Sabine Cheng let out a long sigh of relief as she heard a quiet thump in the attic bedroom above her living room. She set down the book she had been reading, a trashy romance novel called The Vampire and the Sea Wench, and made her way to the kitchen. She was busy getting ingredients out when her bathrobe-clad daughter quietly crept in.

"Evening," Sabine said while mixing. She was busy breaking up molasses into some sugar and had a small smile on her face as her daughter sheepishly waved and then raided the fridge for some juice. "While you're in there, can you grab me an egg?"

Marinette nodded and wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand as she clumsily slid the juice in the door of the fridge. "Sure. Are you making cookies? It's almost midnight."

Sabine nodded as she mixed a stick of butter in with the white and brown sugar. "I am, and that's just because I couldn't sleep. They'll be ready for the morning."

"I wouldn't think you'd want to be up this late. Don't you and dad get up at four to get things ready?"

Sabine nodded. "Tomorrow morning is your dad's turn. He's taking this Saturday so I can sleep in. He's very considerate like that."

Marinette smiled and leaned against the counter as she watched her mom work. "You're really good at that, you know that?"

"It's a simple recipe," Sabine said with a small, smug smile. It was her recipe, and she had perfected it after botching dozens of so-so batches of cookies in days gone by. Her hard work had paid off, though. Despite all the wonderful items available in the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, there was nothing Marinette coveted more than her mom's cookies.

"I have to say, I do love your cookies," Marinette said as she drooled a little.

"Well then, get to sleep, will you? They'll be ready in the morning."

Marinette pouted as Sabine mixed in the egg. "Can't I stay up and lick the bowl?"

"Bed, young lady." Sabine shot her daughter a look. "Or should I ask why you're still up so late to begin with? Were you stalking that boy you like online again?"

Marinette turned red. "Mom."

"Which one was it again? Adrien?"

Marinette turned redder. "Mom!"

Sabine stopped mixing and made a point of thinking. "Wait, that wasn't his name, was it? What did you call him? Delicious?"

"GOODNIGHT MOM," Marinette said as she quickly made her way down the hall and up the stairs to her room.

Sabine chuckled and mixed in the baking soda and vanilla. "Goodnight, dear."

After mixing in the flour and chips, she popped the first batch in the oven, poured herself a hot tea, and sat down at the counter with her novel to wait.

She didn't have to wait long.

"You made chocolate chip cookies again, didn't you?" A small, happy voice said from behind her.

Sabine nodded and gestured to the oven. "Five more minutes and they'll be ready. So, how was she tonight?"

Tikki floated to Sabine's side and smiled proudly. "She totally kicked butt out there. I noticed some people filming it on their phones, so there should be something on the Ladyblog by tomorrow."

Sabine nodded. "I can see that." She looked to Tikki as her smile was replaced with sudden concern. "Was she hurt? Is she hurt?"

Tikki giggled at the tone in Sabine's voice. "Please. It happened so fast she didn't even break a sweat! Your daughter is amazing."

Sabine smiled, but Tikki could see the look in her eye. She floated to Sabine's side and put her tiny hand on Sabine's shoulder.

"She's your daughter in every way."

Sabine stiffened. "You're very kind, Tikki."

"I mean it," Tikki said, floating back a bit to look Sabine in the eye. "She's amazing. She's… She's the best Ladybug I've ever served."

Sabine raised an eyebrow. "The best?"

Tikki smiled and sighed as Sabine rose to retrieve the cookies from the stove.

"Well, she's in my top two. How's that?"

Sabine smirked. "Better, bug. Look out, they're hot."

Sabine shooed Tikki from the cookies as she deftly scrapped them off their tray and onto a rack to cool. "You know the deal. Give them ten minutes."

"But they're so gooey!"

Sabine batted at the hungry kwami. "And they'll still be gooey in ten minutes. Relax. Seriously, how many times do we have to have this conversation?"

Tikki laughed. "Sorry. They're just so good!"

They settled into a comfortable silence for a minute. Each letting their minds drift as Sabine sipped her tea.

"Tikki?" Sabine said. "Can I ask you something?"

Tikki nodded. "Of course! Ask me anything."

