Marinette

"So, you're telling me that Emma is Adrien and Marinette's child from another universe and she's been sent here because Ladybug and Chat Noir, from this other universe, need to keep her safe?" Marinette honestly thought she'd lost it...actually no! She hadn't lost it! Adrien had! She was beginning to wonder if the pretty face was actually just a cover for how insane he was.

She always knew she should be cautious of such a heart stopping face.

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but Bunnyx — this giant bunny hero — appeared and just kind of threw the child at me, with little to no information."

"But she couldn't tell you how long Emma would be here for?"

"Well..." Adrien shifted uncomfortably on the sofa and Marinette had never been more sure that Adrien was lying. "That's not exactly true."

They were both seated in Adrien's lounge area. Photos of themselves — together — smiling back almost teasing them both. Did they know what was going to happen? Was this all planned? And the whole Ladybug and Chat Noir thing... the thought of what that could actually mean hurt her head. She knew she was Ladybug, so does that mean Ladybug and Adrien had a thing in this other world?

Or does that mean...

NO! She couldn't go down that train of thought. It was banned. She couldn't know who Chat Noir was, so regardless of the need to question this further, she decided on playing dumb and keeping a close eye on the situation. She didn't want to make herself look more of an idiot by throwing around those kinds of accusations.

"How long then?" she questioned, a slight nervousness in her tone.

"A week... a month — maybe. But there's a chance it could be—" She watched him rub the nape of his neck before delivering the blow she was expecting. "Forever." His words were spoken with as much unease as she felt.

With a groan her hands rubbed up her face, catching her glasses and knocking them from where they were lying. The thick framed lenses clattered on the wooden floor. As she bent down to grab them, her head collided with something hard. Something suspiciously like... another head.

"Ouch!" she winced, placing a hand to the newly forming lump.

"Sorry."

Adrien continued to reach for her glasses, handing them over with a curious gaze. She looked into his suspicious eyes and wondered what exactly had caught his attention.

"You look so different without your glasses on."

The way he spoke turned her insides into mush, and she was almost certain her face was the colour of a fire truck. Her hand shook as she reached out towards her glasses, Adrien offering them out like Prince Charming with Cinderella's glass slipper.

Taking them, she placed them back onto her face and made a conscious effort not to use her hands to fan herself down. The apartment suddenly had the heat of the centre of the Earth.

"Yeah," she replied, leaning back in the chair and folding her arms. She wanted to change the subject before he began asking her about prescriptions. She couldn't exactly tell him they were just for show.

"So what do you suggest we do?" she continued. "Especially about my parents and my friends? I can wing it with Avery, after all, I only met her when I joined Gabriel. But Alya and my parents might have other issues with all this. I'm sure they would have known if I was pregnant and living with the guy whose picture was plastered over my walls in my teen years."

"Excuse me?"

Wanting to die there and then on the spot, Marinette clamped her hands over her mouth and shook her head violently side to side.

"No?" Adrien questioned, his eyes suddenly sparkling brighter than any stars in the solar system. "Are you sure, because I think you just said you had me plastered on your walls? And that's quite an honour coming from you Ms. Dupain-Cheng."

Marinette squeaked which in return only caused Adrien to laugh, the model reaching out to take her hand. "Here's my plan. My father has no idea what I do in my 'normal life' and nobody has ever been here. There's only 2 people who will figure me out and I trust them both with my life. As for you, we tell your parents and Alya the truth."

"The whole truth?"

"Nothing but, well, maybe we leave out the possibility of forever. We'll deal with that if and when it happens." Adrien continued.

"And what about..." Oh, this was awkward! She was about to ask supermodel supreme, Adrien Agreste, what their relationship was going to be. Nothing like shooting high. "...what about us?"

She stood, looking as though she was standing naked at city hall and about to deliver a speech. Adrien, on the other hand, looked calm...chilled...almost — dare she say it — happy!

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to date you."

The room began to spin and she swore she was about to collapse in a puddle of molten Marinette. "Date me?" She'd just about managed to deliver the words at a suitable pitch and volume.

"Yeah, we make people believe we've been together for years. That this is something real and special."

"Oh, so like 'fake date'?" Her heart deflated within her body and she swore it had shrilled to the size of a raisin.

"Yeah, we'll..." Before he could complete the sentence, the monitor — which they'd found in the bedroom — began to signal red, the crying coming out full throttle from the speaker.

