This is my take to the idea of "what if Marinette successfully gave up the earrings", what could happen, and how things may go. And how different things can be.

...I guess beware of OCness, technically, since relationships and interactions are going to be different with this AU set up, plus different influences of different miraculouses.

Should be fun though! I'm excited!

Marinette winced, feet rooted stiffly to the ground. By the door, another fight sparked and sounded out from the classroom, loud enough that their voices echoed down the hall. She stood tensely by the door to class, clutching a small box of fresh chocolate chip cookies closer to her, sparing a fast glance back for a teacher. None were coming despite the bellows and snarls. Such fights have been happening since the third day of the semester, and have been difficult to silence. These two weeks were reaching a point that teachers were getting tired of dealing with it.

The majority were willing to just let the fight go till Bustier arrived to stop it, becoming white noise in the school. White noise that still had Marinette cringing and unnerved.

And there was one factor that made her all the more reluctant to go in.

She knows the instant she goes in, Chloe was probably going to round on her, the easier target…

Maybe she'll just wait till the teacher came—

"At it again are they?"

Marinette jumped, squeaking in surprise to find a tired Adrien standing next to her, frowning at the classroom door. When he turned to her, she stuttered out, "Ah, ye-yeah, they, they are…" She turned away with a heavy slump, frustrated and embarrassed.

She really can't do anything right it seems…

Adrien grimaced, then sighed, not entirely in the mood to slip in either. Chloe wasn't above trying to get him to join sides. And Alya was always ready to turn and snap at anyone she thought was going to join her. He knows Alya's been cautious about him since the misunderstanding, giving him looks despite making things up with Marinette.

Shaking his head, the blond turned to Marinette, not in the mood to think or deal with either girl first thing in the morning. He focused on his sweeter friend, eyeing the box she has. He asked, "What's that?"

Marinette blinked then looked down to the box. She stuttered, "Oh, uh, coo, cookies. Chip choc- I mean! Chocolate chip! Alya's favorite."

Tikki's favorite.

She was able to learn that before she gave the earrings up.

Adrien smiled, slumping against the wall with a slight sigh. "That's very nice of you."

She cracked a smile at this, a little touched. A little relieved. It was a nice reminder that this was the right thing. She was helping out.

Then popping the box open, she offered him a cookie.

Adrien perked, happily accepting the cookie with a chipper thanks. She smiled as he hummed in delight. Then quickly turned and slipped into the class as she saw Bustier approaching. Adrien shadowed her, licking his fingers for stray chocolate and crumbs.

Like Marinette predicted, Chloe turned on her as she drew near. Before the blonde could strike the unsteady girl, Bustier came in, calling for order. Chloe huffed and sat down. Marinette quickly rushed past her and sat in her seat, softly greeting the redhead, "Hi."

"Hey," Alya greeted back, a scowl on her face, her amber eyes glaring at the back of Chloe's head.

Marinette frowned, fidgeting with the box of sweets she had. Breathing in, she pushed it over to Alya, softly bidding with a shaky smile, "Your favorite… got a new little new ingredient, er, experiment... mind telling me if it's good? Used almond instead of vanilla, and um..."

Blinking, Alya turned to the box, eyes brightening in relief. "Bless you Marinette! I'm sure they're going to be great! They always are!" Alya gushed, dragging the box close and peeking inside, just to make sure it was all full of chocolate chip cookies. Satisfied with what she saw, she set the box down, drawing Marinette's gaze towards Alya's bags on the floor.

That was a mistake.

There, she met large blue eyes peering back at her, eyes that belong to a little ladybug kwami. One that rose up to peer at her every morning.

Marinette jerked her gaze away, feeling uncomfortable.

She doesn't know why Tikki persists in doing this. Doesn't know what the kwami thinks this would do. Compel her to take the earrings back? When Alya was doing such a good job?

Far better than Marinette had...

She ignored the kwami's lingering gaze, repeating in her head like a chant that this was for the best. Alya was better hero material than Marinette. She was actually brave. She wasn't afraid to stand up to others, to act.

Marinette was.

