13 years later

Marinette was packing, it was finally time for her to return to her home in Paris. After thirteen long years away, she was glad to be heading back to the city of love. Yes, she had gone home for a few weekend visits with her family and Alya, but mostly, if her friends and family wanted to see her, they either FaceTimed or came to her. Which meant she hadn't really seen the majority of them since she left the summer before sophomore year.

Thirteen years away has changed her, physically and emotionally. But, she is still the kind, sweet, strong, clumsy girl that left for the states. Also, since she is twenty-eight now, her appearance has changed quite a bit from the petite pink wearing, pigtails, little girl. She is still quite small, with midnight blue hair and big bluebell eyes, but she had a more, mature look and aura about her. She now had long flowing waves that reached her waist, applied more makeup, and was even more athletic than before. (Even without needing to transform into her alter ego.)

She was waiting in the airport, making sure that she didn't see her friends here, as she didn't exactly tell them that she was leaving. She knew that they didn't want her to, but she needed to return home, America was beautiful, but France was where her heart has lied her whole life, and she needed to get it back. Nervous, she finally snapped out of her worrisome thoughts when the loudspeaker announced that it was time to board. She grasped her red carry on bag, and her black suitcase in one hand, with her boarding pass in the other, she walked in line. Once she reached the front, she handed the attendant the boarding pass, and walked on. She heard the voice behind her calling her name, and turned to meet the green eyes that belonged to the person for a moment, but shook her head and continued on to board the plane.

Once sat down in her window seat, she held the necklace Adrien gave her between her fingertips, and gazed out at the New York horizon as they took off, she was going home.

About twenty minutes into the flight, Marinette decided to take out her design book. She had a dream the night before that had inspired her to design a new dress based on Queen Bee. It was a bumblebee yellow strapless ballgown with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice of the dress would be quite form fitting, and the skirt fanned out until the floor in a princess-style. The yellow dress would have small, black gemstones along the dress to imply the fact that it was a Queen Bee inspired ensemble. The gemstones would line the top of the neckline and the waist, and in the middle of each lining there would be an oval shaped cluster of them all together. Along the whole dress, there would be silver glitter sprinkled along both the bodice and skirt, but they would not reach the bottom of the dress. She made a couple of notes on the side, for the type of tulle and fabrics she might need, also with the pair of shoes and accessories that would fit best with the ensemble. She noted that a pair of black stiletto sandals, and a short, gold, multi-layered necklace would be the best things to match both the dress and the personality of the heroine it is based off of. She knew that it was perfect for one of the many galas she assumed Chloé held at the hotel she now owned, flashy and the center of everything, yet quietly kind and elegant, just like Chloé Bourgeois.

When she finished the illustration, she flipped through her latest designs, all based on the hero's and heroines of her home city. A pair of short orange overalls, with a more pale orange center, paired with a navy blue over sized sweater underneath, inspired by Réna Rouge, or Alya Cèsaire. This casual piece would be paired with navy thigh high socks, and orange one-strap sandals. Another was a pair of deep forest green swim trunks, with lighter green shell designs along them in stripes, inspired by Carapace, or Nino Lahiffe. These would be paired with black flip flops, and Nino's signature headphones. Finally, she turned to the Ladybug and Chat Noir matching sweatshirts. The Ladybug one, was a bright red, with only a small Ladybug symbol on the back, as a special added bonus, she added little antenna on the hood. The Chat Noir piece was quite similar, except it was all black, with a green pawprint on the back, and cat ears protruding from the hood. She was hoping to give it to Chat when she returned.

She finally finished with adding a few extra touches to her designs, when she noticed a couple magazines that caught her eye. They were French magazines, and she knew that she needed to brush up a little on her French to get it back in her mindset again. She quickly snatched them up, and began to read them. While reading one of the magazines she had found on the plane, she passed over an article on Gabriel Agreste. When she saw it, she gasped, so loud that the people next to her, looked at her with a concerned look. She assured her fellow passengers that she was okay, and then snapped back to the article. The title read, Gabriel Agreste New Fashion Line A Flop.  She read on, and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The newest line from acclaimed fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste,  has been stated by critics, to be the worst thing they have ever seen. It was called bland, unoriginal, and something they have seen before. We have yet to get a quote from Agreste, but we could receive a statement from fellow designer, Yves Saint-Laurent, who stated for years to be close friends with the designer, said "I am so very disappointed in Gabriel, this is his least inspired line yet. I have never seen a line so tasteless since the time of A Détacher's avant-garde line of 2013. The clothes did not flatter the models natural physique, and the designs along the pieces, were just so problematic. Gabriel, you must do better next time. Hopefully in the spring, you will have found your edge again, and be a formidable opponent in the fashion world again." Later, we got a quote from an anonymous source, that may give us a clue as to why Mr. Agreste is in such a slump. "It may be because he has lost his relationship with his son, as a few years ago, he left, and refused to come back and model. Adrien has been said to be Mr. Agrestes inspiration since the tragic disappearance of the extraordinarily beautiful Èmilie Agreste over sixteen years ago." So what is it? Has the Gabriel Agreste really run dry? Or has his newly estranged relationship with his son distracted him from being one of the best fashion symbols of the world? Whichever it is, everyone hopes that Gabriel will get his mojo back before his spring collection is complete, or his career may be over.

