Ladybug waits on the Eiffel Tower, far above the highest platform available to tourists. She checks the time on her yoyo. Chat Noir is ten minutes late.

A pair of feet land lightly behind her. "Hey Bugaboo. We did a really great job yesterday. We make a nice pair, don't you think?" A black gloved hand grabs hers, and Ladybug snatches it away, again, before Chat Noir can kiss it.

"This is a strictly professional partnership, Chat Noir." She says sternly. "You will address me as Ladybug and respect my boundaries. I do not like to be touched. Please refrain from doing so unless there is a threat to my safety. I have called you here because I have scheduled a meeting with the Justice League."

Chat Noir blinks. "We're going to meet the Justice League?"

"Yes. They did originally receive the mayor's distress call, you know, but some members of the League have heard of the miraculous and made the call not to interfere. They have agreed to meet with us at the Justice League Embassy. We must convince them to stay out of Paris until this is over." Ladybug says.

"What? Why aren't we letting the League-"

"Chat Noir, we only received our miraculouses three days ago." Ladybug says sharply. "Could you imagine the devastation that an akumatized Batman would bring? Wonder Woman? Superman? Any League member, really? Even if we were properly trained beforehands, the world would be nothing more than space dust."

Chat Noir rubs the back of his head. "...Oookay. Point taken. When is this meeting gonna happen? I've got a really busy schedule, you know."

Being a hero should come first, but Ladybug opens her yoyo instead. It is 10:43 pm. "We are expected at 11 pm. Let's go."

.o0o.

The only League member currently in Paris is Aquaman, who eyes Chat Noir's miraculous warily the entire time as he leads them to a secure meeting room, where holograms of the other League members are set up.

"Thank you for having us." Ladybug respectfully bows her head, feeling the eyes of her father's colleagues watching her. It's been a while since she has last spoken to her father.

Aquaman bows his own head. "It has been a long time since a Ladybug and Black Cat have walked the Earth. If you are here, the threat must be extremely large." He glances at Chat Noir's ring again, and Ladybug makes a mental note to ask Tikki if Chat Noir's ring had anything to do with the sinking of Atlantis.

"Why have you requested this meeting?" Batman's low growl is familiar. Ladybug ignores the fact that it is the second time he has spoken to her since she moved to Paris. "Do you need the League to send members to assist-"

"No!" Chat Noir and Ladybug exclaim at the same time. Everyone looks at them in surprise.

"My apologies." Ladybug says. "We actually came to ask the opposite. Chat Noir and I were chosen out of necessity, and we are still very inexperienced. We would not be able to get the situation under control if any League member were akumatized, and Hawkmoth preys on negative emotions. It is foolish to think that none of the League members would suffer from PTSD or something similar, and any heroes that use their emotions to help them in battle would also be susceptible to akumatization."

"So until we have defeated Hawkmoth, we are asking you to stay out of Paris, both as heroes and as civilians." Chat Noir continues.

Wonder Woman nods, her holographic figure radiating power. "The miraculouses are not to be underestimated. My mother, Hippolyta, will be thrilled to know she has a successor." She looks at Ladybug, a hint of a smile on her face. "You are welcome on Themyscira anytime you please."

"Ladybug and Chat Noir make a strong case." Superman agrees. "All in favor of staying out of Paris unless the miraculous holders declare otherwise?" Everyone choruses 'aye', which makes Ladybug smile. She's glad her mask covers the lower half of her face. It would ruin her image.

They successfully negotiated with the Justice League. That takes a considerable amount of courage, and Chat Noir wasn't even shaking all that much.

Ladybug and Chat Noir go back to their previous perch on top of the Eiffel Tower. "One more thing." Ladybug says. "I noticed that you have very little experience using a staff as a weapon, and little to no combat skills either. If you can fit it into your... busy schedule, I would like to train you so that we may-"

Chat Noir gives her a smarmy grin. "Oh, Bugaboo, I'd be honored to date you! Does this mean I can kiss you now? You'll have to take off your mask!" He leans in, hand outstretched to remove her mask and lips puckered, and Ladybug slaps him.

The sound echoes through the night.

"I will not be disrespected like this." She hisses dangerously. Chat swears her eyes flash green for a moment. "I promised to never take another life. Try this again, and you will learn that there are a lot of things worse than death. I was offering to train you in martial arts and weaponry, not invite you out on a date. Make no mistake, Chat Noir. I am your partner, not by choice, but because I cannot quit while people are in danger and Hawkmoth is at large. I do not want to be near you any longer than I must."

Ladybug leaps off the side of the Eiffel Tower and swings away into the night.

.o0o.

Every time there is an akuma attack, Ladybug works as fast as possible to get it purified so everyone can go about their normal lives. Marinette's siblings express their concern for her safety in Paris, but she waves it off.

"I know how to stay safe. Besides, Ladybug has helped the city council set up akuma shelters. It will be alright." It is getting late in Paris, so she says goodnight to her siblings and hangs up.

Marinette glances at her Robin doll, a fierce scowl on his face, right hand grasping his miniature katana, next to her pillow. "I miss you, akhi." She whispers, before falling asleep.

.o0o.

Alya has recruited all the other girls in the class to 'Operation Adrienette' by the end of the third week. She continues to plot with them to try and get Marinette and Adrien together, much to Marinette's chagrin.

"C'mon, girl! Adrien is at the park, doing a photoshoot! This is your chance to impress him!" The blogger is at her front door. Living on top of the most popular bakery in Paris does have its downsides. Who knew?

Marinette is babysitting Mme. Chamack's daughter Manon, however. She has a responsibility to look after the child, and says as much. Besides, she doesn't think Adrien will be very impressed that she interrupted her photoshoot to ask him out.

"You can take her with you! Now, let's go!" Marinette lets herself be pulled along, even though every part of her screams for her to flip Alya over her shoulder. She is a normal girl right now. Normal, normal, normal.

Of course, as normal as one can be while hiding that you are the biological daughter of the richest man in the world, who also happens to be Batman, grew up in the League of Assassins with your bloodthirsty mother who later made an adult clone of your twin brother and killed your twin with the clone, which you later beheaded, used to moonlight as a vigilante in Gotham City along with your other adopted siblings, and currently duck out of school and other activities constantly to fight a wide variety of colorful monsters created by a crazy magical terrorist with a condom on his head that is trying to steal your magical jewelry by using his own magical jewelry to draw you out, all while your supposed 'partner' falls under mind control and turns against you every other week, and even when not under the enemy's spell, is more of a hindrance than help in battle.

Marinette lets out an amused huff inside her own brain. Yep. Very normal.

Speaking of which, Chat Noir won't leave her alone either.

He hasn't tried to kiss her again, thank goodness, but he clung onto her hand far longer than necessary when fighting Stormy Weather just now. The look he gave her indicated that he knew it was wrong, but he chose to do it anyway! Marinette wonders if heat vision could penetrate the miraculous suit, and debated the pros and cons of telling Jon just so she can watch Chat Noir get his butt kicked, as Jon would say.

Not worth it. She decides, studying the file she has on Hawkmoth. Jon was terrible at keeping secrets, and would crack under a single glare from any member of her family. Marinette wants her family to figure it out themselves, exercise their detective skills a little. She knows they're working on Ladybug's case, so it should be any day now.