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“I have something to tell you.”
Juleka took a slow deep breath, taking in the calming sights and sounds of their picnic place in the park, the light and shadow of the evening sun filtering through the tree overhead. Having planned to reveal everything to Rose didn’t make it that much easier to do, even if she’d desperately wanted to for what felt like an eternity. She breathed out and felt everything falling into place as she plunged ahead with renewed determination.
“I have a secret. Well, more like a wacky yarn ball of messy interconnected secrets. I’m so sorry that I’ve had to keep it from you, honestly that was the worst part of it and I hope you can forgive me, but now it’s time for you to know everything. I hope you won’t be mad at me,” Juleka said, feeling excitement and concern warring across her face, but mostly just trying to express earnestness.
“Oh sweet Juleka, I know this has been tearing you up inside. While I don’t like you keeping something from me, the worst part for me was seeing it hurt you. Of course I forgive you, and I promise not to be mad.” Rose said, leaning in to Juleka with a warm hug.
Juleka chuckled holding her close. “Hey no fair, I haven’t told you yet.” She smiled down into those wonderful trusting blue eyes, relief flooding through her. “But, thank you.”
“Wait wait, let me guess,” Her face scrunching up adorably in concentration. “You are actually an alien from a planet full of cute puppy bunnies! No, you found a map to Atlantis in your parents’ old stuff. Or wait, you finally got Ladybug and Chat Noir together. Are you a secret rock star with an alter-ego to hide from your crazy fans?” Rose gasped. “Don’t tell me that you like girls.” Finally slowing down, she looked at Juleka cheekily.
“Well, only one of those is true. I only like one girl,” Juleka said, giving Rose a fond peck on the forehead. “Anyway, it’ll be better if I show you. C’mon, I have one more stop in mind for this evening. I thought we could make up for our missed double date.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful! Don’t forget my hint. Does that mean Marinette and Adrien will be joining us? They’re so adorable!” Rose said excitedly as they cleaned up their picnic and started down the street.
“You’ll see,” Juleka said with a conspiratorial grin. “As for your hint, it’s: a new perspective.”
“Argh! You’re as bad as ever. How can I figure it out when you’re so vague?” Rose protested.
“I prefer the term profound, and anyway, you know you love it,” Juleka said, squeezing Rose’s hand affectionately.
“I love you. The jury is still out on your hints.” Rose said, her warm smile betraying her feigned annoyance.
Juleka led them to a nearby, out of the way side street and checked the time on her phone. “Nice, perfect timing,” she said, mostly to herself. She looked around the street, seeing they were alone and noticing with amusement Rose’s look of increasing puzzlement which only grew as Juleka then climbed atop the edge of a planter against the wall of a building.
Juleka looked down at Rose from her new perch, unable to keep a mischievous grin off her face and reached out a hand to her. “Well, it’s no magic carpet but… do you trust me?”
Rose stared into her eyes, clearly still at a complete loss about what her girlfriend was up to, but nevertheless taking Juleka’s helping hand and climbing up. “Do you even have to ask?”
“Nope,” Juleka replied, still finding herself warmed by Rose’s faith even after having so long to get used to it. “But I can’t resist being a bit of a dork for my Disney princess sometimes. Commere, and don’t let go of me.” She grabbed Rose into a tight hug. As she felt Rose take hold of her she reached one arm up above her head, making sure to keep a firm grip on the girl with her other arm, and grasped a small round object hovering there, giving it a couple quick tugs.
Rose gasped and her grip tightened fiercely as suddenly, but gently, they found themselves rising into the air. Juleka realized she herself must be experiencing some of the same aftereffects Marinette had described. It once probably would have taken all her might to hold the weight of two teenage girls with one arm, but now she found herself doing so virtually effortlessly. Juleka followed Rose’s gaze as she looked around them in astonishment as the street moved further away below. Rose then met Juleka’s eyes which were shining with adoring amusement for a moment before settling on a thin black cord pulling them towards the rooftops. A cord which connected to something red and black held firmly in Juleka’s raised hand.
“That’s…” Rose’s huge eyes widened further as she trailed off breathlessly.
