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Redemption	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 2815 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Chloe's return to Paris was met with minimal fuss beyond the school walls, a reprieve Marinette was grateful for. Adrien, however, had become increasingly disheartened by Chloe's ongoing frigidity, explaining that he and Chloe had known each other since they were toddlers.
'I just want to reconnect with my oldest friend, and apologise for everything Father and I did,' he moped, as he folded his arms atop the library desk, resting his chin in the crook of his elbow.
'She'll come around, just give her time,' Nino advised. 'In the meantime, you want to hang out with us, this weekend?'
'You know what my case worker will say to that,' muttered Adrien.
Alya dumped a stack of books on the desk. 'You guys talking about hanging out?'
Marinette nodded. 'Yeah, we weren't planning to go far,' she added, turning to Adrien. 'Just to the park next to my place. Your keepers won't mind that, surely.'
He still looked doubtful. 'Remember what they said last time?'
'This is different. Besides, it's not like we're going to the arcade, or the Eiffel Tower,' Alya pointed out, as she eased into the seat next to Marinette.
Nino elbowed him. 'It won't hurt anything to ask, my guy.'
Adrien sighed in defeat, and pulled out his battered old phone.
Eyeing it with distaste, Nino muttered, 'we have to get you a new phone.'
'This is the phone the police gave me, after they confiscated my old one,' Adrien explained, in a resigned tone.
Alya leaned over the table and smacked Nino upside the head. 'How is he supposed to afford a new phone, Dummy?'
Nino cringed, abashed. 'Sorry, I didn't think.'
Adrien gave him a small smile. 'S'ok, but that's not entirely correct, Alya.'
Marinette, Alya, and Nino looked at him in surprise.
'What do you mean?' Alya asked.
Adrien rubbed the back of his head with a light blush. 'Actually, I still have the money I earned from modelling. I also have what Mother bequeathed me in her will. In total, it's a small fortune. But, I still have to get approval before making any large purchases. A phone would probably fall into that category.'
Nino nodded, and hummed in understanding. 'Ok, so while you're asking if you can hang out with us, ask if you can get a new phone, too. Because, honestly, I'm embarrassed for you.'
Adrien gave him a flat stare. 'Thanks, ever so.'
Checking to make sure the librarian wasn't within earshot, Adrien called his case worker. 'Hey, it's Adrien. Good, thank you, and yourself? Thank God it's Friday, right? Well, I was wondering if I could go to the park this weekend, and maybe, get a new phone? Yes, that one.' He winced, anticipating a negative response.
Marinette crossed her fingers under the table, awaiting the reply as eagerly as the others. Adrien's face gave nothing away as he listened to the person on the other end. Finally, he nodded.
'Yes, I understand. Thank you, have a good day.'
'Well?' Nino demanded, as soon as Adrien hung up.
Adrien cleared his throat. 'I can't get a new phone without one of them hovering over my shoulder the whole time. He also didn't think anyone would even want to sell me a phone.'
'Nice guy,' Alya grumbled.
Adrien shook his head. 'He probably had a point.'
'But it still means no new phone for you,' Nino said. 'So, for the time being, don't use that piece of junk in public while I'm around. I have a reputation to uphold.'
'What reputation?' Alya and Adrien scoffed, simultaneously.
Nino gasped in contrived offence, as Marinette giggled into her hand.
'What did they say about hanging out at the park?' Marinette asked.
Adrien grinned. 'I can go, so long as we don't go any further, and don't draw attention to ourselves.'
'That may be difficult. You can't hide all of this,' Nino said, gesturing to himself.
Adrien and Alya both leaned over to shove him, laughing. Marinette chuckled, relieved Adrien was allowed to act like a normal teenager over the weekend.

Marinette packed a picnic basket, filling it with sandwiches, biscuits, and a variety of pastries. She hummed as she worked, pleased the weather was warm and fair.
'Are you planning on feeding everyone at the park?' Tom asked, one eyebrow raised at the overabundance of food.
Marinette pouted. 'I just want to make sure there's enough for all of us. You know Nino's having another growth spurt.'
Tom nodded, knowingly. 'That boy must be eating his family out of house and home.'
'What about Adrien and Alya?' Sabine called from the couch. 'Are they growing again, too?'
Marinette tapped her chin as she thought. 'I think Alya's plateaued, but Adrien has been eating faster lately.'
'Faster?' Tom and Sabine questioned, in unison.
'Yeah, he eats super fast, like he hasn't been fed in the last week. But, when I ask if he wants more, he always says no.'
'Curious,' Sabine hummed as she came closer. 'He probably thinks he's being polite. Ok, tell him that I absolutely forbid you to come home with leftovers. That'll motivate him to eat more.'
Tom nodded, grinning. 'Maybe mention, in passing, that if he doesn't eat his fill, he won't grow any taller. Boys like to be tall,' he confided, with a sly wink.
'Maybe I should tell that to Alya. She wants to be tall, too,' Marinette laughed.
Tom sighed and shook his head. 'Not where I was going, but whatever,' he muttered.
