AN: So many reviews on Chapter 4! Thank you so much!

So, confession time. All during the Chloe Chapters, I had "The Only Exception" by Paramore stuck in my head, and for this chapter, it was "Rude" by Magic! :D Also, I struggled with some decisions in order to make this chapter happen! I hope it doesn't disappoint. As you can tell, I am mainly progressing through the timeline. I'm using amour-chasse-croise's season one timeline on Tumblr, for those interested. I won't be using all episodes, though! For the sake of time, length, and flow, I'm only going to include those episodes or situations that advance the "plot" in some way. Trying to avoid filler. :) I saw a lot of speculation as to how this set-up would affect certain scenarios, and I liked the ideas that it puts into my head. I like this idea of "cannon-with-a-twist meets and-now-for-something-completely-different!" :)

pinksakura271: I'm really pleased with how the dynamic between Bug and Kitty is turning out! I wanted it to be dynamic and natural while at the same time being ever-so-slightly different from cannon. "I'm surprised Nathalie didn't question Adrien by the car a let alone near Mari." -actually, I had completely forgotten she was there in the cannon scene! I went back and read what I wrote and realized that my wording might have been misleading as well. Nathalie had just made sure Marinette had taken an umbrella to school that day. Sorry for the confusion!

bunnywabbit29: deadly. It's a relationship killer. and thanks!

Beatitude Girl: Miracle Queen nearly killed me, so I needed my version of Chloe to get me through!

Titanfire999: I tried to stall this chapter to give you time to finish your calc homework. :)

Sakhmet and Hathor: Thanks!

LaylaDeMich: Just following cannon would be boring. ^_~ I'm glad I managed to make it interesting so far!

Violetsz: Yes, you did, because we all love a bit of schadenfreude, even if we don't want to admit it. :)

DocMcDuck: There will always be something innately "Chloe" about Chloe Bourgeois, but time will tell! I like her as a character, but I also like her as a mean girl. She's a good foil and a great source of conflict. Even her being a "redeemed" character brings its own challenges and conflicts, though, so it should be fun to explore. I only hope I do her justice.

Videocrazy: I actually had that same thought, and then went "screw it! let's do it anyway!" And you were also pretty spot on with my justification: she wasn't in any real harm. In the part where Swarm Queen frowns and then takes off towards the tower, Hawky is actually telling her to give up on finding Marinette until she does what he wants, and there was nothing stopping him from taking her akuma at any time. Mari's connection with Chloe is one of the things that makes me the happiest about this AU, so I'm glad you like it as well! Also, Yep, that's me on AO3. :3 I'm just really bad about using that platform, as I said in my PM...

Spideyfangirl123, Guest, and the likes/followers/readers: Thank you so much!

Marinette finished the lock stitch on the underside of her newest creation happily humming the birthday song to herself. Completed, she turned the large ladybug pillow over with a jaunty toss and then attempted to hug the stuffing out of it, smiling widely.

Plagg looked on with a sour look on his face as she lovingly placed the ladybug pillow in the place of honor on her bed, cuddled by the large cat pillow. "Don't you find it a little strange that you have to make your own birthday presents?" he asked, floating over her shoulder as she cleaned up the red and black cloth scraps and string clippings.

She shook her head and smiled up at the little cat kwami. "Not really. I like to think that my father understands where my passions lay." She looked at the box of exquisite Agreste Exclusive fabrics that she had been given that morning. It would have been nice if he had given them to her in person, at least, but by now she wasn't surprised that his birthday wishes had come out of Nathalie's mouth or that she had eaten her bland, nutritionally balanced breakfast alone. It still would have been nice to hear "Happy Birthday" from her father's mouth though.

And she'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the days when her father would present her with a personal gift and her mother would take her on a special day out. But things changed, and she just had to learn to accept that.

Noticing Marinette's drop in mood, even as she attempted to not show it, Plagg flew behind the yarn box and returned with a slice of camembert, wrapped nicely in a red bow. He presented it to her proudly. "Happy Birthday, Marinette!"

Her eyebrows raised in surprise as the usually taciturn kwami presented his most precious possession to her as a gift. She was equal parts repulsed and deeply touched at the gesture. "Wow, Plagg…" she began, lost for words. "You do care!"

