#some gabrielie and gabenath

[miraculouspaon]

Imogene

Happy (very belated) holidays, @lorrainingart​! I was your secret santa for @mlsecretsanta​ this year. I’m sorry it’s a week late, but the story got a bit away from me and of course I wanted it to be perfect after the beautiful secret santa gift you drew for me. I’m very pleased with how it finally came out, though, and I hope you are as well. Enjoy!

Imogene

Open your eyes.

Emilie Agreste opened her eyes.

The sight before them confused her. Emilie didn’t recognize where she was at first, so different was the secret chamber her husband had built from the last time she’d seen it. It was dark and cold, and something unspoken hung heavy in the air she breathed.

There were four Miraculous holders standing before her, each one of their faces full of shock and disbelief. Two of them, Emilie didn’t recognize at all. The black cat, the red ladybug, they looked so young-but then, maybe Emilie had been that young once, when she found her Miraculous. The blue peacock… the blue peacock had been Emilie’s, hadn’t it? But then how-

“Emilie? Emilie, my love?”

Emilie turned to the final person before her, the purple butterfly, the man with a cold fire in his eyes. “Gabriel?”

Gabriel pulled Emilie into a tight embrace. “You know me? You remember?”

“I think so,” Emilie said slowly. She hugged him back just as tightly. “I remember I… oh, Gabriel, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Shhhh. Everything is well now, my love. We’ve saved you.”

“Ladybug and Chat Noir have escaped,” the holder of the Peacock Miraculous said behind them.

Gabriel whirled around. “What? How? Why didn’t you stop them, Mayura?”

Mayura closed her eyes. “I was distracted by our victory. They must have grabbed their Miraculouses back and escaped while we were witnessing our miracle. Forgive me.”

Gabriel’s face softened. “Of course. It doesn’t matter, they’ve served their purpose.” Gabriel turned back to Emilie. “Nathalie was instrumental in saving you, my love. I could not have succeeded without her.”

“Nathalie?” Emilie looked again at the Miraculous holder. A moment later, she recognized her old friend. “Oh, Nathalie, thank you!” She pushed past Gabriel and embraced Nathalie warmly.

Nathalie put her arms around Emilie stiffly. “Of course.” She looked over Emilie’s shoulder at Gabriel. “Did you recognize either of them? While they were de-transformed, after we got their Miraculouses?”

Gabriel shook his head. “You?”

“No.” Nathalie tightened her embrace of Emilie. “Emilie, you must be tired.”

You are tired.

Emilie nodded. “Everything feels… fuzzy, I think, I,” she yawned mid-sentence, “don’t know if,” her eyes were heavy now, too heavy to keep open, “should…” Sleep claimed Emilie before she could even finish her thought, before she could feel Gabriel take her in his arms and carry her home.

  Emilie awoke slowly, in her own bed, in her own room, and for a moment she remembered nothing but that she was happy and safe and home.

“Emilie?” Long fingers brushed the hair from her eyes, and Emilie looked up at the concerned face of her husband. “How do you feel?”

Emilie frowned. “Strange,” she said slowly. “The air is too heavy.” She lifted one hand and studied it briefly. “It’s like I’m moving through molasses.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, then looked back over his shoulder. “Nathalie?”

“Emilie was asleep for over a year,” Nathalie replied. “Perhaps her muscles are stiff. I’ll stay with her until she’s feeling herself.”

Emilie smiled warmly. “Thank you, Nathalie.”

Nathalie looked away. “Of course.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Gabriel promised. “There are things I need to take care of, after your disappearance the police want to… but I won’t trouble you with all that. Just know everything’s finally all right.” He placed a gentle kiss on the back of Emilie’s hand.

“Adrien?”

“I’ll send him in when I leave, just for a few minutes. I don’t want you to get too overwhelmed just yet.” Gabriel hesitated. “He doesn’t know anything. I’ve told him you were sent away for medical treatment, that it was experimental and needed to be kept secret.”

Emilie sighed. “I hate lying to him,” she said sadly.

“It’s for the best, my love.”

Emilie nodded. “Of course.”

Gabriel pressed his forehead to Emilie’s, then kissed her cheek. “Get some rest,” he said, before leaving their room.

“Poor Adrien,” Emilie sighed. “This must have been so hard for him.”