Before she could finish her thought they neared the top where a pair of black-clad arms reached down for Juleka’s and hauled them onto the roof leaving the two girls, one star struck and one way too proud of herself, standing on the roof of the building before the heroes of Paris.
“May I present our double date for the evening: Ladybug and Chat Noir!” Juleka presented with a slight flourish and a grin that would make Chat proud.
Ladybug gave Juleka a fond smile and an eye roll before walking close to give Rose a friendly hug. “It’s so good to see you when Paris isn’t in the middle of a crisis!”
“Fur sure!” Chat approached unfazed by the small chorus of groans and lifting his hand in front of Rose. “Can I get a paw up top from Jules’ favorite person?”
Rose returned the high five, finally snapping out of her shocked paralysis. “Oh my God, you guys are so amazing! Juleka, you’re friends with superheroes!? Wait, double date? You actually did get them together!!?! That’s your secret!? Wow, this definitely puts you guys at the top of the OTP chart.”
Juleka chuckled at Rose’s fangirling. Seriously, the girl’s cuteness surpassed all bounds of reasonable fairness. She put a steadying arm around Rose’s shoulders. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. All I really did was nudge them in the right direction. Anyway, how come they get the top spot? What about us, or Adrienette?”
Rose turned to her, suddenly serious, missing the twin blushes blossoming next to them. “Juleka, you know we are disqualified, I simply cannot be trusted to judge impartially in this matter, and as for Marinette and Adrien, well they are absolutely adorable, but they aren’t superheroes!” Juleka suppressed a snicker as Rose gestured dramatically to the two legends who were wearing similar and entirely unconvincing yup-totally-innocent faces.
“Hey would you look at that! The sun is starting to get low; we’d better get you two to our destination if we don’t want to miss the sunset!” Ladybug blurted, Juleka failing to prevent a snort of amusement at her friends this time.
“Oooooo, there’s more! I’ll never doubt your plans again,” said Rose, giving Juleka a wide smile. Her excitement mixing with surprise as their hero in red suddenly scooped her up and swung her yoyo.
“You barely know the half of it,” Ladybug chuckled as the yoyo took hold and she lurched into the air eliciting from Rose the most adorable “eep!” in the history of ‘eep’s which Juleka carefully filed away.
“You are having way too much fun with this Jules,” Chat piped up, putting an elbow on her shoulder and leaning against her comically.
“Well, unless you know the Men In Black, I’ll only get to take advantage of this life shattering reveal once.” She gently shoved him off with a wry smile. “Besides, you’d totally do the same in my shoes.”
“Guilty as charged. Though, this Cat In Black would do it at least twice as dashingly,” Chat said, striking a pose.
“Only in your dreams can you be more dashing than the enigmatic Tortue,” Juleka teased as she climbed on his back, getting a good grip around his chest. “Now giddy-up kitty! We mustn’t be late to meet our fair maidens.”
“Anything for you Jules, heaven knows we owe you a few.” Chat took off running across the rooftops. “But don’t call me kitty, only my Lady gets to do that. You wouldn’t want to make her jealous, she’s a superhero.”
Juleka found herself laughing, pressed to his back as they took to the air in leaps and bounds across the Paris skyscape. She took a moment to marvel at the ease she felt trading banter here with Chat where not a year ago she would have been lucky to eke out more than a few words around anyone besides Rose and Nathan.
She allowed her mind to wander over the past months and new friends as she enjoyed the simple peace of their flight across the city top, the cool air nipping her cheeks and sending her ebony hair billowing out behind them, new colors splashing across the sky as the sun dipped towards the horizon. The evening was perfect really.
She squeezed Chat a little tighter. “Thanks,” she said softly right into his ear, her voice barely more than a whisper over the sound of rushing air.
He met her eyes over his shoulder with a gentle and sincere grin that was so very Adrien.
In short order their journey turned vertical as Chat scaled familiar wrought iron latticework. He leaped the final distance, coming to an impressive flourishing landing considering his unwieldy burden atop the Eiffel Tower.
“Top floor: tourist traps, romantic views, and gorgeous girls,” Chat announced.
