"No. It's fine. I'd rather be here," He said. He finally found a way to hold the books he needed and carefully shouldered his locker shut. "Let's just go to class." He didn't give her a chance to protest further before he started to walk toward the classroom, flinching as his books rubbed up against one of his wounds.

"Adrien..." Marinette growled under her breath Why must he be stubbron? She easily caught up to him and took his books from him. "I'll carry these for you." They then stopped at the stairs and she looked at him with a smirk. "These stairs will be too much for you. Why don't you turn around and go back home?"

He tried not to look relieved when she took his books. There really was no good way to carry them without sending pain through his body. Maybe he should have thought about this more... But no, he was here and he was going to go to every class.

Of course, he forgot about the stairs... He stared at them for a moment, wondering if he should attempt them. They couldn't be that hard, right? "I can handle them," he said before taking a step. He made it halfway up the steps before he started to lose his breath, but he forced himself the rest of the way anyway. He was not going to go home that easily.

Marinette looked mad. "Adrien, this is ridiculous! You need to go home! You're pushing yourself too hard." she felt like a broken record. "You're just going to make things worse for yourself." she hoped that got to him.

Adrien took the moment to lean against the wall and catch his breath as she yelled at him.  Maybe taking to offer of having her dad drive him home was a good plan.  Then his father would never have to know.

He stared at her pleadingly for a moment before sighing.  "I know..  I just don't want to be home alone.  It's too quiet and lonely.."  And thought provoking. No need to mention that.

Marinette just stared at him. "Adrien, use the morning to sleep. I'll come by around lunch and after school. Does that sound good?" she didn't want him to feel lonely. She could give him Plagg back, but things were so uncertain right now.

Before Adrien could respond their teacher walked by. She stopped in her tracks and approached them. "Adrien, what are you doing here? Didn't you just get out of the hospital?" she looked him over. "Does your father know you're here?"

Adrien relaxed a little, about to agree to her compromise when their teacher found them.  He tensed and paled at her question.  How had he not realized what kind of reaction he'd get from the teachers?  Did he think they'd look at him and decide it was A-Okay that he was there in his condition?

"He, uh.." He was too off guard to decide whether to answer truthfully, and he glanced at Marinette for help.

Apparently, that was enough for their teacher to decide that no, his father didn't know.  "Come with me.  You're going to rest in the nurse's office while I talk with your father."  She looked at Marinette for a moment, as if deciding whether or not she was an accomplice, before waving a hand.  "Get to class, Marinette."

Adrien frowned and kept his eyes on the ground as he was slowly led back down the stairs and to the nurse's office.  He would get an earful from his father later.


Gabriel frowned as he answered the phone.  He didn't recognize the number.  "Hello?  This is Gabriel."

"Hello, Mr. Agreste.  This is Caline Bustier. I'm one of Adrien's teachers.  I wanted to let you know he showed up at school.  I'm not sure if you would approve of him being here or not, but...

Gabriel cut her off from what sounded like the beginning of a lecture about his parenting. "You don't need to continue.  I do not approve of him being there in his condition, and I will come down there to pick him up right away."  He hung up before she could say any more.


Adrien watched from one of the cots as Mrs. Bustier looked at her phone.  Looked like she was hung up on.  Oh, he was so dead...

Marinette entered the classroom in defeat. Great now he was in trouble. How did he sneak out in the first place? She better hang on to the ring for awhile. She took her seat and buried her head in her arms.

Class hasn't class started yet so her classmates were chatting away. Mrs. Bustier was still with Adrien.

"Did he caught?" Alya asked Marinette. Nino turned around in his seat to face them.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm going to check on him at lunch." Marinette was going to keep her end of the deal.

Gabriel stormed into the school ready to give Adrien the lecture of his life. How dare he sneak out and risk his health by walking to school when he should be resting? He should know better than that.  Then again, this was the same kid that would recklessly take hits, not matter how bad, to keep his partner safe. Even when she would probably be fine on her own.  He was too reckless.

His anger faded to guilt as he entered the nurse's office and saw Adrien sleeping on the bed. It was his fault Adrien was in this condition in the first place. He cleared his throat, knowing the small sound would be enough to wake him.

Adrien jumped at the sudden noise and then winced, probably aggravating one of his injuries. His eyes widened as he saw Gabriel there rather than Nathalie or Ray.  "Father.. I'm sorry, I.."

"Let's go. You'll be more comfortable at him. I'm not sure how you snuck out in your condition, but it will not happen again. Understand?" He waited as Adrien carefully stood and nodded.


They made their way back to the car and rode in silence. It wasn't the big explosion of anger Adrien expected.  In fact, it was almost as if his father had decided to hold in his anger and actually be sympathetic for once. It was off-putting. Similar to the lack of punishment he got when his civilian self disappeared during the Chat Blanc attack.

He went straight to bed when they arrived home. It was a stupid idea to even try to be out the entire day. He shouldn't have even tried. As he drifted to sleep, he wondered if Marinette would be able to visit him after this stunt.

Around lunch time Marinette went home and made lunch to take to Adrien. On her way there she wondered if she would be allowed in. Adrien's father probably was mad enough to ban guests again. Her parents probably would do the same if she pulled the same stunt. When Marinette arrived at Adrien's house, she rang the doorbell. She decided if she wasn't allow to see him she would just go to visit him as Ladybug.

It was a rare event for Gabriel to answer the camera mounted on the wall near the gate. He had sent Nathalie to the office with his iPad so he could stay home and make sure Adrien didn't try to pull any more stunts that could hurt him more. So now he had to be the one to answer the doorbell. He considered acting like no one was home, but a look at his computer was enough for him to reconsider.

He should have expected to see Marinette here at some point. She and Adrien were so close, after all.  He sighed, wondering if he should let her in. Letting her in would reward Adrien despite his behavior, but turning her away might cause Adrien to sneak out again.

He sighed and pressed the intercom. "Good Afternoon, Marinette."

Marinette jumped. She wasn't expecting Adrien's father to answer the door. "Mr. Agreste! Um good afternoon. I was wondering if I could have lunch with Adrien. If that's okay with you."

Gabriel paused for a moment to make it seem like he was thinking. "I suppose that's fine. He might still be sleeping, but knocking on his door should wake him up. I'm kind of busy. I trust you've been here enough times you don't need anyone to greet you in the foyer. The front door is unlocked."

He pressed the button that allowed the gate to open and let her in.

"Thank you!" Marinette breathed in relief. She didn't really want to climb his window as Ladybug. She walked into the house and headed straight to his room. She knocked on his door and was told to come in. Marinette walked in the room and saw Adrien in his bed.

She walked over to the bed and placed the basket of food down on his bed. "Hey. I brought lunch. How are you feeling?" she opened the basket and the kwami flew out.

Adrien smiled in relief as Marinette entered. So his father's weird leniency continued. "I guess I'm feeling as well as I can be right now," he answered, reaching for the food basket with his good hand. Plagg quietly pushed it just in reach so he could grab one of the food containers.  "I'm sorry I was difficult this morning..."

"I can't believe you tried to go to school, you idiot," Plagg muttered. It was probably his way of saying he had been worried. Adrien was just happy to see the kwami. It had only been a little over a day, but it felt so weird without him now.