Sabine took a moment to get her words together. She cleared her throat and said, "Um, look, I know you may not be able to tell me this, but it's been bothering me for a while now. Did… Did Fu know?"

"Pardon?"

Sabine bit her lip. "When he chose Marinette, did he know she was my daughter?"

Tikki nodded and floated to eye level with Sabine. "It was a reason, but it wasn't the only one. Marinette is a hero in her own right."

Sabine nodded and then hugged herself as she looked off to the side. "It wasn't my fault, you know."

Tikki nodded, her voice quiet. "I know."

"I was good," Sabine said, her voice wavering. "I was really good. We were really good! It was one slip, that's all. He didn't have to…"

She looked to Tikki and sniffed.

"He didn't have to take you away."

"You were young," Tikki said. "It was a lot and you weren't ready. I'm sorry, Sabine."

"I was only a year younger than her," Sabine said sharply as she pointed at the ceiling. "And I did everything, every single thing that stupid old man asked me to! And then… Do you know what he called me when he took you away from me?"

Tikki shook her head no.

Sabine laughed a little and wiped her eyes. "He said I was his first and only mistake. You know what that does to a fourteen-year-old girl?"

"Sabine, you revealed your identity," Tikki said.

"We both did!" Sabine snapped. "We were in love, and guess what? It worked out, didn't it? You mean to tell me that…"

"Sabine, your voice," Tikki said.

Sabine frowned and whisper-shouted. "You mean to tell me that Tom and I were the first Chat Noir and Ladybug to fall in love and reveal our identities?"

Tikki looked down. "You were the youngest to do so. Master Fu had a rule he tended to keep to himself. You couldn't share your identity until you were an adult. He figured it was safer that way, and used it as a test to see if you were responsible enough for the job."

Sabine read the look on the kwami's face. "And we failed."

Tikki crossed her arms and turned away from Sabine. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. You were a fine wielder, and you were a good friend. And… And it did work out, didn't it? I mean, you're both married now, and your daughter is incredible!"

Sabine closed her eyes and leaned against the counter. In the low, yellow lights of the kitchen, the shadows drew long lines on her face.

"Do they know?"

Tikki shook her head again. "No. They both want to say something to the other, but they've followed the rules. Besides, now she's the Guardian, so I guess it doesn't really matter, does it? They're her rules, now."

Sabine smiled at that. "She's going to do great. I know that. I just remember how wild it was, how dangerous. I remember the rush of it all." She looked to Tikki. "I love my life, and Tom and I are happy, and I promise I will do everything I can to support my daughter, but… I miss it. I miss the feel of it. I miss you."

She picked up a cookie and handed it to Tikki. "Here, they're still gooey inside."

"That's the best part," Tikki said as she accepted the warm treat.

"Why don't you get up to bed?" Sabine said as she scooped the other cookies into a jar. She kept one for herself, and then grabbed two more for good measure. "I am going to eat these, try to read my book, and lay down next to my passed-out husband and do my best to not remember the feeling of flying. I've got a bakery to run and I need to focus."

Tikki wanted to do something to make Sabine feel better, but before she could say anything, Sabine walked out of the kitchen and turned off the light. "Goodnight, Tikki."

Tikki floated in the dark, her cookie uneaten in her hands. "Goodnight, Sabine."

She looked at the ceiling and felt a wave of guilt float over her. Then more guilt as an idea slowly crept its way into her head.

'What would it hurt?' She thought to herself.

Smiling, she took off. Not in the direction of Marinette's room, but out the window and across Paris.

The next evening, Marinette was doing what most girls wouldn't on a Saturday night. She was hard at work on a new dress design for a fashion expose that was being held in two weeks time and she wanted to get her entry ready well in advance. Her work was gaining attention, and she didn't want the momentum to stop.

That was why she nearly swallowed the pins that were in her mouth when the trap door to her room opened and a certain blonde youth poked his head in.

"Hi Marinette," Adrien said with a smile.

Marinette spit her pins out and fell backwards onto a pile of fabric. "AAAAaaAAdrien! Hi there. Hello. Hi you. Here. Why are you? Here? With me? At my home? Where I live?"

Adrien laughed a little to himself as he climbed into her room. Behind him was Sabine with a tray of juice and some popcorn. "Did you forget dear?" Sabine said. "You, Adrien, Alya, and Nino were going to watch that movie tonight."

