v i

To say that Chat Noir was scared was an understatement. He was scared out of his suit – nearly.

Chat scrambled behind a box to hide. "M-Mama- I-I mean, Madame Cheng." His heart clogged his throat as Plagg yelled at him for being so careless as to being caught.

"Come on out, I'm not calling the authorities on you."

"" Chat tsked.

"What sort of question is that, of course I can!" He muttered. The light illuminated the room and he flinched.

"Come on out kitten." Chat shrunk against his box and stood hesitantly. He turned and his eyes met with hers and she smiled softly. "Come on out." She motioned him over and he stepped out from behind the boxes, making his way to her.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion." His ears drooped and his tail dragged. "I promise, I haven't stolen anything." She had her arms crossed against her chest and she looked up at him. She rose a hand up and Chat flinched. Sabine didn't move for a second, before continuing and putting her hand between Chat's ears.

"You're too well-mannered to steal." She rubbed his head and Chat visibly relaxed.

"Y-You... You're not mad?" Chat asked. Sabine shook her head.

"What's there to be mad about? You yourself said that you haven't stolen anything." She lowered her hand. "And I'm sure that a thief doesn't return to the same house twice a week, weekly."

"I'm sorry." He hung his head. She chuckled.

"Are you hungry?" She motioned to a plate of pastries he hadn't noticed before. As if on cue, his stomach growled. A pink tint covered his cheeks. All these late nights always made him go to bed hungry. "Have some food." Chat nodded sheepishly and took a chocolate bread from the platter.

Ever since they first went to Dupain-Cheng's bakery the first time, they never came back. He missed their food and he had to contain himself from eating everything. Chat limited himself to just a chocolate bread and a muffin. While he silently ate, Sabine wandered off to where Chat had been hiding, picking up the scrapbook on the floor.

"My old scrapbook. Why would you be interested in this old piece of junk?" Sabine spoke fondly, flipping through the first couple pages.

"They're not junk!" Chat quickly swallowed what food he had in his mouth, coming closer to Sabine. "These are important, loving memories." Chat looked over her shoulder as she flipped through. She continued flipping through the pages, stopping before the last page.

"Memories..." She repeated almost mindlessly. Her fingers found the corner of the page and she wanted to flip it to the next page, but she closed it instead, holding the book to her chest. She turned, looking Chat up and down. "You're the model boy, aren't you?" Chat stiffened.

"W-What! N-No, I'm not that model boy!" Chat stammered, laughing nervously. She rose an eyebrow and walked around him, looking him over.

"Your shoulders are broad." She stepped in front of him, looking at his face. "Although your mask hides your cheekbones and your hair is a little messy, you're nearly identical." Chat gaped for words, until he hung his head in defeat.

"H-How... How did you know?" Sabine smiled.

"Call it a 'mother's instinct'." Not only seconds after she said that, her expression turned into one of pain.

"I thought you said you didn't have any children." She looked up at him, nearly in tears.

"I don't." She crumpled to the ground and Chat grew frantic. He quickly knelt down to her and he held her close. It was as if he was holding Marinette, except Sabine was a bit more fuller.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to bring it up." He never wanted to make anyone cry. She hugged him back, wiping away her tears.

"The last photograph. I was expecting, a baby girl." She sniffled, the two of them having shuffled into a position where Chat was leaning on her shoulder, hugging her waist. She patted him softly. "I dreamt, of a beautiful girl with blue hair and the brightest blue eyes that lit up the sky. She was clumsy at times, but she was an honest and brave girl. It felt like a dream that dragged on for years. Then I woke up one morning and that's all it was, a dream. I got a false positive." She whispered.

"A false positive?"

"I woke up in the hospital. Weeks had passed by and... I was never pregnant." Chat handed her a handkerchief from one of his pockets. She dabbed the tears away, her voice still soft.

"I'm sorry." Chat hugged her tighter and she chuckled weakly.

"When you and your friends came, the girl that was with you, she..." Her voice trailed off. "I feel like that's my lost child."

"Marinette." Sabine sucked in a sharp breath.

"That's the name we had chosen." She barely managed to say and started to sob.

Adrien's heart churned. Despite the wiping of memories of everyone in this new world, she still had distant memories of her real life. Dreams of her real life that became surreal memories.

"I'd seen her on magazines before, under the Agreste line and head of fashion. When you and your friends came, I knew it was her. She's my lost child, I just don't understand how this all happened." She spoke between sobs.

There was anger. Papillon ruined a family, for his own benefit. Not all magic is perfect and its flaw was affecting this family. family. If it hadn't been for Sabine holding onto Chat, he probably would have stalked off and punched something. What gave that man the right to hurt all these people?

"I-I'm sorry." She blotted her swollen eyes, sniffing.

"Don't apologize." He rubbed her back comfortingly. Fury bubbled in his chest, but he tried to keep it to a minimum.

"" Chat let out a sigh, helping Sabine stand.

"I don't know what's happening either, but Mama, I will fix it." Her eyes widened slightly at the name and her eyes went down to the ring that started to beep. "I have to go now." He gave her one more hung, giving her a gentle squeeze. When they separated, Sabine held onto his hand, looking down at his ring.

"Adrien, isn't it?" He nodded. "If you ever find yourself in trouble and you can't make it back home, come to us. The Dupain-Cheng home is also your home. I don't know how such a sweet boy like you became Paris' most wanted, but we can save that story for another day."

"Thank you, Madame Cheng." She shook her head.

"Mama is fine." She let Chat go, turning the light off. "Be careful out there dear." Chat nodded, heading back home.

As soon as Chat arrived in his bedroom, his transformation wore off. Plagg swirled out of the ring, floating in front of Adrien, looking at him carefully.

"Are you okay?" Plagg asked while Adrien began to shoo him away.

"Yes, I'm fine." Plagg floated after him as Adrien went to his bed. He could sense that something fine at all. Dark clouds were gathering over Adrien's heart and Plagg was getting increasingly worried.

"Listen kid, don't think too much of it. The old man said he was going to find the other miraculous bearer and we will fix it." Adrien picked up a pillow and threw it onto the bed harshly, to let out frustration. Plagg flinched.