Guess who? Yep, I'm back from holiday and I had a total blast (and I surprisingly got some writing done). Thank you to everyone who left such nice reviews for the last chapter and for all the chapters, I can't believe it has reached 150! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting but here is the last chapter of this story *sob*. I hope it was worth the wait!

Even though he didn't really feel up to it, Nathanaël still went into school the following Monday. His mother hadn't wanted him to, telling him he needed to rest as she fretting over him and said how pale he looked, and their family doctor had agreed with her, saying that this second time had been a lot more draining on his body and he should really stay at home, but Nathanaël had insisted. He knew it would cause a stir in school but he knew people were going to talk about him and he figured if they were, he might as well be there to hear it. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't, he told himself as he made his way to the classroom, keeping close to the wall to avoid the hungry stares of the other students that stood in packs around the playground. He didn't want to be seen and hunted down.

He sat in his old space at the back of the classroom, separate from the fog of noise outside that was gently pounding at his skull as he tried to distract himself with drawing. A piece of paper sat in front of him with a few half-hearted lines scrawled across the white surface but he couldn't concentrate on making them form anything, his brain too full to conjure up anything concrete to draw. He still felt a little shaky, like his bones were made of eggshells and would shatter at a sudden sound. One hand clawed through his red hair like he was trying to drag the thoughts he was having out of his mind, thoughts that had been plaguing him since he had found himself on his knees on that cold floor in the science lab. They were so dark and scary, they made him shudder and wish he had stayed at home after all.

He still couldn't remember anything from the first time he had been akumatised. It was just one big blank space in his memory where he couldn't recall a thing. One minute he had been at school clutching his books to his chest as he walked to the headmaster's office and the next he was in Chloe Bourgeois's suite at her father's hotel in the middle of the night with no recollection of how he had got there. The experience hadn't been pleasant but at least he had the bliss of ignorance about what had happened. This time was very different. At first like before, he remembered nothing and he had struggled to think of anything as Ladybug had helped him from the floor and led him gently back to the crowds. Then, after reassuring him again that everything was fine and nobody had been hurt, she had melted into the throng of concerned people around him and he had hoped that would be the end of it. Instead, as time went on, little images had started to come back to him, starting off strange and murky like he was staring at them through water but then coming back in such breathless clarity he knew he could never have imagined them.

There had been flashes of bright light on the tiled floors of the corridor, making them spark before his eyes as he felt the weight of dragging something along, something that was fighting against him. Then there had been Marinette's face staring up at him in a way that made him sick to his stomach; her eyes wide in terror and her skin pale as she desperately tried to get away from him, thrashing like a caged animal against the ties on her wrists. Then there were a pair of green eyes, eyes with concave pupils and deep irises that burned into him like fire with anger. If he had seen those eyes anywhere else, he would have been compelled to draw them but they were so terrifying and wrenched such a strange guilt from him, he wished he could just forget them. Other memories would probably surface, he knew that, but he wasn't sure any could be worse than that.

So far he hadn't told a soul about them. He didn't want to seem mad and he was sure most doctors would just say he was imagining it all. A guilty complex, nothing more, he could already hear their patronising tones. The thought made him feel very alone. Was this just what happened when you were akumatised twice? Nobody could say for sure, he was the only one who had experienced it. I hope it stays that way, he thought with a cold shiver that ran down his spine. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

There was a sudden soft knock at the door and he lifted his head like a startled deer at the gentle sound. Everything inside him felt on edge, like he was a tensed rubber band on the verge of being stretched out of shape. He forced himself to take a breath as the classroom door slowly opened and a pair of blue eyes looked in.

"Hey Nathanaël." Marinette shyly greeted him as she edged into the room, walking towards him with her eyes cast slightly downwards like she was looking for tripwires. His heart sank when he saw her. Remembering how scared she had looked, he didn't want to imagine what he had put her through and the fact that it was the second time he had done so… He was surprised she could even look at him.

"Hey Marinette." He replied. "Are…are you alright?" To anyone else it would have been a simple greeting but to them, the meaning ran much deeper.

"I'm fine." She reassured him quickly. "Really I am." She was standing a few steps away and the awkwardness in the room felt deep enough to wade in. It was just like before the project started, he thought, feeling his face go red. It's like none of what we went through ever happened and we're back to square one. The realisation only made his heart sink deeper.

Suddenly, Marinette jerked her head up a little and she dived her hand into her pocket. Her hand wriggled around inside for a moment before she drew something out and held it out to him. "I came to give you this," She explained as Nathanaël slowly got up from his desk and took it. "It's your medal from the fashion show. The judges all really liked our dress and we came in first but they didn't get given out last night so… here it is!"

Nathanaël looked down at his palm where the round golden disc engraved with a picture of a dress and the school logo dangled from a loop of green ribbon. He gave a small smile as it sat there in a perfect fit. At least he could get something right. He looked back up at Marinette who was smiling in relief at him. "Thanks." He said. "I appreciate it."

