Chapter 15

Third Person P.O.V:

Wow, Alfred. That was quite a light show." Dick said as everyone looked at the butler with amazement.

Alfred didn't look much different, if you considered the fact that he was already in a similar suit. Only this one was much more crisp and instead of it being black and white, it was now a deep blue with purple accents. Another detail that changed was that he now had on a deep blue mask that covered his eyes to match the suit and a top hat. He also now held a feathery fan.

"How do you feel?" Bruce asked as he took in his new appearance.

"Magnificent, Master Bruce. This really does take me back." He smiled down at his gloved hands.

"I'm glad." Marinette grins at the super powered butler. "I would give you more time like that but I don't want to risk hurting you."

"Yes." Alfred nods. "You are right, Miss Marinette. I, too, would like to see if this worked. Talking with the old Duusu would be nice again."

"Wait!" Dick chimes in. "Let me take a picture of this. Kori will never believe me if I don't get photographic proof. Everybody gather around." He takes his phone out to stand next to Alfred. The majority of his family rolls their eyes at him but agrees anyways. "You too, Marinette."

"Really?" She looks at the family and sees Selina hold out her arm to her and nod. "Okay." She steps next to Selina who wraps her arm around the girl.

"This is not necessary." Alfred shakes his head.

"I agree." Damian scoffs.

"Come on." Dick holds up his phone to get everyone in the shot. "Smile for the camera."

After the click of the camera everyone stepped away to give Alfred some room. His detransformation had a much softer light than the one he transformed with. Everyone looked at Duusu with anticipation.

"Oh, Alfred my friend. It's so lovely to see you again." The kwami gently floated in front of the man's face.

"Duusu. How are you feeling?" Alfred asked before Marinette could.

"Back to normal, thanks to you. It was very odd having my mind split between two places."

"You should be directing your thanks to the young guardian over here." He points to Marinette.

The kwami turns to look over at her and makes his way in front of her. "Thank you, my guardian. I am terribly sorry for all the damage that I have caused. I was not in the right frame of mind, I'm afraid."

"It's okay, Duusu. I know you didn't do it on purpose." Small tears begin to form in her eyes. "I'm just so happy you are back to normal. We were all afraid you would be stuck like that."

"Talk about some crazy luck." Jason leaned his arm against the bluenettes shoulder.

"Yes." Duusu nodded. "She is lady luck. Keeping Tikki around always brings good fortune her way."

"Really?" Barbara asks. "You are just inherently lucky?"

Marinette shrugs. "Only when it comes to the very important things. I can't just go out and win the lottery any time I want."

"Fascinating." Tim says.

Duusu turns his attention back to Alfred. "I am assuming that this is just a temporary thing."

"Yes. I promised Miss Marinette I would return you back to her." He stuck is finger out for the kwami to shake. "It was wonderful to see you again after all these years."

"Something tells me that this will not be the last time you see me. Farewell, dear friend."

Alfred slowly takes off the miraculous causing Duusu to disappear and hands it over to Marinette. "Thank you for reuniting me with an old friend."

"Happy to help." She puts the miraculous back into the miracle box. "And thank you for helping me. Without you, Duusu would never have been the same."

Alfred grins down at the girl before standing up straighter. "Well I must be off to clean up after dinner. I will leave you all to chat." He then turns to walk out of the room.

"Before you do that, do you happen to have any sugar cubes?" Marinette asks.

"Yes. I will bring you some right away." He exits the room.

"What do you need sugar cubes for?" Damian questioned her.

"For Kaalki. I fed her the biscuit to recharge so I could get back here but sugar cubes are her favorite. I still need to return the box, so Kaalki needs to charge up again." Marinette informed.

"So, you can ask for sugar but I can't ask for cheese?" Plagg crosses his arms at the guardian. "I see how it is."

"Is that a cat?" Selina looks at the kwami.

"If only." Marinette rolls her eyes. "That's Plagg. He's the kwami of destruction and a part of the black cat miraculous." She holds out a chain with a ring hanging from it that was hidden inside her shirt.

"Your sugar cubes." Alfred walks back into the room with a plate and hands them to Marinette.

"Thank you, Alfred." He bows his head to her before leaving again.

Marinette pulls the glasses out of her boots and puts them back on. "Here." She hands a sugar cube to the kwami. Not long after she finishes it, she calls on her transformation and steps through the portal, this time only with Tikki.

"So, you like the Bug, huh?" Plagg floats in front of Damian's face.

"What?" Damian gives him a strange look.

"You like Ladybug. You know, Marinette. What do you want from her?" Plagg mirrors his face.

"I think we all know what he wants." Jason teases.

"Jason." Bruce shakes his head at him. "Now is not the time for that."

"I don't want anything from her." Damian gives the kwami a determined face. "I want to help her."

"Help her, huh? How so?" He challenges the boy.

"I... I want to make her happy. I want to help put a smile back on her face." Damian looks around to his family to see them all stare at him in a mix of shock and wonder. "I don't know!" He finally says in frustration. "I just want to help make her happy!"

"You really think that?" He turns around to see Marinette step through the portal and detransform.

"Oh." Damian looks around to his family.

"Come on, everyone." Bruce says. "Let's go see if Alfred needs any help. Tim did fling food everywhere."

"But" Jason started to protest.

"No." Dick shook his head and dragged his brother out of the room while everyone else, including the kwami's, follow.

After she could no longer hear their footsteps, Marinette turns back to Damian. "Did you mean it? What you said?"

Damian tries to calm his nerves as he answers. "Yes." He slowly makes his way in front of her. "Every word of it."

"Really?" She looks up at him with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"Without a doubt." He reaches down to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and lets his hand linger to cup her cheek. "Your smile is the one thing in life that I feel has brought me genuine happiness. I don't ever want it to go away."

Marinette leans into his touch and closes her eyes for a moment, then smiles up at him. "Does this mean you like me, Damian?" She grabs his hand still on her face.

"I think it does." He whispers fondly at the girl in front of him.

"Good, because I like you too." She whispers back before wrapping her arms around is waist and leaning her head against his chest.

Damian is surprised for a moment before he gently returns the hug and rests his head on top of hers. "What does this mean?" He asks. "I've never done anything like this before."

Marinette lifts her head up to look at him. "I think this is the part where you ask me out on a date, although I'm not too sure either."

"Okay." He looks into her bluebell eyes. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would you do me the honor of going out on a date with me?"

"I would love to, Damian Wayne." She gives him a beautiful smile as loud and happy cheering can be heard from just outside the hall.