The Thief Returns?

Breaking news! Chat Noir, the prime suspect in the Copycat case, has shocked the world by stealing a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci from the Louvre! What's more, he reportedly took a girl hostage as part of his ploy to escape from the police. Who is this girl, and what's her relationship with him? We promise to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all!

"Here we are, little lady," Chat Noir announced good-naturedly as he landed on Marinette's quaint balcony, snapping the dazed girl out of her daydream.

Marinette let out a breath of relief as she felt her feet touch the ground - she didn't think she would ever get used to heights. "Thank you, Chat Noir," she murmured, lowering her head in appreciation. She was grateful to him not just for bringing her home - she was so very glad that he had accepted her again, instead of pushing her away. That meant more than the world to her.

She pressed his ring tightly against her chest, vowing to never let it go again.

"I'll see ya around, Purrincess. Try not to get into trouble." He gave her a two-finger salut, lengthening his baton with his other hand at the same time. In the blink of an eye, the skilled thief seemingly vanished from the balcony, leaving Marinette alone to her devices.

The young designer shook her head bemusedly as she watched him leave. She couldn't quite believe he had called her princess, and had even thrown in a cat pun at that. But that was one thing she liked about him, how he could lighten the atmosphere with his teasing words no matter how serious the situation was.

Feeling giddy like a schoolgirl enamored by her first crush, Marinette had a little skip in her step as she swung open the wooden trapdoor and climbed down into her cozy attic bedroom. After having too much excitement for one day, she felt completely exhausted and wanted nothing more than to collapse into her soft and fluffy bed, but she knew she had to face her parents sooner than later. And she would rather do it now and get it over with.

Marinette exited her bedroom and descended the staircase, each step leading her closer to doom. She swallowed as she pushed the door that led to the bakery open, mentally bracing herself for her parents' speech that was no doubt incoming.

Just as she had suspected, Tom and Sabine were both standing in the kitchen, wearing matching stern gazes as she walked into the room.

"MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!" Her papa roared, his angry tone making her wince. Uh-oh. As soon as they used her full name, she knew she was in big, big trouble. "Do you have anything to say about a certain news report we happened to see this afternoon?"

"Er...well...that is..." Marinette stammered, nervously toying a strand of her dark blue hair with her hands and not knowing where to start. She didn't think anything she said would help make the situation better. Perhaps it would be best if she didn't say anything at all...She clamped her mouth shut, waiting for her parents to speak first.

"Imagine our surprise when our daughter appeared on the news!" Her maman added, her grey eyes stretched wide with worry.

"I..." Marinette trailed off when unexpectedly, her parents rushed forward to hug her, squeezing her so tightly that her breath was knocked out of her lungs. "Oof! C-Can't breath!" she gasped as she was enveloped by her papa and maman's comforting warmth.

Sabine kissed her on the top of her head. "We were so worried, Marinette! Are you okay? Did Chat Noir hurt you? What happened after he took you away?"

She blinked at her parents, surprised that they were more concerned than angry. "N-No! Chat Noir didn't hurt me at all. He was a perfect gentleman," she reassured them, her cheeks heating as she recalled just how nicely he had treated her. Saying that he had been just nice was a severe understatement. As she imagined how intense his gaze had been when he had promised he wouldn't push her away, her blush deepened and spread all the way to the tips of her ears.

"He...he just needed to use me as a diversion to escape from the guards. But then he let me go without doing anything. Really," she insisted when her parents shot her dubious looks. At least they hadn't noticed that she was closer to Chat Noir than one would think, she reassured herself with a sigh.

"Are you sure you're alright? You're not hurt anywhere?" Her father demanded, carefully inspecting her with his eyes as though she was a fragile doll that would break at the slightest touch.

Marinette inclined her head. "Yes, Papa! I'm perfectly fine!" she assuaged him, smiling brightly to show her parents that she truly was okay. In fact, she had never felt happier, feeling like she was on cloud nine. Ugh, she really couldn't get Chat Noir out of her mind.

"But he's that thief, Chat Noir," Tom muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Wasn't he the culprit in that case with...what was his name?"

"Copycat," she responded promptly. Of course her parents would've heard that on the news, she realized with an inward groan. Convincing them was going to be harder than she had hoped. What could she say that would make them believe her...? "But I don't believe he's the one who killed that criminal! Chat Noir...he's a good person." She couldn't stop a fond smile from tugging at the corners of her lips as she defended him, which she hurriedly hid behind her hand.

"Hmm. It almost sounds like you know him personally," Sabine remarked, tipping her head to one side as she studied her daughter thoughtfully.

Marinette gulped, looking everywhere in the room except into her maman's eyes. She felt as though the wise woman could see straight through her. She really couldn't hide anything from her parents, could she?

"No! I mean, just from the way he treated me when he held me hostage. When he noticed that I had tripped and scraped my knee - which wasn't his fault either! - he even bandaged my wound," she explained, fingering the handkerchief that Chat Noir had wrapped expertly around her knee. She could almost feel the lingering warmth from his hand on it. At least what she had said was partially true, she thought to herself. She couldn't very well just tell her parents that she did know him, and rather well at that! She would never hear the end of it if she did...

