They arrive home in silence, physically and mentally exhausted from the hospital. Adrien drops his keys into the bowl by the front door. Marinette leans on the wall, taking deep breaths. "Are you okay?"

She waves her hand, dismissing him, "I just need to sit down, don't worry about me. You were very strong today, by the way." She slips off her shoes and makes her way to the couch in the next room.

He follows her diligently, holding her hand from her seated position on the couch, "Thanks, but I don't want to talk about it tonight, if that's okay." He says soberly. She nods understandingly.

He closes his eyes, mentally switching avenues, "I snagged something the other day from the Manor after I went to confront my father. I honestly forgot about it until my father brought it up; but it's real home definitely is here with you, Great Guardian." He manages a little smile as he pulls the Miraculous Grimoire off the bookshelf in their living room. He lays it in her lap, "It's all written in some kind of code though."

"Oh, I remember this thing," she runs her hand over the embossed cover, smiling to herself at the memory.

"You've...seen this book before?"

She nods, "I... well, Tikki and I took it from you one day at school because she said it was supposed to belong to the Guardian and we had to return it to him."

He cracks a smile, "And then my father threatened to take me out of public school?" He confirms the memory, sitting down and putting an arm around her.

"Yeah, but I couldn't let that happen, because I had a bit of a crush on you," she leans into him, "so I convinced Master Fu to let me return it."

"Well, I'm glad you did, even if you didn't know you were putting it right into Hawkmoth's hands." He chides.

She dips her head, "Hindsight, and all that. Plus if you never came back to school, I wasn't going to be able to stare at you all day like I normally did." She kisses his cheek.

"In a non-creepy way, I'm hoping?" He snickers.

She shakes her head, scrunching up her nose and smirking, "Nope, in a totally creepy way, definitely."

They laugh together, a cathartic release from this unimaginable week they've had.

"It couldn't have been too creepy if I didn't notice," he adds.

Mari cracks open the book absentmindedly, "I think that's what made it-" her eyes lock on the page, "-creepy."

He follows her gaze, "Hey, who's that cutie?", he comments on an early form of Ladybug drawn on the page.

Her eyes scan the page frantically, "I...can read it."

Adrien does a double take between her and the page. "Like, you see words? You understand it?"

She nods, turning to different pages and seeing the same effect. The symbols on the page shift before her eyes, becoming French script.

"It must be your Guardian powers or something," he looks at her in awe.

Entranced, she quickly searches the book for a particular page, "'Ultimate Power'" she reads, "'Ultimate Miraculous Power can be achieved when the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are fused by the wielder, and a single wish, a Miracle Wish, may be granted, able to alter reality itself.'"

"That's what my father said, it's how he planned to bring mom back."

She keeps reading as if she didn't hear him, "'But the cost of the wish is a required equal payment to the universe. For example, a wish to become human would result in someone losing their humanity.'" Her eyes grow wide, gripping the sides of the book.

He shakes his head, "Father neglected to mention that part."

"Of course he did. But for a man who plagued Paris for a decade, the 'price' was probably an afterthought," her voice lowers, her body swaying slightly at the sight of the book.

Adrien notices this and clones the Grimoire, pulling it to the other side of the seat. Her hands clench as if still trying to hold onto the book that wasn't on her lap anymore. "I think that's enough for tonight," he cautioned, holding the back of his hand to her cheek, feeling how warm she's grown. "Let's get you to bed." He stands up and holds out his hand.

She blinks hard a few times, taking some deep breaths, "Right. Yeah, that sounds nice."

~

Their alarm blares at 9am the next morning. Adrien inhales deeply, stretching under the sheets, but is caught off guard when the alarm isn't shut off promptly like it normally is when it's on Marinette's side of the bed.

He rolls over in their bed, "Mari, I know you don't want to get up, but at least turn that thing off,"

She's on her side, facing away from him, when he goes to put an arm around her shoulders. As his skin contacts hers, he immediately throws back the blankets, feeling her burning up. He gets up on his knees and coaxes her onto her back. Her bangs are plastered to her forehead from sweat and she has her arms wrapped around her abdomen. Her lips move, "I think, it's a cold mixed with allergies, don't worry," she says hoarsely, keeping her eyes closed. "I felt it coming a week ago," she dismisses.

He feels her cheek and forehead, finding she's hotter than the previous night. "What do you mean? I'm going to find our thermometer." He jumps out of bed and rummages through their night stand.

She shakes her head, "I-I just need some water," a dry cough escaping between her words, "I'm fine." She insists, swinging her legs out of bed and onto the floor. She gasps as she tries to stand, a shooting pain ripping through the right side of her waist. "Aghhn-!" she grunts, bracing herself against the mattress as she sits back onto its surface.

"Mari!" Adrien snatches the thermometer and runs to her side. He sets the thermometer to take her temperature, "Is this happening because of the Grimoire? From using your Guardian Powers?" Her temperature reads 102F (38C), and his heart drops. "Let's get you checked out." He says in a low, wavering voice before scooping her up into his arms.

She doesn't fight him anymore, realizing something is seriously wrong. She wraps an arm around his shoulders, "It wasn't the Grimoire" she mumbles, "I said I felt this coming...kinda. I didn't think it was anything."

She winces as he sets her down carefully on the living room sofa so he can put on his shoes and hers. "W-when did you start thinking something was wrong?" He asks in a level tone, just needing answers.

"The night I set off the smoke alarms..." she admits. "I felt dizzy and had to sit down because my right side was cramping. That's why I didn't see the food burning in time". He zips up the boots he slid onto her feet before picking her up again. "I know I should have told you or asked our doctor, but I thought I would be overreacting, I thought it was normal." She shakes her head at her past self, tearing up a bit.

"That doesn't matter now," he assures her, bringing her into the hall and stepping into the elevator to bring them down. "You just need to stay with me."

Still dressed in their pajamas, Adrien in P.J. pants and a white undershirt and Mari in a pink patterned set, they get into their car as the sun just starts to shine down over the rooftops of Paris.

~

In a flurry of action, Marinette is wheeled off to an examination room to the tune of muffled camera shutters going off in the parking lot. Adrien follows closely behind.

After a few physical tests and questions, the nurse says formally, "We think your appendix may have ruptured, combined with a torn membrane which could have gotten severely infected. We'll need to run more tests to confirm your situation. You'll have to remove your jewelry and other metals from your person." The nurse informs, "Change into a gown and I'll be back to take you for the test." She dismisses herself, leaving them alone.

Marinette's heart beats hard in her chest, paralyzed with fear as Adrien helps her change out of her pajamas into the cloth gown. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispers, silent tears streaming down her face, "what does this mean, what's going to happen?" she frets, eyes closed as she curls up on the cold mattress.

Adrien sits down behind her, trying to hold in his own panicked tone, "W-we don't know for sure if it's bad. Maybe it's a routine issue." He leans down and holds her against his chest, closing his eyes.

She doesn't respond, she only reaches up to remove her Miraculous and holds them out for him, "Keep them safe,"