Nathalie came to her side and sat next to her at the edge of the mattress. “Your son is overjoyed to have his mother back,” she said. “That’s all that matters. Here.” Nathalie lifted up a hairbrush, and Emilie turned her head obediently. Nathalie began to brush Emilie’s hair. “I’ll straighten you up a bit before Adrien comes in. You’ll feel like yourself soon.”

Feel like yourself.

Emilie nodded. “Yes, I’m sure I will.”

“Oh, before I forget, I found your brooch. I think it fell off when Gabriel carried you back here.” Nathalie reached around Emilie and pinned her favorite silver brooch to her blouse, right above her heart.

Emilie took a breath. The air felt clearer. Her limbs felt lighter.

There was a soft knock at the door. “Mom?” Adrien poked his head in cautiously.

“Oh, Adrien!” Adrien rushed to his mother’s side. “My darling boy, I’ve missed you so.” Emilie pulled her son down to her and hugged him with all her strength.

“Father said you were sick, that you’ve been away at some special hospital or something.”

Emilie swallowed. “That’s right,” she lied.

“But you’re all better now?”

Emilie smiled at her son. “Yes, I’m all better now.” She looked up at Nathalie. “Isn’t that right?”

“Your mother still needs her rest,” Nathalie told Adrien. Adrien’s face fell.

“Only a few more days, darling,” Emilie assured him. “Then I’m all yours, I promise.”

“Adrien, you’re going to be late for school,” Nathalie said.

“School!” Emilie beamed at Adrien. “Oh, you’re going to school now? That’s so exciting, I can’t wait to hear all about it when you come back.”

  Gabriel and Nathalie both insisted that Emilie spend a full week in bed. Adrien visited her daily. Emilie asked him a million questions, about school and fencing and piano, about his teachers, his friends, about every single little aspect of his life. Adrien was only too happy to tell her everything. Still, much as she adored his visits, Emilie was beginning to feel a bit mad with boredom. She practically cartwheeled out of bed, the morning Gabriel told her he thought she was well enough to join them for breakfast. 

“Oh, thank God, I’m starving,” Emilie said, the moment she entered the dining room and saw the enormous breakfast spread. She reached for a croissant and eagerly took a bite. She had almost finished it off when she noticed both her husband and her son staring at her. “What?”

“You hate croissants,” Adrien said, obviously confused.

“What?” Emilie laughed. “Of course I don’t. Everybody loves croissants.”

“Not you,” Adrien said. “You always said they were too rich.”

“But…” Emilie furrowed her brow, then looked at Nathalie. “I hate croissants?”

Nathalie pursed her lips. “I don’t remember you ever saying anything like that,” she said dismissively. She put a comforting hand on Emilie’s shoulder, then straightened Emilie’s brooch. “People’s tastes change all the time. Don’t worry about it.”

Don’t worry about it.

Emilie’s distressed expression cleared at once.

Gabriel frowned at his wife. “Perhaps you should stay in bed for another day or two.”

“Oh, Gabriel, don’t be silly,” Emilie said breezily. “People’s tastes change all the time.”

“Still, we should be careful you don’t overexert yourself.”

“Gabriel, I promised our son I would spend the entire day with him. I simply refuse to break the first promise I’ve made to him in over a year.”

“It’s okay,” Adrien said, clearly still perturbed. “We don’t have to if you’re still feeling sick.”

“Adrien, I have never felt healthier,” Emilie said confidently.

  “Adrien, look!” Emilie pointed at the sign outside the tropical greenhouse of the Paris Zoo. “It says there’s a live feeding in an hour. Is this the exhibit your science teacher wanted your class to check out?”

“Yeah, this is it,” Adrien said. “We’re doing a unit on the Amazon.” They entered the building. “I think the manatees are in here somewhere, and the dart frogs. Hang on, I’ll get the worksheet out.” He began to root through his bag.

“Oh!” Emilie gasped. “Look at that!” She rushed to the window of an exhibit, and it took Adrien a moment to realize what she’d seen.

“The anaconda?” he asked.

“Isn’t she gorgeous?” Emilie waggled a finger at the large snake, who could not have been less interested in her. “Look at that coloring.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, it’s a pretty green.” Adrien looked at the sign next to the exhibit. “This says she’s pregnant. I thought snakes laid eggs?”

“Congratulations, mama!” Emilie said. The snake continued to ignore her.

“It also says green anacondas are the heaviest snakes in the world.”