"It was nothing, you earned it after all." A moment went past where they both fell into silence again, Marinette looking like it was physically paining her. "Nathanaël, I'm-"

"I'm sorry," He said. "For everything I did. I don't know quite what I did but it must have been something awful and I never wanted to do that to you, I didn't mean it, I just got so…" Words failed him as he choked and tears came to his eyes. "I don't know how you can be so nice to me after what happened, I really must be evil inside for Hawkmoth to get me again…"

All the air was suddenly taken from his lungs as Marinette slammed into him and hugged him so tightly, his bones felt like they were cracking. Her voice was breaking as she whispered into his ear and he could feel her shoulders shaking against his.

"You are not evil," She insisted. "You couldn't be evil if you tried Nathanaël, you're one of the kindest, sweetest people I know. The only reason you were akumatised again was because of me. I… I should have realised sooner and I should have been more honest and I should have done a million things and then you wouldn't have had to go through this… I'm the one who should be saying sorry, not you." She drew her head back and he saw the tears that caught like gemstones on her eyelashes. "I didn't want this all to happen, I feel so bad about it…"

"It's not your fault." Nathanaël said softly. "Look, I was the one who got all jealous and angry not you. I can't blame you for not having the same feelings." The words felt like iron spikes in his throat but he knew they were true; he would never be able to have any sort of friendship with her if he wasn't honest.

"I did have some feelings for you Nathanaël," She said honestly, leaning back so they were still holding onto the other's arms but were facing each other. "Don't think I didn't and was leading you on or anything. All the good times we had… I will treasure them. It's just…" She wrung her hands as she struggled to think of something to say. "Just…"

"Too much water under the bridge." He supplied, smiling a little at the sigh of relief she gave. "I know. And besides, I know how you feel about him." He added softly, the image of his rival and the overall victor coming to both of their minds. "I just hope we can still be friends. I don't want us to be all weird again."

Marinette was crying again, the tears pouring down her cheeks at too great a speed to wipe away. "Thank you," She sobbed as she gripped him in another tight embrace that he was now certain had broken a rib. "And of course we're still friends, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Nathanaël felt like a weight had dropped from his chest as his arms went around her in a friendly hug. He had done what he thought would have been impossible; he had talked it all out with Marinette and they were still friends, still after all this. He let out a breath, his lungs no longer feeling like he had been holding it in since she walked in, and she looked up at him with a small giggle.

"Feeling better now?" She asked him. "I do too."

He nodded as he angled his head to look at hers. Her eyes looked into his, holding some of their old glimmer again, and another memory suddenly jolted in front of his eyes, one that was so clear it made him blink rapidly. It was those same pair of eyes, that same glorious shade of cerulean blue with that same spark behind it, but they were staring out from a red and black spotted mask. The realisation made him tense up and Marinette instantly felt it in his arms and looked at him worriedly.

"Nathanaël, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! It's just…I…Marinette…"

"Yes?"

"I know you're Ladybug."

He felt her stiffen as she looked at him in shock. "You… you can remember?"

"Not everything," He said. "Bits of it keep coming back to me, little fragments that don't make any sense but I remember your eyes… they are the same as Ladybug's." She still looked nervous and, acting only on instinct, he hugged her closer to him, feeling the stiffness ease from her limbs. "I won't tell anyone, I promise. You don't need to swear me to secrecy or anything, I'm the only one who saw and I won't say a thing, honest."

"Oh Nathanaël…" She gave a surprised sob as she buried her head in his shoulder and clutched him again. "I really don't deserve a friend like you."

"It's nothing, really." He said but he still felt a glow of pride at her words. They squeezed each other once more before they broke apart, both with small smiles on their faces. "I'll see you later Mari."

"Yeah, see you later." She replied, giving him another smile before she turned and left the room in a much happier state than when she entered. He went to go sit back at his desk but he couldn't help but feel drawn to the window and he soon found himself pressing his nose against the glass. He saw Marinette walk across the playground, making her way over to the wall where Adrien was leaning, clearly waiting for her. The second he noticed her he seemed to come to life, springing away from the wall and cuddling her to him as she bounded towards him. They talked for a few minutes, practically nose to nose as he watched their lips move, before Adrien took hers in a gentle kiss that took them into their own little world away from the noise of the playground. Nathanaël felt his chest twinge at the sight, like the string of a violin had snapped somewhere deep inside him, but it wasn't as painful as he had thought it would be. Maybe we really can still be friends, he thought with a smile as he went back to his desk and stared back down at the wayward lines on the paper. Maybe now I can finally move on.

