•••

No!

No!

NO!

"Snap out of it Marinette!"

•••

Marinette Dupain-Cheng awoke with a start, in her familiar pink bedroom, panting and gasping for air. She felt like she was just being suffocated and restrained and was in desperate need of help. The voice of him screaming her name to stop still rung in her ears.

And so did the lingering feeling of something warm on her hands.

She suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to wipe off her hands, which she did.

She was so confused, and everything was all hazy. Only bits and pieces remained, but they too seemed distant.

The more she tried to concentrate and remember, the more they slipped out from her memories. It was like trying to hold desert sand in your fist or to try and hold water.

"Aah my head is killing me." She exclaimed, while clutching her head. What the heck had happened?

"Marinette?" A high pitched voice was heard from her right and the bluenette turned to face a very concerned Tikki.

In an instant, the little red kwami launched itself on her, hugging her cheek. Somehow, this embrace made her fill with warmth and it felt like she had been longing for it for a long time.

Just a few moments later, Tom and Sabine opened the hatch to her room and seeing that she was awake, launched on her too.

"Oh my dear, you're awake!" Sabine cried out.

"Don't overexert yourself like that Marinette, it scares us!" Tom exclaimed as well.

Both the parents explained the situation to a confused Marinette, how she had been unconscious for about 5 or so hours because of overexertion, and how she had been this way since the carnival. The part of Adrien carrying her made her blush profusely and Sabine chuckled a bit at her reaction. Tikki watched it all, hidden in the covers.

Despite it all behind true, she felt like it wasn't just what had happened.

She was quick to notice her parent's tiredness. Feeling guilty as to being its cause, she quickly worked on to make it right.

"How about you guys take a breather too. Rest. I can practically see dad snoozing over there." She giggled.

Sabine still looked a bit unsure so Marinette took it upon herself to assure her mother.

"Mom, really, I'm good now. I'm well rested too. Now it's your turn."

She was still hesitant, but agreed.

"Okay then, I'll bring up something to eat for you."

"Sounds great! I'll get changed in the meantime though. As much as I love this dress I made for the carnival, I don't think I can sleep in it. Plus it's a bit itchy." She giggled, earning one from her mother as well.

•••

True, when she got out, Sabine has left sandwiches and a glass of juice for her on her table. Marinette, now noticed for the first time how hungry she really was, quickly devoured it in mere seconds.

"Slow down Marinette, you might get sick." Tikki giggled.

Marinette smiled widely too. But she was still troubled. There was a big blank in her mind and the thought of it was making her anxious. There was more to it all, she just knew it. There was no way that she passed out due to stress, she'd been in far worse situations before.

She lay on her bed, thinking. But before she could even try and remember anything, she drifted off to a sleep.

•••

It was a horrible nightmare. Or was it? Somehow it felt like a reality. No, she was sure it was. She just was.

Everything about it made sense. Bridgette, her life, her miraculous, her story, Adrien, their secrets, Felix, everything.

Call it her gut feeling or what, she just knew it was.

Besides, no doubt she was imaginative, but she wasn't that imaginative.

Everything has been far too real, felt too real. Her struggles, her control, her resistance, her secrets. Everything.

And plus, why on earth would she imagine Adrien to be Chat Noir of all people? Even in her imaginations?

That means that the secret was out now. No more hiding. Adrien was Chat Noir and she knew it.

And so did he.

She awoke with a start again, before her alarm went off. She was breathing heavily, having finally remembered everything. Tears threatened to fall as she remembered what last happened.

Of how Adrien held her, screaming at her to stop while she just...with a knife in her hands....

"No! What did I do? Why did it all black out? Why can't I remember? Did I hurt him? Is he alright? Why?" She sobbed.

"Marinette? Why're you crying?"

A sleepy Tikki hovered right in front of her, rubbing her eyes.

"Tikki, how can you act like everything's okay? Quick we have to get to Adrien! He is hurt! I hurt him! Tikk-"

"Wait! Hold up Marinette! What are you talking about?"

"Tikki! Don't you remember? Bridgette? The Fallen ladybug? About Adrien?"

"Who is Bridgette? And what are you even talking about? The Fallen-who? Never in my existence of thousands of years have I heard of a thing like that. And what about Adrien?"

"I-don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"How the kwagatama burned you? How we felt like we were being watched ? About Bridgette? Anything?"

"Marinette, I've heard that name for the first time. And as for the kwagatama, I haven't even touched it ever since your fourteenth birthday. And I've sensed nothing ominous, really."

Marinette was shocked. She quickly looked down, and saw that indeed the kwagatama was not there.

Had it really all just been a dream?

•••

She gloomily made her way to the school, on Wednesday morning. Alya, Nino and Adrien came to visit on Sunday, and Alya came the next two days to hand her the handouts. Sabine and Tom still insisted that Marinette rest and she literally had to argue with them to let her go to school.

"You made it today!" Her bespectacled best friend cheered.

"Yeah, though it was quite an argument." She mumbled.

"C'mon! The guys are waiting!"

She had been preparing herself for this moment. Facing him. Despite what Tikki said, she still believed that it just wasn't a dream. It couldn't be.

But that also meant that she knew his secret, and all those moments they shared together, all that he said to her..

She bushed scarlet, fidgeting. She wasn't ready for this.

But she had to be. After all, maybe Tikki was just trying to save her or something. Maybe the kwami was lying. She had to confirm.

The sight of him chatting happily with Nino did little to no good to her nerves.

Alya noticed this.

"Cheer up girl!" She said. "After all he carried you home!" She winked.

Marinette looked away, mentally giving her best friend the nastiest scowl she could manage.

Thanks Alya, really needed it.

•••
I'm soooo pissed. Like wth? The episodes of FT are being taken down from YT! Ugghhh why? I need that shit! Do something!

Anyway! This is the second last chapter! Next is the last one! Eek imma go write it now! Ta tah !

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Until then!
Belle💕