And as she saw with Stoneheart, she didn't have what it takes to be the ladybug hero that Paris needed. Tikki could try to push and persist as much as she wanted; this wasn't going to change anything. Marinette wasn't going to be Ladybug.

Just ignore Tikki, Marinette told herself. Eventually, she'd sink back into Alya's bag as she always did. She had a new holder now, a better hero to work with. She just needed to learn to accept this. She will someday. Marinette was sure she will.

Till then, Marinette would… she would help, however, she could.

That's all she could do.

As Bustier started class, Marinette turned her longing gaze to Adrien, his normally perfect posture slowly start to bend in a slouch as he dozed, leaning heavily on his hand. He was usually a good enough distraction for her when Tikki watched her, but, having met the little god's gaze accidentally, there was an added weight today. She could feel Tikki's gaze for the whole period. It was near the end when the kwami relented, and sunk back down into Alya's bag, leaving the dark hair girl to slump, feeling emotionally drained.

It was for the best, Marinette mentally reminded herself.

It was for the best...

For the first time that day, Chat stretched, arms reaching above his head in a back-bending, joint-popping symphony. The nap in the class had done a world of good, and the evening air just seemed invigorating, renewing his waning energy. It made him just want to jump up and race around nonstop until he collapsed. Just run for the enjoyment of running, just to feel like he was moving, just to feel alive, to feel like nothing in this world could stop him.

Plagg once mentioned that a miraculous could be quite intoxicating. With this feeling, feeling like nothing in the world could stop him, Chat could get it.

It was a sensation and power he could get drunk on.

Nothing could ruin—

"There you are!"

Chat faltered, the amazing feeling vanishing like a startled bird. His shoulders dropped slightly, before rising with forced vigor, though his ears stayed just a little limp on his head. With of a tight smile, he turned towards his partner.

"Coccinelle." He greeted her evenly.

Coccinelle dropped down on the roof he was on, standing up from her crouch and prowling to him. She was a very different ladybug hero to the first one.

This ladybug was a little taller than the first, her suit a little more of an orange red than the scarlet of the first, nearly matching her bushy red hair. A ladybug with only two dots on her mask, set over her honey brown eyes. A ladybug that had a cape fluttering at her shoulders, a cape that looked like ladybug wings, though they didn't work like wings, much to her disappointment.

A ladybug that was different from the first.

A ladybug that was his partner.

A partner he felt… off with.

Still, he smiled as she approached, meeting her bright gaze as optimistically as he could. Off or not, this was his partner. He was inclined to make the best of this as he can.

"Where have you been, Chat Noir?" she wondered aloud, raising a brow at him.

"Been pretty busy lately Coccinelle," he told her, his belt tail giving an uneasy twitch.

She pursed her lips, making him cringe a little.

He could swear on his miraculous that he has been. There's been a lot of shoots piling up, his Chinese teacher had to go back to China soon and wanted to pile on as much as she could before she left and of course, school work he's working hard to stay on top of so his father doesn't pull him out of school and…

It was the honest truth: he'd been busy.

Busy enough to skip out on a few patrols.

Plagg said it was ok. "A cat needs their sleep."

Coccinelle could handle patrolling on her own.

But Coccinelle wasn't really the understanding sort...

She gave him an unimpressed look, and Chat quickly looked away, ears drooping in shame. Coccinelle's mere glance was a full reminder as to why he really did want to try and make it to patrols.

"You do know, being heroes takes priority over everything else, right?" Coccinelle voiced patiently, sighing a little as she stared at the cat.

"Yes," he answered dully. But turning to her, he tried to reason, "But I really was too busy-"

"I got things going on in my life too!" Coccinelle cut in, holding her hand up, "But I always make sure that the hero work is taken care of. You just got to manage your time better."

He sighed and nodded.

She leaned forward, brow raised. "You'll try and do better, right? I'm sure your kwami would help you if you ask, I know Tikki's a big help in planning out my schedule, what I can miss as Coccinelle. Surely ah, Plagg, could do the same?"

Chat highly doubted that. "...I'll try," he reassured quietly with a smile.

"Great!" Coccinelle declared, giving him a hearty shove, nearly sending the tired cat tumbling on the roof they stood on. "Even more so since I do need you Chat. If an akuma popped up—"

"I would've come," he tried to ease.