However, his new sense of security vanished a moment later as the door opened again and his classmates started to file in. They were a lot quieter than usual and he could feel all their eyes on him. He kept his head down and his eyes on the paper, not wanting to look up and see their faces. What would he see there? Fear? Anger? Disdain? He wondered if they would openly make fun of him or whether he would only hear it from whispered corners and rumours that followed him from room to room. All the rising panic inside him made him want to hide under his desk or bolt home but he kept himself still like nobody would notice him if he didn't move. Then suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and the touch nearly made him scream. He covered his mouth with his hand to stop it and he looked up frantically, only to lower his hand when he saw it was Rose standing there.

"Hello Nathanaël." She said, her eyes swimming with compassion as she smiled down at him. "How are you feeling?"

Nathanaël felt his mouth gawp at her. Did he really just hear that? "B-better." He answered finally, his voice shaking as much as he was. "I'm feeling a lot better now."

"That's great!" She beamed down at him before she suddenly gripped his shoulders in a hug that knocked him sideways. "I'm so happy that you're back with us!"

Nathanaël braced himself for some sort of joke to be pulled but none came. All Rose did was hug him again and say again how happy she was that he was alright before she went over to her own desk. Then, one by one, all the other members of his class came up to him each with their own support. Kim and Ivan both lightly punched him on the arm with a manly "Good to see you back man", trying to sound cool but the relief on their faces too apparent for anyone to take seriously. Juleka shyly came up to him and gave him a quick hug as well, saying how much she liked his design whilst slowly brushing her sweeping fringe from her face before going red and hurrying back to her desk where Rose gave her a pat on the back. Alix offered to teach him some fighting moves if Hawkmoth ever came calling again and Max told him the statistical chances of being akumatised for a third term were so low, it was practically impossible. Even Chloe made her way over to give him a pat on the head, accompanied by a rare sweet smile from Sabrina. Everyone had something nice to say with a message of support and it bowled him over. He felt tears at the corners of his eyes at how overwhelming it was; he had been expecting such a different response, he almost didn't believe this was happening.

The last people to come up were Marinette and Adrien who had walked in behind everyone else. Marinette swiftly hugged him again, whispering another gentle "Thank you" into his ear before she went and sat next to Alya. That only left Adrien who held out his hand in front of him, inviting Nathanaël to shake it.

"I'm glad you're alright." He said. "I know I'm manly to blame for this whole thing and I want you to know I'm really sorry about it. I never wanted anyone to get hurt."

Nathanaël looked at him slightly hesitant before he gripped his hand and shook it, his eyes never leaving Adrien's as they formed a final truce. "It's OK. You couldn't have known all this would happen." He answered with a nod. "Just… take care of her, will you?"

"You have my word." Adrien said solemnly, giving what looked like a small salute before he too went to his seat. Just then, Madame Bustier walked into the class and started the lesson, giving a concerned look over at Nathanaël to see if he was alright before she turned and started writing on the board with a relieved smile.

The lesson trailed on as Nathanaël's concentration started to wane. He wound up staring out of the window, looking up at the slate of cloudless blue sky and enjoying the bliss he hadn't thought he would feel again for a long time. As he watched, a white butterfly came to land on the glass of the window, lazily opening and closing its wings in the motions of a clockwork toy. The veins on the wings were like those on a leaf and the patterns they wove made them look like they were made of silk. Nathanaël couldn't take his eyes away from it and he wasn't sure how long he watched it for before it flew away, flowing away towards the sky like a feather.

Nathanaël tore his eyes away to look down at his paper and suddenly he could see something among the few lines he had made. Inspiration flooded through him like a dam had burst and he started to draw, his pencil flying across the paper and his arm moving like a man possessed. It was only when the lesson had finished and everyone else had left that he finally held up the paper in front of him, his heart feeling like it would burst with pride. There, brought to life on the page, was the white butterfly. It was the most detailed picture he had ever done as he had paid so much detail in every inch of the wings and he couldn't help but be pleased with it. Panting like he had just ran a marathon, he looked back out of the window with a smile. It was very apt, he thought, that it was a butterfly that had tormented him yet the first thing he had drawn since was a butterfly in mid-flight. They were meant to be symbols of freedom and he chuckled when he realised how perfect it was.

Because for the first time, he finally felt free.

And that's it! I hope this makes up for giving Nat such a hard time, I felt really mean about it and I wanted him to just talk it out. He deserves it after all and I still want to see more from him.

Lastly, thank you so much to all of you who reviewed, followed, faved or just read my story. I never imagined so many would read it and it really makes me happy to see your comments. They mean so much and make me smile like a fool. Also I'm sorry to all those who wanted a Nathette ending. I was really surprised there were so many of you and I know lots of reviewers wanted one. You wouldn't believe how many times I nearly changed it throughout, especially during Nathanael's cute bits, but in the end it just felt forced with what I wanted to happen. You're all awesome though and I hope you still like it. JSee you in the next story, I'm certain there will be one, I'm too far gone now to stop ;)