As Marinette charged into the school atrium she looked around for the one person who she could talk to. Scanning the scene she spotted the familiar pink hair and marched over.

"Morning, everyone." Marinette spoke in her sweet voice, looking between the group of friends currently gathered near the staircase. She suddenly moved her head to the side and caught Alix's eye.

Alix looked back at her master with one eyebrow raised and a slight smirk on her face. Having Alix as a permanent Miraculous holder was actually becoming a helpful situation. For once in her life Marinette had someone to talk to, someone to question. Not that Alix could tell too much, as Bunnyx she wasn't allowed to reveal all that she knew. Including Marinette and Adrien's twisted love lives, but she was sure enjoying the ride, seriously all she needed most days was popcorn and she would swear she was watching a Oscar winning movie.

"Morning Marinette, you look like you didn't sleep too well." Marinette's face changed as Alix commented on her ravelled appearance, sometimes that girl gave too much away with her facial expressions.

"Alix is right, Mari. Was it the excitement of finding out you will have to kiss Adrien?" Kim pulled kissing faces at his friend before bursting out laughing.

"Har har, very funny Kim. Now please would you mind if I stole Alix. I need to speak to her about something very important." Marinette made sure a lot of emphasis went into those last two words, that way Alix knew, not that she didn't already.

"See you later guys." Alix waved at Kim and Max before walking off. Marinette scurried to follow the girl into a quiet, secluded spot.

"I can't tell you anything Marinette." Alix said, she was still facing away from her friend checking the coast was clear for them to talk. Alix was such a fantastic Miraculous holder. She'd never do anything to risk the safety of her job, especially with the guardian standing right behind her.

"As much as I would love to know what is happening with the mess in my life, it's not that I want to talk about." Alix turned around and looked over Marinette.

Alix knew the timeline, she'd seen this one during a recent battle she'd been brought in on. It was going to be slow and painful but the result was magical, and Alix didn't want it to go any other way. Her friends would finally be together and finally be happy.

"You had a dream last night?" Alix asked.

Marinette nodded, so Alix did know what was going on.

"Chat Blanc?" Again Marinette nodded.

"Marinette, I can't tell you anything about it. I'm ... I'm sorry but you're just going to have to get through it some how."

"Alix, I'm barely keeping up with everything as it is, and now having to do this project with Adrien. I just need to know ... will Chat Blanc effect my future."

"The future's unwritten Marinette, it's up to you to choose your own path. You know that." Marinette walked over onto the bench and slumped down. She really prayed that Alix would be able to help in some way. There must be some piece of evidence that could help.

Alix looked over at her incredibly brave friend and wondered if there was anything she could say without changing the timeline. She liked the way this one went. This one went right. In this one they won.

"Listen, Mini Bug," Alix moved and positioned herself next to Marinette. "What is it about the dream that scares you so much?"

"We destroyed the world, Alix, you saw it with your own eyes."

"My older eyes, Marinette, by the time you gave me the right to keep the Miraculous the timelines had already changed."

Marinette looked up at her smaller friend with wide eyes. That was right, Alix had never seen anything related to Chat Blanc. Just what her older self had told her and what Marinette had. She thought back to Timetagger, perhaps their future was different, perhaps her dreams about Chat Blanc were now just that, dreams.

"So, you think it can't happen?"

"I'm not saying it can't, LB. It's just that whole Chat Blanc timeline was derailed when you freed him and corrected your mistake."

Marinette nodded in understanding of what Alix was saying. The timeline where all this happened no longer existed, she'd changed it. She took a deep breath and placed her elbows on her knees before cupping her face. She'd been scared of Chat Blanc for so long she'd almost forgotten all about the timeline changing, therefore things wouldn't happen in that order, if at all.

"Could the dream mean anything else?" Marinette questioned.

"Perhaps your soulmate has finally turned sixteen." Alix gave Marinette a wink before walking away.

Marinette's mouth dropped, could that actually be true? She knew Chat's birthday was somewhere around now, does that mean that her soulmate is actually her kitty cat? Still caught up in a spiral of thoughts, Marinette began to make her way to the locker room ignoring the blonde sprinting over and grabbing her same confidante by the hand and pulling her away to the same secret space.

Adrien needed to speak to Alix, like, yesterday. Why didn't he think of this before? He knew her secret and she knew his, plus she could travel through time. Yes, he'd passingly thought of Bunnyx yesterday, but today ..: today it was solid information that he needed her.

