He had been gone nearly two hours. The group began to worry about him as well, but no one as much as Alya. Not since she had heard that he was in some way responsible for what happened to her.

So when Emile returned to the waiting room, she breathed a sigh in relief and gave him a side hug. "Better?"

He didn't answer, just asked, "any news?"

Tom and Sabine looked at each other and then at him, faces pale and red eyes, still tearing up. "She's had three heart attacks in the last hour."

No. No way...this couldn't be happening. To him maybe, but not to her. Never to her.

"The Doctor has diagnosed heart failure and he's going to come get us in a bit. We'll be able to see her and...and say goodbye. They'll let us stay with her until she passes. Maybe an hour or two."

His legs gave out as he collapsed on the floor.

"Emile!"

"This is all my fault..." he whispered as the tears came again. This was so unfair. He told himself he would do anything to protect Marinette, his lady, and yet he was the cause of her demise.

Bad luck. It seemed to be more overwhelming than he could imagine.

"Dupain Cheng?" The doctor called out.

"That's our cue," Alya spoke, grabbing his arm. Nino took the other and they pulled him to his feet. "Come on."

He really didn't want to see her. Not after all of this.

But instead of a patient's room, the doctor led them into his office, and closed the door.

Dr. Boucher crossed his arms as he leaned against his desk. "My medical team has done everything we can for your daughter."

Was this the 'pull the plug' speech? He couldn't bare to listen. But his feet forbade movement to run away.

"So with your permission, we'd like to put her into the hands of someone else that may be able to help."

"Yes!" Tom nearly shouted. "We'll do whatever it takes to save her!"

The doctor raised his hand in a calming gesture. "As a physician, I am sworn to secrecy of the patient. So I need you all to promise what I am about to show you will not leave this room. For Marinette's sake."

Collectively, everyone talked over each other to agree.

Then he continued, "I found out what happened to Miss Marinette." And he reached into his pocket and held out a small creature in his palm.

Both Alya and Nino gasped.

Alya pointed. "That's a...Kwami..."

"What's a kwami?" Asked Tom.

"My name is Tikki. I allow Marinette to turn into Ladybug."

This time Tom and Sabine gasped in shock and looked at each other. It was painful enough that Marinette was nearly dead, but now Ladybug was too?

"No..." breathed Alya in disbelief. She was losing her best friend and hero in one swoop.

Tikki continued. "Marinette was injured in the final confrontation with Hawkmoth."

"Hawkmoth!" Alya shrieked. "I'll kill him! That son of a—"

"Hawkmoth wasn't the one who hurt her." Emile stated, just loud enough to be heard.

Everyone turned and looked at him.

"It was...Chat Noir. He was just so angry...I was just so angry..."

"Emile, are you...?"

A sob broke free from his throat. "It was an accident! Hawkmoth surrendered and revealed himself as...as Gabriel Agreste. And I was just so full of anger and—I tried to use Cataclysm and Ladybug—Marinette jumped in between to protect him." He swallowed hard and wiped his face. "He would have turned to dust. She didn't, and I was told that's lucky but—I'm so so sorry..." and he dissolved into shuddering sobs.

Several pairs of arms enveloped him, rubbing his back, petting his hair, doing everything they could to be reassuring.

"Emile, as the leading expert on all things Ladybug and Chat Noir, there is no doubt in my mind that this was an accident." Alya said softly.

"Yeah dude, no one thinks you would hurt her on purpose."

Sabine spoke, cupping his cheek. "And when you were with us, you treated her like a princess. We don't blame you, Emile."

Tikki spoke again, "Chat, she needs you."

"Why? What could she need me for? All I do is destroy!"

Still tired, she floated over to him and hovered in front of his face. "I think you know what you have to do."

The earrings. He would have to put them on.

When he was creating his look for Emile, he had gotten his cartilage pierced on a rebellious whim. Plagg had suggested two holes, and it was only now that he realized why.

The doctor led them to Marinette's room, all the while thoughts kept tumbling through his head. If he used their Miraculous to bring her back, wouldn't that make him just like his father? Wouldn't he be abusing his power? Was it fair? Was it right?