Marinette cocked her head, humming a questioning note, but dismissed his musings. She packed a few more things into the basket, and checked the time. 'I should get going. The others will think I've let them starve.'
'What about drinks, and a picnic blanket?' Sabine asked.
Marinette heaved the basket handles onto her shoulder. 'Nino's bringing drinks, Alya's got the blanket.'
Tom and Sabine stepped aside as Marinette headed toward the door.
'What's Adrien bringing?' Tom queried.
'Whatever he wants, I suppose,' Marinette replied as she opened the door. She closed it behind her, and skipped down the stairs. She had organised to meet the others under the trees at the far end of the park. It was quieter there, away from the fountain and carousel, and the shade made it harder for people to see in, from where they stood in the sun. Marinette reached the spot to find Alya already there, sitting on a thick, plaid blanket.
'Hey, Girl, 'bout time you got here. What goodies did you bring me?' she asked, eyeing the basket greedily.
'You mean us,' Marinette chided. She sat down and placed the basket in the middle of the blanket, and opened it to reveal the bounty within.
Alya's eyes widened. 'You've outdone yourself. I'm impressed.'
Marinette slapped Alya's hand when she reached forward. 'Wait for the boys.'
'But if we do that, they'll eat it all before I even get a look-in,' Alya whined.
A heavily burdened cooler bag thumped to the ground between Mariette and Alya.
'What are you moaning about now?' Nino enquired, looking at Alya with a raised brow.
'Marinette won't let me eat,' she pouted.
Nino laughed at her as he sat beside them. 'You have to wait until everyone arrives before you can dig in, Greedy Guts.' He yelped when Alya punched his arm.
'Children, behave,' Marinette scolded.
Their bickering was cut short by a ruckus at the other end of the park, just inside the gate. Twisting in her seat to look behind her, Marinette saw trouble. Two young men blocked Adrien's way, shoving his shoulders and taunting him. Adrien stood his ground, trying to walk by while balancing a cake box on one hand, attempting to avoid making a scene. But it was clear the young men had no intention of letting him go.
Marinette stood and marched over, intent on shaming the two men. Her heart skipped a beat, though, when the bolder of the two grabbed Adrien's collar and cocked an arm. Adrien turned his face aside and grimaced, as the man swung.
Marinette sprinted across the remaining distance, and threw herself at Adrien, knocking him from the man's grip. However, the man's arm had not lost its momentum, his fist colliding into the left side of Marinette's face with a sickening smack. She fell to her knees with a scream, clutching her eye with both hands, as she doubled over.
The man looked on in shock for a moment, before collecting his wits. 'That's what you get for defending the likes of him,' he yelled.
His friend yanked on his arm. 'What do you think you're doing?' he hissed, casting an uneasy eye over the people who had stopped to watch the initial conflict. They were now glaring at the pair, muttering their disapproval of striking a young girl. 'We need to get out of here.'
The first man glanced at the crowd, then bolted, leaving his friend to catch up.
Alya and Nino dropped to the ground beside Marinette. She whimpered when they tried to move her hands, and carefully shook her head.
'Come on, Girl. Let me see,' Alya begged.
Nino stood. 'Adrien, Alya, you take her home and get some ice on that. I'll go get our stuff,' he said, before he ran back to their abandoned picnic.
Marinette didn't want to move; her face was a mask of agony. She ignored Alya's pleas to get up, preferring to stay on the ground and focus on not throwing up.
'Alya, hold this, please,' Adrien said, handing her the box he still held.
She accepted it, watching anxiously as Adrien scooped Marinette up and held her close.
Marinette gasped and dropped her hands, surprised despite the pain, that Adrien could lift her.
'Oh my God, Marinette,' moaned Alya, sympathetically.
She covered her face again as a murmur rippled through the crowd. Adrien turned back to the bakery, Alya rushing ahead of him to hold open the rear door, and call for Tom and Sabine.
Sabine instructed Adrien to lay Marinette on the couch. He set her down at the near end, propping her head up with cushions and the arm of the chair. He then sat, and lifted her feet into his lap, rubbing her shins soothingly while Sabine prepared an ice pack.
'I'd better help Nino fetch our stuff,' Alya decided, before heading back out, wiping her eyes as she went.
Sabine knelt beside Marinette. 'Honey, I need you to move your hands. Your eye will swell shut if it isn't iced.'
Marinette gingerly removed her hands. Sabine then inspected her eye, closely.
'How's your eyesight? Any blurriness, or double vision?'
'No.'
Sabine hummed, then gently pressed the pack over the abused flesh, careful not to apply pressure to the eye itself. Marinette's eye was already beginning to swell and bruises were blossoming under her skin. She tenderly held the pack in place, grateful for the tea towel Sabine had used to cover the back of it.
'There's no bleeding, or ruptures in your eye. That's good. How's the pain?'
'Awful, but not unbearable.'
Sabine nodded. 'It doesn't seem like anything's fractured, then. So, would either of you care to tell me how this happened?'
