The next day begins like any other normal day: Nino and Alya are standing in the school foyer, the former leaning relaxedly against a wall, the latter fuming.

"I don't get what the big deal is," Nino says, trying desperately to calm his girlfriend down. "If Marinette is sick, she shouldn't come to school."

"Yeah, but today of all days, she needs to be here," Alya protests. "If she isn't here, our plan won't work."

"What plan?"

Alya and Nino both start.

Adrien stands before them, looking even more put-together than usual today in a dapper beige peacoat and an argyle sweater. If Marinette were here, Alya thinks, her best friend's blush could rival a field of roses.

"N-Nothing, no plan!" Nino covers, awkwardly waving his hands in front of his face.

Before Adrien can respond, Alya smoothly cuts in, "You look even more model-ish than usual this morning, Adrien. Did you have a photoshoot before school or something?"

He smiles, any questions of their aforementioned 'plan' falling away from the forefront of his mind. "No, thank goodness — my father isn't that cruel. I just, uh —"

He turns his head slightly, suddenly bashful.

"Have you guys seen Mari?" he asks, recovering. There's a twinkle in his eye, one that Alya certainly does not fail to notice. "I've gotta talk to her about something."

Alya's eyes widen. She glances furtively at Nino.

"No, dude, she —"

Alya subtly elbows Nino in the ribs. "—She said she'd be at school today. What's up?"

Adrien shrugs. "Just, uh…stuff about the photo shoot on Friday."

She narrows her eyes. "You mean the photo shoot that was supposed to be a secret?"

Adrien deadpans. His eyes grow to the size of tennis balls.

"Crud, Alya, you can't tell anyone —"

"Relax, Adrien. Your secret's safe with me."

"Did Mari tell you?"

She crosses her arms, a little smug. "Of course she did, we're best friends. Mari tells me everything."

Adrien narrows his eyes at her. "Everything?"

She smirks. "Everything."

There's a moment of tense eye contact between them — and then Adrien visibly gulps.

"W-Well, anyway, I should get to class," he says, starting to push past them. As if on a second thought, he turns around. "But tell Mari I'm looking for her if you see her?"

Nino gives him a thumbs up. "Of course, dude. See you in a bit."

As soon as he's out of earshot, Alya tugs Nino to her side.

"What was that?"

He shrugs. "Your bet's as good as mine, babe."

"Did you hear how many times he called her 'Mari?'"

"Yup. He's got it bad for her."

"Definitely."

Both of them stare into the crowd of high schoolers for a moment, following Adrien's golden head of hair as it bobs through the wave of students.

"So…is our plan off, then?" Nino asks.

"What? No. Absolutely not."

"But Adrien likes Marinette, and she likes him…so what's the point?"

"The point," Alya says, poking him in the chest for emphasis, "is that both of them are way too chicken to admit they like each other. So they need us to intervene."

"I dunno, Al," he says, still looking out after Adrien. "Maybe that's what he wants to talk to her so bad about?"

Alya shakes her head. "I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, the plan is still on."

"But what if Marinette doesn't show up?"

As if to rub the inevitable in her face, the bell rings, signaling to students that it's time to get to class.

She sighs. Pinches her nose in between her fingers.

"Then we'll just have to improvise. You stick to the plan, I'll figure something out if Marinette's a no-show."

He nods. Points finger guns at her. "Your wish is my command, babe."

She mockingly rolls her eyes, but a blush creeps its way up the back of her neck nonetheless.

"Alright, operation Much-Ado-About-Winter-Formal is go."

When Sabine Cheng's eyes finally open that Thursday morning, she feels like she's been hit by a bus.

"Rrnnggh…"

She rolls over, eyes fluttering open as she checks the clock on the nightstand:

9:45. 9:45?!

"Tom! We've got to —"

She reaches across the bed, but her husband isn't there. In fact, the sheets are cold — he must have already been up for a few hours. But why wouldn't he wake her?

