Pre-Chapter Warning: If you are not part of the Marinette Protection Squad, please reconsider staying here, as I will be defending her a lot. If you are part of the Lila Protection Squad, you will not want to stay, as I will be putting her down a lot. And if you here just to leave hate comments, then don't even bother coming in. This is a negativity-free safe zone.

A/N: Okay, first thing's first, we were all wrecked by the Chameleon teaser and a lot of us are happy with the actual episode, while some of us aren't and wished things were different. I am one of the people who understand both sides. I was happy with how the episode turned out, but I was also disappointed in a few things, especially since I can relate to Marinette in that teaser to a personal level. That being said, I had very high expectations for that episode when it fully came out. I wanted the class to realize that they were wrong and I did want them to apologize, but I also wanted the writers to remember that forgiveness doesn't always come right away, especially not after something like in that teaser.

Canonically, Marinette has always been naturally forgiving, but I feel like being betrayed by people she considers her friends would've break her. And being betrayed by friends is no walk in the park to recover from (again, I know from personal experience). Rebuilding trust takes a long time, and sometimes it never comes. Again, I really hoped that the writers remember that and build this up over a series of episodes like they did with the Queen's Fight (which had three parts, mainly focusing on how Chloe starts changing into a better person) or even the entire third season. It's obviously not going to be like that, which is why I'm taking the opportunity to write that idea out in story form now before I forget it. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous. It belongs to Thomas Astruc and Zag Heroes. All I own are my ideas.

WARNING: This chapter is very sad and angsty, so brings lots of tissues.

Also, keep in mind that this was thought off before the full episode was released, and tweaked so it could make more sense.

~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~

"With the entire class against her, Marinette struggles to stay positive, but it's not easy when someone who can change into anyone they want is after you, trying to break you so you're easier prey for Hawkmoth."

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir

Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away

Chapter 1: Stitches

Lila certainly delivered on her threats she made when in the bathroom, didn't she?

Lila was akumatized, again, who immediately used her powers as Chameleon to transform into her classmates and used their voices to drill hateful things in her ear. Hateful things that made her feel isolated. At first, she was surprised she wasn't akumatized for a third attempt – fourth, actually, if you counted Ms. Bustier protecting her and taking the akuma for her.

It was only when she found Rose passed out in the bathroom – Rose, the sweetest person in the class, who's temper was practically nonexistent, so her words had driven her to the bathroom in the first place – did Marinette realize that it was all the work of an Akuma.

"You're not the center of the universe, you know!"

But that didn't mean the words didn't have an effect on her.

"We never liked you, Marinette!"

Because they did.

"You're so mean to Lila! She's never done anything wrong!"

Because after purifying the Akuma and saying quick farewell to Chat Noir, without a word to Lila, leaving her to Chat, Marinette was back to crying in the girl's bathroom.

"Why are you always so petty, Marinette? No wonder no one likes you!"

Rearranging seats to accommodate a student with a disability? No problem there. She didn't mind doing that.

"Everyday Ladybug? Pff. More like everyday Hawkmoth!"

Doing so without her permission? A slight problem there. She was a little hurt about that, but that wasn't the worst thing.

"My photo curse was none of your business! Why do you always butt in?!"

Finding out the disabled student was Lila, a proven liar? Okay, that was bad. That left a sickness in her stomach.

"Quit your whining! Lila said it was okay to move seats, so stop complaining!"

Realizing that Lila had set everything up, to isolate Marinette? Worse. The butterflies in her stomach had turned into Akumas, ready to release pent up frustration. And she would have too, except...

"You deserve to be alone, Marinette! Everyone's better off without you!"

...Realizing the others were on Lila's side and had now turned their backs on Marinette? A serious tragedy, like the first time she had read Romeo and Juilet in elementary school, and it had broken her, seeing as how she was an emotional person.

"I'll give you a choice: you're either with me, or against me."

But worst of all, seeing Alya, her own best friend, and Nino, who understood her the most when others did not, and even Adrien, the love of her life and the only other person who knew Lila was lying, neither of them understanding her or believing her, just drinking up all of Lila's toxic sunshine? The worst of all!

"Being in high school, and having no friends to help you. Those feelings of isolation, I feel them again. Those emotions are such easy prey for my Akumas. Now, fly on, my little Akuma, and give this lonely soul a voice and a vision!"

Marinette could hardly concentrate on Tikki's reassuring voice. She was obviously trying to get Marinette to calm down, to make sure her owner wasn't akumatized, to make her feel better. But Marinette was barely listening to her.

All she could do was stare at their class picture, the one without Lila, the one that reminded her of better times, where everyone was happy, where Chloe was still a bully –but Chloe was nothing compared to Lila, not to mention Chloe was redeeming herself bit by bit – and everyone liked each other just fine, and there was nothing wrong with the world. Except for Hawkmoth, of course, but she was used to it by the time this photo was taken.

This morning, the Akuma had danced around her head, and no one seemed to care. It's only when Ms. Bustier clapped twice to get everyone's attention, as well as the teacher's kind and calming smile, did Marinette snap out of it. Ms. Bustier was right. Something like getting pushed to the back row wasn't worth getting akumatized over.