"Yeah, but it'd be better if you were there than rushing in a few minutes late," she stated. "And I need you to be there to distract them so I can whoop some akuma ass!"

He simply nodded.

"Now," Coccinelle voiced, "since you've been kinda slacking on me, can you finish this patrol route for me, right Kitty Cat?"

"Yeah. I, I will."

"Great. You better be here for tomorrow's patrol. Never know when Hawkmoth will act next!" Satisfied, Coccinelle raced away, no doubt heading home. Or maybe she was doing a different patrol route. She was serious about this hero thing. He wouldn't be surprised to think that she was keeping a lookout, or continuing her patrol.

Or maybe she was just going home since she has been patrolling on her own the past few days.

Chat didn't turn to peer after her, shoulders slumped, the once lively air feeling stale to him.

The energy from before felt drained, and the glee of the run felt like a chore.

Sighing, he took out his baton, and moved in a half-hearted run, sparing lazy glances to the streets below.

Coccinelle insisted they patrol every night now they had an active supervillain in Paris, just in case he moved during the night but… thus far, Hawkmoth seemed to only active during the day, targeting people when they were upset and about. Which made sense. Most people were active during the day.

Not that patrolling was a bad idea, it was a good safety precaution, a good just in case; and Chat had originally thought it'd be a great bonding activity for them, that maybe it could make the partnership feel better between them. But…

It was more another chore to do.

Coccinelle set and serious to search every nook and cranny, no talking allowed less that distract her from any trouble.

Not that there was any real trouble.

With Hawkmoth about, police patrolled more as well, catching any other crimes or trouble on their own.

Chat supposed it was also good publicity, for now, reassuring the people of Paris that they were here to help and were well alert.

But the enjoyment of patrolling was just…

Lackluster.

Missing.

Gone.

Being a hero now just... it was kind of nostalgic.

Which was silly since he was one but, the wonder and thrill of being one, it was kind of gone.

Chat stopped, eyes set on the stadium, where he had last seen his first partner.

His partner, his ladybug.

Maladroit.

That's what she called herself.

Clumsy.

Ineffective.

Awkward.

He was such an idiot.

How odd was it to miss someone he only knew for almost half an hour? How odd was it that he wished it was her with him than Coccinelle. It wasn't that he didn't like Coccinelle, she could be pretty fun when she did relax but…

He found himself longing for the first more.

To have her at his side.

To patrol with her.

Maladroit.

He was such an idiot.

If he had just stopped, didn't let the excitement of having a miraculous get to his head, he knew that she would've still been around. Reassure her that she was meant to be there, that she was amazing, could handle being a hero, was meant to be his partner…

But he didn't.

He was just too caught up in the excitement, didn't listen to much of what Plagg told him, missed out on the information of catching the akuma, missed out on making sure she got it, missed out on securing that she'd still be here, at his side, being his partner and…

He jumped away, tearing his gaze from the stadium, racing on, a burning sensation in his chest.

"You're two halves of a whole," Plagg told him the first time this new hero showed up and Adrien had turned to him with curious confusion, meeting a kwami's frown when the transformation dropped. "Of course you're going to miss your other half."

"You had just found each other."

And now he lost her.

Because he was an idiot that was just too excited, that didn't listen, that didn't do what he was supposed to. He didn't support his true partner, didn't secure her success, and now he lost her. No chance to ever find her again.

Chat stopped, his green gaze settling on the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

On the terrace was Marinette, sitting on her lounge chair, legs pulled up close to her body. She so small and scared, her gaze seemingly set on Notre Dame across from her. Instinct told him to go to her, help and reassure however he could.

But Coccinelle's voice rang out in his head.

"We don't interact with civilians unless we have too. I've seen it many times, Chat. Any favoritism or fondness we show will be taken advantage of. Hawk Moth is watching Chat, so no interacting outside saving. It's a safety precaution. A solid one."

He could get that.

It was sound reasoning.

But it… it felt wrong to ignore her though.

That he, he felt he shouldn't care about that and just go anyway, go to her but...

He shook his head.

Chat Noir didn't know Marinette, he tried to reason.

