First Officer Agreste changed into his uniform before reporting to his sergeant. A dark gray dress shirt, a pair of black trousers, a badge, and handgun that he hoped he'd never have to use. He did not sign up for this job to take lives, only rescue and recovery. Perhaps if there wasn't an ulterior motive to his credititions, he would have been a firefighter. To see the blue blood of his family members boil would have been more interesting then the beat he walked.

He had heard on his hand held radio that a body had been found and needed more manpower to keep civilians and reporters at bay. Sergeant Raincomprix insisted that was a job left to more experienced officers and that despite how exciting it seemed at first, he was tasked with hunting down "The furry bastard." A four-legged menace who often escaped his owners.

"If they weren't friends of the Mayor." Sergeant Raincomprix cursed under his breath as this animal was the bane of his existence. "Rookie, let's see what you got."

Officer Agreste cocked his head in confusion. "Sir?"

"You're taking the lead."

Officer Agreste's eyes widened with fear as he thought he was far from ready to take the reins. "But its my first day."

"You're an Agreste, the procedures and protocols should have been spoon fed into you."

Officer Agreste inhaled and exhaled as he held his head up high. 'I can do this. I can do this. It's just returning a lost pet.'

He thought since the beat would end on 12 Rue de Tilsitt that he could ask the owners of the Bakery that sat snuggly in the corner. Black signs with white calligraphy lettering reading: Tom Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. A smaller matching sign hung on the door that read: OPEN: 7:30am to 8pm.

A small bell rang above his head. He briefly closed his eyes as he smelled the variety of delicious sweet smells. Cookies, croissants, macaroons, lady fingers, Paris Brests, and may more mouth watering treats. All bringing in a well deserved line of customers. His stomach growled at the mere smells of the establishment.

Officer Agreste waved to the young girl at the register. Ponytails, a giddy smile, and outgoing personality to match. A girl that stayed with the Dupain-Chengs and intern worked for them after school. As the young girl's mother was Nadja Chamack, a woman that spent her time hunting down the next big scoop even if it meant entrusting her daughter to someone else. Was the price of 'what ifs' worth the sacrifice?

No one could rewind time. Perhaps, that's why Manon was entrusted to the Dupain-Chengs. No parent was more protective than one who lost theirs to unfortunate, unseenable circumstances. His heart sank as he thought of the little girl the Dupain-Chengs lost. A blue-eyed girl that he remembered had the biggest heart, no doubt a trait inherited from her parents.

'She would be nearing twenty-six.' He thought as it almost slipped his mind that she had a birthday in February.

"Adrien! You look so handsome!" Mrs. Cheng was quite enthralled with Officer Agreste making a special stop on his first day. She turned her head and shouted at her husband who was pulling fresh treats from the stone oven in the back of the bakery. "Tom! Come look at how handsome Adrien looks in his uniform."

Officer Agreste patted his astute badge fastened promptly over his left breast pocket. Feeling like a preschooler getting kudos from his parents for his first day of school. 'My parents.' Something he wished as the Dupain-Chengs treated him like the child they never got to see grow up. 'The son they never had.'

Tom Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie was a home away from ever since he lost his mother. A year before their daughter, Marinette Dupain-Cheng vanished. She was only ten, four years his senior. It could have happened to him. He sometimes found himself wishing that the man who took Marinette would have taken him instead. As the Dupain-Chengs were very optimistic people that gave back to their community. Neither them or their daughter deserved the hand that life had dealt.

To be stuck on the 'What ifs' was poison to the mind. He was a child that hand lost is mother and had a father that practically died when his mother did. A shell of a man supervising two grieving children. 'What if he likes boys instead of girls? Would I still be here?'

The man who had taken Marinette was behind bars as he had taken other girls her age before. He claimed it was for some greater good. That God of all things was telling him to protect them. To keep his angels locked away from a society that would corrupt them. Twisted reasoning to murder child that Officer Agreste was tired of reading or listening to.