The black cat scoffed. "Tch… fa… ho.. Whatever! If you don't want it…!"

"No, no, no, it's not that!" Marinette assured, making a soothing gesture with her hands, then cupped them around the black kwami, letting him still hold on to the smelly cheese while he turned up his nose, clearly insulted. "I appreciate the thought, and I'm honored you thought of me. You did a good job with the ribbon." She smiled and watched Plagg crack an eye to peek at her.

He stubbornly waited a few more moments before sighing. "Well, your welcome," he said, somewhere between pleased and not wanting to show it. The corner of Marinette's lip quirked upward while she tried not to laugh.

Plagg continued to sit in her hand, still holding (cradling) the ribbon-wrapped smelly cheese.

After a few moments of silence, she added: "You can eat it now."

Which he did, ribbon and all. Marinette finally giggled.

She donned her bookbag and opened her purse. Plagg settled in, stretching out for his morning cat-nap, and she took off for school, hoping for a better day.

Alya watched Adrien as he ruffled his fingers through his hair again for the fifth time since she'd arrived at school. It was almost to the point where she wanted to grab his hand and slap it like a misbehaving toddler's. "I don't know why you are so nervous about this. She's going to love it. Any girl would love it. Heck, I love it but it isn't for me, and if it wasn't her birthday I'd be jealous."

That did nothing to assuage his worries, however. "What if she's allergic to nuts? Or strawberries? What if she hates sweet things?" the nervous boy proposed. He knew none of that was true because he'd spent an embarrassing amount of time pouring through the internet and social media for birthday ideas for Marinette, but not every source was in agreement so it left room for error. In the end, Tikki had reminded him that the best gifts came from the heart, and he'd instantly known what he'd had to do. His mom hadn't even been all that angry with the mess he'd made. She had just kept shooting knowing looks at his dad when she thought he wasn't looking. So embarrassing, but totally worth it. He hoped.

"I'll eat them for her if that's the case. Don't worry," the blogger deadpanned.

It didn't seem as if he heard her, though. "What if she's offended and thinks I'm trying to tell her she needs to eat more or something?" Adrien worried, hand moving to his hair.

"Okay, now I'm offended that you would even come up with that idea." She snatched his hand out of the air, "And for the love of all that is holy, your hair already looks like you faced a hurricane head-on, stop that!" She spotted a familiar red cap approaching and waved. "Hey, Nino! Come talk some sense into your boy!"

Nino took his headphones off as he approached and smiled widely. "Hey, my dudes! Wuzzup?"

Before Alya could open her mouth, Adrien answered, "It's Marinette's birthday," as if that would explain everything.

And to Alya's surprise, for Nino it did. The DJ nodded sagely, arms crossed. "Indeed, it is," he answered, then with a flourish presented a flash drive held between his index and middle finger. "And I am proud to announce that I have finally created the perfect playlist for the princess's party!" He tucked the USB away and pulled out a jar of bubble solution.

"Oh, bonus points for alliteration! So is it definite that she's going to have a party?" Alya asked.

"Very unlikely, actually."

The trio turned to face Marinette, two of them actually a little surprised that she'd snuck up behind them. Adrien was the one not surprised, just sort of frozen by the inevitability that the moment of truth was coming while he silently held on to the box in his hands.

"Jeez, girl! We should put a bell on you or something!" Alya noted. "So your dad said no?"

Marinette shook her head. "More like I haven't asked him. He's been really busy lately, so I haven't had the chance."

"That's messed up, man," Nino frowned. "But it's your birthday! Didn't he at least see you this morning?"

The blond shrugged. "I'm used to it by now. It's not that big of a deal." She looked at the nicely wrapped box in Adrien's hand and asked, "Is that for me?" It was easy to hear the pleased yet anxious anticipation in her voice.

He cleared his throat then held the red-ribboned box out to her. "Oh! Uh… Yeah. Happy Birthday, Marinette," he smiled sheepishly.

She looked at it, beaming brightly. "Thank you!" The ribbon reminded her of Plagg's gift from earlier, though he had somehow managed to eat that ribbon. Hopefully, this one could be saved. "May I…?" She reached for it...

