"Chat you can't be here." Marinette said coldly wiping her tears away, quickly.

"Why not?" Chat was confused. He thought she'd be happy to see him, but she almost seemed mad.

"Because you just can't! Now leave, Adrien!" She quickly threw her hands over her mouth.

Chat was stunned.

"What did you just call me?"

"Nothing, you stupid cat! Now get out!" Marinette quickly tried to pull herself together.

"How did you find out? You told me you couldn't know my identity." Chat mumbled, standing firmly in Marinette's doorway.

"Well-"

"Mommy?"

Marinette and Chat both froze. Chat peered around Marinette to see a worried little girl with dark hair, green eyes, ears, and a tail.

"Mommy, why is Chat Noir here?" the little girl asked, shaking nervously.

"It's nothing Emma. Go to your room." Marinette said sternly, snappings Chat's attention back to her and locking eyes with him.

"But, Momma-"

"Go to your room, Emma! I won't tell you again!" Marinette snapped, still making eye contact with Chat.

With that, the little kitten nervously shuffled back to her room.

"Is she-"

"That's none of your business!" Marinette snapped again. Her eyes were cold and full of hate and pain.

Chat took a deep breathe.

"Plagg, claws in."

There was a green light and suddenly one man was a blonde man and a little floating cat. Still, Marinette would not break eye contact.

"Marinette. Let me see her."

"No."

"But-"

"Drop dead, Adrien Agreste."

With that, Marinette shoved him out of the way and slammed the door in his face.

And now, there he stood, in one of the most remote forests in France just outside of Paris, no way home so Plagg had time to recharge.

Her words just replayed in his head like a broken record.

Why does she hate me so much now?

Adrien tried and tried, but couldn't come up with an answer.

Hours later, it was late in the night, about 11 o'clock or so. Just as Adrien was about to give up and transform, Marinette's front door flew open.

Adrien spun around to see that little girl from before.

She approached him carefully before taking his hand and looking into his eyes. He couldn't look away. While they were the same color as his, they were still Marinette's eyes. The same shape, the same glow, the same sparkle, the same vibrancy.

"Daddy, why did Mommy leave you out here? Why is she mad?"

This made Adrien burst into tears. He crouched down and sqeezed the little in his arms.

"It's okay, Daddy. I know it's you." she reassured him, patting his head.

Adrien collected himself and smiled.

"Let's go inside, it's so cold!" She turned and guided him into her home by his arm.

She sat him down on the couch and sat next to him, just smiling.

"So what's your name?" Adrien asked.

"Emma! Emma DuCheng-Agreste!" she beamed.

"Wow what a pretty name!"

"Momma said she picked it out when she was just a little girl."

"Well my names Adrien Agreste. Nice to meet you Emma!"

"I know silly! That's how I know you're my dad! Duh!" She giggle at her own remark.

The pair stayed up most of the rest of the night until Emma got sleepy and fell asleep.

Adrien carried her to what he assumed was her room and laid her down and tucked her in. Just as he turned to leave, there was a silhouette in the doorway. Adrien's head sank.

"I'm sorry. I know you told me to leave, but..." he trailed, looking back at the sleeping toddler.

"I know. I knew she would bring you in if you waited. She's just got too big of a heart. You two seem to really hit it off, huh?"

"They sure did, Marinette!" a tiny voice rang in from Emma's bed.

"C'mon, Tikki. Let's go to bed." Marinette said, turning.

A little ladybug kwami flew past Adrien from near Emma and suddenly it all made since.

"You're Ladybug."

Marinette stopped dead in her tracks.

"Used to be. I can't always save Paris anymore. Alya doesn't even know about Emma so I can't go off and save the world with no one to look after her. So it's up to the others." Marinette said, painfully, turning to look at a music box on Emma's nightstand. "Now I just have to look after the others." She turned and walked towards her room.

Adrien left Emma's room and headed for the door.

"Where you think you're going?" Marinette's voice echoed from her room.

Adrien turned and followed it.

"I thought you wanted me to go home." He slumped in the doorway.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, where your family is is home. And I don't know about me, but your daughter is your family."

Adrien rushed to Marinette, grabbed her faced, and planted his lips on her hers. Marinette's eyes widened.

Upon parting, he said, "Of course you're my family too."