Marinette was alone in her room, casting quick glances around herself to see if she had forgotten to pack anything essential for a two-day trip away from home. She had been relentlessly reviewing her bag for the last forty minutes and knew perfectly well she had everything she could possibly need through the weekend. She was too nervous to even think straight anymore, and she couldn't bring herself to do anything even remotely useful. But she had to keep her mind occupied to prevent herself from overthinking all of this and start freaking out. Again.

In approximately fifteen minutes Adrien would be there to pick her up.

And she'd get to spend forty-eight whole hours with him. Well. Close to him, she forced herself to correct. She had every intention of following Chat Noir's wish and getting some long overdue rest, even if it meant sleeping through the whole weekend.

As she zipped her bag for the twentieth time, she cast a curious glance at her kwami, currently busy munching on a chocolate chip cookie."Tikki, tell me the truth. Why are you freaking about me feeling a little down this much?"

The thousand-year-old deity sighed and left her snack alone, landing on top of her chosen's bag, with worry filling her blue irises. "Well. I honestly wasn't going to tell you, but a depressed Ladybug is a weakened - useless even - Ladybug. Your power takes its fuel from your positive feelings, just as the akumatized victims takes their from their negative emotions. So if you're unable to feel anything good at all it may get bad for you to the point that you won't even be able to transform anymore."

Marinette contemplated her twitching hands for a few seconds, before raising a steel-resolved glance on her little friend. "I won't let that happen. Not on my watch."

The young woman clenched her fists, her decision made right then and there.

"Don't worry Tikki, I'm going to rest this weekend, fuel up on making happy memories with Adrien, and if I don't feel any better by Monday, I'll seek some help. There's probably a way I can talk with mom and dad, or even a psychologist, without letting slip that I lead a heroic double life. I mean, I managed to explain to Chat Noir how I was feeling without him piecing it together, so..."

"That's the spirit, Marinette!" the little kwami squealed with delight. She had been really hesitant to tell Marinette about the possible consequences of depression for Ladybugs (and Chat Noir, for that matter), fearing it may add unnecessary pressure on her already very full plate, or even making her feel guilty about something she had absolutely no control upon. Now, seeing just how much her charge took the matter seriously, she was relieved she had done it. She kept forgetting that Marinette was becoming a beautiful woman, more and more mature and responsible with every day that passed.

"Does it work the same way for Chat Noir? Or does he fuel up on negative emotions, being the Miraculous holder of destruction and so on?"

Tikki smiled. "All Miraculous work the same way. It's a good magic, a white one if you may. Nooroo has been corrupted by someone with cruel intentions, that's why he now works in reverse. If – no, when we succeed in finding him and curing him, he'll be able to function on positive things again like the rest of us. Your Chat Noir needs just as much happiness in his heart as you do in order to be able to transform and use his cataclysm."

Marinette smiled, giggling in disbelief. "I really have trouble imagining that, Tikki. We are so much different from one another. I create, he destroys."

Tikki shook her head, laughing. "You both are quite complementary, Marinette. One cannot exist without the other. In fact, your fates are so deeply intertwined that through the centuries, many Ladybugs ended up falling in love with their Chat Noir. Some even had little kittens together."

"TIKKI!"

The little deity giggled, having long anticipated her charge's reaction. "That's only a historical fact! No need to jump to any conclusions! You're not only Ladybug, you're also Marinette. You're on your very own path, and that's just fine."

"You mean, that's not something that is bound to happen every time there's a new Ladybug and Chat Noir, no matter what they want?"

Tikki shook her head again. That misconception about destiny got under her skin every single time. "You still have your free will to alter your destiny, never forget that. Besides, not all Ladybugs and Chat Noirs ended up lovers. Some were siblings, other were simply best friends. On fewer occasions, either Plagg and I had badly misjudged our chosen's souls or something happened to make them unfortunately hate each other. However, you are right about something, there are similarities between all the Ladybugs and all the Chat Noirs. I tend to choose young ladies with a strong creative fiber, they get ideas more quickly with the unpredictable lucky charms. Plagg prefers tormented young lads. He likes them lonely and broken. They are thrilled to transform because that's when they feel free, happy. That's when they have someone to care for them: their partner."

Marinette's eyes widened. "Poor kitty! What a sad life to lead! I'll try to be kinder to him from now on."

"I'm sure it would mean a lot to him," Tikki answered softly, a knowing smile on her lips.

"MARINETTE! Adrien is here!" Tom's booming voice interrupted them through the floor. The young lady opened her purse for Tikki to hide inside it.

"Coming!"

She quickly grabbed her bag and rushed downstairs, nearly colliding with the young man currently busy casually chatting with her dad in the bakery.

"O-o-oh! S-s-sorry, Adrien!"

He flashed her his perfect smile threatening to turn her legs into cotton. "No problem. Are you ready to get some rest?"

She accepted his arm reluctantly, afraid that he would feel her shaking. If he did notice, he didn't show it as he opened the bakery door for her and led her outside, where the familiar silver car was waiting for them. She giggled out of sheer nervousness, but then again, he didn't pick up on it.

"T-t-thank you Adrien."

He opened the door of the car, motioning for her to climb on the passenger seat. She looked at him, surprised enough to forgo her stuttering for a second. "What? No chauffeur? That's new!"