“It’s rude to talk about a lady’s weight, Adrien.”

Adrien grinned. “You never liked the snakes when we came here when I was a kid,” he said.

“No?” Emilie asked. “I suppose I didn’t.” She frowned slightly at her faint reflection in the glass. “Maybe my perspective has changed a bit, after… well, after everything.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Adrien said. “I, um, I was looking up stuff on health scares and illnesses with high rates of… well, you know. Everything I read said nobody goes back to being exactly who they were before they get sick. It’s normal”

“Oh, Adrien.” Emilie put a hand over her heart. “That was sweet of you, to look those things up, but you don’t need to worry about me. It’s my job to worry about you, after all.” She hugged her son warmly, and felt a weight lift from her heart. The nagging sense she’d had since waking up, that something was off, wasn’t anything to worry about after all. Coming back from the brink of death simply changed people a little, that was all. Everything was normal.

“Adrien!”

Emilie released Adrien, and he turned around towards the sound of his name. A second later he waved eagerly. “That’s some of my friends from school,” he said excitedly. “I can’t wait for you to meet them. Alya!” A group of girls approached. “Are you guys doing the project, too?”

“That’s right,” the first girl, Alya, said. “My dad doesn’t work in this part of the zoo, but he said he might be able to get us an exclusive close-up look at some of the poisonous frogs, if you don’t mind staying past closing.”

“Oh, I can’t,” Adrien said, “I’m spending the day with my mom. Mom, meet my friends, this is Alya, and Rose, and Juleka, and Alix, and Marinette. Guys, this is my mom.” Adrien beamed at the girls, all of whom gave Emilie smiles and polite nods.

All of them, that is, except the last girl. Marinette, however, looked at Emilie like she was some kind of monster.

“It’s… it’s nice to meet you all,” Emilie said, momentarily thrown off by the young woman’s reaction. She offered her hand warmly, certain she must have imagined the girl’s expression, and the girl flinched and practically jumped backwards.

“Marinette?” Alya raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Girl, are you okay?”

“Fine!” Marinette squeaked. She shook her head, then forced a smile at Emilie. “I’m sorry, it’s so nice to meet you! But, um, I was just thinking about this other thing, I forgot, I’m so silly, my dad needs me to cake some bookies-I mean bake some cookies! So I have to go, I’m so sorry, bye everyone!” Marinette hurried for the exit, nearly tripping over her own feet in her rush.

“Oh, dear,” Emilie said. “I think I must have upset her somehow.”

“Oh, no,” Alix said, rolling her eyes. “Trust me, Marinette’s always like that. Right, Adrien?”

Adrien frowned. “She seemed upset.”

“She’ll be fine,” Rose said. “She was just nervous because she wasn’t expecting to see Adrien.” Alya elbowed Rose. “See him next to the snakes,” Rose added in a rush. “Because, um, because Marinette is scared of snakes.”

“Really?” Adrien looked towards the door. “That doesn’t sound like her at all.” He looked at his mother. “I’m sorry she had to leave so fast. Usually she’s really great. She’s the class representative, and she makes the best macarons in Paris, and...” Adrien began to give his mother a list of Marinette’s accomplishments, which Emilie only half-listened to. It was clear that Adrien had a bit of a crush on the girl, and that the other girls believed Marinette had a bit of a crush right back. But it was also clear to her that Marinette’s initial reaction had nothing to do with Adrien, and everything to do with Emilie.

  That night, Gabriel came to bed to find his wife sitting at their bay window. She was hugging her knees and gazing up at the stars, lost in thought and bathed in moonlight. He smiled. “You are so beautiful.”

Emilie started. “Oh! Gabriel, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Lost in thought?”

Emilie hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the look Adrien’s friend had given her, or the way she’d instinctively recoiled at Emilie’s touch. “Something like that.”

Gabriel crossed the room and sat next to her. “Do you know what I thought of when I saw you here? Lit only by the light of a full moon in that white dress, your hair flowing down over your shoulders?” Emilie shook her head. “I thought of our honeymoon. Remember?”

“Nassau,” Emilie said immediately. “We went to the beach. We swam with the dolphins. It was like paradise.”

Gabriel blinked, momentarily taken aback at his wife’s flat tone. “I meant, do you remember that one night? You woke me up, hours after everyone else at the resort had fallen asleep. You led me back to the shore. We were so in love, and you were so excited to be…” Gabriel trailed off. “Don’t you remember?”