At lunch, she had stormed out of the cafeteria and into the bathroom, where she almost let anger consume her again. It was thanks to Tikki, that time, that she found the will and the patience to let her anger go and let it be replaced with confidence.

But this time, she didn't see it coming towards her. Tears feel from her eyes, down her cheeks, and onto the photo.

Tikki yelled out a warning to her, "Marinette! Watch out!"

But it was too late, once the Akuma hit the object, and Marinette showed no signs of fighting back, Tikki knew she had to get out of there, so she flew away and hid behind the wall of one of the neighboring stalls.

Tikki breathed a mild sigh of relief when she realize that the Akuma had hit, not the Ladybug earrings, but the class photo in Marinette's hands.

As soon as the photo darkened, Marinette raised two hands to her head, dropping the photo, feeling an intense migraine come on.

"Yes, fight it, Marinette!" She heard Tikki say.

She wanted to hear Tikki say more encouraging things. She wanted to be sure that Tikki was still there for her.

But Hawkmoth's voice was stronger.

"Stitches, I am Hawkmoth."

"No..." Marinette muttered. "Get out of my head!"

"Your mind says one thing, but your heart says another," Hawkmoth pointed out, and Marinette admitted, for once, that her worst enemy was right.

Her mind was telling her that she couldn't get akumatized, because then who would purify the Akuma? Chat couldn't do it! But on the other hand, her broken heart was telling her to accept Hawkmoth's deal, even if it meant letting the bad guy win.

Hawkmoth continued, "Emotional, selfless hearts like yours are underappreciated and often taken for granted. Your friends all made the mistake of abandoning you to this cruel, selfish world without any regard to your feelings. But kind hearts like yours often hold the most negative, and the most explosive, emotional energy."

"Marinette, please!" She heard Tikki say over the storm in her head. "Keep fighting! You're losing!"

She was trying. It was hard to resist his influence, because it was stronger than even her willpower as Ladybug. Not to mention, he also a unique, intoxicating way with words that made you want to listen to him.

Is this was Ms. Bustier felt?

Most likely.

But Marinette had to keep fighting.

For Tikki if not for her fellow Parisians.

For Chat Noir if not for her classmates.

For her parents if not for anybody else.

She still had things to live for! She still had people to protect!

"Your classmates have wronged you, and you know all evildoers must pay a price," Hawkmoth continued. "Let your own anger at them be their downfall."

It was incredibly painful – fighting back – but if she managed to win, it'd be worth it. It would tell the entire world that Ladybug could be trusted no mater what. It was ensure people that Ladybug would be unable to be akumatized, so they could always count on her.

It was silly, yes, but Marinette was grateful for the confidence that being Ladybug had given her. It made her aware of things she could do, things she never thought she could do.

And Tikki...it would make Tikki aware that Marinette was indeed the best Ladybug she's ever served.

"Broken hearts must be stitched back together," Hawkmoth said, "and what better person to do that than Stitches herself?"

The dark side of her, that she never knew existed until now, really liked the sound of that. The bright side of her, the side people normally saw, also liked that.

And just like that, she immediately felt all her willpower crumble. She mentally apologized to Tikki, to Chat Noir, to her parents, and especially to Master Fu, all of them, for allowing herself to be persuaded by the bad guy, to help him win, to let him throw the entire universe out of balance.

Tikki watched in horror as Marinette slumped to the ground, on her knees, tears still falling, but this time with a dark angry look on her face and atop of that overlay Hawkmoth's symbol.

"I was right to choose you," Hawkmoth said to her. "You were able to resist my power. That alone tells me enough about how strong you really are."

Marinette let slip a little smile. At least someone appreciated her talent, even if it wasn't who she wanted or expected it to be.

"In exchange for your revenge, however, I will need a favor to ask of you," Marinette already knew what he was going to say. "I need you to bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses."

"It's a deal," she found herself saying without a second thought.

Tikki watched as a dark cloud engulfed her owner.

"I need to find Plagg!" She said as she phased through the walls of the bathroom to warn Chat Noir, the only person she knew could help Marinette now.

~~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~T~A~L~E~S~~O~F~~L~A~D~Y~B~U~G~~A~N~D~~C~H~A~T~~N~O~I~R~~~

Marinette had looked in the mirror and her outside was a Chinese qipao dress, with torn hems and sleeves, and a stitched up heart pattern on the front, her hair was up in a messy bun, held up by two large sewing needles, and she wore Chinese flats on her feet. Her face hadn't changed much except now she tear-shaped tattoos on her cheeks with black, butterfly-shaped eyeshadow. She looked super stylish, but unfortunately, she had to get back to class, where she would wait patiently for the chance to strike. Hawkmoth immediately agreed to her plan, both agreeing that a slow burn was best to set everyone on fire without them realizing it was happening.

At least, until it was too late.

So, she, reluctantly, used her sewing needles to stitch herself back into her non-akumatized form.

Except her eyes were no longer bright blue. They were a deep purple. And she liked them that way.

As she went on to class, Marinette took a moment to think about what had just happened to her. What was wrong with her? She had just been akumatized, and she was enjoying it! The power Hawkmoth had given her was evil and corrupt, yes, but it was very powerful.