Adrien held up the Blu Ray for Love Knife 2: Living On The Edge. "An oldie, but a goodie." He then noticed the dress that Marinette had been working on. "Oh! Is it still a good night for this? I don't want us to interrupt your work."

"Please," Alya said as she popped up the ladder. Behind her was Nino, clutching a grocery bag of additional goodies. "My girl can take a break for a minute or two. After all, it is Saturday night."

"Dude," Nino said as he held up the shopping bag. "I brought snacks."

Marinette smiled at her friends as she remembered. "Of course this is fine. I'm almost finished with this piece anyway, and Nino, we're above a bakery. There were already snacks."

He pulled out some Styrofoam containers. "Were those snacks buffalo wings?"

Marinette grinned. "No, they were not."

"Are you sure this is okay?" Adrien said as he approached a now blushing Marinette. "Seriously, I don't want you to fall behind on account of us."

Marinette almost violently shook her head no. "NO. No, you're cool. You're so cool. And hot. It's hot. Those are hot wings, right, Nino?"

Marinette stumbled past Adrien as Alya snickered.

"I'll leave you kids to it, then," Sabine said with a smile. "Just try not to make too much noise."

"Yes, ma'am!" They all said in unison.

Sabine made her way down to her husband, who was relaxing on the couch in their modest living room. He looked exhausted, but he gave her a warm smile and scooted over for her as she plopped down and cuddled him.

"And how are the kids?" Tom asked. He put his arm around his wife and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Oh, they're settling in for a fun night." She looked at the television. "And we are, too? Is this Love Knife?"

Tom nodded. "I like the first one the best, and when I saw Adrien had the second one, I searched Netflix and viola."

Sabine shrugged. There were worse ways to spend her evening.

As they settled in and the opening segments started, a small, nasally voice cut in from behind them. "This is a fine evening and all, but would you two prefer something a bit more exciting?"

Tom and Sabine bolted forward and spun around, startled by the interruption.

There, floating in the air in front of them, were Tikki and Plagg.

Tom's eyes went wide as Sabine teared up. She put her hands to her mouth as Tikki floated to her and held out a familiar set of earrings.

"They're distracted upstairs and enjoying themselves," Tikki said. "They won't know."

"One night only," Plagg said.

Tom leaned in, his face white as a sheet. "I thought you were gone," he said in a hoarse voice. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Plagg shrugged. "I missed you too, big guy. So, you wanna take a stroll around the city for old time's sake?"

Sabine shook her head. "We can't. We couldn't! What if something happens?"

"If something happens," Tikki said, "Then I would expect Ladybug and Chat Noir to handle it. Just like they always did." She floated to Sabine and gently placed the earrings in her hand. "One night only," she said, echoing Plagg.

"And they won't mind?" Sabine asked, her hands shaking.

"They won't know, sweetie," Plagg said with a wink. "I popped a fake ring on my guy this afternoon, and Sugarcube over there whipped up some phony earrings this morning."

"But why now?" Sabine asked, confused.

Plagg shrugged. "Tikki and I got to talking last night and figured you two never got to properly say goodbye, so, you know…"

It was Tom who moved first. He gently swept Plagg into a hug and said, "Thank you, old friend. This means more to me than you'll ever know."

Plagg laughed and hugged him back. "Let's not make a big deal out of it. Go have a date night."

Tom slipped on the ring as Sabine put in the earrings. He looked to her and said, "Are you sure about this, dear?" He looked up at the ceiling. "What if...?"

"Tom," Sabine said, looking from him to Tikki and back again. "Do you remember the last time we did this? Do you remember what you told me?"

Tom nodded, his voice cracking as he spoke. "I said… I said it would be okay, and that you and I would meet again at the Eiffel Tower, at our spot."

"And have ice cream," Sabine said with a smile.

"And have ice cream," Tom said. He wiped his face and sniffed. "Are you up for a run?"

Sabine nodded. "Andre should still be out. Come on. Show a girl a good time."

"Always," Tom said as he looked to Plagg. "Plagg? Claws out."

"Tikki, spots on."