Emilie frowned. She knew they’d gone to the Bahamas for their honeymoon. She knew it had been magical. She knew it had been the trip of a lifetime. And yet… she knew it the way she knew that the Earth was round, or that water froze at zero degrees Celsius. She knew it like it was a fact she couldn’t remember learning. Her memories of the trip were just vague, shallow impressions. She didn’t remember the night Gabriel was talking about at all.

“Don’t worry about it, my love,” Gabriel said quickly, seeing that his question had upset Emilie. “It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course our honeymoon matters, Gabriel,” Emilie whispered. Gabriel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I think I came back wrong.”

“What? That’s absurd.”

“I can’t remember our honeymoon. I can’t remember not liking croissants. What else can’t I remember?”

Gabriel tightened his embrace. “Your memories will return in time,” he said confidently. “We just have to be patient.”

Emilie sighed and leaned back into her husband’s arms. “Maybe you’re right.”

Gabriel leaned over enough to kiss Emilie’s cheek. One hand caressed her shoulder, and the other fingered her brooch idly. “All that matters is that we love each other.”

You love each other.

A sudden surge of desire shot through Emilie. She twisted in Gabriel’s embrace to face him, and kissed him passionately. After a moment of shock, he kissed her back. Emilie’s hand came up to Gabriel’s ascot, and she pulled it off without slowing down. She pushed him back, pinning him against the windowsill, before getting on her knees so she could straddle her husband, so she could-

“Emilie.” Gabriel swallowed visibly, then took Emilie’s hands and gently but firmly removed them from his person. “I don’t want us to rush into anything you’re not ready for.”

Emilie was breathing hard, and it took her a moment to catch herself. She pushed herself backwards, off of her husband. She didn’t know where that had come from, why she’d been overcome out of nowhere. The second she’d stopped, the impulse had fled. She didn’t know why she felt only relief now, that Gabriel had stopped her. She didn’t know why the thought of being with Gabriel, as his wife, now broke her heart.

“You’re right,” Emilie finally said, unable to begin to put into words what had just happened. “There’s no rush.”

  The next morning, Emilie stayed in bed until the house was empty. Adrien was in school, Gabriel was at work, and Nathalie had finally been persuaded to leave Emilie’s side and join him.  The three people who loved Emilie best in the world were all convinced she was perfectly fine.

Emilie was not fine. She didn’t know how, she didn’t know why, but she knew something was terribly wrong.

Emilie pushed herself through the motions of her morning. She got up, she showered, she dressed herself, she ate breakfast. All the while, a plan was forming. Maybe it was reckless, after everything Emilie had already been through. Maybe it was crazy. But it wasn’t as crazy as Emilie was going to be if she didn’t get some answers, and soon.

Emilie made her way to her husband’s home office, pushed aside the portrait concealing the safe, and punched in the security code.

There it was, waiting for her. The Peacock Miraculous. With a steady hand, Emilie picked it up.

There was a flash of light, and Duusu appeared. “Emilie? Why do you have my Miraculous?”

Emilie gave Duusu a wry smile. “What, you’re not happy to see me?”

Duusu looked away. “Of course I am.”

Emilie frowned. Duusu had always been a terrible liar. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, just like Emilie did. It was what had made them such a good match for each other, before the damage of the Miraculous caught up to Emilie. “Duusu, did something happen to me? Something that Gabriel’s wish didn’t fix?”

Duusu shook her head, but she still wouldn’t meet Emilie’s eyes. “No, his wish worked perfectly. Everything’s all better now.”

“No,” Emilie said. She was certain now, and furious. “No, everything is not all better, and you know it, and you’re hiding it from me!”

“Please, Emilie,” Duusu whispered. “Put the Miraculous away. Go back to your husband and your son. Be happy.”

“I can’t. I have to know the truth.” Emilie took a deep breath. “Duusu, spread my feathers!”

Emilie felt the familiar magic wash over her. She’d missed it, even though it had nearly cost her everything. Once her transformation was complete, she looked around Gabriel’s office and quickly found an ordinary pen. Picking it up, Emilie focused her power on her own emotions, her own desperate need to learn the truth, no matter how terrible. Wisps of black began to gather before her, twisting and writhing, until it formed into-

A ferret.