"Did he really?" her maman asked, smiling slightly.

Tom still didn't seem like he trusted the thief. "He wasn't the one who got you hurt though, was he?" he asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.

"No, not at all!" Marinette denied at once. "And besides, he had so many opportunities to hurt me, but he let me go, safe and sound." This much was true. Even when she had first met him as a little girl, she hadn't been afraid of him because he hadn't done anything to hurt her. She knew, even then, that he was a good person she could place her trust in. Not to mention how he had kept his promise to protect her, even after all those years. This was something only someone with a strong moral sense would do. She felt warm, just thinking about him.

"Well...You do have a point. And we know that you are a good judge of character. We'll trust your decision," Sabine conceded finally, wordlessly signaling her husband to do the same. "But please be careful, sweetie. We don't know what we would do if anything happened to our dear daughter..." she shuddered at the thought, her normally kind gaze filled with concern.

"I will!" Marinette promised solemnly. "I...I'm sorry for making you guys worry," she added, unable to hide the guilt in her voice.

Sabine shook her head. "It's okay, sweetie. As long as you know to be extra careful next time. We're just grateful that nothing horrible happened to you..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish the awful thought.

"C-Can I go back to my room?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course," her maman agreed warmly. "You must be tired after what happened. Do take it easy for the rest of today."

"Thank you, oh, thank you!" She gave her parents another quick hug before she returned to her room, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Plagg the kitten padded over to her side, happily rubbing his little body against her leg. "Plagg!" she cooed to the adorable black kitty in greeting. "Thank goodness that went better than I expected..."

She smiled as she stroked his fur, her lips tugging into a frown when her fingers brushed against what felt like a piece of paper tucked behind his collar. She pulled out the note and opened it, gasping as she scanned its contents.

In intricate handwriting, the words Meet me tomorrow in the school gym at 5PM. - A.A. had been scribbled on the scrap of paper. A.A...it was a note from Adrien! Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. But when had the note gotten here? She definitely didn't remember ever letting Plagg outside...

She opened the trapdoor that led to her balcony in one swift motion and poked her head outside, searching for what, she did not know. But everything looked perfectly normal - she didn't notice anything different, or see any suspicious figures loitering on her balcony. So how had the note ended up in Plagg's collar?

She shrugged her shoulders, giving up on finding an answer. She was too tired to try and think right now, anyway. She made up her mind to ask Adrien about it the next day.

That was the last thought that lingered on her mind before she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

School passed in a blur the following day.

Marinette found herself somehow becoming a celebrity overnight, thanks to her classmates recognizing her on a certain news report from the previous day. People wouldn't stop pressing her for questions, though she realized wryly that they were mostly just crazy Chat Noir fangirls asking whether he looked just as hot in person compared to his photos. She refused to answer that one.

She sighed for the umpteenth time as she thought back to what happened earlier that morning.

"Wow, girl. You're so lucky to have met Chat Noir!" Alya had gushed, her hazel eyes brightening as soon as she spotted the other girl. She had been acting quite like a fangirl herself, now that Marinette thought about it. "Oh, I'm so jealous! I would've gotten the biggest scoop for my blog if I had been there! Tell me, girl! What was he like, eh?"

"Well...he was gorgeous," she had mumbled dreamily before coming back to her senses and shaking herself out of her daze. "N-No! I mean, it was k-kind of scary to be surrounded by police. But he was nice to me!" She wanted to hide in a hole and die of embarrassment. She couldn't believe she had almost revealed her true feelings to Alya. Her best friend could be especially persuasive when she wanted to be. It truly was a dangerous skill for someone to possess...

"Uh-huh," Alya had snorted, rolling her eyes. She clearly didn't believe Marinette's story. "There's more to it, isn't there? Wait a minute! Don't tell me he's the guy you've been crushing on," she realized, her eyes glowing like the moon.

"W-What are you talking about? You know my crush is A-Adrien," Marinette had protested quickly. She did have a crush on both guys, but she still hadn't had time to figure out her feelings for them both. But the last thing she was going to do was tell Alya about it!

Thankfully, class had started then, sparing her from having to answer any more embarrassing questions. Marinette had never been more grateful to see Madame Bustier walk into the room than at that moment.

And now, school had finally ended for the day, which also meant that it was time for her to meet Adrien in the gym.

Marinette jumped up from her desk as soon as the bell rang, having been looking forward to the lesson all day. She told her best friend to head home without her, making an excuse that she had to catch up on some work at school before she hurried toward the spacious school gym. It was the perfect place to practice self defense, and she was glad that that was the location Adrien had selected for their lesson. Perhaps he missed his alma mater and was looking for an excuse to come back and visit...

Marinette sucked in a breath when she spotted said model sitting on a bench, wearing a pair of thick-rimmed sunglasses and a black hat that completely covered his gorgeous blond hair. Even though he was under disguise, he looked perfect like aways. He was too busy reading a thick-looking book to see her approach him hesitantly.