That night, the streets of Paris were calm as Tom and Sabine dashed across the rooftops. Sabine was crying and laughing the entire time as she swung at breakneck speed between alleyways and over buildings. She had missed this so hard it hurt, but now?

"WOOOOOOO HOOOO!" She screamed as she leapt impossibly high and flipped in the air.

A rooftop away, Tom was leaping and flying with his staff, catching corners and propelling himself high into the night sky. He was so much larger than he had been back then, but his body, once tired and strained from a hard day of work, now felt fresh, energized… Young.

They kept stealing glances at each other as they went. They didn't look the same as they had years ago, but you couldn't tell them that. To Sabine, Tom looked just as amazing as he had when they were kids. To Tom, Sabine looked like his graceful, red angel as she soared through the night.

For that brief moment in time, in their hearts, they were young and falling in love all over again.

Not that they had ever fallen out of love, of course. Not these two. Not ever.

They were on a mission. While they knew they had at least a couple hours to play, they didn't want to waste a moment. They had checked their phones and found that Andre was near the canal, so that was their destination.

At least it was, until they saw a flash of red below them.

And then there was an explosion.

Both Sabine and Tom came to a halt on a rooftop overlooking an intersection where what looked like a woman in a red bodysuit with hammers for hands was busy smashing cars.

"He thinks he can abandon me?" The akumatized woman screamed. "I am Hammera, and if my lowlife ex is going to crush my heart, I'll crush everything else!"

"Well, that's familiar," Sabine said as she spun her yoyo. Tom twirled his staff and nodded.

"You think we can take her down and still get ice cream?" Tom asked.

Sabine looked at him and smiled. "Hey, this isn't our first time, remember?"

"I do remember," Tom said. "But that was years ago. I wasn't expecting this."

"Well, right now. We're Ladybug and Chat Noir, so let's do what we're supposed to," Sabine said as she dove off the rooftop. "Let's be heroes."

Tom watched his wife swan dive into danger and felt a hot blush flare up under his mask. "Let's be heroes," he said as he gripped his staff and jumped down to help.

Hammera was so focused on smashing the poor Audi in front of her that she didn't even notice the arrival of the two heroes until a yoyo wrapped around her and yanked her out of the street. Hammera bounced a couple times on the pavement before she broke free and spun around.

"At last! Give me your mira… Who are you?" Hammera asked, confused.

"We're just two purrfect heroes here to take you down!" Tom said as he tripped her with his staff.

"Oh God," Sabine said as she flung her yoyo at Hammera's legs, wrapping them up in a snap. "Cat puns?"

"It's part of the power set!" Tom yelled as he jumped on top of Hammera and pinned her arms to the ground.

"No, it's not! It never was! We've had this talk," Sabine said as she ran up beside him and looked the struggling akuma over. Her outfit was pretty clean, mostly just a bodysuit and some hammers for hands. Sabine frowned.

"I don't see where it could be hiding, do you?"

Tom looked down, but in that moment he took his attention off of the akuma. Hammera slipped a hammer free and cracked Tom across the head. The blow sent him flying off of her as she freed her feet and kick-flipped up.

"How dare you put your hands on me!" She screamed. "Only my fiancé has that right, and he… He… Arugh!" Hammera smashed the ground in front of her, causing the road to split in two. Sabine jumped out of the way and landed by her stunned husband.

"Are you okay?" She asked, worry evident even through her mask.

"I'm good!" Tom said, clutching his head and giving it a shake. "Oof. I'm good. It's just been a while. Wow."

They looked at Hammera, who was busy smashing the ground around her and wailing. Sabine thought for a moment and threw her yoyo into the air.

"Lucky charm!"

A bottle of brandy fell into her hands.

"Ha!" Tom said. "That brings me back."

Sabine frowned. "I have no idea what to do with this."

"That monster!" Hammera snarled as she attacked a light pole. "He can keep his stupid car and his stupid hot secretary! I'll show him! I'm gonna throw his stupid ring into the Seine!"

Sabine closed her eyes and groaned. "Okay. I've got this. Wait here, honey." She patted Tom on the leg as she stood.

Tom was confused, but nodded as Sabine walked over to the rampaging Hammera. Hammera turned to her and raised her hammers, expecting a fight.