He had no reason to drop by and try to perk her up.

And like Coccinelle had said when this partnership started, they couldn't get chummy with civilians. She'd be so upset with him if he did. And he'd be equally upset if he did wind up putting Marinette in danger he'd, he'd be a horrible friend. And it'd all be because he couldn't help himself and went to her as Chat and then Hawkmoth made use of her to get to him and...

He just couldn't.

Marinette could wind up in danger.

It just wasn't worth it.

And yet, she looked so small and sad he wanted to pluck her up with his claws, wrap her up in a warm ball and hide her away from whatever was making her so sad. Hold her till it was better. Purr till it took the sad feeling away, just stay pressed to her side till it was all better.

But he couldn't.

Chat didn't know Marinette.

Chat was a hero.

And Coccinelle was right that they couldn't risk it.

But… Adrien knew Marinette.

And he knows he's free tomorrow for lunch.

He could help her perk up tomorrow.

He could use some cheering up too. And Marinette seemed to always find a way to lift his spirits somehow, either with a treat or a small smile. Or even just being there. She made his world brighter and warmer in the smallest ways. And besides, he did want to better their relationship. She was his first friend and yet she was so awkward with him. Maybe some ice cream would be a good way to break that awkwardness between them.

Even more so since she seemed so lonely and quiet.

He had thought she and Alya were friends and yet, Alya always seemed more set on something else and Marinette just seemed to shrink down and… always be alone. What was up with that? Did she really not have any other friends?

Chat shook his head, pushing those thoughts away, his gaze lingering on the sad looking girl.

Yes.

Tomorrow, Adrien will see Marinette. They could both use some encouragement and fun. They'll lift each other's spirits. They'll get better. Become better friends. He'll help her smile more. He'll make her happy. He could be that one to make her happy.

Chloe made his childhood less lonely.

Nino was a great friend at school.

Adrien could be that great friend for Marinette.

He just had to wait till tomorrow.

Tomorrow'll be better. For them both. He'll make sure of it.

So with heavy, lingering reluctance, he turned and dashed away, completely missing how Marinette's gaze snapped to him, watching him disappear into the night. Missing how wishful her gaze was as she peered after him.

When Adrien dropped into his room, dropping the transformation, he nearly toppled over, groaning.

Plagg whipped around, eyeing him. "You gonna live?" the little black god asked.

"I will, I will," Adrien reassured, wincing as he stood. With no miraculous active, all the energy he had just dropped, leaving him as exhausted as before. But he'll be ok. He just needed a good sleep. That'll take care of everything. A good sleep.

Near him, Plagg frowned. With a huff, the kwami bid, "You know you don't have to always listen to her, right?"

Adrien blinked at the kwami, then turned away with a sigh.

The subject had come up not long after the new ladybug hero appeared, and Adrien found himself regarding being a hero as just another chose he'd been forced to accept. Plagg had a slight distaste for Coccinelle, and every now and then he tried to push Adrien to disobey, to go ahead and do his own thing.

The only time Adrien had listened was now when he was exhausted and overwhelmed.

He had thought it'd be fine to miss a few patrols.

But...

"She's not wrong," Adrien told the kwami. "I, I do need to take heroing more seriously, be on top of it more." Somehow, he thought wryly. "I need to make it to patrols more."

He could catch up on sleep during physics, he supposed. It was his best subject, and between private tutoring and his own interest, he was actually well ahead of the rest of the class. Mendeleieve, however, was not a kind or forgiving teacher and didn't take people sleeping in her class gracefully. She would absolutely tell his father's secretary if he was napping in class, and then his father would hear about it. His father would use any excuse to pull him out of school, and then he really would have to try to schedule time with Nino, and his father despised Nino, never mind Marinette . And then Adrien would be out of school, locked in his room with only photo shoots, private tutors and Coccinelle, all day forever and ever and—

Adrien stopped those thoughts.

He breathed in and started to reconsider this.

Maybe he could hide behind Ivan?

Ivan could be his silver lining.

But if Mendeleiev walked around the class—

Adrien jumped when Plagg zipped in front of him. Glaring at the boy, Plagg stated, "You do know she's not right either?"