"Happy Birthday, Mariboo!" Chloe cut her question off, charging across the courtyard to wrap the model in a tight hug. "I have the best birthday getaway planned for the two of us! Two weeks in the Bahamas! Daddy-kins is going to handle all of the arrangements!"

Marinette was flabbergasted. "C…Chloe! There's no way my father would agree to me leaving Paris, much less France! And two weeks is way too long! What about school? And then there's my private studies and photoshoots…" And crime-fighting as Kitty Noir… "I just can't accept that gift," she finished with a regretful frown, hoping that her friend would understand. Chloe was known to go over-the-top, but this was beyond that.

"Actually, you don't have another photoshoot for two weeks, and I can take care of all of your notes and classwork while you are away," Sabrina piped in, nose in a scheduling matrix on her phone. Marinette raised an eyebrow when she realized that the mousy girl had her entire monthly agenda inputted alongside Chloe's. It was like meeting Nathalie 2.0.

"I can't have you doing all of my classwork!" Marinette argued. "And then there's ballet, and Chinese…"

Adrien watched Marinette and Chloe argue back and forth over what was too much of a gift and what wasn't, still holding the box in his hand and feeling a bit like a lame duck. Both Alya and Nino gave him a sympathetic look and shrugged.

"Actually, dude and dudettes," Nino cut in, interrupting the blond pair's bickering, "I think what my girl Marinette needs is a party."

"Father would never allow that."

"Fabulous idea! Absolutely Fabulous" Everyone looked at Chloe in disbelief. "… coming from you, that is." Adrien imagined that if it had been an anime, everyone would have sweat-dropped.

This new-ish Chloe was going to take some getting used to.

Marinette frowned at heiress, who returned with a smug smile.

The bell rang, signaling for the students to head to class. Marinette shook her head and sighed. "Thanks anyway, guys. Let's get to class."

While she walked off, Nino gave Adrien a resolute smile. "Well, it seems I need to have a chat with Marinette's Pop."

Chloe sniffed. "You do that, DJ Tupac." She snapped her fingers. "Sabrina! Phone!"

"Yes, Chloe!" the eager girl piped up, producing her phone with the Mayor's number already dialed.

She took it and held it to her ear. "Daddy-kins? Change of plans!" She walked off as she talked, Sabrina close on her heels.

Adrien was still holding the red-ribboned box.

The first classes of the morning progressed quickly and without incident, though in each one of them, Adrien struggled to find a way to give Marinette her present. If he didn't catch her before the lunch break, however, it might be too late, so by the end of the third period, he tracked her down, determined to deliver his gift. He spotted her in the locker room, changing out her books for the next few classes and smiled, walking around the backside and taking residence leaning against the locker next to hers. He was hidden by her open locker door, and he was fairly confident that she hadn't spotted him. She seemed to be preoccupied with something, which aided his cause.

Marinette closed her locker door, jumping in surprise when she spotted Adrien. He shot a sly grin her way and held up the same red-ribboned box that he'd had earlier. "I meant to give this to you before school. It's a little time-sensitive." He held it out to her. "Happy Birthday."

She smiled and took it. "Do you always jump-scare girls like that when giving them presents?" She pulled the ribbon and opened the lid of the box face lighting up in delight.

"Only the pretty ones." Oh, crap! Did I just say that? "Not that you're pretty! I mean, you are, but that isn't why… Arg! Just enjoy your present!" He wisely shut his mouth, face flushed with embarrassment. Great. Now he was turning into a tsundere...

The blond giggled. "Thanks for the compliment? I think?" She looked in the box and tried not to squeal in delight. She actually failed. The box was filled with a baker's dozen chocolate-covered strawberries, decorated in various ways with nuts and caramel and white chocolate drizzles. The thirteenth strawberry, however, was shaped into a chocolate-dipped rose, complete with a decorated skewer stem. "These are exquisite!"

"Yeah, you are… They! They are! Yes. I made them," he admitted while simultaneously wishing the ground would just go ahead and swallow him. It was just a gift! He had been able to talk to her for a month without acting like an idiot. Why now?! Tikki! I thought you were supposed to be lucky! Soon, this would all be over with, and things could just go back to normal.

"Thank you, Adrien," she smiled sweetly, then paused for a moment in thought. "You wouldn't mind if I shared these with everyone, would you?"