"Truce," Sabine said, holding up her hands. She nodded to the bottle of brandy.

Hammera paused.

"Let me guess," Sabine said. "He just up and left without warning?"

Hammera faltered. Sabine watched as a multitude of emotions rolled across the confused akuma's face. Finally, Hammera slumped and sobbed. "He told me we were going to dinner this weekend, but then he… He just left with that floozy!"

Sabine came up beside Hammera and put her hand on the akuma's back. "Hey, I get it. One minute, you think you know what's going on, that you've got a good bead on things in life, and the next, some ungrateful bastard just rips it all from you."

Hammera sniffed and blubbered out, "He didn't even break up with me, first! He's been seeing her for weeks now, and this whole time, I thought I was the one!"

"You thought you were good enough," Sabine said. "You thought you were the one he chose, but he just ditched you."

"Exactly!" Hammera said. "Like nothing I ever did mattered."

"Like you were a mistake," Sabine said. She felt a cold gnawing in her stomach. This was a little too close to home for her, especially tonight.

Sabine offered Hammera the bottle of brandy. "Here. I think you need this more than me."

Hammera sniffed and smiled. "Thanks," she said. She put her left hammer under her right arm and tugged. A hand came out as she let her hammer drop to the ground. Sabine watched as the akuma took a long, long swig.

As soon as Hammera came up for air, a purple butterfly appeared in front of her. Hammera blinked at it and then shouted, "Oh, go fuck yourself! At least she asked me what was wrong! What did you do for me tonight? Huh? And why are you badgering me?"

Sabine blinked in confusion.

"No, I won't!" Hammera said, pointing at the air in front of her. She took another long swig off her bottle and looped her arm around a surprised Sabine. "This is my new friend, um, what's your name?"

"Ladybug," Sabine said.

"Ladybugs! Yeah! I… What do you want her earrings for anyway? Go ask your wife for some!"

The purple butterfly glowed brightly.

"No, fuck YOU!" Hammera slurred. The butterfly abruptly vanished. She looked to Sabine and sighed. "Men are the worst."

"The absolute worst," Sabine said as she led Hammera over to a curb.

Hammera sat down and slid her engagement ring off. Sighing, she handed it to Sabine and said, "Can you please get rid of this for me? I don't want to look at it anymore."

Sabine nodded and held it behind her. Tom snuck up and took it from her as he mumbled, "cataclysm."

The ring dissolved, and a purple butterfly emerged.

"Hold on, dear," Sabine said as she patted Hammera on the shoulder. The akuma waved her off and continued to nurse her bottle.

A quick swipe with the yoyo, and the akuma was gone. Hammera dissolved into a familiar brunette who was sitting on the curb looking confused as all get-out.

"Nadja?" Sabine asked, stunned.

"Wha? How'd I get here?" Nadja asked, perplexed. She looked at Sabine. "Ladybug? Did you get, um, older?"

"Yes," Sabine said as she took the bottle from the confused reporter and threw it in the air. "Yes, I did. Miraculous Ladybugs!"

And just like that, the city was repaired in a swarm of red.

Sabine and Tom sat side by side on their favorite ledge on the Eiffel Tower and enjoyed an ice cream together. Sabine let out a contented sigh as she leaned into her husband.

"Hey," she said. "Do you ever miss it?"

Tom took a bite and handed the ice cream to Sabine. "I did at first, but then…" He put his arm around Sabine. "I thought being Chat Noir was the greatest thing that would ever happen to me. But then you said yes, and we had Mari."

He looked out over the lights of the city and smiled.

"You two and the life we have is the greatest adventure I could ever ask for."

"So, you don't resent what happened?" Sabine asked. "You don't resent me for blowing it?"

Tom took the ice cream from Sabine and set it down beside them. He turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Never," he said. "You didn't blow anything. We decided to reveal ourselves to each other, remember? Besides, doing this? Playing hero? It's fun and I have missed the feeling of it, but… Being your husband and Mari's father makes me feel like the biggest hero in all of Paris."

Sabine felt her eyes welling with tears.

"I hated myself for so long," she said. "I always felt like I pushed you into giving this up, that it was all my fault that we had to. I… I did my best to put it behind me but tonight, it all came rushing back, and…"

Tom leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Sabine's lips. She melted into it and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm happy, Sabine," Tom said as they broke their kiss. "And I'm so proud of you, of us, and of Mari."