"She must need her diaper changed after her nap." Marinette started past Adrien and in the direction of the nursery.

Adrien nodded at her and his face visibly paling under her gaze. It's such a good job Emma had found her, if it was left to Adrien the poor thing would be wearing the same diaper for a week, or maybe worse.

"How about you get out of your work clothes and I'll sort the baby out?"

"Are you sure you don't mind? I mean she was put onto me." Marinette grabbed the monitor, and turned it off, looking at Adrien with amused eyes..

"Do you have any idea on how to change a baby's nappy?" Marinette asked.

"I – um – no. Not really." Adrien stood too and Marinette was quite sure it was a natural reaction to someone leaving a room — probably something his mother and father had instilled in him from a young age.

She let out a light chuckle. "Then let me deal with it please. Last thing we want is a leaking nappy."

"They leak?" Adrien exclaimed, walking behind her and stopping at the staircase in the apartment.

"Everywhere," she winked, continuing down the hallway.

Hearing Adrien mutter to himself as he headed up to the main bedroom – which she was yet to see – she couldn't help but laugh. They were both completely and utterly out of their depths. Not only had it been years since Marinette had babysat anyone, but she also struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle for herself, and, the wonderful, juicy cherry on top, she was a superhero! How was she meant to deal with this?

Opening the door to Emma's room, she couldn't help but smile at the sight. Not only had Emma pulled the sheep from the cot's rail, but also managed to reach every cuddly toy around the bars and pulled them into the cot bed with her too. It was adorable.

As if just noticing her Maman's presence, Emma turned her head to the doorway and began to fuss.

"Mama, mama!"

Her arms stretched over the bars, her little chubby hands clenching and releasing in a want to be picked up; Marinette overwhelmed by the need to be near this child. Even though she wasn't the one to give birth to this baby, Emma still held her DNA and she was technically hers. Never had Marinette thought she would be lucky enough to have a wonderful child, and with someone so out of her league too. How did Marinette from the other universe manage to bag herself such a catch? She must be some ultra bionic woman!

"Hey sweet girl, did you have a nice nap?"

"Tikki?" The answer took Marinette aback. The child knew about the kwamis, and even more curious, she could say the red kwami's name perfectly. This could not be good, she scurried back to the door, and made sure it was closed.

Unzipping the sleeping bag and lifting the warm child from her cot bed, Marinette brought her over to the changing table; laying her down carefully and beginning to remove her tights.

"Ok, little kitten, you know Tikki. That could cause your Maman quite the issue. What else do you know?"

"Baby shar, doo do do."

As if a magical switch was flicked on the conversation, Emma once again directed it back to what Marinette guessed was Emma's favourite song. Leaning down, she grabbed the wipes and a new nappy before undoing the bodysuit and lifting her legs in the air.

"So you like Baby shark?"

"Mommy shar." Emma's hands clapped together as she continued to sing the song, the tuning completely off as the toddler sang at the top of her lungs.

"I can see me and Papa getting a little annoyed with this song, Kitty."

Giggling, Emma looked towards the doorway. "Papa, where youuuuu?"

Marinette smiled at the young child's playfulness. She really was adorable. As Emma continued calling for Adrien, Marinette ran through what the man of the house had just proposed. They 'fake dated' for his fathers sake, yet for her own parents they told them the truth. She didn't mind too much, her parents were trustworthy and Marinette knew they would appreciate the honesty. But could she date Adrien? Would people actually believe someone like her could be with someone like him?

He does!

A voice sounded with confidence from the back of her mind. He must, or he most certainly wouldn't have said it. Oh, how she wished Tikki were here. Her small guide, giving her advice and helping her choose the correct options.

Then there was the added issue of Chat Noir. Ladybug would need to get a message to him asap and let him know she was indisposed for the foreseeable future — or forever. Hopefully, he wouldn't take it too hard.

"All done!" Marinette smiled, lifting Emma up and placing her onto her hip, before heading to the doorway. As she exited the room, Emma began to struggle against her. The small child wanting to get down and run free.

Giving in to the demands, Marinette placed Emma onto the floor watching as she scurried away and headed straight for the staircase. By the time Marinette had caught up with the little monkey, Emma was already almost at the top and shouting for her 'Papa'.