He just wanted an answer to one question. "Where is Marinette?" A question that would give closure to him and most importantly the Dupain-Chengs. They deserved to at least be able to put their child to rest. Especially, with the amount of grief they have been given. Mixed in with the felting hope they suffered through the years while Théodore Barbot, the man who held the answers sat comfortably behind bars.

A man that destroyed families because of his depraved ideals. Officer Agreste wanted to wish that Barbot would succumb to the same ending as his twelve victims did. But he could not. Not before he got the answer to "Where is Marinette?" A question that became his personal plague.

Mr. Dupain peeked his head out and smiled. He wanted to give Officer Agreste a big bear hug like the one he gave to Officer Agreste after his Police Academy graduation ceremony. But the man settled for a pat on the back as he did not want to hinder the new Officer's street cred. "Son, I am so proud of you."

"THanks." Officer Agreste had gotten the wind knocked out of him. Tom Dupain was quite strong, a man that could have easily been a personal trainer or at the very least an actor for an Old Spice commercial. He possessed a burley mustache, side burns, a full head of slightly wavy hair, all the color of the milk chocolate in which he drizzled on the croissants he just pulled.

"Should have waited." He said as he watched the croissants partly deflate from the weight of the chocolate piping. "Doesn't matter how many years I've been doing this." He laughed as mistakes were part of baking.

"Tom, have you seen a stray orange and white dog around?" He asked, nearly forgetting what his purpose was of being there.

"No? I haven't seen any stray dogs. Only the usual stray cats." He said hoping that croissants would not collapse anymore as he could not sell 'sad croissants', a name his daughter had once called them.

An older gentleman dressed in a gaudy Hawaiian shirt checking out overheard the Officer's question. "I saw a corgi running loose around Houche Avenue. It might have been heading to Monceau park."

"Thank you." Officer Agreste replied before he hurried out to tell his Sergeant that it was only going to be a thirteen or fourteen minute walk.

"He's possibly at Monceau park."

Sergeant frowned as he had thought that his Rookie was going to buy snacks. "Kid, a good rule is to use your status as a police officer to cut lines."

"Was I supposed to get food? Cause I just thought I was supposed to ask questions."

Sergeant Raincomprix sighed at his Rookie. "Eat at every opportunity."

Officer Agreste opened his mouth and immediately closed it. As the attitude that the Sergeant was presenting explained his weight. Officer Agreste believed that speaking his mind would not only be rude but would also hinder his process of going further up the ladder.

The two followed Hoche Avenue. A street that was a left on Rue de Tilsitt when exiting the bakery. Then another left. Houche Avenue was a street that led almost directly to Monceau park if not cut off by aroundabout. The Officer began to worry as what if the dog got hit on his trip to the park? As this route was riddled with traffic. 'Maybe a kind civilian picked him up?'

"Should we call the shelters?" The Officer asked as he was not up to date on procedures for lost animals.

"Nah, the furry bastard is too smart to get caught." The Seregant stopped and looked up at a building. Specifically the second floor which held a little bridal shop. The White Avenue by Rime Arodaky.

"Sir, I don't think they carry dresses your size."

"Rookie." He glared as he did not appreciate the Officer's humor. "It's the shop my eldest bought the dress she never got to use."

"You have two kids?" Officer Agreste only knew of one as he went to highschool with her. She even started attending the same police academy before dropping out. She did not want to follow in her father's footsteps unlike Officer Agreste.

"Caline has kept her distance ever since her mother and I split. She even went as far as taking her mother's name."

"Bustier?" He questioned as the Officer only knew one Caline with firey hair that could compete with the Raincomprixs'.

"Yeah." The Sergeant looked sad recalling the mistakes of the past as unfortunately this job had gotten in the way. He prided himself on his work but unfortunately his personal life suffered greatly. Long nights leading to arguments, arguments leading to divorce, divorce leading to custody battles. 'Is it worth it?' In the grand scheme of things, yes it was.