"Hi, A-Adrien! You look good - no, I mean - it's good to see you!" She stuttered, instantly cursing herself for always getting so tongue-tied around him. He looked up from the book he was reading and waved her over. She dropped her pink backpack onto the floor and joined him on the bench, making sure to keep some distance between them. She didn't think her heart could take it if she sat too close...

"Hi, Marinette, nice to see you too! I'm guessing that you saw my note?" He asked cheerfully. She thanked the gods that he didn't seem to mind her slip up.

"Yes, thank you for letting me know! How did it end up with Plagg anyway?" She couldn't help asking, recalling her confusion upon discovering the note last night.

Adrien winked at her, the action turning her insides into mush. "No big. I asked a friend for a favor," he said in way of an explanation, but his words only made the designer even more confused.

She wondered who this friend was, but he didn't give her time to dwell on it. Instead, he jumped straight into the lesson. "So, I was thinking what I should teach you," he began thoughtfully, "and perhaps some basic self defense would be best. I can show you some techniques that can help you escape in case you ever get into a tight spot. But the most important thing to remember is to never seek to engage in battle. Promise me that even if someone threatens you or tries to fight you, get away from them as fast as you can and call for help. Got it?"

"I promise," she breathed, understanding his point. It was crucial to run away rather than stay and fight, because you never knew how dangerous your opponent was going to be.

She nodded for him to go on, eagerly absorbing the information he was sharing. As she listened to him, she couldn't stop herself from marveling at his teaching skills. She felt she could understand anything and everything if he was the one teaching her...

"For someone with a small frame like yourself, it's important to throw as much of your weight into the attack as you can. I think the best approach would be for you to use your shoulders, as you can easily shift your weight into them. We can start with some basic stances, and then go into detail from there?" he suggested, rubbing the back of his neck absentmindedly with his right hand. Marinette noted that he had a habit of doing this whenever he was nervous, and she found it rather endearing.

"Sure!" she agreed, jumping to her feet. The sudden movement made her head spin, and it took a second before she steadied herself.

"You're very eager to learn," Adrien commented with a small smile. He didn't say it out loud, but he found her eagerness adorable. That was what he liked so much about her, how she always did her best no matter what situation she found herself in.

She blushed at his compliment. "Of course I am! I...I don't want to be a burden on him..."

"Oh? Who do you mean by 'him'?" the model asked curiously, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"N-No one!" she squeaked immediately, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Er, I just want to help a friend. That's all."

"Sure, sure," he said, his emerald eyes sparkling as though he knew exactly what she was talking about. But there was no way Adrien could know about her relationship with a certain thief, right?

Mystified, she dismissed the thought as he continued the lesson. Soon, Marinette was too engrossed by what Adrien was teaching her to think about anything else. She took in every word, and followed his each and every move carefully.

By the end of the lesson, her muscles were aching and she was sweating heavily, but she felt she had learned so much from Adrien even though it had only been a short amount of time. He had shown her a variety of stances and basic punches, and even taught her how to throw her shoulder into her opponent to catch them off guard. These were definitely skills she could use should Hawk Moth ever send someone after her...not that she ever wanted to face him again!

Adrien checked the time, and made a face. "Shoot, I forgot the time! I have a photoshoot I should be getting to. Sorry this was all the time we had today," he apologized, grabbing his book from the bench and throwing his jacket over his shoulder.

"Don't worry about that at all! I know you're probably busy, but you still took time out of your schedule to help me. Thank you so much for teaching me!" Marinette responded gratefully. She hesitated, just for a moment, before adding shyly, "Y-You're a good teacher."

Was it her imagination, or did his cheeks redden ever-so-slightly? "You're a good student, Marinette! Oh, by the way - " he pulled something out of his jeans' pocket and handed it to her.

Marinette stared at the small, white card he'd placed into her hands, her brain not registering what it was until she peered closer at it. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. It was his business card! She couldn't believe he was giving her his contact information...

"This way I won't have to go through Plagg to send you a message next time," he explained with a grin, his thoughtfulness making Marinette's insides melt. "Make sure to practice when you can!"

"I will!"

He beamed at her, his smile shining brighter than a million suns, before he quickly turned and jogged towards the school entrance. Marinette picked up her backpack and followed more slowly after him, lost in her own thoughts.

She rubbed her hands together, feeling a little nervous but excited at the same time as she thought of her upcoming mission. She could finally do something to help Chat Noir, instead of always waiting for him to be the one to help her. She wasn't going to let him down.

"Just you wait, Hawk Moth," she vowed to herself. "We'll get you back for everything you've done to Chat Noir!"

She quickened her pace on her way home, eager to finish putting together the gorgeous ladybug outfit that she was designing for her mission...

A/N: Thank you so much again for all of your wonderful reviews and support, and hope you're all staying safe! I apologize for the delay, I've been a little busy and I was trying to catch up with some long anime (cough One Piece cough). But now I'm back!

The first part of this chapter is fitting for Father's Day, maybe? XD Happy Father's Day!

Hope you liked this chapter! Leave a review and let me know what you think? :) A macaron for your thoughts? :P

Next chapter preview - Marinette walked into the bar - (sorry I had to, you know that was coming right? XD) Marinette goes on her mission to the bar, but things don't exactly go according to plan...