"Woah!" Adrien stepped out of the ensuite only to be attacked by a small human clinging to his legs and almost pulling his towel down. The towel which was the only thing right at this moment keeping his modesty, and, to be honest, a slight devilish part of her wanted the toddler to succeed.

Bad, Marinette!

If she thought her face was burning earlier then she was clearly mistaken. She was about to go supernova.

"I'm so sorry."

Before Marinette could say anything else, Emma's haste had her stumbling from her hold, rebounding off the end of the bed and back to hanging onto Adrien's legs, evidently pulling the towel down at the back and causing Marinette to shriek.

Slamming her hands over her face, she moved forward at a pace to grab the toddler and move away, only to rebound off the same corner of the bed as her toddler and end up as the other slice of bread and Emma sandwich.

All of a sudden, her hands met warm, slightly damp skin as she used his pecks to help stabilise herself.

"I... am so sorry!"

"Papa towel! Emmie towel!"

"Emmie?" Both Marinette and Adrien said at the same time. She turned her head to look at Adrien and smiled. If that wasn't the cutest thing she'd ever heard, she didn't know what was.

"Emmie, bed! Emmie, bed!" Wiggling herself from between them, Emma stumbled her way over to Adrien's bed and clambered onto the pink and grey sheets. Sheets that seemed a little too feminine compared to the guy she was currently feeling up.

A squeak left her mouth as she stepped away, Adrien's hands flying to the towel in the nick of time and spitting him from revealing more than just a little bit of flesh.

"I'll just..." Adrien pointed over his shoulder before heading to his walk in wardrobe and rifling through the clothing. The sound of coat hangers grinding against metal was the only other sound in the room, apart from Emma's jumbled rendition of 'Five Little Monkeys' that was.

"This room is very nice, did you design it yourself?" Marinette cringed as she said the words, catching Emma before she fell off the bed.

"Surprisingly, no!"

Marinette's heart dropped, so his ex-girlfriend did it.

"I have no idea where half the things in my apartment have come from."

"Mama, do it!" Emma suddenly shouted, dropping onto her bottom and scrambling off the bed towards where Adrien was in the wardrobe.

"Emma, come back!" Launching off the bed herself, she headed over towards where Emma had run only for Adrien to start laughing.

"It's okay, I'm dressed. I've got her."

Before Marinette could round the corner into the closet, Adrien came out barefoot in tight fitting jeans and a plain grey tee. If seeing Adrien in a suit wasn't enough to make her head spin, seeing him in something so natural and understated almost had her clinging onto his leg and begging for him to love her. The cotton of the tee clung perfectly to his body and arms, and the jeans fit perfectly in all the right places, however, it was seeing him with Emma in his arms which pushed her over the ovary screaming edge.

"Marinette, you might want to look in here. I think Bunnyx might have left some bits and pieces for you." Adrien's eyes sparkled, Marinette feeling excited without understanding why.

Walking past him and into the closet, Marinette covered her mouth, eyes opening and an estranged noise coming from her mouth.

"Emmie, get it! Emmie, get it!" Fighting down out of Adrien's arms, Emma headed past both of them deeper into the closet. Marinette followed as if the child knew the secret pathway to Narnia.

The tiny blond disappeared in the bottom of the wardrobe, like she knew exactly where she was going, and reappeared with black leggings and a green Chat Noir hoodie, throwing them at her maman's feet.

Bending down, Marinette lifted the items to find the jumper well worn and soft. Bringing it to her face, she couldn't help but take in a deep breath. The smell was mesmerising and almost familiar. She sniffed it one more time before turning to Adrien and recognising the scent was his.

From where she stood, hoody clutched to her face, she could see the entire rails and racks full of shoes, bags, clothes... underwear. Her favourite clothes, clothes she'd designed but never made and clothes she'd only ever dream of owning. She watched as once again Emma headed over to the racks and dropped to her hands and knees scurrying under a rail of coats. She seemed to know everything about this room and about the apartment. Had Bunnyx purposefully moved things around and redecorated? She wasn't overly sure, but one thing she did know, this day was getting weirder and weirder. Emma suddenly reappeared with a rather tatty looking sock. A sock with glassy, green eyes.

"What is this?" Marinette took the black sock from Emma's hands and held it out to Adrien.

His hand came up to the back of his neck in a nervous tick, however, the words that left his mouth only proved one thing...

"I have no idea?! I've never seen it before in my life! Who the hell would own a sock with eyes?"

Adrien Agreste could not tell a lie.