Just as the question crosses her mind, the door to their bedroom opens. In bustles her towering husband, carrying a tray with breakfast. His apron is already messed with flour and chocolate stains, and there are a few crumbs in his beard. She smiles.

"Good morning, ma cherie," he says, depositing the tray gently on her lap.

She can't help a giggle. "But Tom, what is this?"

He smiles. Rubs a hand behind his neck. "We both slept through the alarm this morning. I got up half an hour ago, but you were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to disturb you."

"You shouldn't have," she admonishes, though there is a flutter in her heart at his words. "What about the bakery?"

He shrugs, lowering himself to sit at the foot of the bed. "We don't have any pending orders this morning. Besides…"

He trails off. Sabine's eyes narrow, and she pokes him with her foot.

"What is it?"

"Well, as I was getting ready this morning, I heard on the news…there was an akuma attack last night," he explains. His voice is suddenly terse. She can see a little vein popping in his neck. "Apparently the bakery was, uh, totally destroyed."

Sabine's eyes widen. She starts, almost causing the glass of orange juice on her tray to tip over. "Destroyed? What? How?"

He shrugs. "It exploded, I guess. Like, uh, like a bomb."

Her heart falls into her stomach. "Goodness gracious."

A long silence falls between them. Tom is looking at his messy apron. She's staring at him, then the breakfast on her tray. If the bakery exploded in the attack, had they…?

"I guess I just," Tom starts again, pulling her from her dark thoughts, "I heard the news, and I wanted to fix up a little breakfast for you. Just to remind you how thankful I am."

She reaches her hand out to grasp Tom's arm. He looks up at her, his eyes wary. But she smiles as warmly as she can manage, even with the residual fear pounding in her heart.

"We're fine, and that's what matters. Ladybug fixed everything, like she always does."

He nods. Smiles. "We owe a lot to that girl. I'd bake her a cake if I knew where she lived."

Sabine raises her glass to take a sip of orange juice, and then stops. "You know — isn't it strange that Marinette didn't think to wake us up when she got ready for school this morning?"

He narrows his eyes. "Oh — I didn't even think of that. Maybe she was in a rush because she slept in, too?"

She starts to gently push the tray from her lap. "Or maybe she hasn't gotten up yet!" she suggests good-naturedly. After laying a gentle kiss on Tom's cheek, she stands from the bed and says, "I'll go check on her. Then I'll come back, and we can eat this enormous breakfast together."

He smiles. His cheeks are rosy. "Sounds good, mon ange."

She grabs a bathrobe from the rack next to the door on the way out. The trek up the stairs to Marinette's room isn't particularly arduous, but she finds herself huffing by the time she reaches the trap door to her daughter's room. Perhaps it's because she doesn't usually have to attempt it minutes after waking up.

The trap door squeaks when she pushes it open. She looks around the room, then up toward the loft-bed.

"Marinette?" she calls softly. "Are you up there?"

No response. She puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head, but a smile graces her features. Marinette definitely inherited her heavy sleeping habits from her father.

Sabine climbs the little ladder and peeks over the edge.

"Sweetie? It's time to get up. You're late for school!"

Still no response. She climbs the rest of the way up and approaches the edge of the bed. Her hair has shadowed her eyes from view. Sabine tenderly brushes the hair away —

— and is shocked to feel the sweat on her daughter's forehead.

She crouches down. All but slaps her hand against Marinette's forehead. It's burning hot.

"Marinette? Can you hear me?"

Still no response. Not even a stir. Her daughter is a pale, lifeless shell of her usual-bubbly self.

A chill comes over her. Looking at her, lying there, it's like —

"Tom!" she calls, her voice cracking.

A moment passes, then, "Sabine?"

Louder, screaming, she cries, "Tom! It's Marinette — come quickly!"

(This chapter is tiny b/c I just wanted to reassure you guys I haven't disappeared. Enjoy the cliffhanger!)