Marinette was standing in the bakery. Except it wasn't quite the bakery. Little things were off about it. A misplaced pot or pan, a cookie or pastry with the wrong label. It all seemed so real, yet something seemed incredibly off. She looked down. She was wearing her regular clothes, but something about that felt off as well. She brought a hand up to her face and felt spandex. She was wearing a mask. Her mask.

"Ladybug," a soft voice said. She spun around, and there stood Adrien. He was dressed in his normal clothing as well, but he had a black mask over his eyes. Nevertheless, she somehow knew it was him. So she naturally assumed that he could see through her mask too.

"Adrien! Are you okay? How did you heal that quickly?"

"What?" He looked shocked. "H-how do you know?" He paled and took a step back. "How did you figure out my identity?"

"Chaton, it's me. We've known each other's identities for days, remember? It's Marinette!"

"Marinette?" Adrien looked confused for a minute, rolling the name around on his tongue. Suddenly, he laughed. "And to think all this time, my lady was really only Marinette. The stuttering, clumsy baker's daughter. What a shame. I was in love with you, you know. Man, things you find out about people..."

"What? What do you mean?" she squeaked.

"Don't you see? I'm Adrien Agreste! I could never love someone like... you! I admired Ladybug, I looked up to her! What a disappointment that she turned out to be you, Marinette."

"But Ladybug and I are the same person! We are exactly the same!"

He laughed. "You're nothing like Ladybug. You could never be a hero."

Suddenly, Emily stepped up behind Adrien. "Are you ready to go? You can come live with me. There's no point in staying around here. I mean, Ladybug was the only reason you had any reason to do anything at all. But you have me now, and she clearly mislead you. Come live with me! Leave her!"

Adrien smirked. "Gladly!" Mother and son began to walk away. The bakery rippled and turned into mist. They kept walking further and further, until Marinette could barely see them.

"WAIT!" she called desperately. "ADRIEN! CHAT! I LOVE YOU!"

He turned around at the last second and winked at her. "I know."

And then he was gone.

############################################################################################################################################################

"Marinette, wake up!" For a second, everything was hazy. Then Marnette finally registered Alya's annoyed voice in the background and forced herself out of the realm of dreams and back into reality.

"Huh? Wha? Who?" she muttered as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were met by brilliant green. "Adrien? You're awake!" She went to hug the boy, who returned her embrace wholeheartedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I feel really tired and everything hurts, but I'm alive," he replied. He buried his head in her neck and snuggled against her. His chest rumbled. "I just want to sleep. What happened? Did you defeat my fa-Gabriel?"

She looked into his eyes. They were so filled with pain and longing that she felt her heart ache for him. She glanced over at Alya and mouthed 'Does he know yet?'. Alya shook her head. Marinette glanced back at Adrien, who raised his eyebrows suspiciously. "Well, about that..."

"Adrien?"

Adrien's head jerked up at the familiar voice. It couldn't be... It shouldn't be... it wouldn't be! But it was... His mother was leaning in the door frame, smiling kindly and holding a cup of tea. His jaw dropped and his eyes teared up. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His brain just entirely seized up and refused to operate properly.

Emily crossed the room and set the cup of tea in front of him as she wrapped him in a huge hug, stroking his hair softly. "Oh, Adrien."

"Mama?" he asked softly, slowly looping his arms around her and hugging her back.

"Yes Adrien. I'm here now. I'm so, so sorry I left." She was crying too now, and they clung to each other, scared to let go. Adrien hardly dared to breath. This must be another dream. Just a cruel, teasing nightmare. He would wake up and be back in the darkness again. It couldn't be real...

Alya and Marinette quietly left the room. Their kwamis (and Plagg) following them out.

"Oh my baby," Emily cried, rocking him back and forth. "I missed you so much!"

Adrien decided that maybe, just maybe, this could all be real. "Mama? I-is it r-really you? B-but, you d-died..."

"I know. I had to fake my own death. I was being threatened by... bad people. They threatened to hurt you. I couldn't let them do that! So I had to fake my own death and leave you. I'm so, so, so sorry!"

Adrien melted into her arms, the tears slipping from his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. "I missed you so much," he cried softly. "You said you'd never leave me! You said I'd never be alone!"

"I know, sweetheart. I'll never forgive myself for leaving. I should've stayed... I should have risked it..." Emily sniffed and squeezed him again. "But now I'm here. And I'm never going to leave you!"

"D-dad?"

"Your father is...gone," Emily admitted, feeling a pang of hurt and loneliness jolt through her heart. "There was nothing I could do to bring him back."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for awhile, just holding each other and getting used to the idea that they were together again. Adrien's mind was racing. His mother was alive! His mother, who had pined for every day of his life, was alive and well and here with him! He should be elated... Instead, he felt confused. He just felt so confused, and over-emotional, and exhausted. Words couldn't come to him. He could only hug her and cry. Finally, he managed to stutter out a few words.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Adrien."

"You promise you'll stay with me forever?" he asked uncertainly, pulling back a bit.

"I promise I'll never vanish on you again," Emily said quietly. "You're my son, and I love you more than anything else in the world. I would never leave you!"

"You said that once before..." Adrien said softly. Emily just hugged him again.

"I'm so excited to be a part of your life again, Adrien. I can't wait to see you every day, and to hear how school went. I can't wait to watch your fencing tournaments and your piano recitals. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you!" she reassured him. "I never really got a chance to watch you grow, and that makes me sad. You turned into an amazing, talented, special boy. And I want to get to know you again."

"I want to be with you again too!" Adrien replied. "I used to dream that one day you would show up on the doorstep and say it was all a mistake... After years, well, I kinda gave up on that dream. This is all so surreal."