When she finished reading the article, she just sat back in her seat. She couldn't believe that her idol, Gabriel Agreste, had run dry. She looked at the magazine, and seeing it as the Paris magazine, she knew it was legit, and that she was going to need to find someone new to look to for advice. Also, when she took her second look at it, she knew just by the writer who the anonymous source was. The authors name was Alya Cèsaire, and Marinette knew that her bestie knew that it was improper to quote yourself, so she decided to put her own statement in professional wording, and as an anonymous person. This also meant, that what was written about Adrien leaving his fathers company was true.

Now, as she put the magazine down, she wondered, how much had everyone changed since she left, especially those she hasn't seen since her departure thirteen years ago. Who knew what Adrien would be like when she returned? She decided to slip the magazines into her bag, and make an attempt to sleep before her arrival in Paris.

When the plane finally landed, it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon, Paris time, and she smiled because it was perfect timing for her little surprise. When she finally got out of the airport, she directed the cab driver to drop her off at the park by the Seine, where the statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir stood. She dropped her stuff off in a small alley, and enacted the surprise she had for Paris. "Are you ready Tikki?" She asked her petit friend.

"Ready when you are Marinette!" The kwami replied.

She transformed into her alter ego, for the first time in years, and stood atop a building. She shouted at the top of her lungs "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!", and shot her yo-yo up in the air, wherein it created the Ladybug symbol in the sky above the statue. When she saw everyone in the park gasp, and look around to find the culprit, she smiled. This was what she had hoped for, a Paris grateful for her return, and hopefully it would stay this way.

She hopped down from the building back into the alley, and was about to detransform, when a little girl saw her. She had tan skin, deep brown hair, and olive green eyes, and she looked like a mix of two of her friends. She seemed to be around the age of five. "Ladybug?!" She squealed. "I-I-I... MOMMY WAS RIGHT! YOU ARE REAL!"

Ladybug walked over to the girl, and knelt down before her. "Hi sweetie, what's your name?" She asked.

The little girls eyes widened, as the famed heroine was speaking to her. "J-J-J-Joly. Joly Nina Cèsaire-Lahiffe."

Ladybugs smile almost broke, she missed Alya and Ninos wedding?! She couldn't believe it. She regained her composure, and placed her hand on the small girls shoulder. "Well Joly, I am Ladybug, and I happened to be quite close with your mommy all those years ago. So, will you give her the news that I am back in town? Can you do that for me?" She asked.

Joly's eyes widened even more than before. "Yes! Of course Ladybug!" She squealed, but her smile darkened, after a moment. "But mommy won't believe me unless I have e-e-elevence."

"Okay, here, do you have a phone with you honey? Or a piece of paper?" The girl nodded, and handed her a piece of paper from one of the many notebooks she was holding. She wrote a little something, and handed it back to Joly. "How's this for evidence?"

"Perfect! Thank you Ladybug!" Joly said, and after a hug from the heroine, she left to go find her mother.

Marinette detransformed, grabbed her stuff, and headed home. Whilst walking along the sidewalk, someone running crashed into her. She was completely knocked over, and before she was no longer dizzy and could focus her eyes, the person helped her up, picked up her stuff, and kept running. She felt something familiar about whoever it was that bumped into her, a male most definitely, but she she brushed off the thought of the mysterious man, and continued on.

When she arrived at the bakery, she got nervous because she hadn't told her parents she was coming home, and realized that her homecoming might be a distraction. Luckily the bakery was fairly empty. She opened the doors, and took in the scent of the boulangerie. The fresh bread, the fluffy cakes, the fruity macaroons. Sighing happily, she walked towards the back but was stopped by the worker. 

"Um, excuse me Madameoiselle, but this is for employees only. If you need a bathroom, there's a place down the street." The girl timidly told her. 

Marinette giggled, but then noticed that she was making the girl even more nervous. "Oh, I'm not a customer. My name is Marinette, my parents own this place." She explained. 

"Oh! So sorry, I didn't know! I'm Rochelle, I'm new here."

"Nice to meet you, and don't worry, I've been gone a while." Marinette looked around and saw no sign of a supervisor or her parents. "Rochelle, where are my parents?"

"Oh!" She exclaimed, pushing up her glasses. "They are out on their anniversary date and won't be back until late."