Soon, Marinette laid before him, and he felt like he was dying. She was surrounded by machines and wires, one large tube connecting to a face mask. She had an IV and other tubes filled with fluids attached to her chest and arms.

The doctor beckoned him forward and allowed him to pull back the covers slightly. The gore made him sick, and he carefully covered her back up, his hands shaking.

"I can't do this…" he whispered to Tikki, holding out his hands to hold her. Plagg came out of his shirt and sat with her. "Hawkmoth wanted to use the Miraculous to bring someone back to life. I don't want to be like him!"

"Adrien," she said softly, so only he could hear. "You know that a balance has to be maintained when making the ultimate wish. If Hawkmoth brought someone back from the dead, someone else had to lose their life. Healing Marinette…it's not the same thing. But you still have to decide what you'll give up in exchange."

"But you should probably think quickly, because she won't last much longer." Plagg reminded gently.

He glanced back to the woman of his dreams. Of course he would do anything to save her. "Okay," he nodded resolutely. "I'll do it."

"Be careful," Tikki warned again.

He set the kwamis on the bed and carefully reached over to remove the earrings from Marinette. Tikki disappeared for a moment, and then returned once he had the earrings in.

He looked over to Alya. "After I'm done, you'll need to put the earrings back on Marinette."

"What about you?"

He smiled softly. "Don't worry about me."

Tikki added, "once you transform, you may become overwhelmed with the power, so it is important that someone be ready to ground you if you get lost."

Alya forcefully put her phone into Nino's hand. "You record, I was born for this."

"Record?" Asked Adrien. "This better not end up on your blog."

"Of course not, I just want to show Marinette what you did for her."

Hearing that Alya had so much faith in him made him nervous. What if this all went wrong? What if he didn't do it right? What if. What if. What if...

"Hey kid," Plagg stated, poking his nose. "You have been a Miraculous user for years. You can do this. I know you can."

He breathed deeply and smiled softly at his Kwami. "Okay, here goes nothing. Plagg, Tikki, Transform me."

Both of the Kwamis were swallowed by their Miraculous and a bright light engulfed the room.

When it faded, the assembled group saw a figure floating a little off the floor, two pairs of wings keeping him aloft, one white and one black. His body was glowing gold, like fire, while tendrils of darkness curled around his limbs and dripped onto the floor. His eyes shone white as he glanced around the room. He didn't move much else.

Alya took her place beside him and touched his arm gently. "Emile?"

He looked at her in confusion.

"You need to heal Marinette, remember?"

He tilted his head, processing her words.

Alya took his hand and placed it upon Marinette's and then stepped away.

Adrien reached his other hand out and removed the mask covering her face. Then, he gently brushed her cheek, leaving a glittery trail behind.

Her eyes fluttered open, just barely. She said something, but it was too quiet for anyone to hear.

He leaned in and kissed her lips sweetly. As he pulled away, her body rose from the bed slightly, her back arching as her chest raised up. Little swirls of light emerged from her wounds, knitting bone back together, sealing skin, and healing bruises.

Meanwhile, for every tendril of light on Marinette, then was a harsh spike of darkness from his chest. Tearing skin and inflicting pain. He cried out at each one.

Marinette has been fortunate. Cataclysm had inflicted all off her wounds at once. But he was being torn apart slowly, bit by bit. Perhaps it was punishment for using the Miraculous selfishly. Finally, after too long, the stabbing destruction ceased and Adrien's transformation wore out. The kwamis flew out as Adrien collapsed on the ground, propped up on an elbow as he hacked up blood.

Dr. Boucher paged for a nurse the moment the transformation fell, and then rushed to his side.

"Emile? Let's turn you over on your back, okay? The nurse will be here with a bed and we'll get you into surgery."

Adrien grabbed his arm. "My Lady, how is she?"

"Don't worry about her right now. I can already tell you have a punctured lung. You have to stay calm and take slow breaths."

Tears pricked at his eyes in desperation. "Please, I need to know..."

The doctor gently laid him down on the floor and went to observe Marinette. She looked better already. Without the respirator, she still seemed to be breathing alright. And the EKG showed a regular steady heartbeat.

He returned to Adrien and elevated his head off the floor. "We won't know for certain what changed, but she looks better, and I don't doubt that she'll make it now."