Adrien sighed, walking past Plagg. "She doesn't know everything!" Plagg called after him, pursuing the boy. "You're juggling enough kid. You can't make a few patrols? Fine. So be it. It's not the end of the world! Everybody needs a break."

Adrien ran a hand over his face, feeling heavy and exhausted. "I can't leave patrols to just her, what about akuma attacks?"

Plagg scoffed. "She can handle herself fine!" Twisting away, the black cat god grumbled, "She's treating you like some sidekick to boss around!"

"Well Coccinelle is the only one that can-"

"Black Cat is important too!" Plagg said, irritation lacing his words. Chat Noir was important, and it was a detail that the current ladybug hero often disregarded.

Adrien went quiet, frowning. "I can't heal or fix anything," Adrien quietly pointed out. Paris' fate all depended on Coccinelle. She was the one who could heal and fix everything.

"She can't end anything," Plagg pointed out. "Creation needs an end."

Adrien sat heavily in his chair, unsure what to say.

Plagg knew what to say. "We need the real Ladybug," Plagg continued, scowling. "Personally, I say we should just take those earrings back."

"Plagg!" Adrien cried sharply, whipping around to face the little god.

"Tikki knows who the real Ladybug is," Plagg told him.

Adrien gave a slight start at this.

The real Ladybug.

His Ladybug.

Plagg knew who she was.

He could be with her…

Adrien shook his head, shoulders slumping. "She didn't want to be a ladybug," he murmured. That's why this one appeared. The first didn't want them. She gave them up. Because he was a stupid partne-

"No," Plagg voiced sharply, pulling Adrien's attention back to him, "she got cold feet, and freaked out over a small, stupid mistake that would've been easily fixed."

Adrien slumped into his seat, leaning back with a sigh. He tiredly humored, "What if she doesn't want to be Ladybug?"

"She'll want to," Plagg said confidently.

Adrien murmured, "...You sound sure."

"I am sure."

Adrien peeked at the kwami.

"She found you," Plagg told him, floating close, paws pointing down to him, "just as you found her. She may deny it, but I don't doubt that seeing another ladybug with you is really bothering her."

Adrien considered this, unable to deny that hearing that kinda perked him up. He got up, slumped onto the bed and rolled to his side, hugging a pillow close.

He really hated the idea of taking the earrings away from Coccinelle. She may be the wrong one, but there was no doubt she loved being Coccinelle.

Adrien didn't know if he could do it.

And he still wasn't sure if his Ladybug really did want to come back, even if he did have the earrings.

He didn't want to act until he was sure.

He didn't want to force anything on anyone, especially considering what these girls may or may not want.

For now, he fell asleep, leaving the frowning kwami alone.

Being over five thousand years old, and having a long servitude with humans, and many, many friendships with them; there were many heavy emotions that kwamis knew well. Regret. Sorrow. Loss. Anger. Fear.

The list of them could go on.

From humans, kwamis knew these emotions well.

They all had many sob stories to share.

Many faces that still linger in their minds, regrets that darken their shadows, and for the freshest wounds, there was always the wonder of what if.

That was actually quite common.

The what if.

Tikki certainly wonders about it now. Staring down at the logo of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, full of freshly baked cookies Marinette saw to personally deliver to her; the little ladybug god couldn't help but wonder about those what ifs.

It was very, very rare for the ladybug miraculous to be rejected. Others were rejected more commonly.

Like the turtle.

The burden of being the turtle was heavy and long.

Plagg certainly got to see rejection more than her.

Bad luck and destruction?

Those were frightening powers to offer a human. Being a Black Cat usually came with being feared. It came with luck and fate that the true Black Cat returned to Ladybug's side.

Good luck and creation; were far more desirable as a power. Who wouldn't want to be lucky? To be loved? To be a creator?

But there were some that recognized the weight of the ladybug miraculous. A very, frightening weight it was.

Marinette was one of those few.

And she had successfully passed off the earrings, so sure that she couldn't handle that weight.

And the what ifs just kept rolling around in Tikki's mind.

Perhaps she should have been more patient.