His heart clenched for a moment. He would have actually been surprised if she hadn't shared them, but he was touched that she'd consider his feelings enough to ask. He shook his head. "Not at all. It's your birthday; share it how you like!"

"In that case," she reopened the box and presented it to him. "Please take one! Just not the rose… I'd like to save that one for later."

He picked one of the plain chocolate-drizzled berries and thanked her. Through the next hour, she'd shared berries with most of the class; Alya and Nino first, followed by Chloe and Sabrina. Rose, Juleka, Mylene, Nathaniel, Alix, and Max. Ivan and Kim had both turned down a strawberry but still wished Marinette a happy birthday. Even Mme Bustier received one.

By the end, Marinette had discarded the box and was sitting alone at the top of the school steps as she waited for her ride. The red ribbon had found its way tied around her neck like a choker, and she was twirling the strawberry rose by spinning the stem, looking at it fondly. She closed her eyes and put it to her lips, as if she were smelling an actual rose, then sighed happily, nibbling on the first petal.

"Uh, huh," Alya judgmentally intoned, arms crossed while watching Adrien watch Marinette from a distance. "So, when exactly do you plan on telling her how you feel?"

A blush began crawling up Adrien's face as he shook his head. "No! It's totally not like that. She's just a friend." He sighed. "A smart, talented, kind, generous, beautiful friend who is way too good for me." He sighed deeply. It wasn't really his secret to tell but... "Besides… Nino likes her, too."

Her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh. Well, that does complicate things a bit."

The dark-haired boy sighed again, expelling some of the pent up frustration while he watched Marinette climb into the back seat of her car and drive away. "Yeah. They've got a lot more in common, you know? He wants to be a director, she's a model and her mom was an actress. They are both great people, kind, patient, and talented. I've known Nino my whole life and he's the best guy in the world. I know he'd be good for her, and vice versa."

Alya half-heartedly punched him in the shoulder. "Wow, you do have it bad. It's almost a shame you are such a great friend."

He groaned at the dual implications. "Don't I know it."

The blogger stood and dusted off the back of her pants, holding out a hand to Adrien. "Well, I've got your back. Let me know when you decide to pop the question."

"Ha, ha," he deadpanned, but took her hand anyway, standing up. "Where did Nino run off to?"

Alya shrugged, uncertain. "I think he went to Marinette's house. He did say something about having a chat with M Agreste. He and Chloe are going all out trying to make this party for Marinette happen."

A sudden worry sank in Adrien's gut at the thought of Nino facing off against Gabriel Agreste. He swallowed hard. "I hope it goes well for him." He conceded. "Marinette does deserve to have a good birthday."

Nino cleared his throat and rang the doorbell, straightening his hat just one more time. The woman on the other side buzzed him in and met him at the front door. He swallowed thickly, nervously fiddling with the bubbles in his hand. The home was imposing, pristine and enormous. He couldn't help but feel out of place. He also marveled at how Marinette, who seemed so colorful and lively herself, could live here. She didn't seem to match. He waited long enough for the discomfort to fully set in before M Agreste appeared at the top of the stairs, just as cold and imposing as his house. It was clear to Nino that Marinette must have inherited a lot from her mother.

"Marinette is not home yet," the stern man stated, looking down his nose at the colorful boy.

Nino cleared his throat and removed his hat. "Actually, I'm here to see you, du-er-Sir!"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yeah, that's right," Nino gathered his courage. "Look, I know you don't want Marinette to have a party, but it's her birthday, dude- I mean, Sir!" The look on the older man's face was not encouraging. "She's only going to turn fourteen once."

The scowl deepened. "No. And that's final."

Marinette walked through the gate of her home while her driver parked the car. Plagg peaked out of the purse once the coast was clear. "Well that seemed like a nice birthday, I think," he chimed in, though the tone of his voice made Marinette think he was fishing for something. "Food is always a good gift. I like that boy." Despite his words, he made a sour face that made her smirk, "Though maybe next time you could tell him you like cheese. That much sweet stuff can't be good for anybody." And there was the hook.

His blond holder wasn't biting, however. "Yes, it was sweet, and perfect for sharing!" Marinette smiled happily. This was turning out to be a good day so far. As she reached the door, they could both hear the voices on the other side. This was highly uncommon, and the two looked at each other. "Hide, Plagg," she whispered before closing her purse and opening the door.