She hugged him tight. "You mean it?"

Tom smiled and held her just as tightly.

"With all my heart."

They stayed like that for what felt like forever as the city went on about its business below them.

"Later Marinette!" Adrien said as he made his way down her ladder.

Marinette waved and was blushing so red that she could have lit up a room. He had ended up right beside her for most of the movie, and when they were squished by Alya and Nino, he had put his arm around her to make room.

Marinette owed Alya her soul.

"This was fun!" Nino said as he hopped down and then helped Alya.

"I'll call you tomorrow, girl." Alya said with a smile and a wink.

Sabine met them as they passed through the kitchen. She offered them each a cookie, which they happily accepted.

"So, did you enjoy your evening?" She asked.

They nodded. "It was great, Ms. Cheng," Adrien said. "I hope we weren't too loud."

Sabine shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, it was like you weren't even around. Feel free to come by again, anytime."

They said thanks as they waved and made their way to the street where the Gorilla was standing beside a silver sedan. Adrien was the last to pile in. Before he did, he glanced up at the balcony of the Dupain-Chen bakery and waved at Marinette, who was hanging over the railing, waving back.

The Gorilla noticed this and gave Adrien a small smile as he held the car door for them. Adrien blushed and smiled back. "What?" He asked, his voice cracking slightly.

The Gorilla just gave a small smile, rolled his eyes and shrugged as he closed the door.

Inside, Sabine leaned against her counter and ate some cookies as Tikki took the earrings back.

"Thanks again," Sabine said. She handed Tikki a cookie.

"It was our pleasure," Tikki said.

"Did Plagg get back to his owner?" Sabine asked.

Tikki nodded. "He's going to switch out the rings tonight while he sleeps."

Sabine smiled at that. "Sneaky little cuss. Plagg, I mean. Not Adrien. I like Adrien."

Tikki's eyes went wide. "How did you know?"

Sabine laughed and nearly choked on her cookie. "Please! His face is everywhere in this house. It's no big thing to compare him to the Ladyblog. Also, you two pulled this when you knew both of them would be occupied. I'm not stupid."

"You're not," Tikki said with a smile. "And you're a great Ladybug."

Sabine smiled at that. "I am," she said. She looked to the ceiling. "But she's a miraculous one."

Sabine looked back at Tikki. "Take care of my daughter, and don't let anyone ever tell her she's not good enough for the job."

"I never will," Tikki said. "Never again. I promise."

Sabine watched as Tikki made her way out of the kitchen and back to Marinette's room.

Tomorrow, she would open the bakery with her husband. They would work hard, make pastries, sell to crowds of patrons, and do every normal, boring thing that they usually did on a Sunday. They would finish tired, dead on their feet, and covered in crumbs.

They would do this while Marinette battled the forces of evil and swung over the city. They would sleep as she danced across the rooftops with her best friend and other half, and lived a life that most could only dream of.

And that was okay.

Once upon a time, Sabine had lost something special and had spent years feeling like she had destroyed the most important thing in her life.

"Hey," Tom said as he came into the kitchen. He held up a bottle of soda and two straws. "Want to sit on the patio and watch the stars?"

It was when Tom dropped to one knee that she knew she had been wrong.

"I'd love to," Sabine said as she grabbed some more cookies for the both of them. She followed him to the patio as they laughed and talked about their adventure.

She was Sabine Cheng. She was the wife of the best baker in Paris, and the mother of the most incredible girl she had ever met in her life. She had built a home out of love and determination, and even after all these years, she knew that her husband still loved her just as much as he had the day they had revealed themselves to each other.

And that was more important than any magic, any powers, any gifts that could have been bestowed to her.

Tom handed Sabine the bottle of soda and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I had a great time with you tonight, but I think I like you like this, better."

Sabine blushed and gave his hand a squeeze. "Ditto."

They scooted the patio chairs together and snuggled up to watch the stars.

"I love you, Bugaboo," Tom said.

"I love you, too, Kitty." Sabine said, giggling.

This was her life now.

It was special. It was wonderful.

It was miraculous.