"I know. I never imagined anything liked this happening. But I'm so glad it did. I couldn't stand the regret, the guilt! Every day passing buildboards with your fake smiles and regretting ever having left you in the first place..." Emily said, ruffling his hair. He smiled a bit, wiping away the tears.

"So I can come home with you? Live with you!" he asked, still not really trsuting of the fact that his was reality and she had come back to stay. He waited eagerly, ready for her to smile and say 'Of course! It'll be just the two of us, a happy family! I love you so much!'. But instead, her face fell. "Mama?"

"Oh Adrien, I wish you could come live with me..." she started hesitantly. "But I live hours away from your school and your friends. I have friends, and I have a job. I would leave it all behind without a second thought and move over here with you, but... it's not that simple. I work with the police department. I still have many enemies, and I can't just move away, I have to apply for a transfer..."

"But... I could come with you, right?" he asked. He thought about it a little before feeling horribly guilty. He couldn't just leave all of his friends behind! He could never, ever leave Marinette... Yet here he was, torn between his mother and the girl and life he loved. He had cried himself to sleep almost every night, praying for his mother to come back to him. And now it finally happened. He couldn't just throw this away...

"Another thing," she continued. "I don't have a lot of money. I could never support both of us... I couldn't be a proper mother to you. I know that your father had a lot of money, but everyone thinks I'm dead, so I can't inherit it. If I showed up claiming to be alive, they would think I was an imposter hoping to get rich quick. And my old enemies would find me..."

"But I get the money, then! I'm the heir to the Agreste company!"

"You only get it when you turn eighteen, sweetheart. I just can't let you give up on your dreams of college and a good future. I'll always be here for you. I'll move closer to you as soon as I can get a transfer. It may take a couple of months, but it will be worth it!"

"But... but where will I live until then?" Adrien's lower lip trembled. His mother was finally here and now she was saying she had to leave him! He couldn't be left alone again! He clung to her like she would disappear, wincing in pain as he used his injured arm.

"With the Dupain-Chengs. I was just talking to them on the phone. They'll be here any minute. They said they'd be happy to have you for as long as we need," she said. Adrien relaxed slightly. The thought of being with Marinette made him feel safe.

"You promise you won't leave me?" he whispered. "You promise you won't just drive away and never come back?"

"I promise," his mother said fondly, brushing his bangs out of the way and staring into his eyes. "I promise that I'll never leave you again." Adrien nodded, still a little unsure. Suddenly, they heard the door open and shut.

"Mama! Papa!"

"Marinette!"

"Mom!"

"Alya!"

There was a lot of incromprehensible chatter in the kitchen, and probably a lot of hugs and explanations. Pagg flew into the kitchen. He nodded respectfully at Emily before throwing himself at Adrien's chest and burying himself in the boy's shirt.

"Adrien!" he squeaked.

"Hey Plagg," Adrien chuckled softly. "You okay buddy?"

"I'm okay! Don't you ever do something that stupid ever again!" Plagg scolded. "I can't lose another kitten! I can't lose you!" He realized what he had just said and stuttered to fix his mistake. "I mean... Because where would I get my cheese then?"

"I love you too, Plagg," Adrien said softly. The kwami beamed happily before flopping down on the couch and rolling around on Marinette's soft blanket. Adrien rolled his eyes while his mother laughed. Marinette and her parents entered the living room, followed by Alya and Alya's mother.

"You're welcome to stay with us as long as you want, my boy," Tom boomed pulling Adrien into a suprisingly gentle hug. Sabine placed a hand on Emily's shoulder and the two women embraced. Alya's mother was busy lecturing Alya about the danger of being a super hero these days and badgering Nooroo for his favorite dish that included lettuce.

"Thank you, sir," Adrien said softly, tears welling up in his eyes. They were just so accepting!

"Please, call us Tom and Sabine!" the man said, patting Adrien's shoulder and moving over to hug Emily. Marinette sat softly down next to Adrien.

"Hey," she started, smilng a bit. "Sorry about them." She jabbed a thum in the direction of her parents. "They can be a little overwhelming."

"I think they're wonderful!" Adrien blurted out, earning another small smile from Marinette.

"I hope you don't mind staying with us..."

"Why would I mind?" Adrien reached over and brushed a strand of Marinette's hair out of her face, startling her. "I'm scared still, m'lady. I don't know what to do anymore. My mom is back, but she can't live with me. My father is dead. Hawmoth has been defeated. I'm hurt. I'm scared. You're the only person I know I can count on. I love you so much, and I've wanted to tell you for so long."

"Adrien-"

"No, I need to say it. I've been trying for two years. If something happens, I can't live with not having told you. You make me happy, Marinette. You make me so happy to be alive and to be me. You're the one person who accepted me as who I was, not who I was painted out to be. I loved you so much I nealy killed myself not knowing if you loved me back. But now I know. And now I can tell you. I love you."

"Nothing is going to happen, Adrien," Marinette said, scooting over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You and your mom are going to sort all of this out. It came as a huge shock for both of you. Neither of you quite know what to do. Give it some time. Plus, now your father's death and all of the company business has to be taken care of. I'll always be here for you. I love you too. And I would happily kiss you to prove it, but my mother is sending me 'no PDA' looks."

Adrien laughed a bit, leaning on her. "I can't wait until we're not in public, then."

There, leaning against his best friend, his partner, and the love of his life, so close that he could count her freckles, lost in her eyes, was possibly the best moment of his life. His mother was standing two feet away from him. She was alive. She loved him, and she was going to stay with him. Hawkmoth was defeated. It came at a price, one that still made him horribly sad, but he was defeated nonetheless. He had new friends, new freedom, and newfound happiness.

Maybe everything could be okay again after all.