Emilie blinked, then crouched down and gave the creature a gentle pat. It chirped happily and went up on its hind legs. “Hey, little guy,” Emilie cooed. “Are you gonna ferret out the truth for me?”

The sentimonster gave her another happy chirp, then promptly disappeared. Emilie frowned, confused. Sentimonsters were supposed to help their charges, not abandon them. Well, no matter. The creature was bound to the pen, so for as long as Emilie held it she could order the creature back to help her. Clutching her talisman, she concentrated. Come back to me, she thought, directing her will at her sentimonster.

“Mayura!”

Emilie whirled around to see Adrien standing behind her, staring in shock and horror. “Adrien? What are you… oh, no, no, I’m not Mayura,” she said in a rush. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m sorry, you weren’t supposed to… I don’t know why…” She looked down, and saw the ferret biting Adrien’s pant leg. The creature released Adrien, then looked up at Emilie and almost seemed to beam with pride.

Adrien looked at Emilie warily. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Emilie said quickly. “Just a little-ow!” Her sentimonster had bitten her. Not hard, not enough to do any real damage, but still, a sentimonster turning on their charge? And on the wielder of the Peacock Miraculous, too? Emilie had never seen such a thing. “Ferret out the truth… oh, no.” She looked up at her son. “Adrien, I’m so sorry.” She sighed, defeated. “Duusu, feathers in.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Mom? Why do you have the Peacock Miraculous?”

“I was trying to use it to find out the truth. There’s something going on, something wrong, but I don’t know what.”

Adrien’s face went a shade paler. “You’re sick again?”

“No!”  The ferret growled softly. “Well, maybe. I don’t know. This thing,” Emilie gestured to her sentimonster, “was supposed to find out the truth for me. Instead, it’s making me reveal the truth to you.” She took another deep breath. “My sickness, it wasn’t what your father told you. It was caused by this.” Emilie held up the Peacock Miraculous. “It was damaged. We didn’t realize until I’d used it too many times, and by then there was nothing anybody could do.”

“But you’re better now,” Adrien said slowly. “You got better. Somebody did something.”

Emilie nodded, bracing herself. “Yes.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes. “Father’s grimoire. It had pictures of Miraculouses in it. It wasn’t just for fashion inspiration, was it? He was studying it to figure out how to save you.”

“That’s right,” Emilie said. “And he learned the only thing that could save me was the combined power of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses. Together, they can grant any wish.”

Emilie could see it on his face, the moment Adrien put everything together. “Hawkmoth. Father is Hawkmoth.”

“I’m so sorry, baby.” Emilie blinked back tears. “It’s all my fault, everything was all my fault. Your father only did what he had to to save me.”

Adrien shook his head slowly. “You’re not responsible for his actions,” he said. “I… I need to think.”

Emilie nodded. “Of course, my darling.” Adrien took a step towards the door, but the ferret sentimonster quickly blocked his path and hissed. “Stop that,” Emilie scolded. The sentimonster held its position. “Let him go,” Emilie ordered. “I told him my secret, what more do you want? Anyway, you’re supposed to be finding out secrets for me, and Adrien doesn’t know anything about Miraculouses, do you?”

“Of course not-ow!” Adrien pulled his hand away, but not before the ferret nipped him.

Emilie’s heart skipped a beat. “Adrien? Do you know something? Something that might give me a clue about what’s happening to me?”

Adrien eyed the ferret warily. A moment later his shoulders sagged in defeat. “I know Father couldn’t have made the wish you think he made.”

Emilie frowned. “You think he wished for something else?”

“No,” Adrien said. “I know he couldn’t have made any wish. Because he would have needed Chat Noir’s Miraculous to do it.” Adrien held up his hand grimly. “And Chat Noir’s Miraculous hasn’t left my finger for over a year.”

Adrien’s meaning hit Emilie like a ton of bricks. “No. No, no, no, you can’t be Chat Noir.”

“I am,” he said miserably.

“I saw Chat Noir. I saw him, right when I woke up, right before he and Ladybug escaped. I saw him!”

Adrien laughed humorlessly. “I think I’d remember my arch-nemesis stealing my Miraculous to wake up my missing mother.”

Emilie looked at her sentimonster and let out an irritated huff. “I still don’t know anything, and now I have more questions than I did before. I need answers.”

The sentimonster tilted its head, then promptly vanished.

“What’s it doing now?” Adrien asked.

