"Sabrina!"

"D-Dad-!"

Roger ran to meet them when they stepped outside, breathing heavy as if he'd run the entire way over. The moment he spotted the trio, he seemed to gain a second wind, bursting forward and taking Sabrina into his arms, lifting her up off the ground.

Ladybug (still beeping) and Chat Noir let him take her, stepping back and then...she didn't see, but they likely left. Sabrina barely noticed much of anything except for her father hugging her tightly, slowly swinging back and forth, crying faintly into her hair. Sabrina hugged him so tightly her arms went numb, her entire body shaking with sobs that hadn't stopped since they'd started.

(What were their faces like, she would later wonder. Were they as concerned and horrified as they'd been on the roof, or were they embarrassed by her? She'd heard the "What?" when she threw the comb, were they upset it was her this whole time?)

The trip home was a blur after that. She vaguely knew her father was guiding her to the car, maneuvering through the small crowd. People who'd come out as soon as they'd been freed, she realized.

She checked her phone in the car, looking at the messages without truly reading them. Her inbox had exploded, full of messages from her dad. The first few were warning her of an Akuma and asking her to text him back, tell him she was safe. She swiped and they slowly grew more frantic, telling her to call if she could and text if she couldn't. Telling her to send a letter, just one, or even a blank text, to let him know she was okay. More panic. Assurances he'd be there as soon as he could, that he was trying to "get out," to hang on, he'd be there, he'd be right there!...

Somehow he'd known. Even far from the school, even without knowing for sure she'd been taken, he'd known.

She began to tune her father back in, slowly coming back to reality. He was speaking quickly, his hands gripping the steering wheel too tight as he filled her in on what she'd missed.

Most of the city would probably be disappointed that the news hadn't been able to record the actual confrontation, but Sabrina considered it lucky. This way nobody would get to see her making a fool of herself on TV – live or otherwise.

Especially Chloé. Chloé wouldn't have to see what she'd done or hear what she'd said, and she wouldn't be able to say anything to Sabrina later.

It sounded – well, from what she could really hear, it sounded – like her dad didn't know the full story of what'd happened either. He knew she was up close to the Akuma, he knew she'd been "trapped," but everything else...

In some ways it felt like Ladybug's luck-based powers weren't just applied in battle.

Sabrina did not go to school that day. Her father attributed it to her feeling shaken from the fact that her best friend had been the Akuma, and the fact she'd been up close and personal to it.

She didn't want to tell him the truth. Any of it.

Not yet.

Chaotic as her morning had been, the afternoon was rather uneventful, even if Sabrina did spend most of it jumping at every sound, half-expecting it to be Chloé, or another Akuma, or even Hawk Moth himself. Her father had taken the day off, citing "family emergency," and they'd sat down on the couch with the TV all day. Sabrina had a blanket around her shoulders, and a mug of tea between her hands.

It kinda tasted like honey...

A lock of Sabrina's hair fell over her face, and she idly tucked it back behind her ear. She almost reached up to adjust her comb, when she realized it was no longer there.

She was suddenly aware of the lack of a weight on her neck and shoulder, too.

It didn't feel right.

There was a story on the Akuma attack later, but all that cameras had been able to catch were the hive army, and a few golden-tinged shots as they tried to leave their vans and buildings. Sabrina was a little surprised, but still had to credit Princesse Abeille's efficiency. In the early hours of dawn, she'd managed to lock-down most of the city before anyone knew what was happening.

Roger had wisely changed the channel when it was clear what they were seeing. There was a cartoon on another channel; they watched that instead.

Sabrina felt herself calming down as the day dragged on. She had her father, she was safe in her apartment, she had hot tea, she wasn't going to school...She did glance at her phone once, just to make sure it was on. Chloé would normally have texted her by now; she probably went to school later and wondered where Sabrina was.

There was no text. Sabrina didn't look at her phone anymore after that, focusing instead on the TV.

Next to her, her dad was tense and stiff. He didn't seem angry or afraid, just edgy. Sabrina couldn't blame him, of course, he'd been like this when she'd become Vanisher and disappeared for a few days, too, but...