He laughed softly. "The Gorilla is in Milan with Dad, he needed a bodyguard for a last minute event. Don't worry, I have my license! Besides, Natalie is already there, if being alone with me scares you."

"W-w-what? No!"

"Then climb on board, Mari, we have a long road ahead of us."

---

The beginning of their travel was spent in a comfortable silence, Adrien proving himself to be a skilled driver. Marinette had been amazed to note he was shifting gears effortlessly, keeping his eyes on the road unfolding before them. After a while, he seemed to notice she was staring, and he cast a curious glance sideways.

"Yeah?"

Marinette blushed and looked away quickly. "S-s-sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I don't know much about d-driving, but it's the first manual t-transmission I get to see from this close."

He looked at her briefly, and he smiled as he looked back at the road ahead of them. "I could teach you if you want. It's not that difficult once you understand how it works."

Her eyes widened, astonished. "You would?"

"Yeah, why not?"

She grinned. "I would like that a lot."

Adrien noticed that she was more relaxed around him all of a sudden, keeping the stuttering to a bare minimum as she looked out the window dreamily. "If you're tired, there's a pillow on the back seat. We have another two hours to go," he offered, only to have her shake her head eagerly.

"I'm okay. Besides, this is beautiful," she answered, nodding to the landscape. They had left the city some time ago and were currently surrounded by woods and fields. It did wonders to appease Marinette, and even Adrien's presence beside her was beginning to feel comfortable.

She smiled softly to herself, prompting the young man to tease her when he noticed. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Marinette looked at him, a little bit startled to have been caught. "Oh um... I was just thinking about how nice Chat Noir's idea is. I'll have to thank him, I'm already feeling a lot better."

Adrien had to remind himself that he wasn't supposed to know what was bothering her. She had talked to Chat, not him, and he would have to be mindful of his word choice if he didn't want her to figure him out right away. "Glad I can help. Are you two close friends?"

She fidgeted with her purse, looking away again. "I guess you could say that. He stops by the bakery quite often, and we sure chat a lot."

He snorted. "A kitty pun, huh? He must've rubbed on you more than you thought!"

Marinette burst out laughing heartily, a sound he hadn't got to hear often up until then. "I think you could say that. I really enjoy his company when he does drop by; he's fun to be around."

She suddenly thought about what Tikki had said. 'He likes them lonely and broken.' That saddened her to no end and Adrien seemed to instantly pick up on her sudden mood change.

"Hey, you alright Mari?"

She smiled thoughtfully. "I... I think he must be really lonely."

Her blond friend jumped at that statement, curiously eyeing her. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, sometimes when he stops by, we don't even talk. He's contented by watching me work. Other times, I have trouble getting him to shut up." She smiled tenderly. "I think he's a very lonely boy, well man by now, that just desperately needed a friend."

"He's lucky to have you then."

"I'm lucky to have him around too. I'll never tell him, though, or his ego would inflate to the point of exploding."

Adrien chuckled. "Yeah, sounds like him."

---

Soon after that, he pulled up in front of a cozy two-story cottage. The garden was magnificent, and the whole scene exuded a quiet atmosphere. Exiting the car, she inhaled deeply and took his offered hand. "I like it. It's beautiful."

Adrien eyed her carefully. "Listen, Marinette... there's plenty of rooms, but if you're uneasy being alone so far from home I'd understand. It's your call, you either take the farthest back, or the one next to mine. And if you want, we could hang out together, watch a movie or something?"

She smiled at him warmly. "You know what? I'm in the mood for a little bit of company after all. If you don't mind."

"The closest to mine then?"

She nodded, and he led her in with a contented smile. The cottage was a really beautiful house, warm and welcoming. The exact opposite from the mansion in Paris. Adrien seemed to pick up on her questioning. "My mother decorated here. Dad never comes here, he hates it. Says it reminds him too much of her. Therefore, he hasn't sterilized it like he did with the mansion. I like it here."

"I can see why. It's gorgeous."

The front door led to a vast living room, fully equipped with a plasma screen and two enormous sofas. The kitchen and the dining room were in the same room, oozing the same warm ambiance.

Upstairs, four bedrooms adorned in warm colors such as burgundy and navy were surrounding two spa-like bathrooms. She chose the first bedroom, while Adrien established his quarters in the next one stating it was 'his'. When she knocked on his door fifteen minutes later, she instantly understood why: while hers resembled a spare bedroom, even a hotel room, his was obviously personalized to suit his tastes. Walls were covered with Jagged Stone and video game posters, a game console was lying on the floor, and the dresser was already full of clothes. He lifted a curious eyebrow seeing the young lady on his doorstep. "Do you need anything?"

"Actually, I thought it would be nice to cook dinner together, what do you think?"

He looked embarrassed, scratching the back of his head with his left hand. "Yeah... thing is, I don't even know how to cook pasta."

Marinette laughed. "Really? We'll do a trade then: you'll teach me how to drive, I'll teach you to cook."

Adrien exited his bedroom following her to the kitchen. "You sure about that? I wouldn't eat anything I cooked, it might be dangerous."

A new-found confidence was rushing in Marinette's veins. Being away from Paris, from all her concerns did her really good. Their conversation in the car had made her finally comfortable around Adrien too, and she was enjoying every second of it. "Don't worry, I'm a good teacher."