"What's up Mr Darcy?" Alix sat where Marinette had just vacated, crossing one leg over the other. "What can I do for Kitten?"

Adrien winced. He hated when she called him that in public. He'd knew he'd spend the rest of the week panicking that someone had heard her and were just waiting to attack. Either that or Ladybug would appear from no where and take his Miraculous off him. Either way, it wasn't good.

"I had - "

"A dream?" She interrupted before his could finish.

"How - how did you know?" He was stumbling over his words, terrified what the repercussions of this event might mean. He'd had dreams before but this was just so life like, he didn't understand where it had appeared from.

"I know a lot of things, Adrien, you know that?"

"Well, should I be worried? I was white and I had Ladybug hugging me and - and before I woke up I called her by her civilian name?" Adrien moved back as Alix launched out of her seat.

"What?" Her voice was panicked. Every arrogant inch of her had been stomped out. "Sorry," she announced, "I mean. You know who she is?"

He shook his head in sheer disappointment as Alix breathed out a sigh of relief. Marinette was really not ready for this reveal yet. The girl would freak and mess it all up before it had chance to begin. Alix loved her friends and respected them a lot, but if one wasn't ready to know the repercussions were unfathomable.

"No. For some reason I can't remember what I said. I'm guessing that's a good thing?" He began to scratch behind his neck as he spoke timidly to Alix. She nodded her head, before settling back down on the bench.

"Listen, Adrien, I can't really tell you anything apart from what you're dreaming actually happened."

"What? I knew who Ladybug was." Alix stood, placing her hand over Adrien's mouth, his voice being a lot louder than what it needed to be in that moment.

"Shhhhh - Adrien, keep quiet or you're going to give me a headache time travelling trying to sort this out. Now sit down and calm down." She pushed him down onto the seat. His eyes were like tiny kitty eyes glaring back up at her. Suddenly she had the urgency to want to rub his head. She wouldn't though, of course. There was no way she was getting on Gabriel Agreste's bad side, Adrien with messed up hair was definitely a no go.

"I can't remember who it was if that's any consolation." Adrien responded. The last thing he wanted was Alix telling Ladybug Chat Noir wasn't coping. That wouldn't look good for him.

"OK Adrien, anything else happens like this you come to me straight away ok? I think ... I think ... " She looks around double checking no one is in ear shot. "I think the timeline might be trying to get itself back on track." Adrien's eyes opened wide at Alix's answer, and to be honest Alix played being anxious well. She knew what was happening, and it was all because of Adrien's stupidity.

Just a few more months until it's fixed, she said to herself. Obviously, Alix knew Adrien and Marinette had the hardest jobs being Ladybug and Chat Noir, however she had to admit sometimes she felt sorry for herself having to hold all these secrets.

The two separated ways as they advanced the staircase to class. Only five hours of school and Adrien would get some much needed relax time with a friend, only five hours until he could rest in the un-judgmental eyes of someone special to him.

————————————————————————

The day past in a flurry of lessons and, of course, an akuma attack. Mr Pigeon was out again in full force. Seriously, how many times can one man be akumatised? He wasn't even a challenge anymore.

As Adrien waited for Marinette on the stairs in front of the college, he couldn't help but feel anxious about her coming over to his house. True he wasn't someone who always socialised with his friends, but this was Marinette for crying out loud. The girl was literally an angel sent from heaven. If he ever needed someone to talk to or chill with it was her. She was a great friend and calmed him. So why did his stomach feel like it was sitting in his throat?

"You ready to go?"

Adrien felt himself jump out of his skin as a soft and gentle voice snuck up behind him. Placing one hand on his heart he turned around and looked at her. She was smiling her shy smile and had her shoulders tensed into her body. Why did she always look so nervous around him? He'd spend hours lying around thinking about what he had done wrong.

"Oh, hi Marinette. I was miles away."

"Well when you've finished your trip to the moon, I guess we should be going."

At Marinette's mention of the moon they both froze. The moon. Chat Blanc. It was all too real.

"Anyway," Marinette quickly stated, she couldn't think about that now. Alix told her everything was fine so she needed to believe that.

Adrien shook himself out of his trance and began to move down the stairs towards the car waiting. He opened the door for Marinette allowing her to slide over before entering himself.

