That Night

Chapter 4

Adrien looked down at his new, black cat costume. "Hmmmm...what's this for?" But he said it with satisfaction, and a smirk on his pretty face. "I look pretty good, if I do say so myself." He nodded, pleased with his appearance.

He was now wearing a pitch-black dress shirt tucked into a pair of slacks of the same color, along with a black belt. On his shirt you were able to see a subtle pop of green that was the lining. Everything above his shoulders was the same. He still had his mask and his black ears peeking out from his tousled hair. But he found that he really liked the way that this new outfit fit on him and the simple, yet stylish vibe he was getting.

Chat was still unsure of the reasoning for the change of appearance, but he found no fault in how he looked, so he simply grabbed his staff and made his way to the scene of the crime.

- - -

Marinette's face scrunched in utter confusion. Rather than her usual skin-tight suit, she found herself in a skirt and shirt combo. She was wearing a layered Mexican skirt made of red fabric with black polka-dots. The skirt was pulled up to an empire waist, but the waistline and her stomach were covered by a simple, straight black shirt. Her skirt was calf-length and underneath she was wearing sleek, comfortable black boots. The skirt was loose and flowy enough that she would have no problem running and jumping and swinging.

She lifted her eyebrows, as she was still unsure as to why any of this was happening. But she felt pretty, and she was confident that she could still fight. She shrugged and yo-yoed to where she had heard the scream.

Her and Chat Noir met at the top of the school building seeing the akumatized villain in the street. Once Chat had landed next to her, they both paused, mouths gaping, staring at each other and their new hero appearance.

Chat smirked and raised his eyebrows at his partner. "So, you had a costume change too?"

"Yah, I guess it was a partner thing." She shrugged.

"Do you know why..." They both spoke at the same time.

Ladybug chuckled, "I guess neither of us know why we had such a sudden costume change." Chat smiled.

They heard another scream and they both leaped into action in order to save the day and de-akumatize the innocent who had likely just had a bad day.

- - -

After they were able to defeat and purify the akuma the two parted ways and tried their best to sneak back into class without being noticed. They both found it easier than they thought it would be. When they each slipped into the classroom (separately of course) they realized that everyone was distracted. They were all muttering and whispering to each other. Marinette sat next Alya and was immediately brought into a conversation about the heroes' new appearance, after a very brief question about her whereabouts.

"Why would they change the outfits so suddenly?" Myléne asked. "I mean the people behind the mask are obviously the same."

"Exactly, dudette," Nino crooned. "What is going on?"

I looked around to see several different groups of her classmates discussing the sudden change. Chloe was so excited that she was running between the groups asking question and nearly leaving before she got an answer. The teacher wasn't stopping this disruption, but she was also talking about this event. She was on the phone with a friend discussing conjectures for the why there was a change.

Marinette saw Adrien slip in. She was surprised but didn't have time to think much on it before the bell rang and everyone streamed to their next class.

After school Marinette and Alya went to Alya's house. "Hey girl, do you have any ideas about the sudden costume change?" Alya asked her best friend.

Marinette just shrugged, trying to keep the guilty look from showing on her face. But then she had a realization. She turned her face away so that Alya wouldn't see her reaction.

She knew why there had been a change. It had to be the baby. The only thing that had changed in the last couple weeks was that she had found out that she was pregnant. As she thought about it, she realized that the new costume that she was wearing would probably be one of the best styles to hide her stomach as it grew

She sighed as she realized that the power of the miraculous was protecting her all on its own. It was doing its job and she didn't have to do anything else.

As Marinette turned back to look at her friend, she saw a twinkle in her eyes and knew she was about to begin a monologue on the qualities of Ladybug. "Wait, wait, wait." Alya looked a little downcast. "Before you proceed to your rant, I need you help with something."

Alya's eyes softened. "What do you need my help with?"

"I need to tell my parents and I want you to be there."

Alya smiled gently. "Of course."

"I don't need you to say anything, just sit next to me and give me courage."

"Definitely," she smiled widely. "When are you wanting to do this? Now?"

"Normal hours for the bakery will be over in about 15 minutes then I want to talk to them."

"Oh! Is it that time already?" She sat up straighter. "I'm gonna call my parents and see if I can stay for dinner, if that ok with you – after our talk?"

"That would be awesome! Alya you're the best!"

"You know it, girl!" She got up and went to a corner to make her call.

Marinette looked down to her hip. "Tikki, I'm so nervous! I don't know if I can do this..." She nervously brought her hand towards her mouth.

"Don't worry Marinette," Tikki said in her squeaky little voice. "I know you have it in you. And you'll have me and Alya there to encourage you. You can do it!" She rubbed her holder's leg enthusiastically, then more gently.

Alya came back to the daybed and Tiki slipped back into hiding. "Are you ready to go?"

Marinette took a deep breath and nodded her head.