“I don’t know,” Emilie said. “It’s not acting at all the way I expected.”

There was a sudden loud pop, and three more people appeared in the room. Gabriel and Nathalie, Emilie was hardly surprised to see. The third, however, Emilie had not expected, although perhaps she should have.

“Marinette?” Adrien said, confused.

“Adrien!” Marinette looked around in shock and confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Emilie.” Gabriel was at her side in an instant, his arms around her. “Are you hurt? Whatever’s going on, I’ll keep you safe.”

“Gabriel.” Emile gave her husband an apologetic smile. “I’m what’s going on.”

“What?”

Emilie gestured to her sentimonster in the middle of the room. “Something’s wrong, Gabriel. I used the Peacock Miraculous to find out what. That ferret is a sentimonster, and it won’t let anyone leave or lie until the truth is revealed.”

“You used the Peacock Miraculous? Are you mad, Emilie? After we almost lost you to that thing?”

“There’s no danger anymore, Gabriel, and I have to know what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong!” Gabriel insisted. “You’re awake again, you’re healthy, everything is perfect.”

“He believes that,” Adrien said softly. His parents turned towards him, and he gestured to the ferret. “That thing didn’t bite him. For everything he’s lied about, he’s not lying now.”

Gabriel frowned. “Adrien-”

“We can talk about it later,” Adrien interrupted coldly. “Right now we need to figure out why Mom thinks you used Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses to wake her up, when I know for a fact you couldn’t have.” He held up the hand with his ring pointedly, then turned to the other two people in the room. “If Father doesn’t know what’s really going on, one of you two must.”

“There’s nothing we can tell you, Adrien,” Nathalie said firmly. She managed to keep from crying out when the sentimonster bit her, but only just.

“Want to try that again?” Adrien asked. Nathalie pursed her lips and remained silent. “Fine. Marinette?” Adrien softened noticeably as he turned to her, but his tone remained firm. “You’re not going to lie to me, are you?”

Marinette blinked back a few tears. “Oh, Adrien,” she said miserably. “I had no idea, you have to believe me, I had no idea the woman Hawkmoth wanted to save was your mother!”

“Quiet,” Nathalie snapped at Marinette. “They don’t know anything. For heaven’s sake, stop talking.”

“She made a sentimonster!” Marinette snapped right back at Nathalie. “You said it would be foolproof, that it would work forever, that nobody would ever find out. It’s only been a week and she’s already making sentimonsters! Is she even supposed to be able to do that?”

“How should I know?” Nathalie asked defensively. “You’re the Miraculous expert, not me. I’ve never done this before.”

Marinette scoffed. “That’s not exactly true, is it?”

“I told you already, the second Ladybug only seemed sentient because you were holding her talisman when you wanted her to be sentient, she was just acting the way you wanted her to act. This is completely different, this is…” Nathalie looked back at Emilie and fell silent once more.

Gabriel looked back and forth between Nathalie and Marinette. “You two seem to know each other quite well,” he said dryly.

“Marinette?” Emilie said gently. Marinette looked at her, the guilt written across her face plain as day. “Please.”

Marinette took a deep breath and began to speak.

   Three weeks earlier…

 Ladybug landed without a sound on the rooftop and looked around. She couldn’t see much in the dark of the night, but the shadows of one corner were deeper than the others. Ladybug crossed her arms and fixed the darkness with a stare. “Well?”

Out of the shadows stepped Mayura. “Thank you for coming.”

“You have five seconds to hold my interest, and then I’m leaving and not coming back,” Ladybug snapped. “You’re lucky I agreed to come at all.”

Mayura nodded. “I think there’s a way for all of us to get what we want.”

Ladybug let out a sharp laugh. “You’re never getting my Miraculous. I would never let someone like you-”

“Please,” Mayura interrupted, holding up a hand. “You don’t understand… he doesn’t want it for himself, if you only knew him like I-”

“Talk faster.”

Mayura pressed her lips together. “Fine. We can’t win, I see that now. But he’ll never give up, not until he’s saved the woman he loves.”

Ladybug straightened. “The woman he… you mean, you two aren’t-”

“Of course not,” Mayura said defensively. “All of this is to save his wife. She wielded this Miraculous before I did. We didn’t realize it was damaged, not until it was too late. She’s locked in eternal sleep now.”