"Thank God, finally some good luck..."

Sabine was at his other side, combing his hair back. "You are so brave, Emile. Thank you so much." And she kissed his forehead.

He could only manage a smile before he passed out.

—

"Okay, here goes nothing. Plagg, Tikki, Transform me." Adrien was engulfed by a blinding white light, twice as bright as his transformation into Chat Noir. There was rapid pulsing in his ears, drowning out all other noises. His heart beat?

Where was he again? What was he doing...?

More importantly, who was he? What was his name?

All he knew was a flowing, velvety warmth, interspersed with piercing, aching cold. His mind went blank.

"Emile?"

That name was familiar. As if it was his name, and it wasn't.

Then suddenly, there was a young woman at his side. She had touched his arm and came into view. Ombré hair and black glasses.

Alya. That was her name. But why was she here?

"You need to heal Marinette, remember?"

Who?

She took his hand and laid it upon a soft surface, and another girl appeared. She was surrounded by tubes and wires, but he recognized her.

My Lady.

The girl he loved with every fiber of his being. His other, better half. But what was wrong with her? Why was she wrapped in all those strings? Was she sleeping? Perhaps a kiss would wake her, his Sleeping Beauty. But he'd have to remove that pesky mask.

She was so beautiful. Pale skin, and midnight black hair. Lovely. Her bluebell eyes opened, clouded with pain and confusion. Her breath held words, but none for him to hear.

He bent to kiss her, and as soon as their lips touched, everything returned to him. The moment his hand filled with chaotic energy and collided with her chest. The blood that stained his skin.

Balance. He had to retain balance.

Half of her wounds would become his, he decided. It wouldn't do for him to take all of it, or else he'd be in the same state as her now. So half. Enough for both of them to pull through, and recover together.

Balance.

Though, as the Miraculous magic worked to achieve his wish, he hadn't expected the stabbing pain in his chest. It made sense, he supposed, but he'd rather take it all at once. He glanced down to see black spikes ripping right through his torso. Each stab was painful, and it was interspersed enough that he got to savor the pain of each without becoming numb.

Finally, his wish was complete and the transformation ended.

God, now the pain was a thousand times worse. He was on his knees, burning in his throat. Blood was all over the floor, and his head was swimming. This was only half the pain she had been in? He wanted to die.

"Emile? Let's turn you over on your back, okay? The nurse will be here with a bed and we'll get you into surgery."

He knew he was in a state, that didn't need to be said. "My Lady, how is she?"

"Don't worry about her right now. I can already tell you have a punctured lung. You have to stay calm and take slow breaths."

Tears pricked at his eyes in desperation. "Please, I need to know..." He had to know that this worked. This was their last resort.

He couldn't live without her.

"We won't know for certain what changed, but she looks better, and I don't doubt that she'll make it now."

Now he didn't have to fight to stay awake. It was all okay. As long as she was okay, that's all that mattered. "Thank God, finally some good luck..."

—

She had awakened by someone brushing the sides of her face and her ears. Distantly, she thought maybe they were taking off her earrings. Perhaps it was Master Fu, reclaiming the Miraculous before she was cremated. Because she was dead now, right? She had heard the words 'heart attack' and 'cardiac arrest' being thrown around after all.

She was just so tired. Wasn't there supposed to be rest for the dead?

The mask on her face was pulled away, and Marinette realized she was still breathing. It was a lot harder now though.

The warmest feeling graced her cheek. A hand, in a tender caress. She had to know who.

The light was bright to her sleep clouded eyes, but she could see him. Just how she always imagined he'd look. Glowing radiantly and as gorgeous as ever, with radiant wings behind him. How wonderful it was that he was coming to fetch her from wherever he was in the afterlife.

Her very own angel.

"Adrien..." she whispered.

His lips brushed hers, warmth spreading all the way down to her toes.

"I missed you…I missed you so much…"

His eyes glowed white, staring deeply into hers. He said nothing, but his tender gaze spoke volumes.

She rose from the bed slightly, the aching, throbbing pain in her chest dulling as the angel cried out in agony.

"It's alright…" she tried to comfort. "No more pain…"

Her pain was soothed, as she fell back into unconsciousness.