Juleka had thought that by now she might be used to Rose’s beauty, but as she slipped off Chat’s back and looked up to see the blond standing there at the top of the city bathed in the colors of the slowly setting sun with cheeks rosy from the chill and excitement, she found her breath catching in her throat all over again. From the light gasp she heard from Chat, it seemed he was in a similar state, though fixated instead on the other figure waiting for them.
Rose rushed to embrace Juleka. “Oh Juleka, this is wonderful, you take me on the best dates!”
“They’re only good cuz you’re with me.” Juleka planted a light kiss on her forehead. “Tonight will be pretty hard to beat though.”
“Shouldn’t there be tourists or something up here?” Rose asked as the four of them moved to the west side to get the best view of the sunset.
“Not tonight, we reserved the tower just for us this evening,” Ladybug said with her arm around a very happy Chat.
“You can do that?” Rose asked, slightly astonished.
“Normally no, but that’s one of the perks of saving the city, they’re more than happy to grant us small favors when we ask for our friends,” Ladybug replied.
Rose leaned her head to rest against Juleka’s shoulder, “I’m so glad that you’ve found more wonderful friends Juleka. I think I get that ‘new perspective’ hint now.”
“I’m glad too, and there’s more perspective to come.” Juleka said cryptically, happy to just enjoy the moment.
Their eyes towards the horizon and arms on each other’s backs, Juleka was content to wait for Rose’s curiosity to bubble over, and she didn’t have to wait long.
“Alright, you said it’s time to tell, so spill. How did you all become friends? Was it that time they saved us from the snowman?” Rose looked at her expectantly.
“No, it actually goes back a ways further.” Juleka said contemplatively, more serious now as she thought back over the last months. “A dear friend once told me that invisibility can actually be an asset and that those who do see you are the ones that are worthy.” She squeezed Rose’s shoulder.
“Master Fu?” Rose asked.
“Yeah, he’s wise like that.” Juleka smiled. “Well, going unnoticed meant that I saw things others kept to themselves. I soon found myself carrying more people’s secrets than I ever wanted. The biggest of these were nothing less than the secret identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir! At first I just noticed a bunch of inconsistencies and coincidences that all pointed to who they were. Then my suspicions were confirmed when I saw them transform in front of me without noticing me… several times.” She shared a look with the two of them who at least had the decency to look bashful about it.
“I couldn’t tell anyone that I knew the most important secret of the heroes of Paris without endangering them, but eventually I had to come clean to them and, much to my surprise at the time, they quickly latched on to me as friends. They were glad to finally have someone to share their secrets with, even if they hadn’t meant to at first. Since then, they’ve been some of the best friends I could ever ask for, and more than that, they’ve become family.” Juleka found herself tearing up as she spoke. She looked across the faces of her three favorite people in the world all beaming at her.
Rose’s eyes shimmered at Juleka as she proclaimed, “Group hug!”
No one needed a second prompting as they all squeezed together laughing.
“So then, you knew who they are behind their masks? Did you get to know Adrien and Marinette around the same time?” Rose asked.
Juleka chuckled at the mental gymnastics the glamour was causing, wiping her eyes as Ladybug spoke up, “Yeah, she did, and don’t let her sell herself short, she did a lot to help us too. She’s practically our specialized psychiatrist.” She smiled at Juleka, who nodded in response. “So it’s high time you knew too so Jules won’t have to lie to you for us again. We meant to tell you at the Louvre, but even our luck runs out sometimes.”
Ladybug and Chat Noir shared a glance and a smile before grabbing each other’s hands and turning back towards Rose, their features becoming obscured in sudden parallel explosions of pink and green light.
As the light faded, Rose gasped, “Marinette! Adrien! It was you all along!?”
The pair nodded and offered friendly, if slightly bashful, waves. Juleka could practically see the smoke coming out of Rose’s ears as the gears in her head cranked into overdrive, finally connecting the dots across the logic barriers the glamour had erected. “Aaaaaaa, oh my God, this means Ladynoir and Adrienette are the same, or do they count twice? I think you just blew up the OTP chart! This is just incredible! And, oh wow, all those times you disappeared during class, the hair and eyes, you never being in the same place as Ladybug and Chat, how did I not notice before?”
“Magic,” Juleka said, waggling her fingers for dramatic effect.