"How is her kid doing?" Officer Agreste asked as he recalled that the last year of highschool when she announced she was pregnant. Every student who had her as a teacher made congratulation cards celebrating the monumental occasion.

"She had a kid?"

"I might have remembered wrong but thought she skipped Sabrina and Is graduation due to being on bed rest."

"Kid, I haven't spoken to Caline since Sabrina's been in highschool."

"Really?!" The Officer was quite surprised. He remembered Caline Bustier as a kind, compassionate teacher, who had just began her second year of teaching at Francis Dupont. She went the extra mile to get to know her students' circumstances and never assigned homework. She knew students had lives outside of school and did not think they deserved to have the little bit of free time they had ruined. The Officer couldn't believe that Ms. Bustier would just cut off all contact with her father without a reason. "You should give her at least a call."

"Kid, let's just focus on the dog." Seregant Raincomprix did not want an outsiders opinion on what he should or should not do in his personal life. He burnt his bridges with everyone but his daughter, Sabrina. He was okay with facing the consequences even if that meant not meeting a grandchild that he did not know existed.

The Officer nodded as he knew that he was overstepping boundaries. Officer Agreste just wanted someone's family to be put back together again. His own family was just him, his brother, and his father. If his father just put in effort to rekindle relationships and less effort in being the Commissioner, perhaps Officer Agreste would find himself enjoying his family's company. As at their weekly dinner together, all his father talked about was work or how his sons made some sort of mistake. No kudos, no hugs, no fatherly affection.

Maybe it was wrong for him to want the Seregant to have some sort of relationship with his daughter without knowing all the facts. Without knowing why. 'In a perfect world.' He thought. 'In a perfect world they would rekindle their relationships. In a perfect world the Dupain-Cheng's would have a daughter. In a perfect world she would still be alive.'

The park was quiet as not many visited during the colder months. "Shall we split up to track more ground?" Officer Agreste asked.

"That sounds like a great idea." Seregant Raincomprix said as he eyed a metal bench close to a pond. "I'll take that area."

"M'kay." The Officer quickly replied. He walked thinking that it was quite a nice day for the park despite the chill in the air. The Officer whistled hoping that the dog would respond. He found himself slipping into the theme song of one of his favorite television shows. The Andy Griffith Show, a show that the bodyguard he had growing up would have him watch as they waited for his father to get done with his conferences.

The Officer laughed at himself. 'It's just so catchy, it's stupid.' A high pitched feminine voice soon caught his ear.

A woman that looked eerily familiar. Blonde hair, blue eyes, possibly 5'7" or 5'8" He couldn't quite tell as she wore white platform boots. Boots that complimented her 60s style polka dotted dress. She was possibly his age or younger. She was petting a corgi and feeding it pieces of her food wrapped in red and white tissue paper. It was probably a gyro by the Officer's guest.

"Who's a cute puppy? You are! Yes, you are!"

"Excuse me miss, is that your dog?"

"Sadly no." She pouted. As she thought her new found four legged friend was a nice addition to a walk in the park. "I found him terrorizing some ducks and now that I have food he thinks we're best friends."

"Do you mind if I check his collar? As I am in search of a missing dog matching this little guy's description."

"Be my guest." She smiled, finding the police officer quite cute upon closer inspection.

Officer Agreste bent down on one knee to check the canine's collar. CHEDDAR was etched onto half of the dog's golden tag. He flipped it over finding the address and number of the owners. He radioed his partner and asked if the information matched in which it did.

"Seems like you're the right dog." He laughed as the dog attempted to lick him in the face. Wagging his docked tail as fast as he could muster.

"Do you mind if I take a picture? As I kinda would like a memento of the day I meant a cute dog and cute boy."

Officer Agreste felt his cheeks turning pink. "Yeah, go right ahead."