Somehow it seemed different than the last time.

A little later, she found out why. "Sabrina, pumpkin?" he asked in the early afternoon, taking his gaze away from the television for the hundredth time to look at his daughter. "Are you all right?"

"Of course!" she made herself say, smiling brightly. "Why?"

Her father exhaled through his nostrils, shoulders slumping. He glanced at the screen – there was a cereal commercial playing, with a cartoon bee espousing the wonders of honey-nut O's.

"Is it because of Princesse Abeille?" Sabrina pressed on, smiling. "I'm okay. I wasn't hurt, she just yelled at me a little bit is all, I think Chloé just had a really bad-"

"It's not...It's not that, honey," her father interrupted. "I know it sounds trivial, but after seeing how bright you've been for the past few weeks, I can't help but notice..." His expression softened more than it already had. "Sweetheart, you look heartbroken right now. What's wrong?"

"...I'm just tired. Can I go to my room?"

Sabrina blinked and checked the clock on her phone. Everyone would be getting out of school right about now. She might have dozed off at some point. Last thing she knew was that she'd immediately shut her bedroom door, and laid down on top of her bed, so she must have fallen asleep.

With a quiet sigh, she set her phone back down and turned her head on her pillow to stare into her room.

The deafening silence, the lack of the tiniest weight on her pillow next to her head, the lack of conversation and quiet laughter, was going to take getting used to again.

("Sabrina! Oh, I was hoping it would be you...")

Sabrina blinked rapidly as she remembered the day she'd met Hanii. How nervous and unsure and upset she'd been...and how kind the kwami had been. Hanii had stayed with her, even when Sabrina lost her temper, and understood why she'd done so. She'd forgiven her, without Sabrina needing to do her any favors or give her any gifts. Hanii had been her second true friend.

...no, she'd been her first true friend. Chloé was no friend to her – she knew that now.

And now her real best friend was gone...

She wondered if the comb had magically been returned to...to wherever it came from. Or maybe Ladybug had kept it. Maybe she'd be the one to find the next wielder.

That thought made a lump rise in Sabrina's throat, and she buried her face in her pillow.

She hoped they knew about sugared petals. Hanii had been really taken with them.

Bzzz

Sabrina's head shot up, eyes wide. Buzzing?! Princesse Abeille was back!?

Oh, no, her phone's screen was lighting up. Sabrina blinked in shock at the familiar contact name on the screen. Why was...? She hesitantly picked up her phone and swiped, opening the text.

And what she saw made her heart leap into her throat.

Where do you live?

Part of her wanted to ignore it. Part of her wanted to ask 'Why?'

But another part of her, the part that had had enough of sitting in her room alone, the part that remembered being in her friends' arms, wanted to reply properly. So with nervous fingers, she typed in her address, double-checking for typos before hitting 'send.'

Her phone buzzed again almost immediately.

Be there in two minutes.

Get an overnight bag, and play along.

Sabrina stared at the phone blankly, trying to process that. Get an overnight bag...? Like when she was going to sleep over at Chloé's? Okay, but if Ladybug was texting her and telling her to get an overnight bag together, then-

-then wait. Ladybug texted that to her. Ladybug told her to get an overnight bag.

She was going to stay at Ladybug's.

What.

"Play along:" Ladybug was going to say something to convince her dad to let Sabrina go out with her. But that didn't make any sense, this was Ladybug of all people and yeah, sometimes her dad had gone against her but in his defense there was overwhelming evidence that something was rotten, so-

But he trusted her! And he'd have no reason to not let Sabrina go out with one of the people who'd gotten her away from the Akuma so-

-unless it wouldn't be Ladybug seeing her dad.

-unless it was-

What.

Sabrina jumped, suddenly realizing she'd lost a precious minute of time. Frantically, her mind still reeling, she leaped away from her bed and stumbled towards the closet. Quickly she plucked her old knapsack from the floor and crammed a change of clothes inside. Stumbling to the dresser, she grabbed her pajamas and a change of socks. Hairbrush, hairbrush, she needed her hairbrush oh there it was, toothbrush! She had to get her toothbrush, she couldn't borrow someone else's, that was gross-

Should she grab some books – no, no, this wasn't a for fun thing, this was probably serious, considering who was coming, she really shouldn't-

She straightened up, and then her eyes caught sight of the brooch on top of her shelves. The rose one, the one Chloé'd given her. Sabrina stared at it, suddenly calmed, and not in a necessarily nice way.