“If the Miraculous is fixed-“

“We tried that,” Mayura said impatiently. “Your Guardian revealed enough to us and we repaired it. Hawkmoth’s wife remains asleep. The only thing that will wake her now is the combined power of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses.”

Ladybug shook her head. “That won’t work. I wish it could, but the law of equal exchange means I can’t save anyone without losing someone else.”

“It’s a price either of us would have happily paid,” Mayura said bitterly, “but I won’t waste my breath trying to convince you to sacrifice either of us for her. I know what heroes are like.” Mayura spat the word ‘hero’ like a curse. “There’s another way. With the Fox Miraculous, you could create an illusion that Hawkmoth believes. You could trick him into believing he has defeated you, used the Miraculouses, and brought back his wife.”

Ladybug was silent for a while. “You’re talking about betraying him.”

“I’m talking about saving him from himself before he loses everything.”

Ladybug studied the woman in front of her. “You love him,” she finally said. “Maybe he’s still in love with his wife, but you’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Mayura said nothing. “Your plan won’t work. The illusions of the Fox Miraculous are temporary.”

“They are,” Mayura agreed. “My sentimonsters, however, are not.”

  The being who was not Emilie could feel the stares of everyone in the room as Marinette finished her story. She could feel everyone looking at her like they’d never seen her before in their lives. And why shouldn’t they? She wasn’t Emilie. She wasn’t Gabriel’s wife, she wasn’t Adrien’s mother. She wasn’t a woman, she wasn’t a human, she wasn’t anything at all.

It was Adrien who finally broke the heavy silence. “You tricked me?” he asked Marinette, his voice breaking a little.

“I’m so sorry, Adrien,” Marinette said tearfully. “I thought I’d just be tricking Hawkmoth. I had no idea he had a son, or that it was you, or that you were Chat.”

“Perhaps you knew nothing,” Gabriel said icily. He turned to his assistant. “Nathalie, however, knew exactly who she was betraying.”

Nathalie squared her shoulders and looked her boss straight in the eye. “We were losing, sir,” she said plainly. “We were always going to lose. You kept calling yourself a man with nothing to lose, but that wasn’t true.” She nodded towards Adrien. “I did the only thing I could think of to get you back your wife before you truly lost everything.”

“You didn’t, though,” the sentimonster who was not Emilie said miserably. “I’m not his wife, am I? I’m not even close. I don’t remember the things I should remember, I don’t feel the things I should feel. I’m just some vague approximation, some combination of what you thought Emilie was and what you wanted her to be.” She laughed bitterly. “Oh, no wonder my heart twists a little every time Gabriel kisses me. It’s because your heart twists, doesn’t it? Because you went and fell in love with the man whose wife you were trying to save.” Not-Emilie shook her head. “Everything about me is just a cruel joke.” She reached for her heart and quickly unclasped her brooch. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Just one little snap and everything’s fixed.” She grasped the brooch between her two hands and took a breath, bracing herself.

“No!” Adrien darted forward and snatched the brooch from not-Emilie’s hands. “Stop!”

STOP.

Not-Emilie froze, still as death. It took Adrien a moment to understand why. “Oh, God, no, I’m sorry,” he said frantically, shoving the brooch back into not-Emilie’s hand. “I didn’t mean to… I just had to stop you from breaking it, that’s all, I didn’t think-”

“Do you have any idea,” not-Emilie said quietly, examining the brooch, “what it’s like to be controlled by this thing?” She sighed. “I should have realized from the start, heaven knows I’ve had enough experience with the Peacock Miraculous… except no, I suppose I don’t have much actual experience at all, do I? But I have the memories of it all the same.” She traced a finger over the silver petals. “It’s like drowning,” she whispered. “It’s like being smothered in the will of another person. It digs into you, down to the marrow, until you can’t tell it apart from yourself.”

“I won’t touch it ever again,” Adrien said desperately. “You don’t have to feel like that ever again. Just keep it, lock it away somewhere safe, and nobody will be able to control you.”

“Why?” not-Emilie whispered. “What’s the point? Why shouldn’t I just break it and be done with it? I’m not your mother. I can’t ever be her.”

“I don’t want you to be my mother!” Adrien exclaimed. “I just want you to be you, whoever that is!”

Not-Emilie shook her head. “I’m not anybody, Adrien.”

“That’s not true!” Adrien insisted.

“Who am I, then?” she asked desperately.

