Miraculous One Shot Compilation

Identity Crisis

"I'm telling you, girl! Only you would get that excited when it comes to making clothes - I'm onto you!"

Marinette cringed. "Calm down, Alya, you're making no sense. So what if Ladybug and I both like to sew? We're not the only ones!"

"Who else would get distracted by the placement of the seams on an akuma's outfit? Don't lie to me, girl, I know it's you, but this time, I'm going to get solid proof before I post anything on the Ladyblog." Alya opened the hatch in Marinette's floor to let herself out, then turned back with a two fingered hand gesture. "I have my eyes on you."

As soon as Alya was gone, Marinette groaned and put her head in her hands. At least Alya wasn't angry about the hidden secret; she appeared to see unmasking her best friend as more of a great game. "How can she jump to conclusions like that? And this time, she's correct!"

"This is bad, this is really bad!" Tikki fluttered freely now that it was only the two of them. "We have to throw her off your trail," Tikki gasped. "I can change your appearance while you're Ladybug!"

"That wouldn't work," Marinette pointed out. "Everyone is already used to what I look like. Unless," she tapped her homework pencil to her lips in thought, "if you could -" she blushed and chose to whisper the rest to Tikki, even though there was no one to overhear.

"Yes!" Tikki cheered, "that could work! Let's do it!"

--

Chat didn't know why, but Ladybug had called him and asked him to meet for patrol when it was still a little light out. He guessed there must be something she wanted to show him.

"Good evening, Bugaboo. I'm sure you look lovely tonight, but I can't tell when your back is to me."

"Chat," she spoke in a serious tone, "I don't want to alarm you by what I'm about to do, so I figured that I'd better let you in on it." She turned around to face him. "See anything different?"

His eyes scanned first her face, then traced down her body, jumping around a bit before they landed on her slightly swollen abdomen. Had it always looked like that, or was she...? "No."

Chat was immediately concerned for her welfare; could she safely fight in this condition? Did her family know? He hoped she was receiving proper medical attention.

Ladybug watched his face in amusement. He'd bought it - hook, line, and sinker. She couldn't blame him, though - Tikki had done an excellent job casting the illusion. When she'd looked at herself in her bathroom mirror, she really appeared as though she was carrying a second life within her body.

"No way... do you have a tumor?!" he asked incredulously.

"What?" Ladybug doubled over with laughter. "Oh, my goodness, Chat! No, I don't have a tumor. Do you have another guess?"

Chat was confused by what she was getting at. "No, what are you expecting?"

Ladybug snickered at his word choice. "Expecting? You seriously make puns even when you're clueless! I wanted to see if you thought I appeared pregnant, Chat - I'm faking a pregnancy."

"Oh." Now that he knew what he was looking at, it was hard to believe that she wasn't pregnant. At this point, the first glance only looked like she'd put on weight, but it clung low and to the front and was smooth - not flabby like excess fat. To say he was relieved that there was nothing wrong with her was an understatement, but, "why would you want to do that?"

Ladybug sighed. "Someone's gotten way too close to finding my identity. If she does, that will endanger her and compromise my security. This way, when the public thinks I'm pregnant, she'll know my civilian form isn't and think she has it all wrong!"