"Of course, but you said you were new? Do you have a boss who's here?"

"Yes, well, no. Yes, I have a boss, but no he's not here."

"Where is he? My parents have a strict rule about leaving less experienced workers in charge. Only if it's absolutely necessary."

"It was necessary, there was a huge emergency with delivering an order to a client and A-, I mean my boss left to go make sure it was properly handled. There were a lot of problems said over the phone, so he told me to lock up if he wasn't back by closing."

"That makes sense." On her way over, Marinette saw a crash and a delivery truck was in the center. "Here, it's almost time to close. I'll close up, and you finish cleaning up the tables."

"Thank you so much Madameoiselle Marinette." Rochelle said gratefully. 

"Oh, just Marinette, please."

The girls closed up and after Rochelle left, Marinette dragged her stuff upstairs to the living area of the shop. Carefully she placed her suitcase down in the main room, and walked up the stairs to her old bedroom.

Stepping out of the trap door to her room, she stopped, she couldn't believe it. Nothing had changed since her last visit, and that was almost five years ago. Her walls were still a beautiful pale pink, along with most of her furniture and covers. The many posters of Adrien, still up on her walls, along with the fact that her old computer screen still showed the little collage she made of him. The mannequin for her designing still to the left of her desk by the window, her armoire still to the right, with the same old stains from the dye she used for fabrics, her bed still had the long white and black kitten pillow around the back, everything was still in its place. She started to tear up at her old home, and fell down in the middle of the room. She wept and wept, realizing how much she really missed this place, and how she should have made more time to visit. "Marinette, what's wrong?" A small little voice said from behind her.

"Oh Tikki. It's just so much to take in. I missed this place, and everyone here so much, and I-I-I should have come visit more, rather than making them come to me. I haven't seen Alya, Nino, or my parents since their last visit over four years ago, and I never got to see Adrien when I came here. I missed Alya and Nino's wedding! I'm a terrible friend! What will they say when they see me?! I left New York without thinking, without telling anyone, my job, my friends, Matt, they don't even know. Also, Paris, and Chat Noir, I left them, for no good reason. I don't even know what Master Fu told Chat as to why I was gone. Paris may welcome back Marinette, but Ladybug, I just don't know, she was their hero. The hero that left them with Hawkmoth still at large. It's been so long since I've been in this room, and I'm just... I've... I can't take it. It was so hard to leave, but it's almost harder to be back." She wept to her kwami.

Tikki flew to her holder, and lifted Marinette's chin with a sweet smile on her face. "Marinette, even though it's been thirteen years, you're still the emotional girl who freaked out when I showed up in your room out of my box. And, if there's anything I've learned since being with you these past years, it's that you are strong and capable. You also have amazing friends back in America who will understand why you left, because you have been stuck, at a block with your designs, and yourself. Your friends here, will welcome you back with open arms, and no matter how long you've been away, they will still love you just the same. Alya and Nino understand where you were, and probably didn't want to make you feel bad for not being able to come, but they will still love you anyway. Paris will forgive you for being gone, and cherish the fact that their heroine has returned to them. The people love you, and so do your parents, your friends in both America and France, Chat Noir, and so do I. So, I know and understand that leaving was hard, and being back is harder, but you are a strong, beautiful, amazing, young woman. I know you will get through all of this, complications and all." Tikki replied.

Marinette clutched Tikki to her cheek, letting the little goddess dry her tears. Tikki had been here for her through everything, the move, the drama, from the beginning, Tikki had been there. She couldn't even think about what the last fourteen years of her life would have been like without Tikki, little in size, big in heart and love.

Once she composed herself, she began to clean up her room a bit, making it more appealing to her current style. In place of the old posters of her former crush, she put up new ones, which showed tourist posters of New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C. She synced her laptop to her main computer and changed the screen to that of New York City. She placed new photos on her desk of her friends, and tacked up some of her favorite magazine reviews of her designs and/or her favorite fashion icons shows. She decided that before the rest of her stuff arrived, she would possibly repaint her room, maybe a deep purple or green.

With Tikkis encouragement, she brought the rest of her stuff up to her room, noticing that the guest rooms door was closed, she assumed either her Great-Uncle was here, or her Grandma. When she finished putting all her clothes in drawers, she started to hang the rest of them on hangers, when she heard a thud on the roof. Confused, she walked over to the window, and looked out, but nothing was there, she she went back into her room. She stopped when she noticed something she hadn't seen in years, her old dolls. All of them still up on the shelf, minus the Chat Noir doll that she took with her. She rushed over to her backpack, and turned around to place it on her shelf, when she heard a voice.

"Princess?"

Hiya Kitties!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be all about Adrien, and how his life has gone in the past thirteen years. What he's up to and so on. So see you in the next chapter!

— miraculouskathy101