Who doesn't love a good time hop? How about...a few years into the future? Why not?

Ten Years Later:

"Plagg?" Adrien was sitting upright, staring out the window.

"I'm sleeping."

"Wow," Adrien whispered sarcastically. "How believable. I have a piece of camembert!" Plagg flew from his sleeping place, just to be hurt with disappointment.

"Pas juste!"

"What if she's still alive?" The kwami looked at the clock nearby with a miserable expression on his face.

"It's 4:23 in the morning, S'il vous plait, go back to sleep."

"I can't, Plagg! What if my reves are true? What if she is still alive?"

"She was presumed dead almost ten years ago." Plagg felt sorry for the kid, he had lost his childhood friend. Just that in itself had affected the entire community in a way the Kawami couldn't even realize. But to make matters worse, he had then lost his maman? It was moments like this when Plagg wished he could take his pain away. "Look, kid. I get that you cared about her, but sometimes you just have to face the truth and move on. Maybe eat some cheese?" Adrien rolled his eyes and walked to his window sadly.

"Plagg, Transformez-moi," he said half-heartedly.

"Why can't we go back to sleep!"

In a few seconds, Adrien had been replaced by Chat Noir who leapt out of the bedroom to go on his search for any sign of his petit insecte. He was discouraged, slowly losing faith. He landed somewhere he knew would help cheer him up. He had to see one of his best amies.

As he looked at Marinette, he remembered the first day he met her unofficially. The day he was expecting to see y/n. He pushed the thought aside as he shook her shoulder, earning him a punch in the nez.

"Princesse!" Marinette jumped out of her bed, prepared to fight. When she recognized the masked hero cupping his nose, she touched his shoulders in an apologetic manner.

"Chat, je suis vraiment delose! Vous just surprised me!"

"Oui, I shouldn't have woken you up." He kneeled on one knee and kissed the female's hand. "Mes excuses." When Marinette giggled, Chat stood but couldn't bear to smile.

"Chat? What's wrong?" He shook his head, trying not to get emotional over the dreams he had been having.

"Nothing my princesse should worry about. I should go, I just wanted to hear the voice of an ange."

Marinette crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I thought Ladybug was votre 'ange'." Tikki, observing from under her wielder's pillow, couldn't hold the smile that took over her small face.

Ils sont trop mignons, the small Kwami thought. If only they knew each others identite.

Chat Noir stood closer to the girl, putting their noses close enough together so Mari was blushing. "Who said there was only one in my life?" His eyes were saddened, but there was a trace of joy evident in his face.

Marinette chuckled nervously as she pushed herself away from the flirtatious hero. "Shouldn't vous save the charm for Ladybug?" She regretted her comment as soon as she saw the smug look on the cat's face.

"Does the princesse find moi charmante?" Chat chuckled as his friend scrambled for the words to defend herself, just as she did when with Adrien.

"Wha-I-I-I meant that-I!" Her face was beet red, and that was enough to lift Adrien's spirits. Marinette took a deep breath and slowly continued talking. "I only meant that vous should save the flirting for votre partner." Choosing to entertain his ego, she didn't stop. "I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, could never be worthy of the great, Chat. Noir!" She rested the back of her palm on her forehead and pointed one of her feet as she turned to the side. She opened one eye to see Chat Noir equipped with a smirk and a gleam in his eyes.

"Ha. Ha," he replied seriously. "You are a sucre girl, Marinette." The boy rested a hand on her shoulder. "And you will always be worthy of me, I only wonder if anyone could be worthy of you." He removed his hand, and crossed them, Marinette left speechless.

"Que fais-tu ici, Chat?" His face fell, and he sat on the girl's steps.

"The girl, the one that went missing-"

"Y/n? She was kidnapped, what? Dix years now?" Chat avoided eye contact with Mari as she sat beside him.

"Ten years and 184 days. The police, they confirmed her dead, but..." The boy put his face in his hands, Marinette looking at him with sadness. He opened up to Marinette so much more than he did to Ladybug.

"Vous, think she's still out there?" He didn't answer, instead letting out a sigh as he ran his hands through his hair and letting them rest on his neck. "Chat, vous-"

"Je connais. But should I give up all hope?"

Mari looked at the sad Chat Noir in her bedroom. The shadows and worry on his face made him seem older than he was. "What was in the rever tonight?"

His eyes filled with water, and he did all he could to keep from crying in front of his peer. "Y/n was most likely eight or nine, and a man was beating her insense." A tear dropped from his eye, and the Marinette held his hand in a reassuring manner. "Je suis desole, princesse." Chat wiped a tear and stood up. "You have classe in a few hours." She followed the hero to her balcony as he prepared himself to leave. "Sleep well, Marinette."

"Poor Chaton, he is so concerned about this girl." Marinette looked to her Kwami now floating beside her. "I think he is carrying some of the guilt."

"Marinette, you moved here just as she disappeared. We don't know how long he has vivait in Paris, and we know she impact a whole LOT of people." Tikki sat on the balcony railing and stared at the wonderful city that changed with every passing day, only visible to those who look.

"I suppose."

____________

"Dude! You look like a zombie!" Nino punched Adrien's arm as they sat down at their seats. "Seriously, who died?" Adrien just chuckled and waved his friend's concern. He was not going to allow others to know how much it pained him to be without the one friend he could count on when he was younger.

"I'm fine, I was just having trouble studying for the tester in one of my des classes." Nino's eyes widened in horror.

"World History!" Adrien smirked, and began working on some assignment on his tablet.

"Girl, you need to get some sleep! If Mme. Mendeliev catches you sleeping again, you'll get a detention. What keeps the girl's mind awake all night?" Alya questioned Marinette as they walked into class. Alya put a hand on a hip and stopped walking at the doorway while pointing at the blond in front. "Is it Adrien?" She smirked as Marinette, now sitting in her seat, turned a bright red.

"Alya!"

"What about me?" Adrien asked like the curious cat no one knew he was.

"Rein!" Marinette shouted.

"Nicht viel. Sie ist einfach total in dich verknallt." Alya smiled innocently as she walked to sit next to Marinette. Only Nino and Mylene laughed, cackling.

"What?" Adrien asked his amie with concern.

"Alya just picked up Allemand, and she's being the world's meilleur ami to Mari." Adrien nodded, even smiled. Even so, it was clear only Mylene and Nino were able to understand the words that were spoken.

After class had started and Marinette's face had turned to a lesser obvious shade of red, Adrien's phone rang. He was scolded by the teacher before getting sent to the principal's office. When Adrien's phone was called once more on his way to M. Damocles's office, he recognized the number and made the decision to answer.

"Nathalie? Quoi de neuf?" The woman's voice sounded frantic, unlike the robotic tone he had learned to expect.

"Adrien? I am sending the driver to pick you up straight away. Please meet him outside the batiment."

"But-"

"Au revoir, Adrien." She hung up the phone, leaving the boy in shock.

"Wow, such a shame," Plagg peeked out from Adrien's shirt. "I can't believe we have to leave before le dejeuner!" Adrien rolled his eyes and walked to the main entrance.

"Tais-toi, Plagg." Adrien's eyes went straight to the honking car parked at the bottom of the steps. "Well, that was quick." He ran into the car, not a second later did "Gorilla" drive off. He hit the gas with such force so quickly, Adrien's head hit the seat.

"What's going on?" He knew his odds at getting an answer were laughable, but that couldn't stop him from at least attempting. The driver looked in the mirror, and Adrien could see something in his eyes he hadn't seen in many years: hope.