She'd not put it on that morning...Chloé would have been angry about their phone conversation, she had reasoned, so it would have been best to leave it. And here it was, still here, out in the open.

Unconsciously, Sabrina walked over to her shelves and lifted the brooch. It felt heavier than it normally did, the cool metal felt unnatural against her fingers. She rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger, trying to warm it a bit; it didn't help at all.

She stared a moment longer, her chest feeling heavy and light at the same time.

Someone knocked on the front door.

Sabrina shrieked, quickly jamming the brooch inside her bag.

"I'll get it!" Roger shouted from the living room. A few seconds passed (Sabrina nervously approached her still-closed door, shakily slipping her bag onto her back), and then: "Oh, you're..."

"Hi, Officer Raincomprix!" came a familiar, chipper voice. "Is Sabrina ready?"

"Ready?"

"Yeah, we got partnered for a project-" Ladybug was in her class? "-and we wanted to work on it together. But we figured it'd be easier to make it an overnight thing, so..."

"Well..." Sabrina could just see her dad's furrowed brow. "I don't know if you've heard, but she got caught in the crossfire of an Akuma today and if she's not up for it, I don't think..."

Play along. Play along. Play along.

"I can go!" Sabrina cried out, opening her door and jogging out. She put on her best smile, adjusting the straps of her knapsack as she slowed her pace towards the entrance. "I'm okay now, I was just tired. It's not the first Akuma I've dealt with, there's been worse, you know!"

"Sabrina, are you-?" her dad began.

"I'm fine, Dad, I promise! And I really want to get this project done..." She was deliberately avoiding looking at the door, focusing instead of her father and his anxious expression. "I'll be okay, I promise. I called and told her to come, anyway," she threw in for good measure.

Roger looked like he wanted to say something, but something made him pause. He paused for a moment, frowning, and finally nodded. "You're sure," he said, clearly not asking.

"Yeah."

Another pause. "Okay." Roger stepped away from the door to briefly, albeit tightly, hug Sabrina. "Call me if something happens," he muttered before pulling away and stepping back.

"I will," Sabrina said, as she finally turned to the door, taking a few steps forward.

And then she stumbled, her breath catching.

That was Marinette Dupain-Cheng in her doorway.

What.

Sabrina could only gape wordlessly as Ladybug – Marinette – smiled at her, like this was a normal study session/sleepover, this was a normal friend picking up a friend, this was normal...

But then the door clicked shut behind Sabrina and the smile vanished. Sabrina tensed up, stomach churning for half a second before Marinette whispered "Don't say anything til we get to my house."

Which, hey, was fine by Sabrina! She didn't think she'd be able to formulate words for a while anyway.

She saw Marinette start to reach for her hand, or maybe her wrist, before she caught herself and pulled back. Her hands instead rested on her pink bag, one on the strap and the other tightly holding it shut. "Stay close to me," she whispered, speed-walking away.

Sabrina, of course, followed, mind working a mile a minute.

As they hurried to the familiar bakery, Sabrina tried to keep calm. Went over everything in her head.

Okay. Okay, that'd been Ladybug's contact number that had popped up. Ladybug had texted her, told her to play along.

Marinette had shown up at the door. Ergo, Marinette was Ladybug.

Marinette. Was Ladybug.

So Marinette was the one Chloé was cosplaying as and fan-ing over. So Ladybug was the girl Sabrina'd helped belittle. So Marinette had saved both Chloé and herself despite how they'd treated her. So Ladybug was who Sabrina had yelled at that one time.

Dear God, she'd suggested Ladybug was digging through garbage for clothes.

Sabrina gripped her knapsack straps tighter and began wishing for an Akuma to just show up and kidnap her or something. She'd gladly be stuck in Horrificator's goop again or something. Permanently. That'd be nice. Yup.