The woman pulled out her phone and took a few pictures of what she considered a police officer hard at work. "Thank you so much Officer…?"

"Agreste." He added as he stood up quickly grabbing the dog before he could run off to who knows where.

"Well, Officer Agreste…" She dug through her purse for a pen. She then took his hand and rolled up his sleeve. To his surprise she began to write on his skin. "My name is Aurore Beauréal, and if you'd like to see the photos I took of you, Officer Cutie Patootie then give this number a call."

She then petted the dog underneath his cheeks. "I'm going to miss you handsome." She then winked at the Officer who was trying to make sense of what was happening. He watched her walk away before looking at the phone number on his arm followed by XOXO Aurore.

The Officer thought about giving Aurore a call during his lunch break. 'Is that too soon? Too desperate?' He had barely thought of romantic relationships. He always seemed too busy.

"So, Sergeant, when's lunch?" Officer Agreste asked a giddy smile plastered on his face as he held the dog like a baby. Black eyes full of fear as he was being swaddled by a complete stranger.

_

"How's it going?" Detective Liang asked as Officer Agreste had run into her at the Starbucks, nearest to the precinct. She held a drink carrier with four drinks in one hand and held a very pink drink in her other hand.

Officer Agreste walked the streets for hours and hours and the only thing that he thought would be remotely interesting to Detective Liang was returning the runaway corgi. He did not think that would impress her as she saw a myriad of cases that chasing a dog paled in comparison to. As it seemed so trivial to everyone but the dog owners.

"It's going great!" He smiled trying to pretend he thought the job would be more exciting. 'Is an Akuma attack too much to ask for?' A question he quickly dismissed as it was selfish to make a request that would put so many innocents in danger.

"Heard Raincomprix made you chase Cheddar down."

"Cheddar?" He questioned as he had been too distracted by a pretty girl to remember what name was etched into the dogtag.

"The little corgi that usually ends up sightseeing." Detective Liang smiled as she sat the carrier momentarily on a nearby table then handed him a mysterious drink that had 'caution hot' written on it. "I had to hunt him down on my first day too. And I don't how but Cheddar's furry ass ended up getting hit by a car during an Akuma attack. I know he's a dog and all but I am pretty sure he has nine lives."

Officer Agreste curled his nose at the flavor. Detective Liang laughed. "I guess you and the Captain do not have the taste in coffee."

"I can drink it, it's just not how I particularly enjoy my coffee. I like cream or milk at the very least but I am not going to turn down free coffee. Wait.. you said this was Felix's?"

"Yeah, I am going to tell him that Starbucks ran out of coffee."

Officer Agreste shook his head.

"Let me get him a new one. I have to order something for my Seregant anyway."

He walked up to the register getting a scripted greeting before he ordered. "One grande black coffee, and one grande with cream. And two pink cake pops."He swiped his card and was handed his cake pops in a brown bag before he moved to the side to wait on his drinks.

"Here." He handed Detective Liang a cake pop. "To February birthdays." He wanted to do something to celebrate Marinette Dupain-Cheng's birthday. Even if it was something as simple as a cake pop. Detective Liang also had a birthday in February but it was a different day. Marinette's the fourteenth and Detective Liang's the twenty-third.

"Thanks!" She said, as she was not going to pass up the opportunity of devouring a cake pop even when she made the decision long ago to not celebrate her birthday. She did not find anything special about being one day older.

"I know you really are not fond of birthdays but I can't really celebrate Felix's when it comes around."

She held her hand over her mouth as she realized where her Captain's birthday laid on the calendar. "Oh.. fuck that's right."

"Yeah." Officer Agreste let out a small chuckle as Detective Liang's eyes widened as she remembered her Captain's birthday was unfortunately September the eleventh. A day which felt very insensitive to celebrate anything. "He kinda got the short end of the stick."

"At least he wasn't an April's fool joke."

Officer Agreste rubbed his face not knowing if he should be mad at her bashing his birth date or impressed.