This chapter is a collaboration with sethadler !! Thank you for stepping up and volunteering to help finish this book with me! You rock kitty cat!

Enjoy!
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"Okay dudes, so what's the plan." Nicholas, otherwise known as Nino, leaned forward, looking from Chat Noir to Marinette. "Because honestly, do we really even have a chance?"

Chat hesitated, glancing over at Marinette for reassurance. He may be the infamous Chat Noir, but his father practically ran the entire city. Everyone was under his father's hand. It certainly would not be easy. The two locked eyes for a moment before Marinette looked away, avoiding his gaze... and that's when he remembered:

She still didn't trust him.

But how could she? As far as she was concerned, he'd lied to her throughout their entire relationship. He couldn't deny that. Chat sighed, vowing that he would make it up to her somehow before having to deal with his father. But first, he needed a plan.

"We may have one advantage." The blonde in leather said. "My father may control the city, but he does so from the shadows. On the other hand, as far as the rest of the city knows, I'm the one who's calling all the shots. If he wants me to take responsibility for stealing the jewel, then so be it. I'll be that thief."

Marinette gaped at him, eyes wide in confusion as she stared him down. Was he really suggesting to go along with his father's plan? After everything that they had just gone through? Had he learned NOTHING?

"Even with all of us here, we can't beat Gabriel alone. He has way too much influence to beat head on. He practically owns the entire police force. However, there is one thing we can control better than he can: the public. He won't be able to argue that I am not the mastermind behind the theft without proving that he stole it himself. If he does then we win anyway. In the worst possible case situation, I die and we take him down with me. In the best case, we expose him as a criminal and walk away scar free. Either way, I'll need some time to get the plan smoothed out, but we can't do it here. We need to burn this place to the ground and disappear. We need to find a new hideout. You have a backup list, don't you Nicholas?"

"B-but—" Nicholas began, but Chat cut him off coldly.

"Gabriel Agreste is not a patient man, Nino. He will not wait to hear my answer for very long. He will come soon with the entire police force behind him. We don't have time for 'buts'."

The entire room lapsed into uncomfortable silence as his words sank in. He wanted to burn his home to the ground, after all. Even he wasn't too keen on doing so. As much as he didn't want to admit it, this hotel was more of a home to Chat than even the house he grew up in. He didn't really want to see it burn to ash, but he didn't get the luxury of wants. Not after what he had done. For the sake of his team, for the sake of Marinette, for her safety...

It had to burn.

"Chat..." Marinette began, a cautioning tone in her voice. This was the first time she'd spoken up the entire meeting, and maybe it was just Chat, but she seemed quieter than she usually was with him. However, it wasn't just the two of them this time so perhaps he had misread her. Either way, she was speaking now, and from the way she was looking at him, he could already tell she wasn't going to back down.

"You. Me. Talk now." She said stepped forward and harshly grabbed his bell, yanking him forward.

He stumbled forward with a grunt. If it were possible for the room to get any quieter, it did, as everyone watching waited for the inevitable bloodbath that was sure to follow. But instead of the expected brutality, all that came was... nothing. Not even the slightest hint of resistance came from the infamous Chat Noir as this short, British cop dragged her cat off by the scruff. If this were any normal couple, jeers and laughter would have followed, but Chat was a cruel man at times and no one wanted to choke on their own blood today. They had all seen what those claws could do with their own eyes, even if the man in question was currently being dragged off like a child getting scolded by his nanny.

Marinette dragged Chat down the desolate halls until she picked a random door, practically throwing him into the empty room and slamming the door behind him.

It took him a second to register the furious look on her face as she whipped around to face him angrily. "What are you thinking?!" She yelled. Chat's ears flattened against his head. No normal person could ever make him act this submissive, but Marinette... well, she was different. He didn't even know why she was so mad at the moment, but he already felt guilty enough about lying to her, and she was livid.

Was it because she thought he was going to go along with his father's demands? No, that couldn't be it. It didn't make sense... or did it? He wasn't sure.

"W-What do you mean—"

"You know EXACTLY what I mean!" Chat Noir flinched, shrinking away from his partner. What in the world was wrong with him? This wasn't like him. He never backed down from a fight, and yet here he was, cowering in front of her. He was pathetic– a failure of a partner, a failure of a son, and a failure of a man.

But Marinette was on a roll, and she wasn't backing down now. "You just decided on this big plan and not once even thought about saying a word to me! At first I thought we were partners, but no! I found out that I was nothing more than a pawn to you in your father's game the entire time! Not once have you ever cared about anyone, the least of which me, and I don't think I can ever trust you again because of it! I—" Marinette suddenly froze, watching her partner in awed silence.