“Hey, no teasing, I’m still reeling,” Rose pouted.
Before Juleka could respond Adrien came to her rescue, “Actually, she’s not kidding. Our powers also prevent most people from putting the pieces together and figuring out our identities. Jules is just a bit special in that regard.”
“So, magic then. Wow,” Rose said, now bemused and still thinking hard. “So you guys weren’t really studying all those times then, you were doing cool magic superhero stuff!”
“A little bit of both really,” said Juleka with a chuckle. “When they weren’t saving Paris or being dorks they were saving my test scores.”
Marinette stuck her tongue out at Juleka before turning to address Rose. “Speaking of magic, we’d like you to meet our kwamis. They are the ancient mystical beings that grant our powers, not to mention being our good friends too. This is Tikki!”
“It’s a pleasure to finally be introduced Rose,” said the tiny red and black flying ancient mystical being, offering a bow and friendly smile.
“And this is Plagg,” said Adrien.
“Sup Rose, Jules seems to like you so I guess that means you’re cool,” said the tiny cat with a mouthful of cheese.
“Hey! That was for later,” Adrien scolded.
“Time is relative for us ancient mystical beings,” Plagg said.
“Uh guys, I think we broke her.” At the sound of Juleka’s voice everyone turned to look at them. Despite her expressed concern, Juleka was grinning and poking playfully at Rose’s cheek. Rose had her eyes locked on the kwamis, her face frozen in complete and utter shock. As they watched, the shock faded and was replaced by a manic smile that kept growing until it threatened to take flight from her face.
Suddenly, Rose lurched towards the kwamis with an unearthly sound, “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”
“No, the cheese is mine! You can’t make me give it up,” Plagg protested as Rose fiercely, but gently, scooped the two of them into a hug. Tikki giggling in her other arm.
“YOU. ARE. THE. CUTEST. THING. I. HAVE. EVER. SEEN!!!” Rose exclaimed before descending into near-incoherent babbling at what seemed a hundred words per second.
Juleka couldn’t agree more with the sentiment, though her eyes were not on the kwamis. She watched on with the other two amused humans as Rose gushed over the kwamis for several minutes. Juleka thought she heard something about the kwamis’ relative puppy factor equivalent, but honestly she couldn’t pay much attention to what Rose was saying at the moment, she was just too adorable.
Eventually Rose slowed down, turning back to Juleka. “How could you keep anything this cute a secret from me?” her expression a bit hurt before melting back to simple joy. “No, I promised I wouldn’t be mad. This is so incredible Juleka! I don’t know if I can handle another big surprise. You don’t have any more big reveals do you?”
Juleka felt Wayzz shift in her pocket and gently rested a hand over him. “Just one more, but it’s a doozy. It can wait till you’re ready.” Juleka reached out to put a steadying hand on Rose’s shoulder.
“Well, if you’re with me I think I can handle it, just give me a minute.” Rose said with her trademark sweet smile and shining eyes making Juleka’s insides gooey all over again.
“I brought sweets from the bakery!” Marinette exclaimed, grabbing a couple bags from across the tower she had apparently stashed there earlier, always eager to share with her friends.
As the snacks were broken out, their conversation turned to more ordinary things. Well, ordinary for them anyway. Recounted tales of epic battles and near misses, all the little things Juleka figured out or witnessed, just usual superhero stuff. Juleka was coming to love these moments, just simple conversation and good friends. This evening though, she was finding it harder and harder to pay attention. With Rose finally so close to the full truth, it was fair to say she was feeling antsy, and in this perfect moment Rose’s very smell was intoxicating. Juleka looked to the west and saw that the sun was just beginning to brush the horizon, greeting it with a warm embrace.
When her attention came back to the group, she met shining blue eyes staring straight at her with determination. “Okay, I’m ready,” Rose said.
Juleka beamed at her and took her hand. “As you wish.” She paused, steadying herself. Behind Rose, she saw Adrien and Marinette give her reassuring thumbs up. “I know who Tortue is too, and why she suddenly appeared on the scene.”
“Oh Juleka, do I get to meet her too!?” Rose asked, getting excited all over again.
“You’ll get to do a lot more than that.” Juleka couldn’t help giving her a wink.
