"Marinette!" Kagami yelled shaking the poor girl, who had been leaned up against the wall damn near sobbing.

Marinette refused to look at her.

Finally, Kagami sighed, before taking a seat next to the shaking girl.

"You know, when I was little, I used to ask mother where father was," Kagami began, smiling ruefully "she never did tell me, so I decided to search for my birth records, I wanted to know. You know what it turned out, my father was a businessman in Japan, but not only that, he was also a bestseller in the USA. I thought he was SO cool. I didn't understand why we moved to France-"

Kagami rambled about her mom, and her dad, and her childhood dreams,

And Marinette calmed back down.

"Are you alright?" Kagami asked softly, and Marinette gave her a shaky smile.

"Yeah. I'm good. Thanks 'Gami."

Kagami smiled at her.

"No problem. Do you want to shoot the demon a text? You being twins and all, I figure maybe he was able to feel your panic?"

Marinette sighed, before pulling out her phone.

"Probably a good idea."

~~~

Some time later, Marinette was sitting in the cafeteria, breathing heavily, but still sort of steadily.

Shoving her hand into her neck, hard enough that she'd probably have bruises latter, Marinette felt her pulse, thrumming, steady, fast, constant,

Her heartbeat was one of the only things that could calm her down, because it was hers

~~~

Marinette lay on the cold hard ground, her head cradled by her twin, her friends huddled around, both protecting her from the sight of others, and keeping their eyes on her, so she was surrounded by faces she loved.

Blood dripping from her wound, mixing with the dirt and the dust.

She smiled weakly.

Damian was sobbing, and Marinette grasped his hand, and placed it to her neck, so he could feel her pulse.

Because that had helped her. It could help him, right?

It didn't.

He felt the last few beats, he felt her heart stop pumping blood. The sensation of her pulse on his hand, forever remaining with him.