The evening was quiet, but Marinette's heart was a battlefield.
The morning she had told her parents she was pregnant had left tremors in her soul. The stunned silence that followed her confession had been worse than the initial fear. Her father, Tom Dupain, had simply stared at her. Her mother, Sabine, sat down slowly, her hands trembling as she clutched a dish towel she had been holding.
"You're... what?" Sabine's voice had cracked. Her usually soft, soothing voice now held both disbelief and fear.
"I'm pregnant," Marinette said again, her eyes fixed on the floor. "And I'm keeping them."
Them. She knew early on it was twins. The word hung like thunder in the bakery kitchen.
"What happened?" her father finally whispered.
Tears burned her eyes. "It was a mistake. A night. I didn't know... I didn't mean for it to happen. But I can't undo it now."
Sabine stood up, almost knocking over her chair, her voice suddenly sharp. "And who is the father? Some stranger? Do you even know him?"
Marinette's throat tightened. "I know him. But he doesn't know... and he won't. I'm leaving."
"You're leaving?" Tom echoed, his voice cracking. "You're pregnant and you want to leave your home?"
"For a fresh start," she said quietly. "To raise my children somewhere I won't be Ladybug. Somewhere I won't see... him."
That silence again. But this time, it didn't st.
Sabine stepped forward, her anger giving way to sorrow. "Oh, Marinette," she whispered and pulled her daughter into her arms. "You're our daughter. We're upset. Scared. But we love you. No matter what."
Tom wrapped them both in his arms, tearful but quiet. "We'll help you. You don't have to go through this alone."
That night, Marinette stood at her balcony again, the same pce she had spent years waiting for akumas, fighting battles, sharing jokes with Cat Noir.
She felt a familiar presence behind her. "Mind some company?"
She turned and there he was — Cat Noir, charming as ever, leaning against the railing. But tonight, he looked tired. Haunted. And the glow of the moon made him look almost unreal.
"You don't visit as often anymore," she said softly.
"I figured the girl on this balcony needed space," he said. "But I couldn't stop myself tonight."
She offered a ghost of a smile. "Something on your mind?"
He stepped forward. "Actually... you. I came to see you."
Her heart skipped. "Me?"
He nodded. "I don't know why, but I feel like something's wrong. I don't know what, but I've been feeling like... like everything is slipping."
She couldn't meet his eyes. "Things change."
He tilted his head. "Are you okay, Marinette?"
No, she wanted to scream. I'm pregnant with your child. I'm leaving Paris. I'm Ladybug. But instead, she said, "I've been offered a pce at a design school overseas. I'm leaving Paris."
Cat Noir blinked, stunned. "Leaving?"
"Yeah. For a few years, maybe more."
He exhaled slowly. "Wow. That's... that's a big step."
"It's something I need to do," she said, eyes downcast. "For my future."
He swallowed. "I'll miss you."
She smiled faintly. "You'll have Ladybug."
His gaze dropped. "She hasn't been around either. I think she's gone too."
The ache deepened in her chest.
"I wish I could've said goodbye to her," he added.
Marinette turned her head. "I think... I think she's doing what's best for herself."
Cat Noir nodded slowly. "I just hope wherever she is, she knows... I never stopped waiting for her."
That nearly broke her.
After he left, Marinette stared at the sky for what felt like hours. The air felt heavier that night.
Two days ter, Cat Noir stood on a rooftop, the city far below him, silent and bathed in gold.
His communicator beeped.
It was a message.
FROM: LADYBUG
I'm leaving Paris.
This is not a goodbye forever, but I need time. Time to rebuild myself. Please, don't look for me. I promise, I'll come back one day.
His chest tightened. The words blurred. He read them again and again, hoping they would change. That maybe the next time he read them, it would say, "I'm staying. I'm here."
But she was gone.