“You’re… you’re someone who likes croissants!” Adrien said. Not-Emilie stared for a moment, and then she began to laugh. “I’m serious!” Adrien protested, but he, too, began to smile. “You like croissants, and anacondas, and… and you’re pretty reckless, I guess, doing all this, but you’re clever, too, and you’re kind, and you care about me.” Adrien gulped. “And I really don’t want to lose another person who cares about me. Please, I’m so sick of losing people.”

The being who was not Adrien’s mother looked at him silently for a moment, then nodded. With shaky fingers, she pinned the brooch back to her blouse.

  Adrien carried a giant cage up the steps of an apartment complex, through the door to the newly rented unit, and around unpacked boxes and shrink wrapped furniture. He finally made it to the bedroom and placed it carefully down before collapsing dramatically onto the bed. “All done, Aunt Imogene!”

“Oh, thank you darling, you’re the best,” came his aunt’s chipper reply from somewhere in the kitchen. Adrien heard the clicking of her heels grow steadily louder, and then she entered the room. “Oh, who’s a good boy?” Imogene cooed. “Are you happy to be finally home? Do you want to come out?” Imogene opened the cage and gently lifted her ferret out, then gave his nose a soft kiss.

“Are you sure you want to keep him?” Adrien asked. “I don’t think he’s actually alive. Not like you are, anyway.”

Imogene hummed thoughtfully. “I’m not so sure that’s true,” she said lightly, stroking the sentimonster. “Anyway, having a lie detector for a pet might come in handy one of these days. Does he want scratches? Yes?” She sat down on the bed next to Adrien and gently scratched her ferret’s belly.

Adrien reached over and gave the ferret a gentle pat. “You know, Father would have gotten you a bigger place if you’d wanted one. And maybe one closer to the mansion, too.”

Imogene shook her head. “No, this place is perfect,” she said happily. “I just need a place I can make completely my own. And maybe a little space from your father and Nathalie, just for a little while.”

Adrien snorted. “Join the club.”

Imogene gave him a searching look. “Do you need to be away from them for a while, Adrien? You’re welcome to stay here. Of course I understand if that’s difficult, too, but maybe I could-”

“No, no,” Adrien said quickly. “I mean, I’d be happy to stay with you, thanks for offering, but… no. Father and I need to work through a lot of things. And he’s actually trying, which is nice.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Imogene said. “How has he been?”

“He’s…” Adrien paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “He’s finally letting himself mourn Mom, I think. He didn’t really do that the first time we lost her. So that’s hard, but it’s healthy. He’s not ready to let her go yet, but he gave Marinette the Miraculouses. I think he’s going to get there this time.”

“Oh, good.”

“He’s still not speaking to Nathalie,” Adrien added, “but at this point I think it’s not even about being mad at her anymore. It’s just easier than dealing with how they feel about each other.” Adrien rolled his eyes. “They’re both so closed off, they’re perfect for each other. They’ll figure it out eventually.”

“And how have you been?” Imogene asked gently.

Adrien was silent for a while. “I miss Mom,” he said. “Losing her the second time hurt more than the first, I think.”

“I’m so sorry, love.”

“It’s not your fault,” Adrien said softly. “Marinette, um, she’s looking into what exactly happened to her. She’s pretty new to being the Guardian, but she’s got such a knack for it already. If anyone can figure out a way to save Mom, a real way, it’ll be her.”

“I hope she does,” Imogene said sincerely.

“Oh, before I forget.” Adrien sat up, then pulled some things from his pocket. “Your ID, passport, birth certificate. Aunt Amelie sent it all over this morning. I’m not sure what crazy Graham de Vanily strings she pulled, but they work fast.”

Imogene took the documents and looked through them carefully. She blinked back a few tears, but there was a smile on her face. “Imogene Graham de Vanily,” she read. “She’s a real person now. Thank you, Adrien. And thank Amelie for me, too. I doubt she’s ready to talk to me herself just yet. It’s going to be difficult for her.”

“Maybe not,” Adrien said. “Her exact words when I told her everything were, ‘Oh well, what’s one more identical sister?’” Imogene chuckled. “I think she’s looking forward to getting to know you.”

“Is that right?” Imogene stood up and stepped towards the window. She looked out at the city below, the sunlight dancing across her face. “Yes, I think I’m looking forward to getting to know me, too.”