The car ride to the mansion was silent, and not in a good way. Something was bothering Marinette and it pained him to see her that way. Why was she so fun loving around everyone else, yet when they were one-to-one she seemed to clam up. He'd asked her numerous times about it, and he was quite sure there were only so many more times he could push it before seeming like a needy cat. But he couldn't help it. He wanted to be best friends with her, what they had was special but he wanted ... no needed ... more. For once, a school assignment was actually looking like the best thing that ever happened to him.

The car drove through the metal gates of the Agreste mansion before allowing the two teens out the car. Nathalie was already standing at the top of the steps to great them before allowing them through to Adrien's room. Not without a run down of how they were expected to behave though.

"All work and no pleasure." Adrien grumbled, as he led Marinette to his room. The girl behind him made a squeak, only for him to turn around and be met by a tomato.

"P-p-pleasure?" Marinette managed to squeak out one word before Adrien's eye widened. No, no, no, no he didn't mean to say that. Well he didn't mean it like he'd said it. He inwardly cringed, if she didn't hate him before she definitely would now, and to make it worse, as far as Marinette was concerned one of her friends was his soulmate and he'd just indicated disappointment at not having pleasure with Marinette. Oh could his life get any worse?

Of course, when you think things like that only one thing can possibly happen. The bad luck of the black cat strikes again. As Adrien opens his door he can see that his shelving has collapsed. The only issue being the shelf contained every piece of Ladybug memorabilia he owned. If he was a twelve year old girl he'd be proud to show off his collection. However, as a newly sixteen year old boy he knew she wouldn't find it cute.

Slamming his door closed he indicated to Marinette he needed a minute before disappearing into his room and sweeping all the dolls, action figures, statues and postcards into his nearest empty draw.

"Plagg, don't just stand there, help!" Adrien screeched out a command to his kwami. Plagg, however, was just enjoying the view.

Oh the irony, if only Adrien knew he was cleaning up hundreds of collectables based on the girl currently bright red and standing outside his door.

"Plagg!" Adrien's tribal squeal pulled Plagg out of his pleasure zone and into one of help. The two worked in tandem as they hid the Ladybug items and opened the door for Marinette.

"Sorry about that," he exclaimed, "I ... errrrmmm ... it wasn't ..."

Marinette stretched out to her struggling friend, placing a hand on his arm.

"It's ok, Adrien. I understand."

That was the thing about Marinette, she understood. She always understood with zero judgement. So why hadn't he had the guts to tell her about his soul mark? He knew why. He was a chicken.

"So, I thought we could watch the moving and then perhaps look at couples to compare Elizabeth and Mr Darcey too." Adrien began to explain as he moved them over to his couch.

"Sure. Do you have anything couples in mind?"

"I was actually thinking Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Marinette froze, there was no way she was discussing the romance between herself and her partner. Mostly because there wasn't one.

"Don't you think a few people might come up with that idea? How about another superhero couple, if that's the avenue you want to go down with the assignment?"

Adrien stood and thought for a moment, staring at his intensive blu-ray collection. Who else had a love/hate relationship where the female was too stubborn to admit her love for the man beside her?

'Lois and Clark." Marinettes voice broke him out of his daze. He shot a look at his companion before scrunching his eyebrows together.

"You mean Louis and Clark, the explorers?" Adrien watched as Marinette walked forward and grabbed a disc from the vast array in front of them. She'd never seen a collection like it, and what's more she loved most of what he owned. From the classics to the modern day anime.

"No, I mean Lois and Clark." She took the Smallville boxset from his shelf and began to look it over before continuing to speak. "You know, I never got over the whole Clark and Lana thing. It was always Clark and Lois. They were made for each other, she was just too stubborn to admit it at first. Clark wasn't her type of guy, just like Elizabeth and Darcey."

Adrien looked over to her and let out a huff.

"She's not the only one struggling with stubbornness." Marinette whipped her head round as Adrien blushed and reached up towards the back of his neck. He let out a cough and directed Marinette towards the entertainment set up. He couldn't believe he'd just said that. Worst of all he was thinking of Ladybug again. But she wanted nothing to do with him. She had made that clear.

He turned the box over in his hands. Lois took a while to admit her feelings for Clark, after all she was as stubborn as a mule, maybe there was hope for himself. Maybe, just maybe, if he could get out of his self created mess, she would eventually be his.