"Having second thoughts?" Hawkmoth asked her.

"Not at all," Marinette quietly replied. "I'm just enjoying this. I never thought I would."

"Yes, indeed," Hawkmoth agreed. "Embrace it. For it will be your greatest ally."

Marinette was quiet as she entered the room. No one saw her come in. No one greeted her. No one even gave her a simple glance up.

The old her would've been wounded by that.

But not now. Now, she couldn't care less. Because, now, she had the powers strong enough to fight back.

Ms. Bustier began class as if nothing had happened that morning. She continued class as if everything was normal.

Marinette felt her anger deepen as she remembered that Ms. Bustier loved all of her kids. She held breathing classes every morning to make everyone calm enough to go through the day without the fear of an Akuma attack. She had everyone start the day by giving a nice compliment to your neighbor. She had taken Marinette outside, not because she was in trouble, but because she was the Class Rep, so she had to set a good example for everyone else.

So where was all the attention and care now?

"Embrace your anger," Hawkmoth soothed her. "Let it become part of you."

He was right. Because all these people had wronged her, had turned their back on her, and caused her to become akumatized, and no one cared. No one came into the bathroom after her to check on her, to see if she was okay, to make sure she was calm enough to prevent an Akuma.

Marinette smiled at his comfort. He was her only friend now. Everyone else could go jump into the Seine and drown and she wouldn't care at all.

"Everyone, please turn your books to page 25, and let's continue where we left off," Ms. Bustier said.

"Alright, now it's time to start the party, Stitches," Hawkmoth said. "How do you want to play this?"

"As painfully as possible," Marinette replied.

One of the perks of being in the back was that no one but the teacher could see you, because their backs were all turned. One of the perks of being alone is that no one could see or hear you talking to Hawkmoth. No one would know you were akumatized.

Until it was too late.

Why didn't she move to the back sooner?

Marinette discreetly lifted a needle and threw it. It landed in Rose's back.

And immediately Juleka shoved her arm away from her.

"W-What?" Rose was immediately taken back.

"Just give me some space."

"Yeah, Rose, do you always have to smile?" There came Alix.

And Marinette smiled at the chaos that ensued.

Rose was tearing up by how the entire class seemed to be turning against her.

Would she make the connection back to Marinette? Probably not, but at least it was fun watching them all suffer.

Suffer like how they made her suffer.

Marinette snapped and immediately the needle retracted.

And immediately, Juleka asked Rose why she was crying.

"Is that what you guys really think of me?"

"Is what how we really think of you?" Nino asked.

"It was quiet. Everything was peaceful," Rose explained. "And then you all just stabbed me in the back with mean words!"

Figuratively, yes. For Marinette, it was quite literally.

And Marinette enjoyed every minute of that. She raised another needle, discreetly, searching for her next target.

"No, we didn't," Kim replied.

"We didn't say anything," Max added.

"Yes, you did!" Rose shot back. "I heard you!"

'Hope you all enjoyed the peace,' Marinette thought. 'Because that's gone now '

She then threw a needle straight into Mylene's back, the other sweet one who wouldn't dare hurt a fly, but yet turned her back on Marinette just as quickly as the others did.

Ivan, unsurprisingly, was the first one to speak up, stating that he hated how short she was. The others soon joined in with other hateful comments directed towards her, ranging from her dislike of violence, her dislike of heavy metal music, or her fear of monster costumes.

Mylene covered her ears, screaming at them to stop. That's when Marinette snapped and the needle retracted, immediately breaking the spell.

Ivan, again, unsurprisingly, immediately jumped to her aid. "Mylene, what's wrong?"

"You guys were all saying hurtful things to me!" She then turned to Ivan. "And you! You always said the difference in our height was never a problem!"

"I did!"

"So then, why did you just say it was an issue?"

"I never said that!"

Marinette had a smile on her face. Having friendships being broken was satisfying enough, but having actual romantic relationships fall was absolutely glorifying.

"Oh, how I love the chaos that you've created, Stitches," she heard Hawkmoth tell her.

"Thank you," Marinette quietly replied. "But the fun is not over yet."

She really loved this. The old her would immediately apologize and show remorse if she had caused friends to fight each other, but now?

Now, there was no remorse whatsoever.

The old Marinette was weak. The new Marinette was so much stronger.

Ms. Bustier immediately clapped her hands twice. "Now, now, everyone, calm down. Remember the breathing techniques I taught you all. Breath in...hold for three seconds...then release. Repeat as many times as necessary."

The entire class went along with their beloved teacher as she repeated the steps. Marinette played along, because she didn't need this. She was already calm.

Before, all her emotions were being swept up into a giant storm, but now, she was nothing but a calm breeze.

A calm breeze just waiting to strike.

Another long exhale came from the class. To them, everything was as it should be. Calm, nothing bad in the world, and Marinette in the back of the class where she belonged.

"I enjoy how salty you are," Hawkmoth slipped in. "It makes the power I gave you ever so much stronger."

Good. The saltier, the better. Because she sincerely was that insecure. When she was wronged, her insecurities came out with her saltiness.

