People find acceptance as a difficult process. 

To accept, you have to fully understand something, and truly think about what you're trying to accept. Because it's not just agreeing on an opinion, when you accept something, it's fully bringing that something into your life and mindset. 

Family was hard for me to accept after I died. 

Family is usually one of the easiest things for you to accept, as it's what you're surrounded with your whole life. But as a person who still remembers their previous life, I couldn't fully bring myself to accept this new family- a family that wasn't mine; and even before then, family was still difficult, what with all the problems I had because of my sickness, I pushed everyone away.

But on my fifth birthday, I realized I had spent a good long time analyzing this new family, and think about my life- Marianne's life and then Marinette's life.

Marinette- someone who I simply thought to be a fictional character created by Thomas Astruc, a show I had watched out of curiosity and fell in love with it all. But it had been years since I had watched it; sickness made me drop a lot of things, more focused on trying not to die.

But on my fifth birthday, I finally, truly, accepted it all.

I'm finally five, was my thought process as I blow out the candles to my cake, my parents cheering, and I roll my eyes at their enthusiasm, but smile either way because I've learned to love their ways. As much as I don't want to forget that their not Marianne's parents, I've accepted that my life as Marianne is done, and that I am Marinette Duapain-Cheng. Tom and Sabine are my parents. 

This is my life now.

I giggled as my father took some of the frosting and swiped it across my mother's face, making her gasp and look at him in disbelief before grasping  chunk of the cake and shoved it on his cheek.

I burst out laughing at the sight, and they both turn to me, smiling before they looked at each other other and both grabbed the once beautiful and delicious looking cake and I screamed as they smashed the rest of it in my face.

Needless to say, we all spent quite a while trying to get frosting out of my hair. Two days later and I'm still blowing frosting out of my nose.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

This is my family now.

-

I learned that Adrien was starting homeschooling while I was starting what was commonly referred to as elementary school in America, I was a little thrown off by the fact that I wouldn't actually get to see him at school. Sure, he went to a fancier daycare than I did, but that was because Gabriel Agreste is extra. 

"Why aren't you letting him go to public school?" I had asked the man one day, staring up at him through my eyelashes, Adrien had run off the find something he wanted to show me. Mrs. Agreste was in the kitchen preparing some snacks and had left me alone with the man that seemed to be the only one suspicious of my intelligence.

"He is my son," he replied, as if that reason alone was enough to be an excuse.

"He'll never get to have friends," I turned to the man, "restriction on human contact is bad for a person, it can change a person for worse if done without choice."

He glared down at me, "And what would you know of that, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

I rolled my eyes, "I picked up a psychology book the other day when I got tired of repeating 'wo de mingzi shi mali nei te; ni jiao shenme mingzi ' to my mother."

I was mildly satisfied when Gabriel looked taken aback by speaking in another language, but said nothing and gave a dramatic pause.

"While I may not know if it'll happen to him, as his closest friend, I will worry about his mental health just as much as I worry about him tripping over one of his toys."

"You shouldn't worry, Marinette," Mrs. Agreste's voice came from behind me, making me turn to look at her, slightly annoyed that the woman had come back already. "I'll take care of him while you're gone, he is my precious son, after all." She smiled tenderly.

I nodded, pursing my lips.

"Marinette," I looked up at Mr. Agreste, "don't make me question whether or not you are a threat. I have thought more than once if it is a wise idea to have you stay in Adrien's life, whether you be a good influence, or a bad one; and if I feel that you are no longer needed in his life, I will make sure you will never have contact with him again."

"Gabriel!" Miss Agreste gasped in disbelief, and I saw a hint of anger in her usually warm eyes.

"You may be able to control his life now, and even without me in his life, he will rebel," I stated, looking up at him. "Adrien is a carefree soul, he cannot be contained for long. You may do so if you please, it will not affect me in any way, but him. You will damage him, intentional or not, and eventually, he will fight back to be free. To be human."

"Marinette! Marinette!" 

We all turn to look at the small blond boy running up holding some new toy he must have gotten recently- until he tripped over one of the toys that was left on the floor. The new toy flew in the air, while Adrien actually face planted before my very eyes, before clanking on the floor.

I sigh, rushing over to him when he lifted his face to reveal glassy eyes along with his red nose and forehead. I pat his head as he hugged me, sniffling, trying not to cry, glancing over at Mr. Agreste with a pointed look.

Said man simply turned away with a frown while Mrs. Agreste set the snacks down and rushed over to her son.

Needless to say, I did not like Gabriel Agreste.