Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis

Times are changed; we, too, are changed within them.

The evening hours had fallen, lights casting sharper shadows on the walls, and the usual shimmer of dust motes that hung in the air had dimmed into the darkness. Her eyes drooped, pink locks hanging into her field of vision as she scoured through the dusty bundle of tomes that she had been engrossed in for the past few hours.

Ringing sliced through the otherwise silent room. She had been saved by the bell; the Fall of Rome would have to wait.

'Then again,' Alix grinned as she rubbed her eyes, 'there would always be time later…'

She chuckled as she picked up the receiver. "Hello."

"Doctor Kubdel?" The guard called on the phone. "You have a visitor."

"Right on time." Alix smirked, peering up at the dated clock that hung of the back office wall. "Send her up please."

Sinking back into her office chair, Alix allowed herself a moment. With as long as she'd raced through the halls of the Louvre as a child, history was in her blood.

Her fingers slipped over her pocket watch—a familiar, heavy weight in her vest pocket.

Quite literally at that.

Currently, she was a historian like her father and brother before her. But unlike them, she had a little bit of an advantage. A method of research forever more certain than they would ever have—even if she didn't exactly get to pick what point in history she'd emerge...

No one knew better than she the exact history of the objects that would eventually sit in the Louvre. It was she who knew all the history that could be bent to her will… and used to save the current timeline on behalf of Ladybug.

But for all that she did know, it wasn't all that long ago that she'd finally figured out who had the sometimes haunted eyes behind the red and black spotted mask.

So when Marinette called, Alix would always answer. Especially as that help no longer involved tossing flower petals in aid of Marinette's formerly fruitless romantic pursuits.

Eventually, Marinette had managed to charm the extraordinarily dense Parisian teen model. Alix wasn't even sure how; it had only taken years.

Alix shook her head fondly. She liked Adrien. As they'd grown, it was easy to see he had been really, really good for Marinette. She was happy they were together.

Even if the pair of them tended to give her cavities when she was around them in large enough doses.

She shook her head. As Ladybug, Marinette still worked seamlessly with Chat Noir, but it seemed that Chat Noir's flirtatious antics had only slightly mellowed with time.

Alix sighed. If only time had made Chat Noir grow up. Well-meaning though he was, Chat could be spectacularly dense. Secretly, she was reasonably sure he was happy enough in his own relationship… and was generally playing into the city's expectations.

What Alix just hated, though, was Chat's occasional thoughtlessness. It had broken her own Miraculous once, and it had caused Marinette pain more times than she could count. And an anxious Marinette would occasionally make some dumb moves.

And when that happened, it was Paris that suffered…

At least until she was given the chance to help clean it up.

The sure and steady clip of heels echoed in the halls... a single, solid knock on the heavy oak door was her only warning before the doorway opened.

"Hey, Alix!" Marinette smiled softly.

The museum guard ushered her inside.

Marinette obliged. The soft fall of her red skirt trailing behind her as she glided inside. "I'm afraid I'm in need of your... expertise…"

Alix nodded, glancing back to the guard. "I'll see her out when I leave."

With a smile, the guard tugged the door closed and whistled as he trotted back down the hall.

Neither of them moved a muscle, carefully watching the door until the sound of his whistle and the noisy door down the hallway squeaked closed.

"As I said on the phone," Marinette started, tugging an envelope out of her purse. "I really do need a favor."

Alix sat up a bit straighter, as Marinette handed her an envelope. Alix arched an eyebrow, half expecting another classmate's wedding invite.

"What's this?" She mused aloud, noting the few solemn words on the outside.

"A problem that needs fixing." The dark circles under her friend's eyes spoke volumes. "Adrien is getting angrier… having nightmares about things that didn't happen."

"Didn't happen?"

"I know that you know what I'm talking about, Alix." Marinette's eyes grew firm but serious, evoking the red mask across her otherwise weary features. "Even if you've kept it quiet."

Alix blinked, crossing her arms over her chest. She might be the only one who knew who Ladybug was. But the very nature of her powers meant that she cannot—and will not—say her roles exists mostly out of any timelines.

"You're worried, then?" Alix mused, leaning back against her desk.

"I think we've meddled with the timeline. Something was done—or said—that's tipped the balance…" Marinette sighed, pacing the length of the room between the bookcases. "Even if I can't imagine what that might be… But I have to assume it has to do with his Father."

"The butterfly effect." Alix nodded sagely, lips curving sharply with mischievous humor.

"Alix…" Marinette groaned, closing her eyes as she massaged the bridge of her nose. "You've been hanging out with Chat again, haven't you…?"

Alix simply smirked. "Not with his tendency to break things…"

At least that earned her a chuckle.

Alix's eyes narrowed, taking in the thinner look around Marinette's face and the bags clearly forming beneath her eyes. "You really think we've altered the timeline this time?"

Marinette nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can't help but think that. Usually, Adrien feels guilty enough for his father's sins on a normal day, even if he would never openly admit it. But these past few days since that battle with Timetagger? His nightmares have grown so vivid… and he's talking in his sleep." She shook her head, pain clear in her gaze. "I worry that it's going to wake one of the kids..."

Ruthlessly, Alix snorted, mentally amending her prior statement about not knowing how the two had come together. Marinette's tenacity was clearly the reason she'd been able to woo Adrien, and eventually charm the pants right off him… especially if their three children were any indication.

Marinette frowned, as Alix waved an apologetic hand.

It was easy enough to forget about the little rugrats when her own… research sometimes took her away for months or years on end. "Sorry. I keep forgetting just how important sleep really is for you all with kids…"

"So, you'll do it?"

Reassuringly, Alix nodded, making a grand show of slipping the envelope into the pocket of her vest and ushering her old friend out into the back hall.

"Don't worry, Marinette." Alix winked, locking up her office. "I'll hop to it."

Marinette's shouted "Alix!" echoed through the long hallway.

Tempo, you asked for Fluff and Angst...and since I know longer know how to effectively oneshot, this ended up multi-chapter so I can tackle - and deliver on - both.

I've got the draft about 95% done right now and should be dropping a chapter a day over the next week. :)

Thanks as always to Kellarhi for beta reading. 3