Rose looked a little confused, but laughed at Juleka’s coyness, “Ooookay, so what’s Tortue’s story?”
“Well, you see, Tortue is a girl much like me. She had a lot thrust upon her in a short time, good and bad, tragic and wonderful, secrets and responsibility. Amidst all this, she found out she was special in another way, she had the potential to take on the mantle of the Miraculous Guardian and the power of the Turtle was offered to her. However, taking that power would be a great responsibility, and might even cause great pain. She knew all that would be worth it for the power to protect her friends and the innocents of Paris, but she was overcome with fear that she would only let down those she loved. Ultimately, she turned down the offer.”As Juleka told the story, the whole world was lost to her as it all faded away except for the face of her Rose in front of her, who seemed to sense how personal this was and was hanging on Juleka’s every word.
“So then, what changed?” Rose asked, before gasping as a new realization dawned. “Wait, Marinette and Adrien were caught with me there when Medusa attacked the Louvre! Tortue was the only one who could save them!”
Juleka smiled, pulling Rose closer. “Yup, though that’s not the only reason. While she may have been the best candidate, it was possible that someone else with Guardian potential might appear, or that the previous Turtle could go to battle even though he was weak. In the end it was love that drew her out.”
“That’s so romantic,” Rose said dreamily.
“Yeah, I suppose it is,” Juleka laughed and felt Wayzz slipping out of her pocket. “The one person she cared most about was trapped there with Medusa in danger and nothing else mattered. She squashed her fear, took on the responsibility, and went to save the day. So now we have a new hero in town, and I’d like you to meet her.”
“Hello Rose,” Juleka heard Wayzz say from right next to her ear. “It’s always an honor to meet the Guardian’s chosen love.”
Juleka watched Rose’s eyes widen as she looked at the new kwami hovering over Juleka’s shoulder. Juleka gave her just long enough to start putting the puzzle together before she cupped Rose’s head in her hands, their eyes linking. “Wayzz, shell up!”Juleka crashed their lips together in a passionate kiss. She barely noticed the warm magic washing over her body as she transformed, Rose filled her every sense. For those brief moments, nothing existed other than Rose and Juleka with all her secrets finally and blissfully laid bare.
After a brief eternity they pulled apart. Rose stared into her face, the face of Tortue. Blue eyes met deep green and yellow eyes framed by a mask and the now green highlights of her hair hanging down by her cheeks.
“It’s you! Juleka, you’re Tortue! You saved me! You saved Paris! My girlfriend is a superhero!!!”
All Juleka could do was stare at her with a goofy grin, but she soon found her reverie broken by cheering and whooping coming from their friends.
“Woohoo, turtleriffic Jules! Ten out of ten! That was even smoother than my reveal.” Adrien cheered, one fist pounding the air with his other arm around Marinette who was holding up Juleka’s phone with the hints of tears in her eyes. The two kwamis zipped about laughing and cheering with them, even Plagg caught up in the moment.
Juleka gave Adrien a wry smile. “Going off-roading in the mountains would be smoother than your reveal Chat.”
He gave her a look of offence, but laughed with her all the same. Juleka turned back to Rose who was still staring at her in wonder. “I love you Rose.”
“I love you too,” Rose said, leaning up to give Juleka another light kiss.
Marinette came over to show them the picture she’d snapped. There on Juleka’s phone were Rose and Tortue kissing in each other’s embrace, silhouetted by a fading sunburst and framed by the evening Paris cityscape awash in the gorgeous oranges, reds, and purples of the sunset.
“Well, things don’t usually work out perfectly, but I guess miracles do happen,” said Juleka, reclaiming her phone and hugging Rose fondly. “Now, let me show you what I can do!”
…
Juleka never could remember how late they stayed on top of the tower that night. She remembered showing off her powers of invisibility, feats of new strength, and taking Rose on a little flight around the tower. She remembered talking long into the night with six of her dearest friends. And of course she remembered Rose, every look, every smile. Most of all though, Juleka remembered being seen; all of herself that she had hidden in the recesses of her heart and mind now out in the open and loved, and realizing that here with these people, this city, was where she belonged.
FIN