Unbroken

Chapter one

A/N - Hello my lovely readers and welcome to my new story. I hope you enjoy this journey. Don't forget to leave comments, they absolutely make my day.

You picked up my pieces and put me together
There's no way you'd ever know
That my heart was breaking
Cause you came and threw me a line
I was falling apart but now I'm falling forever
For someone who won't let go
My love's a token
Because of you I'm unbroken.
Now every piece of my heart is falling back into place
("Unbroken" by Stan Walker)

Chat Noir looked up into ocean blue eyes, tears pooling within them. She had brought him back from the dead again. Hawk Moth's akumas had slowed down in number, but had been getting more dangerous as the years had gone on. He may be no closer to his goal, but the villain of Paris had been able to up the ante against the heroes. Ladybug believed he had been merging the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous, creating even greater supervillains. It would explain why they hardly saw Mayura anymore. It helped not having the extra villain to contend with, but Hawk Moth hardly needed his bird sidekick when he was akumatizing multiple victims at once himself.

To make matters more difficult, Ladybug had been reluctant to bring in the other heroes to help, preferring to merge Miraculous instead. While Ladybug had said several of their allies were no longer in Paris, many of the heroes' identities had also been compromised over the years and while Chat loved battling by his Lady's side, a little more help wouldn't have gone astray, especially when he knew that sacrificing himself would leave her all alone.

What was haunting him most now though wasn't that death had stared him down the face yet again, he knew the consequences of the choices he makes, it was the look in Ladybug's eyes when he came back. It was still quite early in the morning when they finally defeated the akuma. At first Chat thought perhaps he had been dreaming when he opened his eyes to see her beautiful tear filled blue orbs searching his, aware that his head laid in her lap. She tenderly ran her fingers through his hair calling "Kitty" softly to him. He blinked at her and said "Hey Bugaboo" with his usual bravado. He expected her to shide him like she normally did, tell him he was reckless and irresponsible. Instead her facade cracked, wrapping her arms around him as she cried into his shoulder.

"Don't scare me like that Chaton." She whispered into his ear. "Don't ever leave me."

"I promise m'lady. I'll always come back to you." He replied, just as her Miraculous began to beep. As they got older, their Miraculous lasted longer, but so did the fights, and their kwami's were no doubt exhausted, as he knew she was.

Chat sat up, pressed a kiss to her forehead and scooped her up into his arm. He frantically looked for a place to hide her from the nearby news helicopter. She held onto him, limp in his arms. She felt so small. As the last beeps of her earring rang out, he dived into a covered garden on top of one of the roofs. Pink light engulfed her, and Chat slid his back down the wall behind the potted plants, holding her firmly to his chest.

"Chat..." Her voice quivered.

"It's all right m'lady, I've got you. My eyes are closed. I promise I didn't see anything." He said to try and reassure her, running his hand in soothing circles on her back.

"I know Chat." She said quietly, holding onto him tighter, her face pressed against his shoulder. "I trust you." His own Miraculous began beeping, and she pulled back from him slightly.

Marinette rested her hand to his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart under her hand. He was alive, and right now that was all that mattered. Not Hawk Moth, not the Miraculous, not even her identity, just that he was there and he was alive. She lifted her eyes back to his face. The early morning light filtered through the green tinged sunroof and illuminated his features. He really was beautiful with his eyes still closed and his mouth slightly open. She lifted her hand from his chest and gently brushed the long bangs from his face. He flinched at first, the contact unexpected. Marinette paused before she ran her fingers down his cheek and across his defined chin, her heart racing as she did. His ring beeped again and Chat let out a shaky breath.