Her eyes flicked down to Ladybug's – Marinette's – bag. She was still holding it tight, and Sabrina thought she saw it jump a little.

She almost didn't want to know what might be in there.

They'd been walking for quite a while, and finally the silence was eating at her. She had to say something. "Uh, Marin-"

"Hold that thought." Marinette's words were quick, but not snappish. She just sounded anxious, hurried. The bakery came into view ahead of them, and Marinette quickened her pace. "C'mon, hurry. My parents ask, we're working on something for history."

Sabrina nodded mutely, her mouth going dry.

She'd snuck into Ladybug's room to steal something of Ladybug's!

Mercifully – luckily? - Marinette's parents were busy when they came in. All they had to endure was a brief introduction, Sabrina hastily nodding in greeting, and yeah she was sleeping over tonight and they'd be going to school together early tomorrow now they had to get upstairs and work see you at dinner.

It didn't help Sabrina's nerves as they headed upstairs, though, lifting the trapdoor.

Sabrina was allowed up first. She stood anxiously, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she tried to think of something to say. Tried to think of anything other than the fact Marinette was Ladybug and was likely furious at her, or immensely disappointed, or-

The door shut, and Marinette's fingers began working her bag's clasp. "Okay, first off-"

Oh God here it was.

"Someone wants to see you."

The bag opened, and something shot out. Sabrina felt something smack into her chest so hard she stumbled backwards with a short cry, letting go of her own bag. The weight moved up to her throat, and Sabrina had the brief thought of a strangling butterfly.

Then she realized the tiny weight wasn't strangling, but rather hugging. And shaking a little.

And talking, in a very familiar voice.

"Sabrina! Sabrina, oh, my brave, brave little bee!"

"Hanii...?" Sabrina whispered, eyes going wide.

Hanii released Sabrina's neck and floated backwards in front of her face, arms tensed at her sides and eyes tearing up, expression torn between anger and elation. "Don't you ever do something so foolish like that again, do you hear me?! You've no idea how worried I was, and when you weren't at school, and Ladybug and Tikki told me you were probably still at home because if you'd been kidnapped again we'd all know, but-" The tenseness drained out of her and she zipped forward again, this time to hug Sabrina's chest. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright..."

Sabrina's trembling hands slowly went up to Hanii, her eyes still wide and quickly filling with tears. Hanii...Hanii was here, Hanii was still... With a choked sob, Sabrina rested her hands over Hanii in a hug, pressing her against herself. Her eyes closed and tears ran down her cheeks, her legs slowly gave out and she sank to the floor. "Hanii...Oh, Ha-Hanii..." she wept, unable to say anything else.

"Promise you won't do something like that again!"

"I – I promise, I-" Sabrina's eyes opened as she realized what she was saying. "H-Huh? B-But I-"

Marinette knelt down in front of her, a little red kwami floating by her head. She held her fist out towards Sabrina, the back of her hand facing up, a lot like a fist bump. Sabrina blinked again, shakily holding her hand out...

...and Marinette pressed the Bee Comb into Sabrina's palm. "I think this belongs to you," she said, with a slight quirk of her lips.

Sabrina looked from the comb to Marinette and back again. Once again, her mind was scrambling to process what was going on. Hanii was still here, she was being given the comb back. She was being given the comb back. "But – But I threw it away!"

"No, you threw it at me," Marinette corrected. "Well, I mean – you didn't mean to throw it at me, I guess, but you didn't give it up, not really! Hanii was still there when you took it out!" She shrugged lightly, as if that fact alone explained everything.

"But – But I revealed myself!"

"Yeah. To us," Marinette said calmly.

"And Chloé and all those people!"

"They won't remember. The cameras didn't catch you either, we checked."

"Then – Then Hawk Moth probably knows-"

"Why do you think I'm not letting you be alone tonight? I mean, your dad'd be there, but..." Marinette trailed off, but Sabrina knew what she was getting at anyway.

It'd be better for their peace of mind if Sabrina were with one of the heroes, at least tonight. "And besides, we'll think of something for that one. Trust me."

