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Marinette groaned at the many cat puns in Chat's letter but bittersweet at the same time.

   She decided to check to see if Chat Noir replied and found a new message. She felt an ache in her bones after reading about her friend having problems as well. They were both having a crummy day.

Marinette wanted to cheer Chat up and knew just how too. She re-folded the note then headed home to get a new piece of paper and a special something on the side.

   The baker's daughter walked into her home went upstairs to her room. She pulled out a secret shoebox tucked within her closet and opened it. The box was filled with all Chat's letters from over the years and placed her new one on top.

   She smiled at a memory before returning to her mission to get the "special something."

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Marinette had an extra skip in her step and happily headed to the park. This particular day was a special one, her birthday to be more precise. She decided to go to the park after school to see Chat Noir's new letter.

The bluenette sat down behind the bushes, grabbed the jar noticing that it weighed a little heavier than usual. With a raised eyebrow, she untwisted the lid and opened the jar to reveal a bag of strawberries.

Marinette reaches into the glass jar and pulled out the bag filled with the red fruit then the letter. She unfolded the paper and began to read.

Dear Bugaboo,

Happy Purr-thday, Milady!

I remember when you told me your favorite fruit was claw-berries so here is your gift from me! I hope they are still fresh when you receive them or this purr-esent is going to be a cat-astrophe.

~Chat Noir

   Marinette giggled and scanned the red berries for any hint of them rotting. Yet, there was no hint of them going bad anytime soon. In fact, they looked as if they just came right from the store.

She opened the baggie and took the fruit out, taking a bite out of it. Her eyes expanded and hummed in delight. These were the best strawberries she's ever had!

The bluebell-eyed girl ate the rest of them and was very disappointed when they were gone. Wiping her hands off, Marinette grabbed a new sheet of paper and a pencil.

Dear Chaton,

Thank you for the present! You didn't have to get me a gift, but it was still very sweet and thoughtful of you in doing so. The strawberries were still fresh and absolutely delicious! You're going to have to tell me where you bought them from so I can get some more.

~Ladybug

Marinette drew a usual ladybug then folded the letter. She placed the paper and pencil into the jar, taking Chat's letter out to save. She knew she would never forget this and wanted to return the favor in time.

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   Marinette grabbed the fruit she knew Chat liked (he asked her what her favorite fruit was so it would be nice to ask what his was too in return). She found it a bit strange that Luka would like this fruit since she swore it was something else. She shrugged it off, returning to the park with a new sheet of paper and a banana in hand.

   The bluenette crawled back into the opening and placed the yellow fruit inside the jar, hoping it wouldn't rot. She grabbed the new sheet of paper and began her next letter.

Dear Kitty,

I'll always be here to support and be your friend when no one else will be. I can tell in your letters that you are truly a good guy, Chat. I trust you even if I don't know you or what is going on in your life.

You are a very precious friend of mine too, and I wouldn't trade the world for that.

~Ladybug

P.S.: I hope you enjoy your banana, tomcat!

   Marinette drew her signature ladybug and tucked the folded paper next to the yellow fruit.  Screwing the lid back on and tucking the jar back in its usual place, the bluenette smiled at her work well done.

She truly hoped that he would like the surprise before it rotted into an icky brown. It would be very disappointing if the banana did go bad, bringing a nauseating smell and horrendous look. Yet, the thought always counted. Right?

Marinette was relying on that thought, optimistic that the cat himself would be glad about receiving a gift from her. With that belief running through her mind, the teen snuck out of the bushes and left the park.

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"Hey, Natalie?"

The woman looked up from her work at the nervous blonde standing at the doorway. It had been a while since Adrien came near his father's office but didn't dare to step in any further. The assistant didn't question the teen and set down some paperwork on Gabriel's desk.

While her boss was locked up, Natalie was to temporarily take over the company and keep everything organized. Yet, the company was not doing so well as the ratings decreased every day.

At some point in time, the bodyguard, chefs, and maids would quit since there was no one to pay them.

The bills will skyrocket until the mansion would be sold. Then, Natalie and Adrien would have to find a new place to live in. The teen would be devastated leaving the only home he's ever known. The place where he grew up in since he was just a baby.

Natalie would have to hunt down for another well-paid job.

The only point in keeping the company going was to scrape up as much money as possible. Natalie needed every penny she could get once the company came to its end. It was only a matter of time.

"Yes, Adrien?" The assistant said, giving Adrien her full attention. The teen was a bit surprised how the woman gave him her full attention, unlike his dad. He always wondered if it was supposed to be the other way around. Yet, he didn't mind it at all.

"I was wondering if..." Adrien hesitated, nervously scratching the back of his neck. Natalie waited patiently for Adrien to finish his thought.

"Can I go to a public school?" He asked, quickly. The woman blinked then thought it over. She wouldn't be around forever to teach Adrien his required lessons and it would help him get out of the house instead of being locked up.

All Adrien wanted was to have a normal life as a kid. Natalie didn't see anything wrong with that wish. She nodded in approval, making the young model light up like a Christmas tree.

"You'll have to wait until the new semester starts though. Things around here right now are about to get more complicated," she stated.

"I can wait. Thank you, Natalie. You really are the best," Adrien complimented before leaving the room with a giant smile. Natalie couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face. Then, she frowned and sighed when returning back to the paperwork.

She hoped that this would all be over soon. Just like ripping off the bandaid, but it would be much slower and more painful of a job.

"Oh, Gabriel," Natalie sighed, massaging her temple, "Why did you do it? Why did you throw away your whole life's work and more importantly, ignore the only family you have left?" She glanced at the pictures of Adrien modeling on the wall then turned around to see Emilie's portrait.

"Why did you disappear and leave your son behind to deal with this mess?" She asked, not getting a response. She wasn't expecting one and went back to work with the same question constantly on replay.

Why?

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