Alright, that was it. She'd had enough slow burn fun. Now, it was time to get down to business.

She lifted up another needle and this time threw it deliberately so that it merely whizzed by Lila's ear.

Her left one. The one that supposedly had tinnitus.

Immediately, she jolted up, looking around.

"Yes, Lila?" Ms. Bustier asked her. "Something wrong?"

"I thought I heard someone whisper in my left ear," Lila said.

"Don't you have tinnitus in that ear?" Alix asked.

"Of course, I do. It's on and off," Lila lied her way through that one. "I heard someone whisper my name, and it sounded like...Marinette!"

Immediately the entire class turned to glare at her, but this time, it had no effect no her.

Nothing could touch her now.

"How could I?" Marinette asked, innocently, sweetly. "I'm all the way back here."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adrien's eyes widen.

Had he figured it out? Did he know her better than she thought he did?

Probably not.

But he looked like he had just witnessed a murder up close.

No one could disprove that she was in the back the entire time. Ms. Bustier could vouch for her. Marinette never lied, not pathologically at least. At least her lies were little ones, mostly meant for protecting her secret identity as Ladybug. They were never anything as petty as gaining slaves who would do anything for her, like this brat Lila – 'brat' was being overly generous; she meant a word a lot more painfully rude.

Kim was the only one who dared to speak, "Marinette, don't you think you're taking it too far?"

Alix quickly followed, "Yeah, you're the one who refused to give up your seat for her. Then, you try to kill Max with a napkin."

"And now, you're bullying her through her tinnitus," Rose said. "Just stop now, okay?! At this rate, you're going to get her akumatized!"

"How ironic," Marinette heard Hawkmoth say. "Considering she's willingly been akumatized four times already."

"She's already been akumatized, actually," Marinette calmly said, paraphrasing Hawkmoth's words only she could hear. "Four times now..."

"That's not true!" Lila immediately said, ready to bring on the tears to get what she wanted.

The old Marinette would have stopped right then. Not this time. Thanks to Hawkmoth, she was not phased one bit.

"Willingly," Marinette pushed further.

"Just stop being mean to me, please!" Lila said, obviously faking tears to reassure that everyone was still on her side and not taking anything Marinette said seriously.

"Oh, like how you were to me earlier?" Marinette shot back. "In the bathroom when you threatened to isolate me from all my friends if I didn't do as you said?"

"I don't believe Lila would ever do that," Mylene said in defense of the Super-Liar.

"Then, start believing it," was all Marinette said to her, before turning back to Lila, her hands folded like she was waiting. She was waiting, actually, waiting for Lila to snap and out herself as a pathological liar. "Because that's exactly what she did."

"I didn't! You threatened me!" Lila became accusatory. Of course, she would say that. She wanted everyone to believe that Marinette was the bad guy the entire time.

"Did I really? Are you forgetting that I designed Jagged Stone's latest album cover, that I have his phone number and that he and I communicate on a daily basis? Did you really forget that I can easily confirm that he never had a kitten because he's always been deathly allergic to them, so he got an alligator instead?"

This stunned the entire class, even Ms. Bustier, into silence. Apparently, they did forget about that.

Marinette turned to Max, "And Max, did you seriously forget that paper napkins can't hurt even a tiny fly because they're so lightweight? Did you seriously not see that the napkin was nowhere near you and even if it was, it would never have touched you anyways because you have freakin' glasses on?!"

Max lowered his gaze to his feet. Apparently, Marinette was right.

"And does anyone not notice that Lila's tinnitus switches ears frequently, even though she first claimed it was only in her left?" Marinette continued. This felt great. Thank you, Hawkmoth, for giving her the confidence to let her get everything out. "And the seating chart. Did anyone ever think of calling me to make sure I was okay with moving seats, or that the only person who really had to move was Nino?!"

No one said anything. Either they were stunned, or mad, or feeling guilty. The last one was very unlikely, so it was probably the second.

"Are you seriously forgetting that Volpina was clearly at work on Heroes' Day, so Lila couldn't have been overseas at that time?! You are guys seriously that STUPID?!"

Marinette was surprised Lila had not come up with any sort of argument for any of that stuff. Or did she actually have several excuses ready and was just waiting for Marinette to finish?

The room was quiet, as if they were thinking of answers. The last person she ever expected to speak up against her was the only one who dared to break the silence.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked, his vocal tone quiet, wavering, and cautious, his signature smile gone and replaced with a concerned frown.

"What?" She demanded, feeling angrier that it was Adrien, one of the people she trusted the most, who was defending Lila. And it definitely showed in her voice.

But what he actually said next surprised her and the rest of the class.

"How long have you been akumatized?"

There was a collective gasp all around as people prepared to leave their seats.

But Marinette was ready for that. She threw a few needles at the door, deterring anyone from reaching for the knob.

"No one leaves!" She roared in anger, her violet eyes glowing brighter and brighter the angrier she became. "Not until I say they can!"

Adrien was the only one who didn't move at all, and Marinette found that admirable. It was like he already knew what was going on and was prepared to stop her at all costs. "How long, Marinette?"