Sabrina rubbed her fingers over the comb's teeth, looking away from Marinette and towards the red kwami. Said kwami smiled and gave her a little wave. "It's nice to meet you," she said, in a higher voice than Hanii's, "though I wish it'd been under better circumstances." Her tone wasn't scolding at all; she actually sounded like she found it at least a little humorous.

Nonetheless, Sabrina looked away for a second. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"There's nothing to be-"

"I'm so sorry!" she repeated, turning to Marinette so fast her neck hurt. She felt Hanii fluttering at her chest in mild alarm, and pressed her hand tighter over her in response. "For – for everything Chloé and me – I mean, I had no idea who you were – it's no excuse, though, it's still mean and horrible and you're so much bigger a person than me because you still went out and saved us those times and either way I'm sorry- And-and I'm not just saying this because you're Ladybug, I should've apologized a long time ago but I just – I know you weren't expecting Honeycomb to be me of all people and I bet you wish it were someone else but either way I'm sorry for how I've treated you and-"

"Sabrina, breathe!" three voices cried at once.

Okay, that was almost funny.

That alone was enough to make Sabrina stop talking. A short, barking laugh escaped her, then she took a deep breath. Hanii floated away from her chest to hover before her, so she could actually see her.

Hanii's smile was a little long-suffering, but affectionate. "She did this once before, too," she said. "The day she had to leave the classroom, after Honeycomb was sighted?"

"I was wondering if that was why you left," Marinette admitted, a wry smile on her face.

Sabrina let herself laugh again, just a little, and wiped her eyes again. "I'm sorry," she said. "For everything-"

"It's okay," Marinette gently cut her off. She scooted a little closer, placing a friendly hand on Sabrina's own. "You've nothing to be sorry for. And before you say it, Chloé was way worse than you," she said as Sabrina's mouth opened to protest. "And we're not upset Honeycomb turned out to be you."

She paused for a second, glancing sidelong at her kwami. "Honestly, after I thought about it...it kinda made a lot sense, in retrospect. I mean...the edginess, the eagerness to please, the story you told us on the Eiffel Tower..." At that part, her voice dropped solemnly. "I really should have figured it out, just from that. And I'm sorry I didn't, and that you had to go through that for so long."

"It's okay," Sabrina said. Her voice was starting to quaver a bit. "It's not your fault. Hey, you did stand up for me once, and I—"

"It's not your fault either." Marinette's voice was firm, her eyes stern as she looked at the redhead. "No matter what happened back then."

"We forgive you. We're not upset," the red kwami said.

"Tikki's right."

Sabrina just stared, dumbfounded. The fight drained out of her, her shoulders slowly relaxing. She looked back down at the comb in her hands. Those words had done something, she figured. She couldn't think of anything else to say, to argue.

Wait. There was still this matter.

"I threw the comb. I don't deserve it anymore, don't I?"

"Sabrina, I tried to pass my earrings to someone else," Marinette said.

Sabrina looked up again, blinking.

Marinette's expression was still serious. "You do deserve that comb. You deserve to be Honeycomb, you deserve Hanii, and you deserve to have better friends."

"But...but I don't have any other friends. You heard what I said to Chloé – even if she doesn't remember, I can't go back to her. I can't-"

"Don't be silly, you don't have to!" the red kwami – Tikki – said gently. "You didn't forget so soon, did you?"

"Huh?"

Marinette reached into Sabrina's bag and produced her phone. With a few swipes and flicks, she accessed the text messages and scrolled til she found what she was looking for. Turning it towards Sabrina again, she revealed what it was.

Remember: you. Have. Friends.

"Honeycomb has Chat and me," Marinette said gently. "So now you do, too. You've also got me outside the mask, and Tikki."

"And me!" Hanii offered.

"And Hanii. You mustn't forget this," Tikki said.

Sabrina just stared, her eyes starting to sting again.

Marinette just smiled reassuringly, and took the comb from Sabrina's hands. With expertise, she pushed Sabrina's hair back a bit, and slipped in the comb.

"You're our friend now, Sabrina. And when you're ready, I'll invite you and Alya both somewhere so you can get to know her, too."