Chat Noir was staring at her. But what she saw wasn't the strong, deadly, and infamous Chat Noir she had come to known.

She saw his vulnerability.

She'd only seen it a few times to recognize it. He rarely showed it often. But when he did, it was because Chat Noir– his reputation aside– could no longer hold up his facade.

He looked away in guilt as she studied him, and that's when she realized that he was silently crying when a tear slipped down his cheek.

"Chat?" Marinette stepped forward, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. Her partner flinched the moment he felt her touch, but she didn't retract her hand– especially when she noticed the continuous tears that were now staining his cheeks and dropping off his jawline. He didn't respond to her voice, but she could feel him shaking. It was almost as if he was trying to fight back his sobs, and failing miserably. "Chaton?"

Her eyes widened slightly when she suddenly remembered something. He was still getting over the loss of his mother.

His father had betrayed him and had threatened him.

And his partner... his partner just made it blatantly clear how much she despised him.

"I..." he started, but his voice cracked, and she watched as he encased his arms around himself. "I'm sorry," he said, and then choked on a sob, falling into her arms as if he had no strength left in him. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, princess!" He repeated, over and over, gasping out each word. His mother had died and it was his fault. If only he would've listened to Marinette's warning about his father. Would his mother still be alive if he had?What if he had done something sooner? Could he have saved her? Or what if it was all his fault from the beginning? Did he make his father abandon them the first time because he failed then too?

Defeated, Chat Noir rested his head on Marinette's shoulder. "I'm so sorry my princess."

Marinette froze, shocked, as her partner sobbed on her shoulder and thought. What do you do when you hold someone this broken? What can you even do? He had nothing left, his only hope of a plan included burning what was left of his own home to the ground, and all she could do was attack him?

What was wrong with her?

And so, tears welled up in her eyes, and together, they cried.

After what seemed like ages, his sobs quieted, and she was left embracing her partner, her arms being his only remaining comfort in life.

"Chaton?" There it was again. 'Chaton.' When had she started calling him that? He knew that it was time. She'd always been there for him and he'd only lied to her, like spitting in her face. He owed her his secrets; his faith, if he ever wanted her to begin to trust him again.

Trust was so easy break, but so hard to rebuild.

Chat took a step back, reaching up to wipe away his tears and tug at the edges of his mask. Marinette gasped as he pulled it off, turning his gaze to look at her with his shining, green eyes that glistened with tears. Gaping, Marinette studied his unmasked face as she tried to memorize every line, every detail that she could see. He really was attractive, she realized, as he brushed her cheek, wiping away her tears. Perhaps, if things had been different, he could've been a famous model adored by thousands.

"Adrien." He said softly.

She blinked. "What?"

"My name is.. A-Adrien." He reached up to rub at the back of his neck. "I-I want you to call me by that name." He sighed, sounding exhausted. "I've only ever let my mother call me that, but now, I want you to. I am so, so sorry for using you, Marinette. But now that she's g-gone... it-it doesn't matter anymore. You are all that I have left. I can't lose you.  I won't let him hurt you, even if I have to kill him."

"Cha-I mean, Adrien..." Marinette stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him again and leaning her head against his chest. "That's sweet of you and all, but I really really don't want you to kill anyone again. Never again." Chat wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back, scared of where she could be going with this. "Chaton, I'm the one who should be sorry. I was so focused on myself that I didn't even see how much you were hurting. We're okay. We'll get through this, together. I promise."

She looked up at him, his gorgeous eyes meeting hers, their faces drawing closer together, and—

Marinette took a step back and cleared her throat. "We-we should go back and elaborate more on what your plan is to them! Yeah! That sounds like the right thing to do.." Marinette stammered, her face flushed with heat. Adrien nodded, though he was a disappointed. He knew he shouldn't expect romance after all that had just occurred, but still.

He could hope, right?

He took a deep breath, composing himself so that he could face his crew. With one last look at his ally, he slipped his mask back on, both figuratively and literally. As if it had never appeared, the crack in his armor disintegrated, leaving behind only the cocky Chat Noir Marinette knew.

"As you wish purrrincess," he purred at her, smirking and dipping into a massive bow, one hand placed on his heart while the other sweeping out at his side. She giggled, wiping away what was left of her tears, the display setting her at ease.

Perhaps, when this was all over, Marinette would give that kiss another chance. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. Maybe then she could give this whole romance thing another shot.

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