Love Apart AU *Sequel to Nino's Theory* by Summer Cheng

Chapter 1 An Old Friend?

        Tikki takes a look around her.  She sighs as she releases even years later she still sits inside the miraculous box.  She can hear a familiar voice nearby.  She is happy to think at least there is someone  I know nearby.  She is glad that she does not have to be alone, after all.  She may not be able to see him, but at least she can hear Plagg talk.

       Plagg groans.  He moans.  He groans and moans some more.  He thinks, things could not be worse than they are right now.  He still wishes Adrien would have kept the miraculous longer.  He often wonders if things would be different had he told his holder, he knew who ladybug was all along!  If only he could go back in time.  Maybe, then he could manage to tell him his ladybug's identity.   He sighs and figures what is the use anyway?  There is no way to achieve this even if I want too.

        Master Fu, gets the earrings and ring out.  He puts the ring on for a moment.  He gives Plagg some cheese. He smiles sadly at him.  "Well, hello there,old friend!"  Master Fu says.  Master Fu promises Plagg that soon the answers will be found.  He says this more to assure himself than Plagg. He finds he has his doubts as he gave up on that sort of thing years ago!  He still feels like a failure since the last miraculous holders both gave up the job.  He glances at the earrings in shame.  He  closes the lid back on them and puts them back inside storage.  He removes the ring and puts it in storage beside the earrings.  

        Elsewhere, Marinette thinks about her past some more.  She does this a lot.  It seems this is all she ever does since she came back from college in London!  She  begins to think, the rest of her life will never be the same as she is too caught up in the past.  She pulls on some sandals to go with her outfit.  She heads out the door with her purse on her side.  She locks the door.  She goes on her way to the local cafe.  She decides it is about time she got out more.  She orders a tall glass of milk.  She is not really all that hungry, so she orders an appetizer  of  mozzarella cheese sticks with ranch dressing to dip them in.  She still is not much of a marinara  sauce eater.

     Adrien decides to go mingle for a bit. He laughs at the absurdity of the word he uses.  Where on earth did he begin to think of such a thing?   He never was much for  a social life in his past.  Not much has be done about it in recent years either.  Just the same he heads out the door towards the local cafe.  He enters the place and notices it has few customers. He figures, it is just as well since he is not in the mood for much conversation.  He orders a tall glass of milk.  He ask for a side order of the onion rings with ketchup to dip them in.

   "Your order will be up soon, sir!"  The man behind the counter says. 

   "Thank you, sir!"  Adrien says.

    Marinette sees the young man with the mustache and beard. She thinks, strange, he looks familiar though I can not figure out where I have seen him before today.  She gasps when she figures out who he is.  What?  Could it really be him?  Is it really, Adrien?  Marinette wonders.

    Adrien waits on his own for his order as Marinette looks on in amazement.   Marinette thinks, of all places how did he happen to be here?  Why him?  Why now?  Why does he look so nice, yet so grown up?

    Marinette hears her order number as the man calls it.  She goes over and shows her receipt. She smiles as he hands her the tray with her milk, and fried, breaded, cheese sticks just like she wants with the ranch to go with them.  She sits back down. She only hopes Adrien will not see her.  Then, she hopes he sees her, but does not recognize her.  Wow, my thoughts really are a jumble up mess are they not?

    Adrien looks in wonder and amazement as the woman gets her order. He thinks, he has seen her somewhere before in his past.  He is sure of  that because he never forgets a person.  Not someone he knows all to well.  He sees her sit on her own. He feels sorry for her.  When his order is up, he thanks the man after he shows his receipt as well. He goes over to the young lady without a word and joins her.