Keep the Mask, It Goes With Your Costume

~Chapter Ten: The Patrol~

She told them everything. Marinette sat down with her parents and explained it all. The three of them were aware of the risk being taken to have Marinette come back and live with them, but they were willing to take that risk to be together again. And while the rest of Paris still grieved, the Dupain-Cheng home was at peace.

Car Noir was confused, the bakery had reopened and the two of them were acting like everything was normal. But from his point of view, of course it wasn't normal! He was almost mad at them for not being more upset, for all he knew their daughter disappeared forever! And they seemed regularly cheery as if nothing was wrong!

After another two weeks, all of Paris was calmed down about the whole situation, which made Adrien even more upset. He felt like he was the only one who cared anymore! Even Ladybug was definitely becoming less interested in finding Marinette. But Cat Noir wouldn't quit, even if everyone else did. Even when her OWN PARENTS wanted to pretend they were fine, Cat Noir would admit he wasn't, and find one of his best friends. And he would convince his real best friend, Ladybug, to help him.

That night, exactly a month from the day she disappeared, he sat alone on the rooftop waiting for Ladybug to show up for patrol, obviously he seemed upset and a little annoyed. He saw the masked heroine in the distance, and even though he didn't like how little commitment Ladybug had to finding Marinette, he wouldn't take out his anger in her.

She swung by and stood in front of him. She knew how upset he still was.

"Hey," she started quietly, "You doing okay?"

He said nothing.

"I noticed the Dupain-Chengs have moved on, their bakery is open and they seem happy, that's good news I guess."

He said nothing again, and continued looking into the distance.

"Don't let this make you so upset Cat Noir, just stop worrying about it for a couple days." She said, doing her best tho reassure him, but it wasn't working.

He took a deep breath in before responding.

"I can't give up, I just can't, we must find her." Cat Noir stood up and looked with fear and sorrow in his partners beautiful blue bell eyes, that seemed to only glow more in the evening sky, but he didn't pay much attention to that, too much going on in his head.

Ladybug could tell he was scared, scared they might not be able to find her, but she couldn't tell him the truth, she just couldn't. She had to keep it a secret, no matter how wrong it felt. She looked down from him to avoid eye contact, knowing she couldn't explain, and she didn't want him to see the tears filling up in her eyes.

"Cat Noir, it's been a month, I don't think she's coming back. Maybe we should just.........give up" she said as seriously as she could, trying desperately from keeping her voice from breaking at the thought of the young girl, whom Ladybug believed that even she no longer knew.

"Give up?! How could you say that Ladybug? She can't just be gone, there's no explanation!" Cat Noir remarked back, trying not to be angry with his lady's statement, even though he'd had anger bottling up the past two weeks from people giving up. "Even her own parents have given up! We are her last hope! The only ones left that care enough to find her"

"Cat Noir we've looked everywhere. I.......I know her" at this her voice cracked, and she said under her breath, "or at least I used too..." She sighed at the thought of this, but continued "I think she would want us to move on, and worry about the city now, and I doubt she's ever going to come back."

His attempts didn't work, and he couldn't hold it back, out of anger he went right up to Ladybug, who just continued looking down, while holding back tears. "What!? How would you know!? Are you hiding something from me? What do you-" he stopped in that sentence because she looked up at him as he was yelling, right at him, and he could see the tears barely staying in her big blue bell eyes. Hhe immediately felt horrible for raising his voice.

"I-I'm sorry my lady I didn't mean that, I know it's not your fault, I just got frustrated and I wasn't thinking straight." He remarked quietly with remorse, truly meaning that which he said. But Ladybug couldn't do this anymore. He was right, she does know, she is hiding something. She could tell that he was indeed sorry for what he said, but the problem was its true, and she couldn't bear hiding it anymore. Still staring directly into his eyes, Ladybug blinked hers, and a single tear feel down her cheek, she didn't say a word, but threw her yoyo, and swung away.

"M'lady I said sorry!!" He yelled as she swung away, but there was no response. The poor young man was convinced it was his fault for her leaving, but in reality it was no one's but her own.

He watched he leave, and once she was fully gone into the distance he got mad at himself for yelling at her.

"AAAAAAAAAUUUHHGGG!" he yelled out loud in anger, and threw his baton onto the ground a ways away. His feelings were clouding his judgement. And he just climbed down the roof, learned against a building, hugged his shoulders, and cried.

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Did you get deja vu with this part?😉 Flashbacks to the prologue?😉 see how it all connects?😉 Feel the suspense, angst, and tension?😉 Crying?😉
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Yeah
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Me too.