Adrien gets up and dressed after he awakens to a mysterious beep noise. He knows his alarm clock wore out weeks ago. He has no idea what makes the racket. What on earth is it?

      He runs outside.

   "Marinette, over here,"  He calls out.

   "Adrien, glad to see you."

   "Same, but what is with the beeping?"

   "Beeping, what do you mean?"

    "I thought you heard it too."

  Marinette shakes her head.

   Adrien hears a loud kersplat as the oak tree splits in half and lands with a thud in the street.

    "Oh, no!"

    Marinette freaks out. She can tell the tree has pinned someone down.

    Adrien runs over to help them. He is almost done lifting the tree off them when his hearing aid goes off again. He almost drops the tree back on them.

  Marinette grabs up the person and runs fast away from the sight.

   Adrien stands there in awe that his girlfriend helped him rescue whoever it is anyway.

   "Thanks, Marinette."

    "You are welcome, Chole."

  "Just for the record, I am sorry for all those dreadful things I said about you. I never meant them you know, I was just jealous of you."

   "I  will forgive you."

"Wow, thanks Marinette."  She hugs her.

   Marinette smiles.

    Adrien grins too.

     Marinette can tell something disturbs Adrien as he starts to rub his left ear. She inspects it to see what it is and laughs. She is glad it is nothing too serious. She gently reaches over and removes the hearing aid, and the worn-out battery. There, that ought to do it.

   "I do not know what you did, but the noise stopped."

"Good, 'cause your battery in this was low."

She held up the culprit for him to see.

"Oh, so that is what it was then."

   Adrien took out a new battery, put it in the hearing aid, and with Marinette's help got it back inside his ear.

   "All better now?"

  "Yes, thanks to you."

  "Good, glad to hear it."

  Marinette scowls when she sees the bright red gash on the back of Adrien's neck. She can not believe he never said a word about it to her.  How could he keep this from her after all they have been through?

   "Adrien, what is with that spot on your neck?"

    "It is nothing."

   "It is not, nothing.  So, tell me what is it?"

    "It  looks like a battle scar or something."

   "Fine, well, the other day when I came to help you, I got hit with a blast of something and it left this scar. Then, I discovered my birthmark for the first time a few days ago."

    "Whoa, that must have been scary."

   "It was, but not as much as..."

    Marinette asks to see his birthmark.

    Adrien rolls up his sleeves.

    Marinette sees the outline of a mark on his left shoulder, and another one on his right arm.

     She feels alarmed at once. She believes it is not a birthmark. How is she to be sure?

   Marinette grabs his hand and walks with him. She does not stop until they arrive at the hospital.

   Adrien looks at her with surprise. He thinks how did she know? He never told anyone.

    He feels tears soak his cheeks.

      Marinette goes inside with him.  She waits to see what happens.

           Adrien is taken to a room and she is given access; since she accidentally blurts out that she is engaged to him. Now, why did she do that when they barely started dating?

          "Is he going to be okay?"

          "Well, it's as you thought, neither of those markings is his birthmark."

          "The patch on his neck looks similar though these are a bit faded."

           "I am sorry to tell you this, but your fiance has cancer."

          Marinette feels her heart sink at the news. Cancer, no!   Not Adrien.

     She almost faints.  The doctor catches her. Adrien glares at him.

       The doctor sets Marinette on a bed and sets it up next to Adrien's.  He figures it is the least he can do under the circumstances.

        Marinette frowns.  "It is not a birthmark!  My facial mark is, but y-yours it's..."  She can not bring herself to say it.

          "It is okay, Marinette. I know and promise to fight it for you and us."

*Author's note: Adrien's cancer report is bad news, but now he is going to get treatment for it at last.
  

 Find out more in Chapter 14

         Bye-bye, bye little owlets!

    -Summer out!   
   

Chapter published: November 10, 2020 

Edits made: April 22, 2024