"…messed up! She never screws up in class and she does whatever you tell her to! Photoshoots, ballet, Chinese, violin…" She quickly stopped the boy from extolling the rest of her virtues by placing a hand on his shoulder. Whatever was going on, it couldn't be good if the tone of Nino's voice and the look on her father's face was anything to go by.

"Nino, I can't believe you came!" She smiled at him, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She appreciated the gesture, but she knew that her father would not take kindly to this.

Nino smiled back at her. "Anything for you, Marinette," he replied, then turned back to Gabriel. "So show some awesomeness, du- I mean, Sir! Please!"

The look on the man's face could freeze rivers, and even though Nino still looked hopeful, Marinette could not stand to watch her friend be shot down as harshly as what was coming. She side-stepped between him and her father, smiling as brightly at him as she could. It was her "I'm absolutely fine with this and you shouldn't worry about it anymore, please stop what you are doing" face. "Nino, thank you so much for coming. I appreciate the gesture, but a party would simply not be possible for me at this time." She began to lead him out the door, slightly pushing him discretely. The look he gave her as she did was too complex for her to interpret at that time. "We'll have other opportunities…" she began before her father called from behind them.

"Listen, young man," he commanded, causing them both to pause and turn. Marinette didn't even attempt to hide the dread in her expression. "I decide what is best for my daughter. In fact," oh no… "I have just decided that you are a bad influence and are no longer welcome in this house!"

"Father!" Marinette exclaimed, aghast. "That is simply not fair! He hasn't done anything to warrant that but ask for a party for me, which I turned down!"

"My decision is final," he addressed Nino once more. "Leave now!" It was practically a growl. Marinette winced. Not even she had heard that level of harshness from her father before.

Nathalie stepped between the pair and Gabriel as the later turned on his heel and left. "Goodbye," she said to the boy pointedly while Marinette looked on in shocked dismay.

She followed Nino, calling out as the door shut behind them. "Nino, wait!" She put an arm on his shoulder, and when he stopped and turned to her, he was surprised by her arms pulling him in for a tight hug. "I am so sorry my father was like that!" she said into his shoulder. "You deserve so much better, and I am eternally grateful to have you as a friend. Thank you so much for what you tried to do." She released him and took a step back while he momentarily reeled from the sudden closeness and then loss thereof.

He recovered, even as his insides churned. "It's just not right, Marinette. You deserve better, too." She had half expected him to smile at her, but he never did.

She watched him walk away with a grimace on his face and sighed deeply. Once he was gone, she retreated to her room to begin drafting ideas for ways to change her father's mind about Nino.

Meanwhile, in the park across the street, the red-capped boy plopped down onto a park bench, stewing over what had just happened. He ran the entire encounter through his brain again, trying to figure out where exactly he screwed up. It was obvious that her father didn't like him. Was it his speech or the way he dressed? Was it because he was a guy? Nino's frown only deepened into a scowl. If her father didn't approve of him as a friend, he didn't have a chance of getting approval as anything else! He clenched the bubble jar in his fist tightly, then exhaled deeply, attempting to calm his troubled heart. It wasn't helping too much, however.

"But, daddy, please!" a small child cried across the way, begging his father who was dragging him away.

As the father reprimanded the child and took him out of the park, Nino's mood darkened further. "Adults ruin everything all the time."

Hawkmoth relished in the strong negative emotion he felt coming from the boy. He had known from the moment he saw the boy in his home that crushing his hopes would yield tremendous results. The positive feelings the boy had for his daughter were something he had been more than happy to manipulate. Such an uncouth young man was nowhere near good enough for Marinette. He grinned viciously as he released his akuma.

He felt the boy's anger bubble and rise, despite his attempts to calm down. Hawkmoth could appreciate the effort the young man was putting in to maintain a level head but was equally pleased that he had not. His akuma found its purchase in the ridiculous bubble solution in his hand.

"Hawkmoth is my name, and Bubbler is now yours," he spoke. "I will help you with these horrid adults, and all I need from you is to get something from Mister Bug and Kitty Noir."

He knew the boy would accept and was not disappointed. "Yes, Hawkmoth," the boy smiled.