"Stitches," she corrected, "and just before class. Really, none of you ever bothered to check up on me. How very sweet of you." She then stood up, stitching herself back into her Akuma outfit via a dark cloud, and ordered, "Everyone, back to your seats. This is far from over."

Ms. Bustier, probably trying to keep everyone calm and from freaking out, as well as safe, nodded in affirmation when the other students turned to her for answers. No was no smile on her face, like there usually was, but there was sorrow, sympathy, and...guilt?

Of course. A student did just get akumatized under her watch: Marinette, the Class Representative, the one who was supposed to be the example for everyone else. It was obvious that she'd feel responsible for it in some way.

So, everyone else sat down, not reading or doing any kind of homework. Not talking or turning backwards in their seats to chat with the people behind them. They were all uniform: facing forward, hands on desks, sitting up straight, and fearful eyes watching her, waiting for her next move.

Good. Now, she had their undivided attention, and not Lila. The way it should be.

The way it was before Lila came along.

As Marinette, no – Stitches – slowly walked down the stairs in the middle isle, not smiling, her hands behind her back, Kim quietly asked, "So, um...now that you have us, I assume, right where you want us...now what?"

"If you guys are worried that I'm going to hurt any of you," Stitches calmly answered, "then don't be. Most of you will get a pass."

She emphasized 'most', and it was not lost on the others, and though they were silent, it was obvious that they wanted her clarify.

"It's Chloe, right?" Lila – Super-Liar – dared to speak. "She's the one you're after."

"Hey–!" But before Chloe could object any further, Stitches had come to the rescue.

"No," and her answer surprised everyone. "Chloe has nothing to do with this. And that's good, right? Considering she's trying to redeem herself?"

Chloe said nothing, and neither did anybody else. Chloe's expression was a little hard to read. It seemed like she was thinking, yet also sad.

"Then it's me," Lila replied, obviously preparing the tears for more sympathy, obviously trying to make Marinette look like the bad guy. Well, Stitches was sick of it. "Of course, it's me. Ever since I came here, you've never liked me–"

Stitches threw a couple of needles at Lila and they landed on her desk. A split second later, Stitches had teleported there in a dark cloud. "Stop making everything about you!" Stitches' temper roared to life, the thing everyone was waiting for. "You're not the center of the universe! I do have something very special planned for you, but you're not my target either."

"Then..." Alix cautiously asked, "who is your target?" She was cautious, Stitches realized, because she was afraid that she was the answer to that question.

Stitches let out a growl that sounded more like a hungry wolf than a mad human. It made her angry just thinking about that person. She threw a couple of needles at the intended target and then immediately teleported there in a dark cloud, prepared to give this person an enormous piece of her mind.

Right in front of Alya.

"You...You ruined everything! You were supposed to be my best friend! You were supposed to be on my side! SO WHY DID YOU TURN MY LIFE INTO A LIVING HELL?! Oh, that's right...to be with your boyfriend," she ranted, much to shock and fear of everyone else.

Alya was obviously not prepared for her wrath, and she definitely was not prepared for the fact that she was Stitches' intended target and the reasons why.

"Mari–"

"Stitches!"

"–nette!" Alya continued, ignoring the name correction. "Trust me. I never meant to hurt you!"

"How can I trust YOU after all of this?! How can I trust anyONE of you to understand?!"

"Perfect, so many negative emotions," she heard Hawkmoth tell her, the others clearly seeing the purple outline overlaying her face. "That's enough chaos and guilt for now. It's time for you to honor your half of the agreement."

"Very well, Hawkmoth," Stitches replied, before directing her next words to the class. "Now, if anyone of you run into Ladybug or Chat Noir, tell them that I'll be waiting for them on top of the Eiffel Tower, unless they're too chicken."

Stitches threw a couple more needles out of the window, and they landed on the roof of a nearby building. In a dark cloud, she immediately teleported there.

~~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~T~A~L~E~S~~O~F~~L~A~D~Y~B~U~G~~A~N~D~~C~H~A~T~~N~O~I~R~~~

As soon as she was gone, Ms. Bustier turned to the class and told them to go straight home, while she notified Mr. Damocles of the situation.

Adrien took this chance to slip into the guys' restroom and into a stall for privacy. Immediately, Plagg came out from under his jacket.

"I told you she'd be akumatized," Plagg's voice held no joy in it. It was not a joke, nor a sarcastic remark. It was uncommonly stern and criticizing, something he rarely did. "I told you, but you just shrugged me off."

Adrien picked up on his vocal tone real quick.

When Marinette walked into the classroom, he was watching her carefully, worried. He knew she was in the bathroom, crying her eyes out. But now, there was no sign of that.

She was quiet all throughout class, up until the point when she said, "How could I? I'm all the way back here," with a vocal infliction that the Marinette he knew would never use.

Because it didn't sound innocent. It sounded condescending, like Marinette had done it and was pretending like it never happened.

That only could have been possible if she was akumatized.

Then, she went on a rant about all the logical evidence against Lila and her lies. Evidence that was obvious from the start. But that wasn't the red flag for Adrien.

It was how calm she seemed, when her choice of words obviously were not calm at all.

That was when he knew. And he was right.

