Author's Note: 
    The bonus part is coming soon. In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoy part 3.

  Zoe's POV:

   I felt myself wince in pain. Ugh, my ankle. What had I done to it?

  Was it because that "silly cat" had distracted me during my latest battle?

  I  hoped my new coworker would not notice. I looked for him. When I did not see him right away, I frowned. Why was I sad?

     "Zoe?" I heard a familiar voice and turned around. "Luka, you are okay!" I said relieved to see him and hugged him. He seemed surprised but hugged me.

    "You are hurt," he said with a frown. Is nothing; it is just a scratch," I was about to say, but I found myself speechless.

  He picked me up before I could protest. He took me to my home and laid me on the sofa. He also put a bandage on my ankle and told me to keep off it for a few days due to a possible sprain.

      I looked at him in surprise.  "Wait, but you work with the cats at the shelter," I objected. "True, but I was a professor of science and a nurse back in Italy. It was before she left me."

      "Luka, I am sorry, " I said. "Don't be if it had not been for her, I would not have met you," He said. 

       Suddenly he was so close I could stare into his cute turquoise orbs. 

   I felt him lift my chin with his hand. I gasped in surprise.

   "L-Luka, what are doing?" Great, now he knows I stutter when I get nervous. 

    "Shh," he said as he put a thumb near my lips.

    Before, I could ask him what that was all about he walked away.  I sighed as he left.

      Could it be I liked him?  I tried to reason with myself that he was a pest.  A handsome pest. Fine, I like him. Was he about to kiss me?  Why did I wish to find out?  I felt a tear touch my cheeks. 

      "L-Luka, what are you doing to me?"  I asked. I felt silly about the whole thing since he could not hear me. 

    I did not know that he was still standing on my porch.  I stood up slowly and went to close the door. "What did I tell you about staying off the ankle, Mademoiselle?" He asked. I gulped. "Sorry, sir, Luka," I said with sarcasm I did not know I had.

     He closed and locked the door. Then, he carried me back to the sofa, despite my protest. "I can walk you know," I said. "I know, but you need to be careful," he said.

     "I know, but..." I said. "But nothing, you are important to us all," he answered. I nodded my head.

       He walked off. I felt disappointed. His presence kept me feeling less alone.  He returned with a bag of ice. He prompted my ankle up with a pillow and added the ice to it. He handed me some pain medicine. I swallowed them and looked at him. Big mistake.  He was looking back at me. I could see he held pain there.

   "Who was she?" I asked. He sighed. " Jackillian, She was my fiance. Only it turned out I loved her more than she loved me. I caught her making out in the reception hall the day of our dress rehearsal. It was then, that I found out her true colors. I was devastated and walked away. I promised myself never to get close to someone ever again. I left town and traveled the world for a while, but I needed a fresh start. So, I came here." He said.  

    "I am so sorry she did that to you, L-Luka. It reminds me of  Carl."  I responded.

 "Carl,  who is he?" Luka asked. "He was my love, or so I thought. I found out he used me to get to my sister the day he dumped me for her. " I replied.

    "It seems we both have been treated ill-willed by those we thought held our hearts," he said. He looked into my eyes and I found I could not pull away. I leaned in and he did the same, but before our lips could touch he pulled away. "I am sorry, I thought you ..." I trailed off. 

       "Not until I can be sure you feel the same," he said. 

     I nodded my head. He smiled. He held my hand. "Zoe, you are one of a kind," he said. I frowned. That was what Carl had said. "Go!" I shouted at him.  He let go of my hand.

   Luka stood up shocked. He looked hurt but did not say anything. He walked down the hallway, entered a room, and shut the door. I could hear him in there talking to himself. "Where did I go wrong?" 

    It is not you, it is me, I thought. I suppose I am not over Carl yet.  Ugh, why? Why when I knew things were going so well between us did I have to think about Carl?

   I sighed. Luka deserved better than me anyway. 

  Little did I know that Luka was in the other room pacing the floor.   I fell asleep. When I awoke, there was silence. Luka sat at the table but did not look up as a approached. The silent treatment huh? I supposed I deserved it after I yelled at him.

    I fixed myself some cocoa and drank it. I placed a cup in front of him. I saw him look up in surprise.  "You know she used to fix me this all the time," He said. His face had a far-off look as he spoke.  I reached over and grabbed his hand. I did not say anything. I did not need to, his face said it all.  As a tear rolled down his cheek, I knew I had to fix things between us somehow. 

      Flap, flap...I saw it fly toward us at full speed.

     "No!" He yelled suddenly dropping my hand. He snatched it up and closed his hand over it. I looked at him in shock when he opened his hand to reveal a dead akuma.

      "W-who are you? W-what are you?" I asked.  I felt afraid of him. I did not know why, but I was.

        "Zoe, wait! I could not let it, harm you," He said.  "It was after you, you confusing, man," I said.

      Luka held me close. I tried to push him away. "Please, you have to believe me, I won't hurt you, I promise." He said. "That is what Carl said to me before he tore my heart in two," I said. 

      He looked into my eyes. "You still have feelings for him. I can't kiss you when you don't feel the same for me." He said. He frowned. "I will wait for you even if it takes a thousand lifetimes, I will." 

   I pulled away. "L-Luka, I am sorry," I said. 

    I reached down and pulled off the bandage. He looked at it in surprise. "It is as good as new, h-how?" He asked. "I don't know," I lied. I could not tell him my secret. I mustn't.

     "Are you Ladybug?" He asked. I hated myself for this, but I had to. "Are you kidding? Me Ladybug, as if, I am just a normal girl who works at the animal shelter, but a hero. No way, you must have me mistaken for some other girl," I said.

       He shook his head. "I know you are ladybug," He whispered. 

Find out more in Spots vs. Claws 3.0 Bonus Part

Until then,

bye-bye,

little owlets!

Summer out!

Author's note: The next part will go back and forth between Luka's point of view, and Zoe's point of view since it is the Bonus part.