Sabrina said nothing, just staring.

Hanii pressed her tiny hands to Sabrina's own, squeezing lightly.

Sabrina closed her eyes, biting her lower lip. Then she flung herself forward, throwing her arms around Marinette's neck. She felt the other girl hug her back, squeezing tight.

The rest of the night played out like...well, like a regular sleepover.

And yet at the same time, nothing like ones Sabrina'd been to, at Chloé's.

They did a little homework, if only so they could look busy when the trapdoor opened and Marinette's mother appeared offering sweets. Sabrina got to see some of Marinette's current fashion projects, really look at them. They sat on the floor and just talked, rambling about anything they could think of. As if they wanted a jump start on this new level of friendship.

A few times, Sabrina checked her phone for texts from Chloé. Nothing.

Sometimes she'd cry. Not just about the text, but sharing this or that story of Chloé. Because she remembered the confrontation on the roof. Because things were suddenly changing and she wasn't sure how to handle it.

Every time she'd cry, the other three would move close, offering comfort or a cookie or a tissue. And the small gestures would make Sabrina cry even more.

But that just made the moments afterward even better, when she was cried out and ready to laugh again.

She had only one nightmare that night.

Or maybe several in rapid succession, and they simply melted into one.

She was invisible, hearing a deep voice telling her she was as she should be. The voice heightened in pitch til it matched Chloé's. No one could see or hear her, no matter how she screamed for help.

She dreamed of dark purple and black butterflies beating their wings against her, drowning out her screams. She dreamed of being sealed in wax. She dreamed of guillotines and masked teenagers hating her.

She dreamed of being a butterfly or a bee or both, of being crushed in someone's palm. That someone kept flickering between Chloé and Hawk Moth.

She woke up with a scream, sweat soaking her pajamas. In a flash, her three friends were by her side.

Ten minutes later, she made a decision.

Sabrina slowed as they approached the school steps, vaguely realizing Marinette was slowing down as well. She stared up at the door, the thing in her hand heavy and almost burning. She said nothing. She did not move.

Marinette stepped closer, tentatively resting a hand on Sabrina's shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Uh-huh..."

"...do you want to be alone for a second?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just...I just want to prepare myself."

Marinette's hand squeezed her shoulder. "I'll be waiting on the other side." With that, she headed up the steps, leaving Sabrina alone.

Sabrina was grateful for that. She needed to be alone, just for a bit.

Hanii stayed in her school bag, silently peeking up at her.

Sabrina just stared at the school doors a bit, inhaling deeply.

She'd often walked up these stairs with Chloé. For years, she'd done that. For years, she'd sat next to her, stood near her in pictures, copied notes and did two sets of homework.

She could almost see her younger self now, hurrying after Chloé and hoping she'd stay in a good mood, hoping she could quell any irritation the girl would have that day.

It wouldn't be happening anymore.

She'd be going to school alone now. The entire way.

And she'd meet other people at these stairs. She'd walk with others to class, she'd only be doing one person's homework every night, she'd be...

Her chest tightened like a vise, then suddenly released. Sabrina let out a whoosh of air she didn't even realize she'd been holding, staggering slightly as if she'd been struck a bit.

She'd be free...

She'd have friends. Real friends...

She'd be...

She felt tears start to slide down her cheeks, and hastily ducked her head to wipe at her eyes. Her comb kept her hair from falling over her face, its weight once again a subtle reminder of what she'd gained. She felt her bag move a little; Hanii must have done that. Another little reminder.

She could hear and sense more of classmates approaching the building. She should go inside now. She was ready.

Sabrina lifted her head again, tears dried, and squared her shoulders. The thing in her hand was still heavy, but it didn't feel like it was eating away at her palm anymore. Well. This was it. Here she went.

"...and – oh, hang on a sec. Hey, Sabrina!"