"I know," Adrien struggled to keep his own emotions in check. "Because I didn't support her like I should have done in the first place." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "But, I can work out my guilt later. Right now, I have a friend to save."

"Judging by her rant in the classroom, I don't think she has any friends right now. Not to her, at least," Plagg replied.

He had met Marinette, twice. He liked her. She was the perfect owner for his Sugar Cube.

Sugar Cube...

Oh no!

If Marinette had been akumatized, then what had happened to Tikki? Was the Akuma in the Ladybug earrings? God, he hoped not.

He was not ready to say goodbye to Tikki.

Fortunately, before Plagg could have anymore self-defeating thoughts, his owner called out, "Plagg, Claws Out!"

~~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~T~A~L~E~S~~O~F~~L~A~D~Y~B~U~G~~A~N~D~~C~H~A~T~~N~O~I~R~~~

Plagg was tense all throughout the fight. Kwamis, when transformed, could see through the eyes of their chosen after all, and communicate telepathically. Whatever Chat Noir saw, so did Plagg.

Until, they both got a pleasant surprise. On top of the Eiffel Tower, just before confronting Stitches, Tikki had finally caught up with them.

Plagg mentally breathed a sigh of relief, especially when she mentioned that the Akuma was in a photo in Stitches' pocket. That meant that Tikki was still alive, and would not die.

But after this fight, Tikki would be tired, more so than ever before, because she was going to purify the Akuma and use the Miraculous Cure herself. When transformed with her chosen, it took off a lot of pressure and stress, but not this time.

This time her chosen was the one that was akumatized, but Adrien didn't need to know that. Tikki had made him promise after all.

Tikki was just as tense as Plagg was. This was her chosen that was currently akumatized. Her chosen that always had so much stress and anger and sorrow just waiting to break through the dam. So, Tikki knew this day would come. Might as well get it out now, so the next one wouldn't be as bad.

Chat Noir was worried when Ladybug's Kwami – Tikki was it – told him that his Lady would not be coming today, due to not feeling well, so the kwami would be doing the purifying and the Cure herself.

At first, he wondered what kind of stress that would do for her, but he then quickly began to suspect that the red Kwami was not telling him everything.

But he could focus on that later. Right now, he needed to save Marinette.

~~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~T~A~L~E~S~~O~F~~L~A~D~Y~B~U~G~~A~N~D~~C~H~A~T~~N~O~I~R~~~

They did it. He and Tikki were able to save Marinette.

It was difficult without the Lucky Charm to help them, but Chat Noir had found a way to catch Marinette off guard long enough to get the photo out of her pocket.

The photo...

Despite it being part of the job, and knowing that it would be fixed with the Cure, Chat Noir – Adrien – was very reluctant to tear up that photo.

Because it was their class photo, the one from last year, the one without Lila. Because it obviously reminded Marinette of a simpler time, when the worst bully she had to face was Chloe, who now seemed like an angel compared to Lila.

But he did it anyways. Because tearing up that photo would free the Akuma, allowing Tikki to purify it, and in turn, save Marinette.

Tikki caught the Akuma in her mouth and then re-opened it, letting the now purified Akuma to fly away, completely harmless. She then formed a ball of light in her hands, similar to whenever Ladybug's Lucky Charm was being formed, and then threw it up in the air, where it exploded into miniature ladybugs – the Cure had been activated. Any damage Marinette had caused as Stitches was now fixed, and everything was back to normal.

At least, according to the civilians, many of whom did not know the real story behind this akumatization.

A black cloud engulfed Stitches, turning her back into Marinette, who he painfully noticed, right away, was trembling.

"Princess?" He kneeled down next to her, as Tikki floated down to her level, obviously worried.

"Ch-Chat Noir?" She lifted up her head, letting him see the tears welling up in her blue eyes.

"Yeah, it's me," Adrien struggled to stay calm, to keep his emotions in check. Seeing Marinette like this was painful. "Can you remember anything that went down in the last hour?" Her answer was heartbreaking.

"Everything..."

"You remember being akumatized?" He asked. She nodded slowly. "And lecturing to the class about their faults and about Lila?" Another nod. "And the fight between us up until the Cure activating?" Another nod.

"Everything," she softly repeated.

"It seems like Hawkmoth used more of Nooroo's power than he usually does," Tikki explained. "He wanted her to remember."

"So he could use her again via her guilt if need be," Chat finished, both he and the red Kwami solemn.

But that was the least of Adrien's problems. Right now, his friend was hurting, to the point of being in danger from being akumatized a second time, and he was in the right position to comfort her.

He was Chat Noir, one of Paris's five beloved superheroes. Ladybug was not here, she was sick, according to her Kwami. Chloe – Queen Bee – was back at the school, and Rena Rouge and Carapace hadn't been heard from since Heroes' Day.

So it was up to him.

"Shh," he quietly told her and he carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It'll be okay, Princess. I'm here."

Marinette sniffled, still trying not to cry, and leaned into his touch, resting her head on his shoulder – a gesture of comfort. He was her shoulder to cry on – it was obvious that she needed one.

Chat turned to Tikki and said, "I'm taking her home."