Adrien bit his lip and hunched over, refusing to meet Sabine's gaze. Marinette regarded him, sadly. 'It wasn't our fault,' she began. 'A couple of guys were harassing Adrien, you know, pushing him around and spouting insults. Then, one of them grabbed him, and pulled his fist back. I pushed Adrien out of the way, but I wasn't fast enough to dodge it, myself.'
'I see,' Sabine responded. She stood up to look down at them. 'I have to get back to the shop. You two should stay inside for the rest of the day.' Then she was gone, closing the door behind her with a firm click.
Marinette nudged Adrien with her foot. 'Stop blaming yourself.'
'Your mother's mad at me.'
'No, she isn't.'
He looked up at her with pain-stricken eyes. 'She has every right to be. What kind of guy stands by and lets a girl take a hit for him?'
'Adrien,' Marinette began, but he shook his head.
'I should've fought them off myself. I should've defended myself. I was so worried about making a scene, that I tried to talk them down. Talk,' he scoffed, exasperated with himself.
'You were just trying to follow the conditions of being allowed to come out today. I understand that,' Marinette assured him.
'I still should have done something to protect you,' he argued. 'You've had my back since the beginning. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty to defend me, and this is how I repay you?'
Marinette stilled. 'Do you feel indebted to me?'
Adrien turned away. 'Yes.'
'You know I don't expect anything from you, right?'
Adrien huffed. 'Of course I know that. But you've done so much for me, while I've done nothing for you.'
She nudged him with her toes. 'You tutor me almost every day.'
'It's not the same thing.'
Marinette pouted. 'Are you implying my grades aren't important?' she teased.
He didn't respond, just clenched and relaxed his fists repeatedly, his head bowed.
A thought occurred to her. 'Are you mad at me?' she asked, quietly.
His head whipped up to look at her. 'No. Why would you think that? I'm mad at myself. You got hurt because of me.'
'No,' Marinette corrected. 'I got hurt because some idiot thought he had the right to beat you up. If you have to blame someone, blame him.'
Adrien turned to stare at the floor as he gathered his thoughts, his thumbs absently rubbing her shins. Marinette watched him, closely.
Alya and Nino returned, weighed down by their picnic things. They dumped their loads on the kitchen bench, then came to sit on the far end of the couch, holding each other's hands tightly. At any other time, Marinette would have teased them mercilessly, but she was concerned about Adrien. He was scowling fiercely at the floor, apparently still lost in thought.
'You doing ok, Marinette?' Nino asked.
She nodded. 'I'm fine.'
She turned back to Adrien, the others following her gaze. Alya, sitting closest to him, leaned back, her eyes wide. Nino stood and directed Alya into his former spot, before placing himself between her and Adrien.
'How about you, Buddy?' he went on, placing a tentative hand on Adrien's shoulder.
'If I still had my ring, that guy would never have even dared,' he growled.
Nino snatched his hand back and leaned away, his mouth gaping. Marinette was shocked, too; she had never heard him sound so angry before, not even when he was Chat Noir.
'Nino, could you take Alya home, please?' It was not a question.
Their eyes snapped back to her. Marinette nodded, reassuringly, and they slowly stood up, leaving with great reluctance. The took some of the picnic food with them, to delay their departure. Finally, the door closed behind them, their footfalls slowly fading down the stairwell.
Marinette turned back to Adrien, still holding the pack over her eye. She held open her right arm. 'Come here,' she instructed.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but remained where he was.
Marinette opened and closed her fingers at him. 'Come on,' she insisted.
He sighed before slowly crawling up the couch to lay down with her. He rested his head below her chin, and wrapped his arms around her, his palms flat against her back.
'Don't fall off the couch,' she murmured into his hair.
'So long as you promise to never do something so reckless again,' he countered.
'I'll do my best. But, you do know that that's what friends do, right? We stand up for each other, look out for each other, in any way we can. There are no I Owe Yous, and there is certainly no guilt when it wasn't your fault.'
Adrien sighed. 'Ok, it wasn't my fault,' he acquiesced. 'But I still feel bad you got hurt. That should never have happened.'
'It shouldn't have happened to you, either,' Marinette replied, tweaking a lock of his hair.
'It was understandable, at least,' he argued. 'Papillon could have akumatised someone he cared about.'
'That still doesn't give him the right to hit you. It's never ok to think violence is the acceptable response.'
They fell silent as Marinette rubbed Adrien's back with her free hand. She never would have thought of Chat Noir as the sensitive type. She also never would've believed Adrien was Chat Noir, if she hadn't seen it for herself.
Tom bustled in then, and Adrien flew back to his former position by Marinette's feet, blushing brightly. Tom smiled, indulgently, before turning to Marinette.
'How do you feel, Pumpkin?'
She grimaced. 'Could you find me some painkillers and a glass of water?'
Tom nodded and rushed to the kitchen, as Adrien stood. 'I should go. I still have to visit Father, and I'll need to speak to my case worker. I'll see you both on Monday.' He left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Marinette and Tom stared after him.
'He didn't take any snacks,' Tom noted, miserably.
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Redemption