She heard quick footfalls as someone ran up behind her. Sabrina turned, recognition clicking in her head as she came face-to-face with-

"Adrien?" she asked quietly, shuffling her feet. "I'm sorry, but if you want Chloé, she a-and I are no longer-"

"No, not..." he began, frowning. He looked a little troubled for a moment, then lowered his voice and leaned in a little bit. "Hey, listen," he whispered in a rush, as if he didn't want anyone to hear. "What you did yesterday, in the hotel and on the roof? That was really brave...we're proud of you, 'kay?"

Sabrina stared, eyes slowly going wide. The hotel and the roof...but the only people who knew about those things were-

"Cha-?"

He just smiled, and turned to rush into the school.

Sabrina stood a moment longer, blinking in disbelief. Then, hardly believing herself, she laughed, covering her mouth with her free hand. She'd...she'd deal with this information later.

Marinette was waiting just on the other side of the school doors, just as she'd said. She and Sabrina walked to class, Alya joining them seconds into their walk. Sabrina saw her look at Marinette and raise an eyebrow, but Marinette only shook her head. This could come later, too.

They entered the classroom, and Sabrina's heart stopped for a second. Chloé was already in her seat, her chin resting on her palm, a bored look on her face. At least, that's how it would seem at first glance. A second look revealed that her eyes kept flickering towards the door, as if... Sure enough, she straightened when she laid eyes on Sabrina. Her gaze briefly roamed to Marinette and Alya, her lip curled slightly as she saw Marinette squeeze Sabrina's shoulder again, not moving from the door. Just standing there, waiting.

Sabrina swallowed, lifted her chin, and strode into the room. Chloé began to scoot over as Sabrina approached-

-then froze, looking in confusion as Sabrina placed her fist on the desk.

Swallow. Breathe.

Sabrina's hand opened, and when she pulled back, the brooch was sitting on top of the desk, next to Chloé. "Keep this," Sabrina said, praising herself on how steady her voice was despite her nerves. She flashed Chloé a tiny smile, ignoring the sudden wave of nausea and how her heart pounded. Before Chloé could give some kind of remark, Sabrina turned and walked up the steps towards the back of the class.

"Hey, uh, Ivan?" she asked sheepishly. "Can I sit here?"

Ivan glanced at her, obviously surprised. But he must have seen something in her eyes, because the next moment he nodded, grabbed his bag, and scooted over to make space. Murmuring a thank-you, Sabrina eased herself into her new seat, lowering her bag to the floor.

Facing the front, she saw Chloé shooting a confused glare at her. She saw Marinette briefly smile at her, giving the barest of nods as she and Alya took their own seats. Adrien briefly looked over his shoulder at her.

Sabrina felt a huge weight rise off of her. The sound of the bell ringing covered up her shaky, exhaling laugh.

It was midnight, bright golden lights below Honeycomb as she ran and leaped from the rooftops. She loved these nights, feeling free, feeling the cool night air fill her lungs. She threw her arms out, laughing excitedly. Maybe there'd be an Akuma tonight and maybe there wouldn't, but for the moment, she'd just enjoy the night.

"Hey! Honeybee, slow down!"

Honeycomb skidded to a stop, twirling around on the toes of one foot to look back at her allies.

Friends.

"I'd ask what's gotten into you," Ladybug quipped, a hand on her hip. "But..."

"I'm just-" Honeycomb laughed, hugging herself. "I'm just-"

"Don't worry," Chat cut her off, green eyes gleaming a bit. "We know."

They did, didn't they? Honeycomb grinned brightly, nodding once.

"Well, let's keep moving," Ladybug laughed. "The worker bee's gotta burn all that energy somehow."

The three of them sped off again, Honeycomb almost shrieking with laughter. She allowed the others to pull ahead of her, just for a second. They leaped to the next roof, she followed them a second later-

-and time seemed to slow down. As she flew through the air, she happened to glance down and sidelong.

She locked eyes with the old man she'd met weeks ago. Although they were so far away, he seemed to look directly at her, to see her.

Even though it was only half a second in reality, it felt like a solid thirty. She saw the man looking at her...

...and he smiled, nodding his head once.

Honeycomb smiled back, even if she wasn't entirely sure he could see it.

Her feet touched down on the other roof, and she kept running forward, to catch up with her friends.

"Well done, Hanii, Sabrina...

Well done."