In hindsight, Tikki could admit that, pressed and nervous about poor Nooroo, she had rushed Marinette; eager to see a ladybug active and on the move, restoring order as a ladybug should. Maybe she had come on too strong? Maybe she should have been more encouraging, more inspiring . But Tikki had known, the instant she'd felt her, that Marinette was a Ladybug— one who promised to be amazing if only she would let herself be.

Promise she wasn't going to reach because Tikki had rushed her. Because Tikki had approached her poorly, and now Tikki had the wrong holder. A girl that wasn't doing well as Ladybug, a girl far too stiff and set and stubborn. A girl that lacked the creativity Ladybug needed. That lacked the generosity, heart, and care a Ladybug needed.

A heart that extended to all, even those the holder bore a grudge too.

Alya's grudges can be too bitter, her temper too fierce, and her mind too set to change and be open to the possibilities before her. She needed a Ladybug that was mentally creative, open to all things, seeing all options that were there.

But Alya...

Tikki sighed, opening the box and peering down at the cookies Marinette piled there. They looked good as always, and yet…

"Don't those look good?" Alya asked cheerfully, trying to mask her concern over her kwami's depression.

Tikki didn't jump, still staring down at the cookies. Alya drew near, a cell in hand, just finishing making a post on the Ladyblog as Lady Wifi, the creator of the Ladyblog, expressing relief that Chat has finally reappeared and Paris' dear spotted heroine wasn't solo anymore. She put her cell away and opened the lid fully, peering down at the cookies. "We're lucky Marinette likes giving away freebies to us, huh?"

Tikki nodded, seating herself down on the box's thin rim, balancing there easily, unable to help the droop of her antennas.

Alya bent down, eyeing the tired little god. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Yes, I will," Tikki reassured, turning to Alya with a small smile.

Later she will.

She would have to in order to keep Coccinelle going.

Speaking of which.

Her smile fell to a frown, her tail drooping behind her, her antennas going even lower. Alya paused, blinking at the frown the kwami was giving her. Growing defensive, the girl asked, "What?"

"That was uncalled for Alya," the kwami scolded patiently.

"What was?" the girl demanded.

Tikki waved her paws to the girl. "Pushing Chat Noir to be more punctual. Double lives are hard to manage."

"I know that," Alya huffed, crossing her arms. "But I'm managing mine just fine. He can too. It's his responsibility to manage it well too!"

"You don't know what his life is like," Tikki pointed out. "Keeping up with being a good hero means managing both sides, it's fine for him to miss a few patrols to manage his civilian life better."

"But it's his duty-"

"I know. I admire that you want to keep up good appearances with Coccinelle and Chat Noir, to do your job as a hero well. But he's human. And your partner. Have some patience for him, Alya," Tikki cut in.

Alya frowned down at her. "He doesn't take his job as seriously as a hero Tikki. He's probably just goofing off-"

"Have a little more patience," Tikki interrupted, a little sharply.

Alya grimaced.

Tikki frowned, sighing tiredly. "As your kwami, it's my task to guide you as best I can. Your partnership will turn sour, Alya, if you don't have a little more patience. You don't know Chat's life."

"And you do?" Alya shot back.

She didn't.

Tikki couldn't say for sure if the boy was just goofing off, or if he was busy.

She does have enough sense to know that he wasn't happy.

And being the only one in this duo suffering his missing partner, his true half, Tikki couldn't help but want to look out for him. She felt compelled to with how this partnership was going. So she pressed on, ignoring Alya's jab, "Consider that his life may be different than yours. Have a little more patience."

"Fine," Alya sighed. She added with a grumble, "Though I'm sure he's just goofing off."

She prowled off, leaving the tired kwami behind with the box of cookies.

Sighing, Tikki floated down into the box and lounged among the sweets, breathing in the delightful smells, picking up the faint scents of the bakery they're from, of the girl who made and delivered them. Closing her eyes, she pictured where she belonged, pictured herself with the girl she chose, the girl she was really meant to be with.

There was an ache in her chest, a sting in her eyes, and her body felt weighted.

Tikki breathed in the aroma of cookies and allowed herself to relax among the sweets.

Mentally, she recited, things will be what they will be.

She'll just have to work through it, just like all the rest.

If this was it, this was it.