that something was brewing, and it didn't seem right. Said the auras didn't align." Tikki told her as she was undressing for another shower.

"Tomorrow we will figure out what's wrong. I'm sure that whatever it is, we can fix it."