Tikki nodded as Chat lifted Marinette so he was carrying her bridal style.

The Kwami could watch as Chat left the Eiffel Tower with her Chosen in his arms, before eventually following him.

~~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~T~A~L~E~S~~O~F~~L~A~D~Y~B~U~G~~A~N~D~~C~H~A~T~~N~O~I~R~~~

It was afternoon by the time Chat landed on Marinette's balcony. His Princess hadn't said a word the entire trip, but Chat was fine with that.

But once he set her down on her feet, her hand immediately reached out and grabbed his arm, to stop him from moving even though he had no intention of leaving her until he was sure she'd be okay.

"Don't leave..." her voice was shaky and soft, but sounded confident in what she wanted Chat to do.

Stay with her.

And again, he had no problems with that. It's what he intended to do.

"No problem," he replied, his voice just as soft as hers. "Do you want to talk about what got you akumatized? Because it's obviously still affecting you."

Adrien realized that Marinette was now shaking so badly, especially her hands, that he was worried she was having a seizure. This amped his worry up to eleven.

"Mari?" He asked her, and when he got no response, he quickly added, "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I won't force you."

"It's not that," Marinette finally replied, and a lump immediately formed in his throat when he heard about heartbroken she sounded, and looked.

Because tears were now flowing down her face.

"Princess?" He asked.

"It's because it feels like you're the only person who wants to listen!" She wailed, before taking a moment to breathe, using Ms. Bustier's breathing techniques to calm herself down. Chat led her to her chair and gently sat her down, as he knelt in front of her, ready to listen. "There's a new girl in my class." She sniffled. "Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal, but this girl...she lies to get what she wants. Constantly. But the problem is that I know she's lying. I have evidence to back myself up, but..."

Her lips began to tremble, and Chat immediately knew what was about to happen.

"But...no one else will believe me!" She softly cried out. "They believe she has a real disability, and they all thought I'd be okay with moving seats to accommodate that. I normally am fine with that, but as soon as I spoke against the decision, they all turned their backs on me! They all just assume I don't like her because I'm just jealous that she gets to sit in the front with Adrien while I'm in the back row. They all believe I'm that petty! But they all assume that I'm to blame for everything, because it was my fault for being late to the meeting that they all supposedly had, where they just placed me in the back row by myself without asking me if it was okay!"

Chat was quiet, and Marinette finally took the risk of looking into his green cat-like eyes. They were soft and sympathetic, and starting to well up with tears.

"You know the worst part?" She continued. "That idea of putting me in the back was all Alya's idea. My own best friend. And even she didn't believe me when I said I had evidence against the new girl but wouldn't spill! She's a journalist, and yet she put up a fake interview with that girl on her blog without checking back to see if it was true!"

Now, Adrien had a bone to pick to Alya. How could she do that to sweet Marinette, who wouldn't hurt a fly? Who was always selfless and never got a decent thank you in return? Who everyone liked but then betrayed as soon as someone better stepped up?

He was quiet as he let her finish, "I'm just so sick and tired of being taken for granted, so sick of being selfless when no one returns the favor. I'm just...so sick and tired...of being alone and misunderstood! It hurts and yet no one cares!"

That last part struck Adrien's last nerve.

Because he knew what it was like to be misheard. His father did it all the time. He knew was it was like to be alone. He was homeschooled and sheltered all his life, not allowed to meet new people or make friends.

That's why he enjoyed going to school, despite how taxing it could be. It was the one place that allowed him to connect with his friends, with Nino, with Alya, especially with Marinette. And he knew how heartbreaking it was when he was grounded and wasn't allowed to go to school or see his friends.

He knew exactly how she felt, having been in her position once, and he felt obligated to put a stop to that.

Because NO ONE deserved to be all alone, to be sad and depressed with no support around to help you, to be isolated even in a room full of people who supposedly knew you and liked you for who you were.

Chat Noir – Adrien – didn't say anything as he listened to Marinette's sobs. He just simply pulled her in for the hug she desperately needed.

And despite her not being able to see his face, he still painfully struggled to hold back the tears, a tight lump in his throat. He couldn't cry. Not because it wasn't masculine, or a sign of weakness.

But because he needed to be a strong rock for Marinette.

This was his fault. If he had just listened to Plagg in the first place instead of pushing him aside, or better yet, had stood up on Marinette's behalf at all, in the first place, none of this would've happened.

'I'm sorry, Marinette, for being such a bad friend. I don't deserve you,'he thought to himself, as the two continued to embrace each other as if the other was their last lifeline.

~~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~T~A~L~E~S~~O~F~~L~A~D~Y~B~U~G~~A~N~D~~C~H~A~T~~N~O~I~R~~~

Later that night, when the moon was out, Chat Noir was still transformed as he glanced back at Marinette's house. The girl had long left her balcony, choosing to go downstairs and confide in her parents about what had happened, after Chat urged her to, but Chat was still worried about her.

What if talking to her parents made the situation worse? He doubted it. He had met Marinette's parents after all, more than once, mostly when he was Chat Noir, but he knew they were nice and understanding and supportive, unlike his own father. If anyone could help his Princess better than he could, it was Tom and Sabine.

The lights were also off, an indicator that she was probably asleep. If so, good. If she could sleep after the day she had, it meant that she was on her way to recovering, slowly but surely.

He briefly wondered if he should go and check on her, see how she was holding up.

"Chaton?"

The familiar voice brought him out of his funk, and he whipped around to greet his Lady.

"Mila–" he cut himself off, however, when he saw the look on his beloved's face.

It was just like Marinette's – sad, depressed, hopeless, not seeing any way out.

"Ladybug?" he quietly asked. "Are you okay? Your expression says you're not."

Marinette tried very hard to give him a smile to convince him that she was fine. Today was not a day to feel happiness at all. That morning, all she was worried about was being late, again, but now, by nightfall, she had so much more on her plate than she wanted. She didn't ask for today to happen.

But she had to let him know. It seemed only fair that she tell him the truth and not simply run away on him.

But Chat didn't return her fake smile. Instead, the sadness in his eyes only grew – he knew, she realized. He knew that it was a fake smile. Of course he would know that. He was one of the few people that could read her like an open book.

So, her smile faded, not feeling confident enough to lie to him about something like this. "I need to talk to you." He said nothing, only looking directly at her with sorrow filling his facial features. She had his full attention. "Listen," she began, "I know Tikki told you I was sick, so that's why I didn't come today. But...that's not really the truth. This truth is...something happened today, to my alter ego. Something that's...very emotionally draining. So, I need you to understand that–" she cut herself off, fighting to hold back tears as she swallowed the lump in her throat, before forcing herself to continue. She owed Chat that much, at least, "–that I'm going to be taking some time off to recover from it." Before he could interrupt, she continued. It would've been hard to do so if he had, "Tikki will be there to purify Akumas and use the Cure, but I won't. I know I could've called you, but I felt it was more appropriate to tell you this in person."

Chat was quiet, and that worried her. Would he be mad? Lash out at her? She didn't want him to. She didn't want to lose the only friend she had left.

But to her pleasant surprise, Chat gave her a small smile, and when he spoke at last, his voice was calm and gentle, "I understand. Today wasn't all that great for me either. A very good friend of mine broke down into tears right in front of me, and most of her pain...was my fault. So, don't worry." The two connected eyes, hers sorrowful and pleading, his soft and kind. "Take all the time you need, Milady. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm right here. Just promise me that you won't let yourself get akumatized over whatever it is that you're dealing with."

"Thank you, Minou," she replied, grateful to have him as Chat Noir, as her partner, and no one else. But because unlike everyone else, Chat understood and cared. "I'll try my best, but no promises." She quickly kissed him on the cheek.

Adrien would only watch as she yoyo'd away, presumably back home.

He faced back forward, intent on doing patrol twice as good as he normally did. He wouldn't be alone when fighting Akumas, as Tikki would be there too, but he was now the only superhero in Paris that could and was willing to fight.

Ladybug and Marinette.

His Lady and his Princess. Both were going through a rough time, now with the included risk on one of them being akumatized. He didn't want to fight Marinette again, and he definitely didn't want to fight Ladybug. Both were important to him.

But he had to be a rock for them both. Whenever one of them wanted to talk to him, he could not – would not – break down into tears because their sorrow made him feel it too. Both were empathic people – they felt very strongly and whoever betrayed their trust would pay.

He didn't know much about Ladybug's situation, so he decided to let Tikki handle that, unless Ladybug decided to come to him. In which case, he'd welcome her with open arms.

But he did know about Marinette's situation. After all, he helped cause it. But, better yet, he could actually do something to fix it.

Lila had lied to him, to everyone, just to make herself superior, while Marinette was shoved to the background. And when Marinette tried to speak up, Lila always put up the disabled new girl act – the one that she knew would get her pity and people on her side. Not to mention, Lila had threatened Marinette in the bathroom – to tell her that Marinette could either join her or forever be against her, and by extension, everyone else.

Marinette chose to fight, and it got her akumatized.

Adrien believed that, even though it was mostly Hawkmoth speaking to them, it was Marinette's words and feelings that he was using.

Hawkmoth would never akumatize her again, nor would Lila ever bully her again, he vowed.

He would personally make sure of that.

His sense of justice growled inside him, like a feral cat, demanding retribution.

Both of them would pay.

TO BE CONTINUED...

~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~M~I~R~A~C~U~L~O~U~S~~

A/N: Long chapter, sorry. Review, please, and tell me what you all think! Even if very few people like this story, I'm still going to continue it, because it will take a great weight off my chest.

Now, about Adrien, I know they said his glare was an animation error, but not once in that teaser did he stand up for Marinette, so hence the guilt and Plagg's advice there.

Also, Lila was Chameleon, if anyone didn't catch that. She allowed herself to be akumatized, so Hawkmoth would have better access to Marinette, as he knows about her selflessness, and people who are selfless often tend to have a lot of anger and stress bottled up. That's why Hawkmoth went after Marinette.

A preview for the next chapter:

Chapter 2: "Adrien Agreste"

"With Adrien now knowing what he knows, there's no way he's just going to sit back and watch Marinette suffer. He will bring back that smile, no matter what he has to do."